News and Commentary

22 May 2017

22 May 2017, Standard Club Circular - Financial Position and Open Policy years

Please read the attached circular

17 May 2017

Web Alert: OCIMF has released the third edition of the Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA3) - A Best Practice Guide

​OCIMF has released the TMSA v3 guide on 10 April 2017.

12 May 2017

Web Alert: The Ocean Victory – Supreme Court Decision

The UK Supreme Court has upheld the Court of Appeal’s ruling in The 'Ocean Victory' (Gard Marine and Energy Limited v China National Chartering Company Limited and Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha (2017)) that the port of Kashima in Japan was legally safe.

10 May 2017

Web Alert: Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) publishes its 2016 annual report

OBP has published its annual report on the state of maritime piracy for 2016.

9 May 2017

Web Alert: MCA draws attention to EEBD recall

The UK Maritime Coastguard Agency has released a safety bulletin concerning a specific make of ‘emergency escape breathing device’ (EEBD) which has been found to suffer from an inherent blockage and therefore does not fulfil the required rate for delivery of breathing air to the user.

8 May 2017

Web Alert: The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) publishes its first quarter report on piracy and armed robbery for 2017

The IMB has published its report on piracy and armed robbery for the first quarter of 2017, covering the period from 1 January to 30 March 2017. The report highlights persisting violence in piracy hotspots off Nigeria and around the Southern Philippines.

5 May 2017

Web Alert: California State Regulations on Ballast Water Management (effective as of 1 July 2017)

The California State Lands Commission has issued a letter (dated 19 April 2017) addressing the new regulations pertaining to the enforcement of the Marine Invasive Species Act and highlighting the reporting requirements.

5 May 2017

Web Alert: ICS, BIMCO & MPA-Singapore release new cyber security poster

A recent joint initiative by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has seen the release of a new awareness poster which focusses on the threats posed by cyber-attack and measures to mitigate the risk to vessels.

5 May 2017

Web Alert: Fender damage while berthing

A regular recurring issue that the club deals with concerns fender damage during berthing operations.

24 Apr 2017

Press Article: Safety is directly linked to training and experience

In an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Yves Vandenborn, Director of Loss Prevention, talks about the club’s initiatives to tackle human error.

21 Apr 2017

Web Alert: China MSA recommendations & control measures for ships navigating in restricted visibility off Fujian waters

The club's correspondent in China (Huatai) has recently issued circular 1704 highlighting the increasing number of navigational incidents due to poor visibility along the coast of Fujian province in China.

13 Apr 2017

Web Alert: Maritime Labour Convention 2006 ratified by Turkey

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006, has been ratified by Turkey, as declared in the Official Gazette numbered 30018 dated 25 March 2017.​

12 Apr 2017

Web Alert: Quantitative risk assessment in wreck removal tendering

This web alert is based on comments made by Sam Kendall-Marsden, Head of Division, UK & Americas, during a panel discussion on ‘The Changing Process in Wreck Removal’ at the International Salvage Union Associate Members’ Day in London on 22 March 2017.

11 Apr 2017

Web Alert: Somali piracy - recent attack shows there is no room for complacency

On 8 April 2017, the bulk carrier OS 35 was attacked and boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. This attack follows the first hijacking by Somali pirates for five years. Read more here.

11 Apr 2017

Web Alert: Claim handling tips for crewmember tuberculosis cases in the United States

Over the past few years, the club has seen an increase in the number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases in crewmembers around the world, especially in crewmembers travelling to the United States. These cases can be particularly difficult to handle and can be very costly for shipowners if the crewmember is diagnosed while in a US hospital.

10 Apr 2017

Web Alert: Without Prejudice Privilege – are negotiations admissible evidence when the charterer is in repudiatory breach of charter?

Without prejudice privilege (‘WPP’) applies to exclude all negotiations genuinely aimed at settlement, whether oral or in writing, from being given in evidence in legal proceedings.

7 Apr 2017

Web Alert: ‘The Arundel Castle’ – High Court clarifies the meaning of 'port limits'

The High Court has clarified the meaning of “port limits” in voyage charterparties which say that notice of readiness (NOR) can only be tendered within a specified port.

4 Apr 2017

Web Alert: UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) signs International Group Large Casualty MoU

The UK is the latest state to sign the International Group large casualty Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the response to major maritime casualties and incidents.

29 Mar 2017

Web Alert: Indonesian immigration authorities becoming stricter in the enforcement of immigration law

The club has been made aware of a recent case of the Indonesian immigration authorities taking a strict approach to enforcement of local visa regulations resulting in significant fines and the deportation of a number of crew.

24 Mar 2017

Web Alert: Update on US immigration orders

President Trump issued an Executive Order (E.O) 13769 which banned any immigrant or non-immigrant entry into the US of citizens from Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran and Libya for the next 90 days.A new E.O 13780 entitled 'Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States' has come into effect on 6 March which introduces new restrictions on travel to the U.S. from the above listed countries with the sole exception of Iraq.