MTA Notices & Member News

Issue #62, 22nd October 2003

In this issue:

1. Want to join the Marine Transport Association?
2. New member benefit
3. Member benefits and discounts
4. Commercial sailing ships, bareboat charter yachts, and commercial sail training
5. Maritime Educators
6. Westhaven Marina sale opposed
7. Ferry terminal repair costs put extra 20c on ferry tickets
8. Boaties barred from dumping sewage into Lake Taupo
9. RYA opens Australian centres
10. Gibbs Aquada smashes speed record
11. Staten Island Ferry crashes, killing 10
12. Recruitment remains a key issue for UK marine industry
13. Proposed standards could make boat sound tests easier
14. Prototype developed for eco-friendly boating line
15. Nano fuel additive enters efficiency trials

Want to join the Marine Transport Association?

The MTA actively represents the interests of the restricted limits shipping industry through legislative and regulatory representation and trade discounts for members.

The MTA is a dynamic members' association focused on the issues and concerns most relevant to owners and operators of passenger vessels, aquaculture vessels, charter boats, barges, bare-boat charters, water taxis, and manufacturers of maritime-related products and services dedicated to achieving a common goal, developing a superior operating environment for all.

You can apply for membership online and members can pay their subs by credit card over the phone. Email us to join or request more information, or phone 04 496 4882. You'll be surprised by how little it costs and how much you can save.

Member benefits and discounts

Commercial sailing ships, bareboat charter yachts, and commercial sail training

MSA has released Draft Rule Part 40E to the MTA for informal public consultation but it has yet to go through the formal consultation process. However, some operators will want to have a look at it now to see how it might affect you and your business. It will be of interest to commercial sailing ships, bareboat charter yachts, and commercial sail training including sailing clubs. It is still very much in the draft form and. Hard copies can be obtained directly from MSA. Email us for a copy in Microsoft Word format. Put Draft 40E in the subject line and we will send you a copy.

Maritime Educators

The Royal Yachting Association has an international reputation for training both recreational and commercial boat operators in a wide variety of theoretical and practical seamanship courses. Penny Haire, the RYA's Chief Cruising Instructor, will be visiting NZ this month to hold discussions with the MSA about their proposed super yacht qualifications and is hoping to meet as many NZ boating educators as she can. Penny will be in Auckland all day on Wednesday the 22nd of October, and in Wellington on Friday the 24th.

PUBLIC MEETING: "What the RYA has to offer NZ'ers" Penny Haire

Wellington: Oct 24th, 4.00pm, RPNYC Wardroom, Oriental Parade.

(To give us an idea of numbers, please email picot@charterguide.co.nz)

Westhaven Marina sale opposed

North Shore City Council is backing a plea to fight the sale of Westhaven Marina, with councillors describing the loss to private ownership as "unethical" and "appalling".

The council's strategy and finance committee decided unanimously on Tuesday that Westhaven Marina should be retained in public ownership. It wants other regional authorities to support its stance.

But the irony of the decision, after the council's lack for support of Auckland City's bid to retain ownership of the America's Cup Village was not lost on some members.

North Shore resident, Westhaven Community Action Group and Ponsonby Cruising Club member, Ron Copeland, spoke to the meeting, in the first step in a bid to speak to Auckland's four councils. The action group will also meet the Minister for Auckland Issues Judith Tizard on Monday.

Ports of Auckland (POAL) announced on August 20 that it will seek foreign buyers for the marina, believed to be the largest in the southern hemisphere, with 1800 vessels.

Mr Copeland believes Infrastructure Auckland, the majority shareholder with 80 per cent of shares, should remove Westhaven from POAL's portfolio and put it in a trust for public ownership. Private shareholders should be paid a share dividend of 20 per cent of Westhaven's value, he said. Private investors became shareholders after Waikato District Council sold its 20 per cent shareholding. "We would look to form a trust, with profits going to the Auckland region in perpetuity," Mr Copeland said. "Selling it is a very shortsighted view."

Mr Copeland is worried the area could be developed with apartments if sold to overseas buyers. "If residential development was allowed, it would set a precedent right through the country." He said the marina's name should be changed to Westhaven Marina Park and given heritage status.

North Shore City councillors agreed it was a regional issue. "We need to get together with other councils. Our own regional council should have brought this to our attention long ago," councillor Wyn Hoadley said. "If this was a sale by local government it would be classed as a significant activity and would require public consultation under the Local Government Act. A regional referendum should be called on the grounds that it should be considered a significant activity. Selling it to private ownership is an unethical move."

Strategy and finance committee chairman Tony Holman said the sale would be another blow to the Auckland region. "We're more and more reliant on what funds we can get out of public assets," Mr Holman said.

Joel Cayford described the sale as "back-door privatisation", and said he was disappointed that Infrastructure Auckland had not made more of a protest. "It's just appalling. None of it is in the right direction," Mr Cayford said.

Mr Copeland, a North Shore resident for 50 years and Shore business owner for 25 years, spoke to the council first, because he believed a high proportion of Auckland yacht club-users live on the Shore. After the meeting, Mr Copeland and fellow campaigners Fred Collie and Jake Ryan, who is also a Westhaven Marina Users Association member, said public sympathy was strong. "We're receiving public support from all levels and the next step is making it a public issue," Mr Ryan said.

Westhaven is zoned Open Space 5 for parks, and includes the marina, which is a viable business.

Ports of Auckland chairman Neville Darrow, in a letter to North Shore Mayor George Wood, has assured that public access is fully protected by a specific covenant in the district plan guaranteeing access to the marina and its surrounds. Sunday Star Times.

Ferry terminal repair costs put extra 20c on ferry tickets

Ferry ticket prices are to rise by 20c to help pay for keeping terminals maintained and safe.

About $22 million is being spent upgrading the region's ferry terminals, but the organisation doing the job, Auckland Regional Transport Network, needs money to keep them in "as new" condition. The 20c charge comes into effect on October 30 and will apply to all ferry tickets. It is expected to raise between $600,000 and $800,000 a year.

Transport Network chief executive Martin Gummer said the terminals had slowly deteriorated because not enough money was available for maintenance, repairs and renewal. "The passenger terminal charge will provide a direct benefit to those who use the ferry terminals," said Mr Gummer.

Work covered by the charge would include repair and replacement of non-slip ramp surfaces, repair of deteriorating piles and replacement of life rings.

The transport network has started a $22 million programme, paid for by Infrastructure Auckland, to upgrade ferry terminals at Half Moon Bay, Bayswater, Northcote Pt, Birkenhead, Beach Haven, Hobsonville and Devonport.

The biggest project is a $9.5 million revamp of the Downtown ferry terminal, where work is due to start before Christmas.

Mr Gummer said the transport network had not asked the Auckland Regional Council for a subsidy to cover the maintenance of the terminals because most ferry services were not subsidised. NZ Herald.

Boaties barred from dumping sewage into Lake Taupo

Environment Waikato (EW) is cracking down on commercial boat owners who are discharging raw sewage directly into Lake Taupo. EW will serve boaties with an abatement notice forcing them to permanently disconnect their waste discharge system, under a rule in the Resource Management Act. The move is the latest in a series of initiatives by the council to clamp down on pollution of the lake.

EW's move to ban discharge pipes on Taupo boats was sparked by a complaint about a commercial boat at the Taupo marina. It was claimed sewage was being dumped from the boat while at its mooring. Stuff.

RYA opens Australian centres

The Royal Yachting Association is tightening its grip around the world with the announcement that RYA Yachtmaster courses and examinations will now be available in Australia, following a recent visit by senior examiners from the RYA.

Four centres were examined and two Australian RYA Examiners have been appointed to oversee the quality, content and execution of the Yachtmaster courses. The training centres, including the Australian Maritime College (AMC) in Launceston, Tasmania, were inspected to the highest level and had to achieve the same standards set by the RYA that centres in the UK and Europe already adhere to.

RYA training manager James Stevens commented, "The RYA headed to Australia in response to an increasing demand from Australian Sea Schools who wanted to offer an internationally recognised sailing qualification to their students. We are absolutely delighted to be able to announce this exciting expansion in our Yachtmaster development programme and be able to make available there the same high standard of tuition that the RYA is known for in the UK and Europe".

The move follows the recent availability of RYA Yachtmaster training in the USA. IBI News.

Gibbs Aquada smashes speed record

Following the media launch on September 3, 2003, the Gibbs Aquada has set a new amphibian speed record of 32.8 miles per hour.

The car, which turns into a boat at the flick of a switch, set the new record at Lake Windermere on Monday, October 13, as part of Windermere Speed Week, taking place this week (October 13-17).

The vehicle used was a standard, pre-production vehicle and had not undergone any modifications for the attempt. The Aquada shattered the previous record of 9 miles per hour, set by Charles Burnett III in 1996.

"The engineering team were delighted to beat the previous record with such a margin - proving that the Aquada is the first true high speed amphibian," said Alan Gibbs, founder and chairman of Gibbs Technologies. "This is just the start - there's plenty more to come, and beating our own record will remain a priority," he continued.

Gibbs Technologies is a British based engineering company specialising in the design of High Speed Amphibian (HSA) technology. IBI News.

Staten Island Ferry crashes, killing 10

NEW YORK — A ferry headed from Manhattan crashed into the St. George Terminal on Staten Island, leaving at least 10 dead and dozens injured as panicked commuters jumped from the mangled vessel into the chilly harbor waters.

The crash of the ferry, which witnesses said did not slow as it approached the pier in high winds, was one of the worst New York City mass transit accidents in a century.

The pilot at the helm of the Andrew J. Barberi at the time of the crash fled the vessel and was discovered in his Staten Island home, where he had attempted suicide, according to several news reports. Newsday, quoting police sources, said Richard Smith was found with slashed wrists and wounds from a powerful pellet gun. He was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he was in critical condition. Many of the victims of the accident were also being treated there.

Newsday reported that Smith was unconscious at the helm in the moments before the accident. Investigators are trying to determine the reason for his incapacitation.

The New York Times reported that the other captain on board noticed the 310-foot vessel was off course and yelled at Smith. When Smith did not respond, a police official told the Times, the other captain then tried to take control.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested strong winds might have caused the accident. He said the crew would be tested for drugs and alcohol, as is the normal procedure. "All the crew members, as far as we know, are alive, so we'll be able to get the information," he said. The National Transportation Safety Board was heading the investigation.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene in which passengers leaped or fell into the chilly waters of New York Harbor, or scrambled to the far side of the 3,000-ton vessel as the concrete, metal, and wooden pier loomed ever larger. "The ferry was coming too fast," said witness William Gonzalez, who lives in a nearby apartment complex. "They had no control to stop the boat."

Others were killed where they sat or lost limbs as the ferry, carrying 1,500 passengers, crashed into a mammoth wooden piling, ripping through the right side of the ship's hull like a can opener as the vessel tried to dock at the terminal.

"It's a terrible tragedy," said Bloomberg, who left Yankee Stadium, where he was watching Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, and arrived at the scene by helicopter. "People who were on their way home, all of a sudden taken from us."

"Everyone just jumped for their lives," ferry rider Bob Carroll told TV station NY1. "It was like an absolute horror."

Carroll, an attorney, said he was sitting on the lower level of the left-hand side of the boat when it hit the piling. "The people on the right side of the boat, people were piling up, scrambling over each other … If I had been sitting on the right side of the boat, I'd have been dead," Carroll said. "You could see some people were not going to make it."

Some ferry passengers said they initially thought the loud noise was a bomb exploding. One man told reporters he heard someone scream, "Let's run, it's going to hit."

"There is no indication that this is anything other than a tragic accident," said Bloomberg. "There is no reason whatsoever to believe this was done by any outside factor other than wind, or high tide."

Coast Guard divers searched the waters yesterday, said Keith Kalb, spokesman for the city's Department of Transportation.

Police said at least 34 passengers were injured. Some of them had limbs ripped away; others suffered spinal injuries, chest pains, and hypothermia. The Staten Island Ferry remained closed yesterday after the accident, which happened at 3:20 p.m.

Commuters heading home to Staten Island were forced to take the subway to Brooklyn, where they found themselves in long lines to catch buses to Staten Island.

The Staten Island Ferry's seven boats serve 70,000 passengers a day, according to its website. The 25-minute ride is free, and though the ferry's main purpose is to transport commuters, it is also a popular tourist attraction because it provides a picture-perfect view of the Manhattan skyscrapers and famous bridges.

Steamboat ferries began operating between Manhattan and Staten Island in 1817. A railroad company ran the ferry from 1884 until 1905, when it was taken over by the city. It is now run by the city Transportation Department.

A boiler explosion aboard a ferry killed 104 passengers as it was preparing to leave Lower Manhattan for Staten Island in 1871.

In 1997, a car plunged off the ferry as it was docking in Staten Island, causing minor injuries to the driver and a deckhand who was knocked overboard by the car. Boston Globe .

Recruitment remains a key issue for UK marine industry

The British Marine Federation (BMF) says recruitment and an ongoing 'skills shortage' remain key issues for the marine industry in the UK, but says a number of initiatives that are underway are helping to counter the situation.

Speaking to IBI on October 21, Sarah Dhanda, the BMF's director of Training Services, said initiatives such as an apprenticeship scheme in Norfolk, and schools challenges in different parts of the UK, were proving successful.

The Norfolk scheme now has more than 60 apprentices, and was recently featured on the BBC Look East programme. A Schools Marine Challenge in the South West of the UK is now in its second year, with 20 schools taking part in a competition to design and build boats, culminating in Race day in June.

The overall objective of the training service provided by the BMF is to develop and promote an environment for training and recruitment that benefits the UK marine industry. In addition to BMF courses, the Federation is also involved in national and regional marine industry qualifications and training programmes. Active promotion of careers in the marine industry is a major part of the training team's work.

Dhanda also highlighted the Revised Marine Sector Modern Apprenticeship Framework, another initiative intended to help combat the skills shortage, which has been approved alongside updated City & Guilds Awards.

Dhanda said the BMF also continues to work with Regional Development Agencies in the UK, and with other, local agencies, to identify regional and local needs and to look for solutions. IBI News .

Proposed standards could make boat sound tests easier

CHICAGO, Ill. — Proposed changes to the ISO sound assessment standard, ISO 14509, by the ISO Work Group will help boat builders in future testing for boat sound, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) reported.

The work group proposed raising the allowable wind speed during testing to seven meters/second and proposed eliminating the current wave height restriction. This will allow sound testing to be conducted by boat manufacturers in greater seas than was previously allowed by the standard, according to the association. The work group also proposed a tolerance of plus or minus 2 kilometers per hour to the maximum speed allowed in the sound test. The current standard does not allow a tolerance.

Each of these proposed changes will ease some of the burden of the strict test requirements imposed on the builder during sound testing, reported NMMA. This testing is mandatory for builders of inboard powered boats in 2005. The work group consists of delegates from the European Union, Japan and the United States. BIA News.

Prototype developed for eco-friendly boating line

HUDSON, Fla. — Dream Boats Inc. is a new company with plans to build a line of boats for shallow water cruising, a feature which also allows the operator to avoid injuring manatees.

The company's first prototype, the Dreamsurfer, is a 23-foot deck boat with a V6 engine that can cruise in six to eight inches of water and is capable of 30-mph speeds, the Petersburg reported in an article yesterday.

The Dreamsurfer was designed by Ralph Brown and is one model in a line of "Dream Boats" Brown plans to begin building in Pasco early next year, he told the newspaper.

The models include a patent-pending tritunnel propulsion design that offers speed without the clogging that is prevalent in some jet boats. It also allows for some of the shallow-water access of an air boat without its noise, Brown explained to the newspaper.

The design of the boats enables boaters to cruise over rocky waters and avoid injuring manatees due to a shielded propeller and a bow that rides the top of the water.

It took four years to conceptualize and build, Brown told the Times, and the prototype, which was completed in May, took nine months to construct, although the model is still being perfected.

Dream Boats Inc. officials told the paper the company plans to invest nearly $2 million in a boat building facility with the financial help of multiple investors and state grant money.

Sites in Pasco are being considered for what company officers called a boat-building campus, which would include a factory, test pond and sales building.

"We hope to be producing boats in February," Brown, who is president of Dream Boats Inc., told the newspaper. BIA News.

Nano fuel additive enters efficiency trials

Miracle fuel additives that promise more kilometres per litre, cleaner engines and less pollution are as old as fuel itself. Such claims are often vague and rarely proven.

But now a British firm says it has developed an additive that makes diesel burn more efficiently, producing fuel savings of 10 per cent. And the UK's largest bus operator is running large-scale tests to find out for itself if the claims are true.

The diesel additive, called Envirox, has been developed by Oxonica, an Oxford-based spin-off company from the University of Oxford. It consists of tiny particles of cerium oxide, which catalyse the combustion reactions between diesel and air.

The cerium oxide functions as a kind of oxygen store. It releases oxygen to oxidise carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon gases to form carbon dioxide, and also absorbs oxygen to reduce the quantities of harmful nitrogen oxides. The result is a cleaner burn that converts more fuel to carbon dioxide, produces less noxious exhaust, and deposits less carbon on the engine cylinder walls.

Cerium oxide has been studied for some time as a fuel additive but has never become a commercial success. Oxonica hopes to do better by using particles a mere 10 nanometres across to create a greater surface area for catalysing the reactions.

Envirox can be used at only five parts per million in the diesel fuel - one-tenth the concentration of previous additives. The smaller particles also remain more evenly distributed in suspension than larger particles.

Oxonica says it has successfully tested Envirox during 12 million kilometres of trials on buses in Hong Kong. And now the UK bus operator Stagecoach, based in Perth, Scotland, is putting it to the test in 1000 of its 7000 diesel-fuelled vehicles.

"The claim requires very carefully designed validation tests under real operating conditions, with real vehicles on real roads. We are keeping an open mind," says a spokesman for the fuel company Shell. "A 10 per cent improvement would be very significant. It's huge."

Meanwhile Oxonica is considering other modifications to the additive. A recent patent filed by the company claims that coating the nanoparticles in an organic solvent called dodecylsuccinic anhydride helps them disperse better within the fuel.

The patent also claims that doping the particles with a conductor such as copper can make the fuel burn better. This could improve the catalysis reactions by making electrons more easily available to the reactants. However, Oxonica is staying tight-lipped about the details and is using only the undoped particles in the Stagecoach trials. "Will we publish the results?" says Nigel Havlin, group technical director for Stagecoach. "We have not entered into any secrecy agreement and we are paying Oxonica the market price for the additive. So if we are still using it after six months that will be a pretty obvious endorsement of their claims. If we stop using it on the thousand buses, the message will be clear too." New Scientist .

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Or contact:

Kerry Dunning
Administration Officer
NZ Marine Transport Association
L5, 79 Boulcott Street
P.O. Box 9336, Wellington
Phone: 04-496-4882
Fax: 04 499 7353
Cell: 021 308 645
email:kerry@marinetransport.co.nz