Mar '26
The maritime industry often moves in cycles. There are times when projects flow in relentlessly, and there are moments when the pace slows down, often influenced by larger geopolitical or market uncertainties. The current regional situation has certainly created one such period.
Dec
Picture this: You’re standing on a dock, clipboard in hand, the wind tugging at your notepad as waves crash against the hull of a ship you’ve just inspected. The salty air smells of adventure and responsibility—and you’re thinking, Do I really need to jot down every little dent, temperature reading, or container number? The answer, my friend, is a resounding YES.
Dec
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)!
Nov
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.
Oct
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.
Jun
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.
Jun
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.
May
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.
March
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.
March
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.
March
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.
March
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.
February
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.
February
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.”
February
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...
January
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...
January
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....
January
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...
January
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...
January
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...
December
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....
December
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....
November
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....
