The Atlantic hurricane season starts on 1 June and ends on 30 November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA is forecasting 17 to 25 storms with winds of 39 mph (34 knots) or higher. Out of these, 8 to 13 could become hurricanes with winds of … Continue reading ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON 2024 – WARNING TO SEAFARERS

A stevedore on board a general cargo ship was fatally crushed between the gantry crane and a hatch cover during cargo discharge in Antwerp, Belgium. Despite no one witnessing the incident, it is believed that he positioned himself between the moving gantry crane and the hatch cover to check on his team’s progress working in the hold.

Accidents during mooring operations pose significant risks to both maritime personnel and vessels, resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. Despite advancements in technology and safety measures, the complex nature of mooring activities, combined with unpredictable environmental conditions, continues to present challenges in ensuring the safety of these operations. To address concerns the International Maritime Organisation … Continue reading SAFE MOORING OPERATIONS INCLUDING THE SAFE USE OF MOORING EQUIPMENT (MSC.1/ Circ.1620)

A ship to ship (STS) transfer operation is the transfer of cargo between two ships alongside each other, either while stationary or underway. Bringing two ships together and separating them while underway is an unusual occurrence for many ships and the crews onboard. Consequently, heightened risks are associated with these operations, where skill and experience … Continue reading SAFE SHIP TO SHIP (STS) TRANSFER OPERATIONS GUIDANCE

A dragging anchor incident caused a general cargo ship to collide with two nearby ships, resulting in structural damage to all three ships. Fortunately, no pollution or loss of life was reported.

In recent years, the Britannia Loss Prevention team has noticed an increase in the number of dragging anchor incidents. Ships anchor for a variety of operational reasons however anchoring can lead to the loss of control over the ship and ultimately to the loss of anchors or chains, grounding, collision or damage to property. As … Continue reading DRAGGING ANCHOR MEANING AND PREVENTION: LOSS PREVENTION

Operating ships in icy conditions requires a unique set of skills and precautions to ensure the safety of both the ship and crew. To thoroughly prepare ships, crew, and cargo for extreme cold conditions, it is strongly recommended that classification societies, flag and coast states, equipment manufacturers, H&M insurers, training facilities, and other relevant stakeholders … Continue reading OPERATING SHIPS IN ICY CONDITIONS. GUIDANCE TO PREPARE SHIPS, CREW AND CARGO

Pilotage is the practice of using a local pilot to guide a ship in or out of a port or through a narrow or congested waterway. Pilots are familiar with the local waters and can help to ensure the safe passage of ships. However, pilotage can also be a high-risk activity and the Club continues … Continue reading PILOTAGE GUIDANCE, BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (BRM) AND MASTER-PILOT EXCHANGE (MPX)

The Britannia Loss Prevention team hosted its latest webinar, Surge and Interaction Damage. The webinar was hosted by Captain Charles Chong, Loss Prevention Officer, Britannia P&I, and covered a range of topics including the basic understanding of a vessel’s dynamic behaviour in shallow waters or when navigating in close proximity to other vessels. The webinar … Continue reading BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION WEBINAR: SURGE AND INTERACTION DAMAGE

When ports are congested and there is no suitable anchorage available, ships may need to drift offshore while waiting for a berth.  In recent years it seems that ports have become more congested and so there has been an increased number of ships drifting offshore.  This drifting, which may seem straightforward, can involve risks.  In … Continue reading SHIP DIRFTING OFFSHORE BEST PRACTICE. LOCATION, TRAFFIC, WEATHER AND MORE

A 43,472 GT bulk carrier ran aground on a charted shoal whilst on passage between the Philippines and Australia. The incident occurred after the vessel drifted from the track, with no audible or visual warnings given to the Officer of the Watch (OOW).

The Britannia loss prevention team organised five webinars in 2022 with a combined audience of more than 1,000 attendees. The webinars were hosted by Captain Simon Rapley, Captain Slav Ostrowicki and Captain Shajed Khan of Britannia and covered several important topics as summarised below. Bridge Resources Management Under Pilotage Contamination Claims on Chemical Tankers Emergency … Continue reading WEBINAR RECORDINGS 2022

The Club’s loss prevention team has been looking into the underlying causes of past collision cases. The number of collision cases is decreasing. This is largely due to the advent of modern technology, such as Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), the Bridge Navigational Watch and Alarm System (BNWAS) and the Electronic Chart Display and Information System … Continue reading COLLISION REGULATIONS

The Britannia Loss Prevention department hosted its latest webinar, Emergency Response Following a Marine Casualty, at 0900 BST on Wednesday 25 May 2022. The webinar was hosted by Captain Simon Rapley, Divisional Director, Loss Prevention, Britannia P&I, and looked at three distinct aspects that need to be addressed following a marine casualty: actions ashore and … Continue reading BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION WEBINAR: EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOLLOWING A MARINE CASUALTY

The Britannia Loss Prevention team hosted its latest webinar, Bridge Resources Management Under Pilotage. The webinar was hosted by Captain Slav Ostrowicki, Loss Prevention Manager, Britannia P&I Club, and explored the interactions between bridge teams and pilots, recommended practices, culture and behaviours conducive to safety. It also looked at recent incidents from both a claims … Continue reading BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION WEBINAR: BRIDGE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT UNDER PILOTAGE

The ship pilot, as an expert in ship handling with local knowledge, will engage in a ship’s passage in its most critical phases where marine incidents are most likely to occur, such as in confined waters or in potentially dangerous situations. If an incident does occur when the pilot is on board, then the role … Continue reading SHIP PILOTAGE AND INTERVENTION

An investigation report published by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore has highlighted some sadly all too familiar lessons regarding the appropriate actions to be taken both before and after a collision

The Club’s surveyors have noted in  a number of condition surveys that Temporary & Preliminary (T&P) notices to mariners have not been correctly applied to charts. In some cases the notices have been identified but have not been applied correctly to the charts in use on the passage. In other  cases the T&P notices have … Continue reading KEEPING NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS UP TO DATE

When deciding the ship’s berthing position it is important to consider the location of port property (such as fenders) and how they are positioned in relation to any protrusions or recesses on the ship’s hull. It is not just the more obvious parts of the hull such as the protruding bow flare or bridge wings … Continue reading FENDER DAMAGE WHEN BERTHING

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (UK MAIB) has recently published its report on the HOEGH OSAKA, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) which grounded on Bramble Bank in the Solent shortly after departing Southampton in January 2015

SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19 makes the carriage and use of ECDIS mandatory on certain classes of ships and by July 2018 it will be mandatory for all existing tonnage over 10,000 gt. There have been several recent incidents which have highlighted difficulties in implementing the use of ECDIS and in this article we will … Continue reading ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM (ECDIS): SOME LESSONS LEARNED

NOCC OCEANIC, a 12 deck car carrier, left Keihin Port, Japan on 22 June, bound for Balboa, Panama.

The Association has experience of several incidents in narrow channels where over-reliance on the pilot to monitor the speed and position of the ship has resulted in incidents of capsizing and grounding. In a busy Vietnamese river, a barge capsized in a surge wave caused by the excessive speed of a larger container ship which … Continue reading NARROW CHANNELS: DANGER OF OVER-RELIANCE ON THE PILOTS

The loss prevention department have been working with Members to identify and address deficiencies and failures which have resulted from incidents and accidents involving anchoring and mooring. Some of these have included: A ship’s anchor started dragging due to heavy weather, but the anchor position was not adequately monitored and the dragging was not noted … Continue reading SAFE ANCHORING PROCEDURES AND MOORING BEST PRACTICE

On 10 December 2013 at 2245 the general cargo ship PAULA C was heading south-west in the Dover Strait traffic separation scheme. It was a dark, clear night with good visibility. She was in ballast, heading for Poole, England.