Rom News

U.S. headquartered Windstar Cruises has promoted Dianna Rom to senior director of sales, leading the domestic and international sales team for the Windstar brand.Rom has been with Windstar for seven years, first as a Midwest regional sales manager and most recently as director of field sales where she was responsible for managing all Windstar regional sales managers and business development managers. Prior to joining Windstar, Rom was the regional director of sales and marketing for Ohio State Park Lodges…

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, navies adjusted how they operate at home and while deployed, to keep their forces ready for any missions as they keep their Sailors, families, communities, as well as allies and partners safe from the coronavirus.Navies have taken a number of prudent preventative measures to limit outbreaks, mitigate cases of infection and reduce the community spread of the virus.Speaking during his May 29 “On The Horizon: Navigating the European and African Theaters” podcast, Admiral James G. Foggo III, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, said The U.S.

Classification society Korean Register (KR) announced that it has released the 16th version of its KR-CON software. First launched in 1997, the software program set out to help surveyors, shipbuilders and PSC officers to search for IMO instruments more accurately, quickly and conveniently. The original database program provided all IMO conventions, codes, resolutions and circulars in a CD-ROM format. Since then, KR-CON has been revised and updated 15 times and is now available in English, Korean and Chinese and is accessed on USB, via the web and a mobile application. For the 16th KR-CON, KR said it has put considerable effort into the creation of more user-friendly interface.

The last barrier to robotic shipbuilding has just fallen. What comes next will be truly exciting. It wasn’t too long ago that SSI and Wolf Robotics demonstrated some co-development which automatically drove a fully autonomous welding robot to weld several ship panels. SSI develops Autodesk based solutions for the shipbuilding and offshore industry including ShipConstructor software, an AutoCAD based CAD/CAM product line; and EnterprisePlatform, a tool for sharing product data model information. For its part, Wolf Robotics has been integrating robotic welding and cutting systems since 1978. The collaboration was part of a National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) Computer Aided Robotics Welding (CAR-W) project with U.S. shipyards.

ClassNK has been informed by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) that during PSC inspections it has been increasingly reported that vessels have been detained because PSCO considers a deficiency regarding ECDIS means evidence of insufficient ISM performance of the vessel. Eight detentions for such grounds had been reported from January 2016 to May 2016, which was double the number of such detentions reported in the latter half of 2015. AMSA has released Marine Notice 8/2016 about the proper operations of ECDIS. (The URL and contents of the Notice are described at the end of this Bulletin). Moreover, there have also been reports that AMSA is carrying out inspections of ECDIS as a priority item.

Classification society ClassNK has released printed versions of its 2016 Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. ClassNK regularly reviews and revises its technical rules and guidance in order to ensure that they are relevant and up-to-date. The 2016 edition contains requirement amendments made between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 related to structural strength of container carriers, fire safety measures for vehicle carriers transporting motor vehicles powered by compressed hydrogen or compressed natural gas, welding procedures and related specifications, material factors of rolled stainless steel and stainless clad steel plates…

Haifa Port in Israel is implementing a long-term plan amiing to entice cruise lines back to the "Gateway to the Holy Land" in consultation with Miami-based Access Cruise Inc., which provides sales and marketing representation to the cruise industry. Haifa Port and Access Cruise, along with the director of marketing of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in North America, met with executives from all the major North American cruise lines during the recent 2016 Seatrade Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. As a result of those meetings, Haifa Municipality and the Haifa Tourism Company board of directors have identified the cruise industry as an important target market for stimulating travel to the region.

Videotel, the leading international provider of e-Learning maritime training programs and a company of KVH Industries, Inc., has backed the Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on crew familiarization for enclosed space entry recently launched by the maritime authorities of Tokyo and Paris. Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel, says the dangers of seafarers entering enclosed spaces without the necessary training and equipment are of the utmost concern. “Seafarers are dying unnecessarily and we will continue to drive home the need for the industry and government to work together to ensure such incidents are a thing of the past. One death from such a situation is one death too many,” says Mr. Cleave.

Ingram Barge Company sees two kinds of green in their newest venture on the inland rivers. In late March, the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority and Ingram Barge Company announced plans to assess the viability of Intermodal River Transportation, utilizing the largest flat-top crane in North America and Ingram’s towboats and barges. On March 27th, that plan came to life as the Paducah Riverport Authority’s 200-ton crane lifted 54 empty containers and stacked them neatly on an Ingram-owned barge. An Ingram towboat then transported the container laden barge to the port of St. Louis and then back to Paducah for unloading. The highly successful trial run tested the logistics of moving the intermodal containers via barge in the nation’s heartland.

Striking Israeli dockworkers defied a court order on Thursday and shut down the country's two main seaports for a second day in protest at the creation of two new foreign-run ports. Spokesmen for the ports of Ashdod and Haifa said 2,400 workers had left their posts and union leaders had gone underground. Forty ships were stuck at quays or off the coast waiting to be unloaded. "The workers made a serious mistake this time," said Transport Minister Israel Katz. The government, frustrated by labour disputes that have disrupted Israel's trade arteries for years, signed contracts with two foreign companies on Thursday to operate terminals adjacent to the state-run ports of Ashdod and Haifa.

VideotelTM, the leading international provider of e-Learning maritime training programs and a company of KVH Industries, Inc., has backed calls by the UK-based maritime union Nautilus for the UK Shipping and Ports Minister to lead regulatory reforms to protect seafarers from the dangers of enclosed spaces. The general secretary of Nautilus recently wrote to the minister to point out the high incidence of death when entering enclosed spaces, where mortality occurs more frequently than during any other activity onboard. Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel, says the dangers of seafarers entering enclosed spaces without the necessary training and equipment are of the utmost concern.

Classification society ClassNK has released its 2015 Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. The 2015 edition’s amendments, made between March 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014, reflect the latest R&D findings, feedback from damage investigations, changes made to international regulations, as well as industry requests and include requirements related to Guidance for Temperature Gradient ESSO Tests and Double Tension Tests, Structure of Bilge Keels, Dangerous Chemical Substances, Strength Calculations for Gears, and Black-out Tests in Special Surveys. Tthe updated Rules and Guidance will be available to download free of charge from early May for ClassNK “MyPage” users.

The Australian government announced its acquisition strategy for the Future Submarine Program, setting out further details of the competitive evaluation process to be undertaken by the nation’s Department of Defense. The government said it seeks the best possible capability and value for money for Australian taxpayers while maximizing the involvement of Australian industry. The process outlined today provides a pathway for Australian industry to maximize its involvement in the program, without compromising capability, cost, program schedule or risk, the government said. As part of its plan, the government expects that significant work to be undertaken in Australia during the build phase of the future submarine including combat system integration, design assurance and land based testing.

Prospects in the North American marine equipment market have triggered a new and distribution agreement between control specialist Lilaas AS and marine and offshore sales and support organization Imtra Corporation, of New Bedford, Mass. The deal, initially over three years, will see Imtra’s 52-man organization offering product and after sales technical support for Lilaas control levers, joysticks and rudder controls in the U.S. and Canada. Imtra’s clients include vessel operators in the commercial marine, inland waterway, fishing and offshore sectors, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.

Longer than four football fields, as big as six Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and almost as tall as the Taipei 101 skyscraper, Royal Dutch Shell PLC is hoping that its record-setting, game-changing floating liquid natural gas (FLNG) facility will serve as a prelude to a killing in the offshore LNG market. It’s not alone. Many industry observers believe FLNG will do for gas offshore what fracking has done for shale or natural gas trapped in the ground on shore. “This is revolutionary technology …[that]… has the potential to change the way we produce natural gas…

Videotel has launched a new training course, Noise and Vibration: The Forgotten Hazards, to coincide with the new legal requirements to reduce noise on board ships. These regulations come into effect with the adoption of new SOLAS regulations beginning July 1, 2014. These rules set mandatory maximum noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, accommodation and other spaces on board ships. “Research shows that noise and vibration can affect human behavior and well-being in different ways.

Classification society ClassNK has announced the release of the latest versions of its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. These versions include all amendments dated May 30, 2014. The amendments made to the Rules and Guidance this time cover requirements related to “Dangerous Chemical Substances”, which were revised in order to reflect recent changes made to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code). Both printed and CD-ROM versions of the 2014 edition of the Rules and Guidance are available for purchase online, and the PDF version…

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people Saturday from a fishing boat taking on water approximately 40 miles east of False Cape State Park in Virginia Beach. Crewmembers aboard the Lauren Dorothy, a 53-foot fishing boat, contacted Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Command Center watchstanders at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday requesting assistance after their boat began taking on water. Sector watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and diverted crews aboard an HC-130 Hercules aircraft and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City…

Marlins reported that its second security elearning title, Security Duties, has been flag approved, further to the flag approval of the company’s Security Awareness course in December. Security Duties expands on what is learnt in Security Awareness and provides additional, practical information for crew members who are more likely to face a security threat, such as bridge watchkeepers or gangway staff. STCW defines these individuals as sea staff with designated duties. Both courses…

Classification society ClassNK announced  that it had released an updated edition of the Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. ClassNK continuously reviews, updates and amends its technical rules and guidance as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the safety of life and property at sea, and to protect the marine environment. The rules and guidance are amended regularly to reflect the latest research results from damage investigations as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, IACS Unified Requirements, national regulations and requests from the maritime industry. Requirements related to “Unified Interpretations, etc.

Classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) announced the release of the latest version of its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. These versions include all amendments dated 30 May 2013. ClassNK is constantly revising its Rules and Guidance to reflect requests from industry, the latest results from relevant research and development projects, feedback from damage investigations as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, IACS Unified Requirements and national regulations. Both printed and CD-ROM versions of the 2013 edition of the Rules and Guidance are available for purchase online…

ClassNK announced the release of the latest versions of its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. These versions include all amendments dated May 17, 2013. Among the amendments made to the Rules and Guidance this time is the establishment of the “Rules for the Inspection and Registration of Maritime Labor Systems.” Shipowners can now apply to ClassNK and request inspections of their Maritime Labor Systems conducted in accordance with the above amendment.

ClassNK released the 2013 edition of the Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. ClassNK continuously reviews, updates and amends its technical rules and guidance as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the safety of life and property at sea, and to protect the marine environment. This year’s edition of the rules and guidance contains a number of amendments made in 2012, reflecting its latest research outcomes, damage investigation and analysis of actual cases, amendments to statutory rules and regulations and requests from the maritime industry. Amendment: New requirements for the Energy Efficiency, etc.