MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
1
The Pulse
The MISSION of The Merchant Navy Association is to bring all serving and retired Seafarers together in a spirit of
companionship, consideration and commitment towards a united lobby for the Community of the Sea Hi Shipmates,
Please find below more snippets of information since circular #7 was published 6th April 2020. My thanks to MNA National Secretary, Pete Sinke’s daily publication “Maasmond Maritime - Shipping News
Clippings”, Lloyds List, gCaptain, Maritime London, Flashlight and many others from the T’internet, not
forgetting the items sent in by Readers and any other source I can access.
MNA National Contact Points
National Secretary, David Parsons = Email : [email protected] Tel: 01935 414 765
Welfare & Events, Tim Brant, - Tel: 01472 85 11 30, Email : [email protected]
National Membership Secretary, Roy Glencross - Mobile: 07738 425875
Email [email protected]
MNA Slop Chest, The Supply Officer:- Sandra Broom [email protected] 0121 244 0190
If you call her, it may go to an answerphone. Please leave a message and she will call you.
Change of Address???? If any member has changed any of their contact details (Postal, E-mail or
Telephone) it is important that you inform ROY GLENCROSS and copy to David Parsons, Tim Brant &
myself. If informing by e-mail send to:- [email protected] , [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected]
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THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES AT SEA
Photo : Flying Focus Aerial Photography www.flyingfocus.nl ©
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
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Just Giving & The Merchant Navy Association We are pleased to say we are now able to offer our supporters the
facility to make donations via our
Just Giving page.
This is a secure means of making payments and enables us to
claim Gift Aid from the Treasury.
Go to www.justgiving.com Click on ‘Search' at the top right-
hand side and type in Merchant Navy Association.
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Coronavirus-Misinformation I have been advised that in the previous issue of The Pulse the article on page/s 22 & 23
purported to be from John Hopkins University is a light fake news (about Vodka, alcohol % in
Listerine, etc….). Not quite dangerous fake, but is fake
The official info is to be found here:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/#covid-19-basics
https://www.globalhealthnow.org/2020-02/coronavirus-expert-reality-check#malani
See in addition about fake:
• https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/04/03/coronavirus-misinformation-rumors-social-media/
• https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/johns-hopkins-covid-summary/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2020/04/08/during-covid-19-pandemic-it-isnt-
just-fake-news-but-seriously-bad-misinformation-that-is-spreading-on-social-
media/#4cbde0f87e55
Thanks to Daniele Telara for this advice
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Coronavirus: Australia launches criminal investigation into Ruby Princess The RUBY PRINCESS remains off the coast of Sydney with 200 crew members showing symptoms of
the virus A criminal investigation has been launched in Australia into how cruise ship passengers were
allowed to disembark in Sydney despite some exhibiting flu-like symptoms. More than 600 people on
board the Ruby Princess later tested positive for coronavirus and 10 have since died. The ship remains off
the coast with nearly 200 sick crew members on board. Police in New South Wales said they would look
into whether national biosecurity laws had been broken. Australia has so far reported 5,548 coronavirus
cases and 30 deaths. Those sickened on cruise ships account for nearly a tenth of all cases in Australia.
The country has imposed strict social distancing measures and clubs, cafes, parks and gyms have been
closed in a bid to contain the outbreak source: BBC
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Coast Guard: 93,000 Crew Members Still Stuck on Cruise Ships Off United
States As cruise ships drawdown the number of passengers remaining on board, concern is growing for the tens
of thousands of crew members, mostly foreign nationals, who remain stuck on board these ships in or
near U.S. territorial waters.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday revealed staggering new figures about the number of passengers
disembarked from cruise ships in the United States since the coronavirus pandemic started to wreak havoc
on the industry.
Over the last three weeks, the Coast Guard says it has processed more than 120 vessels, collectively
disembarking 250,000 passengers onto U.S. soil, including the 1,200 or so passengers offloaded from MS
Zaandam and MS Rotterdam in Port Everglades, Florida last week.
The removal of passengers from these vessel comes after the international cruise ship industry announced
an initial 30-day suspension on sailings, with many of the major cruise lines now extending the
suspension through at least the end of April.
Although the drawdown of passengers stuck on board cruise ships is viewed as a major milestone in one
of the areas hardest hit by the virus (i.e., cruise ships), what remains alarming now is the number of crew
members who still remain stuck on board these ships.
According to the Coast Guard, as of Sunday there were 114 cruise ships still carrying 93,000 crew
members either in or near U.S. ports and waters. This includes 73 cruise ships with a combined 53,000
crew members either moored or anchored in U.S. ports and another 41 ships with 41,000 crew members
still underway in the vicinity of the United States.
Ultimately, however, it is the obligation of the cruise lines for the care, safety and welfare of their
seafarers, the Coast Guard says.
“The entire DHS team is working together to ensure no seafarer will be left untreated during this
emergency to the best of our collective ability, however, proactive measures are critical to ensuring our
limited search and rescue resources and already stressed shore-side medical services do not get over-
burdened,” said Rear Adm. Eric Jones, commander of the Coast Guard’s 7th District. “This emergency
situation requires cruise ships to take additional measures to be reasonably self-sufficient in these
emergency circumstances through improved on board medical care and protocols and pre-approved
medical transport procedures.”
On Monday, the Coast Guard announced it had carried out medical evacuations of three cruise ships crew
members with COVID-19-like symptoms within the Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida areas of
responsibility Saturday and Sunday.
In a Marine Safety Information Bulletin issued last week, Rear Adm. Jones said foreign-flagged cruise
ships should prepare to treat COVID-19 patients at sea for “an indefinite period of time” as shore-side
medical facilities and resources become overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients.
Although the MSIB stated that MEDEVACs would still be considered if deemed necessary by a Coast
Guard surgeon, the vessel owner or operator are required to secure commercial transportation ashore and
confirm hospital availability before any such evacuation is authorized.
The MSIB instead recommended that ships should seek help from their respective flag states, such as
Panama, Liberia and the Bahamas, as is often in the case with cruise ships.
On Monday, the Cruise Lines International Association said as of April 6, seven of its members’ cruise
ships remained at sea with passengers, representing 2.5% of CLIA members’ global fleet.
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Fired Teddy Roosevelt Captain Tests Positive for COVID-19 – Report https://gcaptain.com/fired-teddy-roosevelt-captain-tests-positive-for-covid-19-
report/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-c950ffcb06-139894965&mc_cid=c950ffcb06&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Hospital Ship USNS Comfort to Start Accepting COVID-19 Patients
The U.S. Department of Defense has opened the hospital ship USNS Comfort to patients with COVID-19 in
order to relieve pressure on New York area hospitals, the Northern Command announced Tuesday 7th April.
https://gcaptain.com/hospital-ship-usns-comfort-to-start-accepting-covid-19-
patients/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapta
in.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-4e9956123d-139894965&mc_cid=4e9956123d&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Oil tanker lost steering in icy Ob Bay “In severe ice conditions the ship could be squeezed by the ice,” says icebreaker captain Dmitry Lobusov,
“It was necessary to get to work quickly.” By : Thomas Nilsen It was on March 29th that two of Russia’s
nuclear-powered icebreakers had to set course to rescue the 43-years old tanker VARZUGA which had
lost steering in shallow ice-covered waters east of the Yamal Peninsula.T he oil tanker was reportedly
sailing with ballast. Normally, the cargo is different kinds of petroleum products like bunker or diesel-fuel
to Russia’s Arctic ports. VARZUGA can carry 16,000 cubic meters of oil.The operator of the tanker,
Arkhangelsk-based JSC Bunker, has so far not said anything in public about the incident which first
became known on April 3rd when Rosatomflot published information about the emergency rescue towing
that started last Sunday. Lack of steering for the tanker was caused by a failure with the Azipod, a
propeller mounted on a steerable pod, including the electric motor driving the propeller. The area where
the tanker got stuck in ice without steering had a depth of only 15 meters. Consequently, the larger
nuclear-powered icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” couldn’t operate at full capacity and got assistance from a
second nuclear-powered icebreaker, the “Vaigach” which can sail in more shallow waters. The two
icebreakers managed to get the tanker out from the Ob Bay and the “Vaigach” continued the emergency
towing through the Kara Sea to the ice-free waters of the Barents Sea where a small tug on April 3rd took
over and is currently towing the oil tanker towards Murmansk. Captain Dmitry Lobusov on the bridge of
“50 Let Pobedy” describes the emergency: “It was necessary to get to work quickly,” he tells. “In severe
ice conditions, the ship could be squeezed out by the ice.” Captain on the icebreaker “Vaigach”,
Aleksandr Skryabin concludes: “Thanks to the professionalism of the crews of the nuclear icebreakers,
the VARZUGA tanker was able to be taken out from the ice captivity without incident.”
This is the second time the oil tanker VARZUGA sailing into trouble in icy Arctic waters. Back in 2010,
the tanker collided with her sister vessel, the “Indiga” somewhere along the Northern Sea Route. Both
tankers were then loaded with diesel fuel, but the collision did not cause any spill or severe damage to the
ships, the Barents Observer (external link to archive) reported at the time. In 2010, the two tankers sailed
for Murmansk Shipping Company. Originally built in Germany, the VARZUGA (then named “Uikku”)
sailed for Finnish oil company Neste in the Baltic Sea from the late 1970s. In the early 1990s, she sailed
Russia’s Northern Sea Route in the summer and the Baltic Sea during winter. In 1997, “Uikku” became
the first non-Russian merchant ship to navigate the entire Northern Sea Route. Murmansk Shipping
Company bought the tanker in 2003.In 2017, another oil tanker, the “Chukotka+” got stuck in ice in the
Sannikov Strait between the New Siberia Islands and the mainland. The ship sailed alone and aimed for a
voyage across the Northern Sea Route. The ship drifted with the ice onto a sand bank and was finally
pulled off the ground by the nuclear-powered icebreaker “Yamal”. Source : BarentsObserver
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Acting Navy Secretary Modly Resigns Amid Uproar Over Leaked Speech to
Carrier Crew Thomas Modly has offered his resignation following criticism of his handling of a crisis involving the
captain of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, …………..
https://gcaptain.com/acting-navy-secretary-modly-resigns-amid-uproar-over-leaked-speech-to-carrier-
crew/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.
com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-4e9956123d-139894965&mc_cid=4e9956123d&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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UAE makes crew change concessions By: Sam Chambers
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is easing its crew change restrictions, much to the relief of thousands of
seafarers across the world. In a circular, the UAE’s Federal Transport Authority said the first stage of the
lifting of restrictions would be aimed at seafarers with a resident visa, crew on laid up passenger ships,
crew with medical issues and for those who need to leave on compassionate grounds. The FTA will allow
crew to leave so long as the signing off crew must be well for the last 14 days before leaving the ship and
has not been in contact with a known or suspect case of Covid-19 in those 14 days. An airline ticket must
also be shown. The FTA said it was looking to get crew change operations back to normal as quick as
possible. Other important shipping centres that have made eased crew repatriation regulations in recent
days include Hong Kong and Singapore. On average, around 100,000 seafarers change ship every month,
something that has ground to a halt over the last six weeks as the spread of coronavirus around the world
has created unprecedented travel restrictions. Maersk, the world’s largest container-line, told its seagoing
staff over the weekend that all crew changes – which had been on hold through to mid-April – will now
be postponed to May 12 at the earliest. Source : Splash 247
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Book Review By Frank Neyts “Rails Across the Sea”
Recently Mainline & Maritime published a remarkable booklet entitled
“Rails Across the Sea, The Harwich – Zeebrugge Train Ferry Story”.
The book is bilingual, the Dutch title being “Sporen over de Zee, Het
verhaal van het treinveer Harwich – Zeebrugge”, Kevin Hoggett signed
as the author. It is the first full history of the Harwich – Zeebrugge train
ferry service. The author worked for British Rail at Zeebrugge (Belgium)
in the train ferry service. He had access to previously unpublished material
and images (including maps, advertising and other ephemera). The story
includes the history of the ‘precursor’ services operated by the military in
WW1.The Harwich – Zeebrugge train ferry service started on April 24th,
1924 and was set up by Great Eastern Train Ferries Ltd. (GETF). In a
very short time it became very successful especially for transport of
perishables from the European Continent to the UK. This was done in special temperature-controlled
wagons.
During the big depression in the thirties, GETF was taken over by the London and North Eastern
Railways (later becoming part of British Rail). Due to the breaking out of WW2, the train ferry service
was suspended on September 1st; 1939 and resumed mid-September 1944. At the beginning of the war
the three ferryboats were taken over by the Royal Navy and converted to “Landing Craft Carriers”. Two
of them did not survive the war. The service was finally stopped when the Chunnel, the canal tunnel
under the Channel, became operational. Al those years the service was run on a daily basis, with up to
four sailing in each direction. “Rails Across the Sea” (ISBN 978-1-900340-59-3) counts 80 pages, 96
images of which 35 in colour. It is available as softback (retailprice £14.95 exclusive P & P). The book
can be ordered via the better bookshop, or direct with the publishers, Mainline & Maritime, 3 Broadleaze,
Upper Seagry near Chippenham SN15 SEY, Tel. +44.(0)1275.845012. Ordering can also via the link
https://mainlinemaritime.myshopify.com/collections/maritime-1/products/rails-across-the-sea .
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Pandemics Not sure if I passed this on before, but it’s an interesting graphic about the history of pandemics
Thanks for this Lester
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Mega container ship mishap in Busan By ; Mikhail Voytenko
Container ship MILANO BRIDGE in the afternoon Apr 6 contacted gantry crane 85 at Busan New Port
container terminal while proceeding to berth 7 with pilot on board, then she contacted berthed container
ship SEASPAN GANGES, and moving on momentum further on, contacted cranes 81 and 84. Crane 85
collapsed, cranes 81 and 84 were derailed, crane 85 operator was slightly injured. SEASPAN GANGES
left port shortly after accident, understood damages were slight or none. MILANO BRIDGE as of 1100
UTC wasn’t yet moored, probably because of crane debris on her stern. Container ship MILANO
BRIDGE, IMO 9757187, dwt 146931, capacity 13870 TEU, built 2018, flag Panama, operator ONE.
Container ship SEASPAN GANGES, IMO 9630365, dwt 115177, built 2014, flag HK. Source Maritime
Bulletin
To view the movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84mloYb8zbE&feature=emb_logo
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Commonwealth War Graves – on Facebook It’s too late to join them on Thursday 9 April for the first of the brand CWGC Live series when Historian
and Interpretation Officer Max Dutton as he talked on a virtual tour of the Somme.
Tune into our Facebook page at 2.30pm (UK time) every Thursday to hear from specialists from
within the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as they delve deeper into the work that we
undertake.
You can post your questions on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/commonwealthwargravescommission/?mc_cid=0facbf2245&mc_eid=93d04a
cbb4, or ask them directly.
Coming up on the CWGC Live series...
In the Garden with Director of Horticulture, David Richardson - 16 April
A Virtual Tour of Gallipoli with Historian, Max Dutton - 23 April
Into the Archives with Chief Archivist, Andrew Fetherston - 30 April
CWGC Architecture with Director of Works, Jon Gedling - 7 May
Coming soon...
Starting next week our new podcast 'The 1.7 million stories of the CWGC'
Follow us on social media to find out more.
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A New Day for the American Merchant Marine: The Philly Shipyard and
National Security Multi-Mission Vessels https://gcaptain.com/a-new-day-for-the-american-merchant-marine-the-philly-shipyard-and-national-
security-multi-mission-
vessels/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-64cfa97826-139894965&mc_cid=64cfa97826&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Hurtigruten temporarily suspends operations Following the latest developments in the coronavirus situation Hurtigruten decided to continue a
temporary suspension of its operations: Norwegian coast: Operations will be suspended until 20 May
2020. As of now, the first scheduled round trip departure from Bergen will be on 21 May. Expedition
cruises: All Hurtigruten expedition cruises will be suspended until 12 May. In addition to the previously
cancelled cruises, this includes the MS Fridtjof Nansen’s departure from Hamburg on 29 April as well as
MS Spitsbergen’s departure from Longyearbyen 6 May.In addition, Hurtigruten’s Alaska expedition
cruise season will be postponed to July due to new travel restrictions from Canadian authorities. This
means that the 17 May, 31 May, 12 June, 24 June and 1 July MS ROALD AMUNDSEN Alaska
departures unfortunately will be cancelled.
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Portugal: Customs seize 100kg cocaine on container ship at Sines port The Tax and Customs Authority (TA) announced Monday that it has seized more than 100 kilograms of
cocaine at the Port of Sines during a control operation on a container coming from South America. In a
statement, TA states that the drug was stowed inside four sports bags hidden among the legitimate cargo
of a container and that it was detected during “a non-intrusive control of a container” that had been
selected “under local risk analysis criteria”. The seized cocaine would have a market value of about four
million euros and was handed over to the Judiciary Police. “The narcotic was packed in a container from
South America carrying legitimate cargo, and was misused for that purpose, waiting for the right moment
to be removed from it and illegally introduced into the European Union,” adds TA, which warns that this
seizure takes place within the framework of the powers of control and surveillance of the EU’s external
border that are assigned to it and that are exercised in “any circumstance 24 hours a day,” that is, even in
the current context of a state of emergency. TA points out that the technique used by drug traffickers has
been used in other international ports, which, “due to its characteristics, is difficult to detect, as it is
specially designed to evade the usual risk analysis and assessment techniques used by the various customs
authorities worldwide”. Source : macaubusiness
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Kiwis to be evacuated from cruise ship; 60% test positive for coronavirus By ; James Griffiths and Jackie Castillo, CNN,
Australian and New Zealand passengers will be evacuated from a stricken Antarctic cruise ship Thursday,
after almost 60% of those on board tested positive for the coronavirus. The GREG MORTIMER, a cruise
liner operated by Australia's AuroraExpeditions, departed March 15 on a voyage to Antarctica and South
Georgia. Since the beginning of April, however, the ship has been stuck off the coast of Uruguay, after
authorities refused to allow passengers to disembark due to the risk of coronavirus. Of the 217 people on
board, 128 passengers and crew have now tested positive for the virus. Six passengers requiring
specialized care have been transferred to medical facilities in Montevideo -- a video posted online by th
Uruguayan navy showed them being transferred from ship to ship wearing full protective gear. Passengers
from European and American who have tested positive fo coronavirus, however, will have to remain on
board until they have a negative test result, after which they may be able to depart via Brazil, Aurora said.
All passengers will be retested every two or three days, according to the company's website. ……… no
mention of the crew ………………… Source: newstalkzb.co.nz
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ICS Issues New Guidance for Managing Ship and Seafarer Certificates
During Coronavirus Crisis https://gcaptain.com/ics-issues-new-guidance-for-managing-ship-and-seafarer-certificates-amid-
coronavirus-
pandemic/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCa
ptain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-64cfa97826-
139894965&mc_cid=64cfa97826&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Cruising was halted weeks ago. But 7 ships and 6,000 passengers are still at
sea BY ALEX HARRIS
The ALBATROS transited the Singapore Strait March 15 in the Westbound TSS
Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) More than 6,000 passengers on seven cruise ships are still at sea waiting to dock — even though cruising
was halted in mid-March.
Many of those passengers boarded lengthy around-the-world cruises
months ago, before the virus infamously spread on cruise ships like the
DIAMOND PRINCESS and GRAND PRINCESS. Only one — Aurora
Expeditions’ GREG MORTIMER — has publicly reported cases of
COVID-19 aboard.
All but two of the ships have plans to dock within the month. Two
planned to dock Sunday, including the GREG MORTIMER, which
arrived in port Saturday afternoon Eastern Daylight Time. Late Thursday,
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended a “no-sail”
order for cruise ships — first imposed on March 13 — for the next 100
days and admonished the industry for improperly containing the spread of
the virus onboard its ships.
The agency gave the cruise industry until April 16 to come up with a new
and improved plan to get the final 6,000-plus passengers — as well as
tens of thousands of crew members — back on land safely.
The main cruise industry lobbying group, Cruise Lines International
Association, called its earlier proposals to contain the virus “far-reaching”
in a statement and stressed that there could be unintended economic
consequences if the order were kept in place for long. A Miami Herald
analysis found seven ships still at sea with passengers on board and four in or near ports with passengers
still on board.
Tug assisting the
KONINGSDAM during the
Panama canal passage
southbound at 11 Apr 2020
at 11:00 hrs local time
Panama
Photo : via Panama Canal
Webcam
Photo : Jan-Paul Lamers
Staff Engineer Officer
Koningsdam ©
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
PACIFIC PRINCESS
The PACIFIC PRINCESS left Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on Jan. 5 for a 111-day world cruise.
After coronavirus cut it short, most passengers disembarked and flew home when the ship docked March
21 in Fremantle, Australia, Princess Cruises said.But 115 passengers remained on board. Some did not
meet the International Air Transport Association’s fitness standards for air travel,” according to a Princess
statement. Others “were unable to return home by aircraft due to individual medical conditions unrelated
to COVID-19,” according to Princess. The PACIFIC PRINCESS plans to unload four Hawaiian residents
in Honolulu on Monday, when the vessel docks to refuel, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. From
there it will sail to Los Angeles to unload the other 111 passengers on April 24. Princess is owned by
Miami-based Carnival Corporation.
MSC MAGNIFICA
Two weeks ago, the MSC MAGNIFICA
docked in Western Australia without
allowing anyone ashore, according to
Australian news site news.com.au. The
Australian government said the ship has
been “inconsistent” with its reporting of
the health of its passengers. Premier
Mark McGowan told the news site at
least 250 of its 1,771 passengers are
suffering upper respiratory illness, a
claim the operator, MSC, denied. The
ship departed from Italy in January on a
116-day sailing and originally was due
to dock in Rome on April 29. But the
line has declined to comment on its final
destination to Reuters. An MSC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Miami Herald request for
comment. As of Saturday, the ship was passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, between Yemen and
Eritrea, according to Cruisemapper.
COSTA DELIZIOSA
The COSTA DELIZIOSA owned by Costa Cruises, left Venice on Jan. 5 with a slated return date of
April 26. The company is still working with Italian officials to find a port to disembark in, Newsweek
reported. So far its itinerary only includes stops for more fuel and supplies On March 13, when Miami-
based Carnival Corp., which owns Costa Cruises, stopped sailing, the COSTA DELIZIOSA’s sailing
continued. “The current world tour itinerary will be completed to allow guests to disembark and return
home,” the cruise line said in a statement reported by NBC news. The ship has 1,830 guests and 899 crew
members on board at this time, the company told the news outlet. Saturday it was just off the coast of
Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Cruisemapper. Costa did not immediately return a request
for comment.
COLUMBUS
The COLUMBUS, owned by Britain’s Cruise & Maritime Voyages, departed Jan. 6 from London for a
120-day world cruise. It plans to dock at London Cruise Terminal on April 14 with 907 passengers and
619 crew members on board, Newsweek reported. Saturday it was located in the Atlantic just north of
Portugal. On April 3, the company told the news outlet no one on board was showing COVID-19
symptoms.
ASTOR
The Astor, also owned by Cruise & Maritime Voyages, was expected to dock in Bremerhaven, Germany
on April 12, according to Newsweek. Saturday it was located off the coast of Germany.
ARCADIA
The ARCADIA, owned by Britian’s P&O Cruises, is scheduled to dock as originally scheduled in
Southampton, England, with 1,375 guests and 836 crew on April 12 following a 100-day world cruise, the
company said on Twitter. P&O is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp.
HAL’s KONINGSDAM made without any passengers onboard
her first Panama canal transit above seen passing the Agua Clara
Locks, southbound at 11 Apr 2020 at 11:00 hrs local time
Panama Photo : via Panama Canal Webcam
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
QUEEN MARY 2
Cunard Line’s QUEEN MARY 2 plans to dock in Southampton, England, in the coming weeks,
according to Newsweek. Most passengers got off in Fremantle, Australia in mid-March, but 264 guests
are still on board. The 113-day New York to New York world voyage began on Jan. 3. Cunard is owned
by Miami-based Carnival Corp. The ship is currently off the southern coast of Morocco, according to
CruiseMapper.
DOCKED SHIPS WITH PASSENGERS ABOARD
CLIA said there are four cruise ships currently docked in ports around the globe waiting to disembark
passengers.
▪ GREG MORTIMER:
Before Aurora Expeditions’ GREG MORTIMER docked Saturday near Montevideo, Uruguay, more than
half the 217 people onboard for an Antarctic cruise tested positive for COVID-19. On Saturday, more
than a hundred Australian and New Zealand passengers disembarked and took a chartered flight home,
the Bangkok Post reported. TV cameras caught passengers and Uruguayans alike celebrating. One cruise
passenger kissed the tarmac.
The charter flight had both sick and healthy passengers aboard, seated in order of illness, the company
told the Post. Around 20 European and American passengers are still on board, along with 80 crew
members. They will have to test negative for the virus before they can return home. Aurora Expeditions is
based in Sydney, Australia.
▪ CORAL PRINCESS:
The CORAL PRINCESS disembarked hundreds of passengers at PortMiami this week, including 37 who
were medically evacuated to Florida hospitals. One man, 71-year-old Wilson Maa of San Francisco, died
in a Miami-Dade hospital after waiting hours onboard for an ambulance. Princess announced Thursday
that 13 remaining passengers must stay on board and do a 14-day quarantine at sea with the crew after
Miami-Dade barred them from transferring to hotels.
▪ ROTTERDAM:
The ROTTERDAM, a Holland America Line ship that carried 800 passengers from the ZAANDAM
through the Panama Canal and onto Port Everglades, is anchored offshore with 29 passengers on board, a
spokesperson for the company confirmed. Holland America Line, which is owned by Carnival Corp., said
it is working to arrange charter flights home for the passengers.
▪ CELEBRITY ECLIPSE:
The CELEBRITY ECLIPSE, now docked in San Diego, disembarked more than 2,300 passengers on
March 30. CLIA confirmed that nine passengers are still on board waiting for travel arrangements home.
San Diego’s KUSI news reported that one former passenger has died of COVID-19 and several crew
members with positive test results are quarantined on board the ship. The ship left from Argentina on
March 1 for a two-week voyage scheduled to end in San Antonio, Chile. But when the ship arrived on
March 15, the nation had shut its borders, forcing the vessel to head to San Diego instead.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Seven Seafarers Charged for Abandoning Stowaways in Raft Seven crewmembers of the bulker TOP GRACE have been charged with attempted murder for allegedly
abandoning two stowaways at sea in a raft, according to South African media. South African prosecutors assert
that the two Tanzanian stowaways recently boarded the Top Grace at the port of Durban, South Africa. The
vessel got under way for Richards Bay, about 90 nm to the northeast. When the crew discovered the
unauthorized personnel, they allegedly put them over the side in a raft with bottled water and lifejackets, then
resumed their voyage. The stowaways managed to make it ashore at Zinkwazi (Nkwazi), and they told
authorities that they had been adrift for four days. The vessel was intercepted by South African police when
she docked in Richards Bay. Seven crewmembers, including the captain, were charged Wednesday at the
Durban Magistrates Court with attempted murder in connection with the incident. Local media reports
indicate that the start of the trial was postponed for several days while awaiting COVID-19 test results for the
accused. In the interim, the crewmembers have been released on bail and are confined to their vessel. The
2016-built TOP GRACE is a 60,000 dwt bulker owned and operated by a Hong Kong-based company. As of
Friday night she was moored in Richards Bay. Source : MAREX
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
11
The Pulse
French navy ship reports 50 virus cases Fifty crew members aboard France's sole aircraft carrier, the CHARLES DE GAULLE, have tested
positive for the new coronavirus and parts of the ship have been put in lockdown An armed forces
ministry statement said that three sailors had been evacuated by air to a military hospital in Toulon,
southern France, home port of the carrier. A team equipped to carry out tests for coronavirus infection
boarded the vessel on Wednesday just after the armed forces ministry had reported signs of COVID-19
symptoms among 40 crew members. "The results of 66 tests showed 50 cases of COVID-19 aboard the
Charles de Gaulle. There is no deterioration of the sailors' medical condition at this stage," the ministry
said. The aircraft carrier, which is equipped with its own intensive care facilities, has 1,760 personnel on
board. The nuclear-powered carrier, which had most recently been taking part in exercises with northern
European navies in the Baltic Sea, is continuing its journey to Toulon, where it is due to dock in the
coming days. "While awaiting the early return of the aircraft carrier in Toulon ... extra measures aimed at
protecting the crew and containing the spread of the virus have been put in place," the ministry added,
adding that all crew members must now wear face masks. Source: Australian Associated Press
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Seafarers UK Emergency Covid 19 Appeal 3 APRIL 2020 - Seafarers UK Emergency Covid 19 Appeal
Seafarers UK has released £100,000 of immediate funds to provide support to seafarers, and launched an
Emergency Appeal to provide further cross-sector help.
Seafarers on merchant vessels are currently suffering as a result of the restrictions imposed due to
COVID-19. Ship operators are struggling with crew change rotas as many ports on maritime trade routes
deny seafarers access to shore-based facilities, including welfare services. Seafarers working on merchant
ships face a wide range of challenges and many are thousands of miles from home.
Free advice for seafarers working globally is available from ISWAN, a delivery partner funded by
Seafarers UK. In the UK, seafarers requiring assistance can contact SAIL, a dedicated free Citizens
Advice facility that receives an annual grant from Seafarers UK. It provides information specifically for
seafarers at a time when other CAB services are likely to be overwhelmed. It is services like these which
will need speedy access to funds, as they are inundated with enquiries and requests for help.
We trust Charity Checkout to handle the processing of our online payments. You will see their name
mentioned on this form and in the address bar.
Please donate to Seafarers UK COVID-19 Emergency Appeal
https://seafarersuk.charitycheckout.co.uk/COVID-19EmergencyAppeal#!/ _____________________________________________________________________________________
With Sailors Stranded, Shipping Faces a Hard Choice https://gcaptain.com/with-sailors-stranded-shipping-face-a-hard-
choice/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-64cfa97826-139894965&mc_cid=64cfa97826&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Covid-19: Guidance on extending STCW Certificates To maintain the International
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers (STCW Convention) 1978,
as amended, and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for
Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), 1995, Administrations will need to co-operate. The IMO recently issued
Circular Letter No.4204, in which they petition all issuing Administrations to “take a pragmatic and practical
approach with regard to the extension of certificates and endorsements, as strictly necessary, and to notify
ships, seafarers and relevant Administrations accordingly”. This memorandum of understanding has been
extended to Port State Control Authorities. It is encouraging to see that many Administrations have responded
to the IMO’s appeal and are issuing circulars that provide advice on certification extension. It’s important to
note that extension periods differ by Administration. Where it is necessary for the Member to obtain an
extension, to keep their seafarers’ certification and endorsements valid, the Member must contact the issuing
Administration directly. Source: West of England
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
12
The Pulse
Service of Remembrance, London Cenotaph - 8 November 2020 Preparations for the event are now being made. Please let me know by Monday 3 August if you wish to
attend by replying to my email address -
[email protected] (not the one above) or by telephoning: 01733 205001
or 07948 393934.
If you have a carer, please let me know their full name and if you will be in a wheelchair or on an electric
scooter. If you have not attended before, I will contact you for contact details which is a security
requirement.
COVID-19 - the Royal British Legion will advise any changes to the event via their
website www.britishlegion.org.uk
Stay safe,
Tim Brant
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Costa Mediterranea Sails to Get Crew Home; Sets Course for China Costa Crociere is preparing to use the Costa Mediterranea to get crew from the Philippines and
Indonesia home, according to a document circulated onboard the vessel. According to Costa's plan, the
2003-built ship will first sail to La Spezia on April 10. European crew will be disembarked, as will crew
not required for operational reasons that can also get home All other crew members, with the exception of
the Filipino and Indonesian crew aboard, will be then moved to the Costa Pacifica.
"For these crew members we are restlessly working with Governments and air companies in order to
guarantee a safe travel back to home," the company's letter said. Meanwhile, Filipino and Indonesian
crew aboard the Pacifica, except for those needed for minimum safety manning, will be transferred to the
Costa Mediterranea. The Mediterranea will then sail to Brindisi and meet the Costa Fortuna, taking
on the Filipino and Indonesian crew from the latter ship. Finally, the Mediterranea will set her course for
Shanghai with projected port stops in Indonesia and the Philippines to disembark crew. Costa said it is
working closely with local government and manning agents to get crew home safely. It is unknown what
the company's plans are for the ship in China, but the Mediterranea, along with the Atlantica, have
recently been transferred to Carnival Corporation's joint venture with China State Shipbuilding. The
Mediterranea has previously been scheduled to leave the fleet in 2021. Source: cruiseindustrynews
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7 suspects arrested with narcotics in deep-sea operation The Sri Lanka Navy has apprehended 7 persons in the vessel which was seized with a haul of narcotics
worth over Rs. 3,270 million during a deep-sea operation. The vessel was without a flag. 260 kg of heroin
and 56 kg of Crystal methamphetamine (ICE) were seized by the Navy personnel. The Navy also
apprehended drugs worth more than Rs.12.5 billion during another recent deep-sea operation. That vessel
was manned by Pakistanis. Source: Lankaweb
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Navy official apologizes for calling fired captain 'stupid' By LOLITA C. BALDOR and ROBERT BURNS Associated Press
The Navy's acting secretary has been forced to apologize after a profanity-laden broadside in which he
called the fired commander of the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt "too naive or too
stupid.” Thomas Modly issued a written apology Monday hours after President Donald Trump, at a White
House news conference, described his comments about Capt. Brett E. Crozier as “rough ………..
____________________________________________________________________________________
Cruise lines are taking bookings for an Alaska cruise season that might not
even happen _____________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Navy brings ashore sick seaman on foreign merchant vessel Sri Lanka Navy rendered assistance to safely bring ashore an ill seaman to the port of Colombo April
11th. The person had reportedly fallen ill with abdominal pain while onboard MAERSK AVON
container ship. MAERSK AVON is a merchant vessel owned by an Indian company. After the seaman
onboard falling ill with abdominal pain while at sea, the Feeder Agencies Lanka (Private) Limited, the
local agent of the ship made a request from the International Shipping and Harbor Facility Security Office
(ISPS) to get him disembarked in Sri Lanka for treatment.Accordingly, a 38-year-old Indian national
named Mandekar Namit Siddappa was brought to the Colombo Harbor, said Sri Lanka Navy. The Navy’s
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit approached the vessel which was about 05
nautical miles off the Colombo harbor and brought the ill person ashore by following necessary
guidelines declared by health experts.
Subsequently, the patient was disinfected on the harbor premises itself before rushing the patient to
Colombo National Hospital by ‘Suwasariya’ ambulance service. Sri Lanka Ports Authority and
‘Suwasariya’ ambulance service also extended their support to the Navy to execute this task. Source:
adaderana
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Turkish vessels avert tanker accident in Bosphorus A possible accident in Bosphorous was averted by Turkish coastal authorities after a Greek -registered
oil tanker suffered engine failure causing it to drift in the narrow water channel in Istanbul before being
tugged into safety. The 274-metre M/T MILITOS crude oil tanker suffered engine failure during its
journey from the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea. Turkish coastal police teams arrived at scene in less than
10 minutes after the alert was sent. The rescue vessel Mehmetçik and tugboats, which are on stand-by
24/7 to respond to any possible call for help in various parts of the Bosphorus, repositioned the tanker and
prevented it to drift.
Difficult to navigate
Bosphorus is one of the most difficult water routes in the
world for large ships and vessels. Around 50,000 vessels
pass through Istanbul's 30-km and 700 metres wide
Bosphorus every year, with some 9,000 vesseles carrying
dangerous goods such as crude oil. About 2.4 million
barrels of oil passes through Bosphorus every day, and
accidents keep occurring in the strait. Some of them have
caused major environmental disasters.
Major accidents
On December 29, 1999, 1578 tonnes of fuel oil spilled into the sea after a river tanker Volgoneft-248
cracked and divided into two parts because of its age and condition. After three years of cleaning effort
of the oil, only 31 percent of the pollution was removed. On March 13, 1994, Cyprus-registered two
tankers M/V SHIPBROKER and M/T NASSIA collided. Both vessels completely burned after 20,000
tonnes of oil spilled into the sea. In 1990, Iraq flag M/T AMBUR and Chinese flag M/V DATTON
SHANG collided because of a route error. About 2600 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea in the accident.
On October 15, 1979, oil tanker M/T INDEPENDENTIA collided with Greek-registered cargo vessel
M/V EVRIYALI near Haydarpasa area, near the strait. The collision caused fir and some 94600 tonnes
of oil spilled into the sea. This accident is considered to be the biggest oil pollution accident in the world.
About 43 sailors died in this accident. Two soviet ships M/T LUTSK & M/T CRANSKY OKTIABR
collided on March 1, 1966, in Bosphorus strait causing oil pollution in the water body. The accident also
burned Kadikoy port and one passenger ship halted there. On October 14, 1960, Greek-registered M/T
WORLD HARMONY and Yugoslaviaregistered M/T PETER ZORANIC collided, causing an oil fire that
couldn’t be controlled for weeks, leading to long-term environmental pollution in the water body.
Turkey's now in the process of building a second commercial waterway called the Istanbul Canal. It's
scheduled to open in 2023. Authorities say the main objective of the new canal is to reduce risks posed by
ships carrying dangerous materials, as they pass through the Bosphorus. Source: trtworld
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
14
The Pulse
EU supertrawlers plunder British waters as UK fleet struggles with impact of
coronavirus By SIMON OSBORNE
FIVE vast European Union fishing factory ships have steamed into British waters as the UK
industry struggles to stay afloat amid collapsing sales as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Greenpeace UK said it was monitoring the movements of the massive supertrawlers - three from the
Netherlands and two from France - off the Scottish coast where they are hauling up tons of fish every day.
The campaign group said the vessels had all set off from their home ports after Britain announced its
coronavirus lockdown. A Greenpeace UK spokesman said the arrival of the massive fishing boats, which
are all over 260ft, signals a worrying increase in the activity of such vessels in UK waters compared to a
year ago. The £989 million a year UK fishing industry relies massively on export trade with at least 70
per cent of its annual catch sold to the lucrative European and Asian markets. But the coronavirus crisis
has brought the global food/travel/hospitality business to its knees and worldwide sales of prime British
fish and shellfish have suffered a devastating blow as a result. Greenpeace UK spokesman Chris Thorne
said: “With the vast majority of the UK’s local and more sustainable fishing fleet stuck at port, unable to
work because of a collapse in demand, these destructive supertrawlers are still plundering fish in UK
waters. “The crisis has left the UK’s fishing communities high and dry, but in the meantime industrial
fishing continues with business as usual.” Industry leaders are calling on the Government to help the
beleaguered British fleet. Jeremy Percy, director of NUFTA, which represents Britain’s under 10-metre
fishing boats which make up 80 per cent of the UK fleet, said the British fishing industry needs help to
cope with the collapse of the trade in fish caused by the pandemic. Mr Percy said: “It is of course all the
more galling when the vast majority of the under ten fleet is tied up and some facing financial ruin to see
that the large fleet of mainly Dutch super trawlers is fishing hard in our waters off the west coast of
Scotland. “I'm unaware of the impact of the virus on our naval service’s ability to police these operations,
but with such a powerful fleet active when we are otherwise engaged in fighting COVID-19 this
undoubtedly puts unnecessary additional pressures on our forces.”A spokesman for the Department for
Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs said ministers were aware this was a “challenging time” for
fishermen and fish processors and they were working the industry to better understand the impact and
whether further steps are needed. He said: “At the end of the Brexit transition period we will have the
right to decide who fishes in our waters and on what terms. “Any decisions about giving access to fish for
vessels from the EU, or any other coastal states will be a matter for the UK to decide.” The Scottish
government has announced a £5 million bail-out to help the country’s 650 seafood companies affected by
the collapse of the shellfish export market.source : Express
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Remote Surveys via Drone & Internet Remote Surveys by live streaming video footage of
inspections of enclosed spaces with a drone through the
internet. First test with Classification Society DNV-GL
Netherlands was successful and test with other Classification
Societies are following. Remote Surveys reduce physical
contact between service provider and client, especially
during the time Covid-19 measurements which are still
applicable,, and reduce required traveling time and costs of
surveyors, superintendents and other inspectors
dramatically, as they can monitor the inspections from their
office. Live communication with the pilot is possible
through video conference. RIMS, prepared for the future of today. Source: - David Knukkel (www.rims-
bv.com ; +31629022439)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Despite the Corona-situation, there's offshore operations going on
every day _____________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
15
The Pulse
Memories for Some
USS DONALD COOK conducts replenishment at sea with RFA TIDEFORCE in the Atlantic Ocean
April 6th, 2020 Photo via : Navylookout/Twitter
_____________________________________________________________________________________
France to isolate 1,900 sailors after virus-hit naval ship docks France on Sunday began an unprecedented operation to isolate 1,900 sailors after 50 naval personnel
tested positive for COVID-19 aboard its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier CHARLES DE GAULE . The
flagship of the French navy docked in the southern port of Toulon, after cutting short its current mission
in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic by 10 days because of the outbreak. Local authorities said a
painstaking operation was now underway by land and sea to evacuate 1,900 sailors to ensure there was no
risk of any further infection. Three sailors had already been evacuated to hospital Toulon as a
"precaution" before the ship docked. All the personnel will be tested and they will then be put into
isolation for two weeks, with no physical contact allowed with their families, said the spokeswoman for
the regional authorities, Christine Ribbe. "Our aim is to protect all our sailors and also their families with
an unprecedented deployment," she added. Only once the isolation period is over will the sailors be
allowed home. Source : The Local
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British shipping bodies call for government support of seafarers BRITISH seafarers' unions and shipowners' body the UK Chamber of Shipping have called on the
government to protect the interests of seafarers as a "vital" resource to keep the country trading during the
COVID-19 crisis, reports Colchester's Seatrade Maritime News."Our members must be empowered by
government, urgently, to perform the shipping industry's key logistical role in keeping the UK supplied
with the food, medicine, fuel and equipment required to sustain people and businesses," the statement by
Nautilus International, RMT (Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) and the UK Chamber
said."Alongside the welcome government support announced for the payment of wages and company sick
pay, the preservation of jobs and skills particularly for seafarers and other key workers affected by
COVID-19, must now be the focus of joint industry and government action," it said.They cited the
"collapse in passenger demand" aboard ferries that it said was "expected to last for the forseeable future",
and to its belief that the government has a "central role" to play in provision of a support package for the
seafarers and businesses affected."We stand ready to continue the work with government to agree an
effective package of measures to achieve this," they said. Source : schednet
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
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Philippines repatriates over 13,000 distressed seafarers A group of 668 seafarers landed Monday at an airport in Manilla, the Philippines, breaking the 13,000
figure of repatriated seafarers who were displaced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The latest wave
is the second of three groups planned to arrive today in the country’s capital as part of a massive
governmental campaign to return the
affected seafarers home.The Philippines
is considered to be one of the world’s
biggest suppliers of seafarers on
international ships and the pandemic has
left thousands of its sailors stuck on
merchant and cruise ships unable to
return homes amid globally imposed
travel restrictions Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’
Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola said earlier
that the government would try to reach
everyone and leave no-one behind.The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC coordinated the
repatriation of the seafarers who were stranded in Miami, USA and in Barbados, in close cooperation
with the repatriates’ local manning agency, CF Sharp, and cruise line companies, Norwegian Cruise Lines
(NCL) and Spirit and Oceania Cruises. The country has also been working on repatriating its seafarers
from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.The repatriation wave comes amid rising calls for countries and
port authorities to facilitate crew changes and enable the stranded mariners to return to their homes. In
particular, cruise liner companies have been urged to pay for the transfers of their healthy non-essential
crew members as cruise ships halt their global operations to curb the pandemic. In the latest round of
flights, 440 Filipino seafarers were repatriated from Norwegian Gateway, 228 from Costa Fascinosa and
two more groups comprising 252 seafarers are expected to arrive later this afternoon.Over the past few
weeks, the Foreign Affairs Department of the Philippines welcomed home the Filipino crew members of
MS Norwegian Epic, MS Marina, MS Norwegian Spirit, MS World Explorer, MS Sirena, MS Norwegian
Dawn, MS Norwegian Encore, MS Nautica, MS Norwegian Jade and MS Seven Seas Voyager among
numerous others. Once repatriated, seafarers are either kept in mandatory facility-based quarantine or sent
to quarantine at home for at least 14 days before reuniting with their families. Source : offshore-energy
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
17
The Pulse
Newfoundland faces possible food shortage as pandemic hammers key
shipping company Oceanex looking for federal subsidy to keep supply ships running By : David Cochrane
The OCEANEX CONNAIGRA which runs weekly trips from Montreal and Halifax to St. John's — says
it is losing millions a week due to a drop in
volumes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It
is asking the federal government to offset its
losses so it can keep running supplies to St.
John's. "We just can't continue," said Sid Hynes,
the company's executive chairman. "It's costing
us $5 million a week to operate and we are
about $2 million short." Hynes said the
company almost certainly will have to cancel
one of its weekly trips from Montreal, tie up that
boat and lay people off. 'Getting progressively
worse' He said the other Montreal trip and the
weekly Halifax-to-St. John's run also may have
to stop if Oceanex can't get federal financial support. "It's getting progressively worse. It's not getting
better," Hyne said. "This past week was worse than the previous week." If Oceanex shuts down, it would
create an immediate food security and public safety crisis in the province. Oceanex said it delivers 50 per
cent of all freight to Newfoundland — and 75 per cent of all goods to the more heavily populated St.
John's area on the northeast Avalon Peninsula. It's the major supplier for Costco, Walmart and other
major grocery stores in Newfoundland and Labrador and it delivers a significant amount of medicine and
medical supplies to the province. A five-day food supply Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight
Ball warns that the island has just a five-day supply of food and that losing Oceanex's services could lead
to critical shortages. "For the many staples that we have in our life right now, Oceanex is the supplier,"
Ball told CBC News. "So we're literally less than a week away to running out of food that we eat and are
part of our lifestyle here in our province." So this critical supply line is looking for a lifeline from the
federal government. Oceanex was struggling financially before the pandemic. It carries significant debt
and most of its costs — such as fuel — can't be offset by government pandemic aid programs such as the
wage subsidy. Those problems have been compounded by a drop in shipping volumes that is flattening
the company's revenue stream. Delivering new cars to Newfoundland dealerships makes up a significant
portion of Oceanex's business in normal times — and it's hard to sell cars when people are barely driving.
Like almost every other company in Canada, Oceanex reached out to the federal government several
weeks ago. It shared financial data with Transport Canada and the federal Department of Finance just
before the holiday weekend. Oceanex has asked for a subsidy to offset its $2 million weekly losses until
at least September. Federal government officials were said to have spent the weekend working on the file.
"I want to assure Newfoundlanders that we will find a solution to this," Natural Resources Ministers and
St. John's MP Seamus O'Regan told CBC News. "We're looking at all the options right now. The most
important thing is that the food supply chains ... that Newfoundlanders rely upon continue to stay in
place." Marine Atlantic is the other major supplier of food and supplies to the island of Newfoundland.
The senior provincial source said the province has received some assurances that Marine Atlantic can fill
the gap if Oceanex stops deliveries. But a senior provincial government source argues that would mean
securing extra trucking and marine capacity and re-routing existing supply lines — a complex task that
would take time and would not guarantee that an already fragile food supply wouldn't be interrupted. One
of the big risks involved in trying to supply the island without Oceanex's services has to do with the
availability of protein and fresh produce. Newfoundland and Labrador has a domestic dairy and poultry
supply. But fresh vegetables, beef and pork are largely brought in by shipping container or truck — and
Oceanex is a core part of that delivery system. "We need a solution to this. Oceanex is a big part of the
infrastructure within our province when it comes to food supply and medical needs, medical equipment in
a time of a health crisis," Ball said. "The last thing we want to see is that disrupted." Source : CBC news
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The OCEANEX CONNAIGRA seen at St. John's
discharging containers and Ro-ro cargo from Montreal.
Photo : Peter Attersley ©
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
18
The Pulse
SHIPPING ALLIANCE’S COLLECTIVE CREW CHANGE PLAN NEEDS
GOVERNMENT ACTION An alliance of leading maritime companies desperately concerned about seafarer welfare and the viability
of ocean supply chains in the midst of coronavirus restrictions has developed detailed crew changeover
risk assessment plans. However, it needs urgent political and regulatory support to enact them.
Representing more than 1,500 vessels and over 70,000 seafarers, the alliance includes D/S Norden, Grieg
Star, Reederei Nord, Dynacom, V.Group, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Pacific Carriers Limited (PCL),
Magsaysay, Augustea, Columbia Ship Management, Inchcape Shipping Services and Synergy Group.
Current coronavirus
policy as applied to
shipping is a
potentially disastrous
“own goal” that
threatens not only the
mental health and
human rights of
seafarers, but also the
viability of ocean
supply chains on
which those in
lockdown depend, according to an alliance of leading shipowners and managers. At present, more than
100,000 seafarers are in effect marooned at sea because coronavirus shutdowns worldwide are preventing
them from entering or transiting countries and/or finding flights on which to return home. The alliance
has developed port viability and detailed seafarer risk assessment plans which it is convinced will
mitigate the risk of coronavirus infections during essential crew changeovers. It is now urging immediate
governmental and inter-governmental action to enable the resumption of crew changes including the
designation of seafarers as ‘key workers’. Captain Rajesh Unni, CEO and Founder of leading Singapore-
based ship manager Synergy Group, commented: “We understand Covid-19 is a black swan event. But
measures aimed at protecting society were never intended to prevent key workers from carrying out tasks
essential to the ongoing wellbeing of society. These policies were also not intended to be detrimental to
the welfare of key workers such as seafarers “Yet that is exactly what is now happening. Current policy
represents a potentially disastrous own goal. “Our collective aim as responsible owners and managers
employing tens of thousands of seafarers is to pursue every means possible to get crew back to their
families.”The ‘who’s who’ alliance of like-minded shipping companies came together in response to the
crew change crisis which has intensified as coronavirus has spread around the world.
The alliance now represents more than 1,500 vessels and over 70,000 seafarers and includes D/S Norden,
Grieg Star, Reederei Nord, Dynacom, V.Group, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Pacific Carriers Limited
(PCL), Magsaysay, Augustea, Columbia Ship Management, Inchcape Shipping Services and Synergy
Group. ………………………………………………………………..
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Seafarer Lost Over the Side Near Fos-sur-Mer A crewmember from the chemical tanker ELANDRA
BALTIC was lost at sea Monday morning after falling over the side near the port of Fos-sur-Mer.
According to French maritime agency Premar Mediterranee, the rescue coordination center CrossMed
was alerted to a distress call from the ELANDRA BALTIC at about 0600 hours on Monday. A 55-year-
old Latvian crewmember had reportedly gone over the side while working on the accommodation ladder.
CrossMed activated a helicopter from the Marignane civil defense agency, plus the pilot boats from the
port of Marseille, a volunteer rescue speedboat from Carro and rescue boat from the Marseille fire
department. These assets searched the area for the entirety of the morning. At noon, Premar Mediterranee
called off the search. The maritime police of Port de Bouc are currently conducting an investigation into
the casualty. The 2011-built ELANDRA BALTIC is a 50,000 dwt chemical tanker flagged in the
Marshall Islands. She is owned and operated by a Latvian shipping company. Source: MAREX
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
19
The Pulse
Carnival Cancels All North American Cruises Through End of June Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled all North American itineraries through June 26, with the aim to
resume operations on June 27, the company has said. In addition, it cancelled all CARNIVAL SUNRISE
seasonal sailings from New York for summer and fall."This is disappointing but we are committed to
being a strong partner with the government and taking steps to maintaining public confidence in our
business," the company said, citing the global response to COVID-19 as the cause to another extension of
the company's pause in operations. Source : cruiseindustrynews
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This is Mutiny… Mutiny, I Say! The Maritime Lore Behind President
Trump’s ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ Tweet https://gcaptain.com/the-maritime-lore-behind-president-trump-mutiny-on-the-bounty-
tweet/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain
.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-7608270bc3-139894965&mc_cid=7608270bc3&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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RAMFORM TETHYS An old but interesting compilation article. As one Captain remarked to the other “That’s a Fine Fat
Ship you’ve got there Captain”
Sun Mar 20 11:31:47 CET 2016 arnekiel
The third of four Ramform Titan-class vessels, the
Ramform Tethys, was celebrated in a naming ceremony at
the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipbuilding yard in
Nagasaki, Japan last week.
The Ramform Tethys is the most powerful and efficient
marine seismic acquisition vessel in the world, and along
with the first two Ramform Titan-class vessels, Ramform
Titan and Ramform Atlas, the widest ships ever at the
waterline.
These first two vessels were delivered to PGS in 2013 and
2014. The Ramform Tethys has been upgraded to include
small modifications relating to equipment handling on the
back deck and to have an increase in engine power up from
the 23,040 kW of the earlier vessels.
On Ramform Tethys, mutually redundant twin engine
rooms provide a total power pack of 26.4 megawats to
drive three 6,000 kW controlled pitch propellers. She can
tow a full spread of dual-sensor recording equipment using
just two of them. http://www.maritime-
executive.com/article/most-powerful-seismic-ship-named
IMO: 9676888 MMSI:311000523
Callsign:C6CN8 Width: 70.0 m
Length: 104.0 m
Photographs taken from Marine Traffic
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Equally applicable to RN & MN
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Tanker Crew Credited with Saving Sailor’s Life 200 Miles Off New Jersey https://gcaptain.com/tanker-crew-credited-with-saving-sailors-life-200-miles-off-new-
jersey/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-7608270bc3-139894965&mc_cid=7608270bc3&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Mexico: Armed Robbers Board Offshore Vessel, Steal Goods Maersk Supply Service's offshore vessel was a target of an armed robbery in Mexico last weekend.
Maersk Supply Service confirmed for Offshore Engineer that the incident occurred on Sunday, April 12
offshore Ciudad Del Carmen, Mexico. Armed robbers boarded MAERSK TRANSPORTER, stole various
items and left the vessel again, the company said in an email to Offshore Engineer. Maersk Supply
Services COO Mark Handin said: "All crewmembers at the location are safe and accounted for, and there
are no reports of injuries. Our primary concern remains the safety and wellbeing of our crew and all those
affected by the situation. "We have set up crisis counseling for our employees. The company’s incident
response procedure has been activated. We are coordinating support and contacting all relevant
authorities." The 73.2 meters long MAERSK TRANSPORTER is multi-purpose Anchor Handling Tug
Supply Vessel. Worth noting, this is not the first incident in Mexico's offshore oil and gas space this
month as there was an incident on April 4 in which armed assailants opened fire on a pipelaying vessel.
According to IMB Piracy Reporting Center, on April 4, crew onboard a pipelaying vessel noticed a boat
with eight armed persons approaching at high speed offshore Dos Bocas, Mexico. "Alarm sounded,
accommodation locked down and all crew mustered. As the boat approached from the stern it started
firing at the vessel. Using the thrusters the Master was able to prevent the boat from coming alongside
resulting in the boat aborting and moving away," the report said. source : offshore Engineer
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The Pulse
Mobile hospital arrives in Murmansk as emergency is declared at Novatek
construction site Thousands of workers are isolated at Belokamenka construction site north of Murmansk where
municipal authorities declared emergency Saturday evening in an attempt to hinder further
outbreak of coronavirus. By : Thomas Nilsen
The emergency order was signed by the head of Kola municipality and stipulates how to keep control of
the coronavirus outbreak and ensure that construction work at Novatek’s Kola Yard can continue.
Newspaper Murmanski Vestnik reports that there are about 11,000 workers at the construction site where
Novatek builds a supply base for its Arctic LNG projects on the Yamal Peninsula and in the Gulf of Ob.
Most workers at Belokamenka are fly-in-fly-out employees, including thousands of migrant workers
living in the barracks on site. Belokamenka is on the west side of the Kola Bay, about an hour’s drive
from Murmansk. Around noon on Sunday, two huge Ilyushin-76 transport planes from Russia’s Ministry
of Emergency situations landed at Murmansk airport. According to the blog-site mmk.news, known for
monitoring air traffic to Murmansk, the two planes arriving from Zhukovksy airport outside Moscow,
were carrying medical equipment. Online news site B-Port reports that the two planes bring a medical
facility aimed at the settlement Mezhdurechye near the construction site in Belokamenka. Five trucks
with a mobile hospital and doctors are said to arrive with the planes. Murmanski Vestnik, which is the
regional authorities’ official newspaper, says there are workers at Belokamenka infected by the
coronavirus. No numbers, though, were given. Novatek itself has not posted any information about the
isolation regime at Belokamenka. Kola municipal authorities have established an emergency headquarter
working round-the-clock to oversee the situation and control the sanitary situation. All transport of people
and cargo inand-out of Belokamenka construction site is strictly monitored.The number of confirmed
coronavirus cases in Murmansk nearly doubled from Saturday to Sunday, the Government of
Murmansk’s official site informs. Over the past day, 61 people confirmed positive test results for
coronavirus, bringing the total number in the region up to 128 people. 118 of them are receiving treatment
at hospitals in different cities on the Kola Peninsula. By April 12, the number of coronavirus cases in
Russia is 15,770, which is up 2,186 from the day before. That is the highest day-by-day increase in
Russia so far, the official portal Stop Coronavirus informs. Source : Barentsobserver
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
New £2 Million Fund from Seafarers UK to Help Seafarers Impacted by the
COVID-19 Pandemic In response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on merchant seafarers,
fishers and their families, the London-based charity Seafarers UK has
created a new Seafarers UK COVID-19 Emergency Fund of £2 million
($2.46 million), with grants being awarded immediately to delivery
partners providing advice and support for individual seafarers affected by
the widespread coronavirus impacts.
The new fund is intended for distribution in 2020/2021, with 75% allocated to the international merchant
seafaring community and 25% to UK coastal fishing fleets. Effective partnership working with frontline
service delivery organisations across the UK plus those acting globally is already ensuring a rapid
response to meet urgent welfare needs.
Seafarers UK chairman Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB CVO BA
said: ‘The trustees of Seafarers UK are releasing £2 million of new
funds to help seafarers and fishers recover from the widespread
impact on their wellbeing and livelihoods as a result of the
coronavirus. We will work with our charity partners to provide both
hardship funding and innovative new projects to support our seafarers
through and beyond the current crisis. Our long history of helping
those who work at sea enables us to target effective and meaningful
support to where it is most needed.’
Grants from Seafarers UK are offered to charities and other
organisations providing frontline and support services to merchant
seafarers, UK fishers and their families. Applications should be made
via email to [email protected]. Guidance to applicants is available
at www.seafarers.uk or phone 020 7932 0000.
For individual seafarers working globally, advice and support is available from ISWAN*, a delivery
partner funded by Seafarers UK. In the UK, seafarers and fishers requiring assistance can contact SAIL#,
a dedicated free Citizens Advice facility that receives an annual grant from Seafarers UK.
Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB CVO BA, Chairman, Seafarers UK
Nick Harvey MCIPR, FIDM
Campaigns Manager
Seafarers UK
Direct Line: 020 7932 5969 Mobile: 07910 593588
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Face Covering/Facemask/DIY/Argentine Military Facebook page/ Dear Malcolm,
While watching the BBC News this morning a question was put by a viewer enquiring as to how to make
a facemask. In light of the lack of PPE and the fact that facemasks are in very short supply, Shipmates
might find the attached facebook video extract helpful: Best Wishes to Shipmates...and be safe...
Argentine Army Health Staff instruction video showing how to make a simple face mask:
https://www.facebook.com/EjercitoArgentinoPaginaOficial/videos/585381875400747/
Peter Mulvany
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Not Forgotten Feel free to share with family/friends and your medal club.
“The Best seat in the House” is broadcast each Tuesday and Friday at 1500hrs.
https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/2020/04/14/the-best-seat-in-the-house/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNotForgottenAssoc
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A good mask, hand sanitizer, and physical distance keeps the pilot safe from CODVI-19.
But there is nothing that would keep the pilot safe if he chose to climb this dangerous ladder
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USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailor Dies After Contracting COVID-19 _____________________________________________________________________________________
Navy May Reinstate Fired Captain to Command of Roosevelt Adm. Michael Gilday has indicated that he may reinstate Captain Crozier, who was removed from
command after pleading for more help fighting a coronavirus outbreak on his ship. The Navy is looking
into whether it can reinstate Capt. Brett E. Crozier, who was removed from command of the carrier
Theodore Roosevelt after he pleaded for more help fighting a novel coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship,
Defense Department officials said on Wednesday. Adm. Michael M. Gilday, the chief of naval
operations, has indicated that he may reinstate Captain Crozier, who is viewed as a hero by his crew for
putting their lives above his career, officials said. “No final decisions have been made,” Cmdr. Nate
Christensen, a spokesman for the admiral, said in a statement on Wednesday to The New York Times.
Commander Christensen added that Admiral Gilday was reviewing the findings of a preliminary
investigation into the events surrounding Captain Crozier’s removal.
But Admiral Gilday’s decision could be upended by President Trump, who has not been shy about
intervening in military personnel cases. ……………………………………… Source : New York Times
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Bangladesh coast guard rescues 396 Rohingya from drifting boat; 32 dead By : Ruma Paul
At least 32 ethnic Rohingya died on a ship that drifted for weeks after it failed to reach Malaysia,
Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday, following the rescue of 396 starving survivors. A
human rights group said it believed more boats carrying Rohingya - a Muslim minority - were adrift at
sea, with coronavirus lockdowns in Malaysia and Thailand making it harder for them to find refuge.
“They were at sea for about two months and were starving,” a Bangladesh coastguard official told Reuters
in a message, adding that the ship was brought to shore late on Wednesday. The 396 survivors would be
handed to the U.N refugee agency, said the official, who had initially said they would be sent to
Myanmar. The official also revised the death toll to 32 from 24. One refugee told a reporter the group had
been turned back from Malaysia twice and a fight had broken out onboard between passengers and crew
at one point. Malaysian officials did not respond to requests for comment on reports that it had turned
away previous boats from its waters. ”We understand these men, women and children were at sea for
nearly two months in harrowing conditions and that many of them are extremely malnourished and
dehydrated,” the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said.The agency was offering to help the government
move them to quarantine facilities and would provide medical care, it said in a statement. Media reports
that the group was infected with the virus had not been substantiated, the UNHCR said. In a separate case,
Malaysia’s navy on Thursday morning intercepted a boat carrying some 200 Rohingya refugees
attempting to enter Malaysian waters. The boat, which was spotted by an air force surveillance plane, was
escorted out of Malaysian waters by two navy ships after being provided with food supplies, the air force
said in a statement. Buddhist-majority Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as citizens and they face
severe curbs on freedom of movement as well as access to healthcare and education. Myanmar denies
persecuting Rohingya and says they are not an indigenous ethnic group but immigrants from South Asia,
even though many Rohingya are able to trace their ancestry back centuries. More than a million live in
refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, the majority having been driven from homes in Myanmar after a
2017 military crackdown the army said was a response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents. Rights groups
fear virus curbs across Southeast Asia could trigger a repeat of a 2015 crisis, when a crackdown by
Thailand prompted smugglers to abandon their human cargo at sea on crowded, rickety boats. Chris
Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, said she believed several more boats were stranded “Rohingya may
encounter closed borders supported by a xenophobic public narrative,” she said in a message. “COVID-
19 cannot be used to deny access to territory to desperate refugees in distress. Another maritime crisis in
the Andaman Sea, as in 2015, is unacceptable.” For years, Rohingya from Myanmar have boarded boats
organised by smugglers in the hope of finding refuge in Southeast Asia, usually making voyages during
the dry season from November to March, when the waters are calm. Several boats were trying to reach
Malaysian shores and monitoring had been stepped up, a police official in the north-western state of
Kedah told Reuters. A police official in southern Thailand said five boats carrying Rohingya had been
spotted off the coast of Satun province late on Monday. People were smuggled out by boat and over land,
said Kyaw Hla, a Rohingya from Sittwe in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where tens of thousands of
Rohingya have been confined in camps since a bout of violence in 2012 “Within these eight years, there
has been no progress, only degradation,” he said by telephone. “People can’t stand it. Since we are locked
up and suffocated, people try to leave, of course.” He added, “If the coronavirus breaks out here, we’ll be
as good as dead.” Source : Reuters Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-Um and Poppy McPherson in
Bangkok and Rozanna Latif and Joseph Sipalan in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and
Angus MacSwan
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Stena offers to convert STENA SAGA to hospital ship _____________________________________________________________________________________
Suspected COVID-19 seaman aboard foreign container ship safely brought to
Colombo harbour _____________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Pirates attack crew members of the SMC "Buccaneer". At around 1:30 am on Thursday, a group of five
people assaulted the Multipurpose Dynamic
Positioning and Surface Diving Class 2
“BUCCANEER” ship with firearms, where they
carried out acts of vandalism, looting and piracy,
Feigning the 70 crew members to snatch their
belongings, workers are reported beaten, but
none were injured during the robbery. The 76-
meter long ship registered with the IMO number:
8107153, is located on the Tabasco coast in front
of the Mulach Alfa platform 37 kilometers from the port of Dos Bocas and is owned by the company
Servicios Marítimos de Campeche (SMC) de Grupo R., becoming the second oil tanker looted during this
week. According to the Marine Traffic report, the workers of the Mulach platform gave the warning to the
port authorities and the personnel of the Fifth Naval Military Zone located in the border municipality of
the state of Tabasco, just 22 kilometers from their position, but the ship of the Secretary of the Navy took
more than an hour to arrive. Enough time for the five pirates, who were carrying firearms, to feign the
crew, take their belongings, take equipment and tools, put them on the two riverside boats in which they
were transported and flee before the military personnel could arrive So there were no detainees. Offshore
"piracy" is considered a practice of scale in Mexico, but the reality is that it is already a worrying problem
in the area of maritime security, since in one week there have been three robberies of merchant ships, one
in the Sonda from Campeche, TELFORD 28 from Protexa, and two more from the Litoral de Tabasco,
the Italian-flagged REMAS and now the BUCCANEER While in 2019 more than 200 cases of illegal
boarding were officially reported, therefore, the increasing incidence of cases of "Modern Piracy" impacts
the costs of insurance for vessels that provide the Offshore service. and, in addition, it causes a
psychological impact on the victims, many of them Merchant Marine workers. source : enfoques
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BOOK REVIREW By : F rank NEYTS
Bretagne. 30 Years of Splendour Recently Gbooks international published a remarkable book entitled
“Bretagne. 30 Years of Splendour ”. Vitor Francisco signed as the
author. The book is a wonderful, colourful book stuffed with fantastic,
large pictures of Bretagne/Brittany. Images of both the mv
‘BRETAGNE’, a cruise ferry between Brittany (St Malo) and Britain
(Portsmouth), and of Bretagne, the French region the ship is named
after, and where the headquarters of her shipping company Brittany
Ferries are located. In 2019 the 30th anniversary of the beautiful
‘Bretagne’ has been celebrated. In her honour Vitor Francisco has made
a jubilee book that in praising words and in captivating photographs
pays a ship-lover’s tribute. Not only to the ‘BRETAGNE’, the cruise
ferry, but also to Bretagne the coast-region! Vito Francisco is an
English salesman with Portugese roots, who monthly takes the boat
across to visit the mainland of Europe for his job. He has sailed in many, many, many cruise ferries in
Europe. He knows them all, inside out. And there is one particular that he has fallen in love with
completely and that is the mv ‘BRETAGNE’. “Bretagne” (ISBN 9 789492 368478) counts 248 pages. It
is available as hardbound (retailprice P&P included: BE & NL € 42,00 ; UK £ 38.50. Ordering the book
can simply be done by sending an e-mail to [email protected] (NL & BE customers); to
[email protected] (UK-customers). Please provide full postal address, this needed for delivery
by parcel-services. This book is real value for money!
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Seafarers being key workers Seafarers being key workers, they are in the UK but not in the rest of the world, below is an article I have
received from a colleague on this subject:
https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/maritime-unions-and-employers-call-governments-identify-seafarers-
key-workers-and-facilitate
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New Royal Navy Patrol Ship Makes First Appearance In South Georgia The 2,000-tonne ship arrived in the
Falklands at the beginning of the year as the
islands’ new patrol ship, replacing the
smaller HMS CLYDE. The Navy has said
Forth is due to go to South Georgia several
times a year, to engage in military training,
as well as supporting local authorities and
scientists from the British Antarctic Survey
(BAS). Assisting with Forth’s journey, an
RAF A400M Atlas Maritime Patrol aircraft
scoured the stretch of ocean for floating ice.
On her maiden visit of South Georgia, HMS FORTH carried Brigadier Nick Sawyer – Commander of
British Forces South Atlantic Islands – as well as two dozen soldiers, air force personnel and civil
servants. Following a 53-hour crossing, those on board were treated to the scenery of Bird Island, on their
way to South Georgia’s ‘capital’, Grytviken. Formerly a busy whaling station, the village is home to a
museum and post office for tourists on visiting cruise ships, as well as a British Antarctic Survey research
base. The ship’s company explored the surrounding hills, where they paid homage at the grave of
explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and spoke to tourists and guides from visiting ships. A few decided to
have a brief swim in the frigid 4°C waters, before respite in the BAS centre’s sauna.“It was such a
wonderful opportunity. I feel very privileged, but it was very cold swimming with seals and king
penguins,” communications specialist Leading Engineering Technician Hannah Chenery said.Lieutenant
Matt McGinlay, Forth’s 1st Lieutenant, said his shipmates were spellbound for an island they called “a
gateway to Antarctica”.He added: “For many of us, South Georgia was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience.”The ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Bob Laverty said: “The visit was a good
opportunity to meet key personalities, integrate and begin to build the bonds of friendship.”source: Forces
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Urgent call for crew change flights for seafarers Plummeting air travel demand puts 25 million jobs at risk globally, says IATA Airlines across the globe
could be bankrupt by May, warns industry body The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and
the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has sent out a joint call to governments to urgently amend
their Covid-19 restrictions to facilitate crew change flights for seafarers. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions,
seafarers are having to extend their service onboard ships after many months at sea, unable to be replaced.
Shipping is vital to the maintenance of global supply chains, but the current situation is unsustainable for
the safety and wellbeing of ships' crews and the safe operation of maritime trade. By volume, some 90%
of global trade is delivered by ship, including food, energy, raw materials and manufactured products.
Airlines carry, in addition to passengers, some 35% of global trade by value, including critical medicines
and medical supplies. Each month about 100 000 merchant seafarers need to be changed over from the
ships on which they operate to ensure compliance with international maritime regulations protecting
safety, health and welfare. As a result of government-imposed travel restrictions due to Covid-19, flights
to repatriate or position marine personnel are unavailable. Immigration and health screening protocols are
also hampering the ability of merchant ships to conduct necessary crew
changes. IATA and ICS are working together to come forward with safe and pragmatic solutions that
governments can implement to facilitate crew changes at certain airports.
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HMS FORTH crossed 850 miles of icy ocean to patrol the
waters around the South Atlantic territory’s archipelago.
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The Pulse
Master of Panamax container ship killed by crew official statement
By : Mikhail Voytenko
A statement in relation to the tragic incident in Cartagena
Managers Zeaborn Ship Management regret to advise that in the afternoon of 16 April 2020 one of its
valued seafarers of its managed container vessel SPIRIT OF HAMBURG has suffered fatal injuries
following what is believed to be a violent incident with an intruder onboard the ship in the port of
Cartagena, Colombia. Zeaborn Shipmanagement would like to express its deepest condolences to the
family and friends of the seafarer. The next of kin of the crew member have been notified and will be
offered full support in this very difficult time. The crew of SPIRIT OF HAMBURG will be receiving
psychological help following the tragic death of their colleague. Immediately after the incident all
relevant authorities and parties have been notified. Representatives of the company have arrived in
Cartagena for further support to the crew. The exact circumstances of the violent incident are yet
unknown and police have started an official investigation into the events and conducted interviews with
the crew of Spirit of Hamburg. In order to not interfere with the investigation of the local police Zeaborn
Shipmanagement will refrain from making any further statements at this stage. Authorities in Colombia
have meanwhile granted permission for the vessel to move from berth to inner anchorage. Zeaborn Ship
Management is aware of social media reports circulating that the crew would be of Filipino nationality.
This is incorrect. We would like to add that three senior officers are one month beyond their contractual
relief date, but they are showing great professionalism in making the best of the current relief/repatriation
restrictions. All other crew are due for relief between now and October. Source: Maritime Bulletin
UPDATE: Crew includes Burmese nationality and 2 Ethiopians. According to leaked crew information
and Managers Zeaborn Ship Management, Master was killed by intruder or intruders. According to
Colombian authorities, Master was killed by crew member or members. Colombian authorities not
surprisingly, don’t want to investigate homicide and take the responsibility: “Under UNCLOS, any crime
aboard SPIRIT OF HAMBURG would fall under the jurisdiction of her flag state, which will have
primary responsibility for the investigation, prosecutors said”. Management and crew, on the other hand,
are interested in “intruders” version. Situation is rather complicated, because if Colombian authorities
refuse to investigate, then official investigation will be, technically, a big, nearly unsolvable, problem.
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Aran Islands lifeboat carries out two medical evacuations in 24 hours By Briain Kelly
Though current circumstances mean there are far fewer people on the water
than in a regular sunny April, that doesn’t mean the Aran Islands RNLI crew
have been sitting on their hands.The Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat was called
out to two medical evacuations with the space of 24 hours this week on On
Tuesday April 14, an elderly man on Inis Mór, where the Aran Islands station
is located, was in need of medical attention, and transport to get to it. He was taken aboard, and under the
supervision of the volunteer crew members, was transferred to Rossaveal and on to the waiting
Ambulance. The following day the a young child on the neighbouring island of Inis Oirr also required
further medical attention and transport to care. Unlike many times when the Aran Islands lifeboat has
been called out, on this occasion the crew benefited from good weather we’ve been enjoying lately.
Weather conditions at the time of launching were good, with calm seas and a light wind. Speaking after
the call out John O’Donnell said “In these uncertain times we find ourselves in, our volunteer crew
members are on call 24/7 , ready and willing to answer any call out. He added that, “Ensuring the crews
safety and the patients taken aboard is our number one priority,” and wished both patients a speedy
recovery. The RNLI and Irish Coast Guard have both asked people not to take part in water based
activities when exercising for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis. They emphasised that while rescue
services, whether by helicopter or lifeboat, are still operating, any callout has the potential expose rescue
workers to the coronavirus, further stretching those services.Exercise is one of the few reasons why
people should leave their home during the nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus,
but people are only supposed to do so within two kilometres of their home. Source : galwaydaily
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
China tightens customs quality checks for medical equipment exports CHINA will subject ventilators, surgical masks and other medical equipment to stringent customs checks
before exporting them, after recipient countries questioned the quality of its output, reported the Wall
Street Journal. The new rules target 11 classes of items to extra inspections. Beyond masks and
ventilators, they also include protective clothing, infrared thermometers, surgical goggles and gloves and
medical disinfectants. The move could further slow shipments of medical equipment from China at a time
when they are in short supply in many countries, industry experts said. More than 40 per cent of the
world's masks, gloves, face shields, goggles and protective garments are manufactured in China,
according to estimates by the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. Source :
schednet
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Scholarship Funding for Women's Leadership Development Available Funding of up to £2,500 for Defence sector women available
Women & Leadership International is administering a national initiative to support the development of
female leaders across the UK’s Defence sector, in which the Merchant Navy is recognised.
The campaign is providing women with grants of up to £2,500 to enable participation in a range of part-
time fully online leadership development programs.
Participants will benefit from course content such as Leading Authentically, Engaging with Challenge
and Conflict, Developing a Leadership Mindset, Team Dynamics, and Purpose Priorities and Professional
Development.
Expressions of Interest
Find out more and register your interest by completing the Expression of Interest form here prior to 19th
June: http://www.womenandleadership.org/emergencyservices.html
We acknowledge that many Merchant Navy crew members may have been furloughed by their
organisations; however it is worth bearing in mind that although those affected are not allowed to do any
work whilst on a leave of absence, they are allowed to undertake training. If you have female friends or
relatives in the industry … pass this on.
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Ferry to Bring Passengers to Iceland this Week By : Larissa Kyzer The Smyril Line ferry is scheduled to resume
transporting passengers to Iceland as this week,
Austurfrétt reports. Twenty-three passengers from the
Faroe Islands will be onboard. They will be the first
passengers to arrive in Iceland on the ferry in a month.
Smyril Line operates a passenger ferry service between
Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland, Tórshvn in the Faroe
Islands, and Hirtshals in Denmark. In mid-March, the
company elected to pause passenger transport in and out of Iceland in response to the COVID-19
pandemic, as well as the closure of Denmark’s borders. Danish borders will remain closed until May 10,
but Smyril Line has now opted to resume some passenger transport to and from the Faroes. It has been ten
days since COVID-19 was last detected in the Faroes. While Iceland is currently closed to foreign
nationals outside of the Schengen area and flights into the country are been operated at a bare minimum,
tourists from countries within Schengen (such as Denmark and the Faroe Islands) can enter the country
and are not required to quarantine when they arrive. Authorities may issue further long-term regulations
regarding foreign tourists in Iceland, but as of yet, no new details have been released and Smyril Line
says it will just need to wait and see what happens. “When that becomes clear it will be possible to look a
bit further than just the spring and summer,” company executives remarked. source : Iceland review
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Photo : Arie in ‘t Veld – Marinedieselparts ©
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
‘Trad’ boat festival will go ahead (fingers crossed) THE organisers of the Thames Traditional Boat Festival hope
it can go ahead as planned despite the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual exhibition of vintage boats and cars is scheduled
to take place at Fawley Meadows from July 17 to 19. Despite
a swathe of other events, including Henley Royal Regatta and
the Henley Festival, being cancelled or postponed, the “Trad”
is still scheduled to take place, depending on the Government
lifting its lockdown and social distancing measures. Lady
McAlpine, who is cochairman of the event, said: “There are,
of course, those who think we are mad to hope but hope we must. “Unlike the regatta, we need only five
days to set up the Trad — five days of incredibly hard work from all involved. “If the Government allows
it we will hold the 42nd Thames Traditional Boat Festival this year, which is why we are keeping fingers
crossed. “When lockdown came, we had our valuable sponsorship from the Shanly Foundation, most of
our boat entries in and most of our trade bookings, so all we have said to everyone is ‘hold on and pray’.
“If we still have to cancel, we hope we can just roll all the bookings over to next year.” About 15,000
people attended last year’s festival, lining the banks of the Thames to watch around 150 boats on display,
including some of the most iconic steamers. The row barge Gloriana, which was privately commissioned
to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012, performed several row pasts over the three days. Three
replica aircraft from the First World War performed a flypast and the Bremont Great War Display Team
showed their Sopwith Camel, Avro and Fokker triplanes.This year, the Dunkirk Little Ships, which are
also a regular at the boat festival, will be marking the 80th anniversary of the evacuation. Around 850
boats sailed from England to northern France as part of Operation Dynamo and helped to rescue more
than 336,000 British, French and other Allied soldiers who were trapped on the beaches in May and June
1940 during the Second World War. Lady McAlpine added: “This is the largest gathering of traditional
river craft in the world, from coracles to Edwardian steam launches, to Sixties film stars’ toys. “Around
30 Dunkirk Little Ships tend to treat the Trad as their annual get-together and as they are probably going
to be thwarted of their big trip to France in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Dunkirk, for
their sake alone we are hoping that the Trad will be on. “We also attract dozens of amphibious vehicles
which have a tendency to steal the show. “There are usually one or two special interest boats, such as the
amazingly restored First World War radio-controlled torpedo boat. This was literally controlled from the
air by radio. “This year we hope that visitors will be able to watch this boat travel up the Thames as a
controlling bi-plane flies overhead.” Lady McAlpine said Gloriana would not be returning this year due to
the rising cost of hiring the 90ft barge. She said: “[It] seemed to have become our ‘flagship’ and for the
past three years she has been sponsored by the Rug Company who made the carpets for her. “Sadly, the
cost of hiring her is now so prohibitive that we all decided we simply could not afford her. “Every year
we have beautiful and genuinely old Alaska, a real Victorian steamer, which we very wrongly tend to take
for granted because she is local and owned by Peter Green who is such an old friend of the Trad. “This
year, Alaska will be awarded her correct place at centre stage and, of course, will be taking out boatloads
of passengers several times a day. “On land there will roving musicians, face painters, Punch and Judy,
fairground rides and our now infamously hilarious charity-run dog shows “We feel we put on the best
family-centred festival in the area and get a bit fed up when people say ‘we haven’t heard of it’. “We are
all crossing all digits and praying that by early July the Government will be allowing something like the
Trad to take place. If not, we will see everyone next year at the same time and place. “Meanwhile, of
course, we hope that all our lovely supporters are taking care of themselves and others.” Source:
henleystandard
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Petrobras Idles Six Platforms in Campos Basin Due to Coronavirus _____________________________________________________________________________________
Crude oil held in sea storage hits new record at 160 million bbls _____________________________________________________________________________________
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Eight Cruise Ships Being Prepped to Bring Crew Home Eight different ships from the Holland America Line Group, part of Carnival Corporation, are being
readied to get crew home in repatriation efforts, according to a letter sent to crew onboard. The effort will
see ships from the Princess, Holland America and Seabourn brands sail repatriation voyages globally to
get crew home. Port stops, timing and transfer of crew between ships is still being worked on. The Plan :
The REGAL PRINCESS will sail to Southampton and Rotterdam to bring European crew home.
The CROWN PRINCESS will sail to Asia to repatriate crew from the Philippines, Indonesia, India and
South Africa.
The ISLAND PRINCESS will sail to Asia to repatriate crew from the Philippines, Indonesia, India and
South Africa.
The VEENDAM,VOLENDAM and NIEUW AMSTERDAM will also head to Asia to repatriate all
Holland America crew from the Philippines, Indonesia, India and South Africa.
The CARIBBEAN PRINCESS is heading to the Caribbean and then South America.
Finally, the SEABOURN QUEST will head to Europe, bringing home Seabourn crew from the Quest and
Odyssey. Source: cruiseindustrynews
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Pirates Seize Containership Off Benin, Kidnap Crew -Bulgaria SOFIA, April 21 (Reuters) – Pirates attacked a Portugal-
flagged ship and kidnapped its Bulgarian captain and seven
sailors off the coast of Benin, Bulgaria’s foreign ministry
said on Tuesday.
A ministry statement said the pirates who boarded the
Tommi Ritscher container ship at the port of Cotonou in the
Gulf of Guinea on Sunday had released 11 other members of
the crew. See more at: -
https://gcaptain.com/pirates-seize-containership-off-benin-kidnap-crew-
bulgaria/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapt
ain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-974560819d-139894965&mc_cid=974560819d&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Seafarer 'travel certificates' launched Seafarers can now be issued with certificates confirming their keyworker status as transport workers and
certifying they be allowed free passage to travel between their home and vessel during the coronavirus
pandemic. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers'
federation (ITF) have jointly produced the special 'facilitation certificate' templates and sent them to
shipping HR managers, personnel manning and vessel masters. The template and covering letter 'certifies
that a seafarer should be allowed free passage to travel between their home and their vessel and has
participated in a medical screening'. The certificates will need to be on company letterhead with required
details such as the seafarer's name, passport number, seafarer book number and identity document
numbers, as well as employer and ship details. In a joint letter to the shipping industry the ICS and ITF
said: 'In these unprecedented circumstances, it is imperative to ensure that the flow of essential goods,
energy, food, medicines and many other products is not disrupted by measures impeding the safe and
efficient movement of ships and the seafarers who operate them. 'The certificate template was drawn up
in response to calls by United Nations bodies the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), who along with the European Commission, have stated that
seafarers should be officially recognised as key workers and granted exemptions from travel restrictions
so they can join and leave their ships and return home without impediment, while complying with
infection control.' It is important for State representatives and relevant authorities to recognise the need of
the highly globalised shipping industry, with its multinational workforce, to smoothly undertake crew
changes around the world, to enable ships to continue to operate and to enable the swift embarkation,
disembarkation and repatriation of crew members,' said the ICS and ITF.
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COLREGS: Still Fit for Purpose? Source: Ince BY HARRY HIRST
There has been much debate about the COLREGS over the last 12 months or so, with many suggesting
that it is now time for not just some amendments but a total revision of the Rules.
So are the COLREGS still fit for purpose?
The future: autonomous ships
Many believe that in the not so distant future, the fundamental changes in the way in which ships will be
operated will render the current COLREGS unworkable. This is primarily a reference to autonomous
ships, but it is also the case that the increasing use of automation and reducing numbers of crew are likely
to result in the bridges of crewed ships in the future being unmanned for some if not all of the time.
It is generally understood that a fully autonomous ship (one with no crew) or any vessel with an
unmanned bridge or cockpit (one with no watch-keeper) cannot comply with the COLREGS. That
understanding comes from Rule 5 which requires every vessel to “at all times maintain a proper look-out
by sight as well as by hearing…” and seeing and hearing in this context have always been understood and
interpreted as references to the human senses.
It is worth noting however, that this and the other Rules are not directed at humans but at vessels. So for
example, the requirement is for every vessel to maintain a proper look-out, to proceed at a safe speed, and
to determine if there is risk of collision; and for the action taken to avoid collision to be large enough to
be readily apparent to another vessel observing visually or by radar. Similarly, in restricted visibility the
requirement is for every vessel which hears “apparently forward of her beam the fog signal of another
vessel....” to reduce her speed.
The actions of “seeing” and “hearing” do not have to be
limited to their human functions; they could be interpreted
more widely so as to include the electronic “eye” (camera)
and “ear” (microphone) as well as the human eye and ear. If
this wider interpretation were to be adopted then a fully
autonomous ship, or a vessel with an unmanned bridge,
which is properly equipped with cameras and microphones
should be capable of complying with Rule 5. Indeed, such a
vessel may in fact be better equipped for doing so, when one
considers, for example, the ability of infra-red and thermal
imaging cameras to “see” in the dark and microphones to
determine the direction from which a sound is emanating.
Care would be needed to limit the scope of the equipment which can qualify as an electronic “eye.” It
could not include radar for example, as the Rule for vessels navigating in or near an area of restricted
visibility recognizes that a vessel which is not in sight of another vessel may nevertheless detect the
presence of that other vessel by radar. A vessel fitted with a thermal imaging camera might similarly be
able to detect the presence of another vessel in restricted visibility in circumstances where the human eye
could not. The powers of the human eye, however, are well documented, and I believe it should be
possible to program the electronic eyes and master computer on an autonomous ship to know when the
prevailing visibility calls for the application of Rule 19.
There still remains the issue of seamanship however: how does an autonomous ship, or a vessel with an
unmanned bridge, know what “precaution...may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen?” The
answer, I believe, will be provided by artificial intelligence (AI). Computers can be programmed to learn
(think: Chess; Go), and it would appear therefore, that the technology may already exist to program a
vessel computer to know what the practice of good seamanship requires.
I am not convinced therefore, that the COLREGS necessarily require any amendments to accommodate
the fundamental changes in the way that ships will be operated in the future, save perhaps, to include a
definition in Rule 3 extending the meaning of the words “by sight,” “visually,” “by hearing,” and “hears.”
The suggestion that new rules must be written now to take into account both manned and unmanned
ships, does of course, beg the question: why? The owners of manned ships have to ensure their vessels
The FELICITY outbound from Rotterdam
Photo : Chris Rombouts ©
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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comply with the COLREGS whatever they might think about these Rules, which have been in operation
now for over 40 years. Why should it be any different for the owner of an unmanned ship?
It is also worth remembering that these Rules, whilst worded differently to their predecessors, prescribe
the same basic collision avoidance maneuvers; for example, when two power-driven vessels are meeting
head-on, for both to alter their courses to starboard.
The current Rules have evolved into their present arrangement and wordings through a series of
incremental changes and amendments over the years, and as result their entry into force during the 1970’s
was seamless and largely without incident. Implementing a complete set of new rules especially new
maneuvering rules, or introducing wide ranging amendments to the current Rules, is a potential recipe for
disaster. It would also be a time consuming and costly endeavor, being one that will require international
agreement and re-training on a global basis. I believe we should proceed cautiously therefore before we
seek to totally revise the “rules of the road” for the sea.
The present: collisions are still happening
Collisions at sea are still happening, but whilst the number of
collisions each year is not noticeably decreasing the world
fleet capacity has increased significantly since the
COLREGS came into force. When expressed as a
percentage of the world fleet therefore, the number of
collisions is actually decreasing over time and therefore
showing some improvement. This said, the number of
collisions is still unacceptably high, and it is still very much
the case that most all collisions are the result of human error
and in particular, a failure to properly implement – or
comply with – the Rules. This however, is not reason to
change the Rules. The Rules are not the cause of collisions; the cause of collisions is the failure by
mariners to properly comply with the Rules. If, as some suggest, the many technologies designed to
improve the avoidance of collisions since the rules came into force are being ignored, then the problem is
with the mariners and not with the regulators ashore, or with any disconnect between the two. No amount
of regulation will force a mariner to use a particular piece of equipment or technology, just as no amount
of regulation will force a mariner to properly comply with the Rules. Proper compliance with the Rules is
a seamanship issue, and seamanship is taught in the classroom and acquired from experience at sea.
The Rules: lack of proper understanding
The cause of collisions is not the COLREGS but how mariners interpret and (mis-) apply the Rules. Too
many mariners today, I feel, lack a proper understanding of the Rules and how they are to be applied. The
causes of most all collisions can be broken down into two broad categories –
1. failure to maintain a proper look-out; and
2. failure to take the appropriate avoiding action.
Proper look-out
With a proper look-out the mariner will make “a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of
collision.” Many collisions occur because the mariner fails to do so, and in particular, to properly appraise
the risk of collision. This is so notwithstanding the technological advances that have occurred during the
last 40 years and notably the development of AIS and ARPA which make the job of detecting other
vessels and determining their movements much easier today than it was when the COLREGS first came
into force.
I question therefore whether mariners are being properly trained in the use and limitations of these “new”
navigational aids, and what is meant by “a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.” An
all too frequent criticism of the mariner today is that he or she spends too much time looking at the ARPA
and ECDIS and not enough time looking out of the bridge windows. Certainly, very few mariners today it
seems ever slow down to allow themselves more time to make a full appraisal. A full appraisal requires a
proper understanding of the three most important phrases in the Rules: “risk of collision,” “close quarters
situation,” and “passing at a safe distance.” These phrases are not defined in the COLREGS, and this is
not surprising as their meanings will clearly vary with the prevailing ircumstances and conditions of every
The HARUN navigating the TSS off the Dutch
Island Texel Photo : Flying Focus Aerial
Photography www.flyingfocus.nl ©
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
case. Too many mariners do not appear to have a proper understanding of the meaning of these phrases
and, I believe, are interpreting them too narrowly. Many mariners, for example, are interpreting “risk of
collision” to mean the two vessels will definitely collide if no avoiding action is taken; and believe a few
cables is a safe passing distance at sea in open waters in all conditions.
Inappropriate action
Even when a proper look-out is being maintained, collisions are still occurring because mariners are
failing to take the appropriate avoiding action. Action taken to avoid collision should be “positive, made
in ample time and with due regard to the observance of good seamanship.” All too often the action taken
is too little and too late. I question therefore, whether mariners are being properly taught the meaning of
“positive” and “in ample time.” Indeed, I have heard of some mariners using the trial maneuver facility
on the ARPA to determine what is the minimum alteration of course they have to make to avoid actual
collision and ensure the other vessel passes a few cables clear. Many mariners also do not understand that
the overtaking, head-on, and crossing Rules do not apply in restricted visibility when the vessels are not
in sight of one another.
No reason to change
That many mariners today appear to lack a proper understanding of the Rules and how they are to be
applied is not, in my opinion, reason to change the COLREGS. It might be reason to do so if this lack of
understanding arose from the way in which the Rules have been drafted. The COLREGS, however, are
simply and concisely worded, and the Rules have been logically arranged; and as noted above, the
problem is not with the words used in the Rules but with the meanings of those words.
Summary
For all these reasons I believe the COLREGS are still fit for purpose and there is no need for the Rules to
be totally revised, whether to accommodate autonomous ships or to reduce the number of collisions.
There are going to be some fundamental changes to the ways in which ships will be operated in the future
but these changes will only require a few minor amendments to the COLREGS to ensure the Rules
continue to be workable. If the shipping industry is serious about reducing the number of collisions it
would do better to focus its attention on the way in which mariners are taught the Rules and how to apply
them, and not upon the Rules and how they might be changed. Source : MAREX Harry Hirst is Managing
Partner and Master Mariner, Singapore for Ince & Incisive Law LLC.
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Golden Ray removal will involve largest lift vessel built in the U.S. Written by Nick Blenkey
Salvage operations to
remove the capsized car
carrier M/V GOLDEN
RAY from St. Simons
Sound, Georgia, will
involve the use of the
largest lift vessel built in the
United States, the VB-
10,000 twin-gantry, twin-
barge catamaran VB-10,000, designed and owned by Versabar, Inc., New Orleans. On April 17, T&T
Salvage installed the third and fourth of a total of 16 lifting lugs on the GOLDEN RAY. The Unified
Command (USCG, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Gallagher Marine Systems) working on
the salvage project says that two lugs will be installed on each of the eight sections of the vessels. The
lifting lugs will be used as a connection point between the rigging of the VB-10,000 and each section of
the GOLDEN RAY. The lugs are designed to distribute the weight of each particular section during the
cutting and lifting operation.Deployed for the first time in 2010, the VB-10,000 is a U.S. flagged, Jones
Act compliant heavy lift construction vessel which can offer several unique capabilities for deepwater
projects. The vessel is classed by ABS as a Maltese Cross A1 Barge HLDK DPS-3 (twin hull
construction vessel). The vessel has eight retractable, azimuthing thrusters. Source: Marinelog
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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"the merchant navy man" You have seen him on the street rolling round on drunken feet,
You have seen him clutch the lamp post for support,
You have shuddered in disgust when he grovels in the dust,
Cause he's just a Merchant Seaman back in port.
You have seen him arm in arm with a maid of doubtful charm,
You have seen him, when his ship is on the spree,
But have you seen the slip of his dirty 'blacked out' ship,
Ploughing furrows through the mine infested sea.
You have cheered our naval lads in their stately iron clads,
You have spared a cheer for Tommy Atkins too.
You even send a prayer to the aircrews in the air
but do you give a damn about this crew.
Still they bring the wounded home through mine infested zones,
And they ferries all our troops, throughout the night.
Though he carries all our trade, he's still neglected, underpaid.
But still he's always there at the thickest of the fight.
To stand against the 'Hun' with just a 4 point seven inch gun,
He has ruined Hitler's Atlantic Ocean plan,
He's a hero he's a sport, until he's back in port,
Then he's nothing......but a drunken Sailor man. _____________________________________________________________________________________
The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the
dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new
definition. The winners are: -
• Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from
penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near
future.
• Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially
impotent for an indefinite period.
• Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get
it.
• Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
• Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
• Karmageddon (n): It's like, when everybody is sending off all these Really bad vibes,
right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
• Glibido (v): All talk and no action.
• Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked
through a spider web.
• Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
And the pick of the literature:
• Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole. _____________________________________________________________________________________
MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
Paddy takes his new wife to bed on their wedding night.
She undresses, lies on the bed spread-eagled and says “You know what I want, don't you?
"Yeah," says Paddy. "The whole 'friggin' bed by the looks of it!"
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Lighten the moment
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I was knocked down by a cyclist as I crossed the road.
He looked down at me and said “you’re lucky”.
I said “what do you mean, I’m lucky?”
He replied “I usually drive a bus”
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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #08 22nd April 2020
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The Pulse
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Just Giving & The Merchant Navy Association We are pleased to say we are now able to offer our supporters the
facility to make donations via our
Just Giving page.
This is a secure means of making payments and enables us to
claim Gift Aid from the Treasury.
Go to www.justgiving.com Click on ‘Search' at the top right-
hand side and type in Merchant Navy Association.
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That’s all from me now folks.
Stay Safe Shipmates
Good Health, Fair Winds and Calm Seas. Take Care.
Yours Aye,
Malcolm
Malcolm Mathison
National Vice-Chairman
Merchant Navy Association
Tel: 01472 277 266 Mob: 07831 622 312 Email: [email protected]
www.mna.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1135661
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