On 30 January it was reported that the Port of London Authority (PLA), which is responsible for the safety of navigation on the tidal Thames, had signed a new deal with Reygar Ltd for the expansion of BareFLEET, Reygar’s advanced remote monitoring system, across the PLA’s varied fleet of multi-cat, crewboat, and survey vessels.
As one would expect a high level of fleet serviceability and operational efficiency is a key priority for the PLA. By investing in the latest in fully integrated fleet health and performance monitoring, it is reported that the PLA are taking a best practice, data-based approach to the operation of its varied fleet.
As well as informing the PLA’s preventative maintenance strategy by monitoring engine health and performance, BareFLEET provides the PLA’s operations team with a complete understanding of fuel consumption, engine efficiency, and CO2 emissions across their varied fleet of workboats. Following an initial contract for ten BareFLEET systems, the business has now signed an agreement with Reygar for 14 further installations.
Chris Huxley-Reynard, Engineering Director, Reygar, said: It is essential that British ports remain competitive internationally as we negotiate our future international trading relationships. Ensuring our ports, waterways, and the vessels that use them are effectively and efficiently managed is key to this goal.
‘A more comprehensive adoption of BareFLEET will further streamline the PLA’s preventative and planned maintenance strategy, ensuring maximum availability for its versatile fleet of vessels whilst reducing unnecessary expenditure.
‘By pulling all critical data streams from the vessel into a single portal, the PLA’s operations team will have the oversight and flexibility to make further improvements to how downtime is managed, as well as advise on how vessels can be more efficiently piloted to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions.
‘We are proud to support the PLA in its world-class approach to port operations, and in continuing to reduce the environmental impact of its vital work.’
Andy Osborne, Marine Engineering Manager, PLA, added: ‘Advanced monitoring of vessel activities is central to our work to continuously improve the performance and efficiency of our vessels.
‘The BareFLEET system allows us to pinpoint where and why any issues such as excess fuel burn are occurring. Acting on these insights not only reduces fuel costs, but reduces energy use across our operations. This enables us to operate efficiently and minimise fuel use.’
Our illustration shows mooring maintenance vessel London Titan* kindly provided by the Port of London Authority©.
About Reygar
Established in 2012, Reygar provides fully integrated remote monitoring and fleet reporting systems to the marine industry.
BareFLEET is a pioneering fleet monitoring platform that offers an unparalleled level of insight into all aspects of fleet performance and health. Developed to help maximise the operational effectiveness of fleets, BareFLEET automatically gathers a comprehensive set of engine, navigational, vibration, motion and health data, including fuel efficiency, CO2 emissions, vertical heave motion, tower impact and push-on force, plus indications of motion sickness.
For more information about Reygar and the BareFLEET platform readers are invited to visit: www.reygar.co.uk
*For more on this service craft see here: http://www.pla.co.uk/About-Us/PLA-Mooring-Maintenance-Vessel-London-Titan
Latest News & Events
Our picture shows a Carnival line up. Five Carnival ships are due in Durban in week commencing 24 May. (Photo: www.africaports.co.za )
No less than five Carnival Cruise ships are due to arrive in Durban between 26 and 28 May to take on bunkers and to restock depleted supplies.
These five ships are part of a group of 12 engaged in the humanitarian task of repatriating over 26,000 crew from the Carnival fleet and other companies, as well as personnel from entertainment centres ashore, who because of the coronavirus pandemic, have had their employment suddenly curtailed.
Hotel staff and entertainers
These are the entertainment staff, the onboard shop workers, beauty salon practitioners, waiters and bus boys, chefs and kitchen staff, cabin cleaners, pursers and front desk people all making up the staff working on board cruise ships.
With cruising curtailed these former employees are finally returning home to destinations like India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines after having remained on board their ships for more than two months, unable to go ashore or receive visitors ever since cruising operations were suspended in mid -March. Ahead they face another three or four weeks at sea before being allowed to disembark. However, there’s something of a problem.
Call to governments
IFSMA* calls upon Governments to adopt the ‘Framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic’ without delay to allow ship owners and management companies to change over their dangerously tired crews.
Governments must act now in order to avoid personal injury to, and mental breakdown of, seafarers and avoid the significant risk of accidents and consequential danger to life and the environment.
Concern at IFSMA
IFSMA is receiving an increasing number of reports from its ship masters’ associations around the world concerned for the welfare and safety of crews and the increased risk with which they are operating in an already high risk environment. Seafarers are feeling let down and abandoned by their Governments.
Unprecedented times
Following concerns from the maritime industry, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued a circular to all Member States, the UN and agencies and IGOs and NGOs in consultative status with IMO. This document concerned recommendations to Member States about measures to facilitate ship crew changes in seaports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IMO Secretary General has received a framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the pandemic, proposed by a cross-section of global industry associations in consultative status with the IMO, for example: ICS, IAPH, BIMCO, IFSMA, and P&I Clubs as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
