MPA Singapore published a new circular regulating shore-based personnel boarding a vessel. The circular requires the owner, agent, or master to notify the Port Master in advance of any shore-based personnel expected to come onboard during the port stay in Singapore. The circular deals with personnel boarding the vessel in connection with for example repairs, surveys, and inspections. The boarding of bunker and ship supplies personnel does not need to be notified. Specifically, the owner, agent or master of the vessel must inform the Port Master three days before the arrival of the vessel, that the vessel will be conducting the activities mentioned in paragraph 1, and whether shore-based personnel (such as surveyors, P&I correspondents, superintendents and repair technicians) will be boarding the vessel at the anchorages or terminals. The following information shall be submitted: a. Name of vessel; b. Name of service provider; c. Purpose of boarding and scope of works; d. Full name and local contact number of shore-based personnel; e. The intended boarding date and time, with estimated duration on board; and f. The service provider’s Safe Management Measures (SMM), which must include details of safe distancing and precautionary measures for COVID-19 before boarding, when conducting work...

With respect to masters, the STCW Convention clarifies which requirements concerning previous certificate & seagoing service, education & training and age should be met for masters serving on ships of 3,000 gt or 500 — 3,000 gt or less than 500 gt and the table in the end summarizes all mentioned requirements.

In order to ensure ongoing compliance with MARPOL Annex I Regulation 37.2.4 and MARPOL Annex II Regulation 17.2.4, vessels should have access to a list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of pollution incident. The IMO is issuing every three months the updated list of national operational contact points for these shipboard pollution emergency plans.

Liberia Maritime Authority published a Marine Operations Note, reminding all shipowners and operators that from 2019, each ship of 5,000 gross tonnage and above should collect fuel consumption data for 2019 and each subsequent calendar year or portion thereof.

Compliance with 2020 sulphur cap is more than simply switching to a low sulphur fuel. HSFO, the fuel that was used so far but now will be inappropriate unless there are scrubbers installed, is primarily based on residual fuel and tends to adhere to the inside of fuel tanks. As such, a proper tank cleaning becomes necessary.

Navigation relies heavily to the Global Positioning System. This is because it is easy to use, accurate and reliable. However, GPS signals can be compromised by both natural and human sources. If that happens it can lead to inaccurate data or complete loss of GPS signal, North P&I Club informs.

The Liberian Registry describes an incident where a smoke alarm went off in the engine room of a vessel while on a trade route between Asia and North America. The investigation showed that a leaking steam near the smoke detector had caused the alarm to go off.

Taking into consideration how many stakeholders are involved in the trade process, we cannot help but wonder: How the efficient transfer from party to party is achieved?

Port-Liner is currently building the ‘Tesla ships; one more addition to the ongoing fuel transformation. The two giant all-electric barges will be ready by this autumn and will be inaugurated by sailing the Wilhelmina canal in the Netherlands.

During the IMO SDC 5, held on 22-23 January, amendments to SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-8 and supporting guidelines for safe mooring operations were discussed among other issues. The Sub-Committee agreed to these draft amendments, with a view to submission to MSC 101 for approval. The draft amendments will be forwarded to MSC once the various Guidelines have been finalized.