BC Shipping News - October 2016

Clear Seas: The indispensability of marine shipping

Training: Valuable lessons learned for BC Ferries’ SEA program

Traffic Management: VTS and martime traffic planning

BC SHIPPING Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.

Volume 6 Issue 8

NEWS

www.bcshippingnews.com

Industry Insight Captain John Cox Black Ball Ferry Line Inc.

October 2016

Ferries

BC Ferry boss leaving with fleet performance on a high

Bridge Training

OCT

CP PM# 42161530 OCTOBER 2016

A persepctive on changes to BRM training

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PBES solves fire risk of lithium batteries

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BC SHIPPING

Contents

NEWS

October 2016 Volume 6 Issue 8

Cover Story 41

Domain awareness

Written in the stars Space-based AIS (S-AIS)

By Kiley Sampson and Joe Spears

44 Tugs

22 5 6 10 12

Editor’s note

By Jane McIvor

20

In brief

Industry traffic and news briefs

Clear Seas

The indispensability of marine shipping

By Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett

Industry insight

Classic in every sense of the word Captain John Cox, CEO, Black Ball Ferry Line Inc. Whether applying “classic” to Captain John Cox or Black Ball’s iconic ferry the MV Coho, the adjective fits on so many levels.

45 Tugs

Operator opts for increased environmental protection with Ecospeed hard coating

46 Technology

PBES solves fire risk of lithium batteries

22 Ferries

49

28

52 Lubricants

Ferry boss leaving with fleet performance on a high

By Ray Dykes

LNG industry

Has Canada missed the boat?

By Syd Heal

31

Training

34

Bridge training

12

History lesson

The Pacific Northwest’s monsters of the deep

By Lea Edgar

Expansion of the RAmparts 3200-CL fleet

38

Valuable lessons learned for BC Ferries’ SEA program

By Murray Goldberg and Jeff Joyce

A perspective on changes to Bridge Resource Management training

By Captain Philip McCarter

Legal affairs

Passenger ship safety Maritime casualties spur safety initiatives

By David K. Jones

Meeting the standards for environmentally acceptable lubricants

By Shane Hanna

41

Traffic management

VTS and maritime traffic planning

By David Lloyd

On the cover: The MV Coho at berth in Victoria (photo courtesy Black Ball Ferry Line Inc.); above: BC Ferreis’ Spirit of Vancouver Island (photo: Dave Roels); right: Screenshot of West Coast traffic from exactEarth’s AIS program (image courtesy exactEarth); left: Captain John Cox.

October 2016 BC Shipping News 3

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October 2016 Volume 6/Issue 8

Publisher McIvor Communications Inc. President & Editor Jane McIvor Contributing Writers

John Cox Ray Dykes Murray Goldberg Lea Edgar Shane Hanna Syd Heal David Lloyd David K. Jones Jeff Joyce Philip McCarter Kiley Sampson Joe Spears Richard Wiefelspuett Editorial Assistant Amanda Schuldt-Thompson Advertising and Subscriptions Phone: 604-893-8800 Jane McIvor (jane@bcshippingnews.com) Advertising only: Lesley McIvor (lesleymcivor@shaw.ca) ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Canada Three Years $116.95 Cdn*

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International Sailor’s Society Canada

EDITOR’S NOTE

Photos by Dave Roels, www.daveroels.com

Job well done...

T

here are many ingredients that go into making an organization successful — from a well-formulated mission statement to happy employees and productive teamwork; from delivery of a high-quality product to strong customer focus; and from efficient use of resources to effective management and leadership.

In watching the evolution of BC Ferries under the leadership of Mike Corrigan, it has been plain to see that all the right

strategies were put in place to allow management and staff to flourish. And not to take away from the strength of the entire team, Corrigan’s strong leadership has led to one of the most successful reports the ferry service has ever enjoyed at their recent Annual General Meeting.

Regardless of the statistic shared — crew and passenger safety; passenger satisfaction levels; fleet renewal; a stronger financial bottom line — each moved in the right direction.

While it was a surprise to hear that Corrigan has decided to leave at the end of March 2017, it’s understandable.

When done right, the job of President of BC Ferries can take an exhaustive toll.

Not only is media scrutiny harsh and unforgiving, but having to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice is a tough state to sustain.

Good job, Mike, and best of luck for the future. You’re leaving big shoes to fill.

— Jane McIvor

JONES MARINE GROUP LTD.

Photo: Dave Roels

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October 2016 BC Shipping News 5

INDUSTRY TRAFFIC Richardson International receives Medal of Merit from Association of Canadian Port Authorities Photo courtesy of Richardson International

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he Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA) presented Richardson International Limited, a pioneer in the grain industry, with the prestigious ACPA Medal of Merit Award at the 58th annual ACPA conference.

Richardson International Limited has contributed to Canada’s economic growth for more than 150 years and has evolved into the country’s largest agri-business, bringing Canadian agriculture to the world since 1857. The company — often referred to as the longest continually running, family-operated business in Canada — was the first to handle western-grown grain and to build elevators in many Prairie communities. The company’s first elevator set a new precedent for grain terminals with its expedited handling and loading capabilities.

“Richardson International Limited is truly a Canadian-grown success story. The company recognizes the value in marine shipping and has invested heavily in a transportation system that relies on marine terminals for export and transshipment.

Richardson's terminal in North Vancouver following their $140-million expansion project.

The company plays a significant role in several ports across Canada with port terminals in Vancouver, Hamilton, Sore, Prince Rupert and Thunder Bay, which was the host community of this year’s ACPA conference,” said Wendy Zatylny, President of ACPA. This year marks a century since James Richardson selected the site for the Richardson terminal to be built in Thunder Bay. The company unloaded its first railcar of grain on January 3,

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1919, and has since become the largest grain storage capacity of any operator in Thunder Bay. “Richardson has had a presence on the Seaway System for over 150 years and a significant presence in Thunder Bay,” said Tim Heney, Thunder Bay Port Authority CEO. “The company has consistently been among the top shippers of cargo from the Port of Thunder Bay, becoming a major economic driver in the city, contributing to local jobs, local spending and industrial tax revenue.”

Six generations of the Richardson family have been instrumental to the company’s success. The company is involved in every stage of agriculture and continues to stay true to its pioneer spirit.

“On behalf of the Richardson family, I extend a sincere thank you to the Association of Canadian Port Authorities for bestowing Richardson International with the Medal of Merit. It is a testament to the men and women of our organization whose hard work and dedication to our Thunder Bay facility have kept it thriving for nearly 100 years,” said Hartley T. Richardson, President & Chief Executive Officer of James Richardson & Sons, Limited and Chairman of Richardson International Limited.

The Medal of Merit recognizes outstanding works or service on a national platform by an individual, institution, or organization in the port, shipping or Maritimes fields. ACPA has awarded the Medal of Merit annually since 1975.

NEWS BRIEFS

‘A’ for effort — UBC Sailbot adrift in the Atlantic

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fter three years and many ‘allnighters,’ engineering challenges, a rotation of senior members graduating and new members stepping up, the UBC Sailbot team launched their autonomous sailboat, Ada, on August 24 from St. John’s harbour in Newfoundland.

While hopes were high to be the first to successfully complete the challenge of crossing from Newfoundland to Ireland, Ada experienced a rudder control failure 800 kilometres into her journey.

“Up until that point, everything was working beautifully, and this trip had been a major success,” noted a release from the team. “Ada has already set multiple records on this journey, sailing further east than any autonomous boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean.”

The team lost contact with Ada when she lost power during a storm on August 30. During the power failure, she endured

wind speeds of more than 40 knots, heeling her over at up to 90 degrees.

In early September, with direct sunlight hitting Ada’s solar panels, she regained life. Unfortunately, her GNSS receivers and wind sensors were no longer operational.

“Despite the fact that Ada is unaware of her location and thus defaulting to a location near Newfoundland,” noted the team, “we are able to determine her rough location from the Iridium satellite network. Her last known location was about 500 kilometres further east than her last transmitted location prior to the power failure.”

Recognizing that you don’t stop after only one unsuccessful attempt, the team will be starting work on Ada 2.0, a new vessel of similar scope to continue UBC Sailbot’s history of achievement and excellence. Stay tuned for updates!

Lloyd’s Register and QinetiQ to collaborate on maritime cyber security

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loyd’s Register (LR) and QinetiQ have announced a collaboration to increase the level of security of cyber-enabled ships. A pilot project with GasLog, the international owner, operator and manager of LNG carriers, seeks to tailor methodologies for LNG vessels.

Cyber-attacks have become more frequent and more sophisticated, and cyber security is becoming an increasingly important element of the risk profile of critical assets that are connected between ship and shore. The Baltic and International Maritime Council, the International Maritime Organization and the United States Coast Guard are all developing guidance and regulation to address these challenges.

With its independence, technical expertise and deep understanding of system-level risk, LR is collaborating with QinetiQ to support maritime customers and other stakeholders in assuring their cyber security. QinetiQ combines its maritime consultancy capability, evolved through decades of acting as impartial advisor to the Royal Navy, with its cyber

security expertise, trusted to protect government organizations and critical national infrastructure.

The collaboration aims at developing robust methodologies for readiness against existing and emerging standards, vulnerability and impact assessment, and mitigation measures, all carefully tailored for the maritime sector and the specific needs of customers.

LR and QinetiQ’s first pilot project with GasLog will look at specific methodologies for LNG vessels in order to establish GasLog’s readiness with respect to IMO/USCG guidelines and available standards.

This announcement follows LR’s recent launch of its first technical guidance for cyber-enabled ships, which provides the shipping industry with a route map to understanding the implications of digital technology. Cyber-security is a core component alongside safety, autonomy, condition based maintenance and operational efficiency. The cyber-enabled ships guidance can be downloaded at www.lr.org/ cyber.

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October 2016 BC Shipping News 7

INDUSTRY TRAFFIC Ballast Water Management Convention to enter into force in 2017 but uncertainy remains

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ccession by Finland to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) on September 8, 2016, marked the attainment of the threshold required to bring the regulation into force. Beginning in September 2017, the Convention will require ships to manage their ballast water to remove, render harmless, or avoid the uptake or discharge of aquatic organisms and pathogens within ballast water and sediments.

“This is a truly significant milestone for the health of our planet,” said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim. He added, “The entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention will not only minimize the risk of invasions by alien species via ballast water, it will also provide a global level playing field for international shipping, providing

clear and robust standards for the management of ballast water on ships.”

The accession brings the combined tonnage of contracting States to the treaty to 35.1441 per cent, with 52 contracting Parties. The convention stipulates that it will enter into force 12 months after ratification by a minimum of 30 States, representing 35 per cent of world merchant shipping tonnage.

The event prompted the International Chamber of Shipping to urge Member States to finalize the revision of the G8 Type Approval Guidelines for treatement systems at the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee this October.

ICS said there is still great uncertainty with respect to the more stringent U.S. approval regime for treatment equipment, which started to be enforced in January 2014 (the U.S. not being a Party to the IMO Convention).

The U.S. regulations require all ships that discharge ballast water in U.S. waters to use a treatment system approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. However, because no systems have yet been approved, ships already required to comply with the U.S. regulations have either been granted extensions or else permitted to install a USCGaccepted Alternate Management System (AMS) — in practice, a system typeapproved in accordance with the current IMO Guidelines.

However, an AMS will only be accepted for operation for five years, after which time a fully USCG-approved system must be installed. But the USCG does not guarantee that an AMS will be subsequently granted full approval. Hence, shipowners who may have installed an AMS in good faith, at a cost of between US $1-5 million per ship, might then have to replace the system completely after only five years.

Refit of the V2V Empress gets underway at Point Hope

P

oint Hope Maritime has started on the refit of V2V Vacations' vessel that will operate on a Victoria-toVancouver route beginning in spring 2017. Originally called the Famille Dufour II, the vessel will be christened the V2V Empress, recognizing the rich maritime history of the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, RMS Empress line ships, that originally operated between Hong Kong and British Columbia.

Originally called the Famille Dufour II, the high-speed catamaran was built in 1995 in L’isle-aux-Coudres, Quebec. Her original purpose was to transit guests from Quebec and Montreal to Dufour hotels along the St. Lawrence River.

As part of her refit, the entire back of the vessel will be stripped to bare metal and rebuilt with a completely brand new fit-out.

Other changes include the main engines, HVAC, electrical work,

navigation equipment, generators, water jets, floors, walls, windows, seats and kiosks. In addition, she will be fully repainted with silicon-based, anti-foul paint to limit amount of marine growth and also reduce fuel consumption. The work is expected to take until early 2017 to complete.

Hume Campbell, President of V2V Vacations, said that “The V2V Empress will provide a first-class customer service experience for guests who are exploring this remarkable part of Western Canada.”

V2V Vacations will operate the high-speed passenger service between Victoria and Vancouver Harbours in time for the 2017 tourist season. Guests will enjoy a premium experience focused on passenger comfort, while getting the opportunity to spend the voyage learning about the rich culture in the region.

Photos courtesy V2V Vacations

Before and after — the Famille Dufour II is currently getting a refit at Point Hope Maritime (above) with an artist's rendering (right) of the vessel that will provide passenger service between Vancouver and Victoria Harbours.

8 BC Shipping News October 2016

NEWS BRIEFS

New spill response base planned for Vancouver Harbour

Interim measures for Provisional Medical Certificates announced

T

Artist's rendering of the new spill response base, near New Brighton Park.

I

n a move that will double capacity and cut mandated response times in half in South Coast waters, Western Canada Marine Response Corporation announced plans to build a new on-water spill response base in Vancouver Harbour. The base is part of a larger expansion plan that commits about $200 million in enhancements.

WCMRC has a fleet of 17 vessels stationed in Vancouver Harbour. The vessels are currently moored at different docks throughout Burrard Inlet. The new base would bring the vessels and crews together in one central harbour location, streamlining operations and significantly reducing spill response times in the harbour and the south coast of B.C. Construction of the new base is contingent on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project moving forward. The project is awaiting Federal Cabinet approval, expected in December 2016.

The enhancements include five new response bases, roughly 115 new employees and about 26 new vessels at strategic locations along B.C.’s southern shipping lane. The enhancements also call for 24/7 operations at three of the new bases, including the proposed base in Vancouver Harbour. WCMRC is currently on call 24/7, but does not have crews operating 24/7.

“While the region’s existing spill response regime already meets global

Photo: WCMRC

standards, these enhancements will further improve safety for the entire marine shipping industry,” said Michael Lowry, WCMRC’s Communications Manager.

The on-water base in Vancouver Harbour would be built at 2800 Commissioner Street, near New Brighton Park, on the site of the old Prince Rupert Fishing Co-operative.

The proposed Vancouver Harbour response base would require approval from Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

WCMRC will be submitting an application to the port authority within the month. The proposal will be subject to the port authority’s Project and Environmental Review Process. If the project is approved by the port authority, and the Trans Mountain project is approved by the federal government, construction of the base would begin in early 2017 and be operational in 2018.

ransport Canada Marine Safety and Security (TCMSS) has announced they will immediately begin to allow seafarers employed in the marine industry to continue their work without fear of enforcement action related to expired Provisional Medical Certificates.

The interim measures apply only to seafarers engaged on domestic voyages between Canadian ports who hold a Provisional Medical Certificate which carries an issue date between February 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016.

Practice under the Marine Personnel Regulations has been to require mariners to obtain a six-month Provisional Medical Certificate which can then be used to obtain a two-year Marine Medical Certificate.

As of notice in early September, TCMSS will not enforce the expiry date recorded on the Provisional Medical Certificate for seafarers on domestic voyages. They will allow seafarers to use the Provisional Medical Certificate untill they receive their Marine Medical Certificate; or until they receive further correspondence from TCMSS’ Medical Program; or for up to 180 days past the expiry date.

Mariners must always carry his/her original certificate when employed on board the vessel.

TCMSS noted that the measures apply to domestic voyages only. Mariners on international voyages are still required to meet Marine Personnel Regulations.

More information is available on the TCMSS website at www.tc.gc.ca/eng/ marinesafety/bulletins-2016-09-eng.htm.

October 2016 BC Shipping News 9

CLEAR SEAS

The indispensability of marine shipping

By Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett Executive Director, Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping

...this year’s theme was chosen “to focus on the critical link between shipping and the everyday lives of people all over the planet...“

A

t the end of September, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the entire marine shipping community will celebrate World Maritime Day 2016. This year’s theme, which runs the course of a full year, is “Shipping: Indispensable to the World.”

Previous years’ themes focused on many of the practical elements of marine shipping. Last year it was maritime education and training. Before that, it was IMO conventions and their implementation. In 2013, it was sustainable development.

According to the IMO, this year’s theme was chosen “to focus on the critical link between shipping and the everyday lives of people all over the planet. For the vast majority, shipping is out of sight and out of mind. But this does a huge disservice to the industry that … keeps the people of the world fed, clothed, housed and entertained. This is a story that needs to be told.”

It’s a story, and a theme, that is particularly relevant for Canada.

While some might link Canada and its people to any number of characteristics — whether it’s our cultural diversity, range of climate, system of government, or excellence at a particular ice sport — our primary trademark, at least economically, is as a trading, sea-faring nation.

10 BC Shipping News October 2016

The majority of Canadians agree.

Across the country, we identify as citizens of a maritime nation, according to a recent Angus Reid poll, inextricably linked to our oceans and waterways.

And when asked “How important is the marine shipping industry” to our coastal communities, to access goods and to grow our economy, an even larger majority of Canadians said it was “critically” or “very” important.

Internationally, shipping is equally indispensable.

According to the IMO, a single ship can carry enough grain to feed nearly four million people for a month. Other ships can carry the same amount of finished goods as nearly 20,000 heavy trucks on the road.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that 80 per cent of global trade by volume and over 70 per cent of global trade by value is carried by sea and handled by ports worldwide. According to UNCTAD, the operation of merchant ships contributes about US$380 billion in freight rates within the global economy, equivalent to about five per cent of total world trade.

Here in Canada, our port authorities contributed an estimated $25 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2012, or 1.4 per cent

of GDP. Transport Canada estimates that our domestic fleet and foreign vessels transported more than $200 billion worth of goods in international trade in 2015.

Out here on the West Coast, we know that Canada’s busiest port in Vancouver handled 138 million tonnes of cargo in 2015, primarily coal, grain, wood products and petroleum products (currently only three per cent of Canada’s crude oil is shipped from Vancouver).

Overall, Canadians think the marine shipping industry is generally safe, and one in which the economic benefits tend to outweigh the environmental risks. Not surprisingly, there is also a large constituency that is concerned about shipping petroleum products in Canadian waters, especially along B.C.’s coast and in the Bay of Fundy.

Arguably, when something is considered “indispensable,” something we literally can’t do without, then we should also be doing everything possible to protect it, to maintain it, and to sustain it.

We wouldn’t think otherwise when it comes to the safety of our food and water supply, or to our personal and national security, or to the health and education of our children.

While the trade numbers and facts and figures speak for themselves to help justify a claim of indispensability, equally indispensable is the safe and sustainable environment in which marine shipping must operate.

In terms of marine shipping’s financial sustainability, the story in early September of South Korea’s biggest

CLEAR SEAS container shipping company filing for bankruptcy protection sent shock waves across the industry and markets. At the time of the announcement, tonnes of cargo aboard dozens of Hanjin Shipping vessels were stuck in limbo, including one off the Port of Prince Rupert.

Hanjin, with 2.9 per cent of market share, operates 98 container ships worldwide, 44 of which at one point were denied entry to ports or port authorities during the height of the crisis.

According to news reports, Hanjin’s insolvency has severely affected the supply chains of companies that need to send or receive goods and merchandise. Some experts predict it could take weeks if not months before Hanjin’s creditors and partners sort out the mess.

Hanjin’s woes prove both how indispensable shipping is to our way of living, and also how vulnerable and fragile this industry still is since the 2008 financial crisis.

Closer to home, the federal government seems equally aware of marine shipping’s

indispensability. Transport Canada’s “Let’s Talk Marine Transportation” engagement process is a good example of Minister Garneau’s commitment to improve marine shipping on all coasts. With a focus on overall marine safety and formalizing a crude oil tanker moratorium for B.C.’s north coast, this invitation to all Canadians to provide input, share ideas, and help identify actions to improve marine shipping is commendable.

But it will also take real action by the government and industry, not just a consultation process, to address the nearly 240 abandoned and derelict vessels across the country, including 42 off the West Coast.

It will take a real partnership among stakeholders and indigenous groups to designate new marine protected areas. And it will take real measures, policies and regulations to improve our marine spill response regime. From Clear Seas’ perspective, we would also encourage a very strong focus on marine incident prevention as the first line of defence to keep our shipping lanes safe and open for business.

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Growing our economy while protecting our equally “indispensable” environment are not incompatible priorities. In fact, marine shipping policies that focus on prevention will help ensure that.

To conclude with words from the IMO, we are indeed fortunate to have a safe and responsible marine shipping sector in Canada, “…yet the vast majority of people remain unaware of how much they rely on it and how much it shapes their lives. This year, the World Maritime Day theme provides an opportunity to put that right. It gives an opportunity for the shipping community to tell its story: the story of an industry that, in terms of efficiency, safety, environmental impact and its contribution to global trade, is unmatched by any other transport sector; the story of shipping — which is, truly, indispensable to the world.”

Dr. Richard Wiefelspuett is Executive Director of the Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping (www. clearseas.org).

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October 2016 BC Shipping News 11

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Classic in every sense of the word Captain John Cox CEO, Black Ball Ferry Line Inc.

Photo: BC Shipping News

Given the dedication to keeping the Coho in top-notch condition, ... it’s easy to see why Cox considers himself lucky...

T

he Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “classic” as: serving as a standard of excellence; used to describe something that has come to be considered one of the best of its kind; historically memorable; fashionable year after year. Whether applying “classic” to the MV Coho or to Captain John Cox, CEO, Black Ball Ferry Line Inc., the adjective fits perfectly. For Captain Cox, his experience, knowledge of the passenger vessel and ferry industry worldwide, and his reputation for sage consultations, put him in a class of his own; for the MV Coho, the impeccably maintained, stylishly designed and well-built vessel is also in a class of her own.

Cox, along with partners Ryan Burles (President & COO), David Booth (CFO), Rian Anderson (Vice President, Terminals), Ryan Malane (Vice President, Marketing), and a crew that are considered more like family than employees, operate the Coho between Victoria, British

12 BC Shipping News October 2016

Columbia, and Port Angeles, Washington — a route she has been on continuously since December 1959.

Designed by Philip Spaulding & Associates for Black Ball Ferry owner Robert Acheson, and built at the Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock Company for a cost of US$3 million, the Coho is the last American-flagged ship privately owned and operating an international service for passengers and freight. She is also one of the last ships in the Pacific Northwest where crew live aboard (with quarters at the top of the vessel no less); and she was the prototype for the first vessels for B.C.’s ferry system and the Alaska Marine Highway system. Black Ball continues a relationship with Mr. Spaulding’s group in Seattle, now named Elliott Bay Design Company.

To hear the pride in Captain Cox’ voice when he speaks about the Coho, you can understand why Black Ball Ferry Line is more than just a business venture for him

and his partners. Given the dedication to keeping the Coho in top-notch condition, and a company culture that places great emphasis on employee and passenger safety and satisfaction, it’s easy to see why Cox considers himself lucky to be spending his twilight years with the vessel that gave him his start…back in 1959.

BCSN: I’ve just noted you began your career onboard the Coho. Why don’t we start there?

JC: When she was still under construction in the shipyard, I approached Captain Henry Grandy for a job — he was Marine Superintendent and the first captain of the Coho. I had a Chief Mate’s Ocean Licence and was looking to get my pilotage licence for Puget Sound. Captain Grandy didn’t have anything at the time but he suggested I could come aboard as an observer and accumulate enough time to sit for my pilotage exam. So I did, and after two weeks, one of the able seamen quit and he offered me the job.

After three months, I went off to write the pilotage exam and when I got back, I was offered the second mate position; another opportunity came up a month later for the first mate position and I got that. When the summer season ended, I decided it was a good time to go back to sea. While I never returned to serve on the

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Coho, I kept in touch with the company and owner Robert Acheson and his wife Lois, who took over as President of Black Ball following Robert’s death in 1963.

BCSN: How did you come to be a partner in the company?

JC: When Lois passed away in 2004, she willed the company to be held in trust by the Oregon State University Foundation. (Her donation allowed the University to establish the Lois Bates

Acheson School of Veterinary Medicine, a full, four-year graduate degree.) I was first engaged by Black Ball to do an operational assessment of the company in 2005 and in 2008, was asked to become a Board member. In 2011, the University decided to sell Black Ball to the company’s current management and they included me as one of the partners. So, in January 2012, the five of us (myself, David Booth, Ryan Burles, Rian

Anderson and Ryan Malane) became the owners.

BCSN: We’ve just skipped over about 50 years of experience. While we have your full bio at the end, could you provide some of the highlights of your career?

JC: Sure. While at sea, I served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and as a Deck Officer and Master of passenger liners, cargo vessels and research ships. I also spent a number of years focused on

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT shore-side marine terminals and facilities.

I was the Senior Vice President of Western Cruise Lines and Admiral Cruises (both owned by the Gotaas-Larsen Group of London); the Secretary of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Terminals, Inc.; and President of the Vancouver, B.C.-based Northwest Cruise Ship Association.

In 1990, I formed The Maritime Group, Inc. (TMG), of which I’m currently President. I’m also the Chairman and senior partner of the London, U.K.based TMG (International) Ltd. TMG has been providing consulting work worldwide for companies involved in cruise, ferry and terminal operations, and port development.

BCSN: I understand Black Ball Ferry Line Inc. has quite an interesting history as well.

JC: That’s right. The company was originally formed in 1816 and is currently the longest-standing active shipping company

in the United States. Captain Alexander Peabody, a descendent of the Peabody ship-owning family of New York, operated the Black Ball Line, the largest fleet of passenger and freight vessels in the Pacific Northwest. In 1951, he sold his fleet of ferries to the State of Washington.

Incidentally, the vessels were managed and operated under Washington State Ferry, four of which continued in active service until 2007.

Captain Peabody sold his last interest in another U.S. subsidiary, Black Ball Freight Lines, to Robert Acheson and his wife Lois, in 1952. They continued to operate a freight service to various Puget Sound ports and then expanded Black Ball’s operations to include international passenger and vehicle service between Port Angeles and Victoria.

BCSN: Tell me about the Coho.

JC: She can carry 1,000 passengers and 115 vehicles. She’s 341 feet long with a

Ryan Burles, President & COO

David Booth, CFO

Rian Anderson, Vice President, Terminals

Ryan Malane, Vice President, Marketing

14 BC Shipping News October 2016

width of 72 feet and a draft of 12.6 feet.

Her average speed is about 15 knots.

She’s a beautiful ship that’s very well maintained. We pull her out of the water every year for upgrades and maintenance. That’s one thing about Black Ball, the company has never scrimped when it comes to keeping the Coho up to a standard of excellence. We gave her a major refit in 2004 — at that time we replaced the engines and she now has two General Motors EMD 5, 100/12-cylinder diesels.

Even though she’s coming up for 60 in 2019, she’ll be able to sail for many more years given her shape. She was built to carry newsprint and heavy paper products, so the steel decks and the steel structure were over-built and are still in excellent shape. She’s like a ’59 Chevy that’s been kept in mint condition.

We are continually upgrading and modernizing her equipment — all of the electronics, radar, communications, engineering and technical equipment as well as all of the lifesaving and safety equipment. She is U.S.-flagged and inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard but, because she provides an international service, she also follows all SOLAS regulations, and we work very closely with Transport Canada as well to ensure compliance with Canadian regulations. Coho maintains classification with the American Bureau of Shipping.

BCSN: And her crew?

JC: There are up to 30 crew in the peak summer season who all live on board and work one week on/one week off. They are all American and are qualified and licensed with the US Coast Guard, whose requirements are very similar to those of Transport Canada. A treaty exists between Canada and the U.S. which allows our officers and captains to pilot B.C. waters and vice versa for Canadian officers and captains.

Crew belong to one of three major U.S. maritime unions — the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots for the deck officers; the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association for engineering officers; and then the Inland Boatman Union take care of the unlicensed personnel, such as those who work on deck and in the coffee shop.

We have very little turnover of staff — for example, one of our Captains just

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Photo: Black Ball Ferry Line Inc.

retired after 45 years of service and our other Captains have also been with us for many years. It’s important to us that we take care of our crew. It’s embedded within the company culture and we don’t make any distinction between management and workers — everyone is on a first-name basis and we operate as a team and a family.

We’re also a very safe crew — we drill endlessly and have put safety as a top priority. We meet all US Coast Guard and SOLAS standards but because we’re in international service, the standards set are higher than those for vessels focused on domestic trade. And noting that many of our crew have been with the ship for many years, they’re very familiar with their surroundings, which helps a great deal in emergencies. Having said all that, we’ve never had a major emergency.

BCSN: What about your traffic volume?

JC: We’re carrying a little over 400,000 passengers per year. While that’s down from a high of over a half million back in 2008, before the economic turmoil, we’ve

The Coho is an iconic fixture in the Greater Victoria Harbour.

been seeing a steady return to that volume.

We’re also seeing a significant increase in commercial traffic out of Victoria and Vancouver Island. That’s an area where we see a lot of growth potential.

We’re able to set our sailings to meet demand. So, in the peak summer season, we provide four round trips; in the shoulder season we have three; and during the winter, we go down to two, sometimes

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT Not only have we rebuilt the docks and upgraded the terminals but we’ve secured long-term lease agreements for each — both for 60 years. only one sailing per day.

BCSN: In terms of operations, I understand you recently upgraded the terminals in both Port Angeles and Victoria.

JC: Yes, Rian Anderson, our Vice President of Terminals, was the lead for the project in Port Angeles with the support of the Port of Port Angeles. Ryan Burles, our President and COO, managed and co-ordinated the Belleville project in Victoria in partnership with the B.C. Provincial Ministry of Transport. Both projects were done exceptionally well.

Not only have we rebuilt the docks and upgraded the terminals but we’ve secured long-term lease agreements for each — both for 60 years.

Looking at Victoria first, the Belleville ferry terminal underwent a $17.4 million

16 BC Shipping News October 2016

upgrade to the waterside. We rebuilt the docks (replaced the existing timber piles and deck structure with new steel pipe piles with a precast concrete deck); replaced the berthing dolphins and added a new vessel loading ramp; improved the U.S. Customs facilities; put up a covered walkway for passengers; and did upgrades to the terminal parking area.

I must say, Canada Customs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection were both exceptional during the rebuilding of the docks — it was hard for them because they had to keep vehicle and pedestrian inspection facilities open during the construction period. They worked very patiently and positively together to make our operations successful.

For Port Angeles, the major terminal upgrade was finished three years ago at a cost of US$4.5 million. This work included the rebuilding of the over-water pier vehicle marshalling area and the U.S. Customs Border Protection vehicle inspection approaches. Included in the cost is new fendering and turning knuckle upgrade additionally installed early this year on the pier face.

BCSN: Let’s look at the regulatory side of operations. You mentioned that you are USCG-certified and follow SOLAS regulations — do Canadian regulations play into your operations as well? What are some of the differences?

JC: Canada is very well managed by Transport Canada. There are a few minor differences but we’ve always been able to comply with both U.S. and Canadian regulations and we’ve always had very positive relationships with both Transport Canada and the US Coast Guard. We’ve always approached our relationships with them with respect and recognize that we’re responsible for ensuring

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Photo: BC Shipping News

that we meet the needs of both organizations. In addition, we have an excellent rapport with Transport Canada’s Harbour Master in Victoria who manages the Victoria Traffic Scheme.

BCSN: What about environmental regulations?

JC: We’ve always been very conscious of our environmental footprint and ensure we are following all of the regulations. We have an onboard sewage treatment plant so nothing goes over the side. Coho uses ultra-low sulphur marine diesel fuel and our terminals in Port Angeles and Victoria have electrical service for the ship to receive shore power when alongside.

BCSN: What does the future for Black Ball look like? For example, are there plans to replace the Coho or expand routes?

JC: For the past few years, our whole commitment has been getting the docks and terminals upgraded and securing long-term leases. Now that we’ve done that, our next step will be to consider what to do with the Coho. She’s an iconic

Black Ball Ferry and the MV Coho were recipients of the SS Beaver Medal in 2012. Above, Ryan Malane accepts the award from Captain Stephen Brown.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT vessel but we recognize that she’ll be 60 years old in just three years. She’s been so well maintained, we don’t foresee having to replace her for some time yet. A lot needs to be considered — forecasting the volume of traffic, the timeline, the type of ship, etc.

If we did build a new ship, there are a lot of considerations, including where to build. Because the Coho was built in the U.S., she complies with the Jones Act and can carry passengers and cargo between two U.S. ports. So, going offshore would mean we’d be restricted to only run between a U.S. port and a foreign port.

In terms of additional routes, the market is well-served by BC Ferries, Washington State Ferries, the Alaska Marine Highway and Clipper Navigation, so there aren’t a lot of opportunities to expand. You’ve also got Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines now serving the Victoria-Seattle market so that has to be taken into consideration as well.

Right now, we’re happy to focus on our niche in the market and provide good service on a well-maintained vessel. The bottom line is to meet the demands of passengers. We’re always looking for ways to improve — we listen closely to our crew and passengers and are continuously implementing improvements based on their feedback. We also keep an eye on best practices and the latest technology to ensure we’re offering a safe and pleasurable trip.

BCSN: You mentioned earlier about an increase in commercial traffic — is this a trend that would encourage you to increase capacity?

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JC: That is certainly a sector that’s seeing a lot of growth and potential. It will be included as one of the factors when we consider the future but for now, we’re able to meet demand.

BCSN: Jack, do you have any final comments before we wrap up?

JC: I can tell you a story that illustrates my thoughts on the Coho: Twenty years ago, The Maritime Group did a management audit of Cunard Line before it was sold. I inspected all of the ships under Cunard, including the Queen Elizabeth II out of New York. In addition to interviewing 40 of the top managers on the ship, every day during the crossing to Southampton I would put on a boiler suit and inspect every part of it from stem to stern. The last night onboard, I shared a bit of scotch with the Captain and the Chief Engineer and reported on my findings. They asked me whether the QEII was the finest ship I’d ever been on and I said it was, but that over in the Pacific Northwest, there was another little ship called the Coho which might be equal or even better in quality. From style, to crew and seamanship, to maintenance, the Coho is unparalleled. BCSN

About Captain John Cox

J

ohn Cox, is currently one of the owners and serves as Chairman & CEO of Black Ball Transport, Inc., operating the Black Ball Ferry Line’s passenger/vehicle ferry MV Coho providing international service between Port Angeles, Washington and Victoria, British Columbia.

He is a California Maritime Academy graduate and holds a US Coast Guard continuity licence as Master, Ocean Steam and Motor Vessels, Any Gross Tons, and First Class Pilot endorsements for the San Francisco Bar and Bay; Puget Sound Main Channels; Port of Miami; and Port Everglades, Florida. During his time at sea he has served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and as a Deck Officer and Master of passenger liners, cargo vessels and research ships.

Captain Cox is also President and senior partner of The Maritime Group, Inc. (TMG) and Chairman and senior partner of London, United Kingdom based TMG (International) Ltd. Since forming TMG in 1990, he has been involved in a range of consulting work that has taken him around the world in assignments involving cruise, ferry and terminal operations, and port development.

As a former senior vice president of Western Cruise Lines and Admiral Cruises (both owned by the Gotaas-Larsen Group of London) he is highly knowledgeable and fully versed in the management and operations of cruise ship and Ro-Ro passenger vessels, and of shore-side marine terminals and facilities. Along with his cruise line experience, Cox was Secretary of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Terminals, Inc. and President of the Vancouver, B.C.-based Northwest Cruise Ship Association.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT About Black Ball Ferry Line, Inc. and the MV Coho

B

MV Coho specifications: Passenger capacity: 1000 / Vehicle capacity: 115 Weight: Gross Tonnage: 5,135 Length: 341 feet / 104 metres Width: 72 feet / 22 metres Draft: 12.6 feet / 4 metres Average sea speed: 15 knots Power: two General Motors EMD 5,100/12 cylinder diesel Propellers: Twin 8-foot stainless propellers with twin rudders

lack Ball Ferry Line provides the only daily, year-round vehicle and passenger ferry service between downtown Victoria, British Columbia and Washington State on which is the western most border crossing between mainland Canada and the U.S. The company’s administrative offices are located in Seattle, with terminals and operations personnel at both Victoria’s Inner Harbour and Port Angeles.

Employing100 people in the U.S. and 25 in Canada during the peak season, the familiar sight and sound of the MV Coho has become a permanent fixture of the landscape in the region for over fifty years.

In 2009, Black Ball Ferry Line celebrated its 50th anniversary of service as a vital tourism and transportation link between Vancouver Island and the United States.

In 1959, Black Ball Ferry Line’s founders R.J. and Lois Acheson contracted Phillip F. Spaulding & Associates of Seattle to design MV Coho. Her keel was laid on January 12th, 1959, at the Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock in Seattle. She made her first commercial sailing to Victoria on December 29, 1959.

Since commencing operation in 1959, the MV Coho has transported more than 22 million passengers, and over 6 million vehicles. Through decades of operation, Black Ball Ferry Line’s flagship has developed an unparalleled record of reliability.

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October 2016 BC Shipping News 19

HISTORY LESSON

The Pacific Northwest's monsters of the deep

By Lea Edgar Librarian/Archivist, Vancouver Maritime Museum

Photo credit: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)

No matter how little scientific evidence of their existence there is, numerous people continue to report sightings every year.

T

he Pacific Northwest is filled with intriguing myths, legends, and monsters. From Northern California to Southern Alaska, there have been countless sightings of sea and lake serpents. No matter how little scientific evidence of their existence there is, numerous people continue to report sightings every year. Whether you consider the tales to be simply humorous local folklore or real sightings of mysterious and ancient creatures, the sea monsters of the Pacific Northwest still manage to capture our attention and imagination.

Ogopogo

Okanagan Lake is home to perhaps Canada’s most well-known monster, Ogopogo. Some believe the legendary creature originated with the First Nations legend of the N’ha-a-itk (also spelled Naitaka). This creature was considered to be more like a water spirit than a reallife monster. Nevertheless, the aboriginal people would not cross the lake without bringing along an offering. If you did not, N’ha-a-itk might emerge from beneath the waves to demand a sacrifice in return for safe passage. In which case it was much

The first American sea serpent, reported from Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in 1639. It is similar in description to many Pacific Northwest creatures. Ellis, R. 1994. Monsters of the Sea. Robert Hale Ltd.

20 BC Shipping News October 2016

preferable to have a chicken or other small animal on hand, just in case.

Fast forward to the late 19th century, and Europeans began their obsession with a mysterious creature in the lake. One of the first sightings by a settler was in about 1878

by Mrs. Susan Allison. While her husband was across the lake at Okanagan Mission on business, Mrs. Allison sat waiting for him on their ranch. Suddenly a large storm started brewing and, worried about her husband, she rushed to the water’s edge.

She then noticed a creature lying motionless in the waves. It began swimming against the storm with increasing speed as it plowed through the water. While her husband did not believe her story, a mining superintendent also claimed to have seen the creature on that day.

It wasn’t until 1924 when N’ha-aitk got its new name. That year, the Vancouver Board of Trade held its annual meeting in Vernon. Bill Brimblecombe was the entertainer hired for the evening and for his act he sang about the by now legendary Okanagan lake monster. He created new words to a popular English song called “Ogopogo.” The next day the Vancouver Province newspaper picked up on it and stated that the official name for the creature was Ogopogo. It has persisted ever since.

There continues to be between five and seven reported sightings of Ogopogo per year. The creature continues to draw countless tourists annually and lingers as an amusing mystery for locals.

Cadborosaurus

Victoria has its own sea serpent called Cadborosaurus, or “Caddy” for short. It

VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM was named after Cadboro Bay in Greater Victoria, one of the first places it was sighted. It is of a similar description as Ogopogo, that is, having dark-coloured skin that is green, brown, or sometimes blue. It is described as having a horse or sheep or goat-like head. The creature also has a snake-like body that undulates through the water.

In October 1933, several people reportedly sighted the monster off Cadboro Bay. Then, in 1937 at the Naden Harbour whaling station, a sperm whale was caught and cut open. Inside, the whalers saw what they thought to be the remains of a Caddy-like creature. It has been identified as a fetal baleen whale, but many still insist that it is an unknown sea creature. Samples of the decaying flesh were sent to the Nanaimo Fisheries station and the BC Provincial Museum for analysis, but those samples were lost.

Over the years, the sightings kept rolling in. Some even claimed to have caught juvenile Caddys before unfortunately releasing them back to the ocean. Since 2002, Operation CaddyScan has been

monitoring the waters near Telegraph Bay in an attempt to capture footage of the sea serpent. Nevertheless, no concrete evidence of Cadborosaurus has been produced. Sightings of a Caddy-like monster continue to occur from as far south as the Gulf of Monterey in California and as far north as Alaska.

Cameron Lake

There are at least three different lakes on Vancouver Island with supposed lake monsters. The most widely known is the creature of Cameron Lake, nicknamed “Cammie.” Sightings of the creature go back to the 1980s, but in the mid-to-late 2000s the sightings began to increase. In 2004, a woman and her father reported seeing a long black creature swimming in the lake while they were driving down the highway. Later, in 2007, Bridgette Horvath spotted a strange wake also while driving beside the lake. She pulled over to take a closer look and saw what she believed were three creatures swimming in a circular pattern. There have been many other sightings, so the B.C.

Scientific Cryptozoology Club decided to investigate in 2009. Using a fish finder, they did manage to locate some large objects under the water amongst schools of fish, but no further evidence was produced from their expeditions. Some suggestions for what the creature could be are a large salamander, a very large rainbow trout, or an eel.

There are many other tales of lake and sea monsters in the Pacific Northwest.

Furthermore, many of the local First Nations have myths and legends of sea spirits and lake creatures that some believe give credence to the existence of the monsters. We certainly do not know all the creatures that live in the depths of the sea.

Perhaps, like the giant squid, lake and sea monsters will finally gain some recognition when valid proof of their existence comes to light. In the meantime, the mystery of these secret serpents still enthralls us. And be sure to bring along a chicken the next time you visit Okanagan Lake.

Lea Edgar can be contacted at archives@ vancouvermaritimemuseum.com.

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FERRIES

Ferry boss leaving with fleet performance on a high

By Ray Dykes Photo by Dave Roels, www.daveroels.com

Corrigan is leaving behind a legacy of aggressive fleet replacement — and that’s just as well because the average age of the 34-vessel fleet is 33 years.

I

t’s full steam ahead at BC Ferries after pleasing results in the latest fiscal and the Captain of the Enterprise is so confident things are going well he’s going to clear the bridge next year and step down.

President & CEO Mike Corrigan has been at the helm since January 2012 — he joined BC Ferries in 2003, starting as the Executive Vice President of Business Development — and his announced resignation is set for the end of the fiscal year and his current contract in March 31, 2017. His departure comes at a time when most of the indicators are positive for the

service provider responsible for the delivery of “safe, efficient and dependable ferry service along coastal British Columbia” under mandate from the Provincial Government.

Corrigan has the fleet humming along nicely, at least it was in the latest fiscal year when consolidated net earnings were $69.6 million compared to $49.1 million a year earlier. Revenues were up from $841.1 million in fiscal 2015 to $869.8 million in fiscal 2016 and Corrigan says this is primarily due to an increase in

traffic volumes, probably driven by a low Canadian dollar, the general improvement in British Columbia’s economy, and lower gas prices. Studies have shown that when the price of gas goes above $1.40, ferry traffic goes down.

It appears more Canadians are opting to vacation at home and BC Ferries is “seeing the return of the U.S. visitors,” adds Corrigan.

Safety first

In a nod to his most important priority, Corrigan started off his presentation at BC Ferries’ annual general meeting in mid-August with a review of stellar safety numbers. Since implementing SailSafe

Photo credit: Kam's World/Flickr

22 BC Shipping News October 2016

FERRIES Today, BC Ferries SailSafe program continues to seek ways to improve (for more on this, check out the article on page 36 about the Standardized Education and Assessment [SEA] program). “When the program started, it was evident that the journey was not easy and may never have a defined end,” reports Corrigan. “The SailSafe program has seen tremendous results like the increased reporting of near miss incidents, higher quality investigations, sharing lessons learned, reduction of time loss injuries and many successful initiatives for improving workplace and passenger safety.”

Recent efforts have focused on reviewing the program with priorities set based on the largest concerns from the employees, while “continuously improving on existing successful activities.”

More vehicles

In the 2016 fiscal, there was a 4.9 per cent increase in vehicle traffic and a 4.5 per cent increase in passenger traffic, returning performance levels back to where they

Photo: BC Ferries

—an initiative borne out of the 2007 BC Auditor General comprehensive safety review on the ferry service (the Morfitt Report) — both crew and passenger safety have increased significantly.

In partnership with the marine workers’ union, BC Ferries now boasts impressive year-over-year improvements, in many cases, beating their own established targets — likely the result of ferry staff clocking 160,000 hours of training in 2015/16, including another 400 personnel training days on the three BC Ferries simulators. The resulting $566,000 savings in WorkSafe BC premiums has been a welcome boost to the bottom line.

Despite the aging fleet, BC Ferries, with 170,000 sailings a year for 20.7 million passengers and 8.1 million vehicles, has achieved an enviable vessel reliability index over 99 per cent and an on-time performance rating of 90.8 per cent.

In another nod to safety and the highperforming crew, Corrigan noted that BC Ferry staff performed 28 marine rescues throughout B.C. waters.

President & CEO Mike Corrigan has announced his departure at the end of March 2017.

were in 2009 prior to the turbulence in the Canadian and world economies.

And for the first time in 13 years, fares remained unchanged as the new 2016 fiscal year began last April. Corrigan says

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FERRIES reduce the average vessel age, but there are still 10 ferries from the 1960s, seven from the 1970s and four from the 1980s in regular service.

Its newest vessel, the cable ferry, the Baynes Sound Connector, which was built

by Vancouver Shipyards, began regularly scheduled service early last February between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and Denman Island. The vessel can carry 50 vehicles and 150 passengers and crew, will make the run using less than half the fuel of the ferry it replaced, the Quinitsa, and is expected to serve the route for 40 years.

With an annual fuel bill of over $118 million, it’s no wonder Corrigan has championed a move to natural gas in his fleet replenishment plans. the zero net increase was achieved by a 1.9 per cent fare increase being offset by a 1.9 per cent fuel rebate. “With the continued decline in the cost of diesel oil, coupled with the fact that we’ve locked in the price for the majority of our fuel, we were pleased to be in this position.”

One element in that equation is an agreement BC Ferries signed late last January to receive up to a $10 million contribution from FortisBC Energy Inc. as part of Natural Gas for Transportation incentive funding. The funding will partially offset the capital cost of converting ferries to natural gas and diesel dual-fuel capability in future.

Corrigan is leaving behind a legacy of aggressive fleet replacement — and that’s just as well because the average age of the 34-vessel fleet is 33 years. He has also put in place a $3.1-billion capital program for the next 12 years, which will see the replacement or life extension of 13 vessels over the next decade and other terminal and vessel maintenance facility upgrades.

“We’ll be introducing the Salish Class vessels next year, and we are already planning on replacements for the Nimpkish, North Island Princess and Howe Sound Queen,” adds Corrigan. The departure of the 1950s-vintage Princess alone will help

For sale

Selling off old, no longer wanted vessels is always controversial even if it makes sound business sense. The reason for angst is usually that BC Ferries does not reveal the sales price of vessels deemed to have reached the end of their useful life cycle.

The 38-year-old Queen of Chilliwack sold last year is a case in point. BC Ferries prefers to sell such vessels “for on-going trade” meaning they will still be in service somewhere. The latest sale was to N&J Mechanical Distributors Ltd., of Vancouver, who subsequently sold the Chilliwack to Goundar Shipping of Fiji in September 2015.

Another surplus ferry, the 52-year-old MV Tenaka was sold last April to Lady Rose Marine Services of Port Alberni, which runs a passenger and freight service in Alberni Inlet.

Again no price was disclosed even though some critics feel the public has a right to know. BC Ferries says simply that it can’t disclose the selling price “as three other ferries will be retired soon and offered for sale.”

Photo: BC Ferries

Fuel savings

The Baynes Sound Connector is now providing service between Buckley Bay and Denman Island.

24 BC Shipping News October 2016

With an annual fuel bill of over $118 million, it’s no wonder Corrigan has championed a move to natural gas in his fleet replenishment plans.

The dual-powered, natural-gas and diesel backup Salish vessels — the Salish Orca, Salish Eagle and Salish Raven — have been launched and christened at the Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. yard in Gdansk, Poland in a $165-million contract as part of a $206-million project.

October 2016 BC Shipping News 25

FERRIES Strong lobbying of the Federal Government shaved the price by $46 million, reflecting the elimination of import tariffs into Canada.

All three Salish vessels, which can handle 145 vehicles and up to 600 passengers, will be in service by the summer of 2017. The Salish Orca will replace the mechanically-challenged 51-year-old Queen of Burnaby on its run from Vancouver Island to Powell River — the ill-fated Queen has been forced out of service by four propeller shaft or seal breakdowns over the past 18 months alone.

The Eagle and Raven will serve in the Southern Gulf Islands.

As well as the Salish trio, BC Ferries signed a $140-million contract last spring also with Remontowa in Poland to conduct mid-life upgrades on the Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver Island and convert them to dual fuel — natural gas and diesel fuel back up — one of the first times in recent memory that such mid-life upgrade work didn’t go to a British Columbia shipyard.

Local yards

In fairness, Seaspan was shortlisted for the contract but with its heavy involvement in the National Shipbuilding Strategy work, it pulled out. Seaspan expects to be back chasing BC Ferries vessel upgrades and the like in five or six years.

BC Ferries usually averages about $100 million in maintenance and refit work among local ship repair yards, and in the latest fiscal, the spending on refits was $49 million at local yards,

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∠䠀礀搀爀愀甀氀椀挀 䘀氀甀椀搀猀 ∠䈀椀氀最攀 愀渀搀 䐀攀挀欀 䌀氀攀愀渀攀爀猀 ∠匀漀氀瘀攀渀琀 吀愀渀欀 刀攀瀀氀愀挀攀洀攀渀琀 ∠䔀挀漀 匀愀昀攀 䐀攀猀挀愀氀攀爀 ∠䄀戀猀漀爀戀攀渀琀猀 ∠䰀甀戀爀椀挀愀渀琀猀 䄀一䐀 䴀伀刀䔀⸀⸀⸀

倀⼀䘀㨀 ㄀ⴀ㠀㜀㜀ⴀ㔀㘀㘀ⴀ㈀㘀㈀㈀ 簀 䔀㨀 䤀一䘀伀䀀䈀一䄀䌀⸀䌀䄀 簀 圀圀圀⸀䈀一䄀䌀⸀䌀䄀 26 BC Shipping News October 2016

including the BC Ferries Fleet Maintenance Unit at Deas in Richmond.

In the latest fiscal year, such refit and mid-life upgrade work has included local yards working on MV Klitsa on a four-year refit; the Queen of Oak Bay given a three-quarter-life upgrade; and the Queen of Capilano received a $12-million mid-life upgrade coming back into service in May 2015; while the Queen of Cumberland returned from a mid-life upgrade just outside the old fiscal late in April 2016.

Terminals

Looking at the other side of the equation for ensuring smooth sailing for the ferry service — Corrigan counted 66 upgrade projects at the 47 terminals throughout British Columbia.

Projects included rebuilding the Sointula berth, which was the last berth rebuild on the Port McNeill-Sointula-Alert Bay route; Prince Rupert terminal paving; wayfinding upgrades at Horseshoe Bay; and the completion of shore-power upgrades and expansions at Buckley Bay, Denman West, Langdale and Whaletown terminals as well as Deas Dock.

Impressive cuts

Saving money on fuel in the ferry fleet also means reducing environmentally threatening emissions. Corrigan sees natural gas as “the cleanest burning fossil fuel” and says it will play “an important role in the global shift to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

FERRIES Image: BC Ferries

The environmental gains are impressive. Using natural gas instead of marine diesel oil cuts BC Ferries carbon emissions by about 25 per cent; sulphur oxides by almost 100 per cent; and nitrogen oxides by about 85 per cent. “Natural gas is cheaper than diesel oil and having five of the fleet operating on it will “greatly reduce our fuel bill,” says Corrigan.

Tied to overall environmental performance, Corrigan was pleased to have BC Ferries recognized by Green Marine last year for achieving a full eight levels of improvements.

Other gains

With a newly ratified five-year collective agreement with the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union from last October in its pocket, there’s increasing hope that there will be uninterrupted ferry service. The deal marks 17 years of labour stability.

And there’s more, says Corrigan. “We are also working on a multi-year customer service program, replacing our

The Salish Orca will replace the 51-year-old Queen of Burnaby on the run from Vancouver Island to Powell River.

aged point-of-sale and reservations systems which will allow us to respond in a more-timely manner to changing business needs.

“In addition, website software replacement will allow us to manage fares at a sailing level, improve capacity management,

and provide our customers with booking options and greater on-line functionality,” adds Corrigan.

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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October 2016 BC Shipping News 27

LNG INDUSTRY

Has Canada missed the boat?

By Syd Heal

Added to the equation is that the U.S., previously a net importer of LNG, is now awash with gas derived from its shallow surface deposits thanks to fracking.

H

as Canada missed the boat for the LNG industry? The evidence strongly indicates it has.

Further, the chance might not come again for perhaps 20 or more years, if ever, given the huge untapped reserves in other countries who are keen to develop and trade their LNG resource and are going about it in a very businesslike way. A Canadian breakthrough might see some revival if we could get rid of the “No” interests whose perfidious attitudes are strangling our economy, aided and abetted by American family trusts that provide funding in an effort to isolate Canada, with its oil and gas, from world markets.

Added to the equation is that the U.S., previously a net importer of LNG, is now awash with gas derived from its shallow surface deposits thanks to fracking. They will, so long as we have no export-capable ports and must pipe our gas to U.S terminals, take their generous pound of flesh just as they always have with our oil.

Another major factor is politics, which is a cynical business. The political climate in this country is unhelpful to anyone wishing to launch a project that can serve the needs of the country as a whole. The current Liberal government, in its drive to bring consensus at all levels to get things done, is moving at an incredibly slow speed, which in my view, is neither good leadership or good management.

28 BC Shipping News October 2016

Yet another fact is that the Port of Vancouver, our country’s largest port and second largest in North America in terms of tonnage handled, is barely understood by a probable majority of Vancouverites and Canadians at large.

The silent majority is far out-voiced by a smaller group of supposed environmentalists with whom some of our local mayors and their political organizations are natural allies. Port Vancouver, now augmented to a considerable extent by Prince Rupert, was brought into being mostly through the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and it was the City that followed. Today, it is beset by a highly vocal crowd who have no realistic sense of unity with the millions of people from every part of Canada that depend on the Asia-Pacific Gateway as a way to get their goods to market.

It’s small wonder that we have missed the boat, with the federal, Alberta and Ontario governments now realizing that expensive social programs promised during the excitement of electioneering require a prosperous economy. That’s something that many Canadians are recognizing with misgivings about our economic prospects, according to statistics just released by think tanks. The latest figures for cargo traffic through the Port of Vancouver are down by close to six per cent from last year and our lumber

and canola are in trouble along with the downward trend of coal and metal concentrate exports. Add in difficulties with stranded oil and gas, mostly cut off from world markets, and it’s hard to be sanguine about Canada’s prospects.

Let’s take a look at how other LNGproducing countries have caught their boat and are handling their excursion into developing and marketing their resource.

The main producing countries outside of the Americas are Qatar, which is heavily in the lead as the world’s largest exporter, followed by Australia (Ray Dykes provided an in-depth look at the Australian industry in the May 2016 edition of BC Shipping News). Other exporters are Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway and Russia. It’s likely that Australia will overtake Qatar in the next few years as it has the advantage of possessing a much larger land area, a largely exploitable offshore shelf, and an internationally recognized economic zone. Exploration projects could last for many years.

Australia has its own oil companies, the biggest of which is Woodside Petroleum, but with internationals like Shell, Exxon and Chevron leading the way, sourcing capital contributions has been relatively easy. Indeed one Canadian Power Company — Transalta Corporation and its dropdown MLP Transalta Renewables — has made major investments in Western Australian pipelines as well as a large new power station at Port Hedland, right in the heart of the huge economically advanced area of North Western Australia, a centre of the iron mining industry and with major offshore oil and LNG resources which are under full scale production and ongoing exploration.

LNG INDUSTRY Western Australia, along with the other big area of LNG exploitation on the Queensland coast, are in full production and the strength and size of the Australian LNG seems to be symbolized by the gigantic Shell Prelude project, a massive LNG processing barge that has been described as the largest floating vessel in the world.

Australian governments from left to right seem to have had a consistent program of industrial development based on mineral exploitation and the oil industries. One thing that most Australians seem to recognize is that if their economy depended on its famed meat and wool exports and a few mining projects as it largely did up to the Second World War, the country could never support the standard of living it enjoys today. Scrounging a living in the outback with sheep as the principal asset was no way to make a comfortable living for the entire nation, and most Australians would not want to go back to that. Instead, the whole country has benefited from oil and the emerging LNG industry. Australia also has one of the strongest banking systems in the

world, second only to Canada’s in bringing it through the international banking crisis of 2008.

Geographically, it is well placed to sell its LNG into all the Asian countries as it does now, including the biggest importer of all — Japan, as well as India, the southern half of Africa and even potentially much of the southern half of South America. Certainly, if Canada ever exports to the totally dependent Japan and big markets like China and India, which predict huge growth in their demand for LNG, it will meet heavy competition from Australia, Indonesia, Russia and Qatar.

Additionally, Iran, with huge proven reserves, is a major future competitor in most of these markets.

This brings me to consider the Yamal LNG project and oil field. It is the new rising star of Russian-controlled LNG production and is located on the Yamal Peninsula, a massive finger of land that looks to be made up mostly of swamp and muskeg. The peninsula forms the west side of a very large fjord, probably bigger by far that any similar inlet in Canada or Norway. Into the head of this fjord flows

the Ob, one of Siberia’s four gigantic rivers which all flow into the Arctic. This river drains the northern section of the Urals East flank as well as a huge area of central Siberia, including the area known as the Yamal project which boasts 15 separate gas fields, 11 oil fields and a large new port at Sabatta to export LNG, oil and petroleum condensate. This is probably just the forerunner of other major developments for yet to be discovered resources over many thousands of square kilometres.

I can’t think of any far northern industrial development anywhere in the world that matches the Yamal for its potential size. To make some comparisons, the total present and projected volume of LNG available for export from B.C. and Alberta gas fields is already far smaller than the Yamal’s potential and current exports — even after a sevenyear-development period that gives the Russians a massive head start. Of course, Canada mostly relies on the sizeable domestic market for the bigger bulk of its output, with the surplus going to the U.S. market at present.

Source: Gazprom-mt.com

Rendering of new LNG vessels for Gazprom, scheduled for delivery in 2017. Capacity is 174,000 cubic metres, built to Ice Class 1A.

October 2016 BC Shipping News 29

LNG INDUSTRY

Source: Wikipedia

The Yamal Peninsula in Russia — site of significant LNG developments.

There are actually two Yamal projects: the Gazprom Group, where Chinese companies are participating in both capitalizing and providing a market; and the Yamal Gas & Power, headed by French Total S.A., with Chinese and Russian partners. French Total SA is a seasoned and successful western company, likely

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30 BC Shipping News October 2016

wanted for their expertise, as several western internationals were on a short list approved by the Russian government. Seaborne deliveries by LNG carriers are well established as a routine, with summer deliveries to Japan and China via the Behring Sea and winter deliveries through the Mediterranean and Suez.

An indication of the size of the Yamal project is that Hyundai Heavy Industries, a leading South Korean yard, holds an order for 17 x 170,000-cubic-metre ships from Gazprom. Built to Ice Class 1A, these ships are as big as they come and will start deliveries from the yard this year. Little has been announced about these giant ships and whether Gazprom will own and operate them itself, running contrary to the usual oil industry pattern which prefers to encourage the use of ship owners’ capital with a charter back.

Vancouver-based Teekay has confirmed that it has contracted with Daewoo for six Arctic Class 1A LNG tankers with deliveries starting in January 2018. These ships will be taken on a 25-year charter by Yamal G & P. This group has arrangements underway to contract a fleet of 51 ice class tankers plus 15 regular, non-Ice Class LNG tankers. These 15 will run from the transshipment port of Zeebrugge through the lengthy Arctic winter, a 55-day voyage to China and Japan A little earlier I mentioned the activities of Calgary company Transalta Corp. in its Australian venture. Another Calgary company — Veresen Inc. — is pursuing a project to build a branch pipeline off the Rose pipeline which carries Canadian LNG from the border to California. The branch line will serve Veresen’s proposed new LNG plant at Jordan Cove, a branch Inlet off Coos Bay. Given Canadian export facilities for U.S. coal, how ironic if this proposal succeeds as it should, noting that Veresen now believes it meets all requirements following its first turn down by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It could be the first Canadian export terminal using the Oregon coast port.

Syd Heal, a veteran of the marine industry and a prolific writer and publisher of marine books, can be contacted at richbook@telus.net.

TRAINING

Valuable lessons learned for BC Ferries’ SEA program

By Murray Goldberg, CEO, Marine Learning Systems and Jeff Joyce, Director, Terminal Engineering, BC Ferries

I

n 2007, BC Ferries embarked on a union-management joint endeavour to create a world-class safety culture.

This program, coined SailSafe, addressed a wide variety of safety-related aspects of BC Ferries’ culture and operational practices. By almost any measure, SailSafe has been a tremendous success — accidents have dropped by close to 60 per cent, injuries and days lost due to injury have also dropped by the same amount, and insurance claims costs have plummeted.

A key customer service indicator, on-time performance of the Fleet, has also significantly improved.

Key among the SailSafe initiatives was the creation of a brand new approach to familiarization training called the Standardized Education and Assessment (SEA) program. Now in its seventh year of rollout, many lessons have been learned about SEA — some the easy way, and others at some cost.

Background

The SEA program is an intensive blended (on-line and in-person) approach to job-, vessel-, and route-specific training which replaces the previous

...SailSafe has been a tremendous success — accidents have dropped by close to 60 per cent, injuries and days lost due to injury have also dropped by the same amount... job-shadowing approach to vessel and terminal familiarization for all 35 operational roles. It is supported by a webbased learning management system (LMS) specifically designed to support training in the maritime context.

Training the “SEA way” involves three core phases (self-study; onboard/on-site; and a clearance phase with practical demonstrations and exam) designed to ready an employee for performance within a position. It is then followed by a career progression phase which is comprised of two sub-phases focused on first addressing skill enhancement within the new position, and then preparing the employee for career advancement.

Lessons learned

Although SEA has proven to be superior in so many ways to the traditional job shadowing approach to ‘training’ and clearing,

Jeff Joyce and Murray Goldberg, who have been the driving force behind the SEA program, provide lessons learned to assist other companies looking for greater success from training initiatives.

change management had to be considered throughout all levels of the company. BC Ferries’ strategy to address this challenge was focused on engagement and inclusion at all levels: • Executive support and engagement — The President and CEO’s support and understanding of the SEA principles and approach was fundamental.

Additionally, the Operational VicePresidents were asked to approve the design document for their individual departments.

• Front-line inclusion and engagement — The front-line employees were included in the entire process, from design through development, roll-out and sustainment.

• Curriculum development was a joint effort between BC Ferries subject matter experts, and a known and expert instructional design and project management contractor.

• Program prioritization strategy — due to the higher volume of training needs, greatest bang for the buck was achieved by beginning the SEA implementation starting at the front-line levels (i.e., Deckhand).

An important additional unforeseen benefit was that over the duration of the project, expertise grew from the front-line level.

• Sustainment of the program necessitated strategic thinking and effective management that gave careful consideration to resource requirements, the SEA Process, and objective performance measures: • Initially, the resources dedicated to the project consisted of two October 2016 BC Shipping News 31

Photo: BC Ferries

TRAINING

Phase one of the SEA program is an online self-study session, within which the LMS allows candidates to gauge their progress and readiness to move on to the next module.

people in management of design and development and one in LMS development (hosting and IT support). There was also one internal Director-level person focusing about one-third of his time to ownership, leadership, and part-time resourcing of the

team. Completing the team was the cadre of operational employees who participated in working groups and on-site population of learning templates with site, vessel, and route-specific training information. As the program moved up the inaugural department (Deck)

and across the other three departments (Terminals, Engineering, Catering), the number of part-time trainers grew. Additionally, as the number of programs increased, departmental dedicated expertise and leadership was required, so a SEA Manager per department was hired from within the BC Ferries' employee base.

• It is important to note that while proper staffing is important, training can be improved using any level of staffing with the understanding that speed of progress will match the level of resources applied.

• Documented processes were critical in order to ensure that the vision and fundamental tenets of SEA were sustained throughout the project. To develop the processes, key stakeholders were engaged from the employee base, Crewing Offices, Employee Relations and the SEA Core Team. A SEA Training Process map was created to show the workflows across the company to create awareness, ensure coherence, and support sustainment.

• Documented measures of performance were critical to sustainment…if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. The LMS needed to provide training metrics, ranging from exam performance at the individual level to roll-up reports on programs and ranks of employees.

Recommendations to industry

Any company considering the transition to a standardized, LMS-enabled training program ignores the experience of early maritime adopters at its own peril.

The experience of each company will differ, but there will be many similarities.

Regardless of the organization, a key recommendation is careful consideration of engagement and inclusion. These two levers will help ensure clarity on the impetus (why), the operational requirements (what), the resources, strategy, change management and executive support (how): • The ‘Why’ — Why a company would forge a new path must be considered and articulated in compelling ways.

Typically, these types of initiatives come 32 BC Shipping News October 2016

TRAINING from the front-line, so it is important to never lose that tone whilst honing the elevator speeches, the stakeholder/ enabler engagement sessions and even the Executive briefings.

• The ‘What’ — What exactly is required? How best to determine the ‘what’ requires consideration of a range of items, from the regulatory requirements all the way through to the front-line employees’ real training issues. Understanding their needs and addressing current training challenges and shortcomings are key elements of a successful implementation.

• The ‘How’ — How best to address these needs must be realistic. Having a training delivery plan that is not affordable is clearly poor planning and will lead to expedited failure.

Iterative approaches are typically best when it comes to design and development. A conservative beginning with a small group in a pilot format will allow the project owner to gather key decision and planning-enabling

BRACEWELL

means

Having a training delivery plan that is not affordable is clearly poor planning and will lead to expedited failure.

Iterative approaches are typically best... data, ensuring long-term success.

This underscores the point that it is not possible to have all the answers at the outset of the project; each implementation is a learning experience.

But with some initial planning and a cautious and iterative approach to growth, rest assured that the answers will emerge over time and success will be achieved.

Conclusions

The SEA program at BC Ferries is alive and well as it shifts gears into sustainment. Many lessons have been learned that industry colleagues will hopefully be able to benefit from as they consider their own training strategy. The SEA process has provided much-improved structure,

BUILT WELL

consistency and quality over traditional job-shadowing. The process has had significant positive impact on employee training as well as on employee soft-skills development. Employee buy-in is now very high. Critical thinking and objectivity, as well as collaborative planning and communication skills have all been honed through SEA. Jeff Joyce is BC Ferries’ Director of Terminal Engineering. He recently transitioned program ownership to Cathy Bornn, BC Ferries’ Director of Training.

Murray Goldberg is CEO of Marine Learning Systems (www.MarineLS.com).

An eLearning researcher and developer, his software has been used by 14 million people worldwide.

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October 2016 BC Shipping News 33

BRIDGE TRAINING

A perspective on the changes to Bridge Resource Management training

By Captain Philip McCarter Associate Dean, Marine, BCIT School of Transportation

Stemming from the tragedy at Tenerife, it became clear that a culture of autocratic leadership can have disastrous consequences.

B

ridge Resource Management (BRM) training has its roots in the aviation sector. Stemming from the tragedy at Tenerife, it became clear that a culture of autocratic leadership can have disastrous consequences.

Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) training emerged soon afterwards where concepts of human factors and organizational behaviour were introduced at the operational level (pilots). However, there are significant differences between the cockpit of an aircraft and the bridge of a vessel, as indicated in Table 1.

Following a series of maritime incidents, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) ventured into human factors for seafarers primarily focusing the training lens on the Master/pilot exchange. Perhaps the IMO based its learning outcomes on the aviation sector’s CRM experiences treating the Master/pilot interface as equivalent to the pilot/co-pilot relationship. This approach is too narrow and does not take into account the significant differences between the two workplaces.

The six inter-weaving pillars of human factors are indicated in Graphic 1.

In 1997, Canada, following the IMO guidelines, issued TP 13117E which was a syllabus for Bridge Resource Management training. BRM was a

34 BC Shipping News October 2016

30-hour course. It touched on all aspects of human factors to varying degrees.

There was no requirement to re-validate the training. An excellent reference textbook for the course is Shipboard Bridge Resource Management by Michael Adams

(2006). And for smaller vessels, Bridge Resource Management for Small Ships by Daniel Parrott (2011).

In 2002, IMO issued model course 1.22 on ship simulator and bridge teamwork.

This was a 40-hour course. The purpose of this course was to assist maritime training institutes and their teaching staff to organize and introduce new training courses, or to enhance, update or supplement existing training material. Some of the model course learning outcomes pertaining to passage planning and manoeuvring may have

Table 1 — differences between the cockpit of an aircraft and the bridge of a vessel.

BRIDGE TRAINING found their way into Simulated Electronic Navigation (SEN) courses. The model course 1.22 was NOT linked to an STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) requirement.

The term ‘BRM’ seems to have disappeared and it has now morphed into ‘Leadership and Teamwork.’ Crew Resource Management (CRM) has emerged, which changes the focus of human factors training to the entire vessel and not just the bridge.

The STCW Convention’s Manila Amendments of 2010 (Tables A-II/1 and A-III/1) refer to a competence for the application of leadership and team-working skills for deck and engine-room officers of the watch respectively (operational level). The STCW Convention’s Manila Amendments of 2010 (Tables A-II/2 and A-III/2) refer to a competence for the use of leadership and managerial skills for Masters/Chief Mates and Chief Engineers/ Second engineers respectively (management level).

The STCW Convention’s Manila Amendments of 2010 led to a suite of new or updated IMO model courses.

Specifically: • 7.01 — Master and Chief Mate competence 3.5 • 7.02 — Chief Engineer Officer and Second Engineer Officer competence 4.5 • 7.03 — Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch competence 3.7 • 7.04 — Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch competence 4.7 More recently, in 2014, IMO model course 1.39 on Leadership and Teamwork at the operational level was issued. It prescribes a minimum 20-hour course. For management competences 3.5 & 4.5, IMO model courses 7.01 and 7.02 prescribes a 46-hour course. For both levels, the elements of the competence are essentially the same: 1. Personnel Management, Organization and Training onboard ship 2. Related International Conventions,

Recommendations and National legislation 3. Application of Task and Workload Management 4. Effective Resource Management 5. Decision-Making Techniques 6. Development, Implementation and Oversight of Standard Operating Procedures (management level only) There is no requirement to re-validate the training.

It is clear that the amount of training time devoted to human factor (HF) training has increased steadily over the years: 30 to 40 to 66 hours. All the HF elements are expressly stated in the competency tables and are covered to varying degrees. However, communication is hardly mentioned. It begs the question whether this subject is adequately covered in the courses through the delivery of the other HF topics.

Chapter 6 in the Nautical Institute’s text Human Performance and Limitation for Mariners (2015) provides insight into

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BRIDGE TRAINING

Graphic designed by Ms. Emily Lacanilao

Graphic 1 — The six inter-weaving pillars of human factors.

issues that prevent effective communication at sea. It states in part that the ‘Authority gradient (sometimes referred to as the power distance) also play their parts in how seafarers communicate with each other. In general, rank, experience and position provide the authority to give orders, with low-status crew expected to follow the orders of the Master and high-ranking officers.’ Following orders is often without

36 BC Shipping News October 2016

question. A cultural aspect may exacerbate this tendency.

This important element of challenging the authority gradient is missing in the current syllabi yet was a small part of the 2002 IMO-issued model course 1.22 on ship simulator and bridge teamwork.

Although the actions are in the context of manoevering in pilotage waters, there were specific learning objectives on challenge and response. One hour is dedicated to this point. The specific learning objectives are: • 8.1 demonstrate that the Master shall • 8.1.1 establish an open communication style on the bridge that encourages challenge and appropriate responses from the whole bridge team. (author’s emphasis) • 8.3 demonstrate that the bridge team member shall: • 8.3.1 acknowledge or challenge concepts • 8.3.2 when conning the vessel, state and discuss his own concepts (Thinking Aloud Principle) • 8.3.3 challenge whenever limits are exceeded or there is any doubt about

the situation compared to the original concept It is unfortunate that this very important aspect of communication has not been carried forward to the new leadership and teamwork paradigm. Developing a bridge and engine-room team that exhibits this characteristic becomes even more complex when one considers that many vessels now operate with team complements in excess of the typical two. Many ferry and cruise vessel operators have bridge teams of four or more. Their engine-room team complement may also be the same.

An interesting article on cruise vessel bridge operations recently appeared in the July 2016 issue of Seaways, entitled ‘Bridge Team and Pilot Cohesiveness’ by Captain Nick Nash. It alluded to these communication challenges. Albeit during pilotage operations, the bridge team consists of five persons: the Pilot, Master, Staff Captain, First Officer and Helmsman.

Also on the bridge may be lookout(s), cadets, and engine-room or hotel department personnel. See also ‘Rethinking Bridge Organization’ in the April 2016 issue of Seaways.

Consider the roles and responsibilities of the core bridge team of five.

Depending on the port, the pilot may or may not have the conduct of the ship. Or the navigator has the watch. This position could be filled by either the Master, Staff Captain, or First Officer (maybe a Second Officer). The Co-Navigator position could be filled by personnel like that of the Navigator. The Operations Director position (sometimes referred to as the monitor) is usually reserved for the more senior, experienced bridge personnel — typically the Master or Staff Captain. The act of taking over the conduct of the vessel has to be clearly articulated to all bridge team members. In the middle of this team, and sometimes quite removed depending on the bridge design and size, is the Helmsman.

The Navigator has the traditional officer of the watch duties and has three very qualified persons to monitor him/ her. This could be quite intimidating.

Challenges are to be expected — the norm. The co-navigator, one-step removed from the navigator has, it is submitted, a more difficult role as monitoring is less psychomotory so the tendency for the

BRIDGE TRAINING individual to ‘zone-out’ or ‘drift-off’ is higher. For the operations manager/monitor, the ‘zone-out’ or ‘drift-off’ potential is higher again. In pilotage waters, who would challenge the Operations Manager whether he/she is paying attention? What are the subtle signs that indicate that he or she is either still engaged or thinking about a trivial non-related matter? Such challenges may also be required of the Co-Navigator during the long, ‘boring,’ deep-ocean passage. Throw in rank bias and it does not take a rocket scientist to see how a bridge ‘team’ can collapse very quickly without anyone noticing. This effect could also happen to the engineroom team.

To note is that human factor training for the Helmsman, engine-room assistant and/or look-out are not included in rating training syllabi — which is unfortunate as they are an integral part of bridge or engine-room teams.

It is imperative that a culture of ‘openness to challenge’ be ingrained into a team. It is unlikely that this will be a

It is imperative that a culture of ‘openness to challenge’ be ingrained into a team. It is unlikely that this will be a significant outcome of the current IMO’s ... courses. significant outcome of the current IMO’s leadership and teamwork courses. It will be left for individual companies to take their bridge and engine-room resource management training to a higher level via dedicated service providers such as CSMART. In the United Kingdom, the Human Element Leadership & Management (HELM) training course at the operational and management level brings engine room and bridge teams together to explore human factors and strengthen the inter-relationships between the two departments. Bridge and engine-room simulators are used. This training will improve communication and overall safety. It is approved by the MCA. In Canada, HELM has been successfully

delivered at the Marine Institute in St. John’s. The one-week course is awaiting Transport Canada’s approval as equivalent to the Leadership and Training at the management level. BCIT is assessing the viability of running HELM courses.

It is the author’s opinion that the intent of the HELM course far exceeds the minimum IMO requirements. Perhaps, bringing engine-room and bridge personnel together for human factor training is the way forward.

This approach is certainly very different than the aviation sector.

Captain Philip McCarter is the Associate Dean, Marine, BCIT School of Transportation and can be reached at pmccarter1@bcit.ca.

INNOVATION AND DIVERSITY IN MARINE DESIGN

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Email

designs@ral.ca

Telephone

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Web

www.ral.ca October 2016 BC Shipping News 37

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

VTS and maritime traffic planning

By David Lloyd

Business Development Director, Saab Maritime Traffic Management

Traffic management technology can play a major role in assisting the responsible authorities to address those challenges...

A

s maritime traffic grows in busy waterways, ports and vessel traffic management authorities face increasing challenges to maintain the safety and efficiency of vessel movements.

Higher volumes, larger vessels, environmental and safety concerns and competitive pressures are all contributing factors.

Traffic management technology can play a major role in assisting the responsible authorities to address those challenges by allowing them to realistically model and schedule vessel movements

well in advance, and more effectively support the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) function.

Vessel traffic systems technology

The available technology for monitoring vessel movements has become highly sophisticated. Products such as Saab’s V3000 VTMIS platform merge AIS data with ground-based radar data to provide a highly accurate, real-time picture of vessel activity. Software modules analyze traffic data to ensure that vessels are following

Constructing Routes as a virtual series of waypoints allows KleinPort to process complex rules to validate safe sailing plans.

38 BC Shipping News October 2016

their recommended sailing plans, and to predict potential conflict or accident situations, by extrapolating their course and speed and combining that information with tide, current and meteorological data.

In most traffic areas, however, vessel scheduling for traffic management purposes is minimal or non-existent.

Decisions about traffic priorities, i.e. who should proceed first into a narrow channel, are done on a first come, firstserved basis, or co-ordinated via VHF communications among the vessels’ pilots and bridge officers. In some particularly restricted areas, local rules may be in place to smooth the process, but they are typically still applied on a near real-time basis to a very limited area.

Technology exists now to more effectively plan vessel movements well in advance thereby avoiding traffic conflicts and optimizing vessel movements. Saab’s KleinPort application allows authorities to map out standard vessel routes as a series of defined waypoints between locations in their traffic area. Using either vessel speed or a time allowance between waypoints, combined with a vessel’s estimated departure time, the system can predict ETAs at the included waypoints to model a vessel’s passage through the traffic area. Once this model is created, the system can be configured to apply defined business rules at key waypoints and the destination berth to ensure that vessels have a safe sailing plan in place.

Using a vessel’s physical characteristics, expected sailing drafts and the physical restrictions of waypoints and berths,

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT these business rules can apply tide and current predictions and hydrographic data to validate that a given sailing plan is safe. Furthermore, the software can check against concurrent plans of other scheduled vessel movements to ensure that safe separations are being maintained between vessels at key waypoints.

Practical applications

Saab has been applying this technology in ports around the world for a number of years. One of the first implementations was for Yangshan Port outside Shanghai, China, which opened in 2005.

Vessel traffic problems arose even before the port was operational when the 32.5km Donghai Bridge was constructed to connect the port to the mainland across Hangzhou Bay. With most of the bridge deck a few metres above the water, the design of the bridge required a transiting vessel to be funnelled through one of four openings under the structure, creating a significant congestion issue. The only way to ensure that traffic could pass safely was to have larger vessels check in with the VTS authority in advance of their passage and, based on the vessel dimensions and drafts, be assigned a sailing plan and projected transit time for their passage under the bridge.

The KleinPort software is closely integrated with the V3000 VTS and assumes the detailed calculations of whether a vessel’s physical characteristics would allow it to transit the selected opening and whether the passage would be clear for its projected arrival time at the bridge. Traffic officers can then make informed scheduling and prioritization decisions. The added advantage of the V3000’s integration with KleinPort is that it’s even able to quickly identify ships that appear in the area, but do not have a valid sailing plan.

With accurate location information for vessels with and without a valid sailing plan, traffic officers can prioritize traffic more effectively. Once the vessel is in the monitored traffic zone, the V3000 uses radar, AIS and integrated real-time tide, current and meteorlogical sensors to allow traffic officers to validate the plan and monitor the progress of vessels in the area.

In addition, the system is equipped with eight CCTV cameras that can be assigned

With accurate location information for vessels with and without a valid sailing plan, traffic officers can prioritize traffic more effectively. to a vessel. The position from the tracked radar echos is then used to keep the vessel in optimal view.

Saab refined this technology with its current KleinPort application when Saab was selected in 2006 to provide a vessel scheduling and management system for Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ).

MSQ is a department of the Queensland state government and is responsible for maritime safety for the entire coast of the state. The KleinPort system is used to schedule and validate the passages of all the commercial deep-sea traffic in and out of Queensland’s ports. Rules include physical requirements such as draft, beam and tidal restrictions but also adherence to operational procedures, confirming that tugs and pilots have been assigned, for example. A significant feature of the KleinPort platform is the ability to add and modify business rules as required while the system is operational. Since its original implementation in 2007, the

MSQ system has grown to some 100 rules and proven itself highly effective. The KleinPort planning technology is being used in ports in Europe, Australia and South East Asia.

The benefits of this technology are obviously significant: • Vessel sailing plans can be practically assessed in advance and stakeholders informed accordingly.

• Potentially hazardous traffic situations can be identified in advance and schedules adjusted in response.

• Mariners are not required to be making decisions about traffic prioritization.

• Rules can be applied on a consistent basis with a full understanding of the traffic situation.

• Rules incorporating complex algorithms and data inputs can be practically applied and reassessed as necessary conditions and vessel ETAs change.

maritime and commercial law on canada’s west coast W. Gary Wharton

Peter Swanson

Thomas S. Hawkins

David K. Jones

Catherine A. Hofmann Russell Robertson

David S. Jarrett Michael M. Soltynski

Tom Beasley Megan Nicholls

Connie Risi Roger Tangry

Mark Gill associate counsel: Lorna Pawluk tel: 604.681. 17 0 0 fax: 6 0 4 . 6 8 1. 17 8 8 emergency response: 6 0 4 . 6 8 1. 17 0 0 address: 1500–570 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6C 3P1 web: www.bernardllp.ca

October 2016 BC Shipping News 39

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT The benefits of this technology are most clearly apparent in restricted traffic situations. Take Vancouver’s Second Narrows as an example where traffic is limited to slack water and there are multiple potential traffic conflicts with vessels transiting the Narrows as well as berthing and departing from the nearby terminals.

In the theoretical waypoint configuration below, business rules could be systematically applied to ensure that vessels’ sailing plans were in compliance with the Second Narrows Movement Restriction Area Procedures. Checks could include that: • Vessel movements are only scheduled to pass the waypoints in the Narrows within accepted “windows” of slack water.

• Vessels do not exceed the maximum channel draft, airdraft and beam allowance based on the predicted tide.

• Transiting vessel separations are maintained based on a defined time allowance between their passing times at the key waypoints. Vessel separations can be increased based on vessel size and type, i.e., tankers.

• Vessel separation is similarly maintained for vessels departing from berths in proximity to the Narrows by checking for conflicts at the intersecting waypoints for the planned route, such as the one highlighted in red in the graphic.

In a practical application, these rules would be applied whenever a vessel movement is formally scheduled. The scheduler

40 BC Shipping News October 2016

will then be alerted if any rules are violated and adjust the plan accordingly. High priority traffic could be scheduled first, and then other movements be scheduled accordingly, to optimize the utilization of the available tidal window.

Conclusion

The rules-based traffic planning technology in Saab’s KleinPort can provide vessel traffic authorities with a powerful tool to identify risks at an early stage in the planning process and provide an optimum safe schedule for vessel movements. Vessel traffic is highly dynamic, but the value of starting with a clear plan that minimizes the risks in advance is a practice proven out in any logistical situation imaginable. The technology has been deployed in a number of locations around the world with significant success. Combined with Saab’s V3000 VTS technology, it provides a comprehensive solution to address the needs of vessel traffic authorities and ports to maximize safety.

The Maritime Traffic Management group of Saab AB, is a leading global provider of safe, efficient and easily configurable solutions for Port Management Information Systems, Vessel Traffic Services systems, AIS transponders and base stations, integrated communications and security, hydrography and precision navigation solutions. David Lloyd can be reached at dlloyd@kleinsystems.com.

MARINE DOMAIN AWARENESS Written in the stars

Space-based AIS (S-AIS)

By Kiley Sampson, Managing Director of Barque Energy Group and Joe Spears, Managing Director of the Horseshoe Bay Marine Group

I

n the 21st century, as Canada seeks to increase its global trade, the importance of maintaining real-time marine domain awareness (MDA) grows in importance for a large number of interested parties. The stakeholders in MDA involve a variety of diverse groups — vessel operators, ports, maritime security personnel, vessel traffic management services, marine response organizations, and environmental and commercial interests, to name just a few.

Canada has 9.3 million square kilometres of ocean space and 244,000 km of coastline. With 28,000 square kilometres found on Canada’s West Coast, most of it remote, any attempt at complete and accurate radar coverage is impossible.

Primary radar was traditionally used to provide MDA coverage, but it has many gaps which pose a serious challenge to the Government of Canada, who, under Canada’s constitution, is responsible for navigation and shipping. The Canadian Government is also the lead on a wide range of marine response requirements to be able to meet its domestic and

By using receivers placed on low-orbit satellites, one could achieve a near real-time picture using the AIS transponder signal. Canada pioneered this leading space research... international obligations. This article will focus on the importance of using cuttingedge, space-based automatic identification system (AIS) for maintaining marine domain awareness along Canada’s West Coast.

AIS was developed to provide vessel operators with a system that would assist in avoiding collisions. As mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), all deep-sea commercial SOLAS vessels must carry transponders that send signals to other ships, as well as Vessel Traffic Services Centres operated by the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). AIS allows for the identification of the vessel, its position, speed, heading, and other data elements, to provide for the ability to separate traffic and avoid collisions. In addition to AIS, the CCG pioneered the

Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) regime which uses land-based receivers to monitor Canada’s coasts.

This can be difficult given our challenging remote coastline and weather environment. This regime is based on GeoSatellites and is independent of AIS satellites. It provides an encrypted signal only available to governments.

As the AIS system was implemented, it was found that the surface transponder radio signals also extended into space.

By using receivers placed on low-orbit satellites, one could achieve a near realtime picture using the AIS transponder signal. Canada pioneered this leading space research, now known as S-AIS, and brought us nearer to the possibility of achieving real-time global coverage of shipping. The real-time sensitivity of the

Real-time AIS plotting from companies like exactEarth provides an important tool for vessel traffic managers.

Image courtesy exactEarth

October 2016 BC Shipping News 41

Image courtesy exactEarth

MARINE DOMAIN AWARENESS

Vessl traffic on the West Coast.

AIS plot is based on the global density of orbiting satellites to provide a real-time maritime picture for users.

S-AIS requires the processing of information received from satellites to be transmitted to ground stations which then provide AIS data. Simply put, the more frequent the satellite orbits, the more accurate and up-to-date the vessel positioning.

In contrast and for comparison sake, the aviation industry does not have mandated real-time tracking which has resulted in problems when trying to recover ‘black boxes’ from plane crashes such as the Malaysia Air MH 370 or the Egyptian Air MS 804, which both occurred over water.

Canada’s work was instrumental in moving forward space-based AIS tracking. The

S-AIS system can work in conjunction and parallel to the Canadian Coast Guard’s shore-based LRIT system to provide an open ocean and littoral coverage of all marine traffic. Both are used by Canada.

The Canadian firm, exactEarth, pioneered the development of small satellites, known as nanosatellites, that could receive ship-based AIS signals, allowing for real-time tracking. This was a groundbreaking application of cutting-edge technology that solved the age-old maritime problem of locating vessels that were over the horizon. For example, in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, Prospect Point was a signal station which used a series of signal flags to advise ships’ agents of approaching commercial vessels — something that can now be done by an iPhone or computer screen.

Since those early days of S-AIS, the frequency of satellite overflights, space-based sensors, and the data-processing capability have all reached the point where it is now possible to provide real-time access

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MARINE DOMAIN AWARENESS on a global scale. exactEarth, one of the leading S-AIS firms, provides a powerful and useful tool to achieve marine domain awareness in almost real time, with the exception of a transmission delay while the data is processing.

The Marine Exchange of Alaska (AKME) provides a useful model for the use of AIS data. Under the leadership and vision of founding Executive Director Captain Ed Page, a retired senior U.S. Coast Guard officer, AKME has provided marine domain awareness throughout Alaskan waters, which see a large volume of marine traffic on the North Pacific Great Circle route transiting the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

There are prescribed, mandatory minimum distances to stay offshore, and designated safe passages implemented in Western Alaska and the Arctic. The further offshore a vessel remains, the more time it has to prevent a marine incident from developing into a marine casualty and allow for help to arrive by sea or air. In other words, this monitored AIS 'geofence' allows for a lot of sea room to have either the crew respond to the incident or a rescue tug or vessel of opportunity to take the disabled vessel under tow.

Vessels are tracked from the AKME operation centre in Juneau, Alaska, using exactEarth’s satellite AIS service as well as 125 land-based receivers built and operated by AKME. It is a model that Canada needs to examine, as at any one time, there are hundreds of vessels sailing a North Pacific Great Circle route in the 200nm Canadian EEZ, with no connection to Canada until an incident occurs.

A recent incident highlights the value of AIS monitoring. The loss of power of the Russian vessel Simushir was observed by an alert Marine Communications and Traffic Services officer at the Prince Rupert Centre. Using land-based AIS, the tracking system showed the vessel’s AIS was broadcasting the “not under command” signal, indicating that the vessel was adrift.

The MCTS officer sounded the alarm. The quick work of the CCG averted a more serious marine incident. Canada’s marine response was successfully led by Rear Admiral Roger Girouard (ret’d), CCG Assistant Commissioner, in co-operation with the U.S. Coast Guard, and the tug Barbara Foss, which was able to take the disabled vessel under tow to Prince Rupert. Had there been no real-time AIS marine domain awareness tracking, the outcome could have been quite different.

As a marine domain awareness and ocean governance tool, S-AIS gives Canada the ability to track vessels throughout its waters in real time. The global reach of AIS allows for vessels entering Canadian waters, either as its destination or in transit, to be compared to their planned or filed passage so it can be determined if they have had any potential navigational or mechanical problems.

Early notice of such incidents can better prepare Canada’s marine response and enforcement agencies should the need arise. Analysis of S-AIS data will be important as it provides for the further analysis to ascertain the condition of the vessel. It is an important tool in Canada’s ocean governance toolbox.

We are still in the early days with respect to the potential uses of S-AIS data. We need to work together to develop a real-time marine domain picture in Canadian waters, including areas beyond the 200 nm boundary. We need to work with our friends and neighbours in Alaska and with leaders like Captain Ed Page

As a marine domain awareness and ocean governance tool, S-AIS gives Canada the ability to track vessels throughout its waters in real time. to get this right. In the 21st century, Canada needs to use all of the technology available to develop a robust environmental navigation regime. Like in centuries past, marine navigation remains solidly based on looking to the stars.

Kiley Sampson, Managing Director of Barque Energy Group, is a marine project manager, marine constructor, marine engineer and graduate of the Canadian Coast Guard College. He has spent over 40 years in the marine business and has made use of the latest technologies, especially in the offshore industry and dynamic positioning.

He can be reached at ksampson@barqueeg.com.

Joe Spears is the Managing Director of the Horseshoe Bay Marine Group and has a long-standing interest in maritime defence and security, and the applications of marine domain awareness for environmental navigation. He assisted COM DEV International in the development of space-based AIS. He hosted an S-AIS workshop in Ottawa in 2009. He can be reach at kjs@oceanlawcanada.com.

October 2016 BC Shipping News 43

TUGS

Expansion of the RAmparts 3200-CL fleet

T

he RAmparts 3200-CL was developed by Robert Allan Ltd. exclusively for Cheoy Lee Shipyards, Hong Kong. Since the first tug of this design was delivered in 2011, Cheoy Lee has delivered over 20 units of this series to its clients around the world.

In July, Cheoy Lee was extremely busy with the delivery of four more RAmparts 3200-CL tugs to their owners: three of them, Hawksbill, Flatback and Loggerhead, for Loreto Maritime Pte. Ltd, Singapore; and one, Limin ASD 55, for Limin Marine & Offshore Pte. Ltd., Indonesia. These tugs will be operated in Australia and Indonesia respectively.

Particulars of the RAmparts 3200-CL are as follows: • Length overall: 32.00 m • Beam, moulded, extreme: 12.40 m • Depth, moulded (hull): 5.40 m • Maximum draft: 5.00 m The four new tugs were designed and constructed to Lloyds’ requirements with the following notation: *100A1, Tug, *LMC, UMS, Fire Fighting Ship 1 with Water Spray, IWS Tank capacities are as follows: • Fuel Oil: 230 m3 • Potable Water: 48 m3 • Lube Oil: 3 m3 • Hydraulic oil: 0.7 m3 • Sludge Tank: 3.5 m3 • Oily Water: 4.5 m3 • Sewage Tank: 4.5 m3 • Grey Water: 1.5 m3 • Foam: 7 m3 On trials, the tugs met or exceeded all performance expectations, with the following results: • Bollard Pull, ahead: 71 tonnes • Free running speed, ahead: 13.4 knots The vessels are outfitted to the highest standards for a normal operating crew of up to 10 people. The Master and Chief Engineer cabins are located on the main deck with four double crew cabins located in the lower accommodations.

The deck machinery comprises a ship assist hawser winch on the bow, and one towing winch on aft deck. In addition, a knuckle boom deck crane is installed on aft deck for handling of service parts and small cargo.

44 BC Shipping News October 2016

Main propulsion for each tug comprises a pair of CAT 3516C diesel engines, each rated at 2682 BHP at 1600 rpm, and each driving a Schottel, SPR 1515 fixed pitch Z-drive unit, in ASD configuration.

The electrical plant comprises two (2) identical diesel gen-sets, each with a power output of 2 x 112 ekW. Fire-fighting monitors are located at the top of wheelhouse, providing ‘off-ship’

fire-fighting service that meets Class Fire Fighting Ship 1 requirement.

Ship-handling fenders at the bow consist of two rows of 800 x 400 cylindrical fenders at the main deck lever, with a 480x300 mm “W” block fender below.

A 300 x 300 hollow “D” fender provides protection at the main deck sheer line and along the knuckle, and 500x450 mm “W” block type fendering is used at the stern.

The Robert Allan Ltd.-designed Limin ASD 55 will operate in Indonesia.

The Loggerhead — one of three new RAmparts 3200-CL tugs built for Loreto Maritime.

TUGS

Operator opts for increased environmental protection with Ecospeed hard coating

O

céan Taiga, North America’s most powerful ice-going tug, nearing completion at the Industrie Océan shipyard in Ile-aux-Coudres, QC, will feature Subsea Industries’ Ecospeed, following the operational success of the hard coating applied in 2012 to Groupe Océan’s 60t bollard pull ice-going tug Ocean Raymond Lemay.

Océan Taiga, the second 100t bollard pull ice class 1A Super FS escort tug, will join first of class Océan Tundra, which was coated in 2013 with an Ecospeed application. Subsea Industries will also apply the advanced hull protection system to the existing Océan Ross Gaudreault tug, at Groupe Océan’s shipyard in Quebec.

David Flood, Managing Director, Jastram Technologies, the commercial representative for Subsea Industries in Canada, said: “Subsea Industries has had a successful relationship with Groupe Océan, resulting in Ecospeed applications to nine vessels in its fleet. Its first experience with Ecospeed on the Ocean Raymond Lemay was deemed a huge success. When the vessel’s hull was waterjet cleaned this summer after more than 60 months in service, the hull coating showed no sign of paint degradation.”

Flood explained that Groupe Océan specified the coating for the largest tugs in its fleet because of the coatings’ lasting performance and environmental compatibility for operations in ecologically sensitive areas.

“The owner wanted a coating solution that would not impact the marine environment,” said Flood. “Chipping an Ecospeed hard coating almost never happens but when it does, there is no environmental damage, no sediment pollution.”

Manuel Hof, Production Executive and NACE Coatings Inspector at Subsea Industries, added: “Groupe Océan’s vessels operate in highly abrasive waters in ecologically sensitive areas, so it was important for the owner to have a hull a coating system that protects both the vessel and the marine environment.”

Groupe Océan has applied Subsea Industries’ Ecospeed to nine of its vessels. Above, the Ocean Raymond Lemay was the first to receive the coating.

The Océan Tundra had the Ecospeed coating applied in 2013.

Outlining the importance of the Canadian market for Ecospeed, Hof said: “With many vessels operating in the highly sensitive areas, such as the Great Lakes, Alaska and the northwest passage, the Ecospeed hard coating is becoming the

hull coating of choice for meeting stringent environmental rules and regulations.”

Jastram Technologies is working on other significant Ecospeed projects in Canada, one of which is a 31,992dwt icegoing bulk carrier.

October 2016 BC Shipping News 45

TECHNOLOGY

PBES solves fire and explosion risk of lithium-ion batteries Plan B Energy Storage ... has developed Safe Energy Storage which has the ability to fully contain thermal events in a battery.

L

ithium-ion batteries are not new.

Having been developed in the 1970s, and with commercial applications offered by the 1990s, the technology has been evolving to offer ever-greater energy solutions. For the marine industry, the promise of a lowcarbon, rechargeable energy source has

been set against the risk of fire or explosion due to thermal runaway (a fire in a single cell that spreads to the rest of the system). While the technology surrounding energy storage systems has been evolving to manage that risk, it hasn’t been until this past year that an effective solution has been offered.

Plan B Energy Storage (PBES), a local B.C. company that provides engineering and strategic design services to the industrial energy storage industry, has developed Safe Energy Storage with the ability to fully contain thermal events in a battery. The company began manufacturing battery systems in Trondheim, Norway, earlier this year and has been met with wide praise from industry experts and vessel owners.

Background

The man behind the vision of PBES is CEO Brent Perry. Having spent much of his career focused on vessel design and manufacturing, Perry was CEO of Corvus Energy Ltd. before forming C Rate Solutions which provided assistance to other companies working in the clean energy sector and specializing in business development, marketing and applicationside engineering. Out of C Rate Solutions, Perry created PBES in January 2015 and set about building a team that has developed two thermal runaway protection systems — CellCoolTM and Thermal-StopTM. They also developed E-VentTM, a way to extract gas from the battery space, allowing any flammable or explosive gases produced by a battery failure to be removed and dispersed safely.

Perry is recognized as a world leader in energy storage systems — so much so that he was selected to speak at the United Nations COP21 Climate Conference in Paris in December 2015. His presentation on the future of battery propulsion in commercial marine applications was part of an event hosted by the Bellona Foundation, an international environmental non-government organization based in Oslo, Norway.

Held onboard the “Race for Water” solar vessel, Perry was a featured keynote speaker where he told attendees that “Hybrid propulsion can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 15-20 per cent, and operating costs by 75 per cent.” He further The PBES has developed an energy storage system that solves the risk of fire or explosion.

46 BC Shipping News October 2016

TECHNOLOGY

The Norway connection

The company began testing in 2015 and, by November, had validated the significant milestone that had been achieved in the lithium battery industry. “This is a world first,” Perry said. “No other product has been able to contain a cell-based thermal runaway in a lithium battery.” During the testing, the thermal event was contained to a single cell and did not propagate to other adjacent cells. “In fact,” Perry continued, “all adjacent cells maintained cool temperatures well within operational parameters and all explosive and flammable gases produced by the event were removed from the area, thus removing fire and explosion risk.”

With successful testing that proved the effectiveness of PBES’ technology, the company brought in Erik Ianssen, CEO of Selfa, a leading Norwegian shipyard and design company, to help spearhead business development for PBES Norway.

Norway has long been recognized as a leader for their efforts to bring environmentally sustainable solutions to the shipping industry (see the BC Shipping News’ on-line article recapping the joint B.C./Norway Green Shipping Workshop in June 2013) so it was no surprise that PBES chose the country as their European base.

PBES Norway AS is now producing the battery modules and energy storage systems in their Trondheim factory. These systems are currently being installed on a number of vessels around the globe, including hybrid and fully electric ferries,

hybrid offshore vessels, hybrid super yachts and even cruise ships. Their system is the only one certified by the Norwegian Maritime Authority and PBES is currently working with DNV-GL to set the class societies’ type approval standards for battery use in commercial shipping.

While PBES is developing awareness with global industrial markets, Norway is an especially important theatre given recent studies from the Bellona Foundation which promote the benefits of moving the country’s ferry fleets to hybrid or fully electric operations. Partnering with Siemens, Bellona conducted a study on Norway’s 180 ferries and concluded that 127 of these can be converted to hybrid operation or operate solely on batteries. And of those 127, 84 can use current battery technology.

The study showed that 61 ferry routes fit the criteria for battery propulsion — each with enough time at shore for charging.

How it works

An increasing number of vessels and industrial machines are being deployed

PBES CEO Brent Perry

in hybrid and fully electric form. These hybrids range from new builds to retrofits of existing vessels. Most rely on a common format: diesel electric generation, supported by high power lithium-ion

ECAP propeller by MMG

highlighted studies that show that energy storage costs have been reduced by 50 per cent over the past five years with this trend likely to continue into the future. In addition to their environmental and economic benefits, Perry noted the important safety advantages of employing energy storage systems on ships.

“Not only does a hybrid vessel provide rapid ROI and far fewer emissions than a diesel version, the onboard energy storage system also provides an additional layer of safety. This instantly available energy meets class approval for spinning reserve.

When used in combination with diesel prime movers, it provides increased speed and bollard pull for emergency situations” added Perry.

BATTERY POWERED VESSELS DNV GL is the world’s leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. Safeguarding life, property and the environment through new technology, the emerging new battery technology solution makes it possible to use stored energy for propulsion. With design ranging from hybrid solution to 100% pure configurations for safer, smarter and greener vessels.

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SAFER, SMARTER, GREENER

October 2016 BC Shipping News 47

TECHNOLOGY

A single cell within the PBES energy storage system.

batteries to provide a reserve of power. Each application type uses energy storage to satisfy specific elements of their unique operational profiles.

In a typical full-electric ferry as an example, the vessel may use 4MWh of batteries; 2MWh on the vessel and 1MWh on each shore. While the ferry is offloading and reloading vehicles and passengers, the battery on the vessel recharges from shore battery "System A." The vessel then uses that power to transit to the other side, then recharges from the other shore battery "System B." Due to the extremely fast charging times of modern liquid cooled batteries, the vessel is able to regain most if not all of a charge during loading/unloading times. During the crossing and subsequent unloading/loading and then return trip, shore battery A slowly recharges from the local electrical grid. This allows the local grid infrastructure to fully support an electric ferry without costly electrical infrastructure upgrades.

In a crossing of 30 minutes with 20 minutes to unload and load, the shore batteries have 50 minutes to recharge to full capacity. The vessel then returns to shore battery A and continues

Innovation in Harbour Towage

the cycle. In some cases, the battery on the vessel may be sized to allow a small deficit of charge on each crossing that will be regained when the vessel is berthed for the night and recharged from grid power. In some jurisdictions, the electrical energy for clean electrical vehicles is taxed at a lower rate, making it a far less expensive way to operate a vessel of this type.

The batteries on the vessel and on shore are virtually identical in voltage and design with only a capacity size difference.

Made up of modular 100V PBES batteries, they can be scaled up to 1,500 Volts with capacity limited only by the vessel size and operational profile. Each of the PBES modules is made up of 24 XALT High Power 75Ah NMC lithium-ion cells. The modular 6.5kWh building blocks are configured in series to meet needed bus voltage; parallel strings are added together to meet the total desired system capacity. The system is housed in an engineered racking system that provides mechanical protection and an integrated cooling system.

The PBES CellCoolTM cooling system is a full metal-jacketed system that is capable of maintaining an internal temperature that allows the unit to maximize lifespan. The metal components are extremely effective at conducting heat away from the core of the battery and are so effective that when attached to an industry standard chiller unit, the system allows the batteries to operate at extreme discharge rates. They are effectively able to remove more thermal energy than the battery is capable of producing — even when overcharged to the point of failure. In a regular lithium battery, this would result in catastrophic failure, fire and even explosion. Further, the metal components are extremely rugged and durable and are designed to provide a fire stop and additional mechanical protection from external damage, known as Thermal-StopTM. PBES did not stop at only suppressing the potential for thermal runaway. Their years of experience in designing marine battery systems gave them the knowledge needed to take the design to the next level. Understanding that no lithium cell is perfect, and unforeseen catastrophic events can and occasionally do happen, they added a unique feature to the battery. A venting system PBES called E-ventTM, removes all flammable gases that are produced in a thermal event away from the battery room to be safely disbursed to the outside of the vessel. These flammable gases are released when a lithium battery has failed, and in some cases may reach concentrations in the engine room that could cause explosion. Due to toxicity of these gases, they also limit firefighting activities by the crew. With the PBES E-VentTM system in place, the crew can actively enter the battery room and suppress any issue with reduced danger and risk.

Conclusion

604. 582.5110

www.samsontugboats.com Photo credit: Dave Roels

48 BC Shipping News October 2016

While PBES may be a relatively new company, the team gathered to execute Perry’s vision are veterans when it comes to advancing technologies related to energy storage systems. Looking to the future, the company intends to maintain focus on developing energy storage systems that will define class rules for the marine industry. With the team’s history of providing next generation thinking solutions to the problems facing the commercial marine industry today and the uptake from industry, they are a strong bet for success moving forward. BCSN

LEGAL AFFAIRS Passenger ship safety

Maritime casualties spur safety initiatives

By David K. Jones

A Vancouver lawyer with Bernard LLP

S

afety and security are often emphasized as the top priority of passenger ships, indeed all ships — and all over the world, passenger ships sail safely without incident. A significant factor in passenger ship safety is the regime of international safety conventions, implemented in flag state legislation, setting out safety regulations and standards to guide the design, construction and operation of the ships.

The beginning of the modern era of safety regulation for passenger ships can be traced to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Since the topic is broad and

The beginning of the modern era of safety regulation for passenger ships can be traced to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. complex, this article can only touch on some of the significant marine casualties that have occurred since the Titanic, to demonstrate how safety issues have been highlighted, or made the subject of regulatory change in the never-ending goal to improve safety and avoid casualties in the future.

The Titanic continues to be viewed as one of the most significant marine

disasters of all time. In response to the casualty, the U.K. government proposed an international conference to develop international regulations specifically focussed on safety at sea. The conference, with 13 countries participating, introduced new international ship safety requirements, including the following: • watertight and fire-resistant bulkheads; • life-saving appliances;

RMS Titanic — continues to be considered one of the most significant marine disasters of all time.

Source: Wikipedia

October 2016 BC Shipping News 49

Source: Wikipedia

LEGAL AFFAIRS

The Princess Sophia grounded on Vanderbilt Reef in 1918.

• fire prevention and fire-fighting appliances on passenger ships; • carriage of radio equipment for ships carrying more than 50 persons; • North Atlantic ice patrol.

Following from that conference, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was adopted in 1914 and entered into force in 1915. The SOLAS Convention is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of ships. Subsequent versions of SOLAS were adopted in 1929, 1948, 1960 and 1974.

The 1960 SOLAS Convention was the first major task for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after their creation, and it is recognized as a considerable step forward in modernizing regulations to keep up with technical developments in the shipping industry. The 1974 SOLAS Convention has been amended since that year, but the 1974 version included a provision for entry into force on a specific date absent objections, hence the SOLAS Convention is often referred to as SOLAS, 1974, as amended.

The sinking of the CPR ocean liner Empress of Ireland on May 29, 2014 in the St. Lawrence River is less well-known than Titanic, but was of a similar tragic scale, resulting in the deaths of over 1,000 passengers and crew. The ship sank very quickly following a collision with the collier Storstad. After this casualty, the design of ships’ bows were altered to increase the rake, with the prow forward, to reduce the amount of collision damage below the waterline at the bow. Other factors in the rapid sinking were the existence of longitudinal bulkheads which caused the ship to list faster as the incoming water was trapped on one side of the ship, and open portholes that increased flooding as the ship heeled.

The grounding and sinking of the CPR steamship Princess Sophia in 1918 near Juneau is well-known locally, particularly the iconic photograph of the ship stranded upright on Vanderbilt Reef, where she remained for over a day and a half before washing off the reef and sinking with the loss of all aboard, over 300 passengers and crew. Difficult weather and sea conditions were significant factors in hampering evacuation efforts, but the failure, or the inability to evacuate was controversial because of the length of time between the grounding and sinking.

In the 1930s and 1940s, fire safety issues were highlighted with the Morro Castle in 1934, and the Noronic in 1949. The Morro Castle was on a voyage from Havana to New York when she caught fire off New Jersey, eventually grounding and resulting in the deaths of 137 passengers and crew. The Morro Castle focused attention on ship construction issues such as the use of fire-retardant materials and fire doors, and the need for fire drills and effective fire alarms.

The Noronic was a Great Lakes passenger ship moored at Toronto when she caught fire in the early morning hours of September 15, 1949. The fire spread rapidly and resulted in over 100 deaths. An inquiry following the disaster found the crew were not properly trained to deal with fires; there were inoperable fire hoses onboard; and there was no evacuation plan. The

Located at Vancouver Waterfront and Roberts Bank

www.flyingangel.ca 50 BC Shipping News October 2016

LEGAL AFFAIRS use of wooden materials in the construction of the ship was a factor in the fire spreading rapidly throughout the vessel.

In 1971, a local B.C. tragedy was the passenger ship Meteor catching fire in the Strait of Georgia, causing the deaths of 32 crew. In the 1980s and 1990s, fires occurred on a number of ships including the Prisendam in 1980, the Emerald Seas in 1986, the Scandinavia Star in 1990, the Achille Lauro in 1994 and the Regent Star in 1995. Subsequent initiatives to improve safety on passenger ships included the requirements for smoke detectors and smoke alarms to be installed in passenger cabins and public spaces, low-level lighting to define escape routes, bridge control of fire doors, and emergency alarms audible in passenger cabins.

Another class of casualties has arisen from the unique design and construction of ro-ro ferries. The open lower decks enable efficient loading and discharge of motor vehicles, but the same feature has resulted in well-known casualties, such as the capsize of the ro-ro ferry Herald of Free Enterprise off Zeebrugge in 1987, and the capsize and sinking of the ro-ro ferry Estonia in the Baltic Sea in 1994. The Herald of Free Enterprise capsize occurred after water flooded through an open bow door. The Estonia capsized and sank after the bow door was damaged in a storm and flooding occurred, with the loss of over 850 lives.

Some of the factors identified in these casualties were the lack of internal bulkheads; the weakness of bow and stern doors; stability issues arising from the loading of cargo or from the movement of cargo on the vehicle deck; the sudden inrush of water

following damage or failure of watertight doors; low freeboard from cargo doors located close to the waterline; the difficulty in launching lifesaving appliances from the high sides of ro-ro ships; and crew training.

The IMO responded to both of these ro-ro disasters with a number of amendments to SOLAS, including requirements for the construction of bow doors, effective monitoring of doors and ro-ro spaces, emergency lighting, and stability requirements for damaged ships. One of the most significant changes in the 1990s was to make the International Safety Management (ISM) Code mandatory, requiring a safety management system to be established to ensure compliance with mandatory regulations and to take into account IMO recommendations on codes, guidelines and standards.

Finally, the more recent dramatic grounding and capsize of the Costa Concordia, like the Titanic 100 years before, highlighted the issue of the safe evacuation of passengers. Other areas of concern identified in that casualty include lifeboats, muster drills, rescue drills and the stability of damaged ships.

Since the Titanic, passenger ships have increased in size and complexity. As these ships have evolved, so has the regulatory framework evolved and continues to evolve to address safety issues and attempt to avoid maritime casualties like those historical examples referred to above.

David K. Jones is a lawyer with Bernard LLP. He can be reached at Jones@bernardllp.ca.

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1-877-647-3784 October 2016 BC Shipping News 51

LUBRICANTS

Meeting the standards for environmentally acceptable lubricants

By Shane Hanna, Owner, Lubri-Lab BC

52 BC Shipping News October 2016

Photo: BC Shipping News

W

hile non-mariners and mainstream public may focus on oil spills as the greatest threat to our marine environment, many miss the fact that lubricants lost from a vessel and entering into the aquatic environment can do just as much serious damage. This article defines environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs); describes best practice management solutions; and provides examples of how leaders in the industry have solved this issue for their own companies.

While many oil and lubricant companies are currently scrambling to develop products that meet the regulatory guidelines established in 2011 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one Canadian company has been meeting that standard before there was even a recognized need. Since its formation in 1988. Lubri-Lab Inc., a Canadian company founded by Jacques Tremblay, has been at the forefront of developing lubricants designed to withstand the most extreme industrial situations without the use of heavy metals and toxins, thereby making them friendly to not only the environment but to the individuals who use them.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines an EAL as: “those lubricants that have been demonstrated to meet standards for biodegradability, toxicity and bioaccumulation potential that minimize their likely adverse consequences in the aquatic environment, compared to conventional lubricants.”

The EPA established regulations around lubricants and fluids that are currently in force for ships of a specific length. They provide clear guidelines for any operator working on or around oceans or lakes as well as companies that operate inland and work on or around environmentally sensitive locations.

One of the key measurements in these regulations is the biodegradability of the product in a 28-day test period. The

Shane Hanna describes the benefits of Lubri-Lab products to an attendee at last year's CFO conference.

minimum standard is greater than 60 per cent. It should be noted that many companies will simply show this as “Pass” in their Product Guides. This means that if, for some reason, the product comes into contact with the waterway, at least 60 per cent of the product will biodegrade in 28 days. This is where testing and years of focus come into play — for example, many industries working in the marine environment require quality hydraulic oil. Lubri-Lab BC’s “Bio-Tope Hydrau” will not only outperform most standard hydraulic oils by four to five times, it also has a biodegradability of more than 85 per cent.

But, like experience, language is important as well. Products that are described as “inherently biodegradable” means that the product in question may have biodegraded 30 per cent with 28 days. Users should be warned that this does not meet the required standard.

Major ferry operators and cruise lines are increasingly becoming aware of this ability to not only provide a quality lubricant but be environmentally aware as well. The reality for operators of all

vessels (large or small) is that if the product does not meet the operational standards, making the decision to switch to an environmental solution is very difficult. One example of this decision making process was a significant review of operational and environmental standards which resulted in Lubri-Lab’s Bio-Tope Hydrau being used by BC Ferries in their vehicle ramps. After successful testing in two ramps, a third application is planned, making it clear that it is not only the ships but the ground operations as well that must adhere to these standards.

Cruise ships have also been quick to recognize the benefits of environmentally acceptable lubricants that meet other needs as well. For example, Holland America and other lines are currently using the Lubri-Lab CCL (Chain and Cable Lube) product to coat their cables and wires on lifeboats. Some of the attributes that attract these corporations include how the product dries clean and clear on the cable (no more greasy cables) and will not drip on the deck (or the customers).

CCL products also provide superior protection against corrosion while ensuring

LUBRICANTS

Shane Hanna is the Owner of Lubri-Lab BC; his focus is on distribution through retail and B2B networking. Shane can be reached at shane@lubrilabbc.com. For more information on any of LubriLab’s products, please visit: www.lubrilabbc.com.

Cruise ships have also been quick to recognize the benefits of environmentally acceptable lubricants that meet other needs as well.

Lubri-Lab's commitment to environmentally acceptable products extends to their grease products.

Photo: Dave Roels

exceptional lubricating properties. And, of course, like many of the Lubri-Lab products, the coating is environmentally acceptable and will not leave a sheen on either salt or fresh water if it comes into contact.

Lubri-Lab’s range of products all demonstrate a commitment to the environment, including grease products — TOP5 (impact grease), S350 (all-purpose grease), and ALIMEX-1 (H1 food approved grease). These greases withstand load bearing pressures of three to four times the industry standard; have temperature ratings of -40 to +600 Degrees (F) and zero-to-less-than-oneper-cent water washout, while leaving no sheen on the water surface.

The bottom line is that you can have a product that will protect your equipment and meet environmental standards — whether in the U.S., Canada or internationally where Lubri-Lab products are distributed and readily available.

Lubri-Lab BC will be attending both the CFOA Trade Show in Ottawa and the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle with representatives ready to discuss your needs, our experience and solutions that ensure best practices when it comes to applying environmentally acceptable lubricants.

Your donation will help us “Save Lives at Sea” Email: info@canadianlifeboatinstitution.org

www. canadianlifeboatinstitution.org Registered Charity #88999 8977 RR0001

October 2016 BC Shipping News 53

ADVERTISERS 3GA Marine..................................... 26 ABS................................................. 25 Adonis............................................... 7 BC Maritime Employers’ Ass’n............ 5 Bernard LLP..................................... 39 BNAC Environmental Solutions....... 26 Bracewell Marine Group.................. 33 Canadian Lifeboat Institution.......... 53 Capilano Maritime Design Ltd........... 9 Cargo Logistics Canada.................... BC Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia.............................. 32 Corix Water Products....................... 18 Dave Roels Photography................. 33 DNV GL............................................ 47 Donaldson Ropes............................ 43 Envirosystems................................... 6 Furuno............................................ 13 International Sailors’ Society Canada................................ 50 Jastram Engineering Ltd./ Jastram Technologies Ltd................ 15 John Horton, Marine Artist.............. 21

Jones Marine Group Ltd..................... 5 King Bros. Limited............................. 6 Kongsberg Maritime Simulation..... 35 Lloyd’s Register............................... 19 Lonnie Wishart Photography........... 54 Lubri-Lab Inc................................... 23 Marine and Offshore Canada........... 30 Mercy Ships..................................... 40 Mission to Seafarers........................ 50 Nanaimo Port Authority.................. 42 Osborne Propellers.......................... 36 Prime Mover Controls Inc................ 23 Redden Net & Rope........................ IBC Robert Allan Ltd.............................. 37 Samson Tug Boats........................... 48 Seaspan Shipyards.......................... 17 Sika................................................. 11 Survitec Group................................ 16 Tactical Marine Solutions Ltd.......... 40 Troy Life & Fire Safety Ltd................ 51 Vancouver Int'l Maritime Centre......IFC Vancouver Maritime Museum......... 53 W&O Supply.................................... 27

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