INSIDE: U.K. OIL SPILL RESPONSE
BC SHIPPING NEWS
Volume 3 Issue 9
www.bcshippingnews.com
November 2013
Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.
Industry Insight
Rear Admiral Bill Truelove, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, Royal Canadian Navy
Shipbuilding
Seaspan and the NSPS: On time, on budget
Canadian Coast Guard Zalinski project a win-win all round
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- Container ship leasing update - Record grain on the move
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November 2013
Volume 3 Issue 9
On the cover: HMCS Shawnigan and CCGS Pierre Radisson off the coast of Resolution Island during Operation Nanook. Photo credit: Corporal I. Thompson, 4 Wing Imaging Service Below: Preparing for the NSPS at Vancouver Shipyards. Photo credit: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
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Contents Cover Story
Seaspan and the NSPS: On time, on budget
25
Seaspan to build more vessels for CCG
Rear Admiral Bill Truelove
Ready at the helm As Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, RAdm Truelove has a lot on his plate, yet it is his readiness to answer the call for duty that defines his leadership.
27 Canadian Coast Guard Zalinski project a win-win all round
Not only is the Zalinski operation good for the environment, it’s proving to be a useful training exercise for the Canadian Coast Guard.
Search and rescue special calling: Saving lives on the water 31 ARoyal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue volunteers demonstrate the skills and dedication that save lives.
33
Man Overboard — when every second counts When a new technology presents itself that offers a faster way to locate a Man Overboard, it’s worth a closer look.
D E P A R T M E N T S
F E A T U R E S
10 Industry insight
6 18
News briefs/industry traffic
20
Ports & terminals
26 29
News briefs
History lesson
Oliver Clark — B.C.’s forgotten hero? by Lea Edgar Two new deepsea terminals gather momentum by Ray Dykes
Company profile
Supporting refit and new-build projects for the Royal Canadian Navy
Vessel design
RALion’s Australian research vessel
34
Grain exports
38
Container ships
42
World spill response
46
Fire safety
50
Legal affairs
52
Technology
Record grain on the move by Darryl Anderson Container ship leasing update by Syd Heal U.K. spill response — And now for something completely different Firefighting on board — A unified response by John Lewis Breach of “Safe Port” warranty by Thomas S. Hawkins Shipboard electrical systems by Alvin Alfano November 2013 BC Shipping News 3
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November 2013 Volume 3/Issue 9 Publisher McIvor Communications Inc. President & Editor Jane McIvor Contributing Writers Alvin Alfano Darryl Anderson Rob Duffus Ray Dykes Lea Edgar Roger Girouard Thomas S.Hawkins Syd Heal John Lewis Lt.(N) Greg Menzies Nasser Monavari John Shaw Steve Talbot RAdm Bill Truelove Advertising and Subscriptions Jane McIvor Phone: 604-893-8800 / Email: jane@bcshippingnews.com Lesley McIvor (Advertising only) Phone: 604-893-8800 / Email: lesleymcivor@shaw.ca ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Canada Three Years $99.95 Cdn* Two Years $69.95 Cdn* One Year $37.50 Cdn* USA One Year $60.00 Cdn Other Countries One Year $75.00 Cdn Single copies Outside of Canada *Canadian rates add 5% GST
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Subscribe online at www.bcshippingnews.com Contents copyrighted 2013 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.
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4 BC Shipping News November 2013
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.
Photos by Dave Roels, www.daveroels.com
EDITOR’s note
In memoriam
O
Member of:
every day, bravely putting the safety of Canadians before their own.” I only extend that sentiment to include all who serve our country, whether it be for research, rescue or
defence. Their sacrifices provide a better life for us all and should not go unnoticed. Thanks again for your service. — Jane McIvor
Photo source: www.ctv.ca
ur tradition of using the November issue of BC Shipping News to honour those who serve Canada continues. It is with this in mind that we pass along our condolences to the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, the Centre for Earth Observation Science, and the ArcticNet team as they mourn the loss of their colleagues, Captain Marc Thibault, Daniel Dubé, and Dr. Klaus Hochheim. All three lost their lives when their helicopter crashed off Banks Island in the western Arctic on Monday, September 9, 2013. They had been scouting the sea ice to find the best route for the CCGS Amundsen. Commissioner Marc Grégoire’s message of condolence said it best: “The call to duty and service is a strong one, and we are extremely grateful that so many men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard are prepared to answer it
Local traffic...
Thanks to the Canadian Coast Guard for this photo of CCGS Bartlett — an example of a Medium Endurance Multi-Tasked Vessel of which five were just ordered (see Page 25). The Bartlett, whose home port is Victoria, was built in 1969 by Marine Industries Ltee. in Tracy, Quebec. She has a length of 57.7 metres, a breadth of 13 metres and a draft of 4.1 metres. She can carry a complement of 24 officers and crew for 21 days.
International Sailor’s Society Canada
Got a great photo? Send it to jane@bcshippingnews.com to be included in our feature on ships visiting our local waters.
November 2013 BC Shipping News 5
NEWS BRIEFS CIMarE Vancouver welcomes new chair, new board and new member
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Allan Turner, Robert Allan Ltd. Al Dawson, ABD Yachts Alan Novotny, Finning Canada Mattias Techrieb, STX Canada Marine Bob Brown, Burrard Ironworks David Rahn, Western Mariner Russel Oye, BCIT Andrew Eydt, Frontier Power Products Francis Lin David Simpson George Coman, GECO Marine
During the same meeting (which featured a great presentation from Iain Braidwood, Director, Teekay Engineering and Consulting, on
structural integrity and life extension of tankers), Vollmers presented Colin Keddie, Technical Sales Representative with Wainbee Limited, with a certificate of membership.
Photo credit: BC Shipping News
he new board of the Vancouver Branch, Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering was announced during the last monthly technical meeting. Tony Vollmers, STX Canada Marine, was welcomed as the new Chair of CIMarE Vancouver. Joining Tony on the board is:
Colin Keddie receives his certificate of membership from new Chair Tony Vollmers.
OSI Maritime Systems signs contract with U.K. Royal Navy to supply submarines
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ancouver-based OSI Maritime Systems Ltd. (OSI) has announced that it has signed a contract to provide a Portable WarshipAIS and Situational Awareness system for immediate deployment across the entire U.K. submarine flotilla. Under the terms of this contract, OSI will provide a portable system that will allow a submarine to benefit from the AIS picture as well as providing an advanced situational awareness and navigation system deployable in the conning tower of all U.K. submarines. OSI has been supporting the U.K. Royal Navy warship integrated navigation system requirements since 2005 and this recent contract confirms their on-going commitment to OSI’s technology.
CIMarE Vancouver Island Branch technical conference details start to take shape
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arine Engineering: The New Wave — a technical conference and marine exhibition being organized by the Vancouver Island Branch of the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (CIMarE) is starting to release details on the agenda, speakers and special highlights of note. The conference, June 12 and 13, 2014, on the West Coast of Canada, at the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa, recently announced the appointment of Tony Cond as Chair of the organizing committee. One of the first technical papers to be confirmed is entitled: “Blue Riband, Revolutionizing the Profession”. Blue Riband is a ‘big picture’ project that blends new ideas and practices from various institutions to form a hybrid organization focused on quality. The conference website, www.thenewwave.ca, is posting frequent updates and already has their registration system up and running. For more information, visit: www.thenewwave.ca.
news briefs Canadian Ferry Operators Association survey report highlights ferry sector’s role in driving Canadian economy
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he Canadian Ferry Operators Association (CFOA) has released “Keeping Canada Moving”, an industry report that highlights the ferry sector’s significant economic contributions and that demonstrates the need for further government investment in marine transportation infrastructure. “Ferries form an essential part of Canada’s transportation systems, and ferry operators provide vital economic connections for Canadians across the country,” said Serge Buy, CEO of CFOA. “While we applaud the federal government’s commitment of over $50 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 10 years, it’s important to remember that infrastructure is more than just highways and bridges. Investments in maritime transportation are needed at the same time.”
Available on CFOA’s website (www. cfoa.ca), the report reflects the key contributions that ferry operators make in driving Canada’s economy and meeting the transportation needs of Canadians. In 2012, CFOA ferry operators: • Connected people and markets across the country by transporting nearly 40.7 million passengers and over 14.8 million vehicles; • Contributed to Canada’s economic growth by employing more than 8,400 Canadians, helping generate more than 22,600 jobs and by maintaining operating budgets of over $1 billion; • Provided essential transportation services and vital links to Canada’s remote communities by operating more than 180 ferries on over 120 routes; • Continued to provide a safe and environmentally friendly means of
transportation by investing in cleaner technologies and more efficient vessels, and by contributing to a noteworthy industry safety record. These contributions are in addition to the approximately $2.3 billion the ferry sector is already investing in fleet renewal over the next five years. The CFOA, the national voice of ferries in Canada, recently held their annual conference in St. John’s, Newfoundlad. In addition to releasing the industry report, presentations focused on customer satisfaction while technical sessions provided a range of topics — from propulsion, to vessel design, to ECDIS. The CFOA is already starting to prepare for next year’s conference in Quebec City, September 29 to 30, 2014. For details, including reduced early bird rates, visit: www.cfoa.ca.
November 2013 BC Shipping News 7
industry traffic A study of fate and behaviour of heavy crude oils Photo courtesy Aqua-Guard Spill Response
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qua-Guard Spill Response and their RBS TRITON™ oil skimming technology achieve excellent results at a Kinder Morgan Canada “Fate and Behaviour” testing exercise with Diluted Bitumen. As part of the proposed pipeline expansion project for their facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Kinder Morgan Canada-TransMountain Pipeline (KMC) requested that Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC), Polaris Applied Sciences (Polaris) and Witt/O’Brien’s conduct research to determine the behaviour of heavy petroleum oils when spilled into a marine environment. From May 12 to 22, 2013, AquaGuard Spill Response and two foreign oil skimmer manufacturers put their oil skimming systems through indepth diluted bitumen recovery tests at a Kinder Morgan Canada test facility in northern Alberta. Each skimmer manufacturer was provided a test tank with approximately 700 litres of diluted bitumen which formed an oil surface thickness of 30mm. The water in the tank was
The Aqua-Guard RBS TRITON 60 oil skimmer head proves to be an effective asset for spill recovery efforts. conditioned with salt (20ppt) to match the salinity of Burrard Inlet. All of the tests were run according to ASTM standards. “The Aqua-Guard RBS TRITON 60 oil skimmer head proved again that it is capable of recovering Diluted Bitumen from the surface of the water during an oil spill. The Kinder Morgan testing facility proved to be more than adequate and we found it very easy to operate in a safety conscious, well-organized
Nigel S. Greenwood
MA, BSc, Master Mariner, FRIN, MNI Rear-Admiral, RCN (Ret’d)
www.greenwoodmaritime.com nsg@greenwoodmaritime.com / 250-507-8445
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8 BC Shipping News November 2013
environment,” said Chris Doudican of Aqua-Guard. Aqua-Guard supplied an RBS TRITON 60 brush oil skimmer head (including integrated patented U.S. 7,303,688 oil recovery technology) with an onboard screw pump powered by a diesel hydraulic power pack. All of the design, manufacturing and testing of Aqua-Guard’s products take place in various facilities throughout the greater Vancouver area. The same model skimmer was used extensively during the Kinder Morgan DilBit oil spill into Burrard Inlet in 2007 and was the only oil skimmer at that time to be used successfully by WCMRC to recover spilt DilBit.
More online...
There’s so much happening in the maritime industry on the West Coast, it’s hard to fit it all in to the printed edition of BC Shipping News. Check out www.bcshippingnews.com for these additional stories: • BCMEA celebrates new Training Centre with grand opening. • 2013 Cycling for Seafarers raises over $50,000. • UBC’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program gets underway. • Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Canada Branch hosts Controlling Council meetings. • The Cerulean heads north (a photo essay by Alan Haig-Brown).
news briefs ClassNK issues world’s second Statement of Compliance to ship recycling facility largest capacities of China’s ship recycling facilities. The Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Marine Service Co., Ltd. developed its Ship Recycling Facility Plan (SRFP) in preparation for the incoming convention. An SRFP is required by the competent authorities when authorizing a Ship Recycling Facility to be in compliance with the convention. As an independent third party organization, ClassNK confirmed that the SRFP met the requirements of the convention, and that the facility is carrying out recycling according to its SRFP. This marks the world’s second issuance of a Statement of Compliance for the Hong Kong Convention — the first was issued to Jiangmen Zhongxin Shipbreaking & Steel Co., Ltd. (CEO Liang Zhuo Quan) by ClassNK in December 2012.
Photo courtesy ClassNK
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lassification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) announced that it has issued the world’s second Statement of Compliance to Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Marine Service Co., Ltd. (CEO: Sun De Lin; Changxing Island, Dalian), confirming that it is in compliance with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009. The Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Marine Service Co., Ltd plant (Changxing Island) was established as a repair yard, but with ship recycling being carried out on its 500,000 m2 site and repair-use drydocks, and an estimated annual recycling capability of 1,000,000 LDT (light displacement tonnage: preliminary calculation standard for determining the selling price of a scrapped vessel), it has one of the
ClassNK’s Executive Vice President Toshitomo Matsui (right), presents the Statement of Compliance to Sun De Lin, CEO, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Marine Service Co. Ltd. (left).
November 2013 BC Shipping News 9
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Ready at the helm Rear Admiral Bill Truelove Commander, Maritime Forces Pacific
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...it is the unspoken and overriding task of ensuring that Canada’s Pacific naval fleet is ready to answer any call for duty that defines his leadership.
W
hile a typical day in the life of Rear Admiral Bill Truelove might include: supporting one of Canada’s largest fleet renewal projects in naval history; or ensuring smooth operations across a broad and complex Formation while upgrading infrastructure to accommodate the future fleet; or ensuring that MARPACs deployed ships and submarines are fully prepared; or commanding Search and Rescue operations throughout British Columbia and the Yukon; or even representing Canada at engagements from local events to international forums, it is the unspoken and overriding task of ensuring that Canada’s Pacific naval fleet is ready to answer any call for duty that defines his leadership. BCSN: I’d like to start with a look at the fleet and an update on the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy and other fleet refit projects. BT: All three major projects within the NSPS for the Navy — the Joint Support Ships, the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships and the Canadian Surface Combatants — continue down the definition path. A decision has been made on the design for the Joint Support Ships. The proven, off-the-shelf ship 10 BC Shipping News November 2013
design from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada, based on Germany’s Berlin-class, was selected as the best design option for the Royal Canadian Navy and for Canadian taxpayers. The next significant step will be the decision by government on sequencing — whether the Polar Icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard or the JSS will be built first. BCSN: And how is the Halifax Class Modernization program progressing? BT: That program is advancing very well. As you know, all 12 Halifax-class frigates will undergo life extension refits (this program is also known as the Frigate Life Extension Project — or FELEX) with five of those being done here on the West Coast in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corporation and Victoria Shipyards. HMCS Calgary, the first ship through the program on the West Coast, is now at sea and continues her trials which have gone very well. HMCS Winnipeg is also advancing nicely. At the same time, necessary repair work resultant from the unfortunate incident in Esquimalt harbour (with the American Dynasty, a fishing trawler) is also progressing and I’m
not expecting any significant delays in her overall schedule of getting back to sea in 2014. HMCS Vancouver is the third ship to enter the FELEX program on this coast — she’s now in the graving dock at Victoria Shipyards and work is on schedule. HMCS Ottawa and HMCS Regina are the remaining two West Coast ships that will enter the program over the next couple of years. This is a key program for the Royal Canadian Navy and we’re seeing great results. The ships’ companies are very excited about the new technologies and capabilities. BCSN: What sort of new technologies are being built into the vessels? BT: The ships’ platforms are being modernized to include new command and control systems, new radar suites, internal communications systems upgrades, electronic warfare systems upgrades, long-range infrared search and track systems (SIRIUS), plus a range of mid-life maintenance activities that will be supported by our Fleet Maintenance Facility in partnership with Industry — a reflection of the tremendous level of strategic partnering that is enabling the success of the
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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
...there is a tremendous amount of infrastructure improvement work continuing across the Formation...
overall program. It is a highly complex program and I am very excited about the tremendous capability that it is delivering to the Royal Canadian Navy. BCSN: And then there is the Victoria In-Service Support Contract for the four submarines — do you have an update on that program? BT: The submarine program continues to progress well. HMCS Victoria has just completed a scheduled Docking Short Work Period and is back at sea for training and operations. HMCS Chicoutimi is currently going through her Extended Docking Work Period (EDWP) and we look forward to seeing her back at sea soon. HMCS Corner Brook will commence her EDWP next. HMCS Windsor is currently at sea conducting training in the Atlantic. BCSN: Do you have an update on the damage done during the recent accident between HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Protecteur? BT: That was an unfortunate event. Obviously, I can’t get into a lot of detail and need to allow the investigation process to be completed. What we do know is that both ships were conducting towing exercises off the West Coast on their way to Hawaii and in the course of the exercise, Algonquin came into contact with Protecteur. We’re undergoing a comprehensive assessment to determine the full scope of the damage to Algonquin and repair options. Protecteur’s damage was minor and in fact, she is already back at sea conducting her full range of operations. BCSN: What about infrastructure upgrades here at the base? I saw quite a lot of construction on my way here. BT: Yes, there is a tremendous amount of infrastructure improvement work continuing across the Formation as we prepare to receive the future fleet while also ensuring the long-term readiness of Maritime Forces Pacific to fulfill its important mission in the Pacific. There are several major projects underway at this time. One is the Fleet Maintenance Facility consolidation project that has been under construction for a number of years and has now entered into the final phase. This project will see the consolidation of many important fleet technical support functions into one modern industrial facility. We’re also nearing completion of the construction of an underground utility corridor to provide services across the Formation and particularly to the new jetties that will soon be built. As you know, the Dockyard has a long and proud history, and many of the buildings and supporting services are in need of modernization and that work is underway. The next major project will be the refurbishment of A Jetty and B Jetty. These new jetties will be built to support the new ships that we will see in our Navy over the coming years. Overall, it’s very exciting to see the tremendous amount of investment in the future of MARPAC — indicative of the ongoing emphasis being placed on ensuring that
Proud father/son moment: Bill receives his scroll from LCdr Larry Truelove upon his enrolment in the Canadian Armed Forces (circa 1981). the Pacific Fleet remains ready to respond both today and in the future. BCSN: Do you have an estimate of the costs involved? BT: The total commitment at this time is in excess of $1.3 billion. This represents a significant economic investment both in the Formation and across the western region.
November 2013 BC Shipping News 11
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Bill receives his NATO medal for contributions in Yugoslavia while a member of HMCS Iroquois (with VAdm Gary Garnett). BCSN: Turning to fleet operations, could you describe some of the activities you currently have underway? BT: The fleet has been very busy conducting operations and training around the world. Just as my tenure as Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific was beginning in June 2012, ships had just sailed for the Rim of the Pacific Exercise in Hawaii. That was a major international exercise with over 25,000
12 BC Shipping News November 2013
participants from 22 nations. Our ships and submarine performed exceptionally well throughout RIMPAC including the very successful torpedo firings by HMCS Victoria. A number of Canadian Armed Forces Officers also filled key leadership positions during the exercise. I was also immensely proud to see HMCS Regina deploy to the Arabian Sea from July 2012 to February 2013 in support of Op Artemis. The ship, with her Sea King detachment and Unmanned Air Vehicle capability, achieved great success and represented Canada with excellence. More recently, MARPAC conducted Exercise Trident Fury — the largest training exercise we do on the West Coast. This is a biennial joint naval exercise with U.S. and Canadian forces which provided outstanding training across the full spectrum of Joint and Combined operations. We had over 1,100 personnel from the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Canadian Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Air National Guard, and the U.S. Coast Guard. And for the first time, Ex Trident Fury was incorporated into the much broader Canadian Armed Forces Joint Training exercise called “Jointex 13” which involved over 7,500 Canadian Armed Forces from across Canada. The remainder of the fleet has been equally busy, particularly the teams in our Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels and our ORCA class training ships. BCSN: Speaking of training, how are recruitment numbers?
BT: Recruiting continues to go well across most trades and occupations. One area where we continue to place particular focus is on attracting technicians. There are tremendous opportunities in our technical trades both today and in the future. BCSN: Given your role as Regional Commander of Cadets, do you find good recruitment numbers from within that organization? BT: I am incredibly proud of the cadet program across the province of British Columbia. There are 139 Corps and Squadrons comprising over 7,000 youth. The program is not intended as a recruiting mechanism for the Canadian Armed Forces. It is focused on providing these young Canadians the opportunity to learn about leadership, citizenship and teamwork. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with Cadets across the province and am incredibly inspired every time. I would also highlight the Raven program for First Nations/Inuit participants conducted annually here in Victoria. The program permits members of these communities to be exposed to the military and to learn leadership and team skills. I had the recent opportunity to visit the program and was very impressed with all of the participants. BCSN: In addition to the task force activities and training, you also play a significant role as leader of Joint Task Force Pacific. Could you describe what that role entails and what sort of partnerships are involved? BT: As Commander of Joint Task Force Pacific, I report to LieutenantGeneral Stu Beare, the Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command. I’m responsible for anticipating and being prepared to take command of all military operations in British Columbia. Further, I ensure our readiness to quickly respond, if requested by the province, to events such as major forest fires, earthquakes and floods. Even though we’re not the first responders, I’m always maintaining awareness and we work very closely with Emergency Management BC and other agencies in the region to make sure we understand each other’s plans and how all components of the November 2013 BC Shipping News 13
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
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We had more than 3,200 cases in 2012 in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region. I don’t think that’s widely known as most cases are resolved quickly...
Canadian Armed Forces, should the call come, will provide the appropriate support as quickly as possible. A good example of how we train with other agencies, including local authorities, is the upcoming Great BC Shake Out. We’ll exercise the whole Formation on that day both for immediate individual responses and the Formation response as a whole. We’ll move from the earthquake scenario to a tsunami scenario and exercise how to get our people to safety (assuming it happens during a work day) and how to move my command responsibilities to alternate headquarters to be able to have continuity of operations. Through the JTFP we also liaise regionally with our U.S. military counterparts, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
14 BC Shipping News November 2013
Recently, we had a good session in Seattle and it underscored the important relationships that we enjoy with neighbouring states. An earthquake will not recognize borders so we need to be ready to work across borders in consequence management. BCSN: What about search and rescue contingencies and training? BT: I’m really impressed with the professional staff that works in the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre. These military and Coast Guard members co-ordinate all search and rescue response for air and marine SAR in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region. They do incredible work to save others, as do all the search and rescue crews in the region. Often deploying in very demanding conditions, our SAR personnel flying the Buffalo and
Cormorant aircraft from Comox, and with our partners in the Canadian Coast Guard and the RCM-SAR organization, are always ready to help. We had more than 3,200 cases in 2012 in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region. I don’t think that’s widely known as most cases are resolved quickly with little awareness beyond those directly involved. Many of the cases are humanitarian missions — missions outside of our primary air and marine mandate — where we go in to help any person in distress to make sure they get timely support. The Victoria Search and Rescue Region encompasses almost 1.5 million square kilometres of land and ocean, a very complex and diverse geography. We also work and train very closely with partners across the province and the region, and have very strong relationships with our USCG colleagues in Seattle and Juneau. One example is the very successful combined training exercise we conducted in the Prince Rupert region earlier this year. During
INDUSTRY INSIGHT this training, U.S. and Canadian SAR organizations responded to a simulated major maritime incident. BCSN: What about local community participation in the event of a disaster? BT: As we know, all mariners are bound to respond if there is a SAR event and we see that every day up and down the coast. There are also organizations like RCM-SAR, made up entirely of volunteers from various communities that do exceptional work to assist mariners in distress. BCSN: Do you participate in oil spill response training? BT: The primary responsibility for environmental spill response is with the Canadian Coast Guard but we are always ensuring our own readiness to respond to any environmental situation. We do conduct considerable training in spill response and have recently conducted joint training with our colleagues in the Canadian Coast Guard. We understand and place great emphasis on our responsibilities in ensuring environmental stewardship and sustainability. BCSN: Let’s focus now on Canada’s role on the international stage. Could you describe your role within the context of securing international peace and security, starting with the Asia Pacific?
Commodore Truelove was deployed to Afghanistan to work at the International Security Assistance Force Headquarters.
Rear Admiral Truelove on board HMCS Victoria.
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The Asia Pacific is a complex region — it’s dynamic, it’s vast, and there are many nations engaged in activities that have security implications.
BT: Canada is a Pacific Nation and we have important trade ties with many Pacific countries. We’ve always been engaged in developing these relationships through a range of activities such as ship visits. I had the great privilege of recently visiting the Philippines along with HMCS Regina. I also visited Japan and South Korea to meet with their senior naval commanders to ensure that our relationships continue to be strong. The Asia Pacific is a complex region — it’s dynamic, it’s vast, and there are many nations engaged in activities that have security implications. Pacific exercises, like RIMPAC, are important events that allow Pacific nations to exercise together to build relationships and improve inter-operability. The Royal Canadian Navy will continue to be present and engaged throughout the Pacific region. BCSN: How significant is the threat of security in that region? BT: I always have to be aware of what’s going on throughout the Asia Pacific region. There are maritime boundary discussions and disputes, and I’m always attentive as to how these are being resolved. We see maritime actions, for example, where
nations operate in close proximity to each other in the same waters but have different interpretations of maritime law. We also read frequently of the continuing growth in the number of submarines operating in the Pacific — all of these activities have my attention as I look across my area of responsibility. BCSN: Same question but with a focus on the U.S. We’ve already discussed the close ties, especially in training exercises but what about participation on issues like counter-drug efforts, human smuggling, etc? BT: We enjoy a tremendous partnership with our U.S. Navy and Coast Guard colleagues and we operate together frequently in the Pacific. One example is our combined efforts to combat the flow of drugs in the eastern pacific as part of Operation Caribbe. HMCS Ottawa, with a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked, completed a very successful Op Caribbe deployment in late 2012 and HMCS Edmonton and Yellowknife have just deployed to the region. BCSN: What about the Middle East. I understand you played a significant role in Afghanistan? BT: On completion of my tour as Commandant of the Royal Military November 2013 BC Shipping News 15
Image taken by: Cpl Stuart MacNeil, MARPAC Imaging Services
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Korean War veteran Gary Miller, RAdm Bill Truelove, and Sea Cadet Nathan Wong prepare to cut the cake during the Admiral’s Garden Party on July 28, 2013.
College, I deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan for nine months where I worked at the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters as the Deputy in the Strategic Communications cell. It was an incredible professional and personal experience. The Royal Canadian Navy has deployed many sailors and officers to Afghanistan where they have filled leadership, training and operational roles with great success. I would also highlight the ongoing commitment of RCN ships to Operation Artemis in the Arabian Sea. HMCS Regina returned from her successful deployment in February 2013 and was replaced by HMCS Toronto. Toronto has also enjoyed great success and recently completed an ‘in theatre’ crew rotation. BCSN: And then there is the Arctic. What sort of presence do you maintain there? BT: The RCN has always conducted operations in the Arctic region and will continue to do so in the future. Most recently, ships from Halifax deployed to the Arctic to participate in Operation Nanook; an annual training exercise lead by Joint Task Force North. The future construction of the Arctic and Offshore Patrol ships will further enhance the Navy’s ability to operate in the demanding conditions in this important region. BCSN: Given the extent of Canada’s involvement around the world specifically related to the marine environment, could you comment on the expression: “Maritime Blindness”? BT: ‘Maritime Blindness’ is a term that many Navies use to describe the challenge associated with reinforcing the importance of our oceans to our livelihood. Our Prime Minister recently noted that “Canada’s economy floats on salt water”. This comment reflected the fact that 90 per cent of our trade travels by the sea and our economy is dependent on
About Rear Admiral Bill Truelove
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ear Admiral Truelove’s naval career began in 1981 at Royal Roads Military College. He served in various sea and shore appointments throughout his career including Commanding HMCS Chaleur and HMCS Regina. In 2003; he served as Commanding Officer of the Naval Officer Training Centre following which he attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He subsequently was appointed as the Canadian Forces Naval Attaché in Washington, DC. Rear Admiral Truelove was appointed Commodore in 2009 and served as Commandant and Vice Chancellor of the Royal Military College of Canada until 2011. In August 2011, he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Strategic Communications Directorate at the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2012 and assumed the position of Commander, Maritime Forces Pacific in June, 2012. RAdm Truelove is married to Brenda (a native of Victoria) and has one son — Anthony, age 24 — and one daughter — Ashley, 16 BC Shipping News November 2013
age 21. Anthony has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps and is currently an officer in the Navy, working at Fleet Headquarters as an engineer. RAdm Truelove is honoured to be back in Victoria as the Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific / Joint Task Force Pacific. He noted that it also brings his entire family back to one city: “Just prior to coming here, we lived through a period during which I was in Afghanistan; Brenda was in Ottawa; our daughter was in Switzerland; and our son moved from Halifax to England, so we were spread out. It’s nice to have the whole family in one location again.”
INDUSTRY INSIGHT the ‘ocean highways’ being unencumbered. The Royal Canadian Navy plays an important role in this domain and it is in our national interest to ensure that Canada has a globally deployable Navy. BCSN: The Navy’s contribution is also significant in the context of its contribution to the local economy. BT: I am very appreciative of the tremendous support that the sailors and families of Maritime Forces
Pacific receive from the community. The Formation also contributes to the community in many ways. For example, CFB Esquimalt is the third largest employer in the Capital Regional District with a local economic impact of over $500 million annually. The economic input is significant but it’s more than that — Victoria is a navy town and B.C. is a maritime province and that’s important to remember — our sailors and
their families are living in, and are a part of those communities. Our sailors also take great pride in giving back to their community in other ways. We have just commenced our annual Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign and anticipate that we will again raise approximately $700,000. We’ve done that year after year — it’s just one example of how the Formation supports the community. BCSN
About the Royal Canadian Navy
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he Royal Canadian Navy consists of three Formations — Maritime Forces Pacific, Maritime Forces Atlantic, and the Naval Reserve. They operate 15 surface combattants, four patrol submarines, two support ships and about 20 unarmed patrol/training vessels, as well as several auxilliary vesels. The RCN consists of aproximately 8,500 regular force personnel, 5,100 primary reserve sailors, and is supported by 5,300 civilians. Maritime Forces Pacific and Maritime Forces Atlantic are responsible to generate, maintain, and sustain an armed capability to guard Canada’s Pacific and Atlantic maritime approaches respectively and to contribute forces to meet national, domestic and overseas commitments, in order to enhance international peace and security. Maritime Forces Pacific, home to the 15 ships and submarines of the Canadian Pacific Fleet, is headquartered in Esquimalt, British Columbia on Vancouver
Island and employs roughly 4,000 military and 2,000 civilian personnel. The domestic area of responsibility covers 1.7 million square kilomtres of ocean in the north eastern Pacific (with 27,000 kilometres of B.C. coastline). MARPAC and Canadian Fleet Pacific are supported by one Canadian Air Division aircraft based in Comox and a Maritime Helicopter Squadron based at Victoria Airport. Maritime Forces Atlantic, home to the 18 ships and submarines of the Canadian Atlantic Fleet, is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia and employs more than 5,000 military and 2,000 civilian personnel. The Naval Reserve, headquartered in Québec City, is made up of 24 Naval Reserve Divisions (of up to 150-200 personnel each) located across Canada. Its goal is also to help generate trained individuals and teams for Canadian Armed Forces operations including domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the Navy’s efforts in connecting with
Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence. A fourth Formation, the Canadian Armed Forces Maritime Warfare Centre, develops and delivers maritime tactics and operational manoeuvre doctrine in support of Canada’s maritime forces, through operation operational analysis, operational test and evaluation, modeling and simulation, war gaming and naval concept development and experimentation in order to support the development of future maritime forces.
HMCS Regina which Truelove commanded during Operation Artemis in the Persian Gulf. November 2013 BC Shipping News 17
Photo credit: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
history lesson
Oliver Clark — B.C.’s forgotten hero? By Lea Edgar
Librarian/Archivist, Vancouver Maritime Museum
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was and how he truly met his end. To this day, the story remains both mysterious and riveting.
of logs, inspect timber applications and logging licences, deal with timber theft, and enforce the Timber Mark Act. However the Forestry Service also fought fires. At one point, they had the largest fleet in the province. The Official Story June 25, 1925 — Port Neville was burning. The fire had started the day before at a nearby logging camp and was thought to be confined. Suddenly, the wind changed direction and the flames approached a small neighbouring settlement. The Forestry Service rangers were evacuating the residents onto one of their launches with Assistant Ranger Clark guiding the women and children. Clark decided to return to the settlement to see if any children were left behind. Tragically, he did not mention his decision to his comrades and the launch pulled away without anyone realizing he was left behind. As soon as the other
Credit: City of Vancouver Archives: AM54-S4-: Tr P45
hile recently examining the Ex-Forestry Service Vessel Squadron Association collection housed here at the Leonard McCann archives, I came across the remarkable story of a Forest Ranger named Oliver Clark. The Association, formed in 1992, donated its research records to the Vancouver Maritime Museum, including the original manuscript for the book Forest Ranger, Ahoy! by Michael Coney. This was where I found the story of Oliver Clark. A mixture of myth and truth, it is difficult to learn who Clark really was and how he truly met his end. To this day, the story remains both mysterious and riveting. Clark worked for the British Columbia Forestry Service in the 1920s. The Forestry Service, which was created in 1912, started out with only three wooden launches with the goal of patrolling the provincial waterways and the border between Canada and the U.S. to prevent the illegal export
A mixture of myth and truth, it is difficult to learn who Clark really
City of Vancouver Archives: “A forest fire at Port Neville”, June 25, 1925. 18 BC Shipping News November 2013
rangers — Supervisor J. Thompson and Engineer Haley — discovered what had happened, they tried to return to the settlement to rescue Clark. They tried for hours to reach him beyond the flames, risking their own lives to the extent that their boat caught fire several times. Sadly, by the time they could reach the shore it was too late. They found his body lying near the landing, supposedly still clutching onto his Forestry Service badge. After the incident, Premier John Oliver unveiled an illuminated scroll honouring the memory and heroic efforts of Oliver Clark, and placed it in the provincial library. In addition to the scroll, the Forestry Service christened a new launch called Oliver Clark. Miss Doris Patullo, daughter of the Premier at the time, said, “I christen this vessel the Oliver Clark and may she prove as staunch and true in the service as the valiant man whose name she bears.” However, the scroll, along with a portrait of Clark, was lost when renovations to the building began. In the 1950s, Clark’s niece came to see her uncle’s scroll, only to be disappointed. By the time it was located, the niece had already left the province. After this embarrassing incident, the Forestry Service named an additional vessel after Clark, the Oliver Clark II in order to keep his memory alive. The True Story? Clark’s story appears to be a simple one with elements of both tragedy and heroism. Yet, in an interesting turn of events, Michael Coney, author of Forest
VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM Ranger, Ahoy!, heard a rather different second-hand eyewitness account of the Port Neville incident. His witness reported to him that, as the flames got out of control, the residents were evacuated to the beach. The fire was spreading quickly through the brush towards the beach, trapping the rangers. The crew had to make a decision: run through the burning forest to the beach or head inland where the fire was seemingly burning out. The men argued. Clark wanted to go to the beach, the others wanted to go inland. Finally, Oliver Clark made his fateful decision and ran for the beach while the others ran inland. He later died of his burns. Which story is true? Was Clark really a hero, or was he made out to be a hero after his death? If the latter account is fictional, why go to all the trouble to honour a man who was not a hero? Can we even trust this other, second-hand report? While we may not be able to answer these questions, we do know that Clark died doing his
job — protecting the land and people of British Columbia. Whatever the real story may be, Oliver Clark’s death was tragic and his selfless service should never be forgotten. Although we make efforts to immortalize such heroic
people with plaques, scrolls, and even vessels, these things prove impermanent. Only in our memories and in tales told to younger generations can such a sacrifice be truly remembered, appreciated, and extolled. In memory of Oliver G. Clark. February 1, 1890 – June 25, 1925.
Scroll honouring and providing an account of Clark’s death.
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Poem from the cover of “Root and Branch”, (Vol. 3, No. 2).
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November 2013 BC Shipping News 19
2/7/2013 1:14:42 PM
Two new deepsea terminals gather momentum By Ray Dykes
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or the people of Prince Rupert and Campbell River there is good news at last over the fate of the closed pulp mills that cost each city valuable jobs. The deepsea docks at Watson Island in Prince Rupert — the site of the former Skeena Cellulose Pulp Mill until it was shut down in 2001 — and similar berths at Elk Falls — home to Catalyst Paper Corporation before it permanently closed the pulp mill operation in 2010 — have given the prospect of new life to the facilities, their valuable water lots and backup lands. Just over a year ago, I wrote of the attempts to revive the two idle pulp mill sites in the form of exciting deepsea shipping opportunities. Like many of these rescue missions it has been a long and slow process. But, a year later, there are encouraging developments at each site — not the full-ahead green light for either, but progress just the same. Costly legal wrangles have been settled in Prince Rupert, opening the door to new development, and in Campbell
20 BC Shipping News November 2013
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The deepsea docks at Watson Island in Prince Rupert...and similar berths at Elk Falls...have given the prospect of new life to the facilities, their valuable water lots and backup lands.
River, the collapsed sale to the original buyer has been quickly taken up by another in the form of Texas-based Quicksilver Resources. Prince Rupert The big news is that the City of Prince Rupert has settled out of court a festering dispute with the most recent owners of the Skeena Cellulose site, Sun Wave Forest Products Ltd, including all litigation pending and any future claims on the city. The City and Sun Wave (a subsidiary of the China Paper Group) had been in dispute over its failure to restart the mill within a year of buying it and the property had reverted back to the City because of back taxes owed. Sun Wave never disputed that taxes were owed, but disagreed as to when they were due. The settlement has taken many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to adjudicate, but now the city can talk in earnest with the No. 1 would-be suitor, the Vancouver-based Colonial Coal International, which has offered to pay $5 million to Prince Rupert.
The city will now join other parties to tackle the decommissioning of the 70-year-old mill, selling the equipment and scrap metal on site. Work on decommissioning could take up to 30 months, but the result will be some highly useable land covering up to 100 hectares. Colonial has already set up a new company for the project — the Watson Island Development Company or WatCo — in a unique collaboration with local First Nations groups, Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla, which together as the Coast Tsimshian Nation have an exclusive arrangement with the City to buy the Watson Island land. Once the site has been cleared and cleaned up, WatCo plans to run a multiproduct bulk commodity facility and supporting industrial park, taking advantage of the deepsea dock to ship coal from its Huguenot deposit in the Tumbler Ridge region, plus other commodities, including potash, liquids, and high-grade mineral ores such as zinc and copper. The Watson Island site has a single dock, 360 metres long with a 10.6 m draft, and will most likely handle Handymax-sized vessels between 40,000 and 60,000 dwt in any new life. Colonial Coal’s flagship Huguenot property is targeted to be in potential production in 2018. The company expects to ship coal through the new terminal on Watson Island using existing rail connections involving Canadian National to Prince Rupert. A new 65-kilometre spur line will be needed to the Huguenot property should it go ahead, WatCo President & CEO, Perry Braun, has said previously.
ports & terminals “We’re just in the stage of finalizing negotiations,” was all Braun would offer in a brief recent interview, but it is obvious the joint venture wants to proceed as quickly as it can. Prince Rupert Mayor Jack Mussallem says the whole idea is to sell the Watson Island property and WatCo is first in line. The City is keen to get the land back on the tax role and create jobs for people in the area. The Mayor says Watson Island could develop into an import/export facility and believes its capability to handle vessels around 50,000 deadweight tonnes gives it a strong and direct business case in association with smaller Asian ports. Campbell River A liquefied natural gas plant and terminal is being seriously considered by Quicksilver Resources Canada — a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary — at the Elk Falls site north of Campbell River after the company bought the Catalyst Elk Falls industrial site for $8.6 million in a deal that closed last May. Quicksilver is an independent oil and gas company that has reserves of approximately 14 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in British Columbia, largely in its Horne River Basin project in the northeast, so it won’t be running out of gas anytime soon. Championed by the Provincial Government, a wave of LNG plants is likely in B.C. thanks to “fairly attractive” arbitrage and favourable ambient temperatures here, and hungry AsiaPacific markets. Now in the pre-feasibility stages of a multi-billion dollar project, Quicksilver doesn’t plan to use the three existing docks at Elk Falls, which are unsuitable for LNG carriers, and is looking at building two new berths of its own, says Walt Madro, the company’s Managing Director of LNG. “We will rework the jetty and berthing further into Duncan Bay and configure it on a north-west basis in line with the currents,” he adds. The former Elk Falls pulp mill is considered a brownfields development and Madro says “we can develop in and around this facility.” The 1,200acre property can accommodate multiple trains of natural gas refrigeration
Elk Falls will once again be a busy hive of activity should an LNG terminal be built. where natural gas methane is chilled to -162 degrees Celsius for shipment as a liquid in specially-built LNG carriers, which Madro describes as being like “large thermos bottles, not under pressure and quite safe.” Quicksilver is amid preliminary meetings with all federal/provincial ministries and departments involved and Madro says it is “early days still, we’re very much into feasibility”. But, there’s a compelling case for a pipeline
to Campbell River and an LNG terminal it hopes to have up and running by 2020. “We’re sitting on such an abundance of natural gas in British Columbia, so this all makes sense,” he adds. “And we couldn’t find a better location for this than Campbell River.” Ray Dykes is a journalist who has worked his way around the world as a writer/photographer. Ray can be reached at prplus@shaw.ca.
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November 2013 BC Shipping News 21
SHIPBUILDING
Seaspan and the NSPS: On time, on budget
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aving just passed the two-year mark of submitting one of the winning bids for the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), Seaspan is in the throes of a modernization program that, when finished, will have used 2.2 million pounds of rebar and 3,200 truckloads of concrete to prepare the shipyards for cutting steel in 2014. In the meantime, work continues with new builds, refits, and repair work at both Vancouver and Victoria Shipyards.
be up and we’ll be using the facilities to build the non-combat ships for Canada.”
• The Block Assembly building foundation has been poured and, at the time of writing, the steel frame was being erected and siding added. • Foundations for the new Pre-Outfit building and the crane are being poured. • The last foundation to be poured will be for the new Paint and Blast facility. • With the permit from Port Metro Vancouver issued in April, 2013, the Load-Out Pier is under construction and is on budget and on schedule. • A 300-tonne Gantry crane will be delivered in January and will be complete by April (colour: royal blue). Shaw was also excited to note that another change at Vancouver Shipyard relates to their transportation system within the yard. “Previously, everything was rail-based but with the new shipbuilding program, we bought selfpropelled modular transporters. These are multi-wheeled platforms that are being used to move barges and ships around the yard.” At Victoria Shipyards, the site for the B1 building — the new operations centre — has been excavated and work
is underway. Pile driving should be started by the time this article goes to print and the facility will be substantially complete by November 2014. “That represents a large chunk of the $200 million budget being spent on the facilities and it also represents an update to all the equipment and the shipyard,” said Shaw. “In addition to that, there is a significant amount of work to update processes — all the computer systems, standard operating procedures, the software that we use for design, and the management of the design. It’s making sure we have all the processes and procedures in place all the way from actual production through to engineering, supply chain, and human resources.” Shaw noted that this portion of the modernization program would be ready for First Marine International scheduled review in February, 2015.
Photo credit: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
Modernization Program Seaspan Marine’s John Shaw, Vice President, Government Relations and Business Development, reported that the Modernization Program is going “swimmingly well”. On budget and on time, the work to modernize Vancouver Shipyards is expected to be complete by October 2014. “In fact, we’re actually ahead of the required date for the government,” said Shaw. “Within a year from now, all the buildings will be done, the crane will be up and we’ll be using the facilities to build the non-combat ships for Canada.” Running through the list of projects at Vancouver Shipyards, Shaw reported that: • The Sub Assembly building is nearing completion and should be occupied before Christmas.
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“Within a year from now, all the buildings will be done, the crane will
Evidence of progress on Seaspan’s Modernization Program: the frame and siding for the new Block Assembly building goes up. 22 BC Shipping News November 2013
Update on shipyard activity Even with the upheaval of the modernization project, Seaspan continues on with current naval contracts, refits, repairs and new builds for the commercial industry. Shaw expressed great pride and satisfaction with Seaspan’s work in support of the Royal Canadian Navy. The two programs currently with Victoria Shipyards — the Frigate Life Extension Project (FELEX) and the Victoria In-Service Support Contract (VISSC) – are both moving forward as scheduled. Under the FELEX, work on HMCS Vancouver — the third vessel in the program following work on HMCS Calgary and HMCS Winnipeg — is now under way and on schedule. She arrived at the shipyard in April this year and will be delivered back to the Navy by next April. Once Victoria Shipyards has completed all of the updates to the platform systems (typically a 12-month work period), the vessel will then be delivered back to Lockheed Martin and the Navy for completion of the combat
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systems upgrade. “The one unique thing about that project,” said Shaw, “is that there are ongoing meetings between ourselves, Lockheed Martin, Irving Shipbuilding and the government to look at lessons learned, and to pass on lessons learned — right from HMCS Halifax (the first vessel done at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax) through to HMCS Vancouver.” HMCS Ottawa and HMCS Regina are the remaining two vessels scheduled for the FELEX on the West Coast. Victoria Shipyards is also keeping on schedule with work on Canada’s Victoria-Class submarines under the VISSC. Having completed work on HMCS Victoria (which is now back at sea), HMCS Chicoutimi “should be getting wet as we speak”, and HMCS Corner Brook has already moved into the purposebuilt facility at VicShip. And if this isn’t enough, Victoria Shipyards continues to do ship repair work, and is preparing for a visit from the Grand Princess cruise ship before the end of the year. “Victoria Shipyards is doing a phenomenal job in planning and coordinating all of the work ahead of them,” said Shaw. “They have earned a reputation of excellence within the cruise industry and continue to get one or two cruise ships a year.” Staffing levels at Victoria Shipyards, currently at 800, will rise significantly — by as much as 1,000 — for about five to 10 days while the Princess ship is in for work. The one remaining potential piece of work is with HMCS Algonquin which was involved in an incident with HMCS Protecteur while conducting towing exercises. At press time, the RCN was undergoing a damage assessment before
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November 2013 BC Shipping News 23
Photo credit: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
SHIPBUILDING
Foundation poured for the new Pre-Outfit building. making plans for where the work would be done. At Vancouver Shipyards — where the bulk of the modernization project is focused — staff continue to construct chip barges for the Seaspan fleet and undertake ship repair for third-party, commercial customers.
While plans are still in the very early stages for the recently announced additional 10 vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard (see Page 25), for NSPS work already underway, the three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels will be constructed first. “We’re in the early design stages,” said Shaw. “We’ve
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conducted a design review of the original designs provided by government and are now moving into the functional design stage where we actually lay out all the spaces, specify the equipment, and then start ordering it.” Following that stage, Seaspan will then move into production design where a 3-D model is generated to allow them to verify any conflicts between piping and ducting, wiring and ship structure. “This improves efficiency once you start building. It also allows you to specify length of pipe, length of cable, ducting, etc., to a much greater detail so you get a much better price and reduce risk significantly.” Shaw expects that design work for the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) will start later next year and will go through much the same process as the OFSV. And while an announcement is imminent, there is still no word on which large vessel under the NSPS contract — the Joint Supply Ship or the Polar Icebreaker — would be built first. “The government is going through a review and assessment and we have supported them in a number of tasks on that and have put forward our analysis to help them with their decision-making,” said Shaw. “We expect a decision in the early fall and it will lead to starting construction of a large ship in 2016.” With the Canadian Government’s decision to use the Berlin-Class design for the Joint Supply Ship (JSS), Shaw noted that using a proven design reduces any ambiguity and risk but will essentially go through the same process to incorporate changes needed to build it at Vancouver Shipyards. Shaw further indicated that Seaspan would continue to pursue additional commercial work as much as possible and have responded to the Denman Cable ferry RFP as well as the RFP for the new intermediate-class ferries. Keeping staffing levels fairly consistent in anticipation of the work for the first Fisheries vessel, Vancouver Shipyards currently has about 200 staff (not including those involved with the modernization project). That is expected to ramp up to about 350 once the OFSV is ready for production, and then up to about 1,000 once construction starts on the large ships. BCSN
24 BC Shipping News November 2013
NSPS
Seaspan to build more vessels for CCG
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The OPVs — about 75 metres in length and capable of staying at sea up to six weeks — will be used primarily for fisheries protection, both in Canadian and international waters, as well as search and rescue, aids to navigation support, and environmental response. While it’s too early to start discussing design, production schedules,
or delivery dates, the new business adds about 20 years’ worth of work to Seaspan’s plate. More than that though, through NSPS, Seaspan is developing and growing a world-class shipbuilding and ship repair centre of excellence on the West Coast that will pump an estimated $2 billion in economic benefits into B.C.’s economy each year.
Photo courtesy Canadian Coast Guard
easpan’s Vancouver Shipyards received more good news in October when the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services announced an order for up to 10 additional vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard. The new vessels — five Medium Endurance Multi-Tasked Vessels (MEMTVs) and five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) — will be added to Seaspan’s order book, increasing the total number of vessels under the NSPS program to 17 (including three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels, one Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, two Joint Supply Ships, and one Polar Icebreaker). The new order adds an estimated $3.3 billion to the $8 billion NSPS contract already held by Seaspan. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to build the next generation of vessels for the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy,” said Brian Carter, President, Seaspan Shipyards. “This announcement marks the latest milestone in the future of the NSPS and the rebirth of the shipbuilding industry in B.C.” The MEMTVs — approximately 65 metres in length and capable of staying at sea up to four weeks — will be used primarily for the deployment, recovery and maintenance of aids to navigation, as well as search and rescue, fisheries management, and environmental response.
The CCGS Tanu — an example of an Offshore Patrol Vessel.
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Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada Diane Finley shares a high-five with Brian Carter, President, Seaspan Shipyards.
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November 2013 BC Shipping News 25
company profile Supporting refit and new-build projects for the Royal Canadian Navy
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&O is a global supplier of pipe, valves, fittings, actuation and engineered solutions to the maritime and upstream oil and gas industries, and has been serving the Canadian market for many years. With the continued growth of the Canadian marine industry and expanding needs of the Canadian government, we moved to cement our presence by creating W&O Canada and opening our first branch office in Delta, B.C. in 2009, followed by our Halifax branch in 2012, led by Dan Sawler. One of the most important and growing sectors of W&O Canada’s business is the Canadian Government. With growing demand on Canada’s East and West Coasts, as well as the specific needs of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard, there is a requirement for strong, established, and conveniently located partners to fully support Canadian marine operations. W&O Canada’s branches and large inventory, including products designed for the military and more than 33,000 SKUS, well positions W&O Canada to support both repair and new-build projects for the RCN, the CCG, and the commercial marine industry. For the past four years, W&O Canada has and continues to be involved with the Halifax Class Frigate Life Extension Program (FELEX), a retrofit initiative to upgrade 12 Canadian Navy Frigates. For this project, W&O Canada is providing its core products — valves, pipe, 26 BC Shipping News November 2013
Photo credit: BC Shipping News
By Steve Talbot, W&O Vancouver branch manager
and fittings — to Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards and Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax. W&O Canada is also active with the CCG, whether it be repair work or supplying metric products for the new Mid-shore Patrol Vessels. One of the most critical elements of service to any of our customers is on-time delivery, and we believe this is especially true for Victoria and Halifax Shipyards. To illustrate, last year HMCS Protecteur was undergoing refit work with Victoria Shipyards. As they worked their way through the refit process, it became apparent there was an immediate requirement for more 12-inch copper nickel pipe. They turned to W&O to meet this need and the product was delivered. It is rare for most suppliers to have this product readily available, but due to W&O Canada’s large inventory and strong relationships with global manufacturers, we were able to make the needed delivery in a timely manner. Looking to the future, W&O Canada hopes to increase our support of the RCN and CCG through involvement in new-build projects that are currently in the design phase. Another area of opportunity is with pending ballast water treatment system (BWTS) requirements. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has new, pending regulations for treatment of ballast water on vessels to stop the spread of invasive species. As ships come to port with ballast water from other locations, they will discharge that water before loading cargo. If untreated, the discharged water could contain foreign and invasive species. Ballast water treatment regulations are especially important in Canada due to the country’s thriving bulk trade. These new ballast water treatment requirements
will protect Canada’s waters and waters throughout the world. Although IMO ratification of ballast water treatment requirements is pending, the RCN and CCG are being proactive in meeting this important international environmental standard. Ballast water treatment systems are specified on all new ships they plan to build. Earlier this year, W&O was named as the exclusive United States and Canadian distributor of Hyde Marine’s GUARDIAN® Ballast Water Treatment Systems. The Hyde system received IMO Type Approval in April 2009 and has Type Approvals from several Class Societies. They were one of the first companies to install BWTS on board ships, installing five systems in 2000 and 2001. The Hyde system is modular and scalable, made from corrosion resistant materials and boasts low operating costs. It utilizes an automated, twostage treatment process. The first stage of depth filtration uses auto-backwash stacked-disk filters to remove sediment and larger organisms. The filters can handle a flow from 60 m3/hr to over 5,000 m3/hr and can be arranged in many different ways to add to scalability. The second stage uses UV disinfection to destroy the DNA of organisms, killing them or eliminating their ability to reproduce. As with all its customer segments, W&O Canada strives to provide outstanding service, on-time delivery, and consultative services during the design and build phases to the RCN, CCG or commercial marine marketplace. We look forward to continuing our growth in the Canadian market and our support of Navy, Coast Guard and commercial maritime operations.
CANADIAN COAST GUARD
Zalinski project a win-win all round
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find out how the project is progressing. “We’ve been here setting up our headquarters for the past couple of weeks — getting the real estate going and bringing in people to do some training,” said Girouard. “A big piece of this project is to do it using the Incident Command System and the Coast Guard is not historically an ICS organization, so we’re training and teaching folks as we conduct the operation.” Early preparation has included assembling the tools and communications gear that will be needed — for example, temporary antennae, diesel generators, etc. — at Lowe Inlet, a site just north of the Zalinski which provides a sheltered anchorage. “We’ll use that site as a small forward operating base and we’ll have our accommodations and equipment there,” said Girouard. He further noted that the CCG will have about 500 tonnes of pollution recovery capacity: “That’s more than what is usually up in this area. It has caused us to do a little reconfiguration around the province — keeping both people and equipment in depots elsewhere to make sure we can still respond to another event if that happens.” Girouard describes the CCG’s capabilities in this operation as the “belts and suspenders” with the majority of the pollution control responsibility falling to contractors.
n July this year, the Canadian Coast Guard announced that it would undertake a significant environmental response operation due to the deteriorating condition of the sunken Second World War U.S. Army Transport vessel, the Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski. Aside from the obvious win of protecting the environment and preventing any further oil leakage from the vessel which sank in 1946, the project is serving as a training mission for the CCG as they undertake a four-year process of moving toward an Incident Command System model. The urgent yet non-emergency operation provides the benefit of extra time to be able to train personnel, engage with partners, and learn from the experience.
Current status BC Shipping News caught up with Roger Girouard, Assistant Commissioner Western Region, in early October to
Photo courtesy of the Canadian Coast Guard
Background The Zalinski, built in 1919, ran aground during a storm and sank in Grenville Channel, about 100 kilometres south of Prince Rupert. It is lodged upside down in 34 metres of water about 20 metres from the shore. The vessel lay undetected until 2003 when reports of pollution led to an investigation by the CCG who found the relic. Since then, the CCG has been the regularly monitoring the site with the help of Transport Canada’s National Aerial Surveillance Program and undertaken emergency repairs to prevent further leaking. The vessel is now at the stage where its structural integrity is deteriorating and a permanent solution required. Following a review of dive footage that showed that the metal rivets holding the hull’s plates were corroding and the hull was buckling, the CCG develop an action plan, and issued RFPs for contractors to conduct the oil removal and provide pollution management. The CCG is acting as the lead federal agency to oversee and manage the oil and cargo recovery operation.
For the main operation — the salvage piece — the removal of the cargo and oil, the CCG chose Mammoet Salvage, a Dutch-based, international organization with a solid reputation and extensive experience in salvage operations. Mammoet is sub-contracting the diving portion of the project to Global Diving. The operation will unfold in four phases: • Securing the vessel; • Removing the oil through “hot tapping” — a process that involves drilling holes into the side of the vessel to access the fuel tanks, then pumping hot steam into the tanks to increase the temperature of the oil and enable it to be pumped to the surface for safe disposal; • Removing the cargo; and • Post-operation monitoring. “Mammoet will be doing the hot tapping and about 25 per cent of the pollution management,” said Girouard. “We’ve built zones around the Zalinski with the smallest zone being like a bullseye right on top of the site. Mammoet will be responsible for any small spills within this zone that might be generated as they work on the hull.” Girouard felt, given the fragility of the hull, that at least a bit of welling would occur. A second contract (not yet signed at the time of printing) will be issued
Lowe Inlet: The CCG accomodation barge and several CCG assets which will be involved in the Zalinski operation. November 2013 BC Shipping News 27
CANADIAN COAST GUARD As the operation progresses, Girouard for pollution management of the area of provincial and federal agencies as well around the operation zone. as the First Nations’ communities of will be employing First Nation guides Moving from an emergency manage- Gitga’at and Gitxaala. “The keys to ICS and observers to explain local currents ment system to that of the ICS model, is that, first, it’s a mechanism to bring a and conditions as well as to advise on while not entirely foreign to CCG per- range of organizations together into one areas that might be of particular cultural sonnel, has proved to be an invaluable office complex, and second, it’s a frame- importance. “They know the neighbourlearning experience. As previously work to make sure communications are hood better than anyone else,” he said. mentioned, the CCG is undertaking shared effectively and, conversely, deci- “I need their leadership function to help a four-year project to implement the sions are passed on effectively.” guide us through the operation and to change in incident management. “The Girouard added that provincial agency make sure they’re comfortable with the introduction Publication and spread of ICS across representatives and FirstFeatures Nations make risks involved in what we’re doing.” up part of the unified command. “We In a perfect world, the operation CCG nationally will take a while. And BC Shipping Ÿ EDITORIAL FOCUS: would take about 45 days but Girouard using the Zalinski operation gives us a need the advice that First Nations bring Government Fleets: RCN & to understand our worksite to the maxanticipates being up in the Prince great opportunity to learn as we work,” Issue CCG said Girouard.November imum extent possible, and we need the Rupert area until the new year. “Given Ÿ Industry Insight – Rear “We have a team from National province’s experience with the shoreline tide cycles and weather delays, I would Admiral Bill Truelove, opernot be surprised to be celebrating New HeadquartersSize here to help with plan- because the CCG predominantly Commander, Pacific Year’s here in Prince Rupert.” ning and problem-solving and they are ates in salt water.” Maritime Forces Half Page Horizontal When asked whether attempts will be While Girouard hopes the operation is keeping track of the lessons learned Ÿ NSPS update complete before February or March, he’s made to raise the vessel, Girouard cau— not only on how to deploy a team Ÿ Canadian Coast Guard Deadline but about definitions, structure, and tioned that the condition of the hull is no making any guarantees either way: update October 8, 2013 aspects of training that we hadn’t such that it would be counter-product- “ What we’ve said quite clearly is that anticipated. It’s been a good invest- ive. “There’s a lot we don’t know yet we’re not going to do this in a rush – we’re To support Rollie’s CSIRO ment for the long term.” about the hull and we’ll need to do a full going to do it right. If we’re delayed by editorial Girouard also mentioned that the assessment before making that deci- weather, so be it. Nobody died the night experience is providing a good opportun- sion. At this point in time though, the the Zalinski sank, we want to make sure nobody dies while cleaning her up.” ity to work with partners from a number advice has been to leave it.”
Australia's Largest Research Vessel RV Investigator For CSIRO
Designed by:
A Robert Allan Ltd. / Alion Science and Technology Joint Venture www.ral.ca
28 BC Shipping News November 2013
info@ralion.ca
www.alionscience.com
vessel design Canadian and American Naval Architects team up to design Australia’s largest research vessel, RV Investigator
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The Investigator is believed to be among the most capable and quietest non-naval research vessels in the world.
among the most capable and quietest non-naval research vessels in the world. Investigator will serve Australia in scientific operations ranging over an area from the equator to the ice shelf of Antarctica and spanning almost onethird of the circumference of the globe. An area this large is hugely diverse and the types of research to be undertaken are numerous and demanding,
resulting in the need for a very flexible, capable and seaworthy research vessel. Investigator can handle the heat and humidity of the tropics and the cold and ice of Antarctica while working safely and effectively in the broad expanse of the Great Southern Ocean separating these extremes. This icecapable vessel has also been designed to meet the underwater radiated noise
Photo courtesy of Robert Allan Ltd.
n 2009, when Vancouver’s Naval Architects, Robert Allan Ltd, teamed up with Alion Science and Technology of Alexandria, Virginia, and Alion Canada of Ottawa to submit design proposals for the new Canadian Coast Guard Offshore Fisheries Science and Offshore Oceanography Science vessels, the shared vision was to pursue major Canadian projects where their respective corporate talents could provide a synergistic solution to the Coast Guard’s needs. The resulting Joint Venture became known as RALion and the pursuit of Coast Guard contracts began in early 2010. The award of the design contract for the Coast Guard’s Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV) followed in October of that year. Before this work got underway, Robert Allan Ltd. became aware of an opportunity to work with a world-class shipping company and equally well-qualified major shipyard to pursue a contract to design and build a very large and sophisticated oceanographic research vessel for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an agency of the Federal Government of Australia. This was an ideal job for the RALion Joint Venture to pursue. Alion brought extensive experience with the design of research vessels for the U.S. Navy to the table while Robert Allan Ltd.’s similar experience in designing and building vessels for their global customer base provided vital practical insight in design and construction details. The team, led by Teekay Shipping Australia and Sembawang Shipyard of Singapore, using the RALion design developed from the U.S. Navy AGOR 23 Class vessels, was awarded the contract for construction in January 2011. All design work was completed by November of that year, the vessel was launched on July 21, 2013 and officially named ‘Investigator’ at a ceremony in Singapore on September 5. The vessel is expected to be completed and turned over to the owners before the end of this year. The Investigator is believed to be
The RALion-designed oceanographic research vessel commissioned by the Federal Government of Australia. November 2013 BC Shipping News 29
vessel design requirements of the DNV “Silent R” notation up to 11 knots – a capability that enables her to undertake the most sensitive types of environmental research. Investigator is fitted with a full range of scientific laboratories, science and fishing winches, coring equipment, air and water sampling devices, and acoustic systems and is capable of general-purpose oceanographic survey operations in coastal and deep ocean areas, including the physical, chemical and biological oceanography, multi-discipline environmental investigations, ocean engineering and marine acoustics, coastal hydrographic survey, marine geology and geophysics, bathymetric surveys and fisheries research. In support of these missions, the ship can perform the following tasks: • Acoustic habitat mapping. • Acoustic surveys in support of bathymetric, geomorphological and biological research using a combination of hullmounted, drop keel mounted, and towed transducers. • Acoustic surveys of marine species. • Acquiring geological samples of the ocean bottom in depths of up to 5,000 m. • Acquisition of benthic samples of the ocean bottom at depths up to 6,500 m. • Acquisition of up to 20 to 30 m core samples of the ocean bottom at depths up to 7,000 m. • Bottom trawling to depths of up to 4,000m. • Calibration of ship mounted transducers.
The West Coast’s Newest Old Shipyard!
9311 River Drive Richmond, B.C.
Phone: 604-270-2775
www.meridianmarine-inc.com
30 BC Shipping News November 2013
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This remarkable vessel will be the new benchmark for research vessels worldwide.
• Conduct horizontal or oblique plankton tows over the stern or over the side of the Vessel. • Conduct oceanographic sampling with rosettes of up to 36 bottles and CTD instrument packages to > 6,500 m depth while continuously sounding. • Freeze and cold store samples for further analysis at shore based facilities. • Launch/tow/retrieve a broad variety of active and passive sensors and sensor platforms including magnetometers, hydrocarbon sniffers, sonar towfish, AUVs and UUVs. • Launch/tow/retrieve a variety of egg, larval, juvenile and adult fish sampling systems. • Marine mammal and seabird enumeration, identification, tracking, and bio assessment. • Mid-water and surface trawling. To accomplish the scientific missions above, the Investigator is fitted with a gondola and two retractable drop keels to house the extensive scientific sonar and transducer suite. The vessel is fitted with a stern ramp to support fisheries research. The ship is classed by Lloyds Register of Shipping as: +100A1, +LMC, UMS Ice 1C IWS, EP, Research Vessel, DP (AM) and DNV SILENT-R .The principal characteristics are as follows: • Length Overall 93.9 m • Beam 18.5 m • Depth to main deck 9.45 m • Draft 5.5 m (minimum to keel) • Complement 60 (including scientists) • Vessel Speed 15 knots, fully loaded in Sea State 2 • Range 10,800 nautical miles • Endurance 60 days The vessel is twin screw, powered by an integrated dieselelectric propulsion and ship service plant provided by L3 Marine Systems. Three Mak 9M25C diesel generators provide a total electrical output of 9 MW at 690V. To meet the noise requirements of DNV Silent R notation, all three diesel generators are double resiliently mounted on a RALion engineered raft system provided by Mak. The L3/Indar 690V AC 2600KW propulsion motors feature a resiliently mounted rotor and other design features to meet the noise requirements. The L3/Indar propulsion motor is also the first use of AC motors in a research vessel to meet DNV Silent-R. Wartsila provided the 3.5m diameter 5-bladed propellers which are designed to be cavitation free at 11 kts. Robert Allan Ltd. and Alion Science and Technology are proud to have been selected to design the Investigator. This remarkable vessel will be the new benchmark for research vessels worldwide. The vessel will enter service less than three years after award of the design and construction contract. RALion will continue to pursue contracts where the capabilities and synergies of these two companies provide a solution to customer needs.
search and rescue Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue
A special calling: Saving lives on the water By Rob Duffus, Director of Marketing and Communications, RCM-SAR Photo courtesy RCM-SAR
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arko Kessler’s first sign that this mission wasn’t going to be routine was when the dispatcher asked him to take a medic as part of his crew. Kessler, a coxswain with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, was at work at the City of Prince Rupert one afternoon in March when his pager went off. While the rest of his crew rushed to their rescue vessel, Kessler spoke with the marine emergency dispatcher in Victoria. The call was a “pan pan” medical emergency in Big Bay, nearly 20 nautical miles to the north. Kessler and his crew left Prince Rupert harbour and battled 30-knot winds and four-metre seas. Their rescue vessel — a new Falkins-class jet boat — took such a pounding that Kessler at one point stopped to check for damage. Everything was fine. But more information was being received by radio and the call was becoming even more urgent. A woman had slipped between two boats while docking and had been crushed. She was in severe pain and having trouble breathing. Despite conditions, Kessler and his crew made good time and arrived at Big Bay in just over half an hour. The patient was in one of the vessels, apparently with broken ribs and possible spinal injuries. One of her lungs had collapsed. There was other help on the scene including crews from the Canadian Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The woman was put aboard Kessler’s vessel and taken to Port Simpson, nine nautical miles away and the nearest area for a medevac helicopter to land. During the last few minutes of the flight to the Prince Rupert hospital, the woman’s other lung collapsed. Doctors say she could have died if she had arrived in hospital even 10 minutes later. In the months since then, she has made a full recovery, thanks in part to the quick response of marine rescuers. What is remarkable about Kessler and his crew is not only their search and rescue skill and seamanship, but that
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The Orme G. Stuart, RCM-SAR’s Falkin-class jet boat operating out of Prince Rupert.
RCM-SAR is a key part of the marine search and rescue system on the West Coast. Its crews handle more than 600 missions every year — about a third of all marine emergencies in the area.
they are all volunteers. They are among about 1,000 volunteers who serve with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. RCM-SAR operates more than 40 marine search and rescue stations on the B.C. coast and on Shuswap Lake, and has several stations devoted solely to promoting boating safety. RCM-SAR is a key part of the marine search and rescue system on the West Coast. Its crews handle more than 600 missions every year — about a third of all marine emergencies in the area. They work alongside the Canadian Coast Guard, police, fire and other public safety agencies. When an emergency occurs, RCM-SAR crews are paged by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, operated by the Canadian Forces and Canadian Coast Guard. RCM-SAR is carrying on a 150-year tradition of volunteer lifeboat service in British Columbia and is part of an international network of volunteer marine search and rescue organizations. There are volunteer services in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and elsewhere. Formerly the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary — Pacific, RCM-SAR rebranded in 2012 to better reflect its purpose and to avoid confusion with the Coast Guard. The Queen granted permission to use the title Royal based on RCM-SAR’s philanthropic mandate and broad coverage area. That coverage area includes a large part of B.C.’s challenging coastline. There are RCM-SAR stations in urban areas such as West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and southern Vancouver Island, and in remote, sparsely populated areas such as Port Alice, Gingolx and Gitxaala. All provide year-round coverage, 24 hours a day. More than 70 per cent of RCM-SAR’s callouts involve significant danger or distress, including medical evacuations, sinking vessels, mechanical breakdowns, lost or disoriented mariners, and shoreline searches. In an average year, RCM-SAR will assist more than 700 people on the water. The crews who provide this help come from all walks of life. Some have spent their lives on the water. Others are new November 2013 BC Shipping News 31
search and rescue to boating and learn seamanship and search and rescue skills through RCMSAR’s own comprehensive training program. Training begins with basic pleasure craft operator and radio certifications, and progresses through several Transport Canada certifications that can include Small Vessel Operator Proficiency and 60-ton Master Limited.
Coxswains train at the Canadian Coast Guard’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Operator Training school in Bamfield, and a few are selected for exchange programs with RCM-SAR’s partners in Europe. The training is tough. RCM-SAR maintains very high training standards to ensure crew safety and provide top-notch search and rescue service to the public. One of RCM-SAR’s most effective training tools is a custombuilt rescue craft simulator. It is a fullscale mock-up of an RCM-SAR vessel with wrap-around scenery and sound. Instructors can create realistic scenarios based on the challenges of the B.C. coast to train and test crews on navigation, communication, search and rescue skills, and leadership. The SARNav simulator course is popular with crews for its realism and challenge, and is starting to be used by other agencies such as police departments. The simulator is housed in downtown Victoria but will soon be moving to a new, purpose-built training centre in East Sooke. RCM-SAR recently purchased a waterfront property on the Sooke Basin as a new regional training facility. Plans include additional simulator and classroom facilities, accommodation, and a dock and training vessels for crews to practice on the sheltered waters of the Basin and in the more challenging conditions of Juan de Fuca Strait.
RCM-SAR’s fleet ranges from small rigid hull inflatables to two new classes of vessels designed specifically for RCM-SAR and for the search and rescue requirements of the B.C. coast. Several stations now use the Falkins-class enclosed cabin diesel drive jet boat, and two Lower Mainland stations have recently received the new Type 1 vessel with its special shock-mitigating crew platform. These vessels are equipped with the latest navigation and communications equipment and search and rescue gear. How much are taxpayers on the hook for this year-round rescue service? Very little. The Canadian Coast Guard contributes to training and reimburses some costs associated with actual missions. However, most of RCM-SAR’s support comes from its own fundraising. RCM-SAR stations rely on personal and corporate donations along with provincial community gaming grants to buy new vessels and equipment for volunteer crews. Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue runs on the passion and commitment of its volunteers, like Marko Kessler. “To know that we have helped someone, or even saved a life, is the best reward,” says Kessler. “Our crews can be extraordinarily proud of the work they do and the service they provide to keep people safe on the water.”
Photo credit: BC Shipping News
A ‘few’ volunteers showed up during the launch of the RCM-SAR’s new name and the new vessel, the Craig Rea Spirit in May 2012. 32 BC Shipping News November 2013
SAR TECHNOLOGY Man Overboard – when every second counts
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s anyone involved in search and rescue operations can attest, the difference between life and death can come down to a matter of seconds. So when a new technology presents itself that offers a faster way to locate a Man Overboard (MOB) and to close the final loophole in containment of a MOB situation, it’s worth taking a closer look. The SeaMOB, an innovative, personal locator beacon, is an AIS-based (Automatic Identification System) search and rescue transponder that relays the position of a MOB, life raft, or lifeboat in distress to all AIS receivers within range. Given that all commercial vessels — and an increasing number of pleasure craft — now carry AIS transceivers, the SeaMOB was developed to take advantage of this huge common reception network to increase the likelihood of a vessel in the area picking up the distress signal. With a built-in GPS, the SeaMOB transmits an emergency AIS-SART sentence which triggers an alarm on all AIS-enabled chart plotters and PCs and provides the latitude and longitude of the activated unit. The GPS receiver on the SeaMOB is one of the fastest on today’s market — typically having a TTFF (time to first fix) of 30 seconds. When activated, the VHF-AIS transmitter on the SeaMOB repeats eight times per minute, the position and the unique (and globally recognized) MMSI identification number along with a conspicuous alerting signal to all AIS receivers within range. Transmission technology The main difference in the approach taken by the manufacturers of SeaMOB, is in the platform over which the position data is transmitted. Until very recently, data was either transmitted to a satellite network (for example, EPIRBs or SPOTs), or over ground but using exclusive frequencies (for example, Sea Marshall). Both of these two approaches need dedicated, or in case of Sea Marshall, custom-built receivers (or base units). This can create
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...when a new technology presents itself that offers a faster way to locate a Man Overboard (MOB) and to close the final loophole in containment of a MOB situation, it’s worth taking a closer look.
large time gaps in SAR operations. The availability of the vast network of Automatic Identification Syatem ( AIS ) transceivers expands the chances that mariners in the area — and perhaps closer than SAR responders – to locate the distress quickly, saving precious time in the rescue effort. Distinctive features Another key distinctive feature of the SeaMOB is its small size to range ratio. Other personal devices of a similar size limit the transmitting range to two to seven miles, but the SeaMOB’s range of seven to 10 nautical miles is achieved thanks to its powerful two-watt transmitter (conforming, and approved, to SOLAS requirements). That range increases to 10 to 15 nm if the SeaMOB’s antenna is one metre above sea level (for example, if it’s mounted on a life raft). And air-borne SAR units up to 40 nm away can still pick up the signal. In a nutshell, SeaMOB is a capable, powerful, and rugged PLB that conforms to new SOLAS requirements as an AISSART, yet is compact and light enough to compete with, and supersede, AISbased PLBs in the market. Additional optional features include automatic and ripcord activation — automatic activation is triggered by contact with water and ripcord activation is available when incorporated into a life vest. The SeaMOB has the ability to operate in temperatures from -20 to 55 degrees Celcius. It is water, oil , and shock-proof and is capable of operating in adverse sea conditions. It also has a battery shelf life of six years. While maintenance free, simple self-tests for both functionality and battery life make it easy for crew to ensure proper working conditions and, following activation, the SeaMOB will transmit for 96 hours continuously.
Given the priority placed on safety of life at sea, the SeaMOB is one example of a technological advancement that shouldn’t be ignored when working to increase SAR effectiveness. SeaMOB is manufactured in Germany by WeatherdockAG, branded in Canada and available through StarTech Marine Services — for more information, visit: www.startechmarine.ca.
The SeaMOB — an innovative, personal locator beacon using an AIS platform for search and rescue transmission — provides for quicker signals with greater range and more accuracy in pinpointing the distress signal’s location. November 2013 BC Shipping News 33
Record grain on the move By Darryl Anderson
Managing Director, Wave Point Consulting
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rain, a staple of the Canadian transportation diet, is on the move in record volumes. Mark Dyck, Director of Logistics for the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) observed: “The 2013 crop year will be huge, it is expected to increase by 25 to 35 per cent over last year’s volume.” Annually, $11 to $13 billion dollars of grain is exported to over 70 countries. British Columbia’s ports handled over 74 per cent of the grain directed to export position in 2012. While Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) remains the principal export point for western Canadian grain, the rising volume moving through Prince Rupert’s grain terminal provides a complementary marine gateway. Projected record grain volumes are occurring against a backdrop of a number of significant industry developments. It is with this in mind that this article explores the commercial,
34 BC Shipping News November 2013
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Projected record grain volumes are occurring against a backdrop of a number of significant industry developments.
logistics, and port-related factors influencing one of Canada’s most important export commodities. Deregulation of grain marketing The deregulation of the western Canadian grain industry on August 1, 2012 is having a major impact. The CWB, no longer the exclusive (or “single desk”) marketer of wheat, durum, and barley, now markets grain for the benefit of producers who choose to deal with them. And they are no longer restricted to marketing only wheat and barley. As a result, the CWB has introduced a canola pool and signalled that it may further expand into other grains as Dyck acknowledged they would be handling less cargo volume this year.
Mark Hemmes, President of Quorum Corporation stated: “The new marketing environment brought increased competition between grain companies with price often being the key consideration in the producer’s delivery choice.” Casey McCawley, General Manager, Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited, who oversees the firm’s interests in the Alliance Grain Terminal, Fraser Surrey Docks’ agri-bulk facility, and Cloverdale Inland Terminal transload operation, said that “commercial signals are now more transparent” and any extra costs (railway routing choices, ship demurrage, etc.) cannot be pushed back onto the farmers. Logistics costs are having a more direct impact “on the bottom line of grain companies”.
Photo credit: BC Shipping News
GRAIN EXPORTS
Inland transportation and logistics “Grain is the economic backbone of the countryside,” said McCawley. The scope of the Canadian grain logistics pipeline is evidenced by the fact that 30,000 farmers will truck their harvest to 386 country elevators, or producer car loading sites. The vast majority of the grain is then loaded into hopper cars and transported by Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to four ports and 16 marine terminals across Canada. While more intense export competition from the Pacific Northwest may occur in times of weaker U.S. crop yields, there are a number of logistics factors that are having a more immediate impact on grain transportation this year. Dyck said: “With the increase in cargo volume, it will be a bit of a challenge for everyone involved since all players will have to manage their pipeline.” In the past, the CWB was able to steer the various grades of grain to specific terminals but now, grain companies will be competing for the business. In addition to the increasing production from farmers and the actions of grain companies, the pricing behaviour of Canada’s two Class 1 railways is also having an influence on traffic flows. In their 2012-2013 Crop Year Second Quarter Report, Quorum Corporation, the Monitor of the Canadian Grain Handling and Transportation System, noted that there was a sharp rise (13.2 per cent) in the number of cars unloaded by CN compared to the 1.3 per cent handling gains made by CP. CN is the largest grain-handling railway in western Canada with a 52.1 per cent market share versus CP’s 47.9 per cent share. The West Coast ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert have both benefited from an increase in grain shipments however, the relative division between CN and CP, with the former carrier’s handlings into the port rising by 19.8 per cent in the face of the latter’s much lesser 1.0 per cent increase is significant. The greater gain made by CN appeared to reflect the advancements it had made in bringing a more predictable
Photo courtesy Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited
Pacific Northwest competition While record crop volumes and the demise of the CWB’s monopoly have been dominating Canadian discussions, American grain companies and Asian trading houses have been responding to rising international demand. This concern was raised by Mark Gordienko, President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada, while addressing a recent Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation conference. “Some aspects of our grain loading system, mainly in the Port of Vancouver, will see rising competition as a fair amount of investment in grain loading facilities in the U.S. Pacific Northwest has occurred,” said Gordienko. He cited EGT, the Export Grain Terminal in Longview, Washington, with their $200 million investment as an example. EGT’s facility was the first new grain terminal to be constructed in the U.S. in 25 years. Subsequently, other grain terminal investment has occurred in the Pacific Northwest. The new, or enhanced, Pacific Northwest grain facilities have been targeting corn, wheat, soybeans, soybean meal, and dried distillers grains with soluble cargoes.
Alliance Grain Terminal.
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“Some aspects of our grain loading system, mainly in the Port of Vancouver, will see rising competition...”
service to grain shippers. This also resulted in an increase in gratin directed to Prince Rupert which rose by 10.9 per cent during the second quarter of the last crop year. The Grain Monitor’s analysis of railway pricing behaviour has noted that Prince Rupert has also benefited from a change to the rate structure compared to decade ago. Since the railway “Revenue Cap” came into effect 13 years ago, grain shipments to Prince Rupert have seen an overall increase of 12 per cent. In contrast, the movement of grain to the ports of Vancouver and Thunder Bay increased by 31 per cent and 32 per cent respectively. The overall rail freight price increase to the Port of Churchill was 35 per cent. This suggests that the railways are more favourably disposed towards the handling of westbound grain and continue to use price in an effort to influence that movement. Whether CP, under the direction of new CEO E. Hunter Harrison, wishes to recapture a larger market share of the anticipated record grain crop this year remains to be seen. McCawley remarked: “CP currently has leased grain rail cars parked.” CP’s Kevin Hrysak did not respond to a request to discuss the 2013 outlook for grain yet McCawley observed: “September railway operations had been smooth.” Both shippers and railways would no doubt welcome a mild winter to reduce the likelihood of rail-related logistics problems. November 2013 BC Shipping News 35
grain exports
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“We have some very old loading infrastructure that was built in the days of much smaller ships and much smaller cargo handling ability.”
B.C.’s ports and marine terminals Activities within Port Metro Vancouver’s grain juggernaut — five dedicated elevators, (Alliance Grain Terminal, Cargill, Cascadia, Pacific Elevators, and Richardson International), plus Vancouver Wharves, Neptune Bulk Terminals, and Fraser Surrey Docks — will influence Canada’s reputation for overall grain logistics efficiency and supply chain reliability in the short-run. Mark Gordienko said: “Although some upgrades have been done at the five terminals in the Port of Vancouver there has not been much done to the shipping end...We have some very old loading infrastructure that was built in the days of much smaller ships and much smaller cargo handling ability.” The implications of the present state of the marine infrastructure and the post-CWB commercial environment have led to a number of concerns, most notably: Post Panamax vessels may be required to be turned at berth to allow loading or to reach hatches at the other end of the ship due to vessel size.
36 BC Shipping News November 2013
Ships are being forced to anchorage because terminals are not large enough to hold grains of sufficient quantity of the required grade. In addition, the movement of vessels between terminals has greatly decreased since the end of the CWB. Given the potential cost implication of these issues, it is important to shed some light on the extent of any potential problem at PMV. In regard to the first issue, industry insiders have advised this author that Alliance Grain Terminal is where vessels may need to be turned to accommodate draft restrictions. The issue of whether there is sufficient grain terminal capacity at Port Metro Vancouver in the post-CWB era and a record crop volume is more complex. McCawley observed that his facilities handle five main commodities. Grains like Hard Spring Wheat, for example, are also segmented by classifications based on protein and grade. As a result, port capacity is a function of both marine and railway logistics practices. Bruce Chadwick, Director of Finance for the Pacific Pilotage Authority provided information on pilotage grain
assignments. Table 1 clearly shows a decline in internal shifting at PMV’s main grain terminal berths perhaps providing some support to the argument that ships are being forced to anchorage. The issue is not only the number of vessels required to go to anchorage but the length of time at anchorage that contributes to additional costs. The amount of time spent by vessels in port is an important performance measure of the effectiveness of the grain logistics system. The Grain Monitor noted that in early 2013, the most substantive increase in vessel dwell time was posted by PMV. The average rose by over 60 per cent, to an average of 14.9 days from 9.3 days a year earlier. In contrast, the Port of Prince Rupert experienced a 33 per cent drop in the average time in port. In keeping with the added time taken by ships in port, the proportion of ships spending more than five days in port also rose, to 50 per cent from 45.0 per cent a year earlier. Moreover, there was a significant rise in the number of ships that remained in port for an uncommonly lengthy period of time, with the proportion of vessels spending 16 or more days in port, effectively doubling to 19 per cent from 10 per cent a year earlier. Virtually all of this delay was associated with ships calling at Vancouver. These statistics suggest that, while the grain transportation and logistics system was already moving a record volume of grain in the first half of the 2012-13 crop year, that movement was not keeping pace with the demand for carrying capacity. Such a situation does not bode well when a record crop year is being predicted. Richardson International Limited’s decision to increase grain storage capacity by 82 per cent at its Vancouver terminal is welcome news. Richardson received a project permit from PMV on April 15, 2013 and commenced construction of a $120 million project. The new concrete grain storage facility that will hold 80,000 metric tonnes (MT) of grains and oilseeds is expected to be completed in 2015. Increasing grain production has impacted the supply side. “The current
grain exports generation of farmers are well capitalized,” said McCawley. “Farms are being operated in a professional manner, making use of new technology to map fields and apply other techniques that result in increased crop yields.” In McCawley’s opinion, the need for grain logistics capacity through PMV warrants a robust discussion within the maritime community and with the railways. “The grain business is often perceived as the poor second cousin when it comes to Pacific Gateway expansion needs. It will be a challenge to keep the pipeline fluid,” he said. Conclusions While PMV may experience a lack of grain terminal capacity during the peak shipping periods, it may well be a combination of fluctuating ocean freight rates, rail capacity, availability and pricing, PMV land-use priorities, and the financial return on any new port-related elevator investments that will determine the extent of any loss
Pacific Pilotage Authority Grain Job Assignments Marine Terminals 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Cascadia 285 450 462 509 433 James Richardson Int. 202 253 237 250 252 Alliance 228 281 271 281 247 Pacific 135 205 196 173 144 Internal shifting (190) (207) (185) (218) (98) Total Grain PMV 926 1,306 1,333 1,392 1,292
Forecast
2013 420 360 260 170 (100) 1,350
Forecast
2014 364 382 220 142 (82) 1,240
Table 1 — PPA grain job assignments show a decline in internal shifting at PMV’s main grain terminals. of grain traffic. Under such a scenario, any slippage in grain traffic throughput could come from Prince Rupert, eastern Canada, the U.S. Gulf Coast, or Pacific Northwest. While record grain volumes will be on the move this year, industry participants may need to find new ways of collaborating to ensure that Canada’s grain crop is not delayed. The closer we come to elevator capacity limits on B.C.’s south coast, the more important
this issue becomes. It is also more likely that competitiveness and grain capacity issues will be part of the debate about the future success of the Pacific Gateway now that we are in the postCWB era. Darryl Anderson is a strategy, trade development, logistics and transportation consultant. His blog Shipper matters focuses exclusively on maritime transportation and policy issues. http://wavepointconsulting.ca/shipping-matters.
November 2013 BC Shipping News 37
Container ship leasing update By Syd Heal
T
he container ship leasing industry continues to expand and provide news of a marked trend to larger ships, improved technology, as well as scrappings as most operators strive to modernize and avoid the irrelevancy that becomes inevitable if moving with the trends is ignored. When I last wrote on this subject (BCSN Feb. 2013) there had been only relatively light ordering, but this has now advanced from a trickle to a flood and the alarm has been raised, particularly with industry analysts. In short, the market is already over-supplied with capacity, particularly on the mainline East Asia-Europe route.
38 BC Shipping News November 2013
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Seaspan Corporation is now the clear leader by a substantial margin among the pure container ship leasing companies on the NASDAQ and New York stock exchanges.
Seaspan Corporation is now the clear leader by a substantial margin among the pure container ship leasing companies on the NASDAQ and New York stock exchanges. The recent announcement of a 15-ship order for 14,000 teu ships for Taiwanese liner company, Yang Ming, brings the fleet under Seaspan management to 99 vessels at the time of writing when ships
on order are added to the fleet in commission. This is the figure released by Gerry Wang, CEO of Seaspan, but he is still one vessel short of his oft-stated target of a 100-ship fleet. The stockholders need not worry about Seaspan suddenly stopping further growth once they reach Mr. Wang’s target as they undoubtedly will have a new target that will keep growth happening so long as container ships remain a good leasing investment. The out-of-date website acknowledges 71 ships in the water and the order book lays out details of eight ships on order for lease, five of the 10,000 teu class (three for Hanjin and two for MOL) with delivery in 2014 and three of the 14,000 teu class for Yang Ming in 2015 of the above 15-ship order. By May of this year, an updated list circulated internally increased the numbers to 81, so since that date another 18 ships have been added to the firm orders to make up Mr. Wang’s 99 under management. The answer may lay with the Greater China Intermodal Investment Co. (GCII), the joint venture company set up by Seaspan and Tiger Group Investments in partnership with the Carlyle Group of the U.S. and Blue Water Commerce Co. Nothing has
been said publicly about Blue Water Commerce, so at the moment they seem to be a bit of a mystery. As Seaspan has grown massively over the past 12 years, its financial structure has inevitably grown more complex as the debt structure has developed and other interests have recently climbed aboard as joint venturers. It is suggested that the missing 18 ships are in the process of allocation with the joint venturers and will obviously be the subject of further announcement. (As we go to press, Seaspan announced an additional five building contracts to bring the fleet up to 104 plus announcements of massive new share and debenture issues that are to be offered to the markets.) Costamare, which primarily leases to the big European companies including Maersk, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd and has two large Oriental clients in Cosco and Evergreen, presently has two readily identified groups within its fleet. The older is made of ships built entirely before 2000 and is composed mostly of small carriers of varying capacity up to about 4,000 teu that make up roughly half the fleet by number. Their fellow Greek, Danaos, a company that likewise owns a fair number of older smaller ships with a make-up similar to Costamare, leads one to conclude that the European, Mediterranean,
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container Ships Costamare combines good management with steady profitable results and is probably the closest to emulating Seaspan as the market leader.
and nearby African and Asian markets possess many more smaller ports than we have in North and South America, through which containers are handled. Clearly, there is an abundance of feeder and localized shipping services radiating out from the several major transhipment ports like Felixstowe, Rotterdam and Hamburg for which smaller ships in the 1,000 to 3,000 teu range are ideal for local deliveries. Both Danaos and Costamare came to the American stock markets in the first decade of this century as both launched off into the bigger ships starting at 4,250 teu and now have up to 10,000 teu size leased out. Costamare combines good management with steady profitable results and is probably the closest to emulating Seaspan as the market leader. Danaos ran into financial trouble following the 2007 crisis and for a while was hobbled by restrictive covenants from their bankers. They survived that experience and now appear to be operating on an improved and profitable basis. Whereas Costamare has further
The Ever Excel — built in 2002 with an overall length of 300 m and a breadth of 42 m.
expansion underway with a significant order book, Danaos has made no new announcements for some time, but with the container business, it is not usual to say anything publicly while negotiations are under way. In a ‘new for old” deal, Costamare was probably the first to be noted as acquiring old ships with a short-term charter back, from its better customers when it made a deal with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to replace with new larger vessels. Seaspan soon after concluded a similar deal last year with K-Line of Japan by which it took in four 5,600 teu ships of fairly recent build to make way for new larger ships to be leased from Seaspan. Costamare followed Seaspan in its deal with the private capital Carlyle group. In Costamare’s case, they set up a similar joint venture with York Capital and already have three vessels committed to their management. Both private capital groups are based in New York and it now seems probable that we will see more of these types of deals as private Photo credit: Robert Etchell
November 2013 BC Shipping News 39
container ships Comparative table of container ship leasing companies Fleet
Vessels in Operation
Vessels Announced S/b orders 8 n/a . 15 n/a .
Total Container Capacity 506,300 352,065 336,400 66,349
Country of Origin
Seaspan Danaos Costamare Global Ship Lease Ship Finance
71 61 53 17
Canada Greece Greece UK/France
16
8
75,520
Norway
Box Ships Diana Container Navios Europe
9 10
0 0
43, 934 38,180
Greece Greece
0
5
n/a.
Greece
Notes: • First five listed above are 100 per cent dedicated to ship leasing. The last three are part of, or are associated with a larger composite shipping group. • “Country of Origin” is a reference to where the controlling interests originated. Few, if any, of the above fleets register vessels in their country of origin. • All above fleets are on the NYSE or NASDAQ except Navios Europe which is a new subsidiary within the Navios Group. • The latest Seaspan announcements mention a new total of 104 ships, including 31 new builds, with a capacity of 790,000 teus.
40 BC Shipping News November 2013
capital companies follow suit with other container ship interests. Ship Finance International (SFI) owns a composite fleet in five categories, one of which is a growing container section that is now striking out to build and long-lease purpose-built ships for operation by strong lessees. Currently, it has two groups on order, the first being four 4600 teu ships for lease to Hamburg Sud while the second, recently announced four 8700 teu ships have been ordered apparently without the benefit of firm charter contracts, but it seems likely that there will be a further announcement well before construction starts, if only because this is what the stock market has come to expect and on which it forms its judgments. SFI seems to have identified container ships as a growth area and other shipping companies without container ships in their portfolios will likely follow their example. Global Ship Lease as an instrument of the French international CMA CGM group, appears to be a mostly captive organization that acquires its ships as hand-me-downs from CMA CGM and then leases back to them. There is no order book outstanding and the fleet, while profitable, is also quite static at present while CMA CGM is placing large new ships on a sale and lease-back basis with companies such as SFI.
container ships Photo credit: Robert Etchell
Box Ships and Diana Container Ships are a bit like scavengers acquiring more elderly ships from the big liner companies with a two-to-three year charter-back attached. In the past, this has been a pretty standard process with large fleets wishing to dispose of middle-aged vessels to make room for new ships. In the great change over by such fleets as Shell and Esso as they moved largely out of ownership into chartering for fixed terms of up to 10 years, they unloaded a lot of semi-obsolescent ships into the market which usually did not last long once the short-term charter had expired. The same may be happening in the current process with ships in these two fleets. Market analysts have been critical of the high prices they have paid to the liner companies in the process and when this is coupled with dividends higher than can be justified, plus high management fees, there is not much of a surplus left to carry forward. A surprise to this writer was the recent announcement of a deal done between Navios Group and Nordea Bank of Germany to take over five tankers and five container ships, all being distressed assets and probably from KG investment owners. That is a fairly normal transaction when a bank needs to liquidate bad loans. The surprise part occurred when CEO Angeliki Frangou of Navios moved into the container business through the back door. Ms. Frangou possesses that magic touch when a very shrewd operator combines her skills with a fully developed sense of the financial markets and knows just when to make her moves. She has done it with all three of her listed companies. In four years, her tanker fleet has grown from zero into one of the bigger tanker businesses and now she is moving into containers and I suggest we may expect big things from her latest company Navios Europe and another incorporation, Navios Asia, in the next few years. It’s groups like this with a strong track record and massive resources that will become the main beneficiaries of the secondary market, but in her case, I fully expect to hear of long-term leases to first-class liner operators once she gets into her stride along the lines of SFI. The liner operators have not been slow to get in on the latest splurge of ordering, in fact they have lead it, as it is them who set the pace, while the leasing companies stand by to render a service but here there is evidence of a “bigness” competition. Maersk has consistently set the pace in the quest for bigger ships. Everyone with an interest probably gasped a little when Maersk set a new benchmark, with its 15,000 teu Emily Maersk class ships. These ships were no sooner in the water than a new benchmark was set by Maersk at 18,000 teu and some companies, notably CGA CGM of Paris built 16,000 teu sisters and for a brief period they were the biggest ships in service. Now we hear with presumably an eye for once again to the “bigness” competition, the world’s 10th largest liner container company, China Shipping Container Line (CSCL) has ordered four 18,400 teu giants for delivery by Hanjin in 2015. Inevitably, someone else will top this order and reach perhaps for 20,000 teu. In a recent release, well-known international shipping analysts, Drewry Shipping Consultants of London expressed concern over the latest trend in orders. They are not based on orderly market economics, but seem to be motivated by
The Cosco Yokohama — built in 2004 with with an overall length of 300 m and a breadth of 42 m. a sudden demand to take advantage of the low prices now being quoted by Far Eastern yards. They point to orders such as that of United Arab Shipping for five 18,000 and five 14,000 teu units for delivery in 2015. There is also an opinion that a significant proportion of the new order books will pass to the leasing companies, as the liner companies drain their own resources to pay for them. Syd Heal, a veteran of the marine industry and a prolific writer and publisher of marine books, can be contacted at: richbook@ shaw.ca.
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November 2013 BC Shipping News 41
world spill response Part 3: U.K. oil spill response:
And now for something completely different
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While the Torrey Canyon was a turning point for the U.K.’s oil spill response readiness, it’s current regime is the culmination of over 35 years’ worth of reviews, consultations and amendments...
BC Shipping News that he hopes a new draft will be ready for the second round of consultations by the end of October 2013. The consultation period will be short (about four weeks) and while final implementation depends on the results of the consultations, Mr. Woznicki is hopeful there will be a new NCP by early January 2014. When asked about the frequency of reviews, Mr. Woznicki noted the following: “The Document Change Management process will be streamlined, with the scrapping of the current and cumbersome five-plus-year review and revision cycle in favour of a continuous on-line proposal, review, approval and update procedure visible to all appropriate stakeholders. This should ensure that the NCP remains current and relevant at all times.” For the purposes of this article, we use the existing NCP as a guide to highlight the basic differences between the regime of the U.K. to that of Canada.
Photo source: Department for Transport Maritime and Coastguard Agency
hen looking at the oil spill response regime of the United Kingdom, discussion invariably starts with mention of the Torrey Canyon. Following her crash on the Seven Stones rocks between Scilly and Lands End — and a salvage attempt that tried but failed to drag her off the rocks — the Torrey Canyon lost all of her 117,000-tonne cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil in March 1967 (for comparison sake, the Exxon Valdez lost close to 39,000 tonnes). While the Torrey Canyon was a turning point for the U.K.’s oil spill response readiness, it’s current regime is the culmination of over 35 years’ worth of reviews, consultations and amendments to regulations and acts. At first glance, the frequency of these reviews is one of the most striking differences to Canada’s system. But there are many differences within the U.K. regime that are worth noting. First, we must note that the National Contingency Plan (NCP) — described in detail below — is currently under review by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). A draft plan was issued and consultations were undertaken in the latter part of 2012. Mr. Stan Woznicki, Head of Counter Pollution & Salvage, advised
Following the Torrey Canyon incident in 1967, the United Kingdom realized their oil spill response regime required attention. 42 BC Shipping News November 2013
Governance Acts, regulations and legislation — the National Contingency Plan There are a number of Acts within the United Kingdom that are relevant when addressing marine pollution prevention — the Merchant Shipping Act (1995, then amended in 1997 by the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act); the Pollution Control Act 1999; and the Marine Safety Act 2003. There is also the Offshore Installations (Emergency Pollution Control) Regulations 2002; the Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation Convention) Regulations; the Civil Contingencies Act 2004; and the Local Government Act 1972; not to mention international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; the International Convention on Oil Pollution, Preparedness, Response and Co-operation 1990; and European Parliament Directives such as that which establishes a Community Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System. But the main document that incorporates — and has the authority of all of these Acts behind it — is the National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (NCP). The NCP is a comprehensive guideline that not only establishes response procedures but also outlines the roles and responsibilities of key organizations and details the steps required for salvage operations, environmental and public health monitoring, liability and compensation for pollution damage, and cost recovery and record keeping. The document acts as a ‘one-stop shop’, even providing details on international and bi-lateral agreements to which the U.K. is a party.
world spill response
As noted above, reviews and updates to the NCP occur frequently, about every six or seven years. A major review was undertaken in 2000, revisions were again implemented in 2006 and consultations on a new update just wrapped up at the end of 2012. Among the items under consideration, the latest revisions provide for greater focus on responsibilities for offshore oil and gas operators; clarification of the roles of various bodies to make the lines of communication and incident management more transparent and efficient; and an expansion of the role of the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) to include greater powers of intervention in salvage and offshore operations (more on the SOSREP below). Maritime and Coastguard Agency The NCP lists each organization involved in a marine pollution incident. They range from government departments (for example, the Department for Transport, the Department of Energy and Climate Change [noted that the current NCP refers to the now defunct Department of Trade and Industry], the Environment Agency, and the Department for Communities and Local Government), nature conservation organizations (for example, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, English Nature, and Scottish Natural Heritage), devolved administrations (for example, the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency), and other organizations including local authorities, harbour authorities, the oil industry, marine insurers and many more. Chief among the responsible government departments is the Department for Transport — and chief within that is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The MCA is the lead executive agency for the U.K.’s response to pollution from shipping and offshore installations; for minimizing loss of life as well as the impact on U.K. interests and assets; and developing, promoting, and enforcing high standards of maritime safety and pollution prevention for ships. According to their 2013-14 Business Plan: “The MCA promotes economic
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While the notion of government intervention in the face of a threat of marine pollution existed in British law since the Torrey Canyon...this new role was the first time that one person was specifically identified...
growth, facilitating the safety of shipping and seafarers, saving lives and protecting the maritime environment. The Agency provides a 24-hour maritime search and rescue service; enforces the safety of shipping and the welfare of seafarers through our survey and inspection regime; processes the registration and certification of ships and seafarers; and manages pollution prevention and response.” In an average year, they will deal with over 20,000 maritime search and rescue incidents, 10,000 ship surveys and inspections, 18,000 ship and seafarer registrations and certifications, and intervene in 650 actual or potential pollution incidents. Within the NCP, MCA’s responsibilities during an incident are clearly defined. From the Chief Executive to the Director of Operations to the Secretary of States Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) and the Directorate of Operations, each individual position, as well as each section within the MCA, has an outline of responsibility. For example:
• The Director of Operations is responsible for ensuring that Ministers are kept informed and for liaising with the Chief Executive on policy matters. • The SOSREP is the authoritative voice in the decision-making process of a marine salvage operation that involves the threat of significant pollution. • The Directorate of Operations is responsible for counter pollution. • The Counter Pollution and Response Branch is responsible for maintaining the government’s stockpiles of equipment. Secretary of States Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) In a previous article in BC Shipping News (October 2012), Joe Spears provided a succinct outline of the origins and role of the SOSREP. The SOSREP position — that is, a single person with the authority to oversee, control, and if necessary to intervene and exercise “ultimate command and control”, acting in the overriding interest of the
November 2013 BC Shipping News 43
world spill response United Kingdom in salvage operations within U.K. waters involving vessels or fixed platforms where there is a significant risk of pollution — was created in 1999 as a result of “Lord Donaldson’s Review of UK Salvage and Intervention and Their Command and Control”. Lord Donaldson’s review was prompted by the 1996 grounding of the Sea Empress in which repeated salvage attempts to pull the vessel free resulted in the release of even more oil than the original spill. While the notion of government intervention in the face of a threat of marine pollution existed in British law since the Torrey Canyon incident in 1967, this new role was the first time that one person was specifically identified to act with full government authority. It was also the first time that ignoring a situation was not an option — taking no action is considered the same as approval of the existing plan. It should also be noted that the SOSREP’s powers of intervention are in respect of salvage only. The SOSREP role does not include any responsibility for either at-sea or shoreline clean-up activities. The current SOSREP is Hugh Shaw, appointed in January 2008 after spending four years as Deputy to his predecessor. Shaw has over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry, starting as a deck officer with Mobil Shipping Company
Map of MCA Regions including resources. 44 BC Shipping News November 2013
and moving up the ranks within Her Majesty’s Coast Guard and finally reaching the position of District Controller at Forth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and then the MCA Counter Pollution and Salvage Officer for Scotland and Northern Ireland. U.K.’s approach to spill response First and foremost, the U.K. National Contingency Plan puts human life as the key purpose for responding to a maritime incident, followed by protecting human health, and the marine and terrestrial environment. In outlining counter-pollution operations at sea, the NCP recognizes that, while the most desirable option is to recover oil from a major spill, in practice, oil recovery at sea is never fully effective. Therefore, the MCA’s options for response include allowing the oil to evaporate naturally; initiating dispersant spraying operations; and/or initiating mechanical oil recovery operations (in that order). Following the initial report of a marine incident to any of the MCA’s Rescue Co-ordination Centres (RCC), the RCC will collect key pieces of information — the nature of the incident; the number of people on board; the type and size of the ship (or installation); the precise location; and as much information as possible on the ship’s cargo and the structural integrity of the vessel (or installation). The first action of the RCC is to initiate any search and rescue response required.
Map of the U.K. Pollution Control Zone.
world spill response The RCC will then contact the on-duty Counter Pollution and Salvage Officer (CPSO) who will assess and categorize the incident into one of three tiers: • Tier 1 — Local (within the capability of one local authority). • Tier 2 — Regional (beyond the capabilities of one local authority). • Tier 3 — National (requiring national resources). When considering a national response, the CPSO will take into account such issues as whether there is a risk of significant pollution requiring a salvage operation or if the spill of oil or any other hazardous substance requires deployment of sea-borne or air-borne equipment to contain, disperse or neutralize it. The CPSO can also take any of the following actions: • Order aerial surveillance. • Arrange for inspection of the ship. • Put equipment on stand-by — such as dispersant-spraying aircraft and ships, oil recovery equipment, cargo transfer equipment, booms or emergency towing vessels. Once the level of response has been initiated and it is determined that the incident requires a regional or national response, the CPSO will then immediately inform the Director and Deputy Director of Operations, and the SOSREP. The next step is to set up national response units with the main goals of: first, to prevent pollution occurring; second, to minimize the extent of any pollution that occurs; and third, to mitigate the effects of that pollution. Separate (but linked) response units will direct operations — including, for example, the Salvage Control Unit, the Marine Response Centre, or the Shoreline Response Centre. The National Contingency Plan then provides a very detailed outline of the responsibilities for each response unit, whether it be for salvage, at-sea, shoreline and on-shore, or environmental advice and monitoring. Further, the NCP outlines how to work with media, liability and compensation, and cost recovery and record keeping. Private responders While oil spill response is firmly under the direction of the MCA, a number of private contractors play a key role within the regime. For example, the MCA has
an arrangement with Reconnaissance Ventures Limited for use of surveillance aircraft as well as aircraft equipped with and ready to spray dispersants. In addition, most major terminals have their own response equipment and stock of dispersants. Several oil companies have established additional stockpiles of response equipment and Oil Spill Response and East Asia Response Limited maintains major stockpiles of equipment as well. Ports, harbours, oil facilities and offshore installations have a statutory responsibility for clean-up in their jurisdictions. Polluter pay Like most regimes, the U.K. has a ‘polluter pay’ policy. Depending on the type and source of pollutant involved, compensation and liability limits vary. For example, compensation for pollution caused by crude oil from tankers is covered under international conventions such as the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1992 and the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage 1992. Tanker owners have the right to limit liability based on the gross tonnage of the tanker. The amount currently ranges from £3.7 million (where gross tonnage is less than 5,000) to £72.5 million (where gross tonnage is over 140,000). Other sources of pollution — for example, offshore installations — fall under various prescribed liability schemes (in the case of offshore installations, all operators must be members of the Offshore Pollution Liability Association Limited). Conclusion Just as we concluded when looking at the spill response regimes of Norway and the United States, trying to make a direct comparison between the U.K.’s regime to that of Canada’s West Coast can’t be done. The National Contingency Plan is a much more comprehensive document than anything that exists in Canada. The U.K.’s policy on response actions is quite different as well, with the preferred policy being to allow the oil to disperse naturally unless there is a threat to contamination of coastlines, fisheries or bird populations, followed
by the use of dispersants (Canada’s priority is for recovery). The U.K. system also provides a much greater focus on salvage operations while Canada relies almost solely on the International Marine Organization’s International Convention on Salvage 1989. Canada’s system, while providing an oversight and intervention role for the Canadian Coast Guard, has established Response Organizations (ROs) that are tasked with clean-up and recovery activities on behalf of the polluter (who has a pre-existing relationship with the RO). While the CCG has the powers to intervene, they do not lead the response, rather, they take an observer position. This leads to another key difference — the use of an Incident Command System model versus an emergency management model. Canada’s ROs use the ICS model while the U.K. regime sets up separate (but linked) response units. (We note at this time, however, that the CCG is moving toward an ICS model of response as is Oil Spill Response Limited in the U.K.) There are many positive aspects of the U.K. system. The clarity and detail of the NCP leaves no question about who is in charge and the immediate steps to be taken. The NCP is a holistic document which undergoes frequent reviews and is, as noted, a ‘one-stop shop’ for guidance on the spill response regime. The notion of the SOSREP — who, as described within the Merchant Shipping Act, can take “any action of any kind whatsoever” — in the case of salvage operations, provides assurance that decisions to protect U.K. interests can be made quickly, without the need for additional consultation, and, perhaps most importantly, without political interference. The U.K. has seen its fair share of major oil spills. Each revision to the regime over the past 40-plus years has been based on lessons learned to provide an effective regime that serves to eliminate delays in responding. It would serve Canada well to study the U.K. system carefully to ensure we don’t need to learn those lessons on our own. In the fourth part of our continuing series on world oil spill response regimes, we’ll be looking at the Australian model. BCSN November 2013 BC Shipping News 45
Marine Firefighting
Firefighting on board — a unified response By John Lewis, FNI, CRSP SeaFire Training Ltd.
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raining for emergencies is an established part of life at sea. Personnel change, and a drill is held to acquaint the newcomers with emergency procedures on board — abandon ship stations, firefighting, etc. On some vessels, drills are realistic and relevant; on others, they are seen as a chore to be completed as quickly as possible. A common mistake is assuming that everyone will be available in an emergency. Consider a tug with a crew of three — Master, Engineer and Deckhand. Now consider an emergency such as Person in the Water — and remove one of the crew members, making him/her the victim. How well does the plan work now? In the Galaxy fire in October 2002, Captain Dave Shoemaker found himself with fire on multiple decks, three crew members in the water, 20-foot seas and 30-knot winds — yet 23 of 26 survived. This is not some ancient history, or wartime; this is recent, a fishing vessel, and could happen anywhere. Productive vessels spend most of the time at sea; most of the training is done at sea, based on the reasonable assumption that the only resources available are those on board. Yet, most vessel fires (65 per cent) occur in port. This article examines what additional factors may impact a vessel’s fire response when in port. Ship/shore interface — where vessel and port responders meet Some vessel crews have the view: “So what’s the problem? We have the Fire Control Plan posted and available
46 BC Shipping News November 2013
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Productive vessels spend most of the time at sea; most of the training is done at sea...[yet], most vessel fires (65 per cent) occur in port.
as required by SOLAS; we have the International Shore Coupling in a box on the bulkhead, complete with nuts, bolts, and wrenches. Why, we even have a current crew list with the Fire Plans in a container at the top of the gangway. Everything is there for the Fire Department to respond.” All the listed items are useful, but misconceptions prevail. Do not assume that the Fire Department in every port can or will assume all responsibility for onboard firefighting. If offshore, perhaps the only firefighting resources may be on tugs. While tugs are excellent for large scale fires and for boundary cooling, they may be of little value in the event of an accommodation or engine room fire, except when the fire has grown enough to be accessible from the water. Perhaps the Fire Department assumes the vessel personnel will do the firefighting while the Department gives support. In some cases (for example, the Ambassador at Beldune, New Brunswick, December 31, 1994), the Fire Department had no training in shipboard firefighting, while the crew had little appreciation of the strategy and tactics used by land-based firefighters. Strategies that work well on land may be hazardous afloat, for example, opening up a compartment as opposed to confining and boundary
cooling. An effective response depends on: • timely notification; • speed of response; • knowledge of where personnel are; • accurate knowledge of the location of the fire, vessel systems, and layout; and • sufficient resources to extinguish the fire, or to contain it until it burns out. Few shore fire departments will take over all aspects of a response without more knowledge than is generally available from a Fire Control Plan. They will not commit members on board without clear direction and preferably, guidance form ship’s personnel. Notification How to contact Emergency Services? By radio? Telephone? In North America ‘911’ is used; in Britain, ‘999’ or ‘112’. ‘112’ is used almost worldwide. Many countries use ‘119’. Have we cellphone service where the berth is? Where is the nearest ‘phone? Should we dial ‘9’ for an outside line, i.e. ‘9–911’. Perhaps there is a special emergency telephone as in some ports, e.g. Rotterdam. Are all on board aware of how to call for help? Speed of response In an ideal situation a fire, should it occur, will be stopped before shore
fire safety
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Land-based firefighters think of ventilation as opening a path to release the hot gases and smoke...Marine firefighters think of ventilation as a means of shutting down and confining a fire to smother it.
resources arrive on scene. For sake of illustration it is assumed best practices are in place on board but the fire is still uncontrolled when the Fire Department arrives. How long will this response take? Four minutes? Twelve? Vessel Masters must ask the question on arrival in port. In many ports a 10-minute response time is not unusual, plus 15 or 20 minutes to connect to a water supply, get hoses on board and begin suppression. Most Fire Departments work on a model such as RECEO: • Rescue — consider who is endangered? And where? • Exposures — what areas, other vessels or structures are threatened? • Confine — contain the fire and prevent spread (ventilation may be part of this) • Extinguish — having controlled the fire, put it out. • Overhaul — check for and extinguish hot spots; investigate the cause; salvage. There are many such aids to memory, but all put rescue of persons first.
Exposures Knowing the location of the fire is essential, whether by alarm panels or visual signs. Are fire doors closed? Is the fire contained? Is it likely to spread, and where to? Are other vessels threatened? Sheds or warehouses? Is the dock at risk? Should the vessel be moved? Are there draft restrictions? These questions will be answered by the Unified Response Team comprising the vessel Master, Fire Chief, Harbourmaster or Captain of the Port, etc. The vessel personnel can address many of these concerns in advance, such as: Are fire wires (emergency towing wires) rigged? Is the vessel under power? Or dead ship? Are main engines immediately available (and if not, how
Ventilation and Extinguishment Land-based firefighters think of ventilation as opening a path to release the hot gases and smoke so the fire teams may enter and extinguish. Marine firefighters think of ventilation as a means of shutting down and confining a fire to smother it. This option is generally not available in land structures. However, boundary cooling must be used to limit the spread of fire through conduction. As a rule of thumb, remember: ‘the only reason to ventilate is to make a fire change direction.’ Regardless of which strategy is used, the Fire Department/Brigade needs to know the location and status (open/ closed) of: • water tight and/or fire doors; • fans and ventilators; • fuel and electrical shut offs; • fixed firefighting systems – type, location, operating instructions. While the basic information is available from the Fire Control Plan, such plans are not always easy to read. Ideally, a book or binder with one deck per page should be prepared, showing clear layout and locations of the above. Additional information, such as location of dangerous goods (for example, battery rooms, oxy-acetylene stowage,),
Photos courtesy SeaFire Training Ltd.
Rescue We should be able to say with certainty who is on board and where so missing persons may be ascertained.
Why not give a copy of the Crew List to dock security so they may identify who is on board and who ashore? Maintain a personnel board at the top of the gangway so a glance will show who is on board and who ashore. This need not be complex: I have seen cup hooks beside labels showing each rank, while washers painted white on one side and black on the other denoted presence or absence. Be sure to maintain minimum manning so sufficient officers and crew remain on board to effect a response.
long will it take to make them ready?) or are they out of service? The answers to these questions should be 1) known to the Officer and Engineer on watch; and 2) in the fire wallet.
The Fire Control Plan located at the gangway.
The International Shore Connection — resource or relic? November 2013 BC Shipping News 47
fire safety should not be shown on the plans but Duty Officers should be aware of them. Vessel personnel must be prepared to guide firefighters to check the status of ventilators or fixed systems or even to enter the structure should an aggressive interior attack be attempted. (This was done successfully on the Bermuda Star in 1989.) Officers and crew must prepare to work with land-based firefighters. No Fire Officer likes to send members into a strange structure, so knowledgeable guides, proficient in the use of self-contained breathing appartus, greatly facilitate a speedy and safe response. Response to tanker fires offshore has been successfully achieved by tugs, as illustrated by the Megaborg fire off Galveston, Texas, USA in 1990. The same year, the U.S. Coast Guard supported an industrial brigade in extinguishing a tanker fire (Jupiter, Bay City, Michigan, 1990). In the last two decades we have had many cruise ship fires, ranging from the Diamond Princess (burned for 19 hours in 2002 during construction); to the Star Princess (a balcony fire damaged 85 cabins in 2006); to the engine room fire on the Carnival Triumph (February 2013). These are just a few of the many which have occurred. Access Firefighters may place ladders or aerials against the vessel for additional access. Personnel or equipment may be ferried on board using the stores crane, or dock cranes. Staging
areas, or places to lay out equipment, may be required. Ship’s crew can assist by • tending mooring lines; • having heaving lines ready to hoist hoses; • carrying equipment; • operating cranes. Most Fire Departments operate some form of personnel accountability system. Well-run vessels have personnel boards as described earlier. Tugs may perform firefighting, or may transport firefighters on board. Can they provide water supply on board? Can they provide a stable platform to act as a command post? Will they have to move a vessel or keep it in place during the fire response? A vessel on the off-dock side of an involved vessel may provide a set of eyes and ears for the Incident Command, and provide a 360 degree view of the situation. International Shore Coupling (ISC) — resource or relic? Many seafarers have been led to believe that in the event of a fire in port, with the ship’s fire pumps disabled, the local Fire Department would respond, use the ISC and, having pressurized the fire main, would fight the fire aboard. Of course, the water from shore now comes out through the vessel’s hoses and nozzles. Will the fire department use the ship’s equipment? In refuting this assumption we can do no better than to quote Mr. Frank Rushbrook in his excellent book Fire Aboard in which he stated “...the firefighting equipment — particularly the hose — to be found aboard ship is such that a professional fireman would be reluctant to find himself compelled to rely on it to deal with a serious fire emergency. Mildewed hose, ancient branch-pipes with hand-control nozzles stiff to operate or leaking at the joints — (page 550).” It is not suggested that this comment would apply to all vessels, but even if the firefighting appliances are in perfect order, no one wishes to use equipment with which he is unfamiliar. Some vessels have equipment which is superior to that of many fire departments but if it is unfamiliar to them, the firefighters will not use it. Many units in the Fire Service have been dutifully carrying their part of the ISC for years without any clear idea of its intended use. After a little reflection, it becomes clear that the corollary of the ISC was standardization of couplings — worldwide! Without such standardization, the use of ISC becomes limited to either a) charging a fixed system on board from shore water, such as when a vessel is in drydock, or b) pressurizing the fire main to facilitate the firefighting efforts of the ship’s personnel. Most fire departments would rapidly run sufficient hose for their needs, and not waste time with the ISC. The ISC has its place, but it is not the universal remedy in which we have been led to trust. Vessel Stability Vessel stability is frequently the weak point in a land-based response to a vessel fire. Fortunately, the best-informed experts are available — the vessel Officers. There are a few precautions one can take, such as maintaining current stability information (GM, slack tanks, quantities of fuel and cargo on board, special considerations) in the fire wallet.
48 BC Shipping News November 2013
fire safety Note any tactics to increase stability, such as filling doublebottom tanks, etc. The moment for each compartment can be calculated in advance, and the Free Surface Effect for 25 per cent filled, 50 per cent filled is easily listed. Then, during a fire response, time is saved as the calculations were previously made. The act of preparing also ensures that this aspect of response will not be forgotten.
Uniforms, once worn by most vessel officers, are less common nowadays. However, identification of one’s position on board is critical. As one fire officer observed: “I would have ignored that scruffy looking guy until I learned (through training) what an asset he could be.” Many land-based agencies work together using the concept of ICS (Incident Command System). While the system may be unfamiliar to mariners, the concept is well understood —Command and Control, Delegation and Communication. Space does not permit a full explanation, but broadly, a response is sectored under Command, Operations, Planning, Finance, and Logistics. The hallmarks of the system are: • modular organization; • manageable span of control; • common terminology; • integrated communications; • consolidated action plans; • designated incident facilities; • unified command structure; and • comprehensive resource management. Police, Medical Services, Ship’s Agent, P & I Club and Owner’s Representatives – all will find a place in a response worked through ICS. A marine hierarchy fits the concept well, although methods and terminology may differ. Find out what system is used in the ports you visit and how best to work with it. Perhaps the vessel officers could meet with fire officers and tug masters and participate in tabletop ICS exercises. The vessel crew could exercise with the Fire Brigade and tugs following a structured tour of the vessel during which the Fire Officers perform a Pre-fire Survey. Such joint exercises leave the vessel, tugs, and department better prepared should ‘fire aboard’ occur. For any port, there is no doubt that vessel fires will occur. All fires burn out, eventually. While prevention is best, preparation ensures that the consequences may be minimized.
Working Together Responding to shipboard fires is a team effort. Ways of working together include: • ship and shore teams sharing tasks such as closing of vents, boundary cooling, aggressive attacks; • guiding shore teams inside the vessel; • assisting with the logistics of getting people and equipment on board; and • maintaining vessel stability and location by monitoring moorings, current, tide, and weather conditions which shore-based personnel may not recognize as significant. Finally, as part of Command, collaboration entails advising on best strategy and tactics. This last component requires some elaboration. The goal is to safely and quickly extinguish the fire. A strategy might be to attack with hoses from the poop. A tactic to achieve this strategy might be to take hoses from the dock through the fairleads (using heaving lines to get the hoses on board) as opposed to walking the hose up the gangway and along the deck. In this instance, a marine perspective sees a quicker way of achieving an end. The phrase “as part of Command” may concern some. Few, if any, ports will attempt to relieve the Master of Command. However, the Harbourmaster or Captain of the Port may be best positioned to manage the incident. This authority may have little, if any, firefighting resources. Enter the local Fire Brigade or Department. We now have a Command Team for a Unified Response. Each retains control of his or her own resources, but advises as to best strategy and tactics. Most decisions are consensual, but this is not “management by committee”. The lead retains the final decision, as in “Captain, if you refuse to allow the Fire Department on board, you must remove your vessel from the port immediately”. An extreme, but not unheard of, example.
Photos courtesy SeaFire Training Ltd.
John Lewis is a safety and risk management consultant. He has taught marine firefighting for land-based firefighters to many departments in Canada, Ireland and the U.S. and is a Master Mariner with a chemical tanker background. John can be reached at seafire@shaw.ca.
The Unified Command Team.
The key is to work together for an effective response. November 2013 BC Shipping News 49
Breach of “Safe Port” warranty By Thomas S. Hawkins
Partner with Bernard LLP, Vancouver
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he English Courts have, generally, strictly construed safe port wording such that charterers are deemed to have given some form of safety warranty in the presence of safe port language in a charter party. This will probably be the case whether or not charterers anticipated doing so. A recent 2013 English decision in The Ocean Victory considered when a charterer’s warranty of port safety may be breached. Safe Port warranty The English Court of Appeal in The Eastern City [1958] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 127 is a leading case describing an unsafe port. The Appeal Court stated that a port is not safe unless the particular ship can reach it, use it, and return from it without, in the absence of an abnormal occurrence, being exposed to danger which cannot be avoided by good navigation and seamanship. It follows that a port will be considered safe if the chartered vessel will only be exposed to danger as a result of seamanship or navigation found to be negligent. The Eastern City decision was referred with approval by the Federal Court of Canada as recently as 2006, although in a different context (barge damaged while tied to a loading berth during a severe storm). In that case, the Court observed that when looking at the common law duty of a dock owner, the safety of the berth has to be assessed in respect of a vessel properly manned and equipped, and navigated and handled without
50 BC Shipping News November 2013
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A recent 2013 English decision in The Ocean Victory considered when a charterer’s warranty of port safety may be breached.
negligence and in accordance with good seamanship. However, the Court stated that the duty of a berth owner is not absolute and that the vessel owner cannot close its eyes as to what was obvious to it and to any competent mariner. Although it was not a case involving an unsafe berth between a ship owner and a charterer, the Court noted that comments made in respect of the concept of a safe port in charterer/owner cases were relevant to the Court’s consideration and referred to Lord Denning’s decision in The Khian Sea [1979] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 545: “...I think theoretically it is possible for a port to be safe even though ships have to leave it in certain states of the weather, provided that all the operations of entering it, going out of it, re-entering it, loading and going out again, can be safely performed, and provided also that there is no appreciable danger of a ship being trapped by the sudden onset of bad weather.” (emphasis added) Ocean Victory decision The 2013 English Commercial Court decision in The Ocean Victory [2013] EWHC 2199 considered such a situation. The bulk carrier Ocean Victory was on a 10-year bareboat charter that provided the vessel to be employed “between good and safe ports”. The
bareboat charterer time-chartered the vessel “via safe anchorages, safe berths, safe ports”. The vessel was then in turn sub‑chartered for a trip-time charter “via safe ports, safe anchorages, South Africa”. The Ocean Victory unsuccessfully attempted to depart Kashima, Japan in force 9 winds and heavy swell — the vessel foundered on the breakwater before being driven aground. The hull underwriters/owners and bareboat charterer commenced action against charterers alleging that Kashima was an unsafe port. The charterers defended, alleging that the port was not unsafe and that the vessel foundered due to negligence of the master in leaving the port. It was noted that no vessel had ever before been trapped in the Port of Kashima due to wind and sea conditions. The evidence demonstrated that the port had two dangerous characteristics, that is, that the Kashima fairway was exposed to northerly gales, and the berth was vulnerable to long swell. It was argued and accepted by the Court that it was likely a rare event for those two characteristics to occur simultaneously. However, the Court observed that it would not be a surprise to charterers if they did so, and those characteristics flowed from the specific features of the port. The charterers
submitted that the Court should focus upon whether there had been a reasonable level of safety. The fact that the Port could not guard against every conceivable hazard ought not to result in the Port being described as unsafe, according to charterers. The Court rejected those arguments and pointed out that although port safety was not absolute, it ought to be assessed against whether or not potential dangers in a port could be avoided by good navigation and seamanship, as opposed to some reference to a general standard of reasonableness. When considering the Ocean Victory decision in light of the factual circumstances as compared to Lord Denning’s comment in Islander Shipping Enterprises where he stated “provided also there is no appreciable danger of a ship being trapped”, one might argue that the English Court may have tightened slightly the principles relating to safe port warranties. Indeed, the Court accepted that no vessel had ever before been trapped in Kashima Port by that combination of wind and sea. Assuming so, then arguably it could be correct to say that prior to the casualty, there was “no appreciable danger” of a ship being trapped in the Port of Kashima. However, the Court appears to have focussed on the particular characteristics of the port that created the danger in weather and sea conditions that would otherwise not be considered abnormal.
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legal affairs The potential liabilities for all charterers in relation to the breaching of safe port warranties can be staggering.
It may be that the English Courts are also focussed on the interests of maintaining certainty in the allocation of risks between owners and charterers in these types of cases. Certainly the decision underscores the strictness of warranties of port safety, particularly as the Court accepted the conditions in the Port were rare but then held that they were not abnormal. Other English cases recently, such as The Livanita and The Archimidis, have held that charterers will typically be found to have given some form of safety warranty in the presence of safe port language in the charter party. Where relevant charter parties contain language of port safety, English judges have been very reluctant to find such language in a contract is meaningless, even where owners do not necessarily require such protection or there is little commercial necessity for the warranties to be given. The potential liabilities for all charterers in relation to the breaching of safe port warranties can be staggering. The Court in The Ocean Victory held that the hull insurers could recover damages from the time charterer and that the time charterer was able to recover damages from the sub‑time charterer, a liability of $137 million. The decision illustrates how even a short voyage charter can be exposed to quite substantial liabilities in circumstances of a casualty involving an unsafe port. Tom Hawkins is a partner with Bernard LLP and practices Maritime Law including deep sea, tug and tow, marine insurance and casualty response. Tom can be reached at hawkins@bernardllp.ca.
Located at Vancouver Waterfront and Roberts Bank
www.flyingangel.ca November 2013 BC Shipping News 51
New Technologies in Shipboard Electrical Systems By Alvin Alfano AScT RTMgr
O
ne hundred years has passed since the introduction of AC power systems on ships, and as ship technologies evolve and the demands put on the electrical system increase, power quality is more important than ever. An innovative Okanagan-based company, with a history of perfecting electrical power quality onshore and off, has developed new technology that specifically addresses the unique nature of shipboard electrical power systems to increase reliability and performance for the critical systems on board. Background Electricity has been used on board ships with an ever increasing rate since its first use for simple lighting and has evolved into a service that critical safety equipment on board rely on and cannot do without. Since the first electrical installations using DC batteries on ships in the 1880s, and the introduction of AC power systems in the early part of the last century, marine engineers have battled with the effects of low-quality electrical power. The effects of a power outage can be disastrous, so special precautions have to be taken. Unlike shore-based electricity, shipboard electrical systems use an ungrounded distribution system to ensure continued operation of the electrical supply despite the presence of a short circuit to the hull of the vessel. Ground-fault detectors monitoring the electrical system warn the engineers of potential faults, so that they can take the necessary corrective action to prevent complete loss of electrical power on board. This is the most undesirable 52 BC Shipping News November 2013
and dangerous situation that would leave a vessel dead in the water. There has to be a backup plan to further reduce the risk in the event of emergencies. Marine engineers take additional measures in trying to prevent power outages from ever occurring. Initially, simple standby battery backup systems were utilized to kick in after a short interruption of power during the transfer and keep critical equipment operating in the event of a power outage. These types of backup systems were not designed to prevent any of the harmful effects associated with the normal vessel electrical supply from causing damage to the connected equipment while in standby mode. As Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) technology progressed, new techniques were developed to convert the AC supply to DC, and then invert the DC back to AC on a full-time basis. This created the possibility to address additional power quality issues other than power outages. This dual-conversion process is able to provide smooth, reliable AC power at all times, and isolate the load equipment from the nine power problems typical for all electrical systems. These nine problems are; harmonic distortion, power surges, switching transients, power sags, line noise, high voltage spikes, frequency variations, brown outs and power failures. The 10th shipboard electrical problem There is a 10th power problem unique to electrical systems on board marine vessels, that, up until recently, was not well addressed. This problem is the result of using ungrounded power systems isolated from the hull. Such ungrounded electrical systems can produce damaging charges within its distribution cabling through a physical property known as capacitance. This is a phenomenon that occurs whenever an insulator separates a live wire and any other metal surface. When
this happens over the length of a long wire in a ship distribution system it is known as distributed capacitance, and is created within a ship between the electrical system and the hull. There can be thousands of metres of wiring connecting equipment throughout the ship all of which contribute to this. Distributed capacitance causes leakage currents to flow between the electrical system and the hull of the vessel. This flow is not equal on all wires and causes an imbalance within the system’s voltages relative to ground. This can cause higher than expected voltages to be present at equipment, and in some cases, damage them over a prolonged period. This capacitance also has the undesirable ability to be charged by power surges and create harmful voltage spikes that can reach up to 1,200 per cent above their normal level. These extremely high voltages will damage equipment over time. As equipment ages, some of its safety properties also change. The insulation which keeps the electrical power isolated from the hull begins to deteriorate over time. The initial high level of protection is reduced until it no longer provides the required isolation. This allows increasing levels of current to flow between the electrical system and the hull. This excess
The ABS-approved Marine Grade Uninterruptible Power Supply System.
TECHNOLOGY current adds to the already unbalanced levels that exist, and causes the system voltages to become even more unequal. Over time the insulation within equipment can also breakdown under the stress of repeated high voltage spikes generated by other equipment in the same system. When the insulation breaks down intermittently, it causes arcing ground faults. These are short durations of high current flow between the electrical system and the hull, creating re-occurring transients which charge up the distributed capacitance to an increasingly higher level with each arc. This type of fault can build up harmful voltages to 600 per cent above normal, and last for long periods of time which can cause cascading failures on the system when multiple pieces of equipment become damaged. Many solutions to these problems have been used though the years with various levels of success. Passive component solutions are available to isolate sub-systems or attempt to limit high-voltage levels that occur within the distribution system; these are inefficient and lose their effectiveness as the electrical system changes with the dynamics of the ship’s operation. Some methods used to potentially correct problems actually add to, or cause additional problems to occur. This usually happens at the most inopportune time. These types of protective systems might use transformers driving transformers to create subsystems within subsystems in an effort to prevent a fault from migrating throughout the larger system. Surge suppression devices, co-ordinated to work well in shore-based electrical systems, fall short of providing the same degree of protection to equipment when used in ungrounded shipboard systems. Proactive Ground Compensation New technology developed by Alvin Alfano uses an adaptive technique to address the problems associated with the ungrounded power systems on ships. This helps to make the system more reliable by reducing the potential for problems to occur, thus creating a safer ship environment. The Proactive Ground Compensation continually monitors the electrical distribution system and provides the necessary correction in real time. As the equipment onboard the vessel changes, or the demands put on the electrical system fluctuate, the Proactive Ground Compensation helps to smooth out the delivery of the power to all the connected equipment. This system has the ability to compensate for the unbalanced leakage currents caused by the distributed capacitance and insulation aging, to balance the voltage levels and correct the phase angles of the system relative to the ground reference. The high-voltage buildup as a result of arcing ground faults charging up the system is eliminated, and potentially harmful high-voltage spikes caused by power surges are reduced to safe levels. It is capable of automatically compensating for the largest values of distributed capacitance which can be found on some of the largest naval ships. Standalone operation of the device is possible by installing it within an existing or new ship electrical distribution system, simply by connecting it in parallel to the other equipment. The power it consumes is minimized by limiting it to what is only necessary to balance the difference in leakage currents in the system.
Total system protection Proactive Ground Compensation may also be integrated into other power quality equipment, such as Uninterruptible Power Supplies or voltage regulators, to provide an additional level of safety for the critical equipment they typically protect. Always On UPS Systems Canada, based out of Kelowna BC, is dedicated to providing the highest quality of power delivery for all applications, and has been providing engineered solutions to the marine industry for many years. Their experience working on major ship designs and refitting projects throughout North America has shown them the need to be able to provide system configurations which address all the power quality problems that can be found on ships. The American Bureau of Shipping approvals for their UPS systems rely on the consistent quality of proven designs and vigorous testing to comply with the strict requirements of this certification. Amongst dozens of Canadian Coast Guard vessels, the marine-grade UPS systems from Always On UPS can be found on the John P. Tully, the Artic Class 2 vessel Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and the Fisheries Science vessel W.E. Ricker, to name a few. With the use of Proactive Ground Compensation in conjunction with the high quality dual conversion marine grade UPS systems from Always On, all 10 electrical problems encountered on board marine vessels are addressed, providing the highest degree of reliability available. Alvin Alfano is the Director of Engineering for Always On UPS Systems Canada located in Kelowna BC. He is involved in Research and Development of power quality and uninterruptible power supply systems. His custom designs provide solutions to unique applications for many major companies throughout North America. Alvin can be reached at aalfano@alwayson.com. For more information on Proactive Ground Compenstaion, please visit www.alwayson.com. November 2013 BC Shipping News 53
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www.bcshippingnews.com 54 BC Shipping News November 2013
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