MARITIME NEWS

Thursday, March 27, 2014 International maritime news for seafarers

Oil discharged into Lake Michigan: USCG

The US Coast Guard s initial assessment of a !a"e Michi#an oil s$ill showed that %etween nine and 1& %arrels of crude oil was s$illed the in la"e on 'ednesday( )ne %arrel of oil contains a%out 42 #allons, meanin# the estimate indicates %etween a%out *7& and 7+, #allons of crude oil were released into the la"e, e-$erts said( USCG re$resentati.es alon# with officials from the /n.ironmental 0rotection 1#ency 2/013 resumed sal.a#e o$erations on 'ednesday( 'eather and wind conditions im$ro.ed o.erni#ht, which allowed teams to rede$loy %oom as $recautionary measures( The e-act .olume of oil released is still undetermined( Coast Guard s$o"esman Chief 0etty )fficer 1lan 4araf said a more accurate fi#ure li"ely will %e released later this wee" on how much oil entered the la"e, where crews for 50 continued their clean6u$ wor" on 'ednesday( Those crews de$loyed a%sor%ent %ooms followin# the s$ill, which affected a half6mile of $ri.ate shoreline that s owned %y 50 and is not accessi%le to the #eneral $u%lic( The /01, which is su$er.isin# the clean6u$ wor" with the USCG, said on Tuesday that 50 crews had used .acuum truc"s to suc" u$ a%out +,200 #allons of an oil and water mi-ture from the site and had also remo.ed oil #lo%s from the shoreline( The /01 issued a %rief statement on 'ednesday sayin# an assessment team from the a#ency, the Coast Guard and 50 sur.eyed the s$ill site on 'ednesday and found 7minimal oilin# of the shoreline7( The /01 said the sur.ey team has recommended that crews continue to scour the shoreline to manually remo.e any remainin# oil( 50 said in a statement on 'ednesday that its crews 7ha.e reco.ered the .ast ma8ority of oil that had %een .isi%le on the surface7 of a co.eli"e area where the s$ill occurred(

The com$any said it continues its wor" to calculate how much oil was released into the la"e durin# the s$ill, which was disco.ered on Monday( 50 and /01 officials said on Tuesday the s$ill a$$arently occurred when a malfunction allowed crude oil to enter a coolin# system that draws la"e water into the oil #iant 50 s 'hitin# northwestern Indiana refinery, some 20 miles south6east of downtown Chica#o, to cool e9ui$ment and then returns that water to the la"e( 2with in$uts from 103

SAFETY SOLAS requirement for rescuing persons from water

The latest Technical :ewsletter *62014 of the ;:< G! deals with the new S)!1S re9uirement related to the reco.ery of $ersons from the water( The re.ised re9uirement a$$lies to all new .essels $ro.ided with S)!1S certificates, when the "eel will %e laid after =uly 1, 2014( >or .essels in o$eration, the re9uirement a$$lies from the first $eriodical or renewal safety e9ui$ment sur.ey carried out after =uly 1, 2014,whiche.er comes first( The re9uirement also a$$lies to units $ro.ided with a M);U Code certificate( 1t MSC(?1 2:o.em%er 20123, new re9uirements were ado$ted sti$ulatin# that all shi$s shall ha.e shi$6s$ecific $lans and $rocedures for reco.ery of $ersons from water( The $lans and $rocedures shall identify the e9ui$ment intended to %e used and the measures to %e ta"en to minimise the ris" to shi$%oard $ersonnel while reco.erin# $ersons from the water( Shi$6s$ecific $rocedures for the reco.ery of $ersons from the water should s$ecify the antici$ated conditions under which a reco.ery o$eration may %e conducted without causin# undue ha@ard to the shi$ and the shi$ s crew, ta"in# into account, %ut not limited toA manoeu.ra%ility of the shi$B free%oard of the shi$B $oints on the shi$ to which casualties may %e reco.eredB characteristics and limitations of e9ui$ment intended to %e used forreco.ery o$erationsB a.aila%le crew and $ersonal $rotecti.e e9ui$ment 200/3B wind force, direction and s$rayB si#nificant wa.e hei#ht 24s3B $eriod of wa.esB swell and safety of na.i#ation( SourceA ;:< G!

Fedna use drones to scope ice

Montreal6%ased >edna. !td ha.e started usin# drones in 1rctic shi$$in# for ice reconnaissance tas"( >edna. allowed its Umia" I ice%rea"er, which is usin# a .ariety of .ideo6e9ui$$ed Unmanned 1ir <ehicles, to scout conditions ahead of the .essel in the ice6co.ered waters off the Canada s north6eastern !a%rador coast(

>edna. ha.e also %ecome the first shi$$in# com$any to use drones for ice reconnaissance on a commercial .oya#e( The #oal was to $ro.ide the shi$ s ca$tain and officers with real6time ima#es of ice conditions ahead( The mo.e will hel$ na.i#ators scout su%tle features in the ice, such as rid#es, leads and fractures(

!ancou er "ort truckers agree to end strike

Stri"in# truc"ers at Canada s lar#est $ort ha.e reached a deal to end a $rolon#ed stri"e that officials said threatened the country s economy( 5ritish Colum%ia 0remier Christy Clar" said on 'ednesday the $ort will %e o$en for %usiness on Thursday( 5ritish Colum%ia introduced %ac"6to6wor" le#islation earlier this wee" that would ha.e affected the unionised wor"ers( The dis$ute left hundreds of millions of dollars worth of car#o stranded at <ancou.er6area container terminals( It lar#ely focused on issues related to $ay, includin# rates, un$aid time s$ent at the $ort waitin# for car#o, and alle#ations of undercuttin# within the industry( Clar" and 0rime Minister Ste$hen 4ar$er %oth warned the dis$ute was 8eo$ardisin# the economy( 2103

#acklog reduces as $ouston Ship Channel opens

The %ac"lo# of shi$s waitin# to sail in or out of the 4ouston Shi$ Channel dro$$ed on 'ednesday as the fuel oil s$ill in Gal.eston 5ay #ot cleaned( The US Coast Guard also reduced the dayli#ht restriction, allowin# shi$s to sail until midni#ht C;T 20+00 GMT3, which further reduced the %ac"lo#( 4ouston 0ilots Ca$tain Clint 'ine#ar said the num%er of shi$s waitin# to mo.e to or from the $ort of 4ouston throu#h the channel slid %y *0 to +7 %y 'ednesday afternoon( /arlier on March 22, a collision %etween two .essels s$illed a%out 1,&,000 #allons in the re#ion( Meanwhile, charter fishin# %usinesses and other indi.iduals in Gal.eston 5ay ha.e filed a class6action lawsuit a#ainst the owners of the .essels, sayin# they .e suffered losses %ecause of the s$ill( The channel is the main waterway throu#h which more than a 10th of US refinin# ca$acity recei.es crude oil(

COMMERCE O er US% &'()*ln in ested in second+hand essels

The month of >e%ruary 2014 has seen more than US; 14(7 %illion in.estment in %oth new6%uildin#s and second6hand .essels %y the shi$ owners( This num%er is hi#her as com$ared to last year %ut lower than the record in =anuary 2014( 1ccordin# to data, 20+ .essels were ordered in >e%ruary for US; 11 %illion, while an additional ?2 orders were contracted at an undisclosed $rice, re$resentin# **C orders for the year( In terms of second6hand .essel $urchases, 14? shi$s were ordered for more than US; *(71 %illion, re$resentin# a fall of 1*C on the month(

ENVIRONMENT China under pressure to contain offshore pollution: report

China remains under $ressure to contain $ollution in its offshore areas, althou#h water 9uality of ?+C of the country s territorial waters met standards in 201*, a re$ort said on 'ednesday( 1ccordin# to the re$ort issued %y the State )ceanic 1dministration 2S)13, the 9uality of 44,000s9"m of sea waters was rated %elow !e.el I< 6 the lowest le.el 6 in China s offshore areas( Inor#anic nitro#en, acti.e $hos$hate and fossil oil were the main $ollutants, it said( The re$ort said that the 9uality of &&C of waters surroundin# China s 4*1 near6shore $ollutant dischar#e outlets failed to meet standards( In addition, the re$ort said 1,(72 million tonnes of $ollutants in the sea were from 72 ri.ers monitored %y the S)1, a sli#ht decrease from last year( 1round 77C of maritime eco6systems at estuaries and %ays monitored %y the administration were rated as 7su%6healthy and unhealthy7, it said(

The re$ort said an oil s$ill last year after a $i$eline %last in Din#dao City of east China s Shandon# 0ro.ince $osed considera%le threat to the maritime en.ironment in nei#h%ourin# areas, Einhua re$orted( Fadioacti.e materials dischar#ed into the 0acific )cean from the cri$$led >u"ushima $ower $lant in =a$an also affected the water en.ironment and sea life(

SECURITY , hurt as -srael .a / targets smugglers

Two 0alestinians were wounded on 'ednesday when Israeli :a.y .essels destroyed two Ga@a6%ound %oats smu##lin# ci#arettes and to%acco from /#y$t, 0alestinian and Israeli sources said( 0alestinian witnesses and medical sources said the na.y o$ened fire at the .essels as they were headin# towards Fafah, moderately woundin# two $eo$le, while the rest of the crew mana#ed to esca$e( 1n Israeli military s$o"eswoman confirmed the incident, sayin# a na.al .essel had %een dama#ed %y 0alestinian #unfire in the e-chan#e( She said na.al forces had identified two 0alestinian .essels tryin# to reach southern Ga@a from /#y$tian territorial waters in a 7sus$ected smu##lin# attem$t7( Troo$s had called on the %oats to sto$ and fired warnin# shots, %ut the a$$eal was i#nored, 1>0 re$orted( 71fter the .essels failed to com$ly the soldiers fired toward the .essels( 4its were confirmed, and secondary e-$losions were heard,7 she said( Meanwhile, Tur"ey ho$es to soon close a difficult cha$ter with Israel s$ar"ed %y a deadly commando raid on a Ga@a6%ound flotilla of aid shi$s in 2010, Tur"ish forei#n minister told 1>0( :ine $ro60alestinian Tur"ish acti.ists were "illed in the Israeli assault, s$ar"in# a ma8or crisis %etween the lon#6time re#ional allies and com$ensation claims from the .ictims families( In the di$lomatic tussle since, 7the #a$ %etween the e-$ectations of the two sides is closin#,7 >orei#n Minister 1hmet ;a.uto#lu told 1>0 in an inter.iew on 'ednesday( 70ro#ress has %een made to a #reat e-tent, %ut the two sides need to meet a#ain for a final a#reement,7 he said( 21>03

0ichard #ranson e/es mo e into cruise ships

5ritish multi6%illionaire and founder of the <ir#in #rou$, Fichard 5ranson, is loo"in# to mo.e into cruise shi$$in#, he told the German %usiness daily 4andels%latt on 'ednesday( 7'e want to mo.e into the cruise6shi$$in# %usiness with <ir#in in the ne-t few years,7 5ranson said( 7'e are already in ne#otiations with shi$yards in Italy and Germany on the construction of %i# shi$s for <ir#in Cruises,7 he said, addin# that the chances that a German com$any could win a contract were 7.ery #ood7( The news$a$er 9uoted industry sources as sayin# that 5ranson would in.est a%out US; 1(7 %illion in the $ro8ect( The shi$s could %e launched %y 201?, 5ranson said( 21>03

SHIPPING DATA
#AL1-C 23C$A.G2
Market snapshot: 1100 GMT Dry Index BDI 1496 -82 Capesi e Index BCI 2!61 -2"2 #ana$ax Index B#I 1062 -26 %&pra$ax Index B%I 1180 -21 'andysi e Index B'%I 6!2 -4

23C$A.G2 0A12S
(e) *ork +,ed C-s. /0n C&rren1y in 2%D Britain +#o&nd. 1364!8 Canada +Do--ar. 038999 China +*&an. 031611 5&ro 13"!8! India +6&pee. 030166 Indonesia +6&piah. 03000088 7apan +*en. 03009!98 (or)ay +8rone. 031644 #hi-ippines +#eso. 030222 #o-and +9-oty. 03"29! 6&ssia +6&:-e. 030281 %in0apore +Do--ar. 03!892 2kraine +'ry;nia. 030902 2%D in /0n C&rren1y 0360"2 131112 632088 03!24" 6031400 11426300 10230600 630460 4439800 "30"00 "434"82 1326!1 1130900

WORLD TRAVEL S"A-.

S$ain, a so.erei#n state and a mem%er state of the /U, is located on the I%erian 0eninsula in southwestern /uro$e( Its mainland is %ordered to the south and east %y the Mediterranean Sea e-ce$t for a small land %oundary with Gi%raltarB to the north and north east %y >rance, 1ndorra and the 5ay of 5iscay and to the west and northwest %y 0ortu#al and the 1tlantic )cean( It is one of three countries 2Morocco, >rance3 to ha.e %oth 1tlantic and Mediterranean coastlines( S$ain s 1,214"m %order with 0ortu#al is the lon#est uninterru$ted %order within the /U(

Getting there
By plane: I%eria is S$ain s national6fla# carrier( Madrid, 5arcelona, 0alma de Mallorca and Mala#a are amon# the %usiest air$orts, followed %y Se.ille, <alencia, 5il%ao, 1licante, Santia#o de Com$ostela, <i#o, Gran Canaria and the two air$orts in Tenerife( !ow cost carriers o$eratin# to S$ain includeA <uelin#, easy=et, Fyanair, 5lue 1ir and =et2(com( By tra n: Train system in S$ain is modern and relia%le, most of the trains are %rand new and the $unctuality rate is one of the hi#hest in /uro$e( By !"at: >rom the UG, 5rittany >erries offers ser.ices from 0ortsmouth and 0lymouth to Santander and from 0ortsmouth to 5il%ao( The 8ourney time from 0ortsmouth to Santander is a$$ro-imately 24 hours( 1nother $o$ular route is from 5arcelona to Genoa(

1op attractions
Al#a$!ra: Granada s 1lham%ra 0alace is /uro$e s fa.ourite tourist destination( The s$ectacular 1ra% com$le- dates %ac" to the Mediae.al era in S$ain( Me%&' ta (e C"r("!a: The Great Mos9ue 61l8ama6 of Cordo%a, %uilt durin# the $eriod of Moorish occu$ation, is the most s$lendid Islamic monument in the western world( Its construction commenced in 7&+, when 1%d6ar6Fahman esta%lished Cordo%a as ca$ital of al61ndalus, on the site of an ancient church dedicated to San <icente and was e-tended durin# successi.e $eriods %y 1%d6ar6Fahman II, 1l64a"am II and 1lman@or( El E)*"r al: The /scorial is a .ast %uildin# com$le- located in San !oren@o de /l /scorial, near Madrid( The %uildin# is the most im$ortant architectural monument of the S$anish Fenaissance( Construction of /l /scorial %e#an in 1+,* and ended in 1+&4( The $ro8ect was concei.ed %y Gin# 0hili$ II, who wanted a %uildin# to ser.e the multi$le $ur$oses of a %urial $lace for his father, 4oly Foman em$eror Charles <B a 4ieronymite monastery and a $alace(

I! %a: 5esides %ein# the clu%%in# ca$ital of the world, I%i@a also has an ama@in# natural %eauty, a su$er% climate and a 'orld 4erita#e site( To en8oy music of the world s %est ;=s in I%i@a s unmatched $arty scene or the astoundin# clear sea, warm sun, attracti.e co.es and e.entful %eaches 6 or a %it of e.erythin# 6 I%i@a is certainly the ri#ht $lace( La Sa+ra(a Fa$ l a: The Sa#rada >amilia is a lar#e Foman Catholic church in 5arcelona and one of S$ain s most .isited tourist attractions( It s a desi#n %y 1ntoni GaudH, a Catalan architect who wor"ed on this $ro8ect for almost 40 years until his death in 1?2,(