98016 Loading Stores in a TSS

Loading Stores in a TSS
Singapore Strait.
Report No. 98016.

My vessel, a 21,162 grt semi-submersible heavy lift, was westbound in theSingapore Strait NNW of Nippa Beacon. We were carrying a pipe laying bargeon our main deck. The visibility was good and our navigation lights wereclearly visible to other vessels. A ballasted tanker of approximately 50,000dwtwas on our starboard bow. She was not at anchor and not underway but slowlydrifting in a southerly direction inside the westbound lane just outsidethe Singapore limits and displaying a red-white-red light signal.

When this tanker was raised on the VHF by VTIS West and consequentlywarned that they were causing trouble to the westbound traffic, I had thepleasure to learn that they were only taking stores and spare parts on board.I had to alter course to port to a course of due West in order to pass safelyastern. A course alteration to starboard would have been twice as big forthe same effect and would have put us outside the TSS and into the WesternBoarding Ground. Only when the vessel was on our starboard quarter was thered-white-red signal switched off and she started to pick up speed again.Apparently her stores were now all on board.

There might be a link with the information in the November 1997 editionof SEWAYS page 31**, "Off Singapore". Until recently, tankersand other vessels were always dropping anchor in the area between the westboundand eastbound lanes, South and West of Nippa, in order to carry out abovementioned operations safely.

**The reference above refers to an article inBrian Baileyís column NAUTELEX which is reproduced below. I seemsthat there are more hazards than navigational ones.

Off Singapore

In the September issue of its bulletin, the London P & I Club warned its members of the possible dangers in working off Singapore. It has long been the case that the area off the Nippa lighthouse has been used by ships to refuel and to take on stores, mainly to avoid going into Singapore port and having to pay port charges. The area has been considered as international waters or as unclaimed territory. Recently however Indonesians have been boarding tankers refuelling in the area and taking shipís agents, masters and documents. Penalties of Sing $50,000 have been imposed, unsupported by any legislation in order to effect their release. These activities started last July following an Indonesian Notice to Mariners in December 1996 which demanded that ships ëstop their activities and leave the areaí. The London Club is warning its members not to anchor in the zone, even if no work is taking place, without first seeking advice from the Club.

As a follow up to the two reports above, hereis a letter recently published in Lloydís List from the Director,Corporate Communications for the Director General Maritime and Port Authorityof Singapore.

Sir, We refer to two editorials which appeared in Lloydís List on March 12 and 14, 1998. In both the editorials, the oil pollution incident involving the tanker EVOIKOS which occurred in the Singapore Strait last year was referred to. In the March 12 issue, the relevant paragraph stated as follows: "one thinks of the two masters of the ships involved in the Singapore position, who probably made a mistake in the narrow, heavily trafficked and poorly supervised Singapore Strait and may well pay for this with the loss of their liberty".

In the March 14 issue, the following sentence was included: "íevery time I transit the Singapore Straits I find myself involved in traffic situations that scare me to deathí, wrote a tanker master to us, shortly after the EVOIKOS spill last year". The two masters have been charged in court following the incident. However, they were charged under the Singapore Merchant Shipping Act and the Penal Code for failure to discharge their duties while navigating the tankers. They have not been charged for causing pollution. The court hearing is pending and it is entirely inappropriate for anyone to speculate if the masters had made a mistake resulting in the incident.

We are also puzzled with the use of the phrase "poorly supervised Singapore Strait". The editorial has offered no explanation on how the writer had come to such a conclusion. How has the Singapore Strait been "poorly supervised"? It is well known in the international maritime community that for many years there is a Routeing System in operation in the Singapore and Malacca Straits. The system is an IMO adopted system and consists of traffic separation schemes and rules aimed at enhancing the safety of navigation in the Straits. Since 1990, we have been operating a radar based Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) which monitors shipping traffic in the port as well as in the Singapore Strait. The VTIS provides relevant information to ships using the Singapore Strait aimed at helping the masters to navigate their ships safely in the Strait.

You may like to note that in the EVOIKOS case, the masters of the tankers were provided with information on the position of the two tankers well before the collision occurred. In addition to the VTIS, we have also introduced various measures to further enhance safety in the Strait. We have established a Differential Global Positioning System to improve the accuracy of position fixing by vessels. We have developed the Electronic Navigational Charts for the Strait (and our port) which can be used together with the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) for real-time navigation without the use of paper charts.

A proposal by the three littoral states of the Malacca and Singapore Straits to introduce Mandatory Ship Reporting System in the Straits is being considered by IMO and is expected to be brought into use by the end of 1998. The system is implemented free of charge to the participating ships.

It is evident from the above that every effort has been made to enhance the safety of navigation through the Singapore Strait. In fact efforts are continuously being made in this regard. We are always receptive to constructive suggestions from any quarter, including Lloydís List, on how safety could be further improved. It does not help matters making unsubstantiated criticism without the benefit of the full facts.