From the Bridge The Newsletter of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada

www.mastermariners.ca

May 2014

The Company of Master Mariners of Canada is a professional association for those qualified to command. It was established to encourage and maintain high and honourable standards within the nautical profession, further the efficiency of the Sea Service, and uphold the status, dignity and prestige of Master Mariners.

One Hundred Years Ago. 1914: Empress of Ireland sinks in the St. Lawrence.

May 29, 2014, marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland near Sainte-Luce-sur-mer. Of the 1,477 people aboard, 1,012 perished in 14 minutes. In 1980, a group of people passionate about the shipwreck founded the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père. Since then, we have shared this fascinating story with tens of thousands of visitors to Rimouski. http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/home.html

• The Empress of Ireland departed from the port at Quebec City on May 28, 1914. On board were a combined 1,477 passengers and crew. • Unlike the Titanic, which had sunk after striking an iceberg two years earlier, the Empress of Ireland, was not a glamorous luxury liner. But it was posh enough to have its own orchestra, and was considered the fastest ship travelling between Quebec City and Liverpool. • The fatal collision happened during the ship's first night at sea near the Quebec city of Rimouski. Around 2 a.m., Captain Henry Kendall spotted the lights of the approaching

coal ship, the Storstad, and estimated it was eight miles (about 13 kilometres) away. He altered course so that each ship would pass on the other's starboard side at a safe distance, and slowed to a crawl. • Meanwhile, fog had settled in, obscuring any further view of what lay ahead. • On the Storstad, the First Mate was in charge that night. He later claimed that he had seen red lights - indicating the port side of the other ship - before the fog enveloped them. He assumed the ship had turned to pass on the port side, and ordered the Storstad to turn to starboard to avoid a collision. • By the time Kendall spotted the Storstad emerging from the fog, it was too late. • According to www.pbs.org, "Ironically, had both ships involved exercised less caution, the accident would likely not have happened." • The Storstad, with its bow built to slice through ice-encrusted northern waters, cut open a huge gash in the starboard side of the Empress of Ireland. Water poured in, dooming the people sleeping on lower cabins on that side. • The ship immediately began to lean sharply to starboard and lay on its side within 10 minutes. • The remaining passengers and crew, unable to launch more than five or six lifeboats, were perched atop the hull of the ship. When the ship lurched suddenly, many plunged into the water. The rest were submerged when the ship slipped beneath the surface. • Rescue efforts began immediately, with boats in the vicinity rushing to the scene to pick up survivors. Only 465 people escaped. • A British inquiry into the disaster found the crew of the Storstad responsible. But a separate inquiry held by the Norwegians (where the Storstad originated) pointed the finger at the Empress of Ireland. • Just weeks after the disaster, Canadian Pacific Railways - the operator of the Empress of Ireland - dispatched divers to salvage its cargo of $150,000 in silver bullion (over $2.7 million in 2006 dollars). Also recovered was first-class mail en route to England via the ship, and the purser's safe. • For the next 50 years, the ship's location underwater was a mystery until it was rediscovered in 1964.

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• Over the next three decades the wreck site - under 50 metres of water - was visited hundreds of times by hobby divers who stripped it of virtually anything that could be removed. Even bones of dead passengers were taken from their resting places. • In April 1998 the government of Quebec declared the wreck a historic site. "It can no longer be pillaged or touched," said Culture Minister Louise Beaudoin. • Though more passengers died on the Empress of Ireland than on the Titanic - 840 to 832 - the Empress of Ireland is largely forgotten while the Titanic has been immortalized in countless ways. http://www.norwayheritage.com/articles/templates/great-disasters.asp?articleid=99&zoneid=1 http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/economy-business/transport/empress-of-ireland-sinks-in-the-st-lawrence.html http://www.empressofireland.ca/

QUALITY CADET CAMPUS IN NOVA SCOTIA: The Strait Area Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) at Port Hawkesbury, incorporates the Nautical Institute and is sited high above the Strait of Canso, a waterway which divides the province into Cape Breton Island and Mainland Nova Scotia, but joined by a breakwater that incorporates a lock large enough to take Great Lakes maximum-sized ships. http://www.nscc.ca/learning_programs/marine_training/ Nearby, is Point Tupper where VLCC’s unload crude into storage and handy-sized tankers move some of it to East Coast U.S. refineries. Opposite, is Mulgrave where deep-sea fishing vessels and offshore oil industry support ships dock. Not far distant, the Maher Melford Container Terminal, capable of handling the largest container ships, is being developed and may be in operation by 2016. Port Hawkesbury and its Atlantic Ocean environs are not subject to winter freeze-up. The Nova Scotia Nautical Institute (NSNI), since its transfer from Halifax to a custom-designed building in Port Hawkesbury in 1991, carried on its traditional role of preparing seafarers for marine certification including good facilities for training them in Marine Emergency Duties (M.E.D.). A few years ago, after the NSNI was transferred from the Department of Education to the Nova Scotia Community College System under the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, with its direction under a Board of Governors, it was decided to have cadet training and this is now its core program. MARINE CAREERS FAIR: The Academic Chair of the Nautical Institute, Captain Vivek Saxena MM, MBA encouraged the cadets to organize their inaugural Marine Careers Fair, to showcase their facilities to marine industry employers and employees, alumni, high-school students and the general public. The Fair was held, March 20 and 21 2014, on campus. It included, a tour of the first-rate facilities, demonstrations of training, then a session in which shipping company representatives spoke to the cadets about their willingness to accept the cadets for the sea phases of their courses as well as their giving advice on career prospects. That evening, staff, students and guests had a delicious dinner prepared in the College and served in the flag be-decked school dining area

FREE-FALL LIFEBOAT LAUNCHED: The second day’s proceedings commenced at the waterfront location for lifeboat training, with the successful launch of the school’s new Free-fall Lifeboat. In attendance were, the provincial government minister, members of the College Board, senior staff and others, including two representatives of CMMC’s Maritimes Division from Halifax. Meanwhile, in a designated exposition area, booths were manned by shipping companies such as, Transport Desgagnes, Quebec; Canship Uggland, St. John’s; Algoma Central, St. Catharines; Superport Marine Services, Port Hawkesbury and Shell International. The

latter two will be operating seismic survey ships for the oil and gas industry off the coast of Nova Scotia and beyond. Atlantic Towing of Saint John, Rigel Tankers, Shediac and Secunda, Halifax, were also there and the Navy too. CMMC ATTRACTS CADETS: Captains Jack Gallagher and Angus McDonald manned the CMMC booth and many students showed interest in joining the Maritimes Division as Cadet Members once they heard that the Maritimes Division planned to adopt a mentor role and a continuing interest in the nautical cadets. In a wrap-up session with Capt. Saxena and his cadets, Capt. Gallagher described CMMC as a nautical professional association with increasing influence in Canada’s maritime affairs and spoke of its Scholarship Fund which offers cadets at least two scholarships a year. They would be competing with cadets in BCIT, Vancouver; Georgian College, Ontario; Institut Maritime, Rimouski, Quebec; Marine Institute, St, John’s NL, but from our observations, the NSNI cadets will be up to the challenge.

Capt. Jack Gallagher, National Treasurer and Administrator of the Baugh Scholarship Fund and Capt. Angus McDonald, Past National Master and Past Chairman of the Baugh Scholarship Fund.

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Fednav brings new icebreaker to the Canadian Arctic: Fednav announces the arrival in Canada of its latest, highly specialized icebreaker, the MV Nunavik. Built at JMU's Tsu Shipyard in Japan, the ship will be used to export the concentrates produced at the Canadian Royalties owned Nunavik Nickel mine at Deception Bay in northern Quebec. The vessel will also supply the mine with equipment and fuel, year round. Rated Polar Class 4, the Nunavik is the most powerful bulk-carrying icebreaker in the world. It is similar in design to the Umiak I, the Fednav ship servicing Vale's Voisey's Bay operation in Northern Labrador. The Nunavik will sail unescorted in Arctic regions and will operate in the extreme winter conditions of the Canadian Arctic. It is capable of maintaining continuous progress of 3 knots in 1.5 m of ice. The vessel was designed by Fednav and JMU, and will sail between Deception Bay and Northern Europe on a year-round basis. The engine produces 29,600 hp, three times the power of a conventional bulk carrier of the same size. The Nunavik will be supported by Enfotec Technical Services, a Fednav subsidiary to provide up to date information on ice conditions as well as technical support to the in-house IceNav navigation system. The Nunavik is equipped with the latest environmental technologies, such as a Tier II engine that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 20%, and the first ballast treatment system installed on a Canadian-owned vessel. "Fednav is particularly proud of the arrival of this new ship," says Paul Pathy, President and Co-CEO of Fednav Limited. "It represents Fednav's commitment to mining development in the Arctic, as well as our dedication to technological development and energy efficiency." In naming this new ship Nunavik, Fednav wanted to recognize the inhabitants and the region in which it will operate as well as its project partner, Nunavik Nickel. MONTREAL, March 20, 2014 http://www.fednav.com/en http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1325849/fednav-brings-new-icebreaker-to-the-canadian-arctic Huisman to build world’s largest cranes: Huisman, the worldwide specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions, has received a Letter of Intent for the delivery of world’s largest cranes onboard Heerema’s planned new semi-submersible crane vessel. The cranes will have a lifting capacity of 10.000mt at a radius of 48m. Huisman is known for its signature mast crane design. These cranes will however be tub mounted. The two cranes will be built by the Huisman production facility in China. The final decision to build this new semi-submersible crane vessel will be made by Heerema before the end of this year. Unlike traditional Tub Cranes which make use of either bogies or large wheels for their slew system, the Huisman cranes will make use of large bearings of own design which are manufactured in-house. This technique represents a step change in the crane industry, and was previously used successfully on the 5,000mt Offshore Mast Crane for the ‘Seven Borealis’ and the 4,000mt Offshore Mast Crane for Heerema’s ‘Aegir”. The use of bearings on the new 10,000mt Heerema cranes instead of the traditional slew systems allows for very accurate control of the slewing motion of the crane and requires very little maintenance. Another large benefit of using a bearing is a very significant weight saving. Especially on semisubmersibles this is an important feature. The slew bearings of these cranes will have a diameter of 30m. The two cranes will each be able to lift 10,000mt at 48m radius in offshore conditions. The cranes further feature a 2,500mt aux hoist and a whip hoist with a maximum reach of 155m. The main hoist, in a reduced reeving, can lift 1,000mt to 1,000m water depth and is fitted with active heave compensation.

Anne de Groot, Project Director at Huisman, said, "We are extremely proud of this commitment from Heerema. Firstly, the fact that Heerema has shown their confidence

in our ability to build the largest cranes ever and secondly that yet another important Huisman innovation will deliver a contribution to the success of our client and the

progression of the crane industry.” March 20, 2014 http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/Huisman-to-Build-Worlds-Largest-Cranes-2014-03-20/ See the Seven Borealis at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liTZkYlSq5g

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Maersk: Slow steaming will continue to save CO2: Reducing the speed of ships will be an important part of Maersk Line’s efforts to reduce its CO2 emissions, the company has said. In its 2013 sustainability report, the shipping line said that it has reduced its CO2 emissions by more than 25%

per container-kilometre since 2007, meeting its 2020 target eight years early, and it now wants to get to a 40% reduction by

the same date. One of the ways it will do this is through slowing the speed of ships both in bringing goods to major consumer nations, and returning material for recycling to manufacturing centres in Asia and other locations. In the report, Maersk said, “Slow steaming is an important contributor to reducing our CO2. On average we have reduced the speed of our vessels by some 2 knots over the course of the year. Additionally, we have worked to improve the CO2 performance of vessels we charter especially by improving transparency on performance and the sharing of best practice.” It also plans to roll out more of its Triple-E ships that are more energy efficient. Maersk also said that it is increasing research into using biofuels to power its ships from waste biomass and it hopes to introduce the fuel into its ships in the next three to seven years. The shipping company has also worked with Korean shipyard DSME to develop a cradle-to-cradle passport that will be implemented on the new Triple-E ships. The passport will document approximately 95% by weight of the materials used to build ships to enable better recycling, particularly of the steel. This passport initiative has involved the participation of 75 direct suppliers of parts to the ship plus sub-suppliers with the aim of developing a closed loop recycling system for ships. According to Maersk Line head of sustainability Jacob Sterling, 2013 saw more of its customers requesting sustainability information. He said, “Large customers representing 19% of our business have requested tailored sustainability information as part of their business relationship with us. “These customers have typically made promises to their stakeholders on sustainability. We are proud to move their goods with a lower environmental impact year by year, thereby helping them deliver on their sustainability promises.” 17 Apr 2014 | Author: Paul Sanderson http://www.rebnews.com/news/services/maersk_slow_steaming_will_continue_save_co2.html

Wither slow steaming? Slow steaming, the tactic adopted by operators of container and other vessel types could actually damage a vessel more than the cost benefits it has been mostly touted to bring. only does slow steaming damage vessel engines but prolonged usage, as how it has been practised by most of the world's leading container lines over the last three years, runs counter to vessel ergonomics or economics. "Not all vessel engines were made for vessels to cruise at just 20 knots. Some were made for faster speeds", declared a naval architect to The Container Shipping Manager. He cautioned that when vessels cruise at speeds that are at 'variance' with what their designs permit, they run the risk of damaging their engines and of eventually hurting their bottom lines resulting from the repairs that may have to be needed to fix damaged engines. That in turn frustrates the original intent behind the method of slow steaming which was to actually save on costs. Since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008 and the resultant fall in freight rates and rise in oil prices, most of the world's liners have resorted to what is called slow steaming. The tactic of running a ship at speeds below limits permitted by the technical requirements of an engine has been largely adopted by ship owners to save on fuel consumption, as fuel is known to consume a whopping 50% of a ship's operating costs. Most vessels reportedly cruise at 20 knots, which has been described as 'ideal' by shipping executive of Diway Goel of Singapore's Siva Shipping. Nonetheless he was quick to add "there [always] has to be some caution to how much ships can go", in an oblique reference to reports that some liner operators have been asking their vessels to ply at substantially lower speeds than what was described as ideal. The primary concern lies with ships designed to move at top speeds. "Slow steaming may risk damage to [a] vessel’s engine or anti-foul hull coating as the result of a vessel not operating at optimal speed,” pointed out an article in the Lawyer Bar Briefing and cited by The Maritime Advocate, because slow steaming causes the need for differing lubricating oils and also for the need to adequately train crew, which would all add to unnecessary costs. The world's container shipping fleet saw their profits cleaned out from US$7billion in 2010 to losses that ran into billions in 2011 and 2012, and it is likely that 2013 remained a tough year for most container carriers. At the height of the crisis, widely documented reports said most vessels were sailing at super slow speeds of 15 knots or less thus imposing unimaginably huge burdens on the wear and tear of their craft. That was exacerbated by the absence of effective lubricating oils aimed at better managing the wear and tear in a ship's engine. The Container Shipping Manager. April 2014. http://csm.hksg.com/archive/archive.jsp?category_id=2&article_id=1561&from_where=index

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Maersk Line Art-Box Arrives in Philadelphia: Frozen mussels from New Zealand to the Port of Philadelphia begins Art-Box’s journey around the world to promote value of global container shipping. Maersk Line, an ocean transportation company and a unit of the Maersk Group, announced today the arrival of the Maersk Line Reefer Art-Box, a 40’ high-cube, at the Port of Philadelphia marking the first voyage of the container designed to promote container shipping. The Art-Box’s inaugural shipment contains frozen OP Columbia’s Coromandel Greenshell

mussels from New Zealand. The mussel shipment is destined for Mark Foods, New York. Maersk Line and the Port of Auckland, New Zealand co-commissioned two famous, New Zealand street artists Askew1 and Trust Me to each paint one side of the reefer container. ‘Gigi’ by Askew1 covers one side of the container and a reworked version of Trust Me’s ‘Greetings from Aotearoa’, appears on the other side. After Philadelphia, the container will continue to travel around the world to gain attention for container shipping. Often considered the ‘invisible industry’, container shipping is actually the most low cost, energy efficient form of global transportation that functions as the world’s

economic engine. The refrigerated Art-Box will serve as a reminder, as it delivers food and other perishables to people throughout the world, that container shipping is essential for global economic growth and vitality. pleased to be part of this exciting project that illuminates container shipping’s value as a driving force in connecting world markets and creating economic growth. The fact that the Art-Box is a refrigerated container further emphasizes the contribution state-of-the-art containerized technology makes to providing healthy, fresh food to markets throughout the world,” said Bill Duggan, Vice President of Refrigerated Sales, Maersk Line North America. trade is vital to the Port of Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Regional Port Authority's Director of Marketing, Sean Mahoney. "Beyond that, the importance of world trade and containerized shipping cannot be underestimated for the local economy. We are excited that Maersk has chosen to make Philadelphia the ArtBox's first destination on its trip around the world." http://www.marinelink.com/news/philadelphia-arrives365940.aspx March 25, 2014 Size Counts: How Ports are Dealing with Larger Ships: Tankers, bulk carriers, passenger ships and container ships grow larger each day. Maersk's new Triple-E class containerships (six launched in 2013; ten more are planned) can carry 18,000 twenty-foot containers, a 16% larger capacity than the Maersk E-class ships. They are the world's largest; when they were ordered beginning in 2011, no port in North or South America could handle ships of this size. Royal Caribbean's Oasis class MS Allure of the Seas is the largest passenger vessel ever constructed, with the ability to carry 5,400 passengers and 2,000 crewmembers. Both these ships are too large to transit the New Panamax locks being built in the Panama Canal. China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL, a division of COSCO) recently ordered five new 19,000 TEU vessels – each will have a 400-metre deck, stand 30.5 metres high and be 58.6 metres wide. The first ship will go into service in November 2014 and the remaining four will be delivered in the first quarter of 2015. As reported in this blog, Shell has completed building the hull of the world's largest floating LNG facility, planned to moor off the western coast of Australia. Called Prelude (see below), the ship has a 488-metre (1,600 foot) long hull and stands 93 metres high. This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that 214 post-Panamax ships, which are the length of four football fields, can be 160 feet in height and can carry 13,200 containers are on order by various shipping firms. Smaller ships are being taken out of service and scrapped: 19 were scrapped in 2013; 40 are on the boards to be scrapped this year. Economies of scale, a huge global demand for raw materials and energy, and a healing world economy in general, are all driving this growth. Additionally, the expansion of the Panama Canal promises greater ship traffic to the Far East from US ports by the end of 2015 – an end-date that has once again been pushed forward due to cost overruns and contractor negotiations. Many ports are planning upgrades to accommodate these ships. Total costs are projected to be more than $11 billion. The Port of Charleston announced infrastructure projects to respond to needs that were not present in 1980 when their terminals were built. They also plan to dredge their harbour to 50 feet by 2018. Along the east coast of the US, the ports of Miami, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York and New Jersey, Savannah, and Atlanta are all currently underway with deepening traffic lanes, installing super sized cranes, increasing dock sizes, building additional storage, raising bridges (New York), building underwater tunnels (Miami), and bringing in additional rail capabilities.

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As well, Gulf ports are anticipating pipeline expansion, additional on-shore and offshore oil production and the need to accommodate larger vessels, with substantial infrastructure expansion. For more detail on Gulf of Mexico port plans, see our blog: Oil Driving More Gulf Ship Traffic. On the west coast of the US, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland are making major investments in their operations. The length and draft of these massive vessels are changing less than the width – crane outreach for the 18,000 TEU container carriers must be 23 boxes wide, per Drewry, as reported on the Port Finance International website. Of particular concern is the efficient turnaround of these larger ships. Larger ships mean larger bulk and container cargo tonnage and the need to handle greater volumes of oil and gas. Once in port, it requires a major logistics effort to load or offload quickly. The massive new ships will strain port facilities and operations. PortVision's Terminal Smart dashboard incorporates an overview of many of the activities needed to efficiently handle these larger ships and deal with related concerns, and it can be individualized as needed. The dashboard can include time stamps on arrivals and departures; dockside event control; animated playback of AIS vessel movements to support negotiation, training, enforcement or litigation; and key demurrage-related data. How to manage the safe operation of these ships brings a challenge to ports around the world. Collisions, groundings, and on-board accidents all become more frequent as the size and number of these vessels in harbours increases. Environmental concerns grow, too, with the advent of larger tanker capacities. Technology on-board as well as on-shore brings added complexity to the equation, but also can assist with the proper handling of these vessels. At present, it appears that most ports are focusing on infrastructure improvements to respond to this era of larger vessels. It remains to be seen if ship tracking and harbour traffic management will be able to keep up without more effective informational and communication tools. Source: PortVision. 08 March 2014 http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/News.aspx?ElementId=650c8e30-5819-4810-b767-571ae09611ea Prelude, the World’s Largest Floating Vessel: Longer than the Empire State Building by 150 feet, Royal

Dutch Shell’s Prelude was floated out of drydock in August, 2013. It is an astonishing 1,601 feet long, 243 feet wide and, when fully loaded, will weigh 600,000 tons – six times heavier than the largest aircraft carrier. The Prelude is a floating liquefied natural gas facility (FLNG) with the ability to produce and liquefy natural gas at sea in order to more easily transfer the gas to other ships, which will then transport it globally. It took a year to build the two hull sections that were joined together; construction took place at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) yard in Geoje, South Korea. The massive vessel steals the title of largest ship from the Emma Maersk, which is a petite 1,302 feet long.

The Prelude will produce an anticipated 3.6 million tons of LNG annually from natural gas well pipes on the sea floor. The vessel is designed to handle category 5 hurricanes or cyclones with a sophisticated mooring system. A 305-foot turret is equipped with mechanisms that enable it to face the wind direction, thus absorbing high wind conditions. There are three 6,700-horsepower engines to power the ship. The London Telegraph reported in an October 2013 interview with Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, that the vessel will launch in 2017 and operate 125 miles off the coast of Western Australia, northeast of Broome, for 25 years at Shell's Prelude field. The vessel will produce gas, chill it to minus 162 degrees C (minus 260 degrees F) at which point it liquefies. This liquefied natural gas becomes 600 times more compact than it is in its gaseous state. The onboard plant will take only 130 people to operate. LNG carriers will dock with the Prelude and bring this liquefied gas to markets in Asia. Global LNG trade has doubled since 2004 and Shell expects global gas demand to grow 60% by 2030. By positioning itself as a leader in integrated gas (producing gas and processing it), Shell plans to take advantage of this market demand. Worldwide, there are 40+ LNG export plants with a dozen more under construction. All of these are land-based. The LNG plant that is the Prelude is only one-quarter the size of a competitive onshore plant. Analysts estimate the cost of the Prelude at $13 billion (£8 billion), 50% less than the cost of a land-based plant. Shell plans to build several more FLNG plants. Malaysia's Petronas is currently building a smaller FLNG plant expected to produce 1.2 million tons annually and operate at its Kanowit gas field 180 km offshore of Bintulu, Malaysia; it will deploy in 2015.

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ExxonMobil and BHP are planning their own FLNG project which will be even larger than the Prelude and will also operate off the coast of Australia. LNG World News suggests that floating plants of this type will facilitate the development of gas resources previously considered not viable, due to size, a remote location, or no possibility of onshore development. Prelude FLNG is a joint venture with INPEX (17.5%), KOGAS (10%) and OPIC (5%). Shell will operate the plant. Long-term strategic partners include Technip and SHI. FLNG assets and activities will bring new challenges and opportunities associated with safety, security, and supply chain management. How FLNG will impact global LNG markets is not yet known. Many of our PortVision subscribers use AIS-based vessel tracking to enhance visibility to the movements of commodities (including LNG) to support operations, supply chain management, and even market intelligence gathering. The addition of floating LNG adds a new dimension that traders and supply chain managers will need to incorporate into their vessel tracking and related information management activities. Jan 02, 2014 http://www.portvision.com/news---events/press-releases---news/bid/365793/Prelude-the-World-s-Largest-Floating-Vessel

Automated mooring system on the St. Lawrence Seaway: Have you watched this video? It is quite interesting.

http://blog.cavotec.com/investors/moormaster/ MoorMaster™ is already in use at the Seaway and in this video you can see how the specially designed units hold vessels securely through variations in water level of up to 14m. The St. Lawrence is the world’s first inland waterway to introduce automated mooring. MoorMaster™ is a vacuum-based automated mooring technology that eliminates the need for conventional mooring lines. Remote controlled vacuum pads recessed in, or mounted on the quayside or pontoons, moor and release vessels in seconds. The system holds the vessels securely during mooring operations in wind speeds of over 70 kilometres per hour and improves safety for those on board and onshore. Since its introduction in 1998, MoorMaster™ has performed some 80,000 mooring operations at passenger ferry, bulk and container handling, Ro-Ro and lock applications all over the world. Under the terms of the agreement with the St. Lawrence Seaway, Cavotec will manufacture and deliver 39 MoorMaster™ MM400L (Lock) units for 13 locks, and related rail structures on which the units will be mounted. Cavotec engineers will also oversee delivery, installation and commissioning of the units. Deliveries are scheduled to run until the end of 2016. The order includes servicing, installation and commissioning of the systems. “With the implementation of Cavotec's equipment, we are looking forward to welcoming more Seaway sized vessels from the world’s fleet, as vessel operators will no longer need to equip their ships with certain Seaway specific fittings. Considered to be one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century, the 3,700km-long Seaway is made up of 15 locks, two in the US and 13 in Canada. It forms an essential trade link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes at the heart of North America. SLSMC Market Development Director Bruce Hodgson said that, with the implementation of Cavotec’s equipment, the company is looking forward to welcoming more Seaway-sized vessels from the world’s fleet, as vessel operators will no longer need to equip their ships with Seaway-specific fittings. “This will increase our access to the global fleet. Easing access to the Seaway carries the prospect of bringing more tonnage into our locks,” Hodgson said. http://www.canadiansailings.ca/?p=8206 March 20th, 2014 Of Pirates, Rovers and Thieves: Clad in history and lore, marine insurance policy language reeks of the oakum and tar from the ships it was written for. Few documents in common usage today can claim the deep roots and historical underpinnings of the Canadian Hulls Pacific (CHP) Clauses we see in many marine insurance policies on our Pacific Coast. This article is an attempt to take a lighter look at some of the historically rich terms in the opening clause of CHP and hopefully provide a little insight on what brought them to be. The language of the opening clause cannot be improved upon, and states, Touching the Adventures and Perils, which we, the Underwriters, are contented to bear and take upon us, they are of the Seas, Men-of-War, Fire, Enemies, Pirates, Rovers, Thieves, Jettisons, Letters of Mart and Counter-Mart, Surprisals, Taking at Sea, Arrests, Restraints and Detainments of all Kings, Princes and Peoples, of what Nation, condition or quality soever, Barratry of the Master and Mariners and of all other like Perils, Losses and

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Misfortunes that have or shall come to the Hurt, Detriment or Damage to the subject matter insured (hereinafter the “Vessel”) or any part thereof; excepting, however such of the foregoing Perils as may be excluded by provisions elsewhere in these clauses or by endorsement. The clause is largely similar to its counterpart in Lloyd’s of London’s early Ship and Goods policy originally adopted in 1779, which used terms of coverage dating back to the 16th century. This list of enumerated perils begins with the common and ever present “Perils … of the seas”. For any action to fall within the definition of a peril of the seas, it must be truly “of the seas” and must arise due to some fortuity. Misfortunes that may occur on dry land are not perils of the seas, nor are the ordinary actions of the wind and waves. To meet the grade of fortuity, an action must be something that might happen, not something that must. Common examples include vessel damage arising from the action of unusually heavy weather or from grounding due to negligent navigation. The question of what does and does not constitute a peril of the seas has been debated since the beginning of marine insurance policies and an interesting early case bears mentioning. In about 1869, two members of a crew went ashore to secure a line for mooring the ship and were snatched up by a press gang before they could accomplish the task. In consequence the ship was driven aground. The loss was held to be one of the perils of the seas presumably due to the grounding being “of the seas” and the failure to secure the mooring lines being the fortuity. Fire needs no explanation beyond that it has always been a very serious peril for mariners. It is difficult to distinguish between Pirates and Rovers, although there is a suggestion that Pirates lie in wait for their victims while Rovers sail the high seas seeking their prey. Although antiquated in origin and thankfully not prevalent in our local waters, Pirates remain very real and present risks for international shipping. Interestingly, “Pirates”, include passengers who mutiny and rioters who attack a ship from shore. Thieves are generally considered those assailing the vessel from without with some use of force against the vessel in the process of their thievery. The term excludes theft by members of the ship’s company – prevention of which is historically held to be Master’s responsibility and failing to do so, an act of negligence. Jettisons are actions of sacrifice undertaken in the interest of saving ship and/or cargo. A voluntary tossing overboard of cargo to save a foundering ship is a classic example. Barratry of the Master and Mariners is a wonderfully colourful term that appeared in early 16th century Florentine policies. It encompasses every wrongful act wilfully committed by the Master or crew to the prejudice of the vessel owner. It includes cheating or defrauding the vessel owner without his consent and with resulting loss or damage to the insured vessel. For the most part the remaining terms in the opening clause fall under war related perils that are excluded from cover in modern non-war risk policies. Nevertheless, there are great terms here that deserve comment. Men-of-War are naval fighting craft including warships, torpedoes, submarines, aircraft etc. Letters of Mart and Counter Mart were letters issued by a head of state authorizing a private vessel to retaliate against an enemy in order to recompense themselves for losses suffered at the hands of an enemy. This practice of Privateering was for the most part ended by the Treaty of Paris in 1856, but hey, you never know…. The opening clause ends with the required caveat that any of the perils may be excluded from cover later in the clauses or by endorsement. The CHP Clauses go on of course, with concepts of general average, salvage, sue and labour, collision etc. – all fascinating in their own right – but topics for another time. Until then, stay clear of the press gangs. This article is by no means meant as a comment on the coverage provided by any particular insurance policy, for that, readers should seek the advice of their insurer. Lee Varseveld, General Manager of the Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Mutual Marine Insurance Company, Burnaby, BC. Western Mariner. April 2014 www.westernmariner.com Sterling’s Philosophy: To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea…cruising it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about. “I’ve always wanted to sail to the South Seas but I can’t afford it.” What these men can’t afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in a cancerous discipline of security. And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine – and before we know it our lives are gone. What does a man need – really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in – and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That’s all, in the material sense, as we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages,

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preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by, the dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be – bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life? Sterling Hayden, from his autobiography, “Wanderer.” (ISBN13: 9781574090482) Submitted by Captain Joachim Ruether MNI. Vancouver Division. The Barque 'Lynwood' Chronometer rescued from the shipwreck on Pratas Shoal, Strait of Formosa, 16th February 1896: The Maritimes Division was very pleased to assist in the purchase of this historic chronometer for the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. In the late 1880's, 1890's the sailing vessels trading between North America and Europe were being pushed out because of the development of steamships. A lot of the sailing vessels owned and built in the Atlantic Provinces were heavily involved in the transport of 'case oil' from the US to Europe and by 1890, the first steam powered, steel hull oil tankers started carrying the oil in bulk! As a result of this change in trading patterns, the sailing vessels were forced to start trading further afield, which leads us to the story of why the Barque "Lynwood" of Windsor, Nova Scotia, part of the Bennett Smith fleet sailing out of the Minas Basin, NS, was trading in the far east. The "Lynwood", under the command of Captain John Ross had undertaken a very successful voyage from England to Australia and then loaded a cargo of 1933 tons of coal from Newcastle, NSW for Shanghai. However, there were some issues with a backload cargo there, which Capt. Ross had planned to load for New York. His Owners telegraphed him to leave Shanghai and sail in ballast to Manila as they were able to fix a cargo of hemp and sugar to go to the United States. While the "Lynwood" was in Shanghai, Captain Ross took the opportunity to have his chronometer rated at C. Ismer & Co of Shanghai the local nautical suppliers office. He was issued a certificate that indicated that the chronometer was 1 minute 58 seconds Slow! Not bad for 1896. According to the Findings of the Court of Inquiry, held at the Harbour Master’s Office in Victoria, Hong Kong on the March 5th, 1896: Quote: We find the that the British Barque "Lynwood" (80,035) of Windsor, N.S., of which John A. Ross was Master, whose certificate of competency as Master is number 2003, Canada, left Shanghai in ballast for Manila on 10th February last. Fresh northerly and north-easterly winds with rain and overcast weather were experienced after leaving the Saddles, and on the morning of the 16th, at 1.30 am, the ship struck on the N.E. edge of the Pratas Shoal, and was afterwards abandoned; the master and crew taking to the boats, were later picked up first by the Russian ship of war 'Vladimir Monomach," and afterwards by the German steamer "Cassius," which later brought them to Hong Kong. Having carefully considered the evidence of the Master and first mate, the Court is of the opinion that the ship was navigated in a proper seamanlike manner, though it would seem that if an additional compass had been placed on deck as a standard it might have assisted towards a more efficient navigation of the ship. The cause of the casualty appears to have been that the distance run in the S.W. course through the Formosa Straits was under-estimated, placing the ship more westerly than her supposed position when the ship course was altered to S. by E., but the patent log was carefully used, and due allowance appears to have been made for the current, drift, and heave of the sea. No observations of the sun or stars were possible during the voyage, and the position of the ship was depending on dead reckoning only.

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After the casualty everything was done in that proper seamanship suggested, and the ship does not appear to have been prematurely abandoned. Under the circumstances the Court sees no reason to deal with the certificates of the Captain and first mate. Given under our hands at Hong Kong this 5th day of March 1896. The Court consisted of Commander R. Murray Rumsey, RN, President of the Court, Commander Arnot Henderson, RN, of HM's "Immortalite", J, Willamson, Master Br s.s. "Chow Fa", W.J. Dermody, Master Br, bk "Highland Forest", T.R. Galswothy, Master, Br, s.s. "Sui Sang". The back story is that Captain Ross and his 20 man crew spent two days and two nights in open boats in the wet and windy Strait of Formosa before being rescued by the Russian ship of war, they were transferred to the German steamer "Cassius" and taken to Hong Kong. After the Court of Inquiry they eventually made their way back to Nova Scotia via Le Havre, France and Southampton, U.K., all the time with the Smith Company chronometer he had managed to rescue from the wreck as they were abandoning ship. Captain Ross returned the chronometer to Mr. Smith in Windsor but was never able to get another command in Nova Scotia, but he did sail on other ships. (Some things never change!) Finally, the Russian cruiser, the "Vladimir Monomach" was sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy at the battle of the Strait of Tsushima on 27-29th May 1905. The Strait of Tsushima is on the eastern side of the Korea Strait, between Japan and the island of Tsushima. The Imperial Japanese Navy's Admiral Togo was waiting for the Russian fleet in Busan, Korea. At the time Korea was a Province of Japan along with Taiwan until 1945. We had a very pleasant evening at the unveiling of "Lynwood" chronometer and an interesting presentation by Dan Conlin, curator on the Museum on February 18th, 118 years after the stranding of the "Lynwood". The Division received recognition for its support of special projects for the museum through the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation. Captain Patrick (Rick) Gates, MNI, MM, Master, Maritimes Division, CMMC. Watch a cruise ship being cut in half and extended by 30m: The Fred. Olsen Cruise Line ship Braemar was extended by 30 metres at the German shipyard of Blomn+Voss. See how the welding cut is done in this time-lapse video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QirVr-pEVU4 All washed up: Given the Pacific Rim’s dense population and crowded shipping routes, it’s not surprising that

goods get lost at sea. What is perhaps more surprising are which items survived the churning waves. Here are a few peculiar items, from near and far, that beachcombers have stumbled upon in British Columbia. Canon camera: Markus Thompson was working on an underwater biological survey in Vancouver Island’s Deep Bay in 2011 when he came across this waterlogged and corroded Canon EOS1000D SLR. Amazingly 50 image files had survived. With the help of social media, Thompson managed to find the owners, a family from Delta, B.C., who had dropped the camera in the bay more than a year prior. (For the complete story go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-

2067469/Google-helps-camera-owner-Markus-Thompson-British-Columbia-Canon-EOS-1000D.html)

Motorcycle: In April 2012, Peter Mark of Masset in Haida Gwaii found a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a remote beach. It had floated across the Pacific in the back cube of a moving truck and was one of the first significant pieces of debris from the 2011 tsunami in Japan to hit our shores. The bike’s owner, once located, donated it to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. Tsunami debris continues to arrive; The Maritime Museum of BC has a Facebook page for monitoring the finds. The container also contained a set of golf clubs, which Mark managed to salvage. The rest of the items, including camping equipment, tent

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poles and tools, were just a “ball of rust.” More can be seen at: - http://www.theprovince.com/news/Japanese%2Bowner%2BHarley%2BDavidson%2Bthat%2Bwashed%2Bshore%2Bidentified/6548260/story.html

Humboldt Squid: Dosidicus gigas – the stuff of nightmares, with a body up to 2 metres long, a sharp beak, hooks in its suckers and cannibalistic tendencies – was first sighted near B.C. shores in 2004. In 2009 an estimated 500 of the beasts unexpectedly rolled up on to the sand near Tofino (hundreds of dead fish, mostly sardines, followed days later). Cause: unknown. The squid has not been seen in B.C. since. A story about this can be found at: -

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/squid-warning-on-vancouver-island-1.787795

Feet: In a discussion about strange things that have washed ashore, it’s hard to ignore the most macabre. A total of 10 human feet have been found on coastal beaches of southern B.C. since 2007. So far all but two have been identified.

Float toys and footwear: In 1990, 60,000+ Nike shoes spilled from a storm-lashed ship; eight months later they started appearing in North America. Many were salvageable and coastal residents held swap parties to find matches. Two years later a storm washed containers off another ship; one released 28,800 bathtub toys. Oceanographers tracked the dispersal of these and other spills and gained new insight into ocean currents.

Message in a bottle: It was like a scene from an old movie. While walking Tofino’s Schooner Cove in September 2013, Steve Thurber of Courtenay B.C. stumbled upon a bottle with a message tucked inside. The envelope is dated September 29th 1906 and is signed by Earl Willard, identified as a passenger on a ship travelling from San Francisco to Bellingham in Washington State. The rest of the note remains a mystery – Thurber is keeping his treasure sealed, for now. http://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/news/223636761.html Shanna Baker. British Columbia Magazine. Spring 2014. http://bcmag.ca/ Summary of Submission to Transport Canada’s External Independent Panel reviewing Canada’s preparedness for handling Hazardous and Noxious Substances: This Submission to the Expert Panel was made on behalf of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada and with approval of the CMMC Executive. The submission consists of 7 pages and identifies the background, existing preparedness, process for responding to an incident, regulatory outline, ship preparedness, likely causes of incidents and suggested means to be prepared for a response. IMO commenced work on Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) in 1984, with little success. In 1996 IMO developed the convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances at Sea. A HNS convention was developed. In 2009 the convention had not entered into force as insufficient States had ratified the convention. In 2010, IMO developed a Protocol for the HNS Convention, with the intent of removing some of the ‘stumbling blocks’ thereby enabling sufficient States to ratify and progress the HNS Convention. Canada is a signatory and is in the process of progressing the aims of the convention. Canada does not have a HNS Regime. Since 2004, Transport Canada has been the Lead Agency in respect to HNS. Transport Canada identified ship source spills were the principal interest, and the Panel elected to review only cargoes carried in bulk, mainly in the liquid bulk field. It is important that any ship source spill of HNS is dealt with in a timely manner, and that the response organisations are directed by a competent body. The United Kingdom has developed a system where a single person, Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) has the responsibility of overseeing any marine incident that calls for operational response from UK government agencies. A similar representative should be considered in Canada. In all cases where an incident develops into an Emergency, then a Unified Command structure is needed and that Unified Command must have the authority to act as it sees fit, with a call to any government agency or private operation.

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Because of the natures of the various HNS which may be in our waters, the responders must have the full information relating to the associated hazards, must have access to expertise in how to respond to the risk and be available at short notice to attend the site or Unified Command centre. The submission recognises that the most likely causes of a shipboard incident when the vessel is loaded would be collision (and allusion), grounding, heavy weather, fatigue fractures, fire and explosion and a deliberate act. Accidental spills are less likely to become emergency situations. It was identified that all of these causes could be either at a facility or at any location in Canadian waters. The Liability and Compensation Convention defines Hazardous and Noxious Substances, but does not define the words “Hazardous” and “Noxious.” The requirements for the carriage of these goods is identified to a major extent in the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code) and the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code). See also MARPOL Annex II. Classification certification permits the carriage of HNS goods that fall within the characteristics for which the ship was built, and prohibits others if they are not approved by the appropriate administration. Protection of Canadian waters from spills and incidents involving HNS in bulk needs further review to identify the hazards and risks, (chemical, physical, health and pollutant) associated with the substance. Response to an incident may require expertise from beyond the responding agent. It must be considered that a ship having an incident may be a foreign flag vessel, may be on “innocent passage” on a voyage originating and terminating in countries other than Canada, and may be requesting assistance from Canada. CMMC identified the following being as necessary to improve Canada’s response capability and reduce the likelihood of an incident in Canadian waters:

• Ships carrying HNS in bulk must meet the construction criteria outline above, be in sound condition and seaworthy to make transits in Canadian waters. All ships operating in Canadian Waters must be “vetted.” This vetting must meet a standard acceptable to TCMS or a Classification Society.

• Ships being loaded, discharging or carrying HNS must be provided with a full disclosure about the cargo they are carrying.

• All personnel aboard the vessel must have sufficient training to recognise the inherent hazard associated with the HNS and to respond to an incident. (IMO HTW; 17 to 21 Feb 2014)

• Incident response while alongside must be pre-planned with the loading/receiving facility before operations commence.

• In the event that an incident escalates into an Emergency situation, a Unified Command structure comes into effect. CMMC recommended that the SOSREP system in UK be considered as a pattern for Canada to adopt.

• Communications between ships and facilities must be available at all times in a common language. • The bridge must be sufficiently manned taking into account weather, close water navigation and fatigue.

Recognising also that additional Watchkeeping personnel may be required. In order to reduce the likelihood and magnification of an incident CMMC submits that the following should receive high priority:

• Places of Refuge must be designated on all seacoasts and inland waterways. • Hydrographic surveys must be undertaken to ascertain navigational hazards and improve the charting of all

areas of Canadian waters. • Canada must consider an age limit for vessels carrying HNS in Canadian waters. • Responders must be available to respond to an Emergency in any area of Canadian waters.

CMMC asks that, with existing legislation in place (IMDG, IGC Code, IBC Code, MARPOL, Liability and Compensation Code, regulations under CSA 2001, and various environmental regulations), rather than developing new legislation, can this existing legislation be amended to take into account all information relating to HNS, thereby eliminating the need for additional, and possibly of conflicting, legislation.

Captain Peter Turner. Fundy Division. Hitching A Ride On The World's Biggest Cargo Ship: I started my journey at the famed Gdansk Shipyard, home of Poland's solidarity movement in the 1980s. It was nearly midnight when I arrived and saw for the first time the Maersk McKinney Moller, the world's largest container ship. I simply wasn't prepared for just how massive it is. The whole ship really can't be taken in, even standing at a distance, so I gave my neck a good stretch by scanning this behemoth end to end, and up and down. That sense of scale was reinforced when I walked up the ship's steep gangway with Mikkel Linnet, a communications officer with Maersk. The ship's third officer, Siddhesh Naik, joked that most visitors ask where the elevator is because you need to climb two floors just to get to the main deck. Everything about this ship is big. Each link, or lug, in its anchor chain weighs about 500 pounds. It can carry more than 2 million bicycles or more than 100 million pairs of shoes.

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It sits 240 feet high, roughly the same as a 20-story building. It's 1,300 feet long, or a quarter of a mile, and 200 feet wide. It can hold more than 18,000 of the standard 20-foot containers — about double what many other megaships can carry. If you put each container end to end, the line would stretch for about 70 miles. And that's why we were already delayed by 12 hours. It was taking longer than expected for Polish longshoremen to finish loading and lashing down the thousands of containers carrying anything from electronic goods to furniture. Throughout the night I could hear the gigantic cranes hoist up containers — many weighing up to 25 tons — and stack them on this massive vessel. The size of the Maersk McKinney Moller can also present challenges getting in and out of port. As we left Gdansk, the Danish Captain, Jes Meinertz, sipped coffee and watched a Polish pilot deftly manoeuvre the ship around three nearby piers and into the open waters of the Baltic Sea. The Maersk McKinney Moller was just launched last summer and is the first of a new class of megaships known as the Triple E. The vessel has that new car feel to it. Everything is clean and bright, and the crew is still familiarizing itself with all of the new bells and levers and whistles. The ship was built to shuttle between Asia and northern Europe, the world's busiest trade route. No U.S. port can yet handle a ship this size. Several European ports improved their facilities, dredging their waterways and upgrading the size of their cranes in order to unload containers from this superwide vessel. Meinertz says the Chinese are constructing new terminals at an amazing rate. "They are just building more and more terminals, bigger and bigger terminals. You have so much more gear available when you come alongside than in some of the European ports," he says. It was in 2010 — during the global recession — that Maersk Lines made the decision to create this new class of megaship. Michael Heimann, senior portfolio manager at Maersk Line, was part of the development team. He says the challenge was coming up with a design that was at least 30% more efficient than other big container ships. They needed to think "in different ways than what we had seen in ship design before," he says. Heimann says Maersk made changes to the ship's engine size and its propellers, and it improved ways to capture energy to more efficiently power the vessel. The ship moves 2 to 3 knots slower than others, which cuts both CO2 emissions and fuel costs — the ship's biggest expense — by at least half. Maersk also made fundamental changes to the shape of the vessel in order to get as many containers on board as possible. It's economy of scale, Heimann says. "Obviously, the more containers that we can put on, the more containers that have to split the cost of the fuel on," he says. Richard Meade with Lloyds List, a shipping industry news provider, says that's a great argument, but only if the ship is fully loaded. "A ship like the Maersk McKinney Moller is a fantastic advance for the industry, as long as it is full. If it is half-empty, it is probably one of the most inefficient ships ever built," Meade says. "That is the great gamble." It's a gamble Maersk is willing to make, based on the belief that global trade will bounce back from the recession. The company ordered 20 Triple E vessels from South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo at $185 million apiece. Half a dozen of the ships are already on the water. Other shipping companies have also placed orders for similar-sized vessels. Stephen Schueler, chief commercial officer for Maersk Line, says it's starting to see the ships fill up. "We're very encouraged by the utilization, or the vessels being full," Schueler says. "In this year so far, I would say we are almost completely full." On my second night on board, we headed into Danish waters. My jet lag prevented sleep, so I wandered around the ship. The massive containers stacked on deck were silhouetted by moonlight. I felt like a speck standing next to them. I walked onto the bridge, where the glow of the instrument panels cut through the darkness. After a few moments, I could see a horizontal chain of lights just ahead. It was Denmark's Great Belt Bridge. I could feel myself duck as we went under it. There was only a 20-foot clearance between the top of the ship and the bottom of the bridge. Within hours, we reached the port of Aarhus, Denmark, where I got off the ship. I walked down the long gangplank then onto the pier, taking one long last look at the Maersk McKinney Moller, a ship in a class of its own. http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/03/13/289073488/hitching-a-ride-on-the-worlds-biggest-cargo-ship Jackie Northam March 13, 2014

NPR's Jackie Northam on the Maersk McKinney Moller.

Poor Container Packing Costing Industry Millions: Analysis by specialist transport and logistics insurer TT Club has revealed that as many as two thirds of accidents that involve the loss of, or damage to, containerised cargo are thought to be caused by poor or improper packing and securing. Such a finding is echoed by the ocean carriers’ Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS), where a third of incidents investigated were found to have this cause. The

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loss to the industry is substantial, resulting in direct expense, operational disruption and management distraction, not to mention litigation or insurance costs. The TT Club’s claims history is strewn with incidents that indicate inadequate awareness of the dynamic forces that can be encountered during intermodal transport, in addition to lack of consideration of the consequences of

inappropriate load distribution within the CTU. However, since the modern container typically passes through so many handling processes during its journey, it can be difficult to pinpoint liability for an incident, even where poor packing is suspected. “It is no surprise that the correct packing of containers is high on the agenda for industry bodies, regulators and insurers, as the consequences of unsafe and badly secured cargo are serious. It is important to take account not only of financial losses but also in too many cases serious bodily injury to operators, and even death”, says TT Club’s Risk Management Director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox. “Increased levels of training to maintain and improve the expertise of those employed by shippers, consolidators, warehouses and depots to pack containers and other transport units is now essential”, he continues. “This is why TT Club has commissioned the expert e-learning course designer Exis

Technologies to develop the CTUpack e-learning™ course” The CTUpack e-learning™ course is an online training tool for those involved in the packing and unpacking of cargo transport units (CTU), comprising freight containers, swap bodies, trailers and suchlike used in intermodal transport. The first release of CTUpack is a foundation level course, which is being launched today. The course modules focus on the topics of cargo, transport, packing and arrival. There are lessons on the issues most relevant to container packers, including forces and stresses encountered during transport, and how these need careful consideration when packing and securing cargo in a CTU. Students are assessed continuously through the course and receive a course completion certificate, which records their final score. The e-learning course is accessed via the web and is available for individual training or for national, regional or global company training programs. Multiple courses are managed using Exis Technologies’ e-learning management system, which provides administrator functions for setting up courses and monitoring students’ records. The aim of the course is to focus industry attention on the significant and dangerous implications of bad packing and provide guidance consistent with current good practice. The course takes account of the recent revisions to the ILO/IMO/UNECE* Guidelines, anticipated to be approved as a non-mandatory, but enforceable, Code of Practice later this year. The CTUpack e-learning™ will evolve to reflect any further changes to the UN documents and other industry good practice guidance. Storrs-Fox concludes, “CTUpack e-learning follows the well-established IMDG Code e-learning training course from Exis, which is also sponsored by TT Club. Both courses fit closely with the risk management approach that the Club has always fostered among the global freight transport community. As in other operational sectors of the industry, training is clearly the number one loss prevention measure and, if adopted as a core feature of the operator's culture, can greatly reduce the number of incidents incurred globally each year throughout the industry.” CTUpack e-learning™ can be purchased directly from www.ctupack.com. There are discounts for courses purchased in quantity. Source: TT Club. Feb 1st 2014 http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/News.aspx?ElementId=86301542-08f4-42a9-9724-0226cc753210

Watchkeeper: Wanted – cargo-lashing innovation! The biggest containerships are now worth about US$150 million as they emerge from the shipyard, while it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that on a fully laden voyage they might be carrying up to US$1 billion’s worth of cargo. A great deal of that cargo is carried on deck, up to 9 or 10 high containers, which is about the limit that container strength will support. But lashing technologies have barely changed since the first or second generation containerships, which probably carried the majority of their cargo underdeck, with boxes stowed no more than two or three high on deck. Lloyd’s Register’s containership expert David Tozer, speaking recently in London, suggested that it was high time more thought was given to the development of a better system of lashing containers on deck. Present lashing technologies, he said, were “lousy”. Like many areas, it may be that the lashing systems for cargo have simply been overtaken by the extrapolation of containership sizes, with a great amount of attention paid to the speedy handling

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of cargo in the terminals, but with a residual dependence on traditional systems of cargo securing, using heavy rods and cargo turnbuckles, along with twistlocks. Lashing bridges may have been extended in height, but terminals do not like them too high on the grounds that they slow the cranes, so lashing gangs, and indeed ship’s crew, are required to work at greater heights than ever before. Mr. Tozer noted that 50 people have died in lashing accidents, while more have been injured. Problems with lashing cause delays and disputes in port. The International Cargo Handling Co-ordination Association (ICHCA) Journal illustrates, in its current issue, complaints from terminals and stevedoring companies in which ships were arriving at their terminal with the lashing bridges and crossways between container stacks dangerously congested, with lashing bars just strewn about from a previous port. ICHCA suggests that time pressures, with tight schedules and with ships required to sail just as soon as cargo has finished, and small crews which find it difficult to cope, all contribute to some of these problems. Others suggest that poor ship design, with insufficient room between the stacks, are also responsible. It is pointed out that the new Annex 14 of the Cargo Stowage and Securing Code will require lashing bar trays or racks to be conveniently positioned close to where they are needed. But there is still this overarching problem of manually handling heavy steel bars, at considerable heights, to secure containers ready for sea and to remove them before the discharge can commence. Twistlock design might have been improved, but there remains the residual problem of binding the components of a stack together, in a class of ship that often suffers from an excess of stability and is prone to roll in heavy weather. One might suggest that this is a problem that equipment designers ought to be seriously considering, with some radical new solution, which would both eliminate risk and remove possibly the last productivity handicap aboard these amazingly productive ships. Articles written by the Watchkeeper and other outside contributors do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of BIMCO. 02.04.14 https://www.bimco.org/news/2014/04/02_watchkeeper_week_14.aspx British Maritime Industry – does sea blindness actually exist? Since I started work in the industry almost 5 years ago, almost every communications-based conversation I’ve had has touched upon the same problem - Sea blindness. So the concern goes, we are a maritime nation that has forgotten one of its prize industries. Its people no longer respect, remember or are engaged with its reliance on the sea. If this is true, then it’s for many reasons. Principally, the industry failed to move with the times on communications. Whilst at the cutting edge of technology and business practice, shipping has often lagged behind in its engagement with the media and other stakeholders. Whilst manufacturing, aviation and other major industries accepted that the world was changing, and that media coverage was a necessary tactic for gaining political influence, shipping was cautious, even nervous about promoting itself as a voice of British business. As a result, our status in the minds of the public dropped, and we disappeared from view. But things are changing. Last week Adrian Edmondson launched a new programme on ITV – ‘Ade at sea’ http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-packs/ade-sea#.U1QrtChq6tg. It’s an excellent series focused on a range of

maritime industries and highlighting their importance, both to our economy and our culture. It is the latest in a spate of prime-time documentaries. “Britain and the Sea” presented by David Dimbleby, “Coast” by Neil Oliver and Ross Kemp’s “In Search of Pirates” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1bgJFB-uvc have all pulled in millions of viewers over the last few years. BBC 4’s critically acclaimed “Shipwrecks” programme http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01mjn1k was one of the channel's best viewed shows of 2013 and, whilst focusing on historic issues, it regularly highlighted the importance of today’s maritime industry quoting our own Oxford Economics statistics. P&O Ferries featured in the BBC documentary “The Choir” – and again, whilst its focus was on other matters, the programme was littered with informative references to our industry. Just last month, the Today Programme presenter Evan Davis spent an episode of his

documentary ‘Mind the Gap’ in the new Thames Gateway port, talking about maritime trade. The long-standing claim of ‘sea blindness’ has also been used to complain about the traditional lack of focus given to the industry by politicians. But this week, the Chancellor made a widely covered speech from the port of Tilbury, and has recently made reference to the UK Chamber’s work in Scotland. Last year the UK Chamber organised, with the DfT, a summit of shipping leaders with the Prime Minister in Downing Street. Even the Liberal Democrats have got in on the act, with its European Elections Party Political Broadcast this year showing the importance of shipping to our trading economy. So we could legitimately ask, is the country really all that ‘sea blind’, or do we as an industry too often use it as an excuse for not promoting ourselves more vigorously? With London International Shipping Week gaining the active attention of the Prime Minister and the Mayor of London, and with us having a ‘strategic partnership’ with Government (something virtually no other industry has) the chamber’s political influence is growing rapidly. We’re now turning that influence into media coverage too. In February and March 2014, the UK Chamber has had 13 pieces of coverage in the national media – compared to just 3 in the same

“From the Bridge” May 2014 www.mastermariners.ca

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period last year. This increase has been driven because we are now speaking more loudly on the macro-political issues that affect us; Scotland, Europe, the economy, employment, global trade and others. In recent weeks I’ve been meeting with a number of senior journalists from national newspapers. I can tell you, they’re crying out to hear from us. Not just the UK Chamber, but you in the membership. As one political correspondent from the Telegraph said to me last week – ‘shipping companies are so important, but we never hear from them on the big issues’. I would argue that sea blindness does not really exist. There remains an inherent maritime interest in this country – we just haven’t exploited it well enough in the past. So things are changing. We’re proving that stronger communications can have a direct benefit for the industry. But we need to go further. This year the UK Chamber communications team will be seeking to work more closely than ever with its members to capitalise on the gains we have already made. We plan to host a meeting of communications professionals from within the membership to deliver new ideas for how we can collectively raise our profile further. Jonathan Roberts. Head of Communications. UK Chamber of Shipping. April 2nd 2014. http://www.ukchamberofshipping.com/news/2014/04/02/blog-post-does-seablindness-actually-exist/ The Maritimes Division recently held another successful Arctic Seminar. The aim of the Seminar was to investigate the progress of development in the Canadian Arctic and the needs to support an expanded shipping season for cruise ships, resource extraction and the potential traffic using the North-West Passage as a shorter shipping route. The Seminar considered the resources in place for Search and Rescue, Oil Pollution Response, Ice-breaking, Ice-navigator services, re-fuelling, ship repair and places of refuge. Discussions considered the requirements for investments in infrastructure and regulatory regimes to protect seafarers, the fishery and the sensitive environment, resources and communities.

All of the presentations to the “Arctic Seminar #4” have been posted at: - http://www.mastermariners.ca/maritimes/conferences.php.

The 40th Annual General Assembly of the International Federation of Shipmaster’s Associations (IFSMA) will be held in Sandefjord, Norway on June 5 & 6, 2 the Fundy Division will attend to represent the Company. http://www.ifsma.org/

The Captain G.O. Baugh Memorial Fund: Information about this year’s Scholarships (2 x $1,000.00) has been sent to Nautical Colleges across the country and is also posted on the Company’s website. If

you know of anyone who is eligible to apply for these Scholarships please encourage them to do so.

The 47th Annual General Meeting of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada

is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2014 in Brampton, ON. Location: Best Western Plus Brampton, 30 Clark Boulevard, Brampton, ON - L6W 1X3

http://bestwesternontario.com/hotels/best-western-plus-brampton Reservations Desk: 1-888-253-1628

Ideally situated off highways 410, 407, 401 and 403 at Clark Boulevard, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Brampton, ON hotel is just 15 minutes from both downtown Toronto and Pearson International Airport. Full details about the AGM will appear in a special edition of the FTB early in August.

That completes this edition of “From the Bridge”. The February edition made reference to the never-ending winter in much of Canada. Looking at the national weather for today, May 19th, it appears that winter

has now been replaced by spring, albeit quite wet in places, and summer is not too far away.

The next regular edition of “From the Bridge” is scheduled for late in August. Do you have anything for me to use in that edition? If so, please send it to me at whitknit@telus.net or by regular mail to my new address: -

509 – 15111 Russell Avenue, White Rock, B.C. V4B 2P4. The deadline for that edition is August 16th 2014. Have a great summer! Sincerely David Whitaker FNI.