From the Bridge - Master Mariners of Canada...From the Bridge The Newsletter of the Company of...

From the Bridge The Newsletter of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada

www.mastermariners.ca

February 2012

The Company of Master Mariners of Canada is a professional association for those qualified to command. It was established to encourage and maintain high and honourable standards within the nautical profession, further the efficiency of the Sea Service, and uphold the status, dignity and prestige of Master Mariners.

FROM THE MASTER’S DESK

On behalf of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada I would like to take the opportunity to notethat January 26, 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Coast Guard. Congratulations onthis major milestone and for enjoying a history of great achievements.I had the opportunity to attend the 50th anniversary gala on February 4, 2012 and was pleased to seethe level of support evident at the gala. From the Minister responsible for the Coast Guard, theHonourable Keith Ashfield, Commissionaire of the RCMP, Admiral of the Navy as well as a host ofother marine and shipping dignitaries lent an air of great pride to the Coast Guard as well as a greatdeal of accomplishment.In commemoration of this anniversary, the Government of Canada has struck a Coast Guard stamp as well as the new$50 bill that is adorned with a Coast Guard Icebreaker.Many of our members had been or currently are Coast Guard Captains and enjoyed long and distinguished careerswithin the ranks of the Coast Guard. Several have gone on to become National Masters of the Company of MasterMariners of Canada.There are many regional events taking place in recognition of the anniversary and this may be a chance for theDivisions to reach out to the Assistant Commissionaires of Coast Guard in the regions to participate in some of theseevents. Please visit their commemorative website for further details on their history and accomplishments.http://www.ccg gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/50th_Anniversary

With respects to the business of the Company in 2012 we hope to capitalize on all the great work that has gone intothe development of our strategic plan and most notably the Views and Positions initiative. Captain Yves Villemairehas agreed to fulfill the role as Chair of this committee on an interim bases and Captain James Calvesbert will focus onother action items identified in the plan.Given that the Company represents a professional body of knowledge, the national and divisional views and positionscoordinators will be crucial for us in developing those positions that will set the stage for supporting our seagoingmembers whether it is our position on Dynamic Positioning qualifications, criminalization of seafarers, piracy orpositions that our members may identify as a particular need to be reviewed. I would ask all the Divisions to ensurethat they identify a member who will be able to work with Capt. Villemaire on this important item.Best Regards, Captain John McCann. National Master

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“From the Bridge” February 2012 www.mastermariners.ca

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�“From the Bridge�”Jim Calvesbert, Maritimes Division

National Secretary. Following is an extract from the Minutes of the 176th CMMC National Council Teleconference Meeting: - Recalling the death of Captain Ratch Wallace, the former National Secretary, it was moved by Jack Gallagher and seconded by Jeff Vale that Ivan Lantz be elected by the National Council to serve as Interim National Secretary until the 44th AGM in October 2012. The meeting agreed.

Salvage resources for giant ships: There is a degree of optimism inherent in any shipping investment and nobody, as they make up their mind to invest in a newbuilding, thinks of the worst calamity that might overtake the ship being ordered. The White Star Line

would never have ordered the Titanic if they had foreseen her fate, and it would be very unfair to fault them retrospectively for their lack of anticipation. Nevertheless, it might be prudent to at least spare a few thoughts as to how some of the giant ships now coming into service might be salved, should they be so unfortunate as to require the services of salvors. Has anyone actually asked the salvage experts whether they have adequate resources to deal with

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a disabled 400,000 DWT dry bulker full of iron ore, or a grounded 15,000 TEU container ship, or even deal with the aftermath of a serious accident involving a ship with upwards of 6,000 souls aboard? Salvors, for their part, would seem to suggest that all these excellent designs for ships that will drive serious scale economies have been undertaken without looking at their current capabilities and resources. Last week, the President of the International Salvage Union, Andreas Tsavliris, took the opportunity to reiterate salvors’ concerns about a whole range of issues that tax their patience. He suggested that salvage awards have become inadequate, and whatever the salvor might have done to save some wrecked ship in terms of expertise and commitment, the courts fail to recognise the reality of their claim. Salvors are going to need a new generation of both tugs and people to cope with the probable demands of these monster ships, but cannot presently afford either. There needs, he said, to be more understanding of “environmental” salvage, where the value is in the efforts which spare a coastline from pollution, rather than the “salved” value out of which traditional awards would be paid. Salvage crews are getting older and their clever, technologically astute and brave replacements need to be recruited. But who wants to join this sector, not least, said Mr. Tsavliris, for their exposure to criminal sanctions? It is a valid point, which ship operators will doubtless understand. But back to giant ships. You do not have to recall the struggles to save the containership Napoli or the present efforts with the Rena on the New Zealand coast to realise that containerships are notoriously difficult ships to salve. What sort of plant will have to be summoned to get the cargo off a wrecked 18,000 TEU vessel, with water in all her holds and containers seven high on the deck of the damaged giant, perhaps lying in an exposed position offshore? And where will such barges and high-reach cranes be found? Mr. Tsavliris suggests that such is the number of very large containerships pouring out of shipyards, that statistically there will one that comes to grief. Of course, one could ignore these matters and convince oneself that such an accident “could not happen to me”; such is the quality of one’s operation. And it is significant that the world’s biggest passenger ships do have a degree of redundancy and “return to port” capability because such risks have been assessed and understood. But history is sometimes useful in providing indicators to the present and we might look back to the “first generation” VLCCs, which were single-boiler steamships, commissioned at a time when no tug was sufficiently powerful to tow one of these disabled ships off a lee shore. We shouldn’t have to find out the adequacy of salvage capability the hard way. Watchkeeper: Dec 14th 2011. https://www.bimco.org/en/News/2011/12/14_Watchkeeper_Week_50.aspx

The grounded cargo ship Rena slips off the reef after its hull split

into two, caused by heavy swells, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. Photograph: Graeme Brown/EPA

Costa Concordia off the west coast of Italy.

Shipping Industry Faces Its “Deepwater Horizon Moment”: The shipping industry has been warned by a leading maritime lawyer that it may soon face its “Deepwater Horizon moment” in the event of a mega containership casualty.

Speaking at a Maritime London lunchtime function on January 11th, Holman Fenwick Willan partner Andrew Chamberlain said that the consequences of a serious incident involving one of the larger containerships “may well result in a complete change in the accepted liability regimes and even the traditionally accepted insurance arrangements for such large vessels.” Recent high profile container ship casualties have involved relatively small vessels capable of carrying up to 4688 containers (MSC Napoli). The Rena, which is currently breaking up off the coast of New Zealand, has a capacity of 3352 containers. By comparison, the largest vessels sailing today are carrying over 15000 boxes. He told the audience of salvors, insurers, shipowners and other maritime professionals that in the event of the loss of the largest class of containership, the epic scale of the incident would mean that the salvage industry would struggle to deal with the removal of the containers and wreckage. He warned that the salvage industry had limited and ageing resources, was increasingly risk averse and today consisted of only around four or five companies with a genuine global capability. He noted that the legal environment for dealing with these types of incidents was becoming increasingly demanding with rising claims, disproportionately high clean-up costs and the near impossibility of disposing or recycling of a wreck thanks


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to the restrictive legal regime now imposed by the 1996 Protocol to the London Dumping Convention and the OSPAR Convention, combined with the absence of suitable recycling facilities. He added, “The industry is facing the perfect storm. We have a global recession, high cargo values (relative to ship values), ever larger and untested ships, environmental concerns and increasing public and government awareness of the impact of shipping incidents. Since the Napoli in 2007 any marine casualty is much more likely to be on the front page of every newspaper.” Jan 12, 2012. The Journal of Commerce Online - Press Release Copies of Andrew's presentation are available on request from Tania Phayre at [email protected] http://www.joc.com/press-release/shipping-industry-faces-its-“deepwater-horizon-moment”

After the grounding of the Costa Concordia in January, Master Mariner Organisations released the following statements.

The Honourable Company of Master Mariners: The Honourable Company of Master Mariners will not join in the press speculation as to the cause(s) of the recent grounding of the Costa Concordia, nor will the Honourable Company speculate on the culpability of otherwise of the vessel's Master. Whilst recognising the potential and serious environmental damage of this incident, we are however dismayed by the early action of the authorities to arrest and handcuff the Master. As a professional organisation of Master Mariners, we believe it imperative that the full investigation of the incident is allowed to run its course unhindered by uninformed speculation in the press and elsewhere. The HCMM will comment fully when the investigation is complete and the full facts known. 18.01.12 http://hcmm.org.uk/index.php/company-news/275-message-from-the-master-and-wardens

The Nautical Institute Response to Costa Concordia Incident: The Nautical Institute learned with great sadness of the loss of life associated with the sinking of the Costa Concordia and expresses condolences to the

bereaved families and sympathies to the injured and traumatised survivors. We congratulate the rescue agencies that continue to search for casualties in very difficult circumstances. The Nautical Institute notes with extreme disquiet the alacrity with which the ship’s owners, Costa Cruises, blamed all on the Master, Captain Francesco Schettino, accusing him of unprofessional conduct before any investigations could have taken place. The Nautical Institute is also extremely uneasy with the speculation in much of the world’s media. Some evidence which should be in the hands of official investigators is being paraded in newspapers and television news programmes. Blatant speculation into the actions of Captain Schettino and others before, during and after the accident is being presented as fact. Captain Schettino stands accused of very serious crimes in Italy although he at least has a lawyer acting for him. The Italian State has initiated an official investigation into the sinking of the Costa Concordia and the actions of her Master and crew. It would be wise to await the outcome of the official investigation and trial, if one is deemed necessary by the Italian State, before publishing speculation which only serves to make it impossible for any defendant to receive a fair trial or for an unbiased jury to be appointed. The Nautical Institute will continue to speak out in defence of any mariner who is subjected to less than fair treatment and who is not given the right of any human being to be considered innocent until proven guilty. http://www.nautinst.org/en/Media/press/index.cfm/costaconcordia 25 January 2012

The International Federation of

Shipmasters’ Associations

(IFSMA) wishes to record its profound sadness about the loss of passenger ship Costa Concordia and wishes to extend sincere condolences to the families of all passengers and crew who were victims of the accident. IFSMA also wishes to register its deep concern about the Costa Concordia accident, and in particular the subsequent rush to condemn the ship’s Master, and ship’s owner Costa Crociere, before any investigation or criminal inquiry has been completed. IFSMA believes the press and public vilification of the Master is prejudicial and in serious breach of his rights to justice and a fair trial. IFSMA believes the way in which ‘information’ about the circumstances of the accident has emerged is in direct contravention of the principles of ‘fair treatment’, as set down in the International Maritime Organisation/International Labour Organisation guidelines – most notably the right to protection against coercion and intimidation from any source during or after any investigation into a maritime accident. IFSMA is concerned that the vast amount of highly derogatory publicity about the Master’s alleged actions serves as another highly regrettable example of the criminalisation of the maritime profession and threatens to do considerable damage to the efforts to recruit and retain a sustainable supply of maritime professionals. IFSMA also believes that the massive media speculation – much of it highly ill-informed – will serve to direct attention away from the long-standing concerns over aspects of the design, construction and operation of large passenger ships. Paul Owen. Assistant Secretary General. IFSMA. http://www.ifsma.org/tempannounce/IFSMA%20Press%20Release.pdf


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Why ships get bigger all the time! Scale economics have played a crucial role in the development of modern merchant shipping. It makes perfect sense to carry goods in bigger “parcels” or to build bigger passenger ships on the grounds that the “unit cost” of carrying a container, grabful of iron ore, barrel of oil, or passenger is reduced accordingly. For a whole raft of reasons, scale economics make sense in shipping. Size, while reducing the unit costs, works in so many different ways. You can double the size of the ship, but its capital costs may go up only by one third. The ship of twice the size, through good design, will not suffer twice the operating costs of fuel or spares. A ship of three times the size and capacity won’t require anything like three times the crew to run it. Size increments invariably provide a net gain

to the owner who has bought a bigger ship. This thinking behind scale economics is being applied to pretty well every type of ship, although it is instructive to see whether there is in fact any limit to the size of ship that can be built. Why aren’t all ships now gigantic? It is important to consider, alongside the advantages of building ships big, whether scale economy carries any downside with it. Big ships may have reduced unit costs, but they have certain inflexibilities. The range of ports open to big ships reduces with their dimensions and draught. Bigger ships may take rather longer to load and discharge and place strains upon the port and terminal infrastructure. It is also a fact that while the benefits of big ships may be

apparent to their owners, it is less obvious to others. The hearts of port managers may sink as they see owners’ plans for giant ships because they will have to make their ports fit them through expensive channel dredging and perhaps new cargo handling equipment, or face losing these customers to competing ports and terminals. The customers also might not be as enthused as the ship owners about the alleged advantages of size upgrades. A steel mill might be geared up to accepting its raw material – iron ore – in lots of 180,000 tonnes every two weeks – the capacity of its stackyard may be inadequate to handle the cargo from a bigger ship. In the 1970s and 80s a number of half million tonne tankers were built for reasons of scale economics but refineries were not prepared to pay for the oil tanks to empty these gigantic ships and they were not a success. It can be argued that the jury is still out on the concept of the “mega-containerships”, and whether they will be better for more people than smaller vessels. Little ports that used to take coasters of less than 1,000 tonnes are seriously concerned that insufficient numbers of small ships are being built, and their disappearance will end centuries of shipping activity in these places, with undesirable social consequences. Scale economies can work – but not always! Date: 08.12.11 https://www.bimco.org/Education/Seascapes/Maritime_Matters/Why_ships.aspx .. The world’s largest heavy lift ship: It is extraordinary to think that it soon will be possible to find a ship able to lift a single load of 100,000 tons and carry it across the world’s oceans. This is the capacity of an astonishing craft that will enter service in 2012 from its Korean builder Hyundai Heavy Industries, for the international heavy lift specialist shipowner Dockwise. Designated the “Type O” and to be named Dockwise Vanguard, the ship will, like other units in the 18 vessel Dockwise fleet, be built as a semi-submersible and employ the buoyancy in its own huge hull to lift such a vast cargo weight. This might take the form of semi-submersible drilling rigs, offshore plant or craft without their own propulsion systems or other indivisible and huge heavy project cargoes. The demand for such extreme weights has largely come from the offshore engineering world, with Floating Production and Storage Vessels now displacing this kind of weight, and requiring the safest possible methods of transporting them from

where they are built, to their operational area. The Type O will look like no other ship at sea today, a huge, ship-shaped hull offering a deck area of 275 m in length and 70 m clear breadth, all without any obstruction and available for cargo. Offset from the sides of the hull will be four towers, that on the starboard, forward side providing five decks of accommodation and the navigating bridge and controls on top. A matching tower on the port side has machinery inside, while the stern port and starboard towers contain the machinery exhausts. Described as an “ultra-sized” vessel, the Type O will be able to ballast

down to considerable depth, leaving only the tops of the four towers visible, and permitting the floating cargo to be positioned over the hull. Gradually the ballast is pumped out, so that the supporting hull rises upwards to “ground” the


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cargo. Once the supporting craft’s hull is clear, and at its navigating draught, the cargo can then be secured for the voyage. In spite of the ship’s improbable appearance with no raised bow as seen on other units in the semi-submersible lifting fleet, the ship will be able to carry its huge loads at a 14 knot service speed. Four engines will propel the ship and they and auxiliaries will be available for the extensive pumping equipment that will control the inflow or outflow of ballast water when the ship is handling cargo. On her maiden voyage from her South Korean builders, the huge ship is expected to carry a very large offshore platform from Korea to a construction site in the US Gulf. The Dockwise Vanguard will take over the existing heavy lift crown from Dockwise’s Blue Marlin. https://www.bimco.org/en/Education/Seascapes/Ships_that_serve_us/Largest_heavy_lift.aspx

Also see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-ItBux0shg and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6iTme61T18&feature=related . Biggest ships ever to join Asia-Europe route: After a year of overcapacity that caused a 50% decline in cargo rates on the Asia-Pacific route, 42 of the largest ships ever built will enter the market in 2012. The addition of these 42 mega-ships, which hold more than 13,000 containers, will boost the total number on the seas to 100. They can only be used on the Asia-Europe routes, since U.S. ports cannot yet accommodate their size. Mediterranean Shipping Co. and partner CMA CGM SA will receive 21 ships, boosting their combined fleet to 49. Asian lines will have a total of 26 mega-vessels by the end of 2012, which means they’ll be using smaller, less fuel-efficient ships to compete with the partnership and A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S for the Asia-Europe business. Bloomberg Businessweek. Read the full story: www.businessweek.com December 15, 2011. http://www.cargobusinessnews.com/news/121511/news3.html .. Cruises – safety rules spoil the fun: How do you escape as quickly and as safely as possible from a ship in trouble? The Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy shows the considerable time it takes to evacuate over 4,000 people from a cruise liner. It could all be far better – but that would cost money and lessen ‘the fun experience’. It took several hours after the Costa Concordia hit the rocks before the more than 4,000 passengers were finally off the cruise ship. Many of the lifeboats were not accessible because the liner had capsized. Passengers later complained that the evacuation was chaotic. Niko Wijnolst, professor of shipping innovation, says cruise ships aren’t optimally equipped for emergencies. “Look at the offshore industry. You can’t launch lifeboats from a platform, so how can you get away safely? An escape slide has been developed for this purpose, a tube through which you can slide into a covered raft. This kind of raft can deal with waves and severe weather, increasing your chances of survival. These kinds of innovations could easily be used on cruises.” Why do more? There’s not much enthusiasm in the cruise sector though for tightening up safety regulations. Why make things more difficult than they need be? Professor Wijnolst: “Very few people are interested in safety or have the extra money for it. That’s because there are regulations and people say: ‘We’ll just adapt those rules. Why would we want to do more?’ The regulations stipulate it’s enough to have lifeboats - why should you do more than the rules require?” The United Nations has laid down the regulations under the International Maritime Organisation. Member states are required to regulate ships sailing under their flags. Foreign ships can also be inspected when they enter ports. Learning from the past: a lot has been learned from past shipping disasters about how the construction of ships can improve safety. After the disasters involving the Herald of Free Enterprise (1987), the Estonia (1994) and the Exxon Valdez oil tanker (1989), came requirements for double hulls and for vessels to be divided into compartments inside. Computer programmes make it increasingly easy to simulate accidents in the development stage. “The chance that a ship will sink after hitting something is made as small as possible,” explains Hans Hopman, professor of ship design, writing in the newspaper, de Volkskrant: “A ship has to stay afloat in 90 to 95%t of the simulations. Unless a vessel complies with these tough international regulations – also regarding numbers and type of safety equipment – it will never set sail.” Survival suits: But the charms of the escape slide are lost on cruise operators as, indeed, are those of the survival suit, thermal clothing to combat the cold – essential for passengers plunged into icy conditions on a life boat or, worse still, in the sea. Research shows a survival suit will keep you going for a considerable time. It fits into a small package and costs a mere 20 euros. The sector though doesn’t want to know. Professor Wijnolst: “You have a ship, the Costa Concordia, costing 500 million dollars – but with no survival suits. They could easily stow them under the beds, but they don’t do it because they are frightened of giving the impression something could go wrong. A cruise is a fun experience. People would rather not believe something bad could happen. There’s so much expertise, so much cleverness, so much money packed into this enormous ship, what could possibly go wrong? If you then notice that little package, the safety equipment, under there, you’re confronted by the possibility. And that bursts the bubble of your blissful experience of going on a cruise.” Professor Wijnolst thinks the only way the sector will change is if the regulations are thoroughly shaken up – internationally, courtesy of the International Maritime Organisation. 17 January 2012. Radio Netherlands Worldwide. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/cruises-–-safety-rules-spoil-fun


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50 Years of Service: For the past 50 years, The Canadian Coast Guard has been a symbol of service and safety. The women and men we call our own have not only provided years of excellence in service delivery, but have embodied the ideals the Coast Guard has come to represent. On January 26, 2012 the Canadian Coast Guard proudly celebrated its 50th Anniversary. As we celebrate our past, we must also consider our future. Greater demands for our services, a changing climate in the Arctic, advances in technology and expectations for a greater presence in the North have set the tone for what we must strive to become. The Canadian Coast Guard owns and operates the federal government’s civilian fleet, and provides key maritime services to Canadians. As a Special Operating Agency of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Canadian Coast Guard helps DFO meet its responsibility to ensure safe and accessible waterways for Canadians. The Canadian Coast Guard also plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable use and development of Canada’s oceans and waterways. The organization may have witnessed many changes to its structure, fleet, and people over the years, but the passion and heart to serve the citizens of Canada have been the same for the last five decades. The Canadian Coast Guard looks forward to celebrating this milestone with its employees, partners, and all Canadians. Fifty years marks a golden opportunity to commemorate a storied past, but it also marks a perfect opportunity to set the stage for the Canadian Coast Guard’s bright future. http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/50th_Anniversary http://www.youtube.com/user/CCGrecruitmentGCC?feature=mhum Global warming to help Port of Vancouver by opening Northwest Passage: The Port of Vancouver believes that global warming will open the Northwest Passage to shipping through the Canadian Arctic in summer from which the Canadian west coast port will benefit. Citing information in Vancouver's Port 2050 report, London's International Freighting Weekly said the port plans to leverage future business priorities, drive new initiatives and transform every aspect of the Port Metro Vancouver's operations. In general, if global warming proved to be true - temperatures have declined in the last 10 years - it would benefit Canada, and Russia too, transforming vast tracts of "moose pasture" into arable land. Through "leadership in the creation of a zero-carbon supply chain", Port Metro Vancouver will become a "global winner", said the report, which covers alternative scenarios of the world's and its own future and that sustainability leadership will lead to considerable long-term growth and prosperity. The long-term strategy is based on "The Great Transition", a scenario that involves a rapid transition to a post-industrial/post-carbon model between 2030 and 2050. This transition predicts that marine transport and related industries will thrive, "since shipping and the supply chain through Vancouver are more carbon-friendly than other gateways and modalities". Short-term, the port expects prosperity for the port from 2010-2030, despite global economic troubles, based on its ability to grow capacity and build global relationships. 29.Nov.2011 http://www.seanews.com.tr/article/worldship/72710/global-Warming-Vancouver-Northwest-passage/ $1.4-million upgrade slated for home of RCMP schooner: For years, the Vancouver Maritime Museum and its central artefact, the historic RCMP schooner St. Roch, have been caught in a bureaucratic no man's land. Between trying to find a new home that would give it greater exposure and needing significant financial help from the City of Vancouver for the building it now has, the small museum with its waterfront location near Vanier Park has at times struggled for relevance. But several months ago, after a long-planned move to North Vancouver fell through when the federal government withdrew financial support for a new National Maritime Centre, the museum society decided to keep it right where it is, next to the Museum of Vancouver (see FTB May 2008. Page 8). That decision has led the city to agree to spend nearly $1.4 million on repairs to the aging A-frame building that houses the St. Roch, a national historic monument. The money will also go toward replacement of a fire-suppression system. The stout, B.C.-built St. Roch was the first vessel to transit through the Arctic's fabled Northwest Passage, and it also became the first to circumnavigate North America. It was moved to the current site in 1958 and put into a cradled dry dock around which the city-owned museum was built. In the following 53 years, the building has suffered minor and major problems.


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The roof leaks, so every major rainstorm means the decks of the St. Roch are dotted with buckets and staff are always worried the ingress of water will rot away one of Canada's greatest Arctic exploration artefacts.

"It's actually pretty serious the number of leaks we have," said Craig Beattie, the museum society's president. "Water dripping onto the St. Roch is not a situation we can afford to let happen." In a report going to council, Richard Newirth, the city's managing director of cultural services, said the museum building's condition has seriously deteriorated. The city estimated it needed $750,000 for building repairs and another $600,000 for a new halon gas fire-suppression system. Some of that money has already been put aside, but council is now being asked to reallocate $902,000 from the city's Olympic legacy fund to get the repairs done. "Not proceeding with the real-location would endanger both the civic building and the civic maritime artefact asset, the St. Roch," Newirth wrote. "This would also hinder the ability of the Maritime Museum to carry out their programs and services related to the maritime history of B.C. and Vancouver." The money won't go toward restoring the St. Roch itself, which suffers

from dry rot in some places. But Beattie said the city's investment shows the society's sometimes tense relationship with the city has ended. That difficult relationship was behind efforts in recent years to move out of Vancouver. "We are tremendously impressed with how the city has stepped up in the last year to deal with some of the issues that we have," Beattie said. "I am impressed that in a difficult time they are still able to find the money to do these important cultural things." The museum will close for repairs for about two to three months sometime early in the New Year, he said. BY JEFF LEE, VANCOUVER SUN DECEMBER 9, 2011 http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/million+upgrade+slated+home+RCMP+schooner/5835762/story.html RCMP vessel St Roch (pronounced “Saint Rock”): Vital Statistics (1944 configuration) Length: 31.8 m (104’3”) Beam: 7.5 m (24’7”) Draft: 3.25 m (10’8”) Tonnage: 196.5 t Hull: Douglas fir with Australian gumwood outer hull; rounded hull to allow ice to slide underneath; steel plate covering bow Power source: 150 hp Union diesel, 6 cylinders; schooner rigged Built: Burrard Drydock Shipyard, North Vancouver, 1928 St Roch was built specifically for the RCMP to patrol the Arctic. The ship was named after the Quebec east riding of Ernest Lapointe, then Federal Minister of Justice responsible for the RCMP. Launched on May 7, 1928, she began a long and successful career that ended in 1950 when officially retired from duty in Halifax. St Roch sailed through the Panama Canal in 1954 to return to Vancouver. Melting Arctic ice clears the way for supertanker voyages: Supertankers and giant cargo ships could next year voyage regularly between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Arctic to save time, money and emissions, say Scandinavian shipowners. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/05/melting-arctic-ice-supertankers New data from companies who have taken advantage of receding Arctic sea ice this year to complete several voyages across the north of Russia shows that the "northern sea route http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Sea_Route can save even a medium size bulk carrier 18 days and 580 tons of bunker fuel on a journey between northern Norway and China. Even bigger fuel and time savings have been reported this week by Danish shipping company Nordic Bulk Carriers http://www.nordicbulkcarriers.com/ which says it saved a third of its usual costs and nearly half the time in shipping goods to China via the Arctic. The route, which cuts around 4,000 nautical miles off the southern Suez route from the Atlantic to the Pacific, has barely needed an ice-breaker since July as annual sea ice melted to a near record low extent "We saved 1,000 tonnes of bunker fuel and nearly 3,000 tonnes of CO2 on one journey between Murmansk and north China," said Christian Bonfils, a director of Nordic Bulk Carriers in Oslo. http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/. The shipowners, who anticipate that the northern route could gradually be opened for four to six months a year as air and sea temperatures increase, are exploring the possibility of regular summer passages through the Arctic ocean. This could save them $180,000-300,000 on each voyage, they say. "The window for sailing the route is four months now, but the Russians say it is seven if the cargo ships are accompanied by Russian atomic icebreakers. When we can save 22 days on transportation, it is very good business for us," said Bonfils. Apart from timesaving, the shipowners can avoid Somali pirates and the high insurance premiums they attract if their ships pass through the Suez Canal. The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has predicted that the route would soon rival the Suez Canal as a quicker trade link from Europe to Asia. "The Northern sea route will rival traditional trade lanes in service fees, security and quality," he told a conference organised by the Russian Geographical Society in Arkhangelsk in September.


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This is seen as wildly optimistic by the Scandinavian shipowners, who are nevertheless encouraged by the speed of change in high latitudes. The Arctic was crossed in a record eight days [in August by an STI Heritage tanker on a route between the US and Thailand, and on 20 August, a 160,000 tonne supertanker with 120,000 tonnes of gas [made the passage, becoming the largest commercial ship ever to sail the route. http://www.safety4sea.com/page/6075/9/japanese-bulk-carrier-sets-record-on-northern-sea-route- http://www.barentsobserver.com/first-supertanker-along-northern-sea-route.4951370-16178.html The route, which used to be known as the Northeast Passage, runs along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait. Environment groups have warned that an Arctic shipping rush could accelerate global warming. While they accept that ships would burn less fuel and emit less CO2, they fear oil spills and other maritime accidents, as well as "black carbon", the sooty residue of partly burned fuel which is deposited on ice and is a short-lived but powerful "forcer" of climate change.

The MV Nordic Barents leaves Kirkenes harbour, northern Norway, carrying iron ore to China via the Northern Sea Route. Photograph: Helge Sterk/EPA

"The prospect of the creeping industrialisation of the high north is deeply worrying. More ships bring more chance of major accidents and will mean more climate pollutants on the back of more melting of the ice," said Ben Ayliffe, Arctic campaigner with Greenpeace. But shipowners cautioned that special ice-strengthened ships were needed and it is too early to build ships especially for the journey. In a further sign that the Arctic was opening up, Russian atomic icebreakers received 15 requests to escort Arctic voyages in 2011, against four in 2010. Canadian and American maritime experts have estimated that 2% of global shipping could be diverted to the Arctic by 2030, rising to 5% by 2050. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/05/arctic-shipping-trade-routes Submitted by Captain Alan Knight. Maritimes Division.

First LNG fuelled product tanker enters service: Marking a major breakthrough for commercial shipping and LNG fuel technology, the product tanker Bit Viking returned to service along the Norwegian coast as the first vessel to undergo conversion from heavy fuel oil to dual fuel operation. The conversion makes the ship one of the most environmentally friendly tankers in the world and the largest non-LNG carrier merchant ship to operate on LNG. The project started back in August 2010, when Wärtsilä announced that it had signed a turnkey project with Sweden’s Tarbit Shipping to convert the Bit Viking to LNG operation. Under the conversion, Wärtsilä supplied deck-mounted gas fuel systems, piping, two six-cylinder Wärtsilä 46 engines converted to Wärtsilä 50DF units with related control systems and all adjustments to the ship's systems.

Furthermore, the tanker's classification certificate was also updated. The engines are connected directly to the propeller shafts through a reduction gearbox, thus avoiding the electrical losses that are an unavoidable feature of diesel-electric configurations. This enables a significant improvement in propulsion efficiency, reduced fuel consumption, and corresponding reductions in emissions. The Bit Viking is also the first LNG fuelled vessel to be classified by Germanischer Lloyd. GL played a critical role in the conversion by ensuring that all the components manufactured and installed in the system—the piping, valves, safety equipment, and the tanks themselves—were all safely constructed, using the right type of materials and right type of welding.

The technical challenge in the conversion process was immense, says Ronnie-Torsten Westerman, Business Development Manager at GL. As a world first, the project required special attention on how to interpret the relevant class rules and how the flag administration would understand and accept the risk analysis. Says Westerman, "Special attention was given to the bunkering process and how it should be performed, since this is a critical operation and requires special expertise and equipment." The conversion of the Bit Viking was also a good opportunity to evaluate whether GL's own rules for gas, as ship fuel would prove up to the task. "The existing rules are sufficient to cover such a


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conversion, as the Bit Viking underwent," says Westerman. After the Bit Viking was handed over to Tarbit Shipping, it went into service for Statoil along the Norwegian coastline. The conversion will enable the ship to qualify for lower NOX emission taxes under the Norwegian NOX fund scheme. The fund is a cooperative effort whereby participating companies may apply for financial support in return for introducing NOX reducing measures. Furthermore, LNG operation means lower carbon oxide emissions, and virtually no SOx or particle emissions. Delivered in 2007 by China's Shanghai Edwards shipyard, the Bit Viking is built with double engine rooms, propellers, steering gears, rudders and control systems. This is the first marine installation in the world to involve converting Wärtsilä 46 engines to Wärtsilä 50DF engines, and the first 50DF marine installation with mechanical propulsion. The Bit Viking uses Wärtsilä's new LNGPac system, which enables the safe and convenient onboard storage of LNG. The two 500 cubic meter LNG storage tanks are mounted on the deck to facilitate bunkering operations and permit the bunkering of LNG at a rate of 430 cubic meters per hour. The storage tanks provide the vessel with 12 days of autonomous operation at 80% load, with the option to switch to marine gas oil if an extended range is required. When visiting EU ports, which have a 0.1 per cent limit on sulphur emissions, the vessel operates on gas. "Wärtsilä's unique expertise and experience with dual fuel technology, as well as with fuel conversion projects, were the main reasons for us choosing them. We appreciate the technological efficiency of the Wärtsilä solutions and the expert way in which this conversion project has been handled. We are proud that the Bit Viking is now one of the world's most environmentally sustainable tankers in operation," says Anders Hermansson, Technical Manager, Tarbit Shipping. "This is a major step for Wärtsilä in consolidating its market leading position in LNG solutions for the shipping industry. The successful sea trials with this vessel provide yet further validation of the viability of LNG as the marine fuel of the future. We anticipate that this development will rapidly accelerate during the coming few years," says Sören Karlsson, General Manager, Gas Applications, Ship Power Technology. The Bit Viking resumed commercial trading on October 25. Ever since, it has been performing as expected and the crew has successfully bunkered the ship from the shore facility at Risavika, south of Stavanger. The Bit Viking is trading along the entire length of the coast of Norway, from Oslo to Kirkenes, on behalf of oil major Statoil. According to Westerman, the Bit Viking has already achieved considerable benefits for the environment during its short time in operation: greenhouse gases reduced by 20% to 25%, sulphur output cut entirely, NOx gases cut by 90% and particulate emissions reduced by 99%. An official emissions measurement has been conducted, but the final results are not available yet. "However, these figures are a strong indicator of the outcome,” says Westerman. November 23, 2011 http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1617:lngfueledproducttanker23november2011j01&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=107 .. LNG-Fuelled Marine Industry at 48 Ships and Growing: Zeus Conference to Examine Implications HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - Dec 13, 2011) - A survey of the marine industry by Zeus Development Corporation finds that 48 non-LNG-carrier ships will soon be fuelled with LNG. In January, the company will host the World LNG Fuels Conference to discuss this trend. "Low natural gas prices make the switch to LNG-fuel tempting for some marine operators," said Tom Campbell, analyst at Zeus. "However, it is the enforcement of IMO emissions standards that is driving the trend." In 2015 and 2016, the International Maritime Organization's Tier III standards ratchet down sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions in a 200 nautical mile radius around North America and Europe, known as emission control areas. The alternatives to LNG include scrubbers and after-exhaust treatment systems, which are expensive and cumbersome. "Fleets tend to use after-exhaust treatment systems for existing ships, but newbuild ships that can be designed for LNG's characteristics tend to use LNG," Campbell said. In the past two years, 11 new LNG-fuelled ships have been built, Campbell notes. They vary from patrol vessels to fuelling barges to tugboats and ferries. Within these categories, LNG usage varies from high-speed ferries to large cruiser ferries. A complete list can be obtained online at www.zeusintel.com/ZeusEvents/WLNGF2012/VesselInventory.aspx. LNG-fuel is also beginning to take root in new geographic regions like South America and the Gulf of Mexico. Units are also being considered in Quebec, Washington State and New York. Alongside the trend are proposals for fuelling facilities. New bunkering facilities are being discussed in Trinidad and Tobago, Dubai and Singapore. The marine industry will join on-land transportation companies in Houston January 25th and 26th to discuss fuelling with LNG. Among the speakers at the World LNG Fuels Conference will be Shane Guidry, chairman & CEO of Harvey Gulf, which has ordered two LNG-fuelled offshore service vessels, Captain James DeSimone, chief operations officer for the Staten Island Ferry, and Val Noel, President of Pacer Cartage, which is slated to take delivery of its first four of 40 LNG-fuelled Kenworth T440 trucks for operation in Los Angeles. More information can be obtained online at http://www.zeusintel.com/WLNGF2012. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/lng-fueled-marine-industry-48-ships-growing-zeus-conference-examine-implications-1598078.htm BC Ferries moves to convert fleet to liquefied natural gas. New fuel system would replace diesel and cut costs by 40%: BC Ferries hopes to convert more than half its fleet from marine diesel oil to liquefied natural gas over the next decade. "The long-term plan is to convert all of the ships," said BC Ferries' vice-president of engineering Mark Collins. "It makes economic sense." The use of LNG-fuelled ferries, which would be cheaper to operate because the fuel


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costs 40% less than diesel, was among the cost cutting recommendations in a report to the government this week by independent ferry commissioner Gordon Macatee.

But Collins said BC Ferries is already moving in that direction and hopes to have 16 to 20 of its 35-vessel fleet converted to LNG over the next decade: eight to 10 conversions and eight to 10 newly built ships. And the corporation is doing a feasibility study on converting the Queen of Capilano, an 85-vehicle ferry that links Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island, into the fleet's first test LNG powered vessel. Although Collins said that no final decision has been made on the conversion, in a letter to Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay residents in December 2011, he sounded more definite, saying the newly converted vessel was expected to be fully operational in early 2013. However, on Thursday, he said the industry is now signalling that schedule might be unrealistic. Macatee's report, which explored the high costs of providing ferry services and the resulting fares that he said have "reached the tipping point of affordability," made a number of recommendations aimed at raising revenues and cutting costs. "The best possibility is a shift to LNG fuel, with a potential saving of $28 million per year," he said, noting BC Ferries had recently announced plans to convert one of its vessels to LNG. "LNG-powered ferries is a growing trend in the industry as there are several vehicle ferries operating now in Norway using LNG gas. Washington State and the Staten Island Ferries are in various stages of introducing LNG ferries into their fleets. "The commission is not qualified to judge the suitability of LNG technology on vessels. We simply note that if LNG gas can provide long-term savings and greater certainty about fuel costs, it merits serious consideration." Collins noted that costs to convert vessels to LNG are significant - about $10 million for smaller vessels and up to $30 million or more for the larger ships. Smaller ships like the Queen of Capilano have smaller engines, which would likely be fully replaced, he said. The much bigger engines on large ships would likely be retained with emerging technology that allows LNG "kits" to be placed on existing engines to keep costs down. Collins said all conversion work would be done in B.C., but companies from Europe are the top prospects for doing the work because they're the industry leaders. However, Vancouver-based natural gas engine giant Westport Innovations Inc. is interested as well. Jonathan Burke, vice-president of global market development, said Westport has met several times with BC Ferries on the issue. He said Westport is now developing an engine for CN Rail in Quebec to convert a transcontinental locomotive to LNG. "They're very similarly sized," Burke noted of LNG engines for trains and large ships. "It's very transferable technology. "You're changing one engine for another, but the majority of the expense is in the fuel storage on the vessel," added Burke, who noted fuel storage is also part of his company's expertise. Burke, who said Rolls-Royce and Wärtsilä in Europe already convert diesel ferries to LNG, added that B.C. has abundant natural gas resources and that it's "an opportunity to use a B.C. resource in B.C. vessels." Collins said Westport doesn't have large enough engines for the job now, "but they're on that road and we're keeping our channels open." Earlier, Collins said in his December notice to Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay residents regarding the possible conversion of the Queen of Capilano that "LNG-fuelled ships improve air quality and meet the most progressive environmental regulations. "Secondly, natural gas is about 40% of the cost of diesel fuel, reducing BC Ferries' fuel costs (our second biggest cost) dramatically. Lower operating costs can help us contain future fare increases." BC Ferries noted the cost of fuel accounts for approximately 20% of its total operating expenses. Brian Morton. Vancouver Sun January 27, 2012 http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Ferries+moves+convert+fleet+liquefied+natural/6060264/story.html Passenger weight gain prompts new U.S. ferry rules. One in three American adults obese, cutting numbers allowed on Washington ferries: The Washington State Ferry Service isn't going to start turning away hefty passengers, but it has had to reduce the capacity of America's largest ferry system because people have been packing on weight. Coast Guard vessel stability rules that took effect across the U.S. on December 1st raised the estimated weight of the average adult passenger to 185 pounds [84 kilograms] from the previous 160 pounds [73 kilograms], based on population information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and about one-third of American adults are now considered obese, the CDC says on its website. “The State Ferry system has complied with the new stability rules by simply reducing the listed capacity of its vessels”, Coast Guard Lt. Eric Young said. "That has effectively reduced the amount of passengers by about 250 passengers or so depending on the particular ferry," said Young, who is based in Seattle. "They generally carry about 2,000, so it's down to 1,750 now. With that many passengers, the ferry wouldn't tip over even if everyone ran to the side at the same time to look at a pod of killer whales”, he said.


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The State operates 23 white and green vessels on 10 routes across Puget Sound and through the San Juan Islands to British Columbia. Carrying more than 22 million passengers a year, it's the biggest ferry system in the U.S. and one of the four largest in the world.

The ferries themselves could be contributing to passenger girth. The galleys cater to customers looking for fast food they can eat while looking out the windows at the scenery and seagulls. Calorie counters typically aren't buying the hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken strips. "We do serve light beer," said Peggy Wilkes who has worked 20 years for the food concessionaire, Olympic Cascade Services, which serves food and drinks on 12 of the State ferries. “The reduced passenger capacity is unlikely to have much practical effect on the spacious ferries, said Marta Coursey,” the system spokeswoman. The ferries often fill up with vehicles, but the number of passengers, especially walk-ons, is seldom a problem, she said. “The new stability rules may have a bigger impact on the

smaller charter fishing boats, such as those that take anglers fishing out of the Pacific Ocean ports of Westport and Ilwaco,” said Lt. Young. “Any vessel that carries more than six paying customers has to be inspected and certified by the Coast Guard as a passenger vessel”. The Associated Press Posted: Dec 21, 2011 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/12/21/bc-weight-gain-prompts-ferry-changes.html STX Canada Marine to design Canada's polar icebreaker: The Canadian Government today named the firm that will design the Canadian Coast Guard's future flagship, the Polar Icebreaker, CCGS John G. Diefenbaker. "I am pleased to announce that the team at STX Canada Marine Inc. of Vancouver is taking on this important project," said John Moore, Regional Minister for British Columbia. "This project is yet another example of our Government's commitment to support jobs and growth, and we look forward to seeing the Diefenbaker, designed and built in Vancouver, defending Canada's Arctic sovereignty in the North." The award of the $9.5 million design contract formally launches the detailed design effort for the Polar Icebreaker. Expected to take 18 – 24 months to complete, STX Canada Marine Inc. will, based on the conceptual design produced by the Canadian Coast Guard, advance the design work to the point where a comprehensive design package can be provided to Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. to build the vessel. The icebreaker will be able to operate autonomously for 270 days in the Arctic, over a larger area, and in more difficult conditions than any of Canada’s current icebreakers. The new Icebreaker will be delivered to coincide with the decommissioning of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in 2017. The polar icebreaker will be designed to accommodate 100 personnel and have the ability to break through 2.5m of ice. STX Canada Marine will be supported in the Polar Icebreaker Design project by a team of highly experienced partners including Aker Arctic Technology (AARC), SNC-Lavalin, INDAL Technologies and Noise Control Engineering. Aker Arctic Technology, part of STX Europe will provide its world leading icebreaker design and construction expertise to the project. AARC and STX shipyards have been involved in the design and construction of over 60% of the world’s icebreakers. February 3, 2012 http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1885:2012feb0035&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=107 As mentioned in the August 2011 edition of the FTB, submarines are always in the news. Here is another sampling. The full stories can be found at the various websites. Russia's N-powered submarine to enter service by June: Moscow: Russia's newest nuclear-powered submarine -- the Yury Dolgoruky -- will be put into operation in the second quarter of the year, the shipbuilding group said. The Borey-class Project 955 submarine will be armed with the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles. But a representative from the United Shipbuilding Corporation said it was yet to be decided when the missile will enter service.


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The submarine's construction began in 1996 at the Sevmash shipyard and was completed in 2008. It has a crew of 130 and will be armed with 16 Bulava missiles and six SS-N-15 cruise missiles. http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/russia-s-n-powered-submarine-to-enter-service-by-june_753968.html Submarine purchase plan to be refloated: Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat yesterday vowed to re-examine the navy's plan to buy submarines. On his first day in office at the Defence Ministry, ACM Sukumpol said he would continue to push for the implementation of incomplete plans and projects, including the submarine purchase. "We will look at it. The navy must explain to the public why the submarine purchase is an appropriate project," ACM Sukumpol said. The minister also told navy chief Admiral Surasak Roonroengrom to clarify details of the submarine project to the cabinet and the public. The navy had planned to buy six second-hand submarines from Germany. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/276685/submarine-purchase-plan-to-be-refloated Jan 25th 2012 Brand new attack submarine not ready for service: Russia’s first Graney-class submarine should have been on duty now, but today the Russian Defence Ministry announces a more than one year delay. 2012-01-24 http://www.barentsobserver.com/brand-new-attack-submarine-not-ready-for-service.5012535.html

Is the Navy's newest sub worth the price? Not much of a sea-based deterrent: Just when the Russian nuclear-powered Akula-II submarine joins the Indian Navy as INS Chakra on a 10-year lease at a cost of over $1 billion, the moot question is: does it contribute to India's sea-based nuclear deterrence? http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article2829121.ece Submarines provide needed security: A maritime nation such as Canada, with an extensive coastline and a moderate defence budget, can only attempt to protect our country by having a general purpose and balanced maritime capability. No one platform can do the job and a group of capabilities is always the most effective solution. A balanced

capability in maritime warfare means having capabilities to detect, track and destroy, if necessary, threats to our country. This is normally accomplished by producing a large portion of the capabilities nationally and allying ourselves with nations that support the same values Canadians believe in. A mix of platforms is required to do the job. Submarines are a critical part of the overall team. Yes, the cost of getting our four submarines to operational status is expensive, but these systems are some of the most complex that exist today. Even if we were discussing new submarines, we would still be having this same discussion. Almost every developed maritime nation has submarines as part of its mix of defensive capabilities. China has 52 diesel/electric submarines and 10 nuclear submarines and has an ambitious program to add to this massive part of their defensive capability. These nations understand that submarines are an important part of a balanced capability. Canada's four submarines will be fully operational in the not-too-distant future, and will provide Canada decades of useful service. Robin Allen. Victoria. November 27th 2011 http://www.timescolonist.com/Submarines+provide+needed+security/5774360/story.html Government of Canada applauds New York State for withdrawing its ballast water requirements: OTTAWA — Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Pierre Poilievre, welcomed yesterday's decision by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) to remove a threat to shipping on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System. In a press release issued yesterday, NYDEC Commissioner Joe Martens — recognizing that shipping and maritime activity are critical to New York State and international commerce — agreed to a national approach to ballast water regulation in the United States. "Canada applauds New York State for withdrawing its unattainable ballast water requirements and agrees that uniform standards are the best way to protect the marine environment," said Parliamentary Secretary Poilievre. "We welcome this action as enforcement of the rules on transiting ships would have stopped commercial shipping on the Seaway. This could have affected almost $11 billion in business revenue and up to 72,000 jobs in Canada and the United States." Because of potentially far-reaching effects on the environment and the economy, Canada already has strong rules and regulations in place to reduce the risk of aquatic species invasions. "There have been no new species attributed to ballast water reported in the Great Lakes since 2006," said Parliamentary Secretary Poilievre. "As we move to


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implement even stronger rules to build on this accomplishment, Canada believes it is possible to simultaneously protect ships and their crews, the environment and the economy." The Parliamentary Secretary added, "Canada remains strongly committed to protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species and ensuring the vibrancy of this shared water resource, and looks forward to internationally compatible ballast water requirements that will foster economic growth while preserving our natural resources." February 23, 2012. See FTB November 2011. Page 16. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/releases-2012-h015e-6650.htm Russian rivers identified as source of fresh water in Beaufort Sea: A team of U.S. scientists appears to have solved a mystery about the freshening of the Arctic Ocean off the north coast of Canada, tracing the source of the un-salted water that's been building up in recent years in the Beaufort Sea, to the discharge from three great rivers in Russia. The finding, detailed in Nature, is considered key to gauging how the polar region is changing in an era of retreating sea ice linked to climate change. "Knowing the pathways of freshwater in the upper ocean is important to understanding global climate because of freshwater's role in protecting sea ice - it can help create a barrier between the ice and warmer ocean water below - and its role in global ocean circulation," said University of Washington scientist Jamie Morison, lead author of the study. "Too much freshwater exiting the Arctic would inhibit the interplay of cold water from the poles and warm water from the tropics." Researchers have been trying to understand why the Beaufort Sea has been accumulating "record-breaking amounts of freshwater" in recent decades, according to a summary of the Nature study. Among the theories about the unusual freshening of the Beaufort Sea was that the melting ice cover in the region - including extreme retreats in the past decade - was largely responsible. That and other ideas were tested by a Morison-led team of researchers from the University of Washington and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The scientists combined analysis of water samples collected throughout the ocean with data from NASA satellites ICESat and GRACE. NASA scientist Ron Kwok noted in the summary that the satellite data allowed researchers to "examine the impacts of widespread changes in ocean circulation." That line of research led to the conclusion that water from three major Russian rivers - the Lena, Yenisey and Ob - is the chief source of the Beaufort Sea freshening, with a recent change in Arctic Ocean circulation causing the Eurasian river discharges to be channelled away from Russia and to collect off the north coast of western North America. While the Beaufort Sea is fresher today than it has been for 50 years, the team concluded, the change has been offset by increased salinity in the Eurasian Basin. That finding discounts the idea the overall Arctic Ocean is becoming fresher. "The freshening on the Canadian side of the Arctic over the last few years represents a redistribution of freshwater," Kwok said. "There does not seem to be a net freshening of the ocean." The Vancouver Sun. By Randy Boswell, Postmedia News January 6, 2012 http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Russian+rivers+source+fresh+water+Beaufort/5956223/story.html Named for British Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, the Beaufort Sea, on the edges of the Arctic Ocean, is positioned to the north of Alaska and Canada. It extends from Barrow, Alaska, to the southwestern edge of Prince Patrick Island, then south along the western edges of Banks Island to the coast of Canada's Northwest Territories. It has an estimated surface area of about 184,000 sq. miles (476,000 sq.km.) and an average depth of 3,239 ft. (1,004 m). The greatest depth measured is 15,360 ft. Sir Francis Beaufort is the same person who gave us the Beaufort Wind Scale. What do you know about the man? He was born near Navan in County Meath in Ireland. His father, a Rector, was a respected authority on geography and topography. Francis joined the Royal Navy aged 13 as a Midshipman. In 1800, at the age of 26, he received 19 wounds in a battle near Malaga. This earned him promotion to Commander, but one bullet remained in a lung for the remainder of his life. It was while in command from 1805 of the Woolwich, a 44-gun man-o-war, that he devised his Wind Force Scale. However, it is worth noting that Beaufort was not the originator of such a scale. One was in use a century earlier. Before that it is quite certain that medieval Arab seafarers used some such scale in the 15th century. Sadly there is a lack of definitive documentation to support any of these claims. The Royal Navy adopted Beaufort’s Wind Force Scale in 1838 and, although modified hugely over the next hundred or so years, in essence the scale had the 12 variations, from 0 for calm through to 12 for a full Hurricane force, that we are still familiar with today. (AND NOW THE SHIPPING FORECAST. Peter Jefferson. UIT Cambridge Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906860-15-8) New 61,000-tonne ship has crew of just nine: The 61,000-tonne Safmarine Chilka is the first of a series of so-called WAFMAX. Boaters who say they need help to run their boats should consider themselves lucky - a huge new container ship that has just entered service is expected to be operated by a total complement of just nine men. The


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61,000-tonne Safmarine Chilka is the first of a series of so-called WAFMAX (West Africa Maximum) ships built for Danish container giant A.P Moller-Maersk. The Captain and his crew will spend much of their time at sea ensuring that the 249m long vessel - that's an equivalent of over 27m per man - is navigated safely. They will also need to ensure it is properly maintained and that its 36,000 horsepower diesel engine runs smoothly, so each crewman will welcome the chance to relax in his own well-appointed cabin. Safmarine Chilka has been purpose-built for the trade with Africa and has been deployed on Moller-

Maersk's Safmarine Line between the Far East and Africa. Source: Maersk News. Feb 22nd 2012 http://www.safety4sea.com/page/9784/6/new-61,000-tonne-ship-has-crew-of-just-nine A shipowner was about to send an emigrant ship to sea. He knew that she was old, and not overwell built at the first; that she had seen many seas and climes, and often had needed repairs. Doubts had been suggested to him that possibly she was not seaworthy. These doubts preyed upon his mind, and made him unhappy; he thought that perhaps he ought to have her thoroughly overhauled and refitted, even though this should put him to great expense. Before the ship sailed, however, he succeeded in overcoming these melancholy reflections. He said to himself that she had gone safely through so many voyages and weathered so many storms, that it was idle to suppose that she would not come safely home from this trip also. He would put his trust in providence, which could hardly fail to protect all these unhappy families that were leaving their fatherland to seek for better times elsewhere. He would dismiss from his mind all ungenerous suspicions about the honesty of builders and contractors. In such ways he acquired a sincere and comfortable conviction that his vessel was thoroughly safe and seaworthy; he watched her departure with a light heart, and benevolent wishes for the success of the exiles in their strange new home that was to be; and he got his insurance money when she went down in mid-ocean and told no tales. What shall we say of him? Surely this, that he was verily guilty of the death of those men. It is admitted that he did sincerely believe in the soundness of his ship; but the sincerity of his conviction can in nowise help him, because he had no right to believe on such evidence as was before him. He had acquired his belief not by honestly earning it in patient investigation, but by stifling his doubts... William K. Clifford. The Ethics of Belief 1874 http://www.bluewatersailing.com/quotes.php Transport Canada OK's Northern Gateway Supertankers. Fishing advocates say human error a real threat: Transport Canada has "no regulatory concerns" with Enbridge's proposed marine operations for the Northern Gateway pipeline, clearing the way for supertankers to carry Canadian crude across the Pacific. Transport Canada told the Federal Joint Review Panel examining the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project, that it had finished its review of the proposed tanker traffic that would sail through waters off B.C.'s North Coast, taking crude from the Alberta oilsands to overseas markets in China. "While there will always be residual risk in any project, after reviewing the proponent's studies and taking into account the proponent's commitments, no regulatory concerns have been identified for the vessels, vessel operations, the proposed routes, navigability, other waterway users and the marine terminal operations associated with vessels supporting the Northern Gateway Project," reads the Transport Canada review. The $5.5-billion project would see an additional 250 oil tankers arriving at Kitimat each year, which means Transport Canada would have to step up its monitoring, the report said. Northern Gateway has attracted fierce opposition from First Nations, environmental and other groups who fear an oil spill from the pipeline itself or from tankers sailing through narrow coastal channels could cause grave ecological harm. "The proposed shipping routes are appropriate for the oil tankers that will be used at the proposed terminal," said the report, adding, "there are no charted obstructions that would pose a safety hazard to fully loaded oil tankers." CBC News Posted: Feb 23, 2012 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/02/23/bc-supertanker-traffic-enbridge.html

Tankers would use Douglas Channel to gain access to the terminus of Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline at Kitimat, B.C. Opponents fear the tankers and pipeline would lead to oil spills. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press


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Ports and Carriers United on the Need to Weigh Loaded Containers: The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has joined with the World Shipping Council (WSC), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and BIMCO in the effort to encourage the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to amend the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) to require, as a condition for stowing a loaded container on board a ship, that the ship and the port facility have a verified actual weight of the container. All four organizations have consultative status at the IMO. The announcement comes as the IMO’s Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC) subcommittee, which is responsible for improving the safety of container stowage and ships operations, continues its efforts to construct a SOLAS requirement that loaded export containers have a verified weight prior to vessel loading. As instructed by the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), DSC will consider such a requirement at its next session in September 2012 (DSC 17). “Weighing containers to confirm their actual weight is the right operational and safety practice. There is substantial experience with such a requirement in the United States demonstrating that this is feasible on a technological and commercial basis. It is time to make this a global safety practice and our association will assist its members in cooperating with terminal operators to develop a suitable and effective process”, said Dr. Geraldine Knatz, President of IAPH and executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. “We very much welcome and appreciate IAPH’s support of this initiative. The tide is clearly running in support of this most important enhancement to maritime safety,” said Peter Hinchliffe, Secretary General of ICS. “Having the actual weights of containers improves safety aboard ships, safety in the ports, and safety on the roads. There is no sound reason to continue the wilful toleration of ignorance about cargo containers’ actual weights. IAPH support of this initiative is a positive development,” said Torben Skaanild, Secretary General of BIMCO. “Shippers today are legally obligated to provide accurate weights of containers after they have stuffed them with cargo, but there are many instances where their weight declarations are erroneous. An accident involving an incorrect container weight declaration can create potential liabilities for the shipper and others handling the container. Having verified weights of loaded containers will reduce errors and risk, and will eliminate the guesswork from the business for all parties involved,” said Christopher Koch, president of WSC. All four organizations noted that governments around the world continue to focus on obtaining more complete knowledge of what is actually in cargo containers arriving in their countries, and that Customs authorities would welcome having accurate cargo weights as they screen import cargoes. “This is another example of industry cooperation and initiative that will increase governments’ confidence in maritime commerce,” said Dr. Knatz. WSC, ICS, BIMCO, IAPH and other industry parties and interested governments will consult during 2012 about the development of recommended guidelines for how to implement the container-weighing requirement. Dec. 13th 2011. https://www.bimco.org/News/2011/12/13_Ports_and_Carriers_United.aspx Cruise industry announces new passenger emergency drill policy: The global cruise industry has

announced a new emergency drill policy requiring mandatory muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from port. The new policy follows the industry's announcement on January 27 of a Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review in response to the Costa Concordia incident. The Cruise Lines International Association, European Cruise Council, and the Passenger Shipping Association put forward the new policy with the support of their member cruise lines. The new muster policy is effective immediately and exceeds existing legal requirements. It calls for the mandatory muster of all embarking passengers prior to the cruise ship's departure from

port. On rare occasions when passengers arrive after the muster has been completed, passengers will be promptly provided with individual or group safety briefings that meet the requirements for musters applicable under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The formal policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity. Musters are mandatory exercises conducted on cruise ships to ensure passengers are informed of safety protocols while onboard the ship, including emergency evacuation procedures. Current legal requirements set by SOLAS mandate that a muster occur within 24 hours of passenger embarkation. The Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review includes a comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety. As best practices are identified, they will be shared among cruise industry association members and any appropriate recommendations will be shared with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), European Union and other governmental authorities as appropriate. The industry's efforts also are consistent with the framework and spirit of the International Safety Management Code. Recommendations resulting from the Review will be made on an ongoing basis. February 9, 2012 http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1908:2012feb00093&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=107 This edition of “From the Bridge” has changed a lot since I began to compose it over two months ago, much of it because of the grounding of the Costa Concordia. Large ships became the emphasis. I had to remove some items which perhaps may be of use later. But, your contributions come first. The deadline for the next edition is May 11th 2012.

Please send them to me at 13375 14A. Avenue, Surrey, B.C. V4A 7P9 or to [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, David Whitaker FNI

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