Napoli sparks boxship crackdown

Napoli sparks boxship crackdown

A SUBSTANTIAL portion of the world’s container fleet has been closely scrutinised for potential structural failure during the investigation into the loss last year of the 4,419 teu MSC Napoli.

A UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch report into the incident reveals that a screening by classification societies of 1,500 ships of the same configuration as the stricken vessel showed 12 large containerships that were identified as requiring remedial action to their structures. A further 10 were described as “borderline”, while another eight are being studied.

The report into the structural failure of the Zodiac-operated ship, which took place on January 18, 2007 as the fully laden vessel steamed westwards out of the English Channel in storm force conditions, reveals five major contributory causes.

It was discovered that the hull did not have sufficient buckling strength in way of the engineroom, which was positioned three quarters of the length from forward. The report also points out that class requirements in force at the time the ship was designed in 1990, only required buckling strength requirements around the midships section.

It was also found that there was an inadequate safety margin between the vessel’s hull design loading and its ultimate strength, while the load on the hull was likely to have been increased by the whipping effect as the big ship steamed into heavy head seas. The report suggests that the ship’s speed — making 11 knots over ground with the engine turning revolutions for 17 knots — was “not reduced sufficiently” for the prevailing weather.

Of the vessel’s final voyage and evacuation, the report notes that the ship, operating on the Europe-South Africa service, was six days behind schedule inbound and had suffered turbocharger failure and problems with the main engine governor, which remained inoperative when the laden vessel sailed outbound from Antwerp.

The need to minimise draught for Antwerp departure had required the vessel to be ballasted forward, exceeding the permissable bending moments, although ballast was moved in the Schelde to just within permissable limits as indicated by the ship’s computer.

The comparison of the vessel’s actual draught with that calculated according to the known ship’s weights and declared cargo showed a difference [the deadload] of 1,250 tonnes, indicating that some container weights were under-declared.

On the morning of the structural failure, the ship was heading out into the western approaches in storm force winds with wave heights said to be up to 9 m when a succession of three large waves were reported. Shortly afterwards, a bilge alarm indicated the first ingress of water. Inspection by the duty engineer revealed substantial quantities of water and the engine was shut down.

The master, looking over the side, found visible damage in way of the engineroom, and believing that the ship’s back had been broken, made arrangements to evacuate. The success of this operation, which saw the 26 crew safely abandon their ship and motor clear in a lifeboat to be rescued by two helicopters, was commended in the report. Good drills and preparation for such an emergency were evident to the inspectors.

The design of the ship, a one-off order from Samsung, revealed a number of issues, notably the discontinuity of the structure, which was longitudinally framed throughout the forward cargo spaces, while there was transverse framing in way of the engineroom, the location of the eventual buckling. This, says the report, was an “inherently weak” structure when under compressive loading.

Initially built to Bureau Veritas classification, the ship fully complied with the rules in force at that time which required buckling calculations only around the mid-length of the ship, where it was assumed, the greatest stresses would arise. The earliest cellular containerships were generally built with the machinery space aft, and underdeck cargo spaces forward of the engineroom.

The MAIB concluded that the class rules which were applicable “have lagged behind the development of containership design, and requires immediate revision”. Buckling checks are required, says the report, along the whole length of the ship.

The report examines design safety margins for hull stresses and suggests that a more objective approach is required. It appeared that it was almost routine for permissable loads to be exceeded for operational reasons, such as the need to minimise draught, yet the ship’s staff, or indeed the terminal planners, could never be sure of the actual weights of boxes being loaded on their vessel.

Following the deliberate grounding of the damaged ship in Branscombe Bay, there was the opportunity to weigh all the unflooded containers taken off the ship by the salvors. Some 600 containers were weighed ashore, 137 of which revealed a weight discrepancy of more than 3 tonnes. The largest difference between declared and actual weight was 20 tonnes.

It was also discovered that 7% of the deck load of containers were not in the position shown on the cargo plan. The MAIB concludes that “the stresses acting upon a containership’s hull cannot be accurately controlled unless containers are weighed before embarcation”. This will have obvious implications for terminal operations.

The structure of the 16-year-old ship was found to be in reasonable condition, with no evidence that the 2001 full-speed grounding of the ship, which saw it ashore on a reef on the Malacca Strait for two months and a requirement for 3,000 tonnes of steel repairs, had any bearing on the final hull failure.

Samples were removed from the wreck for testing, and there was some evidence found of on-board welding repairs that had not been reported.

The inspectors had several observations regarding the speed of the ship in heavy weather, noting that the whipping effect of the hull flexing in the high swells could have contributed to the accident. However, the report points to a paucity of any research into the effects of such dynamic forces in a seaway and it recommends that more research should be undertaken into a subject that clearly has considerable potential impact upon safety and structural strength.

It also notes that research should also be considered into the provision of hull stress monitoring equipment and vessel motion sensing, bearing in mind the relationship between speed and wave loading and whipping effects.

As regards the particular circumstances of this casualty the report notes that while the ship’s speed was considered to be “appropriate” for the conditions, “it is almost certain that a reduction of speed would have significantly reduced the risk of hull failure”.

The identification of over 1,500 containerships which had potentially similar vulnerabilities to that which led to the loss of MSC Napoli was clearly a major exercise involving the classification societies. It is understood that vessels larger than 2,500 teu, with cargo bays aft of the accommodation/machinery space were investigated, particularly seeking out those with structural discontinuities.

Of the 12 identified, it is understood that stiffeners in the engineroom and some operational limitations will be sufficient to keep them safe. The societies involved with these ships are currently in discussion with their owners as to the best way forward.

The MAIB has worked closely with DNV, which took over MSC Napoli after its 2002 repairs and which has undertaken a major analysis of containership structures in recent months.

The MSC Napoli report also gives major emphasis to many of the issues which were raised into the MAIB’s earlier report into a container stack collapse aboard the feeder Annabella. This pointed to the inability of the ship’s staff to intervene in planning and stowage, and the evident problem of determining accurate weights of containers.

Additionally, the Annabella report underlined the lack of any proper safety code for the carriage of containers and the operation of containerships.

This issue was taken up by the International Chamber of Shipping, which, in conjunction with the World Shipping Council is currently working on a code of best practice for the industry.

This is expected to be completed by the end of this year, and subsequently presented to the International Maritime Organization for adoption. Relevant action is also promised by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency which has taken up the issue of container weights and longitudenal strength checks with the Paris MOU Port State Control Committee.

WEATHER NOTE

Always be prepared for a tornado to strike

Staff reports
Published: March 31, 2008

Tornado Preparedness—Do You Have a Plan?<p>

Tornados which appear suddenly and without warning are nature's violent storms. One may often hear or read about "tornado season," a time of year when tornadoes appear frequently. The fact is there is no such thing as a "tornado season." Tornadoes can strike anywhere at anytime. You need to be ready, know the drill and act quickly.

Tornado Watches, Warnings

It is vital that you know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning.

A tornado watch indicates conditions are favorable for a tornado and a tornado is possible. A tornado warning indicates that a tornado has been sighted or seen by the National Weather Service Doppler Radar and may be headed your way. Take cover immediately!

When conditions are favorable for severe weather, monitor your local weather and news stations for up to date information and changes that may occur rapidly affecting you and your family's safety.

Preparing for a Tornado

When preparing for a tornado, one should become familiar with the terms that are being used, i.e. Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning to identify the hazard level and what actions you should take:

• Open buildings (shopping malls, gymnasiums or civic centers): Try to get into the restroom or an interior hallway. If there is no time to go anywhere else, seek shelter right where you are. Try to get up against something that will support or deflect falling debris. Protect your head by covering it with your arms.

• Automobiles: Get out of your vehicle and try to find shelter inside a sturdy building. A culvert or ditch can provide shelter if a substantial building is not nearby—lie down flat and cover your head with your hands. Do not take shelter under a highway overpass or bridge, because debris could get blown under them or the structures themselves could be destroyed.

• Outdoors: Try to find shelter immediately in the nearest substantial building. If no buildings are close, lie down flat in a ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.

• Mobile homes: Do not stay in mobile homes. You should leave immediately and seek shelter inside a nearby sturdy building or lie down in a ditch away from your home, covering your head with your hands. Mobile homes are extremely unsafe during tornadoes.

Prepare a Home Tornado Plan

• Develop a safety plan for home, work, school and when outdoors. Make sure your family reviews and practices the plan at least once a year and especially on days when severe weather is forecast for your area. If you or a family member are disabled, develop an alternative plan and be sure to include items in your supply kit that will meet their special needs for at least a week or longer (readyvirginia.gov/getakit/index.cfm).

• To learn more about tornado drills and how to protect your family during a tornado visit, vaemergency.com/threats/tornado.

Are you ready?

• Get a kit

• Make a plan

• Stay informed

• Visit readyvirginia.gov

/index.cfm

This column is provided by the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue's Community Relations Team. Send questions or comments to DFR Responding to You, 9250 Lee Ave., Manassas VA 20110

Several TX Homes Destroyed by Severe Storms

Officials near Fort Worth, Texas, say more than a dozen homes have been damaged or destroyed by a severe thunderstorm system. Crews are being dispatched across the state today to confirm reports of possible tornadoes. (April 24)




Monthly Tornado Statistics (Official Text or PDF version)

Number of Tornadoes								Number of Tornado Deaths					Killer Tornadoes
	2008		2007		2006	2005	3 Year Avg.	2008	2007	2006	2005	3 Year Avg.	2008	2007	2006	2005	3 Year Avg.
	Prelim	Actual	Prelim	Actual	Final	Final		Prelim	Final	Final	Final		Prelim	Final	Final	Final
JAN	136	84	29	21	47	33	34	7	2	1	4	2	4	1	1	2	1
FEB	232	?	87	52	12	10	25	58	22	0	0	7	13	3	0	0	1
MAR	151	?	214	171	150	62	128	4	27	11	1	13	3	10	7	1	6
APR	154	?	187	165	245	132	181	?	9	38	0	16	?	3	9	0	4
MAY	?	?	282	251	139	123	171	?	14	3	0	6	?	4	1	0	2
JUN	?	?	152	128	120	316	188	?	0	0	0	0	?	0	0	0	0
JUL	?	?	55	69	71	138	93	?	0	0	0	0	?	0	0	0	0
AUG	?	?	87	73	80	123	92	?	1	1	4	2	?	1	1	3	2
SEP	?	?	63	51	84	133	89	?	0	1	1	1	?	0	1	1	1
OCT	?	?	115	87	76	18	60	?	5	0	0	2	?	3	0	1	1
NOV	?	?	7	6	42	150	66	?	0	10	28	13	?	0	3	5	3
DEC	?	?	22	19	40	26	33	?	1	2	0	1	?	1	2	0	1
Total	673	84	1300	1095	1106	1264	1159	69	81	67	38	62	20	26	25	13	21

Note:? means final number not yet available.
Important! Prelim. numbers represent tornado reports. Columns marked Final represent total tornadoes.
2008 numbers updated through

Storm Reports/SPC Home

MARITIME NOTE

This morning after reviewing the casualty runs for the last 24 hours I noticed that Transocean's Discover Deep Seas reported a engine room fire to the United States Coast Guard in Morgan City, Louisiana. Extent of the damage is unknown and believe to be to one of several thruster engines. The Deep Seas is a drill ship presently located some 200 nm off the coast of Louisiana. There were no reported injuries nor SAR operations. As information develops it will be passed along.

RS

Better Understanding Of Hurricane Trajectories Learned From Patterns On Soap Bubbles

Better Understanding Of Hurricane Trajectories Learned From Patterns On Soap Bubbles

ScienceDaily (Apr. 15, 2008) — Researchers at the Centre de Physique Moléculaire Optique et Hertzienne (CPMOH) (CNRS/Université Bordeaux ⁽¹⁾ and the Université de la Réunion⁽¹⁾ have discovered that vortices created in soap bubbles behave like real cyclones and hurricanes in the atmosphere. Soap bubbles have enabled the researchers to characterize for the first time the random factor that governs the movement and paths of vortices. These results, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, could lead to a better understanding of such increasingly common and often devastating atmospheric phenomena.

A soap bubble is an ideal model for studying the atmosphere because it has analogous physical properties and, like the atmosphere, it is composed of a very thin film in relation to its diameter⁽²⁾. In this experiment, the researchers created a half soap bubble that they heated at the “equator” and then cooled at the “poles”, thereby creating a single large vortex, similar to a hurricane, in the wall of the bubble. The researchers studied the movement of this vortex, which fluctuates in a random manner. This is characterized by a law known as a superdiffusive law⁽³⁾, well known to physicists, but which had not until then been observed in the case of single vortices in a turbulent environment.

The disconcerting resemblance between vortices on soap bubbles and cyclones led the researchers to study their similarities. By analyzing in detail the trajectories of certain recent hurricanes such as Ivan, Jane, Nicholas, etc., the researchers measured the random factor that is always present in the movement of hurricanes. They then demonstrated the remarkable similarity of these fluctuations with those that characterize the disordered movement of the vortices that they created on soap bubbles.⁽⁴⁾

Taking this random factor into account in predicting the trajectory of hurricanes will be useful in anticipating the probability of impact on a given site or locality. Although the mean trajectory of hurricanes (without any fluctuations) is beginning to be well simulated by meteorologists, this random factor has, until now, been poorly understood. This discovery highlights a universality in the statistics of trajectory fluctuations and should make it possible in the future to better predict the behavior of hurricanes and anticipate the risks.

WEATHER NOTE

Keeping Your Family Safe During Severe Weather

From thunderstorms to drought to extreme cold, severe weather affects the northland.

Multimedia

• Watch The Video

Meteorologist Shannon Murphy begins our special weather report with a look at how you can keep your family safe during severe weather events.

April is always a busy time for meteorologists.

Drastic changes in temperature during the spring season fuel the formation of thunderstorms.

This week has been proclaimed Severe Weather Awareness Week for both Minnesota and Wisconsin to encourage citizens to be prepared when bad weather strikes.

"Last year we had baseball size hail in the Duluth area. Strong downburst winds hit the Northland every year, and these winds can be as strong or stronger than a tornado. And yes they do cause damage. And yes if you don't take precaution you could get injured or even killed."

In 2007, straight line winds hit speeds of eight-five miles per hour, the same strength of a Category one hurricane.

This year, Mother Nature continued to stir up problems during a rare January outbreak of tornadoes in Kenosha County in Southeastern Wisconsin and a rare spring blizzard in April.

Although many people think that twisters are the most deadly thunderstorm phenomenon, it is actually lightning that's kills and injures the most people, which is why even a severe thunderstorm warning cannot be taken lightly.

"Go inside, go into a sturdy building, a basement if you have one, under your basement stairs or get under some heavy type of furniture like a work bench or a pool table to protect yourself from debris."

If you don't have a basement experts say try to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible. In Duluth, Meteorologist Shannon Murphy, the Northland's NewsCenter.

Part of Severe weather Week includes a mock tornado drill, in which sirens will sound shortly before two pm on Thursday.

TORNADO!

MARITIME NOTE

Messing About In Ships Episode 20

April 25, 2008, 4:05 am
Filed under: podcast, shownotes

Episode 20 of Messing About In Ships has launched.

(46 minutes)

0 Comments

REMEMBER... BE PREPARED!

Have a really great weekend!
RS

Minn. and Wis. tornado drills planned for severe weather awareness week

Minn. and Wis. tornado drills planned for severe weather awareness week

Statewide tornado drills will be held later this week as part of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week. The week is a joint operation of the National Weather Service; Minnesota's Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management; county- and city-level emergency managers. Monday's sever-weather-week topics include thunderstorms, hail, straight-line winds, lightning; Tuesday studies severe weather warnings; Wednesday centers on floods and flash floods; Thursday is tornado day; Friday focuses on heat waves.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service will simulate a tornado watch for Minnesota at 9 a.m. Two tornado warning drills are planned later that day.

The first will be at 1:45 p.m. All jurisdictions in the state will activate their warning systems and will give schools, businesses, and hospitals the opportunity to practice their plans for getting people to safe shelters.

The second drill, at 6:55 p.m., is voluntary, and will allow families and second-shift workers to practice sheltering plans. Two-thirds of Minnesota's 89 counties will hold the second drill. The counties participating in the second drill are: Anoka, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Carver, Chippewa, Chisago, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Mahnomen, Martin, Mc Leod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Wright.

Also on Thursday, the National Weather Service will simulate a tornado watch for Wisconsin starting at 1 p.m.

At 1:40 p.m., the National Weather Service plans a tornado warning drill for nine counties in western Wisconsin: Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk and St Croix.

WEATHER NOTE

Tornadoes reported in South Plains

By Joshua Hull | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Thursday, April 24, 2008
Story last updated at 4/24/2008 - 1:48 am

High hopes for big storms in the Hub City were dashed Wednesday by cooler weather, but other counties in the South Plains may have gotten more than they bargained for.

Tornadoes reportedly touched down in both Dawson and Scurry counties, said David Hennig, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Midland, though no major damage was reported.

"Officially, we've got zero right now because we're not sure," Hennig said of the twister sightings.

An emergency manager with the service was dispatched to investigate the Scurry County scene, which was near Snyder. Those reports suggested it could have been a straight-line wind rather than a tornado that downed power lines and uprooted trees in the area, Hennig said.

The more definite tornado, which reportedly touched down between Patricia and Ackerly in Dawson County, was captured in a photograph, though Hennig said an official report wouldn't be filed until a team investigated the area.

While Lubbock received just a trace of rain, coupled with winds gusting up to 48 miles per hour, areas of Borden and Dawson counties filed reports of nearly 5 inches of rainfall, Hennig said. The average for that region was nearly 2.5 inches.

More weather may be on the way, said meteorologist Robert Barritt with the National Weather Service in Lubbock, but it won't be here until the weekend.

MARITIME NOTE

Mackinaw ends ice season, gears up for buoy duties

CHEBOYGAN - Home from its second full season of icebreaking, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw and crew are in the midst of a brief maintenance period to prepare for the upcoming spring buoy commissioning season.

Nearly 40 large lake buoys, pulled prior to ice development, will be reset at various points of the Great Lakes.

“Crewmembers were periodically left ashore throughout the ice season to ensure all summer hulls were ‘tanked' - painted, batteries charged, solar panels inspected and lamps changed,” said Cmdr. John Little. “This is a big job and usually occurs during the very worst of weather conditions but they are ready and the deck gang has done well. Buoytending operations will soon begin in lower Lake Michigan and along the Wisconsin Door Peninsula. Four mid-lake NOAA buoys will also be reset over the next few weeks.”

The Mackinaw returned to Cheboygan Friday afternoon after nearly five weeks in Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay. Since the first week of January, the Mac accumulated more than 1,200 icebreaking hours, escorted more than 200 vessels and freed 45 ships beset in thick ice.

“These vessels were carrying iron ore, coal, wheat and cement to ports throughout the Great Lakes,” Little continued. “Much of the last two months was spent in the St. Mary's River and Whitefish Bay, however, the cutter also spent significant time laying initial tracks in Green Bay and assisting vessels transiting across the Straits of Mackinac. This season has been touted by many of the masters of these commercial lake carriers as the worst ice season in the last 11 years. The Mackinaw's extended stay in Whitefish Bay and the fact that two of our 140-foot cutters are still there can attest to this sentiment.”

Little said the Mackinaw worked with three 140-foot Bay Class cutters - the Katmai Bay, Neah Bay and Biscayne Bay, along with the Canadian Coast Guard cutter Samuel Risley.

“This was really the first year that tandem operations of Mackinaw and the Bay Class cutters was utilized fully and it proved to be quite successful,” Little noted. “These smaller workhorses took advantage of Mackinaw's larger track in very heavy ice to expand the track width by using their speed wakes. As Mackinaw pounded through ice up to three feet thick, the 140s would charge behind her and wake-out the track. It worked beautifully - a real team effort that also involved close coordination with the overseeing vessel traffic service, Soo Traffic and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lockmaster to ensure safe and efficient ship queuing.”

As a result, hundreds of ships transited through the ice-choked Whitefish Bay with only minimal delays even when the weather was at its very worst.

“While in Whitefish Bay, Mackinaw also conducted several aids to navigation operations moving buoys from the narrow channels that had been shifted off station by massive ice floes up to six feet thick and dozens of miles square in size,” Little said. “The last ship directly assisted by Mackinaw for the season was the Canadian ship Algoisle, beset on April 16 in a shifting windrow in lower Whitefish Bay near Ile Parisienne. The last buoy reset was the Point Iroquois Anchorage Buoy A after it was pulled into the middle of a busy anchorage area near Brimley, Mich.”

RS

Climate Change Likely To Intensify Storms, New Study Confirms '

Climate Change Likely To Intensify Storms, New Study Confirms

ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2008) — Hurricanes in some areas, including the North Atlantic, are likely to become more intense as a result of global warming even though the number of such storms worldwide may decline, according to a new study by MIT researchers.

Kerry Emanuel, the lead author of the new study, wrote a paper in 2005 reporting an apparent link between a warming climate and an increase in hurricane intensity. That paper attracted worldwide attention because it was published in Nature just three weeks before Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans.

Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, says the new research provides an independent validation of the earlier results, using a completely different approach. The paper was co-authored by postdoctoral fellow Ragoth Sundararajan and graduate student John Williams and recently appeared in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

While the earlier study was based entirely on historical records of past hurricanes, showing nearly a doubling in the intensity of Atlantic storms over the last 30 years, the new work is purely theoretical. It made use of a new technique to add finer-scale detail to computer simulations called Global Circulation Models, which are the basis for most projections of future climate change.

"It strongly confirms, independently, the results in the Nature paper," Emanuel said. "This is a completely independent analysis and comes up with very consistent results."

Worldwide, both methods show an increase in the intensity and duration of tropical cyclones, the generic name for what are known as hurricanes in the North Atlantic. But the new work shows no clear change in the overall numbers of such storms when run on future climates predicted using global climate models.

However, Emanuel says, the new work also raises some questions that remain to be understood. When projected into the future, the model shows a continuing increase in power, "but a lot less than the factor of two that we've already seen" he says. "So we have a paradox that remains to be explained."

There are several possibilities, Emanuel says. "The last 25 years' increase may have little to do with global warming, or the models may have missed something about how nature responds to the increase in carbon dioxide."

Another possibility is that the recent hurricane increase is related to the fast pace of increase in temperature. The computer models in this study, he explains, show what happens after the atmosphere has stabilized at new, much higher CO2 concentrations. "That's very different from the process now, when it's rapidly changing," he says.

In the many different computer runs with different models and different conditions, "the fact is, the results are all over the place," Emanuel says. But that doesn't mean that one can't learn from them. And there is one conclusion that's clearly not consistent with these results, he said: "The idea that there is no connection between hurricanes and global warming, that's not supported," he says.

WEATHER NOTE

Talking about huge waves... Here is one hitting a cruise ship and catching the bridge crew a little off guard.

From Storm Reports '08 tornado losses top $1 billion, report finds ' RANDY DIAMOND Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Monday, April 21, 2008 This year has been a tough one for people living in areas hit by tornadoes. It hasn't been good for insurers there, either. Insured losses from tornadoes have passed the $1 billion mark this year, according to a new report from A.M. Best, the influential insurance and financial services rating company. About $850 million of that came from the Super Tuesday outbreak that killed 55 people in the mid-South on Feb. 5-6. The first-quarter losses surpassed the previous four-year average, said Oldwick, N.J.-based A.M. Best. Until recently, insurers have taken comfort in the fact that tornado damage historically has not been as severe as that of major hurricanes. "But according to data from catastrophe modeling firms, these events have the potential - with the right conditions - to generate insured losses on par with hurricanes, such as 2004's Hurricane Frances and 2005's Hurricane Rita," the report said. States that recently endured severe tornadoes - including Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi and Arkansas - may see increased premiums, deductibles and coverage interruptions, A.M. Best said. Even more troubling, the firm said a new trend has emerged in the last several years: Losses of $1 billion and more from single-event tornadoes are more common. If tornado-favoring weather patterns continue, insurers could feel more of a struggle to remain profitable, particularly smaller companies that write policies in single states, the rating service said. - Randy Diamond MARITIME NOTE

Shipping industry is ‘courting disaster’

The container shipping industry is sacrificing safety and risking an environmental disaster to reduce costs and meet tight delivery schedules, according to an investigation into the grounding of a ship off the coast of Devon last year.

Another 22 ships have been found to have design flaws similar to those of the MSC Napoli, which was deliberately grounded a mile off Sidmouth after her hull cracked in heavy seas.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the ship was carrying many overloaded containers and had been travelling too fast for the conditions.

After the incident hundreds of people flocked to Branscombe beach to scavenge everything from BMW motorcycles to disposable nappies when dozens of containers washed ashore.

The Napoli, built in 1991 in South Korea, was in the Channel on passage to Portugal from Antwerp when her engine room flooded after a hull failure about 45 miles south of Lizard Point, Cornwall.

The MAIB report, published today, says that after the Napoli hit “several large waves” there was a “large crashing or cracking sound”.

Vertical cracks could be seen in the hull below the waterline on the port and starboard sides, and the ship’s master assessed that the vessel had “broken her back”.

The crew of 26 abandoned ship and were rescued by two Royal Navy helicopters. Tugs began towing the ship towards Portland in Dorset but she was beached en route because there were concerns that she might sink.

The beaching prevented severe oil pollution of Devon and Dorset’s World Heritage Coast.

The MAIB said that a review of safety rules governing container ship design and a code of practice covering operations was urgently needed to prevent further losses.

It concluded that the container shipping industry had been allowed to expand rapidly — from 12 million to 140 million containers a year since 1983 — without proper safety oversight.

The report said: “The commercial advantages of containerisation . . . such as speed and quick turnarounds appear to have become the focus of the industry at the expense of the safe operation of its vessels.”

The MAIB found that a loophole in safety regulations meant that the buckling strength of the hull near the engine room had not been tested.

It also found that ship’s loading contributed to the stresses on the hull. The MAIB condemned the widespread practice in the industry of failing to load containers, either to save time or avoid taxes.

“Container shipping is the only sector of the industry in which the weight of a cargo is not known.”

The MAIB referred to a previous report, which it published last September on the collapse of cargo containers on the Annabella, which concluded: “Evidence obtained during this and other MAIB investigations into container shipping accidents suggests that in reality, the safety of ships, crews and the environment is being compromised by the overriding desire to maintain established schedules or optimise port turn-round times.”

After the Napoli grounding the MAIB ordered the screening of more than 1,500 container ships, and 12 were identified as being potentially vulnerable to buckling in severe conditions and requiring remedial action. A further ten vessels were identified as being borderline and needing more detailed investigation. The screening of eight container ships has yet to be completed.

The International Chamber of Shipping is developing a code of best practice for the industry, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The report said that Britain would conduct a “concentrated inspection campaign” in 2010 to check compliance with tightened safety rules.

A Devon County Council local public inquiry into the grounding of the Napoli will be chaired by Ian Mercer, an environmental specialist. “This inquiry must seek all the answers available, and register with governments the outstanding questions,” Professor Mercer said.

The inquiry’s evidence-gathering process, which was launched last month, was the first stage of the investigation, which will be followed by hearings in public.

The Report

MSC Napoli
Report on the investigation of the structural failure of MSC Napoli in the English Channel on 18 January 2007.
Report No 9/2008
Published 22 April 2008

FROM THE LEGAL BEAGLES AT HOLLAND AND KNIGHT

UK – report on structural failure of the MSC NAPOLI

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) released the report of its investigation of the structural failure of the container ship MSC NAPOLI in the English Channel on 18 January 2007. The report found that the ship’s hull did not have sufficient buckling strength in way of the engine room; that there was an insufficient safety margin between the hull’s design loading and its ultimate strength; and that the load on the hull was increased by whipping effect. Recommendations have been made to the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) that are intended to increase the requirements for container ship design, consolidate current research into whipping effect, and to initiate research into the development and use of technological aids for measuring hull stresses. As ships get larger, simple extrapolation is insufficient. Report No. 9/2008 (4/22/08).

RS

Jet Streams Are Shifting And May Alter Paths Of Storms And Hurricanes

Jet Streams Are Shifting And May Alter Paths Of Storms And Hurricanes

ScienceDaily (Apr. 17, 2008) — The Earth's jet streams, the high-altitude bands of fast winds that strongly influence the paths of storms and other weather systems, are shifting--possibly in response to global warming. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution determined that over a 23-year span from 1979 to 2001 the jet streams in both hemispheres have risen in altitude and shifted toward the poles. The jet stream in the northern hemisphere has also weakened. These changes fit the predictions of global warming models and have implications for the frequency and intensity of future storms, including hurricanes.

Cristina Archer and Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology tracked changes in the average position and strength of jet streams using records compiled by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the National Centers for Environmental Protection, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The data included outputs from weather prediction models, conventional observations from weather balloons and surface instruments, and remote observations from satellites.

Jet streams twist and turn in a wide swath that changes from day to day. The poleward shift in their average location discovered by the researchers is small, about 19 kilometers (12 miles) per decade in the northern hemisphere, but if the trend continues the impact could be significant. "The jet streams are the driving factor for weather in half of the globe," says Archer. "So, as you can imagine, changes in the jets have the potential to affect large populations and major climate systems."

Storm paths in North America are likely to shift northward as a result of the jet stream changes. Hurricanes, whose development tends to be inhibited by jet streams, may become more powerful and more frequent as the jet streams move away from the sub-tropical zones where hurricanes are born.

The observed changes are consistent with numerous other signals of global warming found in previous studies, such as the widening of the tropical belt, the cooling of the stratosphere, and the poleward shift of storm tracks. This is the first study to use observation-based datasets to examine trends in all the jet stream parameters, however.

"At this point we can't say for sure that this is the result of global warming, but I think it is," says Caldeira. "I would bet that the trend in the jet streams' positions will continue. It is something I'd put my money on."

The results are published in the April 18 Geophysical Research Letters.

WEATHER NOTE

It's Severe Weather Week

Severe Weather Awareness Week takes place April 21-25 this year, with the statewide tornado drills Thursday.

At 1:45 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service will issue a simulated tornado warning, and outdoor warning sirens will be activated. At 6:55 p.m., a second drill will take place in Scott County for families and second-shift workers.

“Everyone should practice their safety plans during Severe Weather Awareness Week,” said Chris Weldon, Scott County emergency management director. “There is no pattern to these things. A tornado can happen any day — without warning — and your preparation time is well spent.”

According to National Weather Service data, tornadoes have occurred in every Minnesota county at some time during the past 57 years. Scott County has experienced 12 tornadoes since 1950.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, along with the National Weather Service and the American Red Cross, sponsors Severe Weather Awareness Week annually to promote weather knowledge and planning. The Web site at www.severweather.state.mn.us, contains tornado safety information along with instructions on surviving thunderstorms, hail, straight-line winds, heat waves, floods and lightning. Links to the National Weather Service and Red Cross provide fascinating weather facts and a variety of downloadable resources for families, teachers and children.

Citizens prepped on disaster response
BY MICHAEL OPPERMANN
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BANNER

Published: Monday, April 21, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.

OCALA — Marion County government, taking a proactive approach to terrorism, hosted a three-day training course under a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. Successful completion of the course, and an associated online component, granted educational credit to those who passed, better preparing them to respond to the possibility of terrorist events.

From Tuesday to Thursday, two instructors from the Texas Engineering Extension Service trained locals in recognizing, responding to and recovering from terrorist incidents.

The course, "Public Works: Planning for and Responding to a Terrorist/WMD Incident," was designed to help integrate training for terrorist events into existing emergency response plans.

Byrd Wilcox, safety hazard coordinator for the Public Works Bureau, said that while every emergency situation is unique, they all have common elements. Hurricanes, fires, chemical spills and terrorist threats can all be handled using the same crisis management techniques.

"All that this class is teaching the participants is that no matter how small or big [an event] is, it uses the same process," Byrd said.

Instructors Luke Stevens and David Pullen, both longtime public works officials, spent much of the course time discussing how communities react to emergencies and analyzing government response to previous terrorist events.

"One way we learn is from our own experiences. If we do that, then the depth of our knowledge will be limited by our experiences," Pullen said. "If we can learn from other people's experiences, then we broaden our knowledge and broaden the probability of a successful outcome."

Luiz Bisacchi, principle business analyst for public works in Hillsborough County, agrees, having attended the course to aid in the development of his community's hazmat protocols. "The Oklahoma case study was very helpful," he said. "Hopefully I can take some of [what I learned] back home and apply that to our plans."

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Hot-button issues during the course were communications during an emergency situation and the integration of various agencies into the emergency response.

Lawrence Thacker, Marion County Public Works Bureau Chief, taught the course five years ago, and said that responding to an emergency "takes a lot of communication and a lot of coordination." The inability to do so complicates emergency situations and reduces the effectiveness of recovery efforts.

He feels the most effective way to safely deal with a crisis situation is to develop response plans well in advance and train workers in implementation of those plans.

"Safety is important to me because of my background," Thacker said. "I spent 18 years working underground in coal mines. I know what it is like when you've got your employees with you and you're trapped for 36 hours."

Attendee Andrea Nelson, of the transportation department's Public Education and Outreach section, is aware of the importance of effective communication.

"In a designated emergency I'm assigned to a public information function," she said, "so I think it's always good to know how your area will be interacting with others."

Nelson feels that increased training over the last few years has prepared government employees to better deal with emergencies.

"Setting up an incident command, determining who is in charge, identifying the functions that have to be filled and filling those, I think everyone here has been through the basics of that," she said.

INTEGRATION

Integration of services into a single command and communication structure is equally as important. While many note the disaster relief contributions of police officers, firemen and EMS personnel, they often overlook the contributions of public works employees and volunteers.

Stevens believes 90 percent of an emergency situation involves people from public works.

"Most people who look at an incident are looking at the initial response; it is putting everything back together that is the hardest part. The more that public works is involved, the better off you're going to be," he said. "Either the community is going to respond well together, or everybody is going to lose."

Robert Middleton, senior litter crew supervisor for solid waste, knows the value of integrating his efforts with an emergency response plan.

"We have a plan in place for natural disasters and terrorists," Middleton said. By preparing now, his people will be ready to fulfill their role when called to respond to an emergency situation.

TRAINED VOLUNTEERS

Wilcox said volunteers can be valuable assets in an emergency situation, but only if they are correctly integrated into the response plan. "Volunteers need to be trained and credentialed," he said.

Having people show up at a disaster site without going through proper channels disrupts the command structure and lines of communication, leaves people working at cross-purposes and potentially turns would-be volunteers into victims. Unstable ground, overhead debris, toxic fumes and other hazards can injure or kill the unprepared.

Wilcox suggests that members of the public who want to become involved in disaster response should follow the example of county government and plan ahead. Citizens should prepare disaster supply kits of food, water, flashlights and other necessities and review shelter-in-place and evacuation procedures that can be found on the Internet.

Proactive citizens also can join organizations such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Citizen Corps and Amateur Radio Emergency Service.

MARITIME NOTE

A salvage company is being sought to recover a tanker truck and logging equipment that sank to the bottom of Robson Bight, off northern Vancouver Island, last August.

A tugboat was used to move a barge that overturned in Johnstone Strait last August.
(Coleen Johnson)

A barge carrying the truck and equipment capsized in Johnstone Strait, an ecological reserve for killer whales.

B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner said his government is concerned that leaking fuel may pose a threat to orcas and other marine life.

Penner and Loyola Hearn, Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced Friday that they have decided to attempt a recovery operation following months of debate over what to do about the wreckage.

Penner said the first priority is to go after the equipment that contains the most fuel.

The barge was pushed to shore by the tugboat near Beaver Cove.
(Coleen Johnson)

"That would be the fuel truck that had a tank that could hold up to 10,000 litres of diesel fuel," he said. "There's also a piece of equipment that we believe contains a significant amount of hydraulic fluid."

Penner said only a handful of companies in North America have the expertise to do the job.

The minister said the plan is to retrieve the equipment as quickly as possible, while minimizing From Holland and Knightthe impact on wildlife.

He said recent video footage of the sunken equipment shows it to be in decent shape.

Legal Notes From Holland and Knight

USCG – reminder to replace older EPIRBs

The US Coast Guard issued a press release reminding mariners that older model Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) that broadcast on 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz will not be monitored by satellite as of February 1, 2009. Effective that date, the satellites will only monitor for radio beacons broadcasting on 406 MHz. Some of the newer EPIRBs are equipped with embedded GPS, which will automatically signal the location of the distress. (4/18/08).

RS

First international ship of the year arrives at Port of Indiana

First international ship of the year arrives at Port of Indiana

BY JOYCE RUSSELL
April 19, 2008

PORTAGE | The marine vessel Isa wound its way into the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Friday morning heralding the start of the 2008 international shipping season.

The St. Lawrence Seaway-size vessel, built in Japan in 1999, brought 8,610 metric tons of steel coils that were loaded in Ijmuiden, Holland.

Crew members and seamen spent the late morning and afternoon unloading the coils to be received by Federal Marine Terminal. The ship was scheduled to depart Friday evening en route to Milwaukee to unload the remaining portion of its cargo, said Port Director Peter Laman.

Laman predicted a good shipping season this year due to strong steel production and tariffs being frozen on the St. Lawrence Seaway for the last three years. Last year, 98 vessels like the Isa docked at the port. That was a little lower than the two previous years, said Laman, which he said were record years for ships.

From April to December, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway offers a direct route for ships from world markets into America's heartland, said Indiana Port Commission spokesman Jody Peacock.

"Known as 'Highway H2O,' the seaway provides companies in and around Indiana with the cheapest, most efficient and environmentally friendly mode of shipping products," said Peacock, adding that one seaway ship can haul the same amount of cargo as 870 trucks.

Laman said the port has already seen several arrivals of lake vessels with minerals from other Great Lakes ports. They began arriving earlier this month, he said.

Laman said its always exciting when the first international ship arrives as it marks the jobs created for the local shipping industry and economic development in the area.

"The port provides tremendous logistical advantages for area companies and our labor force is second to none. These are the primary reasons this port handles more ocean-going cargo than any other U.S. port on the Great Lakes," said Laman, adding the port has handled more than $1.7 billion in steel shipments in the last four years.

WEATHER NOTE

From Storm Reports

April 10th, Cameron, Illinois Tornado Caught On Tape By Storm Chaser Joel Wright...




MARITIME NOTE

Well the shipping season is underway for the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway The link below will guide you to the Great Lakes Vessel Locator's (click vessel passage on the referring page). I have added these three new links to my site (on left). If you click on any ship on the Lakes and the Seaway you will get the ships last weather report as well as the ships last known position. Included is the Worldwide Ship Locator, which will report on the ships last know position, tides, weather and even reported waves heights. I have also added to the site the Worldwide Vessel Casualty Locator so that you can also track ship casualties.

Have A Blast!

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online Vessel Locator




RS

Forecasters Implement New Hurricane-tracking Technique

Forecasters Implement New Hurricane-tracking Technique

ScienceDaily (Apr. 15, 2008) — A new technique that helps forecasters continuously monitor landfalling hurricanes, giving them frequent and detailed images of a storm's location, will be implemented this summer.

(Picture Left -VORTRAC will provide hurricane forecasters with detailed updates on hurricanes as storms approach land. (Credit: Michael Bell, NCAR)

The new system, developed by National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C., will be implemented at the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The technique, known as VORTRAC (Vortex Objective Radar Tracking and Circulation), was successfully tested by the hurricane center last year.

"VORTRAC is an excellent example of the application of basic research to help improve short-term hurricane warnings," says Steve Nelson, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric Sciences.

The system, which relies on existing Doppler radars along the U.S. coast, provides details on hurricane winds and central pressure every six minutes, indicating whether the storm is gathering strength in the final hours before reaching shore.

"We are very gratified by the decision of the National Hurricane Center to adopt this new now-casting tool," says NCAR scientist Wen-Chau Lee. "VORTRAC will enable hurricane specialists, for the first time, to continuously monitor the trend in central pressure as a dangerous storm nears land. With the help of VORTRAC, vulnerable communities can be better informed of sudden changes in hurricane intensity."

Lee, NRL's Paul Harasti, and NCAR's Michael Bell led the technique's development. Funding came from NSF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

One of VORTRAC's strengths is that it can use radar data to calculate the barometric pressure at the center of a hurricane, a key measure of its intensity.

"VORTRAC allows us to take the wind measurements from the radar, turn the crank, and have a central pressure drop out of a calculation," says Colin McAdie, a meteorologist at NHC. "This will be a valuable addition to the tools available to the forecaster."

Rapidly intensifying storms can catch vulnerable coastal areas by surprise. Last year, Hurricane Humberto struck near Port Arthur, Texas, after unexpectedly strengthening from a tropical depression to a hurricane in less than 19 hours. In 2004, parts of Florida's southwest coast were caught unprepared when Hurricane Charley's top winds increased from 110 to 145 miles per hour in just six hours as the storm neared land.

Lee and his collaborators applied VORTRAC retroactively to the two hurricanes and found that the technique would have accurately tracked their quick bursts in intensity.

"VORTRAC has demonstrated that it can capture sudden intensity changes in potentially dangerous hurricanes in the critical time period when these storms are nearing land," Bell says.

VORTRAC uses the Doppler radar network established by NOAA in the 1990s.

About 20 of these radars are scattered along the Gulf and Atlantic coastlines from Texas to Maine. Each radar can measure winds blowing toward or away from it, but no single radar could provide an estimate of a hurricane's rotational winds and central pressure until now.

The VORTRAC team developed a series of mathematical formulas that combine data from a single radar near the center of a landfalling storm with general knowledge of Atlantic hurricane structure in order to map the approaching system's rotational winds. VORTRAC also infers the barometric pressure in the eye of the hurricane, a very reliable index of its strength.

"By merging several techniques, we can now provide a missing link in short-term hurricane prediction," Harasti says.

Forecasters using VORTRAC can update information about a hurricane each time a Doppler radar scans the storm, which can be as often as about every six minutes. Without such a technique, forecasters would need at least two coastal radars in close proximity to each other in order to obtain the same information. But most of the network's radars are too far apart to qualify.

Each radar can sample conditions out to about 120 miles. This means VORTRAC can track an incoming hurricane for at least several hours, and possibly even as long as a day or more, depending on the storm's speed, trajectory, and size.

To monitor the winds of a landfalling hurricane, forecasters now rely on aircraft to drop instrument packages into the storm that gather data on winds and pressure. But due to flight logistics, the aircraft can take readings no more than every few hours, which means that coastal communities may not be swiftly alerted to changes in approaching hurricanes.

VORTRAC may also help improve long-range hurricane forecasts by using data from airborne Doppler radars or spaceborne radars to produce detailed information about a hurricane that is far out to sea.

Forecasters could input the data to computer models to improve three- and five-day forecasts

WEATHER NOTE

EARTHQUAKE IN SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS FELT ACROSS CHICAGOLAND

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred at approximately 437 AM CDT Friday morning in southeast Illinois. It was centered 7 miles east of West Salem Illinois. This is 41 miles north-northwest of Evansville Indiana and 128 miles east of St. Louis Missouri. The earthquake was felt across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana including at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Romeoville.

According to the USGS web site www.earthquake.usgs.gov this earthquake equalled the magnitude of the largest historical earthquake in that region, which damaged southern Illinois in 1968.

U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center (24 hours): 303-273-8500

Changes to Local Hazardous Weather Outlook

National Weather Service Chicago routinely issues a Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO) daily at 430 AM and 430 PM Central Time. The HWO highlights any potentially hazardous weather that is anticipated over the next several days. It can be found at the NWS Chicago web page, http://weather.gov/chicago. From the main menu on the left, under “Current Hazards”, click on “Outlooks”. The top item on the Outlooks page is “Latest Local Hazardous Weather Outlook”.

Effective April 15, 2008 the HWO will be also updated at 1100 AM during the warm season from March through September 30. This will be mainly to enhance the forecast thunderstorm threat. When thunderstorms are forecast in the Day 1 period, the HWO will be enhanced with three sections;

1. The “WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED” section will list the hazards expected during the day one period, including the potential magnitude and coverage or probability of occurrence.

2. The “AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING” section will highlight the portions of the outlook that are expected to be impacted, as well as the time(s) that the hazards are expected to occur.

3. The “DISCUSSION” section will be used to briefly elaborate on the hazardous weather that is expected during the day one period. (Continued)

Maritime Note

Award flagged for Pasha Bulker rescuers

A helicopter team from the NSW Hunter region has been nominated for a bravery award for the rescue of 22 people from the stranded bulk carrier, the Pasha Bulker.

The federal government nominated the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (Hunter Region) for the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, Leader of the House Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Monday.

In gale force winds and heavy seas, the Pasha Bulker became stranded at Nobby's Beach off Newcastle in June last year.

The night-time helicopter rescue involved the winching of each crew member from the stranded ship in severe weather conditions, with all safely evacuated without injury, Mr Albanese said.

On board the helicopter were pilots Ian McFadden and Ian Osborne, and crew members Graham Nickisson, Peter Praniess, Glen Ramplin and Nathan Langham.

Each man "risked their own lives" during the operation, believed to be the largest-scale rescue from a bulk carrier in recent maritime history, Mr Albanese said.

Nominations for the bravery awards closed last Wednesday and winners will be judged by an international panel selected by the IMO.

Winners will be announced in September.

Kotuku was not seaworthy

Apr 18, 2008 7:04 AM

Accident investigators say the Kotuku which sank off Bluff two years ago with the loss of six lives should never have gone out to sea.

And they say the fact it had been given a safety clearance is a warning for hundreds of other similar vessels around the country.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission report says those who died and their families have been failed by the maritime inspection system.

Hours into the Kotuku's voyage six people were dead and investigators say the boat was not seaworthy.

"Simply put, the Kotuku shouldn't have been issued with a Fit for Purpose Certificate," says Doug Monks, chief investigator.

When two big waves tipped over the Kotuku, the Topi family's kaumatua, Peter Topi, his daughter Tania and nine-year-old grandsons Shane topi-Tairi and sailor Trow Topi were all trapped inside.

The skipper's friend, Shorty Hayward, died in the water and deckhand Clinton Woods later succumbed to hypothermia.

After raising the wreckage, investigators found it should not have passed inspection because of the poor state of its hull, unknown stability capability and poor deck drainage.

"The vessel wasn't seaworthy and that was proven by the fact it was unable to negotiate its way out of the conditions," says Pauline Winter, Deputy Chief Commissioner.

But an angry skipper disagrees. John Edminson says the report is full of errors, he stands by his boat and is waiting to read the Maritime New Zealand report.

He has plenty of support in Bluff.

"It's rubbish. She a very good sea boat and she was very well maintained," says Alex Mullinder, Bluff resident.

"If it was a warrant of fitness for a car, and they got it wrong, heads would roll," says a local woman.

The wife of one of the passengers who died that day, Judy Hayward, says her husband would never have gone out on the muttonbirding trip if he thought the boat was unsafe.

Hayward says Edminson did all he could to support the survivors and her family will be always grateful to him for that.

Hayward says her husband had all the faith in the world in his friend and in the trip he was going on.

But the report says the Kotuku in fact was not approved for passengers. There weren't enough lifejackets onboard and the life raft was wedged in and didn't float free.

All these issues pointed to problems with the maritime inspections.

"The commission really hopes, the commission expects that future practice will change significantly. says Winter.

The commission says it's not about blame and is just trying to stop tragedies like this happening again.

Maritime safety investigator Tom Sawyer says the lessons learned from the tragedy should be a monument to the six people who died. He says the report into the sinking needs to be read by the right people and acted on.

Sawyer says the Kotuku should not have been given a fit for purpose certificate. But he says like people with a car, you trust the people who give you a warrant of fitness.

Professional Skipper magazine editor Keith Ingram says it really is up to the owners to ensure their boats are seaworthy. Ingram says the reality is that there are at least 200 boats in New Zealand waters that shouldn't be.

Maritime New Zealand, the organisation responsible for regulating the industry, says the commission's recommendations have been accepted and progress is well under way in implementing them.

Director Catherine Taylor says a number of factors combined to cause the accident and MNZ accepts that elements of the Safe Ship Management (SSM) system needed improving.

Introduced in 1996, SSM requires vessel owners to be responsible for the day-to-day safety of their vessels and covers all aspects of safety, including occupational safety and health systems, crew qualifications, hazard identification, condition of the vessel and its fitness for purpose.

Taylor says the vast majority of the 3200 vessels in its SSM system are operating safely and older commercial wooden vessels like Kotuku make up only a very small proportion of vessels in the system.

She says MNZ took immediate steps after the accident to ensure important safety messages arising out of it were communicated to others in the industry.

"MNZ issued safety bulletins about the importance of keeping vessel freeing ports clear to allow water to drain off the deck, and of ensuring that life raft cradles were properly fitted so that the life raft can release in the event of an emergency," she says.

"MNZ is also continuing to work closely with representatives from the Bluff fishing community and local Iwi prior to the muttonbird seasons to raise awareness of these issues and help foster a good safety culture."

From Holland and Knight

Caribbean Sea – tanker rescues mariners after sinking

The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that a nearby tanker diverted to rescue the 11-man crew of a Korean freighter that sank in the Caribbean Sea. The freighter sank after its cargo shifted in a storm. (4/16/08).

Messing About In Ships podcast episode 19

April 17, 2008, 4:31 am
Filed under: podcast, shownotes

Episode 19 of Messing About In Ships has launched.

(49 minutes)

Download MP3: Messing About In Ships Episode 19 - April 17, 2008

Shownotes: coming soon

Finally... The Research Ship James Cook in a Atlantic storm!

Enjoy your weekend!

RS