Shipping Today

Is the weather at sea getting worse?

2009-04-29T01:20:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of worry about the weather today. Perhaps caused by global warming or just “climate change”, there seems to be much more violent weather about. At sea, and on the coast, there seems to be more damage being done. In those areas where there are hurricanes, typhoons and other sorts of revolving storms, they seem to be more numerous and do a lot more damage. Perhaps it is a phase we are going through?

Scientists are divided about whether this is really the case. It seems true that there are more giant waves about, and naval architects are becoming concerned whether designing ships or structures for that “100 year wave” is enough, as they chances are that these monsters will appear more often. But some suggest that the frequency of these giant waves is more apparent, as we can record them from space, through satellites, and not have to depend on some poor sailor meeting one for the report.

The incidence of huge storms has, it has alleged, been increasing.

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Mapping a maritime career

2009-04-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

Career “mapping”, in which a plan is worked out which indicates where a young person wishes to be at every stage of his or her career, is a fashionable concept. Certainly it is a good deal more structured than matters were in previous generations, when a career tended to develop in an almost random fashion, as luck, opportunity, circumstance and ambition intervened.

It is reckoned to be a good idea, particularly when somebody is contemplating a sea career, but with the seafaring confined to a finite period and as a preliminary to a shore side further career within the maritime industry. For sure, some people will stay at sea for the whole of their working lives, but they will be in a minority, and it is perhaps unfair and certainly unrealistic to lure young people into the sea side of the business against this concept of a whole working life spent at sea.

So it is a good idea to consider the options, and also some rough approximation about when career changes will be made, as early as possible in one's career.

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Tugs and service craft

2009-04-17T01:04:00.000-07:00

You will see them in every sizeable port, smart, business like small ships, low in the water and surging out to a large inbound ship. Tugs represent power for pushing and pulling, an engine with just enough hull for adequate buoyancy. Thick fenders for close quarters work, pushing a big ship alongside the quay against the wind, hauling her off at the end of a towing wire.

Tugs might be thought of as essential port services, enabling big unwieldy ships to be handled into small spaces, hauling very large vessels through locks and protecting them against the unexpected wind or tide that could sweep them out of a channel, or bang them against a quay or another ship. Tug skippers are fine ship handlers, who can work with pilots and operate as a team to handle big ships safely.

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Asian Shipowners Forum calls for Asian governmental body

2009-04-15T01:24:00.000-07:00

Owners representatives meeting in Hong Kong for the Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF) Ship Insurance and Liability Committee have called for Asian governments tyo forma regional body to consider and respond to regional proposal for regulating shipping.

A statement notes that, in the past, ASF has commented widely on the various EU Draft Directives, but “has not seen an equivalent level of contribution from Asian governments”.

ASF adds: “Taking note of the reports of recent comments made by Mr Shigeru Ito, Director General of the Maritime Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and Mr Oh Konggyun, Chief Executive of the Korea Register and Chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies,

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Celebrating Piracy and Criminalisation of seafarer

2009-04-08T01:38:00.000-07:00

For seafarers who turned up for the National Maritime week celebrations seminar at the auditorium of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Mumbai on 1st April, 2009 their hope of finding some solution to the heart-wrenching problems of piracy and criminalisation of seafarers turned out to be a hoax. The deliberations did not give the slightest hope of the threat abating nor any promise being extended by the government as if signifying what the day April 01,09 was meant to be. No one could fathom what F or seafarers who turned up for the National Maritime week celebrations seminar at the auditorium of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Mumbai on 1st April, 2009 their hope of finding some solution to the heart-wrenching problems of piracy and criminalisation of seafarers turned out to be a hoax. The deliberations did not give the slightest hope of the threat abating nor any promise being extended by the government as if signifying what the day April 01,09 was meant to be. No one could fathom what further relevance these two issues had for the celebration week besides a number of events that had already taken place focusing on the same issues including the one conducted by the Directorate and graced by the union shipping secretary, A. P. V. N. Sarma.

More appalling still was the moderator of the two panels, the Lloyd Lists' correspondent Shirish Nadkarni making a surprise announcement,

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Oil from Ice-bound regions

2009-04-03T03:36:00.000-07:00

Russian energy exports are growing fast as that huge country builds up its oil and gas industries and seeks new customers for their products. Proven Russian oil reserves are the seventh largest in the world, while there is an even greater potential in the vast areas of Siberia and the Far East as yet unexplored.

But a quick look at an atlas will demonstrate that while there may be vast quantities of oil and gas available in Russia, getting it to overseas markets is a major challenge. Geography, topography and meteorology have not been kind to the Russian oil exporter, with only routes through Black Sea ports and the Turkish Straits being free of ice all year. In the Baltic, the Russian Arctic and the ports of the Russian Far East tankers have to contend with sub-zero temperatures and ice conditions which can be very severe.

In the Gulf of Finland, the oil port of Primorsk is being rapidly expanded and could become Russia's biggest oil export port in the next few years.

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Trying to get a grip! - Nautical Institute seminar

2009-04-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

In the sea of maritime conferences and seminars taking place in Mumbai city the one organised by the Nautical Institute India (West Branch) on March 21, 2009 to focus on the challenges faced by the trade brought together an unexpectedly large gathering of players and veteran - as if expressing solidarity to their committed goal.

The unobtrusive venue of the Mayfair Rooms, Worli, which could hardly contain the enthusiasm and zeal of the delegates, became a practical and well conceived setting for yet another serious deliberation on such contentious issues as the burdensome conventions and unfair treatment being meted out to seafarers by some countries purely because they have been shouldering the responsibility of keeping the international trade alive and kicking. But at the end of the day it was clear that it is the seafarers who will continue to end up getting kicked into subservient submission and become alienated from freedom through the whims and vagaries of regulators and regulations prevailing in various ports bordering the seven seas.

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Looking to get out of the economic morass

2009-03-25T01:06:00.000-07:00

The 6th edition of the Indian Ports & Shipping International conference was held on March 17 & 18, 2009 at Hotel Taj President, Mumbai. It served to focus on issues that could put the maritime industry on the path to recovery.

Held by India's premier organisation - the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry - the deliberations centred round the theme The Maritime Industry Catalyst for Economic Growth. The event drew several players from the logistic and maritime sector in the hope of finding some ready solutions to help wriggle out of the recessionary conduit.

There was a consensus that now was the time to build capacity and bring in efficiency. Infrastructure development would ensure better connectivity and help reduce cost.

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Disaster declared after Australia oil spill

2009-03-20T02:07:00.000-07:00

Authorities declared parts of Australia's northeast coast a disaster area on Friday after tonnes of oil from a damaged cargo ship contaminated several beaches popular with tourists.

Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh declared Moreton Island, Bribie Island and southern parts of the Sunshine Coast as disaster zones after a ship lost more than 30 tonnes of fuel when its hull was pierced by a container washed overboard.

"It may well be the worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen," Bligh told Australian Associated Press. The ship was capable of carrying 100 tonnes of oil and the spill was now much larger than initial reports indicated, she said.

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Niche segments can buck economic downtrend

2009-03-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

India Maritime 2009 came this year in the very midst of the economic downturn, when most players in the field of shipping and maritime trade are found grappling with divergent and challenging issues, trying to find their bearings and get their feet on the ground. Getting into the vortex of such burning issues, the conference and the networking that later ensued, focused squarely on solutions thrown up by various studies and experiences of experts in the field. The resultant effect was an eye opener.… Eureka!

Held the on March, 5th & 6th 2009 at the Orchid, Mumbai the conference catered mainly to a very select gathering which is focused on getting into the recovery mode. Patterned to help think 'outside the box' most of the deliberations helped to identify virgin territories where the harvest is promising enough to help industry players wriggle out of the recessionary conduit.

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Director General of Shipping's Stimulus package set to boost coastal shipping

2009-03-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

The Director General of Shipping has assured a stimulus package to boost coastal shipping. This could not only dramatically enhance employment but also lead to a significant shift in cargo movement from the 'costlier' road and rail networks to the 'cheaper' and more environment friendly water transport systems along the coast and through inland waters.

Ms Lakshmi Venkatachalam, Director General of Shipping, Government of India promised the trade various measures that she would take in this regard while deliberating on the Directorate's notification for the construction, survey, certification and operation of Indian River-Sea vessels at a seminar held under the aegis of the Indian Coastal Conference at the Indian Merchants' Chambers on February 25, 2009.

While making his presentation, Mr Atul Jadhav, President of Goa Barge Owners' Association informed that though the notification allows for seamless integration of coastal vessels with river barges, awareness about this aspect, its purpose and usefulness is seriously lacking.

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Anglo-Eastern inaurgrates its first German office in Bremen

2009-03-06T00:17:00.000-08:00

Anglo-Eastern CEO, Peter Cremers had a big week in Germany, first opening his Group's first fully operational ship management office in Germany and then participating in Marine Money's annual Ship Finance conference in Hamburg as both speaker and panelist.

In both the inauguration of his office in Bremen and later on in Marine Money's Ship Finance conference, Cremers had strong opinions on a couple of issues, as well as being clear in his aims for the German market.

Cremers explained: “In Germany, we saw specific opportunities for Anglo-Eastern in the 1,000 to 7,000 TEU container ship sector, where we already have the crew pools and experience with over 102 container vessels in our managed fleet.

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Engine turbocharger failures

2009-03-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

On one vessel I commanded, the generators were barely able to produce 40 per cent of their rated capacity. More worryingly, there were frequent blackouts, endangering the safety of own and other vessels, and of the port, when in or near harbour. Although it was suspected that the auxiliary diesel engines driving the alternators were under-performing, the engineers chose first to rectify the numerous defects they discovered in the alternators clogged ventilation ducts, low insulation, unstable exciter current etc.

This took several days of work and testing with the assistance of shore experts, with only very marginal improvement in output and reliability. Eventually, the diesel engines came in for greater attention and when the turbochargers were opened up for inspection, it was discovered that there was nothing left of the turbine blades. It took more crucial weeks before new spares arrived and the long standing problem was finally resolved.

On another vessel, soon after disembarking the pilot after sailing from a very busy port, the main engine was put full ahead from the bridge control.

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IMO chief calls for action on global warming

2009-02-27T02:24:00.000-08:00

IMO secretary general Efthimios Mitropoulos has stressed the need for IMO to take action on greenhouse gases. Speaking at the start of this meeting of IMO's SubCommittee on Fire Protection he noted that the theme for this year's World Maritime Day is “Climate change: a challenge for IMO too!”. He said the theme was chosen by IMO's Council to give the organisation the opportunity to focus on an urgent issue of global dimensions.

He said: “I sincerely hope that the theme will galvanize intense action within IMO and the international maritime community throughout the year so that the contribution we will be able to make to the Conference scheduled to be held in Copenhagen in December to produce a new treaty instrument to succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is the appropriate one, commensurate with our degree of care, concern and sensitivity about the environment both marine and atmospheric.”

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Quality driven 'Fleet' on course to excellence

2009-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

World Class Safety and Environment friendly systems in place. Mr. K. S. Rajvanshy, Managing Director, Fleet Management Ltd., Hong Kong significantly brought out the contributory factors that helped convert the fleet (now at over 200 in number) into a top of the line management company.

It is the company's portfolio of services that helped it chart the path to success he pointed out. “What we do includes 3rd party technical management, lay-up solutions, insurance, inspections and condition surveys, shipboard audits, training videos, new building supervisions, special projects and IT systems all of which form the backbone of our quality system,” says Mr Rajvanshy.

A member of the Noble Group Limited, the company boasts of a multi-national crewing pool of over 7000 seafarers comprising mostly of Indians, Filipinos, Chinese and Europeans.

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How do we dispose of offshore structures?

2009-02-20T01:21:00.000-08:00

No doubt about it, one of the wonders of the maritime world in the last quarter of the 20th century was the winning of oil and gas from below the seas offshore. Amazing structures were built to sit piled into the sea bed to support the masses of equipment that would extract the energy and see it safely down the pipelines to the mainland.

It was the North Sea which saw a huge amount of pioneering work, in increasingly deep and stormy waters, with enormous steel jackets floated out from their construction sites to be tilted and placed accurately on the sea bottom. Some of these mighty structures would involve complex fabrications of perhaps 60-70,000 tons of steel, piled into the sea bed with powerful submerged pile drivers. Others were made of reinforced concrete and resembled islands, enclosing reservoirs for oil, and supporting accommodation for hundreds of offshore workers, who would be ferried to and fro by helicopters.

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Mediterranean Shipping Company conference holds an edge

2009-02-18T00:11:00.000-08:00

The two-day conference of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) held at the J. W Marriott, Mumbai on 30th and 31st January 2009 was akin to a home coming for the officers of the ship board staff where opportunities abounded for exchanging notes and sharing experiences both with fellow colleagues, ship owners and the management. The occasion coincided with the inauguration of the Training Institute held earlier on the 3rd floor of MSC House, on the Andheri-Kurla Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai.

At the outset Mr N Petroyannis, the chief guest representing MSC Geneva, Mr Ashok Jha, Managing Director of MSC Ship Management, Capt Nitin S Hardi, Director, MSC Ship Mgmt India and Capt M P Basin, General Manager, MSC Ship Mgmt India and other top dignitaries lit the traditional lamp.

Thereafter, an enthusiastic welcome was extended by Capt Hardi who was moved by the warm response from the dignitaries, guests and all seafarers who had made it convenient to attend the programme from various parts of India and Hong Kong.

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Container Freight Stations seeing a change in business landscape

2009-02-11T01:14:00.000-08:00

As the impact of the downturn has begun to trickle down to the container freight stations (CFS), operators are beginning to see the need to bring in a change in their concept of 'work' to pass through the subdued environment conditions. Where traditionally CFSs was considered an extension of a port, more and more operators are now beginning to view them as being more productive and important tools in the global logistics / supply chain industry. This means that modernisation and adhering to global standards of operations is a mandatory requirement.

Though the change in the business landscape is considered a strategic move to keep them from getting in the red, various options are being mulled over by CFS owners on how this can be achieved. Many are focused on providing end-to-end logistics solutions. Some find it is time to come up with outsourcing offers to the EXIM trade by providing various facilities at the CFS as a cheaper option to undertake manufacturing activities.

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Japan to deploy ships off Somalia

2009-02-06T01:28:00.000-08:00

Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada has ordered the dispatch of ships to fight pirates off Somalia. He did not say how many ships would be sent or when, but told the military to assess what sort of force was needed. Japan's parliament and Prime Minister Taro Aso would need to pass a formal order before the ships could set off, a process expected to take a month.

Japan would be joining a multinational effort against piracy which includes ships from the United States and China.

"The pirates' activities off the Somali coast are a major threat not only to Japan but also to international society and it is a problem that we must deal with urgently," Mr Hamada said.No Japanese ship has been taken by pirates yet, the government said, but pirates have fired at three Japanese vessels. No-one was injured.

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Softlink unveils Logi- Sys and X-ponent

2009-02-04T00:25:00.000-08:00

Softlink, one of India's leading software product companies, today announced the launch of two new products, 'Logi-Sys' & 'X-Ponent' at the International Cargo, Logistics & Maritime Conference and Exhibition.

These products are designed for simplifying operations of the entire logistics industry.

Logi-Sys is a web-based, enterprise-class Logistics Suite for managing the operations of international freight forwarders, third party logistics players (3PLs), Air Cargo Agents, Shipping Agencies and Non-vessel operating common car riers (NVOCCs). The product is designed to address the challenges of management of air and sea freight operations across locations, manage revenue flow, streamline documentation and meet regulatory requirements. Logi-Sys supports multi-country and multi-currency transactions.

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The Tanker industry's ocean artery

2009-01-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

The tanker fleet includes some of the world's biggest mechanically propelled moving objects, but the term "tanker" covers a wide variety of different types and sizes of ships designed to carry liquids or gases in bulk. Biggest of all are the Ultra Large Crude Carriers, a handful of which are able to carry half a million tonnes of crude oil, although a more normal size range is the Very Large Crude Carrier of between 250,000 and 300,000 tonnes capacity. There is also a sizeable fleet of around 140,000 tonnes , a class of ship which is able to pass laden through the Suez Canal, and serve a range of ports which the bigger ships could not enter. Crude carriers typically carry large cargoes of crude oil from the oil producing countries to the refineries. Arabian Gulf to Singapore or Japan, or North Europe are typical trade routes.

Product tankers are smaller vessels, of up to around 80,000 tonnes, which carry the many petroleum products of the refineries, clean white oil cargoes like gasolene or black oils like heavy fuel oil or diesel.

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Dufferin, Rajendra and Chanakya Ex Cadets Association's magnetic power of reunion

2009-01-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

Home coming brings in cheer for it is time to renew friendships, catch up from where one left off, but when it comes to DRACEA's annual meet it is indeed a walk down memory lane for the alumnus 'buddies' of their alma mater who make it a point to come together over cocktails and dinner at the Willingdon Sports Club, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai.

With their tribe growing, despite the continuing recession and the economic downturn, members of the Dufferin, Rajendra and Chanakya Ex Cadets Association (DRACEA) have always looked forward to the big union generally held on the last Saturday of November of each year but last year's function had to be re-scheduled to the 17th of January of this year on account of the terrorist holocaust that brought most of the perennial social and commercial activities in Mumbai to a temporar y standstill.

Though DRACEA's membership has shot up to around 6,000 it is remarkable to see several of these ex-cadets despite having settled in various quarters of the globe, making it to the venue year after year whatever the distance they have to traverse.

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Improved Medical treatment on board

2009-01-23T00:24:00.000-08:00

Seafarers are among the most isolated demographic working groups in the world in relation to access to medical care, both in emergency situations and for primary health care. On a large, slow vessel in the middle of the Pacific, a seafarer may be several days away from quality medical services. But this is set to change soon.

Seafarers can now look forward to maintaining better health while at sea. In this regard the International Maritime Health Association (IMHA) has taken up the cause of Indian seafarers by helping to form the Maritime Health Assn of India which is now headed by Dr. Suresh Idnani, the incumbent president.

Recently, the Chief Medical Advisor to the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Mr Tim Carter visited India to coordinate and inspect the facilities available in India.

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Spar Shipping Officer's Conference at Goa

2009-01-21T00:50:00.000-08:00

Spar Shipping Officers' conference took place on 20th and 21st November 2008 at Hotel Cidade- de Goa, located in North Goa. This was a part of the continuous effort of Spar Shipping to upgrade the quality of performance in order to provide a totally client-driven service.

Dignitaries from Spar Shipping, Fleet Management and others attended the two day agenda which was interspersed with business sessions cultural and leisure programmes to regale the participants and to provide them with a very different interaction platform where they could freely discuss their views on various issues. Amongst the top brass dignitaries who attended the seminar, were Capt Pritish Deshpande (Marine Operations Manager) and Mr. Magnar Bratholmen (Operations Manager) from Spar Shipping AS, Norway, Mr Dilip Nair (Director Technical) and Capt M Sathya, (Manager Quality & Safety) from Fleet Management Ltd., Hong Kong and Capt Prashant Rangnekar (General Manager) from Ebony Ship Management Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, India.

Commencing the programme with his opening address and introduction Capt. P . S. Rangnekar explained the role and the objective of the company.

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DP World Nhava Sheva becomes the first ISO 28000 terminal in India

2009-01-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

D P World’s Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal Pvt Ltd known as DP World Nhava Sheva has become the first terminal in India to achieve ISO 28000:2007 certification in supply chain security management systems. Certification was undertaken by globally recognized independent Rotterdam based Dutch auditing firm and Maritime Classification Society of excellence DET NORSKE VERITAS.

The ISO 28000 standard sets in place mechanisms and processes to address security vulnerabilities at strategic and operational levels, as well as establish preventive action plans. The certification was granted after a stringent security audit of the facility, focused principally on container security, physical access controls, personnel security, procedural security, security training and threat awareness, business partner requirements and IT Security. The standard complements all international security legislative codes DP World already conforms to at its terminals.

Mr Rustom Dastoor CEO of DP World Nhava Sheva said that “Having an internationally recognized and certified security management system will greatly benefit DP World's customers and other terminal users and stakeholders

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