Telegraph by Crew Admin

The MN at war A WW2 convoy veteran shares his memories 26-27

Techophiles New research on officers’ feelings about IT at sea 19

Stranded Teaser heading crews Concern at rise 00 in abandoned seafarer cases 44

Volume 42 | Number 09 | September 2009 | £2.85 €3.00

Security warning over ‘hijacked’ Russian vessel Ahijacked ship that sailed unchallenged through the English The case of an allegedly

Mysterious disappearance: the Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea was found off Cape Verde after going missing for over a fortnight Picture: Reuters

Alarm at porn raids on ships Nautilus raises fears of retaliation against UK seafarers as police launch crackdown on the computers of foreign crews onboard visiting vessels

Nautilus International is warning members of a crackdown on the contents of seafarers’ computers by authorities in the UK and other countries. The Union is concerned that police, customs and immigration ofﬁcials are mounting a concerted campaign to ‘trawl’ through seafarers’ PCs in search of potentially illegal or incriminating material. General secretary Mark Dickinson has written to home secretary Alan Johnson to express alarm at the developments —warning of the potential for adverse retaliatory action against UK seafarers in other countries and questioning what powers the police are using to conduct searches onboard visiting ships. In recent months, several Filipino seafarers have been arrested and jailed for the possession of paedophile pornography and other material after videos and photographs were discovered during a search of crew quarters

on ships visiting Liverpool’s Seaforth Docks. Similar searches have been reported by Nautilus members in a number of other UK ports, and welfare agencies have warned that Special Branch ofﬁcers have been boarding ships to inspect the contents of seafarers’ laptops and mobile phones. Mr Dickinson said the Union was concerned that seafarers were being targeted by the authorities, both in the UK and elsewhere. ‘This is not to defend the indefensible,’ he stressed, ‘but it is to raise worries over yet another form of intrusion into seafarers’ personal lives and the way in which they can be caught up in further criminalisation.’ He said that if police ﬁnd images that are ‘deemed inappropriate in the UK’ — although not necessarily so in the seafarers’ own countries — a seafarer can be arrested, prosecuted, jailed or deported, even if it leaves the ship under-manned. ‘Members need to be aware of

what is taking place, and of the potential consequences of possessing material that could be considered offensive or illegal,’ Mr Dickinson added. ‘It is of particular concern that images which seafarers might consider to be acceptable in their home country could breach the law in other parts of the world.’ The Union has warned the home secretary of the potential for retaliatory action against British ships and British seafarers in foreign ports. ‘Given that cultural and national perceptions of what is deemed offensive or pornographic vary considerably, there are legitimate grounds for fearing the consequences of similar searches around the world on British ships,’ Mr Dickinson pointed out in his letter to the minister. Nautilus has questioned whether the searches are targeting seafarers of certain nationalities or ships of speciﬁc ﬂags. And the Union has also asked if the UK

searches are part of a wider international initiative, with reports of court cases in Canada and New Zealand following the discovery of offending material during checks on seafarers’ computers. In one case last month, two Filipino seafarers were ordered to pay ﬁnes of NZ$2,000 (£828) after pleading guilty to possessing what was described as ‘extreme’ child pornography on their laptop computers. ‘This will hopefully send a clear message out to members of the seafaring community that this type of material is not acceptable in New Zealand,’ said customs operations manager David Meredith.

Any members who have experienced such searches are asked to contact Charles Boyle, director of Nautilus legal services, giving information including: date of search; ship name; flag; port; crew nationality; and the authorities who carried out the search.

Channel highlights the ‘glaring gaps’ in the national and international maritime security regime, Nautilus International warned last month. The Russian-owned general cargoship Arctic Sea passed through the Dover Strait just four days after crew members reported being attacked by masked gunmen who boarded the vessel off Sweden. The Maltese-ﬂagged ship was ﬁnally intercepted by a Russian naval vessel more than a fortnight later, some 300 miles off the Cape Verde islands, following an extensive international maritime search. Russian authorities said the vessel had been attacked by a ‘well organised network’ of pirates and eight men had been arrested by security forces. There had been reports that the suspects had made a US$1.5m (£910,000) ransom demand, threatening to shoot the crew and sink the ship if it was not paid. Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson said the case raised worrying questions about the state of maritime security. ‘It is alarming that, in the 21st century, a ship can apparently be commandeered by hijackers and sail through the world’s busiest waterway with no alarm being raised and no naval vessel going to intercept it. ‘It is unbelievable that a ship can sail around for more than a fortnight

with no one seemingly knowing its precise location or who is in control,’ Mr Dickinson added. ‘We do not believe the authorities would have taken such a relaxed approach to a hijacked aircraft, yet it seems that ships and seafarers continue to be treated with an “out of sight, out of mind” approach that has led to the shipping industry being the Achilles heel of global security.’ The Union pointed out that a House of Commons transport committee report warned, in 2006, how ‘piracy provides a tempting and successful demonstration to terrorists of what can be achieved with relatively straightforward equipment and organisation’. The report also stated: ‘Well organised and determined terrorists could take control of a ship and use it to achieve terrible ends.’ Mr Dickinson said the response to these concerns had been one of immense complacency — underlined by the continued increase in piracy cases around the world. Another recent report from the House of Commons defence committee highlighted shortfalls in the resources available for UK maritime security and a lack of coordination to deal with the threat of a seaborne terrorist attack. The Union will be raising its concerns with a motion on piracy and maritime security at the TUC Congress this month. f Hijack mystery — full report, page 25.

Inside

F The unkindest cut

How a single stray anchor can disrupt the growing global network of undersea cables and put millions ofﬂine — pages 22-23 F ECDIS support

A Nautilus member tells how he is seeking to make the transition to electronic charts even easier and much safer — pages 20-21

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

NAUTILUS AT WORK

MNTB launches new officer training route A

Nautilus has welcomed the launch this month of a new officer trainee entry route into the UK shipping industry. Running in key nautical colleges and universities from this month, the new officer trainee programmes for GCSE/standard grade entrants lead to HNC higher national certificate and HND higher national diploma qualifications. Their introduction means there is now a complete suite of officer training courses enabling entry at a wide range of different levels. The new programmes enable OOW/EOOW certification to be achieved within approximately three years, along with HNC, and for engineers, second engineer MCA exemptions. Those wishing to gain chief mates/master or chief engineer

exemptions and an HND will need a further six months, either added on to the end of the HNC programme or to be completed at a later date. The following colleges are offering the programmes: Blackpool and the Fylde College (Fleetwood Nautical campus); Glasgow College of Nautical Studies; Shetland School of Nautical Studies; South Tyneside College; and Southampton Solent University (Warsash Maritime Academy). Glenys Jackson, head of education, training and careers at the Merchant Navy Training Board, explained: ‘Following the successful introduction of the foundation degree/Scottish professional diploma programmes three years ago, the MNTB has been working with shipping companies and nautical educational establishments on the

replacement for the current HND/VQ programmes. ‘The VQs are due to expire in March 2010, which, along with various other issues — not least the major changes taking place in educational frameworks in the UK — has led to the need to develop a new route for those wishing to enter the industry at GCSE/standard grade level,’ Ms Jackson explained. The new programmes will provide greater flexibility for shipping companies and different industry sectors to meet their needs for officers, and well-defined development and progression routes to further certification and degree qualifications, she added. f The full framework document is available on the MNTB website at www.mntb.org.uk

Pictured above is Viking Recruitment director of operations Matthew Jaenicke with officer trainees at this year’s Holland America Line cadet induction, held onboard the Dutch-flagged cruiseship Maasdam in Liverpool last month. The company is taking on 17 British officer trainees this month and in January, and they were able to get a taste of their future by visiting the 55,575gt ship, together with family members and representatives from the maritime colleges and the Merchant Navy Training Board

Concern over UK backtrack on fair pay for foreign seafarers Government backs away from radical change to legal loopholes and extension of minimum wage provisions

Nautilus International has expressed concern that the UK government may be backtracking on proposals to combat pay discrimination for foreign seafarers serving under the red ensign. Action to close the legal loopholes that allow different rates to be paid to nondomiciled seafarers on UK ships has been promised in the forthcoming Equality Bill. The government was forced to act to end shipping’s exemption from Section 9 of the Race Relations Act to avoid the threat of proceedings being taken by

Brussels, on the grounds that it breaches EU law on the freedom of movement of workers. But last month ministers told the maritime unions that the Equality Bill is likely to contain ‘a more narrowly-drawn replacement’ for the existing exemption. Shipping minister Paul Clark said he appreciated the news would be a disappointment to the unions. ‘However,’ he added, ‘I am ﬁrmly of the opinion that were the government to act differently and not allow some differentiation in pay for some seafarers (albeit in a much more tightly deﬁned set of circumstances), it is

likely that employers subject to UK law would be put at a significant commercial disadvantage to employers from other states. ‘This, in turn, might lead some to reconsider the relative advantages of flagging with the UK,’ the minister said. The government has also backed away from extending the UK national minimum wage provisions to more seafarers — and in particular those working on ships operating between UK ports or from UK ports to UK offshore installations. Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-

Brown told Nautilus that he had been given legal advice that, under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, the UK could not extend the minimum wage requirements to foreign-ﬂagged vessels operating in UK internal waters or exercising the right of innocent passage through territorial waters. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘To say we are disappointed with this is an under-statement. Whilst we wait to see what the government means by a “more narrowly-drawn” exclusion, the big question continues to be what ministers will do to protect for-

eign seafarers from exploitation on UKﬂagged ships. At present, the answer would appear to be no protection whatsoever.’ Mr Dickinson said unions had received legal advice that disputed the government’s line on the application of the national minimum wage, and Nautilus is in discussions with the RMT and the TUC on the issues. The possibility of tabling amendments to the Equality Bill — in respect of both the minimum wage and the Race Relations Act exemption — is under consideration, he added.

It’s never been easier to be a Nautilus member g

Nautilus/RFA liaison officer David Gatenby and industrial officer Gavin Williams are pictured with Royal Fleet Auxiliary officer trainees at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth last month. Together with Nautilus recruitment assistant Blossom Bell, they gave a briefing on the benefits of membership to a group of RFA cadets taking part in their initial training at BRNC

All maritime-related employees — whether officers, ratings or shore-side — operating in all traditional seafaring sectors and new areas such as the large yachts are welcome to join Nautilus International, says Garry Elliott, national secretary in charge of the Union’s recruitment activities. ‘Did you know?’ he says: i Ratings z Nautilus International now represents more than 1,600 ratings worldwide z Nautilus has 15 single-union agreements with employers that entitles it to represent all ranks z Nautilus has a ratings representative on Council, the governing body that determines the Union’s policy z Nautilus has ratings’ liaison and partnership delegates who help to negotiate on the Union’s behalf in the workplace

z Nautilus membership includes a wide range of seafaring nationalities and the Union offers a reduced subscription rate for the ﬁrst 12 months z the Union also represents hotel and onboard service staff serving on ferries and cruiseships i Shore staff z Nautilus has signiﬁcant numbers of shore-side members in membership z the Union welcomes shipping company office personnel, vessel traffic services officers and other shore-based staff into membership z Nautilus is able to represent you in your workplace z there is a reduced subscription rate of £5.30 per month for those on a salary under £23,000 i Large yacht sector z Nautilus represents a growing numbers of seafarers working in the worldwide large yacht sector,

providing assistance and advice z the Union can give global legal advice, support and representation to members serving on large yachts z it also provides protection of up to £102,000 indemnity cover for loss of salary arising from certiﬁcate suspension or withdrawal z Nautilus has strategic alliances with the largest crewing agents in the world z the Union has a partnership with the Professional Yacht Association based in Antibes ‘Come and join the maritime union that helps to support and represent all ranks, nationalities and sectors at sea,’ Mr Elliott says. g You can complete the application form on the inside back page of the Telegraph, apply online at www.nautilusint.org, by phone on 0151 639 8454, or email Blossom Bell and Karen Jones at recruitment@nautilusint.org

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Minister urged to act over jobs Time to end the delay on industry’s employment package, says Nautilus

Long overdue action to improve employment and training support for UK seafarers is needed now more than ever, Nautilus International warned the new UK shipping minister, Paul Clark, last month. Officials from the Union met Mr Clark at the Department for Transport headquarters to discuss a wide range of important maritime policy issues —and top of the agenda at the hour-long meeting was the urgent need for action on the UK shipping industry’s joint proposals for improved support for seafarer employment and training. It was April 2007 when maritime unions and owners first presented the government with a package of proposals to promote recruitment and retention of British seafarers. Despite intense lobbying, the government failed to include the measures within its Budget spending plans and, in an effort to end the stalemate, the industry presented ministers with a revised package in April this year. The submission seeks enhanced SMarT payments — which would provide 100% support for all training costs up to second officer certification and for ratings — in return for voluntary employment and training commitments from shipping companies. During the meeting, Mr Clark assured the Union that the Department for Transport has been pressing business, innovation and skills minister Lord Mandelson for a decision on the funding for the revised package. The minister said the government had demonstrated its commitment to the Merchant Navy over the past decade, and he wanted to see the UK shipping industry develop further. It is hoped an announcement on the industry’s proposals will be made ‘sooner rather than later’, he added.

shortreports DEATH OF EX-GS: the death was announced late last month of former NUMAST general secretary Eric Nevin. Mr Nevin, who led the Union between 1974 and July 1989, was 78 and had suffered a long illness. A former ‘Conway Boy’, he served at sea between 1948 and 1959 with Alfred Holt, Blue Funnel and Glen Lines and obtained his masters foreign going certificate in 1957. Mr Nevin joined the then Merchant Navy & Airline Officers Association as assistant district secretary in the Liverpool office in 1959. A full obituary will appear in the next Telegraph. MLC VIDEO: the maritime training company Videotel has launched a new package to help seafarers, shipping companies, crewing agencies and the authorities with the implementation of the international Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Produced with the support of Nautilus, the training and support material includes a dedicated website — www.mlc2006.com — a DVD-based training programme, and a computer-based training program to promote compliance with the ‘bill of rights’ for seafarers. RAMSGATE REPEAT: Euroferries is to make a second attempt to launch a fast ferry service between Ramsgate and Boulogne following a last-minute failure to begin operations in April. The operator has signed an agreement with Thanet district council, the owner of Ramsgate harbour, for five return crossings daily. Due to start at the end of August, the service will run in partnership with Fred Olsen, using the 98m catamaran Bonanza Express. AGENCY ALARM: the TUC has urged the UK government to adopt new regulations to protect agency workers and to ensure they have equal rights to pay, holidays and working hours. The call follows a TUC survey which revealed that one in every three agency staff gets less pay for doing the same work as directlyemployed personnel, and nearly half receive less holiday entitlement. STRANDED SEAFARERS: the International Transport Workers’ Federation stepped in last month to help eight crew members stranded onboard a flag of convenience cargoship in the port of Dundalk. ITF inspector Ken Fleming said the crew of the Cambodianregistered Linda had been abandoned in the port since 13 July and were owed at least US$60,000.

General secretary Mark Dickinson presents shipping minister Paul Clark with a Nautilus International tie following the talks at the Department for Transport last month

Mr Clark also told the Nautilus ofﬁcials that he was committed to raising the proﬁle of the shipping industry. ‘We recognise its importance, and it is quite amazing that it does not have the recognition that it deserves,’ he commented. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson described the talks as positive. ‘The new minister is clearly determined to make progress on some of these pressing issues, and it was good to hear

that he has already been actively lobbying for the industry and the measures that we are seeking to safeguard the maritime skills-set in this country. ‘We told him of our concern that the impact of the recession on shipping could get much worse, and that in such a situation there could not be a better time for the government to announce additional ﬁscal support for employment and training,’ he added.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included piracy, shipping and the environment, and the need for measures to tackle the pay and conditions of foreign seafarers on UK ships or working in UK waters. Mr Clark also told the Union that the UK is determined to address the problem of seafarer fatigue, and is working through the International Maritime Organisation to ensure that there is a level playing ﬁeld’ in terms of global regulation.

UK remains determined to switch freight from roads to water, Nautilus is assured Apromote shipping as part of its ‘green’ transport policies, ministers have assured The UK government is determined to

Nautilus. The Union had written to transport minister Lord Adonis to express concern that the government’s ‘low carbon transport strategy’, published in July, had failed to highlight the environmental beneﬁts to switching freight from roads to water and had unduly emphasised the issue of exhaust emissions from shipping. But in a response to the Union last month,

transport minister Chris Mole said the government recognises the potential contribution that shipping could make to cutting carbon output — even though he believed the document’s concentration on CO2 emissions from shipping was justiﬁed. Mr Mole said the government had revised its grant schemes in an attempt to encourage a higher rate of applications from shipping companies for schemes to shift goods off the roads. ‘However,’ he stressed, ‘we do not generate grant applications — we are reliant on the

industry to submit eligible proposals. ‘We have available budget and would welcome applications,’ the minister added. ‘If the industry has proposals that it believes are eligible for support, it should get in touch with our grants team.’ Mr Mole said the government had agreed to extend its ﬁnancial support to the Freight by Water organisation for a further two years, and said the waterborne freight grant scheme would serve as a support mechanism for ‘motorways of the sea’ projects.

LIAISON TRAINING: the next Nautilus International liaison officer training course is set to take place at Ruskin College, Oxford, between Monday 9 to Thursday 12 November. Any liaison officers or partnership delegates interested in taking part in the course should contact Ronnie Cunningham or Karen Jones at the Union’s Wallasey office. DOCK PROTESTS: trade unionists from across Ireland staged a rally in Dublin last month in support of dock workers who have been on strike since 3 July in protest at mass redundancies and an 18% pay cut. The ITF has urged Peel Ports, the owner of Dublin Marine Terminals, to enter into serious negotiations with the workers and their union, SIPTU. DFDS DETERMINED: the Danish ferry company DFDS has repeated its interest in taking over Maersk’s Norfolkline ferry operation. Announcing the company’s half-year results last month, DFDS CEO Niels Smedegaard said the acquisition remains under consideration. LD LAUNCH: the expanding French ferry firm LD Lines has announced plans to launch a new service between Rosslare and Cherbourg this month. The ropax ferry Norman Voyager will be used to operate the service, providing six return sailings each week. SKIPPER CHARGED: a trawler skipper was charged with ‘drink-sailing’ after failing a breath test when the Scottish-registered fishing vessel Honeybourne III ran aground off Filey, north Yorkshire, last month.

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports WESTERN RISE: an improved pay offer adding 0.5% in August to the 3% agreed in April, has been agreed by Nautilus as a result of consultations with members employed by Western Ferries (Clyde). Industrial officer Steve Doran said there had been a 12-1 majority in favour of the offer, and the Union will now seek to progress other issues raised by members in recent months.

Onboard the Isle of Lewis: industrial officer Gary Leech with Capt Donnie Finlayson, chief engineer Kenny MacKenzie, chief officer Norman Smith, second officer Kenny Fargus, third officer Calum Gillies, third engineer Tarina Hays, and cadet Connor McGarry

NORFOLKLINE PRESSED: Nautilus is pressing Norfolkline (Guernsey) management for clarification of new contracts for Dover-based members following the recent TUPE transfer. Industrial officer Ian Cloke said the Union wants to ensure the inclusion of wording from the original contract, stating that members would only serve on Dover ships. WOMEN’S COURSE: Nautilus International has received a ‘fantastic response’ from female members to proposals for the Union to develop a special training course. Senior national secretary Ronnie Cunningham said it is hoped that such an initiative will encourage women members to be more active within the Union.

Gary Leech on the bridge of the Hebrides with second mate Ben Wood and first mate John Davies

BP FREEZE: following further talks with BP Oil UK, Nautilus has reluctantly accepted the company’s proposals for a pay freeze this year. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said it had been agreed to commence next year’s negotiations at a very early stage. INTRADA REQUEST: members serving with Intrada Ships Management have been asked to give the Union their suggestions for the contents of the forthcoming pay and conditions claim. HEYN SETTLEMENT: Nautilus has accepted a 2.5% pay offer from Heyn Engineering, after 80% of members serving on the RV Corystes expressed support for the proposals.

On the Coruisk, with Capt Dan Skivington, chief engineer Andy Fulton and chief officer Lachie Wotherspoon

other unions representing F seafarers serving on European inland Nautilus International and

Notice of meeting F

the new union. General secretary Mark Dickinson, director of legal services Charles Boyle, and national secretary recruitment Garry Elliott will be at the meeting. Senior national secretary Ronnie Cunningham, head of organising, said the ﬁrst two annual lay rep meetings had been very worthwhile and it is hoped the latest will also be a success. The choice of venue — either Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow — will be decided on the basis of feedback from members. g Any members wanting more information or to conﬁrm attendance should email: rcunningham@nautilusint.org

Onboard the Hebridean Isles, with Capt Thomas Dunn, second officer Scott Hiddlestone and chief officer Mark Macdonald

On the bridge of the Isle of Arran, with second officer V. Mules, chief officer Graham Shepherd, and Captain Roddy Macleod

Marine Training

www.aset.co.uk

accredited by Nautical Institute using Kongsberg & Alstom equipment. In addition, we now have a Converteam (Alstom) Duplex Series C DP System, allowing delegates to train on the latest equipment. We also now offer a 2 day Conversion course for those wishing to convert from Alstom to Converteam equipment

• Stability and Ballast Control training for semi-submersibles (utilising ASET’s unique high-ﬁdelity Marine Simulator). Training meets IADC & IMO Guidelines. We are the only commercial training centre in the world to have achieved both Class ‘A’ and Class ‘B’ Accreditation from the IADC for Stability training

• Marine Operations of Self-Elevating Platforms (Jack-Ups) • Radiotelephony – CAA, ROC, GOC, GMDSS. Aberdeen Skills and Enterprise Training Limited T +44 (0)1224 896196 |E asetbookings@aset.co.uk |W www.aset.co.uk

Emergency Response Training

Marine Training

carried out a series of ship C visits to meet members serving on Nautilus International has

• Dynamic Positioning training for Induction/Basic and Simulator/Advanced courses,

Oil & Gas Technician Training

Electrical & Ex Training

Health & Safety Training

Nautilus has welcomed a ‘breakthrough’ development in the continued campaign on income tax concessions for UK seafarers. Following judgement in a new appeal to the tax commissioners, HM Revenue & Customs is having to change the way in which it disqualifies the crews of certain vessels from the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction. Details of the case were revealed at talks between HMRC and the Union last month, which had been arranged to discuss issues including the interpretation of the ‘five-day’ rule and how the Revenue defines ‘stationary’ in assessing claims. As a result of the ruling — which will apply to claims from the 2008-9 tax year onwards — revised guidelines are expected to be published shortly. Full details will be on the Nautilus website as soon as they are known. Nautilus official Peter McEwen said the case centred on the eligibility for SED of seafarers onboard Proserve flotels and HMRC lost on two counts.

Some construction work is conducted onboard the vessels, and the commissioner ruled that this meant they could not be classed simply as accommodation units under the SED guidelines. Similarly, the judgement also determined that the vessels did not come under the category of being engaged in the exploitation of minerals — a deﬁnition which can lead to the loss of SED entitlement for the crews. ‘The judgement was made quite recently and now that it is clear that HMRC will not be appealing, new guidelines will have to be produced,’ Mr McEwen explained. ‘The new ruling does not contradict the Pride South America case,’ he stressed, ‘but it does clarify the situation considerably in the favour of members and should be particularly relevant to many serving on DSVs. ‘It does not meet our fundamental wish for SED to be available to all seafarers, and that campaign will continue,’ Mr McEwen pointed out, ‘but it is a considerable step forward.’

Waterways alarm at social security rules

TRINITY DEAL: following consultations among members serving with Trinity House, Nautilus has accepted a 1.5% pay offer.

Nautilus International liaison officers and partnership delegates are invited to attend the Union’s third annual lay representatives’ meeting, due to take place at a venue to be arranged in Scotland, on Tuesday 27 October. The meeting aims to offer lay reps a chance to discuss some of the most important issues affecting members at work, as well as to consider recruitment and organisation activities and the wider work of the Union. Items on the agenda this year are likely to include criminalisation, the development and training of local representatives, and the creation of

New ruling on SED will open up eligibility

Transportation Training

Business Computing

People & Business Management

Caledonian MacBrayne’s western isles ferries. Industrial officer Gary Leech is pictured above with officers onboard some of the vessels over a four-day period in August. ‘This was a terriﬁc opportunity to talk to members in their workplace, and we covered a wide range of different subjects during the meetings,’ Mr Leech said. ‘Some of the topics discussed included the recent pay award, the single agreement, partnership at work, and the rostering of the extra week’s leave.’ Mr Leech said he is now hoping to arrange similar visits to members serving in the Clyde division.

waterways have expressed concern about changes in social security rules affecting members in the sector. The European Transport Workers’ Federation, the European Barge Union (EBU), and the European Skippers’ organisation (ESO-OEB) have called for urgent talks with the European Commission on the threat to seafarers. They warn that the proposed implementation of a new EC regulation on social security would remove an exemption clause for Rhine boatmen signed by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The resulting changes to the rules

‘will serve to create uncertainty amongst employers and employees’ and could have a negative impact on jobs, they said in a joint statement issued last month. Unions argue that the existing arrangements are best suited for the needs of the inland waterways industry and its personnel — particularly those from non-EU or EEA states. ‘The established central system for the resolution of difficulties is speciﬁcally developed for the industry, easy to understand and simple to use,’ they pointed out. In fact, the unions added, Europe should consider the extension of the social security agreement for Rhine boatmen to the rest of the international inland waterways industry on a pan-European basis.

Jobs go in Jo Tankers cost-cutting moves Jo Tankers over cost-cutting A plans involving the loss of more than Nautilus is in discussions with

50 Dutch masters’ and officers’ posts. The Bergen-based company is selling its four Dutch-ﬂagged tankers and says it has no alternative but to dismiss all its Dutch seafarers because the new owners want to use only Filipino crews. It has opened discussions with the Union on the job losses, and over the next month will examine a social plan and outplacement services for the officers. Jo Tankers said its cost-reduction measures will also affect British,

Norwegian and Filipino seafarers and it would ‘ﬁnd solutions on an individual basis’ for these personnel. Nautilus was last month seeking to clarify what is being proposed for UK officers, and how the plans might affect cadets with the company. The company — which operates chemical and product tankers — said it had been forced to take the measures in order to remain competitive. ‘We deeply regret the unavoidable changes that are being implemented,’ said MD Frederik Gabrielsen. ‘Shipping is facing a massive crisis and we have to be proactive in cost reduction.’

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

Redundancies as two dredger firms put vessels into lay-up D

Nautilus International has been involved in talks on proposed job losses from the Cemex UK and Hanson dredger ﬂeets. The Union has been seeking to limit the number of redundancies being made by both companies as a result of decisions to put ships into lay-up. Eleven posts are going at Cemex following from the lay-up of Sand Weaver. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said the number of redundancies was less than originally feared.

A total of 16 jobs are being lost at Hansons Ship Management, as a result of the lay-up of Arco Beck and the part-time lay-up of Arco Dee. In both companies, Nautilus has been negotiating on the severance terms and representing members who believed they had been unfairly selected for redundancy. The Union has also urged Cemex to agree to ensure that when the market recovers and additional seafarers are taken on the ratio of UK seafarers to other nationalities will remain the same, or better.

RED FUNNEL PAY: following a series of ship visits and a meeting of the liaison officers’ committee, Nautilus International has met Red Funnel management to begin talks on this year’s pay and conditions claim. The Union is seeking an increase substantially above the rate of inflation, as well as discussions on issues including bonuses, rostering, staff concessions and contracts. Nautilus industrial officer Gary Leech is pictured with Pacific Nuclear Transport liaison officers Dave Brown, Alistair Wilson, Peter Bell and Rob Newsham during recent talks with James Fisher management on this year’s pay and conditions claim. ‘The company has told us that they cannot go above 1.5%, but we have urged them to look at improvements to a range of other elements,’ Mr Leech said. The Union was pressing management for a response late last month.

WIGHTLINK CONCERNS: Nautilus has taken part in a ‘questions and answers’ meeting with Gordon Parsons, division director of the Wightlink parent company Macquarie, together with staff reps and union officials. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said the opportunity had been taken to raise concerns about masters’ meal breaks and hours of work.

Pay prospects?

MAERSK VIEWS: members serving on Maersk containerships have been asked to submit their views on the contents on the Union’s forthcoming pay and conditions claim. The submission for members serving on the RBS vessels is due to be discussed at a partnership meeting early this month.

Mixed messages on the fortunes of the industry revealed in new reports

With shipping continuing to suffer from the international economic downturn, the prospects for the forthcoming round of pay and conditions negotiations are not encouraging, Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson has warned. But two new reports have provided some crumbs of comfort as the Union prepares submissions for the many thousands of members who are covered by 1 January review dates. The ﬁrst study was published last month by Drewry Shipping Consultants, with its latest annual analysis of ship operating costs showing that average daily running costs for most owners are set to fall by some 3.4% this year. Lower crewing costs were cited as one of the factors that have helped to ease the ﬁnancial pressures on operators. Other elements to help owners include

lower oil prices, lower insurance premiums, and reduced prices for spares and management charges. However, Drewry MD Nigel Gardiner predicted that the fall in costs will be brief — and crew salaries will start to soar again when the markets recover. ‘Cost inflation will return, and we forecast it will hit 4.5% in 2012,’ he said. ‘The big unknown at the moment is the timing of recovery and when economic stimulus packages will kick in. Owners and managers need to be ready to deal with cost inflation or run the risk of costs spiralling out of control.’ The report forecasts that manning costs will remain stable in the near-term after years of high upward pressure caused by the shortage of skilled seafarers. ‘Crew numbers have already been cut so there is not much scope for further reductions,’ it adds. ‘But, as the total fleet size grows, cost increases could be back as soon

as 2012 and so the shortage of crews will once again manifest itself.’ In another report, official statistics showed that British shipping earnings soared by more than 25% last year. Figures produced for the UK Chamber of Shipping by the Office for National Statistics showed that the industry’s turnover grew from £9.5bn in 2007 to £11.9bn in 2008 — meaning that the Merchant Navy now earns £1.35m every hour of every day for the UK economy. Sea transport has regained its third place position in the services sector of the balance of payments ‘league table’ — earning £7bn more than air transport, and out-performed only by financial services and travel. Shipping’s net direct contribution to the balance of payments was £4bn — an increase of over 40% on the previous year.

WHITSHIP REVIEW: Nautilus has welcomed the results of a review of second mates’ salaries in the Whitaker Tankers’ fleet. It is hoped that the changes agreed by Whitship Management will address differentials and provide additional opportunities for newly-qualified cadets.

‘These results are a clear indication of the shipping sector’s continued value to the British economy’ said David Asprey, head of shipping policy at the Chamber of Shipping. ‘UK shipping has been making a consistently solid contribution to the economy since the revival of the industry in 2000. As we weather uncertain times in the shipping markets it is even more essential that the industry and government work closely to ensure a positive and stable commercial environment.’ Mr Dickinson said the reports were very interesting. ‘We are concerned about the coming pay round, because we know the industry is not through the worst yet. However, like any good business, shipping companies should have put money aside in the very good recent times to tide them through the bad times,’ he pointed out.

SVITZER CALL: Nautilus is seeking an urgent meeting with Svitzer Marine following the rejection by members of the company’s proposed pay freeze. Industrial officer Gary Leech said he will be meeting members to discuss the issue further in an effort to avert a possible dispute. ORKNEY TALKS: Nautilus had further talks with Orkney Ferries management last month in an attempt to secure a settlement on this year’s pay and conditions claim. Industrial officer Steve Doran said the Union had also discussed issues around the formation of the new marine department. MDHC MEETING: Nautilus has met Mersey Docks & Harbour Company management to discuss this year’s pay and conditions claim for VTS and floating plant members. Industrial officer Steve Doran said a formal response was awaited late last month.

A degree put together with seafarers in mind

Jonathan Havard with members onboard the Pride of Hull

Business, Leadership & Management for the maritime sector from The Open University in association with The Marine Society College of the Sea

An Open University bachelors degree, focusing on Business, Leadership & Management and mapped to seafarers’ qualifications for transferred credit... ...and with members onboard the Pride of Bilbao

VDR worries at P&O Ferries C

Nautilus International industrial officer Jonathan Havard is pictured during a recent series of visits to members serving on P&O Ferries in Hull and Southampton. He met members serving on the Pride of Hull and Pride of York to discuss issues arising from the P&O North Sea ferries business review, ahead of further discussions next month. He also met colleagues at

the Nautilus Rotterdam office to consider the joint approach being taken in the negotiations. Mr Havard said officer reps on all the P&O Ferries routes had raised concern about the company’s use of voyage data recorder information. ‘We believe they are using the data for spying rather than safety, and this has been taken up with management and a response is awaited,’ he added.

... so you can now achieve your degree quicker and with a significant cost saving. Completion within two years ... and whilst at sea.

To find out more visit: www.ms-sc.org/ou education@ms-sc.org / 020 7654 7050

The College of the Sea is part of The Marine Society & Sea Cadets. Registered Charity No: England & Wales 313013, Scotland SC037808

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

IMCA’s summer ball goes to aid of the Apostleship

MAERSK IMPROVES: following talks between Nautilus and management, members serving with Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) are being consulted on an improved pay and conditions offer. The package would give a 3% increase in basic pay, effective from 1 June, along with improvements in bonus payments, pensions and increments, as well as a proposed early re-call payment. Industrial officer Ian Cloke said the revised package met many of the aspirations set out by members, and the Union is recommending acceptance. SAIPEM OFFER: members serving with Saipem UK are being consulted on an improved pay and conditions offer that would give 4% pay increases this year and in 2010. The company has also given a commitment to reduce the requirement for working beyond tours of duty, and has confirmed that the status quo for ‘cashing-in’ leave will continue. The Union has recommended acceptance of the package, and results will be known early this month. TECHNIP TALKS: a range of issues, including catering, crew changes, flight routeings, study leave and security in Nigeria were raised at a meeting between Nautilus officials and liaison officers and Technip Offshore (UK) management. Industrial official Gary Leech said the pay submission may now go in later than scheduled because of company presentations on the impact of the economic downturn, but any increase will be backdated. SUBSEA CONCERN: Nautilus International has expressed concern at the continued lack of a response to its pay and conditions claim for members serving with Subsea 7. Industrial officer Steve Doran said he has urged the company to make an offer in response to the submission, which had been presented in June. GULF RISE: Nautilus has welcomed Gulf Offshore’s decision to honour the terms of a two-year pay deal, giving members a 2% increase in January this year and a further 3% in July. Industrial officer Steve Doran said the settlement would help recruitment and retention. DSV DEAL: members serving on Bibby Ship Management’s DSV agreement have unanimously accepted a pay and conditions offer worth almost 7%. Effective from 1 January, the package includes a 4% pay rise, health care provision and improved increments. VECTOR CLAIM: following feedback from members employed by Celtic Marine on Vector Offshore vessels, Nautilus has submitted a claim seeking a rise substantially above RPI, together with improvements to bonuses, annual leave and rostering. CMA AGREEMENT: Nautilus has agreed a 5% pay offer, backdated to 1 January, following feedback from members serving with Bernhard Schulte on the CMA Ships’ vessels Fugro Merdian and Fugro Mercator.

Crew clothing for a

perfect performance

Hugh Williams, chief executive of the International Marine Contractors Association, is pictured left presenting a cheque for £2,500, to Sheila Bailey, director of fundraising and communications at the Apostleship of the Sea. The award was the proceeds of the IMCA summer ball, held at Banchory Lodge, Aberdeenshire, in June. This annual event was well supported by IMCA members, who all dug deep to raise funds for AoS.

‘The current economic climate has increased the need for welfare services for seafarers, so we are very grateful for this generous donation to our work,’ commented Mrs Bailey, whose husband, Nigel, is Nautilus representative on Saipem’s DSV Bar Protector, where he is ETO. Apostleship of the Sea is a maritime welfare charity, providing vital practical and pastoral support to seafarers. Its work is funded wholly by voluntary contributions.

HSE says accidents are at all-time low

Union raises concern about ‘transfer of risk’ to offshore marine operations

Nautilus International has expressed caution at new ﬁgures suggesting that accidents in the UK offshore sector have fallen to a record low. A report released by the Health & Safety Executive last month shows that both the combined fatal and major injury rate and major hydrocarbon releases dropped to the lowest level since it began regulating the industry in 1991 following the Piper Alpha disaster. No workers were killed while working offshore during 2008-9 — the second consecutive year with no fatalities. There was also a

fall in major injuries, with the 30 reported representing a fall of 14 from the previous year, whilst the combined fatal and major injury rate down by 32% for 2008-9 from 2007-8. The main causes of major injuries were slips, trips and falls (12) and being trapped or hit by moving equipment (10). The HSE said the number of major and signiﬁcant hydrocarbon releases — regarded as potential precursors to an incident — also showed marked improvement, with 61 in 2008-9 compared with 74 in the previous year.

The operators’ body, Oil and Gas UK, said the ﬁgures reﬂected the ‘immense efforts’ made to address safety, claiming that more than £4bn has been invested over the past four years in improving platforms and equipment. However, HSE chairwoman Judith Hackett urged the industry not to be complacent. ‘The improvements in major and fatal accident rates are encouraging but industry must not take its eye off the ball. Investment in safety must continue despite the economic climate,’ she warned. And Nautilus senior national

secretary Allan Graveson said he was concerned that the HSE ﬁgures masked ‘a transfer of risk’ within the offshore sector. The HSE statistics do not include the 16 people who died when a Super Puma helicopter crashed in the North Sea on 1 April or the deaths onboard offshore support vessels over the year, he pointed out. Ms Hackett admitted that while the HSE’s remit does cover offshore shipping and air activities, the deaths of 17 offshore workers in marine and air accidents ‘show hazards are ever-present offshore’.

Safety alert over H2S gas build-up hydrogen sulphide (H2S) incidents on A platform support vessels has been raised by the

Concern over continuing incidents involving

Marine Safety Forum (MSF) in a safety ﬂash issued last month. The bulletin highlights an incident in which H2S levels in the tank of a vessel carrying water-based mud and slops from an installation went well above safety limits. The wet bulk waste was back-loaded onto the vessel, which returned to port for discharge and tank cleaning. However, because there was no space available ashore, the vessel did another three-day trip with the waste still onboard. But tank cleaning contractors discovered that

the H2S gas level in one tank was at 200ppm — well above safety limits. The vessel had to remain at the berth overnight, before it was decided to allow the controlled venting of the tank before discharge could take place. An investigation found that the rig had failed to conﬁrm that storage space was available onshore to receive the waste and the analysis forms from the rig had not been correctly completed. There was also no evidence that the wet bulk waste was treated in line with the charterers’ waste procedures guide. f In another safety ﬂash issued last month, the MSF warns about the need for seafarers to exercise care during mooring operations — pointing to P&I

club ﬁgures showing that 14% of claims now result from mooring incidents. It highlights a recent case in which a chief officer suffered a severe rope burn after a heaving line parted when a seismic support vessel was mooring alongside another ship at sea. The crew were transferring the heaving line to the windlass drum end as the mooring line was too heavy to haul in by hand. Investigations found that the chief officer had taken a ‘calculated risk’ in ordering extra turns be taken on the drum end to free a jammed eye, and the report recommends that crew members be given extra coaching in the principles of ‘stop the job’.

Shell plans world’s largest LNG FPSO D

For more information on how we can dress your crew T +44 (0)23 8033 3771 E sales@miller-rayner.co.uk W www.miller-rayner.co.uk

Shell has announced an agreement with Technip and Samsung Heavy Industries for the design and construction of the world’s largest LNG production, storage and offloading vessel. The 450m vessel, pictured left, would operate in remote gas fields that are far away from onshore plants and would be capable of producing up to 3.5m tonnes of LNG a year. The ‘design one, build many’ agreement runs over 15 years and could see a series of the so-called floating liquefied natural gas facilities (FLNG) being built and installed. Shell said the vessel has been designed to operate under harsh conditions, and has the potential to produce more than 5m tonnes a year. Although it will cost a reported US$5bn, the company said the FLNG would provide a commercially attractive alternative to longdistance pipelines and extensive onshore infrastructure.

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Brambleleaf bows out

Anger at bumper pay rises for MCA bosses

aRoyal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Brambleleaf leaving lay-up at Pictured right is the retired

Portsmouth on 18 August under tow of the Dutch-ﬂagged tug Multratug 17. Built in 1976 as the commercial tanker Hudson Deep, the 33,257dwt single-hulled vessel was taken to the Van Heyghen recycling yard in Ghent for demolition — the same yard that dealt with the disposal of RN ships Rame Head and Fearless. Brambleleaf was bareboat chartered by the RFA in February 1980 and bought by the MoD in 1983, undergoing a major conversion to operate in a support tanker role.

expressed anger after A discovering that senior managers at The coastguards’ union has

Picture: Gary Davies

Container rubbish is returned by Brazil

Owners bid to keep hours ‘flexibility’

Fresh fears over the misBattle lines drawn up as IMO looks at new rules on seafarer working time declaration of the contents of F containers were raised last month when Brazil sent back scores of boxes containing hazardous waste that had been illegally shipped from the UK. The Panamanian-ﬂagged containership MSC Serena arrived in Felixstowe carrying 71 out of a total of 89 containers that were found to have included clinical waste such as syringes, condoms, old medicines and bags of blood, as well as batteries and soiled nappies. The shipping lines originally contracted to transport the containers — which had been declared as containing recyclable plastic — agreed to bring the boxes back to the UK at their own expense after the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources raised the alarm. The UK Environment Agency said it would organise the fumigation of the containers before undertaking a full investigation of their contents. Three men have been arrested by the agency’s national environmental crime unit in connection with an inquiry into the alleged illegal shipment of waste. Unit head Andrew Higham commented: ‘The UK has taken a strong global lead to stamp out the illegal waste trade, in order to protect people and the environment. We are not going to allow our waste to be dumped on developing countries.’ It is illegal to export waste for disposal, but it can be sent abroad for recycling. The maximum penalty for exporting waste illegally is an unlimited ﬁne, or up to two years in prison.

Nautilus International has voiced concern at calls from leading shipowner and employer bodies for continued ‘flexibility’ in the rules governing seafarers’ hours of work and rest. In a paper presented to the International Maritime Organisation, the two main owner and employer groups argue that the existing rest hour regime ‘is sufficient to protect seafarers against fatigue’. The paper has been tabled by the International Shipping Federation and the International Chamber of Shipping ahead of an inter-sessional IMO meeting this month on the review of the Standards of Training Certification & Watchkeeping Convention working time rules. The review is considering ways to harmonise the STCW rules with those set down by the Interna-

tional Labour Organisation. At present, STCW limits only the working hours of watchkeepers (to 98 hours a week) — whilst ILO Convention 180 sets a 91-hour cap on the working hours of all seafarers. The ISF/ICS submission argues for the continuation of a provision in the STCW rules which allows the minimum period of 10 hours rest in any 24-hour period to be cut to just six hours — as long as any such reduction does not extend beyond two consecutive days or result in less than 70 hours of rest in any seven-day period. The two organisations claim such derogations are necessary to ‘overcome short-term peak workloads’ caused by such factors as arrival in port, port state control inspections, delays, extreme weather conditions and suspension of pilotage services.

The paper says ﬂexibility is essential, and contends that ‘it will be more productive to adopt amendments that will encourage proper record-keeping and help ensure enforcement of compliance with the detailed rest hour requirements’. And it also argues: ‘Changing the regime itself will not ensure compliance, and neither will it prevent the inaccurate recording of hours of rest’, Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson criticised the move. ‘The industry continues to be in denial with respect to the issue of fatigue,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘No other industry, including those in the transport sector, sees such hours being worked on a regular basis. ‘The need to respond to emergency situations should not be used as an excuse for prolonged working hours, and it is a falla-

cious argument to say that the present regime protects seafarers when every study shows evidence of signiﬁcant levels of fatigue — and dangerous levels in certain sectors.’ Mr Graveson said long working hours have been shown to have adverse effects on health, and it is essential that better controls are introduced for seafarers. f Norwegian maritime unions have welcomed the national position on rest time that has been put forward to the IMO by their country’s government. A paper submitted by Norway to the IMO inter-sessional meeting on the STCW Convention review expresses concern over the ‘ﬂexible’ approach and says that when exceptions to the rules are approved, there should be ‘compensatory leave immediately after the end of the exception period’.

the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) awarded themselves pay rises of more than 15% last year — whilst many low-paid staff received little more than 1%. The PCS union said that analysis of this year’s MCA annual report shows a 7.6% increase in the chief executive’s salary — from £127,000 (pro-rata) in 2007-8 to £137,400 in 2008-9. Executive board members also saw large increases, with directors receiving rises of approximately 15%. The huge pay rises contrast sharply with pay for the rest of the workforce, where starting salaries for a coastguard watch assistant are as little as £13,260. Added to this, the union said, management have imposed pay awards — resulting in real term pay cuts for staff and experienced watch officers who will be receiving an increase of just 16p an hour. PCS members in the MCA have been in a long-running dispute over pay which has seen the ﬁrst ever stoppage by coastguards last year and a two-year campaign of industrial action short of a strike. The union says staff feel betrayed and let down by the continued refusal to implement the ﬁndings of studies saying that coastguards’ pay should be the same as other emergency services. PCS official Paul Smith added: ‘Coastguards and administrative staff working for the MCA will feel like they have been stabbed in the back. Everyday our members save lives with their professionalism, expertise and speed in responding to 999 and distress calls, yet they have to put up with pay rates that compare pitifully to other emergency services whilst senior managers enjoy bumper pay rises.’

Saga Cruises buys Astoria to replace retiring Saga Rose wAstoria to replace the 24,500gt Saga Rose, which is due to be withdrawn from service at the end of the year. Saga Cruises has bought the 18,591gt cruiseship

The UK-based company bought the Bahamas-ﬂagged vessel at auction last month and says it will be renamed Saga Pearl II and will be brought into service with an inaugural cruise next March. Saga had agreed to buy the 28-year-old vessel from the Dutch ﬁrm Club Cruise last year, but the deal fell through when the vessel was arrested in Barcelona in December after the company went bankrupt.

How about a shipboard holiday this summer? Partner or family member working away at sea during the holidays ? Are you able to visit them but struggling with the expense of booking online single flights? We are able to offer discounted one way air travel for all ‘eligible’ friends and family travelling to and from vessels this summer. Using our extensive marine fare programme we are able to provide changeable and refundable tickets. Please contact us today for a quote Viking Marine Travel Tel: +44(0) 1304 240881

Fax: +44(0) 1304 240882

www.vikingrecruitment.com/travel

Email: travel@vikingrecruitment.com

The German-built vessel — originally launched as the Arkona — is to undergo a £14m reﬁt over the winter, with accommodation, equipment and machinery to be upgraded, as well as a new ‘eco-friendly’ hull coating to be applied. Officers and crew serving on the Saga Rose will transfer to the Saga Pearl II, which will carry 446 passengers. Saga Group chairman Andrew Goodsell commented: ‘I am very excited that we at long last have Saga Pearl II. She is a lovely mid-sized ship true to the Saga tradition and a perfect addition to our ﬂeet.’ Picture: Gary Davies

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Falcon sold for $101m

= Pictured right going off to start sea trials last month is the ﬁrst 62m vessel from the Icon Yachts yard in Holland. The vessel will debut at the Monaco Yacht Show later this month. Designed by Redman Whiteley Dixon, the vessel is the ﬁrst of a series of three — each of which has a different interior design, and the third of which has a different exterior design. Icon Yachts was launched in 2006 by former project manager Wim Koersvelt, who acquired a commercial facility, with capacity to build or maintain superyachts of up to 135m length. The company aims to build efficiently using pioneering modular techniques borrowed from commercial shipbuilding practices.

superyachts — the 88m O Maltese Falcon — has been sold by its One of the world’s most iconic

owner, the American venture capitalist Tom Perkins. Built in Turkey in 2006, the Maltese Falcon is the world’s largest sailing superyacht and features three free-standing computer-controlled rotating carbon-ﬁbre masts with some 25,800 sq ft of sail area. The vessel was said to have cost more than US$150m to build but was sold last month for a reported $101m. Maltese Falcon will remain in charter under her new ownership.

Never a dull time for deck officers Crew agency chief tells of opportunities in the sector

Antibes agency meets to discuss MLC matters Wendt and Jerry Baylis of the A Antibes-based agency D&B Services Pictured above are Jorg

with Nautilus senior national secretary Ronnie Cunningham, national secretary Garry Elliott, and recruitment assistant Blossom Bell. The picture was taken during a two-day meeting last month at the Union’s Wallasey offices, which included detailed discussions about the superyacht sector and how it will be affected by the international Maritime Labour Convention regulations, due to come into force in 2011. D&B Services provides a wide range of yacht management and

R. H. BRADSHAW

COWBRIDGE TAX SERVICES

Mill Brow Brookfield Park Road Cowbridge South Glamorgan CF71 7HJ Tel/Fax 01446 771536 E.Mail marine@onetel.com 100% FED CLAIMS AND FORECASTS ELECTRONIC LODGEMENT – NO MORE WAITING FOR THE REVENUE

training services, recently securing Maritime & Coastguard Agency approval for short training programmes. ‘We welcomed the opportunity to meet with D&B Services, as they are well respected within the industry as a responsible crewing agent and have a strong base and tradition in Antibes,’ said Mr Elliott. He said Nautilus is hoping to further develop the relationship with D&B Services. ‘It was agreed that crewing agencies should be looking to employ employees on decent pay rates, terms and conditions and fringe beneﬁts to attract and retain good personnel,’

Mr Elliott explained. ‘Nautilus has no hesitation in endorsing good employers, owners and crewing agencies that follow this remit and we encourage this with such strategic partnerships and alliances as we have done with Dovaston in recent months. ‘As a union, we have strong and good links with all regulatory bodies and it has to be in the interest of all parties to work in partnership in the sector,’ he added, ‘and we welcome the chance to work in unison with representatives in Antibes to provide our members with an effective and relevant service.’

STCW 95 FIRST AID & SURVIVAL TRAINING Course Venues: Southampton & Hull MCA Proficiency in Medical First Aid Aboard Ship MCA Proficiency in Medical Care Aboard Ship MCA Prof in Medical Care (Refresher) MCA Personal Survival Techniques MCA Elementary First Aid HSE First Aid at Work MCA/RYA Ocean Theory Course GMDSS Restricted Operator’s Certificate Defibrillator Course Contact: Yvonne Taylor

KTY Yachts

Haven Ambulance Service Unit 10/18, Universal Shipyard, Sarisbury Green, Southampton SO31 7ZN Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1489 570302 Mobile: 07785 335189 yvonneandkeith@ktyyachts.com

www.ktyyachts.com

In this month’s article on seafaring careers in the superyacht sector, Phil Edwards, managing director of dovaston crew agency, pictured right, focuses on the positions of captain and deck officers. Phil — an ex-captain himself — has inside knowledge of life in charge of a luxury yacht and is keen to stress the advantages of the private sector over the merchant industry. ‘The captain’s role carries serious responsibility, regardless of size or status,’ he notes. ‘However, there are some definite bonuses in the superyacht world. ‘The yachts get to cruise to some of the world’s most glamorous locations — marinas in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Even time spent in the home ports can be pleasant. Common locations include Palma, Majorca, Antibes on the Cote d’Azur, and Fort Lauderdale in the States.’ As well as all the traditional roles of the master, the superyacht captain is expected to act as host during a charter and as a local expert for both owners and guests. ‘The captain needs to carry out detailed research on fine din-

ing and entertainment, both home and away,’ explains Phil. ‘Being in charge of a private yacht is never boring, and as well as the official duties captains may well find themselves working with local yacht agencies to organise limousines, helicopters, tour guides, special food — anything that the owners or guests may require, but always to the standard they expect. Flying in ice sculptures and finding 3,000 red roses for a surprise birthday party were just two of the challenges I was given; on a superyacht nothing is too much trouble.’ On the bigger yachts, the captain will be supported by two or three officers — all of whom will be expected to contribute to the

high standard required by the owners. Merchant crew are particularly valued for these positions. Their high levels of professionalism and training are well regarded, especially as more boats are being covered by commercial shipping rules and conditions. ‘One of the key elements of success in the private sector is matching the right crew with the right owner,’ Phil stresses. ‘The private sector can be tremendously challenging in terms of high standards and expectations, but owners and captains that have the same outlook can form partnerships that last for years across several changes of boat.’ If you think you may be interested in a move to the superyacht sector, why not send an e-mail to info@dovaston.com where the team will be happy to answer any of your queries and share their knowledge. Unlike a lot of crew agencies, dovastons are committed to working as hard for their crew as they do for their boats. This is why they were so keen to form their partnership with Nautilus, as they recognise the beneﬁts that the Union can bring to the crew they represent.

Maltese conference on Repeat show the future of marinas in Abu Dhabi by Michael Howorth

A conference that looks at the future of superyacht marinas and reﬁt facilities around the world is to take place in Malta between 2021 October. The choice of Malta is not altogether strange given that the creation of new marina berths forms part of the Maltese government policy to grow the island as a regional superyacht centre. The government is at the same time seeking to dispose of the reﬁt facilities that it owns, but seems to be making a meal of it by extending the time for the bidding process to be completed.

The conference is being organized by Quaynote Communications and is aimed at marina owners and managers, specialist ﬁnanciers, lawyers, corporate service providers, yacht managers, owners’ representatives, captains, crewing agents and senior crew. g Malta’s government has approved plans for a new €130m superyacht marina. Menqa at Marsa — an area presently associated with heavy industry and sunken ships — is to become a prime commercial and residential zone that will include a 170berth superyacht marina, according to ofﬁcials at the Malta Maritime Authority.

Organisers of the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show (ADYS) have confirmed that a second event will run next year — with significant changes being made to the format. Set to run between 25-27 February 2010, the show will again be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre marina but will offer more exhibition space and format changes designed to improve the flow of traffic at the show. The inaugural event held early this year saw sales confirmed at US$200m, with more than 100 companies exhibiting and 23 superyachts on show. Andy Treadwell, Informa Yacht Group MD, said the Gulf region is one of the most promising markets for continued growth in the sector.

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Manx milestone ACompany has celebrated the 15,000th crossing of the Irish Sea by The Isle of Man Steam Packet

its ﬂagship vessel Ben-my-Chree. The 12,504gt vessel — which ﬁrst sailed into Manx waters on Tynwald Day 1998, after being built by Van der Giessen de Noord in Rotterdam, at a cost of £24m — chalked up the historic crossing on a sailing between Douglas and Heysham on 31 July. Since coming into service, the vessel has covered more than 875,000 miles, carried more than 2m

passengers, and has achieved an impressive reliability record of over 99%. Chief executive Mark Woodward commented: ‘The Ben-my-Chree has been the most intensively used vessel in our history and during this time her record of reliability has been outstanding. She has been a fantastic servant to both the travelling public and the company and I am delighted to see her complete this impressive number of sailings across the Irish Sea.’

Somalia attacks ‘set to increase’ themselves for an increase in A pirate attacks off Somalia in the Seafarers need to brace

coming weeks, naval forces have warned. In an alert issued last month, the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces expressed concern that pirate activity will rise when the SW monsoon ends. High sea states in the Somali Basin had resulted in fewer attacks during July, the naval forces said, and merchant ships would need to intensify vigilance as the weather conditions change. ‘The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever,’ said Turkish Rear Admiral Caner Bener, commander of the Combined Task Force 151. Using the internationally recognised transit corridor in the Gulf

of Aden, reporting to the UKMTO and the EU’s Maritime Security Centre before transits, keeping a constant lookout, and embarking security teams are all recommended actions that will help reduce the risk of a successful attack, he added. More than 30 ships and aircraft from 16 nations continue to patrol the waters off the Somali coast, and task force commanders from NATO and the EU have met to discuss new strategies to tackle the pirates. ‘In this environment, the importance of merchant mariners as ﬁrst line defenders against pirates is absolutely vital,’ said Commodore Tim Lowe, deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces. ‘The crews of those merchant vessels that have employed evasive manoeuvring and other defensive measures to protect their ships and their cargoes have proven to be more successful at evading attack.’

Row over ransom

Warships escort the Hansa Stavanger after its release last month

criticised the payment of a A US$2.75m ransom to Somali pirates German politicians have

to secure the release of a containership four months after it was hijacked. The 15,988gt Hansa Stavanger — whose crew of 24 crew included ﬁve German officers — had been seized on 4 April, some 400nm east of Mombasa and taken to the Somali port of Harardhere. There had been concerns about the health of the crew and the conditions in which they were being held, but two attempts to free the ship by force were abandoned because the rescue was deemed too risky. Leading German politicians criticised the decision by the vessel’s owners, Leonhardt & Blumberg, to pay a ransom following weeks of negotiations with the pirates. Hans-Peter Uhl, the security

policy spokesman for the conservative Christian Social Union, called for an end to ‘chequebook diplomacy’ with Somali pirates and for much tougher action to be taken against them. Thomas Oppermann, a centreleft Social Democrat MP, said the West was effectively funding a hijacking industry in Somalia and the payment of ransoms would encourage more hijackers. And defence minister Franz Josef Jung called for a constitutional amendment to give the German armed forces an enhanced role in operations to release hostages. But Frank Leonhardt, managing director of the shipping company, defended the ransom payment. ‘I am happy that after four months, an unbelievably long time of suffering for the seamen and their relatives, this hijacking has ﬁnally ended,’ he added.

Call for clarity on piracy payments Union unease over MPs’ move to restrict owners from paying ransoms

Nautilus has expressed concern about a new Parliamentary report which suggests that UK shipowners should seek permission from the government before paying ransoms to pirates to secure the release of seafarers being held hostage. Following an inquiry into money laundering, the House of Lords European Union select committee has expressed concern about the ‘serious risk’ that money paid to secure the release of ships, cargoes and seafarers could be used to ﬁnance terrorism. The committee’s report accuses the UK government of ‘an extraordinarily passive and com-

placent attitude’ in failing to investigate the possible links between terrorism and piracy and to provide advice to shipping companies. ‘The government says they have not found a link between the two,’ the report adds. ‘We believe they would ﬁnd one if they looked for it.’ If such a link is proved, those paying ransoms could be committing an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000. The committee said that while it is not the duty of the government to offer shipowners legal advice in speciﬁc situations, it should at least make the facts clear to enable owners to make their own assessments — espe-

cially given the now alarming regularity of vessel hijacking. The report criticises the sharp contrast between the naval efforts to combat the threat of piracy off the Horn of Africa and the lack of any serious action to inhibit the transfer of ransom proceeds, or even to establish whether they might be helping to ﬁnance terrorism. It says that Somali pirates secured around US$150m from 42 successful hijackings last year, and although it admits that the lawlessness of a failed state like Somalia makes it extremely difﬁcult to trace ransom money once it is paid, it urges the UK to work with other governments to investigate links between piracy and terrorism.

The report argues that those involved in the assembling of a ransom payment in the UK have the duty to seek consent, and that owners should report the details of ransoms paid so that the use of funds can be investigated. Nautilus raised its concerns during a meeting with the shipping minister, Paul Clark, last month. General secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘We have long raised our unease about the potential links between piracy and terrorism, but we do believe there is a need for clarity on the payment of ransoms and that nothing should be done which would get in the way of the speedy release of seafarers who are being held captive.’

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

NEWS

Pictured left to right at the launch of Seafarer Support are: Susan Newcombe, UK Port Welfare Administrator; Sir Michael Bibby; Crosby MP Claire Curtis-Thomas; Maritime Charities Funding Group programme manager Valerie Coleman; and Liverpool Seafarers Centre chief executive John Wilson

Campaign over Mission closure Protestors gather 7,000 signatures in support of calls for re-think of plan to replace South Shields centre with a mobile ministry for visiting ships

Liverpool launch for A freephone seafarer helpline service service for seafarers and their A families was launched in Liverpool A new freephone helpline

at the end of July. Seafarer Support — a conﬁdential telephone service that aims to direct callers to the agency or charity best placed to help them — kicked off with a ceremony at the Liverpool Seafarers Centre. Organised by John Wilson, chairman of the NW Port Welfare Committee, and Susan Newcombe, UK Port Welfare Administrator, the event was attended by local MP Claire Curtis-Thomas and representatives from across the maritime community, including Sir Michael Bibby of Bibby Line. Dame Lorna Muirhead, Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside and patron of the Liverpool Seafarers Centre, also took the opportunity to accept the gift of keys for two new minibuses for the centre from Peter Tomlin, deputy chief executive of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board. The vehicles will be used to visit ships and transport seafarers to and from the centre.

Operated by the MNWB, the Seafarer Support service is available between 0930 and 1630, Monday to Friday, on 0800 121 4765 — with an automated message facility outside normal working hours. All calls, messages and emails will be responded to within one working day. Also available online at www.seafarersupport.org, Seafarer Support has been set up in response to research that found seafarers are more likely to face poverty, homelessness, bereavement, loneliness, debt and marriage breakdown than other occupational groups, yet often remain unaware of the services and support available to them through charities dedicated to helping them. Seafarer Support is funded by the Maritime Charities Funding Group — a partnership of seven charities including the MNWB, Seafarers UK, the Nautilus Welfare Fund, ITF Seafarers Trust, Trinity House, Seamen’s Hospital Society, Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

A campaign to prevent the planned closure of the Mission to Seafarers centre in South Shields has secured a 12-month reprieve. Protestors gathered more than 7,000 signatures on a petition calling for a re-think of the proposals to shut the Mill Dam centre and replace it with a mobile ministry. The centre — which is the second oldest in the UK — was said to have been ‘haemorrhaging’ money and needs thousands of pounds worth of repairs. The Mission said the number of serving seafarers using the facility had declined in recent years.

‘As an international organisation, committed to serving working seafarers in ports all around the world, we have to ensure that our limited resources are directed to delivering services at the point of greatest need,’ the charity said. In a statement explaining the decision, the Mission said it was having to ‘confront serious ﬁnancial realities during the current economic downturn’ and it had been decided it could better support serving seafarers by running a mobile ministry to visit ships in local ports. ‘This new model of ministry has proved to be successful in delivering high quality services in many ports around the world,’ it added.

However, the decision sparked controversy. Former seafarer Bob Cleugh, who serves on the South Shields committee, said there had been ‘tremendous support’ from politicians — including foreign secretary David Miliband — local businesses and the public to keep the centre open. ‘We eventually had a meeting with representatives from the ministry HQ, but to say I am disappointed and saddened by some of their comments would be the least,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘On every occasion we are confronted with the phrase “active seafarers and their families” — and it is hard to believe that in a so-called modern society, the Mis-

sions to Seafarers can discard and deny continuity with ex-seafarers who voluntarily give their support,’ he added. Committee members say the centre is still viable, and have presented counter-proposals to keep it operating. Following a meeting between both sides last month, it was agreed to renew the lease on the centre for another 12 months, whilst a task force considers ways in which it could be re-established as a community project for current and former seafarers in the area. However, plans for the mobile ministry — to be based at Tyne Dock — will be put into operation this month.

E-book to mark heroism at sea D

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is marking its 170th anniversary with the publication of an ‘e-book’ containing a detailed history of the awards it has made for skill and gallantry at sea since 1851. The 188-page book — Heroism at Sea — contains remarkable stories of selfless sacrifice and bravery, with accounts of all the medals and awards presented to seafarers and, more recently, helicopter search and rescue crews in going to the aid of people in peril at sea. Profits from the sales of the book — which provides a fasci-

nating insight into British maritime history — will go towards the work of the society, which was founded in 1839 and continues to provide help to former merchant seafarers, ﬁshers and their dependants in need, as well as practical assistance to seafarers shipwrecked around the British Isles. g Heroism at Sea is published on CD and is priced at £9.95. For further information about the charity, or to order the e-book, contact: Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, 1 North Pallant, Chichester PO19 1TL. Tel: 01243 789329; email: general@shipwreckedmariners.org.uk

Unions seek new role for Maersk shipyard

Shetland trainees secure their tickets

engineer officer trainees from A the NAFC Marine Centre’s Shetland

AP Moller-Maersk has announced the closure of its Odense Steel Shipyard — the Danish facility that built vessels including the recordbreaking 11,000TEU ‘E-class’ containerships. The company said the lossmaking yard — which opened in 1918 — is to close once it has completed the current orderbook of 15 ships. Maersk blamed competition from countries such as China for the decision, claiming that it could no longer compete on a commercially sound basis for contracts. The closure of the yard will be

phased over the next three years, and will mean the loss of some 2,700 jobs. The Danish metal workers’ union has called for the yard to be converted to a testing and development centre for wave energy installation production, and the Danish marine engineers’ union proposed that an international maritime centre for technological development be set up on the site. g AP Moller-Maersk last month announced losses of US$540m in the ﬁrst half of 2009. The company said it remained ﬁnancially strong, despite an economic crisis of ‘historic dimensions’.

Pictured above are ﬁve

School of Nautical Studies who successfully passed their MCA oral exams last month. In the front row are Scott Williamson and Graeme Mainland, and in the back row are Michael Amedro, Ross Pearson and Siobhan Bradley — the centre’s ﬁrst ever female engineer cadet to qualify. Siobhan, who comes from Lerwick, described qualifying as ‘the best feeling ever’ and said it had ‘opened up a lot of doors for me’. Michael, also from Lerwick, is

one of the two cadets who will return to work for their sponsoring companies. ‘I plan to stay at sea and hopefully get my chief’s ticket and this is the ﬁrst step,’ he added. ‘I always wanted to do this and would recommend a career at sea to anyone.’ NAFC Marine Centre senior engineering lecturer Roger Pascal said: ‘I’ve been very pleased with the quality of students’ work throughout and am thrilled with their results,’ he added, ‘and I wish them all every success in their future careers.’ Picture: Billy Fox/NAFC Marine Centre

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

More aid for victims of ‘cod wars’

Fresh concern as ships collide in Malacca Strait

Aexpanded its scheme to compensate trawler crews who lost The UK government has

their jobs following the ‘cod wars’ with Iceland in the 1970s. Thousands of deepsea trawler crews lost their jobs as a result of the 1976 agreement which created a 200mile fishing limit around Iceland. At the time, trawlermen were regarded as being self-employed — meaning that they did not qualify for redundancy payments. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has announced that from 31 July, all trawlermen who fished in Icelandic waters during the Cod Wars will be given nine months in which to claim for additional payments. The previous scheme of 2000-2 was criticised because payments were based on aggregate service on vessels that fished in Iceland vessels rather than continuous service. Following a consultation, the government says it has created a fairer scheme.

the Malacca Strait were raised A last month after nine seafarers died Fresh concerns over safety in

in a collision between a bulk carrier and a product tanker. Nine of the 25 crew onboard the Liberian-ﬂagged Formosaproduct Brick — which was carrying a 58,000 tonne cargo of naphtha — were feared dead following a series of explosions and a ﬁre as a result of the collision with the 73,207dwt Isle of Man-registered panamax bulker Ostende Max. The two ships collided some 20nm off Port Dickson, Malaysia. Two salvage tugs managed to bring the blaze on the tanker under control, and a passing containership picked up some of the 16 survivors who had escaped into liferafts or jumped into the sea.

UK reveals plans to ban smoking at sea Government launches consultation on proposals for ‘smoke-free’ ships

The UK government has launched a public consultation on draft regulations to prohibit smoking on ships. Nautilus is preparing its submission to the Department for Transport, but members can also submit their own individual response by the 9 October deadline. Ministers say the proposed Merchant Shipping (Prohibition of Smoking on Ships) Regulations will bring the maritime sector into line with its general strategy on tobacco control, which seeks to develop smoke-free enclosed public spaces and workplaces. Under the Health Act that came into force in 2007 in England, virtually all land-based

enclosed public spaces and workplaces are now smoke-free. The government says it wants to reduce the risks to health from exposure to second-hand smoking, and increase the beneﬁts of smoke-free places for people trying to give up smoking. The proposed new rules will apply to vessels that fall under the scope of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, when they are in UK waters — except when exercising the right of innocent passage or transiting through straits used for international navigation. They will be enforceable by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency across the UK. Exempted from the proposed regulations will be warships,

naval auxiliary and government vessels, and pleasure craft. The proposals mean that smoking will be banned on the ship unless it takes place in an area designated by the master. Designated areas can differ for crew and passengers but cannot override any other smoking restrictions, for example those that relate to safety. Three offences are described under the regulations: smoking in a smoke-free place; failure to display no-smoking signs; and failure to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place. The penalty for smoking in a smoke-free place will initially be a £50 ﬁxed ﬁne, reduced to £30 if paid promptly, but which can be referred to court

if requested. There will be no ﬁxed penalty for the other two offences, which will only be dealt with in court Although the proposed regulations cover UK waters, the government says it ‘would like to see companies taking a proactive approach in implementing this policy onboard UK registered ships wherever they are in the world’. f For further information go to: www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/ smokingonships or contact: Rachael Watson, Shipping Policy, Department for Transport 2/33, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR; or email her at: smokingonships@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Action on watercraft by Tom Short

Plans to bring all watercraft under the scope of the UK Merchant Shipping legislation have been announced by the Department for Transport. It has launched a public consultation on the classing of all sea-going vessels, which could mean that a number of sections from the 1995 Merchant Shipping Act (MSA) would apply to all ‘craft’ — including body-boards and surfboards. The government has tabled the proposals in response to the verdict in a 2005 court case in which serious injuries caused by the misuse

of a jet ski went unpunished because such ‘personal watercraft’ were not covered by the MSA. Announcing the plans, shipping minister Paul Clark said the government wanted to improve safety at sea by introducing a legal deterrent to those who might otherwise ‘carry out reckless or dangerous activity on the water’. He added: ‘These proposals would bring such craft within the scope of safety requirements, including alcohol and drug offences.’ The proposed legislation would also bring personal watercraft under the scope of the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea.

Gus Lewis, legal and government affairs manager of the Royal Yachting Association, supported the plans. ‘I don’t think there are many boaters who believe that a particular type of boat or craft should be exempt from responsibility out on the water,’ he said. ‘In essence, this proposed change in legislation won’t make any real difference to what responsible boaters do out on the water. ‘The RYA has no major issue with the proposed changes, although the suggestion that parts of the Merchant Shipping Act should apply to boogie boards and surfers is probably going too far,’ he added. The consultation closes on 29 September.

The Ostende Max was reported to have suffered slight damage to its bow and three of its crew sustained injuries. The Isle of Man Ship Registry said it had sent two investigators to Malaysia to conduct a preliminary investigation into the cause of the accident. More than 70,000 ships pass through the Malacca Straits each year, and Japanese owners are spearheading efforts to improve navigational aids in the waterway. The Nippon Foundation has donated US$2.5m to an international fund to maintain and replace buoys and other navigational aids in the area and in July appealed to the shipping industry to support the project — warning of an increasing risk of a large-scale shipping disaster. Picture: Reuters

UK looks at day to mark work deaths Agovernment proposals to officially recognise Workers Memorial The TUC has welcomed UK

Day, to pay tribute the thousands of people who have been killed, seriously injured or made ill through work. The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a public consultation – which will run until 19 October — on how the day could be marked within the UK to provide an annual focal point for the importance of healthy and safe workplaces. Following its inception in Canada in 1984, Workers Memorial Day – 28 April — is already recognised as a national day in many countries around the world including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Luxembourg, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan and the USA. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber commented: ‘Official recognition of the day would acknowledge the terrible toll that work has placed on many families whose loved ones have been killed at work, or more slowly through a

disease caused by their work. It will also act as a reminder of the need to ensure that action is taken to ensure that such deaths are prevented in the future.’ z Accidental deaths at sea resulting from dangerous working conditions or incompetence result in lower fines than equivalents on land, according to Danish union 3F, in a survey of incidents since 2000. The union has analysed fines imposed for dangerous working conditions and found that the three largest maritime fines totalled DKr175,000 (£20,279). They related to 13 deaths in three accidents. The three accidents on land over the same period — in which five people died — resulted in fines totalling some DKr500,000. The union says the difference in fines levied is unjust and means there is little deterrent effect on employers. ‘Only around 20,000 Danes work at sea,’ says 3F leader Søren Sørensen, ‘and yet some 10% of all fatal accidents hit seafarers and fishermen.’

www.marinediplomas.com

Marine Engineering Sureveying

Marine Diplomas

Second Level Diploma

Yacht and Small Craft Surveying

Marine Industry Surveying

Cargo Surveying

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

HEALTH&SAFETY

Bulker runs aground Safety in spaces A A Chinese shipmaster is facing up to two years in prison after being charged by Norwegian police following the grounding of a bulk carrier last month. The 28,600dwt Full City, left, sparked a massive clean-up operation when it drifted onto rocks near Langesund, some 170km SW of Oslo during a storm. The Panama-ﬂagged ship was in ballast when it ran aground but some of the 1,200 tonnes of bunker fuel

escaped into the sea as a result of the grounding. More than 25 salvage and pollution response vessels were deployed after oil leaking from the Hong Kong-ﬂagged vessel created a 150km-long slick. Norwegian police said the Chinese master had been charged with a failure to alert the authorities that the vessel was in danger during the storm or to request assistance to avert the grounding. The charge carries a maximum two-year jail sentence.

Pilotage safety concern Bridge manning questioned by Union following two accidents involving pilots steering ships

Nautilus has raised concern about bridge manning following two recent ship collisions in which pilots were distracted because they were undertaking steering operations. The Union has raised questions about the two cases, which are highlighted in the latest issue of the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s Safety Digest In one incident, a general cargo vessel struck the buttress of a swing bridge while on a pilotage passage upriver to a discharge berth.

Drawing lessons from the incident, the MAIB concludes: ‘By choosing to steer himself, the pilot lost the opportunity of maintaining an appropriate overview. Additionally, instead of maintaining an overview of the situation from a central position, the pilot moved to starboard, causing him to lose perspective.’ Had a more detailed discussion of the pilot’s intentions taken place, the master would have been able to challenge the pilot’s decisions or actions earlier, the report suggests. Additionally, it notes: ‘This

pilot operated in a relief capacity only, and had only carried out about 50% of the full-time pilot’s acts of pilotage. Harbour authorities should ensure that rota systems take into account the need for pilots to be regularly practised in particularly difﬁcult parts of the pilotage passage.’ The other incident involved a small coaster moving between two docks on a UK river. While manoeuvring to enter the locks for the second dock, the vessel was caught by the ebb tide and struck the bulbous bow of a berthed tanker.

Echoing its ﬁndings from the ﬁrst case, the MAIB concludes: ‘The pilot was steering the ship, and this was distracting him from his overriding responsibilities of navigating the ship and monitoring her position. Had a helmsman been employed, the pilot would have been able to more effectively perform these duties.’ Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said both cases showed the potential for a pilot steering a ship to lose situational awareness because of an inability to oversee the whole of the operation.

‘But this leads to the question as to what the actual bridge manning on these two vessels was,’ he added. ‘Are there sufﬁcient people both to steer the ship, and also to navigate it safely as part of the bridge team, of which the pilot is there to provide the navigational expertise and advice to the master?’ Mr Graveson said a high standard of information interchange between the master and the pilot — whilst often difﬁcult to achieve in certain conditions — is also vitally important to prevent misunderstandings.

Atotal of ﬁve seafarers died entering enclosed spaces onboard

Two fatal accidents in which a

their ships form the basis of a new training video that aims to cut the ‘constantly high number of deaths’ in similar circumstances. Produced by Videotel Marine, Entry into Enclosed Spaces is aimed at seafarers and shore-based staff and highlights the need for good training and for the ship’s safety management system to be adhered to. The film dramatically illustrates the dangers within enclosed spaces — even familiar ones — covering one case in which two seafarers died on a ship loaded with steel turnings. The forward locker — which had not been considered a dangerous space — and the hold were adjacent but not designed to be linked. But unauthorised alterations to the ventilation system running through the store converted this into a gas chamber. It killed two crew and almost did for the mate as well. The second case on the film is the North Sea standby vessel Viking Islay, where three crew members died when they entered the oxygendeficient chain locker. f More information from: www.videotel.co.uk

Paperwork is blamed Aoff the coast of Norway because the lone watchkeeper had left the A Danish tanker ran aground

Alarm at exploding windlasses A

Accident investigators have issued an urgent appeal for information following a series of incidents involving catastrophic failure of high-pressure hydraulic anchor windlasses. In at least two cases seafarers have suffered serious injuries as a result of ﬂying debris from the exploding equipment. And in a safety bulletin issued last month, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch warns: ‘The frequency and consequences

of the catastrophic failures of high pressure windlass motors highlighted is a serious cause for concern.’ The bulletin highlights four cases over the past two years, including one where the tanker Young Lady snagged its anchor ﬂukes on a submerged gas pipeline in Tees Bay after the catastrophic failure of the windlass hydraulic motor. In another incident, a crew member on the tanker Stellar Voyager was seriously injured by

OPEN all through the summer

MARITIME TRAINING (PLYMOUTH)

STCW ’95 NVQ Marine Vessel Support Level 2 (Deck & Engineroom) NVQ Marine Vessel Operations Level 3 (OOW) NVQ Marine Vessel Operations Level 4 (Chief Mate) MCA Oral Exam Preparation Ship/Port Security Training PSSR & Basic Safety Training Medical First Aid / Medical Care Aboard Ship GMDSS (ROC, LRC, GOC) Firefighting – Basic & Advanced • NARAS (O) and (M) ARPA and Ship Simulator • Efficient Deckhand MARITIME TRAINING (PLYMOUTH) LTD Forresters Business Park • Estover • Plymouth PL6 7PL Tel No: 01752 696565 Email: mtp@mtplymouth.co.uk Please note that we have moved premises

debris — some of which was thrown as far as 40m — after the motor on a high-pressure windlass exploded. ‘These and other similar accidents appear to have occurred when heaving in the anchor in adverse sea and weather conditions when the anchor chain has been tensioned beyond the intended safe loading of its windlass,’ the MAIB noted. It advised seafarers to closely monitor predicted weather and sea conditions to ensure that the

anchor is recovered in good time, and to use main engines to manoeuvre a vessel to relieve tension in the anchor chain before ‘heaving in’. ‘However,’ it added, ‘the risk of an anchor chain suddenly tensioning can never be fully eliminated. Therefore, until technical solutions are introduced by all windlass manufacturers that prevent the overloading of high pressure windlasses resulting in their catastrophic failure, it is imperative that an anchor chain is

closely monitored when weighing, and that heaving in is stopped as soon as any signiﬁcant tensioning is observed or difﬁculty is experienced.’ The MAIB has appealed to the industry to supply details of any incidents which have resulted in the fracture of the windlass motor casing so that it can make an accurate assessment of the number of such cases. Reports should be forwarded to maib@dft.gsi.gov.uk with the title ‘windlass motor fractures’.

Monitor seeks to stamp out ‘magic pipe’ illicit discharges claiming to have saved a A Danish shipping ﬁrm some US$10m A UK-based company is

by developing a monitoring system that can detect ‘magic pipe’ systems illegally discharging oily waste. PSM Instrumentation says its ClearView system, pictured right, can provide senior officers and shorebased staff with all the information they need to ensure that oily water separators are not being bypassed. The equipment— which works by monitoring existing oil discharge monitoring equipment, making continuous calculations and logging data from the entire overboard

discharge and oily-water separation process — also provides warnings and alarms of fault conditions and developing problems. ClearView can be used as a stand-

alone device, but comes with fully embedded software enabling it to transmit critical alarm messages to the owners or operator’s remote location via D+ or LRIS, or even GSM. PSM says the program also provides ‘tamper-proof’ evidence of discharge records, and has been accepted by the US Coast Guard. The system was developed by PSM after it was approached by a Danish owner who had been offered mitigation of over $10m for marine pollution offences if it could convince the US courts that an effective means of blocking wilful oil discharges could be found.

bridge to catch up with paperwork. A report on the incident — in which the 1,076dwt Maria Soltin grounded in the Norwegian archipelago in March — calls for the owners, Soltin Shipmanagement AS of Norway, to ensure that a ‘skilled designated crewmember’ is posted to keep lookout during the hours of darkness ‘and whenever the circumstances may call for it’. The crew of the tanker had to be evacuated after it developed a 25degree list following the grounding whilst approaching the port of Målöy. The vessel was later reﬂoated, and no pollution was reported. Investigators found that the watchkeeping officer had left the bridge to attend to paperwork and had failed to properly check a change of course.

J&N STACEY

Ex Tax Inspector at Cardiff Marine – 20 years experience with seafarers’ tax G G G G

Personal attention Electronic filing Claims to FED & NR Planning Service

£150.00 PER TAX RETURN

Call us for a chat!

D 08445 611 707 16 BURROWS CLOSE, WOBURN SANDS MK17 8SN

EMAIL: info@taxaidforseafarers.co.uk FRIENDLY – FAST – ACCURATE

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH&SAFETY

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Seafarers must keep taking the tabletsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

UK stops â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wasteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LNG ship decision by the UK A Environment Agency to prevent a Nautilus has welcomed a

35-year-old gas tanker from sailing from Southampton because of concerns that it could breach an international convention on the export of waste. The Marshall Islands-ďŹ&#x201A;agged LNG carrier Margaret Hill last month became the ďŹ rst vessel to be held in the UK under the Agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powers to stop a voyage to be broken up abroad. Stop notices were issued to four parties with control over the movement of the ship: the Southampton harbourmaster; Fortress Investment Group (UK) Ltd; V Ships UK Ltd; and the master of the vessel. The agency acted after environmentalists raised fears that

Aconcern at an increase in claims caused by seafarers becoming Marine insurers have expressed

the 71,804gt ship â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which has been laid-up in Southampton since November last year â&#x20AC;&#x201D; could contain hazardous materials, such as asbestos and PCBs and might be broken up on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;killing beachesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of Bangladesh, Pakistan or India. The protest group NGO Platform for Shipbreaking had urged the authorities to prevent a violation of the European waste shipment regulations, arguing that the Margaret Hill should be dismantled

at approved facilities in Europe or the developed world. The Environment Agency said it had neither received nor approved any application to export the vessel and had put a temporary stop on the export to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;prevent any potential contravention of the rules on waste exportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Liz Parkes, head of waste and resource management at the agency, said the ship would not be allowed to sail until clear assurances

were given on its future. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There are rules in place to ensure waste ships do not end up in developing countries, and cause damage to people and the environment,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she added. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Environment Agency will only give permission for a waste ship to be exported if it is going to an authorised recycling site in a country that wants to accept it and has necessary agreements in place.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nautilus senior national

Owners fail to act on Napoli report MAIB voices concern at â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;regrettableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rejection of safety recommendation

Leading shipowners have been criticised by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch for failing to act on a key recommendation from the report into the loss of the MSC Napoli. The annual MAIB report, published last month, contains criticism of the International Chamber of Shipping for its response to a recommendation, made as a result of the investigation into the MSC Napoli loss, to provide guidance on the importance of safe speed and prudent seamanship in heavy weather conditions in its â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best practiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; code for container shipping. The ICS told the MAIB that it had taken a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;conscious decisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; not to include such advice in the container guide â&#x20AC;&#x201D; arguing that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;it belongs more appropriately in the ICS Bridge Procedures Guideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Commenting on this response, the MAIB said its Napoli investigation had â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;identiďŹ ed a widespread belief within the container industry that containerships did not need to reduce speed for heavy weatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. And it added: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It is regrettable that this opportunity to correct a critical fallacy has not been taken.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson noted that safe speed had been one of a number of issues identiďŹ ed in the investigation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with other concerns raised on loading, container weights, bending moments and stress, and engineroom operations. Mr Graveson also questioned

Napoli salvage ends Nine hundred and twenty four days after it began, the complex project to salvage and remove the wreck of the containership MSC Napoli from a Devon beach was completed at the end of July. The lifting of the ďŹ nal section of the UK-ďŹ&#x201A;agged ship, which was deliberately beached at Branscombe Bay in January 2007 after developing cracks and taking on water, is pictured above. Costing an estimated ÂŁ100m and said to be the second most expensive in history after the Exxon

Valdez, the salvage operation was carried out in several stages and came to an end several weeks ahead of schedule. The ďŹ nal part of the operation to lift the remaining 3,600-tonne stern section of the wreck using innovative drilling and hydraulic chain-pulling techniques began in June and was completed in late July by the Dutch ďŹ rm Global Response Maritime, who delivered all the remnants of the vessel to the Scheepssloperij recycling facility at Gravendeel in the Netherlands.

the response of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to the recommendations made by the MAIB in its report on the death of three seafarers onboard the North Sea standby vessel Viking Islay. Writing in the introduction to the MAIBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual report, chief inspector Stephen Meyer said the Viking Islay case, and similar incidents elsewhere, provided a clear sign â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;of the need for concerted

international action to address this issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Although the MCA says it has taken steps to highlight the dangers of enclosed spaces, Mr Graveson said action is needed to create a change of culture. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;That can only be brought about by the mandatory carriage of atmosphere testing equipment, mandatory preentry drills and mandatory training,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he added.

Mr Meyer also used the annual report to repeat his concern that complacency continues to be a key factor in too many of the incidents investigated by the MAIB. He pointed to the number of crew deaths on UK merchant ships â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ďŹ ve last year â&#x20AC;&#x201D; describing each fatality as an avoidable tragedy. The MAIB leader said his use of the word complacency was not intended to imply smugness or self-satisfaction, but instead to highlight the consequences of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;familiarity with a task or operationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Mr Meyer also repeated his concerns at the large number of ships in the shortsea sector that trade around the UK â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;with insufďŹ cient crew to operate safelyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The report notes that a total of 225 seafarers on ships of 100gt and above were killed or injured in 2008 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; down from 242 in 2007. The most common injuries suffered were strains, cuts and lacerations, bruising and fractures. Last year also saw a total of 132 UK merchant vessel accidents (ships of 100gt and above), with the most common causes being contact (27), grounding (26), machinery failure (23), and collision (19). There were 258 accidents involving UK-registered ďŹ shing vessels last year, with 21 losses and eight crew fatalities. Mr Graveson said the ďŹ gures were disturbing and added: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Issues such as construction, stability and training are fundamental but the MCA seems incapable of addressing them effectively.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

secretary Allan Graveson said the decision to prevent the ship from being broken up in potentially poor conditions in developing countries was the right one. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We now have some ďŹ rst class recycling facilities in the UK, where ships can be dismantled with no risk to workers, the public or the environment, and the shipping industry should be making use of them,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he added. Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

First course for DPAs APhil Anderson has joined forces with the Maersk Training Centre to offer Safety management expert Dr

what is claimed to be the ďŹ rst course for designated persons ashore (DPAs). Combining computer-based training with a practical two-day workshop, the course covers the key role of DPAs within the International Safety Management Code â&#x20AC;&#x201D; demonstrating how to monitor safety management systems effectively and implement change where necessary. The ďŹ rst course is scheduled for 68 October in London, with others following in Piraeus, Singapore, Glasgow, Copenhagen and the USA. Maersk Training Centre manager Richard Booth warned that DPAs are often ďŹ rst in the ďŹ ring line when safety breaches are identiďŹ ed and that companies who continue to pay lip service to ISM could be exposing themselves to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;damaging litigationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. To raise awareness of the potential consequences, Maersk and Dr Anderson have also developed a oneday workshop for senior executives, to sit alongside the DPA course.

seriously ill or dying following a failure to take a prescribed course of medication while at sea. Now the North of England club has urged its shipowner members to ensure their seafarers comply fully with medication regimes and that they have sufficient supplies of drugs to cover their time away from home. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We are seeing an increasing number of claims where crew members have been seriously ill, or died, as a result of not taking the necessary medication in the frequency and amount required,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Northâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head of loss prevention, Tony Baker. While the more widespread use of pre-employment medicals has cut the number of claims resulting from preexisting illnesses, Mr Baker says the process has helped to diagnose illnesses that can be managed onboard if seafarers comply with their prescribed medication. But, the club warns, noncompliance can lead to seafarers feeling unwell and less alert â&#x20AC;&#x201D; seriously compromising duties such as watchkeeping and cargo-care, and potentially resulting in serious casualties or life-threatening medical emergencies in the middle of the ocean. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It vital that crew members understand the importance of taking their medication properly and ensure they have sufficient medication onboard for the duration of each voyage, plus ideally an extra two to three months supply,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Baker added. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If there is any concern there may be insufficient drugs, this should be brought to the attention of the ship operator as soon as possible so an effort can be made to arrange for an additional supply.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The club says crew members also need to discuss their illnesses, and the medication they need to take, with both the ship operator and master. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Should any problems occur, the owner and master will be more able to identify the cause and seek appropriate emergency medical care,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Baker stressed.

3 - "ASS #O -ANCHESTER ,TD $ERBY 3T #HEETHAM (ILL

-ANCHESTER - 1% 4EL &AX % MAIL UNIFORMS SMBASS CO UK

7EB WWW SMBASS CO UK

-%2#(!.4 .!69 5.)&/2-3 42/0)#!, 7%!2 AND !,, "2!)$3 ON IMMEDIATE STOCK 3UPPLIERS OF CORPORATE PROTECTIVE WEAR WITH #OMPANY LOGO )NDIVIDUAL AND COMPANY ORDERS OUR SPECIALITY /RDERS DELIVERED 7ORLDWIDE !LL CREDIT CARDS WELCOME

4%,%0(/.% /2$%23

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports COASTAL CALL: US maritime unions have backed proposals for legislation to introduce a system of grants to support the development of coastal shipping services. The leaders of seven US seafaring and dockers’ unions have signed a letter backing the ‘marine highways’ scheme, which argues that it will offer ‘a cost-effective, efficient and environmentally sound way to supplement and complement the rail and truck traffic that is already pushed to capacity in most major transportation corridors’. COASTGUARD TRAINING: French president Nicolas Sarkozy has asked his government to examine the establishment of an academy to deliver high-level training to coastguards and other maritime professionals. ‘France cannot remain a maritime nation without such specialist staff’, he said. The country’s shipowners’ association welcomed his statement. STRIKE AVERTED: a strike by seafarers serving on Boluda tugs in Dunkirk was averted last month following talks with unions. Officers and ratings had threatened to take action after the company sought a 60% cut in gross salaries as a result of reduced work. But the unions reached an agreement that will deliver 95% of net income. BOX SLUMP: container volumes in European ports fell by 20% to 6.9m TEU in the first five months of 2009, according to the European shipowners’ association. Separate information from Lloyd’s MIU’s inactive vessel report puts the number of boxships that have not moved for at least 19 days at 568, or 12% of the total. FRENCH BREAKING: the French government has agreed in principle to calls from unions and environmental organisations to establish a national ship-breaking facility. The government also pledged action at the European and international levels to raise international ship demolition standards. BROSTRÖM WORRIES: seafarers serving with Broström Tankers France have voiced concern about the future after the new owners, Maersk Tankers, announced 27 redundancies among shore-based staff. Seafarers fear job losses if Broström’s French-flagged vessels switch to other registers. GREEK WITHDRAWAL: the French firm Corsica Ferries is to withdraw from the Greek market where, since last year, it has operated as Kallisti Ferries. The company blames late payments from subsidised island routes and heavy administrative management of crews for the decision. CYPRUS CALL: the Cyprus Union of Shipowners has called on the island’s government to take measures to stem the decline of the flag. It has fallen to 10th place in the world and over the last few years has been overtaken by the Marshall islands, Bahamas and Malta. DREDGING WORK: two Dutch dredging companies have won a tendering process for a major contract in the French ports of Calais and Bolougne.

SUE HOLMES MARINE TAX CONSULTANT LTD For an annual fee of £180.00 (plus VAT) you can rest in the knowledge that your 100% deduction claim will be calculated by an expert in Marine Taxation with over 20 years’ experience. Monthly Standing Order Payments available TAX RETURNS LOGGED ELECTRONICALLY FOR PERSONAL, FRIENDLY ADVICE CONTACT:

SUE HOLMES

38 CARDIFF ROAD, DINAS POWYS, VALE OF GLAMORGAN CF64 4JS TEL: 02920/512029 Fax: 02920/515384 E-mail: sue.holmes@btconnect.com Web: www.marinetax.com

Indian unions warn on criminalisation Meeting with shipping minister as tanker master goes on trial in Taiwan

Indian seafarers’ unions have met government ministers to express concern over the increasing criminalisation of the maritime profession. Members of the Indian Safarers’ Federation met shipping minister GK Vasan ahead of the start of a controversial trial in Taiwan of an Indian ship master charged with involuntary manslaughter. Captain Glen Aroza, second officer Mohammed Rizaul Karim from Bangladesh, and seaman Eduwardo Mallorca have been accused of causing the capsize of a Taiwanese trawler and the deaths of two fishermen. The three men have been detained in Taiwan since April when their ship, the Panamanianflagged tanker Tosa, was intercepted and ordered into a local port. Capt Aroza — who was asleep in his cabin at the time the alleged incident — has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, and failing to provide sufficient instructions in the event of an incident.

Indian maritime unions were joined by the master and chief officer of the Hebei Spirit when they met the country’s shipping minister for talks on the problem of criminalisation last month

Second ofﬁcer Rizaul Karim has been accused of failing to stop the tanker and assist the crew of the ﬁshing vessel. The prosecution claims it has evidence showing that he had been aware of a collision with the trawler. However, representatives for the three seafarers contend that inspections of the hulls of the trawler and the Tosa had shown no evidence of contact between

the two vessels. They also argue that Taiwan’s investigation of the incident has breached international agreements. In the meeting with India’s shipping minister, the Indian Seafarers’ Federation — whose members include the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) and the Maritime Union of India (MUI) — urged the government to intervene in the case.

They were accompanied at the meeting by Captain Jasprit Chawla and Syam Chetan, from the tanker Hebei Spirit, who had been detained by the Korean government for 18 months before their release in June. The unions said the minister had responded positively to their concerns over criminalisation. NUSI secretary Abdulgani Serang commented: ‘The ITF, the Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association and other shipping associations nationally and internationally have strongly condemned the wrongful criminalisation of seafarers and have sought justice for the two detained Indian seafarers. That’s what we are seeking too.’ MUI general secretary SS Khan added: ‘We are hoping that our appeal for intervention from the Indian government will help our campaign to stamp out this shameful practice.’ The unions also called for action in the case of Indian seaman Sakib Sakharkar, who has been held in Algeria since August 2008 after the death of a stowaway onboard his vessel.

Safety row after Tongan ferry loss A

A major row has broken out after the master of a ferry that sank off Tonga last month claimed he had been pressurised into sailing. A total of 72 people died when the 677gt inter-island ferry Princess Ashika went down some 40nm SE of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa last month. New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission and the Tongan Royal Commission are jointly conducting an inquiry into the loss, and have promised that it will not only examine the causes but also deliver recommendations to help improve maritime safety in Tonga. The master of the ferry — who was one of only 54 survivors —

complained that he had been pressured into sailing even though the authorities knew the 37-year-old ship had problems, and a local marine surveyor told reporters that the vessel was unseaworthy. Captain Maka Tuputupu said he believed the ship had taken on water in wave heights of just 1m because corroded loading ramps had allowed water onto the main deck. He said the government should take responsibility, because it had surveyed the ship. Transport minister Paul Karalus resigned in response to the accident, but claimed that the Princess Ashika was fully certiﬁcated for the service and met all international maritime standards.

Swire pays for spill A

Swire Shipping has settled a dispute over the costs of a pollution incident earlier this year by agreeing to pay some A$25m (£12.6m) to the Queensland government. The payment — which is almost double the amount it was legally obliged to pay — goes towards the costs of cleaning up one of the worst oil spills in Australia in recent years. A major counter-pollution

operation had to be mounted in March after the 18,391gt Paciﬁc Adventurer spilled 270 tonnes of bunker fuel when it was holed by one of 31 containers swept overboard during a storm. Queensland premier, Anna Bligh, had earlier criticised the company’s attempts to limit liability to $14.5m under an international convention and had threatened to ban the Swire group from doing business in Queensland.

Second ‘mega’ ship for Zim Zim has taken delivery of its A second ‘mega’ containership — the The Israeli shipping company

10,062TEU Zim Djibouti, above. Built by Hyundai-Samho, the 114,044gt vessel has become the largest in the Haifa-based company’s ﬂeet and has been deployed on the Grand Alliance-Zim transpaciﬁc PNX loop.

Zim’s ﬁrst ‘mega’ ship was the 8,440TEU Zim Los Angeles, delivered in July. The two ships are part of a programme of 12 newbuilds, to be delivered over the next four years. Company chairman Idan Ofer commented: ‘When the economic crisis is over we must be ready with the appropriate ﬂeet.’

SK Tax Service Ltd We are a team of friendly and approachable tax advisers with many years experience in Marine Taxation matters. In a seafaring world amidst rumours and speculation, why try and work out the complications of the 100% claim yourself? Let us, the experts take the worry from your shoulders. Your leave is important to you and your family, don’t waste it trying to sort out your tax affairs. Receive personal attention and advice on: * * * *

100% claims and constant advice on achieving this All aspects of your self assessment tax return National Insurance contributions Non residency claims

We now submit tax returns electronically, speeding up the refund process by an amazing rate.

Initial Fee £170 — Re-Enrolment Fee £160 Contact us or visit our webside for enrolment forms or advice on: Kingsway House, PO BOX 1504 Haxey, Doncaster, DN9 2WW

Tel 01427 753400 Fax 01427 753665

info@sktax.co.uk www.sktax.co.uk

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Rolling stones A

Pictured left is the new selfdischarging bulk carrier, Bulknes, delivered to the German company Stema Shipping last month. Built at the Sietas yard in Hamburg, the 20,234gt Antigua & Barbudaflagged vessel operates with a crew of 15 and its seven holds have a capacity for 33,000 tonnes. It joins a fleet of six ships and five barges carrying rocks, sand and building materials throughout Europe. Stema Shipping France says it is handling the crisis well with imports of sand and gravel from Norway and Denmark at the same level as in 2008. Picture: Eric Houri

SeaFrance tells crews to accept its rescue plans Company threatens to file for bankruptcy if cost-cutting scheme is rejected It has also tabled fresh plans for cuts in the current seven-ship fleet, which would keep the four newest car ferries — the Rodin, Berlioz and Molière — in service, with the freight ferry Nord pas de Calais running a modified schedule. SeaFrance says it wants to reach agreement with the unions by the end of September on the ‘economic manning’ of its ships. ‘Productivity improvements and changes to working practices will drastically reduce costs,’ it argues. But in a special meeting of the works council, the main officers’ and ratings’ unions rejected the revised plans for job losses and severance compensation. Around 40 officer posts and 450 ratings’ jobs are thought to be at risk, but manage-

by Jeff Apter

Leading maritime unions have rejected a management ultimatum over a cost-cutting rescue plan for the cross-Channel ferry company SeaFrance. In a letter to the firm’s employees last month, the chairman of the national rail company SNCF, which owns SeaFrance, warned that the ferry firm might have to file for bankruptcy without an early agreement with the unions on its future. The company — which lost €14m in the first four months of this year — is seeking to make substantial savings. It has revised initial proposals for 650 jobs losses, and is now seeking to make around 550 redundancies from its 1,600-strong workforce.

ment says it will make alternative jobs available within the SNCF group. Jacques Brouyer of the CGT officers’ union described the situation as ‘very difficult’ — but expressed ‘extreme disappointment’ at the company’s proposals. CFDT ratings union leader Didier Cappelle said that management’s statements were not justified, because SeaFrance lost €4m less than anticipated in June and had also boosted its financial position by selling its ferry Manet to Stena Line for service on its Belfast-Stranraer route. Mr Cappelle said he believed most of the redundancies could be avoided through other cost-saving measures and CFDT has warned of a ‘robust response’ if the company seeks to implement the cuts without agreement.

French masters alarmed by pollution penalties association, Afcan, has voiced A concern about the country’s maritime The French shipmasters’

pollution regulations which came into effect on 1 August 2008. The rules set out fines of up to €15m for deliberate pollution off the French coast, and Afcan says that while the penalties target owners they also weigh heavily on ship captains — who can be liable for 10% of the fines. General secretary Jacques Mangold said he doubted whether the legislators ‘really understood what 10% of a pollution fine means for a master’. He cited the recent cases

of a €1m fine on the owner of the Egyptian ship Al Esraa, a €2m fine on the Lebanese vessel Valentia and now, the €300,000 fine for the owner of the 5,102gt refrigerated cargoship Matterhorn. Mr Mangold said that the owners of the Liberian-flagged Matterhorn had refused to pay — abandoning the 15 crew in the port of Brest — and this was a phenomenon that would increase. The vessel’s owner has declared bankruptcy in the United States and has not paid the €300,000 bond demanded on 25 May by a court for suspected voluntary pollution.

TUTILL REMEMBRANCE ITEMS LTD The Disappearing Urn Suitable anywhere: sea, river, lake, woodland or crematorium. Biodegradeable urns made from gelatine and sand. All urns approved by the Royal Navy. Available in walnut, pale blue and white. Other colours to order.

Classic

Ball

Height 27.5cm, maximum ø 18.5cm

Height 20cm, maximum ø 22.5cm

shortreports SATISFIED SEAFARERS: under an agreement with its unions and a European Commission directive, French western Channel operator Brittany Ferries has undertaken an inquiry into working conditions onboard its ships and in its offices. While 26% report ‘very strong’ stress, 34% ‘medium level’ stress and 32% ‘little’ stress, 70% of seafarers said they were generally satisfied with overall working conditions while only 40% of land-based staff reported satisfaction. STRIKE CALL: three French officers’ unions — CGT, CFDT and CFE/CGC — have called for a strike of all officers serving with CMA CGM from this month. They are protesting about working conditions and the remuneration of young officers, maintaining the company’s Le Havre crew management unit, revision of the food regime onboard, and a new policy for drugs and alcohol. JAPANESE TAX: Japan’s government is introducing a UK-style tonnage tax scheme to boost the national flag and increase the employment and training of the country’s seafarers. The Japanese-flagged fleet has dropped to less than 100 ships of just 8.7m dwt, but owners have promised to switch some 70 vessels to the register over the next five years in response to the new measures. FLEET GROWTH: growth of the world merchant fleet hit 7.4% last year — a rate not recorded since the 1970s, according to a report from the Bremen-based Institute of Shipping. It said the world fleet reached a total of 95,504 vessels, with a record 157 countries now boasting their own shipping fleets, ranging from Panama’s 6,015 ships to Guinea Bissau’s single vessel. AIRBUS RETURN: the Ville de Bordeaux — one of three ro-ro vessels used to transport parts of the Airbus A380 between factories in Wales, Cadiz, Hamburg and Bordeaux — has brought back to France the remains of the Airbus aircraft that crashed in the Atlantic in June. Nautilus member Captain Graham Gardner was among the 228 victims in the disaster. FATIGUE PROBE: the Danish Maritime Authority has asked a research group to assess the level of fatigue among seafarers and compare a vessel’s workload with the available skilled crew members onboard. The Authority says it wants to see whether owners and crews are falsifying log books and whether seafarers are working with insufficient sleep.

South African cadets for Stena Training Academy (SAMTRA) A has secured a contract to manage The South African Maritime

cadet training for Stena Marine Management. The academy — which is based in Simons Town, South Africa — started training the ﬁrst of the new Stena cadets earlier this year. Pictured above is Jacques Hendrik Louw and, below, Ainsley Norman Olivier. SAMTRA says the agreement with Stena Marine Management is in line with its aim of becoming a ‘centre of

excellence’ for regional maritime training. SAMTRA says South Africa offers ‘a largely untapped pool of potential mariners’ that can provide a ‘costeffective alternative’ to traditional sources of supply. The academy’s cadet management services include arranging courses and training in accordance with STCW requirements and international and national legislative requirements, as well as scheduling cadets for seagoing experience.

SEAFARERS LOST: six seafarers were feared dead last month after the 1,591gt Norwegian-flagged general cargoship Langeland sank soon after sending a Mayday message in a storm off Sweden. Rescue teams found flotation vests, lifeboats and debris, but no trace of the six Russian and Ukrainian crew members. FRENCH FLAG: almost two-thirds of the French ferry fleet flies the national flag, according to a new report. Of those registered overseas, 11 fly the Italian flag and two are on the UK register.

Come to Hull for all your STCW95 short courses plus Ship Security Officer, PSCRB, Efficient Deck Hand, Crowd Management, Crisis Management and Human Behaviour Dates now available for 2009

Creta

Coffer

Height 22.5cm, maximum ø 20cm

Height 15cm, length 23cm, width 16cm

Sapporo House - Parkhurst Fields - Churt - Surrey GU10 2PQ - England Tel: +44 (0) 1428 714041 - Fax: +44 (0) 1428 714071 - Email: tutill.remembrance@btinternet.com - www.tutill-remembrance.co.uk

Tel: Fax: Email: Website:

01482 820567 01482 823202 bookings@hota.org www.hota.org

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

YOUR LETTERS

Shipmates An answer

What’s on your mind? Tell your colleagues in Nautilus International – and the wider world of shipping. Keep your letter to a maximum 300 words if you can – though longer contributions will be considered. Use a pen name or just your membership number if you don’t want to be identified – say so in an accompanying note – but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send your letter to the Editor, Telegraph, Nautilus International, 750-760 High Road, Leytonstone, London E11 3BB, or use head office fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Please help study of seafarer healthcare As highlighted in the last issue of the Telegraph, the Seamen’s Hospital Society — in collaboration with the Maritime Charities Funding Group (MCFG) — has commissioned the Institute of Occupational Medicine to carry out research into how working-age seafarers within the UK access healthcare and to identify their healthcare needs. The study has been commissioned in response to the recommendations of the ‘Supporting Seafarers and their Families’ report, published in 2007 by the MCFG. This research is important in identifying seafarers’ experience of healthcare with the intention of informing policy

and practice in this area. A questionnaire survey of working age UK-based seafarers is currently being undertaken and the project team are hoping to receive responses from as many seafarers as possible, from a wide range of occupations within the maritime industry. Support in achieving a high response rate would be very much appreciated. Recruitment for participation in this questionnaire survey is mainly being done, with the help of organisations such as Nautilus International and RMT, by sending emails with a link to the web-based questionnaire, although paper questionnaires are also available. The

questionnaire is short and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. If you would like to participate but have not received an invitation, you can do so by going to the project website and following the link to the web-questionnaire or, if you would rather have a paper questionnaire sent out to you to complete, please phone 0131 449 8094 or, email seafarershealth@iom-world. org, giving your name and address. f More information on the study and a link to the web-based questionnaire can be found at www.iom-world.org/research/ seafarershealth.php

Your responses to the questionnaire will be kept completely confidential and will only be used for the purposes of this study. As a thank you for taking part two questionnaires will be drawn at random to receive a gift of an Ipod Nano. The MCFG comprises Merchant Navy Welfare Board, Nautilus International/NUMAST Welfare Funds, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, Seafarers UK, the Seamen’s Hospital Society and Trinity House.

Dr LAURA MacCALMAN Institute of Occupational Medicine

Masters’ award for Matthew

Have your say online Last month we asked: Is the International Maritime Employers’ Committee right to seek a 10% pay cut for seafarers on FoC ships?

Yes 41% Not sure 6%

No 53%

This month’s poll asks: Should the police crack down on the contents of seafarers’ computers? Give us your views online at nautilusint.org

The Southampton Master Mariners’ Club has awarded its first bursary to assist a Merchant Navy officer with studies for higher certification and career progression. Carnival UK deck officer Matthew (Matt) Nicholls — currently studying for his chief mate’s certificate at the Warsash Maritime Academy — was presented with his bursary certificate, worth £1,000, at a ceremony in Southampton. He is pictured receiving his certificate from club captain, John Mileusnic, together with Captain Stuart Greenfield of Carnival UK, and club boatsteerer George Angas. The club launched the scheme — which aims to help with the costs of course fees and materials — at the start of this year, as part of its commitment to support the modern maritime industry, and Matt was chosen from several applicants. ‘By awarding this bursary to officers wishing to study for higher certificates of competence, we hope in some small way to encourage and support today’s generation of seafarers,’ the club says. The club has guaranteed the bursary every year for three years, with a review before the next allocating funds for the second batch of three years. The only restrictions are that the

applicants must be studying for a higher CoC at the Warsash Maritime Academy. The applicants must be eligible to sit for the certiﬁcate upon completion of their studies. The club currently has about 400 members, and apart from current and past master mariners, now includes those in senior positions connected with the maritime industry. f More information can be found at www.cachalots.org.uk

MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD complete service for mariners run by certificated ex-officer qualified accountants always available computerised 100% claims and forecast projection will writing service available 26 High Street, Barry CF62 7EB, South Glamorgan, UK Tel. Barry (01446) 739953 MARINETAX@YAHOO.COM Established 1974

Wish you’d kept in touch with that colleague from work? visit www.nautilusint. org/time-out and click on Shipmates Reunited.

for ﬁtness

With regard to the health and fitness of seafarers (August Telegraph) Chi Kung, which is similar to T’ai Chi, could help. The exercise — which uses slow graceful movements and controlled breathing techniques — could assist with improved level of fitness that will benefit the overall health. JOHN GALLAGHER mem no 194448

Let’s win justice for the victims of asbestos exposure I’ve just been contacted by a colleague about pleural plaques and I knew I had to act. I’m writing today because I need your help in getting justice for victims of this terrible disease. I’ve just launched a petition calling for victims of pleural plaques to be fairly compensated for their injuries — you can sign it here: http://unionstogether.org.uk/justice Pleural plaques are scarring of the lungs caused by heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. Until a few years ago, sufferers of the disease were able to claim compensation. Crucially, this meant that companies were liable if they exposed their workers to asbestos. But in October 2007, the Law Lords outrageously scrapped this precedent — meaning that thousands of people with pleural plaques would not be entitled to a single penny, whilst insurers profited to the tune of £1.4bn. My petition calls on the government to do the right thing for victims of pleural plaques and restore compensation. The Scottish Parliament and the devolved administration in Northern Ireland have already done this — and with your help we’ll get Whitehall to stop dragging their feet and get this sorted in England and Wales too. Employers have long known about the dangers of exposure to asbestos. But instead of providing the protection required to safeguard their staff, many simply decided to hope they could get away with it. A truly disgusting decision and a real abdication of duty. Now thousands of men and women suffer from an entirely avoidable disease, and those who

are diagnosed today aren’t even entitled to compensation. The Law Lords’ decision that the lung scarring caused by asbestos isn’t worthy of compensation is clearly wrong. In fact, the whole process was dubious — with one lawyer on the payroll of the employers’ insurance companies having the audacity to claim that pleural plaques were a ‘good thing’. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Pleural plaques are a sign of deep scarring to the lungs. Real physical injury, caused by longterm exposure to asbestos. And it causes significant mental anguish as well. Pleural plaques victims have a dramatically higher chance of developing mesothelioma — a lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Many victims describe this as a ticking time bomb that infects their lives with fear — imagine living with the knowledge that your lungs had been irreversibly damaged by asbestos. Tragically, we know of at least one sufferer who couldn’t live with the fear and took their own life. Together we can make a difference. We want to see the government take action to reverse the Law Lords’ judgement and make this unjust situation right. All we’re asking for is justice for the people who need our help. f Please sign our petition — and then get your friends to sign it as well. http://unionstogether.org.uk/justice Together we’ll send a powerful message to the government — justice now. BYRON TAYLOR

The Institute of Occupational Medicine in collaboration with the Seamen’s Hospital Society is carrying out research into the health of seafarers and their access to healthcare. We would like to know about your health needs and your experiences of accessing healthcare, as a seafarer. You can take part by completing a short questionnaire (it will take no more than 10 minutes of your time). Two completed questionnaires will be chosen at random to receive a gift of an Ipod Nano. Questionnaires will be sent to a number of individuals as well as being available online. For more information on the study and a link to the web-questionnaire please go to: http://www.iom-world.org/research/seafarershealth.php

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

Making it better by degrees for ETO training This is an open letter to congratulate South Tyneside College, the Merchant Navy Training Board, Nautilus International, past and present radio and electronics officers — in particular Rod Clayburn, Mike Ridehaulgh, and past members of the REOU — for their input, forethought and enthusiasm to get the electro-technical officer (ETO) foundation degree off the ground. May I thank you all on behalf of past and present ETOs in training and at sea. Good luck, God speed, and all the success in the world. CLIVE EVANS mem no 426107 (newly elected Council member)

Taking a step forward on the piracy problem I read with interest the report in the August Telegraph about Nautilus International Council’s debate on piracy. It may interest members to know that the industry worldwide is now beginning to take some tentative steps to helping those seafarer victims of attacks off Somalia. Since retiring from the industry and ceasing to be a member of Council, I have been asked to work for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, collating as much information as possible about the attacks (successful or not) on ships off Somalia. The main two aims of the research will be: 1) The treatment of the seafarers during and after the attacks. 2) If the pirate attacks were unsuccessful, why? What deterred the pirates? I will be working with EU NavFor and as many industry bodies as I can to gather the information. The information, which will remain conﬁdential, will be analysed, discussed with industry partners to develop a report and advice on the way forward. This, I believe, is a large step forward for not only Nautilus International members, but all seafarers — whatever their nationality.

If anyone has first-hand knowledge of the attacks off Somalia, I would like to hear from them. I can be contacted by e-mail at: epsom_john@itf.org.uk JOHN EPSOM mem no 108440 With reference to the debate on piracy (August Telegraph). Having arms onboard is not a solution. Keeping a gun does not mean that you’re capable of taking action against pirates. You have to be experienced to know how and when to use it. There may not be a fixed solution, but we have to find out more ways to tackle the situation. The officers and the crew have to be trained in tackling pirates. More and more information has to be passed around about piracy attacks. So far we only get information about the ships that are getting hijacked, their locations and also the method of boarding. We also need information on the conditions of the crew while they were under control of the pirates. The senior officers have to be trained in diplomacy. Learn how to negotiate to ensure that no one gets harmed. Non-violence is the only option to ensure that no lives are lost. Fighting violence with violence will only lead to more problems with pirate

oyal Alfred 6 x 2.indd 1

After analysing all the suggestions for antipiracy precautions, I have whittled the list down to three options, upon which you can ask members to vote on their favourite. (Option 1) A former chief ofﬁcer of mine imparted some advice from a previous company of his. On the bridge they kept a pick-axe handle, painted with white gloss. On carrying out his deck rounds, the watchkeeper would carry this object. If he was to come upon a group of well-armed pirates after boarding, then he would boldly stare straight ahead and walk right through the midst of the group, whilst swinging the pick-axe handle as if he were blind. However, if he came upon a lone pirate just climbing over the railing, then he could use the pick-axe handle to beat the stufﬁng out of the unfortunate pirate!!

(Option 2) Purchase a large video camera and shave the head of the closest Ross Kemp look-alike, in the hope that the pirates will be happy enough to bugger off after doing an interview for a ‘new documentary’. (Option 3) Assemble a large waterproof ‘peace offering’ of cigarettes, DVD players etc, which can be quickly released over the side. Any self-respecting pirate will go for an easy package of goodies (if you make it worth their while) rather than a now zigzagging ship with ﬁre hoses blasting and an alert crew. (I’m serious about this option). LUKE McCARTHY mem no 180893 Surely one obvious protective measure against this scourge has been overlooked. Ships sailing in company is a welltried and proven defence against pirates and such an assembly would be easier for the naval forces to guard. Certainly there would be some ﬁnancial cost involved for the owners caused by delays in assembly, but such costs would be more than offset by reduced insurance premiums and not having to pay exorbitant ransoms — to say nothing of the preservation of seafarers’ lives. mem no 425482

Conditions survey

THE ROYAL ALFRED SEAFARERS’ SOCIETY BELVEDERE HOUSE provides quality nursing care, residential and sheltered accommodation primarily for Seafarers and their dependants offering modern en suite rooms and sheltered flats set in 14 acres of lovely Surrey countryside. For further information, please contact the

attacks. The risk is higher. The maritime organisation needs to focus more on new methods of security and to urge the African nations to take quick and effective action. This is deﬁnitely a Herculean task compared with giving seafarers weapons. But this is not a solution or even close to a solution. The problem has to be dealt from the root. VISWAJIT DILIP VISHWANATHAN Maritime Officer 4

Chief Executive, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt OBE, Head Office, Weston Acres, Woodmansterne Lane, Banstead, Surrey SM7 3HA.

Tel: 01737 353763 www.royalalfredseafarers.com

Life at sea: is it getting better or worse? Please take part in the Union’s new ‘Social Conditions’ Survey at nautilusint.org/time-out

Reg Charity No 209776 Est 1865

20/2/09 14:17:46

telegraph STAFF editor: Andrew Linington production editor: June Cattini reporters: Mike Gerber Sarah Robinson web editor: Matthew Louw ADVERTISING Century One Publishing Ltd Arquen House, 4-6 Spicer Street St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4PQ Sales: Oliver Kirkman tel: +44 (0)1727 739 184 fax: +44 (0)1727 893 895 email: ollie@centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk website: www.centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

ISSN 0040 2575 Published by Nautilus International Printed by College Hill Press Limited 37 Webber Street, London SE1 8QW.

GENERAL SECRETARY Mark Dickinson MSc (Econ) HEAD OFFICE Oceanair House 750–760 High Road Leytonstone, London E11 3BB tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 www.nautilusint.org NETHERLANDS OFFICE Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Postbus 8575, 3009 AN Rotterdam tel: +31 (0)10 4771188 fax: +31 (0)10 4773846 NORTHERN OFFICE Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 DEPARTMENT EMAILS general: enquiries@nautilusint.org membership: membership@nautilusint.org legal: legal@nautilusint.org Telegraph: telegraph@nautilusint.org industrial south: industrialsouth@nautilusint.org industrial north: industrialnorth@nautilusint.org central services: centralservices@nautilusint.org welfare: welfare@nautilusint.org professional and technical: protech@nautilusint.org Nautilus International also administers the NUMAST Welfare Funds and the J W Slater Fund, which are registered charities.

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

SEAFARER TRAINING

Warsash cadets celebrate success engineer and electro-technical officer cadets who H celebrated the completion of their studies at Warsash Pictured above are the 113 navigation, marine

Maritime Academy with a passing out ceremony in Southampton Guildhall this summer. Sponsoring companies including the Anglo Eastern

Group, BP Shipping, Carnival UK, Celtic Pacific, Clipper Marine Services, Clyde Marine, Foreland Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Shell Ship Management, Ship Safe Training Group, and Viking Recruitment were represented at the ceremony and the event was particularly significant because it included

the first group of cadets to complete a foundation degree-based cadetship. John Millican, dean of the academy said: ‘We are extremely proud of our cadets’ achievements and are happy to launch such capable and confident young officers into the international shipping industry.’

‘Ambassadors for the sea’ scheme gets under way More volunteers sought to help spread the message

The Merchant Navy Training Board is launching its Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme nationwide this autumn — aiming to inspire young people to become the next generation of seafarers. And Nautilus is calling on members and shipping companies to support the initiative. Members have already been involved as volunteer ‘ambassadors’ during the recently concluded pilot stage of the scheme. And now the MNTB is looking for further keen and enthusiastic

professionals from across the industry to volunteer. The pilot project ran from February to the end of July. Ambassadors equipped with a range of specialist resources developed by MNTB visited schools, colleges and youth groups to talk about the exciting and varied career opportunities available in the Merchant Navy. Their experiences and feedback have been evaluated and the scheme adjusted accordingly and now the MNTB is rolling it out nationally and looking for many

more volunteers to take part. Ambassadors should ideally have their own links with schools, colleges or youth groups and be keen to promote the excellent career opportunities within the Merchant Navy in their own local area. New ambassadors will receive a half-day training session covering all of the up-to-date information on entry routes and the different ofﬁcer training programmes, as well as top tips on speaking to young people, teachers and career advisers.

One of a series of leaflets and brochures published by the MNTB to promote seagoing career opportunities in the UK

They will be given a range of professional presentation resources including video clips and quizzes that can be used in a variety of different settings to engage and inspire young people. Second ofﬁcer Rick Rouse, who took part in the pilot scheme and delivered the presentation to several schools and Sea Cadet units in the Hull area, told of one visit:

COMPLETE THIS FORM AND SEND IT TO:

Despite the downturn in the shipping industry, around 300 new cadets are expected to begin training at Warsash in the academic year that starts this month, and another group of newly qualified officers will be celebrating at the next passing out ceremony in November.

‘After the presentation, teachers were quite excited and asked me to return to present to both GCSE and A level students in a morning assembly, which I hope to do next time I return home. ‘I think the whole scheme is going to be excellent for promoting the Merchant Navy, and it would be good to see some younger ofﬁcers going into secondary schools to increase awareness.’ MNTB careers coordinator Beth Richmond added: ‘We would like to thank the ambassadors who took part in the pilot scheme; their feedback has been invaluable. They have delivered presentations to over 265 students, all of whom have been very positive and enthusiastic. Even better, the ambassadors taking part have enjoyed speaking to young people and have found it to be a very worthwhile experience.’ Nautilus assistant general secretary Paul Moloney commented: ‘The Union fully supports the initiative. We think it’s a good way of getting information to people about a career at sea, and who better to provide that info than our members. So we would urge as many members as possible to become involved.

The Merchant Navy Training

Are you a Merchant Navy rating considering career progression? The JW Slater Fund, administered by Nautilus International, offers awards of up to £15,000 to help ratings study for a first certificate of competency. And there is a discretionary bonus of £1,000 on obtaining an approved OOW Certificate. Over the past decade alone, Slater Fund awards have been given to more than 800 individuals. Named in honour of former MNAOA general secretary John Slater, the awards are made to selected UK-resident ratings aged 20 or over.

The money can be used towards the costs of any necessary full- or part-time education, and to provide some financial support during college phases for those off pay. Nautilus International is now inviting applications for the 2009 awards. If you want to make the next move, don’t leave things to chance — fill in the form on the right, or apply via

www.nautilusint.org The Marine Society provides education and careers advice for applicants.

g For more information, or to sign up as a Careers at Sea Ambassador, visit www.mntb.org.uk or contact careers coordinator Beth Richmond on 020 7417 2825 or e-mail beth.richmond@mntb.org.uk The Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme presentation can be viewed online at www.mntb.org.uk/ presentation_resources-27.aspx

Promoting the sea Board, on which the Union is A represented, plays a major role in

Collect up to £15,000 to help your studies…

‘The training is quite straightforward; it’s really about talking to young people, about their experiences and what the industry can provide in terms of a career,’ he added. ‘If any member wants to talk about it with either myself or senior national secretary Allen Graveson, then please contact us at the Nautilus head ofﬁce. ‘I also urge as many companies as possible to encourage their seafarers to become involved,’ Mr Moloney said. ‘At the moment, there’s certainly one or two companies that have been doing this. But if we could have a number of other companies — they’re big employers and they know who they are — to have their own internal encouragement, then hopefully we’ll get a whole network of ambassadors to take the message to young people that this is a great and exciting career.’

promoting Merchant Navy careers. It works closely with shipping companies and training organisations to ensure they can recruit the numbers and calibre of officer trainees they require each year. Besides the new Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, MNTB careers promotion activity covers: z Careers at Sea website — www.careersatsea.org — providing comprehensive information about entry routes and career opportunities, including hospitalityand shore-based ship management z distribution of MNTB’s careers brochure, sponsoring company list and careers CD-Rom z a dedicated careers information phone line — 0800 085 0973 z attendance at national and regional careers events aimed at schoolchildren, students and the general public z advertising in relevant careers publications and websites, coordinated with company recruitment activity z Careers at Sea ship visits in conjunction with Viking Recruitment

and Holland America Line. These visits take place at ports around the country and are aimed at careers advisors and teachers to give them an informative experience to feedback to the students and others z Headstart — an education programme that encourages students interested in mathematics and science to consider technologybased degree courses and careers. MNTB sponsors courses in nautical science and marine engineering z A TV documentary series about the life and training of those joining the Merchant Navy. Shown at peak time on Scottish TV in 2008, the series, which attracted excellent viewing ﬁgures, can still be viewed at: http://video.stv.tv/bc/ Programmes/programmesthemerchantnavy z Poster campaign — this targeted 85 inland sixth form and FE colleges before this year’s Easter break, plus 10 youth clubs. These establishments would have had little previous direct exposure to the Merchant Navy g For more information please contact Beth Richmond, MNTB careers co-ordinator, beth.richmond@mntb.org.uk +44 (0)20 7417 2825

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

TECHNOLOGY A research project carried out with support from Nautilus and its members shows officers are generally positive about new technology on their ships — but want much better levels of training to ensure they can reap the benefits offered by the equipment…

Most ships’ officers are positive about the introduction of new technology on their ships — but almost three-quarters believe training must be improved. These are the key findings in a new study, conducted with support from Nautilus, into the impact of the increasing use of information communication technology in the shipping industry. The results of the research were published last month in the official journal of the Ergonomics Society and will form part of a wider EU-funded project to examine seafarers’ perceptions of on-board technology and to identify areas of resistance to advancement. Based on responses from more than 800 UK officers, the study found that fewer than 6% were hostile to new technology and only 9% wanted to see less technology onboard their vessels. However, 72% said there should be better training for crews in the use of new technology and 15.5% said there should be increased integration of different pieces of technology. The report was written by Paul Allen, a researcher at the Centre of Occupational & Health Psychology at Cardiff University, and highlights the way in which new technology has been used to automate many tasks at sea and, as a consequence, has helped to increase efficiency and reduce crewing levels. ‘By striving to increase automation, the assumption is that time and resources will be freed up as crew are no longer required to manually perform tasks,’ Mr Allen states. ‘Research conducted in other fields, however, suggests such an assumption should not go unchallenged.’ In the aviation industry, for example, research showed that automation does not automatically reduce workloads because of the new and often extremely taxing demands it makes in terms of monitoring and vigilance. New technology also creates additional training demands, Mr Allen points out, because crews need to be competent in both the automatic and manual modes of operation.

Monitoring complex systems is often a demanding task, the new study points out Pictures: USCG/Eric Houri

Survey shows shortfalls in IT If officers are required to constantly adapt to new ways of working, it is no surprise that they feel undertrained

“

”

— PAUL ALLEN ‘Furthermore,’ he adds, ‘if crew become familiar with working in an automated mode of operation there is concern about how they will respond should the requirement be made to switch back to manual operation in, for example, an emergency.’ The report says new technologies such as ARPA and AIS have demonstrable beneﬁts for mari-

time safety, but are increasingly turning the role of the seafarer into ‘that of a monitor’. This is not as simple as it sounds, however. Other research has shown how the task of controlling multiple remote systems may require high levels of cognitive ability and skills that are very different from those originally learned to qualify as a seafarer.

And, Mr Allen points out, concerns have also been raised over the way in which new equipment is designed and implemented — often with little ‘end-user’ involvement and frequently operating in a counter-intuitive manner. Despite such problems, a majority of the ofﬁcers taking part in the survey said they considered the amount of technology

onboard their ships was about right — and more than one-third wanted to see more. Analysis of the feedback showed older seafarers and those with low computer literacy to be most resistant to new technology — a pattern seen in other industries, but one of particular concern in a safety-critical sector such as shipping.

The feedback — which came from officers serving on a wide range of different vessels, including tankers, ferries, cruiseships, support vessels and containerships — also showed that those working on vessels with larger crews are less resistant to new technology. Mr Allen suggests more research should be done to examine whether different nationalities have different attitudes and experiences. ‘Where multinational crews are commonplace onboard ship, it would be useful to investigate whether cultural and/or training differences impact upon perceptions towards technology at sea,’ he notes. ‘Similarly, the sample was almost exclusively made up of officers. Investigating perceptions of technology amongst other ranks would be a valuable extension of this work.’ Mr Allen said it was not surprising that the officers had identified training as their main concern. ‘Training represents a lack of knowledge or expertise on the part of the seafarer, but the problem could equally be identified as stemming from poor equipment design, developed without reference to important user-centred principles,’ he stresses. Targeting training alone would therefore fail to address the complexities of the situation, he adds. So, while technology training for seafarers should be improved it should not be at the expense of ignoring the bigger ‘human element’ issues such as equipment design and ergonomics. A potential priority issue to tackle would be the standardisation of equipment, Mr Allen adds. In contrast to aircraft, ships very rarely have similar design and layout of control stations and technology and the concept of an ‘S-mode’ — a standardised default mode for ‘e-navigation’ equipment — could offer a constructive way forward. ‘If seafarers are required to constantly adapt to new interfaces and ways of working, it is perhaps no surprise that they report feeling under-trained,’ he points out.

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

SHIPTECHNOLOGY

SHIP TECHNOLOGY

Nautilus member Peter Thornton — a director of a new company, ECDISltd, which aims to ease the transition to electronic navigation — maps out some proposals for painless paperless operations… Peter Thornton

It’s time to chart the way forward with confidence J

Compared with paper charts, the benefits of ECDIS are astounding. But now is the time for users, trainers, manufacturers, companies and authorities to ensure that the future digital ship is one of confidence, not concern. With the IMO implementing a mandatory ECDIS fit programme commencing in 2012 for new builds and existing passenger and cargo ships, it would be surprising if the STW 41 finalisation of the revision of the STCW convention and code due in January 2010 does not include a significant change to current ECDIS training requirements.

It is therefore widely expected that in the near future all certificated deck officers who navigate using an ECDIS (be it an IMO mandated fit or by choice) will by law, be required to have passed a flag state approved ECDIS course. Currently, training of personnel in critical systems such as ECDIS is not clearly stipulated in IMO or flag state legislation — even though there is an IMO model ECDIS course. Further still, courses that include an ECDIS element may not be flag state approved as an ‘ECDIS course’ as they are not the full IMO model. For example, the Navigation Aids Radar ARPA

Simulation (NARAS) course — which may well be compliant with STCW95 and include the word ECDIS on the certificate — may not be the full IMO model and hence not be accepted by a flag state as an approved ‘ECDIS course’. Only certain training organisations are able to offer an ECDIS certificate at this level. It is also interesting to note that even though training is not mandatory under international legislation, courts of law are taking action in cases involving a lack of training which directly contributes to maritime incidents — with phrases such as ‘best practice’ or ‘duty of care’. Back in the days of paper, most

Initial training, “ followed by A Navmaster ECDIS retrofitted onboard a 153,000dwt tanker Picture: PC Maritime

Now, even with generic ECDIS training, it is well known that ECDIS use is a very perishable skill

“

”

deck ofﬁcers joining a ship to take her to sea could say they knew what to do, as long as there were a couple of charts, tide tables, pencil, dividers and a parallel rule at hand.

Many seafarers we note are under the illusion that to qualify for the 100% foreign earnings deduction, all they have to do is spend 183 days out of the country on foreign going voyages. Many have found to their cost, when investigated by the Revenue that it is not that straightforward and of course it is then too late to rectify. Make sure you are not one of them by letting Seatax Ltd plan your future claim step by step.

Can you afford not to join Seatax? Seatax offers advice on all aspects of Personal Taxation with special emphasis on: ★ All aspects of self assessment ★ 100% Claims ★ Non Resident Claims ★ Completion of Income Tax returns ★ A full Tax service for Mariners’ spouses, starting from £25 ★ Now including online ﬁling for speedier settlement OUR FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Annual Return ............................................................................................................ £165.00 including VAT at 15%

No commission charged on refunds gained. NAUTILUS UK members sailing under a foreign ﬂag agreement on gross remuneration can obtain a 10% reduction on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS UK membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment.

or w ite, Wr ne no o ph more r : o f ails det

Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES. Tel: (01302) 364673 - Fax No: (01302) 738526 - E-mail: info@seatax.ltd.uk www.seatax.ltd.uk

Seatax 16 x 4.indd 1

Grounding led to training call

16/4/09 14:21:08

Now, even with generic ECDIS training, it is well known that ECDIS use is a very perishable skill. A competent operator should be able to join a ship; plan, prepare and set the ECDIS to work legally; understand the information presented; be able to identify inaccuracies or software malfunctions; and, importantly, know how to manipulate the specific system in order to move away safely from the ‘red line’ if/when necessary. Understanding the complexities of the transition to digital navigation is significant, to say the least. This new way of navigation is not simply watching your ship on a screen magically getting to where it needs to be without having to do very much. It is especially important that companies respect the enormity of the task for a master responsible for the ship, who has been at sea for 30 years using tried and trusted paper, to be confronted with no paper charts for reference; having to educate him/ herself in how to navigate using a software programme; ensure that in their own mind the ship is safe and able to fulfil the charter agreement, while at the same time guiding and mentoring newly qualified OOWs in the meaning of life bobbing around the oceans.

The more the community realises this, the more that will hopefully be done to aid the situation and consequently lessen the concerns surrounding fatigue and retention. Keeping in mind the old saying ‘If you think safety is expensive...’ care must be taken by both the individual and management to ensure the user is competent in the use of a vessel’s ECDIS. Timely training and familiarisation is the key.

eFood for thought: z ECDIS or ECS? For an ECDIS to be an ‘ECDIS’, it must contain an IMO type approval certificate – otherwise it is an ECS, and not a legal or recognised replacement for paper charts. z How accurate/reliable is the charted information in use? z Can you use a GNSS to navigate on charts without a known datum? z How and when do you check the GPS position, can you navigate without GPS? z How do you monitor NAVWARNINGs, is a user file up to date and displayed at all times? z Have you got a software maintenance system in place to remain IMO compliant with the latest standards? z Are the terms ‘presentation independent of data’ and ‘scamin’ appreciated? z Are you required under your ISM to have conducted specific training and can all your deck officers prove it? z What do these symbols mean? Wreck — Dangerous wreck/obstruction — depth unknown/rock underwater, awash rock Could be depth unknown or value of sounding known only when interrogated. Separate to depth contour Sounding 5.5 — reported unreliable/ therefore will not show up with safety contour Area information — Caution area — could be T+P and date dependant

regular use or refamiliarisation is a necessity if your aim is to maintain safety of navigation

”

The danger is not necessarily from complete failure of GNSS input, but is from the operator missing a significant degradation in the position source and subsequently standing the ship into danger without realising it. It is therefore important that the operator can identify inaccuracies in order to take action, determine the ship’s true position and be able to derive an EP the same as on a paper chart. Any ECDIS operator can see that many questions arise which require a deep understanding of the system compared with simply checking the paper chart. This issue is one of the greatest hurdles, as it requires time to study the manuals of each different system. However, manufacturers do not necessarily highlight their equipment’s shortfalls. This can be made a little easier by having yet more checklists — but due to the complexity of these systems, the importance of having clear operating guidance, checklists or parameters for OOWs or certain situations cannot be overstated. However, it is important that sufficient flexibility remains for those in charge to use the system as they see fit. Our intention to drive up standards is not just in the user, but in the ECDIS and ENCs themselves — which are just as, if not more, important than the ability of the user. The greater the clarity and reliability the system has, the less likely the user is to make a mistake. Sensor inputs integrated with displays that are taking digital navigation into the next phase include active forward-facing echo sounders, masthead video for coral navigation, meteorological overlays, digital satellite

imagery and so on — making the future, as long as your processing power is sufﬁcient, very interesting.

ECDISltd would certainly like to see systems of the future with the follow-

ing: z 1. Large planning or spatial awareness screens, available on the bridge and chart house if applicable z 2. Simple, swift means of clearly cross-checking the GPS by a variety of methods, simplifying visual and or radar use z 3. Planning functionality to be improved to enable voyage and pilotage plans to be quick and clear, with the development of real time tide and one meter depth contours z 4. Use of and display functions of ENCs to become less questionable and as reliable/simple as looking for a reference on a paper chart

Possible solutions: z All deck ofﬁcers on paperless ships must have conducted an IMO model ﬂag state approved ECDIS course z ECDIS navigation is ingrained from joining as a cadet alongside paper navigation to appreciate the basics in both z ECDIS forms a greater part in mandatory chart work exams for CoCs z ECDIS and IBS training must evolve and develop concurrently with systems in use z More stringent internal and external ISM/port state control audits on a vessel’s digital navigation organisation

Summary ECDIS is not as clear or reliable as we would like it to be and ECDIS

ECDIS ‘is not simply watching your ship on a screen magically getting to where it needs to be’

operation is a skill that perishes far quicker than paper chart work. Differing systems make ‘This is the way I was taught in the old days’ impossible to justify or support, to say the least. Initial training, followed by regular use or re-familiarisation is a necessity if your aim is to maintain safety of navigation. Paper chart work is learned at the very beginning of a career as a professional deck ofﬁcer and similarly, for the private boat or yacht skipper or owner, it lies at the root of that personal voyage of discovery SOLAS now has a bearing on. Either way, chart work remains fundamental to a successful and safe outcome. The future is ECDIS and not paper — just as octants have given way to GPS. So it comes as no surprise that these fundamentals of learning, understanding and competence in the basic tools of the trade must continue to apply. Many personnel already have experience in using digital navigation systems. However, it is alltoo apparent what happens when people use it without understanding it. A high level of training is now available and the MCA is taking a very close look at the not so high standards currently offered. We hope that, with the onset of mandated ECDIS, quality and clarity will continue to improve. The fact that so many manufacturers are now in the game can work to the mariner’s advantage, because their successful competition will be based upon the right

price; relevance to a speciﬁc need; clarity; reliability; and, of course, how the system interfaces with the operator as the ultimate shipboard decision-maker. But we all know that evolution based upon natural selection takes many years. As ECDISltd is an independent and unbiased body, we are well placed to pass on our professional experience. We constantly strive to glean user and manager information — for the more information we receive, the better the analysis and the

The Dutch-flagged general cargoship CFL Performer, pictured above, prompted a call for improved standards of training in the use of ECDIS after it ran aground in the North Sea last year. Investigations revealed that the chief officer had used the system to amend a passage plan during a voyage to Grimsby and took it over Haisborough Sand, off the coast of Norfolk, where the charted depth was less than 2m — compared with the vessel’s draft of 5.9m. A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report on the incident revealed that none of the deck officers onboard the 4,106gt vessel had been trained in the use of ECIDS — even though it was the primary means of navigation onboard the paper chart-free ship. It expressed concern about the ‘disturbing’ and increasing number of similar accidents involving the misuse of electronic chart systems, poor training and the use of inappropriate settings. The report pointed to the ‘compelling’ case for mandatory training requirements and warned that, given the marked differences between various systems, officers should have equipment-specific training. It said the incident showed the need for ECDIS competences to be included within the STCW Code, and called for an urgent review of the IMO model course syllabus for ECDIS training — which was developed eight years ago — to ensure it is still ‘fit for purpose’. Picture: Marine Accident Investigation Branch

stronger the arguments for a particular line of development. This is not a new methodology, but we do need to harness your knowledge and experience if we are to apply lessons learned to the beneﬁt of future generations of seafarers and ECDIS. The solution is simple — timely training, feedback, improvement. h To offer experiences and thoughts, or to discuss ECDIS issues and training solutions further, please contact: enquiries@ ecdis.org.uk

The author i

Peter Thornton is an MCA master mariner unlimited and an RYA yacht master with experience operating and training ECDIS and ECS on a range of vessels across the world. Employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as a specialist navigator, the views he expresses in this article do not necessarily represent those of the MoD.

STCW95 basic training (PST, EFA, FP&FF and PS&SR) PSCRB, PFRB, GMDSS, Advanced Firefighting, First Aid, Medical Care on Board, Efficient Deck Hand, MCA Approved Engine Courses, RYA Qualifications, Ship Security Officer Courses. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Courses available from the Hall Training Centre. All Superyacht courses undertaken.

Maritime Open Learning Courses: NVQ Level 3 Deck and Engineering courses leading to STCW. 95 ofﬁcer of the watch certiﬁcates. Surveying courses available through the school of Marine Surveying. Distance Learning courses for Marine Surveying, Ship Management and Ship Superintendency, offered in partnership with Lloyds Maritime Academy.

NW Kent College 10 x 3.indd 1

16/4/09 14:29:58

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MEMBERS AT WORK

Net closes in on ships severing cable links Africa gets connected M

Pictured above is the last stage of a 4,900km subsea cable linking east Africa with the Middle East being laid near Mombasa, Kenya, by the cableship Niwa in June. Costing some US$760m, the East African Marine System (TEAMS) connection is set to go live this month and will dramatically improve information and communication technology in Africa. The fibre-optic cable runs between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates at depths of up to 5,400m. Installation work took some 18 months, with the cableship’s owners having to take special precautions to protect the 89 crew members from pirates whilst working off east Africa. Eastern Africa has been the only region in the world not connected through an undersea fibre optic cable and has had to rely on more expensive satellite links. The subsea cable will offer 1.28 terabits per second of capacity, enabling high definition TV, and putting an end to slow dial-up connections. ‘No project can compete with this for the importance it holds for Kenya and for Africa,’ said Haskell Ward, chairman of the Seacom consortium, which funded the project.

An errant anchor A can leave millions of people in the dark. Tom Short and Andrew Linington report on the problem...

We live in a world of instant messaging and increasing IT — and most of it reliant upon a hidden network of undersea cables through which some 95% of global communications traffic is routed. But it’s also a world where the stunning scale of modern telecommunications can be severed in an instant — with shipping often being a major culprit. In January last year, a stray ship’s anchor was blamed for an incident near Alexandria in which two cables carrying almost 90% of the data traffic that passes through the Suez Canal were cut. The incident affected more than 80m people in eight countries, with around 70% of Egypt’s national network and 60% of western India’s outbound capacity disrupted. A similar incident occurred only a month later, with two cables severed by a five-ton anchor — leaving an estimated 75m people with little or no internet access. Last December breaks in the submarine cables which link Europe and the Middle East were broken — resulting in massive disruption of internet and international telephone services in parts of the Middle East and South Asia. And last month services to large areas of west Africa and in the Far East were thrown into chaos after undersea cables were damaged. Many people believe that today’s telecommunications are all transmitted by satellites — but the reality is that well over 90% of global voice and data traffic is carried at the speed of light via a

Picture: Reuters

More than 150 years of technological advances L

Crew members on the CS Innovator at work on a subsea telecommunications cable Picture: Global Marine Systems

The idea of undersea cables emerged soon after the introduction of the telegraph by William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone in 1839, with Samuel Morse proclaiming an interest in the subject in 1840. The unprecedented rate of technological advancements during this age fostered undersea cabling experiments using india rubber and tarred hemp as insulators. The result was that an experimental cable was laid in August 1850 across the Channel and in 1851 the first true cable (with a protected core) linked the UK and France. In 1853 London was linked with the Netherlands by a cable laid across the North Sea by the paddle steamer Monarch, and by 1858 transatlantic cables were being tested, even though the emerging technology of the day limited results. In 1866 the world’s largest steamship, the Great Eastern, laid the first successful transatlantic cable. During this decade a number of connections were made between countries in the British Empire and by 1876 the empire was linked from London to New Zealand. The early trans-continental cables were plagued with electrical problems and as a number of great scientists worked to overcome this the foundations of modern high-speed networking were laid. Mirror galvanometers were the predecessors of modern signal amplifiers or repeaters and the development of transmission line theory led to fibre optics. By 1956 these developments had led to the first trans-atlantic telephone cable and in 1988 the first fibreoptic cable. The modern network of undersea fibre-optic cables utilise ‘self-healing rings’, meaning that signals broken by a faulty or damaged cable can be instantly re-routed.

500,000 mile network of undersea cables. Most subsea cables are around just 69mm in diameter, yet the ﬁbre-optic lines bundled inside carry staggering volumes of data and contain enough bandwidth for 20m users or the equivalent of more than 120m simultaneous telephone calls. There’s been a 8,000-fold increase in the data capacity of such cables over the past two decades — and such is society’s reliance upon this subsea network that cable-cut incidents can now cause massive economic damage, with banks, stock exchanges, governments and mobile phone networks all affected when the lines go down.

The challenge of protecting and maintaining undersea cables is not a recent phenomenon — the first international undersea telegraph cable, laid between Calais and Dover by the ship Goliath in 1850, was severed by a fisherman’s errant hook within its first day of service. However, media coverage of recent cable breaks has generated wider public awareness of their existence and raised fears (and conspiracy theories) over the ease at which they can be damaged — by such things as seismic activity, tectonic plate movements, misplaced anchors, trawler nets, and even fish (who have been blamed for biting into cables). Although the frequency of undersea cable cuts has been somewhat exaggerated in some articles, the problem is significant. A paper produced by one industry analyst last year stated that there are some 50 deep-water repairs every year. And the number of cable cuts in shallower waters is even greater — 60% of all cuts occurring in depths of less than 100m and three out of four of them caused by fishing, anchors or dredging. ‘Mariners need to be aware of the absolute mayhem that they could cause if they are careless,’ says Captain Simon Hibberd, of Global Marine Systems, the UK-based company which is the world leader in subsea cable installation and maintenance. ‘Technology has moved on so much that when a failure does occur now it can be fairly catastrophic,’ he adds. ‘Because cables now have such huge capacity, some countries rely heavily on just a single or double cable and so when they get hit the impact is massive.’ Although cables are usually routed around recognised anchorage areas, certain parts of the world such as Singapore can be particularly prone to anchor-related damage. ‘A lot of work goes into making mariners more aware of where the cables are, but some ships don’t have up to date charts and others use unofficial anchorage areas,’ Capt Hibberd points out.

Thanks to technology such as AIS and VTS, it is now easier for authorities to track down vessels responsible for ‘hit and run’ incidents with cables and two ships were detained in Dubai following investigations into the incidents which hit the Middle East last January and February. ‘We do ask shipping companies that, if they inadvertently tangle with a cable, to mark the area and stick a ﬂoat on it, so that we can identify where the fault might be,’ Capt Hibberd told the Telegraph. Fishing vessels are the most common cause of cable damage,

but Capt Hibberd says Global Marine tries to work positively and closely with the sector — often, for instance, using fishing boats as ‘guard vessels’ when undertaking jobs around the UK. Despite the disruption caused in last year’s Middle East breaks, most cable cuts will pass unnoticed because traffic can be almost instantly re-routed. It’s only when services are severed at ‘choke points’ that massive problems can occur and it is then when cableship firms such as Global Marine are called into action. ‘No single cable owner could afford to have a cableship on standby like the AA, so they will come together and set up maintenance authority agreements for different parts of the world — typically over four years — in which a single vessel will look after around 50 or 60 different cables,’ Capt Hibberd explains. Cable systems will have branching units, which enable power to be turned off over a segment whilst repairs are carried out. As a result of the massive advances in cable and communications technology, this work is increasingly complicated — and potentially dangerous too, with high voltages and laser beams just a couple of the health and safety issues facing maintenance and repair teams. However, says Capt Hibberd, some of the techniques used have changed little since the very first cables were laid. ‘Recovery of the cable is done in a very traditional manner, using a grapnel — in effect, a big hook,’ he adds. Whilst remote-operated vehicles can be used to locate many cable breaks, the biggest challenges come when dealing with deeply buried cables that have to be brought to the surface for repair on deck. The operations manager on one recent cable repair job, conducted by the cableship Global Sentinel, described the work thus: ‘It may sound simple to cut and retrieve a cable from the seabed until you realise that cable is 4,500m below you and it takes six to eight hours just for the grapple to sink to the bottom! There is lots of tension onboard during these activities as a miss results in another six to eight hours (for it to be brought back up again) before another attempt can begin. Getting a 6,000m “fishing line” back onboard and re-deployed takes quite a long time…’

Given the cost and the consequences of cable cuts, why not simply bury them deeper? Typically, many cables are laid to a depth of 3m and some to as much as 12m — but in deep ocean areas they are often unprotected and if they were all buried deep it would make maintenance and repair even more difﬁcult and costly. Capt Hibberd says that while the number of cable cuts may not be growing, their importance certainly is — and is also sure to increase further as IT becomes even more embedded in our lives. Installation is just starting to pick up again, he notes, and with governments in many parts of the world now committed to increasing energy from renewable sources, there are a growing number of new undersea cables carrying power from offshore windfarms and the like. It’s clear that seafarers will need to be increasingly vigilant in the years to come…

The growing global network of subsea telecomms cables Picture: Global Marine Services

Top 10 cable facts and figures z 1: The first undersea telegraph cable was laid by Samuel Morse in the port of New York in 1842 z 2: The first transatlantic cable was laid by the ss Great Eastern in 1866 — 4,260km long, running between Ireland and Canada z 3: The first transatlantic telephone cable was laid between Scotland and Canada in 1956, with a capacity for 36 simultaneous calls z 4: The first fibre-optic transatlantic cable was laid in 1988, with a capacity for 40,000 simultaneous calls z 5: The world’s longest cable is known as SEA-ME-WE 3 and is 39,000km long. Completed in 2000, it links 34

countries from Japan to Germany

z 6: There are now more than 800,000km of subsea cables around the world z 7: Some 77% of cable faults are the result of fishing, ship anchoring or dredging z 8: The world’s longest submarine power cable links the Netherlands and Norway and runs for 580km z 9: The two busiest internet hubs are London and New York, and nine transatlantic cables link them z 10: Next year will see the launch of a new 10,000km transpacific telecoms connection between the US and Japan with 20% more capacity than at present

The CS Sovereign was built in Holland in 1992 for BT Marine Picture: Global Marine Services

UK cableship firm is a growing success story Global Marine Services is a British shipping success story — a company which, since near-collapse just a few years ago, has bounced back to expansion. The company goes right back to the earliest days of undersea cables — with its origins lying with the installation of submarine telegraph links in the middle of the 19th century. Through the Post Office, BT Marine and Cable & Wireless, the UK cableship operator mutated and changed ownership several times — passing to the US firm Global Crossing in 1999. But in 2002, the massive downturn in the global

telecoms market saw Global Crossing collapse — and the jobs of British seafarers serving on the cableships were thrown into jeopardy. In 2004, however, the company was bought by new owners — the private equity firm Bridgehouse Marine — and was restructured and returned to a ‘cashflow positive position’ within just four months. Global Marine presently operates eight ships and a cable barge, and employs more than 720 seafarers — of which 256 are British officers. Its recent success has resulted in the recruitment of more than 60 more officers over the past year — a development welcomed by Nautilus.

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

MEMBERS AT WORK

ETV easing an entente cordiale The emergency towing vessel Anglian Monarch leaves port Picture: Andrew Lansdale

A tug is being used to cement Anglo-French maritime relations. But this is no ordinary tug — this is the Anglian Monarch, one of four emergency towing vessels on charter to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Following recommendations made in the Donaldson Report into ship safety after the 1993 Braer tanker disaster, the UK has developed ETV cover around its coast and the four vessels now used by the MCA are deployed around the UK, with the Anglian Monarch based at Folkestone and serving the busy Dover Straits. Although the smallest of the four, Anglian Monarch is a monster. The vessel has a huge open afterdeck where towing operations are conducted. The two towing winches, with a brake limit of 300 tonnes

each, are housed in an area the size of a small house. The main towing wires are the thickness of Popeye’s forearms; powerful is an understatement. Anglian Monarch plays its part in Anglo-French cooperation by spending a week in Folkestone and a week in Boulogne — the costs being shared by each country. And this is where the ‘trés’ is added to the ‘cordiale’. The French recognise the truly professional nature of this resource. And the tug’s ofﬁcers and crew play to their strengths. The French coastguard is an arm of the French Navy, with admirals in control. Captain John Reynolds, the Anglian Monarch’s master, wears his uniform with four rings and his ofﬁcer’s cap with ‘scrambled eggs’ on the peak. Thus the French Navy

Andrew Lansdale explains how the UK emergency towing vessel Anglian Monarch has developed a healthy cross-Channel relationship...

We only have a small crew, but total over 400 years of experience onboard

“

”

recognise his rank and his place in the pecking order. The vessel was in Boulogne for Bastille Day this year and fired off its fire-fighting monitors in salute. Anecdote has it that it performed this same operation a few years ago but there was a high wind and the vessel was too close to the muddy shallows. Many of the onlookers were reported to have been drenched in mud. But as the vessel is extremely popular in Boulogne, there is perhaps a measure of exaggeration in the tale. Anglian Monarch is responsible for emergency towing in a huge area west of the Varne to east of the Goodwins. Old-fashioned mariners would be pleased to see how this ship navigates its patch. No

g Anglian Monarch Built: Matsuura Tekko, Japan 1999 Dwt: 1,308 LOA: 58m Beam: 14.1m Draught: 5.9m Depth: 7.1m Power: two x 6 cyl Niigata diesels, each 5,701 bhp, 2 x C/P propellers

chart-plotters, no big screen graphics — just paper charts, a compass, parallel rulers and a 2B pencil. The crew also have the luxury of a modern radar set — but, like the towing procedures themselves, this is old-fashioned seamanship with every operation presenting its unique challenges. ‘We only have a small crew, but total over 400 years of experience onboard. It would be criminal negligence to ignore that,’ Capt Reynolds told the Telegraph. The Channel is acknowledged as the world’s busiest shipping lane, with more than 400 vessels passing through the area every day. Surprisingly often, ships lose power in the busy traffic separation zones and drop anchor and the Anglian Monarch is fitted with special grapnels to hook into anchor cables to tow vessels out of the way. The big main engines provide a bollard pull of more than 150 tonnes. ‘But we use very little of the installed power,’ Capt Reynolds explained. ‘We usually use about a 15-tonne pull on small ships. On a big containership we once used 80 tonnes briefly.’ Towed ships aren’t designed for this sort of power. ‘We would pull normal mooring bitts out of the deck and perhaps the windlass as well,’ Capt Reynolds added. ‘But we need to have this amount of power at our disposal. With a large tow in heavy weather, it’s like taking a mad dog for a walk.’ And with increasing questions being posed about the standards of many seafarers now at sea, there are more mad dogs out there every day.

Speed:

Eco 11.75knots on 25 tonnes MDO per day; max 16 knots Able to sail from UK to Panama without refuelling Bollard pull: 152 tonnes Two towing winches each 300 tonnes brake load Two tugger winches Two hydraulic towing pins Hydraulic Kaarm forks Accommodation for 16 persons

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

‘LOST’ SHIP

There was little media mention, outside the maritime press, of a report from the crew of the general cargoship Arctic Sea on 24 July that they had been boarded in the Baltic Sea by a gang who beat them up and claimed to be searching the vessel for drugs. But, six days later, when the Arctic Sea’s AIS stopped transmitting off the coast of Cornwall, the alarm was raised and for the next fortnight the vessel hogged the headlines as mystery surrounded its location. Even after the Russian navy boarded the 3,988gt ship some 300 miles off the Cape Verde islands and made arrests, mystery continued to shroud the events onboard the Arctic Sea and the reasons why the ship had strayed so far from its planned course. The Maltese-ﬂagged, Russian-owned vessel had loaded a cargo of timber in the Finnish port of Pietarsaari, departing on 23 July and due to arrive in the Algerian port of Bejaia on 4 August.

But on 24 July, the 15 Russian crew members reported that they had been boarded off the island of Gotland by an armed gang masquerading as anti-drugs police. The gang — who had been in high-speed inﬂatables — had held the crew hostage for 12 hours and subjected them to violent questioning before taking their mobile phones and damaging the ship’s communications equipment. Although it was initially reported that the gang had left the ship, the Russian defence ministry said the crew had been forced to turn off navigational and tracking equipment and sail south. The Arctic Sea reported to the Channel Navigation Information Service as it passed through the Dover Strait on 28 July, but two days later — when the ship was some 50 miles south of Penzance — the AIS stopped transmitting. Rumours began to circulate that the vessel had been targeted by pirates and hijacked — with suggestions that it may have been at the centre of a maﬁa dispute, a commercial row, or carrying an illicit cargo of arms, drugs or even nuclear material. A massive search operation then began — involving police and authorities in more than 20 countries, and with the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev ordering all the country’s naval ships in the Atlantic to join the hunt for the Arctic Sea and take ‘all necessary measures’ to recover the vessel. For almost a fortnight, since the ship had been spotted off the coast of Portugal, the Arctic Sea’s location appeared to be unknown until coastguards reported on 14 August that it had been sighted around 500 miles from Cape Verde.

Mystery vessel puts spotlight on security The fortnight-long disappearance of a Maltese-flagged merchant ship has sparked rumours of illicit cargoes and piracy in the Baltic. But it also raises many wider questions about maritime security, Nautilus warns…

To hijack the vessel so that no one makes a peep — can you imagine how that could be?

“

Three days later, the Russian frigate Ladny intercepted the ship and arrested eight suspects — four Estonian, two Latvians and two Russians. The hijackers were armed, but abandoned their weapons when stopped, Russian officials said. Despite the reports that a ransom had been made, speculation continued to surround the disappearance of the ship — with the Maltese maritime authority stating that the Arctic Sea had been ‘continuously tracked’ from the moment it was reported to have been hijacked until the Russian navy’s interception. The incident is being jointly investigated by the flag state, Malta, as well as the country of management, Finland, and the coastal state where the alleged hijacking occurred, Sweden. Finnish police said the inquiries were concentrating on the potential offences of‘aggravated extortion and alleged hijacking’ — although they added that they had been unable to confirm the alleged hijack-

When the eight men were brought before a court in Moscow, the plot thickened even further. Denying charges of piracy and kidnap, they claimed they were ecologists who had come onboard the Arctic Sea because they had been caught in a storm in an inﬂatable boat. They face a maximum of 15 years in prison if found guilty of piracy and kidnap — but argue that Russia has no right to try them as the alleged offence took place on a Maltese-registered ship in Swedish waters. Whether the truth will emerge in the trial remains to be seen. A Russian maritime writer, Mikhail Voitenko, hinted that it may not. ‘I believe states and/ or state interests, were involved in what happened,’ he said. ‘It makes sense only if looked at as a conﬂict between states. ‘The vessel had all the necessary modern means of communications and emergency alarms, and was located in waters where ordinary mobile telephones work,’ he added. ‘To hijack the vessel so that no one makes a peep — can you imagine how that could be? I can’t.’

ing ‘and the connection between the alleged incident andinthe laterPevents has not been established yet’. Vanishing vessel: the Maltese-fl agged Arctic Sea port icture: Reuters

”

Whatever the truth of the story, Nautilus is concerned that the case has highlighted once again the vulnerability of merchant shipping to attack. ‘The way in which a ship can effectively disappear off the face of the oceans in a developed part of the world underlines the concerns that we continue to raise about the shortcomings of the International Ship and Port facilities Security Code,’ said general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘The fact that so many scenarios had been put about to explain the ship’s disappearance and that almost any one of them could have been plausible demonstrates the need for governments to take these concerns much more seriously than they presently do,’ he added. Concerns about the potential for an ‘epidemic effect’ of copycat attacks have also been raised by the Swedish Shipowners’ Association. In response to the Arctic Sea events, it advised its members to exercise the same sort of vigilance in the Baltic as they would when in the piracy-prone waters off Somalia. ‘We’ve talked with the companies that are active in these waters,’ said Tryggve Ahlman, head of security at the Gothenburg-based association. ‘They’ve come to us with questions and it’s only natural that they increase their readiness. The procedures they have in the Gulf of Aden should be observed everywhere.’

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

WAR MEMORIAL

One in three seafarers paid the ultimate price

As the nation marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war, MIKE GERBER meets one MN veteran...

The bitter reality of life and death in the war at sea I

Hundreds of thousands of merchant seafarers did their bit to help combat the Nazis during world war two, but radio officer Morris Beckman continued resisting fascists come peacetime — British ones. Post-war, Morris was a founder member of the 43 Group of Anglo-Jewish ex-servicemen who attacked and destroyed Sir Oswald Moseley’s resurgent British Union of Fascists. His history of the 43 Group was published in 1992, but he is also author of eight other books — two of which deal with his war experiences at sea. The first of these was published in India during the war, while the second, Atlantic Roulette, came out in 1992. Regretfully, neither is still in print. Between 1940 and 1942, Morris worked on ships that ran the U-boat gauntlet in the Battle of the Atlantic, then from late 1942 was employed by Bombaybased Mogul Line running supplies to the forces in the Middle East. He also served on vessels that supported the Allied invasions of Sicily and Italy. Morris was born in 1921, and was in his late teens when war broke out. He had been planning to go to Sheffield University to study to become a civil engineer. However, when the war came he made several unsuccessful attempts with his best friend at school, Max Addess, to join the RAF. Addess, also Jewish, persevered and was killed serving in the Air Force. But Morris’s war career took another direction. ‘In the Daily Telegraph, there was a quarter-page advert — “Admiralty Notice. Urgent. Admiralty want all British ships at sea throughout the war to have radio watch round the clock…Good pay, good prospects, see the world...” And somehow, I fancied that,’ he recalls. Morris went on a special four-month course In

Good pay, good “ prospects, see the world… And somehow, I fancied that ” Clapham to qualify as a radio officer. ‘The first thing I had to learn was Morse code,’ he says. ‘We had to listen to Morse code through static — crazy static — you had to get used to that. ‘We were also taught how to use and look after the receivers and transmitters. So I had to learn how to take a radio receiver to pieces, all the bits and pieces and the valves and put them back together again. So if we got sunk, the ship was going down, I could tap our position, the longitude and latitude. ‘And you had to learn the international codes,’ he adds. ‘Fifty of us took the final exam and 40 passed. The Admiralty wanted us to finish as quickly as possible and to be put on ships.’ Employed through Marconi, Morris joined his first ship — the tanker Venetia — as a second radio officer, working four hours on, four hours off, seven days a week. Onboard conditions were appalling. Morris’s tiny cabin — ‘about twice the size of a small wardrobe’ —

Radio officer Morris Beckman and his late brother Michael, right, who served as a pilot in Bomber Command

was filthy, water came out rusty from the taps, and under his mattress was ‘a seething mass of cockroaches’. Another seething mass — of U-boats — awaited him in the Atlantic. Tankers such as the Venetia were, Morris explains, prize targets for the German’s deadly U-boats. ‘Tankers were unmistakeable because the funnel was aft above the engine room. So the Germans only had to see this funnel to know it was a tanker, and then you’d really be targeted for torpedoes.’ The Luftwaffe nearly extinguished young Morris’s life before he had any chance to encounter the U-boats. The Venetia was steaming up towards the west of Scotland where transatlantic naval and merchant ships formed up in convoys when it was fired at by a German aircraft. At Oban, Venetia joined a 28-ship convoy, and very soon after leaving Morris picked up the first distress calls from a vessel being torpedoed. ‘Longitude 40 W was the danger line because the U-boats had covered that from Iceland all the way down,’ he recalls, ‘and as we were more or less on it, I suddenly had the headphones blasted out of my ears, and it was the first torpedo. I knew it was in our convoy because it was so loud. We lost five ships, five went down in half an hour — all merchant ships — and I could hear the sirens going. ‘The minute the first torpedo struck, a convoy had instructions to disperse. So all the ships started dispersing, heading straight for their destinations, from as low down as Buenos Aires right up to Halifax, Nova Scotia, or Montreal. August 1942. Arabian Sea. Morris Beckman at the twin Lewis guns

‘We headed down for the Caribbean because we were going down to pick up petrol. We got down to Aruba in the Dutch West Indies, and took onboard nearly 4,000 tons of high octane petrol. There was no messing about because every ship and its cargo was needed,’ he says. ‘Go out, get the stuff and come back, unload, discharge, and out you go again — no two weeks leave or anything like that.’ The Venetia then made for Bermuda, one of two ports — the other being Halifax, Nova Scotia — where Allied ships would form convoys for the perilous homeward trip. When the convoy the Venetia had joined set off, its only armed protection was from a frigate and a destroyer. ‘We went right north, heading for Iceland. We used to go high and come round just south of Iceland and down, aiming at the Clyde. We did that because to get us the U-boats would have to do a hell of a lot more mileage to catch us. ‘There were eight tankers in that convoy, and that would have kept Spitfire and Hurricanes flying for quite some time,’ he says. ‘But when we were passing Greenland we saw the Germans had two large aeroplanes — we used to call them the angels of death — that would inform their headquarters about the state of the convoy, the numbers of ships and the direction it was heading, and the U-boats would be alerted to meet the convoy. They attacked in packs.’ So everybody in the convoy knew there was trouble ahead, recalls Morris. ‘Past the south west of Iceland, we started heading due south. We just wanted to head back to the Clyde, hit a good tide. And the attack came. I was on watch and I heard the first explosions

World war two broke out 70 years ago this month, on 3 September 1939, and within hours a British transatlantic liner, Athenia, was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Among the 112 dead or missing were 19 crew — the first merchant seafarer victims of the war. The maritime battlefront was to prove critical to the war’s outcome, as shipping historian Richard Woodman has explained: ‘Victory for the Allies hinged entirely on command of the seas, and the shipping of supplies either across the Atlantic to Britain by convoy, or across the Pacific to the Allied battlefleet by the Fleet Train.’ The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest military campaign of the entire war, with the Allies’ victory in that ocean not finally secured until May 1945, the year the war ended. ‘It was also the most crucial, for quite simply, its loss meant defeat for the Allies,’ states Woodman, one of whose books, The Real Cruel Sea, is a study of the Battle of the Atlantic up to 1943, when the Allies began to get the upper hand. Tony Lane, in his history The Merchant Seamen’s War, spells out what was at stake: ‘Without an unbroken flow of imported food, raw materials and armaments, the British government would have been obliged to accept a humiliating peace settlement of the kind imposed on the French.’ Although the convoys were under Naval command, those supplies were shipped across on merchant ships crewed by merchant officers and ratings, as too in the Malta and Arctic convoys and other key Allied maritime campaigns. It is estimated that one in three seafarers on British merchant ships lost their lives — a proportionately far heavier toll than any of the

Worn with pride: Merchant Navy seafarers suffered a higher proportion of wartime casualties than all of the armed forces

armed forces suffered during the war. ‘No truly definitive figure has ever been produced for the total number of British merchant seamen who lost their lives as a result of enemy action during the Second World War,’ point out

and then another and then I heard sirens going. ‘I switched off the light of my cabin because we had to be blacked out, and I pulled aside the curtain, and it was like watching a big picture. The British convoy was under attack by U-boats, and there were ships burning, and the U-boats ﬁred parachute ﬂares into the skies, scores of them, coming down everywhere, very slowly, and the darkness was completely dispersed.

There would “ be poor devils

in the water, shouting for help, and there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t stop, that was forbidden.

”

‘There was nothing much we could do, not on a merchant ship, you’re the target, the coconut on top of the stick,’ he adds. ‘The convoy dispersed to all points of the compass. So there we were, alone.’ Morris says one of the worst things during the war at sea was having to sail through areas where ships had gone down. ‘There would be poor devils in the water, shouting for help, and there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t stop, that was forbidden. We

G.H. and R. Bennett in their study Survivors: British Merchant Seaman in the Second World War. ‘One obvious problem,’ they caution, ‘is the difficulty, or even propriety, of applying a term such as “British” to a multinational population of seamen drawn not only from many parts of the UK but also from many colonies and protectorates, the self-governing dominions, Allied countries under enemy occupation, and even individuals from such diverse groups as Spanish Republicans, White Russians and refugees from the Baltic states.’ As Tony Lane has noted, by 1938 27% of seafarers on British foreign-going ships ‘were either Chinese or from some part of British India, and another 5% were Arabs, Indians, Chinese, West Africans or West Indians domiciled in such UK ports as Cardiff, Liverpool and South Shields’. Grim as the death figures are, they do not tell the whole story of the sacrifices made by seafarers in Britain’s merchant fleet during WW2. ‘In addition to those merchant seamen who are known (or presumed) to have died as a result of enemy action, and those whose fate will never satisfactorily be determined,’ G.H. and R. Bennett conclude, ‘the health of many others was seriously damaged either by enemy action or through the general stress of serving at sea in wartime.’ Two further categories of casualty need to be considered. The British White Paper of 1946 classified 5,720 merchant seamen as internees or prisoners of war, and 4,707 as wounded. Only in very recent years, however, have the merchant seafarers who risked life and limb serving in the British fleet during WW2 finally received the official recognition for their part in helping save the UK from takeover by fascist dictatorship.

had to get the cargo home because they needed it here. That was always terrible, they would be shouting, and you looked at them, and they knew they were as good as dead.’ Morris still painfully remembers a large overturned rowing boat floating past the Venetia following the U-boat attack. ‘There were four or five seamen clutching to it and they passed us very swiftly and they just stared at us, and we stared at them, and of course they were gone. And I still remember their faces, staring at us. They didn’t cry out, they didn’t say a word, they just stared at us, and we stared at them. Some said “Christ”, and that was that.’ The Venetia made it back to the Clyde and was then ordered to take the cargo down to the Thames. Back in London, Morris was consigned to another ship, the Hylton, as third radio officer. His request to stay on the Venetia was turned down. The following year, the Venetia was torpedoed south of Iceland. ‘She was lucky,’ writes Morris in Atlantic Roulette. ‘Had the torpedo exploded in one of the storage tanks and ignited the highly volatile gas between the octane level and the screwed down tank cover the ship could have become an instant fireball.’ Merchant seafarers’ sacrifices are put vividly in perspective in the historical overview with which Morris opens his book. He records: ‘When the torpedoed Venetia sank to her final resting place after 14 years of oceanic tramping she became a statistic, one of the 2,524 British merchant vessels sank by enemy action in World War Two. A further 29 foundered through other causes and 912 were damaged by enemy action — resulting in a number of unpublicised epics where survivors bought home loaded vessels damaged badly enough to be on the edge of sinking through perilous storms and predatory seas, lurking U-boats, hunting aircraft, E-boats and loose mines.’ Morris continues: ‘The badly needed cargoes thus saved were miniscule victories in the grand scale of the war, but each counted as much as the capture of a hill or a bomb load dropped on a German city.’ In all, 30,248 merchant seafarers were recorded as killed during the war, 4,654 missing, 4,707 wounded, while 5,720 were taken prisoner. Morris concludes his overview with some tart comment: ‘When I joined the Venetia the war was already 10 months old and yet many of her crew had been sunk and two had been sunk twice. Many bitterly recalled the recession, when so many ships had been laid up and entire crews joined the dole queues. As they said, it was the scrapyard for the ships and the knacker’s yard for the merchant seamen.’

Morris Beckman wearing all the medals he was awarded as a result of his second world war service as a radio officer in the Merchant Navy

Above: a picture taken from the Trojan Star in August 1941 of lifeboats in the North Atlantic before the ship picked them up Right: Shah, an Indian third mate on one of Morris Beckman’s ships, taking sightings with sextant in the Arabian Sea. He was anti-Ghandi, pro-British and pro-Pakistan

FPSO Handbook Written as a source of reference for marine and offshore professionals, the FPSO Handbook describes the marine equipment, the oil and gas processing arrangements, and the legislation relating to the marine and offshore industries.

£95 Witherby Seamanship International Ltd 4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK

Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999 Email: info@emailws.com www.witherbyseamanship.com

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

SEAFARERS AT WORK

A career at sea that spanned half a century From starting on a training ship at the age of 14 to taking command of a giant car ferry, Captain Peter Ferguson tells ANDREW LANSDALE about his 50-year career…

Few people could have seemed more destined for a career at sea than Peter Ferguson. His father had been a second engineer and his grandfather a cabin boy on a sailing ship around Cape Horn to Chile. His greatgrandfather had been a master mariner in the days of sail, so it was little surprise when, just short of his 14th birthday, he joined the training ship HMS Worcester. So began a seagoing career that spanned more than 50 years — and taking in time onboard dry cargo ships, passenger ships, ferries, coasters and jet foils. His ﬁrst ship was the fairly spartan war-built Karmala which he boarded as a P&O cadet on 20 August 1954. Ferguson was 16½ and reported to the second ofﬁcer. ‘I’ve just left HMS Worcester,’ he told the second mate. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll soon live it down,’ came the reply. Most of his cadetship was spent on dry cargo ships. The

exception was a summer cruising on the passenger ship Iberia. He passed for second mate’s in 1958 and was sent to the passenger ship Strathnaver — curiously enough the ship in which his father and mother had met. At the age of 25 he passed for masters and was appointed as second officer on the passengership Oriana. After three years as second officer, Ferguson left P&O and was accepted into the pilotage service in Cork. But while waiting for a vacancy he served with B&I, formerly British & Irish ferries. ‘At the time I was third officer aboard the ferry Innisfallen running out of Cork to Fishguard. This proved to be so agreeable that I decided to stay with the B&I and turn my back on pilotage.’ By 1972 he had gained enough seniority to be appointed to his first command; that of master on the small coastal container vessel, Sligo. Next was master of the cattle boat the Meath, exporting beef on the hoof from Ireland to the

Cadet Peter Ferguson, second from left on the bottom row, onboard the Iberia, above, and, inset, as master of the record-breaking car ferry Ulysses

Youngsters going to sea today must be prepared to sail under a variety of flags. Loyalty to a company seems to have gone

“

rest of Europe. ‘Word has it that the ship was made from the plates of old Cunarders. They were certainly ﬁne and thick and were very forgiving of any bumps against the quay,’ he recalled. ‘We shipped cattle from Ireland to England and once, a winter trip to Italy.’ Capt Ferguson served as master on other Irish vessels trading in NW Europe and the Mediterranean and put his periods of leave

”

to good use. He had always wanted to learn to parachute, and eventually chalked up more than 300 jumps — the highest (10,000ft) when the Irish record was broken. He also caught the ‘flying bug’ and after much training, obtained his private pilot’s licence. ‘My interest in flying stemmed in part from the fact that my father, before going to sea, was a very young pilot in the Royal Flying Corps towards the end of the first

world war,’ he explained. This interest in flying led him to volunteer for the Boeing Jet Foil in 1979. He went to Seattle for training, where the Jet Foil was constructed on the shop floor next to Boeing 747s and 737s. ‘The Jet Foil was great to handle — especially a tight figure of eight at 45 knots.’ But bad weather posed a problem for them and was very demanding. ‘Returning from a round trip to Liverpool on a bad day everyone was totally drained.’ Bad weather, together with the large number of shoreside support staff required, finally rendered the Jet Foil uneconomical. ‘I had the sad job of bringing the Jetfoil, named Cú Na Mara (Hound of the Sea) to Arklow on its last trip before it was shipped to Hong Kong for the Macao run.’ Before retiring in 2003, Capt Ferguson took command of the Ulysses — which, at the time of its introduction, appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest car ferry in the world. But his favourite vessel was

Sealink’s Earl Harold. He took delivery of the ship in Southampton. ‘After backing out of the dock, when I got my hands on the “handles”, I fell in love with her. She would do anything you asked of her. She was smallish but had big engines and a bow thruster and would turn on a sixpence. I was sad when she went.’ Now in retirement, until recently Capt Ferguson was deputy launching ofﬁcer with the RNLI Kilmore Lifeboat. And just this summer he was crewing on a fellow old-Worcester’s yacht around the UK coast.’ Otherwise, my partner and I live at Kilmore, within sight of the sea — and within sound of the sea as well, on a bad day.’ Having enjoyed his half-century at sea, Capt Ferguson has some clear advice for those following in his footsteps. ‘Youngsters going to sea today must be prepared to sail under a variety of ﬂags,’ he says. ‘Loyalty to and from a company seems to have gone, sadly.’ Capt Peter Ferguson at home in County Wexford Picture: Andrew Lansdale

ENDSLEIGH

Home insurance for Nautilus UK members. Special extended unoccupancy cover whilst you are away*

Up to

10% discount

Peter Ferguson: a CV

First £500 of all cover is FREE† and extended to worldwide giving ng you piece of mind when you take your personal items away with you

Born Educated

Home emergency provided as an optional extra

www.endsleigh.co.uk/nautilus

0800 028 3571

*Removal of the normal 30 days unoccupancy limitation, so your contents are covered for an unlimited period. The policyholder must comply with the policy warranty and ensure that the water and central heating systems are drained or the central heating is kept operational should the property be empty for more than 30 days. † Excludes certain rented accommodation policies. Please refer to policy terms and conditions. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. This can be checked on the FSA Register by visiting its website at www.fsa.gov.uk/register.

Dublin, 14 March 1938 Blackrock College Training ship HMS Worcester Career 1954-1966 Cadet, 4th Officer, 3rd Officer & 2nd Officer P&O Orient Line 1966 – 2003 B&I Ferries, later Irish Ferries Partner Vera Home County Wexford, Ireland High point Bringing Ulysses into Dublin for the first time Low point Bringing Cu Na Mara to Arklow to lay up before being sold

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MEMBERS AT WORK

Charity that can provide a new tack A Nautilus liaison officer is helping to give disabled people a life-enhancing chance to take to the water…

‘Oh, wicked!’ — a cry of excitement, not of horror, uttered by a wheelchair user in response to an explanation of how easy it will be to sail with the electronic controls of the Access 303. Access is one of the boats in the fleet of the Cumbrian charity Blackwell Sailing, which offers sailing opportunities on Lake Windermere to people with disabilities. The boat is equipped with electric controls, which means it can be sailed ‘with the touch of a finger’, explains Peter Gooch, one of the charity’s volunteer instructors. Peter, who lives in Windermere, is a retired Nautilus member — a former radio officer who swallowed the anchor as a P&O Nedlloyd electro-technical officer in 2002, but who remains active in the Union as a Maersk partnership at work liaison officer. All the Blackwell Sailing volunteers are required to be competent sailors — and take command of the sail boats under the supervision of a fully qualified RYA instructor — although Peter is the only one from a merchant shipping background. ‘I became involved with Blackwell Sailing after reading an article in our local newspaper and, having just taken up sailing, considered the project as a worthy cause to people of various disabilities,’ he explains. ‘All members during the season are assessed on their sailing skills and knowledge of boats. At the end of the season, members are awarded proper RYA sailability certificates ranging from bronze to gold.’

Blackwell’s fleet has increased this year thanks to donations from other charities, Peter says, and it hopes to add a second Access 303 by the end of the 2009 season. ‘We have been able to purchase two Laser Stratos dinghies,’ he adds. ‘We have two Whammel boats, modelled on the old Lune fishing boats (the River Lune at Lancaster). This is a long keeled open boat which is very stable and suitable for all types of disabilities. They are standing luggrigged, with a main sail and one head sail. ‘The Access 303 is a two-seater, drop keel dinghy. Sitting side by side, facing forward, allows for the volunteer to offer advice and provide confidence to the member. Again, the Access 303 is a very stable boat.’

Top: Blackwell Sailing Club boats in action on Lake Windermere Left, and above: Blackwell Sailing offers people with various disabilities the chance to experience the sense of freedom that can come when taking a yacht out on water Pictures: Peter Gooch

Blackwell Sailing offers people of various disabilities the chance to ‘come out of their shells’ by taking to the water. The following feedback, from one of its member sailors, is pasted on Blackwell’s website: ‘What joy to feel the wind in the sails and pulling on the sheet to keep a billowing sail. Action stations for the tack or jibe. The exercise is excellent. I highly recommend it.’

walk-about on his own. How’s that for self-conﬁdence?’ Not everything is plain sailing though. ‘One particular member was on his ﬁrst outing, but during the session, probably considered sailing was not for him. This member was unable to speak, so in his way of protesting, decided to take off all his clothes. This was OK until one of the Lake steamers passed, full of tourists, being pre-

Disabled people experience a freedom that they don’t have ashore

“

”

This comment was made by a member from Daybreak, the mental health unit of Kendal Day Services. ‘The member is a longterm sufferer of depression, so it is very encouraging to notice that the word “joy” appears three times,’ the website points out. ‘Disabled people experience a freedom that they don’t have ashore,’ notes Peter. He recalls: ‘One member we have was a person with no conﬁdence. He required a person on either side of him to assist with walking. After he had been with us for two seasons, clambering in and out of boats, his self-conﬁdence was coming on in leaps and bounds. Only recently his carer informed us he left the day centre, went

sented with a view of full frontal, resulting in shrieks of laughter.’

Peter also recalls: ‘One evening, sailing with a blind group, I had a member on the tiller, being distracted for a moment by other members in the boat — I suddenly noted we were heading directly for a boat on a mooring. Quickly grabbing the tiller to avoid a certain disaster, I steered our boat out of harm’s way, then quite unwittingly said, “Jenny can’t you see where you are going?” to which Jenny replied, “Oh Peter — I wish I could!” ‘When on the water with our members, one tends to forget their disabilities, which is quite a complement to all concerned.’

Naturally, Peter points out, taking out disabled sailors requires stringent safety arrangements. ‘Members who have particular complications, such as heart conditions, diabetes or non-swimmers, wear brightly coloured, higher spec lifejackets, so if in a situation of rescue, the safety boat crew would assist these members immediately. All volunteers undergo training in

handling the boats, awareness of people’s disabilities and ﬁrst aid. Volunteers are trained that in any difﬁcult situation, all boats converge together to be on hand and lend any assistance that may be required.

‘At times, a boat may get into difﬁculty if the wind blows the boat close to the shore or onto rocks. This generally just requires the safety boat crew to pull the boat clear of danger. The winds change dramatically on the lake and even the most competent

sailor can be taken unawares.’ The disabled sailors are not charged, but Blackwell receives group donations towards running costs. Many disabled members return on a regular basis, and one or two, Peter reveals, have progressed to a level where they are capable of taking up a volunteer’s role, under supervision. This, he says, is very strongly encouraged. ‘One of our volunteers is disabled with an artiﬁcial leg; his sailing skill is exceptional and he is often in charge of one of the sailing boats.’

Short Courses

South Tyneside College offers all Short Courses required for STCW Certification as well as: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Advanced Inert Gas + Crude Oil Washing Crew Resource Management Diesel Electric Propulsion ECDIS Efficient Deckhand Electrical Equipment for Hazardous Areas in Marine Environments Electrical Maintenance Electronic Navigation Equipment Maintenance (ENEM) Full range of Bridge, Engine and VTS Simulation GMDSS General Operators Certificate GMDSS Radio Maintenance Certificate GMDSS Restricted Operators Certificate GMDSS Long Range Certificate

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

IMDG Dangerous Goods Instrumentation and Control Marine High Voltage Awareness Medical Care Medical Care Refresher Medical First Aid OPITO Approved Offshore Courses Power Hydraulics RYA Programmes RYA Small Craft Survival Shipboard Safety Officers Ship Security Officer Tanker Safety Courses, Oil, Gas, Chemical Welding Appreciation Yacht Certificates of Competency

For further information on marine courses, tel: +44 (0)191 427 3568 e-mail: marine@stc.ac.uk web: www.stc.ac.uk/marine South Tyneside College, St. George’s Avenue, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE34 6ET and Mill Lane, Hebburn, Tyne & Wear, NE31 2ER.

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

OFFWATCH ships of the past General details 13,600 tons (as built); Length 595ft; Beam 78ft. Service speed 21 knots; One shaft, geared turbine.

Gone ﬁssion: the ﬁrst nuclear merchant ship by Trevor Boult

In 1819 the paddle steamer Savannah set out from her namesake port in America for a voyage to Liverpool — becoming the first ship to cross any ocean under auxiliary steam power. Little could her crew imagine that some 140 years later the world’s first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship would be named in her memory. In April 1955, President Eisenhower announced plans for the Savannah, which sought to demonstrate the US interest in the peaceful application of nuclear power, to help establish procedures and precedents for the future commercial operation of nuclear ships, and to test the feasibility — technical and economic — of fitting merchant ships with nuclear power plants. Designed by George Sharp and based on specifications

developed by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Maritime Administration, she was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation for the US Department of Commerce and States Marine Lines. As prime contractor for the power plant, the Babcock & Wilcox Company designed and built the 74MW pressurised water reactor. Public hearings were held to address concerns about the vessel’s nuclear system and following extensive tests of the reactor and propulsion plant, the reactor was loaded with uranium oxide fuel — 32 fuel bundles would supply three and a half years of power. Sea trials proved that the reactor could surpass its operating objectives. The plant easily produced in excess of 22,000shp to the single ﬁvebladed propeller, delivering a

speed of 24 knots. The spaces allocated to 60 passengers were ample and attractive, offering air-conditioning and a private bath for each stateroom. Regarded by some as the most beautiful ship ever built, Savannah made her maiden voyage in 1962. She was admired by crowds at the Seattle World’s Fair, and at other major US ports, after which she undertook several global voyages. The ﬁrst two years of her operational life were taken up with demonstration work, before going into heavily subsidised service between the US and Mediterranean ports. Proving to be a technological success, the ship was never intended to be commercially competitive. However, for almost a year this pioneering and revolutionary vessel sat effectively paralysed and going nowhere — overwhelmed not by

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book The Lost Ship SS Waratah (reviewed on the facing page). To enter, simply complete the form below and send it, along with your completed crossword, to: Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword Competition, Oceanair House, 750–760 High Road,

the demands of technology but by a dispute over salaries. Engineer officers had been granted extra pay from the outset in recognition of the necessary additional nuclear training. But the deck officers drew issue at the differential. An arbiter was agreed with the deck officers, but the ruling was unacceptable to the other party, and in May 1963 the ship’s reactor was shut down in protest. Finally, the contract with States Marine Lines was revoked and offered to another operator. This meant that an entirely new crew, from a different union, would have to be trained. Savannah then resumed centre-stage, drawing huge visitor numbers at the first four European ports she visited. In 1965 the luxurious passenger spaces and cabins were stripped out and some 1,800 tons of solid ballast were removed as part of preparations for the ship to carry only cargo (a capacity load of 10,000 tons). Three years after she adopted her role as a general cargo ship, Savannah spent two months at Galveston shipyard for refuelling and maintenance. After 350,000 miles, only four of the original 32 fuel bundles had to be replaced. But in 1971 the Maritime Administration decided that little more research and development information could be gained from the project. At the beginning of 1972, the retired vessel was presented to the city of Savannah as part of a proposed Eisenhower peace memorial, but the city was unable to raise the required funding to develop the site. At the close of 1981 the Savannah became a permanent exhibit at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, and is designated an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

50 YEARS AGO A prototype of a saucer-shaped hovercraft, which is neither ship nor aeroplane and which skims over the surface of the sea or land supported on a ‘cushion’ of air, has skimmed across the Channel from Calais to Dover in two hours and three minutes. The prototype, known as SR-N1, has also been tested successfully over the waters of Cowes Harbour and it is claimed that hovercraft have future possibilities such as a cross-Channel ferry able to cruise at 90 knots or a long-range version that could carry 160 tons of payload over stage lengths of 300 nautical miles. A disadvantage at present, however, is that it cannot operate in rough seas MN Journal, September 1959

25 YEARS AGO Deep controversy is raging over a French ro-ro ship which sank in the Channel late last month along with its hazardous radioactive cargo. The 4,210gt Mont Louis sank 12 miles off Ostend after colliding with the German ferry Olau Britannia. It emerged that the vessel was carrying around 450 tons of potentially lethal uranium hexaﬂuoride and three drums of partly reﬁned used uranium. MNAOA general secretary Eric Nevin said the incident highlighted the need for strict safety procedures and a system to warn other vessels in advance of the movements of the increasing number of ships carrying high-risk cargoes The Telegraph, September 1984

10 YEARS AGO Twenty years of relentless campaigning by the Union climaxed last month with deputy prime minister John Prescott announcing a package of measures intended to rebuild the British shipping industry. Revealing details of the ‘lifeline’ package — which includes the introduction of a tonnage tax scheme and associated officer training support measures — Mr Prescott said it represented ‘the most important day for British shipping for generations’. The announcement brought an immediate pledge by P&O to bring at least 50 ships to the red ensign and to double the number of its cadets. NUMAST general secretary Brian Orrell said the measures presented ‘a tremendous opportunity to redevelop our merchant ﬂeet’ and the government’s decision to adopt the package was ‘a tribute to the hard work and tireless efforts of many’ The Telegraph, September 1999

THEQUIZ 1

How many ships are there in the world LNG ﬂeet?

What percentage of the 527m dwt of tonnage presently on order around the world is destined to ﬂy the Panamanian ﬂag?

Which traditional maritime nation was the ﬁrst to launch a ‘second’ or ‘international’ register — and in what year?

Where does the tanker company Euronav have its headquarters?

Which country is the biggest single source of LNG deliveries to Europe?

Oasis of the Seas will become the world’s biggest cruiseship when she comes into service late this year. How many passengers will the vessel be able to carry?

J Quiz and quick crossword answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Leytonstone, London E11 3BB, or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015. Closing date is Monday 14 September 2009. You can also enter by email, by sending your list of answers and your contact details to: telegraph@nautilusint.org by the same closing date.

QUICK CLUES 1. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 15. 18. 19. 21. 23. 25. 26. 27. 28.

Across Bunch of cyclists (7) Weariness (7) Tall building (5) Everywhere (9) First man on the moon? (9) Army unit (5) Hebridean isle (5) Hard-headed (9) Representation (9) Cutting (5) Shroud city (5) Animal (9) Cycle part (9) Illustrious (5) Proposition (7) Farm gathering (7)

1. 2. 3. 4.

Down Trap (7) Garden machine (4-5) Cards (5) Study of nervous system (9)

Telephone:

5. 6. 7. 8. 14. 16. 17. 18. 20. 22. 23. 24.

Throw (5) Hollow Show (9) Enthusiasm (5) Shape (7) Fire shower (9) Ecosystem (4-5) At disposal (9) Random aim (3-4) Exercise (7) Series (5) Old record (5) Currency (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES Across 1. & 5. Ace MJ in LA shock (7,7) 9. In the Eden a salmon in search of a breather (5) 10. With torn tents, rain better be passing (9) 11. Only spades, diamonds and clubs, that’s cruel (9) 12. A pair batting, speed, pizzazz! (5)

Membership No.:

13. Novice on side of abyss gets a foothold (5) 15. Hit by explosive, spreading dread (9) 18. Ex has plan to rejoin the ranks (9) 19. Lifting gear on a jumbo (5) 21. & 23. The point of jousting with moonwalker, a French tourist (5,9) 25. Leather on seat, an early form of the game (9) 26. Uniform colour (5) 27. Not a difficult twenty-four hours (4,3) 28. ‘Get thee to a --- : why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?’ (Hamlet) (7)

Down Fellows have short tea break, with mint (7) 2. California’s beach artist — who’ll believe her? (9) 1.

3. Share out everything (Old Testament) (5) 4. For deliveries of Scrabble perhaps (9) 5. Worn by Harlow and Billie King? (5) 6. Spaceman.com, not USA (9) 7. Such trains took an age (5) 8. Cut into stick, for good measure (7) 14. Given a sturdy coat, by the furnace (9) 16. Fruit a deer might sniff out (4-5) 17. Get out of the joint (9) 18. Mantle of sleep is disturbed (7) 20. Autograph on condition Yvonne’s ﬁrst, so mean (7) 22. Hidey-holes alright when child is up and about (5) 23. Semite youth a part of romantic Middle East (5) 24. Symbolic form of payment? (5)

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

books

OFFWATCH

A compelling mystery The Lost Ship SS Waratah by P.J. Smith The History Press, £14.99 ISBN 978-07524-5157-2 of the mysterious disappearance of the Blue K Anchor Line vessel ss Waratah — often referred to

Last month marked the 100-year anniversary

as the ‘Titanic of the South’. P.J. Smith’s riveting account reveals that the doomed vessel actually has more in common with the infamous Mary Celeste. However, the fact that the ship has never been found and that there is little conclusive evidence pointing to her whereabouts means that the loss remains an enigma. Waratah disappeared on only its second voyage, from Sydney to the UK via South Africa, with the loss of 211 passengers and crew. After departing on 27 July from Durban, Waratah was sighted by several ships navigating the treacherous coast and extremely heavy seas (the crew of the Clan Macintyre reported the night’s storm was the worst they had ever been in) before steaming over the horizon never to be seen again. Smith presents the various conﬂicting accounts of those who claimed to have sighted the Waratah, and chronicles the lengthy inquiry instigated by

Well-produced celebration of the cargo liner Cargo Liners By Ambrose Greenway Seaforth Publishing, £30 ISBN 978-18483-2006-2

f www.seaforthpublishing.com

Ambrose Greenway is a man who wears many hats. An active member of the House of Lords for more than three decades, he is also chairman of the World Ship Trust, an elder brother of Trinity House, a council member of the RNLI, and an author and photographer. His latest work, Cargo Liners: An Illustrated History, is a beautifully produced and lavishly illustrated book that celebrates more than a century of the ships that served as ‘the mainstay of maritime trade’ and became ‘the backbone of empire’ from the 1850s onwards. It’s written with a real passion for the subject — with Lord Greenway’s preface explaining how he wants to fill a gap in maritime history at a time when many of the companies that operated such ships are fast becoming memories, and extolling the way in which cargo liners had ‘a grace and beauty all of their own’. After a brief introduction to the types of cargo liner, the nature of their work and the types of cargo they carried, the book describes the way in which steam propulsion and the screw propeller brought about a revolution in ocean transport in the mid-19th century — with the almost instant success of the first Holt brothers’ ships helping to pave the way for rapid, and sometimes fiercely fought, expansion of shipping services. The amazing innovation is

the Board of Trade that followed. However, her book does not seek to explain the vessel’s disappearance with unlikely theories and explanations as other lesser books on the subject of missing ships have done. It lists the various hypotheses — freak waves, explosions caused by highly combustible coal dust and even the paranormal — but it also provides a fascinating background on the world of shipping in the Edwardian era and a number of gripping human interest stories. Fuelled by the knowledge that her great-uncle Walter Smith was Yeoman of Signals on both searches for the missing ship in the months following her disappearance, Smith approaches his journals and those of the captains on both voyages with the kind of care only many hundreds of hours of research can give. The informal and jovial style of Walter Smith proves to be more enthralling than the sparse, formal style of the captains but all the accounts provide a great deal of insight into the harsh conditions they endured and the extent of their search. Various photographs, maps and scans of the journals are provided to help the words of the brave men come alive. The images of the inhospitable islands that the men visited highlight the hostile

underlined by the early introduction of specialist ships — such as the Houlder Brothers’ refrigerated vessels operating to South America or the first White Star cattle carrier Cufic, or the first heavylift vessels. These themes of innovation and competition crop up throughout the book — with the early emergence of German and Dutch operators and the entry into service of Japanese and US vessels, as well as the introduction of the motorship, the use of steam turbines, and changes in hull forms and cargo-handling equipment. The book offers some fascinating sub-texts, such as the impact of war and recession on the cargo liner trades, and the almost constant jockeying for dominance in the markets. Ambrose Greenway notes how containerisation helped to deliver a near-fatal blow to this century-plus of development — just at a time when the design and technology of cargo liners had hit new heights. The rise and fall of the sector is told largely through highly informative extended captions to more than 250 black and white photographs of representative vessels. Some of these images are excellent, although it is a shame that only the exteriors are shown, because it would have added an extra dimension to see such things as enginerooms, bridges, crew accommodation and some of the changing technologies in close-up. However, Ambrose Greenway notes in his preface that this book is one that attempts to fill a gap and he hopes that it will inspire others to tackle the subject in greater depth. As a starting point, though, this is most

conditions that they faced for months on end: Smith is clearly in awe of their courage and endurance. The book’s more recent tale of Evelyn Brown’s deepsea adventures is also highly compelling. Although they inevitably end in failure, Brown’s determination is commendable and his technical accounts detailing the process of deepsea searching are also worth reading for those with an interest in the subject. Smith takes time to introduce us to the Waratah, with photographs of her interior taking on an eerie signiﬁcance. The various appealing aspects of the ship are pointed out and a similar unshakeable belief in her safety to the one people had of the Titanic is outlined. Her faults are also pored over, including the view echoed by many that she was too top-heavy — an extra deck was built in the ﬁnal stages of her completion, which led to concerns over her ability to recover at sea. Smith’s greatest success with her book is probably the extensive descriptions of the passengers on the ill-fated voyage. The kind of genealogy work involved in the collection of accounts presented is mind-boggling, and the biographies, however brief, really do help to bring the tragic reality of the disappearance home. Thus Smith manages to create that rare thing: a

enjoyable and is far more than a mere wallow in nostalgia.

book carefully balances the objective and the subjective interpretation of the ‘maze of laws’ that masters are likely to encounter in command. It frequently offers useful first-hand experience, as well as highlighting some relevant cases and examples of the law in action — as well as making the highly valid point that you may well be on your own in this maze unless you are a member of a union. At a time of growing regulatory requirements and consequent litigation, this book provides required reading for serving and aspiring masters, as well as other officers — who all face the very real risk of being ‘felt’ by the long arm of the law.

Get to know your rights Captains Legal By Michael Lloyd Seamanship International, £25 ISBN 1-90533-140-1

When is a coastal state within its rights to arrest your ship? What are the international guidelines for ‘fair treatment’ of seafarers? What should you do if you find a stowaway onboard? In this era of increasing criminalisation of seafarers, it is most welcome to come across a handy and straightforward guide to help masters (and other mariners) navigate their way through the often complex legal minefields that arise at sea. Captain’s Legal, a new publication from Witherby Seamanship, aims to offer accessible assistance to masters facing what often seems to be conflicting and certainly confusing regulatory requirements in different parts of the world. Written by Captain Michael Lloyd, this 125-page guide covers all the core principles behind the global regulatory regime for the oceans and puts forward practical advice on the implications for shipmasters in various circumstances. As Capt Lloyd points out in his introduction, many problems arise

non-ﬁction book imbued with real emotion. Although the large amount of technical language may discourage some readers, her highly personable style should be applauded. The book is truly deserving of a wider audience.

because one side or other does not understand the applicable law for a given incident — a situation made all the more serious when shore authorities work on the belief that masters are unfamiliar with the laws and regulations they are supposed to uphold. So, besides giving the reader useful background on the basic elements of international maritime law, the book covers such aspects as the rights of criminal jurisdiction by states over ships and their crews, and the particular regimes that apply in such circumstances as pollution, stowaways, and ports of refuge. Other chapters address the legal aspects of charter parties and insurance, the regulations around ballast water management, operating in ice, and what to do about refugees at sea. There are also some interesting sections on port state control, manning and fatigue, shore leave, the law in inland waters, and even mutiny. Clearly and concisely written, the

Handy hints for better pictures Photography at Sea by Patrick Roach Adlard Coles Nautical, £19.99 ISBN 1-40811-202-7 phy competition gives a great glimpse of the K frequently arresting scenes that can be seen at sea.

The Nautilus/Endsleigh ‘life at sea’ photogra-

Now, for those seeking to perfect their mastery of the camera, comes a great guide to overcoming the many challenges of photography aﬂoat and getting the best shots in the marine environment. Photographer Patrick Roach and writer Fred Barter have combined to produce Photography at Sea: Techniques for Capturing Amazing Photographs

Ship spotting made simpler Ocean Ships By David Hornsby Ian Allan, £24.99 ISBN 978-0-7110-3381-8

The 15th edition of David Hornsby’s Ocean Ships guide is now available, providing ship spotters and others with the latest information on the major cruiseships and deepsea general cargo, container, bulker and tanker fleets operating regularly to the UK and northern Europe. Updates from the previous edition include high quality colour photos throughout, an extremely concise history of the companies listed and their websites. Other information

Aﬂoat — a 160-page book which, whilst aimed at the leisure boat market, offers much practical and relevant advice for those serving on ships. Working from a basic introduction to the principles of photography, the book builds up to address the difficulties of composing arresting images in the varying conditions at sea, and how to cope with bright sunlight, limited light, moving targets and moving platforms. It gives advice on how to get the most of moving between manual and automatic settings, the best ways to frame your shots, how to capture groups and work with wide angles, and how to create a photographic log. It’s hard to think of any aspect that has been overlooked in this handy guide. It’s well written and — not surprisingly — well illustrated. Armed with the hints and tips it offers, anyone should ﬁnd inspiration to hit new levels of composition and creativity.

covers: owning groups and names of owned or managed ships; funnel and hull colours; flags; years of completion; gross and deadweight tonnage or passenger capacity; hull dimensions; service speed; and former names where applicable. The brief preface provides a fairly informative, if somewhat downcast summary of how the world of international shipping has been transformed in the years following the last edition of the guide, with the focus mainly being the weakening of the industry by the recession. However, Ocean Ships is not intended as a source of maritime news but as a technical resource, and this is where the author’s clear, yet detailed presentation excels. Hobbyists and professionals should have no problems looking up companies and their fleets relatively easily and the book provides a compelling argument for the continued use of printed indexes over online databases through its ease of use.

To advertise your products & services in the Telegraph contact: CENTURY ONE PUBLISHING Tel: 01727 893 894 Fax: 01727 893 895 Email: ollie@centuryone publishing.ltd.uk

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

NL NEWS

CAO Binnenscheepvaart opnieuw in de wacht P

Wordt Cresent nieuwe eigenaar? Reorganisatie en

overname Zenitel Netherlands B.V. lijken onafwendbaar F Zenitel Netherlands B.V. heeft zijn, zowel goed als slecht nieuws moeten brengen. Het slechte nieuws bestaat er uit dat het ﬁnancieel niet goed gaat met de onderneming en dat het bedrijf moet reorganiseren. Het goede nieuws is dat zich een koper heeft gemeld, die bereid is om in het bedrijf te investeren. Eind juni 2009 werd bekend dat Cresent B.V. een bod heeft uitgebracht op Zenitel Netherlands B.V. Over de overname is door de OR positief geadviseerd, omdat de nieuwe eigenaar perspectief biedt voor de continuïteit van de onderneming. Voorafgaand aan die overname is echter een reorganisatie vereist, een reorganisatie waarover ook advies is gevraagd. Onder voorwaarden én op basis van een aantal toezeggingen, is een positief advies afgegeven. Een van de voorwaarden is dat overeenstemming met Nautilus International wordt bereikt over een sociaal plan, zodat de sociale consequenties van de reorganisatie opgevangen kunnen worden. Begin augustus 2009 vond hierover een gesprek plaats met het management van Zenitel Netherlands B.V. Onder meer werd meegedeeld dat het aantal arbeidsplaatsen met 11 fte’s zal

worden verminderd, waarvan 6 via gedwongen ontslag. In het voorstel voor een sociaal plan ging de werkgever uit van werk naar werk begeleiding en een maandelijkse aanvullingsregeling gedurende een periode die gelijk is aan de maximale WW uitkering. Ook als tussentijds ander werk wordt gevonden, wordt de aanvulling doorbetaald. Het voorstel werd met de leden besproken, die in grote lijnen konden instemmen met het sociaal plan. Alleen zag men graag dat de aanvullingsregeling wordt verhoogd en dat de pensioenverzekering gedurende een bepaalde periode wordt voortgezet. Deze tegenvoorstellen werden door de werkgever overgenomen. Voor werknemers, die korter dan 5 jaar afzitten van de verwachte pensioenleeftijd, bedraagt de aanvulling tot pensioen 100% en voor de anderen begint de aanvulling op 95% en bouwt per 6 maanden met 5% af tot 80%. De maximale WW uitkering bedraagt 38 maanden. Voor de voortzetting van de pensioenverzekering komt een budget van 6 jaarpremies beschikbaar. Voor begeleiding naar ander werk wordt 5000 euro beschikbaar gesteld. De leden gingen met deze regeling unaniem akkoord.

Sector CAO Offshore Catering in zicht! C

Nautilus International heeft samen met FNV bondgenoten in samenspraak met de werkgevers een gezamenlijk standpunt weten te creëren voor de offshore catering. De inzet is dat de sector CAO van toepassing wordt op de gehele offshore catering op het Nederlands continentaal plat middels algemeen verbindendverklaring. Lange tijd was er geen CAOakkoord en Nautilus International en FNV Bondgenoten wilden niet langer meer wachten. Gelukkig zijn er nu daadwerkelijk belangrijke afspraken gemaakt voor Sodexo en ESS. Zo wordt de huidige CAO voortgezet met een loonsverhoging van 2,5% die al is ingegaan op 1 januari 2009. Met

F.O.S.S. bestaat nog geen CAO-relatie, maar zij volgen Sodexo. De 2,5% loonsverhoging is bij F.O.S.S. vanaf 1 juni 2009 ingegaan. Aangezien er een behoorlijke periode is waarbij geen CAO van kracht was bij de twee grote spelers, komt er een eenmalige uitkering van 3,5% voor de werknemers van ESS. Voor Sodexo geldt het percentage 2,15% als eenmalige compensatie voor deze periode. Alle partijen hebben hiermee ingestemd. De CAO voor 2009 is hiermee een feit. Inmiddels is er ook een werkgeversorganisatie in oprichting ten behoeve van offshore catering. Na de zomer gaan alle partijen naar de onderhandelingstafel om de sector CAO 2010 te bespreken.

De werkgeversorganisaties Rijn- en Binnenvaart blijken onvoldoende representatief om een algemeen verbindende verklaring van de nieuwe CAO voor de Binnenscheepvaart te kunnen aanvragen. Als gevolg hiervan zijn de CAO-onderhandelingen in de eindfase alsnog voorlopig in de wacht gezet. In juli 2007 droeg FNV de binnenvaartsector over aan Nautilus International. Hoewel de CAOonderhandelingen al sinds 2005 in gang zijn gezet, werd pas vorig jaar overeenstemming bereikt met de partijen Centraal Bureau voor Rijn- en Binnenvaart (CBRB), Rijn & IJssel, Christelijke Bond van Ondernemers in de Binnenvaart (CBOB) en bedrijfstak-CAO. Als voorwaarde is overeengekomen dat de CAO gedurende de gehele looptijd algemeen verbindend verklaard wordt. Er is echter vertraging opgetreden in de afwikkeling ervan en Nautilus International heeft de onderhandelingspartner CBRB om opheldering gevraagd. Deze liet via een brief weten dat er stagnatie is ontstaan omdat de werkgeversorganisaties voor de Binnenscheepvaart volgens het CBRB niet representatief genoeg is. Niet representatief

Wat is er aan de hand? In het in 2007 gewijzigde toetsingkader zijn bepaalde eisen gesteld aan de werkgeversorganisaties met betrekking tot de representativiteit. Zo moet bijvoorbeeld minstens 60% van de werknemers in de branche in dienst zijn van een werkgever die is aangesloten bij een bij de CAO betrokken werkgeversorganisaties. Aan de hand van de administratie van het Bedri-

jfs-pensioenfonds voor de Rijn- en Binnenvaart is een onderzoek uitgevoerd om te toetsen of de werkgeversorganisaties zich aan de gestelde eisen houden. Hieruit is naar voren gekomen dat de werkgeversorganisaties (nog) niet re-presentatief genoeg zijn, met het directe gevolg dat de eindfase van de onderhandelingen stagneert. Het is op dit moment daarom niet mogelijk om aan het overeengekomen protocol te voldoen, waardoor de CAO voor de Binnenscheepvaart niet als algemeen bindend kan worden verklaard. Opnieuw treedt er een periode aan waarin gewacht moet worden en het is nog niet duidelijk hoeveel tijd dit in beslag gaat nemen. De werkgeversorganisaties moeten eerst

inzicht krijgen waarom de representativiteit niet optimaal is. Het ligt voor de hand dat de cijfers van het aantal werknemers dat aangesloten is bij het Bedrijfpensioenfonds voor Rijn en Binnenvaart voor een groot deel overeenkomt met het aantal werknemers dat de werkgeversorganisaties op papier hebben. Mocht deze uitkomst echter ver uit balans zijn, dan is de organisatie niet representatief genoeg. Als er veel werkgevers in de branche niet zijn aangesloten bij de werkgeversorganisaties, kan er helaas geen sector CAO worden overeengekomen. Nautilus International wacht op nader onderzoek en hoopt dat het CBRB spoedig met berichtgeving komt. Zodra er nieuwe ontwikkelingen zijn, brengen wij u vanzelfsprekend op de hoogte.

Sociale Verzekeringspositie belangrijk voor uw AOW F

Iedereen die in Nederland woont of werkt is in principe automatisch verzekerd voor de volksverzekeringen. Elk jaar bouwt de verzekerde onder meer 2% AOW-pensioen op. Het AOW-pensioen kan lager uitvallen als er een periode is geweest wanneer u buiten Nederland heeft gewoond of gewerkt. Nederland kent vier volksverzekeringen, te weten: de kinderbijslag, Algemene Wet Bijzondere Ziektekosten, Algemene Nabestaandenwet en de Algemene Ouderdomswet(AOW). Hoeveel AOW-pensioen iemand krijgt, hangt af van een aantal voorwaarden waaronder de AOW verzekerde jaren én of u alleen woont of met anderen. De algemene regel is dat iedereen die in Nederland woont, verzekerd is voor de Volksverzekeringen. U krijgt dan ook alleen een volledige AOW-pensioen als u van uw 15e tot uw 65ste altijd verzekerd bent geweest. In een aantal gevallen kan achteraf sprake zijn van een onverzekerde periode. Een dergelijke onverzekerde periode kan bijvoorbeeld voorkomen omdat men een periode in het buitenland woont of een bepaalde tijd werkzaam is voor een buitenlandse werkgever. Ook kan een onverzekerde periode voorkomen door het toentertijd (vóór 1997)geldende artikel 10 lid 1 van het Besluit uitbreiding en beperking kring verzekerden volksverzekeringen (BUB) dat bepaalt dat de ingezetene die gedurende een aaneengesloten periode van ten minste drie maanden uitsluitend buiten Nederland arbeid verricht niet verzekerd is ingevolge de volksverze-

keringen. Omdat het werken aan boord van schepen ook langer dan drie maanden buiten Nederland wordt verricht, zijn zeevarenden in die optiek uitgesloten van de volkverzekering gedurende deze periode. De SVB gaat er van uit dat de betrokkenen in de periode gelegen tussen 1 juli 1989 en 1 januari 1997 (datum wijziging artikel 10 KB 164 )uitgesloten zijn geweest van de verzekering. Dit is een voor de in Nederland wonende zeevarende uiterst onwenselijke situatie omdat de berekening van het AOWpensioen gebaseerd op het verzekerde tijdvak pas plaatsvindt op het moment dat betrokkene pensioengerechtigd wordt. Vaak wordt het op dat moment de betrokkene pas duidelijk dat voor elk onverzekerd kalenderjaar tussen de leeftijd 15 tot het 65e levensjaar een korting van 2 % toegepast. Er volgde pas in 1998 een wijziging van dit besluit (BUB). Hierbij werd besloten dat werknemers die een periode van meer dan drie maanden werkzaam zijn in het buitenland, niet verzekerd zijn, tenzij de arbeid uitsluitend wordt verricht uit hoofde van een dienstbetrekking met een in Nederland gevestigde werkgever. Op deze wijze zijn de in Nederland wonende zeevarenden werkzaam bij een in Nederland gevestigde werkgever vanaf dat moment weer verzekerd voor de volksverzekeringen.

tussen 1 juli 1989 en 1 januari 1997 en die niet worden terugbetaald door de Belastingdienst worden geacht te zijn betaald voor de vrijwillige AOW-verzekering. De betreffende tijdvakken worden dan als vrijwillige verze-keringstijdvakken voor het AOW-pensioen gehonoreerd. Maar indien de ten ‘onrechte’ betaalde premies worden of zijn terugbetaald door de belastingdienst dan worden de betreffende tijdvakken wel gekort op het AOW-pensioen. VERLEDEN IN KAART

BELEID SVB

Teneinde duidelijkheid te verkrijgen in uw AOW-opbouw en te voorkomen dat uw pensioen lager uitvalt dan u van te voren verwacht, wijst Nautilus International u op de mogelijkheid een AOW overzicht bij de SVB aan te vragen zodat de AOW opbouw in kaart kan worden gebracht. Er kan zodoende tijdig actie worden ondernomen, wanneer achteraf blijkt dat er geen sprake is van een onverzekerde periode. Het aanvragen van een dergelijk overzicht is ook raadzaam voor de partners van de AOW-gerechtigde werknemers. Het komt soms ook voor dat een dergelijk overzicht de werkelijkheid niet juist weergeeft. Wanneer u twijfelt over de juistheid van dit overzicht kan Nautilus International u bijstaan bij het eventueel voeren van bezwaar- en beroepsprocedures en het adviseren en het vrijwillig bijverzekeren gedurende een mogelijk onverzekerde periode.

De SVB werkt aan een oplossing voor bepaalde praktijkgevallen door deze perioden wel als verzekerd aan te merken. De premies die zijn betaald in de periode gelegen

f Meer informatie over de volksverzekeringen in internationale situaties is te vinden op: www.SVB.nl

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

P&O North Sea Ferries: Snel CAO-akkoord is wenselijk

Iedereen vaart er wel bij…

In de CAO’s voor de scheepvaart komt een verandering door een speciale wetswijziging waarbij het onderscheid in leeftijd moet verdwijnen. Om deze nieuwe afspraak te vertalen in de verschillende CAO ’s is er gekeken naar een manier waarbij meerdere oplossingen worden voorgedragen.

Ondanks de stroeve onderhandelingen zijn alle partijen het eens over het feit dat een CAO-akkoord op korte termijn gewenst is. De afronding moet plaatsvinden voor de besprekingen over een eventuele reorganisatie op de vloot van P&O North Sea Ferries starten. Tijdens de ledenvergaderingen is er gekozen voor de optie uit het eindbod dat de rederij eerder dit jaar uitbracht. Prijscompensatie achteraf waarbij, gezien de ﬁnanciële situatie van de rederij, deze wordt meegenomen bij de komende onderhandelingen. Bij de rederij bestond de angst dat deze prijscompensatie hoger zou uitvallen. Het

standpunt van Nautilus International is echter dat de prijscompensatie dichtbij nul of zelfs onder nul zal zijn. Uiteindelijk kwam er enige beweging in de onderhandelingen en neemt de rederij het voorstel van Nautilus International in overweging om een deel van de eventuele prijscompensatie onvoorwaardelijk te maken. Kort na de onderhandelingen werd de prijsindexatie voor juli bekendgemaakt door het Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek; deze bedroeg -0,1%. De eerste week van september zal Nautilus International opnieuw met P&O North Sea Ferries om de tafel gaan zitten om hopelijk de CAO-onderhandelingen af te ronden.

Geen grote inkrimping bij Heerema!

Onderzoek leeftijdsfasebewust beleid biedt uitkomst P

In de CAO-onderhandelingen voor 2010 moeten voorstellen worden gedaan conform de Wet Gelijke Behandeling op grond van leeftijd bij Arbeid (WGBL). Op basis van deze wet is het namelijk niet langer toegestaan in een CAO maatregelen op te nemen die afhankelijk zijn van leeftijd, behalve als er objectieve rechtvaardigingsgronden zijn. Om deze verandering zo goed mogelijk te laten integreren in de scheepvaart, is gekeken naar verschillende mogelijkheden. Op verzoek van een paritaire werkgroep, bestaande uit Nautilus International, de Vereniging van

Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart (VWH) en de Vereniging Sociaal Maritiem Werkgeversverbond (SMW), heeft TNO een onafhankelijk onderzoek uitgevoerd waarbij gekeken wordt naar aanbevelingen voor het leeftijdsfasebewust beleid. CAO À LA CARTE

Het TNO-onderzoek heeft als doel te komen met voorstellen om regelingen met betrekking tot leeftijdsdagen om te bouwen naar maatregelen die passen in een leeftijdsfasebewust beleid. Deze voorstellen moeten bovendien aansluiten bij de speciﬁeke kenmerken van de sector zeescheepvaart. De resultaten van het onderzoek zijn vastgelegd in de nota ‘iedereen vaart er wel bij.’ De mogelijke maatregelen worden in deze TNO-nota belicht. Op dit moment krijgt de werknemer meer verlof naar mate de leeftijd toeneemt. Deze regeling komt te vervallen en er moet daarom een oplossing worden gezocht voor de wijze waarop verlof dan wordt

bondsbestuurders verantwoordelijk voor P&T beleid direct met elkaar F kunnen discussiëren over alle mogelijke professionele en technische Het P&T Forum is het platform waar Nautilusleden en de

De Britse Nautilusleden zijn al langer vertrouwd met het concept van het P&T Forum. Het Forum kent daar inmiddels al een trouwe schare van leden die het Forum meestal jaarlijks bezoeken. Voor de leden is het een ideale gelegenheid om direct met de bond en collega maritieme professionals P&T zaken te bespreken. Voor Nautilus is het een perfect moment om direct vanuit de

Zoals bij zoveel bedrijven, heeft de wereldwijde economische crisis ook zijn invloed op Heerema Marine Contractors. Maar ondanks het feit dat de contractprijzen onder druk staan en bestaande projecten zijn uitgesteld, is een grote inkrimping van het personeelsbestand nu zeker niet aan de orde. Hoewel het meerdere malen in de media is gesuggereerd, vallen er geen gedwongen ontslagen bij Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC). Dit is te mede te danken aan de nog lopende contracten en de goede vooruitzichten voor dit jaar. Dat is echter geen garantie voor de daaropvolgende jaren. De multinational heeft namelijk te kampen met een behoorlijke druk van de oliemaatschappijen die verlangen dat de gehele offshore branche het prijsniveau voor nieuwe en bestaande contracten laat zakken tot het niveau van 2004. Ook is een aantal grote projecten uitgesteld en moet er in de kostenkant worden gesneden. De grote aandeelhouder, de heer Pieter Heerema, heeft zelf het heft in handen genomen en heeft de hele directie vervangen per 1 juli 2009. Loonsverhogingen voor de nieuwe CAO zijn op dit moment nog een brug te ver voor Heerema. Wel lijkt Heerema bereid de gekende diensttijdverhogingen voor dit jaar toe te kennen. Het resultaat van deze pas op de plaats is dat de werkgelegenheid binnen Heerema wordt behouden. Deze uitkomst zal op zeer korte termijn worden voorgelegd aan de leden van

TOEPASSING AANBEVELINGEN

In de scheepvaart zijn er maar liefst zo’n twintig verschillende CAO ’s. Om niet aan iedere onderhandelingstafel het wiel opnieuw uit te laten vinden, geeft Nautilus International er de voorkeur aan aanbevelingen te doen over de wijze waarop deze regeling kan worden toegepast. Uiteraard is het leeftijdsfasebewust beleid een belangrijk agendapunt voor de komende onderhandelingen. De aanbevelingen van Nautilus International en de werkgeverspartij-en worden nader belicht zodat er afspraken gemaakt kunnen worden binnen de CAO. Het zou na-tuurlijk ideaal zijn als de koopvaardij het zelf in zijn geheel regelt en het op iedere CAO toepasbaar is. Nautilus International doet aanbevelingen, maar het is natuurlijk aan de leden om aan te geven op welke manier de aanbevelingen moeten worden toegepast.

Uitnodiging tot bijwonen van P&T Forum vergadering aangelegenheden die de leden tegenkomen bij de uitoefening van hun beroep. Zoals reeds aangekondigd in de Telegraph van juli en augustus, zal op 22 september aanstaande het eerste Nederlandse P&T Forum worden gehouden te Rotterdam.

toegekend. Denk hierbij bijvoorbeeld aan de mogelijkheid om het vervallen verlof om te zetten in een vergoeding zoals een loonsverhoging; zo komt de vergoeding rechtstreeks bij de werknemer terecht. Een andere aanbeveling die uit het onderzoek naar voren is gekomen, is de zogeheten ‘CAO à la carte’. Dit houdt in dat werknemers kunnen kiezen voor extra verlof of dat er gekozen kan worden voor een hogere gage. Tot slot is er nog een aanbeveling waarbij gekeken wordt naar de levensfase van de werknemer; afhankelijk van de wensen en mogelijkheden kan hij op een bepaald moment in zijn wer-kende leven kiezen voor extra verlof of extra geld. Hoewel dit misschien de mooiste optie lijkt, kan dit wellicht moeilijker uitvoerbaar zijn voor kleine rederijen vanwege de kleinere personeelsbestanden. Belangrijk is dat deze beslissingen niet zomaar genomen kunnen worden, maar gedegen en zorgvuldig worden vertaald naar de maritieme wereld.

achterban te kunnen horen hoe er op de werkvloer wordt gedacht over P&T zaken zodat bondsbeleid en de mening van de achterban, met elkaar in lijn blijven. Enige voorbeelden van P&T zaken die tijdens het Forum ter sprake kunnen komen zijn: de gevaren van afgesloten ruimtes, het wel of niet verplicht aan boord hebben van deﬁbrillators, onderwijs, fatigue, STCW herziening, minimum safe manning, ISM code, de veiligheidscommissie enz. enz. Wij wijzen u er nadrukkelijk op dat het P&T Forum open is voor alle leden afkomstig uit alle sectoren die Nautilus vertegenwoordigt. Graag zien wij uw komst op 22 september aanstaande om 13.00 uur tegemoet. De vergadering zal worden gehouden in een van de zalen van het regiokantoor van FNV Bondgenoten, Pegasusweg 200, 3067 KX te Rotterdam, eenvoudig te bereiken per trein, metro en auto.

CAO Norfolkline rond Telegraph kon lezen, liep het CAOF principeakkoord tussen Nautilus International en Zoals u in een eerdere editie van de

Norfolkline vast op de uniformregeling. Na een aantal overlegmomenten is de nieuwe CAO alsnog een feit. In ons eerdere artikel kon u lezen dat de leden in dienst bij Norfolkline zich niet konden vinden in de vorm van de aangepaste uniformregeling. De rederij had verzocht om aanpassing van de uniformregeling om kosten te besparen. Voorgesteld was, om in plaats van een vast aantal punten, een systeem van vervanging van nieuw voor oud in te voeren. Leden konden zich in dit nieuwe systeem echter niet vinden. De punten die de leden jaarlijks kregen werden in eerste instantie gebruikt voor het op niveau brengen van het uniformpakket. Uiteindelijk werd als uitgangspunt het bestaande systeem van toekenning van punten per jaar gehandhaafd. Verlaging van het aantal punten per

jaar werd procentueel toegepast om een eerlijke verdeling over de rangen te bewerkstelligen. Op die wijze kon de verlangde bezuiniging alsnog worden gerealiseerd. De leden konden zich in het voorstel vinden. Temeer omdat de recessie nu ook duidelijk zichtbaar haar weerslag heeft op deze rederij.

Uiteindelijk dus toch een zeer aanvaardbare CAO voor één jaar met een vaste gageverhoging aan het begin van de looptijd, een aanpassing van de uniformregeling en aanpassing van de loodsgeldregeling vanwege het verplaatsen van schepen naar de Ierse Zee.

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

SHIPTOSHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MGN396 (M+F) Compatibility of Life-Saving Equipment Because of concerns over the unsuitability of some immersion suits and lifejackets when used in combination, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency has published this guidance note. Standards for lifejackets and immersion suit specifications are outlined within the Life Saving Appliances Code, but, this notice warns that they do not fully address the wider issue of compatibility and suitability of lifejackets and immersions when worn together, such as buoyancy, flotation position and self-righting performance. The LSA Code tests for immersion suits do not necessarily ensure that any given type of immersion suit is compatible with any given lifejackets, it points out. Extra care should be taken where the lifejacket is of a design with ‘behind the neck’ buoyancy — a type of life jacket which, the MCA warns, ‘could actually lead to a survivor being inclined head-down in the water when worn in combination with an immersion suit’. Advice should be sought, it says, from the chandler/manufacturer when considering using lifejackets and immersion suits in combination. The MCA guidance draws attention to the International Safety Management Code, by which companies must establish safeguards against all identified risks and warns that ‘the shipowner or operator is responsible for ensuring … that the LSA system as a whole is fit for purpose... and that sufficient suits are provided in sizes appropriate… for all persons onboard.’ Lifejackets should also not impede access to survival craft, it states. ‘By extension, the combined use of lifejackets and immersion suits must provide for an efficient means of abandonment.’ The M-note has also annexed IMO guidance on wearing immersion suits in totally enclosed lifeboats. MIN350 (M) Research Project 592: Investigation into the Safety of Ro-Ro Passenger Ships fitted with Long Lower Holds — Phase II New SOLAS safety of life at sea regulations on damage stability for dry cargo and passenger ships came into force in January. But, as this M-note points out, the MCA and the Netherlands Ministry of Transport have for some time shared concerns that new regulations ‘may not fully take into account the special vulnerability of ro-ro vessels’. So they jointly commissioned research to assess the level of survivability of ro-ro passenger ships fitted with long lower holds (LHH) ‘which are minimally compliant with these regulations’. Two new 1,000-passenger capacity ro-ro ships were designed, each with different internal subdivision arrangements within the same external hull, but optimised for SOLAS ‘09 compliance to have as low a freeboard and as large an LHH space as possible. One was fitted with B/5 longitudinal bulkheads in way of the LLH, and the other with B/10 bulkheads. The damage stability characteristics of each ship were compared through statistical analysis

of ‘time to capsize’ covering a wide range of damage scenarios and sea states. Researchers found that the level of survivability implied in SOLAS ’95 is not consistent for different ship designs, the M-note states. The research concluded that the MCA should seek revisions to SOLAS ‘09 to try to eliminate, or substantially reduce, ‘the worrying vulnerability of ro-ro passenger ships, particularly where straightforward, feasible damages resulting in rapid capsize and very heavy casualties are entirely permissible’. The MCA is coordinating a correspondence group that is investigating the issues raised, to report to the IMO in January 2010. MIN353 (M+F) Research Project 595: Tracking and Predicting the Behaviour of Submerged and Sunken Oils With carriage of very heavy fuel oils (VHFOs) increasing in UK waters, there is growing concern since incidents such as the Prestige and the Erika that available monitoring and recovery technology is inadequate. This M-note summarises MCAcommissioned research into the processes that can lead to sinking and submergence of oils, and how this might be predicted and responded to. MIN351 (M+F) Research Project 608 — Customer Population Survey in the Sports and recreation Sector The notice gives details of MCA commissioned surveys on participation rates for 21 marine leisure activities at British coastal and key inland water sites. MIN349 (M) Solid Bulk Cargoes — Adoption of the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code The new IMSBC Code supersedes the existing Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes 2004, and will become mandatory from 1 January 2011. Until then, the MCA suggests that, to facilitate safe transport, its provisions may be applied on a voluntary basis. MGN395 (M+F) Radio Log Book: Merchant Shipping & Fishing Vessels The notice advises on the need for the GMDSS log book and the simpliﬁed F/V GMDSS log book to comply with either Part II of the Merchant Shipping (Radio Installation) Regulations 1998, or Part III of the Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessel) Regulations 1999. M-Notices are available in three ways: a set of bound volumes, a yearly subscription, and individual documents. z A consolidated set of all M-Notices current on 30 July 2007 (ISBN 9780115528538) is published by The Stationery Office for £195 — www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp z Annual subscriptions and copies of individual notices are available from the official distributors: Mail Marketing (Scotland), MCA, PO Box 87, Glasgow G14 0JF. Tel: +44 (0)141 300 4906; fax: +44 (0)141 950 2726; email: mca@promosolution.com z Individual copies can be collected from MCA offices, electronically subscribed to or downloaded from the MCA website — www.mcga.gov.uk — click on ‘Ships and Cargoes’, then ‘Legislation and Guidance’.

The face of Nautilus Hylke Hylkema, senior policy advisor advisor based at the Nautilus g International’s Rotterdam office, Hylke Hylkema, senior policy

went to sea in 1971, aged 21. He served as a navigating officer in both the deepsea and coastal trades, before being offered a position with the Dutch seafarers’ union FWZ. His service as an industrial officer included three years in Singapore. ‘Shortly after I came back, in the early 1990s, I became a member of the board as general secretary,’ Hylke says. The post is a key position — although it’s not leader of the union, which is what the general secretary role usually means in the UK, as Dutch unions are run by a board.

Following time in that post, Hylke moved over to the position of treasurer, responsible for the accounts department. He still performs many of the duties he undertook then, including pay negotiations under the Dutch common bargaining agreement (CBA) arrangement. The Dutch branch is involved in about 25 CBAs, including those with Maersk and Stena, and also CBAs for nonEuropean seafarers on Dutch-ﬂagged ships in cooperation with unions in their countries. ‘I’m also still involved in pension funds — on the board of four pension funds — merchant navy, inland

transport, ﬁshing, and of the confederation of FNV (the Dutch TUC),’ he says. Hylke, who turned 60 in August, is delighted with the new transnational Union: ‘We will have a stronger position in our discussions with shipowners, and also in all the international organisations, because we are now an organisation with almost 25,000 members, and that is considered a big seafarers’ union. We have the advantage that we are what we call a real maritime union — not only seafarers, but also inland navigation and other maritime professionals — so we are broadly represented across many sectors.’

Nautilus meetings with members: diary dates Nautilus has always had a ﬁrm commitment to dialogue with its members and that commitment continues to this day, with the Union placing a high priority on contact between members and officials. UK-based officials make regular visits to ships, and a variety of different meetings are held by the Union to encourage a healthy exchange of views. The Union also offers the chance for members to meet Nautilus International’s UK officials when they make regular visits to ships in ports and nautical colleges, or stage specialist forums. These visits aim to give members the chance to get advice on employment and other problems that cannot easily be dealt with by letter or email. Times and venues for meetings in the next few months are:

COLLEGE VISITS Nautilus International’s recruitment team is now holding regular meetings with trainees and members at all the UK’s maritime colleges. Contact Garry Elliott or Blossom Bell at the Wallasey office for visiting schedules and further details. SHIP VISITS If you have an urgent problem on your ship, you should contact Nautilus — enquiries@nautilusint.org — to ask for an official to visit the ship. Wherever possible, such requests will be acted upon by the Union and last year more than 200 ships were visited by Nautilus International officials as a result of contact from members. If you need to request a visit, please give your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the problem needing to be discussed.

SCOTLAND Members employed by companies based in the west of Scotland should contact Nautilus International at Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park, Wallasey CH45 7PH (tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454). Members employed in the offshore oil sector, or by companies based in the east of Scotland, should contact +44 (0)1224 638882. This is not an office address, so members cannot visit in person. Future dates and venues for Nautilus International meetings of the National Professional & Technical and National Pensions Forums include: g National Professional & Technical Forum — this body deals with technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics relevant to shipmaster and chief engineer officer members.

The next meeting is due to be held on Tuesday 22 September in Rotterdam, at a venue to be advised to Dutch members, starting at 1300hrs. g National Pensions Forum — this body was established to provide a two-way ﬂow of information and views on all pension matters and pension schemes (not just the MNOPF). This forum is open to all classes of Nautilus International member, including associate and affiliate. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 September at Mariners’ Park, Wallasey, starting at 1100hrs. All full members of the relevant rank or sector can attend and ﬁnancial support may be available to some members by prior agreement. For further details contact head office.

INDICATORS ACDB Latest UK government figures show no change in the key rate of inflation and a mixed picture in terms of average wage settlements. According to the Office of National Statistics, Consumer Prices Index (CPI) annual inflation — the government’s target measure — was 1.8% in July, unchanged from June. RPI annual inflation — usually used as a key element of pay negotiations — was -1.4% in July, compared with -1.6% in June. RPIX inflation — the all-items RPI

excluding mortgage interest payments — was 1.2% in July, up from 1.0% in June. The provisional June CPI ﬁgure for the European Union as a whole was 0.6%. Average UK earnings including bonuses rose by 2.5 per cent in the year to June 2009, up from the May rate of 2.3. Average earnings excluding bonuses, or regular pay, rose by 2.5 per cent in the year to June 2009, down from the May rate of 2.6.

Good pay deals still being done despite the economic gloom in the UK, according to the Labour Research Department (LRD) Payline database. It showed that deals in the private sector of up to 6% in the recent month, with an overall threemonthly median pay increase up to and including June 2009 of 2.3% for all deals. LRD said some 23% of wage settlements since January 2009 have been pay freezes, but in only a tiny handful of cases have there been actual pay cuts.

Get knotted with the Nautilus International tie! Nautilus International has produced a stylish new tie to enable members to show off their membership with pride. The high quality navy blue silk tie features the word Nautilus displayed in the International Code of Signals ﬂags. It is available from head office for just £7 or €8.50. Members can also help to stick up for the maritime profession with the Union’s popular ‘delivered by ship’ stickers. These free stickers show the wide variety of products that reach our shops thanks to merchant ships and seafarers, and are

ideal for putting on envelopes, or handing out at schools and festivals. UK-based members may also get the ‘Sea Sense: keep our maritime skills’ car stickers, which have been designed to support the campaign for action to reverse the maritime skills crisis. Send a cheque for a new Nautilus tie, or if you’d like some free stickers, simply contact Nautilus International’s Central Services department at head office and let them know how many you need. Call Central Services on +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or email centralservices@nautilusint.org

Quiz answers 1. At the start of July this year, there were 321 LNG carriers in the world fleet, with a total capacity of 44m cu m. 2. Almost 24% of total deadweight tonnage in the world’s orderbooks is scheduled to be put under the Panamanian flag. 3. Norway was the first country to establish a second register, which it did in 1987. 4. Euronav is based in Antwerp, Belgium. 5. Algeria is presently the biggest supplier of LNG to Europe, accounting for 29% of deliveries last year. 6. Oasis of the Seas will be capable of carrying up to 7,300 passengers at full occupancy.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Peloton; 5. Fatigue; 9. Tower; 10. Universal; 11. Armstrong; 12. Troop; 13. Lewis; 15. Obstinate; 18. Portrayal; 19. Sharp; 21. Turin; 23. Armadillo; 25. Handlebar, 26. Noble; 27. Theorem; 28. Harvest. Down: 1. Pitfall; 2. Lawnmower; 3. Tarot; 4. Neurology; 5. Fling; 6. Theatrics; 7. Gusto; 8. Ellipse; 14. Sprinkler; 16. Salt-marsh; 17. Available; 18. Pot-shot; 20. Project; 22. Range; 23. Album; 24 Dinar.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph. Congratulations to Nautilus member W.J. Kane whose name was the ﬁrst to be drawn from those who successfully completed the August cryptic crossword. Cryptic answers from August Across: 1. Push-up; 5. Papist; 9. Amiable; 10. Lollop; 12. Tennis Court Oath; 13. Lash; 14. Vermicelli; 18. Insightful; 19. Mill; 21. Contempt of court; 24. Nettle; 25. Extreme; 26. Deacon; 27. Martyr. Down: 2. Unionists; 3. Hobbit; 4. Prescient; 5. Pilau; 6. Politics; 7. Skoda; 8. Mantelpiece; 11. Chain letter; 15. Mausoleum; 16. Leisurely; 17. Agrestic; 20. Scoter; 22. Niece; 23. Preen.

Need to contact Nautilus International in the Netherlands? The address is: Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 Email: infonl@nautilusint.org Correspondentieadres: Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 AN Rotterdam

September 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

When trouble strikes, you need Nautilus

www.nautilusint.org Ten good reasons why you should be a member: 1. Pay and conditions Nautilus International negotiates on your behalf with an increasing number of British, Dutch and foreign flag employers on issues including pay, conditions, leave, hours and pensions. The Union also takes part in top-level international meetings on the pay and conditions of maritime professionals in the world fleets. 2. Legal services With the maritime profession under increasing risk of criminalisation, Nautilus International provides specialist support, including a worldwide network of lawyers who can provide free and immediate advice to full members on employment-related matters. Members and their families also have access to free initial advice on non-employment issues. 3. Certificate protection As a full member, you have free financial protection, worth up to £102,000, against loss of income if your certificate of competency is cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry. Full members are also entitled to representation during accident investigations or inquiries. 4. Compensation Nautilus International’s legal services department recovers substantial compensation for members who have suffered work-related illness or injuries. 5. Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions. 6. Safety and welfare Nautilus International plays a vital role in

national and international discussions on such key issues as hours of work, crewing levels, shipboard conditions, vessel design, and technical and training standards. Nautilus International has a major say in the running of the industry wide pension schemes in the UK and the Netherlands.

7. Savings Being a Nautilus International member costs less than buying a newspaper every day and gives you peace of mind at work, with access to an unrivalled range of services and support. It’s simple to save the cost of membership — by taking advantage of specially-negotiated rates on a variety of commercial services ranging from tax advice to UK credit cards, and household, motoring, travel and specialist insurance. 8. In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are. Officials regularly visit members onboard their ships and further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and college visits throughout the UK and the Netherlands. There is also an official based in Singapore.

CALL NOW TO JOIN NAUTILUS ON: +44 (0)151 639 8454 It’s never been more important to be a member and it’s never been easier to apply for membership. You can now join over the phone, or online at www.nautilusint.org — or post us this form to begin: SURNAME FIRST NAMES GENDER

DATE OF BIRTH

ADDRESS POSTCODE PERSONAL EMAIL HOME TEL

MOBILE

EMPLOYER SHIP NAME

RANK

DISCHARGE BOOK NO (IF APPLICABLE) If you are, or have been, a member of another union please state:

9. Your union, your voice Nautilus International is the voice of some 25,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the shipping industry, at sea and ashore. As one of the largest and most influential international bodies representing maritime professionals, the Union campaigns tirelessly to promote your views.

NAME OF UNION

10. Get involved! Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic union, offering members many opportunities to be fully involved and have your say in our work — at local, national and international levels.

Please post this form to: Membership services department Nautilus International Oceanair House 750-760 High Road London E11 3BB United Kingdom

SUBSCRIPTIONS PAID UNTIL MEMBERSHIP NO (IF KNOWN) DATE OF LEAVING

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2009

NEWS

Above: The Liberian-flagged reefer EW Snowdon in Hull last month and, top right,the ship’s abandoned crew members with ITF inspector Bill Anderson. Bottom right are Burmese crew members onboard the reefer Annapurna — owned by the same company, Eastwind Maritime — who were stranded in the New Zealand port of Auckland last month Pictures: John Jones/Maritime Union of New Zealand

Rising concern at number of abandoned seafarers Fears that recession will cause a surge in stranded crews are becoming ‘a serious reality’, welfare body warns

Maritime unions and welfare agencies have warned of a rise in the number of abandoned seafarers around the world following the slump in international seaborne trade. The plight of such crews has been highlighted by a case in the UK, in which 22 Russian seafarers onboard a Liberian-ﬂagged reefer have been stranded in Hull since the end of June. The International Transport Workers’ Federation and the Apostleship of the Sea have been providing support for the crew of the 6,268gt EW Snowdon since its owners, Eastwind Maritime, went into liquidation. ITF inspector Bill Anderson said efforts were being made to recover owed wages and to repatriate the crew. But, he warned, the case was one of an

increasing number — with the ITF having secured some £25m in back pay for stranded seafarers since the end of last year. Anne Mclaren, AoS chaplain to the port of Hull, helped to provide food for the crew of the EW Snowdon while negotiations took place to end their ordeal. She said the seafarers were in good spirits and hopeful of a positive outcome. However, the Apostleship said it was concerned that predictions of an increase in stranded seafarers were starting to become ‘a serious reality’. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the Union is disturbed by the evidence of the increase in abandonment cases. ‘This appears to be a growing problem, and in the light of the global eco-

nomic downturn, it is more important than ever that we see governments applying the IMO/ILO agreement on abandoned seafarers, to ensure that there is a safety net in place and procedures to get them paid and get them home as quickly as possible,’ he added. Mr Dickinson said it is also important that countries act quickly to make sure they will be able to discharge their responsibilities for foreign seafarers under the measures being introduced through the forthcoming Maritime Labour Convention, so that crews are not ‘stuck in a bureaucratic nightmare’ if they are abandoned by owners. In another case involving a ship from the Eastwind ﬂeet, the Maritime Union of New Zealand has been assisting the 23 Burmese crew of the Liberian-

flagged Annapurna after discovering that some seafarers had not been paid for up to a year. The 6,082gt reefer was arrested after arriving in the port of Auckland on 3 August when an overseas creditor filed a court action to recover a substantial debt. Officials said the crew were owed a total of US$311,000, and agreement had been reached with the ship’s agents to provide some interim payments to the seafarers until the vessel is sold. ‘I almost collapsed when I was told there was a couple of them who haven’t been paid in a year,’ said branch secretary Gary Parsloe. Some of the crew had arranged for their wages to be sent home, but those payments had stopped — leaving the families destitute, he added.

FoC ship found with 58 deficiencies in UK port of a ﬂag of convenience ship in F the UK uncovered a staggering total A port state control inspection

of 58 deﬁciencies — including exterior doors that could be opened only with a crowbar. The 34,856dwt Panamanianregistered bulk carrier Atlas Terra was detained in Tilbury for 10 days in July after the surveyors issued a major non-conformity notice following the inspection in the port of Tilbury.

Problems on the 27-year-old vessel included: z hold doors were buckled and could not be closed z the hospital bulkhead was wasted and holed z decking throughout the accommodation was unsafe and a trip hazard z holes in the handrails in various locations and bent handrails on the port side accommodation ladder z most of the exterior doors were

unable to be opened except with a crowbar z excessive oil leaks from the crane for No 5 hold z oil leaks from the hydraulic control valves in No 2 hold z hydraulic oil leaks from forward deck machinery The Greek-managed ship was one of six unseaworthy vessels under detention in the UK in July. Others included the 5,613gt ro-ro cargoship Jigawa II, which was held in

Sheerness for five days after the discovery of 32 deficiencies — including uncorrected charts and wastage and holes in the accommodation superstructure and battery room. Surveyors also found that the monkey island deck was holed and had been repaired with GRP. The Russian-flagged cargoship Dvina was detained in Erith for nine days because the galley vent was holed below the damper and the

hole had been taped over. A total of 10 deﬁciencies were discovered on the 2,426gt vessel — including severe corrosion and holes in the boat deck, funnel and the accommodation block, and inaccurate records of rest. And the Cook Islands-registered cargoship Aladin was detained for 10 days in Barking with 17 deﬁciencies including invalid navigation charts and poorly maintained bridge equipment.

Corrosion found onboard the bulk carrier Atlas Terra

FOR THE MARITIME INDUSTRY

DYNAMIC POSITIONING DP Induction DP Simulator DP Maintenance (Kongsberg SDP and 70x systems)

Phone: 00 44 1502 525025 Fax: 00 44 1502 525106 www.lowestoft.ac.uk/maritime.asp

MEDICAL Elementary First Aid Medical First Aid Onboard Ship Medical Care Onboard Ship & Refresher Offshore First Aid & Refresher

MERCHANT OPERATIONS (DECK) Certificate of Competency Officer of the Watch (OOW) Unlimited January/May & September

E-mail: maritime@lowestoft.ac.uk

RADIO GMDSS ROC/GOC/LRC

St Peters Street Lowestoft Suffolk NR32 2NB

Accredited by

STCW95 Basic Safety Certificate (5 Day)

NAVIGATION NaRAST (O) & (M)

OTHER Efficient Deck Hand CPSC&RB Personal Survival Techniques Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting & Advanced BRIDGE SIMULATOR Bridge Team Management Command & Control Bespoke courses enquiries welcome Ships Safety Officer/Security Officer Tanker Familiarisation Specialist Tanker Training (Oil)

Chief Mate/Masters (Unlimited) May & September Masters MCA Orals Preparatory Course SQA Prep (4 weeks)