Nautilus Telegraph March 2015

All go at Glasgow Big changes for nautical campus on the Clyde 24-25

Mersey meet You’re invited to the Union’s conference i-iv

NL nieuws Drie pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 32-34

Volume 48 | Number 03 | March 2015 | £3.50 €3.70

Shipping strategy reviews fuel hope of new measures Union backs Dutch and British moves to protect maritime sectors against global competition

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Nautilus is involved in top-level consultations in the UK and the Netherlands with the aim of securing fresh action to protect the maritime skills base in both countries.

The Union is taking part in the UK government’s Maritime Growth Study — an initiative which aims to identify measures that can be taken to ensure that the UK remains a major global centre for maritime services.

The study is due to report in the summer, but shipping minister John Hayes said last month that he was already hearing a ‘consistent message’ about the need for investment in people and training.

‘If we want Britain to prosper, British shipping needs to continue to thrive, and that’s why the maritime sector is a fundamental part of the government’s longterm plan to build a stronger, more competitive economy,’ he told the UK Chamber of Shipping’s annual dinner last month.

‘There is increasing competition to our place as a maritime centre,’ Mr Hayes warned. ‘But we know that world trade is expected to double over the next 20 years or so. So there are great opportunities and great challenges.’

Nautilus has met members of the team leading the Maritime Growth Study and is submitting evidence to the project, highlighting the critical need to increase seafarer training numbers to ensure that the supply of experienced maritime professionals keeps pace with demand.

General secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘We welcome the initiative to examine ways in which the UK can rise to the increasing challenge from other parts of the world, and we believe it is essential that there is a recognition of the importance of

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‘Just culture’ call for EU shipping cruiseship Costa Concordia was F sentenced to 16 years in jail, Nautilus One day after the master of the

took part in a top-level conference in Brussels last month to call for the development of an aviation-style ‘just culture’ in the shipping industry.

The European Commission seminar, attended by safety experts, shipowners and flag state authorities from across the EU, took place less than 24 hours after Captain Francesco Schettino was found guilty of multiple counts of manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing a maritime disaster at the end of a 19-month trial.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson told the conference that the threat of prosecution hangs over masters and officers and obstructs attempts to encourage ‘no blame’ reports of accidents and incidents to ensure that safety lessons are learned. g Full reports — page 44.

Inside F Rights to rest

Lawyers warned on risks of excessive working hours at sea — page 19 F Do you mind?

Training course to help seafarers spot the signs of stress among shipmates — page 21 F Mis-management

High levels of interest in seafaring careers were shown when Warsash Maritime Academy’s winter open day attracted more than 600 visitors — see page 20

seafaring skills and expertise in maintaining the UK’s long-standing lead in maritime services.’

In the Netherlands, Nautilus has been involved in a similar exercise to develop a new national maritime strategy. The policy programme seeks to safeguard the Dutch maritime cluster, which presently provides 7.3% of gross domestic product and employs around 440,000 people — 5% of all jobs in the Netherlands.

Infrastructure and environment minister Schultz van Haegen noted that Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, the Dutch fleet has the largest market share in Europe, and the country is world’s leading producer of superyachts. However, there is no room for complacency, with competition from countries such as Brazil and China, the minister stressed.

The Dutch maritime strategy

concentrates on six key themes: maritime education and training; innovation; trade; accessibility; safety and the environment; and security and stability.

Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek commented: ‘We have been involved in this strategy from the very beginning and we welcome its important recognition that the merchant fleet is at the heart of the maritime cluster and that the

cluster is vital for the national economy.

‘The Dutch maritime cluster is among the top three in the world, and it is something we should be proud of and should work to maintain,’ he added. ‘However, the strategy is simply just words at present and the big question is whether there will be any money to support it.’ g UK warned on seafarer training numbers — see page 3.

Can we find a more effective way for the ISM Code to improve safety at sea? — pages 26-27 F Subsea menace

How Germany’s U-boats threatened merchant ships a century ago — pages 28-29

18/02/2015 16:07

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NAUTILUS AT WORK

New hopes of an end to shore leave hassle

New set of UK-wide pension forums

developments affecting pensions at present, and Nautilus Unions, owners and governments aim to overcome obstacles to use of hi-tech seafarer ID cards F and the Merchant Navy Officers’ There are some major

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Nautilus has welcomed ‘positive’ progress in toplevel talks that aim to resolve long-running problems over seafarers’ rights to shore leave.

Nautilus took part in the tripartite meeting of employers, trade unions and governments at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) headquarters in Geneva, which agreed a common approach to improving ILO Convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents in an attempt to improve the welfare of seafarers while also helping to ensure high standards of security.

The talks identified proposals for amending the convention in a way that would improve the facilitation of shore leave and crew transfers for the world’s 1.5m merchant seafarers, while addressing the legitimate security concerns of governments. It is hoped that the recommendations — which will be considered by a future meeting of the ILO governing body — will help to

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson with Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union executive secretary Mary Liew at the ILO talks last month

secure more ratifications and more widespread implementation of ILO 185.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson described the meeting as ‘positive’ and said it had examined ways to address persistent question marks over

the technical standards for seafarer identity documents (SIDs).

‘We have now reached a consensus view that SIDs should follow the same standards as the new generation of e-passports,’ he explained. ‘Unless we do this, SIDs will never be embraced by

the main port states. Based on last week’s discussions I am optimistic that we will soon have a more widely ratified convention with the resulting greater surety over shore leave, repatriation and transit arrangements for seafarers without the need for visas or for lengthy visa application procedures.’

Dave Heindel, chair of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) seafarers’ section, said take-up of the convention has been ‘underwhelming’ so far. ‘These latest recommendations, which would bring seafarers’ identity documents in line with e-passports, should help persuade states that ratification is sensible and in everyone’s best interests,’ he added.

‘We hope that the major port and transit states will join us in reassuring the labour supplying states that their investment in seafarers’ identity document technology will not be wasted, and the original ideals of the convention will be met.’

In practice, the proposed agreement would mean the inclusion within SIDs of a facial image biometric and a digital signature — both stored on a contactless chip — making SIDs inter-operable with the infrastructure used by most countries to issue e-passports and to verify them at their borders. z European maritime unions and shipowners have jointly welcomed EU plans to address problems experienced by seafarers in obtaining visas for entry, re-entry or transit in the Schengen area. The European Commission is proposing to reduce the deadline for processing and deciding on visa applications and to make it easier to apply for them.

‘The EU has played a positive role in the ILO process, encouraging member states to ratify ILO 185 and in supporting the consensus on the required technical standards with the aim of helping to facilitate shore leave for seafarers,’ Mr Dickinson added.

River cruise pay cut protests campaign to protest about a Swiss-based F river cruise company’s move to pay its staff in Nautilus International has launched a

Euros instead of Swiss Francs — a switch that means a pay cut of more than 13%.

Viking presently operates some 40 river cruise vessels in western Europe and on 15 January — the same day that the Swiss National Bank (SNB) removed the Swiss Franc’s cap against the Euro — it announced employees on Swiss-flagged ships would have to accept payment in Euros at the December 2014 exchange rate.

Nautilus told the company that the decision amounts to a massive pay cut and transfers the exchange rate risk onto the employees. It is also unclear how the management foresees the correct payment of social security and pension fund payments.

The company claimed the move was justified by the introduction of a minimum wage in Germany. In a second letter, reacting to the growing dissatisfaction amongst the workforce, the management said that the change-over had nothing to do with the SNB decision, as it had already been decided upon in December.

The Union says the decision has placed pressure on the nautical crews who are currently onboard in the ships’ winter quarters, and those who have spoken out against the company have suffered repercussions.

Nautilus is urging the company to respect the existing Swiss contracts of employment, to withdraw its unlawful plans and reinstate of all employees sacked or suspended following their rejection of the company’s decision.

‘The majority of the boatmen have rejected the plans of the company, formed their own network and involved Nautilus,’ said Nautilus

national secretary Holger Schatz. ‘One alleged “ringleader” has already been fired and others have been threatened with the same fate.

‘All of this is hard to understand, as the company is currently booming and the greater part of its income is in the form of US dollars and pounds sterling,’ he added. ‘At the same time the company of course wants to profit from Switzerland’s lower company tax and social security contributions — all paid in Swiss francs.’

The Union is planning to raise the issue with management and guests at the launch of the company’s new vessels in Amsterdam, in March.

Top captain suspended for contacting the Union has been employed by Viking F River Cruises since 2008, and since Harald Ludwig, pictured left,

2013 he has been a corporate captain — the ‘captain of captains’.

But on 15 January, along with other staff serving with the company, Capt Ludwig received a pay slip in Euros. ‘We had no warning or prior communication from the company,’ he said.

‘We thought there had been a problem and contacted the company, who then told us of the change.

‘I had a meeting with management and they said that it was not my place to argue as it was in

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line with German legislation and I live in Germany.

‘But I have a Swiss contract, and my salary has been in Swiss Francs ever since the company moved their head office to Basel two years ago. I couldn’t see what German law had to do with it.’

Capt Ludwig and some of his colleagues then contacted Nautilus to see what the Union could do to help.

‘When the company found out I had contacted the Union they suspended me,’ he added. ‘I am currently speaking with the lawyers, but I don’t expect to go back and my contract expires in May.’

Capt Ludwig says he is worried about the impact that this will have on his future, as the river cruise industry on the Rhine is a small one and all the companies know each other.

‘I am lucky that I have good qualifications and a licence for the whole of the Rhine, but the companies that work here are often family-owned and they will all be talking together about what has happened,’ he adds.

‘I think I will end up having to look further afield for my next role. The future is uncertain and I will have to wait and see.’

Pension Fund are organising a series of UK-wide meetings to enable members to get the latest news and to ‘meet the experts’.

The joint MNOPF/Nautilus pension forums are to be held at venues around the country over the next two years.

The first forum will be held in Newcastle on Thursday 5 March, starting at 1000hrs, at the Vermont Hotel, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1RQ. Tea and coffee will be served on arrival, after which the meeting will be hosted by the Nautilus Pensions Association, represented by Nautilus assistant general secretary Mike Jess (who is vice-chairman of MNOPF) and senior industrial organiser Ronnie Cunningham.

The Fund will be represented by the chief executive, Andrew Waring, and communications director Phil Boyle. After the formal meeting, a light lunch will be served, where members can talk to the representatives. z Any members wishing to attend this event must register — either by logging onto: https://eventbrite. co.uk/event/15450722527/ or by calling +44 (0)1293 804 644. g Further meetings have been scheduled for: May 2015, Southampton; September 2015, Aberdeen; January 2016, Dover; March 2016, Hull; June 2016, Cardiff; September 2016, London; January 2017, Glasgow; March 2017, Belfast; June 2017, Liverpool, and September 2017, Plymouth. Check the Nautilus website or future Telegraphs for venue details.

Retirement advice day at Wallasey approaching the retirement F age — or even already picking up Are you a Nautilus member

your pension? If so, you are welcome to attend a special retirement information and advice day, being organised by the Nautilus Welfare Fund on 17 April.

Taking place at the Union’s welfare complex at Mariners’ Park, Wallasey, the event will run from 1030hrs to 1630hrs. Light refreshments will be available throughout the day and transport will be provided from New Brighton train station and the Seacombe Ferry.

Experts will be available to discuss issues such as managing finances, healthy living and benefits advice. Tours of the residential facilities at Mariners’ Park — including the new Trinity House Hub — will also be offered. g For further information, contact Jane Davies on +44 (0)151 346 8840 or email jdavies@nautilusint.org

18/02/2015 16:07

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports MASTER JAILED: the captain of a passenger ferry has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in jail for his role in a fatal collision in Hong Kong in 2012. Captain Lai Sai-ming was convicted on 39 counts of manslaughter and for endangering the safety of others at sea when his vessel, Sea Smooth, struck another passengership. The master of the other vessel was acquitted of manslaughter charges but was sentenced to nine months in jail after being found guilty of endangering the safety of others at sea.

DP WORRIES: Nautilus has raised concerns with the Nautical Institute after members reported problems with the Institute’s revalidation process for DP certificates. The Union has been given clarifications about the system and has been assured that steps are being taken to resolve the difficulties. Members are advised to contact the Nautilus professional and technical department if the problems do persist.

Dinner date for Foundation’s top trainee officers Foundation (MEF) officer A trainees attended the UK Chamber Seven Maritime Educational

of Shipping’s annual dinner after being chosen as a result of their outstanding college reports and sea service testimonials.

Kate Gillespie, MEF strategy manager, said the cadets had been

selected to show the up and coming talent within the UK shipping industry and to demonstrate the dedication and enthusiasm of the new generation of British seafarers.

‘They did us proud at such a prestigious forum, and the trainees are already vying for position for next year’s dinner,’ she added.

Pictured, left to right, are: Kate Gillespie; Mike Cresswell, Phase 5 ETO Chiltern Maritime, South Tyneside; Joshua Finch, Phase 4 Engineer Bibby Ship Management, Fleetwood; Madison Romano, Phase 3 Engineer Bibby Ship Management, Warsash; Charlotte Ramsden, Phase 4 Deck Chiltern,

Liverpool John Moores University; Jamie Loftus-Burke, Phase 3 ETO SSTG, South Tyneside; Adam Skevington-Roberts, Phase 6 Deck SSTG, South Tyneside; Mike Jess, Nautilus assistant general secretary and MEF chairman; Daniel Roberts, Phase 5 Engineer SSTG, Glasgow; and Glenys Jackson, MEF director.

UK training aid ‘needs to rise’ All sides of the industry urge minister to end decline in the value of SMarT

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Nautilus has welcomed a call from the president of the UK shipowners’ organisation for the government to do more to support British seafarer training.

In a speech to the Chamber of Shipping’s annual dinner last month, president Marcus Bowman argued that the value of the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme has to increase if the UK is to create a new generation of seafarers.

However, he warned, the UK has become the second most expensive country in the world in which to train seafarers and the value of SMarT funding has fallen from half the costs of training to barely one-third over the past 20 years.

‘There is a global shortage of seafarers,’ Mr Bowman said. ‘We know we have the best training institutions and colleges in the world. If we don’t plug that gap, someone else will. So it is for us to act.’

Mr Bowman said the government’s Maritime Growth Study offered the industry ‘a once in a generation’ opportunity to maintain and improve the UK’s maritime sector.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson backed his comments. ‘I like the tone and ambition of the president’s speech, and we stand fully behind the own-

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Shipping minister John Hayes speaks at the UK Chamber of Shipping dinner Picture: Stephanie Kenyon

ers in urging the government to ensure that SMarT covers 100% of training costs, in line with the assistance given in many other European countries. However, we also need to ensure that support is closely linked with jobs — and in particular for newly-qualified British officers.’

Mr Dickinson said he also welcomed Mr Bowman’s call for action to encourage a new generation of British shipowners. ‘We certainly want to see more homegrown shipping — but what about the two-thirds of British-owned tonnage which continues to operate under foreign flags?

‘Nautilus continues to believe that there should be a renewed and strong industry partnership to address the employment and training issues that confront us, and we share the Chamber’s hope that the government’s Maritime Growth Study will deliver the measures that we need for a sustainable future,’ he added.

The Chamber’s warning came as new official statistics showed the first annual increase in the number of UK seafarers active at sea since 2010. According to the Department for Transport analysis, there were 22,910 UK officers and ratings working at sea last

year — compared with 22,840 in 2013. The number of officer cadets in training totalled 1,940 — the second highest since the SMarT scheme was introduced in 1998.

A 16% increase in the number of uncertificated officers — from 1,410 to 1,650 — accounted for much of the increase. The number of engineer officers increased by 7%, but the number of deck officers decreased by 5% during the year.

Mr Dickinson said it was clear that training numbers need to increase even further. Research published by the Maritime Charities Group last month showed that on current trends the number of serving UK seafarers could fall by around one-third between now and 2040. z The RMT union has warned that the number of serving British seafarers ‘is in potentially terminal decline’ — and that the country will suffer from a serious maritime skills shortage by the beginning of the next decade if the ageing profile of the workforce is not reversed.

In a ‘maritime manifesto’ published last month, the RMT called for further improvements to the SmarT scheme, measures to protect UK-flagged and crewed ships serving on island cabotage services, and legislation to keep the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in the public sector.

CO-OP CHALLENGE: SCOP, the workers’ cooperative crewing the ships in the MyFerryLink service, has won appeal court permission to challenge the Competition & Market Authority’s decision to ban the company from operating on the Dover-Calais route.

The co-op says it is also seeking to make a bid to buy the company, which has been put up for sale by Eurotunnel following the CMA decision.

GROUNDING ALERT: tugs, lifeboats and pollution prevention teams were called out last month after a 7,409gt cargoship ran aground off the coast of Scotland. The UK-flagged Lysblink Seaways ran onto rocks near Ardnamurchan Point at around 0200hrs during a voyage from Belfast to Skogn in Norway with a cargo of paper. Nine crew were onboard at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported.

TUG APPEAL: Nautilus members have been asked to help ‘crowdfund’ the £12,000 costs of the ‘little ship’ steam tug Challenge to participate in the events to mark the 75th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation. The appeal is being organised by retired Nautilus member and former chief engineer John Trute. Check out the crowdfunder.co.uk website, under the project name Dunkirk 75.

CAPTAIN FINED: the Taiwanese master of a bulk carrier was fined A$8,500 (€5,823) last month for attempting to navigate the Great Barrier Reef without a pilot. Captain Lu Chih-Ming was prosecuted after his ship, the 154,191dwt China Steel Developer, was spotted by vessel traffic services in the compulsory pilotage area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

STENA SCRUBBERS: the Stena Line ferries Stena Transit and Stena Transporter are set to become the first ships to be retrofitted with a new Wärtsilä in-line closed loop gas scrubber system. The ships, which operate between Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands and Killingholme in the UK, will be retrofitted between the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016.

CAMMELL CONTRACT: the Birkenhead-based Cammell Laird shipyard has secured a £5.7m newbuild ferry contract with the Northern Ireland Executive.

The yard will build a new passenger ferry to replace the existing vessel operating between Strangford and Portaferry in County Down, Northern Ireland, with delivery due by August 2016.

INDIAN ARREST: a Russian cargoship was arrested by India’s coast guard following an 11-hour sea chase after it defied an arrest order last month. The 6,714gt Sevastopol was seized more than 200km off the Indian coast after leaving an anchorage off Mumbai, where it had been under arrest in a commercial dispute with NTC Logistics.

BASEL SHOW: an innovative exhibition is being staged at the Museum Kleines Klingental on the banks of the Rhine in Basel, using packaging cases to display information about the area’s biggest industries – including the inland navigation sector.

18/02/2015 17:50

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

Nautilus unveils busy training programme

MEDWAY CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim seeking an above-RPI increase has been submitted on behalf of members employed by the Port of Sheerness and serving as VTS officers in the Medway Navigation Service. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder is seeking a meeting with the company to discuss the claim.

CEMEX IMPROVEMENTS: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Cemex UK Marine. The claim includes a substantial above-RPI pay rise, and improvements to pilotage payments provision, food budgets, internet and TV facilities, and leave.

WESTERN MEETING: industrial organiser Gary Leech has met Western Ferries management to discuss members’ pay and conditions claim. The company advised that it would write to employees and the Union with a formal offer and this will be circulated for consultation as soon as it is received.

TANKERS IMPOSED: a 1% pay rise has been imposed by Maersk Offshore for members serving on tanker vessels. National secretary Steve Doran has urged members to take part in the Partnership at Work committee ahead of future talks with the company.

ABSOLUTE REQUEST: a claim for an aboveRPI pay rise has been submitted on behalf of members serving with Absolute Shipping. Industrial organiser Lisa Carr is currently arranging a date to meet the company to begin discussions.

ROPAX MAX: a 1.5% pay offer has been accepted by members employed by Stena Marine Management and Meridian Shipping Services and serving onboard ro-ro and ro-pax ferries.

PRINCELY CLAIM: a claim for a substantial above-RPI pay rise has been submitted on behalf of members employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving onboard Prince Madog.

CAR CONCLUSION: members employed by UECC have accepted a 1% pay increase after the company confirmed it was the ‘full and final’ offer.

WINDSTAR ACCEPTANCE: members employed by Windstar Management Services have accepted a revised pay and conditions offer giving a 3% base wage increase.

INTRADA INCREASE: a claim seeking an above-RPI pay rise has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Intrada Ships Management.

HANSON RESULT: members have accepted a 2.75% pay offer from Hanson Ship Management in conclusion of the 2015 pay and conditions negotiations.

MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD complete service for mariners run by certificated ex-officer qualified accountants always available computerised 100% claims and forecast projection will writing service available 26 High Street, Barry CF62 7EB, South Glamorgan, UK Tel. Barry (01446) 739953 MARINETAX@YAHOO.COM Established 1974

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of dates for member training F courses in 2015, including essential

Nautilus has confirmed a series

FLisa Carr met Thames Clippers Nautilus industrial organiser

members to discuss the company’s revised pay and conditions offer last month.

The offer — which was accepted by members — included a 2.5% increase in pay, enhancements to the sick pay entitlement and recognition for formal qualifications.

Recruit a colleague and you could get a reward There’s a chance to win a £100 voucher in new membership initiative

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Recruitment of new members is vital for Nautilus — the more members the Union has, the more influence we can have with employers and legislators, and the better terms and conditions we can achieve for our members.

And now the incentive to help with recruitment is even greater.

Nautilus is re-launching its ‘introduce a colleague’ scheme this month, where existing members who encourage a workmate to join the Union will receive a £25 Marks & Spencer gift card.

And they’ll also be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win an additional £100 voucher.

‘It’s easy to take part,’ explains

Nautilus has been presented

Jude Rosset T: 020 7880 6217 E: jude.rosset@ redactive.co.uk

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Lee Moon. ‘Members contact us with the name and contact details for the colleague they want to introduce, and as soon as their colleague has been in membership for three months, we’ll send them a gift card.’

Members can email or call the Union with their colleague’s details, or simply download an application form from the website for them to complete and add their own details in the ‘How did you hear about Nautilus International’ section. Members will be emailed an ‘introduce a colleague’ voucher which can be used to submit details, but the claim will not be processed until the full appli-

cation form has been received.

The gift card will be sent to the existing member once three months’ full member subscription payments have cleared for the colleague introduced.

‘There is no maximum amount of vouchers that one member can claim — the more members recruited the better,’ added Mr Moon. ‘As long as the criteria for the incentive are met, then I’ll send vouchers!’

In order to claim a £25 voucher the new member must: z be applying for membership at the full subscription rate z be in continuous membership for three months z not have been a member at any

point during the offer period

z not be applying for cadet/

trainee membership The voucher will be issued once three months’ subscription has been received from the new applicant. The member claiming the voucher must have supplied details of their membership (name and membership number) before or at the time that their colleague applied for membership and have been in continuous membership for three months.

This offer runs from 1 March to 30 December 2015. One entry will be selected at random for an additional £100 prize during the Nautilus Council meeting in March 2016.

Final RFA future plan imminent with alternative proposals for A changes to allowances for members

To find out about advertising opportunities in the Telegraph contact:

Ms Carr said that whilst she was pleased the company had improved the sickness scheme, she would be looking to increase this further at the next pay and conditions review due on 1 January 2016.

Pictured (left to right) are, back row: Scott Eames, Geoff Symonds, Terry Brown, James Burr; and front row: Lisa Carr, Ben Gordon, Malkeet Singh-Virdi.

and advanced lay reps training as well as the Maritime Labour Convention.

A date has now been confirmed for a new lay reps’ forum — due to run in conjunction with the Union’s General Meeting in October — to bring Partnership at Work delegates and liaison officers together to discuss how best to deal with workplace issues and represent members.

The forum will also consider recent changes to UK employment law, discuss best practice for encouraging participation among members and share campaign ideas for the future.

The forum will take place on Monday 5 October at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool and all lay reps are encouraged to remain for the

General Meeting, which takes place at the same venue from Tuesday 6 to Wednesday 7 October.

The full list of training dates is: z Essential lay reps — 30 March to 1 April in Wallasey z Maritime Labour Convention 2006 — 27 to 28 May in Wallasey z Essential lay reps — 17 to 19 June in London z Lay reps forum — 5 October in Liverpool z Maritime Labour Convention 2006 — 13 and 14 October or 26 and 27 October in Rotterdam z Advanced lay reps — 18 to 20 November in Wallasey gFor more information or to book, contact Lee Moon on +44 (0) 151 639 8454, email membership@ nautilusint.org or visit the website www.nautilusint.org

serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), ahead of a formal response from the government minister on the Future Development Programme.

The proposals include changes to the way some allowances will be incorporated into salaries, allowing staff to retain the value of lost allowances and the option for a ‘buyout’ of the allowances, resulting in a lump sum non-consolidated payment.

Members were invited to comment on the proposals to inform the eventual final consultation — which is expected to take place within the next few weeks — and many felt that the proposals still fell short of expectations.

Some members felt that the concessions were too heavily weighted in favour of ratings and overlooked the concerns of officers. Others raised

concerns that the changes did not go far enough to ensure that recruitment and retention issues would be addressed.

Members also raised concerns about the lack of feedback they had received when such issues had been raised during the consultation process.

‘I am very pleased that members continue to engage in this process and have provided useful feedback which I have passed on to Commodore Dorey,’ said Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard. ‘It is vital that members continue to raise their concerns and vote when the final Future Development plan is put to them in the near future.

‘Recruitment of other officers into the Union also remains vital,’ he added. ‘The more officers’ views we represent, the stronger the message that we can put to RFA management and the Ministry of Defence.’

Rights at work seminar senior assistant organiser F Danny McGowan, head of legal

Pictured above are Nautilus

services Charles Boyle, national secretary Jonathan Havard and industrial organiser Paul Schroder at an Institute of Employment Rights seminar on employment law last month.

The event was attended by trade unionists and leading lawyers from across the UK. The Nautilus representatives highlighted the case for removing fees for employment tribunals and for protection against unfair dismissal to begin from day one in the job.

‘It was extremely interesting, with some very knowledgeable speakers,’ said Mr Boyle. ‘Many aspirations were raised calling for improved employment rights for workers. One of the key themes was the importance of collective bargaining and the introduction of a positive right to strike.

‘At the moment the UK provides immunity from legal action when unions abide by extremely onerous balloting requirements, which is different from a positive right to strike,’ he pointed out. ‘There were also concerns about the current statutory recognition procedures.’

18/02/2015 17:49

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Concern as CalMac tendering kicks off Unions meet ministers and MSPs to press for safeguards on jobs and terms

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The first stages in the tendering of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services have begun — and Nautilus is involved in a series of meetings to ensure that members’ jobs and conditions are protected in the process.

The Scottish government last month invited potential bidders to register an interest in taking on the next contract, which will start in October 2016 and will run for eight years.

Ministers said that up to £1bn worth of funding would be provided ‘to support the enhancement and development of these lifeline ferry services’ over this period.

Announcing the start of the process, transport minister Derek Mackay stressed that there would be no ‘unbundling of services’ and that the tender will be taken forward as a single contract.

‘We are now focused on ensuring a fair and open competition that leads to getting the very best deal for all of the communities of the Clyde and Hebrides,’ he added.

The minister said that extending the contract from six to eight years would make it more attractive to potential bidders and would give operators ‘more

CalMac union officials and member reps following the Scottish TUC-organised meetings with MSPs last month

opportunity to deliver service improvements and efficiencies over the course of the contract’.

Under the schedule announced last month, a shortlist of bidders will be asked to submit bids in June, with final tenders to be submitted by the end of January 2016.

The award of the new contract is set to be announced in May next year.

Nautilus is working with the RMT and the TSSA unions, along with the Scottish TUC, to push for safeguards to protect members.

In particular, they are calling for

clarity over pension entitlements and protection of current terms and conditions.

The unions are meeting ministers and MSPs to express concerns over the tendering process — including the threat of bidders using the ‘exploitative’ working practices found in other parts of the industry and diluting the current commitment to training UK seafarers.

Unions continue to argue that the tendering process is ‘unnecessary, expensive, disruptive and pro-privatisation’. They have warned MSPs of the risk that oper-

ators may be able to sub-contract less profitable routes, leading to a two-tier service and fragmenting terms and conditions of employment.

Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth commented: ‘It is very clear that we have a long and difficult struggle ahead of us. We have told the politicians that we are here to protect our members’ interests and that we are determined to ensure that employment and pension safeguards are at least as robust as those contained in the previous contract.’

Union seeks clarity on Stena Line pay offer secretary Garry Elliott, national F ferry organiser Micky Smyth and Nautilus senior national

Stena Line liaison officers have met management to continue negotiations on future cost savings and changes to terms and conditions.

The company has tabled a pay offer worth 3% over two years, along with the introduction of study leave and action to fill current vacancies.

However, Stena made the offer conditional on the Union agreeing to the implementation of new-start salaries for junior officers.

‘We welcome the fact that Stena Line has made a pay offer, but this

cannot be at any cost and we must ensure that the implementation of new-start salaries is both fair, reasonable and transparent across all ranks and grades,’ said Mr Smyth.

‘At the present time we do not feel we are in a position to consult members on the offer due to the fact that the Union still requires further clarity and assurances in this respect,’ he added.

Mr Smyth confirmed that once he has received responses to these concerns, he will be organising ship visits to answer members’ questions and gauge their views and opinions about the outstanding issues.

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr is pictured with liaison officer Mark Miller, senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan and DFDS members during a series of ship visits to Dunkirk Seaways, Dover Seaways and Delft Seaways to discuss the forthcoming pay and conditions claim.

DFDS Seaways will be adding Stena Nordica to its Dover-Calais service, to bring the Dfleet back up to five vessels. The new ship will replace Dieppe Seaways, which was returned to its owner at the end of November.

Marine were due to respond F to a consultation on the company’s

Members employed by Global

F

04-05_at work.indd 5

operators, faces lower rates — but the freight volumes have increased.

At the follow-up meeting, Nautilus presented members’ aspirations for improvements in pay and conditions and Mr Smyth is currently awaiting a formal response.

In the meantime, Nautilus has met management to discuss the company’s proposed restructuring of the onboard services department on the short sea routes from Dover to Calais, which will create a further 10 officer positions.

FLEET CADETS: Fleet Maritime Services has responded to concerns about cadet allowances raised by members serving with Princess Cruise Line and P&O Cruises Australia. The company has confirmed that cadet wages increased by 3% in January in line with officers’ pay, that cadets are made fully aware of the package before commencing their training, and that no cadet has had their pay reduced during their cadetship. Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard added that the commitment to employing junior officers on completion of their cadetship is welcomed.

PLANS SHELVED: Maersk Offshore has confirmed that it is has suspended plans to introduce a performance-related pay scheme after a rejection of the proposals by masters and chief engineers. The company stated that they will ‘not continue with this initiative at the current time; however, it remains an ambition to implement in due course’. National secretary Steve Doran said he will monitor the situation and revert to members if the plans reappear in the future.

LATEST ENDEAVOUR: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving onboard Cefas Endeavour. The claim includes a substantial pay rise above RPI, recognition of DP certificates and investment in wireless internet access.

Industrial organiser Paul Schroder is seeking a meeting with the company as soon as possible to discuss the claim.

TANKER SETTLED: members employed by PG Tankers have voted to accept the company’s 2.8% pay offer. Members had previously rejected the offer, but were told that it would not be improved and would be withdrawn if rejected again. Members therefore accepted the offer in a second ballot as the best that could be achieved through negotiation.

CORYSTES CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim calling for an above-RPI increase has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Heyn Engineering Solutions and serving onboard RV Corystes. Industrial organiser Lisa Carr is currently arranging a date to meet management to discuss the claim.

NORTHERN LIGHTS: industrial organiser Derek Byrne has met representatives from the Northern Lighthouse Board and Unite the union to discuss members’ pay and conditions aspirations. The claim for an above-inflation pay rise is now being submitted to the Department for Transport.

P&O Ferries set to make Consultation on revised formal response to claim offer at Global Marine Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth, P&O liaison officers Paul Dilks and Ken Konasik (short sea), Alistair Butlin (North Sea) and Eugene Graffin (Irish Sea), have joined other unions and P&O management representatives for further meetings to progress this year’s pay and conditions talks.

At the first meeting, P&O representatives presented the company’s results for the past 11 months and also gave their budget plans for 2015. P&O, like other ferry

shortreports

revised pay and conditions offer as the Telegraph went to press.

In December members rejected proposals for a one-year deal worth 1.5% or a two-year deal giving a 2% increase each year. At a follow-up meeting to discuss the consultation result, the company informed industrial organiser Lisa Carr that the original offer had been withdrawn and a new offer of a 1% increase was being made as a result of the

worsening market conditions faced by the company since the original offer was tabled.

The company cited a number of factors including the reduction in oil price, cancelled projects, a reduction in day rates and an increase in enquiries received from seafarers seeking employment.

Ms Carr noted that the company’s financial situation appeared to be changing on an almost daily basis, but urged members to accept the offer rather than risk a further reduction.

SHELL SUBMISSION: Nautilus industrial organiser Derek Byrne has met Shell International Shipping Services and QGTC Shipping Inc to discuss members’ pay and conditions claim. Members will be informed when a formal response has been received.

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

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

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

18/02/2015 17:49

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

Gold award for ERRV’s safety performance emergency response and rescue A vessel Grampian Corinthian, who have

SUBSEA STALLING: Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech has held two meetings with management at Subsea 7 following members’ rejection of a 2.6% pay offer in October last year. He has also contacted them a number of times to try and secure an improved offer. However, the company has been carefully costing all elements of expenditure of the organisation and has therefore not made a further offer to date. Mr Leech confirmed that he hoped to receive an offer shortly and this would be presented to members as soon as it is available.

Pictured left are the crew of the

won the 2014 North Star Gold House Award for their high safety standards.

The 1,125gt UK-flagged ship is one of 37 operated by the Craig Group company North Star Shipping, which prides itself on its safety record.

Grampian Corinthian was selected as winner of the annual award as a result of the overall quality and quantity of its safety correspondence — including incident reports and safety observations, as well as inspection reports, internal audits and feedback from technical support.

Judges said the crew also demonstrated a commitment to the company’s ‘living safety culture’ and the ship’s two masters — James Jack and Alistair Duthie — were praised for being ‘excellent examples of safety leaders, actively encouraging proactive safety’.

HAVILA ACCEPTED: members employed by Havila Marine have voted to accept the company’s pay offer of a 3.5% increase for officers and 3% for ratings.

Members had previously rejected the offer and requested the Union ballot for industrial action. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne held a further meeting with the company — to be told that the offer would not be improved and would be withdrawn if rejected again. Members therefore accepted the offer as the best that could be achieved through negotiation.

DEESIDE AMENDMENT: last month’s Telegraph incorrectly reported that members employed

by Deeside Crewing had rejected a pay and conditions offer. The offer was in fact accepted. Apologies for the error and any confusion this caused. Industrial organiser Gary Leech has also confirmed that he is due to meet the company at the beginning of March to resolve issues around the implementation of the offer.

SAFETY FINE: an offshore services company has been fined £100,000 for serious safety failings following an incident in which a worker died after falling 23m from a platform into the North Sea in 2011. In a hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Bilfinger Salamis UK admitted breaching the Work at Height Regulations after a Health & Safety Executive investigation showed that a lack of proper planning and a failure to follow procedures.

BRENT CLOSURE: Royal Dutch Shell has tabled plans to begin decommissioning of its Brent field platforms and associated infrastructure, which have produced 10% of UKCS oil and gas since 1976. The company has begun a consultation on the first stage of removing the Brent Delta topside structure.

VIKING CLOSURE: Danish operator Viking Supply Ships has announced the closure of its Aberdeen office, with effect from July this year. The company said the decision had been taken to save costs and remain competitive in the face of the weak market for PSVs. FARSTAD CALL: members serving with Farstad Singapore have been asked to submit their views on what they would like to see in the forthcoming pay and conditions claim. Feedback is required by 2 March to enable the claim to be formulated.

DOLPHIN CODE: vessels operating in and out of the port of Aberdeen have been issued with a new code of practice which seeks to protect bottlenose dolphins in the area.

Unions bid to stave off cuts Meeting arranged with Scottish Office over jobs threat

P

Nautilus International is due to meet the UK government’s Scottish Office this month to discuss concerns over the threat to jobs posed by falling oil prices.

The Union will attend the talks along with other members of the Inter-Union Offshore Oil Committee (IOUCC) to ensure that North Sea oil companies do not use the current crisis as an excuse to weaken workers’ terms and conditions or reduce safety standards.

Trade union Unite has already warned that it intends to ballot offshore contractors on possible industrial action over proposals to alter shift patterns and cut pensions.

The union claims that several oil and gas firms operating in the North Sea have announced plans to axe jobs and reduce salaries in a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to the downturn in the oil price.

Nautilus was also represented by the Scottish TUC at the first meeting of the Energy Jobs Taskforce, a group formed by Scot-

land’s First Minister. The taskforce aims to safeguard the skills and experience which exists in the North Sea sector, whilst recognising the current challenges, to ensure the industry is stronger and internationally competitive once the oil price begins to recover.

Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing praised the calibre and breadth of expertise of the taskforce members and said that they had ‘the right people for the job round the table, working together to help those who will feel the pinch in falling oil prices the most’.

‘There is a real risk that the current fall in the oil price will lead to the premature decommissioning of assets and the loss of highly skilled workers,’ he added.

Many industry experts have called on offshore companies to try and avoid making radical changes and to ‘embrace innovation and new technology’ to weather the storm.

On the opening day of the Subsea Expo in Aberdeen, the chief

executive of Subsea UK predicted that the sector was like to see significant improvements between 2017 and 2019 following two years of tough times.

‘The UK’s subsea sector came out of a strong 2013 to a relatively flat second half of 2014,’ he added.

‘The existing order book kept the industry going but as this dries up and projects are abandoned or postponed until the oil price recovers, we are in for major challenges. [However], we have the largest concentration of subsea expertise and capability in the world and we must protect that.’

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last month called for the UK government to follow Norway’s example and introduce exploration tax credits to help the North Sea oil and gas industry weather the current downturn.

The Scottish government also wants a headline rate of North Sea tax and the introduction of an investment allowance, as well as the exploration support measures that were implemented by Norway a decade ago.

IMCA gets new marine advisor member Andy Goldsmith, F who took up a senior post with the Pictured above is Nautilus

International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) last month.

As technical advisor marine, Mr Goldsmith will be working with IMCA technical director Jane Bugler, and will have particular responsibility for dynamic positioning. He has 17 years on DP vessels under his belt, having worked as a travelling senior DPO on the Semi 1, Semi 2 and Regalia, and captained the Rockwater 1, Rockwater 2 and Smit Pioneer.

Mr Goldsmith started his seagoing career as a cadet with Texaco Overseas Tankship and spent 10 years with the company, before moving to the offshore sector after a brief spell ashore.

He also has substantial experience shore-side, with six years in the operations department of Smit International and most recently another six years with Maritime Progress, producers of marine industry training posters, manuals and safety signage.

New best practice packing guide practice for the safe packing F and handling of cargo to and from

A new guide to promote best

serving on Sealion vessels have voted to accept the A company’s 2% pay offer. Nautilus industrial organiser Members employed by Seahorse Maritime and

Paul Schroder and national secretary Jonathan Havard are pictured with company liaison reps Tony Regan, Iain Law, James Dodds and John McKellar meeting

06_offshore.indd 6

management to discuss members’ previous rejection of the offer.

The company told them that conditions in the sector meant the offer could not be improved and it was accepted as the best that could be achieved through negotiation following further consultations.

offshore locations is now available for free download or in hard copy format.

Compiled through extensive research and input from crossindustry participants, the document aims to deliver the information in a way that is easily understood and applied. It is now available from the dedicated website: www. onshoreoffshorecargo.com

18/02/2015 16:08

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Dockwise heavylift vessel A White Marlin, which was named Pictured above is the new

in a ceremony at the Guangzhou Shipyard, China, last month before sailing to Singapore for its maiden

transport of two drilling rigs for discharge in Abu Dhabi.

The 51,065gt Curacao-flagged vessel is of 216m loa and 72,418dwt and was built at a cost of some US$150m.

Piracy deaths lead to fresh warnings F

Nigeria’s ban on the use of foreign security guards on merchant ships in the region is under pressure following attacks in the past month which have left two seafarers dead, several injured and almost a dozen abducted from their vessels.

On 3 February, the chief officer of the Maltese-flagged VLCC Kalamos was shot dead when the vessel was boarded by pirates while at anchor off Qua Iboe.

Some reports suggested the officer had been accidentally shot by Nigerian Navy guards on the ship during a gun battle with the pirates. Another officer was wounded during the incident.

In the week before that, pirates attacked a Chinese fishing vessel off Togo — killing one crew member and kidnapping seven others — raising concerns that they were intending to use the vessel as a ‘mother ship’ to

launch attacks further out to sea.

The incidents sparked new warnings about the threat to shipping off west Africa. BIMCO said the region had become extremely dangerous, with the attacks becoming more violent and more widespread.

And the maritime security firm MAST called for improved training and mentoring of coastguards in piracyprone areas in Africa, the Middle East and SE Asia.

MAST chief operating officer Gerry Northwood warned that countries in such areas will be increasingly reliant on their own resources to provide security in international waters adjacent to their territorial limits.

Some countries — including Oman, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia — have already realised this and are taking steps to improve their maritime capabilities, he pointed out.

Ships held after rest time drive Authorities detain almost 60 vessels in concentrated inspection campaign

P

Almost 60 ships were detained during a threemonth concentrated port state control (PSC) campaign to target compliance with the STCW Convention regulations on seafarers’ rest periods.

The coordinated checks were carried out by PSC authorities in Europe, the Black Sea, Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions between September and December last year and, overall, a total of 174 ships with 246 deficiencies were identified.

The most common problems included: hours of rest not being recorded properly; non-compliance with the STCW rest requirements for all watchkeeping personnel, including the weekly requirements of rest; failure to post the watch schedule in an accessible area; and failure to maintain records indicating that

a bridge lookout is being maintained.

The inspections showed that a total of 1,268 ships were operating with a two-watch system for the navigational watch and 13 of these ships were detained.

General cargoships were the ship type with the highest number of deficiencies, followed by bulk carriers.

In the Paris MoU region, 14% of ships inspected during the campaign period were detained with rest-hour deficiencies. A total of 21 inspections in Paris MoU member states revealed that crew complements were not in accordance with the minimum safe manning document.

Secretary general Richard Schiferli expressed serious concern at the findings: ‘Insufficient rest of watchkeeping personnel has already caused several

incidents over the past years,’ he added. ‘It may be the cause of fatigue, which can have major consequences for safety and the environment. Two-watch systems are particularly vulnerable in this respect.’

The results are being analysed and will be presented to the Port State Control Committee in April, with a report going to the International Maritime Organisation.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The port state control inspection campaign was with respect to the “more flexible” STCW Convention requirements. Therefore, by implication, the Maritime Labour Convention was being abused on a significant number of ships.

Seafarers need to be aware that by working such hours they are placing themselves and other ships’ staff in great danger.’

The head of the International

out people trafficking in the Mediterranean.

More than 200,000 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean last year and 3,400 died. There are signs that the numbers are increasing this year and IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu warned last month that the problem is placing an intolerable strain on rescue services and on merchant vessels.

More than 600 merchant ships had to be diverted last year to go to the support of people in distress at sea, Mr Sekimizu added, and the numbers have gone beyond acceptable limits.

‘We do not seek to prevent migration,’ he added. ‘People have

the human right to migrate. But it is time to stop illegal, unregulated passage arranged by people smugglers. Not only do they put the lives of the migrants in danger, they also endanger the rescue services and merchant shipping which take part in the rescue operations.’

Mr Sekimizu described the situation as a humanitarian tragedy and said the IMO would host an inter-agency meeting in March to address the issues. ‘The efforts of Italian rescuers — and others — are greatly appreciated but we have reached the point where we need to focus more effort on the prevention side,’ he added. ‘I firmly believe that there is scope for greater efforts by the international community to better manage the process of migration.’

Maritime Organisation has called for flag states to do more to combat excessive working hours at sea.

In an address to the human element, training and watchkeeping sub-committee last month, secretary-general Koji Sekimizu urged delegates ‘to take account of the practical difficulties faced by seafarers due to fatigue and the catastrophic results due to human error’.

Mr Sekimizu also asked them to ‘take a pragmatic approach for a holistic review and revision of the organisation’s guidelines on fatigue and develop relevant guidance on risk-assessed practical measures for the mitigation of fatigue onboard in a timely manner’. g Lawyers are warned about fatigue dangers — see page 19.

Watertight door safety plan backed

IMO calls for action on Med trafficking Maritime Organisation has F called for tough action to stamp

z The head of the International

International Maritime F Organisation to act on proposals Nautilus has urged the

New Stena tanker joins UK register addition to the UK Ship A Register — the 50,000dwt chemical Pictured above is the latest

tanker Stena Impression, which was named in Singapore last month before beginning a maiden voyage to the US with a palm oil cargo.

Built by the Chinese yard Guangzhou, Stena Impression is the first in a series of 10 IMOIIMAX vessels ordered by Stena Bulk at a total cost of some US$400m.

We are able to offer competitive, specially negotiated fares for all types of air travel, be it UK Domestic, European or Worldwide.

Delivery of the series is due to be completed by 2017.

Designed to carry vegetable oils and chemicals, as well as clean and dirty petroleum products, the IMOIIMAX vessels will be operated

by Stena Weco.

Stena Impression and the sisterships feature 18 tanks, each with a capacity of 3,000 cu m, which allows for greater cargo flexibility.

Stena says technical innovations

on the ships will result in 10 to 20% lower fuel consumption at service speed compared with other vessels of the same size. Key features include main engine auto-tuning, an exhaust gas multi-inlet composite boiler to recover energy from main and auxiliary engine exhaust gas, a hub vortex absorbing fin to recover lost propeller energy, and an aerodynamic accommodation and bridge to reduce wind resistance.

to improve the safety of watertight doors.

A paper proposing changes to the SOLAS Convention requirements — including the fitting of a safety device to prevent crew from being crushed in remotely-controlled doors and improved bridge control systems — was tabled at the IMO’s sub-committee on ship design and construction last month.

Speaking on behalf of the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations, Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson told the meeting that there is a clear need to ensure that watertight doors are safe when operated locally.

‘The last major change was over a century ago, when lights were added to supplement bells, he pointed out. ‘Now we have the opportunity with new technology to prevent life-changing injuries and death of seafarers.’

Contact us today for a quote vikingrecruitment.com/travel +44 (0) 300 303 8191 (opt 1) travel@vikingrecruitment.com

Staff employed in the marine industry, from crew and shore-based staff to spouses travelling to and from vessels, can make use of our extensive marine fare programme, while those seeking flights for other types of travel will benefit from our efficient and personal service.

07_news.indd 7

18/02/2015 17:41

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Eco-yacht claims to offer up to 30% fuel economies Savannah from Feadship A — billed as the first superyacht to

fuel-efficient as possible, explained Ted McCumber, the owner’s project manager: ‘It is not the individual technologies used on Savannah that are new in the yachting world — it is the way they have been combined.’

The yacht has a large contrarotating and azimuthing stern thruster just aft of the main propeller, which is 40% larger than the norm.

Combined with the power supplied by the thruster, the load on the propeller is only half that of a conventional twin-screw yacht, which is said to result in higher efficiency and fewer vibrations.

Pictured right is the 83.5m

feature a combination of eco-friendly hybrid technologies offering fuel economies of up to 30%.

Savannah has a dynamic hull shape with a very fine entry, uses one efficient medium-speed Wärtsilä main engine instead of two higherrev diesel motors, and has a single central propeller shaft installation on the centreline and three gensets.

The aim was to apply expertise from the wider marine industry to make the design as cost-effective and

Guide for ISM compliance Marine offers what is claimed to F be the first integrated management Australia-based Ocean Time

system to help superyachts secure ISM Code compliance.

The company has now updated its superyacht safety management system software, with a package that covers all elements of the ISM Code and guides users through the writing of an SMS for private and commercial vessel operation.

The template enables users to customise instructions, procedures and policies to suit their needs.

Crews’ kit could be slowing yachts’ IT Disabled 18-year-old Survey finds that 90% of crew take at least two of their own devices onboard gets master’s ticket P

by Michael Howorth

become one of the youngest F ever professional yacht masters, A disabled youngster has

aged just 18.

Dominic Jackson, above right, has passed the professional yacht master offshore course, delivered by the North West Sports Centre on the island of Cumbrae, in Scotland.

Registered disabled, having been born with only one hand, Dominic successfully completed the gruelling 18-week course, along with two other students.

Dominic, who is described by his family as a ‘natural sailor’, started learning the ropes aged 10, at the International School in Qatar. While still at Windermere School, he completed his RYA dinghy instructor assessment enabling him to teach in the various dinghy classes.

‘To pass this course aged 18 is very unusual. There are not many who can do it,’ said Cumbrae’s professional yacht master instructor, Rod Smith.

‘Dominic was an exceptional candidate and we applaud him on his achievement. Passing this aged 18 is pretty much as young as you can get!’

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

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

Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is one of only two that the MCA recognises worldwide as evidence of acceptable service. p Once your yacht service is verified O in our office in Antibes, then the MCA accepts the Nautilus SRB as M ssufficient proof of onboard and sea sservice and no further supporting ddocumentation is required. zContact the membership ddepartment either via email or telephone to receive your free SRB. te

08_yachts.indd 8

even when not in use,’ NSSLGlobal pointed out.

Around a quarter of crew said their yacht had a certified IT engineer onboard, 15% had remote IT support, and just over half reported having an uncertificated colleague onboard with responsibility for the IT networks.

NSSLGlobal said owners should consider implementing ‘fair-usage’ policies and education programmes to manage the issues posed by the increasing number of personal devices, and to help crew members use bandwidth more productively.

MD Sally-Anne Ray commented: ‘The current IT-savvy generation want to stay con-

nected wherever possible and see the ocean as an inferior obstacle.

The ubiquity of connectivity to which we have all become so used to on land risks presenting something of a “digital culture shock” when at sea.

‘Understanding who is using what, ensuring bandwidth is not being wasted by unused applications or automatic updates and outlining a fair-use plan for crew members and guests onboard is as important to avoiding a maritime capacity crunch,’ she added.

‘We see it as our responsibility to help our customers with these processes through services such as our customer portal and our customer service team.’

MCA backs ‘blended’ course

Warsash in Italy

Research carried out by the satcoms service provider NSSLGlobal found that 46% of yacht crews expect their onboard connectivity speed to be the same as, or almost the same as, they have at home.

The survey of 238 superyacht crew found that 90% have internet access via their vessel’s network and 31% have no restrictions policy for internet access onboard.

NSSLGlobal said 3G or 4G GSM was the most popular mode of connectivity, used on just over 60% of yachts. VSAT came a close second, followed by shore wi-fi connections.

The company noted that the

F

The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency has approved a new training course which enables superyacht crew to study for their Officer of the Watch qualifications while away at sea.

Launched by Ocean Training Online, the ‘blended learning’ OOW (Yachts under 3,000gt) course is claimed to be the first of its kind and combines distance learning for

superyacht sector is an early adopter of new technology, and is constantly pushing for greater wireless speeds. ‘However,’ it cautioned, ‘crew members’ expectations, arguably coloured by their experience with on-land broadband, may cause issues for billpayers, and lead to anticipations that cannot be met at sea.’

The study found that many crew members may be adding to the ‘load’ on their onboard systems — because so many take their own mobile devices to sea.

‘Crew members typically have at least two devices onboard (90%) and sometimes up to six (16%) — all of which may be inadvertently drawing ‘parasitic’ data

theoretical elements with collegebased practical training.

After completing the e-learning theoretical sections, candidates are issued with an MCA certificate of eligibility to attend a college for practical elements such as sea survival and fire-fighting.

‘This is the first course of its type to be rolled out,’ said Ocean Training principal Ted Miley. ‘We believe that

blended learning is the way forward in the 21st century and we are also planning further STCW courses, such as Master 200.

‘The big advantage of learning the theory by the blended learning model is that a student can earn while they learn while either studying at home or onboard a ship using the internet to correspond with their own professional tutor,’ he added.

Superyacht Academy have F staged a special training course Lecturers from Warsash

for 24 senior officers in Italy, in collaboration with the Italian Yacht Masters’ Association (IYM).

Held at the IYM headquarters in the Marina di Loano, Liguria, the five-day course covered the human element leadership and management requirements set out in the STCW 2010 amendments.

HOTLINE FOR YACHT CREW Nautilus has established a dedicated phoneline in Antibes to offer advice and assistance:

+33 (0)9 62 61 61 40 Nautilus International, in strategic partnership with D&B Services, 3 Bd. D’Aguillon, 06600 Antibes, France.

18/02/2015 16:14

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Fresh alarm over job scammers

Condor case appeal rejected by court prosecution appeal for harsher F sentences to be imposed on the A French court has rejected a

master and first officer of a Condor Ferries vessel involved in a fatal collision with a fishing vessel in 2011.

Captain Paul Le Romancer and chief officer Yves Tournon were given suspended sentences in September 2013 after being found guilty of the manslaughter of the trawler’s captain when the Condor Vitesse ran into the fishing vessel off Jersey.

Prosecutors appealed to the higher court in Caen, arguing that the suspended sentences were not severe

enough. However, the court quashed the chief mate’s conviction, as a result of questions about whether Condor Vitesse’s radar was functioning correctly at the time of the accident.

The court upheld the conviction of Capt Le Romancer and the suspended sentence of 18 months he had been given, but overturned the 12-month suspended sentence imposed on the chief officer. Capt Le Romancer was also banned from serving at sea.

An accident investigation ruled that their vessel had been going too fast in the foggy conditions at the time of the accident.

campaign to secure more F effective action against ‘job Nautilus is continuing its

Mary in Long Beach, California. It was the first time a Cunard ship had gone alongside in Long Beach since Queen A Mary arrived at her retirement home in October 1967.

Old met new last month when the Cunard Line vessel Queen Elizabeth spent the day with the legendary Queen

Pilotage challenge Court case highlights the dangers of de-regulated provision, UK marine pilots’ body alleges

P

The UK Marine Pilots Association (UKMPA) has welcomed the outcome of a court challenge to a harbour authority’s attempt to terminate its agreement for pilotage services in its waters.

Members of the Foyle Pilots’ Cooperative (FPC) applied for a judicial review of the Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners’ move to give one year’s notice of the end of the 2008 contractual agreement.

The pilots argued that the move — which was due to come into effect on 1 January 2015 — would have resulted in a ‘serious reduction of standards in a compulsory pilotage area, as it would have left the port

of Londonderry without any pilot authorised to perform the pilotage of the largest ships using the port after that date.

The pilots said that if the agreement had ended within the one-year notice period, it would have meant that there would be no pilot available with qualifications in line with the regulatory requirements for probation and training for the pilotage of the ‘numerous’ ships of over 120m visiting the port.

At the initial High Court hearing, the judge stated that the harbour authority should have communicated better with its pilots than it had done — and the CHA admitted to the court that, in the interests

of safety, the FPC should continue to provide pilotage services for at least a further year after the proposed termination date.

The FPC challenge was settled in an out-of-court settlement. UKMPA chairman Captain Don Cockrill described the case as highly significant. ‘There should be no doubt that whilst no finding was made under the judicial review, the steadfast manner in which the three Foyle pilots pursued this action has done a great service to all UK pilots and will ultimately serve to illustrate to those in power how dangerous the current de-regulated pilotage provisions can be in unscrupulous port management hands,’ he added.

Capt Cockrill criticised the failure of the Department for Transport to respond to repeated requests to intervene to uphold pilotage standards at the port. He said the CHA had taken the ‘extraordinary’ decision to scrap the previous two-and-a-half year training scheme in favour of a ‘superficial’ four-month simulator-based system, which no oversight from any incumbent senior pilot.

‘Whilst it may arguably be in accordance with the powers granted to the CHA under the 1987 Pilotage Act, it most certainly is not in compliance with the contents of IMO resolution A960 or the ethos underpinning the Port Marine Safety Code,’ he added.

Opposition warns on UK safety risks Marsden has urged the UK government F to rethink its approach to safety at sea in the Labour’s shipping spokesman Gordon

face of mounting concerns about the dilution of regulations and under-resourcing of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

Mr Marsden said the government had been seeking to make a series of changes that ‘risk compromising safety standards — often standards put into place after painful and tragic experiences’.

He said changes are being put forward ‘under

the mantra of cutting bureaucracy, but it fails ultimately to take onboard either the opinions or the practical experience of those whose lives are on the line on the ships in question’.

The opposition shipping spokesman said the all-party House of Commons transport committee had called for a review of the MCA’s capacity in 2013 in response to anxiety that resources were being spread too thinly.

Since then, he warned, serious concerns have been raised over the reduction in the number of coastguard centres and ‘dangerously common

understaffing’ around the UK coast.

‘Government’s failure to heed the call for an MCA review goes much deeper,’ he added. ‘The Agency’s other work is stretching its resources with new responsibilities for the safety of the ships in our waters, monitoring the impact on the environment and promoting British shipping to international business. All laudable initiatives — but this combination of declining resources and increasing responsibilities is a dangerous one.’

Mr Marsden echoed concerns raised by Nautilus over plans to reduce the frequency of

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safety management audits of ships on domestic passenger services and the proposals to revoke regulations introduced in response to the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.

‘Everyone in the shipping sector is sensitive to the financial pressures on companies’ competitiveness,’ he said. ‘But excellence in safety not only strengthens the reputation of UK shipping and provides it with a sound sustainable base for that growth, it’s also what we owe to those who serve on those ships and the passengers in their care.’

scammers’ targeting seafarers with non-existent offers of employment.

The Union is highlighting two new cases which promise hundreds of temporary and permanent posts on cruiseships, with salaries of up to €125,000 a year.

One of these purports to come from MSC Cruises and refers to more than 325 different positions — including electrotechnical, safety security and engineer officers. The other claims to come from Disney Cruise Line (Australia), with 306 vacancies for posts including deck and engineering department crew, cruise directors and assistant pursers, with salaries of €3,120 and above.

Similar recent scams have promised jobs with Princess Cruise Lines and Vroon Offshore Services.

Nautilus has urged members to beware of the fraudsters and advised that they should not be asked to pay to apply for any position. The Union has also been pressing for more concerted action by flag states to combat such illegal activity.

Cruise sector set to hit a new record to grow by 4% this year, with F a new record of 23m passengers,

The global cruise industry is set

leading operators predicted last month.

The annual state of the industry report published by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says its member companies are due to introduce 22 new ocean, river and speciality vessels this year at a total cost of more than US$4bn.

The report says the Caribbean will remain the most popular destination, with marked growth expected in the Mediterranean, Asian and Australian markets. A total of 52 ships will be deployed in the Asia region this year, providing more than 1,060 cruises and capacity for 2.17m passengers.

CLIA says the trend for everlarger ships has switched to a focus on specialty cruises, which are estimated to have grown by 21% annually between 2009 and 2014.

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18/02/2015 16:40

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NEWS

Scheme to improve worldwide welfare Nautilus spreads maritime message in the classroom organiser Lee Moon has A been back to school to spread the Nautilus senior assistant

message about the importance of shipping and seafarers.

He is pictured above speaking to pupils at the Willow Wood primary school in Cheshire as part of a ‘world of work’ programme.

Lee gave presentations to various age groups during the day, explaining how so many goods come and go by sea, what it means to work at sea, and — with the help of ship models from the Nautilus office in Wallasey — what sort of

roles are performed by different types of ships.

‘The school has a high percentage of children from families with no main employment, and it has invited people in from different professions to illustrate the varied careers that are out there,’ Lee said.

‘This was a younger audience than the Careers at Sea programme usually present to, so I had to adapt the presentation,’ he explained.

‘However, the children were all very attentive and they asked some thoughtful and insightful questions.’

Week puts spotlight on work of seafarers A

Nautilus is supporting a week-long campaign to raise awareness of the UK’s continued dependence on seafarers and the career opportunities offered by the maritime sector.

Seafarers Awareness Week will run between 20 and 28 June, with a series of events to raise the profile of seafaring and maritime jobs to a wide audience — and in particular young people, parents and educators.

Coordinated by the charity Seafarers UK, the week’s theme of ‘Opportunities to Work at Sea’ will complement two International Maritime Organisation events — Day of the Seafarer on 25 June and World

Maritime Day on 24 September — which both focus on maritime education and working at sea this year.

Seafarers UK campaigns manager Nick Harvey commented: ‘We look forward to another successful Seafarers Awareness Week and want the British public to see how important ships and seafarers are to our everyday living.

‘With so many opportunities, including in growth areas such as cruise ships, superyachts and renewable energy developments, it is paramount we ensure that the next generation views working at sea as a viable and exciting career option too,’ he added.

MNWB leads project to promote best practice for port welfare services

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Nautilus has welcomed the launch of a new scheme in which ports around the world are being encouraged to set up their own welfare boards.

The International Port Welfare Partnership Project aims to help countries establish welfare boards in parts of the world where they have never existed before and to promote best practice through a model of port welfare boards which has proved successful in the UK. The programme offers information and guidance on establishing welfare boards, and a key element of this is a new website which explains how these boards

work and how new ones can be set up.

Sponsored by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, the project is managed by the UK Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) on behalf of the International Seafarers’ Welfare Assistance Network (ISWAN). It is linked to Regulation 4.4 of the Maritime Labour Convention, which says that ILO member states ‘shall encourage the establishment of welfare boards which shall regularly review welfare facilities and services’.

The project website emphasises that a successful welfare board is a cooperative partnership within the maritime community. It will involve the par-

seafarers’ welfare services in ports and this exciting pilot project captures the collaborative spirit of the MLC,’ he stressed.

Kimberly Karlshoej, the head of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, added: ‘The promotion and utilisation of port welfare boards is a critical step in improving services to seafarers during their all-too short stays in the world’s ports.’

Nautilus assistant general secretary Mike Jess said the project was a welcome initiative that should address the important need to improve facilities for seafarers around the world. g To access the new International Port Welfare Partnership Project website, visit www.portwelfare.org.

Online register for missing crew bid to raise public and political awareness of F seafarers lost at sea.

A new online resource has been launched in a

Created by the organisation Human Rights at Sea (HRAS), the Missing Seafarers Register aims to help build an accurate global database on the status of seafarers and fishing vessel crew who have been lost at sea.

The site offers the maritime community a platform for sharing information about missing friends and colleagues. Users can post and update details including the missing person’s name and nationality, the name of the person’s vessel and the date they were reported missing. Photos can also be uploaded, and the reporting process is moderated

and encrypted for security. When something is discovered about the missing person’s fate, users are encouraged to return to the site and report the person’s current status.

The register forms the first phase of a wider Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme, to highlight cases to maritime authorities, flag states, governments, ship owners and managers, non-governmental organisations, and the general public.

The venture has received funding from Seafarers UK, the Sailors’ Society, The Fishermen’s Mission and Mishcon de Reya LLP — which also provided legal support along with Holman Fenwick Willan LLP. There are now plans to develop the scheme further

by making the site multilingual, creating an app and embedding tools for statistical analysis.

Mike Robinson, operations Director of C Data Services who built the platform, commented: ‘There are currently no statistics available on the number of people missing from the 1.5m registered seafarers worldwide. This makes The Missing Seafarers Register a valuable resource for investigation and analysis, as well as emphasising the global scale of this issue to a wider audience.’ g The Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme can be accessed through several different web addresses: www.missingseafarers.org , www. missingmariners.org , www.missingseamen.org and www.humanrightsatsea.org .

Caseworkers secure half a million another successful year for its Caseworker F Service, with a total of £514,000 in benefits and The Nautilus Welfare Fund has reported

Lairdside Maritime Centre

ticipation of individuals and agencies such as harbourmasters, port agents, port health, seafaring unions, voluntary organisations and the welfare providers, along with local authorities. It will also encourage financial support from the industry through port levies and donations.

MNWB deputy chief executive Peter Tomlin is the project manager. He commented: ‘Strong, effective welfare boards needn’t be expensive or time consuming to organise or participate in.

Every port is unique and we are mindful that there is no easy “one size fits all” rule.

‘Welfare boards are capable of really supporting and improving

grants secured for retired mariners in 2014. During this period, the service assisted over 360 former seafarers — visiting them at home or advising them via phone and email.

The free and confidential Caseworker Service started in the Merseyside area in 2010 and, with the backing of Seafarers UK, expanded to the Hull and Southampton areas in 2013. Phone and email advice is available throughout the UK. The aim is to ensure that seafarers have a happy, healthy and financially secure retirement. Three

expert caseworkers support retired mariners and their dependants to maximise their income and access local health and community services. They also give advice on debt management and housing issues.

In addition to assisting with applications for national benefits, the caseworkers can point individuals towards grants that are available just for mariners. These can include one-off grants for essential items such as household goods or home repairs, as well as regular grants for those on limited incomes.

If you are a UK-based ex seafarer and would like to check that you’ve applied for all the benefits you’re

entitled to, just email welfare@nautilusint.org or call one of the caseworkers: z Catherine Wilson — Merseyside area — 0151 346 8840 z John Norris — Hull area — 01482 595 296 or 07841 779 234 z Sandra Silverwood — Southampton area — 07841 779 237 g You can contact the service from anywhere in the UK, and you’re also welcome to get in touch on behalf of a friend or family member who has retired from the sea. There’s more about the Caseworker Service and the Nautilus Welfare Fund at www. nautiluswelfarefund.org

Shanty group’s CD helps maritime charity shipwrecked-themed songs A has gone on sale to raise funds for a A specially-recorded CD full of

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UK-based maritime charity.

The Cornish group Stamp and Go released the CD — which contains five original tracks of ‘wreck and rescue’ — at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth last month. Proceeds will go towards the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society.

The five songs on the CD were all written by band member Nigel Hallworth and include a track commemorating the Society’s 175th anniversary.

Society chief executive

Commodore Malcolm Williams said he was delighted with the CD and said sales would help the charity to continue its work supporting merchant seafarers, fishing vessel crews and their dependants in need and also to those injured or too ill to continue working at sea. In the last year the Society handled 650 new applications for assistance and distributed £1.4m across 2,200 cases of need. g The CD is available from the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society for £5 plus £1 P&P and can be ordered via its website www.shipwreckedmariners. org.uk

18/02/2015 17:50

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

On a course for energy efficiency

IMO team visit to London VTS Maritime Organisation’s A maritime safety division, including Staff from the International

assistant secretary-general Andy Winbow — pictured, centre, with VTS manager Kevin Gregory — and technical officers from the subdivision for operational safety and human element, gained some first-hand knowledge of vessel traffic services when they visited the Port of London Authority (PLA) VTS in London last month. Discussions on current and emerging trends in VTS were followed by a visit to the PLA bridge simulator and a chance to see the London VTS in operation.

A

The maritime training firm Videotel has developed a new course to help seafarers and shore staff improve the energy efficiency of their vessels.

The ISO 50001 Energy Management Training Course aims to help shipping companies secure improved environmental performance and reduced fuel costs, while minimising risk and increasing energy security.

It contains seven modules aimed at officers, crew, and shore-based staff, and explains the way in which a shipping company can establish and implement an energy management system in line with ISO 50001.

The course also includes shippingindustry-specific measures relating to energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, such as MARPOL’s progressively tighter fuel and emission controls ‘Whilst ships are considered to be the most fuel-efficient way of transporting cargo, there are still areas where improvements can be made,’ said Videotel CEO Nigel Cleave.

‘By following our course, shipping personnel will learn how to successfully implement an energy management programme that will not only help to reduce their company’s operating costs but will also result in a better environment.’

Bunker quality ‘on the rise’ bunker quality, experts claimed A last month, with the rate of off-spec Tests show a marked rise in

samples falling from an all-time high of almost 25% in 2013 to 10% last year just 8% now.

International Bunker Industry Association chairman Jens Maul Jørgensen said the tests also revealed a 15% increase in the use of distillate fuels. He said the drop in oil price has meant that there is now less incentive for refiners to blend down their products.

Owners warned on global sulphur cap ICS says industry must get ready for introduction of worldwide limit in 2020

P

The shipping and bunker refining industries should start preparing for the introduction of a global 0.5% sulphur cap, leading owners warned last month.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said it believed the worldwide emissions limit is likely to come into effect in 2020 rather than 2025 — despite efforts to defer implementation in response to concerns about the availability of compliant fuel.

‘While postponement of the sulphur global cap until 2025 is still a possibility, the shipping and oil refining industries should not assume that this will happen simply because they are unprepared,’ said ICS chairman Masamichi Morooka. ‘ICS has concluded that, for better or worse, the global cap is very likely to be implemented

in 2020, almost regardless of the effect that any lack of availability of compliant fuel may have on the cost of moving world trade by sea.’

ICS claims the introduction of the global sulphur cap could increase owners’ fuel costs by as much as US$50bn a year. It says the MARPOL Convention allows for the rules to be delayed until 2025, subject to a fuel availability study that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is legally required to complete before the end of 2018.

The ICS has criticised IMO member states for failing to have the study carried out earlier. ‘If supply problems are identified at the end of 2018 this will be far too late for governments to take action,’ it warned.

The ICS said its board had reviewed the impact of the imple-

mentation of the 0.1% sulphur in fuel requirements for Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in North America and NW Europe since 1 January.

The owners said they were concerned by reports that some port states are charging ships for the analysis of fuel samples, and they would continue to work with port state control authorities to ensure a harmonised approach to enforcement.

The ICS also voiced its ‘deep concern’ at the EU’s decision to adopt unilateral mandatory monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements for individual ship emissions, in advance of IMO completing its work. It warned that the regulations ‘will be used to penalise ships financially’. z Operational problems linked

to the low-sulphur fuel rules are more of an issue to shipowners than the costs of bunkers, according to a new survey undertaken following the entry into force of ECAs. The UK-based company Fathom said its research showed that almost 70% of shipowners and operators believed mechanical problems resulting from the change in fuel properties were the biggest concern and potential challenge.

The impact of the increase in fuel costs came second, with the challenge of ensuring that the crew can make the fuel switch successfully in order to comply on time following close behind.

In response to the findings, Fathom has published a guide and onboard manual for operation in ECAs.

New title for ‘Nazi’ offshore vessel has agreed to re-name its A newest ship following an outcry over The Swiss-owed Allseas Group

its original naming after a Nazi war criminal.

Unions and families of war victims led the protests over the choice of the name Pieter Schelte for the 403,342gt offshore decommissioning vessel — which is claimed to be the world’s largest ship.

Pieter Schelte Heerema was the father of Allseas Group president Edward Heerema and was a Dutch officer in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. He was tried and sentenced to three years for war crimes, but was released early and moved to Venezuela where he began a notable career in shipping.

Following pressure from the public and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and affiliate unions, Allseas agreed to rename the Panamanian-flagged vessel Pioneering Spirit.

The crane ship, which has been contracted by Shell for decommissioning work on its Brent platform in the North Sea next year, was at the centre of protests when it arrived in the Port of Rotterdam for the final stage of construction.

Shell UK told Nautilus it considered the original name to be ‘inappropriate’ and it was pleased that Allseas had agreed to change it, as the vessel was the only one capable of doing the work required.

ITF president Paddy Crumlin said the vessel’s original name had been a disgrace and demonstrated how ‘sick, arrogant and out-of-touch Allseas management really is. For Allseas to name its vessel after a convicted Nazi war criminal is utterly shameful’.

Allseas initially played down the Nazi connection, but eventually agreed to rename the $3bn vessel, retaining the original initials. The company said the new name ‘reflects what it stands for: a new technological step in platform installation and decommissioning’.

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18/02/2015 16:16

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

HEALTH & SAFETY

Training ship ‘was not fit to be at sea’ Sunken sailing ship and its crew lacked proper certificates, report reveals

P ‘Satellites can aid SAR’ be used to boost search F and rescue operations at sea — Satellite tracking could

significantly improving the chances of survival, according to study carried out by a space scientist at the University of Leicester in collaboration with the New Zealand Defence Technology Agency and DMC International Imaging.

Researchers have identified 54 satellites, which currently only take images of land, that could be used

to monitor the Earth’s oceans and inland waters. Using this data could cut search areas for missing ships to just a few hundred square miles, they suggest.

The team is now testing the concept, working on the automated detection of vessels within imagery provided from the NigeriaSat 2 and UK-DMC2 satellites. It hopes that a practical maritime monitoring system could be launched within a few years.

A Dutch sail training ship which sank after hitting rocks off the coast of Ireland in 2013 should not have been at sea as it posed ‘a danger’ to those onboard and a threat to the marine environment — with both the vessel and its crew lacking the proper certification, an investigation has concluded.

The Irish Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report on the loss of the 89-year-old tall ship Astrid off Oysterhaven in July 2013 calls for action to ensure that sail training ships carrying passengers on international voyages comply with the requirements of international conventions and European law.

Investigators said the vessel — which had a master, three perma-

nent crew, a cook, a mentor and 24 trainees onboard — had hit the rocks after losing engine power while leaving Oysterhaven to take part in a sailing festival. All those onboard were rescued by lifeboat, and no one was injured.

The MCIB found that the master’s certificate had expired in the previous month — but neither he nor the mate were properly qualified in line with the safe manning requirements, and the two ratings both lacked the necessary Dutch certificates of competency.

Astrid’s passenger ship safety certificate had expired, the report notes, and the vessel did not meet SOLAS requirements. The vessel lacked an up to date ISM document of compliance and liferaft service histories were out-of-date.

Investigations revealed that the ship had lost engine power because of a fuel tank had been contaminated when a fresh water hose was wrongly connected at a previous port.

Insufficient action had been taken to ensure the water was removed from the fuel system, the report states.

The MCIB described the passage planning for the voyage as ‘inadequate, for a passenger ship navigating a course within 300 (m) of a lee shore in a Force 6 wind’ and said it seemed to have been ‘influenced by the desire for photograph opportunities for the Gathering Cruise event’.

The report also criticises the ship’s failure to issue a proper distress call. ‘If the initial Mayday

message had been sent out in the correct format, the emergency services could have been activated 10 minutes earlier, which could have been critical to the final outcome had the conditions been more severe,’ it adds.

The MCIB notes that the term ‘sail training ship’ has not standing under SOLAS and it expresses concern that some flag states declare that such vessels are not propelled by mechanical means as ‘an attempt to exempt the ships fro the safety requirements of SOLAS’.

The report recommends action by operators, authorities and sail training organisations to ensure that ships conform to national, regional and international requirements.

Crew transfer vessel fire risk was ignored

No fall in navigation claims

F

F

An uninsulated exhaust pipe caused a fire which led to the loss of the 14m windfarm support vessel ECC Topaz off the coast of East Anglia, an investigation has found.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch said the fire was caused by an uninsulated section of exhaust pipe from a diesel-fired air heater. The fire risk had been ignored during the construction and inspection of the vessel.

The Brown Code and the Workboat Code rules did not address air heaters at that time, the report points out. As it was not categorised as an item of machinery in the regulations, it was not considered a fire risk and no smoke detector was fitted in the space.

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Navigation-related accidents are still running at high levels despite advances in technology, new safety systems and more stringent regulations, marine insurers have warned.

In a special report last month, the Swedish P&I Club revealed that navigational incidents such as collisions, contacts and groundings accounted for 52% of all hull and machinery claim costs and 36% of all claims over a 10-year period.

The club said it was concerned that the rate of navigational claims has not dropped off, and it warned that many of the incidents occurred because procedures were ignored and seafarers did not communicate with each other properly. Poor lookout, lack of situational awareness and complacency remain key factors, it added.

‘That the officer of the watch did not follow the colregs or the company’s safety management system is usually not the root cause of the casualty,’ the report said. ‘The root cause is usually a combination of inexperience and issues within the organisation.’

Groundings accounted for almost a quarter of claim costs during the past decade Picture: Swedish Club

Groundings accounted for 24% of the total claim costs, while collisions comprised 22% and contacts 6%.

The club recorded a total of 341 collisions during the period — of

which 192 involved containerships.

Around 70% of collisions occurred in congested waters, rising to 80% when coastal waters were included, and the report suggests that additional

resources should be added to the bridge team, such as another officer or a lookout, in busy areas or when entering and leaving port.

‘Some of the casualties happened

because crew members deviated from procedures, didn’t discuss what was happening or one person made a disastrous mistake,’ the report notes.

‘This is why there should be multiple officers on the bridge during critical operations so one person’s mistake can be detected and rectified.’

The club recorded 296 groundings in the period — of which 133 involved bulk carriers. It said common causes were poor communications, a lack of proper briefing before arrival or departure, and cultural differences.

The report also warned that loss of engine power caused many navigational claims — highlighting the need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, use original spare parts, complete required maintenance and check that steering is fully operational before entering or leaving port.

‘Being able to identify the reasons for navigational claims is invaluable for masters and shipowners,’ said Club director Lars Malm. ‘This report shows that most claims can be prevented by simply ensuring that all crew follow proper procedures and consult with each other before making major decisions.’

Poor planning led to cruiseship accident onboard a Bahamas-flagged cruiseship resulted in an accident in which a seafarer was £195.00 F injured by the vessel’s incinerator machinery, an

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investigation has found.

The fitter — who had been replacing ash grates on the incinerator on the 42,363gt Seven Seas Voyager— had to be treated in hospital ashore for serious bruising and shock after a pneumatically-operated valve on the ash dump closed against him.

The incident occurred while the Prestige

Cruises vessel was berthed in Sydney; an investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) found that the valve’s control systems had not been properly isolated before the work began. This meant residual air pressure remained in the operating system and it was sufficient to start closing the valve when an electronic sensor was inadvertently activated by the fitter.

The ATSB said its investigation identified that Seven Seas Voyager’s engineering staff did not have an adequate understanding

of the incinerator’s control systems and its maintenance. Neither the ship’s planned maintenance system nor the manufacturer’s manual contained any information or guidance about the ash grate replacement.

Engineering staff had ‘ample time to correctly scope and plan the work’, the report added, but the task was not adequately planned and shipboard safety management system requirements — including taking necessary risk mitigation measures and completion of a permit to work — were not complied with.

‘Shipboard equipment and machinery commonly incorporates automated, poweroperated systems which must be isolated, stored energy released and locked out before undertaking maintenance or repair tasks,’ the ATSB pointed out. ‘Safely completing a task relies on personnel having a proper understanding of the system involved, coupled with adequate planning, risk assessment and the effective implementation of all safety management system requirements — including permits to work.’

18/02/2015 16:16

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Insurers’ alarm at ‘mega-ship’ risks renewed concerns over their A exposure to huge costs arising from Marine insurers have raised

‘mega-ship’ casualties and have warned that 2015 is already shaping up to be a ‘challenging year’ for the industry.

International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) leaders spoke out last month in the wake of the grounding of the car carrier Höegh Osaka — whose cargo of 1,400 new cars was declared to be a total loss due to unseen damage, at a cost of around £100m.

They said the incident highlighted worries about the growing gap between ship sizes and salvage capacity. IUMI has started discussions with the International Salvage Union (ISU) on ways to reduce the risks posed by the increasingly complex technical operations to recover modern vessels.

IUMI president Dieter Berg said

ships are not only getting larger, but they are also become harder to manoeuvre and are often being operated in ‘difficult’ environments such as the Arctic.

‘2015 began badly, loss of life and loss of vessels resulted in large claims,’ he added. ‘With human factors playing a significant part in marine casualties it makes risk difficult to assess. Vessels are becoming larger and more complicated which has opened a distinct capability gap between salvage and risk.’

Mr Berg said the Höegh Osaka accident had demonstrated the worries over the increasing cost of claims. ‘Like every other area of the maritime market, we are seeing ever-larger car carriers — with some planned to have a capacity for 8,000 vehicles,’ he pointed out. ‘We have seen a number of car carrier losses in the past and we are aware that their

design makes it difficult for these vessels to manoeuvre down into the wind and that once water enters the vessel there can be serious results.’

Mark Edmondson, chairman of IUMI’s ocean hull committee, warned that while the frequency of claims has reduced, their size has increased significantly. ‘There is now an increasing gap between the capability of the salvage industry and the risks we underwrite,’ he added.

‘As vessels get bigger and more complex, the risk profiles will grow and we, as underwriters, have to look at how we can manage those risks on behalf of the client,’ Mr Edmondson said.

‘It is not only a question of these new super-sized vessels that are being planned in excess of 19,000TEU, it can be those of 4,000TEU. You only have to look at Rena to see how difficult vessels are to salvage.’

Höegh Osaka in Southampton after being refloated last month Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Investigators warn over MOB training Dutch ship took too long to return to spot where two crewmen fell overboard, report concludes

P

An investigation into an incident in which two seafarers died after falling from a Dutch-flagged general cargoship has highlighted the need for crews to be well trained in ‘man overboard’ (MOB) rescue procedures.

The call comes after a Dutch Safety Board investigation found that the 5,418gt Marietje Andrea took twice as long as it should have done to return to the MOB location after the alarm was raised.

Two Filipino crewmen from the vessel had fallen overboard while making their way across the deck hatches to the foredeck as the ship was sailing from Norway to Latvia with a cargo of aggregates in December 2013.

Investigators said the pair had been planning to carry out cleaning work on the foredeck. It was windy and overcast, with force 7 winds and a wave height of 1m, and neither of the men had been

The Dutch-flagged Marietje Andrea Picture: Dutch Safety Board

wearing a lifejacket or a fall protection harness. Their bodies were never found.

Marietje Andrea’s first officer threw a lifebelt and a smoke marker into the water after hearing the men’s cries and spotting them in the sea. He went inside to mark the location on the electronic chart and to call the master,

while a cook who was watching the men through binoculars lost sight of them as a result of the increasing distance and the swell.

However, the report notes, the officer failed to immediately apply a hard turn to the ship to carry out a MOB manoeuvre. It took two minutes before he began the turn — and investigators said

that because it was not immediately initiated with hard rudder it could not be classed as a Williamson turn or an Anderson turn.

It took 11 minutes and 28 seconds for Marietje Andrea to return to the MOB location, the Dutch Safety Board said, while the vessel’s manoeuvring book indicated that it could have returned to that point within five minutes and 16 seconds.

Investigators found that it had been five months since the last MOB drill had been carried out while the ship was underway, and the report ‘questions how proficient the crew were in carrying out an MOB manoeuvre’.

With the sea temperature being just 7°C, the report notes that ‘the manner in which the MOB manoeuvre was performed reduced both the likelihood that the ship could find the missing sailors and their chance of survival in the cold water’.

The Dutch Safety Board said the precise cause of the fall could not be established, as no one had seen the men go overboard. However, it was reasonable to assume they had been walking across the hatches, as their cleaning materials had been found there and the narrow width of the passageway along the ship’s side — just 70cm at the narrowest point — made if difficult to walk through while carrying equipment.

The report said the risks of walking across the hatches had not been properly assessed and appropriate control measures were lacking. It notes that Nautilus and the Dutch owners’ association, KVNR, have been discussing ‘pragmatic’ new advice on reducing the risks of falls.

Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek commented: ‘This was a tragic case and it is very frustrating that we will never know what caused it.’

New guide aims to cut heavylift accidents safety advice in response to concerns F over ‘multi-million dollar claims’ arising from Marine insurers have issued special

accidents and losses involving heavylift and project cargo.

The UK P&I Club has joined forces with cargo insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) to publish practical guidance covering issues such as loading, stowing, securing and discharging heavylift and project cargoes.

The guidance highlights problems such as the use of inherently unsuitable bulk carriers;

12-13_h+s.indd 13

loading a ship such that it rolls too slowly or too quickly and overloads the cargo fastenings; mixing ‘hard’ fastenings such as stoppers with ‘soft’ fastenings such as lashings to resist the same force; and failing to ensure that heavy items in containers are properly secured.

‘The increasing globalisation of infrastructure supply chains means ships are carrying bigger, more expensive and often awkwardly shaped project cargo,’ said UK Club loss prevention director Karl Lumbers. ‘These range from wind turbines and cooling towers to

bridge decks and accommodation modules.

‘We are increasingly concerned about the lack of expertise, skills, and resources being deployed in this complex area of transportation in all parts of the chain, both ashore and onboard,’ he added. ‘The use of unsuitable vessels for the cargo, poor quality or inadequate securing and dunnage, inexperienced personnel, and a lack of detailed planning can all lead to damage or loss of the cargo.’

The guide describes the features of

typical heavylift and project cargo, as well as details of relevant regulations and codes, a review of vessel types and suitability, and the requirements for voyage planning, reporting, and record-keeping.

Rahul Khanna, AGCS global head of marine risk consulting, said heavylift claims could cost millions of dollars: ‘The risk involved can be largely mitigated with careful planning and attention before the cargo is received for shipment and by always following the procedures contained in our new guide.’

Bulker did not follow advice on weather which suffered flooding during F ‘extreme’ conditions in the North The master of a bulk carrier

Sea last year had failed to take heed of weather routeing advice, an investigation has concluded.

Forward spaces and the No 1 cargo hold on the Maltese-flagged Satigny were flooded when the 5,087gt vessel encountered winds of up to force 11 and waves of around 7m height during a voyage from Norway to Canada with a cargo of salt.

Satigny was forced to divert to Rotterdam for repairs, and port state control officers detained the vessel there after an inspection found 16 deficiencies onboard. ‘It was clear that the vessel had suffered from loss of watertight integrity and subsequent flooding of a number of compartments,’ the Maltese Marine Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU) report notes.

Investigators said they were sceptical about whether the ship had been adequately prepared to undertake a voyage where known extreme conditions were likely to have been encountered.

They found evidence that the watertight integrity of the cargo holds had been compromised by an inadequate sealing mechanism and that the poor condition of the rope hatch cover — as a result of corrosion and lack of maintenance — had been a contributory factor to the flooding.

The MSIU said it also had doubts on whether the spurling pipes were adequately sealed when Satigny sailed from Norway. It was ‘highly probable’ that further water ingress had occurred through the pipes and the chain locker, the report notes.

It was unclear whether the master — who had 35 years of seagoing experience — had spent sufficient time analysing the weather forecast and the voyage plan, it adds. Weather routeing advice to remain close to the port of Alesund until conditions improved was not adhered to and a contingency plan to proceed to a safe anchorage of a port of refuge had not been included in the passage plan.

18/02/2015 16:16

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports US VICTORY: US maritime unions have claimed a fresh victory in the long-running fight to defend legislation protecting US-flagged shipping and US seafaring jobs. They welcomed a Senate decision last month not to vote on an amendment tabled by former presidential hopeful Senator John McCain seeking to end the Jones Act requirement for ships operating between US ports to be built in the country. US unions have also welcomed the government’s approval of a $186m support package for the Maritime Security Programme.

MOBY MONOPOLY: Italy’s UILtrasporti transport union has urged the country’s government and competition authorities to investigate the proposed acquisition by the ferry firm Moby Lines of the privatised former state-owned operator Tirrenia. The union is concerned that the deal would mean all the lifeline services between the mainland and the Italian islands — which attract £72m of state aid each year — will be put into the hands of a private monopoly.

GALAPAGOS GROUNDING: Galapagos Islands authorities have decided to scuttle a general cargoship which ran aground in the environmentally-sensitive area last month. The 2,658dwt Floreana grounded off Baquerizo Moreno while carrying provisions from the island of San Cristobal to Puerto Ayora. Salvors removed about 13,000 gallons of fuel from the ship, as well as 1,400 tons of cargo, and decided to sink the wreck off the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

DRINK DEATHS: bootleg alcohol has been blamed for the deaths of three seafarers — thought to be Russian nationals — from a Liberian-registered bulk carrier docked in Indonesia. Emergency services were sent to the 45,292dwt Amber Halo at Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port when the ship’s master raised the alarm, but they were unable to save the men.

Whistleblower gets $250,000 US court rewards seafarer for tip-off about illegal oily waste discharges

P

A whistle-blowing seafarer has been awarded US$250,000 for giving Coast Guard officials a tip-off about the use of oily water separator bypass equipment onboard his ship.

The payment was ordered by a court last month as it fined the Japanese company Hachiuma Steamship a total of $1.8m for violations of pollution prevent laws onboard the car carrier Selene Leader between August 2013 and January 2014.

The offences were discovered when the Panama-flagged ship was inspected in the port of Baltimore after a crew member gave Coast Guard officials a video showing the illegal transfer of oily waste onboard.

An investigation found that

engineroom staff had transferred oily wastes between oil tanks using rubber hoses and then bypassed pollution control equipment before discharging the waste overboard.

Chief US district judge Catherine Blake ordered the company to pay $1.8m, and placed it on probation for three years, during which it is to develop an environmental compliance programme.

‘The Coast Guard is trying to send a message to the maritime industry that environmental compliance is not optional and that deliberate violators will be apprehended,’ said Captain Kevin Kiefer, of the US Coast Guard .

‘The sentence fits the crime because it includes a requirement that these defendants develop and implement a comprehensive

environmental compliance programme that will be ensured by outside auditors,’ he added. ‘Companies that get caught can expect a much closer look.’

The court heard that the ship’s chief engineer, Noly Torato Vidad, and first engineer Ireneo Tomo Tuale had tried to obstruct the investigation by falsifying the oil record book, destroying documents, lying to investigators, and instructing subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.

The pair may face jail terms when they are sentenced by the court in the next few weeks.

In a separate case last month, a German company was fined $800,000 after admitting that one of its car carriers dumped oily bilge water off the coast of Alaska in August 2014.

Unions call for action on Greek shipping

PIRATES JAILED: six Somali pirates have each been sentenced to 16 years in jail for the attempted seizure of a Spanish fishing vessel in 2012. Spain’s National Court found the men — who had been caught after attacking the 4,089gt vessel Izurdia — guilty of piracy and being members of a criminal gang.

OILY WELCOME: the French shipowners’ association, AdF, has described the recent fall in oil prices as ‘very good news’ for the industry. General secretary Eric Banel said the lower costs of bunkers would serve as a boost to the owners of ships affected by the new sulphur emission rules.

CANAL PLAN: the French government is to seek European Union subsidies to support the €500m costs of constructing the 107km Seine-North Europe canal project to connect the ports of Dunkirk, Le Havre, and Rouen with Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Zeebrugge.

welcomed the recent election A victory of the anti-austerity Syriza Greek seafaring unions have

are once again urging their A government to bring in longFrench maritime unions

awaited measures to ensure more of the country’s oil trade is carried on French-flagged tankers. They are

concerned more jobs are at risk — this time as a result of reductions in the fleet of the Bordeaux-based operator Sea-Tankers. In 2009, the company operated 29 ships and employed 150 French officers. Sea-

Tankers now has 23 ships, including the 11,673dwt Lacanau (above), and 83 French officers — and is warning that it will have to sell 10 of the vessels if it is to avoid liquidation.

Picture: Eric Houri

Training scheme pays off for Thome Group scheme has enabled the A Singapore-based ship management An in-house cadet training

Thome Group chief engineer Jonathan Duenas was on the company’s first in-house cadet training programme, in 2005, and went on to become its youngest chief engineer officer

14-15_int.indd 14

AML Ship Management will also be placed on probation for three years and will have to develop an environmental compliance plan.

Prosecutors said that some 4,500 gallons of oily bilge water had been dumped south of the Aleutian Islands by the Liberianflagged City of Tokyo. Investigators said a makeshift hose-andpump system had been used to bypass the oily water separator.

The company entered into a plea bargaining agreement and federal prosecutors are recommending that a six-month jail sentence should be imposed on the ship’s chief engineer, Nicholas Sassin, for violating pollution laws, failing to report the oily discharge and giving the Coast Guard false oil records.

company Thome to become selfsufficient in recruiting junior officers.

Launched in 2005, the Thome Group’s Global Cadet Programme has now trained more than 1,350 cadets from at least 12 countries, including the Philippines, India, China, Indonesia, Ireland, Croatia, Romania, Myanmar, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

There are presently 650 deck, engine, electrical and catering cadets at various stages of training on the scheme, with another 200 due to join soon. Thome Group — which presently employs some 2,200

officers — says the programme meant it was able to fill all of its 2014 junior officer vacancies from within its own pool of trained seafarers.

HR director Michael Elwert commented; ‘We place a great deal of importance on our cadet programme and are delighted that it is proving so successful. We recognise the importance of providing quality training to our seafarers and the difference it makes towards them and ultimately the performance of the vessels they operate.’

Training head Sartaj Gill added: ‘As Thome Group continues with the large-scale and rapid expansion of its fleet, the requirement for suitably

trained officers to serve onboard our tankers, bulkers, gas carriers and offshore has increased exponentially.’

One of the programme’s biggest success stories is chief engineer Jonathan Duenas, who graduated from the very first programme in 2005 and has since become Thome’s youngest chief engineer.

‘Stepping into the highest position as chief engineer was one of the greatest achievements in my life,’ he said. ‘This will serve as an example to the junior officers who also want to achieve their goal. Being part of the programme gave me not only an opportunity, it also gave me a career that I’m passionate about.’

government and are hoping it will deliver on promises to regenerate the country’s ferry fleet.

Shipping is one of the country’s biggest employers, providing around 250,000 jobs and shipowners — who control the world’s biggest fleet, but are reluctant to invest in the domestic maritime sector — fear the new government will levy higher taxes that they ‘can’t afford’.

Shipowners are seen as a privileged group, protected by special tax laws and who have failed to contribute their fair share to push the country out of crisis. The Syriza government has pledged to seek a new national agreement for the shipping industry that may abolish some tax breaks, and some owners have threatened to limit their operations in Greece or move out of the country if this occurs.

The owners agreed to double the rate of tonnage tax in 2013 as a move of goodwill, but they say this is as far as they will go. Union of Greek Shipowners president Theodore Veniamis said retention of the existing rules is ‘a non-negotiable requirement’ and he warned that ‘shipping is an international activity subject to fierce competition’.

Maritime unions are pressing for more jobs, better conditions and modernisation of the country’s vast ferry sector.

18/02/2015 16:17

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports

Record visitor for Marseilles

COASTGUARD JAILED: a South Korean coastguard officer has been jailed for four years after a court found him guilty of negligence during the rescue operation following the capsize of the Sewol ferry last year. Prosecutors said fewer people would have died in the disaster if Kim Kyung-il, who was the captain of a coastguard vessel sent to the scene, had issued an evacuation order for those trapped inside the vessel.

maiden call for the French port A of Fos Marseilles last month is the Pictured right making a

16,6500TEU containership MSC London. Delivered by the STX yard in South Korea last year, the 176,490gt Panama-flagged vessel is the first of a series of six ordered by Zodiac Maritime and chartered out to MSC. At 399m loa, it became the longest ship to berth in the French port during an inaugural call on the Dragon Line service between Asia and the Mediterranean, operated as part of the M2 alliance between MSC and Maersk Line.

BRITTANY BOOST: French operator Brittany Ferries has boosted its fleet with a 22,382gt ro-pax vessel chartered from DFDS. The Danish-flagged Sirena Seaways is being deployed on the company’s ‘no-frills’ Economie services between Portsmouth, Le Havre and Bilbao. Brittany Ferries is to give 200 seasonal staff full-time contracts and says it will employ a further 570 people for seasonal work this year.

Picture: Thibaud Teillard

Owners’ warning on choice of flags Report highlights fluctuations in performance among different registries

P

A leading global shipowners’ group has cautioned its members against the use of five flags which it has identified as ‘conspicuous examples of sub-standard ship registers’.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) gave the warning last month as it published its latest annual flag state performance ‘league table’, which aims to give owners guidance on their choice of register.

The guide is based on an analysis of almost 120 ship registries, assessing factors such as their port state control records, ratification of key conventions and fleet age.

Only 13 flag states get a clean bill of health on all 18 of the performance indicators. These include the UK and the Nether-

lands, the Isle of Man, Bermuda, Denmark, France, Japan, Liberia and the Marshall Islands.

By contrast, some flags chalked up as many as a dozen negative performance indicators, and 10 had 10 or more negative performance ratings.

ICS secretary general Peter Hinchliffe commented: ‘The very largest flag states, such as the Bahamas, Liberia and the Marshall Islands, as well as Hong Kong, Singapore, Cyprus and Greece, all continue to demonstrate very impressive levels of performance, as do all of the other large European and Asian flags.’

The ICS said the absence of ‘one of two’ positive performance indicators may not be especially important. ‘For example, the fact that a certain IMO convention may not have been ratified by a

flag state does not necessarily mean that its requirements are not being implemented in practice,’ it noted.

‘Amongst the 19 largest ship registers, covering more than 85% of the world fleet, none have more than three potential indicators of negative performance.’

However, the ICS said, there are a number of smaller flag states that still have considerable work to — and it advised shipowners that they ‘may wish think very carefully about using such flags’.

The largest of these is Tanzania, it noted, but Mongolia, Moldova, Cambodia and Sierra Leone are also ranked poorly on the league table.

‘One area on which we would like to see more progress by certain flag states, including some of those with otherwise better per-

formance, is with respect to ratification of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention,’ Mr Hinchliffe said.

‘But,’ he added, ‘following the entry into force of the MLC it is now being enforced worldwide through port state control, and the vast majority of international shipping companies are operating in compliance, with the exception of the official flag state certification.’

The ICS said it was important to strike a balance between commercial advantages and the need to discourage flags that do not meet their international obligations.

It hopes the table will encourage owners and operators to ‘examine whether a flag state has sufficient substance before using it’ and to encourage them to put pressure on administrations to improve their standards.

Seven bids tabled for French ferry firm A

Seven bids have been lodged to take over the running of the troubled French Mediterranean ferry firm SNCM — and unions have described them all as ‘inadequate’.

The bankrupt company — which is presently under court protection — has attracted bids from operators including Mexico’s Baja Ferries, the Greek ferry group Attica, French shipowner Christian Garin, a businesses in Corsica and Switzerland.

Unions — who have warned of industrial action if the SNCM fleet is broken up — said they were unhappy with the bids, with ‘the only certainty being

a large number of job losses and deep worry for the future’.

Baja Ferries has pledged to retain six of the seven ferries and to keep 800 of the current 1,500 staff.

Attica plans to run six ships and keep 680 workers, while Mr Garin, working with a Norwegian operator and three Norway-based financiers, would retain six ships and employ 896 staff.

All the offers are conditioned by the European Commission’s demand for the repayment of €400m it judges SNCM received in illegal subsidies when it was privatised in the 1990s but, despite an

indication from transport minister Alain Vidalies that he had secured an agreement with Brussels to lift the demand, nothing was mentioned to the Marseilles commercial court.

Unions also want to see confirmation of the guarantee that SNCM’s 10-year public service contract for services between Corsica and the French mainland would not be broken up. CFE-CGE officers’ union representative Maurice Perrin, who represents all officers’ unions on the SNCM board, commented: ‘At this stage all the offers are particularly weak and fragile, especially regarding employment.’

Union fears over Costa Cruises transfer after Costa Cruises announced plans to transfer F key operations from Genoa to Hamburg last month.

Italian unions say they will fight to save jobs

The company’s German boss, Michael Thamm, said the relocation would involve four business units, including Costa Cruises’ maritime operations department, and was being undertaken as part of parent group Carnival’s plan to restructure its European operations.

14-15_int.indd 15

Carnival bought the then family-owned Costa in 1997, pledging to retain its character and independence. But the Italian transport workers’ union FIT-CISL fears the company’s transfer plan spells could result in the loss of more than 160 jobs.

Following a meeting with Italian transport minister Maurizio Lupi, Mr Thamm said Costa would keep the ‘heart and soul’ of the company in Italy and the transfer would affect barely 3% of the staff.

‘We are the only cruise line flying the Italian flag and we are the only cruise line paying taxes here,’ he added.

Giovanni Olivieri, national coordinator of FITCISL’s maritime transport division, said members were not reassured by the company’s comments.

‘There were lots of lovely words, but we did not get a proper response,’ he added. ‘We’re afraid this is the tip of the iceberg.’

CHINESE MOVE: Miami-based cruise operator Carnival Corp is in talks with the state-owned China Merchants Group (CMG) to develop a new cruise line for the fast-growing China market. Carnival said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with CMG covering the launch of a cruise line targeting the Chinese market and developing ports and cruiseship destinations across China and Northern Asia.

FINNISH DISPUTE: the Finnish Port Operators Association has taken the transport union AKT to court in a dispute which has seen two ships belonging to the shortsea operator Unifeeder being blockaded in port.

The AKT, supported by the International Transport Workers’ Federation, is calling for the lashing and unlashing of boxes on feeder services to be carried out by dockworkers.

CULTURAL TRAINING: the French containership firm CMA CGM has announced plans to open an ‘in-house university’ to run a range of courses for its 20,000 employees. The CMA CGM Academy, located in its Marseilles headquarters, will deliver special courses to help multinational crews to improve their understanding of different cultures.

FINE DEMAND: French prosecutors have called for a €100,000 fine to be imposed on the operator of the Turkish flagged chemical tanker Deniz-S for polluting waters off the port of Le Havre in January 2014. The court has also been urged to impose a further €50,000 fine on the master of 5,850dwt vessel, which was caught trailing a 15km long, 100m wide slick.

CHILE CASUALTY: 89 passengers and 31 crew had to be evacuated from a cruiseship that ran aground off the coast of Chile during a cruise around the country’s southern fjords last month. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the incident, in which the 1,500gt Skorpios II ended up on a beach near Puerto Montt.

GREEK GROUNDING: 22 seafarers onboard the 27,308dwt Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier Goodfaith were airlifted to safety last month after the vessel ran aground on the Greek island of Andros.

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18/02/2015 16:17

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

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Single-handed yachts: the debate continues Telegraph about the need for yachtsmen P to keep a proper lookout — something singleFurther to the recent letters in the

Wrong flag, wrong way up It looks like the Flag Police are This was seen in the Port of out in force again. This time, a Immingham.

F Stolt tanker, registered Cardiff, has a If the Flag Police had their way, Union Jack (oh, alright, call it a flag if you must!) where the Red Ensign should be. And as you can see from the incriminating photograph, it’s upside down.

the master and mate of mt Stolt Redshank would be going down for a very long time. . .

TALBOT CLARK mem no 120851

Colwyn Bay Fleetwood reunion 94B reunion The 2015 Colwyn Bay Wireless College reunion is taking place on the weekend of Friday 27 March to Sunday 29 March. The event will be held at the country hotel Llandudno, and is open to wives/partners, family and friends. g For further information, please contact johnmottram 2015@ gmail.com.

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Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you think containerships can continue to grow beyond the 20,000TEU barrier?

Yes 62%

No 38%

handed yachtsmen cannot possibly achieve — I note that in issue number 37 of the CHIRP Maritime Feedback there is an article on page 5 on ‘maintaining a proper lookout’.

It would appear from this article that it was only the action of the yacht in question (the stand-on vessel) that prevented a collision or very near-miss. The action taken by the yacht to avert collision was in accordance with Rule 17.

Had a collision occurred and the crew of the yacht been lost, the master of the fishing vessel would have been the one in court; and no professional seafarer would ever wish to be in that position.

In addition, according to the MAIB report into the loss of the yacht Ouzo (report number 7/2007), in section 2.14 it states: ‘In the last 10 years, there have been 87 hazardous incidents between yachts and merchant vessels in open sea conditions, and 14 collisions.’

There were no survivors from the Ouzo to tell their side of the events which occurred that night. What is not stated is the devastating effect on the families and loved ones of those lost at sea from whatever cause.

I must disagree with the opinions offered

by Robert Knight BSc (retired shipmaster) regarding the supposed benefits of rescuing yachtsmen. From my own personal experience, there is no thrill in recovering a dead body at sea, or in losing a loved one in a maritime misadventure, only sadness and a great awareness of the fragility of life.

For those who take an interest in MAIB reports, it is often the lack of a proper lookout/bridge watch being maintained at all times on both vessels concerned, or a lack of appreciation of how a situation is developing, that leads up to a collision.

In the majority of cases it is the smaller vessel that suffers most, and it is often impossible, if there are no survivors, to tell what degree of liability should be apportioned to the smaller vessel (often a yacht or fishing vessel). If Rule 17 was complied with at all times, the majority of these collisions would have been prevented.

However, Rule 17 requires efficient, and uninterrupted, watchkeeping on every vessel — not just the majority.

I rest my case, and that of Captain Nairn Lawson and Peter Jackson (Master, retired).

There should be no exemptions from the need to maintain an efficient lookout at all times, as required by the regulations.

DAVID SPENCER retired shipmaster mem no 092283

In reply to Robert Knight BSc (Letters, February 2015), I personally do not have a problem with single-handed yachtspersons.

If they cannot or will not comply with the ‘Rules’ then any accident which may result, due to their non-compliance, is entirely their own fault.

What I do take exception to is his statement that ‘One reason why rescuers do their jobs is because they enjoy the thrill’. The men and women who volunteer to crew the many and varied rescue craft for the RNLI do so to help others in distress, no matter who they are.

These RNLI volunteers, many of whom are fishermen of one sort or another, put out to sea in all weathers exhibiting personal courage, dedication and professional seamanship.

Launching in a lifeboat into the teeth of a SWly gale to rescue some unfortunate WAFI who loves the thrill of ‘extreme sport’ may be a good ‘rescue exercise scenario’, but not one that many of us would care to undertake.

I do think, Mr Knight. that you owe these brave volunteers an apology.

JONATHAN POPE Retired shipmaster mem no 107536 What a silly letter Robert Knight wrote in February’s Telegraph. I have no idea what being a gold pin member of Nautilus International has to do with anything (I joined the MNAOA in 1959) but the ‘occasional’ yacht rescue is in his imagination, and the statement that lifeboatmen go out for the ‘thrill’ is an insult to these brave men.

I had quite a few brushes with yachts who seemed to think they were deep-draft ships in the Thames and Medway to have much time for them. I used to donate on a regular basis to the RNLI but do so less nowadays as they seem to spend most of their time rescuing WAFIS and surfboarders who show little sea sense.

Let them pay for their own rescues.

TONY GATT FNI Retired shipmaster mem no 312654 A quick reply to Robert Knight BSc’s February letter in which he refers to my original letter about single-handed yachtsmen not keeping a lookout at all times. It is not a question of extreme sports being banned, putting rescue services at risk or living in a country of wimps.

As a retired shipmaster, British I presume, he should be aware these rules were made for the benefit and safety of all seafarers and should be obeyed by all seafarers. You can’t legally use a handheld mobile phone in a car no matter how brave you are.

Captain NAIRN LAWSON mem no 997665

May I suggest that those seafarers who express such hostility towards amateur sailors save their irritation for much more important subjects?

The so-called professional cowboys who alter course to port when in an end-on situation or discuss their anti-collision options over the VHF immediately spring to mind as prime examples.

Those two very dangerous practices, both of which contravene the IRPCS, are reported so frequently that they now appear to be accepted as common practice.

So many collisions, groundings, sinkings and other incidents are reported in MARS, CHIRP and your newspaper that the few infringements committed by yachties pale into insignificance by comparison.

Rogue professionals or rogue amateurs they are both dangerous, but the bad professionals can cause a great deal more damage. I cannot recall ever reading about a solo yachtsman causing death or injury to anyone but themselves.

To suggest that such an experienced and well-respected seafarer as Knox-Johnson should have his ticket cancelled is gratuitous nonsense.

Recreational sailors do not present a problem to the UK shipping industry. The problem is those ship owners who take advantage of the tonnage tax scheme and then do not offer UK cadets permanent posts once their training is finished.

Ships masquerading under the Red Ensign without a single British officer or rating on board are a major threat to the UK’s reputation as a provider of skilled merchant seamen. This situation is a national disgrace and it is a subject to which we should be devoting our energies. My MP is well aware of my opinions on the subject — I hope it registered!

Those who criticise the amateurs should pipe down and remember that it will be the yachties who will form a large pool of ‘hostilities only’ officers and ratings that will (as in previous conflicts) be needed for our warships in the next big war. Our island nation needs their seamanship skills and experience; they are and will remain a valuable state asset.

Yes, I too have commanded large ships through crowded waters and have enjoyed many hair-raising experiences during my career. Small boats were the very least of my concerns.

So let’s stop knocking recreational sailors.

They, like us, love the sea, ships, boats and all thing nautical. We all have that in common.

Robert Knight BSc MNI Retired shipmaster mem no 145558

Vessel donations would benefit us as well as recipients This month’s poll asks: Do you think Captain Schettino deserved to go to jail as a result of the Costa Concordia disaster? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

Australia has donated two large landing craft to the Philippines Navy. The Royal Australian Navy is handing over its former ships upgraded and with spares. During Typhoon Haiyan the dearth of such amphibious vessels hampered the Philippines’ response.

The UK should build on this idea. Some of our £10bn aid should provide ships that help other countries help themselves. Non-fighting vessels such

as landing craft, hydrographic vessels, coastal craft and tankers should be built in British yards, paid for by DFID and gifted appropriately to Commonwealth and friendly countries.

Thus, our shipyards keep busy, British shipbuilders secure employment and the UK fulfils an international obligation while, at the same time as helping others, helps itself. This model would boost our economy; a thriving Britain would likely be more willing to provide

aid in future.

Well-designed ships might generate orders from foreign navies. Indeed, Royal Navy training teams could help foreign navies get the most out of their new vessels; such foreign service might help retention of sailors in the Senior Service.

Charity really could, and should, begin at home.

LESTER MAY Lt Cdr RN — retired

18/02/2015 17:51

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Help save National Gallery staff from suffering our fate Readers of the Telegraph may wonder why our union should take up the cudgels on behalf of an industrial dispute which, at first glance, appears to have nothing to do with maritime affairs. For those not familiar with this issue, just enter ‘National Gallery strike’ in your web browser.

But there are similarities with the National Gallery dispute which echo what has happened to the British Merchant Navy, dating back to the shipping slump in the 1980s.

At the National Gallery, regular staff, some of them with 40 years’ service, are being ‘outsourced’ to a private security company. Outsourcing is another word for privatisation, of course. Zero hours contracts, pay below the minimum London Living Wage, no security in the way of a contract of employment, ‘flexible’ working hours, and the bogus selfemployed free of national insurance, all spring to mind. Plus, the company taking over can send these new employees anywhere within their commercial entity, even to car parks!

Apart from the sheer immorality of it, I am amazed that the government, or any government, would allow

telegraph

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

STAFF editor: Andrew Linington deputy editor: Debbie Cavaldoro production editor: June Cattini-Walker senior reporter: Sarah Robinson web editor: Deborah McPherson ADVERTISING Redactive Media Group 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP. Display adverts: Jude Rosset tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 Jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk

our National (and note the word National) Gallery, which is second only to the British Museum in status, to be privatised in this manner by a company whose only motive is to make a profit.

We have seen it all before of course, with British companies flagging out and replacing British officers and crew with low cost crews. Offshore contracts became the norm following the 1980s shipping slump, which put any British crew member outside the protection of British employment legislation, like an obligation to pay national insurance and a pension, and — in my case — the EU age discrimination act.

We now have the situation where the majority of ‘British’ flagged vessels (i.e. Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bahamas, etc) are staffed entirely by low-cost foreigners.

So there is the parallel; both our institutions and industries being sacrificed in the race to the bottom, and for this reason I fully encourage our union to lend its full support to the National Gallery dispute. I consider that it is much more than one union supporting another, it is our union supporting an ideal and a principle. mem no 119730

Recruitment adverts: John Seaman tel: +44 (0)20 7880 8541 tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6200 email: info@redactive.co.uk website: www.redactive.co.uk Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

ISSN 0040 2575 Published by Nautilus International Printed by William Gibbons.

What caused Höegh Osaka grounding?

P

With reference to the Höegh Osaka and not wishing to pre-empt the findings of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in any way, but rather in view of the reports and statements in the media, I would like to examine the actual mechanics of the grounding itself.

Having been a shipmaster at sea for 36 years on conventional cargo vessels, some of which were ice-breakers, ro-ro cargo and ro-pax vessels, I have acquired a knowledge of how ships react in various situations.

Any vessel that develops a list will automatically sheer in the opposite direction due to increased water pressure on the

low side of the bow and reduced water pressure on the high side.

The rate of the sheer or turn will initially be proportional to the angle of heel and the speed of the vessel through the water.

An example of this would be the alteration of course and capsizing in the case of the Korean ferry Sewol.

Depending on wind effect at the time, Höegh Osaka would have been travelling at a speed of around 8 to 10 knots in the Thorn Channel as she approached the almost 90° left hand turn at the West Bramble Buoy.

On commencing the turn to port, the ship, for whatever reason, developed a heavy list to

starboard. As explained above, this would cause the ship to sheer to port, thereby increasing the rate of turn. The ship would commence to turn more sharply than intended. Then, as the rate of turn increased, so would the list.

The whole procedure would become self-generating, with the ship temporarily out of control and not answering to the helm.

Höegh Osaka would then continue in this turn until she fetched up on the Bramble Bank and, I submit, that at her estimated speed, it would have happened so quickly that neither the master nor the pilot would have had time to achieve

Passage Planning Guide 2015 Edition

£175

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

Members: tell Nautilus what you think of it! is now underway, and by F taking part you’ll get the ear of the

The 2015 membership survey

Union’s leadership. How do you feel we are doing with recruitment, organising, collective bargaining, campaigns, communications, and legal and welfare services? g You can take the Nautilus membership survey online at www. nautilusint.org; or if you’d prefer us to send you a paper copy, call +44 (0)20 8989 6677 and ask for the Communications department.

UK authorities are ruining the MCA

Malacca and Singapore Straits

Witherby Seamanship International 4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK

any input.

Indeed, I would go so far as to suggest they were powerless to prevent it happening, even if they had so wished.

The last vessels I commanded before retiring were ro-pax ferries where it was standard practice for the master, who was also the pilot, to sign the printed stability statement and ensure the heeling system was isolated before leaving the berth.

If something similar was done onboard Höegh Osaka before she left the berth, I’m sure it will be made clear in the pending MAIB report.

CHARLES BATCHELOR Master (Retired) mem no 178415

Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999 Email: info@emailws.com Web: www.witherbyseamanship.com

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency is in crisis. The way in which the Department for Transport have their heads in the sand and trying to screw surveyors by removing overtime and out of hours payments, yet expecting them still to carry out these duties, is driving away all the top quality surveyors.

The majority of port state control officers no longer carry out any inspections outside of office hours. This will rapidly cause the required number of missed P1 inspections needed for the EEC to start infraction measures, leading to the UK government being fined millions of Euros.

The DFT are destroying the greatest flag state in the world. We will soon become a third world flag or cease

to exist if they are not stopped. It has already reached the point where there are insufficient surveyors to carry out the statutory surveys and inspections and are having to be given to class to complete.

Many of the surveyors are looking for employment elsewhere as the future under these clowns looks very bleak. Come July and if the new employment contract is forced in, there will be no contact with the MCA outside of office hours.

How sad that some little man in a Whitehall office who has no idea what a marine surveyor does is allowed to blunder on towards a one-size-fits-all ‘solution’. Fine if you work in an office Monday to Friday, but not for us.

Name withheld on request

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

18/02/2015 16:42

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

YOUR NEWS

Telegraph poetry competition: the merchant marine in wartime centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania, we F are inviting readers to send in poems exploring Calling maritime poets! To mark the

the experiences of merchant seafarers involved in conflict.

Any take on this is welcome — whether it’s to do with the convoys of the First and Second World Wars, or perhaps the supply ships for the Falklands or the Gulf. g Please send in your poem about the merchant

marine in wartime to: The editor, Nautilus Telegraph, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, London E18 1BD, or email your entry to telegraph@nautilusint.org, marked ‘Poetry competition’.

The deadline for entries is 31 March 2015.

Winning entries will be published in the Telegraph, and each winner will receive a signed copy of Lusitania R.E.X by Greg Taylor, a new novel about the disaster.

A fond Nautilus farewell to Captain Gerald Rolph P

Family, friends and colleagues have been celebrating the life of Captain Gerald Rolph and his work for Nautilus. A seafarer, trade unionist and latterly a resident of the Mariners’ Park estate, Capt Rolph passed away in early January, and is already much missed.

Gerald was born in Bebington on the Wirral in 1928, and one of his early memories was walking through the Mersey Tunnel the day before it opened. As a child during the Second World War, he spent time collecting scrap from crashed aircraft, helping on a dairy farm in Raby and shooting rabbits to augment the family’s meat ration. He was also key to the founding of Bebington Sea Cadets.

At 17, with the assistance of his father, he became an apprentice deck officer with the United Africa Company, which later became Palm Line. And in the late 1940s, he met Joan Clayton, who was to become his wife for 59 years, at a dance in Port Sunlight. They went on to have two children, Martin and Sue. Martin Rolph remembers what it was like to have a seafarer for a father: ‘When Dad was at sea, often for months, Mum, Sue and

18_let.indd 18

A young Gerald as a cadet in the mid-1940s

I got on with our daily lives. As children, we did very much look forward to seeing him return. I am sure that had nothing to do with the presents that he always brought for us! As we got older, Sue would bake him cakes to take with him, and I became more interested in what he did and where he went, following his voyages in my atlas.’

Towards the end of his seagoing career, Gerald Rolph gained his master’s certificate and was promoted to the rank of captain. Unfortunately, the British Merchant Navy

Gerald Rolph as a chief officer in the late 1960s

was now in decline, with Palm Line particularly affected, so his time as a shipmaster ended prematurely in the mid1970s.

P

A keen trade unionist, Capt Rolph had served on the national executive of the Mercantile Marine Service Association while still at sea. After he came ashore, he gained a staff position with the Union, and spent time working with the UK government and others on policies and regulations to improve the training and safety of sea-

farers. He also acquired responsibilities on the welfare side, to do with the interests of residents and the estate at Mariners’ Park. By this time the Union was known as NUMAST, and when the moment came for a further name change to reflect the organisation’s new circumstances, it was Gerald Rolph who suggested ‘Nautilus’.

Today’s estate manager at Mariners’ Park is Danny Kenny, who knew Capt Rolph well. He recalls: ‘I first started work at Mariners’ Park in April 1979 and Captain Rolph was my first manager. I was a raw 16 year

Captain Rolph (far right, wearing beret) with friends from Mariners’ Park on a visit to Trefriw cemetery in 2013

old apprentice, straight from school, and learning the ropes.

My memories of him are that he had his own dedicated “parking speck” outside Nautilus House, and woe betide anybody parking in it. He was a good manager though, and I got on very well with him. Capt Rolph retired in 1990, and he and his wife Joan spent their early retirement years in their bungalow in Moreton enjoying their garden, with a little advice every now and then from myself.

‘Joan later came into the Mariners’ Park Care Home due to ill health, and after her passing, Capt Rolph came to live on the estate in one of our newer bungalows. I hope I played my part, amongst the larger team, in looking after him in his later years.

‘Capt Rolph was always one to try and get involved in things around the estate. He was very proud to be a user of the gym in the Trinity House Hub and was an active member of the men’s activities scheme, participating in computer club and the weekly film nights. One of my proudest achievements was that after years of campaigning, he found a supporter in me to maintain the grave of the 29 deceased Mariners’ Park residents who were evacuated to Trefriw during the Second World War. ‘The grave in Trefriw (north Wales) had been neglected for many years when I first went out there one weekend to see it for myself. I sent out a couple of gardeners and our painter to bring it back up to a good standard and this was welcomed by the locals in the small village.

We now send a team of staff out to the grave annually to tidy the grave up and paint the chains around it if required. One last job is to get the names of these people onto the headstone,

which I hope to do in the near future.’

Nautilus Welfare Fund secretary Mike Jess also paid tribute to Capt Rolph. ‘He was a great supporter of the Union and the charity in particular,’ said Mr Jess, ‘and he was always willing to offer advice and encouragement to the welfare staff of Mariners’ Park. He will be sadly missed by staff and residents alike.’

Capt Rolph’s funeral on 26 January was attended by numerous friends and relatives including his four grandchildren, along with a strong contingent from Mariners’ Park. The service was conducted by Liverpool port chaplain Dave Robertson, a long-standing friend of the Park who had been involved in the effort to restore the Trefriw grave. Afterwards there was a celebration of Gerald Rolph’s life at the Mersey View Room in the Mariners’ Park Care Home — a fitting send-off for a man who had contributed so much to the local area, the seafaring community, the Union and the Nautilus Welfare Fund.

Captain Rolph in the Trinity House Hub gym in 2014

18/02/2015 16:43

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

SEAFARERS’ RIGHTS

F

Seafarers are still being denied many of the basic rights that other people enjoy — not least to decent hours of work and rest. And the shipping industry is running the risk of facing a massive legal claim if it fails to address the problems, London maritime lawyers heard last month.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson and Council member Mike Lloyd were among the speakers at the London Shipping Law Centre’s symposium on crew fatigue and human rights.

Mr Graveson told the meeting that it was almost 100 years since MPs had expressed outrage that pit ponies were working up to 16 hours a day in British mines.

Legislation was eventually passed to limit their working week to 48 hours — but, he pointed out, the 2010 STCW Convention amendments permit seafarers to work up to 98 hours a week.

‘STCW permits a daily maximum of 14 hours of work — a maximum that is found nowhere else in the world — and barely in history, with even the labour camps of Germany, the slave plantations of Jamaica, or the galleys of Rome having lower working hours,’ he added. ‘Only in Stalin’s Gulag did a 14 hour working day exist — one and a half hours to collect tools, 11 hours’ work and one and a half hours to return tools.’

Seafarers’ hours are regulated on the basis of socio-economic factors rather than science, Mr Graveson said, and he questioned the safety of working a 12- or 14-hour day, particularly when it involves night work between the hours of midnight to six.

‘In addition to the immediate risks of endangering life, property and the environment associated with acute or chronic tiredness, there are long-term health effects, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and mental health issues,’ he pointed out.

The focus on the proximate cause of shipping accidents means underlying trends are often not identified and analysed properly, Mr Graveson told the meeting. This often leaves seafarers being singled out for blame, when parties such as flag states, regulatory authorities, designers, class and operators were responsible for more fundamental causative factors.

‘The fractured nature of the labour market in shipping, either created intentionally or by necessity, means that the likelihood of an adequately funded defence for seafarers is rare,’ he added.

‘Similarly, the cause of death of seafarers, even when a body is recovered, is rarely subject to adequate scrutiny at a coroner’s court in England due to lack of proper representation. Human rights

Repeated manning cuts mean most crews cannot cope safely with their peak workload

“

”

19_lslc_SR edit.indd 19

At the limit of endurance?

Seafarer fatigue is one very visible aspect of regulatory failure, Nautilus told a top-level legal debate last month. But what rights do overworked crew members have – and what remedies are there when the various safeguards fail? ANDREW LININGTON reports…

departments,’ he added. ‘There is an expectation that the ships will go into port and turn around as quickly as possible. Too many people on the commercial side have never set foot on a ship and they don’t see how demanding a life at sea can be. With the commercial environment we are in today, that situation is just getting worse.’

There are good owners out there, Mr Cox said, and developments such as the Maritime Labour Convention and improved internet access at sea have helped to make life better for seafarers.

However, he admitted, there is still a ‘squeeze’ on many owners to keep their crewing costs to the minimum.

Barrister David Hammond said he had founded the Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) organisation to raise awareness and accountability about the abuses suffered by many of the world’s 1.5m seafarers.

Those who work at sea should be entitled to the same rights as those ashore, he argued. ‘However, global awareness of rights, responsibilities and remedies remains lacking or avoided. People assume that everybody else is doing something about it.’

A 14-hour working day is like something from the gulags of Stalin

“

”

The UK-flagged merchant ship Beaumont aground in Spain after the officer of the watch fell asleep Picture: Reuters

are denied to seafarers in death as they are in life.’

Capt Lloyd argued that inadequate manning is ‘the catalyst for so many of our problems at sea’ — with poor regulation and intense competition forcing responsible owners to follow the lead set by substandard operators.

‘The simple fact is that we have assumed a manning scale that, while seemingly possible under normal conditions, means the vast majority of ships cannot cope safely and adequately with the peak workload situations and conditions,’ he added.

Pressure on already limited crew complements is increased by things such as security watch requirements or communication problems, Capt Lloyd said.

And while manning levels should be reviewed if a ship changes its trade, in his 50-year career he had never seen this done.

Indeed, Capt Lloyd suggested, there appears to be little appetite among the authorities for effective enforcement of the rules.

‘It is a matter of will,’ he added.

‘Changes can be made if we accept

Allan Graveson

Matthew Cox

David Hammond

Mike Lloyd

that there is a problem and that, in the interests of safety, it must be overcome.

‘The combination of lower

training standards, poor manning and language problems mean that many ships and those on them are facing what can only

be described, on a number of vessels, as a crisis,’ he warned. ‘Instead of constantly blaming those onboard, we should be looking at those who put them in this predicament, the political and economic compromises made, and the actions that can be taken to rectify the root causes.’

Giving the owners’ perspective, Matthew Cox of Marlens Maritime agreed that seafarers are facing extra pressures — not least from their increasing responsibilities for the commercial and managerial aspects of their vessels.

Many operators were building their new ships ‘on the cheap’ — and fitting vessels with the lowest cost equipment is not doing any favours to their crews, he admitted.

Pressures are exacerbated by officers being promoted rapidly as a result of skill shortages, Mr Cox said. Watchkeeping patterns are ‘archaic’ — with six-on/six-off having a particularly detrimental effect on crew members.

‘Seafarers are often forgotten by the trading and chartering

Mr Hammond said that many of the basic principles set down by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 had not been incorporated into the Maritime Labour Convention. And little effort was made to ensure that flag states meet their responsibilities under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to investigate shipping casualties.

‘In this day and age, application through implication is unacceptable,’ he stressed. ‘That is why I say we want to be explicit in talking about human rights and the human element and the seafarer.’

Even when the shipping industry does talk about corporate social responsibility, the human rights of seafarers did not figure in the discussion, Mr Hammond said. HRAS is now working to persuade the industry to adopt the UN guiding principles on business and human rights, which were agreed in 2011.

He warned that shipping will face increasing pressure to improve its act — especially with the ever-greater public scrutiny of the way in which companies operate. ‘Business holds the key to change,’ he stressed. ‘Money talks.’

Mr Hammond said the human element in corporate social responsibility cannot be ignored — although there should be effective criminal and civil consequences to abuses, not just confidential arbitrations. ‘There is likely to be multi-million-dollar litigation in the maritime industry on CSR issues,’ he warned.

‘I am afraid we must have some pretty bloody cases to wake up the industry.’

18/02/2015 16:18

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

MARITIME CAREERS

Helping you up the ladder K

Approximately 850 new entrant cadets embark on a career in the Merchant Navy every year. At the end of their three-year cadetship, many newly qualified officers (NQOs) will commence their professional career with their sponsoring company, who would often look to recruit the cadets they have trained once their cadetships have been completed.

However, the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) is well aware that this is not necessarily the case for all — working out how to start looking for, and securing, that first job is unlikely to be uppermost in a cadet’s mind when working towards their oral exam for the Officer of the Watch certificate of competency. For many, the world of work may be daunting and can seem difficult to break in to, and the time when support is most

The tricky transition from cadet to junior officer has been a hot topic on the Telegraph letters pages in recent months. The UK Merchant Navy Training Board has been paying attention to these concerns and is taking action to make things easier, explains MNTB head GLENYS JACKSON… needed may be the time when it is least accessible, given that the cadetship will effectively be over.

Most companies offer support, contacts, signposting and advice on how to get that elusive first job, and we would encourage all NQOs to seek their support and to keep in contact with their sponsoring company wherever possible.

However, the MNTB is also keen to provide support. Our Careers at Sea and Beyond website — www. casandbeyond.org — offers help and guidance with the transition

from cadet to officer as well as for those looking to make a move from ship to shore. Although in its infancy, the website features information about how to find a job, writing CVs and cover letters, and how to present oneself at an interview. We hope to develop the website further in the future to support and assist seafarers in all aspects of their job hunt and with their career development.

Seafarers are not alone in facing the challenges of finding their first role on qualification. It is commonplace for graduates and job-seekers in any industry

to spend months of filling out applications, writing cover letters — finding a job often can become a full time job in itself.

Frustrating work, but it will be rewarded once you have secured that first role. The MNTB recognises that it is not easy to secure a first position onboard a vessel when you have just qualified as an officer, and this makes it all the more important to ensure that your CV is professional, up to date and relevant.

The issue of NQOs finding it difficult to acquire their first professional job role has rightly

become something of a topic in various discussions throughout the industry. The Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals Forum reviews this subject on a frequent basis and is compiling ways to help make the change from cadet to officer as easy as possible. Likewise, the MNTB is looking at various ways to offer support and guidance.

The jobs are out there — but it can be hard to know where to find them and how to apply, and to maintain enthusiasm and not become downhearted. So, any NQO that is in this position, talk

to us. We don’t have jobs up our sleeves, but we may be able to point you in directions you haven’t thought of or explored.

One new avenue will be the UK Chamber of Shipping’s jobs board, which is shortly to be launched and will provide a range of opportunities across the industry. The MNTB would particularly like to hear from NQOs that have experienced difficulty in securing their first professional role to explore how you were able to obtain that position and pass the benefit of your hindsight on to others — what made the difference in order for you to be offered a job. f Contact Fena Boyle, our training and careers coordinator, for advice and support. As an ex-Trinity House cadet, Fena knows where you’re coming from and has an understanding ear. Get in touch at fena.boyle@ mntb.org.uk

Tomorrow’s trainees test the waters of the strong interest in seafaring F careers. Warsash Maritime Academy (part of

Pictured left and below is fresh evidence

Southampton Solent University) held its winter open day at the end of January — an event which attracted more than 600 visitors.

The potential seafarers of the future came from over 42 different counties around the UK, as well as the Republic of Ireland, Romania and Italy. They included young people studying for their GCSEs, school leavers, sixth formers and those looking for a second career.

Numerous shipping companies exhibited at the event, including: Anglo-Eastern (UK); Bibby Ship Management (WE); BP Maritime Services; Carisbrooke Shipping: Carnival UK; Chiltern Maritime; Clyde Marine Training; Deeside Crewing Services (Vroon); Maersk Crewing; Northern Marine Manning Services; Princess Cruises; Royal Fleet Auxiliary; Ship Safe Training Group; and Viking Recruitment.

20_wma_SR edit.indd 25

18/02/2015 16:20

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

SEAFARER HEALTH

Helping us help each other A maritime charity has launched a course on handling the psychological pressures of working at sea—both for ourselves and for colleagues.

ANDREW LININGTON reports...

M

Masters and officers are being given special training in psychological and social skills as part of a pioneering scheme to tackle shipboard welfare problems.

The Wellness at Sea programme developed by the Sailors’ Society charity aims to help seafarers deal with issues such as mental health, stress, loneliness and bullying — giving senior officers the chance to identify problems before they develop into threats to the safety of seafarers and their ships.

Launched last month with the support of four leading shipping companies, the Wellness at Sea scheme was developed in response to the tragic case of Akhona Geveza, a South African cadet on the UK-flagged containership Safmarine Kariba who was founded dead in June 2010 after complaining that she had been raped by an officer onboard.

Project manager Johan Smith was working at the college where the cadet had been training and said the shock generated by her death had prompted discussions on whether anything could have been done to prevent it from occurring.

These talks resulted in an agreement on the need for an initiative to trigger a fundamental cultural change in the way that seafarers are trained and to their life onboard ships, he explained.

‘Historically, the training of seafarers has been focused on occupational skills, while welfare services have mostly been reactive, coming into play only once a problem arises,’ Mr Smith, a chaplain in the South African port of Cape Town, pointed out.

Instead, the new programme aims to give seafarers the necessary cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, social skills and spiritual well-being alongside their more traditional technical training.

‘It starts with a seemingly simple question: how are you doing?’ Mr Smith said. ‘If you think about it, you seen realise it is actually a very complex and multi-dimensional question and we want to give seafarers the skills to be culturally competent to deal with the challenges they face at sea today.’

Mr Smith said World Health Organisation statistics showed seafarers to have the second highest rate of occupational suicide. ‘That has got to say something about the job and the direction that the industry has to go in,’ he added.

The Wellness at Sea training programme aims to p og a e a o improve po e Wellness at Sea project manager Johan Smith and Rightship vetting superintendent Captain Vlad Docekal at the launch of the programme

s’ Society port It’s good to talk: a Sailor g seafarers chaplain meets visitin

seafarers’ interpersonal and communication skills, helping them to handle issues such as conflict onboard, relationships with families ashore, identifying the signs of mental stress and improving awareness of the support that is available.

The Sailors’ Society says the programme is based on a recognition that ‘a healthy and happy crew is safe and potentially more productive. The lost time arising from incidents can be disruptive and costly, and when seafarers are unable to remain in their roles, the replacement process is time-consuming and costly’.

Companies involved in the project include Wallem, RightShip, Wah Kwong, and Pacific Basin. RightShip vetting superintendent Captain Vlad Docekal said he was convinced the training would help to improve ship safety as well as seafarer welfare.

Cultural understanding is critical on ships where it is common to find eight nationalities among 22 crew, Capt Docekal argued. He spoke of his personal experience of two cases showing the impact of stress and isolation: one in which a cadet stabbed the chief cook before attempting suicide, and another in which a second

officer changed the ship’s course to get a better mobile phone signal — putting the vessel into imminent danger of grounding.

‘We don’t expect this programme to be producing psychologists, but it will be equipping seafarers with the skills to recognise a problem among crew members at an early stage and to know where to go for further help,’ he added.

‘Buy-in’ from senior officers is core to the success of the scheme, Capt Docekal said. ‘They can observe what is going on, pick up vibes and information, and put together the whole picture of what is going on, then take action before the problem affects the whole ship,’ he pointed out.

Wah Kwong Maritime Transport CEO Tim Huxley said the term ‘human error’ was used to disguise a wide variety of underlying problems that seafarers face. ‘Problems such as loneliness and separation from friends and family lead to many seafarers abandoning a seagoing career,’ he added. ‘If we can identify these problems early and empower

masters and senior officers to deal with them as they arise, we have a much better chance of solving this problem.

‘Wellness at Sea is not looking to add the role of the parish priest to the established skillsets of our captains, but instead to support crew retention and show commitment to our colleagues at sea on whom we depend for so much,’ he said.

The Sailors’ Society has developed the course with input from other organisations, including the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network, Seafarers Rights International, and the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme.

It is delivering the fivemodule, four-day course at two levels — one for cadets and the other for masters and officers, with content capable of being customised to company needs.

At this stage, the officers’ programme is being offered to selected companies to integrate with their in-house training.

The cadet programme is available through maritime training

colleges working in partnership with the charity. Initially, the scheme is being delivered in South Africa, Namibia, China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

Sailors’ Society chief executive Stuart Rivers said Wellness at Sea marks a ‘step change’ in the way the industry views seafarer health and will ‘fill a vital need by recognising the importance to safety of a crew whose mental and spiritual needs are met’.

Mr Smith said he believes the programme would have helped to prevent the death of Akhona Geveza. ‘If she had the knowledge of where to go and the organisations who assist seafarers, it would have made a difference,’ he argued.

‘This programme must be seen as a first step,’ Mr Smith stressed. ‘I realise that the problems that are in the industry are massive, and we don’t pretend that we will solve them all in the next year or so. But this is the first step in the right direction to make a positive culture change in the maritime industry.

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18/02/2015 16:20

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

MARITIME WELFARE

Thinking to prepar all our fut L-R: Mike Jess, Mark Dickinson, Barry Bryant, Liz Cairncross and Mick Howarth at the MCG report launch

Projected former RN seafarers from 2014-2050

The number of serving

Merchant Navy seafarers is projected to continue to

decline

30,000 in 2014 to 20,000 in 2035

2014 380,000

from an estimated

2020 312,000

Estimated 154,000 former MN seafarers in 2013, of whom 91,000 are aged 65 or over

2030 232,000 Total number of

former RN is projected to

2040 186,000

decline to 159,000

2050 159,000 85+ population up to 2035 when it will be more than 275% its current estimated level of 6,000 There are an estimated 125,000 MN dependent adults including widows and widowers and 51,000 MN dependent children In 2013, there were an estimated 12,000 serving FF There were an estimated 99,000 former FF seafarers in 2013

by

Current numbers across RN, MN and FF

2050 33,000 171,000

405,000

RN 209,000 30,000 63,000 176,000

Serving

MN

Former under 65

12,000

91,000 41,000 106,000

Former aged 65+

FF

Dependants 58,000

Infographic: June Cattini-Walker

22-23_spread.indd 22

P

Nautilus has welcomed the publication of an important new research report which seeks to identify the welfare needs of former seafarers and their dependants between now and the middle of the century.

The study, commissioned by the Maritime Charities Group (MCG), concludes that while the number of retired British seafarers is set to decline, those over the age of 85 — who have the greatest welfare needs — will increase by around 275% over the next 15 years.

The report, produced by the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University, estimates the current UK seafaring population as 75,000 — of which 33,000 are in the Royal Navy, 30,000 in the Merchant Navy and 12,000 in the fishing fleet (FF).

The number of former seafarers totals 633,000 — of which 358,000 are aged over 65 and the number of ex-seafarers’ dependants is estimated at 687,000.

The study suggests that changes in welfare reform and continuing public sector austerity measures are likely to drive further demand for help and support within the maritime community.

Report author Liz Cairncross said the work had been ‘challenging’ — with problems in getting reliable data and a number of uncertain factors, such as changes in life expectancy, retirement ages, pension provision, medical treatment and health trends.

However, she added, it was likely that the longterm decline in British seafaring numbers will continue. The number of serving RN seafarers is forecast to drop from 33,000 in 2014 to 29,000 by 2020, remaining stable after that. And on current trends, the number of serving MN personnel is projected to fall from 30,000 in 2014 to 20,000 in 2035 and to remain stable after then.

The report estimates that the total number of retired seafarers will fall from 633,000 at present to around 156,000 in 2050. The number of ex-RN seafarers will drop from 380,000 to 159,000 as the Second World War and National Service generations pass on, the number of retired MN seafarers will decline from 154,000 to 64,000 and the number of former FF crew members will reduce from 99,000 to 38,000 over the same period.

There are presently some 125,000 MN dependant adults — including widows and widowers — and 51,000 MN dependant children, the report states. ‘The total number of dependant adults is projected to decline steadily between now and 2050, while the number of widows is projected to increase slightly up to 2020, before falling,’ it adds. ‘The number of dependant children is to decline up to 2035, before starting to rise steadily.’

There are presently some 46,000 former MN personnel aged 55 or over with limiting longstanding illness, and 26,000 with one or more condition that limits their daily activity. By 2050, the report predicts, these numbers will fall to 14,000 and 9,000 respectively.

The profile of t seafaring popu changed dram in recent decad maritime char had to re-shap services they p response. Last the launch of a which aims to f future welfare ANDREW LININ found out mor But, Ms Cairncross caut decline in former seafarers does not necessarily add demand for welfare services The number of ex-M seafarers over the age of 85 most likely to have conditio set to rise for the next de pointed out.

‘They are key drivers of support services, and the their numbers among the highlights the need for pro how they can meet the nee whether through the p themselves or working commissioners or other p stresses.

‘The main beneficiary gr men,’ the report adds. ‘N vulnerable to specific health with their time at sea but former fishers and some M or no occupational pension The report concludes continuing need for charita particularly among the old for many years to come’.

Continued increases in affect demand for services reform changes and auster health and social care may m numbers will decline, the actually increase.

David Sinclair, director Longevity Centre UK, said wider changes in socie

18/02/2015 18:30

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MARITIME WELFARE

g ahead re for A regretful goodbye after utures years of seeking solutions A Mariners’ Park resident enjoys the bright modern facilities at the Trinity House Hub Picture: Danny Kenny

of the UK opulation has amatically cades and harities have ape the y provide in ast month saw of a new report to forecast re needs.

NINGTON more… cautioned, the numerical arers and their dependants add up to a reduction in rvices. ex-MN and fishing fleet of 85 — who are the group nditions requiring help — is xt decade and a half, she ers of demand for care and the projected increase in g the MN and FF groups or providers to understand e needs of frailer seafarers, he provision of services ing in partnership with her providers,’ the report ry group will continue to be ds. ‘Not only are seafarers health conditions associated a but many — particularly me MN — will have limited nsion provision.’ udes that ‘there will be a haritable help and support, e oldest former MN and FF, e’. es in life expectancy will vices, it notes, and welfare usterity measures affecting may mean that while overall e, the level of need may ector of the International said the report reflected society which pose big

22-23_spread.indd 23

challenges for public policy. Although people are living longer, there are huge disparities in life expectancy across the UK, he said, and ‘pension poverty’ is very real, with 1.6m pensioners below the poverty line. Older people also face the risk of being increasingly isolated, with a growing number of pensioner living alone.

MCG chairman Commodore Barry Bryant said the new study builds on the findings of previous research, commissioned in 2005, which sought to identify changing patterns of demand for maritime welfare services and resulted in the 2007 report Supporting Seafarers and their Families which paved the way for some radical changes in the sector.

The earlier research resulted in the introduction of a wide range of new projects and services to meet the needs and issues it had identified, he said. These included such schemes as a social networking system for elderly seafarers, caseworkers to help with financial problems and claiming grants, ‘best practice’ for maritime care homes, a project to encourage ‘digital inclusion’ among retired seafarers, and the ‘men in sheds’ scheme to help older male seafarers to socialise.

The new study will help to fuel a fresh approach to changing needs, Cmdre Bryant explained. It forms the first part of a two-year project to examine the future size and shape of the maritime welfare sector, and the MCG will serve as an information exchange, promoting best practice and policy development, and helping to raise awareness.

‘As a result of the significant change in the maritime and ex-Service charity landscape, we need a fresh approach to the overarching issues affecting the maritime welfare sector,’ he added.

‘Sources of funding, particularly for the ex-Service sector, have increased — but this is not necessarily the case for Merchant Navy and fishing charities.’

Cmdre Bryant said more research will be carried out during the next two years, leading to the publication of a 2017 version of the Supporting Seafarers report. ‘Our over-riding aim is to ensure that the maritime charities can give the best service possible over the coming decades,’ he added.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This report is very welcome and it is extremely useful to have an update of the 2007 data. From the Nautilus Welfare Fund’s perspective, an in-depth understanding of the demographics of the seafaring population is crucial for our work to support those who served at sea.

‘It is clear that the number of people who depend on the sort of support and services that we provide through the Welfare Fund will continue to grow for many years to come and the needs that we meet will also become more complex,’ he added. ‘The findings will give renewed focus for our strategy of in delivering the sort of services that meet the needs of former seafarers and their families now and well into the future.’

The planning application to demolish an old home for seafarers’ widows has sparked a passionate online debate. But, writes Nautilus head of welfare services MICK HOWARTH, there is more to the story than meets the eye… of the Mersey in Wallasey, is a L well-known local landmark. Built with a Gibson House, on the banks

donation from the Liverpool shipowner and philanthropist Andrew Gibson, it opened its doors in 1906 to provide accommodation to the widows and children of mariners lost at sea.

For many decades, Gibson House formed an important part of the complex of residential and welfare facilities for seafarers and their dependants at Mariners’ Park — the 16-acre estate administered by the Nautilus Welfare Fund (NWF), a registered charity.

But as times changed, the need for this type of accommodation dwindled.

So, between 1982 and 1983 the original 40 small bed-sitting rooms with shared kitchens were converted into 25 larger flats for elderly widows of seafarers.

Just over a decade ago the building had to be vacated as the flats no longer met modern standards, and providing adequate heating in the Edwardian building had been a constant problem.

To compensate for the loss of the accommodation, the charity developed 14 purpose-built apartments, named Gibson Terrace.

These are located within the adjacent Mariners’ Park, which provides more than 100 apartments, bungalows and houses for retired seafarers, as well as a residential and nursing home.

Over the last 10 years the NWF has tried to find an alternative use for Gibson House. The financial crash of 2008 initially strangled demand for new developments, but over the last the years the charity has worked closely with Wirral Borough Council and a number of local registered social landlords to try and revive the building.

On each occasion — even with the prospect of some central government funding to bring empty properties back to life — the same economic conclusion emerged: the cost of reviving the building was too high given the extensive work needed and the scale of deterioration it has suffered.

Since it was vacated, vandals have stripped the lead from the roof, smashed windows, and started fires — leaving the interior of the building

Gibson House is in very poor condition and cannot meet 21st century welfare standards for elderly residents Picture: Danny Kenny

in a sorry and hazardous state. The top staircase has collapsed with water penetration, ceilings have fallen in, floors are extensively damaged and there is also asbestos in the old building. The condition of the building is now such that it requires extensive work, not minor remedial repairs. It presents serious risks — including the presence of asbestos — which demand good management and specialist work.

With regret, the charity’s trustees have concluded that demolition is now the only feasible option, and a planning application has been lodged with Wirral Borough Council. There are no immediate plans to utilise the site.

However the NWF intends to keep the land for potential future development to respond to the growing numbers of retired mariners and their dependants.

After demolition, it is proposed to

grass over the site and the charity will continue to maintain the grounds.

Mariners’ Park, which is over 150 years old, will continue to be a vibrant community for retired seafarers and their dependants. Over the years a number of well-loved buildings have been demolished to meet modern standards and expectations. In 2012, 14 small apartments — half of those upstairs apartments — were demolished to make way for the state-of-the-art Trinity House Hub, which provides 18 modern, open-plan apartments, all fully accessible, as well as providing residents with a café, health suite, hobby room, hair salon and laundry.

The history of the Park is one of continual evolution and modernising, and plans for 2015 include replacing four small apartments with a pair of two-bedroomed bungalows. It

is also hoped that 2016/7 will see another 22 apartments added to the Trinity House Hub as the charity increases the number and quality of accommodation options for needy seafarers.

Nautilus recognises and appreciates the concerns which have been raised about the future of Gibson House. However, it is important to set the record straight and to correct some of the misleading statements that have been made about the building. It should be noted that it is the Nautilus Welfare Fund — a separate charity with its own trust deed, operated in accordance with the Charity Commission requirements — that is responsible for Gibson House and not Nautilus the Union per se.

The proposal for the demolition of Gibson House has been made reluctantly. It is not an easy option and it is not a cheap option. We have worked long and hard to seek a viable future for the building. Over the past decade we have entered into public and private sector partnerships to explore redevelopment proposals and to produce a conversion plan. However, factors such as the substantial structural challenges presented by the building mean that none of these plans proved to be viable. No one else has produced a proposal or a bid for the building that would secure its future in its current form.

We strive to provide high quality care and welfare services for former seafarers and their dependants. Over the past 20 years, we have made significant investment in state-of-theart facilities, including new residential and specialist care facilities, and further developments are planned to ensure that we continue to meet projected needs over the decades ahead. These facilities are designed to reflect the results of research into changing demand for welfare services, and it is not possible to deliver such services in the 21st century in a building that was constructed shortly after the 19th century. g More Information about Mariners’ Park and Gibson House can be found on the charity’s website www. nautiluswelfarefund.org

18/02/2015 18:30

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | i

NAUTILUS GM 2015

Great debates in good company A

The 2015 Nautilus International General Meeting (GM) is due to be held in Liverpool in October — taking place under the banner ‘jobs, skills and the future’ — and we want you to be there!

F

Held every four years, the General Meeting is where the future agenda of the Union is determined. It is the place where full members get the chance to determine what policies and priorities Nautilus should pursue.

The GM is a conference where

General secretary MARK DICKINSON invites you to the General Meeting… you can share your views on the shipping industry and the issues that directly affect you at work, network with fellow seafarers and meet influential figures from the world of shipping and beyond.

The 2015 GM will be held at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool — with members assembling on Monday 5 October and departing on the morning of Thursday 8 October. Following feedback from members attending

previous events, the conference will feature a lively programme of presentations and debates, and speeches from a few leading industry figures.

These pages give you the chance to make sure that the issues which really matter will be discussed, debated and decided upon — setting an agenda for action on anything from pay and conditions to criminalisation, or fatigue to piracy.

Please use the forms here to submit a motion to the conference to set Nautilus policy on the things that are important to you and your colleagues.

There’s an added bonus: coming to the GM needn’t put you out of pocket. Nautilus can provide assistance with travel and accommodation costs, to ensure that the meeting is attended by a representative cross-section of full members from throughout the industry.

A

GM 2015: it’s influential, it’s interesting and it’s enjoyable. Join us there.

Notice — General Meeting 2015 Rule 19 that Council has K determined that the 2015 Nautilus Notice is hereby given under

General Meeting will be held at the Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN, commencing at 0900hrs on Tuesday 6 October and finishing late afternoon on Wednesday 7 October 2015.

z Members wishing to move

resolutions at the General Meeting must submit them in writing, signed by at least four full members whose contributions have been paid up, to reach head office by not later than 1700hrs on Friday 3 July 2015.

Financial aid

Financiële steun Finanzielle hilfe

attendance at GM 2015

Voor aanwezigheid AV 2015

teilnahme an GM 2015

This form should be completed and returned to Adele McDonald, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD.

Dit formulier invullen en retourneren aan Adele McDonald, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD.

Dieses Formular ist ausgefüllt und an Adele McDonald zurückgegeben werden Nautilus internationalen Hauptsitz, 1 & 2 von Gebüschen, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD.

I wish to apply to attend the 2015 GM under the arrangements made by Council for full members to receive assistance towards the costs of attendance.

Ik wil in aanmerking komen voor financiële steun als gewoon lid om de AV 2015 bij te wonen. De voorwaarden voor financiële steun zijn vastgesteld door de Council.

Ich möchte anwenden, um die GM 2015 im Rahmen der Regelung des Rates für Vollmitglieder, um Unterstützung für die Kosten der Teilnahme erhalten besuchen.

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in Druckbuchstaben ausfüllen

Naam

Name

Adres (voor alle AV correspondentie)

Adresse (für alle GM Korrespondenz)

Postcode en woonplaats

PLZ

Telefoonnummer

Tel No.

Lidmaatschapnummer

Mitgliedsnummer

Rederij

Unternehmen

Functie

Rang

Huidig schip

vorhanden Schiff

U wordt vriendelijk verzocht hieronder aan te geven wat uw betrokkenheid bij Nautilus is. Bijvoorbeeld dat u kaderlid of erelid bent of dat u eerder een AV heeft bijgewoond.

Bitte für Beschäftigung mit Nautilus, zB. als Verbindungsoffizier oder Ehren delegieren oder wenn Sie ein Nautilus Bildungskurs besucht haben, oder ein früherer GM.

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS Name Address (for all GM correspondence)

Postcode Tel No. Membership No. Company Rank Present ship Please give details of involvement with Nautilus, eg. as a liaison officer or honorary delegate, or if you have attended a Nautilus education course or a previous GM.

i_gm15.indd i

18/02/2015 18:13

ii | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NAUTILUS GM 2015

Goede discussies in goed gezelschap General Secretary Mark Dickinson nodigt u uit voor de Algemene Ledenvergadering…

A

De AV 2015 van Nautilus International zal in oktober in Liverpool worden gehouden. Het overkoepelende thema is ‘Banen, kennis en de toekomst’ — en we willen dat u erbij bent!

F

De Algemene vergaderingen vindt elke vier jaar plaats, en is het forum waarop de toekomstige agenda van de vakbond wordt bepaald.

Hier krijgen volledige leden de kans om mee te beslissen over het beleid en de prioriteiten van Nautilus.

De AV is een ledencongres waarin u uw visie op de scheepvaartindustrie kunt geven, kwesties die u in het dagelijkse werk tegenkomt kunt bespreken,

kunt netwerken met andere zeevarenden en invloedrijke mensen uit de scheepvaartwereld en daarbuiten kunt ontmoeten.

De AV 2015 wordt gehouden in het Titanic Hotel in Liverpool — de leden komen op maandag 5 oktober samen en vertrekken weer op donderdag 8 oktober in de ochtend. Mede op basis van feedback van leden die eerdere vergaderingen hebben bijgewoond, is er een levendig programma van presentaties en debatten, en zijn er een aantal invloedrijke sprekers binnen de scheepvaartindustrie.

Met deze pagina’s kunt u zorgen dat de kwesties die er echt toe doen, aan de orde worden gesteld, erover wordt gedebatteerd en besluiten worden genomen —

zodat de vakbond op alle punten, van salarissen en arbeidsvoorwaarden tot criminalisering, vermoeidheid of piraterij, actie onderneemt.

Gebruik deze formulieren om een motie in te dienen om het beleid van Nautilus te bepalen voor zaken die voor u en uw collega’s van belang zijn.

Er is een extra voordeel: het bijwonen van de AV hoeft u de kop niet te kosten. Nautilus kan u ondersteunen met de reis- en verblijfskosten, zodat de vergadering wordt bijgewoond door een representatieve doorsnede van het ledenbestand en de gehele sector.

A

AV 2015: van u, voor u, door u! We kijken ernaar uit u daar te ontmoeten.

Motions important policy-making forum — a conference F where members can debate the developments that

From pay and conditions to skill shortages and training, criminalisation to piracy, health and safety to shore leave, there is no shortage of subject matter!

affect them at work and decide on the policies and priorities that Nautilus should follow to address these.

Make sure the things that matter to you are discussed at the 2015 GM in October. It is essential that the conference considers the critical issues that face the industry and the maritime professionals that work within it.

z Submitting a motion is simple: just fill out the form below and make sure it is signed by at least four full members of the Union.

This is your chance to help set the agenda for Nautilus over the years ahead.

Please use it.

The Nautilus General Meeting is the Union’s most

GM Motion proposal form

To General Secretary, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD (to arrive not later than 1700 Friday 3 July 2015).

We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2015 General Meeting of Nautilus International: This GM

Mededeling — Algemene Vergadering 2015 Council besloten dat de vierjaarlijkse Algemene K Vergadering van Nautilus International zal worden

Op grond van artikel 19 lid 2 van de statuten heeft

gehouden in het Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN en zal en op dinsdag 6 oktober 2015 om 09.00 uur en zal sluiten op woensdag

7 oktober 2015 in de namiddag.

z Moties kunnen — ondertekend door tenminste vier volle leden — schriftelijk worden ingediend en moeten uiterlijk vrijdag 3 juli 2015 om 17.00 uur op het hoofdkantoor zijn ontvangen. (continue on a separate sheet if necessary)

Grosse Debatten in guter Atmosphere Generalsekretär Mark Dickinson lädt dich zur Generalversammlung ein…

A

Die Generalversammlung 2015 von Nautilus International ist diesen Oktober in Liverpool angesetzt — und findet unter dem Titel «Jobs, Fähigkeiten und die Zukunft» statt — und wir wünschen uns, dass Du mit dabei bist!

F

An der alle vier Jahre durchgeführten Generalversammlung wird jeweils die zukünftige Agenda der Gewerkschaft festgelegt. Es ist jener Ort, wo Vollmitglieder die Gelegenheit haben, mitzubestimmen, welche Politik Nautilus verfolgen und welche Prioritäten die Gewerkschaft setzen sollte.

Die Generalversammlung ist eine Konferenz, bei der Du Deine Meinung zur Schifffahrtsindustrie und zu jenen Themen äussern kannst, die Dich bei der Arbeit direkt betreffen; ausserdem kannst Du mit Deinen Kollegen aus der Seefahrtsbranche

austauschen und einflussreiche Figuren aus der Welt der Schifffahrt — und darüber hinaus — treffen.

Die Generalversammlung 2015 findet im Titanic Hotel in Liverpool statt. Die Mitglieder treffen am Montag, 5. Oktober, ein und Abreisedatum ist Donnerstagmorgen, 8. Oktober.

Die Konferenz, die an das Feedback von Mitgliedern früherer Veranstaltungen anschliesst, umfasst ein lebhaftes Programm, das Präsentationen, Diskussionsrunden und auch Ansprachen einiger namhafter Persönlichkeiten aus der Branche umfasst.

Diese Seiten geben Dir Gelegenheit, Dich zu vergewissern, dass die wirklich wichtigen Themen besprochen und debattiert und Beschlüsse gefällt werden.

Mit anderen Worten: Es wird ein Aktionsplan erstellt — und zwar zu Themen wie Gehaltsfragen und Arbeitsbedingungen, Krimi-

nalisierung, Übermüdung oder Piraterie.

Bitte benütze diese Formulare, um einen Antrag an die Konferenz zu stellen. So kannst Du die politischen Richtlinien von Nautilus in jenen Bereichen mit zu gestalten helfen, die Dir und Deinen Kollegen wichtig sind.

Und es gibt noch einen zusätzlichen Nutzen: Wer an der Generalversammlung teilnimmt, muss nicht unbedingt alles aus eigener Tasche bezahlen. Um sicherzustellen, dass am Treffen ein möglichst repräsentativer Querschnitt an Vollmitgliedern aus der ganze Branche teilnimmt, kann Nautilus einen Beitrag an die Reise- und Unterkunftskosten leisten.

A

Generalversammlung 2015: sie ist massgebend, sie ist interessant und sie ist unterhaltsam. Wir freuen uns, Dich in Liverpool begrüssen zu dürfen.

Beachten Sie — Hauptversammlung 2015 K

Hiermit wird gemäß Artikel 19, der Rat hat festgestellt, dass die 2015 Nautilus Hauptversammlung werden auf der Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN statt gegeben, beginnend um 0900 am Dienstag, 6. Oktober und dem Abschluss am späten Nachmittag am Mittwoch, 7 Oktober 2015.

ii-iii_spread.indd ii

z Generalversammlung zu bewegen Treffen müssen

sie einreichen Schreiben, um mindestens vier ordentlichen Mitgliedern, deren Beiträge bereits eingezahlt wurden, an die Zentrale zu erreichen unterzeichnet bis spätestens 1700 am Freitag, 3. Juli 2015.

1. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

2. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

3. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

4. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

18/02/2015 16:47

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | iii

NAUTILUS GM 2015

Moties belangrijkste forum voor de beleidsvorming binnen F de vakbond. Tijdens deze conferentie kunnen leden De Algemene Vergadering van Nautilus is het

to

rm

debatteren over de ontwikkelingen waarmee zij in hun werk te maken hebben en meebeslissen over het beleid en de prioriteiten waarop Nautilus zich zou moeten richten.

Zorg dat de onderwerpen die u belangrijk vindt, tijdens de AV 2015 in oktober aan de orde komen. Het is van groot belang dat tijdens de conferentie de belangrijkste kwesties worden besproken voor de bedrijfstak en de maritieme professionals die hierin werkzaam zijn.

Anträge Van salarissen en secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden tot gebrek aan ervaring en training, criminalisering tot piraterij, gezondheid en veiligheid tot walverlof, er zijn genoeg belangrijke onderwerpen!

z Het indienen van een motie is eenvoudig: vul gewoon het onderstaande formulier in en laat het door ten minste vier volledig betalende leden van de vakbond ondertekenen.

Dit is uw kans om punten op de agenda voor de toekomst van Nautilus te zetten.

Grijp deze kans aan.

Motie voor Algemene Vergadering

wichtigste Forum der Gewerkschaft hinsichtlich der F Gestaltung der Politik. Es ist eine Konferenz, an der MitDie Generalversammlung von Nautilus ist das

glieder jene Entwicklungen diskutieren können, von denen sie bei der Arbeit direkt betroffen sind. Und auch ein Ort, wo die Politik entschieden und die Prioritäten gesetzt werden, die Nautilus in der Folge ansprechen sollte.

Vergewissere Dich, dass die Themen, die Dir wichtig sind, an der im Oktober stattfindenden Generalversammlung 2015 diskutiert werden. Es ist zentral, dass die Konferenz die kritischen Themen erörtert, mit der sich die Branche und die maritimen Fachkräfte, die in dieser tätig

sind, konfrontiert sehen.

Es gibt keinen Mangel an Diskussionsstoff! Dieser reicht von Gehaltsfragen und Arbeitsbedingungen, über fehlende Fachkräfte, Weiterbildung, Kriminalisierung, Piraterie, bis hin zu Landurlaub sowie Gesund- und Sicherheitsthemen. z Das Stellen eines Antrages ist einfach: Fülle einfach das untenstehende Formular aus und vergewissere dich, dass dieses von mindestens vier Vollmitgliedern der Gewerkschaft unterzeichnet ist.

Das ist Deine Chance, die Agenda von Nautilus für die kommenden Jahre mitzubestimmen.

Bitte mache Gebrauch von dieser Gelegenheit!

GM Motion

antragsformular

formulier Aan de General Secretary, p/a Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. (Dit formulier moet uiterlijk vrijdag 3 juli 2015 retour ontvangen zijn).

Um Generalsekretär Nautilus Internationale Head Office, 1 & 2 von Gebüschen, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD (um anzukommen spätestens 1700 Freitag, 3. Juli 2015).

Wij als volle leden wensen onderstaande motie in te dienen ter bespreking in de Algemene Vergadering in oktober 2015:

Wir, als Vollmitglieder wollen den folgenden Antrag zur Diskussion auf der 2015 Generalversammlung einreichen Nautilus International:

Deze Algemene Vergadering

Diese GM

(indien nodig doorgaan op apart vel)

(weiter auf einem separaten Blatt, falls erforderlich)

1. Naam

Lidnr.

1. Name

Rederij

Unternehmen

Adres

Anschrift

Mem. Nein.

PLZ

Postcode/plaats Handtekening

Datum

Unterschrift

Datum

2. Naam

Lidnr.

2. Name

Mem. Nein.

Rederij

Unternehmen

Adres

Anschrift Postcode/plaats

PLZ

Handtekening

Datum

Unterschrift

Datum

3. Naam

Lidnr.

3. Name

Mem. Nein.

Rederij

Unternehmen

Adres

Anschrift Postcode/plaats

PLZ

Handtekening

Datum

Unterschrift

Datum

4. Naam

Lidnr.

4. Name

Mem. Nein.

Rederij

Unternehmen

Adres

Anschrift Postcode/plaats

Handtekening

ii-iii_spread.indd iii

Datum

PLZ Unterschrift

Datum

18/02/2015 18:01

iv | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

PHOTO COMPETITION

Show us what you see at sea … and win up to £1,000 for images of your life and work!

A

This year’s Nautilus/Inmarsat ‘Life at sea’ photo competition is into its third month, and there’s a selection of the latest entries on this page. Can you take a photo as good as these — or even better?

The aim of the competition is to find the best photographs of life at sea today, a subject which is seldom tackled by photographers in the national media. By sending us pictures of what you see in the course of your work, you’ll be helping us get the message out about what the industry is really like. And the generous cash prizes are another great incentive to take part, of course...

In previous competitions, we’ve had some very

technically accomplished entries with beautiful colours and skilled use of focus and contrast. But you don’t need to have professional-standard kit to join in. Even with a fairly basic camera or a smart phone, you can demonstrate an eye for good composition and capture a powerful story in pictures.

The rules of the competition are simple. Judges will be looking for images that not only display photographic merit but also capture the reality of life at sea — any aspect of modern seafaring that you choose. First prize is £1,000, second prize is £750 and there is £400 for the third-placed entry.

You can submit your shots in colour or black

Charlie Brown’s image shows two anchor handling vessels that are towing the semi-submersible Stena Clyde

and white, and as prints or e-mailed highresolution JPEG electronic images (300dpi is preferred). There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit.

The competition’s closing date is Monday 1 August 2015 and the prizes will be presented at the Nautilus International General Meeting in October, where an exhibition of the best entries will be on show.

To enter with hard copies, please cut out and complete the form on this page and send your pictures to: Nautilus/Inmarsat Photo Competition, Nautilus Telegraph, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford,

Left: Julian Bilchik’s photo shows salvage at sea ‒ preparing for tow after a survey vessel lost its propeller Below: Madhu Jayapal’s view from greatship Manisha’s drill tower Right: Edward Spacey captures crew at work on a lifeboat

London E18 1BD. Make sure you state on the form whether you want us to return your photographs.

To enter with digital photos, please email them to telegraph@nautilusint.org with Nautilus/ Inmarsat photo competition 2015 in the subject line. In your email, you must supply your contact information in the same way as on the printed entry form, and don’t send file attachments totalling more than 10MB at a time, as this will exceed the server limit.

Please note that by entering the Nautilus/ Inmarsat photo competition 2015, you are giving Nautilus International permission to use your submitted images.

Photo competition 2015 Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address:

........................................

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.....................................................

.....................................................

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Home tel: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A message from our sponsors

Email:

K

.....................................................

Today, always-available connectivity can be a prerequisite for attracting high calibre candidates to a seafaring career. Staying in touch with family, friends and world events, and enjoying leisure time, are essential for the modern seafarer. A happy crew is also a productive crew.

Through its 99.9% global network coverage, Inmarsat Maritime is meeting rising expectations, via FleetBroadband,

iv_photo_SR edit (2).indd iv

XpressLink, and now Inmarsat Gateway. Using Ku-band, L-Band and now ground-breaking Ka-band connectivity, crew can call home and access broadband internet from anywhere at any time without compromising operational communications.

In addition, life at sea just got better, following the 2014 launch of Inmarsat Fleet Media — delivering blockbuster movies, sport and news direct to PCs and tablets at sea.

...........................................

Mem no.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....................................................

Photos to be returned: YES / NO

18/02/2015 16:47

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

SEAFARER TRAINING

Been there, done that Nautilus members have been advising new UK cadets on what to expect when they go to sea.

DEBORAH MCPHERSON joined them at City of Glasgow College to hear about the good, the bad and the Norwegian...

K

Hearing that your ship could sail without you or that English is not necessarily the language used by a multinational crew may not come as a surprise to seasoned seafarers.

But for induction-week cadets at Glasgow maritime campus, hearing such experiences from two members of the Nautilus Women’s Forum provided an eyeopening insight into what they could experience on their first sea phases.

The presentations to almost 200 deck and engineering trainee officers from January’s intake were given by second officer Gail MacGregor, who works in the offshore industry, and Captain Jessica Tyson, who has extensive experience serving on tankers and passengerships.

The meeting was the latest in a

series of new and improved college visits being staged around the UK by Nautilus. The presentations aim to give cadets specialist first-hand advice and information and, during breaks in the morning and afternoon sessions, the Glasgow cadets said that it was great to get an insight into the industry from serving seafarers.

Gail told the cadets that they would face numerous unexpected scenarios and needed to learn resourcefulness and tolerance in equal measure. They would also walk a fine line to ensure they got the training they needed in their sea phases.

She described how in her first sea phase, on a Norwegian ship, the vessel sailed without her and she had to take a taxi to the next port, where the captain luckily had enough spare cash to throw

down to the waiting driver. ‘I learned to keep spare cash on me,’ added Gail.

She advised the trainees they needed to be prepared for all sorts of possibly panic-inducing scenarios at sea — including the fact that ‘your passport can be taken off you at customs and you might not see it again for several weeks after you board’.

While they might be told that they will be on day shifts as a cadet and not doing much but maintenance, Gail said that in her second week she was working nights and starting to gain her love of navigating at night — ‘so you never know…’

While English is officially the ‘language of the sea’, in reality cadets might find — as Gail did — that it was not the language of checklists or at mealtimes among a multinational crew.

Jessica Tyson, Gail MacGregor and Lee Moon with City of Glasgow College engineering cadets attending one of the Nautilus presentations last month

Supporting seafarers in need and their families Seafarers UK is a charity that helps people in the maritime community by giving money to organisations and projects that make a real difference to people’s lives across the Merchant Navy, Fishing Fleets, Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

A City of Glasgow College cadet signs up with Nautilus following the Union’s presentation

‘I was on a ship and no one spoke English, so it was hard going,’ she said. ‘Little things, like sitting down at dinner and no one talking to you can be quite hard.

Not because they are being nasty but because they are talking in their language and no one speaks English.’

Gail’s solution was to learn some Norwegian — because ‘you can’t force people to speak English, so you have to think how to deal with it’. Learning a language also proved a valuable advantage when applying for jobs, she added.

K To find out about our work or to make a donation visit www.seafarers.uk phone 020 7932 0000 or email seafarers@seafarers-uk.org Seafarers UK (King George’s Fund for Sailors) is a Registered Charity, no. 226446 in England and Wales, incorporated under Royal Charter. Registered in Scotland, no. SC038191.

24-25_glasgow_SR edit (2).indd 24

When asked what had inspired them to train for a career at sea, the cadets’ main response was ‘money’.

Gail and Jessica agreed there are potentially good career opportunities at sea if people are prepared to put in the work and can adapt to different cultures and ways of thinking.

Gail said that if she could impress upon the trainees one crucial piece of advice it would be that she wished she had realised that college ‘is really the only time in your life where you are surrounded by people, lecturers, other nationalities, and other

Jessica Tyson with Barry Keenan, curriculum head for marine engineering at City of Glasgow College

experienced staff that you can ask questions of’.

Jessica put it more bluntly, to general amusement: ‘Try and get as much as you can out of it.

If you waft along you will get bugger all out of it.’

Gail stressed that many cadets would have no guarantee of a job at the end of their training — another reason to work hard and gain new skills in a competitive job market. ‘I was a tonnage tax cadet, and my company did not really want me. But I didn’t realise at first. I thought I was guaranteed a job after my course,’ she said.

Both Gail and Jessica told the cadets that it would sometimes be necessary for them to stand up for themselves to get the training they needed. ‘Officers onboard have a duty of responsibility to ensure you are trained,’ Jessica pointed out. ‘Yes, you may clean a lot of gangways, but ask for some responsibility. If you are annoying enough, as I was, you get what you want eventually.’

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Lee Moon told the cadets that membership of Nautilus meant that they did not have to ‘suffer in silence’ if they experienced poor treatment.

You may clean a lot of gangways at first, but ask for some responsibility and you’ll go a long way

“

”

They should first raise it with their tutors, but if it continued, they should raise it with the Union and also refer to their sponsoring agreements.

Lee said the seminar had proved the value of the Union’s revamped college visit formats, which now include the opportunity for serving Nautilus members to come along and provide practical advice at ‘college to sea’ mentoring sessions. f Share your experience! To volunteer to take part in future college visits around the UK, contact Lee Moon at reps@ nautilusint.org

18/02/2015 16:44

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

SEAFARER TRAINING Glasgow trainees are in for a treat in August this year, when their college’s new £228m maritime campus opens.

The faculty aims to become a ‘beacon’ for nautical training…

A new home on the Clyde K

City of Glasgow College cadets returning from their sea phases in the summer of 2015 will complete their studies in a new high-tech campus that aims to become a hub of ‘world class’ maritime training.

Three gleaming new nautical faculty buildings steadily rising on the banks of the River Clyde will provide a technologically advanced learning environment.

The new campus features ‘writable’ walls, a new engineroom simulator and a more realistic ship’s layout in the new engineering block — but it also promises to be much more than the sum of its digitally enhanced structure, says faculty director Dr Nicola Crawford.

‘The new maritime campus will be fantastic. It is specifically going to house only maritime education and engineering,’ she explains. ‘Having the new facilities will change how we teach things, as the nautical faculty will have a state-of-the-art campus featuring a working engineroom, full mission engine simulator, modern bridge simulator with 360-degrees viewing, a brand new engineering workshop, a modern high voltage training facility and futuristic learning spaces and specialist laboratories. This allows us much more scope for practical learning.’

The new facilities reflect feedback from cadets and the industry, Dr Crawford says. ‘Often the thing I hear from employers is that the cadets are not ready — they are not bridge ready or engineroom ready — so we want to help to address that, by changing how we deliver the curriculum.

‘The feedback from the engineers onboard ships has been “show them a bit more practical things about what about what they can expect onboard” — what it will look like,’ she adds. ‘So we are focusing on a different way of learning and teaching, using a real life project-based

and industry-relevant curriculum to make sure trainees are actually work-ready and to offer them more practical experience before their first sea phase.’

The new campus comprises three new buildings: a halls of residence; an engineering workshop laid out as it would be onboard a ship, with a new graphically enhanced engineroom simulator complete with alarms and signal panels; and a completely wireless administration and teaching block — including a new lecture theatre with an increased exam capacity for between 150 to 200 students.

The college aims to make better use of its existing simulators by providing more realistic shift patterns, crisis and fatigue management scenarios, and to allow later opening times for cadets to practise in their own time.

The new glass-covered buildings reflect a big change of ethos for the college towards a more ‘customer orientated’ culture, and sweeps previous rumours of closure firmly off the horizon.

The Glasgow Nautical Faculty is one of the largest in the country, and the City of Glasgow College itself now ranks number three in Scotland (according to aggregated data) — up from where it sat at number 14 over the last couple of years.

Dr Crawford said the new buildings will ‘allow us to move

Dr Nicola Crawford, head of the Faculty of Nautical Studies at City of Glasgow College

on with our reputation and what we can offer’. The history of the nautical college is inherently linked with Glasgow’s long seafaring heritage, she points out. It first opened in 1962, as a dedicated nautical college, but a drop in training meant the college had to reinvent itself over the years and had become more of a multifunctional establishment. In September 2010 it merged with the Central College of Commerce and the Metropolitan College.

While the college’s position had been ‘in a state of flux’ over the last few years, Dr Crawford says it is now emerging as a strong organisation. ‘I believe we can be one of the world class centres and we are working towards that.’

K

Staff communication will be improved on the new campus through the alignment of deck and engineering staff departments over two floors, rather than spread over the current ‘rabbit warrens’ of buildings.

The college is also developing new training packages in response to current needs. One example will be the enhanced ECDIS training course. Cadets will not only obtain their generic certificate but have the opportunity to add up to six different type-specific ECDIS training packages. This will add value to the cadet training course and be a major benefit to employers, Dr Crawford says.

Curriculum head Angus Ferguson says the new facilities will offer much more flexibility for learning and a renewed focus on the students. ‘The big difference with the new campus is the accessibility of computers and the simulator equipment,’ he notes.

‘It’s a case of embedding that learning from day one for our students.

‘You shouldn’t keep the ship simulator for when the students come back from their final sea phase,’ he adds. ‘Simulator training is integral in developing good

The new faculty buildings are taking shape beside the existing campus on the banks of the Clyde

practice and positive behaviours which they can take onboard with them as an officer of the watch’.

Glasgow’s nautical faculty has a wide-ranging demographic of trainees from the UK and around the world, and Dr Crawford says it is ‘a clear sign that we are becoming more of a beacon for maritime training of international students.’

The UK students mainly still come from seafaring backgrounds, but Mr Ferguson says

there is a need to tackle the lack of awareness in schools about maritime careers.

Currently the college offers a number of distance learning courses, such as business learning for engineering, and it is planning to develop more of these courses on the deck officer side — especially for those wanting going back to sea. ‘We see ourselves as a hub for the maritime and shipping industry and we can highlight different pathways to

our students,’ Mr Ferguson says.

Dr Crawford said the new campus had been designed to be future-proof and will allow the college to expand and produce students with passion and energy to give back to the industry.

‘It’s an amazing place to be,’ she adds. ‘It’s good for Glasgow, maritime education and ultimately it’s good for the cadets.

The aim at the end of the day is to inspire them to stay in the industry.’

Jessica Tyson and Barry Keenan examine the plans for the new maritime training facilities

24-25_glasgow_SR edit (2).indd 25

18/02/2015 16:44

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

MARITIME SAFETY

When ticking the right boxes is not enough Why is the al Safety International nt Code Management iver failing to deliver improved standards, asks deepseaa pilot KEVIN VALLANCE…

M

Two serious shipping accidents occurred in the Dover Straits TSS within the space of just four months in 2013, both resulting in full UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigations.

On 18 September the tanker Ovit ran aground on the Varne Bank and on 11 December a collision occurred between the UKflagged general cargoship Paula C and the bulk carrier Darya Gayatri. These incidents not only shared geographical similarities but also both prompted the MAIB reports to highlight the fact that breaches of Safety Management Systems (SMSs) had been major causal factors in allowing the accidents to occur.

In July 2002 the implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code was completed for all SOLAS vessel of over 500gt. The reason for the Code was to improve safety standards, with the aim of bringing about a reduction in accidents at sea and the injuries and pollution which may be caused as a result.

Although all SOLAS vessels are required by the Code to have a working SMS onboard — which is subject to internal and external audit, including audit and

verification by flag state — there continues to be a considerable number of avoidable shipping accidents and incidents.

Despite the implementation of the Code (and its amendments) many recent investigation reports highlight the fact that although SMSs are in place, they are routinely ignored. In the case of Paula C, the highlighted major failure was the use of a sole lookout during the hours of darkness.

For the Ovit, the major failing was deemed to be a lack of familiarity with the ECDIS equipment, which was the primary source of navigation onboard. It may be possible to interpret that there is an attitude of there being a difference between doing what should be done and doing what you can get away with.

When attempting to answer the rhetorical question ‘Where did it all go wrong?’ in relation to ISM, it is important to be aware not only why the Code was implemented but also how it developed.

Historically, the international shipping industry is generally guilty of acting only in a reactive way — with legislation and guidelines only developed following a major catastrophe. The SOLAS convention was a direct

Failure to follow SMS procedures was cited as a cause of the collision between the UK-flagged general cargoship Paula C and the Hong Kongflagged bulk carrier Darya Gayatri in the Channel in December 2013

26-27_ism_SR edit.indd 26

The crew of the containership Norfolk Express were criticised for failing to follow the ship’s safety management system when the vessel broke down and ran aground off Germany in 2013

result of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the resultant tragic loss of life. The MARPOL convention followed the environmental disaster caused by the grounding of the tanker Torrey Canyon. And a major catalyst for the ISM Code was the report by Lord Justice Sheen into the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise.

Although the direct cause of the accident, with the resultant loss of 193 lives, was the ro-ro ferry sailing with her bow door open, within his summing up Lord Sheen made reference to ‘the poor workplace communication and stand-off relationship between ship operators and shore-based managers which was the root cause of the sinking’.

One fundamental objective of the ISM Code is the requirement to make available to all seafarers a senior person in the company hierarchy who has access to the highest levels of management.

This ‘Designated Person’ has wide-ranging duties and obligations to implement and monitor all aspects of shipboard operations.

A basic mantra churned out during the gestation period of the Code was ‘Say what you do, do what you say and record it’. What this is taken to mean in practice is that for each shipboard operation it is necessary to lay down a procedure or method of doing the task, and when the task is

completed a record is kept, which can be audited or verified. This is commonly done by the use of checklists where each task is recorded by use of a tick box.

The attitude adopted by some authorities (in line with ISO requirements) was that it was necessary for procedures to enable someone to walk off the street and be able to carry out a task purely by following the procedure. Obviously they had forgotten the fact that all persons doing the job onboard were trained and independently certificated (certificates of competency), so this level of procedure was not really required.

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The Code itself is only a very slim volume which, through its various sections, lays out the basic requirements for a SMS. It does this in very general terms, and does not within itself explain how the SMS must be written. It is important to appreciate that the Code does not specify that reams of paper have to be churned out for each onboard task.

It may seem strange to seafarers who have been at sea for less than 20 years, but in the nottoo distant past the use of vast quantities of checklists and work procedures was not common on most vessels.

My own personal introduction to checklists took place in

1976. As a final trip deck cadet, the vessel I was on — although only around 600ft in length — had a crew in excess of 50 persons.

In addition to having sufficient crew numbers, we also normally had fairly long port stays and everyone was fully aware of what their allocated jobs were — work fatigue was not usually a concern.

However, on one occasion the vessel called at Curacao for bunkers and had only a relatively short stay in port. Due to other unforeseen factors, the normal working pattern of the vessel and her crew was disrupted and watchkeeping schedules were altered. Around 30 minutes after sailing, and after disembarking the pilot, it was discovered that the gyro repeaters had not been checked for alignment prior to departure. Captain Bland, the vessel’s master, developed a PreSailing Checklist, which fitted onto one side of A4 paper and included tick boxes. This rudimental checklist was intended to act as an aide memoire and was well received by all onboard. This acceptance was because everyone was aware that the previous omission had occurred and appreciated the need to prevent it recurring in the future.

With the expansion of global trade during the 1980s, many manufacturing companies who traded worldwide started to appreciate the need for consist-

ent supply standards and the need for such quality assurance to be acknowledged and strived towards. Many shipping lines, who by this juncture in time had been absorbed into transport companies, were subject to these regimes and the subsequent need to comply with ISO9000 certification requirements.

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Prior to the introduction of the Code, it is probably true to say that the level of understanding of management systems was not as good as it could have been.

The use of checklists and the resultant tick boxes for supply systems originated from the military and were relatively easily adapted for use within civilian transportation and supply systems to form the basis of many Quality Management Systems. Unfortunately, the quality management teams tasked with implementing and auditing the needs of the ISM Code often tried to use the same methods already employed within the procedures used for ISO. Some specialists/consultants saw the opportunity to make a quick buck by providing offthe-shelf generic SMSs which, in hindsight, were often not fit for purpose. However, they provided sufficient to allow the unenlightened to get through an audit.

Where shipping companies

18/02/2015 16:21

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME SAFETY were complying with the ISO standards (or working towards them), there was often an attempt to try and tie in the needs of ISO with the requirements of the ISM Code. With hindsight, this can generally be considered to be a fundamental mistake because any attempts to find a common interface are often only spurious in nature.

Many shipping companies did not employ specialist quality management personnel but carried out in-house recruitment.

Often this would lead to the person appointed carrying out the new tasks in addition to their primary job, which they were initially employed to fulfil.

It was also necessary for companies to identify seagoing personnel who bought into the philosophy of the ISM Code. This enabled a thorough evaluation of what was required for compliance with the Code and also allowed workable systems to be developed and adopted.

Some enlightened mariners quickly appreciated that the ISM Code offered a great way forward and a way of raising safety standards. But, unfortunately, a majority of seagoing personnel did not see the advantages and found compliance with the Code to be just another distraction from getting the job done in the time-honoured way. This was in many ways

We need to re-educate people in the importance of always acting in a safe manner, not just acting to comply with regulations

“

”

symbolic of the resistance to change often observed amongst many seafarers.

Another problem which developed was that because on occasions the SMS was seen to be a bolt-on to the quality management system, they very rapidly became very physically large documents with a number of files taking up a large space, often on the bridge or in the ship’s office.

My own early experience with ISM took place during the late 1990s prior to mandatory compliance. Our company tried to be forward-thinking and spent large amounts of money attempting to train ship’s staff to be fully switched into the required safety culture. Unfortunately, because the system had not been fully developed or implemented, many people found the constant amendments to the system to be very time-consuming and frustrating.

Having had it well explained to me how correct use of the spirit of the ISM Code could and should be of benefit to sea staff, I put myself forward for training and integration into the company quality and safety department. During my normal working rota I continued to be a serving ship master, but during

26-27_ism_SR edit.indd 27

to keep a proper lookout. Both of these incidents would have been avoided if the observance of traditional good seamanship practices had been followed.

One possible explanation for the failure to follow the practices of good seamanship and for widespread misuse or even flogging of tick boxes on checklists aboard ship may be the fact that the vessels are generally physically out of sight and away from continual auditable control where there is a feeling of limited supervisory control.

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Dutch accident investigators found an ‘unworkable’ SMS onboard the general cargoship Azoresborg when they examined an incident in which a crew member died in February 2013

leave and additional work time I was seconded to assist with developing the company systems.

The proliferation of everexpanding filing systems full of procedures and the almost obligatory use of checklists and tick boxes continued unabated.

Initially it was considered that our ISM certification would be done through class — in our case

by Lloyd’s Register. The company systems and vessels were all inspected and audited to LR standard well before the mandatory required date. However, this proved to be incorrect and at the last minute — literally in the final week before implementation — the whole system had to be reexamined, this time by the flag state (the MCA for the UK).

Having reached the required standard, vessels are still subject to internal audit and the entire system has to be seen to be a living dynamic entity. Because of the simplicity and lack of explicit guidance from the ISM Code, there is no right and wrong way of carrying out its requirements.

It is the responsibility of the company to identify the needs and to lay down a suitable structure to allow compliance.

One of the problems experienced is that once a procedure has been incorporated into the SMS there is a reluctance to remove it. In a very short time the sheer volume and size of the filing systems will expand rapidly. In our own situation the only practical way we managed to reduce the files physically was by printing on both sides of the paper and by using a smaller font size.

The use of checklists and tick boxes also continues to expand and it is now not unusual to see checklists employed to record that all relevant checklists have been completed!

Properly constructed checklists which are vessel and task specific can be invaluable when used as aide memoires and to help record that all procedures have been correctly completed.

Most readers will be aware that checklists are very common in the airline industry; less well known may be the research into their use within medical surgery. During a year-long study conducted by the World Health Organisation, in eight locations across the globe, a simple single page surgical checklist used dur-

ing major surgery was proven to cut deaths by over 40% and complications by more than onethird.

M

All too often at sea it can be observed that incorrectly developed or incorrectly completed checklists have an adverse effect. This has developed into a so-called ‘tick box mentality’.

Recently I queried an OOW on a car carrier about the predeparture checklist he had just completed. All the tick boxes for this PCC had been completed, including the one ‘check water content meter (for bulk carriers only)’. When I pointed this out to the third officer he replied that if he didn’t tick the box he would get into trouble. Use of ‘generic forms’, either for vessels or across

a company, is often a cause of such idiosyncrasies.

This continuing proliferation of new paperwork onboard vessels which is often blamed on the ISM has led to some (often the master), feeling they are little more than a floating secretary. It may be argued by some that the need to complete all the paperwork required is negatively impacting on the ability of the master to fulfil the myriad of other tasks traditionally associated with the rank.

One traditional set of onboard guidelines was the Master’s Standing Orders. These were written up by the master and were specific to a particular vessel, her working patterns and the crew.

They were regularly reviewed by the master and signed and acknowledged by the bridge

watchkeepers.

However, it is now common to see a set of generic Master’s Standing Orders sent from the office to the vessel.

It must be appreciated that the SMS consists of much more than just a set of operational procedures and associated checklists. Ovit did not run aground because of not completing a checklist, it ran aground primarily because of a lack of familiarity with onboard ECDIS equipment which led to poor passage planning techniques and monitoring. Although all the bridge officers had completed typespecific training for the ECDIS equipment carried, they were not able to correctly use it. Paula C was not involved in a collision because of not completing a checklist, but because of a failure

There remains a feeling by many seafarers that it is important to just get the job done, despite regulatory guidelines which may have been put into place. An obvious example of this is the continuing tragic and unnecessary loss of life associated with entry into enclosed spaces. Re-education needs to take place to stress the importance of always acting in a safe manner, not just acting to comply with regulations.

It is unfortunate that it is the ISM Code which is seen by some crews as the cause (or even curse) of the shipping industry’s safety problems. There needs to be an acceptance that it is usually an incorrect interpretation of the Code which needs to be addressed.

There may need to be a return to basic principles in which the Code is used to develop best industry practices where correct procedures are produced which can then be properly logged and accurately recorded.

The failure by seafarers to identify shortcomings of the SMS during onboard reviews must be rectified. Everyone involved, either shore-based or shipboard, must truly understand and appreciate that the SMS is a dynamic entity and it will continually evolve. It must truly reflect how vessels can safely operate.

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

18/02/2015 16:21

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

MARITIME HISTORY

c

Immediately on the outbreak of the First World War, Britain used its overwhelming sea power to establish a naval blockade of Germany. In November 1914 the North Sea was declared a war zone, with any ships entering it doing so at their own risk.

Even foodstuffs were deemed ‘contraband of war’. Germany regarded this as a blatant and illegal attempt to starve its people into submission and wanted to retaliate in kind. Its answer: ‘kleinkrieg’ — a war of stealth by U-boats.

After only three months of war the British Admiralty was in a state of shock. What was then the world’s most powerful navy had suffered staggering losses to the Imperial German Navy, brought about by what has been described as ‘cheap, crude tin cans not fit for human habitation’ — the U-boats.

Five navy cruisers had been destroyed; the first — HMS Pathfinder — had been sunk close enough to the Scottish shores of the Firth of Forth for the incident to be witnessed by no less than Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, as well as local fishermen. The Admiralty became defensive not only at sea, but in the press and parliament.

One well-placed torpedo heralded the arrival of the deadliest weapon yet seen in naval warfare, the diesel and electric powered submarine. It marked the end of centuries of dominance by large surface warships.

In October 1914, the elderly and laden British freighter Glitra became the first merchantman to be sunk in the war

by U-boat. On passage to neutral Norway, the steamer was hailed

by U17 and boarded. Unable to man the prize for passage back to Germany, the Glitra’s own crew were ordered to the lifeboats and the ship was then scuttled. Her destruction had been carried out in what has been described as a most gentlemanly manner. The submarine towed the ship’s lifeboats to within easy reach of land, their occupants merely indignant at their loss, but otherwise none the worse for their experience.

The commander of U17 expected a court martial on his return home, even though his action was not illegal under international law. He received only a mild reprimand.

Although the Commander-inChief of the High Seas Fleet was opposed to attacks on unarmed merchantmen, there were those nearer the Kaiser who thought the end justified the means.

Two years earlier, the retired First Sea Lord Sir John Fisher had predicted that the difficulties submarines faced when it came to complying with the rules of prize warfare would lead to them being completely ignored in favour of survival tactics.

However, the incumbent First Sea Lord Winston Churchill dismissed the notion, stating that unrestricted submarine warfare was something no civilised nation would ever consider.

Only days after the loss of Glitra, the French ferry Ganteaume, in company with the British ship Queen, was crippled by a torpedo. Both vessels were engaged in bringing refugees from Belgium to the safety of Le Havre. A fragment of torpedo had been found in a lifeboat, confirming the origin of the attack which originally

28-29_tb_SR edit.indd 28

A new threat from below the waves One hundred years ago, British sea power was facing a stern test as the U-boat threat menaced merchant shipping. TREVOR BOULT tells how Germany ultimately failed in its attempt to cut off the UK’s maritime lifelines…

U-boats in Kiel harbour at the start of the war

had been attributed to a mine.

Although the casualties proved small, this incident introduced the world to the potential harsh consequences of such warfare.

The press published accounts of the attack, along with the Admiralty’s conclusions, to a shocked public.

In Germany the reaction was muted, for submarines were now being seen as the answer to Britain’s overwhelming superiority in surface warships, and in rendering vulnerable its vital maritime supply lines. Alfred von Turpitz was convinced that the attack on Ganteaume was the precursor to necessity.

Initially, U-boats generally

obeyed the prize — or ‘cruiser’ — rules, surfacing before attacking merchant ships and allowing those onboard to escape. In return, merchant seafarers were forbidden to defend themselves — even by sending radio distress signals. In 1916, Captain Charles Fryatt was captured, tried and executed by the Germans for trying to ram the submarine U33. As the war progressed, ‘intensified’ U-boat activity eventually led to unrestricted submarine warfare — the sinking of merchant ships on sight — and indeed to ‘atrocities’.

The evolution of the submarine provoked more moral

Captain Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière took the command of U35 at the end of 1915 and became the most successful U-boat commander, sinking a total of 194 ships

indignation than any previous weapon of war. Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson condensed early opinion about submarines as ‘underhand... and damned unEnglish... treat all submarines as pirates in wartime... and hang all the crews.’

In the ensuing campaign, U-boat crews had considered themselves more as 20th century reincarnations of the swashbuckling pirates of the Spanish Main, rather than ruthless killers. They suffered great privations and faced intolerable dangers. Common to both parties, to survive the destruction of a ship or a submarine was not the end, but the beginning of an

ordeal which all too often culminated in a lingering death by drowning or exposure.

In February 1915 Germany announced ‘The waters around Great Britain and Ireland, including the whole of the English Channel, are herewith declared to be in the War Zone... every merchant ship met with in this zone will be destroyed.’

Three months later, the transatlantic liner Lusitania was torpedoed off the south coast of Ireland. Reputedly she was secretly carrying munitions, but her sinking still remains in dispute, and at the time it sowed the seeds for America to enter the war two years later.

18/02/2015 16:45

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME HISTORY Even as the war came to an end, the U-boat was regarded as a dirty weapon, unworthy of a page in the history of sea warfare

“

”

October 1914 – The Dawn of the U-boat Menace: a painting by James Hinton, illustrating the historic Glitra incident.

The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 sowed the seeds for the US entry into the war

drawn from fish stocks. The ‘Price of Fish’ was hard fought.

Latterly, it became evident to the German Admirals that their hopes of starving the British into submission were doomed to failure unless they found an answer to the convoys. Grouping U-boats to attack in organised bands was proposed but not taken up until May 1918, by which time it had become obvi-

ous that Germany would lose the war.

In October 1918 Admiral Scheer, Commander of the German High Seas Fleet, issued a directive: ‘To all U-boats: Commence return from patrol at once. Because of ongoing negotiations any hostile actions against merchant vessels prohibited’.

On 11 November 1918 the

Armistice was signed and the remaining U-boats sailed into British and French ports to surrender. They were received with loathing, for the U-boat was still regarded as a ‘dirty’ weapon, ‘unworthy of a page in the history of sea warfare’.

Their effect was later summarised: ‘It could not be disputed that the U-boat was a formidable weapon. In four years of war about 150 of these small craft, each manned by no more than 40 men, had sunk 11 million tons of Allied and neutral merchant ships. They had challenged and, in the end, humiliated the mighty British surface fleet. In 1918 it was clear to even the most hidebound of the admirals that in any future war the submarine would be a major factor in deciding which side lost or won.’

After the war, a generous appreciation of the work of the merchant service was issued by the Board of Admiralty: ‘In no small measure also has the success achieved against the submarine been due to the interest taken by Owners in the defensive equipment of their ships, and to the ability, loyalty, and technical skill displayed

by Masters and Officers in carrying out Admiralty regulations which, though tending to the safety of the vessels from submarine risks, enormously increased the strain and anxiety of navigation.’

f The author acknowledges the material assistance of: Rear Admiral J.R. Hill, David Bone, Bernard Edwards, and James Hinton.

The German submarine U35 was described as ‘the most successful’ U-boat of the First World War. It is recorded as having sunk 226 Allied ships, amounting to 538,500 tons.

The 1911-built collier Wonga Fell was used by the Admiralty as HMS Wonganella ‒ a disguised merchant ship used as a decoy for U-boats

By the end of 1915 the U-boats had sunk over 1.3m tons of Allied and neutral merchant shipping. The toll of such losses continued to rise relentlessly, reaching a peak in April 1917, by which time unrestricted submarine warfare had been adopted.

Initially, there were no effective counter-measures to the submarine threat. In 1915 Q-ships were secretly developed and adopted — heavily armed decoys, disguised as a wide range of conventional merchantmen. Some technical advances included primitive depth charges and wire explosive sweeps which would provide some chance of sinking an unwary U-boat in the shallow waters of the North Sea and Channel, areas where fleet action was expected.

It proved very difficult to integrate submarines into fleet action. Their navigation, sensors, and communications were too unreliable. They proved to be excellent against trade shipping, described as guerre de course — war of the chase.

Germany’s unrestricted cam-

28-29_tb_SR edit.indd 29

paign against merchant shipping nearly settled the war in its favour.

However, its instigation was decisive in bringing America into the war. The Allies also adopted the convoy system, with protection by the Royal Navy. By the end of 1917, records indicate that 98% of ships in convoy arrived at their destinations unharmed.

In 1915 the results of a particular development led to a significant technical advance.

The use of underwater sound was applied to the detection of submarines whilst submerged.

Fixed hydrophone stations were established. By the end of 1917 there were 21 such stations around the coasts of Britain; a valued weapon for coastal defence.

After the formation of the Anti-Submarine Division at the Admiralty in late 1916, hydrophones were sent to sea in ships in increasing numbers. The Nash Fish could even indicate the direction of a noise source.

For visual detection, aircraft patrols proved effective, especially as U-boats had to spend

much time on the surface for battery charging. The development of echo-ranging — then called Asdic — was too late to affect the course of the conflict.

Throughout, vessels and crew in the coastal trade plied their daily duty in the very midst of the sea war. This stark reality was acknowledged: ‘No course can be steered that does not drive his keel through mineable areas and across the ranges of lurking submarines.’

In mid-1915, the British discovered that, while new and larger U-boats were being sent abroad on the trade routes, special submarines, less encumbered by the stores and equipment that longer passages demanded, made frequent visits to the fairways to sow mines.

No channel offered sanctuary to the coaster.

In the early days of submarine activity, U-boats were loath to use expensive torpedoes on coasters, relying instead on gunfire. At this time, the enemy’s actions have been described: ‘He could have a leisurely exercise in frightfulness at little risk. There was no return of fire. ... The German became dissatisfied with a frightfulness that murdered only half a merchant ship’s crew when it was possible to murder all. ... They shelled the lifeboats in many subsequent attacks. ... Sheer individual murder took the place of an illegal act of war.’

Such atrocities were also directed at the home fishing fleets as yet another desperate effort to cut off food supplies, even to reducing the rations

Are you serving or retired

MERCHANT NAVY FISHING FLEET ROYAL NAVY ROYAL MARINE or a dependant or do you know someone who is and needs help?

Seafarer Support is a free confidential telephone and award winning online referral service helping you find support for serving and former UK seafarers and their families in times of need

www.seafarersupport.org Freephone 0800 121 4765

18/02/2015 16:45

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult unique sailing raft which F enabled an epic single-handed Seven Little Sisters was a

voyage across the Pacific in 1954, from Peru to Samoa, a distance approaching 7,000 miles. Her creator and crew, William Willis, sailed further and faster than the earlier six-man expedition on Kon-Tiki.

Willis conceived the idea whilst serving as a seaman on an American collier running between Norfolk and New York.

His motive was ‘not a stunt — not merely an adventure. I did not want to prove any scientific theory, or discover and set up my new course of any kind for others to follow’.

Rather, it was to be a voyage to the innermost reaches of himself, although he conceded that he might contribute new knowledge about survival at sea. The ‘hare-brained’ venture was backed by a friend in Connecticut with the only condition: ‘that you come back’.

Months were spent in the jungles of Ecuador to source the seven suitable balsa logs which formed the main flotation structure and after which the raft was named. They were temporarily rafted and taken 200 miles downriver to Guayaquil where the raft proper was built.

The seven carrier logs were braced with mangrove beams, topped with cross logs of balsa and a deck of split bamboo.

A jib-boom and a mainmast of twin shear legs echoed the ancient pattern of all seagoing Ecuadorian rafts. Highest grade manila served as lashings and the sails were made from Orlon — a light but tough synthetic fabric. The historic use of steering sweeps was deemed inappropriate for singlehanded use. A regular ship’s wheel and conventional rudder were installed. A ‘hut’ housed

Sailing solo with sextant and pets

instruments, clothes and food, required to be kept dry.

Willis had always intended to sail from Ecuador, the country where the raft was built: ‘I know it meant beating to westward against current and wind from the moment I struck the open coast in order to clear the Galapagos archipelago... I meant to accomplish this by means of centreboards acting like a keel.’

In the end the raft was conveyed 700 miles down the coast in order to take advantage of the Humboldt Current and to avoid the worst of any hurricanes.

The Grace Line freighter Santa Cecilia loaded the 10-ton raft as deck cargo at Punar, for

carriage to Callao. In late June 1954, a minesweeper of the Peruvian Navy towed the raft 60 miles offshore, before release.

On the clearance papers from Callao, the destination was officially recorded as Samoa. An uninsurable risk, nevertheless the epic had begun. As a modern concession, a hand-cranked Marconi transmitter was carried with the aim of providing regular position reports to the authorities. For company Willis had a cat and a parrot.

Early observations by Willis are revealing: ‘Every day brought new problems for I was far from knowing the raft… The simplest tasks had to be dropped many

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book A Photographic History of P&O Cruises by Robert Henderson, Doug Cremer, Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross (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.

Closing date is Friday 13 March 2014.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch.indd 30

1.

5.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

15.

18.

19.

21.

23.

25.

26.

27.

28.

Across Ices on sticks (7) Chemistry equipment (7) Ran competitively (5) Model (9) Following (9) Pottery (5) Blades (5) Send down (9) Not the main thing (4,5) Buttonhole (5) Tunes (5) Weaponry (9) Musicians (9) Hindu figure (5) Commons figure (7) Christmas decoration (4,3)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Down Dog (7) Cut (9) Country (5) Popular acts (4,5) Food granulator (5) Grindstone (9) Majestic (5)

times when I had to make dashes to the wheel when she ran off, and often a job requiring only a few undisturbed minutes took hours. I had to develop the patience of a mountain.’

Navigation was challenging: ‘The noon sight was the hardest to take due to the raft’s movements. I had to take over twenty sights to get an average. This put an almost blinding strain on the eyes but was unavoidable.’ Mindful of priorities, he reminded himself with a sign: Bust Your Bone But Save The Sextant.

The spiritual adjustment required to endure what became endless, lonely days; the constant activity needed to sail the raft; and exhaustion from too little sleep — these were ever-present stresses.

But harder trials were in store. A mysterious illness almost paralysed him with pain on occasion; most of the drinking water went bad; heavy storms ripped the sails. Finally came the awful realisation that the soaked balsa logs were sinking progressively lower into the water.

112 days out from Callao and within sight of land, the radio message was sent: RAFT 25 MILES FROM TAU NEED HELP TO LAND ALLS WELL WILLIS. Conditions proved treacherous to land both at Tau and later Tutuila. Eventually an American Coast Guard vessel located the raft and towed her to Pago Pago.

Willis learned that he had been considered lost for the duration.

The only radio message that had been received was the very last one.

At a traditional Polynesian greeting ceremony, William Willis was given the honorary title Tautai O Le Vasa Laolao — Captain of the High Seas. Seven Little Sisters was gifted to the people of American Samoa for placement and preservation in a museum.

50 YEARS AGO There is no need for ships’ officers to be alarmed at the navigational hazards presented by drilling units which will be taking part in the North Sea oil search, according to Shell UK Exploration & Production. With large-scale drilling operations due to begin in a few months, the company’s general manager, Mr G. Williams, has given assurances about the safety precautions being taken to reduce the risk of collision. The MNAOA has examined the legislation covering North Sea oil and gas exploration and the potential consequences for masters and officers if a ship collided with one of the installations and caused oil to escape into the sea. Whilst liability may be limited under the Merchant Shipping Act 1958, the MNAOA and the MMSA are keeping a close watch on the subject MN Journal, March 1965

25 YEARS AGO Marine insurers have expressed concern over declining standards of seafaring skills and competency. They say they are also alarmed by continued cutbacks in crew levels. The annual meeting of the Institute of London Underwriters (ILU) heard last month that tonnage lost last year had increased by 40%, with 156 ships of 1.08m gt lost. The annual report highlighted worries over the rapidly ageing world merchant fleet, warning that inexperienced crews are also having a detrimental effect on maintenance standards. The ILU says many owners cut their maintenance programmes in the recession of the 1980s, particularly on vessels laid-up for long periods, and there is a clear link between casualty statistics and tonnage age profiles The Telegraph, March 1990

10 YEARS AGO Shipowners have been urged to clamp down on the use of mobile phones on the bridge in pilotage areas and other restricted waters. The call has come from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in a report on the grounding of an Italian-flagged chemical tanker in the Solent last year. Investigators discovered that the master of the 4,450gt Attilo Ievoli had spent more than 24 minutes on a mobile phone in the 36 minutes leading up to the accident. The MAIB said that at the time of the grounding there was no shared appreciation on the bridge as to the vessel’s position and the report recommends that companies designate pilotage and other restricted waters as ‘red zones’ where outgoing mobile calls are barred and incoming calls must be diverted to a message service to prevent the bridge team from being distracted The Telegraph, March 2005

THEQUIZ

4

Roughly how many LNG tankers are there in the world fleet at present?

5

Britain had the world’s largest merchant fleet in 1930, with 9,860 ships totalling more than 22m gt. Which country’s fleet was in second place, and how big was it?

Roughly how many seagoing ships were built in Dutch yards during 2013?

1

Can you name the world’s five largest shipowning countries?

2

In 1980, containerships accounted for 1.6% of the world fleet in deadweight tonnage terms. What is the figure today?

6

3

What percentage of the world fleet, in deadweight tonnage terms, is accounted for by oil tankers?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

8.

14.

16.

17.

18.

20.

22.

23.

24.

Stick of stare (7) I.O.U. (4,5) Shebeen (9) Assessment (9) Directive (7) Picking up (7) Plinth (5) Name (5) Deer (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

5.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Across Religious figure, we hear, though largely silent.

A proper Charlie (7) Surrender middle of cucumber after coppers return (7) London courtier a year ahead of his time (5) Beneath Heather to appear plebeian (9) Manage with disguise viper uses (9) It has a bit of a laugh about Japanese capital (5) For making a bloomer you in France have the edge (5)

Membership No.:

15. Breathe in, if somewhat falteringly, over winter (9) 18. Criticise computer storage device with revolutionary information technology (9) 19. Push one’s way into the joint (5) 21. Employee support (5) 23. Villain redistributed don’s lucre (9) 25. Do up some of site where Bethlehem bell is hidden (9) 26. In charge on hill, donutshaped (5) 27. Valve designed to deter mixing (7) 28. Account for storage yard includes a little simple interest (7)

Down 1. Leaves alien a burning torch (7) 2. Polo car is the ruin of Greece (9) 3. It has eggs, a featured of the sedimentary (5) 4. ‘begot in the ventricle of memory, --- in the womb of pia mater’ (Love’s Labour’s Lost) (9)

5. Grass in the southern margin (5) 6. Orchestra’s arrangement should be a puller (9) 7. Peacekeepers drop it on English to bring sides together (5) 8. Troublesome woman seen going around in the airport (7) 14. Left on board a sheet of paper as part of one’s application (9) 16. Put money on US writer and editor having given each other a ring (9) 17. Colour and Spanish cubist, perfume from whales (9) 18. Climb-down of French over fragrance (7) 20. Well, it could be a strike (7) 22. Scope when goals don’t include the atom (5) 23. Pet is given run around out of revenge (5) 24. Still in bed, alternative to down (3,2) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

18/02/2015 16:45

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

Engrossing ferry story tells of turbulent times Sealink and Beyond

By Matthew Murtland & Richard Seville Ferry Publications, £24.50 ISBN: 978 19066 08750 idea of integrated transport. As ever, history K gives some useful perspectives — and in the case There is no shortage of talk today about the

of Sealink the synergy between ferry and train services offers a great example of ‘joined-up thinking’.

This marvellous account of Sealink’s rise and fall provides a first class insight into the company’s operations — which, at their height, included a fleet of more than 80 ships (counting those of the continental partners) and a seafaring workforce that was one of the largest in the UK (with almost 11,000 employees in 1981).

The authors explain the way in which the company rose from the historic links between railway companies and ferry routes, and there are some interesting reflections on the sometimes difficult operational issues this created — especially as changes in the cross-Channel market

A lesson from our ancestors in what not to do at sea The Wager Disaster

By Rear Admiral CH Layman Uniform Press, £20 ISBN 978 19100 65501 fwww.uniformpress.co.uk today’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary K (RFA) will wince at this tale of an

Readers who have served with

ill-fated military supply ship from three centuries ago. Sometimes we just have to admit that we have it easier these days, and no amount of nostalgia for the age of sail can sugar-coat the challenges faced by our predecessors.

In 1741, Britain and Spain were at war, and the unfortunate HMS Wager was assigned to a Royal Navy mission to ‘annoy and distress’ Spanish interests in the South Seas. Although classified as a 6th rate after a refit, the vessel had started out as an East Indiaman, and was broader in the beam than purpose-built 6th rates.

This gave ample room for stores and passengers, but made the Wager ill-suited for the rough seas around Cape Horn.

The vessel also drew the short straw when it came to crewing: the best sailors had already been picked for the fighting vessels, and the Wager ended up with a press-ganged

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

and ship technology served up huge investment challenges.

The authors also shed light on the internal and external politics which shaped Sealink’s fortunes — ranging from British Rail’s battle to keep control over the fleet’s corporate identity to the growing ideological pressure to privatise state-run services and the emerging threat of the Channel Tunnel.

And what a roller-coaster ride they describe!

The reader can barely pause for breath as the book recounts the relentless pace of change within the ferry industry, the fleeting influence of jetfoils and hovercraft, Britain’s relations with its European partners and Sealink’s involvement in the Falklands War task force.

The tales of boardroom manoeuvrings and political intrigue are particularly strong — with lots of ‘what if?’ scenarios to think about, such as the bid by Carnival Cruise Lines for a majority stake in Sealink in 1982 or the intriguing Stena HQ instruction for Holyhead management to draw up estimated bunkering costs for sailing an HSS, a Stena Lynx and Stena Hibernia to Japan.

The post-privatisation period is vividly

crew who were mostly unwilling or physically unfit. They even included invalided veterans who had been recalled to active service from local hospitals.

Not surprisingly, many of those onboard died before the vessel even reached the Pacific, but things were due to get worse. The Wager was shipwrecked near an uninhabited island, and after the captain, David Cheap, had spent many weeks there trying to get some small boats seaworthy, a number of the 140 survivors mutinied and took off with the best boats.

Captain Cheap eventually did reach the mainland, but was then taken prisoner by the Spanish, and meanwhile most of the other original survivors and the mutineers had died — despite some impressive feats of navigation in the stolen boats. Only 36 people made it home.

This story has remained reasonably well known over the years thanks to an account by midshipman John Byron (the poet’s grandfather), but The Wager Disaster takes a fresh look at the incident and includes some previously unpublished

described, with the new Sea Containers regime embarking on a ‘relentless drive for profit’ leading to a rapid exit from Newhaven and a series of skirmishes with the unions over jobs and conditions and railways management over harbour contracts. The Stena era gets less attention, but allows the authors to reflect on the remarkable transformations since 1969.

The authors do a great job in producing an extensive fleet list, tracking down the surviving ships, and cataloguing a series of accidents and incidents nts (which serve to underline the high standards to which the ships were operated).

Few aspects of the company’s operations are left untouched by the book — anything from football fans to catering — although it is a shame that the section on Sealink crews is so brief. The accounts of those who served with the company could have added depth and richness to the book and would have thrown up more interesting observations like the one quoted from second officer Tom Webster

material. The story is told mainly through well-edited first-hand accounts, including Byron’s, and for the first time we are able to read a letter about the events that Capt Cheap wrote from his Spanish jail.

As well as containing a powerful story, the book is nicely presented, with the occasional pertinent illustration, and has deservedly attracted some attention from the UK national press. Read it and feel thankful that the world it describes is long gone.

Iconic vessel heralded UK decline in K naval power Dreadnought: The Ship that Changed the World

By Roger Parkinson Published by IB Tauris, £25 ISBN: 978 17807 68267

Launched in 1906, HMS Dreadnought radically rewrote the rules for battleship design and deployment, and re-shaped naval strategy around the world.

This fascinating book digs deep into the way in which the ship was developed and why its impact was so profound — challenging more than

who complained: ‘Being a seaman in the “good old days” meant being poor and doing a terrific amount of hard work seven days a week. Nowadays sophisticated equipment has given us too much spare time.’

Overall, however, the book offers an excellent read and it is supported with a selection of good photographs that are used well. Printing and editorial values are evidently high, and the cover price is very reasonable for such a quality production.

a few preconceptions and received wisdoms along the way.

There’s plenty within its 300 or so pages to interest not just history buffs, but also anyone with an appreciation of ship design and technology, politics and maritime power. Especially relevant to merchant seafarers are the sections examining the impact of the switch from sail to steam and the growing recognition of marine engineers.

As well as describing the advances in naval architecture which helped to pave the way for the Dreadnought, the author also vividly recounts the political manoeuvring and strategic thinking which influenced the fundamental shifts in British naval policy in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

The book examines the debates over the convoy system — with many owners arguing that this form of protection was no longer needed in the new era of fast and efficient steamers — and the thinking that lay behind the associated development of armed merchant cruisers.

Underpinning these accounts is the drift towards war, and the book explains how the escalating tension during the first decade of the 20th century fuelled a complex arms race that in turn drove a spectacular shipbuilding programme which witnessed the rapid evolution to ‘super-dreadnoughts’.

Whilst the Dreadnought had a huge impact, the book concludes that this was not something that gave any lasting benefit to Britain.

Ships like this were designed to serve as fearsome ‘classical’ weapons, and Mr Parkinson argues that their role was severely compromised by many factors — not least the high cost of the vessels, which meant that fleet commanders were often reluctant to deploy them to the front line.

The book offers many lessons for today, and also provides a powerful reflection upon the UK’s historic dependence on the sea. Sadly, the author writes, the rise and fall of the Dreadnought marked the end of Britain’s mastery of the sea and the start of a new era of naval geopolitics.

Attractive chronicle with an Aussie angle BOOK A Photographic History of P&O Cruises

By Robert Henderson, Doug Cremer, Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross The History Press, £19.99 ISBN: 978 07524 89018 the most famous passenger K shipping companies in the world

P&O Cruises has been one of

for more than 175 years. This latest tribute is the result of a collaboration between four noted Australian maritime historians.

The backgrounds of the four contributors are reflected in a leaning towards the Australian section of P&O Cruises, and the foreword is provided by Carnival Cruises’ Australian CEO. However, this bias adds an appealing personal touch to the book and does not detract from the company’s British roots or the British styling which still exists on the ships today.

Despite being titled as a photographic history, the book contains a fair amount of text

adding background on the formation of the company and its early years, as well as the ships’ roles

in major historical events including wars and the Suez crisis.

The authors cover the ‘golden age of cruising’ — noting that, for P&O, this period actually encompassed the end of the 20th century and continues today.

There are fun little facts on many of the pages, adding another dimension to the photographs and the text. This means that it works as a book to read cover to cover, one to flick through and look at the pictures, and one to fill a longer coffee break.

The photographs themselves include grand images of the ships and their interiors, although passengers and crew are missing, which takes away a little of the emotional attachment readers might otherwise have gained.

In all, this is a nicely presented book with a unique take on the story of a great cruise company still making history.

SAVINGS Telegraph readers can buy the books reviewed on these pages at a whopping 25% discount on publisher’s price through the Marine Society’s online shop. g To qualify for this offer, readers

need to make their purchase at www.marinesocietyshop.org.

Click on the ‘Books of the month’ button with the Nautilus logo to see the books featured in the Telegraph, and use the promotional code Nautilus when buying your book.

If a book reviewed in the Telegraph isn’t listed yet in the Marine Society shop, just use the website’s ‘contact us’ button to request the title. The Society aspires to respond the same day with the best price and availability.

Most titles can be secured within 24 hours.

18/02/2015 16:46

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NL NEWS

Wetsvoorstel tot aanpak van schijnconstructies!

A

Afgelopen periode is het Wetsvoorstel Schijnconstructies (WAS) toege zonden aan de Tweede Kamer. Dit wetsvoorstel strekt tot wijziging van de Wet Minimumloon, Boek 7 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek en enige andere wetten ter verbetering van de naleving en handhaving van arbeidsrechtelijke wetgeving in verband met de aanpak van schijnconstructies door werkgevers.

Zoals bekend is het, door overcapaciteit, minder vracht en lagere prijzen, een moeilijke tijd in de binnenvaart.

Wanneer je je als schipper/eigenaar aan het minimumloon houdt bij het uitbetalen van je werknemers en je concurrent probeert dit via allerlei vage (onkosten) constructies te ontduiken, ontstaat er oneerlijke concurrentie.

Om eerlijke concurrentie tussen bedrijven te bevorderen en een fatsoenlijke beloning voor werknemers te waarborgen is het Wetsvoorstel Schijnconstructies tot stand gebracht.

Op 1 november 2013 is er een speciaal team opgericht van Inspectie SZW die belast is met de aanpak van schijnconstructies. Dit team werkt onder andere samen met de Belastingdienst, IND, UWV, vakbonden en de Stichting Naleving CAO. Om de Wet Minimumloon beter te kunnen handhaven zijn in dit wetsvoorstel bepalingen opgenomen, die eisen stellen aan de loonstrook en

die de werkgever verplichten deze op verzoek aan de Inspectie te verstrekken. De loonstrook is namelijk een belangrijk middel voor de Inspectie

Volg ons op Twitter

SZW om te kunnen controleren of het wettelijk minimumloon wordt betaald.

Verder komt de Inspectie regelmatig situaties

tegen, waarbij het bruto wettelijk minimumloon lijkt te zijn betaald, maar dit deels uit onduidelijke onkostenvergoedingen bestaat.

Onkostenvergoedingen behoren niet tot het minimumloon als deze bedoeld zijn om noodzakelijke kosten te dekken die samenhangen met het vervullen van de dienstbetrekking. Daarom wordt de werkgever verplicht om op de loonstrook te specificeren welke onkostenvergoedingen zijn verstrekt.

Om volledige betaling van het minimumloon zeker te stellen wordt het bovendien niet langer toegestaan om kosten te verrekenen met het wettelijke minimumloon.

Daarnaast kan bij contante betaling van het wettelijk minimumloon worden gefraudeerd.

Werkgevers kunnen betalingsbewijzen tonen van betalingen, die nooit zijn gedaan. Daarom wordt de eis gesteld dat minimaal het gedeelte gelijk aan het wettelijke minimumloon giraal moet worden uitbetaald.

Het is nu afwachten of er in de Tweede Kamer een meerderheid is voor dit wetsvoorstel.

De verkiezingen van 18 maart kunnen tot wijzigingen in de samenstelling van de Eerste Kamer leiden en dan is het de vraag of het wetsvoorstel in dat geval nog wordt aangenomen. FNV heeft in elk geval in een brief aan de Kamerfracties laten weten dat de vakbonden het wetsvoorstel volledig steunen!

Wijzigingen in het arbeidsrecht met betrekking tot flexibele F contracten van de nieuwe Wet werk en

opgenomen en die zijn aangegaan vóór 1 januari 2015, hebben eerbiedigende werking. Behalve de aanzegverplichting van werkgevers, deze heeft wel onmiddellijke werking en geldt dus al voor 1 januari 2015 gesloten overeenkomsten.

Van het nieuwe recht afwijkende bepalingen die zijn opgenomen in een CAO blijven van kracht totdat de CAO afloopt doch gelden uiterlijk tot 1 juli 2016.

Op 1 januari 2015 zijn de artikelen

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat containerschepen kunnen groeien tot voorbij de 20.000 TEU grens?

zekerheid (WWZ) in werking getreden.

Op 1 juli 2015 treden de overige artikelen van de WWZ in werking. Het doel van de net ingevoerde wetgeving is onder andere om werknemers met tijdelijke contracten meer zekerheid te geven. Hieronder de wijzigingen per 1 januari 2015 op een rij: Aanzegtermijn voor de werkgever bij einde contract voor bepaalde tijd

Ja 77%

Nee 23%

De poll van deze maand is: Vindt u dat kapitein Schettino een verdiende gevangenisstraf heeft gekregen als gevolg van de ramp met de Costa Concordia? Geef ons uw mening online, op www.nautilusnl.org

32-34_nl_18.02.15.indd 32

Volgens het nieuwe artikel 668 van Boek 7 van het BW moet de werkgever voortaan de werknemer, met een contract voor bepaalde tijd van langer dan 6 maanden, 1 maand van te voren schriftelijk laten weten of hij de arbeidsovereenkomst al dan niet zal voortzetten en bij voortzetting laten weten onder welke voorwaarden.

Dit geeft de werknemer eerder duidelijkheid, zodat hij bij het niet verlengen van het contract voor bepaalde tijd tijdig naar ander werk kan zoeken. Als de werkgever de aanzegging helemaal niet heeft gedaan is hij een vergoeding gelijk aan een maandsalaris verschuldigd aan de werknemer. Als de werkgever het wel heeft gemeld, maar te laat, dan moet de werkgever een vergoeding naar rato betalen.

Proeftijd

Kon er vóór 1 januari 2015 in contracten van 2 jaar of minder nog een proeftijd overeengekomen worden, het nieuwe lid 4 van artikel 652 van boek 7 van

Vanaf 1 juli 2015

het BW bepaalt dat er geen proeftijd meer kan worden overeengekomen bij arbeidsovereenkomsten van bepaalde tijd van 6 maanden of korter.

Als een tijdelijk contract wordt verlengd mag er in het nieuwe contract geen nieuwe proeftijd worden opgenomen, tenzij er sprake is van andere vaardigheden of verantwoordelijkheden.

Concurrentiebeding

Voorheen kon een concurrentiebeding zowel in een arbeidsovereenkomst voor onbepaalde tijd worden opgenomen als in een arbeidsovereenkomst voor bepaalde tijd. Vanaf 1 januari 2015 is artikel 653 van boek 7 van het BW gewijzigd en is het alleen nog mogelijk om een concurrentiebeding op te nemen in een arbeidsovereenkomst voor onbepaalde tijd. Bij tijdelijke contracten is een concurrentiebeding niet meer toegestaan. Dit geeft werknemers met contracten voor bepaalde tijd na afloop van het

contract meer mogelijkheden. Hierop bestaat een uitzondering: als de werkgever schriftelijk kan motiveren dat het beding noodzakelijk is vanwege zwaarwegende bedrijfsbelangen, mag hij wel een concurrentiebeding opnemen in een tijdelijk contract.

Uitzendbeding beperkt in tijd

In de arbeidsovereenkomst tussen een uitzendbureau en een uitzendkracht kan een uitzendbeding worden opgenomen. Een uitzendbeding houdt in dat de overeenkomst van rechtswege eindigt op het moment dat de opdrachtgever aangeeft de uitzendkracht niet langer te willen of kunnen inzetten. Dit beding verliest zijn kracht wanneer de werknemer in meer dan 26 weken heeft gewerkt.

Voorheen kon deze termijn bij CAO onbeperkt worden verlengd.

Overgangsrecht

De hiervoor genoemde bepalingen, die in de arbeidsovereenkomsten zijn

In de volgende Telegraph zal aandacht worden besteed aan de wijzigingen per 1 juli 2015. Dan komen de veranderingen in de ketenregeling en het ontslagrecht aan de orde.

Een vast contract ontstaat dan al na maximaal 2 jaar in plaats van 3 jaar.

Een keten van tijdelijke contracten, dat kan leiden tot een contract voor onbepaalde tijd, wordt doorbroken als er een periode van meer dan 6 maanden tussen ligt, deze termijn is op dit momen nog 3 maanden.

Ook volgen er wijzigingen in het ontslagrecht: zo heeft de werkgever niet langer de keuze of hij ontslag aanvraagt bij de Kantonrechter of het UWV, maar is duidelijk aangegeven in welke situaties hij welke instantie moet benaderen en zal er een einde komen aan de Kantonrechtersformule deze wordt vervangen door de lagere Transitievergoeding. Maar zoals gezegd zullen deze wijzigingen in het volgende artikel uitgebreid aan de orde komen.

18/02/2015 17:13

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Nautilus stapt aan boord en vaart een kort reisje mee A

Om de banden met de achterban verder aan te halen, zal Nautilus ook dit jaar een meerdaags vlootbezoek afleggen aan P&O North Sea Ferries en Stena Line.

P&O North Sea Ferries

Journaal Zeevaart hét actualiteitenblad C voor zeevarenden, reders, Journaal Zeevaart is

aanverwante bedrijven en overheid. Journaal Zeevaart brengt u viermaal per jaar op de hoogte van alle ontwikkelingen op zeevaartgebied. In korte artikelen leest u over trends en ontwikkelingen op het gebied van zeevaartbeleid, -regelgeving en uitspraken van het Tuchtcollege voor de Scheepvaart.

Blijf als zeevarende, reder, ambtenaar, manager, kortom als specialist op het gebied van de zeevaart op de hoogte via Journaal Zeevaart! Voor een jaarabonnement betaalt u €123,00 excl. btw. g Bent u geïnteresseerd?

Bestellen? Ga naar www.sdu. nl of direct www.sdu.nl/ journaal-zeevaart-inclusiefverzamelband-tszeebnd09-entszeebnd11.html

Uit de dienstgang arbeidsvermogen (WIA) geeft F werknemers die na een wachttijd De Wet werk en inkomen naar

van 104 weken nog tenminste 35% arbeidsongeschikt zijn, recht op een uitkering. De WIA kent twee regelingen: een IVA-uitkering voor degene die volledig en duurzaam arbeidsongeschikt is en een WGAuitkering voor wie gedeeltelijke arbeidsongeschikt is.

De heer Gomes, matroos in de zeevaart en woonachtig in Portugal, ontvangt sinds augustus 2010 een loongerelateerde WGA-uitkering van het UWV. Betrokkene is 38,9% arbeidsongeschikt en er is dus een restverdiencapaciteit van 61,1%.

Met andere woorden, voor de restverdiencapaciteit wordt de heer Gomes geacht werk te zoeken.

Een moeilijke opgave in het door de economische crisis geplaagde Portugal en gelet op de zeer zwakke gezondheid van ons lid. Helaas is de loongerelateerde WGA-uitkering maar tijdelijk en wordt deze in het geval van

32-34_nl_18.02.15.indd 33

de heer Gomes per april 2013 na twee jaar en zeven maanden verlaagd naar 28% van het minimumloon = € 407,73 per maand. Immers zo stelt de wet, hij heeft geen ander werk en heeft de restcapaciteit niet benut.

Toch kan nog enigszins de schade beperkt worden. Vanwege zijn arbeidsongeschiktheid hebben wij voor de heer Gomes bijtijds premievrije deelneming wegens arbeidsongeschiktheid aangevraagd bij het Pensioenfonds Koopvaardij (BPFK). Voor 50% krijgt ons lid premievrijstelling, dus 50% premie (opbouw van het pensioen) wordt door het BPFK betaald zolang betrokkene een WGA-uitkering ontvangt. Maar nog belangrijker voor nu is dat de heer Gomes een beroep kan doen op de WIA-hiaat verzekering van het BPFK. De WIA-hiaatverzekering is een verzekering om het gat in de WGA-uitkering (het hiaat) enigszins te dichten. De WIAhiaatverzekering is een aanvulling op de uitkering van het UWV en lijkt enigszins op het invaliditeitspensioen voor WAOers. Arbeidsongeschikte deelnemers bij het BPFK konden een beroep doen op het invaliditeitspensioen wanneer de WAO-uitkering werd verlaagd naar een vervolguitkering.

De heer Gomes is een van de eerste deelnemers bij het BPFK die een beroep doet op de WIA-hiaatverzekering.

Mogelijk komt dit door onwetendheid.

Daarom, komt u onverhoopt in de WIA, vergeet dan niet premievrije deelneming aan te vragen en wanneer de uitkering omlaag gaat bijtijds een beroep te doen op de WIA-hiaatverzekering. Leden kunnen natuurlijk voor deze kwesties hun belangen door Nautilus International laten behartigen.

De eerste driedaagse reis voor 2015 is al geboekt. De twee vakbondsbestuurders, die verantwoordelijk zijn voor de Ferry-sector, zullen op 4, 5 en 6 maart 2015 meevaren met de Pride of Rotterdam van Europoort naar Hull (UK) en weer terug naar Europoort. In Hull zal Nautilus het zusterschip van P&O NSF, die op de route Zeebrugge — Hull vaart, uitgebreid bezoeken om met de bemanningsleden van de Pride of Bruges te kunnen spreken. Zowel in Hull als in Europoort zal er een officiële ledenvergadering gehouden worden. Er zal onder andere worden gesproken over het door de werkgroep samengestelde Nieuwe CAO Reglement.

De Pride of Rotterdam (bouwjaar 2001) mag er wezen: zij heeft een lengte van 215 meter en een bruto tonnage van 59.925 GT. Zij biedt ruimte aan 1360 passagiers waarvoor 538 hutten ter beschikking staan. De rijstrookcapaciteit van 3.300 meter biedt plaats aan 250 auto’s

en 400 vrachtvoertuigen.

Door een reisje mee te varen hebben de 80 bemanningsleden ruim de gelegenheid om met de vakbond te praten over zaken die zij op hun hart hebben (zoals het Nieuwe CAO Reglement).

Stena Line

Een maand later, op maandag 20 en dinsdag 21 april, zal Nautilus inschepen op de Stena Hollandica van Hoek van Holland

naar Harwich (UK) en weer terug naar Hoek van Holland.

De Stena Hollandica (bouwjaar 2010) is met recht het vlaggenschip van Stena Line: zij heeft een lengte maar liefst 240 meter en een bruto tonnage van 64.039 GT. Deze Ro-Pax Ferry biedt ruimte aan 1200 passagiers waarvoor 538 hutten ter beschikking staan. De rijstrookcapaciteit van 5.500 meter biedt plaats aan een

combinatie van auto’s, motoren, fietsen, trailers en vrachtwagens.

Door een reisje mee te varen hebben ook hier de 85 bemanningsleden ruim de gelegenheid om met de vakbond te praten over zaken die momenteel spelen (zoals de werkgelegenheidsovereenkomst en de modernisering van het Nieuwe CAO Reglement).

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www. nautilusint.org

Nieuwe driejarige CAO bij Stena Line een feit Telegraph kon u lezen dat er F tussen Stena Line B.V. enerzijds en In de vorige editie van de

Nautilus International anderzijds een principeakkoord was bereikt voor een nieuwe CAO, lopend van 1 mei 2014 t/m 1 april 2017. Het laatste woord was natuurlijk aan de leden en tijdens de ledenvergaderingen op 12 en 15 januari jl. hebben de leden Nautilus verzocht nog eenmaal met de directie aan tafel te gaan zitten om het principeakkoord op enkele onderdelen te verbeteren.

Na diverse contacten tussen vakbond en werkgever, heeft Stena Line hieraan gehoor gegeven.

Zo zullen de overeengekomen gageverhogingen in 2015 en 2016 eerder ingaan, namelijk per 1 juli in plaats van per 1 oktober. Nautilus had in het principeakkoord al een vangnet

gecreëerd voor het geval de inflatie in 2016 hoger mocht uitvallen. In het nieuwe akkoord is het inflatie-gat, dat kan ontstaan in 2016, verkleind van 0,5 naar 0,3%.

Verder is afgesproken dat bij het inschalen van de 3e werktuigkundige in de gagetabel van de 2e stuurman er sprake moet zijn van een minimale reële verhoging van € 45,- bruto.

Wanneer de 3e werktuigkundige bij het inschalen in gagetabel K1 onder dit bedrag blijft, zal hij in de daaropvolgende hogere gage geplaatst worden. Als laatste punt zullen de gagetabellen J1 en J2 komen te vervallen.

Last but nog least

Nu werkgever met een verbeterd voorstel is gekomen — dat past binnen het door de

ledenvergaderingen afgegeven mandaat — is de nieuwe CAO een feit en kunnen de gemaakte afspraken administratief worden afgewikkeld.

Dat wil echter niet zeggen dat er geen werk meer aan de winkel is…

Integendeel.

De komende tijd gaan de partijen namelijk met het volgende project aan de slag: het updaten van de werkgelegenheidsovereenkomst én het moderniseren van het reglement.

Doel hierbij is om allereerst tot een all-in gage te komen. Hiertoe wordt een speciale all-in gage werkgroep in het leven geroepen, bestaande uit vertegenwoordigers van de werkgever, bestuurders van de vakbond en zeevarenden Zodra hierover meer nieuws is, kunt u dit terugvinden in de Telegraph.

WILT U EEN BREDER PUBLIEK BEREIKEN? PLAATS DAN EEN ADVERTENTIE IN DE TELEGRAPH. NEEM CONTACT OP MET: Jude Rosset at Redactive Media Sales

T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 F: +44 (0)20 7880 7691

E: jude.rosset@ redactive.co.uk

18/02/2015 16:46

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NL NEWS

Rechter wijst verzoek tot vervangende toestemming Stena Line af: OR wordt in het gelijk gesteld alcoholgrens voor haar C schepen onder Nederlandse

alcoholgebruik nadelige invloed heeft op de veiligheid aan boord.

vlag terugbrengen naar nul. Het toegestane alcoholpercentage in het bloed is momenteel 0,04% conform de internationale wet- en regelgeving. De reden waarom de werkgever de alcoholconsumptie verder wil terugschroeven is dat er dan organisatie breed eenzelfde beleid wordt gehanteerd inzake alcohol en drugs. Om het beleid te wijzigingen heeft de werkgever toestemming nodig van de ondernemingsraad. Dat de OR niet zomaar instemt met de voorstellen van de werkgever, blijkt wel uit onderstaand artikel…

Stena Line Group hanteert een zero tolerance beleid voor alcohol en drugs (A&D) op al haar schepen, de schepen onder Nederlandse vlag uitgezonderd. In maart vorig jaar stuurde de werkgever een instemmingsaanvraag naar de OR met het verzoek het A&D-beleid te wijzigen, omdat ‘de totale Stena Line groep een algeheel verbod op alcoholconsumptie wil invoeren.’

Een verbod dat ook zou moeten gelden gedurende de rusttijden aan boord.

Het verweer

Stena Line wil de

Inbreuk op privacy

Dit argument vond de OR niet steekhoudend genoeg. Zo staat de toepasselijke (internationale) wet- en regelgeving inzake alcohollimieten een percentage van 0,05% alcohol in het bloed toe. Gezien de huidige wet- en regelgeving is Stena Line dus niet verplicht het A&D-beleid aan te passen naar een zero tolerance beleid. Daarbij hecht de OR grote waarde aan het fundamentele recht op privacy van zeevarenden.

Aanpassing van het huidige A&D-beleid zou echter een grove en niet-gerechtvaardigde inbreuk betekenen op de privacy van de werknemers, die ook vaak tijdens rusttijden aan boord verblijven.

Er zou dan sprake zijn van een inbreuk op het privéleven van de zeevarenden, aldus de OR. Daarbij komt dat de OR betwijfelt of een zero tolerance beleid het beoogde effect heeft. De sociale controle zou kunnen wegvallen. De wens van de werkgever om voor de gehele Stena Line groep tot een zero tolerance beleid te komen, achtte de OR onvoldoende en de OR wees het verzoek tot instemming dan ook af.

Rechtsgang

Met dit antwoord zou de kous af moeten zijn, ware het niet dat de werkgever naar de rechter stapte met het verzoek ‘vervangende toestemming te verlenen’ voor invoering van het zero tolerance beleid. Stena Line voerde hierbij primair aan dat de afwijzing op het instemmingsverzoek door de OR onredelijk is en subsidiair dat het voorgenomen besluit zou worden gevergd door zwaarwegende bedrijfsorganisatorische en/ of bedrijfssociale redenen. Daarnaast gaf de werkgever aan dat

32-34_nl_18.02.15.indd 34

De OR had een goede advocaat in de arm genomen, die de argumenten van de werkgever uitstekend kon weerleggen. De OR vindt net als de werkgever dat veiligheid aan boord topprioriteit heeft. De OR en de werkgever waren het erover eens dat zich aan boord van de Nederlands gevlagde schepen van Stena Line de afgelopen jaren geen problemen hebben voorgedaan met overmatig alcohol- en/of drugsgebruik. Het huidige A&D-beleid functioneert zeer goed volgens de OR. De zeevarenden trekken gezamenlijk op tijdens rusttijden en er is ook sociale controle onderling.

De vraag is daarom of met een complete drooglegging een relevante risicobeperking wordt bereikt. De OR beargumenteerde dat dit niet het geval was en dat een zero tolerance beleid juist averechts kan werken. De sociale controle kan afnemen, doordat sommige zeevarenden zich meer terugtrekken in hun hut om een biertje te kunnen drinken, aldus de OR. Daarbij komt dat ook het privéleven van zeevarenden die soms maandenlang aan boord zitten dient te worden beschermd. De wetgever heeft een aantal jaren geleden het toegestane alcohollimiet voor degene die een schip bestuurt ingevolge artikel 27 lid 2 van de Scheepsvaartverkeerswet verlaagd naar 0,5 mg/ml (bij Stena is dit 0,4 mg/ml). Reden van deze wetswijziging was het toegenomen besef van de risico’s en het gebruik van alcohol in de scheepvaart.

Zowel de internationale gemeenschap als de Nederlandse wetgever heeft bij het bepalen van deze norm onder meer het belang van de veiligheid afgewogen tegen het recht van zeevarenden op een privéleven. Het laatste is door Stena Line niet betwist. Dit alles in aanmerking nemende heeft ertoe geleid dat de rechter het verzoek tot vervangende instemming heeft afgewezen.

Een goede OR is goud waard

Voorgaande geeft maar weer eens aan hoe groot de invloed van een goed functionerende ondernemingsraad is. Waar de vakbond de belangen behartigt van haar leden en kan helpen met alle arbeidsvoorwaardelijke zaken, heeft de OR instemmingsrecht en speelt zij een belangrijke rol bij de besluitvorming van de organisatie.

Elke onderneming waarin tenminste 50 personen werkzaam zijn, is in de regel gehouden een Ondernemingsraad in te stellen.

De OR wordt vertegenwoordigd door (gekozen) medewerkers uit het bedrijf . In de Wet op de Ondernemingsraden (WOR) zijn de rechten en plichten van de OR vastgelegd. g Meer informatie hierover is te vinden op: www.or.nl

Jaarvergadering 2015

A

Op dinsdag 16 juni 2015 vindt de Nederlandse jaarvergadering van onze vereniging plaats in het Hilton Hotel te Rotterdam. Over enige tijd kunt u het gehele programma in de Telegraph lezen maar, reserveert u deze dag reeds in uw agenda. Zoals gebruikelijk zal het eerste gedeelte van de vergadering worden besteed aan statutaire zaken zoals verkiezingen, beoordeling van het in 2014 gevoerde beleid alsmede een statutenwijziging. Aansluitend is er na de pauze een openbaar gedeelte in de vorm van een symposium.

Bestuursverkiezing

Dit jaar vinden er bestuursverkiezingen plaats. Zoals hij vorig jaar reeds aangaf is vice voorzitter en penningmeester Hylke Hylkema wegens het bereiken van de pensioengerechtigde leeftijd voornemens om tijdens de jaarvergadering 2015 vervroegd af te treden.

Inmiddels heeft het zittende bestuur de heer Charley Ramdas bij coöptatie benoemd als bestuurder en zal zij de Raad van Advies verzoeken om voor de heer Ramdas, conform de statutaire bevoegdheid van de Raad, een bindende voordracht voor de jaarvergadering voor te bereiden.

Verkiezing Raad van Advies

Dit jaar treden er geen leden van de Raad van Advies af. Wel meldden zich gedurende het verenigingsjaar een tweetal leden voor vacatures in de kiesgroepen werktuigkundigen en gepensioneerden. Het betreft de

heren Peter Renkema en Willem Kwak. De heer Renkema is werktuigkundige en meldde zich voor de vacature in de kiesgroep werktuigkundigen. De heer Kwak is gepensioneerd kapitein en meldde zich voor de vacature in de kiesgroep gepensioneerden. Om niet een jaar te hoeven wachten is door de Raad van Advies middels coöptatie in de tussentijdse vacatures voorzien. Het is nu aan de jaarvergadering om dat achteraf goed te keuren. Volledigheidshalve valt nog te melden dat in de Raad van Advies nog een vacature bestaat voor een enthousiaste maroff. De regels voor de kandidaatstelling zijn als volgt: 1. U moet lid zijn van Nautilus International 2. Ieder lid kan alleen verkozen worden in zijn of haar kiesgroep.

3. De kandidatuur moet aantoonbaar worden ondersteund door vijf leden.

Mocht u aan bovenstaande vereisten voldoen en enthousiast zijn meldt u zich dan vóór 15 mei a.s. bij de voorzitter van Nautilus International de heer Marcel van den Broek (mvandenbroek@nautilusint.org).

Statutenwijziging

Vanuit het bestuur is de wens geuit om de statuten middels een kleine wijziging te verduidelijken. Het voorstel, waarin de wijzigingen woordelijk zijn opgenomen, ligt conform het bepaalde in artikel 20 lid 3 van de statuten gedurende tenminste 1 maand voorafgaand aan de jaarvergadering op het kantoor van de vereniging ter inzage.

Voorstellen

Verder is het goed om alle leden nog eens te wijzen op de mogelijkheid om voorstellen in te dienen. Deze voorstellen dienen het algemene Nederlandse belang van de vereniging te betreffen. Voorstellen over een specifieke CAO of een specifieke rederij worden verwezen naar desbetreffende ledenvergaderingen.

Eventuele voorstellen dienen uiterlijk 15 mei schriftelijk of per email door het bestuur te zijn ontvangen en zullen voorzien van een bestuursadvies aan de jaarvergadering worden voorgelegd.

Symposium en afscheid Hylke Hylkema

Gewoontegetrouw zal er na afloop van het formele gedeelte van de jaarvergadering een symposium worden georganiseerd.

Momenteel worden de opties gewogen en naar verwachting zal in de Telegraph van mei worden bekendgemaakt wat het thema van het symposium zal worden. Aansluitend neemt vice voorzitter/penningmeester Hylke Hylkema afscheid na ruim 40 jaar maritiem vakbondswerk. Wij willen dit op gepaste wijze vieren en nodigen u graag uit op dit samen met hem te doen. g Indien u de jaarvergadering wilt bijwonen kunt u zich aanmelden bij mevrouw Schmidt via mschmidt@nautilusint.org of telefonisch 010-2862987. Het jaarverslag 2014 zal enkele weken voorafgaand aan de jaarvergadering op de Nautilus website worden geplaatst. Tijdens de jaarvergadering zullen eveneens hard copies van het verslag beschikbaar zijn.

Na jarenlange inspanningen is eindelijk Europees succes behaald voor de Binnenvaart op het onderwerp werk- en rusttijden!

Europees overleg in Brussel over de Binnenvaart

Op 30 januari 2015 vond er een Europees overleg plaats in Brussel over de Binnenvaart. De officiële naam hiervan is Social Dialogue Committee on Inland Waterways. Dit is een georganiseerd overleg tussen de Europese Commissie, werkgevers- en werknemersorganisaties (vakbonden die betrokken zijn op de Binnenvaart) uit de aangesloten lidstaten. In het overleg wordt door de Europese Commissie gerapporteerd over de zaken die vanuit de sector in gang zijn gezet en de status ervan.

Ook zijn er vanuit dit overleg een aantal werkgroepen actief die voorstellen op allerlei terreinen van de binnenvaart (laten) onderzoeken en verder uitwerken tot een voorstel aan de Commissie. Zij doen dus vanuit de sector Binnenvaart de voorbereidingen van een opdracht aan de Commissie.

Dit keer konden partijen in het overleg stilstaan bij een behaald succes. De gezamenlijke inspanningen op het onderwerp werk- en rusttijden in de Binnenvaart heeft geleid tot een Europese Richtlijn. Het Europees Parlement heeft dit aangenomen en daarmee is het van kracht. Dit heeft als gevolg dat de alle landen binnen

Verschillende projecten

de EU, deze richtlijn ‘Arbeidstijden’ moeten implementeren (verwerken) in hun Nationale wetgeving. Hiervoor hebben ze de tijd tot eind 2017.

Landen die hierin verzuimen worden aangemaand vanaf eind 2016.

Uiteindelijk kan dit verzuim leiden tot flinke geldboetes. Nu al kan oneerlijke concurrentie door het ontduiken van deze richtlijn door de Commissie worden aangepakt. Zij heeft hiervoor dan wel goede/harde bewijzen nodig van haar burgers (werknemers of organisaties).

De werkgroepen hebben ook gerapporteerd over de lopende zaken.

Op dit moment lopen drie projecten; 1. Over Leef&Werkomstandigheden aan boord. Dit onderzoek staat nog redelijk in de kinderschoenen en moet nog grondig worden voorbereid en uitgezocht. Om het werkbaar te houden nemen wij hiervoor twee jaar de tijd. Dit lijkt lang maar er moeten diverse onderzoeken worden uitgezet bij verschillende Universiteiten en het doen van een onderzoek op wetenschappelijk niveau loopt over een langere periode.

Werkgeverspartijen lijken nog terug te willen krabbelen op dit onderwerp maar komen zelf tot de conclusie dat zij hiervoor eigenlijk al groen licht hebben gegeven.

2. Over de bezetting van een schip.

Er loopt een discussie of de grootte van de bemanning niet naar beneden kan worden bijgesteld.

Dit zou met de huidige technische ontwikkelingen toch moeten kunnen? Alle aanwezigen zijn het erover eens dat de technische ontwikkelingen gevolgen kunnen hebben voor de bemanning aan boord van schepen. Het is echter nog te vroeg om te concluderen dat het verlagen van de bezetting per

schip zonder risico’s mogelijk is. We moeten beter onderzoek (laten) doen naar de invloed van de soort lading, tonnage en lengte van een schip op de benodigde bezetting van een schip. Een andere voorwaarde die hierbij belangrijk wordt gevonden, is dat uiteindelijk geen onderscheid wordt gemaakt tussen schepen met werknemers en/of zelfstandigen.

3. Over (on-)eerlijke concurrentie.

Hierbij wordt aangegeven dat de EU-commissie met een eigen voorstel wil komen voor het tegengaan van Social Dumping in alle sectoren. Het verdient de aanbeveling om als sector Binnenvaart hierbij aan te haken met de inbreng (praktijk casussen) van de eigen problemen. Als één van de voorbeelden bij dit thema wordt de recent ingevoerde verplichte minimumloonbepaling in (geheel) Duitsland genoemd. De Duitse delegaties kunnen nog niet goed toelichten hoe het zal gaan met de naleving hiervan in de Binnenvaart.

Als laatste punt op de agenda wordt meegegeven dat op het moment dat Luxemburg het voorzitterschap voert, het voorstel wordt gelanceerd om de principes van het ‘Rijnverdrag’ toe te passen op de gehele Europese Unie. Wordt vervolgd…

18/02/2015 16:22

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

Reaching across the North Sea Nautilus isn’t the only example of joint working between the UK and the Netherlands. The two countries also both had a hand in developing the award-winning new search and rescue boat Nh1816, as MIKE GERBER discovered…

OPTIMISED OPERATIONS Inmarsat brings unrivalled high-reliability, premium quality global voice and data connectivity. This facilitates ultra-reliable ship-to-shore communications, linking shore side experts to your crew and seamlessly connecting your office with your fleet.

MANAGED SERVICE The Nh1816 KNRM lifeboat is the first in a new series and is claimed to be the most advanced all-weather, self-righting search and rescue boat in the world

F

The world’s most technologically advanced lifeboat sailed across the wintry North Sea from the Netherlands to the UK last month tomarkthelatestchapterinAngloDutch maritime collaboration.

Back in November, the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) vessel Nh1816 received the prestigious KNVTS Ship of the Year Award, presented annually by the Royal Netherlands Society for Marine Technology.

Nh1816 is the first in a series of ‘next-generation’ 35-knot SAR 1906 vessels that the Dutch shipyard Damen has delivered to KNRM and is seen as the most advanced all-weather, self-righting search and rescue boat in the world.

A key component on the vessel is a marine automation system developed by a British firm, Servowatch Systems, which is based in Heybridge, Essex. So a team of Dutch lifeboat personnel, led by KNRM chief executive officer Roemer Boorgaard, made the North Sea trip to award Servowatch’s head of research and development, Stafford Williams, a special Statue of the Bronze Rescuer to mark the UK company’s work on the project.

‘Stafford and his team’s understanding of our requirement and their ability to design and integrate systems capable of meeting those exacting requirements was truly exceptional,’ said Mr Boorgaard, making the presentation.

The high level of automation and systems integration was key to the Nh1816 winning the KNVTS Ship of the Year Award, he added.

At the heart of the system is Servowatch’s award-winning WINMON software which, on the Nh1816’s ergonomically designed wheelhouse, offers multi-functional capabilities including navigation radar, ECDIS electronic charting, internal and external communications, navigation data,

35_nllife_SR edit.indd 35

mission logging, alarm, monitoring and control.

All bridge components run on a Windows 8 platform, providing the possibility of a future OS upgrade on the same hardware platform, and the integrated radar system utilises the Transas 4000 series broadcasting digitised radar to all connected workstations.

A Transas electronic chart system on each workstation provides individual operators with full independent charting capability.

The integrated navigation sensor package also includes direction finding, GPS, heading, speed, water depth and AIS, while the suite of integrated communications system technologies include a capability for multiple wireless headsets, incorporating VHF and MF interfaces. Data acquisition control units provide vessel-wide alarm, monitoring and control functionality.

For added security, Servowatch included an integrated CCTV monitoring and surveillance package capable of broadcasting digitised video to all workstations. Cameras with full pan, tilt and zoom functions can be controlled from workstations without joystick control.

F

Innovation at the Damen’s shipyard end included an aluminium hull and composite wheelhouse.

The hull — based on Damen’s Axe Bow concept, adapted for lifeboat operation — gives lower resistance or drag at sea compared with existing craft, resulting in improved fuel consumption of up to 20%. It was designed specifically to improve high-speed craft operability, comfort and crew safety, benefiting from substantially reduced G-forces on the hull, resulting in significant noise and vibration reduction.

Servowatch chief executive Wayne Ross explained: ‘If you look at the automation side of it, it’s like a miniature warship integrated

bridge on a lifeboat. From any of the screens in there, you can operate the navigation, the communications, the engines, the electrics and alarms and monitoring of any of the vessel’s systems, all fully integrated within one system.

There’s no lifeboat in the world that has a system like that. That’s what sets it apart. So we’ve taken what we do as a normal product for a naval application and made it into a system that can be utilised on a search and rescue SAR vessel.

And nobody else has done that.’

Roemer Boorgaard, appraising the vessel’s capabilities, told the Telegraph: ‘We have to keep our crews fit when they arrive on the scene of action. So to prevent fatigue, we have to see that there is noise reduction and vibration reduction. The hull design also gives 50% less slamming forces, so that’s an enormous gain on the health side. Noise in the wheelhouse is reduced to 53 decibels, so you can talk to each other with a lot of ease when you’re sailing. So that is on the human factor side.’

An iPad onboard also improves communications and connectivity with the coastguard and rescue coordination centres, he added.

Mr Boorgaard said the new vessel has attracted interest from around the world, and he also spoke of the fraternal and constructive relations between KNRM and its UK counterpart, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution — including sharing knowledge on vessel operations.

Richard Rycroft, RNLI’s operations manager at the nearby Burnham-on-Crouch lifeboat station, added: ‘It’s awesome seeing this boat. Very much bigger than the ones that I play with — but the interesting comparison is with the RNLI’s bigger offshore boats, particularly the Tamar [class], which is not quite a large as this but otherwise has fairly similar capabilities.

So, yes, it’s a wonderful thing to see, very impressive.’

With Inmarsat, you’re not just getting cutting-edge maritime connectivity and technology, you have the backing of a global team of highly skilled technicians with over 30 years maritime experience. They advise on end-to-end network agnostic solutions that help you optimise your maritime business.

ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES The iFUSION platform brings a revolution in enhanced commercial maritime fleet technology management.

The new industry standard, this open architecture vessel technology suite reduces operational overheads and enables bespoke IT integration.

SAFER SMARTER SHIPPING_ Inmarsat offers your ship a highly evolved maritime communications ecosystem which makes every trip or voyage more efficient, safer and more productive. In short, just a lot smarter. Visit inmarsat.com

18/02/2015 17:14

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

APPOINTMENTS Each year the Apostleship of the Sea Visits over 10,000 ships Helps over 200,000 seafarers Deals with over 2,100 welfare issues

MERCHANT NAVY OFFICER TRAINING COURSES

a million for your very warm heart “andThanks for the help you have given us. I am not going to forget the good deeds you have shown us and we will never forget you.

Based in Glasgow city centre, the college has a long standing reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of nautical courses.

�

A message from a seafarer to an Apostleship of the Sea Chaplain

I wish to support AoS with a donation of: ÂŁ _______ Please return it to: AoS, Freepost LON21409, London, EC1B 1NB (Please make cheques payable to AoS)

Title:_________ First Name:________________ Surname:__________________

WILL YOU HELP US?

Address:_____________________________________________________________

To donate or read more about the Apostleship of the Sea visit our website

______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________Postcode: ________________

Telephone: ________________________________________

www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk

Email: ____________________________________________

(Please only give us your email if you are happy to be contacted in this way)

833 069 18 o: 1 3203 ty N n: 3 hari tio d C gistra re e te y R gis Re mpan Co

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REQUIRE MASTERs, CHOFF, 2ND OFF, CHENG, 2ND ENG, 3RD ENG, DP ENG, ETO FOR - SHORE BASED FOR OFFSHORE FLEET

REQUIRE TECH MANAGER, TECH SUPT, PORT CAPTAIN, PORT ENG, QHSE CONTACT DETAILS T E L: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 8 8 8 5 9 FAX: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 88 425 EMAIL: office@ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk, office@ryanoffshore.net, office@shipping-connections.com WEBSITE: www.ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk, www.shipping-connections.com, www.ryanoffshore.net RYANSHIP, P.O.BOX–1282, SUNDERLAND, SR5 9HX, UNITED KINGDOM

STCW, MCA & SPECIALISED MARINE SHORT COURSES ECDIS: 9/3/15/, 23/3/15, 25/5/15, 1/6/15, 22/6/15, 29/6/15 HELM Management: 9/3/15, 30/3/15, 6/4/15, 27/4/15. 4/5/15, 18/5/15, 1/6/15, 15/5/15 Specialised Oil Tanker: 6/4/15, 18/5/15 Shipboard Security OfďŹ cer: 25/5/15

Safety OfďŹ cer: 02/03/15, 1/6/15 Designated Security Duties: 23/3/15, 11/5/13 ProďŹ ciency in Security Awareness: 24/3/15, 12/5/15 CPSCRB: 15/6/15, 22/6/15 EDH: 11/5/15

Contact: Alison Bryce 0141 565 2700 - Marine.Short.Courses@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk Other courses: BTMT, GMDSS, NAEST, BRM, PST, PSSR, LICOS, Advanced Ship Handling, Tanker Fam, Specialised Gas, Specialised Chemical, Freefall Lifeboat. For further Marine enquiries please contact Alison Bryce (as above).

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ENGINEERING COURSES

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Chief and Second Engineer Motor EK Sep 15, Jan 16, May 16 EOOW/IAMI Prep Sep 15, Feb 16, June 16 Contact: Engineering@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk For other Engineering enquiries please contact: Caroline Alderdice 0141 271 6545/6548 Caroline.Alderdice@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

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City of Glasgow College SC036198

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

Fleetwood - a top UK Nautical College with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

OFFSHORE BOSIET (3 days) - Every Mon and Wed from W/C 16 Feb | MIST (2 days) - Every Mon and Thurs from W/C 16 Feb | FOET (1 day) - Every Tues from W/C 17 Feb | EURO (3 days) - Every other week starting W/C 16 Feb | EURO REFRESHER (1 day) 9 Mar, 6 Apr | TEMPSC COXSWAIN (3.5 days 23 Mar, 20 April,18 May | TEMPSC COXSWAIN REFRESHER (1.5 days) 16 March, 20 April | GWO BASIC SAFETY PACKAGE (7 days) - W/C 9 Mar, 13 Apr, 11 May | MST (Renewable UK) (2 days) - W/C 12 Mar | RUK/GWO Working at Height (2days) – Regularly from Feb (see web) | NEBOSH General - W/C (13 days) 7 April | IOSH Managing Safely - on request | IOSH Working Safely - on request For more information E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore Facebook /FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations

MARITIME

OFFSHORE

TANKERS

Masters and &KLHI 2IŸFHUV required with Standby/ ERRV experience in rank and also holding at least XLI -873 1EWXIV ERH 'LMIJ 3J½GIV 'S' 9/ ')' required, GMDSS, ENG 1 medical or equivalent and EPP 78'; FEWMG GIVXM½GEXMSR 4SWWMFPI XIQTSVEV] or permanent positions with trips of 28 days.

Master VIUYMVIH JSV 02+ 8EROIVW 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR working 3-3.5 months with 26 days leave per month served. Master unlimited CoC, Gas DCE, GMDSS, ENG 1 QIHMGEP SV IUYMZEPIRX EPP 78'; FEWMG GIVXM½GEXMSR ERH 97 ' ( :MWE 02+ I\TIVMIRGI MW VIUYMVIH EW 1EWXIV

Chief/2nd Engineers required with Standby/ERRV experience in rank and also holding at least the ITSO. 'LMIJ ERH 7IGSRH )RKMRIIV 9/ ')' VIUYMVIH ENG 1 medical or equivalent and all STCW 95 basic GIVXM½GEXMSR 4SWWMFPI XIQTSVEV] SV TIVQERIRX positions with trips of 28 days.

CARGO 5HOLHI 0DVWHU &KLHI 2IÂźFHU to join Cargo vessel.

Working 4/2 weeks. Must have excellent ship LERHPMRK I\TIVMIRGI 1EWXIV 'S' 9/ ')' GMDSS, ENG 1 medical or equivalent, all STCW FEWMG GIVXM½GEXMSR

CRUISE

Chief Mates - W/C 27 Apr, 14 Sep | Officer of the Watch - W/C 4 May, 14 Sep | FD to Chief Mate W/C 2 March, 13 Apr | HND to Chief Mate - W/C 14 Sep (Deck), 4 Jan (Deck VTS Operational - W/C 30 Mar, 6 Jul | VTS Refresher - W/C 7 Apr, 21 Jul For more information E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

3rd Engineer required for Cruise Vessel, 4 months on/2 months off. Must have previous 'VYMWI 6S 4E\ I\TIVMIRGI 'S' 9/ 'I' VIUYMVIH )RKMRI 6SSQ ;EXGL VEXMRK GIVXM½GEXI )2+ QIHMGEP SV IUYMZEPIRX ERH EPP 78'; &EWMG GIVXM½GEXMSR 4IVQERIRX GSRXVEGX

-XQLRU &KLHI 2IŸFHU VIUYMVIH (4 7LYXXPI 8EROIVW 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR [SVOMRK QSRXLW [MXL HE]W PIEZI TIV QSRXL WIVZIH 'LMIJ 3J½GIV YRPMQMXIH 'S' 3MP (') *YPP (4 GIVXM½GEXI )2+ QIHMGEP SV IUYMZEPIRX EPP 78'; FEWMG GIVXM½GEXMSR ERH 97 ' ( :MWE 3MP 8EROIV SV (4 7LYXXPI I\TIVMIRGI VIUYMVIH 3rd Engineers required to join Oil Tankers.

OOW Engineer CoC and Oil DCE required.

Experience on Oil Tankers and experience as 3rd )RKMRIIV 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSRW 8VMTW EVI QSRXLW Gas Engineers required to join LNG Tankers.

OOW Engineer CoC and Gas DCE required.

LNG experience as Gas Engineer required.

4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSRW 8VMTW EVI QSRXLW Assistant 4th Engineers required for Worldwide 8EROIV *PIIX 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR QSRXL 8VMTW Tanker experience is not essential.

For all shore-based jobs, please visit:

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

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36-41_rec_16.2.indd 36

For Sea-going Jobs visit Clyde Marine Recruitment:

www.clyderecruit.com Glasgow +44 (0) 141 427 6886 Southampton +44 (0) 2380 223 546 Singapore +65 6299 4992

Gdynia +4858 665 3860 Riga +371 6733 1357

17/02/2015 16:42

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

APPOINTMENTS 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.

12 March 2015 is the closing date for April 2015.

You can still advertise online at anytime.

Where’s my Telegraph?

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you — particularly if you gave us a temporary address such as a hall of residence.

To advertise your vacancy contact Paul Wade on +44 20 7880 6212 or paul.wade@redactive.co.uk

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@nautilus int.org.

CV Professionals Maritime & oĎƒshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

ANGLIAN MARINE RECRUITMENT LTD Marine Placement Agency

Ongoing vacancies for all ofďŹ cers and ratings deep sea, coastal, st.by, supply, ahts, etc.

To register send cv and copies of all certiďŹ cates to: 6 Birch Court, Sprowston, Norwich NR7 8LJ Tel/Fax: 01603 478938 Email: malcolm@anglianmarine.co.uk www.anglianmarine.co.uk

“Balmoral�

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A traditional 750grt day excursion ship with a passenger certiďŹ cate for up to 700. Operating for the 2015 Summer season (May/June-September), mainly in the Bristol Channel and North-West and in 2016 for a longer season from various British coastal ports and piers. Now seeking applications for seasonal posts from motivated and suitably qualiďŹ ed crew who can demonstrate relevant experience for the following roles: • Master* • Chief Engineer • Second Engineer * Possibility of full-time employment

• Chief OfďŹ cer • Purser • Chief Steward (Catering Manager)

mvbalmoral.org.uk Applications with full CV must include earliest date for employment availability and state position applied for. Please post to: Stuart Bearne – MV Balmoral Fund Ltd, 79 Greenmeadow Drive, Penhow, Caldicot NP26 3AQ Or email: jobs@mvbalmoral.com (with CVs and for enquiries or more details).

%!$ -) %( 0 "" $* * (#) $ %$ !+%$)3 "%$ /!* $* )+ ( ( . "%&# $* %&&%(*-$!+ ) % $ %-* #%( $ *% &&"13 &" ) .!)!* %-( / )!* 4 '''+ " (! "+ ( # !" 1%-( *%4 , " ( % + Applications are invited from experienced, motivated and knowledgeable crew to work on coastal oil tankers operated by John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Limited At present we have vacancies for the following: Minimum Requirements Chief Engineers - CoC less than 3000kW (Motor), with Oil DCE 2nd Engineer - CoC less than 3000kW (Motor), with Oil DCE Contract Type - Permanent/Temporary Leave/Work - 4 Weeks on/4 Weeks Off Salaries - will be discussed at Interview stage Please forward all applications to: Mrs Elaine Wilson, Personnel OfďŹ cer, Crown Crewing (UK) Ltd, Payroll Bureau for Crown Crewing (Jersey) Ltd, Crown Dry Dock, Tower Street, HULL HU9 1TY Email: eb@whitaker-tankers.co.uk

36-41_rec_16.2.indd 37

17/02/2015 16:42

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

APPOINTMENTS

36-41_rec_16.2.indd 38

17/02/2015 16:42

March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists

Business Opportunity Marine & Engineering Consultants

We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:

A new Marine and Engineering Consultancy with innovaƟve ideas to revoluƟonise the business, are interested in hearing from Independent Marine and Engineering Consultants who are interested in becoming stakeholders in the company (a small investment is required).

This is a very exciƟng opportunity to join a forward thinking company based in the Aberdeen area servicing both the Oil & Gas Industry and Renewables.

For further informaƟon please contact marinesafety@bƟnternet.com

Your first port of call Address: First Floor Unit 7, Hythe Marine Park, Shore Road, Southampton, SO45 6HE UK Telephone: +44(0)23 8084 0374 Email: recruitment@seamariner.com

Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels All Of½cers and Crew - ERRV Tug Crew - All ranks Various offshore personnel - Drill ships, Jack-ups and Rigs All Crew for temporary assignments If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants.

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Fleet Manager

1st Engineer - Cruise - £42K

Contract Manager - Work Boat - £52K

Cyprus - Excellent Remuneration Pkg

2nd Engineer - Cruise - £42K

Chief Engineer - Dredger - £60K

2nd Engineer - Cruise - £38K

2nd Engineer - Work Boat - £47K

2nd Engineer - Cruise - £37K

Master - Dredger - £58K

North England - £65K

3rd Engineer - Cruise - £23K

Technical Super - Work Boat - £55K

Marine Superintendent

VW 2IƂFHU Cruise - £40K

Marine DPA - Work Boat - £55K

North England - £65K

Master - Ferry - $68K

Technical Superintendent

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Chief Engineer - Ferry - £55K

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Technical Manager Netherlands - Excellent Remuneration Pkg

Technical Superintendent

Technical Superintendent

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OFFSHORE

Offshore Technical Manager

&KLHI 2IƂFHU AHTS - €7.5K

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&KLHI 2IƂFHU '32 PSV - £350/day

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Chief Engineer - PSV - £315/day

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Master - PSV - £72K

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Crane Op. - Construction/ROV - €400/day

60+m Super Yacht - €7K/mth

Shore-based: +44 (0)23 8020 8840 shipping-uk@faststream.com

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820 seagoing-uk@faststream.com

60+m Super Yacht - €9K/mth

Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’ @faststreamsea www.faststream.com

Are you a highly motivated person?

Are you looking for a career with promotional possibilities?

Can you work as part of a team?

Advertising is quick and easy, contact Paul Wade on 020 7880 6212 now.

Are you experienced in offshore activities?

Are you computer literate?

Would you like to enjoy a one for one work/leave ratio?

Do you hold a UK CertiÀcate of Competence or Equivalent?

Sentinel Marine PTE Limited are recruiting seafarers who can answer yes to the above questions and who would like to be part of the increasing ¸eet operated by Sentinel Marine Ltd. With 8 new build Multi Role Offshore Support vessels and new build Platform Support Vessels delivering into the ¸eet in the coming months, interested applicants are requested to send their CV to the Human Resource department by either emailing hr@sentinel marine.com or applying online via our website http://sentinel marine.com/

C P Marine UK Ltd are specialists in worldwide ship and shore based marine recruitment.

We provide a professional, dedicated and quality personal service in connecting seafarers to shipping companies and also placements to shore based marine positions.

Temporary and permanent vacancies are available worldwide for: • Captains • Chief Engineers • Deck Officers • Driving Mates • DPO’s • Engineering Officers

• ETO’s • Crane Operators • Deck and Engine Room Ratings • Cooks • Offshore Personnel • Shore based Personnel

To register with us for all marine sectors, please send CV to: C P Marine UK Ltd, PO Box 314, Hull HU10 7WG United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1482 650279 Fax: +44 (0) 1482 671341 info@cpmarineuk.com www.cpmarineuk.com

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APPOINTMENTS

COLLEGE VACANCIES www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

In August 2015 we are moving into a new Riverside Maritime Campus. Our aim is to offer world class learning.

To enable us to facilitate this in our new home, we are looking to recruit to the following new and exciting roles:

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GMDSS and Revalidation Training Managers Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week (part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum Ship Simulator Managers Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week (part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum Engine Simulator Managers Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week (part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum Super Yacht Academy and Distance Learning Managers Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week (part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum Working Engine Room Managers Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week (part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum Marine Engineering Distance Learning Managers Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week (part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum Curriculum Head: Industry Academies Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week £42,820 - £47,151 per annum Lecturers - Marine Engineering and Maritime Full Time, Part Time and Bank opportunities available £27,876 - £35,963 per annum (pro rata as appropriate) Candidates holding TQFE will commence on £30,720 per annum

For a detailed post description and to apply for the above vacancy please visit the ‘work for us’ section on the College website at

www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk Successful applicants will be subject to a PVG Disclosure Check and must be eligible to work in the UK. Please note CVs will not be accepted.

Applications close no later than 1700hrs on Friday 20th March 2015.

Interviews will take place w/c 6th April 2015.

Scottish Charity number SC036198

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March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS www.windstarcruises.com

WELCOME TO THE OFFICE Join us in welcoming our newest stars to the fleet, having commenced with the Star Pride in 2014 and the two additional vessels in 2015.

Soon to be cruising alongside our current luxury sail assisted yachts, our fleet will travel worldwide taking our passengers to some of the most unique and exotic ports there are to be found.

With the fleet doubling in size, Windstar Cruises are currently looking for suitable candidates for the following positions: · Captains and other Deck Officers · Engineering Officers of all ranks

Benefits package includes · Competitive wages paid in GBP and USD · One for One Rotation for Staff Officers · Contributory Medical / Dental Insurance · Retirement Savings Plan / Pensions (subject to eligibility) · Annual & Return Bonuses (dependent on rank) · Company Sponsored Study Leave Programme · Officer Cadet Training · Excellent Spouse Policy

· Electricians, ETO’s & IT Officers · Hotel Officers, Guest & Destination Service Professionals

Prospective candidates need to complete our online candidate database via our website or email us at applicants@vikingrecruitment.com quoting reference WSC 03/15

Viking House, Beechwood Business Park, Menzies Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2FG T: +44 (0) 300 303 8191 vikingrecruitment.com

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ISO 9001

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SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MSN 1819 (M+F) – Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (2014 No. 3076) The purpose of this notice is to detail the technical aspects of the United Kingdom’s implementation of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

The new Statutory Instrument amends the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008/2924 (as amended) to take account of changes to the regime governing the sulphur content of marine fuels set out in Council Directive 2012/33/EU. These changes were necessary to reflect the amendments made to Annex VI of MARPOL in 2008.

MSN 1819 contains a list of schedules of which Schedule 3 concerns sulphur oxides. For ease, this MSN replaces Schedule 3 and includes the original sections 1-3 (SOx emission control areas, waste streams from exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS-SOx) and the requirement to record changeover of fuel before entry into a SECA) which remain the same as in the original MSN 1819. Sections 4-7 are additional and reflect the new requirements.

Appendices 5 (form of the UK air pollution prevention certificate) and 6 (marine fuel sulphur record book) have also been amended and are included in their entirety in this MSN. As background information, MSN 1819 explains that harmful pollutant emissions from ships are primarily regulated on a global basis by the International Maritime Organisation through Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

The original Annex VI of MARPOL established sulphur limits for marine fuels, which were incorporated into EU law through Directive 1999/32/EC. In October 2008, the IMO formally adopted the revised Annex VI, which includes the staged introduction of significantly stricter sulphur limits in fuel. As a result, Directive 1999/32/ EC required further amendment to reflect prevailing international standards. These amendments were agreed in late 2012 and formed Council Directive 2012/33/EU. MGN 473 (M+F) – Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health

and Safety at Work)(Employment of young persons) Regulations 1998: Implementation of EC Directive 94/33/EC The purpose of this note is to give information about the minimum age for working onboard UK fishing vessels and other vessels that are not regulated under the Maritime Labour Convention. It also addresses protection for those under the age of 18 who work onboard fishing vessels.

The key message is that those under the age of 18 years must not be assigned work which is likely to jeopardise their health and safety, unless they are fully qualified in the relevant skills or are working under supervision.

The employer is required to carry out a risk assessment under the General Duties regulations focusing particularly on the risks which might arise to young persons as a result of their inexperience, lack of awareness of risks and immaturity.

The regulations specify the following areas for attention: z the fitting out and layout of work areas z the nature, degree and duration of exposure to physical, biological and chemical agents z the form, range and use of work equipment and the way in which it is handled z the organisation of processes and activities z the extent of health and safety training provided or to be provided to the young persons concerned z the risks from agents, processes and work listed in the schedule to the regulations Employers are also required to inform young persons of any risks to their health and safety identified in these areas, and to ensure that young persons are not engaged in: z work which is objectively beyond their physical or psychological capacity z work involving harmful exposure to agents which are toxic, carcinogenic, cause heritable genetic damage or harm to the unborn child, or which in any other way chronically affect human health z work involving harmful exposure to radiation z work involving the risk of accidents which it may be assumed cannot be recognised or avoided by young persons owing to their insufficient attention to safety or lack of experience or training z work in which there is a risk to health from extreme cold or heat, noise, or vibration Exceptions are allowed to the above criteria where the activity in question is indispensable for vocational training and is performed

Member meetings and seminars 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:

under the supervision of a competent person.

Employers should note that there are specific regulations dealing with rest periods for young persons, but that the rules for merchant and fishing vessels are different (as explained in MGN 473).

MGN 510 (M+F) — Use of exhaust gas cleaning systems (prevention of air pollution from ships) This note provides guidance on the United Kingdom’s approach to compliance with regulations on the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2014. These regulations implement amendments to MARPOL Annex VI and the EU Directive on Sulphur Content in Marine Fuels.

Under this regime, ships using emission abatement methods shall continuously achieve reductions of sulphur dioxide emissions that are at least equivalent to the reductions that would be achieved by using marine fuels that meet the requirements of the regulations.

The UK would usually take enforcement action if the use of an EGCS did not result in the required sulphur reductions. However, some circumstances have been identified where the authorities may consider not taking action. The scenarios where this is most likely are as follows: z if an EGCS suffers from transitory non-compliance (for example due to engine load fluctuation) z possible non-compliance with the SOx emission limits during the running up and shutdown of the EGCS z accidental breakdown of the EGCS MGN 510 cannot provide absolute guidance on when the UK may take enforcement action, and ultimately it would be determined on a case by case basis against professional judgement by the surveyor or inspector.

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 2009 (ISBN 9780115530555) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be electronically subscribed to by emailing a request to mnotices@ecgroup.co.uk or downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices.

g Women’s Forum Saturday 7 March 2015 1000hrs to 1300hrs Jury’s Inn Hotel Charlotte Place Southampton SO14 0TB. The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing women in the industry and encourages female participation in Union activity.

Open to all female members.

Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

SINGAPORE Nautilus International 10a Braddell Hill #05-03 Singapore, 579720 Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 singapore@nautilusint.org

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638882 THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with dovaston C/Joan de Saridakis 2, Edificion Goya Local 1A, Marivent 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovaston.com

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing trainee officers in line with all

members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals’ Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information members should contact Paul Schroder at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g Professional & Technical Forum Wednesday 6 May 2015 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs at the FNV Bondgenoten, Pegasusweg 200, 3067 KX, Rotterdam.

The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification. The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB

Quiz answers 1. The world’s five largest shipowning countries are China, Germany, Greece, Japan and South Korea.

2. Containerships now account for 11.2% of the world merchant fleet in deadweight tonnage terms.

3. Oil tankers account for 28.5% of the world merchant fleet in deadweight tonnage terms.

4. There are presently 387 LNG tankers in the world fleet.

5. The United States had the world’s second largest merchant fleet in 1930 — with 3,635 ships of 13.6m gt.

6. Dutch shipbuilders delivered 77 seagoing vessels in 2013, compared with 95 in the previous year.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Lollies; 5. Retorts; 9. Raced; 10. Archetype; 11. Hereafter; 12. Delft; 13. Rotor; 15. Rusticate; 18. Side issue; 19. Lapel; 21. Music; 23. Pikestaff; 25. Orchestra; 26. Rishi; 27. Speaker; 28. Yule log.

Down: 1. Lurcher; 2. Lacerated; 3. India; 4. Star turns; 5. Ricer; 6. Treadmill; 7. Royal; 8. Sceptre; 14. Rain check; 16. Speakeasy; 17. Appraisal; 18. Summons; 20. Lifting; 22. Socle; 23. Peter; 24. Sorel.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Geoff Holmes, who has won the prize draw for the February cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from February Across: 1. Crisps; 4. Scabbard; 10. Chocolate; 11. Sepal; 12. Trident; 13. Soloist; 14. Inset; 15. Neap tide; 18. Deprived; 20. Nylon; 23. Abdomen; 25. Necktie; 26. Perón; 27. Geologist; 28. Shepherd; 29. Ascend.

Down: 1. Cocktail; 2. Ivories; 3. Protector; 5. Cheese and onion; 6. Basil; 7. Applied; 8. Dilate; 9. Salt and vinegar; 16. Tenacious; 17. Invested; 19. Endorse; 21. Lattice; 22. Campus; 24. Munch.

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 the King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers-uk.org 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.

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SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations

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

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Saturday 7 March 2015 1000 to 1300hrs Jury’s Inn, Southampton.

The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people in the shipping industry and on the issues that matter to them.

Open to all young members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Paul Schroder: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seamen’s 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)20 7643 1385 www.csv-rsvp.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-administered Slater Fund.

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March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Holger Schatz, national secretary, Swiss branch

g

Holger Schatz has been aware of union members working on the Swiss inland waterways and for Swiss-flagged ships for many years, thanks to his previous role working for Switzerland’s super-union, Unia.

‘I have known Nick Bramley [the previous national secretary and now international officer for Nautilus in Switzerland] for many years — dating back to when he was the head of the section when seafarers and boatmen were part of Unia,’ he explains.

‘I was responsible for construction workers and also worked on campaigns and communications. Nick and I worked in different sectors but he had told me about the plans for boatmen and seafarers to possibly leave Unia in the future, and I followed that with interest over the years

it took to come about.

‘Whilst I haven’t actually worked with boatmen or seafarers before, I was aware of the industry, and already had lots of contacts in Basel, even though I live in Germany,’ Holger adds. ‘Also, a lot of the issues that come up require the same negotiation and organising skills that I have needed before.’

Holger left Unia a few years ago using his old PHD in sociology to return to university and undertake some lecturing. When he realised that wasn’t for him — ‘too academic’ — he returned to working for trade unions and local organisations.

One of the main projects Holger worked on was a European Commission initiative to launch a multi-lingual website to help construction

workers in eastern Europe learn about the differences of the industry in different western — or receiving — countries of the EU. ‘I worked with EU trade unions to gather information on specific working conditions, health and safety legislation, wages and opportunities for work in each country,’ Holger explains.

‘This was then displayed in a clear table so that a Romanian or Ukrainian worker could go onto the site and read in their mother language about the construction industry in other countries, to help them make informed choices about where they might go to seek employment.’

Holger then took a year out to look after his new-born son Bauke, a responsibility he now shares with partner Jikkemien, as they both

work part time.

‘Germany has a very good social insurance scheme which allows either parent to take a year out to raise a family and receive 65% of your previous salary,’ he adds.

‘I also worked freelance as a journalist so I could keep my hand in. After the year was up we realised we needed a bit more money and I would have to go back to work, and it was good timing as the job was being advertised at Nautilus.

‘I now work part time, but we are very flexible. If I am very busy — like now when I am dealing with a lot of members from Viking River Cruises — I can do more days or swap days around with my partner. It helps me to have a really good work/life balance.’

Wherev er you are , so are we

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 £118,500, against the loss

42-43_info+join.indd 43

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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44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015

NEWS

Costa trial ‘obscured debate over safety’ has been obscured by the F court case which ended last month A crucial debate over safety

with a 16-year jail sentence for the master of the Italian cruiseship Costa Concordia, Nautilus has warned.

Captain Francesco Schettino was found guilty of multiple charges of manslaughter following a 19-month trial. He was also convicted of causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship after his vessel struck rocks and capsized off Giglio island in January 2012, with the loss of 32 lives.

Capt Schettino was sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter, five years for causing a shipwreck, and one year for abandoning ship before all 4,229 passengers and crew had been rescued. He had denied the charges and said he had been made a scapegoat for the incident.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This case may satisfy those with a blood lust, but the outcome deflects from

the real issues and has obscured a much-needed debate about the design, construction and operation of large passengerships.

‘There has been an absence of meaningful action to improve safety in response to the Costa Concordia accident, and this trial has simply served as a distraction from the important underlying issues,’ he added.

Prosecutors had called for a 26-year sentence to be imposed on the Costa master, arguing that there had been ‘a tsunami’ of evidence against him. Prosecutor Alessandro Leopizzi argued that there would have been time for everyone to survive had Capt Schettino quickly ordered evacuation after the ship started taking on water. Instead, he added, it was ‘every man for himself’.

Co-prosecutor Stefano Pizza described the master’s conduct as ‘reprehensible’ and said Capt Schettino had acted like a ‘reckless

idiot’ on the night of the accident. ‘All this time he has wanted to dump his responsibilities on others,’ he added.

But in a final plea to the court, Capt Schettino asked for leniency and spoke of the ‘meat-shredding media frenzy’ he had faced since the disaster. ‘My head was sacrificed to save economic interests,’ he complained.

Capt Schettino’s defence team argued that equipment problems had complicated evacuation efforts, and that the master had sought to keep people in safety onboard as he steered the stricken ship closer to port. The master is appealing against the convictions.

Capt Schettino is the only person to face jail as a result of the disaster. Costa Cruises paid a €1m fine to avoid a trial, and five other staff — including the designated person ashore and the chief officer — avoided court under a plea bargaining agreement.

Captain Francesco Schettino makes his final plea to the court Picture: Max Rossi/Reuters

Brussels call for ‘just culture’ in shipping Maritime sector must adopt aviation’s ‘no-blame’ reporting scheme, Nautilus tells European Commission seminar

P

Shipping needs to follow aviation with a ‘just culture’ in which staff are encouraged to make ‘no blame’ reports of accidents and incidents to ensure that safety lessons are learned, Nautilus told a conference in Brussels last month.

Senior national secretary Allan Graveson was one of the speakers at a seminar on the ‘just culture’ concept, organised by the European Commission’s directorate for mobility and transport and attended by maritime and aviation safety experts from a wide range of organisations and national accident investigation bodies.

Opening the event, Christine Berg — head of the Commission’s maritime safety unit — suggested that improved occurrence reporting could play a critical role in enhancing maritime safety and that promotion of a just culture had been a key element in aviation.

While there is presently no EU-wide occurrence reporting system for near-misses in maritime

transport, some member states do have one — and their experience could help to show whether such schemes do contribute to proactive identification of safety risks, she added.

Mr Graveson told the meeting that shipping is resistant to change and lagged behind aviation in adopting safety measures. ‘It is understandable that maritime professionals are cynical of the just culture concept, given the fractured and sometimes casual nature of the labour market and the structure of ownership in the industry,’ he added.

Shipping accidents are rarely investigated promptly and sometimes never at all, Mr Graveson pointed out. ‘Our ability to collect safety data is minimal and, where it does exist, it is not shared widely and is therefore of questionable use.’

At the same time, he added, ‘the threat of prosecution — like the sword of Damocles — hangs over the heads of maritime professionals, and none more so than the master’.

In the UK, it had taken more than a decade to establish a maritime confidential human incident reporting programme (CHIRP) following the success of the aviation scheme, Mr Graveson said. The failure by the industry to provide financial support to the programme demonstrated the need for a properlyfunded mandatory system, he argued.

Benoît Loicq, of the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA), said it was clear that promoting a ‘voluntary near-miss mindset is valuable’ — but he argued that systems should primarily be adopted at shipping company level.

Delphine Micheaux Naudet, from the European Commission’s aviation safety unit, said there could be no safety improvements without information, and the continued availability of information largely depends on reporting by frontline professionals. The just culture, defined in EU aviation law, encourages reporting of safety-related information by protecting individuals who have made mistakes

—but it does not shield them from the consequences of gross negligence or wilful violations.

Captain John Rose, director of the UK maritime CHIRP, explained the challenge to convince people to submit reports, and that their reports will make a difference. But, he cautioned, there are also challenges with the just culture concept — not least the way in which it focuses on individuals, causal factors rather than root causes, and how it can allow managements to hide their own shortcomings.

Daniel Hellström, from the Swedish Transport Agency, said lessons from the aviation sector included the need for confidentiality and protection of those reporting near-misses, simplified reporting forms, and having good systems for using the information and taking appropriate action.

He suggested that reporting requirements should be extended further than the shipowner and the master, to cover such personnel as pilots and VTS operators.

Training courses for the maritime and offshore industries

Merchant Navy Operations (Deck) Certificate of Competency Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) Jan, May & Sept intakes Chief Mate/Masters (Unlimited) May Jan &&Sep Septintakes intakes Master Mariner (Unlimited) Orals Prep Mar & Oct intakes Shipboard Safety Officer Master Mariner (200Gt) Orals Prep (2 weeks) Shipboard Security Officer STCW Safety 5 day STCW Basic Safety Training Personal Survival Techniques Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities Elementary First Aid Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Advanced Fire Fighting Efficient Deck Hand Man Over Board / Rib Capsize Drills IMDG awareness

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Navigation NAEST (O) & (M) ECDIS generic and type specific Medical and First Aid Bridge Team Management Medical First Aid Onboard Ship Pre ARPA and ARPA Medical Care Onboard Ship (and Refresher) SVNR HSE Offshore First Aid (and Refresher) Tanker HSE First Aid at Work (and Refresher) Tanker Familiarisation HSE Emergency First Aid at Work Specialist Tanker Training (Oil) Radio Dynamic Positioning GMDSS GOC/ROC/LRC/CAA DP Induction VHF Short Range Certificate DP Simulator DP Introduction

Offshore Oil & Gas OIM Management of Major Emergencies CRO Controlling Emergencies Command & Control for ERRVs Masters & Mates Oil Spill Crisis Management (OPRC) COMPEX EX01 to EX04 Offshore Wind 5 day Wind Energy Safety Training Working at Height & Rescue (RUK) Advanced Rescue Climbing Awareness Marine Transfer Confined Space Entry & Rescue

Facilities for Hire Environmental Pool (wave, wind, rain) Marine Transfer Ladder Full Mission Ship’s Bridge Simulator Dynamic Positioning Simulator Offshore Control Room Simulator

Lowestoft College, St Peters Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 2NB United Kingdom

Tel:

00 44 1502 525025

Email: maritime@lowestoft.ac.uk Web: www.lowestoft.ac.uk/maritime.asp

Accredited by

18/02/2015 17:15