December 2015
INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION
ISU President defends reputation of salvage industry ISU President, John Witte, has re-stated the ISU’s determination to protect the reputation of the salvage industry. Speaking at the ISU’s annual lunch for marine media he reminded reporters of the vital services that ISU members provide - saving life, protecting the environment and saving property. ISU’s most recent financial statistics (2014) show that in Lloyd’s Open Form cases alone, ISU members salved US$1.2 billion of other peoples’ property - both ship and cargo - that was in peril at sea. Members undertook some 250 services. Mr Witte said there were a number of issues of concern like places of refuge, the fewer Lloyd’s Open Forms that are used these days and the risk of unfair criminalisation and responder immunity.
Mr Witte said that there had been an open forum discussion at this year’s ISU Annual Meeting in New York at which it was clear there was general agreement among ISU members that there is a reputational risk which is damaging the industry as a whole.
industry. But what we cannot have is general assumption that salvors are not to be trusted. After all, in many situations peoples’ lives depend on our actions.”
He said: “I can’t stand here today with a quick fix because that would be to diminish the challenge. But I can say that the ISU Executive Committee and management team are determined to do what is necessary to ensure that being a professional salvor is seen as an honourable role providing vital services to the shipping industry. There will inevitably be commercial disputes between clients and their contractors, it happens in all
He said: “My main concern is much wider than those issues. It is to do with the reputation of the salvage industry. For some years we have become more and more aware that others in the shipping industry have a perception that some salvors are not behaving in the way they should – both with other contractors and with their clients: the owners and insurers. “Now, whether it is true or not, there is an old saying that “perception is reality” and so we need to address it. Trust and transparency should be the foundation of good business relationships.”
Top: ISU President, John Witte. Below: ISU Executive Committee members and reporters at the ISU annual lunch for marine journalists.
Salvage and Wreck Conference discusses future of LOF A Salvage and Wreck Conference panel considered salvage contacts, in particular, Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF). (See picture page 2) The opening question was whether the “LOF crisis had been over-hyped”. There was general agreement on the panel – including ISU General Manager, Mark Hoddinott – that there was no crisis, though numbers of LOFs had clearly declined. George Tsavliris, Principal of Tsavliris
Salvage, gave a robust defence of the contract but said mistakes had been made. He explained the principle ISUalso President John Witte of LOF awards containing an element of “encouragement” to ensure salvors could invest and be ready to provide services. Jim Allsworth of C Solutions said that LOF was a “great contract”. But he added that the issue was to do with understanding when it was appropriate to use LOF and there had been abuses on both sides. Rob Whaley, senior Partner, 1
marine, Jardine Lloyd Thompson said that underwriters should not pressurize masters to not take LOF, only the master should take the decision whether to accept a LOF. Adrian Moyles, a casualty lawyer at Gard, said that the contract should be based on trust and when trust goes, people will not use LOF. Conference Chairman, Andrew Chamberlain, summed up by reminding the delegates that: “without a salvage (Continues P2)
industry all casualties would become total losses”. Elsewhere, ISU executives and members were out in force at the Informa conference in London. ISU President, John Witte, was a member of the opening panel session along with Lars Lange, Secretary General of the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI). Together they addressed the current state of the salvage industry. Mr Witte highlighted ISU’s concerns on the issue of Places of Refuge but reminded the
audience that good progress was being made in the European Union. He made a plea for more single point accountability like the UK SOSREP system. Discussing rising costs he said that ISU members carried out some 250 jobs in 2014 and there was disproportionate media interest in the large and costly cases when many services were conducted effectively and more modestly. The issue of increasing vessel size was raised – with a focus on ultra large container ships. But Mr Witte noted that while containerships cases were known
to be expensive other classes of vessel - LNG carriers and passenger ships, for example - had grown significantly in size. Mr Witte said ISU members are great innovators and commented: “If we get to a job that needs a widget but we don’t have any, we’ll adapt and get the job done with the wadgets we do have”. Among other highlights, ISU members Spanopoulos gave a case study on the wreck removal of the YUSUF CEPNIOGLU and Ardent described the salvage of the HOEGH OSAKA car carrier.
Right: New ISU Executive Committee member, Smit's Richard Janssen. Far right, left to right: Mark Hoddinott, ISU; Robert Whaley, Jardine Lloyd Thompson; George McMenamin, Willis; Jim Allsworth, C Solutions Ltd; George Tsavliris, Tsavliris Salvage; Andrew Chamberlain, Holman Fenwick Willian.
Nippon Salvage in new Places of Refuge controversy Nippon Salvage has experienced another case highlighting the issue of Places of Refuge and responder immunity. The EASTERN AMBER, a 4,000 GRT log carrier, struck an unattended sunken vessel off Gunsan, Republic of Korea, in March 2015. The vessel then experienced flooding in several ballast tanks and the Number 1 cargo hold through two large fractures. The casualty remained afloat with a list to port of 10.5 degrees and a heavy trim by the head and with no freeboard forward (below left)
The salvors concentrated on environmental damage prevention and discussed a Place of Refuge request with the authorities and Coast Guard. The salvors considered securing a Place of Refuge to be essential for successful salvage. However, the salvor was not granted a Place of Refuge and it meant it was almost impossible to carry out a wellcontrolled salvage operation in the open sea in the face of stormy weather. Eventually the vessel sank (below right) leading the Coast Guard to accuse the salvor of gross negligence under the
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Korean Act for the Prevention of Marine Pollution. The salvage master was formally questioned twice and eventually papers were sent to the prosecutor’s office. There was no complaint from the shipowners. Nippon Salvage described the questioning of the salvage master as “unreasonable” and is awaiting developments from the Prosecutor’s Office. Nippon said it intends to contest the issue and "hopes for the support of all ISU members."
ISU News Associate Members’ Day 2016 The ISU will hold its annual conference for Associate Members on Wednesday 16 March 2016. The venue is the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in the City of London. The programme is under development but will include keynote speakers; case studies; presentations on current issues and an industry panel session. The event is also an excellent opportunity for ISU associate and affiliate members to meet full members and representatives from the shipping industry and its connected professions. New members ISU welcomes the following new full members: Wagenborg Towage BV Markstraat 10 9934 CK Delfzijl The Netherlands Email: towage@wagenborg.com Tel: + 31 (0) 596 636911 Ardentia Marine Real 14 15620 Murgados Spain Email: info@ardentiamarine.com Tel: +34 (0) 981 396 445
SCOPIC/Special Casualty Representatives The SCR panel has appointed the following new SCRs to work on Lloyd’s Open Form SCOPIC cases: Adrian Scales Dirk Jan Osinga Jeroen Mooij The SCOPIC Committee has also agreed new rules for the management of the SCR Panel. SCRs will need to demonstrate they have suitable liability insurance and a health certificate. SCRs’ continued membership of the panel is to be reviewed every two years. The new system is to be phased in from 2016. ISU Meritorious Service Award ISU full members may make nominations for the ISU Meritorious Service Award. It is not specifically a bravery award but may be made in recognition of meritorious services during a salvage operation, or perhaps over a period of time. Acts of bravery may also be nominated. It is not an annual award and equally there could be more than one award in any year.
After successful re-floating, the lightened cargo was re-loaded and the NORTHERN LIGHT was redelivered to her owners and continued her voyage towards northern Europe.
• There is no limit on the amount of Awards which may be made, equally there is no expectation that Awards should be made with set frequency. • The Award is made for acts or service beyond what would be expected in the course of normal duties. • The Award is made for acts or service that benefit the salvage industry. • The acts or service must be such that they would be widely recognised as exceptional by the industry. Nominations should be made to the ISU General Manager and the ISU Executive Committee will consider the nomination and decide whether to make the Award. Winners of the award are presented with a certificate and medal at a suitable occasion such as the ISU AGM or Associate Members’ Day.
• Open to employees of ISU full member companies or their sub-contractors. In
into the world of maritime salvage came in the 1960s with a Greek Liberty Ship and has continued through to today making him the most experienced and Senior Salvage Master in Cuba.
The bulker NORTHERN LIGHT – 29,754 tonnes dwt - grounded 15 miles off Guayabal Port on the southern coast of Cuba near the maritime protected area of the Gulf of GuacanayaboJardines de la Reina in March.
The salvors, and their partners, mobilized a multi-propose dry cargo ship of 12,334 tonnes dwt; 4 tugs; a barge, grabs and a diving team in order to discharge some 4900 tonnes of raw cane sugar from the casualty to safely refloat the vessel.
• The award may be made to more than one individual for the same act or service.
The Criteria
International operation in Cuban waters
The shipowners signed a LOF with the Cuban salvage company Antillana de Salvamento who, in turn, entered into an ISU Subcontract with SMIT Salvage.
exceptional circumstances others – such as employees of associate members or public bodies – might be considered for an Award.
In charge of this Salvage operation was Cuban Salvage Master Maximino Chacón who began his working life in the 1950’s as a painter and decorator. He also collected and sold shoes, radios and beach memorabilia in order to be able to finance his time at the Naval Academy where he studied between 1954 and 1958. His maritime career started on board a navy vessel before he transferred as a Deck Officer to the then recently created Cuban Merchant Marine. His introduction 3
The grounding of the NORTHERN LIGHT brought this experienced Salvage Master into contact with the next generation of Salvage Masters in the form of Sylvia Tervoot from Smit Salvage. Working closely together they tackled the risks and obstacles present in every salvage operation and together undertook calculations and prepared the salvage plan. Antillana de Salvamento said the old and new generations worked like "father and daughter" and , assisted by their salvage team, refloated the casualty, towed her to Cienfuegos Port, back loaded the cargo and safely delivered to her owners.
Members’ News Multraship
the Novatug CRT.
Tsavliris
Multraship, through its fully-owned subsidiary Novatug BV, has commissioned the construction of two Carrousel Rave Tugs (CRTs) from Damen Shipyards Group. The new vessels have more power and remove the risk of capsizing under a tow load.
"This new tug design eliminates what has always been the most significant threat to safety in towing – the risk of capsizing under a tow load. The benefits in terms of efficiency and flexibility, meanwhile, are also enormous".
Tsavliris Salvage has expanded its fleet with its latest acquisition, HERMES (see below), built in 1993 as the MONTGAT. The tug has 2,725 BHP, BP 41 tonnes and is FIFI Class. The multi-purpose, deep-sea tug adds to the group's capabilities and will operate out of Patras salvage station.
Construction of the CRTs will begin immediately under an agreement between Novatug, with Multraship as its first customer, and Damen subsidiary Van der Velden Barkemeyer GmbH. The hulls of the vessels will be built by German shipyard Theodor Buschmann GmbH in Hamburg, with final outfitting carried out by Damen Maaskant Shipyards in Stellendam, the Netherlands. Delivery of the Bureau Veritas-classed vessels is scheduled for early 2017.
Above left to right: Mijndert Wiesenekker, Sales Director Benelux Damen; Pepijn Nuijten, Multraship; Kees Muller, Multraship; Arnout Damen, CCO Damen; Leendert Muller, Multraship.
The RAVE design was developed by Robert Allan Ltd, in conjunction with Voith GmbH. The CRTs have an overall length of 32 metres and a minimum bollard pull of 70 tonnes.
Separately, Multraship has also agreed a deal with Damen for a new ASD 3212 tug as part of its planned fleet expansion. The Dutch-flag, LR-registered MULTRATUG 31 was built at Damen Song Cam, Vietnam. A sister vessel to MULTRATUGs 19, 29 and 30, it will operate mainly in the Western Scheldt area. It has a maximum bollard pull of 83.2 tonnes and a maximum speed of 15 knots.
Boluda The Boluda tug VB HISPANIA, recently brought into the Boluda Towage and Salvage fleet, has conducted its first offshore operation.
A private blessing ceremony was held in November with family and staff to welcome the newest member of the Tsavliris fleet.
It involved towing the largest floating dock in Europe - the KUGIRA - owned by Acciona Infraestructuras - from Cadiz to Algeciras.
Tsavliris said the acquisition “echoed its long-standing commitment to international salvage and intends to further expand its fleet and acquire additional tugs in the near future.”
The dock, displacing 13606 tonnes, is 77 metres long, 49 metres wide and 56 metres high. The dock is being used in the extension of the wharf Campamento in the port of Algeciras. The VB HISPANIA - 8050 HP and 103 tonnes bollard pull - acted as the main tug and the SERTOSA 18 - 3350 HP and 48 tonnes bollards of pull - was the guide tug connected to the stern of the dock.
Separately, Tsavliris Salvage Group held its 28th traditional Christmas Cocktail Reception at the Royal Thames Yacht Club of London in December. More than 300 people from various sectors of the shipping community attended the event.
A range of further Boluda craft assisted the manoeuvers in the port of Cadiz.
Propulsion is via two Voith thruster units and two ABC main engines of 2,650 kW operating at 1000 rpm. Multraship says the Carrousel tug’s lower operational costs, speed of action and enhanced control over the tow “can provide huge advantages over conventional tugs, for example by widening or even removing tidal and/or weather windows for certain ports”.
Mr Andreas A Tsavliris addressed the guests (see above) and thanked them for their support over the years. He talked about the development of the Group in 2015, including the expansion of the fleet.
Novatug will offer the Carrousel Rave tugs on the basis of long-term bareboat charters. Leendert Muller, managing director of Multraship, says, "Safety is always our overriding objective and that it is why we have opted wholeheartedly to produce
Above: The Boluda tug VB HISPANIA towing the floating dock, KUGIRA.
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He also noted the importance and value of the Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) salvage contract and the difficulties the salvage industry is facing as well as the changes to the sector. Mr Tsavliris also announced
the engagement of his daughter, Natalia, to be married next summer. He highlighted that it will be a special year for Tsavliris which celebrates 100 years from the birth of the company's founding father, Alexander G Tsavliris; 75 years from the commencement of the first Tsavliris shipping company and 50 years from the foundation of Tsavliris Salvage in 1964. The publication of Alexander G Tsavliris’ biography is expected soon.
Resolve Marine Group Resolve Marine Group has acquired SteelMac Ltd., a Gibraltar-based salvage and scrapping facility, and TP Towage, which provides harbour towage and towage related services in and around Gibraltar.
excited about establishing a salvage station locally. Gibraltar’s strategic location, stable modern governance and thriving economy are many of the benefits we have identified during our decision process.” Resolve said the move builds on its commitment to grow its emergency response capabilities in Europe and Africa.
Resolve has also positioned its 144 TBP salvage tug, RESOLVE BLIZZARD, in Gibraltar to provide firefighting, oil pollution control and emergency response services. Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo said: “I very much welcome this significant investment from Resolve Marine which is a huge vote of confidence in Gibraltar and in my Government’s long-term economic plan to support business and create jobs by building an international port of the highest standing backed by world-class infrastructure.”
Five Oceans Salvage gave a presentation about the salvage industry to a group of international students from the D’Amore - McKim School of Business
Swire Salvage in WW2 oil recovery operation Swire Salvage was awarded the contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the removal of the remaining oil contained within the wreck of the of the UK Royal Navy’s Fleet Tanker, RFA DARKDALE. The oiler had been torpedoed and sunk off St Helena in the Atlantic during World War 2. The wreck had seeped oil over the years but a storm in 2010 caused a significant release of oil. The St Helena Government decided to remove the oil from the wreck after a MoD survey which said the wreck would disintegrate completely within the next 10 to 15 years. Swire Salvage mobilized all the necessary salvage equipment from Singapore. It included a fully containerised surface supplied dive spread, subsea hot tapping equipment, oil recovery equipment as well as a support boat and the full mooring spread required for the operation. The oil spill response equipment was supplied
It came during an educational visit to Greece during which the students visited various major organisations including Coca Cola (Hellas) and Titan Cement.
In addition to Gibraltar, Resolve also maintains response bases in Singapore, Mumbai, Shanghai and Cork, Ireland as well as its locations in the US.
Five Oceans Salvage Joe Farrell, President and CEO of Resolve Marine Group said: “We are pleased to announce our forthcoming investment in Gibraltar and are very
of Northeastern University of Boston.
by sister company Swire Emergency Response Services (SERS) and was mobilized onboard the PACIFIC SUPPORTER from Dubai. The main support platform for the recovery operation was the PACIFIC DOLPHIN, mobilized from Aberdeen. The MoD also provided a dive system and ROV to support the operation. The first job was removal of unexploded ordnance scattered around the wreck. This part of the operation was done by the UK Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. The main oil removal operation commenced with the installation of a subsea survey spread that was operated by I Survey. The PACIFIC SUPPORTER installed the mooring system that was required, a static support platform was needed for diving operations to be undertaken in accordance with the UK inshore diving regulations. 5
Five Oceans Salvage’s George Kallimasiotis (above) said: “We gave our presentation about salvage and the challenges that the industry faces. "The presentation was a success as the students and faculty members were amazed by the challenging world of salvage. "After the presentation, the University’s faculty members offered gifts to the Five Oceans Salvage speakers. "The attending Professor and students also had the chance to experience some Greek hospitality and have further in-depth discussions with Five Oceans Salvage personnel before flying back to the USA.”
All operations were undertaken from the PACIFIC DOLPHIN. The contract required that the 23 tanks identified potentially to contain oil were tapped to allow for the recovery of any trapped oil. For this process both the Oil Removal Tool (ORT) that was acquired from Deeptek by Swire Salvage during 2014 as well as diver-operated systems were used to establish conduits to the identified tanks. Hydraulic inline pumps were then used to recover the pollutant which was pumped on board PACIFIC DOLPHIN before transfer to the tanker GOLDEN OAK that had been chartered to provide storage and onward transport of the recovered oil. The salvage team recovered a total of 1263 cubic metres of fuel oil from the wreck as well as 69 cubic metres of aviation fuel that was contained within one tank on board the wreck. The operation was completed on time and on budget.
Associates’ News
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
excess underwriter/re-insurer.
AMSA has issued guidance on the issue of Places of Refuge in its area of responsibility. There is also a short fact sheet setting out the key points.
It made the lead underwriters reluctant to hire experienced consultants or lawyers to review technical or commercial details, leaving matters to less well-informed re-insurers, which led to delays and mounting wreck removal costs.
AMSA says that it maintains the right to regulate entry into its ports and protect its coastline and marine resources from pollution but recognises that Australia has an obligation to provide a Place of Refuge where circumstances allow. All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Kevin Highfield, Executive VP, LOC Inc. said: “LOC encourages everyone to fully understand their policies, the limits of lead underwriters and to get to know their reinsurers. Even when reputable lead insurers are used, with increasing numbers of large vessels there is a real likelihood of wreck removal claims surpassing the IG P&I pool limit more regularly.”
International Union of Marine Insurance
The fact sheet notes that, at the discretion of the vessel’s master, access to a place of refuge may be sought in circumstances including a maritime casualty force majeure or distress situation, or some other operational situation which creates: • a risk to the safety of the vessel or that of its crew and/or passengers • a threat to the marine environment or other property Requests for access to a Place of Refuge may be received from the master or person in charge of a vessel, the vessel’s agent, owner, operator or appointed salvor. AMSA says all Place of Refuge requests should, so far as practically possible, be made through AMSA’s Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Australia).
LOC LOC reports that it has been involved in several recent wreck removal cases in which non-International Group P&I underwriters have covered vessels using combined policies - hull, with a P&I clause, but very limited coverage for wreck removal before application of an excess policy. According to LOC, in some cases, underwriters gave little attention to wreck removal contracts knowing that they only needed to pay out US$1m, and then could leave the problem to be dealt with by the
IUMI has called for vessel owners and technical managers to make records available that provide important information on the condition of the ship and its machinery when a ship changes owner. There is a current trend to remove these records and this has the potential to impact on the new owner’s ability to operate the vessel effectively on takeover. IUMI says that without continuity of information, it could be some months before the new crew and management are fully familiar with the vessel and machinery. It means an increased risk of machinery breakdown with the possibility of becoming a casualty or of danger to the crew and affects the risk profile of the vessel. An IUMI position paper states that non-transfer and destruction of records is commonplace and the organisation questions why this practice is apparently accepted by new owners. Failing to handover these important documents puts the incoming vessel managers, owners and underwriters at a serious disadvantage. IUMI believes that insurers are being exposed to claims that could be avoided if adequate maintenance records had been provided. It says that a significant improvement to the vessel’s risk profile would be achieved by requiring the maintenance records, operating reports, and spares inventory to be part of the permanent service history of the ship and 6
covered by the regulatory regime, possibly through additional clauses in the sale and purchase agreement. The full position paper is available from IUMI’s website: http://www.iumi.com/committees/politicalforum
The ABR Company The ABR Company, organiser of the International Tug, Salvage & OSV Convention and Exhibition, has announced that the 24th edition of the event will take place from 23-27 May 2016 at the John B Hynes Convention Centre in Boston, USA. The ITS steering committee met in London towards the end of 2015 to consider all paper submissions and the final selection has now been made. The speakers include: • Robert Allan, executive chairman of Robert Allan Ltd, looking at teleoperation technologies • Tom Guldner, president of Marine Firefighting on what you should know about the LNG on your vessel or one tied up next to you. • John Witte, President of the ISU and executive vice president of Donjon Marine, considering the US regulatory environment and whether it improves salvage services. • Peter Pietka, CEO, Ardent Americas LLC, revealing how the merger of Svitzer and Titan salvage operations is progressing and Ardent’s next steps. • Mark Hoddinott, General Manager, ISU, looking to the future of the international marine salvage industry. There will also be a one-to-one Q&A session between ITS Chairman, Mike Allen and Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, technical services, Crowley Maritime Corporation and chairman of the board at Ardent. There is also a varied social programme built into the 2016 event with opportunities to network at receptions and at the Gala Dinner. Event organisers report that ITS 2016 is already proving popular: they expect more than 100 exhibitors, and say that delegate registrations – drawn from 45 countries – are looking extremely healthy. Full details of the event and how to register are at www.tugandosv.com, including an Early Bird discount offer which closes on 29 January 2016.
Tsavliris Salvage operations In September, the bulker CAPE ELISE - 174,124 tonnes DWT and fully laden with 168,330 tons of iron ore - made bottom contact in the Singapore Straits causing bottom damage and water ingress in the port double bottom and wing tanks.
CAPE ELISE
Tsavliris Salvage was contracted to provide salvage assistance and mobilized the AHTS UOS NAVIGATOR - 16,320 BHP and 200 TBP - from Singapore. A request to anchor inside port limits for inspection was denied by the Singapore Port Authorities (MPA). The casualty, escorted by the UOS NAVIGATOR, anchored next day outside the entrance to Singapore Straits, in the open China Sea. After the arrival of the salvage master and submission of documentation, permission was granted to enter port and the CAPE ELISE anchored at Raffles reserved anchorage. Oil booms were deployed around the casualty in compliance with the Port Authorities’ requirements. An underwater inspection was carried out by Singapore Salvage Engineering (SSE) divers and the SSE team began underwater repairs - temporary patching and internal double bottom repairs which were completed at the end of October when salvage services were terminated. Also in October, the geared bulk carrier NEW HUNTER - 46,212 DWT and partly laden with 20,195 tonnes of fine alumina powder - grounded in the Suriname River fairway - South America. Tsavliris Salvage was contracted and dispatched a team consisting of the salvage master, a salvage engineer, a naval architect and divers which arrived on board the casualty on 7 October.
On 15 October, after lightering about 2,000 tonnes of cargo to the ORION TRADER and GALAXY TRADER, the vessel was refloated at high water with the assistance of four tugs. Underwater and internal inspections were carried out which revealed minor damage in the port double bottom tank and double bottom. The damage was temporarily repaired.
on a rocky bottom north of Manzanillo, at Barra de Navidad, on the west coast of Mexico, during the passing hurricane “Patricia” – which was the strongest hurricane recorded in the western hemisphere. On 24 October Tsavliris Salvage was contracted to provide salvage assistance and the next day the Tsavliris Salvage team and their subcontractors - Resolve Marine Group - arrived on scene.
Due to the heavy swell, the lightened cargo could not be reloaded at anchor off Suriname. Furthermore, for safety reasons, the Paramaribo Pilots rejected the request to proceed to Paramaribo inner anchorage. The casualty and the two lightering vessels proceeded to Georgetown, Guyana, where the transshipment was completed.
Strong winds and a heavy swell prevented boarding of the casualty but it was clear that the severe damage meant a quick refloating was not possible. The salvage master focused on the removal of marine pollutants in order to limit any potential harm to the environment and floating oil booms were deployed around the casualty.
The successful salvage operation lasted three weeks and was terminated on 28 October at Georgetown.
The weather conditions did not allow any approach by sea and personnel and equipment were transferred to the casualty by helicopter. All necessary craft and equipment were mobilized from USA and Panama through the subcontractors as well as locally. On 28 October the salvage team managed to board the casualty and prepared for the removal of hydrocarbons and chemical pollutants. About 1,700 litres of chemical products were packed and taken by helicopter to shore-based facilities for disposal.
On 23 October the bulk carrier LOS LLANITOS - 71,731 DWT - grounded
On 14 November the weather conditions slightly improved allowing the tug RESOLVE COMMANDER to go alongside for the removal of approximately 520 tonnesof oil over the next five days. The one-month operation was successfully completed on 26 November.
LOS LLANITOS
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Donjon in US Navy work Under its contract with The US Navy Supervisor of Salvage (SUPSALV) Donjon Marine Co., Inc completed three significant salvage jobs in 2015. In April, SUPSALV issued Donjon a task to remove a sunken barge from Fort Pierce inlet’s main navigation channel. The barge, which sank in the channel entrance between jetties, was subject to strong tidal currents and a predominantly eastern swell. Due to these sea conditions, Donjon decided to mobilize its ringer crane, Columbia NY, and deploy a four-point anchor system, to station itself over the wreck. The condition of the barge mean that Donjon’s method was to break up the barge in situ. A chopper beam cut through the wreck and a heavy digging bucket recovered the resulting pieces. The approach saved significant time and resources by limiting exposure to weather. SUPSALV also requested Donjon to assist Navy divers and the Army Corps of Engineers in a maritime archeological site excavation. Donjon participated in diving operations followed by clamshell and grapple wreck removal. The site was a Civil War ironclad, the CSS Georgia, sunk by the City of Savannah in 1864 to prevent Union troops from capturing it.
Expansion Project (SHEP). The site work began in early June using local equipment managed by Donjon Salvage. Donjon and Navy divers worked for five months to recover more than 300 tonness of artifacts and ship structure. Artifacts included an iron casemate, five cannon, over 250 shells and fused-cannonballs, propeller and shaft, steam engine parts, and thousands of items related to the daily life aboard a vessel from that era.
In July Donjon was tasked to respond to the sinking of the Naval Research Lab (NRL) vessel Ex-USS Shadwell, a decommissioned Dock Landing Ship (LSD). The vessel, currently used as a firefighting research and development platform, took on water and sank at its mooring near Mobile, Alabama. The vessel - considered a vital asset for testing damage control technologies - sank in an upright position with a 10 degree list. Donjon responded immediately, providing pollution response and salvage efforts to refloat, repair and re-moor the vessel. Equipment was mobilized from various locations and local contractors deployed for pollution control. Dive gear and a range of pumps were sent from Donjon’s New Jersey base. After de-watering the ship was refloated in under a week and enabling the Ex-Shadwell to return to working condition and resume normal operations.
The sunken vessel lies in 40 feet of water on the edge of the Savannah shipping channel. The removal of the wreck was important to protect and recover the historical value of this Civil War wreck, while at the same time clearing the channel for the Savannah Harbor
Five Oceans Salvage Lloyd's Open Form The bulk carrier ANEMONE - 30,587 dwt and laden with some 28,000 tonnes of copper concentrate, copper matte and fertilizer – was en-oute from Chile to China. But it was immobilized in eastern Pacific Ocean and a Lloyd’s Open Form was signed on 12 November 2015 between Five Oceans Salvage and the vessel’s owners. The salvors dispatched the tug KOYO MARU from Moji, Japan to assist. The tug reached the casualty on the 16 November and towed her to Busan, Korea for repairs, where she was safely redelivered to her Owners on the 25 November. 8
Mammoet Salvage - Canadian oil recovery operation Mammoet has undertaken a complex oil recovery operation in northern British Columbia, Canada. The project was to remove pollutants from the US Army Transport Ship, BRIGADIER GENERAL ZALINSKI which sank in 1946. Pollutants had begun to leak from the vessel with potential to damage the pristine and ecologically important environment. The vessel is lying upside down in 34 metres of water and oil leakages first began to be noticed 20 years ago. The wreck was pinpointed in 2003 and it was discovered that oil was leaking through failed rivets on the plating. Initially attempts were made to patch the leaks before a contract was let to Mammoet in 2013 to remove the oil by hot tapping. Planning the operation was challenging because, while there were drawings
available for the vessel, they were from her construction as a coal-fired ship and there were no drawings from her subsequent conversion to oil. Mammoet worked with fellow ISU members, Global Diving and Salvage on the operation which also included significant local content. Pollution prevention and clean-up equipment was kept on standby throughout and substantial quantities of oil were recovered. Oil is known still to be “migrating” to different parts of the wreck and so the hot tap valves have been left attached to the vessel to allow further attempts in future to remove more oil. Bas Coppes, director of Mammoet Salvage Americas said: “It is a good example of what we do. We solve problems for governments around the world. We handle the technical and
operational [parts of the job] but also assist them with the political part." Separately, a single engine Antonov AN2 aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea with two people on board. Mammoet was contracted by the Lithuanian Navy to recover the aircraft and remains of those on board. The plane was found and recovered by ROV in water depth of 124 metres, 136 miles offshore. After the recovery of one body and a careful investigation by the authorities, the aircraft was lowered again to the seabed as its final resting place. Elsewhere, Mammoet Salvage has undertaken a project to remove the oil from the former container vessel, HAIDAR which capsized off the Port of Vila do Condo in Barcarena, Brazil. The vessel was loaded with cattle and thousands of the animals were killed and there was significant environmental damage.
Grenville Channel
Vancouver
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International Monitor
Ireland
Ballast Water Convention
The Pilotage Authority of the Port of Cork in Ireland has been issued with a certificate under the International Standard for Maritime Pilot Organizations (ISPO) standard of best practice for pilots and pilot organizations. The ISPO certification covers the Pilotage services and Vessel Traffic Management System and was issued by Bureau Veritas.
The International Maritime Organisation has announced that the Ballast Water Management Convention will enter force from 24 November 2016. It follows ratification by Indonesia (subject to IMO’s verification of the gross tonnage data relating to Indonesia’s registered fleet). Shipowners, through the International Chamber of Shipping, have said IMO must now finalise the revision of the G8 Type Approval Guidelines as soon as possible. ICS says it is necessary in order to ensure that shipowners can have absolute confidence that expensive equipment they will have to install will be effective in treating ballast water conditions normally encountered during worldwide operations and be regarded as fully compliant during Port State Control inspections. ICS says the entry into force of the new IMO regime does not resolve the extreme difficulties that still exist in the United States where there is a more stringent regime for treatment equipment, which started to be enforced in January 2014. The US is not a Party to the IMO Convention.
Cork pilot disembarking.
The ISPO is an accessible industryspecific standard, managed by a group of users, that improves safety and quality and provides transparency to shipowners and stakeholders on pilotage standards. Paul O’Regan, Harbour Master, Port of Cork, said: “The accreditation by Bureau Veritas from ISPO recognises the fact that the Cork Pilots and Pilotage Authority have, for many years, had a systematic approach to achieving first class port operations. "The Port Company and Cork Pilots have worked hard with BV over the last twelve months in order to meet the requirements of ISPO and I believe this standard will achieve global recognition. "The pilots and ports that achieve ISPO will be best placed to meet the needs of our maritime customers.” The ISPO certification for the Port of Cork covers twelve pilots which safely managed mixed marine traffic handling over 9 million tonnes of cargo and 56 cruise ship calls during 2015.
The US regulations require all ships that discharge ballast water in US waters to use a treatment system approved by the US Coast Guard. However, because no systems have yet been approved, ships already required to comply with US regulations have either been granted extensions to the dates for fitting the required treatment systems or permitted to install a USCG accepted Alternate Management System (AMS). These are, in practice, systems typeapproved in accordance with the current IMO Guidelines. However, an AMS will only be accepted for operation for five years, after which time a fully USCG approved system must be installed. But the USCG does not guarantee that an AMS will be subsequently granted full approval. Hence shipowners that may have installed an AMS in good faith, at a cost of between US $1-5 million per ship, might then have to replace the system completely after only 5 years. This is a particular concern for operators that have installed ultra-violet (UV) systems. There are over 50 treatment systems approved under the current IMO regime, but less than 20 manufacturers have so 10
far indicated their intent to submit their systems for US approval. ICS said the conflicting IMO and US requirements, combined with the lack of systems fully approved by the USCG, could produce an impossible situation in which some ships might not be able to operate in US waters when the IMO Convention enters in force.
Liberia The Liberian Registry has enabled shipowners and managers to apply online for certification under the major international liability conventions. Earlier this year Liberia launched an online certification facility on its secure eMaritime website to expedite shipowners’ compliance with the requirements of the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007 (WRC). Following the success of that initiative, the registry decided to further enhance the website to include online applications for certification under the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001 (BCLC) and the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1992 (CLC). The enhanced online facility is available to owners of Liberian-flagged ships as well as owners of ships registered in non-convention States that need to obtain the WRC, BCLC and/or CLC liability certificates. The Liberian Registry issues these liability certificates as they are required to be carried on board ships to verify that registered owners maintain insurance or other financial security to cover liabilities in compliance with relevant conventions.
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