CURRENTS….

CURRENTS…. 

Risk reduction: shipping industry organisations have announced a reduction in the size of the Indian Ocean piracy high risk area, effective from 1 May. However, operators have warned that a serious threat remains in the region and ships should continue to apply the reporting, vigilance and other precautions recommended in the fifth edition of the Best Management Practice (BMP5) guide.

Fleet fall: the UK-registered merchant fleet declined by 1% in gross tonnage terms during 2018, ending three consecutive years of growth, according to the latest Department for Transport Ågures. The number of vessels on the UK- flag totalled 1,306 at the end of 2018, compared with 1,327 at the end of 2014.

Welfare awards: Nautilus members are invited to submit nominations for this year’s International Seafarers’ Welfare Awards, to recognise the best seafarers’ centres, shipping companies, ports and individuals providing support to crews. More at: www.seafarerswelfareawards.org/nominate

Drone delivery: Wilhelmsen and Airbus have conducted the first shore-to-ship drone delivery service to a ship in Singapore’s eastern working anchorage. An Airbus Skyways drone delivered ‘small, time-critical items’ to the AHTS vessel Pacific Centurion to launch the pilot project.

Regal rescue: the crew of the cruise ship Regal Princess have been praised for rescuing two survivors from an aircraft which crashed some 23 miles SE of Grand Turk Island in the Caribbean last month.

Fines paid: the Russian- flagged tanker Tecoil Polaris narrowly avoided seizure by the UK authorities last month after fines totalling more than £25,761 imposed on the master by Hull magistrates were settled shortly before a follow-up hearing about non-payment. The Russian master of the 2,821dwt vessel had been found guilty of breaching the International Safety Management Code in June last year.

Scrubbers ‘safe’: the Clean Shipping Alliance has defended the safety of scrubber systems, highlighting the results of a three-year study of washwater samples from Carnival cruise ships which showed discharges complied with various national and international water quality standards.

Online onboard: Inmarsat is launching a new service to provide high-speed at-sea internet access for seafarers. Crew Xpress, available as part of the Fleet Xpress package, includes a managed onboard wifi solution called Fleet Hotspot.

Bulker auctioned: the UK Admiralty court is auctioning the Russian bulk carrier Kuzma Minin, which was detained after running aground off the coast of Cornwall in December. New centre: The Mission to Seafarers has opened a new centre for crews of ships visiting Port Talbot, supported by a £35,000 grant from the Merchant Navy Welfare Board.

Wind boost: UK government plans to generate 30% of the country’s electricity from offshore wind by 2030 are set to increase jobs in the sector, the British Ports Association has forecasted.

Venezuela alarm: the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA has declared a ‘maritime emergency’ after Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement announced that it would be removing crew from the tankers it manages for the state-run firm because of unpaid fees.

Italy increase: employment under the Italian flag has risen by 140% since 1998, according to a new report from the country’s shipowners’ association. Unions have welcomed the growth, but have criticised the owners for not training sufficient ratings or recruiting in southern Italy.

Hapag hold-up: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has cancelled the planned April launching ceremony for Hanseatic Nature, the first of its three new 16,000gt expedition ships. The company has blamed construction delays at the Vard- Fincantieri shipyard in Romania.

Master charged: a Russian master has been charged with offences including operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol after the 1,546gt general cargo ship Eems Carrier ran aground off the coast of Denmark.

Record earnings: Filipino seafarers serving on foreign-going ships sent home a record US$6.14 bn last year – up by 4.6% from 2017.

Kidnap concerns: the Romanian maritime union SLN has expressed concern after three Romanian seafarers were kidnapped from the product tanker Histria Ivory off the port of Lome, Togo, last month. The International Maritime Bureau reported a separate event, in which five crew were kidnapped from an offshore support vessel some 32 nm SE of Brass.

Greek fall: the size of the Greek-controlled merchant fleet has declined for the first time in a decade. Figures released by the London-based Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee show that Greek interests now control 4,017 ships totalling 339m dwt, down by 131 vessels and 2.376m dwt since this time in 2018.

CMA CGM cuts: the French container shipping firm CMA CGM has announced a US$1.2bn cost-saving scheme, despite announcing revenues of $23.5bn for last year. The company increased its capacity by 9.3% during 2018, to a total of 20.7m TEU, and now operates 509 ships, 44 of which are registered under the red ensign.

NIS grows: the number of ships in Norway’s International Ship Register (NIS) has risen to the highest total in more than a decade. More than 50 ships have switched to the flag over the past two years, and NIS-registered gross tonnage has increased by 14.3% since 2014.

Adnoc expands: the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has announced plans to add more than 25 ships to its current fleet of 123 ships over the next five years, including oil tankers, gas carriers and bulkers.

Hull crack found on El Faro sister ship

Concerns have been raised after a 46-year-old sister-ship of the US-flagged containership El Faro, which sank in 2015 with the loss of all 33 crew onboard, was found with a cracked hull in the port of Oakland.

The crack in the 33,095gt Matsonia – which operates on the California-Hawaii service – was found during a dive inspection which was carried out when crew members noticed an oily sheen surrounding the ship soon after it arrived in the port.

Divers discovered a fracture in the ship’s hull 15ft feet below the waterline adjacent to the starboard fuel tank. The US Coast Guard said its inspectors were on the scene within an hour to conduct an assessment, and heavy fuel oil from the damaged tank had been transferred to other fuel tanks to reduce the flow of leaking oil before a full inspection and repairs were carried out.

(With thanks to the Nautilus Telegraph)