INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION
December 2021
New ISU President
wrecks in all classes of ship and oil rigs around the world including leading the team that raised the Costa Concordia from the Italian island of Giglio from 2012 - 2014.
At the 2021 AGM of the International Salvage Union the membership confirmed Captain Nicholas Sloane as the new President of the ISU from the end of the meeting. Captain Sloane succeeds Richard Janssen who will continue as a member of the ISU Executive Committee. Mr Janssen said: “It has been a privilege to be ISU President. Most of my presidency has been conducted under the cloud of the COVID pandemic and restrictions but, like our members, the ISU has risen to the challenge and continued to act as the global voice of the industry, serving our members, representing their interests and working on the important issues facing - if not threatening - our sector. “More than ever I am convinced about how critical our industry is and we have continued to make a great contribution by preventing loss, mitigating risk, protecting the environment and enabling global trade. I hand over the presidency with real confidence to Nick, who is well-known across the shipping industry and beyond. He is a vastly experienced salvor and has a deep personal commitment to our industry and also to the protection of the marine environment.” Commenting on his appointment, Captain Sloane said: “I would like to thank Richard for his hard work and leadership over the past two years - often in difficult circumstances - he has not only held the industry together but has helped us to make progress on key issues and led the appointment process of our new Legal Advisor and Secretary General.
“I am honoured to represent Resolve on the ISU Executive Committee and it is a privilege for me to take over the leadership position as President of the ISU. "I want to see through our commitment to cooperate with insurers recognising that we serve the same clients, the shipowners. I want to vigorously promote our industry and its benefits. In particular, I will emphasise that protection of the environment is such an important aspect of our members’ operations and so crucial in the world today which has rightly put the environment at the top of the international political agenda.” Captain Sloane, a South African, is a director of international salvage, wreck removal, emergency response and training provider, Resolve Marine of Florida, USA. He is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute and the International Institute of Marine Surveyors and started his career at sea in 1980. He has worked in many roles, primarily in towage and salvage, rising to become master of the super-tugs John Ross and Wolraad Woltemade and then salvage master. His “case book” includes casualties and
Salvage and Wreck Conference ISU executives and representatives of member companies were well-represented at the Salvage and Wreck Conference held in London in December. For many of the delegates it was the first opportunity to attend an event “in-person” for nearly two years and many old friendships were renewed.
New ISU president, Nick Sloane, gave the opening address reviewing the state of the industry and the issues it is facing, particularly following the developments with Lloyd’s Open Form. Photo: Action Press / Shutterstock It was a theme taken up by Phil Norwood, chair of the IUMI Salvage Forum. He said
At the same meeting, John Witte was elected as Vice President of the International Salvage Union. Mr Witte is President and CEO of Donjon Marine Co., Inc. of New Jersey, USA. He has more than 40 years’ experience of towage, salvage, heavy lift, marine engineering and shipbuilding and repair. Mr Witte is a past-President of both the American Salvage Association and ISU. The AGM also heard that ISU has selected James Herbert to succeed ISU Secretary General Roger Evans who is to retire at the end of Q1 2022. Mr Herbert is the long serving communications adviser to ISU. He started his career as a British army officer before training as a BBC journalist. He joined the Shell group rising to head of group media relations where he handled numerous tanker incidents. After a period as a senior UK civil servant, Mr Herbert formed his own communications consultancy specialising in the shipping industry and also providing crisis communications services to shipowners. He has 25 years’ experience of international marine casualty including deploying on site and working with major coastal state authorities including the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the US Coast Guard. He has served the ISU for more than 12 years and transformed the way in which the organisation presents itself. He will combine the Secretary General and communications roles.
that IUMI was united in its commitment to LOF and passionate about salvage which he said was “central to, and affects, all aspects of marine insurance.” He added: “Marine insurers need salvors to protect our industry.” He also said that, for insurers, transparency was important particularly because of data and compliance requirements. Continued page 2
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Salvage and Wreck Conference continued Rahul Khanna, head of marine risk consulting at Allianz, gave his customary round up of shipping safety. Total losses have declined over the past ten years but there are still hot spots in south Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and British Isles, Bay of Biscay, English channel and North Sea. Captain Khanna also said that the total losses in a worst-case scenario involving a collision between an ultra large containership and a cruise ship in a sensitive location could now be US $4 billion. Fires on containerships continue to be a concern. ISU legal adviser, Richard Gunn, represented the association on a panel considering the future of LOF and Executive Committee member Leendert Muller took part in a session addressing
Conference Corporate Social Responisibility panel participants L-R Andrew Chamberlain, HFW; Nick Sloane, ISU; Per-Åge Nygård, Norwegan Hull Club; Peter Townsend, Ensign Consultancy Ltd. Also participating remotely and not in shot, George Tsavliris, Tsavliris Salvage.
ultra large container ship issues. Nick Sloane also took part in a discussion considering Corporate Social Responsibility for insurers and he emphasised the importance of
salvors in helping insurers to meet their responsibilities regarding environmental protection. The conference was expertly chaired by HFW partner, Andrew Chamberlain.
IUMI publishes 2021 statistics The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) released its 2021 analysis of the global marine insurance market in November.
low base and a return to more normal levels of shipping activity is likely to increase the currently low levels of claims frequency.
The "IUMI Stats Report" presents a range of statistical data from a variety of sources, including IUMI’s own data, to provide an insight into the marine insurance market within the context of global trade and shipping. For the second year, IUMI Stats also contains analysis from its major claims database which now comprises 9000 claims records amounting to US $14 billion of major losses.
As with the hull sector, cargo underwriting also returned to a technical break-even position in 2020 having achieved a 5.9% increase in global premiums to reach US $17.2 billion. But a likely increase in natural catastrophe events in future, and increased risk accumulations, has the potential to impact cargo underwriting performance in 2021.
Highlights from the 2021 report include: global marine insurance premiums for 2020 increased by 6.1% from 2019 to reach US $30 billion. IUMI said it demonstrates “real market development in all marine insurance lines (except P&I) for 2020”. However, IUMI added that early indications in 2021 are showing that continued development is uncertain. The hull underwriting sector grew by 6% in 2020 and global premiums reached US $7.1 billion. The gap between global premiums and global tonnage has begun to reduce and for the first time in many years, loss ratios improved to return the sector to a technical break-even position. However, any recovery began from a very
An oil price rally reversed the fortunes of the offshore energy insurance sector in 2020 to halt the many years of a declining premium base – 2020 premium base was recorded as US $3.6 billion. New underwriting potential is likely to result from increased offshore reactivation but this will bring additional risk and the possibility of an increase in the current extremely low levels of claims. Commenting on this year’s report, IUMI’s Secretary General, Lars Lange said: “The health of marine insurance as detailed in this year’s IUMI Stats Report is mixed. The 2020 global premium results and loss ratios from the hull and cargo underwriting sectors showed that 2
both these insurance lines returned to a technical break-even. This was achieved after many years of unprofitability. “However, the recovery was from a very low base and within the context of reduced shipping activity and, consequently, a very low claims frequency. As we move forward, we are seeing shipping activity return to pre-covid levels and offshore projects being commissioned and reactivated. There is concern that a revitalized shipping and offshore industry will generate additional claims which may, in turn, impact on future profitability.” He continued: “It is one of IUMI’s core roles to gather, analyse and report on the global marine insurance market. Our 2021 IUMI Stats Report is the result of the work of our Facts & Figures Committee together with input from a number of valued partners. Where relevant, we have also included our own insight and opinion. "For the second year, we have included analysis from our own Major Claims Database. This is an ongoing project developed in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group and one we will endeavour to grow and enhance over future years.”
ISU News IMO Bravery at sea ISU is proud of its status as official observer at the International Maritime Organisation and one of its duties is to help judge the annual IMO Bravery at Sea Awards and participate in the award ceremony. New ISU President, Nick Sloane, attended the ceremony along with Secretary General, Roger Evans.
from Vietnam, who showed great courage in a rescue operation that was spread over three days in October 2020 during a typhoon. Mr Khoi swam in open water with 5 metre waves and strong currents to save two crew who were washed overboard from a sunken freighter. Two days later Mr Khoi repeated the feat swimming in “raging waves” to save two crew from a sunken fishing vessel. Later he also steered a RIB through rough seas to continue the rescue efforts. Associate Members’ Day 2022 ISU has announced that it will hold its popular Associate Members’ Day Conference on 23 March 2022 at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London. It is the same venue at which all recent editions of the event have been held. It is to be hoped that, despite the emergence of new concerns about Covid, the conference will take place “in person”. Confirmed speakers include Richard Turner, President of International Union of Marine Insurance and Jeremy Russell QC the Lloyd’s Appeal Arbitrator.
to enable participants to engage with their stakeholders and sessions have now resumed. Fair allocation of the risks associated with projects is central to the discussions. It is expected that the dated code of practice between the International Group of P&I Clubs and the ISU on wreck removal tendering will also be reviewed. Lloyd’s Open Form In mid-2021 Lloyd’s stunned the market with an announcement that it was considering withdrawing support for its Salvage Arbitration Branch (LSAB) in a move that would undermine, if not destroy, the Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract. The announcement provoked a universal rejection of the proposal from stakeholders and strong support for the continuation of LOF.
The 2021 IMO Award was made to Mr Tran Van Khoi, a search and rescue officer
Work to revise the BIMCO suite of wreck removal contracts was paused briefly
Lloyd’s agreed to continue with the LSAB but with a working group addressing ways to improve use of the contract. The first meeting of the working group has taken place with ISU as a key participant – ISU members represent the great majority of the salvage contractors who are party to LOFs. Key issues are understanding and transparency, practical processes, funding and size of awards as well as environmental considerations. Work will continue in 2022.
AGM 2021
along with a handful of others including members of the ISU salvage subCommittee. Some 50 representatives of ISU members participated remotely (below left).
on the running of the ISU and it finances and current issues and communications adviser, James Herbert, led a question and answer session with Executive Committee members.
Formal company business was conducted, the members were briefed
The 2022 AGM will be held in Rotterdam on 15 September, hosted by a consortium of Dutch ISU members.
Wreck removal contracts
The ISU’s 67th Annual General Meeting was held on 30 November as a hybrid event. A number of ISU Executive Committee members were present in London, including President, Richard Janssen and vice President, Nick Sloane,
Outgoing ISU President, Richard Janssen (R) hands the ceremonial ISU gavel to new President Nick Sloane, at the conclusion of the 2021 AGM.
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ISU Members' News Boluda The president of Boluda Maritime Corporation, Vicente Boluda Fos, has received the Grand Cross of Towing and Maritime Rescue of the National Association of Tugboats of Spain (ANARE), in recognition of his personal and professional achievements.
Mr Boluda Fos (above right) chaired the association for 27 years until June 2021. The award was presented by his son, the new president of ANARE, Vicente Boluda Ceballos (above left). The association has 31 members with some 200 tugs, all of them under the Spanish flag. The trade publication International Tug & Salvage has also awarded Mr Boluda Fos its Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 recognising his professional career which in 1982 saw him begin the internationalisation and diversification of the family business. Innovation, technology and respect for the maritime ecosystem were also recognised. Separately, in Mauritania, Boluda Towage, through its subsidiary Boluda Towage France, has formed with the Autonomous Port of Nouakchott, Port de l'Amitié the Society of Maritime Services of Nouakchott, a business entity providing towing, mooring and pilotage services at the port. Boluda also reports that has made a donation of more than Euros 17,000 to help in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands where it has a strong presence. Multraship In October, Multraship worked with its associate, Novatug, as well as Voith and
MacGregor to explore the possibility of remote control of its Carrousel RAVE tug, MULTRATUG 32. A major test was to remotely control the tug from on shore, including handling of an assisted vessel and remote handling of transfer lines. The firms worked in a consortium which also included MediaMobil, Fraunhofer and University of Rostock on the FernSAMS joint research project. Novatug worked with naval architect Robert Allan and Voith to design and build the CRT vessels which incorporate a towage system, combining two Voith in-line propellers and a rotating winch on a carrousel around the wheel house for dynamic towage with great safety and environmental benefits.
Towing, the Australian Government, Swire Shipping, and Consort Express Lines.
Pacific Towing
In September, Tsavliris was asked by Motor Oil Hellas (Vardinogiannis Group) to assist with their new project, an open sea anchorage at the energy group's refinery, at Agioi Theodoroi, Corinth, Greece.
Pacific Towing reports that it is halfway through a fleet renewal initiative to enhance its port towage and emergency response capabilities and which will see the Papua New Guinea (PNG)headquartered ISU member with 11 azimuth stern drive tugs in its fleet. The firm said it expects the new tugs to meet increased demand for harbour towage from the large vessels calling at the main ports in Papua New Guinea and that they will also further grow the company’s regional salvage capacity.
The newly graduated officers are now qualified to take on full watch keeping duties in their capacity as either a Third Mate or Third Engineer. Tsavliris
The group has an existing fleet of 22 vessels, a dedicated tug base in the country’s capital Port Moresby and operations at the country’s five main ports. With separate businesses in the Solomon Islands and Fiji, it says it is “Melanesia’s leading provider of marine services, and the region’s leading salvage operator” having conducted more than 50 salvages in the region. The company says it has the capacity to “complete salvages by itself and partners with international operators on complex projects.”
Motor Oil had installed 14 large-scale anchors, which are connected in groups through a sinker to a mooring buoy, to accommodate vessels up to the size of ULCC. It is one of the few ports in the Mediterranean that can accommodate such capacity.
The company is also proud of its training and development work and two cadetship programmes one of which is specifically for young women and recently 10 young PNG women graduated as Officers of the Watch (picture above right). The women, who were all cadets at Pacific Towing represented the first intake of scholarship winners in the “Women in Maritime” programme, a partnership between Pacific
Tsavliris deployed the AHTS LEADER Z, in conjunction with tug operator Zouros, for the tensioning tests of the mooring buoy anchoring system, pulling each anchor at over 125 tonnes. During the procedure, two of the anchors were dislocated and had to be securely reinstalled. Tsavliris said it was a “complicated project involving extra safety measures and special calculations”.
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Les Abeilles prevents potential environmental disaster Les Abeilles has been in action with the successful salvage of the bulk carrier TBC PROGRESS in late November. The vessel was in transit from Rouen to Las Palmas laden with 15,000 tonnes of grain and carrying 300 tonnes of bunkers when she experienced propulsion problems 25 nm off the Cap de la Hague, northern France. The severe weather with wave heights of six metres and winds of storm force
AMSOL operations AMSOL says its recent marine emergency response operations undertaken along the South African coast have "again highlighted that proactive prevention ensures safety of life and environmental protection.” Two of AMSOL’s vessels have been utilized on a number of operations in the past few months that have also highlighted “the value of experienced masters, officers and crew and suitable assets in providing immediate response”. The activities show the versatility required to ensure that marine risks are managed in collaboration with the authorities.
10 meant the authorities deployed the Les Abeilles emergency tug ABEILLE LIBERTÉ to assist. A helicopter was also sent to the ship to put an assessment and response team on board to prepare the vessel to be towed and later a towing crew was also landed on the ship.
rocky shore and substantial pollution. The operation was conducted under LOF and the casualty was successfully towed to Le Harve for re-delivery. Les Abeilles said, “it’s been a tough one.”
The bulker continued to drift towards Cap de la Hague and the ABEILLE LIBERTÉ took her under tow when she was just 3 nm from the coast, therefore avoiding grounding with certain total loss on the
In September, the SA AMANDLA connected to the immobilised container vessel MSC KATRINA south of Cape Agulhas and towed the vessel to Durban before returning to Cape Town. Separately, the UMKHUSELI, under Captain Tshepo Serero, arrived in Algoa Bay on 17 of September and, after a short port call, departed Gqeberha to assist the immobilized tanker ENERGY CENTAUR off of the Cape South coast. A connection was made and tug and tow proceeded to Cape Town where they safely arrived on the 22 of September. In October, the SA AMANDLA was in action again sailing from Cape Town to 5
assist the immobilised bulker KIRAN EUROPE and tow her safely into Cape Town. The SA AMANDLA under Captain Russel Duse also took the container vessel MSC TRIESTE under tow off Plettenberg Bay and towed her to Saldanha Bay for repairs, during which the tug stood by. In late October off Durban, the UMKHUSELI, under Captain Simon Radebe, stood by the NS QINGDAO and provided offshore safety standby and support services following an onboard fire, later escorting the vessel to St Helena Bay. She continues to provide essential offshore support to the salvage team involved in this operation.
Associates’ and Affiliates' News Tatham & Co Tatham & Co, the firm of solicitors particularly well-known in the salvage and towage sector for TugAdvise their legal service to the tug community, has won title of Small Law Firm of the Year in the prestigious Law Society Excellence in Law Awards 2021. Senior partner, Simon Tatham, noted that it was encouraging to see the law society recognising a specialist shipping firm and said the award recognised the extraordinary work done in relation to the freeing of seafarer hostages kidnapped from ships off west Africa. Intercargo Dimitris Fafalios, Chairman of Intercargo has said he believes that "now is the time to re-evaluate the image of the bulk carrier sector and recognise the commitment of Intercargo members to a safe, efficient, high quality and environmentally sound dry bulk shipping industry.” Speaking at the organisation’s semiannual meetings in London he pointed
out that bulk carriers employ hundreds of thousands of seafarers and carry more cargo deadweight to more diverse ports than any other shipping sector. He said, “they deliver essential goods even to the most isolated and distant ports and adapt their tramp trading patterns as demand dictates.” Mr Fafalios' main theme was the importance of seafarers in the supply chain, and the role that they play in easing the strain on world trade. “This is a complex global issue but there is no doubt that we are relying on properly vaccinated, mentally and physically fit seafarers to contribute to the solution. "While the efforts of the IMO and global maritime bodies must permeate every area of the shipping industry, urgent action outside the maritime sphere is needed by government leaders at the highest level, ultimately leading to the recognition of seafarers as key workers. We must hope that the global press coverage that we are seeing will facilitate that.”
As well as the Covid crisis faced by seafarers, other issues debated at the meeting included initiatives for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda; the implementation progress of DryBMS as the quality standard for the dry bulk sector; the safe carriage of cargoes; bulk carrier design standards; the investigation of bulk carrier casualties; ballast water management; implications of the sulphur limit on fuels and piracy threats. Intercargo also presented its 2020/2021 Annual Review which can be seen at https://www.intercargo.org/ American Salvage Association The marketing and communications committee of the ASA has announced the launch of its new website with a “streamlined and more mobile friendly design providing clear, concise information about the organisation and its mission.” Visit the site at http://www. americansalvage.org/
Salvors vital for owners and insurers to meet environmental responsibilities Editorial comment Widespread public support for the environmental movement shows that care for the environment is now mainstream and is at the heart of political, economic and industrial decision making. The COP 26 discussions were covered fully by media and most businesses and governments are determined to be on the “right side of the argument” publishing their commitments and policies in the drive for “net zero”. The traditional energy companies have been under scrutiny for a long time but more recently the spotlight has turned onto other sectors including aviation and, of course, personal transportation with electric cars set to be the norm within a generation. The spotlight has now been turned onto shipping. Society accepts the contract that to be able to develop and consume, raw materials and finished products must move by sea. But shipping is an industry with a dual challenge. First, the propulsion of vessels contributes to climate change and is increasingly seen as “dirty”. Second, the cargoes they carry are a threat to the marine environment. The pressure on vessel owners and
operators also applies to those in the supporting industries and professions – notably finance and insurance. And businesses are under pressure from their shareholders and other stakeholders to demonstrate their own credentials in their environmental, social and governance performance (ESG).
operations and cargoes carried. In 2020, ISU members provided services to vessels carrying more than 2.5 million tonnes of potential pollutants – that included more than 30,000 containers which may present more of a threat than liquids, particularly when carrying chemicals, plastic beads and nurdles.
Responsible shipowners are taking the matter seriously and there are several initiatives to support the decarbonisation of shipping and, in ship finance, the Poseidon Principles have been established to ensure that financiers use their influence to make owners meet their environmental obligations.
In this context it surely should be to the mutual advantage of marine insurers and members of the ISU to demonstrate to society that they work together to protect the environment. It is an area IUMI has said it intends to focus on and ISU supports that initiative.
As society becomes more concerned and better informed, questions are asked as to why insurers are “enabling” a “dirty” sector by providing cover for vessels and cargoes which threaten the marine environment. This month, the Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance were launched and IUMI is to be a Supporting Partner. As well as the threat of climate change there is no doubt that the marine environment is also threatened by ship 6
It is also a strong argument for continued, and increased, use of Lloyd’s Open Form as the best contract to ensure rapid intervention in many casualty situations. We must explore ways in which the availability, role and work of the professional salvor is recognised as part of the shipowners’ and insurers’ public commitment to good ESG practice and that, under scrutiny, they are confident to say that, should the worst happen to one of their ships, an ISU member will be standing by to prevent a disaster.
Smit news roundup Smit has been awarded a wreck removal contract for the Accommodation Work Barge Papaa 305 which had broken its 8-point moorings and collided with a fixed structure near Mumbai, India. The AWB started taking on water and eventually sank. Smit has mobilised its key assets from its Singapore base to Mumbai where preparations are currently ongoing. The project will include setting up a cutting and disposal yard specially for the Papaa 305. After arrival on site, Smit will perform a dive survey to confirm the chosen work method of cutting and lifting. An estimated 10 cuts are required and these will be lifted with Smit’s own sheerleg the Taklift 7. A large hydraulic grab has also been mobilized to lift the final pieces entrenched in the mud and to assist with dredging if required. In November, off Okha in India, the bulk carrier AVIATOR and the tanker ATLANTIC GRACE collided. After the initial attempts to disconnect both the vessels it was clear that salvage assistance was required. Smit and its local
alliance partner VMW, which has a full emergency response centre in the region, quickly mobilised a team and tugs to assist owners and their underwriters. After initial assessment of the damage and consultation with the local authorities, the first task of the salvage team was to offload the bunkers from the AVIATOR in order to prevent fuel spilling into the marine environment. Within three days most of the bunkers were removed and loaded into two hired tanker barges.
to a nearby Port Of Refuge for further assessments. Elsewhere, Smit removed a burned out fishing vessel which was grounded in northern Norway near Kirkenes (below). The vessel was successfully refloated and redelivered to her owners.
At the same time, the salvage team made preparations for the separation operation which was done by cutting pieces of steel from the AVIATOR which were interlocking the tanker. Calculations were made to optimise the trim to minimize further damage during the disconnection operations. On 4 December the ATLANTIC GRACE and the AVIATOR were successfully separated in a controlled manner and both vessels were brought to a nearby anchorage by tugs for a detailed dive inspection. The collision impact had left a hole of about 9 x 9 metres in No.3 cargo hold of the AVIATOR. After some minor epoxy repairs the bulker was towed
Smit also notes that over the past years it has “invested significantly in the qualifications of its operational staff. Specialised climbing training for working at heights, rigging courses as well as other safety training are part of the schooling a future proof salvor has to do. This has proven to be very beneficial when providing assistance to container operators who experienced lashing problems.” Smit said that last year it provided assistance on several occasions to remove safely partly toppled container stacks. It is a complex operation which can only be safely executed by experienced and qualified personnel. Finally, Smit secured four towage contracts for vessels with propulsion issues. 7
Five Oceans Salvage - global operations
Since late October, Five Oceans Salvage has been working on the wreck removal of the JSRY Floating Dock 1 in the port of Jeddah. The 215 m, 32,065 tonnes dwt dock sank in August 2021 during undocking operations and was subject to an international ITT. FOS was awarded the contract to refloat the dock with a combination of pressurising and pumping. A team of 15 was in attendance, a large array of salvage gear was mobilised to Jeddah from FOS’s salvage depot in Athens and the dock was succesfully reloated in mid-December. In October, the bulk carrier BEATA, 9,000 tonnes dwt and laden with iron ore fines and on passage from Iskenderun to Constanta, was immobilized off the southern coast of Turkey and was drifting towards the coast. Her owners signed a LOF with FOS who dispatched the ocean going tug EDT ANDROMEDA from Limassol and port tug CHRISTOS 36 from Rhodes to assist. CHRISTOS 36 reached the casualty later the same day and started towing towards Greece. When the tug reached BEATA,
she was just 5nm off the Turkish coast. Later, the tug EDT ANDROMEDA met the convoy off Rhodes and took over the tow to successfully redeliver the casualty in Crete. On 5 November, FOS was contracted under a LOF to assist 8,300 TEU capacity containership ARCHIMIDIS that was immobilised about 150nm off Acapulco, while on a laden voyage from China and Korea to Panama and various US ports, its final destination being New York. Following an extensive search, the nearest available tug to assist was the 200 tonne bollard pull GH CHALLENGER that was mobilised from Chaguaramas, Trinidad, some 2,500nm away and giving an ETA at the casualty’s location of 16 November. In the meantime, ARCHIMIDIS was drifting towards the coast and by the 13 November was within 30 miles of land. The Mexican authorities agreed to release port tug MEXTUG DUERO from Lazaro Cardenas Port to meet ARCHIMIDIS, connect her towline and keep the casualty away from the coast until the arrival of the ocean going tug GH CHALLENGER. The 8
GH CHALLENGER arrived at the casualty as expected on 16 November, took over the tow from MEXDTUG DUERO and towed her to Cristobal, Panama, arriving on 29 November. GH CHALLENGER remained standing by for safety in Balboa until the completion of repairs and sea trials of ARCHIMIDIS.
Tsavliris container ship cases In September 2021, the geared container ship ALION, laden with 548 containers, experienced main engine breakdown off Duqm, Oman while on passage from Mumbai via Jebel Ali, UAE, to Mombasa, Kenya. Four armed guards were onboard due to passage through a high-risk piracy area. Tsavliris dispatched the AHT TEJA from her salvage station at Duqm to the assistance of the casualty which was adrift in the Arabian Sea, about 320 miles east of Socotra Island. When the tug arrived at the casualty’s position adverse weather conditions meant the tow connection was aborted following damage to the tow wire and fender. The connection was successfully made the next day and towage to Sharjah, UAE, commenced. Professional agents were appointed by Tsavliris to provide assistance to both tug and tow at Sharjah. The four armed guards disembarked the vessel by launch to their designated armoury vessel OPL FUJAIRAH and a tail tug was engaged to assist before approaching the congested anchorage area.
The convoy arrived safely at Mina Khalid port, Sharjah and with the assistance of pilots and port tugs the vessel berthed at North Wharf and the operation was successfully completed. In November, the container ship NAVIOS NERINE experienced main engine problems off Singapore, in ballast condition. Tsavliris dispatched the AHT LANPAN
26 (BP 115 – BHP 8,160) and, with the assistance of four port tugs, the vessel was towed to the outer anchorage to be connected to the LANPAN 26 and towage to Paxocean shipyard, Batam, Indonesia commenced. On arrival, the vessel berthed alongside the repair pier with the assistance of shipyard tugs. The LANPAN 26 provided standby services and during that time lost one of her two anchors but the operation was successfully completed.
Ardentia Marine active throughout 2021 Ardentia Marine reports that it has successfully completed five major emergency response and wreck removal operations in Spain during 2021. The first operation was January 2021 in Gran Canaria, where fast ferry BENTAGO EXPRESS went aground. She was refloated using external buoyancy airbags - and the assistance of one tug. Two months later, the factory trawler BAFFIN BAY sank in the port of Vigo after a fire started during repair work in the cargo hold. The ship sank in shallow water and was refloated with submersible pumps and external buoyancy. In July, the general cargo ship NAZMIYE ANA capsized during loading operations in Port of Castellón (picture above right). Ardentia Marine lifted her out of the water using two crawler cranes and lowered her down at the designated scrapping area. The operation took eight weeks to complete.
Elsewhere, in September the fast ferry SAN GWANN grounded on the islet of Es Malvins Pla off Ibiza and was safely refloated and towed to the port of Ibiza within 40 hours of the arrival of the Ardentia salvage crew onboard. Finally, in December the fishing trawler L’ETEL which had sunk in the port of 9
Ribeira two years ago, was refloated with the assistance of one crawler crane and one telescopic crane. Ardentia said: “2021 has been a successful year for us, being awarded major salvage projects in Spain and Portugal and also increasing our activities as a marine terminal operator.”
Resolve - Sri Lanka debris clean up and box ship fire fighting
In Sri Lanka, Resolve Marine was appointed by the owners of the X-PRESS PEARL and their P&I Club to carry out debris removal operations around the casualty and surrounding waters (above).
Editor's comment: fire on container ships is a well-known issue of concern. These pictures show the reality and bravery of ISU members' teams when fighting fires among boxes with possibly dangerous and wrongly declared contents.
A specialized DP vessel with a large heave compensated crane was mobilized from Singapore to assist in the recovery operations. An international team of experts are presently engaged on board for imaging, positioning, recovery and processing and for handling ashore. Resolve said it is “closely cooperating with all stakeholders to ensure a common understanding to safely expedite the operation and leave the location in a better place.” Elsewhere, in October, a container ship transiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the water between Vancouver Island and the US, encountered heavy weather causing the loss and shifting of several containers. Subsequently, a fire developed onboard as a result of the shifting containers. Resolve Marine was contracted by the owners
and their insurers to assist and mobilised three FiFi tugs and its firefighting team based in Seattle along with firefighting pump packages from its Seattle and San Francisco response depots (above and right). Resolve’s efforts were successful and, after cargo stabilisation, the vessel was able to proceed into a container terminal for discharging. 10
Boluda - tanker intervention and life saving response
On 18 November Boluda’s intervention prevented disaster when the oil tanker DHT MUSTANG was drifting dangerously towards the extension of the north dock at Algeciras. Boluda Towage receved the call from Algeciras harbour pilots and sent the tugs VB CEBALLOS, VB JUANGONZALEZ, VB TITAN and VB TRON to the tanker. There was a 45 knot easterly pushing the vessel toward a lee shore and the tugs, operating in heavy rain and reduced
visibility had to push at full speed ahead to bring the tanker back onto course and then escorted her until safely in shelter of the harbour. It was quickly executed but the consequences could have been serious. The next day, further up the Mediterranean coast, the tourist catamaran OLÉ was wrecked one mile from the mouth of the port of Cartagena with 33 passengers on board including children. The craft broke in two for unknown
reasons but the VB GLACIAL arrived on scene within minutes and three more Boluda tugs, VB ANIBAL, VB ASDRUBAL and VB BRIO, joined in along with other local vessels to prevent a tragedy. Some passengers were clinging to wreckage with only the port side above water but all passengers were saved with no casualties reported. One of the Boluda tug skippers said it had been one of the most distressing and difficult situations he had experienced in a 30 year career. Boluda said afterwards: “Once again the professionalism and dedication of the crews of the Boluda Towage fleet was evident, which in this case prevented loss of life.”
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International Monitor Electric car battery risk There has been a renewed warning from firefighting specialists Stream Marine Training about the danger of vessel fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in electric cars. These fires are ferocious and difficult to control and there are concerns that shipping companies and seafarers are not knowledgeable about how to deal with them. One common cause of such fires is the entire battery-package overheating thermal runaway. With the global move towards use of electric cars accelerating, carriage of electric cars and batteries by sea will increase. It is thought that fires on the RoRos GRANDE EUROPA, off Mallorca in the Mediterranean and the GRANDE AMERICA in the Bay of Biscay could have been caused by car batteries. The same concern also applies to battery powered electric vessels - firefighters had to douse flames on BRIM, a Norwegian passenger vessel, after its battery ignited in March 2021. The cause was attributed to an overheated battery on the tour boat, which had taken children on an educational trip earlier that day. Fortunately, none of the crew who were still on the ship when it caught fire were injured. ECDIS New research by UK and Danish maritime authorities has set out findings that describe how the shipping industry has begun to fail in its use and management of navigational information technology – ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System). ECDIS allows crews to accurately map their voyages on screen, and, in theory at least, minimise risks – primarily grounding – during a ship’s passage. Navigators who use ECDIS are required to take specialist training to acquire necessary levels of knowledge and competence and become certificated. The new report – Application and Usability of ECDIS – written and published by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB), has been prompted by the increasing number of grounding investigations they have had to
carry out in recent years in which ECDIS was the primary means of navigation.
currently being made for the crewmen’s immediate repatriation to their families.
The report makes no specific safety recommendations, but the MAIB/DMAIB hope it will “act as a catalyst for change” within the industry, urging, as it does, improved future ECDIS design, training, and performance.
“We continue to work with the Sri Lankan authorities towards the further lifting of travel bans for the four remaining crew members who remain housed at a hotel in Colombo," the company said.
“Improvements can be made at every level,” says the report, “from the setting of performance standards, through humancentred design to ensure users interface effectively with complex technological systems, down to operator training and the setting of procedures and best practice.”
Baltic collision
“Investigation of groundings have repeatedly shown that where ECDIS was the primary means of navigation it was not being used to its full potential,” points out a joint statement by Andrew Moll, MAIB’s chief inspector, and Oessur Hilduberg, head of the DMAIB. “Despite being in service for two decades ECDIS could, at best, be described as being in its implementation phase. Specifically, most of the automated functions designed to alert the watchkeeper to impending dangers were not easy to use and lacked the granularity for navigation in pilotage waters. “The consequently high false-alarm rate eroded confidence in the automated warning and most operators disabled the alarms or ignored alerts. “To be an effective tool for safe navigation, ECDIS needs a high degree of operator input but many watchkeepers appeared to have limited understanding of the systems they were using, and in the main only used them to the extent they felt necessary.”
Two people were detained after a UK-owned general cargo carrier was in collision with a smaller Danish cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast. One of the Danish vessel’s crew lost their life and another is missing presumed to have died in the incident. Prosecutors are investigating allegations of negligence and drunkenness at sea after two crew members on the SCOT CARRIER were found to be over the alcohol limit. Officials said a British and a Croatian citizen had been arrested. Rescue teams searched for hours by sea and air after the much smaller Danish vessel, KARIN HOEJ, capsized. A Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) spokeman said screams had been heard from the water: "It is very cold and dark," Jonas Franzen told the BBC. "The water is about 4C and the air is about 5C." The collision happened between the southern Swedish coastal town of Ystad and the Danish island of Bornholm. Johan Nilsson, in charge of the rescue operation, told Swedish media the hull of the Danish ship had signs of being completely run over.
The DMAIB and MAIB will now present and the study to other marine accident investigation agencies to share the findings and discuss the issues raised. X-press Pearl crew detentions Sri Lankan travel authorities have lifted the travel bans for four of the eight X-PRESS PEARL crew members who were detained after the containership was destroyed by fire in May. The 25 seafarers on the ship were evacuated when the incident happened, but eight were detained to assist investigations. The vessel owner, X-Press Feeders said that arrangements are 12
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