Development and legislation under review PASSENGER VESSELS
D
IFFERENT types of passenger ships are facing regulatory or commercial pressures,
and the industry is facing up to the challenges, according to Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Cruise operators are increasingly investing in
the European cruise market, to counterbalance the reliance on the US economy, by earning additional income in euros. There is also a trend for ordering larger cruise vessels, with over 100,000gt becoming common. Safety aboard cruiseships is currently
in the spotlight, following the recent Star Princess fire, with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) drafting requirements to restrict the use of combustible materials. Meanwhile, mergers and acquisitions in
the cruise ferry/ro-pax industry have driven a rise in newbuild size and speed within this sector. This is thought to be a reaction to continuing competition from bridge and tunnel alternatives, the loss of duty-free sales in Europe, and escalating fuel costs. These new vessels are often route specific. The megayacht sector is still booming, as
designs in excess of 150m are now being built, raising safety issues with regards to classing these vessels. Lloyd’s Register’s special service class rules, along with the MCA Megayacht
Code, cover yacht certification at this time, which is said to provide a flexible safety standard, well known throughout the industry. However, some megayachts under
construction are to be f lagged with administrations developing their own versions of MCA’s Megayacht Code, or using the SOLAS passenger ship requirements. This discrepancy has prompted suggestions that IMO should develop a universally accepted set of safety standards for yachts of all sizes. IMO is currently monitoring the outcome
of the working group on passenger ships discussions, with the eventual agreement due to come into force on 1 July 2008. One of the issues under review is the proposed requirement for passenger ships with three or more fire zones to be able to return to port under their own power following a fire or flood, whilst providing passengers with sufficient safe areas onboard. Currently nothing has been decided concerning
the length of time a ship must remain operable following an incident, or how fast and far it must sail, or which passenger services should be maintained. Machinery and accommodation arrangements on newbuilds will have to take these factors into consideration.
A further topic for the working group
discussion has been damage thresholds for fire and flooding. The aim is for a ship to maintain essential services for at least three hours after the thresholds have been exceeded, to enable the ship to be abandoned safely. The term, ‘essential services’, still needs to be defined. New ships will also be required to fit safety
centres adjacent to the bridge, with the objective being to separate the ship navigation functions from those used to control emergencies developing onboard. Older ships containing wooden components
fall under the jurisdiction of the 2010 amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention. Many of these vessels, built before 1980, are being sold for scrap, however an increasing number are being assessed by classification societies in order to determine whether refurbishment is a viable option. Changes to SOLAS affecting probabilistic
damage stability (PDS) are due to enter into force on 1 January 2009. It is thought that the guidance notes needed to interpret these new requirements will be completed during the IMO Stability, Loadlines, and Fishing Vessels Committee meeting in July this year.
Improved passenger information on fjord ferries A
N ONLINE timetable for the fjord ferries, at Kiel in Germany, has recently
been developed. MaK Data System has designed the timetable for Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft Kiel (SFK) with the aim of providing passengers up-to-the-minute information, available on displays at major landing stages in Kiel Central Station and Laboe, as well as via the Internet. Further locations for displays are also being planned. The precise system facilitates time planning
for ferry customers, who can benefit from live departure time information. Additional features can be viewed on a dynamic chart at SFK’s website,
www.sfk-kiel.de, such as the different ferry routes, landing stages, and the actual ferry locations. The online timetable depicts the current
fjord traffic situation, the weather conditions, and delays from increased boarding times where high passenger volume occurs. When additional ferries are required, for instance during the Kiel Week festival, their timetables are automatically calculated and presented to the passengers. Based on MaK Data System’s intelligent
tracking engine, Vessel Event and Reporting System (VERS), the online timetable is claimed to be a first in Germany. VERS permanently scans incoming position and status data, and executes automatic services subject to predefined activity rules. In addition, VERS provides the online
timetable with data on current positions, speed, and computed arrival and departure
44 MaK Data System’s online timetable, for SFK fjord ferries.
times. The application shows arrival and departure data for any chosen landing stage in a timetable format, and visualises ferries’ live positions on a route map. Data is gathered by
automatic identification system technology, which is used for ships identification and transmits static, trip related, and dynamic data.
SHIP & BOAT INTERNATIONAL MAY/JUNE 2007
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