Maritime Services Ltd News

In 2021, Trans Mountain, on behalf of shippers for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP), awarded KOTUG Canada Inc. a long-term contract to provide escort towage services for tankers that load crude oil at Trans Mountain’s Westridge Marine Terminal.Trans Mountain operates Canada’s only oil pipeline servicing the West Coast of Canada providing tidewater access to foreign markets for Canada’s petroleum resources.Under the agreement, KOTUG Canada, which is a partnership between KOTUG International B.V.

The SafeNav (Safer Navigation) maritime safety project, co-funded by the European Commission and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), was officially launched on September 1.The EUR 8 million project aims to beat a path towards safer and more secure bridge navigation today while moving toward tomorrow’s world of remote operations and autonomous shipping. “The ambition and objective of the project is to develop and test a highly innovative collision-prevention solution that will significantly reduce the probability of collisions and groundings…

ChartWorld announced the acquisition of Maritime Services Ltd. in Vancouver as the latest addition to the maritime digital navigation group.Steven van de Schootbrugge, ChartWorld’s CEO, commented, “We have seen double-digit growth in the North American region in recent years due to our navigation solutions that cover everything from hardware as a service, SAAS, electronic charts, support and service. Our customers can ensure their ECDIS and digital navigation systems are automatically updated and are always compliant with shore-based oversight…

As I was preparing for Thanksgiving dinner I put on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. While Indiana Jones and Doctor Elsa Schneider were being chased by the Brotherhood of the Cruciform sword through Venice and their boat was neatly shredded by the propellers of a larger vessel, it had me thinking of how much propeller technology has changed over the years. And how hopefully Indiana’s boat did not actually damage that vessel’s propeller. Recently an article passed though my news feed about the first 3D printed propeller. This is indicative of the direction the industry is taking.

There are countless examples of how an over reliance of GPS navigation and the electronic charting systems, as well as the use of dead reckoning without a known fixed starting point – instead “eyeballing” the situation – are leading vessels in to danger. August 21, 2017 was the Great American Eclipse, and the science fiction fantasy fan in me wondered if this is when I would get my superpowers back. The navigator in me pondered if I was in the zone of totality and took a sight of the sun and moon, at the moment of totality would it count as two lines of position on my chart.

For as long as there has been a need to transport cargo there has been a maritime industry. Throughout that history both owners and mariners have worked to devise ways of saving costs, making faster transits, and carrying more cargo. In 1819 the Steam Ship Savannah made maritime history by being the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, sounding eight bells for the traditional cargo carrying tall ship. Although that eight bell sounded for quite some time, the future of shipping arrived with Savannah. In 1911 M.S.

Fatigue is a well known factor as a cause numerous maritime and non-maritime accidents worldwide. In fact driving while fatigued is considered just as bad as driving while under the influence. The requirements under the new Manilla amendments call for vessels and seafarers to log their work or rest hours to meet the standards set out under STCW 2010 or the MLC 2006. Anyone who has ever gone to sea however can tell you that these measures, although a step in the right direction do not necessarily mitigate fatigue anywhere near as well as the IMO and ILO lawmakers expect.

Magic Pipes, 15 PPM alarms, crew familiarization, improper entries in the oil record book, oil record book not maintained: these are all terms used by various Port State Control (PSC) officers worldwide when referencing the oily water separator. When PSC so decides, it also has the option of making one of these an ISM deficiency, adding another black mark against a vessel. Nevertheless, even with such an important piece of equipment and the records documenting its proper use, both are often neglected.

As of September 8, 2016 the Ballast Water Convention officially was ratified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), crossing the necessary threshold of 35% of world tonnage signed on courtesy of the ratification by Finland. Subsequently, at press time, the United States Coast Guard was moving rapidly to confirm type approval of BWMS systems, to date confirming the approval of three systems from Alfa Laval, Oceansaver and Optimarin. In this edition we delve into the Ballast Water Convention, United States Coast Guard Regulations, and what this all means as far as onboard operations.

Canadian Minister of Industry, the Honorable James Moore, visited the KOTUG’s Headquarters and sailed on board of the hybrid Rotortug RT Adriaan, the so-called E-KOTUG, in the Port of Rotterdam. The Prime Minister, Stephen Harper and the Minister of Industry, James Moore of the Government of Canada combined the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague with a working trip to the Port of Rotterdam. The visit to Rotterdam was focused on highlighting the trade and business relations between Canada and Europe.

Thomas Gunn Navigation Services Limited, the international chart supply specialist, has strengthened the services it provides to the US and Canadian markets by joining forces with Vancouver-based Maritime Services Ltd to form Thomas Gunn Maritime Services Inc. This strategic tie-up combines the ongoing experience of ex-seagoing staff of both companies together with a high level of existing in-house expertise to ensure that customers in this important geographical region receive the highest level of chart advice and service available.

Mermaid Marine Australia Ltd will merge with Dubai Ports World subsidiary P&O Maritime Services Pty Ltd through a share-trading arrangement. Mermaid will issue 221.9 million shares to DP World in return for 100 per cent of the shares in P&O Maritime Services Ltd and P&O Polar Australia Pty Ltd, subject to shareholder approval. The deal will result in DP World owning 60.4 per cent of Mermaid, with existing shareholders holding the remaining 39.4 per cent. Mermaid will also assume an additional $40 million of net debt initially in the form of debt due to DP World as part of the transaction. Mermaid directors said in a statement that the proposed merger would create a highly attractive business diversified across a range of maritime services…