The Various Functions and Superintendency of Ship - Assignment Example

1. The various functions involved in managing ships It is common trend that the responsibility of managing ships to be subcontracted by the owner. From that, the ship's superintendent should see to it that the ten functions for a ships operation is done. First of which is Crewing. The crew, usually hired from contractors, is suppose to be familiar with the vessel and its operation, has good rapport, and is very competent for his given job. Next would be Technical Management which entails making sure that the vessel is generally efficient, well maintained, and with damages repaired. It also follows that there is a provision of stores and spares. The international certificates for orders and international and national safety standards are met. This can be followed when there is enough Insurance for the ship and the cargo. I t is important to know to whom the insurance is named after and whether the insurance is assigned to a bank under a loan agreement. The extent of the insurance should be known for there may be uncovered items. Then there is Freight Management which is the provision of voyage orders and other information to enable the master to plan and undertake the voyage, of voyage estimates and accounts, the calculation of hire and freights, dispatch and demurrage and the arrangement of the correct collection and payment of all charter hire and freight monies. Fifth would be Accounting which is the accurate records of accounts. Sixth is Chartering which is the owner's instructions. Proper coordination with the owner, or a selected organization, is crucial to avoid mistakes. Next is Vessel Sales and Purchase. This is a major activity where the exchange of the purchase price with the deed of sale of the ship along with the physical asset. Eighth is Provisions and Bunkering. This is the negotiation for competitive prices for optimum quality for shipment. Then we have Operation, which includes voyage estimates, voyage instructions, appointment of agents and stevedores and the arrangements for surveying cargoes. Finally there is the Budget and the Management of Funds which should be balanced between having enough for maintenance, wages, safety etc. and having just the right amount for the owner's endorsement. 2. Seaworthiness and cargoworthiness and their importance Seaworthiness and cargoworthiness always go hand in hand. As an overview, seaworthiness is the shipowner's responsibility to see the ship is fit for travel and cargowothiness is the responsibility to make the cargo hulls safe for the cargo and the cargo safe for transport. Related directly as the shipowner's right to limit his liabilities, the concept is of seaworthiness is a very important in legal context. This is achieved by proper preparation at the start of the voyage. This means that the ship must be properly manned, equipped and supplied. The parts of the ship in which the good are carried must be fit and safe for receipt, carriage and preservation. At the event that cargo is not at par with the cargo owner's desires, the right to limit the liabilities can then be challenged at court. The concept of cargoworthiness relates as the consideration associated with fitness for purpose and condition. This is now the cargo owner's task to see that his products are properly transported. This is important for both the cargo and ship owner's because it will definitely limit future problems with substandard shipments. Furthermore, the cargo must be properly loaded, stowed, carried, discharged and delivered. This now is the mainly the responsibility of the cargo owner, although it does go hand in hand with the shipowner's task of keeping the ship seaworthy. Even if the ship is of perfect condition for cargo containment, without the proper handling and transport of the cargo to and from the vessel, it is still likely that the goods are to be damaged. 3. The process involved in amending (in 1995) the STCW convention and ensuring that it operates consistently and effectively Back in 1974 when the STCW convention was first introduced, it was considered a breakthrough for setting the standards of training, certification and implementation for seafarers. However, it was later discovered that it had many loopholes. Some of which are: the lack of safely regulations, practical expertise was not recognized and that it did not expect that years of experience be translated to functional skills. There were major revisions on the format while still keeping the original convention's integrity. The major change was the establishment of standard of competence. This entails the recognition of the seafarer's abilities and academic knowledge and matching this with the most appropriate function. Another change was the additional focus on governments, making sure that they were observing the requirements of the Convention. Foreign governments are to issue certificates to their seafarers in recognition of STCW document thus keeping a standard, to do so means that the said foreign government must also comply with the convention. Next would be implementing responsibilities on companies or the owner of the ship. It is assumed that that entity has agreed to take over all the duties and responsibilities imposed by the convention such as holding appropriate certificates and have competent men on the ship among others. Other amendments include setting English as the primary language for proper communication and the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse. The entire above mentioned are implemented uniformly among all maritime companies and individuals. Although approves in 1995, the Convention was put into force in 1997. 4. The elements of a strategy for ensuring the provision of competent and cost effective crews The balance between cost and quality is important both in the practical sense and in selecting the crew for a ship. It is pretty obvious that every ship requires the most competent men in its crew, that is, without spending too much on unnecessary skills. This is why a certain protocol should be implemented upon selection. The first question to be asked must be "does the officer hold necessary qualification under STCW for the position, the vessel and the trade" This involves the education and the certificates of the individual. He should be certified by the STCW convention for what educational attainment he has and his expertise. It should be noted that certificates can come from flag countries which, even though as much as possible made uniform, may have different standards. The qualification also include the experience: number of years, on what condition, what particular vessel. Next step is to check the candidate for additional qualifications for emergency, occupational safety, medical care and survival training. The candidate may be well equipped with the education for the job but without these additional qualifications may be rendered as a burden at some point. Again, in addition to the candidate's experience, he must be familiar with the particular vessel he will be servicing. Especially when the said vessel is a specialized ship such as: tankers and carriers. In addition to that, the employment of the crew also hinge on other factors such as minimum age of 16 and a minimum age of 18 for night shifts. The candidate must be informed and might consider other conditions of employment such as wages, work hours, medical privileges among others. These will ensure that the individual employed be fit for the job. Under qualified employees will become liabilities and over qualified ones will just be too costly. 5. Brainstorm the hazards that you might expect to encounter when dry-docking for repairs There are multiple hazards to consider when dry-docking for repairs but it can be reduced to three major ones. The first will be positioning the ship in the dock upon blocks, next is the high possibility of falling and finally the unexpected bursting of the gates. When the ship first gets to the dry dock, it would still be afloat. The water will then be pumped out while positioning the ship properly so that it can stand upon number of blocks. Some ships have special equipments submerged and this will require special support to be made and possibly reducing equilibrium and balance. This may be the most hazardous part of the dry-docking process because it often requires manual maneuvering. There are divers monitoring the underside of the ship and men on the ground tugging. On the instance that the blocks fail and the ship tumbles, there is minimum possibility of escape for these men. Another hazard is the height of the docks. Docks are supposed to be very deep when filled with water and therefore very high when drained. This increases the possibility of falling of people working on the higher places. It is suggested that there be rails on ramps and ladders be constructed along with the workers wearing harnesses when working. And finally, after finishing the maintenance, the water being pumped back into the dock poses another threat to the workers. Upon the failure of the valves, and the flood gates bursting into the dock, people could die from drowning if not the force of the flow. The dock should be fully evacuated when doing this final procedure but with people guiding the process, evacuation is not possible. Work hazards are always there and people should always try to be safe. Along with these hazards, the downside of the dry-docking includes expenses, off-hire period and opportunity loss. 6. Under what circumstances may a shipowner be able to limit his liability In essence, the shipowner has full responsibility for the cargo entrusted to his care. The only situation where in he is exempt from liability is damages or loss of the cargo is caused by the act of God, the Queen's enemies or as a result of an inherent vice of the goods. A shipowner may be able to limit his responsibility if the following obligations are met: make the ship seaworthy, properly man, equip and supply the ship, and make the holds, refrigerated and cold chambers, and all other parts of the ship in which goods are carried, fit and safe for their reception, carriage and preservation. This means that in order to limit his liability, the shipowner must make sure that he and his subordinates exhibit the above said conditions at all time. And at the event that seaworthiness and cargoworthiness is challenged, the shipowner should be able to show proper documents and records that will settle the dispute. But in the event that it is proven that loss has resulted from the shipowner's personal act or omission, committed with the intent to cause such loss, or recklessly and with knowledge that such loss would probably result, he is not entitled to limit his liability. 7. Discuss the approach you would take when planning the navigation bridge for a new class of vessel. Planning for a navigation bridge for a new class of vessel is a very challenging task, even for experiences maritime superintendents. There are the standard contents, instruments, aids and other devices found in the bridge and there are the extras and accessories that give the vessel the ability to do its function. It is the superintendent's responsibility to find the balance between what is necessary and what is not and what extras will surely aid the vessel and which are just considered dead weight. It is a good practice to "use technological innovation to achieve a clearly defined objective and not be led by technology". After defining which instruments are to be added to the navigational bridge, the design plan could then be started. The officers onboard should first be asked for their feedback. This is a very important task since they will be the ones requesting information and providing instructions the bridge may be of influence to. The owning or management company should then be informed and asked for approval. Since the superintendent is the one who has a better understanding on what the expenses would entail and how these would benefit the company, he should give a brief explanation for the details. This way, an ample budget could be provided. After which, the manufacturers for the equipment should be contracted. This is already making the design plan final. The manufacturer will review the design make suggestions and maybe made minor revision keeping in mind the optimal function of the vessel. Finally, have the equipments and the whole navigation bridge system be approved by the IMO along with other organizations. References: Tallack, R. (2009), Diploma in Ship Superintendency Module 3 (The World of Shipping). Read More