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Update on port operations in Durban and Richards Bay, South Africa
ALERT15 JUL 2021
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Local port operators have declared force majeure for the port of Durban whilst Richards Bay has resumed operations at reduced capacity.
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Continued piracy activity in Singapore Strait
ALERT13 JUL 2021
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The majority of all piracy and armed robbery incidents in Asia during the first half of 2021 occurred in the eastbound lane of the traffic separation scheme in the Singapore Strait, with bulk carriers the most frequently targeted ship type.
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Pilot on the bridge
ALERT06 JUL 2021
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A good working relationship with the pilot, effective Master Pilot Information Exchange at the start of the pilotage followed by well performing Bridge Resource Management during the pilotage passage, are important factors in a successful pilotage.
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Port state to focus on stability issues
ALERT01 JUL 2021
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Originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to COVID-19, this year’s joint inspection campaign by the Paris and Tokyo MoUs starts on 1 September 2021 and focuses on stability in general.
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Wellbeing and happiness – a sum of many things
ALERT25 JUN 2021
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The wellbeing and happiness of seafarers depend on a variety of factors and there is no single approach that can succeed on its own. Once on board, seafarers live in an ever present operational environment during their tour of duty. The operational nature of this environment makes it difficult to change it to better suit the individual. At the same time the environment makes it challenging for the shipowners to accommodate all factors supporting the wellbeing of their crew.
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Ensuring we will have more fish than plastic in the ocean
ALERT17 JUN 2021
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International conventions expressly prohibit the discharge of plastic into the sea, but plastic can still find its way into our oceans from careless handling on the vessel or mismanagement downstream and onshore.
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Bauxite liquefaction risk in Guyana
ALERT16 JUN 2021
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A vessel loading a cargo of “cement grade bauxite” at Linden in Guyana, arrived at the discharge port in the US with parts of the cargo consisting of fine particles showing significant signs of high moisture content.
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Failure or accidental release of the lifeboat hooks can be fatal
ALERT10 JUN 2021
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The first step to prevent an accidental release of the lifeboat hooks is to identify the potential failure points of the mechanism.
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Mind the oil transfer procedures in Ghana
ALERT09 JUN 2021
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One of Gard’s African correspondents, BUDD Group, warns ship operators of the consequences of not complying with Ghana’s procedures for the transfer of oil and other substances.
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It is time to inspect for Asian Gypsy Moth
LOSS PREVENTION CIRCULAR03 JUN 2021
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25 May is the beginning of this year’s Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) risk periods, the time of the year when vessels calling at certain ports in Asia Pacific will need to be inspected and certified free of AGM prior to their departure. There are indications that next year, the risk periods may begin even earlier.
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Soybean claims again on the rise
ALERT03 JUN 2021
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Gard’s correspondent, Proinde, reported in March that despite a slow start, the Brazilian soybean production this season is set for another record at 135.5 mmt accounting for more than 37% of the world production. The main destination for Brazilian soya beans is China accounting for over 65% of the shipments.
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Do not depart port without knowing the final cargo weight distribution
ALERT03 JUN 2021
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In the past there have been serious incidents where the car carriers have capsized as a result of inadequate stability. More concerning was the fact that the crew were also caught unaware. It has more to do with the way the shore side does the cargo planning and execution than the role of the crew, who play little or no part in this.
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Fumigant gasses leaking from cargo holds can have fatal consequences
ALERT28 MAY 2021
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Fumigation is done to target infestations in bulk cargoes like grain and timber. The most widely used fumigant is aluminium phosphide which produces phosphine gas that is poisonous to humans. There have been numerous fatalities onboard ships as a result of the crew having been exposed to the gas.
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“It’s not polite to point” – U.S. bans the use of laser pointers at sea
ALERT25 MAY 2021
New U.S. Coast Guard regulations banning the use of laser pointers or devices by vessel crews when the laser beam is used to strike a vessel operating in US navigable waters, have no exception for distress situations.
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A delayed response to a fire can be fatal for the fire team
ALERT20 MAY 2021
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Preventing a fire in the first place is always better than fighting it. However, in the unfortunate event of a fire, the aim is to extinguish it while it is in its “local” state, i.e. it should not have spread to other compartments or machinery/equipment. At the same time it is a very important consideration that the fire fighters must not be exposed to an unacceptable degree of risk. Response time is therefore critical.
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Take your own bunker samples - they are a vital piece of evidence
ALERT13 MAY 2021
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Bunker quality disputes are not uncommon. The parties often agree to jointly test a sample to determine if the fuel supplied was on-specification or not, and the result is binding on the parties. Even in the absence of an agreement, bunker samples will be relevant evidence that may help to resolve a dispute one way or another. The question then arises: which samples will be used for testing – the one taken on the bunker barge or the one from the receiving ship’s manifold?
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Preventing COVID-19 onboard
ALERT12 MAY 2021
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At a time when the number of COVID cases increases and many ports and countries operate with differing COVID-19 regulations, we encourage ship operators to review their crew change management plans, implement all relevant recommendations set out in the revised IMO supported protocols for crew changes and travel, and continue to promote compliance with proven health measures such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and use of masks.
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Reminder - Anchoring in Malaysian Waters off East Johor
ALERT27 APR 2021
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In the past few weeks, several vessels entered with Gard have been detained and fined by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency for anchoring in East Johor waters without the requisite permissions from the authorities.
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Beware of fishing vessels in Chinese waters
ALERT26 APR 2021
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The seasonal fishing ban in China comes into force on 1 May 2021. As the number of fishing vessels in Chinese waters is expected to increase in the period leading up to this date, ship operators and masters are advised to take additional precautions when planning a voyage to and from Chinese ports during this period.
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Prepare for tougher at-berth emissions reductions in California
ALERT15 APR 2021
California’s new regulation designed to further reduce pollution from vessels berthed at its ports is now in force. While compliance by visiting vessels is not required until 2023, the practices, procedures and equipment needed for compliance could be quite extensive and costly, and the preparatory work to ensure timely compliance should not be postponed.
- Most recent case study
- Overview of all case studies
- MARS reports from the Nautical Institute
Case studies for onboard safety meetings
- Ensuring we will have more fish than plastic in the ocean
- Wellbeing and happiness – a sum of many things
- Port state to focus on stability issues