MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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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 #22 was published 9th December 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 Chairman, Malcolm Mathison - Mobile: 07831 622 312 Email: chairman@mna.org.uk

Secretary, David Parsons Tel: 01935 414 765 Email: secretary@mna.org.uk

Welfare & Events, Tim Brant, - Tel: 01733 205001, Email : events@mna.org.uk

Membership, Roy Glencross - Mobile: 07738 425 875 Email: membership@mna.org.uk

MNA Slop Chest, The Supply Officer:- Sandra Broom Tel 0121 244 0190

shop@mna.org.uk

Full Ahead Editor, Sandra Turner, sbarlow583@btinternet.com Tel 01889 585 588

Change of Address???? If any member has changed any of their contact details (Postal, E-

mail or Telephone) it is important that you inform the following people by email:- membership@mna.org.uk, secretary@mna.org.uk, events@mna.org.uk, chairman@mna.org.uk

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SEAJACKS SCYLLA departing Nigg Energy Park outbound Moray East OWF with two Foundation

jackets. Photo : David Meek ©

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

The Merchant Navy Association Bringing Seafarers past & present together

Through meetings and communications Comradeship and Support for all seafarers

Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets

For information visit our website

www.mna.org.uk

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USCG coordinates rescue of 18 near Galapagos Islands The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) coordinated the rescue of 18 Ecuadorians after their 72-foot commercial

fishing vessel sank Friday approximately 350 miles north of the Galapagos Islands. Eleventh Coast Guard

District watchstanders received an alert from an emergency position-indicating radio beacon from an

unknown vessel north of the Galapagos Islands at 4:30 a.m. Friday. District watchstanders requested

aerial support and notified Ecuador who began to investigate the EPIRB’s registration. Using the

Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), the Coast Guard watchstanders issued a

request for assistance and the vessel Hai Soon 26’s crew, located 80 miles north of the alert location,

responded that they were willing to divert and assist the distressed mariners. Ecuadorian personnel

determined the vessel in distress was the fishing vessel Romeo which was taking on water with 18 people

aboard. The support aircraft arrived on scene at approximately 11 a.m., located the capsized vessel and

life raft and shortly thereafter, vectored in the Hai Soon 26 crew to the location of the distressed mariners.

The HAI SOON 26 crew arrived on scene at 12:26 p.m. and retrieved the 18 Ecuadorian nationals, five

people from a life raft and 12 people from the sinking fishing boat. “It was a great partnership to provide

a timely air response as well as working with the AMVER

program to render timely assistance,” said Petty Officer 1st

Class Timothy Spencer, an 11th Coast Guard District

command center operations specialist. “Ecuador was able to

assist with providing more information on the case because

the EPIRB didn’t have identifying features to what vessel

the EPIRB belonged to.” No medical concerns were

reported. The Ecuadorian nationals are scheduled to depart

the Hai Soon 26 in Panama during the ship’s upcoming port

call where the Coast Guard will work with the Ecuadorian

state department to repatriate the survivors. Source : Portnews

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EDITOR’S Note:-

Ensure your EPIRB is onboard,

servicable and in date

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

K” Line take delivery of 100,000-dwt BulkCarrier "CAPE ACE" The construction of “CAPE ACE” 100,000-dwt bulker has been completed by Namura Shipbuilding Co.,

Ltd. Imari

Shipyard & Works and delivered to us. The ship is compliant with the Common Structural Rules for

Bulk Carrier (CSR-BC) for bulk cargo ships. She has wide shallow hull shape with 6 cargo holds which

enables to load more cargo compared to Panamax size vessel. She is equipped with “NCF” (Namura flow

Control Fin) on her stern and “Rudder Fin” on her rudder both of which are unique products of Namura

Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and such equipment improve her propulsion performance by aligning water flow

in front and back of propeller. Together with an electronically controlled engine, the vessel is expected to

save fuel consumption and reduce environmental impact.

After the delivery, she is engaged in iron ore and coal transport for a Japanese steel mill under long

term contract. With a large number of vessels from various types with various sizes - from very large to

small -, "K" Line offers its customers a unique range of transport services. "K" Line will remain

committed to flexibly and actively responding diversifying needs for shipments of ore and other iron-

bearing raw materials.

Vessel Particulars

LOA : 249.94M

Width(Moulded) : 43.00M

Depth : 18.70M

Draft(Moulded) : 12.90M

Deadweight : 101,314T

Gross Ton : 60,133T

Main Engine : MAN B&W 6S60ME-

C8.5

Speed : 14.0KTS

Class : NK

Flag : Panama

Builder : Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd

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Penny on the line Have any readers ever heard of penny on the line. My Father an ex Royal Navy Korean War veteran,

spent his pre-retirement years working on the Cross-Channel Ferries as a fitter’s mate. His best Mate Dick

Hill (the rigger) was an old merchant Navy man and he would tell this tell of when he was a youngster

serving on the tramp ships in the 1930-40s he got a posting to a ship in Liverpool, but he was in

Manchester, so being short of money he decided to walk sleeping rough on the way.

Dick continued his story that when you docked back in Liverpool, you went ashore had a few drinks and

then looked for a place to sleep, usually the seaman mission , but on this particular night he was too late

for a bed…but the proprietor did offer “a penny on the line”…what’s that he exclaimed, come with me

son and showed Dick into a large dormitory type room with a heavy duty rope fixed from one side of the

wall to the other. It was about 3 feet off the ground with a wooden bench seat underneath. The proprietor

said all you have to do is sit on the bench fold your arms over the rope and rest your head on your arms

and off to sleep you go, and all for a Penny…..don’t worry about missing trains or buses we will give you

an early morning call.

Suffice to say the early morning call was sharp at 0600hrs….the proprietor would untie one end of the

rope?

So, fact or fiction, would make my 91year Father’s Day to know

Regards

Terence Spurrier

MNA Member Queensland Australia

Terence, tell your father that the practice was true but whether or not Dick actually used it is up for

question. Maybe he was just spinning a line!

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

47% Of All Newbuilt Dry Bulkers Delivered In 2020 Are Fitted With A

Scrubber By Milton Stuards, We have known it all along; the bigger the bunker fuel consumption of the ship, the more likely it is that

shipowners will choose an SOx scrubber as the tool to comply with the IMO 2020 sulphur cap. Whiles

only three Handysize bulkers in total have been delivered from the newbuilding yards with a scrubber

fitted in 2020, one in three Handymax bulkers were delivered with scrubbers installed.

Most scrubber-fitted bulkers were delivered in the Panamax sub-sector, that saw 81 units out of 150,

equal to a share of 54%, confirming the clear-cut tendency among the newbuilt deliveries that we have

seen during the first 11 months of 2020. When considering the share of scrubber-fitted ships within the

large sub-sectors, comprising of capesize, Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC) and Valemax, that share

ranges between 85% and 100%. In just 13 cases out of the 96 ships that burn the most fuel, the shipowner

opted for using Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), instead of making the scrubber investment.

Clearly, the marine bunker fuel price spread between low sulphur fuels and heavy sulphur fuels has been

lower than initially expected. Currently at USD 72 per MT in Singapore, the spread is a far cry from the

pre-IMO 2020 average of USD 185 per MT seen between 1 August and 31 December 2019,” says Peter

Sand, BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst.“It is still worthwhile to mention that 2020 year-to-date average

spot market earnings for a scrubber-fitted capesize have exceeded that of a non-scrubber fitted capesize

by USD 2,818 per day (+27%),” says Sand. Source: BIMCO

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Question?

Do Container Ships have wing mirrors, or periscopes, to check vessels coming up

astern before they alter course? _____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

Why this box spill ought to spur change Captain Colin Smith was horrified

last week on seeing the collapsed

boxes strewn across the Japanese

boxship, ONE APUS. For him, the

sight of the destruction was

illustrative of many woes facing

the shipping industry as a whole.

Regarding the calamitous state of

the containership ONE APUS

pictured on Splash last week, the

practice of loading containers far forward, and so high across the deck, is simply a matter of greed.

The various elements in the industry set up to arbitrate losses proceeding from that greed, insurers and

lawyers, can be left to clean up the legal and financial mess themselves. But shipowners don’t own the

oceans, the environment and the lives of the crews jeopardised by that greed, nor the lives of crews of

smaller vessels who are equally jeopardised by it, especially ocean-going yachts for whom a collision

with a drifting container can be particularity lethal.

It is high time that a modern Samuel Plimsoll stepped forward and grasped the nettle of dangerously

overloaded ships. Plimsoll was a seamen’s champion from the Victorian era who campaigned against

what were known as ‘coffin ships’, unseaworthy and overloaded vessels, often heavily insured, in which

unscrupulous owners risked the lives of their crews.

The media should widely disseminate news of these box spill catastrophes and their causes, instead of

colluding with the industry by covering them up or under-reporting the full story. An aroused public

might well compel developed world governments to intervene again between the shipowner’s drive for

profits and the rights of beleaguered masters and seamen to survive the voyage, bringing some sanity to a

market that often seems entirely out of control. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) should

mandate limits on the number of containers carried above deck, their positioning and protective

structures, and seasonal restrictions similar to the Timber and WNA Load Lines. The need for this

initiative is rendered more urgent by the increase in average wave heights now encountered in the world’s

oceans as a result of climate change. To the practiced eye the damage depicted on the 14,000 teu ONE

Apus suggests a prolonged period of violent rolling. How severe were the sea and swell conditions that

the master could not heave

to, taking the weather on

either bow? What schedule

pressures was he subjected

to that would force him to

maintain an imprudent

course in such violent seas?

Some critics who reveal

their fealty to the

commercial aspect of the

industry echo its totalitarian

mentality by wanting to

sanction a seafarer who

takes a photograph of this disaster. Since all the key players inside the industry are entitled to

photographs, the only entity he is concerned to keep ignorant is the general public, via the world’s media.

This is probably the reason why the general public has so far been kept ignorant of such environmental

threats.

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

Since the birth of flags of convenience, or open registers, the individual seafarer finds himself a helpless

pawn in a Dutch auction of the factors of production in global shipping, in which all the benefits accrue to

the shipowner and none to the seafarer, who is rendered powerless. Once he escapes the constraints of a

modern democratically governed

developed world register, the

shipowner finds himself

surrounded by an exotic

cornucopia of flags, seafarers,

management services,

classification societies, and

insurers to choose from, all

competing with each other in a

downward bidding market called a

Dutch auction. This auction acts

most cruelly upon the seafarer,

who finds himself in a regulatory

black hole, with only transient

rights in the Port State Control

regimes through which his ship

passes, and none in his vessel’s

flag state, whose only interest is

tonnage money. A developed

world seafarer enjoying trade union and civil rights protection under a developed world flag could never

be intimidated in the same way their developing world brothers on flag of convenience ships are

intimidated. The abuses appear to be getting worse. Blacklisting is the norm for any seafarer courageous

enough to raise his hand and demand justice and relief. Flagging out and employing cheap crews is

merely another manifestation of the greed that infects international seaborne trade. This inhuman state of

affairs will continue until a global, pan-government body, perhaps emerging through the IMO, replaces

the current antiquated, global patchwork ship registry system, with an all-inclusive, uniform and

comprehensive ‘world’ register in which every shipowner will be compelled to treat his employees with

dignity and humanity. At this juncture it would be fitting to revisit the wisdom of one of America’s

greatest judges, William Douglas of the US Supreme Court, who stated in 1949 that “if men are to go

down to the sea in ships and face the perils of the ocean, those who employ them must be solicitous of

their welfare”. Source : Splash 247

Editor’s Note

It would appear that ACL are addressing the problem, as shown by the photograph below lifted from their

website

Is it time to make Permanent Above-Deck Container Guides the new equivalent to the Plimsoll line?

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Gigantic Iceberg Threatens to Crash into South Atlantic Island https://gcaptain.com/gigantic-iceberg-threatens-to-crash-into-south-atlantic-

island/?subscriber=true&utm_source=gCaptain+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9e45865cdd-

EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_12_10_12_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f50174ef03-

9e45865cdd-139894965&goal=0_f50174ef03-9e45865cdd-

139894965&mc_cid=9e45865cdd&mc_eid=4c72dd3685

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

Warning - Spurious emails from the Association’s Officers and Others

You may receive, or may have received, an email with similar wording as below. I have had these

purporting to come from the Chairman, Malcolm and President, Vivian Foster, but they could, apparently,

come from any of us.

This one arrived today.

Good morning David,

Are you free at the moment? Let me know

Regards,

Malcolm Mathison

We do not send emails of this nature. Firstly do not reply, secondly check the sender’s

address – usually these addresses are not the supposed senders, this one was a different name

entirely, as they have been on other false messages.

If in doubt, contact the supposed sender by phone or via his/her true address _____________________________________________________________________________________

Ships Make Record Number of Sailings Through Arctic in 2020 Reuters December 9, 2020

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Ships sailing through the Arctic region’s busiest lane along the Siberian

coast made the highest number of trips on record this year as a quicker-than-expected melting of ice

enabled more traffic, data showed.

The Arctic has warmed at least twice as quickly as the rest of the world over the last three decades

and shipping activity has picked up.

Analysis by the Centre for High North Logistics (CHNL) at Norway’s Nord University Business School

showed there were 62 transits through the Northern Sea Route in the period to Dec. 9, versus 37 for the

whole of 2019.

“This year is considered to be the highest number of the full transit voyages,” Sergey Balmasov with

CHNL told Reuters.

“We see favorable ice conditions in this navigation season as one of the reasons for the growth.”

The number of ships using the route rose to 331 vessels in the year to date, versus 277 for the whole of

2019, CHNL data showed.

The trade is driven by commodities producers – mainly in Russia, China and Canada – sending iron ore,

oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other fuels through Arctic waters.

The United Nations shipping agency last month approved a ban on the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the

Arctic, but the move was criticised by green groups which said loopholes would allow many vessels to

keep sailing without enough regulatory control over the region’s fragile ecosystem.

Environmentalists say HFO produces higher emissions of harmful pollutants, including sulphur oxide,

nitrogen oxides, and black carbon.

“The region has seen comparatively little shipping traffic compared to other regions of the world, and the

necessary environmental regulation to minimise the impact of increased shipping in the region is

incomplete,” said Sian Prior, lead advisor at the Clean Arctic Alliance.

“Increased shipping will increase the risk of oil spills in the Arctic, but the remoteness and lack of

infrastructure will make responding to an oil spill very challenging, if possible at all.” (Editing by

Bernadette Baum)

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

Difference between gross tonnage and net tonnage?

By : James Foong via Linkedin

(G.T)

Is a common measurement of the total internal volume of a ship (holds , tanks , stores , E/R ,bridge &

accommodation & any close areas)

(N.T)

N.T = GT – deductions for space occupied by crew accommodation , E/R, BRIDGE & TANKS It

represents space available for cargo & passengers.

Gross tonnage : volume of all enclosed spaces of the ship.

Net tonnage : volume of all cargo carrying space of ship

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Up to 200 containers lost by mega container ship in North Sea Posted in

Accidents by Mikhail Voytenko

Some 200 container are believed to be lost by container ship

north of Schiermonnikoog island, Wadden Islands, North

sea. Containers were first spotted by Dutch fishermen, later

Dutch CG Command confirmed fishermen report.

Containers are believed to be lost by Ultra Large Container

Vessel MUNICH MAERSK on Dec 2, some 90 nm north of

Schiermonnikoog island. Ship’s track backs the suspicion –

the ship left Bremerhaven in the afternoon Dec 2, bound for

Gothenburg Sweden, gathered way to her cruising speed,

but several hours later reduced speed to full stop or dead ahead, and kept limping in northern direction

until afternoon Dec 3, when she resumed voyage, but at a reduced speed. The ship docked at Gothenburg

on Dec 5, left on Dec 8, bound for Aarhus Denmark, ETA Dec 9.

The report isn’t yet officially confirmed, with regards to ship’s ID and number of lost containers.Giant

container ships are too dangerous in at least two aspects - enormous momentum created by rolling and

pitching in rough weather smashes and breaks all lashings and locks, there’s no technology to hold on

against such force; in case of major fire effective targeted firefighting is impossible. Source : Fleetmon

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

ShoreTension® has successfully closed out a long-term mooring project in Scotland. After providing a

safe berth in over 61 knots of wind, more than 1.550 tidal changes – in other words 13 months of

continuous installation – ShoreTension® was recently released from a departing FPSO. Interesting detail

is that ShoreTension® does not require an additional power source to operate, can be installed without

being permanently mounted to the berth and can be monitored 24/7 online throughout a web application

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The NILE Virus (Type C) I thought you would want to know about this virus. Even the most advanced computer programs from

Norton, McAfee, and others cannot take care of this one. It appears to target those who were born prior to

1955. The lockdown seems to be increasing the chances of being affected!

Virus Symptoms

1. Causes you to send the same e-mail twice. (Done that)

2. Causes you to send a blank e-mail. (That too)

3. Causes you to send an e-mail to the wrong person. (Yup)

4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you. (Ah-ha)

5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment. (Done that)

6. Causes you to hit SEND before you've finished. (Oh no, not again)

7. Causes you to hit DELETE instead of SEND. (Hate that)

8. Causes you to hit SEND when you should DELETE. (Heck, now what?)

This virus is called the C-NILE virus!

A lot of us have already been inflicted with this deadly disease and unfortunately as we age it gets worse.

And if you can't admit to doing any of the above, you've obviously caught the other strain – the deadly D-

NILE virus.

Thanks to infected Gareth for this one

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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PARAMETRIC ROLLING IN CONTAINER SHIPS Rolling and pitching is a part of the

every ship that is going out at the

sea. The first thing you might think

up on hearing the word “Parametric

rolling” is that it must be a type of

rolling movement occurring in

ships. Rolling and Pitching is a

normal movement phenomenon

which occurs in all kind of the ships, so what is new about this.

The difference is that Parametric Rolling is a type of movement that is experienced only on the

Container Ships. Causes of Parametric Rolling The size of container ships is increasing drastically as companies are

looking forward to monster ships. The new container ships coming to the market have large bow flare and

wide beam to decrease the frictional resistance which is generated when the ship fore end passes through

the water, making it streamlined with the hull. As the wave crest travels along the hull, it results in flare

immersion in the wave crest and the bow comes down. The stability (GM ) varies as a result of the

pitching & rolling of the ship. The combination of buoyancy & wave excitation forces push the ship to

the other side.

The same action happens when bow goes down in the next wave cycle resulting in synchronous motion

which leads to heavy rolling up to 30 degree in a few cycles. This type of rolling is called as Parametric

rolling.

This phenomenon happens only when the sea condition is in head / stern or anywhere near to them. There

are two pitch cycles- maximum and minimum. The period of the roll is half of the natural rolling period

which coincides with large phase angle & maximum roll always occurs when the ship is pitching down

i.e. bow is down.

Effects of Parametric Roll:

Ø Heavy stresses in the ship structure especially in fore & aft parts

Ø Extreme stresses on container and their securing system resulting in failure of the same and even loss

of containers

Ø Unpleasant for the crew of the ship

Ø Variation in the load of ship’s propulsion engine

Ø If not tackled quickly, it can result in capsizing of ship

Actions in case of Parametric Rolling on ships:

Ø Do not panic in such situation. Keep calm

Ø If rolling & pitching occurs simultaneously, avoid a head on sea & change the route.

Ø Always maintain a correct GM. Ship should not be too much tender or too much stiff.

Ø The roll damping measures must be quickly used Source : marineinbox.

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NYK Conducts Second Test of Remote Navigation of Tugboat NYK and its group companies MTI Co. Ltd., Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS)

obtained useful results in the second test of the remote navigation of a tugboat as a part of the Japanese

government’s Sea Trial Project on Remote Control Navigation* for the realization of autonomous ships

by 2025.

Outline of Second Test

Within Tokyo Bay, a manned tugboat** equipped with a remotely controlled system*** was operated

remotely from the operation center in the city of Nishinomiya in Hyogo prefecture approximately 400

kilometers away. In the previous test in January this year, the operator in the remote operation center used

sensors and cameras equipped to the tugboat to recognize surrounding conditions, created a route plan

and action plan (collision avoidance route plan) for the remote control. In this second test this time, the

below two tests to respond to malfunctions of equipment or ship-shore communication were conducted.

(a) Test for verification of fallback operation

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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As shown in Figure 1, tests to confirm response functions to equipment malfunctions or interruptions of

ship-shore communication were conducted. In the tests, a signal sent remotely to the ship to (1) stop as

quickly as possible, and (2) automatically navigate at a reduced speed until the next waypoint, to ensure

ship safety functions or maintaining limited usage of the ship in the situation of troubles of equipment or

ship-shore communication.

(b) Test for optimization of data communication amount

The purpose of this test was to confirm the optimization function of data communication amount

depending on the available communication bandwidth for remote control. To ensure stable remote

maneuvering, the amount of communication needs to be automatically adjusted. For that reason, the

transferring data amount of radar echo should be controlled according to available communication

bandwidth so that it does not affect other data transmissions. For remote control, it is necessary to

monitor the position of the ship and nearby obstacles in real time, and communication interruption due to

communication overload has to be avoided so that confirmation of this communication optimization

function is indispensable.

Future Development

NYK and its group companies will continue to improve the system using the accumulated knowledge

from the two remote navigation tests and will keep to collaborate with partners to realize remote control

of large vessels. In addition, we will disseminate and develop the developed technologies for autonomous

ships with crews and crewless autonomous ships that we are working on.

* A trial project that Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has been promoting

since FY2018 to improve the environment, including the establishment of safety requirements necessary

for the realization of autonomous ships. Companies selected to participate in the sea trial project on

remote control navigation include MTI Co., Ltd.; ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai); National Institute of

Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology; Ikous Corporation; NYK; Keihin Dock Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi

Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.; IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd.; BEMAC Corporation; SKY Perfect JSAT

Corporation; Tokyo Keiki Inc.; Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation; NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan

Radio Co., Ltd.; Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.; and Japan Marine Science Inc.

** A tugboat operated by the Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation, an NYK Group company, was used for

this test.

*** To date, the NYK Group has been working with nautical instrument manufacturers and partners to

develop a remotely controlled system that can support the vessel crew. Such a system would collect,

integrate, and analyze information around the ship, prepare an action plan, and after the approval of

operators at remote locations or on board, take action in accordance with the plan. In accordance with the

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NYK Group’s medium-term management plan “Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green,” the

company has indicated its goal to integrate ESG principles into management strategies, and is promoting

activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) through the

company’s business activities. Digital-technology use and technology-development efforts to realize the

remote navigation of ships will contribute to the below goals. Source: NYK Line

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Royal Navy to Help Protect UK Fishing Waters in Case of No-Deal Brexit -

Guardian Reuters

Dec 11 (Reuters) – Four Royal Navy patrol ships will be ready from Jan. 1 to help Britain protect its

fishing waters in case of a no-deal Brexit, The Guardian newspaper reported on Friday.

The 80-meter-long vessels will have the power to stop, check and impound all European Union fishing

boats operating within Britain’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which can extend 200 miles (320 km)

from shore, the report said, citing naval sources.

“We have done a lot of work to ensure we are ready for every eventuality,” a source was quoted as saying

by the newspaper.

Two vessels will be deployed at sea with two on standby in case EU fishing boats enter EEZ, the report

added.

A Ministry of Defence representative told the newspaper the ministry “has conducted extensive planning

and preparation to ensure that defense is ready for a range of scenarios at the end of the transition period.”

The ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that Britain was likely to complete its exit from the EU

without a trade deal. Current arrangements will end on Dec. 31 when Britain’s Brexit transition period

concludes.

A French minister said France would compensate its fishermen and take other measures to help them if

talks for a post-Brexit trade deal collapse, in an effort to avoid skirmishes at sea between French and

British boats. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru)

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Navy to patrol British waters in event of no-deal Brexit European vessels operating in UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) could be impounded By : Rory Sullivan

The UK will have four Royal Navy boats on standby to prevent European fishing vessels from operating

in its waters in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it has been revealed.

The 80-metre-long ships would patrol Britain’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which covers an area up

to 200 miles from the coast. The vessels, which are armed with machine guns, would be able to stop,

search and impound trawlers fishing without permission in the EEZ, according to the Guardian. A navy

source told the paper that firearms would only be used if life was at risk. “Nobody is going to be firing

warning shots against French fishermen; firearms are only used when there is danger to life,” they said.

Nevertheless, the government’s preparations recall the “cod wars” between the UK and Iceland in the

1970s as well as the more recent “scallop wars” between British and French fishing vessels in 2018. The

confirmation of the move comes as a no-deal Brexit looks increasingly likely, after negotiations this week

were unable to bridge disagreements between the UK and the EU.

Fishing rights remains a stumbling block to a potential free trade agreement, with Ms von der Leyen

reiterating the EU’s position on Friday. “We understand that the UK aspires to control its waters. The UK

must, on the other hand, understand the legitimate expectations of EU fishing fleets built on decades and

sometimes centuries of access,” she said. The scale of the fisheries problem was highlighted earlier this

week when the EU suggested that the transition period for fishing be extended for a year to allow a deal

to be reached. The confirmation of possible Navy patrols from January may be seen in Brussels as a

warning shot from the UK ahead of further talks this weekend. Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP who

chairs the defence select committee, said the government’s potential measure was “irresponsible”.

“Global threats increasing, Navy overstretched. Here we are squaring up to a NATO ally as beneath the

same sea increased Russian sub/ drone activity goes unchecked,” he tweeted on Friday evening.source :

independent

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

13

The Pulse

Situation of Piracy and Sea Robbery in Asia for November 2020 By Baibhav Mishra

ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre has issued the November 2020 Report as well as an accompanying

set of presentation slides on the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. Summary of

Situation of Piracy and Sea Robbery in Asia in November 2020

§ In November 2020, 11 incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia

§ No piracy incident was reported

§ With these incidents, the total number of incidents from January to November 2020 was 95 incidents,

which represents an increase of 36% compared to the same period of 2019 (70 incidents)

§ ReCAAP ISC is concerned with the overall increase of incidents in Asia, particularly the continued

occurrence of incidents (robberies and thefts) in the Singapore Strait

o Six incidents were reported in the Singapore Strait in November 2020

o With these, a total of 34 incidents were reported in the Singapore Strait during January-November 2020

comprising 30 incidents occurred in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), two

incidents in the precautionary area, one incident in the westbound lane of the TSS and one incident just

outside (south) of the TSS

§ There was no report of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah,

Malaysia in November 2020

§ However, the abduction of crew for ransom remains a serious concern as demonstrated by the Warning

issued on 2 July by the ReCAAP ISC on a planned abduction of crew by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG),

and a kidnap-for-ransom plan of ASG members thwarted by the Joint Task Force of Sulu on 3 November.

Source :Sea News,

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Wind Challenger Project（Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) _____________________________________________________________________________________

Maersk and MSC opt for Liverpool to avoid congested Felixstowe The last sailing from Felixstowe will be by the 8,822-TEU MSC ATHENS in week 51, with the first

sailing from Liverpool by the 6,478-TEU MAERSK SEMBAWANG planned for the following week.

After careful evaluation of our network covering North Europe to/from North America, we will change

our UK port call from Felixstowe to Liverpool," said a customer advisory from Maersk. The 2M said it

would continue to blank its TA4/NEUATL4 transatlantic loop "until further notice", but according to

Alphaliner, the average weekly capacity on its three remaining strings has increased by 16.5 per cent to

19,800 TEU, with the deployment of larger ships to compensate. The news of the lost transatlantic service

is a further blow to the port of Felixstowe which, among UK container hubs, has come under the most

pressure from the surge in import volumes. Inherent issues with its problematic vehicle booking system

have also been a factor in landside congestion and slow ship working. Carriers have diverted a number of

calls to continental ports in the past month, leaving thousands of UK imports effectively stranded due to

the absence of any prompt relay options. Meanwhile, the situation at DP World Southampton has

deteriorated, with the port seeing the cancellation at the weekend of the call by the NYK DENEB on THE

Alliance's transatlantic service and the omission of the CMA CGM KERGUELEN. "Congestion and

delays at the port of Southampton have deteriorated recently and we are now witnessing similar issues to

those at Felixstowe," said Brentwood-based forwarder Westbound Logistics. "In the past week, there

have been weather closures due to fog, a shutdown in customs software, vessel delays and the emergence

of the serious restitution issue. This has resulted in failed deliveries, further transport backlogs from the

port and more price increases on urgently required deliveries," said Westbound. Moreover, the situation is

set to get worse for UK importers as carriers consider their options for January, according to UK's

Loadstar. It's understood that the Ocean Alliance is drawing up plans to omit the Felixstowe call

throughout January, with all UK cargo to be discharged at Zeebrugge and feedered back to "other less-

congested ports". However, the decision needed the final agreement of other partners, but the only real

hurdle was the lack of available feeder tonnage. The big fear for UK importers and exporters is that, even

after the current pressures ease, the UK will be relegated to the status of a feeder trade. Source : Schednet

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

14

The Pulse

Wrecked cargo ship begins leaking oil 52 years after it sank in B.C.'s Nootka

Sound The MV SCHIEDYK is leaking oil into the waters of a

provincial marine park Fifty-two years ago, a cargo ship was

sailing south past B.C.'s Bligh Island with 2,100 tonnes of

wood pulp and 1,000 tonnes of bulk barley stowed in its

hold. The MV SCHIEDYK was carrying goods from Gold

River, B.C., to Portland, Ore., sailing past Nootka Sound on

the western coast of Vancouver Island. Late in the day, on

Jan. 3, 1968, the ship hit an underwater ledge and sank on

the south side of Bligh Island. Before the 34 crew members

abandoned ship, they saw oil escaping into the ocean.

Officials never figured out how much oil escaped at the time, but they're rushing to do it now.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Friday the MV SCHIEDYK has started leaking decades-old fuel into

the sea. Investigators found the bleeding wreckage upside down at the bottom of the Zuciarte Channel

after locals called the Canadian Coast Guard this fall about a inexplicable, stubborn sheen on the water.

"After 52 years, the SCHIEDYK has started to leak

oil into the environment," said Tyler Yager, with the

Canadian Coast Guard. "What we don't know ... is

how much fuel remains aboard." The coast guard

started getting calls about the oily sheen in mid-

September. Investigators travelled north and searched

the Bligh Island area, which is now a provincial

marine park. They found nothing. Crews attributed

the residue to discharge from modern-day vessels

sailing up and down the coast, but locals soon called them back. Investigators recently sent a remotely

operated vehicle (ROV) into the water and traced the upsurge back to the ship. Officials have so far

described the pollution as "minimal," but an incident command post has been set up in the area to contain

the spill. Elders with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, on whose traditional territory Bligh Island

lies, have identified seven particularly sensitive ecological and archaeological sites that need stronger

protections. The response team has laid more than 3,000 metres of yellow boom around those areas "as a

precaution," Yager said. Investigators are studying historic reports and initial reports from the shipwreck

to determine how much oil might have been on board, how much might have leaked at the time of the

sinking, and where the fuel tanks were stored. Yager said, so far, they have confirmed the ship was

carrying bunker oil and diesel. Newspaper coverage of the sinking said bunker oil escaped the wreckage

for as long as two weeks after the freighter went down, but the ship's owners — then Holland-America

Lines of Rotterdam — were not going to salvage it. Source : CBCnews

____________________________________________________________________________________

01 The Seafarer The seafarer is obviously the most important person in the industry, this and every

other year, but the essential work of ships' crews is largely overlooked.

Seeing 400,000 people left far from home on ships around the world as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic

has highlighted the extent of adversity faced by those who work at sea, but also drawn attention to the

vital role they play in keeping global supply lines functioning during such difficult times.

Read on at https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1134622/01-The-Seafarer

_____________________________________________________________________________________

THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME. I am trying to get access to a book about Blue funnel. It is called THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME.

Has anybody a copy they could lend me or they could photo copy for me

Kevin Stelfoxk

k.b.stelfox@hotmail.co.uk

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

15

The Pulse

Up to 200 containers lost by mega container ship in North Sea Posted in

Accidents by Mikhail Voytenko

Some 200 container are believed to be lost by container

ship north of Schiermonnikoog island, Wadden Islands,

North sea. Containers were first spotted by Dutch

fishermen, later Dutch CG Command confirmed

fishermen report. Containers are believed to be lost by

Ultra Large Container Vessel MUNICH MAERSK on

Dec 2, some 90 nm north of Schiermonnikoog island.

Ship’s track backs the suspicion – the ship left

Bremerhaven in the afternoon Dec 2, bound for

Gothenburg Sweden, gathered way to her cruising

speed, but several hours later reduced speed to full stop or dead ahead, and kept limping in northern

direction until afternoon Dec 3, when she resumed voyage, but at a reduced speed. The ship docked at

Gothenburg on Dec 5, left on Dec 8, bound for Aarhus Denmark, ETA Dec 9.

The report isn’t yet officially confirmed, with regards to ship’s ID and number of lost containers.Giant

container ships are too dangerous in at least two aspects - enormous momentum created by rolling and

pitching in rough weather smashes and breaks all lashings and locks, there’s no technology to hold on

against such force; in case of major fire effective targeted firefighting is impossible. Source : Fleetmon

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Judge dismisses charges in Missouri duck boat accident By Dale K. DuPont A federal judge has dismissed charges of misconduct and neglect against three employees in a fatal duck

boat accident on a Missouri lake not considered a navigable waterway. U.S. District Judge Douglas

Harpool last week adopted a recommendation that the government did not have admiralty jurisdiction

over Table Rock Lake where Stretch Duck 7 sank in 2018 killing 17 people — the deadliest duck boat

accident ever.

Capt. Kenneth Scott McKee, general manager Curtis Lanham and operations supervisor Charles Baltzell

of Ride the Ducks Branson were charged in a 47-count indictment with misconduct, negligence and

inattention to duty. The indictment alleged Lanham created a work atmosphere on the boats “where the

concern for profit overshadowed the concern for safety.” All three pleaded not guilty. The captain was

originally charged with a number of violations including not properly assessing the weather and going out

with lightning in the area, not telling passengers to put on personal flotation devices and failing to raise

the side curtains when the wind picked up thus creating a barrier for people to escape. The boat, operated

by Ripley Entertainment Inc., was carrying 29 passengers and two crew members for what was usually a

20- minute ride on the lake near Branson, Mo., when a strong thunderstorm swept through with winds

over 70 mph. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in April faulted Ripley for continuing

the water part of the tour after the storm warning and the Coast Guard for not requiring sufficient reserve

buoyancy and or addressing emergency evacuation issues caused by the boat’s fixed canopy. The Coast

Guard has convened a Marine Board of Investigation into the accident. The recommendation by U.S.

Magistrate Judge David P. Rush in September notes that the government argued it had admiralty

jurisdiction over the negligent operation of a vessel charges. But he concluded “that admiralty subject

matter jurisdiction does not extend to Table Rock Lake, which is not navigable as a matter of law,” and

any criminal prosecution should be in state court. Under the Constitution, “federal courts have limited

jurisdiction. General police powers over crimes rightfully belong to the states,” he said. “If defendants are

to be prosecuted for the tragedy on Table Rock Lake, the law requires that the prosecution be handled at

the state level, and not in federal court.” Prosecutors could appeal Judge Harpool’s decision. Don

Ledford, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas City, said they would not comment on the

case. “While the events of July 19, 2018, remain an unfortunate accident and tragedy we are pleased that

both Judge Harpool and Magistrate Judge Rush have sustained the admiralty dismissal motion,” McKee’s

attorneys, J.R. Hobbs and Marilyn Keller, said in a statement. source : Workboat

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

16

The Pulse

NEW BOOKS FROM GEOFFREY WATSON As an avid photographer Geoffrey Watson

built up a massive collection of photographs of

ships seen during his 50 years working in and

around the Port of London, at docks and

wharves many of which are long gone. Since

retirement, Geoff has compiled four books of

colour photographs from his personal archive.

PORT OF LONDON OVER THE LAST 50

YEARS PART 1

The first book contains photographs and

histories of some of the cruise ships that have

visited the Thames since the 1960’s, with the

other section detailing ships that have

made a “one off” visit to attend

exhibitions, promotional purposes or

naming ceremonies etc.

PORT OF LONDON OVER THE

LAST 50 YEARS PART 2

The second book has a variety of

photographs mostly of merchant ships in

various docks and wharves on the River

Thames – everything from old

conventional ships with derricks and

cranes, right up to the giant

containerships of today. Many of the

ships have either been scrapped, caught

fire, or sunk! This makes a fascinating read.

A DAY IN THE DOCKS

This book is personal recollection giving a light-hearted look at his life working at a riverside wharf on

the River Thames in the 1970’s and 1980’s. All photographs from his personal collection that have never

been published before. This was the time when ships arrived with loose cargo in t/chests, bags, and crates.

Some ships being alongside for two or three weeks, whereas the giant containerships of today could do

the same job in about two days. FERRY GOOD This book runs to 243 pages with colour photographs of

ferries seen either on business travel, or when on holiday. Starting with photographs of ferries around the

UK and continuing with ferries in a variety of European ports from the Baltic to the Canary Islands,

concluding with a few from Alaska. Where possible, two or three photos have been added of the same

ferry when it has been seen either with a different name, or in a different colour scheme.

All ideal Christmas stocking fillers and available now from Amazon.co.uk

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Animated map of World War I UK ship positions Will be of great interest to those who had relatives in the Royal Navy during WWI

At a glance: An animated map of UK Royal Navy ship locations during World War I.

http://freerangestats.info/blog/2020/12/05/wwi-ships

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fuel Tanker Hit by Blast at Saudi Port as Red Sea Attacks Mount https://gcaptain.com/fuel-tanker-hit-by-blast-at-saudi-port-as-red-sea-attacks-

mount/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03-f7a457b72f-

139894965&mc_cid=f7a457b72f&mc_eid=4c72dd3685

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

17

The Pulse

MARITIME CHARITIES’ TRAINING FUND FOR SEAFARERS

DOUBLES IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS The Maritime Charities Group (MCG) has doubled its new bursary fund for seafarer training following a

successful bid to the Nautilus Slater Fund and an additional donation from Trinity House. The fund,

launched at the beginning of November with equal contributions from MCG members Merchant Navy

Welfare Board and Trinity House, now stands at £40k. It is aimed at UK-based merchant seafarers who

have lost their job as a direct result of Covid-19 and need help towards training for a new role in the

industry. Applicants can claim up to £500 towards training or qualifications of their choice.

Trinity House was able to offer this additional funding thanks to a generous donation from a member of

the public.

Welcoming the news, Chair of the MCG Commander Graham Hockley LVO RN said: “We’re incredibly

grateful to both the Slater Fund and Trinity House for enabling us to double the fund in this way. We’ve

had over 20 applications in the first month which is a huge success. Clearly there’s a significant need out

there so anything we can do to enable more seafarers to benefit is enormously welcome. And it’s an early

Christmas present for those merchant seafarers who’ve lost their jobs due to Covid-19.”

To find out more about the MCG redundancy and retraining bursary fund and how to apply go

to https://www.marine-society.org/redundancy-fund

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Five sailors missing, three dead after two container ships collide in China Rescuers were searching for five sailors

missing after a collision between two ships at

the mouth of China's Yangtze River left at least

three dead. State broadcaster CCTV showed

dramatic footage of crews pulling 11 of the 16

sailors who had been on board the container

vessel "XINGISHENG 69" from the water.

The Yangtze is China's busiest river and the

point at which it meets the East China Sea, just

north of the commercial hub of Shanghai,

brings together ships from all directions. State

media reported the container ship Oceana lost

power shortly before midnight last night, after

which the XINGISHENG 69collided with it,

capsized and sank. It had been carrying 650

cargo containers, according to the China Daily

newspaper _____________________________________________________________________________________

Countries must act now to award seafarers key worker status Following United Nations resolutions to recognise seafarers as key workers, governments need to

respond now given the impact of the backdrop of the past year on their lives

https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1135113/Countries-must-act-now-to-award-

seafarers-key-worker-status

_____________________________________________________________________________________

For Maritime Workers, ‘Essential’ Designation Should Include Access to

Vaccine https://gcaptain.com/for-maritime-workers-essential-designation-means-access-to-

vaccine/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03-00e7d0048a-

139894965&mc_cid=00e7d0048a&mc_eid=4c72dd3685

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

18

The Pulse

Ukranian seafarers have started the unequal fight against corruption With the new presIdent and government all seafarers hoped to meet the wind of changes, that bureaucracy

and corruption would disappear in the sector of seamen certification, but in reality, the situation is critical.

Seafarers come together to the voluntary union seafarers organisations to fight against the corruption and

injustice. The Ukranian Maritime Administration with top

officials make everything to push seamen in the corruption

schemes as the system of certification is unclear and

complicated. All social media are full of advertising of the

"agents" -people and organizations which are promising to help

with seadocuments, like to make STCW certificates in their

"club" training centers where prices for courses are 5 times

higher than they have to be and afterwards you still have to pay

some fee to have guaranty that you would pass exams,

otherwise to pass an exam to prove or level up your

qualification is almost impossible. The exam is verbal and quantification comission asks strange

questions and makes everything so that a seaman can't pass the exam. Ukranian seafarers have carried out

demonstrations in the main sea cities like Odessa, Kherson, Izmail, Mariupol and flashmobs in social

media but until now there has been no result. The minister of transport mr. Vladislav Krikliy promises a

lot: to replace a verbal exam by a computer test and create possibility to extend COC by seagoing service

every 5 years. But these are only empty promises. At this moment everything is going against a seaman at

this difficult time for everybody. Unfortunately it looks like the Ukranian Matitime Organisation wants to

destroy the Ukranian seafarers the way it had done to the Ukranian merchant fleet! We all consider that

this situation will affect the quality of Ukranian seamen and will discredit co-nationals at the sea

workforce market.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

About 1,200 cadets passed sailing practice on Rosmorport’s training vessels in

2020 The sailing practice on the training vessels of FSUE "Rosmorport" in 2020 has successfully come to the

end. Almost 1 200 cadets from Admiral F.F. Ushakov State Maritime University, Admiral Makarov State

University of Maritime and Inland Shipping, G.I. Nevelskoi Maritime State University and Siberian State

University of Water Transport passed practical training on the sailing training vessels Khersones, Mir,

Nadezhda and Professor Khlyustin, Rosmorport says in a press release. The training sailing practice in

2020 took place during a time of a difficult epidemiological situation. Safety measures were strictly

observed on vessels in order to prevent the spreading of the new coronavirus infection. Besides, entering

Russian seaports was minimized and entering foreign ports was completely banned. Because of this,

cadets had to be on longer voyages. During sailing practice, cadets applied and improved theoretical

knowledge obtained in universities. They learned to be on duty at the steering wheel, work with masts,

carry out deck work, determine the location of the vessel using navigation landmarks, and carry out

astronomical observations. The traditional Trainee Day, ceremonies of laying wreaths on water and

creative evenings took place on vessels. Trainees and crews of the training vessels Nadezhda and Mir

took part in the All-Russian online event "Dictation of Victory". Cadets of the training vessel Mir had

practice in the waters of the Baltic Sea. Trainees of the training vessel Nadezhda sailed mainly along the

shores of Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories and Sakhalin Island. Students of the training vessel

Professor Khlyustin sailed in the areas of the coast of Northern Primorye and the Gulf of Patience of the

Sea of Okhotsk. Sailing practice on the vessels of FSUE "Rosmorport" is necessary for cadets to confirm

their theoretical knowledge and obtain practical skills, which contributes to improving the qualification of

novice specialists and allows cadets to earn the necessary sailing qualification. Source : portnews

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Svitzer is looking for: Marine Superintendent London, UK. _____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

19

The Pulse

A Member has Concerns about this –

Wake-up call for dormant accounts By Justin Harper for MailOnline 05:00, 10 Aug 2007 ,

Millions of pounds are lying in dormant bank and building society accounts - but not for much longer.

The Government is keen to use the money for good causes. But there is confusion over how long it takes

before an account becomes dormant. JUSTIN HARPER sheds some light on the issue.

SO WHAT IS A DORMANT ACCOUNT?

Money left lying in bank and building society accounts which has been untouched for a number of years.

It also includes money in National Savings & Investments accounts and bonds.

Accounts could be dormant because the person has died and the account was not included in their estate,

or simply that it was taken out years ago and forgotten about.

There is an estimated £500m sitting in dormant bank and building society accounts. National Savings &

Investments (NS&I) says it has £435m in dormant accounts and bonds. An extra £23m sits in unclaimed

Premium

HOW LONG BEFORE AN ACCOUNT BECOMES DORMANT?

This depends on where your money is. NS&I classes accounts and bonds as being dormant after 15 years.

This means there has been no customer activity over that period. Because National Savings accounts have

been in existence for almost 150 years, it has many accounts which haven't been touched for decades.

The Building Societies Association says three years is a common definition for its members, but can

range from one year to 15. Some building societies also have 'gone away' definitions.

So, if a customer is written to and post is returned then their account is considered dormant. But the key

period is 15 years - this is the time the Government states an account must have no customer activity,

before it will grab it. UK banks all adopt this time frame, according to the British Bankers' Association.

Bond prizes.

WHAT DOES CUSTOMER ACTIVITY MEAN?

This doesn't just mean depositing and withdrawing money (transactions), it also means a customer

contacting the bank/building society about their account.

SO WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING?

It wants to use some of this money to give to good causes such as youth projects and dealing with

financial exclusion. The idea was first put forward in 2005.

The influential Treasury Select Committee, this week, gave its comments on the Government plans. It

wants NS&I dormant accounts to be included as these currently escape the proposals. It also wants to

shorten the dormant account time-frame from 15 to ten years.

The Treasury said it will now consider these recommendations.

WHEN DOES THIS ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

An act of Parliament will need to be passed first to allow the assets to be legally transferred to the

Government which is expected in 2008. Money won't actually start going to good causes until 2009.

WHAT IF I HAVE PREMIUM BONDS?

Even if NS&I dormant accounts are included, Premium Bonds will never be classified as dormant even if

you do nothing with them. This is because every bond is entered into the monthly draw which qualifies as

customer activity. But prizes can become dormant if you don't collect them within 15 years.

It apparently did happen in 2008

Commission on Dormant Assets https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727189

/Tackling_dormant_assets_-_recommendations_to_benefit_investors_and_society__1_.pdf

Fair4All Finance on launched 28th February 2019. The new, independent financial

inclusion organisation funded by dormant assets money launched as https://fair4allfinance.org.uk/

If you have any concerns then please contact your bank or building society, and Good luck with that!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

20

The Pulse

Rotors sails ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotor_ship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsGin7CFaF8

all very well but 2 points:

1. there was a British ship fitted with a form of rotary sail in the ? 1960s (I thought it may have been

Reardon Smith) although I don’t think that proved a commercial success.

Any idea which ship that was? I wonder what happened to that system?

2. to be effective they have to be powered to rotate, which kinda takes away some of their advantage:

from

https://www.bluebird-

electric.net/ship_boat_design_building/monorotor_wind_assisted_ship_propulsion.htm

“about 50kw of electric power is required to spin the Monototor”

Chris Woods c.woods45@btinternet.com

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Drone survey suggests ONE Apus cargo claims could top $200m

By : Sam Chambers

Unloading of containers of the badly damaged ONE APUS is proceeding slowly at the Japanese port of

Kobe with the operation to remove all boxes expected to take more than a month. The 14,000 teu vessel

ran into a storm in the middle of the Pacific en route to California at the start of the month resulting in the

worst loss of containers since the MOL COMFORT sank seven years ago. The battered ship changed

course and made for Kobe, arriving there last week. Marine claims consultancy WK Webster, which is

involved in the ONE APUS case, has warned that the total cargo insurance claims could top $200m.

Beyond the 1,816 containers that fell overboard in the storm there is an enormous volume of badly

damaged boxes on deck. Images from WK Webster’s drone footage taken over the magentahulled ship

last week have now been analysed. Out of the 22 bays on deck, only six appear to have survived intact.

With 20 rows per bay and with stack heights of six to eight tiers, this would equate to approximately

2,250 containers potentially impacted, mainly forty foot boxes, thus equating to around 4,500 teu. A

meeting is set to take place today to discuss whether or not to declare general average on the ship. Over

the weekend a number of floating containers were detected in the Pacific that had slid off the ONE APUS.

The US Coast Guard has warned mariners to be careful when far out at sea from Hawaii.source : Splash

247

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

21

The Pulse

£49 million Stornoway Deep Water Terminal project by Zlatan Hrvacevic The Scottish Government continues to invest

in the islands’ expanding infrastructure with

£49 million package for new Stornoway Deep

Water Terminal. Secretary Fergus Ewing

confirmed £49 million investment from a

number of partners to strengthen transport

links and support a range of diverse industries

in the Western Isles. The project includes a

facility for berthing for cruise ships up to 360

metres long, a new deep water berth to cater

for larger cargo vessels, and a freight ferry

berth; berthing and unloading facilities for

renewable energy components and

development land for a range of uses such as industrial processes and decommissioning. According to the

officials, phase 1 of the deep-water terminal is part of the Stornoway Port Authority’s 20-year masterplan.

Stornoway Port Authority will now progress the initial stage in the tender process – the prequalification

questionnaire (PQQ.) Following the PQQ process the tender is expected to be published late February and

construction is expected to commence in late summer 2021.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Why we should all be concerned about seafarer mental health Traditional attitudes to dealing with seafarer stress must be reassessed in light of significant changes to

the industry. Failure to do so could have serious implications for recruitment and retention

https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1135155/Why-we-should-all-be-concerned-about-

seafarer-mental-health

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Crew member in hospital after heart attack on board Torbay cruise ship The casualty was taken ashore to Torquay in one of the Marella’s own lifeboats By : Guy Henderson

A CREW member from one of Torbay’s cruise ships has been brought ashore after suffering a suspected

heart attack. The crew of the Torbay RNLI lifeboat went out just after midday on Sunday to the

MARELLA EXPLORER 2, at anchor in the middle of Tor Bay. The casualty was taken ashore to

Torquay in one of the Marella’s own lifeboats, accompanied by RNLI Torbay’s all-weather vessel. He

was taken to Torbay Hospital for treatment.

The MARELLA EXPLORER 2 is one of a number of cruise ships to have been at anchor in the bay in

recent months as cruise companies keep their ships in sheltered locations before cruising can begin again

after the coronavirus lockdown. Two other ships of the Holland America line - the VOLENDAM and the

ZAANDAM -were in the bay at the weekend, with the Marella Explorer, the sister ship of the one on

which the crew member was taken ill, also arriving in the bay over the weekend. The AZURA, the

ARCADIA and the QUEEN ELIZABETH were at anchor in Babbacombe Bay. Source: inyourarea

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MOL Releases Internal Investigation Report on MV Wakashio Accident MOL Releases Internal Investigation Report on MV Wakashio Accident – gCaptain

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Poor Bridge Resource Management Cited in American Liberty Accident -

NTSB Report Poor Bridge Resource Management Cited in American Liberty Accident -NTSB Report – gCaptain

_____________________________________________________________________________________

General Cargo Ship Goes Missing Off Vietnam General Cargo Ship Goes Missing Off Vietnam – gCaptain

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

22

The Pulse

Hi Malcolm

Looks like we are going to have a lot of spare time on our hands with C19 and

its mutations.

For members interested in older vessels, the Cognac Packet was built for the, wait for it, the cognac trade.

One of the Blackwall ships, built originally as a brig but later rigged as a snow.

https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?regtype=MNL&year=1890&name=COGNAC%20PACKE

T&steamsail=Sail&page=337

Judging by her longevity, she was well pickled, last recorded when 100 years old, in 1892, in Harwich.

Click on the cameras to see her entries in the M.N. lists.

Some of her earlier crew lists and Accounts of Voyages can be found here:

https://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/searchcombinedcrews.php

I found this ship in a history of the Blackwall ships:

‘The Blackwall Frigates’

by Basil Lubbock,

published 1924

although there have been several reprints:

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-

Results&an=Basil+Lubbock&tn=The+Blackwall+Frigates&kn=&isbn=

Well, it passes the time.

I used to do transcriptions for the CLIP project. The MCA sold all their shipping and crew archives, most

of which were bought by the M.U.N in Newfoundland. Greenwich bough some ending with the year 5,

and originals can still occasionally be found in ports such as Lowestoft, and in County archives such as

Essex.

The MCA also made available copies from their archives on Port Ship Registers although few seem to

have taken them up. Luckily for me, the library in King’s Lynn bought the microfiche for their port and

also for some of the small north Norfolk ports which had their Registers closed and transferred to King’s

Lynn.

I have not checked where other Port Ship Registers are, or their microfiche copies.

Sent in by Chris

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The Great Solstice Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn On Monday night, December 21, the planets Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer together in the

night sky than they have on any night since March 4, 1226. At their closest alignment, the planets will be

a tenth of a degree apart or roughly equivalent to the width of a dime held at arm’s length. Depending go

the atmospheric conditions, the conjunction of the two planets may appear as a single bright object in the

south-western sky, just after sunset.

And what happened? …. Overcast sky

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

Dog rescued from sea foam as huge swells and rain batter Australian coast It was no foam party for a local dog named Hazel, who disappeared under a large amount of sea foam,

after it churned up on a Gold Coast beach as cyclonic conditions along Australia's northeast coast

generated huge swells washing away beaches at popular tourist spots. Hazel was reunited with her owner

after a quick search through the foam that swallowed the beach.

Dog rescued from sea foam as huge swells and rain batter Australian coast - YouTube

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DERBYSHIRE SUBMARINERS NEWSLETTER 255 JAN 2021

The latest edition of the Trade Journal 255 Jan 2021 is now available on line on

http://www.godfreydykes.info/TJ%20255%20Jan%202021.pdf

When you click on this, slightly different to normal it gives a drop down menu to click

to send you to the January Page on our DS web site kindly managed by Jeff Dykes.

Any problems please click on web site link

http://www.godfreydykes.info/derbyshire_submariners_page.html

Have a as best Christmas you can in the present CV Climate, do not join any Student Parties organised

by anyone at the University of Derby where two have picked up £10k fines each this week, still with 70

reputedly attending if they all club in £150 each it should cover it before they get weighed off by the

University.

I bet a lot of the so called mates will be ex-mates if requested to club in.

Think Positive, on 1 January 2021 there will only be 219 Days until the Submariners Reunion (DBR)

in Sunny Guz maybe by that time we can let what remaining hair the majority of us have - Down?

Have a Good Un everyone, any feedback, comments to our newsletter welcome as well as any input and

stories to go in.

Best Wishes to All

Terry (Nobby) Hall

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General cargo ship on fire after explosions, Napier NZ By Erofey Schkvarkin General cargo ship KOTA

BAHAGIA, berthed at Napier NZ,

suffered explosions and fire in

cargo hold in the morning local

time Dec 18. The ship arrived at

Napier from China on Dec 17,

with mixed cargo, including wind

turbines and freezer dryer. There’s

a lot of black “foul smelling”

smoke around, evacuation of

locals was mentioned, but not

confirmed. Firefighters are fighting fire, which seems to be contained in one cargo hold. All port works

suspended. No injures reported.NZ media fire coverage is to put it bluntly, insane – half of news are

describing covid situation on board and around – the ship was at sea for some 17 days, but media

diligently, in detail, describe all “covid preventive measures” and estimate possible infection

risks.General cargo ship KOTA BAHAGIA, IMO 9593672, dwt 24964, built 2011, flag Singapore,

manager PIL (EQUASIS). Source : maritimebulletin.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Photo : Paul Taylor ©

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

Oil Unloading Operation Under Way for Stricken FSO Nabarima Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has started to transfer crude oil off of the stricken floating storage

and offloading vessel (FSO) NABARIMA, which is permanently moored in the Gulf of Paria, the semi-

enclosed body of water between Trinidad and Venezuela. On Wednesday, AIS tracking provided by Pole

Star MDA showed the NABARIMA attended by two Venezuelan-flagged vessels, the OSV SEABULK

St. FRANCES and the tug MARE. The Panama-

flagged tanker ICARO was anchored nearby.

According to Reuters, the offload plan calls for

transferring crude from the Nabarima onto a barge,

then shuttling the barge over to the Icaro - a

nonstandard ship-to-ship transfer arrangement. The

process is expected to take several weeks, sources told

Reuters. The Nabarima's situation gained public

attention in August when a Venezuelan offshore

workers' union reported that the vessel had developed a

heavy list. Eudis Girot, the head of the Unitary Federation of Petroleum Workers of Venezuela (FUTPV),

released photos appearing to show flooding in machinery spaces aboard the Nabarima on August 30.

Girot warned that she had about nine feet of water in some sections of her lower decks, and that she was

laden with about 1.3 million barrels of crude oil. However, Italian oil major Eni - a partner with PDVSA

in the Nabarima's operations - said that the vessel had been stabilized and posed no significant

environmental risk. Drone footage released by the Trinidadian NGO Fishermen and Friends of the Sea

(FFOS) appeared to show the vessel listing approximately eight degrees to starboard and trimmed by the

head. Gary Aboud, the organization's leader, said in a statement that the organization's photos were taken

on October 17. In late October, a three-person inspection team dispatched by the government of Trinidad

and Tobago visited the NABARIMA, and they reported that the vessel was back on an even keel and in

stable condition. Trinidadian energy minister Franklin Khan told local media that PDVSA was beginning

unloading operations and that maintenance and repairs on the Nabarima's "pumps and electrical motors"

were under way. Source : MAREX

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The 2014 built - 15908 TEU, MSC NEW YORK inbound Felixtowe (UK) on 08-12-2020 in foggy

conditions. photo : Steven de Bont C/E TSHD Medway.(c)

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

French fishermen are threatening to blockade English ships after the UK

threatened them with gunboats after Brexit * European fishermen are threatening to

block the Port of Calais in the event of a no-

deal Brexit.

* EU countries would lose access to British

fishing waters if negotiators fail to strike a

trade agreement.

* French, Belgian, and Dutch fishermen

would react by preventing ferries carrying

British goods from docking at the Calais, the

head of Normandy's regional fishing

committee warned.

* "If we are deprived of our fishing grounds,

we will not watch the British supply the

French market," he said.

* Boris Johnson's government plans to

deploy four ships to patrol UK waters and arrest European fishermen who illegally them in a no-deal

scenario. European fishermen are threatening to blockade the port of Calais and stop ferries exporting UK

goods to the European Union if they are excluded from British waters in the New Year. France, Belgium,

and Holland would be among the most impacted EU member states if the bloc fails to strike a free trade

agreement with Boris Johnson's UK government before the end of the Brexit transition period, as from

January 1 their fishing industries would lose access to British waters with immediate effect. Dimitri

Rogoff, who heads Normandy's regional fisheries committee, warned that in this scenario, French

fisherman would try to stop ferries transporting British goods from docking at Calais, effectively cutting

off the UK's primary route to its largest trading partner. "If we are deprived of our fishing grounds, we

will not watch the British supply the French market," he told French radio station France Info in

comments reported by The Times of London newspaper. "There will therefore be blockages to ferries,

since this mainly happens by ferries. And on that, we are quite clear and determined." Source : Business

insider

_____________________________________________________________________________________

UK Seafarers' Center Brings Christmas to Stranded Cruise Ships https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/uk-seafarers-center-brings-christmas-to-stranded-cruise-

ships

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By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy.

If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.

Socrates

*******

Woman inspires us to great things and prevents us from achieving them.

Anonymous _____________________________________________________________________________________

POSTAGE STAMPS – Price Increase The price rise for postage stamps is 3 months earlier next year and takes place on 1 January 2021.

Basic 1st class will be 85p – an increase of 9p (11.8% increase – better investment than in the bank at

0.01%!).

Basic 2nd class will be 66p – an increase of 1p (1.5% increase) – still better than most savings rates.

For the new rates see:

https://www.royalmail.com/sites/royalmail.com/files/2020-11/royal-mail-our-prices-1-january-2021.pdf

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Flares are fired from the deck of fishing boats as a

flotilla of boats head out of Whitstable harbour as

fishermen take part in a nationwide protest against the

Brexit transition deal

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

CHRISTMAS DAY RADIO BROADCAST FOR SEAFARERS

The broadcast will air on Christmas Day at 12:15 GMT (repeated at 18:15 GMT) and it will also be

repeated on Boxing Day, at the same times. Radio Alba can be found via the following

link: www.radioalba.org or alternatively, the following direct link can be used: https://radioalba.org/how-

to-listen/#play-radio-alba. Further information is also supplied within the attached flyer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

EASTERN VANUISH enters the lock at Latchford, Manchester Ship Canal, with the first grain shipment

from Tonnay Charente (France) to Esprit, Trafford Park, Manchester on Tuesday 8 December. She will

use one of the old Dry Docks; there has recently been intensive dredging activity in the locality in

preparation for this new service. Photo : John Robinson, Grappenhall, WARRINGTON ©

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MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

My wife asked me this morning if I'd seen the dog bowl. It seems that, "I didn't know he played

cricket" wasn't the answer she was looking for.

I thought I heard my clock wake me with an Arabic greeting this morning. But it was a false

salaam.

Has the fat bloke with the beard been yet?

“My neighbour brought me back some cheese from his home city of Chișinău.”

“Moldova?”

“No, it’s waxed like Edam.” _____________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What is a seizure?

A. A Roman Emperor.

(Julius Seizure, I came, I saw, I had a fit.)

Q. What is a terminal illness?

A When you are sick at the airport.

(Irrefutable)

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

SEASONAL GREETINGS TO ALL MEMBERS,

The President, Chairman and all members of the MNA’s Executive Committee

Wish you and your families a

Very Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

Vivian Foster, President Malcolm Mathison, Chairman

Ian Hodge, Vice Chairman

Charles Woodward, Deputy Vice Chairman

David Parsons, Secretary

Tim Brant, Events & Welfare Officer Roy Glencross, Membership Secretary

David Cornes, Treasurer

________________________________________________________________________

Jolie Brise – the boat that changed Tom Cunliffe’s life 30 min video _____________________________________________________________________________________

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Brian & Jean Chaplin

New South Wales

Sustainable X-mass @ ROG.

RIP Bill Anderson MNM

MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #23 22nd December 2020

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The Pulse

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Merchant Navy Association

____________________________________________________________________________________________

That’s all from me now folks.

Stay Safe Shipmates

Here’s to a Healthy and a Less Restrictive 2021

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: R546060@aol.com

www.mna.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1135661