Standard Club: Review of open policy years
In the recent renewal, 93% of the membership renewed their Strike & Delay cover, with an overall increase of 6.5% on expiring rates achieved through a combination of premium uplift and adjustment of terms. Despite the notable challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the class attracted new owners and members throughout 2020 and added more at the start of the 2021/22 year. The Class now has more than 2,000 ships are on risk.
At the class committee meeting on 6 May 2021, the committee reviewed open policy years and financial year accounts. The audited class result for the 2020/21 financial year is an overall surplus of $0.7m. Owners/members are asked to budget for each policy year as follows:
Discharge of scrubber wash-water in Brazil
Further to the club’s previous news item on discharge of scrubber wash-water in Brazil, correspondents BRAZMAR Marine Services have advised that the Directorate of Ports and Coasts (DPC) / Navy have changed their previous guidance on the topic, and that the discharge of wash water from open loop and/or hybrid Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) is allowed within Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters until the competent environmental authority has the opportunity to better assess the scenario. This is based on the assumption that the subject EGCS is approved by Class, has a plan for compliance of SOx emissions and is approved as per the requirements of resolution MEPC.259 (68) of IMO.
New round of Brazilian soya bean damage claims in China
Following the club’s previous news item in February this year where we reported delays due to the continuous wet weather in Brazil at the beginning of the soya bean harvesting season, we have received information from the local surveyors and lawyers in China that so far heat and mouldy damaged cargo has been found on seven ships and most of those cargoes were exported from Itaqui. In some of those cases, the moisture content of the soya bean cargo was observed to be 20-30% before being loaded on the ship.
Human error leads to many navigation-related shipping casualties. Such incidents can not only lead to crew death, but also cause significant damage to vessels, cargoes, the environment, and the reputation of companies and the shipping industry.
Standard Club is invested in doing our part for the maritime industry in this aspect and we have collaborated with industry bodies in the publication of The Human Element: A Guide to Human Behaviour in the Shipping Industry.
In the same vein, Capt Yves Vandenborn, Director of Loss Prevention, has written the foreword for the Nautical Institute’s latest edition of Bridge Watchkeeping. The book promotes best practice in watchkeeping and is a good companion for newly qualified watchkeepers as they take on their new responsibilities. A Bridge Watchkeeping webinar is available to view.