A NewsLink service for Dole Chile

Thursday, November 13, 2014

SAFETY
USCG CAUTIONS AGAINST PILOT
LADDER MODIFICATIONS
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has issued
Safety Alert 14-14 to raise awareness of the
importance of not modifying equipment or
components from their intended design or
operation. The safety alert noted that
modifications made to pilot ladder magnetic
securing devices have led to a number of
accidents. In each of those instances the hull
magnets were modified prior to the accident.
Moreover, in all cases, after restoring the hull
magnets to their
original design no further problems were
experienced.
Hull magnets are easy to operate devices
and when positioned correctly, provide
substantial holding force. The handle of the
magnet is also a lever and enables easy
release from the hull of the vessel. In incidents
where the magnets unexpectedly detached
from the hull, only one securing magnet was
used between the rails of the ladder along with
equipment alterations that deviated from the
manufacturer's design.
The Coast Guard strongly recommends that
vessel owners/operators refrain from
modifying embarkation equipment. In addition,
operators should regularly inspect existing
vessel boarding equipment and return
improper modifications back to the
manufacturer's original design. Pilots are
encouraged to consult with their appropriate
associations to determine if any additional
precautions should be taken as part of their
normal boarding practices and this identified
risk. Source: US Coast Guard

KVH offers free Ebola safety

video
KVH Industries, Inc. is offering Videotel's new
video on Ebola safety free to all mariners
worldwide in an effort to increase awareness of
prevention measures against the virus.
KVH has announced that it has created a
website,
www.kvh.com/EbolaSafety,
for
mariners to download the free video and the
accompanying workbook. In addition, KVH has
also delivered the entire video programme to its
IP-MobileCastTM customers on vessels across
the globe, who will automatically receive the
video for immediate viewing on-board.
"This is a perfect example of why it is
sometimes necessary to send out urgent training
updates without delay and not wait for the
annual update process," Videotel CEO Nigel
Cleave said in a press release.

IMO set to adopt Polar Code

IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is
expected to adopt the Polar Code and related
amendments to the International Convention for
the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) at its 94th
session, which will be held from November 17
to 21, 2014, IMO said.
The MSC also has a number of other issues on
its agenda, including approval of the draft
SOLAS amendments to make mandatory the
International Code of Safety for Ships using
Gases or other Low flashpoint Fuels (IGF
Code); further work on its action plan on
passenger ship safety and the consideration of
items put forward by the sub-committees.
The Polar Code contains additional design,
construction, equipment, operational, training
and search and rescue requirements for ships
operating in the harsh environment of Arctic and

Antarctic waters, with an aim to prevent

accidents and pollution and protect ships,
seafarers and passengers. Because it contains
both safety and environment related provisions,
the Polar Code will be mandatory under both
SOLAS and the International Convention for the
Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
Last month, IMO's Marine Environment
Protection Committee (MEPC) approved the
necessary draft amendments to make the
environmental provisions in the the Polar Code
mandatory under MARPOL.
The MEPC is expected to adopt the Code and
associated MARPOL amendments at its next
session in May 2015, with an entry-into-force
date to be aligned with the SOLAS amendments,
likely to be January 1, 2017. Source: IMO

Panama receives last floodgates

for canal expansion

UN Security Council renews

mandate to fight Somali pirates

The final four floodgates that will be used to

expand the Panama Canal arrived from Italy
Wednesday, putting the behind-schedule,
over-budget project on track for completion in
early 2016.
Panama, which relies on the canal for about
USD 1 billion a year in revenue, is counting on
the upgrade to keep the century-old waterway
relevant by enabling it to handle modern
mega-ships
carrying
up
to
14,000
containers-triple the current capacity.
"Today is a historic day. Not only have the
floodgates arrived but we are getting ever closer
to a new era for our expanded canal that will
bring better days for all Panamanians," President
Juan Carlos Varela said as the floodgates arrived
at the entrance to the canal in the northern
province of Colon.
The 16 floodgates, which measure 58 meters
(190 feet) wide and between 22 and 33 meters
tall, will regulate water levels in the canal's new
set of locks. They were built by Italian
steelmaker Cimolai.
The canal's administrator, Jorge Quijano,
called the delivery "a very important landmark"
for the USD 5.25-billion project, which is
running a year behind schedule.
"It's the last critical component. Once (the
floodgates) are all installed we'll be able to fill
the locks with water and begin testing," he said.
(AFP)

The UN Security Council on Wednesday

renewed the mandate for states and regional
bodies to fight Somali pirates for another year,
noting that piracy and armed robbery are still
exacerbating the situation in the country.
The 15-member UN body unanimously
adopted the resolution, stressing the need for "a
comprehensive response" to repress piracy and
tackle its underlying causes by the international
community.
The council decides to renew the
authorisations granted to states and regional
bodies co-operating with Somalia in the fight
against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the
coast of Somalia, said the resolution.
Meanwhile, the council urged the Somalian
government to pass laws and establish security
forces to counter piracy, as well as to enforce
investigation and prosecution capability,
underlining the primary responsibility of the
Somalian authorities on this matter.
The Horn of African country has one of the
most dangerous coastlines in the world due to
piracy which threatens not only maritime
workers but also the coastal economy, Xinhua
reported.
Since the adoption of the first Security
Council resolution on the fighting Somali pirates
in June 2008, the incidents of piracy reported off
the coast of Somalia are at the lowest levels in
recent years, said Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman last month at a
briefing to the council.

PAGE 2 - Thursday, November 13, 2014

SHIPPING DATA

HI-TECH PUNCH ON NOSE FOR

SHARKS COULD KEEP SWIMMERS
SAFE

BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 11:30 GMT
Dry Index
BDI 1327
Capesize Index
BCI 3229
Panamax Index
BPI 1133
Supramax Index
BSI
873
Handysize Index
BHSI 451

-43
-190
-17
-3
0

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Wed Cls)
Fgn Currency
in USD
Britain (Pound)
1.5783
Canada (Dollar)
0.8843
China (Yuan)
0.1632
Euro
1.2432
India (Rupee)
0.0163
Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000082
Japan (Yen)
0.008655
Norway (Krone)
0.1470
Philippines (Peso)
0.0223
Poland (Zloty)
0.2947
Russia (Ruble)
0.0218
Singapore (Dollar)
0.7752
Ukraine (Hryvnia)
0.0635

USD in Fgn
Currency
0.6336
1.1308
6.1262
0.8044
61.3890
12247.00
115.5400
6.8026
44.9000
3.3900
45.8552
1.2901
15.7545

"Indeed, the last time a large commercial

vessel was hijacked, was more than two years
ago," he said. However, he pointed out that 37
seafarers are still held by Somali pirates as
hostages.
"Piracy off the coast of Somalia is also one of
the manifestations of a political problem
requiring a political solution," said Feltman,
calling for a sustainable solution of
state-building and inclusive governance.

PIRACY

EC's Joint Research Centre

develops new PMAR system
The European Commission's Joint Research
Centre (JRC) has developed a new anti-piracy
software system called Piracy, Maritime
Awareness and Risks (PMAR). The PMAR
system, which is capable of providing a live
image of ship traffic activity, indicating current
ship positions on a digital map, is currently
being tested in two maritime operational centres
in Kenya and the Seychelles.
Using data from a number of different
reporting vessels and earth observation systems,
the new system can create a single maritime
picture of the entire western Indian Ocean, the
JRC said in a statement.
This picture can complement the smaller scale
coastal displays, used by individual countries
and help identify illegal fishing and
immigration, the statement further added. In
addition, the PMAR can also be used to create
maps using historical data such as past piracy
events or historic ship traffic density.

PORT NEWS

Southampton Port sets stage for

heavyweights
Associated British Ports' Port of Southampton is
ready to handle the biggest ships in the world
after the dredgers have completed a GBP 40
million project to deepen and widen the
approach channel linking international shipping
lanes to the Port.

A high-tech version of the reputedly

life-saving punch to a shark's nose is being
tested in an effort to protect humans
without harming the toothy predators or
other sea creatures.
In the blue waters of a small bay in Cape
Town, a revolutionary experiment with an
electronic barrier seeks to exploit the
super-sensitivity of a sharks' snout to keep
swimmers and surfers safe.
The technology has been developed by
South African experts who invented the
electronic "shark pod" for use by surfers
and divers - now marketed by an Australian
company - and could be applied globally if
successful.
The pod and years of research have
shown that sharks will turn away when they
encounter an electrical current - and that
has prompted this experiment on a much
larger scale.
A 100-metre cable with vertical "risers"
designed to emit a low-frequency electronic
field is in the process of being fixed to the
seabed off Glencairn beach and will remain
there for five months.
"If successful, it will provide the basis to
develop a barrier system that can protect
bathers without killing or harming sharks or
any other marine animals," said the
KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, which
developed the shark pod. (AFP)

The dredging project ensures ships with a

draught of up to 15.5 metres - the biggest
container vessels currently in service - will be
able to access the Port's container terminal,
according to a press release. The dredging is the
final piece of the project to enhance capability at
the container terminal that is operated by DP
World.
The SCT 5 berth has a 500 metres deep-water
quay and is built to cater for the largest ships in
the world. As well as deep-water access, it is
also equipped with the cranes capable of
reaching across vessels 24 containers wide.

INCIDENT

Seven sailors die after inhaling

toxic gases in Peru
Peru's Navy said on Wednesday that seven
sailors had died after inhaling toxic gases while
repairing a floating dry dock in the Amazon port
of Iquitos, Peru.
The dry dock malfunctioned when it was
being manoeuvred to allow a vessel's entry, the
Navy said in a brief statement. It added that the
accident occurred on Tuesday night on the
Nanay River after the sailors went into the dry
dock's tanks to fix the problem.

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WORLD TRAVEL
BOLIVIA
Bolivia is a landlocked country located in
central South America. Bolivia's mystical
terrain has many breathtaking attractions
such as ancient Inca trails, towering
volcanic peaks and salt deserts.
It has everything that travellers find most
mysterious and exotic about the South
American continent.

GETTING THERE
Bolivia is well-connected with the other
South American countries and the US by
flight.
The Viru Viru International Airport (VVI) in
Santa Cruz is the largest and most
important airport of the country. El Alto
Airport in La Paz and Jorge Wilstermann
Airport in Cochabamba are other major
airports of Bolivia.
The country has numerous entry and exit
points. A tourist can enter Bolivia by road
from any of the neighbouring countries by
making a booking in an inter-country
buses.

GETTING AROUND
Buses are the most popular form of
Bolivian transportation. Long-distance
buses, called flotas, are relatively safe and
cheap. Prices vary according to the
different standards of buses.

TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

La Paz is the highest capital city in the
world. It is situated in a valley in the Andes
Mountains between 3300 and 4100 metres
above sea level. The city offers a perfect
mix of indigenous and colonial culture. La
Paz is truly a tourist delight with 19th
century churches, museums of artifacts
and colourful markets.
Camino de la Muerte is the most
dangerous road in the world and it is also
known as the Road of Death. The road
starts from La Paz and ends in the little
jungle town of Coroico in the Yungas
region. The road is a major tourist attraction
for cyclists.