Recently a client asked ” why you can’t supply the vessel during a storm ?I see your barge sailing around ?”
There are different practice in different ports. For example in Fujairah, port authority will send out weather warning, while supplier / barge Captain can make a decision base on sea condition , wind force and swell direction then determine if the operation should continue. In Hong Kong, a official five-level definition warning signals system is employed, when the storm reaching No. 3 signal (strong winds range from 41 to 62 kilometers per hour) , bunker barges are required to prepare to move to typhoon buoys or anchorages and no bunker operation is allowed.
With all the “regulation” in mind, I believe for all supplier and most ship owners, the first and most important criteria should be “safety”. Nothing should placed above the safety of the crew. We surely understand the cost of waiting / demurrage for bunkers during bad weather, however it is definitely not a mathematical comparison of taking risk on safety of barge crew / vessel crew vs. saving demurrage time ( unless you are Ford, that’s a different story )
Until next time
<This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.
All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. >
