The Sea March/April 2016

www.missiontoseafarers.org themissiontoseafarers @FlyingAngelNews

Issue 241 May/Jun 2016

Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

Shipping fortunes plunge to low ebb page 2 Unions hail Maritime Labour Convention ‘progress’

page 3 MCA targets vehicle carrier safety 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: Carly Fields News: David Hughes Assistant Editor: Lara Shingles The Sea is distributed free to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’ centres. You can also arrange to receive it for a suggested donation of £3.50 or $5 per year (six issues). To find out more, contact: Laura Hayes, The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London, UK EC4R 2RL Tel: +44 (0)20 7248 5202 Email: laura.hayes@ missiontoseafarers.org www.missiontoseafarers.org Registered charity in England and Wales: 1123613 The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited, Registered charity: SC041938

Piracy still a major threat to seafarers

IMarEST launches seafarer support campaign

The Mission to Seafarers continues to support the welfare needs of victims of piracy and their families, as incidents persist in 2015

THE UK-headquartered Institute of Marine Engineering Science & Technology (IMarEST) has launched a campaign to help seafarers to develop their skills and demonstrate their competencies. ImarEST says its aim is to raise awareness of options available to seafarers to grow their knowledge while continuing their role at sea – options such as innovative e-learning higher education courses specifically relevant for senior management positions ashore, for example an MSc in Sustainable Maritime Operations.

David Loosley, chief executive of IMarEST, said: “By utilising our latest elearning technology seafarers can stay at sea longer but continue to develop the skills they need to make the next career step and remain in the maritime profession.

“We believe the upskilling of seafarers will also help towards bridging the skills gap employers have identified within the sector.”

For more information go to www.imarest. org/seafar ers.

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IGURES for last year show that piracy and armed robbery on the world’s seas are persisting at levels close to those of 2014, according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report.

Meanwhile The Mission to Seafarers has continued to provide assistance to seafarers who have become the victims of piracy and their families. In a recent case the Mission in Manila came to the aid of a Filipino seafarer and his family after a tanker was attacked. Second mate Edwin Acasio and the crew of the tanker Leon Diaz were crossing the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Nigeria, Africa, when they were boarded and held hostage. In the attack, on 29 January, Mr Acasio was shot and seriously injured. After reaching hospital at Cotonou, Benin, he was treated in intensive care for stomach and hand injuries.

Back in Manila, the Philippines, Mr Acasio’s wife and two young daughters turned to their local church for help.

The Revd David Hinay, of the Philippine Independent Church (IFI), immediately contacted The Mission to Seafarers as the IFI works in partnership with the Mission, to provide help and advice to crews and their families. Mr Hinay said: “I met with the family of Mr Acasio in

Credit: Dave Jenkins

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6y7

Fight against piracy continues

February this year, and they told me that he had been shot and wounded after an attack by pirates. The crew had been robbed and he was seriously injured. The family were extremely distressed and anxious for him.”

The Mission talked to the ship agents and established where Mr Acasio was receiving treatment. They then arranged for him to be flown home from Benin to hospital in the Philippines. Mr Hinay’s role included keeping in contact

with the Mission team, liaising with Mr Acasio’s employers and praying with the family. The family said Mr Hinay’s support had been a great help to them in their time of need. Everyone was delighted when Mr Acasio arrived back home, and the Mission made regular visits to the hospital. Mr Acasio is now firmly on the mend.

The Revd Canon Stephen Miller, regional director for the Mission in East Asia, said: “This partnership with the IFI in Manila is already proving to be crucial

to ensure that the welfare needs of seafarers and their families are met all over the world. This is a tragic case and highlights the fact that there is a very real and present danger of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which the Mission continues to monitor.

I am deeply grateful to the Revd David Hinay for his swift intervention and to the IFI in Manila for working with us to provide this critical care locally.

I offer Mr Acasio and his family my prayers and best wishes for his full recovery.”

IMB: ‘More attacks on moving vessels a concern’ IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) recorded 246 incidents in 2015, one more than in 2014. The number of vessels boarded rose 11 per cent to 203, one ship was fired at, and a further 27 attacks were thwarted.

Armed with guns or knives, pirates killed one seafarer and injured at least 14.

Kidnappings, where crew are taken away and held for ransom, slightly more than doubled from nine in 2014 to 19 in 2015, all the result of five attacks off Nigeria.

A total of 15 vessels were hijacked in 2015, down from 21 in 2014, while 271

hostages were held on their ships, compared with 442 in 2014. No hijackings were reported in the last quarter of 2015. The IMB says one key factor in this recent global reduction was the drop in attacks against small fuel tankers around South East Asia’s coasts, the last of which occurred in August 2015.

Commenting on the Asian situation IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said: “The IMB particularly commends the robust actions taken by the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities in the arrest and prosecution of two gangs that hijacked tankers. We also

applaud the subsequent arrest of some of the alleged masterminds.”

However, Capt Mukundan urged shipmasters to maintain strict anti-piracy and robbery watches. South East Asia still accounts for most of the world’s incidents.

Almost 55 per cent of the region’s attacks were against vessels under way, compared to 37 per cent in 2014. Most were aimed at low-level theft. The IMB cites this rise on moving vessels as a cause for concern, as it increases potential risks to the vessels and their crew.

Alleged discharge of oily wastewater YET another case of alleged illegal discharge of oily wastewater is going through the US courts. In this instance it is alleged that two engineers demonstrated the operation of the oil water separator to US port state control inspectors in such a way that the equipment appeared to be working properly even though it was not.

It is alleged that, during a voyage from China to Seattle in October 2015, the oil water separator on the 74,133 dwt bulker Gallia Graeca was inoperable, resulting in www.missiontoseafarers.org

the accumulation of untreated oily water.

It is also alleged that on three occasions during the trip the engineers operated the equipment in a way that bypassed safeguards that prevent the discharge of oily water, resulting in the discharge of more than 5,000 gallons of contaminated water.

Engineers Konstantinos Chrysovergis and Tryfon Angelou as well as the ship’s operator, Angelakos, and her owner, Gallia Greaca Shipping, have been charged with falsification of records in a federal themissiontoseafarers

investigation, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, with concealment of material information from the US, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, which is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment.

Each count also carries a potential fine of US$500,000. US authorities routinely check for illegal oil discharges and there have been many prosecutions, usually leading to severe penalties for those involved. @FlyingAngelNews

Ten years for drug smuggling seafarer A NORWEGIAN Cruise Line seafarer has been jailed for 10 years in the US for his part in smuggling cocaine into the country from Honduras. Twentythree-year-old Desrick Gordon from St Vincent was also ordered to forfeit US$53,369, which was traceable to proceeds of the crime.

Mr Gordon, along with five other crew members from Norwegian Cruise Line, received packages of cocaine from a source of supply in Honduras while the cruise ship was docked there. The packages ranged from 750 grammes to a full kilo of cocaine.

Once the ship had docked in Tampa, the six men gathered at a restaurant near the port to remove their hidden cocaine packages. They then met with two local drug traffickers, who had ties to the Honduran source of supply, and handed over the cocaine. The two local traffickers were stopped by law enforcement officers after leaving Tampa’s Channelside District.

Agents seized 10 packages of cocaine with a total weight of more than 7.5 kilos.

2 the sea May/Jun 2016

UKHO issues fake chart warning

Shipping fortunes plunge to low ebb as downturn persists Confidence in the shipping industry falls to record low as prospects for recovery remain slim

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HERE is general agreement that not only is most of the shipping industry suffering a severe economic downturn at present but also that prospects for a recovery any time soon are slim. Almost all sectors of the industry report very challenging times, with the exception of the cruise ship sector.

Bulk shipping is in particularly poor financial shape, with the rest of the industry not far behind.

Tanker shipping, which had been doing well, is now also suffering from too many ships chasing cargo.

One sign of the crisis facing the industry is a decision by Singapore to cut port charges for bulkers.

In early April the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announced it would grant a 10 per cent concession on port dues for bulk carriers “in view of the current downturn in the shipping industry”.

This latest move follows the MPA’s announcement in January of an additional 10 per cent

concession on port dues granted to container vessels.While shipowners will welcome moves such as these it is clear that the shipping industry’s problems are deep-rooted. This is reflected by responses to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens.

Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry fell to a record low in the three months to February 2016. The average confidence level expressed by respondents in the markets in which they operate was 5.0 on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high). This compares to the 5.6 recorded in November 2015, and is the lowest rating in the life of the survey, which was launched in May 2008 with a confidence rating of 6.8.

One shipping industry insider pointed out: “Newbuilding deliveries for 2016 will increase the total fleet by 10.5 per cent, 7 per cent of the current fleet is older than 20 years, and cargo volumes in

Credit: Videotel

Safebridge launches online ECDIS courses

Videotel and Safebridge have joined forces to provide type-specific ECDIS e-learning courses

E-LEARNING training companies UK-based Videotel and Norwegian-based Seagull have signed separate non-exclusive deals with German-based Safebridge, which specialises in ECDIS training. Videotel and Seagull will now offer courses aimed at enabling shipping companies to certify their seafarers in ECDIS type-specific training while serving on board. The moves come as International Maritime Organization regulations requiring ECDIS compliance on all ship types are in a roll-out phase that began in 2012 and will continue until 2018.

Nigel Cleave, Videotel chief executive, said that he hopes the agreement will help owners overcome training challenges. “Training crew on ECDIS type-specific models has been a real headache for shipping companies and shipmanagers over past years. The large number of different ECDIS models and the fact that crew generally have to complete their training ashore means that the shipping industry has faced a costly logistical burden in getting crew the knowledge they legally require.”

2015 were just 4.5 per cent higher than in 2014, so the expected available fleet per metric ton of dry cargo available will be higher at the end of 2016 than it is now. As a result, there is no chance of freight levels improving.”

Moore Stephens shipping industry group partner, Richard Greiner, said: “Shipping continued along its volatile course in the three months to endFebruary 2016, with the confidence of industry participants reaching the lowest level since our survey was launched in May 2008. This is disappointing and unsurprising in equal measure.”

Looking ahead, he said: “In any industry, the price of a service or product must exceed the cost of providing that service or product in order to achieve a return on investment. In shipping, that is simply not happening at present. Nobody doubts the ability of shipping to bounce back. It has a long history of doing just that. This time, the only question is when.”

ICS issues new bridge procedures guide THE International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published a new edition of the ICS Bridge Procedures Guide which is widely regarded as the standard reference for merchant ships and is used by seafarers and training institutes worldwide.

The fifth edition has been comprehensively revised by an expert working group nominated

by ICS’s member national shipowners’ associations to address the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention with additional emphasis on bridge resource management for all officers in charge of the navigational watch, and the use of new technology such as Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS) and other electronic aids to navigation.

Particular attention has also been given to the importance of the passage planning process.

ICS secretary general, Peter Hinchliffe, explained: “ICS attaches the utmost importance to safe navigation.

“The purpose of the Guide has always been to provide clear and accessible guidance on best practice for watchkeeping on the bridge. Rapid technological advances make this an increasingly complex task and the need for strict adherence to procedures that follow established best practice cannot be overstated.”

Inmarsat C celebrates 25th anniversary GLOBAL mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat, has marked the 25th anniversary of its Inmarsat C service by revealing that more than 600 distress alerts from vessels in urgent need were broadcast over the service in 2015.

According to Inmarsat, this demonstrates how the decision made by IMO requiring all ships over 300 gross tons to be fitted with a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) remains pivotal in protecting lives at sea.

Ronald Spithout, Inmarsat maritime president, commented: “GMDSS has made the biggest single

contribution to maritime safety since the advent of radio in 1899. Thousands of lives have been saved and countless ships rescued as a result.”

Today, some 100,000 vessels rely on Inmarsat C to provide vital communications, at the press of a button. Inmarsat C and Mini C terminals also support safetyNET, the satellite-based global maritime broadcast service providing meteorological and navigation warnings, plus search and rescue broadcasts. The imminent launch of SafetyNET II means that enhanced functionality will also be available to maritime safety information

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providers who broadcast safety messages.

Mr Spithout added: “Safety at sea forms the foundation of our organisation; it’s in our DNA. “We have been working tirelessly to provide critical always-on, reliable communications infrastructure that seafarers, vessels and nations depend on to help save lives at sea.

“In 2020 we expect to launch our latest generation satellite constellation – Inmarsat-6, continuing our 35+ year commitment to L-band and safety services.”

Inmarsat is the only safety services provider in the world approved to

deliver GMDSS under the rigorous International Convention for the Safety of Life At Sea requirements.

Since its inception by the International Maritime Organization in 1979, Inmarsat’s stated mission has been to protect the lives of seafarers globally by providing them and their vessels with an essential, free of charge communication lifeline in case of collision, grounding, fire, bad weather and piracy. Its communications enable ships to stay in constant touch with shore or to call for help in an emergency, no matter how far out to sea.

THE United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) says counterfeit versions of Admiralty charts and publications are in circulation, and warns they pose a danger to vessels, crew and cargo.

The UKHO says: “These counterfeit items have not been assessed by UKHO experts, who cross check and quality assure Admiralty Maritime Products & Services to ensure mariners receive up-to-date and accurate information.” It adds that carriage of counterfeit documents is illegal in most countries.

The UKHO has outlined a number of preventative measures in its Guide to Identifying Counterfeit Admiralty Products, which can be downloaded for free at: http://bit.ly/Identifying Counterfeits.

Medical checks in Russia RUSSIAN seafarers serving on ships insured by the UK P&I Club will now be able have medical checks in their own country. The insurer has extended its Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) Programme clinic network to include Russia, through the services of AP Companies Global Solutions, which has joined the PEME network as a healthcare provider.

Arctic sea ice record low ARCTIC sea ice appears to have reached a record low wintertime maximum extent for the second year in a row, according to US space agency NASA. Every year, the cap of frozen seawater floating on top of the Arctic Ocean and its neighbouring seas melts during the spring and summer and grows back in the autumn and winter months, reaching its maximum yearly extent between February and April.

On 24 March Arctic sea ice extent peaked at 5.67 million square miles, a new record low winter maximum extent in the satellite record that started in 1979.

Singapore allows e-logbooks In a circular, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore says it will now accept the use of the electronic log book as equivalent to the manual deck and engine log books on board Singapore-registered ships.

This development will help with keeping a record of navigation and engineering activities, and acknowledges the electronic log book as a way to improve the efficiency and accuracy of record keeping.

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3 the sea May/Jun 2016

Unions hail Maritime Labour Convention ‘progress’ Amendments to protect seafarers’ wages, and address harassment and bullying on board ships are among improvements to MLC 2006 SEAFARER unions and employers’ organisations say progress has been made towards improving the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006), the key international measure covering living and working conditions at sea, and that outstanding issues relating to seafarers’ identity cards have been resolved.

Speaking in February in Geneva where two International Labour Organization (ILO) meetings were being held, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) seafarers’ section chair Dave Heindel, said: “It’s great to see these two meetings – the ILO MLC Special Tripartite Committee (STC) and the Ad Hoc Tripartite Maritime Committee for the amendment of Convention 185 – build on the existing provisions. On the MLC developments, one of the wins has been the achievement of a resolution to establish a working group to prepare proposals for an amendment to protect seafarers’ wages when they are held captive, on or off the vessel as victims of a criminal act.”

Mr Heindel continued: “The further win is the adoption of an amendment

to address harassment and bullying on board ships with the inclusion of the recently published, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and ITF guidelines.”

The STC also agreed to a Shipowner Group proposal to harmonise provisions related to the renewal of Maritime Labour Certificates with similar certificate renewal provisions contained in other international maritime instruments. It also agreed to amendments highlighting the importance of health and safety on board ships.

Sarah Cerche, acting as spokesperson for the Shipowner Group, explained that: “Shipowners have clear and justified concerns about difficulties with port state control as a result of any delay in issuance of the renewed Maritime Labour Certificate. When it enters into force, this new amendment will crucially ensure that, where a ship has successfully undergone its renewal inspection and all the requirements of the Convention are met, any administrative delay in issuing a new certificate will not unnecessarily impede the ship continuing with its work.”

A new resolution agreed by the STC also establishes a working group to examine issues related to the protection of seafarers’ wages when a seafarer is held captive as a result of acts such as piracy.

Commenting on the outcome of the STC meeting, Peter Hinchliffe, ICS secretary general, said: “The meeting has reaffirmed the strength of the tripartite system involving ILO member states and seafarers in debate with shipowner representatives.

The effort to promote the widest possible ratification of this landmark maritime Convention continues to be a core priority for ICS.” The new amendments to the MLC will now be considered for adoption by the next session of the ILO International Labour Conference, with the entry into force of the amendments anticipated in late 2018. Meanwhile, efforts to make the necessary preparations for the amendments adopted in 2014 (regarding financial security for crew claims and cases of abandonment) continue apace in view of their entry into force in January 2017.

Wärtsilä wins big offshore design project

DESPITE the downturn in the offshore industry, due to the low oil price, Wärtsilä has won a contract from “a well known Chinese yard” to design a new jack-up lift vessel, with options for three more vessels. The Wärtsilä design is developed in collaboration with Altis, a consultancy company specialising in the lift boat market.

Lift vessels are self-propelled and provide an offshore elevating platform with manoeuvring capabilities to support various operations, including oil well intervention activities, and the maintenance, repairs, upgrades and removal of offshore rigs.

The 70.5-metre-long design can accommodate 250 people and will be capable of operating in water depths of up to 75 metres. Delivery is scheduled for September next year.

Riku-Pekka Hägg, vice president of ship design at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, said: “Wärtsilä was chosen to design this new series of vessels because of our expertise, as well as our strong track record in the offshore market.

“Furthermore, our global engineering and project development services mean that we can be a valuable local partner to both the yard and the owner.”

MPA issues barbecue fire safety warning ships, causing a fire or explosion at the site, and resulting in officers and crew receiving severe burns. In one case injured seafarers had to be evacuated from the vessel and needed extensive treatment ashore.

The MPA says: “Investigations into these incidents have revealed that the persons preparing the barbecue had used a paint thinner to light up the charcoal or sustain the fire on the barbecue pit.”

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PORT state control officers (PSCOs) in the Tokyo MoU and Paris MoU regions took part in a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Crew Familiarization for Enclosed Space Entry from September to November last year. The organisers say that, in general, the results of the CIC indicate that the subject of enclosed space entry is taken seriously by the industry.

“A satisfactory result regarding the detention percentage, but work to be done”, says Richard Schiferli, secretary general of the Paris MoU Secretariat on Port State Control, adding that: “both industry and PSCOs should continue to pay attention to enclosed space entry.” He says the effort should be directed especially to the training of the crew and the correct execution of drills.

Minimum wage frozen at $614 The recommended International Labour Organization (ILO) Minimum Wage for Able Seafarers is to remain at its current level of US$614 basic pay per month until at least 2018. This was agreed by representatives of maritime employers and seafarers’ unions at an ILO Joint Maritime Commission meeting in Geneva in April.

The International Chamber of Shipping said that while the ILO minimum only refers to the basic wage for the nonofficer grade of Able Seafarer, the total minimum payable is actually much higher when account is taken of overtime payments and other pay related entitlements under the ILO Maritime Labour Convention.

One year extension for ECDIS update

Wärtsilä’s new jack-up lift vessel design

FOLLOWING a number of incidents involving injuries to crew members when lighting barbecues on vessels, the Singapore Government has warned against the use of inappropriate fuel to ignite and sustain barbecues on board for social events.

A Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) circular says that several incidents involving make-shift barbecue pits have occurred recently on board

‘Work to be Isle of Man’s online done’ on certification enclosed ‘success’ spaces

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The MPA warns shipowners and masters that when conducting barbecue parties, where permitted by a company’s Safety Management System (SMS), due consideration should be given to the risks of fire and explosion when lighting such fires. The MPA also says the risks should be adequately addressed within the SMS and at no time should inappropriate fuel, such as paint thinners, be used.

THE International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed a one-year extension to the transition period for software updates to existing ECDIS. The extension had been proposed by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) to give all shipowners using ECDIS more time to be able to obtain the correct software updates to the new IHO-52 presentation library.

The new Version 4.0 update should solve the problem of continual audible alarms. By providing clear guidance to ECDIS manufacturers on ENC objects that will raise an alarm, the IHO says it has tackled the issue of ‘alarm fatigue’ on the bridge. The current Version 3.4 will remain valid until 31, August 2017. After that all ships with ECDIS must be using the new software.

A NEW system set up by the Isle of Man Ship Registry for processing online applications for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) endorsements has been hailed as a “great success”, according to the flag state. Each year the ship registry processes over 3,000 applications for STCW endorsements, allowing seafarers to sail on Isle of Man registered ships.

The registry’s director, Dick Welsh, said the online service had streamlined the processes at each end of the application, reducing processing time and paper.

Cruise lines cut Turkey from itineraries CRUISE SHIPS belonging to at least two major lines are missing out calls to Turkish ports following a series of terror attacks in the country, according to Tradewinds.

Carnival Corp and MSC told the shipping newspaper that their vessels would be visiting alternative locations from May. Some other cruise operators are thought likely to do the same but Greekbased Celestyal Cruises said it had not changed its itineraries.

European Commission invests in maritime careers The European Commission has announced that €7.5 million has been earmarked under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to boost maritime careers.

This is good news for European shipowners as the funding will address the current challenge of raising awareness around the attractiveness of a seafaring career.

Karmenu Vella, commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries, said: “With these calls for proposals, the European Commission is taking another step to create the conditions for blue growth in Europe.

“We are developing skills.

We are rewarding creativity.

We are boosting technology.

Armed with these assets, I am convinced that the European maritime industry can become a global pioneer of blue growth.”

The objective is to fill existing skills’ gaps by supporting activities that will increase employability in the marine sector, which currently suffers from a shortage of people ready to work due to the perceived lack of career attractiveness as well as other factors such as age.

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4 the sea May/Jun 2016

MICHAEL GREY

World Health Organization issues Zika travel alert

The perils of

IN RESPONSE to the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, particularly in Central and South America, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a travel alert applying to 22 countries, including Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and the US Virgin Islands.

Although Zika itself is not particularly dangerous to most people and the condition is usually mild and short-lived, there is growing evidence of a link between the virus in pregnant women and birth defects in their children.

In addition there is a possible, but so far unconfirmed, link between

While navigational satellites may technology could still land ships

Zika virus and the rare nerve disorder Guillain–Barré syndrome.

WHO has declared the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological disorders reported in Brazil to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. There is currently no vaccine or drug to prevent Zika infection but the epidemic has triggered a surge in medical research aimed at combating Zika.

An emergency committee of WHO, convened in February 2016 under the International Health Regulations, found no justification for restrictions on travel or trade.

In response to its members’

concerns about Zika virus, seafarers’ union Nautilus International has obtained advice from the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) chief medical adviser. This is that seafarers should follow the same precautions as for Malaria and Dengue Fever, which is the “meticulous avoidance of mosquito bites”.

The MCA also recommends checking specialist websites, including travelhealthpro.org. uk/. On 1 March this website advised that pregnant women postpone non-essential travel to areas with active Zika virus transmission until after pregnancy.

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Credit: Norsafe

Norsafe’s STCW compliant course STCW-certified training a matter of life or death, says Norsafe

LIFEBOAT manufacturer Norsafe says it has become the first lifeboat manufacturer to provide Convention on Standards, Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) and Norwegian Oil and Gas (NOROG) compliant training courses for seafarers. STCW approval comes as demand for revalidation mounts, ahead of the deadline for seafarers to hold updated

certificates. Norsafe has two training academies, one in Rosendal, Norway, and the other in Athens providing STCW and NOROG compliant courses.

Speaking with Professional Mariner, Michael Røssland, vice president of Norsafe Academy, said: “Norsafe offers life-saving equipment of the highest standard, worldwide servicing and now with the addition of STCW-

certified training, we can confidently state we’re a complete safety supplier.

“With Port State Control Inspections consistently finding a 10 per cent deficiency rate in lifesaving equipment maintenance and training, it is important that shipowners and ship management companies focus on this area as it could quite literally be a matter of life or death.”

efficiency and operational speed flexibility. The project develops further HHI and LR’s work on maximised and safe container loading and continues GE’s collaboration with LR on the COGES (Combined Gas turbine, Electric and Steam) propulsion and power system technology.

The joint development project was signed on 15 March in Seoul

by GE, HHI and LR, and is the latest step in the development of gas-

turbine-powered ship designs suitable for deep sea, commercial applications.

While gas turbines are a proven technology and have been used at sea in naval ships and high-speed craft, as well as in passenger ships, the benefits of gas turbines have not yet been applied to mainstream cargo shipping. This project will develop a design to safely maximise the potential operational benefits of gas turbine systems.

‘Action needed’ on seafarer health WHILE there has been a global effort by vessel-operating companies to improve emergency medical treatment at sea through the increased use of telemedicine, much less time is being spent on seafarers’ healthcare while living and working on board a ship, according to Christina DeSimone, president and founder of the maritime tele-medical service provider, Future Care.

Speaking at the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) 2016 Shipping Convention about the

link between seafarers’ health and shipping efficiency, she said: “Currently, the extent of the employer’s primary care treatment begins and ends with the Pre-Employment Examination.”

Ms DeSimone said that the Pre-Employment Examination (PEME) often helped identify chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems before the mariner goes on board. But then nothing more

was done, and seafarers could spend many months at sea without further medical support. She went on to say that these untreated conditions could lead to potentially expensive shoreside medical visits, unscheduled repatriations, ship deviations or emergency evacuations.

Ms DeSimone added that an ability to diagnose and treat a seafarer while on board not only saved time and money but led to improved mental and physical wellbeing for the individual.

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break down at the crucial moment,” he warned me. I was grateful for that warning a few years later when such a thing actually happened and we started to go round in circles in the middle of the Gibraltar Straits, fortunately with other ships being at a reasonable distance.

You can also be rather too precise these days, with your computerised passage plans that ensure that you steam the very shortest possible distance between departure and destination. In the ‘old days’ you would lay down courses that kept you well clear of any hazards, and gave thought to the density of the traffic, so that in busy places you didn’t bunch up, or all want to alter course at exactly the same place.

But such is the confidence of many modern navigators that in their enthusiasm for the shortest distance, their computers program their passage plans along exactly the same track. If you doubt this, the wonderful facility of automatic identification enables those concerned with coastal surveillance to replicate the tracks of vessels on passage, and the sheer number following the computerised ‘favourite’ route has to be seen to

be believed. Whi sensible, if you are the mitigation of density.

Another conc precise electronic n too often the per

CARLY FIELDS

Armed guards

As the Seaman Guard Ohio crew PCASP often ‘fall between the

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Turbine-powered boxship plan US-BASED engine-maker General Electric (GE), South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and UK-based classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) have signed up to a project to develop a gas-turbine-powered, electrically driven, 14,000 teu containership design.

The companies say that, with LNG-fuelled gas turbines and electric motors, the design will be a clean powered ship with maximum

OBODY ever gets lost any more, thanks to the wonderful navigational satellites orbiting our earth. They offer us positional precision that was unimaginable when all we had were heavenly bodies and our trusty sextants to produce position lines with.

But you can place too much trust in technology, as the Royal Institute of Navigation warned recently, pointing out that you really ought to learn how to read a map just so that you don’t end up making enormous detours after the Satnav has misheard its instructions. Mountain rescue and the lifeboat people are also getting a bit exasperated at having to retrieve people who have been completely lost because the battery in their “smartphone” had become exhausted and with it their navigational “app”, leaving them without a clue about their position.

Navigational precision is wonderful, but I can still hear the rollicking I received as a junior watchkeeper, all those years ago, after passing a ship rather too close for the master’s comfort. “You never know what might happen should the steering gear in either ship

Credit: Louis Vest

NEWS

HE case of the Seaman Guard Ohio crew and guards, held in India for over two years, contrary to international maritime and human rights law, underscores the risks that seafarers, whatever their role or rank, face while undertaking their day to day business.

In October 2013, the vessel strayed into Indian waters while carrying what Indian police claimed to be illegal weapons, without permission. Despite providing all the weapons’ certification and the relevant paperwork proving that the arms were to provide maritime security to merchant vessels, the armed guards on the vessel were found guilty and jailed for five years along with the rest of the crew.

Speaking to The Sea, Peter Cook, chief executive of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry, a global organisation representing companies working in the maritime security industry, said he was concerned about the welfare of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP).

Because these armed guards are not recognised in any international labour Conventions, he says, they are not adequately protected when things go wrong – and so, often

‘fall between the cracks’ in the law, as it were.

“Ideally”, Mr Cook went on, “PCASP should be incorporated into the Maritime Labour Convention as seafarers, but various competent authorities have deemed that they’re not, including the UK’s Maritime Coastguard Agency. I believe that is what should happen because then that would also bring them under the wing of the International Transport Workers’ Federation; they would then have a voice and we could look at contracts and all kinds of other things.”

The Mission to Seafarers’ regional director for the Gulf Region and India, the Revd Paul Burt agreed: “PCASP can get a raw deal through not being recognised as seafarers.

If they were recognised as such, they could benefit more straightforwardly from seafarer union representation and protection.

“They could also benefit from a standardized contract which would make clear who is responsible for taking out various insurances for legal support and medical repatriation, among other things.”

International bodies could also do more, says Mr Burt: “They could make representations to the government and coastguard/naval

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authorities of those coastlines border in order to get a acceptance that although armed entitled to free pa being accused of activities simply b in international w to the countries in Another sugg PCASP should pa attention to checkin maritime security co working for, as ul companies will be t out for their welfa Mr Cook ch establishment of specifically for PCA same way that SAM security companies them the protec deserve and go som raising the profile o but all-too-often ove of the maritime s And, he added, organisation woul united front to se insurers, ensuring in place is app competitively pric “One voice sho difference; a bod 800,000 people ac

5 the sea May/Jun 2016

of positional precision

y offer unimaginable positional precision, placing too much trust in s in dangerous territory, writes Michael Grey

Too much time glued to computer screens on the bridge is causing navigational issues

Which is not very are thinking about of risk and traffic

oncern about the ic navigator is that person doing the

passage planning is using the seamarks – lightships and buoys – as waypoints for their voyage. Capt Ian McNaught, who as deputy master of Trinity House, has a vested interest in these aids to navigation, points out that such navigational

practices have a nasty habit of leaving his equipment damaged and dented. In his foreword to the latest Marine Accident Investigation Branch Safety Digest, he emphasises the importance of the traditional watchkeeper’s mission of looking

out of the window on a regular basis, just to see if a lightship is disappearing under the bow.

He notes that Automatic Identification System (AIS) data tells Trinity House that ships are being taken closer to danger and

that “passage plans are perhaps not as cautious as they once were”.

Whether this is due to distraction, fatigue, problems with technology on the bridge, training or the interface between humans and equipment, the end result, says Capt McNaught, is that “more of our physical aids to navigation are being damaged by collision from vessels”. And that is not something of which navigators can be proud, if they clout a well-marked and charted buoy or a whacking great lightship that is visible miles away, day or night.

It is a problem worldwide, as, while fewer ships are being lost, the insurers point out that the number of navigational accidents – strandings and collisions – remain the same. What might be the reason for this, in an era where dead reckoning is pretty well dead and everyone knows where they are on the surface of the earth with such pleasing precision? Maybe not looking out of the window is at the core of the problem, with people keeping their heads down in front of their screens.

This issue of Safety Digest recounts an eminently avoidable collision caused largely by people

chatting on the VHF to each other, not speaking the same language, misunderstanding each other’s stated intentions and causing a great deal of damage to two ships.

If they had just shut up, as in the days before the facility of VHF, and got on with interpreting the regulations, they would have passed clear. The same edition offers us a ship which ran ashore when the OOW was too busy correcting charts either to look out of the window or alter course at the crucial moment, and another when an exhausted mate sat on a sofa and was woken up when the ship hit the beach.

But there was never any doubt about either ship’s position!

Maybe the answer lies in even cleverer equipment, better designed, without alarms going off all the time and ‘head up displays’ on the wheelhouse windows, like they have in jet fighters. But it would probably be better still if more effort was made to teach people to use the wonderful equipment they have already, so that they don’t edit out lightships and other aids to navigation from their electronic charts, which they then go on to dent, after failing to look out of the window!

‘not adequately protected’

ose countries whose er the patrol areas t at least a tacit hat such vessels, ed, are perfectly passage, without of 'anti national' y by being present al waters adjacent s in question.” uggestion is that pay more careful cking on the private y companies they’re ultimately those be the ones looking elfare. champions the of an association CASP, in much the AMI represents the nies. This could give ection that they some way towards e of this important, overlooked element e security system. d, a centralised ould also present a services, such as ng that the cover ppropriate and priced for PCASP. shouting makes no body made up of actually makes a

difference and they have to understand that,” said Mr Cook.

An organisation in this vein could work with the ITF, or one of the other unions such as Nautilus, to improve the welfare of PCASP. However, to date, there hasn’t been enough momentum to take this forward.

Part of the reason for this is that it is still relatively early days as far as private maritime security companies are concerned. And while the model of using PCASP has been successful in the waters off Somalia and the wider Gulf of Aden, operations are necessarily different in the Gulf of Guinea and in the South China Sea. “With increasing numbers of ships and decreasing numbers of naval vessels, the use of private security companies to provide security on board ships is inevitably going to increase,” warned Mr Cook. “It’s an evolving situation and we have got to take it forward one step at a time in order to be able to achieve the end result.”

While all of the above suggestions would serve to improve the lot of PCASP currently in service or considering a career as an armed maritime security guard, they are of limited use to the imprisoned Seaman Guard Ohio crew. As they

and their families continue the fight to clear their names to allow them to return home, they have relied on the welfare support given by the Mission.

Mr Burt is currently the only non-family member allowed to visit the Seaman Guard Ohio crew in prison, aside from their lawyer and the staff of the British Deputy High Commission in Chennai.

Since the start of the men’s ordeal, the Mission has provided pastoral visits and advice and has coordinated efforts made on their behalf by lawyers and the ITF. “We are also supporting the families in the UK and maintaining a high profile of the case in the media,” added Mr Burt. “I have been interviewed three times by BBC local radio stations recently and we have also made emergency funds available to the men and their families.”

The families of the armed guards have launched a campaign through The Mission to Seafarers to raise the vital money needed to fund a legal team and expenses. As of the end of March, the total donated on www.justgiving.com/freesgo6 was £33,809.46, just over a third of the £100,000 target. An appeal against the crew’s five-year sentences is scheduled for 1 June, 2016.

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Credit: Andrej Polivanov

ew continue their fight to return home, Carly Fields asks why e cracks’ and whether a centralised organisation might help

Private security personnel should benefit from union and flag state support

The Revd Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers’ director of justice and public affairs, said the delays in exonerating them have caused immense distress for the families.

“The uncertainty and the repeated disappointments at the lack of progress is taxing the resilience of the families. This leads

to a feeling that there is a punitive attitude among those seeking to uphold the charges.

“The long term effect of not knowing why there is a determination on the part of the prosecution to relentlessly pursue the crew and guards, is to undermine confidence in the integrity of the process and question the motivation

of those intent on reaching a final guilty verdict. I have immense respect for the families and the way in which they are baring the pain. They are suffering and for innocent people to be subjected to such treatment goes against all sense of natural justice.”

Seaman Guard Ohio crew lose bail bid – Page 8

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6 the sea May/Jun 2016

JUSTICE MATTERS n BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Maintaining good order and discipline MARITIME law affords seafarers extraordinary rights such as medical care, decent food and lodging, and repatriation. Balanced against these rights, however, are obligations, responsibilities, and strict discipline similar to that of the military.

Ships’ masters are responsible for maintaining good order and discipline on their ships. Masters have legal and moral responsibility for protecting their ships, crew, passengers and cargo. Because of this, maritime law affords unique authority to a master.

As the US Supreme Court has decided: “Ever since men have gone to sea, the relationship of master to seaman 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 depends on him. He must command and the crew must obey. Authority cannot be divided.”

Surprisingly, there is very little written in court decisions, in statutes or in international instruments that define a master’s authority. Modern laws and court decisions seem to take for granted the extraordinary authority of a master relative to vessel

operations. When balancing individual seafarers’ rights with the public interest of preserving a master’s authority on a ship at sea, maritime law puts a higher value on a master’s authority as a way of protecting lives and property at sea. Today’s courts continue to enforce traditional concepts of a ship master’s authority.

Masters are not above the law, however, and there are legal sanctions for their abusing their authority, but in most cases, seafarers must wait until returning to port for any redress.

Disobeying a master’s order is considered to be a serious offence.

Seafarers taking over control of a ship at sea from the master is one of the most serious crimes in maritime law. When seafarers resist a master’s lawful command by force, fraud or threats, or prevent a master from carrying out the free and lawful exercise of authority and command, they can be convicted of the crime of mutiny. Going on strike while at sea could be considered mutiny in many maritime nations.

While a ship master’s authority to maintain discipline is supported by the courts, the methods to be used to maintain discipline have been severely limited by statute. Cruel punishments such as flogging and keel-hauling (being dragged along under

the keel of the ship) have long been outlawed. Historic punishments for seafarers’ offences have been generally replaced by statutory and contractual sanctions. While offences and sanctions vary from country to country, common features of shipboard disciplinary procedures include the following: • Ship’s log. A master’s failure to record an offence in the ship’s log in a timely manner can be a reason to overturn a penalty.

• Fines and forfeitures. Where fines and forfeitures are allowed by law, they are usually paid to the flag state, not to the shipowner.

• Dismissal. Many seafarers’ employment agreements and flag state laws allow a master to dismiss a seafarer for specified serious infractions or contract violations.

• The master must follow procedures. Courts are reluctant to deprive seafarers of their wages or employment unless the master strictly follows procedures specified by contract or law.

• Disrating. Masters have authority to reduce a seafarer’s rank or rating for incompetence to protect the health and safety of the ship and its crew.

Deductions against wages are no longer allowed, except in very limited circumstances specifically authorised by statute.

Mantener el orden y la disciplina LA legislación marítima otorga derechos extraordinarios a la gente de mar, como los de asistencia médica, comida y alojamiento decentes, y repatriación. Por otro lado, existen obligaciones, responsabilidades y una disciplina estricta parecida a la de los militares.

Los capitanes de los barcos son responsables de mantener el orden y la disciplina en sus embarcaciones. Tienen la responsabilidad moral y jurídica de proteger a sus barcos, su tripulación, sus pasajeros y su carga. Por eso, la legislación marítima otorga autoridad exclusiva al capitán.

Tal como lo dictaminó el Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos: “Desde que los hombres se hicieron a la mar, la relación entre el capitán y el marino ha sido totalmente diferente a la de un empleado y su jefe 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. Todo y todos dependen de él. Él debe ejercer el mando y la tripulación debe acatar sus órdenes. No se puede dividir la autoridad”.

Es extraño pero hay muy poco escrito en decisiones de tribunales, leyes o instrumentos internacionales donde se defina la autoridad del capitán. La legislación moderna y las decisiones de los tribunales parecen dar por sentada la extraordinaria autoridad de un capitán en relación con las operaciones del barco. Al tratar de establecer un equilibrio entre los derechos individuales de los marinos y el interés público de mantener la autoridad del capitán en un buque en el mar, la legislación marítima confiere un valor mayor a la autoridad del capitán como forma de proteger la vida

y los bienes en el mar. Los tribunales actuales siguen haciendo valer los conceptos tradicionales de autoridad del capitán de un buque.

Sin embargo, los capitanes no están por encima de la ley y existen sanciones legales si abusan de su autoridad, pero en la mayoría de los casos los marinos deben esperar a volver al puerto para elevar una queja. Desobedecer la orden de un capitán se considera una falta grave. Arrebatar el control de un buque en el mar a su capitán es uno de los delitos más graves que pueden cometer los marinos según la legislación marítima. Si los marinos se niegan a cumplir las órdenes legítimas del capitán mediante el uso de fuerza física, engaños o amenazas, o si impiden que el capitán ejerza su autoridad y mando, pueden ser declarados culpables del delito de motín.

En muchas naciones marítimas, una huelga en el mar se puede considerar un motín.

Si bien la autoridad del capitán de un buque para mantener la disciplina está respaldada por los tribunales, los métodos empleados para mantenerla se han limitado por ley. Hace tiempo que se prohibieron los castigos crueles como los azotes o pasar por la quilla (arrastrar al marino por debajo de la quilla del buque). Esos castigos que antiguamente se aplicaban a los marinos por sus faltas se han reemplazado de manera general por sanciones legales y contractuales.

Si bien las faltas y las sanciones varían en cada país, existen elementos comunes en los procedimientos disciplinarios a bordo de los buques, como: • El diario de a bordo. En la mayoría de los casos se debe registrar la falta en el diario

de a bordo. Si el capitán no registra la falta en el diario de a bordo de forma oportuna, la sanción podría quedar anulada.

• Multas y retenciones de salarios. La mayoría de los estados de abanderamiento han prohibido a los capitanes imponer multas o retener salarios de los marinos como castigo.

Cuando la ley permita las multas y las retenciones, normalmente estas se pagan al país de abanderamiento, no al armador.

• Despidos. Muchos contratos de empleo de marinos y leyes de países de abanderamiento permiten al capitán despedir al marino por infracciones graves especificadas o por violaciones de contrato. Los despidos se reservan para las faltas más graves o reiteradas.

• El capitán debe seguir los procedimientos.

Los tribunales son renuentes a privar a los marinos de los salarios que han ganado o de su empleo a menos que el capitán sigan de forma estricta los procedimientos especificados por contrato o por ley.

• Degradación. Los capitanes tienen autoridad para rebajar el rango o la clase de un marino por incompetencia para proteger la salud y seguridad del buque y su tripulación.

La degradación no puede utilizarse como castigo por infracciones.

• Deducciones salariales. Antiguamente, el derecho marítimo permitía a los armadores deducir de los salarios de la gente de mar cantidades por daños o gastos causados por la negligencia o la mala conducta del marino.

Ahora están prohibidas esas deducciones, excepto en unos pocos casos específicos autorizados por ley.

保持良好的秩序和紀律 海商法賦予海員一些不尋常的 權利，如醫療保健、像樣的食 物和住宿，以及遣返回國。然 而， 這 些 權 利 的 另 一 面 是 義 務、責任以及類似於軍隊的嚴 格紀律。 船長有責任在他們的船上保持 良好秩序和紀律。船長對保護 他們的船舶、船員、乘客和貨 物負有法律和道義上的責任。 正因如此，海商法授予船長獨 特權威。 正如美國最高法院裁定的： 「自 從人類開始航海以來，船長與 海員之間的關係就一直與岸上 的雇主與雇員之間的關係完全 不同。乘客和船員的生命，以 及船舶和貨物的安全，都被委 託給船長照顧。所有人和所有 事 情 都 要 依 靠 他。 他 必 須 指 揮，而船員必須服從。權威不 容分割。」 出人意料的是，在法院判決、 在法律條文或國際文書中，很 少出現捍衛船長權威的書面內 容。現代法律和法庭判決似乎 對船長相對於船舶運行的不尋 常權威採取想當然的態度。在 平衡海員個人的權利與維護海 上航行船舶上船長權威的公共 利益時，海商法更加注重船長 的權威，視其為保護海上生命 和財產的一種方式。當今，法 庭繼續貫徹有關船長權威的傳 統觀念。 然而，船長並不能淩駕於法律 之上，對於他們濫用職權的行 為是有法律制裁的，但在多數 情況下，船員必須等到返回港 口才能爭取獲得補救。不服從 船長的命令被認為是嚴重過 錯。海員在海上從船長手裡接 管對船舶的控制，是海商法中 最嚴重的罪行之一。若海員通 過武力、欺詐或威脅抵制船長 的合法命令，或者阻止船長自 由及合法地行使權威和指揮，

他們可能被判犯有嘩變罪。在 很多航海國家，在海上罷工可 能被視為嘩變。 儘管船長維持紀律的權威得到 法庭支持，但是可以用來維持 紀律的方式已受到法律的嚴重 限制。殘酷的懲罰，例如鞭打 和龍骨拖曳（用繩子縛在船底 拖曳），早已被取締。對海員 過錯的傳統懲罰一般已被法律 及合同制裁取代。儘管過錯定 義和制裁措施因國家而異，但 船上紀律程序的共同特徵包括 下列：

• 航海日誌。在多數情況下， 一項過錯必須載入航海日 誌。若船長未能將一項過錯 及時記入航海日誌，那可能 構成推翻處罰的一個理由。

• 罰款和沒收。多數船旗國禁 止船長對海員處以罰款或者 扣發工資作為懲罰。在罰款 和沒收財物被法律允許的情 況下，它們通常支付給船旗 國，而不是船東。

• 解雇。許多海員就業協議和 船旗國法律允許船長以嚴重 違規行為或違反合同為由解 雇海員。解雇僅限用於最嚴 重或屢次犯下的過錯。

• 船長必須遵循程序。法庭不 願剝奪海員掙得的工資或就 業——除非船長嚴格遵循了 合同或法律規定的程序。

• 降級。船長有權降低海員的 級別或等級——如果海員在 保護船舶和船員的健康和安 全方面表現出無能。降級不 能作為針對違規的懲罰。

• 扣除工資。古老的海上法律 允許船東扣除海員掙得的工 資，以補償或賠償海員疏忽 或不當行為所導致的損害或 費用。此等工資扣除現在已 被禁止——除非是在法律特 別授權的非常有限的情況下。

Поддержание порядка и дисциплины

МОРСКОЕ законодательство предоставляет морякам самые разнообразные права, такие как право на медицинское обслуживание, на достойные условия проживания и питания, а также на репатриацию. Однако взамен этого от них требуются выполнение определенных обязанностей, несение ответственности и поддержание строгой дисциплины, аналогичной армейской. За поддержание порядка и дисциплины на судах отвечают их капитаны. Капитаны несут законодательную и моральную ответственность за охрану своих судов, экипажей, пассажиров и грузов. Именно поэтому морское законодательство наделяет капитана широчайшими полномочиями. Решение Верховного суда США гласит: «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». Удивительно, сколь незначительное внимание уделяется в решениях суда, уставах и международных документах установлению рамок полномочий капитана судна. Создается впечатление, что современные законы и судебные решения принимают невероятные полномочия капитана в части эксплуатации судна как нечто само собой разумеющееся. В поисках баланса между правами моряков и очевидным стремлением к сохранению сферы полномочий капитанов на судах, находящихся в море, морское законодательство рассматривает эти полномочия как способ защиты человеческих жизней и имущества в море. Современная судебная система продолжает придерживаться традиционного подхода к полномочиям капитана судна.

Однако даже капитаны не могут быть превыше закона, и даже для них в законодательстве предусмотрены санкции на случай превышения ими полномочий; тем не менее в большинстве случаев для получения сатисфакции морякам приходится дожидаться возвращения в порт. Неподчинение приказу капитана считается серьезным правонарушением. Насильственный переход управления находящимся в море судном от капитана к морякам рассматривается морским законодательством как одно из самых серьезных преступлений. Неподчинение моряков законному распоряжению капитана путем силы, мошенничества, угроз или препятствования выполнению капитаном свободной и законной деятельности по управлению и командованию влечет за собой обвинение в попытке бунта. Забастовки во время нахождения судна в море считаются бунтом во многих морских государствах. Несмотря на то что в вопросе поддержания дисциплины суды находятся на стороне капитана, методы такого поддержания законодательно ограничены. Такие жестокие наказания как порка и протаскивание под килем (нарушителя протаскивают под килем судна) уже давно объявлены вне закона. Старинные меры наказания за морские преступления в целом заменены на законодательные и договорные санкции. В разных странах преступления и санкции могут быть разными. Общими характерными чертами дисциплинарных процедур, принятых на борту судна, являются следующие: • Судовой журнал. В большинстве случаев преступление регистрируется в бортовом журнале. Если преступление не будет своевременно внесено капитаном в бортовой журнал, это может стать основанием для наложения штрафных санкций.

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• Штрафы и взыскания. Большинство государств флага запрещают капитанам в качестве наказания подвергать заработные платы моряков штрафам и взысканиям. Если же штрафы и взыскания являются законодательно допустимыми, то они обычно выплачиваются в пользу государства флага, а не владельца судна.

• Увольнение. Во многих случаях трудовые договоры между моряками и государствами флага разрешают капитану уволить моряка в случае серьезных нарушений определенных правил или невыполнения договорных положений со стороны последнего. Увольнения допускаются только в самых серьезных случаях или при неоднократных нарушениях.

• Капитан обязан следовать правилам. Судебные инстанции с неохотой идут на увольнение моряков или лишение их заработной платы, если капитан недостаточно строго следовал правилам, описанным в договоре или законодательстве.

• Понижение в звании. Капитаны уполномочены понизить моряка в звании или должности в случае некомпетентного поведения последнего в вопросах охраны здоровья и безопасности суда и экипажа. Понижение в звании не используется в качестве наказания за несоблюдение правил.

• Удержание из заработной платы. В прежние времена морское законодательство разрешало владельцам судов удерживать из заработной платы моряков стоимость ущерба или покрытия расходов, вызванных халатным отношением моряков к своим обязанностям или их ненадлежащим поведением. Сегодня такие удержания из заработных плат находятся под запретом, за исключением очень ограниченного круга ситуаций, рассматриваемых судом в индивидуальном порядке.

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7 the sea May/Jun 2016

FOCUS ON FAITH n BY KEN PETERS

Bringing laughter and lightness CELEBRATIONS are so good for us. They lift our spirits, make us happy, and help us to feel good about ourselves. Any excuse for a party can be attractive and such celebrations bring some lightness and laughter into our lives.

Christians around the world have recently been celebrating Easter, which is so important in the life of their communities.

I suggest that the Easter message is important for the world and not only for Christians. Easter speaks of new life, renewal and re-creation and it is something to be celebrated with enthusiasm.

Christians speak of resurrection as being raised up from despair and death. It is the time when we proclaim faith in the God who raised His son from death to participate in eternal life. These values of fresh beginnings are much needed in our world. The more laughter we can generate the happier we are.

In times of trial and turmoil it is normal for people to seek release from those things that hold them back, to seek refreshment and renewal. There is a universal need for safety, and the search for a sense of security becomes pronounced when we feel weak and vulnerable. In our weakness we can turn to God to sustain us with strength to face the most difficult of circumstances.

帶來笑聲和輕鬆

It is all too easy to set aside the intention to live life with the conviction of wellbeing and renewal of our relationship with God and to slip into complacency; at least until the next crisis enters our lives and we feel again the vulnerability of our frail nature. It is at these times that we retreat from aspirations to be faithful in observance of our calling as children of God and back away from commitment to explore further our faith.

It is so much easier and less demanding to live without asking the big question: am I living as God wants me to? Am I a witness to others of renewal, and do I speak of refreshment, peace and reconciliation? Am I recognised as someone of faith and do I appeal to others as a role model for the way they wish to be? To sustain the strength and determination to be faithful to the calling of our God is what is needed. Change from the old ways to fresh understanding can be difficult but with hope in resurrection you can be determined when you say to God: “Forgive what I have been, help me to amend what I am, and direct what I shall be.” The change is enabled by Jesus and recognised when you say, “renew a right spirit within me and restore me to the joy of your salvation”.

I hope that you might take a look at the Christian celebration of Easter and laugh with God.

Risas y alegría LAS celebraciones son buenas para todos. Nos levantan el ánimo, nos hacen felices, nos ayudan a sentirnos bien con nosotros mismos. Cualquier excusa puede valer para una fiesta y las celebraciones traen risas y alegría a nuestra vida.

Hace poco, los cristianos de todo el mundo celebraron la Semana Santa, que es tan importante en la vida de sus comunidades. Creo que el mensaje de la Pascua es importante para el mundo en general, no solo para los cristianos. La Pascua habla de vida nueva, de renovación y nueva creación, y es algo que hay que celebrar con entusiasmo.

Los cristianos se refieren a la resurrección como la superación de la desesperanza y la muerte. Es el momento en que proclamamos nuestra fe en Dios, que resucitó a su hijo para que participase en la vida eterna. Estos valores de nuevos comienzos son muy

necesarios en nuestro mundo. Mientras más risas generemos, más felices seremos.

En momentos difíciles y de confusión es normal que la gente trate de escapar de esas cosas que la retiene, que busque renovación. Todas las personas necesitan sentirse seguras y la búsqueda de la seguridad se agudiza cuando nos sentimos débiles y vulnerables. En nuestra debilidad podemos recurrir a Dios para que nos dé fuerzas a fin de enfrentarnos a las circunstancias más difíciles.

Es muy fácil olvidarnos de la intención de renovar constantemente nuestra relación con el Señor y nos volvemos autocomplacientes, hasta que la siguiente crisis llega a nuestra vida y otra vez nos sentimos vulnerables.

Es en esos momentos cuando nos alejamos de las aspiraciones de seguir fielmente nuestro deber como hijos de Dios y del compromiso de continuar explorando nuestra fe.

Es mucho más fácil vivir sin hacernos la gran pregunta: ¿estoy viviendo como Dios quiere que viva? ¿Soy ejemplo de renovación para otros y hablo de paz y reconciliación? ¿Cómo me ve la gente? ¿Me ven como un “soplo de aire fresco” y un ejemplo a seguir en materia de justicia y de paz? ¿Me reconocen como alguien de fe y sirvo de ejemplo a otros en relación con lo que desean ser?

Cambiar viejos hábitos para lograr un entendimiento nuevo puede ser difícil, pero con la esperanza en la resurrección puedes decir a Dios con determinación: “Perdona lo que he sido, ayúdame a corregir lo que soy y dime lo que debo ser”. Jesús facilita el cambio y este se reconoce cuando dices: “renueva dentro de mí el espíritu correcto y llévame de nuevo a la alegría de tu salvación”.

Espero que observes la celebración cristiana de la Pascua de Resurrección y te rías junto Dios.

慶祝活動對我們有好處。它們 振 奮 我 們 的 精 神， 使 我 們 快 樂， 幫 助 我 們 對 自 己 感 覺 良 好。舉辦派對的任何藉口都可 能富有吸引力，此類慶祝活動 為我們的生活帶來一些輕鬆和 笑聲。 世界各地的基督徒最近慶祝了 復活節，這在他們的社區生活 中極為重要。我想說，復活節 傳遞的消息對整個世界都是重 要的，而不僅對基督徒重要。 復活節代表新的生命、更新和 再創造，是值得熱情慶祝的。 基督徒所說的復活是從絕望和 死亡中獲得重生。這是我們宣 告對主信仰的時候，主把他的 兒子從死亡復活，參加永生。 有關新鮮開端的這些價值觀在 我們所處的世界是迫切需要 的。我們發出的笑聲越多，就 越快樂。 在艱難和動盪的時期，人們尋 求從那些壓抑著他們的事情暫 時解脫、尋求放鬆和更新的體 驗是正常的。每個人都需要安 全，而在我們感到虛弱和脆弱 的時候，對安全感的搜尋變得 更加急迫。在我們感到虛弱的 時候，我們可以求助於主，讓 他給我們力量，挺過最困難的 時期。 我們很容易忘記這樣的意圖， 即在生活中秉持幸福的信念和

更新我們與主的關係，進而陷 入自滿；至少在我們遭遇下一 次危機、再次感到自己的脆弱 性之前是如此。正是在這樣的 時候，我們從自己的抱負（忠 實響應我們作為主的兒女的召 喚）退卻，從進一步探索信仰 的承諾退縮。 我們的生活會容易得多，要求 低得多——如果我們不問這樣 一個大問題：我在按照主希望 的方式生活嗎？我在見證別人 的更新嗎？我在言語中表達出 恢復活力、和平以及和解嗎？ 人們如何看我？我在他們的眼 裡是不是「一股新鮮空氣」以 及正義與和平的榜樣？我被認 為是一個有信仰的人嗎？我在 別人眼裡是他們希望看到的那 種榜樣嗎？ 從舊的習慣轉變到新的認識可 能是很難的，但在抱有復活希 望的心情下，你可以堅定地對 主表示： 「原諒我的過去，幫 我改正我的現在，指引我的未 來道路。 」當你說： 「在我內心 更新一個正直的心靈，讓我恢 復，獲得被你拯救的喜悅」的 時候，這一變化將得到耶穌的 促成和認可。 我希望你可以看一看基督徒的 復 活 節 慶 祝 活 動， 與 主 一 起 歡笑。

Больше смеха и света ПРАЗДНИКИ – прекрасная часть нашей жизни. Они поднимают настроение, делают нас счастливее и заставляют гордиться собой. Для праздника хорош любой повод, ведь он приносит свет и смех в нашу жизнь. Недавно христиане всего мира отмечали Пасху – важный праздник для каждой из их общин. Мне кажется, что послание, которое несет с собой Пасха, значимо не только для христиан, но и для всех людей на Земле. Пасха посвящена новой жизни, обновлению, рождению заново: она отмечается с большим воодушевлением. Христиане говорят о воскресении как о восстании из отчаяния и смерти. В это время мы славим веру в Господа, воскресившего своего Сына для вечной жизни. Эти ценности, связанные с новыми начинаниями, чрезвычайно важны для нашего мира Чем больше мы смеемся, тем счастливее становимся. Во времена испытаний и смятений

для человечества естественно стремиться к освобождению от тяжких уз, к обновлению и восстановлению. Желание жить в безопасности универсально для всех нас, и в часы слабости и уязвимости мы стремимся обрести уверенность. В часы слабости мы всегда можем обратиться к Богу с просьбой дать нам силы для того, чтобы вынести самые тяжелые из испытаний. Отказаться от намерения жить с убежденностью в благополучии и поддержании контакта с Богом, под прикрытием кажущегося самодовольства – очень просто, хотя бы до наступления в нашей жизни очередного кризиса, когда мы опять ощутим уязвимость нашего бренного тела. Именно в эти периоды мы отступаем от приверженности призванию быть детьми Божьими, как отступаем и от стремления глубже исследовать свою веру. Гораздо проще и беззаботнее жить, не задавая себе главного вопроса: а живу ли я так, как того

хочет Господь? Являюсь ли я для других людей примером обновления, символом восстановления, мира и утешения? Каким видят меня другие люди? Считают ли они меня «глотком свежего воздуха», примером для подражания во всем, что касается мира и справедливости? Говорят ли обо мне как о верующем человеке, берут ли с меня пример? Отказаться от прежних привычек в пользу принятия новой жизни может быть нелегко, но вера в воскресение прибавит вам уверенности, когда вы обратитесь к Богу со следующими словами: «Прости меня за то, чем я был, помоги мне стать тем, кем я есть, и сделай меня таким, каким я должен быть». В этом изменении вас признает и поддержит Иисус, когда вы скажете: «вдохни в меня свежий дух и обнови мою душу во имя Твоего спасения». Надеюсь, что вы посмотрите, как празднуют Пасху христиане, и улыбнетесь вместе с Богом.

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: +1 973 589 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 (0)20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 (0)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 May/Jun 2016

Anchor loss Oil record prevention book analysis conviction CLASSIFICATION society overturned

MCA targets vehicle carrier stability and safety The UK’s port state control issues new safety flyer on the importance of stability calculation following Hoegh Osaka report

T

The MAIB says that stability modelling and analysis following the accident show that the Hoegh Osaka listed heavily to starboard while turning around Bramble Bank as a result of having inadequate stability, which had not been identified prior to departure.

Four main safety issues were identified by the MAIB. Assessing a ship has adequate stability for its intended voyage on completion of cargo operations and before it sails is a fundamental principle

and that sufficient time is made available before departure for an accurate stability calculation to be completed.

An accurate stability calculation before departure is fundamental to safety.

Meanwhile it is still unclear why the 33,381gt car carrier Modern Express developed a potentially catastrophic list in the Bay of Biscay in February this year. The 22 crew on board the Panamaflagged vessel were airlifted to safety after the vessel listed some 50 degrees Credit: Roger Marks

HE UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a safety flyer following a report into the January 2015 grounding of the Singapore-registered pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) Hoegh Osaka by the country’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

The ship was departing Southampton, UK, and turning to port around the Bramble Bank when she developed a significant starboard list. As the list increased in excess of 40 degrees, the

The intentional grounding of the Hoegh Osaka reaffirmed concerns on the stability of PCTCs

ship lost steerage and propulsion, and subsequently drifted aground on Bramble Bank. A cargo shift as the ship listed resulted in a breach of the hull and consequent flooding. All crew were safely evacuated from the ship and surrounding waters. There was no resulting pollution, and the ship was later successfully salvaged.

of seamanship that must not be neglected. A loading computer is an effective and useful tool for the safe running of a ship. However, its output can only be as accurate as the information entered into it.

It is imperative that working practices enable correct information to be provided

to starboard in rough seas. An investigation is being led by Panama, with technical assistance from the French incident bureau, BEAmer.

The flyer can be downloaded from www.gov.uk/government/publications/ safety-lessons-assessing-adequatestability-before-departure.

Mission supports seafarers in crash tragedy ON 9 DECEMBER, a private-hire taxi was taking six Filipino seafarers who had signed off their vessel, to Paris airport, when it crashed at high speed on the motorway 200 kilometres from Dunkirk.

Three escaped slightly injured or unharmed along with the driver, but two died in the crash and another suffered a severe spinal injury. A Mission to Seafarers team led by Dunkirk chaplain the Revd Ben Humphries found itself in the position of co-ordinating the response to a complex set of needs with varying time-scales.

The immediate priority was to establish communication between the survivors, relatives, and authorities across language

and time zones. Also, there were practicalities to deal with as well as the longer term legal and financial issues.

And, crucially, the Mission had to communicate between the medical team and the seafarer with severe injuries.

Next of kin were met when they arrived at the hospital with a reassuring presence, and practical help such as a mobile phone, cash and something to eat. The Mission team visited the remaining crew on the vessel and conducted a mass, alerting the Mission chaplains at the next ports of call to continue the pastoral care.

The Mission also provided the families in the Philippines with information from

the French authorities. The regional director for East Asia contacted the Filipino Families Support Network in order to reach the bereaved families. At the mortuary prayers for peaceful repose were said prior to the repatriation of the bodies.

Once these immediate needs had been met the Mission attended a ‘round table’ meeting of all the parties, at the hospital, to discuss the long term care needs of the seafarer who had suffered the severe spinal injury and his family.

The Mission offered advice and also provided a lawyer to represent the seafarers’ interests.

Seaman Guard Ohio crew lose bail bid AN INDIAN court has rejected an appeal by the crew of the counter-piracy vessel Seaman Guard Ohio against five-year prison sentences imposed on them in January for illegal possession of weapons within Indian territorial waters. The Madras High Court refused to suspend the sentences imposed by a lower court and also refused the conditional bail that had been granted ahead of the appeal against their sentences.

The judge said he was not inclined to allow the appeal in view of the serious nature of the charges and because 23 of the crew were foreign nationals. A final appeal is due to be heard on 1 June.

The men were initially detained when the Sierra Leone-flagged ship was intercepted

by the Indian Coast Guard in October 2013 on suspicion of entering the country’s waters illegally.

The Mission to Seafarers has been supporting the men throughout their ordeal. Its director of justice and public affairs, the Revd Canon Ken Peters said: “This is yet another protracted wait while the high court prepares for hearing the appeal by the men against the district court ruling. Meanwhile the men continue to suffer imprisonment while seeking bail.

The families suffer through the interminable waiting with very limited access to their loved ones because of the cost of travelling to India. This tragic situation is wreaking havoc with people’s lives.”

At the same time as the Seaman Guard

www.missiontoseafarers.org

Ohio case has been going through the legal process public attention in India has been focused on the 2012 killing of two Indian fishermen by two Italian marines protecting a tanker, in the mistaken belief they were pirates. The case has soured relations with the European Union (EU) and led to Italy blocking India’s application to join an important international body, the Missile Technology Control Regime, last year.

Summit level trade talks in Brussels between a delegation led by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and top EU politicians included discussion of the case and led to a joint expression of confidence in the ongoing arbitration proceedings over the issue, but no breakthrough. themissiontoseafarers

DNV GL, marine insurers Gard and The Swedish Club have analysed incidents involving anchor and anchor chain losses, which often lead to collisions and grounding, which can result in additional damage to a vessel.

The three project partners have issued a presentation identifying the most frequent technical and operational causes, and some steps crews and operators can take to address them. This can be found at www.dnvgl.com/anchorloss.

Håkon Skaret, senior principal engineer at DNV GL, says: “Operationally, every anchoring operation is unique. In practice, the crew and officers need to be aware of the risks and assess them thoroughly, especially in heavy weather.

“In almost half of the cases we saw that environmental risk factors, such as the weather, strength of the currents and water depth, played a significant role in the loss.

“To help shipboard personnel in this respect, shipping companies can make sure that procedures for safe anchoring operations are implemented in their safety management systems.”

Life-saving appliances checklist app Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the UK P&I Club have jointly launched a Life-Saving Appliances pocket checklist app to help ensure that seafarers are trained in how to inspect, maintain and operate lifesaving equipment, and that equipment is ready for use at all times.

This is the latest in a series of six pocket checklist apps, the previous five apps being: ILO MLC; ISM & ISPS; Marine Fire Safety; Marine Pollution Prevention, and Port State Inspections, all of which are available on iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

The two organizations behind the initiative say the first five apps have been well received by the marine industry worldwide and the ILO MLC and ISM & ISPS pocket checklist apps also featured in Marine Insight’s list of the top 10 mobile apps for seafarers.

The apps include functionality that enables ships’ crews and their managers to easily view necessary legislative and regulatory requirements, save multiple checklists, check off completed activities, add essential notes/images and send completed checklists via email. Apple and Android versions can be downloaded at apple.co/24qXbJA and bit.ly/LSAGooglePlay respectively. @FlyingAngelNews

A US appeal court has overturned the conviction of a vessel’s chief engineer for failing to maintain an oil record book (ORB). The engineer had illegally discharged oily waste water overboard while the ship was in international waters and had concealed that discharge in the ORB, which was then signed by the master.

The US Coast Guard discovered the improper entry and the engineer was convicted of, among other charges, failing to maintain the ORB as required by US law. On appeal, close examination of the relevant law revealed that only the master or “other person having charge of a ship” is required to keep and maintain the ORB. The defendant was neither, so could not be convicted of that particular offence. Reporting the case, US-based shipping industry expert Dennis Bryant commented: “This decision will undoubtedly move the Coast Guard to re-examine and revise the regulation.”

Anti-piracy ‘could have caused death’ A CONTAINERSHIP master may have fallen overboard after being accidentally locked out of the accommodation when his ship was nearing a piracy risk area in the Indian Ocean in May last year, according to German police and marine accident investigators. They say the master of the Germany-flagged Hanjin Miami may have fallen overboard while carrying out rounds of the vessel when the superstructure was blacked out and exterior doors were locked.

Smoking may have caused fire AN AUSTRALIAN Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation into a fire on board the livestock carrier Ocean Drover while alongside in Fremantle in October 2014 has revealed a catalogue of safety failures.

The fire started in the crew’s accommodation and spread across both accommodation decks before it was extinguished. The navigation bridge was also extensively damaged. Four crew members sustained injuries.

The exact cause of the fire could not be identified, but the ATSB investigation revealed that the ship’s smoking policy was not effectively managed, that the cabin door was left open after the fire was discovered, and that the bridge deck stairwell fire door was hooked open. In addition, there was no emergency muster nor was an accurate head count taken.