In a significant number of collisions, we have found that most mariners do not reduce speed to avoid a collision. They are either in a hurry to attain sea speed after dropping the outbound pilot or reluctant to touch the telegraph to reduce the speed when navigating in areas with high traffic density. There could be many reasons for this reluctance, such as commercial pressures to maintain ETA, tides to catch, fear that engine would sustain damage, penalties on late arrival, and maintaining performance of the vessel in terms of ...

Three industry bodies have produced Revision 1 of their Recommended Minimum Safety Features for Quay Container Cranes. Experts from international freight transport insurers, TT Club, together with cargo handling industry experts ICHCA and PEMA recommend minimum standard safety features to promote safety. The ‘Recommended Minimum Safety Features for Quay Container Cranes’ document has been updated and Revision 1 now available. Published jointly by property, equipment and liability insurance provider TT Club, the Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA) and ICHCA International, the recommendations update the original document published in 2011. Born ...

Directors of North P&I Club have decided to set a general increase of 7.5% on P&I and FD&D premiums for the 2020/21 Policy Year. The increase is considered necessary to maintain the Club’s financial strength and stability in a climate of rising International Group Pool claims and premium erosion. According to North’s Chairman, Pratap Shirke, “The marine insurance landscape has been challenging, and during this time we have persisted with our strategy of preserving a balance between reliable financial management and our desire for controlled growth. However, the Club has ...

Containers tumbling into the sea, environmental damage – with reports of navigational error a seeming fact of life The Swedish Club has launched a new edition of Navigational Claims, which aims to provide an insight into the causes of these incidents and offers comprehensive loss prevention advice in order to avoid them. The Swedish Club’s Loss Prevention team has reviewed its claims history, using its comprehensive bank of statistics to publish an insight into the latest trends, provide detailed case studies, highlight relevant International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea ...

80% of plastic originating from rivers stems from 1,000 rivers alone and these are the arteries that carry waste from land to the ocean. To rid the oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup is not only aiming to clean up the plastic already in the oceans, but also to prevent further plastic from reaching the ocean. Last year, Gard provided P&I insurance for The Ocean Cleanup’s first cleanup system inside the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, System 001, also known as WILSON. We are delighted to continue our support for The ...

Ballast water is of crucial importance to the safe operation of ships by reducing hull stress, maintaining stability and improving propulsion and maneuvrability. However, ships’ ballast water may also contain alien marine organisms which establish themselves in the host environment, threatening the survival of many native species and creating a public health hazard in surrounding communities. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), “the spread of invasive species is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to the ecological and the economic well-being of the planet”. Global recognition of ...

As part of its 150th Anniversary, the UK P&I Club, a leading provider of P&I insurance and other services to the international shipping community, has published a commemorative book for its ‘Investing in a Safer Tomorrow’ global maritime competition. The competition, with a prize fund of $50,000, challenged students and those entering the maritime industry to develop innovative, industry-changing ideas with a focus on improving safety at sea. Having received an impressive 222 entries, from pilot ladder designs to cargo temperature monitoring, initiatives improving mental health and crew tracking devices, ...

At its meeting in New York earlier today, your Board reviewed the American Club’s present and prospective circumstances by reference to a variety of factors. Specifically, they examined the development of closed and open policy years and made important decisions in regard to the levying of supplementary calls for, and the closure of, 2016 and 2017, release call margins in respect of the latter and subsequent years, and premium requirements for the 2020 policy year. The remainder of this Circular describes the issues discussed by your Board, and the determinations ...

Type 2 diabetes – a growing global health threat that puts seafarers at risk Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone, that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the blood stream into the cells in the body to produce energy. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose get ...

It is perhaps surprisingly common for things to go wrong in the processes around berthing ships, particularly in terms of manoeuvring in the port area and mooring. Aimed at the ship/port interface, read on to understand TT Club’s experience and ways to mitigate the risks. The operations involved in berthing ships are highly dependent on human interaction and many incidents have their root cause in this fact. When things go wrong, damage may result to the ship itself, the berth and quay cranes, and there is potential for pollution to ...

In order to effectively implement the IMO’s 2020 global sulphur limit, China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has issued the attached notice – a translation of which has been provided by the China Classification Society (CCS). The requirements are summarised in the tables below. Table 1 – Brief on fuel oil sulphur content(m/m) limit for international ships entering China waters Effective date Inland waterway ECA Hainan waters within ECA Other waters 1 January 2020 0.10% 0.50% 0.50% 1 January 2022 — 0.10% — Table 2 – Ban on carriage of non-compliant ...

The playwright George Bernhard Shaw once said “the single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” This phrase perfectly describes the central constraint preventing harmonized working between a pilot and Master – communication. The Master and pilot are dependant on each other for a safe and successful beginning or end of a voyage. They are both operating in a foreign environment. The pilot is not familiar with the characteristics or limitations of the vessel, such as a problem with the anchor windlass or speed at ...

Skuld’s Board of Directors met in London on 6 November 2019 to discuss the upcoming P&I renewal for the policy year starting 20 February 2020. It was noted that: • The first six months of the 2019/20 policy year showed a small surplus, supported only by investment income. • The mutual underwriting performance showed a combined ratio of 112%, driven by an increased number of larger claims from members, an increasing level of attritional claims, and a notable increase in pool claims activity within the International Group of P&I clubs. ...

The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) has welcomed Steamship Mutual as the new sponsor of its mental health resources for seafarers. ISWAN’s resources include a series of three self-help guides available in a number of different languages, a range of mental health and wellbeing infographics, and an audio relaxation exercise. These were developed to help seafarers manage and cope with low mood, stress and fatigue, and maximise their overall psychological wellbeing while working at sea. Steamship Mutual’s support will enable ISWAN to print and distribute the resources in ...

OUTLINE • The Club remains financially strong with free reserves in excess of US$500 million. However, premium rates have declined through soft market conditions in recent years and are no longer sufficient to cover the cost of claims and expenses. The board is targeting an overall increase of 7.5% on mutual rates at the 2020 renewal to correct this shortfall. • The standard deductible will increase from US$12,000 to US$15,000 per event, including fees and expenses. • Any change in the cost of the International Group reinsurance will be passed ...