History Lesson: The history of figureheads
Social Licence: A must-have for marine shipping
Shipyards: An international perspective
BC SHIPPING Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.
Volume 7 Issue 6
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NEWS July/August 2017
Industry Insight B.C. Shipyards A good and steady pace
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Riccardo Regosa: Taking B.C.’s oldest shipyard to new heights
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Contents
NEWS
July/August 2017 Volume 7 Issue 6
Cover Story
20
40 Social licence
Part two: A “must-have” for marine shipping By Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett
42 Naval training
Fleet Navigating Officer training: Frigates in the Gulf Islands By Lt(N) Brittany Sage Brown
45 Legal affairs
Reforms to Canada’s ShipSource Oil Pollution Fund By Glen Krueger
7
Editor’s note
8
In brief
By Jane McIvor
Industry traffic and news briefs
12 Industry insight
Taking B.C.’s oldest shipyard to new heights Riccardo Regosa, General Manager, Point Hope Maritime With significant expansion and modernization plans, Point Hope Maritime is well-positioned with Regosa at the helm to usher in a new era for B.C.’s oldest shipyard.
18 History lesson
Guardians and guidance: The history of ship figureheads By Lea Edgar
20 Shipyards
Annual update: Shipyards enjoying a good and steady pace
30 Launches
The SST Salish; the Sea Imp XI; and the Ken Mackenzie
32 Tugs
Robert Allan Ltd. The place that launched a thousand tugs By Robert G. Allan
35 Events
12
47 Events
Event recap: Mari-Tech CIMarE St. Lawrence delivers...
48 Events
Event recap: NIBC Strong agenda results in successful NIBC Conference
50 Environment
Green Marine participants embrace new environmental challenges By Manon Lanthier
30
Event recap: Tugboat Conference Great insights into issues for tugs
36 International shipyards Shipyards: An international perspective By Captain Stephen Brown
On the cover: Vancouver Shipyards (photo: Seaspan / Cayden Scot Media ); above: Arrow Marine (photo: BC Shipping News); right: Saam Smit’s SST Salish (photo: BC Shipping News); left: Riccardo Regosa. July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 5
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July/August 2017 Volume 7/Issue 6
Publisher McIvor Communications Inc. President & Editor Jane McIvor
Contributing Writers Robert G. Allan Lt(N) Brittany Sage Brown Captain Stephen Brown Lea Edgar Glen Krueger Manon Lanthier Jane McIvor Riccardo Regosa Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett Editorial Assistant Amanda Schuldt
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Contents copyrighted 2017 McIvor Communications Inc. 300 - 1275 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6H 1A6 Phone: 604-893-8800/Fax: 604-708-1920 E-mail: contact@bcshippingnews.com International Standard Serial Number ISSN: 1925-4865 / Published 10 times per year. The opinions expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the Publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.
Proud member of: 300 – 1275 WEST 6TH AVENUE, VANCOUVER, BC V6H 1A6 T: 604-893-8800 / F: 604-708-1920 E: JANE@BCSHIPPINGNEWS.COM 6 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
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EDITOR’S NOTE Photo: Dave Roels
The momentum continues
W
ithout the talented Ray Dykes to provide this month’s B.C. Shipyard Activity Update, I turned to past issues of BC Shipping News to make sure our reporting was consistent. In doing so, it became quite apparent how much the industry has changed since those pre-National Shipbuilding Strategy days. In our first report (July 2011), Ray wrote about the excitement and “fingerscrossed” potential that B.C.’s Seaspan would be selected as one of two Canadian yards to build the future fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard. The following year, the story focused on expectations. While 2012 was an
“okay” year for most, shipyard owners and managers were eagerly awaiting the overflow work that would come as a result of the construction of national vessels at Vancouver and Victoria Shipyards. There was also recognition of an aging tug and barge fleet that was going to require attention. The titles of Ray’s articles over the next four years tell more of the story and confirm the trend: 2013 — “Huge changes as B.C. shipbuilding industry reinvents itself;” 2014 — “Strongest in decades;” 2015 — “On the precipice of historic highs;” and 2016 — “Busy is the byword.” There were also a number of articles over these years that highlighted new
training programs and collaboration between government, industry and academia to ensure that a new generation of skilled workers would have life-long, well-paying careers. This year, it’s safe to say we’re starting to see the full impact of the NSS — this month’s update describes yards that are at capacity and expecting more of the same. And while most are currently finding the staff they need and are happy with the skills they possess, there is an underlying current that suggests we’re going to have to pick up the pace to get more people into the yards. It’s a good problem to have, but one that will require our full attention. — Jane McIvor
Cyber-enabled ships: ShipRight procedure With autonomous ships likely to enter service soon, LR has set out the ‘how’ of marine autonomous operations in a new ShipRight procedure guidance.
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Working together for a safer world Lloyd’s Register and variants of it are trading names of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited, its subsidiaries and affiliates. Copyright © Lloyd’s Register Group Limited 2016. A member of the Lloyd’s Register group. Half page BC shipping_CYBER_060516.indd 1
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping 11/07/2016 News — 13:39:10 7
INDUSTRY TRAFFIC
Seaspan Ferries celebrates grand opening of new Duke Point Terminal Photo courtesy Seaspan
S
easpan Ferries Corporation (SFC) hosted an official ceremony in Nanaimo, BC in early June to mark the grand opening of its new Duke Point Terminal. The 18-acre, multi-berth facility, which took approximately 19 months to build, consolidates operations from the previous downtown-located operation and the old facility at Duke Point. The terminal can accommodate 360 trailers as well as an overflow lot, and includes state-of-the-art hydraulic, dynamic-suspended ramps, each 35m x 10m wide. “The opening of Seaspan Ferries’ new Duke Point Terminal marks the latest step in our bold and ambitious $250-million commitment to re-construct our marine terminals and modernize the f leet of vessels that service them,” said Steve Roth, President, Seaspan Ferries Corporation. “We take great pride in the role we play as a key driver for the regional economy, and trusted partner to the communities we
From left to right: Steve Roth, President,Seaspan Ferries; Jerry Hong, Acting Mayor, City of Nanaimo; Frank Butzelaar, CEO, Seaspan ULC; Chris Good, Hereditary Chief, Snuneymuxw First Nation.
serve, and I’m thrilled to open a new facility that will improve f lexibility and efficiency for our customers shipping
BC SHIPPING NEWS
Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.
www.bcshippingnews.com 8 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.” “On behalf of the City of Nanaimo, I wish to thank the Washington family and group of companies for their continued confidence in Nanaimo and the entire Vancouver Island business community,” said Bill McKay, Mayor, City of Nanaimo. “Your ongoing investments will support and bolster efficient transportation of goods to and from the island for generations of new consumers and industry alike.” The completion of SFC’s $44-million Duke Point Terminal comes on the heels of the commissioning and introduction of its two new technologicallyadvanced, LNG-fuelled vessels, the Seaspan Swift and Seaspan Reliant. The 148.9-metre-long ferries, both now in service, accommodate up to 59, 53’ trailers and mark the first new vessels added to SFC’s f leet since 2002. These eco-ferries will reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically, while delivering the highest level of efficiency, performance and reliability. SFC currently operates a f leet of seven ferries out of four terminals in British Columbia, and supplies more than 50 per cent of all cargo to Vancouver Island.
Fluid-dynamics laboratory in Bamfield available for industry use
A
re you developing new technologies or designs for ship hulls, drive systems, or other marine structures? The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC), already internationally renowned for marine sciences research, is expanding. We provide yearround research facilities, basic and specialty equipment, and technical assistance to scientists and engineers from Canadian and international institutions. With 3000 square metres of modern laboratory space, we can support research in almost any field of study, and we wish to let the shipping and marine construction industry know that our doors are wide open. BMSC provides year-round, on-campus housing for researchers, university students and visiting groups. All residences are within convenient walking distance of labs, lecture halls, cafeteria and foreshore. The BMSC Fluid Dynamics Lab houses one of Canada’s largest flumes,
measuring 12 m long x 2 m wide x 1 m deep. It is available to industry and academia for research and commercial project work on a fee-for-service basis. Research conducted here includes the hydrodynamics of underwater turbine systems (University of Washington) and barnacle feeding (University of Alberta). The flume is equipped with a 2-D Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) system for flow visualization, and features a large view-field (0.6 m2) and vector capture rates of 10 x/s. The PIV system features La Vision software and has the ability to build serial sections of flow profiles. If you wish to move experimentation from the lab into the ocean, BMSC also
has a fleet of support vessels, including an offshore vessel, the M/V Alta (13 m), which operates bottom trawls, dredges, and hydrographic and oceanographic instrumentation, and a high-speed dive tender, the M/V Barkley Star (10 m), which supports diving and the ROV. Both vessels carry 12 passengers plus crew. Nine smaller boats (from 5 to 8 m) support field-work. BMSC is jointly owned by the University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary, and is operated under the auspices of the Western Canadian Universities Marine Sciences Society.
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www.westcoastagencies.ca (778) 724-2080 July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 9
INDUSTRY TRAFFIC
Labour market survey requires input from industry
T
he Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI) is undertaking a Labour Market Information (LMI) study, the purpose of which is to conduct a detailed review and analysis of the industrial marine sectors labour force within each of the six defined sub-sectors and its key labour force issues. The analysis will include a labour market forecast and the identification of economic trends that affect the sector. The aim is to assist the sector in quantifying its size, economic impact and identifying markets for its products and/or services.
The six sub-sectors are: shipbuilding, refit and repair, marine products, small craft marine, ocean science & technology, marine industrial services and marine professional services. To date, approximately 70 companies have participated in the LMI study, with participants ranging in size from owner-operators to enterprises with more
Full service ship's agency in Victoria 306 - 1208 Wharf Street Victoria BC V8W 3B9 Tel: 250-384-1653 Fax: 250-382-3231 Email: kingbros@kibro.com
than 120 employees. Among those who have participated, 64 per cent anticipate robust workforce growth over the next five years. Employers appear to be feeling the pressure of a “hot” labour market, with 41 per cent currently reporting vacant positions in their organization. Industry-wide, welders and marine mechanics are in particular demand. One topic that employers appear unified on is the need to strengthen the province’s education and training system to better support B.C. companies. Foundational programs in B.C. high schools and postsecondary sector specialization programs are emerging as areas requiring the most support. All industrial marine employers are invited to participate in the studies. In fact, your participation is essential to the success of this project. Please contact Leann Collins at leann@abcmi.ca for more information or for your access key to the online survey. It is anticipated that this work will lead to other efforts that will help companies renew, grow and up-skill their work forces as well as bring their products and services to national and international markets.
BC SHIPPING NEWS
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In the next issue: Full B.C. Ports Update Contact jane@bcshippingnews.com for advertising information.
NEWS BRIEFS
Interferry annual conference
Innovation in the ferry industry
I
nterferry’s 42nd annual conference takes place this coming October, in Split, Croatia, and promises to be another successful event where the industry comes together, networks and learns about the latest and best practices applicable to worldwide ferry operators. Customer Service, Ship Technologies and Safety are the key themes for the conference, and the glue that holds them all together is innovation — looking at new, different and better ways to conduct the daily business of ferry operations. Sessions will examine topics as diverse as changes to the industry through digital technology, use of big data, customer-facing communications, building the customer experience, new ship technologies and why safety makes good business sense. Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry, is responsible for putting together the conference speaker’s program and couldn’t be more pleased about the four keynote speakers he has attracted for the 2017 conference — Markku Mylly, from the European Maritime Safety Agency, Brent Perry from Plan B Energy Storage, David Rowan, WIRED Magazine’s U.K. Editor, and John Wright of WrightWay. “To say that I am excited about the program we are putting together would be an understatement,” said Corrigan. “Annually, the Interferry conference is an opportunity for our members, their staff and others to learn from our speakers — and from one another — business practices that move their companies and the industry forward.” In addition to talking about their areas of expertise, the keynote speakers will focus on what’s here now, and what’s coming next. They will use their considerable knowledge and time in their profession to flavour their presentations with the kind of stories that delegates will find are worth retelling. Markku Mylly is Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). He is responsible for overseeing the organization that arguably has one of the greatest impacts on current and future safety regulations and standards in the world. Mylly will speak about what’s new in vessel safety, what’s coming next, as well as provide a status update on current EMSA initiatives. With safety being one of Interferry’s top priorities, having such a qualified speaker on the subject will be a real draw for delegates.
42nd ANNUAL
INTERFERRY CONFERENCE
Brent Perry is a world leader in development and implementation of alternative, environmentally friendly fuel sources for the shipping industry, and specifically the ferry industry. He started Corvus Energy in Vancouver in the late 2000s, turning it into one of the most successful companies of its kind in the industry. He left Corvus to start up PBES (Plan B Energy Solutions), a company with offices in Norway and Vancouver. Perry is a visionary regarding how ferries in the future might get their energy sources, and will share what he knows with conference delegates. With the recent recommitment by the majority of countries around the globe to the Paris Accord, Perry’s comments couldn’t be timelier. David Rowan, is Editor-at-Large and founding Editor-in-Chief of WIRED’s U.K. edition. While new to the ferry industry, his talk will be remembered long after the conference is over. Rowan is a futurist and spends much of his time travelling the globe and speaking with inventors, entrepreneurs and scholars in the technology space — people like the founders of LinkedIn, Google, Twitter, WhatsApp and more — about the next big thing that will materially affect the way we live and work. Rowan will apply his knowledge and perspective to the ferry industry, which will help prepare delegates for a future they may not have yet contemplated. John Wright, Managing Director of WrightWay rounds out the conference’s keynote speakers. Wright is an expert in helping companies change their safety cultures. He has been instrumental working as a core member of BC Ferries’ team for almost a decade. Through his work with a number of companies over various industries, he has observed the relationship between the safest run companies being the best run and most financially successful. Wright will talk about what it takes to transform an organization into a “just” safety culture. The Interferry conference speaker’s program is October 9 - 10 with a hosted welcome reception on Sunday, October 8. Conference organizers have also organized pre-tours on Saturday, October 7, and Sunday, October 8, with an Interferry Regatta scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Spouse and partner tours have been planned for the Monday and Tuesday. For complete updated information and to register to attend the 42nd Annual Interferry Conference, visit InterferryConference.com.
OCTOBER 7-11, 2017 • SPLIT, CROATIA
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July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 11
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Taking B.C.’s oldest shipyard to new heights Riccardo Regosa, General Manager, Point Hope Maritime
W
hen Hank Bekkering announced his retirement from Point Hope Maritime, few could imagine a replacement as knowledgeable or passionate about the shipbuilding and repair industry. Enter Riccardo Regosa. Through a world-wide search, Regosa was selected as the person to lead Point Hope into the future. With significant expansion and modernization plans, Point Hope is well-positioned with Regosa at the helm to usher in a new era for B.C.’s oldest shipyard. BCSN: Let’s start with a brief overview of your career and the steps that led you to Point Hope Maritime. RR: After 10 years in the Royal Dutch Navy, I joined Damen Shipyards, initially as an engineer in the Field Services Department responsible for commissioning, technical training of crews and following up on guarantee claims of delivered ships. I discovered that I enjoyed working with people more than going around with ear mufflers on in the engine room so I made a switch to project management. In this role, I worked in project management and senior management positions in shipyards in Russia, China, the Netherlands, Romania, United Arab Emirates and Poland. Following an assignment in Dubai in which I started up a new shipbuilding facility in a combined repair and shipbuilding yard for Damen, I was recruited by GSP Shipyard in Constanta, Romania, where I became Managing Director. It was from there that my family and I came to Victoria to join Point Hope. That was in August 2016. BCSN: We have a side bar that describes the history of Point Hope Maritime so we don’t need to go into detail but I’d like to 12 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
With significant expansion and modernization plans, Point Hope is well-positioned with Regosa at the helm to usher in a new era for B.C.’s oldest shipyard. look at some of the investments made over the past decade to modernize the facility. RR: Ian Maxwell, who is President and CEO of the Ralmax Group of Companies, purchased the bankrupt shipyard in 2003 and, at the same time, negotiated a long-term lease with the City of Victoria to justify the necessary $20-million investment in site improvements and modernization to ensure a competitive and responsible Point Hope Maritime operation. The shipyard upgrade and expansion in 2004 included remediation of the old docks, construction of a new marine railway and three spur lines, and a sitewide water recovery and treatment system. Point Hope reopened for business in 2006; by 2011 the shipyard was operating at capacity, employing up to 100 workers. In 2014, the Ralmax Group bought the shipyard lands from the B.C. Government which was a catalyst for further investment and expansion, including the relocation of United Engineering in 2015 from the Point Hope property to Sidney. The move enabled the addition of the fourth spur line which has increased capacity on the site and allowed us to pursue new lines of work, such as the fabrication of pontoons for BC Ferries. For the past year, Point Hope has most often been working at capacity in the yard employing up to 200 workers including subcontractors and other service providers. More than 650
businesses, most of them local, are part of the Point Hope Maritime economy. Point Hope is poised once again for expansion and we have recently filed an application with the Federal Government for an additional water lot that would allow for the addition of a graving dock. While we have no timeline on the approval process, this is essentially the start of the process that will require further approvals from additional departments within the Federal Government as well as municipal, regional and provincial reviews. It is by no means a done deal but there is a very strong business case for it and we are optimistic. Through due diligence and market assessment, Ralmax found that a demand for additional capacity exists on the West Coast, from California to Alaska. The graving dock would see up to 400 workers at Point Hope Maritime, as well as the corresponding exponential growth. Without Ian Maxwell’s commitment to develop and maintain the industry in and around the working harbour of Victoria, and the excellent leadership of Hank Bekkering, Point Hope would have not been in the position we are today. Hank did a fantastic job over the last decade and I feel very honoured to be trusted to replace him and lead Point Hope into the next phase. Being able to contribute to the creation of union jobs that will sustain families for the next generation is what is driving us
Artist’s rendering of Point Hope Maritime’s plan for a new graving dock.
BCSN: Could you provide details about the graving dock? RR: It is designed to be 173 metres long and 35 metres wide with a depth of six metres and a 50,000-tonne displacement. It will allow Point Hope to service vessels of up to 170 metres. The local investment is estimated to be roughly $50 million and it will result in up to 200 additional jobs, including sub-contractors and suppliers. We recently held our annual open house and welcomed over 3,000 people to
the yard. We are situated in the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary that encompasses the shorelines of the South Island, and we are adjacent to a residential area so it’s very important that we engage the community and make sure they have access to as much information as they need so they can understand our operations. I must say, everyone I met was very supportive of the modernization plans. They were impressed with our commitment to creating sustainable,
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well-paying jobs as well as our goal of maintaining a working harbour that is environmentally sustainable. BCSN: How are efforts to mitigate effects on the environment impacting on operations? RR: Ian Maxwell has long been a champion of the restoration of Victoria Harbour working closely with many organizations such as the Veins of Life. Our environmental and operational practices at Point Hope meet the highest environmental
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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Mark Collins, BC Ferries’ President and CEO (far left) and Ian Maxwell, President and CEO Ralmax Group of Companies (far right) oversee the signing of a five-year supply contract by Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ Vice President of Engineering (centre left) and Riccardo Regosa, General Manager, Point Hope Maritime (centre right).
standards. We have our ISO 14001 certification — which is the highest standard of Environmental Management System available, and we’re making investments all the time to ensure we are meeting, and in most cases, exceeding regulations that are aimed at mitigating the impact of operations — for example, investments in our water collection and treatment systems, as well as ensuring the proper disposal of waste. These are costly initiatives but integral to our corporate ethics and to our commitment to the community. Victoria harbour is a strategic asset for the broad community and we are proud of the role that we play as an important economic engine and as responsible stewards of the health of the working harbour. BCSN: Let’s look at current activity in the yard. Can you update us on activity over the past year? RR: It’s been very busy. Since the completion of the latest expansion in April last year (i.e. adding more spur lines), we have been afforded much greater flexibility that has allowed us to take on more work. Comparing January to May 2015, to the same period in 2017, we have more than doubled the number of man hours. Now, with 1,100 feet of spur line, we’re able to have as many as five or six vessels in at a time depending on their size (plus another four or five at our quay). So, it’s made quite a difference. Earlier this year, we had up to 200 people in the yard. BCSN: What kind of vessels are you seeing? 14 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
RR: We’ve had a very diverse mix of vessels. There has been a lot of work on Navy auxiliary vessels — for example, the Orca class training vessels, navy tugs, and the Sooke (a diving support vessel which is in for a refit) — and HMCS Whitehorse, one of the coastal defence vessels. We have also seen several commercial tugs, passenger ferries, barges and fishing vessels — both from Canada and the U.S. We are seeing more work come in from the U.S. and an increasing number of enquiries. The Pacific Pilotage vessels stationed here in this area also come in regularly for standard maintenance work; we are proud to have their business as well. BCSN: And of course, congratulations are in order for the two recent announcements of contract awards with BC Ferries. Could you provide details on those? RR: Yes, we’re very pleased with both agreements. The first is a five-year supply agreement with BC Ferries for scheduled dry-docking, maintenance, repair or refit requirements, as well as emergency dry-docking services, for eight of BC Ferries’ minor vessels — the Kahloke, Klitsa, Kuper, Kwuna, Nicola, Nimpkish, Tachek and Quadra Queen I. So far, about 20 dockings are planned over the five-year period. It’s a good strategic partnership. BC Ferries is assured space for services when needed and Point Hope is assured of the work. Not only are there some beneficial efficiencies, but it will contribute millions
of dollars toward local employment and services. The second agreement is with Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands to provide technical and warranty support for two new minor vessels for BC Ferries. The vessels — both hybrid diesel-electric with capacity for at least 44 vehicles and up to 300 passengers and crew — will be built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania and all warranty and maintenance activities will be performed by us here in B.C. This will allow Damen to follow up on warranty matters in the shortest possible time and will allow BC Ferries to count on reliable and responsive service for the benefit of their company and their passengers. These new BC Ferries are designed to be highly efficient with minimal impact on the environment — for example, the engines are Tier III compliant; the hull, propeller and thruster have been designed to minimize underwater radiated noise; and there is a fully contained waste water handling system which eliminates discharges to the sea. They are scheduled to go into service in 2020. Personally, I go back with Damen a long time. It’s a fantastic company and I am excited to be working with them on this project. Our service teams will be trained and familiarized by Damen as the vessels will be equipped with high-tech hybrid diesel-electric / battery-powered propulsion systems. Transferring knowledge from the shipbuilder to our local engineers is a key element developing local skills for this new technology. BCSN: I’d like to focus now on trends within the industry. Could you compare Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry to other regions in the world? RR: Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) has given the shipbuilding industry here a great boost and has provided a catalyst for upgrades to existing facilities as well as establish new training programs and generate long-term, well-paying jobs. In terms of competing with countries in the Far East, their labour costs are less so they are more competitive. However, there may be opportunities to pursue niche markets — for example, building complex ships like ice breakers that might require highly technical, specialist skills. That requires building a reputation and I believe the NSS can assist in doing that.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT BCSN: What about the repair side? RR: A big difference for me is that the repair yards in the Netherlands are often providing maintenance or repair services to vessels that are operating on international shipping routes; the industry here is much more dependent on the local market. Providing reliable, high-quality service at competitive pricing is therefore of utmost importance. We are proud that most of our clients return to Point Hope Maritime for their marine repair and maintenance needs. When Mark Collins, BC Ferries’ President and CEO, came to Point Hope to sign our five-year agreement, we had all the workers witness the signing. Mark gave high praise to the employees, recognizing the agreement reflected BC Ferries’ appreciation for the reliable, high quality of workmanship that they deliver every day at Point Hope. Our employees have a huge sense of pride in their work, and this shows. They are skilled and they are proud of what they are helping accomplish — not just for themselves — but for the entire region as the economic ripple effect is very visible. It is the community’s shipyard. This is another distinguishing factor for me. BCSN: Can you describe overall trends within the industry? RR: More ship owners are looking to standardize their fleets to allow for more efficiencies in the building process, in training programs as well as in managing onboard equipment. They are building redundancy and interoperability into their fleets. Also, vessels are becoming ‘greener.’ These trends have been driving a lot of innovation and change in the industry.
In line with building more standardized vessels, the introduction of 3D design technology has made an enormous difference in the way vessels are being built. It has allowed for a simpler presentation of information and makes it easier to break down the overall scope of the project into individual components. Automation is another trend. Advanced panel building lines, welding robots, and CNC machining of parts have all speed up production time. We are also seeing more advanced tools to manage and plan projects. The introduction of integrated building strategies has resulted in reduced lead times and increased efficiencies providing for better planning and budgeting and greater certainty in meeting schedules. As the level of project management in the ship repair industry matures, it is also allowing for a much more transparent process where owners can be more involved. While we cannot manage what we don’t see or what we don’t know, having access to a well-defined scope of work and making an effort to visit the vessels before they arrive at the yard are contributing to a more predictable performance of the job. Preparation of a project at an earlier stage will have a positive impact on cost and time. Allowing for a longer period to prepare for projects is an enormous opportunity to reduce costs for fleet owners. BCSN: With the new technologies we’re seeing, are you finding an adequate supply of skilled labour? RR: What I’ve seen so far of the local workforce, I’ve been very impressed with the skills and dedication they bring to their job.
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 15
INDUSTRY INSIGHT The NSS has been a very good catalyst for the development of new training programs and producing the next generation of shipyard workers. We are a strong supporter and sponsor of Camosun College who is promoting education in the trades and offering apprenticeship programs.. We have also partnered with one of our sister companies, Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd., on a training program inviting members of our local First Nations to work and share in the harbour economy. Salish Sea is a joint venture with the Songhees Nation, the Esquimalt Nation and Ralmax. As the application for the graving dock makes its way through the approval process, we recognize the need to build our capacity and for this, we’ll be looking at taking on at least 50 more apprentices over the next number of years. Our hope is that many of these new positions will be filled by members of our local First Nations communities. While increasing the number of workers, we also need to ensure the skills are there to be able to work with newer technology; for example, LNG-fuelled and hybrid vessels. I believe
the colleges and training institutions are recognizing this and are developing relevant programs. The biggest assets shipyards have are their employees. We need to be able to offer continuous employment, and that means ensuring our employees are adequately trained to meet the challenges of new technology. BCSN: Are you able to give a forecast for the future of the industry? RR: Worldwide, the call for greener shipping will continue. Developing technology that will further reduce emissions and lower fuel consumption will continue to be a driver for fleet renewal programs and retrofits of existing vessels. In Canada, and particularly in British Columbia, further expansion of ports and the development of terminals will contribute to growth of the maritime sector. Supported by the fleet renewal programs and maintenance programs of the Federal Government, the Canadian shipbuilding and ship repair industry will continue to develop, but in the long run, there must be continuity to result in a healthy industry. BCSN
About Riccardo Regosa
About Point Hope Maritime
iccardo Regosa was born in Blacktown, Australia. Before his second birthday, the Regosa family returned to the Netherlands where he grew up in a small city close to Rotterdam. Prior to joining the shipbuilding and ship repair industry, Riccardo served for 10 years in the Royal Dutch Navy. He was educated as a marine engineer and participated in various management programs and completed the Leadership Development Program at the Nyenrode Business University. Before joining Point Hope Maritime, Riccardo was the Managing Director of GSP Shipyard in Romania, prior to which he enjoyed a 17-year career in various management positions with Damen Shipyard Group. He joined the group in 1998 as Engineer in Damen Field Services where he was responsible for commissioning, technical training of crews and following up guarantee claims of delivered ships. During the last 15 years at Damen, Riccardo worked in various project management positions and senior management positions at the Damen yards in the Netherlands, Poland, China, Romania and the United Arab Emirates. Throughout his career, Riccardo has specialized in project management, operations and general management. Riccardo is committed to strengthening Point Hope Maritime’s trusted professional reputation as a ‘one stop shop’ for ship repair, conversions and refits — and to the sustainable growth of the shipyard for the long-term benefit of the broad community. When Riccardo is not at work, he is spending time with his wife Liesbeth and their two children, Sophia and Gabriël, who have supported Riccardo’s successful career path, joining him throughout his travels around the world. “My family is my sail, my rudder and my anchor. I am immensely grateful for their love, trust and support — for their sense of adventure, resiliency and impressive talent to adapt to new cultures.”
ince 1873 – when it was known as Colling and Cook’s Ways, the Point Hope Maritime site is British Columbia’s first shipyard, repairing and refitting all types of commercial and private vessels on the Victoria waterfront. In 2003, the bankrupt Point Hope was purchased by the Ralmax Group of Companies and owner Ian Maxwell. After negotiating a long-term lease with the City of Victoria, Ralmax made significant investments to modernize the site — this included remediation and replacement of old docks, a new marine railway system and spur lines, as well as a site-wide water recovery and treatment system. Today, following its second expansion, Point Hope can handle more than 10 vessels at one time. Its marine railway now has four spur lines that let them take up to six vessels out of the water for repair and maintenance, while float services accommodate additional vessels. Working to the highest professional standards in the Pacific Northwest and focusing on efficient, high-quality service by a skilled workforce, Point Hope has invested heavily in infrastructure improvements, environmental upgrades and maintains a high priority on safe operations. The extensive facilities at Point Hope include a marine railway, a 15,000-square-foot climate-controlled assembly shed for specialized steel and aluminum fabrication, plus access to the fully equipped metal fabrication and machine shop in United Engineering Ltd., also a Ralmax Group Company, located in Sidney, B.C. Point Hope Maritime has achieved the following certifications: ISO 14001 (the highest standard of Environmental Management); OHSAS 18001 (the highest standard of health and safety); and ISO 9001 (the highest standard of quality).
R
16 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
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For more information: www.pointhopemaritime.com
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HISTORY LESSON Guardians and guidance:
The history of ship figureheads Photo: Dave Roels
By Lea Edgar Librarian & Archivist, Vancouver Maritime Museum
Dating back thousands of years, these works of art sadly died out as naval architecture progressed and we eventually moved away from large-scale wooden ships.
D
uring the age of sail, a figurehead placed on the prow of a ship was common practice. Dating back thousands of years, these works of art sadly died out as naval architecture progressed and we eventually moved away from large-scale wooden ships. Figureheads are thought to have originally provided protection for the vessel and its crew. There is evidence of Egyptian examples dating back to 3000 B.C.E. The Egyptians normally painted eyes on the ship as a way for the vessel to “see.” However, it was most likely the Phoenicians who first started using figurines on the bows of their ships. Their figureheads usually depicted gods,
birds, animals and serpents. But it was the Phoenician horse, which symbolized speed, that was one of the earliest uses of a wooden figurehead. Other ancient cultures also used figureheads throughout history. The Greeks depicted a boar’s head to represent ferocity, the Romans portrayed centurions, representing valour in battle, and the Norse cultures used dragons and serpents to display fierceness. The practice truly picked up from 1400-1600 when various European nations were vying for oceanic supremacy. Vast armadas used figureheads as intimidation and shows of force and wealth. In the 16th century, figureheads embodied the very spirit of the ship,
The figurehead “Steady Eddie” which once adorned the prow of the HMS Pilot. 18 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
and were sometimes a literal representation of the ship’s name. The British Admiralty often made use of the classic symbol of the lion on their frigates. However, many varieties of characters were carved to represent the vessel’s identity. These included animals, nobility, warriors, cultural icons, mermaids and perhaps most popular, women. The superstition behind the prevalent use of a female character — often topless — was that she would appease the sea, carrying on the tradition of figureheads securing the vessel’s safety. The peak of ship figurehead construction was from 1790 to about 1825 when they were being placed on both merchant and naval vessels, with the zenith being the advent of the famous clipper ships. In the 18th century, the size of figureheads was reduced to cut down on costs and excess weight. By the end of the 19th century, the clipper stem was no longer
VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM used on naval or merchant vessels. With the construction of non-wooden ships, figureheads fell by the wayside. They were replaced by a billet-head or a ship’s badge on a warship. Nevertheless, certain ships still used these figures as mascots during the First World War. An example of this is the figurehead of a woman in Scottish highland dress from Count Felix von Luckner’s armed raider Seeadler, which can be found in the Australian War Memorial. The Vancouver Maritime Museum has two prominent figureheads on display. The first can be found at the entrance of the museum and is fondly referred to as “Steady Eddie.” This figurehead originally adorned the HMS Pilot, an eight-gun sailtraining brig attached as a tender to the HMS Impregnable, a boy’s training ship based in Plymouth, U.K. When the figurehead arrived at the museum, sometime in the 1960s, it was originally thought to depict a naval officer. But research showed that he is in fact a 19th century pilot. In 1907, The HMS Pilot was sold and scrapped in Holland. It is a bit of a mystery how the figurehead got to Vancouver. Likely someone purchased it as the vessel was broken up and shipped the figurehead to Vancouver. It languished for many years in the North Vancouver garden of the donors. The donors believed it originally belonged to Col. R.G. Parkhurst, one time local manager of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. The figurehead is now painted to most closely match how it appeared on the HMS Pilot. Perhaps the most famous figurehead with a Vancouver connection is that of the Empress of Japan. A replica of the ornate dragon, which once was featured on the prow of the famous Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) vessel, can be found in Stanley Park. The original nine-foot-long figurehead was donated to the Vancouver Maritime Museum and carefully restored to its original splendor. The publisher of the Vancouver Daily Province newspaper, Frank J. Burd, rescued the figurehead from the scrap heap while the Empress of Japan was being dismantled in 1926. In 1927, the Province newspaper, with the co-operation of the Vancouver Parks Board, placed it on display in Stanley Park. Years of weathering and neglect took its toll and the figurehead began to fall apart. The citizens of Vancouver, led by Daily Province marine editor Norman R. Hacking, cried out for its preservation. The City listened and in 1960 it was decided that it must be replaced with the current fiberglass replica. Interestingly, Elek Imredy, the artist behind another Stanley Park monument, the Girl in a Wetsuit, was hired to create the replica. Ultimately, he subcontracted the work to another sculptor, Andrew Zborovsky. The figurehead depicts a Japanese dragon, which often was a symbol for a water deity. The C.P.R. originally claimed that the figurehead was, “…carved by Japanese craftsmen out of Indian teak.” The design and execution seems to confirm this fact, however, later testing of the wood found it to be pine, not teak. Each of the three Pacific Empresses had its own figurehead. The Empress of China had a gilt dragon, supposedly carved in Kowloon, and the Empress of India had an effigy of Queen Victoria, carved at Barrow-in-Furness where all three ships were built. In 1974, another push to restore the figurehead occurred. Funding was acquired and conservator Roy Waterman began the painstaking work of conserving and refitting all the pieces back together again. All in all, the project from start to finish took him 16 years. In 1991, the restored
Conservator Roy Waterman working on the Empress of Japan’s figurehead, circa 1980.
figurehead was placed on display at the Maritime Museum’s “Empress to the Orient” exhibit. It remains on display today. The restoration work, which created a much more accurate representation of the original, inspired the Parks Board to order a new replica. In 1992, a new fibreglass copy replaced the version cast in 1960 in Stanley Park. Ship figureheads are intriguing objects of a bygone era. They can inspire all kinds of swashbuckling fantasies of the high seas. But beyond their aesthetic appeal, they have a long and fascinating history and deserve to be preserved so that their stories, and the spirits of the vessels they once represented, can live on.
John M. Horton, Marine Artist
Paintings and limited edition prints for corporate offices, retirement gifts and marine art collections
“Into First Narrows”
This specially commissioned piece shows the “Sea Reliance,” owned by Crowley Marine Services of San Francisco, entering Vancouver Harbour very early on a summer morning. I had to get there earlier! Boarding a Seaspan tug, I fortunately captured the stern to show the strength of this powerful tug.
For special commissions:
www.johnhorton.ca (604) 943-4399 / john@johnhorton.ca July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 19
SHIPYARDS
Shipyards enjoying a good and steady pace
F
rom Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard vessels, to tugs and barges, pleasure craft, fishing boats, and ferries, B.C.’s shipyards have been maintaining a good pace of business with the majority reporting the same as or better than last year and expecting just as much or more for the coming year. Here’s our latest round up…
ABD Enterprises
Partners Al Dawson and Burton Drody were in attendance for the recent christening of the SST Salish — Saam Smit Towage Canada’s second tug built by the ABD team, following last year’s SST Capilano. The 21.69-metre vessel with two MTU 16V4000M61 engines and two John Deere 2045 DMF auxiliaries has a bollard pull of 65 metric tonnes and a forward winch (DMT TW-H300KN) capable of 180 MT braking power and 30 MT pulling power. She is classed by Lloyd’s +100A1 Tug, Coastal Service. The vessels are part of a contract that includes the option for a third tug. “The decision is still being made on the third vessel,” Dawson said. Turning their full attention now to the Geemia Joye, a 105-foot packer for James Walkus in Port Hardy, Dawson said construction for this sister ship to the Amarissa Joye began in September 2016 and expects delivery to be sometime in June 2018.
ALLIED
SHIPBUILDERS Shipbuilders and Ship Repairers
Dedicated to Service and Excellence Since 1948
www.alliedship.com 1870 Harbour Road North Vancouver, B.C.
T: 604.929.2365 E: asl@alliedship.com
Photo credit: Lisa Ireton
20 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
B.C.’s shipyards have been maintaining a good pace of business with the majority reporting the same as or better than last year and expecting just as much or more...
Allied Shipbuilders
Owner Chuck Ko has been pleased to see a busy first half of 2017. “Typically, we’d slow down by the end of the first quarter. This year, we have been able to sustain a good volume as we approach the summer.” Since the fall of 2016, Allied has undertaken major refits on the CCGS Bartlett, CCGS Vector, two dockings of the CCGS M. Charles, M.B., a major refit of the BC Ferry North Island Princess, the docking and inspection of the BC Ferry Tachek, and the docking and inspection of the Alaska Fish and Game Research Vessel Medeia, as well as the normal volume of dry dockings and refits of commercial tugs and fishing vessels. Allied is currently doing engine work on the harbour cruise vessel Britannia, installing a keel ballast bar on the fishing vessel Knight Dragon, installing an auxiliary engine on the fishing vessel, “Franciscan No. 1”, installing hatches on the tug “Arctic Taglu”, and undertaking the drydock and inspection of the tug “Seaspan Pusher.” Ko is hopeful the volume of work is sustained throughout the summer and into the fall.
Arrow Marine
Arrow Marine has been enjoying a “full yard” over the last few months and keeping their 330-ton Travellift busy. Most recently, the yard just finished a refit on the Ken McKenzie (see article on Page 30) which included electrical and mechanical work as well as a fresh coat of paint. General Manager Martin Biros counted 16 projects in the yard at various stages — tugboats, floats, barges and fishing vessels. When asked about a forecast for the remainder of 2017, Biros noted, “To date, Arrow Marine has had a strong start to the year. We have been busy putting together RFQ responses for numerous projects, which we hope will continue to keep us busy. We have a dedicated and experienced work force which adds value to our customers. We want to exceed our clients’ expectations.”
BC Ferries’ Fleet Maintenance Unit
It’s been a very busy season at the Fleet Maintenance Unit. David Sharpe, General Manager, noted the great teamwork performed by over 150 trades, technicians and support staff delivering high quality services to “our internal customers.” This year, the FMU was proud to receive the President’s award for Team Safety Excellence. Additionally, the FMU shipyard received it’s Green Marine certification which was a great achievement. The refit season at the Fleet Maintenance Unit started in August 2016 with the refit and recertification
SHIPYARDS
Photo: Martin Biros
Arrow Marine has been at full capacity for the past few months.
of the MV Quinitsa. Activity ramped up quickly with the refit and recertification of the MV Nicola and completion of the refit and three-quarter-life wheelhouse and accommodation upgrades on the Queen of Coquitlam. The Queen of New Westminster arrived in October for her four-week refit and recertification followed by the Queen of
Cowichan for three-quarter-life bridge upgrades, fire door renewals, main engine and auxiliary overhauls. Life Saving Appliance systems were upgraded on the Northern Adventure during the winter months. Sharpe felt fortunate to receive the first BC Ferries’ LNG-powered vessel, the Salish Orca, in January. She arrived
with a spare Schottel 15/15 thruster which was removed at the FMU during her preparation period. The second Salish Class vessel, the Salish Eagle, arrived at the FMU in March when the outer hull vessel wrap was applied. The Salish Raven arrived at the FMU in June where she will be prepared for service.
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Photo: Bracewell Marine Group
SHIPYARDS
Bracewell Marine Group now carries their own product line of winches and has been seeing growing interest from tug and tow operators.
Other work included the Queen of Alberni in for refit, certification and three-quarter-life passenger and wheelhouse upgrades. The Queen of Oak Bay , Queen of Surrey and Northern Expedition were also in for refit and recertification. The North Island Princess closed off the major activity of the season with a large mechanical and recertification refit. A number of trades and technicians attended refits and recertification remotely in Departure Bay (Coastal Inspiration, Coastal Renaissance), Swartz Bay (Coastal Celebration, Spirit of Vancouver Island) and Bella Coola (MV Nimpkish). Finally, the Queen of Burnaby arrived in May for decommissioning.
Bracewell Marine Group
Chris Christiansen, Bracewell Marine Group’s General Manager, reported that
the company has undergone a “complete business remodelling on our approach to the way we view quality and the ability to service our customers.” That remodelling has included hiring practices that identify quality trades people who understand the need for quality work. The other area was to develop realistic schedules that provide customers with confidence that major projects will be completed on time and on budget. “This more disciplined approach to planning and hiring practices has led to an increase in business activity of 22 per cent compared to last year.” Indeed, Bracewell has been keeping its 70-plus employees busy. Recent projects have included a major refit for Ledcor’s Storm Wave which included main engines rebuild and gen set replacement as well as replacement of the fuel tank steel and a
complete refit of the galley; and SAAM SMIT’s SMIT Shark was in to have the bow fender replaced along with some minor steel repair. The Bellissima — the private yacht that sank in Pender Harbour back in August 2016 — is in and requiring a total replacement of equipment from the engine room aft, including new engines. Engines were removed and re-piping, electrical work and the installation of new engines are all underway. “The length of this project is still under review,” Christiansen said. “We are still evaluating the extent of the electrical issues. Once Comar, the electrical contractor, has determined the electrical scope, we’ll be in a better position to give a completion date.” Meanwhile, Bracewell continues to assist Island Tug and Barge in the construction of two 81-foot-long pusher tugs by supplying highly skilled trades people and supervisors. The project should last for about another year. And if that’s not enough, Bracewell keeps busy with numerous fishing boats requiring paint jobs, fibre-glassing, engine refits and CSIs. For example, Marine Harvest required CSI, steel replacement and gen set replacement to the Orca Warrior. Christiansen was proud to note that all projects are being completed by Bracewell on time and on budget. Christiansen further reported on an upsurge of more American customers taking advantage of the low Canadian dollar and the company continues to bid on new builds with the hopes of starting a new build in the near future. “Our latest business is to supply the tug boat industry with winches from our recent product line,” he said. “Bracewell has just delivered our smaller model to Thunderbay Towing and started a larger model for Mercury Transport.” They have also started to supply the boating industry with cutlass bearing and shafting material. “This addition to Bracewell’s ability to be a one-stop place to get your vessel repaired, modified or to have CSIs done is a bonus to our customers to reduce down time for them.”
Daigle Welding and Marine
Celebrating our 10th Anniversary! 22 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
Owner Steve Daigle was pleased to report that this past year has been a busy one, albeit he expressed concern over the uncertain political climate and threats of major projects being cancelled under a new government.
TERMINALS SHIPYARDS
Esquimalt Graving Dock
The Government of Canada continues to invest in the ship repair industry at the Esquimalt Graving Dock over the last year. A number of key projects have been completed and upcoming investments are aimed at further modernizing the facility. Completed projects include the $99.5-million water lot
Photo: Daigle Welding
After completing the Kaien Sentinel last year — a 14.9metre Eaglecraft landing craft capable of carrying 20,000 lbs, powered by twin Caterpillar C9 567 BHP engines which are connected to HamiltonJet HJ364 jets — for Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, the yard has continued to take on new projects. “We’ve been working on a 53-foot yacht, three 29-foot yachts, one crew boat and a 33-foot pleasure boat,” he said, noting that he was seeing more interest from the United States. “The 53-footer is for an owner in Portland, Oregon and one of the 29-footers is also from the states.” The 53-footer is about 30 per cent complete and Daigle expects it will keep his staff busy for the better part of another year. One of the 29-footers will be delivered at the end of this month and the remaining two are scheduled for completion by August and November respectively. “And we’re booked out for the next five months at least,” he said. Forecasting a bit further into the year, Daigle said there is a lot of other work either already confirmed or in the planning stages — “a couple of landing craft, crew boats and pleasure boats.” And he’s finding his new sand blast and paint building has been working out “really well.”
Daigle Welding and Marine completed the Kaien Sentinel for WCMRC last year and currently is busy working on a few yachts, a crew boat and a pleasure craft.
remediation; the $2.65-million replacement of underground high-voltage transmission lines and ductwork; $2.7-million replacement of underground high- and low-voltage electrical cabling and ductwork on the north landing wharf; and the $22.8-million replacement of electrical equipment in a new purpose-built substation. Work is currently underway to replace the electrical switchgear in the south substation and to re-furbish the three main de-watering pumps.
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 23
SHIPYARDS the facility. Two cruise ships dry docked — Celebrity Millennium and the Crystal Serenity — while private sector ship repair and refit firms performed a variety of work on other vessels ranging from DND vessels, BC Ferries, the Canadian Coast Guard, plus barges and general cargo ships.
Fraser Shipyard & Industrial Centre
The Pacific Chinook pilot boat was in Ocean Pacific recently for a standard docking package.
Upcoming work includes the south jetty reconstruction and two new electrical substations, completing the electrical infrastructure renewal for the Esquimalt Graving Dock, as well as the replacement of the main electrical transmission line connecting the dock to the BC Hydro substation in Esquimalt. These four projects are anticipated to be an additional $100-million investment in the facility. In its fiscal year 2016-2017 ending March 31, revenues totalled $7.7 million (including tax) from 21 vessels that used
Fraser Shipyard’s Elias Haddad reported that they have been very busy over the past year with the refit of the H&R tug for Peace Navigation; the refit of the Rapid Warrior; and the building of a new tug, the Tofino Rustler, along with repair projects for many fishing vessels. The yard also worked on the 18.7-metre, twin-propeller/twin engine Coastal Destinations for Inlet Fuel and Barge. As reported in our last update, Fraser Shipyard purchased the old Albion Ferry site in Maple Ridge. Haddad reported that the project is going well and that “we continue to develop this property to get the best use for the marine industry.”
MacTavish Welding
This Campbell River shipyard continues to be the builder of choice among logging companies for sidewinder and potbottom boom boats. Having built upwards of 30 or more over the last four years, Owner Rick MacTavish says the orders provide a nice, steady stream of work for his team of six to eight workers. MacTavish also reported that a new high-definition plasma cutting machine has helped speed up production and is anticipating a year much like the last. “The orders are coming in all the time and we’re expecting a good year coming up,” he said.
Ocean Pacific Marine
ARROW MARINE SERVICES LTD.
FULL SERVICE REPAIR YARD 330 Ton Marine Travelift Welding l Electrical Repairs l Mechanical Repairs l Vessel Refits Painting and Sandblasting l Custom Steel and Aluminum Projects CSI Inspection Readiness l 24 Hour Emergency Service
Bruce Kempling has been really pleased with the year so far as his yard has been kept busy with a refit for the RCMP’s Lindsay, a paint job for a Canadian Coast Guard vessel and hull and refit work for three naval vessels in addition to servicing his regular, commercial clients. Kempling expects the remainder of the year to be “more of the same” and is already lining up work for the fall. Ocean Pacific Marine will be undergoing an expansion of their offices, warehouse and yard. Kempling reported that they are in the planning stages for this currently. One special note: Kempling is part of the group at the Association of BC Marine Industries that is working on a labour market survey. “It’s an extensive survey that will help guide the industry to develop more training,” he said, noting that finding skilled labour is a challenge. “It’s been difficult to determine the training needs of the industry without having in-depth knowledge of our needs. The survey will result in a database that will greatly help with this, especially in identifying a long-term view of needs given the aging workforce.”
Point Hope Maritime
11580 Mitchell Road, Richmond l 604-323-7402 www.ArrowMarineServices.com 24 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
Riccardo Regosa, General Manager, couldn’t be more pleased with his decision to move from Constanta, Romania to Victoria, B.C. last year. An in-depth interview can be found on Page 12 with Regosa but suffice to say that the two recent contract awards — a five-year contract to service eight BC Ferries’ minor class vessels plus an agreement with Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands to provide technical and warranty
SHIPYARDS Photo: BC Shipping News
support for the two new minor vessels for BC Ferries — are a great boon to his career here. With the relocation of United Engineering to Sidney and the addition of a fourth spur line completed last year, the expanded capacity and flexibility has made room for all kinds of Navy, pilot, ferry, tug and fishing vessels (both Canadian and American). “We’ve been very busy,” Regosa said. “Now, with 1,100 feet of spur line, we’re able to have as many as five or six vessels in at a time depending on their size,” Regosa said, crediting the strong leadership of Ian Maxwell, President and CEO of the Ralmax Group of Companies, and recently retired Hank Bekkering. Further expansion is in the works and Ralmax has applied to the Federal Government for approval to build a graving dock. While it’s very early days with many more applications to follow should Transport Canada give the go-ahead, Regosa is optimistic, citing “a very strong business case” which includes an investment of about $50 million and the creation of 200 jobs.
Sylte Shipyards launched the newly built Sea Imp XI for Catherwood Towing in late May.
Sylte Shipyard
Following last year’s successful launch of the David J for Jones Marine, the team at Sylte got right back to work, and, keeping true to their track record of one vessel per year (more or less), launched a new twin-screw tug for Catherwood Towing on May 27, 2017. The Sea Imp XI, designed by AG McIlwain, is 16.31 metres in length with a breadth of 6.71 metres and a draft of three metres. It features two Caterpillar
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 25
SHIPYARDS
Photo: BC Shipping News
Annette Russman, carrying on the legacy built by her father, Erling, who sadly, passed last year, reported that the yard continues to keep a compliment of 16 staff busy. “Welders are always the toughest to find,” Russman said when asked about meeting labour demands. “But we have a number of experienced people here who can take the younger ones under their wing — all in all, we haven’t had any issues with finding good staff.” True to form, just as one finished vessel leaves the yard, plans are being made Tom-Mac Shipyards has the Merry Chase, the Union Jack and the Parry on site for the next two projects, both for local for various work items, including a major refit of the Union Jack. tug and barge companies. The first will be another McIlwain-designed tug, similar to Gowlland Towing’s Inlet Knight — a 19-metre, 1600-hp C-I8 engines with 600 bhp each and two Caterpillar C4.4 twin screw tug. (50Kw each) auxiliary engines. The winch is from Westec Equipment International (with an 1,800-foot main line); the steering is Jastram’s Non Follow up Jog and the hydraulics Tom-Mac Shipyard Office Manager Kevin Campbell felt that activity was down design was done by Hydra-Mech Systems. Yvonne Bonderoff provided the blessing for the vessel which will now undergo sea slightly this year over last. “There’s no real reason except pertrials and final touches before entering into service along with haps we’re seeing that tug operators are not spending as much on preventative maintenance,” he said, further indicating that Catherwood’s other 13 vessels. the trend has been to focus on repairs as needed. Recognized as one of the leading yards in B.C. for working on wooden vessels, Tom-Mac has been restoring the Union Jack over the past year. The vessel is one of three wooden tugs, revamped for tourism charter work, currently at the docks (along with the Parry and the Merry Chase). A quick look onboard reveals a major refit underway. Accommodation areas, rewiring work and extensive engine room work will likely continue to the end of this year, Campbell said. The Driftwood is another eco-tourism wooden vessel that has been in the yard on and off. Assorted tugs, pleasure craft and fishing vessels round out the activity that keeps the staff compliment of 17 busy.
Vancouver Drydock
Vice President and General Manager for Vancouver Drydock, Paul Hebson, reported that they have been having a very good year. “We’ve been at 90 per cent capacity consistently for the past 12 months,” he said, noting that there have been 51 separate dockings over that period. Dockings have included seven vessels from BC Ferries, the largest being the Coastal Renaissance which was in at the back end of 2016 for propulsion work as well as steel and mechanical work; Dennis Washington’s Attessa was in over the summer of 2016 for new generators, pipe work and work on accommodation areas; the Canadian Coast Guard’s Sir Wilfred Laurier was in for about six weeks to receive new generators and survey equipment; and the Regatta was in for work over the April long weekend. Hebson and his team have also been kept busy with vessels out of the U.S. Four fish boats — all based out of Seattle, including the Ocean Phoenix which was in for about a month for mechanical work and tank blasting — highlighted the 26 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
Vancouver Shipyards
Vice President, Government Relations, Tim Page provided an update on the National Shipbuilding Strategy which has 1,100 staff (400 in the offices ranging from engineers, production control managers, planners and overall program management staff supporting 700 trades men and women) working on four concurrent programs. Reviewing the projects in reverse order: • Early concept design work is being done on the Polar Icebreaker. • For the two Joint Support Ships, Page said that the contract is in place for the design and production engineering phase. “We are taking the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems off-theshelf design and modifying it in accordance with Canada’s specifications and then preparing that for production in our shipyard,” Page said. “At the same time, we’re preparing to go to market for a number of long-lead equipment items — engines, bridges, etc.” • A similar path is being followed for the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV). Once the design phase has been completed, Seaspan will prepare the design for construction and then start cutting steel. • Farthest along is the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel program (OFSV). With one completed hull, the yard is progressing well on outfitting work before it is towed over to Victoria for a final outfitting and trials. The second and third ships for this program are already in various stages of construction and Page noted that they’re already seeing efficiencies from lessons learned on the first vessel. In terms of timing, the launch date is expected in December with the second and third vessels following sequentially after that in 2018. And don’t forget that there are still five Medium Endurance Multi-Tasked Vessels and five Offshore Patrol Vessels that were announced in June 2013. While there is no timeline set
Photo: BC Shipping News
favourable exchange rate. “About 70 per cent of our business right now is from the U.S.,” Hebson said. The really big news for Vancouver Drydock however is the completion of their first installation of a ballast water system on the special-purpose cable layer Ile de Batz for Paris-based Louis Dreyfus. The five-week project, which wrapped up in late May, “was truly innovative,” Hebson said. “The ballast water treatment system was installed with the assistance of state-ofthe-art robotic pipe welding machines developed by Novarc Technologies, a North Vancouver-based company. Using advanced control techniques, these cutting-edge, collaborative robotic systems — which will be used across Seaspan’s shipyards in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island — allow pipe welding tasks to be done dramatically more effectively and efficiently.” He further noted that the entire installation was done afloat rather than having to be dry-docked. Hebson and the rest of the Seaspan team are eager to go after more ballast water treatment system work. “We’re well positioned in terms of facilities and location for this kind of work and we’ve spent a lot of time looking for ways to make the process as efficient as possible,” Hebson said. As for the rest of 2017, Hebson anticipated “more of the same” with levels of activity continuing at the current pace. “We’re booking well into 2018.”
Federal Ministers watch the first steel cut for the third and final OFSV at Vancouver Shipyards in February this year. All three are in various stages of construction.
SYLTE SHIPYARD LTD.
Photo by Dave Roels
20076 WHARF STREET MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. V2X 1A1
PH. (604)465-5525 FAX: (604)465-3060 EMAIL: sylte@telus.net
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 27
Photo courtesy Seaspan
SHIPYARDS
Victoria Shipyards’ Victoria In Service Support Contract with the Royal Canadian Navy is keeping about 260 staff busy as the program hits its peak.
for these yet, Page said that Seaspan is looking forward to discussions in the fall with the Canadian Coast Guard to determine their needs and establish plans and budgets. Even with the NSS, Vancouver Shipyards continues to bring in other repair and refit work. Most recently, the yard won a competitive bid with SNC-Lavalin that brought the Orcaclass Wolf in for a six-week refit. Both Page and Paul Hebson, Vice President and General Manager for Vancouver Drydock, were optimistic that future work would be secured through this partnership. “It’s a good opportunity for us to continue the training and retain the skills needed for NSS success,” said Page. In providing an update for the repair and refit activity in Vancouver Shipyards, Hebson noted that, “year over year, we’re seeing growth of about 20 to 30 per cent.”
Victoria Shipyards
It’s hard not to catch the enthusiasm of Joe O’Rourke, Vice President and General Manager for Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards, as he describes the “dramatic shift” in activity since the dry dock came back on line in November after five months of extensive upgrades. “We were at minimal staff levels and it was just at the beginning of this year that we started 28 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
to come back up to normal levels,” he said before launching into the full roster of work underway. First on the list is HMCS Corner Brook — one of four submarines that fall under the Victoria In Service Support Contract (VISSC). “Our submarine program is at its peak with about 260 direct labour employees,” O’Rourke noted, while describing the Extended Docking Work Period currently underway. Critical work items, done on a three-year rotational basis for each sub, includes a lot of upgrades, correction of deterioration, and maintenance that can’t be done in the normal operating cycle. That work will run throughout this year. About 360 people are currently working on HMCS Calgary that came into the yard in March and will be there until August for a large docking package under the “post-FELEX” (Frigate Life Extension) program. And another 50 staff are working on major repairs, paint and sandblast of the Navy reserve caisson (the structure that is placed at the mouth of the dry dock that contains the vessel in the graving dock). In addition to work for the Royal Canadian Navy, O’Rourke noted that there was a lot of commercial work during the first half of the year — the BC Ferries’ Spirit of Vancouver Island was in
for all of January for a standard docking package (SDP) which included work on the propulsion system and various hull coating and preservation activities. The Midnight Sun was in for 21 days in March for another substantial SDP and the yard continues to see various barges and other ancillary commercial work coming in. “With the currency exchange being so favourable and with our strong reputation, we continue to expand our market niche on vessels that operate in the Puget Sound area. We’re doing very well in this market,” said O’Rourke, and reported that there are negotiations ongoing for some “very large commercial contracts” that he hopes will be ready for execution in 2018. As for upcoming work, O’Rourke said that the Star Princess is scheduled for a two-scrubber installation and refit work in December this year. “We are turning out to be scrubber installation experts and the work keeps coming in,” he said. “This will be the sixth and seventh scrubbers we’ve installed.” The installation takes about 10 days while other work is being done (underwater body hull paint job and steel work, bow thrusters, stabilizers, etc.). Overall, Victoria Shipyards only has the one cruise ship this year but has two scheduled for 2018 and continues to “work the order book into 2019 and beyond.” With a direct work force of 660 people and another 150 salaried staff beyond that, O’Rourke was happy with the way the year has been shaping up. “We’re at a sweet spot in terms of manning,” he said. “We have four jobs going on, so life is good and we’re heading for a successful year.” When asked if he’s finding enough skilled staff, O’Rourke did note that “we are short in a couple of the trades,” recognizing that the yard experienced a seven-month dip where much of the workforce was laid off and they lost some who didn’t return. He also observed that the work mix has changed: “We were employing over 200 electricians at one time but with the new mix, we’re moving back toward metal trades.” While working on attracting new talent, O’Rourke said that “if there were another 20 bodies in certain trades, we’d hire them tomorrow.” This is in addition to the apprenticeship programs at Victoria Shipyards that are adding about 25 apprentices this year with expectations of adding another 20 in 2018. BCSN
LAUNCHES
Saam Smit’s SST Salish Photos: BC Shipping News
S
aam Smit Towage Canada Inc. invited local industry, friends and family to witness the christening of their newest vessel in mid-May. The christening included a traditional First Nation blessing, performed by the Squamish Nation, and Kim StegemanLowe, President of Squamish Terminals, had the honour of being the vessel’s sponsor. Built by ABD Enterprises, owners Al Dawson and Burton Drody were pleased to deliver the second vessel to Saam Smit following the completion of the SST Capilano last year. Details of the vessel are as follows: • Length: 21.69m • Breadth: 10.67m • Depth Mld: 3.96m • Gross Tons 198 • Fuel Capacity: 36,368 L • Power: 2 X MTU 16V4000M61, 2000 kW each • Bollard Pull: 65MT • Auxiliaries: 2 X John Deere 4045 DMF, 40 kW • Drive Units: 2 X Rolls-Royce US20 FP Z-Drives • Winch (fwd): DMT TW-H300KN, 180 MT braking power, 30 MT pulling power • Towline: Amsteel Blue 200M X 64mm, 300MT breaking strain • Class: Lloyds +100A1 Tug, Coastal Service, LMC, UMS • Voyages: NC2 • Accommodation for five
Catherwood’s Sea Imp XI
Photos: BC Shipping News
C
30 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
atherwood Towing’s new Sea Imp XI was launched in late May under blue skies at Sylte’s Shipyard in Maple Ridge. The new twin-screw tug designed by AG McIlwain is 16.31 metres in length with a breadth of 6.71 metres and a draft of three metres. It is 58.15 GRT and features two Caterpillar C-I8 engines with 600 bhp each and two Caterpillar C4.4 (50Kw each) auxiliary engines. The winch is from Westec Equipment International (with a 1,800-foot main line); the steering is Jastram’s Non Follow up Jog and the hydraulics design was
LAUNCHES
Harken Towing’s Ken Mackenzie Photos: BC Shipping News
H
arken Towing was pleased to welcome the Ken Mackenzie back into their fleet after a major refit performed by Arrow Marine. As the namesake of Harken founder Ken Mackenzie, the vessel has special meaning for the Mackenzie family — built by Ken’s son Tim in 1989, it was grandson John who alerted BC Shipping News to its re-launch. “The engine room was completely rewired and new DI16-071M – 625 hp Scania engines and drives were installed,” John said in describing the work done. He further noted that this is the first time these Scania engines have been used on the West Coast. John said that the vessel is unique in that it has a static shaft angle of 15 degrees and over 20 degrees while under tow — “there aren’t many engines that can take that angle.” In addition to the new engines, the Ken got some new Twin Disc gears, a new generator and a rebuilt winch along with a new paint job. Ken Mackenzie, along with partner Harvey Forrest, established Harken Towing in 1948 (he became sole owner in 1949). Since launching their first tug on August 18, 1948, the company became a mainstay on the Fraser and Pitt Rivers, towing logs and servicing sawmills. Today, with a fleet of 10 shift tugs, four continuous tugs, nine aluminum water taxis, and a barge fleet capable of carrying 8,000 tonnes, Harken continues to provide a full range of professional marine towing services throughout the Pacific Northwest. done by Hydra-Mech Systems. The Sea Imp XI has a crew compliment for four. Yvonne Bonderoff provided the blessing for the vessel which will now undergo sea trials and final touches before entering into service along with Catherwood’s other 13 vessels. On site during the launch was the Sea Imp IX (a sister vessel which was also built by Sylte) and the Sea Imp X. Catherwood Towing was founded in 1971 by Ernie Catherwood. Starting with one small wooden tug to deliver booms on the Fraser River, Ernie has grown the company to the point where it has 40 full-time and 20 part-time employees who operate throughout the entire coast of B.C. and Vancouver Island.
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 31
TUGS Robert Allan Ltd.
The place that launched a thousand tugs By Robert G. Allan, P. Eng., Executive Chairman of the Board, Robert Allan Ltd.
O
ver the last few years, as the design output from Robert Allan Ltd. to the global tugboat community began to border on the prodigious, we were often asked, “How many tugs has your company designed?” Until very recently, we really did not have a good handle on that number, so the answer was usually either “a lot” or “many hundreds,” neither of which were particularly illuminating! So a search began late in 2016 to review our archives and try to determine the tug tally much more precisely. Would we rival Helen of Troy?
Where did it all begin?
It is unfortunately difficult to identify the very “first” tug designed by this firm as records from the 1930s consist primarily of the rather incomplete set of original drawings which are still in our possession. There is no formal internal listing of the design work done in those days which might provide a more complete record, however there are the amazing resources of the archived Harbour & Shipping magazines at both UBC and at the Vancouver Maritime Museum (VMM). Our resident marine historian, Rollie Webb, was able to sleuth through those records and identify a 1934-built tug designed by Robert Allan, the Weaver Lake, built for a Captain E.C. Merchant. In our archives, there is an undated, handsome little ink on linen drawing for a “shallow draft towboat” whose dimensions at 41.8 feet x 11 feet match the Weaver Lake. A query to the VMM turned up a photo of the Weaver Lake in the collection of Fred Rogers, which certainly reflects the drawing. So we can, with considerable confidence, declare her as our “Eve” (Adam having been unceremoniously relegated to second place due to gender bias!). Interestingly, many of those early tugs, including the Weaver Lake, were shallow draft designs, most likely built for work 32 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
The 1940s were a time of the construction of many fish boats and of course, the distraction of the war effort where both Robert Allans were engaged in design efforts with local shipyards. on the Fraser River and its tributaries in its “pre-dredged” era. There are also some quite small workboats (some as small as 18 feet long) described as “towboats” which we did not count. Similarly, the many small boom boats designed by the firm are not included as real “tugs” for purposes of this tally. The resulting count for tugs and towboats built in the 1930s is a grand total of three. The 1940s were a time of the construction of many fish boats and of course, the distraction of the war effort where both Robert Allans were engaged in design efforts with local shipyards. There are only four tugs in our files from that decade. However, this period contained what is certainly the most elaborate set of design drawings of the era for a 75-foot shallow-draft steel towboat (with a lower deckhouse of steel and the upper two tiers of timber/plywood). The plans are unfortunately undated but the business address shown on the drawings is for my Grandfather’s house on West 63rd Avenue near Laburnum, where the company really had its beginnings. This design is done in extensive detail, probably as a working drawing contract, and best indications are that she was the Sandy Jane built by Yarrows in 1946 for Yellowknife Transportation Ltd. for service on the Mackenzie River.
1950s
The 1950s began with what we can firmly identify as our first steel coastal tug design. The Black Bear was designed in April 1950 and delivered in October 1950 by Victoria Machinery Depot for Black Ball Towing Co. Ltd. Her
registered dimensions were 42.7 x 15.1 x 6.3 feet. Original machinery was a Gray Marine diesel. An interesting and highly innovative feature at the time was a hydraulically elevating wheelhouse, indicating that the tug was destined to work primarily on the river and needed to duck some bridges! Black Ball Towing was absorbed by Gulf of Georgia Towing (named as owner on the drawings). When Gulf of Georgia Towing was bought by Seaspan, the tug was renamed Seaspan Rebel then sold and renamed Nanaimo Rebel and finally Black Bear II. At some point, it was extensively rebuilt. In 2003, it was owned by a numbered company in Kitimat. The registry on Black Bear II closed in 2011; vessel fate unknown. The 1950s may have marked the real beginning of steel tug construction in B.C., but there were still a fair number of wooden tugs being designed and built. Notable among the latter was the Tugger Yorke for F.M Yorke and Sons. Built in 1955, according to Nauticapedia, she was still in service on the B.C. coast in 2013, having endured many changes in both guise and ownership over the years. A milestone vessel designed in 1959 was the Ocean Master, an early largetug design and almost certainly the first internationally-built tug from this office. This 125-foot tug was built by Van Der Werf Scheepswerf in Holland in 1961 for Great West Towing and Salvage Ltd., and appears to still be in active service in the Canadian registry. The last couple of years of the 1950s marked the beginning of a transformation of the B.C. towing industry, with a
federal shipbuilding subsidy providing significant financial incentive to owners to replace their aging wooden fleets with new steel tonnage. The Lorne Yorke, designed in 1959, was billed as “the first modern twin-screw tug in B.C.” at her launching. Robert Allan Ltd. designed about 14 tugs in the 1950s.
1960s
The boom in new steel tugs (and many new steel barges to be towed by them) continued in earnest throughout the 1960s, and Robert Allan Ltd. was certainly at the forefront of these developments. In 1963, the company graduated from my Grandfather’s basement and, under my Father’s direction, settled into “real” offices at West 72nd Avenue and Granville Street. 1969 was a year of very significant output from what was then a company of about eight to 10 people. It also marked the first exchanges between Robert Allan Ltd. and the firm of C.H. Cates & Sons — a relationship which would have a lasting and dramatic impact on the future of our design firm. This period also saw the boom in the new era of “under tonnage tugs.” It is difficult to identify exactly how many of these < 15 GRT, “41-footers” were built by the likes of John Manly Ltd. and Vito Steel Boat & Barge Ltd., but we can identify at least 14 from Vito and perhaps 10 from Manly’s. A grand total of 106 tugs were built to our designs in that decade!
1970s
As the 1970s dawned, the focus on our business shifted north, although there were still many tugs built locally in that decade. I joined my Father in the business at the beginning of 1973 when our staff totalled about 12. Tugs for the Mackenzie River System and ice-class vessels for the Beaufort Sea consumed much of our talents in those years, but there were some coastal highlights too, notably the 114foot Jervis Crown, a very favourite of my own early career (1976) as my Father (though watching carefully) let me have a relatively free rein with this design. This decade also spawned the series of 76-foot, < 150 GT tugs which are all still in service today. Vito built four tugs for Gulf of Georgia Towing, the Cindy Mozel for Captain John Mozel, and the slightly smaller Comox Crown for Crown Zellerbach.
1950s...The MV Tugger Yorke (with R.F. Allan at the aft window).
1970s...The MV Jervis Crown.
1980s
The early 1980s were dominated by projects for the Beaufort Sea and in particular with the design of Ikaluk and Miscaroo for Gulf Canada Resources Inc. These 79-metre icebreaking supply vessels were the only high ice-class OSVs of their kind anywhere in the world at the time, and are still operating effectively in Sakhalin today. It was a very large and significant project for our office and introduced me to the marked contrasts in efficiency and quality between domestic and Japanese yards. The most difficult part of the project however was watching my father slowly succumb to cancer throughout the duration of the project, which he was unable to see fulfilled. Those heady days of 1981-82 however soon led into the doldrums of the balance of the 1980s, a period of very little activity in the maritime world, and we simply hung on by our fingernails for much of that period. There were however some notable bright spots, not least of which was the development of the first Z-drive
tugs for C.H. Cates & Sons. The Cates 2 was built in 1983, followed by the Cates I in 1986 and the Cates 3 in 1990.
1990s
As the 1990s began, the era of the Z-drive tug really began in earnest, at least in North America — it had begun 20 years earlier in Europe. The small but mighty Cates tugs attracted a lot of attention and shortly thereafter enquiries for similar tugs came in from many places in North America and from Europe. The lessons learned from working closely with Terry Waghorn and, later with Claire Johnston of Cates, stood us well in this emerging technology. We had learned what works best in terms of hull form for these agile tugs and applied those lessons to ever-larger ASD type tugs. In 1993, a series of 100foot ASD tugs were built by East Isle Shipyards (as part of Irving Shipyards) of PEI. These were highly successful boats, some of which were bought by operators in Europe. That connection to major July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 33
TUGS European owners, and in particular to Østensjø Rederi AS of Norway, opened many doors for Robert Allan Ltd. and led to the opportunity to design several major and innovative tugs for the emerging tanker escort tug market. In about 1995, I had a phone call from a university student in Turkey. Ali Gurun wanted to talk about escort tugs. Several months later, he called again and advised me that his family owned a small towing company and wanted to build some new tugs. An amazing and enduring relationship was born between our companies and, to date, Sanmar has built more than 150 tugs to our designs, in the process establishing themselves as probably the premiere tug-building shipyard in the world. That connection quickly led to relationships with other shipyards in Turkey, notably Uzmar and Med Marine, and we were soon seeing more than 40 – 50 tugs per year being built in Turkey alone.
2000s
The development of ever-larger container ships, major LNG terminals,
expanding bulk carrier ports such as Port Hedland in Australia, and of course, the rapid evolution of tanker escort technology created a whole new generation of high-performance specialized tugboats. Since 2000, Robert Allan Ltd. has had more than 720 tugs built to our designs worldwide. When added to the historical database, the total number of tugs delivered stands, at the time of writing, at 1005! And so to crown the “KiloTug,” the 1000 th tug delivery in the now 87-year history of this firm! That honour, most fittingly, goes to the Dux, the first of three ultra-high performance dual-fuel escort tugs built by Gondan Shipyard in Spain for Østensjø Rederi of Norway. Johannes Østensjø was the first owner in Europe to purchase a Robert Allan Ltd. designed tug and our subsequent work with that fine company has always been “extra special,” including tugs of truly innovative and specialized designs with both VSP and Z-drive propulsion. Now the Dux and her two sisters will be the first dual-fuel escort tugs in the world.
It remains to thank in particular those many clients who have shown their continued faith in our design work and who have supported Robert Allan Ltd. for many years. Special mention in this regard goes to: Cheoy Lee of Hong Kong • Østensjø Rederi AS of Norway • Rotortug B.V. of the Netherlands • Saam Smit Towage of the Netherlands • Sanmar of Turkey • Smit of the Netherlands • Svitzer A/S of Denmark • Uzmar of Turkey And finally a special tribute and hearty thank you to Terry Waghorn and to the late Claire Johnston of C.H. Cates & Sons whose vision of the “perfect tug” and whose initial trust in our design capabilities helped to spawn the whole modern Z-drive tug movement. Claire gifted me a visionary graphic of the “tug of the future” to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Cates organization in 2000; it states “Let Uts Not Restrict Our Imagination.” I hope we have honoured that objective!
The “KiloTug” — the RAstar 4000-DF Dux has the distinction of being the 1000th tug based on designs from Robert Allan Ltd. 34 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
EVENT RECAP: TUGBOAT CONFERENCE
Great insights into issues for tugs
T
he Council of Marine Carriers and the organizing committee of the 22nd Tugboat Conference are to be congratulated on presenting such a relevant and engaging three-day event. The conference, held from June 1 – 3 in Whistler, had the right mix of speakers, exhibits and networking sessions to ensure attendees were kept busy and entertained throughout. Opening with a golf tournament followed by a welcome reception, attendees got the opportunity to relax, catch up with colleagues and settle in before two days of an agenda that gave a holistic look at the current operating environment for the tug industry. Following a welcome from Conference Chair Leo Stradiotti on the first day of sessions, Bart Reynolds, President, Seaspan Marine, gave the keynote speech that focused on “Learning From Other Industries.” He started by highlighting the “things that keep me up at night” — harm to people, harm to assets and equipment, and harm to the environment and followed to demonstrate how improvements over the past 20 years could be attributed to the evolution of safety systems, training, reporting, supervision, communications and job safety analysis as well as advanced safety management systems that allowed for data analysis, accountability, best practices and the sharing of lessons learned.
Four sessions in total were presented over the course of the next two days, providing insight into: 1) The relationship with the wider industry — Robert Lewis-Manning (President, Chamber of Shipping); Ben Thompson (Client Relations Area Manager for Western North America, Lloyd’s Register); and Bob Beadell (President, Invicta Marine) spoke in turn about the trends in both the global and local shipping industry and the effect these trends were having on the tug industry; the Federal Government’s Delegated Statutory Inspection Program and what tug operators could expect in the future from Transport Canada in relation to the program; and the benefit of having a robust safety management system. 2) Expanding the partnership — Captain Kevin Obermeyer (President, Pacific Pilotage Authority) spoke to the changes being implemented to the Waiver System, noting that since the Nathan E. Stewart incident, pilotage rules had been “under the microscope.” Captain Obermeyer was followed by a panel session led by Captain Stephen Brown and featuring Bikram Kanjilal (Trans Mountain Expansion Project), Michael Lowry (Western Canada Marine Response Corporation), Eric Butler (Chevron) and Captain Robin Stewart (BC Coast Pilots Ltd.). Each looked at aspects of safety and how
the tug industry plays an integral part in contributing to the spill response regime. 3) Industry support — Mike Phillips (Robert Allan Ltd.) and Ben Harris (London Shipowners Club) discussed first, the design of escort and rescue tugs to meet the future needs of the B.C. coast; and subsequently, liability issues in relation to incidents that involved tugs. 4) The broader horizon — as the last session of the conference, Captain John Veentjer (Marine Exchange of Puget Sound), Yvette Myers (Transport Canada Marine Safety and Security) and Brian Wootton (Canadian Coast Guard) provided a “big picture” look at both national and international initiatives — Veentjer spoke about collaboration between U.S. and Canadian counterparts in addressing issues like vessel traffic management; and both Myers and Wooten looked at the many initiatives that were being planned under the Oceans Protection Plan. Other activities over the three days included the presentation of the Legacy Award to Captain Joe Gosse (see our tribute to Captain Gosse in the June issue) and a fun-filled evening gala that included dinner, entertainment and casino fun. The 23rd CMC Tugboat Conference will take place in Victoria in 2018 — watch out for details!
More photos online at: WWW.BCSHIPPINGNEWS.COM July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 35
INTERNATIONAL SHIPYARDS
Shipyards: An international perspective By Captain Stephen Brown West Pacific Marine
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any of you will have sat through presentations in which I have spoken to the pending crisis in world shipyards as a consequence of the financial crisis affecting most sectors of global shipping. That crisis has now been with us for the past two to three years depending on the specialization and location of the yard, but most of all, the willingness of the particular national government to subsidize production in the interests of safeguarding a strategic industry and maintenance of social stability. Whatever the case, a global downturn of 71 per cent in orders in 2016 compared to 2015 was bound to have consequences. To put the issue into perspective, there perhaps needs to be an appreciation of the importance of shipbuilding for developing Asian countries whether for reasons of prestige, a source of mass employment, foreign exchange earnings or simply providing an avenue to industrial modernization and technological innovation. Japan used shipbuilding in the 1950s and 1960s to rebuild its industrial base; South Korea copied the blueprint in the 1970s by declaring shipbuilding to be a strategic industry; closely followed by China in the 1980s in the form of major state-controlled enterprises. Today, we see a new round of Asian shipbuilding growth centred on the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and to some extent, Singapore which, despite current hard times, specializes in construction and conversion for the off-shore industry. We should also not overlook that in the Arabian Gulf, Saudi Aramco is to build the region’s biggest shipyard in a $5.2 billion joint venture with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, and others, with the capacity to produce four offshore rigs and 40 vessels, including three VLCCs a year. It is therefore of no surprise that despite the steep decline in orders for 36 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
Whatever the case, a global downturn of 71 per cent in orders in 2016 compared to 2015 was bound to have consequences. new vessels over the past five years, and some attempts at consolidation of the industry, state support is as important as ever. South Korea’s so called “Big-Three” shipbuilders — Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) — dominate the global market for large container ships but those orders are rapidly drying up as the major container lines place greater emphasis on consolidation and profitability rather than protection of market share. Competition from China, production delays, and massive overcapacity have resulted in the current round of financial distress for South Korean shipyards. Despite increasing numbers of ultralarge container vessels (ULCVs) joining the global fleet, the last time an order was placed for a ULCV was the final quarter of 2015, and latest numbers indicate that the orderbook to existing fleet ratio has fallen to a record low of 14 per cent despite outstanding orders for 50 ULCVs. This translates to the fact that all new container vessels due for delivery until the end of 2019 will add just 14 per cent to global fleet capacity with the ratio likely to continue in decline given the imperative for the liner trades to bring balance to supply and demand and thereby stem several consecutive years of unsustainable losses. Of course, the fanfare around the delivery of ever larger ULCVs, the most recent being around the OOCL Hong Kong at 21,400 TEU, continues to be the headline grabber. However, an interesting aspect is that while ULCV capacity has grown, the actual size of the vessels has not — all have a length of between 395 and
400 metres with a beam of 58-59 metres allowing for 24 bays across on deck. Faced with a reduction of shipyard orders in dollar terms of 94 per cent after shedding some 20,000 jobs in the first half of 2016, and a backlash from the failure of Hanjin Shipping, it was announced last fall that the Government of South Korea had elected to extend almost $10 billion in subsidies to the beleaguered shipbuilding industry and create a fund designed to encourage Korean owners to order more than 250 ships. All this despite a short-lived policy statement from the Government in 2015 when it was announced that as a consequence of World Trade Organization rules, there would be no further state support for DSME, the world’s single largest builder of container ships. Chinese shipyards have been facing even greater problems with many projected greenfield yards failing to materialize, despite having accepted orders for vessels. In addition, as a consequence of a 32 per cent reduction in orders in 2016 compared to 2015, and a further 47 per cent fall in orders in the year to date 2017, many existing yards have been liquidated, with huge consequences for local economies There are no firm numbers but informed estimates put the reduction in China’s national ship building capacity at around 30 per cent. That being said, China has been steadily eating into South Korea’s traditional areas of expertise in LNG carriers and large container ships. Not content with that, it was announced in February this year that Carnival Corporation had signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Fincantieri of
INTERNATIONAL SHIPYARDS Image courtesy Shell
Italy, to order the first-ever cruise ships and four options to be built in China for the Chinese market. The significance of this may be judged by the fact that the MOA was formalized during an official signing ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The first of these ships is scheduled for delivery in 2023. Despite many years of rationalization and consolidation of yards, Japan’s shipbuilding industry is also in its worst slump since the 2008 global financial crisis. After a few bumper years of new orders driven by a weak yen and a spike in demand ahead of stricter environmental regulations, the country’s yards saw new orders for export ships plunge by 80 per cent during 2016. Japan too has flirted with construction of cruise ships, initially with Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess (both delivered in 2004 following an expensive fire on the first hull during construction) and more recently for Aida cruises built at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)
Prelude, a Floating LNG platform and the world’s largest floating structure 488m x 78m) under construction at the Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyard in Geoje, South Korea.
Yard in Nagasaki. AIDAprima was originally scheduled for delivery in March 2015 but was actually delivered in March 2016. One can only speculate that the late delivery penalties will give MHI reason to pause for thought before competing for similar projects.
Despite a far lower profile, the Philippines is also developing into a global shipbuilding hub, aided by the resources and know-how of foreign investors. In 2010, the country quietly surpassed its European rivals and has since become the fourth largest
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INTERNATIONAL SHIPYARDS Source: OECD
shipbuilding nation after China, South Korea and Japan. Major yards are Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction in Subic Bay, Keppel Subic Shipyard and the Keppel Batangas Shipyard. In 2015, the Hanjin Yard secured an order for three 20,600 TEU capacity container vessels for CMA-CGM, the first of which is due for delivery later this year and which will be the largest vessel ever to be built in the Philippines. On the other side of the South China Sea, Singapore has been badly hit by the global oversupply of oil and shrinking profits with most oil companies taking a time-out from exploration drilling and thereby the construction of the new offshore rigs in which Singapore has traditionally specialized. While contraction began in 2013, the impacts were modest until 2015 when several contracts were dumped in rapid succession. Leading player Sembcorp Marine delivered eight rigs in 2014 but only one in 2015. For its part, Keppel was scheduled to deliver 15 rigs in 2015 but only seven materialized. The prolonged slowdown has therefore resulted in Keppel reducing its global workforce by around 18,000, or about 49 per cent, since the start of 2015. The company also ceased operations at two overseas yards and announced plans to mothball three rigs in Singapore. If you are seeking some brighter news — look no further than the European
Predicted expansion of world seaborne trade to 2050.
If you are seeking some brighter news — look no further than the European shipyards which have patiently stayed away from boom and bust cycles... shipyards which have patiently stayed away from boom and bust cycles in the construction of container ships, bulk carriers and tankers but rather maintained focus on competing for the construction of naval vessels, cruise ships and ferries. While European shipbuilding is but a shadow of its former self, the dominance
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of Italy, Germany, France, and to a lesser extent Poland, Finland, the Netherlands and Turkey has to be admired. These are not low-cost labour environments but the key to their success has been productivity and quality of product combined with reliability in terms of building to budget and on-time delivery. One leading example of success is Germany’s MEYER WERFT which was founded way back in 1795 and which is now in its seventh generation of family ownership. In the closing decades of the 20th century, MEYER WERFT acquired and has maintained an envious international reputation for the construction of all manner of ferries, gas tankers, livestock carriers but above all, cruise ships. However, here too, consolidation has been a necessity for smaller yards to survive. Examples are the acquisition of Finland’s highly regarded Turku Shipyard by MEYER WERFT in 2014 following a near collapse under the ownership of South Korea’s STX Group during that company’s well-documented financial struggles. This was followed in May this year when the Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in STX France, operator of the 150-year-old shipyard in SaintNazaire, thereby allowing Fincantieri to further expand the company’s footprint
Photo: Royal Caribbean Cruises
Currently the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas was delivered in May 2016 to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
in the cruise ship market. It was only last year that STX San Nazaire delivered the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, the third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class of vessels and will deliver the fourth in class in 2018. Thus far, the French government has vowed to maintain its 33 per cent stake in the yard and thereby ensure blocking rights. A further eyebrow raiser materialized in 2015 following the decision of Malaysia’s Genting Group to take a controlling interest in Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany, a shipyard which has been continuously in business since 1857. The Genting Group is the majority owner/controller of Norwegian Cruise Line, Star Cruises (now renamed as Genting Hong Kong), Dream Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. The Group has a long-time relationship with Lloyd Werft but the decision to elevate this to the next level and thereby have the ability to directly control new build costs is quite significant. At the end of the day, no discussion of international shipbuilding can thus escape the reality that shipyards are frequently a tool of national economic policy and are therefore subject to the political direction of the day. When shipyards are a key strategic and economic bedrock such as is the case in Asia, policy distortions become inevitable. But it doesn’t end there. In 1994, under the umbrella of the OECD, the European Commission, together with the Governments of Finland, Japan,
South Korea, Norway, Sweden and the United States, signed the Final Act of the “Agreement Respecting Normal Competitive Conditions in the Commercial Shipbuilding and Repair Industry.” The Agreement was scheduled to enter into force in July 1996 however, the United States, which launched the initial discussions in 1989, has still not ratified the Agreement, and as a consequence, the Agreement is not yet in force. Needless to say, as perhaps the world’s foremost subsidizer of ship construction, it is not in the strategic interests of the U.S. to enter such an agreement. Looking to the future, if well informed predictions are correct, world trade will double by 2030 and triple by 2050. Despite the steady increase in vessel sizes, this will require many more ships to be added to the global fleet than exist today. The question is, who will build them? Strategic purpose and long-term vision will dictate winners and losers but, as with ship owning, there are many bumps, twists and turns along the way which will decide the outcomes. Captain Stephen Brown spent 21 years at sea where he served as Master for the last five years with Gearbulk Shipping. After coming ashore, he worked in various levels of operational management for Gearbulk Shipping before going on to serve as Chamber of Shipping of BC Director (2000 to 2008) and President (2008 to 2016). Captain Brown is currently the owner of West Pacific Marine Ltd., Marine Consultancy and can be reached at westpacificmarine@gmail.com. July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 39
SOCIAL LICENCE Social licence, part two
A “must-have” for marine shipping By Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett Most Canadians have confidence in the safety rules that apply to marine shipping, but close to 50 per cent are concerned about the enforcement of these regulations.
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n my recent essay “Social licence: Make-believe, nice-to-have or musthave for a sustainable marine shipping sector?” (BCSN; May 2017) I concluded: • Gaining social licence to operate (SLO) is a firmly established requisite in the development of mining operations. • The position to dismiss the concept of SLO in the marine shipping sector as “make believe” is not defendable. • With specific reference to the shipment of hydrocarbons, SLO is highly beneficial in avoiding costly delays of related project developments and disruptions of the supply chain. • Is it a “nice-to-have” or “must-have” for a sustainable marine shipping sector? Consider the options of enjoying the trust, legitimacy and consent of a community versus being denied these attributes. • The first step in obtaining SLO is to consider the needful efforts to obtain it. In conversations about the social licence to operate for marine shipping operations (SLO), the focus shifts quickly towards current and future oil and gas shipments when talking to B.C,’s coastal communities. Opinions range widely from the extremes of blanket approvals quoting job creation and tax revenue, to the pointblank denial of new developments or even the status quo, as beneficial as these may be for local communities or the economy. It is fair to assume that out of 100 opinions, 20 views will support the “go ahead” camp, and 20 beliefs will represent the “no way” fraction … no matter what. While these groups stand unified in their respective positions for or against 40 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
development, individual interviews reveal more diversified personal views on why, or why not, a project should be moved forward or dropped. Both interpretations appear equally guided by bias, incomplete knowledge and misinformation. It is reasonable to predict that these engrained “extreme” opinions at both ends of the old table will not easily be swayed. Yet they seem to dominate the public debate and polarize the issue. So what about the 60 people in the middle — the group that is actually still curious and undecided on the issue? Listening to these folks, they readily admit that they don’t have all the answers. They lack knowledge of marine shipping and find it difficult to access unbiased, impartial and independently researched information on marine shipping safety and best practices elsewhere. This situation creates uncertainty and fosters mistrust about anybody who pushes an agenda, pro or con as the case may be. They realize that the marine shipping industry is essential to the Canadian economy, but they also question the risks associated with the increased shipments of oil from Canada’s oil sands and new energy cargoes such as LNG. In a recent workshop, the Council of Canadian Academies explored questions related to marine shipping risks in Canada. The report, “Commercial Marine Shipping Accidents: Understanding the Risks in Canada,” recaps the extensive regulatory framework in place to mitigate marine shipping risks in Canada, including regional variations to the marine safety regime. However, the report also qualifies regulations as
“the minimum agreed-upon standards” and points out that like all industries, the marine industry also relies on a certain degree of community support, or social licence, to conduct its business. The report reasons that the marine shipping industry, to keep earning public trust, must strive to improve further on its safety and environmental protection performance, and social licence may be challenging to earn, as the quantifiable benefits of shipping (for example, trade, tax revenue) are widely dispersed but negative impacts (for example, traffic congestion, pollution) are locally concentrated. The heavy fuel oil spill in Vancouver’s English Bay is a case in point and highlights the public’s awareness of and concern with protection of the marine environment and the critical scrutiny of the existing oil spill preparedness and response regime. This concern is also reflected in the results of an Angus Reid poll: Most Canadians have confidence in the safety rules that apply to marine shipping, but close to 50 per cent are concerned about the enforcement of these regulations. In the context of social licence, this is a significant finding. The belief that a regulatory framework — i.e., the “minimum agreed upon safety standard” — is not sufficiently enforced will turn any attempt to gain social licence into an uphill battle. These observations indicate that the key to SLO for the marine sector lies in the credible demonstration of an effective marine emergency management regime, structured and resourced to deal with all aspects of shipping incidents and accidents and the phases before, during and after a marine occurrence. This relates to a number of prominent reviews of Canada’s existing marine safety system and the resulting recommendations designed to create a worldclass system for our coasts. In order for
SOCIAL LICENCE these elaborations to gain tangible traction with the general public, it is helpful to critically review the individual systems and processes that comprise the existing marine emergency management regime: • “Prevention,” “mitigation” and “preparedness” are the elements that come into play before an emergency occurs; • “Response” is what happens during the emergency; and • “Recovery” deals with the aftermath of the event. With the exception of the Canadian Arctic, the periods during and after a marine emergency — “response” and “recovery” — are well resourced, both from a policy and funding perspective. The marine shipping sector is obliged to contribute to the funding of marine response corporations on the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. For example, Western Canada Marine Response Corporation — a component of the “response” phase — has annual revenues in the order of $5.5 million, collected on the basis of registration and annual subscription fees per vessel in addition to bulk oil cargo fees. The Ship Source Oil Pollution Fund — an element of “recovery” — is good for some $400 million, created through levies of $0.06 per barrel that were raised on oil shipments until 1976. Currently, the fund reports annual revenues from interest in the order of $6.5 million. While there is always room for improvement, the case can be made that “response” and “recovery” are adequately addressed in the current regime, backed up by facts and figures and demonstrated by existing tangible assets. However, oil spills like the well-publicized diesel spill of the tug Nathan E. Stewart also demonstrate that the success of “response” will always be limited due to the vastness and ruggedness of our oceans and coastlines. In view of this, it is not difficult to win majority support for the statement that “response” and “recovery” are essential elements of a world-class marine safety system, but spills of any nature are best prevented. So what about the state of “prevention,” “mitigation” and “preparedness,” the elements involved in the phase before an emergency occurs? What about the crucial components such as regulations, enforcement, infrastructure,
pilotage, training standards, protocols and procedures, and capable assets to be deployed as a preventive measure or in case of a disabled ship drifting on our coasts? The MV Simushir near-grounding incident in 2014 has exposed several gaps in our marine safety system in the areas of prevention, mitigation and preparedness. Many of these have been addressed in the design of the Oceans Protection Plan announced last fall and also by
proactive research of the industry on enhanced risk mitigation practices for potential groundings of laden tankers in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. However, many findings and resolutions remain yet to be implemented. But that’s another story for another day... to be continued. Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett is a Marine Transportation Consultant and can be reached at richard.wiefelspuett@gmx.de.
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July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 41
NAVAL TRAINING Fleet Navigating Officer training:
Frigates in the Gulf Islands By Lt(N) Brittany Sage Brown, HMCS Calgary
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hile vessel traffic in the Southern Gulf Islands is normally dominated by BC Ferries, tugs with tows, whale watching boats, fishing vessels, and pleasure craft, twice a year Halifax-class frigates charge through local pilotage waters. Ever catch yourself wondering why? The practice of military navigation is often misunderstood by those external to the organization, and linking it to the broader commercial framework can be challenging. In the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), beyond the traditional view of pilotage and the conduct of ocean and coastal transits, navigation is viewed as a warfare enabler. In order to accomplish their mission, warships must be able to sail in pilotage waters all over the world on short notice and without the aid of local pilots. Additionally, warships must be able to navigate in an emissions-controlled state, without the use of radar, or in an environment where navigation aids, satellite and ground-based navigation systems are deactivated. Thus, military pilotage has a unique requirement to be self-sufficient and specialized. While all professional mariners receive outstanding navigation training,
In order to accomplish their mission, warships must be able to sail in pilotage waters all over the world on short notice and without the aid of local pilots. specialized training and employment of a dedicated navigating officer is usually limited to warships. The objective is “to safely conduct high-speed and high-risk military operations in pilotage waters all around the world with or without support,” says LCdr Andrew Wetmore, the RCN’s Senior Navigation Instructor and head of training at Venture, the RCN’s naval officer school. In warfare, the use of modern electronic support, such as GPS, AIS and even radars, may be denied by enemy action or limited by geography and thus cannot be solely relied upon during operations. As such, warships need to be able to navigate using traditional methods including paper charts, sextants, depth contours, and precise reckoning based on visual bearings and radian mathematics. This operationalminded approach is what drives excellence in navigation throughout the fleet, and to meet this standard, candidates must face Canada’s most challenging waters.
The Southern Gulf Islands, often recognized as one of the world’s top coastal destinations, offers world-class navigation training a stone’s throw from Canada’s Pacific Coast naval base. The best way to describe the navigation challenges of the Islands is to understand how they were formed. This cluster of 225 islands and islets, exposing sharp bedrock and narrow valley landscapes, originated 100 million years ago when tectonic movement caused Wrangellia to collide with the North American continent. The resulting mountain ridges and valleys were further carved by glacial movement. Today’s slender islands are, in reality, exposed mountain tops. The nature of this unique topography lends to the challenge of navigating the region’s many underwater dangers, making it one of the world’s prime training environments. Further challenges include aggressive tidal currents as well as changing winds and weather patterns. What may be an easy transit one day,
HMCS Calgary in the Gulf Islands 42 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
Photo: Navy Public Affairs, DND
NAVAL TRAINING can be an entirely different challenge the next. Add routine commercial and pleasure craft traffic to the mix and you’ve got yourself a test reflective of the most challenging scenarios that could be encountered worldwide. By sending the fleet’s future navigators into the Islands for a week onboard a Halifax-class frigate, the RCN subjects students to the ultimate capstone examination. Nestled within this unique environment, the RCN’s naval officer school in Esquimalt, B.C., named Venture after a long history of vessels and institutions, is tasked with providing the highest standard of professional mariner training to every bridge watchkeeper and navigator in the RCN. To fill this role, Venture utilizes a blended learning environment. The school harbours six fully equipped bridge simulators with the most advanced technology in training, networked campus-style classrooms and year-round access to ORCA-class patrol craft. Despite unparalleled infrastructure, the Navigation Section’s main asset is its inhouse expertise. Venture has two types of instructors: course staff, made up of the
By sending the fleet’s future navigators into the Islands for a week onboard a Halifax-class frigate, the RCN subjects students to the ultimate capstone examination. Navy’s most experienced serving navigators; and mentors, a collective of retired Commanding Officers, with both extensive military and commercial experience. This breadth of knowledge and cuttingedge training resource, when paired with experience in local waters, allows the school to uphold the highest standard in watchkeeping and navigation. Venture’s teachings encompass all aspects of Junior Naval Officer training and development, including generic bridge watchkeeping skills to all Maritime Surface/Subsurface (MARS) officers, and specialized training such as the Fleet Navigating Officer (FNO) course. All bridge watchkeepers in the RCN undergo one year of naval officer training at Venture prior to joining the fleet. To succeed at Venture, they must demonstrate proficiency in the school’s four pillars — Leader, Mariner, Manager
and Warrior. The following two to three years will be spent on operational platforms throughout the fleet where they will refine their bridge watchkeeping skillsets. From there, about 15 per cent of these officers will return to Venture to receive specialized navigation training. Every year, Venture graduates up to 100 prospective bridge watchkeepers, and 20 FNO candidates, who supplement the fleet with the highest level of military navigation training. The FNO course is administered in a formalized building-block approach to learning. Scenarios are analyzed from different perspectives, encouraging collective learning in both academic and practical situations focused on building confidence every step of the way. Each phase of the 18-week course builds on the other: the first eight weeks cover an extensive range of practical and
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Photo: LS Sergej Krivenko, HMCS Calgary
Lieutenant-Navy Justin Sowley, Bridge Watchkeeper, calculates a relative velocity solution on board HMCS Vancouver while en route to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for RIMPAC 16 on June 27, 2016.
In waters where everything from fluctuating traffic density to changing weather patterns is variable, the professionalism of fellow mariners can always be expected. academic teachings while the final 10 weeks in simulators, patrol craft and a frigate constitute the practical examination and consolidation phase. The final phase of the candidate’s training, this year onboard HMCS Calgary, introduces a new challenge: managing bridge teams in an environment reflective of real-world risks. “Canada is one of the only countries in the world whose Navy mobilizes a major warship and her ship’s company for an entire week in order to supply the fleet with the highest standard in navigation,” explains Cdr Blair Saltel, Commanding Officer of HMCS Calgary. This intense sea phase serves as the final exam for FNO candidates. Although bridge simulators and patrol crafts provide ample opportunity to build specific skillsets, major warship navigation requires a high level of orchestration. To be successful, said LCdr Andrew Wetmore, “FNO candidates must learn how to take a step back and effectively employ their bridge team. At this point, we have already assessed their ability to navigate and are looking to develop their bridge resource management skills.” This is often more challenging for candidates than anticipated. In a broader scope, students rotate as Daily Duty Navigator, charged with the overall navigation picture: the plan often impacts other departments onboard and requires constant liaising with Heads of 44 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
Departments to meet mission requirements. This type of exposure is the true advantage of training on a frigate as opposed to simulation. Once their training is complete, successful candidates will graduate with their Minor War Vessel Qualification, Arctic Operations Course and the FNO qualification. It should come as no surprise that Canada’s Fleet Navigating Officers are highly regarded around the world as cuttingedge maritime professionals. Over time, the FNO course has evolved alongside the Navy — as new ships are commissioned and technologies advance, training programs are ever changing. LCdr Wetmore has been a part of the navigation training system for 12 years. From student to ship’s navigator and finally training staff, he has taken part in many of these changes. “When I was standing watches as a Junior Bridge Watchkeeper we were just starting to incorporate electronic chart navigation into our practice,” he said. As the Navy introduced new iterations to core navigation publications, electronic charting has become central to bridge watchkeeping in the fleet. LCdr Wetmore, now the head of training, highlights that “this is the first FNO course serial that has fully transitioned to electronic navigation in the final phase.” Before, students maintained paper charts throughout the program.
Now, during the most important week of their training, high-speed pilotage is conducted without reference to paper charts. Students are required to demonstrate competence on paper during earlier phases of the course, clearing the way for a focus on operational navigation techniques on the electronic charting system. While paper charts are not part of this final assessment, all principles of tactical navigation are examined and students are forced to utilize the electronic charting system in its most degraded mode, without any motion or position inputs, essentially reducing it to the functional level of a paper chart. Wetmore adds that “this evolution has enabled us to force students to rely on all their tools, improving our ability to focus their learning and create expertise while enabling an emphasis on correlating multiple sources of input to make good decisions under pressure.” The future of navigation training in the RCN will continue to adapt to emerging technology. As these tools evolve, they will be integrated further into the way business at sea is conducted across all maritime industries. Despite having to adapt to the changing maritime environment, challenging the Gulf Islands’ pilotage waters as a navigator onboard a frigate will undoubtedly be a fixture in the training system. Integral to this training is the competence of the Pacific Coast’s professional maritime community. In waters where everything from fluctuating traffic density to changing weather patterns is variable, the professionalism of fellow mariners can always be expected. That, paired with a local understanding of the Navy’s objectives, is what makes the true quality of the region. At the end of the day, mariners from all walks of life come together in small but significant ways when sailing the Gulf Islands. When combined with highly specialized instructors, cuttingedge training resources, and an adaptive training system, these world-class coastal waters are what make Canada’s naval navigation training truly unique. Lieutenant Brittany Sage Brown is an Information Management Officer on Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Calgary. She graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2013 and has since served as a Maritime Surface and Sub-Surface Officer on ships within the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
LEGAL AFFAIRS
Reforms to Canada’s ShipSource Oil Pollution Fund By Glen Krueger Bernard LLP, Vancouver
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s part of Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan (OPP), the Federal Government has announced plans to amend elements of the Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund (SSOPF) with a focus on ensuring adequate compensation is available and the SSOPF remains solvent. As it stands, tankers carry 80 million tonnes of oil annually from Canadian coasts, and with the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project, this number appears likely to grow, so these amendments could be quite significant in the future.
Background of the SSOPF
The SSOPF can be traced back to the grounding and sinking of the SS Arrow, a Liberian flagged tanker on Cerberus Rock in Nova Scotia on February 4, 1970. Efforts to free her failed and she eventually broke in two, spilling about two-thirds of her cargo. In the end, 8,000 tonnes of oil was spilled and 190 miles of shoreline affected. An inquiry revealed her depth sounder had not been operational for two months, her autogyro compass had a permanent error of three degrees west and her radar had failed. In response to the Arrow incident, the Maritime Pollution Claims Fund (MPCF), the predecessor, regime, was created with the principal elements being: • Strict liability of ship owners; • Limiting of ship owner liability in certain circumstances in exchange for strict liability; • Creation of the MPCF for claims in excess of a ship owner’s limitation of liability; and • Minister of Transport authority over any ship/cargo discharging or likely to discharge oil. In 1989, the SSOPF replaced the MPCF. Canada became a Contracting State to the 1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pol-
The SSOPF serves two functions with respect to claims for oil pollution damage, acting as either the first resort or the last resort. lution Damage and the Convention on Establishing of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage. Canada would eventually adopt their successor Conventions; the 1992 Civil Liability Convention and the 1992 Fund Convention. In 2009, Canada also acceded to the 2001 Bunkers Convention which governs compensation for spills of bunker oil carried as fuel, not as cargo. A Supplementary Fund was created in 2005 which increased the total compensation available and in 2010 the Marine Liability Act was amended to implement the Supplementary Fund in Canada.
How does the SSOPF operate?
The SSOPF and its governing administration are set out in the Marine Liability Act. A ship owner is liable for oil pollution damage with a possible limit of liability calculable on the tonnage of the vessel. Based on the polluter-pay principle, it is a strict liability regime and negligence need not be proven. The SSOPF is managed by an Administrator. Three defences can negate strict liability of a ship owner: 1) Act of war, hostilities, civil war, insurrection, or from a natural phenomenon of an exceptional, inevitable and irresistible character; 2) an act or omission of a third party with intent to cause damage; or 3) negligence of government authorities responsible for lights or other navigational aids. The SSOPF serves two functions with respect to claims for oil pollution damage, acting as either the first resort or the last resort. In the case of first resort, a claimant may file their claim with the Administrator who will then investigate and make an offer of compensation.
Afterwards, the Administrator may subrogate and attempt to recover from the ship owner. This was the case in Anangel Splendour (Ship) v Canada (SOPF, Administrator), 2006 FCA 212, in which Quebec Cartier and Fisheries incurred costs for cleaning up a spill and submitted them to the Administrator who then provided compensation and then sought to recover those amounts from the ship owner. When the SSOPF acts as a last resort, the claimant’s claim directly against the ship owner and the SSOPF is available to pay compensation to the extent that the claimant fails to be adequately compensated by the ship owner, subject to the recovery terms of the SSPOF. Recently, the potential for Administrator claims has been expanded. In Verreault Navigation Inc. v The Ship “Chaulk Lifter,” 2016 FC 1281, the ship responsible for the spill had sunk. The Administrator brought an in rem claim against the sunken ship and her sister ship. Mr. Justice Harrington allowed the claim, noting that under the Marine Liability Act the Administrator had an action in rem and an action could be exercised against any ship that had the same ownership.
Making a claim
A claim can be made, by either a party or their legal representative, for preventive measures and oil pollution damage (or anticipated damage) occurring in Canadian inland or coastal waters. Oil pollution damage has a specifically defined meaning. The claim must be made within two years after the day on which the oil pollution damage occurred July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 45
LEGAL AFFAIRS and within five years after the occurrence that caused the damage. If no actual oil pollution damage has occurred, the claim must be made within five years of the occurrence. There have been calls for the fiveyear limit to be abolished due to risks associated with historical ship wrecks. Even the SS Arrow is an ongoing source of concern; in October 2015, the wreck began leaking oil again. However, no reforms of the limitation period have been announced. There are three types of claims that can be brought to the SSOPF. The first is that of public authorities, such as the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans, while the second type of claim is non-government entities. The third type of claim is those who make a living from fisheries and who suffer actual or prospective loss that is otherwise not recoverable. A critical aspect of a successful claim is good recordkeeping. Clear records which support a clear history should help lead to a short investigation rather than a long protracted one. Claimed costs can include: • Materials/supplies;
46 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
• • • • • • •
Contract services; Travel costs; Sales and overtime; Vehicle and vessel costs; Pollution counter-measures; Loss of income; and Appointment of assessors. For the fiscal 2016/2017 year, the maximum liability of the SSOPF was $168,656,700 for all claims arising out of one spill. The Federal Government has announced that it will amend the SSOPF to remove the per-incident limit of liability and make an unlimited amount of compensation available for spill response. As of March 31, 2016, the total accumulated surplus in the SSOPF was $408,498,597. As a result of the removal of the per-incident limit on compensation, there may be some concern that this amount is no longer sufficient. The second amendment by the Federal Government is meant to address this concern. The Marine Liability Act grants the Minister of Transport the authority to impose a levy of 50.59 cents per metric tonne of bulk cargo oil either being shipped into or from Canada. No levy has
been imposed since 1976. The Federal Government has announced that, should the SSOPF be depleted, a modernized levy will be instated. The announced amendment would apply to “those who ship oil” which leaves whether it will apply to imports, exports or both an open question.
Subrogated actions by the SSOPF
The SSOPF can seek to recoup the costs associated with oil pollution damage and the costs of prevention, repair, remedy, minimizing and monitoring arising from the same. This usually takes the form of a formal demand for repayment followed by a claim against those that the SSOPF believes responsible for the damage. The announced removal of the perincident limit could dramatically increase potential industry exposure in the case of a large-scale spill. We will have to wait and see whether the proposed changes are put in place. Glen Krueger is a lawyer with Bernard LLP and can be reached at Krueger@bernardllp.ca
EVENT RECAP: MARI-TECH Mari-Tech 2017
CIMarE St. Lawrence delivers...
T
he dedication, hard work and determination of the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (CIMarE) St. Lawrence branch’s planning committee, with the collaboration of the Creative Relations Event Planning (CREP) team, made Mari-Tech 2017 a highly successful event. The participants, exhibitors and technical presenters all praised this year’s Mari-Tech as a very well-planned and organized conference. In choosing venues for Mari-Tech, emphasis was placed on the importance of efficient networking as well as making new business and social contacts. Held in the very centrally located Bonaventure Hotel, well known for its efficiency in hosting national and international conferences, the event also coincided with the 375th anniversary of the city of Montreal. BC Shipping News readers are by now very familiar with this significant national marine technology conference and exhibition (Mari-Tech) organized annually by CIMarE and hosted by one of its seven branches across the nation. The main function of this event is to propagate the latest trends in the marine industry as well as to tackle the current and forthcoming regulations of government and various other regulating bodies. With ever growing worldwide environmental concerns, there could not have been a better theme for this year’s conference than 21st Century Marine Engineering: Efficient and ECO Systems. During the conference, Canadian and international industry experts shared their knowledge and experience on various topics related to the theme. This year featured a presentation on the Federal Marine Procurement Outlook provided by Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in association with the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), Transport Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) which was held on April 19. The session outlined planned procurements over the course of the next three years. This event integrated into the Mari-Tech program and the registered attendees had free access to it. Organized one-on-one meetings between these government agencies and various marine industry companies were arranged during the following days of the conference. After the PSPC session, DND met a large number of individuals interested in joining marine forces. On the evening of the 19th, the opening reception was held at the hotel. With cocktails and an on-site cook preparing delicious hors d’oeuvres, sponsored by Group Desgagnes, this event was attended by over 200 people and was a great success. The April 20 session opened with a welcome address from the Mari-Tech Planning Committee Chair, Mario Rossi. The keynote speech was delivered by Steve MacKinnon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, who put forward several salient points on transportation under the Ocean Protection Plan and standards in the marine sector. MacKinnon emphasized that the goal is to build worldwide marine corridors that are competitive, safe and environmentally sustainable, and to ensure this especially applies to northern transportation infrastructure. This was followed by a motivating keynote by the widely known speaker, Dr. Mary Donohue. Interlaced with humour, Dr. Mary’s speech addressed the communication gap between
Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y, and the related problems organizations face in today’s multi-generational workplace. In her talk, she identified several pointers for building an efficient communication system to improve employee engagement and productivity. The CIMarE Medal of Excellence for 2017 was awarded to Wendy Tadros, former chair of the Transportation Safety Board. Tadros was chosen because she demonstrated exceptional leadership in the improvement of safety across the marine industry. The medal was presented prior to the commencement of the technical papers. The technical conference opened after the keynotes with a very comprehensive selection of topical presentations covering a wide range of subjects related to the Mari-Tech theme, including integrated power systems, efficient power transmission and atmospheric pollution control. Another highlight of the conference was the evening reception, sponsored by Besiktas Shipyard, which took place at the historical Pointe a Calierre museum, located where early French settlers, such as Maisonneauve and Jeanne Mance, landed in 1642. For the convenience of the attending guests, luxury transportation was arranged to the reception site. Cocktails and delicious food, with the added attraction of a visit to underground excavations showcasing the history of Montreal over the last 375 years and a multi-language documentary film on the subject, made this a very enjoyable evening. The evening also provided ample opportunity for guests to network in an informal atmosphere. The marine industry exhibition spread over the complete 23,000 square feet of space available in the grand hall of the Bonaventure Hotel and housed more than 80 exhibition booths. Exhibitors and visitors praised the set up that gave everyone ample time and space to make new contacts and strengthen existing relationships. Several international companies from Greece, Turkey, Finland, Norway and Italy were also among the exhibitors. In his closing remarks, St. Lawrence Branch Chair, Pierre Boisclair, complimented the organizing committee and the event planners CREP for a well-managed Mari-Tech 2017 and thanked all the participants and guests for making it a successful event. It is now time to hand over the helm to the Vancouver Island branch who will be hosting next year’s Mari-Tech in Victoria, BC from April 11 – 13, 2018. We wish them a great event. Updates will soon be available on www.mari-tech.org. July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 47
EVENT RECAP: NIBC
Strong agenda results in successful NIBC Conference
F
With the theme of “Managing Marine Risks in the Pacific Northwest,” the holistic approach that covered all aspects of risk management ... gave attendees much to consider... presentation and started by highlighting the “things that keep me up at night” — harm to people, harm to assets and equipment, and harm to the environment. Improvements within each sector over the past 20 years were attributed to the evolution of safety systems, training, reporting, supervision, communications and job safety analysis as well as advanced safety management systems that allowed for data analysis, accountability, best practices and the sharing of lessons learned. The three morning speakers — Sandra Parkins, who has spent over two decades working in health care, education and government; Captain Yves Vandenborn, Director of Loss Prevention, The Standard Club; and Nippin Anand, Principal Specialist in safety management — covered the “human element” of risk management, with an emphasis on how greater communication, best practices and professional development led to overall improvements in work safety conditions. Each provided examples of cases where procedures formalized in safety management systems had been ignored;
Photo: BC Shipping News
eedback from all who attended the Nautical Institute BC Branch 2017 Conference consistently referenced the well-organized and relevant agenda when considering the event’s success. With the theme of “Managing Marine Risks in the Pacific Northwest,” the holistic approach that covered all aspects of risk management — from human and operational factors, to legal and insurance considerations, to tools, education and specific examples of risk mitigation — gave attendees much to consider from a roster of speakers from around the world who are experts in their respective fields. Proceedings commenced with welcomes from both Rear Admiral Nigel Greenwood, RCN (Ret’d) FNI, Chair of the Branch and Captain David (Duke) Snider, FNI, President, the Nautical Institute. Captain Snider gave a very touching tribute to Captain Zaki Farid, FNI, who passed away in April at the age of 83 and contributed immensely to the work and objectives of the Nautical Institute. While a full summary of conference speakers and topics can be found at www.bcshippingnews.com, the following highlights provided key take-aways: Setting the theme for subsequent speakers, Bart Reynolds, President, Seaspan Marine, provided the keynote
The NIBC 2017 Conference Committee: Kelly Larkin, Nigel Greenwood, Duke Snider, Angus Fedoruk, Christian Frappell and John Roberts (missing: Mark Taylor). 48 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
where training had not been structured; where near miss reports were no longer submitted; and where overall compliance with safety management systems was not followed. The concept of a “just culture” (i.e., an accountable culture) was examined and each speaker recommended that safety must be driven from the senior executive level. An interesting discussion that followed Anand’s presentation raised the issue of the human element as the root of the majority of incidents and that statistic that hasn’t changed over the years despite the development of new programs and initiatives. During lunch, Bikram Kanjilal, lead marine development consultant for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, gave an overview of the project and then outlined the safety measures being implemented to reduce risks. Kanjilal emphasized shared learning practices, guarding against complacency and taking time to engage with community stakeholders. He also indicated that the capabilities of tugs in the region would need to be increased. A highlight of the afternoon session was the Senior Leaders Panel, led by Nigel Greenwood and featuring Assistant Commissioner Roger Girouard, Canadian Coast Guard Western Region; Rear Admiral Art McDonald, Commander, Maritime Forces Pacific; Captain Kevin Obermeyer, President, Pacific Pilotage Authority; and Dermot Loughane, Tactical Marine Solutions. Each panelist gave their perspective on risk and what, as a leader, it takes to manage and mitigate that risk. Key take-aways from the session included the importance of identifying all operational risks and ensuring appropriate capacity was in place to not only mitigate the risk but provide an effective response should the need arise. While each panelist brought a unique perspective based on the responsibilities of their organizations,
EVENT RECAP it was clear that communication, training, and a commitment from senior executives were required factors to foster a culture of safety. Afternoon speakers that followed — Captain Ramanbir Mangat, Senior Marine Investigator for the Transportation Safety Board (TSB); Shelley Chapelski of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP; James Reid, Managing Director, Acuratek Inc.; and Adam Parry-Wingfield and Duncan Cox from Marsh Canada — focused on the regulatory, legal and insurance aspects of managing risk. With both theory and real-life examples, each gave great insights into the importance of analysis to identify factors contributing to safety incidents, noting that the interconnectedness of the supply chain meant that operations in one area could very easily lead to risks in another. Speaking about the impact of automation on the industry, James Reid further noted the importance of change management to deal with new technologies. That evening, conference attendees were treated to a presentation from Captain Jamie Marshall, Vice President, Marine Operations, BC Ferries, who gave an entertaining yet informative overview of the steps taken within the corporation to engage staff and encourage the development of a safety culture. It was an important night for Marshall who also received his Fellowship designation from the NIBC. With Robert Lewis-Manning, President, Chamber of Shipping, chairing the morning session of the second day, speakers focused on specific examples of how risk management factored into their operations and the tools available to mitigate those risks. Tero Vauraste from Arctia Ltd. touched on “risk perception” and the need to encourage crew members to explore anything that appeared suspicious.; John Riding, Managing Director of MARICO Marine, looked at ways of identifying risks through hydrography; and Ivana Kubat, Team Leader Ice Mechanics, National Research Council of Canada demonstrated the tools available to the industry that provided an additional level of risk assessment (specifically, the Canadian Arctic Shipping Risk Assessment Solution website portal). Looking at risk management training — Captain Kevin Greenwood RCN (Ret’d) and Captain Philip McCarter brought perspectives from the Royal Canadian Navy and BCIT’s Marine Campus respectively. In developing risk decision-making skills for sea command, Captain Greenwood’s discussion centred around the differences between experience and teaching risk decision making. He noted that the success rate for passing the course increased with the exposure to leaders and seeing how they made their decisions. Another key factor to success was “feeling that you’re ready” and that recognizing one’s own biases were an important part of the decision-making process. McCarter echoed that thought by emphasizing that risk was an inherent part of everything we do and that risk management was fraught with subjectivity. He noted that the basic contents of any training program should include three domains: cognitive (i.e., understanding), affective (i.e., “gut feel”), and psychomotor (knowledge of the process). In terms of teaching risk management, students must learn to assess, quantify, analyze, evaluate and monitor. McCarter called for a re-think within Transport Canada to provide greater definition for teachers as they develop courses on risk management. Captain Stanley Bowles, FNI, chaired the final conference session. Closing out the conference, Keith Taylor, Vice
President Operations, Holland America, and Captains Victor Gronmyr and Kent Reid with the Canadian Coast Guard, provided an overview of specific ways in which each addressed risk management within their organizations. The practical applications of risk management were implemented through planning and assessment exercises where having the right information in a timely manner was instrumental to the decision-making process. Captain Reid looked at how the CCG had developed a risk assessment framework which was used as a toolbox, layering strategic, operational, occupational and tactical risks which could be used to develop a “library” that would maintain knowledge. While the above summary can’t possibly capture the full relevance of each presentation, it was apparent that the agenda had fulfilled its promise of addressing the many aspects and perspectives associated with the subject of risk management and mitigation. Time and time again, key themes of the human equation and guarding against complacency; communication; competency through training but also through experience; and building a framework (both socially and operationally) that engages crew through involvement and awareness were raised. In evaluating the success of the event, consensus from attendees was that the NIBC Conference Committee (Nigel Greenwood, Duke Snider, Christian Frappell, Angus Fedoruk, Kelly Larkin, Mark Taylor and John Roberts) did an outstanding job in developing a forum for discussion and inspiration for further action to manage marine risks in the Pacific Northwest. BCSN
More photos online at: WWW.BCSHIPPINGNEWS.COM July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 49
ENVIRONMENT
Green Marine participants embrace new environmental challenges By Manon Lanthier
G
reen Marine marked 10 years as North America’s environmental certification program for the maritime industry by holding its annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from May 30 through June 1. GreenTech 2017 opened with the 2016 environmental performance results of Green Marine’s more than 100 participants and a good news story to share. The participants obtained an overall average of 3.1 on a 1-to-5 scale that has Level 1 requiring the monitoring of regulations and Level 5 reflecting excellence and leadership. The overall average for all performance indicators has remained quite steady over the past few years even though new indicators have been introduced and the criteria for existing indicators has been made significantly more demanding in several cases. “We’re constantly raising the bar as new regulations come into effect, improved technologies become readily available, and new emerging issues are introduced as additional priorities,” David Bolduc, Green Marine’s Executive Director, said. “This explains why the average has decreased ever so slightly from 3.2 in 2015.” Participants kept the overall average at slightly above Level 3 for 2016 even after Green Marine: • added a new performance indicator on waste management for landside participants; • toughened the criteria on air emissions and aquatic invasive species for ship owners; and • retired the high-scoring performance indicator on dry bulk cargo residues. “The fact that the overall average has remained fairly constant, even with all of these demanding changes, is a testament
50 — BC Shipping News — July/August 2017
“We’re constantly raising the bar as new regulations come into effect, improved technologies become readily available, and new emerging issues are introduced... to the serious and successful pursuit of continual improvement by our participants,” Bolduc said. Participants are ship owners, port authorities, Seaway corporations, terminal owners and shipyard operators. A significant increase in last year’s membership further challenged the overall 2016 results with new participants tending to initially report lower performance levels. “They understandably need some time to gather the expertise and/or resources to achieve the criteria associated with the program’s higher levels,” Bolduc explained.
Expanding membership
Green Marine has significantly enlarged its North American reach over the past decade, more than tripling its original participation and overall membership. The program currently has 110 participants compared to 34 when the program began a decade ago. It achieved a 10-per-cent increase in participants last year alone, and is further building on its bi-national character with a steadily expanding U.S. membership.
ENVIRONMENT Ports in particular have been joining the program in significant numbers as their administrators become aware of the benefits of Green Marine’s framework to benchmark their environmental improvements. In fact, every one of the 18 Canadian port authorities is now a Green Marine participant. Green Marine is also strengthening its key pillars of support as the industry and environmental stakeholders become increasingly aware of the program’s merits. The number of Green Marine supporters — representing various levels of government, the academic/scientific community, NGOs, as well as environmental organizations — now exceeds 60. Along with industry representatives, Green Marine supporters serve on regional advisory committees. Each committee assesses local concerns and discusses feasible solutions. “These recommendations often lead to the program’s evolution,” Bolduc added. “One of the program’s core strengths is being responsive to regional concerns related to the maritime industry’s environmental footprint.”
Continual improvement
A real testimony to the program’s strength is the continual improvement that becomes evident among the participants the longer they are involved in the program. For example, longterm participants show a generally upward trend over time despite broader and more challenging performance criteria. “Those reporting for the years 2008 through 2016 saw their global average rise from an initial 2.0 level to 3.4 now,” Bolduc noted. The very few participants who have achieved and retained Level 5 across the board over the past decade are also a clear indication of the program’s stringent demands and continual evolution. The program is reviewed annually to ensure that each tier beyond Level 1 is sufficiently challenging vis-à-vis new or imminent regulations, improved best practices, or the emergence of new technologies that facilitate better environmental performance. Committed to genuinely challenging its membership, Green Marine retired the performance indicator for cargo residues in 2016 as one of the program’s success stories. Green Marine initially developed the indicator in 2007 to raise awareness about the issue and to spur participants to improve their performance.
...long-term participants show a generally upward trend over time despite broader and more challenging performance criteria. And they rose to the challenge. The seven member companies transporting dry bulk in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region that reported on this indicator collectively obtained an overall Level 4 average by 2015 — the highest average recorded for any performance indicator. This advanced performance, along with the fact that both Canada and the U.S. have implemented legislation to regulate cargo residues, prompted the decision to retire this indicator. This program update allows Green Marine to turn more of its attention to new environmental issues, such as waste management and underwater noise. Other issues are being discussed, such as handling ship-generated waste at Canadian ports. An indicator to assess and recognize how ports and terminals manage aquatic ecosystems within their vicinity is also envisioned. A new rolling three-year action plan calls for developing a stand-alone performance indicator on social responsibility for ports and will encompass the existing criteria on community engagement. This will leave the existing performance indicator to focus on reducing community impacts such as dust, noise, light and other possible nuisances. Consultative processes to develop new criteria for ship owners regarding ship recycling and a vessel’s end-of-life management are likewise on the agenda.
New performance indicators
This past year saw new waste management performance indicators become mandatory for all participating landside facilities. Ports, terminals and shipyards evaluated their efforts to minimize, recycle and properly dispose of waste generated by their 2016 operations. New indicators for minimizing underwater noise and its impacts on marine life will be optional for 2017 reporting and compulsory thereafter. The new criteria will apply to ship owners and ports operating in salt water. The indicators are the result of two years of intensive research, discussions and
July/August 2017 — BC Shipping News — 51
ENVIRONMENT The conference’s initial foray into the American South was quite successful with a stellar lineup of speakers... awareness-building about underwater noise that began with Green Marine conducting a survey of the existing global research on the subject for Transport Canada. The new performance indicators aim to improve the industry’s understanding of the issue and to promote a better coexistence between maritime activities and marine mammals. Green Marine is preparing a list of the vulnerable areas in Canadian and American waters so that participants can determine whether they operate within these areas and, if so, consider implementing mitigation measures to the extent possible.
GreenTech 2017
Green Marine’s 10th annual conference concluded with a cruise tour of Port Everglades. GreenTech 2017 attendees obtained a closer look at the port’s container, bulk and cruise facilities, as well as its initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts on Florida’s unique ecosystems and marine mammals such as manatees. The conference’s initial foray into the American South was quite successful with a stellar lineup of speakers generating the interest of 140 people who registered for the event. The opening notes by Heike Deggim, the International Maritime Organization’s senior deputy director of the Sub-Division for
Protective Measures of the Marine Environment Division, shed light on the shipping industry’s constant need to improve its environmental performance in a global framework that avoids inconsistent regulations. Fort Lauderdale’s proximity to Port Everglades — ranked among the world’s top three cruise ports — prompted devoting for the first time at GreenTech an entire session to the cruise industry’s environmental initiatives. Moderated by Ginger Garte who is Lloyd’s Register Americas’ Environmental and Sustainability Director, the panel featured representatives from the Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean International, and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). The session highlighting the innovative efforts by the cruise industry to minimize its environmental footprint generated extensive interest and keen discussion. B.C.’s West Coast had a strong presence at GreenTech 2017 with representatives from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, GCT Global Containers Terminals, the Port of Prince Rupert, Climate Smart Businesses, and BC Ferries in attendance. They each shared the initiatives and accomplishments of their respective enterprises as a prelude to next year’s GreenTech conference at the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel in Vancouver from May 30 through June 1, 2018. If you missed GreenTech 2017, most of the conference’s slide presentations are available from the event’s website at: www. green-marine.org/greentech. The 2016 Performance Report, which relates the individual results of all of the program’s participants, is also available at www.green-marine.org.
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