1. German cargo ship fell from 15-meter height with a man-made waterfall. I’ve received following report on a mind-blowing accident, which took place in Nikolayev port, Ukraine: General cargo ship LOUIS was taken to dry dock in Nikolayev , Ukraine, on Oct 18, to offload project or heavy cargo, by dock’s gantry crane. 300-meter dry dock was separated in two by a wall. Deck hands were busy in holds and on deck, unleashing cargo. Suddenly, the wall gave up and collapsed, water in dock rushed like a waterfall, from 15 meter height, into second section, which remained dry. The ship literally, bow-dived with waterfall. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/10/19/german-cargo-ship-fell-from-15-meter-height-with-a-man-made-waterfall/
2. Container ship capsized, sank, containers floating, South China sea FULL STORY. Oct 20 Update: There were 285 containers on board, most of them reportedly, went overboard and are floating around. The ship developed heavy starboard list and contacted traffic control center, capsized about an hour later. Oct 19 night news said traffic in the area either blocked or hampered. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/10/19/german-cargo-ship-fell-from-15-meter-height-with-a-man-made-waterfall/
3. German freighter disabled, under tow, English Channel. General cargo ship NORDERNEY reported propulsion failure at around 1200 UTC Oct 18 in English Channel about 10 nm N of Batz island, NE of Brest, France. After assessing situation, manager of the ship contracted ABEILLE BOURBON for towage. Towage commenced at 1750 UTC according to MRCC Atlantic France, ship’s to be towed to Douarnenez, Brittany, S of Brest, ETA OCT 19. NORDERNEY is en route from Spain to Sweden. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/10/19/german-freighter-disabled-under-tow-english-channel/
4. Unmanned ship crossed East China sea in most eco-friendly manner. Unmanned ships are the talk of the day, with a number of corporations already in race to be first on market with workable models. Unmanned ships meanwhile, do sail around, demonstrating miracles, far outperforming those created by modern breakthrough technologies. Here’s one – a Chinese coastal cargo ship, a rusty bucket to be exact, drifted ashore in front of Dasi Train Station, Toucheng Township, Yilan County, northeast Taiwan, on Sep 28. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/10/18/unmanned-ship-crossed-east-china-sea-in-most-eco-friendly-manner/
5. IUMI: It’s Time to Tackle Containership Fire Issue The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) expressed its concerns about the escalation of containership fires, calling for urgent improvement of onboard firefighting systems. This year has already seen an alarming number of boxship fires including Yantian Express, APL Le Havre, APL Vancouver, Grande America, E.R. Kobe and KMTC Hong Kong. At a conference in Arendal, Norway, organized by marine insurer and P&I Club, Gard, and attended by IMO, flag states, shipowners, salvors, class, and insurers, IUMI stressed its stance on this global issue. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/284983/iumi-its-time-to-tackle-containership-fire-issue/
6. Antwerp, Zeebrugge Ports Kick Off Merger Talks. Belgian Port of Antwerp and Port of Zeebrugge have given the green light for starting negotiations regarding a possible merger. As explained, the decision of the port authorities is based on the findings of a study carried out by independent consultants. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/284986/antwerp-zeebrugge-ports-kick-off-merger-talks/
7. European Shipowners Urge Concrete Action on Gulf of Guinea Piracy. European shipowners have expressed concern about piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, urging policymakers to undertake concrete action to protect shipping through the region. The latest International Maritime Bureau (IMB)’s Piracy & Armed Robbery Report demonstrates that the Gulf of Guinea has become increasingly dangerous for seafarers. In the first nine months of 2019, the region accounts for 86% of the 49 crew taken hostage and 82% of the 70 crew kidnapped globally. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/284799/global-piracy-on-the-decline-imb-report-indicates/
8. Global Container Terminals Becomes Member of TradeLens. Canada-based terminal operator Global Container Terminals (GCT) has joined the TradeLens supply chain platform, underpinned by blockchain technology. TradeLens is a solution jointly developed by Maersk and IBM to apply blockchain to the global supply chain. It provides end-to-end supply chain information, facilitating data sharing, collaboration and improved trade flows. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/284962/global-container-terminals-becomes-member-of-tradelens/
9. Port of Virginia: Ship Channel Deepening to Begin in January 2020 The effort to make the Port of Virginia the deepest port on the US East Coast is set to begin in January 2020, following the finalization of a contract with an international dredging firm that will take on the project’s initial phase. On October 9, 2019, John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, signed a contract with New Jersey-based Weeks Marine to begin the deepening of the western side of the Thimble Shoal Channel. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/284943/port-of-virginia-ship-channel-deepening-to-begin-in-january-2020/
10. Tramp Shippers To Be Most Challenged By IMO 2020 Rule Change: ICS. Shipping companies running itinerant merchant vessels known as tramps are concerned about sourcing fuel to comply with one of the biggest ever shake-ups of the industry next year, the head of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has banned the use of fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.5% from the beginning of January 2020, down from a maximum of 3.5% now, unless it is to power a ship equipped with a “scrubber” to clean the pollutant from exhaust emissions. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Tramp+shippers+to+be+most+challenged+by+IMO+2020+rule+change%3A+ICS
