London: The recent decision by key players such as Maersk, APL and Zodiac Maritime to layup vessels in order to save money has spurred classification society Lloyds Register to put together a guide to the process.
"The sudden and dramatic fall in freight rates has left many owners looking for ways to cut costs or just survive. One option under consideration is the lay up of vessels, essentially taking them out of service for an extended period of time," says Steven Bush (pictured), principal surveyor at Lloyd's Register's Marine Consultancy Services.
However, he warns, "Shutting down a ship is a complex process, it is not as simple as flicking switches. Deactivating vessels in an effort to save costs requires planning and investment in the process so that a ship can be reactivated successfully when the economic conditions are more favourable. It is imperative that ships are laid up correctly otherwise they can experience problems on re-activation for the remainder of their working lives."
The guide will contain a checklist and outlines procedures for both hot layups (where the vessel is out of commission only for a short time) and cold layups (where the vessel will be off the market for an extended period). It also identifies nine locations around the world boasting optimum layup conditions, including three in Asia: Bahrain anchorage in Bahrain, Fujairah anchorage in the UAE and Brunei Bay in Labuan Borneo. [25/11/08]
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