Update Feb. 19: Live map depicts spread of coronavirus
The new coronavirus has cost the lives of 2,012 people, while confirmed cases exceed 75,000. What is more, except from China, coronavirus cases have been reported in other countries in Asia, such as Malaysia and Japan, in Australia, Germany, France, the US and Canada among others.
NTSB investigation: Collision on Mississippi River attributed to overspeeding
While underway in March 2019, the heavy lift vessel Hawk collided with a barge and a destroyer on Mississippi river. The NTSB issued an investigation report on the collision, identifying exceeding speed as key cause of the accident.
Digitalization, cyber and ship autonomy shaped discussions at 2020 SMART4SEA Forum
The 2020 SMART4SEA Athens Forum was successfully concluded on Wednesday 29th of January 2020, at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, attracting 450 delegates from the global shipping industry. The event was organized by SAFETY4SEA, having MacGregor as lead sponsor.
Casualties
11 serious maritime incidents in January, AMSA reports
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority reports that in January they received 52 incidents involving domestic commercial vessels, out of which 11 were serious. The Authority highlights that reporting incidents is a crucial part in guiding the way they improve maritime safety in Australian waters.
Maritime Health
UK to repatriate Brits onboard quarantined Diamond Princess
The British Government is trying to rescue the 74 British nationals that remain in the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is in quarantine after the coronavirus outbreak.
How clandestine migration leads to cargo contamination
Clandestine migration is an issue that attracts interest these days, with TT Club informing that except border disruptions, this issue poses a great risk of contamination and damage to goods.
Wind-assist tech begins service in North Sea
The 3,600dwt general cargo vessel MV Ankie has made its first voyage with two eConowind Ventifoil wings installed, sailing the North Sea from Delfzijl in the Netherlands to Hamburg and Norway and then back to Rotterdam.
Seventh incident against ship in Singapore Strait for 2020
In its weekly report for 11-18 February, ReCAAP ISC informed of two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia: one at an Indian anchorage and another one off Indonesia, in the Singapore Strait. The latter is the seventh incident reported in the region this year. There was also an incident outside Asia, on the Arabian Sea.
Panama Canal implements freshwater charge
Despite the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) efforts to pursue Panama Canal to reconsider the Freshwater Charge implementation several days ago, the water tax for ships passing through the passage, has been set into force from 15 February.
Fuels
IMO Sulphur Cap Recap: Where we stand and what’s next
As we are two months into 2020, IMO’s sulphur cap is being implemented worldwide and considering the radicality of the new regulation, its implementation has been smooth so far. However, that does not mean that there are no breaching cases, while the discussion regarding the best way to comply has heated up. What’s more, from March 1st, the regulation will enter the next phase, meaning that the industry has only few days to discharge fuel that has a sulphur content greater than 0.50% m/m.
Do’s and Don’ts leaders should keep in mind
Leadership is one of the most critical components to overall effectiveness, either the effectiveness regards the safety of a ship at sea or the overall efficiency of a company on shore. But what exactly is leadership and what makes a proper leader? And which leadership model is effective when it comes to today’s complex environment? In its original definition, leadership is about controlling people and dividing them into leaders and followers.
Women in leadership roles boost company performance, says new report
Businesses with genuine gender diversity, particularly at senior level, perform better and see significant profit increases, according to a new report from the Bureau for Employers’ Activities of the ILO. The report says that gender diversity effects beneficially when women hold 30% of senior management and leadership positions, although almost 60% of enterprises do not meet this target.
Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint
Millennials have begun filling leadership roles in workplaces but faced with some common challenges like situations that test their skills, mindset but also their patience and consistency. Many of them strive to deliver performance, while others just enjoy the director’s position and sadly destroy their team’s performance. But what separates the first from the latter? Certainly, the way they handle daily challenges at workplace!
EU Ship Recycling Regulation and IHM: How to comply
The entry into force of the sulphur cap in the beginning of 2020 is – and will be – the highlight of the year. However, at the end of 2020, ships must comply with another very important requirement. Specifically, starting from 31 December 2020, ships above 500 GT and flying the flag of an EU/EEA member state, or third-party flagged vessels calling at European ports, must carry an Inventory Hazardous Materials (IHM) certificate on board.
2020 Regulatory Agenda: What you should know
The year 2020 has been eagerly anticipated by the maritime industry for the switch to a low-sulphur fuel environment. However, from January 1st of 2020, there are other regulations that take effect as well apart from the IMO Sulphur cap. Discussions during IMO Meeting and preparations have been ongoing and with immediate implementation, the first day of the year is expected to be dominated by many amendments to SOLAS Chapters, MARPOL Annexes and Code revisions.
How IMO addresses cyber risk: An overview
The era of digitalization and rapid development of technologies in the maritime sector has called for immediate action, for the protection of the seafarers and the whole industry, which led the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to issue and implement a series of regulations and guidelines on cyber risk management, with, last but not least, the adoption of the Resolution MSC.428(98). This resolution calls companies to report any cyber risk in their ISM Code no later than January 1, 2021.
Trump orders US to test its vulnerability to GPS outage
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing US agencies to test whether critical infrastructure systems are vulnerable in case of disruption or manipulation of satellite-based global positioning system services (GPS).
PGS partners with Cognite for digitalization project
Cognite collaborates with Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) on a digitalization project, to optimize the performance of its fleet, the energy consumption, as well as the maintenance.
Shell and i-Tech 7 join forces to accelerate subsea digitalization
i-Tech 7, Subsea 7’s Life of Field business unit, and Shell International Exploration & Production, Inc, joined forces to develop a collaborative technology agreement to accelerate subsea digitalization, initially for a period of five years, beginning from the fourth quarter of 2019.
Most Read
YachtingShe of the Sea: Working for gender diversity in yachting industry
Achieving gender diversity is a hot debate for the maritime sector, with IMO dedicating a great deal of efforts to spread awareness and boost women presence in a so far male-dominated industry. Women are underrepresented in commercial shipping, either be it in corporate leadership or in seafaring jobs in the high seas. But what about the yachting sector?
Women in shippingDanish Shipping: More women needed in European maritime sector
On the sidelines of the European Shipping Week 2020, Danish Shipping discussed the importance of more women onboard vessels and in the shipping industry, referring to ECSA's goal on getting more women onboard.
Maritime KnowledgeWhy practicing mindfulness meditation onboard
Mindfulness: the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, basically through meditation. We all feel stressed at times, although stress in the right amount is useful and essential for survival, the effects of stress can be unpleasant or uncomfortable. How useful could mindfulness be to seafarers though?
FinanceBaltic Exchange: Maritime market highlights 10-14 Feb
The Baltic Exchange, the world's independent source of maritime market data, has issued its reports for the last week, 10-14 Feb 2020, to provide information of the bulk and dry market performance.
FinanceEU shipping contributes with €149 billion on the EU economy, despite pressure
Following the beginning of the European Shipping Week 2020, Oxford Economics presented the EU's progress, reporting that the sector is under pressure due to the difficult market conditions.
ShipbuildingRauma lays keel for Wasaline LNG ferry
A ceremony was conducted in celebration of the keel laying of Rauma Marine Constructions’ newbuilding, NB6002 for Wasaline, on Thursday February 13 at the Rauma shipyard. The vessel's construction began in September 2019.
