Lifting appliances on board ship, particularly ship’s cranes, are critical to a vessel earning freight. A ship is only earning money, ie, freight, when carrying cargo at sea. If the deck cranes are out of action in port the vessel will have downtime which in turn reduces the vessel’s earning capacity. For this reason, and the safety of the crew, ship’s cranes should be well maintained, usually whilst at sea, to reduce the possibility of port downtime.

This OCIMF publication assists ship to ship service providers to assess, measure and improve the safety and effectiveness of their management systems. This second edition has been updated to reflect current legislation, expectations and emerging issues and incorporates feedback from STS service providers and users of the first edition. It is based on the principles of the Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA 3) programme.

If you’re looking for a broad overview of supercargo operations, this will certainly cover off the essentials. It’s of particular relevance to readers looking to direct their career towards a consultancy or supervisory role in this field, giving a good understanding of the industry and the position of a ‘supercargo’ in particular. While some form of shipping-related experience is expected, author Mike Wall does a commendable job of making the subject accessible to complete novices too. No easy task.