Vessels gangway is the best defense for vessel’s calling at South African ports

The Skuld P&I Club warns that stowaways continue to present a serious risk for vessels calling at African ports. The Club argues that the best and perhaps only line of defence is the vessel’s gangway when at port in South Africa.

That means strict control of all persons coming on board, with production of a valid access permit. The rule must be: no permit – no access.

Where situations are chaotic and / or many persons are seeking access at the same time, the master of the vessel needs to prioritise the safety of the vessel and her crew, as well ensure ISPS compliance is adhered to in practice.

If that means slowing things down or even calling a halt, then the master should do so. Absent particular charterparty provisions, such a step would not mean the vessel would be off-hire because of a step taken by the master to ensure the continued safety of the vessel and her crew.

The Skuld P&I Club recommends the following further steps in order to manage the risks of this issue:

• ensure there is advance understanding on the part of chartering and operations teams about the particular risks of any upcoming fixture or voyage
• charterparty terms should be clear about responsibility for cargo operations, stevedores and stowaways
• vessel’s officers and crews should be briefed in advance about specific issues in respect to any given port of call
• ISPS compliance should be demonstrated in practice, and drills and exercise properly recorded in the vessel’s logs
• latest information about port conditions should be sought in advance from local shipping agents
• the Ship Security Officer (SSO) should assess the situation and prepare the vessel in light of such updates
• vessel access control, in particular gangway checks should be planned and discussed with the crew in advance
• particular attention should be paid to the likely number and purpose of visitors and workers that may come to the vessel
• during time at anchorage and at berth, regular checks should be made against the presence of unauthorised persons on board
• prior to departure a further search should be undertaken
• if possible and available, a security company with search dogs should be used to check the vessel (but please keep in mind the sensitivities of any muslim seafarers on board)

For further information, pleasecontact the Loss Prevention team of the Skuld P&I Club :[email protected]

Also read relevant article :

London Club warns of stowaways in Cape Town

Source: The Skuld P&I Club