Tag: containerships

Fatality on a container ship during mooring operations in Veracruz The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued the report of its investigation of the fatality on a container ship during mooring operations in Veracruz on 15 July 2011.The vessel was moving astern along its berth, assisted by two tugs. The headline parted under tension, snapping back and striking an ordinary seaman on the forecastle. The mooring rope had previously suffered abrasion damaged that significantly decreased its residual strength.For more information, click here.Source: UK MAIB

Asian lines battered on European-dominated routes Container lines are losing money on Asia-Europe routes after slashing rates more than 50 per cent this year because of a price war and excess capacity. In 2012, 42 of the biggest ships ever built will join the competition.The record number of ships able to hold more than 13,000 containers entering service will be almost double this year's tally of 22, according to Alphaliner and Clarkson data. They will boost the total fleet to about 100. Ships this big are only used on Asia-Europe routes as they are too large for US ports.Mediterranean Shipping Co and its new partner, Marseilles-based CMA CGM, will lead the surge, receiving 21 ships and boosting their combined fleet to 49. Asian lines will have 26 such-sized vessels by the end of next year, leaving them reliant on smaller, less fuel-efficient ships to compete with the alliance and Copenhagen-based AP Moeller-Maersk, which together account for about half of Asia-North Europe capacity.'Really tough'"It's getting really tough for Asian lines on a trade that is pretty much dominated by the Europeans," said Jee Heon Seok, a Seoul-based analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co. "There's not much choice at the moment ...

Weight of containers - issue continues to menace ship safety Just imagine a container in which the shipper has declared a four tonne weight of cargo has been stowed within it but subsequently, after it has damaged a crane, is found to contain no less than 28 tonnes. The weight of containers has long been a contentious matter, with too many collapsed stows and even capsized ships witness to the cavalier manner in which cargo weights are sometimes declared. BIMCO, the World Shipping Council, the International Chamber of Shipping and now the International Association of Ports and Harbors have now mounted a joint campaign to encourage the International Maritime Organization to amend the SOLAS Convention to require, as a condition for stowing a laden container aboard ship, that both the ship and port facility have a verified actual weight of the container.Hopefully, the Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers Sub-Committee will consider this requirement at its September meeting next year. Torben Skaanild, Secretary General of BIMCO, has welcomed the recent participation of the IAPH in the joint approach. Better and more accurate knowledge of container contents will, said Dr. Geraldine Knatz president of IAPH and executive director of the Port ...

Stevedore crushed between containers The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) issued the report of its investigation into the stevedore fatality on board a container ship in Port Botany, New South Wales on 28 March 2010.The individual died when struck by a container during loading operations. A twistlock foundation failed when exposed to gross overstress conditions. While new employees were warned about the dangers of working between a moving container and a fixed object, this was not reinforced in safe work instructions and was routinely ignored on the jobFor more information, click here.Source: ATSB

Marine Notice 15/2011 AMSA has become aware that there is the possibility that refrigeration units fitted to shipping containers re-gassed in Vietnam between March 2011 and June 2011 may have been filled with contaminated refrigerant gas.The risk of explosion has also been identified by Lloyds Register in their safety alert 31/2011, where it has been suggested that the contamination may have arisen due to topping up of systems with different types of gas. In normal operation this situation should not create a hazardous situation while the refrigerant gas remains sealed within the pipe work and compressor system of the refrigeration unit of the container.For more information, click here.Source: AMSA

OFPC SAFETY ALERT The Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) has issued a safety alert regarding a potential explosion hazard involving refrigerated shipping containers.Two instances of explosions have been reported and the cause of the explosions is suspected to be a faulty coolant, which could have been installed in up to 8,000 containers.You can view the Alert by clicking here.Source: The Republic of the Marshall Islands

For vessels carrying up to five tiers or more The Suez Canal Authority issues circular 7/2011 regarding the surcharge of container tiers on deck of containership as follows:Article OneFirst: Southbound VesselsCircular No. 2/2007 shall remain in force.Second: Northbound Vessels For vessels carrying up to five tiers of containers:Circular No. 2/2007 shall remain in force. For vessels carrying more than five tiers:The surcharge shall be modified to become: 18% for containerships carrying six tiers of containers on deck An increase of 2% shall be applied for each tier in excess of six tiers, which means that a surcharge of 20% shall be applied on vessels carrying seven tiers of containers... etc.Article TwoThis circular shall take effect as of 1/3/2012Source: Director of Transit Department

MSC EVA arriving in the port of Antwerp

No oil slick has been reported so far An Antigua and Barbuda-registered container vessel carrying 106 tonnes of oil was tugged to a local shipyard for repair on Wednesday after getting stranded 15 days ago in waters near east China's Zhoushan city.A command officer for the rescue department of the Ministry of Transport said all 12 crew members were rescued and are in good health.The officer said the 7,170-tonne vessel ran aground off an island in northern Zhoushan on November 30 after gale-force winds caused damage to a compartment, resulting in water entering the hull. The ship was on its way to Shanghai from Busan, the Republic of Korea.During the rescue, the Shanghai bureau placed containment booms around the cargo ship to prevent possible oil slicks, and started cleaning up the oil on the ship. No oil slick has been reported so far.The vessel was towed to a nearby anchorage last week to shelter from strong winds before being brought to the shipyard.Source: China Daily

The new store opening a Tukwila location uses four used shipping containers. Starbucks is opening a Tukwila location on Tuesday built using four used shipping containers. It measures 448 square feet - just enough room for three baristas to workThe people who design Starbucks stores, from hip coffeehouse-style cafes on Capitol Hill in Seattle to a whimsical location at Paris Disney Village, spend a fair bit of time looking out their headquarters windows south of downtown Seattle.Their view of trains carrying cargo gradually meshed with Starbucks' desire to create stores that are both mobile and energy efficient.The result: Starbucks will open a drive-through and walk-up location in Tukwila on Tuesday, built using four used shipping containers.It measures 448 square feet, about as much space as a typical Starbucks has behind the counter and just enough room for three baristas to work.Shipping containers have become trendy as building material for everything from pop-up grocery stores in food deserts, like one recently tested by Seattle-based Stockbox Grocers, to houses pitched as environmentally friendly and able to grow with your budget.Starbucks hopes to use containers for short- or long-term cafes on properties awaiting development and in areas with lots of car traffic.They also ...