1. Giving piracy a bad name
2. Sanctions advice
3. Wage rates accelerating
4. Hydrogen report
5. Tank safety
6. Port productivity
7. Hong Kong judgment
8. Wellbeing support
9. BV structural rules
10. Just in time
11. Who is to blame?
12. Benchmarking
13. Leadership advice
Notices & Miscellany
Readersâ responses to our articles are very welcome and, where suitable, will be reproduced. Write to: contactus@themaritimeadvocate.com
1. Giving piracy a bad name
By Michael Grey
Who are you calling a pirate? It is a term that is banded about a lot these days; employed to define pretty well anyone operating on the fringes of the law, people with an elastic interpretation of copyright, operating unlicensed taxis, or those running illegal radio stations. Childrenâs parties are often âpirate -themedâ, which is of course a long way from Somali cutthroats and murderous kidnappers in the Gulf of Guinea, who provide the current exemplar of the modern pirate. Ukrainian owned cargoes of grain, we hear, are being âpiratedâ by Russian invaders and shipped out of the Black Sea. It is probably better to describe this as thieving and those running the ships as accessories after the fact.
Many in our line of work have been enthused by the strange case of the fairly modern chemical tanker Jal Doot 1, which was anchored off a port in Iraq, with engine repairs taking place, earlier this year. In the hands of what might described as a ship-keeper, she mysteriously disappeared from her berth, the owner remaining unaware of the shipâs location until she turned up at a scrapyard in Pakistan, the energetic recyclers having swiftly removed half of the bow as she lay on the beach.
In a sort of maritime derivation of the popular TV show âOnly Fools & Horsesâ, the ship had on its voyage across the Arabian Gulf, changed its name,( a half-decent job with the painting), IMO number, flag and ownership, so presumably the recycling firm could be assured of the veracity of the paperwork. Maybe nobody asked any questions. The ship-keeper, according to the wronged and wrathful owner, was duly accused of âpiracyâ, which is an accusation not to be taken lightly.
But surely, if we are to be technically accurate, the true crime, if indeed the whole sorry tale is not a farrago of nonsense, would be not piracy but the equally ancient, if marginally less grievous, act of barratry. The ship, it is understood, was not seized by a gang of murderous maritime thugs, swarming over the rail, but merely disappeared quietly from her anchorage, with the ship-keeper, or whoever was in charge, allegedly depriving the owner of his or her rightful due. Somewhat light on facts, the story fails to reveal the financials.
Barratry (which has always seemed an attractive word) is a term you donât hear much these days. It is usually reserved for a crime involving some blighter in the crew selling some of the cargo. In this case, they seem to have sold the entire ship. The owners were quite lucky to have tracked her down as the agile recyclers were well on their way to ensuring her disappearance for ever. Maybe they will stick a new bow on her and drag the ship back into deep water.
It is difficult to understand in these days of AIS and satellite surveillance, that ships can still âdisappearâ, although there seems to be plenty of evidence that sanction-busters of all kinds like to âgo darkâ before they trans-ship the cargo as part of a very dodgy transaction. But you wouldnât describe the barratry of this chemical tanker as being grand larceny, if theft indeed it was. Itâs not of the scale of something like the great Salem heist of 1980, when an entire cargo of 190,000 tonnes of Kuwait crude owned by Shell was âdivertedâ to South Africa in an improbable conspiracy which concluded with the 213,928 dwt ship, tanks filled with sea water, being scuttled off the West African coast, the crew being picked up by a British tanker shortly after they had seen their ship disappearing into the Atlantic. A large cast of criminals eventually paid for their crimes, which seemed to include that of barratry, although the âMr Bigâ managed to escape from a US penitentiary only three years into a 35 year sentence. You can probably argue that such conspiracies were crude and destined to fail, compared to what people get up to today with their advantages of big tech, hacking and crypto-currencies.
I recall a shipmate, very many years ago, telling me of a strange experience when he was as a Second Mate nominally the ship-keeper of one of our older vessels in the Royal Docks. It was a Sunday morning when the docks were idle and at peace and he was one of about half a dozen folk on board. He was sitting just digesting his breakfast when he was interrupted by a large foreign person, wearing a pin-striped suit, who told him that he was the new owner of the ship and was taking possession of her.
He carried with him a huge Gladstone bag full of padlocks with which he systematically affixed to all the shipâs store lockers as he considered the contents to be his. My friend consulted the Junior Second engineer, the only other officer aboard, who was similarly perplexed, but the pair became convinced that they were the victims of an elaborate heist by pirates to spirit away the ship. Eventually they managed to track down the duty superintendent, who had been on the golf course, and were told that the ship had indeed been sold, although the vital information those aboard needed , had in the usual Friday afternoon rush to get away, been overlooked.
Michael Grey is former editor of Lloydâs List.
2. Sanctions advice
Navigating the waters of sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine is not easy and more complex than perhaps many players believe. As the Standard P&I Club puts it: âMembers should be aware that it is not sufficient to check that the entities they are transacting business with have not been designated to a sanctions list. Under US sanctions, an entity that is directly or indirectly owned 50% or more in the aggregate by one or more persons on the US Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, is also deemed to be an SDN.â
The club has put together a good detail of information on the sanctions introduced by different bodies and individual countries relating to the Ukraine invasion. These include Q&A information on best practice.
For more information and guidance see https://www.standard-club.com/knowledge-news/sanctions/russia-ukraine-conflict/.
3. Wage rates accelerating
Seafarer wage rates are set to accelerate in the face of worsening officer supply / demand imbalance. Sustained fleet growth will lead to the highest shortfall of officers to crew the worldâs merchant fleet in over a decade by 2027, with important implications for both hiring and future manning cost inflation, according to the latest Manning Annual Review and Forecast report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.
The current officer supply shortfall is estimated to equate to around 5% of the global pool, which is broadly manageable in practical terms for vessel operators. But there is heightened risk with regard to the Russia / Ukraine conflict potentially further limiting the supply of a large number of officers.
Looking ahead to 2027 the supply / demand gap is expected to widen to a deficit equating to over 8% of the global officer pool. This is despite a slight anticipated uptick in the rate of growth in supply as training rates increase now that Covid restrictions are much less significant. While ratings supply has also been slowing, this poses less concern to employers as it remains broadly elastic to increases in demand as the global fleet expands.
âRecruiting and retaining quality officers with experience on sophisticated vessel types is likely to be the first pressure point in a tightening supply pool,â said Drewryâs head of manning research Rhett Harris. âEmployers need to ensure that a career at sea is an attractive career option for ambitious and well-educated people.â
Worldwide consumer price inflation is forecast to be over 7% in 2022 before falling back to around 3% for the forecast period to 2027. In the face of this seafarer wage rates are expected to increase by around 2.5% each year, in average terms, from around 1.5% in 2022. There will however, be increased volatility by rank, nationality and vessel type outside of these averages.
âAccelerating manning costs are being driven by inflationary macroeconomic pressures and rising officer shortfall,â added Harris. âTogether with higher insurance and supply chain costs, these pressures will further fuel higher vessel operating costs over the medium term.â
4. Hydrogen report
Hydrogen has a crucial role in decarbonizing the worldâs energy system, but uptake will be too slow. Governments need to make urgent, significant policy interventions, according to a new report by DNV.
In Hydrogen Forecast to 2050, DNV predicts the amount of hydrogen in the energy mix will be only 0.5% in 2030 and 5% in 2050. However, to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, hydrogen uptake would need to triple to meet 15% of energy demand by mid-century.
âHydrogen is essential to decarbonize sectors that cannot be electrified, like aviation, maritime, and high-heat manufacturing and should therefore be prioritized for these sectors,â said Remi Eriksen,  CEO of DNV. âPolicies do not match hydrogenâs importance. They will also need to support the scaling of renewable energy generation and carbon capture and storage as crucial elements in producing low-carbon hydrogen.â
According to Hydrogen Forecast to 2050, electricity-based green hydrogen â produced by splitting hydrogen from water using electrolysers â will be the dominant form of production by the middle of the century, accounting for 72% of output. This will require a surplus of renewable energy, to power an electrolyser capacity of 3,100 gigawatts. This is more than twice the total installed generation capacity of solar and wind today.
Blue hydrogen â produced from natural gas with emissions captured â has a greater role to play in the shorter term (around 30% of total production in 2030), but its competitiveness will reduce as renewable energy capacity increases and prices drop.
Global spend on producing hydrogen for energy purposes from now until 2050 will be USD 6.8tn, with an additional USD 180bn spent on hydrogen pipelines and USD 530bn on building and operating ammonia terminals, according to DNVâs forecasts.
Cost considerations will lead to more than 50% of hydrogen pipelines globally being repurposed from natural gas pipelines, as the cost to repurpose pipelines is expected to be just 10-35% of new construction costs. Hydrogen will be transported by pipelines up to medium distances within and between countries, but not between continents. Global hydrogen trade will also be limited by the high cost of liquefying hydrogen for ship transport and the low energy density of hydrogen. The hydrogen derivative ammonia, which is more stable and can be more readily transported by ship, will be traded globally.
Early uptake of hydrogen will be led by hard-to-abate, high-heat manufacturing processes such as iron and steel production which currently use coal and natural gas. Hydrogen derivatives, such as ammonia and methanol, are key to decarbonizing heavy transport like shipping and aviation, but these fuels wonât scale until the 2030s according to DNVâs forecasts.
Hydrogen will not see uptake in passenger vehicles, and only limited uptake in power generation. Hydrogen for heating of buildings will not scale globally, but will see early uptake in some regions that already have extensive gas infrastructure.
âScaling hydrogen value chains will require managing safety risk and public acceptance, as well as employing policies to make hydrogen projects competitive and bankable. We need to plan at the level of energy systems, enabling societies to embrace the urgent decarbonization opportunities presented by hydrogen,â added Eriksen.
For more information see https://www.dnv.com/news/hydrogen-at-risk-of-being-the-great-missed-opportunity-of-the-energy-transition
5. Tank safety
The Korean Register (KR) has published comprehensive guidelines on the metal materials suitable for use in eco-friendly fuel storage tanks, such as those used for storing LNG, ammonia, methanol and hydrogen.
The newly published âGuidelines for Selection of Metallic Materials of Containment Systems for Alternative Fuels for Ships includes detailed technical information on all the metal materials suitable for such containment systems. It has been jointly developed by KRâs R&D division and Dr. KimYongjinâs research team of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials.
The International Maritime Organization intends to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions from existing international ships. As a result, the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index, the technical requirement to reduce carbon intensity and the Carbon Intensity Indicator, the operational carbon intensity reduction requirements will enter into force from January 2023.
âKR conducts world-class research and development to benefit and support the wider maritime industry, regularly sharing its latest technological information. These timely guidelines will be welcomed by universities, research institutes, shipowners and clients, indeed anyone who is working to develop eco-friendly vesselsâ says Kim Daeheon, Executive Vice President of KR R&D division.
In the short term, the global maritime industry is struggling to adopt various strategies such as applying engine power limitation systems, installing energy-saving devices or optimizing navigation routes in order to comply with the greenhouse gas regulations for existing ships. In the medium to long term however, more vessels will need to use low-carbon or zero-carbon fuels as they offer the most effective way to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
As a result, much research is being done to assess and evaluate alternative vessel fuels, particularly ammonia, biogas, hydrogen and methanol. The systems, methods and materials for storing such fuels onboard vessels are becoming more important too.
KR has proposed suitable metal materials that can be used for containment systems (storage tank) and for the supporting structures taking into account the characteristics of the various eco-friendly alternative fuels. Applicability evaluation methods and procedures are also included in the document.
The guidelines examine the various restrictions and technical limitations affecting metal materials used to contain liquid hydrogen, which is technically the most difficult to store in large capacities and currently hardly used for vessels as the gaseous hydrogen causes damage to materials. To see the guidelines go to www.krs.co.kr
6. Port productivity
Container terminal productivity across North West European ports has deteriorated significantly over the past three years due to the challenges of handling larger exchanges, as carriers have consolidated port calls in the face of volatile cargo demand, according to the latest Ports & Terminals Insight report published by Drewry.
New analysis powered by Drewry AIS analytics shows that average call duration at the main North West European ports increased by over 50% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to their pre-pandemic average, before falling back to 37% above pre-pandemic in May 2022. Drewryâs analysis indicates that average port time per call peaked at 2.3 days in February, 58% above the pre-pandemic 2019 average.
7. Hong Kong judgment
TT Club has looked at a recent judgment in the Hong Kong appeal court which confirmed the rejection of jurisdiction based solely on a shipâs arrest, thus thwarting an attempt to secure a potentially greater shipâs limitation fund. This follows the existing legal tests relating to the natural and appropriate forum for a hearing.
The Milano Bridge collided with gantry cranes at Busan, South Korea and the terminal operator subsequently claimed repair and business interruption costs. The ship owner constituted a limitation fund in South Korea.
Shipâs limitation under Korean law was determined by the flag of the ship which was, in this instance Panama. The latter has ratified the original 1976 Convention on Limitation on Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) 1976, producing a figure of approximately US$24 million.
The terminal operator issued parallel civil proceedings in South Korea and Japan, the latter being the place where the ship was managed. Subsequently, the terminal arrested a sister ship of âMilano Bridgeâ in Hong Kong and obtained security for approximately US$83 million. This latter figure was calculated under Hong Kong law, which had enacted the 1996 Protocol and the 2015 revisions to the LLMC (a similar limitation figure would have applied under Japanese law).
The ship owner sought a stay of the Hong Kong proceedings on grounds of forum non conveniens. See https://www.ttclub.com/news-and-resources/news/tt-talk/2022/tt-talk-legal-eagle-the-spiliada-forum-rules-applied/
8. Wellbeing support
In a first for the industry, international maritime charity Sailorsâ Society is launching a series of global wellness and mental health conferences designed exclusively for maritime school students.
Following on from a very successful pilot in India in 2021, four online events will explore the all-important subject of wellbeing and mental health with cadets as they embark on their careers at sea.
Building on Sailorsâ Societyâs pioneering wellness training and support programme, the conferences will focus on key and current issues facing cadets today, including crisis and diversity.
Serving maritime schools in India, the Philippines, Greece and Africa, each conference will be tailored to the region and feature internationally renowned speakers.
Sailorsâ Societyâs CEO Sara Baade said: âSeafarers are the key workers of the sea. They serve at the frontline of international supply chains, supporting global economies â so it’s essential that their wellbeing is cared for right from the beginning of their careers.
âThe content has been tailored to focus on key issues facing today’s seafarers, for example the current crisis in Ukraine and the impact of the pandemic, as well as the issue of diversity as many companies look to ensure a diverse workforce.
âOur maritime schoolsâ conferences arenât just a first; they are aimed at proactive investment in young minds. These events recognise that today’s cadets are tomorrow’s workforce and future leaders.â
Hosted online with technical support from The UK P&I Club, the conferences will be chaired by Johan Smith, Sailorsâ Societyâs head of wellness and lead on the charityâs Wellness at Sea programme.
He said: “Following engagement with several maritime schools in India as part of Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea awareness campaign, it was clear that there was an appetite for a conference aimed specifically at cadets. Our 2021 pilot event was a direct response to this.
“It was such a success that we’re now replicating this model so that we can benefit many more cadets around the world.
“We hope that these events will build on findings gathered at the pilot conference and generate a wealth of analytical and subjective data to help shape future work in wellness and mental health.”
More than 1,800 delegates registered for the 2021 pilot webinar that served 19 maritime schools. Feedback at this event was overwhelmingly positive, with more than 95 percent of those surveyed saying they had a better understanding of wellbeing following the conference and 100 percent saying it had given them better preparation for a future career at sea.
One cadet responded: âI found this event really insightful and helpful, especially the crisis response information and how to handle stress and workload.â
For more information and to download the findings from the pilot event, go to: https://sailors-society.org/maritime-schools-conferences-2022
9. BV structural rules
Bureau Veritas has announced the release of its new structural rules for steel ships, NR467. The new rules are a significant development in classification society standards, building on extensive hydrodynamic simulations as well as unprecedented insight into hydrodynamics and structures, supported by 15 years of new digital tools and increased computing power.
The NR467 rules, which address the safety requirements for the structural assessment of sea-going ships, replace the rules issued in 2000, and comprise significant changes that will benefit shipyards and shipowners. These include increased clarity and transparency in the parameters used for formulas to support a better understanding of the rules and of the physical phenomena taken into account by shipyards and designers.
The advanced concept of Equivalent Design Waves (EDW) was extended to the structural assessment of all types of sea-going ships, taking into account the latest developments in our understanding of key physical processes and hydrodynamics. New hydro-structure coupling tools have been used to validate the choice of the Equivalent Design Waves and the correct combinations of design loads. It is now proven that these waves are sufficient to maximize the structural response at any location on the ship. This improves the definition of loads and scantling requirements, enabling the rules to be more accurate when combined with the associated new formulas and increased computational capabilities for extreme storms and fatigue condition assessments. In tangible terms, this now enables shipyards to improve the distribution of the steel weight, leading to better performance and potential cost savings for shipowners.
Importantly, these new rules harmonize the steel ship rules for all ship types (bulk carriers, tankers, containerships, etc.), providing a consistent framework for designers and shipyards to apply to all vessels. BV has also standardized its rules in line with the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) requirements for all strength matters, such as design principles, the Equivalent Design Wave (EDW) approach and scantling requirements, amongst others.
Laurent Leblanc, Senior Vice President Technical & Operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: âModern technologies have enabled us to develop modern class rules and standards fit for a fast-evolving shipping industry. Today, we are proud to issue our new Steel Rules, which represent an important milestone in their integration of the latest developments in digital technology, as well as a major tool that will support shipyards and shipowners as they develop the safe, efficient and sustainable fleets that are needed today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Bureau Veritas, Laskaridis Shipping and METIS Cyberspace Technology, who provides ship environmental and operational performance smart tools, have agreed to embark on a pilot project to develop and apply a new BV SMART 3 Class notation covering the use of augmented data in ship operations.
Modern ships increasingly use smart systems designed to improve their operational efficiency. As part of its strategy to support maritime digitalization, BV has developed a framework of SMART notations for ships, which provide consistent and uniform standards for the âsmartâ techniques used to monitor and improve fleet performance.
In a new âSmartshipâ pilot project, BV is working with Laskaridis Shipping and METIS to develop a range of additional class notations adapted to the latest advances in digitalization technology. The SMART 3 notation will also cover ship to shore connectivity, remote decision support and remote operations.
Bureau Veritas has also recently announced the development of a new notation, CII REALTIME. The notation will support shipowners to provide reliable and up to date data related to DCS and CII of their ships/fleet in a simplified and consistent process.
Shipowners have less than a year to prepare their vessels to comply before the new EEXI and CII regulations come into effect, on 1st January 2023.
Monitoring the evolution of the CII during the year is essential to avoid any surprises with the shipâs energy rating and to make early and informed decisions on operational measures. Danaos Management Consultants has developed digital solutions to efficiently manage such monitoring and to facilitate Engine Performance Optimization.
Bureau Veritas is teaming up with Danaos to develop a CII REALTIME notation. This new notation will recognise the implementation of a digital process that helps to collect DCS data and compute the CII data on a regular basis. The notation process will cover the data collection from ship as well as the ship to shore transfer data onto Bureau Veritas servers. The software package DANAOS WEB ENTERPRISE EDITION is used as the pilot for the development of the notation.
The notation will guarantee that the DCS data, as well as the CII, are reliable, consistent and available for the Administration at the 1st of January of the year N+1. The CII data, hosted by BV as an independent third party, could be made public to any interested 3rd party upon request and agreement of the owner.
10. Just in time
Containerships can reduce fuel consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions by 14% on a per voyage basis using JIT arrival, according to a new study, commissioned by the IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050âs Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (Low Carbon GIA).
Just In Time (JIT) arrivals allow ships to optimise speed during their voyage to arrive in port when berth, fairway and nautical services are available. Containerships can reduce fuel consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions by 14% on a per voyage basis using JIT arrival, according to the study.
JIT is an important tool that can contribute to a ship attaining its required carbon intensity indicator (CII) and associated CII rating in accordance with IMOâs short-term GHG reduction measure, which will enter into force later this year. JIT can be taken up, together with other operational measures, in the enhanced Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) which will play a central role in the implementation of IMOâs recent energy efficiency measures.
This latest study, undertaken by Marine Traffic and Energy and Environmental Research Associates (EERA), explores the global implementation of JIT in the container sector. Using AIS data from the calendar year 2019 (pre-pandemic), the impact of JIT on fuel consumption and emissions was assessed by optimizing all voyages in three scenarios:
1. Over the entire voyage,
2. Over the last 24 hours, and
3. Over the last 12 hours.
The results show that while optimizing speed over the entire duration of a voyage offers the greatest saving opportunity (displaying a mean fuel saving per voyage of 14.16%), there were benefits in all scenarios with savings of 5.90% (24 hrs scenario) and 4.23% (12 hrs scenario), respectively. This indicates that implementing JIT over the last 12 hours of a voyage can already greatly contribute to fuels and emissions savings.
âIn fighting climate change, global shipping has a steep mountain to climb, and we need to pull all levers to deliver in line with the Paris Agreement.âŻTheâŻstudy underlines thatâŻwhile we work to accelerate and scale the availability of the future green fuels,âŻin the short-term significant emissions reductions can be achieved by bringing vessels, terminals and ports together to exchange standardized data and facilitate Just In Time arrivals,ââŻsaid Andreas M. van der Wurff, port optimisation manager at A.P. Moller-Maersk andâŻchairman of the Low Carbon GIA Ship-Port Interface workstream.
The Low Carbon GIA is a public-private partnership with the aim to develop innovative solutions to address common barriers to decarbonizing the shipping sector. It has been actively exploring the concept of JIT through various research projects and several industry stakeholder roundtables. In 2020, it published the Just In Time Arrival Guide â Potential Barriers and Solutions, providing guidance to stakeholders towards the implementation of JIT Arrivals.
11. Who is to blame?
Sometimes fault is not always one-sided as a recent dispute involving a naval architect and a class society demonstrated. The claim was handled by ITIC (International Transport Intermediaries Club) and originated from a shipyard.
The yard was commissioned to build a series of fast pilot vessels that had been designed by a naval architect. The designs were first submitted to Class who advised that the forward stringers be strengthened (stringers are longitudinal beams inside the hull to provide longitudinal strength). It is usual for advice from Class to be noted on the vessel plan in a speech bubble. In this case, a different format was used and although all the advice from Class was followed by the naval architect, the requirement to strengthen the stringers was missed. Class reviewed and approved the revised plans but also missed the fact that the stringers had not been upgraded.
Ten vessels were built by the same shipyard and, after just three yearsâ service, nine vessels had suffered cracking. The naval architect had specified that the vesselâs operations should be limited to a maximum significant wave height of 3.5m, however there were reports that some vessels had been out in seas of 5.5m.
The nine damaged vessels had their stringers strengthened by the original shipyard at a total cost of $450,000. The yard claimed this sum from the naval architect. Although it was clear that the naval architect had missed the advice given by Class, it was also clear that Class had missed the error when they reviewed the final plans; and the vessels had been allowed to operate in conditions outside of their specified limits. As a result, the total amount paid by ITIC on behalf of the naval architect was reduced to $300,000.
ITIC urges all specialist consultants and agencies to thoroughly check advice given by third-parties and to remain vigilant for advice provided in non-standard or unexpected formats.
12. Benchmarking
Leading benchmark provider, General Index, and maritime data specialist and software platform, Signal Ocean, have  signed an agreement to publish a set of ocean freight and CO2 benchmarks. The new benchmarks will provide a series of  indexes which combine Signalâs vessel and voyage data with General Indexâs quantitative methodologies.
This combination will deliver market participants with an accurate view of fluctuating freight rates as well as allow them to monitor their historical and estimated vessel emissions and quantify the financial cost of these emissions.
Signal will provide detailed estimates of greenhouse gases emitted on a vessel-by-vessel basis. The service will cover the key global trading routes for crude oil and refined products, starting in the Atlantic Basin. General Index will operate the benchmarks via its tech-native methodologies and production systems, incorporating trade information from its data contributors. The ocean freight and CO2 benchmarks are the first phases of an ambitious plan of collaboration between the two firms.
The move comes ahead of the expected entry of shipping into the European Unionâs Emissions Trading System in 2023. The collaboration will provide the industryâs first normalised emissions benchmark allowing shipowners and charterers to trade CO2 emissions.
âSignal Ocean, like General Index, is a data-driven technology company that uses high-quality data and trusted modeling. Weâve combined this with decades of market knowledge and experience as a commercial vessel operator to create a unique set of data APIs that help solve a number of persistent problems in the analysis of shipping markets. Partnering with General Index will allow us to provide new tools to help market participants better understand their emissions performance and manage their financial exposure.â said Ioannis Martinos, CEO of Signal Group.
âPartnering with the Signal team allows us to leverage our benchmark technology and expertise to create relevant indexes which will support the maritime industry as its energy transition journey accelerates. With maritime coming under the EUâs Emissions Trading System (ETS) in January 2023, the time is right to partner with Signal Group, a recognised authority in the maritime industry.â added Neil Bradford, CEO of General Index.
13. Leadership advice
Although merchant ships carry 90% of the worldâs trade, the mariners who run them have little guidance on leadership. This can result in disasters such as the Titanic, Costa Concordia, the Exxon Valdez, and the recent El Faro. With modern ships being worth several million dollars, seafarers need leadership advice at every level of their career. Golden Stripes, Leadership on the High Seas by Captain VS Parani aims to provide this guidance.
Captain Parani uses his experience to discuss issues like:Â how to run a tight ship; enhance expertise; lead and communicate with a team; implement safety leadership; decide effectively in high-stake situations and be inspired by legendary sailors. Some of the proceeds from the book are to be used to assist the work of the Mission to Seafarers.
Golden Stripes has been written by a mariner specifically for commercial shipping. The authorâs experience both on board and from his corporate roles gives him a unique perspective on why, when and how sailors fail or succeed. Important messages are woven around engaging stories, quotes and practical leadership models. See https://www.whittlespublishing.com/Golden_Stripes
Notices & Miscellany
CMI conference
The next conference of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) will take place in Antwerp from 18th to 21st October 2022. On the occasion of its 125th anniversary, CMI comes home to Antwerp, where it was founded in 1897.
The CMI is the mother of major international shipping conventions such as the Hague Rules, Visby Rules, Arrest Convention, Collision Convention, Salvage Convention and many others. It has played and continues to play an important role in the unification of international maritime law.
The conference is organized by the Belgian Maritime Law Association, which is one of the founding members of the CMI and celebrated its own 125th anniversary last year.
Registrations for the CMI Conference in Antwerp on October 18 -21are now open: https://na.eventscloud.com/cmiconference
UNCTAD reports
UNCTAD has produced a series of report s of interest to readers and which can be accessed via its website. The reports are available under the links below
âąÂ   COVID-19 implications for commercial contracts: Carriage of goods by sea and related cargo claims
âąÂ   COVID-19 implications for commercial contracts: International sale of goods on CIF and FOB terms
âąÂ   Contracts for the carriage of goods by sea and multimodal transport: Key issues arising from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic
Offshore energy
London Shipping Law Centre and the LMAA are holding a seminar on offshore energy: contracts and disputes in the maritime environment on June 29 at 5.30pm at the IDRC in London and also online.
At this event, experts in the market will present a picture of maritime disputes in the offshore energy sector. Focus will be on disputes arising from energy operations in a maritime environment plus shipbuilding and FPSO projects. The seminar will address new developments in contracts for offshore windfarms and also demystify difficult issues on delay in offshore projects. There will be discussion on specific tips for choosing a tribunal and case managing a complex offshore dispute. Specific issues to be discussed will include:
BIMCO liability schemes for windfarm supply vessel; choosing your tribunal and current trends in case management as well as shipbuilding contracts and the prevention principle: a way forward?
MASS seminar
IMO will be hosting a seminar to share insights on regulatory barriers and uncertainties encountered by national administrations and industry for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) projects currently undertaken or planned for the future. It will explore how such obstacles can be overcome by establishing an international legal framework to regulate the operation of MASS.The seminar will be held online from Monday, 5 September 2022 to Tuesday, 6 September 2022, from 11.00 a.m. to 2 p.m. (UTC+1). The event is open to all interested parties and will be conducted in English without interpretation.
Attendees at the MASS seminar can expect to hear from IMO Member States, international organizations and academic institutions. Topics to be covered will include approaches taken to address MASS on a national level and how work could be progressed at IMO.
Register for the IMO MASS Seminar here: https://forms.office.com/r/zcHfnwpVqS
Read more about MASS here: Autonomous shipping (imo.org)
Brookes Bell appointment
Brookes Bell, the leading multi-disciplinary technical and scientific consultancy, has appointed its first female Master Mariner as a marine consultant. Karley Smith joins Brookes Bell after 16 years at sea, 11 years working in the offshore oil and gas industry where she qualified as a Dynamic Positioning Operator and most recently, from the private superyacht sector, where she worked as Chief Officer.
Day of the Seafarer
The International Maritime Organization will be celebrating the 2022 Day of the Seafarer on 25th June 2022. This yearâs theme is âYour voyage – then and now, share your journeyâ and focuses on the changes that seafarers are seeing in their career paths and work environments.
As in previous years, the 2022 Day of the Seafarer event will predominantly be held on social media as part of a campaign to draw attention to the contribution that seafarers make to shipping and world trade.
Participants in the campaign can use this yearâs hashtag #SeafarerJourney â or the general hashtag of #DayOfTheSeafarer and join in the conversation.
Seafarers are invited to post two photos: one of their first voyage and another of their most recent voyage. We would also like to know what has changed during your maritime voyage. Is shipping greener? Is the technology better? Are you more skilled? What have you learnt? Please use the hashtag #SeafarerJourney or #DayOfTheSeafarer
Read more about the IMOâs Day of the Seafarer:âŻhttps://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/Pages/Day-of-the-Seafarer-2022.aspx
Please notify the Editor of your appointments, promotions, new office openings and other important happenings: contactus@themaritimeadvocate.com
And finally,
(With thanks to Paul Dixon)
Great Tips
- Before attempting to remove stubborn stains from a garment always circle the stain in permanent pen so that when you remove the garment from the washing machine you can easily locate the area of the stain and check that it has gone.
- High blood pressure sufferers – Simply cut yourself and bleed for a while, thus reducing the pressure in your veins.
- Olympic athletes – Conceal the fact that you have taken performance enhancing drugs by simply running a little slower and letting someone else win.
- Heavy smokers – Don’t throw away those filters from the end of your cigarettes. Save them up and within a few years you’ll have enough to insulate your loft.
- Create instant designer stubble by sucking a magnet and dipping your chin in a bowl of iron fillings.
- X File fans – Create the effect of being abducted by aliens by drinking two bottles of vodka. You’ll invariably wake up in a strange place the following morning, having had your memory mysteriously ‘erased’.
- A sheet of sandpaper makes a cheap and effective substitute for costly maps when visiting the Sahara desert.
- Convince neighbours that you have invented a ‘shrinking’ device by ruffling your hair, wearing a white laboratory coats and parking a JCB digger outside your house for a few days. Then dim and flicker the lights in your house during the night and replace the JCB unseen, with a Tonka toy of the same description. Watch their faces in the morning!
- Nissan Micra drivers – Attach a lighted sparkler to the roof of your car before starting a long journey. You drive the things like dodgem cars anyway, so it may as well look like one.
- Tape a chocolate bar to the outside of your microwave. If the chocolate melts you will know that the microwaves are escaping and it is time to have the oven serviced.
- A mouse trap, placed on top on of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep.
Thanks for Reading the Maritime Advocate online
Maritime Advocate Online is a fortnightly digest of news and views on the maritime industries, with particular reference to legal issues and dispute resolution. It is published to over 20,000 individual subscribers each week and republished within firms and organisations all over the maritime world. It is the largest publication of its kind. We estimate it goes to around 60,000 readers in over 120 countries.
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