HOLES FOUND IN EQUASIS DATABASE

[proud_ionian]

THE vessel information database Equasis is missing detentions and deficiencies picked up by inspections in some cases involving countries party to the Tokyo MOU.

The shortcomings in Equasis data were identified when private sector website Maritime Global Net, which hosts Anderimar Shipping News, noticed that some vessels that were apparently “clean” according to Equasis had in fact been detained in recent months.

For example the 166,139 dwt, Hong Kong-flag bulk carrier Rubin Grace was detained in Dampier, Australia on 10 August this year but according to Equasis, as of late yesterday afternoon, its last inspection was in Hamburg on 22 May. The Tokyo MOU website categorises the Rubin Grace’s risk level as “high”.

Moreover although Equasis notes five occasions since August 2005 when the ship was inspected by Tokyo MOU port state control authorities it gives no details beyond the date. In fact the ship had not been detained in any of the earlier of the inspections and had come through one without any deficiencies being found.

Contacted by Anderimar Shipping News the new CEO of Equasis Jaques Benard conceded that there was a problem. He said that Equasis does not receive data directly from the Tokyo MoU.

He explained: “We receive a monthly file including the IMO number of the ships inspected and the date of the inspection. With that information we establish a hyperlink toward the Tokyo MoU website allowing the Equasis users to consult the details of the inspections.”

He added: “With this procedure, the up date of Equasis database could suffer with the periodicity of the up date file which is certainly too long, but also with some omission or error in the up date file. Anyway, Equasis can only display the information provided by Tokyo MOU. I shall be pleased to receive the Tokyo MoU data in the same conditions as Paris MoU data but it is not currently possible and I have to work on this subject with the Tokyo MOU.

Mr Benard’s admission is likely to be a revelation to at least some regular users of the database, such as charterers. Fritz Heidenreich of US-based www.Q88.com which provides owners with vetting questionnaires said: "What's important is for charterers to have access to the most up-to-date information. A vessel could have a pollution incident today but if it takes 2 months before it shows up on Equasis then the data is of no use to the Charterer fixing a ship tomorrow."

The president of Maritime Global Net, Moses Calouro commented: "Old news is no news. When a coastguard inspection or detention report is filed in an electronic database, it should be immediately available to the industry."

source: Maritime Global Net

[Angelos]

"Old news is no news. When a coastguard inspection or detention report is filed in an electronic database, it should be immediately available to the industry."

Δεν συμφωνώ με αυτό. Καλώς η κακώς δεν βρίσκεις πάντα καλους επιθεωρητές. Αποτέλεσμα να υπάρχουν πολλά detentions τα οποια γίνονται dispute και η σημαία αναγνωρίζει ότι δεν έπρεπε να είχαν καταγραφει. Επίσης σε αναφορά με το fixing του πλοίου διαφωνώ κατηγορηματικά για άλλη μια φορα αφού βλέπουμε μια ακόμη προσπάθεια να ανάγουν σε τεχνικά θέματα το θέμα της ασφαλειας του πλοίου ώστε να το χρησιμοποιήσουν για πολιτική τιμών προς μια εταιρεία με γκαζάδικα. Δηλαδή στα τυφλά συστήματα των στατιστικών, ένα detention που βγήκε από τον ανημέρωτο βραζιλιάνο και που έγραψε το πλοίο δεν είχε ballast water management regulation in Portugese on board when called a Brazilian port, κάνει το πλοίο ανασφαλές, με αποτέλεσμα ο oil major να μπορέσει να παίξει με τον broker στην τιμή. Από την άλλη όμως όλα τα detentions πρέπει να είναι γνωστά αλλα επουδενί για τους oil majors. Και για vetting υπάρχουν χιλιάδες τρόποι που πάλι σπρώχνουν σε τεχνικά θέματα τις αποφάσεις πολιτικής και τιμών q88, OCIMF, SIRE, και ένα βουνό αλλα....

αυτή είναι η γνώμη μου σαν τεχνικός. Αν υπάρχει broker εδώ θα ήθελα να τον ακούσω.

[GaryAndrews]

I've questioned how up to date and complete some of the Equasis information is at times. That said it is very useful generally.