OOW FOCUS – Officer of the Watch

BSEE Notification to Black Elk Regarding Safety Measures

December 11, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

During November the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued a latter notifying Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC (Black Elk) that the company must take immediate steps to improve its safety performance on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). According to BSEE the notification to Black Elk was the result of unacceptable safety performance following numerous incidents involving Black Elk facilities. BSEE gave specific instructions to Black Elk regarding corrective actions that the company should take in order to safety measures up to BSEE standards.

Main Engine Damage Due to Fuel Contamination from Dry Cargo

December 7, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

When a bulk carrier was at sea, high exhaust gas temperatures were noted and several piston rings were found broken after investigation. The rings were renewed and engine restarted. After some hours of running the main engine it malfunctioned once again and more broken rings weer found. The broken rings were again replaced, but then the engine failed to start and the vessel had to be towed to port. A considerable number of piston rings were broken. Excessive wear of liners and piston crown grooves were also found. The fuel oil used was suspected to be a probable cause, although the quality of it was not found abnormal according to the test report.

NATO Dhow Project

December 6, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

It is known in the Maritime Security industry that Somali pirates use hijacked merchant ships, fishing vessels and dhows as ‘Motherships’ in order to operate at extreme range from Somalia, carrying attack craft (skiffs) and weapons. NATO has received reports of Somali pirates using common local ships in piracy attacks. They will board the ship and hold the original crew hostage. A local ship enables the pirates to blend in among the boating traffic and present itself as a fishing or trading vessel.

Car Carrier Baltic Ace Sinks After Collision with Containership in North Sea

December 5, 2012 by Officer of the Watch 3 Comments

The Bahamas flagged car carrier Baltic Ace sunk after a collision at sea off the coast of Zeeland. The accident occurred about 65 kilometers off the coast of Zeeland. The ship had a crew of 24 seafarers. Baltic Ace collided with the Cyprus flagged containership Corvus J. The condition of the crewmembers from the Baltic Ace is unclear although according to Coast Guard reports eleven people have been rescued from the Dutch Coastguard.

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Filed Under: OOW FOCUS Tagged With: accident, Baltic Ace, Car Carrier, collision, containership, Corvus J, sinking

Storm in the Black Sea Sunk MV Volgo Balt 199 & Beached MV BBC Adriatic

December 5, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

The St Kitts and Nevis flagged vessel MV Volgo Balt 199, transporting coal from Russia to Turkey, sent a distress signal near Sile yesterday at 07:30 GMT before contact was lost. The vessel had a crew of 11 Ukrainians and a Russian on board. Turkey authorities have sent immediately to the scene a helicopter and salvage boats. Vessels in the area were asked to assist in Search and Rescue. Furthermore, another freighter located in the greater area of Bosporus, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged MV BBC Adriatic with 14 crew on board, is being tossed about in heavy seas after suffering mechanical failure.

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Filed Under: OOW FOCUS Tagged With: accident, Black Sea, death, grounding, MV BBC Adriatic, MV Volgo Balt 199, sinking

NWF Lawsuit Regarding Ship’s Ballast Water

December 4, 2012 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) sued on early November the State of New York Department of Environmental Conservation for failing to adequately protect state waters, including the Great Lakes, against aquatic invasive species from ballast water discharges. According to NWF such invaders have disrupted the ecosystem of New York waters from top to bottom and cause more than $200 million per year in damages and control costs across the Great Lakes.

Jurong Shipyard Jackup Rig Accident

December 3, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

The Singapore Ministry of Manpower Reported today that a jackup rig tilted at Jurong Shipyard injuring about 90 workers. Fortunately the majority of the workers had minor injuries although one worker was reported to be in a critical condition and 22 more were seriously injured. Some of the injured are said to have been sent to National University Hospital (NUH) and Alexandra Hospital. All injured shipyard personnel has been dispatched to four hospitals.

Study on LNG Bunkering in Ports

November 30, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

More stringent air emission requirements for seagoing vessels are introducing a new challenge for maritime administrations and services. These challenges are all the more daunting in the IMO ECAs. One of the possible solutions to compliance is the use of LNG as propulsion fuel for shipping, next to the use of low sulfur fuels and the installation of exhaust gas scrubbers. According to data from engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, relative emissions for these various compliance options clearly demonstrate LNG propulsion as the overall environmental winner.

IMO Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2012

November 28, 2012 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

Canadian and Chilean rescuers have been presented with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2012, during a special ceremony held on 26 November 2012 at IMO Headquarters in London.

USCG And OWS Violations

November 27, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

The large, green generators in the engine room of a 292-foot ship moored to a pier in San Francisco grind to life, filling the enclosed space with machine-produced roar. Coast Guard inspectors take a few slow laps around the room looking for malfunctions, leaks, fire risks and safety hazards.