Summary:
According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s forecast, the Indian Ocean southwest monsoon in 2025 is likely to be higher than the average of previous years, and the date of arrival will be about a week earlier than before, and it is expected to last from late May to mid-September this year. The Jaigarh Port Authority (JSW) on India’s west coast recently issued a safety circular detailing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for vessel mooring and anchoring during the 2025 Indian Ocean monsoon. The procedure updates the original technical guidelines covering the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the International Maritime Forum Guidelines for Petroleum Companies, and the International Code of Construction and Equipment for Ships for the Transport of Liquefied Gases in Bulk, as well as the requirements of local ports. It is designed to remind ships to comply with the technical provisions in the Standard Operating Procedures during berthing at Indian ports during the monsoon season in the Indian Ocean to ensure the safety of berthing of ships.
1. The impact of monsoon on ship safety
The period from June to September is the season when the southwest monsoon in the Indian Ocean is prevalent. During this period, strong southwesterly winds will blow over the Indian subcontinent, accompanied by heavy rains and flash floods, and land and coastal waters, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will be directly affected, and eastern countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam will also be affected. This is very dangerous for ships berthing in the port in the area, and the continuous monsoon will make the ship may be affected by the open wind during berthing, be blown away from the dock and form a gear with the dock, which will seriously affect the berthing safety, loading and unloading operations and personnel of the ship, which will lead to the ship and the dock contact, collision with the front and rear ships, and can also damage the port machine and cause personnel to fall into the water and other accidents. At the same time, the swells brought by the long-term monsoon will also affect ships anchored and berthed in the port, resulting in accidents such as anchoring and chain breakage. Normally, when the swell of the Indian Ocean approaches the port, it will affect the waters in the port, especially when the port does not have a breakwater, or the direction of the breakwater cannot block the swell, which will make the water in the port become living water, and the ship will generate dynamic load and bump up and down or sway left and right, which will cause serious wear on the mooring cables, and may also damage port facilities such as dock pads and port machinery. Even more dangerous are the tropical depressions formed by the southwest monsoon in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and the consequent cyclones, which often cause catastrophic damage on land and at sea, as well as large numbers of casualties.
2. Mooring equipment standards
All vessels are required to ensure that their mooring equipment and operations comply with the standards of the Mooring Equipment Guidelines Fourth Edition (MEG4) published by the International Maritime Forum of Oil Companies (OCIMF) and ports.
Before the ship arrives at the port, the crew should inspect the mooring cables, windlasses, winches, anchor equipment and accessories on the ship to ensure that they are in normal working condition.
3. Mooring operation specifications
Automatic adjustment system: During the berthing, the ship will strictly prohibit the use of the automatic retraction and release adjustment system of the cable winning, in view of the dynamic load caused by wind and swell during the Indian Ocean monsoon, the ship needs to use manual adjustment to maintain the retraction and tensioning of the cable.
Spare fire hoses: Vessels should always ensure that the bow and stern hoses are filled with water and are on standby so that they can be put into service quickly in case of emergencies.
Host preparation requirements: The ship must ensure that the main engine has the ability to start in a short period of time at any time, and it is strictly forbidden that the main engine cannot be started and operated.
VHF monitoring: Vessels need to keep VHF11 channels on duty to communicate effectively with the maritime control center.
4. Mooring cable configuration
Cape of Good Hope ship: adopt a 5+5 cable configuration scheme, specifically with 5 head cables + 5 stern cables, and 5 inverted cables at the bow and stern of the ship.
Panama type, handyman type and LPG carrier: adopt 4+4 cable configuration scheme, specifically with 4 first cables + 4 stern cables, and 4 inverted cables at the bow and stern of the ship.
Small bulk carriers: adopt a 3+2 cable configuration scheme, specifically with 3 head cables + 3 stern cables, and 2 inverted cables at the bow and stern of the ship.
In addition, ships must have backup cables ready so that they can be put into service immediately in case of emergencies.
5. Additional requirements for mooring
Cable material selection: Ships should choose high-strength polyester or polypropylene cables with sufficient breaking strength.
Maintenance specifications: During the berthing period, the ship shall not carry out maintenance operations on mooring equipment.
Regular inspection requirements: Crew members are required to inspect the mooring lines daily for wear, cuts, or other signs of wear; If the cable is found to be damaged, it must be replaced immediately.
Application of protective measures: Crew members should be aware that the dynamic conformity of wind and swell to the berthing of the ship will cause serious wear and tear on the ship’s mooring, and appropriate anti-wear devices should be used to slow down the wear.
6. Emergency preparedness
The ship should formulate a complete emergency response plan, which should cover the following key aspects:
Sudden weather deterioration.
Mooring cable breakage problem.
Ship power failure.
Spare mooring lines, emergency towing equipment, and additional fender pads should be placed in a location that is easily accessible to the crew to ensure that they can be quickly put into service in case of an emergency.
7. Pay attention to anchoring operations
Seabed sediment survey: Before the ship carries out anchoring operations, the captain should consult the nautical charts, route guides, port entry guides and other port information, and must ensure that the seabed sediment of the selected anchor position is suitable for anchoring operations, and should avoid choosing seabed areas with rocky texture or uneven terrain.
Anchor chain length specification: The ratio of the length of the anchor chain to the water depth should be maintained at least 5:1, that is, the length of the anchor chain is five times the water depth.
Anchoring operation points: The captain should try to choose the ship to drop the anchor when the ship has a backward speed under the influence of wind current, and lower the anchor slowly according to the water depth and ship size.
Anchorage duty requirements: The captain should arrange a special person to continuously monitor the anchorage status; And use GPS, radar and visual azimuth measurement and other means to monitor the anchor position of the ship in real time and check whether there is an anchor phenomenon.
Meteorological monitoring: The captain should constantly pay attention to weather forecast information and various warnings issued by the port.
Emergency Response Preparedness: In the event of an anchor loss on a vessel, the captain should ensure that the ship’s main engine propulsion system is immediately operational to respond to emergencies.
8. Other preventive measures
Gangway safety duty: The ship should properly place the ship’s gangway and be equipped with protective nets and lifebuoys to ensure that it is stable and reliable. At the same time, the crew on duty needs to adjust the gangway in time according to the tidal fluctuations.
Driver’s station staffing: Regardless of the weather conditions, the driver’s station should maintain reasonable staffing, especially during bad weather, the driver on duty must stick to his post.
Pollution prevention measures: The ship shall ensure that the openings of the ship deck and any tank are closed and sealed, and the ship shall take effective measures to prevent cargo or ballast water leakage during heavy rain weather.
9. Penalties for ship violations
If a vessel fails to follow the above operating instructions, the Indian port authorities will have the right to impose measures such as delaying operations, imposing fines and/or restricting the vessel from sailing, depending on the severity of the vessel’s violation. Although these guidelines are issued specifically for the port of Jaigarh, they are also of great reference value for ships calling at any port in the region during the monsoon season. The association reminds member ships that have recently gone to India and surrounding ports affected by the Indian Ocean monsoon should pay attention to the impact of monsoon and swell on ship safety, and contact local agents in advance to learn about the specific safety requirements of the port, equip berthing safety equipment, ensure the safety of ship berthing, and avoid ship violation penalties.
