Challenge Corner

[Answer] What is IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System?

International Maritime Organisation and its committees specifically the Maritime Safety Committee (MPC) and the Technical Cooperation Committee has been continually striving for better safety standards and working conditions at sea.

IMO-GISIS

GISIS (Global Integrated Shipping Information System) is developed, maintained and headed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

This system (website) is aimed at allowing on-line access to the information and data supplied to the IMO Secretariat...

https://mfame.guru/answer-what-is-imos-global-integrated-shipping-information-system/

[Answer] What is the Blue and Yellow Light Ahead?

You see a blue and yellow light ahead while sailing at night? What does it mean?

Yachting Monthly brings out an interesting perspective to this valuable question.  James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship.

Question: What is the blue and yellow light ahead?

Bill and Rose are on board Emma, a 13m cruising yacht.

They are on passage from Falmouth to southern Ireland.

Although Bill and Rose both took an RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster shorebased course about 20 years ago, they are cautious...

https://mfame.guru/answer-what-is-the-blue-and-yellow-light-ahead/

[Answer] What is a Marine Sextant?

An article in Marine Insight helps us understand the working principle, readings and maintenance of a Marine Sextant.

What is Sextant?

The sextant is an instrument used to measure angles. Mainly used at sea, the tool is so named because its arc is one-sixth of a circle – 60 degrees. It adheres to the principle of double reflection hence it can measure angles up to 120 degrees.

Practically speaking, the arc of the sextant is a little over 60 degrees and therefore the total angle measurable is about...

https://mfame.guru/answer-what-is-a-marine-sextant/

(Answer) What Happens When Cargo Ships Ventures Into Terrible Ice Conditions?

An Arctic cargo ship, Sparta III, violated safety rules and sailed into unsafe ice conditions. It took nearly four weeks, several icebreakers and rescue ships to escort it to safety, reports High North News.

Today we are chronicling that dreadful incident to understand how unsafe ice conditions harm cargo ships. Let’s take a look.

Increased Traffic Decreased Safety

Safety violations continue unabated along Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR). The four-week saga surrounding the rescue of Sparta III,...

https://mfame.guru/answer-what-happens-when-cargo-ships-ventures-into-terrible-ice-conditions/

USCG Explains The Symptoms Of Hypothermia

The US Coast Guard explains which are the symptoms of hypothermia, highlighting that body heat can be lost 25x faster in cold water than in air, says an article published in safety4sea.

What is Hypothermia?

USCG explains that frost nip, frost bite, and hypothermia are medical conditions associated with cold stress.

As shown in the picture above, the signs of hypothermia are:

  • confusion
  • shivering
  • difficulty when speaking
  • sleepiness
  • stiff muscles.
Types of Hypothermia

In addition, the coast guard...

https://mfame.guru/uscg-explains-the-symptoms-of-hypothermia/

[Answer] How Ships Should Navigate Through Dangerous Marine Fauna?

Marine fauna poses a grave danger for shippers and as such they need to acquire the skills of navigating through them. Keeping that in mind, the Gard has published a detailed guideline how to master this. 

Impact of Marine Fauna on Shipping

While shipping traffic is one of many human activities in the ocean that may have an adverse impact on marine life, the opposite is also true. The presence of marine fauna in some geographic regions can pose a serious threat to the safety of ships and the...

https://mfame.guru/answer-how-ships-should-navigate-through-dangerous-marine-fauna/

[Answer] Why Fishing Boat Captains Like Foil’s Ability To Retract?

It was Canadian whalers, the Norwegians tell us, who first noticed that a dead whale does not bob in the waves. The carcass didn’t pitch or roll, either, and it was somehow “self-propelled” — its fins giving it forward motion and acting as stabilizers, or foils. The story still inspires Trondheim company Wavefoil, maker of scalable, retractable foils that offer ship owners and designers fuel savings and passenger comfort. In Norway, high-speed ferries, cruise ships and fishing vessels are the...

https://mfame.guru/answer-why-fishing-boat-captains-like-foils-ability-to-retract/

[Answer] How To Prevent Finger Injuries by Wearing the Right Gloves?

Gard club has highlighted the working practices and recommendations to prevent finger injuries aboard vessels.

Finger and hand injuries

The Gard P&I Club reported that over a ten year period between 2009-2018, a 25% of all the crew accidents were finger and hand injuries related. Based on the Club’s portofolio, the data presented that ratings are nearly twice as likely to suffer from such injuries in comparison to the officers.

Apart from the ratings, the majority of finger/hand injuries were...

https://mfame.guru/answer-how-to-prevent-finger-injuries-by-wearing-the-right-gloves/

Standard Club Issues Overview of Cargo Fumigation Landscape

Following the pandemic and its travel bans, fumigators are unable to sail with the vessel. Therefore, ship operators and crew, who do not have the necessary expertise to handle toxic materials, are exposed to a risky operational environment.

In this context, Standard Club has issued guidelines for topping-up of fumigant by crew during the voyage.

Crew fumigation

Standard Club is witnessing an increasing number of cases where ships that are typically engaged in carriage of logs are being asked to...

https://mfame.guru/standard-club-issues-overview-of-cargo-fumigation-landscape/

[Answer] How To Carry Out STS Transfers Safely?

Ship to ship (STS) transfer is the transfer of crude oil, petroleum products, liquid bulk chemicals and liquefied gas between sea-going tankers. However, in order for this procedure to be carried out safely, certain measures must be taken.  Let us have a look at the measures that should be followed efficiently for the Ship to ship transfer of crude oil.

Careful assessment of risks

According to Skuld Club, the STS transfer area should be carefully assessed for risks and chosen for a safe...

https://mfame.guru/answer-how-to-carry-out-sts-transfers-safely/

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