Maritime Safety News Archives - Page 18 of 259

A CONMAN who pretended to be a cruise ship’s captain to sell bogus luxury holidays at exotic locations to friends, family members, and other acquaintances has finally been jailed.

A serial fraudster named Jody Oliver, formerly of Barbourne Road, duped victims of £320,000 by providing them unbelievable rates for non-existent cruise trips. Among those scammed were individuals who’ve lost savings believing they booked holidays that happen only once in a lifetime.

The “Walter Mitty” swindler went to an extraordinary extent to maintain the ruse and even dressed up as a P&O captain to deceive them.

Oliver was steadily living a dual private life and divided the time between his wife and boyfriend, who was based in Newport over the weekends.

Conman — Image for representation purpose only

Andrew Davies, who was prosecuting, mentioned that Oliver was at the centre of a web of lies and deceit. He didn’t care about who he hurt or wanted to swindle and lied to those he even professed to love.

The defendant used various names and job descriptions to source money and mainly lived a life he could not afford. He was living two different fantasy lives. Now, neither of these was sustainable with legitimate incomes.

Oliver told his boyfriend, Mr Burgess, that he was a successful high-flying businessman employed at Jaguar Land Rover. Burgess did not know that the defendant was married with three children.

After Oliver lied about having been “headhunted” by P&O owner Carnival, he started working on creating an alter ego named Captain Jonathan Flynn Oliver.

Centred on the Alma Inn pub based in Newport, where he frequently socialized, he started offering free cruises to circle, mentioning that these were perks his job offered before selling them at bargain rates.

By this time, Oliver was much over his head in debt and had already lost over £130,000 from gambling within 12 months and had taken out crippling high-interest loans to stay afloat. New sources mention that the simple ploy the defendant deployed was to provide luxurious cruises to some exotic locations at a fraction of the rate obtained from legitimate agents.

He created an aura of a cruise vessel’s captain by dressing up as a ship captain when he met people to discuss potential cruises.

The holidays were cancelled due to overseas security problems or cruise vessel issues.

It has been reported that Oliver was a seasoned con artist.

In 2004, the defendant reportedly gained notoriety after conning Colin McRae, the former world-champion rally driver, into believing that Coca-Cola would offer him a £3 million sponsorship deal.

The former special police constable was also convicted of another VAT scam about three years ago.

Oliver admitted six counts of fraud. The offences were reportedly committed between 2018 (February) and 2019 (January). Matthew Buckland, who was mitigating, said that he could offer an apology note on behalf of Oliver and that he had pleaded guilty.

Oliver was reportedly imprisoned for six years and might encounter proceeds of crime hearing as relevant authorities would be checking if money can be seized from him to compensate the victims.

References: Worcester News, South Wales Argus

The harbor tug Maju 510 has become the first vessel in the world to receive autonomous and remote-control navigation notation from classification society ABS.

The vessel is also the first Singapore-flagged vessel to receive the Smart (Autonomous) Notation from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

The notations acknowledge the breakthrough performance of the tug, demonstrating autonomous collision avoidance capabilities in trials conducted at Raffles Reserved Anchorage, off Singapore Island, in March 2022.

The tug was fitted with a range of digital technologies from ABB. Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) lead the project on the Maju 510, which is owned and operated by Keppel Smit Towage, a member of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei.

The vessel has already distinguished itself as the world’s first vessel to secure the ABS Remote-Control Navigation Notation, following initial remote operation trials at the Port of Singapore in April 2021. The latest trials verified next level of autonomy, demonstrating automated situational awareness, collision avoidance, and maneuvering control provided by ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision and Marine Pilot Control.

The 32-metre-long harbor tug demonstrated its ability to autonomously avoid collisions in various scenarios, such as when two other vessels approach simultaneously on colliding paths and when a nearby vessel behaves erratically. The trials were supervised by an onboard tug master.

“I had the pleasure of being aboard Maju 510 during the collision avoidance trials and experiencing how smoothly the tug performed in autonomous mode,” said Romi Kaushal, managing director, Keppel Smit Towage. “What I found particularly impressive was how the digital system identified one or several risks in the tug’s planned path and responded to set the vessel on a new, safer course. The vessel performed as if it was operated by an experienced tug master.”

By allowing the crew to focus on the overall situation rather than on performing specific maneuvers, the ABB Ability Marine Pilot product family enhances safety and efficiency in tug operations, which is particularly important in congested shipping hubs like Singapore, the world’s busiest container port. Furthermore, the systems can be upgraded to enable higher levels of autonomy depending on local regulations and the requirements of the vessel.

“As the systems integrator, Keppel O&M collaborated with ABB on customising the autonomous solutions to enhance the vessel’s operational safety and efficiency. By liberating the crew of time- and energy-consuming tasks and improving accuracy during critical maneuvers, our autonomous solution has proven its ability to increase safety in even the busiest of ports. The autonomous solutions are future-ready to handle the growing demand of tug operations in Singapore port”, said Aziz Merchant, executive director, Keppel Offshore & Marine. “Through digitalisation, enhanced connectivity, and integrating ABB’s technology, we are able to generate high accuracy positioning and maneuvering, with AI engines for marine object recognition and classification.”

In an earlier successful demonstration of ABB’s autonomous technology, the ice-class passenger ferry Suomenlinna II was remotely piloted through the Helsinki harbor. Like Maju 510, Suomenlinna II had been retrofitted with ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision and ABB Ability Marine Pilot Control.

OneLearn Global (OLG) has launched an online eShop to enable seafarers to invest in their own learning.

The eShop will make courses easier to access independently. Seafarers will be able to take a host of courses, from compliance courses to soft skills courses and more.

The courses, which have been approved by the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA), are created for seafarers to take control of their learning. Self-paced and designed to give seafarers flexibility to train and learn on their own terms. OLG reports that this style of learning will be especially appealing to the millennial and Gen Z audiences who favour focused, compact courses.

Courses are taught through its next-gen Learning Management System (LMS) which is designed to deliver both an enhanced and engaging, yet personalised and intuitive, enjoyable learning experience through digitlisation.

Amongst these is a series of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) courses, which are now available on the OLG website. They cover a wide range of issues from Cyber Awareness and GDPR to Crisis Management and Human Behaviour. New courses are continually being developed and added to the eShop.

Capt. Jerry Mooney, technical & compliance officer in the seafarers & manning department at The Bahamas Maritime Authority, said: “The BMA is pleased to have been able to approve OneLearn Global’s online training courses. Courses which not only satisfy the requirements of the STCW Code, but also help both our clients and seafarers to obtain the necessary qualifications without the need for travel, accommodation, and additional expenses.”

Abhinava Narayana, CEO at OLG, said: “Educational tools should follow three simple rules. They must be relevant, they must be engaging/stimulating, and finally, they must be available on demand. We provide our seafarers with interactive, intuitive, mentally and visually stimulating courses, which are available on our eShop 24/7. This way, our eShop opens up opportunities and possibilities and lets the seafarer take control of his/her learning and career development.”

Source: https://thedigitalship.com/news/maritime-software/item/8014-onelearn-global-launches-eshop-for-seafarers

Finnish Navy minelayer/LCT PYHARANTA ran aground in waters of Archipelago Sea, off Turku, Finland, in the afternoon Aug 24, during Navy Coastal firing drill, while uplifting from water some military device. The ship reportedly, sustained hull breach with ensuing water ingress. Divers are to estimate extent of damages prior to ship’s refloating. No spill reported.
Finnish Navy minelayer/LCT PYHARANTA, MMSI 230997550, displacement 608, commissioned 1992, armament guns, 50 sea mines; capacity 200 troops or 100 tons, crew 12-22.

Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39293/finnish-navy-minelayer-ran-aground-holed/

The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transport Safety Board have commenced investigations into the collision between a bulker and a cargo ship in the Sabine Pass leading to Port Arthur, Texas. The collision happened on August 21, and currently, both vessels remain in the Port Arthur anchorage where complete damage assessments were underway while the shipping companies are arranging for repairs.

Pictures released by the U.S. Coast Guard show extensive damage to the port quarter of the AP Revelin, a 38,000 dwt bulker registered in Croatia. The vessel had been outbound from Port Arthur with a load of wood chips when the collision occurred.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s initial report on the accident appears to show that the damage while significant was limited to above the waterline of the 590-foot vessel. Her port quarter near the stern was ripped open exposing one compartment to the elements. Unconfirmed reports that the emergency boat was damaged in the collision are also confirmed by the photos.

The vessel’s owner, Atlantska Plovidba issued a statement saying that they expected a significant reduction in the vessel’s in-service time while repairs to the significant damage were completed.

The cargo ship Damgracht (18,000 dwt) registered in the Netherlands was inbound the U.S. Coast Guard reports when an engine alarm sounded causing the engine to shut down. The vessel experienced a loss of steering with its port bow making contact with the AP Revelin.

While the pictures of the Damgracht show apparently only superficial damage with her paint scraped, the Coast Guard report said the vessel took on water after the collision indicating likely damage below the waterline not visible in the pictures. The Coast Guard reported the ship’s pumps were handling the water and she was in no danger.

There were no injuries to the crew aboard either vessel. A Coast Guard survey of the area also showed no pollution in the water from either vessel.

Photos courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/photos-uscg-releases-images-of-significant-damage-in-texas-collision

While symbolic barriers are better than nothing, it would be best to invest in physical barriers. The Nautical Institute gives this advice in its latest Mars Report in which a dredger’s master accessed the area a crane was in operation and was crushed between the crane and cargo hold as a result.

The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. A summary of this incident:

A small hopper dredger equipped with a deck grab crane was occupied with the refurbishment of a port breakwater. The work involved lifting boulders from the cargo hold with the deck grab crane and positioning them at the breakwater. The chief engineer, who maintained direct contact with the crane operator via a portable radio, was on the bridge overseeing the operation.

The master, who was new to the ship and had joined only two weeks earlier, was occupied with administrative tasks. At one point, he decided to go on deck and check on some recent maintenance work at the bow. He took the access way on starboard side of the cargo hold to reach the forecastle (the port side access way had been cordoned off.) During this time, the crane operator, who was placing one boulder in position at the breakwater, noticed the master in proximity of the paint locker.

After checking on the maintenance, the master decided to check the status of the boulders in the cargo hold. He climbed the starboard stairs to the cargo hold and looked inside the cargo hold. At this time, the crane operator had the crane’s boom in line with the cargo hold and was picking up a boulder from the hold. Within a matter of seconds, the crane turned clockwise towards the breakwater, entrapping the master between the body of the crane and the cargo hold coaming.

The crane operator heard a scream and turned the crane back towards the cargo hold. He immediately noticed the master lying on deck. He raised the alert and the chief engineer, who was on the bridge, called for shore medical assistance.

The master was admitted to the local hospital; he had suffered a massive hematoma, muscle laceration of the right abdominal wall, and a fractured vertebrae. The victim was discharged from hospital the next day and received further medical treatment once home.

Investigation findings

The investigation found, among others, that although access to the forecastle from the port side of the cargo hold had been cordoned off by a physical barrier system (a chain), access to the forecastle from the starboard side was unobstructed. Black and yellow “hazardous area” markings were painted in a semi-circle on the deck around the crane, extending from port to starboard. But paint markings are a symbolic barrier system and therefore require one’s interpretation to be effective (as opposed to a physical barrier system).

Advice from The Nautical Institute

While symbolic barriers are better than nothing, their effectiveness is debatable. Physical barriers are much better. And an excellent complement to physical barriers are administrative barriers documented in a vessel’s safety management system (SMS).
Mars Report 201851 documents a very similar accident, but one with more serious consequences as the victim, new to the ship, died of his injuries. In that case, not only was there an absence of physical barriers, but no danger warnings were present.

Source: https://swzmaritime.nl/news/2022/08/24/lack-of-physical-barriers-results-in-dredgers-master-being-crushed-between-crane-and-cargo-hold/

Wärtsilä Voyage, part of the technology group Wärtsilä, has signed a contract for a five-year framework agreement with Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, to digitalise operations at its 21 ports. The project aims to accelerate the digital transformation of port calls and operations, making them as efficient, sustainable and safe as possible. The Wärtsilä Voyage technologies chosen for the project; Navi-Port, Navi-Harbour Vessel Traffic Services, and Port Management Information System (PMIS), will help ABP employees meet their targets, complement the company’s safety culture during port operations and optimise vessel planning and movements, which can have a positive impact on local, national and global supply chains.

Sean Fernback, President Wärtsilä Voyage, commented: “ABP truly understands how impactful technology can be in the maritime industry and its innovative approach has cemented its position as the UK’s leading ports group. This new agreement will help ABP maintain its competitive advantage now and into the future.

“Holistic and seamless technological solutions are critical to ensuring that ports, and the maritime industry more broadly, are ahead of the curve in terms of supply chain modernisation, that operations are future-proofed, and that data underpins decisions. The scope and scale of what we can achieve with ABP is very exciting, and we’re pleased to be working together.”

After a thorough international procurement process where all major suppliers of port optimisation solutions were invited to tender, ABP chose to collaborate with Wärtsilä Voyage, a cutting-edge technology developer accelerating the digital transformation of the maritime industry. Wärtsilä Voyage has a clear vision on how to enable ABP to become an early adopter of state-of-the-art port management solutions, while also ensuring a strong return on investment aligned with the goals and ambitions of ABP.,

The project, which began in June, will span multiple phases across all of ABP’s ports. Wärtsilä’s Vessel Traffic Services system and Port Management Information System are expected to be integrated into the Port of Southampton before April 2023, with other solutions subsequently being deployed across ABP’s other 20 ports. The agreement with ABP includes an ongoing human factor review to ensure the existing control room environment is optimised for people’s needs and is fully compliant with all national and international standards and guidelines.

The framework agreement, valid for at least the next five years, formalises a shared vision and commitment from both organisations to develop modern smart port applications through extensive and long-term collaboration.

Harm Van Weezel, Chief Information Officer at ABP, said: “We are delighted to be working with Wärtsilä on a programme that really delivers towards our vision of a modern, digital port. Wärtsilä’s approach – forming a deep and long-term partnership that is mutually beneficial to both organisations – really stood out to everyone at ABP. We are looking forward to the vast benefits this programme will bring.”

Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO, Wärtsilä Corporation, added: “This is a landmark contract that will have a profound impact on the sustainability, resilience and efficiency of global supply chains. Digitalisation offers great potential for the maritime industry to reach its ambitious emissions reductions targets. That is why the expertise within Wärtsilä Voyage plays such an important role in the pathway to zero emissions and continues to be integral to Wärtsilä’s strategy to generate genuine and long-term change for our sector.”

Source: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/ports-terminals/24082022/wrtsil-to-digitalise-associated-british-ports-maritime-operations/

Wärtsilä Voyage has signed a contract for a five-year framework agreement with Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s ports group, to digitalise operations at its 21 ports.

The project aims to accelerate the digital transformation of port calls and operations, making them as efficient, sustainable and safe as possible.

The Wärtsilä Voyage technologies chosen for the project; Navi-Port, Navi-Harbour Vessel Traffic Services, and Port Management Information System (PMIS) will help ABP employees meet their targets, complement the company’s safety culture during port operations and optimise vessel planning and movements, which can have a positive impact on local, national and global supply chains.

Sean Fernback, president, Wärtsilä Voyage said: “ABP truly understands how impactful technology can be in the maritime industry and its innovative approach has cemented its position as the UK’s leading ports group. This new agreement will help ABP maintain its competitive advantage now and into the future.

Holistic and seamless technological solutions are critical to ensuring that ports, and the maritime industry more broadly, are ahead of the curve in terms of supply chain modernisation, that operations are future-proofed, and that data underpins decisions. The scope and scale of what we can achieve with ABP is very exciting, and we’re pleased to be working together.”

After a thorough international procurement process where all major suppliers of port optimisation solutions were invited to tender, ABP chose to collaborate with Wärtsilä Voyage, the cutting-edge technology developer accelerating the digital transformation of the maritime industry. Wärtsilä Voyage’s clear vision on how to enable ABP to become an early adopter of state-of-the-art port management solutions, while also ensuring a strong return on investment aligned with the goals and ambitions of ABP.

Harm Van Weezel, chief information officer at ABP said: “We are delighted to be working with Wärtsilä on a programme that really delivers towards our vision of a modern, digital port. Wärtsilä’s approach – forming a deep and long-term partnership that is mutually beneficial to both organisations – really stood out to everyone at ABP. We are looking forward to the vast benefits this programme will bring.”

Håkan Agnevall, president & CEO, Wärtsilä Corporation added: “This is a landmark contract that will have a profound impact on the sustainability, resilience and efficiency of global supply chains. Digitalisation offers great potential for the maritime industry to reach its ambitious emissions reductions targets. That is why the expertise within Wärtsilä Voyage plays such an important role in the pathway to zero emissions and continues to be integral to Wärtsilä’s strategy to generate genuine and long-term change for our sector.”

Source: https://www.thedigitalship.com/news/maritime-software/item/8007-waertsilae-to-digitalise-associated-british-ports-operations

The NTSB has released its final report on the allision of a bulker with a decommissioned offshore platform off the coast of Louisiana last year. Its investigators determined that poor bridge resource management and a charting error were the root causes of the casualty.

On Jan. 7, 2021, the bulker Ocean Princess struck the oil and gas platform SP-83A some 24 miles south of Pilottown, Louisiana. No pollution or injuries were reported, and damage to the vessel and platform came to about $1.5 million.

The Ocean Princess offloaded a cargo of ore and steel in New Orleans in late December. On January 6, she was drifting in the Gulf of Mexico before heading back up river to load a cargo of grain. The master planned to drift through the night with the engine on 15-minute standby, keeping clear of traffic and the three platforms located in the area.

In order to give the crewmembers some rest time after a long day of cleaning cargo holds, the master scheduled himself on the bridge, joining the second officer. The vessel was drifting at about 2-3 knots in a northerly direction, with on and off rain showers periodically limiting visibility.

As the watch went on into the early hours of January 7, the master and second officer worked on administrative tasks on the bridge. At about 0100 hours, the vessel drifted towards a fairway, and they called the engine room to prepare to maneuver. With the master at the helm, they headed away from the fairway at a slow bell. At 0113, as he maneuvered away, the master saw a dim yellow light and checked the radar, which was set at a range of about 1.5-3 miles. The second officer had a look and confirmed that the contact was a platform, but could not determine the range visually. It looked like an ENC-charted platform some 5-6 miles away, and they concluded that it was not a hazard.

They were mistaken, and the master only fully appreciated the risk about 40 seconds before contact. Last-minute maneuvers were not successful and the bulker allided with the platform at four knots. The starboard anchor lodged in the platform structure, and the bulker swung on the anchor chain until morning when it could be safely cut free.

Ocean Princess’ trackline in the hours leading up to the allision (NTSB)

The master and second officer told NTSB that they never saw SP-83A on the radar. After the contact, they found that the platform was properly marked on the paper chart (an Admiralty product) – but SP-83A did not appear on their ECDIS ENC (a NOAA product).

NTSB verified that platform SP-83A was not charted on the official U.S. charts that fed Ocean Princess’ ECDIS. It had been charted correctly at platform commissioning in 1990 but was removed from the NOAA charts in 2010 for unknown reasons. Its absence went unnoticed and uncorrected until the allision. (After the accident, NOAA added it back in.)

A photo of the British Admiralty chart 3857 (left) and ECDIS screenshot from the Ocean Princess fed by NOAA ENCs (right), which were up to date at the time of the casualty. The British Admiralty chart shows SP-83A, but the ECDIS image shows nothing at that position. (NTSB)

NTSB determined that poor BRM was the probable cause of the casualty, since the bridge team noticed the platform’s lights 10 minutes in advance but failed to take timely and effective action. The platform’s absence from the ENC was a contributing factor.

“Technology, such as an ECDIS, can result in operator overreliance and overconfidence that degrades sound navigation practices and negatively affects situational awareness,” advised NTSB. “When identifying hazards, bridge teams should avoid overreliance on a single data source.”

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/ntsb-poor-brm-caused-allision-with-uncharted-offshore-platform

Environment management regulators in Turkey have advised that a new inventory of hazardous materials (IHM) must be conducted prior to the export of a Brazilian aircraft carrier to a Turkish shipbreaking yard, AllAboutShipping reported on August 23.

Reports indicate, however, that the six-decade-old carrier, the Sao Paulo, has already set sail for Turkey.

The trade news site reported that the Brazilian government and ship recycler Sok Denizcilik Tic.Ve Ltd.Sti (SOK) of Aliaga, Turkey, the buyer of the Sao Paulo, were sent scrambling when the regulators sent a letter to the Brazilian agency IBAMA, the competent authority for the Basel Convention, requiring the new IHM.

“… As a result of the [Turkish] Supreme Court’s interim injunction, news in the press, and the hazardous materials notices made to our [Turkish Environment] Ministry, it has emerged that a new Inventory of Hazardous Materials for the ex-naval vessel in question should be prepared while the vessel is in Brazilian territorial waters before it comes to our country,” the regulators wrote.

Environmental and labour rights groups working on the matter in Turkey, Brazil, and internationally have claimed for weeks that the export of the ship from Brazil to Turkey was illegal under the Basel and Barcelona Conventions and that the current IHM was not credible.

“Turkey is to be applauded for asking for a true and accurate survey and inventory,” Nicola Mulinaris of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform was cited as saying. “The current one is simply not believable based on what we know about older aircraft carriers. We have real concerns that the provided inventory grossly underestimates the hazardous and radioactive materials on board the Sao Paulo.”

AllAboutShipping said it must be noted that Grieg Green, the survey company that issued the IHM for SOK, among other things:

admitted they had access to only 12% of the ship;

did not have access to the IHM prepared by the Brazilian Navy;

concluded that there might be more asbestos onboard the aircraft carrier than the estimated nine tons;

and

recommended further sampling during dismantling operations.

The Sao Paulo’s sister ship Clemenceau was estimated to have at least 760 tonnes of asbestos, a figure later confirmed by Bureau Veritas upon its dismantling at scrap yard Able UK, the news outlet added.

Jim Puckett, executive director of the Basel Action Network, was reported as saying. “The rush by the Brazilian government to get out to sea without checking to see if Turkey has laws against such import, to alert transit countries, and before a court injunction can be properly served, is not an excuse for Turkey to ever allow this ship into our territory.”

The Sao Paulo was first commissioned by the French Navy as Foch in 1963 and was sold to Brazil in 2000 for around $30mn, where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy. The ship was demobilised and decommissioned in 2017.

Source: https://www.intellinews.com/toxic-materials-warning-as-brazilian-aircraft-carrier-sets-sail-for-date-with-turkish-shipbreaker-254373/?source=turkey

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Maritime Safety News Archives - Page 18 of 259 - SHIP IP LTD

Newport Cruise Ship’s Captain Conman Caught Selling Bogus Luxury Holidays

ABB and Keppel complete autonomous vessel collision avoidance trials

OneLearn Global launches eShop for seafarers

Finnish Navy minelayer ran aground, holed

Photos: USCG Releases Images of Significant Damage in Texas Collision

Lack of physical barriers results in dredger’s master being crushed between crane and cargo hold

Investigation findings

Advice from The Nautical Institute

Wärtsilä to digitalise Associated British Ports’ maritime operations

Wärtsilä to digitalise Associated British Ports’ operations

NTSB: Poor BRM Caused Allision With Uncharted Offshore Platform

Toxic materials warning as Brazilian aircraft carrier sets sail for date with Turkish shipbreaker

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