Selected items from compilation of Intership Navigation Training Center. Issue 52 / 2011

1. CASUALTY WEBRIEF

M/V DOGU HASLAMAN (Turkey), Istanbul to Ashdod, had water ingress then sank at Aegean Sea about 25 nm off Cesme, Turkey, 27-Dec-2011. Eleven crewmembers were saved. Two died.

Trawler M/V GINGA (Indonesia) that sailed from Wakkanai, Japan, with Russian and Indonesian crew, sank in storm leaving 3 dead and 5 others missing in La Perfusa Strait between Sakhalin I and Hokkaido, 25-Dec-2011. A joint search operation was conducted by Russian and Japanese rescuers.

 A boat carrying Haitian migrants sunk off the coast of Guantanamo, Cuba, 24-December-2011. Cuban civil defence forces spotted the boat, rescued 87 people, including 7 women.  The dead included 17 women and 21 men.

 M/V FOXBAT (Philippines), w/ 18-crew, caught fire while at anchor near Lugat Pt, Misamis Oriental, Philippines, 22-Dec-2011. Faulty electrical wirings in the accommodation was said to be the cause of fire. Naval vessel BRP JOSE LOOR Jr. responded at the scene. The fire was extinguished after about 3 hrs. The fire has damaged the crew cabins, pilot house, galley and the engine room. No casualties and no pollution were reported.

2. PORT STATE CONTROL

From Paris MOU: Annually more than 24.000 inspections take place on board foreign ships in the Paris MoU ports, and from Tokyo MOU: annually, over 20,000 inspections are conducted on board foreign ships in the Tokyo MOU ports,  both ensuring that these ships meet international safety, security and environmental standards, and that crew members have adequate living and working conditions.

3. PIRACY

M/T SAVINA CAYLYN (Italy) of D’Amato, w/ 22-crew (5 Italians & 17 Indians) was released by Somali pirates, after ransom payment, 21-December-2011. The vessel will proceed to a safe port with the escort of a naval vessel. The ship was hijacked 8-Feb-2011, some 500 nm west of India.

M/T ENRICO IEVOLI (Italy, 16630dwt), Fujairah to Mediterranean, w/ 18-crew (6 Italians, 5 Ukrainians and 7 Indians) was hijacked off the coast of Oman, 27-December-2011.

4. Update on M/V RENA case

The new charges laid against the captain and second officer of M/V RENA, the ship that ran aground in Astrolabe Reef NZ and spilling about 360 tons oil and containers from deck 5-Oct, allege they "wilfully attempted to pervert the course of justice" by altering the ship's documents after the grounding. The captain faces four charges and the second officer three charges. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 7 years' imprisonment. They have already been charged with offences under the Maritime Transport Act and Resource Management Act - where the heaviest penalties are 2 years' prison and a $NZ300,000 (about $230,000) fine - and will reappear on 29-Feb. Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/renas-crew-charged-with-changing-records/story-e6frfku0-1226227380666#ixzz1hiAga9gQ

5. Reminder:  STCW Section A-VIII/1

The STCW 2010 Manila Amendments is entering into force on 1-January-2012, with a transitional period until 1-January-2017. The new rest hours for watchkeepers must now have minimum 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period, and 77 hours in any 7-day period. Records of daily hours of rest of seafarers must be maintained in a standardized format.

For the purpose of preventing alcohol abuse, a limit of not greater than 0.05% blood alcohol level (BAC) or 0.25 mg/l alcohol in the breath or a quantity of alcohol leading to such alcohol concentration for masters, officers and other seafarers while performing designated safety, security and marine environmental duties.

Announcement: Time flies by and after 9 years, and about 450 issues of the ISN-TC News, this Issue 52/2011 would be the last. On behalf of Intership Navigation Training Center I want to pay tribute to the reliable sources of our selected news, the kind that remind seafarers and their families and friends of the dangers and problems that confront them for 24/7 while at high seas. This important information provides our hardworking seamen valuable knowledge so that they can act so that these situations do not happen to them and their shipmates. In so doing they protect lives, protect environment and help their shipping company from incurring huge losses.

May I take this rare opportunity to thank all our readers mostly seafarers on board and the ISN management for their long time support and feedbacks.  – From Capt. Antonio Palenzuela, who is now allocating more time in e-learning courses development.

We extend our best wishes for a blessed Christmas and a safe,

happy & prosperous New Year  to all of you and your families!