Lloyd's Register
The American Club
Panama Consulate
London Shipping Law Center

Hot Port News from GAC

by admin

Hot Port News from GAC

08-Apr-2019

DREDGING WORKS IN WEST JURONG CHANNEL
Singapore

PORT AT CYCLONE STAGE 1 – MONITOR
Dampier, Australia

MARITIME PIRACY INCIDENTS DOWN, BUT GULF OF GUINEA KIDNAPPING RISK PERSISTS
Worldwide

Dredging works in West Jurong Channel
Monday, April 8, 2019, Singapore

Dredging works will be carried out in the West Jurong Channel from 8 April to 8 Jun.

According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Port Marine Notice No.033 of 2019, the works will be conducted 24 hours daily – including Sundays & Public Holidays – within the working areas bounded by the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum):

WORKING AREA A (25-29 April & 20 May-7 June)
1 01 deg. 18·047’N / 103 deg. 41·627’E
2 01 deg. 17·890’N / 103 deg. 41·712’E
9 01 deg. 17·863’N / 103 deg. 41·532’E
10 01 deg. 17·984’N / 103 deg. 41·468’E

WORKING AREA B-1 (30 April-19 May)
2 01 deg. 17·890’N / 103 deg. 41·712’E
3 01 deg. 17·804’N / 103 deg. 41·757’E
8 01 deg. 17·777’N / 103 deg. 41·578’E
9 01 deg. 17·863’N / 103 deg. 41·532’E

WORKING AREA B-2 (15-24 April)
3 01 deg. 17·804’N / 103 deg. 41·757’E
4 01 deg. 17·719’N / 103 deg. 41·803’E
7 01 deg. 17·692’N / 103 deg. 41·624’E
8 01 deg. 17·777’N / 103 deg. 41·578’E

WORKING AREA B-3 (8-14 April)
4 01 deg. 17·719’N / 103 deg. 41·803’E
5 01 deg. 17·636’N / 103 deg. 41·848’E
6 01 deg. 17·625’N / 103 deg. 41·659’E
7 01 deg. 17·692’N / 103 deg. 41·624’E

Dredging works will be carried out by dredgers, which will be held in position by 3 spuds system. There will be a circular safety zone of 70-metres radius centred around the dredger. Dredged materials will be transported to the designated dumping ground by the barges, which will be assisted by pusher tugs.

During the operation, the dredgers and barges will be attended by tug boats which will also be used to shift the dredgers and hopper barges, when required to clear the fairway for vessels to berth or unberth.

Safety boats will be deployed to warn other craft in the vicinity of the working area.

Craft involved in the works will exhibit the appropriate local and international day and night signals.

When in the vicinity of the working area, mariners are reminded to:
a) Keep well clear from the dredger;
b) Maintain a proper lookout;
c) Proceed at a safe speed and navigate with caution;
d) Maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 22 (Jurong Control);
and
e) Communicate with Jurong Control on VHF Channel 22 for assistance, if required.

For information about operations in Singapore contact GAC Singapore at singapore@gac.com

Port at Cyclone Stage 1 – Monitor
Monday, April 8, 2019, Dampier, Australia

Tropical Cyclone Wallace remains a Category 2 system with a possibility of reaching category 3 later tonight (Monday 8 April) or early tomorrow. It is likely to move in a south-westerly direction for the next 24 hours and then take a more west-southwest track from tomorrow.

The port of Dampier likely to experience swell from late evening until Tuesday, and the port is currently at Cyclone stage 1 – Monitor.

Vessel Masters shall ensure:
– Vessels’ engines and machinery are fully operational
– Vessels’ stability, trim, and propeller immersion are appropriate
– Vessels’ manning, stores and bunkers are adequate for departure
– Preparations are made in accordance with their respective cyclone response plan

Terminal/berth operators are to ensure that:
– The latest cyclone forecasts are taken into account if planning operations over the coming days
– The response plan accounts for time required for vessels to clear the port and the approaching tropical system safely
– The wharf areas are inspected for and cleared off/secured for any items that may have the potential to fall into the berth pockets or adjacent areas during periods of strong winds

Weather forecasts will continue to be monitored with further advice to be issued within the next 24 hours or earlier if there is a substantial change/escalation to the situation.

For information about operations at Australian ports contact GAC Australia at shipping.australia@gac.com

Maritime piracy incidents down, but Gulf of Guinea kidnapping risk persists
Monday, April 8, 2019, Worldwide

The International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) report for the first quarter of 2019 reveals fewer incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships than the first three months of 2018.

In the first quarter of 2019, IMB reported 38 incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, representing 28 fewer incidents than the first quarter of 2018 (66). IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre detailed that 27 vessels were boarded, seven vessels were fired upon and four attempted attacks occurred in the first quarter of 2019. No vessels were reported as hijacked for the first time since the first quarter of 1994…

…The Gulf of Guinea represented a high number of piracy and armed robbery attacks at sea, with 22 incidents reported in the first quarter of 2019. The region also accounted for all of the worldwide crew kidnappings as 21 crew members were kidnapped across five separate incidents. Incidents were reported in the coastal countries, of Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo in the first quarter of 2019.

Nigeria has been a hotspot for piracy incidents over the past decade. However, in the first quarter of 2019, Nigeria experienced a decrease in reported piracy incidents. Nigeria reported 14 incidents of piracy for Q1 2019, in comparison to 22 incidents in Q1 2018. These results confirm the Nigerian Navy’s increased efforts to “actively respond to reported incidents by dispatching patrol boats,” the report notes. Despite these efforts, Nigerian waters remain risky for vessels, especially the port of Lagos where four incidents have been reported.

In Asia, Indonesia witnessed a decrease in piracy activities for the first quarter of 2019. There were only three incidents reported against anchored vessels in ports in Indonesia – the fewest reported incidents since 2010 – according to the report. As with Nigeria, increased cooperation and information sharing between the Indonesian Marine Police and IMB Piracy Reporting Centre has enabled regular patrols in high-risk areas…

(For information about operations worldwide, contact the respective GAC office. Details can be found in the GAC WORLDWIDE section of www.gac.com)

Source: Extracts from the International Maritime Bureau (www.icc-ccs.org) news release dated 8 April 2019

You may also like

Leave a Comment