June 2012
INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION
Titan awarded Costa Concordia wreck contract TITAN Salvage, in partnership with the Italian firm MICOPERI, has been awarded the job to remove the COSTA CONCORDIA from Giglio Island. The work is now underway and is expected to take about 12 months. Throughout the operation, environmental protection will have top priority. When the main work is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted. The plan also includes measures to safeguard the island of Giglio’s tourism and wider economy. Salvage workers’ presence will not have any significant impact on the availability of hotel accommodation on the island during the summer season. The main operating base will be located on the mainland at nearby Civitavecchia, where equipment and materials will be stored, thereby avoiding any impact on Giglio’s port activities. The plan was evaluated from a technical standpoint by a committee composed of experts representing Costa Cruises, Carnival Corporation & plc, London Offshore Consultants and Standard P & I Club, in collaboration with RINA and Fincantieri, in accordance with the requirements and recommendations set by the Italian authorities. The plan was evaluated to ensure that it would meet the main requirements: removal of the entire wreck with maximum safety
precautions and as little impact as possible to the environment, tourism and economy of Giglio. Once floated, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Italian authorities. Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. President said: “We are now launching a salvage operation with characteristics and technical complexities that have never been faced before. There will inevitably be some unknowns in a project of this scope, but we are sure we have made the right decision and will continue to work to our best ability and on schedule.” “We are very pleased to have been chosen to perform this incredible operation to remove the wreck of Costa Concordia,” said Richard Habib, Vice President of Titan Salvage. “Our quality engineering and the experience we have gained in this area allowed us to present a project that met expectations. From now on we will work with the aim of preserving the environment and the natural habitat.” Silvio Bartolotti, General Manager of Micoperi said: “We were confident from the outset that the professionalism of our company and our proven experience in underwater rescue and
recovery operations could be of service to this salvage operation. Being chosen is also a powerful demonstration of the quality and capabilities of Italian companies to manage such delicate and unprecedented projects.”
The four stage Titan plan: • Once the ship has been stabilised, an underwater platform will be built and watertight boxes, or caissons, fixed to the side of the ship that is above water. [See 1 and 2 below] • Two cranes fixed to the platform will pull the ship upright, helped by the weight of the caissons, which will be filled with water. [2 and 3 below] • When the ship is upright, caissons will be fixed to the other side of the hull to stabilize it. [4 and 5 below] • Finally, the caissons on both sides will be emptied, after the water inside has been purified to protect the marine environment, and the ship will be re-floated. [6 below]
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ISU NEWS Landmark Consortium proposals
Environmental Salvage
Tendering Costs
The Landmark Consortium continues to develop its insurance product aimed at streamlining handling claims involving containership cases.
The ISU has launched its new Environmental Salvage webpages. The content includes a legal opinion on the matter from Michael Howard QC; background on the legal framework for salvage and relevant presentations and papers. The site is expected to grow over time and can be viewed at www.marinesalvage.com/environmental
ISU members have expressed concern at the high costs incurred in preparing bids in response to invitations to tender for major wreck removals. Substantial engineering work and other costs are incurred by all serious bidders and which are not recovered by unsuccessful contractors. Much of that work will be common to the bidders. Salvors are in discussion with P and I Club representatives about possible ways to help pay for the preparation of bids. The Clubs have agreed to consider the matter.
A workshop was held on 27 June at the Smit offices in Rotterdam where representatives from ISU member companies, together with legal advisers and an average adjuster discussed the proposals and raised questions with Peter Townsend of SwissRe.The ISU will be considering the matter at its forthcoming Annual General Meeting in Istanbul. Executive Committee
ISU Award for Meritorious Service
Peter Pietka, Chief Executive of Svitzer Salvage, has been elected to the ISU’s Executive Committee.
ISU President, Andreas Tsavliris, has proposed that ISU should create its own award for meritorious services. In order to be distinct from the IMO Annual Bravery Award, it is not intended that this Award should be linked specifically to acts of bravery. Neither is it the intention that the award should have to be made on an annual basis. The proposal is that it may also be awarded to sub-contractors in a salvage case, as well as to shore-based staff, and it may be awarded in recognition of meritorious service over a period of time rather than for some specific act in a particular salvage service. The Executive Committee have agreed to this proposal and further work will be undertaken to establish the award’s criteria.
Document Management The ISU’s document management and sharing system, SharePoint, is now in operation. Nominated individuals within member companies should have received their user details and log-in instructions. The system is separate from the ISU’s public website and acts as a resource where relevant documents and events calendars are filed and may be viewed. In case of difficulty or for more information please contact isu@marine-salvage.com
Iran Members are reminded to be aware of the requirements of the EU, US and other international sanctions being imposed against Iran. The regulations are complex and members are advised to take advice if in any doubt.
Captain Peter Meyer of Bugsier Reederei After 40 years of service for BUGSIER REEDEREI, Captain Peter Meyer is retiring, having successfully completed a career from Helmsman to Captain aboard Bugsier’s tugboats.
Peter Meyer enlisted as a Helmsman in 1972 on board the salvage tug BUGSIER 27. After obtaining his German Master’s Certificate A6 in April 1980, he took command of the salvage tug HERMES. During his career, Peter Meyer took command of the majority of Bugsier salvage tugs up to and including the BMS ARCTIC and OCEANIC. In 1990 he came ashore and became a Superintendent in Bugsier’s Hamburg office. Under his direction a large number of salvage operations and wreck removals, such as the SEKI ROULETTE in 1992, were successfully completed in the Weser estuary. In 1999 Peter Meyer became director and the head of Bugsier’s Tug and Salvage Department. 2
Besides managing Bugsier’s offshore tugs he was also active for the ArgeKüstenschutz’s employment of emergency tugs (ETVs) in the North and Baltic Seas. Peter Meyer is a strong supporter of ISU and a frequent attendee at ISU events and General Meetings. He will remain as an advisor to Bugsier Reederei where Philip Harmstorf will take over as the department’s director, supported by Thorsten Schieferstein. Mrs Alexandra Pohl will be responsible for the department’s nautical section, including conducting audits with offshore clients and being responsible for the management of the emergency tugs.
Tsavliris’ operations In April, TSAVLIRIS dispatched the tugs DOMINGO B and ARGENTINO 1 from Buenos Aires and La Plata to assist the Bulk Carrier SAMJOHN LIBERTY, 74,761 tonnes dwt and laden with 47,240 tonnes of soya bean meal, which had grounded at kilometre 290 in the Rio Parana. The Coastguard ordered several vessels to remain anchored at Zona Comun for as long as the SAMJOHN LIBERTY was grounded, as she was obstructing the channel. The Tsavliris salvage master and tugs arrived on scene and attempts to refloat the vessel were immediately undertaken but without success and so a third, more powerful tug boat, YAGAN, was
dispatched from Buenos Aires. The casualty was successfully refloated with the assistance of the three tugs and anchored at San Pedro Roads for the mandatory post grounding inspection by the Coastguard. Following clearance by the authorities, the convoy proceeded down river and arrived at Zona Comun. The casualty was safely re-delivered to her owners three days after the initial despatch of tugs.
MV REINA CHRISTINA against an Atlantic sunset
Also in April, Tsavliris dispatched the Salvage Tug VB ARTICO from Las Palmas to the assistance of MV REINA CHRISTINA 17,825 dwt and laden with about 12,600 cubic metres of logs and sawn timber. She was immobilized due to engine failure approximately 30 nautical miles west of Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
The casualty was towed to Ceuta where the tow was handed over to the Salvage Tug MEGAS ALEXANDROS which had been sent from Piraeus carrying heavy machinery spare parts for the casualty which was then safely towed on to Bizerte, Tunisia where she was redelivered to her owners. Tsavliris’ tug TSAVLIRIS HELLAS has also been in action off the Azores, assisting the general cargo vessel ZEALAND BEATRIX,13,089 dwt, laden with 12,000 tonnes of calcium ammonium nitrate, and disabled about 250 miles NE of Ponta Delgada in the Azores. The casualty arrived safely at Ponta Delgada after a three day operation.
Donjon refloats car ferry In March DONJON MARINE was awarded the job to refloat the 277 foot Ex-Staten Island, New York, car ferry, GOVERNOR HERBERT H LEHMAN. The vessel sank in the Hudson River while in layup at Newburg, New York. After almost four weeks of patching and test-pumping of the submerged hull, and with the use of Donjon’s 1000-ton capacity derrick barge CHESAPEAKE 1000 to stabilize the vessel during refloating, the ferry was successfully refloated and returned to its owners. Commenting on the operation, John Witte, Jr., Executive Vice President said: “This is just another example of Donjon’s ability to perform in a professional and cost-effective manner. Donjon Salvage Master Bill Kratz and his salvage team
have illustrated once again Donjon’s ability and dedication to the continuing salvage needs of the marine community.” 3
Above: Donjon's derrick barge CHESAPEAKE 1000 at work lifting the GOVERNOR HERBERT H LEHMAN
MEMBERS’ NEWS TSAVLIRIS TSAVLIRIS Salvage Group took part in the five-a-side Posidonia ShipSoccer Tournament. Alexandros A Tsavliris, with his father, ISU President, Andreas A Tsavliris by his side, led the team out against 23 other competing companies. Some 250 shipping executives played in the tournament and the Tsavliris team made it to the quarter finals, after topping their group, but then (just like England) lost on penalties.
as Director General of China Rescue and Salvage (CRS). He is succeeded by Mr Zhenliang Wang. On leaving his salvage post, Captain Song stood down as a member of the ISU Executive Committee and thanked the ISU, its executives and officers for their long-term support, friendship and collaboration. He will continue to be involved in the industry as his new role gives him responsibility for oversight of operational safety within CRS. DONJON DONJON MARINE, Co., Inc. has appointed John Noble as its Managing Director, Donjon UK.
The father and son pair also took part in the Posidonia Tennis Tournament, reaching the final after a grueling seven hours on the court. Tsavliris Salvage Group has also published its new brochure for 2012. It reviews the last four years’ commercial activities as well as noting matters of historical interest and is dedicated to all seafarers. For a copy, email salvage@tsavliris.com Furthermore, the Group has announced the launch of its new website at www. tsavliris.com Tsavliris has also announced that George A Tsavliris has been elected Chairman of the International Marine Environment Protection Association (INTERMEPA). It is a voluntary, nongovernmental, not-for-profit entity established in 2006. It comprises the Founding Associations: the Australian Marine Environment Protection Association; the Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association; the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association and the Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association. CHINA RESCUE AND SALVAGE Captain Jiahui Song has been appointed as Chief Safety Officer for the Ministry of Transport, Peoples’ Republic of China. Captain Song has therefore vacated his position
Mr Noble has worked in commercial shipping since 1962 and has much practical expertise in salvage, wreck removal and oil pollution, having attended some 60 major casualties. Until recently he was an advisor to the International Salvage Union acting as the General Manager. OCEAN GROUP Canadian ISU member, Group Ocean has announced the construction of a new, 25 metre tug at its facilities located at Isle-aux-Coudres. Delivery is scheduled for December 2012. The 4000 BHP tug will be used for harbour operations in the Port of Montréal and also for ship escort services, short and long distance towing as well as rescue operations and wreck removals. The tug will be reinforced for ice navigation and will be powered by two Z-drive type omni-directional propellers and equipped with a fire fighting system. Jacques Tanguay, First Vice President and General Manager commented: "This new tug will join Ocean’s fleet and will help maintain the flexibility of our operations along the St. Lawrence River.” ITC Mark de Jonge, 47, has taken over as Managing Director of ITC, following Joop Timmermans' decision to step down. (see story P5). Mark de Jonge has an engineering background from the Technical University of Delft and the Royal Netherlands Navy Academy. He has worked as General Manager of Smit Harbour Towage and Smit Global Fleet Management. His latest position was 4
Chief Technical Officer and member of the Board of Management at Smit Lamnalco with Royal Boskalis Westminster. ITC said it was confident that under the guidance of Mr de Jonge it will continue to expand its long-standing, quality services to the marine industry. TITAN TITAN Salvage has enhanced its marine salvage, wreck removal and emergency response capabilities in the Oceanic region with the establishment of an equipment depot in Cairns, Australia for specialised response equipment for heavy salvage and wreck removal jobs for large casualties. It follows increased commercial vessel traffic in and around the Great Barrier Reef. The equipment includes generators and pumps for dewatering, hydraulic power packs and pumps for fuel removal, diving equipment, floating line for manoeuvring around the reefs, satellite communications equipment and Titan hydraulic chain pullers, each with a 300 tonne pulling capacity. The facility is at 15 Knight Street, Portsmith, Cairns. Telephone +61 7 40354987. The Operations Manager is Eric Shelley, a former commercial diver with much experience of logistics, client relations and knowledge of specialized salvage equipment. SCALDIS Antwerp-based marine lifting specialist, SCALDIS SALVAGE AND MARINE CONTRACTORS NV has ordered a powerful, self propelled, DP2 crane ship with 4,000 tonne hoisting capacity. It is expected to work in offshore installation and decommissioning work for the oil, gas and renewable energy industries as well as wreck removal. The vessel is to be built by Korean shipbuilders STX Offshore & Shipbuilding at its yards in China and will have accommodation for 78 people and a helipad. Delivery is scheduled for spring 2014. The ship and the cranes are an integrated design which allows the maximum load to be hoisted in significant wave heights of up to 1.5m. The maximum load can be lifted in water depths of only 5m.
RENA update
Joop Timmermans After nearly forty years with ITC, Joop Timmermans has stepped down as its Managing Director. Mr Timmermans is well-known and hugely respected throughout the salvage and towage industries. He started work for ITC in 1975 after a seagoing career with the Dutch merchant navy. His first role was as commercial manager and he became a deputy director in 1982 rising to be managing director of ITC in 1996.
Picture: Maritime New Zealand
A total of 945 containers from a total of some 1300 have been recovered from the wreck of the RENA off New Zealand, including some boxes from the seabed. The SMIT BORNEO crane barge has now departed for Singapore, towed by the SVITZER tug SINGAPORE. The owners and insurers of RENA have issued a tender for the next stages of the operation, which will be a wreck removal. During the tender process, ISU Associate Member, Braemar and its New Zealand partner Unimar, will have an expanded role monitoring the wreck site. They are carrying out daily patrols of the safety zone around the RENA and closely monitoring the bow section. Shoreline response teams are also continuing to collect debris from nearby beaches. Plastic beads have been a particular difficulty with tidal movement uncovering beads which have been buried in the sand so that stretches of beach are having to be re-cleaned. Maritime New Zealand has said that the oil spill response has been reduced from a Tier 3, or national level response, to Tier 2, regional level response.
During his long service, Joop Timmermans was instrumental in securing many prominent dry transport and towage contracts. Under his leadership, the focus of ITC has shifted from dry transportation, to ocean towage and offshore support services. In line with this, the ITC fleet was restructured to meet the requirements of these changed core businesses. Mr Timmermans will stay on the ITC Board of Directors. Joop Timmermans has also been a member of the ISU executive committee since 1998 and served as ISU president from 2002 to 2004. Current President of the ISU, Andreas Tsavliris, said of Mr Timmermans: “Joop is a great servant of the salvage industry. He has an enviable record of long and effective service with ITC and also with the ISU, serving on the Executive Committee for many years and being a distinguished pastPresident. We are delighted that we will still be able to benefit from his vast experience and wisdom as he continues to be connected to the industry.�
SMIT BORNEO working with SVITZER SALVAGE, lifting boxes from the wreck of the RENA
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SMIT operations SMIT Salvage was awarded a Lloyd’s Open Form to tackle an explosion and significant fire amidships on the chemical tanker, STOLT VALOR (right) in the Arabian Sea. SMIT mobilized five tugs through its Joint Venture SMIT Lamnalco and its local partners. In addition, specialized fire-fighting equipment was mobilized from its response warehouses along with a team of salvage experts including a fire fighting expert and marine chemist. Once the fire was extinguished, the salvage team focused on preventing potential damage to the environment. After removing the ship’s bunkers, the salvage team prepared the vessel for ship-to-ship transfer of the cargo to a lightering tanker. The open ocean STS involved the discharge of two products, volatile MBTE and IBAL. This trans-shipment was challenging due to the very serious condition of the vessel. The severely damaged hull had limited residual strength and the tank pumping sequence had to be planned accordingly.
entering the marine environment. The salvors entered into a “caretaking” contract during the wreck removal bid phase managed by LOC. Following the outcome of the tender, both companies demobilized their personnel, equipment and craft and received a heartfelt send-off from the local community and authorities in
recognition of their excellent cooperation and performance during the salvage work. Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi said: “We would like to thank Smit Salvage and Tito Neri for succeeding in their defueling and caretaking operations.” The SMIT and TITO NERI team on demobilisation from Costa Concordia operations
Establishing a suitable place of refuge was also difficult – confirming ISU’s continuing concern about this issue. SMIT Salvage and its partner Fratelli Neri have also now concluded their involvement with the salvage operation of the COSTA CONCORDIA following successful completion of the bunker removal operation without any spillage while preventing any other pollutants
Fairmount operations FAIRMOUNT MARINE's tug FAIRMOUNT GLACIER has successfully assisted in the re-floating of the Greek-owned bulk carrier AKIBA which was grounded offshore Maputo, Mozambique. The salvage operation was conducted by ISU member Five Oceans Salvage under a Lloyd’s Open Form. The FAIRMOUNT GLACIER was mobilized from Cape Town, South Africa and she refloated the 190 metre long AKIBA at the second attempt. The bulker was then towed to an assigned safe anchorage for damage to be assessed. The FAIRMOUNT GLACIER then towed
the vessel to Richards Bay, South Africa, for cargo discharge and then on to dry dock at Durban. Elsewhere, the FAIRMOUNT ALPINE carried out escort services for a bulk carrier at the request of Smit Salvage. The bulker had suffered structural damage while in Brazil. Smit contracted Fairmount Marine initially for standby duty and then as escort during the trans-Atlantic crossing of the bulk carrier to Walvis Bay in Namibia. FAIRMOUNT ALPINE, a super class tug, was deployed from Jamaica to Brazil for the operation. It was the third salvage operation in a row for the Dutch flagged tug. Prior to the Brazilian job, the ALPINE had helped 6
avoid a shipping disaster off the northeast coast of Cuba. The tug managed to connect with a drifting 30,000 tonnes dwt cargo vessel and tow her to safe waters. It had been estimated that the vessel would hit the rocks off Punta Brava before the ALPINE could arrive but with a speed of close to 16 knots she made it just after the casualty’s main engine was restarted - even with a broken crankshaft and firing on only three of its six cylinders. It meant the vessel was able to stay away from the coast until ALPINE could make an emergency towing connection and tow her towards Kingston, Jamaica where she arrived two a half days later.
ASSOCIATES’ NEWS ISU welcomes new Associate Members: China Diving & Salvage Contractors Association (CDSCA) 10 Hepinglidong Avenue, Beijing CHINA Zhang Daiji Deputy Director Tel: +86 10 6529 9810 Fax: +86 10 6529 9807 Email: cdsca2008@msn.com Web: www.cdsca.com Cwaves Limited Dukes House 32-38 Dukes Place London, EC3A 7LP ENGLAND Capt. Sanjay Bhasin Tel: +44 20 7083 7188 Fax: +44 20 7083 7199 Email: directors@cwaves.co.uk Web: www.cwaves.co.uk DEKRA Experts BV Rivium Boulevard 301, NL-2909, LK Capelle aan den Ijssel, The Netherlands Maup Hoppzak Tel: +31 10 20 77 260 Mob: +30 653 15 75 89 maup.hoppzak@dekra.com
the world. The International Labour Organisation estimated in 1999 that 24,000 fatalities occurred worldwide in capture fisheries each year. More recent studies show fatalities on fishing vessels remain a real threat. This is backed-up by the claims records of incidents advised to the Club. “We realised a safety guide was warranted as we became aware of the extent and nature of incidents that our Members have experienced, as well as seeing evidence from other industry studies,” explained Louise Hall, Loss Prevention Manager in Shipowners’ London branch. “The intention was not to create a “bible” of safety for fishing vessels, more to highlight crucial areas related to our historical claims and to address those.” The publication is available free of charge to Club Members. Redwise 53 vessels were successfully delivered by Redwise Maritime Services in 2011, 31 of which were new-builds making their maiden voyage from the yard to destinations worldwide. In the first five months of 2012, 28 vessels including tugs, OSVs and dredgers were delivered. It includes delivery of the latest two Rotortugs for ISU member Kotug. And a delivery distance record was broken by the new build tug SVITZER NEREID (below).
www.dekra.nl
DISA C-Ventus - 50% owned by DISA has signed a three year contract for inspection and maintenance services with NoordzeeWind for the Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee, off the Dutch coast. The contract allows for an annual, fixedscheduled scope which includes project management, surveys, inspections, measurements and cleaning. There is also an optional, additional scope for unscheduled services. International Chamber of Shipping At its Annual General Meeting in Australia the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) elected a new Chairman, Mr Masamichi Morooka from Japan. Mr Morooka has a long track record in senior management roles with Japan’s NYK. He succeeds Spyros M Polemis from Greece who has decided to stand down after six years in office. Speaking after his unanimous election, Mr Morooka said: "Within ICS there are perhaps three big challenges on which we will need to focus this year: the elimination of piracy; the challenge of reducing CO2 emissions and our response to proposals that must be expected from governments following the COSTA CONCORDIA cruise ship tragedy.”
Siri Marine BV Stationsweg 1, 9901 CP Appingedam The Netherlands Albert Lenting Tel: + 31 59 66 20 997 albert@sirimarine.nl
Mr Morooka will be supported by four ICS Vice Chairmen: Captain Dirk Fry (Cyprus), Mr Frank Leonhardt (Germany), Mr Trygve Seglem (Norway) and Mr Gerardo Borromeo (Philippines). Mr Polemis (Greece) will continue to assist in his capacity as Immediate Past Chairman.
www.sirimarine.nl Shipowners P and I Club, The Shipowners’ Club, has produced a comprehensive handbook “Fishing vessel safety” highlighting areas in which crew members can become more safety conscious, while assisting crew and owners alike to recognise potential dangers and operating hazards. Fishing is the most dangerous job in
from China. In close consultation with the owners, and for the safety of crew and tug, the decision was made to sail via the Cape of Good Hope. However during the last part of the voyage the tug received orders to change her final destination to Mexico and so a distance record was broken: 17,358 nautical miles.
The tug was at first destined for the UK 7
The ICS has also published its comprehensive Annual Review covering key issues such as developments in labour affairs, maritime law and insurance and with respect to the maintenance of open shipping markets.
ITS 2012 Barcelona President of the ISU, Andreas Tsavliris, gave the opening paper on the challenges facing the salvage industry at the recent International Tug and Salvage and OSV Convention in Barcelona.
of using non-salvage specific vessels in salvage operations. Recognising the large number of ISU Executive Committee members who would be in Barcelona, ISU took the unusual step of holding a scheduled Executive Committee meeting at the ITS venue. The organisers described the event as the biggest ever Convention with a record number of delegates and a full exhibition hall.
The Conference heard papers on a range of topics including the global role of ETVs. It generated considerable discussion. ISU’s new General Manger, Mark Hoddinott spoke about the issue
Multraship's new tug MULTRASHIP’s new tug, MUTRASHIP 19, was unveiled at the opening ceremony of the International Tug and Salvage Convention in Barcelona, Spain, in May. The newdesign of ASD 3212 tug was built in Damen’s yard at Galati in Romania.
680 people attended the Gala Dinner at which senior figures from the industry were presented with silver “Armada dishes” in recognition of their attendance at 10 Conventions. ITS 2014 will be held in Panama at the ATLAPA Convention Centre 26-30 May 2014.
order to provide the level of expertise and service which our clients need and demand. This new order confirms Multraship’s commitment to investing in new tonnage, and new technology, and we are pleased to be working once again with Damen Shipyards, following our previous successful collaboration on MULTRATUG 3.”
The tug has been built to a completely new design specification developed after intensive research. During sea trials, the tug achieved over 85 tonnes BP and a speed of just over 15 knots. The new design has been thoroughly researched over an extensive period, resulting in a tug that can perform to maximum efficiency in rough weather conditions: she Picture: Copyright Tugspotters performed well in 3.5 m waves and is The tug was christened in late June well suited to escort services. by Captain Muller's partner, Ms An Sofie Joppe, at a naming cermony at MULTRATUG 19 is the second vessel Terneuzen. to be built by Damen for Multraship following the 2010 delivery of the new build ASD3213 tug MULTRATUG 3. Leendert Muller, Managing Director of Multraship, said: “This is an industry which requires ongoing investment in
A sister tug to MULTRASHIP 19 has been sold to Colombian ISU Member INTERTUG SA.
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Reslove in Sri Lanka RESOLVE Salvage & Fire (Asia) Pte Ltd. has completed wreck removal operations at Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour in northern Sri Lanka. Reslove was retained by the Government of India/Shipping Corporation of India and has worked on site in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Navy since June 2011. Reslove crews undertook the mapping and removal of ten vessels which were sunk during the armed conflict between 1994 and 2000. The wrecks, lying outside and within the port, had obstructed safe navigation in the area and effectively prevented commercial shipping activity since that time. Sonar surveys located and identified individual targets before clearance operations began. Resolve was initially contracted to remove the known wreckage of six vessels, but four additional vessels were found inside the harbour during the survey phase. This additional work - combined with the approach of the northeast monsoon season - meant an accelerated project schedule which Resolve accomplished by expanding logistics efforts and conducting simultaneous operations inside and outside the breakwater. Given the limited industrial base in the remote location, Resolve supplied all heavy lift equipment, diving resources and experienced technicians while employing a local work force to support surface operations and facilities construction on shore. Poor weather and sea conditions, severely corroded steel in the sunken vessels and heavy silting of the wrecks presented significant challenges. The discovery of live ammunition at two of the vessel wreck sites was an additional complication. With completion of the wreck removal phase, dredging and rehabilitation of the breakwater and construction of new pier and port facilities will start. It is anticipated that the port rehabilitation project will result in increased trade in the Jaffna peninsula and restoration of economic activity in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
International Monitor IMO/International Chamber of Shipping The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) expressed strong support for the agreement reached by IMO to increase the limits of liability under the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Convention 1996 (LLMC), by 51%. In addition to general maritime claims, the new LLMC limits, which will come into effect in three years’ time, will apply to claims under IMO Conventions governing liabilities for bunker spills (other than claims covered by the Civil Liability Convention) and wreck removal once the Nairobi Convention enters into force. ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe said: “The industry was open to a discussion of increases, but these had to be based on agreed criteria, namely claims history, inflation and the effect on the cost of insurance. In the event, the final increases agreed by IMO seem to be a reasonable outcome.” He added: “It remains to be seen what economic impact the new limits will have on the industry after they come into effect in 2015. However, we hope that the increases will help ensure that the principle of limitation of liability will be maintained, which is vital if shipowners are to continue to have access to affordable insurance. It is also hoped that the new limits will not deter less developed nations from subscribing to the LLMC.” ICS originally questioned whether any increases were justified in view of statistics compiled by the International Group of P&I Clubs which showed that only a small number of claims had not been compensated fully under the present LLMC limits. However, following the PACIFIC ADVENTURER bunker oil spill in Queensland in 2009, where the cleanup costs were thought to have exceeded the applicable limitation amount, ICS accepted that the large number of governments that had requested IMO to review the limits meant that some level of increase was never in doubt. The Caribbean Christopher Cargill, Chairman of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica,
has warned that the Caribbean Island and other Small Island Developing States lack the resources to combat a major oil spill. Noting the vast amount of resources used during the US Gulf Deepwater horizon incident he said the development of a mechanism for cooperation is therefore a critical part of the preparedness in the region as Jamaica and other small states will have to rely heavily on their neighbours to the north for assistance in dealing with such events. Jamaica ratified the IMO Oil Pollution and Response Convention (OPRC) two years ago and is currently incorporating its provisions into national legislation to deal with discharges from oil and gas platforms and other sources. Greece and Liberia The Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee (GSCC) has confirmed that Liberia is the leading independent ship register for Greek-controlled shipping companies, second only to the Greek flag itself. Figures released by the GSCC show that in the year ended 31 March 2012, Liberia experienced a net increase of 38 Greek-controlled ships aggregating 4.63m tonnes dwt - more than twice the number of vessels secured by any other ship registry. In deadweight terms, 17% of Greekcontrolled ships are now registered with Liberia, compared to 22% per cent flying the Greek flag. The Greek-controlled fleet decreased in terms of ship numbers during the year from 3,848 to 3,760 vessels, but the GSCC says that gross tonnage rose from 153.13m gross tonnes to 155.90m gross tonnes, while, in deadweight terms, the increase was from 261.68m tonnes dwt to 264.05m tones dwt, a new record in the 25 years since the GSCC first published statistics. The latest figures include 437 new buildings, aggregating more than 25m tonnes dwt, on order with shipyards around the world. Unfair Criminalisation A survey of the experiences of seafarers facing criminal charges has found numerous complaints of unfair treatment, intimidation and a lack of 9
legal representation and interpretation services. The survey, by international legal research centre Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), questioned some 3000 seafarers and was conducted in eight languages, with responses returned from 18 countries and 68 different nationalities. Of the seafarers surveyed, 8% had faced criminal charges; 4% had been witnesses in criminal prosecutions while 33% knew of colleagues who had faced criminal charges. Almost 24% of masters in the survey had faced criminal charges. Questions in the survey specifically asked about the experiences of seafarers who had faced criminal charges: 44% of seafarers reported that they were bodily searched. 87% who faced charges relating to the discharge of their professional duties said that they did not have legal representation; 91% of seafarers who needed interpretation services said that they were not provided with such services and 89% of seafarers who had faced criminal charges said that they did not have their rights explained to them. Overall, 81% of seafarers who faced criminal charges did not consider that they had received fair treatment. "The voices of seafarers are expressing real fears and concerns over criminal charges and it must be in the interests of the whole maritime industry that these are addressed and seafarers adequately protected,” said Deirdre Fitzpatrick, SRI Executive Director.
Salvage World is produced by the International Salvage Union. For matters relating to the publication contact: James Herbert, ISU communications advisor. Tel: +44 1423 331 096 Email: admin@gemcomms.com For general enquiries contact: ISU, 2nd Floor St.Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London EC3N 1BP Tel: +44 20 3179 9222/3 Email: ISU@marine-salvage.com