The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) have published a new edition of Piracy The East Africa / Somalia Situation Practical Measures to Avoid, Deter or Delay Piracy Attacks, which provides practical guidance for seafarers faced with potential or actual acts of piracy.
News Alerts
We issue News and other Alerts to keep members posted about developments at the Club and other industry news. Please see our latest Alerts below.
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31 March 2009
19 March 2009
Present information suggests that whilst pirates operating out of Somalia remain active, this year has thus far seen a welcome decrease in the number of successful attacks upon merchant ships transiting the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters. The reduction in ships held suggests that Somali pirates have the capacity to increase activity again and therefore it would be prudent to maintain preparedness to counter an attack.
4 February 2009
VENEZUELA is the latest country to come under scrutiny from the US Coast Guard (USCG) in its ongoing project to determine the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures in foreign ports. According to the USCG effective anti-terrorism measures are not being maintained in Venezuela and a number of restrictions have, therefore, been imposed.
15 January 2009
THE London P&I Club has warned that the January 8 decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg in the case of Capt Apostolos Mangouras, the master of the Prestige, could seriously increase the risk of bail requirements being influenced by political considerations.
19 December 2008
Reports on casualties resulting from passage planning problems have featured regularly in the London Clubs StopLoss Bulletin. For example, berth-to-berth planning in StopLoss 38 included a reminder of the advantage of using cross hatching to indicate a no go area on a paper chart. And recently, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued a report which, among other things, highlights the same issue for Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS).
19 November 2008
An earlier News Alert entitled Demurrage Claims Charterparty Time Bar Reminder reported the decision of the English High Court in Waterfront Shipping Company Ltd v Trafigura AG [2007] EWHC 2482 (Comm) (the Sabrewing) in which the Court considered a charterparty clause which provided that demurrage claims would be time barred unless submitted to charterers, together with ALL supporting documentation, within 90 days of completion of discharge.
3 October 2008
P&I Correspondent in South Africa and Mozambique, P&I Associates (Pty) Ltd, have today issued a loss prevention alert on self heating / spontaneous combustion problems being experienced with coal presented for loading at the port of Maputo in Mozambique.The Correspondents bulletin is attached but any Member fixed to load such a cargo can obtain further advice either via Alan Reid of P&I Associates (Pty) Ltd on [email protected] or via [email protected].
30 September 2008
In response to the increased frequency of pirate attacks on merchant shipping, the Coalition Task Force 150 (CTF 150) has established recently a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) through the Gulf of Aden.
22 September 2008
SHIPOWNERS and those involved with the maintenance, operation, inspection and testing of Oily Water Separators (OWS) and Oil Content Monitors (OCM) need to be on the lookout for evidence of interference with the proper functioning of the equipment. And US Attorneys Holland & Knight have highlighted a recent United States Coast Guard (USCG) Technical Advisory which seeks to raise industry awareness about the USCGs concerns about a particular OCM.
10 September 2008
Under the South African Admiralty Act 1983, charterers and cargo interests can, in certain circumstances, obtain an ex parte Court order which may appear to oblige a Master to give the applicants surveyor access to the ship and ships documents.South African lawyers, Shepstone & Wylie, report that such access orders are being sought with increased frequency. A charterer seeking not just to inspect but to test a main engine on a ship involved in an underperformance dispute is a recent example.