Bill O’Neil, Secretary General of
the International Maritime Organisation, opened a key seminar
on ship design
and operation for freak waves. This full day discussion
revealed what still has to be done to cope with a phenomenon
that can overwhelm the largest of ships.
IMarEST Director Graham Hockley chaired the debate,
hearing a variety of views from masters, owners, scientists,
naval architects and Royal Navy specialists as well as
a panel of other experts, on measures that should be
taken to halt the heavy loss of life, damage to ships
and commercial losses associated with freak or abnormal
waves.
Pollution of the water column and on beaches was recognised
as an unacceptable by-product of ship damage and losses
caused by these conditions. Evidence produced indicated
that a decline in freight rates leads to reducing standards
in both ships and crews. Recent research by classification
societies and others identified limitations on design
and guidance on ship handling that has to be taken seriously
by the industry. The implications of not doing so were
starkly revealed in a Videotel Marine International research
video. (contact Marine Information Centre for a loan
copy). The catastrophic result of inadequate ship design
and poor handling of ships in the dangerous environment
of abnormally large waves was graphically illustrated.
A regime of safer design and operations has to be implemented.
A follow-up seminar is planned, with The Honourable
Company of Master Mariners, in association with the Institute
of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST),
the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), the
Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) and the Nautical
Institute (NI) to discuss what measures still have to
be done to improve the safety of ships in bad weather.
