Sulzer Pumps Launches New Pump Performance Expert Service that Reduces Total Cost of Ownership in the Pulp and Paper Industry

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Dozens of Cars Slide Off Ship in Heavy Seas [VIDEO]

For those of you who are considering shipping your vehicle by sea, make sure it’s secured to the ship before the ship leaves port. Apparently it doesn’t hurt to ask… This may be old video  but very usefull for passengers  who makes their  vehicles travel via ship.

Four dead after Australia-bound asylum boat sinks

At least four people have died after a boat carrying Australia-bound asylum-seekers sank, amid ongoing debate over the new policy.

The boat sank off the Indonesian island of Java, the transit point for people-smugglers.

At least 157 people have been rescued. It is not clear how many are missing.

Meanwhile, Australia's immigration minister said he would investigate abuse claims at the country's offshore processing centre in Papua New Guinea.

How To Know If A Shipping Company Is Worth Working For?

Internet has made life so easy for all of us. Whether it’s shopping online or looking for a job from the comfort of your home, all the information is available at the press of a button. Today e-commerce sites offer lucrative discounts and an exhaustive detail of the products you desire to purchase. You also have the choice to read reviews about the services of an e-commerce website or the product of your liking which you intend to purchase. In other words, it is a well informed decision before you decide to hit the PAY button. Does the same criterion apply to maritime websites offering job opportunities?

There are hundreds of shipping companies advertising on maritime websites with attractive offers similar to those offered by online e-commerce websites. Other than their own fancy write-ups about themselves, you don’t get much feedback about the shipping company in the form of reviews from other seafarers who have already worked for them. So in spite of the large scale attrition some of these shipping companies with dubious backgrounds, these companies still manage to attract several seafarers to run their ships and businesses.

It is no great secret that the biggest anxiety of any seafarer on board is with regards to his wages. After a month’s hard work he expects his employers to fulfill their obligations of remitting his full monthly wages to his nominated bank account. Some seafarers are lucky to get their money in time, however, several unfortunate ones have to spend endless days and nights in deep anxiety when their wages are held back by their employers. With the recent downturn in shipping industry, the local unions and ITF data bases are full of complaints from seafarers against their employers for either  non-payment  of their wages or for not relieving them in time or both. Several other types of complaints being received monthly by ITF offices worldwide are mainly related to:

1. Poor working conditions on board.
2. Threats from senior officers or employers for carrying out illegal jobs.
3. Unsafe or unseaworthy ships.
4. Unhealthy or inadequate Food

and many others…..

Today it is hard to define which shipping company is good and which is bad. Each seafarer has his own criteria of judgement and job requirement. Mostly, seafarers rely on word-of-mouth publicity from fellow seafarers or are attracted by the fancy advertisements when it comes to selecting a shipping company. In some cases for their own dire needs, seafarers take the first available job only to regret later. The fact is that the seaman fraternity is the most disconnected lot and there is no website or forum or online blog which can guide them about the working conditions on board, before signing their contract of employment.

Most seafarers today are aware of Flag of Convenience Ships. These Flag of Convenience ships or simply FOC ships are prime targets of the ITF.  The worst ones have a bad history of crew problems and trouble with port authorities. Their heavily paid executives and agents lure seamen with sugar coated words and their true identity is revealed only after few days of the seaman landing up either in their office or joining their ship. These ship owners survive on coercion, blackmailing and threats to seamen. They hold back wages of seamen and refuse to relieve them whenever  a seaman complains of poor working conditions on board  Or  disobeys illegal orders  Or acts as a whistle blower.

The dearth of good quality ship crew has been in existence for a long time now and the situation will not change for some time due to premature retirement of ratings and officers due to thegrowing menace of piracy. Sometimes the shortage is so severe that a job is settled between a seaman and shipping company on the phone itself. More affluent shipping companies arrange for video conferences. Commitments are exchanged on phone but the gamble doesn’t always pay off.

There is a saying that “Precaution is better than the Cure” and if seafarers follow these basic rules, they can save a lot of headaches for themselves and their families when joining a new shipping company.

1. Get as much information about the company, its promoter and his reputation from as many sources as you can. Don’t just get attracted to the big label.
2. Get information on the manning agent/executive responsible for all your benefits. Sometimes a good company but a bad manning agent/executive can ruin your life and career.
3. Never agree for a telephonic job agreement and do not commit unless you have secured all necessary information about the company or the person interviewing you.
4. Never join without undergoing a proper medical examination. There have been cases when seamen have returned back home after few days due to unknown pre-existing illness and had to pay heavily for their repatriation.
5. Read your service terms and conditions carefully prior signing your contract and never agree to sign your contract either at the airport or on board.
6. Clear all your doubts prior joining rather than asking questions later from other officers and Master on board. It may be too late to ask then.
7. If you are carrying your family, cover them with an overseas medical policy as they are not covered by the company’s insurance.
8. Check the company policy on sailing in pirated water. Check if you have the rights to sign off with full repatriation benefits in case you refuse to sail to pirated waters of countries such as Somalia or Nigeria.
9. You may be going on board for a long contract. It is always a good idea to find out about the kind of crew welfare existing and provided by the ship owner/manager on board. Does it exist only on paper?
10. If you are joining a FOC ship. Check with your local union affiliated to ITF about your minimum assured wages, benefits and rights on that ship and a directory of ITF offices worldwide. You may even access the directory online.
11. If you are required to do any in house courses do not accept computerized signatures on certificates provided by the manning office as you could land into trouble with port authorities.
12. Ensure that monthly wages agreed on telephone or email is the same as that on the contract.

There will be several other things you may have on your mind like contractual allowances, food, victualing on board.  Rather than asking and troubling the master on board your ship, joining a ship with a clear mind with all required information under your belt, will save you from all the headaches which otherwise would arise as a result of  lack of information exchange with the employers prior to joining.

Remember seafaring today is a tough and difficult profession. Join a ship armed with information and knowledge. Trust me – it’s not worth gambling with your career and your life. 

Thanks to marine insight

All 24 hijacked crew members from MV Cotton were Released Now

Pirates have eventually freed the hijacked tanker ship and its 24 Indian crew members 

after it was hijacked off the Gabon coast a week ago, stated the ship's operator on 

Monday, in the most southerly attack yet off the coast of West Africa.

A surge in piracy in the area of Gulf of Guinea including waters off Nigeria, Africa's No. 

1 oil producer and a considerable source of cocoa and metals for world markets, is 

jacking up costs for shipping companies.

Pirates seized the MV Cotton tanker ship, sailing under the flag of Malta, on 15th of 

July, 2013 near Port Gentil in Gabon, in the 1st reported attack in that region in the 

past 5 years.

The Turkish operator of the tanker ship, Geden Lines, announced on Monday that the 

pirates had left the tanker ship in the early hours of the morning and its captain had 

resumed command.


"The vessel's captain has confirmed that all members of the 24 Indian crew are safe

 and in good condition," according to Geden Lines statement. "The tanker ship is now 

on her way to a secure port."

Unlike waters off the coast of East Africa, where vessels may move past at high speed

 with armed guards on board, a lot of ships have to anchor off West African coastal 

nations, with little protection, making them a soft target for criminals and pirates.

Death Penalty to 3 Somali Pirates for Killing 2 American couples

Three pirates from Somalia on trial in United States court for the hijacking and killing

 of 4 United States hostages could face the death penalty if found guilty by the

 Norfolk, Virginia court.

LNG Fueled Vessels

alternative to Diesel Strengthens as Barriers Continue to Fall.

From the earliest days of mechanically propelled ships, fuel use has been evolving.  Starting with wood, fuel changed to coal, which held sway for many years.  Oil began to be used in the late nineteenth century and was clearly the dominate marine fuel of the twentieth century.  Environmental shortcomings of fuel oil, particularly traditional heavy bunkers, were brought under increasing scrutiny as the twentieth century came to a close.  As air emission regulations became more strict and petroleum costs increased, ship owners and operators began searching for an alternative fuel.  Consideration may be given to non-fossil-fuels, but all have practical drawbacks.  Among the available fossil fuels, natural gas is the cleanest – and the price has been dropping in recent years.

1st Orders for the New Wärtsilä X62 Marine Diesel Engine

Wärtsilä has received its first two orders, a total of seven engines, for the Wärtsilä X62 2-stroke low speed engine.

photo courtesy wartsila

2 Missing, 2 Dead in Fatal Ukraine-Russia Collision at Sea

Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has summoned the acting Russian delegate over a fatal

 collision of Russian and Ukrainian ships in the Sea of Azov, stated the foreign

 ministry on Thursday.

A Russian Coast Guard vessel and a Ukrainian fishing boat collided in the Sea of Azov 

Wednesday evening, statements issued by Russian and Ukrainian maritime officials

 say.

Of the 5 people reportedly onboard the fishing boat, 1 was rescued, 2 are missing, and

 2 died, the Ukrainian police service stated on Thursday.

The Ukrainian fishing vessel had strayed out of Ukrainian waters and was in Russian

 coastal waters when the accident occurred with a Russian border service ship and

 sank, Ukrainian officials reported.

Spokesman for the Russian Coast Guard vessel told in a press release that the

 Russian ship was giving chase, guiding the Ukrainian fishing vessel out of a “closed 

zone” when the Ukrainian boat made a sudden change of course, turned toward the 

pursuing Russian border patrol, collided with it and eventually sank.

The foreign ministry of Ukraine issued a press release expressing concern over the

 Russian actions, labeling them “disproportionate” and summoned the Russian

 representation to the country over the collision.

Grigory Karasin, who is Russian Deputy Foreign Minister told in a telephone

 conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Demchenko, that Russia and

 Ukraine would jointly investigate the unfortunate accident.

Grigory Karasin added that the border services of both countries were currently 

taking measures to avert such accidents in the future.

Pirates attack chemical tanker off Togo

Pirates attacked the chemical tanker MT Ocean Centurion planning to take all

 valuables. The incident occurred off Togo and some of the crew members were

 injured. Maritime agency and the local authorities informed that the piracy is a threat 

for the shipping in West African waters.

Gulf of Guinea oil, cocoa and metals rich region, including the countries Nigeria, Togo,

 Ghana and Ivory Coast is not so protected by anti-piracy missions unlike other 

regions for example.

 

The pirates have used speedboats to board the MT Ocean Centurion tanker (flag

 Marshall Islands) near 5 nautical miles southeast of Togo's coastal capital Lome, took

 all money and possessions and left the vessel.

Local authorities have sent a naval patrol after a distress call following the attack. The

 chemical tanker is safe and escorted to the port of Lome.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) made an announcement about the incident 

not revealing the name of the vessel:


"On July 16, the robbers took two crew members and disembarked from the tanker 

with the rescue boat, taking along ship's cash, crew cash and personal belongings"

. "The crew were released later. Three crew members were injured during the 

incident."

Search and Rescue Underway off Christmas Island - 88 rescued, 8 missing

Rescue operation is underway following the capsizing of a ship on July 12, Friday

 night about 87 n.m. north of Christmas Island.

According to the initial reports received by the Rescue Coordination Centre Australia

 (RCC Australia) of Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) at nearly 9:15 a.m. 

UTC on Friday suggested the ship was in need of assistance.



Additional assistance was requested from Border Protection Command at 10:31 a.m. 

UTC to locate the ship and subsequently RCC Australia issued an urgency broadcast 

to shipping in the region at about 1:05 a.m. UTC.



An oil tanker ship responded to the broadcast and reported the ship was making way

. ACV Triton vessel was tasked to respond and arrived on scene at about 8 a.m. UTC

 on Friday and boarded the ship.

The ship capsized about 10:30 p.m. AEST. A total of 88 people have been safely

 rescued from the ship, there is 1 deceased and an estimated 8 people still missing.

A search of a 285 square nautical miles involving 2 contracted aircraft and a Defence

 P3 Orionbegan at first light. HMAS Bathurst and HMAS Albany remain in the zone and

 have been searching for the missing 8 people.

A Tanker with 20 crew members hijacked by Somali pirates

Pirates from Somalia struck again on Sunday by hijacking a Turkish-owned oil tanker ship off 

the western Africa coast.

The Malta-flagged tanker vessel, MV Cotton, with its crew of 20 Indian seafarers, was attacked 

near Port Gentil in Gabon. An official of the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the accident. 

According to the information 6 of the kidnapped seafarers are natives of Kolkata.



Captain Shishir Wahi, 54-year-old, took over the tanker ship’s command on 12th of July. “My 

father flew from Kolkata on 5th of July. We got confirmation about the hijacking from the 

shipping agencies around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday,” told the daughter of Wahi, Richa. “My father 

called us on Sunday. But late in the evening, I received an e-mail from my father stating that 

there had been a communication failure that would be rectified soon,” she said in addition.



Wahi's daughter, Richa added that there has been no news on the seafarers’ whereabouts. 

“The Somali pirates haven't made any ransom demand from the shipping company,” she told.




Owners of the hijacked tanker ship MV Cotton lost contact with the seafarers onboard late on 

Sunday. At the time of going to press, neither defence authorities nor the director-general of 

shipping could share information about the pirate attack.