Friday, May 29, 2009

Bryant’s Maritime Blog – 29 May 2009

Headlines: USN – assistance to Yemeni dhow in distress; Houston – Rescue 21; USAF – GPS capability; TSA- TWIC update; New Zealand – review of maritime qualifications; Singapore – anti-suit injunction denied; and UK – Harbour Orders Guide revised.

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Bryant’s Maritime Consulting - 4845 SW 91st Way - Gainesville, FL 32608-8135 - USA

Tel: 1-352-692-5493 – Email: dennis.l.bryant@gmail.com – Internet: http://brymar-consulting.com

Note: This blog is one section of the Bryant’s Maritime Consulting website. Visit the site for more extensive maritime regulatory information. Individual concerns may be addressed by retaining Dennis Bryant directly. Much of the highlighted text in this newsletter constitutes links to Internet sites providing more detailed information. Links on this page may be in PDF format, requiring use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Comments on these postings are encouraged and may be made by clicking the envelope that appears at the end of each posting. Be aware that the daily blog entry is a single posting, even though it contains a number of individual items. Improvements in this blog site, while slow, are due to the assistance of Kim Nettles. She rapidly points me to the improvements. I, with the speed of a glacier, implement them. Please bear with me.

USN – assistance to Yemeni dhow in distress

clip_image004 The US Navy issued a news release stating that the USS Gettysburg (CG 64) assisted a Yemeni dhow in distress in the Gulf of Aden. The dhow have incurred a major engine failure. When the engine could not be repaired, it was towed to Yemen and further assisted by the Yemeni Coast Guard. The Gettysburg is operating as part of CTF 151 on counter-piracy patrol. (5/28/09).

Houston – Rescue 21 becomes operational

clip_image006 The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that, on June 1, it will conduct an acceptance ceremony and demonstration of the Rescue 21 system at Sector Houston-Galveston. Rescue 21 is a command, control, and communications technology serving as the backbone of the National Maritime Distress and Response System, allowing for faster and more focused search and rescue efforts. (5/28/09).

USAF – GPS capability

clip_image008 The US Air Force Space Command issued a news release responding to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and stating that the satellites currently in orbit (30) exceeds the 24 required to maintain the performance standard. Increasingly sophisticated satellites are planned for construction and launch. (5/22/09).

TSA – TWIC update

clip_image010 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued an update to its status report on the implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The TWIC Dashboard shows that (as of 28 May) 1,213,249 maritime workers have enrolled for a TWIC and that 1,022,836 cards have been activated. (5/28/09).

New Zealand – review of maritime qualifications

clip_image012 Maritime New Zealand issued a notice stating that it has commenced a major review of marine qualifications and operational limits. This review is scheduled to take two years and will involve extensive consultations with industry and marine personnel. (5/15/09).

Singapore – anti-suit injunction denied

clip_image014 The Singapore High Court denied an application for an anti-suit injunction against defendant shipowner. The shipowner and the plaintiff were in a dispute over whether the plaintiff had breached a time charter agreement. The agreement provided for arbitration in Singapore. Defendant shipowner sought and obtained a Rule B attachment of monies of the plaintiff as those monies passed through a bank in New York. Plaintiff then commenced the instant action in Singapore, seeking a court order to terminate the attachment in New York. The Singapore court declined to grant the anti-suit injunction, holding that, on principles of equity and international comity, it was not an injustice to allow defendant in these circumstances to exercise a legal right accorded to it by a foreign jurisdiction. Regalindo Resources Pte Ltd v. Seatrek Trans Pte Ltd [2008] SGHC 74 (5/16/09). Note: This case was included in yesterday’s newsletter, but the link to the actual decision was corrupted. The link has now been repaired.

UK – Harbour Orders Guide - revised

clip_image016 The UK Department for Transport released a revised edition of its Harbour Orders Guide. The guide explains the procedures for obtaining Harbour Orders. (5/28/09).

If you have questions regarding the above items, please contact the editor:

Dennis L. Bryant

Bryant’s Maritime Consulting

4845 SW 91st Way
Gainesville, FL 32608-8135

USA

1-352-692-5493
dennis.l.bryant@gmail.com

http://brymar-consulting.com

© Dennis L. Bryant – May 2009

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