Salvage%20World%20Q4%202010

DECEMBER 2010

INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION

UK to withdraw Emergency Towing Vessels The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has said it will no longer provide Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs) from September 2011.

ETV Anglian Monarch in the Dover Straits

It comes as part of deep cuts across the board in the public sector announced by the UK government in its autumn spending review.

The UK provides four contracted ETVs stationed at strategic points around its coast. Standing down the ANGLIAN PRINCE, ANGLIAN PRINCESS, ANGLIAN SOVEREIGN and ANGLIAN MONARCH will save the UK some US$50 million. The vessels are operated

by ISU member JP Knight on behalf of the MCA. The government said that state provision of ETVs does not “represent a correct use of taxpayers’ money” and that ship salvage should be “a commercial matter between a ship's operator and the salvor”. In short, the government should not be the salvor of last resort.

Shipping Minister Mike Penning said: "I understand the concern felt by some communities about our decision to withdraw these ETVs, but if we are to

tackle the deficit then difficult decisions must be made. The reality is that since their introduction in the 1990s, these tugs have attended very few incidents.

Should a ship get into difficulty, we are confident the commercial salvage sector is prepared to offer sufficient assistance."

The decision has been criticised by maritime trade unions and by environmentalists who fear the possibility of another incident like the SEA EMPRESS, when a tanker

spilled 73,000 tonnes of crude oil on the Welsh coast in 1996. Or like the BRAER incident off the Shetlands in 1992. These incidents led to an enquiry and report by Lord Donaldson which recommend a system of 24/7 cover by well positioned tugs.

Salvage industry experts said the western approaches, English Channel and southern North Sea would probably be adequately served by commercial salvage but that northern and Scottish coasts would be exposed to marine casualties and pollution risks.

ISU UPDATE SCOPIC The revised Equipment Schedule and Tariff, which will include a link to the US Consumer Prices Index for future tariff reviews, has been finalised and is expected to come into effect from 01 January 2011 as SCOPIC 2011, and will apply until 31 December 2013.

media was held in London. The popular event saw 16 reporters hosted by ISU President, Todd Busch, supported by Executive Committee members and Advisers. The President updated the attendees on recent issues, in particular environmental salvage awards (see below).

Lloyd’s Open Form

Comité Maritime International (CMI)

Amendments to the LOF 2000 Agreement, in particular the proposal to provide for publication of future LOF Awards, have been finalised. The new form, LOF 2011, will be published shortly.

The international marine law body, CMl, held its colloquium in Buenos Aires in October, the theme was, “Review of Salvage Law - is it working?”

Journalists’ lunch The annual ISU lunch for the marine

For the ISU, President,Todd Busch, made the case for introducing environmental salvage awards (see report page 3); Nick Sloane of Svitzer described practical issues 1

and former ISU legal adviser, Archie Bishop, explained how the existing framework could be changed to allow environmental salvage awards.

Representatives of the insurers and shipowners spoke against the need for any change. The CMI’s International Working Group agreed to continue working on the issue.

Associate Members’ Day 2011 The ISU’s Associate Members’ Day will be held in London on Wednesday 16 March with a programme of speakers and networking opportunities. It will be followed on 17 March by the biennial Special Casualty Representatives’ (SCRs) seminar. Details of the events will be published on the ISU website in the New Year.

MEMBERS’ NEWSROUND ITC

Tsavliris said it sub-contracted Multraship Salvage and Towage who performed the required services in a very satisfactory manner.

ITC has reported the death on November 26th of its co-founder and former Managing Director Frits Jonkman who was 83 years old.

In October members of the Tsavliris family took part in the 2,500th Anniversary Athens Classic Marathon.

Frits Jonkman founded ITC in 1973 with Leon Burghouwt.

Jonkman was the initiator of the transportation of dredging equipment and drilling rigs by tug and submersible barge which resulted in an ITC fleet of 10 ocean tugs and nine large transport barges. Jonkman stepped down as Managing Director and main shareholder of ITC in 1996.

Mr N A Tsavliris, running for Muscular Dystrophy Association Hellas, took part in the 5km race and his son-in-law, G Canonis, who was also running for MDA Hellas, and A G Tsavliris, completed the 10km Marathon, with impressive times. They are seen below with MDA Hellas President, Vanna Lavida.

Before launching ITC, Frits Jonkman worked for Wijsmuller, starting as an engineer on board its ocean-going tugs. He designed and began the construction of the famous funnel-less tugs which became a trade mark for Wijsmuller from the early sixties.

As Director he had ultimate responsibility for numerous salvage operations and wreck removals performed by Wijsmuller from 1960 till 1972.

ITC has paid tribute to Frits Jonkeman’s innovative and creative way of thinking and his valuable contributions to ITC, Wijsmuller and to the wider salvage industry.

DONJON Donjon Marine, Co., Inc., has hired Stephen N. Konzel as Vice President of Operations & Engineering. He joins from NETSCo where he was Vice President and General Manager of NETSCo Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering.

TITAN

Donjon’s OPA 90 Alliance with Smit has named Paul Hankins as President. He was formerly Donjon-SMIT’s Vice President of Operations. Hankins has more than 30 years of management and supervisory experience in the federal government and private industry.

Tom Crowley, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of TITAN’s parent, Crowley Maritime Corporation, was awarded the Vincent T. Hirsch Maritime Award for outstanding leadership from the U.S. Navy League.

SEACOR Holdings Inc. subsidiaries SEACOR Marine (Houma, Louisiana) and Seabulk Towing (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) have joined Donjon-SMIT, LLC as Alliance Partners giving access to the entire SEACOR and Seabulk Fleet of more than 150 units of up to 14,400 horsepower.

Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, USN Commander, Military Sealift Command, presented the award at the Sea Services Award luncheon during the League's 2010 National Convention, which was held in Florida.

The citation said: "He has provided exceptional service as an active participant of joint industry and Department of Defense groups working to provide strategic sealift for the United States in times of national need.

GIGILINIS Gigilinis’ salvage Tug SPARTAN successfully assisted a boxship with engine trouble southeast of the Peloponnese in Greece. After successfully connecting, the casualty was towed to Izmir and then on to Istanbul where she was safely delivered to her owners.

During the 2010 Haiti relief efforts, Crowley Maritime worked closely with the U.S. Transportation Command to reopen cargo operations in the devastated port facilities, allowing humanitarian relief into the earthquake-ravaged country.”

And the Gigilinis tugboat DIMITRIOS, based at Kavala, Greece, successfully completed a re-floating operation of a grounded tanker in Porto Lagos, Greece. The operation required ship to ship transfer of bunkers.

RESOLVE RESOLVE Marine Group has announced that its RESOLVE PIONEER AHTS, a multi-service vessel with ice class hull and 80 tonne bollard pull, has been stationed in Key West for an indefinite period for emergency response and salvage standby for tanker and other commercial vessel casualties in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and the US east coast.

TSAVLIRIS TSAVLIRIS provided five rescue tows in the last quarter and was also engaged by the owners and managers of the MT MINDORO, 106,850 dwt, and laden with Kerosene in October after she was in collision with the container vessel JORK RANGER off Rotterdam anchorage.

2

Salvors renew call for fair reward for protecting the environment The ISU has renewed its call for changes to the regime governing marine salvage to enable payment of environmental awards which recognize the environmental benefit delivered by salvors.

At the same meeting, ISU’s former Legal Adviser, Archie Bishop, explained how the necessary change could be brought about by amending Articles 1, 13 and 14 of the 1989 Salvage Convention. ISU has worked with others to produce drafts of the amendments.

President of the ISU, Todd Busch, set out the salvors’ case at the global marine lawyers’ Comité Maritime International’s Colloquium at Buenos Aires in October.

Mr Busch told the meeting that society was increasingly concerned with the environment but that the current system does not provide proper encouragement to salvors to assist vessels that threaten the environment but which do not represent a potentially valuable salvage service.

He said the current regime, including the Scopic clause, does not adequately reward salvors for the environmental protection they provide and does not encourage long term investment in personnel and equipment which helps to protect the environment.

Mr Busch said the case for change is threefold: • Much has changed since the Salvage Convention was published in 1989.

Environmental issues now dominate every salvage case and what may have

ISU recognises that there are many different interests associated with this issue, including property insurers, P&I Clubs, national governments and international marine law bodies.

been a satisfactory “encouragement” then is no longer so today. And salvors face tougher regimes which can criminalize them.

• Salvors have an obligation to prevent or minimise environmental damage whilst carrying out salvage operations, but they are not fully rewarded for the benefit they confer.

• It is not fair that the traditional salvage reward that currently takes into consideration the salvors’ efforts in protecting the environment is wholly paid by the ship and cargo owners and their insurers without any contribution from the liability insurers, who cover the shipowners’ exposure to claims for pollution and environmental damage.

ISU believes that rewarding salvors for protecting the environment during salvage operations will be, overall, less costly to insurers than the huge cost of an environmental catastrophe.

Concluding his speech Mr Busch said: “We believe the “case for change” has the merit of being both persuasive and fair given the way concern about the environment has properly increased since the original work on the Salvage Convention began some thirty years ago.

"We also believe there is a sensible way to amend the existing framework to enable the change.

"We know that not all parties agree with our position and we stand ready to work cooperatively with the Comité and other stakeholders to continue to discuss and to work on this important matter.”

Tall ship dismasted in severe gale off the Scilly Isles Dozens of teenagers and the crew of a damaged tall ship were rescued after three days on stormy seas off the UK’s south west coast.

Picture: RNLI

The FRYDERYK CHOPIN, a 180 foot Polish training schooner, lost both top masts in high winds of Gale Force nine some 90 miles off the Scilly Isles.

She was carrying 36 teenaged cadets and 11 crew. The sailing ship was attended within an hour of being dismasted and was taken under tow by a fishing vessel and then assisted by the UK’s voluntary lifeboat service, RNLI, into Falmouth, Cornwall.

The cadets were said to have stood up well to the incident and were determined to stay with the vessel and assist with repairs.

3

ASSOCIATES’ NEWSROUND Dockwise Heavy transport specialist Dockwise announced revenues of US$109 million for the third quarter – and earnings before tax, depreciation and amortisation of US$ 46 million. Vessel utilisation was up 9% on the previous quarter at 84%.

The firm also announced a decision to invest in a new, large-scale, semisubmersible vessel to supplement its fleet with major shareholder support to raise US$100m of capital. The chief executive noted the increasing health of the oil and gas sector and the trend towards larger, more complex projects.

American Salvage Association The American Salvage Association (ASA) awarded its Rapid Response Award 2010 to Congressman Elijah E Cummings, Chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee; James T. Shirley, ASA’s Legal Counsel and Ed Welch, Legislative Director of the Passenger Vessel Association and former Capitol Hill staff member on the former House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, who worked to create initial Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) legislation after the Exxon Valdez spill.

The award recognises the recipients’ efforts to include salvor immunity in the regulatory changes to OPA 90 being addressed as a result of the Deepwater Horizon spill on the Gulf Coast.

The ASA also announced, with the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA), it will co-sponsor a conference, “Wrecks of

the World: Hidden Risks of the Deep (WOW) II” on Monday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS), Linthicum Heights, Maryland, USA. The conference programme is being finalized, and further details are available on the ASA and NAMEPA websites at www. americansalvage.org and www.namepa. net.

expanding regulatory regime affecting the bunkering industry.

BIMCO/International Bunker Industries Association

BIMCO and IBIA said they recognise that detailed guidelines, instructions and procedures are readily available in ships’ Safety Management Systems (SMS), the Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) and/or the Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP). But they are confident that this new guide will enhance and support the general knowledge of ship personnel.

BIMCO, in partnership with the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), has launched a new bunkering guide designed primarily for use by ships’ crew. The guide will provide general information and guidance on, among other things, the

The BIMCO and IBIA Bunkering Guide will be available on the BIMCO and IBIA websites to download and print. IBIA members will also receive a hard copy of the guide. For more information, please visit www.bimco.org or www.ibia.net

Touw B&B/Koffeman Consult deliver crisis training course

33 participants completed the 10 day Course on Crisis Management in Shipping (CCMS) that was organized between September and December for the second consecutive year by the surveying company Touw B&B and consultancy Koffeman Consult.

The participants from the insurance and shipping industry, the government (Directorate of Shipping and

BISSO's Gulf of Mexico heavy lift BISSO MARINE performed a technically challenging tandem block lift of an offshore production topsides module.

BISSO MARINE used the derrick barge LILI BISSO to position a 315 ton topside deck during the installation of a new offshore structure in the Gulf of Mexico.

BISSO MARINE’S derrick barge BOAZ provided support on the operation, which also involved the installation of a lean-to well protector on the existing caisson.

Commenting on the operation, Ron McInnis, vice president of construction and heavy lift operations for BISSO MARINE, said: “Performing a tandem block lift offshore always presents challenges, but our expert offshore team and multipurpose derrick barges performed the job safely and on budget for the customer.”

4

Waterways), nautical training schools and the legal profession received on the last day of the course their certificates from guest lecturer, Hugh Shaw, the UK Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP). The practically oriented CCMS course gives in-depth training about how to prevent or minimize damage to property and to the environment during a maritime crisis. A third course is planned for 2011.

China International Rescue & Salvage Conference The 6th China International Rescue and Salvage Conference (CIRSC), hosted by China Rescue & Salvage, was held in Xi’an in September with the theme: “Improving Professional Maritime Rescue & Salvage”.

Some 400 domestic and international delegates, including ISU members, attended the conference.

ISU Executive Committee member, Captain Song Jiahui, the Director General of China Rescue & Salvage and Deputy Director General of the Search & Rescue Coordination Center gave a speech (right). Mr. Shan Chunchang, Consultant of China’s State Council and the Chairman of the China National Emergency Management Expert Group, delivered the keynote speech.

An exhibition of rescue and salvage equipment and technologies was also held alongside the conference.

Separately, a delegation headed by Captain Song Jiahui visited the United States in November and met Mr Phil Newsum, the Secretary General of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) in Houston. Both sides explored the possibility of the mutual recognition of diving certificates

issued by ADCI and China Diving & Salvage Contractors' Association (CDSA).

Captain Song also visited the Gulf Strike Team of the US Coast Guard and was received by Lieutenant Zauner, the Operations Officer, (above right) who described pollution cases handled by the Team, including the Gulf oil spill.

Captain Song also paid a special visit to Fort Lauderdale to attend the memorial service for David Parrot the founder of Titan Salvage. Captain Song expressed his profound condolences and made a donation to the charity nominated by Mr Parrot’s family.

ARAS refloats Russian cargo ship The Russian flagged dry cargo ship MV SAILQUEEN, laden with 3,000 tons of steel billets, grounded at Sivrice Bay, North Aegean Sea in October.

Contact with the rocky formation north of Mytilene Island resulted in serious cracks in the ship’s hull leading to immediate flooding of the engine room and one of the holds.

trnafer of the steel billets was completed using the floating crane Hasmetli with a 70 ton lifting capacity.

MV SAILQUEEN was then escorted to Tuzla Shipyard at Istanbul by a tug with

The vessel was grounded inside Sivrice Bay by the master and within a few hours the ARAS salvage team arrived on scene.

The ship was successfully refloated after patching of the cracks by a diving team and de-watering the engine machine room, hold and double bottom tanks.

The casualty was towed to a safer bay sheltered from southerly winds where 5

a stand by salvage cerw aboard during the passage from the Dardanelles Straits. She was successfully redelivered to her owners.

Swire operation Swire Salvage was appointed to undertake the salvage and towage of a 10,000 dwt chemical tanker, which was being used as a storage tanker offshore Indonesia.

Swire mobilised the 2008 built AHTS, PACIFIC VALKYRIE, together with a salvage team, under the Salvage Master, Captain Ken Ellam.

They worked with the Rapid Response Damage Assessment team from American Bureau of Shipping who used

The vessel had suffered an explosion in her number 4 and 5 cargo oil tanks during cargo transfer operations. There was significant structural damage with the main deck over the number 5 cargo oil tank being blown open.

Hecsalv damaged stability software to model the vessel.

This data was used to establish a ballasting sequence as part of the salvage plan to bring the casualty back on an even keel. The plan led to the vessel regaining positive stability and achieving a satisfactory trim, enabling towage to port for repair.

PACIFIC VALKYRIE then performed a smooth seven day tow to Bataumpar, Indonesia.

The centreline bulkhead, as well as the longitudinal bulkheads between the cargo oil tanks and the water ballast tanks, were breached.

The sudden collapse of these bulkheads resulted in an unprecedented shift in ballast water and in the vessel assuming an angle of loll of more than 15 degrees to port.

PACIFIC VALKYRIE attending the casualty

INTERNATIONAL MONITOR United Kingdom

Australia and Indonesia.

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) has issued a safety flyer detailing a number of serious incidents with non-cargo handling lifting devices.

The incident was captured on video showing the victims in heavy seas.

Islanders did their best to help with ropes and life jackets thrown into the water but the conditions meant rescue for many was not possible.

In one incident an electric stores crane was lifting a work boat but the wire parted and the boat and its occupants fell 8 metres into the water causing serious injuries. The wire was found to be in extremely poor condition; the crane had not been maintained for some time and was supposed to have been de-commissioned but not everyone had been told it had been put out of use.

MAIB reported 29 similar incidents in recent years.

Polar Regions Classification society Bureau Veritas has published new rules for Polar Class vessels and specific guidance on ice and structure interaction. The rules aim to expedite Arctic and Caspian Sea oil and gas development by facilitating the building of tank, cargo and offshore service vessels which can operate unsupported by icebreakers.

Australia Dozens of asylum seekers, including many children, were drowned after their boat crashed into rocks off Christmas Island in the Timor Sea between

United States More than 3000 passengers and 1000 crew on the CARNIVAL SPLENDOR were stranded offshore California after an engine room fire led to loss of power.

The US Navy airlifted crates of supplies onto the stricken vessel from the carrier USS Ronald Reagan. The ship was sailing from Long Beach to Mexico on a seven day cruise. The vessel was towed to San Diego by tugs. Evacuating passengers from a mega cruise ship in a serious incident is a major concern for ISU members.

Kenya Nine suspected pirates arrested by international navies off Somalia have been freed following a landmark judgement by one of Kenya’s most senior judges, Mohamed Ibrahim. He ruled that magistrates’ courts had no power to try alleged Somali pirates arrested in international waters.

The pirates had been captured by the German navy with help from US helicopters in the Gulf of Aden. Most 6

pirate prosecutions are taking place in Mombassa as Somalia has no functioning judicial system.

It was seen as a setback in the fight against piracy as dozens of other suspected pirates were likely to be released.

Britons Paul and Rachel Chandler have been freed by Somali pirates after nearly a year’s captivity. Details were not forthcoming but a significant ransom was said to have been paid to release the middle aged couple who had been sailing their yacht round the world.

Paris MoU The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (PSC)’s New Inspection Regime (NIR) for Low Risk Ships will replace the existing PSC regime on 01 January 2011.

Under the NIR, vessels will be classified as Low Risk Ships or High Risk Ships. If a ship is neither Low Risk nor High Risk, it will be classified as a Standard Risk Ship.

The criteria for calculating the Ship Risk Profile will take into consideration deficiencies and detentions in a company’s fleet in the previous 36 months, and compare it to the average of all vessels inspected in the Paris MoU.

UK nuclear submarine in highly visible grounding

The UK’s Royal Navy was embarrassed when its newest nuclear attack submarine, HMS ASTUTE grounded off the Isle of Skye.

It happened barely a mile offshore, close to the Skye Bridge in the sound between the island and the Scottish mainland near Kyle of Lochalsh.

The area is a known challenge to navigation but local opinion was that the boat was some way off the usual track

to pass safely through the narrows.

The incident presented a gift to media with the stricken, 7,200 tonnes, $US 2 billion vessel in full view. Local roads became busy with curious onlookers.

HMS ASTUTE was refloated with assistance from one of the UK’s four Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs), the ANGLIAN PRINCE. That gave further presentational

ISU photograph competition

challenges to the UK government as it came in the same week that it was announced that the ETVs were to be withdrawn in a cost cutting drive (see story, page 1).

The Ministry of Defence admitted in response to Parliamentary questions that there have been 16 separate incidents of Royal Navy nuclear subs being involved in groundings and collisions in the past two decades.

Lloyd’s salvage arbitrators’ dispute

Readers are reminded that the ISU is to recognise the excellence of the photographs taken by its members’ staff with an annual competition to choose the best shot taken during a salvage operation.

All photographs submitted for publication in Salvage World will be eligible. A panel of Executive Committee members, and other independent judges, will choose the best shot. The winner will receive a prize of US $300.

The dispute between Lloyd’s and Belinda Bucknall QC and John Reeder QC has been resolved amicably. The parties said that the terms will remain confidential.

Lloyd’s said it had never intended to call into question the professional integrity of Ms Bucknall or Mr Reeder, and “wishes to acknowledge publicly the service and commitment they have shown to the LOF scheme over many years.”

Deadline for entries: 25 February 2011. The winner will be announced at the 2011 Associate Members’ Day. 7

FAIRMOUNT FUJI finds missing vessel In October the FAIRMOUNT FUJI was contracted to assist in the search for the MT ATTALYA, which was lost due to a broken towline. FAIRMOUNT FUJI, a multi purpose 47tbp AHT/DSV 4 point mooring salvage vessel, left Cape Town and set sail to the last known position despite bad weather.

FAIRMOUNT FUJI arrived at the last reported position and from there estimated the vessel’s new location but there was no sign of the missing MT ATTALYA. The Master, working with the Fairmount office team and its meteorological partner, followed the most likely drift pattern, based on all known information.

And four days after being contracted the FAIRMOUNT FUJI’s master reported they had found MT ATTALYA, some 100 miles off the South African coast and stood by until the arrival of the owner’s tug.

The drifting MT ATTALYA was found by FAIRMOUNT FUJI.

ITC update From its salvage station in Falmouth, ITC tug TYPHOON assisted a number of vessels in distress.

ITC's TYPHOON and SIMOON connected up with MBC CHINA STEEL DEVELOPER which was adrift with main engine problems near the Azores. The fully laden 150,000 dwt vessel was towed to Lisbon.

The chemical tanker PYXIS BETA (below), laden with 4000 tons of urea, was taken in tow in the Bay of Biscay and safely redelivered by TYPHOON at the river Garonne near Bordeaux.

The 36,000 dwt product tanker CIELO DI SALERNO sustained a main engine

breakdown approx 200 miles off Ushant and was taken in tow to Brest and the GCV NAJADEN was assisted from the Channel into Falmouth after a main engine breakdown. The 4400 dwt vessel was laden with sawn timber.

In October, TYPHOON assisted the fish factory vessel ATHENA in the North Atlantic which had a fire in its processing facility. TYPHOON escorted the vessel into Falmouth. Working under ISU sub-contract with Smit Salvage and JP Knight, fire fighting and contingency services were rendered by a Smit salvage team which was flown in together with equipment and ITC CHINOOK, which replaced TYPHOON. 8

In the North Sea, ITC TEMPEST went to assist MBC WESTERN (above).

The 12,630 dwt bulker/container vessel sustained main engine damage and drifted towards a number of offshore platforms in severe weather conditions.

The personnel on the platforms were evacuated as a precaution.

The TEMPEST succeeded in establishing a towage connection shortly before darkness and towed the casualty away from the platforms and the next day she was handed over to Svitzer harbor tugs in Ijmuiden. The service was provided to salvors Svitzer Salvage under an ISU Sub-Contract.

SMIT SALVAGE busy with fighting fires worlwide SMIT Salvage has been active this quarter in emergency response, with a number of high profile cases involving fires on ships.

In October, SMIT Salvage responded to the RoRo vessel LISCO GLORIA which experienced a severe fire thirteen nautical miles south west of Langeland, Denmark. SMIT Salvage was contracted under a Lloyds Open Form contract to tackle the fire. Immediately a salvage team was mobilized from the Netherlands including two salvage masters - one based ashore for coordination with the authorities - and a fire expert. Two tugs were also dispatched to perform boundary cooling activities.

Having extinguished the fire and stabilised the vessel she was safely redelivered to her owners at Odense.

The LISCO GLORIA

nautical miles southwest of the Scilly Isles. A Lloyds Open Form contract was agreed with joint salvors SMIT Salvage and JP Knight.

After more than 10 days of working under difficult conditions inside the ship's holds, the smouldering boxes were finally extinguished and the holds could be ventilated.

Soon afterwards SMIT salvage was mobilized again for another salvage case involving a fire which broke out in the 750,000 cardboard boxes onboard the fish factory ship ATHENA, some 230

Before the next storm the ATHENA was moored on the Carrick Roads buoy in the shelter of Falmouth Bay where she was handed back to her owners.

Intercargo warning on bulkers carrying iron and nickel ores

a spate of accidents and fatalities in the last three months.

Intercargo – representing dry bulk carrier owners – has warned about what it calls the “unacceptable hazards” associated with iron ore fines and nickel ore loaded in wet weather conditions.

It has called on shippers and cargo interests to conduct an urgent review into the testing and safety processes involved in shipping the cargo following

Salvage World is produced by the International Salvage Union. For matters relating to the publication contact: James Herbert, ISU communications advisor.

Tel: +44 1423 331 096 Email: admin@gemcomms.com For general enquiries contact: ISU, 2nd Floor St.Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London EC3N 1BP Tel: +44 20 3179 9222/3 Email: ISU@marine-salvage.com

Intercargo has also called on shipowners to consider the risks associated with these cargoes - known officially as “cargoes which may liquefy” - and for governments and relevant authorities to re-check the safety processes at the ports of loading.

The ores, used in the steel industry, are exported from a number of countries including India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“We know that all shipowners of quality care about the safety of their seafarers and what has occurred is completely unacceptable”, said Secretary General of Intercargo, Rob Lomas.

All three sinkings - the JIAN FU STA with 13 fatalities; the NASCO DIAMOND with 21 fatalities and the HONG WEI with 10 fatalities reportedly carried nickel ore loaded in Indonesia and were Chinese operated and manned ships.

They sank in broadly the same location and all were bound for China.

Cargoes which may liquefy if not properly tested and certificated may move as a slurry or a liquid if their 9

Another case involving fire was the salvage of the container vessel BOUNDARY off South Africa. SMIT Salvage mobilised specialised equipment and personnel to assist the casualty. A salvage team backed up by a fire expert boarded the vessel by helicopter to extinguish the fire.

The same day the casualty was towed by the powerful salvage tug SMIT AMANDLA to Cape Town, where she was subsequently redelivered to her owners.

moisture content is too great, causing stability problems, listing and eventual capsize.

“Our association has had an opportunity to forewarn its members about these cargoes and has been very surprised to learn from owners that the rudimentary loading conditions in some of the exporting countries may have contributed to accidents,” says Lomas.

“We know that many companies refuse to accept these cargoes because they are either not loaded in accordance with the international standards contained in the IMO’s International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code or when Masters sense that the testing and certification processes aimed at determining the moisture content of the cargo being offered for shipment lacks credibility.

“Sadly, some shipowners may not have the relevant experience or knowledge in interpreting the IMSBC Code and may accept cargoes which are unsafe. But we need to receive the reassurances of the competent authorities in the exporting countries that their procedures and processes have integrity and transparency [so that] seafarers' lives are not put in peril.”