Our Blogs and Marine News

I am going to look back over the start of my seagoing career and look at some of the factors that laid the path of the past 59 years! Like many a young seafarer, my career began with great expectations for the forthcoming years! I will take it in steps and trust this look backwards will help you appreciate where my generation is coming from. To borrow another publication, I do not “Look Back in Anger” (with apologies to John Osborne, who wrote the play in 1956)!

• By: Capt. John M M Noble | May 2021

As the pandemic hit the globe and forced people to isolate themselves and work from home, a wave of digitalisation and online work took over the world and created a new normal for operations in the industry. Although usage of technology increased drastically and enhanced the efficiency of operations, cyber security became a cause for concern. In such a scenario, organisations were pushed to step up and address these security concerns. Organisations like Constellation Marine Services LLC that is a marine surveying consultancy company that specializes in maritime and energy claims, offshore marine warranty inspection, ship and cargo inspections for principals, insurance companies, charterers, and P&I Clubs supported key industry players through their cyber security solutions.

• By: Manar Al Amin | Marasi News

Pre-loading surveys are entirely depending on the vessel’s Master and his cargo officer/chief officer’s experience and the company insurance department advice to order pre-loading surveys at the right time for sensitive/lightly valued cargo under doubtful circumstances.

• By: Mr. Sumanta Kumar Tarai

Although a draught survey is considered simple in principle, experienced surveyors will not hesitate to put forth that in practice, the process is rather complicated, involves numerous factors, and only with adequate knowledge and insight few of these can be established with a degree of accuracy.

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

It comes as no surprise, that after over two thousands of P&I surveys and 14 years of attendances, Constellation Marine services are well recognized in their contribution within the gamut of P&I surveys, be it for the members which consists of ship owners, charterers and operators in relation to third-party liability incidents involving seafarers, cargo ,vessel , equipment and port structures/equipment/crew.

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

The Incident of the EVER GIVEN has brought to the forefront a rather unique Maritime implication, which is the unprecedented disruption of the Maritime Supply Chain and the phenomenal economic fallout created, already exasperated by the current Pandemic situation.

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

Before we react in hindsight for an incident that has been escalated to a point of no return, another seafarer ends up being blamed for “doing his job”.
Let’s put some thoughts together to understand how and why one should avoid “judging” the Master of Ever Given to the extent that the fault is pinned to his shoulders.

• By: Capt. Zarin Irani

Adoption of waste recycling and reduction techniques by ship managers and training and implementation of same by shipboard personnel will go a long way in minimizing the problem.
We at Constellation have a long track to oversee the pollution aspects of the ship. We are authorized to work as safety officers on board ships on behalf of the Dubai Maritime Authority.

• By: Engr. Ramesh Krishnan.

As per TRAKHEES the Ports Custom and Freezone arm of the Dubai Ports Authority it is mandated to have a safety officer on board non-conventional tankers in port while the vessel is loading or discharging cargo. These are those tankers which do not, as an example possess an inert gas generator fitted on board, it is required to have a safety officer on board the ship at the time of loading or discharging cargo in Dubai Ports.

• By: Engr. Ramesh Krishnan.

The IMO cap is on the emissions per ship rather than on the industry’s total emissions. IMO has mandated it as CO2 emissions per transport work. But since “per transport work” The EU has already adopted Transport work is defined as the total amount of cargo or passengers carried multiplied by the total distance sailed). the fourth IMO study results published in August 2021 uses four different measures to estimate the carbon intensity.

• By: Engr. Ramesh Krishnan.

This is extremely relevant from the point of view of vessel owners and managers whose vessels are employed to carry Steel and other such sensitive cargos, which have the potential to change characteristics enroute during a see passage product. In-spite of cargo condition surveyor being surveyed, are often seen with their vessel masters “coerced” into issuing / endorsing Clean Bill of Ladings (which is inline with demands of the LC terms or the trade facilitator/financeable.

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

The ECDIS is considered an important milestone for shipping and within the IMO framework for E navigation defined as “the harmonized collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of marine information on board and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related services for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment.”

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

It is well known that manufacturing companies have adopted quality standards for a long period of time. It’s benefits such as but not limited to the value of the standard, the sales, and marketing advantage, and company requirements, are well documented.
In the recent past numerous service-oriented organizations have joined the Quality standards bandwagon, but in their entirety not all for the right reasons...

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

Marine and cargo surveyors are often called in on an independent basis to investigate and report on the cause and nature of these incidents, and it is not uncommon that investigation reports will contain inputs on cause nature and extent of the damage and / or injury. However, at Constellation we also believe we owe it to the industry at large, to percolate our finding and experience on the various considerations that can be implemented to prevent injuries and damage when performing this essential activity...

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

A Tug is essentially a marine CRAFT having several applications. It is used to assist ships in berthing and unberthing. Ships due to its large size have limited maneuvering abilities. In confined waters such as ports tugs due to its good pulling and pushing abilities and stable configuration, can assist the ships in berthing and unberthing as per the instructions of the port pilot....

• By: Engr. Ramesh Krishnan.

Taking fuel for the ship is also known as “Bunkering”. Bunkering as the ship terminology refers to taking fuel for the ship namely heavy oil (furnace oil), diesel oil and lube oil.
Bunkering of heavy oil for a ship is in Metric tonnes. The heavy oil is the bottom most grade coming out from the distilling tower coming out from a refinery...

• By: Engr. Ramesh Krishnan.

Constellation Marine services are pleased to announce the successful completion of a Port Captaincy evolution for loading a length of 7.5 kilometers of Ductile Iron cement coated pipe onboard a bulk carrier in Abu Dhabi...

• By: Capt. Vispy Dadimaster.

First thing first, when you are hiring a tug or deciding the combination of the spread, the suitability of the combination is the major aspect to look into. One of the main elements is the bollard pull capacity of the towing tug and the required pull for the towed vessel. Every towing tug in the market will be displayed with the bollard pull capacity and very few looks into...

• By: Engr. Fahad Ansari.

While proceeding with the pilot the pilot boat skipper heard unusual noise coming from the engine room. It was further noticed that port engine temperature had reached 90 degrees on the panel. He requested the motorman to have a look in the engine room. The motorman had observed that cooling water was coming out from the exhaust manifold.
The skipper of the pilot boat stopped the port engine immediately and proceeded to the jetty with one engine that is the starboard engine.
The boat was insured. The Superintendent of the boat, owning the company got in touch with the underwriters to the boat. The underwriters got in touch with Constellation Marine Services LLC to investigate the cause, nature and extent of damage....

• By: Engr. Ramesh Krishnan.

BW Group has confirmed that a Hafnia LR1 product tanker has suffered an explosion and fire at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah.
The Singapore shipowner said the 76,580-dwt BW Rhine (built 2008) had been hit from an “external source” whilst discharging early on Monday morning....

• Hafnia wrt.

A 99K DWT tanker vessel was presented for inspection upon completion of its first foot loading of a cargo of gasoline
Joint sampling conducted by Shippers and charterers surveyors, and subsequent testing, showed the cargo loaded to be Off specs. The parameter that failed testing was the Flash point of the Gasoil The loading terminal FOTT thereafter cast of the vessel and asked her to shift to anchorage with this part cargo. The vessel shifted to anchorage, pursuant to which the vessels owners IG P&I club requested us to attend....

• By Capt. Vispy Rusi Dadimaster.