Marine Liens - Industry News

Patriot Act OF 2001

Companies engaged in the sale of boats in the definition of financial institution for purposes of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and it's requirements regarding anti-money laundering.

Comments are due NLT April 10

Boat sellers and money laundering reporting requirement
The U.S. Treasury Department issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that may impact businesses engaged in boat sales. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 requires financial institutions to establish anti-money laundering compliance and customer identification programs. The term 'financial institution' is defined to include, among others, a business engaged in boat sales. The Treasury Department is seeking comments on a variety of issues, including money laundering risks posed by this business. Comments should be submitted by April 10, 2003. 68 Fed. Reg. 8568 (February 24, 2003).

Two Companies same philosophy

When purchasing a previously owned boat there are many major considerations a buyer must examine once the right boat is found. For the proactive person who chooses to take control of the process and not leave outcomes to chance there are many things that can be done.

Two of the most important functions of the purchase process are provided by companies with similar philosophies - make it simple and make it affordable.

Spectro for providing the oil analysis service and Marineliens.com for providing an online instant lien search. Both companies provide a pre-purchase service without which could cost the buyer major financial outlays to resolve. Both functions are performed at the time of purchase and both are made to be simple and affordable.

This month we feature Spectro Oil Analysis SPECTRO OIL ANALYSIS and JET-CARE INTERNATIONAL INTRODUCE AN ENGINE OIL ANALYSIS KIT FOR WORK BOAT OWNERS AND OPERATORS

CEDAR KNOLLS, NJ - Jet-Care International and its parent company Spectro Oil Analysis Co. Ltd. have introduced a new engine oil analysis kit and service for the marine market that can save long delays and expensive repairs.

"With proper monitoring of oil and fluid systems, marine operators can significantly reduce wear caused by contamination from sea water, fresh water, fuel dilution or the use of incorrect lubricants and save long delays and expensive repairs," says Spectro Chief Chemist Colin Stevens-Hoare.

"In bigger vessels, oil sumps are so large the oil's never or rarely changed. Most operators try and clean the oil, but some are complacent, relying on their purification equipment to remove contaminants. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work too well."

Fluid analysis can predict problems before they become apparent, saving time and money by extending overhaul intervals and avoiding costly repairs and unplanned maintenance, according to Jet-Care and Spectro Oil Analysis, Jet-Care's parent company in the United Kingdom.

Designed for the work boat market, the Spectro Marine Kit contains 20 oil sample bottles with tubing, a pump to extract the oil and all the instructions and labels necessary for the preparation and the mailing of the sample back to either Jet-Care or Spectro laboratories.

"Samples can be sent from any port in the world and our laboratories test for about two dozen different wear elements, down to part per million levels using inductively coupled plasma spectrometers," said Stevens-Hoare.

On receipt of the oil samples, the following tests are carried out: wear metals, viscosity at 100oC, flash point, fuel content, insolubles, Total Base Number (TBN) and water content. Within 24 hours, the results are presented in an impartial report and sent back in the format chosen by the customer such as mail, e-mail, and fax or by Spectro ECHO(tm) (Engine Condition Health Online) program.

This software provides the ability to trend, graph and view the actual oil analysis results. It is user friendly and flags immediately those systems or engines that require further investigation. Alert levels, set using engine manufacturer's specifications and from years of experience, take the guesswork out of troubleshooting and provide vital guidance in making judgment calls.

Oil analysis services are available seven days a week. The company maintains three full wet-chemistry laboratories, one in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey-USA, one in Hampshire-United Kingdom, and one near Basel-Switzerland. The laboratories are accredited by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) to the same strict international quality standard ISO/IEC 17025.

Established in 1976, the company offers a variety of proactive 'health monitoring' systems to high-tech industries that cover engines, gearboxes, hydraulic systems and other equipment that identify potential machinery failure before it occurs.

In aerospace, for example, Jet-Care and Spectro are responsible for monitoring the health of nearly 12,000 engines in over 50 countries for dozens of the world's major airlines. Now the company is offering its services to the work boat operators, captains and chief engineers, charter companies, repair and refit yards, fuel and lubricant suppliers and marine surveyors.

The market for engine oil analysis service is expected to grow rapidly in the marine segment. More than 100 large boat owners use Jet-Care and Spectro services. Clients include Camper & Nicholsons, Feadship, Oyster Marine, Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, TotalFinaElf, Q8, and Texaco.

For more information visit www.jet-care.com and www.spectro-oil.com or contact:

Josh Wagner in the United States at 973-292-9597, [email protected]

Alan Baker in Europe at +44 (0)1256 704000, [email protected].

Tall Ships Race: back in Antwerp in 2004!

From 21st till 24th July the time will be here again. More than 100 impressive sailing ships from all over the world can once more be admired on the quayside of Antwerp�s port.

Normally, this event would not have taken place again in Antwerp until 2007. But the earlier good organisation (following Antwerp�s example of providing a liaison officer for every sailing ship in all host ports who receives the crew and provides assistance in the case of specific local problems) and lobbying has ensured that the Tall Ships Race will again call in at our port in 2004.

The primary aim of the race is to bring youngsters between the age of 16 and 25 from different cultures and social backgrounds in contact with each other. Together they embark on an adventure at sea where they discover the value of leadership and teamwork, new skills and a higher self-esteem forging new friendships that often last a lifetime!

The starter�s pistol signalling the start of the Tall Ships Race 2004 can be heard in Antwerp (21st -24th July), setting course to Aalborg, Denmark (30th July - 2nd August). After the first part of the race there is a sail-along cruise from Aalborg to Stavanger, Norway. Stavanger will be the next hosting port from the 2nd till the 7th August. This heralds the second part of the race heading for Cuxhaven, Germany where, on 18th August, the race will end and a winner be revealed. The winner will be determined by a vote from the captain and crew of each participating vessel, whereby a special trophy is awarded to the crew of the ship they think has contributed most during the race to international understanding and friendship.

This has all been organised by the International Sail Training Association (ISTA) since 1956, when the first Tall Ships Race took place.

In order to continue fulfilling the needs that come with such an organisation, ISTA was changed in 2002 and became the Sail Training International (STI). Their first annual conference will take place in Antwerp in mid-November, where the forthcoming Tall Ships Race will no doubt start taking more definite shape.

(For further information about the race in its entirety, consult the following website:
www.sailtraininginternational.org

Spain Spared EU Prestige Quiz

SPAIN'S handling of the Prestige incident seems likely to escape investigation by an inquiry called for by EU's Parliament yesterday.

Reflecting industry disappointment at the decision Intertanko, issued a statement welcoming an investigation but pointedly commenting: "The Association is however deeply disappointed that the Resolution, which in its draft form also called for the role of national and local authorities to be subject to investigation, appears to exclude the conduct of these authorities from the investigation. A full and rigorous post-incident investigation must include the important ship-shore interface and the conduct of all parties concerned prior to and following this unfortunate accident."

Intertanko notes that the incident has highlighted the shipping industry's concern surrounding coastal states' continued reluctance to admit ships into places of refuge. When ships in need are not granted such access to sheltered waters, the potential for a serious incident is frequently increased and the safety of the crew jeopardised. The emergency transfer of cargo and other measures to aid a stricken vessel may be similarly hindered with a consequent increased threat to the environment.

In light of the foregoing commentary, would assigning the decision making process out of the �at risk� country into the hands of a central decision making body yield more conservative conclusions and actions to minimize the damage to the environment? It appears that the decision to tow the Prestige to open waters rather than beaching or towing to a sheltered harbour, in hindsight, has resulted in the potential for enormous future damage to the shorelines of many countries, not to mention the fish supply and wildlife.

Pirate Attacks

MORE ships have been hijacked in the first nine months of 2002 than in the same period in 2001 while there has also been a marked increase in pirate attacks of all types. Against the trend, however, the death toll fell, from nine to six.

The latest ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) report Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships notes 271 incidents so far reported for the first three quarters, up from last year's corresponding figure of 253. So far there have been 20 hijackings, up from 2001's comparable figure of 15.

IMB Director P Mukundan said: "The incidence of hijackings has increased dramatically since 2000. These are serious and violent attacks, done by organised crime groups. Crew members may be abducted, injured and ship and cargo worth millions of dollars are stolen. The IMB calls upon governments in South East Asia to ratify the SUA Convention of 1988, which will give them jurisdiction over these crimes when the vessels are recovered."

The new report also draws attention to a new anti-piracy device. The Secure-Ship deterrent system uses a 9,000 volt pulse to deter boarding attempts. IMB said: "To date this system is the most effective answer in preventing unauthorised boarding of vessels in respect of vessels carrying non-flammable cargoes. UK CLUB PREMIUMS UP 25% THE UK P&I Club Board has ordered a general increase in premium rating of 25% per cent plus a charge to cover the increased cost of the International Group's reinsurance programme for 2003. The club says it aims "to reduce the underlying deficit of premium versus claims".

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