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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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The Pulse
The MISSION of The Merchant Navy Association is to bring all serving and retired Seafarers together in a spirit of
companionship, consideration and commitment towards a united lobby for the Community of the Sea Hi Shipmates,
Please find below more snippets of information since circular #16 was published 4th September 2020. My thanks to MNA National Secretary, Pete Sinke’s daily publication “Maasmond Maritime - Shipping News
Clippings”, Lloyds List, gCaptain, Maritime London, Flashlight and many others from the T’internet, not
forgetting the items sent in by Readers and any other source I can access.
MNA National Contact Points
National Secretary, David Parsons = Email: [email protected] Tel: 01935 414 765
Welfare & Events, Tim Brant, - Tel: 01733 205001, Email : [email protected]
National Membership Secretary, Roy Glencross - Mobile: 07738 425 875
Email: [email protected]
National Vice Chairman, Malcolm Mathison - Mobile: 07831 622 312
Email: [email protected]
MNA Slop Chest, The Supply Officer:- Sandra Broom [email protected] Tel 0121 244 0190
If you call her, it may go to an answerphone. Please leave a message and she will call you.
Change of Address???? If any member has changed any of their contact details (Postal, E-
mail or Telephone) it is important that you inform the following people by email:- [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
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Last week Van Oord’s heavy lift vessel Svanen successfully installed the final foundation for the Danish
Kriegers Flak Offshore Wind farm in the Baltic Sea. A total of 72 monopiles were transported floating
from Rostock, Germany, directly to the offshore site ___________________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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We are pleased to say we are now able to offer our supporters the
facility to make donations via our
Just Giving page.
This is a secure means of making payments and enables us to
claim Gift Aid from the Treasury.
Go to www.justgiving.com Click on ‘Search' at the top right-
hand side and type in Merchant Navy Association.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
HARRISON LINE = September 2020
CANCELLATION OF OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LUNCH 2020
Please note the Date for next year
3rd December 2021. It is with great regret that, after consultation with the Britannia Adelphi, we have taken the decision not to
hold the Christmas Luncheon this year.
With the social distancing and mass gathering restrictions presently in force, we would be unable to
comply.
We also feel that many of you may not wish to take the risks incurred by travelling on public transport, be
it train, local buses or coach.
We will be back in 2021. The 3rd December, 2021 has been booked with the Adelphi.
Please pass on this information to friends and colleagues – we are not going away; we WILLmso-bidi-
font-weight:bold"> be back next year.
For our event to survive in its present format (as it will) we need to maintain the numbers of those
attending to at least 90 plus.
As we are entirely self-funding, we have to cover our postage and stationery costs as well as other
disbursements, which, whilst not extensive, have to be added to the basic costs incurred and, hence, the
cost to the individual.
Stay safe, Stay well
Jim Donald Michael
Any queries to: [email protected]
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Seafarers are facing a humanitarian crisis like we have
never seen before. _____________________________________________________________________________________
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‘I’m the only one?’: Shipwreck survivor asked about his mates The only crew member known to have survived after a live export ship capsized off the coast of Japan
asked his rescuers: “I’m the only one?” as he was pulled from the sea.
A search for survivors from the Gulf Livestock 1, feared to have sunk off Japan’s south-west coast, has
been ongoing since Wednesday (2nd Sept).
Filipino crew member Eduardo Sareno was rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard on Thursday night.
Video of the rescue shows Mr Sareno, wearing a singlet and shorts, being helped aboard a coastguard
vessel in wild weather conditions.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/asia-news/2020/09/04/capsize-cattle-ship-china-sea/
“Thank you, thank you. Did you get some crew there also? In the Gulf? I am not … I’m the only one?” he
asks.
“No other one? I am so.… I don’t know what’s happening to some of my crew.”
Mr Sareno told coastguards the ship’s engine cut out.
He said the vessel was then hit by a huge wave, causing it to capsize.
Another man who was found floating unconscious in the sea nearby has since died.
Forty-one people, including two Australians, are still missing.
The Panamanian-registered, 11,947-tonne Gulf Livestock 1 was carrying 5867 cattle from New Zealand
to China when it sent a distress call early on Wednesday.
On Friday morning rescuers saw dozens of dead cattle floating in the sea, and a lifejacket with the name
“Gulf Livestock” on it.
Family and friends of 25-year-old Australian vet Lukas Orda are desperately hoping he will be found
safe.
The Gulf Livestock 1 has a chequered history.
In July this year the Philippine Navy said it had to provide assistance to the ship after it experienced
engine trouble in the country’s southern waters.
In May 2019, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority identified serious deficiencies in the ship’s
navigation system, stopping it from leaving Broome.
AMSA found that the on-board safety management system failed to provide for “operational safety of
navigation and maintenance of ship and equipment”.
It found some crew were not properly trained on how to use the ECDIS electronic navigation system, that
the system was not updated with the latest navigational hazards, and consequently was not being used.
The deficiencies were rectified and the ship was able to leave port after a further safety audit.
It later safely completed its journey to Indonesia.
Monday 8th September
Gulf Livestock 1: Japan finds second survivor from capsized ship
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IMO urged to intervene as Maersk Etienne impasse deepens International agencies are calling for a resolution
of the month-long crisis involving a Maersk Tankers
vessel that rescued 27 migrant but has since been
refused permission to dock
Janet
Porter@JanetPorter_LL [email protected]
The International Chamber of Shipping adds its
voice to claims that governments have been refusing
permission for the ship’s master to disembark the 27
migrants and refugees ‘in contravention of
international law. Source:- Lloyds List
Shipping and the law on rescuing migrants The moral obligation to save life at sea is simple and straightforward; inevitably, the legal position is not
THE obligation to save life wherever possible has been set down in the moral codes of the world’s major
religions for millennia.
In maritime practice it has been around for centuries, and in the law of the sea for decades.
The issue is back in the spotlight as a result of the political impasse over the vessel Maersk Etienne. On
August 4 it responded to a request from Malta’s search and rescue co-ordination centre to assist a migrant
boat carrying 27 people.
Since then, the vessel has been at anchor off Marsaxlokk, with Malta refusing to take them on shore.
Prime minister Robert Abela has said responsibility for them rests with Denmark as flag state.
Maersk is declining to discuss the cost, but has confirmed that the ship has been off hire for more than
four weeks. The expense of additional provisions is also likely to be substantial.
This is the latest episode in a problem that has grown with the increase in migration across the
Mediterranean, sparked by conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East.
What is the legal position? Is a vessel obliged to assist a migrant boat in difficulties in the first place?
According to legal experts, the short answer is yes.
Denmark in talks with Tunisia to accept Maersk Etienne migrants
By Janet Porter07 Sep 2020
Malta insists it is not responsible for the 27 refugees picked up by Maersk Tankers’ Danish-registered
product carrier in the southern Mediterranean in early August. Denmark has been working to find another
country for disembarkation Read the full article here
Under article 98 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a master has a duty to “render
assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost in so far as he can do so without serious
danger to the ship, the crew or the passengers”.
The master must respond to “information from any source that persons are in distress at sea” and is
“bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance” (The International Convention for the Safety of Life
at Sea, chapter V regulation 33).
He may only refuse to do so in “special circumstances”, which would probably have to go beyond purely
commercial reasons.
Neither Unclos nor Solas, the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, specify any sanction for failure to act,
according to Marcus Dodds, a master mariner and partner in Watson Farley & Williams.
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“The text of these (and other relevant) conventions do not prescribe penalties, they only propose the
duties,” he said. “It is up to each state party that has transposed such duties into their national law to
address what penalties should be imposed and upon whom if those duties are breached.”
That leaves the decision about prosecution down to flag states and/or coastal states, according to Clyde &
Co partner Stephen Mackin.
“A failure to provide assistance, without reasonable justification — for example, in the event it would put
the vessel providing assistance in peril or there were better suited vessels to provide assistance at the site
— is punishable by criminal sanction,” he said.
“Sanction is enforced either by the vessel’s flag state, where the incident is in international waters, or it
may be subject to local law were the vessel is in territorial waters.”
While all flag states may be equal from a legal standpoint, some are clearly more equal than others, as
George Orwell might have put it. In the real world, the prospect of meaningful enforcement by
jurisdictions in which the state effectively does not function on land is probably slim.
No binding obligation
Once the migrants are on board, there seems to be no binding obligation on any country to accept them on
shore. So while Mr Abela appears to be wrong to suggest that the Maersk Etienne crisis is Denmark’s
problem, from a strict legal standpoint, he is probably correct to insist it is not Malta’s.
Unclos article 98 simply provides: “Every coastal state shall promote the establishment, operation and
maintenance of an adequate and effective search and rescue service regarding safety on and over the sea
and, where circumstances so require, by way of mutual regional arrangements co-operate with
neighbouring states for this purpose.”
The Search And Rescue Convention chapter 3.1.9 imposes an obligation on the party responsible for the
search and rescue region where the incident occurs to have the primary obligation for assisting in the
prompt disembarkation of any persons rescued, said Mr Mackin.
“So, where the rescue takes place in coastal waters, the obligation to arrange disembarkation would be
clear and would fall on the coastal state,” he said. “However, a rescue outside coastal waters can result in
a stalemate, the vessel having effected a rescue continuing on her voyage to her intended destination and
the authorities in that location refusing to accept the rescued persons.”
A lawyer at a third law firm said: “The closest coastal state should permit the ship to dock and deliver the
refugees, but the reality is that many have not done so.”
Citing the legal term used to describe the documentary evidence of the negotiation, discussions, and
drafting of a final treaty text, he added: “In the travaux préparatoires to one of the conventions, language
making it an express obligation was rejected by the states.”
In 1981, a resolution of the executive committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
argued that the duty to accept asylum seekers should fall on the country of the next port of call. But this
does not have binding force.
“This is not to my knowledge anywhere in statute or convention,” the lawyer added. “There is no
definitive answer, unfortunately.”
The European Commission does not have the legal jurisdiction to enter the conflict about which country
should accept the 27 migrants that are stuck on board Maersk Etienne. Denmark may have to accept the
migrants, Danish political parties say, although the minister responsible rejects the notion.
The International Maritime Organization said in an email that it was monitoring the situation.
Source:- Lloyds List
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SMIT Completes Northernmost Wreck Removal Project Ever Smit Salvage has completed
the removal of the wrecked
fishing vessel Northguider,
which ran aground in
Svalbard in the high Arctic
in late 2018. At a frigid
latitude of nearly 80 degrees,
it is likely the northernmost
wreck removal project ever
completed, according to
Norwegian authorities. On
December 28, 2018, the
trawler NORTHGUIDER
grounded in the
Hinlopenstretet, the strait
between Spitsbergen and Nordauslandet in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Her crew put out a distress
call and reported that the vessel had taken on water in the engine room, and all crewmembers were safely
evacuated by helicopter the same day. The vessel could not immediately be refloated, but salvors returned
to remove all her diesel fuel, lube oil and hydraulic fluid
in a successful operation in January. The fuel lightering
operation was essential for environmental protection in
sensitive Arctic waters, according to scientists at the
Norwegian research institute SINTEF, but officials also
wanted to return and remove the wreck in order to
restore the site. Exceptionally challenging weather and
ice conditions limited the annual window for operations.
Last summer, the salvage team attempted to repair and
refloat the hull, but ice floes forced the effort to end
early, and Northguider stayed in place over winter. This
summer, the team returned and cut the trawler into
pieces, lifting the scrap off with a crane barge for removal and disposal. A dive team removed additional
material from the seabed. Demolition, August 2020 (image courtesy Norwegian Coastal Administration)
"This operation has been unique. No wreck handling has ever been done so far north [or] so far away
from opportunities for logistics support and other functions," said Rune Bergstrøm of the Norwegian
Coastal Administration's Emergency Preparedness Department. The administration has inspected the
wreck site, and it said in a statement that it is satisfied with the extent of the removal work. The
preparations for taking the scrap back to the Norwegian mainland are now under way. Source : MAREX
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Britain ‘absolutely confident’ will keep supply chains moving after Brexit:
transport minister Britain is “absolutely confident” it will keep supply chains moving regardless of the outcome of
negotiations with the European Union on a future trade agreement post Brexit, transport minister Grant
Shapps said on Friday. Shapps was responding to a warning from Britain’s customs and logistics
associations that the country’s Brexit border preparations were inadequate and risk causing disruption to
supply chains next year.
He said Britain’s supply chains had been under record pressure during the coronavirus pandemic but had
responded well. “We’ve kept the supply chains going and I’m absolutely confident we’ll do that again in
the future going forward,” he told BBC radio.Source: Reuters (Reporting by James Davey; Editing by
Alistair Smout)
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Restoration and refloat mission, August 2019
(Norwegian Coastal Administration)
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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Thursday 3 September 2020 was Merchant Navy Day. The annual Merchant Navy Day service at the Merchant Navy Memorials, Tower Hill, (administered by
charity MNA) and the Annual National Service for Seafarers, administered by charity Seafarers UK, at St
Paul’s Cathedral in mid-October, are cancelled. Early Lockdown panic buying caused shortages.
Supermarkets and suppliers did their best to steady the ship and soon most of us could again buy essential
goods. One reason that was possible was the same reason it’s been possible for our having uninterrupted
supplies of most things for most of our lives – merchant ships bring goods to our ports 24/7/365. Some
95% of UK trade by volume (75% by value) comes and goes by ship. Merchant seafarers are often
unsung heroes in our nation’s story, their ships bringing energy supplies and goods to our islands
whatever the weather or circumstances. Over 30,000 merchant seamen lost their lives in the Second
World War (a death rate higher proportionately than in any of our armed forces), merchant ships carrying
the food, fuel, armaments and troops essential to victory around the globe. The seven seas are an
unforgiving environment and, while sailors sometimes enjoy calm seas and a prosperous voyage, heavy
seas, storms, hurricanes and danger are ever present – over one hundred merchant seafarers died last year.
Early this year cruise ships were at the centre of another storm – Covid-19. Over fifty thousand other
ships – bulk carriers, general cargo, specialist and container ships, tankers, ferries and trawlers – have,
however, continued to ply the seas, wearing our Red Ensign or Blue Ensign or flags of other seafaring
nations. Twenty million containers are crossing the globe right now. Of the world’s 1.6 million merchant
seafarers some 300,000 are stuck at sea, unable to leave their ships, world travel restrictions having
denied routine crew changes. For many seafarers life is hell right now, without them your life might be
hell too. Let’s salute Merchant Seafarers – our essential workers at sea. Yours faithfully, Lieutenant
Commander Lester May Royal Navy + supported by 30 prominent Maritime names. Letter to The Times
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Fire on tanker off Sri Lanka under control, ship towed away By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
The fire on a large oil
tanker off Sri Lanka's
coast has been brought
under control but is
still not extinguished,
the navy said
Saturday. Four tug
boats, three Sri
Lankan navy ships and
four Indian ships have
been battling the fire on the MT NEW DIAMOND since Thursday. Two more Indian ships joined the
effort Saturday evening. The tanker, carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil, was drifting about 20
nautical miles (37 kilometers) from Sri Lanka's eastern coast. On Friday evening, a tug boat towed it
farther out to sea, about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) off the coast, said navy spokesman Capt. Indika
de Silva. Fire extinguishing efforts went ahead all day Saturday. "There is a risk of occasional fires due to
deep sea winds and such unexpected fires are being controlled by tugs and Indian Coast Guard ships
deployed on the location," the navy said in a statement. The fire killed one crew member and injured
another. Both are Filipino. The injured third engineer was hospitalized in stable condition. The fire began
in an engine room boiler but had not spread to the tanker's oil storage area and no leak has been reported,
the navy said. Sri Lankan officials have warned of possible massive environmental damage to Sri Lanka
if the ship leaks or explodes. The head of Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority, Darshani
Lahandapur, said Sri Lanka does not have the resources or capacity to combat such a massive disaster and
had appealed for help from regional countries. She said her organisation plans to take legal action over
the fire. The tanker had 23 crew members — 18 Filipinos and five Greeks. Twenty-one crew left the
tanker uninjured as the fire burned. The tanker was transporting crude oil from the port of Mina Al
Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip, where the state-owned Indian Oil Corp. has a refinery.
Source: startribune
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Winter Sea Ice in Bering Sea Reached Lowest Levels in Millennia, Study
Shows By Matthew Green
The Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaks ice around the Russian-flagged tanker Renda in the Bering Sea 250
miles south of Nome Jan. 6, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard Photo The Bering Sea ice cover during the winters
of 2018 and 2019 hit new lows not seen in thousands of years, scientists reported on Wednesday, adding
to concerns about the accelerating impact of climate change in the Arctic. Satellite data provides a clear
picture of how sea ice has changed over the last four decades in the region between the Arctic and
northern Pacific oceans. Beyond that, the only ice records available were those recorded in ship logs and
other observations. So scientists turned to peat land, which holds organic compounds from plants dating
back millennia, on the remote St. Matthew island off Alaska. By examining different forms of oxygen
molecules trapped in the sediment, the scientists were able to estimate atmospheric and ocean conditions
that would have affected rainfall and sea ice over some 5,500 years, according to the study published in
the journal Science Advances. “The island in itself has acted as its own weather station,” said study
coauthor Matthew Wooller, director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks. The sediment layers in the peat cores serve as a “book going back in time.” With the Arctic
warming rapidly in recent decades, the extent of sea ice over the northern polar region has steadily waned.
This year saw the summertime Arctic sea ice hit its lowest level for July in 40 years of record keeping.
Sea ice builds up again each year during the winter. But the new study suggests that, in the Bering Sea,
cold-season ice maximums may also be in decline. The loss of sea ice is already impacting Arctic
wildlife, including walruses, polar bears and seals, with consequences for indigenous communities that
rely on hunting for their livelihoods. Shrinking sea ice also exacerbates warming in the region, as ice is
replaced by patches of dark water that absorb solar radiation rather than reflecting it back out of the
atmsophere.“Obviously, if we lose the sea ice you are completely changing the temperatures of the
Arctic,” said Julienne Stroeve, a climatologist with National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University
of Boulder Colorado not involved in the study. “If you lose it all, you’re going to warm up the region
even faster.” Air temperature wasn’t the only factor found to be affecting sea ice, though. Shifts in ocean
and atmospheric circulation linked to climate change have an even bigger impact, said lead author Miriam
Jones, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. “There’s a lot more going on than simply warming
temperatures,” Jones said. “We’re seeing a shift in circulation patterns both in the ocean and the
atmosphere.” The study noted that changes in sea ice appeared to lag at least several decades behind
changes in atmospheric greenhouse gases. That implies that the recent lows in winter sea ice were a
response to greenhouse gas levels decades ago. The researchers checked their findings against four
decades of satellite data on the sea ice. Stroeve suggested that the study could have been strengthened
with more comparisons against observational data gathered by ships and whaling expeditions dating back
to the mid-nineteenth century. Source : Reuters (Reporting by Matthew Green; Editing by Katy Daigle,
William Maclean)
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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Quick reactions by an RNLI Lifeboat crew earn praise from Paramedics The Sheerness inshore lifeboat crew
acted swiftly to extract a 65 year old
man with reported chest pains from
a vessel on the River Medway in the
evening of Thursday September 3
2020 The volunteer crew of the
Sheerness RNLI inshore lifeboat
OLE SCHRODER were tasked by
the UK Coastguard at 8:50pm on
Thursday 3 September to respond to
reports of a 65 year old male with
chest pains who was onboard a
vessel on the River Medway
opposite Command House,
Chatham. Launching at 9:02pm with
a crew of three the lifeboat made
best speed and located the casualty
at 9:37pm. Once on scene it was immediately apparent to the casualty care trained lifeboat crew that the
man was in need of urgent medical attention. With this in mind he was swiftly and carefully extracted
from his vessel by the crew and taken onboard the lifeboat and transported to Sun Pier, Chatham, where
he was passed into the care of a waiting Kent Ambulance Paramedic crew. The ILB was released from the
incident at 9:58pm,arrived back on station at 10:37pm, refuelled, washed down, and ready for service
again at 11:00pm. Weather - Overcast, rain, Wind WSW 17-19 Knots, Sea State-smooth/slight. Visibility
Good. A message was later received from the Ambulance Crew involved thanking the Lifeboat Crew for
their prompt action and that their assessment of BIG SICK was absolutely correct. The patient was
suffering from ventricular tachycardia and his pulse rate was 240 bpm!! when checked. Well done to the
Sheerness RNLI Lifeboat Crew.
All-weather lifeboat William F Yates leaves Llandudno for essential
maintenance Thursday morning saw WILLIAM F YATES heading
to Holyhead for essential work to be undertaken.
Station Mechanic, Luke Heritage, explained 'The
WILLIAM F YATES has gone away to Holyhead to
have a new reenforced coating put onto the hull to
preserve and protect the boat during beach recovery'.
She is due to return in approximately two weeks’ time
to resume her valuable lifesaving duties. Photo :
Dennis Oliver © Later in the day, an RNLI relief
Shannon lifeboat 13-07 REG, arrived from Fleetwood
to safeguard this section of the North Wales coast with
our other flanking stations. The relief lifeboat is an
essential part of the RNLI fleet and has seen service at
numerous locations around the UK coast. A recent
RNLI statement highlighted how lifeboat crews across
Wales have maintained a 24/7 lifesaving service throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, especially this
summer, at a time when our epic Welsh coastline has been busier than ever. Whilst we do not know what
the coming months will bring, we know that with your support, we can weather this storm together. With
all of our fundraising events cancelled for the year, it would mean a lot to us if you could donate what you
can to help ensure that we have the funds to keep saving lives at sea in Wales
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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350 workers wanted for revived Appledore Shipyard New owners Infrastrata Group is holding two career open days on September 10 and 11 By ; Hannah Finch
The new owners of Devon's historic Appledore shipyard are holding a two day careers open day and say
up to 350 employees will be needed. In a huge boost to the local economy following the £7million deal to
buy the shipyard which closed in March 2019 by Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff, Infrastrata. The
InfraStrata group says there will potentially be 350 people working at Appledore Shipyard, which has
employed thousands of people over the past three centuries. Now, Unite has renewed its call for the
government to get behind the yard. It says it should review its procurement policies to ensure that British
ships are built at UK yards, including the Fleet Solid Support Ships due to go out to tender soon. Unite
regional officer Heathcliffe Pettifer said it has had preliminary discussions with the senior management,
and hope to have more constructive and meaningful talks with the new owners as soon as possible. “We
want to explore the business plan, what the order book looks like, the workforce that will be required and
the skill sets that employees will need. “Unite has consistently argued that Appledore is viable and its
closure in 2019 was due to a lack of political will and a failure of economic planning. “Such government
inertia can’t be allowed in the future and defence secretary Ben Wallace needs to review current
procurement policies to ensure that British ships are built at UK yards. Such policies must include the
Fleet Solid Support Ships which are due to go out to tender shortly. “Appledore will be a litmus test for
Boris Johnson and his ‘build, build’ rhetoric, and also for the Tories’ so-called ‘levelling up’ agenda
which is desperately needed in the West Country. “Behind the picture postcard cottages and images of
endless cream teas, there are very real pockets of economic deprivation across the region that the
resurrection of Appledore as an economically viable shipbuilding entity will start to address. “The career
days and expression of interest from potential employees will be the start of that journey to explore the
future opportunities on offer.” Held over two days – Thursday September 10 and Friday September 11 –
the Careers Open Day is for prospective employees who will be able to register to attend by visiting the
website. InfraStrata’s CEO John Wood said: “Harland and Wolff (Appledore) has a key role to play as
part of an exciting new era for UK shipyards and shipbuilding, supporting UK industry and revitalising
economic growth here in the South West. “A skilled local workforce is crucial to our success and as part
of the acquisition. Over the coming weeks we will be welcoming some old faces back into the yard and
introducing new employees, ensuring that we have a truly balanced, experienced and well-rounded
workforce." Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the shipyard at the end of August shortly after news of
the reopening was announced. Speaking during his visit the PM said the shipyard had “massive history
but it’s also got a great future”. “What we want to do is to ensure that there’s a good enough stream of
contracts coming through to drive jobs and growth here in Devon,” the Prime Minister said. Source:
business-live
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Trump Boat Parade Turns Choppy https://gcaptain.com/trump-boat-parade-turns-
choppy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapta
in.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-95e9227ded-139894965&mc_cid=95e9227ded&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Liverpool - Links to photographs and video from yesterday's MN Service https://www.flickr.com/photos/napoleon666uk/albums/72157715866117603
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Maritime charity says legal duty to assist craft in peril is being ignored By David Osler
Human Rights at Sea claims that some vessels knowingly refuse to join search and rescue efforts because
of commercial disincentives.
‘We have evidence of failures by commercial vessels to stop and rescue at sea, despite maritime law
norms. It is not once or twice. There have been multiple occasions,’ says chief executive of NGO
Source:- Lloyds List
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The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
(MCA) will be looking to build on the recent
successful 22-day data collection mission of a
remotely operated vessel. The journey, during which the SEA-KIT unmanned vessel
Maxlimer surveyed previously uncharted territory, is a sign
of great progress in the field of autonomous shipping.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, through the MARLab project and as part of the wider work of the
Maritime Future Technologies team, is working on a long-term plan looking at how autonomous ships
can be best regulated.
Dr Katrina Kemp, Smart Ships & Automation Policy Officer for the MCA said: “This was a really
exciting journey, and a great opportunity for us to support a company at the forefront of new
developments and pushing boundaries for remotely operated vessels.
“We believe that autonomous shipping will play a important role in the future of maritime in terms of
reducing carbon emissions by using less fuel and allowing vessels to go to places or situations where
people may be put at risk.”
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has supported SEA-KIT in this project by ensuring the necessary
certification was obtained. This has included providing a waiver, which allowed the journey to take place
without crew onboard and issuing a Load Line Exemption to ensure safety requirements were met.
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Guest Book - Request to contact Shipmates Date: Wednesday 2nd of September 2020, 20:34:49
Name: Timothy O Leary
Email: [email protected]
I would like to contact ex shipmates who were on the m. V. Amalric in 1975
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Maersk Etienne crisis escalates as three migrants jump ship Grant RowlesSeptember 7, 2020
The month-long refugee crisis on the Maersk Etienne has
dangerously escalated over the weekend after Maersk
Tankers revealed that three migrants had jumped
overboard.
The vessel’s crew managed to recover the three people,
who are now being given “due care” on the ship.
“We continue to plead for urgent humanitarian assistance
for the 27 migrants stranded aboard Etienne,” Maersk
Tankers said on social media.
The crew of Danish-flagged Maersk Etienne rescued the 27
migrants, stranded in Tunisian waters, on August 4 at the request of Matese officials. The rescued – who
include a pregnant woman and at least one minor – have been forced to remain onboard the Danish-
flagged tanker as authorities have yet come up with a solution for the refugees.
Robert Maersk Uggla, the CEO of A.P. Moller Holding, took to social media last week in a bid to end the
stalemate.
“While many of us acknowledge the challenging political considerations, we are desperately awaiting
Malta and Denmark to find a solution for the refugees, with EU or other relevant parties, so the ship and
its crew are released.” Uggla wrote.
Malta for its part has responded saying the issue onboard is now one for Danish authorities to resolve.
Maersk Tankers
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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During World War II the Seafarers Welfare Board operated a club in New York and this was one of the
assets transferred to the MNWB in 1948. I believe it was closed shortly thereafter.
The photo was kindly sent to us by David Amos whose father served with the Merchant Navy during the
1940's and the early 50's primarily with Ben Line. His name was John Amos from Haymarket in
Edinburgh.
The photograph of the first dance at the New Club of the British Merchant Navy Officers at 9 East 46 St
NYC dated 19th May 1944. His father is circled.
David tried to find the Merchant Navy Club in New York with no success and I was never able to
discover where it was so this is really interesting. I must have passed close to it on a recent holiday but it
is now the site of a multi storey glass sided building. Would that the MNWB had kept the freehold if it
ever owned it!
As Ben Line operated from UK & Continent to the Far East, their ships wouldn’t have visited there in
peacetime, but would have been awaiting convoys at that time. The numbers present, in just one dance,
in one port, demonstrates the size of the convoy operations from the US East Coast.
He has very kindly sent the picture in its original black and white form and one he has colourised which
looks amazing. I am most grateful to David.
Kindest regards
David
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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New Diamond Towed Further Out to Sea https://gcaptain.com/new-diamond-towed-further-out-to-
sea/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.c
om%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-37f2554570-139894965&mc_cid=37f2554570&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MFB 60 is freely available online here. _____________________________________________________________________________________
Watch an IMO ‘Expert’ Give Mauritius The Worst Advice Ever (26min Video) https://gcaptain.com/watch-an-imo-expert-give-mauritius-the-worst-advice-ever/
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Covid … Seafarers are KEY WORKERS … Every Day … not only in pandemics Everyone in shipping knows that at this moment the Number
One issue is to get our Key Workers home from their ships
after their tour of duty is over and to get their relievers safely
on board the ships. Restrictions on domestic transport means
that seafarers cannot travel to Manila from their home-town,
so there is now a shortage of seafarers in Manila; rising
numbers of Corona infections in many countries close travel
corridors, government officials having to work from home
slowing down registration processes. We are working flat-out
to arrange crew reliefs and Zeaborn Ship Management
Manila has professionally managed to make the impossible
possible. A full crew joining MV ARGUELLO in two batches on two consecutive days. Safe voyages, a
fresh and rested crew is on board.”
I received an email from one MNA member who was stuck ashore in Taiwan for 29 days and still
waiting for the opportunity to join his ship … the guy he was relieving wasn’t happy either.
Seafarers are not widely regarded as key workers
despite their role in keeping the economy moving. _____________________________________________________________________________________
Ship with no crew to sail across the Atlantic A full-size, fully-autonomous research ship is to make one of the
world's first autonomous transatlantic voyages.
Promare, a non-profit marine research organisation, has worked
with IBM, the University of Plymouth and other scientific
organisations to build the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS).
Launching from Plymouth in the UK on 16 September 2020, the ship will travel to Plymouth,
Massachusetts, after spending six months gathering data about the state of the ocean.
With no crew on board, Andy Stanford-Clark, chief technology officer for IBM in the UK, explains how
an AI 'captain' will plot the ship's course.
Watch the Video by Jennifer Green, interview by Ania Lichtarowicz
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-54154157
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A Short List of Major Oil Spills from Ships …
September 9, 2020 by Reuters
SINGAPORE, Sept 9 (Reuters) – The Sri Lankan navy said on
Tuesday an oil slick had been spotted a kilometre from a loaded
supertanker carrying roughly 2 million barrels of oil that has been
engulfed in intermittent fires since an explosion on Sept. 3.
Oil from the engine room of the 20-year old ‘New Diamond’ tanker
“appears to have leaked out to the sea” following regular bouts of
water-dousing by fire-fighting vessels, the navy spokesman said.
Read: New Diamond Towed Further Out to Sea The oil slick has
raised concerns about the potential of further leakage from the cargo
holds, which if emptied completely into the sea would rank as one of
the worst spills on record.
Here are some major oil spills involving ships, especially tankers.
1978 – The Amoco Cadiz oil tanker ran aground off the coast of
Brittany, France, after its steering failed in a severe storm, resulting in
the spilling of 1.8 million barrels of oil.
1979 – The Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain, two fully
loaded oil tankers, collided 10 miles (16.1 kms)off the coast of Tobago in a tropical rainstorm, spilling
more than 2.1 million barrels of oil into the Caribbean.
1983 – The Castillo de Bellver exploded and sank off the coast of Cape Town carrying roughly 250,000
tonnes of crude oil.
1988 – The fully loaded tanker Odyssey operated by Polembros Shipping exploded and sank in the North
Atlantic 700 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, spilling 1 million barrels of oil.
1989 – The Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, hit Prince William Sound in
Alaska, dumping more than 250,000 barrels of crude oil into the sea killing animals and plants throughout
Prince William Sound.
The accident, considered one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters, led to new rules
requiring double-hulled ships in the region.
1991 – The oil tanker ABT Summer exploded about 900 miles off the coast of Angola, spilling its entire
cargo of 1.9 million barrels at sea.
1996 – The Sea Empress went down on the rocks off Milford Haven on Britain’s west coast in 1996, in
one of the country’s worst environmental disasters that saw over 70,000 tonnes of oil spilled.
1999 – The tanker Erika sank during a storm in December, leaking thousands of tonnes of oil into the
Bay of Biscay off the coast of France and causing a major environmental disaster.
2011/2012 – In New Zealand’s worst environmental disaster in decades, hundreds of tonnes of oil leaked
into the coastal waters and on to beaches off Tauranga on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island
from the stricken 47,230-tonne Liberian-flagged container ship Rena.
2018 – The suezmax Sanchi tanker carrying 136,000 tonnes of Iranian condensate collided with a cargo
ship off Shanghai, caught fire and burned for a week. All 32 crew onboard were killed. Japan’s Coast
Guard said at the time that oil which washed up on the shores of its southern islands was highly likely to
have come from Sanchi.
2020 – The Wakashio, a Japanese bulk carrier, struck a coral reef off Mauritius’ coast in the Indian
Ocean in July, spilling thousands of tonnes of crude oil into the sea and choking marine life in a pristine
lagoon.
2020 – The New Diamond supertanker carrying about 2 million barrels of oil caught fire off the coast of
Sri Lanka in September with one of the 23 crew members presumed dead.
SOURCE: Reuters and industry databases.
(Compiled by Jonathan Saul, Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Rescue ships work to extinguish
the fire on the Panama-
registered Sanchi tanker
carrying Iranian oil, which went
ablaze after a collision with a
Chinese freight ship in the East
China Sea, in this January 10,
2018 picture provided by
China’s Ministry of Transport
and released by China Daily.
China Daily via REUTERS
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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USS Fitzgerald-ACX Crystal fatal collision Investigation Report from the
NTSB The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued the final report of the investigation of the
17 June 2017 collision involving the US Navy destroyer FITZGERALD and the container ship ACX
CRYSTAL off Japan’s Honshu Island.
Fitzgerald was southbound at a speed of about 22.1 knots and ACX Crystal was eastnortheast-bound at a
speed of about 18.5 knots. As the distance between the two ships continuously decreased, neither vessel
radioed the other. Seconds
before the collision, the
watch officers attempted to
maneuver the vessels to
avoid impact, but the actions
were too late, and the ships
collided.
Seven Navy sailors died in
the accident and three others
suffered serious injuries. The
destroyer sustained extensive
damage to its forward
starboard side.
The container ship sustained
damage to its bow; no
injuries were reported. The probable cause of the collision between the destroyer and the container ship
was the destroyers bridge teams failure to take early and substantial action to avoid collision as the give-
way vessel in a crossing situation. Contributing was ineffective communication and cooperation among
the destroyers members on the bridge and in the combat information center (CIC), and the destroyers
commanding officers (CO) insufficient planning for the hazards of the vessels intended transit.
Also contributing was the
Navys ineffective oversight
of the destroyer in the areas
of operations scheduling,
crew training, and fatigue
mitigation. Also
contributing to the accident
was the container ships
watch officers lack of early
detection of the Navy
vessel and insufficient
actions to avoid collision once in doubt as to the destroyers intentions. Marine Accident Report 20/02Â
contains 11 findings, seven identified safety issues, four safety recommendations and the probable cause
of the accident.
· Identified safety issues include:
· the insufficient training of the Fitzgeralds crew;
· Fitzgerald crew fatigue;
· the practice of US Navy vessels to not broadcast automatic identification system signals;
· failure of both ships crews to take actions in accordance with the Convention on the International
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea;
· insufficient oversight and directive by the U.S. Navy;
· the commanding officers inadequate assessment of the transit routes hazards;and
· the commanding officers decision to not augment bridge watchstanding personnel with a more
experienced officer. Source : Maritimecyprus
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The ACX CRYSTAL transiting the Singapore Strait Photo : Piet Sinke
www.maasmondmaritime.com (c)
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Arrival of "Flying P Liner" PEKING on the 8th of Sept 2020 in the Port of
Hamburg The four- mastbark/ "Flying P Liner" PEKING
arrived in Hamburg last Tuesday for the 1st
time after 88 years. The Flying P-Liners were
the sailing ships of the German shipping
company F. Laeisz of Hamburg. The company
was founded in 1824 by Ferdinand Laeisz as a
hat manufacturing company. He was quite
successful and distributed his hats even in
South America. In 1839, he had the three-
masted wooden brig CARL (named after his
son) built and entered the shipping business,
but lack of success made him sell the ship a
short five years later.
Ferdinand's son Carl Laeisz entered the business
in 1852. It was he who turned the F. Laeisz
company into a shipping business. In 1857, they
ordered a barque which they named PUDEL
(which was the nickname of Carl's wife Sophie),
and from the mid-1880s on, all their ships had
names starting with "P" and they became known
as "the P-line". The last ship without a "P-name"
was the wooden barque HENRIETTE BEHN
which was stranded on the Mexican coast in
1885. The Laeisz company specialized in the
South American nitrate trade. Their ships were built for speed, and they soon acquired an excellent
reputation for timeliness and reliability, which gave rise to
the nickname "the Flying P-Line". The fivemasted barque
POTOSI made the voyage from Chile to England around
Cape Horn in 1904 in just 57 days, a record at the time.
The Laeisz company had some of the largest sailing ships
ever built. They experimented with steel-hulled
fivemasters, first the barque POTOSI (1895) and in 1902
the huge fullrigged ship PREUSSEN with a length of 147
metres (482 ft 3 in), 5,081 gross register tons (GRT), and
over 7,800 tons deadweight (DWT). She could sail faster
than 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) and her best 24-hour
distance was 392 sm in 1908 on her voyage to Yokohama.
However, these ships turned out to be too big: their crews
did not like them, and it became increasingly difficult to
achieve a satisfactory utilization on the outbound leg from
Europe to Chile. The later ships, such as PEKING or PASSAT, returned to being smaller four-masted
barques. During World War I, many of Laeisz' ships were blocked in Chilean ports and had to be handed
over as war reparations. However, the Laeisz company was able to re-acquire many ships after the war
and put them into service again. Towards the end of the 1920s, the company began pulling out of the
nitrate trade and increasingly started transporting other goods, e.g. bananas. They also sold some of their
older ships, for instance PAMIR to Gustav Erikson in Finland who already had acquired the former
Norddeutscher Lloyd-ship HERZOGIN CECILIE. The last sailing ship ordered by the Laeisz company
was PADUA in 1926. Subsequently, the Laeisz company only ordered steamships.
See also https://www.hamburg-news.hamburg/en/standort/tall-ship-peking-returns-hamburg
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Photo : Hans Schaefer ©
Photo : Jan Ove Mühlpforte ©
Photo : Jan Ove Mühlpforte ©
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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BOATLIFT 9/11 If you haven’t seen this before – watch it now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg&feature=youtu.be
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Search for Gulf Livestock 1 Survivors Officially Suspended – Forty Crew,
5,800 Cows Lost - September 10, 2020 by Mike Schuler
The search for survivors from the missing Gulf Livestock 1
has been called with two of the vessel’s 43 crew members
rescued, according to a statement from the ship owner on
Thursday.
The body of a third crew member has also been recovered.
The Gulf Livestock 1 was lost September 2 during a voyage
from Napier, New Zealand to Tangshan, China. The vessel
is believed to have sunk off the coast of Japan.
A statement today from the ship owner, Dubai-based Gulf
Navigation Holding, said that while investigations into the
cause of the incident are on-going, the Gulf Livestock 1
encountered “unusual winds” gusting up to 160 km per here
due to impacts from Typhoon Maysak.
The vessel was carrying some 5,800 cattle destined for China when it sank, increasing public concern
regarding the live animal trade. New Zealand has temporarily suspended live cattle exports as a result of
the incident.
Forty crew members remain missing and are presumed dead. The survivors have been identified as the
ship’s 45-year-old Chief Officer and 30-year-old AB, both of whom are from the Philippines.
“We thank the Japanese Coast Guard for their tireless search and rescue work. All our condolences go out
to the family of the seafarer whose body was found by the Coast Guard and we are deeply saddened that
despite all the searches only two survivors have so far been found. We hope and pray that others will have
somehow survived this tragic incident. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathy go out to all family members
and friends who are waiting at home still hoping for good news, as we all are,” a spokesperson for Gulf
Navigation said.
“We cannot forget that livestock, all headed for the dairy farms of China, were lost in this terrible event
and can understand the feelings of those that view the loss of this many cattle with deep concern,” the
spokesperson added.
“Gulf Navigation Holding says that everyone in the Company is devastated by the enormity of this tragic
accident and thanks all those involved in the rescue events despite the worsening weather conditions
between Typhoons. The Company is committed to a full investigation into this incident and hopes that the
survivors will be able to provide further insight into the events of the early morning of September 2,” the
statement from the ship owner added.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Maersk Etienne ordeal will not compromise migrant rescues Maersk Tankers says its ships will always go to the rescue of those in peril at sea, despite the political
impotence that kept Maersk Etienne stranded for 38 days
https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133880/Maersk-Etienne-ordeal-will-not-
compromise-migrant-rescues
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Why We Need to Rethink Inland Waterways Interesting article about the future of European waterways and their commercial users, and relevance to
sustainable road transport (40 tonne lorries and their trailers), and also why smaller canals have become
obsolete for commercial use. https://gcaptain.com/europe-inland-waterways/
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MV Gulf Livestock 1. File Photo:
MarineTraffic.com/
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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Migrants Disembarked from Maersk Etienne in Mediterranean September 11, 2020 by Mike Schuler
Maersk Tankers has announced the safe disembarkation of 27
migrants from the Maersk Etienne tanker in the Mediterranean.
The disembarkation comes 38 days after the Captain and crew of
the Maersk Etienne heeded requests for assistance and came to
the rescue of the migrants distress at sea. Since then, the ship had
been denied entry by several countries, leaving the vessel and its
crew stranded off Malta with the migrants on board and limited
supplies.
The migrants have now been transferred to the ship Mare Jonio
operated by the non-governmental organization Mediterranea.
“We have been increasingly concerned for the rescued persons’
physical and mental health following their prolonged stay
onboard Maersk Etienne. The situation has worsened following
the recent incident where three of the persons jumped overboard, and we have seen continuous issues
with minor medical aliments and a recent threat to go onto hunger strike,” Maersk Tankers said in a
statement.
“We requested assistance and agreed with Mediterranea that they will conduct a health assessment using
the medical team onboard the Mare Jonio. The transfer to the ship occurred following their assessment
that the rescued persons’ condition called for immediate care in suitable medical facilities.”
Long-standing maritime tradition and international maritime law requires that the Master of a ship has an
obligation to render assistance to any person in distress at sea, so long as it does not endanger the ship, its
crew or passengers.
The Captain and crew of the Maersk Etienne rescued the 27 migrants, including one pregnant woman, in
Tunisian waters following a request by Maltese officials on August 4.
“The captain and the crew of the Maersk Etienne have honorably fulfilled their duty at sea, and we are
proud and greatly appreciative of their efforts. We thank them, Mediterranea, shipping and trade
associations and human rights groups who have supported us since the rescue operation took place,”
Maersk Tankers said.
The Maersk Etienne will now proceed to a suitable port where we will follow up with a debriefing of the
crew and ensure they too get the care they need, the company said.
Mediterranea said today it has requested Malta authorities to assign a Place of Safety to disembark those
who are in urgent need as soon as possible.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
September 9th was it 999day we wanted to take this moment to shout out to our 999family and the
incredible service they provide 24/7/365 Photo : Nigel Millard
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MT Maersk Etienne.
Photo courtesy Maersk Tankers
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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Singapore establishes Crew Facilitation Centre and safe crew change fund By : Anne Kalosh
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) enhanced measures to further secure safe port
operations and facilitate crew change. Among these, ships seeking to conduct activities such as repairs,
servicing, surveys and inspections which require shore personnel to board the ship must inform the port
master at least three days prior to arrival and undertake additional measures including disinfecting
working areas in the ship. MPA has also issued a notice to all harbour pilots on additional precautionary
measures when conducting pilotage duties on ships. Crew Facilitation Centre Singapore has been
facilitating crew change for all nationalities from ships of different flags during the COVID-19
pandemic.MPA is now using its existing floating accommodation to set up a Crew Facilitation Centre at
the Tanjong Pagar Terminal. This is a self-contained facility with an onsite medical centre, testing and
holding facilities. Dedicated to sign-on crew, the centre will house the crew for up to 48 hours prior to
them boarding their ships, if required, when their ship and flight schedule do not match. Crew signing off
will proceed to depart Singapore or stay at existing designated holding facilities Seacare Hotel or
accommodation vessel POSH Bawean for up to 48 hours, and be strictly segregated from the community.
Streamlined procedures In line with the risk managed approach taken by Singapore’s Multi-Ministry
Taskforce, crew members who have stayed at least 14 days from specific low-risk countries/regions to
sign on to ships in Singapore will either no longer be required to serve a stay-at-home isolation in the
originating country/region or only serve a shorter isolation of seven days prior to departure for Singapore.
Crew from other countries/regions will continue to serve an isolation period of 14 days prior to departure.
Shipowners, managers and agents are to ensure the pre-departure COVID-19 PCR tests are carried out at
government-approved or ISO 15189-accredited testing facilities. MPA said it will continue to work with
the industry to review crew change procedures to adapt to the fast-changing COVID-19 situation.
Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience Fund To accelerate the process and propagate best
practices for safe crew change, MPA, Singapore Shipping Association, Singapore Maritime Officers'
Union and Singapore Organisation of Seamen plan to establish a S$1m Singapore Shipping Tripartite
Alliance Resilience (SG-STAR) Fund to work with stakeholders in seafaring nations on concrete
solutions for safe crew changes, such as initiatives on best practices for crew holding facilities and PCR
testing centres. Supported by Kitack Lim, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization,
and Guy Ryder, director-general of the International Labour Organization, Singapore welcomes like-
minded international partners to join in this tripartite initiative and contribute to the fund so that actions
can be scaled up. More details of the SG-STAR Fund will be released in due course. Singapore Minister
for Transport Ong Ye Kung noted it has been a trying time for seafarers, who have been working
tirelessly to keep goods flowing around the world while encountering difficulties to call at ports and
undergo crew change, severely 'affecting their well-being. 'It is therefore very important for all
stakeholders to come together to ensure safe port operations and safe crew changes,' he said. 'This
dedicated facility for crew change and the Fund are the results of the collaboration between MPA,
industry associations and seafarer unions. As shipping is a global business, we hope that more ports and
stakeholders will join us in such initiatives, so that seafarers can continue their work and keep the supply
lines of the world open.' Source : Seatrade Maritime News
_____________________________________________________________________________________
IMO warns crewing crisis is putting safety of ships at risk https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133836/IMO-warns-crewing-crisis-is-putting-
safety-of-ships-at-risk
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What happens to microplastics in the ocean? Analysis, led from the University of Manchester, counted up to 1.9 million plastic pieces per square/mtr.
This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. The BBC News app is available
from the Apple App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-52496706
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There follows a 4 page statement strongly expressing and drawing to attention the situation
facing Seafarers & TELLING THE GOVERNMENTS AND TRAVEL COMPANIES TO
“PULL THEIR FINGERS OUT”
SEAFARERS ARE KEY WORKERS Shipping’s leaders say shadowy status is fuelling
crew crisis
By : Richard Clayton
MARITIME leaders have expressed their frustration with national governments, accusing politicians of
creating a humanitarian crisis due to a failure to meet their obligations on seafarer repatriation.
Speaking on an International Chamber of Shipping webinar, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, head of Maritime at
DNV GL, conveyed his disappointment at politicians and their “lack of accountability”.ICS secretary-
general Guy Platten compared the experience of trying to move politicians on the issue to “banging your
head against a wall”.
Guy Ryder, director-general of the International Labour Organization, said he recognised how closely
shipping representatives had been working together but lamented their lack of progress.
He believed the complexity of the situation within governments had got in the way of a resolution to the
crewing crisis. “Maritime ministries understand but other [ministries] do not.”
The problem, said Gerardo Borromeo, chief executive of Philippine Transmarine Carriers, was that the
crewing crisis was global but had come up against local considerations. “Seafarers are normally
considered heroes [in the Philippines]; now seen as pandemic carriers.”
However, Hugo de Stoop, head of the tanker operator Euronav, saw a different cause.
“At the heart of the problem is the way we have built this industry in the past. We have tried to live in the
shadows, tried to be discreet, tried to be forgotten. Nobody wanted to pay tax, nobody wanted to be
heavily regulated. We have chosen tiny jurisdictions like Panama, Bahamas, Marshall Islands. “What
influence do they have on a worldwide problem? None,” he said. In Mr de Stoop’s view, the
unprecedented level of co-operation among shipping organisations since the outbreak of Covid-19 had
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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The Pulse
been a reaction to the crisis. In reality, shipping remains as fragmented as ever.
“Only the big players have come forward to solve the crisis. That does not represent a lot of people. We
need to bring small players in the same direction.”
Many family companies have stayed in the background, he said. The result is that people only hear bad
things about shipping – such as an oil spill in Mauritius or a cruise ship sinking in Italy.
To correct this perception, we need to be willing to talk about the industry much more than we have done
in the past. Not just because there is a crisis.” The panel agreed on the urgency to underline the
designation of seafarers as key workers, and to allow them to move around the world safely and securely.
“People see seafarers disembarking from a ship as a threat,” said Mr de Stoop, “but they have been in
quarantine for more than 15 days, so they are clean of any virus. The problem is only those seafarers
embarking not disembarking.” The lesson to be taken away is that the industry must prepare for the next
black swan event. “We can’t wait for the next 99-year event,” said Mr Borromeo. “We must use the
technology, review the processes, and think now about other potential disasters.” Mr Ryder concluded
that it was clear both the shipowners and seafarers wanted to tackle the crew change issue and have
worked alongside one another. But governments have not responded. “They [governments] will divest
themselves of international obligations for reasons of popular opinion. We should apply a little bit of heat
to non-responsive governments,” he said. “We should form coalitions of the willing: get together those
governments that are willing to meet international obligations.” Source : Lloydslist
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Piracy, other high seas crimes rise in Asia: report Despite the coronavirus pandemic, piracy and other crimes have surged in Asian waters in the first seven
months of the year, many committed by a Philippines-based Islamist group linked to Islamic State,
according to a report released on Wednesday.
Especially hard hit have been the Sulu Sea and coastal areas of the southern Philippines, said the report by
Babel Street, an open source data analysis company based in Virginia.The author, McDaniel Wicker, a
former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and a company vice president, said rising crime in that area
carried significant security implications. The Sulu Sea, he said, is a key shipping route and controlling
crime there would require shifting regional security forces from other areas where they also are needed.
“There’s also a very serious global Islamic terror threat tied up in this,” Wicker continued, referring to the
Abu Sayyaf Group, which is based in the southern Philippines and has links to Islamic State.There have
been at least 50 incidents of piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping for profit in Asian waters during the
first seven months of 2020, the vast majority of them in the Sulu Sea and the Strait of Malacca, the
world’s busiest shipping lane, Wicker said.Those were double the numbers of such incidents recorded for
the same period last year and represent the highest level since 2016, according to the report, citing data
from a regional anti-piracy coalition. The Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible for many attacks this year,
it said.The rise in the group’s maritime activities has paralleled stepped up attacks in the southern
Philippines. An Aug. 24 suicide bombing killed 14 people, including security force personnel, it said.
Source : Reuters Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Trapped by Pandemic, Ships’ Crews Fight Exhaustion and Despair When borders closed, seafarers on ships around the world suddenly had no way home.
Half a year later, there’s no solution in sight. By Aurora Almendral
Ralph Santillan, a merchant seaman from the Philippines, hasn’t had shore leave in half a year. It has been
18 months since he reported for duty on his ship, which hauls corn, barley and other commodities around
the world. It has been even longer since he saw his wife and son.
“There’s nothing I can do,” Mr. Santillan said late last month from his ship, a 965-foot bulk carrier off
South Korea. “I have to leave to God whatever might happen here.” His time on the ship, where he
spends long days chipping rust off the deck or cleaning out cargo holds, was supposed to have ended in
February, after an 11- month stint — the maximum length for a seafarer’s contract.
Missing someone is not allowed,” said Mr. Santillan,
who has not seen his family in over 18 months. _____________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
22
The Pulse
From a retired Mersey Pilot and Poet - Barrie Youde
The plight of seafarers in the continuing Covid pandemic is a global scandal. Each one is more than
qualified as a “key-worker”, being fully engaged in the delivery of the food and fuel which serve, in our
over-crowded island nation, to keep us all alive. Reports of dismissive treatment of seafarers, however,
are widespread. There have even been reports that, following the delivery of vital food supplies in an
acceptably clean and healthy ship, mariners from the ship have been denied the liberty of setting foot
ashore at all. The numbers of seafarers whose service-contracts have over-run by many months (with
consequent false-imprisonment arising) are countless without as yet, any redress or hope of seeing their
homes and their families at any time soon. Humanity can offer better than this.
PLEASE HELP.
I’ve brought the food you ordered for your national survival.
I’ve come from half-way round the world. You now see my arrival.
Tell me. Where, d’you want it? Can you offer me a berth?
I’ve taken every care so far. I know how much it’s worth.
Ah, over there. I understand. And port-side to the quay.
I will honour your directions as it’s all the same to me.
Our foodstuffs all are vital. That much goes for me and you.
I’ll thank you if you could look after now, perhaps, my crew?
My ship is in good health. I have been granted free pratique.
Our needs are not too many. Mere humanity we seek.
We wish to change some members of the crew, by airline flights.
They have no wish to linger nor to vandalise your sights.
Home is where they wish to go. Replacements here will join.
No trouble will they cause you. Not a thing will they purloin.
Hotels, perhaps, and taxi-cabs are at your major port?
Please could you now help them - or is that too great a thought?
Presumably you hope that you will have your food always?
I understand the rules are strict in Covid-ridden days.
But Covid comes an dCovid goes ; and so too will the ships.
Please, will you help my sailormen before your hunger grips?
By Barrie Youde
12.09.2020
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Frustration after lifeboat called out to 'hoax' rescue call in Blackpool "Hoax calls can kill," HM Coastguard has said By : Tom Earnshaw Senior Reporter
There is frustration among emergency service personnel and volunteers on the Fylde Coast this morning
following a hoax rescue call. Both RNLI Blackpool and HM Coastguard from Lytham St Annes were
called September 10 after receiving reports of two people in the Irish Sea near Central Pier, Blackpool.
Teams were tasked at 9.53pm with one RNLI Blackpool lifeboat starting the search while the coastguard
team assessed the situation from land. But while teams were thankful there were no casualties, Lytham
Coastguard revealed the call was in fact a hoax. A spokesperson from Lytham Coastguard said: "Tasked
at 21.53 (10/9) to reports of 2 persons in the water around the Central Pier area. "RNLI Blackpool started
their search whilst we assessed the situation. "Unfortunately the call was a hoax! Hoax calls can kill.
"Only call the emergency services in genuine emergencies!" source: lancs
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
23
The Pulse
Salvagers working to repair leak on oil tanker off Sri Lanka Expert salvagers have begun working on a fire-stricken oil tanker off Sri Lanka’s coast after an Indian
coast guard aircraft sprayed dispersants to contain an oil slick coming from the vessel, the Sri Lankan
navy said Friday. The MT New Diamond, which is carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil, was
damaged by two fires in a little over a week. After the second fire was extinguished Wednesday, salvage
experts climbed on board on the ship Thursday for inspections. They have now begun salvage work,
giving priority to repair a leak in the ship’s fuel tank, said navy spokesman Indika de Silva.
The 17 experts include British and Dutch professionals — rescue operation specialists, disaster evaluators
and legal consultants. They have been sent by New Shipping Ltd., the commercial owner of the New
Diamond in Athens, Greece. The oil slick near the ship is about 10 to 30 meters (yards) wide and about a
nautical mile long and an aircraft from the Indian coast guard on Thursday sprayed dispersants on the
slick, the navy said. The patch is likely to be heavy fuel oil from the ship, it said. The ship has about
1,700 tons of heavy fuel oil to power its engines. The navy said the initial fire began in an engine room
boiler but did not spread to where the oil is kept. It also said the ship’s engine and pump rooms have been
flooded with seawater, stabling in trim by aft condition. Therefore, it is suspected that the fuel slick was
caused by sludge oozed with water, and is not a cargo leak.Water samples taken from the site are being
examined by government analysts as the Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority has said it
plans to take legal action over the fire. Source : The Associated Press
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Video - Merchant Navy Day Service, Liverpool 2020 (duration 50mins) The annual Merchant Navy Day Service at Liverpool Parish Church (St Nicks).
This year the service was held in the gardens of the church due to restrictions placed on public gatherings
because of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The service was led by the Rector of St Nicks, The Revd
Canon Dr Crispin Pailing. Other civic dignitaries at the event included the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr
Anna Rothery, Mayors of the other local boroughs, The Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr Mark
Blundell DL and the High Sheriff of Merseyside His Honour John Roberts DL. After the service wreaths
were laid at the MN Memorial, at the Pier Head, just a few minutes walk away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3u639MFCIY&feature=youtu.be
Source - James O'hanlon
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Cable Laying Vessel Catches Fire and Sinks Off South Korea –
Incident Video https://gcaptain.com/cable-laying-vessel-catches-fire-and-sinks-off-south-korea-incident-
video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain
.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-8b918484c1-139894965&mc_cid=8b918484c1&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Making a hash of lashing
The World Shipping Council which includes the big shipping lines,
accounting for more than 80% of the global container shipping
capacity, reports that only around 2,000 containers carried were lost in
2019.
That’s less than 0.001% of the estimated 226 million containers carried
every year.
In my opinion that’s 2,000 too many – but, as a tankerman, what do I know?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
24
The Pulse
How Convincing can SPAM be!!!! The following was received by me today, 17 Sept.
AOL ✅ ([email protected])To:you (BCC) Details
Dear Member,
In June of last year, AOL teamed up with Yahoo to become one company, called Oath.
Oath is a leader in digital and mobile media with a global house of brands, and a member of the Verizon
family of companies.
We have now unified and updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy which govern our relationship
with you as an AOL Mail user and as part of the new Oath family.
Due to our new Oath Terms of Service and Privacy Policy we will be closing all email accounts using our
old services. This simply means your email account will be discontinued {Closed} after September 18,
2020.
As part of our integration activities and to improve our services to you, if you wish to continue using our
email services please accept our new terms to avoid email closure.
You can learn more about our New Terms by clicking link below
-------------------------------------
If you do not wish to have the new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply to you, you can choose to
cancel your account and stop using our services.
If you have any questions or need additional help, please refer to our -------------------------.
Thank you for your continued loyalty and support.
Best regards,
Oath
_____________________________________________________________________________________
World’s Largest Cruise Ship Completes Construction Milestone By Ben Souza The largest cruise ship ever built, Royal Caribbean’s WONDER OF THE
SEAS, recently completed a construction milestone when the vessel was
floated out of dry dock. WONDER OF THE SEAS is currently under
construction at the Chan tiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire,
France. The fifth Oasis class ship from Royal Caribbean, Wonder of the Seas
is scheduled to being offering cruises in 2022 The vessel touched water for
the first time and was floated out of dry dock. This marked the completion of the cruise ship’s outer shell.
The vessel was moved to an outfitting dock where the interior of the cruise ship will be completed.
The Oasis class cruise ships from Royal Caribbean are the largest in the world and WONDER OF THE
SEAS will be slightly larger than her predecessor SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS. The cruise ship will be
divided into 7 neighborhoods including the popular Central Park and Boardwalk neighborhoods that are
popular on the previous four Oasis class vessels. WONDER OF THE SEAS will sail from China starting
in 2022 and will be the first Oasis class ship to sail in Asia. Itineraries for the cruise ship will be
announced in the future. WONDER OF THE SEAS was originally scheduled to debut in 2021 but the
launch of the ship is being pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. nAll new cruise ships that were
scheduled to debut over the next 12-18 months are being pushed back due to shipyard closures this past
spring. Source : Cruisefever
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
25
The Pulse
Oil tanker authorities likely neglected crew warnings on possible fire:
Lankan court told The authorities of the oil tanker that went up in flames off Sri
Lanka's eastern waters seemed to have neglected warnings
from the crew on possible fire on board, a Sri Lankan court
has heard.
The Panama registered MT (Motor Tanker) NEW
DIAMOND, a Greek-owned vessel and under charter by the
Indian Oil Corporation, was carrying nearly two million
barrels of crude oil from Mina Al Ahmadi port in Kuwait to
the Indian port of Paradip when it caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in Ampara district on
Thursday last. A Filipino crew member died and another was injured in the mishap. The fire was doused
in a joint operation of the Indian and Sri Lankan forces on Sunday last. But a new fire broke out within
hours due to extreme heat and strong winds. After the second fire was brought under control on
Wednesday, the tanker was towed away from the site. According to the Lankan Navy a narrow diesel
patch, one km from the ship, was noticed on Monday evening and an Indian Coast Guard aircraft sprayed
dispersants to minimise potential damage to the marine environment. The state authorities sought court's
permission to obtain oil samples on board the vessel to carry out tests to verify that the oil leaks visible in
the surrounding sea area were those from the tanker. The oil slick near the ship is about 10 to 30 metre
wide and about a nautical mile long. During the hearing of the case on Thursday, the state lawyers told
the Colombo Chief Magistrate that the tanker's authorities seemed to have neglected warnings from the
crew on the possibility of fire on board. They had failed to see the activation of the fire fighting
equipment on board the tanker. The court permitted the Marine Environmental Protection Authority
(MEPA) personnel to board the oil tanker and directed the authorities to obtain samples from the crude oil
stored inside the tanker and the copies of the vessel data records. The court also ordered the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) to record statements of the 22 crew members, including the Captain, of
the tanker, which is currently 45 nautical miles (83 km) off Sri Lanka's east coast. The Attorney General
had earlier advised the officials concerned to compile a report of the costs for Sri Lanka in tackling the
fire. The MEPA had said it plans to take action against the ship's owner under the country's laws to
protect the marine ecosystem.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Mauritian cruise ship crews strike to demand repatriation By Tom Casey Crew members aboard the Mediterranean Shipping
Company’s (MSC) POESIA and MUSICA cruise
ships have taken strike action in opposition to the
company’s months-long failure to repatriate its
employees. The two vessels, along with the MSC
SEAVIEW, have been stranded near the port of
Santos, Brazil since the height of the coronavirus
pandemic and the cruise industry’s shutdown in late
March.
On Tuesday, a group of 25 employees on the
MUSICA took to the upper deck of the ship, refusing
to return to their cabins until the company guaranteed
their travel arrangements. Workers staged similar
actions on the POESIA, brandishing signs that
contained messages such as “Hostage: MSC stop
lying,”
“We also have families,” and “Send us back home: our life matters.” ….. Source: World Socialist Web Site
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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The Pulse
Lifeboat launched as boat takes on water off Fife coast Anstruther RNLI volunteers rushed to the aid of a fisherman when his boat ran aground after taking on
water and encountered mechanical failure off the coast of Pittenweem on Thursday. By Fiona Dobie
The crew were paged shortly before 3pm on Thursday when
the fisherman raised the alarm on his VHF radio to alert the
UK Coastguard to the difficulties he was in. Nearby fishing
vessels made their way to the area and stood by while
lifeboats scrambled to the scene. Arriving first, the RNLI
inshore lifeboat crew began to help manually pump the water
out of the stricken vessel. Following closely behind was the
team’s all-weather lifeboat which transferred a salvage pump
across to the vessel and began working to get rid of the excess water onboard. The Helm of the inshore
lifeboat carefully pulled the fishing vessel to safety, navigating through the rocks on its way towards open
waters and the safety of St Monans harbour.
Meanwhile, a second call for help came in from a nearby fishing vessel who required assistance after
becoming entangled on a creel rope. The all-weather lifeboat established a tow and helped the vessel into
St Monans harbour. Coxswain Michael Bruce praised the decision making of the fisherman when faced
with unforeseen and unavoidable mechanical failure. He said: “A mayday is the highest level of distress
call available and using this ultimately saved the vessel from sinking. "When the mechanical issues arose,
the alternative was to risk deep open waters and attempt a landing into Pittenweem."If the fisherman had
chosen this option, we could be looking at a very different outcome. He did the right thing to call for
help.” The quick response of neighbouring vessels when the mayday call was issued was a very welcome
one to both the RNLI and the fisherman. The RNLI said the use of mayday in an emergency certainly
served its purpose on this occasion and is a timely reminder to all in what to do if you are, or you see
someone, in difficulty. Source : Fife Today
_____________________________________________________________________________________
B OOK REVIEW By : Frank NEYTS “ A guide to bulk carrier operations”
The Nautical Institute recently published “A guide to bulk carrier operations”.
Bulk carriers are the workhorses of international maritime trade. Those working
both on them and with them need to understand and manage significant risks
inherent to the dry bulk trade. Certain cargoes can deplete oxygen, catch fire,
expode, corrode holds or simply deteriorate. At terminals, ships may be
pressurized to accept cargoes that are too hot or too wet, which could endanger
the vessel and its crew. This highly practical guide draws on the expertise of more
than 20 contributing authors. The book takes the reader through the essentials at
each stage of the voyage, from preparation and loading, to care of cargo and ship
at sea, and finally arrival and discharge. Subjects covered include strength and
stability, hatch cover care, enclosed spaces, charterparties, legislation, draught
surveys, deballasting, monitoring hazardous cargoes, spontaneous combustion,
fumigation, coal fires, liquefaction and oxygendepletion, safe mooring and access, ship-shore
communication and ship/shore damage. “A guide to bulk carrier operations” (ISBN 978-1-906915-77-3),
counts 152 pages, is issued as a softback. The book can be bought from the better bookshop, or one can
contact The Nautical Institute, 202 Lambeth Road, London, SE1 7LQ, UK. Tel. +44.(0)20.7928.1351,
Fax +44.(0)20.7401.2817, [email protected] , Web: www.nautinst.org .
_____________________________________________________________________________________
River Thames in 1935, including the Royal Docks system (9 min Video) https://youtu.be/NObu5VXfTVI
Thank you to Anthony Stevens for drawing this to my attention
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
27
The Pulse
Watch: gCaptain’s Impassioned Call For Change (45 mins) https://gcaptain.com/watch-gcaptains-impassioned-call-for-
change/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-17bb2a1045-139894965&mc_cid=17bb2a1045&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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New Break in Greenland’s Largest Ice Shelf Signals Rapid Melting September 15, 2020 by Bloomberg
By Eric Roston (Bloomberg) –
As the summer melt season reaches its peak, the largest
Arctic ice shelf has jettisoned a piece of ice twice the size of
Manhattan.
The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland reported
on Monday that the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream has lost
more than 19 square miles (50 square kilometers) for the
second year in a row. The giant glacier has now been reduced
by 60 square miles in the past two decades.
Ice shelves are a barrier that prevent land-based glaciers from
sliding into the ocean, where they go on to melt and
contributed to rising sea levels. When those structures
weaken and disintegrate, as the Northeast Greenland Ice
Stream has now done, glacier movement picks up.
“Using almost 30 years of satellite data, we see speed up in the glacier flow over the past decade,” said
Anne Solgaard, a research scientist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in a statement.
The current disintegration is only part of the problem, she noted, with acceleration measured upstream
also “indicating a large-scale change to this huge glacier.”
Northeastern Greenland has warmed by about 3°C since 1980, and both this year and last have brought
record-breaking heat. The Arctic has long faced the onslaught of rising temperatures, and the effects are
only intensifying. As nations court new shipping and fossil-fuel exploration opportunities, scientists warn
that summertime Arctic sea ice may only have years left.
In another sign of the dramatic shift happening as the Arctic rapidly warms, a study published in journal
Nature Climate Change on Monday found that the region’s ice has departed its prior climate period and is
entering a new one, a process that might have kicked off as far back as 2000. The findings suggest that
Arctic temperatures have entered a new normal, with rain and snow patterns expected to break with the
past.
A major break in an ice stream that drains 16% of Greenland’s inland ice is only the newest symptom of
the Arctic’s new climate. “We should be very concerned,” said Jason Box, another research professor at
the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.
© 2020 Bloomberg L.P
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Container vessel MSC MIA took down crane in Valencia, Spain In the morning of Sep 13 container vessel MSC MIA collided with a gantry crane. The Crane collapsed
after hooking the cables with an MSC ship during a docking manoeuvre, while the rest of the installation
has been bent over the quay.The accident occurred shortly after 9 am during the undocking maneuvers of
the ship "MSC MIA" and the injured worker was able to warn the rest of the workers of what was going
to happen, as reported by Coordinadora Valencia in social networks. The firemen have been able to
rescue the crane worker who was hospitalized. Source: marine-pilots _____________________________________________________________________________________
The Maersk Etienne impasse exposed serious gaps in international law, with no clear instruction
about what happens next after anyone in difficulty at sea is rescued. Politicians must find a solution
quickly or lives will be lost and seafarers could essentially become political hostages
_____________________________________________________________________________________
FILE PHOTO: Crevasses form on top of the
Helheim glacier near Tasiilaq, Greenland, June
19, 2018.
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
28
The Pulse
“Environmental” radicals attacked Dutch dredger with stones and Molotov
cocktails By : Mikhail Voytenko Hopper dredger QUEEN OF
THE NETHERLANDS,
owned by BOSKALIS
WESTMINSTER
SHIPPING B.V. and
operated by BOSKALIS
Indonesia, was attacked by
boats with hundreds of
fishermen and “activists” on
Sep 12 off Makassar Port,
South Sulawesi, Indonesia,
when the ship was sailing to her new dredging or sand-mining site in waters of Takalar Regency,
southernmost Sulawesi. The ship was shelled with stones and Molotov cocktails, which ignited several
fires on board. Protesters also cut several pneumatic cables. QUEEN OF THE ETHERLANDS had to
return back to Makassar Port, water police meanwhile, intervened and arrested 12 protesters. “Activists”
are members of Indonesian Forum for the Environment WALHI, Indonesian branch of NGO Friends of
the Earth. Fishermen probably, were used as a cover in a staged “protest”. Source : Maritime Bulletin
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Brexit: Further clashes over work on NI port controls Executive ministers have clashed over a proposal from the environment minister that work should be
halted on facilities at local ports that could be used for checks related to Brexit.
The controls are currently used for checks on agri-food products and animals. In July, the UK confirmed
it intended to put border control posts at Northern Ireland’s ports. Work to expand the posts was then
requested by the government. However, it is understood Environment Minister Edwin Poots has taken the
view that to press ahead with the expansion of current point of entry controls would be a waste of public
resources following the latest UK Internal Market Bill. The new bill sets out rules for the operation of the
UK internal market – trade between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – after the end of the
Brexit transition period in January. There has been controversy over the bill explicitly stating that these
powers should apply even if they are incompatible with international law. However, ministers say it is
needed to prevent “damaging” tariffs on goods travelling from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland if
trade deal negotiations with the EU fail. Stormont officials are concerned any ministerial order to pause
work on the points of entry could be in breach of the Northern Ireland Act. The act – which underpins the
Stormont Executive – gives the secretary of state the power to order a minister or department to take an
action if he believes it is required to fulfil the UK’s international obligations. Sinn Féin, the SDLP and
Alliance argue that proceeding with work on the controls is required to fulfil the executive’s international
obligations. The matter was put to a cross-community vote during a late session of the executive on
Thursday night. No authorisation was given for the environment minister to pause the work. The
executive is seeking legal advice and will reconvene on Friday for further discussions on the issue.
Source: BBC
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Denmark – New shipping routes established in Skagerrak and Kattegat https://www.dma.dk/Presse/Nyheder/Sider/New-routeing-systems-provide-visible-traffic-changes.aspx
Source:- UKP&I Club
_____________________________________________________________________________________
More on The AI-Driven Unmanned Research Vessel ‘Mayflower’ Launched
in England https://gcaptain.com/ai-driven-unmanned-research-vessel-mayflower-launched-in-england/
Source:- gCaptain
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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The Pulse
MARPOL Amendments to Annex II and the IBC Code - Entering into force
on 1 January 2021 - An Update from the UK Club
Following concerns raised about the environmental impact of
permissible discharges from tankers carrying Noxious Liquid
Substances (NLS), MEPC 74 in May 2019 adopted by way of IMO
Resolution MEPC.315(74), amendments to MARPOL Annex II to
strengthen discharge requirements for cargo residues and tank
washings from such vessels.
• 2021 implementation deadline.
__________________________________________________________________
Orcas Attacking Ships in Spain Leave Scientists Baffled It's highly unusual for killer whales to target humans. By Utku Kucukduner
Orcas usually do not meddle with human affairs. They simply leave us alone, with the occasional
gamification of certain aspects of our technology such as biting on ships rudders to drag along with them
for a quick laugh. A few orcas in northern Spain, however, have decided on ramming and rocking
unlucky ships and boats.
The boat took at least 15 blows
Last Friday, Halcyon Yachts' BEAUTIFUL DREAMER took some beating to its stern in the middle of its
mission taking a 36-feet (11 meters) boat to the U.K., reports the Guardian. As a result of the at least 15
blows, the ship's rudder broke and it lost control of its steering and subsequently towed to the city of A
Coruña in Spain. Justin Crowther, the captain of the BEAUTIFUL DREAMER told La Voz de Galicia,
"It was repeatedly smashing the rudder, 15 times I’m guessing. It ripped it out of our hands." He
continued, "We switched everything off, we turned the engine off, we turned all the electronics off, and it
disappeared. Until we took the salvage." Spanish government body Maritime Rescue publicized the
incident on Twitter and posted a video to forewarn other seafarers to stay away from orcas. The tweet
reads: "There is a radio advisory in force. In case you see [these orcas], do not get close and maintain a
wide distance." This is not the only recent case of such an encounter. Two boats also had unfortunate
encounters this last month. In one of the cases, Faro de Vigo reports that one boat tried steering away and
avoiding the pod of orcas, but the rudder got some beating nonetheless.
Alfredo López, a long time researcher of the area and a biologist from the non-profit organization, the
Marine Biological Association, notes that while strange, this behavior should not be alarming, in an
interview with the Faro de Vigo. Lopez states these encounters could be two singular orcas going
through a learning and experimentation phase or it could be that fishnets might have taken the life of an
orca calf. There is not enough evidence to confirm either of these possibilities yet. At any rate, experts
exclaim that people need not be afraid as orcas do not just "jump on the deck to attack people" out of the
blue. Alfredo closed with the remarks suggesting people to go about their lives as per usual since "there is
no evidence in the entire world of a premeditated attack on a person or injuries or anything like that."
Source: interestingengineering
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Energy Firms Tally Sally Damage https://gcaptain.com/energy-firms-tally-sally-
damage/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapta
in.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-d6c3a87a67-139894965&mc_cid=d6c3a87a67&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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"I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put
anything in your baggage without your knowledge?"
To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?"
He smiled knowingly and nodded. "That's why we ask."
Happened in Melbourne ..
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #17 20th September 2020
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The Pulse
Pelosi tells Brexiteers UK can forget US trade deal if EU denied role US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a strident opponent of the US President, said that if the
UK does not allow EU oversight of intra-British trade with Northern Ireland, then a trade deal with the
US would not be ratified by a Democrat controlled house.UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a
backlash from the EU and from within his own ruling Conservative Party after his government said it's
making plans to scuttle EU plans for Irish border. Ms Pelosi said that the UK must ensure the free flow of
goods across the border, as agreed in Britain's deal with the EU last year. Last year's accord gave
Northern Ireland the same trade rules as the EU to avoid customs checks at the land border between
Ireland and Northern Ireland, a key part of the Good Friday Agreement two decades go that ended years
of bloodshed. A UK bill published recently would allow ministers to override parts of that accord. "If the
UK violates that international treaty and Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be
absolutely no chance of a US-UK trade agreement passing the Congress," said Ms Pelosi. Britain
proposes no border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Nor does the Irish
republic. But the EU insists on them to uphold normal border crossing rules between EU and non-EU
states. The EU says it may have a case to seek legal remedies under the divorce agreement even before
the UK internal-market bill is passed by Parliament and that it would have a clear justification once the
bill becomes law, according to the EU's preliminary analysis. Source : Schednet
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Hurtigruten Cancels Remaining 2020 Cruises September 17, 2020 by Reuters
OSLO, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Norway’s Hurtigruten has called off its remaining cruises this year due to the
rise in COVID-19 cases in Europe and the
Americas, the company said on Thursday.
“Our goal is to resume operations in January
2021,” the company said in a statement.
The decision affects Hurtigruten’s so-called
expedition cruises, which often take passengers
into Arctic or Antarctic waters, though its
business of shipping goods and people between
ports along the Norwegian coast will continue.
The company was the first cruise operator
worldwide to return an oceangoing cruise ship to
service in mid-June, touting reduced passenger
capacity, social distancing and strict rules on
hygiene.
But dozens of crew and passengers on board a
Hurtigruten ship tested positive for the
coronavirus following an Arctic cruise in July,
triggering a police investigation into the
circumstances. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Q. What is the most common form of birth control?
A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium.
(That would work.)
Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarean section.'
A. The caesarean section is a district in Rome _____________________________________________________________________________________
The MS Roald Amundsen ship, operated by Norway’s
Hurtigruten line, is seen after its crew members were
diagnosed with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),
at a port in Tromso, Norway July 31, 2020. Rune
Stoltz Bertinusse/NTB Scanpix/ via REUTERS
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A young lady walks into a supermarket. On her way round she sees the fellow who had
been rather close to her the previous evening, after they had met at a club.
He was stacking washing powder boxes on to the shelves.
“You lying bastard,” she shouts, “last night you told me that you were a stunt pilot.”
“No,” he says, “I told you that I was a member of the Ariel display team.”
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A cabbie picks up a Nun. The nun gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won’t stop staring at her. She
asks him why he is staring.
He replies: “I have a question to ask, but I don’t want to offend you.”
She answers, “My son, you cannot offend me. When you’re as old as I am and have been a nun as long as
I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything.
I’m sure that there’s nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive.”
“Well, I’ve always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me.”
She responds, “Well, let’s see what we can do about that…
1) You have to be single and
2) You must be Catholic.”
The cab driver is very excited and says, “Yes, I’m single and Catholic!”
“OK” the nun says. “Pull into the next alley.”
The nun fulfils his fantasy with a kiss that would make a hooker blush. But when they get back on the
road, the cab driver starts crying.
“My dear child,” said the nun, “why are you crying?”
“Forgive me, but I’ve sinned. I lied, and I must confess, I’m married and I’m Jewish.”
The nun says, “That’s OK. My name is Kevin and I’m going to a Halloween party!”
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Paddy and Murphy are working on a building site.
Paddy says to Murphy "I'm gonna have the day off. I'm gonna pretend I'm mad!"
He climbs up the rafters, hangs upside down and shouts
"I'M A LIGHT BULB!.. I'M A LIGHT BULB!"
Murphy watches in amazement! The Foreman shouts "Paddy you're mad, go home"
So he leaves the site.
Murphy starts packing his kit up to leave as well.
"Where the hell are you going?" asks the Foreman.
"I can't work in the friggin' dark!" says Murphy.
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We are pleased to say we are now able to offer our supporters
the facility to make donations via our
Just Giving page.
This is a secure means of making payments and enables us to
claim Gift Aid from the Treasury.
Go to www.justgiving.com Click on ‘Search' at the top right-
hand side and type in Merchant Navy Association.
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That’s all from me now folks.
Stay Safe Shipmates
Good Health, Fair Winds and Calm Seas. Take Care.
Yours Aye,
Malcolm
Malcolm Mathison
National Vice-Chairman
Merchant Navy Association
Tel: 01472 277 266 Mob: 07831 622 312 Email: [email protected]
www.mna.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1135661
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