Marine Safety Division News

A salvage dive team located a two-inch diameter hole on the port side of the engine room and applied a temporary patch. The vessel is no longer taking on water. Any pollution from the incident has been recovered or dissipated. Containment booms will remain in place, and a watchstander will stay on the vessel to monitor the situation. A long term plan for the ship is in development.“The safety of residents and responders is our priority, and while no one wants something like this to happen, thankfully it occurred at the pier where they swiftly addressed the issue,” said Lt. Erica Brewton, Sector Honolulu Incident Management Division.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced that six MOL-operated/managed vessels have received commendations from the commanders of the 3rd and 4th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG).Vessels commended by 3rd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters are: VLCC Altair Trader, VLCC Yufusan, VLCC M. Star, LNG carrier Energy Advance, and LNG carrier Energy Frontier. The vessel commended by 4th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters is VLCC Shizukisan.To mark Japan Hydrography Day, the commanders of the Regional Coast Guard Headquarters presented testimonials to individuals and organizations that have contributed to marine information services (assisting with research related to the sea and marine information).

Just two weeks after accepting the U.S. Coast Guard’s congratulations on a military career spanning almost three decades, Rob Nakama drove from Washington D.C. to Seattle to join Foss Maritime as the company’s Manager of Contingency Planning and Emergency Response. “I’ve been in the military for the majority of my life; the transition has been surreal,” he said. Nakama was born in Hawaii, growing up on the island of Maui as the son of a taro farmer who worked for the Aloha Poi Factory.

Rear Admiral Paul Thomas develops and maintains policy, standards and program alignment for waterways management, navigation safety, boating, commercial vessels, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, inspection and port state control activities. He serves as the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards. A specialist in Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, he has served at the Marine Safety Center in Washington, DC and many others before that. His other tours include, among others, service as Commanding Officer of USCGC CAPE ROMAIN.

Ocean Safety has today announced the merger with Richard Irvin Energy Solutions Marine Safety Division and their Aberdeen branch. This merger follows the 3Si Group’s recent acquisition of both companies, which are set to combine premises in Aberdeen to operate from a single expanded facility. The consolidation into the new 5,000sq ft space will facilitate the growth of the workforce, increasing sales efficiency and servicing capabilities in both the onshore and offshore maritime sector. Bringing these two companies together will significantly benefit our existing customer base and increase our offshore offering,” comments Ocean Safety’s Aberdeen Manager Aidan Morrissey.

MOL President, President, Koichi Muto reported that the performance of the company was slack. Muto reported, "I am sad to report that our business performance fell short, and we could not achieve our initial target of ¥70 billion in consolidated ordinary income. Looking back at FY2014, the containership business could not achieve our targets despite the favorable winds of a depreciating yen and lower bunker prices. This was due to factors including inaccurate projections regarding the trade environment, freight rate market, and bunker prices, as well as construction delays in our terminal automation project, and led to a significant loss. In addition, repeated downward revisions of our forecasts have eroded shareholders’ trust in our company.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) inform of the graduation of 126 students in the third class of the “Third Year Program,” which targets new seafarers from among third-year students at seven partner maritime schools in the Philippines. MOL explains that it provides education and training at the Magsaysay Institute of Shipping(MIS), its training center in the Philippines. The program received accreditation as the equivalent to university-level education under the Academe-Industry Linkage Program promoted by the Philippine government.

Drew Marine has completed the acquisition of Alexander/Ryan Marine and Safety Inc., and it will join the organization under the name Alexander/Ryan Marine & Safety division of Drew Marine. With locations in the United States (Louisiana and Texas) and in the United Kingdom, the division brings 82 new employees to Drew Marine. Alexander/Ryan Marine & Safety is a manufacturer and distributor of fire, safety and rescue equipment to the Offshore and Marine markets. Alexander/Ryan offers a variety of high quality products and services…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL, President: Koichi Muto) today announced the completion of a table top drill based on the scenario of the MOL-owned and operated bulk carrier Mona Linden being involved in a collision that resulted in flooding and oil spill off Takamatsu, Inland sea, Japan. The drill involved about 60 participants including executives from MOL and MOL Group companies. The three-hour drill, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, was aimed at strengthening MOL's…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that the company has completed a practice drill based on the scenario of its training ship Spirit of MOL being involved in a collision, fire, and oil spill incident just off Manila on February 18. Following is an outline of the drill, which involved about 60 participants from the Tokyo Head Office and MOL Group companies. Beginning on the afternoon of Thursday, February 18, the drill was intended to strengthen the foundation of social responsibility laid out in the MOL Group Corporate Principles protecting the environment by maintaining strict…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has launched a safe operation campaign for all MOL-operated vessels. Called the “MOL Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Promotion Campaign 2009,” it focuses on safety and health management of seafarers, based on analysis injuries and illnesses that occurred during onboard operation last year. The campaign will promote an active exchange of opinions between vessels and land-based personnel to share information and alerts concerning the causes of various injuries and illness. The goal is to further reinforce MOL’s efforts to ensure safe operation of its worldwide fleet. The Campaign will last for one month from April 1st to 30th.

Coast Guard Atlantic Area includes five Coast Guard Districts spanning 14 million square miles and involves 30,000 personnel. Captain John E. Schrinner discusses his philosophy on making it run smoothly. When the clock strikes midnight June 30, 2004, the world will watch with wonder to see if shipping as we know it will come to a screeching halt off the U.S. coast, as the deadline for companies to comply to the letter of the new maritime security laws enters force. With speculation running rampant and a flurry of last-minute paperwork, retiring Chief of the Marine Safety Division, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, Captain John E. Schrinner, offers this perspective. "I remember as a trainee in 1973 the mantra was (for the USCG) to facilitate commerce," Schrinner said.

The Coast Guard concluded two days of meetings today with local, state and federal officials as part of its ongoing review to help evaluate the suitability of the Chesapeake Bay for importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) aboard tankships. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) Baltimore received a letter of intent to resume LNG import operations from the Williams Company at its Cove Point facility in Calvert County, Md., last October. If approved, LNG import operations will involve moving LNG in tankships on the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay to Cove Point where the cargo will be handled and off-loaded at the company’s waterside facility. Under federal regulation (33 CFR Part 127.009), the COTP is required to evaluate the suitability of the Bay for conducting LNG operations.

MarineSafety International, Inc., in conjunction with the Great Lakes International Marine Training Center at Georgian College, Owen Sound, Ontario, recently completed a joint training venture. Twenty-eight members of the Great Lakes Pilot Association (GLPA) were trained in Bridge Resource Management (BRM) and the operation of the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). Five courses with a maximum class size of six were conducted during January, February and March. Training meets the requirements of Transport Canada requirement TP13117 and was audited by members of Transport Canada’s Marine Safety Division. The course consisted of classroom instruction…

The Thirteenth U.S. Coast Guard District and Washington state (Ecology) have formalized protocols for improved coordination of their oil pollution prevention and response efforts in Washington state waters. Capt. Myles Boothe, Chief, 13th Coast Guard District Marine Safety Division; and Dale Jensen, Ecology’s spills program manager, signed the protocols last Friday at the 13th Coast Guard District office. In May 2001, Governor Gary Locke and USCG Rear Adm. Erroll M. Brown signed a Memorandum of Agreement to work together to achieve a coordinated and efficient working relationship. The new protocols for Washington waters apply to all oil spill incidents and include information sharing…

Drew Marine, a division of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company, recently announced two promotions in its Boonton, N.J., headquarters. Ron Ieva, who has held positions at Drew Marine as senior product manager, area manager for the Southeast and Caribbean, and cruise industry business manager, has been promoted to regional sales manager for the Americas. Mike Cassaras, who has been southeast and Caribbean area manager and regional sales manager for the Americas, will now assume global responsibility as business manager for Drew Marine Safety. BSME from the Marine Maritime Academy. After attending the University of Florida, Cassaras began his career in the marine industry in 1975. Prior to his positions at Drew, he was President and Founder of Atlas Marine Services, Inc.

Commanding Officers conference. At the meeting, Admiral Casto and his staff outlined Coast Guard proposals to reorganize the Eighth District, splitting much of the inland rivers and the Gulf Coast into two separate regions. The proposal would have the effect of recreating the old Second District, which was closed in a cost cutting measure in 1996. As a part of the previous reorganization effort, staff levels were cut. For instance, prior to 1995, the old Eighth District had Marine Safety Division staff of 27 people to cover the Gulf Coast. Today the division has only 25 people to cover the Gulf Coast and all of the inland system. Admiral Casto said that the new security responsibilities of the Coast Guard make the current structure unworkable.