Bryant's Maritime Blog: Bryant’s Maritime Blog

Headlines: Indian Ocean – pirates hijack VLCC; Indian Ocean - suspected pirate attack group neutralized; ReCAAP – report for October 2009; Study Group on International Trade Law meeting; NTSB – Marine Accident Investigation course; Canada – ratification of international conventions; UK – report re casualties caused by cargo vapor release; Paris MOU – new inspection regime; and IMO – South Korea continues financial support.

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Indian Ocean – pirates hijack VLCC

The EU Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA) issued a press release stating that the 300,294 deadweight ton (DWT) tanker Maran Centaurus was hijacked by pirates in the Somali Basin 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles Islands. The very large crude carrier (VLCC), with a crew of 28, was en route from Jiddah to New Orleans. (11/30/09). Note: This is the second largest ship ever hijacked. The Sirius Star, hijacked in November 2008, is 319,430 DWT.

Indian Ocean – suspected pirate attack group neutralized

The EU Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA) issued a press release stating that a ro-ro vessel was approached by a suspected pirate skiff in the Indian Ocean about 260 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles Islands. An embarked vessel protection detachment fired warning shots to hold off a possible attack. The next day, MSC-HOA forces located a suspected mother skiff with a smaller skiff in tow near the same location. A MSC-HOA boarding team seized all piracy-related paraphernalia, including the excess skiff. (11/26/09).

ReCAAP – report for October 2009

The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre issued its Report for October 2009. During this month, eight incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported. Of these, six were actual incidents and two were attempted incidents. During the same period in 2008, eight actual incidents were reported. (11/27/09).

Study Group on International Transport Law – meeting

The Study Group on International Transport Law, sponsored by the US Department of State, will meet in Washington, DC on December 9. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues regarding the domestic implementation of the Rotterdam Rules. 74 Fed. Reg. 62378 (November 27, 2009).

NTSB – Marine Accident Investigation course

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a press release stating that it Marine Accident Investigation course is scheduled for December 7-11 in Ashburn, Virginia. The course is intended for mid- and senior-level marine industry professionals. (11/25/09).

Canada – ratification of international conventions

Transport Canada issued a media release stating that Canada intends to ratify various international conventions, including Annexes IV, V, and VI of the MARPOL Convention; the Anti-Fouling Systems Convention; the Protocol of 1988 relating to the SOLAS Convention; the Protocol of 1988 relating to the Load Lines Convention; the Ballast Water Management Convention; and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. (11/24/09).

UK – report re casualties caused by cargo vapor release

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued the report of its investigation of the release of cargo vapors resulting in two non-fatal casualties on board a chemical tanker at a terminal in Teesport on 6 May 2009. Following a ship-to-ship transfer of crude sulphate turpentine at the terminal, the tanker carried out a mandatory MARPOL pre-wash using portable washing equipment, because the majority of the fixed washing systems were defective. Cargo vapors accumulated around the Butterworth hatch in what was an unidentified enclosed space. An AB entered the space and was immediately overcome. The chief officer and another AB attempted to rescue the first AB. Neither was wearing breathing apparatus; the chief officer was overcome. The first AB and the chief officer were rescued and sent to the local hospital, where they fully recovered. Investigation revealed lax attitudes regarding safety. There was no pre-transfer conference and no one had consulted the material safety data sheet (MSDS) to determine the hazards related to the cargo. The requirement for respiratory protection during cargo operations was routinely ignored. Report No. 24-2009 (11/26/09).

Paris MOU – new inspection regime

The Paris MOU issued a notice reminding stakeholders that, commencing 1 January 2011, a new inspection regime (NIR) will replace the existing port state control (PSC) regime. The NIR will reward quality ships with fewer inspections. High-risk ships will be subject to more in-depth and more frequent inspections. (11/25/09).

IMO – South Korea continues financial support

The IMO issued a news release stating that the Republic of Korea has continued its long-term support for IMO’s technical cooperation activities with another generous financial donation. (11/26/09).