Training Day: Cruden’s Pioneering Fast Craft Simulator

Marine simulators are commonplace in the training and development of crew for large vessels. Not so much for small, fast patrol and attack craft. From the mid to late 1970s, marine simulators developed into a viable training tool for trainee mariners. Their initial popularity developed as opportunities for practical training became scarcer and a lot costlier, too. Since then, however,…


How the Cargo Ship Industry is Cleaning up its Filthy Act

Air pollution from cars and factories has been regulated in much of the world since the 1970s. When it comes to the smoke-belching ships that carry global trade, the rules have been a lot looser. Big changes start next January, though, when long-debated standards from the International Maritime Organization mandate steep cuts of sulfur emissions associated with respiratory disease and…


Sino-US Trade War: Implications for the Philippines

SUMMARY The Sino-US trade war is a symptom of strategic rivalry and great power transition; The trade war has both risks (loss of profit margins for intermediate goods) and opportunities (trade diversion) for the Philippines; The Philippines needs to diversify commercial markets and intensify free trade agreements to buffer the impact of trade wars; The Philippines should employ means to…


IMO’s Gender Program: New Logo to increase Visibility for Women in Maritime

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a new logo for its Women in Maritime program, as part of its mission to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Program lead Helen Buni said: “The IMO Women in Maritime program supports the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going…


In Depth: Court Gives Nod to HHIC-Phil’s Rehabilitation Process

The Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City, Philippines, has approved the petition for rehabilitation filed by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC-Phil), a Philippine-based shipbuilding brand of South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Corporation. The decision to commence the rehabilitation process was received by both Hyundai Corporation and its debt-ridden subsidiary, a regulatory filing said. The relief in rehabilitation was…


Design for World’s First Pure-Electric Tanker Completed

Asahi Tanker and partner Exeno-Yamamizu Corporation Tokyo have developed the new domestic shipping tanker design, which incorporates “zero emission electric propulsion.” In anticipation of future adaptations to regulatory conformity, ClassNK has been appointed to provide technical advice on ship design and electric propulsion. Commercial model development of e5 design is underway for all bunker supply vessels trading in Tokyo Bay….


Deaths in Confined Spaces Are Still Happening

Modern ships are capable of carrying larger and larger loads while the number of crew aboard remains approximately the same. This means that Seafarers are more exposed to the dangers of confined space entries than ever before. What is a Confined Space? The International Maritime Organization (IMO) defines enclosed spaces as having limited openings for entry and exit, inadequate ventilation…


Wärtsilä to deliver World’s first Hybrid Retrofit for short-sea Shipping Vessel

The technology group Wärtsilä has signed an agreement with the international shipping company Hagland Shipping AS for a hybrid retrofit installation. The project will take place onboard the ‘Hagland Captain’, a general cargo vessel owned by Hagland Shipping. It will be the first project of its kind ever in short-sea shipping applications. The agreement was signed in December 2018. The…


PCG to Construct New Lighthouse in Tubbataha

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will be constructing a new lighthouse in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP). The delivery schedule for the PCG lighthouse is 360 calendar days. The lighthouse is targeted for construction within the year on the South Atoll of the marine natural park. It shall also serve as its protection against possible ship groundings. “Now that…


Eight Low-Emission Vessel Concept Designs

The shipping industry is ramping up its efforts to decarbonize by exploring the use of alternative fuels and technologies. Last week, a study led by Lloyd’s Register reveals that zero-emission vessels need to be entering the world fleet by 2030 if the industry is to come close to achieving the IMO 2050 GHG emissions reduction target. Shipping’s decarbonization will not…


Submarine Design Envelope (Diesel Electric and Nuclear)

INTRODUCTION This article provides summaries of operational limitations of a submarine, as well as basic mechanics about how a submarine operates at the surface, underwater, between the sea surface and bottom of the seabed, and how to float back to the surface. Below are the cycles showing how a submarine operates, as illustrated in Fig. 1. To prove how this…


South Korea Regains Top Spot in 2018 Shipbuilding Orders

The world’s shipbuilding companies are concentrated in three East Asian countries – China, South Korea, and Japan – that when combined control 90% of global market share. But finally, after seven years, South Korean shipyards have recaptured the lead in annual shipbuilding orders secured, according to newly released data from Clarkson Research institute. South Korea lost its No. 1 rank…


The Port Management Office of Lanao del Norte/Iligan (PMO LNI)

The Port Management Office of Lanao del Norte/Iligan is one of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) ports located along the northern central coastal areas of Mindanao facing the Iligan Bay. The Port of Iligan is its baseport. History of Iligan Baseport. The Spanish Colonial Government started to develop the seaport of Iligan in the early 18th century. The earliest structure…


GloFouling Project launched to protect Marine Biodiversity

GloFouling Partnerships: A collaboration of GEF, UNDP and IMO to address bioinvasions on ships’ hulls and other marine structures IMO Launches Biofouling Initiative. A new international effort to combat the negative environmental impacts of the transfer of aquatic species through ships has been launched in November 2018. The GloFouling Partnerships Project, a collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the…


Lake Buhi

The Bicol Peninsula is rich in natural resources and is a region known for its scenic destinations. The most famous lake in the Bicol region is Lake Buhi for its serene panorama. It is a 1,800 hectare freshwater lake, 8 meters deep, created out of volcanic activity, and is located in the town of Buhi, Camarines Sur. The lake derived…


Why do Beaked Whales return to a Navy sonar range despite frequent disturbance? Scientists say it’s the food

Using data from underwater robots, scientists discovered that Beaked Whales prefer to feed within a Navy sonar test range off Southern California that have dense patches of deep-sea squid. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology shows that Beaked Whales need these prey hotspots to survive, and that similar patches do not exist in nearby “sonar-free” areas….


U.S. Navy May Build Wall to Defend HQ from Climate Change

The U.S. Navy is contemplating on building a high 14-foot seawall to protect the Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. from rising sea levels, an effect of climate change. The Navy Yard is the Navy’s oldest installation. It was established in 1799 as a shipbuilding facility and port, and later used for making ordnance, and then turned into an administrative…



Fishery Protection: A Challenge to Maritime Forces

With over 2 million square kilometers of coastal and oceanic waters connecting the archipelago, the Philippine fishery is one of the major sources of food and income of the population. This area contains a common property resource – fishery and aquatic – that needs protection for the present and future generations. Recent reports indicate that among the country’s major economic…


PH-US Relations: The Bells of Balangiga and Bauang

The Maritime Forum this January stresses international relations and emphatically the DFA will host the 141st Maritime Forum. As we enter a new year and get closer to the next decade, will there be an improvement in our relations with our erstwhile former closest ally and benefactor? The United States has been the favorite “punching bag” of President Rodrigo Duterte…


Solving Present-Day Challenges Through the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

About three months ago, I informed the management and readership of Manila Bulletin of the doctor’s advice for me to go on medical leave, which I did starting 19-October-2018, with a request to accommodate for publication in the same column-space any article I might submit from time-to-time, when opportunities arise. Crucial issues have been hounding not just the Philippines but…


Strengthening Our Hydrographic Office to Secure Our Future

This year is a milestone year for the global hydrographic community. 100 years ago or in June 1919, the 1st International Hydrographic Conference was held in London. It marks the beginning towards the creation of an international bureau for hydrography. Today, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is the authoritative worldwide hydrographic body which actively engages all coastal and interested States…


Federalism in Canada: An Observation

I have been going back and forth to Canada for the last 10 years visiting my son’s family, staying in for six to eight months and I have observed and read about how a federal government works. Canada is located on the northern boundary of the of United States which lies in the south of Canada, and extends to the…


Asian Seafaring Nations Announce First Ever Manila Statement on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers

A Regional Meeting of Asia’s leading seafaring nations has highlighted the plight seafarers face in the event of a maritime accident and has pledged to lead the drive towards proper and effective implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labor Organization (ILO) agreed Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers. The Regional Meeting, held in Manila on 13-November,…


Procedures: Mooring Line Handling Tips

Mooring and unmooring operations provide the circumstances for potentially serious accidents. There is no doubt that this duty requires a good technique initially in lifting the heavy eye of the rope, followed by a good pulling technique. Care must be taken, therefore with the laying out of heavy mooring ropes and wire ropes/hawsers. Seafarers involved in mooring operations should be…