Telegraph May 2014

Mission impossible?

How the Derbyshire wreck was located 20 years ago 24-25

Parental support Union launches a seafarer’s guide to parental rights 27

NL nieuws Twee pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 34-35

Volume 47 | Number 05 | May 2014 | £3.50 €3.70

A royal opening for welfare centre’s new ‘jewel in the crown’ pictured right as she officially F opened the new Trinity House Hub HRH The Princess Royal is

at Nautilus International’s Mariners’ Park welfare complex in Wallasey last month.

The £4.1m Hub — part-funded by Trinity House to celebrate its 500th anniversary — includes a cafe, spa, gym, and rooms for meetings and hobbies, and will be available for use by the large retired seafaring community in Merseyside as well as Mariners’ Park residents.

The building also contains 18 fullyaccessible apartments for former seafarers and their dependants, with many boasting spectacular views across the River Mersey.

In a two-hour visit, Princess Anne — who is Master of Trinity House — was greeted by Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson and shown around the Hub by senior policy advisor Peter McEwen.

It was the Princess Royal’s second visit to Mariners’ Park, following her official opening of a new care home at the 15-acre estate in 2002. She paid tribute to Nautilus Welfare Fund trustees for their ‘extraordinary’ work to provide high standard care for retired seafarers before unveiling a plaque and signing the visitors’ book to mark the occasion. g Full reports and pictures — pages 21-23.

Picture: Colin McPherson

Call for action over ‘unsafe’ manning Investigation report recommends radical overhaul of regulations to combat seafarer fatigue

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Nautilus has welcomed a call from the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) for radical European action to address the risks of seafarer fatigue.

In a report on its investigation into the grounding of the general cargoship Danio off the Farne Islands in March 2013, the MAIB warns that ‘the continued use of the six hours on/six hours off watch pattern can no longer be considered safe’.

And it also states that ‘until significant changes can be achieved to the workloads placed on watchkeeping officers, it can no longer be considered safe to permit such vessels to operate with only two bridge watchkeepers’.

The report argues that there is an urgent need to re-evaluate the minimum safe manning permitted on ships operating in shortsea trades.

It calls for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to work

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On the rocks: Danio aground off the Farne Islands last year Picture: MCA

closely with the European Commission and EU member states to develop a proposal to the International Maritime Organisation that all vessels engaged in shortsea trades should be required to carry a minimum of two watchkeepers in addition to the master.

The MAIB found that the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged Danio had grounded after the chief officer fell asleep while on watch. He had been serving on the ship for three months, working a six-on/ six-off watch pattern, in addition to supervising cargo work opera-

tions in port.

The 1,499gt ship had made 10 port calls in the six weeks before the accident and the MAIB concludes that the chief officer had been suffering from cumulative fatigue after having his circadian rhythm regularly disrupted.

Investigators revealed the work and rest records onboard Danio were inaccurate. A port state control inspection in the UK in 2009 had shown that hours records were being falsified, the report notes, but very little had been done to address the problem of crew working excessive hours.

Commenting on the findings, chief inspector Steve Clinch pointed out that the MAIB had proposed improvements to minimum safe manning levels for ships following its 2004 bridge watchkeeping safety study.

‘Ten years on, the situation remains unchanged, and since the study, the MAIB has recorded a further nine groundings of vessels operating with just two watchkeepers,’ he added. ‘Investigation of these accidents shows that the mandated safety barriers, intended to limit the effects of cumulative fatigue that are endemic in this sector of the industry, are not working.’

Mr Clinch said the MAIB wanted the UK to seek international consensus to solve the problem of fatigue. ‘If we do not ensure that vessels operating in and around our waters are adequately manned to enable safe navigation, then it is only a matter of time before we suffer a

major accident involving loss of life or serious pollution or both,’ he warned.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson welcomed the MAIB’s recommendation. ‘We are painfully aware of the health and safety problems posed by fatigue and it is essential that the MAIB’s findings are acted on,’ he added.

‘We will be doing all we can to ensure that the UK and the rest of Europe picks up the proposals and secures the long-overdue action at the IMO.’ The ship’s German operators, Cuxship Management, were fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £12,796 prosecution costs after pleading guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to meet the requirements of the safety management system. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the penalty was not a sufficient deterrent to run ships in such a way.

Inside F MCA warning

Union sounds alarm over future of UK’s maritime agency — page 44 F Commons call

All-party report urges government to do more for UK shipping — page 19 F MLC milestone

Industry welcomes first updates to the seafarers’ bill of rights — page 3 F Guiding hands

Shipping minister backs mentoring scheme for young officers — page 20 F The write stuff

Author who aims to put shipping onto the bestseller lists — page 31

16/04/2014 16:07

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Young members call for support in securing first job as officer transition from being a cadet A to getting the first job as an officer

Nautilus+ can save you lots…

The problem in making the

was one of the main topics at last month’s Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals’ Forum in Southampton, pictured right.

Martyn Gray, who was re-elected as chair of the Forum at the start of the meeting, said many cadets were caught in a gap after completing their studies as they were unable to get help from colleges or from employers.

‘A lot of people struggle to get their first job when they qualify, as they have their ticket but no experience,’ said Edward Waterhouse. ‘You have to send out a lot of CVs and you get a job eventually, but it would be good to have a bit of support from the Union during that phase.’

‘It’s in the Union’s best interest for young members to find employment as they will then go on to be full members of the Union,’ added Martyn.

One of the suggestions raised was for members to have access to a CV checking service and advice from experienced industry personnel on what they look for when recruiting staff.

‘Mentoring is also a fantastic idea,’ added Matthew Parker. ‘It’s often not

F

just your CV that gets you into a job — it’s knowing someone else who works there. They can tell you when jobs come up and can tell other people that you would be a good option.’

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Lee Moon said the Forum had a strong role to play in peer-to-peer mentoring, giving an opportunity for young people with some work experience to meet cadets and share

their experiences of being new in the industry.

It was suggested that recruitment agencies and employers could be invited to future meetings to talk about applying for jobs in the maritime industry and this idea will be progressed by industrial organiser Paul Schroder, who acts as the secretary for the Forum.

The meeting elected cadet Louis

Ramsden as vice chair and discussed where to hold future meetings and how to engage with Dutch colleagues — including the possibility of an exchange trip with some young Dutch members to discuss similarities in training and issues for young members across the Union.

The next Forum meeting is expected to take place on Saturday 7 June 2014 in Newcastle.

Ballast rules ‘could criminalise crews’ Members warn as IMO seeks to speed up introduction of new convention

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Nautilus Council members have echoed shipping industry worries about the problems posed by the imminent introduction of the international Ballast Water Management Convention.

So far, 38 countries accounting for just over 30% of the global merchant fleet have ratified the 2004 convention and International Maritime Organisation leader Koji Sekimizu last month expressed concern at the ‘disappointingly slow’ rate of progress towards the 35% figure needed for the measures to take effect.

‘We have an ever-growing number of type-approved ballast water management systems now available, including for ships

with high capacity and high flow rate, and these are being fitted in increasing numbers,’ he told delegates at the IMO’s marine environment protect committee.

But industry bodies including the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, Intercargo, Intertanko, and the World Shipping Council have warned of ‘serious implementation problems’ — including a lack of a robust type approval procedure for new BWM systems, the lack of a ‘grandfathering’ mechanism for existing type approved equipment, so that early adopters would not be penalised; and the absence of a definitive set of guidelines for port state control inspections.

Nautilus senior national sec-

retary Allan Graveson told last month’s meeting of the Union’s professional and technical committee that the equipment is not being fitted at the rate required and issues such as increased workloads and potential health hazards for seafarers have not been adequately addressed.

The effectiveness of some systems is being questioned, Mr Graveon explained. ‘There is also the worry of the potential criminalisation of masters and officers without clear and precise guidance and if sampling is not done properly,’ he added.

Political pressure for the convention to be brought in as soon as possible is increasing, he stressed, with many countries complain-

ing about the serious economic and environmental damage that is being caused by invasive species brought in by ballast water.

Assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek said he feared it would be impossible for the industry to comply with the convention requirements.

‘There are still so many problems to be resolved and very few seafarers have experience of working with the equipment,’ he pointed out.

Owners have warned that a tougher type approval process is required to ensure confidence that the systems will work and meet standards for killing unwanted marine micro-organisms.

Nautilus Plus is a portfolio containing a wide range of money-saving discounts on services that are designed to support members both personally and professionally. This month’s highlights include: z Merlin — top UK attractions Treat yourself, friends or family to a fantastic day out with great savings from Merlin Entertainment.

Discounts are available on popular attractions such as Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, The London Dungeons, Legoland and many more*. To book attraction tickets, call 0871 222 4001 and quote REWARDS. z SuperBreak — short breaks With 30 years of travel experience, SuperBreak has a reputation for providing excellent quality and customer service. Whether it’s a London theatre break, a concert and event break, a Eurostar trip or a flight and hotel break, SuperBreak has the selection you want at a price you can afford. You can also add rail travel, sightseeing and much more to your booking.

Both ATOL and ABTA bonded for peace of mind, with no credit card or booking fees, SuperBreak is a reliable brand trusted by travel agents and customers*. Call Superbreak on 0871 222 3011 and quote NTUPH+ Alternatively, to view all of the benefits available, log-in to Nautilus Plus via www.nautilusint.org. z *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details.

Offers subject to change without notice. Merlin — saving based on individual walk-up admission price. The offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, is subject to availability and tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance of visit. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus

by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Skinflints on STCW ‘should be named’ shame’ skinflint employers A who refuse to cover the costs of their Nautilus should ‘name and

seafarers undergoing new training courses required by STCW Convention amendments, the professional and technical committee heard last month.

Council member Jim Stone said he was concerned that some penny-pinching firms were leaving officers to pay for their own revalidation and refresher courses and he urged Nautilus to put pressure on such employers to meet their responsibilities.

‘If they are able to get away with it, the rot is there at the bottom and it will go all the way to the top of the tree,’ he warned. ‘We need to stop this before it gets out of hand.’

Assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek said the matter is one of concern and the issues will be taken up by the Union’s industrial department.

Derbyshire donation have agreed to make a £1,000 A donation to an appeal for funds to Nautilus Council members

build a permanent memorial to the 44 people who died when the Britishflagged bulk carrier Derbyshire sank in 1980.

Relatives of those who died when the ship was lost during a typhoon in the South China Sea are aiming to raise up to £40,000 to build the tribute, which will list the names of all those lost, near to the existing MN memorial at Liverpool Pier Head.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson — who was instrumental in launching a mission to locate the wreck of the ship 20 years ago — told Council members: ‘This is a cause that is very close to our heart.’ gThe hunt for the Derbyshire — pages 24-25.

Concerns raised over boxship safety

Paul’s first marathon is a winner for Seafarers UK

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Paul Schroder is pictured on C his way to the finishing line at last

Nautilus Council members have raised concerns over a range of issues affecting the safety of containerships.

Last month’s professional and technical committee meeting heard that detailed research is underway to examine why the five-year-old vessel MOL Comfort broke apart and sank in the Indian Ocean last June.

Senior national secretary Allan Graveson said sisterships had been recalled for additional hull strengthening and issues such as reduced scantlings, the use of high tensile steel and the quality of welds are among the factors being

02-03_at work.indd 2

examined by the probe.

He said members have also spoken to the Union about concerns such as the non-declaration of dangerous goods, poor container stuffing, overweight boxes and problems with securing and fumigation.

‘The loss of MOL Comfort is the largest containership loss to date and it has shaken the industry,’ Mr Graveson added. ‘As with other ship types, it would appear that that are serious questions concerning rules of construction and the role of classification societies.’

Council member Mike Lloyd said ships often

got the blame for accidents, but ports are often responsible and they could do much more to ensure that containers are correctly weighed before loading.

He said it was wrong that there is no reduction in the stability calculations for ships despite the evidence showing how steel deteriorates. ‘A 25-year-old ship with a 25% loss of steel can be loading as if it is brand new,’ he pointed out.

National secretary Nick Bramley said the problems also affect members serving in the inland navigation sector — most notably with the stability of barges.

Nautilus industrial organiser

month’s London Marathon.

Running to raise funds for the Seafarers UK charity, Paul completed the course in four hours, 23 minutes and 29 seconds.

‘I was proud to finish the marathon in under four and half hours on my first ever go at the gruelling 26.2 miles,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘It was a really hot day,

but I did it and I am so pleased to complete such an amazing achievement. I would like to thank Seafarers UK and Nautilus International for helping make it happen.

‘Thanks so much for all the support and sponsorship from all — I could not have done it without everyone backing me all the way to the finish line, every step of the way.’

Picture: Olu Tunde

16/04/2014 18:44

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Detained ship of shame shows why more action is essential

shortreports REFUGE WARNING: Asian governments are being urged to act on their refuge obligations, following reports that the product tanker Maritime Maisie is still adrift in a critical condition three months after a devastating fire. The Asian Shipowners Forum called on states in the region to adopt the IMO Place of Refuge Guidelines and MAS Guidelines, pointing out that ‘the longer a damaged ship is forced to remain at the mercy of the weather, the greater the risk of the ship breaking up and releasing its cargo and bunkers into the ocean.’

FEELING GOOD: confidence levels in the shipping industry are at their highest point for six years, according to the figures from the Moore Stephens consultancy.

In the latest Shipping Confidence survey, the average confidence level expressed by respondents in February 2014 was 6.5 on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) — up from 6.1 in the previous quarter and approaching the 6.8 recorded in the first survey in 2008. The analysts also commented that they expected to see the tonnage supply/demand imbalance corrected in the fourth quarter of 2014.

exploited seafarers has been highlighted in a A series of recent cases involving substandard ships The need for further action to protect

detained in UK ports.

One of the vessels involved is the Panamaflagged general cargoship Munzur, above, which was detained in Fowey with 14 health and safety deficiencies, including missing navigation charts and voyage passage plans, corroded pipework, defects with life-saving and fire-fighting systems, and dirty accommodation.

ITF inspector Darren Procter described the

state of the Turkish-owned ship as shocking. ‘The living conditions are totally unacceptable, with no hot water, poor sanitary system, a communal shower area which is basically a plumbed pipe with no shower head, non-functioning washing machine, deck heads hanging down in the cabin and a freezer of uncovered meat in the AB’s cabin,’ he said.

‘Outside of the living conditions, the picture gets worse with the salary below ILO minimum for 10 of the crew. An AB onboard is earning $400 per month inclusive of overtime and leave.’

Mr Procter said many of the conditions in the contracts of employment were ‘a real eye-opener — with financial penalties imposed for a number of situations, and yet the crew have wages outstanding as we speak’.

Some of the seafarers were owed two to three months’ wages and Mr Procter said there was evidence to suggest that several crew members had paid for their position onboard.

The ship had an MLC certificate, issued by the Global Shipping Bureau.

Picture: Darren Procter

‘Safety net’ for stranded crew First MLC amendments introduce important new safeguards for seafarers

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Nautilus has welcomed a milestone agreement on the first set of amendments to the international Maritime Labour Convention — including a new ‘safety net’ to protect abandoned seafarers.

More than 300 government, shipowner and union delegates — including Nautilus officials — met in Geneva for a week last month to discuss a financial security system that will provide stranded seafarers with owed wages, repatriation and other reasonable costs until they arrive home.

The agreement will also ensure proper compensation is paid for death and personal injury.

There were 8,890 votes in favour of the financial security proposal, none against, and 143 abstentions. The amendments will now go for approval at the International Labour Conference in May. ‘The agreement on the MLC amendments is excellent news and we urge all those who have ratified the convention to accept

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the changes to underpin financial security for seafarers and end the misery of abandonment,’ said Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘And the next step is to look to Europe to adopt the changes by way of a directive.’

Dave Heindel, chairman of the International Transport Workers’ Federation seafarers’ section said the decision had taken the MLC to a new level. ‘We have always known that abandonment would be the priority for this stage two of the MLC, but to see that problem so widely recognised and marked for action has been inspiring,’ he added.

Guy Ryder, secretary-general of the International Labour Organisation, said the agreement was very significant. ‘When they come into force, these measures will ensure the welfare of the world’s seafarers and their families if the seafarers are abandoned, or if death or long-term disability occurs as the result of occupational injury, illness or hazard,’ he explained.

‘These steps will certainly help

improve working and living conditions for seafarers, doing what is right for the women and men in this sector who play a central role in keeping the real economy going with some 90% of world trade carried on ships.’

Under the new provisions, ships will be required to carry certificates or other documents to establish that financial security exists to protect seafarers working onboard. Failure to provide this protection may mean that a ship can be detained in a port.

Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, director of the ILO’s labour standards department said the measures would help to create a level playing field for quality shipping.

‘They will guarantee that seafarers are not abandoned, alone and legally adrift for months on end, without pay, adequate food and water and away from home,’ she pointed out.

‘They also clearly make flag states responsible for ensuring that adequate financial security exists to cover the cost of abandonment, and claims for death

and long-term disability due to occupational injury and hazards.’

Arthur Bowring, who led the shipowner group in the discussions, described the agreement as a watershed. ‘Shipowners have a responsibility for seafarers under their contractual employment arrangements, and the problems created when the seafarers are abandoned needed specific legislative measures,’ he explained.

‘The new amendments not only provide that safeguard but also recognise the role to be played by flag states and labour supply states.’

As of March 2014, the ILO database lists 159 abandoned merchant ships — some dating back to 2006 with abandonment cases still unresolved.

The Mission to Seafarers maintains that there is significant under-reporting of the problem, but says the new provisions should enable quicker repatriation and may reduce the number of abandonments because of the financial security that will have to be put in place.

PASSENGERSHIP PERILS: findings are in from the Paris MoU’s Harmonised Verification Programme, a year-long study to determine how well passengerships are prepared for emergencies. After 232 inspections, 130 HAVEP-related deficiencies were recorded and two ships were detained. ‘The results of the HAVEP indicate that masters and operators must pay attention to carrying out regular realistic fire and abandon ship drills,’ said Paris MoU task force leader Patrick Dolby.

FERRY DISASTER: a major search and rescue operation was launched last month after a ro-pax ferry carrying more than 450 passengers sank off the coast of South Korea. Initial reports confirmed that four people had died and suggested that as many as 280 others were missing. It was unclear what caused the 6,586gt Sewol to capsize, but several survivors reported experiencing what felt like an impact before the 20-year-old vessel began to list.

SUICIDE FEAR: an inquest heard last month that the master of the Russian cargoship Baltiskiy 109 may have hanged himself in the UK port of Sharpness in January because he was worried about a return voyage in ‘horrendous’ conditions. But the Gloucestershire coroner found that Capt Alexandera Budishchev’s intentions were unclear, and recorded an open verdict.

VDR BACKING: The European Maritime Pilots’ Association has thrown its weight behind the use of voyage data recorders onboard ship. At a 28 March seminar, the 5,000-strong pilots’ body adopted a resolution encouraging the use of VDR, but cautioned that privacy protection must be taken into account at all times.

THAMES TREBLES: The Port of London Authority has reported a three-fold increase on the amount of freight moved through the UK capital in the last four years. The majority of the increase was due to an extra 1.8m tonnes being transported from construction projects, particularly the Crossrail scheme.

GREEN GAIN: The Isle of Man Ship Registry has started offering discounts to shipowners who adopt energy-efficient ship designs. Since 1 April this year, qualifying vessels have attracted a 25% discount from the cost of a new Certificate of Registry, and a 10% reduction in the annual registration fee.

HYBRID SUCCESS Following trials on two CMAL ferries in the Scottish islands, Imtech Marine has reported fuel savings of 38% on its new hybrid diesel electric/battery propulsion system — up from the expected 20%.

VROON EXPANDS: Dutch shipping group Vroon has acquired Genoa-based tanker operator Petrolmar.

The Italian company operates three small oil tankers and two asphalt and bitumen tankers.

16/04/2014 19:42

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports SMIT MEETING: industrial organiser Paul Schroder was due to meet with Smit International on 24 April to discuss members’ pay and conditions claim.

The claim included an increase above inflation, an extra week’s leave for all positions or at least the period between Christmas and New Year, an increase in mileage allowance and a substantial increase to the ‘Out of Areas’ allowance to compensate for increased working away from home.

SEATRUCK VISITS: industrial organiser Gary Leech is planning a number of ship visits over the next few months to meet members employed by Seatruck Ferries. The purpose of the visits is to gauge members opinions on the company’s proposal to reduce the electrical officers cover and began last month with a visit to Clipper Pennant. Members will be informed by bulletin about where and when the visits are due to take place.

NERC WORK: members employed by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and serving onboard ships operated by British Antarctic Survey and NOCS — NMFSS are being asked for their views on the contents of this year’s pay and conditions claim ahead of the 1 July review date.

CEMEX ACCEPTANCE: members employed by Cemex UK Marine have voted to accept the company’s pay and conditions offer. The offer included a 2% increase to all employees with an additional 2.46% increase for 3rd engineers and OOWs. SCOTLAND ASPIRATIONS: members serving with Marine Scotland Compliance are being asked for details of any increases in workload and responsibilities, as well as pay aspirations, ahead of the pay and conditions review.

SERCO PAY: members employed by Serco Ferries Crewing are being asked for their pay and conditions aspirations ahead of the 1 October review date.

Aspirations should be sent to kjones@nautilusint.org as soon as possible.

BRIGGS MEETING: industrial organiser Garry Leech is currently awaiting a formal response to a pay and conditions meeting on behalf of members employed

by Briggs Marine and serving onboard Environmental Agency vessels.

CALMAC ASPIRATIONS: members employed

by Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing have been asked to give the Union their views on the contents of this year’s pay and conditions claim ahead of the 1 October review date.

BW INCREASE: following a consultation, the Union has accepted an offer of a 2.25% increase in pay on behalf of members employed by BW Fleet Management.

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MN pensions firm changes hands (EPA) — formerly the Merchant F Navy Pensions Administration

Ensign Pensions Administration

(MNPA) — has been acquired by one of the UK’s leading employee benefit providers, subject to regulatory approval.

Ensign — which began life more than 75 years ago as the in-house management and administration team for the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund (MNOPF) — is being taken over by JLT Employee Benefits (JLT EB), which offers a wide range of benefit and pension services, including administration, actuarial and pension consultancy, investment, and healthcare.

The MNOPF — whose members are still looked after by Ensign Pensions Group — began offering third party services in 1986 and since then its third party administration business, under its previous name of MNPA, has grown to become an award-winning administrator for 45 UK schemes with approximately 375,000 members.

Ensign employs over 250 staff in Birmingham and Leatherhead. These offices will be incorporated into JLT EB’s existing network of offices.

Commenting on the acquisition, JLT EB CEO Mark Wood said: ‘Ensign has a strong reputation for customer

service and an impressive list of clients.

Following this transaction JLT’s wide range of services becomes available to Ensign clients. The combined business will be particularly strong in the bulk purchase annuity market, where JLT is the clear market leader.’

MNOPF chief executive Andrew Waring added: ‘In view of the imminent winding-up of the Fund’s Old Section and the New Section targeting full funding in around 10 years’ time, the Trustee of the MNOPF reviewed its continued ownership of EPA and concluded that the time was right for the business to be acquired by a strong third party. The Fund was impressed with JLT’s vision and ambition for the future and is confident that with the acquisition of EPA, JLT is the right partner to continue to deliver high quality member services both to the MNOPF and other EPA clients.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This transaction makes sense for members as it ensures that Ensign will continue to provide administrative support to both Sections of the MNOPF. This is particularly helpful given the new arrangements for the Old Section, where Ensign will be consolidating payments to members from the insurers and the New Section.’

Members employed onboard vessels managed by Intrada are being consulted on the company’s pay and conditions offer. Industrial organiser Lisa Carr met with company representatives Roy Brooks and Mike Rudd (pictured above) to discuss members’ pay aspirations and believes that the offer of a 3% increase is the best that can be achieved through negotiation. Members have until Friday 2 May to accept or reject the offer.

Nautilus industrial organiser Paul Schroder is pictured with Ruaridh McAulay and Captain Terence Byrne during a visit to the CEFAS Endeavour in Lowestoft following pay discussions last month. The Union has opened talks with management and is awaiting a response from the company.

Concerns over Scottish policy Nautilus says answers are needed on critical questions

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Critical questions about the way an independent Scotland would implement policies for shipping and seafarer training and employment need to be answered urgently, Nautilus warned the Scottish TUC last month.

National ferry organiser Micky Smyth proposed a motion, which was unanimously supported by delegates, expressing concern about the lack of detail in the government’s independence proposals.

He said that there were few industries more important to Scottish society and economy than shipping.

‘Scotland has a long and proud history of seafaring and the maritime sector provides jobs for some 41,000 people in the country,’ he pointed out.

‘Wherever you stand on Scottish independence, if you have shipping on your radar screen you will have a cause for concern.

Despite the Scottish government’s white paper recognising the significance of shipping with the aim of setting up a Scottish ship registry, it’s vital that there are safeguards to prevent this from becoming yet another flag of convenience.’

He called on the Scottish government provide assurances on who will crew ships on the register

Micky Smyth speaks at Scottish TUC last month Picture: Louis Flood

and what standards would govern their working conditions.

‘There is a genuine fear that this could become yet another haven for unscrupulous shipowners exploiting loopholes in the global regulatory regime,’ he added.

Mr Smyth explained to the congress that too many questions remained unanswered. ‘How will Scotland deliver global Maritime Labour Convention standards to protect seafarers’ rights? Will foreign seafarers working in Scottish waters get the protection of the national minimum wage, or be covered by work permit requirements?

‘We have been asking but no

one seems to have the answers.’

He added that the Sottish government’s white paper was ‘worryingly silent’ on whether measures such as support for maritime training, seafarer tax and national insurance concessions will be put in place in an independent Scotland.

‘The white paper is also disturbingly vague on the ways in which safety standards will be applied and enforced on Scottish ships and foreign ships visiting Scottish ports’ he added.

‘We can’t afford to gamble with the future of an industry that is so important to Scotland and it is essential that we have answers now.’

Praise for Orkney solidarity tribute to the solidarity of F members serving with Orkney Ferries Nautilus Council has paid

during their year-long pay dispute.

Orkney Ferries members had been taking industrial action, involving working to their contracts, since March last year after management refused to withdraw a line in the pay offer stating that the financial impact of a 2% increase would be taken into account in this year’s negotiations.

The dispute ended in March this year when members voted to accept a 1% pay offer for 2014/15, in addition to the outstanding 2012/13 and 2013/14 offers.

Nautilus senior national secretary Ronnie Cunningham told Council members that the dispute was probably the longest in the Union’s history and members had demonstrated determination and steadfastness throughout.

Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens commented: ‘This is a good example of members showing that their commitment and their will not to give in resulted in an improved offer.

They should be congratulated for their strength in holding out for so long.’

The meeting agreed to request the general secretary to write to the members to thank them for their resolute and united action.

Western welcome Gary Leech has welcomed the F arrival of two new Western Ferries Nautilus industrial organiser

vessels, which are now in service, and the agreement on a 3% pay offer and a commitment by management to fully fund the increase in contributions to the pension scheme.

16/04/2014 19:48

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Union alert on ferry cutbacks Nautilus motion to Scottish TUC highlights impact of unfair competition

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Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth warned the Scottish TUC last month that the threat to Scotland’s lifeline ferries is ‘as real as it ever was’ and said the situation at Stena Line, where management is looking to slash crewing costs by 10%, should serve as a warning of what the future could hold.

‘Stena Line is moving to cut British and Irish seafarers’ pay and conditions because of the unfair globalised working conditions for foreign crews on competitors’ ships,’ he told the conference in Dundee.

‘Here in Scotland, the vultures are waiting in the wings, ready to pick the bones of Caledonian MacBrayne’s Clyde and Hebrides ferries contract. From a company that has for years delivered safe and reliable services, and provided quality jobs and training for Scottish seafarers.’

Moving a composite motion on Scottish ferries, Mr Smyth called on the delegates to continue to support the seafarers as they face the prospect of attacks on their jobs and terms and conditions as a result of the next wave of tendering.

Nautilus senior national secretary Garry Elliott and national ferries organiser Micky Smyth are pictured during their series of visits to members in the Stena Line fleet to discuss the company’s plans for cuts.

Renewed talks with management were due to take place late last month.

Nautilus, along with the RMT and the Scottish TUC, has already managed to convince the Scottish government to delay the planned tendering of the CalMac Western routes for three years.

But Mr Smyth told delegates

MCA cuts are a matter of life and death, STUC is warned Steve Doran told delegates at F the Scottish TUC that the effects of Nautilus national secretary

climate change for those working off Scotland’s coast were ‘no picnic’.

Mr Doran told the congress that he needed to ‘sound a distress signal’ on behalf of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

‘The UK government has imposed a 21% reduction in programme budget and a 33% cut in the administration budget,’ he said. ‘Staff numbers have fallen by over 10% since 2009 and the number of ship inspections carried out by the MCA has reduced.’

A Nautilus motion, which was unanimously supported by delegates,

that the delay had not bought sufficient time to get the safeguards into place to protect the services from predatory private operators.

He said that the Scottish ferries policy was still ‘alarmingly vague’ on key questions about the way in

Nautilus campaigns for access to justice awareness of the way in which A seafarers can be denied the right to

Nautilus is campaigning to raise

Steve Doran Picture: Louis Flood

called on the Scottish TUC to back the ‘life or death’ campaign to protect frontline staff and secure the long term safety of Scottish waters.

which services will be protected from the unfair competition and exploitation.

‘It is ironic that these attacks on jobs will come as CalMac celebrates the 50th anniversary of its first voyage,’ he added. ‘In that time they have built a reputation for providing a safe and reliable ever since. We say to the Scottish government “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it!”’

He highlighted the experiences of staff working for Northlink ferries on the Northern Isles route, which went through a similar Scottish government tendering process resulting in the sixyear tender being won by Serco in July 2012.

‘The ink was barely dry on the deal when the company launched a policy of aggressive profiteering at the expense of passengers and crew,’ he said. ‘And barely three months into the contract, Serco announced redundancies despite previous assurances over jobs.

‘Where Serco tread, others are ready to trample,’ he added. ‘They will stamp on long-established standards and conditions, and join the race to the lowest common denominator standards.’

take cases to employment tribunals, UK branch committee members heard last month.

Senior national secretary Ronnie Cunningham said the Union is working to highlight cases in which members have had claims rejected on the grounds that tribunals did not have jurisdiction to consider their complaints.

Nautilus has raised the issues at the NW UC regional conference, the SE Region TUC and with the Unions

21 organisations, Mr Cunningham said. ‘Access to justice is a big issue for trade unions and we are marking real progress in getting people to understand the issues that seafarers have.’

Mr Cunningham said that last year’s controversial introduction of fees for workers bringing employment tribunal claims had resulted in the number of cases being cut by almost 80%.

‘However, if our members need support and it is judged that there is a reasonable prospect of success, Nautilus will pay the fees,’ he added.

Meeting to discuss Absolute Shipping claim industrial organiser Lisa Carr F meeting with Simon Cox and Eion Pictured right is Nautilus

Lyons from Absolute Shipping. The meeting discussed the 2014 pay and conditions claim with the company which was formed in June last year following the collapse of Union Transport.

The company clarified its intention to not reduce the terms and conditions of staff but stated that it would not be able to offer a pay increase this year.

04-05_at work edit.indd 5

During the meeting, Mr Cox and Mr Lyons also answered a number of questions raised by members covering issues such as ECDIS, logbooks and safety.

Ms Carr said that she was pleased the company had agreed in principle to the formation of a Partnership At Work Committee and that members were now being consulted on the pay and conditions offer and forming a PAW committee.

Members were due to respond to the consultation by the end of April.

shortreports CRUISES CONDITIONS: a meeting was held last month to discuss the rejection of the pay offer by members employed by Fleet Maritime Services and serving onboard Cunard and P&O Cruises vessels.

Members voted to reject the offer of a 2.5% increase in pay and travel becoming payable via an annual allowance and based on members place of residency.

Industrial organiser Paul Schroder and the Partnership at Work Committee were due to meet with company representatives as the Telegraph went to press.

RFA SUBMISSION: Nautilus has submitted this year’s pay and conditions claim on behalf of Royal Fleet Auxiliary members. The Union is calling for the maximum award payable within the constraints faced by the RFA this year, and a review of incremental scales and performance awards. It is also warning, on the basis that the current public sector pay cap may be lifted in 2015, that a rise of RPI plus 5% will be needed to address ‘critical’ recruitment and retention issues.

BOSKALIS CLAIM: a meeting has been arranged on behalf of members employed by Boskalis Westminster to discuss members’ pay and conditions claim. The meeting is due to take place on 22 May in Fareham and an update will be available once a formal response to the meeting has been received.

LCT MEETING: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by LCT Support Services. The claim includes an RPI increase and industrial organiser Lisa Carr and the liaison officers are due to meet with the company on 29 April to discuss it.

CORYSTES CLAIM: pay and conditions aspirations have been submitted by members employed

by Serco Marine and serving onboard RV Corystes.

Industrial organiser Gary Leech is currently awaiting a response from the company.

WIGHTLINK VISITS: industrial organiser Lisa Carr and senior assistant organiser Lee Moon will be visiting members onboard wightlink ferries on 13 and 14 May. Ms Carr will also be meeting with the company for the quarterly update.

IMT PAY: members employed by International Marine Transportation are being asked for details of any increases in workload and responsibilities, as well as pay aspirations, ahead of the pay and conditions review date of 12 July 2014.

TRINITY ASPIRATIONS: members employed

by Trinity House are being asked for their pay and conditions aspirations ahead of the 1 August review date.

MAERSK DEAL: members serving on Maersk tankers have voted to accept the company’s offer of a 1% increase, backdated to 1 January 2014.

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16/04/2014 19:48

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports IRISH HOPES: Providence Resources, an Irelandbased oil and gas company, is hoping that the North Celtic Sea Basin could become the ‘new North Sea’.

The company has been granted an exploration licence for potential fields in the south and south east of the Barryroe oil field, 45 miles south of the Irish coast.

Exxon first found oil at Barryroe in 1974 but deemed it uncommercial with that era’s technology, and Shell later claimed that exploration had been further delayed by environmental concerns. However, new engineering techniques and a higher oil price may mean that the field could provide up to 60% of Ireland’s gas needs in the future.

CRASH PROTEST: the father of one of the victims of a Super Puma helicopter crash in the North Sea in 2009 told the Scottish TUC last month that he had been devastated by the Crown Office’s decision not to prosecute anyone over the ‘avoidable’ accident. John Edwards spoke about the accident, which claimed the lives of 16 people, before the STUC conference in Dundee debated a motion on offshore safety , which called for an urgent and radical review of the fatal accident inquiry system.

GULF CLAIM: a formal response is yet to be received following a pay and conditions meeting on behalf of members employed by Gulf Offshore. The meeting discussed members’ aspirations, which included an above RPI increase, a reduction in leave days held by the company, compensation for crew change delays and training, first class travel for officers, and increases in sick pay and compassionate leave.

SEACOR SUBMISSION: industrial organiser Lisa Carr will be meeting with Seacor Marine on Monday 19 May to discuss the pay and conditions claim submitted on behalf of members serving onboard BPOS vessels. The claim included an RPI-plus increase as well as Christmas and new year bonuses and a comparison of all ranks with the market rate.

ABERDEEN ASSESSMENT: Fugro EMU has been appointed to undertake a full environmental impact assessment in relation to the expansion of Aberdeen Harbour. The potential expansion will involve the construction of a new facility in Nigg Bay to the south of the existing harbour.

FARSTAD WAIT: industrial organiser Gary Leech has confirmed that he is still awaiting a formal response to a meeting with Farstad Singapore to discuss the pay and conditions claim. The claim included an RPI inflation-plus pay rise.

OCEAN ASPIRATIONS: members serving with Ocean Supply (Guernsey) have been asked to give the Union their views on the contents of this year’s pay and conditions claim ahead of forthcoming negotiations with management.

HAVILA PAY: members employed by Havila Marine (Guernsey) are being asked for their pay and conditions aspirations ahead of the 1 July review date.

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06_offshore.indd 6

North Star Shipping secures safety award for the 14th year in a row an award from a leading health F and safety organisation for the

North Star Shipping has secured

fourteenth year in a row.

The company — a division of The Craig Group — has received the International Safety Award with distinction from the British Safety Council for its safety performance and proactive safety management system.

It is the first time the company has won a distinction award, which required full marks across all criteria.

The award recognises North Star’s commitment to a positive safety culture in its fleet of 36 vessels — including platform supply, ROV survey and emergency response and rescue vessels — which have an average of six and half years without any incident, accident or injury.

‘We are absolutely thrilled that both the work carried out by our QHSE team and by every one of our crew members aboard each of our vessels has been recognised,’ said QHSE manager Eddie Perkins.

‘Safety is at the forefront of all we do and to achieve recognition at this level is testament to the importance we place on it.’

Alongside the BSC award, the crew of the ERRV Grampian Defiance

The crew of the Grampian Defiance, who won a Gold Flag Award for their outstanding safety culture

have been awarded the internal Gold House Flag award which recognises an outstanding safety culture on the company’s vessels. The ship, which came into service in August 2012,

received the award for its ‘exceptional overall quantity and quality of safety correspondence, internal audit results, MCA audits and inspections’.

The masters and crews were

Cooperate now or risk early exit

presented the Gold Flag by North Star Shipping MD Callum Bruce, who said that the decision was a difficult one given the high standards across the company’s entire fleet.

Retirees returning as jobs not taken up

& Gas UK has welcomed Lack of joint working is major threat to UKCS, finds study FOilresearch which suggests that the sector could create up to 39,000

P

The UK oil and gas industry needs to make a ‘step change’ in collaboration to secure the long-term viability of the sector, a report warned last month.

Published by the professional services firm PwC Aberdeen, the study argues that the sector is missing out on multi-billionpound revenues because of poor coordination, lack of investment and substandard supply chain management.

The report makes the case for a drive to harness up to £35bn in extra revenues from developing the North Sea as a global centre for decommissioning.

It also claims that the industry needs to ‘significantly’ cut costs if it is to remain competitive, and

argues that the UK government must provide ‘strategic clarity’ on taxation or risk further damage from a lack of fiscal stability.

Increasing costs are a ‘fact of life’ in the UKCS, PwC said, and the report warns that these could increase even further as companies seek to exploit remaining reserves in areas such as west of Shetland.

Kevin Reynard, PwC’s senior partner in Aberdeen, commented: ‘We believe the North Sea has a huge future, but there is much work still to be done to secure this value and cement its position as a global oil and gas hub.

‘It’s vital that we take a more strategic and integrated view to help extend the life of the North

Sea — for everyone involved and for future generations. If we choose not to change, then we risk sleep-walking into an early sunset. It’s time to get started if we want to secure a vibrant UK North Sea for the next 40 years.’

The report backs the recommendations made in the recent Wood review for the creation of a new independent regulator for the sector and suggests that this would also help to create strategic certainty for the future.

It suggests savings of up to 10% can be made in the supply chain through more effective management across the supply chain from procurement to process, extractive and engineering, to increase profitability by as much as £3bn.

Highland Princess — the A second of two sisterships built for Gulf Pictured left is the 2,202gt

Offshore NS by the Italian yard Rosetti Marino and which was delivered last month.

The UK-flagged platform supply vessel is Rolls-Royce UT 755 XL design, with Class 2 DP and four thrusters. Of 75m loa, the ship has 716 sq m of deck space and accommodation for 20 personnel.

Equipped with two General Electric diesel engines producing a total power of 5,580 kW, Highland Princess has a top speed of 14.5 knots.

jobs in the UK over the next two years, but warns the skills shortage is ‘undeniable’.

The report by the Bank of Scotland, based on a survey of 100 companies, found that the North Sea was a significant growth sector with investment in new fields at an all-time high.

‘The findings of this report are excellent news for the economy, demonstrating the employment generating nature of the oil and gas industry now and in the future,’ said Stuart White, Bank of Scotland commercial area director.

‘With most of the UK’s oil and gas firms clustered in Aberdeen and the North East, Scotland should reap the largest share of these new jobs; however, other parts of the UK will benefit from expansion plans,’ he added.

‘Companies are very willing to invest in what is a very buoyant market, resulting in high levels of activity which, in turn, generates well rewarded employment opportunities,’ said Dr Alix Thom, Oil & Gas UK employment and skills issues manager.

‘The industry is actively addressing the skills shortage in the short and long term in a number of ways,’ he pointed out. ‘We are also seeing a number of retirees returning to the oil and gas workforce in a number of flexible arrangements in order to share their skills, experience and knowledge with upcoming colleagues.’

16/04/2014 19:10

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Carnival support for Sea Cadets company of P&O Cruises and A Cunard — has become a supporter

Carnival Corporation — parent

of the UK’s largest nautical youth charity, Sea Cadets.

The company is actively backing the Sea Cadets’ seamanship qualification — offering young people the chance to visit ships to gain experience — and has also made a £380,000 donation to the charity’s new £4.8m flagship which is now under construction in Spain, with delivery due for April 2015.

The seamanship badge aims to offer the 14,000 Sea Cadets aged between 10 and 18 a chance to broaden their career options in the maritime sector by learning a range of practical skills and getting hands-on experience.

Captain Jonathan Holloway, Captain Sea Cadets, commented: ‘Sea Cadets know about opportunities in the Royal Navy, but this is a fantastic opportunity for them to explore a career in a commercial maritime industry or working directly

for a cruise company. It opens up opportunities they didn’t know existed. We hope that our cadets will grab this opportunity with both hands.’

Carnival UK CEO David Dingle added: ‘These young people are our future and we should take every opportunity to invest in them and in their chances to learn and grow. I am delighted that we are able to play a part in this with our donation to their new flagship and seamanship qualification.’

Sea Cadets from Southampton Unit with Captain David Pembridge on the bridge of P&O Cruises’ Azura

EU stalemate on seafarers’ rights MEPs’ vote stalls progress on ending exemptions from employment laws

P

Nautilus has expressed its disappointment at a European Parliament stalemate which has blocked proposals to end the exclusion of seafarers from a number of key EU directives on workers’ rights.

The European Commission is seeking to remove seafaring exemptions from core elements of existing EU employment legislation.

But via a series of amendments supported by shipowners, Italian MEP Licia Ronzulli — the Bill’s lead negotiator or ‘rapporteur’ — sought to pare back the proposal and leave the exemptions largely untouched.

Ms Ronzulli had argued that extending labour directives to seafarers would create additional

red tape and reduce the competitiveness of EU shipping.

She claimed that seafarers’ rights were already protected by national legislation in member states, agreements between owners and unions, and by the Maritime Labour Convention.

Seafaring unions lobbied the Parliament’s employment committee to overturn Mrs Ronzulli’s position, and many of her amendments were defeated during committee voting in March.

Euro MPs then rejected her report in its entirety, leaving the Parliament with no position and delaying any legislation by months — possibly until next year.

One of the key points of contention was the exemption of sea-

farers from EU legislation on the transfer of undertakings.

Mrs Ronzulli said EU law was relevant to ‘fixed assets’ but not ‘mobile’ assets such as ships.

However, her amendment was rejected by the committee’s left wing alliance.

Despite the stalemate, the Commission says it plans to persist with the its ‘balanced proposal’.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was disappointed that Mrs Ronzulli had sought to derail the Commission’s plans. ‘These proposals are measured and appropriate for the shipping industry and as such deserve to be adopted,’ he added.

‘In the meantime we have signalled our willingness to work

with the European shipowners to see if an accord can be reached,’ Mr Dickinson said. ‘That will be difficult when they persist in misrepresenting the impact of, for example, the transfer of undertakings directive which has been extended to the seafarers in the UK for many years without any issues.’

Charles Boyle, head of Nautilus legal services, added: ‘The directive on the transfer of undertakings is not limited to fixed assets.

It applies to other transport sectors like road haulage and aviation, so there is no justification for exempting seafarers. Nautilus will continue its work lobbying with the ETF to ensure that these directives are applied to seafarers to the fullest extent possible.’

...but good news on visas F

Nautilus has welcomed moves to overhaul the visa system for seafarers travelling in and out of Europe.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said the European Commission moves should help to safeguard seafarers’ rights to shore leave and facilitate their travel to and from ships.

Maritime unions and owners have been seeking the revision of the EU Visa Code to make it easier for seafarers to come in and out of the Schengen area.

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) said the proposed new provisions would extend the validity period of

multiple-entry visas, shorten the time period to process applications, and eliminate existing requirements to lodge them in person.

The introduction of a definition of ‘seafarer’ in the Visa Code explicitly mentioning the Maritime Labour Convention will tie the EU legislation to the international regulatory framework, ECSA said. ‘This will help ensure that all staff working onboard ships in any capacity are duly covered by the Visa Code and benefit from the various procedural facilitations in place.

‘Not only will these measures bring certainty to shipping companies when finalising work contracts;

they will also be highly beneficial to seafarers that spend long periods of time at high sea and need flexibility in order to properly carry out their work,’ it pointed out.

ECSA secretary general Patrick Verhoeven described the moves as encouraging. ‘In recent years, seafarers and shipping companies have been too often confronted with administrative burdens resulting from the EU’s visa policy and they seriously hampered the swift embarkation or disembarkation of seafarers in EU ports,’ he added. ‘With the new Commission proposal, an important step towards visa facilitation for seafarers has been made.’

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

Thank you to the Maritime industry for making the last 25 years so exciting

07_new.indd 7

PLACING PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE FOR 25 YEARS

1988-2013

Don’t get conned by job ‘scammers’ to seafarers following another F case of fraudulent crewing agencies

A fresh warning has been issued

offering non-existent jobs.

In recent years, Nautilus has highlighted a wide range of attempts to swindle seafarers by bogus companies using the names of genuine employers. This time, the alert was raised by Vroon, which warned that a scammer has been using the name of Vroon Offshore Services Ltd, Aberdeen (including its logo and address) to contact seafarers.

‘The strategy of this organisation is to tempt potential employees with job offers, usually by email at first and then by phone,’ Vroon said. ‘They offer a job involving travel and then request money for visa or work permit applications.’

But, Vroon stressed, none of its

companies ever charge seafarers for recruitment services, visas or other immigration-clearance activities.

It pointed to advice issued by Nautilus and the UK Chamber of Shipping for seafarers to beware of such tactics as: z an offer coming from an email address like: jobs.vroon@gmail.com.

Vroon never uses gmail z the offer document/email may seem unprofessional, with a poor quality or distorted logo and pictures and/or poor English grammar z money is asked for visa/work permit applications and you may be referred to a visa processing organisation who will request money via Western Union or other anonymous destinations z the offer includes a mobile phone number(s) instead of an office number

Maritime Educational Foundation officer trainees

New training website A

The Maritime Educational Foundation (MEF) is a shipping industry charitable organisation overseen by a board of trustees who represent Nautilus International, the RMT, several UK-based shipping companies and the UK Chamber of Shipping.

The Foundation aims to be a centre of excellence for seafarer training and to provide support to the maritime sector for education and training purposes. The organisation has just launched

a new website which features information on its seafarer training strategy, which covers: z providing gold standard new entrant seafarer training programmes for ratings and officers z supporting further career development opportunities for ratings and officers z providing funding support to specific projects that will promote the education and training of seafarers g Go to: www.meftraining.org

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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.

16/04/2014 16:08

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Sunseeker’s 155 winning formula the largest ever launched by Sunseeker, the 47m A Blush was christened last month by her owner, Formula 1’s

Still small by superyacht standards, but nevertheless

Eddie Jordan, on the dock in Poole.

Commissioned by the Jordan Family Trust, the first 155 Yacht has been the subject of endless tabloid newspaper stories explaining how many tennis courts she is long and how many double decker buses could be placed end to end on her main deck. Few have marvelled that this is a British yacht, designed in Britain, built in Britain, registered in Britain and crewed by a mostly British crew.

On this occasion Sunseeker has taken the concept of series building with personal customisation one step further with a modular build methodology which enables the owners to have direct input not only into the interior

Crew members act the part at training school introduced practical service F courses to enable students to practice The Crew Academy (TCA) has

their skills in a simulated yacht environment, much like method acting.

The training school’s Yacht Service Level 2 course gives trainees four opportunities to practice a range of service styles serving real guests with real food produced by an experienced yacht chef.

‘It is important that our courses arm interior crew with the necessary skills, confidence, etiquette and expertise needed to work in the yachting industry,’ said TCA’s Charlotte Roch. ‘Students need practical experience as well as theory and that’s

what our courses offer.

‘We work with the same high quality equipment that can be found onboard the largest yachts, and therefore students come away with the confidence to manage a variety of pressurised situations with ease,’ she added.

TCA offer courses ranging from Yacht Service Level 1, aimed at beginners, TSL 2 for interior crew that have worked more than one season, and YSL3 for those looking to take a step up to a chief steward/ stewardess position. The training school also offers a unique three-week purser course covering all aspects of administration, HR, management and accounting.

New Zealand launches drive to be a major destination F

A government-backed campaign has been launched in New Zealand to market the country as a major destination for superyachts.

The industry association New Zealand Marine is partnering with government bodies to jointly attract large yachts to its waters — with the aim of doubling the income generated by superyacht visits by 2018.

The campaign will revolve around key international boat

shows promoting New Zealand as a cruising destination for private and charter yachts and highlighting the country’s refit and marina facilities, cosmopolitan bases for crew and more than 15,000km of unspoilt coastline.

In 2013, 35 superyachts visited the country and the group is seeking to double these numbers over the next four years, as well as increasing the number of cruising yachts from 625 in 2013 to 750 in 2018.

design and layout but the actual superstructure of the yacht.

The 499gt vessel is powered by two MTU 12V 4000 M73L engines and has a maximum speed of 20 knots.

Blush also boasts impressive accommodation for up to 12 guests, while the forward lower deck area can accommodate up to 10 crew, with a separate captain’s cabin.

Sunseeker group president Robert Braithwaite commented: ‘We have created a truly iconic British yacht.

From drawing board through to build and testing all taking place in Poole, the 155 Yacht is British through and through, so we are incredibly proud to launch it here in Poole with Mr Jordan.’

Picture: Frances Howorth

Yacht loss was ‘avoidable’ Grounding report criticises navigation of UK-flag vessel

P

An investigation into the loss of a UK-flagged motor yacht off the coast of Corsica last year has uncovered serious navigational shortcomings and determined that the vessel’s sinking was preventable.

The 24m privately-owned yacht Isamar foundered in 55m of water after grounding on a shoal while sailing for Bonifacio to Roccapina Bay last August.

The three crew were unable to halt the flooding, but managed to abandon the vessel with the eight passengers before it sank.

A subsequent dive inspection showed that the port propeller and support bracket had been driven through the yacht’s hull when it struck the shallow reef.

A UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the inci-

dent notes that the master had been navigating by eye and was monitoring the yacht’s progress on an electronic chart system, which was set on a six-mile scale.

Isamar had no paper charts onboard and the electronic charts had not been updated for nearly 10 years, the report adds.

Although the echo sounder had been turned on, its shallow water alarm had not been set.

When the mate checked the vessel’s position on the ECS after the grounding, he reduced the scale to its minimum setting of 0.5 mile — at which point it showed an area of shoal water not apparent on the larger scale.

However, the report adds, it did not display any depth soundings as shown on official hydrographic charts.

The MAIB said the master — who had spent most of his career on commercial yachts and had previously held an STCW II/5 certificate — had relied on electronic charts set to the wrong scale, unsuitable for the intended voyage and out of date despite M-Notice guidance that up to date paper charts remain essential for safe navigation if an ECS is carried onboard.

Investigators also found that standard marine emergency procedures of isolating damaged areas by closing watertight doors had not been followed. ‘Had the watertight door been closed and the pumps set to pump out the engineroom, the vessel would have stayed afloat longer and might have been saved,’ the report adds.

Lairdside Maritime Centre

Lobbying wins NOx rule delay

by Michael Howorth

industry has helped to H persuade the International Maritime Lobbying by the large yacht

Organisation (IMO) to a five-year delay in the application of new engine emission limits to the sector.

Amendments to Tier III limits for engine nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, as set out in the MARPOL Convention, were adopted at the IMO’s marine environment protection committee last month.

While all ship engines with a power above 130 kW are within scope of the convention, there is an exclusion for recreational vessels of less than 24m.

The British Marine Federation (BMF), working with the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and member associations, warned of the likely loss of economic viability of building and operating yachts greater than 500gt if the Tier III limits were applied to such vessels using currently available technologies.

This was supported by an impact assessment analysing the technical challenges and technologies needed to meet the emissions rule.

A proposal submitted by the Marshall Islands and Cook Islands — with substantial support from UK flag authorities — to delay the application of the rule for these yachts was put to the meeting and resulted in a decision to implement the rule on this category of yachts from 1 January 2021 only. A parallel proposal to delay the application of the rule by five for all vessels was rejected.

For vessels within scope, the Tier III limits will start to apply from 1 January 2016 — commencing with ECAs in North American and US Caribbean waters.

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08_yachts.indd 8

Superyacht Cadets following a ceremony to mark F the end of the first six month phase of their training and Pictured above is the latest cohort of UKSA

to hand out the certificates they had accumulated so far, including their Yachtmaster.

The three-year cadetship combines phases of college-based training with paid work placements on superyachts, and includes a Foundation Degree in Operational Yacht Science delivered in conjunction with Falmouth Marine School and validated by the University of Plymouth.

Representatives of Seafarers UK and Trinity House — who have sponsored one-third of the cadets this year — attended the awards ceremony.

Emma Baggett, UKSA’s industry and cadetship manager, said the support of leading crew agents was vital in helping the cadets to gain their first position.

One of the youngest cadets is Matthew Hawkins, 18, who said: ‘All my friends back home have either gone to uni or got part-time jobs, but I’m now flying to Antibes to get a job on a superyacht!’

The awards were: Best crew — Como (consisting of Jason Sivyer, Virginia Keig, Jake Howard, Sean Nathan and Edmund Hartley); top cadet — Sean Nathan; top academic cadet — Jason Sivyer; special academic awards — Archie Willis, Ed Craze, and Virginia Keig; special achievement awards — Calum Penn, William Phillips.

16/04/2014 16:09

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Piracy forces ‘facing cuts’ Warships set to be withdrawn in 18 months, report says

P at the London Container Terminal last month A — becoming the largest containership to call at the

The 124,500gt Cap San Lorenzo is pictured arriving

deepsea berth at Tilbury.

The 9,814TEU Luxembourg-flagged vessel, owned by

Hamburg Sud, was turned around by LCT within 22 hours — two hours ahead of schedule. Forth Ports CEP Perry Glading said the visit had demonstrated LCT’s expertise and capability to handle large vessels with thousands of TEUs onboard quickly and smoothly.

Nautilus protests over Dutch ship protection Netherlands have been urged F to protest against a controversial Nautilus members in the

decision by MPs to block proposals to allow private security teams to be carried onboard Dutch merchant ships.

The Union and the Royal Association of Dutch Ship Owners (KVNR) have expressed outrage at the decision by the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) to oppose the introduction of new regulations to enable armed guards to be placed on ships in highrisk areas.

At present, Dutch owners have to use military vessel protection detachments and owners complain that the costs are too high — as much as €5,000 a day for a team of 11 marines — and that their availability for voyages at short notice is limited.

PvdA MP Sultan Günal-Gezer said the risk to shipping off Somalia had declined and no ships were hijacked in the region last year. The right to use violence should rest with the government rather than private security, he argued.

But KNVR president, and ex-PvdA minister, Tineke Netelenbos said she was surprised by her party’s

It is only a matter of time before the multinational naval counter-piracy task force to protect ships against Somali pirates is scaled down, the security company Dryad Maritime warned last month.

It argued that a shift in US foreign policy to the Asia Pacific region and Iran is likely to result in western navies withdrawing the warships that have been so successful in protecting merchant ships from attack, the company claimed.

‘NATO and EU maritime forces have been highly successful in suppressing Somali piracy in recent years and some of the most capable maritime platforms in the world have been deployed east of Suez primarily to deter and defend against potential Iranian aggression and a return to regional hegemony,’ said Dryad’s commercial director David Hunkin.

‘But with the threat landscape changing, pressure is mounting to bring those forces home and over the next 18 months, the naval presence east of Suez will be very different to what we see today,’ he added.

Such a scenario could result in a resurgence of piracy in the area, Mr Hunkin argued. ‘Not only could a reduction in naval forces herald a return of piracy, it would also most certainly result in a reduction of rescue forces,’ he said. ‘At present, should a ship’s crew retreat to a citadel as pirates take control of their vessel, rescue forces are only hours or days away.

With a drawdown of maritime forces, such rescue could be weeks away.’

Dryad says there is a need for dialogue now between the industry and governments on how to fill the vacuum left by redeploying military forces.

Nautilus has joined other Euro-

pean seafaring unions and shipowners to warn against any cuts in the EU Naval Force — stressing that while Somali piracy has been contained in recent years, the threat has not been removed.

Dryad said attempted attacks on two ships earlier this year show that Somali pirates have not been eradicated. However, it added, although figures suggest a yearon-year increase in incidents off the Horn of Africa, some of this was the result of ‘a fair amount of misreporting and misinterpretation of events’.

Dryad said its quarterly maritime figures show an overall 13% reduction compared with the period in 2013. But it warned of the increasing area of risk in the Gulf of Guinea and ‘a number of developments that give cause for concern and serve as a reminder to all to remain vigilant and employ appropriate risk reduction measures in all high-risk areas’.

Security firms hit out over criminalisation of guards over ‘a worrying trend’ of F government authorities criminalising Concerns have been raised

The new Dutch Navy logistical support ship Karel Doorman is pictured being named at the Damen Schelde yard last month

decision. ‘If one thing should stand central to the PvdA, it is the protection of workers, and that’s what this is about,’ she added. ‘It is outrageous that someone behind the desk in the Hague knows better than the Ministry of Defence and the Dutch seafarers sailing through dangerous territory.’

Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek said he was very disappointed by the decision, which would mean that Dutch-flagged ships would continue to be the only

EU fleet unable to use private security.

‘This is putting the Dutch flag in a poor competitive position and is forcing ships to flag out, which in turn will cost the jobs of Dutch seafarers,’ he warned.

The PvdA opposition means that there would be no parliamentary majority to pass the proposed regulations. Nautilus has urged members to send in email protests to be presented as a petition ahead of the debate.

private security guards on merchant ships.

The Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) said last month that it was disturbed by increasing evidence that ‘innocent maritime security operatives are being targeted, wrongly arrested and criminalised’ across piracy-afflicted areas, both in the Indian Ocean and off west Africa’.

‘We are deeply concerned and strongly condemn this creeping trend of criminalisation,’ said SAMI

CEO Peter Cook. ‘Maritime security professionals should not be used as makeweights in political disputes, nor be seen as scapegoats in commercial quarrels.

‘Whether they are former marines, soldiers or police, maritime security operatives are skilled and experienced professionals who should be afforded respect, credit and appreciation for the vital role they have played in tackling piracy,’ he added.

Mr Cook said maritime security companies had worked hard to become more transparent and accountable, and had developed standardised contracts and rules such

as ISO/PAS28007 to govern the use of force.

Recent cases have included the arrest in India of two Italian marines from tanker Enrica Lexie in February 2012 in connection with the deaths of two Indian fishermen, and the detention in October 2013 of 25 guards and 10 seafarers from the counter-piracy support vessel Seaman Guard Ohio for alleged violations of Indian territorial waters. Last month, a court in India approved bail for 33 of the men, although the Mission to Seafarers expressed concern about the welfare of the two who remain in custody.

Ensure your safety training is up to date New STCW 2010 requirements mean it will become mandatory for all seafarers to undertake updating training every five years.

In line with these requirements, Warsash Maritime Academy is offering updating training in:

Dates available now.

For more information and to book contact:

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Recruitment & Admissions E. wma.training@solent.ac.uk T. +44 (0)23 8201 4295

Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Advanced Fire Fighting Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats Personal Survival Techniques

Find out out more about updating training:

www.warsashacademy.co.uk/updating

09_news.indd 9

16/04/2014 16:09

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

NEWS

Engineer was drunk on duty flagged general cargoship F appeared before Belfast magistrates The chief engineer of a Dutch-

last month after being found drunk in charge of his vessel’s engineroom.

Mikhail Irusglotov was twice discovered over the alcohol limit within the space of three days — both on and off duty — onboard the 2,998gt Fluvius Taw in Belfast Lough, after the vessel lost power while arriving at Kilroot power station with a cargo of coal.

Prosecutors claimed the officer had put the safety of the ship and its eight crew at risk because he was too drunk to perform his duties properly.

But defence lawyer Pat Kelly said Mr Irusglotov had lost his job and would have to go to prison if he was fined for the offences, as his outstanding wages were being used to pay for the costs of his repatriation to Russia.

Imposing a 12-month conditional discharge for both offences, Judge Rosalie Prytherch told Mr Irusglotov: ‘I think the huge penalty will be for you, after so many years working, having lost your employment in this way.’

Master fined for not calling coastguard general cargoship has been F fined €1,250 for failing to notify the

The master of a Turkish-owned

Irish Coastguard of a near-grounding incident when his vessel lost power off Cork in February last year.

Cork district court heard that Captain Mehmet Kaya lost ‘effective control’ of the 8,837gt Begonia G when the Panamanian-flagged vessel developed engine problems during a voyage from Foynes to Cork in force five winds and a 4m swell.

The vessel drifted to within four miles of Kedge Island, but failed to alert the Coastguard about the problems. A tug was sent from Bantry to go to the aid of the ship, but the crew managed to restore engine power shortly before it arrived.

Capt Kaya admitted a charge of breaching a vessel traffic directive by failing to immediately inform the Irish Coast Guard of a loss of manoeuvrability.

EU project looks at retention

ferry Arrow, which has started a A long-term charter with the Isle of Man

Pictured right is the 7,606gt ro-ro

Steam Packet Company operating the freight route between Douglas and Heysham.

The Manx-flagged vessel — formerly Dart Line’s Dart 6 — has been brought in to cover for Ben-myChree during a scheduled biennial overhaul and will also supplement Ben-my-Chree and Manannan during the TT period and potentially at other times of peak demand to allow extra capacity for passengers.

Steam Packet Company chief executive Mark Woodward said: ‘Securing MV Arrow on a long-term charter allows us to plan for scheduled maintenance periods, as well as providing an enhanced level of back-up in place should it be needed.’

Losses fall to record low rate have been revealed in F new statistics published by the

Encouraging signs for safety

International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) which reveal that the percentage of total hull losses has fallen to a record low.

IUMI said its analysis of hull, cargo and energy insured losses shows the frequency of total losses for ships above 500gt dropped during 2013 to a record low of 0.13% in terms of numbers and 0.05% in terms of tonnage.

The study showed that weather continues to be the most common cause of total losses, accounting for almost 50% of the vessels lost between 2009 and 2013. Grounding is the second most frequent cause, being the key factor in 25% of the cases.

The number of major incidents including total losses also continued to fall in 2013, IUMI added. The most common cause of serious losses is machinery and engineroom incidents, accounting for 35% of the cases. Almost half of serious losses resulted from groundings and collisions.

IUMI said the loss of the containership MOL Comfort tops the list of claims from the cargo market, with an expected insured loss of between $300m to $400m.

conference in May which F concludes a European Union-

Nautilus is taking part in a

Stowaways: call for action Ships urged to take extra precautions in South Africa

P

Calls for west and central African ports to do more to cut the number of stowaway cases were made at a regional seminar on the problem organised by the International Maritime Organisation last month.

The two-day meeting, held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, agreed that port facilities in the area need to strengthen their capacities for surveillance and access control if they are to reduce the number of stowaway cases.

Delegates heard an analysis of the current situation and considered the measures that could be taken to address the problems, with table-top exercises to facilitate discussions and to identify best practices for avoiding stowaway incidents. The seminar also addressed aspects of security, facilitation of trade and repatriation of stowaways.

‘Participants agreed that the fact that stowaways are able to

have access to port facilities and go onboard ships in ports means that any other person with criminal intentions could have access to the port and ships as well,’ the IMO said. ‘The security regimes of such ports could be improved.’

More than 50 people took part in the event — including security and immigration officials from the 12 most frequent ports of embarkation of stowaways — the major ports of Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. >The International Group of P&I Clubs estimates that the annual cost of all stowaway cases worldwide is approximately US$15.3m.

P&I clubs are warning ships visiting South Africa — and Durban in particular — to take additional precautions to guard against the risk of stowaways.

The alerts have been issued after a change in policy by South

African authorities who now hold ships responsible for preventing unauthorised personnel from boarding in the first place. In three recent cases in Durban, immigration officials declared that people found illegally onboard are stowaways rather than trespassers and that ships are therefore responsible for all the costs and consequences of repatriation.

Subsequent interviews with the illegal boarders showed that they had come onto the ships with stevedores and cleaners with the intention to stowaway on the vessels.

In response to these incidents, the UK Club and Steamship Mutual have issued warnings to highlight the need to maintain ‘a diligent gangway watch’ in South African ports and to ensure that individuals without a proper Transnet permit are not permitted access to the vessel. g New guide to stowaway problem — see page 28.

Warsash cadets in charity challenge gusts of 40 knots, a group of 38 F Warsash Maritime Academy cadets In the face of rain, hail and

spent 24 hours in liferafts in the Hamble to raise more than £11,500 for the charity Sail 4 Cancer. Princess Cruises cadet SIMON NEWTON recounts their experience…

I am a first phase engineer cadet with Princess Cruises at Warsash College and I took part in the Sail 4 cancer life raft challenge with other deck and engine cadets. Sail 4 cancer is a charity which provides waterbased respite days and holidays for families affected by cancer, provides grants to cancer care centres and supports research into the positive effects of exercise (such as sailing) and how it can help prevent cancer and aid recovery post diagnosis.

We were to spend 24 hours spread between five liferafts attached to

10-11_news.indd 10

buoys on the Solent. I was with seven of my classmates in an eight-man raft.

We all started the challenge in high spirits, talking, joking and eating. But as night fell everyone wanted to sleep, which is when the challenge became more difficult.

Constantly throughout the night, we would have to reposition ourselves

due to someone’s leg going numb or due to aches and pains.

As the night progressed, wind speeds picked up to force 8, causing the raft to roll a lot. This, combined with the cramped conditions due to us all wearing big heavy equipment such as life vests and wet weather gear, people’s belongings and many bottles

of water brought aboard, resulted in most of us not getting much sleep. As it became daylight again, the winds had calmed down and the challenge became a bit more enjoyable.

The challenge was more difficult than we had expected. It gave us a glimpse into what it is like in a sea survival situation — a situation which no sailor would like to find themselves in. I cannot imagine how terrible it must be to spend more than 24 hours inside a liferaft, in the open sea along with a limited food and water supply.

It was a worthwhile experience and I hope the £11,500 raised by Team Warsash will in some way help the families facing cancer with the money raised by all of the participating cadets from Warsash Maritime Academy.

Donations can still be made through the Team Warsash Sail 4 Cancer webpage.

funded project to investigate ways of improving the recruitment and retention of merchant seafarers.

The three-year KNOWME project has tackled topics such as the image of shipping, retention in the maritime industry, improving working and living conditions for seafarers, innovative maritime education and training policies, and the future of maritime education and training.

Launched in line with the EU’s Maritime Transport Strategy 20092018, the 11-partner project was set up to address the growing shortage of European maritime professionals, and investigated ways of improving the image of shipping and the attractiveness of careers at sea and in the maritime sector.

The final KNOWME conference, which will take place on 20 May 2014 from 1000 to 1500hrs in the German city of Bremen, will showcase the results of the project and demonstrate some of the synergies with other projects or studies.

These include the Go-Maritime e-portal, which was recently launched to highlight career opportunities in the sector. The project team is keen to get feedback from various user groups, including seafarers, and Nautilus members are invited to take part in the short Go-Maritime online survey to give views and ideas on the site’s relevance and attractiveness.

Nautilus will also be taking part in the KNOWME conference, via a follow-on discussion panel addressing the future of maritime education and training and its role in improving the competitiveness of the maritime industry. g More details: www.know-me.org

Exhibition highlights marine art nation, the sea has always F inspired British artists — and it has Unsurprisingly for an island

been a favoured subject for famous painters such as JMW Turner and John Constable.

A new exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol celebrates these connections with maritime artwork from the late 1700s to the present day by artists ranging from Turner and Constable to Paul Nash, John Piper, Henry Moore and Maggi Hambling.

The Power of the Sea exhibition, which runs until 6 July, charts the way in which the approach to marine art has changed over the years and in parallel with the exhibition, the RWA is to host a one-day conference — British Waters and Beyond: The cultural significance of the sea since 1800 — on Monday 12 May in partnership with Oxford Brookes University and Leeds Metropolitan University.

Nautilus will be taking part in the symposium, which will address subjects including the sea in art; maritime communities: past, present and future; the politics of the sea, travel, migration, slavery and nomadism; and the science of the sea. g More details: www.rwa.org.uk

16/04/2014 18:18

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

Cruise firms failing on CSR, says new study A

Cruiseship companies are failing to deliver on corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles, a new study has claimed.

Research published by Leeds Metropolitan University last month accuses the industry of ignoring CSR policies for the employment, environment, society and the destinations they visit.

The study, published in the journal Tourism Management, analyses the industry’s lack of corporate social disclosure and ranks companies through analysis of their corporate social responsibility reports and websites to provide the first cruise sector sustainability reporting index.

Researchers found that almost two-thirds of the 80 cruise companies they analysed do not mention CSR on their websites, and only 12 brands publish corporate social reports. These belong to only four companies: Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean International, TUI and Disney Cruises.

Lead author Dr Xavier Font said most operators simply report ‘soft data’ which is easy to copy and fails to show real change.

‘Companies mostly report on their corporate vision and strategy, their credentials and their governance and management systems, but they fail to report on actual performance data on many key environmental and socio-economic indicators,’ he added.

‘Not one of the 80 companies reports on the sustainability of the resources consumed or biodiversity actions, and few disclose their positive social or economic impact on destinations,’ Dr Fort said.

The report highlights issues such as the accommodation and working conditions of staff, including long working hours and unclear application of legislation due in part to the use of flags of convenience and crewing agencies in developing countries.

EU shipping kept afloat by state aid Research shows the value of support measures for the maritime sector

P

Without tonnage tax and other state aid measures, the number of jobs in Europe’s shipping industry would be around half the current level, a new study has found.

Research commissioned by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) shows that shipping activities in the 28 EU member states and Norway contribute an estimated €145bn to the European economy — a total that would be just €68bn without state aid.

Carried out by Oxford Economics, the study — which was presented to EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas last month — shows that the EU-controlled fleet grew by some 70% in gross and deadweight tonnage terms over the past decade.

The EU fleet of 23,000 ships totalling 450m gt represents 40% of world tonnage, and the report estimates that shipping contributed around €56bn to EU GDP in 2012 and generated tax revenues of some €6bn.

It notes that the EU shipping industry directly employs around 590,000 people — of which around 470,000 are seafaring posts — and that about 40% of these positions are filled by European nationals.

Researchers found that the number of jobs had increased from 484,000 over the past decade — a rate of growth somewhat less than the fleet expansion over the same period, which the report suggests reflects increased productivity and automation on new ships.

The most marked increases in shipping jobs over this timescale

were recorded in the UK, Netherlands, Italy and Germany, and the report estimates that EU seafarer trainee numbers in 2012 totalled 38,000 — some 11% higher than in 2004.

Overall the EU shipping industry supports around 2.3m jobs — with the average worker in the sector estimated to have generated €88,000 of GDP, well above the EU average of €53,000.

‘The skills and experience of seafarers are vital to the smooth functioning of the shipping industry, and are highly valued by firms in the wider maritime cluster and beyond,’ the report notes.

Three ship types dominate the EU-controlled fleet — bulkers,

amounting to 28% of total gross tonnage, containerships (25%) and oil tankers (25%).

Researchers found that the sector of the EU fleet with the most marked growth over the past 10 years was offshore — with the EU’s share of the world fleet rising from 28% in 2005 to 37% this year.

Greece has the largest controlled fleet within Europe, equivalent to 36% of gross tonnage, or 43% of deadweight tonnage. Germany represents a further 21% of gross tonnage, or 19% of deadweight tonnage.

The report points to the rationale behind state aid for EU shipping and it estimates that the

industry’s economic contribution would have been about 50% less in 2012 if support measures had not been introduced by several EU member states since the late 1990s.

‘Although shipping has seldom been in the limelight, it never ceased to play a substantial role in Europe’s economy,’ said ECSA secretary-general Patrick Verhoeven. ‘The EU shipping industry continues to stay its ground in these hard times against fierce competition from third-country shipping centres, particularly those in Asia and the Middle East.

It remains today a world leader and an important source of revenue and jobs in Europe.’

SEAFARER

BOOK OF THE

YEAR F

Pictured above being launched at the Flensburger yard in Germany is the new Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Loch Seaforth.

The ro-pax ferry is now being fitted out and is set to come into service between Stornoway and Ullapool in late summer. The 116m loa vessel will increase capacity

10-11_news.indd 11

on the route, being capable of operating 24 hours a day and carrying up to 700 passengers and 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles.

Loch Seaforth was officially named by godmother Joan Murray, the eldest daughter of the late Captain John Smith, master of the original Loch Seaforth which operated from 1947 until 1972.

Wi-fi service helps port to pick up welfare win wi-fi services for seafarers A onboard visiting ships has won an A port which provides free

international maritime welfare award for the second year in a row.

The Port of Antwerp was judged the port of the year for seafarers’ welfare in the annual International Seafarers’ Welfare Awards organised by the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN).

The judges — drawn from the International Shipping Federation, International Transport Workers’ Federation, International Labour Organisation, and the International Christian Maritime Association — paid tribute to the port’s ‘consistent commitment’ to welfare.

They said they had been particularly impressed by Antwerp’s free port-wide wi-fi, free seafarers’ shuttle bus from port to city, and the close cooperation between the port and the welfare organisation.

Receiving the award on behalf of Antwerp Port Authority, chief operations officer Christiaan De Block said: ‘The seafarers are an essential link in the international logistics chains that bind our city and port to the rest of the world.’

ILO director-general Guy Ryder said the awards recognised people who do extraordinary work and ‘should encourage further efforts for the welfare of seafarers’.

‘Working at sea in isolated circumstances can and does leave seafarers highly vulnerable,’ he added. ‘These realities should encourage all of us to redouble our efforts to ensure the welfare of those 1.5m seafarers around the world.’

Other winners this year included: Wallem Ship Management (shipping company of the year); Flying Angel Club of Australia (seafarer centre of the year); Fr Paul Noel of South Africa (Dr Dierk Lindemann welfare personality of the year); and Apinya Tajit of Thailand (judges’ special award).

VOTE FOR YOUR BOOK OF THE YEAR! Tell us your favourite books and authors of 2013 for a chance to win one of 5 Kobo e-readers!

Terms and conditions apply. visit: marine-society.org/seafarerbook

Vote here:

marine-society.org/seafarerbook

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

16/04/2014 18:18

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

HEALTH & SAFETY

Heavy weather training aid package from Videotel Marine F International has been produced A new interactive training

to help seafarers minimise risks and manage their vessels in turbulent seas and extreme weather conditions.

The Deep Water Handling programme is aimed junior deck officers and above, but Videotel says it is also useful for non-seafarers who need to understand the issues faced

at sea — particularly court or tribunal officials.

Good ship handling in deep water means monitoring those factors that cannot be controlled and managing those that can, such as the ship’s speed, course, schedule, load factors and other variables, Videotel points out.

‘Seafarers clearly can’t control the weather. However, there is usually action which can be taken by the

master or the officer of the watch which can minimise or even avoid any risk,’ chief executive Nigel Cleave added.

The course, produced with Norwest Interaction Ltd, covers ship stability, head seas, beam seas, stern seas, complex rolling motions in beam and stern seas, parametric rolling, and addresses regulations relating to STCW Table A-II/1, A-II/2 and A-II/3.

UK safe working code is being reviewed by MCA Union seeks members’ views on first big overhaul of safe working practices guide since 1988

P Golden Concord’s pilot ladder laid out for inspection Picture: ATSB

ATSB warns over pilot transfers have stressed the need for A standardised procedures for pilot

Nautilus is urging members to submit their views on proposals to overhaul the UK Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen (CSWP).

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has announced that the Code — which has been updated annually until the last couple of years — is to undergo its first full review since 1998.

The Agency is setting up a tripartite working group to guide the review process and to provide expert support for the drafting of specialist chapters. Work is set to begin this month and run until the end of the year.

The review will address areas of the Code which MCA considers to be in need of updating to reflect changes to legislation, new industry guidance or MAIB recommendations.

It is proposing a new chapter to cover best practice for vessels serving the renewables industry, and the review will assess issues such as putting the focus more on practical guidance for seafarers rather than regulation or legislation — for example, in the noise and vibration sections.

It will also consider whether the Dutch ‘Safety First’ Code offers a viable alternative approach. And the MCA says it will also be examining format options, so that digital versions available to support the traditional hard copy of the Code.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson urged members to give the Union their views about the current Code and on areas for inclusion, correction or deletion. These can be emailed to: protech@ nautilusint.org. z Nautilus is challenging moves to review the future of the UK regulations governing

the handling, storage and carriage of dangerous substances in harbours and harbour areas.

The Union has expressed concern about a Health & Safety Executive project to review the 1987 Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations to ‘ensure they are aligned with more recent regulatory and legislative changes’.

The regulations contain requirements to notify entry of dangerous goods into harbours, provisions regulating loading and unloading of dangerous substances, requirements for harbours to put in place emergency arrangements, and licensing requirements for harbours receiving explosives, among other things.

In launching the review plans, the HSE suggested that the regulations are ‘significantly out of date’. The outcome of the review is open, it added, and at this stage

it is seeking to gather information about how the regulations are being used and any amendments or changes that those using them would like to see.

But Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he was concerned the regulations could be the victim of the government’s drive against so-called ‘red tape’ rules. ‘We do not believe that the regulations are out of date and do not see any compelling need for them to be swept away,’ he added.

‘The regulations appear to be working well and there does not appear to be any demand within the industry for them to be changed,’ Mr Graveson said. ‘They perform a vital role in protecting safety and are useful in tying together many old and local regulations. We will need a great deal of convincing to be persuaded that there is a case for change.’

Australian safety experts

transfers following an accident in which a coastal pilot fell 3m onto the deck of a pilot launch while leaving a tanker.

An Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) investigation said the incident happened when the pilot ladder manrope appeared to give way as the pilot was disembarking the 8,578dwt chemical tanker Golden Concord in the Torres Strait.

The ATSB said it had been unable to establish why the pilot had lost his grip on the manrope, but the report notes that neither he nor the deckhand of the pilot launch had carried out appropriate checks on the ladder and ropes before the disembarkation began.

A number of risk controls — including clear and standardised communication protocols between the pilot and the pilot launch crew — had been compromised, investigators said. The ability of the supervising officer onboard the ship to properly focus on the operation had also been compromised because there was no requirement for additional crew to assist, the report adds.

‘Pilot transfers by way of pilot ladders are routine, yet inherently risky operations,’ the ATSB stressed.

‘In order to minimise the risk to pilots, ship operators and pilotage companies need to ensure that clear and standardised procedures and communication protocols are implemented and followed.’

12-13_h+s.indd 12

Fewer seafarers found unfit healthier, according to the latest F findings from the UK P&I Club’s PreSeafarers seem to be getting

Engineer officer Edward Nefuda was the 300,000th PEME candidate

Employment Medical Examination (PEME) programme.

The programme — which aims to cut the costs of medical evacuations and emergencies by effective health screening — has been running for 18 years and recently completed its 300,000th seafarer examination.

Edward Nefuda, a second engineer with Anglo-Eastern Crew Management, was passed fit at the Halcyon Clinic in the Philippines.

The scheme was launched in response to concern about inconsistencies in the standards applied by clinics checking seafarers in some parts of the world.

Since it began, the scheme’s rejection rate has dropped from 12% to just 3% and programme head Sophia Grant commented: ‘The existence of a quality examination has almost certainly had an impact on the numbers of unfit crew passing through the system and being considered for sea service.’

The main reasons for rejection

have been consistently Hepatitis B, Hypertension, PTB, abnormal liver function, diabetes, gall bladder and kidney disease and sight defects.

The Club estimates that PEME checks have saved owners more than US$100m by screening out more than 9,660 seafarers who have been assessed as medically unfit for employment at sea.

Around 20,000 PEME checks are now carried out every year by 54 accredited clinics in 19 countries including the Philippines, India, Croatia, South Africa, and the UK.

Survey shows gaps in catering skills about food safety — and catering and A galley crew may be the staff who need it most, a

Seafarers may be in urgent need of training

new survey suggests.

Research carried out by the computer-based training provider Seagull found worrying gaps in knowledge about onboard food handling and hygiene.

Although its survey —which was carried out in cooperation with the International Radio-Medical Centre in Rome and the Centre for Clinical Research, Telemedicine and Telepharmacy at Camerino University — focused on the shipboard personnel of the Italian tanker operator Finaval, Seagull believes the problem is

one that affects merchant ships across the world fleet.

Seafarers in all ranks were quizzed on their knowledge and understanding of food hygiene and food handling best practice, and catering staff emerged as ‘the least informed about the subject matter for the majority of questions’.

Shortcomings were found in even the most basic knowledge. Catering staff provided the highest proportion of ‘no’ answers to the question ‘Do you think that diseases can be transmitted through food?’ Only 52% of catering and galley staff were aware that food may be responsible for disease transmission, while more than 30% skipped the question.

An even deeper problem is demonstrated by the findings that 88% of catering staff got the storage temperature of dairy products (below +4C) wrong, 20% believed refrigeration helped germs to grow, 35% thought hazardous foods always had a bad taste or smell, and 48% thought refreezing thawed food was no problem.

Overall, warns Seagull, catering staff proved to be among the least likely to identify the symptoms of food-borne illness.

Senior course instructor Anders Brunvoll pointed out: ‘The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 has explicit rules covering food and catering to ensure that seafarers have access to good quality food and drinking water under

regulated hygienic conditions. However, this detailed survey suggests that there is considerable work to be done so that the relevant staff are suitably trained.

‘Tools ensuring that catering staff are properly trained for their positions are critical for shipowners, but also for the rest of a ship’s crew working alongside those handling, storing and serving their food,’ he added. ‘Seafarers face rigorous training and have a right to expect rigour on hygiene from their galley and catering shipmates.’

Mr Brunvoll said Finaval had used the survey results to produce new training and testing programmes for catering staff.

16/04/2014 18:19

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Master died in tank rescue bid Tanker accident serves as a lesson in what not to do, investigators warn

P

The master of a UKowned tanker died after taking a ‘very foolhardy’ decision to enter an enclosed space in an attempt to rescue a cadet who had been overcome by fumes.

The captain of the 116,619dwt Sharp Lady had entered an empty cargo tank with no breathing apparatus when the cadet and the chief officer were affected by hydrocarbon fumes while seeking to retrieve an oil sampler which had been dropped during discharge operations.

The incident occurred as the Blenheim Shipping-owned tanker was sailing from Australia to Indonesia in ballast in August last year with a crew of 22 Pakistani seafarers. Accident investigators said it was ‘sad and disappointing’ that such an incident could occur despite training, drills and repeated warnings about enclosed space dangers.

A report produced by the Isle of Man, as flag state, describes

the master’s actions as unsafe and impulsive. It says the master — who had more than 20 years’ seagoing experience, 13 onboard tankers — had gone against all training, procedures and information provided onboard, and warns that the accident ‘should serve as another valuable lesson to all seafarers of what not to do’.

Investigators said there had been a serious breach of safety management system procedures and accepted industry practices for purging and gas-freeing the cargo tank and to enter the space only when prescribed hydrocarbon and oxygen levels were reached.

Readings taken before the two men entered the space showed the hydrocarbon concentration to be 26% LEL against the recommended acceptable entry limit of 1% — and when the chief officer questioned the master about this, he was told to wear emergency escape breathing devices in the tank.

The report says opportunities to reconsider the task as part of the risk assessment had been missed and further safeguards to reduce the hazards had not been put in place before the men entered the tank.

The decision to enter the tank under such atmospheric conditions should have been challenged and stopped, investigators added, but because very few people were involved in the planning of the task no other crew members had the opportunity to raise objections and not all the crew members entering the tank or controlling access to it were aware of the hydrocarbon level.

‘This incident needed just one person to stand up and say “No!”,’ the report stressed. ‘However, the cultural nature of the crew was to accept the decision of someone senior in the hierarchy onboard.’

The investigation revealed that the chief officer — who had only three months’ experience in the rank — was not fully aware of

his duties as safety officer and his legal right to stop the tank entry after the atmosphere was found to be unsafe.

A pumpman had shouted at the captain advising him not to enter the tank without a breathing apparatus set, but he was ignored and the master collapsed at the bottom of the tank. Investigators said the rescue of the master and the cadet, which was led by the chief engineer, had been carried out well.

The report recommends that the IoM registry should distribute the report to highlight the dangers of enclosed spaces and the importance of effective familiarisation and entry procedures.

It urges the ship’s managers to promote the power of the safety officer, safety reps and other concerned crew members to stop any work which they reasonably believe may cause an accident and to review the familiarisation training and enclosed space entry procedures onboard its vessels.

OOW slept in busy sealane F

Accident investigators have raised concern about a Dutchflagged containership which sailed through some of Japan’s busiest shipping lanes before running into a sea wall after the lone watchkeeping officer fell asleep.

The 9,994gt Flevodijk suffered a damaged bulbous bow after colliding with the sea well near the entrance to the Akashi Strait in the Harima Nada Sea in August 2011 during a voyage from China to Japan.

Investigators said the officer had started to feel drowsy about 80 minutes after taking over the watch at 0100hrs. He had walked around the bridge in an attempt to relieve his sleepiness, but dozed off after returning to the chair.

The ship had sailed on autopilot for around 17nm at a speed of 15.5 knots before colliding with the sea wall at

The damaged Flevodijk after the accident in 2011 Picture: JTSB

0439hrs. It had passed through an area described by the Japan Transport

Safety Board (JTSB) as an important and congested marine traffic area,

in which four routes converge, many fishing vessels operate and a strong current exists at high and low water.

The JTSB report points out that the master should not have made the officer take the watch without a lookout at night-time and in such a busy area.

The officer had been on a routine in which he had two four-hour periods of sleep in every 24 hours, it notes, and did not call for assistance because he had never fallen asleep on watch before.

Watchkeepers should avoid using chairs if there is a possibility they may fall asleep on duty, the report adds.

The JTSB said the incident highlighted the importance of compliance with the collision prevention regulations and STCW Convention requirements for an ‘appropriate lookout’.

Fatal fire sparks call for SOLAS changes A

An investigation into a fatal fire onboard a products tanker off the UK coast last year has called for improvements to fire-fighting systems.

A Filipino engineer officer died as a result of burns suffered in the engineroom blaze onboard the Maltese-flagged Mississippi Star during a voyage in ballast from Teesport to Antwerp last June.

Malta’s Marine Safety Investigation Unit found that the incident occurred when the third engineer was conducting routine maintenance on the auxiliary engines. Diesel oil sprayed out under

12-13_h+s.indd 13

pressure onto the hot surface of a turbo-charger when he slackened the bolts of the cover to the fuel oil filter while it was still pressurised.

The investigation report notes that the design of the filter change-over lever to isolate the filters was inadequately marked and did not readily indicate which of the fuel oil filters was in use.

It also expresses concern over the failure of the water mist fire-fighting system during the incident, noting that it had stopped working because of fire and heat damage to the control cabling, which was routed just above the auxiliary engines.

Investigators recommended that the German owners of the 13,054dwt vessel improve the design and signage of the change-over level and assess the routeing of the water mist extinguishing system or ensure that it is suitably protected against high temperatures.

The report also calls for Malta’s marine directorate to work at the International Maritime Organisation for proposed amendments to the SOLAS Convention that would improve the fire-resistance of fire-fighting system cabling and components.

The freefall lifeboat on the bulk carrier Aquarosa Picture: ATSB

Freefall lifeboat probe prompts safety alert Board has issued a warning F about lifeboat release mechanisms Australia’s Transport Safety

following the preliminary results of an inquiry into a serious accident onboard a bulk carrier earlier this year.

The second engineer officer on the Maltese-flagged Aquarosa suffered serious injuries when a freefall lifeboat was accidently released while crew members were carrying out routine safety checks during a ballast voyage from Singapore to Australia in March.

The lifeboat launched when the hook was released after the engineer topped up the release system hydraulic oil reservoir and manually operated the pump to pressurise the system to check for oil leaks.

The ATSB said its initial analysis of the incident indicated that the lifeboat release mechanism was not fully and correctly reset after it was last used.

It also found that two simulation wires designed to hold the lifeboat on release failed ‘at a load significantly below their rated safe working load’.

The Board said it is continuing to investigate why the simulation wires failed and how the release mechanism could have been re-set incorrectly without an obvious visual warning.

It has also called for warnings to be issued to the operators of ships fitted with similar Jiangsu Jiaoyan Marine Equipment JY-FN-5.8 type lifeboats take appropriate action to prevent similar accidents.

MAIB warns of risks in enclosed lifeboats lifeboats as enclosed spaces and F check the atmosphere is safe before Seafarers need to treat enclosed

entry, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has warned.

Its latest safety digest reports on a case in which an officer undertaking routine maintenance checks on an enclosed lifeboat tested the air inside after smelling a ‘rotten egg’ odour.

Gas monitoring equipment recorded concentrations of hydrogen sulphide gas in excess of 60ppm — a level which would have been sufficient to cause permanent eye damage — and subsequent investigations revealed that this had been created by a faulty charger over-charging the boat’s batteries.

The MAIB notes that seafarers

would not intuitively think of an enclosed lifeboat as an enclosed space, but warns that the case demonstrates the potential risks of entering without checking the atmosphere.

‘It may not be a sufficient control measure to simply leave the access door open for a period of time prior to entry as hydrogen sulphide is heavier than air,’ the report points out. ‘The gas may therefore pool in the wells of the boat, especially on freefall lifeboats. Forced ventilation may be required to make the interior of the boat safe to enter.’

Correct operation of the battery charger should form part of the regular maintenance checks which are conducted on lifeboats, the MAIB said.

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16/04/2014 18:19

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports

‘no frills’ car ferry service linking A Portsmouth to Le Havre in Normandy and

MSC ORDERS: French maritime unions have welcomed an order by the Italian-Swiss operator MSC Cruises for up to four 167,600 new generation cruiseships from STX France. The initial €1.5bn order is for two 315m vessels, capable of carrying up to 5,700 passengers and 1,536 crew, with an option for two more. The order is the biggest ever for MSC Cruises and the ships will be the largest ever built in a European yard, with delivery earmarked for 2017 and 2019.

Santander in northern Spain using the recently-acquired 26,904gt ferry Etretat, pictured left.

The service — branded Brittany Ferries économie — offers one-way fares for a car plus two starting at £59 to France and £169 (including reclining seats) to Spain. The company says facilities and space onboard are limited compared with its usual ‘cruise ferry’ services, but still include a self-service restaurant, bar, and movie lounge as well as free wi-fi internet access. Picture: Gary

SEA STATS: the Netherlands has continued as Europe’s biggest maritime freight transport country, a new report reveals. The 543m tonnes of seaborne goods handled in Dutch ports in 2012 represented 14.6 % of the total recorded in the EU’s 28 member countries. The UK came second, with 13.4%, and Italy third at 12.8%. The EU member state handling the largest number of ship passengers was Italy, with a total of 76,735, followed by Greece with 73,409.

CABLESHIP PROTEST: French seafarers serving with the cableship firm Orange Marine stopped work for two hours last month in protest at new employment arrangements proposed for a new vessel due to enter the fleet in October. The unions challenge management’s plan to use seafarers from Madagascar in place of French ratings on the new ship Pierre de Fermat.

BOXSHIP SCRAPPING: containership scrapping this year could hit a new record, with panamax ships expected to account for over half of the capacity to be broken up, according to the industry analysts Alphaliner. The disposals could help reduce over-supply in the global market, with laid-up tonnage currently accounting for 4.5% of the total fleet, Alphaliner said.

LINESMEN KILLED: an investigation was launched last month after two dockworkers died when they fell overboard from a boat which capsized while they were handling lines from the Royal Caribbean cruiseship Independence of the Seas in the port of Zante in St Kitts.

ENGINEER ALARM: the annual meeting of the French coastal passenger shipping association, ARMAM, has expressed concern at the shortage of marine engineers and has warned of the problems posed by the growing gap between shipboard needs and training.

CRUISE LOSSES: the Japanese builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries expects to lose €450m from two 124,500gt cruiseships ordered in 2011 by the German operator Aida Cruises. Mitsubishi blames the problems on design changes leading to big production delays.

Brittany Ferries has launched its

Davies/Maritime Photographic

Australian coastal plan ‘is jobs risk’ Government starts consultation on possible relaxation of cabotage rules

P

Thousands of maritime jobs could be jeopardised as a result of Australian government moves to relax rules restricting foreign shipping access to the country’s coastal trades, it was warned last month.

Plans to remove ‘unnecessary regulatory burdens’ on cabotage shipping operations were revealed by acting prime minister Warren Truss.

‘Right now our domestic shipping industry is treading water, bound in red tape and unable to be competitive both domestically and internationally,’ he said. ‘If allowed to continue under Labor’s tangle of deadweights, the industry will sink to the bottom of the harbour.’

The minister released an ‘options paper’ inviting views on the repeal or reform of existing regulations and maritime law,

and seeking input on issues such as the extension of the Fair Work Act to require Australian pay and conditions on foreign-crewed ships, seafarers’ tax concessions, the cost of domestic shipping, arrangements for cruiseships, and the regulation of coastal trading.

He described the options paper as ‘the first step in unlocking the regulatory shackles on shippers and boosting Australia’s competitiveness’.

Mr Truss said a viable, vibrant shipping industry was essential for Australia, which relies on ships for 99% of its international trade volumes. ‘Too often we hear that it is cheaper to freight goods from overseas than ship them from one Australian port to another,’ he claimed.

He claimed that Labor’s maritime policies had failed to gener-

previous Labor government in 2012 which had helped reverse the decline in Australian-flagged shipping.

‘Labor believes that mariners plying domestic coastal routes should be paid Australian level wages, as happens in every other industry in the country,’ Mr Albanese added. ‘If this does not occur, then there is a competitive disadvantage for Australian ships.’

The country’s owners have welcomed the plans. Acting executive director of the Australian Shipowners Association Angela Gillham commented: ‘We look forward to discussing with the government how we can make some measured but significant changes that reduce unnecessary administrative burden and provide the long-term policy certainty that the Australian shipping industry needs to grow.’

Cruise firms moving too slow on safety, US hearing is told

BW BOOST: the Singapore-based BW group is continuing to strengthen its 108 ship fleet following an agreement to purchase the Heidmar stake in the tanker pool operator Womar, which controls a fleet of over 40 chemical and product carriers.

FRENCH LESSONS: the French port of Boulogne is to open a new maritime high school by 2017. The €35m centre is intended to be the most modern establishment of its kind in Europe.

dragging their heels on safety, F a leading US politician told a public

Cruise shipping companies are

Chinese visit to Tyneside China and the UK are sharing A and comparing expertise and Maritime lecturers from

experience by visiting each other’s seafarer training institutions.

Li Bin and Zhang Gang, lecturers at Qingdao Ocean Shipping Mariners College in Shangdong Province, eastern China, are pictured above on a recent visit to South Shields Marine School.

Mr Li, a former chief engineer, and Mr Zhang, a former chief officer, spent three and four weeks respectively at the school, and visited the multi-million-pound full mission-bridge and engineroom

14-15_int.indd 14

ate a revival in Australian shipping, with the country’s second register failing to attract any ships since it was launched.

He added that the number of major Australian-registered vessels in the trading fleet has continued to slide, going from 33 vessels in 2002-03 to just 16 by December last year.

But Opposition spokesperson Anthony Albanese warned that the proposals could damage Australia’s domestic shipping industry and threaten as many as 10,000 jobs.

He described the options paper as ‘a smokescreen for the government’s intention to allow businesses to use foreign-flagged vessels to avoid paying Australian wages’.

And he accused Mr Truss of planning to ‘wind back’ support measures introduced by the

simulators. They spent time with marine lecturers to learn about teaching methods and discuss the demands of the modern maritime industry.

Mr Zhang said he and his colleague had learned a lot: ‘There are differences in the way the training centres operate but there are many similarities as well.’

South Shields principal Gary Hindmarch said such links reflect the rising global demand for seafarers and he made a return visit to China in April, followed by two of his training staff who will lecture to 300 Chinese marine students.

hearing last month.

Speaking at the two-day National Transportation Safety Board meeting, Democrat senator Jay Rockefeller described ‘worrying’ evidence he had received as chairman of the Senate committee on commerce, science, and transportation.

‘Witnesses and experts have highlighted unsafe travelling conditions, major deficiencies in fire detection systems and evacuation procedures, a lack of crew training, miscommunications about what actions should be taken to address safety issues, and the inability of the ship to take care of and efficiently evacuate passengers,’ he said.

‘In response, the cruise lines have provided testimony on a number of safety changes. However, cruise lines have a disappointing history of taking discrete safety steps only after a terrible incident and bad press reports, and they have yet to demonstrate

commitment to fostering a long-term, industry-wide safety culture,’ he added.

The NTSB meeting also heard from a marine pilot, who warned that there is a danger of over-reliance upon electronics on cruiseships. Captain Jorge Viso, from Tampa Bay Pilots, told the hearing: ‘There is a definite trend toward driving the ship electronically, and while some may argue that this is the future, we are not there today.’

NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman said it was important to examine operational, design and regulatory issues in the light of the growing size of passengerships and the scale of the cruise industry.

But Budd Darr, senior vice president for technical and regulatory affairs at Cruise Lines International Association, told the panel the average size of the largest cruiseships has levelled out for the time being.

Industry officials also defended crew training standards, saying that operators go well beyond current regulations.

16/04/2014 18:46

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Seafarers strike as SNCM fears grow Unions want Mediterranean ferry firm to be returned to state ownership

by Jeff Apter

S

Seafaring unions staged a seven-day strike at the French ferry firm SNCM last month after securing important assurances about the future of the troubled Mediterranean operator.

The unions staged the action in protest at a ‘serious and imminent threat’ to the fleet as a result of moves by the main shareholder, Transdev, to sell its 66% stake. Unions feared Transdev was on the verge of starting court proceedings to have SNCM declared bankrupt.

CGT union leader Frédéric Apozzo, the CGT union’s leader in Marseilles, said the action — which stopped ro-pax sailings between the French mainland, Corsica and north Africa — was necessary to ensure SNCM’s future as a major operator.

The joint union committee ended the strike after Transdev assured sea minister Frédéric

Striking SNCM seafarers march through Marseilles in protest at the threat to the future of the Mediterranean ferry firm Picture: Thibaud Teillard

Cuvillier that it would lift its threat of commercial court proceedings which could have put SNCM into receivership.

However, Transdev said it remains concerned about the ferry firm’s finances and the unions are continuing to press the minister to act against the Euro-

pean Commission’s demands for SNCM to repay €440m of subsidies. They have accused the minister of failing to deliver on promises to challenge the Commission’s ruling that the aid was illegal.

Unions want to see SNCM — which was privatised in 2006 —

brought back into state control.

The French government presently has a 25% stake in the company and the workers hold the remaining 9% equity.

The lack of clarity over SNCM’s financial future has prevented the company from placing orders for up to four new generation ferries as a condition for receiving a new 10-year contract to run the lifeline services between Marseilles and Corsica. Transdev and its parent companies Veolia and CDC have said they will put no more money into SNCM. One of the possible solutions for SNCM’s future is a change of shareholders that could involve French and Norwegian investors and/or possible financial participation by the city of Marseilles and local councils. Norway’s Siem Shipping confirmed last month that it was in talks with Transdev about the possible acquisition of SNCM, and Transdev said it was willing to sell its stake at a symbolic sum to facilitate a takeover.

Unions and owners condemn slow progress on French aid F

French seafaring unions and ship owners have expressed alarm at the slow pace of government action to implement important maritime policy measures.

Patrice Le Vigouroux — elected in March as the new general secretary of the French officers’ union CFE-CGC — has slammed the government for failing to deliver promised proposals to give more support to the country’s shipping industry.

In a letter to transport minister Frédéric Cuvillier, Capt Le Vigouroux expressed concern about the absence of measures to safeguard the future of the SNCM ferry fleet and to protect seafarers’ jobs in companies including Maersk Tankers France, Orange Marine and MyFerryLink.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the French owners’ association (AdF) last month, president Raymond Vidil said much had been expected from the sea minister’s positive statements on important maritime issues, but little had been done to put them into effect.

The only subject that had made progress was the draft parliamentary bill to allow armed guards to protect

The 164,641dwt Maersk Sandra ‒ the last ship in Maersk’s French flag tankers operation Picture: Eric Houri

French ships from pirates — and even this was months later than the announced deadline for putting it on the statute book, making it unlikely

it will come into effect before the autumn.

Mr Vidil said the 26-point report on the future of French merchant shipping

commissioned by the prime minister had been ready since November 2013, but was still on the table.

He welcomed the government’s latest announcement to provide €80m support to help the industry’s transition to LNG fuel — but said its slowness meant the country would not be able to meet its conditions before the 1 January 2015 sulphur directive deadline. Finland had established a similar aid programme over 18 months ago, he added.

The AdF president said the government had also dragged its heels on plans to extend a law requiring a proportion of French energy shipments to be carried by national-flag ships.

Mr Vidil said he had called for action exactly one year ago to stop Maersk Tankers France from flagging out, but now it was too late — with the loss of skilled jobs and know-how.

Jobs are also being lost in the offshore wind sector, with France’s maritime activity threatened by the UK, Denmark and Germany, Mr Vidil argued. ‘We don’t need further reports, missions and think-tanks — what we do need is decisions,’ he said.

Greek-controlled fleet hits a record high another all-time high — last month recording A a total of 3,901 vessels of 291m dwt, up 224 ships The Greek-controlled merchant fleet has hit

and 25.5m dwt over the past year.

Figures released by the London-based Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC) revealed

14-15_int.indd 15

that Greek owners presently have 378 vessels of 33.6m dwt on order and that the average age of the Greek fleet has fallen to 9.9 years, compared with 12.4 years for the world fleet.

However, the owners have warned that a ‘severe loss of confidence’ caused by changes in the tonnage

tax regime has resulted in a reduction in the number of ships flying the national flag — from 829 last year to 819 this year.

Just 22% of Greek-owned tonnage now flies the Greek flag, with 17% on the Liberian register, 16% with the Marshall Islands and 15% with Malta.

shortreports DETENTION CHALLENGE: the environmental group Greenpeace is to file a court case with the European Court of Human Rights, seeking to bring Russia to justice following the arrest and two-month detention of the 30 activists and crew from its vessel Arctic Sunrise last year. Greenpeace accuses Russia of violent behaviour and arbitrary administrative decisions when the protestors were initially accused of piracy and later with hooliganism before President Putin granted them amnesty in December.

SERVICE SUSPENDED: the French operator LD Lines has suspended its service between Ireland and France, only three months after it began. The company says the Rosslare and Montoir route will be re-opened in June, as a seasonal operation until the end of August.

LD Lines blamed bad weather for disrupting the service, which uses the 27,414gt ferry Norman Asturias. The link was inaugurated in January as an extension to the company’s Montoir-Gijón shortsea shipping route.

UASC ORDER: the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) has decided to take up its option on a sixth 18,000TEU containership from Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea. The first five vessels, due for delivery from April 2015, were ordered in August 2013. In February this year UASC took up options for six 14,000TEU boxships from the same yard on top of five sisterships ordered in August 2013. The 17 container carriers are valued at US$2bn.

TUNISIAN BOYCOTT: Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to withdraw all calls to Tunisia after Israeli nationals onboard its vessel Norwegian Jade were refused entry to the port of La Goulette during a scheduled call. NCL managing director Kevin Sheehan called the incident a scandal and said the Line was sending a ‘strong message’ to Tunisia and other ports that it will never tolerate such discrimination.

CADET JAILED: a Jamaican cadet has been jailed for 13 years for drug trafficking on a merchant ship operating on a service between the island and Venezuela. The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) cadet was arrested as part of an operation by Venezuelan authorities in December and will serve the time in Venezuela.

NOISE MOVE: the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has drafted a series of measures that seek to limit noise emissions from seismic research vessels in the Atlantic. The plans have been tabled in an attempt to protect marine life from the damaging effects of noise pollution.

BOXSHIP GROUNDS: the German owners of the 2,810TEU containership Hansa Constitution, which ran aground west of Hong Kong island last month, blamed engine failure for the incident.

SWISS ROLE: Geogas Maritime, the French wing of Switzerland-based operator Geogas, has put its new 35,000 cu m LNG tanker Surville into service under the French international flag, RIF.

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16/04/2014 16:09

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

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Meeting to be held in RotP terdam on 19 June.

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Pictured, left to right: Cdr Stuart Aiken, Jackie Hunt, Georgie Hibberd, Derek Bristow, Lt Cdr Karen Kristiansen, MMW chairman Robin Ebsworth,

Merchant Mariners of Wight give out £1,200 in awards Wight (MMW) held their AGM C and monthly luncheon on 21 March, The Merchant Mariners of

followed by the Tony McGinnity Memorial Award presentations.

This year the awards were £500 each to the Sea Cadet units of Cowes and Ryde, TS Osborne and TS Royal George, and £200 to the Federation of Merchant Mariners. Also present was Lt Cdr (SCC) Karen Kristiansen RNR, central district officer, Sea Cadets.

The awards were presented by Mrs Georgie Hibberd, long-term partner of Mr McGinnity, received by Jackie Hunt, vice-chair TS Osborne, Cdr Stuart Aiken RN Rtd, chairman TS Royal George, and Derek Bristow, chief executive of the Federation of Merchant Mariners.

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16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 16

While some of the proposed changes to the Rules could be seen as being routine ‘good housekeeping’, others would move us towards becoming a less democratic and, probably, even smaller Union. None of them are in response to an urgent need.

Restricting membership to maritime professionals who are ‘employed or engaged by employers operating exclusively or mainly in the maritime industry’ rather than, as now, all maritime professionals is an unnecessary change which would cause problems. Many maritime professionals — including some surveyors (eg, those employed by Bureau Veritas) and maritime lawyers — would not be eligible for full membership. There may even be some seagoing members who would no longer be eligible (eg, those employed by the MoD).

It is true that Council would be able to use its discretion to allow membership to others who do not meet the eligibility test. But relying on discretionary powers is unsatisfactory, almost certainly would appear discriminatory and is simply not good practice. This change would lose us members. It would be far better to continue to allow in all maritime professionals. This proposal is completely baffling.

Why should we want to do it?

Turning to the proposed change to Rule 22, this would mean that Union officials could only stand for election as general secretary if nominated by Council — and Council can only nominate one candidate. The effect would be to make the position of the incumbent general secretary even more secure than it now is. More importantly, this proposed change would be highly undemocratic because Union officials are allowed membership precisely so that they can take part in the democratic processes of the Union. Their own interests as employees of Nautilus are looked after by a separate union.

It would be quite logical, though not in my view desirable, to say all Union officials cannot be Nautilus members. But if they are to be members they should be able to stand for election as general secretary, if supported by the required number of full members. This is not only a matter of the individual rights of the officials but also of the rest of the membership who should

have the right to support who they believe to be the best candidate.

Then there are the changes concerning the expulsion or disciplining of members. The new wording seems to give the Executive Committee a bigger role. The expulsion of members is such a serious measure to take that, surely, it should be the direct responsibility of Council. Also the construction of the rule change is fundamentally flawed. The proposed new version of Rule 25.4 allows for the suspension of members who are ‘under investigation under Rule 25’. But there would no longer be any authority, under the proposed new Rule 25, to conduct an investigation. Again, investigating a member is a very serious matter and the Rules should be absolutely clear as to when this can happen.

So the proposed Rule changes should be of considerable concern to members. With that in mind, can the general secretary please explain what action he is taking to ensure attendees at the important Rules Meeting in Rotterdam will be truly representative of the membership as a whole, as required by Rule 19?

None of these rule changes are so urgent that they could not wait until the 2015 General Meeting.

Why the haste? And why are important rule changes being considered at a meeting that is inconvenient for the majority of the membership to attend? But given that this meeting has been called, I urge all members who are able to attend to do so.

DAVID HUGHES Mem no 124844

P Assistant general secretary Mike Jess replies: The Council has called the RGM to do the exact opposite of what Mr Hughes claims. The changes will in fact make the Union more democratic and responsible to, and empowered by, the vast majority of full members who are engaged in the maritime industries, at sea, ashore or working afloat in the inland waterways sector, etc.

Maritime professionals working ashore will remain or can become full members.

What the change to Rule 3 means is that someone (perhaps who was originally at sea) cannot continue or join when they are not now working as a maritime professional. For example, someone who was a full member leaves the sea and joins a financial advice company and seeks to stay

a full member and then seek election to the Council. Who does such a person represent? Not members in the maritime industry.

The Rules have been clear for decades that such a person can become an associate member, but that is a class without the right to be involved in the direct democratic structure of the Union.

Mr Hughes makes a misconceived assertion that the change would mean that some seagoing officers could not be members.

This is simply not correct. The existing Rule has been interpreted by the Council in the way proposed in the new Rule since 2012 and Mr Hughes will not find a single example to justify his claim. He states ‘Why would we want to do it?’ The answer is to protect the democratic rights of maritime professionals working in the maritime industry.

Regarding Rule 22, Mr Hughes states that ‘…Union officials are allowed membership precisely so that they can take part in the democratic processes of the Union’. Again the opposite is the case. Up until the 1980s the Council contained many full-time officials — sometimes a majority. The Rules were then changed — by members — to restrict the numbers so that only maritime professionals controlled their Union. In fact for many years the Rules have explicitly prohibited Union employees from standing for election to the Council.

The proposed change does not make the ‘...position of the incumbent general secretary even more secure…’. Any full member, who is a maritime professional but not employed by the Union can stand for election as GS with the support of other full members. This principle has been enshrined in the Rules for decades. Employees of the Union are given the explicit right to seek the nomination of the Council which, if successful, may actually be detrimental to an incumbent GS seeking re-election. This proposal is compliant with trade union legislation.

Regarding Rule 25, the Rules have, for many decades, provided that the Council or the Executive Committee deal with the very rare cases (less than a handful in the history of the Union) which might lead to the expulsion of a member of the Union. The new Rule follows the rules of natural justice and the relevant laws. The details which Mr Hughes claims

are missing will be covered by Regulations as laid down in the new Rule 25.6. This brings the Rule in line with the other rules so that the main principles are in the rules and the detailed procedures etc are in Regulations.

With regard to the arrangements for the RGM, this is being held in conjunction with a Council meeting, which has happened several times before.

Why now? Because elections will be underway this summer! The fact that it is being held in Rotterdam reflects the fact that Nautilus has been Nautilus International for some years now and the Council and General Meetings have been held in the UK and NL and indeed may in due course be held in Switzerland.

Under Rule 19 the Council determines ‘...from time to time…’ the numbers and composition of potential attendees to General Meetings. Those full members who attend will be slotted into the appropriate category.

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16/04/2014 19:04

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Seafarers are not slaves telegraph — we have a choice...

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

I read with interest the letter in the March Telegraph describing the ‘hardships’ faced by a fellow member serving onboard one of the world’s leading ferry companies. Any interest soon turned to disgust, not only at his poor attempt at humour but that the editorial team thought it apt to include his nom-de-plume ‘Kunte Kinte’ (actually it’s Kunta Kinte).

Unlike the African-American slaves of the times to which the writer refers, they have a choice about going to work and who they decide to work for. I’m absolutely convinced their village is not raided on a two-weekly basis, that they are not bound, chained or whipped as they are led away up the gangway and

off to strange lands.

I sympathise with the writer in that they feel their conditions are unacceptable, but I’d suggest they and their colleagues redirect their efforts to contacting Nautilus with an official complaint and withdraw their labour if improvements are not forthcoming, or alternatively like myself and many more like me, polish off their CV and turn to the Telegraph’s appointments sections.

If they studied a little more history, they will find that these options were also unavailable to the real slaves who experienced unimaginable cruelty.

DAVID SINCLAIR mem no 187140

Sometimes ‘speaking ill of the dead’ can be the right thing to do Festival of Remembrance seeks MN veterans of Normandy invasion The Merchant Navy Welfare Board would like to hear from any seafarer who was involved at sea during World War Two, or in any other subsequent conflict, and who would like to represent the Merchant Navy in the 2014 Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the Normandy invasion.

In recognition of the Merchant Navy’s major participation, veterans who served in that theatre would be particularly welcome. The Festival is due to take place on Saturday 8 November 2014 and as in previous years, the Board is seeking four persons.

The Merchant Navy has been

given an increasingly high profile in the Festival. This is an opportunity to remind the wider public not only of our historical role, in supporting and supplying the United Kingdom, but also that the need for this remains just as important today.

Appropriately, therefore, the veterans are accompanied by four young cadets under training.

Any person wishing to put their name forward is asked to understand that there is a need to be available for rehearsals starting on Friday 7 November, continuing through Saturday morning and culminating with two public performances later in the day.

The event is, of course, broadcast that evening by the BBC. This is a full programme and therefore requires a reasonable level of fitness to participate. The Merchant Navy Welfare Board will cover all reasonable travel costs for participants and arrange hotel accommodation for those living outside London. Anyone interested should contact: Louise Furber, PA to chief executive, Merchant Navy Welfare Board, 8 Cumberland Place, Southampton Hants, S015 2BH. Tel: + 44 (0)2380 337799 Email: louise@mnwb.org.uk Capt DAVID PARSONS Chief Executive Merchant Navy Welfare Board

Mark Dickinson, in his panegyric to the late Bob Crow (April Telegraph), says: ‘The crude media caricature did Bob few favours — but may have led many to under-estimate his quick thinking and sharp intellect.’

Sharp intellect? Perhaps.

Crow was a self-declared communist. MN officers of my generation who visited USSR and other eastern bloc ports during the communist era will recall the long queues of malnourished people outside sparsely stocked food shops, the roads empty of private cars, or even motorcycles, the gimcrack apartment buildings providing cramped family accommodation, the hopelessly inefficient ports with their corrupt officials and the allpervading air of hopelessness. What kind of intellect can see any merit in such a failed system?

Crow was old enough to know all

that, he may have visited the USSR on an all-paid for junket as one of Leonid Brezhnev’s ‘useful idiots’.

One instinctively knows that Bob Crow and all who think as he did would impose that system on us all if we were foolish enough to let them.

Mark, obituary writers are permitted to criticise their subjects as well as eulogise them. (See The Times obit of Crow). It makes for a more rounded piece. You could have lighted upon the question of Crow living in a council house, state subsidised to aid poorer people, whilst drawing a six figure salary.

The next time a standard-bearer of the hard left departs to the great Marxist-Leninist paradise in the sky, can Nautilus’s general secretary be a little more candid?

PETER ADAMS mem no 107262

What exactly is complacency? recall that I had an article P published in the journal some Telegraph readers may

years ago in which I addressed

:,7+(5%<

16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 17

the subject of ‘complacency’ and argued how this much overused word in marine circles can be a finger-pointing word which can

very effectively camouflage real root causes of value.

Well, imagine my delight when I read the following in

Andrew Hopkins’ acclaimed book on the Gulf of Mexico blowout, Disastrous Decisions (chapter 8, page 117): ‘This analysis helps to illuminate the idea of “complacency”. Recall Transocean’s (rig owner) response to the North Sea blowout — “do not be complacent”, its advisory said.

Similarly, the inquiry by the regulator concluded that, “overall complacency of the Deepwater Horizon crew was a possible contributing cause of the kick detection failure” and hence of the blowout.

‘Complacency, however, is a moral failing, a bit like carelessness. And singling out moral failure as a contributing factor does little to advance the cause of accident prevention. The reality is that people learn that so-called complacent behaviour works. Complacency is the product of practical experience which, as we know, is considerably more influential than abstract knowledge about risk. It is obvious therefore that railing against complacency, as the Transocean advisory did, is

unlikely to have the intended effect.’

The book incidentally clinically takes apart BP’s management of process safety in exploration drilling and points out the fatal deficiencies in the US regulatory regime.

In addition, it is my view that accident reports on this disaster did not explore the human factors involved with any degree of thoroughness. Had they done so, the reports may very well have drawn attention to the failure of the oil industry to recognise the importance of Human Element Leadership & Management (HELM) training. The lack of this training meant that the crew onboard were ill-prepared to deal with the emergency in the most effective way possible, through effective leadership and teamwork, supported by tried and tested standard operating procedures and executed by crew members who had their competencies independently assured.

JOHN WRIGHT Managing Director WrightWay Training Limited

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: Tom Poole tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 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 Redactive Media Group 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP.

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: youth@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.

16/04/2014 16:10

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

YOUR LETTERS

Bon voyage, Charles Rice Nelson the headline ‘Farewell to a dashing shipmate’ Captain P Tony Minns’s tribute to Charles Rice Nelson, who died on 16 I was saddened to read in the March Telegraph under

January.

I first met Charles in the late autumn of 1961 when both of us served as midshipmen with Alfred Holt & Co’s Blue Funnel Line. In early December of that year we both joined the company’s cadet ship Diomed in Liverpool and spent the next 10 months sailing to the Far East and Japan from Liverpool, including two coastal voyages to the Continent, and we became very good friends. After leaving the Diomed in September 1962 we parted company and finished our apprenticeships on different ships.

The next time I met Charlie was in the autumn of 1963 when both of us were in college studying for our 2nd Mates ticket at Liverpool, where our friendship continued. We both gained our tickets in early 1964 and went our separate ways once again.

In the autumn of 1964 I joined the Medomsley Steam

Shipping Company’s mv Brecon Beacon in Rotterdam as third mate, which I got from the Pool in Liverpool, and sailed from that port in ballast for Coatsacoalcos in the Gulf of Mexico to load a full cargo of bulk sulphur for Immingham. We encountered a hurricane on passage and lost four days trying to avoid it, the wind and seas were horrendous.

On arriving at Immingham at the end of the voyage, who relieved me as third mate but Charlie, who was as surprised as myself to see each other once again. I agree with Charlie that it was something of a culture shock joining Medomsley after Blue Funnel in more ways than one. For instance, the accommodation on the Brecon Beacon was fully air conditioned whereas in Blue Funnel it was not. Another thing that amazed me was that my first watch at sea as a newly qualified officer was the evening 8 to 12 when we sailed through the Dover Straits. I was alone on the bridge with the wheelman. The captain came up just once during the watch to see how I was doing and asked me the name of

the lighthouse that was flashing on our port bow, which I told him. He then wrote his night orders and departed the bridge. Now on Blue Funnel the officers would be on double watches in the English Channel and the captain would be on the bridge whilst transiting the Dover Straits! Not only was it a culture shock but a very fast learning curve.

Lastly, but unknown to me until I read Captain Minns’s letter, he spent 20 odd years sailing out of Dover on P&O Ferries before retiring, whilst I spent about the same number of years with P&O Ferries sailing on the Irish Sea before I retired in 1999.

It’s a strange coincidence how our careers seemed to have shadowed each other over the years and it saddens me to think that, as I was unaware of his passing away, I was not amongst those friends and colleagues who mustered to bid him ‘bon voyage’ on his final journey.

Charlie was a true dashing shipmate.

Captain JOHN H JONES mem no 104675

Wireless Museum update Wireless Museum at Fort Perch Rock on the F Wirral, the owner states that his intention is to keep After the potential threat of closure of the

Fort Perch Rock, on the Wirral Picture: Andrew Linington

the radio/wireless room intact and open to the public. The Titanic Room is also intact and will remain open to the public.

The Marine Radio Museum Society (Wirral) will no longer be present at the Fort, after it was decided with regret that the society has to withdraw because of an increase in the rent. This will mean no maintenance/upkeep of the radio exhibits will be carried out by MRMS members.

The MRMS still meets at 1100hrs on the last Friday of each month at the Seaside Café, New Brighton, but the Society is actively looking for another venue.

More news will be advised when available.

As Telegraph readers will already know, a lot of radio equipment had to be removed rapidly from the HMS Collingwood Museum. The curators hired a van and transported all the gear to Furuno UK’s warehouse at Havant and an advert was sent out via the ROA and the Nautilus Telegraph. The response was 34 email enquiries and, so far, three sets of equipment have been collected from the warehouse.

There was £260 remaining from the initial donations and after consultations with donors this money has now been transferred to the Marine Radio Society Museum (Wirral) to help set up another wireless museum at a different venue.

CLIVE EVANS mem no 426107

In memory of Albert Elson, who was proud that his son followed him to sea I wanted to share with your readers the news of my dad, Albert Elson, who passed away recently. Although ‘Bert’ was not an officer or a member of Nautilus, he was at sea for most of his working life and many of my fellow members and your readers will have sailed with him.

He joined his first ship Apapa (O.N. 182411) in 1955 as a deck boy and before retiring in 1997 he sailed on such famous ships as Fourah Bay (O.N.303188}, Dumurra (303171), Mentor (389154) and many of the OCL/P&OCL containerships. The last one was the Encounter Bay (337058).

He loved his job and was promoted to bosun in 1987 on the Liverpool Bay (357741). He was so proud of me when I was promoted to master in 2000, having myself been a deck boy on my first ship in 1981, Osaka Bay (359487). His last wishes were for me to scatter his ashes at sea, so I will do this on my next appointment — somewhere warm.

Captain MICHAEL ELSON mem no 177011

SENIOR MARINE TRAINING UPDATING TRAINING (REFRESHER TRAINING) In accordance with the STCW Code, Seafarers are required every five years, to provide evidence of having maintained competence, to undertake the tasks, duties and responsibilities.

Personal Survival Techniques, updating training Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, updating training Advanced Fire Fighting, updating training PSC&RB, updating training

MEDICAL AND SAFETY Medical First Aid on Board Ship Med Care on Board Ship Med Care Refresher Ship Safety Officer Ship Security Officer Proficiency in Designated Security Duties STCW Basic Courses Efficient Deck Hand

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BOOK NOW For all marine courses and additional information including fees, please contact the Marine Booking Centre on: T: +44 (0) 191 427 3772 E: marine@stc.ac.uk W: www.stc.ac.uk

16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 18

16/04/2014 16:10

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

MARITIME POLICY

Stand and be counted Following a tough Parliamentary investigation, the UK government is under pressure to demonstrate how it plans to reverse a slowdown in seafarer training numbers and protect the red ensign fleet from unfair competition…

A

Nautilus concerns about a lack of defined targets in the UK government’s new maritime strategy have been backed by an all-party Parliamentary inquiry.

The House of Commons transport committee investigation report calls for ministers to make ‘an explicit commitment’ on tackling forecast serious seafarer shortages, and to detail the policy measures it will use to ensure that the UK fleet grows again.

Nautilus — which gave detailed written and oral evidence to the inquiry — has welcomed the findings and is urging the government to act on the recommendations.

Launching the report, committee chairwoman Louise Ellman underlined shipping’s continued importance to the nation, pointing out that the maritime sector earns as much as £11.8bn for the economy and supports 214,000 jobs.

‘The government’s new maritime strategy poses the right questions about UK shipping but does not yet provide compelling answers on a range of key points that will have a major impact on this valuable sector of our economy,’ she warned.

‘In particular, it is unclear how the government plans to address the looming skills gap whereby the UK will have 5,000 fewer deck and engineering officers than the UK’s maritime sector is predicted to require by 2021.

‘Unless action is taken to address this key challenge, valuable maritime businesses may either have to rely on foreign recruits or opt to move overseas,’ she warned.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson added: ‘This is a good report, which has taken onboard many of the issues that we raised in our written and verbal evidence to the committee.

‘The MPs have correctly identified the increasingly urgent need to build upon the fine words within the maritime strategy by setting down tangible targets for recruitment and employment, backed up by adequately staffed and resourced regulatory and investigative agencies,’ he said.

‘We will continue our work to make sure that ministers do not duck the committee’s findings and recommendations,’ Mr Dickinson stressed. ‘The report makes it very clear that there is no room for complacency and that policies need to be much more proactive and positive if the UK shipping sector is able to compete successfully in the tough global markets.’

The transport committee said it welcomed last year’s publica-

19_transcomm_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

tion of an inter-departmental strategy for UK shipping, suggesting that the package could provide ‘a sensible framework’ for government maritime policy into the next Parliament.

But the MPs cautioned that the ‘crucial test’ of the strategy would be whether it delivered positive results. And they warned that ‘we are not persuaded the government can give convincing answers’ to questions about the policies needed to meet the skills gap and to effectively enforce new labour and environmental regulations.

The committee calls for the government to engage in ‘meaningful discussions’ with the unions and operators on the framework and the associated actions. ‘Policy should flow from the framework, rather than the framework being used to legitimate a series of disconnected policy announcements,’ the report adds.

…it is clear that having a strong seafarer skills base is vital to the UK economy

“

”

The health of the UK maritime sector depends upon a continued supply of seafaring expertise, the MPs noted. However, in 2011 it was predicted that the gap between supply and demand for deck and engineer officers would rise to 5,000 within a decade.

‘The tonnage tax training requirement and SMarT grants are helping to train the next gen-

Picture: John Voos / Reuters

eration of British seafarers,’ the report adds. ‘However, it is not clear whether these initiatives, plus whatever can be achieved from promoting apprenticeships, will be enough to overcome the predicted 2021 shortfall.’

With the strategic plan failing to spell out how the government will ensure that future demand for UK seafarers is met, the committee called for ‘an explicit commitment’ from ministers to fully address the predicted shortfall.

Pointing to worries about cadets struggling to secure jobs after qualifying as officers, the MPs recommended work to provide accurate statistics on fall-out rates. ‘Only by doing so can the government ensure that its financial commitment to training seafarers represents long-term value for money,’ the report argues.

The MPs expressed concern that the growth of the UK fleet following the launch of the tonnage tax in 2000 has reversed, with the number of UK-owned trading vessels over 100gt falling from 731

in 2009 to 675 at the start of 2013.

Although the government has promised to ‘promote the UK flag as the register of choice for high quality ships’, the committee said it was not clear what steps are being taken to achieve this, and ministers should explain how the commitment would be delivered.

A

Nautilus had told the inquiry that it was disturbed by the way in which UK government support for the Red Ensign Group of registries, such as Gibraltar and Bermuda, ‘essentially props up the competition’ from such flags.

The committee said it was ‘surprising’ that the UK oversees competing flags — especially when ‘the primary attraction of some of these registers to shipowners is that they offer a lower standard of employment rights than does the UK flag’.

Nautilus had also raised concerns with the committee over the impact of budget cuts ranging between 21% and 33% on the

Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). The report notes that MCA spending is being squeezed at a time when it is having to take on ‘significant’ additional duties and that there are a ‘sizeable’ number of vacancies in key posts.

‘There is as yet no evidence that these factors are undermining the UK’s ability to enforce compliance with international shipping regulations,’ the report states. ‘However, there is a risk that the MCA will increasingly struggle to discharge its regulatory responsibilities, undermining the UK’s status as an influential member of the International Maritime Organisation and highquality flag nation.

‘Without more resources for the MCA, it is hard to see how the UK can continue to lead the delivery of high-quality shipping standards or grow as a global shipping base and a centre for maritime services available to vessels of all nationalities.’

The report recommends an independent review of how the

Recommendations Committee calls on the F government to:

In its report the Transport

UK prime minister David Cameron chaired a meeting at London International Shipping Week 2013 (above), but this welcome interest in the industry has not yet translated into a clear commitment to tackling seafarer shortages, says an all-party Parliamentary inquiry

z make an explicit commitment to address fully a significant looming shortfall in UK trained seafarers predicted to emerge by 2021, partly through the tonnage tax, SMarT funding and apprenticeships z commission an independent review of the MCA to evaluate how far the ongoing budget cuts may weaken the UK’s ability to enforce compliance with international shipping regulations, undermine its status as a high-quality flag nation and shrink its influence within the International Maritime Organisation

z review the support the UK provides through its oversight of the Red Ensign Group to a number of competing registries of crown dependencies and UK overseas territories, and to raise the standards of the vessels which fly under these flags z implement stronger seamanship qualifications by 2016 for the crew of all transfer vessels taking staff to and from offshore wind farm installations (and to call for voluntary compliance with these higher standards before that deadline) z support London International Shipping Week 2015 but showcase shipping around the country

Agency can deliver its expanding international regulatory responsibilities for enforcing standards without a proportionate increase in its resources.

It also calls for the chief inspector of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch to inform Parliament if budgetary constraints prevent him from adequately discharging his duties.

Shipowners also welcomed the report. Chamber of Shipping CEO Guy Platten commented: ‘The industry shares the concerns of the committee. Whilst there are certain international market forces at work, it is clear that having a strong seafarer skills base is vital to the UK economy.

‘The government has already provided assistance to the recruitment of new seafarers, by increasing the Support for Maritime Training budget by 25% and developing the apprenticeship model,’ he added, ‘but government funding for maritime training needs to become more flexible to cope with demand. In our view, the existing £15m budget needs to have an additional £3m contingency to be released during years of higher demand.’

Labour’s shipping spokesman Gordon Marsden commented: ‘I welcome the sharp wake-up call that this report has delivered to the government to set out how it plans to get the UK shipping fleet growing again and how it will address the shortfall in trained seafarers. We want business, unions and government to work together to grow this important industry and create new apprenticeships and jobs.

‘The maritime strategy is a good start, but we have got to take it forward and turn a 2D approach into a 3D one by putting flesh onto the bones — and most importantly on skills and training objectives.’

16/04/2014 19:08

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

CAREERS AT SEA

HCCM apprentice Sarah Berry, shipping minister Stephen Hammond, HCMM mentor Capt Giles Wade, and Cdr Peter Aylott and Capt John Hughes of the HCMM Picture: Ben Phillips

Catch-22 for young officers c

A young officer has personally urged shipping minister Stephen Hammond to do more to help newly-qualified UK officers to secure their first jobs as watchkeepers.

Sarah Berry, who had no job to go to when she completed her Trinity House cadetship, told the minister that many of her colleagues face a similar Catch-22 after gaining their first certificate.

‘Some companies may be seen as possibly taking advantage of the tonnage tax for their own benefit, but many cadets are sponsored through to the end of their cadetship and left on their own to find their first commission as an officer,’ she told Mr Hammond at a meeting organised by the Honourable Company of Master Mariners (HCMM).

‘This is harder nowadays than it previously seemed,’ she added. ‘Companies and agencies across the board will tell the newly qualified officer that they must have experience before being able to gain employment.’

Newly qualified officer appeals to minister for jobseeking support Sarah said it had taken three months to find her first job. ‘It was so frustrating and disheartening knowing that you have studied for over three years specifically in this business and being told I may have to look elsewhere for work in other sectors,’ she said.

Mr Hammond said he was aware of the issues and the government is determined to attract and train more British seafarers. ‘I want young people to know that a maritime career is an excellent decision,’ he added. ‘They need to know it’s an industry which is interesting, challenging and there are good opportunities to progress. If you work hard, you’ll go far — and in shipping that could be very far indeed!’

The minister said the government has agreed to extend the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) funding arrangements to junior officers complet-

ing training towards their second certificate of competency, to help address the problems identified by Sarah.

‘I believe that funding this training will be more attractive to those seeking to improve their qualifications and make them even more valuable to the marine industries,’ he added.

They were both speaking at an event onboard HQS Wellington in London to highlight the Honourable Company’s apprenticeship scheme, which pairs experienced seafarers with new entrants to provide personal and professional mentoring support.

‘The Honourable Company is to be both envied and commended in designing this unique scheme which can be a beacon for other organisations in Britain and abroad,’ Mr Hammond said. ‘By caring about the industry and the people who work in it, you play an absolutely

vital role in its long-term success.’

HCCM Master Captain John Hughes said the scheme aims to promote the shipping industry and enhance high standards of training — with almost 200 young seafarers now benefiting from mentoring.

Capt Hughes said mentoring should be part of an integrated training plan involving employers, employees, colleges and regulatory authorities, and the HCMM is working to extend the programme to support officers all the way to the highest ranks.

‘Today is about developing our scheme, sharing experiences and highlighting areas of improvement such as the training record book, where there is an ongoing problem of foreign shipmasters who cannot speak English,’ he added.

Sarah said she had received ‘absolutely fantastic’ support from the

scheme — including the chance to accompany a Thames pilot and observe berthing in the river. ‘The experiences fuelled my motivation and imagination about what would be possible as a lifelong career in the Merchant Navy,’ she added.

‘Having a knowledgeable and wellconnected contact who was willing to help whenever needed, was hugely reassuring whilst at sea and college,’ said Captain Giles Wade — who was the first cadet to be mentored when the HCMM revived the apprenticeship programme in 1995.

Now a master with Condor Shipping and a mentor for two cadets, he added: ‘The scheme is now thriving and whilst my own story was reasonably uneventful for my mentor, this is becoming less common in an age where we often send British cadets away to sea as the only Brit onboard foreign-crewed British ships.

The support being required from mentors is constantly evolving.’

Managers are outward bound to find the best training for cadets UK shipping companies are F pictured taking part in a special two-

Training managers from major

day ‘taster’ event organised by the Merchant Navy Training Board and the Outward Bound Trust.

Staff from companies including Anglo Eastern (UK) Ltd, BP Maritime Services, City of Glasgow College, Clyde Marine Training Ltd, CSL Europe, Conway Merchant Navy Trust, Maersk Crewing Ltd, Northern Marine Management and SSTG took part in the event, along with the MNTB. The intensive course — which included canoeing on Wast Water and a ghyll scramble in Netherbeck Ghyll

20 mentor.indd Sec2:20

— aimed to give training managers an introduction into what the Outward Bound Trust does and how it can help their officer cadet intake be best prepared for their training, and sea phases in particular.

Maersk and the Maritime Educational Foundation already use the Trust for their own bespoke officer cadet induction programmes.

As well as building teamwork and communications, the courses aim to help reduce the drop-out rate during training.

MNTB head Glenys Jackson said delegates had identified the most worthwhile aspects of the course as

teamwork, communication, staff professionalism, excellent use of risk assessment for overall group activities, dealing with stress situations and good for personal growth.

She said the training managers felt that benefits for cadets could include how to interact with new people, building networks for support, resilience, leadership and a better understanding of living in a tightknit community. The courses give an appreciation of risk management in a dynamic environment and of long hours and fatigue, she added. g For further information, contact: glenys.jackson@mntb.org.uk

16/04/2014 18:19

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

NAUTILUS WELFARE

Trinity House Hub at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park Estate was formally opened last month Pictures: Colin McPherson

HRH The Princess Royal praises Nautilus’s ‘marvellous’ new centre for retired seafarers

I

A state-of-the-art new building to boost the care and welfare facilities at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park Estate got the royal seal of approval last month.

Formally opening the Trinity House Hub, HRH The Princess Royal told guests that she had been impressed by the ‘marvellous’ new centre and she praised that ‘extraordinary’ way in which the Nautilus Welfare Fund works to care for retired seafarers and their dependants.

‘We are an island nation and we still cannot live without our Merchant Navy,’ she added. ‘It is very appropriate that we look after merchant seafarers in their retirement.’

Built at a cost of £4.15m, the Trinity House Hub provides 18 fully-accessible

apartments for older seafarers and their dependants and community facilities such as a café, a spa, a gym and rooms for meetings and hobbies.

The Hub has been built as part of a programme of new developments at Mariners’ Park, which has been providing support and services to seafarers in need since 1857 and presently provides accommodation for 160 retired seafarers and their dependants.

The programme included a new care home — which was opened by the Princess Royal in 2002 — and new flats and bungalows for retired seafarers.

The Princess Royal is Master of Trinity House, which was the major donor to the Hub project — providing some £2m towards the construction costs. Deputy

HRH The Princess Royal congratulates Nautilus’s general secretary

Master Captain Ian McNaught said the building would provide a ‘great legacy’ to mark this year’s 500th anniversary of the founding of Trinity House by Henry VIII. ‘I am so impressed by this wonderful new facility,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘The thought that has been put into its design is really impressive and we are delighted

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with our investment in the project.’

Commodore Bob Thornton, chairman of the Nautilus Welfare Fund (a registered charity administered by the Union), said he was proud to see the Hub being opened.

‘I have always been excited about the way in which the Fund is so forward-looking and never stands still,’ he added. ‘We put a

lot of effort into the renovation of our housing stock to make sure that the residents get the best that we can give them.

‘And this is only the start,’ he promised. ‘There are more developments planned and I am sure that they will come to fruition within the next few years.’

The Hub has been described as a milestone in the development programme at the 15-acre Mariners’ Park Estate which began more than a decade ago with the building of the new care home and has included a wide range of new residential facilities.

It has been designed not only to provide high-quality retirement accommodation, but also to serve as a meeting place and focus for Mariners’ Park residents and the wider maritime community in the Merseyside area. Whilst providing a place where seafaring traditions and life can be celebrated, it will also be a base from which services, which support and care, can be delivered.

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16/04/2014 18:45

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

NAUTILUS WELFARE

Fit for a p — as we former se Sheena Shaw presents the Princess Royal with a posy of flowers at the end of her visit

Sensory garden offers solace The development programme at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park Estate includes work to create a new wing at the care home for residents suffering from dementia.

The new facilities will be able to provide specialist support for up to eight people and as part of the work, a secure sensory garden has been created by the centre’s gardening team, led by Dave Crawford.

Studies show that gardens have beneficial effects for dementia patients and the project at Mariners’ Park includes a range of specially-chosen plants with different smells and colours, raised planting boxes for residents to grow their own, a fountain and seating.

The work was supported with an £8,000 donation from the Merchant Navy Fund — a collaborative initiative by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and Seafarers UK. Pictured in the garden are Seafarers UK director general Commodore Barry Bryant, MNWB chief executive Captain David Parsons, and Nautilus director of welfare services Mick Howorth.

Former purser Donald Goswell told the Princess Royal about the special facilities in the Trinity House Hub apartments — including a sophisticated alarm call system, easy access plugs, smoke and heat detectors, and lighting designed for people with deteriorating vision.

Mr Goswell first went to sea in 1950 and served for 40 years in the Merchant Navy, with companies including Elder Dempster, Furness Withy, Panocean and the Mexicana line. ‘I had a great time and wouldn’t change it for anything,’ he said.

Originally from Liverpool, Mr Goswell lived in Cornwall before moving to Mariners’ Park 17 years ago. ‘It is a lovely place to be,’ he said. ‘With the care home here as well, it is ideal — you can keep your independence.’

22-23_spread_hub.indd 22

HRH The Princess Royal had nothing but facilities provided by the Nautilus Marin the latest milestone in its development,

I

Nautilus is proud of its work for seafarers at all stages of their lives. Its 15-acre Mariners’ Park Estate has been delivering care and support since 1857 and today provides a home to some 160 former seafarers and their dependants on the banks of the Mersey.

With the design and setting of a small village community, the site provides the location for a 32-bed registered care home offering residential, nursing and respite and short stay care. A wide range of homes is available, including flats and bungalows for single seafarers and bungalows and semi-detached houses for couples.

Throughout the decades, successive generations of trustees have developed new services and facilities to ensure that the Union’s welfare provision is appropriate and provides the best possible standard of accommodation and care for former seafarers.

In planning for the 21st century, the current generation of trustees approved a phased development plan in 1999. This led, in 2002, to the building of the Mariners’ Park Care Home (opened in September 2002 by The Princess Royal) and 14 flats. A further 10 new purposebuilt and designed bungalows were completed in 2009.

The Trinity House Hub represents the latest milestone in the progress of the development

plan and is a direct respons identified in the 2007 Mari Funding Group report — S and their Families Challen — which noted the level of amongst former seafarers.

Designed by Pozzoni Ar reflects the nautical theme local architecture of Wallas Brighton. The glazed façad road and offers clear views estuary.

The scheme is laid out a corridor, making it easy to the structure has been desi and adaptation in the futu Communal rooms on th doors to the outside, ensur external space, with public clearly delineated. On the t building is an observation use.

The building features a features to minimise energ costs and the associated ca In addition to the 18 apa provides: z Community space The larger community spa majority of residents to co part in the many celebratio

Retired seafarer Edwin Lee is one of the first residents to move into the Trinity House Hub and he proudly showed Princess Anne around his new apartment.

Mr Lee, who spent 40 years a after suffering from a stroke and speak again.

16/04/2014 19:11

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

NAUTILUS WELFARE

princess ell as 160 seafarers but praise for the wide range of riners’ Park Estate when she opened nt, the Trinity House Hub sponse the issues Maritime Charities t — Supporting Seafarers hallenges for the Future vel of social isolation arers. ni Architects, the Hub heme of the park and the Wallasey and New façade curves to follow the views of the Mersey out around a radial spinal sy to navigate around, and n designed for extension future. on the ground floor have ensuring good use of the ublic and private areas n the third floor of the ation deck for residents’ res a range of green energy demand, running ed carbon emissions.

8 apartments, The Hub

y space will enable the to come together to take brations and events which

ears at sea, is recovering e and has been learning to

22-23_spread_hub.indd 23

form part of the annual activities programme on Mariners’ Park. z Café A restaurant,with a fully equipped kitchen, offers a service which provides the opportunity to lunch at a time of choice, with a menu of choice, in company. z Meeting Rooms These will be used for a variety of purposes. For example, this will enable the staff of Nautilus Welfare Fund and partner organisations, such as SAIL, to advise and support former seafarers and their dependants who may need access to welfare benefits advice and other services provided by both the maritime community and also the wider statutory and voluntary community. z Wellbeing This will be provided by means of a gym, therapies room (such as chiropody and physiotherapy), hairdresser, spa bathroom and assisted bathroom. Trained staff will be provided. z Internet Internet access is available throughout the Hub by wi-fi, including in all apartments. Printing facilities will also be available. z Laundry This will allow residents to do their own laundry or, as required, laundry undertaken on their behalf by support workers.

But he was able to tell the princess how delighted he was to be moving into the brand new accommodation at Trinity House.

Princess Anne was impressed with the ‘extraordinary’ way in which the Nautilus Welfare Fund works to care for retired seafarers

Mariners’ Park resident Captain Eric Gowland and his daughters Jean Moyse and Elaine Lawrence showed the Princess Royal a photograph of her

grandmother launching a new ship in 1983. The vessel was the bulk carrier Pacific Patriach, on which Capt Gowland — who had a 44-year seagoing

career — was master. ‘Dad moved to Mariners’ Park in February and has settled in beautifully,’ said Jean.

‘It is a fantastic location and the care is first class.’

One of the residents who spoke with Princess Anne during her visit was Captain Ronald Pengelley, who has lived at Mariners’ Park for 12 years after a career which spanned 12 years of deepsea service and 21 years with the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board.

Capt Pengelley first went to sea as a 16-year-old Clan Line cadet and saw war service in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as being involved in Operation Torch in North Africa. He went on to become a master mariner and served as dockmaster at Birkenhead before his retirement.

‘I had a wonderful career and this is a marvellous place in which to live,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘I cannot speak too highly of the staff and the facilities here.’

16/04/2014 19:11

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

MARITIME DISASTERS

For all those who refuse to be silenced J

This month will mark the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the wreck of the UK-flagged bulk carrier Derbyshire, which disappeared without trace in the South China Sea in September 1980.

It was widely assumed that the vessel — which had been built by Swan Hunter only four years earlier and which remains the largest British merchant ship ever lost at sea — had been overcome by adverse conditions during a typhoon when it went down with the loss of 44 lives.

But unions and family members were not convinced that the ship’s loss could be written off so easily — and the expedition to locate the wreck was trailblazing in many ways which have resonance and relevance today.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson — then employed by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) — played a pivotal part in what he describes as the ‘crazy

Mark Dickinson,left, with the ITF-funded team that located the Derbyshire in May 1994

Twenty years after a pioneering hunt for the wreck of the bulk carrier Derbyshire in the South China Sea, MIKE GERBER speaks to those involved in the mission and reflects on its lasting influence... plan’ to go and look for the ship.

‘The families and RMT and NUMAST had campaigned very hard to try and get the government to reopen the formal investigation,’ he recalls. ‘But the government said unless there’s compelling new evidence, it was not going to do that.’

In fact, Mr Dickinson was one of the few who did not think the plan crazy. A long shot, yes, but not Quixotic. He had returned from a presentation by Oceaneering Technology convinced that, with the deployment of the US firm’s cutting-edge equipment, the wreck site could be pinpointed and accessed.

Mr Dickinson persuaded David Cockroft, only recently installed as ITF general secretary, to fund the mission to undertake a deep ocean side scan sonar search for the Derbyshire. ‘David took an amazing risk,’ he points out. ‘It was completely off the wall, and there were a lot of people on the ITF executive who weren’t particularly keen, and asked if this was really a useful use of half a million dollars of ITF seafarers’ fund money. But in the end the board agreed.’

A compelling reason why they should do so was the appalling bulk carrier safety record. In numerical terms, bulk carriers

accounted for 7% of the world fleet — but 57% of total losses.

Between 1975 and 1990, a total of 279 went down, with some 700 seafarers’ lives being lost.

Right from the start, unions worked closely with the relatives of those lost on the Derbyshire.

Paul Lambert, whose brother Peter was a GP rating on the ship, recalls his family’s first intimations that something was amiss: ‘My mother got a phone call from Bibbys to say that the ship had gone missing. She phoned them back a couple of times to find out what was going on and eventually she was told to stop bothering them, go to bed, everything

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24-25_derbyshire.indd 24

Underwater footage showing the Derbyshire’s bow ventilator head missing

would be all right in the morning.

‘The next morning, it was all over the television, newspapers, everywhere. How can a ship this big just disappear? That’s what my mother kept asking. That went on for two or three days.

And I remember saying, I will find out what happened to that ship, I promise you that.’

J

The first hurdle Mr Lambert — still chairman of the Derbyshire Family Association (DFA) — encountered was the Thatcher government’s refusal to order an inquiry. But disturbing evidence began to accrue about problems with the Derbyshire’s sisterships; and in 1982, the crew on one of these, the Tyne Bridge, had to be lifted to safety when the vessel developed massive cracks during a storm.

The incident prompted marine surveyor Peter Ridyard, who lost his engineer son David on the Derbyshire, to investigate the ships in the series. He discovered that all six had developed cracks. Further evidence was gathered in collaboration with NUMAST legal officer Martin Rogers and the Union’s lawyer, Martin Sutton, which pointed in one direction — the Derbyshire sank because of ‘a massive failure caused by faults in construction’.

The government finally granted an inquiry when another sistership, Kowloon Bridge, ran aground off Ireland in 1986 after developing severe cracking forward of the superstructure and losing power in stormy conditions.

The inquiry, under wreck commissioner Gerald Darling QC, was

told that Derbyshire underwent repairs for cracks on a weld fracture next to transverse bulkhead No. 65 in the months before it sank — and that, in all the sisterships, misalignments and cracks had also appeared near No. 65 bulkhead.

But the wreck commissioner refused to consider any evidence about the sister vessels, and concluded: ‘The Derbyshire was probably overwhelmed by the forces of nature.’ No recommendations about steps to prevent any future similar losses were

“

The assessor admitted he was wrong to have tried to blame the crew; that’s all we need

”

forthcoming.

The families suspected an official cover-up — the government had indemnified Swan Hunter against any past claims when the yard was privatised in 1987. Paul Lambert wrote to the prime minister and to the Department of Transport asking for a reopened formal investigation, based on the evidence about sisterships that the commissioner refused to look at, but was told it could not be classed as new evidence.

16/04/2014 16:12

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME DISASTERS

‘Never again will they say a loss can’t be investigated’ inquiry, Britain’s transport D department advanced 22

Following the final Derbyshire

recommendations to bolster shipping safety, subsequently adopted by the International Maritime Organisation.

Bulk carrier incidents are still too common for comfort but, as Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson points out: ‘Never again will anybody be able to say we cannot investigate the loss of a ship. In the way that they get so excited about finding the wreckage of an aeroplane and piecing it all together, the Derbyshire was the first example of a massive forensic examination of a ship casualty involving loss of life.

‘We got justice for the family, we debunked the theory that the master was to blame for taking the vessel into the wrong quarter of a typhoon — all of this was really, really important.

The bow of the Derbyshire with foredeck hatch cover missing

All hopes therefore turned to the mission to find the Derbyshire. The expedition’s objectives were clear: to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the Derbyshire broke in two on the surface and, therefore, to compel the UK authorities to re-open the investigation into the loss.

The search began with a reappraisal of reports by the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency following the ship’s disappearance of two upwellings of oil in the vicinity of the last reported position.

‘I had always been interested in why oil was bubbling to the surface,’ says DFA secretary Captain Dave Ramwell, a retired Nautilus member. ‘Even though they’d had a typhoon and had to call the search off, when they went back 24 hours later it was still bubbling to the surface.’

The expert reappraisal of the evidence concluded that there was no current in the area that could have caused the oil to drift from the wreck and that the furthest it would have gone from the Derbyshire was a mile — giving the team a fairly defined location to begin the search.

Oceaneering Technology agreed the research was sound and on 26 May 2004, the chartered Japanese offshore support vessel Shin Kai Maru embarked for the search site. Among those onboard were David Mearns, leading the Oceaneering Technology team, Channel 4/ITN television reporter Rory Maclean, and Mark Dickinson.

‘You do need luck and there were lots of lucky things,’ Mr Dickinson recalls. ‘We didn’t have enough money to pay for the entire kit that O Tech recommended, so we had to make compromises. And that did not include taking the ROV with all the cameras on it.

‘When I turned up in Japan to join the vessel, the O Tech guys had been there a couple of days before me loading all their containers on, and when I got there, David Mearns said, “I’ve got a surprise for you.” And sitting on the deck was not only the sidescan sonar Ocean Explorer 6000, but also the Magellan 725 ROV; that’s the one that’s got cameras on it.

‘O Tech were pretty amazing, because this kit is incredibly expensive — a very high day rate — and it could have been used somewhere else. And it’s only

24-25_derbyshire.indd 25

because we had that with us that we could actually film and confirm without any doubt that we had found the Derbyshire.’

What made the expedition team confident they finally found the ship was when the ROV cameras filmed the bow. ‘We didn’t get “Derby” but we got “shire”’, says Mr Dickinson.

In a scene that reads like a Hollywood movie script, there was barely half an hour of charter time remaining by the time the team was able to confirm that they had found the Derbyshire in 4,200m of water.

Paul Lambert was advised that the finding should not be publicly announced until there was time to phone the families, whose reaction he’ll never forget: ‘The silence was deafening, and then you heard the crying and sobbing: it was something I would never want to do again in my life. Because now we had found the Derbyshire, they knew the reality was they weren’t coming home and you go through all the emotions again.’

open, backed down under interrogation from Andrew Moran, QC, a former seafarer representing the families. The assessor eventually conceded that the bosun’s store locker had been securely locked.

Paul Lambert relives the drama: ‘The QC asked for a five minute break, and he said, “Do you want us to go for Robin Williams now, to point out every mistake that he’s made?” And I said, “No, the families aren’t about that. He’s admitted he was wrong when he tried to blame the crew; that’s all we need”. Even the judge was astounded when Andrew Moran came back and said, “Instructed by the families, there’s no more questions, my lord”. We’re not there to do anybody harm, we’re there to find out the truth.’

The Derbyshire’s no. 1 starboard hatch cover, broken and cleanly folded in two by a wave impact

The 169,000-tonne Derbyshire sank in 1980 with 44 crew and remains the biggest gg British ship ever lost at sea

J

The expedition’s findings supported the theory that the ship had not broken up on impact with the seabed, but rather had suffered a sudden and catastrophic event on the surface of the sea.

Confronted with the wreck discovery, the British government co-funded, with the EU, two further expeditions to the wreckage to gather fresh evidence.

However, these delivered a shock for Mr Lambert and the other relatives — when they were told that evidence had been found suggesting bad seamanship caused the loss of the Derbyshire.

‘I said, I couldn’t believe it, that they’d left the bosun’s store open, not sealed down on the bow,’ he recalls. ‘You’ve got a fully trained British crew, they’re going towards a typhoon in the area, and they’re going to leave a hatch cover open, unsealed, I said, I don’t think so, it’s way out, why would they put their own lives at risk?’

John Prescott, a former merchant seafarer who was now transport minister, ordered a full new inquiry. During this hearing, naval architect Robin Williams, one of the officially-appointed assessors who contended that the bosun’s store locker had been left

We actually did, to the best possible extent, find out what happened to the Derbyshire.

‘For me, that set the bar. You can never now just say, we don’t know what happened, we can’t find the ship and can’t piece it together. Oh yes you can, and the Derbyshire proved that.’

Allan Graveson, Nautilus senior national secretary, agrees: ‘The Derbyshire was really the first ship that was ever investigated by subsea investigation, and since the Derbyshire, no ship has been beyond investigation.

‘We have the technology to do it; all we need is the will, and in some cases the money. That way we can get answers to why it happened and then we can get proper solutions.

We want full and complete accident investigations, properly resourced, published and fully transparent.’

Location of Frame / Bulkhead 65, believed by some to be a weak point on the Derbyshire

16/04/2014 19:30

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

MARITIME POLICY

What’s a seafarer, Daddy?

N

Sometimes it is difficult to look into the future and speculate on what is available and where shipping with be in a number of years from now. What is frightening is that technology and systems already exist which could sound the death knell for the ship’s crew as we know it.

The essence behind this thinking is those crew members are human beings. Human beings make mistakes and mistakes cost money. Humans also become ill and need to go home, and the MLC 2006 has highlighted the issue of social responsibility. The cost of having a crew onboard ship is expensive, and when you take into account the cost of accommodation and support systems, it readily becomes apparent that there is a strong incentive for operators to redesign ships and remove these ‘burdens’.

Of course, one of the core issues that will slow down this revolution will be the need to rethink the harbours and ports and the jetties for handling ships and their interface with the ships.

The one ship type that will evolve but will need to carry a crew is the passengership.

Passengers want to see people, not talk to screens and boxes.

I wish it was different, but as a former ship master the future is not looking good. What is of concern is that the technology exists today, it is not waiting to be developed. There will be refining to be done, but a ship can be built and operated with no crew or at best a few super-technicians who will be responsible for the computers and electronic systems onboard with basic engineering skills. It will depend on which model the shipowner chooses for the next generation of ships.

Will the next 5,000 days in shipping see the industry saying farewell to the shipmaster, and hello to the robo-ship? JOHN DICKIE, secretary general of the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations, considers the chances…

Let’s start in the engineroom.

How about a nuclear reactor as the main power source? They are available today. Safe and efficient and, of course, you can remove the need for bunkering and bunker tanks, along with the pipeline systems. Once every five years at dry dock the core is replaced and then it is good to go for another five years. Of course if you have no crew then all of the ancillary systems for crew support can be removed. Fridges, galleys, storerooms, laundry, cabins, showers, toilets all gone in one fell swoop.

So by association the removal of the accommodation block is necessary. Well, there will still need to be a bridge for navigation by the pilot.

The argument is that you need a crew to navigate the ship. Why? It can be handled automatically, with the proper redundancy stems and back up in place. If pilots can fly drones from thousands of miles away, the technology can be amended to have the ships in auto and a drone pilot monitoring the ship from the office. This leads to the argument about a ship navigating in near coastal waters. The Mona Lisa 2 project is working on this and requires that the ship follow instructions, so the end result could be a VTS operator ashore

Above and top: artists’ impressions of the crewless vessels of the future Pictures: Rolls Royce

26_ifsma.indd Sec2:26

communicating directly with the remote bridge being operated in an office quite separate from the ship itself.

Of course, there is weather routeing and the integration of the weather satellite systems to control the route the ships will take. That is why the communications suites will evolve to such a level and covered by redundancy built in the third or fourth level.

But what about berthing — you need crew for that. But why?

If we live in the past then we are talking about ropes and wires and the other parts of mooring operations. But in a number of ports there are already magnetic or vacuum clamp claps to hold the ship in place. No ropes or wires. The delay with this is having the ports and terminals to adapt and fit this type of equipment.

Then there is the matter of tugs and taking ropes or wires onboard and tying up. That is the old system. Why not have the tugs use ropes with a magnetic clamp onto the areas of the hull strengthened for mooring?

The cargo operations can be controlled from the cargo control room by one person, new generation cargo operating systems.

Lessons learned from gas carriers and chemical carrier operation will help shape how each ship type will handle the cargo operations. There are already a lot of innovations in cargo operations, such as container handling where the terminal is run from the control room and the movements are by robots under control.

Cargo monitoring or conditioning can all be done remotely, so this is not something that supports the argument for carrying crew.

Then there is the requirement for fire-fighting and live-saving appliances. No crew, so fixed fire-

remote operation and the dependency on the systems and the bandwidth that will be used and the amount of ships all trying to get on there to operate their ships. It will prove to be interesting to balance out whether this is going to save money or be more costly. Man versus machine in the battle of costs and reliability.

fighting systems. No crew, so are life-saving appliances needed?

So who would or should be onboard? Would it be necessary to replace the crew with a security team? Maybe, or maybe not.

Could the ship be built so that it is hardwired, and since there is no crew onboard, what do you do as a pirate — hold the computer for ransom? That is if you can find it.

It all sounds great, but is it?

The other side of the coin is the cost of the computer power needed and the redundancy levels to be built in so the ship can still operate, no matter what.

The communications suite for

O

Then there are other subsidiary factors to be looked at. Once crews are gone, they are gone. A full crew takes years of experience to establish. So they cannot be replaced if the continuous cycle is broken. Take away the crews, you change the shipping company office. No crew department and of course no crewing agencies.

There will be a major shift in a social context for emerging countries that are dependent on the seafarers to bring hard currency into the country. All gone — and in countries with few options other than going to sea, a social shift will take place.

Ship chandlers will also be hit badly, as will personal protective equipment manufacturers. And

other factors such as travel agencies, flag states, and P&I insurance will all have to change to meet the new market. Of course, if there is a breakdown there will be no more ‘crew negligence’ or ‘lack of due diligence by the crew’ as a defence.

Robo-ship will not come cheaply, and it will not resolve many of the issues in shipping — but just think of the changes in shipyards and ship design and equipment. The companies at the leading edge of technology will make the money, and then with crews gone can name their price for updates and latest generation gear.

The shipowner will have choices to make, but as I stated at the beginning, the technology is here right now and once it starts moving it will accelerate. The direction will most likely be towards machines, not people.

Then there will be the stories...

‘Once upon a time there were seafarers’. Or even the question: ‘What is a seafarer?’

Take part in the 5,000 days in shipping debate online or by email to telegraph@nautilusint.org

Giving you a voice on your future Worried about your retirement? Join us!

The Nautilus Pensions Association is a pressure group and support organisation that: z provides a new focal point for seafarer pensioners — increasing their influence within, and knowledge of, the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund and other schemes within the industry z serves as a channel for professional advice on all kinds of pensions, as well as offering specific information on legal and government developments on pensions, and supporting the Union in lobbying the government as required z provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for advice on other organisations providing support and assistance to pensioners z offers a range of specialised services and benefits tailored to meet the needs of retired members z operates as a democratic organisation, being a Nautilus Council body — with the secretary and secretariat provided by the Union 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD t +44 (0)20 8989 6677 f +44 (0)20 8530 1015 npa@nautilusint.org www.nautilusint.org

16/04/2014 18:47

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Maintaining momentum Anti-bullying initiatives, maternity and paternity rights… Can this really be the shipping industry? Why not, say a new wave of maritime professionals — and they’re going to carry on keeping us on our toes…

I

Nautilus members have helped to shape a pioneering set of guidelines on seafarers’ maternity and paternity rights. The userfriendly booklet was launched at the Union’s ninth Women’s Forum last month — prompting a wide-ranging discussion by members on how to keep the momentum going for addressing parental rights in the maritime workplace.

In presenting the booklet to the meeting, Forum chair Maryanne Adams said the guide gives a great overview of UK maternity and paternity rights and how they affect seafarers.

The guide is the second in a series of booklets produced by the Union in response to recommendations from the Forum since its inception four years ago. It follows on from the Protect and Respect handbook, which helps members deal with bullying and harassment.

Forum vice-chair Jessica Tyson added she was ‘really proud of what we have achieved in a relatively short time’. And Forum member Clare Hogan added: ‘I wish I’d had that advice when I was pregnant. I would have been a bit more informed about where I stood. The fact the guide provides advice for both men and women facing parenthood for the first time also gives it a wider appeal.’

Cadet member Charlie Ramsden said it was reassuring to know the guidance is available — even if parenthood is not immediately on her horizon.

In his introduction to the guide, general secretary Mark Dickinson said the Union believes that all seafarers — men and women — should ‘enjoy the same levels of employment protection that their shore-side colleagues receive’.

While the guidance is based on UK entitlements, the Forum wants it to be used industrywide to ensure that the appropriate international bodies are challenged on their working practices.

The booklet highlights, for example, the relevance of International Transport Federation Workers’ Federation (ITF) minimum standards for those serving under non-UK flags. These ITF

agreements guarantee minimum rights for pregnant seafarers, including two months’ full pay in compensation and the right to repatriation at the cost of the company.

Maryanne said the initiative is important also for recruitment and retention. The maritime industry ‘needs to consider the loss of skill set it will face by ignoring compromise solutions for retaining women in the workforce after they start a family,’ she added. ‘There may be difficult challenges to accommodate such a request, but surely it’s worth it to retain someone who’s been trained.’

Jessica agreed: ‘The danger is we are training a massive pool of people who then become disillusioned, because women try and remain professional when having a family, but at some point their family has to be the priority. The industry needs to support them.’

Clare made the point that many women who manage to stay in the industry after having children are ‘often just lucky to find family-friendly employers.

But we appreciate the flexibility offered and become even more productive in our work’.

Members noted that the Nautilus delegation to the March Women’s TUC had received a lot of interest — both in its successful motion on maternity and paternity benefits during the child care debate, and for its initiatives on bullying and harassment.

The TUC delegation had been approached after the conference by a woman bricklayer keen to know more about the Union’s Protect and Respect resources, and the training on bullying and harassment the forum had conducted for members at its eighth meeting.

I

The forum is keen to keep the momentum up by promoting the booklets, encouraging feedback on the guidance, and maintaining the profile of the Protect and Respect campaign so that it does not just become a ‘paperwork exercise’.

Forum member Blossom Bell reminded members: ‘Don’t underestimate how much influence this forum has had in driving the ETF (European Transport

Safety Training Resources Education Assets Management 27_womens forum.indd 27

Nautilus Women’s Forum members launching the new maternity and paternity guidelines at head office last month Picture: Deborah McPherson

Workers’ Federation) to re-look at their bullying and harassment guidelines, or the fact that the shipping employers are now taking more interest this time than the first time the guidelines were produced. This forum is making a difference.’

Forum members also began planning for a new recruitment and awareness campaign called ‘Looking Forward’.

Ideas were put forward for the content of the campaign, which could include hosting a Nautilus evening at the next London International Shipping Week in 2015, and running local forum surgeries for women who could not attend the regular forum meetings.

It was agreed that the first step would be to conduct a survey of women members to seek their opinions and input on the possible direction of future campaign work.

Women members are urged to attend the 10th forum meeting on 20 September 2014 at the London head office, and to keep in touch via the Linkedin Women’s Forum discussion group.

Your maternity and paternity rights view of UK maternity and paternity rights and how F they affect seafarers. The key points are set out below. If

Nautilus International’s guidelines give a basic over-

you are not covered by UK legislation, or want to check on your specific entitlements, contact our industrial team at industrial@nautilusint.org, or call +44(0) 20 8989 6677.

z seafarers are eligible for the relevant rights when they are employed on a ship registered in Great Britain, ordinarily reside in the UK, and are not wholly working outside the UK z ITF-approved agreements also guarantee minimum rights for pregnant seafarers — including repatriation at company’s cost, and two months’ full pay in compensation z ship owners and all employers are required to take into account the health and safety of new or expectant mothers, especially night work, when carrying out risk assessments z employers must reduce any significant risks identified— either by a temporary adjustment of working conditions and or hours, suitable alternative work, or suspension on paid leave

Stream Marine Training Providing calm in stormy seas www.streammarinetraining.com

z women have protection under the Equality Act 2010 from discrimination or dismissal for taking time off to attend antenatal classes, not being able to do a job for safety reasons, or for taking or being on maternity leave z women have the right to statutory maternity pay for up to 39 weeks if their employer has a place of business in the UK and they are on a home trade ship — it does not matter if the woman is not employed in the UK z ‘Keeping in Touch’ days, introduced by legislation in 2008, means employers can make ‘reasonable’ contact with women on maternity leave z women on maternity leave are allowed to work up to a maximum of 10 (mutually agreed) days with pay without losing their right to maternity pay, and cannot be discriminated against if they chose not to. z women have the right to return to work earlier than the full 52 weeks z paternity leave is also available to seafarers employed on British-flagged ships, who do not work wholly outside the UK, ordinarily reside in the UK, and who have worked continuously for their employer for 26 weeks

STCW 2010 training Ports Training Competency Development

16/04/2014 18:20

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

SHIP SECURITY

How to think inside the box Better vetting is needed to stop containers being used to hide dangerous goods, hears MIKE GERBER at a security seminar; while ANDREW LININGTON, below, learns about a new guide to help crews deal with stowaways...

L

It is 10 years since the International Ship and Port Facility Security code (ISPS) came into force, introduced in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But, a decade on, the world’s ports remain worryingly vulnerable, a seminar was warned last month.

Staged onboard HQS Wellington in London by the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI), the meeting heard a variety of speakers who highlighted continuing concerns over the way in which ports and ships could come under attack.

Indeed, said SAMI chief executive Peter Cook, you only need to go back to the attack on the US Navy destroyer USS Cole in the port of Aden in 2000 to show how

one of the world’s most sophisticated weapon platforms could be defeated by ‘a man in a rubber boat’.

Captain John Dalby, chief executive of Marine Risk Management, warned of the varied threats facing ships and seafarers — and said that ports are most vulnerable from the seaward side.

The ship is a complex system, he argued, and many masters and officers have no idea about the true nature of the cargoes they are carrying.

Greg Kitsell, director of Anacapa Solutions, stressed the risks posed by the anonymity of containers. An estimated 420m containers are shipped every year, he pointed out, of which, according to UN statistics, only

2% are physically examined.

British customs estimate that 2,000 containers are smuggled into the UK each year carrying contraband cigarettes, he added.

‘If you can bring in 2,000 container-loads of cigarettes into the UK without detection, what else could be brought in to the UK in a container?’

Mr Kitsell gave some chilling evidence about the way in which nuclear reactor parts, weapon systems and missiles have been identified being carried by ships.

Sasha Pristrom, technical officer with the International Maritime Organisation’s security section, identified global variations in ISPS implementation.

‘When we go out on missions, we experience different ports that

US Coast Guard inspectors check a container for suspected dangerous goods Picture: US Coast Guard

may not reflect the latest developments,’ he added. ‘This is one of the efforts that we as a UN agency address: those who might not be capable — they don’t have the expertise, the funding, to cope with all these security challenges.’

The seminar also heard concerns about the security implications of port-centric logistics, where major retail chains now locate their distribution centres directly in harbour areas. Dr Risto Talas, lecturer in port security at Hull University Business School, warned that an incident causing major disruption in such a port would have a huge impact on supply chains.

Michael White, chairman of the International Professional

Security Association, said the ISPS code is an effective starting point for the establishment of security around ports. But he warned that it falls short by failing to require continuing professional development or any form of refresher training for security team members, ‘and, by extension, the overall security offering within the port environment’.

Capt Dalby argued the case for more extensive security vetting: ‘We need to vet the points of origin,’ he said. ‘It’s very difficult — they come from dozens if not hundreds of points of origin. Vetting the compounds where the consolidation is carried out, the port itself. Do we vet the shipowner and the manager? How

about the charterer, the crews, and the manning agencies that supply the crews? And a vetting of the ocean passage, to see where the ship has been, where it’s going to, and if it’s done anything unusual in the meantime.’

Ultimately, Capt Dalby stressed, much rests on how well trained the vetters are. ‘It’s absolutely useless putting a guy onboard a ship to inspect it who has never been to sea,’ he told the meeting.

‘I’ve often held my hands up in despair with some of the maritime security companies that are around, people with no maritime experience whatsoever and yet they’re sending them on the ship to protect it...’

Practical guidance on perennial problem in the shipping industry has A failed to reverse the number of

The drive to improve security

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1)6',%28 2%:=

FUND www.merchantnavyfund.org

Please help us to help serving and retired UK Merchant Navy seafarers and their families who are struggling in these difficult times.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

A regular donation of £10 per month will help support seafarers from the Merchant Navy and their families when they need it most. We also welcome one-off donations. Thank You. Email: mnfund@seafarers-uk.org Phone: 020 7932 0000 The Merchant Navy Fund is a collaborative initiative by two national charities, the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and Seafarers UK. Both organisations recognise that many people would like their donations to be used specifically in support of British Merchant Navy seafarers and their families.

The Merchant Navy Fund is administered by Seafarers UK (King George’s Fund for Sailors), a Registered Charity in England & Wales, No. 226446, incorporated under Royal Charter. Registered in Scotland SC038191. Registered Office: 8 Hatherley Street, LONDON, SW1P 2QT.

28_sec+stow_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

stowaway cases — leaving seafarers to cope with the extra work, delays, uncertainty and possible violence.

Only last month, an International Maritime Organisation conference heard calls for ports in Africa to do more to tackle the problem, and P&I clubs warned over a series of incidents in the port of Durban.

Against this background, a new guide has been launched to help masters, officers and crew to reduce the risk of their ship being boarded illegally and show them how best to deal with the situation if stowaways are found.

Written by a former deck officer, Steven Jones, and published by the Nautical Institute, the Maritime Security Handbook: stowaways by sea gives practical guidance on making a vessel secure against stowaways, managing any that have succeeded in getting onboard, and organising the repatriation process.

The 64-page guide includes an explanation of who stows away and why, how trading patterns affect risk, assessing the risks of stowaways in particular ports and regions, training and familiarisation, and the responsibilities of all parties involved in a stowaway incident.

It explains how to develop systems to monitor and control access, and effective search procedures. One chapter is devoted to migrants at sea — including responsibilities for rescue and disembarkation — and the final section deals with the collection of evidence and the importance of reporting.

Stowaways by sea handbook author Steven Jones is joined by Nautical Institute past president Capt Nicholas Cooper and current vicepresident Capt Allen Brink at the book’s launch event last month Picture: Andrew Linington

Mr Jones, who is now maritime director with the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI), told the launch event that stowaways can be a ‘nightmare’ for seafarers — particularly as a result of post-9/11 paranoia. ‘They pose significant security, safety, commercial and liability issues for shipping,’ he added.

‘The problem is a serious one and shows no sign of abating.’

He said the handbook had taken four years to produce and he was confident it would provide the necessary knowledge, awareness and understanding for seafarers.

Nautical Institute vice-president Captain Allen Brink said stowaways could not only cause safety problems

onboard, but could cost owners up to US$100,000 in repatriation fees.

And Nautilus member Captain Nicholas Cooper, past president of the Institute, told of his experiences after five stowaways were found on his ship in 2008. ‘No amount of training, drills and SMS procedures prepares you for when things go wrong,’ he added. ‘Masters must be fully aware of the pitfalls if you don’t follow the rules and regulations to the letter, and you must be squeaky clean in case you are the subject of an external or internal inquiry.’ g Maritime Security Handbook: stowaways by sea is available from The Nautical Institute, price £20 — www.nautinst.org/pubs

16/04/2014 19:26

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

CRIMINALISATION

Vadim Mamontov, chairman of the Kaliningrad branch of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia, finds that seafarers are still being made scapegoats in the international ‘war on drugs’…

M

A Russian electrical engineer called at my office in Kaliningrad and asked me whether the SUR (Seafarers’ Union of Russia) could help him to get money from French government.

I wondered why and he told me his story.

His vessel, the Barbados-registered refrigerated cargoship Stina, was stopped by a French battleship not far from Colombia.

Soldiers armed with machineguns landed on the deck from a helicopter and forced the crew to stay quietly near a hold — the chief mate with his hands up.

Being a Russian, the electrical engineer didn’t expect anything good from armed servicemen.

Years ago, similar people put his grandfather in prison just because he had a small shop and his own house.

All cabins and everybody onboard was searched and some personal belongings were confiscated. The Russian lost his glasses, along with a case and some instruments — two screwdrivers included.

The 19 crew spent the night in the saloon, but were permitted to take bed clothes from their cabins.

In the morning everybody was asked to sign a paper with the text written in the French language.

The Russian told the officer he could not understand French and besides that, he could not see without his glasses. The text was then translated to him in English: it was a list of things confiscated from his belongings.

Stina was diverted to the port of Fort-de-France, Martinique, and arrived on 16 September 2013. The crew were refused permission to go ashore, even to the berth, because the vessel was under suspicion of drug transportation.

The ship was carrying a cargo of 4,000 tons of bananas to Algeria, but had been intercepted and detained following US intelligence reports suggesting that it was transporting three tons of Colombian cocaine.

The Coast Guard officers explained to the crew they had the right to detain the seafarers for 76 hours. Though the crew-

When we expect to find cocaine and find only bananas, we are disappointed

“

Martinique coast guard

”

members complained, they were kept under lock and key for 102 hours until the attorney came and the court gave an order for their release.

The shipowner, Holy House Shipping AB, then began a lawsuit. The trial took place on 20 September and the court brought in a verdict of not guilty for all the crew members. But even then they were deprived of the right to leave the ship and they had to stay inside it as if it was a prison.

The ship had been searched from top to bottom for three weeks, but nothing untoward was found, and the bananas had to be taken ashore and dumped.

On 8 October, the local newspaper France-Antilles published an article titled ‘Customs have not found drugs’. It was written there that the ship’s master had received an official letter about the absence of any problem with the ship, cargo or crew.

‘When we expect to find three tons of cocaine and find only bananas, we are disappointed,’ Cedric Rollet, the deputy director of the Coast Guard in Martinique was quoted as saying.

M

In the middle of November information came to the ship: the French government had agreed to pay $500 to every crew member to compensate for the damage caused to him, under condition that he would sign a paper with the obligation never to demand anything more.

The electrical engineer refused to sign such paper, while the Filipino crew members signed it. They explained they couldn’t risk their jobs by appealing to the court.

At the same time they told the Russian: ‘You are right. They should have given us more money.’

He promised them: ‘I’ll be fighting for all of you as well’ and gave them his e-mail address.

The story I was listening to in the SUR’s office was not unusual at all. I told the visitor about a resolution adopted by the 42nd International Transport Workers’ Federation Congress in Mexico City, entitled ‘Criminalisation of seafarers’. It condemned the unfair treatment meted out to seafarers, who are often made scapegoats.

I asked, by the way: ‘Have the French guys at least returned your belongings to you?’ ‘Yes,’ the electrical engineer answered, ‘they returned almost everything, except two screwdrivers.’

The seafarer laughed: ‘They were very good ones and I am going to get a lot of money from Paris for them…’

French TREPEL commandos board a vessel suspected of harbouring criminals Picture: JJ.Chatard / DICOD

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Barbados-registered refrigerated cargoship Stina, targeted by the French military

29_scapegoats_SR edit.indd 29

16/04/2014 18:46

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

UNION DEMOCRACY

19 June RGM: proposed Rule changes Members can take part in the democracy of the Union by attending General Meetings Picture: Mark Pinder

Rule changes proposed by Council P

Group A. Purpose: To provide clarification for membership eligibility and changes to election procedures.

A1.

Delete existing Rule 3.1 Membership and replace by: 3.1 Those eligible for membership shall be those persons regularly engaged or employed as: (i) maritime professionals by employers operating exclusively or mainly in the maritime industry, including shipmasters, officers, ratings, other seafarers and other staffs engaged in or supporting the maritime transportation of goods and passengers or other forms of maritime activity, including inland navigation, (ii) Officials (other than the General Secretary) and other senior staff, as defined by the Council, employed by the Union, (iii) The General Secretary, and (iv) such other descriptions of persons, including persons engaged in non-maritime activity, as the Council may from time to time decide to be eligible.

A2. Rule 22 General Secretary. Add in new Rules 22.1, 22.2 and 22.3 and renumber accordingly.

22.1 The General Secretary shall be elected by Full members in accordance with regulations determined by the Council under Rule 2 (q).

22.2 Candidates for election as General Secretary must be Full members provided that Full members under Rule 3.1 (ii) may only stand for election as General Secretary if nominated by the Council under Regulations determined under Rule 2(q).

22.3 The Full member elected General Secretary shall for their period of office as General Secretary be a Full member under Rule 3.1 (iii).

P B1.

The Council gave notice for an RGM to be held at 12.30hrs on Thursday 19 June 2014 at The Hilton Hotel, Rotterdam. Full members were given the opportunity, as provided for under the Rules and Regulations, to submit proposals to amend the Rule changes from the Council and also proposals to amend other Rules. One such proposal was submitted by Full members in advance of the deadline. The wording of the Council proposals and of that submitted by Full members is included in Dutch and German on the respective NL and CH websites.

De Council heeft een kennisgeving gedaan van een RGM te houden op donderdag 19 juni om 12.30 uur in het Hilton Hotel in Rotterdam. Conform de statuten zijn de volledig betalende leden in de gelegenheid gesteld om voorstellen in te dienen voor het amenderen van de door de Council voorgestelde wijzigingen van de Regels, alsmede voorstellen te doen voor het wijzigen van andere Regels. Binnen de gestelde termijn is er één dergelijk voorstel door volledig betalende leden ingediend. De teksten van de voorstellen van de Council en het door volledig betalende leden ingediende voorstel, zijn in het Nederlands en Duits beschikbaar op de betreffende NL en CH websites.

Der Rat gab die Durchführung einer Statuten-Generalversammlung bekannt für Dienstag, 19. Juni 2014 um 12.30 Uhr im Hilton Hotel, Rotterdam.

Vollmitglieder konnten im Vorfeld gemäss Statuten und Reglementen Abänderungsanträge zu den vorgeschlagenen Statutenänderungen des Rates sowie zu anderen Statutenartikeln einreichen. Ein solcher Vorschlag wurde von Vollmitgliedern fristgerecht eingereicht. Das Wortlaut der Vorschläge des Rates sowie das der Vollmitglieder wurde in Niederländisch bzw. Deutsch auf den jeweiligen niederländischen bzw. schweizerischen Homepage publiziert. (i) (ii) (iii) 25.2

Group B. Purpose: To update and shorten the procedure of the Disciplinary Procedures regarding members.

Delete existing Rule 25 Expulsion and Suspension of Members and replace with:

RULE 25 Discipline of Members 25.1 If any member in the opinion of the Council or of the Executive Committee has:(a) acted in breach of these Rules or prejudicially to the interests and objects of the Union; or (b) behaved in such a manner as to render his or her further membership detrimental to the interests of the Union or its members; or (c) participated in the activities of a political party determined by the Council, to the extent permitted by law, under regulation to have objects contrary to the objects of the Union; then the Council (or the Executive Committee

30_rules.indd Sec2:30

25.3

25.4

25.5

if so authorised by the Council) may either; expel the member from the Union; bar the member from holding any office in the Union for a period of up to 5 years; or issue the member with a reprimand.

If the Council or Executive Committee decides to expel a member, or bar the member from holding office, such expulsion or bar shall be operative from the time notice of the expulsion or bar is posted in a manner providing objective record of the date of dispatch to the member concerned.

Any member expelled from the Union shall forthwith forfeit all rights, benefits and offices, paid or otherwise, and, notwithstanding Rule 8.3, shall have no right to the return of any subscriptions and/or entrance fee. The Council may, or if directed by the appeals committee shall, reinstate such rights.

A member under investigation under Rule 25 may be suspended by the General Secretary for a period not exceeding three months or until a decision is made under Rule 25.1 (whichever is the earlier).

A member on suspension under Rule 25.4 shall not be entitled for the period of suspension to undertake the duties of any office in the Union or participate in any meeting of the Union.

25.6 The Council shall, under Rule 2(q) determine detailed regulations for the operation of this Rule, to include provisions governing the procedure to be followed and the right of appeal against any decision to expel , bar from holding office or reprimand.

P

Group C. Purpose: To update the Rules re Discrimination issues and to facilitate the provision of detailed, flexible Regulations.

C1.

Rule 2 (f) Objects.

Delete all words after ‘..discrimination’.

be determined by the Council and their duties shall be determined by the General Secretary.

C5. Add a new Rule 33 Code of Conduct 33.1 There shall be a Code of Conduct (including a Policy on Mutual Respect) which shall apply to all members and Staff.

33.2 The Council shall, under Rule 2(q) determine detailed regulations for the operation of this Rule.

P

Group D. Purpose: Miscellaneous changes to update the Rules to reflect current needs.

D1. Rule 4.3 Admission of Members.

Add at the end ‘…and Regulations made under those Rules’

D2. Rule 28 Notices.

Delete 28(a) and replace by (a) every ballot paper required by the Rules or Regulations thereunder to be sent to any member shall be sent to the member by prepaid letter in the ordinary course of post addressed to the member at the address appearing in the records of the Union; D3. Rule 30 Definitions.

Delete (a) (ii) and replace by: (ii) any employee or member of the Union who has been designated as an official, by the Council by a Resolution individually naming the employee or member.

An employee who has been designated other than by way of such a Resolution of the Council shall not be an official of the Union.

Rule changes proposed by members P Rule 8 Subscriptions

Delete existing Rule 8.1 and replace with: 8.1

Each member of the Union shall pay a subscription at a rate set by Council for each class of membership.

C2. Rule 16.4c Meetings of the Council. After the word ‘his’ in the two places it occurs add ‘or her’.

Add new Rules 8.2 and 8.3 and renumber subsequent Rules accordingly.

C3. Rule 21.1 Procedure at Meetings. After the word ‘him’ in the two places it occurs add ‘or her’ and also delete ‘his’ and replace by ‘their’.

8.2 Each member shall be individually responsible for paying their subscription.

If an employer facilitates the payment of a member’s subscription such payment shall represent a genuine deduction of wages and be made on a voluntary, opt-in basis.

C4. Rule 23 Officers and Officials. Amend Heading to read ‘Officers, Officials and other Staff’ and replace 23.2 with the following wording: 23.2 Employees of the Union who are not Officers shall be designated as Officials, where appropriate, by the Council. Their powers shall

8.3 Subscription payments in currencies other than those used by Council to set subscription rates shall be subject to the provisions of Rule 10.5.

16/04/2014 18:43

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME LITERATURE

A writer formed at sea Reading onboard ship greatly enriched one seafarer’s life and paved the way for him to become a novelist, hears SARAH ROBINSON

K

‘I would like it if I was the one to bring maritime fiction to the mainstream.’ It’s a bold ambition for someone who has only just published his second novel, but once you see what John Guy can do, it doesn’t seem such a long shot.

John’s new book is called The Golden Tide, a fast-paced story of oil pollution, corruption, criminalisation and human frailty. It’s another maritime thriller to follow The Reluctant Pirate, which was featured in these pages in February 2013.

‘I had a great response for the first book,’ he says, ‘but readers said they’d like more background and depth, so I did a lot of character development and research into locations for the next one.’

Given that the setting of The Golden Tide is the coast of Sicily, this research made for a very pleasant holiday for the author and his wife. But it was no all-expenses-paid jaunt funded by a big publisher. In today’s world, it’s up to John to make the publishing game work for himself.

Fortunately, he seems well up to the task. ‘I might try and get a publisher next time, but it’s actually been quite satisfying going independent,’ he says.

‘The thing to remember is that writing the book is the easy part. You need to pay a lot of attention to what comes after.’

As we often see at the Telegraph, quite a few self-published books fall into the trap of cutting corners on the editing, which can mean that they go to print containing spelling mistakes, dodgy facts and off-putting layouts.

This is why John had both of his books professionally test-read and edited — a process which had other benefits too.

He’s keen to have professional feedback which will improve his books, leading to a tighter structure, perhaps, or more realistic characters. And he accepts

The Golden Tide, by John Guy, will be reviewed in the Telegraph next month.

Along with The Reluctant Pirate, it is available at a 25% discount from the Marine Society Shop: go to www. marinesocietyshop.org and click on the Nautilus logo.

31_john guy_SR edit.indd 31

The young seafarer who grew up to be a maritime writer: John Guy in 1968 and today

that there is always something to learn: ‘You’ve got to build up the skill of writing a novel, and hopefully it will be better each time.’

When it comes to promoting his books, John has sensibly made use of contacts from his day job as a maritime journalist and PR consultant, but he says that the most important thing is to have your own website.

He has also made interesting use of recent online trends such as crowdsourcing. To get the best possible cover design for The Golden Tide, John ran a worldwide competition, giving out a description of his book online and encouraging budding designers to try their hand at interpreting the theme.

He clearly knows how to promote a book and get his text into good shape, but if John Guy is going to become the breakout star of maritime fiction, the stories themselves will need to have something special to offer. Is John able to tell the world anything new, and above all, do his books have ‘heart’?

K

Speaking to John about his background, it turns out that, for a start, he brings expertise to his work that very few mainstream novelists share: he is a qualified navigation officer and experienced marine surveyor.

‘I went to sea at 16 in 1968,’ he reminisces. ‘I came from Evesham, as far away from the sea as you can get, but I didn’t like school, didn’t like my family. I was restless and needed somewhere to go.

One day, at home in Worcestershire, I ran into a boy I knew and saw how suntanned he was from travelling the world. He told me about the Merchant Navy, and that was the kind of exciting job I wanted to do.

‘I sailed with Clan Line, King Line, Union Castle on reefers and general cargo ships, then after my 2nd Mate’s I went with Monroes of Liverpool on a general cargo ship, then United Baltic Corporation on small ice-breaking ships, mostly carrying forest products. Then it was a wine tanker with McAndrews — got my 1st Mate’s — then handysize bulkers with Bolton Steamship and mini bulkers with Denholm Mclay while studying for Extra Master. I was also in the RNR so I sailed on HMS Apollo, HMS Lynx, HMS Bronnington and some more I have forgotten.’

K

So there’s John’s CV, but he is keen to stress that the Merchant Navy gave him a life as well as a job. It gave him an education and even made him a writer. ‘I was a protégé of Ronald Hope of the Marine Society,’ he reveals — recalling the celebrated champion of maritime education who passed away earlier this year. ‘I came across him through the onboard library service run by the Marine Society. Thanks to him, I read everything in those libraries. I studied French and Greek through the Seafarers’ Education Service. I entered and won the Marine Society’s creative writing competition in the 1970s and was published in their anthology. If I’m anything today, it’s because of Ronald Hope.’

John started getting a few articles published while still at sea, and continued his interest in writing when he came ashore in the 1980s as a surveyor and chief examiner in South Africa. In 1988, John brought his family back to the UK and joined Fairplay magazine as a staff writer, developing his craft as a maritime journalist there and producing two wellreceived academic textbooks.

In 1995, he co-founded the Merlin corporate communications agency. It has been successful, but John always felt he had hidden stories to tell; stories about the sea that people ashore should be hearing. ‘I’d wanted to write fiction for a long time, but it’s hard to step aside when you have commitments and other work.

In recent years, though, it got to the point with the business where I could cut back my hours at Merlin, and that was the right time.’

He threw his energies into finding out how to write a novel, even setting out a plot on an Excel spreadsheet, and The Reluctant Pirate was the result. ‘I thought, what’s the first thing people say when they hear I’ve worked at sea, and they all ask about modern-day piracy, so that was what I chose for theme of the first book.’

Too little is known by the general public about the maritime world, he points out. His mission is therefore to take the few maritime issues that are known to interest the general reader, and use those as a way to draw people in — to share the excitement and intrigue of modern seafaring and the vivid experiences of the maritime workforce.

Not surprisingly, then, his new book The Golden Tide is about another headline-grabbing issue: marine oil pollution. A third work is also in the offing, and is likely to draw inspiration

from a certain high-profile cruiseship stranding. With this canny strategy and proven writing skills, perhaps John Guy really will become the breakout star of maritime fiction.

Speak now to get the best books onboard A

It’s the last chance to have your say in the Nautilus/Marine Society Book of the Year survey. Lots of Telegraph readers have already taken part in our 10-minute online quiz about seafarers’ reading habits and favourite books; will you join them?

The survey closes at the end of the month, when we will finally know the

answer to the all-important question of which book is the seafarers’ favourite.

The Marine Society will also use the information collected to make sure the right books, in the right format, are stocked in its shipboard libraries and online shop. g Take part in the survey now at www.nautilusint.org

16/04/2014 16:13

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

OFFWATCH ships of the past

Redoubtable salvor quietly led the field

by Trevor Boult

F

The world of marine salvage is challenging and unforgiving. A salvor is required to be ‘infinitely patient and possess a determination that will keep him at work when most other men would give up in despair. Above all he must be strong in hope.

Without hope, no man may seek to become a salvage expert, for he would be foredoomed to failure. He must possess not only physical courage that enables him to face the dangers of his calling, but also that rarer mental courage that enables him to snatch victory out of the very jaws of defeat’.

In the mid-1970s, husband and wife team Alec and Moya Crawford set out to fulfil their dreams of becoming professional salvage experts. That they would succeed, and break world depth records in commercial cargo recovery in the process, is entirely in keeping with those vital qualities of fearless tenacity and endurance.

The work vessel they chose eventually became known as Redeemer. When they acquired her she was the former purse-seine fishing boat Responsive. She was also the victim of a catastrophic fire and a sunken

wreck in the Orkney harbour of Lyness on the island of Hoy. Raising the hulk was a protracted and frustrating business, and its eventual transformation was described as ‘a subtle and slow metamorphosis’. The owners’ abilities to plan ahead and to scour industrial and maritime Scotland for the vast array of equipment and parts required saved them a fortune. Those testing initial years were recalled: ‘…they were to bring each of us to our knees in exhaustion and despair at times’.

As a salvage vessel, the classification had changed, which required new specifications and stability criteria, despite the hull having been shown to meet the highest standards by prolonged and successful fishing to the north and west of Scotland, gaining an enviable record for sea-keeping.

The salvage system was designed in-house to have extremely low running costs, and working modifications were often invented on the hoof. The process of salvage generally took place at a four-point mooring buoy to which Redeemer was secured ‘like a spider in the centre of a scanty web’.

In her early career, Redeemer quickly became recognised as a flexible and

useful craft. She was much in demand for commercial delivery work. Income from this secure outside source was welcome, but the siren call of independent speculative salvage was too strong to resist. Doggedly, they gained experience in raising cargoes from sunken WW2 cargo ships on a ‘no cure no pay’ basis.

The realities of carrying out such work at a four-point mooring were often extreme: ‘[Redeemer]...bucked, pitched and tossed.

The motion was constant. No piece of ship, hull or superstructure, stayed in the same plane for more than a second...’ They also had to navigate the complex waters of competition, salvage agreements, hostile foreign governments; the bureaucracies of legislation, Receivers of Wreck, and Foreign Office scrutiny.

In the winter of 1979, the laden cargo ship Francois Vieljeux foundered some 45 miles SW of Cape Finisterre, in the Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone. Redeemer and her crew secured a salvage contract. They graphically described the wreck’s location in terms of Britain’s highest mountain, as being ‘in waters as deep as Ben Nevis is high’.

The ship’s cargo was valued in millions of pounds. The salvors had a manifest and plans for this modern 11,000 tonne ship which, with good fortune, had also settled upright on the seabed. Plumbing the depths of 1,250m required all their accumulated skill and perseverance. After a period of two years, success lay on the deck: ‘I viewed the cause of all our struggle. Already oxidising in the sun, and turning from a bright strawberry blond to a dull auburn, the long dense fingers [of copper] lay in a neat line.

We had 30 tonnes by the time winter seas took hold.’

The process and significance was described: ‘We were taking cargo out of her holds through a space no more than five metres wide...Nobody had achieved this before. We had tripled the existing depth record, beating government-sponsored foundations and multi-national companies alike. A small, family business, we lead the international field yet operate in complete and utter obscurity.’

In eventually returning via the Caledonian Canal to her Scottish home port of Dundee, Redeemer passed beneath the awesome bulk of Ben Nevis, a graphic symbol of the ‘mountain’ they had conquered in the notoriously challenging waters off the Atlantic coast of Spain.

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Pacific Steam Navigation Company (reviewed in last month’s Telegraph).

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.

The MNAOA has once again drawn attention to the need for the introduction of certificates of competency for electrical engineer officers. As far back as 1945, arising from a resolution adopted at a General Meeting, discussions have been taking place with the Ministry of Transport on the issue. Having in mind the number of ships today which have some degree of automation, calling for many new types of electrical devices such as data loggers, it is accepted that the industry must have highly skilled electrical officers to ensure the efficient operation and maintenance of such equipment.

However, recruitment of electrical engineer officers to the Merchant Navy will remain unattractive while there are unsatisfactory prospects for advancement MN Journal, May 1964

25 YEARS AGO Authorities in the United States are planning tough new drug and alcohol policies after a US-flag tanker, the 214,862dwt Exxon Valdez, caused a major pollution crisis after running aground on a reef in Alaska. More than 11m gallons of crude oil spilled from the ship’s ruptured tanks, polluting thousands of square miles of one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive areas. Exxon sacked the master of the tanker after tests showed he was over the US alcohol limit, but NUMAST hit back at reports that alcohol abuse is a major problem in the shipping industry today. The Union has asked the US Coast Guard for details of how the new drug and alcohol regulations will be applied to non-US seafarers and on non-US flagged ships operating in US waters, as well as the circumstances in which drug and alcohol tests will be carried out on crew members The Telegraph, May 1989

10 YEARS AGO NUMAST has welcomed an agreement that should pave the way for the introduction of international seafarer identity cards. The governing body of the UN agency the International Labour Organisation says it has taken a major step to strengthening maritime security by adopting the new biometric identity verification system for the world’s 1.2m seafarers. The agreement will see the introduction of ID cards that turn the holder’s fingerprints into a special barcode. NUMAST hopes that this secure system will help to improve seafarers’ rights to shore leave, which have come under increasing restrictions since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The Union has backed ITF calls for the swift and widespread ratification of the revised Seafarers Identity Convention to ensure the measures are implemented as soon as possible The Telegraph, May 2004

THEQUIZ

4

5 1

How much is the world’s merchant shipping fleet worth?

Which oil spill was the bigger — the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989 or the Sea Empress in the UK in 1996?

How many Ultra-Large Containerships are now in service?

2

3

6

How many Ultra-Large Containerships are due to be delivered this year?

Foundering was the most common cause of ship loss last year. What proportion of total losses did it account for?

In which year was the UK Hydrographic Office established to take charge of plans and charts and selecting and compiling information to improve navigation?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 9 May 2014.

QUICK CLUES 1.

5.

9.

11.

12.

15.

16.

18.

19.

21.

24.

25.

26.

27.

Across Moisten (8) Boot end (6) Sport (5,4) Go in (5) Singular rule (12) Take meal (4) Not finished (10) Censure (10) South American people (4) Not pedigree (12) Unspeakable (5) Reserve (9) Intelligent (6) Part of bicycle (8)

1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

8.

10.

Down Screech (4) Quiet (4) Knock off track (6) Unsure at polls (8,5) Too ready to eat (8) Cheap looking (10) On the edge (10) Boat engine (8,5)

13.

14.

17.

20.

22.

23.

Fanciful (10) Sacrosanct (10) Swamp (8) Shares (6) Handle (4) Highland quadruped (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

5.

9.

11.

32_offwatch_SR edit.indd 32

50 YEARS AGO

12.

15.

16.

18.

Across Path once wound to monument (8) Doctor and primate died as arranged, somewhat casually (6) So, Rob’s pic turned out to be a hooter (9) The fruits of romantic meetings (5) Indiana holy one left end of month to share in Presidential ceremony (12) Finished bowling spell (4) React to art fusion in building of Natural History Museum (10) Rearrange crest in bar and put into writing (10)

19. Piece of land lies all at sea (4) 21. Gosh, crime yet to be solved by science (12) 24. Or lie about broken window (5) 25. Sappers and I join small church and all male party in parliament (9) 26. Turn back times to start of Exodus for Biblical descendant (6) 27. Worried about dog in sea (8)

1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

Down Cloak to wear on promontory (4) Midday reflects negative response whichever way you look at it (4) Sharp points under tip of bonnet, also on roses (6) Craftsperson likely to make art pricer fume (7,6) Somehow I can read with certain sparkle (8)

7. Loyalty to tap and civil disturbance is on first of May (10) 8. Not being attentive, show lack of respect for little England and the 23 (10) 10. Old-fashioned party with mixed gin, that’s the drill (6-7) 13. Catching trickster with label for debts incurred (10) 14. Confused time, so balm applied to determine the rate (10) 17. Chase around on bit of land for onion (8) 20. Poor child lurking in minor phantasy (6) 22. So it turned out to be a company making lifts (4) 23. ‘I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of --- tyranny’ (King Lear) (4) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

16/04/2014 18:44

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

books

OFFWATCH

Taking our rightful place at the heart of society The Sea and Civilization

By Lincoln Paine Atlantic Books, £30 ISBN: 978 17823 93559 world as seen through ‘sea glasses’ might K appear daunting to the casual reader. But don’t

The sheer size of this 784-page history of the

be put off. Not only do notes, references and the index account for 150 pages, but you will be hard pressed to come across another book that offers up so much interest, so many odd facts and such provocative arguments.

‘I want to change the way you see the world,’ is how Mr Paine opens the book — explaining how he wants to consider the many ways in which mariners have shaped society over the millennia, with trading patterns spreading not just ideas but ‘culture, commerce, contagion, and conflict’.

Ships, seafarers and the sea are right at the heart of every advance in society, he argues, and

Titanic ‘hook’ constrains this stoker history Down Amongst the Black Gang

By Richard P. de Kerbrech The History Press, £14.99 ISBN: 978 07524 93237 Gang, the seamen that toiled in K the stokeholds of coal-driven ships, They were known as the Black

in ‘harsh conditions of extreme heat, dimly lit, dirty and back breaking environment… Their name derived from their appearance due to the coating of coal dust on their faces, exposed skin and clothing.’

So writes Richard P de Kerbrech, in his new study Down Amongst the Black Gang, his description generic.

His book’s sub-title, however, is The World and Workplace of RMS Titanic’s Stokers, and this brand-new ship was not typical of the ‘Black Gang’ experience, because the stokehold was clean. As one of the surviving Titanic firemen attested: ‘Not what we were accustomed to in the older ships — slogging our guts out and nearly roasted with the heat.’

No doubt the author and publisher had sound commercial reasons for focusing on the Titanic, and certainly for having its name plastered prominently on the front cover.

White Star Line’s hapless luxury liner is a source of perennial fascination in popular culture. However, this volume is not one for the casual reader, as the bulk of the book is highly technical in nature, with a great deal of detail about the power

33_books_SR edit.indd 33

they remain essential in today’s globalised and ‘just in time’ delivery world.

All history is maritime history, Mr Paine contends, and the book delves back to the earliest times to explain the first experiments in ‘watercraft’ and look at the evidence of the first voyages across open water — made some 50,000 years ago in the South Pacific.

He challenges the traditional assumption that mastery of the oceans was a western achievement, telling of the pioneering voyages made by the islanders of Oceania and the importance of riverine and maritime navigation in the development of successive civilisations in the Middle East, Africa, China and the Mediterranean.

The book describes some of the remarkable navigational techniques developed centuries ago and explains how the fusion of shipbuilding knowledge and advances in charting, position fixing, depth sounding and knowledge of tides

plant, the main propulsion machinery, the low-pressure or exhaust turbine and condensers, auxiliary equipment, as well as the coal used and the bunkering, with many associated photographs and diagrams.

Engineers in particular may well find this absorbing, and de Kerbrech is very thorough.

What all this meant for the Black Gang personnel is not neglected. The book looks particularly at the firemen, and the trimmers who supplied the coal from the bunkers and carted away the ash; and it touches on how their work on the Titanic and her sisters compared with other steamships.

Quoted is former merchant seaman John Lennox Kerr, who, writing about the passing of the age of passenger steamships, noted: ‘The death rate among ships’ firemen was very high and there is no little wonder at this.

I have a vivid memory of men in the stokehold of a ship steaming down a hot and airless Red Sea. There was not enough breeze to cool those on the upper deck, and down in the stokehold the heat would have been unbearable for anyone but a ship’s fireman. The fires had to be raked and shaken up ever few minutes to make them burn. The ship had no artificially “forced” draught and no “natural” air came down the wide-mouthed ventilators. The fires burned only by the incessant toil of the coal-blackened blasphemous men whose pride is in keeping up a full head of steam.’

Few could stand the life. Charles Lightoller, Titanic’s surviving second officer, recalled colleagues who

sweated in the fiery bowels of the steam ships: ‘The conditions in which firemen laboured in these boats was inhuman. Little blame if the men did become brutes.’

By Lightoller’s account, eruptions of violence were commonplace, with tales circulating about ‘men gone missing after a free fight, when sharp shovels are used… “So and so missing. He must have gone overboard during the night. Caught with the heat, poor beggar”.’

White Star engineers and officials, in hiring Black Gang crew, learned to overlook what they thought to be the more brutish types, says de Kerbrech, and he dedicates a chapter to the Titanic Black Gang’s efforts to save the stricken ship. Yet although the Titanic firemen who testified at the British Inquiry were often articulate and obviously intelligent, ‘they were treated as though they were uneducated lower class labourers, an attitude born of the tremendous class distinction of the period’.

Given his objectives, the author has done his job well, but his book leaves you yearning for a more general history of the men who toiled in the fiery bellies of the steamships.

How words can paint the best portrait Three Greenwich Built Ships

By David Ramzan

and currents helped nations such as Britain and the Netherlands to build empires and on the back of exploratory voyages.

In this encyclopaedic study, shipping since the 1950s merits less than 20 pages — much of which concentrates on containerisation and flags of convenience — but Mr Paine describes how the huge growth in seaborne trade over this period has continued the ‘straightforward narrative of progress’ and hastened the process of globalisation.

The book is sympathetic to the seafarer — noting seafaring as ‘one of humankind’s oldest collective pursuits’ — and peppering the broader sweep of history ory with references to mariners’ working lives and their safety and welfare. It is nice to note that it concludes with an observation not only of the pivotal role of the sea in history but also of the way in which, today, seafarers have been

Amberley, £17.99 ISBN: 978 14456 00963 great deal of attention to the K covers of their books, for obvious Publishers usually devote a

reasons, but the cover design of Three Greenwich Built Ships is quite perfunctory. Not ugly, just a bit dull.

Fortunately, the contents of the book have a lot more to offer.

Probe within and one encounters an engaging, erudite and expansive narrative, backed up by page upon page of excellent pictorial material, all well laid-out on creamy high quality paper.

The author grew up in Greenwich after his paternal grandfather joined the Royal Navy as a means of escaping the Indian uprisings of the 1920s. After he died, his Greenwichborn wife remarried a local man, a Thames lighterman who, during

‘rendered all but anonymous, stripped of their national identities by flags of convenience and made invisible by their displacement to the industrial wastelands on the margins of the ports they serve’.

the author’s boyhood, ‘would tell me wonderful stories about his life working on the river… Within his home he had a menagerie of exotic pets and unusual artefacts acquired from sailors of merchant ships who brought them into the Port of London’.

Consequently, Mr Ramzan has a deep feeling for his subject. He writes of the significance that shipbuilding once had in SE London and how it helped shape the development of the area, from Deptford through to Greenwich and on to Woolwich.

He relates the stories of three tall ships that emanated from those yards — the East Indiaman Princess Louisa, the clipper Hallowe’en and the naval frigate Dolphin.

These vessels no longer register in popular consciousness, but they had fascinating careers that variously involve tales of sea battles, voyages of discovery, record-breaking passages on trade routes, wreckage and disaster.

We learn about the designers, the builders, the owners, the masters, their crews, their work, their conditions, their inter-relations, their recreation on ship and in port, and about the hazards of operating the wind-driven ships of their times.

And we learn a lot more broadly about those times and what preceded them — Mr Ramzan excels in setting the context.

A truly vividly detailed and compelling contribution to maritime history, and as such — the only real gripe — it is a great shame that the publishers omitted an index.

Maritime art in all its beauty and significance The Power of the Sea Edited by Janette Kerr & Christiana Payne Sansom & Co, £25 ISBN: 978 19083 26577 sea — and, in an island nation, British artists K have had a particular interest in depicting both the Artists have long been fascinated by the

force and the beauty of the sea.

Published to tie in with a new Bristol-based exhibition of the same name, this book offers a stimulating insight into the way the artistic approach to the sea has changed over the past three centuries.

Five excellent essays explain some of the themes that have dominated British marine art — including danger and heroism, trade

and exploration — and explore the techniques used to capture the constant changes and drama of the sea. They provide an

uunderstanding of what drives artists to use the sea as a subject, and how their work is relevant to se wider society. w The book continues with almost 50 artworks that trace a line from the early preoccupation with th shipwrecks and storms, to the late 19th century sh depictions of the sea in a leisure context, and on de to the 20th century concentration on patterns and moods. Contemporary works seem to focus on m issues such as space, isolation and science — and is it is interesting to see a number of artists who have been directly inspired by travelling at sea. ha Fittingly, perhaps, the final painting in this beautifully produced book is by Len Tabner — one be done during his extensive time at sea, painted do from the deck of the North Sea support vessel Oil Challenger — reminding the reader that the sea remains a workplace for many.

A celebration of the maritime workhorse Tugs in Colour — Worldwide

By Andrew Wiltshire Coastal Shipping Publications, £16.50 ISBN: 9781902953632 workhorse’ but anyone who K has seen them in operation cannot Tug boats may be a ‘humble

but be impressed by their toughness and manoeuvrability, and the closequarters skill of their crews.

Andrew Wiltshire’s latest work covers harbour, ocean-going and salvage tugs, also river and waterway tugs, contemporary and recent historical. And the book is global in scope, including ample coverage of boats, quite a number built in the Netherlands. Some regions, especially most of Africa, are poorly represented because of lack of information.

The 80 pages are packed with good colour images of the vessels, the images taking up in most instances some three-quarters of the page. Underneath or beside each is a history of the ship depicted.

Squat they may be but — given the book’s glossy pictorial bias — what strikes you is how handsome many of these vessels are or were; there is a symmetry about them that pleases the eye.

BOOK 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. need to make their purchase g at www.marinesocietyshop.org.

To qualify for this offer, readers

16/04/2014 18:45

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

NL NEWS

Uit de dienstgang A Volledig nieuwe CAO voor Verenigde Tankrederij op de algemene Binnenvaart C CAO 2003-2006. Hoog tijd dus om

De vorige CAO was gebaseerd

de loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden voor de medewerkers in dienst van de Verenigde Tankrederij aan te passen. En dat is gebeurd want de vakbonden Nautilus International en CNV Vakmensen hebben inmiddels een akkoord bereikt met Verenigde Tankrederij (VT) voor een geheel nieuwe CAO. De CAO heeft een looptijd van drie jaar en loopt van 1 juli 2014 tot en met 30 juni 2017. De grootste wijziging ten opzichte van de oude CAO is de all-in beloning en dat komt overeen met de structuur van de in 2013 gewijzigde algemene Binnenvaart CAO. Voorheen werd uitkering van het loon gebaseerd op de exploitatie van de schepen; vanaf nu ontvangen de leden het hele jaar door hetzelfde salaris. Hiermee zijn eventuele loonschommelingen eruit gehaald. Wel heeft de werkgever aangegeven meer flexibiliteit te willen voor alle schepen.

Verder blijft het artikel van de prijscompensatie behouden, al

zal deze niet toegepast worden.

Gedurende de CAO-looptijd ontvangen de medewerkers namelijk elk half jaar 0,5% loonsverhoging, met ingang van 1 juli aanstaande.

Kennis en kunde

Een andere belangrijke wijziging is het feit dat medewerkers beloond worden voor hun kennis. Ervaring weegt minder zwaar dan kennis en kunde. VT heeft hiertoe een nieuw loongebouw en nieuw functiehuis gekregen. Om de medewerkers de tijd te geven de benodigde kennis te verkrijgen én zo in ieder geval het huidige loon te blijven verdienen, is er een overgangsmaatregel van kracht. Een sociale commissie zal hier toezicht op houden.

Akkoord

Het CAO-resultaat werd op 13 en 21 maart door de vakbonden aan de leden voorgelegd tijdens een tweetal ledenvergaderingen. De meerderheid van de aanwezigen hebben hun akkoord gegeven, waarmee de nieuwe CAO een feit is.

Follow us on Twitter

Een rederij kan een zeevarende aanbieden om op een zeeschip te gaan werken met een arbeidsovereenkomst onder buitenlandse vlag. Wie op zeeschepen onder een buitenlandse vlag gaat werken, kan echter te maken krijgen met andere loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden.

Daarnaast kan dit invloed hebben op uw sociale verzekeringssituatie en fiscale positie. Wat zijn de financiële gevolgen en waar zitten de voor- en nadelen? In dit artikel leest u dat dit per zeevarende kan verschillen en sterk afhangt van persoonlijke omstandigheden.

Bij het varen met een arbeidsovereenkomst onder een andere vlag, waarop ander recht van toepassing is, kan het zijn dat u zaken met betrekking tot belasting, sociale zekerheid en pensioenen zelf moet gaan regelen. Denk hierbij onder meer aan de inkomstenaangifte en hieruit voortvloeiende betalingen, hypotheekrente aftrek, Algemene Ouderdomswet (AOW), aanvullend pensioen en Algemene Nabestaandenwet (Anw) en arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekeringen.

Deens voorbeeld

Als voorbeeld nemen wij een Nederlandse zeevarende die van Maersk Ship Management een arbeidsovereenkomst naar Deens arbeidsrecht voorgelegd krijgt. In deze arbeidsovereenkomst staat dat de zeevarende zijn belasting, sociale zekerheid en pensioenen zelf moet gaan regelen. Daarnaast zijn er inhoudingen voor het Deense werkloosheidfonds, Folke pension, FP (is Deense AOW) en aanvullende pensioensregeling, ATP (is Deens Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor de Koopvaardij).

De zeevarende ontvangt maandelijks een vast bedrag van de werkgever ter compensatie voor de genoemde zaken. Lang niet iedere zeevarende heeft een eigen woning, de gezinssamenstelling verschilt, en er zijn gageverschillen door andere functies en opgebouwde dienstjaren. Maar ook de pensioenopbouw is afhankelijk van een eigen carrière. Hierdoor kan de uitkomst voor elke zeevarende verschillend zijn en dus een andere beslissing vergen.

Gevolgen

Als u langere tijd buiten Nederland gaat werken bent u meestal niet meer verzekerd voor uw pensioen (aanvullend pensioen, AOW), Arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekeringen (WIA), Nabestaandenverzekeringen Anw en Ziektekosten (Zorgverzekeringswet, ZvW).

Dit kan betekenen dat u bij het bereiken van uw AOW-leeftijd een lager aanvullend c.q.

AOW-pensioen ontvangt of dat uw partner een lagere nabestaandenuitkering krijgt wanneer u zou overlijden. Onder voorwaarden kunt u verzekeringen voor eigen rekening (vrijwillig) voortzetten. Of dit ook zinvol is en voldoende rendement oplevert indien er een beroep op een uitkering gedaan moet worden, zal individueel goed bekeken moeten worden.

Duidelijkheid

De vraag is echter of u uw opgebouwde

(sociale zekerheids-)rechten in de waagschaal moet stellen wanneer u nu een arbeidsovereenkomst voor onbepaalde tijd heeft met goede loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden (waaronder een goed pensioen). Laat u niet onder druk zetten om arbeidsovereenkomsten direct te ondertekenen of toezeggingen hierin te doen, als er nog onduidelijkheden zijn.

Advies en begeleiding

Omdat er veel afhangt van individuele situaties, adviseren wij u en de overige leden die overwegen om onder buitenlandse vlag te gaan varen om de huidige situatie goed in kaart te (laten) brengen en consequenties / gevolgen op een rijtje te zetten. Uiteraard kan Nautilus International u hierin adviseren en begeleiden. Wij helpen u graag verder. Onze contact gegevens en meer informatie over een lidmaatschap kunt u vinden op onze website: www.nautilusnl.org

Verplichtstelling Bedrijfspensioensfonds Rijn- & Binnenvaart in het geding

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat Lloyd’s Register gelijk heeft met hun verwachting dat zware stookolie nog steeds de belangrijkste brandstof voor schepen zal zijn in 2030? bedrijfstak wettelijk te C verplichten tot deelname aan het Om alle werkgevers in de

Nee 59% Ja 41%

De poll van deze maand is: Is de zeescheepvaart klaar voor de Ballast Water Management Conventie? Geef ons uw mening online, op www.nautilusnl.org

34-35_nl_15.4.indd 34

Bedrijfspensioenfonds, moet bij het georganiseerde bedrijfsleven een meerderheid van 55% van de werknemers werkzaam in de sector in dienst zijn. Dit wordt de representativiteit genoemd.

Eenmaal in de vijf jaar toetst het Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid de representativiteit van het Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor de Rijn- & Binnenvaart. Bij een representativiteit onder de 55% kan de minister de verplichtstelling intrekken tenzij er bijzondere omstandigheden zijn. Uit recente opgave aan het ministerie blijkt dat de 55% wellicht niet gehaald gaat worden. Volgens het fonds zijn er echter wel bijzondere omstandigheden en daarom is een dringend beroep gedaan op de minister de verplichtstelling niet in

te trekken en het fonds extra tijd te gunnen.

Sinds 1 januari is er namelijk een nieuwe werkgeversvereniging operationeel: Binnenvaart Logistiek Nederland (BLN). De werkgeversvereniging Binnenvaart Branche Unie (BBU) en een deel van de ledengroep Varende Ondernemers van het Centraal Bureau voor de Rijn- en Binnenvaart (CBRB) zijn tot BLN toegetreden. De onderhandeling over de toetreding van de ondernemersvereniging Koninklijke Schuttevaer (KVS) tot BLN is nog gaande. Deze herstructurering van werkgeversorganisaties kost echter tijd en kan van invloed zijn op de huidige representativiteitsgegevens.

Ook de economische situatie in de binnenvaart speelt waarschijnlijk een rol in de lage organisatiegraad van werkgevers. Daarentegen zijn de verwachtingen voor de toekomst van de binnenvaart positief dankzij de capaciteit op de vaarwegen,

duurzaamheid in de binnenvaart en de groei van ladingstromen.

Het Bedrijfsfonds voor de Rijn- & Binnenvaart is dan ook van mening dat dit bijzondere omstandigheden zijn, omstandigheden die aanleiding geven om af te zien van intrekking van verplichtstelling.

Respijt

Door werkgevers te verplichten deel te nemen aan het Bedrijfspensioenfonds, zijn de medewerkers in de Rijn & Binnenvaart verzekerd van een goede pensioenregeling. En dat is dan ook precies waarom het Bedrijfspensioenfonds aan de Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid (SZW) heeft gevraagd de verplichtstelling niet in te trekken. Als de minister het verzoek niet inwilligt, bestaat immers het risico dat werkgevers de werknemerspensioenen elders onderbrengen of, erger, helemaal geen pensioenregeling voor hun

medewerkers treffen. Zonder verplichtstelling zal het moeilijker worden goede condities overeen te komen, wat ten koste gaat van de (gewezen) deelnemers van het pensioenfonds. En dat is nu precies wat Nautilus wil voorkomen. Ons doel is immers om een zo goed mogelijke regeling voor onze leden te realiseren én vast te houden. We hopen dan ook dat de Minister van SZW de bijzondere omstandigheden onderkent en het verzoek tot respijt van het Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor de Rijn- & Binnenvaart ter harte neemt.

We houden u vanzelfsprekend op de hoogte van de voortgang.

Laatste nieuws!!!

Heden 14 april bereikt ons het bericht dat tot intrekking van de verplichtstelling is afgezien.

De Minister van SZW heeft ons verzoek ingewilligd. Nautilus International is zeer verheugd met dit behaalde resultaat.

16/04/2014 18:17

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS

Jaarvergadering 2014 A

Brisote feestelijk gedoopt in Rotterdamse thuishaven om op 13 maart jl. de laatste C aanwinst ms. Brisote van Chemgas Nautilus was uitgenodigd

Shipping feestelijk in de vaart te brengen. De doop van de 78 meter lange gastanker werd verricht door Theresa Martin, echtgenote van Richard Martin, managing director van het Ierse Flogas. Na enkele charmante pogingen gaf de Brisote zich over aan de champagnefles.

De gastanker is net als zusterschip Bayamo gebouwd bij Shipyard Constructions Hoogezand in Foxhol. Het schip is 78 meter lang, bijna 15 meter breed en beschikt over een opslagcapaciteit van 2.700 m3. Brisote vaart onder Nederlandse vlag en heeft Rotterdam als haar thuishaven.

Zij zal worden ingezet worden in Noordwest Europa.

De doop vond plaats, onder een stralende voorjaarszon, aan de Rotterdamse Parkkade waarna alle genodigden bij de Koninklijke Roeien Zeilvereniging de Maas met een glas champagne proostten op het jongste schip van Chemgas. Naast de nieuwbouw van de Bayamo en Brisote heeft de rederij nog twee gastankers in aanbouw, de Sefarina en de Sundowner.

Nautilus is natuurlijk bijzonder blij met het in de vaart brengen van een nieuw stukje werkgelegenheid.

Chemgas is actief in de binnenvaart, zeevaart en kruiplijnvaart en is gespecialiseerd in het vervoer van petrochemische gassen (LPG).

Het vaargebied voor de zeevaart strekt zich uit van de Baltische zee tot Noord-Afrika.

Statutenwijziging door leden goedgekeurd Nautilus leden tijdens een F extra Algemene Ledenvergadering Op 10 april jl. hebben de

unaniem ingestemd met een tweetal wijzigingen van de statuten. Deze wijzigingen waren nodig in verband met de oprichting van de Vereniging Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden en wegens een kleine tekstuele verduidelijking.

Voorzitter Marcel van den Broek lichtte aan de hand van een korte Powerpoint presentatie de statutenwijzigingen toe. Artikel 20.1, inzake de procedure voor het wijzigen van de statuten, diende tekstueel verduidelijkt te worden.

De tweede wijziging betreft de toevoeging van een nieuw lid 5 aan

34-35_nl_15.4.indd 35

artikel 4 waardoor het mogelijk wordt gemaakt om gepensioneerde Nautilus leden automatisch en zonder extra kosten lid te laten worden van de Vereniging Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden.

Middels dit platform worden de gepensioneerden van informatie voorzien over pensioenaangelegenheden.

Tevens kan het platform kandidaten voordragen voor de verkiezing van vertegenwoordigers van gepensioneerden in het bestuur van pensioenfondsen in de maritieme sector.

De aanwezige leden keurden de voorgestelde wijzigingen unaniem goed.

Op dinsdag 17 juni 2014 vindt de Nederlandse jaarvergadering van onze vereniging plaats in het Hilton Hotel te Rotterdam.

Begin juni kunt u het gehele programma in de Telegraph lezen maar, reserveert u deze dag reeds in uw agenda.

Hieronder vindt u een overzicht van de agendapunten.

Omdat de leden geen gebruik hebben gemaakt van de statutaire mogelijkheid voorstellen in te dienen, komt dat agendapunt te vervallen.

Zoals gebruikelijk zal het eerste gedeelte van de vergadering worden besteed aan statutaire zaken zoals bestuursverkiezingen, verkiezingen Raad van Advies, beoordeling van het in 2013 gevoerde beleid alsmede enige bepalingen uit het in 2007 tussen het toenmalige Nautilus NL en Nautilus UK overeengekomen protocol. Aansluitend is er na de pauze een openbaar gedeelte in de vorm van een symposium.

Verkiezing Bestuur

Dit jaar vinden er bestuursverkiezingen plaats. Voor vice voorzitter en penningmeester Hylke Hylkema eindigt de 4-jaarlijkse termijn per einde jaarvergadering. Hij stelt zich herkiesbaar maar, is wegens pensionering voornemens in de jaarvergadering 2015 vervroegd af te treden. Zijn kandidatuur wordt ondersteund door de Raad van Advies die daarover een bindende voordracht heeft opgesteld.

Verkiezing Raad van Advies

Ongeveer de helft van de Raad van Advies is aftredend, te weten: Uit kiesgroep kapiteins en stuurlieden: Joris van Vuuren en Caro Cordes Uit de kiesgroep marof: Roel Ballieux, Lars van Breugel en Chris Kuiken Uit de kiesgroep pensioen- of uitkeringsgerechtigden: Ab Poldervaart en Frits Vons Mevrouw Cordes alsmede de heren Van Vuuren, Ballieux, Kuiken en Vons hebben zich inmiddels herkiesbaar gesteld.

De heren Van Breugel en Poldervaart zijn niet beschikbaar voor herverkiezing. In de kiesgroep scheepsgezellen, werktuigkundigen, wal en binnenvaart zijn geen aftredende

leden. In de kiesgroep werktuigkundigen bestaat nog wel een vacature. Door het terugtreden van de heren Van Breugel en Poldervaart ontstaan eveneens vacatures in de kiesgroepen marof en pensioen- of uitkeringsgerechtigden. De aanmeldingstermijn voor de Raad van Adviesverkiezingen is inmiddels verstreken maar mocht u alsnog geïnteresseerd zijn in een mogelijk deelname en behoort u tot een kiesgroep waarin een vacature is ontstaan, neemt u dan eens contact op met voorzitter Marcel van den Broek om mogelijke aanstelling middels coöptatie te bespreken.

Symposium

Thema voor dit jaar zijn de Wet Arbeid Vreemdelingen en de Wet Minimum Loon. In toenemende

mate wordt het duidelijk dat de markt de grenzen van deze wetten opzoekt en in sommige gevallen ook overtreedt. De hoogste tijd om hier dieper op in te gaan. We doen dat middels het uitnodigen van een tweetal experts op dit gebied. Zij zullen het thema vanuit diverse hoeken adresseren en vervolgens de discussie met de zaal aangaan. g Indien u de jaarvergadering wilt bijwonen kunt u zich aanmelden bij mevrouw Schmidt via mschmidt@nautilusint.org of telefonisch 010-2862987. Het jaarverslag 2013 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.

Werknemers Stena Line zijn verdeeld momenteel twee BV’s met F bijbehorend personeel. De ene BV Rederij Stena Line heeft

is Stena Line Irish Sea Manning BV met het schip Severine en de andere BV is Stena Line BV met de schepen Hollandica, Transit en Transporter.

De directie van Stena Line heeft de uitdrukkelijke wens uitgesproken om in 2014 naar één BV te gaan. Dit betekent dat er zaken zullen gaan veranderen. Sommige werknemers zien dit als een kans, terwijl er ook werknemers zijn die de samenvoeging als een regelrechte bedreiging (en aantasting van hun opgebouwde rechten/dienstjaren) ervaren.

De vakbond staat voor alle leden en probeert de belangen van beide ledengroepen zo evenwichtig mogelijk te behartigen. Alle leden zijn ons even lief, vandaar dat Nautilus ervoor kiest om niet een bepaalde groep belangrijker te vinden dan een andere.

De afgelopen maanden zijn er diverse gesprekken geweest tussen de directie van Stena Line en Nautilus International. Nautilus heeft er bewust voor gekozen zoveel mogelijk kaderleden bij deze lastige integratiediscussie te betrekken (zowel van dek als machinekamer van beide BV’s).

De waarheid gebiedt te zeggen dat de directie weinig van onze ideeën wilde of kon overnemen. Het

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www. nautilusint.org

integratievoorstel wat de directie uiteindelijk op tafel had gelegd was dan ook mager. Aangezien de leden altijd het laatste woord hebben, heeft Nautilus dit voorstel aan de achterban voorgelegd. De werknemers konden van 10 t/m 28 maart hun stem uitbrengen. De respons was hoog: 70% van de leden heeft zijn stem uitgebracht (de respons bij Stena Line BV was 63% en bij Irish Sea Manning BV zelfs 88%).

Uit de gehouden ledenraadpleging blijkt dat de werknemers van Irish Sea Manning zich over het algemeen wel kunnen vinden in het integratievoorstel. Dit in tegenstelling

tot de werknemers van Stena Line BV. Zij zijn in meerderheid tegen. De overgrote meerderheid (81%) van de machinisten van Stena Line BV is tegen het huidige integratievoorstel van de rederij. Gemiddeld was de helft van de werknemers tegen en de helft voor.

Nautilus is daarom van mening dat er niet voldoende draagvlak is om het huidige integratieplan uit te voeren.

De rederij is nu aan zet om hier op een verstandige wijze mee om te gaan.

Bij het ter perse gaan van dit nummer (2 april 2014) was nog niet bekend welke koers de rederij wenst te gaan varen. Wij zullen u dit in het volgende nummer melden.

WILT U EEN ADVERTENTIE PLAATSEN IN DE TELEGRAPH NEEMT U DAN CONTACT OP MET: Tom Poole at Redactive Media Sales

T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 F: +44 (0)20 7880 7691

E: tom.poole@ redactive.co.uk

16/04/2014 18:17

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

APPOINTMENTS FLEETWOOD - A TOP UK NAUTICAL COLLEGE WITH A LONG ESTABLISHED REPUTATION FOR BEING A LEADING PROVIDER OF TRAINING TO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY.

COURSE CALENDAR SUMMER 2014 OFFSHORE BOSIET (3 days) - Every Mon and Wed MIST (2 days) - Every Mon and Thurs FOET (1 day) - Every Tues EURO (3 days) - Every 2nd Week EURO REFRESHER (1 day) - Every 2nd Week TEMPSC COXSWAIN (3.5 days) - Every 2nd Mon TEMPSC COXSWAIN REFRESHER (1.5 days) Every 2nd Thurs GWO BASIC SAFETY (7 days) - Monthly MST (Renewable UK) (2 days) - Monthly

STCW

MARITIME

STCW Basic Safety Training (5 days) to include; Security Awareness, Personal Survival Training , Personal Safety & Social Responsibility, Elementary First Aid Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting - W/C 12 May, 19 May, 23 June, 4 August

Ship Bridge Simulator Courses NAEST OPERATIONAL - W/C 1 September

Higher National Certificate in Nautical Science via blended learning starting now

NAEST MANAGEMENT - W/C 14 July, 21 July

Higher National Diploma in Nautical Science

ECDIS - W/C on request

Other courses include Advanced Fire Fighting (4 days) W/C 26 May, 2 June, 30 June, 14 July, 21 July, 28 July, Medicare (5 days) - W/C - 23 Jun

HELM MANAGEMENT - W/C 2 June, 14 July, 21 July

Some of our courses are available via blended learning, these courses are planned so that you can learn from anywhere in the World.

EDH (Efficient Deck Hand) dates available on request

Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boat (5 days) - W/C 5 May, 19 May, 26 May, 2 June, 9 June, 16 June, 23 June and 4 August

Deck Ratings Apprenticeships -W/C 5 May, Nov TBC

Fast Rescue Boats on request RUK/GWO Working at Height (2 days) - Monthly NEBOSH Oil and Gas 11 May, 11 Aug NEBOSH General 7 Jul IOSH Managing Safely on request IOSH Working Safely on request For more information see ‘offshore’

ONLINE LEARNING

STCW Updating Training - dates available in 2014, contact us For more information E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore Facebook /FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations

For more information E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

NEW FOR 2014

Learners will combine online study with College-based assessment and time spent at sea to qualify. Ideal candidates are those who are based overseas or who work full-time and/or prefer to study flexibly.

We have a 100% pass rate Officer of the Watch (unlimited) conversion All courses are STCW 2010 compliant All ancillary courses provided For more information E blearning@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 504 746 W blackpool.ac.uk/blearning Facebook /Blearning.Fleetwood

Catering Superintendent

36-41_rec_may 14.indd 36

16/04/2014 16:15

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

APPOINTMENTS NOTICE TO READERS

9 May 2014 is the closing date for June 2014.

You can still advertise online anytime.

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.

SHORE BASED LNG Technical Superintendent London - £65K + Bens LNG Marine Superintendent London - £65K + Bens

CV Professionals Maritime & oσshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

DEEP SEA

CRUISE/FERRY/ WORKBOAT

Master - Oil Tanker - $120K

Chief Engineer - Cruise - €70K

Chief Officer - Oil Tanker - $97K

1st Engineer - Cruise- €60K

Chief Engineer - Oil Tanker - $117K

2nd Engineer - Cruise - €47K

2nd Engineer - Oil Tanker- $97K

Chief Engineer - Ferry - £53K

3rd Engineer - Oil/Chemical Tanker - $65K

2nd Engineer - Ferry - €45K

Marine Superintendent London - £63K + Bens

Chief Eng (STEAM) - LNG Carrier - $117K

Skipper - Ferry - £48K

Business Development Manager Norway - £100k + Bonus

3rd Eng (STEAM) - LNG Carrier - $65K

WORKBOAT

4th Engineer - LNG Carrier - $52K

2nd Engineer - Dredger - £41K

Offshore Marine Superintendent Aberdeen - £60K + Car + Bens

4th Engineer - LPG Carrier - $52K

Chief Engineer - Dredger - £45K

Technical Superintendent South England - £55K + Car + Bens Operations Manager London - £60K

2nd Engineer - LNG Carrier - $97K

Chief Engineer - Tug - £250/day

YACHTS

2nd Engineer - Workboat - £40K

Chief Mate - 40m+ M/Y - €60K

Master - Crew Transfer - £200/day

Chief Engineer Y3 - 45m+ M/Y - €80K

Engineer - Crew Transfer - £190/day

2nd Engineer Y3 - 60m M/Y - €50K rot ETO - 80m+ M/Y - €48K rot

OFFSHORE

Project Manager South East England - £40K

IT/AV ETO - 90m - $55K

Master - AHTS - £68K

Purser - 88m+ M/Y – €60K

Chief Officer - AHTS - £54K

Technical Superintendent London - £58K

Chief Engineer Y2 - 65m+ M/Y - €90K

2nd Master - AHTS - $66K

Chief Mate - 90m+ M/Y - €74K

Chief Officer - AHTS - $350/day

Technical Manager Glasgow - £60K +Car + Bens

2nd Engineer - 55m+ M/Y - €60K

Chief Officer - PSV - $350/day

Chief Mate - 60m+ M/Y - €60K

DPO - PSV - £350/day

Shore-based: +44 (0)23 8020 8840 shipping-uk@faststream.com

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820 seagoing-uk@faststream.com

Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’ @faststreamsea www.faststream.com

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

To advertise your vacancy contact Paul Wade on +44 20 7880 6212 or paul.wade@redactive.co.uk

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

Sealion Shipping manages a ñeet of platform supply, anchorhandling tug supply, oσshore construction/ROV support/saturation diving and well testing vessels.

We are now recruiting for various positions across this modern, mainly DP2, Åeet.

If you have valid STCW CertiÀcation and recent seagoing experience, and would like to apply for a position on one of the above vessels, please register your application via our new website.

www.farnhammarineagency.co.uk

Port of Sunderland

Pilot/Deputy Harbour Master POJ (SCP 49-52) £42,032 - £44,789 • Ref: 50074191 Applications are invited for the position of Marine Pilot with the Port of Sunderland, a municipal port owned by Sunderland City Council.

You will have commitment and enthusiasm to meet these challenges.

The role will involve piloting of a wide range of vessel types and sizes, besides deputising for the Harbour Master and dealing with daily operational port requirements.

Previous experience as a Class 1 pilot would be advantageous, but not essential, as full training will be given providing qualification criteria are met.

While applicants should preferably hold a STCW II/2 Master or Chief Mate’s certificate of competency, consideration may be given to mariners holding other recognised certificates of competency and possessing comprehensive ship handling experience with knowledge of navigating within the Pilotage District.

You will be required to undertake a probationary period as Trainee Marine Pilot, this period being subject to relevant experience and aptitude. You will be expected to demonstrate an enthusiastic and motivated approach to all aspects of your employment in return for a stimulating and rewarding career.

For an informal discussion on pilotage opportunities within the Port of Sunderland, please telephone Captain AK Ullah, Harbour Master on 0191 553 2146 or email captain.ullah@sunderland.gov.uk Information packs are available to download at www.sunderland.gov.uk/jobs alternatively telephone askrecruitment on 0191 520 5555 (opening times are 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday).

Closing date: 9 May 2014.

2009-2010 Digital inclusion

jobs.sunderland.gov.uk

Sunderland City Council welcomes applications from all sections of the community

36-41_rec_may 14.indd 37

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38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

APPOINTMENTS

ANGLIAN MARINE RECRUITMENT LTD Marine Placement Agency

Ongoing vacancies for all officers and ratings deep sea, coastal, st.by, supply, ahts, etc.

To register send cv and copies of all certificates to: 6 Birch Court, Sprowston, Norwich NR7 8LJ Tel/Fax: 01603 478938 Email: malcolm@anglianmarine.co.uk www.anglianmarine.co.uk

Arklow Shipping We operate a dry cargo Áeet of 45 modern, purpose built vessels from 4500dwt to 35000dwt. Due to continued expansion we have a vacancy for the following:-

Marine Engineer Superintendent

This position, based in Arklow, Ireland, will require a person who is keen to advance and develop their skills further in the marine sector.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the ef¿cient operation, management and maintenance of vessels under their control and involvement in our new build projects.

Chief Engineer (Unlimited) Motor certi¿cate of competency is advantageous.

Applicants must be fully conversant in the English language and have experience with planned maintenance systems and slow & medium speed engines.

Previous experience as Superintendent is not essential.

Please send detailed cv to:-

Personnel Department, Arklow Shipping, North Quay, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland Email: personnel@asl.ie

36-41_rec_may 14.indd 38

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May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS 1988 Viking set sail with 2 employees, Dieter & Jill Jaenicke.

2013 Viking employs over 50 staff globally and has placed and managed over 100,000 crew members across the world.

PLACING PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE FOR 25 YEARS

1988-2013

Thank you to everyone for making the last 25 years so exciting PLACING PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE FOR 25 YEARS

1988-2013

www.vikingrecruitment.com +44 (0)300 303 8191 info@vikingrecruitment.com

Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:

Your First Port of Call Address: 114-118 Hampton Lane Southampton SO45 1WE UK Telephone: +44(0)2380 890432 Email: recruitment@seamariner.com www.seamariner.com

Deck Of½cers - AHTS, PSV & RoRo’s Engineering Of½cers - Tankers, Cruise & RoRo’s All Of½cers & Crew - ERRV All DPO’s/SDPO’s (Unlimited DP Cert.)

Various temporary assignments (Of½cers, Ratings & Catering) 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

ISO9001:2008 accredited and KvK and MLC compliant Reg Co number: 2745210

To advertise your vacancy contact Paul Wade on +44 20 7880 6212 or paul.wade@redactive.co.uk

36-41_rec_may 14.indd 39

Advertise here & reach over 110,000 readers.

Get knotted with a Nautilus Tie Nautilus International has produced a 100% silk TIE to enable members to show off their membership with pride and celebrate seafaring traditions.

Available for just £9.50 or €13.

Also on offer are enamel badges of the Nautilus logo for £1 or €1.50.

To place your order please send a CHEQUE made payable to Nautilus International to the address below: Central Services Department, Nautilus International, 1& 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, E18 1BD.

16/04/2014 18:49

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

APPOINTMENTS

4

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Holyhead Towing Holyhead Towing has an excellent reputation for the supply of modern support vessels to projects throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond. Continued expansion means we are looking to recruit:

Engineering Superintendent The role will include â&#x20AC;˘ arranging repairs and maintenance â&#x20AC;˘ carrying out ship visits â&#x20AC;˘ dry dock supervision â&#x20AC;˘ liaison with regulatory bodies and classiďŹ cation societies The ideal candidate will have qualiďŹ ed to 2nd Engineer (Unlimited CoC) level or above.

Marine Superintendent The role will include â&#x20AC;˘ carrying out ship visits and inspections â&#x20AC;˘ assessment of crew â&#x20AC;˘ dry dock supervision â&#x20AC;˘ liaison with regulatory bodies and clients The ideal candidate will be qualiďŹ ed to Class 1 Master Mariner level, experience of tug and anchor handling work is essential. Consideration will be given to candidates with Chief OfďŹ cer (Unlimited CoC) if they have the right background and experience. Shore based experience in a similar role would be advantageous.

Send letter of application and CV to: superintendentapplications@holyhead.co.uk There will be time away from home during vessel visits and dry dockings and because of the international nature of the operations there will be a considerable amount of foreign travel. The ofďŹ ce is based in Holyhead, the successful candidates will be expected to live on, or near, the beautiful Isle of Anglesey or be prepared to move to the area. Only UK residents or those able to work in UK will be considered.

Salary is negotiable, depending on experience and qualiĂ cations.

www.holyheadtowing.co.uk Join us in bringing knowledge, help and hope to the nations!

OM Ships, a worldwide worl charity, is looking for qualified engineering engin officers, mechanics, fitters fitte and welders to volunteer to serve ser on their ship Logos Hope which is presently in the Far East.

Advertise here & reach over 110,000 readers.

Contact Paul Wade on 020 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@redactive.co.uk to find out how.

For details visit www.omships.org or email: recruiting@omships.org

Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my Telegraph?

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you â&#x20AC;&#x201D; particularly if you gave us a temporary address such as a hall of residence.

To let us know your new address, go to www.nautilusint. org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@nautilusint.org.

ŠColin Jarvis Foundation Degree in Photography and Digital Design

A number of exciting opportunities have arisen to join us in our School of Maritime Operations at the Fleetwood Nautical Campus here at Blackpool and The Fylde College. We are one of the leading colleges in the UK, with Outstanding Ofsted outcomes, Commended QAA Review and a reputation for leadership and innovation in curriculum development. We have a strong track record in employer engagement and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest providers of HE in FE. With a turnover of ÂŁ50 million, we are an ambitious college with high aspirations for our learners and the community we serve. With a University Centre in the heart of Blackpool, the College provides seamless progression from the 14-16 phase through to FE and HE.

Lecturer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Specialist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nautical Science Salary within the range ÂŁ30,262 - ÂŁ34,065

The ideal candidate will lead the development and delivery of a curriculum area as subject leader and programme tutor, providing a co-ordinating focus within a team of subject specialists. You will be fully conversant with a specialist area, either tanker, GMDSS or marine simulation within the area of Nautical Science, ensuring conformity, best practice and the highest levels of quality.

The School of Maritime Operations provides a high quality learning environment reflecting advanced industry facilities with programmes endorsed and supported by employers. The School enjoys a reputation for curriculum innovation which is delivered by staff committed to learning, teaching and assessment as our core business.

Lecturer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Marine Engineering

Head of School â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Maritime Operations

Salary within the range ÂŁ23,900 - ÂŁ28,528

Ref: 13100

Salary within the range ÂŁ50,049 - ÂŁ58,019 (+ relocation package if applicable) Due to the continued success and expansion of the School, which has led to a new role for the current Head of School, this post will now become available. The expectation is that the successful applicant will become an integral part of the professional team that has built this forward thinking and innovative Maritime centre.

Ref: 13099

Ref: 13095

As Lecturer with the School, you will be required to deliver and manage student learning, assisting in the development of relevant Further and Higher Education programmes. You will be fully conversant with all aspects of for Marine Engineering, and you will ensure conformity, best practice and the highest levels of quality.

Do you have the passion, experience and drive to lead and grow our curriculum? As our ideal candidate, you will provide strategic leadership and vision to managers and staff across the School to ensure the College delivers its strategic aims, and you will provide high quality provision in all areas of Maritime Operations.

Specialist Practitioner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Marine Engineering (workshop skills)

You will lead the academic and strategic development of the school, ensuring growth, high quality learning and teaching, effective utilisation of resources with a strong focus on student success. The successful candidate will also contribute effectively to the strategic and operational management of Blackpool and The Fylde College.

In this role you will be required to co-ordinate, provide and assist with the development of an effective and stimulating learning environment, which will involve providing instruction and support to learners across all levels of qualifications.

You will:

Closing Date for above posts:12 noon, 14th May 2014 Interview Date for above posts: 29th May 2014

t t t t t

Possess a relevant degree, equivalent professional qualification or specialist experience in Maritime Operations. )BWF TVCTUBOUJBM FYQFSJFODF PG TVDDFTT NBOBHFNFOU JO B TJNJMBS BDBEFNJD role in further and/or higher education. #F BCMF UP EFNPOTUSBUF QSPWFO TVDDFTT JO DVSSJDVMVN JOOPWBUJPO BOE EFWFMPQNFOU UP NFFU TUVEFOU FNQMPZFS OFFET )BWF TVCTUBOUJBM FYQFSJFODF PG TVDDFTTGVMMZ EFWFMPQJOH BOE NBOBHJOH BDBEFNJD UFBNT PG TUBGG 1PTTFTT UIF SFTJMJFODF BOE TUBNJOB UP DPOUJOVF UP HSPX BOE GVSUIFS JNQSPWF UIJT IJHIMZ TVDDFTTGVM 4DIPPM

Closing Date for above post: 12 noon, 9th May 2014 Interview Date for above post: To be confirmed

36-41_rec_may 14.indd 40

Ref: 13094

Salary within the range ÂŁ20,102 - ÂŁ23,193

For more information on the above posts and on how to apply, please visit: www.blackpool.ac.uk/jobs The College is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all our learners. Successful appointment will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service and pre-employÂŹment safeguarding checks.

16/04/2014 18:49

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS

WORLD-CLASS MARINE & NAUTICAL OPPORTUNITIES

South Hook LNG has a vision to be a world class regasification Terminal, continually striving for excellence. You can become part of our exciting venture and it will not just be our organisation that is destined to advance.

As one of Europe’s largest LNG Terminals, we are responsible for the operation of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Receiving and Regasification Terminal at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.

Head of School Marine Safety Training Centre £43,917 - £47,618 (post ref: EA4010)

We are currently looking to fill the following position and can offer an excellent salary and benefits package.

Lecturer

Process Supervisor

Safety Training Duties Band A £20,412 - £26,468 (post ref: EA5320)

The Process Supervisor will oversee the operation of all of the following areas of the LNG Terminal on a shift rotation: LNG Regasification Trains, Utilities Area, Storage and the Un-Loading Jetty facilities to ensure that the throughput capacity targets are met efficiently, safely and in accordance with environmental policy, procedures and regulations.

Lecturer School of Marine Engineering Higher Education Marine Engineering or Naval Architecture or Control & Instrumentation teaching duties Band B £27,252 - £34,218 (post ref: EE5300)

You should have a B.Sc. in Engineering or equivalent, good experience in process operations within the Oil and Gas Industry, including 3 years of Supervisory experience.

Lecturer School of Deck Officer of Watch Marine Operations or Stability or Navigation teaching duties Band B £27,252 - £34,218 (post ref: EB5310) Closing Date: 23rd May 2014

Please apply with a C.V. (including salary details and your notice period) to: Adrian Cook, HR & Training Officer, South Hook LNG Terminal Company Ltd, Dale Road, Herbrandston, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, SA73 3SU. Alternatively please email us at jobs@southhooklng.com.

WWW.STC.AC.UK

FOR AN APPLICATION PACK AND TO VIEW DETAILS OF FURTHER EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE VISIT www.stc.ac.uk or contact the HR Department, email on hr@stc.ac.uk South Shields

Marine School, St. George’s Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear NE34 6ET or Tel: 0191 427 3583.

Please quote the appropriate post reference. All positions at South Shields Marine School are subject to DBS clearance.

South Shields Marine School is an Equal Opportunities employer. All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.

MERCHANT NAVY OFFICER TRAINING COURSES DECK COURSES

START DATES

ENGINEERING COURSES

START DATES

Class 1 Orals Preparation Course

18 Aug 2014, 3 Nov 2014 & 2 Feb 2015

Chief Mate Full Reg II/1

18 Aug 2014 & 5 Jan 2015

Class 1 Naval Architecture & Electrotechnology

22 April 2014

Chief Mate Post HND

18 Aug 2014 & 10 Nov 2014

OOW Post HND

29 Sep 2014 & 19 Jan 2015

Class 1 & 2 Engineering Knowledge (General and Motor/Steam) - Unlimited

12 May 2014

Class 4 EOOW & IAMI Preparation

25 Aug 2014 & 27 Oct 2014

Email contact for above courses: Senior.Marine@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

Department of Marine Operations - SHORT COURSES

Email contact for above: Engineering@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

We offer a full range of STCW, MCA & Specialised Marine Short Courses.

For other Engineering enquiries please contact BTMT: 23/06/14

Caroline Alderdice - 0141 565 2713 Caroline.Alderdice@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

CPSCRB (Certification of Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats): 21/04/13, 28/04/14, 05/05/13, 02/06/14, 09/06/14, 16/06/14, 23/06/14 ECDIS: 28/04/14, 12/05/14, 09/06/14, 30/06/14

Lecturer in Marine Engineering

HELM Management: 21/04/14, 28/04/14, 19/05/14, 26/05/14, 02/06/14, 16/06/14, 30/06/14

Permanent Full Time, 35hrs per week £27,167-£35,254 (Starting Salary will depend on industrial experience)

HELM Operational: Please contact for availability

Lecturer in Nautical Studies

PSSR: 02/05/14, 20/06/14 Safety Officer: 16/06/14

Permanent Full Time, 35hrs per week £27,167-£35,254 (Starting Salary will depend on industrial experience)

Shipboard Security Officer: 22/04/14, 09/06/14 Specialised Chemical Tanker: 21/07/14 Specialised Gas Tanker: 14/04/14, 23/06/14, 04/08/14 Specialised Oil Tanker: 16/06/14, 28/07/14 Tanker Familiarisation: 16&30/06/14 For info on our other courses: LICOS, GMDSS, NAEAST, Freefall Lifeboat, Advanced Ship Handling, BRM.

For further Marine enquiries please contact Alison Bryce - 0141 565 2700 Marine.Short.Courses@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

36-41_rec_may 14.indd 41

We are currently recruiting for specialist Lecturing staff.

For detailed post descriptions and to apply for either of the vacancies above please visit the ‘work for us’ section on the College website at www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk Successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory PVG Disclosure Check and must be eligible to work in the UK. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from applicants who add diversity to the College.

City of Glasgow College SC036198

16/04/2014 16:15

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

SHIP TO SHORE Member meetings and seminars

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MGN 501 (F) — Codes of practice for fishing vessels of 24 metres and over; standards which may be used to prepare for your MCA surveys This note is intended to allow owners and skippers to improve the safety of their vessels by complying with a nonmandatory 24m-and-over Fishing Vessel Code of Practice.

It is intended that this revision of the code will become mandatory within two years.

MGN 501 lists numerous regulations which must be adhered to by fishing vessels of 24m and over.

It explains that the MCA and Fishing Industry Safety Group have developed a new code to put all the information in one place and help the industry comply with the regulations.

Following a review of fishing vessel safety provisions, the new code of practice also updates some of the provisions from the 1975 regulations.

It includes measures to: z prevent flooding or aid its early detection z aid man overboard recovery z ensure safe provision of shore power z reduce the risk of fire z aid evacuation of the vessel in an emergency z report structural modifications to the MCA prior to work taking place z recommend the wearing of personal flotation devices or lifelines whilst working on the open deck MGN 502 (F) — The Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Fishing Vessels: standards which can be used to prepare for your MCA inspection This note provides a Small Fishing Vessel Code of Practice that has been based on MSN 1813, but is revised taking into account MAIB findings and investigations into incidents. The Code is voluntary but may be used as an alternative to MSN 1813 for the purposes of having a vessel inspected.

MSN 1813 will remain in force.

The main changes from MSN 1813 are: z liferafts are required for vessels

of 7m Registered Length to less than 12m z vessels built prior to 2007 newly entering the fishing industry must have a survey by a certifying authority prior to registration z inspections of the vessel are required at change of ownership z emergency drills are now required z radar reflectors are now to be fitted to all vessels z bilge alarms for open vessels (7m–15m length overall) z certificates to be issued for Small Fishing Vessels z structural modifications to be notified to MCA prior to work taking place z EPIRBs and Stability requirements for vessels of 12m -15m LOA z personal flotation devices or lifelines recommended to be worn whilst working on open decks MGN 505 (M) — Human Element Guidance part 1: fatigue and fitness for duty; statutory duties; causes of fatigue; and guidance on good practice This note stresses the dangers of allowing crew to become fatigued when operating vessels. It reminds owners, operators, managers and crew about their legal duties in relation to fatigue under UK and international shipping legislation.

These duties apply to seagoing, domestic and inland waterways vessels.

MGN505 points out that fatigue amongst seafarers is recognised to be a serious issue affecting maritime safety. ‘Objective evidence consistently shows fatigue to be a contributory cause of accidents, injuries, death, long-term ill health, major damage, loss of vessels and enormous environmental harm,’ it notes.

The MCA says the note is not intended as a definitive guide, but rather to help give a good basic understanding of the causes and effects of fatigue on human performance, together with practical actions that can be taken to prevent it.

MGN 505 draws upon a wide range of legislation, knowledge and research findings to provide information and guidance on the following:

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:

z factors leading to fatigue and

impaired fitness for duty z policies and practices which can reduce the cause and impact of fatigue and other performanceimpairing factors z development and use of fatigue management plans to improve the identification, management and reduction of fatigue and other performance impairing factors z useful checklists to help identify fatigue and stress and take preventive actions z useful sources of additional information about fatigue and fatigue management A précis of the relevant legislation is given in the annexes to the note, as well as detailed information on the science behind the recommendations and step-by-step guidance on drawing up a fatigue management plan.

MIN 475 (M+F) — UNESCO commemoration of the First World War centenary On 28 June 2014, all vessels have been requested to fly flags and ensigns at half mast, to indicate mourning in remembrance of the centenary of the First World War. This request comes from UNESCO and from the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation.

Additionally, vessels moored in harbours are encouraged to make a sound signal at 1700 UTC, the time when the first shot of the conflict was fired. Crews are advised to check with local port authorities to agree the signal to be sounded.

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.dft. gov.uk/mca and click on ‘Ships and Cargoes’, then ‘Legislation and Guidance’.

Next MLC seminar to be rearranged for members Due to circumstances outside of the Union’s control the superyacht sector MLC seminar on 5 and 6 May has had to be cancelled. Nautilus intends to set a new date for this training as soon as possible.

Members currently booked on the course will be contacted directly.

Any other members who may wish to attend this seminar in the future should register their interest.

Accommodation and travel is at

attendees’ own cost. Non members can attend by paying a full year’s membership subscription of £276. g For more information about the training, or to register, email: hmolloy@nautilusint.org.

g Advanced lay reps training course Monday and Tuesday 19/20 May 2014 at Nautilus House, Northern Office, Mariners’ Park, Wallasey, Merseyside CH45 7HP This course is for those with experience in representing members or who have attended the basic course.

It covers representing members to Employment Tribunal stage and taking a pay negotiation to industrial action.

Contact Hilary Molloy: +44 (0)151 639 8454 or email membership@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/newsand-events for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team (scroll down to ‘latest events’).

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Garry Elliott 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/ trainee officers should contact Paul Schroder at youth@nautilusint.org.

g Women’s Forum Saturday 20 September 2014 1100hrs to 1400hrs at Nautilus head office in London (TBC) The Women’s 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

Quiz and crossword answersACDB

Quiz answers 1. Banks estimate the value of the world merchant fleet as US$1.27 trillion.

2. The Sea Empress, in which some 73,000 tonnes of oil was spilled compared with 40,000 tonnes in the case of the Exxon Valdez.

3. A total of 207 Ultra-Large Containerships are now in service, according to IHS Fairplay.

4. A further 53 Ultra-Large Containerships are due to be delivered this year.

5. Foundering accounted for around 75% of total ship losses last year, according to the insurance group Allianz.

6. The Hydrographic Office was officially established by an Order in Council dated 12 August 1795.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Humidify; 5. Toecap; 9. Water polo; 11. Enter; 12. Dictatorship; 15. Dine; 16. Incomplete; 18. Animadvert; 19. Inca; 21. Illegitimate; 24. Taboo; 25. Reticence; 26. Clever; 27 Crossbar.

Down: 1. Howl; 2. Mute; 3. Derail; 4. Floating voter: 6. Overripe; 7. Catchpenny; 8. Peripheral; 10. Outboard motor; 13. Idealistic; 14. Inviolable; 17. Mangrove; 20. Stocks; 22. Knob; 23. Deer.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Iain Macneil, who has won the prize draw for the April cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from April Across: 1. Workbasket; 6. Etui; 9. Petra; 10. Terrorist; 12. Paddle steamer; 14. Ordinary; 15. Anchor; 17. Touché; 19. Disguise; 21. Picture palace; 24. Spacesuit; 25. Hatch; 26. Espy; 27. Appreciate.

Down: 1. Wipe; 2. Retyped; 3. Boarding house (8,5); 4. Settlers; 5. Euros; 7. Triumph; 8. Interbreed; 11. Oceanographic; 13. Toothpaste; 16. Disaster; 18. Unclasp; 20. Inertia; 22. Equip; 23. Shoe.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.dft.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.

42-43_info+join.indd 42

SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations

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

g Professional & Technical Forum Wednesday 7 May 2014 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

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.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)20 7643 13856 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.

16/04/2014 19:44

May 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus James Shaw, Council member

g

James Shaw is one of the newest faces on Nautilus International’s governing body, the Council, having been elected in last year’s elections.

Currently serving as a second officer with Stena Line, he says he decided to stand for election because — after almost 20 years in the Union — ‘it was about time to get more involved and to put something back’.

James said he is keen to encourage other younger members to take part in Nautilus meetings. ‘I think it is very important to be a member of the Union and to get the most benefit out of your membership,’ he adds.

Following his first Council meeting, James said he was impressed to see the

wide range of issues being addressed by the Union and the industrial, professional, legal and campaign work undertaken by officials.

‘I don’t think members really understand all the work that goes on to represent them at so many levels and what the general secretary is doing on our behalf to put our case forward,’ James points out.

Originally from Meliden in North Wales, James started his cadetship with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1996, studying at South Tyneside. He transferred to Shell in 2003 and served on the company’s gas tankers as a third officer and second mate.

‘At that time, I was doing four month trips and sometimes even five or six, and

as my wife was working deepsea as well I wanted to be closer to home,’ he recalls. ‘I had also done a few transits of the pirate areas and I really didn’t fancy being in a Captain Phillips scenario.’ Consequently, he moved to Stena Line in April 2010, working on the company’s Cairnryan-Belfast service.

James says he enjoys being a seafarer.

‘Our lives are very different from those ashore, but I like the independence and the way you can be your own boss without people looking over your shoulder all the time — even if that is being eroded a bit now,’ he explains.

‘There can be magical moments, like steaming in the Indian Ocean in the middle

of the night and looking out and seeing a sky full of stars before going back to reality with the chart corrections...

‘And the camaraderie at sea can be good,’ he adds. When you get on well, it really works and it is nice to be part of a close-knit team.’

He says he hopes to be able to use his position on Council to make progress in the fight against fatigue at sea. ‘Even after all these years, people are still working silly hours and flogging the log,’ he adds. ‘It’s obvious that the system is not working, but despite the number of accidents there does not appear to be much of an appetite to change things.’

Wherev er you are , we are

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 £116,900, 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.

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.

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 training. The Union is affiliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.

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.

It’s never been more important to be a Nautilus member and it’s never been easier to apply for membership. You can now join over the phone, or online at www.nautilusint.org. If you can’t get online or to a telephone, post us this form to start the joining process. A member of the recruitment team will contact you as soon as possible. Please note that membership does not begin until subscriptions are paid.

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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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16/04/2014 18:21

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2014

NEWS

The birth of a new berth CMA CGM Marco Polo is pictured A right after the official inauguration The UK-flagged containership

of a £100m new berth in the port of Southampton last month.

The 175,343gt vessel was at the centre of a day of events to mark the formal opening of the 500m SCT 5 facility, which will ensure that the port can handle the largest containerships in service and on order.

Olympic sailor Sir Ben Ainslie ordered the loading of a giant golden container onto the 16,000TEU ship to signal the official start of operations.

DP World Southampton MD Chris Lewis described the opening as ‘a momentous day in the history of the port’ and said the new quay — the first for nearly 20 years — was ‘a major investment in the future of Southampton’s container operations’.

SCT 5 can handle vessels up to 18,000TEU capacity and is equipped with four new Liebherr super post panamax cranes.

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Leaked paper prompts fears for MCA’s future Nautilus Council hears concerns that proposals could threaten the UK register’s reputation as a high quality flag

P

Nautilus members have expressed concern about a leaked internal Maritime & Coastguard Agency paper which calls for a ‘more politically liberal approach’ to be taken to the UK Ship Register (UKSR), to prevent the fleet from declining by as much as 50% over the next decade.

The document — entitled Delivery Plan to Transform MCA Survey & Inspection — was drawn up for the agency’s executive board and warns that surveyor recruitment and retention problems threaten to take the Agency’s capabilities below the level required to ensure the safety of domestic vessels and fulfil EU ship inspection obligations.

Within five to 10 years, it argues, ‘we will have lost the capability to support a fleet of internationally trading ships’.

Warning that the UKSR has gone into decline following high

rates of growth in the wake of the introduction of the tonnage tax scheme in 2000, the paper points out that the owners’ choice is based on ‘the balance of cost and benefit offered by one register in comparison with its competitors’.

It argues that recent legislation such as the Equalities Act, addressing seafarers’ pay, and the 2010 Bribery Act ‘are encouraging existing tonnage tax companies to reflag their ships away from the UK and are also making it difficult to attract new owners to the flag.

‘Owners are more attracted to the offer from registers such as Liberia and the Marshall Islands,’ the paper continues, ‘two examples of countries which operate their ship registers as purely commercial entities to provide a service to owners rather than as arms of their national government’.

The paper sets out proposals to address the causes of the surveyor recruitment and retention

Agency faces shake-up calls a time when the MCA is facing A significant political pressures.

The document has emerged at

The House of Commons transport committee has voiced concern about the impact of budget cuts on the Agency and has urged the government to launch an independent review of its ability to take on new responsibilities without a matching increase in resources. problems, reorganise working practices and refocus survey and inspection strategies — including a new fee structure.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was alarmed by the proposals. ‘The document wants to take the MCA in a direction we would not want to see the Agency being taken,’ he

And last month the UK Chamber of Shipping called for the MCA to work more closely with shipowners and to be more responsive to industry needs.

The newly-elected president of the organisation, Marcus Bowman, said the Agency should become ‘more commercially focussed’ and apply greater consistency and transparency to the way it applies regulations. added. ‘In a nation with a long and proud maritime history, this is not what we should be aspiring to.

‘I can’t see how the UK expects to survive as a quality register if it is prepared to compete on the basis of minimum international standards alone,’ Mr Dickinson told the Nautilus UK Branch Committee meeting. ‘We don’t need

another flag marketing itself as a minimum standards international register — what we need is a quality flag that is determined to attract operators who want to run their ships to the highest possible levels. There are plenty of flags of convenience out there and it is foolhardy to imagine we can compete with them.’

‘The UK should not join the race to the bottom, but make a stand as a quality ship register with a regulator that understands the need for the enforcement of national, regional and international laws in a fair and consistent basis,’ he added.

Committee member Mike Lloyd said the Union should ‘take aggressive action’ to defend the Agency. Trustee director and former surveyor-general Gordon Thompson described the document as ‘terribly worrying’ and said the ‘business approach’ it suggested was not appropriate

for an agency which had regulatory functions.

Fellow trustee John Lang said he had read the report with a mixture of horror and dismay.

The problems affecting the MCA should be seen in a broader context of reducing national spending, he added, and fundamental questions needed to be asked about the future of the UK as a major maritime centre.

Assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek said similar problems are affecting the Dutch maritime authority. ‘It is suffering from cuts, with classification societies taking on more work on behalf of the agency,’ he explained.

Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens said traditional maritime nations like the UK and the Netherlands need to ask far-reaching questions about the nature and function of their shipping administrations.

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16/04/2014 16:14