Vessels flying CI flag sail through inspections
Cayman Maritime Flag
(CNS): In 2018 just three out of hundreds of vessels flying the Cayman Islands flag were detained in ports for failing inspections conducted under international agreements, which is helping the local shipping registry become the gold standard in the maritime business. The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry said that last year it recorded a detention ratio of just 0.66% after more than 350 boats were inspected. Cayman has made consistent improvement on its performance year on year, officials said, adding that the low detention ratio illustrates the quality of the Cayman ensign.
The registry has been making steady progress since their highest detention ratio on record in 2002 of 8.87%, which was before the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands was established. Officials explained that the low number of detentions shows that MACI has maintained solid oversight of all its ships and, and that it is providing the necessary technical advice and support to its clients.
“Not only do these results build on the Cayman registry’s superb reputation for supporting its clients comprehensively, quickly and proactively, they further demonstrate our continued efforts to uphold the highest quality of vessels flying our flag,” said Kenrick Ebanks, the global director commercial services at the registry. “It confirms our commitment to ensuring compliance with the international conventions requirements.”
Ships are inspected under an international system of port state control supported by memoranda of understanding (MOUs). Last year 167 Cayman vessels were inspected in ports under the Paris MOU and just two boats were detained, 126 were inspected with just one detention under the Tokyo MOU, and 160 vessels were inspected with zero detentions in the US.
The Port State Control system maintains a watchful eye throughout the world’s territories to ensure that shipping is conducted in a safe, secure and environmentally friendly manner, officials from the registry explained.
The collaboration between the world’s participating maritime administrations means that they agree to implement a harmonised system of control across the globe for the inspection of foreign ships in ports other than those of the vessel’s flag state. It is an effective and globally recognised tool to reduce the number of sub-standard ships operating on the world’s seas and oceans.
Ebanks said it was not just the Cayman registry team’s outstanding efforts that has seen vessels flying the Cayman flag do so well but the commitment of the owners and operators who take pride in upholding the highest standards for their vessels. “Without their combined efforts, we would not be able to earn this significant achievement,” Ebanks added.
The Cayman Islands itself is a signatory to the Caribbean MOU on Port State Control, and MACI carries this out on vessels entering Cayman ports that do not fly the local flag. Officials said that they conduct inspections on 15% of the foreign merchant ships that dock here, which is around 30 inspections per year.
Congratulations to Joel and the team for this accomplishment!
Why can’t we for once as a coup exists happy for our accomplishments, rather than complaining about something that has nothing to do with the organization. I say good job to the CISR.
Without a doubt there is a double standard.
While the Cayman registered Super Yachts are forced to comply with all the safety, crewing and pollution requirements that are implemented by CIS the local commercial vessel seem to get away scott free.
Its crazy that a small Cayman commercial register yacht can carry only 12 guest yet the same type of vessel can be seen a Camana Bay loading 30 people with not a life rafts and safety gear to be seen.
I’m betting all the rich yacht owners that pay all that money to keep their yachts at this high level so that we are the “ Gold Standard “ would be sickened to see what you can do locally!
those vessels are not registered with the CISR. There is no requirement by low for them to be. They registered for local operation with the port authority. The CISR has multiple time brought forward proposed legislation that would change this and add some oversight to local operations and every time are shouted down by the public.
My friend you are absolutely correct.
I believe ships applying for Cayman registration first have to be inspected. Perhaps the global director can give some credit to these individuals who have prime reponsibility for the low detention rate, and advise if any of these inspectors are Caymanian.
What an absolute joke this article is when the commercial fleet that operates on the Sandbar is littered with some of the most dangerous boats I have ever witnessed carrying passengers.
The Port Authority, Police Marine Unit, DOE and government have collectively failed to ensure the safest practice possible. All pushed on by the greed of the cruise ship industry that cream off the lions share of profit.
Inspections are almost non-existent, WIZ permits are sporadic to say the least, captains and crews are inexperienced in good practice and seamanship, boats are poorly equipped and maintained, unfit for purpose and many are structurally unstable.
But let’s sing about a flag mounted on a ship that never sees Cayman waters shall we, whilst visitors to these islands are exposed to appalling negligence and lethal danger.
10:53 Absolutely correct. In 2006 the report on Safety of Small Commercial Waterborne Vessels prepared by the Office of the Complaints Commissioner concluded that, ‘The evidence leads to the conclusion that some SCV operations function at an unacceptable level of risk. While there are exemplary operators, there are others that fall short of acceptable standards.’
That report was tabled in the LA by the current Premier and promptly buried following pressure from several of the larger watersports operators. Since then the only area of watersports that has been subject to tighter regulation was the one that made this island a tourist destination in the first place – scuba diving. The irony of this is that scuba diving instructors and divemasters are probably the best qualified and most experienced watersports professionals on these islands. Most of the people running the Stingray City trips not only don’t have any formal seamanship training but they’re not even trained in basic first aid or rescue, based on recent trip friends of mine did some of them can’t even swim.