A NewsLink service for Dole Chile

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

SAFETY STUDY
BREAK OUT
The ship's crew took a break for lunch,
thinking that all was well with their ship at
berth.

NARRATIVE
A small general cargo vessel arrived at a river
berth at high tide to discharge cargo. As
usual, she took two shore lines forwardas
head line and breast line and used a ship's
line as her spring. Aft, because of the lead of
the available shore lines and the ship's ropes
being in better condition, ship's lines were
used as stern, breast and spring lines. The
agent presented the master with a standard
letter from the wharf operator, which included
the instruction not to adjust the moorings
when the tide was flooding or ebbing strongly.
Unloading started until lunchtime when the
stevedores took a break. The crew, except for
a watchman, went to the mess.
Later, the crew heard a sound similar to a
rope rendering around bitts. Someone
shouted to the master that they were breaking
adrift from their moorings. He called for the
chief engineer to start the engines and for the
mate to go forward and let the anchors go.
Arriving on deck, he saw the after spring line
parted. The forward spring parted shortly
afterwards as the ship's stern swung out into
the river. The head line and breast line began
to run out around the bitts, and the starboard
anchor was let go.
A larger cargo vessel which was discharging
nearby, saw the ship perpendicular to the jetty
and swinging towards his ship. He let go the
anchors and cleared the poop. The two
vessels collided.

Dry bulk market set

for adjustment
The supply/demand imbalance that drove dry
bulk markets down to 2009 levels, during the
first half of 2014, is set for recovery.
London-headquartered
ship
Management
Company Newport Shipping Group has
predicted an improved tonnage balance over the
next couple of years, resulting in a freight rate
peak during the 2016-17 period.
During the first half of 2014, dry bulk markets
especially Panamax, Supramax and Handysize,
"have not been at these low levels since the
financial crisis in early 2009," Harald Lone,
Chairman of Newport Shipping Group, said in a
press release.
"Strong supply growth combined with a
decline in most of the major coal trades pushed
spot earnings for Panamaxes to just above USD
3000 per day in Q1 2014, well below operating
costs. The markets are still soft, with average

spot earnings in 2014 down by 10% on 2013,

with Panamax rates down as much as 22%,"
Lone added.
Healthy demand and moderate supply growth,
however, should result in an improved tonnage
balance during the next couple of years. And
although a spate of newbuild orders in the
2013-14 period could prevent a near term
rebound, "freight rates and ship values are likely
to rise slowly then peak during the 2016-17
period".
"A fundamental and sustainable dry bulk
market recovery is expected in the second half
of 2015 and throughout 2016, when the total dry
bulk market balance could peak at 88%, with
peaks during the fourth quarter close to 92%,"
Lone said.
"Improved tonnage balance in 2015-16 should
drive up bulk freight rates," he added.

'Coastal shipping contributes

EUR 11.8bln to Greek economy'

India mulls changing rules for

shipping industry

Coastal shipping contributed EUR 11.8 billion

or 5.6% of the GDP to the Greek national
economy in 2013, according to a survey
conducted by the Greek think tank Foundation
for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE).
The survey also shows that the shipping sector
in Greece employed about 260,000 people,
which amounts to about 7.2% of the total
LESSONS
working force.
-There were no witnesses to the ropes
IOBE experts expect the shipping sector to
breaking as the crew were at the mess having
contribute up to 10% of GDP, or around EUR
lunch.
-The use of ship's lines aft was not expected 26 billion, to the ailing economy of Greece.
by the ship and was at odds with the routine
They further added that the sector could also
experienced at this berth during previous
employ up to 550,000 people in the coming
visits. Shore lines were supplied at these
years by attracting more maritime activities to
berths because the wharf operator did not
Greece. This will help Greece, which has been
always trust that the strength of the visiting
ship's mooring lines would be sufficient to
hit hard by a debt crisis since 2009, recover,
cope with the very strong tidal stream along
they said.
the berth.
According to IOBE, for every EUR 1,000
-A letter of instructions is given to the
invested in the maritime transport, the added
masters of visiting ships by the wharf
value generated in other sectors of the economy
operators. This advises against adjusting the
moorings during times when the tide is
amounts to EUR 1,575.
flooding or ebbing strongly. Experience has
Greek ship owners today hold a leading role in
shown the wharf operators that this is the
the sector internationally by controlling some
most likely cause of a ship breaking its
15% of the global merchant fleet. (With inputs
moorings at these jetties. Source: UK MAIB
from Xinhua)

The Indian government is planning to change

rules for the Shipping Industry, Union Transport
Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. "In
Shipping we are very much backward. We need
all kinds of infrastructure.
All laws are old. It should be thrown out,"
Gadkari said during a meeting organised by the
Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
Chennai.
"We have the 1988 Motor Vehicles Act. We
are going to change it. We do not need an RTO
(Regional Transport Office). There was
corruption of crores of rupees (in RTO offices)
and we are going to stop it," he added.
Gadkari noted that India needs nine joint
ventures in ship building projects, adding:
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a
decision. We are also making a policy (for
bringing nine ship building projects). We are
searching for national and international
companies to have joint ventures."
Also on Tuesday, India's Navy withdrew two
warships from Kolkata's port, a spokesman said,
as the eastern city was placed on high alert for a
possible "terror" attack.
The Navy said the ships had withdrawn for
"prior operational reasons," although a port
official indicated they had been due to take part
in an exhibition on Wednesday.

PAGE 2 - Wednesday, November 5, 2014

SHIPPING DATA

BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 11:30 GMT
Dry Index
BDI
1484
Capesize Index
BCI
3781
Panamax Index
BPI
1238
Supramax Index
BSI
888
Handysize Index
BHSI
458

+28
+141
-3
-1
-5

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Tue Cls)
Fgn Currency
in USD
Britain (Pound)
1.6004
Canada (Dollar)
0.8778
China (Yuan)
0.1635
Euro
1.2556
India (Rupee)
0.0163
Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000083
Japan (Yen)
0.008805
Norway (Krone)
0.1461
Philippines (Peso)
0.0222
Poland (Zloty)
0.2971
Russia (Ruble)
0.0229
Singapore (Dollar)
0.7760
Ukraine (Hryvnia)
0.0772

USD in Fgn
Currency
0.6249
1.1392
6.1155
0.7964
61.4100
12110.00
113.5700
6.8448
44.9800
3.3700
43.6487
1.2886
12.9585

"They had come there as part of preparations

for the Navy week exercise and moved out of
the port for some prior operational reasons,"
spokesman D K Sharma told AFP.
"Like every year, the ships will return as and
when the opportunity exists," he added.
The move came as police and the Indian Coast
Guard said the city and port had been placed on
high alert for a possible attack.
"We have received a fax on Tuesday afternoon
from central intelligence agencies warning of the
possibility of a terror attack in Kolkata,
especially in the port area," senior Indian Coast
Guard official B N Mahato told AFP.
"We have deployed hovercraft to intensify (a)
night-long vigil in the Bay of Bengal."
Kolkata Police Commissioner Surojit
Karpurakayastha said security had been stepped
up in the port area and parts of the city.
Police were "acting on the basis of the central
intelligence agencies' alert," he said.
No further details about the alert were
immediately available, but it came days after a
suicide bomb attack near the Pakistani side of
the border with India that killed 55 people and
wounded more than 120.

ALERTS

Philippine Ports on Ebola Alert

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has put all
ports in heightened alert starting October 30,
2014, as a precautionary measure against any
possible entry of the deadly Ebola virus.
According to PPA General Manager Juan C.
Sta. Ana, a strict and constant security measures
in the Philippine ports will be a deterrent not
only against illegal elements but also against the
virus.
The activities being taken within this
framework by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)
include enhanced security procedures through
maximum utilisation of walk-through and
baggage x-ray machines, walk through metal
detectors, utilisation of K-9 Units as well as
continuing visibility of PPA Police and security
guards within the port area and PTBs.

"I have already ordered our port managers to

take all the necessary measures to reduce the
inconvenience and to make sure that our ports
are safe at all times. I also reiterated my earlier
directive barring private insurance firms from
selling additional insurance cover for passengers
inside PPA port premises to prevent arbitrary
expense for the riding public," Sta. Ana said in a
press release.
PPA said that a well-ventilated passenger
terminal building with clean comfort rooms,
nursing stations and other travel amenities will
be put into service.
Also round-the-clock medical and passenger
assistance counters and passenger help desks,
ready to assist, will be provided.

Updates on bulk cargo shortage

claims in Morocco issued
The UK P&I Club has issued bulletin including
updates on the bulk cargo shortage claims in
Morocco.
Cargoes in bulk are by nature subject to a loss
in weight during their carriage due to natural
shrinkage, evaporation etc. This loss is increased
for some products by the inevitable dispersal of
cargo during the load and discharge operations.
At Casablanca port for example and
particularly for wheat, the cargo is either stored
in silos in the port area, or given direct clearance
from the port. In all cases, the cargo is only
weighed on its clearance from the port, while
crossing the weighbridge. The result of this
weighing is considered as the official quantity
delivered to the receivers and therefore
determines possible short landed quantities.
These losses at the quay are often attributable
to the tightness of the grabs during discharge,
the overloading of the means of cargo receiving
equipment i.e. Lorries or trucks and defects in
the weighbridge.
As Moroccan courts accept as delivered only
the quantity determined by the port weighbridge
scales, these losses at the quay, subsequent to
discharge, are often subject of claims against the
carrier, even though he is not responsible for
this loss.
Local courts, before the entry in force of
Hamburg rules in Morocco, admitted a trade
allowance of 2%. (Source: The UK P&I Club)

INCIDENT

5 injured in crankcase explosion

onboard bulker off Weihai
A crankcase explosion was reported on Tuesday
onboard a vessel that was sailing off Weihai,
China.
According to available reports, five crew
members sustained severe injuries in the
explosion.
Beihai Rescue Bureau, part of the Ministry of
Transport, said in a statement that a helicopter
had been sent out to shift theinjured crew
members to a nearby hospital.

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HI-TECH
SOHAR PORT AGREES WITH OMAN TO
PERMIT GAC ENVIRONHULL
Andre Toet, CEO at Sohar Port and the
Oman Ministry of Environment and Climate
Affairs (MECA) have signed an agreement
to allow GAC EnvironHull to apply for a
licence to operate its hull cleaning
technology at the port.
Welcoming the move, Toet said: "Oman
would revolutionise its shipping industry in
the blink of an eye," adding as far as
technological innovation is concerned,
HullWiper would put Sohar Port on the
map.
As compared to divers, GAC's HullWiper
is reported to be quicker & safer. In
addition, it also avoids traditional brushing
and with it a risk of damage to anti-fouling
hull coatings, as well as not releasing
waste water into the sea.
Although the initial cost of around USD
3.5 per square metre was higher than the
USD 1.2 spent on divers, Toet noted that it
is still better considering the average USD
6 damage that the traditional methods
caused to anti-fouling surfaces.
"On top of this, at 1,000-1,500 square
metres per hour, it is also up to five times
faster," he said.

GTC RELEASES GSATMICRO

UK-based Global Telesat Communications
(GTC) has released the world's smallest
self-contained Iridium satellite tracker
called GsatMicro, which measures only
45mm x 45mm x 29mm including battery.
GTC said that the tracker can transmit a
location from any place in the world as
frequently as every 30 seconds.
GsatMicro, built on the latest satellite,
antenna and electronics technology to track
and monitor in real time, features an SOS
button to encounter an emergency where
an alert will be sent to the online mapping
portal, GTCTrack.
David Phipps, Managing Director of GTC
said that they are the only distributor of
GsatMicro in the UK and that they are
proud to be the only UK distributor of this
product, which is already gaining a lot of
interest from their customers.