Nautilus Telegraph February 2017

Paying the price?

Questions raised over record fine for oily dumping 20-21

Close to the wind Member lifts the lid on work in the windfarm sector 22-23

NL nieuws Vier pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 32-35

Volume 50 | Number 01 | February 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

Union urges action on substandard shipping urged the UK government to F take a tougher line against shipping Nautilus International has

Great Yarmouth port chaplain Revd Peter Paine prepares to deliver supplies to the crew of the detained vessel Malaviya Twenty Picture: Maurice Grey

companies exploiting foreign seafarers in British waters after the arrest of an Indian-flagged North Sea support vessel whose crew are owed some US$380,000 unpaid wages.

The offshore supply vessel Malaviya Twenty was arrested by the Admiralty Marshall in the port of Great Yarmouth following a request from the local Nautilus/ITF inspector Paul Keenan, who found evidence that the 12 crew had unpaid wages totalling US$281,000 in the year to the end of November. He had already secured about $230,000 for the previous crew.

The ship had been detained by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in July after an inspection revealed a range of problems, including unpaid wages, deficiencies with Seafarers Employment Agreements and minimum safe manning. Sistership

Minister re-thinks growth study plan Nautilus stresses the need for action as government begins ‘stock take’ of shipping blueprint

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Shipping minister John Hayes has announced a ‘stock take’ of progress on the UK’s Maritime Growth Study — promising that the package will be fine-tuned to ensure the shipping industry can benefit from Brexit.

In a reception at the House of Commons last month, the minister said he wanted to reassess the 18 proposals for reviving the UK merchant fleet and British seafarer employment and training which were published in the 137-page Maritime Growth Study report in September 2015.

Nautilus has given a guarded welcome to the announcement.

‘The warm words keep coming, but we need action now to support more training and employment of British seafarers,’ said general secretary Mark Dickin-

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son. ‘As comforting as all this talk is, I hope we don’t have to wait much longer — otherwise it will be too late.’

Mr Hayes said he was determined to deliver for shipping and to ensure that the UK fleet can take advantage of new trading opportunities as the UK withdraws from the European Union.

The minister said he wanted to analyse the progress that has been made since the Maritime Growth Study was published and to seek ‘clear new thinking’ on its recommendations —noting that it was always intended that the report would serve as a ‘living document’ that could be adjusted in the light of events. ‘It’s not a case of doing work that we have already done,’ he added. ‘We always knew that it was a starting gate and not a finishing line.

‘The great risk with such exercises is that the document is published, the work is done, there is a great furore about its publication and then a year later people think “what on earth was that study”,’ he said. ‘In order to give the document continuing relevance, it needs to be regularly updated.’

Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping have jointly tabled proposals for an increase in the government’s Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme — with the owners promising that this could increase the annual cadet intake from around 750 to as much as 1,200.

Mr Hayes said the government is currently reviewing SMarT and talking to the industry about future options for the scheme.

‘I want to see more ratings, more officers, more recruits and more

trainees,’ he said. ‘I don’t take the view that it is sufficient to see that number declining.’

More than half of the growth study’s recommendations addressed employment and training, the minister pointed out, and the government wants to look at the skills and opportunities that the sector offers.

As part of the ‘stock take’, the Department for Transport has invited feedback on the current progress and future direction of the Maritime Growth Study. It is asking for views on where progress has been made, where it has been slow, and on any issues which were not addressed in the original recommendations. It is also seeking comments on how Brexit may affect the recommendations and impact on the future of the maritime sector.

Nautilus has welcomed a decision by the all-party House of Commons transport committee to hold an inquiry into the response to the Maritime Growth Study.

The Union will be submitting evidence to the committee, which said it wants to monitor progress on the recommendations and ‘consider the adequacy of the overall strategy for the UK maritime sector’.

The committee says the inquiry will assess the success, so far, of the government’s plans to grow the UK Ship Register and to identify and address maritime skills shortages. g Further political pressure for government action came with a 90-minute Westminster Hall debate on the shipping industry last month — see page 3.

Malaviya Seven had been held in Aberdeen in the previous month as a result of similar problems.

In a letter to shipping minister John Hayes, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson stated: ‘Nautilus finds it deeply troubling that such vessels are operating in UK waters — presenting unfair competition to British ships and British seafarers.’

Calling for a proactive, combative approach from the UK, Mr Dickinson added: ‘Decent companies are being forced to lay-up ships and get rid of highly skilled and experienced seafarers, as a consequence of being undercut by unfair competition from foreign-flagged ships with exploited foreign crews.’

Mr Keenan said progress has been made since Malaviya Twenty was arrested and talks with bank representatives had raised hopes that all the crew, on and off the vessel, will be paid soon.

Inside F Round the clock

We talk to the team running the Union’s 24/7 support service — page 19 F Super training

Centre marks a decade of training officers for the superyacht sector — page 25

F Member praised

Quick-thinking master helps to prevent disaster off the coast of Romania — page 11

18/01/2017 12:17

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

New bid to boost EU industry aid Unions and owners developing plans to improve seafarer training support

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European shipowners are working with seafaring unions to investigate new ways to reverse the decline in EU maritime employment and training.

Both sides of the industry have teamed up to commission research into ‘best practice’ ideas for increasing seafarer numbers and making the profession more attractive to young people.

The results of the study should be produced to coincide with this year’s European Shipping Week events (ESW2017), due to run between 27 February and 3 March.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson will be among the leading shipowners, European politicians and regulators taking part in the events, which include a major conference in Brussels being held under the banner of

European Shipping Policy: Delivering Global Competitiveness, Quality and Sustainability.

European Community Shipowners’ Association secretary general Patrick Verhoeven chairs the ESW steering group and said the event comes at a crucial time for EU maritime policy.

The uncertain political situation in the United States and the repercussions of Brexit are posing major challenges, he told the Telegraph. ‘There is growing concern what effect the protectionism which is on the rise in many parts of the world will have on the future of the shipping industry,’ he warned.

Mr Verhoeven said work is underway to review European maritime policies, with the Commission having published its midterm strategy report last autumn, highlighting areas in which the

legal framework for shipping may be changed.

He said owners believe the single most effective measure that the Commission could take would be to implement the ‘single window’ reporting requirements for shipping in the EU. ‘Fundamental reform of the formalities would tick so many boxes,’ Mr Verhoeven added. ‘It would improve the industry’s competitiveness, ease the administrative burden and improve the working lives of seafarers.’

He said he hoped the work being done by ECSA and the European Transport Workers’ Federation would result in a more focussed approach being taken by the Commission to support for EU seafarer training.

‘I do believe there is a future for European seafarers,’ Mr Verhoeven said, ‘but it will require

huge investment in skills and training and making sure that they remain competitive.

‘Cost is definitely a big issue in the current economic climate, but it is not the only element and many other factors play a role, including specific skills and know-how,’ he added.

However, while improved support may help increase EU seafarer numbers, he said work needs to be done to address the issue of the availability of training berths.

Mr Verhoeven said ECSA has also commissioned a study to look at the competition the European maritime cluster is facing from places such as Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore and Vancouver.

The owners hope the results can be used to produce recommendations for ways to ensure that Europe remains the place to do maritime business.

ETF asks Malta to take lead on maritime jobs Dickinson has urged Malta to A secure long-awaited action to increase Nautilus general secretary Mark

European Union seafarer employment and training when it takes over the presidency of the EU in the new year.

Mr Dickinson was part of a European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) delegation who met Malta’s transport and infrastructure minister Joe Mizzi and the head of the country’s ship register Ivan Sammut, pictured above.

The minister — a former ship’s radio officer — highlighted the importance of the human element in Malta’s priorities for the EU presidency, which began in January.

The minister explained how he wants to ensure shipping is at the heart of the EU agenda and said he would very much welcome the ETF’s involvement, as a key

stakeholder and social partner, in shaping the anticipated Valetta Declaration —which he said should include outcomes that address the employment of more EU seafarers.

As ETF spokesperson, Mr Dickinson stressed the need for action to create demand for European seafarers and for increased positive measures to ensure that European shipowners who commit to train and employ European seafarers could remain competitive.

He also emphasised the need for industry partnership to address past failures to agree a manning directive for European ferry services and urged the Malta presidency to send a clear signal to the European Commission and to the shipowners’ organisation, ECSA, that action on jobs is essential and that future state aids should only come in return for investment in European maritime skills.

New year’s honour for Mike general secretary Mike Jess, F pictured right, has been awarded the Former Nautilus assistant

Stranded crew members from the bulker Sea Honest with supplies provided by the ITF Picture: ITF

ITF condemns Turkish owner for abandoning its seafarers F

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has condemned a Turkish shipping company which has left 17 seafarers stranded on one of its ships off Algeria for the past seven months.

ITF inspector Mohamed Arrachedi raised the alarm last month on behalf of the two Turkish and 15 Indian crew of the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Sea Honest, who have been abandoned in the port of Algiers without pay and provisions since early summer.

The 28,564dwt vessel had been detained in the port after

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an inspection revealed problems including deck and hull corrosion, insufficient provisions, main engine out of order, unhygienic living and working conditions, and corroded winches and capstans.

The vessel was previously detained in the Netherlands in January 2016 for multiple deficiencies including labour provisions and fire safety.

Mr Arrachedi appealed to the owners and the flag state to put an end to the seafarers’ ordeal. ‘The crew are on the brink. I believe there’s a real risk of suicide — that’s how desperate they are,’ he warned.

‘The company has washed its hands of them, yet continues to operate other vessels,’ he said.

‘It’s a human disgrace, and I believe they are happy to see the men reach breaking point in the hope that they will leave without a cent of what they’re owed.’

The ITF inspector added: ‘Either the company or the flag state has to act. The only reason the crew hasn’t starved is because of the food and humanitarian assistance provided by the ITF, Algerian trade unions, Algiers port authority and the embassies of India and Turkey.’

British Empire Medal for his work in support of seafarer welfare services.

The award was made in recognition of his ‘unstinting service to the former seafarers, resident in Mariners’ Park, Wallasey, and beyond’ and to mark how his commitment and professionalism had contributed to the provision of ‘excellent facilities and services’ for the maritime community.

Mr Jess, who retired from the Union in summer 2016, has served as secretary of the Nautilus Welfare Fund since July 2011, and as a trustee director of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the Maritime Charities Funding Group.

He joined Nautilus in 2001, after working in a wide range of HR and management development posts in the public and private sectors, and also served as a member-nominated trustee of the Merchant Navy

Officers’ Pension Fund since 2011.

‘I was completely taken by surprise, but extremely honoured to receive this award,’ Mr Jess said.

‘The honour, by its nature, is for an

individual — but for me it is another recognition of the great work put in by the entire Nautilus welfare team, led by Mick Howarth, in providing a service second to none for all our beneficiaries at Mariners’ Park and throughout the UK.’ Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘While agreeing with Mike that this is an award that honours a team effort, he is richly deserving of the BEM and no one should under-estimate his contribution to seafarers’ welfare services and the work of the Nautilus Welfare Fund.’

Marine pilot Captain Don Cockrill, now the secretary-general of the UK Marine Pilots’ Association, was awarded an MBE in the new year’s list. Maritime & Coastguard Agency cutter commander Shaun Edwards received an MBE in recognition for his law enforcement duties and his humanitarian work rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

IMO has to extend STCW deadline voiced disappointment at the F failure of the shipping industry and Nautilus International has

regulators to meet the 1 January 2017 deadline for compliance with the 2010 STCW Manila amendments.

The International Maritime Organisation said that it had decided to allow a six-month period of grace for the enforcement of the requirements as a result of ‘the high number of applications’.

Its maritime safety committee expressed concern that ‘so close

to the end of the transitional period, seafarers in some states were reportedly unable to obtain certificates and/or the necessary endorsements’.

Announcing the decision, the UN agency said it ‘recognises that port state control inspectors could find that some seafarers on board vessels may not yet hold the required certification and endorsements’.

As a consequence, the IMO added, it was recommending that inspectors take a ‘pragmatic and

practical approach until 1 July 2017’.

It said inspectors should also ensure that the flag state, shipowners, and the individual seafarer are informed of any issues that they discover.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘It is disappointing that once again the industry requires a further extension to an important timetable. We hope that companies and administrations use this period to address the issues — after all, we are dealing with essential safety training here.’

18/01/2017 12:18

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Ex-seafarer heads UK Ship Register ‘great honour’ in being appointed as the A new head of the UK Ship Register (UKSR).

A former ship’s officer has spoken of his

Doug Barrow, pictured right, who began his career as a deck cadet with CunardBrocklebank, takes up the post of UKSR director after 11 years as chief executive of Maritime London — the body responsible for promoting the city as a global shipping centre.

After completing his cadetship, Mr Barrow rose to the rank of second officer and had a short spell as a petroleum inspector in Kuwait, before moving into the marine fuels industry and working in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the UK. In his new role he will lead the efforts — set out in the government’s Maritime Growth Study — to revive the fortunes of the red ensign fleet, with the aim of trebling the

volume of tonnage flying the UK flag.

‘Having started my career sailing for seven years under the Red Ensign, it will be a great honour and a privilege to take on this role,’ said Mr Barrow.

‘I will bring a commercial input into the register gained from 30 years in the bunker industry, and — having spent the last 11 years promoting the UK as the world’s premier maritime business centre — I will be bringing those skills to bear on my work with the register.’

Shipping minister John Hayes commented: ‘I’m delighted with this appointment and with all the commercial experience that Doug will bring to the UK Ship Register. We already have a great deal to be proud of in our UK maritime sector, which provides a strong and resilient backbone to the economy.’

MPs step up the pressure for shipping action Westminster debate hears concerns over poor pay and low levels of training

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Nautilus has welcomed a House of Commons debate in which MPs from all the main parties called for the government to do more to protect British seafarer employment and training and to stamp out unfair competition and exploitation in UK waters.

The 90-minute Westminster Hall debate had been sponsored

by Orkney & Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael, who opened it by warning that the use of low-cost foreign crews in domestic shipping trades is driving down pay in the sector and reducing the employment opportunities for British seafarers.

‘There is no shortage of people looking for a career at sea, but there are barriers and significant obstacles in their way,’ Mr Carmichael added. He urged the government to ‘not be shy about attaching some strings’ to any increased support it gives to shipping companies.

Both Mr Carmichael and Inverness MP Drew Hendry expressed concern about the quality of training being received by some British cadets. ‘I have been told of one constituent who in five months as a cadet officer was able to speak English on his ship only once,’ Mr Carmichael said.

Mr Hendry also warned of many uncertainties facing the maritime sector as a consequence of Brexit. ‘What is to be done about freedom of movement, migrant workers, a customs union, and right to operate in domestic trades of EU members who main-

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Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson and RMT national secretary Steve Todd attending the Westminster Hall debate last month

tain flag-based cabotage restrictions?’ he asked.

Former Labour shipping minister Jim Fitzpatrick urged the government to act on the SMarT Plus proposals tabled by Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping to improve training support for UK seafarers. With evidence showing that the government’s £15m investment delivers £70m a year for the economy, he suggested that increased aid would be a ‘winwin’ for the UK and for shipping.

‘Shipping is invisible to the majority of the population, but that doesn’t mean it is not important — quite the opposite — and government recognition is absolutely essential,’ he said.

Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins spoke of the ‘excellent’ Charter for Jobs, sent to MPs by Nautilus and warned that the key factor in undermining the jobs market for UK seafarers was the ‘pitifully low wages’ being paid to foreign crews in British waters.

Hull MP Karl Turner said it was scandalous that shipowners are benefitting from tonnage tax but not training or employing British seafarers in return. He said he found it ‘grotesque’ that ferries were sailing across the North Sea with Spanish and Portuguese crew members paid well below the UK national minimum wage.

Albert Owen — a former seafarer who is now MP for Ynys Môn — said pay discrimination was taking place on Irish Sea ferry services. ‘British seafarers are the best in the world,’ he added. ‘They should have proper wages that reflect our proud history and the potential for a proud future.’

Liz Saville Roberts — whose daughter is a seafarer — said she was concerned that the £38m programme of cuts at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency is putting lives at risk.

And Linlithgow MP Martyn Day warned that the increasingly high average age of British

seafarers ‘portends a very serious risk of loss of skills and may even threaten the viability of our home-grown industry unless training and employment rates improve significantly’.

Labour transport spokeswoman Pat Glass said the problem of low pay ‘continues to blight the lives of seafarers’ in UK waters and warned that ‘this legalised exploitation has systematically undermined maritime jobs in the UK’.

Shipping minister John Hayes said he agreed that more could, and should, be done to recruit and train more British seafarers. But, he added: ‘It is not enough simply to recruit people at different levels; there has to be a career path so that people can build their lives in seafaring.’

The minister said he was reassessing the recommendations made in the Maritime Growth Study. ‘I think we can do more with tonnage tax, particularly in respect of recruitment and training,’ he added.

Following the debate, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he welcomed the way in which MPs have backed the measures set out in the Union’s Charter for Jobs.

‘The minister has signalled that he has a clear understanding of the issues and I am cautiously optimistic that we are making progress in addressing some of the long-standing problems which have undermined employment and training opportunities for British seafarers,’ he added.

shortreports REGISTER REPORT: the UK government has spent more than £207,000 on a report looking into ‘commercial opportunities’ for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, shipping minister John Hayes told MPs last month. The study has been carried out by the professional services firm KPMG in response to recommendations in the Maritime Growth Study.

Mr Hayes told the House of Commons that ‘it is not appropriate’ to publish the report at this stage because of sections that deal with ‘potential pricing and commercial strategies, customer acquisition and market analysis’.

ORDERS DOWN: the number of ships ordered by the world’s shipowners slumped by 71% last year, according to a new report from industry analysts Clarksons. It said only 539 ships were ordered last year, down from 1,836 in 2015. December saw just 26 new contracts signed, against 115 in the same month of 2015.

US-based owners were the biggest spenders, with orders worth $7.5bn — nearly all of which were cruiseships.

Chinese companies came in second with $4bn, largely comprising bulkers and tankers ordered by state-backed owners at domestic yards.

ICY STUDIES: in response to the new requirements introduced in the international Polar Code, City of Glasgow College has launched two new ice navigation training courses. The basic programme covers ice knowledge, vessel performance, manoeuvring, regulations, crew preparation and environmental factors, while the advance training for masters and mates extends to voyage planning, equipment limitations, extensive ice ship handling and a broader knowledge of safety.

COSTA CONVICTION: Captain Francesco Schettino, former master of the Costa Concordia cruiseship, has been convicted on charges of ‘destruction and defacement’ of the natural beauty of the isle of Giglio and for non-compliance with safety regulations.

The court sentenced him to three months in jail for the violation of company safety rules, 15 days of house arrest for insufficient crew training and a €5,000 fine for ‘destruction and defacement’.

DEATH INVESTIGATED: police in Argentina are investigating the death of a young officer onboard the product tanker Punta Medanos last month. Maillén Teresita Amalia Torres Alvarenga, 26, was found dead in her cabin during her first voyage as third officer on the vessel. Authorities said initial tests showed the cause of death was asphyxiation by hanging, but prosecutors are awaiting the results of a full autopsy and have not ruled out homicide.

BREXIT WARNING: the TUC has urged the UK government to be clear about the way that Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union will impact workers. General secretary Frances O’Grady welcomed the prime minister’s pledge to put the final deal to a parliamentary vote, but said employees need to know the details of the new framework she has promised for workers’ rights and jobs.

V. SHIPS SALE: the V.Group — which owns the world’s largest ship management firm, V.Ships — has been sold to a private equity firm. The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Scheme has sold its majority stake in the company to Advent International, a transnational investment fund.

VIRGIN CONTRACTS: Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has announced a €2bn contract to build three new cruiseships for the Virgin Group subsidiary Virgin Voyages. The 110,000gt vessels will accommodate more than 2,800 passengers and deliveries are due between 2020 and 2022.

FATALITY PROBED: the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun a new investigation following a fatal accident to a crew member onboard the UK-registered bulk carrier Graig Rotterdam while discharging cargo at anchor off Alexandria, Egypt.

18/01/2017 18:17

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

Have you used your vote yet?

WINDSTAR OFFER: a 2% pay increase has been offered to members employed by Windstar Management Services as part of its 2017 pay and conditions review.

The offer includes an additional 0.5% for those who have served between two and five years and 1% extra for those above five years. Top performers will also be subject to a further 1% increase, based on performance reviews along with a three-on/three-off rotation for chief electricians. Consultations were due to conclude late last month.

FLEET AGREEMENT: clarification on a new seafarer employment agreement has been received

by Nautilus on behalf of members employed by Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda). The additional information had been sought over the placement of seafarers onboard vessels of different brands. The company stated that it has no intention of moving people outside of the P&O and Cunard brands unless it is the preference of the individual.

TRINITY TALKS: Nautilus and the Unite union have tabled a counter-proposal on pay after members rejected a 2% offer. Further discussions on the review took place on 6 January between management and the unions, facilitated by the arbitration and conciliation service ACAS. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder said he was hopeful that management will come up with a new offer that can be put out to a fresh consultation.

HANSON THREAT: three members employed by Hanson Ship Management have been told their jobs are at risk following the permanent lay-up of Arco Arun. The company confirmed it had identified suitable alternative roles for all crew members except for the roles of chief engineer and first mate, although it anticipates no more than two redundancies being required.

STENA CONSULT: members employed by Stena Line and serving on all its UK ferry routes are being consulted on a pay offer for the 2017 review. Members are being asked for their views on either a two-year agreement giving a 1.4% increase in year one and a 1.6% increase in year two or a one-year deal of 1.2%.

PEEL PAY: Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech and liaison officer Bill Hughes were due to have talks with management last month on terms and conditions proposals for VTS members employed by Peel Ports.

UECC REJECTION: members employed by UECC (Guernsey) have voted by a margin of two to one in favour of rejecting a 1% pay offer. The Union has requested a further meeting with management.

urged to exercise their right A to vote in elections to the Union’s

Nautilus members are being

Pictured above, from left to right, are Nautilus members Wayne Sloan, Harry Weekes, Tim Iles, John Lagan, Maurice McColgan alongside industrial organiser Lisa Carr (centre) during a visit to the research vessel Corystes last month

governing body, the Council.

Seventeen positions on Council need to be filled in the forthcoming elections and ballot papers for these, and the post of general secretary, have been sent to all full paid-up members and should be returned by the deadline of 1700hrs on Wednesday 19 April.

The election results will be announced on 21 April and the scrutineer for the ballot is Electoral Reform Services.

Unions join forces on support scheme Nautilus Federation members to provide mutual assistance for seafarers

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A trail-blazing scheme to provide mutual support for seafarers in trouble around the world was launched last month by 13 maritime unions belonging to the Nautilus Federation.

The Joint Assistance and Support Network (JASON) has been developed with the aim of combatting the criminalisation of the maritime profession and to ensure that members’ rights to fair treatment after accidents are upheld.

The scheme unites unions in countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

It will ensure that reciprocal advice and support can be provided to union members if they are involved in an incident

within a port, territory, territorial waters or onboard a vessel flagged in one of the countries covered by the agreement.

‘We are delighted to launch the JASON scheme,’ said Charles Boyle, Nautilus director of legal services. ‘Criminalisation of seafarers has been a major concern for all the member unions in the Federation and we have worked hard to prevent seafarers from being treated as scapegoats after accidents.

‘As a result of such work, the IMO/ILO guidelines on the fair treatment of seafarers following maritime incidents were developed and adopted in 2006,’ Mr Boyle pointed out.

‘However, the adoption of the guidelines in themselves was insufficient to ensure that seafarers are not victimised. All the Federation members report

some degree of criminalisation of members — most frequently involving pollution cases, as well as collisions — and we saw the need to develop further procedures to establish an international support and assistance network for the benefit of our respective members.’

The JASON scheme will provide concise and practical checklists for members to use if they are involved in an incident to raise awareness of their rights under the fair treatment guidelines. Additional helpline support will be delivered in conjunction with the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) — which already provides the Nautilus 24/7 service.

As part of the JASON agreement, Federation unions will provide assistance such as advice on choosing a local expert lawyer,

ORKNEY STUDY: Nautilus, Unite and the RMT were due to meet Orkney Ferries in Aberdeen late last month to discuss progress on the comparability study following several working party meetings.

guidance on local investigation and legal procedures, visiting a member or arranging visits and translation services, and ensuring consular access to any members of other Federation unions who have been detained following incidents in their waters or on their national-flagged ships.

‘The JASON scheme has been designed to address some of the biggest concerns faced by members at sea,’ Mr Boyle said. ‘It should ensure that they receive speedy and specialist support if they are involved in an incident in many parts of the world. We hope that this will not only provide practical assistance, but that it will also make sure that the principles of the fair treatment guidelines are upheld and that seafarers are not unjustly singled out for punishment following accidents.’ g ISWAN feature — see page 19.

Ship arrested as UK cruise firm folds flagged cruiseship Voyager, A which was arrested in Singapore last Pictured left is the Bahamas-

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European award for MNOPF F

Canny investment strategies have saved some £300m of maritime industry employers’ money over the past three years, the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund (MNOPF) says.

The £2.9bn Fund has bucked the trend of many UK pension schemes by achieving a steady increase in its funding level over the past year. And

over the past four years, the funding level has risen from 68.9% to over 81%. An analysis of the last valuation results demonstrated that without the success of the investment strategy, the Fund would have been seeking deficit contributions of approximately £300m from employers.

The Fund also won a gold award for its long-term investment strategy at

the Investment and Pensions Europe Awards (IPE) in Berlin in December.

Nautilus assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham commented: ‘The MNOPF can take a lot of pride in the work it is doing to ensure retired seafarers are getting the level of support they deserve, having worked so hard throughout their careers at sea.’

month after UK-based All Leisure Group went into administration.

The company — which owned the Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery brands — also operated the Bahamas-registered Minerva and said the move into administration had been made as a result of the group’s adverse financial position.

It said ‘the business has ceased to trade, resulting in the majority of employees being made redundant and the cancellation of all future voyages’.

Nautilus has advised any members affected by the collapse of the company to get in contact. The Union can give advice and will try to ensure that any money owed is recovered.

Picture: Gary Davies/ Maritime Photographic

18/01/2017 18:02

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Minimum wage deal for ferries Union welcomes Transport Scotland agreement for Northern Isles ships

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Nautilus has welcomed an agreement which will ensure that foreign seafarers on freight ferries running to Orkney and Shetland will be paid at least the UK minimum wage.

Scotland’s transport minister Humza Yousaf said a new bareboat charter arrangement has been drawn up to cover the wages of the crews working on the Seatruck ferries Hellier and Hildasay, which operate the ‘lifeline’ services for Serco Northlink.

Unions had complained that some of the seafarers were being paid as little as £3.66 an hour. This was denied by Seatruck, which claimed that more than half of the crew are paid the equivalent of the national minimum wage, or more, and those who on the lowest rates were receiving around £4.60 per hour.

Seatruck argued that it operates in a ‘worldwide shipping market’ and paying the UK national minimum wage — presently £7.20 per an hour for over25s — would place it at a ‘serious disadvantage in relation to its competitors’.

Mr Yousaf said the new charter arrangements — which were drawn up in talks between Transport Scotland, Seatruck and Cale-

The 7,606gt Hildasay is one of two Northern Isles freight ferries Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

donian Maritime Assets — would come into force early in February, subject to some financial and regulatory details being finalised.

‘The current situation, with crew being paid less than the minimum wage, is unacceptable and as soon as I first became aware of it, I gave a direct commitment to meet with Seatruck in person,’ he added.

‘I am very pleased to see an agreement in principle now in place to end this long-running issue. It also means that the availability of suitable freighters to service these routes has

been secured for the immediate future.’

The vessels will transfer to a bareboat charter by CMAL and then be made available to Serco Northlink Ferries, which operates the Northern Isles public service contract.

Nautilus national ferry officer Micky Smyth commented: ‘This is a good result, which has been a long time coming, and it is a welcome step in the right direction that we have set out in our Charter for Jobs.

‘However, we must remember that this outrageous situation

fought agreement which aims F to end long-running concerns over the Nautilus has welcomed a hard-

Nautilus secures new CBA for Serco ferries F

04-05_at work.indd 5

STENA REVIEW: Stena Line has advised Nautilus that it is conducting a full review of the manning models of all its managed ferries in the Irish Sea. The review relates to the outstanding issues raised by the Union regarding pay parity between master-mate master and extra deck officers on Superfast X and Stena Adventurer.

The company says it wants to ‘ensure that the manning models are resilient and fit for purpose’. The review was set to be completed by the end of January.

SEATRUCK FREEZE: Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth has criticised a pay freeze imposed on members serving with Seaway Manning Services on Seatruck Ferries. The move follows a decision by the Clipper board against offering any general salary increase throughout the group during 2017. Mr Smyth said that the changes amount to a pay cut and have been decided upon without any form of consultation or negotiation.

PNTL PATTERNS: Nautilus members employed

by Pacific Transport Limited (INS) have been asked for their comments on proposed changes to their working schedules. Management want to trial a more flexible system under which members who have been working either an eight weeks-on/eight weeks-off or 16 weeks-on/16 weeks-off pattern will move to tours of duty that would last from between four weeks and 16 weeks.

exists on other ships running regular services in UK waters — undermining decent working conditions and employment opportunities for British seafarers — and the government needs to act quickly to end this unfair competition,’ he pointed out.

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael also welcomed the news, but warned the two ships were ‘the tip of the iceberg’ of low pay for seafarers. He urged the government to close loopholes on the enforcement of the minimum wage in the shipping industry.

Inflation-busting increase to boost MCA recruitment

Pictured above, left to right, are Serco Ferries HR manager Paul Gellately, Serco Ferries (Guernsey) Crewing director Mark Le Tissier and Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth signing a long-awaited new collective bargaining agreement for members on the Northern Isles ferry services.

The ‘fit for purpose’ revised CBA was secured following numerous meetings and lengthy discussions between the Union and senior representatives of the company.

‘I would like to place on record my thanks to the members who

shortreports

participated in the last consultation exercise where they voted overwhelmingly, following the Union’s recommendation, to accept the revised terms and conditions,’ said Mr Smyth. ‘Special thanks in particular to liaison officer Sean Smith for his input over the lengthy negotiations.

‘This has been a complicated, difficult period of negotiations,’ he added. ‘However, Nautilus is extremely pleased to have secured a set of terms and conditions which are parallel with the very best in our industry.’

recruitment and retention of marine surveyors and specialist staff at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

The deal — which forms part of the Agency’s Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme — is intended to put the package for MCA specialist staff into line with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

The agreement includes a 10%20% increase in basic pay scales for marine surveyors and a guaranteed 2% consolidated increase for those at, or near, the top of current pay bands.

It also covers the creation of senior surveyor positions with enhanced pay scales, non-consolidated transitional retention payments worth up to £2,100 for the most experienced surveyors, and a new specialist surveying allowance worth up to £17,000 a year to replace existing outof-hours allowances.

It will pave the way for the introduction of seven-day and onein-five weekend working patterns, increased deployment to other UK locations, moves to make overseas

working contractual and greater use of remote working.

The Treasury stipulated that the deal must be cost-neutral over the life of the present Parliament, and linked to ‘transformational change’ in the way the Agency operates.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This agreement is something we have sought for many years, and we have ramped up the political pressure to tackle the recruitment and retention problems through motions at the TUC, representations to ministers and evidence to the House of Commons transport committee.

‘We hope this will ensure the Agency has the skills and expertise it needs to deliver effective frontline services to enforce safety standards in the industry.’

‘It has taken a huge amount of effort to get us to this position,’ said MCA director of maritime safety and standards Katy Ware. ‘I feel strongly that together, in collaboration with the trade unions, we can now transform our business in order to deliver and enhance the valuable service we provide to our customers.’

RED RISE: a 2% pay offer has been overwhelmingly accepted by members employed by Red Funnel, following consultation. As well as the above-inflation increase, the Union has secured the removal of the 30 minutes of free overtime — meaning every minute of overtime worked will now be paid.

SHETLAND TALKS: a joint meeting between Nautilus and the Unite union was arranged last month to discuss ideas for increased future cooperation on behalf of seafarers employed by the Shetland Islands Council and other companies where both unions have members.

PACKET PAY: following talks between Nautilus, liaison officers and Isle of Man Steam Packet Company management in December, members were consulted on a 3% pay offer for the 2017 review and voted overwhelmingly to accept the company’s offer.

FORELAND INCREASE: a 2.5% pay offer has been accepted by members employed by Foreland Shipping (Guernsey) following consultation. The increase forms part of a five-year pay deal and is in line with the agreement reached in 2012.

SHELL SUBMISSION: Nautilus was expecting to receive a pay offer for members employed by Shell International Shipping Services and QGTC Shipping (M.I.) following talks with management in Liverpool last month.

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

Q Braids Q Work Wear Q Tropical Wear Q Cadet Uniforms Q Officers Uniforms

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

18/01/2017 18:02

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports PROTECTION CALL: Subsea 7 has terminated a contract for its UK-flagged pipelay support vessel Seven Mar earlier than expected as a result of Brazilian rules which prioritise the use of national-flag vessels. The contact with Petrobras was due to expire in 2018, but the operating licence expired last month. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the development showed the need for the UK to do more to promote the use of domestic vessels in the North Sea. VIKING SHIFT: Viking Supply Ships is moving four of its vessels from the Danish international register, DIS, to the Norwegian national NOR register. It says it wants to optimise shipping operations and improve competitiveness by putting more ships under one flag.

The Danish CO-Søfart union says all 110 crew affected by the move will be offered continued employment under Norwegian contracts.

BP CLAIM: Nautilus has tabled a claim for an aboveRPI inflation pay rise for members employed by VGG (Guernsey) on the BP offshore vessels agreement. The Union has also asked members to give their aspirations for the forthcoming pay and conditions review, to help national organiser Jonathan Havard focus negotiations with the employer.

CABOTAGE ALERT: the downturn in the global offshore support vessel market is resulting in growing cabotage restrictions in SE Asia, a report from DVB Bank has warned. It said an increasing level of protectionism is taking place as countries in the region seek to protect local operators against international competition.

TECHNIP PAY: following feedback from members employed by Technip (Singapore), Nautilus national organiser Steve Doran has written to management to accept proposals to maintain wage levels at the 2016 rate for the year ahead and to accept the company’s proposed two-tier salary structure.

DEMOLITION MOVE: the Veolia-Peterson partnership has been awarded two platform decommissioning contracts for recycling at its facility in Great Yarmouth. The company is aiming to recycle as much as 96% of materials from the platforms, which are due to arrive in the port in spring.

FARSTAD EXTENSION: Farstad Shipping has secured an extra month to complete its restructuring programme, with an agreement to extend its loan repayment period to 28 February, following the collapse of talks to tie up with Siem Oil Service Invest.

SMIT SETTLEMENT: a 1.5% pay offer has been accepted by members employed by Smit International (Scotland) following consultations. The offer concludes the company’s 2016 pay and conditions review.

FARSTAD LIAISON: Nautilus is seeking three liaison officers to represent members serving on Farstad Shipping vessels. Each liaison officer would be in post from 1 March 2017 until 28 February 2020.

BOURBON CHARTER: French operator Bourbon has secured a charter with Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy for three PSVs to support offshore operations in Senegal working alongside a Stena drillship.

VGG is urged to reconsider plan for pay cuts Jonathan Havard is pictured A with members employed as marine Nautilus national secretary

crew, left, and dive techs, right, by VGG (Guernsey) on the dive support vessel Polaris.

During the visit — which took place on 17 January whilst the ship was in drydock at Fayard Shipyard in Munkebo, Denmark — Mr Havard

had talks with members before a meeting with the company’s management later the same day.

The meetings were held to discuss the potential to make cost savings that will avoid the threat of redundancies or large-scale pay reductions which have been proposed by the employer.

The Union has urged

management to reconsider its plans after members voted against the company’s proposals for a 20% pay cut and a further 50% pay reduction if their vessel goes into lay-up.

The company said the cuts were needed because of issues including the current market condition, the need to reduce the overall cost base of the vessels and the likelihood of

vessels entering lay-up.

The proposals were rejected by members, but the employer has since informed Nautilus that it is looking to commence consultations on potential redundancies.

Mr Havard said the Union has urged the company to consider alternative cost-saving measures to avoid the need for redundancies.

Long-term thinking vital, says Union Nautilus urges ‘coherent’ approach to UK offshore sector decommissioning

P

Nautilus is calling for a coherent plan for decommissioning oil and gas fields in the North Sea after a new report warned that the rising costs of winding down the sector could cause thousands more job losses.

The research group Wood Mackenzie warned that the North Sea might become a net drain on public finances, costing taxpayers as much as £24bn as the work intensifies.

It is said that about £6bn has been spent on decommissioning so far and oil companies are forecast to spend £53bn from this year on dismantling and removing their North Sea platforms, with almost half that sum expected to be recouped

from the Treasury through tax relief.

The projections are based on analysis of the latest industry plans for plugging wells and dismantling platforms and pipelines and come out at 50% higher than the official Treasury forecast for a public liability of £16bn.

Decommissioning is expected to take at least four decades to complete, but Wood Mackenzie has said it expects about a fifth of the spending to take place in the next five years.

Nautilus is urging the government to ensure that there is a structured plan in place for scaling down North Sea operations, with policies to promote the use of UK support

vessels during the process. The Union’s Charter for Jobs stresses the need for more to be done to maximise employment opportunities for UK workers during decommissioning.

General secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘As a Union, we are determined to do everything in our power to protect members’ jobs — which is why we launched our jobs, skills and the future campaign last year.

‘The decommissioning programme could be seen as a nail in the coffin for the offshore sector; but it doesn’t have to be,’ he added.

‘Our Charter for Jobs lays out what we want to see the UK government do to protect and enhance UK seafarers’ jobs. We

Nautilus resists ‘devastating’ pay plan for Sealion fleet

believe that these decommissioning programmes should be used as a way of retaining UK maritime skills rather than exacerbating the decline of our nation’s maritime skills base even further.’

Since production started in 1967, more than 43bn barrels of oil and oil equivalent have been extracted from the North Sea. Industry body Oil & Gas UK estimates that there is still up to 20bn barrels remaining.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) says that in the UKCS alone, 302 oil and gas installations, 373 subsea installations and more than 5,000 wells will need to be decommissioned, and it suggests that this work could support up to 18,900 jobs.

Technip cuts fewer jobs Technip (Singapore) has agreed F to cut the number of planned job Following talks with Nautilus,

HAVILA REP: nominations are being sought for a Nautilus liaison officer post to represent members employed by Havila Marine (Guernsey). The position will run until 30 November 2019.

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

06_offshore.indd 6

proposals to management in F a bid to avoid a ‘devastating’ loss of

Nautilus has presented counter-

earnings for members employed by Seahorse Maritime and serving on Sealion vessels.

The plans have been tabled by the Union in the wake of a move by the company to reduce its costs by implementing a mandatory 20% pay cut.

During a meeting at the company’s offices in Farnham, management told Nautilus that they considered a 20% pay cut would mean members’ salaries were similar to those in the ferry sector, whilst also accepting that

it could mean some people would seek work elsewhere.

Following consultations with members, Nautilus tabled alternative proposals — telling the company that a 10% pay cut would be accepted.

Industrial organiser Lisa Carr said the Union is doing everything in its power to get the company to consider a variety of options. ‘The members clearly recognise the company’s expectations are for a 20% pay cut,’ she explained. ‘However, it is clear by the result of the consultation and the comments we’ve received that this would be a devastating blow for members at this time.

‘I believe members understand and have taken onboard the realisation of the situation, and that is why they have voted to accept this 10% pay cut,’ she added.

‘I am urging the company to at least trial a six-month period of a 10% decrease in pay to ascertain if this voluntary reduction does help. It is hoped that at the end of that review period — if it’s accepted — new charters would have been found that negate the need for further reductions.’

Nautilus is also suggesting a change in tour length — from six to eight weeks — to help reduce costs.

losses from around 148 to 119.

Nautilus had proposed numerous initiatives — which were accepted by the company — including the extension of the early voluntary retirement programme (EVR) scheme.

National organiser Steve Doran said it was a positive step, but more still needs to be done. Individual consultations for members at risk of compulsory redundancy started last month and a formal final consultation meeting is expected to take place in February, where an appeal process will be discussed.

18/01/2017 16:33

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

MLC ‘safety net’ is tightened up Union urges members to ensure that their ships comply with the new rules

P

Nautilus is providing special advice on amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) which aim to provide ‘safety net’ protection for abandoned seafarers.

The new provisions — which came into force on 18 January — cover the financial security of seafarers in cases of abandonment and contractual claims for compensation in the event of a seafarer’s death or long-term disability due to an operational injury, illness or hazard.

With effect from that date, all ships covered by the convention will be required to carry onboard a certificate or other documentary evidence confirming that insurance or other financial security is in place to cover the cost of crew

repatriation, as well as up to four months’ contractually entitled arrears of wages and entitlements following abandonment.

A further certificate will be required for liabilities for contractual claims arising from seafarer personal injury, disability or death.

Charles Boyle, director of Nautilus legal services, said the new requirements are welcome and he has produced detailed advice for members to ensure that their vessels are in compliance.

‘The certification will be a key document in MLC compliance, the absence of which may lead to withdrawal of the ship’s Maritime Labour Certificate by the flag state or detention by the port state,’ he pointed out.

Failure to carry or display the required documentation is a very serious matter, which will amount to a criminal offence with many flag states, and could expose masters to potential prosecution, Mr Boyle warned.

The guidance can be read in full on the Union’s website: www.nautilusint.org The new MLC provisions have been warmly welcomed by International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) president Paddy Crumlin, who described them as ‘a huge change that will finally treat the running sore of crew abandonment’.

While the amendments have been a long time coming, he said they would ensure that ‘the fundamental idea that those

who send seafarers to sea have a responsibility for them is enshrined in regulation’.

ITF general secretary Steve Cotton added: ‘All parties must now work together to ensure that they are put into action, and address those areas in the world where there’s an absence of MLC ratification. It’s important that seafarers understand what the changes mean. We recommend that they check that there is a valid insurance certificate onboard and realise that if abandonment does occur that they must raise the alarm right away.’ z Sri Lanka has become the 81st country to ratify the MLC — meaning that it has now been backed by countries accounting for 91% of world tonnage.

Maersk ship runs aground launched after the DanishF flagged containership Gustav Maersk An investigation has been

went aground near Cannitello in the Strait of Messina, Italy, pictured left.

The 99,002gt vessel was en route from Croatia to the port of Gioia Tauro at the time of the incidents and was refloated and escorted into port by three harbour tugs.

The Italian coastguard said the ship’s hull had not been breached, no pollution had been reported and initial findings did not indicate that technical failure caused the incident.

Picture: Italian Coastguard

‘Virtual’ training on the way, experts say connectivity are transforming A training opportunities for seafarers Advances in shipboard

— and virtual reality programmes are just around the corner, one of the leading training providers has predicted.

Mark Woodhead, senior vice president of content and training with KVH Industries, said new and improved satellite communications are bringing shipping connectivity into line with that ashore, making it cheaper and faster for crews to access the internet.

‘We are now at a tipping point where satellites will take us from quite low connectivity to high-speed broadband and this will mean we will see exceptional changes,’ he added. ‘It’s one of the top three things that seafarers ask for and it’s not a “nice to have” any more — it is a “must-have” now.’

KVH — which owns the Videotel training firm as well as providing a wide range of communication services to ships — says the extra bandwidth now being offered at

Jailed master was almost four times over the limit jailed in the UK after trying F to bring his vessel into the port of

A Russian shipmaster has been

Crew ignored enclosed space signs Maritime & Coastguard Agency F for detaining a flag of convenience Nautilus has praised the UK

ship after it was found to be in breach of the Maritime Labour Convention and crew members were ignoring enclosed space warnings.

The Antigua & Barbuda-flagged general cargoship BBC Coral was detained in the port of Newcastle for two days last month after surveyors found problems including invalid MLC

certification and insufficient charts for navigation.

Safety procedures were not all in place, the MCA said, and crew were observed in spaces in the hold marked ‘Enclosed space — no entry’.

Engineering staff admitted to entering the engineroom void space and there was no permit to work in place, testing or rescue equipment.

Other deficiencies discovered subsequently included expired

batteries on the voyage data recorder and inoperable quick-closing valves for thermal oil system tanks.

An additional safety management audit was required under the ISM Code before the ship could depart.

According to the Equasis database, BBC Coral had been detained and had to undergo an additional safety management audit in Australia almost exactly a year ago, and MLCrelated deficiencies were discovered

in the ship’s cold room during a port state control inspection in Swansea last April.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘The MCA is to be commended for its intervention in this case. Effective enforcement of the provisions of the MLC is essential in the current climate, and it is also disturbing that some seafarers still appear oblivious to the horrendous scale of loss of life in enclosed spaces.’

sea is opening up opportunities for interactive training, with features such as 3D animations rather than simple diagrams.

The company has already used video gaming techniques to bring training alive and has developed a prototype virtual reality training program — pictured above —which it predicts will be an increasingly important way for seafarers to study.

‘Learning this way is far more effective, with a 75% retention rate through practice by doing compared with 10% for reading and 30% for demonstrations,’ Mr Woodhead added.

Videotel has 14m training records on its database and 350,000 seafarers are training with the company. Mr Woodhead said ‘big data’ offers the opportunity to do advanced, anonymous, analysis of these records to enable trainees to be benchmarked with others of the same rank, or others in the same company, or right across the industry.

Southampton while almost four times over the alcohol limit.

Captain Valeriy Panfilov was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty at Southampton Crown Court to breaching the alcohol limit while in charge of the Bahamasflagged refrigerated cargoship Summer Flower.

The court heard that a pilot had boarded the 12,659gt vessel when it arrived from Spain on 17 December with a cargo of fruit and vegetables. The pilot approached Capt Panfilov and introduced himself, but the master did not respond.

Coming closer, the pilot realised the master smelled of alcohol and was intoxicated.

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland said Capt Panfilov, who had received alcohol treatment in the past, attempted to shout orders to crew, but the pilot told him he was taking over. The master — who has served at sea since 1987 — was found to have 96mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, compared with the legal limit of 25mg.

Defence lawyer Robert Grey said there had been no accidents, damage or pollution as a result of the incident and when Capt Panfilov realised how drunk he was he had handed the con to the chief officer.

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18/01/2017 16:33

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Poole plays host to EU conference play host to the tenth annual F European Maritime Day conference

The harbour town of Poole will

during its three-day boat show in May. European Maritime Day (EMD) has previously been held in countries including Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Finland and this year’s two-day event will take place in Poole on 18 and 19 May as part of the Poole Maritime Festival which starts on 15 May. Poole Maritime Festival events manager Kirstie Blakeman said it was a massive coup for the south coast to host the prestigious event and it is hoped that more than 1,000 people will travel to Dorset for the conference.

‘We were very fortunate to be able to win the bid. Because the event is of such significance to us we’ve decided we want to capitalise on the opportunity of having these industries in Poole,’ Ms Blakeman added. ‘The south coast has a huge reputation in the industry and we have such a diverse industry here that deals with so many fantastic marine opportunities.’

The Poole festival is a free event and is expected to welcome around 17,000 people during the week.

Attractions will include three Royal Navy vessels, two Border Force vessels and three tall ships that will be open for public viewing.

Saatchi show F

London’s exclusive Saatchi Gallery is to stage an innovative new show designed to present superyachts in a different way.

Due to run between 1 and 3 June, the SuperYacht Gallery aims to provide ‘a high-quality and interesting exposition about the superyacht lifestyle’ through a series of themed exhibitions, workshops and seminars conducted by leading designers and builders.

Brexit boost for UK superyachts UK marine sector organisation reports revenue recovery to pre-crash figures

P

Business is booming for Britain’s marine sector, according to a new report which reveals that the UK’s superyacht, leisure and small commercial marine industries are posting revenues not seen since the start of the financial crash.

Figures released at the London Boat Show last month by membership organisation British Marine show that sales in the sector rose by 1.6% last year and have passed the £3bn mark for the first time since 2008-9.

British Marine said rising confidence in the industry is leading to an increase in employment opportunities, with marine businesses now supporting more than 33,000 full-time equivalent employees — up 4.6% over the past year.

The report shows that the sector’s contribution to the UK economy has risen by 3.7%, to a total of £1.1bn. Exports make up almost one-third of industry revenue, with key markets including Europe, the US, Russia, China and the Middle East.

British Marine said the strongest sectors have been engines and equipment manufacturing, with 8.8% growth over the past year, and hire and charter — up 6.8%.

The organisation said that while confidence in the sector slumped following last year’s Brexit vote, it has now bounced back and its latest industry survey shows a net positive confidence rating of +10%.

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.

Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is one of only two that the MCA recognises worldwide as evidence of acceptable service. serv INTERNATIONAL

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Once your yacht service is verified O in our office in Antibes, then the MCA accepts the Nautilus SRB as M ssufficient proof of onboard and sea sservice and no further supporting ddocumentation is required. z Contact the membership ddepartment either via email or te telephone to receive your free SRB.

Left to right: David Pougher, of the British Marine Federation; Sean Robertson, Sunseeker International sales director; Jesse Norman MP; and British Marine CEO Howard Pridding at the London Boat Show Picture: onEdition

Boat manufacturers are particularly buoyant post-referendum, it added, with a net rating score of +50% (up from 0% in May 2016). It said this is increasingly driven by the UK superyacht sector, which is now worth an estimated £605m.

Confidence in the charter, hire, repair and refit business has also risen over the past six months, and positive signs are also reported from UK marinas and moorings.

British Marine and its mem-

bers have recently met the Department for International Trade to discuss what support government can give the industry — with a call for ministers to help the sector take advantage of new and growing trading opportunities in areas such as China and North America.

British Marine CEO Howard Pridding said: ‘The industry remains robust — revenue is growing and we are taking on more employees.

‘Despite the post-referendum

volatility impacting on business and consumer confidence the industry remains bullish and keen to take advantage of the short and medium term opportunities that lie ahead — starting with the 2017 London Boat Show.

‘Our members’ greatest longterm concern is uncertainty,’ he warned, ‘and we will continue to work closely with government to ensure the sector is given as much backing as possible — especially as the Brexit negotiations begin.’ g See feature — see page 24.

Wood you believe it? Timber is chosen material for new yacht

by Michael Howorth

who went to sea were said to A be made of steel. In those times,

There was a time when those

the ships they sailed in were made of wood. Now it’s the ships that are made of steel, with very few built in wood.

But the 47m Aquarius, right, might change the way future owners think of steel, because this Turkishbuilt superyacht is built of wood.

The yacht’s hull and superstructure are built using a cold-moulding technique, where the interior frames and beams use sapelli and mahogany and the hull is cold moulded epoxy resin infused plywood.

Commissioned by a British businessman, the yacht was built by the Mengi Yay shipyard — a company with 50 years’ experience churning out Gulets which, are traditionally built using the same methods.

Bahadir Sen, of Mengi Yay, says: ‘Wood is more flexible than steel.

Also laminated wood is more durable than either fibre reinforced plastic or glass reinforced plastic and is close to that offered by steel.’

Wood is also the natural choice for insulation,’ he adds. ‘Wood as a material has proven itself for both durability and reliability. What is more it is hugely economic, fast and it produces a lighter yacht than those

Academy rises to demand two new courses for aspiring F superyacht deck and interior crew A UK company has launched

members in a bid to address the increasing demand in the charter market.

The Training Academy said it had developed the courses in response to industry feedback showing that there are still far too many potential crew applying for positions having gained their STCW, but with no understanding of the role and the reality of working onboard a superyacht.

The two-week courses — which take place at The Training Academy’s centre in Gosport, Hampshire — cover areas including an introduction to the superyacht industry, fire-fighting, working with sails and rigging, and how to find a job. The courses each cost £2,500.

Iain Ferguson, group sales and marketing manager, said: ‘We are launching these courses due to the huge number of requests from our clients, both in management companies and superyacht captains, to source and train the next generation of high quality crew who wouldn’t traditionally have looked at the superyacht industry as a career choice.

‘We believe we are very well placed not just to offer the necessary qualifications to become a crew member, but to offer the industry insight and support needed to new entrants to the superyacht industry.’

Anniversary competition training centre is celebrating F its 20th anniversary with a series of A UK-based superyacht

competitions for crew members.

The Hoylake Sailing School was established in 1996 to run RYA shore-based courses, and very shortly afterwards the principal, Captain John Percival, was approached to run oral preparation for MCA Deck oral exams.

JPMA was then formed in 1997, to deal solely with the superyacht sector and the company has expanded into other sectors, such as workboats, and now has nine training rooms, delivering almost all of the modules and oral preparation for Deck (OOW and Master) and Engineering (AEC, MEOL, Y4 to Y1) CoCs. g To mark the anniversary, JPMA is running monthly competitions with prizes for successful entries. To find out more, visit: facebook.com/ johnpercivalmarineassociates or www.sailorsworld.co.uk

built out of steel to the same size and fitted out with the same machinery.’

The yacht’s British owner chose wood because he believes it will last longer than steel and be more flexible for manufacturing and repairs. The £16m three-decked superyacht is powered by two CAT C32 1,450hp engines, with a cruising speed of 12 knots. The vessel can accommodate five guests and four crew.

18/01/2017 14:49

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Danes slam UK owners’ Brexit plans Association has hit out the F way British shipowners are dealing The Danish Shipowners’

RFA cadets trade places with RN junior officers Aonboard the tanker Gold Rover swapped Three Royal Fleet Auxiliary cadets

places with six junior Royal Navy officers on the Type 23 frigate HMS Portland to get an extended taste of life in the other’s service.

The exchange took place in the South Atlantic, where HMS Portland is in the second half of a nine-month deployment split between countering terrorism in the Indian Ocean and promoting and protecting British interests in the South Atlantic.

‘No let-up in security threats’ F

Industry security experts have warned that maritime crime will not be stopped any time soon — and that cyber attacks on shipping are set to continue to expand in frequency and severity.

The somewhat gloomy conclusion was reached by delegates attending a special seminar organised by the owners’ organisation BIMCO in Copenhagen last month.

The meeting covered issues including current threats, terrorism and other illegal maritime activities.

There was further consensus that regional instability in the Horn of Africa underlines the need to retain key programmes to continue to deter piracy.

BIMCO head of security Giles Noakes said: ‘It was extremely valuable to gather leading security experts together at BIMCO to discuss these global issues. The message was clear: the maritime industry must not take short cuts when implementing security procedures. It’s crucial to keep sharing information to encourage all stakeholders to maintain maritime domain awareness and to train personnel to recognise threats.’

The RN personnel witnessed a mock galley fire onboard Gold Rover and saw how the ship conducts a replenishment at sea operation, refuelling Portland, while the RFA cadets were shown how a receiving ship breaks the initial pressure wave to take position using the fast back/down approach and the constant minor changes of course and speed needed to maintain position with ship-to-ship pressure interactions.

The RFA cadets also saw a simulated

helicopter crash on the frigate’s flight deck, as well as spending time in the ops room watching simulated attacks and getting airborne in a Lynx.

With 210 sailors and Royal Marines aboard, Portland has a crew nearly four times the size of the Tyneside-built tanker, which is due to be retired in the spring after 43 years’ service. ‘Though accommodation arrangements were somewhat more cramped than we are used to, it was an educational experience and

we were shown great hospitality by the Royal Navy,’ said cadet Chris Dorling. ‘It was interesting to observe the RN approach to bridge management and to see how the different departments on board work together,’ added cadet George Macgregor. ‘Seeing the job from everyone’s perspective can only improve the mix,’ said cadet David Dale. ‘Moving forward, I feel better equipped to work with the Royal Navy. All in all, it was a great experience enjoyed by all.’

Union welcomes decline in piracy

with the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union — accusing the UK Chamber of Shipping of not having much sense of fair play.

British shipowners want to ‘have their cake and eat it’ when the UK pulls out of the EU, the Danish organisation said, by seeking unrestricted access to EU markets for UK ships, protection of national shipowners servicing the offshore sector (a major sector for Danish shipowners), exemption from EU state subsidy rules, and other limits on competition.

The Danish owners’ group urged its members to scrutinise the UK Chamber’s document Blueprint for Growth, warning that ‘it’s far from classic British fair play’.

The Danes accuse their UK counterparts of wanting to be northern Europe’s Singapore by cutting off from EU competition rules and relaxing environmental and labour standards, but still having full access to the EU.

Trinity honour for former First Sea Lord Sir George Zambellas has F become an Elder Brother of the

Former First Sea Lord Admiral

Report reveals 20-year low in attacks, but warns of growth in crew kidnaps

P

Nautilus International has welcomed a new report revealing that worldwide pirate attacks on merchant ships have fallen to the lowest level for almost 20 years.

But the Union has also expressed concern that the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) annual statistics also show a marked increase in the number of seafarers being kidnapped — with particular problems in the Philippines and the Gulf of Guinea.

The IMB report notes that the 2016 total of 191 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against merchant ships was the lowest since 1998. In all, 150 ships were boarded, 12 ďŹ red upon and seven

hijacked, while 22 attacks were thwarted.

However, there was a threefold increase in the number of kidnaps — with 62 seafarers being kidnapped for ransom in 15 separate incidents in 2016. Just over half were seized off West Africa, and the IMB report points out that the number of attacks off Nigeria rose from 14 in 2015 to 36 last year.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘While it is good to see piracy falling to such a low level, it’s clear that there remains no room for complacency on maritime security and the signiďŹ cant increase in kidnapping is extremely disturbing.

‘We have therefore welcomed the assurances given to us by the UK Foreign OfďŹ ce about the future commitment to the EU Naval Force counter-piracy patrols and its support for the programme to improve security for shipping in the Gulf of Guinea,’ he added.

IMB director-general Captain Pottengal Mukundan urged seafarers to remain vigilant. ‘Shipmasters should follow the latest best management practices and, where possible, take early action to avoid being boarded,’ he stressed.

The IMB recorded two incidents off Somalia in 2016. Pirates attempted to attack a containership in the Gulf of Aden in May

and ďŹ red on a product tanker in the Somali basin some 300nm from shore in October. ‘This latest incident demonstrates that the capacity and intent to attack merchant shipping still exists off Somalia,’ the report noted.

The report also notes that there had been 11 incidents Peru last year — 10 of them at the country’s main port of Callao — compared with zero in 2015.

The number of incidents in Vung Tau, Vietnam, dropped from 15 in 2015 to seven in 2016, while Bangladesh also witnessed a welcome decrease, down from 11 in 2015 to three in 2016.

Indonesian piracy incidents fell from 108 in 2015 to 49 last year, the IMB said.

Corporation of Trinity House.

Sir George — who was admitted as a Younger Brother in 2009 — joined the Royal Navy after gaining a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1982, subsequently flying three tours in frigates and carriers.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2006, leading the Navy’s transformation programme, designing and delivering the Fleet’s new approach to the delivery of maritime forces and support to operations.

Sir George was appointed First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in April 2013, with responsibilities including the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

New 2-day course Ballast Water Management www.warsashacademy.co.uk/bwm

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09_news.indd 9

18/01/2017 16:50

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NEWS

IMO challenges EU on emissions UN agency’s leader expresses concern at Brussels vote for unilateral action

New harbour master P for the Port of Tyne member Captain Steven A Clapperton, who has been

Pictured above is Nautilus

appointed as the new harbour master at the Port of Tyne.

A Master Mariner with more than 20 years’ experience in the maritime industry, Capt Clapperton served at sea with companies including Shell Tankers, Subsea 7 and Fugro, as well as working as a marine surveyor and a marine pilot, before a post managing upstream marine operations for a major UK oil company.

Port chief executive Andrew Moffat said: ‘It is great to welcome Steven back to the Port of Tyne where he was a pilot for eight years.’

Capt Clapperton said he was delighted to take up the job.

‘Although I am originally from Scotland, having lived in the North East for the past 10 years, I understand the importance of the port to the regional economy, to river users and to all of our other stakeholders, and this will help me meet the challenges of the post and hit the ground running.’

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has challenged the European Union’s moves to impose a greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) levy on ships.

IMO secretary-general Kaitack Lim said he feared the move to include shipping in a future EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) threatens to jeopardise global attempts to clean up the industry.

The IMO leader voiced his concerns in a letter to European Parliament president Martin Schulz, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk.

‘I am concerned that a final decision to extend the EU-ETS to shipping emissions would not only be premature but would

seriously impact on the work of IMO to address GHG emissions from international shipping,’ he wrote.

‘Inclusion of emissions from ships in the EU-ETS significantly risks undermining efforts on a global level.’

His warning followed a vote by the European Parliament’s environment committee in favour of the inclusion of shipping in the ETS from 2023 if the IMO fails to come up with a similar scheme by 2021. A final decision on the plan is expected in the first few months of this year.

The EU move could lead to the creation of a levy scheme to compensate for the industry’s carbon footprint by funding energy efficiency technologies for ships and ports.

Mr Lim said unilateral action by the EU would distort world trade and damage the IMO’s attempts to reduce emissions globally, as well as undermining the principle of global regulation of a global industry.

He said the IMO has agreed an international monitoring reporting and verification scheme for shipping and drawn up a ‘road map’ for emissions reduction, which foresees an initial GHG strategy being adopted in 2018.

These measures were agreed

by IMO member states, including EU members, he pointed out.

‘Such political cooperation is important to ensure that all countries act together to ensure that no one is left behind.’

The International Chamber of Shipping has opposed the EU

Rise to a charity challenge

Community wall celebrates MN’s Liverpool links A

The Merchant Navy is to have a special section of a new community wall in Liverpool, aimed at commemorating significant figures with a connection to the L8 postcode district.

The wall is part of the ongoing regeneration of the area, which used to be home to a vibrant maritime community but fell into dereliction in tandem with the decline of the nearby docks. With houses now being renovated and local people pulling together to improve the appearance of the streets, the long wall running down Cairns St from Princes Avenue is being rebuilt as a visitor attraction and memorial to the rich lives lived in L8.

A plaque will show the section of the wall devoted to the Merchant Navy, and each brick will be engraved with a name — perhaps a seafarer who lived in the area, or someone with a strong family or work connection to the local people. Space has been allocated for over 300 named bricks in the Merchant Navy section, and proposals for names are still welcome.

Each name in the wall will come with a history explaining the person’s connection to the area; these personal stories will be available to read in a visitors’ brochure and on a dedicated website.

Bill Anderson, the chairman of the Liverpool Merchant Navy Association, was asked to provide a selection of names and associated personal histories to form the core of the section, and he told the Telegraph

10-11_news.indd 10

he has aimed to celebrate ‘forgotten heroes’ such as MN veterans and the hard-working chaplains of the Liverpool Seafarers’ Centre.

An important feature of the wall is to celebrate the cosmopolitan nature of the area, which has had a mixture of ethnic groups living together for centuries. The maritime community is of course the main reason for this, and the MN names will include people with many different backgrounds including African, Caribbean, South Asian, Welsh, Irish, Portuguese and Chinese as well as white British.

The local Chinese community was once so large and influential that the present-day Chinese government has been keen to form links to the project. In a symbolic gesture of friendship, cement from the Great Wall of China will be mixed with the mortar for the new wall, which is to be built by construction students from local institutions such as Hugh Baird College.

The aim of the project is to build the wall by the end of 2017, and proposals for names to go on the bricks will be accepted until May. Names are welcome from any period in the history of the L8 area and can be of living or deceased people. g To nominate someone from the Liverpool maritime community — past or present — to have their name engraved on the L8 wall, email Bobby Mann at anotherbrickinthewalll8@ gmail.com or go to www.brickwalll8. com/contact

moves and the European Community Shipowners’ Association warned that ‘threatening with regional measures under unrealistic deadlines is a very counter-productive move’. It claims the ETS scheme would have negative effects on trade and jobs.

However, the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) described the IMO’s intervention as ‘unfortunate’ and argued that the environmental challenge is so great that action is required at all levels.

‘There is nothing that says action can only take place at IMO and indeed it would be counterproductive to concentrate only on the development of IMO measures, when processes there are often subject to delay,’ said CSC president John Maggs.

UK is calling on shipping and F marine businesses to enter its 24

The maritime charity Seafarers

Nautilus/ITF inspector Tommy Molloy joined members of the International Brigade Memorial Trust at the unveiling of the Spanish Civil War plaque at Liverpool Town Hall Picture: James O’Hanlon

Tributes paid to Merseyside’s Spanish Civil War volunteers anniversary of the Spanish Civil A War and to pay tribute to those from A plaque to mark the 80th

Merseyside who supported the antifascist cause was unveiled at Liverpool Town Hall shortly before Christmas.

Deputy Lord Mayor Malcolm Kennedy officially revealed the plaque, which has been installed on the ground floor of the Town Hall and local Nautilus/ITF inspector Tommy Molloy was invited to attend the event on behalf of the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

About 200 people from the region volunteered to fight in the International Brigades, with at least 30 losing their lives.

An inscription on the plaque pays tribute to the ‘heroic Merseysiders

who stood up to fascism’ and notes that some never returned. ‘Their contribution and sacrifice will not be forgotten.’

The plaque also recognises activists like those from the Merseyside Spanish Aid Committee, who took donations on the docks and factories, and the Merseyside Left Theatre, who staged plays about Spain and organised counterdemonstrations against Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists.

It also acknowledges local firms like Bibby’s, Crawford’s, and Lever Brothers who donated and shipped money and food.

‘The Spanish Civil War marked the beginning of the fight against fascism that ultimately resulted in

the Second World War,’ Mr Molloy pointed out. ‘That fight was led by ordinary working men and women from around the world who wanted to make a stand against Franco’s fascist dictatorship following his overthrow of the democratically elected Spanish government.’

‘The ITF played a significant part in that effort and I was delighted to be asked to attend by friends from The International Brigade Memorial Trust,’ he added.

‘This formal recognition of the part played by local volunteers and activists, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice, will serve as an inspiration and a constant reminder that the freedoms we sometimes take for granted come at a cost.’

Peaks Centenary Challenge and make this year’s event the best ever.

The gruelling event — due to take place on 8 and 9 July this year — is the biggest annual event in the charity’s calendar and it is aiming to raise at least £100,000 for the 100-plus organisations it supports, including the Nautilus Welfare Fund.

The challenge will see more than 30 teams of four to six people take on two dozen summits across the Lake District, all over 2,400ft, and completed within 24 hours.

Participants need to be physically fit, with determination and team spirit, to get them to the finish line.

Seafarers UK director general Commodore Barry Bryant said: ‘We expect this summer’s event will be our biggest and best ever, a fitting tribute to 100 years of work supporting seafarers in need, their families and dependants.’ g See www.seafarers.uk/event/ the-24-peaks-challenge for more information, or contact the Seafarers UK Fundraising Events Team, email events@seafarers-uk.org, phone 020 7932 5960. g Seafarers UK is also marking its anniversary with a series of special events, including a centenary celebration dinner on 23 February at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott will be the after-dinner speaker and money raised from the event will go towards the new Seafarers UK centenary wing at the Nautilus welfare site in Wallasey.

18/01/2017 14:51

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

EU owners warn over recycling controls urging Brussels not to prevent F them from sending ships to be European shipowners are

scrapped in developing nations.

The call comes after the European Commission published and adopted the first version of its long-awaited list of approved ship recycling facilities for EU-flagged tonnage — 18 centres, all located within the EU. The list was developed in a bid to ensure that European ships are disposed of in yards which meet acceptable standards for working conditions, health and safety and the environment.

The Commission said it had received applications from breakers outside the EU, but it was still considering their credentials and site visits would have to be carried out before decisions are made.

The European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) complained that the approved facilities would cater with less than 30% of the EU’s own recycling capacity target. While EU owners scrapped 150 containerships last year, facilities on the current EU would only be able to hand 16 smaller boxships, the organisation argued.

‘Whilst the EU list can serve to raise ship recycling standards worldwide and respond to recycling demand, the current list clearly shows the need to include third country yards and especially those that already meet the international standards laid down in the Hong Kong Convention for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling,’ said secretary general Patrick Verhoeven.

‘Giving these yards EU recognition will encourage others to raise their standards and apply for inclusion as well,’ he added. ‘It will furthermore ensure sufficient and adequate capacity on the EU list, not just in terms of volume, but also in terms of the size of ships that can be dismantled.’

Member praised for rescue in Romania Support vessel master uses chain grappler to stop disabled ship running aground off Constanta

P

A Nautilus International member has been praised by authorities in Romania for helping to avert a serious accident after a Panamaflagged general cargoship lost power and began drifting in the port of Constanta last month.

Captain Eduard Troian, master of the offshore support vessel GSP King, went to the aid of the 7,111gt Basel Express after it suffered a blackout in force 8 winds and 7.5m seas while preparing to enter the port for bunkering.

The Gibraltar-flagged GSP King — which had been berthed in the port after completing well stimulation support work in the Black Sea oil and gas fields — was one of two vessels which responded to a distress call sent by the master of the Basel Express, which had sailed from the Crimean port of Kerch which a cargo of maize.

The tug LRS Europe had made several unsuccessful attempts to attach a tow to the cargoship and GSP King managed to send a messenger line to the ship by a line-throwing apparatus and connected two mooring lines to its towing wire. However, they parted within minutes.

Capt Troian said GSP King’s 76mm towing wire could not be taken onboard Basel Express without a power supply and it was too heavy for manual handling.

‘For some time, I thought there was no other option unless we could establish a tow,’ he added.

‘Then I thought about an anchorhandling procedure specific for semi-submersible drill ships.’

He had the idea of using a

Captain Eduard Toian and the crew of his vessel, GSP King, following the salvage operation off the Romanian port of Constanta

GSP King brings Basel Express back to the port of Constanta

chain grappler, connected to the towing wire, to grab the anchor chain of Basel Express, which was dragging its anchor at speeds of between 1.4 to 2.4 knots.

‘I have done other anchorhandling operations connected by chain or wire, but never anything like this,’ he said. ‘However, I have seen the procedure in the company’s training manual and I have read all the technical literature and learned the underlying principles.’

Capt Troian proposed the idea to GSP’s marine manager — who was monitoring events from the company’s emergency control centre — and, in cooperation with Constanta VTS, returned to port to collect the grappler from the vessel GSP Queen.

Basel King had been drifting for almost 12 hours and was within one to three hours of grounding by the time GSP King managed to secure the tow on the sixth attempt.

The chain grappler connected Basel Express’s anchor to the towing wire

It took eight hours to tow Basel Express back to safety.

Capt Troian said the high winds and waves had made the rescue difficult. ‘However, salvage is a matter of saving fellow mariners’ lives and protecting the environment and I am grateful for my crew, who trusted me and executed my orders despite obvious risks and dangers,’ he added.

‘I would also like to thank GSP ERC and Constanta RCC for their

support during the salvage,’ he added. ‘With common effort, we managed to avoid a potential disaster, pollution, and loss of life.

Capt Troian, who has served with GSP since spring 2015, stressed the importance of traditional skills. ‘I know we are increasingly reliant on automation and electronics, but I would suggest that we still need to be able to carry out operations in manual mode and using good seamanship practices,’ he added.

Club alarm over GET FUNDED ECDIS training TO LEARN A

Marine insurers have stressed the importance of high standard training for seafarers to ensure the safety of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS).

UK P&I Club loss prevention executive George Devereese said that while the information may be the same, ECDIS systems can be operated in subtly different ways and it is therefore important for crew to be comfortable on the system that they are operating.

‘A crew’s training and experience should be examined, and an assessment made as to whether they require additional training on in-house simulators provided by the shipping company,’ he added.

Mr Devereese said it was particularly important that seafarers are adequately trained in ECDIS chart ranging, following cases in which

10-11_news.indd 11

navigators have used the wrong sized charts, and failed to spot potential hazards by zooming too far in or out while passage planning or during the voyage.

While concerns have been raised about ‘over-zealous’ ECDIS alarms overloading seafarers, he said stringent alarm settings should be maintained for passage planning.

Seafarers should continue to be trained in a variety of navigational techniques, hold a paper chart ‘back-up’ portfolio, and run table-top exercises to maintain their familiarity with paper charts and proper positionfixing routines.

‘An over-reliance on ECDIS can cause these traditional skills to fade, and potentially lead to incidents, and the industry should make sufficient navigational training widely available,’ Mr Devereese warned.

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18/01/2017 16:58

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

HEALTH & SAFETY

Seafarers suffer ‘worrying’ rates of high blood pressure ‘worrying’ rate of high blood pressure amongst F merchant seafarers.

New research has raised alarm over the

Union warns again over car carrier safety issues voiced renewed concern F following a fresh incident involving Nautilus International has

a car carrier developing a severe list at sea.

The 55,660gt pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) Glovis Corona — pictured above — suffered a cargo shift in rough weather in the North Sea and developed port side list of almost 20 degrees while en route from Hamburg to Gothenburg.

The South Korean-flagged Hyundai vessel had some 1,800 vehicles onboard —including

a number of tanks — and was towed by two tugs to a place of refuge in the port of Bremerhaven where repairs were carried out to damaged frames, pipes and other equipment.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘Given the number of recurring incidents, it is surely only a matter of time before there is a tragic loss of life. An urgent reappraisal of the design, construction and operation of these ships is required.’

A study carried out in Denmark found that the prevalence of hypertension among seafarers was more than three times higher than the general population — and it warns that the findings are likely to be similar in other parts of the world.

The research, which is reported by the International Maritime Health journal, was carried out by experts at the University of Southern Denmark and was based on a representative sample of almost 630 Danish seafarers.

Researchers found that almost 45% of the seafarers were suffering from hypertension — with the highest rates among engineers and those who were classed as overweight or obese.

Only 13.5% of the seafarers studied were found

to have normal blood pressure, with almost 42% classed as pre-hypertensive.

The report notes that ships appear to be an increasingly high-risk workplace for the development of high blood pressure, with a French study revealing that the rate of hypertension amongst seafarers rose from 14.8% in the 1990s to more than 42% in the 2000s.

High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardio-vascular disease (CVD) and the report points out that an increasing number of seafarers are having to be hospitalised as a result of CVD, which is also the most common cause of seafarers’ death at sea.

Researchers pointed to a number of factors which they believe to lie behind the problem — including limited access to healthy food onboard, the increasingly sedentary nature of work at sea,

watchkeeping patterns and fatigue, and the impact of noise.

Obesity is a particular issue, the report adds, with a German study showing that 64% of seafarers were overweight and Danish research revealing that 66% were overweight.

The researchers said they were concerned to discover that only 15% of the seafarers who were hypertensive were being treated for high blood pressure.

The report suggests that lower blood pressure limits should be introduced when seafarers undergo medical checks and improved arrangements for treating the condition should be made.

The study recommends action to increase the levels of awareness among seafarers, and also urges companies to address some of the risk factors at sea, including nutrition, exercise, fatigue and noise.

Officer died after Ferry fire caused a two-hour blackout falling off cargo procedures led to an accident in F which a crew member suffered serious Failure to follow maintenance

burns and started a fire onboard a ferry which caused a two-hour blackout, accident investigators have ruled.

The incident occurred onboard the Brittany Ferries ro-ro Normandie in April 2016, during a regular crossing from Ouistreham to Portsmouth, with 2,123 passengers and 137 crew.

The French marine casualties investigation board BEAmer said a Schneider Electric technician was on the ship to carry out maintenance of four electric circuit breakers.

He suffered serious burns when there was a violent electric flash on the main board, with the second flash causing a fire. Another crew member had to be taken to hospital to be

treated for the effects of smoke.

The technician — a former seafarer who had worked for Schneider Electric for 20 years — told investigators that he probably caused a short-circuit, but could not recall what he had done.

Investigators said that while the technical reasons for the initial shortcircuit could not be determined, they were unable to rule out an isolation problem on the main board.

BEAmer noted that the technician was not wearing safety equipment which would have minimised the chest, face and arm injuries that he suffered.

And the report says the ship’s chief engineer — who had been in the role for only one year — had put too much confidence in the technician, leading to an incomplete risk analysis.

Propeller loss prompts plan to raise standards F

New Zealand is to seek stricter global standards for large diameter propellers following an investigation into an incident in which an inter-island ferry lost a propeller in the Cook Strait.

The incident occurred on 5 November 2013 while the 17,186gt ro-pax ferry Aratere was sailing from Picton to Wellington when the starboard propeller shaft fractured and the propeller was lost. The ship had to complete the crossing using its port propulsion system only.

Investigators said the propellers had been replaced in 2011 as part of a programme to lengthen the ship and modify the bow and stern to improve its sea-keeping characteristics.

However, they found the ship’s owner — KiwiRail — had failed to produce documentary evidence to

12-13_h+s.indd 12

show whether appropriate checks and balances had been put in place to ensure that the new propellers were well fitted.

Analysis showed that the shaft had failed as a result of a fatigue fracture, with the crack originating in an area of fretting on the shaft taper just inside the bore of the propeller hub.

The fretting was likely to have been the result of a sub-optimal fit of the new propeller onto the existing tail shaft, the report concluded.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission report recommends a review of the current international standards for manufacturing large-diameter marine propellers, to ensure they are appropriate for modern, highefficiency propellers that operate closer to cavitation margins.

MCA to revise Code of Safe Working Practices after fatality on UK cargoship

P

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency is set to amend the Code of Safe Working Practices for merchant seafarers (COSWP) following the death of a chief officer in a fall onboard a UK-flagged general cargoship.

Laur Marin — a Romanian national, who was also the ship’s safety officer — died in May last year when he fell from a heavy steel crankshaft web which was being repositioned in the cargo hold of the 9,530gt Carisbrookevessel Johanna C in the port of Songkhla, Thailand.

The 400 tonnes of crankshaft webs — which each weighed between 37 and 46 tonnes — and 506 tonnes of steel pipes had to be transferred to put the ship on an

even keel draft before it sailed for the port of Xinhui, in China.

A UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report said the officer had lost his balance and fallen 1.35m to the deck following the sudden and unexpected movement of the crankshaft web as it was lifted by crane.

Mr Marin had climbed onto the cargo and was holding one of the slackened slings with his right hand while directing the crane driver by radio and hand signals to heave up slowly.

Investigators said the lifting slings may have slipped from their intended positions as they tensioned, but the report also notes that it was ‘inherently unsafe and unnecessary for the chief officer to stand on top of the

cargo while it was being lifted’.

The report says the master and chief officer had reportedly conducted a risk assessment for the cargo shift, but they had not recorded it. The risks of standing on a load under tension had either been not recognised or ignored.

The MAIB said Carisbrooke crews regularly conduct cargo shifting operations, with provisions in the charter party enabling them to undertake additional work at supplementary pay rates, unless prohibited by local labour laws.

Working on top of the cargo was seen as routine practice onboard Johanna C, the report points out, and it adds that ‘the general lack of adherence to cargo procedures, which was probably

influenced by a “can-do” attitude and the attraction of financial reward, is of concern’.

The current COSWP does not specifically warn against standing on top of a load being lifted, and the MCA has drafted proposed amendments for the next review of the Code, early this year.

The MAIB said that in view of these proposals, and because of post-accident action by Carisbrooke Shipping, it had decided not to make any recommendations as a result of the investigation.

The report said the crew had responded promptly and positively after the accident, but despite their efforts Mr Marin died in hospital shore as a result of bleeding and chest injuries.

Massive Maersk order for UK firm by a former ship’s officer has F secured a major deal to supply safety A UK company established

equipment for the bridge of Madrid Maersk, left, the first of Maersk Line’s 11 second-generation Triple-E class vessels.

South Shields-based Solar Solve Marine is supplying its Solasafe roller sunscreens to be fitted to the 69 bridge windows on the 19,630TEU vessel, which is being built at the Daewoo yard Okpo, South Korea, with delivery due in April.

The screens will protect crew from the hazards of solar glare and radiation and comply with the latest SOLAS recommendations to enhance the working environment on a vessel’s navigation bridge.

18/01/2017 14:55

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

‘Everyone failed’ in Zeebrugge collision Nautilus shocked by report on loss of Dutch cargoship following incident involving LNG carrier

P

Nautilus has expressed concern about the findings of an investigation into an accident off Belgium in which a Dutch-flagged ship sank following a collision with an LNG tanker.

Deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek said he was shocked by the report, which highlights a series of failings by watchkeepers, pilots and vessel traffic services.

The 6,577gt Flinterstar started sinking almost immediately after the collision with the 136,685gt gas carrier Al Oraiq off the port of Zeebrugge in October 2015.

The ship’s pilot and 11 crew were rescued by other vessels, and one was taken to hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

A salvage operation to remove the wreck was completed in September 2016.

Belgium’s accident investigation report blames the collision on a lack of full situational awareness by the bridge teams and pilots onboard both ships.

Flinterstar’s OOW and pilot failed to fully assess the traffic situation when sailing outbound in the Scheur/Wielingen fairway and they were unaware that the LNG carrier was inbound in the same waterway, the report notes.

The ‘relaxed atmosphere’ on the bridge meant they had only spotted the other ship less than a

The Dutch ship Flinterstar following the collision off Zeebrugge Picture: Belgian transport ministry

minute before the collision.

And investigators said the two coastal pilots and bridge team on Al Oraiq also had very little situational awareness, wrongly assessing the traffic situation and the vessel’s speed and distance from the S3 buoy before deciding to overtake another ship.

The report says the gas tanker’s master and OOW had been distracted from the navigation as

they were reviewing the mooring arrangements in the port of Zeebrugge. There was no dialogue between them and the pilots about the overtaking manoeuvre —indeed, investigators said, it was not clear whether they were even aware of it.

Al Oraiq’s two pilots spoke in Dutch and also carried out all their communications with other ships and shore authorities in

Dutch, even though the ship’s crew were eastern European and Filipino, the report points out.

Zeebrugge VTS had also failed to intervene to avert the collision, investigations revealed. ‘The VTS operators on duty at the time were merely observing the situation, and were not proactively participating using all means put at their disposal,’ the report states.

Masters ‘compromised’

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be dramatically reduced F if 12 consistent human factors

Maritime accidents could

are addressed, according to new guidance from the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

The issues — aptly named ‘the deadly dozen’ — are highlighted in an M-Notice that seeks to raise awareness of the most common people-related accident causes. It is accompanied by tips and learning points which, if managed effectively, have the potential to make dramatic improvements to maritime safety.

MGN 520(M) says Confidential Human Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) near-miss reports from 2003 to 2015 show that lack of awareness of what’s happening around seafarers is the biggest human factor affecting maritime safety — accounting for 22.5% of incidents. To combat the issues, it says that seafarers should look out for problems and not assume everything is fine or to put someone in a position beyond their capability.

The CHIRP statistics also show that more than 15% of incidents occur as a consequence of seafarers not speaking up when they should and miscommunication accounts for 13.4% of incidents’ Other factors identified are complacency (12.6%), culture (11.4%), local practices (7.4%), teamwork (6.8%), capability (4.9%), pressure (1.9%), distractions (1.8%), fatigue (1.2%) and being fit for duty (0.8%).

Nautilus professional and technical officer David Appleton welcomed the advice, but said it would only be useful if appropriate manning levels are in place. ‘It is also worth noting that the very low figure apportioned to fatigue is due to unrealistic regulatory definition rather than its absence,’ he added. g See feature — page 27.

Call for improved CCTV for better CCTV monitoring of F passenger areas onboard cruiseships.

Nautilus has repeated its calls

The Union has been pressing owners to install more CCTV units on ferries and cruiseships following an increasing number of unexplained passenger disappearances.

In the latest, a 74-year-old passenger went missing from the

F

Danish marine accident investigators have warned about the way in which the authority of ship masters is being compromised by commercial interests.

The concern is voiced in a report on an incident in January 2016 in which a jack-up platform being towed by a Maltese-flagged tug had to be evacuated by its crew after the towline broke in rough seas off the coast of Jutland.

The 3,776gt Sea Worker — which had been used to support windfarm installation operations — was declared a total loss after grounding when the AHTS Amber II was unable to reconnect the tow using emergency equipment.

The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) concluded that the immediate cause of the incident was the towing pennant breaking as a result of overload caused by the strains created by high winds, waves and strong currents. It said the general towing arrangement had been under-sized for the operation to tow the platform from Frederikshavn to Esbjerg.

Investigators noted that, in the past, advice or instructions given to pilots by Zeebrugge VTS ‘have often been ill-received’ — resulting in VTS officers refraining from offering advice or instructions to ships in their monitored blocks.

The report expresses concern about the ‘multitude of rules and regulations’ governing marine traffic in the Scheldt region — and in particular the ‘exceptional status’ giving large LNG tankers right of way under almost any circumstance.

The report recommends that these arrangements are withdrawn, and it also calls for English to be used as the sole language for all ship to shore and ship to ship communications in the Scheldt region.

It also calls for mandatory training for pilots and VTS operators to improve communications and the sharing of safety information.

Mr van den Broek said he hoped the investigation lead to effective remedial action. ‘The findings are appalling,’ he said.

‘There were failures at every level and everything that could go wrong did go wrong. There was a lack of attention, a lack of communication and a lack of taking responsibility,’ he added.

‘This is a shocking report and everyone needs to learn from it.’

MCA takes on ‘deadly dozen’

Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 , some 100nm off New Jersey, prompting a major search and rescue operation involving US Coast Guard helicopters and aircraft.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘An effective CCTV monitoring system would remove all doubt and indicate a time for SAR operations.’

The jack-up platform Sea Worker was declared a total loss after its tow broke off the Danish coast Picture: DMAIB

But the report also noted that a number of organisational issues were key contributory factors. Divided responsibilities for planning and conducting the project, along with fragmented allocation of authority, had resulted in problems becoming more complex and difficult to overcome, it added.

‘It was not until the organisation ran out of solutions to seemingly

isolated problems that the involved persons realised that the towage operation had changed from a manageable operational situation into an emergency,’ the DMAIB said.

‘When the emergency was evident to all involved, the ship was too close to shore, which meant that the response time for help exceeded the expected time for when the platform would drift aground.’

The report pointed to the ‘complicated overlap of authority’ between the masters on the tug and the platform, noting how ‘the traditional idea of the master as a central, over-riding authority’ is compromised by conflicting goals of commercial interests and safety. ‘Both can influence the master’s perception of his professionalism and his continued employment,’ it added.

18/01/2017 14:55

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports CREW RESCUED: nine crew members were rescued from a flag of convenience ship which ran aground and partially sank on the rocky coast of Andros, Greece, last month. Hellenic Coast Guard officials said the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged Cabrera had grounded while en route from the Greek port of Larimna to Torino, Finland. A naval helicopter rescued the crew of four Filipinos, three Poles, one Ukrainian and one Lithuanian national.

STRANDED SEAFARERS: four Pakistani seafarers from a crew of 17 who were stranded for four months onboard a Kuwaiti-flagged cargoship detained in Egypt for non-payment of dues were allowed to return home last month. Pakistan’s government has been urged to secure the release of the remaining 13 crew from the 5,448gt Akkaz, which had been on charter to a Dutch company.

MASTER ARRESTED: Indonesian police arrested the master of an inter-island ferry after 24 people died when the vessel caught fire off Jakarta last month. Initial reports claimed that more than 230 people were onboard the Zahro Express, but the manifest showed that only 100 were registered as passengers, along with six crewmen.

LATVIAN LINK: Swedish Orient Line is opening a new weekly ro-ro route between Ventpils (Latvia), Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Tilbury (UK) from the end of January. Cargo types accommodated on the new route include trailers, shipper own containers, and other rolling cargo as well as break-bulk cargo loaded on roll trailers.

Maersk pressed over AHTS losses French minister calls for an urgent investigation into sinking of two vessels

by Jeff Apter

P

France has called for Denmark to carry out an urgent investigation of the circumstances in which two Maersk offshore support vessels sank off the country’s coast while being towed to be scrapped in Turkey.

The unmanned and decommissioned AHTS vessels Maersk Searcher and Maersk Shipper foundered in force 3 winds on 22 December while being towed from Denmark by the Danishflagged AHTS Maersk Battler.

The French authorities had been notified that Maersk Searcher had sunk some 60nm off Brittany after taking on

water, and that Maersk Shipper had capsized 10nm away before sinking shortly afterwards. The vessels are estimated to be in water depths of 140m to 155m.

Maersk Supply Service said both vessels had been emptied of fuel and lubricants in preparation for scrapping.

However, the French Atlantic maritime prefecture said that its investigations had shown each of the two hulls contained about 100 cu m of hydrocarbon residues.

In addition, flights over the site of the sinkings had twice detected some discoloration of the sea, although this had rapidly disappeared through evaporation and wave action.

The French environmental organisation Mor Glaz claimed that the two hulls had contained substantial amounts of heavy fuel oil and should not have been authorised to leave for demolition in Turkey.

Mor Glaz said it wanted to know why Maersk Battler had not been ordered to divert to the port of Brest so that its crew could be questioned. And another French green group, Robin des Bois, said the tow should not have been undertaken through the Bay of Biscay at a time of high risk of adverse weather conditions.

The maritime prefecture said it had asked Maersk to carry out a thorough investigation of the two wrecks to determine the nature of

Indian call for clarity on tax law

ROCKET ATTACK: seven Pakistani seafarers were reported to have been killed when a rocket hit the Iranian general cargoship Jouya 8 off the coast of Yemen, while the vessel was en route from Egypt to Dubai. The ship’s chief officer survived after jumping into the sea and swimming ashore.

HOSTAGES FREED: three Russian crew members kidnapped by pirates from the Greek merchant vessel Saronic Breeze off the coast of Cotonou, west Africa, have been released in a satisfactory condition and have been repatriated, according to the Russian foreign affairs ministry.

unions have urged the country’s F government to put an end to legal India’s two main seafaring

GREEK GROWTH: the Greek merchant fleet grew by 6.5% in numerical terms and 10.3% in deadweight tonnage last year. The country’s fleet now stands at 5,230 ships totalling 355.9m dwt, with the average age falling from 14.7 years in 2012 to 12.2 years now.

PRIDE RESTORED: the former P&O ferry Pride of Portsmouth — now the 33,336gt SNAV Lazio — is being used by the Italian operator Gran Navi Veloci to reopen its service between the French port of Sète and Nador, in Morocco.

JAPAN SINKING: all 26 crew from the 6,558gt North Korean cargoship Chong Gen were rescued after the vessel sank off the coast of Japan last month.

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14-15_int.indd 14

the damage sustained and their condition, and to carry out the necessary actions ‘to avert any serious potential danger to the environment’.

And French environment minister Ségolène Royal has written to her opposite number in Denmark to call for a ‘prompt investigation by the competent authorities’ — which should include the involvement of French experts. She said Maersk had been asked to provide the towing certificates for the two hulls.

Maersk said it was carrying out its own investigation into the cause of the incident and was fully cooperating with the French authorities.

Open first for Northern Sea Route Valparaiso, pictured above, A has become the first vessel to sail

The 17,634gt heavylift ship HHL

open hatch through the Northern Sea Route as it delivered two huge ship-to-shore (STS) cranes to a port in the Russian far east.

Owned by the German operator Hansa Heavy Lift (HHL), the Liberianflagged ship carried the cranes — each weighing 820 tonnes and

measuring 61m high and 92m wide — from St Petersburg to the port of Vostochny.

HHL project and transport engineer Heinrich Nagrelli said the voyage had required careful planning and the use of highly experienced seafarers.

‘Due to the STS’s very high centre of gravity at 30m above deck and 70m air draft, as well as draft

restriction of 7.7m, a careful and detailed plan was needed from the start,’ he explained.

‘This included a load spreading design and a structural analysis of the hatch covers and lower hold, a lifting stability assessment, a lifting simulation, and the approval of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, as well as the arranging of ice-breaker assistance.’

Canadian cabotage protests A

International Transport Workers’ Federation leaders have spoken out in support of Canadian union calls for tougher controls against the use of foreign crews in the country’s cabotage trades.

Rallies were held in Montreal, Toronto, Prince Rupert, Victoria and Vancouver in protest at Canadian government attacks on the current

regulatory restrictions. They follow a decision, late last year, by the operator Woodward Coastal Shipping to lay off 104 Canadian seafarers and to bring in foreign crews.

ITF president Paddy Crumlin commented: ‘Cabotage is a no-brainer.

Its merits are obvious. To attempt to roll it back in a country like Canada where it has been proved to be so valuable is

baffling. It defies logic.’

ITF general secretary Steve Cotton added: ‘We’re glad to see the ITF standing as part of this important national initiative that seeks to keep Canada strong, skilled and employed.

Cabotage protects jobs, coastal communities and even national security, all concepts that Canadians understand and support.’

confusion over the tax status of their members.

The National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) and the Maritime Union of India (MUI) have jointly called for seafarers to be given tax relief for overseas earnings following a recent ‘landmark’ ruling by the Kolkata tax appeal tribunal.

The court held that income earned by an engineer officer for 286 days of overseas work for a foreign shipping company is not liable to be taxed in India.

The unions have asked the finance ministry to issue a circular to clarify that ‘taxation of such hard-earned income of seafarers who spend months away from their families is not justified by merely on the grounds that they bring back such incomes to India’.

$2.7m ‘magic pipe’ fines have been fined a total of F US$2.7m and put on probation for five Two Greek shipping companies

years in the latest case involving illicit ‘magic pipe’ oily waste discharges.

The penalties were imposed on Oceanfleet Shipping and Oceanic Illsabe, the operator and owner of the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Hope, which was found to have made illegal discharges for at least six months in 2015.

The ship’s chief engineer was sentenced to 12 months in prison in December, and the second engineer received a nine month sentence for their role in the waste dumping.

18/01/2017 16:51

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports STRAITS SMASH: an investigation was launched last month after two containerships collided off the Malaysian port of Pasir Gudang, A major clean-up operation was mounted after some 300 tonnes of bunker oil leaked from a damaged tank on the Gibraltarflagged APL Denver following the collision with the Singapore-registered Wan Hai 301. Each of the two owners were ordered to pay a RM1m ($223,000) bond towards the costs of the counter-pollution work.

Australian union welcomes first LNG ferry Power Engineers (AIMPE) has welcomed A the introduction into service of the LNG-powered The Australian Institute of Marine and

ferry Searoad Mersey II on the route between Melbourne and Devonport, Tasmania.

Built by Flensburger in Germany, the Australian-flagged and Australian-crewed ship is the first to operate in the country’s coastal trades using LNG fuel and is the first pure dry cargo ship

in the world to use a roll-on roll-off LNG supply system.

The 24,409gt Searoad Mersey II replaces a 7,928gt vessel on the Bass Strait freight service, boosting capacity with the ability to carry up to 80 trailers, 110 cars and light vehicles, hazardous cargo and livestock. The dual-fuel vessel has twin MaK M46DF main engines and a service speed of 20.5 knots.

AIMPE has congratulated Searoad for the courage to make the A$110m (£68m) investment in the vessel at a time when most sectors of Australia’s coastal shipping industry have been in decline. ‘The number of Australian-registered major trading ships licensed for Australia’s coastal trades is down to 12, so the arrival of a new Australian flag ship gives a much-needed boost to morale,’ said federal secretary Martin Byrne.

French protest at UK bunker move Marseilles seafarers strike over plan to switch contract to Whitaker Tankers

by Jeff Apter

P

French seafarers staged strike action last month over fears that their jobs were at risk as a result of a plan to switch a bunkering contract to the UK firm John H. Whitaker (Tankers).

The CGT officers’ and ratings’ union began the stoppage to protest at Esso’s failure to renew the contract for the Marseillesbased bunker supply vessel Cap Pinède, owned by the French firm Compagnie Maritima. They said the move would mean the loss of 18 of the 47 seafaring jobs at the company.

Unions complained Esso’s decision represented ‘social dumping’ in the French shipping industry, setting a precedent

that could affect many more jobs. ‘We have nothing against competition, but we want it to be carried out with the same social and technical constraints as ours,’ said CFDT union rep Nicolas Errani.

‘We have nothing against foreigners, we just want them to have a contract of employment under French law.’

The strike was called off after three weeks when the unions said they had secured guarantees about the sustainability of the operations for the next two years.

The dispute comes at a time when the French unions have won concessions from the government and oil transporters to favour the use of Frenchflagged ships to carry domestic oil cargoes.

The CGT and CFDT unions welcomed the third version of the amended 1992 oil carriage law — which will require 5.5% of all oil products to be shipped on French vessels — although they say the ‘final’ version should go further in establishing their long-term aim for a strategic French oil fleet.

The decree is due to come into effect on 1 July 2017 — one year behind schedule — and will stipulate that 20% of the refined products should be carried on vessels of under 20,000gt, in a bid to maintain a mixed fleet. z The unions have also welcomed a decision by the French containership company CMA CGM to offer ratings the chance to train to become officers.

The company said the new policy would lead to an increase in the

number of French officers it employs. z Representatives from the CGT and CFDT unions have demonstrated in the port of Dunkirk over a decision by the French seismic vessel operator CGG to re-flag its 12,812gt research vessel Geo Coral.

The unions fear the ship is being switched to the Norwegian register after CGG broke off its crewing contract with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs for a joint venture with Norwegian partner Eidedvik. CFDT delegate Oriane Higuelin said that while the French government claimed it wanted to boost the maritime sector, and CGG had been recapitalised with taxpayers’ money, jobs and the French flag were being jeopardised.

Danish crews going digital F

Brittany promises cleanest ship in UK what it claims will be ‘one of the cleanest, most A environmentally-friendly ships to operate in UK waters’ French operator Brittany Ferries has ordered

— an LNG-powered ro-pax, pictured above.

Due to be launched in 2019, the 42,000gt ship will be built by Flensburger in Germany and will operate

14-15_int.indd 15

alongside the cruise ferry Mont St Michel on the service between Portsmouth and Caen, which provides up to three daily return sailings.

The 185m vessel will be capable of carrying up to 1,680 passengers, 130 freight trailers, or 550 cars and 64 freight trailers.

Denmark is doing away with paper discharge books and is making all its seafarer service records digital.

The move has been welcomed by the CO-Søfart union and the country’s shipowners, who say it will reduce paperwork by removing the mandatory reporting of signing on and off for Danish ships with effect from 1 January this year.

Danish Maritime Administration officials say the new system will also make it faster and easier for seafarers to verify their seagoing service before applying for certificates.

SURFER SAVED: a surfer in distress some 3nm from the Australian coast was rescued by the crew of a 6,400TEU containership last month. The Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel Damla recovered the Japanese tourist after he had survived a night at sea in choppy conditions. He was given dry clothes and food, and wrapped in blankets until he was transferred to a pilot vessel from Port Kembla and taken ashore.

ITALIAN AID: the European Commission has given the green light to an Italian government scheme to shift domestic freight from the country’s roads to shortsea shipping. The €138m Marebonus package aims to cut pollution and ease transport congestion by providing support for new shipping services or upgrading existing operations. The Commission has ruled that the scheme is in line with the EU’s state aid guidelines.

NIGERIAN JOBS: Nigeria’s maritime sector has lost 6,000 jobs as a consequence of the economic downturn, the president of the country’s Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) has warned. Emmanuel Nted called for government action to address the problems, pointing out that the union has been forced to accept marginal pay increases and cuts in working conditions to head off redundancy threats.

FATAL COLLISION: an investigation has been launched after 11 people died when a 13,100TEU containership collided with a small passenger vessel off the coast of Peru last month. Twelve survivors were rescued from the water after the collision between the Panama-flagged MSC Regulus and the Ecuadorian vessel Don Gerado II. CRUISE ORDERS: at least 97 new cruiseships are expected to enter service between 2017 and 2026, according to a new industry report. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said companies are set to bring 26 new ocean, river and specialty ships into operation this year and passenger numbers are expected to rise to 25.3m.

ETV ALERT: a Dutch emergency towing vessel was called to the aid of a containership which lost 15 boxes in severe conditions in the North Sea last month. The Dutch Coastguard sent the ETV Guardian to assist the Marshall Islands-flagged Red Cedar, which was sailing from the Germany to Antwerp at the time.

STRIKE OFF: Icelandic shipping company Eimskip has averted an industrial action by its crews following agreement on a three-year pay deal for members of the Iceland Seaman’s Union.

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18/01/2017 15:58

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 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

Follow us on Twitter

There’s no point in technology if it doesn’t work 60s, you were considered a good F AB if you were good with a marline spike

employment, not a marline spike or a knowledge of boxing the compass to quarter points. I recently had the pleasure of applying for a job here in Australia. It took me two hours to fill out the ‘online application’ which is all the company would accept.

Having completed it. I pressed submit form and nothing happened.

I tried this twice more without success, so I pressed the refresh button and subsequently lost all the work! I complained to the company and suggested that if they use this technology they should ensure that it works properly but they ignored my email. So I guess I remain unemployed.

My, how times have changed!

Captain CLIVE ROLFE mem no 164162

When I went to sea back in the

and knew your way round the decks of general cargo ships with 20-plus derricks.

If a ship sailed short-handed the AB or ship’s officer would jump onboard at the last minute even if it was going through the pier heads. It didn’t matter who he was as long as he had a ticket.

I’ve seen ABs having just paid off a previous deepsea ship wake up onboard a ship after sobering up with no knowledge how he got there. Only to find out he was rounded up by a Pool official the night before just to get the ship away!

In the 21st century the seafarer needs a laptop in order to gain

Unions should press for a lower retirement age I would be very happy if, once and F for all, we could lower the retirement

Filipino seafarer died in the port of Genoa during mooring operations.

We absolutely have to lower the retirement age for all mariners, and it is not the first time I write these things.

The unions are the ones who have the obligation to make this happen.

Capt L.C. RUM LORIS

I am a captain and I am aged 59.

age for all mariners. In my opinion, this should not exceed 60 or 62 years.

With advancing age, safety at work is no longer guaranteed. Only a few days before I write this, a 61-year-old

Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you think your employer’s commitment to training could be described as good?

Yes 58%

No 42%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think the offshore support vessel industry can recover from the current sector downturn? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

Share your Balmoral memories and win a prize!

A

January’s Telegraph reported that the famous pleasure cruiser Balmoral, named National Historic Flagship 2016, is facing a cash crisis and may never sail in the Bristol Channel and call at ports around the UK again unless the fund-raising lifeboats are launched.

Now we are asking Telegraph readers to share their memories of this iconic vessel, which has called at more British harbours and ports than any other.

Let us have your stories of cruises on MV Balmoral, or on the paddle steamers of yesteryear,

and you could win a VIP tour of the ship at its berth in Bristol City Docks and lunch or early dinner for two at The Bristol, a luxurious Doyle Collection hotel right on the waterfront.

The best story will also win a day out for a family of four from your nearest MV Balmoral port of call if the ship is able to sail again next summer.

Please send your letters and photographs with your name, address and telephone number to Nigel Heath, Media-Consult, The Cottage, Common Road, Mitchel Troy, Monmouthshire, NP25 4JB, by 15 March 2017. Email entries to:

balmoralmemories@sky.com.

Please note that the prize of a hotel meal does not include beverages and that photographs will not be returned, so only send copies. g If you would like to help save our ship, please visit www.mvbalmoral.org.uk for details of how you can make a donation. The MV Balmoral Fund (Registered Charity No 1155339) will receive 90% of all money donated — the remaining 10% will cover the costs of administration and promotion of this appeal.

NIGEL HEATH

Seaman Guard Ohio injustice: stronger action needed from UK P

It is now more than three years since the anti-piracy vessel Seaman Guard Ohio — a provider of armed escort services to commercial vessels sailing through the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean — was intercepted by the Indian Coastguard off Tuticorin and her 35-man crew (10 seafarers and 25 armed guards) arrested. Her multinational crew included six UK ex-service personnel.

The Indian authorities were well aware of the ship’s anti-piracy role and had, in fact, carried out an inspection of the vessel at sea. All weaponry was properly registered, declared and in a locked armoury.

After a plethora of ‘legal’ proceedings, conditional bail was granted in March 2014 to all except the master and a UK guard, who remained in jail, and in July 2014 the Madras High Court quashed all charges against the crew and the men were released. However, the Tamil Nadu police refused to return their passports, so the men could not leave India. In August 2014 the state of Tamil Nadu appealed against the High Court judgement and after further prolonged legal proceedings the men were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

Human Rights at Sea states: ‘In the absence of any order of stay of the impugned judgement of the High Court, the state of Tamil Nadu is bound to implement

the order to set the crew free and provide them with their liberty.

Their failure to do so amounts to contempt of court, and violates the rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India.’

Following representation to the government through my local MP, the minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma responded: ‘While we are unable to interfere in another country’s legal processes, I can assure you since the men’s detention we have made clear to the Indian

authorities our interest in the case, and the importance of ensuring that it is resolved as quickly as possible.’

Recent reports suggest that at least two of the UK prisoners in Chennai jail have attempted suicide, the health of the men is deteriorating quickly, their families face financial ruin, houses have been repossessed and the only financial support they get is from the Mission to Seafarers and Veterans Aid (UK).

Undoubtedly, these men are

being unlawfully detained and face at least four more years in the hell of Chennai prison unless a more robust approach is made to the Indian government. It should be made clear that a proportion of the financial aid we pay to this country will be diverted to support the families of these unfortunate individuals — and that this financial aid will be further curtailed unless their plight is resolved.

Captain C.R. KELSO, MBE, FNI mem no 311655

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The Nautilus Pensions Association is a pressure group and support organisation that: z provides a new focal point for seafarer pensioners — increasing their influence within, and knowledge of, the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund and other schemes within the industry z serves as a channel for professional advice on all kinds of pensions, as well as offering specific information on legal and government developments on pensions, and supporting the Union in lobbying the government as required

z provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for advice on other organisations providing support and assistance to pensioners z offers a range of specialised services and benefits tailored to meet the needs of retired members z operates as a democratic organisation, being a Nautilus Council body — with the secretary and secretariat provided by the Union

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18/01/2017 12:19

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Well done to Princess whistle blower

telegraph

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

www.thefreakywave.com

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I could scarcely believe what I was reading when I got to the piece on Princess Cruises’ flagrant abuse of international conventions in your last issue.

I wouldn’t want to be an apologist for the Cunard and P&O companies when they still existed as independent companies, but the culture of their managements and their crews was such that it is inconceivable they would have tolerated such outrageous regulatory avoidance.

The whistleblower, given the levels of contemporary corporate deceit, mendacity and contempt for employees, has been courageous.

He/she has also set a wonderful example of old-fashioned honesty and integrity. Surely an outstanding candidate for the ‘seafarer of the year’ award. Congratulations, too, to the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the US Coast Guard. It’s not a small

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thing for a regulator constantly up against self-interested complainants, well connected politically, to take on a corporation the size of Carnival.

Professor TONY LANE Ex-seafarer Former Director, Seafarers International Research Centre Cardiff University

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P

Only in the UK could this happen — the British supply vessel operators and British crews are desperate for work and the British government gave away a five-year contract for an emergency towing vessel to an Italian-flagged ship.

Five weeks is a long contract in today’s market and the government gave away five years’ work. This would not happen in Brazil, Canada, America, Norway, France or Germany. Even here in Nigeria, where I am working, there is 60% cabotage.

We are an island nation and we need to protect our shores with British ships and British crews. Gulf Offshore is just one company that could have fulfilled the ETV contract with no problems.

It has been said that it was to

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Shame on Britain for foreign ETV contract I put the following on Facebook and in less than 24 hours I had over 100 ‘likes’, 17 comments and 15 shares.

I see the British government have contracted in for five years a new Scottish emergency towing vessel, owned by Italian shipping company Marnavi and managed

by Ardent Marine Netherlands.

It’s a shame all the British AHTs and crews are so busy these days, otherwise they could have done the job.

The shipping minister, John Hayes, commented: ‘I welcome the arrival of our new tug boat. Marine safety is of the greatest importance to the UK government.’

Obviously jobs for British seafarers in British waters is not important.

do with EU regulations that this contract had to go to the world’s market. In the 80s when the offshore industry was fighting for survival it was an open secret that the Norwegian government subsidised Norwegian shipowners on crew costs to keep them in work.

Stop playing by the rules: look after your own. Have the Union made any comments on this to government or are they restrained because we are linked to the Dutch union and it’s a Dutch company with the work?

DAVID BLAND mem no 156090

The general secretary replies: Nautilus has indeed made representations about this charter to the MCH and we await a response.

OUT NOW

Education is the best remedy for pollution A

Having completed a postgraduate research dissertation that considered the anthropogenic relocation of non-indigenous invasive marine species, it was necessary for me to consider the impact of the proposed impending ballast water convention. With this in mind, I can assure Stan McNally, (Letters, January Telegraph) that there is a greater likelihood of freezing Loch Lomond by the weekly addition of a single ice cube, rather than the anticipation of sterilising 1.3 billion cubic kilometres of our world’s oceans as he anticipates.

Although sterilisation is an absurd concept, it is quite the opposite that should raise concern at this very moment and the continuing ‘ad nauseum’ is the sad fact that somewhere in our oceans there will be vessels happily engaged in the discharge of oily bilge water, sludge,

pilotage in the investigation F report on the accident involving the

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untreated sewage, tank washings, and non-biodegradable refuse into the sea, and it’s unlikely that they will ever be challenged.

What we do know is that if the offenders are identified, the penalties are severe. The harm, however, will have already been done.

It can only be hoped that those responsible for the training of our future seafarers can ensure that a respect for the environment upon which they have chosen to serve forms an essential part of their curriculum.

For those of us who have hung up our shifting spanners, there are marine conservation societies who would welcome our experience and assistance towards public awareness in regard to the cleanliness of our oceans and beaches.

DAVID PARNELL BSc(Hons), MIBMS mem no 137996

Local laws inhibit crew from acting when pilot is wrong After reading the findings about

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STAFF editor: Andrew Linington senior reporter: Sarah Robinson reporter: Steven Kennedy Dutch correspondent: Hans Walthie production editor: June Cattini-Walker

Dutch cargoship Flinterstar and the gas tanker Al-Oraiq, I would like to point out a problem which, in my opinion, is contributing to the phenomenon in which ships’ crews are leaving it all to the pilot.

I had severe problems with a Canadian pilot some years ago as I intervened during pilotage going up to the Great Lakes. In my opinion, the pilot made a mistake and endangered the safety of the ship and her crew.

The pilot stopped the ship and I had to wait 24 hours for another pilot, and a fine had to be paid as the local pilot law states that the pilot must have the con, even when he does not have the responsibility. As soon as the ship’s crew intervenes, the pilot claims he has lost the con and the ship has a problem.

The same happened several years

later in Israel and I had to apologise, in writing, to the pilot before we could proceed alongside.

As ship’s crew, we do not know all the local pilot laws and regulations and we have to be careful with intervening with a pilot, as it may give a lot of problems even when you are right.

This may be a reason why ships’ crew are not doing what they should do, as they are afraid of local regulations even when international regulations are clear about it.

In Africa I did not have problems, but several discussions in which the pilot also claimed that he should have the con at all times. However, they were not able to provide written proof, as they did in Canada and Israel.

I feel that such factors may have been one of the reasons why the crews of Flinterstar and Al-Oraiq didn’t do anything before the collision.

Capt HENK EIJKENAAR mem no 1184039

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.

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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.

18/01/2017 12:19

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NAUTILUS CAMPAIGNS

The 10-point plan to get shipping back on track

Nautilus celebrated 10 days of Christmas online in December with a different image representing each of the 10 points in the Charter for Jobs. These images will be used thought the next two years as the Union targets activities around achieving every one of the points

Nautilus Charter for Jobs: a monthly guide This month, the Telegraph turns its attention to the second section of the Nautilus Charter for Jobs SOS — ‘O’ for Opportunities — which gets to the heart of the Union’s work to protect jobs, skills and the future of the UK maritime industry with proposals to: Maximise the employment of British seafarers in the UK, especially in: • coastal shipping • passenger and freight ferry services • offshore windfarms • offshore oil and gas exploration and decommissioning

BUILD YOUR CAREER WITH A SLATER SCHOLARSHIP The Slater Scholarship offers a bursary of up to £17,500 for Merchant Navy ratings, electrotechnical officers and yacht crew to study for the STCW officer of the watch qualification (either deck or engineer).

Apply now! marine-society.org/slater slater@ms-sc.org Administered by the

18_campaigns_SR edit.indd 18

P

When the UK voted for Brexit in June last year, many of those voting in favour were doing so to because of a desire to protect the future for workers in Britain. However, this will not happen unless the government actively supports UK industry and workers.

So, the third point in the Union’s Charter for Jobs calls on government and industry to ensure that they maximise all new opportunities which arise post-Brexit — and that means starting work now to ensure the industry is ready to take up those opportunities as they arise.

Maritime skills are highly transferable, both between sectors and from sea to shore, and with the support of the UK government and a commitment from UK shipping companies, UK seafarers — our members — are well equipped to take up any opportunities which arise.

The Charter for Jobs specifically highlights three areas where Nautilus believes the government should increase investment and support.

The offshore oil and gas sector remains the largest single sector employing UK seafarers, but thousands of jobs in the North Sea have been lost since the start of the downturn in the oil price in 2014. Offshore construction vessels, supply vessels and standby vessels operating in the area have all seen a reduction in the number of seafarers employed.

Seafarers operating in the North Sea possess a unique skillset due to the often unpredictable nature of the waters. Despite the high levels of North Sea seafarers currently seeking work, Nautilus was disappointed by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s recent announcement to award the contract for a new emergency towing vessel to an Italian company.

As the UK is still in the European Union, the awarding of this contract to a European company is valid — however, Nautilus believes that the government could have demonstrated a commitment to the future of the UK outside of the EU by awarding the contract to a UK-based company.

The Union has repeatedly highlighted the UK’s lack of emergency response capability and the shortage of border agency support, alongside the

corresponding number of seafarers and vessels currently being laid up. Nautilus will continue to press this obvious opportunity to address a number of issues with one answer.

There are also significant opportunities available through the development of the coastal shipping sector — a sector which other European countries already utilise to a much greater extent than the UK. By increasing the proportion of domestic freight being moved on water and promoting modal shift, many maritime jobs would be created.

The European ferry trades are one of the few remaining strongholds of employment for UK seafarers, but the sector has become increasingly exposed to tough competition from lower cost operators employing cheaper foreign crews.

The government should act now to stop unfair employment practices which lead to unfair competition providing at least a level playing field for UK seafarers.

Government policy measures are required to prevent further erosion of terms and conditions, and to increase employment and training opportunities for UK seafarers in the UK ferry sector. The government must also improve existing support mechanisms to combat social dumping in British waters, and last month’s Westminster Hall debate showed that there is growing support among MPs for such action to be taken.

The Union is also calling on the government to consider the reintroduction of duty free on passenger ferry routes between the UK and the EU post-Brexit to encourage passengers back on to ferries.

Nautilus also believes the offshore windfarm sector is largely untapped in the UK and also offers significant employment potential for British seafarers. The skills needed to operate support vessels for windfarms are specialist and measures should be put in place to ensure that British seafarers are equipped to make the most of the opportunities.

The specific demands of the offshore wind sector mean vessels are unique and will require specific training and skills, and therefore action is required before the UK leaves the EU.

18/01/2017 15:17

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Live and listening 24/7 Got a problem? Whatever it is, and wherever you are, Nautilus can help — day or night. ANDREW LININGTON meets the team behind the Union’s round-the-clock helpline service…

A

The London borough of Croydon doesn’t have many claims to fame — but on the third floor of one of the office blocks in its business centre an increasingly important service is helping to raise the standard of maritime welfare services for the world’s seafarers.

The building is home to the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) — a charity which works to promote the effective application of the Maritime Labour Convention standards and to deliver practical support for seafarers and their families.

And, since July 2014, it has also been the home to Nautilus 24/7 — a special service that offers a roundthe-clock helpline to Union members using Live Chat instant messaging, freephone calls from 45 different countries, SMS texts, emails and Skype.

‘We launched 24/7 in recognition of the working lives of our members and the fact that incidents and emergencies can occur at any time,’ says Nautilus head of legal services Charles Boyle. ‘The service means that members can have constant access to our specialist support if they run into difficulties, wherever they might be in the world.’

We provide emotional as well as practical support

“

”

The service is provided by the ISWAN team that is also responsible for the industry-wide SeafarerHelp service — the free, confidential, multilingual helpline for seafarers and their families.

‘What is important is that, if you are a member and something goes wrong at work, you contact Nautilus 24/7 out of office hours and you won’t have to wait until the next day to get help,’ says head of operations Ray Barker.

‘Knowing that the problem is being dealt with and that something is happening makes a massive difference in such circumstances,’ he points out. ‘It is invaluable for a seafarer to be able to call in and speak to someone at any time rather than having to leave a message and hope it will be picked up.’

Members calling Nautilus 24/7 will receive immediate advice or assistance — and in the case of an emergency, the SeafarerHelp team will contact a senior Nautilus official who can provide specialist support on legal, industrial or professional and technical issues.

As an example of the service, Mr Boyle highlights a recent case in which a Dutch member contacted 24/7 on a Saturday afternoon after being told he was facing a disciplinary hearing on the Monday. ‘We were able to give support and guidance, to get the hearing delayed and to have the matter dealt with properly,’ he explains.

Another case handled by the service involved members onboard the superyacht Ocean Victory following a fatal accident off the coast of Thailand last year. ‘The crew were given a huge amount of reassurance by being able to get immediate advice and support in a very difficult situation,’ says Mr Barker.

Since it was launched, Nautilus 24/7 has assisted

19_helpline_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

ISWAN helpline manager Chester Quintal and head of operations Ray Barker with Nautilus director of legal services Charles Boyle

more than 560 seafarers and, on average, it is handling around 20 cases a month.

Some of the most common queries being raised via 24/7 are members asking about a new contract or issues with disciplinary procedures. Other frequent topics include membership enquiries, medical and health problems, unfair dismissal, and personal injury compensation.

Nautilus holds regular meetings with the ISWAN staff running the 24/7 service, and officials from the Union have also provided training sessions on subjects such as STCW convention requirements, SOLAS and MARPOL. In February and March, Mr Boyle is to provide further training on the new Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) amendments.

The SeafarerHelp team already has a comprehensive training programme for 2017 which is focused on providing practical support to seafarers and their families and includes training on dealing with vulnerable callers, and providing emotional support, as well as visits to ports.

The Nautilus 24/7 scheme — which is now being extended to members of the Nautilus Federation through the Joint Assistance and Support Network (JASON) — builds on almost 20 years of experience amassed by SeafarerHelp. With 10 team members speaking 12 languages fluently and having a knowl-

edge of many more dialects, figures show that in 2015 the service was contacted from 129 countries and supported seafarers of 86 different nationalities.

In recent years SeafarerHelp has handled a marked rise in requests for support — up from 715 cases involving 3,065 seafarers in 2011 to 3,073 cases involving 11,228 seafarers last year.

‘It’s certainly clear that seafarers have been paying the price of the industry downturn,’ says Mr Barker. ‘You can see from the statistics how crew members are affected by cost-cutting, with a 37% increase in the number of cases in 2016.’

A

SeafarerHelp is also becoming increasingly involved with providing emotional support to seafarers and their families. ‘We’ve done this since day one, but we are now doing it in a more cognitive way, with staff trained in counselling skills awareness and in the provision of emotional support, which is really important,’ Mr Barker says.

‘We recognise that when someone calls to say they haven’t been paid for six months, it’s not just that one issue that is the problem. Behind it there is lots of stress and depression because it creates major concerns about how their family at home is managing to cope with not receiving any allotments,’ he explains, ‘and so we now deal with these things in a

Helpline staff members Yasmine Zhao and Karin Bayona

different way, and if there are really significant problems we can arrange for a counsellor to come in on the case.’

There’s a growing focus on psychological problems of seafarers, with expert analysis of anonymised SeafarerHelp cases providing insight into the problems they face. This has supported SeafarerHelp in shaping its services to meet the changing needs of seafarers.

In one recent incident, SeafarerHelp arranged for a counsellor to provide assistance to a Filipino stewardess onboard a cruiseship after she was sexually abused by a passenger. ‘In such situations the victim will need to be helped as soon as possible to get through the ordeal they have experienced,’ Mr Barker points out.

Advances in IT and communications have certainly helped to improve service delivery. Since 2011, internet based methods of communication such as email, LiveChat and Facebook have risen to dominate the methods used to contact SeafarerHelp, while in contrast, telephone calls have fallen from 40% of contacts to just 21%.

‘I do think we provide a really good service to seafarers and their families,’ Mr Barker says. ‘Shipping has always been a macho industry with an attitude of just getting on with things. But it can be a difficult way of life, there is a very real need for what we do and the support we give.’

Mr Barker worked in housing services for more than 30 years before he started in his current role with ISWAN. He’s a board member of the Helplines Partnership, an organisation which represents organisations providing such services to the public.

SeafarerHelp isn’t all unpaid wages or contract problems, however. Mr Barker adds. ‘We also get some unusual requests — recently getting a call to ask when the iPhone 7 comes out and one where a recently-married seafarer called to ask what present he should get his wife when he returns home from sea. The SeafarerHelp team will try and help with anything.’

To contact Nautilus 24/7: z Telephone — there are two helpline numbers, an international toll free number +800 247 00365 or +44 208 530 1646, which will incur a charge. z Email — helpline@nautilus247.org z Live Chat — Nautilus members can access Live Chat through the Union’s website z SMS text — 07860 017 119 z Skype — Nautilus-247

18/01/2017 12:19

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

MARITIME GOVERNANCE

Where did it all go wrong?

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January’s Telegraph reported on the case in which Princess Cruises and the Carnival Corporation pleaded guilty to a total of seven counts of conspiracy, acts to prevent pollution from ships and obstruction of agency proceedings. They accepted a fine of US$40m.

On 7 December 2016 the US Department of Justice announced that two Filipino engineers from the Liberian-flagged general cargoship Ocean Hope had been sentenced to nine and 12 months in prison respectively ‘for obstructing a US Coast Guard inspection’. They were held to have ‘attempted to cover up the dumping of tons of oil sludge and machinery space bilge water into the ocean before the ship arrived in the United States’. According to the Department of Justice, sentencing of the corporate defendants was scheduled for early January 2017.

In this context, the Carnival case raises many questions which do not appear to have been answered by the prosecution.

Is the case evidence of incompetence, a UK system failure or of more sinister forces within the industry?

The recent Princess Cruises pollution case raises important questions about the way in which the shipping industry is operated and controlled, argues ULRICH JURGENS, the chairman of the Nautilus International Council…

The Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority (BSMA) website states that ‘The Department of Maritime Administration is committed to being a high quality shipping register’ and that it ‘takes great care in assessing the standards of ships seeking to join the registry and in ensuring that Bermuda ships continue to meet high standards while in service’.

According to the MCA, it has delegated authority from the UK Secretary of State for Transport to ensure that the Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs) maintain appropriate international maritime standards for their shipping registers.

The MCA undertakes the overseeing, monitoring and enforcing of standards. The duties of the MCA are apparently discharged by conducting monitoring audits on the functions of the OTs and CDs. Given all of that, it seems quite astounding that, over the course of nine years on five vessels, not one flag state surveyor identified any of the methods used to make unlawful discharges. Given that Caribbean Princess will have undergone annual surveys to keep her International Oil Pollution Certificate (IOPP) valid — including verification of MARPOL requirements for oily water discharge equipment — it would seem that the element of care was missing during these surveys.

Was justice done?

While $40m is a lot of money, is it also a lot for the Carnival Corporation? That seems to depend on your point of view. The fine equates to just 2.28% of the company’s net income in 2015 and a 0.23% share of the $17,290,000,000 total net income recorded in Carnival’s annual reports for the period between 2005 and 2013, during which Caribbean Princess had been making illegal discharges.

If the fine is compared to someone earning £80,000 a year before tax, which probably comes close to the income of some masters and chief engineers, 2.28% equates to £1,824. That seems manageable, particularly if someone financially benefited from their wrongdoing over the previous nine years.

Depending on how big the benefit was — everything connected to saving fees for oil and waste reception facilities, the operation of the oily water separator and the sewage plant, and less hassle for organising and managing the latter — the wrongdoing might even have been a good investment.

It was interesting to note that while there was a dip in the company’s share price, from US$53.22 to US$49.88 around the time the fine was announced, recovery was swift and a week later the price was back at US$53.16.

Carnival had apparently already been fined US$18m in 2002 for oil discharges from its vessels.

If criminal law exists to deter from repetitive crimes, it seems to have seriously failed in this context.

The Nautilus Telegraph report explains how the latest case began when an illegal discharge on

We should note that Caribbean Princess was not a lone offender

“

”

Before and after photographs of the carbon filter pump showing the bypass pipe in place on 26 August 2013 and removed on 28 August 2013 All pictures: US Department of Justice

26 August 2013 was documented and reported to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) by a junior engineer onboard Caribbean Princess.

The MCA had made a press statement about the case, referring to the US Department of Justice website. However, neither the MCA nor the US website mentioned that Caribbean Princess flies a British (Bermuda) flag. To identify the flag state,

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Why did the UK BSMA surveyor see fit to inform the chief engineer of the inspection?

He thus ensured that criminal evidence was removed. Another slight puzzle is why the UK MCA shared evidence with the US Coast Guard — including ‘before and after’ photos of the bypass — but did not take any legal action, despite being the flag state administration.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) puts quite strong enforcement obligations on flag states in respect of the marine environment, and it seems arguable whether passing on compromising evidence to a third party (as provided by the UK MCA to the US Coast Guard), without taking any other enforcement action, meets the requirements of UNCLOS. The UK BSMA could argue that it was the relevant classification society — Lloyd’s Register of Shipping since 2007 and, before that, RINA — which surveyed the ship for the issue of the IOPP certificate.

Why did so many crew members actively participate in the criminal acts?

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one either needs to read the joint factual statement (JFS) or do some other research.

There was no information that any natural person either from the ship or the office was prosecuted or punished, and the only one left with ‘egg on his face’ is the chief engineer, apparently also known as ‘broccino corto’ — a person with arms too short to reach his wallet (JFS, p. 8).

The JFS insinuates that the main culprits were Broccino Corto and his superintendent, ‘neither of whom are still employed by Princess’ (p. 8). It was not said, though, whether they left on their own terms, were encouraged to move on, were paid off or are now employed by another Carnival company. The JFS also does not contain any other information about the personnel, other than that ‘personnel changes were made onboard Caribbean Princess, including removing from service one chief engineer, and one senior first engineer and six other engineers’ (p. 12). The meaning of ‘removal from service’ was not clarified.

It is important to note that Caribbean Princess was not a lone offender. The JFS reports that four other ships — Golden Princess, Coral Princess, Grand Princess and Star Princess — had ‘engaged in similar practices’ and that ‘numerous crewmembers were aware of this longstanding practice’.

However, concerns over the flag state’s actions do not end there. Pages six and seven of the JFS describe how, on the day after the discharge, the ship’s chief engineer was told by a Bermuda surveyor that there would be a MCA inspection upon arrival in Southampton. The chief engineer had learned that the illegal discharge had been reported to the MCA and ensured that the bypass arrangement was removed before the MCA surveyors attended the vessel.

I am somewhat surprised that ‘various bypass methods and procedures were used by numerous senior engineers and other crew members over a period of many years to illegally discharge oily bilge water overboard’ (JFS, p. 4) — given that, theoretically, those vessels, masters and crew were subject to a complex safety management system, jurisdiction and control by the flag state, and inspection regimes by port state control.

Pollution prevention placard mounted in the engine room

18/01/2017 15:18

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

MARITIME GOVERNANCE

Interior of carbon filter discharge pipe when disassembled at the US government’s request on 8 March 2014 All pictures: US Department of Justice

However, the courts have so far upheld the position that neither class nor a flag state survey or certificate removes from the shipowner the primary responsibility for the vessel to sail in a seaworthy condition in compliance with statutory requirements.

Between 2005 and 2013 CP will have undergone nine IOPP surveys. At least one of these surveys must have been a renewal survey. MARPOL Annex I requires that such a survey must ensure ‘that the structure, equipment, systems, fittings, arrangements and material fully comply with applicable requirements’.

Between 2005 and 2013 Caribbean Princess also underwent a total of 23 port state control (PSC) inspections — 19 of them carried out by the USCG and four by Paris MoU member states (twice in Canada and twice in Ireland).

However — as with flag state and class checks — none of the PSC inspections found any evidence of illegal discharge arrangements.

Why was nothing ever found?

Was there never any reason to extend the initial inspection and look in more detail?

Were the PSC authorities actually prepared to find violations of SOLAS and MARPOL requirements?

If state and class could not deliver, what about master, engineers and company?

The master is not mentioned once in the US Court papers. The positive element of this is probably that on this occasion it was not the master who was held criminally liable. However, it should be noted that the master has responsibilities — including signing each page of the Oil Record Book (ORB).

When signing the ORB, the master would appear to signify that he read, understood and approved the entries of the engineers. If the master did not understand the entries, I would expect him to question them. After all, he is the senior manager in charge and is responsible and accountable for the safety of the vessel.

Did the master actually accept his overall authority and verify compliance activities accordingly?

What did he do to ensure that the safety and environmental policies of the company were implemented?

It would be odd if there was no communication between master and chief engineer on the crucial matter of environmental pollution involving the

GET YOUR

Two of the stub pipes found on the greywater system by Caribbean Princess’s replacement chief engineer

vessel, particularly given Carnival’s previous fine of US$18m in 2002 in the US for unlawful discharges. Does the company not train and instruct their senior onboard staff to communicate properly about issues affecting the safety and environmental compliance of their vessels?

None of this should distract from the role the chief engineer(s) and the superintendent(s?) played on Caribbean Princess and the other four vessels.

My initial question to the chief engineer would have been ‘why did you do what you did?’ Why did you put so much criminal energy into developing a bypass solution which required a full understanding of both the statutory requirements and the technical details of equipment and its modification?

The JFS makes it clear that the chief engineer was fully aware that he was violating merchant shipping legislation, but it’s not so clear what he did so. However, I find it difficult to believe that the chief engineer joined the vessel with the intention to violate any legislation.

Was the chief engineer worried about this job?

Why was he worried about the expense of oily waste disposal?

Who made him believe that ‘the shore-side Superintendent would need to approve the removal of the oily bilge water and that he would not want to pay such an expense’ (JFS, p. 6)?

Was it actually the same superintendent for all five ships for all of those nine years and did the buck really stop with the chief engineer and the superintendent?

The ISM Code requires the company to establish a safety management system (SMS) and puts clear requirements for policies, compliance and verification on the company which must be addressed in the SMS. The Code requires the company to appoint a designated person ashore (DPA) who will have to monitor the pollutionprevention aspects of the operation of each ship.

What did the Princess DPA do over the past nine years to ensure compliance?

How come no crew member ever contacted him ‒ or did they?

Was the DPA empowered, competent and willing to monitor the safety and

pollution prevention aspects of the operation of each ship? Does the DPA actually know what’s going on onboard the vessels he is responsible for? Did the company ensure that adequate resources and shore-based support was applied as required?

Why did other managers fail to detect the noncompliance over the course of nine years? Was their SMS insufficient, or were barriers in existence which ensured that knowledge did (officially) not find its way to top management?

If the top management did not know, why is the company regularly issued with an ISM Document of Compliance by the UK MCA and the UK BSMA certifying that Carnival is complying with the requirements of the ISM Code?

To draw an analogy with the banking disasters we have witnessed in recent years, are some companies seen as too big to fail? Do we need a complete overhaul of the regulatory framework of maritime institutions and administrative systems? Is the UK flag state system fit for purpose?

My main conclusion is that the systems we have in place in the industry to guarantee safety and environmental compliance are insufficient. At the

best of times they already pose a challenge, as compliance is hard to verify — particularly when only going by paper trails. If, in addition, criminal energy is invested to bypass the systems it apparently becomes impossible even for the existing large number of experts to prove the non-compliance unless — as in the case of Caribbean Princess — a very courageous and competent crew member is prepared to put his career on the line, document the violation and provide detailed evidence to authorities so that they can actually detect the violation.

Fines for companies such as Carnival which may appear rather large make good reading but they don’t seem to be the only solution to solving the problem.

It would appear that without proper education, developed competencies and conscientious management on all levels ashore and onboard, shipping and its protagonists will continue to linger in the doldrums of dodgy compliance statements and continue to put lives and the environment at risk. g Ulrich Jurgens is currently Nautilus Council chairman. He is a master mariner, holds a PhD in maritime law and works as a part-time lecturer at the University of Southampton Law School. He also runs his own maritime consultancy out of Southampton (www.kooglefisch.eu).

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18/01/2017 15:19

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

MEMBERS AT WORK

An industry crying out for unions The rapid growth of the offshore wind sector has created many new seafaring jobs in the past decade. However, writes one member working in the industry, there’s lots of work to be done to combat exploitation, intimidation and dangerous working conditions…

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Over the past few years, a new and specialist sector has emerged in the maritime world — crew transfer vessels (CTVs) in the offshore renewables industry.

The rapid growth of offshore windfarms has been matched by the expansion and evolution of the CTV fleets. Some of these are operated by long-established workboat companies and some are run by those who have transferred from sectors such as fishing.

But there is another group of relatively new operators who have come into the industry with the aim of making a quick buck. They have shown contempt for the mariners they employ — often on zerohour type contracts, with low wages and appalling conditions.

Many of the seafarers working in this sector are not represented and I believe Nautilus can help to address the problems that they face and to support them when justified.

The average size of CTVs is around 24m and this means that many of their crews come from sectors such as traditional workboats, fishing vessels and superyachts. All these sectors have mariners with small boat experience and excellent boat-handling skills for operating in close-quarters in the often hostile waters of the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Pushing up to wind turbine towers or substations late at night, with winds, tides and crosswinds, getting the bow of the vessel up against tubes protecting the ladder is a skill to be mastered in itself as people’s lives are at stake transferring on and off the vessel out at sea.

There are also other transfers, such as from supply ships and hotel ships, which have to be undertaken. Many hotel ships do not have DP and swing at a rate of knots on their anchor while transferring cargo and technicians. Doing this safely can be a challenge for the very best CTV crews.

There are some mariners in the sector with experience of larger vessels — with OOW unlimited personal employed as deckhands by companies who value their watch handling experience and abilities to assist with passage plans and chart and publication updates.

On one hand, the conditions appear attractive — with most CTV crews working three weeks on and three weeks off, and the better companies paying skippers around £250 a day and their experienced deckhands as much as £150 a day.

However, in contrast to many larger ships, CTV masters must do most duties themselves — such as chart and publication corrections, DPRs and steering the vessel for 12-hour watches, as they are often the only one with those skills and abilities.

The accident involving the crew transfer vessel Windcat 9 in 2012 prompted the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch to call for an industry best practice guide to improve safety

22-23_spread_SR edit.indd 22

And don’t forget that most CTV crew don’t get paid once they get home. So while it may seem as if a skipper is on around £45,000 a year before tax and a deckhand gets almost £27,500, the reality is that the hourly rate for most skippers is less than £21.

Some masters are reported to be on as little as £18 basic an hour and some crews — skilled seafarers with tickets and courses under their belts — on almost poverty wages of around £10 an hour.

Added to this, many crew are forced to spend their own money to make up and subsidise the food onboard their vessels. And they also have to pay for their own training and renewal of STCW certificates.

The general consensus is that CTVs should ideally have three crew onboard per 12-hour shift for the safety and security of the vessel, its crew, passengers and cargo. If someone falls into the sea, this means they can be recovered by two crew on deck while the master manoeuvres into position and remains in the wheelhouse.

Workboat operators managed to get dispensation from the Maritime Labour Convention — no wonder crews are so poorly treated

“

”

Unfortunately, many CTV operators seek to make a fast buck by having only a skipper and a deckhand working 12-hour shifts. This means that two people try to look after the safety of the 12 passengers and their cargo, as well as the engines and emergency equipment, undertaking passage planning, navigating, steering, manoeuvring, maintenance, bunkering, cooking, cleaning, carrying out drills and making daily reports to the client and vessel operator.

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As a consequence, there is scant regard for the hours of rest regulations and lots of emotional blackmail and intimidation for CTV crews to push their vessels out in conditions that would normally be deemed borderline. Some companies even tried to get larger vessels in the field labelled as safe havens, so CTVs would be expected to get shelter from their lee rather than going to safety in port.

There are concerns that some construction companies put pressure on CTV operators to intimidate masters into going against their professional judgement by sailing in unsuitable conditions or for longer hours. Intimidation comes in various forms — such as the tone of voice — and if a master makes a professional decision that is not agreed with, it is common to be asked to call the office on the mobile phone so there is no record of what is said.

Such pressure often occurs on passage from one farm to another.

If the company representative doesn’t like the master’s passage plan they will try to push them to sail regardless of the local and forecast sea state in conditions unsuitable for a 24m vessel. The problems are often made worse because of the lack of appropriate experience and understanding among shore-based management. The majority have never worked for any length of time on a CTV out in the field and do not, and cannot, understand the job correctly.

In reality — and especially once preparation, paperwork and cleaning is factored in — many crews end up working an average of 14 to 16 hours a day. It should be noted that it is very difficult to get

Technicians wait to be transferred from a service vessel to an offshore wind energy

decent sleep onboard CTVs — accommodation is normally below the waterline, next to enginerooms and noisy generators.

Let’s hope there is never a major accident, or else the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, the Health & Safety Executive and all the others responsible for allowing such minimal crewing will be facing some serious questions.

It’s clear that the large companies spending billions on building these offshore windfarms — often with government backing — have no idea of what is going on in the water, or that not enough of the money they are spending is going to those on the frontline.

There are concerns that some CTV operators try to fix prices behind the scenes with other firms and that they run ‘blacklists’ of crew who are thought likely to raise concerns about safety, wages or general working conditions.

Some companies have treated crews abysmally. One was recently alleged to have sacked everyone and then re-employed them on a different contract to dodge their responsibilities by opening an exclusive crewing agency in the Channel Islands.

18/01/2017 18:02

lo an tim co M wh le lo sh wa ne ar fil w

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MEMBERS AT WORK

More than 400 workboats are now estimated to be operating in support of the offshore renewable energy sector as a result of the industry’s expansion over the past decade Picture: Michael Kooren / Reuters

NAUTILUS: working for change F

Nautilus is determined to tackle the problems facing seafarers in the windfarm sector, says general secretary Mark Dickinson.

‘I am really grateful to members who have provided us with insights into the reality of the working conditions in this sector,’ he adds. ‘It’s clear that there is a pressing need to address these unacceptable practices taking place on some vessels.’

Mr Dickinson pointed out that it is more than three years since the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch published a report highlighting ‘the compelling

need for the burgeoning offshore renewable energy industry to produce a comprehensive best practice guide for operators of workboats and to develop an effective means for promulgating safety lessons across the industry’.

The report had also warned of ‘the clear potential for a rise in the number and severity of accidents unless action is taken to ensure that vessels’ crew have the necessary competencies needed to operate their craft safely’.

Nautilus has raised its concerns with the

government and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Mr Dickinson added, and the Union wants to work with operators to promote good practice and decent working conditions.

‘Companies need to have well-trained and highly skilled personnel to deliver safe and efficient services in such a testing environment,’ he pointed out. ‘Those seafarers deserve decent employment conditions and Nautilus is very keen to find ways in which the sector can continuously improve and provide safe and sustainable employment for our members.’

Seafarers on crew transfer vessels need excellent ship-handling skills to conduct close-quarters operations in often testing environmental conditions Picture: Christian Charisius / Reuters

Are YOU being treated fairly?

F nergy park in the North Sea Picture: Christian Charisius/Reuters

While it can often take up to two days to travel to and from a vessel’s location, this company refuses to pay seafarers for their travel days and expects them to live on a pitiful subsidy of £6 a day for their entire time away from home.

Although crew are expected to live onboard, many CTVs lack proper cooking and washing facilities.

Workboat operators managed to get dispensation from the Maritime Labour Convention — which means the very seafarers who most need its protection have been abandoned in many ways — leaving the doors open to corporate bullying and intimidation, and low wages and poor conditions.

Renewable energy is a multi-billion business and it should be shocking that companies are employing seafarers in such atrocious ways. CTV crews are working in dangerous and difficult conditions and need high levels of skills and experience. Some of the millions that are being spent on the development of offshore windfarms should be filtered back to decent pay and proper working practices for the crews without which these structures could never be built or serviced.

22-23_spread_SR edit.indd 23

You know when you are working for a good, ethical company, writes our offshore wind sector whistleblower. They pay a decent salary day rate for the offshore industry to their mariners. They get their crew from home to vessel and back home safely in the most direct way possible, even though it may cost a little more, and when possible they supply hire cars.

They pay you from the time you leave home to the time you get back again. And they allow the crew at least six hours' rest when they arrive at the vessel, so they are not expected to go on watch for 12 hours immediately after a day spent travelling with hardly any rest.

It is 2017, and mariners working on CTVs deserve fair pay and decent conditions that relate to the skills they have and the industry they are involved in. There should be an industry charter, supported by Nautilus, to make sure that seafarers in the windfarm sector are not exploited.

Such a charter should apply to all crews, regardless of whether they are serving on CTVs, guard ships, jack-up ships, all-purpose vessels, hotel ships, supply vessels, or tugs. It should apply to all offshore

energy companies, government organisations and departments, and contractors and sub-contractors Key points of the charter could include: z pay and conditions for mariners in the sector to be brought into line with other professions working in offshore renewables z there should be minimum day rates for CTV crews: £250 for a master 200 CoC; £230 for an engineer; £180 for AB deckhand with AEC; and £160 for a deckhand z seafarers to be paid from the time they travel to and from their vessel and their home z CTV crews should not be forced to work more than 12 hours a day or to use rest time to undertake work such as cleaning, bunkering, repairs, drills and administration z all crew should have a food and living subsidy of at least £20 a day if food is not cooked, and a choice of fresh, healthy food provided for them z companies should not evade their responsibilities by using loopholes provided by the use of offshore crewing agencies z all companies should provide pensions and medical cover for their seafarers

z full PPE should be provided z training and STCW certification and renewals

required for the job should be paid for by the company or the crew agency Perhaps a matrix could be developed in which companies are graded from one to five — very poor to very good — based on wages, travel day pay, transport to and from work, hours of rest, pensions, full-time contracts, zero-hours contracts, daily and annual salaries in Euros and Sterling. This could also include input from crews, including feedback to questions such as: z Have you ever had to, or been asked to, work over your hours of rest? If so, who by and why? z How much would cover your weekly food bills? z Do you have a washing machine on your vessel? If not, what do you use? z Do you have a tumble dryer on your vessel? z Are you supplied with full PPE? If only some, what are you missing? z Do you sleep onboard? If so, is it below the waterline and are you affected by noise? z Do you usually finish all your work within 12 hours most days? If not, why?

18/01/2017 18:03

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

LARGE YACHTS

Reasons to be cheerful L

The superyacht sector has some exciting times ahead.

Well, that’s what people within the industry have been saying; and it’s hard to disbelieve them.

Speaking at the annual London Boat Show — held at the Excel centre, beside the River Thames — industry leaders were hailing the latest developments within the sector, while also looking at what the future has in store for those lucky enough to own superyachts or work upon them.

Hosted during the 60th London Boat Show, the Superyacht UK (SYUK) technical seminar has been running since 2007. It’s a day-long selection of talks where those in the industry are able to come together, get a health check for the state of play, whilst also hearing what hazards — or Brexit as they’re more commonly known — could be in the waters for the year ahead.

Yet despite the rather large, EU-leaving, elephant in the room, it’s clear that those present didn’t see Brexit as that much of an issue for the sector.

Opening the day was the SYUK chairman Peter Brown. Welcoming the 150-strong crowd to the event, Mr Brown explained that the day ‘was intentionally not a panel of people making sales pitches, and very much a forum for discussion’.

He gave a breakdown of what SYUK is and the organisation’s aims and objectives. ‘By collectively working together within the UK we become more powerful,’ Mr Brown said.

‘The UK is an absolute hub for superyacht design,’ he continued.

‘Increasingly the UK is becoming a stopping off point for many clients who are looking to buy — or build

The industry organisation Superyacht UK stages an annual ‘state of the nation’ event at the London Boat Show, looking at the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. STEVEN KENNEDY reports from this year’s seminar, which had an agenda ranging from design trends to the impact of Brexit…

Attendees of the SuperYacht UK Technical Seminar view artwork for the proposed superyacht Time All pictures: British Marine

— large yachts. Whether it be legal advice, design advice or commercial advice, the UK is a must-stop location.’

Mr Brown suggested some of the areas where UK companies should be looking for business and said that the US was ripe for the picking.

‘A lot has been said in the press recently about the explosion of the superyacht market — and it has to be taken with a pinch of salt — but we’ve seen spectacular growth in the last two years and significant growth in the transactions we’ve been doing in terms of brokerage, construction and managing jobs; and I only see that increasing.

‘Talking to some American clients, the new administration in the US is seen as an exciting opportu-

nity for them. I’m talking about the hyper-wealthy. No longer do they have to hide their private jets in their hangers. They are celebrating wealth and capitalism.

‘As an industry, you take your eye off America at your peril. There are more superyacht owners in America than any other country in the world and they are absolutely firing on all cylinders right now.’

And his glowing reference to the quality and international renown of the sector was carried forward throughout the event.

Maritime UK chairman David Dingle reported on the state of the industry, and whilst his talk covered a larger field than just superyachts, he made it clear that the skills base will continue to play a huge role in the UK’s success story.

Delegates network during the Superyacht UK Technical Seminar at the London Boat Show 2017

‘Cruising is a great maritime sector, and our industry grows from strength to strength, Mr Dingle said. ‘It is really pleasing to see that British Marine released their latest industry figures for the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry at the Boat Show, showing the industry returning to its pre-recession levels — with revenues in excess of £3 billion.

‘The UK superyacht sector is a key part of that,’ he added. ‘The UK possesses world-class build and refit facilities, and we lead the world in training superyacht captains and crew. We’ve got it all here. We as a country will never be the cheapest, but skills are the most important thing we have.’

As you’d expect, Brexit wasn’t far from his lips either. Echoing

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24_superyachts_SR edit.indd Sec2:24

much of what organisations like Nautilus say, Mr Dingle said shipping — in all its forms — will have to play a massive role in the government’s exit strategy.

As the day wore on, delegates heard from speakers about the developments that can take the UK to the ‘better place’ that Mr Dingle was talking about.

Speakers explained the design trends and cyber-security issues that are being explored to make vessels safer and more efficient — although it appears that some of these advancements may come with a reduced need for seafarers.

becoming more proactive. ‘We as an industry have always been reactive,’ he said. ‘Titanic sank, so we wrote some rules to try and make sure it didn’t happen again. I think we want to be more progressive and think more outside the box.’

The final panel session rounded off the day with what could be said to be the main question — how will Brexit affect the superyacht industry?

‘One may say the superyacht industry will carry on much as before,’ explained panellist Tony Allen from Hill Dickinson. ‘The sector’s international reach has always been one of its key strengths and the superyacht sector is very ready to move with the times.’

L

The group also discussed what the move out of the EU would mean for the attractiveness of the UK flag. Panellist Jo Assael said he didn’t expect it to cause the Red Ensign Group much of an issue. ‘Within the Red Ensign Group there are only two flags that are European flags. The rest of the European territories or crown dependencies of the UK are nonEU flags. So we already know from the non-EU flags from a superyacht point of view that there is a successful model that can be followed.’

However, despite the confidence coming from the panel, it appeared that they were still not 100% sold on their own arguments.

A lot revolved around waiting to see how things progress.

L

Tania Berry, from Lloyd’s Register, gave that overview and explained what cyber systems are, why they are needed and what new risks are posed by their increased prevalence.

‘ICT is revolutionising shipping,’ she said. ‘It has the potential to enhance safety with remote access as well as having a business benefits. There will be a range of autonomy levels. It will range from what we call AL0, which is a vessel with no autonomous function — one that everything is done by the human — to AL6 which is fully autonomous and does not require human interaction.’

The first panel discussion at the seminar focused on concept to completion. The idea was to get the views from different people working in different areas of the superyacht sector to talk about how fanciful yacht designs can become a reality and how those people who make the decisions must adopt a can-do attitude.

Superyacht designs must be innovative and reflect the aspirations of those paying for them, the meeting heard, and it has never been more important for those within the UK to embrace the challenge of building the next aweinspiring model.

The seminar was shown a design concept for a superyacht called Time — a single craft that will potentially split in two. The question was, is this proposal even possible?

The room agreed, it would take work, but it was indeed a possibility. But such a design would come with risk. However, panel member Jo Assael from the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry said that as an industry it was time to move from waiting for problems to occur to

Katy Ware of the MCA giving her speech during the Superyacht UK Technical Seminar

Finishing off the day was keynote speaker Maritime & Coastguard Agency director of maritime safety and standards Katy Ware.

Appointed to the role in April 2016, she is responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of seafarers and ships under the Red Ensign, along with responsibilities for the UK Ship Register and the survey and inspection regime. Part of that role will be helping the UK shipping industry navigate its way through the mess that is Brexit.

‘The government has made it clear that it is working hard to get the best deal for Britain,’ Ms Ware explained. ‘The minister believes that the UK maritime industry is, and will be, one of the better ones to grab the opportunities Brexit presents.’

Hoping that those final words were true, those present seemed to embrace the idea that the superyacht industry is in good health in 2017 and beyond. Looking at the evidence that was presented, you’d not go far wrong believing that the super-rich — and those building their playthings — may well be right. Let’s just hope they chose to do so on the UK’s shores.

18/01/2017 15:50

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

SEAFARER TRAINING

Proud professionals An Isle of Wightbased charity has clocked up a decade of training the next generation of superyacht captains and officers.

ANDREW LININGTON met tutors and trainees on a visit last month…

K

Every little helps, the saying goes, and — from its base in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight — the youth charity UKSA has spent the last decade making an increasingly significant contribution to British seafarer numbers.

Originally founded 30 years ago to give young people the chance to experience the challenge of sailing, UKSA has evolved and expanded to provide a growing range of training courses — including specialist studies for superyacht crews.

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of UKSA’s professional yacht cadetship (PYC) scheme — a four-year programme which mixes classroom and sea time leading to the MCA Officer of the Watch (3,000gt) Certificate of Competence and providing the opportunity to complete a foundation degree in operational yacht science.

UKSA currently has more than 150 PYC trainees at various stages of the programme. ‘Over the last 10 years, UKSA, through the PYC, has been responsible for producing many of the industry’s current officers, chief officers and captains,’ explains UKSA industry and cadetship manager Emma Baggett. ‘After small beginnings, with small numbers, we are seeing numbers increasing each year.

‘The number of students qualifying with the programme at UKSA is growing as the offering continues to grow and develop,’ she adds. ‘From 2012, UKSA has been able to offer up to 30 students a place on the course at each intake, and in the next 12 months we expect that 15 cadets will be completing their training and gaining their Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competence, and year on year this figure grows.

‘This course is unique — there’s nothing like it anywhere in the world,’ Emma says. ‘We felt the superyacht industry needed a dedicated officer training course and to create a stream of quality people who will be in it for the long-term, and we launched the scheme in 2006 and added the degree option in 2008.’

‘We usually have an annual intake of 25 to 30 individuals aged between 18 and 25,’ she says. ‘We look for strong academic results, as they will be doing the demanding and complex duties of a deck officer, but we are also looking at the qualities they bring to have the focus and determination to do the training.

‘This is probably one of the toughest things that an 18- or 19-year-old could do,’ she points out. ‘It’s a strongly academic course, but the cadets also get pushed really hard out on the water as they learn how to be yachtmasters.’

Interest in the scheme is high, Emma says, and cadets have come not just from the UK but also from places including the Netherlands, France, Spain and Madeira.

However, UKSA also works hard to pro-

25_uksa_SR edit.indd 25

UKSA professional yacht cadets Molly Brindley and Poppy Douglas

UKSA industry and cadet manager Emma Baggett with Nautilus senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan. The Union has a partnership agreement with UKSA, and Mr McGowan makes a regular presentation to cadets on the specialist support and protection that Nautilus provides

‘It’s tougher than uni but really worth it’ professional yacht cadets are female K — with the latest intake being the highest A growing proportion of the UKSA

since the scheme started. Two of the six, Molly Brindley and Poppy Douglas, both chose the course instead of going to university.

‘A lot of people just go to university for the sake of it, but I looked at this and the progression that it opens up and you can see how far you can go,’ says Poppy. ‘This gives you the professional qualifications and you can top it up with a foundation degree — which means you can have all the benefits of going to university with a bit more.’

‘I knew I wanted to go to sea and decided not to go to university,’ Molly adds. ‘It’s a really interesting and exciting career that is very different from everyone else at home, and this is a fast-paced course on which you never get bored!’

Molly, from Shetland, and Poppy, from Peterborough, are both on UKSA’S Trinity House scheme. ‘I feel really lucky to have the sponsorship,’ Molly says. ‘I couldn’t have done this without it.’

Poppy did a lot of dinghy sailing as a child, and says she appreciates the way in which the UKSA course provides a mix of practical and

academic training. ‘I want to do it slowly and get time on smaller yachts to understand and appreciate all the different aspects of the job,’ she adds.

‘I wanted to be an officer and I’ve got friends who are deepsea in the shipping industry,’ Molly says, ‘but the superyacht sector looked much more fun and it seemed a better option for me.’

Both say they would like to aim for the top, and eventually become superyacht captains.

‘Compared with university, this is a lot harder work,’ Poppy admits. ‘But this offers you so much more and you can take it in so many different ways.’

of whom are now captains — and Emma says this can create a ‘virtuous circle’ in which they will often offer training opportunities on their yachts to the cadets following behind them.

The course is run over five phases. In the first, lasting 19 weeks, cadets are trained in core subjects such as seamanship, safety, watchkeeping, maintenance and industry knowledge, along with a range of RYA qualifications.

Phase 2 is up to 18 months of sea time, following the MCA Training Record Book — with around 40% of cadets getting placements via UKSA, others taken on by crew agents and some getting work as deckhands through the traditional ‘dock walking’ in the south of France.

Phase 3 is back to the classroom for 10 weeks studying yacht operations and management, along with further OOW training, before a further 12 to 18 months of sea time in Phase 4. The final phase, which runs for eight to 10 weeks, takes the cadet through to the final OOW examinations.

Emma says the expansion of the superyacht industry means demand for UKSA cadets remains strong and the opportunities are rich and varied. ‘There’s a big mix of sizes, and there is also sail and power, private and charter, and the cadets are scattered all over the world,’ she points out. ‘Each year I am delighted to see so many of our cadets graduate from the scheme, and secure senior officer positions,’ she adds. ‘Through the PYC, UKSA is committed to be at the forefront of promoting the highest standards of training and safety, ensuring our students promote the best possible onboard practices and, in doing so, provide the industry with professional officers with integrity.’

However, it might appear somewhat ironic that charities are supporting the training of the crews of yachts owned by multi-millionaires, and Emma says UKSA is seeking to attract increased funding from the industry. ‘It makes financial sense to have longevity of crew and a lot of owners don’t want to see different faces each time they come onboard,’ she points out. ‘But it’s often down to the budget onboard and the attitude of the captain.

‘We are working with owners to see how they can contribute to training, as it is essential to what we are doing,’ she adds.

‘It is painfully slow — but we’ll get there.’

‘UKSA helped me find a job’ The latest intake of UKSA professional yacht cadets

mote the programme to young people with visits to schools and colleges around the country, and through close cooperation with organisations such as the Sea Cadets, Trinity House, Seafarers UK and the Royal Merchant Navy Education Foundation (RMNEF).

The increasing costs of university studies has also increased interest in UKSA’s courses. ‘There’s been a sea change on how people view degrees,’ says Emma.

‘It used to be the mindset that everyone should go to university, but tuition fees mean that young people and their parents are now looking much more closely at whether degrees will take them where they want to go, and they are aware that

many graduates don’t have work at the end of their studies.’

In contrast with university courses, the professional yacht cadetships offer ‘earn while you learn’ opportunities to qualify debt-free, with students getting the chance to serve as full paid-up crew members during their courses — earning a minimum of €2,000 a month while getting their sea time.

On top of this, around one-third of each annual intake of cadets has traditionally received substantial sponsorship from Trinity House and Seafarers UK, and in 2015 a special bursary scheme was launched which covers up to 75% of tuition fees and a monthly allowance.

Superyachts may seem a glamorous and romantic career choice to some young people, and Emma says UKSA seeks to ensure that cadets are fully aware of the reality of the job. ‘It’s absolutely vital that they do not go into this with false expectations and we question them closely from the outset about their ideas of the industry,’ she adds. ‘If we are brutally honest with them, it is appreciated.

You truly have to start at the bottom in this industry and you become a good officer and a good captain by knowing every aspect of the job because you have done it.’

UKSA maintains close contact with all its former cadets — an increasing number

James Johnson and Dan Snook were part of the same Sea Cadet group and members of TS Rebel, a sea school on the east coast of England, before studying at UKSA. Today, they are both working onboard the same 45m superyacht — James as captain and Dan as deckhand.

James started off by gaining the Ocean Graduate qualification at UKSA, going on to complete the Ocean Yachtmaster and his OOW and Master 3,000 modules.

‘Whilst I was completing my course, I had great support from the UKSA careers team,’ he says. ‘They helped me find my first job on a 47m motor yacht, in the South of France. Now I am out in the industry, I always recommend their careers department.’

18/01/2017 14:59

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

MARITIME CAREERS

A diplomatic mission Nautilus member MARK TIFFIN is a second officer with Maersk, and he’s recently been back to his old school to encourage the pupils to follow in his footsteps…

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In December last year, I was invited to return to my secondary school, Mortimer Community College in South Tyneside, to give an assembly presentation about careers at sea to the Year 11 students. I was also requested to emphasise the importance of working hard now for this to pay off in the future.

I was fortunate enough to be referred to the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme run by the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) three years ago when preparing for a previous assembly at the school. The Ambassadors scheme has fantastic resources to use when visiting schools, careers fairs and youth groups, including presentations, videos, posters, leaflets and pens. Ambassadors can organise these visits themselves or be matched up by the MNTB to a nearby school or youth group.

On the day I made my latest visit, I was greeted by Lynne Jobling, a previous teacher of mine who now acts as a careers officer as part of her current role.

I brought along with me a (slightly amended) presentation from the Ambassadors scheme, some posters and plenty of

pens. I had the advantage of having the school’s technician set up my presentation and a wireless remote to change the slides.

The assembly consisted of around 200 students aged 14-16, mostly from Year 11 but with a few interested year 10s sitting in on it too.

It soon became apparent that, even though South Tyneside has one of the country’s major maritime colleges, many of the students were not aware of the Merchant Navy or the vast variety of ships and careers it offers. It was quite a challenge to condense all the information on training pathways and career prospects into 20 minutes, but the presentation went very smoothly and the students seemed genuinely interested and engaged.

I ended the presentation on a general note, stressing that the students needed to make an effort with their studies now to set them up for the future, whether they go to college or university, embark on an apprenticeship or sign up for alternative training courses and schemes.

It was an important day for the year 11s, as they were

Nautilus member Mark Tiffin with children from his old school, Mortimer Community College in South Tyneside

receiving the results of their mock exams in preparation for the summer. Hopefully the

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26_ambassadors_SR edit.indd Sec2:26

presentation will have helped motivate them all to work hard to achieve their goals when the real exams come around in the summer. And of course I particularly hope that some of them will look into the Merchant Navy further and apply for a cadetship. I was pleased to see that some of the students did hang around afterwards to ask more questions.

I will be going back to Mortimer Community College again in the future to discuss the Merchant Navy with a more focused group, and I have also been invited to partake in an upcoming careers fair at the school.

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The Ambassadors scheme is always looking for volunteers.

At present, the number I believe is in the region of 300, and Ambassadors range from cadets to captains and chief engineers as well as those who have sought a career shore-side. Fena Boyle, who coordinates the scheme at the MNTB, regularly sends out group emails listing visits that have been requested by various schools and youth groups, and the Ambassadors volunteer to cover visits that they can get to.

“

Despite the famous local nautical college, many knew nothing about the Merchant Navy

”

For those unsure about public speaking or running a stand at a careers fair, they can buddy up with another Ambassador.

I find the Ambassadors scheme highly enjoyable. It comes with the obvious reward of motivating young people to look into their future and career options — be it at sea or not. I hope that my work with the scheme has opened up a seafaring career to people who may not have known about the Merchant Navy before. The careers events allow some great networking opportunities too.

I’d highly recommend the

Ambassadors scheme for anybody who is interested in promoting careers at sea, whether you want to start volunteering from scratch or you have already been asked to give a talk or presentation. The materials are fantastic and there is plenty of support from Fena and your fellow Ambassadors.

All you have to commit to is making at least one visit per year, and it is flexible time wise.

g Careers at Sea Ambassadors is a volunteer programme for maritime professionals to spread the word about seafaring careers to UK schoolchildren. It is run by the MNTB with backing from Nautilus International and the Marine Society & Sea Cadets.

To volunteer as an Ambassador or request a visit to a school or youth group, go to www.careersatsea.org/ ambassadors or email enquiry@careersatsea.org. g For Netherlands-based seafarers, there is an equivalent volunteer scheme called Zeebenen in de Klas, which is often covered in the Dutch pages of the Telegraph. More information about this is available at www.zeebenengezocht.nl.

18/01/2017 16:32

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME SAFETY

Let’s all make 2017 the year of safer ships Do you make best use of the information offered in safety reports? Captain JOHN ROSE of the Confidential Human Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) explains that help is at hand…

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For those interested in learning more about how to reduce their exposure to potential risk and injury — which should be everyone at sea and management companies ashore — the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s new M-notice MGN 520 (M) Human Element Guidance — Part 2 is a must read publication. Why? It introduces the ‘deadly dozen’ — the 12 significant people factors in maritime safety.

The approach can be a one-

stop shop for seafarers and companies to refer to when looking at why people are doing what they do when encountering hazardous occurrences and involved in incidents.

Perhaps best of all, it is a system that is quick and easy to understand, and has simple checklists for easy identification of each of the deadly dozen of the human element in causal factors identified in a report.

Take a look at page four of the M-notice — pictured right. If nothing else, you can use this to help invigorate your thinking into why an occurrence happened. Undertake a few of these investigations — they can take a few minutes each, and you can soon identify a trend and analysis from the reports.

For clarification on the scope of each element, the MCA provides a summary page for each, with useful ‘dos and don’ts’. This can help create remedial action plans and prevent recurrence of the same event with the people involved, and for sharing elsewhere in the fleet.

Each of the ‘dozen’ has guidance on what companies, masters and seafarers can do to improve their approach to safety. After all, good safety performance is reliant not on individuals but on effective use of teamwork.

Let’s look more closely at this guidance. Here are some examples of the ‘can dos’:

(CHIRP) applies this process to all its reports, and the results can be found via the search function on our website: www.maritimechirp.org.

CHIRP shared the results with the MCA, with a summary of 12 years of reports which can be found on page five of MGN 520(M). It is interesting to note that a similar exercise, just looking at the past four years, shows the trends and high-risk areas are very similar with regards to the ways individuals think and react to hazards. Put simply, we are not learning fast enough!

Graphic: MCA

For companies z maintaining an effective safety culture, ensuring this is a high priority onboard your ships z ensuring effective resource allocation — people, tools, equipment, manuals, spares, instructions, procedures, etc z developing an effective accident and incident reporting and analysis process and providing feedback to ships For masters z creating a culture where people

are not afraid to speak up z building an onboard safety culture which nurtures a positive attitude to working habits, monitoring, checking, updating awareness, etc. z regularly reviewing procedures and practices with your crew

For seafarers z taking personal responsibility for safety z only attempting tasks where you are suitably qualified and experienced

z supporting each other — if you notice someone being distracted, speak up The MGN also raises issues to look out for and provides sources of further relevant information.

Perhaps a valuable start to 2017 may be to use this as a fresh approach to safety? Readers are strongly recommended to read the guidance and apply it to all incident and near-miss reports.

The Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme

The most frequent causal factors are: 1: Situation awareness — Do you REALLY know what’s happening?

2: Alerting — Do you really speak up when you should?

3: Communication — Do you REALLY understand everyone?

4: Complacency — Is everything REALLY OK? 5: Culture — Do you REALLY have a good safety culture?

For those wanting to know more about the human element, MGN 520(M) should be read with the Human Element Guidance series of MGNs and other human element publications, such as that found in the aviation industry at www.skybrary.aero, a reference site for aviation safety knowledge. Stick with this MCA publication and make a new year’s resolution to give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

Fictitious case study to illustrate MGN 520 (M) A

RA vessel en route from Genoa to Rotterdam had to make an unplanned 10-hour stoppage in the western approaches to the English Channel to repair a fault on the main engine. This meant the ship would be late for its planned ETA, so the master decided to make a full speed run through the Dover Straits with the engineers on standby rather than the planned run at manoeuvring speed. The decision was challenged by the chief officer, but overruled.

While in the Channel, a deck cadet received some distressing news from home via social media. The vessel subsequently arrived at Rotterdam five hours late.

While berthing, the engineers noticed a minor leak on a salt water general service pump situated near to the bottom plates. It was deemed that the junior engineer should have a look once the vessel berthed, but there was no further discussion on how to do the job. Up on deck the cadet had to be reminded twice to get out of the way of mooring lines under tension.

Once safely berthed, and after all the port formalities for arrival were completed, the suppliers for bunkers, victualing stores asked to start their loadings, and at the same time a port state control inspector walked up the gangway – all hands on deck!

Using a plan based on the original ETA, the loading of stores and bunkers had originally been planned to be staggered throughout the day.

The catering department were ordered to help with loading the stores and, in doing so, they left the galley unattended — dinner bubbling along nicely.

After a long period approaching the berth and mooring the ship, despite having just been stood down, the crew

27_chirp_SR edit.indd 27

were turned to again to deal with the additional workload.

In the engineroom, the junior engineer left his job working on the salt water pump to help with bunkering operations, and in doing so left an unguarded grating open on the engineroom upper plates. During the bunkering operation, an engineroom alarm sounded – it was a bilge high level alarm and was investigated by the second engineer, who narrowly avoided falling into the unguarded gap beside the salt water general service pump.

While passing through the galley during the storing, one of the catering department noted smouldering at the galley range – the cook had left his apron in contact with the hot plate in his rush to attend the call to load stores. No problem, the danger was rapidly dealt with.

Finally, our deck cadet walked under a crane loaded with a pallet of stores and once again had to be reminded to get out of the way.

A

One might think that there is nothing unusual about the above — happens every day and is a part of life at sea. However, if the human element is taken into account and the causal effects are analysed using the Deadly Dozen, the story reveals many lessons to be learned. The following gives examples — there are no definite ‘answers’.

Following the main engine breakdown, the master decided to forego the original plan and head for Rotterdam at full sea speed. Why? Pressure, perhaps, either self-imposed, or a fear that the charterer and the owner’s managers would not be best pleased, the latter implying Safety Culture failings between ship and shore.

The challenge by the chief officer was a good example of

Alerting, but the response discouraged any Teamwork whatsoever.

The decision to head at full speed and not advise anyone was a change of plan resulting from the delay effecting repairs on passage. This almost certainly led to a loss of Situational Awareness of the big picture, with the result that everything happened simultaneously on completion of mooring operations. The lack of planning following a change almost certainly impacted upon the vessel’s personnel — after a lengthy Channel standby, port approach and berthing, was Fatigue now a factor?

Did the lack of Communication ensure that the timing of stores and bunkers, (and port state control), was now haphazard or is this simply accepted as Local Practice?

Turning to the cadet, there was some distressing news, and upon three occasions he was Alerted to keep out of the way. It very possible that the cadet was Distracted by the news from home — and depending upon the severity he may not have been Fit for Duty. Did anybody notice?

Was the cadet acting in an unusual manner? This in itself is a form of Communication, Culture, and Teamwork — surely the cadet should be able to speak to somebody?

Meanwhile, the events in the engineroom can also have the human element applied to them. The minor leak on the salt water pump was an unplanned maintenance event, yet there was little in the way of planning or supervision — a lack of Teamwork and Communication and possibly a demonstration of Complacency about the use of checklists. An unplanned maintenance permit to work would have ensured that the area was safely guarded and that all precautions were adequately assessed. In this case, however, it might be Local Practice

to simply ignore procedures. Equally, the Pressure of all of the events might have taken its toll, and it should be taken into account that Fatigue after the stoppage may have been a factor. Was the junior engineer the right person for the job and Capable of effecting the repair? Whatever the reason, he left the job when called for bunkering and stores — was he Distracted enough not to place safety guards around the grating or was it simply standard operating practice onboard? The second engineer almost paid a heavy price, narrowly avoiding injury.

The catering department left the galley unattended, and the subsequent near fire could equally be attributed to Local Practice, Complacency or Distraction. It should be noted that in this case none of the department Alerted the cook about the dangers of leaving the galley unattended with the range in use.

A

So much for the story — there was certainly the potential for several incidents to happen at all stages of the narrative. Fortunately, nothing did happen. One might be tempted to state that if the master had not made the decision to run at full speed, none of the events would have taken place. This might be true, but it is worth considering why the master made that decision.

Analysis using the human element would examine this one stage further and identify a potential weakness in the safety culture and management of the company — the human element should be applied from the managing director and through all of shore management team.

There is no reason why the master should not have felt comfortable in announcing the delay and re-planning the port schedule.

18/01/2017 15:55

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Your Union and your new home Arranging a mortgage can often be a challenge for seafarers because of their employment circumstances.

But the Nautilus Plus deals and discounts service is now helping members to get a mortgage — the easy way…

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Is it time for you to look at a mortgage? Are you considering buying your first home, moving up, down or sideways from your current home, or just re-mortgaging to raise capital or ensure that you are on the best possible rate?

Getting a mortgage has become considerably harder in recent years following the global financial crisis and significant

2017 EUROPEAN SHIPPING WEEK

Brussels

The week-long series of high level events will centre on a major Conference discussing the key issues currently facing European and Global shipping as well as a Gala Dinner.

This is your chance to make your voice heard in Europe www.europeanshippingweek.com

28_plus_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

Organised by

27 February 3 March 2017

European Shipping Week is a platform where policy-makers from the main EU institutions will meet and engage with European shipowners and other stakeholders from the shipping sector.

in Association with

advice and guidance from professionals who will help you to find a competitive mortgage with a lender that will accept you and set it up on a basis that suits your personal circumstances.

It is no longer just a case of applying for a mortgage and keeping your fingers crossed — you now need to take much more care. Did you know, for example, that every time you apply for a

changes to lenders’ criteria.

In addition, the world of mortgages can be very confusing and the choice seems endless. There are over 2,000 different mortgage schemes available in the UK today, and finding the right one for you could be a real challenge.

It’s not just as simple as doing a bit of research on the internet or popping down the High Street into the local banks — you need

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credit agreement you could be affecting your credit rating and therefore your chances of getting a mortgage?

And it’s not just credit cards and bank loans that are considered as credit agreements, but anything from mobile phone contracts to 0% deals on sofas and paying your car insurance monthly.

If you apply for a mortgage online the lender will usually conduct a credit search. If you subsequently fail to meet their lending criteria you might then go on to another lender and try elsewhere.

Unfortunately, making a high number of searches can lower your credit score, which in turn can lead you to fail a lender’s credit scoring process. This means that you can inadvertently cause yourself considerable difficulties.

It is therefore important to take great care to ensure that you actually qualify for the mortgage that you are applying for. The problem is that the criteria used from one lender to another is often very different. For example: z some lenders accept selfemployed earnings with only one year’s evidence (an accountant’s letter), SA302 and tax overview — while others want two or more years’ audited accounts or don’t accept self-employed people at all z some lenders accept income paid in foreign currencies, but others will not accept this z some lenders accept seasonal workers or those on short-term contracts, while others will not z some lenders will not lend if the property to be mortgaged is likely to be unoccupied for any length of time, while others are more sympathetic to this As a Nautilus member, you

might recognise that one (or maybe all) of the above situations affects you.

Once you have identified which lenders will accept an application from you, how do you know which lender is offering the most appropriate deal for you at competitive rates and with competitive costs?

There are dozens of mortgage lenders, all of whom have an array of different products (fixed rate, capped rate, discounted rate, variable rate to name a few), so which one do you go for? The choice can be bewildering.

So how do you give yourself the very best chance of getting approved first time and making sure at the same time that you are getting a suitable deal at a competitive price?

The answer is simple — take advice from a mortgage adviser who understands your unique circumstances and who will help

you to identify and apply for the most suitable and competitive mortgage for you.

Our job is to make the complicated seem more straightforward and to help you throughout the entire mortgage application process — from start to finish.

You could save a considerable amount of money and a lot of time and trouble by speaking to Lighthouse Mortgage and Protection Solutions. We have a number of independent mortgage advisers based throughout the UK who can help with your enquiry and understand the unique challenges facing seafarers. g To find out more about how we can help Nautilus members with mortgages, secured loans or further advances — whether you are a first-time buyer, home mover or looking to re-mortgage — contact our Client Services team on 0800 085 85 90 or email appointments@ lighthousemps.co.uk.

Unfortunately, lenders do not always view maritime work in a positive light Pictures: canaran

Now read the small print! and produced by Lighthouse K Advisory Services Limited, and The above article is from

should be considered as a marketing communication.

Lighthouse Advisory Services is a broker and not a lender. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage

or other loans secured on it. You should think carefully before securing other debts against your home.

Commercial mortgages and business buy to let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Lighthouse Mortgage & Protection Solutions is a trading

style of Lighthouse Advisory Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. g The article above refers to UK properties and UK mortgages. For more information, please go to www.lighthousegroup.plc.uk/ services/mortgages-borrowing

18/01/2017 17:51

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME CAREERS

Rolling with the waves Captain Peter McArthur is a fine example of the way in which seafaring can take you in fascinating directions. SARAH ROBINSON found out how the Merchant Navy Medal winner’s chance introduction to shipping has led to professional and academic success…

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It was a stormy day in Glasgow, 1974. Young distillery worker Peter McArthur had been to collect his motorbike from the repair shop, but with the bike not ready, he faced a 21 mile walk home. Wet, shivering and cold, he stepped into a warm shop doorway for a moment’s shelter — where some advertising posters for cruises caught his eye.

Someone inside saw him looking at the pictures and invited him in. He explained that he was in no position to buy a cruise holiday, but the man laughed and said ‘step this way, sir,’ with an offer of sandwiches and coffee. ‘Well, it was the first time anyone had ever called me sir, so I couldn’t refuse,’ Peter smiles.

The doorway turned out to be the entrance to the British Shipping Federation office. Grateful for the chance to get warm, Peter readily answered the mysterious man’s questions about his education. He gradually realised he was being invited to find out more about a profession in which he already had some experience, having spent a few boyhood summers working onboard the Loch Lomond paddle-steamer Maid of the Loch. And by the end of that auspicious day, he had joined the Merchant Navy.

Peter won a cadetship with Denholm’s of Glasgow, and was kept on by the company as a third mate after qualifying as an officer of the watch in 1978. A year later he signed as a second mate with Everard’s, where he quickly built a reputation for ‘fixing things’. Recognising this ability, in 1980 Everard’s promoted Peter to chief officer, making him, at 23 years old, the youngest person of that rank in the British Merchant Navy — a record he held for two years.

In this latest post, he was in great demand for drydocks — working on nine of these in 18 months and seeing relatively little sea service during this period.

A highlight of his time with the company was becoming involved in the development of the pioneering Ability class tankers and trialling them at sea. ‘Everard’s provided some fantastic opportunities,’ he reflects. ‘They were very accommodating of new ideas.’

For his next move, the young officer accepted a chance offer to become a marine surveyor in the US, returning after six months to a berthing master’s position in the UK port of Immingham, as his wife was from the area and they now had small children to consider.

Peter’s new line of work on the Humber revived a childhood fascination with wave patterns. ‘I remember taking a small cruiser out on Loch Lomond with my father and being fascinated by the wake we created, wondering why the water moved as it did,’ he says. ‘This curiosity manifested again as I worked on the Humber and was tasked with analysing why some berths silted up while others didn’t. I started to study water more closely, making many observations to gain an understanding of current and tidal flow at different depths.’

29_peter m_SR edit.indd 29

It was an understanding that was to influence the rest of his career. Later in the 1980s his knowledge of water dynamics informed his work as a marine technical consultant in the Middle East, where he advised on pollution control operations while recovering war-damaged vessels. He then moved into freelancing in the North Sea oil and gas sector, where his aptitude for problem-solving again came to the fore. He eventually rose to become a semi-submersible barge master, only returning to mainstream seafaring as the offshore industry took a downturn in the early 1990s.

Holding a command endorsement

practice,’ he continues, ‘but I was becoming increasingly frustrated and instinctively understood there was an issue with the way hydrodynamic principles failed to describe the complex manoeuvres of large vessels. I could see common elements, but the theory I was taught at college was flawed and unreliable.’

Peter’s home life around that time had not been easy either. He acknowledges that his work and study commitments since the 1980s had not been conducive to family life, and his first marriage had broken down by 1999. However, in the 2000s he was to find love again — and support for his work — with his new wife

Captain Peter McArthur piloting a ship on the Manchester Ship Canal

limited his promotion prospects, so in the mid-1990s he elected to study for his unlimited master’s qualification, enabling him to assume a deepsea command with UECC. Peter enjoyed being back at college, but was never going to take everything he was taught without question, and part of him was always wondering how to find out more and do things better. ‘While we were studying ship hydrodynamics,’ he recalls, ‘the module concluded with the warning “Never attempt these manoeuvres with your own ship — leave it to the experts.” So I casually asked “Who are the experts?” Without hesitation, the reply came, “The Manchester Ship Canal pilots — they wrote the book on this stuff”.’

K

His future was set. On 2 January 1998, leaving his UECC command and all his other interests behind, Peter commenced pilot training on the Manchester Ship Canal so he could become one of the world’s foremost ship-handlers and pursue the research he had started as a berthing master on the Humber.

‘By 2002, as a qualified pilot, I had repeatedly attempted to reconcile taught theory with my ship-handling

Susan. ‘She encouraged me to trust my instincts, and intensify my own research, often joining me during the countless hours spent taking measurements and making detailed observations,’ he says.

‘As a mature student herself, she also encouraged me to follow my passion for personal learning and self-development.’

Over the rest of the decade — while still conducting hydrodynamic research and working as a pilot — Peter both qualified as a lawyer and completed an MBA through the Open University, achievements that bolstered his academic credibility and placed him in a strong position to take up future consultancy and expert witness work.

‘Some of the nautical colleges were wary of my theories to begin with,’ Peter recounts, ‘but the National Sea Training Centre in Gravesend was first to recognise the value of my work, acknowledging that proof had been obtained both in confined waterways and close-quarter situations.’ Other colleges also came to realise that Peter’s success in applying his theories as a practitioner set his work apart from the purely academic, and he was engaged to provide specialist hydrodynamic ship-handling training.

By 2009, having endlessly tested his

Captain Peter McArthur (right of picture) at the Merchant Navy Medal award ceremony at Trinity House London in November 2016 , with his wife Susan and Captain Flavian D’Souza, master of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners

new theories in practical situations, Peter had his first scholarly article published by the Nautical Institute. His theoretical papers have since been published in several other respected journals and presented at forums such as the Second International Conference in Marine Hydrodynamics. ‘But I always keep the practical application of my work in mind,’ he stresses, ‘and aim to write in a way that can be easily understood by the person on the bridge.’

One of his most important contributions to the field was demonstrating that hydrodynamic pressure fields around vessels can extend much further than anyone had previously thought. This proof was critical evidence in several collision cases, including a ULCC, the minibulker Princess Mary and the cruiseship Costa Classica. Peter’s unique portfolio of ship-handing experience, academic research and legal qualifications means that he is in regular demand by P&I clubs and loss adjusters to explain hydrodynamic contributors in shipping casualties like these.

He is aware that he, like everyone else, doesn’t have all the answers, but he is always ready to return to his research to try to find out more: ‘I could see there were still problems that could not be explained by contemporary hydrodynamic theory — for example, why ships entering a lock can suddenly, and without explanation, surge ahead. Not knowing why frustrated me. The breakthrough came in 2012, when I read a medical paper on water molecule dynamics within the human body. I extended the concept into the marine environment and suddenly realised that — pretty much by accident — I had advanced molecular hydrodynamics into the marine sphere, enabling me to address many mysteries of the sea’.

In 2015, Peter wrote a ground-breaking paper on boundary zones in shallowwater which explains why small craft can suddenly become unstable and capsize. ‘I submitted the paper for the Fourth International Hydrodynamics Conference,’ he says, ‘but when colleagues reviewed it, they prompted me to publish immedi-

ately, as the information could save lives.

I understand that the paper is now in circulation around the world and is already having an impact. It is very important to me that the research I undertake benefits mariner safety, and I include practical guidance in my articles as well as theory.’

He is also very much on the side of the seafarer in his role as a lawyer and incident analyst. ‘Seafarers’ lives are being destroyed in court cases because socalled expert witnesses are providing the courts with misleading information,’ he stresses. ‘It upsets me when evidence is based on theories they haven’t put into practice themselves.’ He occasionally provides pro bono expert representation for shipmasters who risk being unjustly convicted. ‘I feel strongly that I have a responsibility to do this because I am a practitioner, not just an academic,’ he says.

K

Captain Peter McArthur is now a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, and in November 2016, he was awarded the Merchant Navy Medal for his lifetime contribution to maritime safety and education. In characteristic fashion, though, he has not taken these honours as his cue to slow down towards retirement, and has taken the lead in the industrywide initiative to develop chartered status for Master Mariners.

He is clearly gifted and very hardworking, but credits the maritime industry with enabling him to have such a varied and accomplished career. ‘I would certainly recommend seafaring to today’s school leavers — notwithstanding my strange start at the Glasgow BSF office,’ he says.

‘It’s true that seafaring is more business than vocation these days, but shipping is still meritocratic,’ he points out.

‘With hard work and self-belief you can go far — it doesn’t matter what your background is. Just get yourself out there, be willing to try and stick with it. If you’re prepared to put something into this industry, it has so much to offer in return.’

Young Peter McArthur’s second trip as a deck cadet on the Severn Bridge in 1975

18/01/2017 16:35

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

prospectors found gold in F Rabbit Creek, near Dawson in

The expression ‘the container revolution’ is not an exaggerated one. It will be some years before the full impact is felt so far as seafarers are concerned because the first UK specially designed container ships will not come into service until late 1969 or even 1970. It has been estimated that the volumes of cargo carrying capacity of ships designed to carry 1,200 containers will be two to two and a half times that of a general cargo liner. It has also been estimated that the 1,200 container carrying vessel could be loaded and discharged in 24 hours. When this stage is reached, it may be essential for seafarer organisations to insist on certain trades having two complete crews for each ship or, possibly, three crews for two ships MN Journal, February 1967

In August 1896 three

the Yukon region of Canada. The valley was promptly renamed Bonanza Creek and many of the locals started staking claims.

Most of these early stakeholders — who became known as Klondike Kings — achieved great wealth.

As the Yukon was so remote, word of this find spread relatively slowly for almost a year. When, in July 1897, a particular vessel docked at Seattle bringing belated news and hard evidence of the enormously rich strike of gold along the Klondike River, the world was startled by a sentence scribbled in haste by an excited reporter who visited the ship.

It appeared in the Seattle PostIntelligencer: ‘At 3 o’clock this morning the steamer Portland, from St Michaels for Seattle, passed up the Sound with more than a ton of solid gold on board.’

Around the world, the words ‘a ton of solid gold’ evoked wild enthusiasm. With this pronouncement, the Klondike Gold Rush was on! In the diverse horde of humanity that responded, a few born explorers of untested regions, like the British peer Lord Evelyn Luton, made immediate preparations to reach the goldfields, simply for the sheer adventure.

His five-man expedition joined the liner Parisian in Liverpool. She was the pride of Canada’s Allan Royal Mail Line and one of the most elegant ships to ply the North Atlantic.

On the day of departure, Lord Luton’s party sat at the captain’s table. He enlightened them with the qualities of his command.

Launched in 1880 on the Clyde, Parisian was one of the largest vessels yet built. The first Atlantic steamer constructed of

25 YEARS AGO The ss Parisian was built with two funnels, but had just one following a refit in 1899

Portland and Parisian: gold ships of the Yukon steel, she also had innovative sub-divided double-bottoms, and was the first to be fitted with bilge keels to dampen rolling.

Likewise, the centrally placed dining saloon minimised the negative effects of pitching.

Powered by both sail and steam, she was indeed a mistress of the seas. Ahead of her was a major refit in 1899, a sinking in 1905 through collision whilst waiting to embark a pilot off Halifax, Nova Scotia, and her fruitless search for survivors of the Titanic disaster.

The most common route to the Klondike was from the American coastal town of Skagway. Lord Luton wanted to prove that the goldfields could be reached without leaving Canada. He had already probed both Africa and South America in earlier expeditions.

The 32-year-old gathered three fellow noblemen, including two members of his own family, plus a trusted Irish gillie. He aimed to demonstrate ‘how

an ordinary fellow with a bit of determination could follow in the footsteps of the great explorers.’ For him, these were epitomised by Sir John Franklin and his drive to discover the elusive Northwest Passage.

From the frontier town of Edmonton, Luton led his party down the Athabasca and Mackenzie rivers into the most inhospitable and testing landscape and climate.

Circumstances forced them to encamp through two long winters. Three of the party perished: one from drowning, the others from the effects of scurvy. Lord Luton and the gillie did succeed in getting to Dawson. The gillie stayed on as a gold-seeker, but Luton stayed only a few hours before beginning his journey home. As leader of the expedition, he was plagued by the loss of those who had died.

In 1909 Lord Lucan inherited the title of the ninth Marquess of Deal. Biographers assessed

the legacy of his disastrous expedition to the Arctic: ‘it was this prolonged and dreadful experience ... that put steel into the heart of the Marquess. When Lloyd George tapped him in 1916 to whip the British industrial effort into line so that Britain could muster its full strength against the Kaiser, he was as well prepared as a man could be to discipline the private sector.’

The ss Parisian continued in service until sold to Italian ship-breakers in 1914. In 1910, the steamer Portland struck a rock and grounded on the Alaskan coast. All passengers and crew survived. In 2003, reported remains of a shipwreck in the area were investigated.

Observations on cylinder size and vessel construction, corroborated by archival records, strongly suggested that the wreck is that of the Portland, a vessel which, even today, is referred to as ‘the gold ship’. f Inspiration taken from Journey, by James A Michener.

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book St Helena: A Maritime History

by Trevor Boult (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 has called for a ‘full and fast’ inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the near loss last month of a British-flagged containership suffering structural problems. As salvors battled to prevent pollution from the 53,409gt MSC Napoli off the coast of Devon, the Union warned that the incident underlined the need for the UK to exercise strict quality control over the vessels coming onto the red ensign. Nautilus said it wanted an investigation to focus on issues including the ship’s operational history and concerns about the design and construction of containerships, including the use of high tensile steel and reduced scantlings. Two British cadets were among the crew of 26 — of eight different nationalities — who were onboard the ship when it developed cracks in both sides of the hull some 40 miles off the coast of Cornwall The Telegraph, February 2007

THEQUIZ 1

2

Greece is the world’s biggest shipowning country, with a fleet totalling 173m gt. Which country is in second place, and how big is its owned fleet?

What was the average gross tonnage of the new cruiseships ordered in 2015?

3

What proportion of total containership capacity is held by the world’s top five operators?

4

In which country is the ferry operator Tallink based?

5

Which classification society has the most tonnage on its books?

6

Panama is the world’s biggest ship register, followed by Liberia. Which flag comes third?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 10 February 2017.

QUICK CLUES

13.

14.

18.

19.

21.

24.

25.

26.

27.

Across Glasgow football team (6) Household cleaner (6) Separate tangle (7) Stem (6) Northern religious building (6,9) Biblical boat builder (4) Get drunk (10) Stab with sword (3,7) Tickle (4) Total quotes (7,3,5) School dodger (Hamlet) (6) Obsequious (7) Light aircraft (6) Engine (6)

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Down Provide amusement (9) Ethnic (6) Musical climax (9) Plagued (5) Close-knit (8) Singing group (5)

1.

5.

9.

10.

12.

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

Amid signs that the planned European Community ship register could be launched by 1993, NUMAST is backing moves to improve links between European seafaring unions. During talks last month, NUMAST and other EC transport workers’ unions agreed to establish a group to find ways to improve cooperation and coordination. The move has been given added impetus because of recent progress on the development of the EC’s ‘Euros’ ship register. Drawn up with the aim of improving the competitiveness of European fleets, the Euros proposals are likely to be considered by EC transport ministers later this month. The latest package includes plans to give various support measures to Euros-registered shipowners, including seafarer income tax concessions and assistance for modernising fleets The Telegraph, February 1992

8. For Burns’ chieftain (7,4) 11. Danish dairy product is one of them (4,7) 15. Arranged (9) 16. Beyond death (9) 17. Scots isles (8) 20. Opposed to (6) 22. Month (5) 23. Blade (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

5.

9.

10.

12.

13.

Across Snake gets shocking treatment, whether in portrait or landscape (6) Fat the Queen has in pantry (6) Saint left elderly upper floor access mechanism once used in Berlin (7) Blaise given to computer language (6) Extraordinary ball at Lords, courtesy of Royal Mail (7,8) Communists at Anfield or Old Trafford (4)

14. If I’d fenced off you could put it down to shyness (10) 18. Term of endearment not reflected in North East town (10) 19. Mount neat reform (4) 21. Green voter can, so it’s in shuffle (15) 24. Hundred charges for packaging (6) 25. I precede revision of a Latin etymology (7) 26. One whose harvest is grim (6) 27. The length to which former outdoor accommodation will reach (6)

Down 2. ‘He hath not fail’d to pester us with message / Importing the --- of those lands / Lost by his father’ (Hamlet) (9) 3. Invoke a reaction from what sounds like something illegal (6) 4. Wielding just about everything to the sum of (9)

5. Novice on church building set for fall (5) 6. Cinders upset over small clothes size so cancels (8) 7. Dodge First Lady, divided about brief commercial (5) 8. Bring together service and oversee film to flood the market (4,7) 11. Hot metal moulding process, as expected from previous stages (11) 15. Where weather system tracks directly against opposing forces (5,4) 16. Stirred it in or added to kernel as dietary requirements (9) 17. Pests die wretchedly, like 7 (8) 20. Element found in San Francisco, Baltimore and other places (6) 22. Care for health of a shark (5) 23. Screen presentation of Imperial Service Order with Queen Victoria around (5) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

18/01/2017 17:52

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

Painstakingly putting the record straight Conspiracies At Sea: Titanic And Lusitania

By J Kent Layton Amberley Publishing, £19.99 ISBN: 978 14456 53938 theory about the cause of the Titanic’s loss K and a growing debate over the phenomenon of

In a month that saw the emergence of a new

‘fake news’, this fascinating book takes on an added significance.

The Titanic and Lusitania disasters have both generated a remarkable range of conspiracy theories — even questioning whether the ship that hit the iceberg was the Titanic or whether the Lusitania was deliberately allowed to sail into the path of a U-boat to force the United States into the First World War. In his forensic demolition of the key conspiracy theories, US maritime writer J. Kent Laycock makes extensive analysis of the original inquiry findings

and contemporary accounts to construct the sequence of events and explain how implausible some of the suggested causes of loss are.

The depth of his research is demonstrated by the way in which he has trawled through 86 eye-witness accounts of the Lusitania’s loss and assessed the varied recollections and perceptions of its sinking.

The book examines the claims that Titanic suffered from substandard design and construction, and that the vessel had been sunk deliberately to get insurance money.

Mr Laycock also looks into the controversy surrounding the Leyland liner Californian and whether it could have gone to the aid of the Titanic earlier — concluding that the delay was a lapse of judgement by the crew rather than a deliberate act to cause harm.

Winston Churchill — who was president of the Board of Trade, then responsible for merchant

thoughts on the battles and even the style of the ‘fine ship’ U-110 — the German submersible he boarded to capture Enigma — with his own words to tie the story together.

It’s a tale of daring and courage.

Throughout the book the modest Balme can be seen downplaying his own role and even perhaps understating its importance in the war effort. What’s clear, however, is that had this turning point not taken place, the world may very well be a very different place from that in which we stand today.

A familiar Heroism that story from the liner turned the Battle of the evangelist Atlantic Enigma: The untold story of the secret capture

By David Balme Edited by Captain Peter Hore Whittles Publishing, £16.99 ISBN: 978 18499 52262 fwww.whittlespublishing.com Balme. It’s a name of a man K whose actions on 9 May 1941 singleLieutenant Commander David

handedly turned the tide on the Allies’ war efforts in the middle of the Atlantic.

At just 20 years of age Balme boarded a German U-boat in midAtlantic, and captured one of the greatest secrets of the Second World War. This changed the course of the Battle of the Atlantic and shortened the war itself. What he seized was an entire Enigma machine, allowing it — for the first time — to be fully decoded.

Balme died in January 2016 at the age of 95, but while still alive he was interviewed by Captain Peter Hore, who has now brought the war hero’s words together in Enigma: The untold story of the secret capture. This is the third book in the British Navy at War and Peace series and — in 21 compelling chapters — describes the build-up to the capture of Enigma, the event itself and its aftermath.

Spanning over 160 pages, Capt Hore’s book intersperses Balme’s

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

Holland America Liners 1950-2015

By William H Miller £14.99, Amberley ISBN: 978 14456 58834 fwww.amberley-books.com

to get from a William H Miller K book. As it says in the foreword to You know what you’re going

his latest volume, ‘Bill Miller is like a maritime evangelist — he keeps the subject of bygone travel on ocean

liners alive.’ We might sometimes wonder whether this subject needs to be kept quite so hale and hearty, but with his prolific publications, there’s no denying the author’s dedication to the cause.

Holland America Liners 1950-2015 doesn’t get the glossy coffee-table treatment afforded to some of Miller’s works; it’s a fairly modest paperback with text laid out in long, dense chunks. Once you’ve made it through the text pages, though, there are a good number of ship pictures in colour and blackand-white, along with the usual selection of reproduced advertising posters from the 1950s and 1960s.

Care seems to have been taken

shipping — is cleared by the book of claims that he had contributed to the large loss of life from Titanic by failing to improve lifeboat regulations to match the growing size of new liners.

Churchill is also absolved of allegations that he had engineered the attack on Lusitania to get the US to declare war on Germany, noting the way in which behind-the-scenes blame was being placed upon the ship’s master for failing to follow recommended precautions.

Mr Laycock argues against suggestions that Lusitania’s name had been obscured, so the U-boat was unaware of the vessel it was attacking.

He also dismisses assertions that the ship had secret cargo onboard, as well as going to great lengths to examine the idea that there was more than one torpedo strike.

While the level of detail sometimes makes for effortful reading, Mr Laycock makes a passionate case for his attempts to set the record straight

to ensure all the company’s vessels from the period are mentioned, and some seafarers may enjoy the coverage of ships they have served on, including the Rotterdam, Prinsendam and Zuiderdam. The book also anticipates the launch of the new Pinnacle Class sisters Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam in 2016 and 2017.

This effort to bring the story up to the present day is presumably what differentiates Holland America Liners 1950-2015 from the author’s three previous books about the company, and for that reason it could be worth a look for Holland America fans. But the overall impression is underwhelming, and it is hard to see how the book earns its £14.99 price tag.

Nautical maps in all their beauty and fascination Sea Charts of the British Isles

By John Blake £18.99, Adlard Coles Nautical (Bloomsbury) ISBN: 978 14729 44900 fwww.adlardcoles.com

and to dispel what he describes as the ‘swirling maelstrom’ of myths that continue to surround both ships. History is important, he concludes, and we owe it to the real people that died with these ships and those that continue to live with the consequences of the disasters that their stories are told with the minimum of distortion.

awaited update to the UK’s K charts of its coastal waters, despite Sadly, this is not the long-

the best lobbying efforts of the Nautilus professional & technical department. But as long as you don’t have to make use of old maps for navigation, they can be absolutely fascinating, and Sea Charts of the British Isles has a wonderful historical selection dating back to the sixteenth century.

A striking feature of the earliest charts in the book is that they all represent Scotland as an island separate from England — a misconception arising from the assumption that the Forth and Clyde estuaries do not lead upstream to inland river sources but instead form a channel from

east to west. As late as 1720, the writer Daniel Defoe remarked that the map-makers for northern Britain were still ‘greatly mistaken’, with measurements that did not match his own observations.

In that same year, the French set up a hydrographic office, whose charts came to be used by the British Royal Navy, but it took until 1795 for King George III to set up a hydrographic service in his own country.

Thanks to this, surveying and charting methods improved as time went on, but the earlier maps still have value. What they lacked in accuracy, they often made up for in the beauty and ingenuity of their design. As we see in Sea Charts of the British Isles, safe passages were sometimes identified by showing a series of tiny ships in full sail following the route, and there were often sketches of coastal towns with features such as church spires to help the seafarer navigate.

The book takes the reader on a tour of the British Isles, with the charts and accompanying text wellpresented on glossy paper. The pages are large enough to show the finer details of the maps, and the appealing design of the book itself certainly does them justice.

All in all, a lovely piece of work which would make a great gift for a seafarer.

The remote island at the heart of world events St Helena: A Maritime History

By Trevor Boult Amberley Publishing, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 58414

K

The remote island community of St Helena has long served as a powerful example of the nature of ‘lifeline’ shipping services, with much of its history and development shaped by maritime connections.

It had been expected that a new airport, due to open last year, would put an end to the island’s dependence on shipping. But problems with the facility have resulted in a reprieve for the 1989-built RMS St Helena, which has maintained the island’s passenger, cargo and mail services for more than a quarter of a century.

Former ship’s officer Trevor Boult brings an experienced eye to this affectionate account of more than 500 years of St Helena’s maritime influences, starting with a

vivid description of a voyage he undertook in 2003 as part of the ship’s company.

Short chapters mix history with different aspects of the island’s economic and social development, underlining its strategic importance as trade routes developed and rule by the East India Company for more than 180 years helped to sustain Britain’s imperial ambitions.

Famous as the venue for Napoleon’s exile, St Helena was also used as a prisoner of war camp during the Boer War — at one time accommodating more than 5,000 prisoners.

In addition, Boult tells the fascinating stories of the island’s role in supporting the campaign to end the slave trade and its time as a centre for the whaling industry.

There are interesting sections dealing with Charles Darwin’s visit, the way the island’s coal station role was affected by the opening of the Suez Canal, and its part in the laying of a telegraph cable link between Cape Town

and the UK at the turn of the 20th century.

The remarkable accounts of some of the many shipwrecks in the vicinity of the island — including the 1941 torpedo attack on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Darkdale — could have made a book in themselves, and not least the amazing survival stories from the British passengership City of Cairo, which was sunk by the same submarine in the following year.

Attention is, of course, given to the ships which have served to supply St Helena over the years, including the specially-built ‘first’ St Helena (launched in 1814 on the Thames), the contribution made by Union-Castle liners,, and the former Canadian ferry Northland Prince.

Supported by some excellent photographss which capture the nature of life onboard the ‘RMS’, this is a well-written and enjoyable book that gives a marvellous insight into the often unappreciated contribution that shipping makes to society.

18/01/2017 15:55

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NL NEWS

Veel leerzame uitdagingen voor stagiairs op P&O Ferries A

Nautilus gastlessen in Harlingen F

Medio december was Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie weer te gast op de Maritieme Academie Harlingen om daar een drietal gastlessen te verzorgen voor 3e jaars VMBO studenten.

Individuele hulpverlening

Slechts enkele leerlingen waren bekend met het begrip ‘vakbond’ en met de individuele dienstverlening die Nautilus gratis verricht voor leden, die bijvoorbeeld in een rechtszaak zijn verwikkeld met hun werkgever. Ook werd via een rollenspel een cao (collectieve arbeid overeenkomst) onderhandeling nagebootst.

Volgens sommige leerlingen kon het salaris wel met 100 % omhoog.

Anderen hielden het wat lager en begrepen dat de werkgever

natuurlijk ook nog wat moet kunnen verdienen. Na afloop ging het vooral weer hard met de Nautilus pepermuntjes en pennen.

24/7 service vakbond

Verder werd de meerwaarde uitgelegd van het speciale studentenlidmaatschap tegen een sterk gereduceerd tarief (3,35 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.

Open Dagen

Op vrijdag(middag) 10 en zaterdag 11 februari 2017 organiseert de Maritieme Academie Harlingen weer Open Dagen. Ook Nautilus is hier met een stand aanwezig.

Volg ons op Twitter

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Beoordeelt u het belang dat uw werkgever hecht aan training als ‘goed’?

Nee 18%

Eind vorig jaar bezochten Nautilus bestuurders Marcel van Dam en Maarten Keuss de P&O ferries Norbank, Pride of Rotterdam en de Pride of Bruges. Hier raakten ze ook in gesprek met een aantal stagiairs van diverse zeevaartscholen. Onder meer over het leven aan boord en over hun praktijkervaringen. Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie legde onlangs de volgende vragen voor aan Pride of Bruges stagiairs Jesse Brentjes (23 jaar; University of Applied Sciences, de Ruyter Academie) en Falko Jonkman (23 jaar; Maritiem Instituut Willem Barentsz). En tevens aan P&O Pride of Rotterdam stagiair Merlijn Plandsoen (23 jaar; Rotterdam Mainport University of Applied Sciences, STC). Voor Jesse en Merlijn is het de tweede stage, voor Falko de eerste.

Hoe kwam je aan deze stageplek en waarom heb je voor een P&O ferry gekozen?

Jesse: ‘Ik wilde graag ervaren hoe het leven aan boord van een ferry is. Na een uitnodiging voor een sollicitatiegesprek en een rondleiding aan boord ben ik aangenomen. Tot nu toe heb ik het prima naar mijn zin!’

Falko: ‘Via mijn vader, die vaart zelf voor P&O. Maar ook omdat er aan boord van deze ferries veel onderhoud intern gedaan wordt en er met Nederlandse officieren wordt gevaren. Dit vind ik een zeer groot voordeel in verband met het takenboek. Bovendien vaar je door een vrij druk vaargebied en mag je vrij veel doen als leerling.’

Merlijn: ‘Toen ik op zoek was naar een stageplek voor mijn eerste stage was ik net te laat. Voor mijn tweede stage heb ik extreem vroeg een sollicitatiebrief naar P&O gestuurd om ditmaal echt op tijd te zijn. Een sollicitatiegesprek volgde en zo belandde ik op deze mooie stageplek.’

Wat vind je het meest boeiend van het werken op een ferry?

Jesse: ‘De ervaren bemanning en de uitdaging elke dag op tijd geladen te zijn en te vertrekken.

Ik leer hier veel en elke dag geeft het een goed gevoel op tijd weg te zijn en ook op tijd weer aan te komen.’

Falko: ‘Werken op een groot en divers schip; zowel qua lading als passagiers. Dit maakt het voor mij uitdagend.’

Merlijn: ‘De Pride of Rotterdam vaart dwars door één van ‘s werelds drukste vaarwateren. Dit leek mij uitdagend en leerzaam. Daarnaast wilde ik op een schip terecht komen met een uitgebreide machinekamer. Daar valt veel te leren.’

Wat is het grootste verschil tussen de theorie op school en het varen in de praktijk?

Jesse: ‘De theorie op school is vaak of heel specifiek, of heel breed. Hierdoor kost het afwisselend veel of weinig moeite om de theorie te leren en te begrijpen. Aan boord zie je toch al snel dat dingen in de praktijk heel anders werken.’

Sluit het takenboek van school goed aan op de praktijk?

Jesse: ‘Ja, redelijk. Veel taken zijn geen probleem en die kun je zo doen. Echter er zijn ook taken, die niet uitgevoerd kunnen worden omdat de desbetreffende uitrusting of machine niet aan boord is. Of die al net gedaan zijn.’

Falko: ‘Redelijk ja. De onderwerpen die het takenboek van je vraagt, kunnen vrijwel op ieder schip toegepast worden.’

Merlijn: ‘Het takenboek sluit prima aan bij de praktijk. Maar niet alle dingen komen op een ferry voor.’

Heb je nog tips voor leerlingen van de zeevaartscholen in het ‘voorbereiden op je stage?’

Jesse: Vooral als je nog nooit gevaren hebt, spring je in je eerste stage een beetje in een diep gat. Ik zou zeggen: ‘Pak je spullen en ga gewoon.’

Falko: ‘Via mijn school zijn we goed geïnstrueerd wat er allemaal verwacht wordt van je aan boord.’

Merlijn: ‘Begin vroeg met het zoeken naar een stageplek.’

Waar zou je in de toekomst graag (op) willen werken?

Jesse: ‘Ik zou ’t nog niet precies weten, al vind ik een ferry wel heel leuk om op te varen.’

Falko: ‘Ik zou graag de bagger/offshore in willen.’

Merlijn: ‘Als ik klaar ben met mijn opleiding wil ik in de machinekamer werken. Het liefst met grote motoren.’

Denk je dat ‘Onbemand Varen’ de toekomst wordt en hoe zie je je eigen rol dan?

Jesse: ‘Ik denk dat dit gedeeltelijk de toekomst wordt. Natuurlijk is het haalbaar om bijvoorbeeld op de oceaan onbemand te varen.

Maar niets is bestand tegen de natuur. Ik denk dat ‘t altijd verstandig is bemanning aan boord te hebben, voor het geval de elektronica er mee ophoudt.’

Falko: ‘Ik denk wel dat het in de toekomst gaat komen, alleen er zal altijd onderhoud gedaan moeten worden. Op schepen met een groot risico voor mens of milieu(olie/gas tanker en passagiersschepen) zal er altijd nog wel een crew opzitten.’

Merlijn: ‘ Als dek-officier zie ik dit als een ramp voor de arbeidsmarkt. Als werktuigkundige zal het allemaal wel meevallen. Een machinekamer heeft elke dag aandacht nodig.’

‘Ik ben binnen de afdeling Human Resources A van P&O Ferries verantwoordelijk voor onder P& O HR assistant Jacqueline Coppée:

andere de werving en selectie van stagiairs. Ook presenteer ik P&O Ferries tijdens verschillende open dagen en bedrijvendagen van verschillende Zeevaartscholen.

Dit is erg leuk om te doen, daar ik voornamelijk te maken heb met jonge ambitieuze mensen.

Samen met het scheepsmanagement doe ik de selectie van de leerlingen van de Zeevaartscholen.

Met de Zeevaartscholen onderhoud ik een goed contact met betrekking tot hun leerlingen, die stagiair/leerling bij ons zijn, of bij ons hebben gesolliciteerd naar een stageplaats.’

P&O stage map

‘Het feit dat wij voornamelijk met Nederlandse officieren varen, die allemaal bekend zijn met het Nederlandse leersysteem, en dus ook met het takenboek, geeft een leerplaats bij ons iets extra’s. Naast het takenboek van school ontvangt een stagiair aan boord een ‘P&O stage map’. In deze map wordt het voortgangsproces van onze leerlingen geregistreerd. Dit document speelt tevens een grote rol wanneer een leerling bij ons solliciteert naar een vaste aanstelling.

Maar de echte kwaliteit van onze stageplaatsen komt van onze leermeesters, die iedere leerling met veel enthousiasme zo goed mogelijk proberen te begeleiden.’

Transitievergoeding en scholingsbijdrage Paragon medewerkers Offshore collectief ontslag aan A voor 74 medewerkers op de Rigs C462, Eind vorig jaar meldde Paragon

Ja 82%

De poll van deze maand is: Denkt u dat de offshore support vessel industrie weer op kan krabbelen vanuit de huidige malaise? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl.indd 32

Falko: ‘Dat je aan boord van het schip een onderdeel echt kunt zien, terwijl het op school meer uit de boeken wordt gehaald.’

Merlijn: ‘Op school vertellen ze je niet wat een dek-officier doet als hij niet vaart.

Buiten het wachtlopen om worden er ook nog klusjes gedaan aan dek. Dit houdt bijvoorbeeld in dat je elke week/maand dezelfde klusjes doet om het schip veilig te houden.’

C20052 en C461. Het bedrijf verkeert al langere tijd in zwaar economisch weer en is het zoveelste slachtoffer in de olie/ offshore-crisis.

Nautilus bestuurders Bert Klein en Sascha Meijer hebben overleg gevoerd met Paragon. Sascha Meijer: ‘Uiteraard hebben we ook onze leden geraadpleegd. Tevens hebben wij Rig C461 twee maal bezocht op verzoek van leden en anderen die graag door de bond geïnformeerd en geadviseerd wilden worden. Hierbij zijn diverse mensen lid geworden.’

Op de Nautilus ledenvergadering met Paragon leden bleek dat er, naast de door Paragon geboden

transitievergoeding en een pensioencompensatie, vooral veel behoefte was aan een extra scholingsbijdrage en een terugkeergarantie als de markt weer aantrekt. Uiteindelijk werden deze wensen in de gesprekken tussen Nautilus en Paragon gehonoreerd.

Terugkeergarantie

Sascha Meijer: ‘Het was natuurlijk bepaald geen prettige mededeling voor onze leden en overige medewerkers, werkzaam op deze Rigs van Paragon.

Maar de offshore sector zit nog altijd in zwaar weer en treft nu ook Paragon Offshore. In die zin zagen een aantal mensen dit toch wel aankomen.

Uiteindelijk hebben we er wel een extra scholingsbijdrage op uit-onderhandeld.

Mensen met functies met een grote afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt krijgen nu een extra vergoeding voor scholing van maximaal 1.500 euro.

En bovendien een terugkeergarantie als het werk weer aantrekt. Dat stond bij veel van onze leden wel hoog op het verlanglijstje. Plus dat de transitievergoeding van wie een vaststellingsovereenkomst tekent uiterlijk 15 januari zou worden betaald.

Verder zullen wij onze leden bijstaan, die overwegen hun ontslag aan te vechten. Bijvoorbeeld als men van mening is dat hun functie uitwisselbaar is met die van iemand uit dezelfde leeftijdsgroep op een andere Rig die korter in dienst is. Wij zullen dan uiteraard de benodigde juridische hulp bieden.’

Nautilus bestuurder Sascha Meijer

18/01/2017 16:56

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Nautilus Jaarvergadering 2017 Op dinsdagmiddag 20 juni 2017, van 13.00 tot 14.30 uur, vindt de jaarvergadering van de Nederlandse branch van Nautilus International plaats in het Rotterdam Marriott Hotel te Rotterdam. Hierna wordt een openbaar toegankelijk symposium georganiseerd, van 15.00 tot 17.00 uur. Nadere informatie over deze middag volgt nog, maar houdt u deze datum vast vrij in de agenda.

Voorstellen indienen

Werk van Brug- en Sluiswachters verkwanseld door provincie NoordHolland & Trigion worden bij Trigion, het bedrijf F dat vorig najaar van de Provincie

‘Goedkoop’ lijkt ‘duurkoop’ te

Noord-Holland de gunning kreeg voor de bediening van bruggen en sluizen in Noord-Holland. En dat nu op 1 april 2017 verantwoordelijk voor deze bediening wordt.

Met name het personeel van terugtredend bedienaar ODV Maritiem lijkt nu de dupe te worden van het ‘goedkoop inkopen’ van de Provincie. Ook de veiligheid voor de inwoners van Noord-Holland dreigt steeds meer in het geding te komen.

Nautilus bestuurder Daan Troost: ‘De eerste tekenen van een foute beoordeling door de Provincie Noord-Holland kwamen al naar buiten in juli 2015 en werden helaas voortgezet in het verstrekken van de gunning aan Trigion Services BV. Het door ODV aangespannen Kort Geding was het klapstuk in deze soap: de Provincie wist dat ODV Maritiem de enige complete en competente kandidaat was, maar ging toch puur voor het geld.

Het moest allemaal goedkoper.

‘Veiligheid en vaste banen’ speelden geen rol. Trigion-Traffic Support-City 360 zal zo nooit het vereiste, goed opgeleide personeel kunnen leveren als het doorgaat op de weg die men eind vorig jaar is ingeslagen.’

Behoud vaste banen en gelijke loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden?

Op aandrang van de Provincie vond op 7 december 2016 een gesprek plaats tussen ODV Maritiem, Trigion (City360) en Nautilus International.

Doel van het gesprek: de overstap van 24 ODV-werknemers met een vast dienstverband naar Trigion.

Behoud van vaste banen, gelijke loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden en indien mogelijk in een caoafspraak, stonden hierin centraal.

‘Beschamend, ‘wurgcontract’, ‘20% loonsverlaging’,

32-35_nl.indd 33

‘ik voel me gebruikt’

Daan Troost: ‘Kort na dit gesprek kwamen de ware bedoelingen van Trigion, Traffic Support en City 360 naar buiten. Een aantal ODV werknemers solliciteerden op de functie brug-/sluiswachter. Na de eerdere krampachtige pogingen van uitzendbureau Unique kwam nu het ware gezicht naar buiten van de nieuwe opdrachtnemer.

Reacties die ons bereikten van de kant van de mensen die hadden gesolliciteerd: ‘Beschamend’, ‘vernederend’, ‘wurgcontract’, ‘20% loonsverlaging en ‘ik voel me gebruikt!’

Brandbrief

Daan Troost: ‘Een 0-uren contract voor 7 maanden; bewijzen dat men een brug en sluis kan bedienen; volgen van een opleiding tot verkeersregelaar, die minstens 10x per jaar in het hoogseizoen wordt ingevuld. En nog veel meer gespreksonderwerpen kwamen langs, waaruit duidelijk blijkt dat Trigion geen idee heeft waar het over gaat. En het ogenschijnlijk ook niet wil uitvoeren op de wijze waarop het zou moeten gebeuren, waarmee men ook de afgegeven intenties hieromtrent van het Provinciaal bestuur duidelijk aan zijn laars lapt. De brug- en sluiswachters worden volledig afgerekend als verkeersregelaars, facilitair medewerker of anderszins. Eind vorig jaar is vanuit ODV Maritiem een brandbrief verzonden aan de Provincie. De Provincie zou in actie komen.

Tot nu toe echter onzichtbaar en geluidloos!’

Het is goed om alvast alle leden te wijzen op de mogelijkheid om voorstellen in te dienen. Deze voorstellen dienen het algemene Nederlandse belang van de vereniging te betreffen.

Voorstellen over een specifieke CAO of een specifieke rederij worden verwezen naar desbetreffende ledenvergaderingen.

Eventuele voorstellen dienen uiterlijk 1 mei a.s. schriftelijk of per email door het bestuur te zijn ontvangen en zullen voorzien van een bestuursadvies aan de vergadering worden voorgelegd. In te sturen naar mschmidt@nautilusint.org.

Ledenvergaderingen Handelsvaartcao en Spliethoff Groep cao A

Kom op 7 februari naar Groningen!

De Handelsvaart-cao en de Spliethoff Groep cao verlopen beiden op 31 maart 2017. Cao-partijen (werkgevers en werknemers) zullen daarom in 2017 bijeenkomen om te praten over een nieuwe sector-cao Handelsvaart en over de nieuwe ondernemings-cao van de Spliethoff Groep.

Nautilus bestuurder en cao-onderhandelaar Sascha Meijer: ‘Om binnenkort weer goed over beide nieuwe cao’s te kunnen gaan onderhandelen, nodigen we uiteraard onze leden uit voor een ledenvergadering. Zodat we gezamenlijk kunnen bepalen met welke voorstellen we de onderhande-

lingen ingaan. En leden aan boord kunnen ook hun suggesties aan ons doormailen. Deze worden ook altijd besproken in de ledenvergaderingen.’

Onzekere tijden

Sascha Meijer: ‘Zoals bekend volgt Nautilus International het loon- en arbeidsvoorwaardenbeleid van de FNV. Natuurlijk realiseren de vakbonden dat we in Nederland — met name in de zeevaart — nog steeds in onzekere tijden leven en veel werkgevers het niet makkelijk hebben. Daarom kiezen we als Nautilus voor een redelijke inzet. In 2017 gaan wij de cao-onderhandelingen in met een loon- en arbeidsvoorwaardenruimte van 2,5 % en is

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Drukbezochte actiebijeenkomst

Op 10 januari belegde Nautilus een drukbezochte speciale actiebijeenkomst voor de gedupeerde ODV medewerkers.

Daan Troost: ‘Tijdens deze bijeenkomst werd duidelijk dat de mensen het niet meer pikken en de door Trigion aangeboden salarisverlaging en slechte arbeidsvoorwaarden afwijzen. Ook is er veel verontwaardiging over de rol van het Provinciebestuur, dat in diverse plenaire en commissievergaderingen steeds heeft toegezegd voor een goede transitie te zorgen. Besloten werd dan ook nieuwe acties voor te gaan voorbereiden. Ook gaan we op 16 januari weer inspreken op een vergadering van de commissie Mobiliteit en Financiën van de Provincie om onze grote zorgen over deze hele gang van zaken te uiten.’

de looptijd een vast onderdeel van de onderhandelingen. Maar uiteraard zijn de wensen van onze leden leidend.’

Ledenvergaderingen en entreebewijs voor maritieme musea

De ledenvergaderingen vonden en vinden op twee verschillende geografische (en bijzondere) locaties plaats, te weten: Op 25 januari in Rotterdam met ook een bezoek aan het Maritiem Museum.

Op dinsdag 7 februari, in het University Hotel, Kleine Kromme Elleboog 7-b, Groningen. Met hier een bezoek aan het Noordelijk Scheepvaart Museum,

committees

z Talks about a new CBA for KotugSmit

z P&O trainees are learning a lot z Nautilus annual NL branch meeting on 20 June

z ODV employees offended z Offshore experience in Rotterdam

z Preparing for a new Merchant fleet CBA

Nautilus bestuurder Daan

de verontruste ODV werknemers op 16 januari de Provinciale commissie Mobiliteit en Financiën toe.

Gedeputeerde Cees Loggen gaf aan dat er binnen twee á drie weken meer duidelijkheid moet komen uit het overleg van de Provincie met Trigion over een eventuele overgang van ODV werknemers.

In het Telegraph maartnr. berichten we meer over de wensen van onze leden voor deze cao’s.

z Nautilus fleet visits from z Nautilus in school and academy

Troost (op de foto: midden F voor) spreekt namens Nautilus en

Aanvangstijden: 10:30 – 12:00 uur: ledenvergadering Handelsvaart 12:00 – 13:00 uur: uitloop vergadering / borrel met leden 13:30 – 15:00 uur: ledenvergadering Spliethoff groep 15:00 – 16:00 uur: uitloop vergadering / borrel met leden

In this month’s Dutch pages: Rotterdam to Singapore

Provincie verwacht op korte termijn meer duidelijkheid van Trigion

Brugstraat 24, Groningen.

Als lid in de Handelsvaart of bij de Spliethoff Groep heeft u dus nog kans om op 7 februari in Groningen uw stem te laten horen! Geef u snel op via infonl@nautilusint.org.

z FNV elections z Paragon redundancies z Digital Tachograph in inland

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 Joe Elliott-Walker van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 E: joe.elliott-walker@ redactive.co.uk.

waters

z FNV Waterbouw seminar z Nautilus guest lectures in Harlingen

18/01/2017 16:56

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NL NEWS

De Offshore Experience voor jong en oud in Maritiem Museum de nieuwste en ambitieuze A tentoonstelling/experience van het De Offshore Experience,

Rotterdams Maritiem Museum is een uitdagende zoektocht op zee naar energie uit olie, gas, wind en andere bronnen. Of zoals het museum het zelf aankondigt: ‘Stel je voor dat er geen elektriciteit zou zijn. Hoe gaat de televisie aan?

Hoe laad je je mobiel op? En wat als er geen gas zou zijn om te koken of geen benzine voor je auto? Zonder deze energie kunnen we ons leven nauwelijks meer voorstellen. Een derde van onze energie uit olie, gas en wind wordt gewonnen op zee.

Offshore dus.

360 graden filmprojectie Met een veiligheidshesje aan en een helm op je hoofd stap je aan boord van een platform midden op zee. Een 360 graden filmprojectie prikkelt je zintuigen. Schepen varen af en aan en helikopters landen. Speciaal voor de tentoonstelling gebouwde modellen van de nieuwste en meest geavanceerde offshore schepen laten je zien waar ze toe in staat zijn.

Off shore werknemers geven een kijkje in hun leven op zee en in simulaties ervaar je zélf hoe boormeesters, kraanmachinisten, windmolenspecialisten en helikopterpiloten hun spectaculaire werk op volle zee en in gevecht met de elementen weten te klaren. Wie lukt het bijvoorbeeld om als marshaller een helikopter naar het platform te begeleiden? En om bij drie meter hoge golven een container vanaf een schip aan boord van het platform te hijsen?

Tot 3 km onder water Een lift brengt de bezoekers naar een mysterieuze onderwaterwereld.

Van net onder het zeeoppervlak tot 3 km diep. Het avontuur eindigt in de toekomst. Stem op het beste duurzame idee voor energiewinning op zee. Komt dat van een professionele offshore ingenieur of van een 8-jarige basisschoolleerling?

Spannend voor 8-jarige Tobias Nautilus Offshore bestuurder Marcel van Dam nam in de kerstvakantie samen met zijn zoontje Tobias een kijkje in het bruisende museum.

Marcel van Dam: ‘Het was erg druk, dus hier en daar was het wel even wachten. Maar ik moet zeggen, het wachten werd beloond, want het is

echt een experience voor jong en oud.

Vooral het begeleiden van het landen van de helikopter aan boord van het platform vond veel aftrek. Evenals het hijsen van containers van een schip op een platform in een ruwe zee. Genoeg dus te doen en ook erg leerzaam om zo een kijkje in offshore wereld te nemen.

Spannend voor de 8-jarige Tobias was ook de afdaling naar de donkere diepzee. Al met al een leuk dagje uit.’

Belangrijke sector Marcel van Dam: ’Voor ons als Nautilus is de offshore een belangrijke sector en met name de Off shore Wind neemt een steeds belangrijker positie in door de energie transitie.

In de bekende ‘oude Offshore’ gaat het door de oliecrisis niet bepaald goed, maar in de Offshore Wind zie je de werkgelegenheid steeds meer toenemen. In West Europa vindt aanbesteding van de bouw van nieuwe windparken plaats. Daarnaast moeten bestaande windparken op zee ook onderhouden worden. Dit betekent uitbouw van een nieuwe industrie.

Nederland speelt hier een belangrijke rol in met spelers als Boskalis, van Oord en Vroon.’

Gamechanger Met de Offshore Experience realiseert het Maritiem Museum een gamechanger in museumland, stelt het Maritiem Museum zelf. En verder: ‘Naast het ontwikkelen van de tentoonstelling rekt het museum de grenzen op van de Nederlandse maritieme erfgoedcollectie door offshore toe te voegen aan zijn verzamelbeleid. Het doet uitgebreid wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar de geschiedenis van de offshore sector in samenwerking met de Erasmus Universiteit en zet een innovatieve koers uit op het gebied van techniekeducatie en projectfinanciering.

Meer dan vijftig bedrijven uit de offshore sector en vele fondsen, waaronder de BankGiro Loterij, Mondriaanfonds, VSBfonds en Stichting Bevordering van Volkskracht, financieren 2/3 van het project en dragen bovendien bij in de vorm van kennis en collectie.’

Marjan van Loon, presidentdirecteur van Shell Nederland, gaf op 16 december 2016 het startsein voor de opening. De Offshore Experience is de komende 7 jaar te zien in het Maritiem Museum Rotterdam en krijgt elk jaar een update.

FNV Waterbouw seminar ‘Investeren in goede waterbouwers’ Waterbouw een Meldpunt A opgezet waar werknemers in de Medio 2016 heeft FNV

sector Waterbouw misstanden kunnen melden. We hebben een groot aantal meldingen ontvangen over werknemers die op wachtgeld thuis zitten, terwijl er in hun plaats goedkope (buitenlandse) werknemers worden ingehuurd.

Tevens dat er werknemers worden aangesteld op basis van flexibele arbeidscontracten, waardoor steeds meer Echte Banen verdwijnen.

Seminar: 9 maart a.s. in Rotterdam

FNV Waterbouw voorzitter Charley Ramdas: ‘Door

32-35_nl.indd 34

oneerlijke concurrentie op loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden raken zo medewerkers hun vaste banen kwijt. Al met al verontrustende ontwikkelingen, die een uithollend effect hebben op goede werkgelegenheid in de sector. Daarom organiseren we als Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw op 9 maart in Rotterdam een seminar ‘Investeren in goede Waterbouwers.’ Voor dit seminar gaan we leden, werkgevers, opdrachtgevers en deskundigen uit de Waterbouwsector uitnodigen.

We zijn al met enkele interessante sprekers in gesprek. Meer informatie volgt spoedig via onze nieuwsbrieven en websites.’

Nautilus wil invoering Digitale Tachograaf Binnenvaart zich zorgen over de veiligheid A op het water in de Binnenvaart.

Nautilus International maakt

Eind december vorig jaar ramde een Duits binnenvaartschip de stuw bij Grave door de verkeerde vaargeul te kiezen. Het waterpeil in de Maas was daardoor over een groot aantal kilometers gezakt en binnenvaartschepen konden daar enkele weken niet meer langs. Nautilus pleit al langer voor de invoering van een Digitale Tachograaf, zodat er geregistreerd wordt wat er gebeurt.

Invoering Digitale Tachograaf en standaardtaal

Sinds vorig jaar is Europees geregeld dat de opleiding voor alle werknemers in de binnenvaart in heel Europa aan dezelfde voorwaarden voldoet. De vraag is alleen wat daarvan nu al te zien is in de populatie werknemers.

Carl Kraijenoord, bestuurder binnenvaart van Nautilus, stelde in een televisie-uitzending van EenVandaag, begin januari, dat daar nu aan wordt gewerkt.

‘Wij zien bovendien graag dat er één standaardtaal komt in de Europese binnenvaart die iedereen beheerst, zodat er in noodsituaties gecommuniceerd kan worden. Ik constateer ook nogal eens een andere mentaliteit bij Oost-Europeanen, die soms in de weken waarin ze rust moeten

nemen, gewoon een andere klus zoeken. Hierdoor kan vermoeidheid ontstaan, en dat is nu net de oorzaak van de meeste ongelukken in de scheepvaart. Daarom pleiten wij ook voor de invoering van de digitale tachograaf, zodat je kunt registreren wat er gebeurt.’

Oost-Europeanen in de binnenvaart

De schipper die het ongeluk veroorzaakte was een Slowaak.

De toename van Oost-Europees

personeel op binnenvaartschepen in Nederland zorgt volgens menigeen voor veiligheidsproblemen. Volgens Martin Seine van PTC, een coöperatie voor individuele schippers, had dit nooit kunnen gebeuren als er een Nederlander in de stuurhut had gestaan.

Volgens branchevereniging Centraal Bureau voor Rijn- en Binnenvaart (CBRB) is ongeveer 25 tot 30 procent van de werknemers in de binnenvaart van buitenlandse afkomst. Een groot deel daarvan

komt volgens hen uit Oost-Europa.

Seine maakt zich hier zorgen over: ‘De schepen in Roemenië bijvoorbeeld, hebben een stuk minder geavanceerde apparatuur aan boord dan Nederlandse schepen.

Dat kan voor problemen zorgen.

Daarnaast zou het goed zijn als de kwalificatie van Oost-Europeanen nog eens getoetst zou worden voor ze in Nederland aan het werk gaan.’

(Diverse citaten in dit artikel zijn afkomstig van de EenVandaag website).

Vlootbezoeken… van Rotterdam tot Singapore

A

wel tien verschillende nationaliteiten.

De vergaande samenwerking van Nautilus met de andere internationale zeevarendenbonden zorgt ervoor dat onze vlootbezoekers alle problemen van een schip kunnen opvegen en daar deponeren waar ze thuis horen.

De vlootbezoekers van Nautilus komen regelmatig in contact met onze Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw leden. Van Rotterdam tot…Singapore, waar Nautilus ook een vaste vlootbezoeker heeft gestationeerd.

‘Iets aan de hand’

Eén van de manieren waarop Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw contact houden met hun leden op de werkvloer is het vlootbezoek. Al vele jaren lopen onze vlootbezoekers vanuit Rotterdam en Singapore de schepen af in de regio’s Noordwest Europa en Azië. Meer gericht vlootbezoek wordt gedaan op verzoek vanaf de schepen of op ons initiatief, wanneer er ‘iets aan de hand’ is bij een bepaalde rederij. Dan staan we uiteraard ‘direct klaar’ voor onze leden. Een voorbeeld daarvan zijn de vlootbezoeken aan de schepen van de HAL in Amerika en Zuid Europa rond de CAO onderhandelingen bij die rederij.

Pensioendiscussies aan boord

De inzet van meerdere vaste vlootbezoekers vraagt een aanzienlijke investering, maar de waardering door onze leden en ook van de werkgevers in de beide sectoren is nog steeds groot. Hoewel de noodzaak tot het brengen van de eerste informatie over ontwikkelingen wat op de achtergrond is gedrongen -door de sterk verbeterde communicatiemogelijkheden aan boord- blijkt steeds dat mede daardoor meer behoefte bestaat aan het ‘uitdiepen’ van veel onderwerpen. Een goed voorbeeld daarvan is de voor velen verwarrende discussie over pensioenen.

Iedereen mag wat roepen, maar hoe het dat alles er uit ziet voor de eigen pensioensituatie is dan al gauw ver buiten zicht. De vlootbezoeker kan de lucht weer even klaren

Vraagbaak en doorgeefluik

en zo nodig wat vragen meenemen voor latere beantwoording.

Nautilus kantoor Singapore

De kleine vestiging van Nautilus in Singapore is reeds in 1973 op- en ingericht voor het onderhouden van directe contacten met onze zeevarenden op schepen in de Singapore regio. Dat ging toen hoofdzakelijk om de toen nog heel grote Nedlloyd ledengroep, die vrijwel dagelijks met meerdere schepen in Singapore voor de kant kwam. Het contact met die inmiddels over de Maersk vloot verspreide en zeer uitgedunde ledengroep is altijd gebleven zoals het ooit was. Met het uitbreiden van het werkgebied naar de waterbouw en de steeds verdere internationalisering is het bestaansrecht van de post Singapore gewaarborgd en het aantal te bezoeken schepen breidt zich nog steeds uit. Interessant is dat door die internationalisering ineens weer complete bemanningen worden bediend. Kenmerkend is de Maersk situatie, waar de inmiddels dun gezaaide Nederlandse en Engelse leden aan boord zitten met collega’s van soms

Mede door de toenemende beschikbaarheid van email verandert de dienstverlening van onze vlootbezoekers nog steeds. Waar het vlootbezoek in het verleden in eerste instantie gericht was op het even aanwezig zijn van ‘de bond’ aan boord en de actualiteit van het moment, gaat het er nu vooral om zoveel mogelijk zeevarenden te laten weten dat er mensen vrijgemaakt zijn om voor iedereen aan boord als vraagbaak en doorgeefluik te fungeren. Als we daarvoor zelf langs kunnen komen, is dat voor iedereen en zeker voor ons leuk, maar ‘vlootbezoek op afstand’ via de email werkt net zo goed.

We komen graag bij u langs

Het vlootbezoek vanuit Rotterdam gaat het hele jaar door. Voor de buitenpost Singapore geldt dat het kantoor weliswaar slechts periodiek bezet is, maar wel altijd per email bereikbaar blijft. We komen uiteraard graag even bij u langs en dan bij voorkeur op een tijdstip dat het u uitkomt. U kunt ons vragen om even langs te komen via het adres singapore@nautilusint.org voor de Singapore regio. Voor de regio West Europa is dat infonl@ nautilusint.org. Indien u zit met vragen en/of opmerkingen die in een vlootbezoek passen, kunt u achter die adressen altijd een vlootbezoeker vinden die u ook op afstand van dienst kan zijn. Want Nautilus staat altijd graag voor al zijn leden klaar.

18/01/2017 16:57

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

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.

Dit keer betreft het: Actieve participatie in beroepenveldcommissies, adviescommissies en bedrijfstakcommissies van Nederlandse zeevaart ‒ en binnenvaartopleidingen

Als Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw medewerkers wel eens wordt gevraagd: ‘Wat doet die vakbond eigenlijk allemaal?’, dan kan het zomaar gebeuren dat er een korte stilte valt. Niet vanwege het gebrek aan onderwerpen, maar simpelweg vanwege de overweging ‘hoe ga ik dit nu zo overzichtelijk mogelijk uitleggen’… daar het aantal aandachtsgebieden, naast de bekende collectieve en individuele dienstverlening, toch wel vrij imposant is. In de basis komt het erop neer, dat we ons bezighouden met alle beroep gerelateerde aspecten van onze (aanstaande) leden. Dit loopt uiteen van het enthousiasmeren van basisschool leerlingen voor de varende beroepen, tot en met het helpen van de nabestaanden van onze leden. Met bijvoorbeeld zaken als: zoeken naar en berekenen van pensioenrechten.

Gastlessen en diplomauitreikingen

Deze keer belichten we een aspect van onze betrokkenheid bij de opleidingsinstituten voor onze beroepsopleidingen; op zowel MBO als HBO niveau. Uit publicaties in de Telegraph heeft u reeds kunnen afleiden dat deze opleidingen

regelmatig worden bezocht voor het geven van gastlessen en het bijwonen van diploma-uitreikingen. Wat minder belicht wordt, is de adviserende rol die de bond speelt bij tal van opleidingsinstituten. In speciaal daartoe opgerichte organen die, afhankelijk van de school en het niveau van het onderwijs, benamingen kennen als: beroepenveldcommissies, adviescommissies en bedrijfstakcommissies. In die organen zetelen tevens vertegenwoordigers uit de kringen van werkgevers en werkgeversorganisaties, alsmede actieve zeevarenden die veelal door de scholen worden gevonden uit de kring van oud leerlingen.

Gevraagd en ongevraagd advies

Deze organen komen 2-3 keer per jaar bijeen en kunnen gevraagd en ongevraagd adviezen geven aangaande alle zaken die voor het onderwijs en de betreffende onderwijsinstelling specifiek van belang zijn. Deze directe betrokkenheid van het beroepenveld waarborgt dat de opleiding actuele ontwikkelingen van het vakgebied inbedt in het programma, waardoor de aansluiting van het curriculum op de praktijk wordt gewaarborgd.

Enige voorbeelden van de betrokkenheid zijn:

z Meedenken over instroom-en

F

FNV-leden nu aan het woord: stemmen van 1 februari tot 9 maart 2017

Over de nieuwe voorzitter mogen alle ruim 1 miljoen FNV-leden (en dus ook alle Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw leden) zich uitspreken in een ledenraadpleging. De leden zijn aan het woord. De FNV vindt steun van de achterban heel belangrijk.

Han Busker is de komende tijd dan ook veel met leden uit de verschillende sectoren en in het hele land in gesprek. Zo ook op 26 januari op een centrale bijeenkomst. Han beantwoordde hier vragen en ging in op stellingen van leden.

De bijeenkomst werd gefilmd en is te zien op www.fnvverkiezingen.nl.

Houd deze pagina in de gaten voor meer informatie.

Tussen 1 februari en 9 maart 2017 kunnen alle FNV-leden online dus hun stem uitbrengen.

Alle leden ontvangen een

32-35_nl.indd 35

A

In 2015 raakte Nautilus International betrokken bij het gesprek over de collectieve arbeidsvoorwaarden van (toen nog) Sleepdienst Adriaan Kooren B.V., afgekort SAK. Voor 2015 had het bedrijf een eigen interne vakbond: de Werknemersvereniging Adriaan Kooren (WAK). Deze bond onderhandelde met de werkgever over de vorming van de arbeidsvoorwaarden. Het bestuur van de vereniging werd gekozen uit en door de eigen werknemers.

Uiteindelijk ervoer de WAK dat de leiding van het familiebedrijf meer en meer professionaliseerde en afstandelijker werd.

De bedrijfscultuur ging veranderen. Die constatering leidde er tenslotte toe dat het WAK-bestuur op zoek ging naar een externe vakbond. Naar een bond, die draagvlak had bij de werknemers en hun belangenbehartiging professioneel kon overnemen: Nautilus International!

uitval cijfers studenten.

Wennen aan elkaar

z Signaleren van problemen in de

In 2015 hebben alle partijen aan elkaar moeten wennen. De werknemers waren vol verwachting over het cao-traject met een externe vakbond. Nautilus wilde zo realistisch mogelijk aansluiten op het inmiddels gerealiseerde pakket arbeidsvoorwaarden en de belangenbehartiging. De werkgever was niet meteen enthousiast en keek de spreekwoordelijke ‘kat uit de boom’. Het cao-traject dat volgde, heeft partijen zeker dichter bij elkaar gebracht. Om de overgang naar de nieuwe situatie soepel te laten verlopen, was de Ondernemingsraad (OR) ook bij alle onderhandelingen aanwezig met een eigen delegatie. Uiteindelijk heeft het heel lang geduurd voordat de nieuwe cao-tekst ook kon worden ondertekend. Een cao met een looptijd van 3 jaar en die duurt tot en met 31 december 2017.

aansluiting van de opleiding op de beroepspraktijk, alsmede het aandragen van mogelijke oplossingsrichtingen. z Bespreken van mogelijke oplossingen voor de huidige stage problematiek.

Stemmen op een nieuwe FNV voorzitter Het Ledenparlement van de FNV, waarbij ook Nautilus is aangesloten, heeft zoals bekend eind december de definitieve kandidatenlijst voor het voorzitterschap van de FNV vastgesteld en daarop prijkt 1 naam: Han Busker. Daarmee volgde het Ledenparlement het advies van de toetsingscommissie.

Spannende tijden voor medewerkers Kotugsmit…

stembrief met daarin een unieke stemcode om te stemmen.

De uitslag wordt op vrijdag 10 maart bekendgemaakt, tijdens de eerste vergadering van het nieuwe ledenparlement.

Verkiezingen FNV bestuur en Ledenparlement

In het voorjaar van 2017 wordt tevens een nieuw algemeen en dagelijks FNV bestuur, alsmede een nieuw Ledenparlement verkozen.

1 Ledenparlement zetel voor Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw

FNV Waterbouw/Nautilus heeft recht op 1 zetel in het Ledenparlement. Aangesloten bonden, zoals FNV Waterbouw/ Nautilus, kunnen van deze procedure afwijken. Het Nautilus bestuur, hierin unaniem ondersteund door de Raad van Advies, heeft besloten om ons huidige ledenparlement en Raad van Advies lid Henk Eijkenaar hiervoor weer aan te wijzen. Met als vervanger,- ook Henk’s huidige vervanger, het Raad van Advies lid Caro Cordes.

U kunt op deze web-pagina meer informatie over de FNV verkiezingen vinden: g www.fnv.nl/over-fnv/koersfnv/ verkiezingen-congres-2017

Andere arbeidsvoorwaarden

Nautilus Binnenvaartbestuurder en cao onderhandelaar Carl Kraijenoord over alle veranderingen: ‘De inkt van de handtekening was nog maar nauwelijks droog of we zaten alweer in een nieuwe verandering. SAK werd Kotug en sinds vorig jaar is Kotug samengegaan met de havenslepers van Smit.

Met als nieuwe naam: KotugSmit. Wie had dat ooit kunnen denken? Twee bedrijven die elkaar zo’n 30 jaar geleden nog het liefst uit de Rotterdamse haven wilden wegconcurreren…

Dat laat ook wel zien dat de tijden zijn veranderd. Maar ook dat er nog ‘oud zeer’ aanwezig kan zijn. Immers, ook de werknemers uit die tijd hebben dat gevecht meegemaakt en meegevoerd. Toen ook zijn er nog werknemers bij Smit ontslagen tijdens een reorganisatie en daarna in dienst getreden bij SAK. Waar ze hetzelfde werk konden doen. Tegen andere arbeidsvoorwaarden, dat wel.’

Samen sterk

Carl Kraijenoord: ‘Bij Smit was al jarenlang sprake van geregeld arbeidsvoorwaardenoverleg met externe vakbonden. Dit waren van oudsher de vakbonden die de belangenbehartiging van andere havendiensten — de zogenaamde ‘dokkers’ (laden en lossen)- voor hun rekening namen, zoals FNV Havens. Het industriële karakter van die andere werkzaamheden heeft ook invloed gehad op de mentaliteit bij Smit. Dat betekent dat er een doorleefd gevoel is van ‘samen sterk’ en collectief denken. De afspraken die in de cao zijn opgenomen,

moeten dus ook worden gerespecteerd en nagekomen. Dit gevoel van dominantie wordt nog eens versterkt door jarenlang de bovenliggende partij te zijn in de sleepvaart van de Rotterdamse haven.’

Wordt de Smit-cao eerst uit onderhandeld en daarna pas geharmoniseerd? Of gaan we nu meteen harmoniseren, waarbij alle partijen vanaf het begin betrokken zijn?’

Goede werkafspraken

Familiebedrijf

‘In een familiebedrijf is dat toch anders’, stelt Kraijenoord. Daar ligt de leiding van het bedrijf helemaal in handen van de familie.

Deze heeft het wel goed voor met hun werknemers, maar legt dit liever niet zwart op wit vast in teksten of cao-artikelen. Zo blijft dit ‘goeddoen’ een gunst van de werkgever aan de werknemer en wordt het nooit een recht, waarop (door de werknemers) aanspraak kan worden gemaakt. Voor de werknemers in het bedrijf is dit een afhankelijkere positie die gek genoeg veel loyaliteit oplevert. In combinatie met de verbondenheid van een familiebedrijf heeft het knokken voor lijfsbehoud van het bedrijf, en dus de continuïteit van het eigen dienstverband, de afspraken in de cao vloeibaar gemaakt. Dat wil zeggen dat hierop ten gunste van de werkgever wordt afgeweken. ‘ Spannende tijden

‘Het samengaan van deze twee bedrijven zorgt bij alle betrokken partijen — werkgever, werknemers en vakbonden- voor spannende tijden’, meent Kraijenoord. ‘Zeker nu de werkgever heeft aangegeven dat de organisatie van het werk (de operatie) gebaat is bij zoveel mogelijk hetzelfde pakket aan arbeidsvoorwaarden; vastgelegd in één cao voor alle werknemers van de vloot. Delegaties met kaderleden van Nautilus en FNV Havens hebben de achterliggende periode al overlegd, hoe ze deze uitdaging zo goed mogelijk kunnen oppakken. Hierin is stilgestaan bij allerlei vragen die beantwoord moeten worden. Natuurlijk wil iedereen liefst het beste van beide kanten terug zien in een collectieve afspraak. Maar hoe ziet dat er dan uit? De Smit-cao loopt tot 31 december 2016 terwijl de Kotug-cao nog een jaar doorloopt.

De vakbonden hebben elkaar gevonden in een aantal goede werkafspraken. Zo worden de verschillen uit beide cao’s nu onderzocht en in kaart gebracht. Dit is van belang om van elkaar te weten waarover het gaat. Verder zijn op 24 en 31 januari 2017 een tweetal achterbanraadplegingen gehouden (na het ter perse gaan van dit nummer). Op deze bijeenkomsten werden de dilemma’s, zoals die in het kaderoverleg zijn besproken, aan alle leden voorgelegd. Ook zij moeten betrokken blijven bij dit traject en de besluitvorming. Carl Kraijenoord: ‘Belangrijk is om van de leden te vernemen hoe zij aankijken tegen het proces van harmonisatie.

En ook hier ligt de vraag op tafel: ‘Gaan we eerst de Smit-cao afsluiten en daarna harmoniseren met de Kotug-cao? Of gaan we vanaf het begin met alle partijen om tafel om te harmoniseren?’

Hoewel het strategisch beter kan zijn om eerst werk te maken van de Smit-cao lijkt het, voor de vorming van het KotugSmit collectief onder de werknemers, beter, om allemaal vanaf het begin hierbij betrokken te zijn.

Solidariteit

Carl Kraijenoord tenslotte: ‘Op hoeveel solidariteit kan de ene groep rekenen als de andere groep niet betrokken is bij de caogesprekken? Is een tweedeling onder de werknemers niet juist in het voordeel van de werkgever? In de nieuwe constellatie wil iedereen natuurlijk prettig kunnen werken.

Dan is het wel belangrijk dat je jezelf daarin herkent. Het is dus niet alleen een kwestie van de ‘harde’ arbeidsvoorwaardelijke afspraken, maar ook van de ‘zachte’ cultuuraspecten die daarbij een rol spelen.

De tijd zal het leren waar we uitkomen met elkaar.’

18/01/2017 16:57

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

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18/01/2017 15:19

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

MARITIME WELFARE

Members of the port welfare committee in the port of Gladstone, Australia, outside the Mission to Seafarers centre

A pilot project to improve global seafarer welfare provision is this month expanding into a three-year jointly-funded programme thanks to support from Seafarers UK, the TK Foundation, the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the ITF Seafarers’ Trust. MICHAEL GREY explains how the project has delivered…

K

In the one hundred pages which comprise the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, one small paragraph within Regulation 4.4 on ‘Access to shore-based welfare facilities’ may seem of passing importance.

Standard A4.4/3 states: ‘Each Member shall encourage the establishment of welfare boards which shall regularly review welfare facilities and services to ensure that they are appropriate in the light of changes in the needs of seafarers resulting from technical, operational and other developments in the shipping industry.’

The associated guideline B4.4.3 also notes: ‘Welfare boards should be established, at the port, regional and national levels, as appropriate.’

So within this section of the MLC there is a clear direction to ensure that there is a formal, orderly and progressive system in place for the provision of welfare for seafarers.

The UK’s Merchant Navy Welfare Board has been accumulating experience in running welfare boards since 1948, and in partnership with the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), provides a model that will assist in the establishment of welfare boards that will be in full compliance with the MLC provisions.

The ISWAN International Port Welfare Partnership (IPWP) concluded a highly successful pilot project in May 2016, which generated a substantial number of expressions of interest from ports all around the world. Funded by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, the project team visited 11 countries helping to establish port welfare committees (PWCs), which are designed to bring together local maritime communities for the benefit of domestic and visiting seafarers.

The pilot project assisted with the inaugural meetings of new PWCs in Australia in Gladstone and Brisbane, the Ontario province of Canada, Busan in the Republic of Korea, St John’s in Antigua & Barbuda, Tema in Ghana and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The team also visited the existing PWC in Barcelona, Spain, and provided advice and support to the maritime community in Port Louis, Mauritius. In the United States, the Georgia Seafarers’ Welfare Board has been established in Savannah, while a number of US ports have expressed an interest in joining the programme.

‘We were delighted by the success of the pilot project as it exceeded our expectations in the amount of interest expressed by ports and the numbers of port welfare committees set up. We are excited that the programme can now be rolled out with additional funders onboard so more port welfare commit-

37_pwc_SR edit.indd 37

tees can be set up and more seafarers assisted,’ said ISWAN executive director Roger Harris.

Following this successful pilot project, ISWAN now moves into the partnership’s next phase, with not only the ITF Seafarers’ Trust but also the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, Seafarers UK and the TK Foundation funding a major, extendable, three-year programme, which is set to start in February 2017.

In the meantime, the programme website — www.portwelfare.org — has been redesigned, its webpages and short videos providing a useful guide to ports which wish to create their own welfare boards. This primary communications tool, along with the use of social media, has generated considerable interest, with 349 requests to actively participate in the programme from 153 ports and 65 countries. A number of ‘Ambassadors’ will help with the guidance and spread the word.

The head of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, Kimberly Karlshoej, who accompanied the project during visits to the West African countries of Ghana, Togo and Benin, stated: ‘Seafarers’ welfare boards

The Antigua & Barbuda port welfare committee holds its inaugural meeting onboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas

provide the forum for the local port maritime community to come together in support of support seafarers’ welfare.

‘I am particularly pleased that this collaborative ISWAN project has attracted even more funding partners joining the Seafarers’ Trust intention to expand the IPWPP from a pilot into a fully operable programme that will have real impact on seafarers wellbeing in ports.’

The programme acknowledges that ‘every port is unique’ with different circumstances, which the mechanism is designed to accommodate. The system

will also provide helpful software that will assist governments in demonstrating their compliance to the ILO, as they are obliged to report from time to time about their implementation of the MLC.

K

How does the availability of a port welfare committee facilitate action when a coordinated response is required on the issue of crew welfare with visiting ships? A perfect example can be found in the response of the PWC in Gladstone, Queensland, when a large bulk carrier was arrested on

a commercial matter and subsequently detained by the Australian Maritime Safety Agency for MLC breaches, after AMSA was alerted to conditions onboard by the Admiralty Marshal.

The coal-laden capesize Five Stars Fujian was anchored five miles outside Gladstone port limits, with no agency representation, no funds for bunkers and with owners failing to respond to emails.

The crew, it was determined, was short of provisions and the situation, while not critical, could easily deteriorate. The response showed how a number of different agencies could work together under the aegis of the PWC, to resolve the situation and alleviate the problems faced by the crew.

These included the need to find solutions for highly practical difficulties, with the ship lying well offshore in deteriorating weather. This necessitated the use of the pilot boat to take out the AMSA surveyor and ultimately using the pilot transfer helicopter to shuttle 200kg of provisions, organised by the Mission to Seafarers and ITF, to the ship — with the port and helicopter provider waiving their charges.

K

Ghana’s deputy transport minister the Hon. Joyce Bawah-Mogtari (left) and Kimberly Karlshoej, head of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, discuss the formation of the port welfare committee in the port of Tema

The PWC played a significant part in the co-ordination of the welfare efforts on behalf of the crew, with the Gladstone Ports Corporation, AMSA, ITF and welfare agencies among the many members able to provide constructive assistance between the arrest of the vessel in mid-July and its eventual departure at the beginning of September.

Every ‘event’, like every port itself, is different, but the PWC can provide an effective and practical forum that will bring all the responsible agencies together and expedite solutions. The welfare provisions of the MLC 2006 may form a small part of this convention, but they are no less important. And the ISWAN International Port Welfare Partnership will continue to spread the message of co-operation and best practice around the world’s ports, to the ultimate benefit of the seafaring workforce.

18/01/2017 16:36

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

MARITIME COMMUNITY

Riding to the rescue One superyacht crew found a novel way to raise money for charity — ‘racing’ the vessel across the Atlantic on a bike. STEVEN KENNEDY heard how and why they did it…

Gene Machine towing the 44-foot long sailboat Minerva to Antigua

M

Social media is re-shaping our world. Every year more and more new ways for friends and family to stay in touch are being launched, making it easier than ever to keep up to date with events from across the globe.

While the shipping industry has been in the slow lane, with many seafarers having little or no access to the web, the crew of a superyacht have harnessed the power of social media for a charity fundraising initiative.

The yacht in question was the UKregistered Gene Machine, captained by 29-year-old, Canadian-born Fraser Gow. Crew members came up with the idea of cycling across the Atlantic Ocean whilst making the crossing from the Netherlands to St Maarten in the Caribbean; some 4,700nm away.

And — just to make matters even harder for themselves — they also committed to virtually racing Gene Machine as the yacht crossed the Atlantic at around 12 knots.

‘The idea for the cycle challenge originally came from one of our stewardesses, who lost her father to a heart attack,’ explained Capt Gow. ‘Upon her return, she was eager to raise awareness and funds for the Heart Research Institute of Australia. A few ideas were bounced around amongst the crew and the cycle challenge was the one that stuck.

‘The vast majority of the crew were dubious as to whether or not the challenge was realistic and if it could be done,’ he admitted. ‘Many of them hadn’t ridden a bicycle since they were kids and some will probably never ride a bike again after completing the challenge!

‘The whole concept was fairly last minute and the challenge was only finalised two days before we were due to depart the Amels Shipyard in Vlissingen in the Netherlands,’ he said. ‘Almost immediately, we received several large donations from sponsors which made everyone realise that we were now officially committed.’

Before Gene Machine set off, a Facebook page was launched and donations started to flood in for the crew’s two chosen charities (The Heart Research Institute and Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust). With a bike donated to them and mounted on a fitness trainer, the crew

38_yacht bike_SR edit 2.indd Sec2:38

When a superyacht crew went online with their fundraising appeal, it started an unexpected chain of events, hears STEVEN KENNEDY…

The crew of the Gene Machine

were ready to take on whatever the ocean had to throw at them.

‘On this year’s displacement voyage we had a larger than average crew, which definitely helped us,’ said Capt Gow. ‘Our 12-strong crew all took shifts of either one or two hours at a time, 24 hours a day with only one real pause for a brief stop in Gibraltar for bunkers and provisions.

In total we cycled 4,736 nautical miles or 8,771 kilometres.

‘The planned route was from Vlissingen to St Maarten in the Dutch Caribbean — via Gibraltar and slightly south through the Canary Islands,’ he said. ‘We were riding a standard mountain bike mounted to a Wahoo Kickr fitness trainer which was set at a 0% gradient and claims to have a real road accuracy of +/- 2%.’

With the challenge underway — and going well despite a small itinerary change which changed Gene Machine’s final destination to Antigua — events

took an unexpected turn.

Following a posting on Facebook on a popular yachting feed, the crew became aware of a small sailing yacht — Minerva of Kip — which was running dangerously low on provisions after being dismasted while taking part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers race.

Keeping in touch with the crew aboard, the Gene Machine made its way to the stricken vessel and — after attaching tow ropes to it — got its five crew members and their belongings safely onboard for the journey to the Caribbean.

‘It was strange that we originally heard about the Minerva of Kip’s misfortune through Facebook,’ said Capt Gow. ‘The skipper’s son had put out a post on several yacht-related Facebook groups stating that his father’s yacht had been dismasted and that the crew of five were in need of assistance. Our chief stew-

ardess brought it to my attention and I reached out to the Minerva. Originally we didn’t think much of it, as we were five days away from their position and I assumed another vessel would most likely reach them before us.

‘Unfortunately for the Minerva and her crew, no one else did,’ he added. ‘They were given whatever fuel other yachts participating in the ARC regatta could spare, and this kept them going. However, they were soon at the back of the pack. With no one else to refuel them, an engine that was over-heating, a limited supply of drinking water and no wind to fill their makeshift sail, they were now well and truly in a spot of bother.

‘We kept in contact with them and a plan to rendezvous with them was hatched. On 7 December, 1,200nm from St Maarten and virtually bang in the middle of the Atlantic, we finally arrived on scene, Capt Gow said. ‘Using the tender

we were already towing, we disembarked three of their five crew along with all their personal belongings, and then with the assistance of the two remaining crew we established a tow before disembarking them to Gene Machine.

‘After being stuck for just over a week the crew of the Minerva were relatively shocked to all of a sudden find themselves onboard a luxury superyacht having hot showers, hot meals and some of life’s smaller luxuries like fresh milk,’ he added.

With food and drink in their stomachs — and a clean bed to sleep in — the five decided to show their adopted home their appreciation by pitching in with the challenge. Taking their turn behind the handlebars, the extra hands helped ensure the crew met their original target of cycling the distance to St Maarten whilst also coming in well ahead of the yacht.

‘Although Antigua is slightly closer than St Maarten, the crew and our midAtlantic hitchhikers still completed the original distance set out for the cycle challenge,’ said Capt Gow. ‘We crossed the virtual finish line 10 hours ahead of Gene Machine, having raised just shy of £12,000. In total, it took 17 days of cycling 24 hours a day to complete.’

M

The challenge seems to have spurred the crew on to keep fund-raising in the year ahead.

‘As of yet, no plans have been drafted for a similar challenge,’ Capt Gow admits.

‘However, many of the crew — as much as they complained about sore bottoms and having to cycle at very odd times of the day — are eager to tackle another ocean passage whilst racing the yacht on the bike.

‘The owner of Gene Machine has some more exotic cruising plans in mind, so I definitely think we will have to attempt another cycle challenge across a different body of water.

‘At the moment, though, we are still accepting donations towards the two great causes we are aiming to help,’ he adds. ‘We sincerely appreciate the support!’ g Readers wishing to make a donation can do so by visiting www.virginmoney giving.com/GeneMachine.

18/01/2017 15:57

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

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This steady growth has resulted in a vacancy for a Technical Manager to support our teams on-board the vessels and assist in bid preparation.

This non-traditional position of Technical Manager is therefore a support and advisory role that works with the crews on-board.

This is an ideal growth opportunity for a Chief or 2nd Engineer with valid UK certiĆ&#x201C;cation, and North Sea PSV experience who is either in, or looking to move to, a shore based position.

Knowledge of DP would be preferred and TM Master would be useful as is familiarity with Microsoft ofĆ&#x201C;ce Out of hours working will be required therefore candidates should be located near Aberdeen to provide a call out function.

Candidates must provide evidence on application that they have the right to live and work in the UK Applications to: info@Ĺ´etcher-group.com Please visit our current website for further information on the Fletcher group of companies. www.Ĺ´etcher-group.com Closing date: 28 February 2017

17/01/2017 14:30

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

APPOINTMENTS

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.

This month’s special deals include:

FLet Nautilus Plus help you pick the right one for you…

Thinking of buying a new car?

Exclusive new car savings for members from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Affinity Scheme provides Nautilus members exclusive savings on their range of new cars.

Exceptional promotions are now available on new Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Jeep cars, and Fiat Professional vans.

FCA offer an extensive choice of models to suit individual requirements and budget.

This includes the iconic Fiat 500, the sporty Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, their luxury SUV. The FCA Affinity Scheme provides substantial savings which are revised on a regular basis and include a range of finance options.

Exclusive car discounts — Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, Mercedes…

Nautilus Plus has teamed-up with Motor Source Group to offer savings on brand new cars of up to 30% off the RRP. z Finance options include HP, PCP and PCH Lease. z Nationwide delivery (conditions apply) z Franchise dealership handover Multi-car immediate-family 24/7 accident cover – normally £29, now free as Nautilus members

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*.

Subscribe to the Telegraph FREE to members: tell our

membership team if you want home deliveries on +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or membership@nautilusint.org Non-member rates for 12-months:

To access these benefits and many more, log in to Nautilus Plus via https://www.nautilusint.org/en/

countries including £42.00 EU UK and Netherlands

g *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers and prices subject to change without notice.

£84.00 Rest of the world

Fiat Group — Please contact your Dealer for details.

Motor Source Group — Some website prices may include finance deposit contributions. Finance terms on request and subject to status. All prices and cars subject to availability. Discounts may change at short notice or be withdrawn at any time. Forces Cars Direct Limited T/A Motor Source is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (672273).

We act as a credit broker not a lender. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders who may be able to offer you finance facilities for your purchase. We will only introduce you to these lenders. Total Motor Assist — Click here for Total Motor Assist terms and conditions. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Subscribe online with your credit card at www.nautilusint.org (payments are taken in pounds sterling).

Or send us your name and addresss and a sterling cheque payable to Nautilus International:

Membership Services 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD.

Your true colours UK maritime medics look at new ways to test colour vision 22

Support success NL nieuws How the Union’s Vier pagina’s Slater Fund has met nieuws uit changed a life Nederland 25 30-33

Volume 50 | Number 01 | January 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

Tight fit for Dutch ship Pictured right

is the Dutchflagged general cargoship ' Dijksgracht as it became

the largest ship ever to visit the UK port of Ipswich.

The 13,558gt vessel — which is 156.93m loa — arrived at the port with a shipment of 10,500 tonnes of rice from Texas, USA, for the Ipswich Grain Terminal.

The visit required some careful preparations — with the ABP Ipswich marine team working with Harwich Haven Authority and pilots to plan the safe arrival of the vessel, which only had approximately 0.37m of clearance with the Orwell Bridge.

ABP divisional port manager Paul Ager said: ‘Marine teams came together to ensure the ship sailed in on a spring tide, which gave it approximately one and a half hours to complete the transit up the river.

Furthermore, there was only a 25 minute window to get the ship safely under the Orwell Bridge.’

UK urged to boost training support ‘Value-added’ SMarT package would pay Nautilus has joined forces with British shipowners to make a joint call for the government to adopt a ‘value-added’ Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) package that would increase cadet numbers and boost junior officer employment.

The Union, the UK Chamber of Shipping and the Merchant Navy Training Board have drawn up detailed proposals for the ‘SMarT Plus’ scheme — backed by a business case outlining the ways in which it will ‘create thousands of much-needed jobs in the years ahead’.

Nautilus and the owners have presented shipping minister John Hayes with a dossier describing the need to upgrade the existing SMarT scheme, which currently provides up to £15m a year towards the costs of training British officers.

1

The industry partners argue that while SMarT has ‘delivered impressive results’ and a welcome increase in cadet numbers since it was introduced almost 20 years ago, the annual intake remains around 350 short of the longstanding target of 1,200 which is needed to meet long-term demand for skilled and experienced seafarers in seagoing and shore-based posts.

And they suggest that — with the improved support — the UK could take advantage of ‘a great opportunity’ to increase its share of the global supply of officers, against a backdrop of forecasts of increasing worldwide skill shortages over the next decade.

The SMarT Plus proposals would restore the value of the assistance so that it covers at least 50% of the costs of training and would introduce incentives for companies to employ their

for itself many times over, industry promises

cadets as junior officers once they qualify.

The package would provide enhanced support for companies that promise to employ cadets for at least 12 months after they get their OOW certification. This would ensure that more junior officers get the seatime needed to progress to higher qualifications, the Union and the Chamber say.

The business case includes an analysis of independent research demonstrating the ‘value added’ economic contribution made by seafarers and how this generates a significant cost-benefit effect for the government in return for the support.

The paper concludes that: ‘A straightforward doubling of SMarT funding from £15m to £30m per year would deliver more cadets and thus more UK seafarers, enhancing the UK’s seafaring base and — over the long term —

its status as the global centre for maritime business services.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘Shipping is an essential industry for an island nation and seafarers are essential for safe, efficient and quality shipping operations. A long-term decline in UK seafarer numbers has potentially catastrophic consequences for the country, and we urgently need to rebuild the maritime skills base if we are to avoid serious damage to the nation’s economic and strategic interests.

‘The support we are seeking is a drop in the ocean – it would amount to less than the cost of building a mile of motorway — yet our analysis shows that it would be repaid many times over with the creation of thousands of quality jobs, at sea and ashore in the wider maritime cluster,’ he pointed out.

minister

‘The industry is united in its call for government action, and we urge the government to seize this opportunity. We desperately need a new generation of British seafarers, and we believe SMarT Plus would ensure that we recruit the numbers needed to keep the UK as one of the world’s major maritime centres.’

Chamber of Shipping CEO Guy Platten commented: ‘We are seeking a very small increase in the government’s cash contribution to seafarer training. In return, we are promising huge economic benefits and job creation over the long term.

‘There are young people who want to go to sea, and there are companies who want to employ them. This is a no-brainer. With better support from government we can create thousands of jobs in the next few years.’

G ICS training call — see page 7.

Inside ' Welfare warning Nautilus general secretary spells out scale of challenge to UK maritime charities — page 19 ' Open industry?

Exclusive report on new research into discrimination in the world fleet — pages 7, 20-21

' Read all about it The book is alive and well at sea, thanks to the Marine Society’s library service — page 27

BIURQW LQGG

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS - CELEBRATING 125 YEARS with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

MARITIME COURSES

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Masters Orals: 27 Feb, 2 May, 19 June | Chief Mate: 8 May | HND to Chief Mate: 8 May | FD to Chief Mate: 27 Feb, 2 May, 19 June | ECDIS Generic: 15 May, 19 June | HELM (M): 6 Feb, 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 17 Apr | NAEST (M): 3 Apr, 9 Apr | VTS Operator (2 Weeks – VTS Induction and Simulator): 20 Mar, 10 July | VTS Refresher: 14 Mar, 4 July | Oil Tanker Safety: 10 Apr, 31 July | Gas Tanker Safety: 17 Apr, 24 July |

Personal Survival Techniques Updating £170 | Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Updating £210 | Advanced Fire Fighting Updating £185 | Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boat £210 | 1 Day MCA-Approved FRB Updating Course with Capsize Drill £255 |

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AVAILABLE UPDATING COURSE WEEKS 6, 20 Feb | 6, 20 Mar | 3, 24 Apr | 22 May | 19 June ECDIS Generic 15 May | 19 June HELM (M) 6 Feb | 27 Mar | 3 Apr | 10 Apr | 17 Apr

FOR MORE INFORMATION E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore

/FleetwoodNauticalCampus

E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

Nautilus recruitment.indd 40

17/01/2017 14:24

February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS

VIKING RECRUITMENT CREWING - EMPLOYMENT - PAYROLL ADMINISTRATION - TRAVEL BESPOKE CREW MANAGEMENT SERVICES TAILORED TO YOUR OWN REQUIREMENTS

We have excellent career opportunities with some of the most prestigious names in the cruise and superyacht market.

Positions include: â&#x20AC;˘ Captain â&#x20AC;˘ Chief OfďŹ cers â&#x20AC;˘ 2nd OfďŹ cers â&#x20AC;˘ Chief Engineers â&#x20AC;˘ 2nd Engineers

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Y1 -Y4 Engineers Chief Electrician ETOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hotel & Guest Services Professionals

T: +44 (0)300 303 8191 E: info@vikingrecruitment.com W: www.vikingrecruitment.com

@vikingrecruitment @vikingrec #talktoViking

Clyde Marine Recruitment is a leading provider of marine recruitment and bespoke crew management VHUYLFHV :LWK RIÂźFHV ORFDWHG LQ 8. /DWYLD 3RODQG DQG Singapore it allows us to provide our clients with easy access to a multi-national pool of candidates from a single point of contact. *SV WIE KSMRK NSFW ETTP] EX www.clyderecruit.com TANKER

PASSENGER RORO

&KLHI 2IŸFHU with LNG experience. Trips are 3 months SR [MXL HE]W PIEZI TIV QSRXL WIVZIH 'LMIJ 3J½GIV unlimited CoC with Gas DCE. Excellent salary and FIRI½X TEGOEKI 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR

Third Engineers [MXL ER 9RPMQMXIH 7IGSRH )RKMRIIV 9/ 'S' ')' VIUYMVIH JSV 4EWWIRKIV *IVVMIW STIVEXMRK MR XLI -VMWL 7IE [IIO SR SJJ VSXEXMSRW EZEMPEFPI JSV EH LSG SRKSMRK XIQT [SVO

&KLHI 2IŸFHU JSV 3MP 8EROIV QYWX LEZI EX PIEWX QSRXLW´ I\TIVMIRGI EW 'LMIJ 3J½GIV SR XEROIVW LSPHMRK ER YRPMQMXIH 'LMIJ 3J½GIV [MXL 3MP (') MX [SYPH FI HIWMVEFPI for candidates to hold a Chemical DCE too. Trips are QSRXLW 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR

RFA

UG 2IŸFHUV [MXL EX PIEWX QSRXLW´ I\TIVMIRGI SR XEROIVW Trips are 3 months with 23 days leave per month served.

33; (IGO 'S' [MXL +EW SV 3MP (') )\GIPPIRX WEPEV] ERH FIRI½X TEGOEKI 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR 2nd Engineer JSV 3MP XEROIV TIVQERIRX TSWMXMSR QYWX LEZI EX PIEWX QSRXLW´ I\TIVMIRGI WEMPMRK EW RH )RKMRIIV SR XEROIVW RH )RKMRIIV YRPMQMXIH 'S' [MXL an Oil DCE, it is desirable for candidates to hold the Chemical DCE. Trips are 3 months.

Gas Engineers JSV +EW XEROIVW TIVQERIRX TSWMXMSRW 3 months on with 25 days leave per month served. )\GIPPIRX WEPEV] ERH FIRI½XW TEGOEKI +EW (') QYWX be held.

Additional 4th Engineers, permanent positions, 3 months on with 23 days leave per month served. )\GIPPIRX WEPEV] ERH FIRI½XW TEGOEKI -X [SYPH FI HIWMVEFPI JSV XLI IRKMRIIVW XS LEZI WTIGMEPMWIH 3MP 'LIQMGEP SV +EW XVEMRMRK SV E HERKIVSYW GEVKS IRHSVWIQIRX 7SQI XEROIV I\TIVMIRGI [SYPH FI MHIEP

(QJLQHHULQJ 2IÂźFHU [MXL E 'LMIJ )RKMRIIV 'S' 7IGSRH )RKMRIIV 'S' ERH 7]WXIQ )RKMRIIV VIUYMVIH for vacancies within the RFA Fleet. %HQHÂźWV LQFOXGH â&#x20AC;˘ Competitive Salary â&#x20AC;˘ 4EMH :S]EKI 0IEZI â&#x20AC;˘ 6SXEXMSR -RGPYHMRK 8VEMRMRK â&#x20AC;˘ 'EVIIV %ZIVEKI 3GGYTEXMSREP 4IRWMSR 7GLIQI â&#x20AC;˘ *YPP] *YRHIH 7XYH] 0IEZI 4VSKVEQQI â&#x20AC;˘ ;SVPH 'PEWW 'SQTVILIRWMZI 8VEMRMRK 4VSKVEQQI 'ERHMHEXIW QYWX LEZI I\TIVMIRGI EW 'LMIJ )RKMRIIV 7IGSRH )RKMRIIV SV )83 ERH LEZI E 9/ 'S' ')' 4PIEWI RSXI JSV XLMW ZEGERG] 13( VIUYMVIQIRXW HMGXEXI when you join, you must have British Citizenship and have FIIR PMZMRK MR XLI 9/ JSV EX PIEWX JSYV SJ XLI TEWX ½ZI ]IEVW

For all shore-based jobs, please visit:

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www.clyderecruit.com Glasgow +44 (0) 141 427 6886 Singapore +65 6299 4992

Nautilus recruitment.indd 41

Gdynia +4858 665 3860 Riga +371 6733 1357

17/01/2017 14:24

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MSN 1781 (M+F) Amendment 2 — The Merchant Shipping Regulations 1996: COLREG This amended notice takes immediate effect and supersedes MSN 1781, MSN 1781 Corrigendum and MSN 1781 Amendment 1, which have been revoked.

The notice reminds readers that the IMO’s mandatory audit scheme for assessing member states’ performance in meeting their obligations and responsibilities as flag, port and coastal states under the relevant IMO treaties came into effect from 1 January 2016.

To facilitate the above, the IMO also adopted amendments to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (Colregs), to make the use of the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code) mandatory in auditing member states, to determine how they give full and complete effect to the provisions of those Conventions to which they are party.

MSN 1781 Amendment 2 highlights the latest amendments to the Colregs, adopted in December 2013 and in force from 1 January 2016.

MSN 1875 (M) — The carriage of dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form This notice reminds all those involved in the transport of dangerous goods that the IMDG Code has been amended, meaning that there are now new regulations governing the shipping of dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form.

Amendment 38-16 to the IMDG Code entered into force internationally on 1 January 2017, with a twelve month transitional period until 31 December 2017. From 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2017 dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form shall be shipped either: z in accordance with the mandatory IMDG Code 2014 edition incorporating Amendment 37-14; or z in accordance with the IMDG Code 2016 edition incorporating Amendment 38-16 From 1 January 2018 dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form shall be shipped only in accordance with the IMDG Code 2016 edition incorporating Amendment 38-16. This edition of the Code incorporates changes made in UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations 19th revised edition.

MSN 1875 provides information on how to obtain the amended IMDG Code and how the changes have been incorporated into UK law.

MGN 324 (M+F) Amendment 1 — Navigation: Watchkeeping Safety — Use of VHF Radio and AIS This note replaces MGN 324 (M+F) (Correction) and MGN 324 (M+F) (Corrected).

Given the continuing number of casualties where the misuse of very high frequency marine radio has been established as a contributory factor, it has been decided to re-issue the MCA guidance on the use of Very High Frequency radio (VHF).

Additionally, appropriate use of the Automatic Identification System (AIS), especially with regard to collision avoidance, has been highlighted in conformance with the IMO guidelines as revised in December 2015.

The key points of MGN 324 Amendment 1 are as follows: z although the use of a VHF radio transceiver may be justified on occasion as a collision avoidance aid, the provisions of the Colregs should remain uppermost z the use of marine VHF equipment must be in accordance with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations z there is currently no explicit provision in the Colregs for the use of AIS information; however, the potential of AIS to improve situation awareness is recognised and AIS may be included as such in the future z the navigation safety related functions of AIS are to help identify ships, assist in target tracking and provide additional information to assist situation awareness z limitations of AIS with respect to mandatory carriage based on vessel types and sizes have also been highlighted MGN 507 (M+F) — Oil pollution: liability and compulsory insurance for bunker oil (Amendment 1) This amended note updates and replaces the information in the original MGN 507. It informs shipowners and masters of the requirement to maintain compulsory insurance against liability for bunker oil pollution damage. It also informs shipowners of the limits of liability under the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001.

MGN 536 (M) (Corrigendum) — Safety Management Code for Domestic Passenger Ships This corrigendum states that the following corrections should be noted to MGN 536 (M), which was published in August 2016: z the promised self-assessment report in Annex 2 was omitted from the original version of the notice, and is therefore now attached to the corrigendum z the title of the original notice should read ‘Safety Management Code for Domestic Passenger Ships’

MIN 531 (M) (Corrigendum) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: food and catering This corrigendum replaces the original MIN 531 published in October 2016.

It concerns the qualifications in food hygiene or food safety in catering for ship’s cooks and others processing food in the galley, as required under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 and associated UK regulations.

The qualifications and awarding bodies listed in MIN 531 (Corrigendum) are those that fulfil the learning outcomes and assessment criteria set out in Annex 1 of Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1846 (M). The corrigendum points out that Level 2 is the minimum acceptable level for catering staff and other persons processing food in the galley.

The corrigendum also provides important information on the future delivery of courses approved by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

MIN 536 (M+F) — Insurance: amendment to the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) The purpose of this note is to notify interested parties of the publication of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (Amendment) Order 2016, which gives effect to the internationally agreed increases to the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Convention 1996.

The Order also makes use of the enabling power introduced by the Deregulation Act 2015 to include an ambulatory reference in the Act, which will allow any future changes to the limits of liability agreed to by the IMO to take effect in UK law without the need for further legislative or regulatory provisions. The changes to the limits of liability made by the Order do not have retrospective effect.

The Order provides the UK secretary of state with discretionary powers when issuing certificates to non-UK flagged vessels attesting that ship owners have insurance in place to cover their obligations under the Bunkers Convention. z M-Notices are available as electronic documents or as a set of bound volumes. z A consolidated set of M-Notices is published by The Stationery Office.

This contains all M-Notices current on 31 July 2015 (ISBN 978 01155 34034) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices. z Email alerts can be sent automatically whenever an M-Notice is published or updated. To set this up, follow the instructions in MIN 515 (M+F) — Guidance for subscriptions to safety bulletins and MCA document notifications on GOV.UK.

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 Young Maritime Professionals Forum Next meeting to be confirmed Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

g Women’s Forum Next meeting to be confirmed Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International 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.

SINGAPORE Nautilus International 10a Braddell Hill #05-03 Singapore, 579720 Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 singapore@nautilusint.org

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 Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638 882 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

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 SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with dovaston C/Joan de Saridakis 2, Edificion Goya Local 1A, Marivent 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovaston.com

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 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 Thursday 2 March 2017 at 1030hrs, coffee served at 1000hrs, and a light lunch will be served after the meeting.

Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3LP Further meetings have also been scheduled for 2017: June 2017, Liverpool, and September 2017, Plymouth. Keep checking the website and register. www.nautilusint.org/en/what-we-say/ events Contact: +44 (0)1293 804644.

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. Japan is the second biggest shipowning country, with a fleet totalling 160m gt.

2. The average size of the 12 cruiseships ordered in 2015 was 108,000gt.

3. The top five containership operators account for 55% of global capacity.

4. Tallink is based in Estonia and runs a range of Baltic ferry services to Sweden, Finland and Latvia.

5. ClassNK is the classification society with the most tonnage on its books — a total of 214m gt.

6. The Marshall Islands is the world’s third largest ship register.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Celtic; 5. Bleach; 9. Untwine; 10. Stolon; 12. Durham Cathedral; 13. Noah; 14.Intoxicate; 18. Run through; 19. Itch; 21. Chapter and verse; 24. Truant; 25. Servile; 26. Glider; 27. Diesel.

Down: 2. Entertain; 3. Tribal; 4. Crescendo; 5. Beset; 6. Esoteric; 7. Choir; 8. Pudding race; 11. Blue cheeses; 15. Organised; 16. Afterlife; 17. Shetland; 20. Averse; 22. April; 23. Rotor.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Colin MacQuarrie, who has won the prize draw for the January cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from January Across: 1. Objectionable; 10. Hearten; 11. Freebie; 12. Larcenist; 13. Stuff; 14. Sextet; 15. Agonised; 18. Platypus; 20 Holder; 23. Input; 25. Banjoists; 26. Aviator 27. Chinese; 28. Advertisement.

Down: 2. Beatrix; 3. Extremely; 4. Tennis; 5. Offstage; 6. Areas; 7. Labours; 8. Philosophical; 9. Self-addressed; 16. Neologism; 17 Sunburnt; 19. Applied; 21. Discern; 22. Snicks; 24. Title.

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_info sprd.indd 42

SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

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

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

g Professional & Technical Forum Wednesday 12 April 2017 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs FNV Bondgenoten, Pegasusweg 200, 3067 KX Rotterdam The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification.

The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@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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February 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Jelle de Boer, industrial officer

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Jelle de Boer knew he wanted to go to sea from an early age, and as a teenager he spent his school holidays sailing as an AB onboard small merchant vessels — at sea and on the inland waterways between the Netherlands and Switzerland.

‘This didn’t cure me of the sailing disease,’ he laughs, ‘so I continued my education at the Abel Tasman nautical school in Delfzijl. People in the Netherlands call that area, in the north of Groningen, the end of the world, but for me it was the beginning of a 10-year period in which I learned a lot and gained much experience during my sailing time.’

When he was eventually ready to swallow the anchor in his late 20s, Jelle took up a shore-based management job before joining the Federatie van Werknemers in de Zeevaart (FWZ) — the Dutch

predecessor of Nautilus International — in June 2004. The work suited him so well that he has stayed with the Union ever since, experiencing the change to Nautilus NL and Nautilus International and the ever-closer cooperation with colleagues in the UK and Switzerland.

‘I applied for the Union job because I have a strong bond with the maritime industry and I wanted to protect the interests of seafarers,’ he says. ‘I’ve had education on social security, labour and pension law as well as my sailing experience, so I think I have the right combination of skills to help our members.’

Based in the Nautilus Rotterdam office, Jelle’s daily work is interesting and varied. He is involved in negotiating collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the Dutch Merchant Navy and dredging sectors, and provides individual

help and advice to members. He works on safety, health and environmental matters, and represents the Union on a number of committees and forums, such as those dealing with the Dutch seafarers’ pension fund and the education and development fund.

Jelle is a big believer in leading a balanced life, and ensures he makes time for his hobbies of football, skiing and model railway construction.

Back at the office, he says the most satisfying part of his job is achieving the best results for members — especially if that leads individuals to praise the Union to their colleagues and encourage others to join.

‘In the future,’ he adds, ‘my ambition at Nautilus is simply to keep on protecting the interests of members and helping to develop the Union.’

Wherev er you are , so are we

Join now

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.

18/01/2017 16:20

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | February 2017

NEWS

‘How could these ships operate in UK waters?’

Union urges shipping minister to act after accident report reveals ‘atrocious’ standards on two ships in collision

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Nautilus has urged shipping minister John Hayes to clamp down on substandard shipping operations in UK waters following an accident investigation report that raises serious questions about the way safety and employment standards are being flouted around the coast.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said he was deeply disturbed by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the collision between the Cyprusregistered cargoship Daroja and the St Kitts & Nevis-flagged bunker barge Erin Wood off the east coast of Scotland in August 2015.

He told the minister that the MAIB had provided more evidence of ‘the atrocious nature of unfair and unsafe operational practices in our waters’ and he called for the UK to take a ‘proactive and combative approach’ against ships flouting international safety and labour standards.

‘Unless we sharpen up the enforcement of decent standards on all vessels in our waters, we will continue to see more accidents like this and continue to see the UK maritime industry undermined by unfair competition,’ he added.

The bunker barge Erin Wood takes on water following the collision with the cargoship Daroja Picture: MAIB

The collision occurred in good visibility just south of Peterhead and MAIB chief inspector Steve Clinch said it was caused by poor watchkeeping on both ships.

Daroja’s OOW had missed ‘visual, radar and automatic identification system’ opportunities to

spot Erin Wood, and while the bunker barge master had noticed Daroja, he was not on the bridge all the time and had assumed the larger ship would keep clear.

‘Lone watchkeeping was a causal factor onboard both vessels and, similar to previous MAIB

investigations, this report highlights the importance of identifying and managing risks when a sole watchkeeper is the only lookout,’ Mr Clinch added.

Complacency and poor watchkeeping practices were systematic onboard Daroja, investigators

said, and at the time of the accident the Lithuanian OOW had been distracted by cargo paperwork, a phone call and potentially by the use of a tablet computer.

The report also highlighted shortcomings in flag state oversight and UK port state enforcement. It said the 51-year-old Erin Wood was being operated by a company which ‘prioritised commercial gain ahead of safety at sea’ and that the risks arising from such operations went undetected by the flag and coastal states.

Stability data on the ship was dated 1965, and had not been updated when the vessel was lengthened in 1986, the report noted. Management lacked the experience to run a fleet of small tankers, it added.

Mr Dickinson said the MAIB had shown that the flag state abrogated many of its responsibilities — most notably in the way that it permitted Erin Wood to operate with only two crew. The report described these arrangements as ‘wholly inadequate’ and, in effect, unsafe.

He said Nautilus had also raised long-standing concerns about the crewing of Daroja, which runs a regular service between Aberdeen and Shetland.

In 2012, the Union wrote to the

then Home Secretary Theresa May to call for an investigation into the employment conditions and working arrangements of the ship’s crew members – a mix of Filipino and eastern European nationals, none of whom had been granted work permits.

Mr Dickinson said it was worrying to note that the original crew on Erin Wood were replaced following complaints about poor working conditions and low pay.

He said it was especially disturbing that the MAIB had found that while harbour staff in Peterhead had raised concerns to the MCA over the vessel’s manning and operations, no subsequent inspection had been carried out.

‘As the MAIB report notes, had the MCA inspected the ship the manning and operational deficiencies that contributed to the accident would almost certainly have been identified,’ he pointed out.

The Union asked the minister whether shortfalls in MCA staffing and resources were the reason that Erin Wood was not inspected — and Mr Dickinson stressed the ‘critical’ enforcement role of the coastal state. ‘An effective inspection regime is our one remaining defence against such substandard operations,’ he added.

MCA quizzed on decision to charter foreign ETV Maritime & Coastguard Agency A (MCA) over its decision to charter Nautilus has questioned the

an Italian-flagged offshore support vessel to serve as Scotland’s new emergency towing vessel (ETV).

The Dutch-managed Ievoli Black is to operate the five-year charter to provide emergency towing duties around the north coast of Scotland, effective from 1 January this year, and replacing the Maltese-registered tug Herakles.

Built in 2010, the 2,283gt vessel has a bollard pull of 139 tonnes and is experienced in ETV operations, having served in the role for the Netherlands from 2010 to 2013.

The MCA said it had awarded the contract following ‘an open market competition involving 22 bids’.

The successful company was the US-based salvage firm Ardent, which was responsible for refloating the grounded car carrier Hoegh Osaka in Southampton in 2015.

‘The bids were evaluated based on vessel type and dimensions, age, bollard pull, speed, crew complement and experience, training and exercises, efficiency and the chargeable day rate,’ the MCA added.

‘The exercise has resulted in the choice of a modern and fuel-efficient tug.’

While Nautilus welcomed the

government’s decision to continue to station an ETV in the north of Scotland, the Union has written to MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey to ask whether any consideration was given to the use of British ships and British seafarers for the contract.

General secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘Given that so many British seafarers have lost their jobs in the North Sea over the last 18 months, I would have hoped that every effort would have been made to alleviate some of the resulting employment and training challenges, and to ensure that UK government money is used to benefit the UK maritime sector.’

The Italian-owned and Italian-flagged Ieovoli Black is managed by a Netherlands-based firm Picture: Marnavi

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