Minutes

DATE / TIME:        May 28, 2009, 9:30 a.m.

LOCATION:        DOT Headquarters
            1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Conf. Rm. #1
            Washington, DC    

ATTENDEES:        Rich Sonnenschein (MARAD), Ch.
            Chris Bassler (NSWCCD)
            Bill Cleary
            Paul Cojeen
            Bruce Johnson
            Chris Kent (CSC, Marine Div.)
            Dave Maurer (Gryphon Technologies)
            Tapan Mazumdar (NAVSEA)
            Bill Peters (USCG)
                                    
    by telecom:    Chris Barry (USCG ELC)
            Jane Louie (Gibbs & Cox)
            
Old Business:

1.    Introductions – Rich Sonnenschein welcomed the members in attendance, and those participating via telecom.  There were no corrections to the minutes from the Panel’s previous meeting, held on February 10, 2009.  

2.    SLF-52 Developments – Bill Peters reviewed major SOLAS and SLF plans and activities:
SOLAS – Next SLF meeting is set for January 2010.  The new subdivision and damage rules entered into force on January 1, 2009.
New Generation Intact Stability Criteria – Part 2 has been submitted, addressing ship vulnerability criteria, based on stability failure modes.
Guidance for the Safety of Fishing Vessels <12 m in Length, and Undecked at any Length – These voluntary standards are expected to be approved in 2010.
Adoption of 1993 Torremolinos Protocol – In efforts to help advance this protocol, questionnaires have been sent to nations with substantial fleets of fishing vessels greater than 24 m in length.
Passenger Ships – Ongoing issues include time-dependent survival (“time to flood”), return-to-port criteria, and the need for guidelines on watertight doors normally left open.
Tonnage Convention Update – Amendments to the 1969 tonnage rules are needed in order to apply the tonnage rules in a uniform manner to ship types which were rare or non-existent when the Convention was adopted.
Subdivision for General Cargo Ships – This new set of criteria applies to some ships, not covered by the 2009 probabilistic damage rules.



3.    Periodic Review of ASTM 1321, Guidance on Stability Tests and Deadweight Surveys – The Panel utilized the SDC Collaborative Web Site to collect member comments on this Standard, up for periodic review, submitted in July 2008.  In late 2008, an updated version went to publication.  A review of the latest version reveals that two of the Panel’s comments were adopted.  Not adopted were 11 other comments, including a recommended set of parentheses for eq. 3 which, without them, is algebraically ambiguous; and a recommendation that the metric system be incorporated into the standard.

4.    Dynamic Stability Task Group (DSTG) – DSTG coordinator Chris Bassler discussed recent and future planned DSTG activities:  
•    The DSTG will lead a T&R Session and Presentation during the SNAME Annual Meeting in October 2009; the group’s efforts are being spearheaded by nine technical teams.
•    Next DSTG meeting was scheduled for the afternoon of the SD-3 meeting date, at DOT; the Task Group will generally meet on the same date as Stability Panel SD-3.

5.    Review of Stability-Related PNA Draft Chapters –
•    Chapter 1 (Ship Geometry) has gone to publication and is available on the SNAME web.
•    A final draft of Chapter 2 (Intact Stability) is in progress, to incorporate the revised, 2008 Intact Stability Code.  
•    Rob Tagg sent an update on Chapter 3 (Damage Stability), describing a new section in progress, on probabilistic oil outflow.  Hopes are for a final draft by mid-July 2009.  Action:  Tapan Mazumdar to investigate the progress of US Navy ship damage stability through the necessary internal approval process.  Chapter 3 will be published alone.

6.    Panel O-49, Small Working Vessels Operations & Safety Activities –
•    O-49 chair, Bruce Johnson, discussed his collaborative efforts with Nick White (Expedition Software) of New Zealand, to construct a state-of-the-art system, capable of recording 6 degree-of-freedom motions at high sampling rates.

7.    Panel SD-3 and SNAME Web Page developments -
•    Jane Louie discussed SNAME’s Project Voyager, the new web site to which SNAME is transitioning.  Initially, this will include “group” sites - for committee discussions - and “micro” sites – to handle files of committee interest.

 8.      Proposed Stability Guidance for Small Craft Designers -
•    Continuing on discussions from the previous meeting, Tapan Mazumdar explained that the Navy version of SHCP will be made available only for Government contract purposes.
•    Chris Barry described the inherent difficulties in developing spreadsheets for stability analysis of small craft, and is therefore searching for a viable, yet affordable, alternative.
•    In order for the Panel better appreciate the purpose of Chris Barry’s proposed work, Paul Cojeen suggested a brief write-up by Chris,  discussing the background and need, and targeted outcomes and beneficiaries, might help.

 New Business:    

•    STAB 10 will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 22-26, 2009.  Members Chris Bassler and Vadim Belenky will be attending.

•    The Panel discussed details of the recent sinking of the passenger ship EXPLORER in Antarctic waters, based on the investigative report released by the state administration.  All agreed that it was with extraordinarily good fortune – as well as some decisive action – that all passengers and crew evacuated the ship and were brought to safety without casualties or major injuries.

Action Items:     

•    Dynamic Stability Task Group – All interested in participating in DSTG activities should contact Chris Bassler.
•    Tapan Mazumdar will determine the in-house approval status of a description of US Navy ship damage stability, for possible inclusion in PNA, Chapter 3 (Damage Stability).
•    Chris Barry is encouraged to draft a brief description of the background, need, targeted outcome, and beneficiaries of a proposed project to foster improved stability guidance for small craft designers.
•    Jane Louie will add materials to the Stability Panel web page as needed, and keep the Panel members apprised of major web developments.

Adjournment / Next Meeting - The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 AM; the next Stability Panel meeting is scheduled for 1 – 3 pm on Thursday, August 6, 2009, at the DOT building, in Washington, DC.  Please note that the DSTG will meet on the same morning.