Nautilus Telegraph August 2017

Kayak commuter Meet the maritime professional with a great trip to work 28

Suez memories Member tells how crew coped while trapped in canal 30

NL nieuws Vier pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 34-37

Volume 50 | Number 08 | August 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

Top-level talks aim to stop criminalisation government ministers and F representatives from more than 50 Nautilus International joined

Another month, another record... the 21,413TEU containership OOCL Hong Kong is pictured making its maiden call to the UK port of Felixstowe last month.

The 210,890gt vessel has taken the title of the world’s biggest boxship and operates a 77-day round-trip service between Asia and Europe Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Big increase in detained ships Union describes port state control figures as ‘sad reflection’ on the industry

P

Nautilus has expressed concern after new port state control figures revealed a marked rise in the number of substandard ships having to be detained in European, Russian and Canadian ports.

The annual report of the Paris MOU on port state control shows that the percentage of ships failing post state control checks in the 27 member states increased last year for the first time since 2013 and the number of vessels being banned as a result of repeated problems almost doubled.

Just over 3.8% of ships inspected in the region had to be detained during 2016 — up from 3.4% in the previous year and the highest rate since 2011.

Last year also saw the number of detained ships rising by 12%, even though the total number of inspections declined slightly, and the level of detainable defi-

01_front.indd 1

ciencies found by inspectors increased by 7.3%.

Paris MOU secretary-general Richard Schiferli said the increases were not surprising.

‘Under the rising economic pressures, shipowners may choose to cut corners in areas where this is possible, in order to reduce the operating costs of their vessels and to remain competitive,’ he noted. ‘Often manning and maintenance are the areas of choice.’

Mr Schiferli said seafarers often have to live in ‘horrendous’ working and living conditions when some shipping companies make the deliberate choice to operate substandard ships.

‘The southern part of the Paris MOU region is their preferred area of operation,’ he added. ‘Perhaps the risk of being detained and rectifying deficiencies outweigh the costs of running a bona fide operation.’

A total of 20 ships were banned from the Paris MOU region last year, compared with 11 in the previous year. The overwhelming majority of these were vessels that had been subject to multiple detentions, and several have even had to be banned for a second time.

Inspectors said the number of deficiencies related to onboard living and working conditions increased by just over 8% last year, and these issues accounted for 16.1% of all deficiencies found during 2016 — up from 14.9% in 2015.

The most common Maritime Labour Convention-related deficiencies were health and safety and accident prevention (36.8%), food and catering (15.6%), hours of work and rest (10.7%), accommodation (9.5%) and seafarers’ employment agreements (9.1%).

The report also notes that there was a ‘significant’ increase

in the number of deficiencies related to ships’ and crew certificates and documents during 2016, although the number of MARPOL-related deficiencies declined by almost 9%.

The detention rate for ships flying the 12 ‘black list’ flags was 18.7% last year, compared with 5.5% for those on the grey list and just 2.6% for the 42 white-listed flags, which include the Netherlands, the UK and the Isle of Man. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This report is a sad reflection on the industry and demonstrates that port state control under the Paris MOU is vital in combatting inadequate flag state implementation of essential safety regulations. However, it is pleasing to see the authorities taking action.’ g ITF inspector condemns ‘modern-day slavery’ — see page 44.

major maritime nations for top-level talks last month on a new initiative which seeks to protect seafarers from being treated as scapegoats after shipping accidents.

Launched by the London-based Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), the initiative aims to encourage countries around the world to implement locally-binding legislation that reflects the principles of the IMO/ILO guidelines for the fair treatment of seafarers following maritime incidents.

In a workshop organised

by SRI and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) at the International Maritime Organisation’s headquarters, seafarer representatives urged international judges, barristers and

prosecutors to find ways to stop crew members being criminalised for incidents out of their control.

ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said a survey had shown that 81% of seafarers did not think they had been treated fairly in investigations. ‘That is a situation that I am determined to change for the better,’ he added.

Speaking after the event, SRI executive director Deirdre Fitzpatrick welcomed the support shown for the initiative from the range of different international stakeholders.

‘We want to raise awareness of the fair treatment of seafarers at international, regional and local levels, and advise on how best countries can implement the guidelines and have the right laws in place in the event of a maritime casualty investigation occurring in their jurisdiction,’ she added. g Full report — see page 25.

Inside

F By royal appointment to Mariners’ Park

State-of-the-art new facilities for retired seafarers were opened by The Earl of Wessex at Nautilus International’s Mariners’ Park last month — pages 21-23 F Slater Fund celebrates 40th anniversary

An industry-wide seminar on ratings training was staged to mark four decades of the charity’s success in supporting career progression — pages 18-19 F New moves to cut ECDIS-related accidents

Experts explain revised standards for electronic chart displays — page 27 F Questioning the rise of ‘robo-ships’

Council member considers whether automation is inevitable — page 29

19/07/2017 12:06

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Federation now totals 20 unions Federation has now expanded to F 20 unions in 15 countries representing Membership of the Nautilus

some 90,000 members, general secretary Mark Dickinson told Council members last month.

The Federation is a grouping of like-minded unions from countries including Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong who have come together to improve services to members — including the formation of the JASON scheme, to provide mutual legal assistance to seafarers across the world.

Denmark’s Søfartens Ledere officers’ union is the latest new member, and general secretary Fritz Ganzhorn commented: ‘As certain shipowners have joint Danish, Dutch and British interests in the area of officers, it makes sense to have closer cooperation on pay and employment conditions. In line with increased internationalisation, technological developments and new capital interests in shipping, it’s important to stand together in our international work.’

Pictured left, production editor June Cattini, head of strategic campaigns Debbie Cavaldoro, director of communications Andrew Linington, web editor Deborah McPherson, and freelance Jeff Apter at the TUC communication awards ceremony. Above, senior media officer Steve Kennedy and chief sub-editor Sarah Robinson Main picture: Jess Hurd

Nautilus triumphs in TUC comms competition triumphed in the TUC’s 40th annual A ‘Oscars’ for union communicators.

Nautilus International has once again

was highly commended in the best designed communication section.

Judges praised the ‘astounding coverage and top quality writing’ in the Telegraph, highlighting ‘topical stories of broad public interest along with articles that give members great advice on a range of issues’.

They also praised the ‘striking and

The Telegraph picked up the award for best print journal and the Nautilus website won the award for best digital membership communication, while the Union’s ‘What have seafarers ever done for us?’ animation

impressive’ website, pointing to the varied visual content and the way in which it reflects the Union’s transboundary approach with different language versions and a low bandwidth option.

The Union’s campaign animation was described as ‘highly creative and engaging’ and a ‘really strong piece of work backed up by

impressive social media figures’.

Nautilus director of communications Andrew Linington commented: ‘We are immensely proud to have our work honoured in these awards. It’s a huge tribute to the dedication and commitment of our team and the superb support that we receive from members, staff and officials.’

Master warns on Chinese ‘arrest’ Member urges others to beware after fine for missing figures on crew list

P Pride numbers doubled delegation who took part in F this year’s Pride festival in London.

Pictured above is the Nautilus

More than 20 Nautilus members were among the 26,000 participants in the LGBT parade, which is now in its 45th year and attracted an estimated 1m spectators this year.

Nautilus strategic organiser Danny McGowan said the event is now firmly in the Union’s calendar — with double the numbers of

participants this year.

‘Many of those who attended told us how fantastic it was to celebrate Pride surrounded by fellow seafarers and — irrespective of individual sexual orientation — to demonstrate support for equal rights,’ he added.

Mr McGowan said he was grateful for the support given by V. Ships and the Maritime Educational Foundation to help cadets and younger members attend the event.

Concern over voting figures consultant Ulrich Jurgens has F been re-elected chair of Nautilus Self-employed marine

International’s governing body, the Council. Wilco van Hoboken, a second engineer officer serving with P&O Ferries, was elected vice-chairman and Iain MacKenzie, who serves with Caledonian MacBrayne, was elected deputy vice-chairman.

The appointments follow the recent elections of members to serve on Council and Mr Jurgens said he

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was concerned by the low voting figures. ‘We need to look at the reasons for it and try to find ways of improving participation,’ he added.

Assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham said Nautilus had urged the TUC to lobby for changes to allow unions to use electronic ballots, and while the government is reviewing the position on a limited basis it is hoped that the principle could eventually be extended to all forms of union voting.

A Nautilus member who was detained in a Chinese port because two numerals were missing from a form has warned other seafarers to be on their guard against criminalisation in the country.

The member — an experienced ship master — was taken from his ship and questioned in police headquarters ashore after immigration officers noticed that two zeros were missing from the passport number of the chief officer on the vessel’s departure crew list.

The ordeal began after the member’s ship had completed cargo operations and was preparing to sail. The master was called to the ship’s conference room, and told that the charterer’s agent and immigration wanted to see him.

‘I saw the agent was physically shaking as he was being spoken

to by three immigration officers,’ the member said. ‘I was told it was a big problem.

‘I apologised for the error and asked why this was not questioned on the three previous occasions when crew lists had been submitted in other ports, but there was no explanation.

‘I also questioned why the mistake had not been noticed by the charterer’s agent who had requested copies of all passport before vessels arrival for the sole purpose of checking crew lists before submission to Immigration,’ he added. ‘I realise this in no way mitigates my mistake.

‘I was then told to stand next to an immigration officer who told me the offence I had committed.

This was being recorded and afterwards a brief translation given by the agent. It was very formal and was being videoed.’

The master was then told to

accompany the immigration officers to their office to sign and receive forms relating to the ‘offence’.

Both his passport and the chief officer’s were seized by the immigration officers.

He was then taken to what he believes were the police headquarters — a large building in a secure gated compound some 25-30 minutes from the ship. He was asked more questions, had his mobile phone taken away, and underwent a full body search before he was photographed.

He then underwent more interviews with two immigration officers. ‘They asked me lots of personal questions about home and family. Then questions about my occupation and did I admit the offence and accept the consequences — the fine,’ he recalled.

‘All the time the agent translated.

But not very well. The one thing I

recall vividly was being asked if I wanted my family notifying.’

He was then required to sign a series of documents, which were all in Chinese, before being taken back to the immigration office to pay the fine — finally returning to the vessel about four hours after the incident began.

‘Although at no time did anyone say I was arrested, I felt I had no choice but to comply and when I was asked if I wanted my family to be notified, I was concerned that I might be there for some time and that the ship could go without me because there was another master onboard,’ he added.

‘I certainly feel this was another case of criminalisation and a sign of how our job is changing,’ the member said. ‘I hope other members will take note of my experience and be very careful when they are visiting ports in China.’

‘Industry must prove green credentials’ need to do much more to prove they are truly F committed to green policies, Nautilus general

The shipping and inland waterway industries

secretary Mark Dickinson told the Union’s Swiss branch conference last month.

A special seminar on the environment was staged at the event in Basel, with speakers including vessel owner Heinz Amacker, of Danser Switzerland, and rivercruise captain Harald Ludwig.

Mr Dickinson said shipping and inland navigation were perceived as clean and green modes of transport, and for moving large volumes of freight they are by far and away the most energy-efficient.

But while emissions from land transport are declining, those from the shipping industry have risen by about 70% since 1990, he cautioned. If things are left as they are, by 2020 shipping will be the biggest single source of air pollution in Europe.

Mr Dickinson warned that the health and safety of members is jeopardised by exposure to exhaust emissions.

He said the industry could not afford to be complacent about its commitment to the environment. ‘By your actions, rather than by your words, will you be judged. And if those actions are so demonstrably damaging, you can expect a strong response.’

19/07/2017 13:36

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Report calls for SMarT increase Independent study urges government to improve UK training assistance

P

Nautilus has welcomed a major new report which warns the UK government that seafarer numbers will continue to decline — hitting defence and economic interests — without increased levels of support.

The independent review of the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme highlights the value of the existing £15m-a-year assistance, pointing out that for every £1 the government spends on SMarT1 there is a £4.80 return to the nation’s GDP. The review was carried out for the Department for Transport by the Frazer-Nash consultancy in response to one of the key recommendations of the Maritime Growth Study and it assessed issues including industry demand for UK seafarers, the size and scope of the SMarT scheme, and the models used for training in other major maritime nations.

The report concludes that SMarT is ‘a valuable incentive to industry’ and that cadet numbers would plummet if it was withdrawn.

But it warns that the UK’s historic strength in the global maritime sector is under threat as a result of factors including the lower cost of training and employing foreign seafarers and the way

Viking Recruitment highlighted training opportunities in the industry at an open day for students, teachers, careers coordinators and curriculum leaders, pictured above. The event was held at Viking’s Maritime Skills Academy in Dover during Seafarers Awareness Week in June . The company is rolling out the programme to schools and students across Kent

in which many other countries are ‘aggressively investing’ in the industry and providing financial incentives to attract shipping business.

Researchers noted that the value of SMarT has declined in recent years, from covering around half the costs of taking a cadet to their first certificate of competency to less than onethird.

Maintaining SMarT at current levels ‘may result in a static or falling number of UK officer cadets’, the report states. ‘Perhaps more significant, it carries the risk of a decline as a result of other coun-

tries increasing their competitiveness compared to our own.’

The report recommends that SMarT should be increased to ensure that UK training costs are in line with other northern European countries, who not only provide assistance for maritime training but more generally cover the full cost of university education.

The report says there was a consistent view from industry stakeholders that returning the level of support to around 50% of training costs would result in an increase in cadet numbers.

The study also includes a series

of recommendations to improve the administration of the scheme and to optimise the utilisation of available training berths.

It also calls for further longerterm research into the reasons why companies make decisions over training and recruitment and to develop a database that will help to improve understanding about the different types of work that seafarers move into ashore after working at sea.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This is a very welcome study that gives detailed and rigorous support to the arguments we have been making for many years now.

‘Its core messages are very straightforward and it presents the government with a simple choice: do nothing and watch our seafarer numbers continue to decline, or increase support for training a workforce which will richly repay the investment made in them,’ he added.

‘It is now imperative that the government acts urgently on these recommendations,’ Mr Dickinson said. ‘It’s two years since the growth study was published and we now have the evidence that supports the case for real and positive action.’ g UK Ship Register growth plans — see page 7.

Connectivity is a right, not a privilege, Nautilus argues F

Internet access for seafarers is a basic right and not a privilege, Nautilus International argued as it launched its crew connectivity campaign to the maritime industry during the finale of Seafarers Awareness Week.

The Union teamed up with global satellite company Inmarsat to launch a whitepaper on at-sea communications which reveals the scale of the problems experienced by crews — with just 6% having sufficient connectivity to make video calls home while onboard.

The Nautilus document is based on a survey of nearly 2,000 seafarers and shipping industry leaders, and shows that only 57% of crew have personal email access and just one-third have social media access at sea, leaving the majority of seafarers isolated from friends and families.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents suggested they would consider moving companies if another employer provided better quality internet on their ships.

Of the industry leaders surveyed, more than one in 10 admitted they

03_at work.indd 2

David Appleton presents the findings of the Nautilus connectivity survey

don’t provide their seafarers with any access to the internet (14%). The two biggest reasons given were fears crews would access illegal or adult content (83%) and the potentially high installation costs (83%).

Speaking at the special roundtable seminar launch event, Nautilus professional and technical officer David Appleton said the statistics only paint half the picture and the industry needs to look at the impact poor

connectivity has on crews’ wellbeing.

‘Whilst the stats give a good overview of the issue, you’ve got to look at the human impact,’ he pointed out. ‘One of our members told us during the preparation of this whitepaper that because of poor connectivity onboard the ships he served on, he not only missed the deaths of both of his grandparents but also missed the birth of his son.

‘It makes a huge difference to

morale if a crew member can make a video call to friends and family as a huge personal event occurs, rather than finding out days later when they get into port,’ Mr Appleton added.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said the survey will provide the basis for concentrated efforts to persuade shipping companies to improve crew connectivity. ‘This survey is only the start of the campaign,’ he promised, ‘and over the next six months the Union will be unveiling more of our findings and encouraging companies, members and ship connectivity providers to join the conversation and work together to improve communications for those living and working at sea.’ z The report was raised in Parliament last month, with Sefton Central MP Bill Esterton asking shipping minister John Hayes what the government planned to do to improve the ability of seafarers to make phone calls when they do not have access to UK mobile services. The minister told MPs that the government has no plans, but seafarer centres and some ports and owners do provide free wi-fi access.

shortreports RUSSIAN RULING: Russia has been ordered to pay the Netherlands US$6m damages after the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that it had seized the Dutch-flagged Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise in international waters in 2013. The court determined that Russia had violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea when its agents boarded the ship without the permission of the flag state. Russia maintains that as the ship was within its EEZ, it was within its rights to act to defend its economic interests, even though the vessel was outside Russian territorial seas.

NUCLEAR DEAL: Serco has secured a contract extension to continue managing International Nuclear Services’ cargoships for another four years. The contract covers the operation and management of INS vessels on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Pacific Nuclear Transport, and includes support for 192 seafarers who are employed by PNTL, with day-to-day management from Serco. The agreement means Serco is the second largest operator of UK-flagged vessels, with a fleet of 109 ships in addition to the four PNTL and NDA vessels.

MNOPF AWARD: the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund has won the Best Investment Strategy Award at the prestigious European Pension Awards, in recognition of its achievements in securing returns way above average for the industry and making significant progress towards its target of 103% funding on a gilt basis by 2025. MNOPF chair Rory Murphy commented: ‘We continually strive to innovate and improve what we do, and this award is testament to that.’

SECURITY THREAT: the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has welcomed an Australian Senate inquiry report which warns that flag of convenience ships pose a threat to national security.

The report highlights a submission from the Australian Border Force which argues that there are ‘features of FoC registration, regulation and practice that organised crime syndicates or terrorist groups may seek to exploit’.

WAGE REVIEW: the UK government is reviewing the application of the National Minimum Wage to seafarers in British waters, business minister Margot James told Parliament last month. In a response to questions from Hull East MP Karl Turner, she said ministers are working on ‘more detailed guidance on minimum wage law with respect to seafarers’ — but she failed to say when this would be completed.

SNIFFING SHIPS: Denmark is planning to deploy drones to ‘sniff out’ ships breaching emission standards. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last month that it will start to use the new ‘sniffer’ technology on helicopters to monitor compliance with emission control area rules.

The equipment can measure both sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions.

WAGE CRISIS: British workers are enduring a ‘deepening wage crisis’, with latest official figures showing a 0.7% fall in real wages over the past year, the TUC warned last month. The average worker saw weekly pay, including any bonuses, rising 1.8% year-on-year in the three months to May — down from 2.1% in the previous month.

DISNEY ADDITION: Disney Cruise Line has announced plans to add a seventh ship to its fleet. The company has already got two new 135,000gt ships on order at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, and all three vessels will be powered by liquefied natural gas.

P&O RECORD: P&O Ferries carried more freight across the Channel in the first six months of this year than in any first half of the year in modern history, with lorry traffic up 10.4% from the same period in 2016.

DRUNK MASTER: an Estonian ship master was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of being over the alcohol limit in the port of Belfast last month.

19/07/2017 18:07

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports PLA PAY: consultation on a revised pay offer made by the Port of London Authority (PLA) was due to close as the Telegraph went to print. The offer was for a three-year pay cycle starting from 2017 and running until 2019, and will be linked to the RPI figure for September 2016. It will mean a 1.3% increase plus a further 1.7% to be paid as an additional element of consolidated non-pensionable pay — totalling a 3% increase from 1 January 2017. For 2018 and 2019 the Authority will take CPIH as a reference point for consolidated pensionable pay and RPI as a reference point for the total pay increase, and has assured the Union that the total increase will not fall below a 3% minimum.

NERC CONSULT: members employed by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) on ships operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and on ships operated by NOCS-NMFSS are being consulted again on the 2015 pay offer. Pay increases are limited to either the progressive increase already received, or a 1% rise. National organiser Jonathan Havard noted that no further negotiation was possible on the 2015 offer and members’ only other option would be to undertake some form of industrial action in furtherance of an improved offer.

SHETLAND TALKS: a meeting between Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth and Unite regional official John Boland has taken place to discuss issues of common concern for members employed by the Shetland Island Council. Both unions agreed to work together to resolve issues of concern to members, including the mates’ dispute, food provision and accommodation on vessels.

FORELAND MEETING: a Partnership at Work (PAW) meeting for members employed by Foreland Shipping (Guernsey) was due to take place on 25 and 26 July in Liverpool. The Union is still also seeking three new PAW committee members: two to represent masters and one to represent engineers, including ETOs. CALMAC DISCUSSIONS: a meeting between Nautilus liaison officers and management has taken place for members employed by Caledonian MacBrayne.

The meeting — which took place in Glasgow — discussed issues including onboard connectivity, company performance, crew welfare and study leave.

P&O TALKS: the latest joint consultative committee meeting for members employed by P&O Crewing Services (Jersey) and P&O Irish Sea (Jersey) took place in June. Issues discussed included the revised drug and alcohol policy, study leave and the paternity leave policy.

CROWN CONSULT: members employed by Crown Crewing (Jersey) have been consulted about the contents of the forthcoming pay and conditions claim.

Stalemate in global talks on FoC rates A

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson has expressed disappointment at the failure to secure a new framework agreement to govern the pay and conditions of thousands of seafarers serving on flag of convenience ships.

But he said he remains hopeful that a settlement can be reached in the talks between the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the shipowners’ Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) on a new International Bargaining Forum total crew cost agreement.

An existing three-year agreement is in place but expires at the end of 2017.

Mr Dickinson was part of the union side in the talks on 4 and 5 July 2017, which followed the opening round of discussions held in London in January.

Both sides confirmed their support, in principle, for the outcome of officer level interim discussions held between forums, and outlined their responses to each other’s outstanding claim items.

However, it became clear that there remained concerns over some core contractual demands as well as the quantum of any wage increase.

The talks therefore ended without an agreement — although it was agreed that two discussion groups will be formed to continue dialogue throughout the remainder of 2017 and

to keep the lines of communication open to see if consensus can be reached between the two sides.

Commenting on the two days of difficult negotiations, Dave Heindel, chair of the ITF seafarers’ section, who chaired the talks, said: ‘We have made some progress, but at this stage the prospect of concluding an agreement before the current one expires looks remote. We want to keep the lines of communication open and see if we can progress matters between now and the end of the year.’

JNG chairman Masami Sasaki commented: ‘This round of negotiations has turned out to be a difficult one at a time when the industry is in a challenging economic situation. However, there were commitment efforts shown by both parties. We hope to achieve a positive outcome for both parties through continued negotiation.’

Mr Dickinson added: ‘I am disappointed that an agreement could not be reached. The ITF had determined that progress needed to be made on certain contractual issues.

The JNG’s unwillingness to embrace these proposals ultimately ensured no agreement was reached.

‘However, being an optimist and having faith in the power of partnership. I feel that ultimately ongoing collective discussions will bear fruit.’

GMSG partners meeting are industrial organiser Lisa F Carr with GMSG Partnership at

Pictured above, left to right,

Work members Derek Smith, Neil Carrington, Paul Rose and Jannifer Wong at a meeting held at Ocean House on 3 July.

Issues discussed during the meeting included the Union’s claim for a significant pay increase over

and above the current RPI inflation figure, and for marine staff to receive across-the-board bonus payments and a revision to the pre-1 January 2015 terms and conditions of service.

The Union has also urged members to submit ideas on how the bonus system could be made fairer and more transparent.

Smit-Boskalis pay talks national organiser Steve F Doran (second from right) during Pictured above is Nautilus

pay talks for members employed

by Smit and Boskalis. Alongside — from left to right — are business sector manager Chris Cates, Boskalis liaison officer Steve

Kowalski, managing director Paul de Jong, and Smit liaison officer Richard Cox. The two meetings took place on Friday 14 July in Farnham and the Union was expecting to receive the offers as the Telegraph went to print.

Members step up ballot pressure Union warns over unusually high strength of feeling during discussions

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An ‘unprecedented’ number of ballots for industrial action remain possible after disputes with three separate companies remained unresolved last month, Nautilus International has warned.

The ongoing issues — which include proposals for pay cuts and changes in terms and conditions — mean that hundreds of members could be balloted for industrial action if the negotiations fail to deliver improvements to the proposals presently on the table.

‘Industrial action is not the Union’s preferred method to resolve disputes,’ said senior national organiser Garry Elliott, ‘but if the members feel strongly enough to demand that we take such action, then providing there is sufficient support we will not shy away from that course of action.

Nautilus national organiser Steve Doran is pictured at a meeting with members serving in Peel Ports VTS last month. The talks, held at the company’s offices at the Mersey Docks Maritime Centre in Liverpool, followed the rejection of a ‘final’ offer of revised terms and conditions

‘We know that in each of the current cases our members not only work extremely hard but have shown extraordinary levels of loyalty,’ Mr Elliott pointed

out. ‘Our members are extremely angry with the way their companies have each handled their respective situations.

‘As is always the case, we look

to explore every avenue to resolve issues amicably and in good faith,’ he added. ‘Yet sometimes there is no alternative when the companies refuse to acknowledge the efforts of our members.

‘I cannot remember a time when we’ve had so many cases all reach this point at the same time,’ Mr Elliott said. ‘It’s unprecedented. In our industry, industrial action is — fortunately — a rare occurrence, but as I’ve said, if the will is there then we will stand up and fight for the right of our members to receive a fair and decent living for their work.’

No formal industrial action ballots have yet been issued by the Union and talks remain ongoing in each case.

Further updates on each company will be provided via member bulletins when more information is available.

19/07/2017 18:07

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Crucial ruling on seafarers’ rights Employment Appeal Tribunal upholds Nautilus case on Seahorse job losses

P

Nautilus has welcomed a milestone judgement in its long-running battle to ensure that seafarers do not get ‘second class’ employment rights.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has upheld an earlier Employment Tribunal ruling that it had jurisdiction to hear the Union’s case that Seahorse Maritime had failed to carry out its collective consultation obligations with Nautilus when seafarers were being made redundant from ships managed

by Sealion on behalf of Toisa.

In seeking a protective award for members losing their jobs, Nautilus had argued that each ship on which members worked was not an ‘establishment’ under the terms

of UK employment law. This was important because most ships had fewer than 20 seafarers onboard, so if each ship was an establishment, the triggering criterion of at least 20 employees would not have been met on many of the ships.

Lawyers for the Union also argued that UKdomiciled Nautilus members were entitled to the protection of UK employment law, even though they worked on ships all over the globe.

In a 38-page judgment, the EAT determined that the employment tribunal was correct to rule in favour of the Union on both these key points. However, the company has been given the go-ahead to appeal against the EAT’s rulings.

Charles Boyle, head of Nautilus legal services, commented: ‘Although this judgment ruled that the ET will have jurisdiction to hear the Union’s claim for a protective award, Seahorse has obtained permission to take the matter to the Court of Appeal, on both the “establishment” and the jurisdictional issues.

‘Members will be kept informed of that outcome,’ he added. ‘However, if this judgment stands, then it represents a very important victory for the Union in overcoming the jurisdictional hurdles which members face in trying to access justice in their home legal system — the problem arising because they work outside the UK.’ g Full report — see page 24.

Stena solidarity helps to secure pay settlement Micky Smyth has praised F members serving with Stena Line for

Nautilus national ferry organiser

their support during a set of protracted pay negotiations which resulted in a one-year 2% pay increase across all routes, backdated to 1 January 2017.

The talks — which extended over almost nine months — came to an end after talks between Nautilus and management in Manchester on 27 June resulted in the company agreeing to a counter-proposal from the Union which it had previously rejected.

Management had been seeking a two-year front-loaded 3% settlement, but said it had decided to accept the Union’s proposals ‘after considerable thought and reflection’.

Mr Smyth thanked liaison officers and members for their patience

during the lengthy discussions.

‘Whilst it took a long time to reach this settlement, Nautilus recognised there were deep principles at stake that we needed to uphold and these remained our aim and objective,’ he explained.

‘Since we began these negotiations, we’ve always maintained that it was our preferred option for a one-year deal as the fairest outcome for our members,’ he added. ‘We’re pleased that Stena Line has agreed to this pay award, and I pay tribute to members for their solid support throughout, which was crucial in enabling an agreed outcome.’

Nautilus and management have agreed to take time out to reflect on the outcome and to start discussions for the 2018 pay and conditions review in January next year.

shortreports SEATRUCK FREEZE: a mid-year review meeting to discuss issues including a pay award for members employed by Seaway Manning Services (Guernsey) onboard vessels operated by Seatruck Ferries took place in Liverpool in June. During the meeting, Seatruck’s CEO Alistair Eagles said there were no plans to increase current salary scales for members. However, he did confirm that the company intends to increase salaries after the next round of wage negotiations. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth expressed his disappointment at the company’s position.

ORKNEY REJECTION: members have overwhelmingly voted to reject a 1.5% pay offer made

by Orkney Ferries for its 2017 pay and conditions review.

National ferry organiser Micky Smyth has written to management to request a meeting to resolve the issue as ‘a matter of urgency’, which has been arranged for 3 August in Aberdeen.

CEMEX DEAL: Nautilus national organiser Jonathan Havard has accepted a 1.6% pay offer from Cemex UK Marine after having received no compelling arguments to the contrary from members.The offer includes the introduction of higher certificate pay for those with CoCs above the rank in which they are sailing.

STENA MANNING: Stena Line has rejected a call from members to increase the deck officer complement on its vessels Stena Adventurer and Superfast X, on the Irish Sea route between Dublin and Holyhead. The company said that there is ‘no breach in rest periods’ and therefore no reason to increase manning costs.

INTRADA AWARD: a pay award for members employed on vessels managed by Intrada Ships Management, representing an average rise across the ranks of a 4.86%, has been accepted by the Union on members’ behalf. The settlement will see each rank receive a minimum of a 2% increase in pay.

Nautilus national organiser Steve Doran and Unite official Sandy Smart are pictured meeting members onboard the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) vessels Polestar , above, and Pharos, below, in Leith and Oban. Issues discussed during the meetings included the 1% pay award — which was reluctantly accepted by members ‒ as well as terms and conditions.

RFA CLAIM: aspirations have been collected from members serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) for the 2017 pay and conditions review. Members were asked to provide details of any additional responsibilities over the past 12 months. The views will now help the Union shape its pay claim.

FISHER REJECTION: a revised 2% pay offer has been rejected by members employed by James Fisher. The offer also included the removal of six days’ annual leave — although this would have been offset by the reduction of training days from 10 to four — and changes to sick pay.

MAERSK CALL: Nautilus met Maersk Offshore management last month to urge the company to reconsider pay offers rejected by members on the IDO and SAO collective bargaining agreements.

Agreement signed for Gardline fleet F

Following talks between Ultimate Marine Solutions and Nautilus International, an agreement has been signed to cover members employed by the company and serving onboard Gardline vessels.

Signed by Ultimate Marine Solutions director Paul Mackay and Nautilus national organiser Jonathan Havard, the agreement aims to ensure a joint commitment to the success of the employer and a recognition of the legitimate interests of officers in the Gardline fleet.

The two parties will also look at the ongoing development of the quality of working life onboard through relevant training.

‘We’re extremely pleased to have signed the memorandum

04-05_at work.indd 5

of understanding with Ultimate Marine Solutions and I look forward to working with them closely in the future,’ Mr Havard stated.

‘These agreements are a two-way process and we will do everything in our power to ensure the success of the company through the hard work of our members, whilst also ensuring that their needs and wellbeing are at the forefront of the decision-making process.’

Mr Havard said Nautilus is now looking for nine representatives to come forward to help form a Partnership at Work (PAW) committee.

The committee will aim to meet twice a year and discuss a wide range of issues affecting members.

The Tube, 86 North Street Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 8RA

Red Funnel fleet is sold members’ jobs and conditions F will be safeguarded after the Isle of

Nautilus has been assured that

Wight ferry operator Red Funnel was sold to a consortium of British and Canadian pension schemes led by the West Midland Pensions Fund and the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board of the Province of Ontario.

Infracapital — part of the Prudential group —which owned Red Funnel since 2007, said it had invested significantly in the business over the past decade to enhance both service and capacity. It did not disclose how

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DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

much the fleet had been sold for.

Michael Campbell, director of the consortium, said: ‘Red Funnel plays a critical role within the community, is led by a strong management team and has a committed workforce who are dedicated to delivering safe, reliable essential Isle of Wight ferry services. We are pleased to continue the tradition of investment in this proud 150-year-old company.’

Nautilus recently concluded an agreement on a revised terms and conditions contract for all officers serving with the company.

19/07/2017 17:58

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

The Kraken wakes...

SUBSEA OFFER: members employed by Subsea 7 are being consulted on a proposed one-off US$1,000 payment in lieu of a percentage increase for the 2017 pay and conditions review. Management said the offer reflected the difficulties in the offshore oil and gas sector, and it will be paid to all members who have not already been rewarded for 2016 through another arrangement — for example, the bonus scheme.

ABERDEEN EXPANSION: Scottish Enterprise says it will contribute £11.7m towards Aberdeen Harbour’s £350m expansion programme, supporting the creation of 2,300 jobs by 2026. The project, due to be completed in 2020, will provide enhanced facilities and capacity to the oil industry, as well as tapping into cruise and renewables markets.

PRELUDE MOVES: Shell’s flagship FLNG vessel Prelude — at 499,167gt the world’s biggest floating gas facility — has left the Samsung Heavy Industries yard in South Korea to be towed to the Prelude offshore gas field, some 475km NNE of Broome, Western Australia.

Production is due to start next year.

CLEAN-UP COSTS: the cost of decommissioning North Sea oil and gas infrastructure could run to anything between almost £60bn and as much as £83m, a report from the Oil & Gas Authority has warned. It calls for industry and government to work together to cut the price tag to around £39bn or less.

GULFMARK FREEZE: Nautilus is consulting members employed by GulfMark Guernsey about a proposed pay freeze. The move came after the company told the Union that the ‘challenging market conditions’ have meant it is ‘not in a position to improve current salary levels or conditions’.

TIDEWATER TALKS: US offshore vessel operator Tidewater says it has received bankruptcy court approval for its restricting and refinancing proposals. The company says it plans to make acquisitions once it clears its $1.6bn debt.

NORWAY BOOST: the Norwegian officers’ union NSOF says there are some signs of optimism for the offshore oil sector, with the number of unemployed seafarers on its books having almost halved in the first half of this year.

OCA OFFER: the Offshore Contractors Association has offered fresh talks with unions on its 2% pay offer after a ballot for industrial action failed to pass the required legal threshold to enable a strike to take place.

TECHNIP LIAISON: Nautilus is seeking nominations for the posts of liaison officers to represent members employed by Technip (Singapore) onboard Deep Blue, Deep Arctic, Deep Energy, Wellservicer.

HAVILA HOPES: Nautilus is preparing to begin pay and conditions talks with Havila Marine (Guernsey) after receiving feedback from members on the contents of this year’s claim.

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hailed the ‘landmark’ start of A production from the Kraken oilfield, Government ministers have

125 km east of the Shetland Islands.

The £2bn project is the North Sea’s largest new development in a decade and could produce as much as 50,000 barrels of oil a day at its peak.

The field — which is thought to contain around 128m barrels of oil — is being developed by the UK company Enquest using the 166,546dwt Singapore-flagged FPSO Armada Kraken, pictured left.

Business and energy minister Greg Clark said the project had been made possible through significant UK government support to encourage investment in the North Sea and he promised further assistance for the oil and gas sector ‘as it looks to seize the significant opportunities that lie ahead’.

Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie said: ‘This is very welcome news from EnQuest and further confirmation of the potential of the UK Continental Shelf.’

Unions protest at low-cost crewing UK government urged to act after Gulfmark replaces supply ship’s UK ratings

P

Nautilus and the RMT have made formal complaints to the UK government alleging breaches of national and international regulations onboard a UK-flagged Gulfmark offshore supply vessel.

The unions have urged the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, the UK Border Agency and HM Revenue & Customs to act after UK ratings were replaced by nonEEA seafarers on basic rates of pay as low as US$3.41 per hour.

The complaints followed a move to replace British ratings onboard the 3,702gt North Promise with Filipino crew. The Seafarers Employment Agreement for the five Filipinos states that they are contracted to work a basic 173 hours per month for US$590.

The unions say that pay and conditions have been undermined and undercut on this, and other vessels, in the North Sea in contravention of collective bargaining agreements.

Nautilus and the RMT have formally requested investigation of complaints about breaches of the Maritime Labour Convention, work permit rules, and the UK National Minimum Wage.

Nautilus head of legal services Charles Boyle commented: ‘There are very serious problems of unfair competition in the North Sea and it is essential that the UK acts to ensure that regulations are being complied with.

‘We should have a level playing field on the UKCS and we hope that our complaints will receive

urgent attention,’ he added.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash stated: ‘We can no longer tolerate the red ensign being used as a cloak of respectability for social dumping or the systematic replacement of UK ratings with seafarers from thousands of miles away who are recruited to work for poverty wages on vessels from UK ports.

‘The crew on the North Promise are not being employed or paid in line with the collective bargaining agreement covering that vessel, which was signed by UK maritime unions. Action must be taken to stop this race to the lowest levels of pay and conditions and to fully enforce the MLC. ‘The government have rightly acknowledged the problem of

NMW application and enforcement for seafarers,’ he said, ‘but we need action now to tackle the entrenched issue of seafarer pay inequality on vessels like this, otherwise the UK’s economically vital maritime skills base will be lost.’

RMT national secretary Steve Todd said there are ‘intolerable’ practices taking place in the industry. ‘Migrant seafarers on this vessel and across the international shipping industry are treated almost as if they are lucky to receive a wage at all and ultimately that exploitation is getting worse and we are encountering it more and more on vessels, including those flying the red ensign in the North Sea oil and gas industry.’

Offshore union group stages second webinar Group (OCG) of unions staged a F second webinar to enable members The Offshore Coordinating

to participate in online discussions.

Pictured speaking at the session were Nautilus national organiser Steve Doran, OCG chair and Unite representative Tommy Campbell, and OCG secretary and RMT representative Jake Molloy.

Issues discussed include the results of the recent industrial action ballot in the pay dispute with the

Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) and how the industry can

maximise economic recovery.

Mr Doran said feedback from

the session was positive. ‘Union members who participated appreciated the efforts the OCG is making to reach out and listen to their issues, concerns and ideas,’ he added.

‘I’m delighted with how the session went and I look forward to doing it again in the future.’

Following the webinar, further OCG roadshows have been scheduled for Hull on Wednesday 2 August and Middlesbrough on 3 August.

Bourbon joins robo-supply ship project be the first to use automated F ships? The prospect took a step

Could the offshore supply sector

forward last month with an agreement that will support the construction of the world’s first autonomous prototype support vessel, right.

The memorandum of understanding between the leading operator Bourbon and UK-based Automated Ships Ltd (ASL) covers the Hrönn project to develop a light-duty offshore utility ship to service offshore energy, hydrographic, scientific and

fish-farming industries.

Bourbon is also working with the equipment manufacturer Kongsberg on the vessel control systems, including dynamic positioning and navigation, satellite and position reference, marine automation and communication.

There are claims that Hrönn could come into service as early as next year, following sea trials set to take place in Norway’s officially designated automated vessel test bed in Trondheim fjord.

19/07/2017 17:06

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Brexit ‘a chance to raise UK aid’ UK Ship Register head promises ‘real change’ to encourage use of the flag

P

The UK Ship Register (UKSR) is offering a ‘message of real change’ to the industry, its new director told a meeting in Parliament last month.

And former seafarer Doug Barrow, who was appointed to the UKSR post earlier this year, suggested that Brexit could provide an opportunity for the UK to improve its support package for shipping. He urged the industry to come forward with ideas.

‘There needs to be a push from the industry with hard evidence of what it will cost and what it will produce,’ he added.

Mr Barrow told the all-party ports and maritime Parliamentary group that he was determined to ‘focus on the level of service that the industry quite rightly demands’.

The UK is therefore planning to launch an online ship registration service by the end of the year — offering what he described as ‘a giant leap into the 21st century for staff and customers’.

The digital initiative will also extend to seafarer certification, Mr Barrow promised, while other ‘customer-friendly’ initiatives include allowing more ship surveys to be carried out by classification societies and appointing a Maritime & Coastguard Agency surveyor in the Far East.

Mr Barrow told the meeting that the UKSR now has 15.7m gt on its books — a 9% increase since 2015 and the highest figure for three-and-a-half years.

Short-term prospects for the flag look good, he said, although he acknowledged that much more work is required if it is to hit the

30m target that had been agreed.

He said Charles Darwin had argued that it would not be the strongest who survive, but those who are prepared to adapt and change. ‘We have that ability,’ he added. ‘The UKSR has changed, is changing and has more change to come for the benefit of our customers.’

However, Mr Barrow also told the meeting that it had been decided not to go ahead with proposals to make the UKSR a separate entity from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, on a more commercial footing. Although the position may be reviewed, it had been determined that the objectives could be met without any significant change to the existing arrangements.

A representative from Saga Cruises appealed for shipowners

to be given more clarity and consistency. ‘We are introducing new ships and would dearly love to flag to the UK, but the whole business of tonnage tax is really important and we are finding a real stalemate,’ he added.

MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey said government departments are now working more closely together than ever before, enabling much greater stability and reducing the chance for different departments to create confusion or doubt over the application of regulations and policy.

Sir Alan said the MCA has managed to increase its surveyor numbers thanks to improved pay and conditions and the downturn in the shipping industry. However, he admitted, there are still fewer than 100 in post against a desired ‘field force’ of 128.

Fleetwood engineering boost celebrated Seafarers Awareness F Week in late June with the official Fleetwood Nautical Campus

opening of a new £1.2m facility for training marine engineers.

Designed and built in collaboration with shipping industry partners, the new Marine Engineering Centre (MEC) aims to provide state-of-theart real-world training for seafarers, replicating a wide range of equipment found onboard different ship types.

It was formally opened by Ashok Mahapatra, director of the International Maritime Organisation’s maritime safety division, as part of Blackpool and The Fylde College’s 125th anniversary celebrations.

The MEC includes equipment sourced from ships including tankers, bulk carriers and supply vessels. The marine propulsion plant comprises of a medium-speed marine diesel engine with reduction gearbox and propeller shaft, while auxiliary systems include diesel generators, auxiliary boiler, pumps, purifiers, air compressors, heat exchangers and refrigeration training rigs.

The MEC workshop facilities

NorthLink takes on apprentice ratings Ferries second officer Amber A Johnson with six young seafarers Pictured above is NorthLink

from Orkney and Shetland who have just started a ratings training course at the NAFC Marine Centre UHI in Lerwick.

Ms Johnson is serving as mentor to the six trainees as they undertake their Modern Apprenticeship studies to become deck or engine ratings. Their training programmes — 18 months for the engine course and 24 months for the deck course — mix college studies with seatime on NorthLink Ferries.

Laura Burden, NAFC head of Merchant Navy training, said she was delighted that NorthLink Ferries have chosen NAFC to train their seafarers. ‘This Modern

New website to show off maritime careers website was launched during F Seafarers Awareness Week, A new maritime careers

Blackpool & the Fylde College principal Bev Robinson, Capt Neil Atkinson, Brady Hogg and IMO maritime safety division director Ashok Mahapatra at the opening of the new Fleetwood Marine Engineering Centre

include equipment for machining, hand fitting, pipe forming and supporting resources to aid the development of skills required by engineering officers.

Neil Atkinson, head of Fleetwood Nautical Campus, said: ‘The MEC is another sign of the continued investment in maritime training here at Blackpool and The Fylde College, to

ensure we are providing exactly what is needed by industry in a constantlyevolving world of new skills and technology.

‘The country is crying out for suitability qualified marine engineers and we have worked closely with industry partners to design and build a facility which means we can offer end-to-end training across a

range of levels. Adding the MEC to the simulators we have at Fleetwood and engineering equipment in the Advanced Technology Centre at our Bispham Campus means we now have the ability to offer the highest level training for our students to prepare them or reaccredit them for a wide range of roles at sea or on land,’ he added.

Apprenticeship is a fabulous opportunity for local young people to train for an excellent career at sea,’ she added.

‘Contrary to what is often believed, there are many job opportunities for British ratings in the Merchant Navy, particularly on ferries and offshore supply vessels, with many companies actively recruiting to fill posts left vacant by an ageing workforce.

We hope that other companies will follow NorthLink’s lead and take up the training opportunities that NAFC can offer, and look forward to working with these trainees as they take their first steps towards a career in the Merchant Navy.’ g Seminar looks at ways to boost UK ratings numbers — pages 18-19.

targeting ‘influencers’ — including teachers, parents, guardians and career advisors — of children and students as they consider their future job choices.

Developed by the industry organisation Maritime UK, the site has also been designed to help those already working in the sector who are interested in learning about new opportunities within the wider marine cluster.

The site was produced in direct response to a recommendation made in the UK government’s Maritime Growth Study. It aims to enable users to learn about the breadth of careers on offer in the sector, from merchant shipping to superyachts, workboats and tugs, ports and harbour services, and engineering and business services.

There are also details about

the increasingly wide range of apprenticeships on offer across the sector — including those in shipping and waterways, workboats, ports and marinas, as well as the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Navy.

Maritime UK chairman David Dingle commented: ‘I’m delighted that we’re launching this brand new resource. Careers in the maritime sector are arguably one of this country’s best-kept secrets. A maritime career offers an exciting, rewarding and stimulating future.

‘The UK is an island nation with a proud maritime history and industry is working hard to ensure that the UK has an equally exciting and ambitious maritime future,’ he added. ‘Whether onshore or at sea, there is bound to be something for everyone – either focused on science, technology, engineering and maths or vocational activity.’ g Visit the site at: www.maritimeuk.org/careers

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19/07/2017 12:06

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Damen ‘rips up the rule book’ with design for new yacht support vessel New Frontiers — described by A the Dutch builder Damen as ‘a new

adventure centre, with a large stores, dive and sports area, as well as 190 sq m of helipad and deck area, with standard fittings for modular tender cradles and containers and a knuckle-boom deck crane with capacity of 12 tonnes. The helipad can support a maximum take-off weight of 3,700kg.

With a speed of 20 knots and a range of 5,000nm, New Frontiers can accommodate six guests and 20 crew, and has additional accommodation for four pilots, security staff and guides.

Pictured right is the 496gt

evolution’ in its superyacht support vessel range.

Launched last month and due to debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September, the 55.3m vessel is based on the Damen Sea Axe platform and has been designed to give owners a combination of adventure and support functions, with a reduced draught for operating in shallow waters.

The vessel features an aft

Big build begins at Huisman

by Michael Howorth

has begun work on its Project H RH400 — an 81m vessel which will Dutch yard Royal Huisman

become one of the world’s largest sailing yachts following delivery in 2020.

The company enlarged its building halls in Vollenhove ahead of the start of construction, which included the keel laying and the aluminium building frame for the main deck.

The three-masted Panamax schooner will be built to LY3 standards, with features including a plumb bow and carbon rigging, as well as a hydraulic crow’s nest, which will rise up the main mast.

Various watersports gear such as water scooters, a large guest tender with dive equipment, kayaks and SUP boards will be stored under the aft deck, and the deck design comprises a number of clever features, such as the crew tender in front being recessed into a pocket, which can be used as a cockpit after launch.

Ordered by an Asian owner, the vessel will have accommodation for 12 guests and 13 crew.

‘New Frontiers is ripping up the rule book,’ said Damen commercial director Rose Damen. ‘It’s still a yacht support vessel, but you can’t put this vessel into one category or another — and that reflects exactly the wishes of our clients. They want their holiday to be about freedom and spontaneity — New Frontiers makes that possible. Whether it’s a weekend dive adventure trip away from their superyacht or enjoying two locations at once linked by helicopter, it’s all about unforgettable experiences and freedom.’

Industry warned on cyber-threats Italian firm highlights vulnerability of superyacht systems to hacking attacks

by Michael Howorth

P

An Italian firm specialising in the installation of electronics onboard superyachts is warning of an increase in cyber security attacks.

The warning comes in the wake of a decision by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to require ship owners and managers to incorporate cyber risk management into safety management systems by January 2021.

Sara Stimilli, communication and marketing director with Ancona-based Videoworks, warned: ‘While superyachts frequently offer formidable physical

security, their computer and IT systems can be quite vulnerable.

Recent events have underscored the need to protect superyachts from harmful cyber-attacks.’

She pointed to the University of Texas demonstration in which a team of students took control of a 65m superyacht by ‘spoofing’ its GPS signals, and warned that with the ever-increasing capability of connectivity at sea, technology could be providing a growing level of risk.

Ms Stimilli said that a large majority of owners opt to not talk about the ‘dark arts’ of cyber security in the hope that nothing will happen to them. ‘However, with the high-profile nature of super-

yachts and their guests, it’s no surprise that they are often targeted more than one may expect.’

Most of today’s onboard systems are all connected, managed on a VLAN by a switch, and in many cases running through the same internet entry/exit point — the VSAT, 3G, 4G, etc.

This means all internet traffic goes through the same portal, so a hacker gaining access via a malicious email or a boundary hack also represents a risk for the entire network of shipboard systems, from AV systems through to alarms, air conditioning, engine management, security doors, navigation and monitoring systems.

And Ms Stimilli said that it is not just operational systems at risk. ‘There can be all kinds of sensitive data on the yacht’s computers that cyber-criminals would just love to get access to,’ she added.

‘Many yacht owners do personal and professional business while onboard, and that kind of data is very desirable for hackers.

We’re talking about private data such as email addresses, photos, videos or even bank account details.’

Risks within the sector are currently growing faster than defences are, she warned. Yacht crew should start taking measures to try to manage the dangers.

Yacht crew join now! email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0)151 639 8454

As part of our growing support for seafarers serving in the large yacht sector, all members are entitled to a free copy of the Nautilus service record book, which has been produced to assist in the recording and calculation of qualifying sea service for the purpose of certification.

Partners extend support signed a series of partnership F agreements to extend the support and Nautilus International has

services provided to members working in the superyacht sector.

The Union relaunched its memorandum of understanding with Sovren Crew (formerly Dovaston Crew) at the recent Palma Superyacht Show.

Sovren Crew, based in Palma de Mallorca, provides crew training at the Sovren Academy in Barcelona, and yacht management, chartering and brokerage services around the world.

Nautilus strategic organiser Danny McGowan said: ‘It was a pleasure to meet with Sovren Crew director Helen Warrant and her team in Palma. It is essential for the Union to continue developing excellent relationships with our strategic partners, as they really help us to spread the message about Nautilus across the industry.

Nautilus has also signed a strategic partnership with Marine Accounts, which will give UK-resident members access to its specialist tax and financial advice. The company has offices in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, and can advise yacht crew on their tax and residency status around the world.

Marine Accounts helps yacht crew to secure mortgages and open suitable bank accounts, as well as filing UK and US tax returns.

Nautilus also signed a partnership agreement with Crew Family Office (CrewFO) to offer members discounts on help to complete UK tax returns, or for CrewFO ‘Preferred Plus’ membership, which gives members access to its UK tax return service and other useful advice.

This discount is available to all UK members, not just yacht crew.

Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is recognised by the MCA as evidence of acceptable service.

INTERNATIONAL

cht Commercial Ya ok Bo rd co Re Service (Power & Sail) rty Book remains the prope This Service Record al. of Nautilus Internation to If found please return 0 Antibes, France.

3 Bd. d’Aguillon, 0660 al Nautilus Internation n E18 1BD s, George Lane, Londo 1&2 The Shrubberie United Kingdom ime Professionals since

Representing Marit

08_yachts.indd 8

1857

Once your yacht service is verified O iin our office in Antibes, the MCA aaccepts the Nautilus SRB as ssufficient proof of onboard and ssea service. No further supporting ddocumentation is required, and the pprocess with the MCA is quicker than uusing individual testimonials. zContact the membership ddepartment either via email or telephone to receive your free SRB.

Heesen’s Home exceeds expectations F

Pictured undergoing sea trials in the North Sea last month is the Heesen Yachts newbuilding Home — described as the world’s first fast displacement motor yacht equipped with hybrid propulsion.

The 50m vessel, formerly known as Project Nova, was delivered to the owner in international waters after successfully completing five days

of intensive sea trials in calm sea conditions, with waves up to 0.5m.

Heesen said the 499gt Home had exceeded expectations, topping the contractual maximum speed of 16.3 knots in the traditional diesel engine mode, and surpassing forecast 9-knot performance in hybrid ‘silent cruising mode’ with noise and vibration well below specification.

Set to debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September, Home also exceeded range predictions — chalking up 4,250 miles at 12 knots, 500 more than specified. At 12 knots, the vessel has a fuel consumption of 98 litres per hour (excluding generators) and at 10 knots in hybrid mode this further reduces to just 45 litres per hour.

19/07/2017 17:05

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

New drive to cut cyber attack risk Training film released as Maersk Line is hit by global ransomware attack

Sea Cadets visit Argus in Awareness Week

P

As Maersk recovered from a damaging ransomware attack which paralysed its IT systems last month, a new film was released in an effort to highlight the increasing importance of cyber security within the shipping industry.

Nautilus officials attended the launch of the Be Cyber Aware at Sea film, which was ‘crowdfunded’ with support from satcom provider NSSLGlobal, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the Standard Club, City of Glasgow College and Teekay Shipping.

Aimed not just at seafarers, but also for staff across the entire maritime industry, the freelyavailable six-minute film uses reallife case studies to show how easy it can be for cyber criminals to target individual employees —pointing out that they are often the weakest link in the security chain.

The film’s hard-hitting content has been designed to be both educational and entertaining and easily shared through social media to spread the message throughout the industry.

It features guidance to help employees avoid being an easy target for cyber criminals, noting that many people still fail to spot the signs of ‘phishing’ emails and accidentally give away personal and company information to hackers via email or social media postings. Even something as simple as charging a smartphone to the USB socket on the ECDIS terminal could allow hackers to gain

England, pictured above, were A among the visitors to the Royal Sea Cadets from around SE

A scene from the new film shows how cyber attackers can target seafarers and their ships Picture: Pukka Films

access to a vessel’s IT network, potentially affecting the ability to safely navigate, the film warns.

Chris Young, executive producer with Fidra Films, said he had been delighted with the support he had received in putting the film together. ‘It’s not a traditional training film, but instead aims to be short and punchy — giving a non-technical audience the knowledge to understand the risks, to know what to do to protect against these risks and what to do in response to a direct threat,’ he added.

Jordan Wylie, from the Be Cyber Aware at Sea initiative, said the need for better awareness had been highlighted by research showing shortfalls in shipping company cyber security policies. And John Dolan, from the

Standard Club, said the issue is a growing concern for marine insurers. ‘We cannot stop the cyber criminals, but we can protect ourselves,’ he added.

OCIMF director Andrew Cassels commented: ‘This film starts to tackle the most vulnerable element of cyber protection — the human element. Educating our mariners is the first line of defence; they all work in social media with ease, but need to understand how innocent actions can cause harm to wider networks and systems.’ z The second edition of The Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships has been released.

The latest practical advice has been compiled by the joint industry group, led by the owners’ organisation BIMCO. The updated guidance includes information

on insurance issues and how to effectively segregate networks, as well as new practical advice on managing the ship-to-shore interface, and how to handle cyber security during port calls and when communicating with the shore side.

The chapters on ‘contingency planning’ and ‘responding to and recovering from cyber incidents’ have been rewritten to reflect the fact that the guidelines are aimed specifically at ships and the remote conditions prevailing if a ship’s defences have been breached. g The Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships are available to download for free on the International Chamber of Shipping website: www.ics-shipping.org

ITF issues new warning over cruise job scams Federation has issued a fresh warning against F seafarer job scams following new cases of fraudulent The International Transport Workers’

offers for well-paid posts on cruiseships — with recent versions coming from email addresses in Russia (ru) or ending in ‘su’.

The latest incidents include a seafarer who responded to an email purporting to offer a wellpaid post on the P&O vessel Azura. It came from an authentic-looking email address, backed up with a fake website, but asked the recipient to send £560 to a ‘travel agency’ to process his visa and other

documents. Another recent scam was an email, circulating in Spanish, which claims to be offering jobs with the ‘Port of Amsterdam Cruise Line’ and listing more than 60 possible posts with wildy unrealistic pay rates, as well as free health care, education assistance and other benefits.

Fleet Auxiliary vessel Argus during Seafarers Awareness Week at the end of June.

Around 100 young people and volunteers from Sea Cadets units London, Kent and Essex toured the casualty receiving/aviation training ship when it was moored at Greenwich, on the river Thames.

Bill Collier, senior events officer at Sea Cadets, said: ‘This was an exciting opportunity for young people and volunteers at Sea Cadets, and gave them an interesting insight into what life is like for those working in challenging conditions at sea.’

Seafarers UK director general Commodore Barry Bryant added: ‘This visit was a great opportunity for Seafarers UK to work with two of our closest partners in the UK maritime world during Seafarers Awareness Week. We not only support the Sea Cadets with

facilities and training but also point out the many career openings available at sea and ashore, while the civilian-manned Royal Fleet Auxiliary shows the Merchant Navy at its best, working alongside the Royal Navy in peace and conflict.’

On the following day, Argus welcomed guests from the RFA’s affiliated honourable and worshipful companies and charities for an event to mark Service Livery Day. Hosted by Commodore Duncan Lamb and commanding officer Captain Nigel Budd, the day culminated with a dinner attended by minister of state for defence Earl Howe. z The RFA fast fleet tanker Wave Knight returned to the UK last month after a 13-month deployment to the Atlantic Patrol. The vessel siled more than 56,000nm and visited 24 ports during the mission, and took part in drug busts, humanitarian relief and defence diplomacy, including hosting Prince Harry.

NI introduces ice course F

The Nautical Institute has launched a new training and certification course to meet the growing demand for navigation officers with expertise of handling ships in ice.

The new Ice Navigator Training and Certification Scheme is designed to complement the International Maritime Organisation’s Polar Code — although course content is not restricted to polar regions and focuses on shiphandling and operation of vessels in ice-covered

vessels worldwide —and it leads to a Level 1 or Level 2 certificate, each valid for five years.

The scheme is open to those who hold, or are studying towards, a deck officer qualification awarded by a White List administration.

Participants must demonstrate practical competence onboard and in simulator exercises, and show a thorough understanding of ice regimes, including ice physics, operations in sea ice, hazards, search and rescue and weather.

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19/07/2017 11:54

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NEWS

New research on seafarer suicides Mission volunteer David Beeston is pictured above with rescued yachtsman Gregory Heuring and Falmouth chair Penny Phillips at the Flying Angel centre in Falmouth

ITF Seafarers Trust study aims to get reliable statistics on crew death rates

P Mission helps after long-range rescue

centre in the port of Falmouth A provided vital support after a The Mission to Seafarers

record-breaking at-sea rescue by a UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter.

The Newquay-based chopper made an incredible 530-mile roundtrip to rescue a desperately unwell yachtsman 203nm WSW from the Isles of the Scilly, in rough seas in the Atlantic.

The yachtsman — Gregory Heuring, from the United States — was treated at Treliske hospital and after his discharge he was taken to the Falmouth Flying Angel centre, where Penny Phillips, Falmouth Mission to Seafarers chair, and Mission volunteers David Beeston and Graham Hall helped to arrange

his care and repatriation.

Mr Heuring had lost all his papers, his passport and wallet when he had to jump into the sea to be airlifted to safety. The Mission team provided him with replacement clothes, shoes and toiletries and liaised with the UK Border Agency, US Customs and Homeland Security, and the US Embassy in London to arrange his return home early last month.

‘We could never have imagined that we could repatriate Gregory so quickly, and we are extremely grateful for the tremendous help given by Border Agency staff in Plymouth and the cooperation of the duty officer in the US Embassy in London for getting things moving so quickly,’ said Penny.

With recent reports suggesting that seafarer suicide rates have more than tripled since 2014, the ITF Seafarers’ Trust is launching a major new research project to investigate mental health at sea.

The UK P&I Club said it has seen a sharp rise in suicide cases and said it is now the cause of around 15% of deaths at sea, making seafaring the profession with the second highest rate of suicide.

However, an initial study carried out for the ITF Seafarers’ Trust suggests that suicide rates could be declining — pointing to ‘divergent findings’ from recent research into the issue.

The report — published in the latest issue of the International Maritime Health journal —

describes the level of contemporary evidence as ‘scarce and fragmented’ and points out: ‘Studies on the depression and suicide of seafarers show two opposite and contradictory trends.’

The study said some research had identified a declining trend in seafarer suicides and no dramatic difference between stress levels in seagoing and shore-based jobs.

But it also cautioned: ‘Overall, there is nothing to suggest that such reassuring conclusions are valid for all seafarers or for all seafaring activities.’

The report pointed to significant variations in mental health between seafarers of different ranks and on different trading patterns, adding that women may also face extra pressures as

a result of gender discrimination.

Against this background, the Trust is seeking to launch research which aims to determine whether there is an excessive suicide rate among seafarers.

The studies will also examine the short-term and long-term relationship between living and working at sea and mental distress or ill-health, and the variations between different groups of seafarers.

The research will be used to encourage the industry to take steps to reduce mental distress and its serious consequences for seafarers, and to ensure that those suffering from mental ill-health are not stigmatised.

Kimberly Karlshoej, head of the Trust, said: ‘We’re getting a

lot of anecdotal information on seafarers suiciding. However, we need more evidence of the extent and causes of this problem.

‘This important research will explore the relationships between social isolation onboard, depression and, in the worst cases, suicide,’ she added. ‘It will enable the maritime community to gain much-needed answers that will assist in understanding the extent of seafarers’ mental health problems.’

Trust chair David Heindel added: ‘The Seafarers’ Trust already carries out some excellent work in relation to mental health.

I welcome the move to commission this research and believe it will shed light on an often-hidden issue.’

New guide for positive mental health Welfare and Assistance Network A (ISWAN) has produced a self-help The International Seafarers

guide for crew members to handle mental health challenges.

Developed to complement its free, 24/7 helpline, SeafarerHelp, the new ISWAN package — entitled Steps to Positive Mental Health —

seeks to ensure that crews can access emotional support even when they have limited communications at sea.

The 14-page guide — which is intended to be the first in a series — contains skills, exercises and coping strategies to help seafarers when they are experiencing stress or feeling low.

Developed in association with a

consultant clinical psychologist, the guide includes examples of positive coping statements and advice on using mindfulness techniques to deal with stressful situations.

‘There is growing awareness of the importance of the mental wellbeing of seafarers,’ said ISWAN executive director Roger Harris. ‘This new

resource gives seafarers practical help in dealing with the everyday stresses of working at sea for long periods.’ g Initially available in English, Steps to Positive Mental Health will be translated into Filipino, Hindi, Russian, Arabic and Spanish in due course. It an be downloaded for free from the website seafarerswelfare.org

Class help to Sailors’ SOS fund IMO told of crew’s ordeal Organisation (IMO) secretary A general Kitack Lim heard first-hand International Maritime

about the plight of abandoned seafarers in the port of Aberdeen during a reception staged by the Apostleship of the Sea (AoS).

He is pictured above, centre, with port chaplain Fr Colum Kelly and AoS GB national director Martin Foley during the event, which was held onboard HQS Wellington in London as part of Seafarers Awareness Week.

AoS Aberdeen port chaplain Doug Duncan told the meeting that the Indian crew of the supply ship Malaviya Seven were last paid in July 2016 and are owed more than $650,000 in unpaid wages.

The AoS is giving pastoral support and practical assistance, including supplying a generator to the vessel and ensuring the crew’s basic and medical needs are met, arranging urgent visits to the dentist and hospital, and for the men to get their hair cut, he added.

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

10-11_news.indd 10

F

The classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has donated £20,000 to the Sailors’ Society emergency welfare fund, which provides financial relief to seafarers and their families in dire need.

The maritime charity regularly deals with requests for support from seafarers with diverse and pressing welfare needs and the fund has helped thousands of crew members and their families over the years.

This year is the seventh in a row that LR has donated to the fund, which brings its total contribution to more than £140,000.

‘The industry is currently abuzz with talk of digitalisation and automation and how technology will impact the business of shipping,’ said Nick Brown, LR’s marine and offshore director. ‘Innovation and technology should make seafarers’ jobs safer, easier and more efficient, but it shouldn’t make them more invisible. The work that charities like Sailors’ Society do is invaluable and we at LR are delighted that we can provide our continued support.’

IoMSP boost for TT first aid Company crew members are F pictured presenting a cheque to the Isle of Man Steam Packet

Rob Vine Fund after helping to raise a record-breaking sum for the charity during this year’s TT festival.

Onboard collections for the charity amounted to £19,465 this year — more than £3,000 above the previous highest total, and meaning that more than £255,000 has been donated to the Fund since the ships started fund-raising in the mid-1990s.

The Fund was established in memory of Rob Vine, a competitor who died after a crash during the 1985 Senior TT and it provides prehospital medical and rescue care, equipment and training of medics for a number of motorsport events held in the Isle of Man. IoMSP chief executive Mark Woodward commented: ‘There is a real sense of community among road racing fans and every year they dig deep to make a personal contribution to support the essential

work the Rob Vine Fund does for the sport. We are always delighted by the generosity of our passengers, but 2017 has been an incredible year with the previous record total being surpassed by so much. Over the years these collections have raised more than £255,000 for the Fund, and I would like to personally thank every member of staff and crew involved in coordinating and carrying the collections and contributing to such an amazing achievement; they should all feel very proud.’

19/07/2017 11:55

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

Praise for prize-winning Warsash cadets as 128 pass out newly-qualified marine F engineer and navigation officers who Pictured right are the 128

celebrated in a passing out ceremony after completing their studies at Southampton Solent University’s Warsash Maritime Academy.

In a speech at the event, held at the O2 Guildhall, in Southampton, guest of honour former Warsash cadet Doug Barrow — now director of the UK Ship Register — congratulated the officers on their success.

Awards were presented to officer cadets for outstanding performance and contribution to their training. z Deck cadet of the year: Sam

IMO urged to ban HFO in the Arctic Organisation has begun moves F which could put an end to the use of The International Maritime

heavy fuel oil in Arctic waters after countries in the region made a united warning about the threats posed by increasing vessel traffic.

Last month’s marine environmental protection committee meeting agreed to a proposal tabled by Canada, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and the US to conduct an environmental review of the use of heavy fuel oil by ships in the Arctic The meeting was told that as much of 75% of marine fuel used in Arctic waters is HFO, and delegates heard concerns about shortfalls in spill response capacity in the area, as well as high levels of soot and carbon emissions from the burned fuel.

Andrew Dumbrille, from the conservation group WWF-Canada, said the IMO should phase out HFO by 2020. ‘As ship traffic increases in the Arctic, the risk of an environmentally devastating spill becomes more and more real. We have an opportunity now to end the use of this toxic substance while levels of ship traffic are still relatively low,’ he added.

Farrow (Ship Safe Training Group for Boston Putford) z Engineer cadet of the year: Gregory Hedges (Ship Safe Training Group for P&O Ferries) z The Matthew Flinders Navigation Cup: Kuma Fidelis Tyumbu (Clyde Marine Training for BW Gas) z Royal Institute of Navigation’s John Milner Prize: William Hatch (Viking Recruitment for Holland America Line) z The Isambard Brunel Engineering Cup: Tom Baxter (Maersk Crewing) z The Warsash Association Commendation for individual achievement: Rebecca Collins (Ship Safe Training Group for P&O Ferries)

‘Shameful’ delay to ballast water rules Union criticises flag states who won deadline extension to IMO convention

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Nautilus has expressed disappointment at the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decision to give in to shipowner and flag state pressure to further delay the introduction of the 2004 Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention.

The IMO’s marine environment protection committee last month adopted proposals which will effectively shift the deadline for installing ballast water management systems on ships by a further two years — and will mean some owners will be able to avoid fitting equipment until 20 years after the convention was adopted.

Under the new plan, ships currently in service will have to comply with the D-2 standard of the Convention at their first or second

International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate renewal survey after September 2017, subject to certain conditions. The agreement will enable some existing vessels to continue operating without a retrofitted treatment system until as late as 2024.

The IMO had faced calls from countries including the UK, Liberia, India, Brazil and Norway to delay the BWM deadline because of uncertainties over performance standards, the availability of suitable treatment equipment and implementation schedules.

Owners welcomed the IMO decision. Simon Bennett, director of policy at the International Chamber of Shipping, commented: ‘This is a victory for common sense that will allow shipping companies to identify

and invest in far more robust technology to the benefit of the environment.

‘The process leading up to the entry into the force of the Ballast Convention has been difficult and fraught,’ he added, ‘but as a result of this decision by IMO the industry now has the clarity it needs to get on with the job and make the global implementation of this important piece of legislation a success.’

Alfonso Castillero, chief commercial officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), said the flag had proposed the changed deadline ‘in the belief that the proposed implementation schedule was unworkable within the predicted timeframe and given the availability of BWMS’.

But Christophe Tytgat, secretary-general for European shipbuilders and machinery manufacturers’ association CESA, said: ‘The delay by another two years from 2022 to 2024 — in other words seven years from today — means that 20 years will pass from the adoption of the convention in 2004 to its full implementation. This is very hard to understand and it is not an encouraging signal for all our members who have been investing a lot of money and energy to do what they were invited to do by the decision-makers.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The flag states involved in this shameful delay of the 2004 BWM Convention can’t pretend to have any environmental credentials.’

Container losses are cut by 48% are claiming a big drop in the A number of boxes being lost at sea.

Container shipping companies

The World Shipping Council (WSC) said its latest survey indicates that average total annual losses have almost halved since 2014.

The WSC said estimates that the industry may lose as many as 10,000 containers a year at sea are ‘unsupported and grossly inaccurate’.

It says data from member companies — operating 80% of the world fleet — shows that an average of 612 boxes are lost at sea each year.

These figures do not include ‘catastrophic events’ such as the loss of the MOL Comfort in 2013 or the grounding of the Rena in 2011, and if such events are included, an average of 1,390 containers were lost into the sea in each year between 2014 and 2016 — a 48% reduction from the average recorded in 2014.

The WSC said the number of losses represent a tiny fraction of the 130m containers shipped each year, but said the total should fall even further with new requirements for container weight verification, revised standards for lashing equipment and a new code of practice for packing.

Pirate attacks fall STUDY ANYWHERE to five-year low IN THE WORLD has fallen to the lowest level in F five years, the International Maritime

Piracy and armed robbery at sea

Bureau (IMB) has revealed.

A total of 87 incidents were reported worldwide in the first six months of 2017, compared with 97 in the corresponding period last year and 138 over the same timescale in 2013.

The IMB said a total of 63 ships had been boarded during the first half of the year, 12 were fired on and four were hijacked. There were 113 incidents involving violence to crew in this period, with a total of 63 being taken hostage, 14 kidnapped, three injured and two killed.

The IMB urged seafarers to remain vigilant amid signs of renewed activity

by Somali pirates and also warned that Nigeria is a particularly risky area, with 31 crew abducted in the region in five separate incidents.

European shipowners have raised

10-11_news.indd 11

concerns about the rate of piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping off West Africa.

‘The continued problems in the Gulf of Guinea create serious concerns about the security of seafarers sailing in that area,’ said Patrick Verhoeven, secretary-general of the owners’ organisation ECSA. ‘Maritime insecurity also disrupts trade flows and has a direct impact on the ability of ports to serve as hubs for parts of the continent. A poor security situation also imposes high costs on imports and exports and put jobs and economic activity at risk.’

ECSA said coastal states need to provide proper protection to shipping in the area and the potential use of private security teams should be investigated. Countries should set up good reporting systems and ensure that pirates are prosecuted, the owners add.

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A charity registered in England and Wales 313013 and in Scotland SC037808

19/07/2017 11:55

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

HEALTH & SAFETY

Operators warned on ECDIS deadlines A

More than one-quarter of cargoships over 20,000gt failed to meet the 1 July 2017 deadline for compliance with SOLAS Convention rules on electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS), the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has revealed.

It warned that while there are around 9,680 cargoships over 20,000gt which now have ECDIS and are using an electronic navigational chart (ENC) service, there are still some 3,828 vessels which will not be compliant with SOLAS electronic navigation requirements and could run the risk of failing port state control inspections. They have until their first survey to fit ECDIS and train crew or otherwise risk detention.

The ECDIS deadline has been introduced in a phased way, with carriage requirements rolled out for passengerships of more than 500gt and tankers of more than 3,000gt first. The deadline for dry cargoships over 50,000gt was 1 July 2016 and the UKHO says that around 90% of these ships are now ECDIS compliant.

The UKHO said owners need to be aware that having ECDIS fitted does not guarantee compliance or constitute its effective use, and companies need to ensure that bridge teams are competent and confident with the systems. It notes that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is taking a zero-tolerance approach to noncompliance, and this will be followed up by ECDIS-awareness campaigns by port state control authorities in Europe and Asia later this year.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he was disappointed by the figures. ‘This is symptomatic of an industry where safety is considered a burden. In the interests of fairness, it is hoped the inspecting authorities take firm action with those that fail to comply.’ g Shipowners and managers are also being reminded of the need to act to update their ECDIS software and hardware to ensure their ships meet the International Hydrographic Organisation’s new standards for ENC presentation after the 1 September deadline — full report, see page 27.

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Boxship blaze alarm Union says investigation shows ‘woefully inadequate’ containership fire-fighting capabilities

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Nautilus is backing the results and recommendations of an accident investigation which highlights serious shortcomings in firefighting capabilities on large containerships.

The Isle of Man ship registry report on a cargo hold fire on the 13,100TEU Hanjin Green Earth in the Suez Canal in 2015 points out that ‘multiple fires on deck and in the hold’ were only controlled and extinguished once salvage teams got onboard. ‘Should this fire have occurred mid-ocean, the outcome may have been much worse without such prompt availability of fi-fi tugs,’ it warns.

The blaze began while the 141,754gt vessel was northbound in the Suez Canal and it spread rapidly to containers stacked above the hold.

Investigations revealed that the contents of the container in which the fire started had been misdeclared — being calcium hypochlorite rather than calcium carbonate, as stated on the bill of lading. It was therefore stowed below deck, where a combination of temperature and lack of ven-

Smit salvage teams had to cut holes into hatch covers to allow access for cooling hoses Picture: IoM Ship Registry

tilation meant that the contents reached their critical ambient temperature.

Investigators described the crew’s attempts to tackle the blaze as ‘commendable’ — but the report notes that the duties of the chief officer meant he was required to be in two places at once when CO2 was released, and that the fixed CO2 system was not suitable for such a cargo.

‘The standard fire-fighting equipment provided onboard is not capable of containing a large

fire on deck for a lengthy period of time,’ it adds. ‘There was no effective means to fight the fire within the hold following the unsuccessful release of the fixed CO2 system. Having the provision to remotely attack the fire in the hold with water or by total flooding would have been advantageous.’

Water from the fire-fighting tugs could not be pumped out of the hold because the two actuators for the bilge suction valves failed as a result of the fire. The water level rose to almost 23m

above the inner bottom of the hold and started to cause localised minor structural deformation.

‘In the sheltered confines of the anchorage, the longitudinal strength and stability of the vessel remained acceptable considering the emergency situation the vessel was in,’ the report states. ‘Had the vessel not been stationary and in relatively calm waters, the same level of hold flooding could have caused more serious damage.’

The report recommends that the company reviews its arrangements for tackling container fires on existing ships and considers retrofitting extra equipment in line with requirements for ships built after 1 January 2016.

It also urges the industry to consider the viability of fitting remote operated water spray nozzles or the ability to completely flood each underdeck cargo space.

Investigators said the company should also look at the firefighting arrangements on the muster list to ‘ensure that no individual officer or crew member has responsibilities that may result in them being over-stretched dur-

ing an emergency onboard’.

Nautilus professional and technical officer David Appleton commented: ‘This incident demonstrates the seriousness of a number of well-known issues within the industry.

‘The crew were overstretched and often required to be in two places at once by the emergency duties roster despite the manning level being well above the apparent “safe manning” level of 15. The fire-fighting equipment carried onboard was woefully inadequate, and the lives of seafarers were once again put at risk by the misdeclaration of dangerous cargo.

‘Nautilus calls on flag states to set realistic minimum manning levels that also take into consideration emergency situations, and the IMO to make mandatory the carriage of fit-for-purpose fire-fighting equipment on all ships, not only newbuilds,’ Mr Appleton added.

‘We also wholeheartedly agree with the recommendation in the report for industry to cease the practice of charging more for dangerous goods, therefore encouraging misdeclaration.’

Report urges training for evacuations training and familiarity have F been raised by an investigation into

Concerns over crew emergency

Swedish Sea Rescue Society teams take part in the mass rescue exercise in Gothenburg Picture: IMRF

Exercise tests ability to respond to challenges of mass rescues from around the world took F part in a live maritime mass rescue Emergency planning officers

exercise in the port of Gothenburg, Sweden, last month.

The event was staged by the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) to look at the issues involved in dealing with a major incident, such as the capsize of a passenger ferry or a cruiseship disaster, and involved more than 200 people and 20 rescue boats.

IMRF chief executive Bruce Reid said the exercise had provided ‘a vivid demonstration of the challenges of a maritime mass rescue operation’. Coordination and communications were shown to be the biggest problems, while ‘managing and accounting for large groups of distressed and injured people quickly and efficiently proved almost too hard in the exercise’.

Opening the IMRF conference, World Maritime University president Dr Cleopatra DoumbiaHenry stressed the need to improve investment in SAR capacity around the world.

Recent events in the Mediterranean have shown the need for mass rescue capability and preparedness, she added, and action is required to address currently inadequate SAR resources in response to increasing vessel traffic in Arctic waters.

The IMRF also staged what is believed to be the first expert course on maritime mass rescue operations (MROs), attended by 40 senior personnel with emergency planning responsibilities from a total of 18 countries including the UK, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States and Australia.

The aim of the course was to

study in depth the generic issues identified by the IMRF’s mass rescue operations project — including the review and development of detailed plans to fill the ‘capability gap’ back home. It included a tabletop exercise delivered by specialists from the US Coast Guard, which allowed some of the mass rescue challenges to be demonstrated in an example scenario based on a passenger ferry fire.

IMRF MRO project manager David Jardine-Smith said that while mass rescue operations are rare in the developed world, they pose extreme challenges. ‘This is why it’s so important to plan and train and to build relationships with the right people before a response is needed,’ he added. ‘Because it’s not “if” but “when” — and the better prepared the responders are, the more lives they will save.’

a fire onboard a Panama-flagged cruiseship which caused US$1.725m worth of damage.

The blaze broke out in the engineroom of the 110,320gt Carnival Liberty while the ship was alongside the dock in the port of Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands in September 2015.

None of the 3,347 passengers or 1,151 crew were injured, but the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the incident highlights issues around crew training and familiarity.

‘It is significant that the crew members were unaware that the Hi-fog system was incapable of delivering total flooding to both enginerooms simultaneously, and that they then had to use the CO2 system to try to extinguish the fire,’ it notes.

The passengers were evacuated ashore, but the NTSB found it had taken 48 minutes before the crew could confirm that the ship was fully evacuated and because most of the passengers had not scanned out through the A-pass system there had been an ‘uncertain and tedious’ process to verify numbers.

The NTSB said the ship’s command

and crew had not been trained to deal with a partial passenger count onto a dock in port, and no specific company policy or procedures for such a situation were in place at the time.

‘Cruiseship crew training and drills commonly focus on a known number of passengers aboard because the assumption is that the ship is at sea,’ the report points out. ‘In addition, lack of space on the dock, environmental conditions, crowd control and wait time further hampered the evacuation process.’

The NTSB said it was essential for pre-planned procedures to manage and account for all people onboard during a mass evacuation while in port, and it urged Carnival and the Cruise Lines International Association to act in response to this.

The Board also recommended that Carnival implement ship-specific familiarisation training on the use and limitations of fixed water-based firefighting systems in machinery spaces.

Investigators concluded that the probable cause of the fire was loosened bolts on a supply inlet flange for a high-pressure fuel injection pump — most likely caused by improper tightening during earlier maintenance, as well as by vibration of the piping over time. As a result, the flange sprayed fuel over a hot diesel generator.

19/07/2017 14:13

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Nautilus concerns over the safety of wire rope falls

Ships damaged after collision in Channel launched after an oil tanker F and a bulk carrier collided in calm sea An investigation has been

conditions in the English Channel last month.

The 48,580dwt tanker Seafrontier — which was carrying 38,000 tonnes of petroleum —suffered a hole above the waterline and extensive damage to the superstructure following the collision with the 45,492dwt bulker Huayang Endeavour, in the SW Channel of the traffic separation scheme.

A UK Coastguard rescue helicopter and RNLI lifeboats from Dover and Ramsgate were sent to the scene.

‘Although both vessels have been damaged, there is no water ingress and no pollution. There are no injuries and all of the crew are accounted for,’ the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said.

Huayang Endeavour was en route to Lagos in Nigeria and Seafrontier was sailing to Puerto Barrios in Guatemala. The French emergency towing vessel Abeille Languedoc towed the tanker to Antwerp for repairs, while Huayang Endeavor was able to sail to Dunkirk for repairs.

Both vessels were registered in Hong Kong and had Chinese and Indian crew.

Maritime & Coastguard Agency F to issue ‘positive guidance’ to the Nautilus has urged the UK

Damage to the Seafrontier’s superstructure Picture: RNLI

MAIB alert over low sulphur risk Fatal accident leads to warning over waxy residues building up in fuel lines

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Shipping companies have been urged to take action to reduce risks arising from the use of some low sulphur distillate fuels following a fatal accident onboard a vessel in the UK port of Felixstowe.

An oiler died and an engineer officer suffered serious burn injuries as a result of an auxiliary boiler furnace explosion on the Japan-flagged containership Manhattan Bridge in January this year.

A safety bulletin issued by the UK Marine Accident Investigation branch notes that the 152,297gt vessel had been running in the North Sea sulphur emission control area for several days before the accident and had switched its auxiliary boiler fuel supply from heavy fuel oil to marine gas oil.

In the hours before the accident, the auxiliary boiler had cut out several times as a result of flame or ignition failures and the explosion occurred as the officer and the oiler were trying to restart the burner unit following a flame failure cut-out.

Investigations revealed a

Waxy deposits in a fuel line filter from Manhattan Bridge Picture: MAIB

build-up of waxy deposits in the supply filter, sufficient to restrict the flow of fuel.

Tests found the fuel had a cold filter plugging point of 14°C and a pour point of less than -9°C — requiring a minimum fuel operating temperature of 15°C. The ambient temperature at Felixstowe that day was about 4°C, which was low enough for wax formation.

The MAIB said there is evi-

dence to suggest an increase in the number of boiler and marine diesel engine performance problems in colder waters since the sulphur emission controls came in.

‘This has been attributed to the increased paraffin content found in some low sulphur distillate fuels and the subsequent formation of waxy deposits or crystals as the fuel temperature falls,’ the report adds.

‘It is essential that vessel operators carefully consider anticipated ambient air and sea temperatures that will be experienced during the voyage when purchasing low sulphur MGO bunkers,’ the MAIB said.

The safety bulletin suggests that the risks of waxy residue developing in the fuel lines can be controlled by closely monitoring the bunkers for signs of wax precipitation, conducting regular fuel filter inspections and close monitoring of fuel system pressures, as well as by keeping the temperature of low sulphur MGO in the ship’s storage tanks above the cold filter plugging and cloud points.

It says the addition of coldflow improver chemicals ‘should only be considered as a last resort under the strict guidance of an additive supplier’.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The establishment of Sulphur Emission Control Area is not the reason for this tragic incident — it is the “fuel oil policy” of the owner and requirement for sufficient adequately trained personnel.’

shipping industry to help reduce the number of lifeboat accidents.

The call comes after discussions at the MCA’s safety equipment advisory committee highlighted problems associated with wire rope falls — including issues around construction and maintenance.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he backed proposals to approach the International Maritime Organisation in an effort to develop worldwide agreements on improved standards.

‘While this is a welcome move, it must be noted that some companies are looking to renew galvanised wire rope falls every two or three years rather than five years,’ he noted.

‘Some users favour the use of stainless steel, others are choosing to do little or nothing.

Hurricane ship loss probe seeks better weather forecasts Safety Board (NTSB) has F called for improvements in weather

The US National Transportation

advice for shipping in response to evidence it has gathered as part of its investigation into the loss of the ro-ro containership El Faro during Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015.

The investigation is still underway, but in a preliminary set of 10 safety recommendations to the US National Weather Service (NWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Coast Guard, the NTSB said it wanted to see ‘a new emphasis on improving hurricane forecasts’.

The Board’s report said: ‘factual data revealed that critical tropical cyclone information issued by the NWS is not always available to mariners via well-established broadcast methods. The data also suggest that modifying the way the NWS develops certain tropical cyclone

A riding team member on a

12-13_h+s.indd 13

forecasts and advisories could help mariners at sea better understand and respond to tropical cyclones’.

All 33 crew onboard the US-flagged ship died when it sank some 40 mile NE of Acklins & Crooked Island, in the Bahamas, close to the eye of the hurricane.

The NTSB said its investigation discovered that, had the ship received an up-to-date cyclone advisory, officers would have known that the centre of the hurricane had moved and that the vessel’s course was going almost directly towards it.

The Board said it was concerned that such updates were not available to seafarers via SAT-C and it called for work to ensure immediate dissemination of cyclone advisories and updates through Inmarsat-C SafetyNET, and ‘timely’ broadcasts through medium frequency Navtex, HF voice, ‘appropriate alternatives’ and appropriate future technology.

Riding gang member’s loss remains a mystery 73,157gt containership may F have died when he fell from the vessel

The Weymouth RNLI lifeboat is pictured above staging its final training exercise with Portland Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 106 at the end of June.

The SAR function undertaken from Portland has been transferred to Lee-on-Solent by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Local MP Richard Drax has raised concerns about a ‘huge gap’ that has been created in SAR coverage along the UK south coast Picture: Paul Dallaway

‘Seafarers’ lives are needlessly being placed at risk and lost due to the lack of effective action by the regulator and the user choosing not to purchase quality equipment and materials from a reliable source,’ Mr Graveson added.

‘There are issues over the composition of the core of wires and the ability to effectively grease to prevent corrosion,’ he noted.

‘Regardless, it is a question of “quality” coupled with design — ever so simple to solve, but regrettably it will take a significant number of incidents or a single incident of magnitude to ensure regulatory action.

‘Nautilus looks forward to positive guidance from the MCA as to approved sources of such wires and their life expectancy, Mr Graveson said. ‘Similarly, directions as to the composition and quality of such wires and the design of launching equipment.’

while using the aft rails as a urinal rather than going to the deck toilet, an investigation has concluded.

The Indian man went missing from the Bahamas-flagged CMA CGM Berlioz while the ship was transiting through the northern Red Sea in March this year en route for the port of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia.

His body was not found, despite extensive searches of the ship and the sea area.

‘Whether the loss of the individual was accidental, deliberate or assisted will likely never be established,’ an investigation report from the Bahamas Maritime Authority states.

Investigators said they had found a lack of detailed procedural guidance for the ship’s staff regarding the training and supervision of the riding crew and said it had not been possible to determine ‘with any credibility the extent and detail at which induction training was being delivered’.

Safety management procedures were not being followed, with no testing of the tank atmosphere by a senior officer before work began, and work being allowed to start before permits to work had been issued.

The report also highlights ‘a lack of awareness and responsibility by the riding team foreman in not raising the issue of the missing person until two hours after he was last sighted leaving the tank’.

19/07/2017 12:07

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports

‘Greenest’ ferry for Brittany

CREW REPATRIATED: 12 crew members from the Panama-flagged cargoship Yas have been repatriated after their vessel was seized in April this year after berthing in the port of Aden. The crew of six Indians, five Ukrainians and one Syrian contacted the International Transport Workers’ Federation for assistance after being abandoned by the vessel’s owners with owed wages and no provisions or fuel. The ITF worked with its Yemen affiliate, the Labour Committee of Aden Container Terminal, to secures the seafarers’ safe return home from the war zone.

ORDERS UP: VLCC orders have risen to the highest level since the start of the global economic downturn in 2008, a new report has revealed. The owners’ organisation BIMCO said there had been a 20% increase in contracts for new tankers and dry bulk carriers over the past year, with a total of 8.5m gt now on order. However, it warned, there is a need for more older tonnage to be demolished to prevent a damaging gap between supply and demand.

COSCO DEAL: China Cosco Shipping has announced a US$6.3bn deal to take over Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas International (OOIL), which Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL). If approved by competition authorities, the combined containership fleet will be the world’s third largest, totalling more than 400 vessels and with capacity of more than 2.9m TEU. STORAGE ROLE: more than 50 VLCCs are presently being used for storing crude oil — with many of them anchored off Singapore and in the Malacca Straits, Affinity Research reports. The market analysts said the slump in oil prices has meant some operators and traders have chosen not to unload their cargoes from owned or chartered vessels.

SAIL RECORD: the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit had launched what is claimed to be the world’s largest sailing ship. The 162m loa Flying Clipper has been built for the Monaco-based cruise company Star Clippers. Due to come into service next year, the vessel has five masts and five decks, and will carry up to 300 passengers and 150 crew.

JOBS THREAT: French maritime unions have expressed concern that Le Havre-based operator Biomar is seeking to reflag its coastal tanker Florence B, with the possible loss of more than 14 French seafarers’ jobs. The vessel has lain idle in Port-de-Bouc after losing its charter contract with Saipol in April.

FRENCH FEARS: French unions have expressed concern about a threat to seafarers’ jobs after the survey ship operator CGG filed for bankruptcy protection in France and the US. The firm has cut its fleet to five ships and jobs have been almost halved over the past year.

JAPANESE BOOM: Japanese shipowners account for the biggest share of the world’s orderbook for new tonnage. Japanese companies have 488 ships totalling 28.2m gt on order, compared with 14.7m gt on order for Greek operators.

has confirmed a £175m order A for what it claims will be the greenest

French operator Brittany Ferries

Norway tax aid increase Net salary scheme extended to protect seafarers’ jobs

by Andrew Draper

P

Norwegian unions have welcomed a longawaited government decision to extend a net salary scheme to seafarers serving on deepsea vessels operating under the Norwegian international register (NIS).

Announcing the move, trade and industry minister Monica Mæland said the maritime industry is an important driving force in the Norwegian economy and the government recognised the importance of maritime expertise. ‘It is important to provide competitive conditions to ensure that Norwegian seafarers retain this competence in the future,’ she added.

Norwegian MPs have also agreed to establish an inquiry to consider the possibility of new rules to protect seafaring jobs by regulating pay and conditions in the country’s territorial waters.

Officers’ union NSOF said the net salary scheme decision, which came into effect last month, should help to reverse the decline in numbers of Norwegian

seafarers on NIS ships.

‘Nothing of any consequence has been done since 1993 to strengthen the conditions for Norwegian seafarers on NIS deepsea vessels,’ said NSOF director Hans Sande. ‘It was the missing piece of the jigsaw in the political work to ensure Norwegian seafarers’ competitiveness internationally, and to secure Norway’s leading position in important international shipping markets.’

The NSOF secured the full backing of both the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association in its campaign to extend the scope of the tax relief scheme, which makes it cheaper to employ Norwegian seafarers.

When he gave evidence to the parliamentary finance committee in May, Mr Sande said the international fleet would to ‘incredibly important’ for seafarers at a time when the offshore sector was adapting to reduced levels of activity and profitability.

He argued that while the Norwegian offshore fleet is the most advanced in the world, and Nor-

way is a world leader in the operation of specialist vessels such as LNG, chemical and oil tankers, ‘the number of Norwegians on these vessels is falling because of the lack of framework conditions that are on a par with our European colleagues’.

The union told ministers that a continuing Norwegian presence on hi-tech vessels is key to innovation in the national maritime cluster and its position in the market.

The NSOF estimates that fewer than 10% of all seafarers on NIS ships are Norwegians — a figure that continues to fall. ‘Strengthening of the refund scheme for this sector will actively and directly contribute to halting this trend,’ Mr Sande said. He also called for the scheme to be extended to the offshore service sector.

The moves have also been welcomed by shipowners, and the tanker operator Odfjell has announced that it will be taking on 15 Norwegian cadets in response, as well as putting a newly-acquired ship under the NIS flag.

Australian union in visa win A

The Australian Maritime Officers Union has welcomed a government decision to make it harder for foreign nationals to get jobs as ship masters and officers in the country.

The union said the federal government has agreed to remove both positions from its medium and long-term ‘strategic skills list’, meaning that foreign seafarers can no longer get

‘fast track’ visas to temporarily work in Australia.

AMOU president Tim Higgs welcomed the move, which follows a long-running campaign for change.

‘We should be proud of our efforts and proud of this outcome,’ he added.

‘However, we cannot sit back. We need to maintain our vigilance.’

Mr Higgs said some employers

are managing to evade the rules by bringing in overseas workers on visas which are available for highly skilled jobs for short (three-month) periods — and the union is taking this up with the government. ‘We also need to keep up the pressure on changing the coastal trading laws to grow the Australian fleet and get more jobs for Aussies on the coast,’ he added.

New French flag law for oil cargoes union, FOMM-CGT, remains F dissatisfied with the terms of the

France’s main maritime officers’

latest version of updated regulations to reserve a chunk of the country’s oil cargoes for national flagged ships.

The new law, which took three years to negotiate, came into effect in

14-15_int.indd 14

July and replaces the 1992 oil carriage act. It ensures that 5.5% of oil products annually are transported under the full French flag. It also sets a requirement for 20% of refined oil imports to be carried by French flagged tankers of under 20,000gt.

FOMM-CGT general secretary Jean-

Philippe Chateil said the union was awaiting concrete information about the impact of the new law on jobs for seafarers — pointing out that one French tanker operator is ‘jeopardising hard-won gains regarding leave arrangements in the name of competitiveness’.

ferry in the Channel, pictured left, to operate its service between Portsmouth and Caen.

To be named Honfleur, the 1,680-passenger capacity LNGpowered vessel is to be built by the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellshaft shipyard in Germany and is expected to come into service in June 2019.

Honfleur’s four main engines will feed electric generators and two electric shaft propulsion motors with two fixed-pitch efficient propellers.

To address the lack of in-port LNG storage facilities, the vessel will have onboard cranes that enable 40ft ISO standard LNG containers to be lifted into a fixed position at the rear of the superstructure.

Company CEO Christophe Mathieu said Honfleur ‘will set a new standard for ferries operating on the Channel’ — leaving no smoke and producing sulphur-free emissions with very low NOx and particulate matter content. z Brittany Ferries has informed the joint union works council of its plan to bareboat charter a ferry from Stena Line to operate on its ‘no-frills’ services between Portsmouth and France and Spain. The vessel would replace the 22,382gt ro-pax Baie de Seine, which is presently on charter from DFDS.

Appeal over master in Greek jail

has appealed to the Greek A authorities to release a master who A Swiss shipping company

has been held in prison since 23 May, when his vessel was detained after explosives and ammunition were found onboard.

Ukrainian national Captain Sergii Nevecheria, above, was held in a prison in Athens after Greek authorities alleged that his vessel, the Maltese-flagged containership Mekong Spirit, was carrying material from Turkey to Sudan in breach of international sanctions.

Geneva-based Lumar Shipping said the decision to arrest the master and detain the ship and its 16 crew was ‘a serious infringement of international maritime law’.

The company said it had ‘provided all relevant cargo manifests to show that the vessel’s cargo of mining explosives and hunting rifle cartridges was for civil use and complied fully with all relevant UN and EU regulations and sanctions’.

19/07/2017 12:08

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Mega-ships put strain on ports Study examines whether cruise shipping industry expansion is sustainable

P

A new report has questioned whether the cruise shipping industry is at risk from a ‘rash dash for growth’ as a result of its unprecedented US$47.6bn orderbook for 75 new ocean-going vessels.

The Future of Cruise Ships analysis, published by Seatrade Cruise last month, notes that the current orderbook will increase the fleet’s capacity by 40%, adding another 250,000 berths over the next decade.

In reality, it adds, further orders and options are likely to mean that capacity will grow by at least 50% over this period — pushing total global passenger numbers up from 24m last year to around 35m by 2026 and as much as 40m by 2030.

The study says that while this growth looks dramatic, it could be considered ‘relatively modest’ by comparison with the industry’s recent performance. Hitting the 35m passenger target within the next decade would require average annual market growth of around 4% — half the rate of growth between the 1980s and the mid-2000s, it points out.

The report notes that the three largest cruise firms — Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line — all reported record profits last year. It argues that much of this is the result of the growing use of ‘mega-ships’ and the efficiencies of scale gained by operating a single vessel that carries 5,000 passengers compared with one that accommodates half the number.

More than two-thirds of the 75 ships on order will be more than

is pictured above as it became A the first passenger vessel to pass The 83,308gt Disney Wonder

through the new locks in the expanded Panama Canal in April.

Canal authorities said last month that the waterway has dramatically

exceeded its traffic forecasts in the first year since it was opened.

Tonnage through the canal has increased by more than 22% and an average of 5.9 ships are transiting each day, compared with an anticipated two to three daily

transits during the first year.

The US$5.5bn upgrade to the 102-year-old canal included stateof-the art locks on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides, a new 3.8-mile access channel and widening and deepening at various locations.

100,000gt, the report adds, and six of them will top 200,000gt — with Royal Caribbean’s new 230,000gt Symphony of the Seas having room for 6,870 passengers.

Although there is no sign that the trend for such tonnage is abating, the Seatrade study cautions about the ‘growing problem for ports where the width and design of the new mega-ships is caus-

ing issues during the re-storing process on turnarounds and also with the embarkation/disembarkation of passengers’.

The report also highlights increasing signs of interest in building and operating small and luxury ships ‘on more adventurous itineraries’.

The Seatrade researchers said cruise companies are continuing to ‘hedge their options’ on

fuel — with 11 of the 75 ships on order having LNG engines. ‘The total will increase with confirmation of the options for more MSC World-Class ships, but all the companies are also ordering other ship classes without LNG engines so that, if there do prove to be problems with supply, delivery or operation of LNG ships, they are not over-committed,’ the report concludes.

Anchor ‘cut Somalia’s internet’

Indonesian seafarers’ union F leader Hanafi Rustandi, pictured

containership last month, F accusing it of causing a three-week

Tributes have been paid to

14-15_int.indd 15

TURKISH PROTEST: Turkey lodged protests with Greece last month after coastguards fired on the Turkish-flagged general cargoship after the master refused an order to divert to the island of Rhodes for an inspection. The ship’s master, Captain Sami Kalkavan, said his vessel had been hit by 16 bullets, but the Greek coastguard said it had information the ship may have been involved in drug smuggling. No injuries were reported, but Turkey’s foreign ministry said there was ‘no justification for firing on an unarmed commercial vessel ferrying cargo between two Turkish ports’.

SPANISH WARNING: shipowners in Spain are seeking less-strict rules on crew nationality as part of a package to rejuvenate the country’s national-flag fleet.

Alejandro Aznar, president of the owners’ organisation ANAVE, said the Spanish-controlled fleet is set to rise to its highest level in 32 years, but few of the 18 ships due to be delivered over the next two years are likely to be placed under the Spanish flag because of competition from other ship registers.

SEAFARERS ARRESTED: the master, second officer and an able seaman from the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Amber L were arrested in India last month after their ship was involved in a fatal collision with a fishing boat 14nm off the Kochi coast. Indian authorities remanded the three men in custody while investigations into the cause of the accident — in which two fishers died and one was reported missing — continued.

Warm tributes to Indonesian seafarers’ union president right, who died suddenly last month in Tokyo, where he was part of the International Transport Workers’ Federation delegation at the International Bargaining Forum talks.

Born in 1945, Mr Rustandi, who was chair of the ITF Asia-Pacific region, had served as general secretary of the KPI union since 1987 and was a member of the Indonesian Maritime Council.

ITF general secretary Steve Cotton commented: ‘It feels unbelievable that such a vibrant and ever-fighting personality is no longer with us. We grieve for him, and for his family, friends and union members.

‘Hanafi has died as he lived, a

shortreports

strong and outspoken advocate for trade unionists, and a defender to the last of seafarers’ rights. The world has lost a tireless and irreplaceable

campaigner. We mourn his loss and remember his example.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson added: ‘I was part of the ITF delegation at the IBF Forum meeting and the death of such a lovely man as Hanafi was therefore even more of a shock. We will miss his smiling face and positivity, as much as his tenacity in defence of Indonesian seafarers.’

Deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek added: ‘Hanafi — with his seafaring roots with the Holland America Line — will be remembered as a very sympathetic man who under often challenging circumstances managed to keep maritime trade union work very much alive in Indonesia. He died in the harness and will be sorely missed.’

Somalia detained a

internet blackout by severing undersea fibre-optic cables with its anchor.

Authorities said the 1,730TEU MSC Alice was being held while compensation was sought for losses caused by the internet outage, which affected government, media, medical, educational and banking operations.

The government said the blackout had cost around US$10m a day and had affected more than 6.5m people in the south and central regions of the country.

MSC said it was investigating the incident, but claimed the ship had been at an approved anchorage outside the port of Mogadishu.

CHILE CALL: maritime unions in Chile have welcomed an agreement which aims to protect the employment of Chilean seafarers onboard ships flying the country’s flag. During talks with the national shipowners’ association and the country’s Maritime Authority, it was agreed to support cabotage laws protecting domestic shipping and to challenge attempts to open up national services to foreign owners.

MAERSK MOVE: Maersk Supply Service has agreed to pump out potential pollutants from two offshore support vessels which sank off the French coast last year while being towed to Turkey for scrapping.

The company said last month that it had completed operations to survey the wrecks of the Maersk Searcher and Maersk Shipper and to remove any hydrocarbons from the tanks of the two ships.

MASTER DIES: South African rescue services went to the aid of the Italian-flagged tanker Freight Margie after the master collapsed while the ship was anchored 7nm off Durban last month. Paramedics declared the captain to have died from a suspected heart attack. He had just completed his contract period and was close to sign off after five months onboard.

COSTA COLLEGE: Italian operator Costa Cruises has teamed up with the country’s Merchant Marine Academy to open a new facility in the port of Genoa to train cooks, pastry-makers, bakers, customer service representatives, and other onboard passenger service staff. Costa has agreed to sign up some of the students on completion of their studies.

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19/07/2017 14:14

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

YOUR LETTERS

What’s on onyour yourmind? mind?

Tell your colleagues shipping.

Keep yourTelegraph letter to ahave your name, address colleaguesin inNautilus NautilusInternational International— —and andthe thewider world of but you must let the maximum words if you canyour — though contributions will beand considered.

Use number. a pen name or wider world300 of shipping.

Keep letter tolonger a maximum membership just membership number you don’t want to be identifi in anyour accompanying —Telegraph, Nautilus 300your words if you can — thoughif longer contributions will ed — say soSend letter to thenote Editor, but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send yourShrubberies, letter to the George Lane, be considered.

International, 1&2 The Editor, International, 1&2number The Shrubberies, George Lane,Woodford, South Woodford, Use aTelegraph, pen nameNautilus or just your membership if you South London E18 1BD, or use head office fax London E18to 1BD, use head ceso faxin+44 (0)20 8530 1015, or— email+44 telegraph@nautilusint.org don’t want beor identifi ed —offi say an accompanying note (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Historic tug gets new radar thanks to a great group

500th sailing for super Shieldhall

A

P

The navigational radar on the historic tug Brocklebank recently reached the end of its useful life. The navigators also wanted an AIS system to be installed with a second VHF set. After much discussion and research, the team decided to update with equipment procured from Furuno UK, based in Havant.

The equipment consisted of one Navnet Touch2 radar system, one FA50 AIS unit, one Hub 101 UNIT, two NMEA converters, and two antennas.

The original idea was to integrate the echosounder into the new system. Initially we assumed that the heading information would come from the AIS FA50 unit. This proved not to be the case, and so we had to rethink the installation. Because the FA50 heading information did not integrate with the display unit, we then decided we had to install a Network 2000 system.

It took a while to source the components for the NMEA2000.

Eventually a small company in Plymouth was located, and after some technical research by the volunteer ETO and the enthusiastic installation skills carried out by the crew of the Brocklebank, the Network 2000 system was installed. The crew arranged for the making of a bespoke wooden cabinet and swivel for the Navnet Touch2 and cables routed to the various units, with the cabinet being varnished in true MN style.

Brocklebank’s chief engineer Gordon Whitehead (ex-Shell) helps to install the tug’s new navigational equipment

Our thanks and gratitude go to Furuno UK’s managing director, John Williams, and the company’s sales and service teams, and to the skipper, chief engineer and crew of Brocklebank for their help and professionalism — a credit to retired MN personnel.

CLIVE EVANS mem no 426107

Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you think marine insurers are right to be worried about obesity amongst seafarers?

Yes 87% No 13%

The Solent Steam Packet Limited, the charity operating Southampton’s heritage steamship Shieldhall, last month celebrated as the vessel undertook her 500th voyage since charitable status began in 1988.

Originally constructed in 1955 to carry treated sludge down the River Clyde to the dumping grounds for the Glasgow Corporation, Shieldhall was sold to Southern Water in 1977 to perform a similar role out of Southampton. Her role was discontinued due to rising costs and the ship was due to be sold for scrap. However, a group of enterprising individuals saw her heritage value, forming the charity and purchasing her for her scrap price of £20,000.

Amongst the 500 sailings since have been trips to Dordrecht in Holland, and to her home port of Glasgow for the 50th birthday celebrations in 2005. Although currently limited to sailing in Solent waters (with passengers) it is hoped to extend the list of cruise destinations in future years.

Shieldhall’s 500th sailing saw her set sail at 10am on Saturday 1 July for an all-day Solent cruise, giving passengers the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of what turned out to be a record-breaking Round the Island Yacht Race. As with all Shieldhall cruises, passengers were able to see the impressive engineroom with its original steam engines at work, and the bridge, with its traditional instruments and gleaming brasswork.

Shieldhall chief engineer Graham Mackenzie was delighted at reaching the 500th voyage milestone. ‘It is a credit to our loyal band of volunteers that Shieldhall is 500 voyages strong, with the promise of many more to come,’ he said.

‘We are all united in our love of steam and keeping the tradition of steamships in Southampton going strong. The first steam packet companies operated out of Southampton in the 1820s and nearly 200 years later passengers can still get to appreciate this wonderful mode of travel.

Where’s my Telegraph?

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16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

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RIP Countess Mountbatten, supporter of the Derbyshire families the MV Derbyshire Trust Fund F wish to express their sorrow and send The committee members of

condolences to the family and friends of Countess Mountbatten, who died in June at the age of 93.

She took a keen interest in all matters related to ship safety and was a stalwart supporter of our cause.

Countess Mountbatten attended the last meeting between the bereaved families and the Department for Transport, where she congratulated the families on their achievements.

We were pleasantly surprised at her attendance, given her busy schedule.

She will be greatly missed.

Capt DAVID RAMWELL MNM mem no 311877 Secretary MV Derbyshire Trust Fund

Watch out for fungal infections from India who contacted the F Confidential Hazardous Incident With regard to the seafarer

Solent Steam Packet chairman Doug Brodie, Captain Peter Roberts and chief engineer Graham Mackenzie with a 500th sailing cake ‒ all passengers were offered a slice and to toast ‘full speed ahead’ for Shieldhall

Shieldhall is a living time capsule, the skills of our volunteers fast belonging to a forgotten age,’ Mr Mackenzie added. ‘However, thanks to a recent Heritage Lottery Fund grant, we have been able to secure her future for many years to come, and are reaching out to new audiences who have never set foot onboard a steamship. The smell of the steam, the distinctive sound

of the Shieldhall whistle, the opportunity to feel the heat of the boiler room — these are experiences that are never forgotten by our passengers.’ g Full details of the 2017 cruise programme and berthing information can be found at www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk. It is planned to have an outline of Shieldhall’s 2018 sailing programme available by midSeptember 2017.

Reporting Programme (CHIRP) about having to continue working in the galley despite a deteriorating medical condition (a fungal bacteria infection), as highlighted in issue 47 of the CHIRP Maritime Feedback, the ClearTouch medical device by Radiancy, or similar by other companies, could support the health of seafarers when onboard ship.

The device is used to treat nail fungus that can lead to serious health issues if not dealt with and which may be spread to others by contact.All ships could have this device as part of medical equipment and first aid onboard.

The Indian government should be informed with regard to this matter to ensure the health checks for persons joining ships are in place, and the seafarers’ medical should examine for nail fungus as part of the overall fitness test.

John Gallagher mem no 194448

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August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

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Lifejacket techniques now reflect cold shock research P

As the UK National group of Training Providers, representing the International Association of Safety and Survival Training, we feel it appropriate to respond to the letter in the June 2017 edition of the Nautilus Telegraph (‘Wrong lifejacket advice’, page 17) concerning water entry techniques wearing a lifejacket.

At the time of writing, the UK National group does not have any direct correspondence from the retired ship master.

This letter made reference to the experiences of one Nautilus member on a recent Personal Survival Techniques Course and led to suggestions that current UK training methods are not best practice.

In essence, we would agree with the member that measures to counteract up thrust from lifejacket buoyancy must be sufficient and effective.

However, we do regard the ‘two hand method’ as outdated in light of modern research and case study analysis. Although not recognised in times past, there is now widespread and international recognition of the potentially fatal implications of ‘cold shock’ and the need to adopt appropriate measures to prevent airway water ingress during abandonment into cold

water — something the two handed method fails to achieve.

As such, current, well established techniques reflect this and we would suggest the following if a dry-shod abandonment (always desirable) cannot be achieved: z The crew member should don survival equipment as per manufacturer’s instructions, ensuring adequate tight fitting of the lifejacket. z Water entry should ideally occur from the closest safe abandonment point to the waterline. z Pressure should be exerted forcefully downwards on the lifejacket to counteract the buoyancy up thrust expected on

entering the water. This should be achieved by having both arms crossed across the top of the jacket – one hand sealing the airways (see photograph) with the lower part of that arm pushing forcefully downwards, whilst the other arm is placed over the top of this arm, gripping the upper part of the lifejacket, locking the first arm in place and also pushing forcefully downwards. This often referred to as the ‘Block off, Lock off’ technique as illustrated above and in the MCA leaflet ‘Personal Survival at Sea’. Pinching the nose alone should be discouraged as it does not allow the mouth to be covered and

may cause nails to dig into the side of the nose. z The crew member should step off looking straight ahead (not jump), remaining in the above position until such a time as water entry has occurred and all vertical movement in the water has ceased. z The crew member should then swim on their back clear of the area to muster with others, allowing safe abandonment of remaining crew members.

We hope the above clarifies what is internationally accepted as best safe practice and has been used at our member training premises for many years — with thousands of delegates having entered the water safely from a variety of heights with no detrimental effects.

Lastly, we would actively discourage delegates from developing their own techniques on-course which are contrary to instructions and site risk assessments. If difficulty is experienced executing any task during training then we request that additional advice, clarification and guidance is sought from training staff involved before continuation of practical exercises.

International Association of Safety and Survival Training Providers UK National Group

Dodgy dealings with outdated oil separators

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I work on a fishery protection vessel within UK waters and, as such, we should be leading the way when it comes to the environment. So why in this day and age are we risking polluting the seas operating substandard oily water separators and monitors?

As engineers who have used the old type of monitors, we know full well they don’t work. The MCA guys also know full well they don’t work.

The only way to get them to allow water overboard is to put clean flushing water through the monitor to get the ppm low enough to allow discharge overboard.

About 10 years ago, when I worked for a large container company, I did a four-day course that covered OWS and monitors. Back then, the instructor said he didn’t want to know about the old type of monitors as he knew they didn’t work and asked us to encourage our supers to buy the new type of monitor. As you’d expect, this fell on deaf ears.

I refuse to pump water overboard unless it (a sample) goes through the monitor. It’s just not worth the fines etc for a few cubes of bilge water in my opinion. And I tend to leave the engineroom while this happening, as I disagree with the practice.

But recently I have witnessed chief engineers operating the oily water separator with flushing water going through the monitor, saying it is the only way to discharge bilge water overboard.

Well, if the monitor says the water going overboard is over 15ppm then the bilge water should not be going overboard, should it?

Name & no supplied

Nautilus Charter for Jobs: a monthly guide

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Our series on the Nautilus Charter for Jobs, Skills and the Future continues with a timely look at the eighth point in the 10-point document: Apply the National Minimum Wage (and the National Living Wage) and the Equality Act to all vessels engaged in UK waters.

It’s a year since the scandal of the offshore support vessels Malaviya 7 and Malaviya 20 was first exposed — and it’s still not over.

The two Indian-flagged vessels were detained in Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth after reports that their Indian crews had not been paid for months while working in the North Sea. It was reported that the seafarers were being paid an average of around

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

$2 per hour — or one-fifth less than the UK National Minimum Wage. This puts UK shipping at a severe competitive disadvantage, drives down wages, threatens UK jobs and harms the UK economy.

The knock-on effect of this on UK seafarers has been evident during the downturn in the oil price in the North Sea. Almost every company operating in the sector has reported job cuts, pay cuts or other reductions in terms and conditions for workers.

Seafarers are presently the only group of UK workers who are excluded from the full protection of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and equal pay legislation.

It is clearly wrong that there can be seafarers working on ships running

regular services in UK waters who are paid less than one-third of the NMW. This would not be tolerated on land and it must not be at sea.

Promises made during the EU referendum campaign about restricting immigration of unskilled workers must be applied to the shipping industry.

Shipping companies have increasingly recruited foreign crews to profit from subnational minimum wage pay rates, and this must end.

The government must act swiftly to address this imbalance and ensure all employee protection legislation applies onboard all vessels engaged wholly or mainly in UK waters.

Regulatory action must be taken to stop unscrupulous shipowners exploiting

foreign seafarers and discriminating against UK seafarers, through effective implementation mentation and enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, the National Minimum Wage, the National Living Wage and work permit and visa requirements.

Action must be taken to prevent social dumping of low-paid European and non-EU seafarers in British waters, as this undermines the employment and training of British seafarers.

The government must develop its enforcement strategy for shipping, including the acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the effectiveness of third party complaints of minimum wage breaches.

Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

ISSN 0040 2575 Published by Nautilus International Printed by Wyndeham Peterborough.

GENERAL SECRETARY Mark Dickinson MSc (Econ) HEAD OFFICE 1&2 The Shrubberies George Lane, South Woodford London E18 1BD tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 www.nautilusint.org NETHERLANDS OFFICE Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Postbus 8575, 3009 AN Rotterdam tel: +31 (0)10 4771188 fax: +31 (0)10 4773846 NORTHERN OFFICE Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 SWITZERLAND OFFICE Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 DEPARTMENT EMAILS general: enquiries@nautilusint.org membership: membership@nautilusint.org legal: legal@nautilusint.org telegraph: telegraph@nautilusint.org industrial: industrial@nautilusint.org youth: ymp@nautilusint.org welfare: welfare@nautilusint.org professional and technical: protech@nautilusint.org Nautilus International also administers the Nautilus Welfare Fund and the J W Slater Fund, which are registered charities.

19/07/2017 13:37

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

MARITIME EDUCATION

Left to right: David Slater, son of JW Slater; Carla Rockson, head of seafarer education at the Marine Society; Captain Kevin Walsh, Mersey pilot and former Slater scholar; Kevin Lennon, current Slater scholar Pictures: Andrew Linington

A helping hand up the ranks M

The JW Slater Fund was launched by the Union in 1977 in honour of a former general secretary, and has gone on to become the biggest single supporter of rating-toofficer training in the UK. John Slater’s son, David Slater, paid tribute to the success of the scheme last month at a seminar to mark its 40th anniversary (see facing page). He said that his father would have been very proud to see the contribution the fund has made to ‘the muchneeded and sought-after supply of British officers’ — pointing out that the charity has donated some £5.5m to help ratings and

18_slater 40th_SR edit.indd Sec1:18

As the British shipping industry gathered last month to celebrate 40 years of the JW Slater Fund, some of those closely involved with the scholarship scheme spoke about the difference it has made to seafarers’ lives... other seafarers to gain officer certification and ‘life-changing’ opportunities for career progression.

Mr Slater explained that his father cared about this issue because he himself had started out as a rating, and had worked and studied to further his career, eventually gaining his master’s certificate before coming ashore.

He then spent 16 years with the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers’ Association (a predecessor union of Nautilus International) before his death in 1974.

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The JW Slater Fund charity was established in the late general secretary’s memory with donations totalling just over £8,000, and in its first

year it gave awards of up to £750 for eight ratings to study for OOW certificates. Forty years later, the fund offers awards of up to £18,500 and a completion bonus of £1,500, and has been extended to provide assistance to seafarers from the superyacht, workboat and fishing industries, as well as electrotechnical officers. The numbers being supported have

more than doubled over the past four years.

‘The success of this charity is not simply the £8,000 invested in 1977 and the grants we are now able to award, but because of the dedication, hard work, sacrifice and sometimes struggles of the people my father wanted to help — those who may not enter the industry as officers, but who have the potential to become officers,’ Mr Slater pointed out.

Carla Rockson, head of seafarer education at the Marine Society — which manages the day-to-day running of the fund for Nautilus — said the number of awards made by the charity has increased from 47 in 2013 to 105 last year.

Of these, 36 were made to superyacht crew, 25 to deck ratings, 19 to ETOs, 11 to workboat seafarers, 10 to fishers and four to engine ratings, with a total of 250 seafarers currently being assisted by the scheme.

The meeting also heard from two seafarers who have benefited from Slater Fund support. Mersey pilot Captain Kevin Walsh said the charity had given him a vital financial ‘bridge’ as he struggled with the demands of providing for his family while studying to become an officer 23 years ago.

Capt Walsh said he had worked for 14 years as an AB — having left school with no qualifications — and had decided to train as an officer because of the scale of redundancies for British ratings in the 1990s. Four months into his studies at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, he became increasingly worried about his finances.

However, after a call to the Slater Fund, he was reassured that £2,000 was on its way. ‘That

was my little bridge to get me through the next two months of the course and through to my qualifications. You can’t imagine how much of a relief that funding was to me,’ he explained. ‘It doesn’t seem a lot of money today, but it changed my life and gave me the opportunity to carry on studying.

‘I’ve never been out of work since — quite the opposite,’ Capt Walsh added. ‘When I got my ticket I went from no work or practically begging for work to people offering work left, right and centre,’ he said.

Within the space of just sevenand-a-half years, he went from being an AB to a ship master, and he is now serving as a first class Liverpool pilot. ‘My message to anybody is grab this by both hands — it is not just the money, it is the opportunity,’ he added.

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Kevin Lennon is a current Slater scholar — just a fortnight away from his orals when he spoke to the meeting last month. He had been serving as an AB in the North Sea, but lost his job as a result of the cutbacks in the offshore sector — being made redundant at the same time as his application to the fund was approved.

Kevin — whose grandfather was a captain and whose father is a chief officer — admitted that it had not been easy to return to education at the age of 30. ‘You have to make a lot of sacrifices, but don’t be put off — it can be done,’ was his message to others.

He paid tribute to the help he has been given from City of Glasgow college and from staff at the Marine Society, as well as the support he has received from his current company — British Antarctic Survey.

‘In the first two weeks, I questioned if I was doing the right thing — it was so hard,’ he added. But I am glad I stuck it out — it has changed my life, that’s for sure.’

19/07/2017 14:15

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

MARITIME EDUCATION

Down but not out: the resurgence of ratings What can be done to improve prospects for British ratings?

ANDREW LININGTON heard some ideas at the JW Slater Fund anniversary seminar last month...

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Calls for an action plan to increase the number of British trainee ratings were discussed at a top-level seminar on 10 July 2017 to mark the 40th anniversary of the JW Slater Fund.

Shipowner, government and Nautilus and RMT representatives were joined by apprentices and Slater Fund scholars at the event, which was jointly organised by the Union and the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB).

The meeting heard concerns about the reduction in British rating numbers — including evidence from a study commissioned by Slater Fund trustees which forecasts a 16% fall in the total of deck and engine ratings over the next decade — and examined ideas for increasing training numbers and overcoming barriers to recruitment and employment. It considered ways to promote training, increase the number of training berths and to protect UK employment in key sectors.

Opening the meeting, MNTB chairman Kevin Slade said UK ratings could provide owners with top quality skills and expertise, but he cautioned that there is a need to be able to demonstrate the ‘value-plus’ they can deliver.

‘We know that for some companies cost is an overriding factor, but we know that other companies are looking at cost in terms of human capital as well — an investment that is not just financial but one which reflects the value of training apprentices, and the loyalty

the MNTB/Slater Fund seminar included A trainees and trainers, pictured above. Nautilus The Royal Fleet Auxiliary delegation at

RFA liaison officer Russell Downs was joined by chief officer Richard McGinily, head of training and rates of retention which may come out of that,’ added MNTB training manager Mark Burgess.

He said there are many reports pointing to a growing gap between supply and demand, and the MNTB has been developing new training programmes which aim to produce ‘well-trained and highly motivated apprentices with a professional approach’. The structured programmes will also improve the prospects for British ratings, he added, and a range of support is available through schemes such as SMarT, the Maritime Educational Foundation, and the apprentice levy.

While apprenticeships will not replace traditional training schemes for

for the RFA, and Ian Parkin, who oversees apprentices’ development, as well as former deck apprentice James Wallace, former engine apprentice Joshua Parkin and RMT official Mark Carden.

The RFA has been at the forefront of developing the maritime ‘trailblazer’ apprenticeship schemes and presently has a total of 138 apprentices, with a further 42 set to join in October.

For some companies, cost is an overriding factor, but there are others who value quality

Rod Paterson, deputy director of maritime growth at the Department for Transport, said the government recognises that seafaring skills are crucial for the future of the industry and ministers are determined to increase recruitment and training.

An option for ratings training under the tonnage tax scheme had been introduced in 2015 and changes to the UK apprenticeship system should also help shipping companies. A review of the SMarT support for training has also been completed and publication of the findings is ‘imminent’, he promised.

Mr Paterson said the government is also reviewing the application of the National Minimum Wage to seafarers working in UK waters. ‘The minister is

“

”

ratings, Mr Burgess said their numbers are growing — with 218 at present and a further 41 due to begin this summer.

committed to improving employment practices and to protect UK jobs and UK companies operating in UK waters that pay fair rates to their seafarers,’ he added.

‘Wage costs are an important factor, but a UK rating should be able to compete fairly for a job in UK waters based on their experience, training and quality.

They should not be discriminated at the first hurdle because of salary,’ he added.

‘If the industry is truly committed to providing opportunities for British ratings, then we cannot rely on limited opportunities for certain routes.’

Workshops considered issues including ideas for increasing trainee rating numbers and addressing the reasons some companies fail to recruit or employ British ratings.

Issues examined included the need for better information and data on the economic benefits to be gained from employing British ratings, concerns over poaching by non-trainers, reducing the length of training courses, and increasing the number of training berths.

Proposals for an action plan to progress these aims were also discussed — with suggestions such as setting an annual target figure for the trainee intake, improving the way in which rating training is promoted, updating training record books, and providing more incentives for training.

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Nautilus head of strategic development Steven Gosling, who helped organise the event, said he was pleased with the outcome.

‘This was a very fitting way to pay tribute to the success of the Slater Fund and to generate some high-level dialogue about the need to create a sustainable long-term supply of seafaring skills for the future,’ he added.

‘While it was acknowledged that there is still much more the industry could be doing to tackle some of the problems, it is clear that the government needs to act swiftly to create a policy climate which not only supports increased ratings training but also delivers increased employment opportunities for them.’

‘It’s a good start to a career at sea’ companies including A P&O Ferries, DFDS, the Royal Trainee ratings from

Fleet Auxiliary and Northern Marine were unanimous in stating that they would recommend their career choice to other young people.

The seminar included a breakout session enabling trainees to discuss the highs and lows of their experiences so far and to suggest ideas for improving the recruitment and training methods for others following in their footsteps.

A large proportion of the

19_slater 40th_SR edit.indd Sec1:18

trainees — but by no means all — had chosen to go to sea as a result of seafaring family members or friends. Perceived attractions of the job were decent pay, good leave, the ability to develop good skillsets, career progression opportunities, travel and job security.

There were mixed feelings about training experiences — some saying that their time at college was excellent, with knowledgeable and supportive lecturers, and others finding it not so satisfactory, with complaints

about irrelevant course content and insufficient hands-on training. Similarly, it was noted that the support of other seafarers — especially in completing training record books — could vary, and a lot depends on the attitude of the line manager. Some of the trainees said they had really appreciated being trusted to take on tasks onboard and to be seen as part of the team.

Almost all of the trainees were interested in the idea of progressing to officer ranks — and, indeed, one has already started his cadetship.

19/07/2017 17:12

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

MARITIME CAREERS

Master of crew welfare David Parsons moved from being captain of a crossChannel ferry to the head of the UK’s leading seafarer welfare body. As his second career comes to an end, he tells ANDREW LININGTON about the challenges and successes of the maritime charity sector…

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David Parsons has no regrets about his time as he steps down after almost 24 years heading the Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) as chief executive. ‘If I could have written my own job description knowing what I know now, this is the one I would have written — I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of it,’ he reflects.

He spotted an advertisement for the post at the MNWB in the Telegraph while serving as a master with P&O European Ferries. ‘The job sounded really interesting and I had decided that if I ever was going to come ashore, this was the time to do it,’ he recalls.

‘I don’t know why, but I had always wanted to go to sea from as far back as I can remember,’ David says. ‘I had intended to join the Royal Navy, but I went to the Training Ship Mercury for three years.

We slept in hammocks aboard a ship that looked like Noah’s Ark. From there, most cadets went to the Merchant Navy and I decided this was the right direction for me.’

He served as an apprentice and cadet with Shaw Savill & Albion Line, joining his first vessel — the cargoship Carnatic — in Liverpool in 1964 and rising to the rank of third officer. ‘I spent six years with the company, exclusively on the Australia-New Zealand run, and it was a wonderful life — seldom spending less than a week in port.’

As the Shaw Savill fleet began to shrink, David

switched to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1971, spending ‘six very happy years there’ before leaving with his master’s certificate.

This was followed by 16 years on cross-Channel ferries, serving with Thoresen Car Ferries and P&O on services from Southampton and Portsmouth to Le Havre and Cherbourg, and rising to the rank of master. David admits that the transition to working ashore was a challenge — but one which he rapidly overcame, particularly with assistance from former Nautilus deputy general secretary Peter McEwen, who was then chairman of the MNWB. ‘I was new to the charity sector and managing a shoreside organisation, and I’m very grateful for the support that Peter gave me,’ he says. ‘It stood me in very good stead, and I never looked back.’

Since he started in the job, maritime welfare provision has been transformed and the MNWB — which aims to ensure the effective and efficient provision of quality services for seafarers and their families — has undergone significant changes to keep at the cutting edge of developments.

After jointly organising a major conference on the future of maritime welfare services in 1997, the MNWB launched a series of working groups which produced recommendations to make the most of the finite resources for supporting seafarers. ‘The CONCO 97 conference was an attempt to bring all

David Parsons, outgoing MNWB general secretary Picture: Andrew Linington

the maritime charities together to look at the various aspects of what they do. We came away with a very positive outcome, which has set the course for the rest of my career,’ David notes.

He says the way in which the MNWB is structured — with constituent members including shipowners, maritime unions and more than 50 maritime charities — provides it with a steady stream of expert advice and assistance. ‘It sounds like an unholy alliance, but it really does work very well,’ David stresses. ‘I can’t remember any time when there was a fundamental disagreement between all the sides represented, and it is always very professional in its work. Quite simply, welfare of the seafarers is the only priority.’

We are able to understand what the real needs are

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20_david parsons_SR edit.indd Sec2:20

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The Board also receives valuable grassroots input from 15 port welfare committees in the UK and Gibraltar, he adds. ‘All of this means we are able to understand what the real needs of the seafaring community are, and we can look at what is happening not just at the moment but what is needed into the future.’

The sweeping changes in the shipping industry over the past few decades have presented welfare providers with big challenges, David points out. For serving seafarers, with increasingly limited time in port, there are issues about access to shore-based centres, he notes. Many seafarer centres have had to switch their emphasis from bars to the provision of internet cafes, but with more ships now offering better connectivity to crews there is a new challenge, he says. ‘It’s a fast-moving situation and we have been doing a major review of some of the centres and the changes they need to make. It’s so important to give the crew a chance to get off the ship, even for a few hours, but centres are having to find other ways to attract seafarers,’ he explains.

There are also big changes in the nature of need among seafarers and their dependants, he adds.

Reflecting wider changes in shipping, traditional seafaring communities have declined in emphasis — raising such questions as the future of some facilities in old port towns, as well as social isolation for older seafarers — and the MNWB has been involved in significant research projects to develop new and different services to respond to these trends.

David says there is now much closer coordination of welfare services to seafarers. The Board has developed a range of training courses to ensure that those in the frontline of such work are given the

skills and knowledge they need. For example a pioneering course for ship welfare visitors – covering such issues as health and safety, shipboard protocols, and dealing with issues such as bereavement and substance abuse – is now being extended to other countries.

The Board also provides evaluation studies and a number of capital grants for its members. Much of its own income is derived from investments, as it is not an active fundraiser. Nonetheless, wider changes in society make fund-raising for most maritime charities an increasing challenge and the Board is taking a lead in lobbying for a system of port levies to help fill the funding gap. ‘A levy of between £20 to £50 for a visiting ship is a drop in the ocean compared with the cost of bringing a vessel into port, but makes a massive difference to the services that can be provided to visiting seafarers,’ David notes.

He is very proud of the way in which the MNWB has been ‘exporting’ its way of working to other countries. ‘We were the world’s first national seafarer welfare board, with an ancestry going back to 1927, and the International Labour Organisation has seen fit to use the MNWB and its committees as a template for shore-based welfare facilities under the Maritime Labour Convention,’ he explains.

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Recently, the MNWB took on a pilot project to help other countries to establish welfare boards on behalf of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network. The success of this work – in countries including Australia, Benin, Canada, Ghana, South Korea and the USA – has resulted in a new three-year programme, managed by the Board, to develop this further.

When David joined the Board back in 1993 he was based at the Merchant Navy Hotel in London.

Ten years later, the hotel was sold for £6.75m, and the proceeds not only more than doubled the MNWB’s investments but have also helped to provide the bedrock for the work it continues to do today — and notably as ‘an enabler’ to provide and coordinate grants and services for seafarers.

David, who stepped down from the post of MNWB chief executive at the end of July, says other highlights of his time in the post have been the creation of the Merchant Navy Convoy section at the National Arboretum — with 2,535 oak trees to honour each ship lost in the second world war — and the administration of the Merchant Navy Medal (one of which was awarded to him in 2011).

‘I’ve been so proud to be part of all this,’ he reflects. ‘It’s all been down to some fantastic support from trustees, stakeholders and superb staff.

We’ve been very responsive to need. People come to us with a problem, we listen and we act. Most of all I wish my successor, currently my deputy, Peter Tomlin, every success and as much satisfaction as I have enjoyed over these many years.’

19/07/2017 11:56

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Scenes from the opening ceremony for the Seafarers UK Ce ntenary Wing at Nautilus Mariners’ Park Pictures: Tahgd Devlin

Royal seal of approval P

For the past 160 years Mariners’ Park has been providing muchneeded accommodation and care for retired seafarers — and now that lifeline has been extended even further with the formal opening of new state-ofthe-art facilities at the Wallasey welfare complex in NW England.

The Seafarers UK Centenary Wing — an extension to the existing Trinity House Hub — was formally opened on 23 June by HRH The Earl of Wessex, who welcomed the wing’s first residents into their new homes.

The extension has seen a further 22 apartments added to the Hub, providing accommodation to a maximum of 26 eligible residents. The new homes have been designed to meet the needs and requirements of retired mariners —

Nautilus Mariners’ Park has recently been enhanced with 22 attractive new apartments for retired seafarers. The new accommodation wing was formally opened on 23 June 2017 by HRH The Earl of Wessex… each including a wet room and call alarm system. Two apartments have also been set up especially for wheelchair users. In total, there are now 40 apartments in the Hub and new wing combined.

Additionally, communal facilities have also been extended in the Hub — which was opened back in 2014 by the Princess Royal — including the creation of a new activities room that has been made available for the use of all Mariners’ Park residents.

During his visit to Mariners’ Park, the Earl met staff and residents, and

heard about the work of the Nautilus Welfare Fund — the registered charity administered by the Union — to ensure the wellbeing of all residents at the 16-acre site.

The Earl is president of the charity Seafarers UK, which gave a £1.17m grant to support the costs of the new wing.

Speaking at the opening, he expressed how important the development is.

‘I’m delighted that this new facility is helping provide care to the people that need it,’ he explained. ‘It’s great work and, speaking on behalf of Seafarers UK,

we’re delighted to be in partnership with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and Nautilus. We’re particularly delighted that we’ve been able to help with this development so swiftly after the Trinity House Hub was started, so that you can really build up the amount of accommodation you can find here,’ he added.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the facilities provided reflect the needs of those using them. ‘It’s 160 years since the Mercantile Marine Service Association started raising the funds to provide a care home and accom-

modation for less fortunate seafarers at this site, with the first building — Cliff House — opening in 1882 and providing accommodation for 65 men,’ he said.

‘Ever since, we’ve never stood still.

The facilities here have not only been expanded, but they have been continuously upgraded and improved to meet the changing needs of our members,’ he continued.

‘Houses, bungalows, accessible apartments and a residential and nursing home, now offering specialist dementia care, as well as the domiciliary care service which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2014 are all available. We’ve got so much to be proud of here.’ g For further information about the Nautilus Welfare Fund visit www.nautiluswelfarefund.org.

Chairman’s joy at completion of project chair of the Nautilus Welfare F Fund — and former head of the Royal Commodore Bob Thornton,

Commodore Bob Thornton speaking to MNWB chairman Bob Jones at the opening of the new wing Picture: Deborah McPherson

21_hub_SR edit.indd Sec2:21

Fleet Auxiliary — introduced the Fund’s governing committee to HRH the Earl of Essex during the opening of the Centenary Wing and told the Telegraph about the significance of the event for Mariners’ Park.

‘It’s a very exciting day, as it clearly marks the end of this phase of development,’ he explained. ‘Some years ago, the Hub was discussed and we talked about what comes next, and the potential to refresh the housing stock to give us accommodation that really meets today’s needs and is not something we had to modify from inherited Victorian

and Edwardian era buildings.

‘It is a great joy to see it now all open, and people moved in happy and smiling.

This is a great way to mark the occasion.

‘I have heard people describe Mariners’ Park as outstanding, and I don’t think there is a better word to describe it,’ Cmdre Thornton added.

‘The Hub and Centenary Wing are the jewel in the crown, but the whole park is outstanding. I’m immensely proud of it.’

Even with the new wing, the waiting list for accommodation remains. With that in mind, the Welfare Fund knows that the opening is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the future of the Merseyside estate. ‘It’s always good to have a waiting list,’ Cmdr Thornton said.

‘We have plans for further development, and it would be silly to contemplate further development if we didn’t have a waiting list.’

While most seafarers need to have been at sea for 20 years to qualify for that waiting list, the Fund does have some discretion over the places it awards.

The nature of an applicant’s sea service, whether war service was involved, and what cut their career short if they left before 20 years, are all considerations the Fund will take into account when making a decision.

Cmdre Thornton also pointed out that the Fund provides a great deal of assistance other than accommodation — such as the Caseworker support project

which offers one-to-one advice and help on financial, health and other issues to retired seafarers and their dependants.

‘There is a lot of need out there,’ he pointed out. ‘People tend to focus on Mariners’ Park, but we are engaged nationwide — for example through all the expert caseworkers we have put in place. They are delivering terrific value by finding seafarers who are in need of support and assistance.’

‘We do also make grants for needy seafarers on a needs basis, such as for mobility scooters to help them remain independent in their own homes, he pointed out. ‘So, wherever there is a need we are able to assess that need and make some contribution.’

19/07/2017 16:05

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Celebrating new homes for mariner HRH The Earl of Wessex opening the Seafarers UK Centenary Wing of the Hub 2 in Wallasey Picture: Tahgd Devlin

The Centenary Wing at Nautilus Mariners’ Park has been bu thanks to the largest donation maritime charity Seafarers U ever made. Steven Kennedy and Deborah McPherson repo

P

This year is the 100th anniversary of Seafarers UK — formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors — and the new wing at Mariners’ Park has been named to mark the charity’s centenary.

Seafarers UK made a record grant of £1.17m to help cover the costs of the new building, and Commodore Barry Bryant, the charity’s director general, commented: ‘Having attended the formal opening of the original Trinity House building, it didn’t need a great leap of imagination to imagine how stage 2 would — and should — look.

‘Fortunately, with our own centenary plans being considered around the theme of past, present and future seafarers, it was not difficult to present the vision to our own trustees that Mariners’ Park should be the destination for funds dedicated to former mariners,’ he told the Telegraph.

‘With a major grant — we think the largest single grant that Seafarers UK has ever made — of £1.17m topped up with the proceeds of our Centenary Dinner in Liverpool and several smaller donated sums including £112,000 from the government’s LIBOR funds, we were

able to support this fanta with a total of £1.315m.

‘We are of course de the result, and it was pe that our own president, H of Wessex, was pleased to formal opening.

‘With more money bec able from our work with erans Fund for four extr dedicated to MN vetera our hugely positive relat Mariners’ Park and the N fare Fund will continue future.’

MN veterans i further constr

Left to right: HRH The Earl of Wessex; Iain MacKenzie, Nautilus Council member; Ronnie Cunningham, Nautilus assistant general secretary; Olu Tunde, Nautilus assistant general secretary and Peter McEwen, former Nautiius deputy general secretary Picture: Tahgd Devlin

I

A safe place to rest in retirement Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson outside the Hub at the opening of its new wing Picture: Steven Kennedy

The Union’s work to provide top-quality welfare services seafarers is getting a further boost thanks to the procee financial institutions who manipulated the inter-bank lending A grant worth more than £900,000 has come from the A Fund, via Seafarers UK, for a three-pronged project aimed at i raising the profile of Merchant Navy veterans who were involv around the world.

It will also deliver dedicated accommodation at the Nauti Park Estate, and evaluation of specialist support, as well as en

Our commitme that’s been produced,’ said Nautilus F welfare services manager Mick Howarth

’It‘s a fantastic, high-quality facility

Olivia-Sally and Roger Young residents of Mariners’ Park Estate for over 22 years Picture: Deborah McPherson

there,’ is how Roger and OliviaF Sally Young describe their retired life

‘It’s heaven in here and hell out

of over 22 years at the Mariners’ Park Estate.

It is also a safe distance to spin a yarn about Mr Young’s brush with a key moment in Chinese history during his nearly 30-year Merchant Navy career — the start of that country’s ‘Cultural Revolution’, an era of radical and violent upheaval.

Mr Young, now aged 80, was working for the Blue Funnel Line delivering buses and other machinery

22-23_spread_hub_19.7_SR edit.indd 22

on a cargoship to Shanghai in the mid-1960s. As he and his crewmates went ashore, they were surrounded by revolutionaries. ‘These soldiers guarding a bank came along and rescued us. They told the people off, and told us we would be safe to carry on to where we were going,’ he recalls. ‘We ended up sitting in the seafarers’ mission and watching it all.’

The couple, who have been married nearly 52 years and have three children, are one of the Centenary Wing’s first residents — having moved from an older

bungalow at the Park. ‘I’m the reason we are in here,’ explains Mr Young. ‘I was at sea for 29 years, as an electrical officer on cargoships.’

Mrs Young, 78, said they both loved the convenience of the amenities in the building, and security of knowing staff were on hand in emergencies — since they are now both less able to walk far. ‘It’s a beautiful apartment, and the staff really look after you here,’ she added. ‘We also do a lot of craft and painting. Now we just have to go downstairs, and we are safe.’

Above: Amy Johnson and Jane Davies, care manager and registered manager at the Nautilus Welfare Fund, with former Nautilus deputy general secretary Peter McEwen.

Below: the Centenary Wing garden Pictures: Deborah McPherson

proudly. The project has been a labour of love for the experienced welfare provider, who said that seeing the opening of the Seafarers UK Centenary Wing was a very special moment.

‘With the wing costing £2.7m to build, we are very grateful to Seafarers UK in their centenary year for the very generous donation of £1.17m which kick-started this extension,’ he continued. ‘It’s the culmination of over two and a half years of work from the moment we pressed the go button to opening it.

‘Each apartment consists of a lounge, dining room, and an open-plan kitchen where residents have access to an eye-level oven and an easy access fridge. They also have two bedrooms and storage in the apartments.’

And because — like the rest of the Trinity House Hub — the wing is staffed 24 hours a day, residents are able to have peace of

Mick Howa Picture: D

mind know assistance i Anothe project is Jo Internation member of Committee ‘We hav develop fro

19/07/2017 17:56

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Statistics from the

g es rs

Seafarers UK Centenary Wing £2.7m development cost,

£1.17m

including from Seafarers UK

22 new

apartments housing a maximum

26

of eligible residents Prince Edward meets the residents of the new Hub 2 at Mariners’ Park Estate in Wallasey, Liverpool Picture: Tahgd Devlin

Construction

built rs UK has eport…

took just under

18 months to complete between

fantastic building m. se delighted with as perhaps fitting ent, HRH The Earl ed to perform the y becoming availwith the Aged Vetextra apartments eterans, I’m sure relationship with the Nautilus Welnue long into the

February 2016 and June 2017 The new development is around

2,000 sq m in size Commodore Barry Bryant of Seafarers UK meets HRH The Earl of Wessex with Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson Picture: Tahgd Devlin

s invited to complete welfare survey as struction is planned at Mariners’ Park ervices for former proceeds of fines on ending rate (LIBOR). the Aged Veterans ed at identifying and involved in conflicts Nautilus Mariners’ l as enabling the

expansion of its existing caseworker service to find and assist MN veterans.

The three-year project will include a health and social care survey to find out the size, location and welfare needs of MN veterans — being carried out on behalf of the Nautilus Welfare Fund and Seafarers UK by the Institute of Public Care (IPC). This research is part of a wider initiative to find, recognise and support the MN veterans of civilian vessels who are now brought under the UK Armed Forces Covenant.

Researchers carrying out the ‘Our Forgotten War Heroes’ survey are particularly keen to hear from MN and Royal Fleet Auxiliary veterans born

before 1950, and their spouses and dependants. The survey, which is confidential, is open until 31 August, and researchers will also carry out telephone interviews, and some more in depth face to face interviews with those who agree.

The Aged Veterans Fund grant will also be used to fund two other initiatives underway at Mariners’ Park: the construction of two new bungalows in Webster Avenue, and a new block of 12 flats in Ismay Drive.

Four of the new homes, including the two bungalows, will be dedicated to MN veterans.

Each apartment measures approximately

70 sq m

A

games room has been opened for residents including a full-sized snooker table and darts board.

ment to high standards Royal congratulations for couple’s diamond milestone K

Howarth, Nautilus welfare services manager, in one of the new apartments ure: Deborah McPherson

knowing that, should they need it, ance is available at a moment’s notice nother long-time supporter of the ct is John Lang, chair of the Nautilus national trustee directors and a ber of the Nautilus Welfare Fund mittee.

We have watched the Trinity House Hub op from conception, when it was just

22-23_spread_hub_19.7_SR edit.indd 23

a gleam in the eye,’ said John. ‘I find myself thinking this must be the best care home organisation for the retired, no matter what your profession, anywhere in the country.

‘It is so nice to reflect that all that hard work has grown something so impressive before our eyes, and it is a stunning testimony to the achievements of so many people.’

Longstanding Mariners’ Park residents Ken and Doris Joinson have received double Royal recognition of their diamond wedding anniversary.

HRH The Earl of Wessex congratulated the couple in person during his visit to open the new CentenaryWing, and they had already received a message from the Queen on their anniversary date of 16 February 2017.

Having moved into the Mariners’ Park Estate on 1 August 2001, the couple still live close to where they married in Seacombe, Wallasey, on 16 February 1957.

Mr Joinson travelled a bit further in his 41-year maritime career working for Westminster Dredging Company, while Mrs Joinson worked for many years as a nurse and was a former deputy head at another Merseyside care home.

The couple — who have two sons, and a daughter, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren — had celebrated their anniversary on Saturday 11 February with an afternoon tea with family and friends at the Trinity House Hub.

Ken and Doris Joinson after meeting HRH The Earl of Wessex at their home Picture: Deborah McPherson

19/07/2017 17:56

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

The long road to justice Earlier this year, Nautilus welcomed a crucial ruling in favour of its long-running effort to uphold seafarers’ employment rights. But, as STEVEN KENNEDY reports, the story isn’t over yet…

M

Nautilus International is successfully maintaining its legal right to pursue a claim for a protective award on behalf of members made redundant from Sealion vessels in 2015.

However, this has not been an easy process, and news has recently come in that the parent company, Seahorse Maritime, has been given further leave to appeal against the original and subsequent rulings in favour of the Union.

The saga began after hundreds of Seahorse employees lost their positions when their ships were laid up. In a costcutting exercise by the company, Seahorse staff numbers were cut from 800 to under 500 between 2014 and 2016, with the number of UK employees falling from 213 to 118 over the same period.

Nautilus argued that there should have been a collective consultation before the redundancies were made, but Seahorse claimed that it was not required in law to undertake this.

The case went to the UK Employment Tribunal (ET) in August 2016. The key piece of legislation under consideration was the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, which states that where an employer is proposing to make 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within a period of 90 days, it must engage in specific collective consultation obligations with the recognised union. The objectives of the collective consultation are to explore ways of avoiding redundancies and to reduce the impact of the employer’s proposed actions. Nautilus had to per-

The offshore supply vessels Toisa Explorer and Toisa Envoy in lay-up at Corporation Quay in the port of Sunderland earlier this year Picture: David Allan

suade the judge that each ship on which members worked was not an ‘establishment’ for the purposes of the 1992 Act, and

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instead that the establishment was the company as a whole. This issue was crucial to the Union’s case, because most of the Seahorse ships had fewer than 20 seafarers onboard. Therefore, if each ship was considered an establishment, the triggering measure would not have been met on many of the vessels.

Lawyers for the Union argued that employees of the company agreed to work on any vessel that they were assigned to, rather than one specific ship, and that transfers could — and did — take place. While most seafarers served on the same ship for fourweek or six-week rosters, their contracts did not state any particular vessel as their place of work.

Nautilus also needed to establish that UK jurisdiction applied to the members’ case. Its lawyers argued that the relevant provisions of the 1992 Act extended to UK-domiciled Nautilus members, even though they worked on ships all over the globe.

M

The 2016 tribunal found in favour of the Union on both points — which then led to Seahorse appealing against the ruling at the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) in February this year. Having heard the appeal — and after much deliberation — the judge, Mrs Justice Slade, again dismissed the company’s arguments.

On the establishment issue, the judge was influenced by the fact that the ships were not owned or operated by Seahorse; they were owned and operated

by Toisa and Sealion respectively.

In her 38-page judgment, she stated: ‘The relevant establishment will be the unit within the employer’s organisation (Seahorse) to which the employees are assigned, not that of the client (Sealion) for whom their employer provided services.’

On the jurisdictional point,

she ruled that the focus should be on the employees, not where the establishment is situated.

Here she made the distinction between seafarers on ships that move around, and those who work on ships which are stationary — as many were in this case.

For the former, who would be classified as peripatetic workers, it is well established that the relevant criterion in establishing whether UK employment law extends to them is where their employment is based.

Furthermore, in her reasons, the judge also likened the seafarers who lived in the UK and trav-

“

This case could clarify some legal issues and help other seafarers obtain justice in the UK

”

elled to the stationary ships to ‘international commuters’. In her judgment, she said that ‘even if the employees were not peripatetic, those living in the UK were international commuters who had a sufficiently strong connection with the UK to give the Employment Tribunal territorial jurisdiction to determine the section 188 claim in relation to them’.

In this instance, the judge’s views were influenced by the fact that the seafarers commute to their work from their homes in the UK, that the contracts of employment were stated to be governed by English law, that the agency — Farnham Marine Agency — responsible for most of the administration was based

in the UK, and that the seafarers called the UK home.

It’s an interesting, and important, judgment that could affect a great many seafarers, both now and in the future.

The question stems from the distinction between a seafarer who is an international commuter (those working on stationary vessels) and one who is a peripatetic worker (those seafarers who go from place to place).

M

With the nature of seafaring being what it is — that of a global business with travel at the heart of its activity — this case may help others to navigate around this complex issue.

For the moment, what’s clear is that this is a good result, and another step towards getting the seafarers in question what is rightfully due to them.

However, as Nautilus director of legal services Charles Boyle points out, the case is still some way off a final resolution — because Seahorse has successfully applied to the EAT for permission to further appeal against both legal decisions.

‘Although this judgment rules that the ET will have jurisdiction to hear the Union’s claim for a protective award, Seahorse has obtained permission to take the matter to the Court of Appeal, on both the establishment and the jurisdictional issue,’ explained Mr Boyle.

‘Members will, of course, be kept informed of that outcome,’ he added. ‘However, if this judgment stands then it represents a very important victory for the Union in overcoming the jurisdictional hurdles that members face in trying to access justice in their home legal system — the problem arising because they work outside the UK.’

g For information about the legal protection Nautilus can provide for its members, visit www.nautilusint.org.

19/07/2017 13:38

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

CRIMINALISATION

Always first in the firing line Picture: Thinkstock

Kofi Mbiah, chairman of the IMO legal committee said. And emeritus professor of maritime law Hilton Staniland pointed out that a survey of actual practices followed by member states had shown a divergent approach to implementation.

Implementing the IMO/ILO guidelines is not a straightforward matter, he cautioned, but there could be scope to improve them to make it easier to ensure that the principles are upheld within national procedures for both the casualty investigation and other investigations, including criminal ones.

Steve Clinch, chief inspector at the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch, said accidents are very stressful and seafarers need to be treated with compassion. Since 2012, the MAIB has been required by a European directive to take account of the fair treatment guidelines and it works on the basis of noblame investigation of accident causes.

Former International Court of Justice judge Sir Kenneth Keith highlighted the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations which contains the right to seek consular assistance when in difficulties. But, he added, there are very interesting questions about the balance between the noblame accident investigation process and the prosecution process because very often they would run in parallel.

Sir Kenneth suggested that rather than more law, better information is needed. ‘We all have an obligation to make guidelines better known as well as the general body of human rights law,’ he added.

Criminalisation continues to be a major issue in the shipping industry — so unions, owners and regulators met last month to consider ways in which seafarers’ rights can be protected after accidents.

SANDRA SPEARES reports…

w

The scale of criminalisation is clear. A survey carried out by Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI) in 2012 found that 8.27% had faced criminal charges and the highest proportion (23%-33%) were masters. Of those who had faced criminal charges, 81% believed they had not been treated fairly and 80% considered they had been intimidated or threatened. Almost half said they would be reluctant to cooperate fully with an inquiry or accident investigation.

The important question of how to ensure that seafarers receive fair treatment after accidents and other incidents was put before a top-level workshop organised by SRI and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) last month.

As Deirdre Fitzpatrick, SRI’s executive director, pointed out, the guidelines on fair treatment developed by the International Labour Organisation and the IMO are not mandatory, and the workshop had been staged in an effort to find ways in which countries can ‘have the right laws in place in the event of a maritime casualty investigation occurring in their jurisdiction’.

ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said concerns had been raised about the treatment of seafarers following major casualties in the 1990s and 2000s, and about how this could affect recruitment and retention in the shipping industry. While the guidelines were welcome, he warned that they had failed to put an end to criminalisation.

IMO secretary general Kitack Lim said seafarers were recognised as a special group of workers needing special protection. ‘Being deprived of your liberty and badly treated without having faced trial or been able to respond to the accusations made against you is simply not fair — especially when, as is usually the case, seafarers’ actions are dictated by events outside their immediate control,’ he pointed out.

Jim Scorer, secretary-general of the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations (IFSMA) said his organisation ‘more than many, understands the impact that poor interpretation and application of the guidelines and international legislation, conventions and regulation has on the criminalisation of seafarers — and the shipmaster in particular is an easy target’.

ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith

GET YOUR

SRI executive director Deirdre Fitzpatrick addresses the IMO meeting

argued that the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 is ‘the best tool we have at the moment to ensure seafarers’ minimum rights’ as it has become the ‘fourth pillar’ of global regulation of the shipping industry.

Representatives from more than 50 flag states attended the meeting and many of them spoke of action they were taking to protect seafarers and to incorporate the fair treatment guidelines in their national legislation.

The Philippines secretary of justice, Vitaliano Aguirre II, reminded those present that ‘justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere’.

He stressed the importance not only a swift response in the case of an accident, but also training for personnel that might be potentially involved in protecting the rights of seafarers in maritime accidents.

South Africa’s delegate warned that poor treatment of seafarers was discouraging them from going to sea. Actions by coastal state authorities following an incident or accident can sometimes leave seafarers fearing for their lives, she warned.

Belgium’s delegate told the meeting how the country has introduced new legislation which aims to decriminalise a lot of sanctions against seafarers, acknowledging that imprisonment is not always the right solution following an accident or incident.

Dr Mohab Abou-Elkawam, of Liverpool John Moores University, said there is a fine line to be drawn between telling the truth and incriminating oneself in an inquiry and further training is needed for seafarers. Commercial pressures are also a problem, he pointed out, and some accidents have been caused because senior officers on ships were coerced into taking certain actions.

role in providing practical support for seafarers U facing the threat of criminalisation, head of legal services The Nautilus Federation is playing an important

Charles Boyle told the conference at the IMO. Mr Boyle said the 19 like-minded unions in the Federation — from countries including the UK, the Netherlands, the US, Singapore and Hong Kong — are now running the joint assistance and support network (JASON) which provides reciprocal support to union members involved in incidents in other countries.

A key objective of the scheme is for Federation

Being deprived of your liberty without trial or a chance to respond to accusations is simply not fair

“

”

Steve Cotton ITF general secretary

As the International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators’ representative pointed out, marine accident investigation procedures vary from country to country with different approaches to using investigation information for criminal legal proceedings.

This has a knock-on effect for seafarers’ response to questioning.

Authorities need to find the right balance between improving maritime safety and the need to investigate and prosecute intentional crimes, he said. The guidelines on seafarers’ rights could be improved by providing advice to ports and coastal states on how to encourage seafarers to testify in accident investigations and prohibiting the use of their testimony for punitive measures.

There is a need to ensure the uniform application of the guidelines in the event of an accident,

w

member unions to protect seafarers from unjust criminalisation by ensuring that the fair treatment guidelines are observed following accidents and incidents in their waters. g The 24/7 JASON emergency helpline is available in six ways: online; chat; telephone; email; SMS text or via Skype. You can send an SMS text message to +44 (0)7860 017 119 or email helpline@nautilus247.org.

In the event of an accident, you should access the helpline as soon as possible, and before making statements to the authorities.

Philippines Supreme Court judge Noel Tijam pointed out that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets out principles for investigating the violation of laws relating to pollution of the territorial sea. ‘The key is to seek redress for environmental damage without compromising the human rights of the seafarers who more often than not bear the brunt of the public outrage in the aftermath of a maritime accident,’ he added.

UNCLOS says that a coastal state cannot impose a custodial sentence on a foreign seafarer for a pollution offence within its territorial sea unless it constitutes a wilful and serious act of pollution. Elizabeth Howe, president of the International Legal Assistance Consortium, said the IMO/ILO fair treatment guidelines incorporated some of the principles enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. ‘If we can shine a light on those responsibilities, that would be the right thing,’ she added.

Angus McLean, of the Cayman Islands Ship Registry, said the complete separation of the accident investigation and any civil or criminal investigation must be maintained and the results of the accident report should be inadmissible in criminal proceedings.

Ms Fitzpatrick said the meeting had provided a unique opportunity to begin dialogue about the implementation of the fair treatment guidelines.

The should be a focus on the practical application of the principles and seafarers’ rights must be incorporated into national laws, she concluded.

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26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

UNIONS AT WORK

Speaking out in the syndicat Although women account for under 10% of the French seafaring population, JEFF APTER meets one female officer who is aiming for the top of the profession — and is taking a leading role in representing her colleagues…

K

Juliette Bourgoin was born in the northern French town of Montreuil-sur-Mer on New Year’s Eve 1980 and raised on a farm with her younger brother by her science teacher mother and agronomist father. Nobody in the family was involved in the shipping industry, but she pursued her dream of going to sea.

‘As a child I was very fond of everything to do with the sea — ships, sailing vessels and sea mammals — and one of my first dreams was to become an ocea-

nologist,’ Juliette recalls. She never looked back, and is now a chief officer on DFDS’s DieppeNewhaven link, a mother of two and stepmother of three young children.

While studying at high school, Juliette decided for certain that she wanted to work at sea. She followed her dream and trained at the Le Havre national merchant navy officers’ college.

This involved a year-long preparatory course and three years of further study, including two periods as a cadet to obtain engine

and deck officer certificates.

Following a further two years at sea — first as a cadet and then as an officer — she returned for a final year at Le Havre to obtain her master and chief engineer diplomas.

Juliette has served on CMA CGM containerships and the Comex survey vessel Minibex, but this summer marks her tenth year on the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry route — first with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs’ Transmanche Ferries, which took over the service from P&O in 2005,

The 18,940gt ferry Seven Sisters is one of two vessels operated by DFDS on the cross-Channel route between Dieppe and Newhaven Picture: Jeff Apter

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and since 2012 with DFDS. She says she loves her job. ‘I enjoy working with my hands and my brain and being part of a team. Seafaring gives a taste of freedom when you are at sea, and in many ways you feel independent, because not everybody can be in a kind of position when you can change things,’ she notes.

But there are downsides, too.

‘You may laugh, but the worst part of being an officer is sea sickness and, sometimes, lack of sleep! When the alarm goes off at 3.30am and you have to be on the bridge in 30 minutes, you may be swearing that this is the last time you will board a ship, and when you are sea sick, you may be wondering what on earth you are doing here. But then, you arrive in the engine control room or on the bridge. The sky is full of stars or there is a wonderful sunrise or you are handed a fresh pot of coffee, and that’s it — you just know that you are made for the job.’

Juliette is one of some 100 seafarers working on the two sisterships running the DieppeNewhaven service — Seven Sisters and Côte d’Albâtre — which operate four sailings daily in low season and up to six in the summer period.

Most of the crew are sourced locally, many of them former Normandy fishermen ‘with good heads on their shoulders and used to hard work.’

The crews work 10.5 hours per day onboard, based on a 14-days on/14-days off rotation, plus 2.33 days of monthly leave entitlement.

As chief officer and head of the bridge department, Juliette is responsible for organising the deck crews’ onboard schedules for maintenance, safety and security — including the fire plan and undertaking some crew training. She also provides medical care for passengers and crew, watch-keeping duties and a shift on the bridge as loading and unloading officer.

‘As a mother of two children under the age of three I’m fortunate I can reduce my workload,’ she says. ‘During my second pregnancy I sailed seven to 10 days per month at the most, including for this year ahead of the birth of my second daughter this spring.’

One question for all grades of DFDS’s French workforce is the final terms of the agreement currently under discussion on jobs and conditions on the DieppeNewhaven route. It is an open secret that the Danish operator will continue to operate the link after it obtained a two-year

DFDS chief officer Juliette Bourgoin Picture: Jeff Apter

extension to its contract at the end of 2015.

The agreement with local councils and chambers of commerce responsible for the link and ownership of the two ferries is expected to come into effect before the end of this year.

Juliette says she is confident that DFDS has a good case to retain the contract to continue to operate the service under the French flag. ‘It would be a disaster if this service stopped,’ she adds.

As trade unionists, we want to raise the new French government’s awareness of maritime matters

“

K

”

Last autumn, the president of the CFE-CGC maritime managers’ union approached DFDS officers to establish a branch and stand for election to the operator’s works council for its French ferry routes. Juliette and three colleagues were elected after they agreed to stand to ensure that the voice of officers is heard.

Although she had no union background or experience, her pregnancy gave her time to do union work when she was not allowed to be at sea. She is ‘very proud’ that during this year’s annual collective bargaining negotiations it was agreed that from 2017 both male and female seafarers could take parental leave and work half-time. Preliminary discussions with ENIM, the French merchant navy national insurance body organisation, began this summer.

Juliette says there is a challenge to update French merchant navy collective agreements to include gender equality. DFDS

seafarers are talking with the company on ways to incorporate this in their new contract.

Women still account for under 10% of officers employed on French-flagged ships. At the end of 2016, the French operators’ association signed a seafarers’ gender equality agreement in which some measures will become compulsory, but it will be up to the companies to create and set up those measures.

Juliette says the unions will be discussing the way in which the impact of parental leave on pension rights can be reduced. ‘Even if we already have the opportunity to to reduce our workload until our children’s third birthday, we could accumulate and transfer rest days for a colleague in need,’ she notes.

This sector agreement may also be an opportunity to talk about the balance between work and family life, including having the family onboard for Christmas and New Year’s Eve and free wi-fi access onboard to facilitate communication with family ashore, she adds.

‘Following this spring’s elections we now have a new president and government, and I really want to know where the country is heading as a maritime nation,’ Juliette reflects. Over the last few years the unions and operators have campaigned to establish a strategic French-flagged fleet, but the measures agreed have still not been put into effect, she points out.

‘As trade unionists, we want to be involved in raising the government’s awareness of maritime matters and be part of the discussions on the fleet and other important maritime policies such as professional training,’ she adds.

Juliette says she looks forward to the advent of LNG-powered ferries, with up-to-date STCW training and the challenges of different ways of working. ‘It’s like a birth — always a happy event.’ And she’s determined to pursue her career dream with the ‘hope that one day I will be master of my own ship — even if it’s a small one!’

19/07/2017 13:39

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

E-charts we can all grasp Admit it: have you ever had to ask a younger colleague to demonstrate ECDIS? Regulators and safety authorities hope the new standards for electronic charts will make life a little easier for navigators, an industry meeting heard last month.

ANDREW LININGTON reports…

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New measures which seek to minimise the number of ‘ECDIS-assisted’ collisions and groundings take effect at the end of August with the implementation of improved performance, display and standards for electronic chart display and information systems.

A one-day conference last month, organised by the eMaritime group, brought seafarers, owners, operators, and regulators together with manufacturers to discuss the ECDIS 4.0 package and the ways in which it might help to improve navigational safety and the working lives of mariners.

The new standards have been described as a step change from the original ECDIS performance standards — first published in 1998 — and it is hoped they will improve ease of operation and functionality, enhance cybersecurity, and lead to better integration with voyage data recorders, bridge alert management and bridge navigation watch alarm systems.

Tom Mellor, from the UK Hydrographic Office, said one of the core objectives of the new standards is to end ‘alarm fatigue’ on the bridge. Developed by the International Hydrographic Organisation, the standards also aim to improve the use of symbols on ENCs and to deliver easier access to information about lights, beacons, buoys and landmarks through a ‘hover-over’ function. Another change is the introduction of information on screens such as the names of fairways and anchorage areas ECDIS 4.0 has also been developed to address ‘anomalies’ in the display of information on different systems — which, in the most serious cases, have meant that navigators were unable to see stranded wrecks, a small atoll and similar obstructions. A new ENC test dataset will enable more features to be tested, Mr Mellor explained, and this should ensure that anomalies are identified more easily.

‘You can have up to date data and ENCs, but if you are not updating your presentation library you won’t get all the updated information,’ he pointed out.

In seeking to address ‘alarm fatigue’, the IHO went back to basics and examined what features the performance standards were wanting to alarm navigators about. ECDIS 4.0 will deliver much more consistency between systems, he promised, and seafarers will also have more control over when an alarm sounds.

ECDIS Ltd MD Mark Broster

27_ecdis_SR edit.indd 27

said he hoped the new standards would improve levels of understanding about ECDIS — because the results of ship inspections show that barely half of seafarers presently understand it properly, even though it is now 30 years since it was invented. When asked to demonstrate key features of the system, masters will often call a junior officer or a cadet to the bridge, he pointed out.

ECDIDS 4.0 has been designed with ‘digital natives’ — those who have grown up using technology such as the internet and mobile devices — in mind, Mr Broster added. His company is studying the way in which ‘digital immigrants’ — older seafarers — will work with the new system and how long it will take them to access information from it.

However, he cautioned, there are some shortcomings with the new system — displays still won’t highlight areas of low reliability of chart data, for instance.

And even though the International Maritime Organisation has already extended the ECDIS 4.0 compliance deadline by a year, 16 of the 39 manufacturers had failed to confirm compliance with less than two months to go before IHO Presentation Library edition 3.4 is no longer valid.

ECDIS cyber-security is also increasingly worrying, Mr Broster said. Attacks are more and more frequent and with so many ship systems and sensors now interconnected, the industry faces a potentially huge problem.

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Richard North, technical manager with the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch, highlighted the lessons learned from several major ECDIS-assisted accidents — often with the recurring factor of audible alarms being switched off (in the case of the grounding of the ferry Commodore Clipper, with management approval). Other common themes including incorrectly set safety contours or incorrect scales, problems with symbology, and cross-track distance alarms not being set, he added.

The MAIB had noted that setting bespoke safety contours could be complex and time-consuming, Mr North said, and it was also difficult to conduct a satisfactory safe route check without zooming out so much that safety guard zones are shrunk to minimum size.

‘We haven’t really answered the question of why seafarers do what they do,’ said MAIB principal investigator Tony Brown. ‘OOWs and navigators are not stupid.

ECDIS Ltd MD Mark Broster is concerned by evidence about patchy knowledge of electronic chart systems among masters and officers

ECDIS was brought in, but where was the human-centred design in the equipment and the user experience in the system?’

He said the MAIB is scoping a study that will seek to address these questions by working with owners and manufacturers to look at the way ECDIS systems are

being developed and used and how (or what) user feedback is incorporated into performance standards.

‘We will be asking seafarers what makes life difficult for them using the system. We can then find out why it is not being used in the way that manufacturers and regu-

lators expect it to be used,’ he added. ‘There is a real gulf out there and unless we can identify why it exists we are in danger of being behind before we even start.’

Mr Brown said the MAIB is also asking fundamental questions about the capability of ECDIS. ‘Is it good enough for the job, can it get

a big ship into Southampton Water if you plan it properly?’ The answer is probably not, he added, as not all systems can take tidal streams into account.

‘Quite where we stand with the SOLAS requirement for berth-toberth planning is an interesting question.’

WERE YOU AWARE that following the successul outcome of a judicial review in respect of two Seatax clients, (brought before the Courts by Nautilus in collaboration with Seatax Ltd as expert advisors on the Seafarers Earnings Deduction), it was deemed that the two Seatax clients did have a legitimate expectation in applying the only published Revenue Practice with regard to the application of a day of absence in relation to a vessel sailing between UK ports. HMRC did not want to accept this practice (although referred to in their very own publications) but have now accepted that expectations of a claim based on such practice would be valid until the published practice is withdrawn.

Following on from this, HMRC have now confirmed that this Practice is withdrawn as of the 14 February 2014. Seatax was the only Advisory Service that challenged HMRC on this point.

WHY TAKE CHANCES WITH YOUR TAX AFFAIRS? Let Seatax use their knowledge and 35 years experience to ensure you do not fall foul of the rules Please visit our website for full details of the case.

OUR FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Annual Return ...................................................................................................... £215.00 inclusive of VAT at 20% NAUTILUS members in the UK sailing under a foreign flag agreement on gross remuneration can obtain a 10% reduction on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment.

or ite, e now r W on re ph r mo : fo tails de Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES. Tel: (01302) 364673 - Fax No: (01302) 738526 - E-mail: info@seatax.ltd.uk www.seatax.ltd.uk

19/07/2017 15:19

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

MARITIME CAREERS

Engineering a good life in Cornwall There’s can’t be many people who com commute to work by kayak.

STEVEN KENNEDY meets a maritime professional who maritim paddles to his office every day…

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Let’s be frank. How many people can really say they enjoy their commute to work? Be it — as in my experience — either the slog of jostling for a position on a hot sticky train dodging the rogue elbows, or driving through the congested streets during rush hour, breathing in those car exhaust fumes.

It doesn’t get much better for those in the maritime sector either. Journeys to join ships across the world can be tiresome and a logistical nightmare.

For most people, the best we can hope for is just getting to work — or onboard ship — on time.

Robin van der Bij

11-15 SEPTEMBER 2017

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Managed by

Robin’s journey to work is so enjoyable and eco-friendly that he’s pledged to carry on, whatever the weather

So therefore, as commutes go, a short kayak journey across the River Penryn in Cornwall — from the small village of Flushing to Falmouth — must rank as one of the best.

It’s the luxury that has befallen the new chief operating officer of a marine contracting firm, and something that he — understandably — has taken full advantage of.

Robin van der Bij, 43, is the man in question.

Appointed to the role at Cornwall-based Keynvor MorLift — the Cornish words for Ocean Sealift — in June this year, Dutchman Robin has a long and varied career that has led him to spending the past 19 years the UK. ‘The maritime, and the marine construction industry, is something the Dutch do very well and have done for a long time,’ recalls Robin. ‘I grew up in the centre of the Netherlands, in Utrecht, and because of that, marine construction is something that, as a teenager, you get a real interest in.

‘I did a specific marine construction civil engineering degree in Holland, during which I rolled into Van Oord on a couple of beach nourishment schemes and a rock dumping scheme at St Helier,’ he adds.

‘Having completed my degree, I started working for a Dutch dredging contractor, Ballast Nedam, and then went around the world before coming to Cornwall, first with Seacore, and now with Keynvor MorLift.’

Keynvor MorLift’s fleet includes specialist crane and rock barges, tugs and landing craft, with their equally specialist crews, wherever they are required for near-shore marine construction, marine salvage and recovery, heavy lifting, towing and subsea or surface device installation.

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It’s a move which has brought Robin’s career full circle. Having spent the early part of his working life involved with rock barges, he finds himself back deploying them once again. But it’s his corporate expertise in business management that really caught his new employer’s eye.

‘The managing director — a gentleman called Diccon Rogers — and co-director Anthony Glover set the business up about 10 years ago,’ explains Robin.

‘It has grown steadily since and is now transitioning from a small business into a larger corporation, and that’s where I come in with my corporate experience from the past five or six years. We do a lot of near shore civil engineering works, like rock dumping for breakwaters and pile installation works for jetties.

We also do heavy-lift work for salvage and shorter term charter projects as well.’

When he’s not at work, Robin is most likely out on the water. A watersports enthusiast, he dips his toes into anything aqua-themed. Sea swimming, surfing and, of course, kayaking are just some of the sports he regularly participates in.

‘There is very little I don’t do on the water,’ states Robin. ‘It started with windsurfing in the late 1980s.

Through travelling, I ended up surfing and I’ve surfed in all corners of the world now. Then from my surfing I started sailing when I got to the UK. More recently, I’ve also taken up open water swimming. Finally, there is the kayaking, which I do a lot of when time allows and, of course, use it to get to work.’

It’s the latter of which, alongside his coastal-

viewing home that he built with his own two hands, that has allowed Robin to not only combine his passion with his work, but also gives him the chance to reduce his carbon footprint by avoiding the roads in favour of his green commute.

‘The kayak journey is across the river,’ he notes.

‘It’s about a 10- to 15-minute journey. It’s a very pretty part of the world and you see a lot of wildlife. There is a local Atlantic grey seal that often follows me. It’s a big two to three-metre long animal. You see plenty of wildlife on route.

‘What is very nice is that when you’re on the water all you’re thinking about is moving the paddle. It’s a perfect time for quiet contemplation. It’s a very pleasant way to commute to work each day and, of course, is great for the environment.

I got my great interest in marine construction from growing up in Utrecht — it’s something the Dutch do very well

“

”

Robin van der Bij Keynvor MorLift ‘It’s a gentle sport, but it does get the blood flowing and it does keep you fit. If people get the opportunity, I’d really encourage them to have a go. It’s not going to get you super-fit, but it’s going to give you a good base level of fitness.’

Pleasant it may be, but when the weather turns and the wind and rain set in come winter, will Robin still be so keen to swap the pollutants of his trusty car for his kayak and paddle?

‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, you just need to wear different gear,’ he jokes. ‘I used to surf in freezing temperatures in the North Sea, so a bit of weather is no problem — although if it’s at the point that it will overturn the kayak, then I’ll stop; maybe.’

O

One thing is clear. Robin loves his life in Cornwall. Having spent a proportion of his working life travelling the world, he says that no place feels quite as homely as his adopted Cornish haven.

‘Cornwall is great,’ Robin concludes. ‘We’re very lucky that we live in UK’s mildest climate. We probably — as a result of that — have one of the biggest densities of watersports here, I’d argue. The ability to surf here and do everything else from diving to sailing is massive. From my experience, it’s still one of the prettiest places I’ve been to. No matter where I’ve been, I’m always happy to come home to Cornwall.’ g For more information about Kenvor MorLift visit www.keynvormorlift.co.uk.

19/07/2017 15:19

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

Pictured above is Rolls-Royce’s vision of an automated offshore supply vessel. The company says the sector could be one of the first to regularly use ‘smart’ ships Picture: Rolls-Royce

What planet are they on?

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Before starting, I’d like to preempt those who would decry this on the basis of the old seadog who wants a return to sail. Nearly 40 years ago I advocated a flight deck approach to bridge ergonomics, 30 years ago I called for dedicated FRCs for rescue, and I’ve argued in favour of square and chart style radar screens. I’ve given support for many other innovative changes, few of which have happened at the time — which is to be expected in our industry.

So, no return to sail, just a return to common sense from those who now are jumping on the bandwagon of the autonomous ship and claiming the inevitability of it replacing manned ships in the near future.

Don’t count on it. Let us look at this logically —which is more than some of those who should know better are doing.

There can be no dispute about the ability to design and make such a vessel. After all, we can send unmanned machines as far as Jupiter. That is the theory, at least.

There is a small blip on the horizon and that is that there is no weather in space, but we will deal with that later.

So while we may agree on the technical ability to have a working autonomous ship, my question is why?

The marine industry In general, the shipping industry has never responded well to technological advancement, or even assisting in the improvement of existing technology.

Radar was on warships in the 1930s yet we were still sailing on many ships in the 50s without it. Where are the nuclearpowered ships that came and went just as fast? How about the wind-assisted ships?

Sunk without trace — not because the industry did not want them, but because these were simply not seen as economically viable. Shipping companies are not there to fund development. They exist to make money.

Even if the costs are minimal, the industry is still reluctant to change. Just look at the state of safety equipment that could be described in some instances as stone age. Surely if we cannot lower our lifeboats without killing sailors, have dangerous lifejackets and fight any form of legislation to train crews and equip ships for enclosed space entry, what chance is there of taking such a step into the unknown — unless, of course, you use the argument that taking everyone off the ship is a great leap forward in crew safety.

The practical argument The ultimate idea is that the autonomous ship will sail from a port and arrive at

29_auto ships_SR edit.indd 29

It’s starting to seem highly likely that the shipping industry will be using autonomous vessels within the next few years. But it’s not inevitable, argues Nautilus Council member Captain MICHAEL LLOYD, as he reflects on the drive towards drone ships… another without any human presence onboard, being driven by someone in the head office. Just what they have always wanted, some would say. So no pilots, no tugs, no mooring gangs, just ships moving along serenely on their allotted tracks.

Rolls-Royce recently announced that they have sailed their first autonomous ship. It was a tug driven round the harbour by the master from a control centre on the jetty with a full crew onboard just in case it broke down. At least someone there had some sense.

As there was no mention of any mooring lines being made fast, this could hardly be called commercial.

Those who regularly sail their remotecontrolled craft on a large boating lake near me would also be very surprised by the excited claims of this being a historic moment for the marine industry, as they have been doing exactly this for many years now.

One gentleman concerned with this test said that the captain on the jetty had more awareness of what was around him.

I have always felt that by standing on the bridge I had better awareness than by standing on the shore.

Another excited gentleman from Lloyd’s Register described the event as ‘a landmark moment’ and added: ‘With autonomous ships likely to enter service soon, we have already set out the “how” of marine autonomous operations in our ShipRight procedure guidance, as it is vital these technologies are implemented in a safe way and there is a route for compliance.’

One must wonder what planet he is living on when he says that these ships are going to enter service soon. What shipowner has signed up to build them? What ports have adjusted all their procedures to receive and sail them? What are we going to do with all the tugs, pilot boats, and the associated companies and personnel which, in some large ports, will be numbered in their thousands?

What about the unions — are they going to tell their members to quietly pack their bags and go home?

Then there is all the legislation to change and, bearing in mind that International Maritime Organisation delegates

do not even know how to spell the word ‘soon’, that will take quite a while.

Who is going to deal with pollution, ballast water control, security and — most important — assisting in search and rescue? Failure to observe much of the existing legislation could result in criminal charges, and I have a pleasant picture in my mind of police from some South American state turning up in these companies’ offices ashore and frogmarching the managers off to rot in some prison for a few years to share in our criminalisation.

Captain Michael Lloyd

Reliability Quality control has never been a standard consideration in the world’s shipbuilding yards, although I do admit you get what you pay for — which, in most cases, is fairly basic. Considering that ships are generally built to last a maximum of 25 years with a lengthy time between drydocking, it is not surprising that they break down. If the autonomous ship is to have a chance of being feasible, the cost of build will escalate considerably as the yards have to recruit the technical expertise for such a change in attitude to building. No crew to blame now.

Even then, there is no guarantee, as most of the newbuild cruiseships have found out. Duplication is always the easy answer that is given when these problems are brought out, but how much duplication are these ships going to have? Two engines perhaps, dual fire prevention systems, every valve duplicated? The list could be endless. Then there is the control

technology. Just as an aside, most garages now report that their work is moving away from engine repair to electronic repair, so why should this not be the same on these ships? I have never sailed from a port with everything working at the same time on my ship, regardless of type. Is this going to change?

Economics This is the hinge for the whole concept.

No owner is going to invest in such ships unless there is a profit — and it has to be proven profit.

Which is cheaper, a handful of Filipino crew with the ship registered in a marineblind island republic or one of these autonomous ships to which, inevitably at some time, a repair crew will have to be flown out, provided the ship is within reach of a helicopter? If not, then imagine the salvage costs. That’s the crew cost gone for the next five years. The ships will still have to have accommodation and life support for the repair crews that will inevitably have to attend.

What about if New York requires an American mooring gang to be placed onboard on arrival? There goes six months’ wages for the crew. How about a hydraulic leak? That’s expensive as well, especially if criminal prosecutions result.

Any thought that port costs will reduce should be discarded, as the ports will have to continue all their normal services for manned ships, as well as providing all the facilities for autonomous ships. Up go the costs again.

The weather Weather is sadly so neglected these days with the idea that ships are bigger and therefore not so affected, and that weather reporting is now state of the art.

I once did a survey of the reliability of weather reporting in the Pacific with both the US and Japanese reports received together with ocean routeing. Ocean routeing was poor, with 40% accuracy, and the shore reports from the weather stations around 65%. Is that enough to base our autonomous reliability on?

It could be said that the operator of the ship in the office has the same information and can change the course of the ship according to the reports, but what about

commercial pressure? It is far easier to exert this on someone sitting at a desk a few feet away instead of the bridge of a ship. You think this would not be done?

Tell that to the passengers on the Anthem of the Seas, which sailed out of a US port directly into a hurricane. Hardly any ship in the world has more technical equipment on the bridge than this ship, yet look what happened. Passengers injured, equipment and ship damaged, and we are still awaiting the promised investigation by the Bahamas flag state. As it involves one of their important customers, I have a feeling we will never see that report, or if we do, it will blame the hurricane for getting in the way.

In severe weather, the only place to judge the feel of the ship and how she is responding is the bridge, not staring into some screen thousands of miles away. It also helps to have a seafarer on the bridge as well.

Conclusion Once again, we are seeing the vast gulf between those at sea and those ashore — especially those who have never served on a ship.

One has the impression that we are being bullied into a situation in which we will be considered as out of date or obstructionist if we oppose such ships.

Anyway, what do ignorant seafarers know about such things?

No one wants to consider all the ancillary points I have raised, but without this, these ships cannot be contemplated.

There may well be some form of shuttle service operating, with certain precautions put in place by the ports willing to accept autonomous ships — and there are several applications where such controlled shipping can be of use, especially in the military sense. But I feel sure that we can continue to offer those wishing to make a career at sea a secure place for many years to come. Certainly there seems to be no halt to conventional ships being built.

In the meantime, I suggest to RollsRoyce and Lloyd’s Register that they put their money where their mouth is. Form a company, build and pay for a proper deepsea autonomous ship, get all the protocols in place and then run it for a year.

Then we will see. Strangely, I have a feeling that they will want someone else to take the risk while they take their profits.

In other words, hopefully, a few people will return to planet earth and realise the limitations of such ships. For those at sea, don’t pack your bags yet. Or if these ships do come to fruition, then go into the salvage business. Stay safe.

19/07/2017 11:57

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

MARITIME HISTORY

Compassion on the canal An Egyptian officer ‒ who had swum about half a mile from the beach ‒ being helped aboard one of the Melampus’s lifeboats by crew members

Nautilus member PETER GASSON was one of the seafarers serving on ships trapped in the Suez Canal for eight years following the Six Day War between Israel and Egypt in 1967. In this special article, he recalls how, serving onboard the Blue Funnel ship Melampus, he joined the impromptu humanitarian effort to rescue retreating Egyptian soldiers who were close to dying of thirst…

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A lot of action was seen on our eastern horizons during the war. In my diary I recorded bearings of the action we saw and of the columns of smoke — but to us it was all remote, except for the occasional overflight of fighter aircraft and the brief appearance of a tank at the lakeside. It was not until several weeks later that we learned about the great tank battles that had raised all that smoke in the critical mountain gateway passes to Sinai.

At first it had been difficult to gain a true picture of the situation from the radio news broadcasts, as the Egyptians talked of gaining ground while Israeli Radio played down their advances for both political and strategic reasons. Meanwhile the BBC and Voice of America weighed up their own assessments. Interestingly, one of our Suez Canal pilots concluded that BBC Overseas appeared to be the least biased and therefore had the most believable reporting.

To justify the destruction of his air force, President Nasser declared that the UK and USA had been complicit in the airborne attacks, and although it was untrue he broke off diplomatic relations with both.

Being declared enemies of Egypt placed us in a precarious situation.

During the previous days we had seen small groups of men making their way to the Deversoir signal station to the north of the lake. However, in the late afternoon of the final day of the war we saw troops arriving in larger numbers on the eastern side of the lake, with many appearing to be in a desperate state.

At 0805 on our seventh day in the canal, an Egyptian corporal managed to swim out to us. ‘Lampy’, our second bosun, dived in and escorted him the last 50 yards to our gangway. The soldier was carried up to the deck by two other seamen and rested while he was given some food and water. He was badly dehydrated and exhausted so he was put to bed to recover.

An hour later more men were seen trying to swim out to the ship, so having already sent an XXX RT Urgency signal to the Canal Authority and received no response, it was concluded that it was our duty to make a rescue bid for the men.

Whilst realising the possibility of the Egyptian soldiers being hostile, and also the risk of being shot at

by Israeli aircraft, it was a risk we felt we had to take.

We hoisted a large white flag on the mast (a bed sheet), and a red ensign on the stern of our motor lifeboat, and then set off towing three spare canal mooring boats, each carrying about five gallons of water.

Our lifeboat was manned by our chief officer Phil Hamilton, two engineers, three seamen and myself (fourth mate).

One officer had swum half a mile from the beach before we picked him up, but the others were exhausted after only swimming a few hundred yards.

As we recovered the swimmers from the water, I was pleased to note that our crew treated

The lifeboat from the Polish ship Boleslaw Beirut followed the Melampus crew members to the beach with another three canal boats in tow. In the background the men can be seen with their equipment held above their heads as they waded in the water

them all with great care and compassion. The officer who spoke English told us, when he had the strength, that his men had not had water for four to six days. He then added that despite all the propaganda that they were subjected to, they still realised who ‘their real friends were’. They were very grateful to us and appreciated the risk we were taking.

As they advanced with their guns held high out of the water, we estimated that there were now over 200 troops nearby. We asked their officer to get them to lay down their arms so we could be seen to remain neutral and help them — assuring him that we had no means of defence ourselves. However, they were purely intent on getting water and being rescued and therefore took no heed of our request.

We put two rescued soldiers in each boat and cast them off a few yards from the nearest man in the water, as we were concerned that the troops might take our lifeboat by force if they boarded us.

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We hoped that the soldiers we rescued could row the boats the last few yards to the shore, distribute the water, and then load the boats with men (not more than 12) so that we could tow the unarmed men back to the west side of the lake in a shuttle service.

However, they were exhausted and effectively incapable of rowing. One of the men just lay down on the side bench of the boat. I got the impression that he may have died, as he remained motionless and his skin turned a bluish grey. Sadly, we believed we were not in a position to render him assistance.

As the boats made no progress, we returned to them and towed them within reach of those soldiers that had waded out into the lake.

Rev the engine and get us out of here! monkey island taking photographs of the air raid on F Kabret airfield, which lies between the Little Bitter Lake In the late morning of 5 June, I was up on the

and the Great Bitter Lake. The jet fighters were coming in so close to us that we could see the faces of the pilots and ground-to-air guided missiles were being fired over us.

Meanwhile, another little drama was occurring on our bridge as Captain Arnold and the Canal pilot asked our engineroom for more speed.

The third mate telephoned the ER three times. On the first two occasions, second engineer Gordon Coleman

30_peter gasson_SR edit.indd Sec2:30

replied and said that they were giving us maximum power and that any more power would damage the engines.

On the third call Pat Lesley, our chief engineer, picked up the phone and asked the third officer: ‘What the hell is going on?’. The 3/O replied: ‘We are being bombed.’

The revs shot up immediately, as I understand Mr Lesley had served in the Merchant Navy during WW2 and was well aware of the stakes.

Fortunately, we were soon clear of the airfield and anchored to the SW of the Great Bitter Lake about a mile from the eastern shore.

The men kept advancing, still with their guns — so, having filled a few of their dried-out water bottles, we retreated to a safer distance to observe them.

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As the troops reached the first boat they scrambled onboard to get the fresh water.

Very soon it was overloaded, and with about 50 men in it, its gunwales dipped under the water, it lost stability and capsized. We never stayed to see if anyone had drowned — it wasn’t safe. These men were desperate and craving for water — it was pitiful to watch, but with the possibility of being shot by them or attacked by aircraft we felt it was wiser to retreat.

Just as we pulled clear we found that the Polish ship Boleslaw Beirut had followed our initiative, and they arrived in their motor lifeboat with another three mooring boats in tow.

We passed close by and their captain shouted over to us that he thought the situation was liable to get out of hand. He added: ‘I’m just going to drop off the boats and get back to the ship as quickly as possible.’

Whilst we had been out on the lake, the lads on Melampus said that they had seen two Mirage jet fighters and thought we could be attacked for helping the Egyptians — but fortunately they left us alone.

At about 1215, the first of the rowing boats approached our aft well deck, so a couple of officers went down there to encourage them to move forward to our centre castle, where our fresh water hose was rigged. At that location our freeboard was greater, so they would not be tempted to try to board us. This was important as we didn’t have enough food or water for them all and it could also have presented us with a security issue.

There was a remarkable contrast between the five boats. The ones that had an officer in charge were well disciplined and organised, with food being distributed by the senior officer, whereas in the other boats there was anarchy and it was a case of survival of the fittest.

There was a fight to get the fresh water hose — they just grabbed it and pushed it in their mouths despite us encouraging them to first fill their water buckets to preserve our precious water. We also warned them that if they drank too much they would become ill.

In one of the boats there was a fair-haired man who I hailed to ask if he was Russian. He said nothing but raised his hand, which I took as an acknowledgement that he was.

Despite the chaos in the boats they all appeared

to be very grateful and showed no sign of hostility to us. We managed to give them some food, and our Chinese crew found cooked rice and other chow to spare for the soldiers, although we were all on rations ourselves.

Later, two unidentified lifeboats — probably Polish (Boleslaw Beirut and Djakarta) — and one lifeboat from the German ship Munsterland went out to pick up more boats full of men, we having told them that we had experienced no hostility, although we had heard one gunshot fired.

By about 1445, the pilot boat came from Deversoir and recovered the men from the mooring boats close to the shore, then handing back the three mooring boats to a lifeboat.

Happily, all of the rowing boats that passed us made it to the western shore by 1600.

We weighed anchor and shifted ship at 1600 to take the turns out of our anchor cable and to get further away from the eastern beach.

Over the course of the next few days the rescue was continued by several other vessels. On the eighth day, in addition to the rescue work carried out by the other vessels, the Port Invercargill lifeboat crew risked their necks by towing two boats full of soldiers to the wharf at Fanara — but far from being met by hostility they were cheered, thanked and patted on the back, even though they were flying a three-yard red ensign.

On the ninth day I was very impressed that the Polish ship Djakarta had replaced their ensign with a Red Cross, and they spent the day searching the beaches and surrounding desert for survivors despite reports that soldiers had been killing each other to get water from stagnant pools and vehicle radiators.

On the tenth day we saw a helicopter searching the beach and soon afterwards the Djakarta lifeboat, which had been carrying their doctor, returned to their ship. I believe that marked the end of the rescue by ships’ lifeboats.

In Jeremy Bowen’s book Six Days, he stated that of the estimated 10,000 Egyptian soldiers and 1,500 Egyptian officers who died in the Sinai Peninsula, about 50% of them died from heatstroke or thirst.

Although we only saw a trickle of the thousands of troops that were reported to have made it to the canal, it was rewarding to think that we had contributed in some small way to help them. Our efforts were appreciated by Egypt and rewarded soon afterwards when we were visited by our agent, who arranged delivery of provisions and then the repatriation of half of our crew to the UK some days later.

Peter Gasson meets Cath Senker, author of the new book Stranded in the Six-Day War (reviewed on page 33), at the recent reunion for seafarers who were trapped in the Suez Canal

19/07/2017 12:08

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME HISTORY

Reflections on a centenary K

June this year saw the 100th anniversary of the first Atlantic convoy — the system where groups of British merchant vessels sailed together for safety in wartime, protected by Royal Navy gunships. It was an important milestone for British seafaring, and the centenary was marked by the launch of a new book: The Chamber of Shipping in the First World War.

As its name suggests, the book’s focus is on British shipowners and their industry association, but it has plenty to say about the wider wartime role of the Mercantile Marine (as British shipping was then known).

For example, one striking feature of the war’s early years was the amateurish management of UK ports. Because the government had given priority to the military, civilian vessels started to find it extremely difficult to unload their cargoes. Large amounts of food destined for the British public therefore went to waste — spoiling as it remained onboard ship or sat unprotected on the dockside because port storehouses were filled with munitions and other army supplies.

This mistake seems obvious with hindsight, but it is not surprising that the nation did not yet have the organisational skills in place to manage the war effort, as a conflict on this scale had never been seen before.

Author Tim Reardon gives numerous examples of the painful process of trial

The First World War saw terrible sacrifice on the seas, but also led to innovations we still recognise in today’s industry. SARAH ROBINSON meets an author who has written a new history of the conflict from an unusual maritime perspective...

Cargo in barrels being discharged at Lerwick in 1918. The gun fitted on the bow of the merchant ship can be seen Picture: courtesy of Shetland Museum and Archives

and error that had to be endured before UK shipping could successfully support the armed forces and feed the nation.

Many of the eventual improvements to the supply lines can be credited to the collective actions of the shipowners, he told the Telegraph. ‘It was striking to me how you can see these people coming together for the first time to pursue their interests with the government.

Before the First World War, the Chamber of Shipping was just a kind of club — a loose affiliation. But there was now a pressing need for the members to work collectively to solve problems, and by the end of the war there were 10 new standing committees, a proper office and a permanent secretariat.’

Tim works for the Chamber himself, as policy director (taxation, ferry and cruise), and he jumped at the opportunity to write about this

One of the world’s first ro-ro car ferries was this adapted train ferry, pictured in 1919.

Operated by South Eastern and Chatham Railway, it brought Army lorries back to Britain from the Western Front. Picture: courtesy of Ramsgate Maritime Museum

31_first world war_SR edit.indd 31

emblem of this, and their design of a diamond symbol in gold braid stripes half-an-inch wide is still in use today.’

Even the modern description of British shipping as the Merchant Navy stems from the First World War; the new name came into use shortly after the conflict as a tribute to the Mercantile Marine’s essential role. The government’s shipping controller Sir Joseph Maclay was certainly grateful, as seen in his words to the Chamber in 1919: ‘Without your ships, without your skill and knowledge, and without your hard and anxious work, the nation could never have been fed, and the armies of the United States could never have been placed in the field at the right time and in the right place. The British Mercantile Maritime has indeed played its part in the winning of the war.’ g The Chamber of Shipping and the First World War has been produced

by Witherby Publishing as a commemorative limited edition.

Although it is not on public sale, maritime researchers wishing to read a copy are invited to contact Tim Reardon at the UK Chamber of Shipping.

Above: radio room onboard the Aquitania, 1914 Picture: courtesy of Cunard Line Right: cigarette card from 1917 paying tribute to the merchant vessel crews keeping Britain supplied in the war

period in the organisation’s history. ‘I would say I was already the Chamber’s self-appointed historian,’ he smiles. ‘I have a history degree and have always been interested in looking things up in our archive. I also sorted through most of our records and supervised their transfer to the University of Warwick when we moved office a few years ago.’

Working largely in his free time, Tim began his First World War research in 2015 with the Chamber’s beautifully bound minute books and annual reports. These yielded a great deal of useful information, but to write a successful history, he realised that he would have to spread his net wider and learn more about the context in which the Chamber was operating.

‘I came to this knowing very little about shipping in the First World War,’ he admits. ‘I wanted to inform myself and also produce a book that be useful to quite a wide range of readers. As I started looking in libraries and museums, I realised that there were hardly any works of reference on this subject — certainly compared to the literature on merchant shipping in the Second World War — and I thought I could help to fill the gap.’

The national archives in Kew proved to be very helpful, as did the parliamentary record Hansard, the online archive of the Times newspaper

and maritime museums around the UK. And there was a particularly exciting find in the US Library of Congress: a telegram from President Woodrow Wilson thanking the Chamber for its message of condolence on the loss of US servicemen carried on the Anchor Line vessel Tuscania, which had been sunk by a U-boat attack.

Tim’s extensive studies uncovered all manner of interesting information for the book: the fact that a punitive tax was levied on companies making ‘excess profits’ from their wartime trade, for example, or the requirement for all British ships of more than 3,000 tons to fit a radio and carry a radio officer from the end of July 1916.

He also tells the story of Captain Charles Fryatt, the ferry master who became a national cause celebre when he was captured and executed by the Germans after ramming a U-boat.

Unlike Royal Navy sailors, Capt Fryatt was not entitled to the status of prisoner of war at that time, and was sentenced by the German court as a civilian carrying out a criminal act. This caused an outcry in Britain, and highlighted the need for more official recognition of the contribution made by merchant shipping in wartime.

K

As the history of the war unfolds in the book, it is fascinating to see how actions taken between 1914 and 1918 left a legacy lasting many decades. The convoy system, of course, was used extensively in the Second World War, having proved its worth when introduced in 1917 and 1918. ‘I was shocked to learn of the terrible loss of life at sea before this,’ says Tim, ‘but the convoy system reduced sinkings from 25% of the merchant fleet to just over 1%.’

The closer working of the shipowners was responsible for another of these enduring effects, argues Tim, coalescing British merchant shipping into a distinct entity held in higher esteem by the government. ‘I see the standard uniform developed in 1917 as a real

Can you solve l the mystery of the WW1 prizes for seafarers? some information that was K tantalisingly incomplete. ‘No matter where Tim Reardon’s research uncovered

I looked, there were some things that just seemed to have been lost from the records,’ he explains. But perhaps Telegraph readers can help. Have you ever come across either of these First World War awards — perhaps through stories passed down in your seafaring family, or from your own maritime research? z In 1915, British communities in Chile collected money for an award to the captain of the first British merchant ship to sink a German submarine. The records show that the funds were passed to the UK Chamber of Shipping to distribute, but we don’t know if an award was ever made. z In 1917, the Chamber launched a scheme of cash awards for the first person on any ship to sight an enemy submarine and alert the master to it. This time, there is evidence that the money was given out, but we don’t have the names of any of the winners. g If you can supply any of the missing information, please email the Telegraph at telegraph@nautilusint.org or write to the editor at the usual address on page 16.

19/07/2017 15:20

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

creator of the world’s greatest F consulting detective Sherlock Holmes —

Repeated violations of the International Collision Regulations have been reported to the MMSA by a member whose ship is engaged on a North Sea route between the UK and the Continent. His vessel usually crosses the area between Smith’s Knoll light vessel and the Maas buoy four times a week.

Hardly a week passes without emergency action having to be taken by his ship under Rule 21 to avoid ‘give-way’ vessels which are failing to take action required of them under the rules. The member claims that violation of the collision regulations — especially by large and fast ships — is increasing and he specifically names East German and Polish ships as the principal offenders in his experience. In heavy weather, with a deck cargo of machinery, this member’s ship was forced to take a round turn to starboard to keep out of the way of the Polish liner General Sikorski, an action which has led to an official complaint MN Journal, August 1967

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle — literary

by his own admission ‘came of age at 80 degrees north latitude’.

In 1880, aged 20, Conan Doyle acted on a sudden impulse to suspend his medical studies at Edinburgh University and take a position as ship’s surgeon on the Arctic whaler Hope. The lengthy voyage took him into unknown regions, provided unimagined sights and experiences, and immersed him into dangerous and bloody work on the ice floes of the Arctic seas.

SS Hope was a product of Alexander Hall’s yard, Aberdeen, built to order for Captain John Gray of Peterhead. Hope gained a reputation as a vessel with extraordinary capacities for encountering heavy ice. Her crew came from Peterhead and the Shetland Islands.

Throughout the voyage, Conan Doyle, as surgeon, traditionally maintained the official log. He also kept a private journal, augmented by many captioned pen-andink and tinted drawings. It offers a rare and penetrating account of the latter days of the British whaling industry. His budding taste for adventure was not only answered, but it was to remain a part of his character.

Likewise, his growing ambitions to be a writer were powerfully nurtured by his experiences.

Conan Doyle recalled: ‘I speedily found that the chief duty of the surgeon was to be the companion of the captain, who is cut off by the etiquette of the trade … I formed a companionship [with Captain Gray] which was never marred during our long tête-àtête.’ In a later recollection he mused: ‘As my knowledge of medicine was that of a third year’s student, I have often thought that it was as well that there was no very serious call upon my services.’

Departing Peterhead, Hope made for a stop-over at Lerwick in Shetland to finalise crewing and other arrangements. Less than a week after leaving the islands, Hope reached the open icefields: ‘What surprised me most in the Arctic regions was the rapidity with which you reach them. I had never realised that they lie at our very doors.’

Hope was one of the first whalers to find the seal-pack that year, the hunting of which, by law, could not start before early April. Conan Doyle was an active member

25 YEARS AGO

The ship that made Conan Doyle a man of the shore parties. A newcomer to the ice, on his first day he slipped off into the sea on several occasions, earning him for a long time thereafter the nickname of ‘The Great Northern Diver’. But he soon became skilful and, like others, went off hunting seals by himself.

In June, Hope resumed northwards to begin the whale hunt: ‘It is exciting work pulling on to a whale … Your own back is turned to him, and all you know about him is what you read upon the face of the boatsteerer.’

Conan Doyle became a seasoned whaler, so much so that Captain Gray invited him to return for the next year’s voyage as harpooner as well as surgeon. As with the seal slaughter, he came to have qualms about the ‘murderous harvest’ in which he partook, so he remained in Edinburgh.

Of the voyage, Conan Doyle recorded in his memoirs: ‘I went aboard the whaler a big, straggling youth; I came off it a powerful, well-grown man. I have no doubt that my physical health during my whole life has been affected by that splendid air, and the inexhaustible store of energy which I have

enjoyed is to some extent drawn from the same source.’

On his return home from Peterhead, Conan Doyle completed his studies, being awarded a Bachelor of Medicine and a Master of Surgery. He undertook a round-trip as ship’s surgeon on the passenger-carrying freighter Mayumba, between Liverpool and West Africa, to see something of the wider world while earning money towards setting up in private practice.

Aged 22, his first literary successes were due to his experiences at sea, initiated with The Captain of the Pole-Star, set in the Arctic on a haunted ship. It was applauded as a remarkable feat for a youngster of his age. A lecture, The Arctic Seas, was ‘an unqualified and splendid success’, which renewed his confidence and professional ambition.

Dividing his time between medicine and literature, it was not too long before he began writing a detective tale featuring two soon-to-be immortal characters, Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes. In their numerous spellbinding exploits, their creator called many times upon his knowledge and experiences hard won on the ss Hope.

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book U-Boats Beyond Biscay by Bernard Edwards (reviewed on the facing page).

To enter, simply complete the form right and send it, along with your completed crossword, to: Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword Competition, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,

South Woodford, London E18 1BD, or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015.

You can also enter by email, by sending your list of answers and your contact details to: telegraph@nautilusint.org.

10 YEARS AGO Nautilus UK is challenging Maritime & Coastguard Agency claims that the quality of the UK flag is not being compromised following a ‘damning’ report on a fire onboard a containership operated by Zodiac Maritime. The 51,931gt Maersk Doha suffered serious damage after auxiliary boiler failure led to a fire in the exhaust gas economiser casing off the US coast last year.

A UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch report highlighted safety issues including communication difficulties among the multinational crew of Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Korean seafarers and shortcomings in maintenance, emergency drills and procedures. Nautilus has raised the case with the head of the MCA and has questioned whether it is a one-off or a sign of a relaxed attitude to standards in a drive to attract more ships to the UK flag The Telegraph, August 2007

THEQUIZ 1

4

What is the total TEU capacity of the world containership fleet?

5

In which country is the specialist bulk carrier owner and operator Gearbulk headquartered?

The Caribbean is the world’s top cruise destination. What is the area’s share of the total world market?

6

How did marine insurers come to be known as underwriters?

In which year did Panama

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Los Angeles was the busiest container port in the US last year, but what was its ranking in the world league table?

2

3

become the world’s largest ship register?

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 18 August 2017.

QUICK CLUES 1.

5.

9.

10.

11.

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13.

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18.

19.

21.

23.

25.

26.

27.

28.

1.

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14.

32_offwatch_SR edit.indd 32

Merchant shipping support programmes announced by a wide range of maritime nations in the past few weeks have left the British fleet in an increasingly less competitive position. Substantial aid packages have been announced by the Netherlands, the United States, Germany, Sweden and India during the past month. More than two-thirds of world tonnage now benefits from significant state help and the new Dutch scheme will give owners help towards the cost of new ships and tax concessions for employing Dutch seafarers. The new package, worth around £50m a year, was drawn up after a consultant’s report warned that flagging out from the Dutch fleet would increase without action by the country’s government The Telegraph, August 1992

Across US university ... (7) ... in 17 down (7) Flowers (5) Fool (9) Called off (9) Honey badger (5) Go in (5) Stock up again (9) Full speed (4-5) Herb (5) Inflexible (5) Orientation (9) Excite (9) Fashion (5) Budding (7) Flood (7)

Down Boat (7) Rings a bell (9) Follow (5) Property letters (9) Moist (5) Making comeback (9) Grown up (5) Samson’s lover (7) Get water back in (9)

16.

17.

18.

20.

22.

23.

24.

Executive (9) Top US universities (3,6) Moralist (7) Implore (7) Awards (5) Celebrity directory (5) At no time (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

5.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

15.

Across Half a second recording, yes, on a need to know basis (7) Two pints and in French it’s scored for twice that number (7) Tries somehow to redress failure (5) Repay French cathedral city singularly but then take nothing from stock exchange (9) Forecasts arty rock with hooters (9) Majestic Rovers player linking up with Arsenal wings (5) One to be found taking part in the riskier mountain pursuits (5) Upsetting EU, PM is outmanoeuvred, as on spur of the moment (9)

18. Freezing, nothing above (5,4) 19. Timer fashioned into ecclesiastical headgear (5) 21. New Zealanders associated Little Red Book author with religious instruction (5) 23. Wee drink at first for likes of Shakespeare (9) 25. Calls it in exchange for a tiny bit (9) 26. Free newspaper on Paris underground (5) 27. Insists there may also be difficulties (7) 28. Tree with berries fifty years later, getting on somewhat (7)

Down Predicament as spacers are moved around (7) 2. Type of sentence which contains someone somewhere (9) 3. Consumed at public school we hear (5) 4. & 23.d Hikers do relays all around park (9,5) 5. Leaves with the balance all square (5) 1.

6. See a right uninteresting person stomach collection of trees (9) 7. Sailor died young through being slow to react (5) 8. Initially, Teddy Roosevelt went on gateway Island to give support (7) 14. Sappers get court order with X number penned again (9) 16. Reproduce actor’s artefact with semi-precious stone (9) 17. Clothing shop made public and in more healthy shape (9) 18. In a state of confusion as source of inspiration is in flower patch (7) 20. If not exactly open, try reconfiguring through thermodynamics (7) 22. ‘How through life, through dangers, ---, unchanging, long and long’ (Whitman) (5) 23. (See 4.)

24. Had the intention of using Great North Road (motorway) with news chief (5) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

19/07/2017 12:10

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

MARITIME BOOKS

Unique shipping story the world should hear Stranded in the Six-Day War

By Cath Senker Self-published, £11.99 ISBN: 978 19997 08504 f www.cathsenker.co.uk may be known as the six-day war, but it was K an eight-year ordeal for the 14 merchant ships that The 1967 conflict between Israel and Egypt

were trapped in the Suez Canal from its outset.

The story of these ships and those who crewed them is a remarkable one, and it is told with depth and affection by author Cath Senker. Her interest had been sparked by an exhibition about the ships staged by the artist Uriel Orlow in 2014, and her resulting highly recommended book has been timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the conflict.

She has mined a rich seam of recollections from many of the seafarers who were caught up in the events after the Egyptian government refused permission for the ships to leave the Great Bitter Lake. Tales from crew members are interlaced with the wider narrative, as she traces the roots of the conflict and explains how the strategic and

economic significance of the Suez Canal resulted in the ships’ captivity.

The ships were virtually in the front line of the action, and there are dramatic accounts of the war raging around them, and moving memories of how the crews went to the aid of retreating Egyptian soldiers who were starving and dying of thirst (see feature, page 30).

In her well-written and nicely presented book, Senker tells how the crews managed to adjust to the constantly changing situation and restricted communications with their companies and families at home — often through shrewd and delicate negotiations with the Egyptian authorities, right down to trading cigarettes for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Thanks to diplomatic efforts, the Egyptians allowed crew changes to be carried out on a regular basis, and many of the seafarers describe the mixed emotions caused by the working arrangements.

Whilst some enjoyed the extra war zone pay and the excitement of the posting, others were frustrated by being stuck in the canal with an underlying sense of risk.

Particularly fascinating are the accounts of how

and in just shy of 100 pages, Mr Megoran explains how his love of paddle steamers began and tells the tale of Kingswear Castle’s operational life, as well as how remarkable voluntary work, grants and donations kept the ship sailing and enabled further major restoration to be carried out.

The story ends — or rather continues — with Kingswear Castle returning to its home waters of the River Dart in 2013. The move meant that a new generation is now able to enjoy the delights of sailing aboard a traditional paddle steamer.

Maritime One man and page-turner his beloved hits the spot Kentish paddle for children steamer PS Kingswear Castle

By John Megoran Amberley Books, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 65580 f www.amberley-books.com steamer may be ebbing away K into the mists of yesteryear, but

The Pirate’s Children

By Michael Lloyd Austin Macauley, £9.99 ISBN: 978 17869 36660 f www.austinmacauley.com

Lloyd has embarked on a new K venture with his latest book: a lively Nautical novelist Michael

historical yarn aimed at children and young adults.

Set in the 17th century, the story begins when teenage orphan Eleanor inherits a ship and discovers that her father — a sea captain — may not be dead after all, but is missing in the Caribbean. A wealthy, educated young Englishwoman now in charge of her own destiny, she resolves to have her newly-acquired vessel made seaworthy, and sets sail across the Atlantic to find her father — with a rag-tag young crew and her siblings in tow.

The theme of children setting off on an independent adventure is a winning formula familiar to anyone who has read the likes of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. The author also cannily appeals to fans of popular historical fiction such as the Poldark saga, with the inclusion of dastardly landlords, downtrodden tenants and a dramatic showdown at an aristocratic ball.

Lloyd has a good sense of what children will find entertaining, highlighting the terrible smells of old London, for example, and featuring pets such as Rascal the dog and Banana the parrot among his cast of characters. He also creates a fantastic heroine in Eleanor, a brave, spirited leader who takes on a great deal of

a growing sense of community developed between the multinational crews of the ships — four from the UK, two from Germany, two from Sweden, two from Poland, and one each from Bulgaria, France, the United States and Czechoslovakia.

From coordinating food and fuel supplies, to organising medical care and social activities, the crews developed an increasingly sophisticated system of mutual support. What became known as the Great Bitter Lake Association was an inspiring attempt to organise the crews in a collective way and to establish social activities to keep seafarers entertained after their tasks were completed.

There are great stories of daily life — bolstered by some excellent illustrations — which vividly explain how the potential boredom of being static in the waterway was alleviated by the work of keeping the ships and their cargoes safe and maintained. Another morale-booster was participation in football, sailing, table tennis, cricket and an inter-ship ‘Olympics’.

The staging of non-denominational ‘church’ services and the creation of Great Bitter Lake stamps — now valuable collectors’ items — symbolised the intense relationships and close

community which had developed among the crews.

It wasn’t all fun: as the stalemate dragged on, shipping companies progressively cut the crew numbers down, and there were also rumbles of discontent over pilfering and differences in pay rates between the different nationalities.

Finally, Senker describes how the vessels were eventually freed — one with a cargo which had increased in value by 1,000% over the period in captivity. She details the eventual fate of each ship and explains how she researched her book. It is, she rightly concludes, a story that deserves a wide audience — and one that demonstrates the potential for people to ‘create cooperative communities in the most unlikely of circumstances’.

any quibble, it is that the layout and editing of the book doesn’t always do the story justice. This is something that can be put right in the promised sequel, though, and there will doubtless be many fans keen to read more about Eleanor and her crew.

Appealing introduction to ancient North Sea port responsibility but still likes to have fun.

As the author — a retired shipmaster and Nautilus Council member — told the Telegraph last month, he was keen to make sure all the historical information in the book was accurate. Thanks to this, young readers will learn much about the golden age of sail and the realities of 17th-century piracy as they eagerly turn the pages to find out what happens next in the story.

All in all, The Pirate’s Children really is a good effort from Michael Lloyd, and if we were to have

Edinburgh’s Leith Docks 1970-1980: The Transition Years

By Malcolm Fife Amberley Books, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 62565 f www.amberley-books.com in the country, dating back K to the 11th century, so it’s little

It is one of the oldest harbours

wonder that Leith Docks has a rather interesting story to tell.

Taking a snapshot of its more recent past, author Malcolm Fife has penned Edinburgh’s Leith Docks 1970-1980: The Transition Years, which captures the initial years of

The golden age of the paddle

some of these glorious vessels have lived on to the modern day.

One such vessel is Kingswear Castle. One of a number of smaller paddle steamers built in the 19th and early 20th centuries to provide transport and excursions along some of Britain’s most beautiful rivers, it was the last to be built for service on the River Dart, in Devon, and also the last to be withdrawn, ending its first career in September 1965.

Fortunately, it did not follow other paddle steamers into the scrapyard but gained a new lease of life, first on the Isle of Wight and then on the Medway in Kent.

This extension allowed its former manager and captain John Megoran to create this rather sweet personal tribute to the steamer’s past glories.

Using a host of colour pictures

33_books_SR edit.indd 33

New coasts for U-boats U-Boats Beyond Biscay

By Bernard Edwards Pen & Sword, £19.99 ISBN: 978 14738 96053 f www.pen-and-sword.co.uk for many years been writing well-crafted K accounts of the Merchant Navy’s involvement in Nautilus member Bernard Edwards has

the Second World War. In his latest volume, he turns his attention to ‘the silent hunter-killers’ — German submarines that went after Allied merchant vessels unprotected by the convoy system.

As Edwards explains, the fall of France to the Nazis in summer 1940 gave German vessels direct access to the Atlantic through the Bay of Biscay ports. Fleet commander Admiral Dönitz therefore decided to extend the reach of his

U-boats, tackling the Mediterranean and the coast of Africa, where merchant vessels usually operated alone.

In U-Boats of Biscay, the author tells the story of each Nazi submarine deployment in these new areas of operation, and of the merchant ships that suffered the consequences.

His engaging, novelistic style of writing is underpinned by extensive research; all his sources are detailed in the bibliography and there is a comprehensive index to help students use the book as a work of reference.

A few black-and-white photos are supplied on glossy pages in the centre of the book, and more would be welcome in any future edition.

But the text stands up well on its own, and would be a good read for Second World War buffs looking to add a new perspective to their book collection.

the dock after a large state-of-theart sea lock was installed in 1969.

The work transformed the tidal harbour into a deepwater dock, and this, together with the discovery of oil in the southern North Sea and a growing number of cruiseship calls, boosted its fortunes.

In his short book, which combines archive photographs with engaging text, Fife takes a look at some of the of the vessels that docked at Leith during the pivotal decade. These are sorted under various categories — including British and foreign flagged vessels, tankers, tugs, light vessels and sludge ships — demonstrating the variety of tonnage using the port and also serving to show some of the wider transformations in the shipping industry during this time.

There is an understandably strong focus on the vessels operated out of Leith to supply and service the oil rigs in the North Sea; through a number of chapters, Fife demonstrates their increasing sophistication and the complexity of some of the cargoes that had to be carried to support the offshore industry.

A picture-heavy book, the information provided will give the average reader a decent starting point for understanding the history of Leith Docks. And while a more seasoned pro may see the contents as too simplistic, it provides a nice distraction and serves its purpose rather well.

19/07/2017 12:10

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NL NEWS In this month’s Dutch pages:

z Nautilus guest lessons in Vlissingen z distinction between (non) seafarers z Nautilus Annual meeting

z Nautilus advice to members on Health Inspections z Nautilus mediation for jobseeking masters

z engaging Nautilus symposium

z Nautilus CH seminar on green shipping z Boskalis office redundancy plan INTERNATIONAL

z FNV Waterbouw pension developments z sustainable employability

z autonomous ship survey

z Maritime Platform Retirees annual meeting

z crew communications report

z Vroon reorganisation

Meer investeren in maritieme professionals A Volg ons op Twitter

Op dinsdagmiddag 20 juni jongstleden namen ruim 100 maritieme professionals en relaties deel aan het Nautilus Symposium ‘Investeren in Maritieme Professionals’ in het Rotterdam Marriott Hotel.

Tevens lanceerde Nautilus deze middag het FNV/Nautilus Adviescentrum Werken aan Werk. Bedoeld om — ook maritieme — werknemers, die ontslagen dreigen te worden of net hun baan hebben verloren, zo snel mogelijk weer aan een baan te helpen.

‘Je bent en blijft een kostenpost’

Wat is uw mening over onbemand varen? meer ontgaan. De publiciteit F over het varen met onbemande

Het zal ongetwijfeld niemand

schepen neemt hand over hand toe. Veel ronkende verhalen, over alle technische mogelijkheden en het beoogde minimaliseren van veiligheidsrisico’s door het verdwijnen van bemanning aan boord, passeren de revue. Weinig horen we echter over wat de zeevarenden daar zelf van vinden.

Hoe zij aankijken tegen een al dan niet volledig zelfvarende toekomst.

Werknemersvisie

Nautilus International vindt het

daarom de hoogste tijd voor een duidelijke werknemersvisie onder de vlag van onze centrale campagne: ‘Jobs, Skills and the Future’.

Om nog beter beslagen ten ijs te komen, willen we uiteraard ook graag de mening van werknemers over dit onderwerp weten. Nautilus heeft daartoe een enquête uitgezet onder de zeevarende leden van Nautilus International en ook van de Nautilus Federatie(ruim 90.000 maritieme professionals). g www.nautilusint.org/nl/ wat-we-zeggen/nautilus-nieuws/ geef-uw-mening-over-onbemandvaren

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Vindt u ook dat maritieme verzekeraars zich terecht zorgen maken over obesitas onder zeevarenden?

Ja 55%

In zijn openingsspeech zette Nautilus voorzitter Marcel van den Broek zich nadrukkelijk af tegen die werkgevers die maritieme professionals wegzetten als ‘te duur’ en ‘zelfs overbodig, als het om die zogenaamde zelfvarende toekomst gaat.’

Marcel van den Broek: ‘Als maritieme werknemer lijk je steeds minder gewenst en het lijkt wel of deze trend nauwelijks meer te stoppen valt. Al sinds jaar en dag krijg je als maritieme professional te horen dat je niet deugt. Je bent te duur, véél te duur. Of je nu lading of passagiers vervoert op s ’werelds zeeën en oceanen of de Europese rivieren en kanalen, of als maritieme professional waterbouw hoogstandjes verricht of betrokken bent bij de exploitatie van wind, olie of gas, of de brandstofprijzen nu historisch hoog of laag zijn, de vloot te groot of te klein is, je wordt altijd gezien als een kostenpost.

Sterker nog, je bent een onbetrouwbare kostenpost. Je bent namelijk verantwoordelijk voor praktisch alles wat er aan boord mis gaat.

Dat zeg ik niet zomaar. Dat komt uit de koker van commerciële partijen die met deels door diezelfde maritieme professionals opgebracht belastinggeld, kwistig rondgestrooid door Brusselse ambtenaren, jou en iedereen die het maar wil horen, vertelt dat je niet deugt.’

Onbemande schepen en Nederlandse ambtenaren

‘Zij, de Rolls Royces en Munins en Kongsbergs van deze wereld maken er brochures over, video’s zelfs om de hele wereld te laten weten dat je niet deugt. Ook de Nederlandse ambtenaren doen hier driftig aan mee. Ze struikelen bijna over elkaar als het gaat om het onder-

sturen. Als HBO opleidingen werken we nu hard aan een toekomstbestendige opleiding.

Daarbij benoemen we de volgende belangrijke competenties: Analyseren, Onderzoeken, Verbeteren/Innoveren, Managen, Communiceren, Realiseren en Professionaliseren.

Met het oog op ‘een leven lang leren’ bewegen we nu ook met name van een kennisgericht curriculum naar een competentiegericht curriculum.’

Automatiseren maakt mensen dommer

‘Gelukkig zijn er ook nog héél veel bedrijven die het beste voorhebben met Nederlandse maritieme professionals op zee en het binnenwater en niet te vergeten binnen het maritieme cluster aan de wal, goed voor 3% BNP, waar maritieme professionals die de zee of de binnenwateren vaarwel zeggen vaak met open armen worden ontvangen.’

‘Juist nu is het daarom tijd, meer nog dan ooit tevoren’…stelde Marcel van den Broek verder….’om te investeren in maritieme professionals, en onze Nautilus ‘Jobs, Skills and the Future’ campagne sluit hier naadloos bij aan. En Rolls Royce en consorten, maar ook alle ambtenaren in het gevolg, bij alle uitdagingen die nog op uw weg liggen kunt u rekenen op 1 zekere factor en dat is Nautilus zeer kritisch al uw stappen zal blijven volgen!’

VT-Group CEO Niels Groenewold nam de aanwezigen mee in zijn visie op de zelfvarende toekomst door simpel te stellen dat ‘automatiseren mensen dommer maakt’ en ‘dat die zelfvarende toekomst er niet komt, omdat dat simpelweg te duur wordt allemaal…’Niels Groenewold: ‘Natuurlijk gaat de automatisering steeds verder en bewegen wij daar in mee als VT Group. Van het begin af aan overigens.

Maar volledig zelfvarend zie ik nog niet gebeuren. Wie vervangt er straks even een filter midden op zee? Of een hoog gevoelig onderdeel. Gaan we dan een monteur in laten vliegen a raison van 25.000 euro, terwijl zo’n schip dan ook nog even twee dagen stil moet blijven liggen, voordat die man er is?’ Verder stelde Groenewold, ooit als lichtmatroos begonnen bij VT, dat het ‘zee- en binnenvaart onderwijs te weinig aansluit bij de praktijk’. ‘Er wordt nu teveel vanachter de computer op de scholen bedacht door mensen, die zelf vaak nooit meer op een schip komen…Daar moet echt ook het roer om.’

Maritiem Ingenieurs

Werken aan werk

In zijn presentatie ‘Van Maritiem Officier naar Maritiem Ingenieur’ schetste Henny Krul, opleidingsmanager Hogere Zeevaartschool Amsterdam, een onderwijskundige toekomst, waarin (semi) autonoom varen een steeds belangrijker plaats gaat krijgen. Henny Krul: ‘Hoe snel en op welke wijze die zelfvarende toekomst er aankomt, is moeilijk te voorspellen. Maar als zeevaartscholen moeten we hier natuurlijk wel goed op voorbereid zijn.

Daarom spreken we nu al van het opleiden van de Maritiem Ingenieur. Die kan nog aan boord zitten straks, maar moet ook in staat zijn vanaf de wal, achter de computer, de schepen aan te

Tenslotte ging het FNV/Nautilus adviescentrum van start met het voorstellen van de drie trajectadviseurs en een trainer. Ook ging het filmpje ‘Werken aan Werk’ in premiére. Te zien op Nautilus Youtube. Jelle de Boer gaf aan inmiddels al tal van maritieme werknemers te adviseren. ‘Als trajectadviseur van Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw ben ik goed op de hoogte van de maritieme sector.

Dankzij die kennis en ervaring kan ik maritieme werknemers goed begeleiden bij het zetten van nieuwe stappen in hun loopbaan.’ g email: jdeboer@nautilusint.org; tel: 06 – 15539730.

‘Gelukkig ook nog veel goede bedrijven’

Onderzoek Duurzame Inzetbaarheid op stoom — Doe ook mee!

Zomerenquête

Nee 45%

Deze zomer worden heel veel zeevarenden en hun werkgevers uitgenodigd om mee te doen aan een enquête over duurzame inzetbaarheid. Doel: onderzoeken hoe zeevarenden tot aan hun pensioenleeftijd gezond en plezierig kunnen werken. In hun eigen werk of elders. Dus: krijgt u een uitnodiging voor deelname in uw mailbox of op andere wijze, doe dan mee!

Hot item: ‘werkend ouder worden’

De poll van deze maand is: Ziet u een toekomst voor gezellen afkomstig vanuit het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Nederland? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

34-37_nl_18.7.indd 34

steunen van IMO submissies die geheel gericht zijn op onbemande schepen.

Onbemande schepen die zijn bedacht door een beperkt aantal commerciële partijen die hier enorme business ruiken. En terecht!

Ze slagen erin om met uw belastingcenten aan de haal te gaan en tegelijkertijd daarbij onze ambtenaren voor hun karretje te spannen. NL ambtenaren lopen daarbij in de voorste rijen. In IMO voor de zeevaart en in het CASS voor de binnenvaart.

Minder mensen, het liefst helemaal geen mensen en als het dan toch mensen moeten zijn dan natuurlijk hele goedkope mensen uit hele goedkope landen, zelfs in de binnenvaart.’

Het thema ‘gezond werkend ouder worden’ is voor veel maritieme professionals een zorg.

‘Onze beroepen zijn zwaar en we weten niet hoe lang we kunnen blijven varen’, aldus veel Nautilusleden. Vooral vanwege de verhoging van de AOWleeftijd is ‘werkend ouder worden’ een hot item.

Daarom wil Nautilus weten hoe het precies zit met duurzame inzetbaarheid in de scheepvaart en wil op basis daarvan beleid maken. Dit doet Nautilus

in samenwerking met de reders en op kosten van Stichting Zeerisico 96, een sectorfonds dat projecten over gezond en veilig werken financiert.

Interviewresultaten als basis voor de enquête

Onderzoeksbureau Factor Vijf ontwikkelt en test momenteel de enquête, gebaseerd op de interviews die zijn gehouden met zeevarenden en bestuurders/HR-managers van reders. Uit die interviews bleek bijvoorbeeld dat veel zeevarenden zich afvragen of ze de steeds hogere AOW-leeftijd wel kunnen halen en dat ze waardering van hun werkgever missen. Toch houden veel zeevarenden van hun beroep. Een nadeel daarvan is dat velen daardoor weinig nadenken over een mogelijke (loop)baan aan wal.

Feedback en vertrouwelijkheid

Zeevarenden en reders die de enquête invullen,

geven daarmee zeer waardevolle input voor beleid ter stimulering van duurzame inzetbaarheid.

Bovendien krijgen invullers meteen feedback op hun antwoorden: wat zijn punten waaraan je — als zeevarende of als reder — meteen wat kunt doen, op weg naar duurzame inzetbaarheid? Uiteraard is deelname aan het onderzoek anoniem. Factor Vijf behandelt de onderzoeksgegevens zeer vertrouwelijk.

Meepraten over beleid gebaseerd op het onderzoek

Eind 2017 worden de resultaten aan reders en/ of zeevarenden gepresenteerd. Dit gebeurt onder andere tijdens interactieve bijeenkomsten.

Daarin kunnen zeevarenden en vertegenwoordigers van reders volop meepraten en meedenken over slim en menswaardig beleid, waardoor zeevarenden tot op hoge leeftijd plezierig kunnen werken.

19/07/2017 17:11

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NL NEWS

Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw vakbondszaken belicht waarin F Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw een In deze rubriek worden steeds

actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van de leden.

eisen t.a.v. salaris en vaar/ verlofschema, waardoor bemiddeling werd bemoeilijkt.

Inmiddels zijn er 2 kapiteins uit het UWV bestand door de bureaus te werk gesteld. De 26 kandidaten, die nog niet hebben gereageerd op de brief, worden via andere kanalen benaderd.

Dit keer betreft het: Uitkomst project bemiddeling werkzoekende kapiteins zeevaart

Conclusie

Eerder dit jaar meldden wij u dat diverse Nederlandse kapiteins zich bij de bond hadden gemeld met de mededeling dat zij moeilijk aan (vast) werk kwamen. Onder andere sinds de faillissementen van Abis en Flinter.

Uiteraard nemen wij dat soort meldingen heel serieus. Want werkgelegenheid voor maritieme professionals is prioriteit nummer 1 van de meeste leden van Nautilus.

Decennia lang was er vrijwel geen werkloosheid onder Nederlandse kapiteins en officieren. Toen dat leek te zijn veranderd, is Nautilus meteen in actie gekomen.

In de Telegraph van mei meldden wij u dat Nautilus samen met de KVNR een project was gestart om de werkzoekende kapiteins nader te ondersteunen. Nautilus en de reders hebben twee gerenommeerde uitzendbureau’s, Marlow en Tos, gevraagd om het bij het UWV geregistreerde bestand aan werkzoekende kapiteins te bekijken op geschiktheid voor de in de sector bestaande vacatures. En aan geschikte kandidaten hebben zij ook concreet bemiddeling aangeboden.

Uiteraard op basis van vrijwilligheid en met respect voor uw privacy.

Inmiddels is het project geëindigd.

In het UWV bestand zijn veel kandidaten opgenomen, die feitelijk niet kunnen worden bemiddeld naar openstaande vacatures in de Koopvaardij. Daarnaast is er nog een aantal kapiteins die gepensioneerd zijn, bijzondere wensen hebben of om andere redenen niet inzetbaar zijn.

Een aantal kapiteins dat op het startmoment was ingeschreven, had te maken met de faillissementen van Abis en Flinter. De Flinter en Abis kapiteins zijn weer aan het werk, of hadden concreet uitzicht op werk, zo bleek uit het project, op 1 kapitein van 66 jaar na.

De exercitie heeft de leden van de RTK-commissie nuttige informatie gegeven. Het aantal daadwerkelijk bemiddelbare en beschikbare werkzoekende/werkloze kapiteins is zeer laag. Dat betekent overigens niet dat de werkzoekende kapiteins, als zij aan het werk komen ook vast, duurzaam werk hebben. Vaak nemen werklozen noodgedwongen ook genoegen met tijdelijke plaatsingen, soms onder hun niveau. De leden van de commissie zullen bij het afgeven van de RTK-vergunningen rekening houden met de uitkomsten van het project.

Terugkoppeling uitzendbureau

Adviescentrum Werken Aan Werk

De lijst van bij het UWV ingeschreven koopvaardijkapiteins is door Marlow Navigation in behandeling genomen. De kandidaten met offshore- of baggerervaring zijn door TOS benaderd. Dit leverde het volgende resultaat op.

In het bestand van het UWV stonden bij aanvang van het project 88 kapiteins geregistreerd. Op basis van de gegevens op werk.nl zijn in totaal 31 kandidaten niet bemiddelbaar om diverse redenen: z geen relevante ervaring z niet in bezit van juiste STCW certificaten z kandidaten met pensioengerechtigde leeftijd z niet bemiddelbaar op basis van referenties Er zijn 57 kandidaten benaderd via een door sociale partners geschreven brief. Van deze kandidaten hebben er 14 gereageerd en direct contact opgenomen met één van beide bureaus. De bureaus hebben nog telefonisch contact gezocht met 17 kandidaten, die niet hebben gereageerd op de brief. Een deel van hen is niet inzetbaar omdat ze reeds een baan hebben of bezig zijn met een sollicitatieprocedure.

Ook werd van een aantal vastgesteld, dat ze geen relevante ervaring hebben of bezig zijn met een omscholingstraject buiten de zeevaart.In totaal bleven 6 kandidaten over, die bemiddelbaar en beschikbaar zijn. Een aantal stelde

Recent heeft Nautilus samen met de FNV het adviescentrum ‘Werken aan Werk’ geopend. Een centrum voor loopbaanadvies, scholing en arbeidsmarktinformatie voor mensen die werkloos, of met werkloosheid bedreigd, zijn en ander werk zoeken. Ook in dit adviescentrum spannen wij ons in voor uw werkgelegenheid en uw mobiliteit. Voor meer informatie hierover verwijzen wij u naar onze website www.nautilusint.org/nl/ wat-we-zeggen/nautilus-nieuws/ nautilus-adviescentrum-van-start g U kunt voor een afspraak of met vragen over deze dienstverlening mailen met infonl@nautilusint.org of bellen met J. de Boer.

Meld u bij Nautilus

Uw informatie is de basis van ons werk. Wij herhalen daarom onze oproep: meld u bij Nautilus als u moeilijk of niet aan (vast) werk komt.

Die informatie is belangrijk voor ons.

Ook horen wij informeel vaak welke rederijen personeel zoeken. Het is dan handig als wij uw functie en uw globale arbeidsverleden weten.

Ook als u uw ervaringen met het hierboven omschreven project wilt delen, horen wij dat graag. g Wij horen in alle gevallen graag van u via het mailadres infonl@ nautilusint.org. Telefonisch kan ook.

Bel dan op maandag, woensdag of donderdag met Ingrid Linschoten op tel nr. 010-2862985.

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

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Jaarvergadering stemt in met met het gevoerde beleid A

De Jaarvergadering van de Nederlandse Branch van Nautilus International, tevens Algemene Vergadering van de Vereniging Nautilus International, heeft ingestemd met het gevoerde beleid.

De jaarvergadering vond dit jaar plaats op 20 juni 2016 in het Mariott Hotel te Rotterdam en werd bijgewoond door 49 leden.

Van het Nautilus hoofdbestuur waren aanwezig de heren M.A. Dickinson, M.T.J.J. van den Broek en C. Ramdas.

Bestuursverslag van het gevoerde beleid in 2016

Voorzitter Marcel van den Broek deed namens het bestuur verslag van het gevoerde beleid in 2015 aan de hand van het jaarverslag.

De voorzitter meldde dat de Raad van Advies het jaarverslag met een positief advies aan de jaarvergadering voorlegde.

Vervolgens werd het jaarverslag en daarmee het in 2015 gevoerde beleid unaniem door de aanwezige leden goedgekeurd.

Financieel jaarverslag RLE 2015

Nautilus penningmeester Charley Ramdas gaf aan dat in deze vergadering alleen de

financiën van de vereniging Nautilus International aan de orde zouden komen.

Na het beantwoorden van een aantal vragen over het financiële jaarverslag vanuit de zaal meldde de voorzitter dat de Raad van Advies het financieel verslag met een positief advies aan de jaarvergadering voorlegde. De aanwezige leden keurden het financieel verslag 2016 vervolgens goed en verleenden daarmee decharge aan het bestuur. Eén lid

onthield zich van stemming.

Verkiezing bestuursleden

Dit jaar werd een nieuw hoofdbestuurslid gekozen: Sascha Meijer-Pieneman. Deze plaats was al twee jaar vacant. Het NL National Committee / Raad van Advies had voor haar een bindende voordracht gedaan.

De aanwezige leden stemden unaniem in met de verkiezing van Sascha Meijer-Pieneman. Zij bedankte het bestuur, de Raad

van Advies en de leden voor haar verkiezing en daarmee in het haar gestelde vertrouwen.

Sascha Meijer: ‘Ik vind het een grote eer om samen met u, onze leden en onze kaderleden, een bijdrage te mogen leveren aan onze missie en doelen als Nautilus International. Een moderne en vooruitstrevende vakbond — we zijn immers niet voor niets de enige internationale vakbond wereldwijd — iets wat uiteraard ook geheel past bij u, onze leden, die immers geen grenzen kennen en vaak wereldwijd aan het werk zijn. We staan aan de vooravond van een nieuw vakbondstijdperk. Met aan de ene kant de snel voortschrijdende automatisering en robotisering.

En aan de andere kant, helaas ook in onze sector, een toenemende race naar beneden. Waar goede Nederlandse vaklieden, zoals u, vervangen dreigen te worden door ‘lage lonen lander’s met onzekere contracten. Als Nautilus moeten we daar goed op inspelen en vooral aan dat laatste paal en perk stellen. Ik wil daar graag mijn steentje(s) aan bijdragen’.

Er waren dit jaar geen aftredende leden van de Raad van Advies (tevens NL Nationaal Committee).

Jaarvergadering Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden sioneerden haar algemene jaarvergadering F in Rotterdam. Dit Platform is de vereniging van

SER varianten (de zogenaamde I-B en de IV-C variant).

gepensioneerde leden van Nautilus International en de Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij (NVKK).

Bovengemiddelde prestatie BPFK

Op 22 juni hield het Maritiem Platform Gepen-

De toekomst van ons pensioenstelsel

Naast de bespreking van de activiteiten over het afgelopen jaar, werd het thema ‘de toekomst van ons pensioenstelsel’ besproken. Spreker was Marc Heemskerk, adviserend actuaris van het Bedrijfspensioensfonds voor de Koopvaardij. Uit de gehouden presentatie bleek dat het pensioenstelsel in Nederland ook in de toekomst een goed pensioenstelsel kan blijven. Er werd stilgestaan bij de door de SER voorgestelde 5 varianten en een door adviesbu-

reau Mercer opgestelde variant. De varianten werden getoetst aan een 8-tal basisregels en dan blijkt dat de Mercer variant er goed uitkomt. De gepresenteerde Mercer variant is een mix van twee

Naast het pensioenstelsel werd ook nog even stil gestaan bij de cijfers van het Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor de Koopvaardij (BPFK). Zo werd er gekeken hoe het BPFK zich verhoudt tot andere pensioenfondsen en gebleken is dat het BPFK bovengemiddeld presteert.

De presentatie werd zeer goed ontvangen en bijzonder gewaardeerd door de aanwezige leden.

In de jaarvergadering werd verder besloten om de jaarvergadering het vervolg eerder in het jaar te laten plaatsvinden (maart/april) en werden de leden aangespoord om ideeën voor pensioenthema’s aan te dragen.

Videogesprekken onmogelijk door gebrekkig internet aan boord heeft een enquête F gehouden onder 2.000

Communiceren met vrienden en familie belangrijk

naar een andere baan als een ander bedrijf beter internet biedt!

zeevarenden. Hieruit blijkt dat slechts 6% van de zeevarenden voldoende internet heeft om videogesprekken met het thuisfront te kunnen houden vanaf het schip, de plek waar zij vaak maandenlang werken en wonen.

Nautilus lanceerde in de Seafarers Awareness Week (24-30 juni) een rapport met deze en andere conclusies.

Aan de wal is toegang tot snel internet inmiddels haast een basisrecht. Hoe anders is dat op zee. Het is wel zo dat 88% van de zeevarenden inmiddels internet heeft. Maar vaak is dit heel langzaam.

Kapitein en Nautilus Council lid Henk Eijkenaar (55 jaar): ‘Een van de grootste problemen is dat mensen aan de wal zich niet realiseren wat het betekent om zonder internet op zee te zijn en hoe belangrijk technologie is om met vrienden en familie te communiceren wanneer je van huis bent.’

Verdere conclusies uit de Nautilus enquete zijn dat slechts 57% van de bemanning toegang tot persoonlijke email heeft en maar een derde toegang tot social media. Dit leidt tot een sociaal isolement. Bijna twee derde van de ondervraagde zeevarenden overweegt dan ook een overstap

Werkgevers zien vooral risico’s

Nautilus International

Ondervraagde werkgevers blijven aarzelend staan tegenover volledige toegang tot snel internet. Naast hoge kosten noemen zij als risico’s ook afleiding van het werk en toegang tot illegale of onwenselijke websites.

Henk Eijkenaar: ‘Er zijn momenteel systemen beschikbaar die betere, onbeperkte internettoegang bieden en die uiteindelijk de gebruikskosten zullen verlagen. Rederijen zijn echter niet bereid om hierin te investeren, omdat ze dit zien als een extra

kostenpost die geen winst oplevert. Natuurlijk moeten cybercriminaliteit en de andere gevaren die aan moderne communicatie verbonden zijn, vooral tijdens het werk, aangepakt en voorkomen worden, maar ik hoop dat communicatie voor de bemanning zal verbeteren. Snelle internetverbinding in hutten zou standaard beschikbaar moeten zijn.’

Internet aan boord is fundamenteel recht

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson: ‘Internet moet een fundamenteel recht zijn. Ook voor zeevarenden. Beter internet is belangrijk voor het welzijn van zeevarenden en daarmee voor hun productiviteit.’

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FNV Waterbouw — en ‘behoud BPF Waterbouw actiegroep’ leden kiezen voor pensioenfonds BPF Waterbouw Verklaring van medische ongeschiktheid (scheepvaart) kwam onverwachts Declaration of medical unfitness (Shipping)

Does the examined person comply to the standards? voldoet de gekeurde persoon aan de normen? z Medical Fitness (algemene lichamelijke geschiktheid): NO (nee) Deze negatieve uitslag kwam onverwacht voor ons lid Klaas*. Klaas nam hierop direct contact op met Nautilus. Aangezien deze uitslag zowel financieel als emotioneel uiteraard grote consequenties voor ons lid had, hebben wij Klaas nog dezelfde werkweek bij ons op kantoor uitgenodigd.

Advies Nautilus: herkeuring

Op advies van Nautilus heeft Klaas direct een herkeuring (second opinion) aangevraagd. Hoewel Klaas zelf op dat moment nog dacht: ‘dat heeft toch allemaal geen zin…’

De arts heeft vervolgens, al een week na de eerste keuring, de herkeuring bij Klaas uitgevoerd. En tot grote verrassing en opluchting van Klaas, werd hij deze keer gewoon goedgekeurd! Hem werd het volgende certificaat uitgereikt: Seafarer medical certificate

(geneeskundige verklaring zeevaart) Seafarer with watch duties in the engine room (zeevarende met uitkijkof wachtfunctie in de machinekamer)

Period of validity

(geldigheidsduur): Until 2 years after the date of issue (tot 2 jaar na datum afgifte) Hierdoor kan Klaas de komende twee jaar gewoon weer blijven varen, wat voor hem zijn lust en zijn leven is.

Eind goed, al goed

Uiteraard was Klaas, en ook zijn gezin en familie, dankbaar voor de inzet, betrokkenheid en advisering van Nautilus. Of zoals Klaas het zelf verwoordde: ‘Je moet er in één keer uit, zonder dat je erop voorbereid bent. Dat grijpt je wel aan! Ik had absoluut niet gedacht dat ik na de herkeuring alsnog goedgekeurd zou worden. Ik dacht echt: ‘het is exit voor mij!’ Gelukkig is alles, vooral dankzij het advies van Nautilus, goed gekomen uiteindelijk.’

De Nederlanders zeevarenden zijn gelukkig nog redelijk goed gedekt (De Nederlandse wet schrijft voor dat de werkgever eerste twee jaar ziekte het loon (gedeeltelijk) doorbetaalt.)

Neem altijd contact op met Nautilus

Wordt u wellicht ook afgekeurd voor de scheepvaart? Laat het er dan nooit zomaar bij zitten. Neem altijd contact op met Nautilus, zodat we samen met u de mogelijkheden van een herkeuring kunnen onderzoeken: infonl@nautilusint.org of, tel: +31 (0) 10 4771 188. *In verband met de privacy van betrokkene is een fictieve naam gebruikt.

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Meer dan 90% van onze leden alsook van de actiegroep ‘Behoud BPF Waterbouw’ heeft inmiddels aangegeven dat het pensioenfonds BPF Waterbouw zelfstandig moet blijven voortbestaan voor zowel de huidige als nieuwe aanspraken. Een minderheid kiest voor BPF Koopvaardij en bijna niemand acht een overgang naar het pensioenfonds PGB wenselijk.

Deze uitkomsten werden bekend gemaakt op de speciale FNV Waterbouw bijeenkomst op 6 juli over de toekomst van het pensioenfonds BPF Waterbouw.

Boskalis en Van Oord zeggen pensioenovereenkomst vrijwillige deelname op

Overigens hadden Baggermaatschappij Boskalis BV (Boskalis) en Van Oord FNV Waterbouw al eind juni, voor onze ledenraadpleging dus, ons op de hoogte gebracht dat zij de overeenkomst inzake vrijwillige deelname (aan de pensioenregeling) tegen 1 januari 2018 willen opzeggen. Beide bedrijven blijken dit onder te willen brengen bij het pensioenfonds PGB. Onder voorbehoud dat de ondernemingsraden van beide bedrijven hier later dit jaar mee instemmen.

Stuurgroep onderzoek

Zoals bekend waren cao partijen (vakbonden en werkgevers) en het bestuur van het pensioenfonds Waterbouw (BPF Waterbouw) al geruime tijd bezig om zich te beraden over

de toekomst van het pensioenfonds.

In 2015 heeft De Nederlandse Bank (DNB) het pensioenfonds als (mogelijk) kwetsbaar aangemerkt. DNB had zorgen over: het beleggingsproces en beleid, de invulling van de bestuurszetels en de kwetsbaarheid van de uitvoeringsorganisatie. Deze zorgen vormden de directe aanleiding voor FNV Waterbouw om zich over de toekomst van BPF Waterbouw te beraden.

Stuurgroep vakbonden/werkgevers/ pensioenfondsbestuur

IN 2016 besloten cao partijen en het pensioenfondsbestuur om een gezamenlijke stuurgroep te vormen. In deze stuurgroep zitten afgevaardigden van de vakbonden, werkgevers en het pensioenfondsbestuur.

De stuurgroep heeft op grond van uitgebreide berekeningen bij drie pensioenfondsen (BPF Waterbouw, PGB, BPF Koopvaardij) laten onderzoeken bij welk fonds de waardevastheid van zowel het opgebouwde als nog op te bouwen pensioen het best uit de bus komt.

BPF Waterbouw beste pensioenfonds

Kijken wij naar de onderzoeksresultaten over een periode van 5 en 15 jaar dan kan worden vastgesteld dat BPF Waterbouw het best uit de bus komt. BPF Waterbouw laat over een periode van 5 c.q. 15 jaar het beste pensioenresultaat zien voor de deelnemers.

Behoud van bestuurlijke invloed

Tevens vindt FNV Waterbouw het criterium

‘behoud van bestuurlijke invloed’ belangrijk: invloed vanuit het bestuur op zowel de inhoud als de uitvoering van de regeling. Bij de optie PGB wordt de bestuurlijke invloed sterk afgezwakt, omdat onze positie in het bestuur geminimaliseerd wordt.

Hoe zit het nu met de eerder door DNB geuite zorgen?

Gebleken is dat BPF Waterbouw het beleggingsproces en beleid op orde heeft.

Zowel vakbonden als werkgevers hebben al bijna 2 jaar zeer kundige mensen namens hun organisatie afgevaardigd in het bestuur.

Hiermee is de zorg omtrent invulling van de bestuurszetels weggenomen. De uitvoeringsorganisatie blijft evenwel een aandachtspunt.

Daar zijn echter goede oplossingsmogelijkheden voor handen. De uitvoering van de pensioenregeling kan bij andere uitvoerders worden ondergebracht.

Oproep aan ondernemingsraden Boskalis en Van Oord

Begin juli heeft FNV Waterbouw een brief gestuurd naar de ondernemingsraden van Boskalis en Van Oord om ze te wijzen op het belang van een weldoordacht advies aan hun directies.

Pensioen actiecomité beraadt zich

Eind juli stond een bijeenkomst van het FNV Waterbouw Pensioen-actiecomité gepland om zich te beraden over vervolgstappen.

In de volgende Telegraph meer hierover.

Vroon in zwaar weer werd Nautilus door A Vroon geïnformeerd over de Op 13 juni jongstleden

vlootontwikkelingen en afbouw van zeevarend personeel bij de tankerdivisie Iver Ships B.V. van Vroon. Al enkele jaren is Iver bezig om de producten/ chemicaliën tankervloot af te bouwen. Door de rederij werd melding gemaakt van de verkoop van de MT Iver Example en van de aanstaande verkoop van de MT Iver Express. Ook werd de verwachting uitgesproken dat de resterende drie schepen, de Iver Exact, Iver Experience en de Iver Exporter, de komende maanden zullen worden verkocht.

Uitkijken naar andere werkgevers

In de brief werd meegedeeld dat Iver al enige jaren bezig is met de afbouw van het vlootpersoneel dat op de tankervloot dienstdoet. Het aantal Nederlandse zeevarenden dat ooit in dienst was bij Iver is daardoor over de afgelopen jaren gestaag teruggelopen. De verkoop van de resterende schepen heeft verdere gevolgen voor de Nederlandse werkgelegenheid. De Nederlandse zeevarenden kregen het vriendelijke maar dringende verzoek van de Iver directie uit te kijken naar andere mogelijkheden en andere werkgevers.

34-37_nl_18.7.indd 36

Werkloos aan de kant

De melding van Iver kwam tegelijkertijd met een artikel in het Nieuwsblad Transport dat Vroon er financieel slecht voorstaat en 170 miljoen verlies had geleden over 2016. Vroon was in overleg met de banken bezig over een financiële herstructurering. Nautilus bestuurder Marcel van Dam: ‘Hoewel de betreffende tankers al langer op de nominatie stonden om uitgefaseerd te worden, kunnen wij ons niet aan de indruk onttrekken dat de situatie waarin de rederij nu verkeert ook een rol heeft gespeeld. Ook een ander onderdeel, de car carriers van Vroon, staan in de verkoop. Belangrijkste oorzaak van de slechte financiële positie van Vroon is de slechte gang van zaken in de offshore. Een groot deel van de offshore vloot van Vroon Offshore Services ligt werkloos voor de kant door de aanhoudende malaise in de offshore-industrie, veroorzaakt door de lage olie- en gasprijs. In deze tak van industrie heeft Vroon de afgelopen jaren heel veel geïnvesteerd in nieuwbouw van offshore materiaal.’

Daarnaast staan ook de resultaten in de koopvaardij al jaren onder druk door overcapaciteit. Nautilus heeft inmiddels contact opgenomen met de directie van Iver om te overleggen over de personele consequenties.

Op korte termijn vindt overleg plaats.

Studenten organiseren Nautilus gastles in vlissingen Maarten Keuss van Nautilus F te gast op het Maritiem en Logistiek

Eind juni was adjunct bestuurder

College De Ruyter, aan de Boulevard te Vlissingen, voor twee gastlessen .

Deze gastlessen werden door de studenten zelf georganiseerd en voorbereid door MBO student EdwardJan Liem. De Telegraph vroeg hem om een impressie: ‘Als derdejaars MBO student aan de zeevaartschool in Vlissingen, is het zo nu en dan eens leuk om de week te breken door iets anders tijdens lestijd te krijgen, dan iedere keer maar weer dezelfde vakken. Niet dat deze niet interessant zijn, maar er zijn nog zoveel andere interessante, maritieme onderwerpen te behandelen tijdens lestijd. Onder andere informatie over vakbonden, CAO’s en rechten van zeevarenden. Dit zijn ondergewaardeerde onderwerpen tijdens de lessen die we krijgen.’

Zelf gastlessen of excursies organiseren

‘Naar aanleiding van een gesprek met onze mentor werd er daarom besloten

dat de leerlingen de mogelijkheid hadden om zelf gastlessen of excursies te organiseren. Dit diende uiteraard met de maritieme sector te maken te hebben en eveneens educatief te zijn.

Mijn groepje koos ervoor om contact op te nemen met Nautilus International, teneinde een gastles te bespreken over de vakbond, CAO’s en de rechten van zeevarenden. De reden dat wij ervoor kozen Nautilus uit te nodigen, is het feit dat we over een jaar klaar zijn met school en dan plotseling geen dergelijke instantie meer hebben om op terug te vallen.

Een vakbond kan daarvoor in de plaats komen. Bovendien is informatie over het hoe en wat voor ‘na school’ ook van groot belang.’

Energieke en interessante gastles

‘De gastles werd gehouden door Maarten Keuss, die deze les energiek gaf. Hierdoor werden de onderwerpen die behandeld werden ook interessant voor de studenten, die in eerste instantie minder geïnteresseerd waren in de gastles. Wetgeving, CAO’s

en de vakbond zelf werden aaneensluitend uitgelegd en met elkaar verbonden. Door uitstekende interactie met de studenten hield Maarten Keuss de aandacht van alle studenten vast en verliep de gastles heel vlot. Het feit dat de aanwezige studenten nieuwe dingen te horen kregen, waarvan ze niet eens wisten dat dit voor ze geregeld kan worden, of dat ze op bepaalde dingen recht hebben, waarvan ze geen idee hadden, wekte extra interesse.

Uiteraard zijn er verschillende studenten geweest, die zich na de gastles alvast ingeschreven hebben bij Nautilus International.’

24/7 service vakbond

Tevens werd door Maarten Keuss de meerwaarde uitgelegd van het speciale studentenlidmaatschap tegen een sterk gereduceerd tarief (3,40 euro per maand, inclusief toezending van de vakbladen de Telegraph en SWZ Magazine). Dit is ook inclusief de 24/7 service die Nautilus International al zijn (studenten)leden wereldwijd biedt.

Wilt u een groter publiek bereiken?

Presenteer uw product of service aan meer dan 15,000 maritieme professionele lezers uit Nederland, ter land en op zee!

Spreek met één van onze vertegenwoordigers om uit te vinden hoe wij u het beste kunnen helpen.

Neem contact op met Hammad Uddin van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7324 2756 E: hammad. uddin@redactive. co.uk.

19/07/2017 17:11

August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

NL NEWS

Wie is zeevarende… en wie niet?

Groene scheepvaart…

Nog een lange weg te gaan!

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Tot deze niet bepaald opwekkende conclusie kwamen de aanwezigen op een speciaal hieraan gewijd seminar van de Nautilus branch Zwitserland in Basel op 26 juni.

Of zoals één van de sprekers, Heinz Amacker (CEO Danser Switzerland AG) berustend stelde: ‘Met name het milieubewustzijn in de Binnenvaart staat nog altijd op een zeer laag niveau.’ Danser besloot in 2012 het roer om te gaan gooien met een ambitieuze doelstelling van 20% CO2 reductie.

Met behulp van EU-ondersteuning startte de onderneming zijn zogenaamde LNG Masterplan.

Echter toen nog niet wetende dat nu, anno 2017, de olieprijs fors is teruggezakt en de kosten van het varen met LNG inmiddels 15% hoger zijn geworden.

Magic pipes

Nautilus International General Secretary Mark Dickinson stelde in zijn openingsspeech dat ondanks tal van mooie woorden de scheepvaartindustrie nog altijd ernstig tekort schiet in het varen met milieuvriendelijker schepen.

Zowel in de zeevaart als in de binnenvaart. Mark Dickinson: ‘Sterker nog, dat heeft u in het juninummer van de Telegraph kunnen lezen, we zien nu ook tal van bedrijven gebruik maken van zogenaamde ‘magic pipes’, waarmee schaamteloos olie afvalstoffen in zee worden geloosd.

Het wordt nu echt tijd, dat de industrie overgaat tot milieuvriendelijker daden en dat er meer bedrijven, zoals Danser, het voortouw hierin gaan nemen.’

Marketingcampagnes

Vervolgens ontspon zich een levendige discussie met een aantal Nautilus leden, reders en relaties in de zaal. Ook werd aangegeven dat het grote publiek via marketingcampagnes veel meer doordrongen zou moeten worden van nut en noodzaak van het nemen van milieuvriendelijke maatregelen in zee- en binnenvaart.

Behalen van snelle winsten

Rivercruise kapitein Harald Ludwig stelde echter somber: ’Dat zou allemaal inderdaad moeten gebeuren ja. Maar laten we dan ook de banken en andere geldschieters

34-37_nl_18.7.indd 37

ervan overtuigen dat ze hierin daadwerkelijk gaan investeren.

Want nu kijkt 95% van deze belangrijke beleidsbepalers alleen maar naar het behalen van snelle winsten en maakt zich niet of nauwelijks druk om nut en noodzaak van ‘groene scheepvaart.’

Helaas was wegens ziekte Dr. Juha Schweighofer, (Via Donau en tevens deelnemer in het EU-Project PROMINENT), afwezig. Zij zou in haar presentatie ingaan op hoe de ‘Groene Scheepvaart’ niet alleen ecologisch, maar ook economisch rendementvol kan zijn.

Moderator op deze warme middag (35 C) in het architectonisch fraaie Basler Volkshaus was Holger Schatz, Nationalsekretär Nautilus International Schweiz.

Eiger LNG Refit

Om te kunnen voorzien in de stijgende vraag naar duurzaam transport heeft Danser Group in februari 2012 besloten één van haar koppelverbanden (Eiger-Nordwand) te voorzien van een Dual-Fuel (LNG / Gasolie) aandrijflijn. Hierdoor worden de motoren van de Eiger voor 98% door LNG aangedreven.

Met dit project realiseert Danser Group de eerste LNG refit op een bestaand binnenvaartschip. De te verwachten uitstoot-reducties zijn 20% minder CO2, 80% minder NOx (Stikstof) en 95% minder fijnstof.

Hoofd en hulp motoren overzicht

De motoren aan boord van de Eiger-Nordwand beschikken gezamenlijk over een totaal vermogen van 3500 PK. Met een capaciteit van 342 TEU komt dit neer op een vermogen van 10 PK / TEU. Deze hoge belasting in combinatie met een gering energieverbruik maakt de binnenvaart en in het bijzonder het gas aangedreven koppelverband Eiger-Nordwand tot de milieu vriendelijkste vormen van transport tussen Antwerpen, Rotterdam en de Boven-Rijn. g Zie ook: www.prominent-iwt.eu PROMINENT, a project funded from the Horizon 2020 programme, will address the key needs for technological development, as well as the barriers to innovation and greening in the European inland navigation sector.

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Het afgelopen jaar worden er steeds openlijker vragen gesteld over wanneer een werknemer moet worden gezien als zeevarende of niet. Deze vragen komen op vanuit de context van bedrijfsvoering en worden dan weer gesteld vanuit de reder zelf, vanuit de politiek of vanuit de handhavende en controlerende instanties. In veel gevallen wordt Nautilus daarin betrokken. Dat is logisch, want wij zijn als vakbond en werknemersvertegenwoordiger gespecialiseerd in Maritiem Recht. Om een beeld te krijgen waar het hierom gaat, schetsen we twee voorbeelden;

1. De afgelopen jaren zijn er een aantal windmolenparken op zee gebouwd. De verwachting is dat deze de komende jaren verder worden uitgebreid of dat nieuwe parken zullen verrijzen. Een werknemer die het hele jaar, vanaf een daartoe ingericht schip en in een vast werkpatroon, de fundering stort met beton en vlechtwerk: ‘Is dat een bouwvakker of een zeevarende?’

Maritime Labour Certificate. Dit wordt afgegeven nadat een aangewezen klassebureau het schip heeft geïnspecteerd op de naleving van de Nederlandse wet- en regelgeving waarin het verdrag is geïmplementeerd: te weten het Burgerlijk wetboek en de Wet Zeevarenden. Voldoet een schip aan de wet- en regelgeving dan wordt het certificaat afgegeven.

2. In de haven van Rotterdam ligt een schip, dat is gebouwd om kabels te leggen op volle zee. Aan dit schip worden onderhoudswerkzaamheden verricht, wat neerkomt op lassen, bikken en verven. Deze werkzaamheden worden verricht door de vaste bemanning, die volgens het werkrooster wordt ingevlogen vanuit de Filipijnen, terwijl vantevoren al bekend is, dat het schip niet vertrekt voor het aflopen van hun ingeplande werkperiode. ‘Is deze werknemer dan een zeevarende of niet?’

Op welke personen van toepassing?

Eén van de vragen waarvoor scheepsbeheerders daarbij komen te staan is op welke personen deze wet- en regelgeving van toepassing is. In beginsel is dat eenieder die aan boord van een Nederlands zeeschip werkzaamheden verricht, ongeacht de hoedanigheid waarin hij dienstdoet en ongeacht wie zijn werkgever is. Dit is in het Burgerlijk Wetboek vastgelegd.

Niet-zeevarende

Nederland heeft op 13 december 2011 de Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) van de International Labour Organization (ILO) geratificeerd.

Het verdrag is op 20 augustus 2013 in werking getreden. Het maritiem arbeidsverdag beoogt alle zeevarenden de vereiste bescherming te geven. Een Nederlands zeeschip moet na de inwerkingtreding van het verdrag beschikken over een zogenaamd

In slechts een beperkt aantal gevallen zal een categorie als niet- zeevarende kunnen worden aangemerkt. De reden hiervoor is dat het nadrukkelijk de bedoeling is van de ILO, waarin landen, werkgevers- en werknemersorganisaties zitting hebben, om de doelgroep van het verdrag zo groot mogelijk te laten zijn. Voor twijfelgevallen heeft de ILO een ‘resolution concerning information on

occupational groups’ aangenomen. De resolutie biedt een richtlijn aan de Minister van I&M. Deze minister kan bij twijfel over een categorie van personen een besluit nemen nadat hij de meest betrokken sociale partners hierover heeft geconsulteerd. De betrokken organisaties van werkgevers en werknemers in de Nederlandse maritieme sectoren zeescheepvaart, waterbouw en zeevisserij zijn vertegenwoordigd in het Landelijk Platform Maritiem voor Werk, Inkomen en Zorg. De leden van deze vereniging hebben de paritaire Adviescommissie zeevarenden ingesteld. Deze commissie geeft de Minister advies.

Tot op heden zijn er enkele categorieën van personen opgenomen in het Burgerlijk Wetboek en de regeling Zeevarenden, die niet als zeevarende worden aangemerkt, waaronder: passagiers, meevarende relaties en familie, militairen, inspecteurs, loodsen en havenwerkers. Ook andere personen van wie de werkzaamheden geen onderdeel uitmaken van de normale werkzaamheden aan boord, in het kader van het gebruik van het schip, zijn uitgezonderd.

Kort meevaren

Ter illustratie: Op grond van deze laatste definitie is een laborant die werkt op een onderzoeks-

vaartuig een zeevarende en een laborant die normaal aan de wal werkt en kort en incidenteel meevaart voor een onderzoek op een vrachtschip niet.

Mocht een scheepsbeheerder ondanks de regeling zeevarende twijfelen of een categorie als zeevarende moet worden aangemerkt, dan kan hij zich wenden tot de adviescommissie.

Dit kan ook als er een meningsverschil is met het klassebureau of de inspectie.

Op basis van de verstrekte informatie geeft de commissie een advies aan de minister. Na het verkregen advies neemt de minister vervolgens het uiteindelijke besluit.

Toetsingscriteria

Toetsing door de commissie vindt plaats op grond van o.a. de volgende criteria: z aard van de werkzaamheden aan boord maakt geen onderdeel uit van de normale werkzaamheden in het kader van het gebruik van het schip ( bv wetenschapper ); z de functie maakt geen onderdeel uit van de dagelijkse routine van het schip ( b.v. loodsen, inspecteurs en superindendents); z de werkzaamheden die de betreffende personen aan boord verrichten, worden voor een korte tijd vervuld door personen die gewoonlijk aan de wal werken ( b.v. service monteurs en havenwerkers).

Boskalis houdt vakbonden op afstand aankondiging van de reorganisatie op de A vloot vorig jaar zomer, volgde dit voorjaar die van Het hing al een tijdje in de lucht. Na de

het hoofdkantoor van Boskalis in Papendrecht.

Er zullen zo’n 230 banen verdwijnen.

Volgens Boskalis is men daartoe genoodzaakt omdat de resultaten onder druk staan door de aanhoudende malaise in de olie en gas offshore.

Wat opvalt is dat Boskalis de vakbonden ook nu weer het liefst op afstand wenst te houden.

Het topmanagement duldt geen kritiek op zijn beslissingen. Constructieve kritiek van de vakbond, gevoed vanaf de werkvloer, wordt blijkbaar als problematisch ervaren door de bedrijfsleiding, die denkt alles te kunnen doen wat zij wenst.

Merkwaardige werkwijze OR

De ondernemingsraad(OR) van Boskalis laat zich daar helaas ook moedwillig voor misbruiken.

Zo heeft de OR maart jongstleden al een Sociaal Plan met de bedrijfsleiding afgesproken. Terwijl zij enkele maanden later hun advies hebben uitgebracht. Normaal gesproken beoordeel je eerst het nut en de noodzaak van de reorganisatie, voordat er over maatregelen, om de gevolgen op te vangen, wordt gesproken. De OR van Boskalis doet het dus andersom. Een uiterst merkwaardige werkwijze.

Chantage

Ook heeft de OR nimmer de moeite genomen om de betrokken kantoormedewerkers te raadplegen.

Deze manier van handelen gaat helaas ten koste van de medewerkers.

Zo is er met de OR afgesproken dat wanneer medewerkers hun ontslag wensen aan te vechten, zij geen aanspraak meer mogen maken op het Sociaal Plan. Dit is in feite gewoonweg chantage! Nautilus wil voorkomen dat dit gedrag van Boskalis gekopieerd wordt door andere werkgevers.

Daarom willen wij deze onfatsoenlijke handelwijze juridisch aanvechten. Hopelijk vinden wij enkele getroffen medewerkers, namens wie wij de procedure kunnen starten. Zodat nu en in de toekomst voorkomen kan worden dat werkgevers als Boskalis de gemakkelijkste uitweg kiezen om van hun vaste medewerkers af te komen.

19/07/2017 17:11

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK Automation in Shipping

Automation:

UK Branch Conference 2017

Have your say Members of the Nautilus UK branch are invited to sign up now for this year’s conference on 3 October in Hull — which will feature a special industry seminar discussing the impact of ‘drone ships’ on seafarers...

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The drive towards autonomous shipping is speeding up — with Rolls-Royce and Svitzer having recently staged what is claimed to be the first successful demonstration of a remotely operated commercial vessel operation.

The 16-hour test took place in Copenhagen harbour and saw the 28m tug Svitzer Hermod, controlled by a captain ashore, moving between two piers in the harbour, conducting a 360-degree manoeuvre, and returning to the original pier using a combination of radar, lidar, camera technology and dynamic positioning systems operated via satellite.

Both companies described the demonstration as ‘historic’ — and the classification society Lloyd’s Register, which monitored the trials, spoke of a ‘ground-breaking project in the industry’s journey to autonomous vessels’.

With the International Maritime Organisation now embarking on a major project to assess the legal and regulatory aspects of ‘smart’ ships, the prospect of robo-vessels is certainly more real than it has ever been.

Against this background, Nautilus members are being given the opportunity to discuss the many important issues surrounding autonomous shipping with some leading experts. The Union is staging a special symposium following this year’s UK branch conference in October.

The UK branch conference is being held at the Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel in

Willerby, just five miles from Hull — the city of culture for 2017 — on Tuesday 3 October.

The formal part of the day will begin at 1000hrs, and is reserved for full members only. It will include discussions on the UK branch activities report and any motions submitted by members.

Later, a special panel of industry experts will be on hand to discuss technological developments and the impact of these on seafarers during the seminar on automation in shipping, which will be open to invitees from across the maritime sector. This meeting will begin after lunch and will conclude at around 1630hrs. g The check-in for the conference and the seminar will be open from 0915 on 3 October, and you can secure your place at the event now by going to the website www.regonline. co.uk/Nautilus2017 and using the simple electronic registration process.

A limited amount of financial assistance is available for those UK-based full members wishing to attend and who otherwise would not be able to make the journey. This will be allocated across the various categories of membership to ensure appropriate representation for each category of membership of the Union.

Arrangements will be made with the hotel for a discounted room rate for members who are not eligible or successful in securing financial assistance from the Union.

The UK national committee is particularly keen to ensure a good turn-out from

members in the northeast of the UK, and is also encouraging young and female members to attend. Meetings of the Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals and Women’s Forums will be held on the morning of Monday 2 October, and members attending those meetings will be able to stay for free to attend the branch conference on the following day.

Submit your motion by 1 September Motions for debate and decision at the conference need to have the support of four full members and reach the Nautilus head office by 1700hrs on Friday 1 September.

You can submit this by filling in the form on this page, or by going to the branch conference page on the Union’s website: www.nautilusint.org. Forms are also available to apply for a place and to apply for financial assistance — these must also be submitted before 1 September.

The conference is open to a maximum of 100 full members in benefit (all subscriptions must be up to date) so UK members need to apply for a place now. Those who have requested, and are approved for, financial assistance will be notified as soon as possible after 1 September. g For further information, contact Adele McDonald at Nautilus head office — tel: +44 (0) 20 8989 6677 or email: amcdonald@ nautilusint.org

Picture: Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel

UK Branch Conference 2017

Motion proposal form To General Secretary, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD (to arrive not later than 1700 Friday 1 September 2017).

We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2017 UK Branch Conference of Nautilus International: This UK Branch Conference

(continue on a separate sheet if necessary) 1. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed) Date 2. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed) Date 3. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed) Date 4. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed) Date In what was claimed as a world-first, a Svitzer tug was manoeuvred from a shore-based control centre Picture: Rolls-Royce

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August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS

VIKING RECRUITMENT

Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) Limited

Chief Engineer £66,687 Temporary (6 months)

CREWING - EMPLOYMENT - PAYROLL ADMIN - TRAVEL - TRAINING

Ref: 552-SG

Applications are invited for the position of Chief Engineer within the CalMac Ferries Limited Fleet.

CREW PLACEMENT & MANAGEMENT SERVICES TAILORED TO YOUR OWN REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate will report to the Master of the vessel they are assigned to. As Chief Engineer you will be responsible for the safe and efficient running and management of the Engineering Department including the vessels machinery maintenance.

We have excellent career opportunities with some of the most prestigious names in the cruise and superyacht market.

Applicants must be qualified to a minimum of STCW Chief Engineer III/2 Unlimited Motor. Applicants should have LNG dual fuel experience.

It would be advantageous to be in possession of an updated certificate in accordance with Manila Convention or in the process of revalidating.

Positions include: • Captain • Chief Officers • 2nd Officers • Chief Engineers • 2nd Engineers

The successful candidate will also have exceptional technical and professional skills, and be able to demonstrate excellent leadership and communication skills, as well as the ability to think in a creative and innovative manner. You will also be able to demonstrate a strong awareness of the business environment, have a clear understanding of the customer interface and have a proactive approach to customer care.

• • • •

Y1 -Y4 Engineers Chief Electrician ETO’s Hotel & Guest Services Professionals

T: +44 (0)300 303 8191 E: info@vikingrecruitment.com W: www.vikingrecruitment.com

A shift pattern will apply and this will normally consist of two weeks on / two weeks off.

Please apply online at https://www.calmac.co.uk/article/5581/ Chief-Engineer no later than 21st August 2017.

@vikingrecruitment @vikingrec #talktoViking

Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) Limited is an equal opportunities employer.

Nautilus can help you make the most of your membership with Nautilus Plus — a special scheme offering members fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services.

F

Nautilus Plus is a service providing benefits and discounts which the Union has negotiated to help support you, both personally and professionally, at sea or ashore. Whether you’re e planning a trip away, shopping for an upgrade to your mobile phone, or searching for financial advice, as a Nautilus member you are eligible for a wide range of exclusive offers.

This month’s special deals include:

CV Professionals

within an hour!* g Visit Nautilus Plus or call 0800 072 4872 and quote EPP Parliament Hill.

5% Discount on your tailor-made travel dreams Looking for a holiday or getaway while on leave? Look no further than Inspire for all your travel needs.

Inspire is an ABTA, ATOL and IATA licensed business which acts as both a travel agency and tour operator for customers. With access to the best rates in the industry, the Inspire team of experts craft tailored packages for every customer*. g Visit Nautilus Plus or call 0161 440 6620 and quote Nautilus

Great savings on a wide range of Apple products

Multi-car immediate-family accident cover free to you as a Nautilus member

Keep entertained while out at sea and at home. Nautilus members can make great savings on a wide range of Apple products including iPad, iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Apple Watch, Magic accessories and more.

You can now order online and arrange to collect most items from your chosen Apple Retail Store — usually

Keep your family and yourself covered. In the event of a non-fault accident caused by an identifiable third party, Total Motor Assist give you UK-wide accident recovery, car repair and like-for-like replacement, plus driver and passenger cover.

You pay no charges, no excess and you don’t lose your no claims bonus*.

g Visit Nautilus Plus and sign up

MyCashbackCards — Retail Cashback Fancy earning cashback when you shop at the supermarket? With MyCashbackCards you can earn between 3% and 15% cashback at over 50 retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Currys PC World, B&Q, Argos, Boots, House of Fraser and H Samuel to name just a few*. g Visit Nautilus Plus

To access all of these benefits and more, log in to nautilus.org.en/members-area/ and start saving today! g *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details.

Offers subject to change without notice. Apple — Annual purchase limits apply. Discounts are subject to availability. For the latest offers visit the Apple EPP store. Travel by Inspire — Prices apply to new bookings only and are subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Prices include fuel supplements, APD & APC charges. Transfer fees may apply. Offers based on standard rooms. Inspire reserve the right to amend prices and details.

Full balance payable if booked within 10 weeks of departure.

Total Motor Assist — for Total Motor Assist terms and conditions visit www.totalmotorassist.co.uk/TermsandConditions.cfm.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Job Opportunities with PADDLE STEAMER

WAV E R L E Y

Shore Based Role

NOTICE TO READERS Nautilus International advises members that some crewing agencies may not be advertising specific positions, but instead may be seeking to develop their databases of job hunters.

Nautilus recruitment.indd 39

Director of Marine & Technical Operations to take responsibility for the safe, compliant and economical operation of Paddle Steamer Waverley Ship Management experience essential.

For job description email info@waverleyexcursions.co.uk or call 0141 221 8152

www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk

Maritime & oσshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

15 August 2017 is the closing date for September 2017.

You can still advertise online at any time.

Reach over 110,000 readers To find out how you can reach that kind of readership contact Jude Rosset on +44 (0)20 7880 7621 or email jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk.

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL?

Join now on our website Fill out the online application at: www.nautilus int.org

18/07/2017 12:02

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

APPOINTMENTS PORT OF SUNDERLAND Economy and Place Directorate

Pilot/Deputy Harbour Master Location: Port of Sunderland Grade 10 £42,899 - £46,694 pro-rata plus a market supplement to pay the equivalent of £48,278 p.a. pro-rata (subject to review December 2017) Permanent: – incorporating a rotational day and night pattern, including weekends and statutory holidays Applications are invited for the position of Marine Pilot with the Port of Sunderland, a municipal port owned by Sunderland City Council. The successful candidate will have commitment and enthusiasm to meet these challenges.

The role will involve piloting of a wide range of vessel types and sizes, besides deputising for the Harbour Master and dealing with daily operational port requirements.

Previous experience as a Class 1 pilot would be advantageous, but not essential, as full training will be given providing qualification criteria are met.

While applicants should preferably hold a STCW II/2 Master or Chief Mate’s certificate of competency with command experience, consideration will be given to mariners holding other recognised certificates of competency and possessing comprehensive ship handling experience with knowledge of navigating within the Pilotage District.

You will be required to undertake a probationary period as Trainee Marine Pilot, this period being subject to relevant experience and aptitude. You will be expected to demonstrate an enthusiastic and motivated approach to all aspects of your employment in return for a stimulating and rewarding career.

As part of the process psychometrics will be used.

For an informal discussion on pilotage opportunities within the Port of Sunderland, please telephone Captain AK Ullah (Harbour Master) on 0191 553 2146 or email captain.ullah@sunderland.gov.uk Applications should be made on line at: northeastjobs.org/sunderlandcitycouncil For further assistance contact the HR&OD Recruitment Services Team by telephone on: (0191) 561 1755 or email: ijm@sunderland.gov.uk Please note CV’s are not acceptable.

We anticipate interviews will take place on: Tuesday, 5 September 2017.

Closing date: Friday, 25 August 2017.

jobs.sunderland.gov.uk

Sunderland City Council welcomes applications from all sections of the community

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS - CELEBRATING 125 YEARS IN 2017 with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

TANKER OIL SPECIALISATION: 2017 | 31 July | 11 Dec | 2018 | 9 Apr | 30 July ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY & INFO SYSTEM: 2018 | 9 Jan TANKER GAS COURSE: 2017 | 7 Aug | 18 Dec | 2018 | 16 Apr | 23 July MASTERS ORALS: 2017 | 11 Sept | 30 Oct | 2018 | 15 Jan | 5 Mar | 8 May | 25 June POST FD DECK ORALS PREPARATION: 2017 | 11 Sept | 30 Oct | 2018 | 15 Jan | 5 Mar | 8 May | 25 June HND TO CHIEF MATE: 2017 | 11, 25 Sept | 2018 | 15, 22 Jan | 8 May

HUMAN ELEMENT LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT HELM M: 2017 | 24, 31 July | 11, 18 Sept | 9 Oct | 27 Nov | 4 Dec | 2018 | 8, 15 Jan | 12, 19 Feb | 2, 9, 23, 30 Apr | 27, 30 July BRIDGE TEAM MANAGEMENT: 2017 | 10 July | 25 Sept | 20 Nov | 2018 | 22 Jan | 19 Mar | 16 Apr | 14 May | 25 June | 9 July SHIP HANDLING (1 WEEK): 2017 | 4 Sept | 9 Oct | 2018 | 5 Mar | 16 July VTS REFRESHER: 2017 | 7 Nov | 2018 | 13 Mar | 26 Jun VTS OPERATOR - INDUCTION AND SIMULATOR (2 WEEKS): 2017 | 13 Nov | 2018 | 19 Mar | 2 July

FOR MORE INFORMATION E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

STCW COURSES PERSONAL SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES UPDATING £170 FIRE PREVENTION & FIRE FIGHTING UPDATING £210 ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING UPDATING £185 PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT & RESCUE BOAT UPDATING £210 1 DAY MCA-APPROVED FRB UPDATING COURSE WITH CAPSIZE DRILL £255 AVAILABLE UPDATING COURSE WEEKS 7 Aug | 4, 18 Sept | 2, 16, 30 Oct STCW MEDICAL COURSES MEDICAL FIRST AID £455 30 Oct | 20, 27 Nov MEDICAL CARE £520 4 Sept | 23 Oct | 11 Dec STCW BASIC TRAINING FOR SEAFARERS 31 Jul | 7 Aug 18, 25 Sept | 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct STCW ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING 6, 13 Nov STCW DESIGNATED SECURITY DUTIES18, 25 Sept | 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct FOR MORE INFORMATION E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore

*Prices correct until 31 Jul 2017

MARITIME COURSES

/FleetwoodNauticalCampus

If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

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APPOINTMENTS

Electrical Technician Control and Instrumentation Technician

CSMART is looking for you!

Full Time Permanent Contract Shoreham Power Station, Portslade, West Sussex BN41 1WF Starting salary from £32,400 - 40,500 per annum + Bonus up to 10% + South East Allowance About Us Generation Our Generation business ensures we have enough power to continue delivering the energy needed. We deliver competitive energy from across our generation portfolio of hydro and gas-fired generation, while minimising the environmental impact.

Shoreham power station is a 400 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station which was constructed during 1999 and began commercial operation in the summer of 2000. The station uses a Gas Turbine along with a Steam Turbine to power a 500MVA generator to provide a highly efficient form of thermal electricity generation. The station is located on the Sussex coast approximately four miles to the west of Brighton & Hove, on the edge of the South Downs National Park.

The Role We currently have three vacancies within our Electrical, Control & Instrumentation Maintenance Department at Shoreham Power Station for Electrical Technicians and C&I Technicians.

As an Electrical or Control & Instrumentation Technician, your main focus will be to ensure that operational plant and equipment at the station is maintained in a safe and efficient manner, to ensure that all relevant statutory requirements are undertaken, and records maintained. You will also be responsible for ensuring that all personnel under your control adhere to the safety systems and procedures on site, and for the preparation of contract documentation.

The role includes ‘hands on’ planned and corrective maintenance as well as project management and contractor supervision.

About You Ideally, you will be educated to minimum ONC/C&G Level, or equivalent (naval or maritime, for example), in an electrical, electronic, control or instrumentation discipline, and will bring to the role a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel and Word. You will have a flexible approach to work over a wide range of work areas and equipment, as well as a willingness to work occasional extended hours at weekends and to actively participate in an informal call-out rota, to support planned and unplanned maintenance works. You will also be comfortable working at height, in confined spaces, and working on or near power station systems such as High Voltage electrical apparatus.

In return, this is an excellent career opportunity for any Industrial Electricians, and C&I Technicians to apply their experience within a large-scale, technically challenging environment, whilst developing new multidisciplinary and contract management skills. Your development will be supported by a combination of formal training and on-site instruction from experienced staff.

Next Steps If you are interested in being considered for these opportunities, please register and apply online via https://www.scottishpower.com/pages/vacancies.aspx Closing date: 31 August 2017.

CSMART, Center for Simulator Maritime Training, uses the very latest, state-of-the-art technology and methodology. It consists of Bridge/ Engine Room Full Mission and Part Task Simulators and practical Electrical Training Laboratories. The number and range of engineering courses will more than double over the next few years.

Engineering Instructors CSMART is currently looking for high quality maritime professionals, with particular focus on experience with cruise ships who are specialized in specific fields. Applicants must possess a high degree of self-motivation and a proven ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Duties & Responsibilities • Delivering training to ship-board technical staff • Developing courses/new procedures • Keeping up to date with current practices and technology • Ship visits to maintain practices on-board General Requirements • Cruise Ship experience is preferred • Experience in teaching/instructing would be an asset • Excellent verbal and written communication skills Requirements among the following specialisations Electrical Focus • Typically be or have been in the role of Senior Engineer/ Superintendent, Senior Electrical Technical Officer, Electrical Technical Officer, Subject Matter Experts (SME) Electrical/ Automation Engineering LNG Focus • Experienced Marine Engineer with a minimum of 10-years’ experience required including sailing with LNG fuelled ships • Management level Certificate of Competency (COC) - Class 1 preferred • Advanced Gas Tanker Training STCW short course or equivalent • Gas – Fire fighting course • Experience of LNG tank cool down / bunkering / containment practices • Experience with LNG fuel processing systems and LNG duel fuel 4 stroke engines EGCS Focus • STCW III/2 Management level Certificate of Competency (COC) or equivalent qualification • Experience with Marine Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems and other environmental compliance processes • Proven organisational and reporting capability

Should you be interested in applying, kindly send your CV to the following address: Petra Kendall, Human Resources Representative: csmartrecruitment@carnival.com Further details are available on the CSMART website

www.csmartalmere.com

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SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes recently issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency include: MSN 1796 (M+F) Amendment 3 — Vessel traffic services: designation of vessel traffic services in the United Kingdom This notice revokes and replaces MSN 1796 (M+F), MSN 1796 (M+F) Amendment 1 and MSN 1796 (M+F) Amendment 2.

It provides the formal identification of UK vessel traffic services (VTS) within UK waters for the benefit of compliance with regulations 6 and 7 of the Merchant Shipping (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2004 and SOLAS chapter V regulation 12.

The latest list of designated UK VTS centres is given in Annex 1 to MSN 1796 Amendment 3. It comprises the following: Aberdeen; Belfast; Bristol; Channel Navigation Information Service; Dover Port; Forth and Tay Navigation Service; Harwich Haven; Humber Estuary; Larne; Liverpool; London Port Control Centre (Gravesend); London Thames Barrier (Woolwich); Medway; Milford Haven; Southampton & Nab; Orkney; Peterhead; Plymouth; Poole; Portsmouth; Sullom Voe; Sunk; Tees and Hartlepool; Tyne.

MGN 417 (M+F) — Companies offering shore-based maintenance of radio equipment The MCA has updated its list of approved shore-based maintenance providers for global maritime distress and safety systems (GMDSS). The new list can be found alongside MGN 417 on the MCA website www.gov.uk/mca.

MGN 457 (M) Corrigendum — Oil recovery vessel code MGN 457 (M) was published in September 2012. In July 2017 this corrigendum was issued; it contains minor additions to the original, although most of the text remains unchanged. Both MGN 457 and its corrigendum address the following: z the withdrawal of the MCA Code of practice for vessels engaged in oil recovery operations, known as the ‘Black code’ ISBN 0-11-551811-8 z the alternative arrangements to provide an equivalent level of safety and environmental protection z factors considered in the decision to withdraw the code The corrigendum also states that it supersedes MSN 1663.

MIN 544 (M+F) — International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 This note provides information regarding the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention

and its implementation, both internationally and specifically in the UK. The Convention will enter into force internationally on 8 September 2017.

Seafarers are reminded that ballast water contains hundreds of micro and macroscopic species that will be carried to new destinations by the ship. Some of these species will not survive the journey; however, the species that do survive may establish themselves in a new environment if the biological and physical conditions are favourable.

Such non-native species may cause serious ecological, economic and public health impacts, particularly when they become invasive. The BWM Convention seeks to address this problem.

The BWM Convention applies to all vessels that operate in the waters of more than one party to the Convention (internationally operating vessels).

Exceptions are made for warships, naval auxiliary vessels and ships owned or operated by a state and used only on government non-commercial service; there are some additional provisos detailed in MIN 544.

Ships subject to the Convention requirements will be obliged to conduct ballast water management as set out in MIN 544. The following points are covered in the note: z carrying and implementing a ballast water management plan z carrying and completing a ballast water record book z ballast water management standards z sediment management z duties of officers and crew z exceptions — e.g. in emergency situations z official exemptions z equivalent compliance z survey and certification of ships z permanent sealed tanks z designation of a ‘ship’ for the purposes of the Convention MIN 544 points out that, as of the publication date of this note (22 June 2017) the UK has not yet ratified the Convention, but is currently drafting the legislation that will allow accession to the Convention to take place.

Once UK legislation is in place, the requirements of the Convention will not apply to vessels which operate exclusively in UK waters or in UK waters and on the High Seas.

UK-flagged vessels that operate within the waters of another party to the Convention should contact the coastal state to ascertain whether the requirements of the Convention are being applied to such vessels.

The UK legislation will apply to UK flagged ships that enter into the waters of more than one party to the Convention, and to non-UK flagged ships that operate in UK waters and in the waters of at least one other party to the Convention.

The requirements of the Convention will apply equally to ships of non-parties to the Convention.

MIN 548 (M+F) — Codes of practice for controlling risks due to noise and vibration on ships This note replaces MIN 502 (M+F).

It advises industry of the three codes of practice providing guidance and interpretation of the Merchant Shipping Regulations 2007 (control of vibration at work & control of noise at work) and gives up-to-date information on where copies may be obtained. The three publications are titled as follows: z Code of practice for controlling risks due to noise on ships z Code of practice for controlling hand transmitted vibration on ships z Code of practice for controlling risks due to whole body vibration on ships Together, they cover: z the assessment of risk from noise and vibration onboard ships z the measurement and evaluation of noise and vibration z the assessment of the severity of exposures to noise and vibration z the identification of controls to eliminate or reduce exposures to noise and vibration z the involvement of crew members in the control of noise and vibration risks including the provision of training z the provision of health monitoring and surveillance for noise and vibration The three codes can be bought as soft cover (paperback) books or downloaded as PDF documents from The Stationery Office at www.tsoshop. co.uk. A telephone number and postal address for orders is also provided in MIN 548, along with a list of prices.

MIN 549(M) — Written examination dates 2017/18: deck and engineer officers (Merchant Navy) This note replaces MIN 525 (M). It sets the written examination dates for Merchant Navy certificates of competency for the academic year commencing 1 September 2017.

MIN 550 (F) — Written examination dates 2017/18: deck officers (fishing vessels) This note replaces MIN 526 (F). It sets out the written examination dates for fishing certificates of competency for the academic year commencing 1 September 2017.

MIN 551 (M+F) — Written examination dates 2017/18: engineer officers (yachts and sail training vessels) This notice replaces MIN 527 (M+F) and MIN 527 (M+F) Corrigendum.

It sets out the written examination dates for engineer officer certificates of competency (limited to yachts and sail training vessels) for the academic year commencing 1 September 2017.

z The full M-Notices can be downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices.

Member meetings and seminars

Pensions

Nautilus International organises regular meetings, forums and seminars for members to discuss pensions, technical matters, maritime policies and legal issues. Coming up in the next few months are:

Nautilus Pensions Association meetings provide a focal point for members regarding pensions

g Professional & Technical Forum Tuesday 26 September 2017 at 1300hrs, in Newcastle The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8530 1660 protech@nautilusint.org g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Monday 2 October 2017 Nautilus UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel,

Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon, 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org

SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with Dovaston Crew Carrer de Versalles 9A, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovastoncrew.com

THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575, 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International, Schorpioenstraat 266, 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing

Out of European office hours Contact the Nautilus 24/7 service g Go to www.nautilusint.org and click on the Nautilus 24/7 link to access our Live chat instant messaging service.

You’ll also find a list of freephone numbers from 45 countries that you can use to call us free of charge. g Send an SMS text message to +44 (0)7860 017 119 and we’ll reply. g Email us at helpline@nautilus247.org. g Reach us via Skype (username nautilus-247).

trainee officers in line with all members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information, members should contact Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g MNOPF and NPA pension forums Tuesday 19 September 2017 at 1030hrs, Copthorne Hotel Plymouth, Armada Way, Plymouth PL1 1AR. Coffee served at 1000hrs, and a light lunch will be served after the meeting.

Please register online via the li nk on the session dates supplied, or call +44 (0)1293 804644.

Go to the events section of the Nautilus website: www.nautilusint.org/ en/what-we-say/events

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. Los Angeles was the 18th busiest container port in the world last year, with a throughput totalling 8.86m TEU. 2. Gearbulk’s headquarters are in Switzerland.

3. Panama became the world’s largest ship register in 1993, and had held the title ever since.

4. Total TEU capacity of the world containership fleet was 19.98m TEU in April 2017, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

5. The Caribbean has a 35% share of the worldwide cruise destination market.

6. Because they wrote their names under the details on an insurance policy.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Cornell; 5. Harvard; 9. Roses; 10. Numbskull; 11. Cancelled; 12. Ratel; 13. Enter; 15. Replenish; 18. Post-haste; 19. Thyme; 21, Rigid; 23. Alignment; 25. Tantalise; 26. Vogue; 27. Nascent; 28. Torrent.

Down: 1. Coracle; 2. Resonates; 3. Ensue; 4. Landlords; 5. Humid; 6. Resurgent; 7. Adult; 8. Delilah; 14. Rehydrate; 16. President; 17. Ivy League; 18. Puritan; 20. Entreat; 22. Gongs; 23. A-list; 24. Never.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member David Berry, who has won the prize draw for the July cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from July Across: 1. Repose; 4. Footstep; 10. Cardboard; 11. Their; 12. Rapture; 13. Amnesia; 14. Extra; 15. Occupant; 18. Defences; 20. Amber; 23. Rainbow; 25. Ringlet; 26. Hyena; 27. Neediness; 28 Naturist; 29. Afters.

Down: 1. Recorder; 2. Parapet; 3. Subjugate; 5. Ordnance Survey; 6. Titan; 7. Treason; 8. Pariah; 9. Gale force winds; 16. Plaintiff; 17. Protests; 19. Evident; 21. Believe; 22. Orphan; 24 Blair.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.gov.uk/mca Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

International Transport Workers’ Federation +44 (0)20 7403 2733 www.itfglobal.org A federation of over 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board www.mnwb.org Umbrella body for the UK maritime charity sector, promoting cooperation between organisations that provide welfare services to merchant seafarers and their dependants within the UK.

Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport + 31 88 489 00 00 www.ilent.nl Dutch maritime authority (separate from Dutch coastguard).

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance.

Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers.uk Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

42_infospread.indd 42

g Women’s Forum Monday 2 October 2017 Nautilus UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel Willerby, Hull HU10 6EA Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

Willerby, Hull HU10 6EA The meeting is open to members aged under 35.

Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seafarers’ Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)1752 812674 www.communitynetworkprojects.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers.

Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers.

Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes, including the Nautilus Slater Fund.

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August 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

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The face of Nautilus Elliot Layfield, Council member

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Elliot Layfield is one of the newest faces on Nautilus International’s governing body, having been elected to the Council earlier this year.

Currently serving as a second engineer officer in the Pacific Nuclear Transport fleet, Elliot first went to sea with Canadian Pacific on a graduate-to-officer conversion programme after studying for an engineering degree at Lancaster University.

‘I lived in Blackpool and Fleetwood is close by, so I was always aware of seafaring as a possibility,’ he says.

‘The attractions for me were the opportunities to progress and the long-term career development opportunities as a

self-motivated individual in a technological industry.’

His career choice is one he has not regretted. ‘I love being at sea — you meet lots of interesting people, there is excellent camaraderie and esprit de corps, and you are seeing the world and getting paid for it. You can get great skills that are highly transferable, and there are some excellent opportunities out there.

‘Despite the contraction of the shipping industry, there will always be ships and I believe there will always be continued opportunities for highly skilled people,’ he adds. ‘It is beholden on us to ensure that we are continually developing with an eye

to the future. The world is changing very quickly and we need to be prepared to adapt with it.’

Elliot is keen to see training and development high on the Nautilus agenda.

‘As a Council member, my focus is on the professional development of seafarers and upskilling to maintain job opportunities and good terms and conditions,’ he stresses.

‘I would also like to increase the organising side, to encourage lay members to become active participants in things like Partnership at Work committees so that we can present a united front in pay negotiations and to protect the rights that we have as employees.’

Elliot became interested in standing for Council after serving as a lay representative while working with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

He recently took part in the Union’s advanced lay reps’ course and describes the training as ‘very empowering — it’s all about giving members the knowledge and courage to stand up for themselves and having the back-up of the Union to enforce their rights.

‘I feel it is very important to have a union that represents the labour force and acts in our best interests, and it will only survive and prosper with the active participation of members,’ Elliot points out.

Wherev er you are , so are we

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CALL NOW TO JOIN NAUTILUS ON: UK: +44 (0)151 639 8454 NL: +31 (0)10 477 11 88 CH: +41 (0)61 262 24 24

Join today so we can be there for you too!

Pay and conditions Nautilus International is the first truly trans-boundary trade union for maritime professionals, reflecting the global nature of the industry. We negotiate with employers on issues including pay, working conditions, working hours and pensions to secure agreements which recognise members’ skills and experience, and the need for safety for the maritime sector.

Legal services Nautilus Legal offers members a range of legal services free of charge. There are specialist lawyers to support members in work related issues and a number of non-work related issues. The Union also has a network of lawyers in 54 countries to provide support where members need it most.

Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions.

Certificate protection Members are entitled to free financial protection, worth up to £120,700, against the loss

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of income if their certificate of competency is cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry.

training. The Union is affiliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.

Extra savings Members can take advantage of many additional discounts and benefits organised at a local level. These include tax advice, insurance discounts and advice on pension matters. In the Netherlands, discounts are organised through FNV, and trade union contributions are mostly tax-friendly, entitling members to receive a significant part of their contributions back.

In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are.

Officials regularly see members onboard their ships and visit cadets at college. Further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and conferences. The Union has offices in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel.

There are also representatives based in France, Spain and Singapore.

International representation Nautilus International represents members’ views on a wide range of national and international bodies including the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

We work at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety and

Join us today…

Call +44 (0)151 639 8454 Visit www.nautilusint.org Email membership@nautilusint.org g For the full range of member benefits visit www.nautilusint.org

OR g Speak with our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 22,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the industry at sea and ashore — including inland navigation, large yachts, deepsea and offshore.

For members, by members Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic trade union offering members many opportunities to become actively involved and have your say — at a local, national and international level.

19/07/2017 13:40

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2017

NEWS

Cadets in liferaft challenge Cleland was among a group A of 10 cadets from the South Shields

Nautilus Council member Ross

Marine School, left, who braved the elements to spend 24 hours in a liferaft on the river Tyne last month.

The cadets are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity which gives support to struggling students and backs budding South Tyneside College entrepreneurs seeking to start their own businesses.

Ross said the event had started well, with fine weather and a calm sea state leading to high spirits onboard. ‘Initially it didn’t feel like much of a challenge at all,’ he admitted. ‘But as the evening closed in, things started to change.’ Conditions deteriorated, with

hours of heavy rain which started to leak into the liferaft and form pools of water on its floor. ‘Sleeping also became a bit of an issue,’ Ross added. ‘Since the Tyne is a relatively busy channel, we were thrown around the raft a little every time a vessel passed due to the wake. ‘But I am glad to have had this experience and to have raised more than ÂŁ700 for charitable causes so far,’ he said. ‘I would also like to say a massive thank you to all those who weren’t in the raft but contributed to the organisation and our safety.’ South Shields Marine School principal Gary Hindmarch congratulated the cadets for volunteering for the challenge and said he hoped none of them would

‘Slavery’ alarm on ships in UK ports Inspector condemns ‘disgrace’ of conditions onboard three detained Turkish-owned vessels

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Nautilus/ITF inspector Tommy Molloy has raised concerns over modern-day slavery after ďŹ nding seafarers onboard a ag of convenience ship detained in the UK port of Runcorn on wages as low as 85 US cents an hour — as well as being owed almost US$43,000 in back pay.

He has lodged protests with the ship’s Turkish owners and the Panama ship registry over the shocking conditions onboard the 1,596gt general cargoship Seccadi, which was detained with a series of Maritime Labour Convention related deďŹ ciencies including seafarers’ employment agreement not as required, no records of wages, work and rest hours not as required, insufďŹ cient provisions and signs of vermin.

Wages identiďŹ ed on the contracts for the Turkish and Indian crew of the vessel were below International Labour Organisation minimums and ranged between US$250 and US$700 per month for ABs. Mr Molloy said there was no fresh fruit, vegetables or meat onboard the ship and there was a cockroach infestation in the galley. ‘When crew are not paid for

Seccadi crew members awaiting owed wages and repatriation last month Picture: Tommy Molloy

more than two months, not repatriated and do not have the basic food requirements to sustain a healthy diet, then they are considered to have been abandoned,’ he added.

Mr Molloy said the crew had been promised owed wages when

the ship called at Rijeka, Croatia, in May but nothing was forthcoming. The deďŹ ciencies amounted to a clear breach of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), he added, and although the owners eventually paid the owed wages and repatriated the crew it had

required a lot of pressure to overcome their procrastination.

The Panama registry had failed to respond to communications sent on the ďŹ rst day, Mr Molloy added, and efforts to persuade the insurers to meet their obligations to repatriate the seafarers and

pay their wages had met with a slow response ‘verging on contempt for the crew’.

Mr Molloy said this was not an isolated problem. Seccadi’s owners — Istanbul-based Voda Shipping — have another vessel detained in the port of Sharpness and another one held in Leith, both with similar problems. ‘Despite the MLC 2006 we still see too many owners operating in this way,’ he added. ‘Human beings — in the form of crew — seem to be nothing more than a necessary evil to them. 85 cents per hour — when lucky enough to get paid — and no food or repatriation doesn’t seem like too many levels up from slavery to me.’ Mr Molloy added: ‘The North West Port Welfare Committee and the good people of Merseyside rallied round and took it upon themselves to look after the welfare of Seccadi’s crew. Fresh fruit and vegetables were provided by the seafarers’ centre, who also ensured that they had adequate shore leave as a diversion from their plight. Others offered cash donations to cover their basic needs. That they did so speaks volumes for their good hearts. That they have to in 2017 is a disgrace.’

ever experience 24 hours in a lifeboat following an accident at sea. g Anyone who would like to contribute to the cadets’ fundraising can do so via the website: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ southshieldsmarineschool z South Shields Marine School emerged victorious for the second successive year in the eighth annual Tyne Row event, crossing the finishing line a minute ahead of their nearest rival, the American Bureau of Shipping, last month. Third place was claimed by the North East P&I Club, followed by Fleetwood Nautical Campus. The other teams completing the gruelling course were Tyne Metropolitan College and South Tyneside College Ladies.

What is the best crewing policy? to crew a ship? Do stable F working patterns — especially for

What is the best way in which

shipmasters and senior officers — support safe and efficient operations? Your views are wanted!

Southampton Solent University, in collaboration with Impact Crew and NJC Associates, is undertaking research called the Effective Crew Project.

The study is investigating the benefits of using a stable top team, with the same top four officers sailing together on the same vessel for several trips, versus a fluid top team, in which the top four officers are allocated flexibly to vessels and work on a different vessel with different officers for each trip.

Issues to be assessed include health and safety, crew compliance and vessel culture.

As part of the project, researchers are collecting related information, experiences and opinion from key maritime stakeholders — including seafarers, shipping managers and company directors, recruiters/ agencies, and insurers.

They would appreciate your time and participation in answering a survey, which should take between five to 10 minutes to complete. The data you provide will not be shared and will be made anonymous before any form of publication.

Deadline for completion of the survey is 18 August. g To access the survey and to find out more about the project, visit www.solent.ac.uk/effectivecrew

EAST COAST COLLEGE IS HERE!

GREAT YARMOUTH AND LOWESTOFT COLLEGES HAVE COMBINED FORCES

We’re really excited about the launch of East Coast College and wanted to let \RX NQRZ WKDW ZKLOVW RXU QDPH LV FKDQJLQJ \RX ZLOO VWLOO EH DEOH WR EHQH¿W IURP our comprehensive range of STCW, GWO, Nautical Institute, OPITO and MCA approved training courses at our Lowestoft campus.

We look forward to seeing you at East Coast College in 2017 www.eastcoast.ac.uk | 01502 525025 | maritime@eastcoast.ac.uk

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19/07/2017 16:06