IMO offers guidance on navigating straits

   A pamphlet was officially released at the 93rd session of the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee in London on Tuesday to offer guidance to vessel operators on how to safely navigate the busy Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
   “The Safe Passage: The Straits of Singapore and Malacca” pamphlet is the result of an initiative within the Cooperative Mechanism, a framework established in 2007 in which Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and vessel operators pool their knowledge in an effort to enhance navigational safety and protect the marine environment in the straits, international shipping association BIMCO said.
   BIMCO first proposed the pamphlet in 2002.
   “It is intended to be a handy tool for users of SOMS (Straits of Singapore and Malacca) on navigational guidelines and best practices to be observed, and the importance of adhering to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs),” the association said in a statement.
   The pamphlet also offers information on collision prevention measures, night signals for vessels crossing the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait, local rules for ships transiting the staits, advice on anchoring and weather conditions affecting visibility, such as haze and heavy rain.
   The pamphlet is available as a PDF download from Cooperative Mechanism and BIMCO on their websites.