Dear colleagues on board,
On Saturday, August 31, 2024, our MV Spanaco Simplicity received a visit from the PSC in the port of Riga. Among other things, it was discovered that the outboard motor of the rescue boat did not have a propeller guard. Although the ship had only recently left the shipyard after a class renewal, no one noticed that the propeller guard on the outboard motor was missing. It was only the PSC officer who drew the crew's attention to this. But by then it had already happened and the ship received a deficiency.
The Chief Engineer reacted immediately and made a new propeller guard out of a metal bucket. This impressed the PSC officer and he therefore refrained from taking further action.
As you all know, propeller guards on outboard motors of rescue boats are required by SOLAS. This serves to protect people in the water from injury.
Please check your outboard motors to see if they have a propeller guard and that it is in good condition. If this protection is missing, then do as the good sailor on the Spanaco Simplicity did. Build one.
This Fleet News is intended to show us that with a little imagination and a touch of good seamanship, major problems can be avoided.
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