 Prepared by the experienced specialists of the LR, i.e. Lloyds Register in conjunction with the experts of INTERTANKO and United Kingdom P&I Club, this publication addresses critically important matters of the carriage of solid bulk cargoes by sea. It is covering the general technical requirements that are applicable for their carriage, explaining three cargo groups as per the IMSBC Code and clearly describing all hazards involved.
Two appendices concluding this book will explain IMSBC Code section-by-section and present the IMO guidance plus regulations relating to solid bulk cargo transportation. The content of the this useful and practical guide is actually expected to provide the required assistance for the shipping industry workers who are willing to understand the key requirements of the above mentioned Code and to become much more confident when managing the risks that are commonly associated with the transportation of the various solid bulk cargoes.
The topics of the booklet outline the major precautions required to be followed to perform the safe loading/discharge and also details the hazards related to each of the cargo types transported. A "quick reference checklist" plus the flow chart have also been included in this title for summarizing the main steps that should be followed.
 This training booklet is a part of the Skuld training programme developed to help people reduce the number of claims and to offer practical advice on how to improve safety and efficiency of the ships. it shall not be treated as the pure scientific study; at the same time, it is not a legal textbook.
The author tried to prepare a useful and handy reference book to be used by masters and mates, marine surveyors etc. It may serve as a practical guidebook for use on the navigation bridge, on the deck, or on the quayside. The booklet was written having a number of objectives in mind. The first one was to reduce the risk of the cargo damage, while the second aim was help people protect themselves against various financial penalties that may result from circumstances they cannot control, for instance pre-shipment damage.
In addition to that, these guidelines will be useful for the people responsible for the improvement of the safety and efficiency. It is clear that proper handling of steel cargoes and due awareness of the possible hazards of different cargoes make the cargo handling activities much safer and faster. This book contains valuable guidelines on the subjects mentioned above; try and follow them to significantly reduce the chance of claims.
 The present paper was specifically worked out to familiarize the readers with the Loss Prevention Programme of the Club. This risk management programme is combining various effective practical solutions addressing the real life demands s of the Club members plus their professional experience with the research into the broader issues that are directly impacting on the insurance and exposure to claims.
The Club is deals with huge number of claims annually, utilizing the professional experience with knowledge of the claims handlers, lawyers and former seafarers. The insight that has been gained from numerous claims has enabled the Club to develop and subsequently implement a structured approach to the risk analysis, engaging both company managers and crew members of the ships to take part in and prioritize the risk management processes on board their vessels. Subject methodology is aimed to demonstrate how exactly the major hazards may occur and what measures can be taken in order to prevent them.
The development of the data diagrams of the incident causes and their consequences with the crews, management and Club helps is very beneficial. The transparency of such approach will definitely enable the risk management to be prioritized, reducing all associated risks in the tough financial times of today...
 The legal publication officially released by the SIGTTO, standing for the "Society of International Gas Tanker Terminal Operators Ltd". The main body of this document has been arranged in seventeen sections called articles. The first articles in the opening one and it addresses name, offices and definitions, while the second article is titled "Purpose, powers and activities" including prohibited activities. The third articles deals with shares, covering share capital, registration of members, transfer and purchase of shares.
The next article deals with membership and eligibility including associate membership, admission, expulsion. Then there comes an articles on meetings of members covering the quorum, voting matters, notices and representation. The following article "Assessed capacity" concentrates on computation and records of assessed capacity. The remaining articles deal with dues and assessments, officers, directors, working committees, accounts and audit, indemnification, alteration of bye-laws, interpretation, winding up, seal of the company, and forms A and B. Subject blank forms are contained there at the end of the document. The must-have one and a good reference.
 The main purpose of the author of this publication was to provide all interested people with some sort of guide to safe and efficient transportation of the LPG and ammonia; up to now, the coverage of ammonia transportation has never been covered in any single book. We do hope that it will be very useful not only to the personnel directly involved in operating the gas carriers but also to the operating staff of the gas terminals where such products are handled.
Though some treatment has been provided to the equipment used, this publication shall not be considered as the pure technical guide. The author tried to examine the most important technical problems associated with the transportation and handling of the LPG/ammonia cargoes and cover some technical aspects of the running of LPG carriers. It shall be noted that at all stages the detail procedures to follow are depending upon the conditions under which the cargo will be loaded/discharged and carried - this can be done with the gas being fully-pressurized, semi-pressurized or fully-refrigerated (at regular atmospheric pressure).
The book is arranged in three parts, first two deal with the pressurized and fully-refrigerated ships while the third part concentrates on the cargo calculations, safety matters and recommendations. The technical information is supplemented with the glossary of the terms used.
 The present briefing is intended to provide all interested parties with the general thoughts and required guidance relating to the dealing with the discrepancies between vessel and shore figures at a port of loading and on the utilization of the protest letters in such circumstances. The content of the publication comprises of the practical guidance followed by the fundamental theoretical information.
The practical guidance starts with the explanation of the insistence on the shore figures by the shippers and charterers. The major issue for the Masters when their vessel and shore figures are not matching during the loading of the liquid cargo is to make a decision on whether he could issue a truly honest bill of lading, i.e. the one not deceiving the receivers of the cargo into thinking that they are getting something that the vessel is not actually able to deliver.
The vitally important decision for the Master in these cases is to decide if the discrepancy lies within the acceptable margin. If so, then either of the figures can be correct. Issuing the bill of lading with the figures known to be false or the ones where the Master does not believe in their truth, would mean issuing a dishonest bill of lading. And, the definition of the acceptable margin varies from one loading to another, according to the particular circumstances and facts...
 My topic today is the drafting of LNG charters. This may seem a bit of a dull topic but I would ask you to bear in mind that the charter hire for a new generation LNG vessel is around US$28 million per annum! Charters are often for 25 years, so it is important to get the drafting right.
This is obviously a big topic and I will therefore concentrate on certain areas - the type of charter used, the relationship between the Owner, the Charterer, the Builder and the Banks, particular points to look for in long term charters, and dispute resolution - always important to a lawyer, but also to the client. First of all a little background. LNG is a rapidly growing market and in the area which I have some particular expertise, Qatar, there are interests in over 75 LNG vessels both built and to be delivered in the next few years. Traditionally, LNG chartering was done on the basis of an individual project, the sale contract was entered into between the Seller and the Buyer, LNG vessels were built to service that particular project and were on long term charter to the Charterer or an Affiliate of the Charterer.
That has now begun to change, although I, personally, think it a little too early to talk about there being a spot market for LNG. There are now Contracts of Affreightment, short term time charters, voyage charters, cargo swaps and single cargo contracts. However, I think that the focus is still on the long term time charter and therefore that is what I am going to talk about today.
 The correct, satisfactory and adequate securing and stowage of the cargo are of critical importance for the overall safety of the ship's crew, the ship, and the cargo itself. If the cargo is not properly stowed and secured, taking into account the time of the year and the intended voyage, subject cargo may easily get shifted from its original position and start moving, potentially sustaining serious damage and also causing the damage to the vessel and even endanger the human lives.
The content of the present LP Guide is intended to take the readers through some fundamental practical rules that shall be remembered by all people involved in cargo operations during each loafing and securing of the cargo; it clearly describes where they can found all relevant rules and regulations, general industry recommendations and required guidance, as well as the recommended established methods that shall be used for specific cargo items; it also provides readers with the necessary guidance related to the points to remember during the planning of the passage and during the passage itself.
The authors of the volume has set out the fundamentals and give the references to the documents providing the rules to follow. The Guide contains lot of the useful information, e.g. relating to the calculation of the lashings, taken from the relevant Codes, but only those considered essential to make the text clearly understood...
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