Loading iron ore at port of Buchanan and Monrovia (ArcelorMittal)

The P&I representatives from Eltvedt & O'Sullivan inspected ArcelorMittal's facilities in port of Buchanan and Monrovia, Liberia. The visit was made in order to find out reasons for the arising cargo moisture claims (report).

Free-fall boat designed for 47m height installation

Norsafe, Norwegian lifeboat builder since 1903, has designed and successfully tested the GES50 MK III boat with the rescuing capacity of 70 psn and the installation height of 47m above the water level. The boat 'will be used worldwide, mainly on offshore floating or fixed constructions, and can hold 68 passengers and two helmsmen'. The lifeboat's arrangements allow for the 90-second boarding time and top 9-10 knots velocity once in the water in order to bring the crew away from the danger.

During the test fall the boat was released from 63m height with the sandbags onboard. It fell into small wavelets and hit the water with a top speed of 70mph (110kmh). As it is announced this boat is 15m long and requires minimum installation height of 20m.



After watching the free-fall test video immediately questions arise as to the safety of such a boat once commissioned and exposed to the regular operation. Latter requires periodical launching with the crew onboard. How many successful launches the hull and, particularly, the release mechanism would withstand? How fault-proof are the free-fall and securing arrangements? What are the less stressful options for the emergency evacuation from the offshore installations?

Having concern as to the number of incidents with the free-fall boats during drills or just under the maintenance, one may expect that counter-balancing the incident risks with the training and rigid proceduring still leaves ground for apprehensions.

ОНМА 2012: Современная практика перевозки негабаритных грузов

Today in order to achieve the targeted safety and efficiency levels in transporting project cargoes by sea specialist companies involve the complex approach: trained and certified personnel, modern technologies in lashing materials, operations computerised pre-planning and expert on-site control, added by tailored insurance packages. Such allows wide range of competitive transportation options onboard of a wide range of specialised and non-specialised ships (e.g. bulk carriers on ballast run). Follows the presentation and notes for report made by cadet Dmitriy Pirozhkov (supervisor Capt. Alexey O. Chepok) at the annual ONMA conference (Nov 2012).

Презентация и текст примечаний к слайдам из доклада к-та Пирожкова Д.Н. (руков. КДП Чепок А.О.) на ежегодной конференции ОНМА (ноя 2012).

На сегодняшний день очень стремительно развивается перевозка негабаритных грузов (Project Cargo). Отмечается постоянный рост объемов перевозок, увеличение номенклатуры грузов, увеличение веса и габаритов перемещаемых элементов в условиях все более жесткой конкуренции и постепенно усиливающихся требований к безопасности перевозок.

Для компаний специализирующихся на предоставлении услуг по морской перевозке проектных грузов основными целями являются безопасность и экономическая эффективность транспортировки. Безопасность — есть ограничивающий критерий. Экономическая эффективность определяет конкурентоспособность перевозчика. Процесс обеспечивается четырьмя группами элементов:

1) Люди (экипажи судов, персонал компаний и контролирующих органов, которые должны иметь специальную подготовку и регулярно проводить обучение и трейнинги).

2) Техническое обеспечение (улучшенные материалы крепления, сепарации, ограждающие конструкции, аппараты сварки, датчики снятия контролирующих параметров).

3) Организационные меры (планирование и контроль погрузки, методики расчетов и проведения оценок). Отдельно здесь следует упомянуть современное программное обеспечение, которое позволяет еще на стадии планирование перевозки рассчитать наиболее выгодный план погрузки- выгрузки, рассчитать остойчивость и проверить прочность судна.

4) Страхование. В связи с тем, что эти грузы уникальны, они очень дороги в изготовлении, на их производство затрачивается много времени. Повреждение или потеря такого груза ведет к колоссальным прямым и косвенным убыткам — срабатывает «эффект домино». Поэтому страхованию такого вида грузов уделяется особое внимание, созданы специализированные страховые компании, предлагающие пакетные решения для перевозчиков.

Проектные грузы могут перевозиться не только на специально предназначенных для этого судах, но и на контейнеровозах, кон-ро, ро-ро, балкерах. 

Касательно людей, обеспечивающих планирование и исполнение операций погрузки-разгрузки таких грузов, производится подготовка и сертификация: планеров, стивидоров, сюрвейеров и суперкарго. Примером может послужить сварщик имеющий сертификат регистра, что позволяет оперативно устанавливать крепления в каждом конкретном случаи перевозки без дополнительного освидетельствования.

Крепления. Появившиеся новые материалы позволяют изготавливать крепления, которые удобны в работе, имеют увеличенную разрывную прочности, что сказывается на надежности креплений в целом. 

Организационные меры. Как отмечалось, ранее сегодня для обеспечения перевозок применяется комплекс проверенных практикой на протяжении достаточного времени методик по расчетам и контролю операций погрузки-выгрузки, а также учета динамических воздействий при перевозке морем. Отдельным этапом следует компьютерное моделирование размещения грузов. С помощью 3D-моделирования можно обеспечить оптимальное размещение груза, учитывающее размещение относительно других грузов, ограничения по остойчивости, прочности и условия ротации портов.

Страхование. Страхование базируется на накопленной статистике по перевозкам таких грузов, на специализации компаний, которые предлагают перевозчику комплекс мер пакетного страхования, услуги по перестрахованию рисков.

Выводы. Ведущие компании, обеспечивающие перевозки негабаритных грузов, в современных условиях решают задачу эффективной и безопасной перевозки с помощью комплекса мер. Этот комплексный подход охватывает как технологические, так и коммерческие аспекты. Дальнейшее развитие предполагает все большее внедрение новых технологий, более интенсивный обмен информацией и более жесткие требования к уровню безопасности и экономической эффективности перевозки.

Формализация правил укладки генеральных грузов в грузовых помещениях судна

Слайды к моему докладу на конференции ОНМА (ноя 2012), который был посвящен описанию структуры данных, содержащей стандартное формализированное описание конфигурации различных типов генерального груза, включая его транспортные характеристики и правила укладки.

DNV foresight: Technology Outlook 2020

DNV’s Research and Innovation published their view on the likely technology trends for the 2012-2020 time span. They probe the future shipping world "... in four main areas: shipping, fossil energy, renewable and nuclear energy, and power systems."

Report starts with the statement that most populations are out of balance and reach 7.5 bln people by 2020 and continues musing mostly on energy and power improvements in shipping including shale gas and wind power, biofuels, CO2 capture, transmission grids, etc.

MSC Napoli - Structural failure - 2007

Overloaded ships no good!

LinkedIn recruiting scam - be cautious!

Beware of the identity theft/personal data collection scams alive within the LinkedIn space.

You may receive an invitation message from a profile allegedly connected with recruiting department of a renown company, presenting you the list of open positions and requesting your CV for further contemplation. Then in two steps you give away your personal data: 1) by connecting with the fake recruiter; 2) by sending CV, which may contain sensitive information (such as your postal address, e-mail, phone nos, connections, employment history, etc.).

The automated response you receive offers absolutely unbelievable salaries and conditions, enticing into further communications.

Distinctive features of the scam:
1) Simplistic profile of the recruiter
2) Public e-mail box (yahoo, gmail, etc)
3) Cliché text in the msg with the link to a wide list of open positions
4) Request for CV at the initial stage
5) Immediate automated response with fantastic prospects, not taking into account any of your specialities but the position title

This scam is potentially high risk for seamen as they specify lots of documents data and personal details in their CV's.

James Harrington on performance improvement

Dr. James Harrington is one of the most cited guru on quality management. He is the person who has been authoring the philosophy of quality.

Source Harrington Institute

Many quality professionals claim that quality and productivity are two sides of the same coin. That is not true. They may overlap, but they are very different in nature. You can drive your organization bankrupt by focusing too much on quality and never getting the product out and you can also drive your company into bankruptcy by pushing productivity and shipping bad products. What you really need to do is focus on performance improvement.

Performance improves under three conditions and three conditions only:

• When quality remains constant and productivity goes up
• When productivity remains constant and quality goes up, and
• When quality and productivity go up together.

Of course, what we're trying to accomplish is to bring up quality and productivity together. But when you think about it, quality, productivity, cost and cycle time are only secondary considerations. What management is really interested in is performance improvement. Typically, management measures performance improvement in:

• Return on Assets (ROA) Changes in this measurement indicate how an individual program impacts profitability.
• Value Added per Employee (VAE) Changes in this measurement reflect how an individual program improves productivity.
• Customer Satisfaction (CS) Changes in this measurement are key indicators of sustained long-term performance
• Market Share (MS) Changes in this measurement indicate how well the organization is performing compared to its competition.

Loss of Power was finally noticed by the P&I

It was years ago that I was a 3rd mate and we experienced blackout at the approach. I was the OOW on the bridge with Master present and a rating at the wheel. It happened while ship was approaching Santos PS, we were changing over from shaft generator to diesel generators. Classics of the case.

From that moment I hated shaft generators. Today, when a shaft power take off is a must, moreover, when it is exacerbated by the compliance with the LS fuels changing over requirements, the loss of power cases began appearing in the lame-light of the maritime managerial hangout.

UK P&I conducted a study and presented a worthy report with statistics of 700-some cases. Still report implies that the actual figures may be higher as many chief engineers allegedly do not report (admit) the near-misses at the approach.

I recommend reading the full report quoted right below.

Hydrogen powered 0-emmission feeder vessel

Germanischer Lloyd presented a new concept of a container feeder vessel equipped with fuel cells. It has two power generation rooms, twin-bunkering station and a lot of other hi-tech extras.


In my opinion we may soon meet the non-0-emission version of such a ship, and most likely it gets a single LNG generation plant only. However, I expect it to start sailing yet in 2010s.

Переоцененность бренда или недооценка эффективности?

Сообщает Центр автомобильных исследований (CAR) Университета Дуйсбурга-Эссена. Показатели оперативной прибыли производителей автомобилей (до уплаты налогов и сборов на каждый проданный автомобиль):

Porsche 356

Porsche +16 826 EUR
BMW +4 325 EUR
Audi +4 242 EUR
Daimler +3 621 EUR
Chrysler +1 436 EUR
Hyundai +1 386 EUR
Volkswagen +916 EUR
Toyota +845 EUR
Renault +65 EUR
PSA (Peugeot-Citroёn) -789 EUR
Opel -939 EUR

Technology Days Feb 2011

Technology Days is an official event in the shipping industry to promote the new technology trends among operators, owners, classification societies, manufacturers and researchers. There one would stake one's own grounds and declares the results obtained. Technology Days is more scientific event than a business one.

Though a bit delayed, 1,5 year later than the event itself, I offer my readers to have a look at the published papers of Technology Days of February 2011 hosted by Lloyds Register. This set and the previous papers are available at the LR site.

Ro-Ro and finished vehicles shipping as shown on W&W TV

When I am asked what was actually my ro-ro job was about, I usually start explaining about car carriers, terminals filled with vehicles, tight schedules, high quality standards, cute brand new cars, latest information technology, vehicle processing centers, maffies, tug-masters, unique project cargo, huge trucks, helicopters, airplanes, and yachts, etc... and none can clearly imagine a damned thing except that I am wits out on the whole thing.
:( and :)

They say, one time to see by own eyes than one hundred times to hear about by own ears. Here you are all mentioned above plus some details in the W&W video. It is all about ro-ro and finished vehicles shipping.


I suggest also to have a look at the related posts: W&W's Green Terminal project and "Mark V" type ro-ro's for Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

More pictures for a PCTC/PCC - What is inside a car carrier? Cars? - Vehicles!

General info on car carrier ports in Car carrier ports and hubs in Europe and wider Mediterranean

The Merchant Fleet: A Facilitator of World Trade

This report is a part of the WEF Global Enabling Trade Report 2012. It explores how the globalization impacts trade and merchant fleet.

Author: Hans Oust Heiberg, DNB Bank ASA





More about GETR 2012





Full report can be downloaded at WEF web-site.

Birth of Containerization

Simplicity is the highest level of complexity. So is the clip, so is the containerization itself. Globalization explained through shipping. Innovation explained through entrepreneurship.

Source: TED

Shipping costs depend on Fuel efficiency

Other way, pollution is function of inefficiency...

After the energy saving light bulbs, fridges and cars it came to ships. Nowadays fuel efficiency may be one of the criteria (or the one) to judge on when taking into account the cost of the shipping of goods.

Below I offer a brief into the problem, a short video created by Carbon War Room.





ShippingEfficiency.org is an initiative launched by the Carbon War Room and industry-leading partners to increase information flows around international shipping's energy efficiency and ultimately help reduce the environmental impacts of the world's shipping fleet.

Just to mention that one of the founders of the Carbon War Room is Sir Richard Branson.

Inmarsat Fleet X Broadband cost increase 2012

As per calculations made by KVH Industries, Inc., there will be a significant increase in costs using Inmarsat FeetBroadband service.
KVH promotes own sat broadband non-Inmarsat solution called VSAT-broadband. Here you are down below the comparison table for Inmarsat FB500 and KVH VSAT-broadband costs.

-->

Monthly cost comparison
Package	Inmarsat	KVH
	FleetBroadband	mini-VSAT
1MB/day (30MB/month)	$ 300	$ 49
2MB/day (60MB/month)	$ 540	$ 69
3MB/day (90MB/month)	$ 972	$ 129
4MB/day (120MB/month)	$ 1,200	$ 188
5MB/day (150MB/month)	$ 1,200	$ 249
6MB/day (180MB/month)	$ 1,200	$ 249
7MB/day (210MB/month)	$ 1,260	$ 249
8MB/day (240MB/month)	$ 1,440	$ 249
9MB/day (270MB/month)	$ 1,620	$ 289
10MB/day (300MB/month)	$ 1,700	$ 349
11MB/day (330MB/month)	$ 1,700	$ 408
12MB/day (360MB/month)	$ 1,700	$ 468
13MB/day (390MB/month)	$ 1,700	$ 499
14MB/day (420MB/month)	$ 1,700	$ 499
15MB/day (450MB/month)	$ 1,700	$ 499

Source: KVH Industries, Inc.

mini-VSAT Broadband Coverage

Журнал "Бизнес" - выпуск №1000 (мар 2012)

Dr. Ichak Adizes and the Corporate Lifecycle

At the foundation of effective management for any organization is the fundamental truth that all organizations, like all living organisms, have a lifecycle and undergo very predictable and repetitive patterns of behavior as they grow and develop. At each new stage of development an organization is faced with a unique set of challenges. How well or poorly management addresses these challenges, and leads a healthy transition from one stage to the next, has a significant impact on the success or failure of their organization.

The Corporate Lifecycle
source Wikimedia Commons

Leading an organization through lifecycle transitions is not easy, or obvious. The same methods that produce success in one stage can create failure in the next. Fundamental changes in leadership and management are all required, with an approach that delicately balances the amount of control and flexibility needed for each stage. Leaders who fail to understand what is needed (and not needed) can inhibit the development of their companies or plunge them into premature aging.

The challenges that every organization must overcome at each stage of development first manifest themselves as problems that arise from the growth and success of the company and from external changes in markets, competitors, technology and the general business and political environment. This simple, unavoidable reality leads to the following five important insights about the nature of problems in organizations.

1. Problems are normal and desirable. Problems are the natural result of change. The only place on the lifecycle curve where there are no problems is the place where there is no change, which is Death. If you think that good managers are those whose organizations have no problems, think again. Your reward for successfully resolving the problems that confront you today, is a set of new problems tomorrow that will be larger and more complex. If your company faces a high rate of change in your markets, technology or industry, your challenge is magnified. The faster the rate of change, the faster problems appear and grow.
2. Your role as a leader is not to prevent problems or slow the pace of change. Instead, focus on accelerating your organization's ability to recognize and resolve problems. Your ability to work together as a team and quickly tackle any and all situations, or decide not to, is your ultimate competitive advantage.
3. Some of the problems you face are normal and some are abnormal. Normal problems are those that are expected for a given lifecycle stage. Abnormal problems are those that are not expected (or desirable) in a stage of the lifecycle. Since you will never have enough time or resources to address all the problems you face, focus on abnormal problems. Many normal problems can be ignored since they tend to resolve themselves during the natural course of growth and development.
4. You can drive your organization faster when you know the road ahead. Most of the issues you face are common to all organizations. There is no need for you to reinvent the wheel. You can save a lot of time and effort by thoroughly understanding the nature of all 10 stages in the lifecycle, and knowing what it takes to transition from one stage to the next. If you and your management team share a common understanding of this knowledge before problems arise, it will also help you attack the problems, instead of attacking each other.
5. Prime is the Fountain of Youth for Organizations. One key difference between the lifecycle for human beings versus organizations is that living things inevitably die, while organizations need not. The "age" of a company in terms of its lifecycle is not related to its chronological age, the number of employees, or the size of its assets. Instead, the lifecycle age is defined by the interrelationship between flexibility and control. There is a fountain of youth for organizations called Prime. An organization that is in Prime has achieved a balance between control and flexibility. A Prime organization knows what it is doing, where it is going, and how it will get there. It also enjoys both high growth and high profitability. Once an organization reaches Prime, leadership must work to sustain that position.

Managing Corporate Life Cycles, 2nd Edition by Dr. Ichak Adizes.

Published by the Adizes Institute. © 2004, Ichak Adizes.

Management Systems in Shipping - What about QRM?

Having been always an eager student myself and using the opportunity that at present I am lecturing in Maritime Transport Management at Odessa National Maritime Academy, I try to find new effective tools and approaches in management for Shipping. Though there are many systems available and as well many training courses in them, there are not so many success stories and case studies of implementing the systems in the Maritime Industry.

My efforts are to show to the students ways how one would port recommended management tools into a Port Agency, Shipping Line, Shipmanagement Company.

One of the tools is called Quick Response Manufacturing. I believe its application has the future in Shipping, i.e. in services.





My regards to prof.Suri!

Классы судов российских регистров

Российский Речной Регистр (РРР)

Л	Легкий (для плавания на малых реках, в верховьях крупных рек при высоте волны до 0.6 метра)
Р	Речной (для плавания на средних и нижних плесах крупных рек, на каналах и спокойных озерах при высоте волны до 1.2 метра)
О	Озерный (для плавания на крупных водохранилищах, в низовьях крупных рек при высоте волны до 2 метров)
М	Морской (для плавания в устьях больших рек, на озерах, в морских заливах при высоте волны до 3 метров)
М-СП	Морской - смешанного плавания (для смешанного плавания река-море при волнении не более 5 баллов, высоте волны до 3.5 метра, удалении от портов-убежищ не более 50 миль)
пр	Прибрежный (суда внутреннего плавания, построенные с учетом возможности их выхода в прибрежные районы)
лед	Суда, имеющие специальные ледовые усиления
ледокол	Ледокольные суда
Э	Экспериментальные суда
	Суда, построенные под техническим надзором Речного Регистра или признанного им другого классификационного органа

Российский Морской Регистр Судоходства (РС)

I	Суда для плавания в открытых морях с удалением от места убежища до 200 миль и с допустимым расстоянием между местами убежищ до 400 миль, а также для плавания в закрытых морях
II	Суда для плавания в открытых морях с удалением от места убежища до 50 миль и с допустимым расстоянием между местами убежищ до 100 миль, а также для плавания в закрытых морях в границах, установленных Регистром в каждом конкретном случае
II-СП	Суда для плавания на внутренних водных путях, а также в морских районах при волнении не более 6 баллов и с удалением от места убежища в открытых морях до 50 миль с допустимым расстоянием между местами убежищ до 100 миль, в закрытых морях до 100 миль с допустимым расстоянием между местами убежищ до 200 миль
III	Суда для прибрежного рейдового и портового плавания в границах, установленных Регистром в каждом конкретном случае
А1, А2	Суда, оборудованные средствами автоматизации (1 и 2 - степень автоматизации механической установки)
КМ	Суда, построенные под техническим надзором Морского Регистра

Foreign flags allowed into Ukrainian inland waterways

Feb 29, 2012, Ukrainian government signed decree allowing foreign flag vessels (particularly yachts, sailing and passenger vessels) to enter inland waterways of Ukraine. For the cargo ships it depends on the colours they fly.

In case the Flag State has no bilateral agreement with Ukraine for the inland waterway access, such an entrance can be still allowed on the single permit basis.

Разработка процедуры отображения укладки генерального груза в трюмах судна

Приведено описание процедуры, позволяющей формировать трехмерное изображение укладки груза в трюмах судна.

Моя статья в сборнике "Судовождение" №20, 2011.

Ingress volumes - how much water flows into a damaged compartment

SOLAS CH II-1 Regulation 19 requires that each ship to be provided with the damage control information. Very often it is a thin file with the general arrangement plan showing boundaries of the watertight compartments with the openings and their means of closure, position of controls thereof, arrangements for the correction of any list due to flooding; watertight doors arrangement, general and specific precautions considered by the Administration to be vital to the survival of the ship, passengers and crew (i.e., closures, security of cargo, sounding of alarms, etc.).

Frankly speaking, on some ships I found it of just an illustrative use.

The same regulation says:

In case of ships to which damage stability requirements of part B-l apply, damage stability information shall provide the master with a simple and easily understandable way of assessing the ship's survivability in all damage cases involving a compartment or group of compartments. 

"simple and easily understandable way" - unfortunately I have never seen such even on the big brand-new ships.

What about taking decisions? when there is no time? Best of all when you have the knowledge a priori. For instance, when you have the idea of how much time is left to flood the compartment. In order to know that, we need to know how much water floods in.

Source: National Geographic

Ok, imagine the situation: Ship is flooding and you,  calculator in your hand, are look through your books searching for a formulae.
Or otherwise: You have a breach of 2m² below the waterline and still hope to pump it out with the bilge pump.

In such cases having an evaluation before any similar emergency breaks out is much better.

The table below shows the estimated volumes of water ingress (m³/h) into a damaged compartment.

WATER HEAD (metres below WL), m	AREA OF THE BREACH, m2
	SMALL		AVERAGE				LARGE
	0,01	0,05	0,10	0,15	0,20	0,50	0,75	1,00	1,50	2,00
1	104	518	1037	1555	2074	5180	7780	10370	15550	20740
2	147	726	1470	2200	2940	7260	11000	14700	22000	29400
3	180	898	1795	2695	3590	8980	13550	17950	26950	35900
4	208	1037	2075	3110	4150	10370	16550	20750	31100	41500
5	232	1160	2325	4650	5260	11600	17400	23250	34850	46500
6	254	1265	2540	3820	5080	12650	19100	25400	38400	50800
7	275	1370	2750	4130	5500	13700	20650	27500	41300	55000
8	294	1460	2940	4410	5870	14600	22000	29400	44100	58700
9	311	1555	3110	4670	6220	15550	23350	31100	46700	6220
10	318	1590	3180	4770	6360	15900	23850	31800	47700	63600

To estimate the time left to flood the compartment, divide the volume of the compartment by the figure taken from the table, then multiple it by the permeability factor (roughly 0.85 for E/R and 0.90 for cargo spaces).


A.O. Chepok

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