Those in peril
Last week, a small ship sank in a gale off the Welsh coast. Of the SWANLAND’S crew of eight, only two were saved, despite a distinguished rescue effort in terrible conditions by eleven Coast Guard teams, the RNLI and Royal Air Force. Continue reading
Shipping, EMSA and the European Union
There is apprehension that the grim news from Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Paris and Athens could lead to a weakening, partition or breakup of the Eurozone, and perhaps the European Union itself. Continue reading
Oversight, assessment of risk and management: Part 3
As we all know the ISM Code was adopted by IMO in 1993. The Code was drafted as a self-contained document. However, its provisions were bought into force internationally when, at the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Conference in 1994, compliance with its provisions became mandatory under a new Chapter IX to the SOLAS Convention. The Code differs from other quality assurance systems in that it is mandatory; it has been amended over the years, and is generally incorporated in OPA ’90. Continue reading
The Pavit – a 21st Century Marie Celeste?
Maritime history buffs may remember the story of the Marie Celeste, a sailing ship found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean, which seemingly had managed to sail for months without reaching land, and whose crew were mysteriously absent. To this day, her mystery remains the subject of speculation. Continue reading
Worse to come for shipping
The true state of the world economy was shown on August 1, with the release by JPMorgan of a series of indicators making up the global manufacturing purchasing managers’ indices (PMI). Continue reading
Following the old Silk Road
In 1998, in Indonesia, a few sea-cucumber divers made a discovery that has changed how we think about the history of seaborne trade, and the background of China’s maritime commerce.
The divers had come upon what is now known as the Belitung shipwreck, named for the island where it was found.
Dating from the ninth century, the wreck, an Arab vessel, was in effect the Maersk, or APL or NOL, containership of its day; it held more than 60,000 commercial objects.
The cargo, made and shipped from Tang Dynasty China, was bound for Baghdad, then the capital of the Abbasid empire.
The Belitung ship and choice items from its fabulous cargo, are, thanks to the government of Singapore, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and a number of sponsors, now… Continue reading
Shipwrecked – a must see for anyone
I have just spent the last few days in Singapore at the opening of one of the oldest and most important marine archaeological finds of the late 20th century – the fabulous Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon Winds exhibition which has opened at the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. Continue reading
Lifeboat failures highlight perils of sea
It is well known to those concerned with safety at sea that behind a thick hedgerow of rules and regulations there exist real people and, sometimes, real danger. Continue reading
Money and blood
It is not clear whether the loss of the Jian Fu Star (October 27th 2010: 13 fatalities); Nasco Diamond (November 10th 2010: 21 fatalities); or the Hong Wei (December 3rd, 2010: 10 fatalities) involved a ship that lacked P&I cover or that was not classed with a known classification society. Continue reading
Should we blame flag states for Nickel Ore disasters?
I wanted to follow up on a point Matt Turner made in one of the comments to my Nickel Ore disaster story. Continue reading
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