IMO publications as eBooks from Witherby Witherby Publishing Group has reached agreement with the IMO to provide IMO publications as eBooks.Publications such as MARPOL, SOLAS and the IGC code are now available to download online, and can be viewed via a Witherby Seamanship eBook reader.The eBook reader is a software program created specifically for the maritime industry, and designed to manage a variety of published books, information papers and reports from industry organisations, such as SIGTTO, INTERTANKO and OCIMF.It is available as a free download and allows for reading, referencing or searching of over 500 marine books.We are delighted to add the IMOs range of publications into our eBook reader, said Witherby managing director, Iain Macneil.This has been demanded by the industry for some time now and will allow ships and their operators to manage all their codes and guidance in a single eBook reader, with all the powers of targeted search and instant reference that this will bring.Source: IMO

Area to be avoided - Washington - USA A Member of the Association was recently notified by the United States Coast Guard that one of their vessels transited the International Maritime Organization (IMO) designated ATBA along the Northern Coast of Washington.This Bulletin serves to remind Members of the ATBA when entering or exiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The ATBA applies to all ships and barges carrying cargoes of oil or hazardous materials, as well as all ships of 1600 gross tons and above. The United States Coast Guard has issued a flyer (download below), which contains all of the relevant information regarding this Area. Please pass this flyer to any vessels which may be transiting this area.Download this bulletin in PDF format:English:en706Source: Washington State coast

INTERMANAGER EXTENDS ITS MEMBERSHIP InterManager, the international trade association for the ship management industry, has extended its membership from within the influential Greek and Philippine shipping markets.The Association is pleased to welcome two new full Members: Greek ship management company Thenamaris and Philippines-based crew manager Magsaysay.Athens-headquartered Thenamaris is one of the worlds leading independent ship management companies providing quality management services to owners of large ocean-going vessels. The fleet under management comprises oil tankers and bulk carriers. Thenamaris management services include operating, maintaining, crewing, and trading these vessels worldwide in a safe, efficient, economic and profitable way.Magsaysay Maritime Corporation is a leading provider of quality crew and crewing services for the worlds maritime and cruise industries. With headquarters in the Philippines and affiliates and subsidiaries in Indonesia, Peoples Republic of China, Thailand, Panama and Croatia, Magsaysay provides its principals with access to quality crews of various cultures and nationalities.InterManager Secretary General Kuba Szymanski said: These two companies are important new additions to InterManager. I am pleased to report that the Association continues to grow and our new regional meetings are also proving popular and are an effective way to keep in touch with our members worldwide.InterManager has recently welcomed two...

Are you ready to play the game? It is widely accepted that from July 1st we are entering a new era where each and every one of us has to think in terms of Risk Assessment. Example : You are trying to cross the road on a pedestrian crossing while at the same time there is a red light for all cars. One inexcusable person is violating the red light and is sending you straight o the Lord to negotiate your options between Heaven and hell. However the Lord is asking you : Whose fault is it? Why are you here at the moment? You have to review what happened and provide a reasonable answer. Have you properly assessed the dangers of crossing the road? Have you accommodated for Contingency Planning? and the ultimate one : Whose fault is it?I have been asking this simple question to conferences and training courses recently and the answer is a simple one. The fault lies with the person who is paying the cost. Who is paying the cost here? YOU. Yes you who is currently negotiating with the Lord.You do understand the meaning of the story. We all have to be proactive. Something...

UK Maib report on shipboard fatality The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued the report of its investigation of the uncontrolled descent of an accommodation ladder from a container ship in San Francisco Bay on 10 September 2009 resulting in one fatality. The accommodation ladder fell because the gearbox of the hoist winch failed. The gearbox had recently undergone routine maintenance and had been incorrectly reassembled. The hoist winch was not considered to be lifting gear under national regulation; thus minimal standards were utilized in its maintenance and inspection. New international standards recently have come into force that improve those standards, but gaps still exist. Recommendations have been made for further improvement. Report 8/2010 Source:MAIB

Vessels held by Somali pirates as of 6 July 2010 Ship types: BC: Bulk Carrier CO: Chemical & Oil Tanker COT: Crude Oil Tanker GC: General Cargo PT: Product Tanker VC: Vehicle Carrier RO: Roll-on and Roll-off Remarks: Hijacked fishing vessels and dhows are not included in the tableSource : US Maritime Administration

Attempted Pirate Hijacks Thwarted Somali pirates remain active despite monsoon conditions in their area of operation, with reports of two unsuccessful hijack attempts in recent days.The first ship to be hit was the 1999-built, 151,681 dwt tanker Susangird , which according to the Lloyds List Intelligence database is associated with National Iranian Tanker Company .NITC deputy head for technical affairs Jamal Miahi said that 10 pirates in two small boats attacked the tanker at 1930 hrs local time last Thursday, at a location in the relatively sheltered Bab al-Mandeb strait.However, the crew were able to repel the attack, with the help of a military helicopter of unspecified nationality. The vessel, laden with a consignment of crude oil bound for Spain, was soon able to resume its course to its destination, Mr Miahi added.The following day saw an approach to 2005-built, 29,006 dwt Peonia , while the combination tanker was in the Red Sea. A Lloyds List Intelligence correspondent states that the vessel made evasive manoeuvres and continued on its voyage.Peonia is associated with Motia Compagnia di Navigazione , based in Mestre in Italy. No injuries or damage occurred.Meanwhile, a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime official has revealed that...

ClassNK Establishes New Surveyor Office in Cardiff Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) announced the official opening of a new exclusive surveyor office in Cardiff, U.K. today. The new office becomes the fourth new office to be opened by the Society this year, following the establishment of new offices in Malaysia, Syria, and Peru earlier this month. The new Cardiff Office is also the Societys fourth office to be opened in the United Kingdom joining offices in London, Newcastle, and Milford Haven.Upon announcing the opening of the office, ClassNK President & Chairman Noboru Ueda stated With the opening of this office, I am confident we can provide even better service to our clients in the U.K. and ensure the continued success of the ClassNK fleet.Since opening its first international exclusive surveyor office in 1962, ClassNK has grown to have a global presence, with more than 170 million gross tons on its class register and 113 exclusive surveyor offices around the globe. Source: ClassNK

Wilhelmsen Ships Service secures Liferaft Exchange contract with MMS The worlds leading maritime service network Wilhelmsen Ships Service has won a major contract to supply its Unitor brand of around 200 life rafts to 47 vessels of the MMS fleet. The life rafts are being supplied to the Japan-based company as part of Wilhelmsen Ships Services Liferaft Exchange Programme.The liferaft exchange programme, a system of exchanging service-due life rafts on the dockside to avoid the delays of servicing, has grown rapidly in popularity across the globe. The agreement with MMS is the latest in a series of contracts which has seen many major ship managers preferring to take up the flexible option of this exchange scheme.The Managing Director of MMS Co. Ltd said his staff had previously been having problems arranging the servicing of liferafts for car carriers and tankers due to their short stay in port. However, he expects Wilhelmsen Ships Services liferaft service network and unique alert system to resolve the problem and allow his staff to concentrate on their daily core business.We are very proud that MMS chose our liferaft exchange programme, commented Dick Long, Wilhelmsen Ships Services Account Manager in Japan. MMS is a ship owner...

Piracy - Weapons in South African ports can cause problems BIMCO has learned that the South African authorities are taking an extremely hard line on weapons on board vessels calling South African ports, and members are advised to pay close attention to procedures. In addition, members should be aware that these procedures reportedly are a little contentious.Somali pirates continue to attack shipping in the high risk areas the Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean. As a consequence, the use of private armed guards has become a practice for some ship owners. There are, however, many issues tied to the practice of employing private armed guards.BIMCO continues to advise against the use of private armed guards, primarily because of the liability issues associated herewith, and because of the risk to the collective shipping industry of escalation on the side of the pirates. The recent reports on the South African authorities hard line on weapons on board ships calling South African ports only serves to substantiate BIMCOs position on the question of private armed guards on ships.Below please find a bulletin from UK P&I Club with further details.Source:BIMCO