The American Club has issued an alert on 29 October regarding the prevention of claims during transit in the Suez Canal.
Where vessels are about to transit the Suez Canal, the Club recommends that Members make their Masters aware of the following requirements/best practices to mitigate exposure to potential claims:
- Vessels must hire mooring boats from the Canal Mooring and Lights Company, a company approved by the Suez Canal Authority.
- Vessels must be fitted with well-maintained lifting appliances capable of lifting mooring boats of three tons, including the ability to take aboard mooring boat crew.
- Vessels may carry extra mooring boats for navigational purposes. However, LNG carriers, LPG carriers and loaded tankers are not allowed to carry extra boats.
- The handling of mooring boats must be carried out safely and well clear of the vessel’s propeller(s).
- Masters should ensure that the vessel’s speed is reduced during lifting and lowering operations of mooring boats and that an officer is given responsibility for avoiding accidents involving the mooring boat crews.
- If the vessel has no means of lifting mooring boats and the vessel’s boats are not suitable for mooring operations, it will not be allowed transit through the Canal without a tug escort.
- Masters should appoint a vessel officer to witness and supervise the lifting and lowering of the mooring company tugs.
- Masters should request that the mooring boat crew should keep any personal related items (e.g., mobile phones or cash) left in the mooring boat during lifting and lowering operations.
- Masters should ensure that crane wires are in satisfactory condition before the lifting and lowering of mooring boats.
- Mooring boat crews should be advised, in advance of lifting aboard, the crane and wire weight capacity.
- The vessel’s crane maintenance records and operational certificates should be kept on hand for verification, if requested.
- In the case of an incident, Masters should not provide any documentation to the mooring boat crew related to the incident.
- Photos and videos should be taken by the vessel’s crew of mooring boat lifting and lowering operations as documentary proof of the operation.
- .Should any difficulties arise in the transit operation, Members should contact their agent and P&I correspondent.
- In the case of an incident, Masters should prepare a statement of facts (SoF) and should not sign any documentation related to the incident without first consulting their P&I correspondent or the Managers.
