The Sea, September October 2014

www.missiontoseafarers.org themissiontoseafarers @FlyingAngelNews

Issue 231 sep/oct 2014

Sewol trial concerns for crew

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6y7 Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

Pirate attack figures fall page 2 Seafarers warned of Ebola risk page 3 Perils of social media page 8 The Mission to Seafarers Founded in 1856, and entirely funded by voluntary donations, today’s Mission to Seafarers offers emergency assistance, practical support, and a friendly welcome to crews in 260 ports around the world.

Whether caring for victims of piracy or providing a lifeline to those stranded in foreign ports, we are there for the globe’s 1.5 million merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.

The Sea Editor: Michael Keating News: David Hughes The Sea is distributed free to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’ centres. You can also arrange to receive it regularly at a cost of £3.50 or $5 per year (six issues).

To find out more, contact: Michael Keating, The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London, UK EC4R 2RL Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Email: Michael.Keating@ missiontoseafarers.org www.missiontoseafarers.org Registered charity in England and Wales: 1123613 The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited, Registered charity: SC041938

A TUG helps to move the wreck of the Costa Concordia across the Mediterranean to Genoa ahead of its demolition and scrapping, over a year and a half after the cruise ship sank off the coast of Giglio. The process is estimated to take a further 22 months and the whole operation will cost over US$2 billion (Photo: Reuters)

Largest-ever salvage operation nears end

Costa Concordia rises from the deep for final voyage T HE ill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia is now in Genoa where she is to be scrapped. In July, with the aid of massive caissons attached to each side of the vessel, the ship was righted and floated off the rocks where it sank in January 2012, before being towed across the Mediterranean.

When the ship arrived in Genoa the Italian authorities continued the search for the missing Indian steward, Russel Rebello, the last of the 32 victims to be accounted for. Human remains have been found but, at the time of writing, it had not been confirmed they were Mr Rebello’s.

Italy’s Civil Protection Agency have said that it will take “some time” to clarify to

whom the remains belong, due to the nature of some of the injuries sustained by those who lost their lives in the accident.

One diver was also killed during the ship’s salvage operation, the largest one of its kind.

Criminal proceedings are still ongoing against the ship’s master, Francesco Schettino, who is alleged to have taken the ship too close to the island of Giglio. He is accused of multiple manslaughter and illegally abandoning the ship before the evacuation of its 4,252 passengers and crew.

Mr Schettino recently provoked further outrage in Italy after giving a lecture at Sapenzia University in Rome, Italy, believed to be based on a reconstruction of the Costa

Concordia disaster.

Defending his lecture, Mr Schettino said: “Apart from anything else, I have sailed every sea in the world.

I know how people behave in these cases [and] how you need to react when there are crew members of different ethnicities.”

T h e s h i p ’s o w n e r, the Carnival Corporation subsidiary Costa Crociere, says the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it away for scrapping cost over US$2 billion. The scrapping will take an estimated 22 months.

Meanwhile, the International Salvage Union’s (ISU) Annual Review for 2013 shows its members provided 196 salvage services in 2013, which was exactly the same

as the previous year. ISU members also carried out 48 wreck removal operations last year, compared with a five-year average of 33 such operations each year.

In total the salvage companies reported revenues of more than US$700 million, up from just over US$600 million in the previous year. Wreck removal income increased significantly from some US$300 million in 2012 to about US$450 million in 2013.

The ISU notes: “That is probably due to the impact of a small number of substantial, well-known cases. Wreck removal revenues have increased generally in the past decade and now account for a substantial portion of the industry’s annual income.”

Seaman Guard Ohio weapons charges dropped ALMOST nine months after the crew of the anti-piracy vessel, the Seaman Guard Ohio, were arrested in India, weapons charges against them have been dropped.

The 35-strong crew had been detained in India since October, after being arrested on suspicion of weapons trafficking. However, the ship’s Ukrainian captain will still face charges of illegal bunkering.

The Mission to Seafarers has been supporting the crew since their arrest, through arranging prison visiting, supporting the crew’s families and also by holding a press conference to raise awareness of the crew’s plight.

The crew were bailed in April, on condition that they www.missiontoseafarers.org

remained in India for the duration of their hearings.

The Mission’s director of justice and public affairs, the Revd Canon Ken Peters, said: “The Mission to Seafarers welcomes the announcement that the weapons charges against the 35-man crew of the Seaman Guard Ohio have been dropped.

Since their imprisonment in October, we have worked with the arrested seafarers, their families and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to ensure that the crew received the care and support they needed through prison visiting, public awareness campaigns and family liaison work.”

As The Sea went to press the Mission was hoping the crew would be able to leave India within days.

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THE International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA) has expressed concerns over the trial of the crew of the South Korean ferry Sewol.

The ship’s master, Lee Jun-seok, the first and second officers, and the chief engineer face homicide charges, while 11 other crew members face charges of causing death by negligence.

IFSMA president Capt Hans Sande has questioned whether the seafarers would be able to get a fair trial when the country’s president had already referred to them as “murderers”.

He said there should be a fair investigation before accusations were made.

A member of the South Korea Coastguard said his service did not have the right training to rescue the Sewol passengers.

UK ferry safety row MARITIME professionals’ union Nautilus International has condemned UK Government plans to revoke several shipping safety regulations introduced in response to recommendations made by the investigation into the 1987 Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster.

The union accuses the government of being “dangerously complacent” and putting costs before safety with its proposals to scrap requirements for ro-ro passenger ships to be fitted with on-deck emergency equipment lockers containing axes, crowbars, lifting gear and ladders.

Nautilus senior national secretary, Allan Graveson, said: “We believe these proposals have been driven by commercial pressures. We must continue to learn from accidents such as the Herald disaster.

The importance of such equipment – or the lack of it – was demonstrated in the recent Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea.”

2 the sea sep/oct 14

Statistics show a drop in attacks but highlight violent robbery trends in South East Asia and West Africa

Fine for discarded line

Pirate attack figures fall

UK-BASED Lombard Corporate Finance, the owner of UK-flagged car carrier Morning Midas, has been fined A$5,000 (US$4,631) and ordered to pay costs for dumping a mooring line in Australian waters near Melbourne.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says the charges relate to a collision between the pilot launch Wyuna III and a mooring line discarded by Morning Midas in the early hours of August 1, 2012.

The 30-35 m mooring line was found discarded in the vicinity of the pilot boarding station outside Port Phillip Heads when Wyuna III collided with it, fouling its propellers and stalling both engines.

An EU NAVFOR Sea King helicopter returns from a patrol off the coast of Somalia (Photo: EU NAVFOR)

W

HILE overall piracy statistics show a decline, more small tankers are being hijacked for their fuel, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

There were 116 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported to its Kuala Lumpur based Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in the first six months of 2014, down on the 138 incidents for the corresponding period for 2013. In the first half of 2014, ten vessels were hijacked, seven were fired upon, 78 were boarded and 21 vessels reported attempted attacks.

Two crew members were killed.

In South East Asia, six cases of coastal tankers being hijacked for their cargoes of diesel or gas oil have been reported since April, sparking fears of a new trend in pirate attacks in the area. Until then,

most attacks in the region had been mainly on vessels at anchor, which were boarded for petty theft.

“The recent increase in the number of successful hijackings is a cause for concern,” said IMB director, Pottengal Mukundan. “These attacks have so far targeted small coastal tankers. We advise these vessels to maintain strict anti-piracy measures in these waters, and to report all attacks and approaches by small craft.”

Indonesia accounts for 47 of the incidents, with vessels boarded in 40 of the incidents.

The overwhelming number of these incidents are lowlevel thefts against vessels.

At Pulau Bintan, 18 incidents were reported, prompting the Indonesian Marine Police to add this port to the list of ten areas where patrols have increased this year.

O f f We s t A f r i c a , 2 3 incidents have been reported, with Nigeria accounting for

All about shipping

Stats courtesy IMB (Image: The Mission to Seafarers) ten of these reports. Four vessels were hijacked. Noting that Gulf of Guinea piracy was particularly violent, Mr Mukundan gave an example where a crew member was killed and another injured during a shoot-out with armed pirates when they boarded a vessel off the coast of Nigeria at the end of April.

A further three vessels came under fire from Nigerian

pirates during this period. It is thought that many incidents go unreported in these waters.

On a more upbeat note, the number of Somali pirate attacks continues to remain low. However, Mr Mukundan warned: “The risk of piracy has not completely diminished.

Ship masters are reminded to remain vigilant and apply the Best Management Practices guidelines.”

Anti-piracy crews abandoned as owner goes bust UK-OWNED maritime security company Gulf of Aden Group Transits (GoAGT) went out of business in July, leaving around 100 armed guards out at sea on ships. The company folded allegedly owing millions in unpaid wages to its staff at sea and those in its UK and Malta offices.

The company had been running around 50 transits a month, making it one of the world’s busiest private maritime security contractors (PMSCs). In an announcement made to all staff by email, the company said that “current and planned operations” would be carried out by Sea Marshals, another PMSC. Speaking to UK newspaper The Independent, a former employee said: “I’m owed around £16,000. Some of the Eastern European guys are owed £200,000. Some of the other guys could lose their homes.”

Steve Collins, operations manager at Sea Marshals, said: “We’ve taken responsibility for those that are on board vessels.

Additionally many of those on board floating armouries have been offered work by us or other PMSCs. Those left we are looking to utilise and employ so we can repatriate them also.” Armed guards run through drills (Photo: EU NAVFOR)

West Africa piracy measures ‘too little, too late’ NIGERIAN piracy is “a major threat” to seafarers and to the UK economy, according to a new study published by the UK Chamber of Shipping which says that not enough is being done to counter the menace throughout West African waters.

The report says the UK Government needs to do more to build maritime governance using UK-based expertise to help train locals who carry out the region’s law enforcement judicial services.

Guy Platten, chief executive of the UK Chamber of Shipping, said: “Lawlessness in the Gulf of Guinea is a major threat to our seafarers and to the economic development of the region. Nigeria and other states in the region have known

for 30 years that piracy was a problem, but too little has been done and enough is enough.”

Around 5,000 vessels call at Nigerian ports every year.

Nigerian statistics show that 300,000 barrels of oil are stolen every day. Over the past ten years, 45 seafarers have been killed and 459 held hostage around West Africa. There is at least one attack a week on a ship operating in the region, and up to two thirds of attacks are believed to go unreported. The report also says there is a trend for the attacks to be increasingly violent.

Mr Platten added: “Ghana and Togo have seen additional economic activity result from improvements they have put in place. Nigeria lags behind – and it is costing them and us dear.”

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A NEW book by maritime expert and former ship’s engineer, Nigel Draffin, may help seafarers gain a better understanding of the shipping industry.

Shipping: An Introduction to the Technical, Operational and Commercial Aspects (www.petrospot. com/books) covers the essentials of shipping, including manning, safety, training, navigation and communications.

It also provides a basic overview of classification, insurance, international conventions and maritime law.

EU waterways hours rules THE European Commission is proposing new rules to cover crew working hours on inland waterways vessels.

The move follows an agreement between operators and unions.

The rules will cover some 31,000 crew members.

Working time will be restricted to 48 hours a week, averaged out over a maximum of 12 months, and night-time working will be limited to 42 hours a week.

Owners want sulphur enforcement SEVERAL prominent shipowners and operators have formed a group – the Trident Alliance – aimed at pushing for robust enforcement of maritime sulphur regulations. The

move comes months before new 0.10 per cent sulphur in emissions limits come into force on January 1, 2015.

The Alliance’s membership list includes: American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier (ARC), EUKOR Car Carriers Inc, Höegh Autoliners, J Lauritzen, Maersk, Rickmers-Linie, Stena, Torvald Klaveness, UECC, Unifeeder and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics.

Roger Strevens, vice president of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, has been elected chairman of the group.

Mr Strevens said: “Robust enforcement of sulphur regulation is needed for health and the environment and, from the perspective of maintaining a level playing field, it is a business imperative.”

Gantry crane death THE dangers posed by moving gantry cranes have been highlighted after the death of a deck cadet on a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier in Albany, Australia.

The ship was preparing to load cargo when the forward gantry crane was moved and, unseen by other crew members, the cadet was crushed between the gantry and the hatch coaming.

The Nautical Institute’s latest MARS report noted that the inquiry found that there was no sound reason for the cadet to have been in that position although it was possible that the cadet mistakenly thought he could cross in front of the moving crane in time. Neither fatigue nor alcohol were thought to be contributing factors in the death.

It also found that the alarms on the gantry cranes were not loud enough to hold a person’s attention while the cranes were moving, particularly in a strong wind and against background noise.

Italy takes command of EU NAVFOR ITALY took control of EU NAVFOR’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta in August. Command had been held by the German Navy.

A key part of the operation is to keep the World Food Programme ships safe. Since the operation’s start in 2008, two million tonnes of aid have been delivered to Somalia and pirate attacks on merchant ships have decreased.

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sep/oct 14 the sea 3

Shipping organisations create Ebola warning guidance Britannia for seafarers as infection spreads from country to country Seaways

Seafarers warned of the Ebola risk in ports T HREE global shipping organisations have warned owners, masters and crews to be on their guard against the deadly Ebola virus which is spreading through West Africa.

In urgent new guidance the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Maritime Employers’ Council and the International Transport Workers’ Federation advise that the master of any vessel entering a port in West Africa should ensure that the crew are aware of the risks, how the virus can be spread and how to reduce the risk.

In addition, security measures must be strictly enforced while in port within the region to ensure that unauthorised personnel do not board the vessel.

Masters are also being advised to “give careful consideration” to all requests, before allowing shore leave.

Shipowners and managers have been advised to avoid making crew changes in the ports of an affected country. Seafarers must be made aware of the Ebola virus symptoms and must report any symptoms immediately to the person in charge of medical care.

A spokesperson for the three

bravery award

organisations commented: “Everyone is deeply concerned for those suffering from the Ebola epidemic and supportive of a co-ordinated world response to help them. We applaud all those medical staff who are risking their lives to help.

We want to make sure that those in the world shipping industry play their part in ensuring the safety of crews visiting the affected countries, and minimising the risk of the virus spreading further.”

A World Health Organization fact sheet on the virus can be found online at www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs103/en

New SOLAS requirements for rescues at sea

THE International Maritime Organization is to present an Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea to the master and crew of the DFDS ferry Britannia Seaways when a fire broke out on the ship on November 16 last year.

The award recognises the crew’s “professionalism and courage” in getting the fire under control while the ship was carrying military equipment along the Norwegian coast. It was an extensive fire, with flames extending more than 30 metres in the air, extreme heat and explosions. There were no injuries and a major pollution incident was prevented.

New hours of rest campaign MARITIME authorities in many parts of the world are carrying out a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign to enforce International Maritime Organization hours-ofrest regulations.

The campaign runs from September 1 to November 30. Port state control officers will check working time records when on board vessels.

IACS focuses on safety

Merchant ships helped to search for flight MH370, which was lost in March (Photo: Karolina Karmowska-Brooks) FROM July 1, 2014 all ships have been required, under a new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation, to have plans and procedures to recover persons from the water.

IMO says that while the new rules were developed as part of its work on large passenger ship safety, they aim to ensure that all ships have the capability to effectively serve as a rescue asset.

This means they must have the right equipment to be able to rescue persons from the water, and from survival craft, in the event of an incident.

The regulation is a new requirement under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and it is intended to enhance safety

at sea and also to provide support for search and rescue co-ordinators in all types of rescue operations – particularly in those situations where there is insufficient dedicated search and rescue capacity, or access to helicopters and specialised rescue craft is limited.

Shipowners’ body, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), has issued guidelines on how to comply with the requirement for ship-specific plans and procedures.

ICS marine director John Murray explains: “This guidance outlines practical steps that shipowners and operators may wish to consider when developing the necessary plans and procedures, including advice that

existing on board equipment may be identified as suitable for the recovery of persons from the water. In most cases, the carriage of additional dedicated equipment will probably be unnecessary.”

Maritime training provider Seagull has launched an e-learning module addressing the new regulations.

Seagull says that its module, Recovery of persons from the water, is directed at management and operational staff responsible for a ship’s safety management system, and stresses the importance of horizontal lifting.

According to the company’s managing director, Roger Ringstad, “an estimated 20 per cent of persons [rescued] die during vertical lifting.”

New onboard noise limits

Ships still denied refuge

SEAFARERS will gradually be protected from damaging levels of noise and vibration on board ships thanks to a new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation which requires new ships to be constructed with noise reduction and personnel protection in mind.

From July 1 new ships have had to comply with a revised IMO code which sets out mandatory maximum noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, accommodation and other spaces on board ships.

Even moderate noise and vibration can affect comfort, and lead to a severe drop in performance in the workplace.

Noise induced hearing loss is permanent and cannot be cured. When hearing loss reaches the point where a hearing aid is required, a seafarer may no longer be able to work on board ship, except possibly in the galley. High vibration levels can cause hand-arm or whole body vibration syndrome. Both conditions can be extremely painful and can cause long-lasting distress.

SHIPS in trouble are still being refused a port of refuge and international action is needed to remedy this, according to John Lyras, chairman of liability insurer London P&I Club.

Mr Lyras said: “Nearly twelve years after the Prestige disaster, it is disappointing to see other casualties where efforts to mitigate pollution or other risks have been hampered by a reluctance to give ships a place of refuge.”

The Prestige was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its tanks burst during a storm off Galicia, Spain, on November 13, 2002. The ship appealed for assistance to Spanish, French and Portuguese authorities, before the storm damage eventually took its toll. The ship sank on November 19. 80 per cent of its oil cargo leaked into the sea.

Referring to recent incidents involving the MSC Flaminia and the Maritime Maisie, Mr Lyras said: “It is understandable that communities will be reluctant to be exposed to pollution. But, as these incidents illustrate, there remains a need for further action in this area.”

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CRUISE ship and ro-ro ferry safety are topping the agenda of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) this year, according to its new president, Philippe Donche-Gay. Mr Donche-Gay said a focus on cruise ship safety, following the MSC Napoli grounding, would produce new recommendations covering increased internal subdivision, a double hull next to the main engine rooms, onboard stability computers, shore support for existing ships and bilge-pumping enhancements.

The Sewol disaster had, he said, highlighted casualties involving ro-ro ferries involved in domestic trades.

Log carrier fire lessons A NEW Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) investigation was undertaken into a fire on the log carrier

Taokas Wisdom last July.

The investigation found fault with the crew’s response even though the fire was put out in 25 minutes.

The fire broke out in one of the crew member’s cabins. Nobody was injured.

TAIC recommended: establishing a command centre to manage a firefighting response, which increases the chances of controlling a fire; enclosing the space that is on fire (or leaving it enclosed), which will help prevent the spread of fire and minimise the damage it causes; and closing down the air supply to a space that is on fire, which is essential.

New UK immigration rules NEWLY revised guidance on immigration procedures for crew members entering the UK to join ships, take shore leave or be repatriated should reduce problems for seafarers.

The UK Chamber of Shipping says the move follows its call for the guidance for British Embassy and British Border Force staff to be revised, following a series of incidents in which seafarers, principally from the Philippines, were wrongly denied entry into the UK. The UK Chamber says that difficulties arose where the date of a ship’s departure from UK waters was not known. Some officials mistakenly believed that non-European Economic Area seafarers joining non-scheduled cargo services or ships undergoing refit in the UK required work permits.

Cutting tow risks ACCIDENT reports suggest seafarers continue to be injured during mooring and towing, according to the safety poster manufacturer, Maritime Progress.

It says a clear plan of operation and good communications between the tug and the tow will reduce much of the risk, and that ship managers should fully brief crews and highlight safety issues.

The company has updated its International Safety Management (ISM) Code safety training poster Towing – Recommended procedures for safe towing operations to highlight basic principles common to all ship types which allow towing or mooring to be done in a safe and efficient way.

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4 the sea sep/oct 14

MICHAEL GREY

NEWS

Shipping industry prospects improve FREIGHT rates are set to rise across all dry bulk carrier segments as the global economic recovery gains momentum, ending a period in which freight earnings barely covered shipowners’ costs.

According to the latest edition of Newport Shipping’s Dry Bulk Market Outlook, seaborne trade in bulk commodities is expected to pick up after almost two years of slow to moderate economic growth to almost 9 per cent this year, after which it will ease off slightly to an annual growth rate of about 7 per cent.

Harald Lone, Newport Shipping’s chairman and CEO, said that a wave of newbuildings and a decline in most of the major coal trades had pushed spot market earnings for panamax bulkers to about US$3,000 per day, well below

operating costs.

However, the turning economic tide is driving a market rebound, helped by a slowdown in fleet expansion, as scrapping of older tonnage increases.

Meanwhile, international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens also sees a generally optimistic outlook for the shipping industry. The firm’s latest confidence survey shows that overall confidence levels in the shipping industry fell slightly during the threemonth period to May 2014, due to concerns that overtonnaging could hit freight rates, but that nevertheless they remain at their second-highest level for the past six years, with ship managers in particular remaining upbeat.

And the Crewtoo survey says...

Around half of seafarers are currently happy with their salaries (Photo: Jamie Smith) A NEW pay and reward survey has been completed by popular seafarers’ website Crewtoo.

Around half of the seafarers asked felt that they received a fair wage, with 53 per cent saying yes and 47 per cent saying no. The biggest single reason for seafarers feeling underpaid was the sheer amount of work they need to do (24 per cent), while others reported company costcutting (21 per cent). A lack of shore leave was also a big issue (27 per cent) for seafarers, something also highlighted in a

recent shore leave study in the United States carried out by the Seamen’s Church Institute.

Almost half of seafarers (49 per cent) reported having experienced a delay in getting payment, and 36 per cent have completed contracts without ever being paid, something that it is hoped will change as the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006) comes into force in more and more countries around the world.

However, seafarers obviously feel differently: 48 per cent feel

that MLC 2006 will not protect their salaries if things on board or on shore go badly.

On a more positive note, 71 per cent report feeling happier at sea thanks to MLC 2006.

The survey also found that 25 per cent of respondents had worked at sea for over 20 years.

For more information f r o m t h e s u r v e y, v i s i t www.crewtoo.com. To read more about seafarers and their salaries, head over to Michael Grey’s article on the right hand side.

New builds have ‘very high injury risk’

Seafarers can be injured if new builds are not checked properly (Photo: Jamie Smith) SHIPOWNERS’ insurer North P&I club warns that poor quality construction work on new ships is putting seafarers’ lives at risk. The insurer is telling owners to check new ships carefully before delivery.

The club says ships are being delivered with cargo hold access ladders, platforms and their cages constructed and secured to the bulkheads only by tack welds, rather than being fully welded.

When subject to a load or any other applied stress, such

as vessel movement, the tack welds have failed and resulted in an unsafe access to the cargo hold. The insurer warns that these welds pose “a high risk of injury to crew, stevedores and any third parties entering or leaving the cargo hold”.

The Global Maritime Education & Training Association has reinforced the warning, saying that the danger is even greater when tired seafarers enter holds without noticing that access hatches have become unsafe.

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“Shipowners taking on newbuildings in the current market need to ensure that all parts of the ship – including hold access ladders – are defect free,” says Tony Baker, head of the North P&I club’s loss prevention department.

“The first few months that a vessel enters service are amongst some of the busiest, and hidden or previously unnoticed build defects will soon become apparent, potentially resulting in serious accidents and delays.”

Seafaring:

They say money makes the world that the whole package? Michae

P

OLITICIANS are getting terribly worried about the lack of productivity gains in developed economies as they emerge from recession.

Despite all the splendid equipment and all the brilliant systems, people, they say, just aren’t making enough.

Some say that people are still too scared of losing their jobs, so they do whatever is safest rather than using their initiative, or that the incentive of higher pay to work harder is still not available in economies which are still recovering But is it all about money?

Surveys of seafarers (who know a thing or two about productivity gains) suggest that it is the whole package of rewards that tends to promote company loyalty, encourages productivity and keeps them satisfied with their lot.

It can be argued that in terms of productivity, seafarers have been among the most productive of workforces, as they have coped with the extraordinary changes the industry has seen throughout the working lives of older people. Seafarers who are

now approaching retirement will recall far more generous manning conditions aboard the far smaller ships on which they began their sea careers.

Fifty or sixty people aboard what, in today’s terms, would be a tiny ship would have been normal, in comparison to the larger, far more productive units manned by crews which have been progressively reduced.

Modern ships have increasingly been operated to greater and greater efficiency, with far more precision and intensity. Certainly the people who operate them have been paid more, but does this really compensate for all the hard work they deliver?

Surveys suggest that there is some discontent about rewards, but there needs to be some caution about attributing this solely to the matter of money. Pretty much everyone would like a fatter pay packet, but it is worth considering the special circumstances of the seafarer, where there are other circumstances which affect levels of satisfaction.

Certainly it could be the

case that seafare prepared to put conditions if the attractive. They little choice. Bu influenced by a other relevant e total “package”.

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CARLY FIELDS

Upwardly mob

Carly Fields speaks with seafarer calling touch with loved ones at home, and the

B

EWILDERINGLY high roaming costs and astronomical calling rates are the scourge of modern international travel.

Seafarers who spend more time in international waters than they do in their own country are acutely aware of this. But while business travellers can leave the bill for the accounts team to pick up, those at sea do not have that same luxury.

With seafarer isolation a major welfare concern, simple and cheap channels of communication with loved ones at home needed to be urgently addressed. Telecommunications company iVitta took up the challenge and in a relatively short space of time the company has become a household name among the international seafaring community.

“Seafarers are poorly paid and have lengthy spells at sea away from their families,” says Simon Black, founder of iVitta. “So we wanted to provide the best possible product and to keep the service and the SIM active and reliable from as many countries as we could, allowing seafarers to always stay in touch. Services on board are often very expensive and when ships come into port, satellite services are switched off.

“Several years ago we did some work with The Mission to Seafarers

to try and understand the habits of seafarers when it comes to keeping in touch with family. It seemed that most were keeping a bagful of SIMs to use in each country they docked at. This was crazy, as they had to keep each SIM active and try to find a top-up voucher every time they docked, plus their families had to remember a selection of different numbers depending on which SIM was in use.

“We spoke to many seafarers and it seemed that if we could get as many countries as we could on a single SIM then this would be very well received. We then went out into the telecoms marketplace to design and build the product using our experience and knowledge of this sector.” The result was iVittamobile, a ‘pay as you go’ international SIM with no roaming charges, supplied exclusively to seafarers.

With that product under its belt, iVitta shifted onto its next project. As Filipinos make up a large percentage of seafarers, iVitta believed that more could be done to offer them low call rates specifically to the Philippines and teamed up with national operator Globe.

The project, which took 18 months from start to finish and was launched earlier this year, resulted in the Seafarer SIM: a global SIM

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sep/oct 14 the sea 5

the whole package

d go round, and pay surveys suggest seafarers want more of it. But is el Grey talks about what’s most important to seafarers and why

ers might be up with hard e money was may have ut they are also whole range of elements in that . gest that eatly influenced obs that last ent of the responding to loyalty, nted out is a er”. fluenced e they are no most shore) by the size lity” of their doubt thinking ects and the will be attached organisations. o a much of reputation, ound about are well worth d in contrast, uld be avoided hing new about seafarers make h and such a ts “hungry”

ships, those that were kept running “on the smell of an oily rag” or the shipping company whose initials stood for “Slow Starvation and Agony”.

But people would still sail in such ships, because there was nothing else around at the time, or the length of voyage suited the individual or even because there was faster promotion to be had by taking an unpopular berth!

And conversely, a good reputation, for well-found ships, fair treatment, reasonable length of tour, and the availability of good family communications will contribute heavily to the attractiveness of a particular employer.

Seafarers ask around about the jobs that are going and they don’t necessarily believe all they read in the job advertisements. It is relevant to obtain an idea about retention rates. Does the fact that Company A is always recruiting relate to their expanding fleet – or is it that nobody ever willingly sails in their ships twice? There are

Is a good paycheck the only thing that keeps you at sea?(Photo: Jamie Smith) still shipping companies which keep their personnel year after year – it is always interesting to know why, but usually it is something to do with the relationship between employer

and employee. Why should that ever be surprising?

There is no getting away from the fact that seafarers complaints often revolve around issues of overwork,

fatigue, the lack of shore leave and the feeling that they are always on the end of the costcutting efforts from shore.

Often these complaints can be thoroughly justified, but it

is worth noting the reasons for them, most of which flow from the economic situation, overoptimism by owners and too many ships chasing too few cargoes and the consequent poor rewards. It’s the seafarers who will find that they are asked to “pick up the slack” and put in the additional productivity.

Will the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006) make a difference? It won’t alter the fundamentals of labour supply and demand, which depend upon the market balance, but it will hopefully ensure closer regulatory oversight of the “package”, by regularising contracts and conditions.

According to a recent Crewtoo survey, it’s making seafarers happier at sea already (see page four). If it is implemented properly, MLC 2006 will also do something to force the industry’s poor performers and those who exploit their workers, to “shape up or ship out” and by doing so will contribute to a better life at sea. Let us look on the optimistic side.

bile: the future of seafarer SIMs

g card specialist iVitta about the vital need for low cost options to help seafarers stay in e company’s plans to help more seafarers with new tools in the future

a local Filipino number and dable call and text rates worldwhich is exclusively available ipino seafarers. mon confides that iVitta is ntly in discussions with a madian network to create a SIM ated to Indian seafarers. If all to plan, Indian seafarers could y the benefits of the same low ates as their Filipino coles before the end of the year. mon is no stranger to tele; he started Alpha Telecom a business partner in 1996 g calling cards in the UK and pe. In 2003, Alpha was sold ng Simon to start up a new ess in 2006, called Tuxedo ey. This was his route into the rers’ market, and discussions turned to providing prepaid cards to seafarers in partnerwith a number of shipping nisations, including The Misto Seafarers. t turned out that we were a early and although there is d for payment cards in the try I think it will be several years before they are fully ted and of course e-money ations and ‘know your cusr’ requirements are getting er,” says Simon. move back into telecoms oned as Simon spotted a genu-

Mission chaplains distribute iVitta cards to seafarers in ports worldwide (Photo: Adam Hollingworth) ine opportunity to build a SIM that would be suitable for all seafarers.

The key, he saw, was easy-to-understand tariffs and the promise of the lowest rates possible. The iVittamobile SIM was launched in early 2011.

However, Simon understood that this system could only work

if a network of seafarer-accessible centres stocked the SIMs and vouchers so that seafarers could top up wherever they went. Here too, the Mission’s involvement was paramount.

In fact, Simon describes all iVitta’s relationships with seafarer charities as “absolutely vital”. “We

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distribute iVittamobile in over 160 centres globally and we enjoy great relationships with many centres and chaplains. Without the support of the centres there would be no iVittamobile. iVitta is, however, constantly looking for more centres and chaplains to work with as the more global the top-up network

the better it is for the seafarer.”

While affordable voice calls have been a focus of the past, nowadays it’s all about data. To meet this growing need, iVitta has launched two data SIM products in the last two years but, by Simon’s own admission, usage and adoption of them is very mixed: “Data is a minefield and when operating outside of regulated territories it’s like the Wild West. What seafarers really want is good, affordable, fast access which, let’s face it, can only really be delivered by a local network or through Wi-Fi. “Our next product will definitely have data, but we want to make sure that it is never abused and that there is no ‘bill shock’ for seafarers.” This data-inclusive product is expected by the start of next year. Another development includes a soon-to-be-launched automated ordering system for centres and chaplains. iVitta has also launched its own VOIP service called ZYP2, which neatly links to the credit on the iVitta SIM so that seafarers do not have to buy another voucher or use a debit or credit card as they would with other VOIP products, such as Skype.You can read more about iVitta and their current and upcoming products at www.ivittamobile.com

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6 the sea sep/oct 14

JUSTICE MATTERS  BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

A seafarer’s duty? Obeying orders at sea SEAFARING is unlike any occupation ashore.

Seafarers endure the dangers of winds and seas and are subjected to physical and psychological hardships unknown to land workers. Because of the risks of shipboard live and work, ancient maritime law and modern statutes accord seafarers special protections that exceed those enjoyed by workers ashore. Maritime law also recognizes the vulnerability of ships at sea and that seafarers’ safety depends upon their maintaining strict discipline and obedience to their superiors’ orders while at sea.

As the United States Supreme Court stated: “Ever since men have gone to sea the relationship of master to seamen has been entirely different from that of employer to employee on land. The lives of passengers and crew as well as the safety of ship and cargo are entrusted to the master’s care.

Everyone and everything depend on him. He must command and the crew must obey. Authority cannot be divided.”

Seafarers are required to obey the lawful orders of their superiors. A seafarers’ willful disobedience of a lawful command can result in severe penalties including dismissal and, in severe cases, criminal prosecution. The sanctions for disobeying lawful commands depend on the nature of the order and the circumstances surrounding it. In shipboard emergencies and

other situations where the safety of the ship or of any person on board, or where the marine environment is threatened, seafarers are expected to immediately and unquestioningly obey the lawful orders of their supervisors. Failure to obey orders in emergency situations is considered among the most serious breaches of discipline and could result in criminal prosecutions.

Revolts or mutinies on ships at sea are extreme forms of insubordination and are serious maritime crimes. The mere disobedience of an order by an individual seafarer does not amount to a mutiny. But, when a seafarer encourages or incites other crewmembers to disobey orders, refuse duties, or otherwise resist authority on a vessel at sea, the crime of mutiny is committed.

Seafarers are not required to obey orders that are unlawful.

Furthermore, in some cases, seafarers should disobey unlawful orders. For example, if a seafarer obeys an order to commit a crime, the seafarer would not have an acceptable excuse of following a superior’s orders.

Unfortunately, what constitutes an unlawful order is not always certain. An unlawful order is one that is clearly outside the authority of the person giving it. Ordering a seafarer to commit a crime is clearly unlawful. Ordering a seafarer to enter a tank without required safety equipment and without first

certifying that the tank is gas-free is unlawful.

Some maritime nations have enacted statutes that protect seafarers who disobey unlawful orders. For example, some countries have laws that entitle a seafarer to refuse, without fear of retaliation, to perform duties that the seafarer reasonably believes would inflict a serious injury to the seafarer or others.

Seafarers should be very careful about disobeying an order from a supervisor at sea. Because shipboard discipline is so deep-rooted in maritime law and custom, seafarers who disobey orders could be pressured or harassed. In addition, in extreme cases, they might have to defend their decision to disobey an unlawful order in court.

There is no easy course of action for a seafarer who has been given an order that he or she believes to be unlawful. Good communications on the ship and between the ship and the shipowner or manager are essential. Seafarers confronted with this situation should first try to clarify the order and explain why he or she believes it to be unlawful. If that is unsuccessful, the seafarer should consider contacting the International Safety Management (ISM) Code designated person ashore for advice and clarification.

La obligación de los marineros de acatar las órdenes Ser marinero no se parece a ninguna de las ocupaciones que se desarrollan en tierra firme.

Los marineros tienen que capear con los peligros que suponen las galernas y la mar y están expuestos a adversidades físicas y psicológicas con las que las personas que trabajan en tierra firme no tienen que lidiar. Debido a los riesgos que implican la vida y el trabajo a bordo de un buque, el antiguo Derecho Marítimo y la normativa moderna otorgan a los marineros una protección especial que está por encima de la que disfrutan los trabajadores en tierra firme. Además, el Derecho Marítimo también reconoce la vulnerabilidad de los barcos en la mar e indica que la seguridad de los marineros depende del mantenimiento de una estricta disciplina y del acatamiento de las órdenes de sus superiores en la mar.

Tal y como afirmó la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos: “Desde que el hombre se hizo a la mar, la relación entre el capitán y los marineros siempre ha sido distinta de la que existe entre empleador y empleado en tierra firme.

Las vidas de los pasajeros y de la tripulación, así como la seguridad del barco y de la carga, recaen en el capitán.

Todos y todo depende de él. Él debe ordenar y la tripulación debe acatar sus órdenes. No se puede dividir la autoridad.”

Los marineros tienen que

acatar las órdenes legítimas de sus superiores. El desacato doloso de un marinero de una orden legítima puede acarrear distintas penalizaciones, incluido el despido y, en casos graves, el inicio de un proceso penal. Las sanciones por desacato de las órdenes legítimas dependen de la naturaleza de la orden y de las circunstancias que lo rodean.

En emergencias a bordo de un buque y en otras situaciones en las que la seguridad del barco o de cualquiera de las personas que se encuentran a bordo, o el entorno marítimo se ven amenazados, se espera que los marineros acaten de manera inmediata y sin cuestionarlas las órdenes legítimas de sus supervisores.

El desacato de las órdenes en situaciones de emergencia está considerado como una de las infracciones disciplinarias más graves y podría derivar en el inicio de un proceso penal.

Las rebeliones y los motines en los barcos constituyen formas extremas de insubordinación y se consideran delitos marítimos graves. El solo desacato de una orden por parte de un marinero no constituye un motín. No obstante, si un marinero azuza o incita a otros miembros de la tripulación a desacatar las órdenes, negarse a realizar sus obligaciones o, de alguna otra forma, se opone a la autoridad imperante en un buque en la mar, se produce el delito de motín.

Los marineros no están obligados a acatar aquellas órdenes que no sean legítimas.

Además, en algunos casos, los marineros no deberían acatar las órdenes ilegítimas.

Por ejemplo, si un marinero acata una orden que le obligue a cometer un delito, dicho marinero no podrá aducir la excusa de que obedecía las órdenes de un superior.

Por desgracia, no siempre resulta fácil discernir qué es una orden ilegítima. Una orden ilegítima es una orden que, claramente, queda fuera de la autoridad de la persona que la da. Ordenar a un marinero cometer un delito es claramente ilegítimo. Ordenar a un marinero introducirse en un tanque sin ir provisto del equipamiento de seguridad necesario y sin comprobar en primer lugar que el tanque no contiene ningún gas es ilegítimo.

Algunas naciones que tienen salida al mar han aprobado normativas que protegen a los marineros que no acatan las órdenes ilegítimas. Por ejemplo, algunos países tienen en vigor leyes que permiten al marinero negarse, sin temor alguno a ninguna represalia, a llevar a cabo acciones que, en opinión razonable del marinero, ocasionarían una lesión grave para el marinero o para otras personas.

Los marineros deberían actuar con mucha cautela a la hora de desacatar una orden

dada por un supervisor en la mar. Ya que la disciplina marítima está tan enraizada en el Derecho Marítimo y en el Derecho Consuetudinario, los marineros que desacatan órdenes podrían ser sometidos a presión u hostigamiento.

Además, en casos extremos, podrían verse obligados a defender su decisión de desacatar una orden ilegítima ante un juez.

No existe un procedimiento sencillo de actuación para un marinero que ha recibido una orden que, en su opinión, es ilegítima. La existencia de una buena comunicación en el barco y entre el barco y el propietario del barco o el patrón es fundamental. Los marineros que se enfrentan a esta situación deberían intentar en primer lugar aclarar la orden y explicar las razones por las que creen que es ilegítima. Si esto no llega a buen puerto, el marinero podría considerar la opción de ponerse en contacto con la persona designada por el Código Internacional de Gestión de la Seguridad (IGS) en tierra firme, con el fin de que le asesore y le aclare la cuestión.

Долг моряков − исполнять приказы Мореплавание в корне отличается от любых сухопутных профессий. Моряков подстерегают опасные моря и ветра, они подвергаются физическим и психологическим нагрузкам, неведомым тем, кто работает на суше. Учитывая риски для жизни и работы на борту корабля, древнее морское право и современные законодательные акты предоставляют морякам особую защиту, превышающую имеющуюся у работающих на суше. Морское право также признает уязвимость кораблей в открытом море и тот факт, что безопасность моряков зависит от соблюдения ими строгой дисциплины и подчинения командам старших по званию во время плавания. Как провозгласил Верховный суд США: «С тех пор как люди вышли в море, отношения между капитаном судна и моряками строятся совершенно иначе, чем отношения между работодателем и работником на суше. Забота о жизни пассажиров и команды, равно как и о безопасности судна и груза полностью ложится на капитана. Все и вся зависит от него. Он должен отдавать приказы, а экипаж обязан подчиняться. Ответственность не может быть поделена». От моряков требуется исполнение законных приказов старших по званию. Намеренное неподчинение моряка законным приказам может повлечь за собой жесткое наказание, включая увольнение, а в некоторых особых случаях и уголовную ответственность. Меры ответственности в случае неисполнения законных приказов зависят от их характера и соответствующих обстоятельств. В экстренных случаях на борту судна, при возникновении угрозы безопасности корабля или любого находящегося на борту человека, или же

в случае угрозы состоянию морской среды, моряки обязаны незамедлительно и безоговорочно подчиняться законным приказам старших по званию. Неподчинение приказам в экстренных ситуациях рассматривается как одно из серьезнейших нарушений дисциплины и может повлечь за собой уголовную ответственность. Бунты или мятежи на кораблях, находящихся в плавании, являются крайней формой неповиновения и серьезным морским преступлением. Простое неисполнение приказа отдельным моряком не рассматривается как бунт. Но если моряк призывает или подстрекает других членов экипажа к неисполнению приказов, отказу от исполнения обязанностей, или иным образом сопротивляться власти на судне, находящемся в плавании, то он совершает преступление, квалифицирующееся как организация мятежа. Моряки не обязаны исполнять незаконные приказы. Более того, в некоторых случаях моряки должны отказываться подчиняться незаконным приказам. Например, если моряк исполняет приказ совершить преступление, то у него не будет приемлемого оправдания в виде исполнения приказа старшего по званию. К сожалению, не всегда можно уверенно определить, что же является незаконным приказом. Незаконный приказ – это то, что очевидно выходит за пределы полномочий человека, отдающего этот приказ. Приказ моряку совершить преступление является несомненно незаконным. Приказ моряку войти в топливную цистерну без надлежащей защитной экипировки и предварительно не убедившись, что в цистерне нет газа, является незаконным.

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Некоторые морские государства приняли законодательные акты, защищающие моряков, отказывающихся исполнять приказы. Например, некоторые страны имеют законы, дающие морякам право отказаться, не опасаясь ответных мер, исполнять обязанности, которые по обоснованному мнению моряка могут повлечь серьезное причинение вреда здоровью его самого или третьих лиц. Моряки должны быть очень осмотрительны, отказываясь исполнять приказы старших по званию, находясь в плавании. Поскольку дисциплина на борту корабля имеет такие глубокие корни в морском праве и традициях, то моряки, отказывающиеся подчиняться приказам, могут подвергаться давлению или нападкам. К тому же, в особых случаях, от них может потребоваться защищать свое решение о неподчинении незаконному приказу в суде. Не существует легких путей для моряка, которому был отдан приказ, являющийся по его или ее мнению незаконным. Крайне важно наличие хорошо выстроенного обмена информацией между судном и его владельцем или управляющим. Моряки, столкнувшиеся с подобной ситуацией, должны в первую очередь внести ясность в приказ и объяснить, почему он представляется им незаконным. Если эти попытки неуспешны, моряк должен рассмотреть возможность связаться с уполномоченным представителем Международного кодекса по управлению безопасностью (МКУБ) на берегу для получения совета и разъяснений.

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sep/oct 14 the sea 7

FOCUS ON FAITH  BY KEN PETERS

The story of the ship’s master and ‘the God switch’ ON THE bridge, above the wheel, the gyro compass was positioned as usual.

The helmsman kept a watchful eye on his most important instrument. Next to it was a small wooden box that I did not recognise. Another thing that caught my attention was one of the labels on a light switch on a bridge console. Translating from the Kanji character, I was sure that it read ‘the God switch’. Intrigued, I asked the helmsman if I was right, to which he replied “yes” and proceeded to tell me about the ship’s master and how he normally behaved.

When all was well with the voyage, the master was like anyone else, relaxed and professional. However, on occasions he would become nervous if, for some reason, the ship was not responding to his commands in a way that satisfied him.

It could be during especially bad weather, or fast tides, or if machinery was sounding strained or if manoeuvring was not as it should be. At that time, the master would put on ‘the God switch’. With that, the wooden box next to the gyro compass would be bathed in a bright light. This wooden box was in fact a small Shinto shrine, a holy symbol, a focus for prayer. When the master felt that all was well ‘the God switch’ would be turned off, and the shrine would pass into the shadow of the gyro compass.

This is indicative of many relationships with God. Many

people like to feel in control. Intelligent as we are, professional and competent, we can organise, and arrange. We can design equipment to keep us safe. We can produce very sophisticated modes of transport, and we can live in a very technologically sophisticated environment. We feel secure.

Yet when something goes horribly wrong or we may not be in control, or we are reminded that many things are outside of our understanding, we feel uneasy, uncomfortable and disconcerted. In such circumstances, and especially when we suffer, are in pain, or witness the inhumanity of others, we pray, turning to God for reassurance or to deliver us from the things we are afraid of.

If we believe God has listened and delivered us from our distress, or when the situation around us has returned to a safe and understandable norm, we conveniently forget about God. In the usual course of life many do not want the inconvenience of recognising God and many do not want to acknowledge Him. It is inconvenient to set aside some time to think of God and to worship Him; that is an intrusion into our lives. We may prefer to switch God on and off as we desire. We may want to blame God when things go wrong and congratulate ourselves when we are successful.

Is this the basis of your relationship with your God? Do you switch Him on and off?

El capitán del barco y “el interruptor de Dios” En el puente de mando, por encima del timón, el girocompás mantenía su posición habitual. El timonel se mantenía ojo avizor a su instrumento más importante. Al lado de éste descansaba una caja de madera de tamaño reducido que me resultó desconocida. Otra de las cosas que me llamó la atención fue una de las etiquetas de un interruptor luminoso que había en la consola del puente de mando. Traducido desde los caracteres Kanji, estaba seguro de que rezaba “el interruptor de Dios”. Intrigado, me dirigí al timonel y le pregunté si en efecto era así, a lo cual me respondió que sí y empezó a hablarme sobre el capitán del barco y a describir cómo solía comportarse.

Cuando la travesía transcurría sin incidencias, el capitán era uno más de la tripulación y se mostraba relajado y profesional. Sin embargo, había ocasiones en las que se ponía nervioso si, por la razón que fuese, el barco no respondía a sus órdenes de una forma que le satisficiese. Esto podía ocurrir cuando teníamos una mar especialmente mala, cuando las mareas eran rápidas, en aquellos casos en los que la maquinaria no funcionaba como debiera o si las maniobras no se realizaban correctamente. En esos momentos, el capitán encendía “el interruptor de Dios”. Al hacerlo, la cajita de madera que descansaba al lado del girocompás quedaba bañada en una luz brillante. Esta cajita de madera era, en realidad, un pequeño templo sintoísta, un símbolo sagrado, un punto para la oración. Cuando el capitán creía que las cosas se habían enderezado, “el interruptor de Dios” se desactivaba y el templo quedaba bajo la sombra del girocompás.

Esto resulta un ejemplo de la relación de muchas personas

con Dios. A muchas personas les gusta sentir que tienen el control. Como seres inteligentes que somos, profesionales y competentes, podemos organizar y dirigir. Podemos diseñar cualquier equipamiento para sentirnos seguros. Podemos fabricar formas de transporte muy sofisticadas y podemos vivir en un entorno muy sofisticado desde el punto de vista tecnológico. Nos sentimos seguros. Así y todo, cuando algo se tuerce de verdad o cuando ocurre algo que hace que perdamos el control, o que nos recuerda que son muchas las cosas que escapan a nuestro entendimiento, nos sentimos inquietos, a disgusto y desconcertados. En tales circunstancias y, sobre todo, cuando hay sufrimiento de por medio, cuando sentimos dolor o somos testigos de la inhumanidad del otro, rezamos. Es en esos momentos en los que dirigimos nuestra mirada a Dios en busca de consuelo o para que nos libre de las cosas que tememos.

Si creemos que Dios nos ha escuchado y nos ha librado de la aflicción, o cuando la situación que nos rodea ha vuelto a ser un estado seguro y comprensible, nos volvemos prácticos y nos olvidamos de Dios. En el devenir normal de la vida, son muchos los que no desean tener que cargar con la incomodidad de reconocer a Dios, y muchos los que no quieren aceptar su existencia. Resulta incómodo pararse a pensar durante cinco minutos en Dios y alabarle; es una intrusión en nuestras vidas. Quizás nos resulte más cómodo encender y apagar a Dios según nos convenga. Puede que estemos tentados a echar la culpa a Dios cuando las cosas se tuercen y a colgarnos medallas cuando nos van bien. ¿Son estos los cimientos de su relación con Dios?

Капитан корабля На капитанском мостике, над штурвалом, как обычно, был установлен гирокомпас. Рулевой внимательно следил за показаниями этого важнейшего прибора. Рядом с компасом находился маленький деревянный ящичек, назначение которого было для меня загадкой. Еще одной вещью, привлекшей мое внимание, была одна из маркировок на выключателе на пульте управления капитанского мостика. Я был уверен, что при переводе с канзи (японского иероглифического письма) это звучало как «выключатель Бога». Заинтригованный, я спросил рулевого, прав ли я. Тот ответил: «Да!», и повел рассказ о капитане корабля и его привычках.

When all was well with the voyage, the master was like anyone else, relaxed and professional. Однако если корабль по каким-либо причинам не подчинялся его приказам так, как ему бы этого хотелось, он начинал нервничать. Это могло происходить в особо скверную погоду, во время шторма, если вдруг корабельные механизмы звучали натужно или маневрирование выполнялось не так, как должно. В такие моменты капитан включал «выключатель Бога». Деревянный ящичек рядом с гирокомпасом заливался ярким светом. Этот деревянный ящичек был ничем иным как синтоистским алтарем − священным символом, к которому обращают молитвы. Когда капитан был уверен, что все хорошо, «выключатель Бога» был выключен и алтарь находился в тени гирокомпаса. Этот пример показателен для отношений с Богом многих из нас. Многим людям нравиться ощущать себя хозяевами своей

жизни. Умные, профессиональные и компетентные — мы можем все организовать и всем распорядиться. Мы можем создать оборудование, которое обезопасит нас. Мы можем производить усовершенствованные транспортные средства и можем жить в очень высокотехнологичной среде. Мы ощущаем себя в безопасности. Тем не менее, если вдруг происходит сбой, и мы перестаем контролировать ситуацию, или вдруг осознаем, что многие вещи не поддаются нашему пониманию, мы чувствуем себя тревожно, неуютно и пребываем в замешательстве. В таких обстоятельствах, особенно если мы страдаем, чувствуем боль или являемся свидетелями негуманного отношения к другим, мы молимся. Мы обращаемся к Богу за утешением и за помощью в избавлении от наших страхов. Если мы верим в то, что Бог услышал нас и помог нам справиться с нашими бедами, или когда ситуация вокруг нас вернулась к норме, мы благополучно забываем о Боге. В обычном течении жизни многие не желают неудобств почитания Бога и многие не желают признавать Его. Это обременительно — находить время для того, чтобы подумать о Боге и воздать ему должное, это вмешательство в нашу жизнь. Нам предпочтительнее включать и выключать Бога по нашему желанию. Мы можем винить Бога, когда что-то идет не так, и гордиться собой, достигая успехов. Так ли вы строите свои отношения с Богом? Включаете и выключаете ли вы его?

Life@Sea A picture is worth a thousand words.

Take a look at photos and video clips from other seafarers on our website and share yours to show us what your life at sea is really like.

www.missiontoseafarers.org/lifeatsea themissiontoseafarers @FlyingAngelNews Photo submitted by Rhannel Alaba

If you have any questions about your rights as a seafarer, or if you want more information or help, you can contact: Douglas B Stevenson, Center for Seafarers’ Rights, 118 Export Street, Port Newark, NJ 07114, USA. Tel: +1973 589 5825 Fax: +1973 817 8656

Email: csr@seamenschurch.org or Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal,

College Hill, London EC4R 2RL, UK. Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 20 7248 4761 Email: Justice@missiontoseafarers.org 评论? 质问? 给我们发送电子邮件! themissiontoseafarers

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8 the sea sep/oct 14

Social media is designed to keep us all closer together − but out at sea it might not be a bridge over troubled waters...

How to avoid the perils of using social media at sea A NEW training programme shows how companies can avoid adverse publicity through social media such as Facebook and YouTube.

UK-based maritime training and education company, Videotel, says its Social Media at Sea programme addresses “the unique dangers of inappropriate use of social media by shipboard personnel and provides simple solutions to ensure that seafarers understand the dangers – and benefits – of this onboard revolution”.

Videotel points out that, since the use of the internet has now become commonplace on many vessels, seafarers often have much more freedom to

communicate with friends and family using social media tools. Consequently, it warns, the thoughtless snap of a picture or video capture can often make the difference between incidents that attract little or no attention and those that end up making the headlines.

The Sea spoke to the crew of one ship who had been disciplined for posting YouTube videos of life on their ship. They said: “We did not know we would get into trouble. We always use social media, so we did not know we could not use it on the ship.”

Videotel’s CEO, Nigel Cleave, explains that the value of the new programme

lies in its ability to protect a company’s reputation against serious damage.

According to Mr Cleave the new programme replicates a “real life scenario to which anyone on board could find themselves exposed”. He adds: “We have worked hard to ensure that the video is realistic and meaningful to seafarers and demonstrates visually how thoughtless posting can get out of hand. The objective is to make them aware of the pitfalls associated with the publishing of text, pictures and video clips and to provide the tools to ensure accurate, respectful and responsible posting, in line with any social media policy in place.”

Crewtoo scores winning goal with seafarers

HK dark smoke ban looms SHIP’S engineers will have to take extra care when calling at Hong Kong, following the introduction of a new environmental regulation in Hong Kong waters.

It is now an offence for any vessel to emit dark smoke as dark as, or darker than, Shade 2 on a Ringelmann Smoke Chart for three minutes or more continuously.

Ringelmann Smoke Charts are a series of four visual charts graded from white to black, which are used to define the darkness of smoke.

According to a Hong Kong Marine Department notice the owner, agent, and master each commits an offence each time dark smoke lasting for three minutes or more is detected. They are liable for a fine of HK$25,000 (US$3,225) for a first offence and of HK$50,000 for any conviction.

Refusing to co-operate during investigations into whether the regulation has been breached is also an offence.

New fuel for sulphur cap

Seafarers submitted photos to win a competition to have the games shown on their ship (Photo: Crewtoo) EARLIER this year the popular seafarers’ website, Crewtoo.com, asked its 105,000 seafarer members to send in fun photos showing how their vessel was preparing for the World Cup 2014.

All of the photo entries were put into a hat for a prize draw, with the lucky winner getting access to KVH’s

new IP-MobileCast™ content delivery service, enabling them to watch World Cup highlights every day during the championship.

Best of all, KVH arranged live streaming of the final match directly to the winner’s vessel in the middle of the ocean.

The winner was BW Prince. The captain of the winning vessel said: “It is really a huge step forward in feeling more connected to your family and friends at home and a true and new sensation of not feeling alone and disconnected from the rest of the world while sailing on the far side of the world.”

IMO focuses on education and training for World Maritime Day 2015 THE International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided that the theme for World Maritime Day 2015 will be Maritime Education and Training (MET).

The World Maritime Day theme provides a focus for year-round activities while the day itself is celebrated at IMO headquarters and around the world in the last week of September every year.

The IMO council endorsed a proposal by the agency’s secretary-general, Koji Sekimizu, who said that effective standards of training remained the bedrock of a safe and secure shipping industry.

Mr Sekimizu said the industry needed to preserve the quality, practical skills and competence of qualified seafarers, in order to ensure its sustainability.

“The 1978 STCW Convention and Code, as amended, has set the

international benchmark for the training and education of seafarers,” Mr Sekimizu said. “While compliance with its standards is essential for serving on board ships, the skills and competence of seafarers can only be updated and maintained through effective maritime education and training.”

IMO supports skills-based training events and the sharing of technical knowledge, through national and regional Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) training events and workshops, which provide short up-grading courses, usually based on the IMO Model Courses.

At another level, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) are at the forefront of IMO’s capacity-building strategy, supporting postgraduate training in order to

www.missiontoseafarers.org

maintain a cadre of high-level managers, policy-makers and other key personnel.

The move to make education and training the theme for World Maritime Day next year has been broadly welcomed by maritime organisations.

Seafarers’ union Nautilus International’s senior national secretary, Allan Graveson, said the standards required by current IMO regulations were not high enough to make them acceptable to many countries.

He added that he welcomed the fact that attention was now being focused on the wider area of MET. Nautical college association GlobalMET welcomed “IMO’s stronger focus on the human element”.Its executive secretary, Rod Short, said a focus on the technical aspects of training had achieved a lot and it was time to give more attention to management and operation.

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EXXONMOBIL Premium has launched a new fuel, HDME 50, designed to help ship operators comply with the 0.10 per cent sulphur cap which will apply in Emission Control Areas (ECA) from January 1, 2015.

It is claimed to offer performance benefits associated with both marine gas oil (MGO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO). The fuel has both the low sulphur content associated with MGO, and the higher flashpoint and lower volatility properties found in HFO. ExxonMobil says this will help operators comply with the sulphur cap and reduce the risk of engine and boiler damage.

DC electric propulsion system SWISS-BASED power and automation technology group ABB says a vessel fitted with its Onboard DC (direct current) Grid, which allows engines to run at variable speeds for top fuel efficiency at each load level, reduced specific fuel oil consumption by up to 27 per cent and cut engine room noise levels. @FlyingAngelNews

Trials on platformsupply vessel Dina Star also measured fuel consumption in dynamic positioning operations during challenging weather conditions, with fuel savings of 14 per cent. Dynamic positioning operations, where computers automatically maintain a vessel’s position and heading, account for a considerable portion of a typical offshore vessel’s work.

Tests also showed a 30 per cent noise reduction, improving working conditions aboard the vessel.

Ecology friendly cruise ship NAVIS Engineering says that recently completed sea trials by the 99,430 gross tonnage cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 have confirmed the high performance of the company’s dynamic positioning (DP) control system, Navis Nav DP4000.

The control system was designed with TUI Cruises and has special functions which contribute to fuel reduction.

Designed and constructed for TUI Cruises by STX Shipyard in Turku, Finland and delivered in May this year, the 294-metre by 36-metre Mein Schiff 3 is an innovative cruise ship, which operates in the German premium-class cruise market.

The vessel incorporates a number of eco-friendly features, with particular emphasis on energy efficiency. According to Navis, this means Mein Schiff 3 consumes around 30 per cent less energy compared to cruise ships of similar sizes.

Maersk trial 3D printers MAERSK Tankers is to use 3D printers in a trial on its ships to see if it is feasible for ships to produce their own spare parts.

The company’s parent, giant Danish group Maersk, says it has chosen tankers for the trial because they are more likely than other ships to be trading on the spot market and so could be anywhere in the world and have more difficulty in obtaining spares.

They are also likely to be loading or discharging at remote terminals.

Maersk says it is hoping to secure agreements with parts suppliers, including engine manufacturers, and is planning to team up with them to develop the 3D printers.