Crewing
Precautionary Effort Prompts Star Cruises to Cancel Two Cruises
Star Cruises said that two of its crew of have been placed under observation at hospitals in Singapore and Malaysia prompted by symptoms such as fever and coughing. The first of the two crew was admitted to the Langkawi Hospital on Monday. Based on the latest available reports, the crew has responded positively to medication and the crew is expected to be discharged from the hospital in a day or two pending confirmation of further medical results. The other crew was admitted to the Tan Tock Seng hospital in Singapore on April 9 for observation and treatment for high fever. As an immediate voluntary precautionary measure, Star Cruises had quarantined 13 crew who are believed to have been in contact with the above crew onboard the cruise ship. Star Cruises has taken every proactive and precautionary measure within its capacity since the onset of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in certain countries in this region including wearing surgical masks by all crew at all times and the suspension of crew shore leave in SARS-affected countries with effect from March 29. Any passenger or crew who displays symptoms related to SARS will be denied boarding the ship in compliance with directives issued by health authorities in Singapore and Malaysia. Any crew who displays such symptoms will be sent to a land-based hospital for further observation
Acts of Piracy Q1 & 2 2009
The IMO issued a circular summarizing the reports it received during the first quarter of 2009 regarding acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships. Reports of 97 such acts (including 53 attempted attacks) were received during this period. During this period, about 144 crew members were held hostage, about five crew members were injured or assaulted, and two crew members lost their lives. Also during this period, eight vessels were hijacked. MSC.4/Circ.139.
Coast Guard Assists Vessel Aground in Alitak Bay
A Coast Guard helicopter crew assisted the crew of a vessel that was taking on water after it ran aground in Alitak Bay, about 60 miles southeast of Kodiak. The crew of the 86-ft. fishing tender Chichagof made a radio distress call at about 5:30 a.m. reporting the accident. The Coast Guard communications center in Kodiak issued an urgent marine assistance broadcast asking mariners in the area to assist. Two Good Samaritan fishing vessels responded to the call.
USS Grasp Decommissioned
The recovery and salvage ship USS Grasp (ARS 51) was decommissioned after 20 years of service and transferred to Military Sealift Command (MSC) in a ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek January 19. Past and present crew members attended the ceremony to say farewell to the ship. As a U.S. Navy ship, Grasp had a crew of approximately 100 Sailors. As an MSC asset, the ship will now have a crew of 26 civilian mariners and four enlisted military personnel.
Thief Steals Lifeboat Crew's Keys, Whiskey
Thief Steals Lifeboat Crew's Keys, Whiskey A British lifeboat crew was left high and dry after thieves stole the keys to their boat house and made off with the crew's whiskey. The theft at the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) station at Brighton Marina, southeast England left the rescue crew helpless for an hour until a spare key was found. Luckily there were no emergency calls while they waited. "Who'd break into a lifeboat station? We wouldn't have been able to access our boat
CSR Protests Proposal to Eliminate Crew List Visas
The Center for Seafarers' Rights (CSR) of the Seamen's Church Institute of New York & New Jersey has called on the U.S. State Department to postpone the elimination of crew list visas until October 2004. "The United States should not eliminate the most accessible and utilized means merchant mariners have for applying for shore leave until an adequate internationally acceptable replacement for an identity document exists," said Douglas B. Stevenson, Director of the Center for Seafarers' Rights
Foss Maritime Honored
Captain Sam Nelson and crew of the Foss Maritime Company tugboat Justine Foss received the Lifesaving Award from the Seamen's Church Institute at their annual Silver Bell Dinner on June 1 in New York. United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen was in attendance and personally congratulated Captain Nelson. Captain Nelson and his crew received the award for their heroic efforts in response to the needs of the crew of the tugboat Valour and the barge M-192 while in heavy
Houston Shipping Channel Reopens to All
Salvages crews recovered the tug vessel J.R. Nichols early the morning of Feb. 13, and the Houston Ship Channel was reopened at 1:15 p.m. to all traffic. The salvage vessel Big John hoisted the sunken 56-ft tug vessel from the Houston Ship Channel at 2 a.m. The J.R. Nichols sank in the ship channel Wednesday evening with five crew members onboard. Four of the five were recovered with minor injuries, while the fifth crew member was recovered deceased by salvage crews Feb. 11.
Bourbon Strives for Fuel Consumption Savings
Optimizing the crewboat's fuel consumption - BOURBON promotes best practices and organizes a competition. With over 3 million people carried in 2011, the transport of personnel is at the forefront of BOURBON’s activities. Following directly on from the initiative launched in Gabon in 2010, from February 1 to May 1, 2012, BOURBON organized a competition for Surfers in Congo, aimed at cutting the hourly fuel consumption of personnel transport vessels operating out of the country.
Strategic Marine to Build Eight Crewboats
Australian shipbuilder Strategic Marine is making the most of the current high demand for offshore vessels in international shipping markets by building eight aluminum crew boats on a speculative basis. In a move which is expected to boost its revenues by over $40m, the company will build six 40m vessels at its shipyard, and two 52m crew boats at its new Mexican yard at . Western Australian marine services company Samson Maritime has already ordered two of the new 40m crew boats after
US Coast Guard Cutter Transferred to Bangladesh Navy
'Jarvis', a 378-foot High Endurance Cutter homeported in Alameda, decommissioned & transferred to the Bangladesh navy as the 'BNS Somudra Joy'. The signing over ceremony took place on Coast Guard Island in Alameda. A 20-member team from the Bangladesh navy
Bulk Cargo Loading Instant Prompt Published
UK P&I Club, Lloyd's Register and Intercargo have produced a pocket guide & checklist for ship's officer and agents who arrange cargoes for loading. The P&I Club explains that when bulk cargoes shift, liquefy, catch fire or explode as a consequence of poor loading procedures
Overboard Sailor Rescued off French Coast
A British man has been rescued after falling overboard from a yacht off the coast of Ushant in France. Brixham Coastguard received a 999 call just after 3 p.m. this afternoon reporting that one of the two people on board the yacht had been washed overboard by a large wave.
Two Vessels Grounded off Scotland Coast
Two ships ran aground Tuesday off the west coast of Scotland, according to Herald Scotland. The first vessel, the 87-meter passenger cruise vessel Serenissima, was lodged on sand and gravel at a spot known as the Corran Ledge in Oban Bay Tuesday night as it made its way from Ireland to the port
UK P&I Club Pocket Guide for Safe Carriage of Solid Bulk Cargoes
When bulk cargoes shift, liquefy, catch fire or explode as a consequence of poor loading procedures, the consequences can be massive. Ships may capsize, lose stability or sustain severe structural damage. Such happenings enhance the risks and occurrence of death, injury, insurance claims
Monohull Crewboat Swissco Cheetah Delivered
Incat Crowther launched Swissco Cheetah, the first of a pair of 36-meter crewboats built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards of Hong Kong. Capable of carrying 50 tons of deck cargo, the 70-passenger vessel was delivered by Cheoy Lee’s Zhuhai shipyard to Singapore-based operator, Swissco Offshore.
Coast Guard Evacuate 78 From Blazing Fishing Vessel
Crewmembers aboard the 314-ft fishing vessel 'Arctic Storm' extinguised an engine-room fire using the ship's Halon chemical firefighting system. The Coast Guard continues to respond to the vessel approximately 30 miles west of Grays Harbor, Wash.
Crew Systems Integration 2013 Program Announced
FRC International will host CSI 2013 - Crew Systems Integration conference from July 2-4, 2013 at RNLI Lifeboat College, Poole, U.K. The international conference includes over 20 presentations focusing on nine integrated topics for the RIB and high speed craft sector
New Fireboats Headed to Houston
A two-week voyage through four Great Lakes and the Mississippi River will bring to the Port of Houston Authority the first of three high-performance fireboats to replace the current fleet. "As the nation's busiest port in terms of foreign tonnage and home to one of the world's largest
Odyssey to Open “SHIPWRECK!” Exhibit in Times Square
Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc., will ring the Opening Bell at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York on Thursday, May 23, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. to celebrate the grand opening of Odyssey's “SHIPWRECK!” exhibit at Discovery Times Square on Friday, May 24
Costa Concordia: Board Members Under Investigation
Five board members of owners, Costa Crociere, have been placed under investigation in connection with the January 2012 cruise ship accident. The executives are reportedly being probed for possible collusion in the crimes of dereliction of duty and manslaughter that the ship's Captain
Passenger Ship Grounded off Scotland Coast
The passenger ship 'Serenissima' grounded Monday night in Oban Bay, was refloated the next day & awaits underwater inspection. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported that the Stornoway Coastguard was alerted and was told that the ship had ran aground on sand and gravel
Crew System Integration on RHIBs and High Speed Craft
Human Systems Integration (HSI) is a recognized requirement for many organizations. This is rapidly becoming more important as the professional RHIB and high speed craft sector are required to perform increasingly complex tasks. The objective is for marine units to deal with new scenarios
Coast Guard Patrols with New RB-S II Vessel
Most people who encounter the Coast Guard near shore will get a good look at a Response Boat-Small (RB-S). With more than 400 boats in operation, the RB-S is the largest vessel class in the Coast Guard’s fleet. The boats are in constant use
MTN and Norwegian Cruise Line Announce Social Media Record
MTN and Norwegian Cruise Line (Norwegian) announce that a new record for social media usage at sea was set during Norwegian Breakaway’s New York inaugural events. MTN delivered the communications services for its partner, Norwegian, enabling this social media breakthrough that helped