IFSMA Monthly Logs

This month IFSMA held its Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Aaland, Finland hosted jointly by Swedish Ship Officers’ Association and the Finnish Ship’s Officers’ Union. It was a very successful assembly and details of the event are in the Minutes of the 31^st Annual General Assembly posted on the main web sight. Members will be sent full details by post including the annual report.

Prior to the AGA we supported the first of this year’s Command Seminars held in Oslo on the 9^th and 10^th June 2005

IFSMA attended the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV), 51st session: 6-10 June 2005. 

The key points relating to IFSMA matters are as follows:

ECDIS

The Sub-Committee agreed that High-speed Craft should be fitted with an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) on a mandatory basis. A proposal for draft amendments to the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft 2000 (2000 HSC Code), as amended, would require ECDIS to be fitted to all new craft and to all existing craft under a phase-in schedule with a proposed final implementation date of 2010. The proposed amendments will be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its 81st session in May 2006 for consideration.

It was also agreed that there should be a Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) study on the use of ECDIS on ships other than high speed craft and passenger ships prior to any discussion on a possible carriage requirement for other ships. Furthermore consideration should be given to performance standards for ECDIS at the next NAV session.

Performance standards for electronic charts were adopted in 1995, by resolution A.817(19)), which was amended in 1996 by resolution MSC.64 (67) to reflect back-up arrangements in case of ECDIS failure. Additional amendments were adopted in 1998 by resolution MSC.86(70) to permit operation of ECDIS in the Raster Chart Display System (RCDS) mode.

It was further agreed that Member States should be invited to consider which paper charts would meet the "appropriate folio of up to-date paper charts" in territorial seas and where Electronic Navigational Charts did not exist, and to communicate this information to the International Hydrographic Office for inclusion in their online chart catalogue.

Voyage Data Recorders

Performance standards for Voyage Data Recorders (VDRS) and Simplified VDRS were reviewed and it was agreed that amendments were needed with regard to download and playback equipment.

A Safety of Navigation circular ‘Recommended means for extracting stored data from voyage data recorders’ was also approved. This circular recommends that all VDR and S-VDR systems installed on or after 1 July 2006 be supplied with an accessible means for extracting the stored data from the VDR or S-VDR to a computer.

Galileo

Draft Performance standards for ship-borne Galileo receiver equipment were prepared and the Sub-Committee recommended that Performance standards for ship-borne Galileo receiver equipment be included on the agenda for its next session. It was agreed that it was important to complete the performance standards by 2006 in order to give time for industry to produce equipment ahead of the Galileo system becoming operational in 2008. It is anticipated that Galileo will be proposed by the Galileo system operators to the Organization as a component of the World Wide Radio-navigation System.

Voyage and passage planning for passenger ships operating in remote areas.

For some time now concerns have been raised about passenger ships on ‘exploration’ cruises such as operating in Arctic or Antarctic waters and a draft resolution that recommends that passenger ships operating in remote areas should include in their detailed voyage and passage plans additional items such as:

• the source, age, and the quality of the hydrographic data on which the charts to be used are based;
• limitations of available Maritime Safety Information (MSI) data and Search and Rescue resources;
• availability or lack of aids to navigation;
• places of refuge;
• safe areas and no-go areas; surveyed marine corridors, if available;
• contingency plans for emergencies in view of limited support available for assistance in remote areas.
• where applicable, to include knowledge of ice and ice formations;
• how environmental conditions such as current, wind, calm weather, fog and different seasons affect the ice and navigation in ice;
• what measures to be taken before entering waters where ice may be present.

The Sub-Committee endorsed a draft Assembly Resolution on Voyage and passage planning for passenger ships operating in remote areas for submission to the MSC at its 81st session in 2006, with a view to adoption at the 25th session of the Assembly in 2007. The draft resolution, as a standalone document for passenger ships operating in remote areas, is intended to supplement resolution A.893(21) Guidelines for voyage planning.

Passenger ship safety

As part of the ongoing work by IMO on passenger ship safety, the Sub-Committee reviewed relevant draft Performance standards for essential systems and equipment on passenger ships for safe return to port after a casualty and for three hour time to remain habitable after a casualty. With respect to navigation systems, the Sub Committee agreed the following revised wording: "Equipment essential for navigation, position fixing and detection of risk of collision should also be available. The vessel should be capable of displaying the proper light configuration in compliance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea."

Integrated Navigation Systems

A correspondence group will continue the work in developing the text of the performance standards for a revised draft structure of performance standards for Integrated Navigation Systems (INS).

The draft structure will provide the framework for the performance standards to be developed in several sections which will include

• purpose;
• scope;
• application;
• ·definitions;
• Part A - Integration of navigational information to include system requirements;
• Part B - Task-related requirements for Integrated Navigational Systems to include operational requirements; compliance with SOLAS;
• configuration of INS; functional requirements for displays of INS;
• automatic control systems;
• back up and fallback arrangement; technical requirements;
• Part C - Alarm management system;
• and Part D - Documentation requirements.

The revised performance standards should allow for the proper application of SOLAS regulation V/15 Principles relating to bridge design, design and arrangement of navigational systems and equipment and bridge procedures and overcome the limitations of the existing performance standards for INS.

Code of safety for special purpose ships (SPS Code)

The Sub-Committee recommended that special purpose ships should comply with the provisions of chapter V of the 1974 SOLAS Convention as amended and that words to that effect should be included in the revised Code. The SPS Code was adopted in 1983 and is being revised to reflect amendments to SOLAS adopted since 1983.

Ships' Routeing

The Sub-Committee approved the following new or amended ships' routeing measures for submission to the MSC 81st session in May 2006 for adoption:

• New traffic separation schemes for seven Colombian ports:

                             i.     Puerto Bolivar,

                            ii.     Santa Marta,

                           iii.     Barranquilla,

                          iv.     Turbo,

                           v.     Cartagena,

                          vi.     Buenaventura including Bahia Malaga and

                         vii.     Tumaco;

• Amendments to the existing Traffic Separation Schemes "In the Strait of Juan de Fuca and its approaches" (Canada and the United States);
• Amendment to the existing Traffic Separation Scheme "Off Cabo de Gata" (Spain);
• Amendments to the Existing Traffic Separation Scheme "Off Porkkala Lighthouse" (Estonia, Finland and the Russian Federation); and
• Amendments to Existing Traffic Separation Scheme "In the Strait of Dover and Adjacent Waters" (United Kingdom);
• Amendment to the existing Area to be Avoided: CS4 Buoy, Dover Strait (United Kingdom);
• Two new Areas to be Avoided in the Colombian part of the Caribbean Sea - the Rosario Islands and Salmedina Bank, and the Gulf of Morrosquillo (Colombia); and
• Canary Islands Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) - associated protective measures: Establishment of new Traffic Separation Schemes; Areas to be Avoided; and a new mandatory Ship Reporting System.

The following ships' routeing systems were approved for submission to the 24th session of the Assembly in November-December 2005 for adoption:

• Amendments to the existing mandatory ship reporting system "In the Great Belt Traffic Area";
• Galapagos Archipelago PSSA - establishment of a new Area to be Avoided as an associated protective measure; and
• Baltic Sea Area PSSA - Establishment of new Traffic Separation Schemes; a recommended Deep-Water Route; Areas to be Avoided; and amendments to existing Traffic Separation Schemes" as associated protective measures.

I also wish to report that during our AGA, IMO’s Technical Co-operation Committee held its 54th session from the 15-17 June 2004.

IFSMA was unable to be represented as we were all attending the AGA, we are aware that the following subjects were discussed.

Reports from IMO training institutes.

The Committee was updated on the work of the three training institutes operating under the auspices of IMO.

•  IMO World Maritime University (WMU)
•  IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)
•  IMO International Maritime Academy (IMA)

Women in the Maritime Sector.

The committee heard that  during 15 years that the IMO Programme for the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector (IWMS) has been in operation a great deal had been achieved in making gender-awareness part of the culture in technical co-operation, and indeed beyond, within the Secretariat.

Command Seminar held in Oslo on the 9^th and 10^th June 2005

Although attendance at the first command seminar was rather disappointing, the content of the papers and the arrangements for syndicated workshops to discuss key issues was excellent.

The seminar closely looked at training, competency and support factors, and today’s problems of fatigue were given much consideration. The general consensus was that whilst there have been considerable advances in technology; its implementation has increased fatigue. GMDSS replacing the radio officer was given as an example of how a technological improvement benefited the owner by reducing the manning levels, whilst adding further responsibilities to the Master and watch-keeping officers.

Other key issues discussed were how we could improve the image of the industry; the multi culture issues on board ship; risk management and communications onboard.

It will be interesting to see how the debate develops in the future and I hope members will do their best to support and attend the remaining Command Seminars for 2005 to be held in Plymouth UK on the 14^th to the 16^th September, Mumbai, India 7^th to 8^th October, Singapore 13^th to 14^th October and Houston, USA 8^th to 9^th November.