MARITIME NEWS

Monday, April 28, 2014

International maritime news for seafarers
Greek ship owners spent more on new vessels in
Q1
Hellenic ship owners have spent more on acquirin new and second!hand vessels durin the
first three months of the year despite challenes affectin the dry "ul# and tan#er mar#ets$
%olden &estiny said in its latest report that %ree# ship owners invested '(&)$) "illion for
1)1 second!hand vessels from the *anuary!March 2014 period, up from '(&1 "illion in the
same period last year$ +ut the ship"ro#er noted that Hellenic ship owners spent more on
new"uildin orders, investin a capital of more than '(&)$, "illion in the first quarter of
2014, up 12- from the same period last year$
%lo"ally, %olden &estiny disclosed that shipowners. investment for second!hand vessels
went up "y 1/)- to '(&10$, "illion durin the first three months of the year$ As for
new"uildin orders, ship owners spent /)- hiher, or '(&2, "illion, than the amount
recorded in the same period last year$
01perts attri"uted Hellenic shipowners. sudden investment sure in new and second!hand
vessels to active pricin and financin availa"ility as they try to "oost their respective
companies performance while waitin for the mar#et to fully recover$
Analysts also said that improvin dry "ul# charter rates prompted Asian shipyards to "oost
production$
23he end of the first quarter of the year with hot shippin investments, "ut sins of downward
revision in freiht rates as the world economy remains fraile due to the sta"ility of rowth in
the developin economies, raises concerns a"out the future outloo# of shippin
investments,2 the ship"ro#er said$
SAFETY STUDY
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
4on familiarity with a passae led the "ride team to inore detailed plannin and
preparations for unanticipated continencies$
NARRATIVE
A ro!ro ferry was on a southerly headin when enterin a river port at niht in ood visi"ility$
3he master, who has naviated the port reularly for four years, held a pilotae e1emption
certificate$ Accompanyin the master on the "ride were the chief enineer, an 556 and a
helmsman$ 3here was no passae plan drawn on the chart and the "ride team had not
"een "riefed on the arrival$ 3he tidal stream was floodin at "etween three and four #nots,
and a 20!#not wind was actin on the vessel.s star"oard "eam$ In preparation for enterin a
loc#, the master manoeuvred the vessel to the eastern side of the channel and stopped his
enines$ He was then told that the diesel alternator supplyin the "ow thruster had shut
down due to low lu"ricatin oil pressure$ 5ver the ne1t two minutes the captain discussed the
diesel enerator with the 70, areed passin intentions with an out"ound vessel via 8H9,
and advised the forward and aft moorin parties to minimise the use of electrical power$
&urin this time, the wind and tidal stream set the ferry out of the main channel$ 6hen the
master realised that the ne1t port hand mar#, a liht!float, was now on the star"oard "ow, he
used "oth helm and enines to try and manoeuvre the vessel towards the main channel$
3hisaction was ta#en too late and the ,0!tonne "uoy struc# the vessel.s port side$ 3he "uoy.s
moorin chain was severed "y the ferry.s propeller$ 3he ship anchored in the main channel
"ut was later towed to her "erth "y two tus$ 3he "uoy was recovered five miles upriver$
LESSONS
:outine trade "etween the same ports ena"les "ride teams to "ecome familiar with the
naviational and procedural requirements, "ut such familiarity does not replace the need for
proper passae plannin$
+riefins iven to "ride teams prior to port entry and departure are useful in ensurin that all
#ey personnel are aware of the plan$
In pilotae waters, concentration and teamwor# are essential if distractions such as
machinery "rea#downs are to "e prevented from ;eopardisin a vessel.s safety$
:esponsi"ilities must "e clearly defined to ensure that whoever has the con is not distracted,
particularly when naviatin close to daners at niht where distances can "e difficult to
;ude, and where the effects of stron tidal streams miht not "e readily apparent$ (ource<
'=MAI+
Council !ts "or etter Arctic oil spill response
3here is a need for the '( to further enhance measures, as well as infrastructure, to "etter
address potential oil spills in Arctic waters$
3he >ational :esearch 7ouncil said in a report that additional research should "e done to
"oost the country.s response aainst such a disaster$
Accordin to the council, the overnment needs to start considerin new options to avert
Arctic oil spills such as approvin the use of chemical dispersants, a measure that has yet to
receive a reen liht from Alas#a.s administration$
>ew technoloies and strateies, especially those meant to accelerate oil deradation and
identifyin the to1icity levels of dispersants, also have to "e formulated, the council stressed,
as current tactics meant to address Arctic oil spills are inadequate$
It li#ewise called for "etter equipment, personnel and infrastructure in overseein a spill
response in the Arctic, as well as strenthenin the '( 7oast %uard.s presence and
performance capacity$
Another suestion "y the council was to also train locals to act in such situations$
#oore Stephens$ Environment!l re%ul!tion to
cost ! lot
An official of Moore (tephens said that findin enouh money to remain compliant with
environmental reulation is oin to "e a challene for shipowners and operators over the
ne1t few years$
23he +allast 6ater Manaement ?+6M@ 7onvention, for e1ample, has not yet entered into
force, althouh some countries, includin the 'nited (tates, have already implemented +6M
reulations independently of the IM5$ +ut it is #nown that +6M systems can cost "etween
'(&,00,000 and '(&, million per vessel, dependin on the system as well as on the siAe
and desin of the ship$ 3hat cost may increase as a result of demand requirements and
shipyard capacity$ 3here are also operational costs to consider of "etween '(&10,000 and
'(&,0,000 per annum per vessel,2 said Michael (imms, a shippin partner of Moore
(tephens$
3he official ac#nowledes that the true cost of reulatory compliance is still unclear$
23hin# of a num"er$ Any num"er will do, so lon as it is very "i$ 3hen dou"le it$ 3he answer
is li#ely to "e as accurate as any supposedly informed estimates currently circulatin in the
shippin sector a"out the li#ely siAe of the industry.s "ill for achievin compliance with
incipient environmentally!inspired reulations overnin the operation of ships,2 he was
quoted as sayin in a press release$
INCIDENTS
Co!st%u!r& r!i&e& in South 'ore! "err( proe
(outh =orean prosecutors on Monday carried out a series of raids, includin on a coastuard
office, as part of their widenin investiation into a ferry disaster that left )00 dead or
missin, A9B reported$
&ivers aain tried to penetrate the flooded interior of the vessel in their rim search for the
"odies of 114 people still unaccounted for$
Many of the 4C/ passeners on "oard the ferry when it san# on April 1/ were schoolchildren$
(outh =orea remains in a state of national mournin, as furious relatives and the pu"lic at
lare cast around for someone to "lame for one of the country.s worst maritime accidents$
All 1, of the survivin crew responsi"le for sailin the hue ferry are in custody, facin
chares includin nelience and a"andonin passeners$
Brime Minister 7hun Hon!6on tendered his resination on (unday, admittin he had not
"een up to the tas# of overseein the official response$ He was told "y Bresident Bar# %eun!
hye to stay in his post until the recovery was finished$
5n Monday, prosecutors raided the coastuard office in the southern port of Mo#po on
alleations that it had failed to respond quic#ly enouh to a passener.s emerency call$
3he office received the call ! reportedly from a teenae "oy ! a few minutes "efore the ship
sent its first distress sinal to sea traffic controllers$ &urin his call, the "oy was "om"arded
with questions a"out the ferry.s coordinates and the num"er of people on "oard$
A coastuard official later told reporters that they had mista#en him for a crew mem"er after
he was transferred from another emerency call centre$
Greenpe!ce sen&s new protest ship to meet
Russi!n t!nker
%reenpeace on Monday sent a protest ship to meet a :ussian tan#er carryin the first oil
drilled offshore in the environmentally fraile Arctic$
3he ship, :ain"ow 6arrior, is captained "y Beter 6illco1, who was amon campainers
detained "y :ussian authorities last year after stain a hih!profile protest aainst Arctic
drillin$
3he vessel set sail from :otterdam on Monday afternoon, %reenpeace said, and will see# to
escort to har"our the :ussian tan#er Mi#hail 'lyanov, which is deliverin oil purchased "y
9rench enery iant 3otal, A9B reported$
3he oil was drilled at the BriraAlomnaya platform, an offshore ri owned "y :ussian enery
iant %aAprom and the site of %reenpeace.s protest last (eptem"er$
3he protest, which saw two campainers attempt to scale the ri, prompted :ussian
authorities to seiAe %reenpeace.s &utch!flaed Arctic (unrise "oat and detain the )0
activists and ;ournalists on "oard$
RESEARCH
)' !pproves "un&s "or new pol!r rese!rch ship
+ritain is eyein a new ship for its polar science research pro;ect that will start in 201D$
3he overnment has already approved funds worth more than %+B200 million for a new '=
polar flaship$
3he upcomin vessel will "e conductin research in the Antarctic and the Arctic
23his an e1citin time for '= polar science and I am delihted with this announcement$
It sinals a firm commitment "y %overnment and >0:7 ?>atural 0nvironment :esearch
7ouncil@ to sustain and promote the '=.s world!leadin capa"ility for '= research in "oth
polar reions,2 said Brofessor *ane 9rancis, director of +ritish Antarctic (urvey$
2It.s fantastic news for our science teams at +A(, for our partners within '= universities, and
for our colla"orations with other national polar operators,2 he added$
CO-OPERATION
*#A chie" welcomes *enm!rk+Chin! m!ritime
&e!l
&anish Maritime Authority ?&MA@ &irector!%eneral Andreas >ordseth has welcomed a recent
maritime co!operationareement "etween the 7hinese Ministry of Industry and Information
3echnoloy and the Ministry of +usiness E %rowth$
3he areement focuses on reen maritime technoloy and ship "uildin$
>ordseth said the areement "odes well for the &MA and its "id to improve reen
technoloy solutions in the maritime sector$
He added that the new deal will further strenthen the already ood relations "etween
&enmar# and 7hina ever since the first maritime co!operation areement sined "y "oth
sides in 1DC4$
PORT OF THE WEEK
,ort #etro V!ncouver
Bort Metro 8ancouver, also #nown as the 8ancouver 9raser Bort Authority, is an
autonomous, financially self!sufficient corporation esta"lished "y the 7anadian overnment
in *anuary 2008 pursuant to the 7anada Marine Act$ 3he Bort is accounta"le to the federal
Minister of 3ransport$
Bort metro 8ancouver is the principal authority for shippin and port!related land and sea use
in the Metro 8ancouver reion$ In 2010, it was the larest port "y tonnae in 7anada and the
fourth larest in >orth America$ 3he terminal is 7anada.s larest and most diversified port$
+ased on its 201) caro handled, Bort Metro 8ancouver traded '(&184 "illion in oods with
more than 1/0 tradin economies world!wide$
3he port directly and indirectly created D8,800 ;o"s and paid '(&/$1 "illion in waes in and
around the 8ancouver area$
It was responsi"le for '(&D$C "illion of the country.s %ross &omestic Broduct ?%&B@$
5ver!all, the comple1 created '(&20$) "illion in economic output in 201)$
Accordin to its 201) economic impact report, Bort Metro 8ancouver handled appro1imately
'(&4C, million worth of commodities every day, or one!fifth of 7anada.s total annual trade
"y value$
4ocated on the south!west coast of +ritish 7olum"ia, the port is a >orth American ateway to
the world.s most dynamic economies$ 3he port.s ;urisdiction covers more than /00 #ilometres
of shoreline and e1tends from Boint :o"erts at the 7anadaF'( "order throuh +urrard Inlet
to Bort Moody and Indian Arm, and from the mouth of the 9raser :iver, eastward to the
9raser 8alley, north alon the Bitt :iver to Bitt 4a#e, and includes the north and middle arms
of the 9raser :iver$
Bort Metro 8ancouver.s deep!sea terminals offer virtually no draft restrictions, super Bost!
Banama1 capacity and e1tensive on!doc# rail facilities$
3he terminal.s freshwater facilities offer interated services for the automo"ile and coastal
forest industries, and for short!sea shippin$
SHIPPING DATA
-ALTIC E.C/ANGE
Market snapshot: (April 25)
Dry Index BDI 962 +6
Capesize Index BCI 692 +!
"ana#ax Index B"I !52 +2
$%pra#ax Index B$I 9&9 '2
E.C/ANGE RATES
(e) *ork (+ri Cls)
+,n C%rren-y .$D in +,n
in .$D C%rren-y
Britain ("o%nd) /6!! &/5906
Canada (Dollar) &/9&61 /&29
China (*%an) &/599 6/252!
3%ro /2!05 &/1222
India (4%pee) &/&65 6&/65&
Indonesia (4%piah) &/&&&&!6 6&/&&
5apan (*en) &/&&9!&2 &2/&&&
(or)ay (6rone) &/669 5/9!9!
"hilippines ("eso) &/&222 00/19&&
"oland (7loty) &/2292 2/&0&&
4%ssia (4%8le) &/&21! 26/&20&
$in,apore (Dollar) &/1962 /255!
.kraine (9ry:nia) &/&!1! /2!!2