View report page

The officers of the Port Health Authority are, nevertheless, very satisfied with the result of
this case since the owners of this particular fleet of tugs have been more co-operative than
before and no further major difficulty has been experienced in connection with any of their
vessels.
On a lighter note, the following letter from the Master of a foreign ship indicates that the
writer, although perhaps not a 'master' of the English language, is not only anxious to be cooperative
in conforming to the Regulations but is also appreciative of efforts to assist him to
comply with the Law.
"I beg to thank you for the consideration and co-operation that I have received from
your department during my stay in the Port of London.
"May vessel has I fear, owing to reasens beyound my control, caused yourselves
considerable inconvenience by smoking.
"This vice has now I hope been overcome due to the untiring efforsts of your staff.
"I now look forward to many smokeless visits to your ports, and wish to thank you once
again for your kindness and consideration."
A further instance of co-operation and courtesy from an unusual visitor to the Thames
occurred on the 23rd July. A flotilla of five frigates from II.M.S. Dartmouth Training Squadron,
visited the Pool of London.
One of these frigates was observed to emit black smoke continuously for a period of 50
minutes whilst lying on her moorings. The vessel was boarded and it was courteously and
apologetically explained by the Engineer Commander of the flotilla that the smoke was due to an
"electrical" fault. The requirements of the Act and Regulations were pointed out to him
although it was appreciated that the Clean Air Act could not be applied directly to Admiralty
ships. Nevertheless, the following signal was sent that evening to all the ships.
"Smoke Abatement. The Port of London is in a clean zone Every precaution is to be taken
to avoid making smoke when 'flashing-up' from cold."
A Senior Port Health Inspector was present to keep the flotilla under observation during its
preparation and departure for sea. Although steam was raised on all vessels from semi-cold
boilers, no excess of Dark Smoke was emitted.
Experience in working the Clean Air Act, 1956 (Section 20) and the Dark Smoke (Permitted
Periods (Vessels) Regulations, 1958, has suggested the need for considered amendments in the
Regulations as follows:—
Art. 3.(2):— For the purposes of the said Schedule, a vessel is not under way when it is
at anchor or made fast to the shore or bottom and a vessel which is aground
shall be deemed to be under way.
The interpretations of the words 'aground' and 'under way' give rise to controversy and contradict
the accepted ruling among seafarers, so are liable to cause confusion. These circumstances
could well be omitted from the Regulations.
Further, an intelligent but unscrupulous Master operating a ship with an inefficient boiler
installation may be secured to the shore at high tide but aground on the foreshore at low tide.
By casting-off his mooring ropes he would be considered by the Regulations to be under way and
entitled to make Dark Smoke for twenty minutes instead of ten minutes when secured to the
shore. This unfair advantage could be taken,particularly when such a ship was working winches
at full effort regardless of overloading the boiler.
Finally, the occasions when vessels are accidently grounded are so rare from the viewpoint
of these Regulations that they can be disregarded and it is very unlikely that an Authority would
desire to prosecute the unfortunate ship for emitting some Dark Smoke in an effort to release
itself.
SCHEDULE
Emissions from a forced draught oil-fired boiler furnace, or an oil engine:
Case 1. 10 minutes in the aggregate in any period of 2 hours.
With limited resources this period of observation is too long. Unless an Authority has
specialist Inspectors for this duty, much time will be involved at the expense of normal health
work, and without a fast launch it is impossible to keep a ship under observation when outward
bound for two hours, particularly colliers in ballast.
It is suggested that the period of observation be reduced to one hour and preferably thirty
minutes with some proportionate reduction in the permitted period of smoke emission.
48