Tag: USCG

The unpredictability of polar ice today makes the Arctic too big a gamble for large shippers Arctic shipping is an ice dream unlikely to come true any time soon, the head of one of the world's top shipping companies told The Arctic Imperative Summit.It was not exactly what some in the audience wanted to hear.A shrinking polar ice cap and a slow but steady increase in ships trafficking the Arctic Ocean along Russia's Northern Route has fueled a belief that direct shipping from Europe to the Far East could be on the horizon. The U.S. Coast Guard has begun referring to the narrow stretch of the Bering Sea between Wales and Naukan, Russia, as "Alaska's Strait of Gibralatar."That notion was pooh-poohed by Capt. Stephen Carmel, senior vice president for Maersk Line, Limited, the globe's leading mover of containerized freight.Polar ice: Unpredictable and pesky for shipsThe unpredictability of polar ice today makes the Arctic too big a gamble for large shippers, he said, and that doesn't look likely to change. The Maersk Line is a subsidiary of the Danish conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, one of the world's 150 largest companies. Carmel himself is based in Norfolk, Va., but his view is ...

Seafarers need to continue reminding the legislators of their value Mr. Jeffrey LantzDirector Commercial Regulations and StandardsUnited States Coast Guard

Circular letter by the Hong Kong Marine Department The Hong Kong Marine Department (HKMD) has issued the following circular letter, which concerns, among others, their regaining of the qualification for the United States Coast Guard's Qualship 21 Program on 1 June 2011.Within this framework and in view of the recent PSC development in the US and Australian ports, HKMD has revised the PSC inspection Checklist by adding items specifically for Bulk Carriers, Oil Tankers, Chemical Carriers and Gas Carriers.Indeed, pre-arrival inspection has to be carried out in accordance with the PSC Inspection Checklist for Hong Kong registered ships before entering into any US or Australian ports.It has to be noticed that the checklist, after being completed and signed by the ship master, should be endorsed by the DPA of the management company before submission to HKMD for scrutiny and necessary follow-up action.To view the circular letter, click here.Source: Hong Kong Marine Department

The third assistant engineer died after picking up a live wire while conducting electrical repairs A safety audit carried out more than a month after a fatality on board has identified deviations that pose a threat to personnel.A US Coast Guard (USCG) report into a fatality on board an ExxonMobil-controlled chemical tanker has revealed how the shipowner failed to notify the loss of life to a classification society during a safety-management-system audit.The incident dates back to January 2009 on board the 47,781-dwt Wilmington (built 1984), when third assistant engineer Christopher Erickson died after picking up a live wire while conducting electrical repairs.A USCG probe into the accident found numerous safety failings and identifiable deviations from the International Safety Management code and Safety Management System, which posed a threat to personnel.

Authority to issue Certificates The US Coast Guard (USCG) has granted DNV the authority to issue Certificates of Fitness to US-flagged offshore supply vessels (OSVs) that transport or handle limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid substances (NLS).DNV will issue the certificates based upon IMO Resolution A.673(16), Guidelines for the Transport and Handling of Limited Amounts of Hazardous and Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk on Offshore Support Vessels, MARPOL 73/78 Annex II and the US Code of Federal Regulations.Offshore supply vessels with keels laid prior to 20 February 2010 that carry limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk outside of US waters will be required to obtain this Certificate of Fitness to complete the first annual inspection in 2011.Kenneth Vareide, DNV Maritime regional manager for North America, said "with this additional authorisation, DNV is now authorised to issue all certificates on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard except for the High-Speed Craft Safety Certificates (HSCSC), which has not yet been delegated to any classification society. We appreciate the USCG's trust and confidence in our services."Source: DNV

GL in the top performing group with a detention ratio of 0% Germanischer Lloyd says that it is once again the top performing class society in the United States Coast Guard annual port state control (PSC) report and annual class performance list for 2010.The report and list, published on 3 June, put GL in the top performing group with a detention ratio of 0%. GL says that in over 1,000 distinct vessel arrivals there was no determination of class responsibility in any USCG detention of its classed vessels.Overall arrivals were slightly down from 2008 and 2009, with 1,134 and 1,172 arrivals respectively, to 1,112 distinct vessel arrivals in 2010. GL is the only recognised organisation (RO) with more than 1,000 arrivals in each of the last three years to have no class related detentions assessed.GL states that aintaining ship safety, environmental protection and operating systems year on year is essential in a climate of increased maritime scrutiny, and greater environmental awareness. The importance of assessment services by ROs is made plain by the introduction of a ban system in the US for vessels which repeatedly violate international regulations. Three ships were banned in 2010.The report noted a decrease in the ...

Marine Safety Advisory No 66-11 The Republic of the Marshall Islands issued Marine Safety Advisory No 66-11 stating that US Coast Guard has announced that, effective 10 June 2011, it is imposing conditions of entry on vessels arriving in the United States after having called at any port in the Union of the Comoros or the Republic of Cote dIvoire, during their last five (5) port calls.Any vessel arriving in the United States that called in any of the countries listed on pages 2-3 (with exceptions noted) during its previous five (5) port calls must take actions 1 through 5 listed below:1. Implement measures per the ships security plan equivalent to Security Level 22. Ensure that each access point to the ship is guarded and that the guards have total visibility of the exterior (both landside and waterside) of the vessel. Guards may be:- provided by the ships crew, however, additional crewmembers should be placed on the ship if necessary to ensure that limits on maximum hours of work are not exceeded and/or minimum hours of rest are met, or- provided by outside security forces approved by the ships master and Company Security Officer.3. Attempt to execute a Declaration of ...

Update to the list of countries not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Coast Guard) has issued Port Security Advisory No. 03/11, which updates the list of countries that the U.S. considers are not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures in their ports.The Coast Guard has determined that the Union of the Comoros and the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire are the most recent countries not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures in their ports.Vessels which are arriving from ports included in the list must implement special security actions prior to arrival. Please see Section C of the Port Security Advisory - "Actions required by vessels visiting the countries affected" and Section D - "Actions required by vessels in U.S. ports" for details of actions required to be taken by vessels in the listarriving in the U.S after 10 June 2011 after visiting ports in the list including the Union of the Comoros and the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire.To view the Port Security Advisory No. 03/11 please click hereSource : USCG

The changes will come into effect immediately 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EL X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The US Coast Guard promulgated a rule making various non-substantive changes to Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Navigation and Navigable Waters. The changes come into effect immediately.This rule makes nonsubstantive changes throughout Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this rule is to make conforming amendments and technical corrections to Coast Guard navigation and navigable water regulations. This rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public.For further information, click hereSource: USCG

Ships are recognised and rewarded for their commitment to safety and quality The Liberian Registry has been admitted to the United States Coast Guards (USCG) QUALSHIP programme for 2011/2012.The QUALSHIP (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) programme is a quality incentive programme to which only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted, based on the excellence of their port state control record.It was developed to provide an incentive for well-run, quality ships and ship operators. Designated ships are recognised and rewarded by the USCG for their commitment to safety and quality.Scott Bergeron, COO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, This recognition of Liberias commitment to quality shipping is all the more significant because it comes at a time of major expansion for the registry. The Liberian-flag fleet has more than doubled in size since LISCR assumed management control in 2000, and now stands at 3,570 ships totalling 115 mill gt.Qualship 21 recognition provides further confirmation of Liberias pre-eminent position in terms of safety and quality-driven shipping. This is good news for the ever-increasing numbers of shipowners who operate their ships under the Liberian flag. ...