Costa Cruises has introduced the Costa Safety Protocol, a new set of health and safety measures designed to support the cruise line’s return to operation after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The cruise line has worked with a panel of independent scientific experts to develop the protocol in line with global and national health guidelines. Crew will be screened for Covid-19 in their country of residence including two different swab tests for confirmation of suspected cases. They will then be tested a third time upon their arrival in Italy, with those confirmed negative to be allowed onboard for a 14-day period of quarantine. Crew will then continue to be monitored with daily temperature checks and swab tests every month.

Upgraded digital procedures, such as online check-in and self-certification, will be provided for guests, along with the possibility to book services onboard using the MyCosta app. Health screenings with temperature checks will be carried out at every access and exit to the ship, and they will be available through self-service electronic devices onboard the vessel. Social distancing will be observed in the cruise terminal, with similar measures for shore excursions.

The number of guests onboard will be reduced in order to guarantee appropriate distancing, and it will be mandatory to wear masks when indoors. Entertainment offerings have also been modified to allow for more shows with smaller groups of people, while self-service restaurants will not be operated.

More frequent cleaning will be carried out using specialist sanitation products, and additional disinfection dispensers will be placed at check-in and onboard. The onboard ventilation systems have been equipped with new filters to ensure high filtering efficiency of fresh air from outside the ship, rather than recirculating air from inside.

Processes have also been developed to facilitate the care, disembarkation and return home for any patients who are confirmed to have Covid-19. Specific training modules will be created concerning compliance with the new protocols and the implementation of the management system.

Following the development of the protocol, Costa has applied to receive RINA’s Biosafety Trust Certification. The scheme will conduct a series of audits both on the ships and onshore to confirm that the appropriate measures have been taken to manage health risks.

Source: cruiseandferry

The amount is comprised of a $35m grant and a $40m loan.

“It’s a historic win for our community and the 15,000 jobs that will be created or protected by the Jacksonville Harbour Deepening Project,” JAXPORT said.

Related: Jaxport awarded additional $93m for Jackonsville channel deepening

The project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to a maximum depth of 12.5m (50 ft) from its current depth of 10m (40 ft) will be completed in 2023. Upon completion of the deepening the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island will feature a vessel turning basin and have the ability to simultaneously accommodate two post-Panamax vessels.

It will allow larger container ships to call JAXPORT with more cargo on board, bringing more profit to the region.

Jacksonville’s maritime labor unions have advocated for a deeper harbour for more than a decade and describe the funding as “monumental for the hardworking men and women who work in and around JAXPORT’s terminals.”

“As Northeast Florida’s economic engine, JAXPORT will continue to play a vital role in the economic recovery of our region and state,” JAXPORT ceo Eric Green said.

Earlier this year, the US federal government also allocated $93m for the next phase of deepening the Jacksonville shipping channel.

At least four ships – Jouri (IMO 9174475) City of Rome (IMO 9174763) Raouf H (IMO 8325535) and Mero Star IMO 8321682) could have been moored in the vicinity of Tuesday’s massive explosion in the port of Beirut, which looks to have put the port out of action for the foreseeable future.

Lebanon has placed under house arrest the Beirut port officials responsible for storage and security, pending an investigation into the explosion, which looks likely to have killed hundreds, injured thousands and caused property damage worth north of a billion dollars.

The Lebanese army will oversee the house arrests while the investigation continues.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored at the site continuously for the past six years. Aoun said that long-term storage of a large quantity of explosive material so close to central Beirut was “unacceptable.”

Maritime security firm Dryad Global said that the explosion was probably an accident. “At this stage, it is likely that this incident is an industrial accident, and did  not suggest military or terrorist activity. The presence of naval assets within the area was not indicative of any likelihood of potential targeting by foreign actors, said Dryad, adding that “the area surrounding the port location is not a key location associated with incident reporting. The risk to vessels intending to transit to or in the vicinity of Beirut is not immediately escalated as a result of this incident. However, on account of the cessation of all operations at the port and potential for chemical contamination, all vessels should avoid.”

Customs chief Badri Daher told LBCI TV that his agency had repeatedly asked for the ammonium nitrate to be removed from the port, but he said that “this did not happen, and we leave it to the experts to determine the reasons”.

The port’s general manager Hassan Koraytem told local broadcaster OTV that the ammonium nitrate had been in the port for six years, following a court order. However, despite instructions from the customs department and state secretary to move or export it, “nothing happened”, he said.

A letter shared on social media showed that on several occasions between 2014 and 2017 customs officials had warned judges of the risks associated with storing the explosives in Hangar 12.

How the material might have found its way into Hangar 12 was revealed by the FleetMon web site.

Russian-owned general cargo vessel Rhosus set sail from Georgia to Mozambique in September 2013, carrying 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate.

The Moldovan-flagged vessel called at Beirut port after the vessel suffered technical difficulties. It was inspected by Port State Control officers, who found “deficiencies” and banned it from sailing. That left the Rhosus stranded in Beirut.

The majority of the ship’s Ukrainian crew were repatriated on the grounds that they were in “imminent danger” due to the explosive nature of the cargo on board.

FleetMon said that the Rhosus was owned and operated by Mr Grechushkin Igor, a Russian citizen who in 2014 was resident in Cyprus. The last known manager was Teto Shipping, Cyprus. But the Rhosus was, effectively, abandoned. The owner of the cargo also declared abandonment. The ammonium nitrate was later stored in Hangar 12, which on Tuesday appeared to have been ignited by the Hangar immediately to the east of it, which had caught fire shortly before.

However, none of this has yet been confirmed officially.

Ammonium nitrate is a crystal-like white solid which is made in large industrial quantities. Its biggest use is as a source of nitrogen for fertiliser, but it is also used to create explosions for mining. If a large amount of material remains in the same place for a long time it begins to decay. If it absorbs moisture it can solidify. Also, former senior military intelligence officer Philip Ingram told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the longer it is left, the more likely it will get contaminated with items such as fuel oil. Once that happens it can produce a reaction in the chemical. “It generates its own heat and, once it’s started, it continues to generate it and that will build up over time,” Ingram said, adding that this could “then lead to the high-order explosion that we saw in those horrific videos that came out of Beirut.”

Lebanon’s ability to import food supplies will be minimal now that its main port is unusable. In addition, a grain silo next to the Hangars that exploded was severely damaged. Food supplies for Lebanon could become a critical factor within weeks.

The size of yesterday’s explosion can perhaps be better appreciated if one realizes that the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, which destroyed a federal building and killed 168 people, was caused by two tonnes of ammonium nitrate – less than 1/1000th of the material which made up yesterday’s blast.

The force was so great that the ground beneath the hangar was vaporized, leaving the sea to enter the gap.

Jouri (IMO 9174475)

1999-built, Lebanon-flagged, 9,950 gt livestock carrier owned by Etab Shipping SA care of manager Safe Sea Services Sarl of Jounieh, Lebanon

City of Rome (IMO 9174763)

1999-built, Isle of Man-flagged, 9.950 gt vehicles carrier owned by Eldorado Maritime Inc care of manager Fairmont Shipping (Canada) of Vancouver, BC, Canada. Entered with Japan Club (Tokyo Office) on behalf of Eldorado Maritime Inc.

MeroStar (IMO 8321682)

1983-built, Sierra Leone-flagged, 3,780 gt general cargo ship Mero Star owned by Friends Shipmanagement Inc care of manager El Reedy Shipping Agency of Damietta, Egypt.

Raouf-H (IMO 8325535)

1985-built, Comoros-flagged, 4,362 gt general cargo ship owned by Raouf Marine Co SA care of manager Cedar Marine Services of Tripoli, Lebanon.

https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2014/4194/crew-kept-hostages-floating-bomb-mv-rhosus-beirut/

Cargoes have come off ships at sea it seems like forever. Some years ago a ship suffered a casualty transiting the English Channel in a storm. Much of its cargo of lumber and other floating items washed ashore on the southwest English coast. Before the authorities could arrive, enterprising local residents gathered it up.

Nowadays, the majority of non-bulk cargo is carried in containers. Container ships have gotten larger and are capable of carrying thousands and thousands of containers. The ships have greater length, greater breadth, and greater draft. They also have greater air draft. Containers at or near the top of each stack swing through a greater arc as the ship rolls than do those located at or near the bottom of the stack.

One source estimates that approximately 10,000 containers are lost at sea annually due to falling overboard from underway vessels, but it is unclear how this estimate was derived. Given the millions of annual container transits, this is an impressive testament to good cargo handling and seamanship. The World Shipping Council, an association of the major container shipping companies, representing 80% of the total global vessel container capacity, states that ships of its members lost an average of 1,382 containers annually during the period 2008-2019.

Until recently, governments only got involved in container losses if they created a hazard to navigation (such as by floating) or if a hazardous cargo were involved. Otherwise, the loss was treated as an insurance matter between the involved parties.

See related story: Insurers Discuss Container Casualty Causes

Lately, though, governments have shown great concern about containers lost within their territorial seas (generally 12 nautical miles offshore) and potentially further, particularly if the cargo is deemed hazardous.

In February 2014, the container ship Svendborg Maersk lost 517 containers during heavy weather while transiting the Bay of Biscay. At the request of the French government, Maersk hired a survey vessel which located most of the containers so that fishing vessels would not inadvertently entangle their nets. One of the lost containers later washed ashore in England unleashing 11 million very wet cigarettes. This incident ranks as the largest recorded overboard container loss to date.

On 31 May 2018, the container ship YM Efficiency lost approximately 80 containers during heavy weather off southeast Australia. The owner paid for recovery and cleanup of containers that washed ashore or were found in the vicinity of the coast but has allegedly denied responsibility for recovery of containers on the seafloor in deeper waters.

On 1 January 2019, the container ship MSC Zoe reported the loss of approximately 342 containers during a storm in the North Sea. Most of the containers soon washed ashore on the Frisian Islands of the Netherlands and Germany. The Netherlands government has opened an investigation into the incident.

On 24 May 2020, the container ship APL England lost 50 containers in waters about two kilometers deep during heavy seas about 73 kilometers southeast of Sydney. Fifteen containers have washed ashore but the others remain missing. A formal written undertaken of $22.5 million was required before the vessel was released from detention to ensure remediation of all impacts of the incident. The owner has been directed to search the seafloor for the containers and recover containers as agreed with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Charges have been laid against the master for pollution and/or damage to the Australian marine environment as a result of poor cargo loading. The incident is under investigation.

On 22 June 2020, a deck barge under tow from Honolulu to Hilo lost 21 containers in a storm. The U.S. Coast Guard is requiring the operator of the barge to locate and recover the containers. The incident is under investigation.

On 26 June 2020, the container ship Navios Unite lost three containers in rough weather approximately 33 nautical miles off southwest Australia. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) immediately launched an aircraft to search (albeit unsuccessfully) for the containers but has issued no follow-up reports.

There are indications that the design of modern container ships may be a significant factor in the loss of shipping containers overboard. These ships are designed chiefly to achieve two goals: maximize carrying capacity and operate efficiently at high speed. Thus, the ships have wide bow flare and wide beams that minimizes frictional resistance as the bow passes through the water. As the wave crest moves aft, the bow pitches down. If the seas are on either forward quarter, this causes the ship to roll. Due to a combination of the vessel’s speed and the offsetting wave action, the roll can sometimes become synchronous resulting in increasing roll. The dangers are exacerbated in vessels with flat sterns and in heavy sea conditions. The combination of all these factors can result in parametric rolling. This condition can occur very rapidly, going from moderate rolling to rolling in excess of 30° in just a few wave cycles. Parametric rolling has been implicated or suspected in many of the instances cited above. Naval architects and ship designers would do well to include this consideration in their future work. Masters and deck officers of container ships should be alert to signs of parametric rolling and take immediate action to ameliorate the situation.

The APL England lost at least 50 containers in heavy seas off the coast of Australia in May 2020. (Photo: Australian Maritime Safety Authority)

Source: maritimeprofessional

Ecochlor said it has received Type Approval from the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) for the IMO BWMS Code (MEPC.300(72) / revised 2016 G8) standards. The new certification applies to the entire range of Ecochlor ballast water management systems (BWMS), with flow rates of between 500 m3/hr. and 16,200 m3/hr., meaning that vessel owners may continue to install Ecochlor’s BWMS after the IMO BWMS Code October 28, 2020 deadline.

Ecochlor’s BWMS uses a two-step treatment process to treat ballast water; filtration and chlorine dioxide. Treatment is during uptake only, with no discharge neutralization step required.

The company completed the additional testing required for active substance technologies for full approval in marine, brackish and fresh waters earlier in the year. The tests confirmed that no changes in equipment or in the operation of the Ecochlor BWMS were required.

Ecochlor’s Vice President of Operations, Pete Thompson, coordinated the testing and documentation efforts for Type Approval. He commented, “For two decades we have continued to test the effectiveness of our system to the highest standards available worldwide. This commitment reinforces our determination to bring a quality, reliable BWMS to the maritime industry.”

After October 28, 2020, all vessels installing a BWMS must comply with the international BWMS Code. Approval pursuant to the previous G8 guidelines (MEPC.174(58)) will no longer be acceptable. Ecochlor is among a limited number of BWMS manufacturers presently providing G8 compliance to shipowners.

“This latest regulatory approval is another example of Ecochlor’s unwavering commitment to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals from Class Societies and Flag Administrations across the globe, even as the requirements continue to evolve,” said Steve Candito, Ecochlor’s CEO.

Source: marinelink

Transas Marine has successfully introduced its e-Navigation technologies at Neva exhibition, which took place during September 22-25 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Transas, a global leader in high-tech equipment, software and system integration for the maritime industry, is a regular exhibitor at the Neva exhibition. This year, Transas displayed an integrated solution presenting real implementation of e-Navigation concept; fully integrated T-Bridge linked with a port VTMS and fleet management system of a shipping company in real time, as an example of integrating key maritime shipping actors in one unified information environment. Transas’ comprehensive vision in extending the scope of e-navigation incorporates all maritime processes guaranteeing enhanced efficiency in fleet and port management.

One of the flagship solutions presented at Neva 2015 was company’s integrated bridge system T-Bridge. The Transas T-bridge is one of the most advanced integrated bridge systems which brings together diverse systems into a single bridge environment to support efficient decision-making.

Another breakthrough technology is Transas Cloud simulation technology, which increases efficiency of traditional simulators and the range of training programs at minimal implementation cost. In combination with Transas’ navigational solutions it brings a significant contribution to increasing safety on board.

Source: maritime-executive

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is launching a focused container ship inspection campaign targeting cargo securing arrangements on container ships visiting Australian ports. This inspection campaign is being initiated in response to several serious incidents involving shipping containers lost overboard recently.

Incidents like the losses of 81 containers off Newcastle by the YM Efficiency in 2018, 50 containers off Wollongong by the APL England in May and three containers from the Navios Unite off Cape Leeuwin in June have caused significant environmental damage to Australia’s iconic marine and coastal environment have made this container ships inspection campaign necessary. These events affect the livelihoods and safety of commercial fishers and, more broadly, communities across Australia

Incident investigations by AMSA have discovered that the improper stacking and securing of cargo and poor maintenance of securing equipment are likely to have been contributing factors to these incidents.

AMSA Acting General Manager of Operations Michael Drake says that vessels visiting Australia must ensure they fully comply with the international standards relating to cargo securing laid out in Chapter VI of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention.

“We have seen the serious consequence of improper cargo securing arrangements in the form of tonnes plastics and other debris washing up on our beautiful beaches and floating in our oceans,” said Mr Drake.

“Rusted cargo securing points, improper lashings and exceeding stack weight limits have all contributed to these incidents and ship operators should be on notice that non-compliance will not be tolerated in Australia.”

The focused container ship inspection campaign will run from the beginning of August until the end of October and will involve both extended port State control (PSC) inspections and stand-alone inspections on vessels which are not currently eligible for PSC inspection. If a cargo ship visits Australia over this period, the Master should expect that AMSA will visit the ship as part of this focused campaign.

Where vessels are found to be non-compliant AMSA will take steps to bring the ship into compliance before it is able to continue operating.

AMSA encourages ship owners and masters to familiarise themselves with the approved cargo securing manual for their vessel and Marine order 42 which gives effect to Chapter VI of SOLAS in Australia.

This focused container ship inspection campaign is aimed at education, improving standards, and reducing the number of incidents that result in cargo being lost at sea.

Source: iims.org.uk

Singapore has seen three cases within one week, where crew members scheduled to sign-on to ocean-going cargo ships were found to be COVID-19 positive upon arrival. This has prevented the shipping companies concerned from conducting successful crew changes.

MPA said it is now working with the industry taskforce to provide more detailed guidelines on the ‘safe-corridor’ procedures to safeguard the crew change process including the need to self-isolate while serving the 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN), to ensure accurate COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, and direct transfers from airport to ship for the crew while in Singapore to minimise contact.

“Given the increasing number of crew change applications, MPA will also need to prioritise new crew change applications. These will include crew with expiry of contracts which flag states are not extending further, Singapore-registered ships, and crew sign-offs,” MPA said.

“MPA would like to urge the industry – shipowners, managers and agents – to play its part to carry out safe crew changes. As there have been some instances of procedural breaches leading up to performing crew changes in Singapore, MPA has recently reminded shipowners, managers and agents to adhere strictly to the ‘safe-corridor’ procedures including ensuring accurate COVID-19 tests and compliance to self-isolation while serving SHN,” the port authority stated.

In the event that a crew member is found positive with the virus whilst in Singapore, crew changes will be suspended for a “stipulated period” to allow the company sufficient time to review its internal processes to ensure strict adherence to the ‘safe-corridor’ crew change procedures, MPA said.

In July, Singapore has been facilitating an average of about 300 cases of crew change per day through the ‘safe corridor’ procedures as detailed in the Singapore Crew Change Guidebook. This Guidebook was developed by an industry taskforce led by the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), in partnership with the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and supported by MPA.