Nautilus Telegraph June 2017 by Redactive Media Group

Piracy warnings Call for vigilance as ships face new wave of attacks 23

The Wight stuff Thames Clippers builds new boats in British shipyard 22

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

Volume 50 | Number 06 | June 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

Competition seeks best sea images Croatian-flagged bulk carrier F Zagreb in the Severn Estuary was

Neil Edbrooke’s picture of the

one of the many excellent entries in last year’s maritime photography competition run by the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society. Can you do better? The charity is once again inviting images celebrating Britain’s proud maritime heritage for its annual competition to find the UK’s ultimate sea view. Launched to mark national Seafarers Awareness Week (from 24 to 30 June), the competition encourages entries which show Britain’s continued connection with the sea — its merchant ships, fishing boats, coast, harbours and ports. g Photographs should be submitted before Friday 4 August. For more details, visit the website: www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk

Call for IMO to get tough on polluters

Inside

F Whistleblowing

Current regulatory framework is failing to prevent deliberate discharges, green group warns

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is being urged to introduce a set of tough new measures to crackdown on deliberate waste dumping by cruiseships. The environmental group Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) has tabled proposals to the IMO’s marine environment protection committee meeting, warning that the existing regulatory framework is failing to prevent illicit discharges. The green group has produced its recommendations following a series of cases, which culminated with a US court imposing a $40m criminal penalty on Princess Cruises in April after an investigation revealed a series of oily bilge discharges, ‘magic pipe’ use and falsiﬁed oil record books between 2005 and 2013. FoEI says the Princess case forms part of a ‘disturbing pat-

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tern’ of oily waste disposal by cruiseships — and especially by those within the Carnival group. It contends that evidence presented to the court showed ‘deficient management and a feeble stewardship culture’. Its paper to the IMO describes ‘unsound and irresponsible’ cost-cutting pressures within the Princess fleet and warns that the $40m fine and five-year probation imposed on the company — a record penalty — is unlikely to stop such practices. Carnival was already under probation when the Princess dumping began in 2005, it points out. Noting that Carnival’s profits totalled $2.78bn last year, FoEI argues that the fine will do little to affect the group’s bottom line and is unlikely to be sufficient to change corporate culture within the sector. ‘Rather, it appears Princess’s prosecution and attendant

penalties could be considered as little more than the cost of doing business,’ it adds. Had it not been for a whistleblower, the Princess ships could still be making illegal discharges, the paper suggests. It highlights the importance of crew coming forward to alert regulators about such practices, but cautions that the ‘ﬁnancial draw’ of whistleblower rewards from the US Coast Guard may be over-stated as there is no guarantee of payments being made — despite the risk that seafarers who tip-off the authorities may never be able to work in shipping again. FoEI says ﬁnes need to be much greater — running into hundreds of millions of dollars — if corporate cultures are to be changed. It says the shipping industry needs to modernise its waste treatment control systems so that shore-based management and

regulators are able to monitor waste generation and discharge in real time. And it urges the IMO to consider the introduction of onboard independent inspectors, along the lines of the Ocean Rangers programme introduced for cruiseships in Alaska. FoEI says a global system could be funded through a small passenger levy. The paper also notes that it is usually engineer ofﬁcers who are prosecuted as a result of deliberate oil pollution when the fundamental problem is one of operational practices within shipping companies that undervalue environmental compliance — and it calls for a radical change of approach to make management liable. ‘Criminally indicting corporate executives and pursuing prison sentences is more equitable than targeting crew members

and will result in swifter and more thorough changes to corporate culture regarding vessel environmental compliance,’ it adds. FoEI says its proposals are particularly relevant for cruiseships, as they operate in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the world, but it suggests that many of its recommendations could be applied to the shipping industry in general. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson welcomed the paper: ‘This catalogues the failing of an industry sector that has yet to understand safety, including the environment.’ ‘Maritime authorities need to be proactive in ensuring regulations are not only transcribed into national legislation, but are also enforced by the deployment of adequate resources,’ Mr Graveson said. ‘Flag states should not abrogate responsibility to port states.’

Exclusive interview with the ofﬁcer who blew the whistle on waste dumping— page 19 F All very well

Maritime charity seeks to develop its ‘wellness’ scheme for seafarers — page 25 F Pension progress

MN pension fund is defying market trends to deliver on investment strategy — page 24

24/05/2017 13:42

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Royal opening for new homes at Nautilus Wallasey welfare site accommodation facilities for F retired seafarers at the Nautilus State-of-the-art new

Mariners’ Park Estate in Wallasey are to be given a royal opening this month. The Seafarers UK Centenary Wing, pictured left, will be formally opened by the charity’s president, HRH The Earl of Wessex, on 23 June. An extension to the Trinity House Hub — which was opened by the Princess Royal in 2014 — the new facilities

MPs urged to act on seafarer jobs Nautilus and Chamber seek to put shipping on the general election agenda

Nautilus and the UK Chamber of Shipping have been putting pressure on the political parties to make the maritime sector a policy priority ahead of the 8 June general election. The Union wrote to all the main parties to request details of their manifesto commitments for the industry, while the owners contacted more than 800 Parliamentary candidates across the country asking them to pledge support for the SMarT Plus proposals for improved seafarer training support, jointly tabled by both sides of the industry. Nautilus members have also been rallying to the campaign to urge the government to reform the system for granting Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CECs) to enable foreign officers to serve on British ships. Members have been sending special postcards to MPs which highlight the damage the current CEC system is having upon the employment and training of UK officers. Nautilus has warned politicians that more than 11,000 CECs were issued to nonUK nationals at a time when British seafarers have been losing their jobs or suffering cuts to pay and conditions as a consequence of

Obesity tops ENG charts

the downturn in shipping and the slump in the offshore sector. The Union is calling for the government to make the conditions for granting a CEC much stricter and to ensure that work permit and visa requirements are also enforced correctly for foreign crews working in the UK sector. Shortly before the election process kicked off, the Nautilus campaign was raised in Parliament by SNP Westminster group leader Alex Salmond. He urged shipping minister John Hayes to stem the flow of job losses amongst British Merchant Navy officers by reviewing the CEC system. In response, the minister stated: ‘The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has a specialist team that checks that any seafarer, who applies for a Certificate of Equivalent Competency to allow them to work on a UK-flagged ship, meets the necessary standards. The UK government is satisfied that the process is working and has no plans to change the current arrangements.’ In reaction, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This is an extremely disappointing response from the minister, which completely fails to address

the serious concerns of our members and the solid evidence that the CEC system is creating a pool of cheap labour which undermines all the attempts to rebuild Britain’s maritime skills base.’ Mr Dickinson said the Union will continue its campaign after the election. ‘The minister’s apparent complacency underlines the importance of our campaign and we will continue the work to challenge the current system,’ he added. ‘It is important to note that we have not been calling for CECs to be scrapped. We recognise that there is an issue of mutual recognition and UK officers working on other flags also have CECs in some cases. ‘The inconvenient truth is that we have hundreds of unemployed British officers and newly qualified officers struggling to find that first job whilst thousands of CECs have been issued to non-UK officers to facilitate work on UK ships. ‘Without a radical change to the current system, we will witness further erosion of skills in the UK’s maritime industry, leaving the nation at risk of losing its position as one of the key global maritime centres.’

Union talks at cruise event Danny McGowan and A membership and research

Nautilus strategic organiser

Obesity, hypertension and diabetes were the most common causes of seafarers being given restricted, time-limited or unfitness certificates following medical examinations last year. Annual statistics released by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency also show that cardiovascular conditions were the cause of the highest number of unfitness decisions — both temporary and permanent. Defective colour vision was the most common cause of restricted certificates, and anxiety, depression and mental disorders were among the top 10 most common reasons for medical failures. Of the 52,558 medical examinations carried out last year, 119 resulted in permanent failure, 694 in temporarily unfit certificates being issued, and 2,454 with restricted certificates.

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administrator Sam Udall are pictured left at the Cruise Job Fair that took place in London last month. Nautilus joined companies and industry bodies including Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, Cunard, P&O Cruises, Viking Recruitment, Windstar, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Careers at Sea at the event, which attracted a record attendance of almost 1,000 job seekers and more than 130 delegates. Mr McGowan was one of a series of specialist speakers giving advice to people interested in working in the industry, and he gave a presentation on employment rights at sea. Nautilus is planning to take part in the next Cruise Job Fair, which is due to be held in Liverpool on 3 November 2017.

include 22 apartments, which have all been designed to meet the needs of retired mariners and expand the range of accommodation offered by the Nautilus Welfare Fund. The development has been supported by a £1.17m grant from Seafarers UK, which is celebrating its centenary this year. Each home will include a wet room and call alarm system, and two will be specially set up for wheelchair users. The communal facilities at the Hub

will also be extended by creating a new activities room available to all Mariners’ Park residents. ‘We are delighted that Prince Edward has agreed to formally open these marvellous facilities,’ said general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘Princess Anne and Prince Andrew have both helped us to celebrate the launch of new buildings at the Park in the past, and it is great news that we will have another royal stamp of approval this time.’

Somalia piracy ‘is on a knife-edge’ and the next few weeks could F determine whether the threat to

Somali piracy is ‘on a knife-edge’

shipping in the region has returned with a vengeance, military experts warned last month. Seafarers and shipowners need to increase their vigilance and redouble the efforts to comply with Best Management Practices in the face of a recent flurry of actual and attempted attacks off the coast of the troubled east African nation, the Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) conference in London was told. Dirk Siebels, co-author of OBP’s annual report on the state of maritime piracy, said there is evidence showing that shipping companies have cut back on security in response to a downturn in attacks off Somalia between 2014 and the start of this year. The percentage of vessels carrying armed guards fell by around 12.5% to less than 33% during 2016,

and the number carrying three armed guards instead of four rose sharply during the same period. Colonel Richard Cantrill, chief of staff of the EU Naval Force, described the recent increase in incidents as worrying — warning that the situation will be on a knife-edge over the next few weeks, with resurgence of attacks possible if pirates succeed in hijacking a vessel and its crew before the monsoon season. OBP regional manager John Steed added: ‘The original investors in Somali piracy appear to be testing the waters and testing the industry’s resolve to see if they can get away with resuming their activities.’ BIMCO’s chief maritime security officer Giles Noakes said he was concerned that some ships had become complacent and it was ridiculous that vessels had been sailing within 10nm of Somalia. g Full report, page 23.

Researchers look into optimum crew policy investigating the best crewing F strategies for merchant ships has been A three-year research project

boosted with the award of £175,000 funding from the Lloyds Register Foundation and the TK Foundation. The studies are being carried out at Southampton Solent University and will cover issues including the safety, welfare and efficiency implications of implementing either stable or ‘fluid’ crewing policies onboard ships, examining whether more stability will improve teamwork, morale and motivation. The research — which is being run in collaboration with ImpactCrew

and NJC Associates — will assess the potential benefits of keeping teams of senior officers together for more than one voyage and on the same vessel, and will build upon the findings of a pilot study conducted last year. ‘This project has the potential to increase vessel safety, efficiency and seafarers’ welfare, and add high impact and value to the industry,’ said principal investigator Dr Kate Pike. ‘It will draw on best practice from other industries, where more information and experience exists on stable teams This will help demonstrate the benefits and challenges for the merchant shipping industry.’

OOWs spend just 11% of time looking out of the window Maritime Academy (WMA) F shows that bridge watchkeepers are

Pioneering research at Warsash

spending barely one-tenth of their time on the bridge looking out of the window. Researchers are using special eye-tracking software in conjunction with bridge simulator recordings to examine the behaviour of watchkeepers and the way in which they make decisions, the CrewConnect Europe conference heard last month. Steve Window, head of bridge

simulation at Warsash, said the tests showed most watchkeepers spent about 11% of the time looking out of the window, about 38% of the time looking at the radar, one-third of the time checking ECDIS, and around 16% talking to other people. Mr Window said the studies are looking into the way in which seafarers often deviate from the norm and take short-cuts. ‘Regular reassessment is needed to break the downward spiral into such behaviour,’ he added.

24/05/2017 14:47

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports BALLAST DELAY: the UK, Norway, Brazil, Liberia, India and the Cook Islands are urging the International Maritime Organisation to delay implementation of the Ballast Water Management convention. In a document submitted for discussion at the IMO’s maritime environment protection committee in July, the flag states suggest the implementation date of the convention should move from September 2017 to September 2019.

Representatives from some of the 18 Nautilus Federation member unions at the meeting in London last month

Caution urged on smart ships Nautilus Federation policy paper addresses autonomous vessel development

The Nautilus Federation now numbers 18 unions representing almost 85,000 maritime professionals and, at a meeting in London last month, members agreed on proposals to improve the representation of masters and ofﬁcers at the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the International Maritime Organisation. The Federation — which aims to unite likeminded progressive unions around the world — recently launched the Joint Assistance & Support Network (JASON) to provide a network delivering mutual advice and protection to members of the 18 unions if they are involved in an accident or incident. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the Federation is getting bigger and stronger, with member unions in the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Croatia, Sweden, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, France and Denmark and interest being expressed from unions in half a dozen other countries. He said the Federation aims to strengthen the ITF and its voice at the IMO, feeding into high-level discussions on issues such as piracy,

the next revision of the STCW Convention and the process of amending the Maritime Labour Convention. The Federation has already identified a number of core priority topics at the IMO — including passengership safety, low flashpoint fuels, eNavigation and operational manning. The agenda is now concentrating on such key subjects as fatigue, ballast water management and automation. The meeting agreed a motion to go to the ITF fair practices committee in June calling for the organisation to become actively involved in developing criteria for an accreditation scheme to promote decent work and continuous improvement in the shipping industry. The motion urges the ITF to build on the findings of the ‘Goodship’ report which recommended the development of such a scheme to raise public awareness of the vital role of seafarers in delivering the world’s goods and to support the continuous improvement of their living and working conditions. The meeting also agreed a Nautilus Federation policy document on autonomous or ‘smart’ ships.

The document recognises the rapid advances being made in shipboard technology and shore-based support systems, but stresses the need to ensure that developments are ‘human-centred’ and that proper attention is paid to issues such as ergonomics, equipment design, training, over-reliance on automated systems and distractions from ‘information overload’. Economics should not be the core criteria driving the adoption of autonomous systems, the document argues, and safety and the protection of the marine environment should be at the top of the agenda. The policy paper stresses the need for a wide range of pressing safety issues to be addressed — including the extent of shore-based control and direction, system resilience, software quality, the reliability of communications and data links, and cyber security. It also highlights the need to properly consider the legal and liability implications of autonomous ships, the regulatory regime and the future role of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the SOLAS Convention and the collision prevention regulations.

Nautilus builds links with Croatian union general secretary Marcel van F den Broek is pictured presenting a

Nautilus International deputy

painting to Captain Predrag Brazzaduro, outgoing general secretary of the Croatian seafarers’ union SPH. Mr van den Broek attended the sixth congress of the SPH in Sibenik, last month, together with the chair of the Nautilus Council Ulrich Jurgens, following an outline agreement on the possible creation of a branch in Croatia. As part of the Union’s strategic programme of growth and cooperation with like-minded unions, the Council last year approved the creation of a joint working group to examine ways to develop the relationship with SPH. Both unions have agreed that the working group should continue with this remit, and to deliver proposals to

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be determined by the Council and to be put before the Quadrennial General Meeting in October 2019. Mr van den Broek, who gave a speech to the congress, said the meeting had underlined the importance of the approach being taken by both unions. ‘It was very apparent from all the discussions at the conference that the problems faced by Croatian seafarers are no different from those that Nautilus members encounter and that the Union deals with on a daily basis, such as criminalisation, pensions, health and safety, and pay and conditions,’ he added. Mr Brazzaduro told delegates at the congress that international cooperation is vital in today’s shipping industry. The meeting elected Neven Melvan as the new SPH general secretary.

MIGRANT RESCUES: the proportion of at-sea migrant rescues being carried out by merchant ships in the Mediterranean has risen from 4% last year to 12% so far this year, the European Community Shipowners’ Associations body has revealed. It has warned European border and coast guard officials that merchant ships should not ‘become a permanent part of the solution to this problem’ and that more comprehensive measures are required. EMISSION CALL: the International Chamber of Shipping is calling for the International Maritime Organisation to set more ambitious targets for reducing CO2 emissions from shipping, in line with the levels set by the Paris Agreement on climate change. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the owners were neglecting the problems posed by NOx, SOx and particulate matter. SATCOM BOOST: Inmarsat is promising further improvements in shipboard connectivity following the successful launch of the fourth, high-speed broadband communications satellite in its Global Xpress (GX) constellation. It says the new satellite will add further capacity to the GX network, as well as in-orbit redundancy to improve reliability and resilience. NORWEGIAN SURVEY: Dutch shipping firm Fugro has begun a €3.8m contract for the Norwegian Hydrographic Service to survey a 15,000 sq km area of the country’s waters. The 496gt Gibraltar-registered survey vessel Fugro Helmert will be used for the project, which is due to be completed in September, and will cover water depths between 80m and 3,500m. STABBING PROBE: Dutch police were called in to investigate a suspected stabbing onboard a Dutchflagged containership some 82 miles off the Scottish island of Lewis. A seaman was airlifted ashore from the 4,015gt Leah to be treated for chest and arm injuries. As the ship was in international waters at the time, the incident was referred to the flag state. BOSKALIS CUTS: the Dutch dredging firm Boskalis has announced that 230 jobs will be cut from its head office in Papendracht in a bid to save between €30m and €35m. Nautilus official Charley Ramdas said he was surprised by the scale of the redundancies, which follow moves to cut the fleet and to reduce the number of seafarer positions. CRANE CRASH: an investigation was launched after the UK-flagged containership CMA CGM Centaurus struck a ship-to-shore crane while berthing at Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. One crane collapsed after the 131,332gt vessel hit the quay while berthing, and a second crane was shifted off its wheels. SEAFARING APP: a new app ‘designed by seafarers for seafarers’ has been launched after three years in development. eMaritime Exchange is described as a social network for seafarers, incorporating the latest news, jobs, discussion forums and regulatory updates. DRONE TRIALS: the European Maritime Safety Agency is conducting a trial of drones for maritime surveillance operations, including pollution monitoring, border control, and search and rescue. Preliminary results are due to be released early in June. CARRIERS CHECKED: following the loss of the 266,000dwt bulker Stellar Daisy, the Marshall Islands ship registry is carrying out urgent inspections of 12 very large ore carriers that were converted from tankers.

24/05/2017 17:56

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

TUC warns of wage crisis as prices soar Inflation outpaces pay rises to leave average worker £20 a week worse off

P national ferry organiser Micky F Smyth are Orkney Ferries liaison Pictured above with Nautilus

officers John Cowie (left) and David Bruce. They were attending a meeting at the company’s headquarters in Kirkwall on 17 May,

where they met management to discuss members’ pay aspirations for 2017 and the long-running annual leave and low pay issues. Officials and representatives from the Unite and RMT unions were also present at the meeting.

The TUC has warned the government about the risks of a wages slump as inflation outstrips pay rises in the UK. Latest official figures show that CPI inflation rose to 2.7% in the year to April, and the RPI rate was up to 3.5% over the same period — both well ahead of wage growth which averaged 2.1% in the three months to March. The National Institute of Economic & Social Research warned that British workers are set to see their disposable incomes shrink this year — with CPI inflation predicted to peak at 3.4% while wage rises are likely to average out at 2.7%. The Bank of England’s inflation report published last month forecasted that the real value of wages will fall by 0.8% this year,

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said that the average worker is already £20 a week worse off than before the start of the economic slowdown and warned that the fresh fall in real wages ‘risks tipping working people into another living standards crisis’. She added: ‘British workers have already suffered the longest pay squeeze since Victorian times. It will worry them that the Bank of England says there is more pain to come this year. ‘The last thing Britain needs is another real wage slump,’ she said. ‘But rising prices are hammering pay packets.’ Ms O’Grady said the growing pay gap should be an election issues, as it poses a potential crisis for any new government, and

PLA offer turned down F

Members employed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) have voted unanimously to reject a proposed three-year pay award, running from 2017 to 2019. The award would have seen a 2.5% rise for 2017 — of which 1.2% would be a pensionable pay increase, with the remaining 1.3% in the form of nonpensionable pay. These would have been in effect from 1 June. There would also have been a guaranteed minimum pensionable pay increase of between 1.5% and 3% for 2018 and 2019. This figure would

Owners ‘need to act on skills gap’

have depended on the level of CPIH inflation at the time. A review would also have taken place with the trade unions involved in the negotiations in respect of the level of non-pensionable pay, with a guarantee that the total pay rise — both pensionable and nonpensionable — would have been at least RPI or 3% — whichever was lower. The Union has written to the authority to request further negotiations and will advise members via bulletin of any updates when they are available.

are one of the biggest F challenges facing the shipping

Shortages of skilled seafarers

Date for women’s forum F

The next meeting of the Nautilus women’s forum is being organised to coincide with the Union’s UK branch conference in Hull. It is planned that members attending the meeting will be able to discuss with Fena Boyle, training and careers advisor for the Merchant Navy Training Board, ways of working together to promote employment at sea.

The meeting will take place at the Grange Park Hotel on Grange Park Lane, Hull, on Monday 2 October between 9am and 11am. Accommodation will be available on the night of Sunday 1 October for members who live too far away to travel for the morning start time. g Contact industrial organiser Lisa Carr at Nautilus head office for more information.

she called for the end of ‘unfair and damaging’ pay restrictions on public servants. The TUC also wants to see the National Minimum Wage increased to £10 as soon as possible. An analysis by the TUC shows the prospects for pay growth in the UK are among the gloomiest in advanced economies, with only Greece, Italy and Austria forecasted to suffer bigger falls in real wages over the next 18 months. Using ﬁgures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the TUC estimates that real wages are on course to fall by 0.5% between the start of 2016 and the end of 2018 — meaning that they will be 6.8% lower next year than they were in 2007.

Serco liaison meeting following a rearranged joint F liaison officers’ committee meeting Pictured above, left to right,

that took place onboard the Hjaltland in Aberdeen on 18 May are: Serco Ferries HR manager Paul Gellately; Nautilus liaison officer Garth Lees; national ferry organiser Micky Smyth; liaison officer Sean Smith; and

compliance officer Andrew Watts. During the meeting, discussions covered issues including staff concessionary travel for members employed by Serco Ferries (Guernsey) Crewing, rostering and the requirement of signing SEAs, the onboard health and wellbeing of officers and crew, and study leave.

industry, a new report has warned, and owners will need to work much harder if they want to recruit and retain the personnel they need. The marine insurance firm Marsh pointed out that despite the global economic downturn, the world fleet grew by 3.1% last year — fuelling the need for more seafarers and ‘increasing the burden on an already depleted workforce required to handle this growth’. The report notes research by BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping estimating the current global shortage of officers at 16,500. Factors such as the ageing workforce, a lack of skills diversity, seafarers being drawn to careers ashore and a lack of interest from young people could see this shortfall increase significantly, it adds. It warns that there are acute shortages of skilled and experienced

seafarers in particular categories, such as LNG and LPG, as well as for superintendent posts and a number of shore-based roles requiring maritime qualifications. Marsh warns that the shipping industry will find itself competing for a smaller pool of talent in the years ahead and will need to be proactive in attracting and retaining staff. The report says shipping companies should adopt new strategies, ‘building a workplace culture for the future that readily embraces diversity, flexibility, innovation and autonomy’. It says the industry needs to reassess its HR operations to place greater emphasis on talent sourcing, retention and career progression support. It should also design career frameworks that ‘address the future succession needs of the organisation to ensure knowledge transfer and help build up more compelling careers to ensure retention’.

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Pictured left, left to right, are Red Funnel HR director Shirley Anderson, Nautilus liaison officers Terry Emmison and Stuart Tan, head of ferry operations Alwyn Rees, head of high-speed operations Richard Weeks, HR manager Debbie Reed, and national ferry organiser Micky Smyth. The group met at the company’s offices in May to discuss the employment contract review which has been taking place over the past two years. Mr Smyth placed on record his thanks to liaison officers Stuart Tan and Terry Emmison efforts during the discussions. Members are now being consulted on the draft of the revised contract, and feedback needs to be submitted by 9 June.

24/05/2017 17:48

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Stena offer is rejected across all the company’s routes A have overwhelmingly rejected a final Stena Line members serving

offer of a 3%, two-year, front-loaded pay award. Following a meeting in April between Nautilus and Northern Marine Manning Services — acting as agents only for the employer — national ferry organiser Micky Smyth reiterated the members’ decision and stated that the Union’s position is to start negotiations at a minimum level of RPI. The offer would have seen members receive a 3% pay increase for year one, but no further increase in year two. At the start of negotiations — back in October 2016 — RPI was 2%, but it has since risen to around 3.5%. It is also expected to increase further to a possible high of 4% over the next few months. The company confirmed that it prefers to use CPI as a gauge for inflation, and the rate currently stands

Pictured at the meeting with Stena Line in April are national ferry organiser Micky Smyth (centre) with liaison officers Stuart Spencer, Guy Taylor, Norman Mackay and Malcolm Clift

at 2.3% — but is expected to rise to 3% by the end of 2017. Stena Line had described members’ rejection of the offer as ‘disappointing’ and, in a letter to the Union, management said that having reflected on recent discussions they felt their final offer was ‘fair and reasonable’. However, Mr Smyth said that the Union’s position remains

unchanged. ‘It is our policy to only ever recommend a pay rise acceptance at the level of RPI or above when we submit our members’ aspirations,’ he stated. ‘We have consulted with our members on the offer and this two-year front-loaded deal of 3% falls below what we could recommend for acceptance. ‘Members, as maritime professionals, work exceptionally

hard and the Union believes that they should be given a fair rate of pay for their efforts. ‘We remain hopeful that a resolution can be found, but we will — if necessary and appropriate — ballot members on industrial action should no suitable outcome prevail,’ he said. A further meeting was due to take place in Glasgow as the Telegraph went to print.

Report warns on internet access Only one-third of members have social media at sea, Union research shows

Almost two-thirds of Nautilus members would consider moving to a shipping company which offers better onboard connectivity, research conducted by Nautilus has revealed. Initial results of the survey of almost 2,000 seafarers and 18 shipping company representatives were presented by Nautilus at a high-level workshop organised by the satcom services provider Inmarsat at the Crew Connect Europe conference last month. On the positive side, head of communications Andrew Linington told the meeting, the survey showed that 88% of members reported that their companies provide internet access for seafarers and only 4% said they could never get connected while at sea.

But on the downside, he noted, the study showed that there are many restrictions on connectivity and only 57% have personal email access at sea, just 34% have social media access onboard, and only 6% are able to use video calling on their ships. The research showed that companies cited high running and installation costs (83%), crew downloading inappropriate content (83%), downloading big ﬁles (67%), and distraction from work (58%) as among the main reasons for not providing internet access or restricting crew connectivity. The roundtable — which was attended by shipping company representatives from the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Germany — considered whether shipowners’ concerns are valid

and whether investment in good crew communications will be repaid with enhanced recruitment and retention rates. Drew Brandy, Inmarsat’s VP of maritime market strategy, described the report’s ﬁndings as concerning — arguing that there are no longer any fundamental ﬁnancial or technical barriers to the provision of decent crew communications at sea. Advances in satellite communications have brought the costs of basic vessel connectivity to barely 0.3% of total operating costs, he said, and the industry debate should be about changing the traditional mindset of reluctance to provide seafarers with good connectivity. Not only will decent services ensure a good quality of life for crew, they will also deliver ben-

eﬁts for safety, training and vessel efﬁciency, he added. Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service incorporates a platform for user-friendly access to a range of apps supporting crew welfare and other requirements, Mr Brandy said, and Fleet Media delivers movies straight to seafarers’ devices and opens up possibilities for remote training. The meeting also discussed the need for clear and simple agreed policies on crew communications, including the use of social media. A full report on the Nautilus research — which is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken into crew communications — is due to be published during 2017 Seafarers Awareness Week in June and will be covered in the July Telegraph.

Thames Clippers gives improved pay offer are: Thames Clippers finance F director Scott Eames; Nautilus

Pictured left, from left to right,

national ferry organiser Micky Smyth; liaison officer Malkeet Virdi; HR business partner James Burr; liaison officer Steve Wright; and chief operating officer Geoff Symonds. They are pictured meeting at the company’s headquarters at Clipper House, Trinity Wharf, on 9 May to discuss this year’s pay and conditions

04-05_at work.indd 5

shortreports HEYN OFFER: a 2% pay award for members employed by Heyn Engineering Solutions has been tabled by the company following a meeting with the Union onboard RV Corystes in Belfast. The offer also includes clarifications of overtime arrangements, which will see members earn 1.5 times the standard rate of pay, and for death in service cover, which will be four times the annual salary for deaths at work or whilst on leave. Members now have until 6 June to submit their views. NERC MEETING: a meeting between the unions representing members employed by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) serving on ships operated by NOCS — NMFSS and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the employer, was due to take in Southampton late last month to discuss the 2015 and 2016 pay reviews. Consultation on the offers was expected to begin shortly after the meetings took place. MAERSK PRESSED: Nautilus national organiser Steve Doran said he is disappointed that the Union has not received a formal pay offer for members employed by Maersk Offshore (Bermuda) and Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) on IDO CBA container vessels. He confirmed the Union will continue to press the company for a response and thanked members for their patience. TRINITY TALKS: members employed by Trinity House have been asked to submit their aspirations for the imminent pay talks. An initial meeting to discuss the claim is scheduled to take place in Harwich on 21 June. Keith Lock has been appointed the new liaison officer to represent members onboard THV Galatea and another liaison officer role is still available for THV Alert. MSC BALLOT: members employed by Marine Scotland Compliance (MSC) have advised Nautilus that they wish to be balloted for industrial action in pursuit of an improved rate of pay. The Union will now work with Unite in a bid to create a joint strategy and will continue to talk with MSC to resolve the ongoing issues as quickly as possible. LCT INCREASE: a pay offer of 2.6% has been unanimously accepted by members employed by LCT Support Services (Newhaven). The agreement will also see a bonus of £150 paid to each permanent member of the port security team for working split shifts over the summer timetable at the end of September. NLB REJECTION: members serving with the Northern Lighthouse Board have rejected, by an overwhelming majority, a proposed pay offer giving a one-off £355 increase as opposed to a percentage rise. WESTMINSTER CALL: members employed by Boskalis Westminster have been urged to let the Union know what they want to see as priority subjects in the forthcoming pay and conditions claim.

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

review. Following the meeting, Mr Smyth confirmed a revised offer from the company, of a 2% pay increase, with a 1.25% potential bonus of the 2017 salary. The bonus would be based on the departments within the organisation achieving specific targets. Members are now being consulted on the offer, with discussions due to close shortly after the Telegraph went to print.

24/05/2017 17:20

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

New ship creates new jobs

BP REJECTION: a 1.4% pay offer made by VGGS has been unanimously rejected by members serving on the BP offshore vessels agreement. The increase would have been effective from 1 January 2017 and would have also seen the reinstatement of the cost of mandatory training courses. Industrial organiser Jonathan Havard has written to the company to advise it of the members’ decision and to request further negotiations at the earliest possible time.

support vessel company A Sentinel Marine is creating 24 new

The Aberdeen-based offshore

jobs in its North Sea operations with the delivery of a new emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV). The UK-flagged Mariner Sentinel, pictured right, has been built at the Cosco Guangdong yard in China and is set to come into service in July — with the company having secured a North Sea contract with a major producer. The 2,255gt multi-role ERRV is the latest in a series of six newbuilds for Sentinel Marine since 2015, making its fleet the youngest in the sector. The DP2 vessel has one fast

OCEAN EXPENSES: changes to the way travel expenses will be paid to members employed by Ocean Supply (Guernsey) will be implemented in a bid to help those who are most out of pocket get their money back as quickly, and as easily, as possible. The changes will see all approved travel expenses paid — regardless of amount — as part of members’ salaries. The Union says the change is in line with the way other companies operate. GULFMARK RESTRUCTURES: Gulfmark Offshore has announced an agreement on a restructuring package, after filing for redundancy protection in the United States last month. The company says it will continue its operations throughout the process. Meanwhile, Nautilus is inviting nominations for six liaison officer positions to represent members employed by Gulfmark (Guernsey).

rescue craft and one daughter craft, each with 15-person capacity. There is accommodation for 24 crew, as well 26-bed and 75-seat recovery areas for survivors. ‘Mariner Sentinel is part of a new breed of ERRVs — vessels which

have not been repurposed but instead have been custom built to ensure they are equipped with the latest technology and are more fuel efficient,’ said Sentinel Marine chief executive Rory Deans. ‘It is thought that more than 30%

Action consult for DSV fleet

SEACOR SUBMISSION: aspirations have been collected from members employed by Seacor Marine (Guernsey) and serving on BPOS vessels for the forthcoming pay and conditions review. The views will help national organiser Steve Doran focus negotiations with management. A response from the employer was anticipated shortly after the Telegraph went to print. DUTCH DEAL: the Dutch operator Wagenborg Offshore has secured a five-year deal with Fathom Marine for its multipurpose ship Arcticaborg to provide support in the western Canadian Arctic. The contract starts mid-July and the ship will work from Vancouver, undertaking ice-breaking support, ice navigation assistance, fuel supply, salvage and cargo runs.

Members consulted over ‘final’ VGG cost-cutting plans

Nautilus is considering an industrial action ballot among members employed by VGG (Singapore) as marine crew and dive techs on the DSV agreement after the company stated its ‘ﬁnal position’ in a redundancy consultation. VGG told the Union that it is looking to amend members’ terms and conditions in a bid to cut costs. The changes would see marine crew take a 10% reduction in existing salary levels, and the introduction of a lay-up rate when vessels are stacked, along with a 40% reduction to be applied if a vessel is stacked and members remain at home. The changes would see dive techs put on a day contract model of just 120 days’ guaranteed work a year.

SCHIEHALLION RESUMES: BP has re-started production at the Schiehallion field, 100 miles west of Shetland, following a £4.4bn modernisation project. The company says the work will extend the life of Schiehallion, and the adjacent Loyal field, until at least 2035 and should enable the production of a further 450m barrels of oil. SINGAPORE SUPPORT: offshore support vessel operator Pacific Radiance is set to receive up to SG$85m (US$61m) in financial support from the Singapore government under a programme to help local firms deal with the intensifying financing challenges in the offshore industry. MAERSK CLAIM: Nautilus has been seeking the views of members employed by Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) and serving on supply vessels ahead of making this year’s pay and conditions claim.

In both cases rates and terms would be backdated to 1 April 2017, with a review taking place six months later. The company has stated it ‘remains its position to avoid a redundancy situation wherever possible, However, as stated by the client that owing to indicators on booked work and the need to cut costs, it is vital that they (VGG) realise cost efﬁciencies with effect from 1 April 2017’. Previously, marine crew had voted to reject a 10% pay cut, while dive techs had also shunned the adoption of the 120 days of guaranteed work model. National secretary Jonathan Havard said the Union is now moving to consult members about the possibility of taking industrial action. ‘Industrial action is a last course of action

and one we only contemplate if completely necessary,’ he explained. ‘We have been discussing these issues with the company for a substantial period of time now and it would seem we are no closer to a satisfactory outcome,’ . ‘As it stands, we were unable to recommend the ﬁnal proposal made by the company,’ Mr Havard added. ‘These changes to terms and conditions will have a severe impact on our hard-working members,’ he pointed out, ‘and if the company refuses our further request for continued negotiations, Nautilus will set in motion the process of balloting its marine crew and contracted dive tech members on some form of industrial action in line with the appropriate legislation.’

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Employers urged to negotiate Steve Doran has urged offshore F employers to enter into meaningful Nautilus national organiser

negotiations to prevent industrial action in the North Sea. Mr Doran made the call as the Unite, RMT and GMB unions moved to ballot members working for nine different Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) companies across North Sea installations on potential strike action. Speaking on behalf of the Offshore Co-ordinating Group (OCG) of five North Sea unions, Mr Doran said: ‘The OCG strongly supports this ballot for strike action and is hugely disappointed with the OCA’s unreasonable and provocative approach to negotiations which have rendered this as inevitable. ‘The unions have asked the OCA employers to revisit their proposals and to offer up a workable solution through meaningful dialogue. The OCA failed to do this during recent ACAS-facilitated discussions,’ he added. ‘It is essential that the OCA employers engage in meaningful negotiations with the trade unions in a genuine effort to resolve this pay and conditions dispute,’ he concluded.

Operators seek Brexit pledge on EU labour

www.eMaritimeGroup p.com m e-Learning

of ERRVs currently operating are at least 30 years old,’ he added. ‘With vessels that are purpose-built to the highest technical standard, Sentinel Marine is better equipped to ensure that safety comes first for all of our clients.’

Pictured above is Voe Vanguard — the first in a new series of service vessels for the offshore renewables sector built by the Dutch yard Damen. The 33m RSV 3315 has been developed from the Multicat design in close cooperation with the Scottish company Delta Marine and has now gone into service in

the Walney Extension windfarm project. Voe Vanguard can accommodate up to 18 crew and features a spacious, unobstructed deck, DP2, dedicated four-point mooring and a 42-tonne bollard pull. The dieselelectric vessel has four azimuths, a large stern thruster and a shallow draught of only 2.6m.

to labour after Britain leaves the European Union. In a letter to the prime minister, Oil & Gas UK said it is vital that the Brexit negotiations secure ‘predictability and clarity’ for the sector and minimise the risk of costs being increased. ‘There are still up to 20bn barrels of oil and gas to recover from the UKCS and, if properly supported, our already world-class supply chain could double its turnover by 2035,’ said Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie. The trade body pointed out that 90% of workers presently directly

employed in the British oil and gas sector are UK nationals, with 5% from other EU countries and 5% from outside the EU. Around 70% of the EU workers in the industry are in skilled and mangerial roles which are often critical for projects, it added, and the government should ‘consider these posts when developing domestic immigration policy’. Oil & Gas UK warned that the total costs of traded goods between Britain, the EU and the rest of the world could almost double to around £1.1bn under a ‘worst case scenario’ in which the current trading arrangements revert to World Trade Organisation rules.

24/05/2017 16:13

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Union seeks Slater Fund scholars STCW shortfalls

‘put emphasis on competence’

development Steven Gosling is A pictured with Nicholas Chubb from Nautilus head of strategic

the Marine Society & Sea Cadets at an event to promote UK ratings training, staged by the RMT union in Dover last month. The event was organised to raise awareness of job and training opportunities in shipping among local employers, training providers, schools and young people. Mr Gosling and Mr Chubb had a stand at the event promoting Nautilus JW Slater scholarships to support rating to officer training. The Fund — which was named in honour of one of the Union’s former general secretaries — is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The scheme also supports yacht crew and electro-technical officers studying for their first OOW certificate and now offers up to £18,500 and a £1,500 completion bonus to successful applicants. More than 430 seafarers have gained officer certification with Slater Fund support and Nautilus is

of Training Certification & F Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention to The failure of the Standards

trying to trace some of those who qualified during the early years of the Fund. If you received help from the scheme in the 1970s or 1980s, Mr Gosling is very keen to hear from you. ‘As part of a programme to mark

the anniversary of the Fund and its huge contribution to British seafarer training, we are keen to have one of the early Slater Scholars at a seminar we are organising in London in July,’ said Mr Gosling. ‘We would like to hear them recall the rating-to-

officer training experience and the subsequent career they enjoyed as a result of Slater funding – perhaps at sea and then ashore.’ g For more information, email Mr Gosling: sgosling@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0) 20 8989 6677.

New research on fatigue dangers MCA reports assess health and safety risks of varied watchkeeping patterns

The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency has published two new research reports on the impact of fatigue associated with different watchkeeping patterns. One of the studies looked at seafarers working an eight hours on/eight hours off pattern onboard five dredgers, while the other used predictive software modelling to analyse five different two-watch systems and three different three-watch systems. Announcing the findings last month, the MCA said it ‘considers seafarer fatigue to be a potentially serious issue which is detrimental to safety at sea and the health of seafarers. ‘A particular concern is the need to improve our knowledge of fatigue science and how this can be applied to the management and mitigation of fatigue’. The first study founding that the eight/eight watch pattern is much better than six-on/sixoff in terms of the quantity and

quality of the sleep obtained. Researchers found that seafarers also experienced less stress and sleepiness on the eight/eight system. The second study — which also investigated the working patterns of selected tug crews — concluded that the Royal Navy’s ‘dog watch’ system has the lowest risk of seafarers falling asleep during work, with 12-on/12-off having the highest risk. Researchers also found that the ‘ﬁve and dime’ system (5/5/4/5/5) and the four-on/eightoff patterns had lower risks than any of the two-watch systems. Researchers also warned that the study of tug crews had shown how removing the opportunity to take a nap may have signiﬁcant effects on the risk of falling asleep, as well as the importance of individual seafarers’ circadian rhythms — especially those who are described as ‘morning types’. The MCA stressed that the research should not be taken as

definitive, but said the findings could offer ‘useful guidance to companies who wish to evaluate their current watch systems’. z Shipowners have launched a new version of a software package which aims to help seafarers ensure that they do not break work and rest time rules. ISF Watchkeeper 3.5, unveiled by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and IT Energy last month, is designed to promote compliance with international regulations for recording individual work hours, to help combat fatigue and to avoid problems with port state control. The new version of the software, which was first developed almost 20 years ago, has been upgraded with new features including: a working schedule planning tool; a method to take account of international dateline crossings; the capture of nonconformance activity; multi-language key reports; and STCW 2010 ‘Manila Exceptions’ calculations.

IT Energy MD Michael Papageorge said the program is ‘now more effective than ever at taking care of the full range of onboard requirements for demonstrating compliance with crew work and rest hour regulations’. As part of the update, substantial improvements have also been made to Watchkeeper Online, the sister product for shore-based personnel. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The software merely records the sort of working hours which were associated with Stalin’s gulags. Martha, the package developed through the Project Horizon research, will give an indication of fatigue that is not in compliance with regulatory requirements. ‘I’m sure that seafarers will be reassured to know that a 98-hour working week will be accurately recorded with STCW 2010 “Manila Exceptions” calculation improvements,’ he added.

set a proper global level playing field means that the shipping industry will increasingly adopt competence management schemes, experts warned last month. Roger Ringstad, managing director of the training firm Seagull Maritime, told the CrewConnect Europe conference in Copenhagen that there is an increasing focus on competence testing — especially before officers are promoted. The process was started by the oil majors, but more and more shipping companies are using the techniques to ensure their crews are properly trained, he added. OSM Crew Management MD Tommy Olofsen, who chairs Intertanko’s human element committee, pointed to the differing standards of STCW implementation around the world and said competence is now being verified through such things as interviews and by using simulators to assess ship handling. ‘The next iteration of the STCW Convention should have standards of competence management systems within it,’ he argued. ‘The industry has moved beyond the one-size-fits-all philosophy of STCW.’ Simon Frank, head of maritime

personnel with Hoegh LNG, said there is a significant challenge in ensuring consistency across the world, especially when new labour-supplying countries continue to emerge — but it is important from a legal perspective that standards are adhered to. ‘As a seafarer, you will increasingly find it difficult to get a job just with your STCW certificates,’ he said. ‘Valueadded competence training in certain areas is very important.’ International Transport Workers’ Federation seafarers section secretary Jon Whitlow said he was concerned of an increasingly wide gap between the IMO and the real world. ‘We wonder how successful STCW will be in keeping up with the technological changes that are happening so rapidly,’ he added. Soeren Loebbert, deputy director of the Transas Academy, told the conference that seafarer training needs to be transformed to match the digital world and the new generation of crew who have grown up with IT as a core part of their lives. The industry needs to move from college-based teaching to e-learning and remote tutoring, as well as adopting virtual reality training and interactive games, he added. New competencies will also be needed for the staff working at shorebased fleet operations centres, Mr Loebbert stressed.

Time to beat deadline for MN Medal nominations know someone who does? F You may still be in time to make a Do you deserve a medal, or

nomination for this year’s Merchant Navy Medal awards, which recognise exceptional service and devotion to duty, as the deadline has been extended. Now a prestigious state award, with a place in the order of wear, the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service is open to people in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man who are serving within the Merchant Navy or fishing fleets ashore and afloat, and aims to honour ‘those who have set an outstanding example to others’. First given last year, the state award supersedes the previous Merchant Navy Medal, which had been presented by the Merchant Navy Medal Committee since 2005. g Details of the nomination process and a form can be found on the Department for Transport website — go to www.gov.uk and enter Merchant Navy Medal in the search box.

Nominations for the 2017 awards should be submitted before 9 June. Awards will be announced on Merchant Navy Day — 3 September 2017.

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24/05/2017 13:43

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Survey alarm at stress problems Nautilus strategic organiser Danny McGowan talks to crew in Palma

Research report calls for more mental health support for superyacht crews

Palma show proves P busy for Nautilus Danny McGowan and Lee Moon F met new and existing members Nautilus strategic organisers

and many current and potential superyacht sector partners during this year’s Palma Superyacht Show. The Union worked closely with ACREW, which facilitates various crew lounges and training seminars throughout the year, to ensure maximum contact with members during the five-day event. ‘Throughout the show, we had the chance to meet current members and to talk with many other crew about the benefits of membership,’ said Mr McGowan. ‘We were also approached by a lot of officers and crew enquiring about Nautilus membership, with some opting to join us as full members and others to join the Yacht Friends of Nautilus scheme.’ As well as talking to crew, the

Nautilus team had discussions with a wide range of current and potential sector partners. These included Patrick Maflin, from an organisation called Marine Accounts which provides financial services, tax advice, mortgage information and more to crew from around the globe, and Tim Reedman, a partner of St James’s Place Wealth Management. Nautilus also met with Efrem Leigh, who runs the Yacht Chefs Association, and Global Crew Services director Zoe Benson. ‘We will be continuing discussions to investigate the opportunities to develop further strategic partnerships,’ Mr McGowan added. The Union will also be working with ACREW at the Monaco Yacht Show in September, where it is planned to talk more about the Union’s work on bullying and harassment.

Nautilus has expressed concern at a new survey which shows that superyacht crew are struggling with stress and mental health issues. Research published by the Yachting Pages Media Group last month showed that 72% of crew have suffered from mental health problems, or knew somebody else in the industry that had. Only 54% of those who had suffered such problems had talked about their issues, and 70% said that no support was put in place to help them cope when struggling with stress and general mental health onboard. An overwhelming 75% of those surveyed said that the superyacht industry is not doing enough to tackle mental health

problems and look after the overall wellbeing of crew. Michelle Williams, website and digital marketing manager at Yachting Pages Media Group, commented: ‘Having met and spoken with many superyacht crew over the years, it’s clear their jobs can be very stressful and sympathy is not typically a forthcoming emotion with the fast-pace nature of this business.’ Kylie O’Brien, former chief stewardess and founder of the Stewardess Bible, added: ‘I think there is a general attitude within the superyacht industry that you must simply get on with the job. If you can’t handle the pressures of being a professional seafarer, then perhaps you need a break — which typically means you’re out of a job.’

Alison Rentoul, crew performance engineer at The Crew Coach, said she was not surprised by the number of crew struggling with mental health issues. ‘I believe that there is still an “old school” attitude within the industry,’ she added. ‘Yachting is tough on people physically, emotionally and mentally, and not enough people know they can get help with the issues they are facing, so they sweep them under the carpet — sometimes with tragic consequences.’ A number of crew highlighted the importance of regular rotation and more downtime as ways to help ease the stresses suffered when working long hours and seasons onboard. ‘Nautilus International is pleased to see that other organi-

sations within the yachting industry are willing to speak out about such a subject,’ said strategic organiser Danny McGowan. ‘Rotation and connectivity, along with the accurate recording of working hours, are an important part of seafarers’ mental health, but the issues that people face in the yachting industry can be very different to those faced elsewhere in the maritime world. ‘Having assisted a number of Union members facing such issues, it is essential that other seafarers know there is an independent body they can join that has been looking after seafarer welfare for over 160 years,’ he added. ‘With our 24/7 helpline, members know they can access a specialist at any time if things get out of hand.’

Damen support ship visits London

Captain develops new tenders

showed off its superyacht A support vessel Game Changer in

developed a new line of F tenders that aim to deliver speed,

London last month. Developed from the company’s Sea Axe design and launched in March, the 70m vessel sailed up the Thames following sea trials in the North Sea to moor next to HMS Belfast to host visits by potential buyers and brokers. The vessel is on the market with a reported price tag of around €40m. Game Changer features a fully certified helideck and 250 sq m of open deck space for tenders and toys. There is a large deck crane with a 15-tonne lifting capacity, and below deck there is a further 110 sq m storage space and dive centre. Powered by four 3,000hp MTU 16V4000 M63L diesel engines with a top speed of 20 knots and a maximum cruising range of 4,500nm, Game Changer can accommodate 22 crew and staff and can also carry extra provisions, fuel, luggage and spare parts.

A superyacht captain has

performance, stability, fuel efficiency, comfort and seaworthiness. Captain Dean Maggio, is the principal behind the Ocean 1 yacht

The Dutch shipbuilder Damen

tenders. Capt Maggio has 27 years of professional hands-on experience in both the sail and motor yacht sectors, and Ocean 1 was founded following his foray into building the Yellowfin custom yacht tender with partner Wylie Nagler.

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 recognised by the MCA as evidence of acceptable service.

INTERNATIONAL

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

Designer aids Mercy project by Michael Howorth

architect, known for his iconic U sailing yacht designs is to donate Gerard Dykstra, a Dutch naval

his time and talent to create a humanitarian ‘mother ship’ for the US and Fiji-based charity Sea Mercy. He has teamed up with the Dutch shipyard Vitters to work on the Sea Bridge One project to develop a vessel that will provide medical and emergency assistance to remote islands. Capable of carrying up to 70

tons of cargo, the vessel will serve as a transport support barge, a floating hospital, an educational research and training platform, and a disaster response and recovery vessel. The idea for the project came after Cyclone Winston, a category 5 storm that devastated Fiji in 2016. Sea Mercy, operating alongside private cruising vessels, provided emergency relief to thousands of people in many communities in the immediate aftermath and up to five months after. Sea Mercy president Richard

Hackett commented: ‘Although our volunteer yacht owners have incredible hearts, there is only so much you can ask of them and their vessels. They are and always will be the heart and soul of Sea Mercy. Our goal with Sea Bridge One is not to replace them, but to further empower and encourage their participation within all our programmes.’ Founded in 2012, Sea Mercy has worked with the superyacht industry to provide health care services to more than 150 remote islands.

24/05/2017 12:29

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Heavylift vessel carries ship unloaders from Tilbury to Rotterdam A

The 17,764gt heavylift vessel HHL Tokyo is pictured right as it carried out a complex project to transport two 870-tonne ship unloaders from Tilbury to Rotterdam. Hansa Heavy Lift head of projects Emek Ersin Takmaz described the operation as ‘uniquely challenging’ — with the age of the cranes meaning that there was very limited information, including no precise weight of centre of gravity data, and only 28-year-old handmade drawings of the two units to work with. ‘These cranes were not designed to be lifted, mandating a complex lifting arrangement which required

Port trials for drone deliveries

specialist engineering expertise,’ he added. The project was carried out in stages on two consecutive voyages by the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged vessel. The units were loaded at Tilbury power station on the river Thames, which has a 6m tidal range. This meant the water depth at low tide was insufficient for HHL Tokyo and a spacer barge had to be used in between the vessel and the pier. The operation also involved a mooring analysis and a motion response analysis to assess the maximum motion-induced forces acting on the cargo during the voyage.

Just the job for MN UK’s maritime careers awareness programme is shortlisted for European ‘Effective Voice’ award

P to trial a new drone service to A deliver items such as spare parts, A leading ship supplier is set

medicines or documents to vessels visiting a major port. Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) says it plans to carry out a pilot project to test the scheme in one of the world’s busiest ports later this year. WSS business solutions and marketing VP Marius Johansen said the use of drones was ‘a natural extension’ for the company. ‘Whether it is deliveries of critical documents or vital medical supplies, tank inspections, or monitoring cargo and stockpile levels, we believe semi-autonomous drone flights can support and further enhance what our ships agency team can offer our customers,’ he added. Using drones instead of launches to make deliveries to vessels at anchorage will not only save time but could also prove to be about 10 times cheaper, Mr Johansen suggested.

British shipping’s Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme was shortlisted for a prestigious ‘Effective Voice’ award last month at the European and International Association Awards. And although the maritime volunteering programme was pipped to the post on the awards night by another worthy candidate, the nomination was a great tribute to its recent success. More than 310 volunteers are currently involved in Careers at Sea Ambassadors, which is run by the UK Merchant Navy Training Board with backing from Nautilus International and the Marine Society & Sea Cadets. The Ambassadors — all of whom are current or former seafarers — provide information about careers in the Merchant Navy

to schools, youth groups and careers fairs across the UK. They also share their personal experiences with the young people they meet, aiming to raise awareness of maritime industry and the career prospects it offers. The scheme is growing rapidly: visits by Ambassadors more than quadrupled in the first two years of the programme, from just 23 visits in 2015 to 109 in 2016. It looks likely that this figure will be exceeded this year — Ambassadors have already made 88 visits during the first four months of 2017 and the number of requests for visits looks set to surpass last year’s figure too. Feedback from the Ambassadors themselves indicates the scheme is having a positive impact on prospective seafarers. ‘There’s always one or two who are really

engaged and really thinking about it, and you feel like you’ve made a difference to that person’s life — especially when they’re thinking about their options after school or a career change,’ says Graham Fisher, a Trinity House deck cadet, who has been a Careers at Sea Ambassador for over a year now. The offer of sponsored training instead of university debt is very appealing to school-leavers, adds Ambassador George Belcher, who is about to complete a foundation degree in Marine Engineering at South Shields Marine School. ‘I’ve never had to pay a penny for my tuition,’ he points out. ‘You learn while you’re earning.’ The Ambassador scheme is also helping to shift people’s perception of what makes a seafarer, according to Emily Fowles, a third

engineer ofﬁcer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). ‘I recently took part in a presentation to primary-aged children where they had to ask yes or no questions to guess my occupation, and they weren’t even close,’ she says. As I walked back into the room with a spanner, wearing a hard hat, the children were stunned. ‘I am a female engineer and I work on ships, at sea, away from home,’ Emily adds. ‘It is just so amazing to see young people breaking down stereotypes and learning about opportunities that they didn’t even know existed.’ g The Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme welcomes volunteers from all maritime ranks and roles, and at all stages of their careers. For more information, visit: www.careersatsea.org/ambassadors.

Singapore is ranked world’s top maritime centre as the world’s top maritime F centre — and London has risen from

Singapore has retained its title

sixth to fifth place in the ‘league table’ of shipping cities. The rankings have been revealed in an annual report from the Norwegian industry analysts Menon Economics, and are based on a benchmarking exercise for 30 cities providing key maritime services such as shipping,

finance and law, technology, ports and logistics. The study — which assesses performance across almost 50 different fields, along with an analysis of the competitiveness and attractiveness of each city — puts Hamburg in second place, Oslo in third and Rotterdam in sixth position. The report rates London highly for its maritime law and finance services,

while Rotterdam gets high marks for its ports and logistics services. However, it warns of growing global competition to deliver such services. While Singapore is expected to keep its lead, Chinese cities are becoming increasingly significant and digitalisation of the maritime industry may further transform the rankings. The experts predict that Dubai will continue to grow in importance and

be the world’s sixth most important maritime centre by 2022. ‘We welcome the fact that London has again been voted the world’s number-one city for maritime finance and law. Its expertise in maritime business services is unparallelled,’ said Ben Murray, manager of Maritime UK. ‘It’s testament to London’s strength that despite unforeseen

geopolitical events, the world’s financial capital has once again climbed into Menon’s top five maritime cities,’ he added. ‘London’s strengths are complimented by the unique and individual strengths of dynamic maritime clusters in Southampton, Aberdeen and Liverpool, which together mean that the UK offers the complete maritime package.’

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24/05/2017 13:43

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NEWS

How you can help welfare research

Charity coffee raises the bar for supporting seafarers launched a fund-raising coffee A brand last year has now opened a A maritime charity which

coffee bar in Southampton to help spread the message about the way in which shipping helps to supply so much of the nation’s food and drink. Visitors to the Sailors’ Society BySea Coffee Lounge, on Portswood Road, were given an opening weekend special offer of just 90p for a regular cup of coffee — reflecting the fact that around 90% of everything, from cars to coffee, comes to the UK by sea. The shop serves the ethically sourced, socially responsible BySea

to help with a research project F investigating the causes of illness Seafarers have been invited

and injuries at sea as part of a programme to improve welfare support services globally. The project is being undertaken by the maritime charity Sailors’ Society in association with Yale University and will look at the way in which factors such as job tasks and the work environment impact on the wellbeing of crew. The results of the anonymous survey will be used to further develop the Society’s existing Wellness at Sea programme of health initiatives. Deputy chief executive officer and director of programme Sandra Welch explained: ‘Positive mental and physical health is vital to maintaining a rewarding and secure working life onboard. ‘Sailors’ Society wants to continue to provide the best support possible and we would be grateful if working seafarers could take a few minutes out of their day to complete the survey. ‘We’ll use the results to further our understanding of the issues that can arise and help us to improve our welfare services for the hundreds of thousands of seafarers that we reach out to each year.’ Nautilus professional and technical officer David Appleton added: ‘Seafarers continue to be subjected to working and living conditions that would not be acceptable in any other industry. ‘We applaud the initiative taken by the society and encourage members to take part so that they may improve the already excellent service they provide to seafarers worldwide. ‘Ultimately, prevention is better than cure, of course, and it is about time that ship owners woke up to the reality of the damage —both physical and mental — that they continue to inflict on their employees.’ g The survey can be completed in confidence at: www.sailors-society. org/ourprojects/survey. g See feature, page 25.

‘Life at sea needs to be improved’ Owners must address psychological pressures facing crews, conference told

The shipping industry needs to do more to develop supportive policies to improve seafarers’ working lives, the head of the ITF Seafarers Trust warned last month. Speaking at the CrewConnect Europe conference in Copenhagen, Kimberly Karlshoej described the ‘silent killers’ that affect the maritime workforce as a result of poor shipboard conditions. ‘The maritime world talks a lot about ﬁtness for work, and there is a big focus on the physical aspect,’ she pointed out. ‘However, good health is all about complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.’ Although shipping has done much to improve the quality of operations in recent years, it is still far from perfect, Ms

Karlshoej added. The old adage about life at sea being like life in prison remains true, she noted — ‘and prisoners do not have the high levels of noise, constant movement, incredibly long hours and shiftwork, limited areas for physical exercise and private life, and the risks of piracy, bad weather and malaria’. Social isolation — and the ‘fear of missing out’ — is an increasingly strong issue for seafarers in the Facebook era, Ms Karlshoej argued. ‘The loss of control over almost all aspects of daily life can together create a potent mix,’ she added. Seafarers suffering from stress, depression or other mental problems could put safety at risk — losing the ability to look ahead and prioritise or failing to take responsibility, she explained. While statistics show that

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the support given to some A 50,000 seafarers visiting Merseyside A new centre which will extend

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could be done to improve life at sea, she concluded. Attention should be paid to things such as a common language among crews, gender diversity, peer support programmes and mentoring. Games can play a big part in reducing social isolation, Ms Karlshoej said, and ‘soft skills’ and health training should be included in maritime education and training courses. Finally, she added, there is an increasingly good range of resources to help seafarers deal with the psychological pressures arising from their work — including the Big White Wall mental health and wellbeing service launched by the Seafarers Hospital Society, the Sailors’ Society Wellness at Sea scheme, and the free helpline run by the International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network.

Teams get set for Tyne Row race come out in force on 17 June for F the eighth annual Tyne Row event, Spectators are being urged to

which will see competitors from throughout the UK shipping industry converging on the waterway to row eight nautical miles from Newcastle Quayside to South Shields. Each team will be striving to win the prized Marine School Challenge Cup and raise funds for two seafaring charities — which this year are Seafarers UK and TS Collingwood Sea Cadets. To be competitive, the rowers must look to cross the finishing line in around 85 minutes. The rowers will be aiming to steal the crown from South Shields Marine School’s team, which won the 2016 race in 1hr 23 mins — five minutes ahead of their closest rival. Others competing are South Tyneside College Ladies Team, Tyne Metropolitan College, Fleetwood Nautical Campus, North East P & I Club, American Bureau of Shipping, and HMS Calliope. The race is the brainchild of Tommy Procter, 70, a former tugmaster and retired lecturer at South Shields Marine School, which is part of South Tyneside College. He commented: ‘The Tyne Row brings people together in a highly competitive challenge, bringing out the best of their sporting instincts.’

New Merseyside centre extends crew services

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gastro-intestinal problems, back injuries and kidney stones are among the most common causes of crew medical repatriations, Ms Karlshoej suggested there could be underlying problems behind the statistics. Research shows that a lot of seafarers are worried about depression, weight and drinking, she said, and conditions like gastro-intestinal problems and back pain could be the result of psychological issues. Statistics also suggest that seafarers may be more than ﬁve times more likely to commit suicide than the average person, Ms Karlshoej told the conference. However, she cautioned, the research ﬁgures are quite old and the issues are quite complex, so the ITF Seafarers Trust is undertaking new work to investigate the subject in depth. It’s clear, however, that more

brand launched by Sailors’ Society last year, with blends coming from some of the 27 countries where the charity operates. Sailors’ Society director of development Adam Stacey said: ‘Seafarers sacrifice a lot to get these goods to us. Many of them come from the world’s poorest communities, and they spend up to a year at sea at a time, facing incredible loneliness, storms and even pirate attacks. ‘The BySea Coffee Lounge isn’t just a great place to relax and enjoy an excellent cup of coffee, but also a way of giving back to these oftenforgotten men and women.’

Captain Stephen Howarth,

pictured during a visit by a Vatican Cardinal and Apostleship of the Sea representatives last month. Cardinal Peter Turkson, the head of the Vatican’s dicastery for the promotion of integral human development, and other Vatican officials, including Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, of the pontifical

council for justice and peace, visited the ship in the port of Civitavecchia. The Cardinal toured the ship and shared lunch with seafarers in the crew mess, before celebrating a Mass for 120 of the ship’s officers and crew. The visit was organised by the Apostleship of the Sea and the charity’s international coordinator, Fr Bruno Ciceri, and Southampton port chaplain Rev Roger Stone also took part in the event.

ports each year has been opened thanks to a successful fund-raising programme. The £40,000 Liverpool Seafarers Centre (LSC) Eastham Hub — located at Queen Elizabeth II Dock on the Wirral — was formally opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Dame Lorna Muirhead, at the end of April. The hub will work in partnership with LSC headquarters at Colonsay House in Crosby and will offer visiting crews facilities including a lounge, internet access and games, as well as

bicycles for exercise or to visit nearby shops. The new facility was supported with donations from organisations including the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, Peel Ports, and proceeds from Mersey River Pilots raffle and the Mersey Maritime Industry Awards raffle, the Voluntary Aid Club Dinner and The Phoebe Wortley Charitable Trust. LSC CEO John Wilson said he was ‘hugely proud’ of the centre, which will maximise the support for seafarers docking within the various berths on the Manchester Ship Canal. ‘The

crew are frequently on very quick turnaround times, with limited time for shore leave,’ he explained. ‘When granted, an hour of this time can be spent travelling from the vessel to our centre in Waterloo. This new facility, however, will negate travelling time, enabling all crew to fully relax outside the confines of the ship in a friendly welcoming environment.’ Mr Wilson said the charity is always on the look-out for donors and volunteers to help at the centres making cups of tea, providing a friendly ear and driving the minibus. g For further information, visit www. liverpoolseafarerscentre.org

24/05/2017 12:31

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

EU owners ‘worst’ for scrapping been ‘named and shamed’ A as being the biggest users of

European shipowners have

substandard beach scrapping facilities in South Asia. The lobby group NGO Shipbreaking Platform a ‘jawdropping’ 84% of all European end-of-life ships were sent to beaches in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan last year and 328 of the 668 ships broken up at the ‘dirty and dangerous’ facilities during 2016 were EU-flagged or EU-owned. Of this, 104 ships were Greek, 97 German and 13 UK-owned, it noted. UK-based Zodiac Shipping was named as the second-worst ‘ship-dumping’ company, sending 12 vessels for breaking in South Asia last year. ‘While shipowners are increasingly portraying themselves as conscious of the problems caused by shipbreaking on beaches, Bangladesh — where conditions are known to be the worst — remained the preferred scrapping destination worldwide in terms of tonnage dismantled,’ the report warns. NGO Shipbreaking Platform said the issues are increasingly important, with overcapacity in world shipping meaning that many more vessels are set to be scrapped over the next few years. It is also concerned about the large number of North Sea floating oil production and storage tankers, drill ships and semisubmersible platforms which are due to be decommissioned. The lobby group pointed out that last year had seen the worst accident in the history of beach breaking, when at least 28 workers died and more than 60 were injured following an explosion and fire onboard a tanker being dismantled in Gadani, Pakistan. ‘Ship recycling is an industrial activity that needs industrial methods, equipment and standards — a beach is never going to be an appropriate place for a high-risk heavy industry involving hazardous waste management,’ it added.

Call for action on jailed crew Union urges PM to secure release of piracy ship guards

Nautilus International has appealed to UK prime minister Theresa May to intervene to end the ordeal being suffered by the crew of a counter-piracy ship who have been imprisoned in India. The Union is urging the British government to take ‘the strongest possible action’ to secure the release of the multinational crew of 35 seafarers and security personnel from the vessel Seaman Guard Ohio — including six British former members of the armed forces. The Sierra Leone-registered ship was detained by the Indian authorities in October 2013 after it entered the country’s territorial waters for bunkering. Police accused the crew of carrying unregistered weapons and making an illicit money transfer for the bunkers and they were sentenced to ﬁve years of ‘rigorous imprisonment’. In a letter to Mrs May, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson expressed concern about

the ‘unjust treatment and the dubious legal proceedings’ taken against the men. Mr Dickinson said there is evidence that the men are being incarcerated in abysmal conditions in Chennai, despite the signiﬁcant questions about the way in which the legal proceedings were pursued against them. ‘With a renewal of activity by Somalia pirates presently underway, there are growing concerns within the shipping industry of fresh threats to the safety of shipping in the region,’ Mr Dickinson added. ‘There have been warnings that shipowners need to intensify onboard security and that there should be no further reductions in the naval forces deployed in the region. ‘In the light of this, I think it is more important than ever that renewed attempts are made to secure the release of the Seaman Guard Ohio’s crew,’ he told Mrs May. ‘Sadly, they were essentially abandoned by the ship’s owner

and the ﬂag of convenience registry the vessel was sailing under. The free ﬂow of merchant shipping is essential for the security of our trade — especially important for an island nation like Britain — and it is also important that merchant seafarers are adequately protected against such threats as piracy, armed robbery, and kidnap and ransom. ‘Unfortunately, the reality is that they often do not get the protection they deserve — and it is sadly ironic that, in this case, those who have been employed to protect them from attack have been treated so badly.’ Although the UK government says it has repeatedly raised the case with India, family members accuse ministers of not doing enough for the men. East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald said that foreign secretary Boris Johnson seemed ‘completely preoccupied’ with other matters when she questioned him about the men’s plight recently. g Piracy worries — see page 23.

Call to cut cash onboard ships urged to cut the amount of cash F being carried onboard their vessels Shipping companies have been

by adopting ‘digital pay’ systems for their crews. Stuart Ostrow, president of the maritime financial services firm ShipMoney, told the CrewConnect Europe conference last month that digital pay would save time and money for owners and seafarers. ‘As the industry continues to look

for sustainable initiatives, why are seafarers incurring extra costs just from receiving their wages in cash?’ he asked. ‘Sending money back home and exchanging money at port all add up to unnecessary costs for seafarers, in an age when wire-transfers and card payments are as regular as clockwork. ‘For seafarers, absorbing exchange rates and the cost of sending money can make a huge difference in their monthly pay packet,’ he

stressed. ‘Using an online porthole and reducing these costs, will give seafarers more power over how much money they send home, and how they spend it. This doesn’t mean to say that vessels should be cashless, rather just have less cash.’ Mr Ostrow told delegates that it can cost more than US$580,000 a year to transport cash to an average fleet of 50 ships, each with 20 seafarers onboard.

Stream Marine Training CEO Martin White at the Glasgow Airport centre

Glasgow trainer is growing fast Marine Training (SMT) has A embarked on a major expansion Glasgow-based Stream

programme — including the recruitment of new staff — to cope with growing demand for its courses. The company has grown rapidly since it was founded in 2014, and now has 22 full-time staff and 15 consultants, clients including Caledonian MacBrayne, Disney Cruises and P&O Ferries, and annual turnover of around £2m. CEO Martin White said he expects staff numbers to rise to 30 as a result of expansion over the next 12 months. SMT specialises in providing firefighting, sea survival, rescue craft, and health and safety courses to the maritime, oil & gas, renewables and construction sectors, and will be increasing the range of its courses once work to expand its headquarters at Glasgow Airport is completed. ‘We are investing to meet

the demand for training here in Scotland with so many seafarers being based around the Central Belt,’ Mr White said. ‘But also to meet demand from across the UK and overseas. That is why Glasgow Airport is such a good location for us.’ The SMT upgrades include a helicopter underwater escape training pool and the world’s first LNG training facility for on-land and at sea safety training. Mr White said he sees particular scope for growth for its enclosed, dangerous space and working at height courses with rescue, which are now the only courses of their kind in Scotland recognised by the Merchant Navy Training Board. SMT has recently started a new study with Glasgow University to improve course content, and is also involved in a research project with the university examining issues such as mental health at sea and the gaps in knowledge that lead to accidents.

STUDY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD We help seafarers get ahead through our flexible one-to-one distance learning courses.

First autonomous ship? have revealed detailed plans F for what will be the world’s first Two Norwegian companies

autonomous and ‘zero-emission’ containership, pictured above. Planned to come into service in the latter half of 2018, the all-electric Yara Birkeland will be used to carry products between the chemical company Yara’s production and distribution centres in Norway. Jointly developed by Yara and the marine equipment firm Kongsberg, the vessel will initially run with a crew, moving to remote operations

10-11_news.indd 11

in 2019 before being ready for fully autonomous sailings in 2020. ‘Every day, more than 100 diesel truck journeys are needed to transport products from Yara’s Porsgrunn plant to ports in Brevik and Larvik where we ship products to customers around the world,’ said Yara president Svein Tore Holsether. ‘With this new autonomous batterydriven vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions.’

Learn with us – from GCSEs and A-levels, right through to degrees and postgraduate qualifications. marine-society.org 020 7654 7029

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

24/05/2017 15:14

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

HEALTH & SAFETY

Fatal blast leads to call for checks PLA safety campaign to target human factors on the Thames F

Port of London Authority (PLA) chief harbour master Bob Baker and deputy harbour master Nick Evans are pictured launching a special year-long ‘human factor’ safety campaign last month. The Authority said it had decided to target human error after analysis showed that it was the leading cause of navigational incidents on the tidal Thames in the last two years. Mr Barker told delegates at the PLA’s annual stakeholder forum that

human error was linked to more than 40% of the accidents on the river over the past two years. He said the Authority’s campaign will seek to target the ‘deadly dozen’ top 12 people-related safety factors identified in Maritime & Coastguard Agency guidance. The campaign will also seek to raise awareness of the importance of ‘near-miss’ reporting and the ‘hot spot’ period in which most accidents occur on the Thames — early evenings in October.

Mate died while trying to read draught marks flagged bulk carrier died after F falling from a ladder that had been The chief mate on a Maltese-

rigged to enable him to read the ship’s draught while at anchor awaiting bunkers off Sri Lanka. An investigation by the flag state found that the aft draught gauges onboard the 58,609dwt Seagull were not working at the time of the accident and a rigid aluminium ladder had been rigged over the starboard side

poop deck so that the officer could check the draft marks. The officer was picked up by a rescue boat after he slipped from the ladder and fell into the sea, but he was declared dead on arrival at a hospital ashore. Investigators said they were unable to determine why the officer had fallen, but the report notes that the improvisation had been carried out without a clear mental model of the risks involved.

Industry warned over corrosion risks on lifeboat launching gas cylinders

Shipping companies have been recommended to conduct urgent safety checks after a cruiseship crew member died after a corroded high-pressure nitrogen cylinder burst during maintenance work in the New Zealand port of Dunedin. The engineroom fitter was killed in February this year onboard the 113,561gt Emerald Princess while a block of cylinders which formed part of the lifeboat launching system were being repressurised after checks had been carried out for leaks. An interim report on the accident published by the NZ Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) raises questions over the adequacy of the inspection regime and warns that corroded cylinders could pose ‘a significant danger to seafarers and passengers’. The TAIC found that there were 104 nitrogen cylinders onboard the Bermuda-flagged Emerald Princess — 96 of which had been manufactured in 2006 and supplied when the ship was built. The report notes that the banks of cylinders were stowed on a covered but open deck and were exposed to salt spray and sea air. Investigators found that Bermudan regulations required the cyl-

Superintendent killed in ladder fall when he fell from a pilot ladder F while boarding a tanker off the coast A ship superintendent died

of Denmark last year. An investigation report on the incident highlights the importance of having effective contingency plans in place for such circumstances. The Danish Marine Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) said it could not determine why the

superintendent had fallen while boarding the 39,999dwt Nord Gardenia from a launch, but it had taken 10 minutes for him to be recovered from the sea. The report says there was no preagreed plan between the two vessels for rescuing someone from the sea during personnel transfer. ‘When the emergency situation arose, it was not clear who led the operation,’ it

adds. ‘Both ships expected the other to take charge and there was little communication about what each party was expected to do, not what they actually did during the recovery situation.’ The DMAIB noted: ‘Plans, preparedness and drills should be coordinated and based on scenarios that reflect realistic conditions in order to be effective in an emergency.’

Some Spare Time on Your Hands Looking for A Challenge? The MV Balmoral Fund Ltd is the registered charity which owns the Classic Coastal Ship MV Balmoral. Winter based and maintained in Bristol, but in summer travels all around the UK coast giving great days out with a difference. The challenge and complexities of keeping this near 68-year-old motor vessel in full working order and Ƃnancially viable are endless. The small group of Trustees that manage and run this charity are seeking experienced enthusiastic people who may like to join their board. Have you perhaps taken early retirement, do you have time on your hands, are you looking for a challenge? Then look no further. We need people with various business skills, experience and enthusiasm, especially in raising and developing our fund-raising proƂle.

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If you think this may be for you, then come and meet us informally. To discuss and establish what’s involved with no obligations on either side. We can offer many challenges, but also good camaraderie and a great sense of satisfaction keeping this beautiful ship “part of Britains Maritime Heritage” sailing now and long into the future. We look forward to hearing from applicants throughout the UK. Apply in conƂdence to paul.doubler@btinternet. com or Tel 07808 096 074

The burst high-pressure gas cylinder on Emerald Princess Picture: TAIC

inders to be internally inspected and tested every 10 years. Tests after the accident showed that corrosion had reduced the thickness of the burst cylinder

by about 75% at the point of failure, from 6mm to just 1.5mm. Similar corrosion-related damage was found on other cylinders onboard the ship, as well as

significant corrosion damage on the accumulator. The cylinders were inspected annually by the manufacturer’s authorised representative and were found to be in satisfactory working condition at the last inspection, two weeks before the fatal accident. ‘The circumstances of this accident raise the question of whether the current inspection requirements for a competent person are adequate for a pressure vessel stored in a harsh marine environment,’ the report states. ‘The Commission is concerned that there might be other pressure vessels as part of the same system or similar systems that could pose a significant danger to seafarers and passengers,’ it adds. TAIC has issued a series of recommendations to the manufacturer, the International Association of Classification Societies and the Cruise Lines International Association, calling for checks to be carried out to ensure there is no significant corrosion damage to such systems. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This really should not happen. It is, sadly, another failure of the regulatory system — another needless death.’

Crew were trapped in machinery space fire about a case in which 12 crew A members were trapped in three

Nautilus has expressed concern

workshops when a fire broke out onboard a cruiseship. The seafarers were unable to escape from the mechanical, electrical and deck workshops for more than an hour because of the intense heat and thick smoke generated by the machinery space fire on the Royal Caribbean Cruise vessel Splendour of the Seas in October 2015. An investigation by the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) concludes that ‘an appropriate level of consideration was not given to the safety of crew working within technical spaces within the forward engine room’. A means of escape from the workshops was not required, and the investigation report says that a risk assessment should have identified the need for adequate safety equipment to be provided. The BMA found that there were insufficient emergency escape

breathing devices available — there was only one in each workshop — and crew members who did seek to use them were unable to get them to work as designed. The Authority said it was not known whether routine escape drills had been carried out by crew working in the foward engineroom. Investigators said the fire was due to the failure of a fuel pump securing stud, which had not been tensioned correctly during maintenance work. The report says the incident might not have happened had the manufacturer’s recommended procedures been followed. The report also notes the poor state of hot box covers and points out that the fuel leak could have been contained had they been in a condition ‘fit for purpose’. Although the exact source of ignition could not be determined, it was noted that the fuel had leaked through gaps in the covers and had probably ignited on the engine exhaust manifold cladding. Investigations also revealed that a delayed response in activating the

engine’s quick-closing valves increased the severity of the fire and the damage to the forward engineroom. The BMA said the incident also highlighted the importance of having viscosity control equipment in a serviceable condition when having to frequently change fuel grades from heavy fuel to ultra-low sulphur MGO. ‘Running an engine on heavy fuel with a low fuel temperature significantly increases fuel pump loading, which is imparted to the securing studs,’ the report stresses. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the report had failed to address the fundamental issues of construction and maintenance, or the ISM Code, and had made disappointingly weak recommendations. Amendments to the SOLAS Convention now require two means of escape from a machinery control room and main workshops within the machinery space of new passenger and cargo ships constructed after 1 January 2016.

24/05/2017 15:16

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Funding boost for reporting scheme seafarers to make confidential A reports on accidents and ‘near-miss’

The UK-based scheme to enable

incidents has been given a major boost with a three-year package of support from marine insurers. The UK P&I Club and the TT Club are co-sponsoring the Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme’s (CHIRP) maritime scheme, which was established in 2003 and funded by the Department for Transport until 2011. Its quarterly publication, Maritime Feedback, now has an estimated 200,000 readers from 47 countries, and the number of reports it receives has quadrupled over the past four years. A charitable trust, CHIRP is also supported by the Britannia P&I Club, The Lloyd’s Register Foundation, The Corporation of Trinity House, TK Foundation, Cammell Laird and the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation. The programme aims to provide an independent confidential reporting system for reporting hazardous incidents and safety concerns. Experts review all reports on an individual basis and, when appropriate, take up the issues with the relevant authority, organisation or party with the aim of resolving any associated safety issue. Recent issues highlighted by CHIRP include pilot ladder safety, passengership stability and mooring rope hazards. g Reports can be made via www. chirpmaritime.org or by post to The CHIRP Charitable Trust, Centaur House, Ancells Business Park, Ancells Road, Fleet, GU51 2UJ, or telephone +44 (0) 1252 378947.

Aviation checklists adapted for ships Caledonian MacBrayne crews help to develop ‘best practice’ programme to reduce errors

Nautilus members serving with Caledonian MacBrayne have been part of a pioneering research project to improve shipping safety by adapting procedures used in the aviation industry. Ten CalMac ro-ro ferries took part in the development and trials of a safety checklist scheme which formed a key element of the European Union-funded Seahorse project, led by the University of Strathclyde. The Seahorse project looked at ways of using ‘best practice’ from the aviation sector to manage errors and non-standard practices in shipping, including the application of resilience engineering principles and the use of straightforward systems and procedures for checklists, safety reporting and standardised operating procedures. Researchers began from the premise that while many companies were using such tools, these varied wildly in what was being checked, and many had developed to become cumbersome rather than an effective method to ensure safe operations. CalMac collaborated with Airbus as advisers and used input from shipmasters and ofﬁcers to reﬁne the checklists as the trial progressed to involve minimum time commitment whilst guaran-

Captain Guy Robertson, quartermaster John MacGregor and second officer Steven Carroll going through the checklists on the bridge of the ferry Finlaggan. Capt Robertson was an integral part of the team which formulated and refinied the checklist system across the fleet Picture: Caledonian MacBrayne

teeing that safety-critical items were verified both on approach and when leaving port. The resulting system — which has now been adopted by CalMac — requires a check command and a verification reply, which ensures that two people must ratify each step. This removed what had been identified as a critical weakness in

previous routines — the ‘single point of failure’ of having only one person responsible for checks. Researchers said that while not all the items on CalMac’s checklist will apply to all types of commercial shipping, it offers a tried and tested framework which is easily transferable to other shipping sectors.

Investigators stress need to consider high windage risks stressed the need for ships — F especially those with high windage

Australian safety experts have

— to beware of the risks of sudden squalls and thunderstorms. The warning comes after an investigation into an incident last year in which the 29,338gt ro-ro ferry Spirit of Tasmania was blown off the wharf at the port of Melbourne, causing extensive damage to shoreside infrastructure. All but two of Spirit of Tasmania’s 10 mooring lines broke when severe thunderstorms passed over the port, with winds gusting up to 65 knots and increasing the wind loading on the vessel’s side by almost six times. Crew members managed to control the ferry’s movement using thrusters and main propulsion until, with tug assistance, it was returned to the wharf. A report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) concludes: ‘It is possible that the breakaway might have been prevented had the precautions for

12-13_h+s.indd 13

The Seahorse project has been recognised with the 2016 Royal Institution of Naval Architects/ Lloyd’s Register Marine Safety Award, with judges noting that it was the ﬁrst in the world seeking to enhance safety by transferring best practices in one mode of transport to another mode of transport.

The commendation states that the initiative had ‘clearly demonstrated that different transport modes can and should work together to share the best practices with practical impact on maritime safety’ and that, ‘in doing so, the project has made a signiﬁcant contribution to maritime safety’.

US warns on laser attacks has launched a series of F investigations into multiple laser

The US Coast Guard (USCG)

strikes aimed at merchant ships transiting the Chesapeake Bay. Vessels targeted have included the cruiseship Carnival Pride, the car carriers Hoegh Osaka and Salome, the containership Maersk Kolkata, and the bulk carriers AM Annaba and Bulk Spain.

A pilot boat was also attacked, and crew members involved in all the incidents described the laser light as steady, powerful and somewhat painful to the eyes. The USCG warns of the risk that such attacks could cause a collision or other serious accident and said the anyone caught shining lasers at vessels could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to US$2,500.

Spirit of Tasmania was blown off its berth in the port of Melbourne by a sudden squall Picture: ATSB

adverse weather been more carefully considered.’ Investigators said that the port VTS procedures for adverse weather were only partially effective — meaning that the ferry did not receive advance warning of the storm force winds. Although poor conditions had been forecast, the report notes that the specific prediction of the thunderstorm was not made until 15 minutes before the incident, leaving the crew little time to respond.

The ATSB said the standard mooring line pattern for ships at the wharf had been used successfully for many years, but the breakaway had shown that the risk could have been reduced ‘to better prepare for such unusual circumstances’. The report notes that the ferry’s owners, TT-Line, had ordered an in-depth analysis of mooring conditions and arrangements in response to the incident, as well as making changes to weather

monitoring and notification arrangements. ‘All ships, especially those with high windage, are prone to breaking away from moorings during shortterm events such as thunderstorms and squalls,’ the ATSB pointed out. ‘The risks this presents to ships with large numbers of people onboard mean that weather monitoring, mooring systems and procedures need to be regularly checked and verified for changing weather conditions.’

24/05/2017 16:14

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports CAPSIZE INQUIRY: South Korea’s government has established a new inquiry into the causes of the capsize of the ferry Sewol in April 2014, in which 304 people died. An initial investigation blamed the loss on modifications which had affected the ship’s stability, as well as an inexperienced crew. The wreck of the vessel was raised at the end of March and new evidence about the reasons for the loss will be sought by a team of experts. DRINKING DETENTION: Danish authorities sent a team of police and doctors to a Barbados-flagged ship after VTS officers raised concerns that the crew sounded drunk when they were in radio contact. The 1,904gt general cargoship Wilson Bergen was detained after tests showed that several seafarers — including the master — were over the limit. COBELFRET ORDERS: the Belgian operator Cobelfret has ordered two new 8,000 lane m ro-ros from the Hyundai Mipo year as part of a fleet expansion plan. The company already has two new ferries being built at the yard, which are set for delivery in September and December this year. TANKER ORDERS: around 30 VLCC orders have already been placed so far this year — more than doubling last year’s tally of 13 for the whole of 2016. Gibson Shipbrokers says that ‘attractive’ newbuilding prices being offered by shipyards have fuelled the increase. SPANISH STRIKES: dock workers in Spain have warned of a series of strikes in protest at plans to overhaul port labour practices. The International Transport Workers’ Federation condemned the move and said it showed ‘a callous disregard for jobs’.

US U-turn over offshore rules Unions disappointed as plans to clamp down on foreign ships are dropped

Seafaring unions and shipping companies in the United States have voiced disappointment at a decision to drop plans to reduce the number of foreign flagged vessels allowed to operate in the country’s offshore sector. The US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) announced last month that it was withdrawing a proposal to revoke the rulings that allow foreign flag vessels to transport equipment from US ports to offshore drilling rigs, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico. Unions and owners said the plan to clamp down on the issue of waivers for foreign ships would have created around 1,000 US seafaring jobs and at least a dozen US-flagged vessels.

But the CBP said it had decided to reconsider the proposal in the light of comments received. Oil and gas companies and the International Marine Contractors Association had claimed the clampdown would add to costs and reduced production levels. Tom Allegretti, chairman of the American Maritime Partnership, described the decision as extremely disappointing. ‘This delay and the move to an extended regulatory review process will damage American mariners and the American domestic maritime industry, which is essential for US economic security and job creation,’ he added. Aaron Smith, president of the Offshore Marine Service Association, added: ‘The

domestic maritime industry calls on President Trump and his administration to take immediate action to return these jobs to American mariners and this work to American companies.’ z There are now so few US seafarers and US-flagged merchant ships that the country’s national security is at risk, a Senate hearing was warned last month. The head of US Transportation Command, General Darren McDew, told the Senate subcommittee on surface transportation that the US merchant fleet is so small that the country’s sealift capacity would now be compromised in the event of a conflict. And Joel Szabat, acting head of the US Maritime Administra-

tion (MARAD), said that while US shipping could meet immediate military contingencies, there are grounds for concern that there are not enough qualified US seafarers to sustain an activation of the entire sealift fleet. He said there are at present around 11,000 qualified mariners — 2,000 short of the number needed for an extended activation, and that one logical way to overcome that shortage would be to add around 40 ships to the US-flagged fleet. This could be done through an extension of the support programme for strategically useful shipping, direct subsidies or requirements for certain US exports to be carried on USflagged ships, he added.

Denmark sets out shipping strategy

VEHICLE SERVICE: Greek vehicle carrier operator Neptune Lines has launched a new weekly service for the French firm Renault, linking Le Havre, Southampton, Rosslare and Santander, using the Maltese-flagged vessel Neptune Dynamis. SUPPLY LOSSES: the French maritime union CFDT has voiced concern over the loss of seafarer jobs as a result of a plan to switch the 9,403gt Antarctic research/ supply vessel Marion Dufresne from the French flag to its RIF international register.

has backed a governmentA commissioned report which sets out The Danish officers’ union SL

GREEK GROWTH: Greek shipowners are leading the global orderbook, by signing deals for 35 newbuildings since the start of 2017. US-based owners are in second place, followed by Singapore, Norway and the Netherlands. REEF DAMAGE: the Spanish-flagged LNG tanker Sevilla Knutsen is undergoing repairs in the Philippines after striking an uncharted reef south of Guam, while sailing in ballast from Japan to Australia. FATAL FIRE: a seafarer died and three others were injured after a fire onboard a 5,100dwt Panama-flagged tanker in the United Arab Emirates port of Hamriyah.

SUE HOLMES

Viking expands its cruise fleet expand its fleet further, with A an agreement for the construction Viking Ocean Cruises is set to

of two new 47,800gt vessels — and options for two more — at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. Viking Ocean Cruises was launched in 2015 and the newbuilds will be based on the same design as the company’s three existing vessels, Viking Star, pictured

above, Viking Sea and Viking Sky, which each have capacity for 930 passengers and 600 crew. Viking will take delivery of the fourth ship, Viking Sun, in late 2017 and the fifth ship, Viking Spirit, in 2018. A sixth, yet-to-be-named ship will be delivered in 2019, while the two new orders are set for delivery in 2021 and 2022. The agreement

includes an option for two other ships. The company’s founder and CEO, Torstein Hagen, commented: ‘These additional ships are needed to meet the demand we are experiencing. Once only known for being the leading river cruise line, we are now equally known for upscale, inclusive ocean cruise experiences.’ Picture: Eric Houri

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France acts on oil trades French maritime unions for a F strategic national-flagged fleet has The long battle waged by the

made a major step forward with the publication of a government decree that officially details the types of ships that will benefit from a new law protecting domestic oil trades. The law — which is set to come into effect on 1 July — replaces the 1992 oil carriage act, reserving a proportion of domestic crude oil traffic to French-

flagged ships, and has been given the green light both by the operators’ association, AdF, and the unions. Jean-Philippe Chateil, general secretary of the leading merchant navy officers’ union FOMM-CGT said that the decree looks likely to reserve around 20% of the country’s oil shipments to French-flagged tankers under 20,000dwt. Mr Chateil said that the figure is a major improvement on the present

situation — but less than the 35% to 40% the operators wanted and considerably less than the 50% sought by the unions at Bordeaux-based Sea Tankers, France’s only tanker operator. He said the union wants to see more details on the number or type of ships required, the size of crews, training and financing. Following the French general election, the unions also want to know who the next shipping minister will be.

a series of recommendations aiming to maintain and strengthen the international competitiveness of the country’s merchant fleet. A strategy document developed by a special working group has produced 11 recommendations for keeping Denmark as a major maritime nation — including investment in new technology and digitalisation, together with a framework for testing autonomous ships and ‘virtual’ aids to navigation. The package also proposes the extension of the Danish international register, DIS, to cover the offshore sector — including ‘all activities of offshore ship crews to make Danish labour competitive with that of other countries’. The union supports the proposals, but argues for a ‘DIS Mark 2’ to cover the offshore sector. It says this would boost Danish employment, because DIS has failed to prevent Danish jobs from going abroad. SL also points to the need for a ‘neighbour check’— and it says the UK model is better than Denmark’s, in that more UK officers have been maintained in the merchant fleet than Denmark has managed, even though Denmark has more tonnage. Training young seafarers is more of a priority in the UK, the Danish union argues, and it calls for all sides of the industry to work together with the government to increase seatime opportunities for maritime students.

24/05/2017 16:14

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

New Incat vessel for Danish route Express 3 is pictured leaving A Tasmania on a delivery voyage to

The ‘new generation’ fast ferry

Denmark via the Panama Canal last month. The 109m high-speed vehiclepassenger ferry will be the fourth Incat Tasmania-built vessel in the fleet of the Danish operator Molslinjen. Running between Sjealand and Jutland, Express 3 will carry as many as 1,000 passengers, up to 411 cars, or 227 cars and 610m of truck space. Express 3 has been redesigned from earlier models, to increase turnround times, reduce lightship weight and improve fuel consumption Capable of 43 knots and having a service speed of 40 knots, the vessel was designed to emit at least 10% less SOx, CO2, NOx and particulate matter than its predecessors.

Australia urged to act on decline Union calls for ministerial appointment to promote the national industry

Australia’s government has been urged to appoint a shipping minister with a brief to regulate the industry and promote the national ﬂag. The call has come from the Australian Institute of Marine & Power Engineers (AIMPE) in response to a government consultation on reform of the country’s coastal trades. The union says it is concerned that ‘the shipping industry has suffered from being overshadowed by the big spending portfolios of roads and railways’ and that a ministerial appointment is required to ensure that maritime policy is given sufﬁcient priority. AIMPE’s submission calls for a new approach to regulation of the Australian coastal trades, pointing out that other forms of transport which operate in the country are required to be registered in Australia and comply with all Australian laws.

It says the Shipping Registration Act should be amended to require that all vessels operating in Australian waters should be flagged in the country and covered by all domestic laws. AIMPE said it rejected the policy approach for coastal shipping set out in the government’s consultation paper. It warned that the approach set out by ministers would ‘increase the penetration of foreign shipping into the Australian coastal trades and further reduce the Australian flag coastal shipping fleet’. The union points out that latest information indicates that 10,000 voyages between Australian ports have been undertaken by foreign flag ships with foreign crews between July 2012 to April 2017. Noting that the federal government is floating some ideas for supporting the training of Australian seafarers, the union cautions: ‘For employers in the coastal shipping sector in

Australia to revive their training programmes, it will require a great deal more certainty about the future prospects of the sector.’ z The Australian government has rejected a call to review maritime policy and to assess the security risks of foreign-crewed ﬂag of convenience ships in the country’s waters. The recommendations were made in the interim report of the Senate inquiry into the increasing use of ﬂags of convenience in the country, which was set up in response to concerns over the deaths of three seafarers on FoC ships. But the government said it had already undertaken reviews of the Australian maritime sector and that another one ‘is unlikely to change the current decline of the Australian shipping industry’. It also rejected a call to tighten the rules covering the issue of temporary licences allowing FoC ships to operate in cabotage

trades, arguing that the current system ‘provides an appropriate level of assurance’. Opposition Senator Glenn Sterle said he was ‘bitterly disappointed’ with the response, arguing that the government ‘has openly admitted that it does not care one iota about the future of Australian shipping’. He said the inquiry had heard evidence about shocking standards on FoC ships around the Australian coast, as well as cases of crew abuse, stolen wages and a culture of lawlessness. In rejecting the Senate committe’s recommendations, Mr Sterle said the government had ‘given the green light to the world’s worst practices onboard ﬂag of convenience vessels which involve the atrocious treatment of some of the most vulnerable and exploited workers on the planet. ‘The government should be standing up for Australian jobs, not selling them out,’ he said.

Seafarers stranded off India A

A seafarer owed six months of wages tried to jump from his ship because of concerns that he would be unable to provide for his family. The crewman was among 38 Indian and Pakistani seafarers stranded on two Panama-flagged tankers off the coast of Kandla, in west India. The Nautical Global VII and Nautical Global XVI were both arrested in February in a dispute between the owners and the charterers. Seafarers on the two ships say they have not been paid for six months and provisions ran so low last month that the masters had to appeal to the Kandla port authority for food and water supplies.

14-15_int.indd 15

Captain Suchittar Kumar Sharma, master of Nautical Global XVI, said shipmates had managed to persuade the crewman not to jump. ‘The man was suffering because he talks to his daughter who is crying because there is no food to eat and he thinks, “What is the use of being alive if I can’t take care of a small child?” He was ready to jump when an alarm was raised and we reached him in time to talk to him We told him his life was more precious for his family,’ he said. ‘Life is hell,’ Capt Sharma added. ‘There is no sign of our money, our families are starving and the men want to go home.’

The crews have filed a petition on their wages in the high court and 26 of them were repatriated last month. Captain Sanat Kumar Shukla, of the Kandla mercantile marine department, said others were remaining onboard because they feared losing their wages if they left their vessel. Joseph Chako, from the Kandla Seafarers Welfare Association, told The National newspaper: ‘It was a jail-like situation on the ship, but even in jail you get food and here they were even deprived food for some time. Their welfare must be looked at because they are in a distressed state. They don’t know what their future holds.’

shortreports PHILIPPINES CHARTER: MPs in the Philippines have backed a proposed ‘Magna Carta’ for the country’s seafarers, setting out rights to decent onboard living and working conditions, medical care, onboard communications, and reasonable work and rest hours. The bill also protects seafarers against gender, race, political or religious discrimination, provides legal representation to those who cannot afford it, and upholds the right to engage in collective bargaining. If approved, manning agencies will be prohibited from charging a placement fee and will need to be licensed. NORWEGIAN ALARM: Norway’s government has agreed to modify its controversial proposals to extend the scope of the international ship register NIS — but disappointed the unions by saying it would still allow ferry company Color Line to switch some of its ships to the flag. Unions have warned that as many as 700 Norwegian jobs could be lost if Color Line is allowed to use the international register. They have urged the coalition government to stage a public inquiry into whether Norwegian labour terms and conditions should prevail in the country’s waters. MASTER DIES: the Ukrainian master of a Togoflagged general cargoship which has been detained in Romania since January died after suffering a heart attack last month. Local union officials said Captain Yuriy Tsaruk had been ‘unable to cope with the hardships and psychological problems’ since the 2,478gt Geo Star was detained after failing a port state control inspection. The International Transport Workers’ Federation has been working to recover around US$150,000 owed wages for the ship’s 11 crew. PORTUGAL PROBE: the European Commission is taking action against Portugal for failing to meet its flag state obligations to maintain a quality management system, and to monitor and report on work carried out by its recognised organisations. The Commission said the case — which will be brought before the European Court of Justice — was important because of the recent growth of the Portuguese second register in Madeira, which now has 318 ships of 10.7m gt on its books. GREEK STRIKE: Greek seafaring unions staged a four-day strike last month in protest at new austerity measures tabled by the country’s government. The Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation said the proposals to cut pensions, salaries and social benefits would lead its members to ‘destitution’. REEFER SINKS: a Panama-flagged refrigerated cargoship has sunk in the South Atlantic after being holed by ice. The Falkland Islands government said the 10,629gt Uruguay Reefer had been towed out to sea after drifting into a conservation zone after the crew abandoned ship. JOBS WARNING: the head of one of Italy’s biggest ferry companies, Vicenzo Onorato, has criticised rival operators for exploiting non-EU seafarers — warning that the use of low-cost foreign crews is killing jobs in traditional Italian maritime communities.

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24/05/2017 14:49

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 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

Fast track route to yacht command needs reviewing P Get our MN stripes right! A

I recently decided to replace my MN tie, and looked at a number of online suppliers. In all cases, the ties available showed the diagonal stripes as red, white and green, rather than the correct colours of green, white and red. In 1918, the standard pattern for Merchant Navy uniforms and decorations was agreed, and the attached illustration from HM Merchant Navy, edited by E.C. Talbot-

Booth, clearly shows the configuration of the stripes on both tie and war medal ribbon. The intention was to indicate the lights of an approaching vessel. I did email a well-known supplier of military ties, asking why the position of the stripes on their ties had changed; the response was, essentially, who cares! TERENCE TRELAWNY-GOWER Ch Eng (Rtd) mem no 186001

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16-17_lets_SR edit 2.indd 16

Having been a captain in the yachting sector for many years after coming over from the commercial sector, I have watched the industry grow very rapidly from 70m being a large yacht to 100m-plus almost being the norm. The 3,000gt/3,000kW limit for commercial certification for officers was a sensible move, as some of these yachts have 70 to 80 crew and very complicated safety systems that need experienced management — which is very different from that needed on, say, a 50m yacht with 15 crew. It is common knowledge that in the 3,000gt-plus yacht sector there is a lack of qualified and experienced deck officers. Most are coming over from the commercial sector tempted by the higher salaries and better rotations, as was the case with the engineering officers several years ago when yachts were being fitted with power plants in excess of 3,000kW. Having a Class 1 CoC (Unlimited) and having worked on all sizes of yachts from 55m to 135m, you see that a different management style is needed depending on the owner’s needs, the size of the yacht and number of crew. The larger yachts (100m+) almost need to be run similar to small cruiseships with regards safety, crew management etc, especially now

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you. To let us know your new address, go to www. nautilusint.org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@ nautilusint.org The membership team can also cancel your print copy if you prefer to read the paper on the Telegraph app.

that most yachts run with full ISM, ISPS and MLC — which on a large yacht can be quite complex. There is no substitute for experience in these matters, and so I was surprised to hear about the Marshall Islands’ ‘fast track’ Master (Yachts) Unlimited CoC using a US-based training centre to conduct the ‘rigorous five-day training course’ and using a ‘written multiple choice exam’ to determine that a candidate has the knowledge and experience to command a large yacht. I was even more surprised to hear that the Cayman Islands Shipping Register, where many of the 3,000gt-plus yachts are registered and a member of the Red Ensign Group, is endorsing such a certificate. You would expect minimum due diligence from the flags in the form of an oral exam to ensure that the candidates are suitable to command a 3,000gt-plus yacht under their flag. It would also be interesting to know where this certificate fits in with STCW and port state control, not to mention the insurance underwriters of the yachts in question. The other issues that I see are that this licence is only aimed at 3,000gt Yacht Masters, so on a 3000gt/3,000kW-plus yacht you would have deck and engineer officers who have obtained their CoCs via the commercial route being commanded by a captain who has this Master

(Yachts) Unlimited CoC, whose last command could have been a much smaller yacht with only several crew. There are also several yacht crew who, at their own expense, are obtaining their OOW Unlimited so they can join the large yachts with the appropriate training and experience. But what is the incentive now if they can just follow the yachting route on smaller yachts, which is much simpler and cheaper, requiring a lot less experience, and then take the fast track to become a captain on a large yacht? I believe that there should be a way of converting a Yacht CoC to a Limited CoC for such yachts and of any flag, but carried out correctly in line with STCW. This should be across the board, not solely for masters. This Master (Yachts) Unlimited CoC seems to be an industry-driven ‘Band-Aid’ for the problem rather than addressing the issue properly. It’s similar to the time after the first Large Yacht Code was published in 1998. This was the first step towards bringing the industry into line with SOLAS, STCW and other IMO conventions, but at that time nothing was in place regarding suitable qualifications for captains of large yachts. The MCA plugged the void by issuing Class 4 licences which, looking back, were pretty much unregulated. Oh, how times have moved on! mem no 174776

Diesel is too good to be lost — let’s make it work F

The diesel car engine must be one of the most prolific and efficient in pulling power to fuel consumption. Yet it has lately picked up a really bad reputation because of what comes out of its exhaust. There is the same problem at sea, where even bigger engines are being used. The baby has not yet been thrown out with the bath water, and the shipping industry has developed ‘scrubbers’ to improve its reputation. Surely the same things could be developed for smaller units? Surely with the technology we have today a suitable device could be fitted to the end of the exhaust which would remove the dangerous particles? A standard replacement unit could be made available at all fuel stations, with bins to accommodate the old units, ready to be collected and recycled. When you think about the many millions which are now to be set aside to cover all manner of diesel replacement strategies, the adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ springs to mind. STAN McNALLY mem no 445596

New Facebook page for Global Mariner posts on the International Transport F Workers’ Federation campaigning I had the pleasure of sailing

ship Global Mariner between 1998 and 2000. Those two years bringing the message around the world of sub-standard shipping, flags of convenience, unscrupulous ship owners, mistreatment of seafarers, and offering support and solidarity, was an immense privilege and the highlight of my career at sea. I have set up a Facebook page, where I would like old shipmates, people involved with the campaigns, visitors to the vessel, and anybody else interested to join and post. g The page can be found at www.facebook.com by doing a search for Global Mariner (ITF Ship). DAVID FAGAN Ex-3rd Mate Global Mariner

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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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24/05/2017 12:33

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Cruise passengers need supervision live on the west coast of Scotland F and I have a great respect for the sea While I am no master mariner, I

and those who earn a living thereon. Recently I was a cruise passenger (accompanied by my wife) on the Marco Polo, ex Avonmouth, bound for the Azores, Madeira, Lisbon and Oporto. On the return journey some 30-40 nautical miles from the coast of La Corruna in northern Spain there was an emergency evacuation from the ship by helicopter of a passenger who had taken suddenly Ill. The Marco Polo crew response to this emergency was exceptional, as was the response of the Spanish Coastguard helicopter crew — they all excelled themselves. Due to the Atlantic swell and wind direction the ship had to slightly alter course. Thus the helicopter crew had to hover above the stern deck and winch the casualty

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aboard. A complicated operation carried out with consummate skill. As a former member of the emergency services, I was most impressed. The reason for this letter was the stupid response of two of my fellow passengers. The Marco Polo crew advised all passengers to stand well clear of all lounge windows. Despite this warning, a male passenger and his wife had their faces and his camera lens pressed hard against the lounge windows desperate to capture the moment on camera, obviously oblivious to the dangers of flying debris from the helicopter rotor down-draught. I had some difficulty comprehending what I was witnessing! Perhaps you could warn cruise ship crews to be rather more strict with stupid passengers. DAN EDGAR Isle of Bute

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Merchant Navy Medal is not the honour it used to be noble initiative of introducing the F Merchant Navy Medal has now been What was a very worthy and

reduced to a state gong for captains. A rather shameful indictment of yet another non-inclusive state award. The original award was carefully and passionately promoted behind the scenes by a few, and reached far and wide across the UK merchant seafaring community. Many UK seafarers from various seagoing departments were rewarded regardless of the commercial

decisions of employers to flag elsewhere. Others who contributed to professional standards, security, safety, welfare and employment were also recognised with honorary awards. The requirement for 20 years’ service within the UK merchant fleet is laughable. In 2016, the UK was only the 19th largest trading fleet, representing 0.8% globally. Does the DfT honestly think that this nation’s economy is propped up by British seafarers on British ships?

In fact, demonstrations were held in Liverpool in October last year against Atlantic Container Line (ACL). None of their five UK-registered ships employed a single UK seafarer. Notably, ACL’s Atlantic Conveyor – which was requisitioned by the MoD during the Falklands War – was sunk during the hostilities, with the tragic loss of six Cunard merchant seafarers. So from a strategic point of view and in times of crisis, where will these foreign seafarers be and who will the

government be asking to man these vessels? Certainly, creating deserving and undeserving classes amongst the nation’s seafaring community, based on where vessels are flagged, is not going to help their cause. Perhaps the DfT should realise that in our globalised world, our Merchant Navy is made up of people and not steel. With less than half of the UK-owned vessels actually registered in the UK, let’s hope the DfT recognises that the flag of a vessel has nothing to do with

a UK seafarer’s conduct, service and devotion to duty. Perhaps this year, UK seafarers will be selected on merit and not by virtue of their employer’s commercial decisions. Let’s also hope they open up future awards to the entire UK seafaring community. Perhaps, the reputation of the (now colloquially known) Captain’s Medal will then go some way to being restored to that of the original Merchant Navy Medal. Name & number withheld

Wrong lifejacket advice P

As a retired shipmaster, I would like to make comment regarding a recent personal survival training course I attended. Part of the course required me to jump four times into a tank (swimming pool) from a platform which, I was told, was 3.8m high, with one of the jumps being in total darkness. The instruction we were given before jumping was to hold our lifejackets down with one arm diagonally across the chest and pinch the nose with the thumb

and ﬁngers of the other hand. This conﬂicts with the instructions I was given during my pre-sea training in 1958 by instructors who had knowledge and experience gained from the Battle of the Atlantic. Then, we were taught to always hold the lifejacket hard down with both hands, which is what we did. These instructions were obviously gained from the fact that seafarers, wearing lifejackets, had to jump from varying heights and there were some who didn’t survive the jump.

This PST course was only the second time I have ever had to jump into water wearing a lifejacket, but the one-arm grip I was told to use proved ineffective and could have been dangerous if used at a greater height. After the ﬁrst two jumps my chin was bruised and swollen and I made a quick dynamic risk assessment which indicated this grip was unsafe. So, for the ﬁnal two jumps I ignored the instructor’s instructions and used the grip I had been taught back in 1958.

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Holding my lifejacket down hard with both hands worked perfectly. I received no further blows under my chin from the lifejacket; and feel this would also hold true for heights greater than 3.8m. After the course, I queried the value of this ‘new’ grip with the instructor and was told it was prescribed by the Merchant Navy Training Board and all delegates had to use it. I wrote to the MNTB informing them of the dangers of using this one-handed grip. Their answer was as follows: ‘You posed a specific question at the end of your letter regarding the methods of grip and whether they have been tested etc. The MNTB course criteria document covering jumping from a height into the water specifies the following Learning Objective (number 3) as a part of Outcome 5: Jump from a height into water. This has a caveat that ‘Height should be sufficient for the assessor to observe a correct grip of the life jacket during an entry into the water’. Given that the document does not state the correct grip, your issue re the course you attended would most usefully be brought to the attention of IASST — the International Association of Safety and Survival Trainers, as this is the organisation that would discuss such issues.’ I have now written to IASST, informing them of my experience and the risk of neck injury involved if using this one-

handed grip at greater heights. As director of a company dealing with maritime and safety issues, I feel strongly about delegates being given instructions that are not in their best interests. As PST certificates require renewal at five-year intervals, I would like to know their plans for remedying this situation; and to see what instructions I will be given when mine is due for renewal. While watching Countryfile on TV a couple of weeks ago, I was pleased to see the girl who jumped beside a waterfall from a height much greater than 3.8m had been instructed to hold her lifejacket down with both hands. She survived. I’m sure there are many readers who, like myself, were taught during their pre-sea training to hold their lifejacket down with both hands and who may wish to comment on what I have written here. Why do we need to change for the worse something that works perfectly? CHARLES BATCHELOR mem no 178415

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson replies: Clearly the instructions were incorrect. Two hands holding down the lifejacket is both effective and safe. Members who have concerns with respect to any aspect of training should contact the Union’s professional and technical department.

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.

24/05/2017 13:44

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NAUTILUS CAMPAIGNS

Nautilus Charter for Jobs: a monthly guide

This month’s look at the Nautilus Charter for Jobs is taken from charter point 6: End support for the Red Ensign Group of registers and encourage British shipowners to return to the UK Ship Register. The Red Ensign Group (REG) is a group of ship registers that adopt the Red Ensign or a defaced version. Category one registers — unlimited tonnage and type — include the UK, Isle of Man, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Gibraltar. Category two registers —

commercial ships and yachts of up to 150gt and vessels which are not operated commercially of up to 400gt — include Guernsey, Jersey, Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena and the Turks & Caicos Islands. Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Gibraltar registers are classiﬁed as ﬂags of convenience (FOCs) by the International Transport Workers’ Federation and many of them have been listed on the OECD list of offshore tax havens. In 2015 statistics from the Department for Transport showed that

there were 1,272 UK-owned vessels on the UK ship register and 97 on other REG registers. There were also 425 UK-owned vessels on foreign flags. The existence of the REG means the UK register faces significant unfair competition from flags which it actively supports. This undermines the UK Ship Register (UKSR) and does not encourage the owners of British ship to register in the UK. It is like Tesco supporting Aldi and Lidl and complaining at the same time about unfair competition. Rather than being encouraged to

use the UKSR, British ship owners can instead choose to beneﬁt — via the REG — from all the quality and access to services provided by the UK register, including naval and consular protection, whilst paying lower fees, incurring little or no tax and avoiding UK laws. It also means the UK is actively involved in supporting the FOC and offshore tax haven system which undermines the desire for a global level playing ﬁeld. Meanwhile, many other UK shipping companies continue the

move towards other fl ags including fl ags of convenience, flags flags convenience putting pressure on UK ship register numbers.

Numbers falling at wrecked Warsash P

Malcolm Graves at Warsash Maritime Academy Picture: Anna Cariad Graves

This is an open letter that I have written to Admiral Lord West of Spithead, Southampton Solent University’s Chancellor, requesting a new action plan for Warsash Maritime Academy. I am writing to you as Chancellor of the Southampton Solent University to express my concern at the decision to move the internationally distinguished Warsash Maritime Academy to Southampton city centre. In consequence of taking this perilous course, my understanding is that student numbers are expected to fall by 220, from next September, equivalent to a ﬁnancial loss of £5m, in return for an investment of £35m, at East Park Terrace, Southampton Solent University. Furthermore, the three remaining UK maritime colleges are expected to be at 95% capacity, apparently due to a transfer of business away from Southampton Solent University. Since the move was

announced, promises of six maritime training simulators are unfulﬁlled and lecturers have moved elsewhere. Also, I understand the new director is not receiving the backing of his management team. It appears to me the state of the WMA buildings had been misrepresented, perhaps to help justify the move. Similarly, what unjust fate awaits the architecturally unique and substantial maritime library at Warsash, with its portholeshaped windows? Altogether, this could prove to be a serious matter, and one that could affect the reputations of all accountable persons involved in the move. If Southampton Solent University had been sincere in its intention to maintain the WMA as a successful entity, together with its maritime heritage, then the historically insigniﬁcant but valuable plot at East Park Terrace could have been sold off alternatively, to provide necessary funding.

INTERNATIONAL

The sharing of facilities and economies of scale are cited as further reasons for the move, but should the WMA be sold, no apparent trust fund exists to administer the proceeds exclusively for Merchant Navy training. Perhaps either the UK Chamber of Shipping, or the MNTB, should be empowered to stipulate accordingly? If the upper site should be sold off for housing, reason dictates residents’ complaints would force closure of the Fire School, on the lower site. It appears this possibility has been ignored in plans for the move, together with the continuing need to commute between sites, once WMA accommodation has been vacated. Coincidentally, the WMA grounds won the renowned International Green Flag Award in 2016. So why should this ‘Merchant Navy Dartmouth’ be robbed of its freehold, in possible violation of conditions for maritime use? Perhaps the University of Southampton might one day testify to this effect, as a former WMA freeholder? Maritime training is vital in sustaining the Merchant Navy, both as a strategic resource and to support the government policy in addressing the deficit, through maritime trade. However, Southampton Solent University apparently receives no funding for this important national role, while financially reliant upon its selfish business plan. Therefore, I would appeal to yourself and all those in a position of influence to stay the wrecker’s hand and seize back control of maritime training, before more companies like Carnival invest in their own specialised facilities, beyond our shores. MALCOLM GRAVES Nautilus Council member

Tax regime undermines hard work F

Why should youngsters bother with the Merchant Navy? I am moved to write about what appears to be the futility of progressing one’s career in the Merchant Navy. As a serving master of 20 years I’m reaching the end of my tether. I love the sea and the challenges that it brings, but wonder now why I bothered to invest so much time, money and effort in my own progression. I was raised in care and then sent to live with a dysfunctional father, causing me to leave home very young with minimum school qualifications. I’d always wanted to be at sea and through very hard work, determination and with some amazing mentors I put myself through the system always telling myself it would all be worth it for a good career and secure future. Now, though, it appears I earn too much money so not only get taxed at an extortionate rate but have recently been told I must pay back all my child’s support payments for the last two years as a high earnings worker. I can’t help feeling I am subsidising a welfare system that is gone mad. I invested all my earnings as a youngster in college fees, exams and courses, still have a substantial mortgage and am the sole income provider to my family. Many people ask why my house is small — after all, I have a good job? The answer is quite simple: I blew my money getting educated and now cannot make up the investment shortfall because time is against me. What do I tell my son? Work hard at school, get qualified and then get hammered on taxes so that others can have your exact same lifestyle? I wonder, have any other members experienced similar circumstances? mem no 199888

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

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24/05/2017 13:44

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

MEMBERS AT WORK

A story of speaking out at sea… Picture: Thinkstock

Fresh out of college after a cadetship with Clyde Marine, Officer X thought he had landed a dream job when he secured a post as third engineer with Princess Cruises. But the dream was to turn into a nightmare. ‘Lots of the guys on my course struggled to get a job at the end of it, so when I got this, it felt like the chance of a lifetime. I thought it was going to be fantastic — working for a big company, with a uniform, responsibility and the whole package.’ But a few weeks into his contract onboard Caribbean Princess, Officer X began to have a few concerns — notably over difficulties with the operation of the oily water separator. ‘Everyone experiences difficulties with machinery, and your job as an engineer onboard is working with motormen and other members of the crew to keep a good record of how the machinery is working and how it is being maintained,’ he recalled. ‘I noticed a few discrepancies which prompted a few questions. I took a bit of time to look into it, and to me it really didn’t add up. When your bilge machinery is not performing, you have to work a bit harder and it was frustrating to see it was not doing what it should do. ‘I looked at how we were setting it up, how we were maintaining it and talked with some of the other crew — in particular the watchkeeper I was handing over to,’ he said. ‘Then, one day there was a full tank of bilge and the next day it was gone. I thought I needed to revalidate everything I had seen and try to work out what was happening.’ His suspicions were confirmed after he noticed a flexible hose leading to the top of a grey water tank. He took some photographs and video on his mobile phone, as well as getting a picture of the control room computer display showing the discharge from the oily bilge water tank and the discharge through the OWS, with a steady concentration of oil and no alarms. He realised that clean sea water was being pumped overboard through the OWS at the same time as the illegal bypass took place — to create a digital record to cover up the discharge. ‘Bringing all these things together, with the computer logs and the tank levels, hit the nail on the head for me,’ Officer X said. ‘It was pretty instant as soon as I saw the hose that was normally never there. It immediately made sense of what was happening. ‘As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to do something about it,’ he added. ‘I was an engineer onboard, my name is in the record book and I could be dragged into it.’ On the following day, when he discovered that the pipe had been cut and modified, Officer X decided to act. ‘When I saw the modification, I knew it was time to pack my bag and get off the ship. ‘I talked it through with my partner — who is now my wife — who was on the ship with me, and she gave me her full confidence and support — it was the right thing to do. ‘I went straight to the MCA in Southampton and explained everything. They seemed a bit shocked, but they took it all very seriously and were swift and supportive. They asked lots of questions and did a wonderful job. I gave my evidence and thought that was it, but then I was told the US Coast Guard wanted to question me.’ Officer X said he sought initial advice from Nautilus, but decided when he was talking to the US authorities that he did not need any assistance. ‘That said, I felt very much at ease knowing that I could call on Nautilus at any time for assistance if it was required, or I was out of my depth,’ he added.

19_whistle_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

‘I didn’t really think of the consequences of what I was doing and that my career could be over before it had really begin,’ he said. ‘I just knew that I had to report such blatant law-breaking.’ In making the $1m whistleblower award to Officer X, the US authorities pointed out: ‘Deliberate violations of MARPOL and United States law are far too common. Criminal conduct that takes place within the small community of those living and working aboard vessels is very difficult to detect. ‘Each year, thousands of seafarers participate in, or are aware of, illegal conduct aboard their vessels,’ the court papers added. ‘A tiny minority choose to take active measures to stop the wrongdoing and bear witness.’ The US government said the reward scheme reflected ‘the realities of life at sea’ and the likelihood that whistleblowers could face physical harm or abuse, as well as the threat of not finding another job. Caribbean Princess illegally discharged some 4,227 gallons of oily waste 23 miles off the UK south coast in August 2013 Picture: Gary Davies / Maritime Photographic

The Nautilus member who was awarded US$1m for ‘whistleblowing’ over illicit waste dumping from a Princess Cruises vessel tells the Telegraph how he hopes the case will serve as a ‘watershed’ for the industry and encourage other seafarers to follow his example… The US authorities noted that Ofﬁcer X had provided ‘invaluable’ information — pointing out that he had reported the suspicious activities as soon as he could, rather than waiting until the ship arrived in the States. He cooperated fully with the investigations, without any conditions and with no promises of any reward, and the authorities also described how ‘his concern and fear throughout the video recordings is palpable’.

‘I didn’t do it to get money,’ Ofﬁcer X told the Telegraph. ‘My immediate reaction was just to get off the ship and report it. The UK MCA doesn’t offer any reward scheme for whistleblowing, and I reported this incident in the UK for an act that occurred within the UK. My actions were never ﬁnancially motivated, and I acted immediately after

witnessing the discharge. There was a very tense atmosphere in the control room and I was very isolated. I thought of reporting it to the chief or the captain, or the environmental ofﬁcer, but I didn’t feel that it would be treated seriously and the guys that had been involved in this were senior ofﬁcers. ‘What I had witnessed was so disappointing for me. I had thought I was working for a really good company and that I could make a great career for myself using all the skills I had acquired at college. ‘When I was studying at Glasgow we were told all about the old practices and how the laws had been changed to protect the seas — I thought deliberate pollution was a thing of the past and couldn’t believe what I had discovered. You live, work and socialise with these guys, and you simply don’t expect that they would be doing anything like this.

Stub pipes found on Caribbean Princess’s grey water system Pictures: US Department of Justice

Officer X said he was amazed to hear the investigations that were triggered by his report had revealed that four other ships in the Princess fleet had also been regularly violating the MARPOL Convention when grey water tanks overflowed into the bilges and what should have been treated as oil-contaminated waste was pumped overboard. He thinks the dumping was financially motivated — and the investigations revealed how engineer officers felt that they were working ‘inside a corporation where requisitions for new parts would be cut down’ and the shore-based superintendent would not want to pay the costs of properly disposing the waste through port reception facilities. ‘That the results showed lies and wrongdoing over such a long period of time gives me a great sense of relief that I acted when I did,’ he added. ‘It took a long time for the case to build, but it is good that it’s closed now and that action is being taken to punish a company that turned a blind eye for so long.’ Officer X said he has no regrets about his actions. ‘Things were difficult at first and we struggled for a while, but it was absolutely the right thing to do. If you keep your mouth shut, you will get dragged into it.’ Despite his experience, Officer X wants to continue working as a marine engineer. ‘I’ve always loved engineering — it’s like a hobby to me, and I really enjoy doing things like messing around with bikes,’ he explained. ‘I had trained as a mechanic and when I went to a jobs fair and came across a Clyde Marine stand, I thought that working at sea would be amazing. I really wanted the opportunity to be working on the massive machinery onboard, and I thought it seemed to offer a stable job market and a long-term career path. ‘Since it happened, I’ve done some relief work and have been working in a marine engineering environment overseas,’ he added. ‘I still want to stay in the industry — it’s still something I want to do.’ Officer X has a clear message to other seafarers. ‘I genuinely hope that this will serve as a wake-up call for the industry,’ he said. ‘I hope that it change the way people think about dumping stuff overboard and that it will encourage any other seafarer in my position, having the knowledge of illegal dumping onboard, to go ahead and report it. ‘Don’t think about what might or might not happen — you have a responsibility at sea,’ he added. ‘The environment is on the edge already and it is our job to protect the oceans where we work.’

24/05/2017 12:37

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

MARITIME SAFETY

Taking the broad view of safety What are the key causes of shipping accidents and how can they be minimised? The latest in the Nautical Institute’s series of command seminars assembled an impressive panel of experts at Trinity House to consider the issues and offer some solutions. STEVEN KENNEDY and ANDREW LININGTON report on the discussions…

Shipping is facing a growing challenge in mixing the rapid advances in technology with traditional seafaring skills, the Princess Royal argued in a keynote address to the Nautical Institute command seminar last month. The princess — who is Master of Trinity House — told the meeting that, in seeking to address the causes of navigational accidents, there is a need not just to learn from the past but also to understand the way technology will impact the skills base of the future. Balancing technology with the ‘real basic skills’ needed by seafarers to work in often difﬁcult conditions is a big issue, Princess Anne cautioned. ‘There is a danger if people don’t feel that the sea has an impact on a modern vessel and they lose their sense of the natural environment,’ she explained. Add in the effects of reduced crew levels and long working hours, and

‘Dinosaur attitudes are holding us back’ F

The maritime industry is in danger of falling further behind other sectors if it doesn’t learn to adapt and embrace new technology. Frank Coles — the CEO of Transas Marine, which has a 35%-plus share of the ECDIS world market — told the Nautical Institute seminar that while shipping has changed dramatically since he first went to sea, it is still not keeping pace with technological advances. ‘I think the future is a very different one from when I first went to sea in 1967,’ he said. ‘Then the master was God. When I came to shore in 1989, GPS was king, sat communications was the new god and the master was getting used to the idea that he was becoming a secretary. ‘The Attenborough brothers happen to be my second cousins,’ he added. ‘Richard Attenborough took part in Jurassic World and when I look at our industry I sometimes feel like I’ve walked onto his film set. We are making progress, but we are in a fast-changing world and it’s becoming increasingly hard for the ship owners and maritime sector to keep up.’ Mr Coles said that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent onboard ships and is already providing real-time decision-support and real-time actions. He added that

20-21_nautical inst.indd 20

Transas is building an AI system that can predict — with a ‘99% reliability factor’ — a vessel’s track. Then, using previously collected data, it adjusts the ship to avoid other vessels in the area. But, he argued, a change in attitudes is essential if shipping is to embrace such technology and to ensure that regulators

like the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) don’t keep the industry in the dark ages. ‘We are dinosaurs,’ Mr Coles said. ‘The IMO is a hindrance, not a help. They don’t think ahead and they hold us back. We — like every innovator — must think big. We must move with the speed of the technology and not at the speed of the regulator.’

“

the weaknesses in safety systems are appare a move to criminalise seafarers — especially wrong, it is extremely important to have lega place, she noted. The princess said organisations supportin more closely together to combat these probl identifying the weak spots. ‘Training needs t

A Captain Niels Vanlaer

Frank Coles, the CEO of Transas Marine Picture: Harry Gale

There is a dange lose their sense of t environment aroun

People make mistakes and instead of chasing the goal of zero accidents, shipowners should seek to develop systems with high error tolerance, the marine and safety director of a major gas tanker company told the seminar. Captain Niels Vanlaer, marine and health and safety director with Exmar Shipmanagement, said operators ought to find ways to develop resilience and create back-up and redundancy to deal with change or to manage emergencies. He told how, as a young master, his career had been saved by a second mate who had intervened when he gave an incorrect change of course order at a waypoint shortly after leaving the Suez Canal. It is important that companies create a culture where a junior officer can challenge a senior in such a way, he added. ‘You can manage a ship by bullying, but it will not be successful in the long term,’ Capt Vanlaer said. ‘While a junior officer needs to learn the procedures, a senior officer needs to know when they can move outside those procedures. It is a matter of common sense and open communication.’

Mentoring is one of the best risk control measures that shipping can take and, used effectively, it can help to deal with many of the biggest safety problems facing the industry, the Nautical Institute seminar heard. Shipmaster and trainer Captain Sarabjit Butalia told delegates that the sweeping changes which have affected seafaring make mentoring more important than ever before — not as a substitute for training, but to make training more robust. Investigations show that many accidents are the result of factors such as shortfalls in seamanship or a lack of particular knowledge and experience, he pointed out. Issues such as ship handling, situational awareness and technology are commonly highlighted. However, Capt Butalia argued, seafarers are often not taught some basic elements and principles. ‘We are not taught about anchoring,’ for instance, ‘and no book can teach situational awareness, while IMO regulations are very difficult to understand. ‘Officers have no longer been trained to think and act independently and make decisions based on their own judgements, because they have

Captain Sarabjit Butal

‘Our optical technology i

Optical technology onboard ships is a century out of date, yet small updates could have a massive impact, an electronic navigation expert told the meeting. Dr Andy Norris, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation, explained that items including binoculars have remained a mainstay on every bridge for the past 100 years. However, he argued, there are cheap and affordable technologies available that could dramatically improve the way in which bridge crews successfully navigate. Using items such as small cameras and sensors placed around the ship, technology

Promotion to master mariner is the goal of many seafarers — but some are getting the role too quickly. That is the view of shipmaster Captain Paul Armitage, who told the Nautical Institute seminar that chief officers looking to make the step up need to do more to understand the master’s role and that just having the certification does not mean a person is ready for command.

would go a long way to give the crews a much clearer view of everything happening in the vicinity of their vessel rather than what’s just in front of them, he suggested. ‘We’re still using binoculars and they’re pretty much the same as they always were,’ explained Dr Norris. ‘Today there are very affordable and ever higher resolution optical sensors available. These would allow for fixed and non-fixed optical sensors being fitted onboard ships — in all directions — for detection of all optical visible targets at sea. ‘Optical technology — to aid relative positioning — on bridges has been stagnant for

‘Chief officers need to anticipate a maste to be seen as useful,’ he argued. ‘If a chief offi organises their work so it assists with the ma then they are more likely to be a trusted pers need to learn to anticipate the master’s requ and actions before they happen and think ab they’d do in various situations. ‘Gaining the appropriate certification is t evidence to an examiner that an officer has t

24/05/2017 17:50

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

MARITIME SAFETY

‘Ship designers should give more thought to the crew’

Would it be safer if seafarers moved on from using old-fashioned binoculars? Picture: Thinkstock

ger if seafarers of the natural und them

”

parent, she pointed out. And with cially masters — when things go e legal defences and insurance in porting seafarers need to work problems, sharing evidence and eds to reﬂect the realities of the

environment in which seafarers are working,’ she stressed. Nautical Institute president Captain Duke Snider said most seafarers have the right competencies, but they have been compromised by fatigue and workload pressures, as well as being given tasks and functions which deﬂect them from their prime responsibilities for the safety of the ship. He said the industry needs to give young seafarers more pride in their chosen profession. ‘When they come to believe that they are just an expendable number, they won’t take the time and effort to do what they are meant to do,’ he argued. ‘But when you are proud of what you are doing, you take that little bit of extra care.’ Technology should not be seen as the answer but as an answer, Capt Snider suggested. ‘We have got to have pride, professionalism, knowledge and competency. Until automation takes over, it has to integrate and it has to be through human-led design.’

been shackled by regulations and procedures,’ Capt Butalia argued. ‘Safety has been bureaucratised.’ Knowledge and experience is also under pressure as a consequence of reductions in sea time, rapid promotions, third party ship management, a lack of formal training for senior officers, a growing gap between ship and shore, and a failure to teach seafarers how to operate in a multicultural environment, he added. Shipmasters often get the blame for accidents when there is often a big gap between procedures and implementation, Capt Butalia noted. In many cases, such incidents could have been prevented by mentoring — a practice which is a traditional way of transferring knowledge and which enhances teamwork onboard. It’s not all one-way traffic either, he said. Older seafarers could benefit from reverse mentoring, if cadets and younger crew passed on their knowledge of new technologies. And mentoring of shore staff could also be very useful in raising awareness of the realities of life onboard. Effective mentoring can take only 10 minutes a day, he pointed out, ‘and it’s free — so shipowners should be happy!’

Butalia

y is out of date’ more than 100 years,’ he added. ‘The questions should be raised as to why we aren’t doing something about it? Dr Norris also pointed out that because of the limitations in viewpoints from the bridge, crews can become fixated on using radar. ‘On its own, radar is far from being 100% dependable,’ he cautioned. ‘Human eyesight, however, still has some real benefits. It is a direct link to the human brain and is incredibly high definition. Although it does have limitations, such as in darkness or for getting a full 360-degree view around the ship, it can be utilised to greater success using modern technology.’ Dr Andy Norris, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation

ch e st in

or . nt for

master’s need ief officer he master’s, d person. They s requirements ink about what on is the r has the

minimum knowledge and skills required to be a master. Even with additional shore-based training it will be unlikely, in my view, that they will be prepared for command.’ Capt Armitage said that chief officers need support to make the move, but warned that the trend of increasing pressures on masters means it can be a juggling act. ‘In the modern world of shipping, with multinational officers and crew, increasing workloads

20-21_nautical inst.indd 21

on top of managing rest hours, the job is extremely challenging to say the least,’ he continued. ‘Improved navigational equipment allows the master to take a step back from their traditional role when commanding a ship going in, or coming out of, a port,’ he said. ‘This would allow the chief officer to conduct the operations and would allow the master to monitor how the chief mate operates with the bridge team.’

The shipping industry should do more to make ‘human factors’ a core component in the design of new vessels and their equipment, a classification society expert told the seminar. Joanne Stokes, head of human factors with Lloyd’s Register Marine Consulting, pointed out that while humans are very adaptable, there are limitations to their abilities. She highlighted some examples of ways in which seafarers had used a range of different techniques to cope with ‘user-unfriendly’ systems and equipment onboard ships. While individuals and organisations have to adapt to changing demands and some changes in procedures and processes can appear justified, they may over time ‘incubate’ problems, she warned. ‘If there is no incident, people may feel safe — but changes can result in a lot of degradation over time, and that can end in disaster sometimes.’ As an example, Ms Stokes cited the case in which a passenger shipping company had raised concerns over bunkering incidents. It transpired that the work had been delegated, over time, from the chief engineer to the third engineer. She also warned of the negative impact of factors such as fatigue, poor communications, poor retention of staff, backlogs in maintenance, low hazard awareness and poor safety reporting. Seafarers also need to have a balanced workload, Ms Stokes stressed. Too much, and they are stressed and overwhelmed, but too little and they become bored and complacent. The industry therefore needs to consider the human element at every stage of operations, with people’s characteristics being considered in the design of ships, equipment, tasks and procedures. However, she warned, while human factors experts are often brought in to advise on things like bridge design their input is rarely sought at the conceptual stage. By using task criticality analysis and human error analysis right from the start, problems can be prevented much later on, Ms Stokes said. On the bridge, this could

Joanne Stokes, head of human factors with Lloyd’s Register Marine Consulting

involve looking at data to determine the best criteria for reach and sight lines to crucial equipment, while in the engineroom it could include scrutiny of factors such as temperature, lighting, the position of valves, the legibility of gauges and the ease of distinguishing between the functions of different controls. Such assessments are about organisational integrity as well as technical integrity, she explained. People, processes and systems are important and officers can play their part with effective leadership, taking proactive fatigue management, reporting safety concerns and giving feedback on systems if they are not right.

‘We have turned safety into a joke’ Captain David Pockett, LOC

Navigational accidents are still taking place at ‘an alarming level’ and fatigue is a major contributor, marine consultant Captain David Pockett told the seminar. Capt Pockett, who works for the independent marine and engineering consultancy and survey organisation LOC, said more work needs to be done to tackle the problems posed by fatigue. He said studies such as the Horizon and Martha projects have demonstrated the harmful effects of long hours and watchkeeping patterns such as six-on/six-off. The projects have also resulted in the development of tools to help predict and prevent sleepiness and fatigue, he pointed out. Capt Pockett said the industry needs to be more prepared to look to the future, and he warned that the influx of mega-ships could be a ‘casualty nightmare’ for salvage and wreck removal. ‘Driverless ships are also in the pipeline. They are going to happen,’ he added. ‘With them, the human skillsets will go as the interaction between man and machine will be less. No longer will we have the navigator on the vessel, as they will be ashore doing the job from there.’

Dr Nippin Anand, from the classification society DNV GL

The shipping industry has been ‘managing unsafety for too long’, a safety management system specialist told the command seminar. Dr Nippin Anand, from the classification society DNV GL, said that while SMS involved the systematic gathering of data and analysis to make systems safer, there are limits to the concept of continuous improvement. The process of audits and inspections can also result in conflicting motivations and expectations, he added, and SMS can ‘become a game between operators and regulators’. He quoted a chief engineer

from an offshore support vessel in the North Sea who had told how he would deal with inspectors by leaving paint cans in the engineroom or removing a fire extinguisher from its position to ‘make them happy’ by finding a problem. ‘We have turned safety into a joke, with a vicious circle of more errors and more controls,’ Dr Anand added. If the industry wants to improve matters, it needs to address problems like the cognitive load placed on many seafarers, as well as dealing with conflicting procedures and distinguishing between isolated and systemic problems.

24/05/2017 17:50

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

INLAND WATERWAYS The latest vessels for London’s booming passenger ferry service are taking shape in the Isle of Wight. ANDREW LININGTON heard how the build is progressing, and of the boost it has delivered for a historic UK yard…

Made in Britain

There’s been a lot of talk in recent times about the revival of British shipbuilding — and the London-based passenger vessel operator MBNA Thames Clippers is doing its bit to back the industry by building two new catamarans in the Isle of Wight. The company — which last year took delivery of two new boats from the Incat yard in Tasmania — is having the latest additions to its expanding fleet constructed by the Wight Shipyard Company, which built the new Red Funnel high-speed ferry Red Jet 6 last year. ‘We’re really pleased as a company to have been able to build these boats in Britain,’ says Thames Clippers CEO Sean Collins. ‘It has been a long-term desire of mine to bring the build nearer to home. We have clearly got the skills to deliver, but there has been a lack of focus and a lack of management in making such yards successful.’ Capable of carrying up to 175 passengers, the two 35m boats — named Mercury Clipper and Jupiter Clipper — are based on the design of the Hunt class catamarans built by Incat. The largest fast passenger ferry order for a UK shipyard in over 25 years, the £6.3m contract is creating 75 new jobs across the Isle of Wight and London. However, one important post at the Wight Shipyard has been filled by an Australian. Project manager Roy Whitewood has moved to the Isle of Wight from Brisbane and says he is glad to be involved in the Thames Clippers build. ‘There is a great team here, and I can see so much potential for this yard,’ he adds. Formerly Shemara Refit, the East Cowes yard has a remarkable history — having been used by Sir Christopher Cockerell to develop the first hovercraft and, before that, for the construction of Saunders Roe flying boats. ‘There’s a huge amount of experience here,’ says Wight Shipyard CEO Peter Morton. ‘We’re absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to build for MBNA Thames Clippers and to have the sisterships judged against the Australians. ‘These boats will be delivered on time — probably even a little bit early,’ he adds. ‘We look forward to delivering more boats to Thames Clippers in the future and we have had plenty of enquiries from other ferry operators. The weakness in Sterling has helped the price and we have seen a

MBNA Thames Clippers founder and CEO Sean Collins watches progress on his new vessels at the Wight Shipyard Picture: Andrew Linington

slight advantage since Brexit, so there is no reason at all why we can’t be competitive on the world stage.’ Ordered to meet growing demand for Thames Clippers services, the new boats form part of an expansion programme and will boost the ﬂeet capacity by almost 15%.

Thames Clippers began in 1999 with a single boat servicing 80 passengers a day between Greenland and Savoy piers. Today, the company’s 15 boats carry more than 4m passengers a year, running between key London piers including North Greenwich for The O2, Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Tower and London Bridges, Westminster, and London Eye for Waterloo.

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Staff numbers have risen to 340, and Nautilus has a collective bargaining agreement to represent their interests and negotiate terms and conditions. Due to come into service this summer, the new boats will be deployed on the company’s services between Putney and Blackfriars. As well as having more seating capacity than the two Incat vessels, which were delivered in late 2015, the new boats will also have extra space for bicycles. Powered by Scania DSI16 engines and RollsRoyce Kamewa waterjets, the boats will be capable of speeds of up to 24 knots — although they will usually be limited to between 8 knots and 12 knots on major stretches of the Thames. Mr Collins says he is pleased with the progress on the newbuilds and is particularly impressed by the quality of the welding on the aluminium vessels. The yard has used some innovative techniques during the construction, including some practices used in aviation, and there has been a big focus on wave, wash and weight reduction. Mr Collins says the new boats will incorporate a range of green features to improve energy efficiency — including running equipment and auxiliary pumping under DC rather than straight off the generators, using carbon fibre driveshafts, and being up to 3 tonnes lighter than their predecessors. He’s also keen to make the fleet even more environmentally-friendly, and is looking into the concept of using cleaner fuels for future newbuilds. ‘We are pushing engine manufacturers and to see what they can do and who is doing the most development,’ he adds. ‘If someone could commit to me tomorrow with CNG or LNG, we would love

to work with designers, the shipyard, class and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to deliver an alternative-fuelled vessel — this is very much at the top of the agenda. I would be very much surprised if an alternative fuel boat is not operating within the next three or four years.’

“

We look forward to delivering more ferries to Thames Clippers and other operators in future

”

Wight Shipyard CEO Peter Morton

Work on the two boats began late last year and Mercury Clipper is due to take to the water in June to undertake a series of trials in the Solent before delivery to the Thames. Jupiter Clipper is set to follow soon afterwards. ‘One of the other good things about building here is that the MCA and Lloyd’s Register and just half an hour away and we can work really closely with them on the development,’ Mr Morton says. ‘And another good thing about building in Britain is that we don’t have to bring the boats round from the other side of the world,’ Mr Collins adds. ‘The delivery voyage should take about seven hours, rather than several weeks!’

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What the new Thames Clippers boats will look like when completed this summer

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24/05/2017 12:38

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

PIRACY

No time to drop our guard A new report has warned of the growing kidnap and ransom threat to seafarers in West Africa and the Far East, as well as the risk of a resurgence of attacks off Somalia. ANDREW LININGTON heard the authors present their findings last month…

Piracy has leapt back up the agenda with a ﬂurry of fresh activity off the coast of Somalia and increasing threats to seafarers in the Gulf of Guinea and SE Asia — prompting experts to warn the industry of a need to redouble its efforts to guard against attacks. Presenting the annual Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) report in London last month, Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent highlighted the underlying risk to supply chains and described the lack of awareness about the threat to seafarers as ‘an extraordinary state of affairs’. Dirk Siebels, the report’s lead author, said there had been a disturbing increase in the number of seafarer kidnap and ransom cases last year — most notably in West Africa and the Sulu and Celebes Seas in SE Asia. ‘One of the reasons we are observing increased incidents of kidnap for ransom is that the model offers ﬁnancial gain with less risk to the perpetrators than hijacking for cargo theft,’ added co-author Maisie Pigeon. ‘Unfortunately, these kinds of attacks appear to have continued into 2017.’ The report — which analyses the human and economic impact of piracy — makes for worrying reading, and it stresses the way in which ‘decreased vigilance and deterrence in high-risk areas is providing pirate networks with the opportunity to attack vulnerable vessels, especially off the Horn of Africa’. Mr Siebels said West Africa is a particular worry, with the total number of incidents almost doubling over the past year. More than 1,900 seafarers were affected by often violent attacks, and an increasing shift to the ‘kidnap and ransom model’ — with 96 crew taken hostage in the area last year — is posing a growing problem for local law enforcement, he added. ‘These kidnap and ransom attacks are very complicated to deal with for navies and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria. There’s only very, very limited

response time; you only need a very limited time on the ship to kidnap crew members,’ he pointed out. Richard Neylon, a lawyer with Holman Fenwick Willan who specialises in shipping, said the prospect of $10m ransom demands in Nigeria ‘is a frightening concept’ and warned that it may become more and more difficult for the industry to resolve the increasing frequency and complexity of kidnap cases. While attacks in Asia fell by just over one-third overall during 2016, the OBP cautioned about the growth of kidnap and ransom cases in the waters between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia last year — many carried out by groups linked to the terrorist organisation Abu Sayyaf. And while no ships were hijacked off Somalia last year, the report warned that the ‘capability and intent of pirate groups remain’ — and that all the factors which allowed piracy in the area to flourish have not gone away, with poverty, poor governance and an unstable security situation providing the breeding grounds for further attacks on shipping. Colonel Richard Cantrill, chief of staff of the EU Naval Force, said it was clear that Somali pirates have been seeking to exploit declining vigilance by the shipping community and reductions in naval patrols in the area. And John Steed, OBP programme director, added: ‘The original investors are testing the waters and testing the industry’s resolve to see if they can get away with resuming their activities.’ The NATO counter-piracy operations in the area ended early last year, and the EU Navfor mandate is due to finish at the end of 2018. The OBP report also notes that coalition forces have switched ships to other areas — including the Mediterranean. ‘Coalition forces have generally been responsible for deterring and disrupting pirate activity, as well as

escorting humanitarian aid actors, whereas independent deployers have traditionally focused on protecting commercial trafﬁc moving through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor,’ the report points out. ‘As a result, independent deployments alone may well not be enough to provide adequate deterrence and interdiction with relation to piracy and armed robbery at sea.’ OBP’s research also warns that, alongside naval forces in the region being reduced, shipping companies have been scaling down shipboard security teams. The number of ships carrying embarked armed guards fell by 12.5% during 2016, with private security teams on just over onethird of all vessels going through the high-risk area.

The report also reveals an increase in the number of ships using three-men security teams instead of four as a cost-saving measure, and OBP said it had received anecdotal evidence that some ﬂag states have even allowed the use of two-person teams, in direct conﬂict with the BIMCO Guardcon contract and others. OBP estimated that the economic cost of Somali piracy increased to $1.7bn in 2016, from $1.3bn in 2015. This total includes costs paid by shipping operators for increased insurance, labour, armed guards and other protection measures, as well as ransoms paid by insurers and the costs of naval deployments. The cost had been trending downwards from $7bn since 2010 as a result of the naval deployments and counter-piracy measures adopted by shipowners. With concerns about a resurgence of Somali piracy, Mr Steed said there is a lot of debate in Brussels about the future after the EU Navfor mandate comes to an end. ‘No one wants to see the success of Operation Atalanta being lost,’ he added. ‘The advice going into Brussels is clear on the importance of some sort of role for the EU in the future.’

Italian naval officers from the EU Naval Force visited vessels, including the cruisehip Costa Lumiosa (above) in the port of Salalah, Oman, to brief crews about security in the region Pictures: EU Navfor

The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society Providing the highest standards of residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, including sheltered ﬂats, for former seafarers and their dependents. Set in a 14 acre estate, our Surrey based care home provides like minded companionship and support for seafarers and a safe haven for those in old age.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS OUR HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US

T 01737 353 763 E enquiries@royalalfred.org.uk www.royalalfredseafarers.com French naval forces go to the aid of eight Sri Lankan seafarers after the Comoros Islandsflagged tanker Aris 13 was hijacked for four days off Somalia in March

23_piracy_SR edit.indd 23

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24/05/2017 14:48

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

MARITIME PENSIONS

Steady hand on the tiller Pension schemes have been having a tough time against a backdrop of economic uncertainty. But the UK maritime scheme MNOPF has been defying sector trends, and has just published a new mission statement setting out its plans for the future…

We live in volatile times. 2016 was a year full of surprises and the snap UK general election announcement sees this year delivering more of the same. Unexpected events such as the Brexit referendum and US election results lead to difficult investment conditions — and these have had a negative impact upon pension funds. But while many have seen significant falls in their funding, the MNOPF continues to show remarkable resilience and is continuing to look to the future with confidence. The MNOPF’s investment strategy is leading the pensions industry and is supporting the Fund Trustee’s plans to ensure the successful future of the defined benefit and defined contribution sections. The assets of a pension scheme

like the MNOPF are expressed as a percentage of all the projected beneﬁts that the Fund needs to pay in the future, and this is known as a ‘funding level’. The

MNOPF uses a ‘journey plan’ to set targets for its funding level and to check that performance is on track to meet these targets. Despite having, in 2016, an

increase of 17.2% in liabilities (the beneﬁts the scheme expects to pay to members), the Fund achieved an investment return of 20.0% — meaning an overall increase in the funding level of 2.8%. This means the MNOPF journey plan is on track to meet its funding level target — with the MNOPF outperforming most UK pension funds, as steady increases in its funding levels compare with a general decline seen elsewhere. The MNOPF’s investment strategy has won several industry awards, including the prestigious Investment & Pensions in Europe Best Long-Term Investment Strategy. The investment strategy, supplemented by the MNOPF’s work to reduce investment risk and the implementation of market lead-

WERE YOU AWARE that following the successul outcome of a judicial review in respect of two Seatax clients, (brought before the Courts by Nautilus in collaboration with Seatax Ltd as expert advisors on the Seafarers Earnings Deduction), it was deemed that the two Seatax clients did have a legitimate expectation in applying the only published Revenue Practice with regard to the application of a day of absence in relation to a vessel sailing between UK ports. HMRC did not want to accept this practice (although referred to in their very own publications) but have now accepted that expectations of a claim based on such practice would be valid until the published practice is withdrawn. Following on from this, HMRC have now conﬁrmed that this Practice is withdrawn as of the 14 February 2014. Seatax was the only Advisory Service that challenged HMRC on this point.

WHY TAKE CHANCES WITH YOUR TAX AFFAIRS? Let Seatax use their knowledge and 35 years experience to ensure you do not fall foul of the rules Please visit our website for full details of the case. OUR FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Annual Return ...................................................................................................... £215.00 inclusive of VAT at 20% NAUTILUS members in the UK sailing under a foreign ﬂag agreement on gross remuneration can obtain a 10% reduction on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment.

or ite, e now r W on re ph r mo : fo tails de Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES. Tel: (01302) 364673 - Fax No: (01302) 738526 - E-mail: info@seatax.ltd.uk www.seatax.ltd.uk

24_pensions_SR edit.indd Sec2:24

MNOPF chair Rory Smith

ing fund governance, has also been recognised in the 2017 Pension Age Awards, where the Fund won the coveted DB Scheme of the Year Award. ‘We continually strive to innovate and improve what we do to make sure members enjoy greater pension security, and these awards are testament to that effort,’ says MNOPF chair Rory Smith. ‘The MNOPF is a success story which has been the result of the endeavours of a trustee board made up of equal numbers of employers and Nautilusnominated members,’ he adds. ‘It is testament to the strong spirit of cooperation and partnership in the best interests of members of the pension scheme,’ Mr Smith continues. ‘That spirit has ensured that the fund is now in good health — much better than many comparable schemes — and on a journey plan back to being fully funded. ‘I can’t stress enough how important it has been to have strong member and employer representation on the Board, and I thank Nautilus in particular for its positive role.’ ‘The Union’s mission, now that the MNOPF is closed and is well on track to achieve its journey plan to full funding, has been to ensure that there is, in place of the MNOPF, a high quality sustainable industry pension scheme that is widely supported by the UK maritime industry,’ says Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘This scheme is the Ensign Retirement Plan — but the challenge now is to ensure employers support the continuing journey to enhance retirement incomes for members by gradually increasing employer contribution rates toward the PQM+ level of 15%. This level of joint contribution should provide a good income in retirement for a young officer joining the scheme today.’ The Ensign Retirement Plan was established in 2015 as a modern, low-cost, defined contribution pension scheme. Suitable for employers to meet their autoenrolment obligations, the Plan has been designed specifically for employees in the maritime industry and maximises the advantages of pension flexibilities now available to savers. As the MNOPF enters the next phase in its life, the Trustee is fully focused on making sure that

the Fund continues to deliver the benefits promised to members and ensures the long-term future of the Ensign Retirement Plan. To succeed with this aim, specific objectives have been set by the MNOPF Trustee. Firstly, the MNOPF is aiming, as soon as possible, to have sufficient funds to pay all the benefits that have been promised to members for as long as they need to be paid. This will be achieved through continued good investment returns (exceeding any increase in the Fund’s liabilities) and by collecting all remaining deficit payment instalments owed to the Fund by employers. Certain events — including stock market falls, other economic shocks and members and dependants living longer than forecast — can have an impact on the amount of money the Trustee holds or needs to meet future pensions. Therefore, as part of the ongoing development of the investment strategy, the Trustee will look for opportunities to purchase insurance policies to keep these risks low and to make member pensions more secure.

Last but by no means least, the MNOPF is absolutely committed to continuing its support of the Ensign Retirement Plan with the intention of ensuring that the Plan can deliver excellent retirement outcomes for maritime industry employees. Throughout this process (which is likely to take a few years), the Trustee will seek out efﬁciencies and reduce overall operating costs where possible, whilst at the same time safeguarding the quality of Fund governance and performance at the high levels members expect from the MNOPF. It’s vital that members and their employers are regularly communicated with and kept upto-date with progress in these developments at every available opportunity. The MNOPF has recently written to all members and employers to provide them with details of the current plans and, in the future, will continue to hold its regular face-to face member forums and employer meetings each year. These will be supplemented by further written communications as the plans progress and the MNOPF continues on its award-winning journey.

24/05/2017 13:45

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

SEAFARER HEALTH

Leading the way to wellness A maritime charity is giving seafarers the resources to combat the stresses of the job — and is building the case for owners to invest in the welfare of their crews…

Stress, fatigue, social isolation, rising workloads and limited shore leave — the list of challenges facing seafarers today is long, and there are growing fears that it is translating into a range of other problems, including poor health and high suicide rates. These worries have sparked a number of initiatives to help seafarers deal with the pressures of modern-day shipping, and the UK-based Sailors’ Society has been leading the way with its Wellness at Sea programme. Initially launched in 2010 by Johan Smith, a port chaplain in Cape Town, Wellness at Sea was developed by the charity and rolled out globally in 2015. Now, just about half way through its ﬁve-year programme, the scheme has provided support to thousands of seafarers around the world. Wellness at Sea aims to tackle head-on some of the most pressing problems faced by seafarers, giving them knowledge and resources to take important selfhelp measures to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. ‘Seafarers work in a unique environment,’ says programme director Sandra Welch. ‘You can’t just pop out for a cup of coffee when things are going wrong. We believe it is very important that they are given help to manage the situations that they face and skills to deal with some of the key challenges of being at sea.’

Wellness at Sea was developed in response to research showing that while seafarers report high levels of work-related stress, they rarely seek counselling or professional support to combat the effects. Sandra says the programme has taken a holistic approach to the issues, reﬂecting the way in which wellbeing is inﬂuenced by social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual factors.

At the heart of the scheme is a short, tailor-made course which can be delivered in a number of ways, including onboard ships and at maritime colleges. Initially run in South Africa, Namibia, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the training targets ofﬁcers and cadets and can be given in a range of different languages, including Tagalog, Hindi, Russian and Mandarin. ‘The full course runs for four days, but we realise that not all companies will have the time and money to do this, so we can offer at it as a bespoke programme for each company, with a choice of different modules,’ Sandra points out.

“

Our new app literally puts health and wellbeing in seafarers’ own hands Sandra Welch Sailors’ Society

”

The course aims to serve as a coaching programme, giving seafarers the ability to not only look after their own wellbeing but also to help others onboard through issues such as dealing with different cultures, interpreting and managing conﬂict, handling bullying, fatigue and stress, and keeping ﬁt and healthy. The Society is planning to launch an e-learning version of the course this summer. ‘We are trying to make sure that we put Wellness at Sea into the hands of as many seafarers as possible,’ Sandra says. ‘It’s very important that individuals learn about their own wellness.’

Another important element of the programme is a free app, which was launched last year. ‘This literally puts health and wellbeing at sea in their own hands,’ Sandra notes. ‘It gives seafarers the ability to take responsibility by setting interactive challenges, giving exercises and recipes, and monitoring their daily progress.’ The app enables seafarers to track their voyages and plan for arrival in port, giving contact information and details of services offered by maritime welfare organisations around the world. ‘About 67% of seafarers will go back to use the app again and again,’ Sandra says. ‘The fact that we have so many return users shows it is a success, and we are engaging with them and making a real difference.’

The charity has just launched a survey to seek seafarers’ views on work-related health issues and this will form part of a mid-term review of the project. ‘The programme is an initial ﬁve-year project, but we are looking at adjusting it and developing it after ﬁve years,’ Sandra explains. She says the programme — which has also provided special free hearing and eyesight tests for seafarers in India — aims to provide proactive support to seafarers, in the hope that early recognition of problems can prevent these from becoming major incidents. The Sailors’ Society has been working with experts at Yale University to examine the effectiveness of the programme, and the research results are due to be published later this year. ‘We are learning new things all the time,’ says Sandra, ‘and we hope that the study will show the difference between seafarers who have taken the wellness course in terms of attrition rates

Regina Borges de Paula, Sailors’ Society chaplain in Rio de Janeiro, demonstrates the Wellness app to seafarers on a ship visit Pictures: Sailors’ Society

at sea compared with those who have not done the course.’ Ultimately, she argues, there should not only be a strong moral case for shipowners to support such a scheme but also a clear

business case for investing in crew welfare rather than dealing with the costs of the consequences of ignoring it. ‘It is an industry-led scheme in a sense and we have companies that act

as ambassadors for it, who have seen the real value in using the programme,’ she adds. ‘If you have a happy and healthy crew, you have a safe and productive crew.’

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More than 350 seafarers took part in Wellness at Sea training over the first quarter of 2017

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24/05/2017 13:46

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

MARITIME CAREERS

The guidance counsellor Starting out as an engineer officer, Mike Wall has been a maritime surveyor, a teacher and a writer. He tells STEVEN KENNEDY about his passion to support a new generation with his advice-led books…

Relatively small sums of money can have major consequences. Imagine if your make-or-break moment hinged on being able to afford the price of a first uniform — and had you not received help to get it, your career would be sailing away from you before it had even started. That was the case for Liverpudlian Mike Wall. Penniless and struggling to make ends meet, Mike received a helping hand from the Marine Society to pay for his first uniform (pictured above), without which he would have been denied a place on his first ship. ‘At the end of my first two years at college I had to go away to sea for the first time,’ recalls Mike, now 71. ‘At the time, I didn’t have two pennies to rub together. So the senior lecturer at Riversdale Tech — where I was studying — and the personnel superintendent for Cunard Lines wrote a letter to the Marine Society for me.

“

When I started as a surveyor, there was no training — just get out there and do the job

”

‘They agreed to loan me £75 and granted me another £75 so I could buy my ﬁrst uniform,’ he continues. ‘I paid it back over several months — but if it hadn’t been for them I wouldn’t have been able to go to sea.’ That generosity led to a varied and exciting career that has taken Mike across the globe. ‘One of the things that attracted me to a life at sea was that I was very good with my hands,’ he states. ‘Coming from Liverpool, I used to stand on the shore down at Riversdale and watch the ships coming in and out of the docks. I used to smell the molasses sugar as it came in, and it had me hooked. ‘When I was 11, my uncle started with Blue Funnel — Ocean Fleets at that time

— and he took me onboard to see the ship. He took me down to the engineroom and it got me.’ After qualifying and earning his uniform, Mike joined Cunard Lines as an apprentice marine engineer in September 1963. Taking to the sea, like a duck to water, he quickly honed his talents in the engineering department and started to climb the promotion ladder. His sea service, however, proved to be short, as he was drawn back to academia some six years later. ‘In 1969 I made enquiries to Liverpool Polytechnic — as it was then — about a degree in nautical studies,’ he explains. ‘I was the first engineer to do the deck officer degree. I was asked by the interview board “why do you want to do this”. I thought I might have made a mistake. But one said, “you realise that if you do this you’ll be a deck and engineer hybrid — the first — and you could be the guy who brings together the two sides and solves the oil and water problem”. ‘Some 40 years later we met for lunch in Hong Kong and I told him he’d failed miserably; there’s no way the two sides could be brought together!’ Being back in education, Mike had one of his many lightbulb moments. As the only member of his course with an engineering background, he was soon giving his classmates extra tuition — in exchange for guidance on the deck subjects — on the dark arts associated with the bowels of the ship. ‘It was at that stage that I discovered that I enjoyed teaching,’ he says. ‘It’s my whole raison d’être: to teach.’ Having spent several years as a lecturer in Wales and Northern Ireland — with a brief return to the water as a second and chief engineer — Mike came ashore in the spring of 1979 in the US, and in doing so, made his first move into the world of marine surveying with the Salvage Association. It was the starting point to spending much of the 1980s and 1990s conducting surveys around the world for a variety of different organisations. ‘Marine surveyors are used in all aspects of shipping,’ explains Mike. ‘We have proactive surveys and reactive surveys. Proactive surveys are where we go along to make sure a ship or vessel is OK.

has spent the days of his teaching career trying to instil a ‘can-do’ attitude in his students. He also was keen to help those coming after him to avoid the struggles he faced through a lack of good-quality training. ‘I still meet my students all over the world,’ Mike proudly says. ‘One time I was down in Auckland, New Zealand, to do a seminar on report writing. One lunchtime, a guy came up to me and said hello and that I’d taught him for seconds and chiefs in Southampton. His name was Peter Bennett. ‘He said that he’d followed my career down to New Zealand after we’d both left Southampton. He’d become a lecturer in the College of Maritime Studies in Auckland and he’d followed all my teaching practices; he said he’d never had a failure in the entire time he was teaching there because of what he’d learnt from me.’

Maritime author Mike Wall

The people who do that are the P&I clubs and class surveyors. Then the reactive surveys are where people go and investigate the accidents after they’ve happened. ‘People can be staff surveyors or independent surveyors,’ he continues. ‘Staff are employed by someone — such as class — and are paid by them to do that job. Independent surveyors are those who are hired to do both proactive surveys and reactive surveys. ‘I fell into independent surveying by accident. It was only because I was out

of work and looking for something to do that I became an independent surveyor in Hong Kong. I joined the company, but there was no training; just get out there and do the job. I got sent down two ships that had collided — one with its bow totally smashed in and one with its side smashed in. I was told to go and do an assessment even though I’d never done this type before. You just got thrown in at the deep end. It was sink or swim.’ Those challenges helped put Mike in the position he ﬁnds himself today. Unafraid of trying something new, he

You’d think, after such a busy career, that Mike would be keen to down tools in his retirement years. Yet that is far from the case. Back in 2008, after a friend suggested a paper he wrote on hatch covers should be published as a book, Mike put his typing skills to the test. Now, almost a decade later, he’s the author of 10 titles — the latest of which are an introduction to marine surveying and consultancy and an introduction to marine warranty surveying, which were self-published in January this year. And he has plans for more advice-led books to hit the shelves soon. ‘I’ve always tried to not just be a teacher, but also a mentor for people,’ Mike says. ‘In all the books that I’m writing, I always put my email address in there and if someone sends me a question I always try and answer it as best I can. ‘Not that long ago, I got an email from a guy in Guam who said he carries around one of my books with him all the time. He told me it’s getting a bit dog-eared, but it’s the most useful book he’s ever bought. That’s the type of thing that comes back from people and makes it all worthwhile,’ he concludes. And to think, none of this would have been possible had it not been for the small matter of £150 and a ﬁrst uniform all those years ago.

HELP US HELP YOU Fill in our short survey on seafarer health and help us to improve our welfare services for you and thousands of other seafarers around the world. +44 (0)23 8051 5950 wellness@sailors-society.org

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24/05/2017 14:48

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME CAREERS

Hugo and Digby, excited to be going for a Scottish island cruise

Amelia and Digby on a Scottish beach

Supper on watch

Charting a course for the Monaco

A life shaped by the sea K

There are maritime careers, and then there’s Amelia Dalton’s career. Apparently destined for a quiet life as a well-off housewife and mother, she somehow found herself becoming a deck hand, a de facto marine engineer, a qualified skipper and a maritime businesswoman — and it all stemmed from a trip around the western isles of Scotland in the late 1980s. As Amelia explains in her new memoir Mistress and Commander, the trip was arranged by her parents, who could see that she and her husband John needed a break from looking after their two young children. The voyage was a revelation. Not only did Amelia fall in love with the landscape and wildlife of Scotland’s west coast, but she found herself feeling surprisingly at home on the former fishing trawler, and struck up a great rapport with the vessel’s crew. Amelia stayed in touch with the seafarers, and went up a few more times as a volunteer crew member. She also took her children for family holidays on the vessel, and her disabled son Digby thrived in the maritime environment. But Digby had an unknown genetic condition and unexpectedly died of his illness at just eight years old. As Amelia and John struggled to come to terms with his loss, they heard that the crew who had been so kind to them and their sons were set to be made unemployed, with their boat’s owner reclaiming it for private use. This led to a life-changing decision: with the help of John’s contacts in the business world, the couple decided to buy their own boat to re-employ their friends and continue running cruises and charters around the western isles. ‘It was something to keep my mind occupied at that time,’ Amelia explains, ‘and it felt like a tribute to Digby, helping to continue something that had made him so happy.’ And that was how Amelia Dalton ended up with a maritime career. She threw herself into the project to buy a large fishing vessel from Denmark — the Monaco — and convert it into an expedition ship. The next 10 years were spent running the business, often hands-on as part of the crew. An important source of income was

GET YOUR

Amelia Dalton is now a force to be reckoned with in the expedition cruise business. But as she tells SARAH ROBINSON, it all started out quite by accident... The Monaco cruising Loch Sunart Pictures courtesy of Amelia Dalton

the contract to take National Trust personnel to the remote island group of St Kilda each year. For these trips, the Monaco was effectively a ferry and had to make it whatever the weather, but having been built as an Arctic trawler, the vessel could cope well with the conditions. ‘She was a fantastic machine,’ says Amelia. ‘We had five independent methods of pumping out the engineroom.’ However, the engine itself — a BMW Alpha — turned out to have an intermittent fault which proved very difficult to diagnose. Amelia got stuck in and eventually solved the problem for good. ‘That was a real highlight,’ she says. ‘The problem was undermining, and I couldn’t believe I’d managed to work it out. It wasn’t complicated; it just needed dogged working through.’ As a child, she continues, she had never had much in the way of ambition — either to work at sea or in any other career. This had much to do with her comfortable background: ‘My dad, who was a judge, made sure my brothers and I were properly educated, but I didn’t really see myself doing anything. I just thought I’d have a nice life bringing up a family, and I got married to my first and only boyfriend John at 19.’ But the challenge of running the Monaco awoke something in Amelia, spurring her to learn seafaring skills and to find ways of marketing the vessel’s services. Her sense of mischief and fun also came to the fore, and she describes in the book how she once won over a dour team of engineers by hiring a stripper to

enliven teatime in the canteen as a 21st birthday present for one of the apprentices. She even had to take command for a while, following a run of problems recruiting and retaining skippers. Onthe-job experience wasn’t enough for this role, of course; to gain a licence, the aspiring skipper had to undergo formal yacht training with the RYA and gain her commercial certificates such as Survival at Sea. ‘I ended up with a Class V with Command Endorsement to include St Kilda,’ she recalls. ‘Initially, as I didn’t have a log book, I was told I could never get the qualifications, but I refused to accept no for an answer and was eventually awarded the certificate after five hours of testing on a one-to-one basis with the chief examiner of masters and mates in Glasgow.’ Amelia avoided taking command of the Monaco unless there was really no alternative: ‘I never felt comfortable with the responsibility of having people’s lives in my hands,’ she admits. And when she and her business partners decided to sell the vessel after 10 exhilarating but exhausting years, she did not further her career as a seafarer. But she needed a job. ‘My only option was to use my experience showing visitors around the Scottish islands,’ she says, ‘and I landed a job as a tour guide with Abercrombie & Kent in Russia and Central Europe.’ She then moved to Hebridean Island Cruises, working first as a guide on the Hebridean Princess and later becoming an itinerary planner for the company’s

new venture: international cruises on the Hebridean Spirit.

By 2004, the girl who started out with no ambitions had become an accomplished, confident woman, ready to run her own business again. And this time, with her marriage over, she would go it alone. The result was Amelia Dalton Travel, a successful expedition-cruise company providing tailormade itineraries on small luxury vessels. It’s all about the sea, she stresses: ‘Both at Hebridean and at my own company, I’ve always felt most satisfied when I’ve achieved a unique maritime itinerary for the passengers, landing by Zodiac in remote places and avoiding buses.’ Does she feel tempted to return to professional seafaring when she goes out on her own voyages as a guide? ‘Not at all,’ she laughs. ‘But I do use my experience in other ways. I know not to ask the master for silly things like coming in too close to the shore for passengers to take photographs.’ With the travel business going well, Amelia has been able to take some time to reflect on her earlier years, and she decided to tell the story of the Monaco in Mistress and Commander. ‘I just wanted to write it all down,’ she says. ‘It was such an intense chapter in my life that I hardly needed to look at old records — I could remember everything vividly. It was such hard work, but so much fun too. I wanted people to know about all the high jinks we had, and how unutterably beautiful the west of Scotland is.

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Amelia Dalton at the launch of her book in May 2017

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‘The book is also a way of remembering my bright and funny little boy Digby and the childhood of my other lovely son Hugo. And I wanted to pay tribute to the ﬁshing community of Peterhead, which gave me so much friendship and support in the 1980s and 1990s but hardly exists now.’ The ﬁrst draft of the memoir caught the attention of Scottish publishing house Sandstone Press, which assigned editor Moira Forsyth to help shape the manuscript into a book for publication. Released in paperback last month, Mistress and Commander has been warmly received, and Amelia is already planning the next instalment of her life story. With her beloved Monaco scrapped and its wood recycled as whisky barrels, she’ll be moving on to the Hebridean years, so there will be much in the next book that Telegraph readers will recognise. No doubt including a large helping of high jinks! g Mistress and Commander by Amelia Dalton (ISBN 978 19109 85175) will be reviewed in the Telegraph next month.

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24/05/2017 12:39

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

MARITIME COMMUNITY

Better luck next time! N

At the start of April a team of 10 deck cadets from Warsash Maritime Academy travelled to Le Havre for the Hydro’s Cup Sailing Regatta. Prior to the practice race, the hosts — Ecole Nationale Superieure Maritime (ENSM) — gave us a tour of their impressive new waterfront college for French Merchant Navy cadet training, which includes a full suite of simulators built into a block designed to resemble the layout of a cargo ship’s superstructure. The sailing itself took place in a challenging combination of light winds and strong currents, which was rather unfortunate as our training had exclusively taken place in a strong breeze. Thirteen boats lined up for the regatta, 10 from France, one from the Republic of Ireland and two from Warsash. All the boats were more or less identical J80s, a 26ft racing keelboat sailed by crews of four or five. The first race was unfortunately abandoned within sight of the finish line as the tide beat the wind, leaving half the fleet impotently drifting backwards. Throughout the first day we struggled to adapt to these new conditions and build boat speed. However, both crews kept their patience and made the best of the

The crew of Warsash 1, including Trinity House Cadets Matt Banks, mainsail trimmer (far left) and Charlie Edwards, bowman (second right)

Nautilus International has sponsored a team of Warsash deck cadets to compete against trainees from other maritime nations in a sailing challenge at the French port of Le Havre. SSTG cadet SAM COOPER reports on an annual event that’s as much about friendship as rivalry...

Yachts jockey for position during one of the Hydro’s Cup heats

sunshine. Two races were completed before the wind departed entirely, resulting in a long tow back to shore. The evening was spent as the guests of the Le Havre Yacht Club, with all the teams invited for a meal and intermediate prizegiving.

On the second and ﬁnal day of the regatta the wind started off slightly more strongly and we were able to use our experience of the day before to put ourselves in the mix. It was a close-run thing to make the start, as one of our boats suffered tech-

nical difﬁculties and needed a replacement boom. The organisers handled this with impressive efﬁciency, delivering one via RIB from their boat yard onshore. Unfortunately, once again we were only able to compete in the one race that

day as the wind eased off completely during the second race, ending the regatta early.

For most of our team this was their ﬁrst sailing regatta, and I think we all took away a good chunk of experience and plenty of positive memories. There was plenty of discussion on the ferry home about the logistics of competing again next year, which is a good indicator of how much we enjoyed the event. Had it not been for the lack of a decent wind we would have been in with a much better chance of featuring with the leaders, but that is just the nature of racing. We will try again next year and hope for better conditions. We would like to thank Nautilus International once again for the kind and generous sponsorship which allowed our participation again this year. Thanks also go to Phil Smith and Gordon Meadow, the WMA lecturers who once again gave up their time to organise this excellent opportunity for UK cadets to meet and compete against our fellow European cadets and see how their system of training operates.

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Seafarers UK has been helping people in the maritime community for 100 years, by providing vital support to seafarers in need and their families, and to those in education or training who are preparing to work or serve at sea. As an ‘island nation’ we depend on our seafarers to defend our shores, trade with other countries and import essential fuel and food. Please make a donation today to help the seafarers of tomorrow. www.seafarers.uk | 020 7932 0000

SeafarersUK @Seafarers_UK Registered Charity, No. 226446 in England and Wales, and SC038191 in Scotland.

24/05/2017 15:17

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME HISTORY

From the Cutty Sark to containerisation A new book shows the dramatic changes in Britain’s relationship with the sea by drawing from an amazing archive of more than 1.2m aerial photographs. ANDREW LININGTON spoke to the author…

If you want to get a good sense of Britain’s long and historic relationship with the sea, take to the air. That’s the advice from industrial archaeologist Peter Waller, whose new book draws from an archive of more than 1.2m aerial photographs to show how shipping has shaped the country’s landscape. His book, England’s Maritime Heritage from the Air, spans almost a century and uses more than 150 images taken by the company Aeroﬁlms between 1919 and 2006 to trace how the remarkable transformations that took place in the shipping industry have been reﬂected ashore. ‘On one hand you could see it as wallowing in nostalgia and looking back at how things were,’ Peter says. ‘But on the other hand, as time marches on there is a danger that our collective memories fade and the understanding of traditional trades is lost. ‘I’ve been keen to do this book for a long time — it’s had a gestation period of 10 to 15 years — and it’s been brilliant fun to put

29_heritage_SR edit.indd 29

together, and I hope it demonstrates the huge signiﬁcance of shipping in our society,’ he adds. ‘Britain was the workshop of the world in the 19th century and there was massive investment in the docks industry as the country became increasingly reliant upon imports carried by ships,’ Peter points out. ‘One of the biggest changes you see from the photographs is the impact of containerisation on traditional ports,’ he adds. ‘From the 1960s onwards, many of the traditional docks went into decline. Ships got bigger and big-

ger, and the old ports just couldn’t cope with it.’ Many of the ships featured in the book underline these changes — going from the sailing vessels Cutty Sark and HMS Worcester, still in use as training ships in 1939 (pictured left), through iconic liners and cross-Channel ferries. The Aeroﬁlms photographs are some of the earliest aerial photos of England, many taken by photographers strapped to the wings of aircraft. They used glass plates, which enables them to be blown up to show a remarkable level of detail. Peter studied history at university and went on to do a postgraduate course in industrial archaeology. ‘I come from the perspective that our industrial heritage is too often ignored,’ he says. ‘People are happy to throw vast amounts of money into preserving old houses and cathedrals, while so much of the wonderful Victorian architecture in our docks has been lost completely.’ He points out how the photographs also show how Brit-

ain’s use of the sea and its waterways has increasingly shifted to leisure — with the development of marinas and plush waterfront residential properties making it ever harder to preserve the mercantile past. ‘The pressure for development land in commercial areas is such that it is almost impossible to make an economic case for keeping some of these old buildings,’ Peter refects.

One of his favourite pictures — and the one that is used on the front cover of the book — illustrates his points perfectly. It shows the Pool of London in 1963, packed with ships and lighters. Flick forward a few pages, and you can see Docklands in 2000 — an image that speaks volumes about the radical and relatively rapid transformation of the area. Similarly, the book opens and closes with pictures of Ramsgate harbour taken 83 years apart, demonstrating the way so many ports have shifted from commerce to leisure.

The Pool of London on 3 May 1963

Peter had worked with Aeroﬁlms before part of its archives were acquired by English Heritage (now Historic England) and the book came about as a result of a chance conversation he had with the organisation’s commissioning editor at another book launch. ‘I mentioned my wish to do this, and I was delighted when they said they were willing to go ahead with it,’ he adds. It took him a couple of years to work through the collection to select the 150 images for the book, organising the photographs to illustrate a range of different themes, such as big and small ports, shipbuilding, famous ships, ferry terminals, the Royal Navy, ﬁshing and leisure, and the downside — including a number of spectacular shipwrecks. As well as showing how traditional patterns of trade have changed over the past century,

Peter says the photographs also demonstrate how shipping, shipyards, docks and harbours inﬂuenced the development of many towns and cities and the evolution of British industries. ‘It is only by looking at aerial photographs that you can get a full impression of how much destruction was wrought by the war and how much of an impact these places had on our landscape,’ he adds. ‘The changes also reﬂect the dramatic loss of skills and trades that have occurred over the past 60 years,’ Peter points out. ‘There were vast numbers employed in the docks, and you wonder what happened to all those people. It’s important that we remember these things.’ g England’s Maritime Heritage from the Air, by Peter Waller, is published by Historic England and costs £45.

24/05/2017 15:19

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

OFFWATCH ships of the past by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

skipper of the ﬁctional Clyde F puffer Vital Spark, feigned a

The MNAOA has protested to the minister of transport and MPs over the withdrawal of railway concession fares for seafarers. The Association was part of a deputation from the National Maritime Board which held a meeting with the British Railways Board to express concern at the extremely short notice given for the move and to point out that it was inequitable for this substantial increase to the seafarers’ cost of living to be made during the period of severe restraint. British Railways said the concession fares have been withdrawn from 24 other sections of the community, but the MNAOA argued that this was no justification for withdrawing it from MN personnel, who are in a special position in being unable to choose their time of travel between their homes and various seaports MN Journal, June 1967

Para Handy, the eccentric

total lack of interest in the racing of the ‘Yats’ on the Clyde, only to then display encyclopaedic understanding of tactics, and — doubtless — the qualities of the crews. In the late 19th century, owners of large yachts intent on racing would have been wise, when considering crews, to consult Dixon Kemp’s classic A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing (1878) for advice. Dixon Kemp was a naval architect and a founder of the Yacht Racing Association (now the Royal Yachting Association). He was an authority on yacht design and the author of several books, including the Manual, which was issued by the British Admiralty to Royal Navy ships for training purposes and went through nine editions over a 17-year period. The book offers some interesting observations, stating that ‘no sailing-master will carry more hands than are absolutely necessary’, so if crews were limited, sails were to be limited also, or a yacht would be frequently short-handed. ‘The only argument used in favour of limiting hands is that a man with a lot of money and a disposition to spend it, would, by carrying a number of hands, get an advantage over a man with less money or differently disposed about spending it,’ it continues. ‘A sailing-master will generally endeavour to make up a crew from men who have been in yacht racing before; this of course cannot always be done, and it follows that somebody must ship the green hands. However, excepting the circumstance that a hand who has been in a racing yacht is already “proved and rated,” there

25 YEARS AGO

Lord Lipton’s racing yacht Shamrock battlers it out with the American yacht Colombia in New York harbour in this painting from the 1899 America’s Cup

Crewing advice from 1878 is no disadvantage in having one or two green hands, as a couple of matches will make them perfect, if they have been trained as good yacht sailors in other respects. ‘Men widely differ in their smartness and in their habits; and a man may be tolerated in spite of his moral delinquencies and faults of temper, because he is a very smart seaman, but a sloven should be given a very wide berth, as he will not only be offensive to the rest of the crew, but in all probability no seaman. ‘As a rule, the smartest men are the most cleanly in their habits, the most prompt in doing their work, and in obeying orders, and the most satisﬁed, not to say proud, of their lot,’ Dixon Kemp advises. ‘On the other hand, a sloven is dirty in his habits, slow in obeying orders, and an inveterate grumbler. He quarrels with the catering, with the work he has to do, with the liberty he

gets, and with the places he visits. Such a man should ﬁnd no berth in a racing yacht, and if a sailingmaster unfortunately ships such a creature, and does not instantly unship him when his character is patent, that sailing-master will not be doing his duty to the owner, to himself, or to the rest of the crew.’ Later, he adds: ‘If [a seaman] is shipped from the Colne, the probability is that he will know a great deal about seamanship as represented by a smacksman, but he will be a rough hand, and if he has to work upon rigging, or in any way assist in ﬁtting out, his work will be rough; his manner will probably be rough also; he will handle things roughly, and may possibly have a perpetual desire to smoke, and perhaps will expectorate on the deck, and show a partiality for the after part of the vessel. This man will never much improve

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book The History of Pirates by Brenda Ralph Lewis (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 The number of ship groundings could be cut by one-third if electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) are made mandatory onboard, a study by the classification society DNV claims. Commissioned by Denmark, Finland and Norway, the report — which is being submitted to the International Maritime Organisation — argues that global electronic nautical chart coverage is now so extensive that mandatory carriage requirements can be brought in. The study found that ENC global coverage in coastal waters is running at between 84% and 96% and that on selected key international shipping routes it varied between 28% and 100%. But Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said it was essential that seafarer training is properly addressed in the increasing drive towards ECDIS The Telegraph, June 2007

THEQUIZ

On average, how many major oil spills (700 tonnes and over) are there each year?

Which port chalked up the biggest growth in container traffic last year?

The first Mauretania was launched in 1907. In which yard was the ship built?

Which cruise company was the first to appoint a female captain?

In which year was the British shipping company Furness Withy formed?

In which year did Maersk acquire its first containership?

J Quiz answers are on page 38.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 16 June 2017.

QUICK CLUES 1. 7. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 16. 18. 19. 22. 23. 25. 26. 27. 28.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

in his habits, but he will be good at hauling, good at belaying, good at reefing, and good and trustworthy in bad weather. ‘A few owners who are green at racing appear to place an undue value upon the exertions of the crew, and when victory is secured reward the sailingmaster and crew out of all proportion to their services,’ the Manual notes. ‘The practical effect of such excessive liberality [with “racing money”] on sailingmasters and crew, is to make the former foolishly vain and presumptuous, and the crew insolent and indifferent about everything but racing. ‘Fortunately this evil appears to work its own cure, as the owner soon finds that instead of winning more prizes by paying liberally or foolishly, he wins less and finds that his vessel and crew are hated with undisguised zest by the crews of all other vessels.’

Psychiatric problems have become the second most common cause of British seafarers failing medical examinations, according to alarming new figures. Since 1985, psychiatric problems have risen from being the cause of 5% of medical certificate refusals to 16% and the number of British seafarers failing medical examinations in this category has more than trebled in the past five years. NUMAST is launching a major new initiative to address the factors behind the soaring number of cases, pointing to issues such as crewing cutbacks, increased workloads, fatigue, stress and poor shipboard facilities. The Union is urging the Department for Transport and shipowners to carry out in-depth research on the problems and to produce more detailed data on the nature of the psychiatric problems being identified during medical examinations The Telegraph, June 1992

Across Trendy (11) Small drink (3) Mineral (9) Brief (5) Parts of feet (7) Nerve gap (7) Mountain Scot (10) Curve (4) Clutter (4) Baking implement (7,3) Inventor (7) Writes untidily (7) Force (5) Grave (9) Unhappy (3) Extra sense (6,5)

Down Vain (7) Retail events (5) Female name (8) They’re clipped (5) Shocking revelation (9) Degree (6) Tip (9)

8. 14. 15. 17. 18. 20. 21. 23. 24.

Feign (7) Shell (9) From stone age (9) Solidifies on top (8) Autobiography (7) Developing (7) Ecospheres (6) Blemish (5) Incorrect (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1. 7. 9. 10. 11.

12. 13.

Across Backlog serving tables and lean on board (7,4) Olympic runner initially established church (3) Plunges into something smelly (9) Fail to pay Cymraeg (5) About looking to choose intelligence with belittled West Coast state (7) Lack a like-sounding word for shiner (7) That is reversed around final conurbation — give (10)

16. Regret loss of title for female teacher (4) 18. Conceal animal skin (4) 19. Mix dry gin, glug, but with little enthusiasm (10) 22. Put small voice receiver in front of gown as a bug (7) 23. Lover was previously married (7) 25. Moon discovered in orbit, it animated astronomers (5) 26. Rodent returned with insect, Universidad Los Angeles classed it arachnid (9) 27. It is for fishing Stewart (3) 28. Give name to Perignon, an area religiously defended (11)

Down A saying, you do this or you lose them — together now, so sweet (7) 2. Addition to the page, insert right away (5) 3. Edict Ian reissued to show intention (8) 4. Used to draw attention and donated fifty (5) 1.

5. Oddly tailed circling sun it is protected from cold (9) 6. Sound blow (6) 7. Cochineal for example, child’s play (9) 8. Pressurises former spouse with short change (7) 14. A bad edict anyway, so did as Edward VIII (9) 15. Would worker with own shop just listen (9) 17. Half a girl’s best friends, half pooled stake (8) 18. Leg of meat with rest chopped for pet (7) 20. The sun may be over three feet and a limb (7) 21. It has teeth and upside down can drink (6) 23. ‘Behind the --- I’ll convey myself, to hear the process’ (Polonius, Hamlet) (5) 24. Eighteen holes or turn to buy drinks (5) J Crossword answers are on page 38.

24/05/2017 13:47

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

Ramifications of a maritime tragedy We Die Like Brothers By John Gribble and Graham Scott Historic England, £17.99 ISBN: 978 8480 23697 remarkable book has at its heart the loss — K 100 years ago — of the British troopship Mendi Subtitled The Sinking of the ss Mendi, this

following a collision off the Isle of Wight with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company vessel Darro. It was an appalling accident, resulting in more than 600 deaths. But this meticulously researched and well illustrated book tells a much deeper story than the straightforward loss of a ship — embracing such diverse subjects as shipbuilding, racism and geopolitics. The authors provide extensive detail about the design and build of the Mendi, placing this ﬁrmly in the wider context of the dominance of British shipping and Scottish shipbuilding, and the evolution of cargo liners and engine technology. Built on the Clyde for the Edinburgh-based British & African Steam Navigation Company, Mendi was always regarded as a Liverpool ship —

especially when BASNC was taken over by Elder Dempster. Requisitioned by the government for war service in 1916, Mendi was converted into a troopship and on its ﬁnal voyage was transporting 802 members of the South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC) for service on the Western Front. SANLC was just one of many military forces assembled from across the British Empire to support British troops, often serving in almost slave-like conditions and separated into strictly controlled compounds. Many SANLC members had signed up in the belief that they would win more political freedoms if they showed their willingness to help the British war effort. But just short of its destination port of Le Havre, in the early hours of 21 February 1917, Mendi was struck by the Darro — which was sailing at 14 knots in thick fog, with no sound signals. Mendi took just 20 minutes to sink, and the Royal Mail ship did nothing to help the rescue efforts — even though the survivors’ cries for help could be heard onboard the ship. In total, 616 South Africans — 607 of them black troops — and 30 crew died, the vast majority as a

the ever-changing role the liners played and highlights some star names, including RMS Asturias and RMS Alcantara — the biggest motor ships in the world at the time — as well as RMS Magdalena, which tragically sank on its maiden voyage in 1949. The well-researched book includes some affectionate recollections by former Royal Mail Lines seafarers, who provide an interesting insight into the working life onboard the ships — not least the ‘chastity belt’ space separating the crew’s accommodation from the passenger areas.

Letters from When the the past tell British postal a poignant service ruled story of loss the waves Royal Mail Liners: 1925-1971 By William H. Miller Amberley Books, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 61278 Zwww.amberley-books.com

The often-lambasted Royal Mail is one of Great Britain’s oldest, and most crucial, services. Whilst its presence is now being eroded one village post office closure at a time, there was a period when it was also one of the greatest names in British shipping. And although the shipping company is now long gone, it deserves to have a light shone on its proud history. A portion of this story is told in William H. Miller’s Royal Mail Liners: 1925-1971. Spread across almost 100 pages, divided by a wealth of photographs and period artwork, the book races over the early decades of the company — which was founded in 1839 with assistance from the British government — to concentrate on its passenger shipping operations in the 20th century. In a period broken up by the Second World War, the book captures

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

A Voyage to War By Hugh Dulley Uniform Press, £25 ISBN: 978 19105 00552

result of drowning, cold shock or hypothermia. A five-day Board of Trade inquiry held later in the year determined that Darro had been travelling too fast and had not been navigated ‘with proper and seamanlike care’. It described the failure of Captain Henry Stump, Darro’s master, to render assistance as ‘inexcusable’ and suspended his certificate for 12 months. The book speculates on the reasons why Capt Stump had acted in the way he did, and suggests they may have been the consequence of a fear of German U-boats and a desire to protect his own ship. However, the authors conclude, his evasive and contradictory responses to the inquiry made him something of an enigma — even though he resumed his career in 1919 and went on to command a further 14 ships before his retirement in 1931. Fascinating on so many levels, the book takes in wide themes — including dignity in death, the poor treatment of the survivors and of the families of the dead, the broken promises for the SANLC veterans, and the significance of the disaster in the fight against apartheid.

service at sea has been put K together by Hugh Dulley, who, in

This unusual tale of wartime

a labour of love, edited the letters his father Peter wrote to his mother Therese after being called up to serve with the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (HKRNVR). The resulting book charts Peter Dulley’s transformation from a weekend amateur sailor to taking command of an ocean-going tug from Hong Kong to Aden. Charting his father’s arrival in Hong Kong onboard the P&O liner Rawalpindi in 1930, Hugh Dulley sets the scene by painting an evocative picture of the luxurious pre-war lifestyle of the colonial expatriates — soon to be shattered by the spread of conflict in the Far East. The subsequent letters trace the developing relationship between Therese and Peter, and show how his weekend yachting led to increasing involvement with the HKRNVR — resulting in his call-up in 1939 and his appointment as Lieutenant Commander in 1941, taking a 500-ton tug on a 6,500nm voyage which he describes as being ‘a bit like Columbus starting out to find America’.

The authors also examine the deeper symbolism of the wreck, which was discovered in 1945 and identiﬁed as Mendi in the 1970s, and is now one of the few to be protected by the Military Remains Act. The book also pays tribute to the role of troopships — noting their importance in maintaining the war effort, as well as pointing to the way in which the gallantry of merchant seafarers is neglected in much the same way as the story of the non-white troops and wartime labour system has been.

— despite the interventions of the wartime censors — it is one that the correspondence brings to life with clarity and humanity.

Endurance and seamanship put to the ultimate test There are lots of interesting references to merchant ships and to merchant seafarers — not least the tensions of serving alongside a MN shipmaster whose sextant skills seemed somewhat rusty. But the letters are underpinned by the sadness of separation — with Hugh and his mother evacuated from Hong Kong — and by Peter’s death during the Japanese invasion in 1941. It’s a poignant story, and

The Cape Horners’ Club By Adrian Flanagan Adlard Coles Nautical, £19.99 ISBN: 978 14729 12527 Zwww.adlardcoles.com

‘Cape Horn stands as a mighty challenge to those who venture to sea by sail, a silent beckoning against which to test their seamanship, their courage and their spirit.’ That’s certainly how it seemed to writer and adventurer Adrian Flanagan, who was determined to join the select group of singlehanded sailors who have successfully rounded the treacherous tip of South America.

The unromantic truth about piracy TThe History of Pirates By Brenda Ralph Lewis B Amber Books, £19.99 A IISBN: 978 17827 45112 fwww.amberbooks.co.uk in a variety of ways. They have been the K curse of the sea; an unwelcome parasite living c

Over the years, pirates have been portrayed

off o the wealth and belongings of others. Yet they have also been seen — thanks, perhaps, to the h splendours of Hollywood and the silver screen — s as a loveable rogues, fighting on the open water, wooden leg and eye-patch in place, drinking rum w with w their pet parrot perched on their shoulder. The reality, however, is quite different. Piracy remains a blight on the sea and has done so since r records began. Casting some light on the facts, r and a dispelling some of the fiction, is Brenda Ralph Lewis and her book The History of Pirates. L In it, she examines the actions and ethics of famous and lesser-known pirates and the eras in f which they saw action. Examples range from the w

Japanese pirates operating between the 13th and 16th centuries to Zheng Yi and his wife’s pirate alliance in 19th century China. Across eight chapters, and through 120 black and white photographs and artwork, the book tells the tale of piracy from its origins in the ancient world — in Egypt, Greece and Rome — through the unlikely adoption of a pirates’ code of practice. From there, the book moves onto the welldocumented ‘golden age’, where the likes of Edward Teach — better known as Blackbeard — spread fear on the world’s seas. Finally, the reader is brought into the modern day, with the targeting by pirates of vessels off coastlines such as Somalia and Nigeria. It’s a book that doesn’t pull any punches, and rather than cementing the rather romanticised views on piracy, it illuminates the broader historical and geographical impact pirates have had on the world, while providing a fascinating introduction into the reality of life onboard a buccaneer’s ship.

Flanagan made his solo passage in 2006, and found it had a powerful effect on the psyche. ‘Alone, a sailor’s experience of Cape Horn will be absolute, raw, unabridged,’ he muses. ‘Through that purity the true nature of the place reveals itself, and so too the truth of that sailor, that person.’ What kind of people, he wondered, would willingly put themselves through this ordeal? What had motivated them, and what level of skill had they needed to meet the challenge? The Cape Horners’ Club seeks the answers to these questions by telling the stories of 20 selected ‘Cape Horners’. These include famous names such as Francis Chichester, Robin Knox-Johnston and Chay Blyth, but the author also tries to ensure that the book covers a broad range of perspectives — i.e. not just AngloSaxon men — by featuring the likes of Japanese sailor Minoru Saito and the young Australian yachtswoman Jessica Watson. As well as exploring personal stories, the book gives a great deal of technical detail about each sailor’s passage, so it is likely to appeal most to members of the yachting community. However, there is something for a wider audience, as the stories are engagingly written and include photos, maps and other illustrations. A full list of Cape Horners (who number around 100) is given in the appendix, and there is a useful acknowledgements section crediting the people Flanagan interviewed and the books he read for his research.

24/05/2017 13:47

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NL NEWS In this month’s Dutch pages: z Nautilus advice to members on accidents at work z Nautilus, FNV Waterbouw and FNV

z Day of the Seafarer on 25 June z Nautilus Netherlands branch conference on 20 June FNV May 1 festivities z z Maritime platform meeting on 22 June z Inspiring Nautilus Works Council day z Nick Bramley says goodbye as ETF chair of inland waterways

Jaarvergadering 2017: Alle leden zijn welkom van Nautilus International A uit voor de jaarvergadering van de

Het bestuur nodigt alle leden

Nederlandse branch. De jaarvergadering vindt plaats op dinsdag 20 juni 2017, van 13.00 uur tot 14.30 uur. Voorafgaand aan de vergadering bent u vanaf 12.00 uur welkom voor de lunch. Vervolgens gaat om 15.00 uur het symposium ‘Investeren in maritieme professionals’ van start. Locatie voor zowel de jaarvergadering als het symposium is het Rotterdam Marriot Hotel (voorheen Manhattan) te Rotterdam. Alle leden zijn van harte welkom. Agenda Jaarvergadering

De agenda is als volgt: 1. Opening door voorzitter Marcel van den Broek 2. Bestuursverslag van het gevoerde beleid in 2016 3. Financieel jaarverslag 2016 4. Verkiezing bestuurslid 5. Wat verder ter tafel komt. 6. Sluiting Bij agendapunt 2

Het verslag van het gevoerde beleid in 2016 zal het bestuur doen aan de hand van het jaarverslag. Tijdens de jaarvergadering ontvangt u een harde kopie van het jaarverslag.

Bij agendapunt 4

Sascha Meijer-Pieneman stelt zich verkiesbaar als hoofdbestuurder. Het NL National Committee/Raad van Advies draagt haar via een bindende voordracht voor. Er zijn dit jaar geen aftredende leden van de Raad van Advies (tevens NL National Committee). Er zijn geen voorstellen en moties ontvangen van de leden. Gewoontegetrouw zal er na afloop van de jaarvergadering een symposium worden georganiseerd. Dit jaar met de titel ‘Investeren in maritieme professionals’. g Het symposium vangt aan om 15.00 uur. U kunt zich aanmelden via mschmidt@nautilusint.org. Inleidingen symposium:

‘Investeren in maritieme professionals’ — Marcel van den Broek, voorzitter Nautilus ‘Van Maritiem officier naar Maritiem ingenieur’ — Henny Krul, Opleidingsmanager Hogere Zeevaartschool Amsterdam ‘Automatiseren maakt mensen dommer’ — Niels Groenewold, CEO VT Group Bovendien lanceert Nautilus deze middag zijn eigen Werk- en Adviescentrum. Het bestuur verheugt zich op uw komst.

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat LNG het antwoord is op de emissie uitdagingen in de scheepvaartwereld?

Ja 60%

Nee 40%

De poll van deze maand is: Bent u van mening dat de EU ‘Naval Force counter-piracy Operation’ moet worden voortgezet, nadat het mandaat volgend jaar afloopt? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl_24.5.indd 32

z Launch of Nautilus Work and Advice Centre z Memorial Day on 4 May z Sustainable employability research

INTERNATIONAL

z Maritime career fair for youngsters z Launch of FNV Waterbouw displacement campaign

MOCE: ruim 3.500 jongeren op zoek naar een maritieme carriére A

Ships’. Belangrijk onderdeel vormde hier de uitslagen van een, met behulp van Nautilus, uitgezette internationale enquête onder zeevarenden, waaraan ruim 800 Nautilus leden deelnamen. Uit deze internationale enquête blijkt dat ruim 50% van de respondenten een toekomst met ‘zelfvarende schepen’ niet als positieve ontwikkeling ziet. Daarentegen is bijna 70% er van overtuigd dat (nagenoeg) zelfvarende schepen er aan komen. Zij het niet in 2020 al, zoals Rolls Royce voorspelt, maar pas over tien á vijfentwintig jaar.

Op 20 april vond in het WTC Rotterdam het 11e Navingo Maritime & Offshore Career Event (MOCE) plaats. Dit populaire Event is het carrièreplatform voor de maritieme, offshore en energie industrie waar werkgevers en opleidingsinstituten in contact komen met (young) professionals, starters, studenten en scholieren van alle opleidingsniveaus. De bijna 100 stands van bedrijven, scholen, media en andere organisaties werden druk bezocht. De zeevarende van de toekomst

Ook waren er diverse workshops, live talkshows en presentaties te bezoeken voor de ruim 3.500 jongeren uit binnen- en buitenland die Moce bezochten. Zo verzorgde een aantal studenten van de Rotterdam Mainport University (STC-GOUP) — in het Engels- een conferentie over de al dan niet zelfvarende toekomst van de toekomstige zeevarende: autonomous sailing and the future seafarer. De volgende onderwerpen, vervat in een aantal case-studies, werden hierbij belicht: Organizational Structure & Manning, Propulsion & Maintenance, Safety, liability & legislation, Detection, Interconnectivity, Calamities. g Zie ook: www. maritimesymposium-rotterdam.nl Enquête onder Nautilus leden

Juni 2016 presenteerden de RMU studenten al een gedeelte van hun onderzoeksresultaten op het Nautilus Symposium ‘Smart

Verrijkende ervaring

Nieuwe young maritime representatives gezocht gaat voor het 5e jaar A op rij op zoek naar maritieme

Nederland Maritiem Land

jongerenambassadeurs, die het boegbeeld van de maritieme sector willen worden. Deze zogenaamde Young Maritime Representatives (YMR’s) zullen zich een studiejaar lang onderdompelen in deze top-sector, met maar één doel voor ogen; jongeren interesseren voor een opleiding en baan binnen de maritieme wereld. Peter Paul van Voorst (23 jaar) is een van de drie huidige jongerenambassadeurs en mocht tijdens een live talkshow het startsein voor de zoektocht geven. ‘Het hele ambassadeurschap gaat mijn verwachtingen te boven. Ik heb veel bijzondere momenten mogen meemaken, zoals het ontmoeten

van de minister-president.’ Volgens hem staat de maritieme sector op het punt om revolutionair te veranderen: ‘Leerlingen die op dit moment een maritieme opleiding kiezen, gaan daar een enorm belangrijke rol in spelen. Er is zoveel ruimte voor innovatie, vernieuwing en vergroening, dat vanuit een maritieme opleiding veel carrièremogelijkheden zijn.’

g Enthousiaste studenten, afkomstig van maritieme opleidingen op mbo-, hbo- en universitair niveau, kunnen in aanmerking komen voor de functie van YMR. Geïnteresseerden kunnen zich tot vrijdag 9 juni opgeven via www.maritimebyholland.nl/ ymr2017, de jongerensite van Nederland Maritiem Land.

RMU student en presentator Christiaan Drent, moderator van de conferentie, alsmede ook presentator op het Nautilus symposium: ‘Er was nog nauwelijks onderzoek gedaan naar de toekomstige positie van de zeevarende. Wel wordt er erg veel gepubliceerd over de technische kant van de zaak. De enquête resultaten vormen daarom ook een waardevol onderdeel van ons RMU studieproject ‘The (semi-) autonomous ship’. Hoe ik zelf dit volledige onderzoek-project heb ervaren? Als een heel verrijkende ervaring. Je bent aan de ene kant met veel theorievorming bezig. Maar aan de andere kant kun je ook je eigen varende praktijkervaring toetsen. Of alles straks allemaal zelfvarend wordt? Ik denk zelf dat het meer geleidelijk zal gaan. Eerst semi-autonoom en wellicht in bepaalde sectoren, zoals de containervaart, uiteindelijk volledig autonoom.’

Vakbondsmarkt en catwalk op 1 mei viering FNV Dag van de Echte Banen. Ruim 5.000 leden F liepen mee in een Mars voor Echte Banen van het Op maandag 1 mei organiseerde de FNV de

standbeeld de Dokwerker op het Jonas Daniël Meijerplein naar het Museumplein. Daar was een vakbondsmarkt met — veelal interactieve presentaties over het werk van sectoren, netwerken en aangesloten bonden. Uiteraard werd er ook daar actie gevoerd. Zo pleitte FNV Mondiaal voor het vrijlaten van de Zuid Koreaanse vakbondsleider Han Sang-Gyun. Catwalk met successen

Bovendien werd er een indrukwekkende catwalk gehouden van mooie successen in de strijd voor Echte Banen. In de metaal, de thuiszorg en op Schiphol. Tevens werden de eerste generatiepacten

gevierd. Afspraken waardoor jongeren werk krijgen en ouderen hun werk kunnen afbouwen, met behoud van een redelijk inkomen en dito pensioenopbouw. Naast het ‘FNV Samen Sterk Koor’ was er ook indrukwekkende muziek van diverse jonge artiesten, aangekondigd door niemand minder dan DJ Giel Beelen.

uiteraard om Nautilus te vertegenwoordigen, omdat ook in onze maritieme sector ECHTE BANEN belangrijk zijn. De dag van de arbeid is in veel Europese landen en ook wereldwijd een feestdag. Maar dan vooral een dag die bedoeld was voor arbeiders van vroeger, om te strijden voor achturige werkdagen. Daarom geeft de dag van de arbeid mij een gevoel van internationale verbondenheid’.

Nautilus leden

Ook leden en bestuurders van Nautilus International waren op de 1 mei viering aanwezig. Lid van het Nautilus NL Youth Forum Johan van der Spek: ‘Het was best indrukwekkend. Een mars houden door de binnenstad van Amsterdam en daar onderweg openbaar vervoer en verkeer platleggen om een duidelijke boodschap over te brengen. Goed georganiseerd ook. Ik was er uit solidariteit en

Tegenwicht

FNV voorzitter Han Busker zei in zijn toespraak dat de FNV harder nodig is dan ooit als tegenwicht tegen werkgevers en politiek. Zeker nu een kabinet in de maak is dat de belangen van werkenden niet hoog in het vaandel heeft staan. ‘En werkgevers die zich niet aan afspraken houden, zullen de FNV lijnrecht tegenover zich vinden’, aldus Busker.

24/05/2017 16:17

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Dag van de Zeevarende op 24 juni tijdens Sail Den Helder A

Nautilus OR-Contactdag F ‘Leerzaam’, ‘boeiend’, ‘inspirerend’. Leerzaam rollenspel op 10e

Zomaar een paar reacties, door de

Telegraph opgetekend na afloop van de OR-Contactdag, die in mei in het STC Training- en Simulatorencentrum in Rotterdam plaatsvond.

De rol van de OR bij (voorgenomen) reorganisaties organiseerde Nautilus F International in samenwerking Op dinsdag 16 mei 2017

met Wybenga advocaten voor de 10e keer de OR-Contactdag. Bijna 20 deelnemers/OR/ medezeggenschap-leden, afkomstig uit allerlei bedrijven en diverse sectoren, namen deel. De OR-Contactdag is bedoeld om de banden met ondernemingsraden in de sectoren binnenvaart, zeevaart, offshore en waterbouw aan te halen en onderling ervaringen in de medezeggenschap uit te wisselen. Voorts worden altijd een aantal actuele thema’s behandeld. Ditmaal stond de rol van de medezeggenschap bij (voorgenomen) reorganisaties centraal. Rollenspel over reorganisatie bij fictief containerbedrijf

In de middag werd er, begeleid door twee ‘rollenspelprofessionals’, een interactief rollenspel opgevoerd. Verdeeld in twee groepen probeerden de deelnemers zich in te leven in een gesimuleerde situatie, getiteld: ‘Reorganisatie bij Supra Containers. Een greep uit één van de twee voorgelegde casussen: ‘ Supra Containers is een internationaal bedrijf actief in het containervervoer over zee. Voor de Rotterdamse vestiging heeft dit bedrijf een OR ingesteld. Deze OR heeft over het algemeen een goede relatie met de bestuurders van dit bedrijf. Nu heeft de Britse

moeder aangedrongen op maatregelen om de operationele kosten terug te dringen. In het kader van de efficiency wil men dat de activiteiten (crew management, technisch management en de afdeling contacten) vanuit België worden georganiseerd. De walmedewerkers van Rotterdam worden dan boventallig met uitzondering van vier werknemers. De bestuurders van Supra containers hebben een adviesaanvraag voor deze drastische inkrimping voorgelegd aan de OR onder oplegging van geheimhouding. De OR is kritisch over dit voorgenomen besluit en heeft een aantal keren om aanvullende informatie verzocht. Het traject duurt nu al bijna twee maanden. U bent één van de OR-leden. De bestuurders komen verhaal halen bij u als OR-lid. Het duurt ze allemaal veel te lang.’

De Nederlandse Dag van de Zeevarende vindt dit jaar plaats tijdens Sail Den Helder, op zaterdag 24 juni. Al vanaf donderdag 22 juni tot en met zondag 25 juni is iedereen van harte welkom op Willemsoord in Den Helder. De zeevarenden worden deze dag(en) uitgebreid in het zonnetje gezet. Nederland doet voor de tweede keer mee.

weer centraal…lonkt een nieuwe Gouden Eeuw?

Thema NAAR EEN NIEUWE GOUDEN EEUW…

Zware Kees

In de 17e eeuw waren de Nederlandse zeevarenden al overal ter wereld actief en tal van scheepsbouwkundige innovaties waren aan de orde van de dag. Nog altijd is Nederland een vooraanstaand land en ook in deze 21e eeuw vinden er weer tal van innovaties plaats, waaronder (semi) autonoom varen. Het alom erkende vakmanschap van de zeevarenden staat ook in deze tijd

Organisatie

De organisatie van deze door de International Maritime Organization (IMO) wereldwijd uitgeroepen dag berust voor Nederland bij de Vereniging Maritiem Gezinskontakt, Nautilus International, de KVNR en Spiritension.

In een drietal Pagodetenten en via tal van activiteiten kunnen jong en oud zich een beeld vormen van het leven en werken op zee. Zo is onder meer een fotoreportage te zien van de reizen van Zware Kees, de schrijvende kapitein, die ook columnist is bij Schuttevaer. En er zijn diverse films te zien, waarin ook zeevarenden en hun families aan het woord komen. Het werk van zeevarenden is vaak onzichtbaar. Hun schepen

Tijdens en na het rollenspel kregen de deelnemers de nodige tips en suggesties hoe om te gaan met een bestuurder, als ook met een emotionele medewerkster die verhaal komt halen, omdat ze een geheim stuk op het kopieerapparaat had gevonden. Ook over ‘hoe om te gaan met geheimhouding’ en daar goede afspraken, met name qua termijnstelling, over te maken, werden suggesties uitgewisseld. Ter afsluiting kregen de deelnemers een hapje/drankje aangeboden in het even verderop gelegen Hotel New York.

Bedankkaarten aan Zeevarenden

Centraal staat de zeevarende. De (aanstaande) zeevarenden worden in het zonnetje gezet door middel van bedankkaarten die iedere bezoeker ter plekke kan schrijven. Deze bedankkaarten worden uitgedeeld aan de zeevarenden die op deze dag aanwezig zijn. Daarnaast zullen ze in de week na 25 juni gestuurd worden naar de zeevarenden op de schepen.

Geef uw mening!

Het thema ‘gezond werkend ouder worden’ is voor veel maritieme professionals een hot item en een zorg. Onze beroepen zijn zwaar en we weten niet hoe lang we kunnen blijven varen, aldus tal van Nautilus-leden. Bovendien heeft de verhoging van de AOW-leeftijd er voor gezorgd dat ‘werkend ouder worden’ ook in onze sector een steeds belangrijker thema is geworden. Nautilus vindt ‘duurzame inzetbaarheid’ daarom een belangrijk onderwerp, dat hoge prioriteit heeft in het vakbondswerk. In ons nieuwe Nautilus adviescentrum kunnen werknemers terecht met transitievragen, dus ook rond duurzame inzetbaarheid.

Ook heeft Nautilus het initiatief genomen om de huidige duurzame inzetbaarheid van zeevarenden

te laten onderzoeken en om deskundige adviezen in te winnen over manieren en instrumenten om de duurzame inzetbaarheid te verbeteren. Zodat zeevarenden fit de finish halen. In hun eigen werk of elders.

z Voor de jongere bezoekers: allerlei leuke activiteiten, zoals trossen gooien en een zeemanshuis bekijken. z Zeebenen in de Klas ambassadeurs geven info aan de bezoekers over het beroep van zeevarende. z Film(s): een doorlopende voorstelling van verschillende films, o.a.: Kustwacht; Cargo; Zeebenen, The Letter. z Fleur van der Laan vertelt over haar werk als hoofdmachinist. z Er staat een KRAAIENNEST waarop iedereen zijn mening en toekomstideeën over de nieuwe ontwikkelingen ten beste kan geven. Sponsoring: Stichting Welzijn Zeevarenden, O&O fonds Zeescheepvaart, Nederlandse Zeevarenden Centrale, De Bock Maritiem.

Factor Vijf

Samen met de reders heeft Nautilus het gerenommeerde bureau Factor Vijf van Aukje Nauta en Cristel van de Ven ingehuurd voor dit onderzoek. Factor Vijf heeft een interactieve aanpak, zodat zeevarenden en hun werkgevers een actieve rol gaan spelen in het onderzoek. De kosten van het onderzoek worden gedragen door de Stichting Zeerisico 96, een sectorfonds dat bedoeld is voor financiering van projecten op het gebied van gezond en veilig werken in de zeescheepvaart. Als vervolg op dit sectoronderzoek kunnen werkgevers en werknemers de ontvangen

adviezen op maat toepassen in hun bedrijf. Vul komende zomer de enquête in!

Deel van het onderzoek is een enquête die komende zomer wordt verspreid onder zoveel mogelijk zeevarenden. Als voorbereiding hierop zijn de afgelopen tijd goedbezochte en zeer nuttige groepsinterviews afgenomen met groepen zeevarenden en groepen werkgevers. Doel van deze interviews was onder meer om de vragenlijsten aan te scherpen. U ziet de enquête komende zomer tegemoet. Input jongeren welkom!

Er is veel waardevolle input ontvangen op de vragenlijsten. Waar nog extra behoefte aan is, is vooral de input van jongere zeevarenden. g Meepraten als jongere? Meldt u dan snel aan bij infonl@nautilusint.org.

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.

Dodenherdenking De Boeg Herdenkingsplechtigheid 4 mei 2017 lijkse herdenkingsplechtigheid F Nationaal Koopvaardij Monument Op 4 mei 2017 vond de jaar-

32-35_nl_24.5.indd 33

Wat is er te beleven?

Onderzoek naar duurzame inzetbaarheid in de zeevaart

Fit naar de finish Geheimhouding

zijn ver weg. Staan wij daar ooit bij stil? Het overgrote deel van het Nederlandse publiek weet tot nu toe weinig van vervoer over water. De consument realiseert zich nauwelijks dat 90% van de goederen via schepen aangeleverd worden. Vanaf donderdag 22 t/m zondag 25 juni kan iedereen daarom kennis maken met de wereld van de zeevarende!

‘De Boeg’ plaats in Rotterdam. Nautilus voorzitter Marcel van den Broek was één van de aanwezigen en

Neem contact op met Hammad Uddin van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7324 2756 E: hammad.uddin@ redactive.co.uk.

legde tezamen met mw Elsa van Gelderen (Holland Branch van The Royal British Legion) een krans.

24/05/2017 16:17

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NL NEWS

Volg ons op Twitter

FNV Waterbouw verdringing campagne van start A

Na aﬂoop van het succesvolle Waterbouw Seminar in het Bagger Museum in Sliedrecht op 9 maart, besloten de daar aanwezige FNV Waterbouw leden dat het nu hoog tijd wordt om een campagne tegen de ‘Verdringing in de Waterbouw’ op te starten.

Arbeidsongeval en tuchtrechtelijke zaak

Kapiteins en scheepsofficieren zijn onderworpen aan het tuchtrecht indien zij handelen in strijd met de regels van goed zeemanschap, die zij in acht moeten nemen ten opzichte van de opvarenden, het schip, de lading, het milieu of het scheepvaartverkeer. Arbeidsongevallen die leiden tot de dood, een blijvend letsel of een ziekenhuisopname moeten direct door de werkgever gemeld worden aan de daartoe aangewezen toezichthouder, namelijk de Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport. Namens de Minister van Infrastructuur en Milieu kan de Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport een zaak bij het Tuchtcollege voor de Scheepvaart aanhangig maken door middel van een verzoekschrift. Arbeidsongeval

Dit gebeurde ook in de volgende, hier beschreven, zaak. Ons lid was betrokken bij een arbeidsongeval aan boord. Als gevolg hiervan moest een collega zeevarende opgenomen worden in het ziekenhuis. Ons lid was aan het varen toen hij via het thuisfront werd geïnformeerd dat er, naar aanleiding van het arbeidsongeval, per post een verzoekschrift met documenten van het Tuchtcollege was gearriveerd. Hierin stond dat een tuchtrechtelijke behandeling tegen hem was gestart. Tuchtcollege

Indien het Tuchtcollege bij de behandeling van het verzoekschrift tot het oordeel komt dat een aangevoerd bezwaar gegrond is, kan het Tuchtcollege een tuchtrechtelijke maatregel opleggen. Te weten: een waarschuwing, een berisping, een boete van maximaal € 4.500,- of een (deels voorwaardelijke) schorsing van de vaarbevoegdheid voor maximaal twee jaar. Er dient binnen zes weken een verweerschrift bij het Tuchtcollege ingeleverd te worden. De betrokkene bij een tuchtzaak kan zich door een raadsman laten bijstaan. Belangenbehartiging

Voor het laatste heeft ons lid zich gemeld bij zijn vakbond Nautilus International. Het bijstaan van leden voor het Tuchtcollege maakt onderdeel uit van het pakket aan dienstverlening voor Nautilus leden. Als belangenbehartiger hebben wij vervolgens het lid voor een persoonlijk overleg op het vakbondskantoor uitgenodigd om samen met hem het dossier grondig door te nemen en een verweerschrift op te stellen. Verweerschrift en repliek

Het verweerschrift wordt altijd, na

32-35_nl_24.5.indd 34

ontvangst door het Tuchtcollege, doorgestuurd naar de Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport, welke de gelegenheid heeft om hierop te reageren (dit heet: repliek). Na ontvangst van de repliek stuurt het Tuchtcollege een afschrift hiervan naar de betrokkene en zijn gemachtigde. Na verzending van het afschrift van de repliek worden de betrokkene en zijn gemachtigde in de gelegenheid gesteld een dupliek in te dienen. Dupliek en zitting

Ook hiervan werd in deze zaak gebruik gemaakt en na het indienen van dupliek werd er, rekening houdend met het vaar-verlof schema, een zitting bij het Tuchtcollege in Amsterdam gepland. De secretaris roept dan altijd de getuigen of deskundigen per aangetekende brief op en kan, indien zij niet ter zitting verschijnen, de officier van justitie verzoeken hen te dagvaarden. De voorzitter van het tuchtcollege heeft de leiding tijdens de zitting. De (raadsman van de) betrokkene heeft het recht als laatste het woord te voeren en gebruikt hiervoor een pleitnota. De behandeling op de zitting wordt afgesloten indien het Tuchtcollege van mening is dat het onderzoek is voltooid. Uitspraak

Het Tuchtcollege doet binnen twee maanden na sluiting van de behandeling op een openbare zitting uitspraak. De beslissing van het Tuchtcollege kan de volgende inhoud hebben: het onbevoegd verklaren van het Tuchtcollege; het nietontvankelijk verklaren van het verzoek of de klacht; het ongegrond verklaren van het verzoek of de klacht; het gegrond verklaren van het verzoek of de klacht. In deze zaak was de beslissing van het Tuchtcollege dat de tegen ons lid aangevoerde bezwaren ongegrond werden verklaard. Advies en begeleiding

Zoals u kunt lezen, is het belangrijk om als werknemer te weten dat er bij betrokkenheid bij een arbeidsongeval aan boord een tuchtrechtelijke zaak kan worden opgestart. Daarom is het belangrijk om lid te zijn van Nautilus International, zodat wij naast collectieve en individuele loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden voor leden, ook uw belangen op het gebied van tuchtrechtelijke zaken kunnen behartigen.

g Wij helpen u graag verder. Nog geen lid? Onze contactgegevens en meer informatie over een lidmaatschap kunt u vinden op onze www.nautilusint.org/nl.

FNV Waterbouw voorzitter Charley Ramdas: ‘Zoals bekend gaat het niet goed met de kwaliteit van de werkgelegenheid in de Waterbouw in Nederland. We zien de laatste tijd steeds meer dat werkplekken van Nederlandse maritieme professionals door vooral werknemers uit ‘lage lonen landen’ met onzekere contracten, worden ingenomen. Zo stromen kennis en vakmanschap weg bij onze eens zo trotse Hollands Glorie bedrijven. En worden hardwerkende medewerkers, die hebben bijgedragen aan het succes van veel van deze bedrijven, zonder blikken of blozen aan de kant gezet. Ook jong talent krijgt steeds minder kansen. ‘Dit moet stoppen!’…vonden onze leden terecht. Daarom gaan we nu met een online campagne van start om hiervoor nadrukkelijk de aandacht te vragen binnen de sector en richting de politiek. De campagne loopt door tot na de zomer.’ Op woensdagmiddag 17 mei a.s. vond, in het bijzijn van een aantal kaderleden en het FNV

Waterbouw bestuur, de aftrap van de campagne plaats. ANONIMITEIT GEWAARBORGD

Uw reactie op deze enquête, alsmede de

verwerking van de resultaten, is strikt anoniem. g Bent u ook tegen verdringing in de Waterbouw? Teken dan ook fnvwaterbouw.nl/enquete.

Afscheid Nick Bramley als ETF sectie-voorzitter Binnenvaart Nick Bramley, international F officer bij Nautilus International, voor

doelen voldoende tot ontwikkeling gekomen, maar de omstandigheden zaten dan ook niet mee.

Op 16 mei jongstleden leidde

de laatste keer de vergadering van de ETF-sectie Binnenvaart, in zijn functie als sectievoorzitter. Vooruitlopend op zijn pensionering in 2018 stelt hij zich niet meer beschikbaar voor een nieuwe termijn. Op het ETF (Europese Transport Werkers Federatie) Congres in mei 2017 zullen de voorgedragen leden vanuit allerlei secties worden bevestigd voor een termijn van 5 jaar. Daarna gaat het gewone sectiewerk weer verder. Hoe heeft dit sectiewerk van Nick er uitgezien in de afgelopen jaren? Nautilus bestuurder Carl Kraijenoord blikt terug:

Waardig afscheid

genoemde organisaties maar ook tussen ILO, EU, rivierencommissies, CESSNI en Aquapol.

Goede relatie met werkgevers

‘Nick heeft de rol van sectievoorzitter overgenomen in 2005. Hij heeft toen meteen werk gemaakt van het op de rit krijgen van de Sociale Dialoog. Uit enig rondvragen bij de diverse stakeholders in de sector komt naar voren dat hij veel heeft geïnvesteerd in een goede relatie met de werkgevers in de sector. Gesteund door een goed geheugen en vanwege zijn aanpak om zaken in een historisch perspectief te kunnen plaatsen, gecombineerd met gestructureerd werken en zijn typische droge Engelse humor, heeft hij veel zaken vlot kunnen trekken. Een aantal wapenfeiten zijn: gezamenlijke voorstellen voor Europese richtlijnen voor vaar- en rusttijden en beroepskwalificaties, maar ook de

Schijnconstructies in Riviercruise sector

invoering van de uitzonderingsbepaling Artikel 16 in het CASS. Tevens een door de EU gefaciliteerd onderzoek naar arbeidsomstandigheden en bemanningssterkte aan boord van binnenvaartschepen. Verder heeft Nick door de combinatie van zijn verschillende posities binnen ITF en ETF ook veel verbindingen kunnen leggen. Niet alleen tussen de

Een sector die door zijn toedoen goed onder de aandacht is gebracht, is de Riviercruise. Door zijn contacten met Malta en Cyprus is het onderwerp ‘schijnconstructies’ nog beter op de agenda gekomen bij die overheden en uitvoerende diensten. Ook binnen ITF en ETF heeft hij deze sector hoger op de prioriteitenlijst gekregen. Hiervoor zijn middelen vrijgespeeld waarvoor extra menskracht kon worden ingezet om de sector in kaart te brengen. Er werden tevens pogingen ondernomen voor georganiseerd overleg en het opbouwen van vakbondsmacht. Dit wordt allemaal gemonitord door een in 2007 opgerichte RiverCruise Working Group. Helaas zijn niet alle

Op maandagavond 15 mei werd door een internationaal gezelschap stilgestaan bij het aanstaande vertrek van Nick als sectievoorzitter. Hierbij waren vertegenwoordigers van de EU-commissie, CCR, Aquapol, ITF en de voltallige ETF sectie Binnenvaart aanwezig. Voor deze gelegenheid was er een receptie georganiseerd in een restaurant in de buurt van het ETF kantoor te Brussel. De gasten waren gevraagd om iets mee te nemen waaraan Nick ze nog lang zou kunnen herinneren. Uiteindelijk leverde dit een geslaagde avond op en een waardig afscheid van iemand die zijn sporen heeft verdiend in het internationale vakbondswerk in de Binnenvaart. Beoogd opvolger: Joris Kerkhofs

Zijn beoogde opvolger is Joris Kerkhofs, werkzaam bij ACV Transcom. Deze Belgische bond is aangesloten bij de Nautilus Federatie. Aan hem de moeilijke opdracht om zijn voorganger te overtreffen met resultaten op het terrein van de Europese ontwikkeling van de binnenvaartsector in het algemeen en in de riviercruise in het bijzonder. Hij kan die kar niet alleen trekken natuurlijk maar wel zijn stempel drukken op de manier waarop dit gebeurt.’

24/05/2017 16:17

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS

Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw In deze rubriek worden steeds vakbondszaken belicht waarin F Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw een actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van de leden.

ervan te doordringen dat er een halt moet worden toegeroepen aan sociale dumping, verdringing en aan de ‘race naar beneden’. FNV Congres

Dit keer betreft het: Nautilus, FNV Waterbouw en de FNV

Nautilus International, waartoe ook FNV Waterbouw behoort, is een zelfstandige internationale vakbond. De Nederlandse branch is tevens lid van de VLR (Vereniging Leden Rechtspersonen). Opgericht na de grote FNV fusie eind 2014. Toen fuseerden de vakcentrale FNV en FNV-bonden Abvakabo FNV, FNV Bondgenoten, FNV Bouw, FNV Sport tot een grote FNV-vereniging met 900.000 leden en bleven een aantal bonden, waaronder Nautilus, met samen ongeveer 200.000 leden, zelfstandig aangesloten bij de FNV. Deze (12) bonden vormen de VLR. Per 1 januari 2015 trad ook FNV Waterbouw, tot dan een partnerbond van Nautilus en FNV Bouw, volledig toe tot Nautilus International. Tegenkracht nodig

De FNV fusie kwam voort uit de signalering dat er een sterke tegenkracht nodig was tegenover goed georganiseerde, calculerende werkgevers en een overheid die maar door bezuinigt. Op landelijk niveau maar ook aan de basis in de sectoren en de bedrijven. Daarom koos de FNV ervoor mensen te organiseren in (inmiddels 14) krachtige en herkenbare sectoren, binnen één FNV. Per 1 juli 2016 maakt ook de meerderheid van de 28.000 leden van FNV KIEM, uit de sectoren grafisch, verpakkingen, audiovisueel, uitgeverijen, uitkeringsgerechtigden en ouderen, deel uit van de FNV. En ook FNV Jong fuseerde op die datum met de FNV. De jongste fusie van FNV met FNV Zelfstandigen vond plaats per 1 februari 2017. Eendracht maakt macht

In hoofdlijnen volgt Nautilus in Nederland het FNV arbeidsvoorwaardenbeleid en wordt er ook op andere gebieden gebruik gemaakt van elkaar’s sterke punten. Eendracht maakt uiteraard meer macht in vakbondsland. Daar waar er gezamenlijk kan worden opgetrokken, en dit meerwaarde heeft voor onze leden, gebeurt dit dan ook. Zo voerden Nautilus, FNV Waterbouw en de FNV bijvoorbeeld in 2016 gezamenlijk actie om bepaalde werkgevers in de waterbouw, de schildersbranche en in de bankenwereld, als ook landelijke politici,

Op 10 en 11 mei hield de FNV haar congres, waarbij ook een aantal bestuurders en kaderleden van Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw aanwezig waren. Iedere vier jaar wordt, op basis van uitgebreide input van de leden, het FNV meerjarenbeleid voor de komende jaren vastgesteld door het FNV ledenparlement. Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw heeft ook een vertegenwoordiger in dit ledenparlement, dat met de invoering van de fusie, als hoogste verenigingsorgaan, werd ingesteld. Tijdens het congres werd de koers van de FNV voor de komende jaren (2017-2021) besproken. Afgevaardigden van alle sectoren waren uitgenodigd om mee te praten en beslissen over deze koers. Er werd teruggeblikt op de mooie successen die de FNV heeft binnengehaald en inspirerende binnen- en buitenlandse gasten gaven acte de présence. Vakbondsrechtenprijs

Zo maakte de onlangs door de leden gekozen nieuwe FNV-voorzitter Han Busker op het congres bekend, dat de Febe Elizabeth Velásquez vakbondsrechtenprijs werd toegekend aan Han Sang-gyun, voorzitter van de Zuid-Koreaanse vakcentrale KCTU. Han Busker reikte de prijs uit aan KCTU vicevoorzitter Mr Lee Sang-jin omdat Han Sang-gyun niet aanwezig kon zijn. Hij zit in de gevangenis in Zuid-Korea…omdat hij opkwam voor de rechten van werknemers! Nieuw FNV bestuur

Daarnaast werd op 11 mei het nieuwe FNV bestuur (zowel dagelijks als algemeen bestuur) door het ledenparlement gekozen. Het algemeen bestuur stuurt de FNV vereniging aan en het dagelijks bestuur van de FNV voert het FNV beleid uit. Vacature algemeen secretaris

Voor de functie van algemeen secretaris FNV bestaat nog een vacature. Voor deze functie haalde de enige kandidaat niet de benodigde meerderheid van stemmen. Voor de functie van algemeen secretaris wordt een nieuwe procedure opgestart van werving, toetsing en verkiezing. Het dagelijks bestuur bepaalt binnenkort wie deze functie tijdelijk waar zal nemen.

Algemene Ledenvergadering Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden F

Op donderdag 22 juni aanstaande wordt de algemene ledenvergadering van het Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden gehouden. Locatie: café-restaurant Rustburcht, aan de Strevelsweg 744, 3083 AT te Rotterdam van: 13.00 tot 16.30 uur. Gepensioneerde leden van Nautilus International en/of de Nederlandse Vereniging van

Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij zijn tevens lid van de vereniging Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden. Zij worden van harte uitgenodigd voor deze ledenvergadering. De vereniging is statutair verplicht minimaal 1 maal per jaar een algemene ledenvergadering te houden om daarin verslag te doen over de gang van zaken in de vereniging en over het gevoerde beleid.

In lijn met de Nautilus campagne ‘Jobs, skills and the Future’ opent Nautilus International tijdens haar symposium op 20 juni 2017 het landelijk opererend Nautilus Maritiem werken adviescentrum. In samenwerking met de FNV en als onderdeel van de regionale FNV pilot in Rotterdam.

Investeren in maritieme professionals

De werkgelegenheid in de maritieme sector, zowel op zee als op de binnenwateren, staat onder druk. Niet alleen door de aanhoudende recessie in de Nederlandse scheepvaart, maar ook door het vervangen van Nederlandse maritieme professionals voor lagelonen-landers en de verdergaande automatisering. Voor werkenden die met werkloosheid worden bedreigd (6 maanden voor de 1ste WW dag) en werkzoekenden tot zes maanden na het intreden van werkloosheid is geen goede ondersteuning meer beschikbaar sinds de laatste ronde van grote bezuinigingen bij het UWV. Deze werknemers werden daardoor niet meer systematisch ondersteund bij het vinden van een nieuwe baan. Ontstaan adviescentrum

Carl Kraijenoord en Nautilus F kaderlid kapitein Harald Ludwig

Nautilus Binnenvaart bestuurder

waarschuwen voor toenemende onveiligheid in de riviercruise sector. Het NPO TV-programma

32-35_nl_24.5.indd 35

EenVandaag maakte hier een onthullende reportage over, die werd uitgezonden op 11 mei. g Kijk zelf: www.npo.nl/ groei-riviercruises-zorgt-voorrisico-s/11-05-2017/POMS_AT_8838676

Biizondere aandacht is er ditmaal voor het thema ‘De toekomst van het pensioenstelsel’, gepresenteerd en besproken door de heer Marc Heemskerk, actuaris van het Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor de Koopvaardij. Wij hopen onze leden te mogen begroeten op 22 juni.

Nautilus International opent Maritiem Werken Adviescentrum (regionaal en sectoraal) als hun broekzak. Al is het maar omdat zij overal leden hebben. Deze arbeidsmarktkennis gaat Nautilus in het adviescentrum inzetten. Bijvoorbeeld door mensen te wijzen op arbeidsmogelijkheden in groeisectoren. Of door hen in contact te brengen met leden in een andere sector, binnen of buiten de maritieme cluster. Om eens mee te lopen, of vragen te stellen. Doelstelling en uitgangspunt

Maritieme werknemers kunnen via het Nautilus adviescentrum sneller de strategie richting nieuwe baan inzetten, met meer mogelijkheden om hun eigen talenten en vakmanschap te kunnen inzetten. Dit op hun eigen niveau, met minder inkomensverlies en zonder eerdere investeringen in kennis en vaardigheden overhaast te vernietigen door werk te aanvaarden beneden hun niveau of in een heel andere tak van sport. Uitgangspunt hierbij is dat de werkzoekende zelf de regie heeft en de mogelijkheden die er zijn maximaal benut voor het kunnen maken van eigen keuzes in het vinden van werk. Trajectadviseur

Nautilus waarschuwt in EenVandaag TVreportage over onveiligheid riviercruise sector

Thema: de toekomst van het pensioenstelsel

Vanuit de afspraken in het sociaal akkoord van 2013 is de uitvoerende rol van de vakbeweging verder uitgewerkt. Als resultaat hiervan is er nu een subsidie regeling, waarmee er door de FNV landelijk vijf pilots voor regionale adviescentra zijn ontwikkeld. In Rotterdam is het adviescentrum een samenwerking tussen Nautilus International en FNV. Tijdens de uitvoeringsperiode, van 2017 tot uiterlijk 31 december 2018, zullen per adviescentrum 500 werkzoekenden begeleid worden. Hierna zal worden besloten of en in welke vorm deze adviescentra zullen worden voortgezet.

Tijdens het traject naar het vinden van werk is er vanuit de adviescentra begeleiding door

Meer informatie of een afspraak maken

Leden en niet leden uit de maritieme cluster kunnen bij Nautilus terecht als zij kampen met transitievragen. Over werkloosheid, maar ook over duurzame inzetbaarheid of loopbaanplanning. Voor verdergaande vakbondsdienstverlening moet men uiteraard wel lid worden. Onze collega’s van de FNV doen hetzelfde voor niet-maritieme professionals. Dus voor leden en niet leden uit andere sectoren in de regio Rotterdam, Dordrecht en Gorinchem.

g Voor meer informatie of een afspraak met het adviescentrum van Nautilus, neem contact op met Jelle de Boer via 010-4771188 of via infonl@nautilusint.org.

Volg ons op Twitter

Fit voor werk

Nautilus en de FNV zijn van mening dat vakbonden bij uitstek een partij zijn die mensen goed kan begeleiden om ﬁt te worden voor een nieuwe baan. Medewerkers van vakbonden kennen de arbeidsmarkt

adviseurs. Deze trajectadviseurs ondersteunen de individuele werkzoekende in zijn of haar werktraject. Het werktraject is gericht op verliesverwerking, zelforiëntatie (wie ben ik?, wat wil ik?, wat kan ik?, waar sta ik op de arbeidsmarkt?) en de vertaling daarvan naar concrete acties rondom werk zoeken of scholing. Er is een trainer beschikbaar, die tijdens het werktraject zowel de Nautilus Internationalals FNV deelnemers trainingen en tests aanbiedt.

Trajectadviseur Jelle de Boer

Wij hebben Facebook. Volg ons ook! Bezoek www. nautilusint.org

24/05/2017 16:17

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

APPOINTMENTS

ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ ,ĂƌďŽƵƌ DĂƐƚĞƌͬWŝůŽƚ &Ƶůů dŝŵĞ͕ WĞƌŵĂŶĞŶƚ ŽŶƚƌĂĐƚ ͮ >ŽǁĞƐƚŽŌ͕ ^ƵīŽůŬ ŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ ^ĂůĂƌǇ н ǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĞŶĞĮƚƐ About us The UK’s leading port operator, ABP operate a unique network of 21 ports across England, Scotland and Wales. Within our network we are proud to manage the UK's ďƵƐŝĞƐƚ ƉŽƌƚ͕ /ŵŵŝŶŐŚĂŵ͘ ^ŽƵƚŚĂŵƉƚŽŶ͕ ƚŚĞ ŶĂƟŽŶ͛Ɛ ƐĞĐŽŶĚ ůĂƌŐĞƐƚ ƉŽƌƚ͕ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůǇ ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽŶĞ ĨŽƌ ĐĂƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌƵŝƐĞ ďƵƚ ƵƌŽƉĞ͛Ɛ ŵŽƐƚ ĞĸĐŝĞŶƚ ĐŽŶƚĂŝŶĞƌ ƉŽƌƚ͘

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STCW COURSES AVAILABLE UPDATING COURSE WEEKS

PERSONAL SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES UPDATING £170

About the role ZĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ,ĂƌďŽƵƌ DĂƐƚĞƌ͕ ĚĂǇ ƚŽ ĚĂǇ ĚƵƟĞƐ ǁŝůů ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ƐŵĂůů ŵĂƌŝŶĞ ƚĞĂŵ ĂŶĚ ǇŽƵ ǁŝůů ŵĂŬĞ Ă ŬĞǇ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ƋƵĂůŝƚǇ DĂƌŝŶĞ ĂŶĚ WŽƌƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƚŽ ŽƵƌ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͘ zŽƵ ǁŝůů ĂůƐŽ ďĞ ƌĞĐĞŝǀŝŶŐ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŽ ďĞĐŽŵĞ Ă ĐŽŵƉĞƚĞŶƚ WŝůŽƚ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ W >ŽǁĞƐƚŽŌ , ͘ /ĚĞĂůůǇ͕ ǇŽƵ ǁŝůů ďĞ ŝŶ ƉŽƐƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ Ă DĂƐƚĞƌ͛Ɛ ĞƌƟĮĐĂƚĞ ŽĨ ŽŵƉĞƚĞŶĐǇ ;^d t ϭϭͬϮ ŽǀĞƌ ϯϬϬϬ 'dͿ Žƌ ĞƋƵŝǀĂůĞŶƚ ŵĂƌŝŶĞ ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ͘

19 June | 3, 10, 17 Jul | 7 Aug | 4, 18 Sept

FIRE PREVENTION & FIRE FIGHTING UPDATING £210 ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING UPDATING £185

STCW MEDICAL COURSES

PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT & RESCUE BOAT £210

MEDICAL FIRST AID £455 | 29 May | 19 June

1 DAY MCA-APPROVED FRB UPDATING COURSE WITH CAPSIZE DRILL £255

MEDICAL CARE £520 | 19 June |17 July

FOR MORE INFORMATION

E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore

/FleetwoodNauticalCampus

If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

&Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ĂƉƉůǇ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ǀŝƐŝƚ ǁǁǁ͘ĂďƉŽƌƚƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬͬ ĂƌĞĞƌƐͬ Žƌ ĞŵĂŝů W ŶƋƵŝƌŝĞƐΛĐĂƉŝƚĂƌĂƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ

WWW.BLACKPOOL.AC.UK

VESSEL SUPERINTENDENT Barrow-in-Furness, Competitive Salary Serco Marine Services delivers support services tailored to the customer’s needs all delivered within a national accreditation framework. As owners and operators of specialist vessels, from workboats to sea going vessels, we provide world class integrated marine services. We are currently seeking a Vessel Superintendent to deliver safe and efficient Technical Management locally, to the INS Marine Services contract, ensuring full compliance from both regulatory and contractual perspectives. Main Duties and Responsibilities include: ● Developing, agreeing and managing robust annual technical business plans and budgets for the INS Marine Services’ contract. ● Acting as the Marine business point of contact with Serco Technical Procurement to advise and recommend, where appropriate, optimum suppliers. ● Development and adaptation of technical Operating Procedures for the safety management system. ● Line management of staff as required Key Skills, Experience and Qualifications required include: ● Qualified to at least Class II Certificate of Competency and / or have a Degree, or equivalent, in an Engineering related discipline. ● Be a well developed engineering professional with an understanding and experience of engineering and technical processes in the Marine Industry. ● Project and programme management expertise. ● Relevant shore based technical experience to include, technical management, knowledge of port and vessel operations, maintenance, Flag and Class requirements/regulations. ● Detailed knowledge and experience of requirements covered by ISM, and

Looking for Something Different? Falkland Islands Government

Deputy Marine Officer/Deputy Harbour Master Salary £34,682 – £42,841

Applications are invited for the position of Deputy Marine Officer/Deputy Harbour Master for the Falkland Islands Government. As Deputy Marine Officer you will be involved in a broad range of policy development, operational tasks and regulatory functions applicable to the maritime and fishing industry in the Falklands. As Deputy Harbour Master you will be accountable through the Harbour Master for the safe and effective operation of Port Stanley and adjacent associated harbour areas. Following a recent review of maritime legislation the Falkland Islands Government will be implementing a modernisation programme to its maritime operations including the introduction of a Maritime Authority. The Deputy Marine Officer/Deputy Harbour Master will be a vital part of this modernisation programme and the position is seen as an exciting opportunity to be part of and contribute to the updating of the maritime administration of the Falkland Islands. The successful candidate will be required to hold an STCW 95 II/2 Chief Mates Certificate with at least 5 years relevant experience in marine operations. Experience and knowledge of the maritime regulatory framework applicable to Red Ensign Vessels will be seen as an advantage alongside previous work within a Harbour Administration or Authority. The appointment will be for a two year contract. In addition to salary, benefits include competitive tax rates, eligibility to a 25% taxable gratuity on basic salary upon completion of contract, a relocation grant, flights at the beginning and end of contract plus six weeks annual leave including return flights, to the country of recruitment, for the successful applicant and his/her qualifying accompanying dependants. For an application form, job description and further details please contact the Falkland Islands Government, Human Resources Department, email: recruitment@sec.gov.fk Tel (+500) 27421 For additional information please contact Capt. Chris Locke, email: CLocke@fisheries.gov.fk Tel (+500) 27260 Completed applications should be returned to the Falkland Islands Government, Human Resources Department no later than 30 June 2017.

ISO 9001 and 14000. For a full job description, and to apply, please visit www.nautilus.org/jobs

Nautilus recruitment.indd 36

Further information about the Falkland Islands can be found by visiting our website at

www.falklands.gov.fk

23/05/2017 11:38

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

APPOINTMENTS 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. For sea-going jobs apply at www.clyderecruit.com TANKER

RFA

Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Additional Fourth Engineer and Junior System Engineer required for both Oil Tankers and Gas Tankers. Operating worldwide. Various Clients recruiting with trip lengths and salaries varied. See website for full details.

'HFN 2IÂźFHUV with Masters unlimited CoC and (QJLQHHULQJ 2IÂźFHUV [MXL E 'LMIJ )RKMRIIV 'S' 7IGSRH )RKMRIIV 'S' ERH 7]WXIQ )RKMRIIV

)83 VIUYMVIH JSV ZEGERGMIW [MXLMR XLI 6*% *PIIX &IRIÂ˝XW MRGPYHI GSQTIXMXMZI WEPEV] TEMH ZS]EKI leave, 4:3 rotation including training, career average occupational pension scheme, fully funded study leave programme, world class comprehensive training programme.

&KLHI 2IÂźFHU with LNG or Oil Tanker experience (at least 24 months experience). Trips are 3 months on with 28 days leave per month served. 'LMIJ 3JÂ˝GIV YRPMQMXIH 'S' [MXL +EW SV 3MP (') )\GIPPIRX WEPEV] ERH FIRIÂ˝X TEGOEKI Permanent position. &KLHI 2IÂźFHU for Oil Tanker, must have at least QSRXLW I\TIVMIRGI EW 'LMIJ 3JÂ˝GIV SR XEROIVW LSPHMRK ER YRPMQMXIH 'LMIJ 3JÂ˝GIV [MXL 3MP (') it would be desirable for candidates to hold a 'LIQMGEP (') XSS 8VMTW EVI QSRXLW Permanent position.

4PIEWI RSXI JSV XLMW ZEGERG] 13( VIUYMVIQIRXW dictate when you join, you must have British Citizenship and have been living in the UK for EX PIEWX JSYV SJ XLI TEWX Â˝ZI ]IEVW Motorman required with either Crowd Management SV 'IVXMÂ˝GEXI SJ 4VSÂ˝GMIRG] MR 7YVZMZEP 'VEJX JSV %H ,SG [SVO SR 4EWWIRKIV *IVVMIW Chief and Second Engineers required for ad hoc (VIHKMRK ZEGERGMIW XLVSYKLSYX XLI 9/ [IIO trips, day rate available on request and travel paid.

UG 2IÂźFHUV with at least 6 months experience on tankers. Trips are 3 months with 23 days leave TIV QSRXL WIVZIH 33; (IGO 'S' [MXL +EW SV 3MP (') )\GIPPIRX WEPEV] ERH FIRIÂ˝X TEGOEKI Permanent position.

VIKING RECRUITMENT CREWING - EMPLOYMENT - PAYROLL ADMINISTRATION - TRAVEL CREW PLACEMENT & 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

For all shore-based jobs, please visit:

www.redtheconsultancy.com

T: +44 (0)300 303 8191 E: info@vikingrecruitment.com W: www.vikingrecruitment.com *SV 7IE KSMRK .SFW ZMWMX 'P]HI 1EVMRI 6IGVYMXQIRX

www.clyderecruit.com Glasgow +44 (0) 141 427 6886 Singapore +65 6299 4992

SEASCOPE RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS Need to do training? We also offer: Full STCW Course Crowd, EFA, Fire, PSSR, PST & PSA For other courses see website info@seascopemaritimetraining.co.uk

Need to do STCW Refresher? Fire & PST info@seascopemaritimetraining.co.uk

14 June 2017 is the closing date for July 2017. You can still advertise online at any time.

Are you ready for the New Season?

NEW JOB! NEW EXCITING CAREER! Be the ďŹ rst to hear about new job vacancies by registering at recruitment.seascopemaritimetraining.com or email Recruitment@seascoperecruitment.co.uk

MONAHAN ROAD, CORK, IRELAND

The Mainport Group is currently looking for an experienced Chief OfďŹ cer for one of their ERRV vessels â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ocean Speyâ&#x20AC;?. Vessel is currently working off the Irish South Coast. For job description and qualiďŹ cation requirements please call +353 21 500 4266 / 4214 or email crewing@mainport.ie Ideal Candidates would hold as a minimum an unlimited Chief OfďŹ cers COC. Highly competitive salary with 4 week on/off rotation. WWW.MAINPORT.IE Closing date for applications: Monday 10 July 2017

Nautilus recruitment.indd 37

@vikingrecruitment @vikingrec #talktoViking

Gdynia +4858 665 3860 Riga +371 6733 1357

Nautilus can help you make the most of your membership with Nautilus Plus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a special scheme offering members fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services. This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special deals include:

FPlus help you save money with exclusive offers on cars, foreign currency exchange and more. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on leave or out at sea, let Nautilus

CV Professionals Maritime & oĎ&#x192;shore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

NOTICE TO READERS Nautilus International advises members that some crewing agencies may not be advertising specific positions, but instead may be seeking to develop their databases of job hunters.

Make life easier with a FREE FairFX Prepaid Currency Card, normally worth ÂŁ9.95. Load your card with Euros, US Dollars and other major currencies at Log on to Nautilus Plus today to see more. highly competitive exchange rates and use it abroad like any other payment card. Avoid rip-off rates from Exclusive Car Discounts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, banks, high street bureaux de changes and airports, Mercedes... and discover the smart way to spend abroad. PLUS Nautilus Plus has teamed-up with Motor Source get ÂŁ5 extra free when you order your first card.* Group to offer great savings on brand new cars. Full g For more information log on to Nautilus Plus range of cars and finance, part exchange, nationwide delivery, and franchise dealership handover all MyCashbackCards â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Retail Cashback Need to update the decor in your house or even available.* catch up on some shopping while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at home? g For more information log on to Nautilus Plus With MyCashbackCards you can earn between 3% and 15% cashback at over 50 retailers including Nautilus Plus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mortgage Advice through LightTesco, Sainsburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Currys PC World, B&Q, Argos, house Boots, House of Fraser and H Samuel to name just Arranging a mortgage can be a challenge for seafarers because of their employment circumstances. a few*. The right mortgage can save you hundreds - someg For more information log on to Nautilus Plus times thousands - of pounds. Lighthouse can help g *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for members make sense of the market, sifting through details. Offers subject to change without notice. Holiday Extras - Some parking products will attract a lower level of discount. hundreds of options to find the best mortgage for Discounts are not obtainable on APH special offer products, the your unique circumstances*. Leeds Bradford Mid or Short Stay and airport owned products at g For more information log on to Nautilus Plus or Aberdeen, Birmingham, Exeter, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow, call 08000 85 85 90 and quote Nautilus London City, Luton and Southampton. Discounts are not applicaFree Fair FX Prepaid Current Card Travelling between different ports and countries makes it hard and expensive to be changing money.

ble for International lounge bookings.**Calls to this number cost 11 pence per minute, plus your phone providers access charge. FAIRFX - Subject to minimum load of ÂŁ50, â&#x201A;Ź60 or $75. New customers only. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL? Fill out an online application: www.nautilusint.org

23/05/2017 11:38

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes recently issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency include: MSN 1869 (M) Amendment 1 — Safety Management Code for Domestic Passenger Ships This notice reproduces and amends MSN 1869. The content can be summarised as follows. Under the Safety Management Code for Domestic Passenger Ships, companies must develop and implement: z a health, safety and environmental protection policy z procedures to ensure the safe operation of ships in compliance with relevant rules z lines of communication between personnel, ashore and afloat z procedures for reporting accidents z procedures for responding to emergency situations Companies are also required to ensure that all persons employed in the operation of the ships receive appropriate training for the duties they are required to fulfil. The changes in MSN 1869 Amendment 1 relate to points 14.1 and 14.2. The following is the new wording for these points: 14.1 An ‘initial audit’, to assess compliance as far as practicable with the Code, shall be carried out by MCA for each ship. Following satisfactory completion of this audit a Domestic Safety Management Certificate shall be issued to each ship. The period of validity of this certificate will normally be for five years and is subject to a mid-term audit which will be carried out by the MCA on each ship between the second and third anniversaries. 14.2 The onboard audit will be conducted by the MCA when the vessel is operational in all aspects and will be carried out at a mutually convenient time. It may be necessary for the vessel to be taken out of service for the duration of the audit including the drill. Some elements such as passenger boarding arrangement, mooring and navigation may be carried out in service. MGN 567 (M) — Life-saving appliances: marine evacuation systems, survival craft and launching appliances; risk mitigation for single point of failure This note details the process to be applied by ship operators to demonstrate the assessment and mitigation of the risk of a single point of failure leading to reduced abandonment capacity. It explains that certain passenger ships depend

on marine evacuation systems (MES) or launching appliances to deploy survival craft as the sole means of abandonment, and there may only be a single system on each side of the ship. It is possible that the incident that has led to the decision to abandon has, at the same time, caused damage to one of the MES or davit launching systems. In such circumstances, the capacity to abandon to a survival craft may be severely reduced. Where the failure of a single MES or launching appliance could severely reduce the capacity to abandon to survival craft, a risk assessment should be conducted by the ship operator through the safety management system. Identified risks should be mitigated and the safety management system updated accordingly. Plans should ensure that redundant capacity, which allows for the embarkation of all persons onboard, may still be achieved within the remaining survival craft or system. This might be achieved by the transfer of rafts, once deployed, from one side of the vessel to the other, or indeed fitting additional survival craft. The risk assessment should cater for all anticipated scenarios and conditions. During routine surveys, the MCA will expect to see that appropriate plans are in place if the potential for single point of failure has been identified through the risk assessment described above. MGN 567 provides ship operators with detailed actions they should take to mitigate the risk of single point of failure. In their risk assessments, they should consider: z operating profile of the ship (time of year, proximity to rescue) z anticipated worst sea state, sea temperature and weather conditions z ease with which survival craft may be transferred (due to weight or ability to tow) z suitability of rescue boat and bowsing arrangements for transfer in-water z nature of single point failure likely to occur with the system installed z number of persons onboard, ratio of crew to passengers and crew responsibilities z history of operation of the ship, and other vessels in the same operating area z integral redundancy of survival craft arrangements (fall-back modes, enhanced maintenance regimes, or layers of redundancy) z time delay to evacuation that may be incurred by the transfer of survival craft, and the availability of suitability trained personnel

z design and construction of the

ship, including residual stability Operators are also required to anticipate potential failure scenarios such as the failure of MES chutes to deploy or the failure of an individual survival craft after deployment. MGN 567 stresses that the outcome of a single failure could be much more significant than the simple loss of one survival craft and needs to be fully addressed in the onboard safety management procedures as well as the onboard complement of life-saving appliances.

Additional updates: MCA-approved service providers Last month, the MCA published several updates to its lists of approved service providers. These lists can be found by visiting the Agency’s website www.gov.uk/mca and entering the search terms given in bold type: z MCA approved doctors UK based A list of doctors in the UK who can carry out ENG 1 medicals. z MCA approved doctors: shipping companies A list of shipping companies and the doctors who are approved to carry out ENG 1 medicals for each firm’s employees. z Companies offering shore-based maintenance of radio equipment A list associated with MGN 417 (M+F), which notes that a self-certification process operates for the approval of global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) shore-based maintainers. z Recruitment and placement agencies approved by the MCA A table giving details for MCA approved recruitment and placement agencies. z List of authorised persons for radio surveys An international list of people who can carry out radio surveys. 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, or just enter the number of the M-notice into the search box on www.gov.uk. 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 Monday 2 October 2017 UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel Willerby Hull HU10 6EA The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people at sea. Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@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. UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon, 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with Dovaston Crew Carrer de Versalles 9A, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovastoncrew.com

THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575, 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International, Schorpioenstraat 266, 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team. For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454. Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges. In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing

Out of European office hours Contact the Nautilus 24/7 service g Go to www.nautilusint.org and click on the Nautilus 24/7 link to access our Live chat instant messaging service. You’ll also find a list of freephone numbers from 45 countries that you can use to call us free of charge. g Send an SMS text message to +44 (0)7860 017 119 and we’ll reply. g Email us at helpline@nautilus247.org. g Reach us via Skype (username nautilus-247).

trainee officers in line with all members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company. The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession. For further information, members should contact Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g MNOPF and NPA pension forums Tuesday 6 June 2017 at 1030hrs, coffee served at 1000hrs, and a light lunch will be served after the meeting. Hilton Hotel in Liverpool. Further meetings have also been scheduled for this year in 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. Port Klang in Malaysia recorded the largest growth in container traffic last year — a 10.9% increase. 2. Royal Caribbean International was the first cruiseship operator to appoint a female captain, in 2007. 3. Maersk acquired its first containership in 1973. 4. There has been an average of 1.7 major oil spills each year in the period 2010 to 2016. 5. The first Mauretania was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. 6. Furness, Withy & Co was formed in 1891. Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Fashionable; 7. Sip; 9. Palladium; 10. Terse; 11. Insteps; 12. Synapse; 13. Highlander; 16. Bend; 18. Mess; 19. Rolling pin; 22. Marconi; 23. Scrawls; 25. Impel; 26. Headstone; 27. Sad; 28. Second sight. Down: 1. Foppish; 2. Sales; 3.Isabella; 4. Nails; 5. Bombshell; 6. Extent; 7. Scrapheap; 8. Pretend; 14.Gastropod; 15. Neolithic; 17. Encrusts; 18. Memoirs; 20, Nascent; 21. Worlds; 23. Stain; 24. Wrong. This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph. Congratulations to Nautilus member Norman Macdonald, who has won the prize draw for the May cryptic crossword. Cryptic answers from May Across: 1. Once upon a time; 10. Install; 11. Rhubarb; 12. Half-truth; 13. Simon; 14. Padded; 15. Griselda; 18. Nightjar; 20. Cunard; 23. Scuba; 25. Gorbachev; 26. Arcadia; 27. Friseur; 28. Penny-farthing. Down: 2. Nestled; 3. Enactment; 4. Pull up; 5. Northern; 6. Truss; 7. Miasmal; 8. Wish upon a star; 9. Ebony and ivory; 16. Squeamish; 17. Langlauf; 19. Gouache; 21. Achaean; 22. Prefer; 24. Arden.

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.

38_infospread_SR edit.indd 38

infoch@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

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

g Professional & Technical Forum Monday 2 October 2017 UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange, Park Hotel Willerby, Hull HU10 6EA 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.

24/05/2017 16:18

June 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Ingrid Linschoten, assistant to the management committee, NL branch

Merchant shipping has been part of Ingrid Linschoten’s life for as long as she can remember. ‘My father worked for Nedlloyd and later became a marine pilot,’ she explains. ‘He was also active in the Dutch and European pilot associations. I remember him making copies of leaflets on an old-fashioned stencil machine, protesting about precarious pilot ladders.’ So it’s not really surprising that Ingrid ended up at Nautilus. ‘The opportunity to work for a nautical union and, in some way, follow in my father’s footsteps was too good to be true,’ she smiles. With several years’ experience as an administrator under her belt, she initially

moved into union work by taking a job at the Dutch builders’ union FNV Bouw. This had a section for members working in dredging — FNV Waterbouw — which became the focus of Ingrid’s work. In 2007, FNV Bouw and Nautilus NL formed a partnership for the benefit of members in the dredging sector, and since 2015 FNV Waterbouw has been fully integrated into Nautilus International. The section still retains its own identity, however, with a dedicated website and newsletter in addition to the usual benefits that come with Nautilus membership. When FNV Waterbouw moved to Nautilus, so did Ingrid. Based in the

Union’s Rotterdam office, she is an active member of the local gym and can often be spotted speeding through the port city’s streets with her running crew. At Nautilus, she continues to concentrate mainly on the dredging sector, where there’s plenty to do. My work is diverse,’ she says, ‘from organising meetings to managing the FNV Waterbouw website, to writing the annual report.’ One of her favourite aspects of the job is talking to members, she adds, and she is always ready to provide information and clarify complex rules and regulations. But she does worry about the members

sometimes! ‘Our dredging members are very loyal to their employers, which on the one hand is very positive but on the other makes it difficult to encourage them to stand up for themselves.’ Luckily, the members have Nautilus to stand up for them, and Ingrid supports her colleagues Sascha Meijer-Pieneman and Charley Ramdas to ensure the best possible pay and conditions are secured for dredging crews. ‘I am passionate about the dredging sector,’ she says. ‘It is a branch which is a symbol for Dutch ingenuity. As the saying goes: “God created the world but the Dutch created The Netherlands”.’

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.

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40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | June 2017

NEWS

Southampton handles record size containership pictured right arriving in the port A of Southampton last month and taking The 20,170TEU MOL Triumph is

the title of the largest cruiseship to visit the UK. The 210,678gt Marshall Islandsflagged vessel is the first in a new series of ultra-large containerships and has inaugurated the new AsiaEurope services operated by The Alliance consortium of Mitsui OSK Line, Yang Ming, NYK, K-Line and Hapag Lloyd/UASC. DP World Southampton says it is the only UK port currently handling vessels on services operated by the three major consortia of 2M, Ocean Alliance and The Alliance, and is due to handle the 20,568TEU Munich Maersk later this year. ABP Southampton harbour master Martin Phipps said it had been important to ensure that smaller vessels and leisure craft kept a safe distance from MOL Triumph as it transited the central Solent and Southampton Water. Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jailing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;violates ISMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Questions raised as Costa Concordiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s captain begins 16-year jail stretch

Nautilus has raised concerns after Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest court last month upheld the 16-year jail term imposed on Captain Francesco Schettino, master of the cruiseship Costa Concordia, which capsized in January 2012. The Court of Cassation rejected Capt Schettinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeal against the sentence which came after he was convicted in February 2015 of multiple homicide, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his vessel while passengers and crew were still onboard. Prosecutors had argued that the accident had been â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;of such immense proportions and characterised by such gross negligence and obvious procedural violationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that no mitigating circumstances could be accepted. But his defence lawyer accused the court of treating the master as a scapegoat and said he would

be studying the ruling in detail to determine whether there were grounds to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. And Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the case had highlighted the way in which ship owners and managers evade their responsibilities by agreeing a ďŹ ne through a plea bargaining agreement, which can leave masters exposed to incarceration for the failings of others as well as themselves. Mr Graveson said the ruling showed that the International Safety Management Code (ISM) is being ignored in both letter and spirit by companies and regulators. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The PR machine of the body corporate and the state mask their failings, as it was at the time of the Titanic and continues to this day,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he added. Arne Sagen, of the Norwaybased maritime safety organisa-

tion The Skagerak Foundation, said the core principles of the ISM Code had been infringed by making the master solely responsible for the accident, in which 32 people died. Mr Sagen said Costa Cruises had managed to evade responsibility by securing a plea bargaining agreement with the court and paying a â&#x201A;Ź1m ďŹ ne. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is a very questionable interpretation of the ISM Code, as the main intention behind the code was exactly to clarify who was the responsible body,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he pointed out. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The fact that the company made a plea bargain with the court should not release it from its legal and operational responsibilities.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Sagen said the ISM Code had been developed after the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster and had established the principle of

the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;designated person ashoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to have management responsibility for monitoring and auditing the safety of a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ&#x201A;eet â&#x20AC;&#x201D; yet the court had failed to consider the DPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in the Costa Concordia accident. He also accused the Italian authorities of failing to carry out a statutory qualiďŹ ed and impartial investigation of the navigational aspects of the accident, as required by the SOLAS Convention and the EU accident investigation directive. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Costa Concordia is now history, but as there are a great number of cruiseships with similar operational patterns, the same type of navigational equipment, unsafe operation of watertight doors, and the same unreliable system for passenger evacuation, this should be investigated to avoid recurrence,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Sagen added.

Officers sent to prison for fatal port collision jailed for 10 years after being F found guilty of culpable homicide

An Italian ship master has been

when his vessel struck a port control tower in Genoa in 2013, killing nine people and injuring four others. The court also sentenced the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief officer to eight years and six months in prison, while the chief engineer was given a seven-year sentence and a port pilot was jailed for four years and two months. The case was brought after an investigation into the incident in which the 40,594gt containership Jolly Nero struck the 55m control tower while manoeuvring in the port. Prosecutors said the ship was turning at an excessive speed, of 3.5

knots, and that crew members had been negligent for failing to alert staff in the tower to the impending danger. The four men were found guilty of multiple culpable homicide, causing a building collapse and endangering transport security. Relatives of the victims hit out at the courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to acquit Giampaolo Olmetti, a director of the Ignazio Messina company, which owns the ship. The firm was ordered to pay a fine of â&#x201A;Ź1.05m. Adele Chiello, the mother of Italian coastguard officer Giuseppe Tusa, who died in the accident, condemned the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unjustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sentencing. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The criminals are the company and its management,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she added.

Three-year sentence for second mate of ship that sank trawler officer who was serving on a F Turkish-owned cargoship that sank a A French court has jailed an

fishing vessel off the coast of Brittany 10 years ago. The Brest High Court upheld a three-year sentence imposed on Aziz Mirzoyev, the second officer of the Kiribati-flagged vessel Ocean Jasper for manslaughter and failure to assist people in danger at sea. The skipper of the fishing vessel Sokalique died when his boat sank following a collision with the 1,384gt Ocean Jasper some 60nm north of

Roscoff in August. Six other crew members survived, but the merchant ship was detained after allegations that it had fled the scene of the sinking. Mr Mirzoyev was extradited from Georgia under an international arrest warrant to face the court and was also banned for life from commanding any commercial vessel over 500gt. An arrest warrant remains valid for the Azerbaijani master of the Ocean Jasper, who was sentenced in absentia to four yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; imprisonment.

EAST COAST COLLEGE IS HERE!

GREAT YARMOUTH AND LOWESTOFT COLLEGES HAVE COMBINED FORCES

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really excited about the launch of East Coast College and wanted to let \RX NQRZ WKDW ZKLOVW RXU QDPH LV FKDQJLQJ \RX ZLOO VWLOO EH DEOH WR EHQHÂżW IURP our comprehensive range of STCW, GWO, Nautical Institute, OPITO and MCA approved training courses at our Lowestoft campus. We look forward to seeing you at East Coast College in 2017 www.eastcoast.ac.uk | 01502 525025 | maritime@eastcoast.ac.uk

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