Other Space Fire News

Flexible fuels, Bold designs ... Eastern Shipbuilding Group has arguably been one of the more progressive and aggressive U.S. builders of high-spec Offshore Service Vessels in recent years, winning a number of high-profile contracts for operators globally. Eastern recently delivered M/V HOS Red Dawn and christened M/V HOS Renaissance, both for Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC. HOS Red Dawn (H201) – now delivered – was launched on February 15, 2013. HOS Red Rock (H202) was launched April 19, 2013, and is currently at Eastern completing final outfitting, regulatory and DP-2 trials.

Offshore energy services provider Jaya Holdings Ltd. announced the long term charter of its first high-specification Multi-Purpose Maintenance and Accommodation Vessel (MPMAV) Jaya Privilege. This vessel is one in a range of sophisticated service vessels that Jaya is designing and building for its target markets, the company said. Jaya Privilege is expected to be delivered in June 2015 and construction is now underway. Jaya Privilege has more than 800 square meters of clear deck space, fire fighting capability and dynamic positioning to DP-2 class. The vessel has accommodation for up to 239 people on board, including workout equipment and an internet café and an electrohydraulic lattice boom crane with a lifting capacity of 50MT with man riding capability.

Jaya Holdings Limited say that the new PSV was delivered on schedule and on delivery went on-hire immediately, embarking on its maiden voyage as part of a long term charter contract in South East Asia with an existing customer undertaking fracturing work. Jaya Valour is one of the four PSVs in Jaya’s new build program, of which three have already secured contracts for charter. The total value of these three contracts is more than US$60 million, including optional extension periods.

Offshore energy services provider Jaya Holdings Ltd. announced that the Group has signed contracts for three of its four newbuild platform supply vessels (PSVs) ahead of their delivery dates from the shipyard. The total value of these three contracts is more than $60 million, including optional extension periods. Jaya’s first high specification PSV Jaya Valour will deliver at the end of July and has been fixed into a time charter contract for up to three years in South East Asia with an existing customer undertaking fracturing work. Jaya Valour has more than 1,000 square meters of clear deck space, fire fighting capability and dynamic positioning to DP-2 class. The vessel has accommodation for up to 60 people on board including workout equipment and an internet café.

The world watched as the Carnival Triumph sat still, dead in the water in the Gulf of Mexico after a main space fire caused a total loss of electrical power. For the 3,143 passengers and 1,000-plus crewmembers, there was no heat or air conditioning, toilets or sanitation, lights or  ventilation. Fortunately, despite the seriousness of the fire, which was caused by a leaking fuel line, nobody was hurt. We waited and watched for several days for tugs to arrive on the scene and begin the slow process of pulling the 893-foot ship to port to let her passengers debark and commence repairs.

The Paris MoU Port State Control Committee's Harmonized Verification Programme (HAVEP) on passenger ship operational safety controls will last throughout 2013. Steamship Mutual advises its members to prepare for Port State Control Inspections, pointing out that passenger ferries and passenger high-speed craft are excluded from the HAVEP. During the HAVEP, Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) will witness an operational control comprising a standard emergency scenario which will include a simulated machinery/other space fire, a passenger evacuation leading to muster drill and an abandon ship drill, which will include lowering of lifeboats to the water and being taken away under power.

This U.S. Coast Guard safety alert addresses critical concerns uncovered during an ongoing marine casualty investigation and should be of vital interest to Ship Builders, Classification Societies, Owner / Operators and others involved with vessel operations. A machinery space fire onboard a relatively new vessel was effectively responded to and extinguished by the vessel’s quick response team firefighters using portable extinguishing equipment. However, before it was declared completely extinguished and approximately five hours after the fire started, the master of the vessel made the decision to release CO2 from the vessel’s fixed firefighting system. It failed to operate as designed.

The following U.S. Coast Guard safety alert addresses concerns discovered during an ongoing marine casualty investigation and may be of interest to ship builders, classification societies, owner / operators and others involved with vessel operations. A machinery space fire onboard a relatively new vessel was effectively responded to and extinguished by the vessel’s quick response team firefighters using portable extinguishing equipment. However, before it was declared completely extinguished and approximately five hours after the fire started…

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Pedro A. USS Bataan (LHD 5) left the Norfolk Naval Shipyard after an eight month dry-docked planned maintenance availability (DPMA), May 5. Some major jobs completed aboard were completion of a seawater compensated fuel system modification and upgrades to support the newest vertical/short take off and landing Marine Corps aircraft, the MV-22 Osprey. The fuel compensation modification changes the way the fuel tanks aboard the ship are emptied. As fuel is used, the emptying tanks fill with seawater, so the ship's stability is not reduced as fuel is burned while underway. "The biggest thing with this modification is stability…

Four months, hundreds of maintenance and modernization items and countless training hours later, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) returned to Naval Station Norfolk following the completion of sea trials April 26-28. The sea trials were the capstone event of Kearsarge’s planned maintenance availability that began Jan. 12 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. During its three days at sea, Kearsarge conducted a Level I flex test for both boilers, full power demonstration, ballast/deballast tests and anchor tests, as well as tests and calibrations on its radar and electronics systems. “Sea trials is our opportunity to test all systems that were worked on during the yard period and all integrated and interconnected systems to ensure operability,” said Ensign John St. John, the ship’s electronic maintenance officer.

M/V Isabella sank two miles west of Ft. Pierce, Fla. USCG Group Miami dispatched a Coast Guard Station (CGSTA) Fort Pierce utility boat (UTB). The crew was removed by the UTB prior to the vessel sinking. Passenger vessel Monarch of the Seas went aground in Saint Philipsburg, Dutch Saint Maarten. The P/V was returning to port because its pumps could not keep up with the flooding after hitting a reef during its departure from port. The National Response Center received a report of a tug pushing three barges that ran aground along the Lower Mississippi River near Helena, Ark. The lead barge experienced damage resulting in the release of 1,700 barrels of unleaded gasoline. The remaining product was removed and the barge was floated off the rocks.