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Monday, August 11, 2014

Tanker escapes ambush attack
Crew members of a product tanker were able to
escape a piracy attack without injuries, thanks to
their training and alertness.
A group of sea pirates tried to board the vessel
some 200 nautical miles off Nigeria's southern
shoreline early on Saturday.
Unknown to the attackers, the tanker ship's
crew were able to toughen up their vessel's
exterior before leaving their previous destination
along the Gulf of Guinea, allowing the ship to
fend off heavy gunfire.
During the attack, crew members also
retreated to the vessel's shelter that allowed them
to escape unharmed while the ship master
increased speed, causing the sea pirates to give
up their chase.
Maritime analysts, however, expressed
concern about Saturday's attack, saying it signals
a new strategy by sea pirates.
According to them, it is highly unusual that
the attackers' vessel waited for its target to pass
a certain point for them to be able to catch and
board it.
Deploying a mother vessel some 200 nautical
miles offshore is likewise a new tactic for pirates
at the Gulf of Guinea, they added.
It is also most likely that the sea pirates carried
out a "surveillance" operation on the target
vessel because they knew where the tanker was
from and where exactly it will pass through for
them to intercept it.
Experts also stressed on the timing of the
attack as previous piracy attempts were mostly
done in broad daylight.
SAFETY STUDY
PARAMETRIC ROLLING CAUSES LOSS
OF CONTAINERS
A container vessel loses 50 containers due to
the phenomenon called parametric rolling.
NARRATIVE
A container vessel altered course after
encountering heavy weather, but conditions
remained hazardous. Concern grew as the
height of the waves and the pitching and
rolling of the vessel increased. Speed was
reduced. An exceptional roll of about 30
degrees parted the lashings, resulting in 50
containers being lost overboard and causing
the vessel to list to port. The vessel was hove
to, and a starboard ballast tank was filled to
bring her closer to the upright. Some flooding
of forward spaces was caused by wave
damage to ventilation pipes when the vessel
was hove to, but she reached port without
further problems.
This phenomenon is called parametric
rolling, where the pitching motion excites the
natural rolling frequency, leading to large
angles of heel. The origin of the problem lies
in the hull shape of container ships. They have
to be fast, hence the fine lines forward, but
also they have to have their deck area
maximised, hence the full hull shape aft. An
initial angle of heel is necessary to get the
mechanism going. This will normally be
caused by wind blowing against one side.
There will be an imbalance of buoyancy at the
aft end with an angle of heel, because one
side of the aft end will be more fully immersed.
The imbalance of buoyancy will increase when
the ship pitches stern down, and conversely
the imbalance will be relieved when the ship
pitches with the stern up. The rolling motion
will be excited if the pitching frequency is
similar to the natural rolling frequency.
LESSONS
- Bridge crews of large container vessels
should be aware of the parametric rolling
phenomenon. Changing course and/or speed
is a way of separating the pitching and rolling
frequencies.
- This vessel was fitted with a computer
system that could predict when parametric
rolling was likely to be a problem. This facility
was used when the heavy weather was
encountered, and, as a result, the ship was
slowed. However, the master believes that
parametric rolling caused the exceptional roll,
therefore the computer system did not provide
good information. Such systems may give a
false sense of security. Source: UK MAIB
ARF calls for improved search
and rescue co-ordination
The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) has issued
a statement calling on regional countries to
further strengthen search and rescue (SAR)
co-ordination and co-operation on Maritime and
Aeronautical Search and Rescue at all levels
including through dialogue and cooperation in
ARF, Xinhua reported.
The statement,directing at the missing
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370 in March and
victims on the car ferry Sewol of the Republic of
Korea (ROK) in April, was released following
the 21st ARF retreat session involving 27
countries.
ARF participants reiterated the importance of
regional coordination and cooperation on the
action.
The statement stressed that maritime and
aeronautical search and rescue cooperation
under the framework of the International
Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue,
and the Convention on International Civil
Aviation should be promoted to enhance and
support the capacity of regional countries, and
promote a confidence building process and can
augment the regional ARF disaster relief
co-operation.
ARF participants are urged to endeavour to
take measures as outlined to strengthen regional
cooperation on the search and rescue action.
Suez Canal expansion scheme a
boon for shipping sector
The shipping industry is guaranteed to benefit
from the Suez Canal expansion project.
Officially unveiled by Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi last week, the multi-billion,
multi-year project involves widening and
deepening operations meant to accommodate
bigger vessels transiting the Suez Canal, which
is one of the world's two oil transit choke points.
Industry experts say the project will pave the
way for faster transits for vessels transporting
key products from the Far East to Europe and
the US East Coast.
"The world has two giant canals in operation
that are competing for the container shipping
market handling imports into the US East Coast
from the Far East," said Peter Sand, a BIMCO
analyst.
"As the Panama Canal Expansion gets nearer
its completion, the Suez canal starts to feel the
heat and pressure to retain its superiority in
handling the biggest ships in the world."
He also noted that Suez Canal authorities are
trying to improve its services due to pressure
from its No1 competition in the container
shipping market.
"Suez will lose its exclusivity in large
container ship transits soon. A way to retain an
edge in the market will be to improve your
product. With Panama holding the upside on
sailing distance by a small margin, the key
parameters left will be fast transits and a
competitive pricing of the service provided,"
said Sand.
PAGE 2 - Monday, August 11, 2014

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: (August 8)
Dry Index BDI 777 +12
Capesie Index BCI 11!! +1!
"ana#ax Index B"I !2$ +8
%upra#ax Index B%I 8&$ +1'
(andysie Index B(%I )!) +)
EXCHANGE RATES
*e+ ,ork (-ri C.s)
-gn Curren/y 0%D in -gn
in 0%D Curren/y
Britain ("ound) 11!77! &12'!1
Canada (Do..ar) &1'112 11&'71
China (,uan) &11!2$ !112!$
3uro 11)$1& &17$27
India (4upee) &1&1!$ !1112&&
Indonesia (4upiah) &1&&&&82 117771&&
5apan (,en) &1&&'8&& 1&21&$&&
*or+ay (6rone) &11!&! !122!8
"hi.ippines ("eso) &1&227 $$112&&
"o.and (7.oty) &1)1'2 )11)&&
4ussia (4u8.e) &1&277 )!11)1!
%ingapore (Do..ar) &17'88 112218
0kraine ((ry9nia) &1&7') 121!117
Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise
gets warm welcome
After over 300 days in custody, Greenpeace's
ship, Arctic Sunrise, is now in Dutch territorial
waters. The vessel was held in Russia after it
was used by Greenpeace to protest Arctic
drilling.
Some Greenpeace members who had earlier
been released greeted the vessel upon its arrival.
"This is a joyous day for me, for my friends
and for the millions of people around the world
who campaigned for the release of the Arctic 30
and the Arctic Sunrise," Dutch climate and
energy campaigner Faiza Oulahsen said. Arctic
30 refers to the Greenpeace members who were
detained in Russia for taking part in the protest.
Russian commandos seized the Dutch-flagged
Arctic Sunrise in September 2013 and detained
30 Greenpeace activists and journalists after a
protest at an offshore oil rig.
Russia released the ship in June and it then
took around a month to get it seaworthy for the
trip back to The Netherlands, with Greenpeace
saying equipment including navigation and
communication aids "disappeared or had been
severely damaged."
The activists, including four Russians, were
arrested after two campaigners attempted to
scale the giant Prirazlomnaya offshore platform,
which environmentalists warned poses a threat
to the pristine Arctic ecology. Originally facing
a charge of piracy, the Arctic 30 were later
targeted with less severe hooliganism
accusations, AFP reported.
PH issues guidelines on Ebola
prevention for seafarers
Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) chief Hans Leo J
Cacdac yesterday said the agency has issued
guidelines for seafarers and manning agencies in
taking precaution against infection of the Ebola,
PNA reported.
In a report to Labor and Employment
Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, Cacdac
said the guidelines, issued in the form of an
advisory, is pursuant to POEA Governing Board
Resolution No. 14, Series of 2014, dated 4 July
2014 imposing a deployment ban on
newly-hired workers for Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone due to the spread of Ebola.
Baldoz commended the POEA's move and
said every precaution should be exercised to
ensure that spread of Ebola is prevented.
"The guidelines are issued for our seafarers'
welfare and protection. They could be
vulnerable to the Ebola due to the unavoidable
circumstance where they have to interact with
shore-based personnel who come on board ships
to perform their respective duties," she said.
Under the POEA guidelines, all shipping
principals, or employers, with ships operating or
calling on Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
ports, shall ensure that seafarers are properly
provided with working gears, including personal
protective equipment, such as masks, gloves,
and goggles where necessary, to limit the
possibility of exposure or contamination with
the Ebola.
"There will be no shore leave for seafarers and
no crew change in the ports of these countries in
the meantime," said Cacdac.
INCIDENTS
Boat capsizes in Pakistan
A boat carrying 11 illegal migrants capsized
near Pakistan's southwest trade port of Gwadar
on Monday morning, killing all of them, local
media and officials said. Balach Gichki, an
officer with local Paramilitary troops Levis said
that the victims were crossing the Arabian Sea
on a speed boat to illegally enter the
neighbouring country of Iran when it sank into
the deep waters of Baghuar near Gwadar, the
port city in the Pakistan's southwest Balochistan
province, Xinhua reported.
He said that the accident happened when the
boat flipped due to strong winds near
Pakistan-Iran border. The boat's sailor remained
safe and he informed residents and troops about
the accident after which the rescue operation
was kicked off.
RESEARCH
Stevens Institute of Technology
tapped for maritime centre
The United States' Centre of Excellence for
Maritime Research (CMR) will be headed by the
Stevens Institute of Technology.
The US Department of Homeland Security
Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate
announced its choice of Stevens Institute to lead
the upcoming research centre, noting that it will
provide USD2 million annually in the next five
years to help fund the centre's research work.
MIT, University of Miami, Rutgers University,
University of Puerto Rico and Elizabeth City
State University were also tapped to help in the
maritime research centre.
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PORT OF THE WEEK
PORT OF BATANGAS
The Batangas International Port, also
known as Batangas Pier, serves as an
alternate route to the Port of Manila.
It primarily serves the CALABARZON
(Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and
Quezon) region of the Philippines.
The Port of Batangas serves both
passenger and cargo vessels.
The port is located in Barangay Sta.
Clara, Batangas City.
It is about two kilometres from the city
proper and approximately 120kilometres
south of Metro Manila.
The Batangas Baseport Phase I has a
total area of 22.60 hectares.
BPDP II, on the other hand, has a total
area of 128 hectares, putting the two
phases' total land area at around 150
hectares.
The anchorage area is 0.37km from
shoreline, southwest of the piers with depth
of 27.4 to 32.9 metres mud bottom.
Good holding grounds off 0.46km from
the shoreline, with depths of 21.9 to 25.6m,
according to data from the Philippine Ports
Authority.
Port services include cargo handling,
pilotage, bunkering, tug assistance, ship
repair, watering, shore reception facilities,
and water taxi service.
Facilities include a service road (1,300m
long; six lanes), container terminal yard (6.6
hectares), reefer van stack yard (480 TEUs
of refrigerated containers), maintenance
shop (52.50m x 20.00m; 1,050sqm), control
office building (20.00m x 10.00m; two
storey; 400sqm).
The port also has an A-1 Substation
(26.00m x 5.00m; 130sqm), container
freight station, power house, pump house
and a PPA substation.
Batangas Port has been bustling with
activities lately, with more international
carriers using it as an alternative gateway.
The port is known for its efficiency and
with its proximity to the CALABARZON
region, makes it an ideal location for
shipping companies.