Gt Club News

Ratings agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has affirmed North P&I club’s "A" credit rating and stable outlook following a review of marine mutuals based on the agency’s new ratings criteria for insurers. The review confirms North’s continued status both as the second largest and as one of the highest-rated members of the International Group of P&I Clubs. It was based on S&P’s new rating methodology for insurers published on May 7, 2013. The analysts confirm North is one of the strongest members of the International Group. "The club ranks as the second-largest member by owned tonnage. The agency also commended the 170 million GT club for its "realistic approach" to the 2013 renewals and for its continued ‘resilience’.

A wide variety of shipowners, operators and other senior maritime professionals from throughout the Middle East region have attended North P&I club’s residential course in P&I insurance and loss prevention held in Dubai this week. A total of 46 delegates from 21 organisations signed up for the ‘A’ rated, 170 million GT club’s four-day course at the Dubai Marine Beach and Resort Spa, which concluded yesterday (13 September 2012). They included representatives of many of North’s Middle East members - including Adnatco, Bakri Navigation, E Ships, Mideast Ship Management, MUR Shipping, Oman Shipping, Stellar Ocean Transport, United Arab Chemical Carriers and United Arab Shipping Company.

Over 100 representatives of the Japanese shipping community attended a reception in Tokyo on March 27 to celebrate the opening of North P&I club’s new branch office Japan. Located in Tokyo’s central Kyobashi commercial district, the new office complements the A-rated 170 million GT club’s existing Asia-Pacific branches in Hong Kong and Singapore. Nobutaka Mukae, president of Kumiai Senpaku – one of Japan’s leading independent shipowners, was a guest speaker at the reception, which took place at the Imperial Hotel in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. He formally welcomed North to Japan and wished the club every success for the future. Other Japanese members attending included IMECS, Kambara Kisen, Northstar, NYK, Sandigan, Synergy and Unitra Maritime.

In the morning of 21 February 2009, the 69,200-gt club ship AIDAluna left the shipyard Meyer Werft for the North Sea. The Ems barrier was operated to support the passage down the river. In the midday hours of 21 February around 12 pm, AIDAluna passed the lock in Papenburg. Around 2 pm she reached the needle eye of the Friesen Bridge near Weener. Around 3:30 pm the ship passed the Jann-Berghaus Bridge at Leer. Both bridges have a maximum of 45 meters admission. Due to the ships breadth of 32.2 metres, there were only 6 meters on each side between AIDAluna and the piers.

On 13 February 2009, the new 69,200-gt club ship of the cruise company AIDA Cruises left the building dock of the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg / Germany. In the late afternoon, AIDAluna made her first appearance and breathed fresh air for the first time. On Saturday 14 February, at 8.30 am, the ship was then moved in front of the harbour lock, so that a couple of tests could be performed. The undocking of the ship and the performed tests ran absolutely smoothly. On the fitting-out-pier of the Meyer shipyard the remaining works on the ship will be finished.

The North of England P&I club has warned its members this week that the International Maritime Organization's new ship-security rules could have a significant impact on the commercial aspects of their operations when it comes into force on 1 July 2004. In the latest issue of its loss-prevention newsletter 'Signals', the 45 million GT club says all existing and future contracts relating to ships' operations - including charterparties, bills of lading and crew contracts - will need reviewing in the light of new obligations and risks created by the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. 'One of the main objectives of the ISPS Code is to prevent ships being used by terrorists,' says FD&D department lawyer Mark Robinson.

The North of England P&I club has published an authoritative illustrated guide to the main 'rules of the road' for shipping to help reduce the significant annual losses suffered by the industry due to collisions and other avoidable navigational errors. An international survey by the Nautical Institute last year* revealed nearly 50% of seagoing officers believe navigational errors are due to ignorance or disregard of the IMO International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (Colregs). Institute president Captain Robbie Middleton has thus strongly supported the new publication, which he believes 'provides a valuable text to re-establish good practice'. The 30-page ring-bound booklet is based on the popular series of Colregs posters published by the North of England since 2001.

The introduction of the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code on 1 July 2004 is more likely to increase rather than reduce the problems caused by stowaways to shipowners, warns North of England P&I club. North of England points out that port security in many parts of the world remains extremely lax. 'It is hoped that the ISPS Code will improve the situation and reduce the burden on shipowners,' says loss prevention executive Tony Baker. 'Regardless of efforts made by shipowners to control access to their vessels in port, the task of securing port facilities is a much larger, more complex operation and one which many ports will find difficult to achieve,' he says.

The North of England P&I club's overall free reserves at 20 February 2004 increased by 34 % to reach US$ 133.5 million despite a difficult year for claims. The 50 million GT club's accounts for the 2003/04 year, which have just been approved by the directors, show a substantial improvement in investment return and further consolidation of the A- rated club's financial position. The P&I class investment portfolio, which remains conservatively structured with 72.5 % in bonds and cash and 27.5 % in equities, generated a return of 14.11 % against a benchmark index of 12.24%. Together with exchange gains, the P&I portfolio provided a total contribution of US$ 50 million.

North of England P&I club has launched a graphic new series of safety posters as part of its continuing campaign to help reduce personal injuries on ships. Unlike previous safety poster series produced by the club, the new 'If only...' series clearly depicts the distressing results of not doing things properly. Each of the new A2 colour posters shows two different outcomes to a common shipboard activity - one after correct procedures have been followed, the other after getting it all wrong.

The North of England P&I club says that unfamiliar tasks imposed on ships' crews are leading to more personal-injury accidents occurring on board. In the latest issue of its loss-prevention newsletter 'Signals', the 50 million GT club says that additional duties - particularly those on deck - are being carried out by inadequately trained crewmembers from places such as the galley and the engine room. 'We have experienced a number of recent cases in which members of both the catering and the engineering departments have been working on deck, only to suffer serious accidents with tragic consequences,' says the club's loss prevention executive Tony Baker.

Brigadier General Tay Lim Heng, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), officially welcomed North of England P&I club to the island nation last week. He was speaking on behalf of guests at a major reception held at Raffles Hotel on 6 September 2007 to celebrate the ‘A’ rated, 75 million GT club’s new representative office opening. In addition to MPA, organizations represented at the event included the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Transport as well as prominent local shipowners, brokers and law firms. North of England managing director Rodney Eccleston, deputy managing director Alan Wilson…

Around 80 Greek members of North of England P&I Association attended the A rated 65 million GT club's annual seminar at the Piraeus Marine Club last week. The seminar is part of North of England's continuous program of providing advice and support to its Greek membership on loss prevention and associated practical and commercial considerations. In-house freight demurrage and defence lawyers Helen Yiacoumis and Antigone Yanniotis, both of whom are based in the club's Piraeus office, covered the various issues associated with charterparty withdrawal and checking before fixing. Office manager Tony Allen then looked at the implications of a deviation under P&I and shipowners' liability cargo cover…

North of England P&I Association appointed two new members to its management team led by managing director Rodney Eccleston. Senior claims executive Iain Beange and underwriter Stephen Rebair have both been promoted to managers of the 'A' rated 65 million GT club's wholly owned management company, North Insurance Management Limited. Beange, 45, joined North of England in 1995 after 16 years at sea, predominantly on dry bulk tonnage, followed by two years with London maritime law firm Clyde and Co. He holds a British Master Mariners' Certificate and an LLB Honors degree from the University of Northumbria. From 2000 to 2004 Beange worked in the Association's Hong Kong office, working closely with the growing Far East membership.

Dr Matthias Reith, director of German bulk carrier owner Orion Schiffahrtsgesellschaft Reith & Co of Hamburg, helped the North of England P&I club celebrate 21 years of working with the German shipping industry today. Speaking a major industry reception organized by the club at the Zipplehaus restaurant in Hamburg, Dr Reith said 'In 1982 Orion became the first company from Germany to join the North of England. The club now insures 36 fleets in Germany and works with 11 of the German-based brokers. Dr Reith said he was particularly pleased with the way the club had developed in Germany, from its initial Hamburg-based membership to involvement with shipowners from Bremen, Leer and elsewhere in the German shipping community.