President’s Corner October 2014Welcome to spring. I am sure it has now arrived in all its splendor in all parts of the northern hemisphere. It is amazing that another Spring Conference has come and gone and what a conference it was. We had almost 100 attendees with outstanding talks by many of the best and brightest in our midst. The admiral gave us a good start and I was impressed by the professionalism and skill of our presenters. All of the tracks seemed to have great speakers this round. We are now looking forward to the fall BOD meeting in Rhode Island. Greg Gant and the National Committee team are hard at work on spring 2015. I know there will be regional meetings and with the approval of the BOD, the national officers will be able to travel and at least have one national officer at the regional meetings. Please let me know when they are scheduled so they can be published here as well as arranging attendance. There still seems to be confusion as to what the BOD and the executive committee has been doing with IAMWS, various new ways to be certified and all of the operations of the organization. The members of NAMSGlobal elect their BOD who then runs the organization. Between BOD meetings the running of the organization rests with the executive committee. Any significant decision affecting the organization is either voted on at one of the two formal BOD meetings or if necessary, we can call a special telephonic meeting. The same rules apply for Quorum etc. on those meetings. Another option is that an email vote is conducted of the BOD. This must be voted on by 100% of the BOD and a simple majority applies. Your BOD spends a lot of time working to the betterment of the organization and I would like to thank each and every one of them formally here and if you get a chance give them a shout out. There is always some lively conversation at the members meetings and this meeting was no different. Your feedback is important to us and be sure to give your feedback to your Regional Vice President or one of the members of the Executive Committee. We all look forward to this interaction. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Greg and Reggie Gant and their National Conference Committee for yet another excellent conference. I am not sure how many but at least 5 or 6 have been under their mentorship. Greg has retired as National Vice President (term limited) and John Venneman has been elected as the new National Vice President. John has jumped in eagerly and is looking forward to serving the membership. Online testing is in the final stages of development and we are looking to have it fully implemented within the next 90 days for IAMWS and 180 days for NAMSGlobal. This will be the wave of the future for testing and accreditation. Applications for membership in the IAMWS (NAMSGlobal subsidiary) will be available within 10 days. Please let Evie know if you are interested. If you choose to submit an application, it will be screened by the IAMWS screening committee. Remember this is focused on those Marine Warranty Surveyors who use the Joint Rig Committee Code of Practice and Scope of work in accomplishing their day to day work. This does not include Project Cargo or other warranty work outside this at this time. As discussed on my last letter, Mike Beijar has resigned as webmaster. We have had several folks step up to volunteer and fill the gap for the newsletter but we are still looking for a webmaster to take on the role. Capt. Sam Pirtle has stepped up to be our new E-publisher. Please let John Venneman or me know if you are interested as he is working to redesign the website. David Pereira has volunteered and been confirmed by the BOD as the new NAMSGlobal Treasurer. He will be serving in that role and as a member of the Executive Committee. Please let Greg Weeter, editor of the E-news know in advance when there are functions in your regions. Please copy me as I will be coordinating with the Executive Committee representation at regional meetings. I remain, NAMS Applicants, New Members, and Changes in Status
Continuing Educational OpportunitiesSociety of Accredited Marine Surveyors’ 2014 Annual Meeting and Educational Training Symposium, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans Hotel, 601 Loyola Avenue,. Contact Rhea P. Shea at [email protected], 904-384-1494 or 800-344-9077 NAMS Board of Directors Meeting23 October 2014, 4:00 PM Residence Inn by Marriott Provident/Warwick (near T.F. Green Airport) NAMS New England Regional Seminar24 October 2014, 08:00 – 4:15 Amica Insurance Company, Joel Tobey Amphitheater October 28-29, 2014 Fort Lauderdale, FloridaThe Fort Lauderdale, Mariners Club ~ 25th Marine Insurance Seminar. Visit the website http://www.ftlmc.org/ or Click on this link [email protected] NAMS/SAMS Central Atlantic Regional Seminar21 – 22 November 2014 The Hilton Garden Inn, 45 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, SC December 2014 Exact date to be determinedRegional Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina. Contact Neil Haynes, NAMS-CMS or Fred Wright NAMS-CMS Maritime Training Academy Marine Incident Investigation Course.For further information and to enroll on the Marine Incident Investigation Course please click here. http://www.maritimetrainingacademy.com/all-courses/short-courses/marine-incident-investigation/ The course is specifically designed for personnel responsible for accident prevention such as Ship Safety Officers, Company Safety Officers, Designated Person Ashore (DPA), Captains and Senior Ships Officers, Operational Ship Managers, Engineering and/or Marine Superintendents. For further information about the Marine Incident Investigation certificate please contact the course manager Michelle West at michelle.west(at)maritimetrainingacademy.com or telephone +44 (0) 1252 732220 AIMU ADDS TO LIBRARY OF ON-DEMAND WEBINARS“Cargo Theft and Current Global Trends” and “Ocean Marine Cargo Insurance – Introduction: Marine Insurance Defined” (Part I in a series of III) have been added to the library of on-demand webinars available at www.aimu.org under Education tab. There are now 25 on-demand webinars available, in addition to the on-demand AIMU AMIM 121 webinar series available at http://www.aimu.org/edprograms/online-web-lecture-center.html. Please take advantage of these learning opportunities! AIMU/MICA SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINEAll presentations from the AIMU/MICA seminar are available on the AIMU website under Papers/Papers Available Onlinehttp://www.aimu.org/aimupapersmenu/papersearch.html National Fire Protection Association has released the 2015 edition of NFPA 302Fire Protection Standard for Pleasure and Commercial Motor Craft. List price $46.50. NFPA member price $41.85. Scope of Standard: This standard shall establish minimum requirements for the prevention of fire and explosion, for mitigation of carbon monoxide hazards, and for life safety in case of fire, on boats specified in Section 1.3. 1.1.2 This standard shall establish minimum requirements for the following: (1) Elimination of ignition sources (2) Ventilation of accommodation spaces, fuel tank compartments (if separate from machinery spaces), and machinery spaces (3) Use of combustible materials (4) Fire-extinguishing equipment and fire exits (5) Control of fire-extinguishing agents in machinery spaces (6) Mitigation of carbon monoxide hazards from all sources. Editor’s Note: Several NAMS-CMS surveyors are on the NFPA 302 Technical Committee. Almost since I began my surveying career in 1980 I have maintained copies of 302 for ready access. 302 is one of the most important reference books I have and I use it often. Do you have one? 29 March 2015 – 1 April 2015 Sacramento, CaliforniaThe National Association of Marine Surveyors, Inc. (NAMSGlobal) will hold its 53rd National Marine Conference (Sunday through Tuesday) at the Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront Promenade, 100 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA. 95814. The room Rate is $139, plus taxes. To make your reservations: Go to www.sacramento.embassysuites.com and select your arrival and departure dates, number of rooms, etc., then click on Add Special Rate Code and using the group/convention code (NMS) and complete your reservation. Actually, you will have a second opportunity to enter your group code before you complete your reservation. Or you can telephone reservations at 916.326.5000 and ask for the NAMS Annual Conference discount rate. Feature ArticleUSCG AUDIT OF THE NAMS-CMS USCG Audit of NAMS. The USCG recently audited NAMS to verify its compliance with USCG guidelines for the Third Party Fishing Vessel Examiners program. NAMS has been designated an “Accepted Organization” (AO) by the USCG, allowing NAMS to designate Third Party Examiners, and the USCG was interested in how we administer the program and designate surveyors as Fishing Vessel Examiners. In addition the USCG auditors requested comments from NAMS on the proposed NVIC that would require all fishing vessels that operate 3 miles beyond the baseline to pass a USCG Safety Examination. Representing NAMS during the audit, which was held at the NAMS office, were Ms. Renee Wright, Administrative Assistant, and CAPT Joe Derie. NAMS was the first AO to be audited by the USCG and the auditors were impressed. They stated that NAMS set the “gold standard” for other AOs for our administration of the program. Evie and Renee are to be commended for their efforts in administering the program. Besides the administration of the program NAMS was commended on how we authorize surveyors to become NAMS-CMS with the Fishing Vessel (FV) designation which then allows them to be USCG Third Party Examiners. The NAMS requirement for peer-reviewed surveys followed by a written test covering hull and machinery and other topics as well as 46 CFR 28, and the policy that NAMS FV examiners are surveyors first, then examiners, was well received by the USCG auditors. A copy of the proposed NVIC is available from CAPT Joe Derie (503-236-6818 or [email protected]). NAMS recommended changes included the requirement that all AOs require their examiners to obtain CEUs to maintain proficiency. Another proposal was to require proposed FV examiners to submit proof of surveys of FVs prior to their being designated as examiners. Both of these are requirements of NAMS and SAMS but not of all AOs. Another area NAMS brought up was what an FV examiner should do if the vessel passes the examination but is obviously an unsafe vessel. This subject came up at the recent FV break-out session at the 2014 NAMS Annual Seminar. The USCG agreed that FV examiners should not award Safety decals under those circumstances. NAMS suggested that the Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Examination (CG 5587) be modified to reflect this possibility and the USCG took that under advisement. The USCG pointed out five areas that all FV examiners should be aware of: 1. Frequently the examiner does not include all data required in the EPIRB examination block at the bottom of page 1 of the CG 5587. In many cases the examiner leaves out the Beacon ID number. Commander (Amc) It is recommended that they be e-mailed. The e-mail address is: [email protected] FV examiners on the Pacific coast should mail them to: The Pacific Area has a supplemental form to the Form 5587 that they request FV examiners to use. Copies of the form can be obtained from Mr. Varghis (address/phone above) or by contacting CAPT Joe Derie, 503-236-6818. FV examiners may continue to send copies to the USCG District they have been sending them to, but they must now also send them to the appropriate USCG Area. The USCG also indicated that when the new NVIC becomes effective all FV Safety Examinations must be prepared on a CG 5587 and local forms or forms surveyors have made up will no longer be authorized. This is to insure uniformity of FV examinations and ease of review by USCG personnel. Copies of the CG 5587 may be obtained from the NAMS office or can be downloaded from:http://www.uscg.mil/d13/cfvs/PDFs/CFVS_ExamBookletCG-5587Rev_06_08.pdf The three supplement forms may be downloaded from: http://www.uscg.mil/d13/cfvs/PDFs/CFVS_ExamSupCG-5587BRev_08_08.pdf. Another subject covered was training for FV examiners. The USCG indicated that slots could be made available for surveyors desiring to take the same FV examiner training as USCG personnel, a one-week class at USCG Reserve Training Center, Yorktown, VA. The class would be free to the surveyors but they would have to pay all travel, lodging and meal expenses to attend the class. Surveyors interested in the training should contact CAPT Joe Derie at 503-236-6818. FV Safety Requirements Update. The following are new dates to remember for FV Safety Requirements: 1. A mandatory dockside safety examination for FVs operating 3 miles beyond the baseline. A vessel that has not successfully completed such an exam must do so by 15 October 2015. A USCG Safety Decal and/or a Certificate of Compliance will be issued to the vessel to indicate compliance, which will be valid for 2 years. If a vessel has already completed a safety exam and holds a valid decal that expires after 15 October 2015, the vessel will have to be re-examined prior to the expiration date to be in compliance with the mandatory exam requirement. NAMSWorthyArticles Of InterestU.S. COAST GUARD TURNS 224 Every year on August 4th, the United States Coast Guard celebrates its birthday to commemorate the authorization by Congress allowing for Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to construct a system of ten cutters for the enforcement of U.S. customs laws on the high seas, a service that became known as the Revenue Marine. Today, the United States Coast Guard, one of the five armed forces of the United States and the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security, is an adaptable, responsive military force of maritime professionals whose broad legal authorities, capable assets, geographic diversity and expansive partnerships provide a persistent presence along our country’s rivers, in ports, littoral regions and on the high seas. As of 2012, the U.S. Coast Guard included over 43,000 active duty members, over 8,000 reservists, over 8,800 civilian employees, and over 30,000 volunteer Auxiliarists who serve to uphold the motto, Semper Paratus, or “always ready”. So Happy 224th Birthday, U.S. Coast Guard! (gCaptain, 8/5/2014) Coast Guard – Final Rule- Lifesaving Devices – Uninspected Commercial Barges and Sailing Vessels The Coast Guard is aligning its regulations with the 2010 Coast Guard Authorization Act. Before 2010, certain uninspected commercial vessels including barges and sailing vessels fell outside the scope of the statute requiring the Coast Guard to regulate lifesaving devices on uninspected vessels. Lifesaving devices were required on such uninspected commercial vessels only if they carried passengers for hire. The 2010 Act brought all uninspected commercial vessels within the scope of the statutory requirement to carry lifesaving devices even if they carry no passengers for hire. The effect of the 2010 Act was to bring, for the first time, uninspected non-passenger commercial barges and sailing vessels within the scope of the lifesaving devices requirement. The Coast Guard is now requiring the use of wearable personal flotation devices for individuals on board those vessels, and amending several regulatory tables to reflect that requirement. This rulemaking promotes the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission. This final rule is effective October 10, 2014. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-09-10/pdf/2014-21541.pdf MARINE INSURERS RECORD STRONG DROP IN HULL LOSSES The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has released its Spring Statistics which found the percentage of total hull losses have fallen to a record low. The figures which are the most comprehensive study into hull, cargo and energy insured losses available reported the frequency of total losses for ships above 500 GT increased marginally in 2012 compared to preceding years. However, overall the trend of reduced total losses over the last 15 years continued. The frequency declined in 2013, now standing at a record low of 0.13 percent in terms of numbers and 0.05 percent in terms of tonnage. Age appears to be more of relevance for total losses of bulker carriers than for tankers. More than 60 percent of the dry cargo ships lost were bulkers older than 25 years in the period 2009 – 2013. However, weather continues to be the major cause of the total losses representing almost 50 percent of the vessels lost between 2009 and 2013. Grounding is the second most frequent cause accounting for 25 percent of the cases. The number of major incidents including total losses also continued to fall in 2013. The major single cause of serious losses remains from incidents occurring to the machinery and in the engine room. This category represents 35 percent of the cases. Navigation however –groundings and collisions combined stands for almost 50 percent of the claims in terms of numbers. Vessels older than 25 years generated 35 percent of the losses. The loss of the MOL Comfort dominated the cargo market with an expected insured loss of between $300m and $400m. However, the loss highlighted the growing concerns of the cargo underwriters given the MOL Comfort was carrying 4,382 containers and the market is set to welcome a New breed of container vessel which have a capacity of 24,000 TEU In the energy market there are signs that the construction boom which began in the mid-2000 is reaching its peak, with the number of rig deliveries set to reach its highest next year. The worldwide mobile fleet has continued to grow and is at a record number, with utilization rates overall increasing sharply in all areas of the world. In term of rigs, attritional loss activity remains relatively high compared to the 1990’s and early 2000’s. The is believed to be is due to the fact that there is significantly more offshore drilling activity now than in those prior periods. IUMI currently has 54 national associations as members, protecting and advancing their interests. It also provides an essential annual forum to discuss and exchange ideas, information and statistics of common interest, attended by marine underwriters and other marine professionals. IUMI’s roots date back to 1874. (Business Insurance, 7/24/2014) Courtesy AIMU Weekly Bulletin. Canada – fatal towing accident The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada issued the report of its investigation of the capsizing and sinking of the barge Arctic Lift I and crew member fatality on the towing vessel Western Tugger in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland and Labrador on 10 May 2013. The strain on the tow wire caused by the barge sinking caused an auxiliary brake drum on the tow winch to shatter and parts of it struck and killed a crew member. Factors leading to the fatality included minimal freeboard on the barge, bad weather conditions, and a non-functional emergency tow release. M13N0014 (7/22/14). Courtesy: Bryant’s Maritime Blog – Bryant’s Maritime Consulting [email protected] Websitehttp://brymar-consulting.com © Dennis L. Bryant S Coast Guard Temporary certificates of documentation for recreational vessels Starting Monday 2 June 2014, the National Vessel Documentation Center will reinstitute the issuing of Temporary Certificates of Documentation for recreational vessels. Our goal is to issue TCODs to all our recreational customers who have an application pending as of 30 May 2014, as quickly as possible, but before 10 June, provided their applications, form CG-1258, are completely and accurately filled out; the owner(s) meet the citizenship requirements; there is title evidence; there is evidence of removal from foreign registry, if applicable; the application fee is paid; and the form is properly signed by the managing owner or managing owner’s rep. TSA – TWIC “OneVisit” Availability The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a notice stating that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) “OneVisit” program is now available everywhere. Under this program, the TWIC card can now be mailed directly to the applicant’s home or other location, instead of the applicant having to return to an enrollment center. A mailer with the card’s preset Personal Identification Number (PIN) is mailed separately. If the applicant elects to pick up the card at an enrollment center, the applicant may select the PIN associated with the card, an option not available if the card is delivered via mail. (8/4/14). Courtesy: Bryant’s Maritime Blog – Bryant’s Maritime Consulting [email protected] Website http://brymar-consulting.com © Dennis L. Bryant NTSB – Towing Vessel & Barge Fire & Explosion The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued the report of its investigation of the fire and explosions on board towing vessel Safety Runner and Kirby barges 28182 and 28194 on 24 April 2013 in Mobile. The barges, while the tug was berthed alongside, were having their tanks cleaned at the Oil Recovery Company (ORC) facility. Flammable vapors being vented from the barges’ open tank hatches entered the tug’s engine room and ignited. The fire spread from the tug back to the barges, resulting in explosions. Three persons sustained serious burn injuries. Damage to the tug and barges was estimated at $5.7 million. The probable cause of the incident was the failure of the ORC facility to isolate tank-cleaning operations from sources of ignition. Contributing to incident was ORC’s failure to provide its personnel with tank-cleaning training and proper procedures for reducing the risk of fire. MAB-14/13 (8/6/14). Courtesy: Bryant’s Maritime Blog – Bryant’s Maritime Consulting[email protected] Website http://brymar-consulting.com © Dennis L. Bryant American P&I Club Warns on Steel Cargo Claims Following some recent cases where the absence of pre-loading surveys increased the cost of steel cargo claims on discharge, the American P&I Club has updated its advice to members on the handling of steel cargoes. In a March 2002 circular, the club made extensive recommendations aimed at minimizing the prospect of spurious steel cargo claims. In a new circular, the club’s manager, Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., says that, for the most part, members have followed the guidance and made progress in minimizing and averting the risks, and consequent liabilities, involved with such cargoes. (Marine Log, 8/14/2013) Courtesy AIMU Weekly Bulletin. Poem of the month, courtesy Ted Crosby, NAMS_CMSTHEM DAMAGED CARGO BLUES (To be sung to the tune of “Old Hundred” or “Sweet Adeline,” By James A. Quinby Disclaimer
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