Nautilus Telegraph May 2017

Size does matter Union warns over the risks of poorly fitting PPE at sea 27

Medical support Survey shows how to improve first aid for seafarers 20-21

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

Volume 50 | Number 05 | May 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

‘Milestone’ for the RFA welcomed the ‘milestone’ F arrival of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Defence ministers have

first MARS (Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability) Tide class tanker.

The South Korean-built Tidespring is pictured left arriving in Falmouth last month to begin an intensive 17-week programme of customisation work at the A&P yard, including the fitting of specialist communications equipment, selfdefence weapons and armour.

The remaining three Tide class ships are due to be delivered at fourmonth intervals and should all be in service by the end of 2018. Defence procurement minister Harriet Baldwin said they will provide ‘a crucial element’ of strategic support, servicing the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers alongside the wider fleet.

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Officer given $1m for waste tip-off Union welcomes reward for ‘courageous’ whistleblowing Princess Cruises engineer officer

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Nautilus has welcomed a US$1m award to a ‘whistleblowing’ British engineer officer who alerted the authorities about illegal discharges of oil-contaminated waste from the Princess Cruises ship Caribbean Princess.

The reward was made by a US court as it confirmed a record-breaking $40m fine for the company after subsequent investigations revealed that five of its ships had been using ‘magic pipes’ to bypass oily water separation equipment.

The district court was told that there were ‘significant failures in management and corporate culture’ within Princess Cruises and, in addition to the fine, the company will be placed on probation for five years. Over this period, all ships owned by parent company Carnival and

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trading in the US will be required to implement an environmental compliance plan that includes independent audits by an outside company and oversight by a court-appointed monitor.

US government and Coast Guard officials praised the newlyhired officer for providing ‘invaluable’ information about the offences — including cellphone photographs and videos showing the attempts by Italian senior officers to cover up the illegal discharges.

‘Without the courageous act of a junior crew member to alert authorities to these criminal behaviours of deliberately dumping oil at sea, the global environmental damage caused by the Princess fleet could have been much worse,’ said Rear Admiral Scott Buschman, commander of the USCG Seventh District.

‘The selflessness of this individual exposed five different ships that embraced a culture of shortcuts, and I am pleased at this outcome.’

The US government sentencing memorandum stressed the importance of the whistleblower award: ‘Each year, thousands of seafarers participate in, or are aware of, illegal conduct aboard their vessels. A tiny minority choose to take active measures to stop the wrongdoing and bear witness.’

Charles Boyle, head of Nautilus legal services, commented: ‘The level of fine imposed on Princess Cruises in this case shows the severe seriousness in which environmental breaches are held, and this should be a warning for seafarers not to get involved in such illegal activity or by covering it up.

‘Any member who suspects that this type of activity may be in progress onboard should contact the Union for advice, particularly if they want to report the matter to external authorities, and Nautilus will endeavour to ensure that get maximum protection under any applicable whistleblowing legislation,’ he added.

‘It is encouraging to see that a substantial amount of the fine will be donated to community service projects to benefit the maritime environment, and that the seafarer who reported the matter has also been substantially rewarded,’ Mr Boyle said.

Senior national secretary Allan Graveson added: ‘It is regrettable that good officers are now subject to additional work associated with an enhanced inspection regime. Those involved from ship to board level have escaped

sanction as a consequence of a plea bargain.’

US district judge Patricia Seitz also ordered that $1m of the fine should go for projects to benefit the marine environment in UK waters and a further $1m should be paid into the Abandoned Seafarers’ Fund, to provide humanitarian relief and support to seafarers stranded in the US after witnessing maritimerelated crimes.

‘These violations of law were serious, longstanding and designed to conceal illegal discharges,’ US acting assistant attorney general Jeffrey Wood commented. ‘The sentence in this case should ensure that these crimes do not take place in the future and should also send a strong message to others that illegally polluting US waters will not be tolerated.’

Inside F Asbestos alarm

£130,000 penalty for company that failed to deal with asbestos on one of its ships — page 40 F Electoral roles

Ballot results for the Union’s general secretary and ruling body, the Council — page 19

F Please barge in

Volunteers sought to maintain and operate one of the most famous Thames barges — page 28

25/04/2017 14:55

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Alarm over future of UK sea training Warsash move sparks debate on long-term provision of college facilities

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Concerns over the state of British maritime education and training were raised by members during last month’s meeting of the Nautilus UK branch committee.

Council member Malcolm Graves opened the debate by speaking of his continuing alarm about the sale of a large section of the Warsash Maritime Academy site and the transfer of training and residential facilities to the centre of Southampton.

‘I feel this is a very important matter and is of national importance, as it affects the training of young people,’ Mr Graves said.

‘We want to ensure that they have the best opportunities, and in the past Warsash has been the flagship for training in this country.’

He told the meeting he was concerned about the justifications given by Southampton Solent University to support the case for the move.

He said he was also alarmed to hear reports that Warsash cadet numbers have declined since the changes were announced.

Mr Graves said he had written to David Dingle, the chairman of Maritime UK and Carnival UK, to highlight his concerns.

Trustee director John Lang said there are strong financial pressures in the education sector at present and Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the next two years are likely to prove crucial for the future of Warsash.

‘A lot of people are working

very hard to make it a success,’ he added, ‘but it is a question of funding for all nautical colleges.’

He said the technological advances in the shipping industry mean that colleges are faced with having to make significant investments in new equipment at a time when budgets are being stretched.

Mr Graveson said it was important to compare what Southampton Solent University had promised as a result of the move and what was actually being delivered.

‘If they do invest in the new technology and the right technology, and attract and retain good lecturing staff, they can make it a success for the future,’ he added.

Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens said there are worries about

a decrease in student numbers.

At the same time, he noted, some major shipping companies — such as Carnival and Maersk — are opening their own training facilities.

Mr Jurgens suggested there should be a broader investigation of the future of maritime training in the UK. ‘We may not be far away from having no publicly-funded maritime training institutions in the UK, and all training will move into the private sector,’ he warned.

‘We need to consider whether that is desirable,’ he added. ‘If the large shipping companies go ahead and create their own training centres, then we lose total control and oversight of what is happening.’

River cruise campaign kicks off European river cruise campaign F protesting against social dumping in Nautilus is supporting a new

Nautilus official Carl Kraijenoord meets river cruise crew members in Amsterdam Picture: Beeldboot

the booming river cruise industry.

Jointly organised by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the initiative kicked off in Amsterdam last month.

It aims to highlight problems including low-cost crews, long working hours, poor living and working conditions, and inadequate social security cover.

The campaign notes that while the river cruise industry is expanding rapidly — with 65 new vessels in the past three years — increasing

competition among operators is leading to intense cost-cutting pressures.

As a result, there are fewer crew serving more passengers, overcrowding of crew cabins, and different wages for the same job depending on the crew member’s nationality or country of residence.

Nautilus international officer Nick Bramley, who is president of the ETF inland waterways section, said many crew are ‘confronted with uncertainty over wages and working conditions’ because of companies relocating offices to exploit cheap social security systems.

The campaign will run throughout the 2017 river cruise season.

Members raise ballast water worries about the ways in which the Ballast Water A Management Convention may affect their health Nautilus members have raised concerns

and safety onboard.

Senior national secretary Allan Graveson told the Union’s professional and technical committee last month that the issue of training —or lack of it — had been a common problem highlighted by members.

With the convention due to enter into force in September this year, Mr Graveson suggested there may be a rush to fit the treatment equipment. ‘We have consistently taken the view that the equipment

should not create additional workloads or present health and safety risks to seafarers,’ he added.

Council member Mike Lloyd said he believed there is a widespread lack of knowledge about treatment systems and the implications of port state control checks on their ability to meet discharge standards. ‘No system will prove infallible,’ he warned, ‘and there are drawbacks to all of them.’

Capt Lloyd said filtration and UV require a lot of maintenance and cleaning, while chemical treatment will lead to challenges because it produces gas.

Paul Minter said the filtration system onboard his last ship had required maintenance every four or five hours. ‘It was a nightmare and was very much the cause of additional workload,’ he added.

Ulrich Jurgens said Nautilus should seek to ensure that all systems are safe and strongly resist any legislation to criminalise masters, chief engineers and officers if the equipment does not comply with standards.

‘As long as no system works 100%, it will be very difficult for any administration to justify doing tests or sending you to jail,’ he added.

Steven’s marathon run in aid of Seafarers UK of strategic development F Steven Gosling has raised more

Nautilus International’s head

than £1,500 for Seafarers UK after completing this year’s London Marathon.

Mr Gosling has chosen to donate to the charity, which is marking its centenary this year and last year gave grants totalling £2.5m to more than 70 maritime welfare charities – including the new accommodation and care facilities for retired seafarers and their dependants at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park

complex in Wallasey, which are set to formally open in June.

‘As a former seafarer, I was honoured to run the London Marathon to support the important charitable work of Seafarers UK,’ he said. ‘It provides vital support to seafarers in need and their families. It receives no government funding and relies heavily on public donations and legacies to maintain its grant-making programme.’ g There’s still time to donate — go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ stevengosling

Former ship visitor ‘was a stalwart for all seafarers’ former Nautilus ship visitor F George Findlay following his death last Tributes have been paid to

month.

Born in Aberdeen, Capt Findlay served at sea for 30 years and also spend a decade working in the offshore industry. After he retired, he started working as the Union’s ship visitor in Aberdeen — a role he carried out for more than 15 years.

Assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham recalled: ‘I first met George when I started with the Union

in 1994 and he helped me immensely, as a non-seafarer, in learning the etiquette of ship visiting.

‘George was a real stalwart for seafarers in general and the Union in particular,’ Mr Cunningham said. ‘He was an old school captain with very solid trade union beliefs and he loved the industry and loved being able to help his colleagues.

‘George was well known in Aberdeen and had a spectacular recruitment record. He will be greatly missed.’

Tributes paid as Nautilus trustee retires after a decade of service pictured after being presented F with a Hoggit decanter to mark his Captain Rodger MacDonald is

retirement from Nautilus after a decade as one of the Union’s four trustee directors.

General secretary Mark Dickinson paid tribute to the advice and support given to the Nautilus Council by Capt MacDonald during his years in the role.

Having gone to sea in 1958 with British India Line, he worked his way up to master, then became a surveyor. In 1970, Capt MacDonald joined the oil business and spent the next 26 years in the offshore sector and went on to become director of faculty at the National Sea Training Centre in Kent.

He also served as the secretary

general of the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

Training fund marks 40th anniversary

UK branch conference in Hull

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This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Nautilus JW Slater Fund — a charity, established in honour of a former general secretary, which provides crucial support to help seafarers progress in their careers.

The Union is planning to celebrate the anniversary with a number of new initiatives, including a seminar in London in July to consider the results of specially-commissioned research into training issues, head of strategic development Steven Gosling told the UK branch last month.

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Mr Gosling said the fund had been set up to help ratings with the costs of education and training towards officer certification. Since 2012 it has been providing assistance to yacht crew and electrotechnical officers studying for their first certificates and, since its launch, more than 430 seafarers had gained their OOW certificate with Slater Fund scholarships, he added.

Last year, the fund received its highest number of applications and awarded a record number of 105 scholarships. There are presently 251 people on the

programme and 50% of last year’s applications were from yacht crew or ETOs. The fund trustees have agreed to increase the value of the awards to £18,500 per scholar, with a £1,500 completion bonus, effective from 31 March this year.

‘It remains true that the fund has financed more rating to officer training than any other maritime organisation in the UK,’ Mr Gosling said. ‘This year looks like being a record year and we have good reason to celebrate.’

This year’s Nautilus International UK branch conference will be held in Hull – and will include a special symposium to consider the very topical and increasingly important issue of automation in shipping.

Members of the UK branch committee last month agreed to a proposal for the meeting to be held

at the Mercure Grange Park hotel on Tuesday 3 October.

Assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham said this would maintain the Union’s process of holding meetings at various venues across the UK to maximise attendance, and he noted that Hull — which is the 2017 City of Culture — has strong maritime connections.

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May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports ELECTION CALL: with a UK general election announced for 8 June, Nautilus is writing to the main political parties urging them to put maritime policy at the heart of their manifestos. General secretary Mark Dickinson said it was important that any new government continues the work to implement recommendations made in the Maritime Growth Study and to act on the SMarT Plus training support package proposed by the Union and the UK Chamber of Shipping.

Proactive policies for the shipping industry and seafarer employment are critical in the post-Brexit world, he added.

Nautilus jobs message is on the cards A

Members of Nautilus International’s UK committee are pictured above as they helped to launch the Union’s new strategic campaign — sending special postcards to MPs to highlight the problems around the way UK Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CEC) are issued.

The cards ask MPs to seek a review of the system for granting CECs, taking into account

the number of unemployed officers with an MCA Certificate of Competency and the future employment needs of the UK outside of the EU. Latest figures show that one in three British seafaring jobs now goes to a worker resident outside the UK, whilst many UK officers are still seeking work following the downturn in the oil price and subsequent North Sea job losses.

Nautilus believes the system for issuing CECs is not adequately controlled and creates a pool of cheaper labour against which UK-resident seafarers struggle to compete. As part of the Union’s Charter for Jobs, the postcards call for the government to do more to protect UK maritime jobs and revisit a report into the issuing of CECs conducted in 2007, which was never concluded.

Owners ‘failing to fly the flag’ Union urges government to publish report on future of the UK Ship Register

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Nautilus is calling for an overhaul of the UK Red Ensign Group (REG) of ship registries after new government statistics revealed that fewer than half of all UK-owned trading merchant vessels are on the UK Ship Register (UKSR).

And the Union is also urging the government to make public a report it commissioned from financial services firm KPMG on the ‘commercial opportunities’ for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the UKSR. The annual shipping fleet statistics published by the Department for Transport (DfT) showed that whilst the UK-registered trading fleet increased by 6% in deadweight tonnage terms last year, the UK’s share of the total world fleet has fallen from 1.4% in 2009 to just 0.8% now.

In contrast, the Crown Dependencies have increased their share of the world fleet from 1.3% to 1.4% over the same period. The UKSR now accounts for just 26% of the total REG deadweight tonnage, compared with 43% for the Crown Dependencies.

The DfT report notes that the UK fleet enjoyed almost a decade of expansion after the tonnage tax scheme was brought in, but this was followed by a decline

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The 143,700gt Majestic Princess is one of the most recent additions to the UK Ship Register. Built by Fincantieri in Italy, the Princess Cruises vessel is carrying out a series of inaugural cruises in the Mediterranean before sailing to Shanghai, which will serve as the home port from July this year

from 2009 to 2014. Since then, it adds, the registered trading fleet and UK parent ownership have grown, but UK direct ownership and management have continued to decline.

In total, trading vessels totalling 67.5m dwt — 3.8% of the world total — are either owned or managed in the UK, but only 14.4m dwt is registered in the UK. Of the 555 UK-owned trading ships, 255 were on the UKSR, 58 on Crown Dependency or Overseas Territories registries, and 242 under foreign flags.

The report shows that the number of UK-flagged trading

ships of 100gt and above fell from 712 to 452 between 2009 and 2016. The number of UKmanaged vessels fell from 1,230 to 1,025 over the same period.

‘Whilst it is welcome to see that the UKSR fleet has increased over the past year, it remains disappointing that so many UKbased owners chose not to use the national register,’ said Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson.

‘It’s also disappointing that the underlying long-term trend is of one of growth of REG flags whilst the national flag continues to decline. It is clear to us that it is

time for the UK to dismantle the REG and encourage the cuckoos to leave the nest,’ he added.

‘The support that the UK provides to competing registers is like Tesco propping up Aldi.

There is a pressing need to end the absurdity of the current system,’ Mr Dickinson said.

Nautilus is also concerned about the quality of tonnage on the UK flag in the face of shipowners’ calls for the flag to be more customer-focused, and in view of the UK government spending over £200,000 last year to commission the KPMG report, which is said to recommend part-privatisation of the Ship Register.

Mr Dickinson said: ‘Shipowners need to be regulated firmly, fairly and consistently and provided with a service that enables them to run their businesses successfully. However, it is ludicrous, at a time when the government is looking at options for the UKSR, that the government is failing to address the inherent advantages that the other REG registers have over the UKSR. ‘I am calling on the government to make the findings of their study into the commercialisation of UKSR publicly available to ensure there is open debate on its recommendations,’ he added.

SCHETTINO APPEAL: prosecutors have called on Italy’s highest court to confirm a guilty verdict against Captain Francesco Schettino, the master of the Costa Concordia which capsized and sank in 2012 with the loss of 32 lives. The master has appealed to the Court of Cessation in a final attempt to secure an acquittal of the charges of manslaughter, causing a maritime accident and abandoning ship before everyone had been evacuated.

PIRACY ALERT: US defence officials have expressed concern over a fresh wave of pirate attacks off Somalia. There have been at least seven incidents over the past eight weeks, including several in which pirates fired at ships. US defence secretary Jim Mattis said that whilst he was not yet calling for a response from the US Navy, the number of recent incidents meant that merchant seafarers and shipping companies must once again be on high alert.

FAKE FLAG: the island states of Micronesia in the western Pacific have written to the United Nations to protest about the ‘illegal’ registration of ships and seafarers under their flag. The Federated States of Micronesia told the UN that it has no connection with the 300 vessels apparently registered to fly its flag, pointing out that its laws do not allow registration of international shipping and do not guarantee crew certificates.

NEWHAVEN PLEDGE: a pledge about the continuity of the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry link has been given by the chairman of the Seine-Maritime district council, which owns the two ships that DFDS Seaways operates on the route. Last year’s results for the service were described as ‘exceptional’.

PORTS PLEA: the British Ports Association has urged the UK government to ensure that trade can continue to flow freely through the country’s ports after withdrawal from the European Union. It says ministers need to avoid customs and frontiers controls which could create congestion in ro-ro ferry ports.

GREEN AID: the European Investment Bank and the Dutch bank ABN Amro have signed a €150m agreement to provide support for initiatives to make the European shipping industry and inland waterways transport more environmentally friendly.

HULL BOOST: P&O European Ferries has announced the launch of a new freight service linking Hull and Zeebrugge. The company has chartered the Dutch-flagged containership Elisabeth to operate the route, running three round-trips a week.

FATAL BLAST: two seafarers were killed after an explosion in the forward storeroom of the 56,600dwt bulk carrier Tamar off Cape Cod in the Atlantic last month. Three other crew members suffered serious burns in the incident.

LIVERPOOL BOOST: Peel Ports says it has met its target of winning support from 200 companies for its campaign to encourage shipping firms to introduce direct deepsea services to the port of Liverpool.

MLC ADDITION: Tunisia has become the latest country to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, taking the total number of signatory nations to 82, accounting for 91% of world tonnage.

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04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports ORKNEY SUBMISSION: Nautilus and Unite have issued a joint submission for a 3.2% pay increase — in line with RPI — for members employed by Orkney Ferries. The submission forms part of the company’s 2017 pay and conditions review and includes an increase of a further seven days’ annual leave. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth will advise members via bulletin when a response from the company has been received.

MSC POSTS: five liaison officer nominations are being sought by Nautilus to represent members employed by Marine Scotland Compliance. The positions are to represent members employed as engineering officers, navigating officers and shoreside staff and to represent former Marr members onboard Al Na Mara and Scotia. Each post will run from 1 August 2017 until 31 July 2020.

Action consultation at Marine Scotland Members asked for views on industrial action to support ‘fair pay ‘ claim

MADOG PAY: consultation has begun on a 1% pay offer made to members employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving onboard Prince Madog.

The company has said the award is its final offer and consultation was due to close shortly after the Telegraph went to print. National organiser Jonathan Havard has urged all eligible members to submit their views.

RO-RO RISE: 1.2% pay increases have been agreed by members employed by Stena Marine Management.

The two separate awards are for members employed by the company on ro-ro and ro-pax ferries, as well as those on protected terms from Maersk on ro-ro and ro-pax ferries. Both awards will be backdated to 1 January 2017.

HEYN MEETING: Nautilus is to meet members serving onboard the research vessel Corystes on 2 May ahead of a meeting with Heyn Engineering management to discuss this year’s pay and conditions claim. Feedback from members highlighted priority issues as pay, rotas and terms and conditions.

WESTERN UPLIFT: members employed by Western Ferries (Clyde) have voted to accept a 3% pay award for this year’s pay and conditions review.

The award will be backdated to 1 April. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth has written to the company to advise it of the members’ decision.

MERIDIAN AGREEMENT: a pay award of 1.2% — backdated to 1 January 2017 — for members employed by Meridian Marine and who serve on ro-ro and ro-pax ferries has been agreed. Additionally, it has also confirmed that a review of the current sickness entitlement will be carried out.

RMS CLAIM: a pay claim of 3.2% has been submitted by Nautilus on behalf of members employed

by AW Crewing (Guernsey) and serving onboard RMS St Helena. The Union says the claim is in line with the RPI inflation figure at the end of February 2017.

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Nautilus has been carrying out a series of ship visits to meet members serving with Marine Scotland Compliance (MSC). Pictured top left and right is national organiser Steve Doran with members onboard Hirta and Jura in Aberdeen, while industrial organiser Gary Leech is pictured above right with members onboard Minna in Greenock.

Mr Doran is also pictured above left with MSP Rhoda Grant in Holyrood last month. During the meeting Mr Doran spoke to Ms Grant — who has been fighting for a fair rate of pay for MSC

seafarers — about the current issues facing members, and said that Nautilus members are being consulted about potential industrial action.

Mr Doran gave Ms Grant the Union’s Certificate of Equivalent Competency (CEC) campaign postcard, which members have been urged to send to their MPs in support of the call for action to curb the number of CECs being given to non-domiciled officers.

Following the ship visits — and having spoken to Ms Grant — Mr Doran wrote to members to thank them for their feedback and said there was clear ‘anger and

frustration’ at the unacceptable levels of remuneration when compared with other maritime professionals.

He also stated that Nautilus had spoken to the Unite union, which has balloted members about taking potential industrial action should concerns regarding recruitment and retention of quality personnel not be addressed.

Nautilus is now consulting its members on whether they would support the idea of taking industrial action. ‘At this stage we are not balloting on taking industrial action, merely to see if there is the will of the membership to go

STUC backs call for action on low pay TUC conference have backed F Nautilus International’s calls for action Delegates at this year’s Scottish

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down that route if required,’stated Mr Doran. ‘When I spoke to members onboard Hirta, Jura and other vessels, they had strong opinions on the situation and I know that many others who I couldn’t speak to will have equally important views. We also need others to engage with Nautilus, so I call on all seafarers to approach nonmembers to join the Union.

‘I’d urge everyone who is eligible to have their say to do so, so we know, as your Union, what you as members want us to do on your behalf.’

Members have until midday on 2 May to express their views.

Pictured above is Irish Institute of Master Mariners president Captain Paul Roche with Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth during a meeting onboard the P&O vessel European Causeway. They discussed a range of shipping policy issues, including the impact of Brexit

TUC warns on Brexit rights at the heart of Britain’s exit F strategy from the EU if the UK is to

Workers’ rights must remain

avoid falling behind the rest of Europe, the TUC has warned.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said it was vital that the withdrawal agreement protects current rights, like paid holidays, equal

pay, and fairness for agency workers, as well as ensuring a level playing field for the future.

But, she warned, the government’s proposed Great Repeal Bill presently ‘falls short of the prime minister’s promise to fully protect and maintain all workers’ rights that came from the EU’.

to combat substandard seafarer wages in UK waters.

Moving a motion on the issue, Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth asked delegates: ‘Would you work for barely one-third of the national minimum wage, 50 or 60 hours a week, in a workplace where the accident rate is up to 20 times higher than the average?’

He said that some crew members onboard the flag of convenience ship Daroja, which runs Streamline Shipping’s freight ferry service to the Northern Isles, are paid as little as £2.56 an hour — and the vessel is by no means an isolated case.

‘Such operations are dragging the shipping industry into disrepute and undermining jobs, training and decent working conditions for British seafarers. They also pose a massive

threat to safety in our waters,’ he added.

‘It’s high time to close the loopholes in the legislation which are exploited to the full by shoddy shipping companies,’ he said. ‘It’s clear that we need a concerted drive to stamp out employment practices that would bring the employer to the courts if they took place on land.

It’s not good enough that workplace rights seem to end on the seashore.’

Mr Smyth welcomed the recent agreement secured by the Scottish government to ensure that the crews of NorthLink’s two publicly-funded Northern Isles freight vessels are paid at least the UK minimum wage.

But, he added, further action is required to prevent seafarers — regardless of nationality — from being paid below the UK national minimum wage in UK waters and to ensure proper enforcement of existing regulations.

25/04/2017 18:08

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Nautilus visits Trinity House vessel for talks on pay Jonathan Havard is pictured F left onboard the Trinity House vessel Nautilus national organiser

Galatea with members of the port watch during a visit in the port of Swansea on 18 April.

Mr Havard held talks with members on ideas for the Union’s next pay and conditions claim and a further visit has been arranged to meet members in the starboard watch on 1 June.

Mr Havard emphasised that the 3% consolidated pay offer that was accepted by members with effect from 1 March 2017 coincided with the removal of an additional week’s leave.

MLC bid to protect pay for hostages Nautilus in negotiations on safeguards for seafarers held captive by pirates

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Nautilus has taken part in negotiations on fresh amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention — including moves to ensure that shipowners continue to pay crew members while they are held captive by pirates.

General secretary Mark Dickinson was among 150 delegates from governments, shipping companies and maritime unions taking part in the tripartite working group established by the International Labour Organisation.

Speaking on behalf of the seafarers’ group, Mr Dickinson told the meeting that the proposals were important because ‘the

scourge of Somali piracy appears to have returned with a vengeance’ and owners need to be very mindful of the need to protect their crews in high-risk areas.

However, some employers opposed the proposals — arguing that there was ‘no compelling need to consider the establishment of an additional financial security system to address cases of non-payment of wages during piracy or armed robbery’.

They opposed any mandatory measures to require that seafarers are paid whilst being held captive on or off their ship as a result of piracy or armed robbery, on the grounds that financial security in cases of aban-

donment already exists and covers instances of non-payment of wages.

But Mr Dickinson said it was essential that there is a mandatory mechanism introduced into the MLC — pointing out that while good shipowners will maintain payment of wages and other entitlements, bad shipowners will ignore guidance or recommendations and erode the principles of the level playing field that the convention seeks to establish.

‘We are also concerned that unless there is a mandatory provision, failure to pay the wages and other entitlements of the seafarers unlawfully held captive

will fall to the welfare systems of the flag and labour supply states,’ he added. ‘So, if shipowners do not pay, then governments will be left with a potentially huge problem.’

Mr Dickinson said governments had shown clear support for a mandatory provision. ‘It is what the seafarers need — protection and confidence that they will be paid, that allotments will be maintained to their families, that their employment won’t be terminated whilst held captive,’ he told the meeting.

The special tripartite committee is due to hold further talks on the proposed MLC amendments in April next year.

‘Crisis’ warning government of a living F standards crisis after new figures The TUC has warned the

Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth is pictured meeting members during a visit to P&O’s European Causeway last month

showed that real earnings growth has virtually halted — at just 0.1% for the three months to February.

General secretary Frances O’Grady said pay packets are ‘taking a hammering’ and ministers should stop the squeeze on public sector pay and ensure more investment in skills and infrastructure to build strong foundations for better paid jobs.

shortreports UECC INCREASE: members employed by UECC (Guernsey) have voted to accept a 1% pay increase following consultation. The rise will be backdated to 1 January 2017. National organiser Jonathan Havard informed the company of the decision during a meeting in March, when talks began on revising the collective agreement. Discussions covered issues including annual increments, pilotage exemption certificate rates and uniform and mileage allowances.

STENA TALKS: the rejection of a two-year, front-loaded, pay offer made to members employed

by Stena Line across all its routes has been described as ‘disappointing’ by the company’s management.

Members overwhelmingly rejected the offer which would have seen a 3% increase in year one and 0% in year two. A further meeting to discuss the issue was due to take place shortly after the Telegraph went to print.

CEFAS OFFER: a revised pay offer of 2% is being considered by members employed by P&O Maritime Services who serve onboard Cefas Endeavour. The offer follows an initial suggestion by the company of a 1.5% increase, which the Union — alongside Unite — stated would be ‘unacceptable’. Consultation was due to close shortly after the Telegraph went to print.

IMT VIEWS: Nautilus is seeking the aspirations of members employed by International Marine Transportation ahead of a claim for this year’s pay and conditions review. Members have been asked to provide details of any additional responsibilities over the past 12 months to help shape the claim. Views must be submitted no later than midday 9 May 2017.

CLIPPERS CLAIM: a meeting to discuss the ongoing pay claim for members employed by Thames Clippers has been scheduled for 9 May. The meeting — which follows members’ rejection of a 1.25% offer — will take place at Clipper House in Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth will attend the meeting alongside liaison officers.

DFDS DEAL: members employed by DFDS have overwhelmingly voted to accept a 3% pay offer, as well as a 1% pension contribution increase, following consultations. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth welcomed the outcome and has written to the company.

The increase will be backdated to 1 January 2017.

CEMEX REJECTION: a pay offer of 1.6% has been unanimously rejected by members employed by Cemex UK following consultation. National organiser Jonathan Havard has written to the company to inform it of the members’ decision and to request a further meeting.

CALMAC LIAISON: a liaison officer to represent members employed as masters with Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) is being sought.

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

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

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

Pictured above, left to right, are P&O Irish Sea shoreside onboard services and sales manager Carol Clarke, onboard services manager for European Highlander Andrew Thomas, and Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth during a meeting at Larne Harbour in Northern Ireland

04-05_at work.indd 5

Pictured is Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth alongside members employed by P&O Maritime onboard European Highlander. The visit formed part of the Union’s regular ship visit programme and allowed Mr Smyth to speak directly with members about issues of concern.

25/04/2017 18:38

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports FARSTAD INCREASE: Nautilus has negotiated a salary increase of 3% for its members employed by Farstad Singapore. The agreement came after the company — which is in the middle of a three-way merger with Solstad Offshore and DeepSea Supply — said it was not able to reinstate a 20% pay cut it had previously implemented, and that no budget had been allocated for pay rises. However, management made the offer after Nautilus officials explained the difficulties within the UK relating to issues including the cost of living. The pay increase will take effect from 1 May 2017.

DSV ‘NO’: members employed by VGG (Guernsey) and serving on the DSV agreement as marine crew onboard Sapphire and Polaris have almost unanimously voted to reject the employer’s proposal of a 10% reduction in pay — which also included various other changes to members’ terms and conditions. National organiser Jonathan Havard has written to the company in an effort to continue negotiations, which would be based around comments and suggestions raised by members during consultation.

GLOBAL GROWTH: the global offshore supply vessel market is forecasted to grow by more than 6% over the next four years, a new report has predicted. Research

by Azoth Analytics forecasts increased worldwide demand for oil and gas boosting offshore drilling and production and exploration activities. It suggests demand for AHTS vessels will rise faster than for PSVs and other offshore support vessels.

VGG REJECTION: a 1.25% pay offer has been rejected by members employed by VGG (Guernsey) and serving on the BP Offshore vessels agreement. The decision follows consultation and comes after the Union stated it could not recommend acceptance of the offer, as it falls below the February RPI inflation level of 3.2%.

National organiser Jonathan Havard has written to the company to inform it of members’ views.

DIVE TALKS: members employed by VGG (Guernsey) and serving as dive techs have voted — by a majority of just over two to one — to reject the employer’s proposal of 120 guaranteed days of work per annum. Nautilus is still hopeful of being in a position to consult with members soon on a revised offer, but said if that failed it would ‘investigate other avenues’.

BIG FIND: Hurricane Energy has made what it describes as ‘the largest undeveloped discovery’ of oil in UK waters. It believes that up to 1bn barrels of recoverable oil could be contained within the Greater Lancaster Area, some 97km west of Shetland. It hopes to begin production in 2019.

MAERSK ADDITION: Maersk Supply Service has taken delivery of a new vessel for its fleet, the 10,181gt AHTS Maersk Master. The first in a new class, the Danishflagged vessel is being deployed on the Janice and Leadon decommissioning projects in the UK sector of the North Sea. GULFMARK LIAISON: six liaison officer roles for members employed by Gulfmark (Guernsey) remain available to represent masters, navigating officers and engineer officers. Each position will be in office from 1 June 2017 until 31 May 2020.

ABERDEEN OFFICE: V.Ships Offshore has opened a new office in Aberdeen. A total of 21 staff work at the harbour-side facilities, providing technical and crew management services for offshore vessels.

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

06_offshore.indd 6

Damen launches Bibby’s WaveMaster 1 vessel Bibby WaveMaster 1 has A been launched at the Damen yard in

The UK-flagged offshore support

Romania at the end of March, right.

Built for Bibby Marine Services, the 6,081gt vessel has been designed to support offshore wind construction and operations and maintenance projects in the North Sea. Due for delivery in August, the 90m DP2 vessel will provide transfer and accommodation services for offshore personnel, and will have the capability to undertake a wide range of duties.

Bibby WaveMaster 1 can accommodate up to 90 people and features a motion-compensated ‘walk-to-work’ access system, as well as a helideck and daughter craft. The vessel is capable of safe operations up to 2.5m Hs and turbine access in up to 3.1m significant wave height.

ITF arrests supply ship in pay row Workers’ Federation (ITF) has F arrested an Indian-flagged offshore The International Transport

support vessel which has been effectively abandoned in the UK port of Aberdeen.

The action was taken in a new attempt to secure unpaid wages for the crew of Malaviya Seven and the owners of the 3,001gt vessel have been told they have 42 days to tell a UK court of their intentions for the vessel or watch it get sold.

Malaviya Seven was detained by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in October and the ITF says 36 of its seafarers are owed a total of US$666,938, Currently, 12 crew remain onboard, with a further 24 signed off the vessel — all of them being Indian nationals.

ITF inspector Liam Wilson — who has been assisting the crew members since June last year — said a response to the arrest was awaited late last month. ‘As the company are from outside the UK, they have 42 days to respond to the court with their intentions regarding the arrest of the vessel before we can request a hearing and apply for the sale,’ he explained.

Nautilus/ITF inspector Paul Keenan recently helped to secure US$689,679 unpaid wages and repatriation for the crew of sistership Malaviya Twenty, which had been arrested in the port of Great Yarmouth.

Jobs ‘assault’ is condemned Nautilus tells Scottish TUC of ‘devastating’ downturn

P

The Scottish TUC has backed calls from Nautilus International and other offshore unions for UK government action against unfair foreign competition in the North Sea. Delegates at the STUC’s conference in Aviemore last month backed a motion proposed by the RMT and seconded by Nautilus.

It called for support for the campaign to ‘resist the assault on pay, working conditions, and employment and training’ in the offshore sector.

The motion notes that 120,000 jobs have been lost in the oil and gas industry in the last two years and expresses concern that the safety of workers is being put under ‘unacceptable pressure’ as a result of the government’s policy of ‘maximising economic recovery of resources’.

Speaking in support of the

motion, Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech said the downturn has had ‘devastating effects’ for British seafarers in the sector.

‘More than 25% of Nautilus members work in the offshore oil and gas industry, with highly specialist skills helping to ensure the safe operation of platform supply vessels, emergency response and rescue vessels, seismic survey ships, dive support vessels and many others besides,’ he explained.

‘But, since the downturn began, hundreds have lost their jobs and many more have been forced to accept massive cuts in their pay and conditions.’

The Union is continuing to negotiate with companies over threats to slash salaries by as much as 40% as social dumping sees contracts going to foreign companies at a fraction of the

price, Mr Leech pointed out.

‘It is especially galling for us to see that the companies who do employ western European and British seafarers are continuing to struggle to win tenders against others using crews from low-cost countries,’ he added.

The motion also condemns the failure to use a UK-flagged and UK-crewed offshore support vessel for the northern Scotland emergency towing vessel contract and also expresses concern that there remains only one ETV based on Orkney Islands.

It calls for the UK government to develop a structured transition plan to maximise employment opportunities in decommissioning work, and to require the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to conduct unannounced inspections of operational infrastructure to improve safety for shore workers.

Offshore union group takes to the road right, are Nautilus national F organiser Steve Doran, Unite and Pictured right, from left to

Offshore Coordinating Group (OCG) chair Tommy Campbell, project coordinator Nikki Wood and RMT and OCG secretary Jake Molloy during a ‘roadshow’ event in Glasgow.

The OCG — which represents five unions in the sector — staged a week-long series of meetings with members from the offshore sector, with other events held in Newcastle, Dundee and Aberdeen.

During the sessions discussions were held on the OCG’s key objectives — including engagement with oil majors and supply chain companies, safe working conditions, decommissioning, UK pay rates

and job security, as well as its future plans.

Speaking after the sessions Mr Doran thanked attendees for their time. ‘This year’s roadshow was a huge success and gave the various unions the chance to visit people in their home towns who are immediately impacted by the issues in the offshore sector.

‘We heard from a significant number of people and I’d like to say thank you to each and every one of them for giving up their time.’ g The next OCG roadshow will take place at the Liner Hotel in Liverpool on Monday 8 May 2017 between 6pm and 8pm. For more information about the event contact Nikki Wood on ocg.project.coord@gmail.com

25/04/2017 17:33

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Nautilus film gets IoM screenings Ship Registry has gone back to A school — using a Nautilus animation The head of the Isle of Man

to encourage the island’s pupils to consider a career in shipping.

Registry director Dick Welsh is pictured left with Shell Ship Management cadet training manager Julie Arnold and BP cadet training officer Paul Fleming after they showed the Union’s film — which was produced to highlight the scale of the UK’s reliance upon ships and seafarers — in a presentation to

year 12 students at the Castle Rushen High School, along with BP Shipping, Shell Ship Management, and V Ships representatives.

‘The animation absolutely tells the story of how the world couldn’t cope without this hidden industry, but it’s in a format that both the teachers and students really get,’ he said.

Mr Welsh said the video was a useful tool for introducing seafaring as a career and there are plans to use it during further school visits.

He said the film had promoted

discussion on the Manx government’s scheme to support maritime training, which is run in conjunction with the Maritime Education Foundation.

Between Shell, BP and V Ships, the IoM presently has nine cadets in training — and increased funding means the number will increase significantly in the year ahead.

‘I’m delighted to hear the video is being used to promote maritime careers,’ said Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘This is just the sort of thing we wanted it to do.’

Going bananas for seafarers’ week bananas in the build-up to this F year’s Seafarers Awareness Week, Primary schools are going

running between 24 and 30 June.

The charity Seafarers UK has teamed up with the leading fruit importer Fyffes to deliver a programme to show children that the nation’s favourite fruit is only available in Britain because of ships and seafarers.

The innovative partnership is providing free educational resources for 24,000 schools, with the ‘Journey of the Banana’ materials showing

Owners urged to test officers P&I club subsidises benchmarking programme in a bid to improve quality

P

A P&I club is subsidising a scheme for owners to conduct detailed tests about the suitability of their officers in response to concerns about the quality of the workforce.

The North P&I Club said it was encouraging its member to use Seagull Maritime’s crew evaluation and benchmarking service to ensure that they attract, recruit and retain the ‘right crew’ for their ships’.

Deputy loss prevention director Colin Gillespie said the initiative — which offers club members a 25% discount on the standard US$4,000 fee for using the service — had been launched following root cause analysis of major claims, which identified issues with officer quality and safety culture in the majority of incidents.

‘Quality issues are a problem in an employment market characterised by officer shortages but in which shipowners must

meet minimum manning standard,’ he pointed out. ‘This can result in low quality officers who, in a more balanced supply and demand situation may struggle to find work, continuing to circulate in the market. These officers can be both ineffective in their work and potentially unsafe.

‘Through our Right Crew initiative we are encouraging our members to find and keep quality seafarers — as well as to identify those who are not,’ he added. ‘Seafarer knowledge assessment and benchmarking is an important tool to highlight knowledge gaps.’

The Seagull tests can be taken anywhere on a standard PC and are based on a series of more than 5,000 multiple-choice questions on knowledge of the STCW Convention. Test results are recorded and benchmarked against a global database of some 700,000 tests carried out since 2010.

According to Seagull, around 8% of

qualified seafarers have chalked up scores of less than 40%. ‘Low levels of knowledge can be a potential danger to the ship, the crew and to the individual themselves,’ Mr Gillespie pointed out. ‘Where low levels of knowledge are identified they must be addressed.

‘This may be through training programs,’ he added. ‘The CES service will also enable members to focus their training efforts, create benchmarks to compare manning agents, and to monitor crew quality over time by rank, nationality and crew pool.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The findings should come as no surprise in an industry driven by cost rather than quality.

‘Informed ship managers are aware of the differences in STCW certification and P&I club efforts would be better deployed reminding their members to employ quality personnel,’ he added.

how cartoon character Freddy Fyffes travels from an overseas farm to UK greengrocers and supermarkets with the help of a ship’s master, chief engineer and deckhand.

The story is intended to encourage children, their parents, and teachers to think about the maritime world and how 95% of UK imports come by sea — including the 15bn bananas eaten in the country every year.

Children are also being encouraged to dress up in nauticallyinspired costumes during Seafarers

Awareness Week, with photos entered into a draw to win cash prizes and a shipment of free bananas.

Seafarers UK campaign manager Nick Harvey said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Fyffes. Engaging with schools is a vital part of our Seafarers Awareness Week campaign, as most children have no idea that the UK as an island nation depends on seafarers and shipping for our wellbeing and prosperity.’ g For more information on Seafarers Awareness Week, visit www.seafarersweek.uk

Masters of the unknown?

F

It appears that masters of cargo vessels will need a crystal ball onboard from now on, thanks to a recent ruling by the Dutch Court of Appeal.

The case before the court — involving the transport of steel plates and coils from China to the Netherlands — aimed to establish whether the shipowner was liable for cargo damage sustained during the voyage. This would seem a straightforward matter. Under the Hague-Visby Rules, the master declares the condition of the cargo at the point of loading, and if this has deteriorated by the time the goods reach the receiver, then there must have been damage in transit and the receiver can claim against the shipping company.

However, the shipowner argued in the Dutch case that the nature of the voyage the receiver had agreed to meant that some deterioration of the cargo was inevitable. Taking place in winter, the voyage had involved the vessel sailing from a cold China, through the warm Singapore straits near the equator and on to a very cold Europe.

This cut no ice with the Court of Appeal, which held that the receiver could not be expected to have any

knowledge regarding the carriage of steel, and could only base its expectations of the cargo’s condition on the master’s description. The court further ruled that the solution to this problem was for the master to describe the cargo as it would probably appear at the end of the voyage, rather than in the state witnessed at the point of loading.

Claims executive Alex Gray — who handles insurance claims for the UK P&I Club and UK Defence Club — drew this case to the attention of the wider industry last month. He commented: ‘It would seem that masters of ships must also be masters of the unknown.’

And he raised a number of pertinent questions, including: z How is the master supposed to predict the effects that the voyage will have on the cargo? z What level of knowledge is the master deemed to have about each and every cargo he or she is due to carry? z How does this decision interact with the obligations under the HagueVisby Rules? Which one prevails?

The owners in the steel shipping case are expected to appeal, but as things stand, Mr Gray advises masters and owners to speak to their insurer if in doubt about how to proceed.

VIKING MARINE TRAVEL FLIGHTS - HOTELS - TRANSFERS - RAIL - DEPLOYMENT YOUR SPECIALIST CUSTOM TRAVEL PROVIDER T: +44 (0)300 303 8191

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25/04/2017 14:55

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Hybrid yacht offers ‘silent’ cruising French fears over last month is Home — the A world’s first fast displacement

Pictured left being christened

superyacht equipped with hybrid propulsion.

Built in the Netherlands by Heesen Yachts, the 50m vessel —which is equipped with twin 804hp MTU 12V 2000 M61s — can switch between diesel mechanical and diesel electrical power. Either source can be used independently or simultaneously, providing less noise and vibration, more flexible power management, and increased efficiency.

Heesen says the yacht can also operate at up to 9 knots in ‘silent’ cruise mode, using the generators to run two water-cooled DC electric shaft motors. With a transatlantic range of 3,750nm at a cruising speed of 12 knots, Home’s top speed is 16.3 knots.

Home is due to be delivered in June, following sea trials in the North Sea.

MAIB urges review of Clipper manning toughest amateur yacht F race have been urged to put more

The organisers of the world’s

professional seafarers on each boat to provide more support and guidance for the crews.

The call comes in a UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report on two fatal accidents which occurred during the 2015-16 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race — the first in the event’s 20 year history.

It found that one crew member was killed after entering the cockpit danger zone and being struck by the mainsheet on the boom when the boat gybed. The other crew member — who was not clipped on when on deck — was washed overboard in adverse weather at night.

The MAIB report concludes that both deaths could have been prevented with greater supervision. It recommends that organisers review

and modify onboard manning policies and shore-based management procedures to ensure that safe working practices are continuously maintained.

The MAIB suggests that each yacht in the race should be manned ‘with a second employee or contracted “seafarer” with appropriate competence and a duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of other persons onboard’.

Clipper Race founder and chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston commented: ‘We will continue our long-established collaboration with the MCA and MAIB, to develop, test and improve safety standards, devices, methods and procedures, not only for the benefit of Clipper Race crew but also to pass on any lessons learned, during the toughest around-the-world race that is available to amateur crew, to the sailing community at large.’

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL

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

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

Representing Marit

08_yachts.indd 8

1857

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

new crew policy

have expressed concerns about F a government decree which tightens

French superyacht professionals

up residency and social security rules for crews in the country.

They fear that their competitive position could be jeopardised by the move to make them subject to the French social security system for seafarers (ENIM) if they are deemed to be resident in the country.

Under this ruling, the employers of relevant crew could be held liable to make contributions into the ENIM system equivalent to around 40% of their gross salary.

The decree sets a ‘181-day test’ to determine whether crew can be deemed to be a French resident.

French yachting professionals are worried that this will affect the crews

MCA backs the Nautilus SRB Crews advised to use delegated service to avoid delays

P

Nautilus is reporting a strong demand for its service record book (SRB) following the long-awaited publication by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) of the new procedures for verifying sea service in the superyacht sector.

Marine Information Note (MIN) 543, published last month, sets out the details of the revised arrangements for the verification of sea service testimonials, which provide evidence of time served onboard and actual sea service.

The MCA warns that crew who fail to have their sea service verified by one of its recognised delegated authorities, such as the Union, will face severe processing delays— up to 160 days.

The Agency announced the changes informally at the Monaco Yacht Show in October 2016, and they come into effect on 24 May this year, with MIN 543 formalis-

ing the procedures. Crew working on large yachts and those wishing to register for a notice of eligibility (NOE) for a certificate of competency (or its renewal) are strongly encouraged to hold a MCA-audited and approved SRB, such as the one provided by Nautilus free to all full members.

Full membership of the Union includes sea service verification and a copy of the Nautilus SRB, which is administered from the Union’s Antibes office in partnership with D&B Services.

Non-members can now take advantage of this service by becoming a Yacht Friend of Nautilus for a flat fee of €95 for 12 months. This includes unlimited verification of sea service testimonials (SSTs) within a 12-month period, whether staff have worked as yacht crew on one vessel or multiple vessels in that time, with no late submission fees or additional

charges. Yacht Friends of Nautilus will also receive a copy of the Nautilus SRB, access to the members’ section of the Union’s website, the Telegraph, and access to the Nautilus Plus discount scheme.

Nautilus strategic organiser Danny McGowan said: ‘We are delighted that the MCA has formally recognised the Union’s sea service verification process in our free, industry-leading SRB. ‘We’ve verified sea service for our full members for some time, and now we welcome the opportunity to provide a SRB and sea service verification for non-members’ he added. ‘We will always encourage people to become a full member as our protections and benefits are unmatched by any other association, but the “friends” option is there for those that only want high-quality verification of their testimonials at a low cost.’ g See M-notices, page 38

Former training ship up for sale

of yachts that are usually kept in French waters and that owners may decamp to other countries, such as Italy, to save costs. Owners have also been advised that French employment law may be applied to superyacht crews if it is judged that the relevant crew habitually perform their job in French waters.

Any disputes between the crew and their employer may be deemed to be subject to French law, even if the employment contract provides for disputes to be subject to the laws of another jurisdiction.

A number of organisations have been lobbying the government to lessen the impact of the decree, which is due to come into effect in July this year following a three-month ‘grace period’.

Charity is aiming to raise €1m to raise more than €300,000 F to combat cancer with a sponsored

A superyacht charity is aiming

bike ride from London to Antibes later this year.

A total of 36 riders — including superyacht captains, crew and industry professionals — will be taking part in the 1,400km Cogs4Cancer challenge over 10 days in October.

Cogs4Cancer has been going since 2013 and has raised some €700,000 for Cancer Research UK and French cancer charities. The charity says it hopes this year’s sponsorship will take the total raised to more than €1m, with a route that promises to be the most beautiful and toughest to date.

Cogs4Cancer is managed by a group of volunteers who work within the superyacht industry. All the money raised goes to the designated cancer charities across Europe and the UK. In previous years the charity has received a number of celebrity endorsements, including singer Rihanna, actor Sylvester Stallone and Russian billionaire and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovitch. g For more information, email info@cogs4cancer.org or visit www.cogs4cancer.org. To donate online, visit www.justgiving.com/ cogs4cancer

by Michael Howorth

merchant navy training ship, H Prinses Margriet, right, was converted Built in 1965 as a Dutch

into a luxury yacht in 2005. She became Sherakhan and her distinct and authentic lines have ensured she turns heads wherever she goes.

Following a major refit in 2014, the Dutch-flagged yacht is now for sale — with an asking price of €24.5m.

Originally operated as a training vessel by the the Willem Barentsz Maritime Institute, Sherakhan now offers expedition cruises, with a range of 9,000nm and capacity for up to 26 guests and 19 crew.

25/04/2017 17:31

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

MPs raise alarm on MCA closure Loss of marine office will reduce services to seafarers, Westminster is warned

P RFA cadet wins Warsash annual award for ETOs Maritime Academy cadet A Phillip Corner, right, being

Pictured above is Warsash

presented with this year’s Radio Officers’ Association (ROA) ETO prize by Royal Fleet Auxiliary cadet development officer David Gee. The prize is awarded to a Warsash to the electro-technical officer cadet who gains the highest marks in the GMDSS Radio Maintenance Certificate exam. The certificate is an integral part of the marine electrical and electronic engineering foundation degree.

Phillip, who is sponsored by the RFA and is in the Academy’s September 2014 METO cohort, said he was delighted to have received the award. ‘The experience has made for

an exciting culmination of a very rewarding three-year ETO training programme,’ he added. ‘Moments like this help to reiterate the rewards and benefits that come hand in hand with the challenges of a career in the STEM fields.

Phillip studied electronics at A-level and spent six years as an IT infrastructure analyst before starting his training at Warsash.

He said he is passionate about encouraging others to follow in his footsteps. ‘I hope that the ETO cadetship will continue to be successful in producing professional young officers with the ability and drive to sustain the proud heritage of marine electronic engineering that began with our radio officer forbears.’

P&I club urges owners to help crews tackle obesity dangers F

A P&I club has raised concern about the number of seafarers failing pre-employment medical examinations as a result of obesity.

The UK Club said its analysis of data from more than 900 medical examinations in which multiple illnesses were highlighted showed just over 200 failures involving a combination of serious illnesses and obesity. ‘Carrying excess weight not only causes a strain on the system but can also lead to other serious illness,

for example hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and even some musculoskeletal conditions,’ it added. ‘It is within these illness groups that the UK P&I Club has seen the largest growth in crew medical failures.’ Left unchecked, obesity may be a pre-cursor to other more serious conditions, the club warned. It urged owners to ensure that crews are provided with healthy food and are given the time, free space and encouragement to exercise.

Politicians have criticised the closure of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Tyne Marine OfďŹ ce — warning that it has resulted in a ‘depletion in crucial parts of the service’ to seafarers and the maritime industry.

As part of the shake-up in the way it delivers its survey and inspection services, the MCA closed the ofďŹ ce on 3 March. The 18 surveyors who worked there are now working remotely.

Nautilus had expressed concern at the closure of the ofďŹ ce, but has welcomed the ofďŹ cial opening of a new centre at South Tyneside College to host deck, engineering and other oral examinations for seafarers.

Katy Ware, director of maritime safety and standards at the MCA said the new North East Exam Centre is the ďŹ rst of its kind in the UK and ‘means maritime students no longer need to spend time and money travelling to a Marine OfďŹ ce for an examination — everything they need to get qualiďŹ ed is right on their doorstep’.

But the changes came under criticism during a debate in the House of Commons last month.

South Shields MP Emma LewellBuck said: ‘Not only was the ofďŹ ce closed ahead of schedule, but what it in its place does not, quite frankly, ďŹ t the bill.’ The closure of the Tyne ofďŹ ce has left a 350-mile stretch of the UK coastline with no physical base for MCA surveyors, she added, and

MCA staff at the new north east seafarer exam centre, which has been opened at South Tyneside College

this would increase the prospect of inspection work being carried out by the private sector instead.

The loss of the counter service provided by the ofďŹ ce would mean that seafarers in the Tyneside area would have to travel to Hull or send their documents by post, at increased cost and risk. ‘The government speaks of wanting to recruit and train more British seafarers, but surely taking steps such as the closure of this ofďŹ ce and the removal of the

counter service will have exactly the opposite effect,’ Ms LewellBuck added.

Tynemouth MP Alan Campbell said the closure of the ofďŹ ce would save the MCA just over ÂŁ100,000 a year. ‘Its closure tells my constituents that the government does not value seafarers in the northeast, and I fear that the long-term effects of these changes will far outweigh the short-term and short-sighted ďŹ nancial gain,’ he added.

But transport minister Andrew

Jones defended the changes and said surveyors would be able to use the Ensign superyacht unit at the exam centre as a remote ofďŹ ce.

He argued that the counter service was not widely used, and seafarers could apply for their documents online or through the post. ‘The provision of a counter service fails to take into account the direction of technology, the lack of demand and the need to consider providing services in a way required by customers,’ he told MPs.

BP reports sulphur success in scrubber trials tankers show that the technology may be F the most cost-effective way for big ships to comply Trials of exhaust gas scrubbers on two BP

with the global 0.5% sulphur cap, an International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) forum heard last month.

BP Marine fuels supply and trading manager Justin Longhurst said the company is considering retrofitting more of its fleet with scrubbers after their successful use on two 80,000dwt LR2 vessels.

Mr Longhurst said the potential for widespread non-compliance with the sulphur cap is limited, but

steps need to be taken to ensure that heavy fuel oil is not supplied to ships without emission-cleaning technology, and additional legislation is needed to ensure that unscrupulous operators do not abuse the system by burning non-compliant fuel in the open seas away from detection.

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09_news.indd 9

25/04/2017 17:32

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NEWS

Mersey honours captive guards Propeller Club award to families of security team from counter-piracy ship

Youngest port chaplain (AoS) has appointed its A youngest port chaplain — 23-yearThe Apostleship of the Sea

old Bryony Watson, pictured above right, who has joined the team in Immingham.

Born and brought up in Grimsby, Bryony first came to learn about the work of AoS after a talk by Fr Colum Kelly, who leads the Immingham port chaplaincy team. She spent four years as a volunteer ship visitor before taking on her current role.

‘I was shocked that I knew so little about the lives of seafarers; especially as I’d lived by the sea all

my life,’ she admitted. ‘Before Fr Colum’s talk, ships were just lights on the horizon.’

Bryony became involved with AoS soon after, assisting churches with the collection of shoeboxes, woolly hats and warm clothing for seafarers. Her first ship visit was in December 2012. ‘I remember feeling over-awed with the size of the ship and nervous about the gangway which looked quite precarious,’ she recalled. ‘However, I also remember the welcome we received, and how pleased the crew were to see us.’

Cruise firms claim green superiority leading the maritime sector F in embracing environment-friendly

Cruise shipping companies are

practices, a new study claims.

A report produced by Energy & Environmental Research Associates (EERA) for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says passenger ships are leading the way on the use of cleaner fuels, cutting emissions and adopting the use of cold ironing in port.

The study is based on an analysis of the practices and performance of almost 300 ships operated by CLIA members, as well as assessment of vessels on order. It notes that 13 of the 87 cruiseships due to be delivered over the next decade will be LNG powered and that 38% of the current cruise fleet includes an exhaust gas cleaning system onboard.

Shore power connections are fitted to around 9% of the existing CLIA

fleet, although the report pointed out that only a small fraction of the world’s ports have such facilities. ‘In ports where shore power is available, there are issues of insufficient berths to meet the demand presented by multiple cruiseships in port at the same time,’ it adds.

The report says the cruise industry general meets or exceeds international, national and regional air quality standards and is ahead of the rest of the maritime sector on four key areas of wastewater treatment.

However, US maritime lawyer Jim Walker criticised the study as ‘a non-critical summary’ which has been funded by CLIA. ‘The report is largely a PR stunt which omits the relevant, recent history of the practice committed over the course of at least a decade of routinely dumping oil from cruise ships owned by the largest cruise line in the world,’ he added.

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10-11_news.indd 10

unpaid wages to the crew of a Russianowned ship in Algeria last month.

ITF officials alerted the authorities in the port of Oran after the 22 seafarers onboard the refrigerated cargoship Pacific Breeze complained that the operator was planning to repatriate them and replace them with another crew without their wages being paid.

‘This was an all-too-typical case of a company trying to get away with not paying its crew,’ said ITF coordinator Mohamed Arrachedi ‘Fortunately, the crew knew to turn to the ITF for help.

We thank Oran port state control for their support in winning justice for the men and are pleased they returned home safely.’

P

The ‘Chennai 6’ — British crew members from the anti-piracy vessel Seaman Guard Ohio — have been given an accolade by the Merseyside maritime community for their endurance and bravery.

The six security personnel — John Armstrong, Nick Dunn, Billy Irving, Nicholas Simpson, Ray Tindall and Paul Towers — have together won the Propeller Club Liverpool’s first ever Maritime Personality of the Year award.

But they were not able to accept their prize in person last month, as they are currently serving five-year terms in Chennai’s Puzhal Central Prison, after highly controversial convictions for shipboard weapons offences.

The men were arrested in 2013 while working as anti-piracy guards on the American-owned merchant vessel in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian government says the ship was carrying an illegal arms cache, but the men have consistently denied any wrongdoing and claim they were simply doing their job.

As the charges were initially

Liverpool Propeller Club president Steven Jones and vice-president Adam Whittle with Lisa Dunn and Jordan Wylie

dropped by the Indian courts, it has been argued that political motivations were behind the eventual conviction and sentenc-

ing of the whole crew — which included 29 other seafarers of different nationalities.

Propeller Club Liverpool presi-

dent Steven Jones paid tribute to the six British security guards, who had previously been in the UK armed forces.

‘These brave men are not criminals or terrorists,’ he said. ‘They have served between them some 74 years for Queen and country, and were earning a living protecting seafarers from piracy. For them to be held in jail, and to face such uncertainty, health risks and injustice, is something that the maritime community believes is wrong.’

As well as drawing attention to the men’s plight, he added, the award would include a donation to support the families in the UK who are working to secure their loved ones’ release.

They have handed a petition with more than 100,000 names to the British government and are planning to stage a protest outside the Indian embassy in London on 16 June.

The award was presented to Lisa Dunn, whose brother Nick is one of the men being held, and she was accompanied by Jordan Wylie, who is running the Chennai 10K in June to help raise awareness of the men’s plight.

Fine for fleeing vessel detention has been given a six-month F suspended jail sentence and fined a A trawler company boss

total of £20,000 after a court heard that his firm had operated a fishing vessel in an unsafe manner and sailed in contravention of a detention notice.

Stephen Trust, a director of Brixham-based Trust Trawlers, was also ordered to pay £18,000 costs after admitting operating an unsafe vessel, refusing to provide information to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) during an investigation, and for

taking the ship to the Netherlands in breach of a detention notice.

Southampton magistrates heard that 27m trawler Jacomina had been detained by the MCA after an inspection in April last year found problems including: z no valid fishing vessel licence z an expired EPIRB hydrostatic release z the emergency hand pump was not operational z the flares and line throwers were out of date

z the VHF radio survey was out of

date z the anchor chain was not rigged to the anchor z defective emergency steering tiller The court was told that the vessel had sailed a month later to the Netherlands, and was subsequently sold.

MCA assistant survey and inspection director Tony Heslop commented: ‘This is a most disturbing case of a fishing vessel being operated in an unsafe manner.

‘Not only had the vessel not been inspected for two years, when surveyors were eventually able to get onboard they found much of the safety equipment was defective or out of date.

‘It is well known that commercial fishing is a high-risk occupation,’ he pointed out. ‘To display such a blatant disregard for the safety rules, and potentially putting lives at risk, is completely unacceptable. The MCA will actively pursue anyone who operates in such a reckless manner.

Refinery donation for seafarers’ centre Liverpool, has recently received A a £3,000 donation from the Essar The Seafarers Centre in Crosby,

refinery at Stanlow after it chalked up a record-breaking safety target of 3m hours without a recordable injury.

The centre was one of three charities to benefit from Essar’s Let’s Give programme, which links safety milestones with support for worthy organisations, and it was nominated

by Mark Thompson, the company’s marine manager.

‘I have worked at sea for most of my career, and now alongside those who do,’ Mr Thompson explained. ‘I have seen the benefit of the seafarers’

centres all over the world, and the great service that is offered to those who visit. Many of the seafarers from our cargo deliveries at Stanlow and Tranmere use the services of the centre in Liverpool, and it is fantastic to be able to provide some financial support to keep the service going.’

Liverpool Seafarers Centre chief executive John Wilson said he was delighted to receive the donation.

‘The money will go towards a new hub that we are opening in April, at Eastham,’ he added. ‘The funds received will be used to buy a pool table, furnishings, computer and wi-fi.’

25/04/2017 15:46

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

New courses at Liverpool centre University’s (LJMU) Maritime A Centre is expanding is professional Liverpool John Moores

training with a new portfolio of STCW and bespoke training courses.

Delivered through the Maritime Knowledge Hub, which is operated in partnership with Mersey Maritime, the initiative covers a variety of courses for all ranks and departments of commercial ships, superyachts and workboats utilising the Centre’s bridge, engine and communication simulators, left, which are said to be

Operators ‘must end pool risks’ by some leading cruiseship F companies to introduce lifeguards for Nautilus has welcomed moves

swimming pools.

Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and NCL have all announced that they will be employing lifeguards following a series of incidents in which passengers have died or almost drowned in unsupervised facilities.

Concern over the lack of proper monitoring has been raised by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch in reports on fatalities onboard Pacific Dawn and Sapphire Princess.

The MAIB has highlighted the absence of specific regulations for the operation and use of swimming pools on ships, but has stressed the need for companies to carry out full risk assessments.

It has also recommended action to ensure that STCW requirements are met so that hotel staff are capable of providing assistance in the event of an accident or medical emergency.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘It is good to see that some companies have acted responsibly to deal with a very clear risk. We hope that all other operators will follow suit, so that masters and officers are no longer compromised by such unnecessary deaths.’

Union support for PPE alarm Officer blinded by caustic soda when goggles came off

P

Nautilus has backed an accident investigation report which highlights the importance of properly-fitting personal protective equipment following a case in which a chief officer lost his sight in both eyes.

The officer, who was serving on a loaded chemical tanker, was attempting to clear a cargo line blocked with frozen 50% caustic soda liquor, which has a freezing point of +12°C, together with two other crew members.

All three were wearing full alkali protection suits, with goggles and face masks. However, because of the strong winds on deck they had all found it difficult to keep the hoods of their suits in place and had decided to remove them, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) safety digest notes.

‘Finding that the caustic soda could not be cleared by blowing the line through with compressed air with the drain valve open, the

chief officer poured warm water over the line to melt the liquor,’ the report explains.

‘A large slug of caustic soda ejected through the drain valve and hit the drip tray under it.

It rebounded off the tray and splashed the chief officer, entering under the edge of his protective mask and onto his face,’ it adds.

‘He immediately wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket — however, this was already contaminated and his goggles came off in the process.’

The officer suffered serious burns to his face and was airlifted to hospital ashore, but the chemical had entered his eyes and it resulted in total loss of vision in both eyes.

The MAIB notes that caustic soda needs to be handled with the greatest care, as it is extremely corrosive and — in solid form — produces a significant amount of heat when it comes into contact with water.

‘PPE should be considered the last defence against accidents,’ the report adds. ‘A thorough evaluation of the risks involved should always be carried out before undertaking all potentially hazardous tasks.

‘If the PPE does not fit, is not suitable for purpose, or cannot be worn for some reason, stop the work until proper protection can be provided,’ the MAIB advises.

‘Do not compromise your safety by continuing without effective PPE.’ Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘PPE, as the last defence needs to be fit for purpose — and that means suitable for working both effectively and safely.

‘PPE should fit “short and tall, male and female”,’ he added, ‘and companies who fail to provide the correct equipment should be subject to the full weight of the law.’ g Union warns on equipment risks — see feature, page 27.

among the most advanced in Europe.

The facility now consists of eight bridge simulators and one engineroom simulator, as well as a desktop simulator suite consisting of 10 ships’ bridges, a separate GMDSS simulator suite and an ECDIS simulator suite.

Maritime Centre head Abdul Khalique said: ‘LJMU’s investment in simulation technology has created a world-class platform for maritime education, knowledge transfer and industry engagement, and

supports regional strategic initiatives around the Port of Liverpool expansion and the Atlantic Gateway developments. We see further expansion opportunities for training in the offshore wind, oil and gas, and nuclear sectors.’

The university says it is planning to announce collaborative agreements with a number of national training providers to offer new courses for senior MN officers, including ballast water management, and bridge and engineroom resource management.

Green groups seek Med shipping ECA has launched a campaign to A have the Mediterranean Sea declared A coalition of green groups is

an emission control area (ECA) for shipping.

The Rome declaration, adopted by an alliance of environmental organisations from countries including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Malta, calls for the measure to be adopted to cut sulphur, nitrogen oxide, carbon and particulate matter pollution in the region.

Leif Miller, from the German organisation NABU, said a Mediterranean ECA was ‘long overdue’ and would create a level playing field for the whole of Europe.

‘It is unacceptable that people and the environment in southern Europe

still suffer from the marine sector’s exhaust gas emissions while the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel have much tighter standards in place since years,’ he added.

Campaign spokesperson and transport policy officer Daniel Rieger added: ‘We cannot accept any excuses for a further postponement of tighter emission standards for ships in southern Europe as major shipping routes from Asia to Europe cross the Mediterranean Sea and ship traffic is expected to grow by up to 250% until 2050.

‘Moreover we face a situation where the region is home to some of Europe’s most popular cruise destinations with a steadily increasing number of calls and subsequent local air pollution problems.’

‘Waste’ ship arrested arrested a ship on suspicion that F it was exporting hazardous waste by Norwegian authorities have

sailing to a south Asian beach to be scrapped.

Norway’s Environment Agency detained the 38,282gt barge carrier Tide Carrier while investigations were carried out into the alleged infringement of European transboundary pollution regulations.

The 28-year-old ship had been in lay-up in Norway for several years, and was re-named and re-flagged

to the Comoros Islands and then to Palau earlier this year. The vessel was held after it ran aground following an engine breakdown off the west coast of Norway and authorities discovered evidence that it was sailing for disposal in Pakistan.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform welcomed Norway’s action and said the vessel’s owners should be held responsible for the costs of the salvage operation and made liable for the excessive amounts of sludge and fuels found onboard.

STUDY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

Columbus joins CMV A

Pictured above is the former P&O Cruises Australia Pacific Pearl, which is now sailing as the Bahamas-flagged Columbus.

The 63,786gt vessel has been taken over by British-based Cruise and Maritime Voyages following a farewell voyage from Australia to the Sembcorp Marine Shipyard last month to complete the required handover formalities as the re-named and re-flagged Columbus.

The 1,600 passenger capacity ship will sail from Singapore to the Damen yard in Rotterdam

10-11_news.indd 11

for further refurbishment work, including relivery, and is set to arrive in the UK early in June for an official naming ceremony at London Tilbury, which will be the home port.

Built as Sitmar FairMajesty in 1989, Columbus has operated as Star Princess, Arcadia and Ocean Village before transferring to P&O in 2010. CMV commercial director Chris Coates said: ‘We are delighted to have taken delivery of this fine traditional cruise ship and look forward to commencing cruise operations under the CMV flag.’

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25/04/2017 17:34

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

HEALTH & SAFETY

Grounded: BBC Maple Lea was turning too fast, investigators say

Study warns of ULCV dangers

Bridge failures led Insurers’ report highlights problems in dealing with ‘super-sized’ boxships to ship grounding P

between a bridge team and F a pilot resulted in the grounding of Shortfalls in cooperation

a multipurpose vessel in Canada’s St Lawrence Seaway, an accident investigation has determined.

The German-flagged BBC Maple Lea suffered bow thruster damage after running aground on rocks near the port of Sainte-Catherine soon after departing for the UK port of Falmouth on 17 December 2015.

A report by the German investigation board BSU concludes that the 9,611gt vessel was going too fast during a turning manoeuvre in the waterway. The vessel had entered a ‘very limited area of the fairway’ at a speed of more than 8 knots and investigators said the speed should have been reduced sooner to enable the bow thrusters to have an effect.

‘It was only possible to initiate the intended turn — albeit too late — when the speed dropped to less than 4 knots,’ the report notes.

Investigators said the ship’s German master had failed to hear the pilot order full astern — meaning that ‘valuable time was lost at the worst conceivable moment’.

Although the pilot and the bridge team has agreed the location for the turning manoeuvre, the actual manoeuvre had not been discussed. At the time it took place, the watchkeeper was handing over the watch to the third officer and both were at the chart table, and the report points out that this meant the manoeuvre was not being properly monitored.

Investigators said the communications between the bridge team and the pilot failed to meet international standards. The working language on the ship was English, but the report notes that the master and third officer had been speaking in German, and the pilot had spoken English with the crew but French with the local VTS.

New report shows dramatic decline in US ship detentions F

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has expressed concern about the growing number of ships being found with fire-fighting defects during port state control inspections.

In its report on 2016 port state control results, the USCG revealed a marked decrease in the number of ships being detained for environmental and safety-related defects — almost halved from the previous year, from 202 to 103.

The number of ships detained for security-related deficiencies decreased from 11 to eight.

‘Though the drop in detentions is encouraging overall and may be a sign that owners and operators are putting greater emphasis on ship maintenance, we are seeing a rise in the percentage of detentions related to fire-fighting and fire protection systems for the third straight year,’ said USCG Rear Admiral Paul Thomas.

The report warns that fire safety issues are the most common cause of detentions — accounting for 27% of the total. It raises particular concern about the ‘significant’ number of cases in which quick-closing fuel shut-off valves were found to be stuck in the open position and could not be operated from outside the space in the event of a fire.

Other common problems included inoperable fire dampers and damaged or dry rotted fire hoses, as

12-13_h+s.indd 12

well as cases in which manual valves on hyper-mist systems in unattended machinery spaces were discovered in the closed position.

The report notes that the number of deficiencies linked to safety management systems has remained fairly consistent, but welcomes a decline in the number of MARPOLrelated defects — which have fallen from nearly one-quarter of all deficiencies several years ago to just 7% in 2016.

However, Rear Admiral Thomas said he was concerned that ‘despite the numerous detentions, civil penalties, and even criminal prosecution actions, we continue to find instances where ships’ crews flagrantly disregard MARPOL Annex 1 requirements’.

Flag states rewarded for good inspection performance by inclusion in the USCG’s Qualship 21 programme include the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and the UK. The USCG is now expanding the Qualship 21 programme to provide similar incentives for vessels displaying exceptional environmental performance. The Qualship 21 E-Zero scheme will be open to ships meeting criteria including no MARPOL-related deficiencies in the past three years and having a USCG type-approved ballast water management system.

Nautilus has backed a report from marine insurers which raises renewed concerns about the safety risks posed by the rising number of ultra-large containerships (ULCVs).

In a study published last month, the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers (Cefor) called for ‘more concentrated efforts to address the identified challenges’ presented by ‘super-sized’ boxships.

‘If not properly addressed, we may be faced with a major incident that could have an unprecedented impact on the environment and infrastructure, not to mention damage to society and economic burden to insurers,’ it warned.

Cefor’s technical forum said it had identified risks ranging from the difficulty of fighting fires, problems in responding to a grounding, lightering large numbers of containers, the availability of repair yards and even difficulty in procuring the heavy-gauge steel needed for parts of the hull, as well as navigation and crew training issues.

The Cefor report says there are now 69 ULCVs of more than 14,500TEU in service and notes that this figure will increase to 148 vessels when all the new tonnage

Investigations were launched last month into the cause of a fire onboard a 13,800TEU Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel in the Indian Ocean.

Indian and Sri Lankan Navy ships helped to tackle the blaze on the Panamaflagged MSC Daniela, which took more than 24 hours to extinguish Picture: Sri Lankan Navy

currently being built is delivered.

‘Our concern is further accentuated by industrial rumours talking about 24,000TEU vessels,’ it adds.

Cefor said there has been a focus on building ships to create economies of scale — with container-carrying capacity increasing by around 1,200% over the past 50 years. However, it warned, many safety concerns have largely been ignored.

‘We are not in any way Luddites, but find that the development of these huge vessels is call-

ing for concerted efforts from all parties having a stake in the transportation of container by sea,’ the report states.

‘If not properly addressed, we might be facing a situation with a major incident that could have an unprecedented impact on the environment and infrastructure, not to mention damage to society and insurers,’ it warns.

Cefor said there are significant challenges in dealing with fires on large containerships — with crew members having to identify and locate boxes containing

hazardous and toxic cargoes, and facing the risk of using incorrect fire-fighting strategies because of wrongly declared dangerous goods as well as having particular problems in dealing with belowdeck fires.

The paper warns of salvage capacity and lightering shortfalls — pointing out that it would take at least 42 days of round-the-clock working to remove 4,000 containers from a 19,000TEU vessel carrying 10,000 boxes.

The number of repair yards with dry dock accommodation for ULCVs is very limited, the report notes, and it says owners and insurers should be concerned about the ability to replace steel plates of more than 80mm thickness in the sheer strake.

Cefor also highlighted the need for better training of navigating officers and marine pilots to reduce the number of incidents caused by ‘bank effects’ in canals and restricted waterways — especially in the Suez Canal.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson backed the report’s warnings. ‘Regardless of ship type, extrapolation of the rules of construction usually results in structural failure,’ he pointed out. ‘A complete rethink and redesign, with appropriate scantlings, is therefore not only necessary but essential.’

P&I club highlights poor standards of chart corrections for action to improve the A management of ships’ chart folios and A leading P&I club has called

associated publications.

The call came after the London Club’s inspectors highlighted ‘consistently noted negative findings’ during checks on charts and nautical publications, as well as concern over the way that some deck officers manage external navigational warning information from SAT-C and Navtex.

The club said the most common finding is the lack of application of temporary and preliminary notices to voyage charts. ‘Officers in charge of such activities are reminded that, while often temporary, T&P Corrections should not be regarded as less important to safe navigation than weekly permanent chart corrections,’ loss prevention officer Carl Durow cautioned.

‘Ships’ ISM manuals should give clear and concise guidance on how the nautical publications are to be

corrected to avoid inadequate and personal approaches being applied by ships’ officers,’ he added.

The club said inspectors also often find poor or inconsistent application and management of permanent chart corrections. ‘This can be a very timeconsuming task, particularly when a global folio is maintained,’ Mr Durow noted. ‘Where paper charts are in use, they should be kept corrected to the latest onboard edition of Notices to Mariners. Owners should consider the time-saving and most accurate step of supplementing their notices with the appropriate tracings when they are not provided.’

Consistency of approach is the key to good publication management, the club stressed, and it pointed out that the period of crew changeover is when consistency can either be maintained or lost, and where incoming officers with a potentially subjective approach to the task should take instruction from company policy and procedure and act accordingly.

Grounding sparks call to check charted depths prompted a warning for C seafarers and ship operators to check A grounding accident has

the reliability of charted depths — especially in small and remote ports.

The 7,928gt general cargoship Searoad Mersey, above, grounded on the sandy bottom in the approaches to Grassy Harbour, in Australia’s King Island, in October last year.

The Australian-flagged vessel refloated almost an hour after the grounding and subsequent checks found that it had suffered no structural damage.

In a report on the incident, the Australian Transport Safety Board said it was likely that silting

had occurred near the harbour’s inner breakwater since the last hydrographic survey had been carried out in 2015.

‘Masters, harbour masters and others responsible for ships calling safely at ports need to assure themselves of the reliability of charted depths, particularly in some small, remote ports,’ it warned.

‘A possible reduction in charted depths due to local conditions, reference to the charted zone of confidence diagrams and the date of the last hydrographic survey are among the factors that should be taken into account,’ the ATSB report advised.

25/04/2017 13:19

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

CalMac ferries fall victim to laser attacks after the crews of two A Caledonian MacBrayne ferries

Nautilus has voiced concern

MAIB uses simulator to examine accidents (MAIB) is to use specialist ship simulation F programmes to help determine the causes of

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch

casualties involving British ships and all vessels in UK waters.

The MAIB has signed a new contract with BMT Ship & Coastal Dynamics to use its Rembrandt marine navigation and manoeuvring simulator to reconstruct accidents, undertake root cause analysis and identify lessons to be learned.

As well as installing the simulator, BMT has trained MAIB personnel on its technical aspects and fundamentals.

MAIB technical manager Richard North said the decision to use the BMT system was ‘a natural choice’ for the Branch.

‘A key and unique attribute of Rembrandt is its ability to automatically input a broad range of VDR data including 3D, radar and bridge audio to deliver a more enhanced and accurate

visual reconstruction,’ he commented. ‘This is a critical for the thorough investigation of marine accidents.’

BMT Ship & Coastal Dynamics MD Phil Thompson added: ‘At a time when the shipping industry is starting to prioritise high quality electronic track data gathering for use in accident investigation, conflict resolution and lessons learned, we believe Rembrandt is well placed to support the MAIB.’

VLOC loss raises conversion fear

suffered powerful laser beam attacks during critical docking manoeuvres.

Both incidents occurred at Wemyss Bay, as the Isle of Bute ferry from Rothesay was going through berthing procedures at dusk on the evenings of Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April 2017.

In the first incident, bridge crew were dazzled by an intense green laser beam which was shone directly at the bridge of the 2,643gt Argyle for what was described as a ‘prolonged period’.

The master was forced to reduce speed further than usually required, although the ship managed to berth safely.

The second incident took place 24 hours later at almost exactly the same time, when the 2,612gt Bute was preparing to dock. CalMac said the master and crew were able to avert their eyes and bring the vessel safely alongside, but the laser caused

considerable distraction at a crucial time.

The company praised the professionalism of the crews and condemned the ‘reckless’ attacks on the two ferries. Police and Coastguard authorities have been notified and investigations are underway.

‘I cannot emphasise enough how dangerous such utterly irresponsible behaviour is,’ said CalMac’s director of service delivery, Robbie Drummond.

‘As well as posing an issue of immediate harm to our crews, these actions are illegal and an offence under the Merchant Shipping Act — they also have the potential to jeopardise the safety of passengers onboard and, ultimately, the vessels.’

Nautilus has expressed concern about the incidents — which are not the first in which ferries have been targeted — and has urged the UK government to ensure that shipping is covered by new powers to deal with people who jeopardise transport safety with laser attacks.

Flag state is urged to publish full, prompt and public investigation report

P

The Marshall Islands Ship Registry is being urged to ensure that there is a full and public investigation into the sinking of an ore carrier last month, with the loss of 22 crew members.

The 266,141dwt Stellar Daisy — which had been converted from a 1993-built VLCC in 2009 — suffered what appeared to have been catastrophic structural failure in the Atlantic Ocean while sailing from Brazil to China with an iron ore cargo.

Only two survivors were found after a multi-nation search involving naval vessels and aircraft from Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, which also located some empty lifeboats, debris and fuel. The survivors — a Filipino able seaman and an oiler — were reported to have said that the ship had listed rapidly to port before breaking into two.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson backed calls for the accident to be thoroughly investigated. ‘Rarely do such vessel losses ever receive an adequate investigation — that was confined

The VLOC Stellar Daisy sank in the Atlantic Picture: Polaris Shipping

to the Derbyshire, second time around,’ he added.

‘However, such a tragic loss should come as no surprise,’ Mr Graveson noted. ‘This ship was fast approaching the third special survey. Vessels built between 1989 and 1998 may be considered to be particularly vulnerable, and arguably those bulkers built before 2002 are at risk. Seafarers would be wise to seek safer employment.’

The Federation of Korean Seafarers’ Unions (FKSU) expressed concern about the safety of very large ore carriers which have been

converted from VLCCs — many of which were reclassed at a time when single-hulled tankers were being phased out. ‘We can’t help but think that it is possible for similar accidents to happen in future,’ it added. ‘Shipowners do not consider the safety and lives of seafarers but keep exploiting loopholes to build vessels.’

The FKSU pointed out that another VLOC in the Polaris Shipping fleet — the 279,022dwt Stellar Unicorn — had to undergo emergency repairs off South Africa last month after hull cracks were found during a voyage

between Brazil and China .

International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Kaitack Lim said he hoped to receive the results of a full investigation ‘so that we can do whatever may be necessary to reduce the chances of such an incident happening again’.

The bulk carrier owners’ organisation Intercargo said it was deeply concerned by Stellar Daisy’s loss and called for the flag state, classification society and P&I club to cooperate to ‘submit as quickly as possible to IMO a thorough and quality report investigating its causes’.

Intercargo said the timely submission of such a report was vital to enable corrective action to be taken to ensure the safety of ships and their crews.

It also praised the search and rescue operation mounted after Stellar Daisy disappeared, but warned: ‘In the aftermath, the shipping community should be concerned about the non-availability of sufficient SAR capabilities in the vicinity of busy shipping lanes and revisit the issue.’

Training package for ‘near-miss’ reports teamed up with the training F firm Videotel to launch a new The Standard P&I Club has

programme encouraging seafarers to report ‘near-miss’ incidents to help reduce the risk of repeat accidents.

Entitled Report a Near-Miss, Save a Life, the video and workbook describes and analyses a series of case studies, with the real-life examples of potentially serious incidents designed to trigger discussions about similar situations that may have gone unreported onboard an individual ship or across a fleet.

The programme also investigates the many barriers to near-miss reporting and looks at how incidents involving third

parties can be reported to the Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP).

The training emphasises the importance of instituting a ‘no-blame’ safety culture from senior management down and the serious injury or loss of life that can result if seafarers and managers are afraid to speak up.

‘Ships are inherently dangerous working environments due to the nature of working in a large machine travelling across often treacherous seas, and we must do all we can to keep crew safe by reporting near-miss events,’ said Yves Vandenborn, director of loss prevention with the Standard Club’s managers, Charles Taylor & Company.

Insurers worried by rise in rate of casualties Passengers to be digitalised an increase in the frequency of major vessel A casualties for the second year in a row.

Marine insurers have sounded the alarm over

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) said the while the number of total vessel losses has fallen, the frequency of major casualties has hit levels not seen for a decade and the average cost of claims is rising.

IUMI said the number of serious losses totalled

12-13_h+s.indd 13

almost 1,050 last year — up 30% from 2015 when a sharp upturn reversed a 10-year decline in incidents.

It warned that the frequency of losses caused by grounding or machinery damage is increasing faster than all other causes.

Donald Harrell, chairman of IUMI’s facts and figures committee, expressed concern about the impact of the ‘super-sizing’ of many ships. ‘Marine risks continue to grow both in size and complexity

and it is vital that underwriters fully understand the potential losses that they are being asked to insure,’ he pointed out.

IUMI warned that the new generation of ultralarge containerships could carry cargoes of up to 20,000TEU with a value of as much as $985m. In comparison, the 6,750TEU MSC Flaminia, which suffered a fire in 2012, was carrying a cargo worth $115m.

passengers in the European A Union is set to be digitalised to The registration of ship

ensure that search and rescue authorities have immediate access to information about everyone onboard.

New rules proposed by the EU Council will require shipping

companies to transmit data on passengers and crew to the relevant authorities in electronic format.

The new rules will require name, date of birth, gender and nationality to be recorded and, if the passenger wishes, information about the need for special assistance in an emergency.

25/04/2017 12:06

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports

Seafarers consulted on ship tunnel plans consulted on plans to build a A 1.7km tunnel for ships to improve

ENGLISH COURSE: the Italian Merchant Marine Academy Foundation and the Ignazio Messina Group have successfully concluded their first joint course on maritime English in Genoa. The classes have been launched to provide basic English language skills for the crews of the company’s Italian-flagged ships, something especially needed in emergency situations.

Seafarers in Norway are being

RUSSIAN CRUISES: the Russian firm Black Sea Cruises has bought the historic French passengership Azur to operate cruises from Sochi and Novorossiysk on the Black Sea to the Crimean ports of Yalta and Sevastopol.

The ship — which operated between 1975 and 1986 in the Croisères Paquet fleet — has been re-named Knyaz Vladimir and switched to the Russian flag.

DRUGS BUST: three people, including the master and chief engineer of the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Mount Faber, were arrested after 108kg of cocaine was discovered onboard by police in Gibraltar. The drugs — which had an estimated street value of £6.5m — had been concealed in a container attached to exterior of the hull under the waterline.

SEISMIC ALARM: French seafaring unions have expressed concern that their country will no longer have a national-flagged seismic research fleet following a financial restructuring agreement between the French operator CGG and its Norwegian partner Eidesvik in which Eidesvik would take ownership of seven CGG vessels.

BOXSHIP GROUNDS: the 13,296TEU containership UMM Salal was refloated with the aid of a local tug after running aground shortly after leaving Malaysia’s Port Klang last month. The UASC ship was cleared to continue its voyage to Khor Fakkan after a survey showed no signs of damage.

GAS GROWTH: the global LNG carrier fleet has increased from 193 to 479 ships between January 2006 and March 2017. Total capacity of the LNG fleet has tripled to 70.2m cu.m over the same period and is expected to grow by up to 2% a year over the next two decades as global demand for LNG increases.

SPANISH SERVICE: Africa Morocco Link (AML) has put a second ferry onto its service between Tangiers and the Spanish port of Algeciras. AML — a joint venture between the Greek firm Attica Holdings and the BMCE Bank of Africa group — aims to have a fleet of six ferries by 2020.

PORT UPGRADE: the French port of Le Havre has launched a €10m-plus project to update its cruise terminal facilities. The port is set to have a total of 140 cruiseship calls involving 400,000 passengers this year, up from 50 visits and 78,000 passengers a decade ago.

COLLISION PROBE: an investigation has been launched into the cause of a collision between the Hong Kong-flagged containership Maersk Genoa and the Danish-registered general cargo vessel Dan Fighter in the Westerschelde, off the port of Antwerp last month.

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14-15_int.indd 14

Simulator tests of the proposed world-first ship tunnel, which could open in 2023 Picture: NCA

safety in the notorious Stadhavet Sea — described by the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) as ‘the most exposed and dangerous area along the coast of Norway’.

Terje Hernes Pettersen, head of the maritime unions’ joint secretariat, said the waters around the Stad Peninsula are extremely difficult to navigate and there have been many accidents over the years.

‘The tunnel will make it safer to navigate the area, both for seafarers and passengers,’ he added.

The NSOF officers’ union is asking its members to respond to a NCA questionnaire asking how navigation would change once a tunnel is built.

Norway’s unions warn of FoC risk Minister seeks to defuse concerns over ferries using international register

by Andrew Draper

P

Norway’s shipping minister Monica Mæland has assured seafarer unions that she will not allow the country’s international ship register, NIS, to become a flag of convenience.

But after a meeting with the minister and shipowners, unions warned that the NIS register is at risk of turning into an FoC because of operators’ pressure to open up the international flag to ferries.

The unions told Ms Mæland that no other Nordic country allows internationally hired crews for local ferry operations. The Nordic Transport Workers’ Federation warned that liberalising the NIS register would result in a domino

effect where Nordic governments would seek to outdo each other, with seafarers losing out.

Unions fear that Denmark’s Fjordline ferry company would flag to NIS to enable it to pay crews at international rates of around $4 an hour, compared to $19 in Norway.

Although the courts have rejected the unions’ case that Norwegian rules must apply to all vessels operating in domestic waters, the unions believe there is still some ‘wriggle room’.

The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association argues that changes to the NIS rules have helped to reverse a decline in the flag — with more than 100 ships switching to the register last year, bringing the total to 582 vessels. z The Norwegian parliament has passed a bill to bring the

country’s net salary scheme for seafarers into law. The move has been welcomed by unions, who want the arrangements to be extended to cover crews working on deepsea ships operating on the NIS register. The owners hope the tax breaks will make the industry more competitive and help to safeguard domestic maritime skills. z More than 200 Spanish seafarers who served onboard Norwegian ships several decades ago are suing Norway’s government in a bid to get pension benefits.

During the 1960s Spanish seafarers were the most common foreign crews on Norwegianflagged ships and an estimated 12,000 worked in the Norwegian fleet between the 1950s and the 1990s.

Although they paid taxes to Norway, they were not granted membership of the Norwegian pension system. And as they were not working in Spain, they did not get pension rights in their home country — meaning that many are now retired and living in poverty. Øyvind Østberg, a Norwegian lawyer representing the 212 seafarers, said they had filed the suit on the basis they should have been made members of the Norwegian pension system like their Norwegian colleagues automatically were.

‘It’s clear that reasonable and fair treatment under the law should have included all those who worked onboard Norwegian ships and paid taxes to Norway in the Norwegian pension system,’ he added.

New Zealand ferry is the first to be awarded MLC certification

Swedish deal over use of foreign crew

ferry Straitsman is the A first New Zealand ship to gain

has reached an agreement with F the country’s shipowners on new

The Cook Strait passenger

Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) certification. Pictured right on the bridge of the vessel as the certificate was presented are Bureau Veritas marine manager Sam Nariman, Straitsman’s master Captain Stephen Hoedemaeckers, and Maritime NZ director Keith Manch.

The 13,906gt ferry is operated

by Strait Shipping, which is New Zealand’s first commercial operator of vessels of 200gt or more to comply with the MLC, which came into force in the country on 9 March this year.

‘We’re very pleased to see the first New Zealand ship certified under this convention,’ said Mr Manch. ‘While New Zealand has aligned itself to the MLC convention, NZ labour standards on our vessels are already good. The MLC is aimed

Swedish seafarers’ union SEKO

at raising standards on vessels where the living and working conditions for seafarers are poor.’

Maritime NZ is expanding its port state control functions to ensure that around 900 foreign ships visiting New Zealand each year are

in compliance with the applicable provisions of the MLC. A total of 22 New Zealand ships — including Cook Strait ferries, coastal tankers and cement vessels — will be required to comply if they operate beyond the country’s inshore limits.

arrangements for employing foreign crews in the national fleet.

The TAP agreement allows foreign ship crews to be hired on a temporary basis at international pay rates, and the new deal will allow up to 75% of crews on Swedish vessels to be made up of TAP seafarers — up from 50%.

Owners had wanted to have the right to 100% TAP crewing, but this was resisted by unions. SEKO says the new deal will not make much difference, as almost all owners already have local agreements allowing up to 75% TAP crews.

The agreement only applies to new recruits and owners have promised not to sack existing crews and replace them with new ones. SEKO expects the new arrangements will prevent further flagging out and some owners may even flag back to Sweden, it says.

25/04/2017 12:07

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports TAX WIN: seafaring unions in India have welcomed a ruling which protects the income tax concessions for crew members who serve on foreign ships in deepsea trades. The Central Board of Direct Taxes overturned a judgement by the Kolkata tax tribunal that seafarers’ foreign earnings were taxable. National Union of Seamen of India general secretary Abdulgani Serang described the decision as ‘great news’ and said it was the result of intense lobbying by maritime unions and their members.

floated out of the covered A building dock at the Meyer Werft Pictured above after being

yard in Germany is the new Norwegian Cruise Lines vessel Norwegian Joy. The 168,750gt vessel is the first NCL vessel to be custom designed

CHINESE CREWING: Anglo-Eastern Shipmanagement has launched a joint venture with one of China’s largest crewing companies in a bid to meet what it describes as growing demand for the country’s seafarers. Its partnership with Shanghai-based Sinoship Seafarer Management aims to become the leading seafarer management company in China. for the Chinese cruise market and is due be deployed this summer, with home ports in Shanghai and Beijing (Tianjin).

Capable of carrying up to 3,850 passengers and 1,700 crew, Norwegian Joy — which is the second ship in NCL’s Breakaway class

— has been put under the Bahamas flag and began sea trials in the North Sea last month.

Powered by five MAN main engines with total output of 102,900hp, the ship has two ABB Azipod XO units with total power of 40MW, providing a service speed of

22.5 knots. All the engines will be equipped with emission scrubbers.

Special features include a twolevel electric go-cart track and an open-air laser tag course, both on the top deck, as well as a virtualreality gaming centre and an openair park to practice tai-chi.

Anger over fines for striking crew Australian authority accused of ‘shameful’ action against local seafarers

P

Unions have condemned a ‘politically motivated’ move to fine Australian seafarers who refused to sail a ship that was being replaced with a foreign-owned, foreign-crewed vessel.

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) ruled that each of the nine seafarers should pay up to A$10,800 (€7,564) for taking unlawful industrial action that prevented the bulk carrier Portland from leaving port between 14 November 2015 and 13 January 2016.

It also announced that it will take the Maritime Union of Australia to federal court on the same charges. The MUA faces maximum penalties of up to $54,000 per contravention, and the FWO is also seeking a court order requiring the union to compensate Alcoa for $500,000 of losses arising from the industrial action.

The seafarers had refused to sail the ship after the aluminium firm Alcoa announced plans to replace Portland — which had operated around the Australian coast for 27 years — with a foreignowned chartered-in ship, which would result in their redundancy.

The dispute came to a dramatic end when the seafarers were removed by security guards during a night-time raid on the ship and replaced with foreign crew members who sailed the vessel to Singapore.

James Given, head of the International Transport Workers’ Federation cabotage taskforce, commented: ‘This is shameful, unbelievable news. These men were defending their jobs when they were ejected from the ship that was their workplace in a dawn raid. Pursuing them in the court literally adds insult to injury.

‘That the FWO is going down that path calls its motives into

question,’ he added. ‘You have to ask if this move, coming as it does as Australia’s Productivity Commission pushes for maritime deregulation, is politically motivated.’

Ged Kearney, president of the Australian Council for Trade Unions, described the move as ‘a national disgrace’ and called for a public inquiry.

‘This legal action is designed to harm Australian workers in favour of tax avoidance, workplace bullying and harassment and exploitative use of guest labour in our country,’ he added.

MUA national secretary ITF president Paddy Crumlin said Alcoa’s actions have been condemned by seafarer unions around the world as an abusive attack on Australian seafarers’ legal and national rights to work.

‘These hard-working Australian seafarers have been replaced by flag of convenience shipping

which pays exploited foreign workers as little as A$2 an hour and registers ships in places like Liberia, Mongolia and Panama as part of one of the biggest tax avoidance scams on the planet,’ he added.

MUA assistant national secretary Ian Bray pointed out: ‘All of the seafarers from the Portland remain unemployed and it beggars belief that a government agency seek to punish them to the tune of $10,800 each when that agency should instead have found ways for them to keep their jobs.’ z The FWO is taking action against the Norwegian shipping firm Transpetrol, alleging that it underpaid Indian and Filipino seafarers by more than A$255,000 they were working on the oil tanker Turmoil in Australian waters between 2013 and 2015.

The MUA said the charterers should also be held accountable.

$10m penalty for Jones Act breach A

Seafaring unions have welcomed a US$10m fine for an oil company which failed to comply with the US Jones Act laws banning the use of foreign-flagged vessels for shipments between the country’s ports.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) said that Furie Operating Alaska had agreed to pay the penalty after transporting a jack-up drill rig from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska in 2011 using a

14-15_int.indd 15

foreign-flag vessel without acquiring a Jones Act waiver.

Announcing the $10m fine — which is the largest ever in the 91-year history of the Jones Act — the DoJ said the penalty ‘demonstrates that the Jones Act will be actively enforced and that an intentional violation will not be rewarded’.

Meeting in Oslo, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)

cabotage taskforce applauded the agreement. ‘While the taskforce’s preference is for proper adherence to individual nations’ respective cabotage laws, it’s critical that when regulations are violated, those breaking the rules are held accountable,’ it said.

Taskforce chair James Given commented: ‘This is a really momentous decision. The size of the fine, the decisiveness and resolution

of the decision and commitment to future action are the strongest possible markers of the importance and value of the Jones Act.’ And David Heindel, chair of the ITF seafarers’ section, added: ‘Once again the Jones Act has been rightly used to defend safe and lawful maritime operations in American waters.

‘This is the right decision at the right time.’

ICEBREAKER COLLISION: the Panamaflagged bulk carrier Nordic Barents collided with the nuclear-powered icebreaker Vaygach while transiting the Northern Sea Route last month. Authorities said the 43,782dwt bulker was damaged in the incident, but there were no injuries and no pollution.

NORWEGIAN REJECTION: Norway’s competition authority has rejected proposals from Icelandic shipowner Eimskip to take over the Norwegian firm Nor Lines, on the grounds that the deal would reduce competition in the transport of frozen fish from northern Norway to northern Europe.

MAERSK DEAL: the European Commission has cleared Maersk Line’s proposed acquisition of Hamburg Süd’s 130-ship fleet, on condition that the German carrier withdraws from liner alliances on five key trade routes in which the merger would have created insufficient competition.

VIRGIN START: a steel cutting ceremony has been held in Genoa of the first of three new 110,000gt cruiseships Fincantieri is building for Virgin Voyages. Due for delivery in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the vessels will each have a capacity for more than 2,700 passengers and 1,150 crew.

SAUDI SWITCH: the state-owned Saudi Arabian tanker firm Bahri is planning to switch all its 37 VLCCs to the country’s ship register. Most of its 18 vessels which are not already under the national flag are presently registered in Liberia or the Bahamas.

ALGERIAN ADDITION: the Algerian ferry firm ENTMV has chosen China’s Guangzhou Shipyard to build its first new vessel in a decade. Due for delivery in summer 2019, the new ship will be able to carry up to 1,800 passengers and 600 vehicles.

FATAL FALL: a 19-year-old Indian cadet died after falling 16m from a ladder onboard the 6,266TEU containership MSC Damla at the MSC PSA European Terminal in Antwerp last month. His family have called for a full inquiry into the incident.

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25/04/2017 12:07

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

YOUR LETTERS

What’s on onyour yourmind? mind?

Tell your colleagues shipping.

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

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

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

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

Is MLC really behind this?

P

Ferry fans welcomed to Belfast shipyard H

Pictured above with Nautilus member Alistair McCarlie are Martin McVicker, Ross McDonald and Steven Tarbox — members of the Northern Ireland Ferry Enthusiasts Group, who visited Harland & Wolff’s dry dock in Belfast to see Stena Superfast VII undergoing routine maintenance.

‘It was great to be able to visit Harland & Wolff to get a better sense of what goes on when a vessel such as Stena Superfast VII is dry docked, and fantastic to be able to ask questions and get answers from someone as knowledgeable as senior master Alistair McCarlie,’ said Mr Tarbox.

Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you think the shipping industry should make more use of wind propulsion technology?

Yes 75%

No 25%

I am a British seafarer and have been sailing onboard bulk carriers and general cargo vessels for a considerable amount of time.

I have achieved the Master (Unlimited) CoC issued by the UK MCA. My expertise is based on bulk or general cargo vessels. But it is extremely difficult to find a job even at a lower rank (chief officer) onboard such vessels due to a lack of positions available in the companies who operate within the region. The reasons are that companies, although based in UK/Europe, normally hire officers from abroad.

For instance, I have approached a few companies based in the UK, but was explicitly told that they do not recruit directly. So, I have found out that they have been recruiting through agencies

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

through an agency, and that is due to MLC 2006.

One sister company of a well-known UK management company based in India has clearly stated that they are not allowed to recruit anyone except Indian officers, although the principal company is not Indian.

I have gone through MLC 2006 over and over, and nowhere could find such a discriminatory note. In my opinion, this is discrimination based on nationality.

Either recruiting agencies are exploiting the system somehow by misrepresentation or there is misinterpretation at large of the MLC 2006, from which recruiting agencies are benefiting hugely.

In these circumstances, what is the solution for seafarers like me?

Name & no withheld

Join the Bibby Line reunion group arranging a Bibby Line F reunion in Liverpool on 28, 29 and 30 I am a member of a steering

November this year. A closed Facebook site — Bibby Line for seafarers, their families & shore support staff — was launched some time ago, and it is through this forum that invitations to the reunion will be posted.

Having already attracted over 115 members, the Facebook site has produced lively discussions, memories, and a wealth of photographs submitted by both seafarers and shore staff who, in many instances, haven’t seen or been in contact with one another for many years.

If there are any Bibby Line seafarers or shore staff, ex or otherwise, whether master, officer, petty officer, rating, or secretary, who are unaware of the Facebook site, but would like to join, may I take this opportunity of inviting

Union helped me resolve work dispute F

This month’s poll asks: Do you think LNG is the answer to the shipping industry’s emissions challenge? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

located outside of the country.

I have approached the agencies — based in Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Philippines — only to learn that it is not possible to recruit anybody else who is not a national of that particular country.

Surprisingly enough, those agencies are recruiting their own pool for the companies based in the UK. It is a serious dilemma.

And I am not the only person suffering from this issue — there are plenty of other skilled seafarers who are going through this pain.

In one instance, when I contacted a company based in Singapore, they stated that it is no longer possible for a ship owner, principal or management company to recruit directly unless the seafarer comes

I would like to thank Nautilus and the legal team at Bridge McFarland for their assistance in resolving an employment dispute.

I would urge any member to seek the advice/assistance of Nautilus if they are having problems at work or if they have an employment dispute — I am very glad that I did. mem no 137053

you to e-mail bibbyseafarers@gmail. com. Please give your name, rank or position, years served with Bibby Line whether at sea or ashore, and any other information that will confirm your Bibby Line connection. The Facebook site, being closed and secure, has a vetting process to ensure all its members are bona fide.

We are hoping to invite as many as possible of our colleagues, Board of Trade acquaintances and their partners to the reunion.

If you possess that all-important Bibby Line connection, we are looking forward to meeting up with you in November once again. Name tags will be issued to avoid any embarrassing situations of non-recognition, and all previous logbook offences will be excluded from the agenda! g Please contact us via bibbyseafarers@gmail.com.

DAVID CREAMER Retired Bibby Line master mem no 160984

We should make more use of older colleagues’ experience A

During the Gulf War the Americans, in order to supply what was needed, called on retired seafarers to help man the mothballed merchant fleet and bring in their expertise to full fill the task required. It worked!

Last Friday evening I went to my Liverpool Marine Radio and Electronics Association meeting at the Mersey Seafarers Mission in Seaforth. We had a speaker from my own generation and he gave us a fantastic talk on his working life. It was mind-blowing to hear what he had accomplished for the various organisations he had been employed in.

It showed how we must have a huge amount of knowledge locked up in our older retired generation. With Brexit, we are not going into a war — thank goodness, and I never want to see another again ever — but we do require some blue sky thinking.

Looking at what was accomplished by the Americans, could we not use this model for all sorts of industries, using our older generation? Could not our retired generation be given the chance to impart their knowledge to the younger generation? Why we ever got rid of apprentices in the old days just leaves me cold. Thankfully they are slowly bringing apprenticeships back.

In my 50s I tried to bring about a scheme where engineers could be assisted by younger people reaching their final years in training to assist an engineer for a few days a week to get that insider knowledge so lacking in newly-qualified personnel. Teamwork has always been paramount in all my endeavours.

It’s not too late to accomplish my goal, in so far that newly qualified personnel in certain circumstances could be accompanied by a retired similarly qualified person, who could import their knowledge into the younger generation.

I am certain that my generation would only be too pleased to do this — all watchkeepers would want those following on in the next watch to have all the handover watch knowledge.

STAN MCNALLY Ex radio officer Managing director Innovation Technology UK

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

Giving you a v oice on

your future

1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD t +44 (0)20 8989 6677 npa@nautilusint.org www.nautilusint.org

25/04/2017 13:20

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

It’s a funny old world in the MN

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

www.thefreakywave.com

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

sometimes amusing instances A that occur, the following narrative was Discussing recently the odd and

recounted.

It was late 1944 and the ship was a Liberty boat which, in company with one other ship and escorted by the cruiser HMS Caledon, was bound for the port of Kavalla in northern Greece.

The object of the exercise was to evacuate a contingent of British troops who were under siege and at risk from forces of ELAS, a left-wing group intent on taking control from a legitimate government. We got alongside eventually and the soldiers began to throw their gear on to the deck. In the midst of all this, one of the soldiers called out: ‘Hello there’ to the second mate who was on duty at the time. He responded and then forgot about it.

In due course we got the troops onboard and headed for Salonika. It was then that this particular soldier sought out the second mate and asked: ‘Don’t you remember me?’

It turned out that the second mate had served his apprenticeship pre-war and had gone ashore and joined the police. However, on the outbreak of WW2 he had resumed his seagoing career.

Now here was the past coming to him, when this soldier said: ‘Don’t you remember that you got me three months’ jail in Aberdeen for stealing whisky?’ mem no 714076

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The trouble with shortsea shipping letter from Nautilus member John Gallagher in F last month’s Telegraph (Use shortsea shipping to get Whilst agreeing with the main thrust of the

our goods off the roads), I would like to offer a note of caution.

There are already vessels involved in this sector, but in a number of cases the operators are applying the same standards which apply in the deepsea flag of convenience sector. The vessels Thea II (Cyprus flag) and Burhou I (Belize flag) are two examples.

The first employs Russians and Filipinos. It has been trading for a number of years between Liverpool and Manchester via the Ship Canal. Very infrequently it would make a call to Dublin for a shorter period than its other ports of call. This seemingly gave it an ‘international’ trading status and also facilitated crew changes.

The reason for this could well be that if a seafarer from outside of the EU arrived in the UK and identified the next port of call of the vessel he or she was joining as being another UK port and was in fact trading between two UK ports, then a work permit would be required and the UK National Minimum Wage would have to be applied. Joining in Dublin would mean that the next port of call was to another country (the UK) and only a transit visa would be required. A Filipino AB on this vessel is paid less than £3 per hour.

The second is operated by a company based in Scotland which apparently received public funding when it was set up on the basis that it was to transport logs and hardcore from Highland areas, thereby reducing the number of large road transport vehicles and providing a more environmentally

friendly alternative.

This 39-year-old Belize-registered vessel now trades a little wider than it once did, also making the occasional call to the Republic of Ireland, arguably for the same reasons as Thea II. It also employs eastern European and Filipino crew. As can be seen on the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s website (search for foreign flagged ships under detention in the UK during March 2017), this vessel was detained in March with 18 deficiencies, seven of them detainable.

I am sure this type of operation is not that envisaged by Mr Gallagher, but unfortunately this is the reality and the UK government seems to do little to discourage it. mem no 186817

Nautilus CEC campaign P

With reference to the launch of the Nautilus campaign against the indiscriminate issue of Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CECs), I would suggest that there is also a problem with Certificates of Competency.

The downturn in the offshore industry and shipping in general is having a catastrophic effect on the employment of seafarers, and their ability to spend the time and money needed for revalidating their STCW certificates.

The lack of work makes the cost of revalidation courses

an issue, and if there is work, syncing it with the college rotations for the courses can be another problem.

My maritime career spans 37 years, the last 20 spent doing agency DP work in the offshore industry. As anyone doing this kind of work will know, when working for agencies you have to maintain your tickets yourself.

You cannot rely on the company to put you through a course.

My work as a DPO ended in 2015. At this point I had to revalidate my CoC. As anyone who has recently done this will understand, this could take upwards of four weeks (although

the MCA says to allow up to two weeks). This is a period when you realistically cannot plan to go to sea. The cost of the revalidation itself is negligible compared with the time spent not earning.

The cost of these courses, together with travel and accommodation, is a significant chunk of anyone’s earnings. On top of this, officers have to keep all other certificates up to date — including DP certification, and in the offshore sector specialist medicals, survival courses and emergency training.

If you have been without work in the offshore industry for longer than two years and/

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16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

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or have no savings left, then the present legislation and the lack of provision for the upkeep and revalidation of certification means that the prospects of a future in the maritime industry are bleak. The need to complete courses for the revalidation of CoCs will only add to the loss of experienced officers from the industry.

Another consideration for seafarers is if they are unemployed and sign on for Job Seekers Allowance, and then are offered casual day rate work on vessels for a short term. As this is classed as ‘day rate’, i.e. 24 hours, it is over the 16 hours a week limit set by DWP and you then have to sign off and lose the benefits of the JSA. mem no 1520735 I was more than happy to get involved in the Union’s campaign to urge my local MP to ask questions regarding nondomiciled eastern Europeans taking our jobs and depressing our wages.

In relative terms a British captain can earn a lot less than an eastern European deckhand serving on the same ship — in fact, he probably earns more than the operations manager or superintendent. How did this come about? The EU — no wonder we voted to leave.

There was a lot of media coverage recently when it was discovered that foreign crew working on a governmentsponsored ship were being paid less than the UK minimum wage. This of course would be wrong if these foreigners lived

in the UK; however, they didn’t.

In relative terms, when they got home they live like kings. I wonder if they welcomed this publicity and if they are still employed.

A good solution would be for the government to charge the companies employing nondomiciles a levy equivalent to the pay differential. This could then be used to train British seafarers and also reduce UK unemployment.

On the subject of CECs, the MCA dished out many of these over a short period of time which was clearly logistically impossible. The MCA obviously rubber-stamped tickets which were not checked properly. This is plain to see by the calibre of more than a few CEC holders.

All the MCA has achieved is to put British seafarers out of work and lower the standards they are charged with raising. mem no 183212 Further to the article in the April Telegraph, please be informed that I presented my copy of the postcard to my local MP personally, by hand, earlier today.

Both of us were attending an employment ‘New Directions’ exhibition in Alton and I took the opportunity to hand the postcard to Damian Hinds, MP for NE Hampshire; together with a copy of the full article on page 18.

As Damian Hinds is also the Department of Work and Pensions minister, at least one copy of the postcard has reached the Minister for Employment.

MIKE HANNAN mem no 430285

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

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

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

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

25/04/2017 13:20

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NAUTILUS CAMPAIGNS

Nautilus Charter for Jobs: a monthly guide

P

This month’s look at the Nautilus Charter for Jobs focuses on charter point 5, which deals with the Union’s campaigning work on education and training.

It’s a timely reminder for us all to make sure the UK government’s existing commitments to seafarer training don’t get lost in the flurry of activity surrounding Brexit – not to mention the snap General Election now taking place in June this year.

Nautilus is also pressing for additional support which would raise the UK government’s education and training commitments to the same level as other leading maritime nations. Charter point 5 is therefore the Union’s wake-up call to the

British authorities. To maintain the country’s status at the forefront of maritime education, they must invest in training UK seafarers throughout their careers, particularly as new technology comes into use.

Nautilus Charter for Jobs point 5: Encourage investment in UK maritime education and training so it retains its world-leading status.

The government needs to commit sufficient investment for maritime education and training institutions to ensure there are sufficient resources of the required quality and capacity to train the required numbers of British seafarers.

British maritime education and training is currently among the best

in the world, but unless substantial investment in new technology is made, this position is under threat.

Technology onboard has increased rapidly in the last 10 years and is likely to develop even more in the next 10.

In order to ensure that British seafarers are equipped with the skills they need to compete for future jobs, they must to be trained today in new technologies. This will allow them to harness the potential to create better paid employment, reflecting the increasing scarcity of specialist staff to construct, fit out, operate and maintain the new shipping systems.

In other countries, maritime cadets can be given hours of hands-on experience on state-of-the-art maritime simulators before they

step onboard. They have access to engine room simulators, full mission bridge simulators, Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) navigation, and liquid cargo handling simulators — all as part of their continual development.

These countries place seafaring skills and competences, and training and education programmes, at the heart of their strategy objectives.

Shore-based demand for experienced seafarers shows no signs of abating in the future, and this further emphasises the importance of good ‘future-proofed’ maritime training for seafarers.

Additionally, remote-controlled vessels are likely to be widely trialled by 2018 and some experts predict

autonomous ships coming into service by the end of this decade.

These will not do away with the need for seafarers with traditional maritime skills, but UK seafarers will need additional skills if they are to be in the forefront of the next industrial revolution.

Glasgow novices learn the ropes on restoration

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F

Pictured right are a group of City of Glasgow College cadets who spent their spring break helping to restore the turbine steamer Queen Mary — the Clyde’s largest and last excursion steamer.

The 14 international students from India are all studying HND Nautical Science at the college, and volunteered to support this latest phase of restoration work as part of their course.

They mainly spent their time stripping out the 1933-built vessel, which is being restored by the Friends of TS Queen Mary charity with the aim of opening her to the public in Glasgow.

Student Himanshu Parmar said: ‘We really enjoyed the volunteer work and learning something new each day under the guidance of Chris Jack, who is project manager for the restoration.

‘This was the first time most of us had been onboard a ship so it was an ideal opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the layout.

‘We also learned the practicalities of team work and team management, and developed our leadership skills.’

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A

Readers of the April Telegraph will have seen that cadets from the Warsash Maritime Academy and Southampton Solent University took part in a liferaft challenge to raise funds for the Sail4Cancer charity.

The Warsash Association, the alumni association of the Academy, was one of the sponsors of the event, awarding T-shirts, with the Griffin logo prominently displayed, to all participants. The Association is also the proud sponsor of the prize to the officer cadet each year who receives The Commendation for Individual Achievement Award, and it keeps in close touch with management at the Academy and Southampton Solent University concerning developments in their officer cadet training programme.

On the social side, we publish the All Hands journal three times a year to

keep our 500-plus members worldwide in touch with training at the Academy, past and present, and also the ships and companies in which our members sailed.

An annual social event is held at various venues around the UK, and a Christmas lunch in Portsmouth, as well as a number of ad hoc social events organised by groups of members.

Similar events are organised by Association Branches in Australia, New Zealand and North America. g Anyone with a connection with Warsash as a cadet, a lecturer or senior student is welcome to join the Association.

Contact us through our website at: www.warsashassociation.net.

ROGER HOLT Chairman Warsash Association

Where’s my Telegraph?

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you. To let us know your new address, go to www.nautilusint.org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@nautilusint.org

18_lets+charter_SR edit.indd 18

25/04/2017 14:56

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Nautilus is up to the challenge General secretary MARK DICKINSON has been returned unopposed to serve another four years in charge of the Union. In this message to members, he reflects on the work that lies ahead…

U

It is an honour and a privilege to be confirmed as Nautilus International’s general secretary for a third successive four-year term of office. And it is a responsibility that I treat with the greatest respect.

Few members will need to be told about the challenges that we face. The international shipping industry continues to struggle in its recovery from the global economic downturn, and the oil price crash has had a devastating effect upon jobs and conditions in one of the biggest sectors in which our members work.

In an industry where cost-cutting dominates so strongly, many employers remain reluctant to invest in the skills and experience that are necessary to deliver safe and efficient operations and to grow our maritime skills base. And that is partly because there is a similar battle for us to convince governments of the need to implement the policies that are necessary to keep our ships and our seafarers internationally competitive.

At the same time, Nautilus also faces its own demographic challenge — with the increasingly high average age of our membership meaning that many will be retiring over the next decade.

These developments pose challenges to our membership base and our resources. But Nautilus is up to the challenge. We have a remarkable 160-year history and have evolved over the years to ensure that we have delivered the very best services and support to our members.

With challenges come opportunities and, with the strong vision and oversight of Council members, Nautilus continues to be a dynamic organisation with an underpinning strategic plan that enables us to be proactive rather than reactive.

We have always maintained the very highest standards of governance and we continue to plan ahead and make any necessary changes to ensure that we fulfil our objective of being an independent financially viable international trade union and professional organisation.

We have clearly defined strategic objectives for Nautilus, and at the heart of these is the aim to

increase membership participation and engagement, building on the advances we have made in recent years in expanding and enhancing the role of our lay representatives. The Union has strong democratic traditions, and I want to see us embrace the latest technology to ensure that members have every opportunity to get involved with our work and to take maximum advantage of the support and services that we provide.

We are already working hard not only to expand membership benefits, but also to provide innovative services that meet the needs of today’s maritime professionals, such as the Nautilus 24/7 service which ensures access to assistance wherever you are and whenever you need it.

New technology is opening up new ways of working which we will seek to embrace and exploit. We are constantly upgrading communications and we seek to lead the way in using innovative ways in which to interact with members.

U

Nautilus has done much in recent years to develop an effective organising structure to strengthen our ability to resist job losses and cuts in pay and conditions. We are making further changes to ensure that our organisers are ready and prepared to deliver strong and effective leadership, and also to reflect the changing needs of our members.

And over the past year we have embarked upon a strategic campaigns programme to promote the need for investment in maritime employment and training. The Jobs, Skills and the Future initiative has attracted support from the wider industry and within government, and we have much more planned to promote the positives of the shipping industry — especially the opportunities it can offer to young people — and to promote decent work and protection from criminalisation, as well as exposing the poor employment practices that undermine fair competition.

There’s a wider public debate over the future of trade unionism, but throughout our long and proud history, we have always been much more than a tradi-

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson Picture: Stefan F Lindberg

tional trade union. Our welfare work, our involvement in the provision of decent pensions, and our national and international involvement in setting high standards for health and safety, training and working conditions, are all evidence of an organisation that consistently strives to enhance the environment in which our members are employed.

We’ve also pioneered the principle of working across boundaries to protect members in one of the world’s most globalised industries. We’ve fought hard to prevent ‘divide and rule’ practices by shipping companies and to protect the professional status of our members and head off the threat of de-skilling, which has affected so many other industries.

To achieve this, we continue to develop our global links with like-minded organisations. The Nautilus Federation is expanding its membership and is delivering tangible benefits, such as the JASON scheme — the world’s first global joint assistance and support network to secure fair treatment for seafarers facing criminalisation.

So, whilst I have concentrated on the many challenges that face us, I believe it is important to emphasise the opportunities ahead. There are signs of recov-

ery in some key shipping markets and the global shortage of skilled seafarers has not gone away.

Nautilus has worked hard to ensure that we have effective government policies for shipping and seafarer employment and training, and in the UK the government has responded with genuine interest in exploring how we can exploit Brexit for renewed investment in maritime skills.

On a personal level, I plan to continue visiting as many ships and workplaces as possible to keep in touch with members, and I hope members will use the many democratic processes of the Union — General Meetings, branch meetings, the Council, forums and more — to engage with us.

I am proud of my record and grateful for the continued faith in me and the Nautilus team I lead on the part of the Council and the wider membership. The Council of Nautilus is aware of these challenges and opportunities and is confident in our ability to adapt as necessary, whilst still delivering on our members’ aspirations within the changing nature of their work.

As we progress through our 160th year I ask for renewed unity as we face the many challenges and opportunities. Together, we can succeed.

NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL GENERAL SECRETARY & COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2017 A

Our report of voting for the above elections, which closed at 5pm on Friday 19 April 2017, is as follows: Number of eligible voters: 16,484 Votes cast by post: 687 Total number of votes cast: 687 Turnout: 4.2%

CORRIE, A GUDGEON, S 2 vacancies remain.

General Secretary As only 1 valid nomination was received the following candidate is elected unopposed: DICKINSON, A M Elected Unopposed

Engineers Including ETOs/Electrical Engineer Officers and Radio Officers (UK Section) As only 6 valid nominations were received for 6 places the following candidates are elected unopposed:

Navigators Including Shipmasters (UK Section) As only 3 valid nominations were received for 5 places the following candidates are elected unopposed: CLELAND, R Elected Unopposed

DOWNS, R DOYLE, R GORSHOV, D GRAY, M

19_election.indd Sec1:19

Elected Unopposed Elected Unopposed

Navigators Including Shipmasters (NL Section) As only 1 valid nomination was received the following candidate is elected unopposed: GROEN, N Elected Unopposed

Elected Unopposed (4 Year Term) Elected Unopposed (2 Year Term) Elected Unopposed (4 Year Term) Elected Unopposed (2 Year Term)

LAYFIELD, E MCMILLEN, P

Elected Unopposed (4 Year Term) Elected Unopposed (4 Year Term)

Other Particular Categories (UK Section) Number of votes found to be invalid for this contest: 9 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 678

Terms of office decided by drawing of lots.

Result (2 to elect) Engineers Including ETOs/Electrical Engineer Officers and Radio Officers (NL Section) As only 1 valid nomination was received the following candidate is elected unopposed: SCHRAVEMADE, SAR Elected Unopposed Ratings (NL Section) As only 1 valid nomination was received the following candidate is elected unopposed: SEVEN, H A Elected Unopposed Inland Navigation No vacancies in this category this year.

JURGENS, U LLOYD, C M HUGHES, D GATENBY, D MACDONALD, R

Elected Elected

1. The person appointed under section 51A to carry out the storage and counting of voting papers was Electoral Reform Services Limited.

2. The person appointed under section 51A to carry out the distribution of voting papers was Electoral Reform Services Limited.

3. A copy of the register of voters (as at the relevant date) was examined in accordance with section 49(3). The examination took place at our own instance and did not reveal any matter that should be brought to the attention of the trade union.

Other Particular Categories (NL Section) As only 1 valid nomination was received the following candidate is elected unopposed: FEIKEMA, G W

As Scrutineers appointed in accordance with Section 49 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (as amended), we are satisfied as to each of the matters specified in subsection 52(2) with regard to the election.

The following points should be noted:

Elected Unopposed

We would draw your attention to sections 52(4), 52(5), and 52(6). Section 52(4) requires that a copy of this report be published and made available to all members of the union within a three month period from today. This does not, however, mean that every member has to be notified individually.

25/04/2017 15:45

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

SEAFARER HEALTH

Can treatment at sea rival care ashore? c

Despite advances in technology and an overall reduction in shipping losses, statistics from the International Transport Workers’ Federation show that as many as 2,000 seafarers still lose their lives at sea each year.

The Maritime Labour Convention ensures that ships carrying more than 100 crew members and passengers must have a medical doctor onboard, and it also states that shipping companies must ‘provide seafarers with medical care as nearly as possible equivalent to the care they would receive ashore’.

However, the average merchant vessel runs with a crew of between 20 and 25, and especially on long voyages, seafarers will only be able to access basic medical care onboard.

The cost of inadequate medical care to the industry as well as to the crew members involved is considerable. It is estimated that there are between 1.2m and 1.5m seafarers in the shipping industry, operating up to 55,000 merchant vessels. Each year approximately 7% of seafarers will be evacuated from the vessel on which they are working, and the costs of evacuations can quickly add up.

The average time spent on each re-routeing is 1.5 days, at an average cost of €78,750 in extra fuel consumption alone. Helicopter evacuations are both risky and expensive, with an average cost of €25,000 per rescue. In addition, other expenses associated with evacuations include the cost of crew replacement. This increases the cost to approximately €163,750.

Given that one in five ships are having to divert from their planned route for medical emergencies (according to a 2013 study in the journal International Maritime Health), the cost of responding to these, averaged out per merchant vessel each year, is €32,750.

Some of these costs will be met

by P&I clubs providing cover for most medical expenses. However, it is in the interest of shipowners to work to reduce the volume and value of medical claims, since this should lead to a reduction in overall premiums.

The personal stories behind these figures are easily understood.

A seafarer is suddenly taken ill and becomes unresponsive, and the limits of the crew’s medical knowledge are quickly exceeded.

In these fast-paced emergency situations, the decision to play it safe and divert to the nearest port is easily understandable — but

20-21_spread.indd 20

Dr JULIAN NEAL, medical directorof Telehealth Solutions and consultant to Martek Marine, argues that advances in telemedicine will benefit both seafarer and shipowner… it does come at a huge cost to the industry. It is estimated that in total, diversions and emergency helicopter evacuations cost the industry $760m annually. It is thought that almost a quarter of these evacuations are medically unnecessary, representing a real financial burden for owners.

This is where telemedicine comes in, providing real-time access to qualified medical doctors without the need for a permanent presence onboard.

The idea of remote telemedicine has been around for some years, but advances in technology and falling equipment prices mean that a technology with great potential is starting to be put into practice.

Seafarers in UK waters already have access to basic medical advice through telemedical assistance services, providing medical support through marine radio, email, telephone or fax.

Although these are important, a new generation of real-time videobased telemedicine services is being developed to give seafarers a much greater level of assistance.

One of the shortcomings of conventional radio medical advice is that the expert ashore is reliant on the observations provided by the nominated office onboard, with no telemetry to transmit essential patient data, such as blood pressure or ECG records.

I have been working with Martek Marine to launch iVital — a new telemedicine service

providing access to a host of monitoring equipment and a video link to a team of NHS healthcare professionals based in Portsmouth.

c

With the iVital system, should a seafarer fall ill or suffer an injury, other crew members use a dedicated tablet computer to immediately contact a doctor with knowledge of delivering treatment at sea and trained to the level of an A&E consultant.

The doctor is then able to assess the stricken seafarer through a high definition video call service while calling on other crew to assist in measuring the patient’s vital signs through the equipment provided, which includes a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, IR forehead thermometer and ECG monitor. In my experience, having continuity of care is important.

If the same doctor can see the patient, talk to the patient and then look at the vital signs while seeing their history in real time, it’s much easier to decide whether the problem is serious enough for evacuation or whether it can be handled onboard.

With iVital, each crew member is assessed when coming onboard for existing or potential medical conditions. This information is stored, confidentially, with iVital so if an incident does happen, any pre-existing conditions are registered and the doctors are aware of these.

A combination of the visual

Helicopter evacuations are risky and expensive Picture: US Coast Guard

Have you ever suffered or w

a medical ep .8% 25.5% 10.8% 58 52.9% 25.5% I have suff or serious i 10.8% I have suff or serious i that led to evacuation

70.9% examination, the readings received from the equipment and access to the patient’s full medical history enables doctors to make informed decisions as to whether the ship needs to divert and/or requires a helicopter evacuation, or whether the patient is well enough for the vessel to continue on its voyage and simply receive further treatment in the next port of call.

Have served on ships where there has been an evacuation as a re m

c

The benefits for shipowners are clear. As well as the stated financial savings, there is surely a reputational benefit from placing such an emphasis on crew safety — leading to a likely boost in being able to attract seafarers, safe in the knowledge that their health is taken care of.

Having a trained clinician onboard will always be the ideal, but for the majority of merchant vessels this is neither practical nor affordable. In my view, telemedicine provides a real alternative to safeguard the wellbeing of crew members.

Fast and effective treatment of sickness and injuries is good for crew welfare and for business.

With the constant need to keep costs down, very few shipping companies have the luxury of building contingency into staffing levels to cover in the event of sickness or injury. This makes it all the more important to have medical issues diagnosed and treated correctly without delay, so that crew members can return to work as quickly as possible, as well as managing ongoing conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

When combined with a high level of medical competence in nominated officers, through regular high-quality training, telemedicine will help to deliver greater levels of self-sufficiency for managing illness and injury at sea.

I firmly believe that telemedicine is set to become much more widespread in merchant fleets to help save lives and reduce the costs of unnecessary medical evacuations. g To find out more about iVital, visit www.martek-marine.com

The decision to evacuate is often taken just to be on the safe side Picture: US Coast Guard

25/04/2017 18:36

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

SEAFARER HEALTH

r witnessed

episode at sea? suffered an injury ous illness at sea suffered an injury ous illness at sea d to a diversion or ation

58.8% I have colleagues/friends who have suffered an injury or illness at sea

Do you feel there is adequate procedure & training in place for you to respond in the event of a medical emergency?

52.9% I have colleagues/friends who have suffered an injury or illness at sea that lead to a diversion or evacuation

37.9%

Yes 62.1%

result of a medical emergency

28.6% 44.9%

Nautilus International

survey

What would make you feel safer at sea?

No

26.5%

Martek and

82.6% The ability to transfer live vital signs to a UK based medical professional who will diagnose the patient and offer advice (telemedicine) 47.7% A doctor on board with experience dealing with medical emergencies

52.3% Additional first aid training on land before joining the vessel 53.5% A revised, updated version of the Ship Captain’s Medical Guide 19.8% Other

If I were to suffer an injury or illness at sea, my main concern would be…

44.9% The lack of adequate healthcare provision at sea

26.5% The effect an incident could have on future job prospects

28.6% The long-term welfare of my family

0% The potential insurance implications

Shipboard care: the view from the decks F

e

More than two-thirds of seafarers have served on ships which have been forced to divert because of a medical emergency, a survey carried out

by Nautilus International and the marine equipment firm Martek Marine has revealed.

And the survey also showed that an overwhelming 98% of seafarers support the idea of increasing the provision of telemedical services to ships — believing that this would help to save lives and improve standards of care.

The research highlighted the high frequency and remarkable variety of medical emergencies at sea, as well as the concerns of seafarers about the systems in place to support them in dealing with sickness and injuries.

More than 45% cited the lack of adequate medical care at sea as their main concern in the event of being injured or falling ill onboard their ship.

Around one-quarter of those taking part said they had personally suffered an injury or serious illness whilst at sea — with more than one in 10 reporting that this had led to their ship being diverted or them being evacuated.

Just over 70% said they had served on ships which had been involved in medical evacuations and 68% had been on ships which had been forced to divert because of medical emergencies.

Seafarers reported a huge range of different causes of medical emergencies, including: zgunshot wounds zheart failure zappendicitis zbrain bleeding zsevere allergic reaction zmalaria zperforated ulcer zcrush injuries and broken bones

20-21_spread.indd 21

It’s time for the shipping industry to embrace onboard medical technology, says Nautilus, as it welcomes the results of a survey showing seafarers’ concerns over the provision of emergency medical care onboard… zgas inhalation ztorn ligaments zmental health problems

In many of these cases, crew members had to provide treatment to colleagues and also communicate with authorities ashore to get advice. Levels of support from ashore varied — from ‘amazing’ to ‘zero’.

Some respondents spoke of their concern about the medical experience and depth of knowledge of other crew members, as well as inconsistencies in training and inadequate numbers of crew having the required first aid and medical care training — with repeated questions about the potential for problems to arise if the master is the one who is sick or injured.

Two-thirds of those taking part in the survey said they would be concerned about their ability to handle an incident in which a shipmate required urgent medical assistance.

But just over 43% said they would be confident in making decisions on whether an illness of injury warranted an evacuation or a diversion — rising to almost 70% if they had access to a trained medical consultant on the end of the phone. Only 7.4% said they would not be confident about making such decisions.

Many crew rely on a hard copy of the Ship Captain’s Medical Guide for advice in such circumstances — and a significant proportion of those taking part in the survey complained about the current edition being outdated. Other described it as being difficult to use — especially during an emergency.

‘In this day and age, it is crazy that I should be flicking through an outdated book to try and diagnose appendicitis, when there is technology available to let an expert diagnose it for me,’ said one respondent.

‘The UK system has no middle ground,’ another seafarer complained. ‘Either you deal with it onboard or you call for medical advice, which is immediately involving the coastguard and a hospital medic. In reality, what is often needed is just simple advice from the likes of a GP.’ However, another member pointed out that shore-based medical advisers sometimes lack sufficient knowledge of the constraints faced by seafarers on their ships.

Some of the seafarers pointed to shortfalls and inconsistencies in medical training — with a number calling for refresher training — and others highlighting inadequacies in shipboard medical equipment and supplies.

Some suggested there should be drills to ensure familiarity with ship-to-shore medical procedures and more guidance on assistance in remote areas.

While just over 62% of seafarers said they considered there are adequate procedures in place for dealing with medical emergencies at sea, some respondents stressed the need for more in-depth training to ensure they are prepared for a wider range of incidents — and especially those involving mental health and stress management problems.

‘I have seen more in recent years with seafarers not being able to talk to anyone onboard if they have problems from home or

work-related problems,’ one member said.

‘If this is not caught early, it can lead to other things in future.’

When asked what would make them feel safer at sea, 82% pointed to the ability to transfer live vital signs to a shore-based medical professional who can diagnose patients and offer advice. Just over 52% highlighted the need for improved first aid training and 53% noted the need to revise the Ship Captain’s Medical Guide — many of them calling for an interactive online version, in which users can search symptoms and treatments or follow hyperlinks for more detailed guidance.

A significant number of respondents said the carriage of defibrillators should be made mandatory — something which Nautilus has been seeking.

There was almost unanimous support for the provision of telemedicine on vessels.

‘There should be a means where increasing connectivity can be taken advantage of, like a video chat to enable trained health personnel to see the casualty or patient and advise them,’ said one participant.

‘An instantly advisable system via a video link to a qualified medical practitioner’ would be beneficial, another seafarer stated.

On the positive side, most seafarers thought their companies prioritised the health (general care and wellbeing) of their crews — although a majority considered that their companies put profits before the safety (protection from accidents) of their seafarers.

F

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the findings were very valuable. ‘This is truly an informative survey — such member-based feedback assists Nautilus in seeking an improvement to medical provision at sea.

‘Telemedicine is essential for today’s shipping industry,’ he added. ‘As well as establishing the need for and ensuring appropriate treatment of seafarers, the use of telemedicine may reduce the need for medevacs and deviations.’

Mr Graveson noted the concerns about the Ship Captain’s Medical Guide and said the publication is currently under review, with a new edition due in 2018.

Martek Group CEO Paul Luen said the survey results showed that seafarers, often with little medical training, are too often left with an impossible decision to make when someone falls ill onboard their vessels. ‘They’re forced to judge the severity of a condition, typically without the assistance of diagnostic equipment, leaving them with the choice of risking the wellbeing of the crew member, or substantial diversion costs.

‘Telemedicine is the answer,’ he added.

‘Our iVital service — the first marineapproved, wireless telemedicine solution, available for a monthly fee — gives seafarers access to top level healthcare at a small cost, meaning it’s an accessible way to safeguard the wellbeing of those onboard ships and dramatically reduce the amount of unnecessary diversions and medical evacuations.

‘The impact on safety of life at sea is huge, with benefits including increased patient engagement and better patient care quality, quicker and more convenient clinical access, a reduction in lost time through illness and injury, improved crew retention and reduced, unnecessary patient evacuations.’

25/04/2017 18:37

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

Cyber-crime: a matter of time?

J

Cyber attack is the current buzzword. It is known by some as an industry killer and even as the potential cause of the next world war, but thought by others to be a myth. So where does the maritime industry stand in all of this?

In the main, the maritime industry has a dismal record when compared to sectors such as aviation in its slow and painful transition from paper and analogue methods to new innovative technologies.

Whilst the maritime industry doesn’t seem to have been strategically targeted, there is now plenty of talk of naive seafarers accidentally accepting a generic phishing email that goes on to attack their computers.

Major corporations such as Google and Yahoo have released statements stating they were deliberately hacked. The question is what will be first for the maritime industry — the deliberate or strategic hacking of an individual ship, or the shipping corporation?

There has been a call for cyber specialists to come and give answers to the dangers facing the industry that could not only damage reputations, but also cause disruption to trade worth billions of pounds. Not all is lost, though — if the industry can move forward to cope with the digital world we live in today.

Cyber security was a hot topic in 2016, and this year the seafaring community is becoming more aware of what could happen. There is a real threat for cyber activists gaining access to, and changing, sensitive shipping data such as the vessel’s route — potentially grounding it or gaining access to digitally controlled enginerooms and causing alarms to mute whilst an engine fails.

With more organisations looking for insights into how to stop attacks from occurring, the main area of concern is a lack of security awareness, both on

Here’s something to think about.

Internet hackers have probably already been exploring your company, and even your ship. The first major maritime cyber attack is not far away, writes George Ward of ECDIS Ltd Project Support…

Picture: scyther5

the part of companies and of employees. It is expected that shipping companies and independent vessels could be next on the list for major cyber crime activity. Attacks now have the capability to obtain sensitive ECDIS, AIS and GPS data, to name

but a few, so it is vital that the correct processes are in place to stop the worst from happening.

The scary part is that 51% of US adults suffered some kind of data security incident between December 2015 and December 2016. In 2015 alone, there were

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22_cyber_SR edit.indd Sec2:22

781 reported major company data breaches in the US due to cyber-attacks which, combined, cost companies US$400bn. And these are only the reported data breaches. This total will continue to rise if the maritime industry does not adapt to ever-changing technology and the major security threats it brings with it. Overall, the predicted cost of cyber attacks in 2019 is estimated at a colossal US$2.1tn.

The issue, alongside a lack of awareness by employees and users of operating systems, is the development speed of technology. This digital age of super computers, 4D printing and nano-technology is proving to be self-accelerating.

When one technology is put into operation the next generation of even more powerful and innovative systems are being produced. Due to the speed of production, this process can lead to an unstable, unsecure and untrusted platform, as it is not able to keep up with ever-changing threats.

Some maritime software manufacturers have used a physical security method of locking out their systems to intercept physical security threats altogether. However, ironically, this increases the complication of applying security software updates and can complicate a shipping company’s decision to integrate bridge systems

because of issues with syncing and communication between different software manufacturers. Restrictions like these could mean that a system is 80% more susceptible to cyber threats.

The solution is simple but expensive, and only some companies consider cyber security

Security is struggling to keep up with the rapid introduction of new technology

“

”

an important investment. It has been claimed that almost every company in the world has already been hacked, or if not, will be soon. FBI director James Comey said: ‘There are two kinds of big companies in the United States.

There are those who’ve been hacked by the Chinese and those who don’t know they’ve been hacked by the Chinese.’

This is the world as it is and therefore we need to change with it, not be 10 steps behind. First, we know the industry is strug-

gling from sector to sector, but cyber attacks will only make it worse. The first move is ensuring everybody is educated in cyber security awareness. Preferably starting from the top and working down so the entire seafaring community can spot a cyber attack and know what action to take in response.

Experienced educational companies exist that offer in-depth, classroom based courses in the subject of cyber security. ECDIS Ltd also offers the first maritimebased cyber security awareness course, with the aim of bringing the industry up to speed. Elements of all its BTM, BRM and even ECDIS courses now include cyber crime prevention and awareness modules.

Yet countless companies are still missing the correct procedures when it comes to security.

A robust IT security policy is highly recommended, as this allows employees and users of all IT equipment to be clear as to how company data and information should be used.

And it’s not just small companies that struggle in this war against cyber activists. Large corporations are also at major exposure risk, primarily due to not having a dedicated IT and security team.

Cyber security attacks are incorrectly thought of as attacks that occur just over the internet — a lack of physical security can also be a major factor in the cause of industry-changing attacks. It’s as easy as someone coming into a company’s reception and asking to print off a copy of their CV from a USB stick which is infected with multiple viruses.

J

Cyber security isn’t an issue that can be ignored.

It may not have happened yet, but direct threats towards vessels will come in time — and, with the correct measures in place, can be averted. Many, if not all, shipping companies have some form of internal networked server that enables their computers to communicate and send and save files between them. With the improper procedures in place, it could be easy for anyone keen to infect an auxiliary piece of equipment that connects to the primary with a virus.

Think of the automatic software updates that happen every day — for example to an engineroom sensor test, or to the bridge’s digital anemometer.

These may appear non-safety critical, but they are connected to safety-critical systems. We often concentrate and develop robust procedures purely on the few safety-critical pieces of equipment, but what happens if the attack takes place on a tertiary system that is connected to it?

I predict that the first catastrophic maritime cyber incident will not be the result of a direct attack on a safety-critical piece of equipment. It will be the result of an infection on a random PC — perhaps an unassuming email to a crew member whose computer is connected to the vessel’s internal ‘super-highway’ or transmitted internally while it lies dormant.

25/04/2017 12:08

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MEMBERS AT WORK

Springing into life Nautilus has welcomed the arrival of Tidespring, the first of four new RFA ships. ANDREW LININGTON went to Falmouth to meet those involved in getting the vessel into service…

The new RFA tanker Tidespring Picture: Crown copyright

I

The first in a series of four new Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers has arrived in the UK after a 50-day 15,000-mile delivery voyage from South Korea via Japan, Hawaii and the Panama Canal.

Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), the 39,000tonne Tidespring is spending the next few months at the A&P yard in Falmouth to undergo ‘customisation’ work — including the fitting of specialist communications and IT equipment, damage control systems, armour, decoys and self-defence weapons.

Replenishment at sea (RAS), radar, navigation, communications and weapons trials are due to take place over the summer, with the ship due to come into service by the end of this year. The other ships — Tiderace, Tidesurge and Tideforce — are set to follow at four-month intervals, with all four due to come into service by the end of 2018.

The new Tide class tankers replace the RFA’s old single-hulled vessels. They have been designed to meet the latest MARPOL and SOLAS Convention requirements, with an anticipated service life of at least 25 years. Capable of carrying up to 19,000 cu m of fuel and 1,300 cu m of fresh water, the tankers have been designed to provide core support to the Royal Navy’s new 70,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, alongside the wider fleet.

‘This is a momentous day for the RFA,’ said Commodore Duncan Lamb. ‘We have not had a new ship come into service for well over a decade and this is a very much-needed and welcome increase in capability for us. We are really impressed with the capability the ship delivers and the Tide class will support the Navy’s global reach for decades to come.’

Captain Simon Herbert, who was appointed as the ship’s commanding officer in February, told the Telegraph: ‘To be given command of the RFA’s first new ship for 13 years is a real privilege.

The delivery voyage went well and proved that the ship handles well, with excellent seakeeping and manoeuvrability.’

As the RFA’s chief technical superintendent, the Tide class project has kept Captain (E) Jim Collins very busy for the

GET YOUR

Captain (E) Jim Collins

Captain Simon Herbert

Chief officer (E) Tam Nugent

past four years,and his 46-year career with the RFA will come to an end when the last of the ships is delivered next year.

see the RFA flotilla being upgraded in this way, with new tonnage that enhances its vital role in providing professional and efficient strategic support.’

Tidespring’s arrival was well over a year later than scheduled — with the cause being put down to DSME having under-estimated the complexity of the design. What were described as ‘technical issues’ discovered during sea trials, together with new regulations around

cable insulation, resulted in ‘adjustments to the build schedule’ — although the MoD is keen to stress that the ships are being built within budget.

MARS tanker team leader Robin Boulby said the four ships are being built through a £452m contract with DSME — but stressed that the programme is also worth around £150m for a total of 27 UKbased companies, including A&P. ‘The project marks the start of a new phase of recapitalisation of the RFA, and demonstrates future commitment to the service,’ he added.

Equipped with 17 tanks, the Tide class tankers will supply ship and aviation fuel, as well as fresh water and a range of general stores, from three abeam RAS stations and a stern fuel delivery reel.

‘We are confident that we are providing the RFA with the next generation of tankers that will enable them to support the RN anywhere in the world,’ Mr Boulby said.

‘Tidespring is more than a tanker,’ he added. ‘To be a truly capable naval auxiliary, vessels need to be able to integrate into a task force and these ships will provide support to fixed-wing and amphibious operations, security patrols, counter-narcotics and humanitarian relief.’

Tidespring operates with a crew of 63 — including 17 officers — and can accommodate up to 46 additional personnel.

I

Nautilus senior national secretary Steve Doran commented: ‘It’s always good to welcome a new ship — but especially good in this case, as the Tide class ships have been a long time coming. We are delighted to

Commodore Duncan Lamb Pictures (all portraits): Andrew Linington

The ship has a flight deck large enough to accommodate a Chinook helicopter, and can operate with an embarked helicopter up to the size of a Merlin.

The hull form, developed by BMT, includes twin rudders and twin skegs for good directional stability and manoeuvrability. There’s also a special ‘dropdown’ 2KW bow thruster which can help the ship return to port at up to 5 knots if the main engines are damaged.

‘Directional stability is very important,’ Capt Herbert stressed. ‘We will be working in a very different way, having to keep station with the RAS station on the port side.’

There is a high level of redundancy, with twin 7.2MW Wärtsilä main engines, two 2.5MW main diesel generators and a pair of 2.4MW shaft generators. Tidespring can operate for up to 90 days at sea, with a contractual speed of 17 knots and a RAS speed of between 12 to 14 knots.

Chief officer (E) Tam Nugent said the ship has six different modes of propulsion — diesel drive, diesel cruise (with the main engines running the shaft generator), hybrid drive (with the generators powering hybrid motors), manoeuvre mode (with two engines and two generators), RAS mode and the ‘get you home’ drop-down thruster mode.

I

A&P — which has a ‘cluster support’ contract to maintain the RFA Argus and Bay class ships at home and abroad until 2018 — is not only undertaking the military customisation of the Tide class ships, but is also providing fleet time support for the ships during the delivery process.

‘This is a hugely significant project for us,’ said managing director Gerald Pitts.

‘Tidespring’s arrival has been two years in the planning, and to see it coming into fruition is wonderful for the workforce.’

Cmdre Lamb said the RFA is now turning its attention to the next stage of its fleet development — starting an assessment phase for its three new solid support ships, which are due to enter into service in the middle of the next decade.

‘I’m very excited about the future and proud that we are the largest employer of UK seafarers,’ he added. ‘My message is that we are very much committed to training and safeguarding the UK maritime industry in the years ahead.’

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25/04/2017 12:08

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

MARITIME SALVAGE

Tough times for clear-up crews Spiralling costs, the challenge of responding to new ship types and the continued slide in the number of Lloyd’s Open Form agreements — all were on the agenda as salvage experts convened for their annual meeting last month. SANDRA SPEARES reports…

K

International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Kaitack Lim and ISU president John Witte presented the ISU’s award for meritorious service to the Italian Coast Guard’s head of plans and operations department, Rear Admiral Nicola Carlone.

The award recognises the ‘extraordinary efforts’ of the Italian Coast Guard in handling the Mediterranean migrant crisis. In the first nine months of 2016 alone, its crews rescued more than 26,000 people ‒ including 6,952 on one single day in August.

‘The people of the Italian Coast Guard have demonstrated their commitment to saving life at sea ‒ their efforts have gone beyond boundaries and have been undertaken regardless of circumstances and often at great personal risk,’ Mr Witte pointed out.

International Salvage Union (ISU) members provided 213 services to vessels last year — up from 185 in 2015 — and they dealt with more than 2.5m tonnes of potentially polluting cargoes during 2016, compared with almost 1.9m tonnes in the previous year.

‘Members of the ISU are often the only agency available with the necessary resources and experience to intervene in a casualty situation,’ said president John Witte. ‘Improvements in shipping — vessel quality as well as crew training, improved aids to navigation and so on — have reduced the number of casualties, but we are all aware that it needs only one major incident to cause an environmental disaster.’

While ISU members have been busy, the use of Lloyd’s Open Form as a salvage contract has been declining steadily, and it is no longer the bread and butter of the salvage industry, its associate members’ day meeting heard last month.

Lloyd’s appeal arbitrator Jeremy Russell QC said the use of non-LOF contracts — wreck removal ones, in particular — has been increasing. Many major

Pictured above is the winning shot in the ISU’s 2016 photograph competition ‒ showing a helicopter removing bunker fuel from the bulk carrier Benita after the ship ran aground off the coast of Mauritius. The salvage operation was conducted by the Greece-based ISU member Five Oceans Salvage.

salvage operators are now part of larger organisations which find the revenues brought by wreck removal contracts more attractive.

The need to provide awards that encouraged salvage was highlighted in Lord Donaldson’s report, which followed the 1993 Braer tanker disaster, but the property market appears to have forgotten this, Mr Russell said. Long-term availability of essential expertise required investment, he told ISU members, and fixed hire contracts with agreed rates were self-

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24_salvage_SRedit2.indd Sec2:24

defeating when the whole point was to encourage investment in equipment, as well as allowing personnel to gain valuable onthe-job experience.

The maritime industry ignored the issue ‘at its peril’, Mr Russell added, and ‘mischievous information spread’ about LOF — notably that awards were too high — did not help. Article 13 of the Salvage Convention aimed to encourage salvage operators through the awards system and criteria like cost should not be used as a starting point in a salvage operation, he argued.

By turning their backs on Article 13, industry players had distorted the balance of interests contained in the Convention.

‘When we find we don’t have a salvage capability, what will be the judgement of the world?’ he asked.

The meeting heard of new demands posed by changes in the industry. Smit salvage master Sylvia Tervoort outlined the technical challenges of salving LNG vessels. The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel set up a working group in 2013 to develop guidelines for salvage and a number of issues need to be explored further, such as maintaining LNG pressure, and vaporisation control, she explained.

K

In the event of LNG being released, vapour cloud management and dispersion needs to be considered, as well as the safest conditions in which to work and the safety zone around the incident. Ms Tervoort also noted that consideration needs to be taken of how dealing with an LNG casualty differs from that of one involving conventional fuel — for example, in terms of detection equipment, training and personnel deployment.

Captain Jori Nordström, head of operations at the Finnish Lifeboat Institution, explained the development of the TRIAGE concept to assess a casualty. The system involves colour codes for safety categories and it started around the time of the Costa Concordia accident in 2012.

TRIAGE aims to improve the exchange of information between ship and shore to assess threat levels. The Finnish Transport Agency has been working on risk assessment tools to help decision-making when, for example, considering the issue of places of refuge.

Risk management in a salvage operation is a key issue, and the risk profile of an operation can change over the lifetime of the project. Pieter Lageweg, of CL Risk Solutions, stressed the need for both a technical plan and a good risk management and project

If you think emergency response is expensive, try wreck removal

“

”

management process. Given that the P&I clubs are shouldering the burden with their clients, parties’ expectations need to be managed, he stressed. Clubs will be assessing cost expectations and impacts, and one question is who will be driving the wreck removal process: clubs or salvors?

Nick Sloane, of Resolve Marine — who played a key role in the Costa Concordia wreck removal — said risk assessment can be done on a more informal basis during an emergency response or on a more formalised one for wreck removal. ‘If you think emergency response is expensive, try wreck removal,’ he added.

The ISU’s large casualty working group has identified government intervention as a significant driver of cost. Sam Kendall-Marsden, of Charles Taylor, reminded the meeting that around $1bn of the $1.5bn Costa Concordia price tag was for wreck removal – a good example of the need for cost control from the start.

25/04/2017 13:21

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME WORKFORCE

Looking closer to home A London-based shipping company could boost the employment of British officers if the UK government backs the SMarT Plus training support package proposed by Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping.

ANDREW LININGTON reports…

O

Expanding British shipping companies are something of a rare marine species. But Londonbased Union Maritime has chalked up spectacular growth in the decade since it was launched — and now it could be expanding its contribution to the UK seafaring skills base.

Established in 2006 by former Morgan Stanley trader Laurent Cadji, the company had modest origins — centred around west Africa and a lightering operation servicing Nigeria in particular.

But it’s now got a fleet of 37 ships — ranging from 7,682dwt to 76,752dwt — with over a dozen added to its books in the past 15 months, and further expansion being planned. It is now the largest independent product and chemical tanker company in the UK and its operations have also evolved to include bulk carriers.

The tanker fleet continues to have an African focus, concentrating on the carriage of clean petroleum products and light chemicals, while the bulkers tend to trade between Africa, Brazil and the Mediterranean.

“

There is an attraction in having people who have come right through the company from sea to shore

”

As a tonnage tax company, Union Maritime has — from the outset — taken on cadets in line with the training commitment.

The firm presently has 41 cadets at various stages of training — and it is adding its support to the industry calls for the government to adopt the SMarT Plus training support package tabled

by Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping last year.

Mike Powell, the company’s head of marine operations, says the SMarT Plus proposals will ensure that the initial investment in training is not lost — by helping operators to cover the

25_mikep_SR edit.indd 25

cost gap between British junior officers and those from other countries.

‘Our cadets were originally employed through Clyde Marine on other ships,’ he explains.

‘However, as we embarked on fleet expansion and had internal discussions we recognised that this was a resource we were not tapping into and that our growing global footprint gave us the opportunity to put our own cadets on our own ships.’

As well as creating cadet training berths on its ships, Union Maritime has also developed a programme to monitor their progress and to identify the most talented. ‘That’s our most important obligation,’ says Mike, ‘and we see the potential for youngsters to come through their training, into the fleet and ultimately to come ashore as superintendents.’

‘There is an attraction in having people who have come right through the company and that will be the ideal outcome for us,’ he adds. ‘The cost differential between UK senior officers and those from other countries is not so marked as it is for juniors — and in the shore-based environment there is very little to choose between them.

‘The cost differentials between nationalities are being eroded, but it is most acute for junior officers and SMarT Plus will address that — helping companies like ours to take our best talent all the way through,’ he says. ‘It won’t be a silver bullet for the industry, but it will make a very significant contribution to the employment of British officers.

‘I’ve heard all the arguments about tonnage tax companies and the employment of UK nationals, and in some respects I have a lot of sympathy for them,’ Mike admits. ‘However, if you are running in a business where the markets have been dire for a long time the choice is simple — it’s a harsh reality of a business or no business.’

O

Union Transport uses the Marshall Islands and Liberia as flags for its fleet, and Mike says this reflects the ‘service-orientated’ approach of both registries and their efficient administrative processes.

‘I think the UK suffers from a bit of complacency about our standing in the world,’ Mike says, ‘and emerging maritime centres

Mike Powell, head of marine operations at Union Maritime

have been able to look at our great legacy and approach things with a blank piece of paper.’

However, Union Transport should serve as a ‘good news story’ for British shipping, he argues. ‘It’s a family enterprise whose great growth record is a superb testimony to the tonnage tax regime.’

Fleet expansion means that the company’s next cohort of cadets is likely to total around 20, Mike says, and the firm has also started an internship scheme offering places for two City University maritime operations and management MSc students each year.

Mike — who joined Union Transport in March 2015 — exemplifies the way in which seafaring careers can open up all sorts of opportunities ashore.

He had a 13-year seagoing career serving in all ranks to master, starting as a cadet with PanOcean Anco and serving with Iver Ships before coming ashore to work as a cargo superintendent. He went on to be a marine consultant and surveyor, and a maritime lawyer with Stephenson Harwood, before serving as maritime director with the Confidential Human Incident Reporting Programme, and heading marine operations at companies including BP, Glencore and Maersk.

Today’s cadets are coming into a very different industry from the one he joined 38 years ago, but Mike says he recognises the potential insecurity of seafaring employment. ‘I’ve had a great career, but I think I was ahead of my time with the “gig economy”,’ he reflects. ‘It may not offer stability, but it is a fantastic industry to get into — and especially the maritime services sector, which the UK continues to excel at.’

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25/04/2017 13:21

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

MARITIME LEADERSHIP

Mutual support for masters J

Criminalisation, mountains of paperwork and admin, stress and fatigue — the pressures facing modern masters are many and complex. But Jim Scorer has a plan to deal with them.

Appointed to the post of secretarygeneral of the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations (IFSMA) a year ago, Jim has helped to develop a new strategic plan to overhaul the organisation’s work on behalf of its 33 member organisations (including Nautilus) and their 11,000 ship master members.

The plan was approved at the IFSMA annual general assembly last month.

It includes a five-point programme designed to combat the key challenges confronting captains — including the skills and competence of their crews, safety management, criminalisation, and the operation of ships of the future.

The secretary-general says he hopes the plan will make IFSMA’s work more relevant, more focused and more effective.

Jim went to sea with the British Royal Navy — rising to the rank of Commodore and, at one stage, having the role of Captain Surface Ships, which included responsibilities for 15 warships and 3,500 staff.

‘I effectively ran away to sea,’ he admits. ‘I had gone to university and got through the first term before deciding it wasn’t for me. My father had wanted me to join the family auctioneering and estate agency business and demanded what I was going to do. I said that I will join the Navy — it was something that had always been ticking away.’

Jim spent the first 20 years of his RN career in seagoing roles, which sometimes meant as long as eight months away from home. ‘The first time I saw my son, he was five months old,’ he recalls.

As well as a spell serving with NATO, he worked at the UK’s Defence Academy in Shrivenham, as director of joint concepts, logistics and global strategic trends. ‘It was fascinating stuff, looking at how the military will operate up to 30 years ahead and how to influence politicians who only think until the next general election.’ However, he decided to resign from the Royal Navy in 2007 on the basis that further promotion prospects were increasingly limited. He moved to Trinity House, taking up the position of director of operations with the lighthouse service.

During his time with the GLA, Jim

Change is afoot at the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations, of which Nautilus is a leading member. The man at the helm tells ANDREW LININGTON what the organisation is doing to tackle the challenges facing captains today…

J Jim Scorer at work as the secretary-general of IFSMA

helped to cut its costs by 30% and to shave 3p per net registered tonne of the light dues rate through measures such as improved project management and better budget planning. ‘But after eight years of waking up at 2am in the morning thinking about more changes and more changes, I thought it was time for someone else to come in,’ he recalls.

Soon after leaving Trinity House, he was asked whether he might be interested in taking over the leadership of the London-based IFSMA, which was established in 1974 to provide a single coordinated body to represent ship masters. It was a challenge he relished.

‘In the military, you get a different job every three years and you are therefore learning all the time,’ he says.

‘Although I didn’t serve in the Merchant Navy, I spent some time running four merchant ships at Trinity House and got to appreciate issues such as criminalisation of the maritime profession. ‘ Jim says his time with NATO provided good experience of working in an international arena and striving to gain consensus — qualities which are muchneeded for IFSMA’s role representing the interests of ship masters at the International Maritime Organisation.

And he has brought the strategic vision that he honed at the RN and Trinity House to IFSMA — with his plan to take the organisation ‘to the next level’, improving its ability to represent the views and professional interests of masters on the international stage. The plan centres around five key challenges: z skills and competence of ships’ crews z criminalisation of the shipmaster z operation of ships of the future z safety management z public relations and communications Skills and competence are critical, Jim says, and masters can help to identify the shortfalls so that IFSMA can seek improvements to the STCW Convention.

‘I am absolutely passionate about taking shipmasters out of watchkeeping rosters — especially six-on/six-off — so that they are more available to undertake their training and mentoring responsibilities.’

J

Jim Scorer during his time at Trinity House

26_ifsmasg_SR edit.indd Sec2:26

‘There are so many instances of masters, on six-on/six-off in particular, where they infringe the regulations as a result of being called up to deal with emergencies or administrative tasks,’ Jim adds. ‘They are extremely hardpressed as a result of the paperwork burden and it is an extraordinary situation.’

These demands have also adversely affected the traditional role of the master in overseeing the training and mentoring of crews, he says. This has been particularly damaging at a time when the industry has cut crewing levels, moved to mixed-nationality crewing models and introduced continuously evolving and complex shipboard systems which vary even within the same fleet.

It’s not wholly negative, he says. IMO secretary-general Kaitack Lim — a former seafarer — has established a special ‘human element’ working group and, having been invited to coordinate the initiative, Jim says he is hopeful that some long-standing issues will be addressed. ‘With the secretary-general behind us, we have got a bit of a fighting chance,’ he adds.

On criminalisation, Jim wants IFSMA to influence international regulations to stop shipmasters from being used as scapegoats after accidents, and to develop an affordable and effective legal protection scheme. ‘It’s not an issue if you are a Nautilus member, as it looks after its masters — but there are thousands of other masters around the world who have no protection whatsoever.’

Jim doesn’t accept the argument that automation will destroy jobs in shipping — on the contrary, he argues, it

may create new and better jobs. However, he cautions, IFSMA needs to be leading the debate on the role of the shipmaster in future — both onboard and ashore — as well as the way in which smart ships are regulated and those who operate them are trained.

Safety management, if used properly, could help shipmasters, raising awareness within the industry of the responsibilities required by the ISM Code, he says. ‘They will say that they meet their objectives, but it is a faint understanding and they blatantly don’t do it or will find ways to get around it.’

The principles of safety management could also drive the removal of masters from watchkeeping rosters, along with improved deck officer manning levels.

‘What irritates me is that if you look at the roles and responsibilities of the master, it is not even faintly possible for them to be able to do all that is required in the time allocated and within the hours of work and rest rules,’ he points out.

PR and communications are also pivotal to the future, he argues.

‘IFSMA has got to be seen as the international voice for shipmasters, but for too long it has been under-resourced and we have never had the time to do the work that we need to do to be more proactive,’ he notes.

Jim wants not only to raise the profile of IFSMA but also to highlight the professionalism, skills and expertise of shipmasters. He wants to improve dialogue and information sharing so that best practice is shared and knowledge harnessed in an increasingly rapidlychanging environment.

‘I really want to see the membership more involved, so that it is their day-today business at the IMO,’ he says. ‘By having a better feed of members’ practical and operational knowledge, we can much better represent their professional views at the IMO and in other forums. Information is key to everything.’

He’s also keen to widen IFSMA’s membership base so that its income can fund the extra staffing he believes is vital to deliver the strategic plan objectives. By focusing on the five core challenges, Jim says he hopes IFSMA will ‘avoid the distraction of peripherals’ and concentrate on the most important issues.

‘You have to be clear about what you want to achieve,’ he argues. ‘There is an opportunity here and one that we cannot afford to miss. If we fail, we are in deep trouble.’

Official statement from IFSMA’s 43rd Annual General Assembly on 18 and 19 April 2017 at MITAGS in A Baltimore (USA) the delegates acknowledged At the 43rd Annual General Assembly

the importance of the ISM Code, the juncture of the four pillars, ‘STCW, SOLAS, MARPOL and MLC’, and recognised the responsibility of the shipmaster and the obligation of the company to provide the necessary support.

To take forward the five key challenges of the 2017-2022 IFSMA Strategic Plan, namely: skills and competence of ships‘ crews; criminalisation of the shipmaster; operation of ships of the future; safety management; public relations and communications, the delegates agreed that close cooperation between like-minded NGOs would be

necessary in order to provide effective representation at both the ILO and IMO. Future shipping was discussed at length. The IFSMA delegates recognised the importance of the development of the new technology to the industry. It is vital that shipmasters are engaged in this development and that no adverse effects to safety of shipping and the protection of the marine environment occurs.

IFSMA delegates recognised the harm to the profession from criminalisation of shipmasters which undermines the profession. It is therefore important that all industry players work collectively to ensure that there is no unwarranted criminalisation.

25/04/2017 12:09

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME LEADERSHIP

Cost-based compromise?

The shipping industry needs to do a lot more to provide proper protection to its personnel, Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson told the global IFSMA conference last month…

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‘On many trading vessels personal protective equipment is standard, ill-fitting and simply not fit for purpose. The present regulations fail so many seafarers, placing them and their ships in danger,’ Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson told the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations (IFSMA) annual general assembly last month.

It is time for a concerted drive to improve standards, Mr Graveson argued, and a start can be made by using the International Safety Management Code to ensure that deficiencies are rectified by management as soon as they are identified.

In his presentation to the meeting, Mr Graveson highlighted shortfalls in the regulatory requirements for ship safety equipment. The rules are usually the consequence of a compromise based on cost rather than a detailed analysis of investment in quality systems, he suggested, and because they are not regularly updated the equipment used at sea is often old in comparison with shore-based gear.

‘Other than on high-profile vessels, Fire Fighting Equipment (FFE) and Life Saving Appliances (LSA) are not a major consideration of the owner or manager.

The builder’s yard provides a cost-efficient package endorsed by class and sanctioned by the flag state,’ he pointed out.

‘With owners outsourcing to managers, incentivised by competitive forces to ensure costs are kept to a minimum, the same equipment is retained for the life of the vessel and is replaced on a “need to do” basis — and then only when it is so shabby that it will not get past a port state control inspection.’

Although such equipment, thankfully, is rarely used in earnest, it still needs to be fit for purpose so that crew members can respond to whatever emergency they face, Mr Graveson argued. ‘This should apply not only to emergency situations, but also to training and exercise drills where seafarers are placed at risk of injury,’ he added.

The importance of adequate equipment is underlined by the statistics that show the workplace fatality rate at sea to be around 15 times higher than that ashore, he noted.

‘The dangers of inadequate equipment — particularly lifeboat launching systems and hooks — are well documented,’ he pointed out. ‘However, that of protective equipment used as FFE and LSA are rarely, if ever, referred to.

Safety harnesses for working at height are often inadequate Picture: Thinkstock

27_ifsmappe_SR edit.indd 27

The challenge of manoeuvring a stretcher through enclosed spaces while wearing PPE

‘An industry that cannot solve a simple issue such as hooks lends itself to accusations about its ability to ensure any level of safety.’

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Seafarers are routinely exposed to ill-fitting and poor quality equipment, Mr Graveson told the meeting. ‘This is particularly apparent when using fire suits, where one size fits all, and helmets and harnesses are not fit for the individual designated to don them — be they male or female, large or small. Equipment used in everyday occupational work onboard — PPE — may only be marginally better.’

While fixed fire-fighting systems have changed over the years — with innovations such as highfog — little attention has been paid to the personal equipment used for tackling blazes onboard.

‘Personal equipment for shore fire-fighters has made significant advances in recent years and is readily available for emergency services and in hazardous and specialised industries,’ Mr Graveson pointed out. ‘Improvements in equipment at sea are largely confined to government-owned ships, specialist vessels and some passenger ships.’

Enclosed space rescue is completely neglected, hoping that FFE will suffice, yet helmets and air bottles are rarely suitable for such circumstances, he said. Stretchers are also far from satisfactory for enclosed space rescues or for transferring injured personnel ashore.

Survival suits are also treated with the same ‘one size fits all’ philosophy — meaning that they are often poorly fitting for the many different sizes and shapes of seafarers.

In some instances, such equipment can be positively dangerous — such as survival lifejackets when working lifejackets are more appropriate for fast rescue craft, or onboard ship rigging gangways without a lifeline and harness or without working lifejackets.

Safety harnesses used for working at height rarely have two securing lanyards so that one can always be secured whilst moving around aloft, Mr Graveson said, and few vessels carry rescue harnesses for evacuating a person to the deck.

Although such problems are often identified in accident investigation reports, it is rarely — if ever — that they result in recommendations for improved

regulations and higher equipment standards, he argued. Accidents are often blamed on seafarers, and owners or managers are very rarely held accountable for the poor quality of equipment provided.

The seemingly passive acceptance that such equipment is inadequate may be the consequence of life at sea being seen as cheap, Mr Graveson told the meeting. ‘The P&I clubs estimate that each death at sea costs $100,000,’ he added. ‘This is relatively low, due to the employment of seafarers from low-cost labour-supplying countries. Therefore there is little incentive, unlike the offshore industry employing higher-cost labour, to improve safety.’

The issues are important for ship masters, Mr Graveson stated. Whilst they have no say on what FFE and LSA is provided on their ships, they have the responsibility for those using them.

With unwarranted criminalisation being increasingly common, masters often become the scapegoat for the failures of the industry and the regulatory authorities.

K

Faced with such problems, what should ship masters do? In the ideal world, the ISM Code should offer some assistance, Mr Graveson contended. The Code sets out the authority for masters to request and be provided with the necessary equipment — specifically in Section 5.2: ‘The company should ensure that the SMS operating on board the ship contains a clear statement emphasising the master’s authority. The company should establish in the SMS that the master has the overriding authority and the responsibility to make decisions with respect to safety and pollution prevention and to request the company’s assistance as may be necessary.’

However, Mr Graveson noted, the provisions contained in the ISM Code are rarely utilised.

‘The option should be a simple one — given the provision of the ISM Code — notify the designated person ashore and all should be fixed,’ he pointed out. ‘If only it were so simple. There may well be companies that respond positively — but many will not, citing compliance with dated regulations knowing that is all they need to provide in order to avoid sanction.’

While masters should expect, in line with the ISM Code, to be provided with a ‘well-found’ vessel and for deficiencies to be rectified following notification,

this requires a clear line of communication and a responsive management, he stressed.

Unfortunately, goal-setting legislation can leave requirements open to abuse by interpretation, Mr Graveson said.

Despite this, he argued, there are opportunities to challenge the situation. In the UK, for instance, it could be argued that a failure to provide equipment that is fit for individual seafarers to carry out their duties effectively could result in a charge of corporate manslaughter.

‘Unseaworthiness — with all its connotations — may be taking things a little far, but the consequences could be significant in financial terms,’ he added.

‘Would individual seafarers — perhaps with union support — or environmentalists and interest groups representing passengers seek civil litigation?’ he asked. ‘The usual players representing cargo owners and shippers are more likely to settle under present arrangements, often by arbitration and in secret.’

But if legislative and company procedures fail, masters should contact their union or professional body asking them to take up the issue. Masters could also use a confidential reporting facility such as the UK’s CHIRP, Mr Graveson said. ‘CHIRP will only take forward an issue where the individual cannot be identified and confidentiality maintained,’ he pointed out. ‘Highly technical issues could be identified to specific personnel, but it should be possible to pursue concerns over either PPE, personal protective FFE or LSA without the reporter being identified by the company.’

Mr Graveson said maritime unions and professional bodies need to speak out — insisting that companies provide the proper equipment, notifying P&I clubs of perceived deficiencies, informing seafarers of the latest equipment available, and to protect their lives.

Ultimately, he argued, there has to be radical overhaul of the rules. ‘The problem is the legislative requirements are dated and minimal, with type approval set in stone many years ago.

‘International regulation needs to change. That change should be such as to encourage the carriage of new and additional innovative equipment without undermining current prescriptive requirements.

Naturally, there will be those that seek to prevent or delay change, yet the force of one’s argument, given current legal thought, should eventually prevail.’

One size fits all?

25/04/2017 13:22

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

HISTORIC SHIPS

‘Got Nelson down there?’

Thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, Britain’s last commercial sailing vessel is back in operation — but in a rather different role. DICK DURHAM recalls Cambria’s eventful final days carrying cargo, nearly 50 years ago…

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If there is a single moment in time which symbolises the end of British commercial sail and the beginning of its heritage, it is the day the Thames sailing barge Cambria, the last vessel to carry cargo under canvas alone, shipped an engine.

This was a motor, not to propel her from the bustling London docks where she loaded freight bound for the solitary east coast quays where she discharged it, but an engine to stop her sinking en route. That moment was in May 1970, when Cambria’s skipper, Bob Roberts, purchased a petrol-powered motor-pump for his 91ft Thames

Bob Roberts, Cambria’s last skipper as a cargo vessel

sailing barge.

For, when deep-loaded, and despite a 63-yearold man and an 18-year-old youth — myself — pumping day and night, Cambria had started wetting freight. After a heavy-weather passage the dusty bulk-loaded wheat or maize would be sucked out of her until the discharge nozzle hit a crusty bottom layer of hardened grain. This then had to be dug out of the barge with shovels, bagged and given away as pig feed rather than being ingested into the grain silos.

The grain merchants were unhappy in case any spoiled corn had accidentally mixed in with the good stuff and we were unhappy as the ruined part of the freight — six, sometimes eight tons of our 175 total — would come off our share. It was only a question of time before merchants would tell the agents they did not want any more freights coming to them in that ‘bloody old museum piece’.

The days of Britain’s last sailing ship were

Dick Durham and Bob Roberts discharging at Colchester, 1970

28_cambria_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

numbered.

It was inevitable that the 60-year-old timbers of a trading vessel — which, in her best years, had carried anything from dirty freights like timber, clay and coal to ‘dry’ freights such as sugar, wheat and barley to all ports between Goole in Lincolnshire and Exeter in Devon or across the Channel to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Calais and Treport — would wear out.

By the time I came to join the barge as mate in 1969, her Board of Trade limits had come right down to those between Ipswich and Dover. The department ruled she was no longer seaworthy enough to go further afield.

But although the destinations were limited, the arcane silhouette of Cambria’s rig was still throwing shadows in the London Docks; themselves in serious decline.

Well I recall the 2am arrival at the Royal Docks entrance. I hopped up on the dockside to get a turn as Bob let the topsail sheet go. But the 237 acres of docked water formed by the 10 miles of quayside that was the Royal Victoria, Royal Albert and King George V dock complex was completely deserted.

There was no-one to let us in!

‘Nip along and wake up those lazy buggers,’ Bob ordered. I banged on the door of the PLA building and out shuffled duffle-coated reluctants to operate the lock gates.

‘What craft are yer?’ one asked.

‘Cambria,’ I said proudly.

‘What yer come here to load, cannon balls?’ he said, and another spotting Cambria’s lofty masts added: ‘Where’s Nelson, down the cabin?’

K

But the rueful Cockney humour ended when it came to loading from the ship. A sailing vessel meant masts. Masts meant we couldn’t get past the ship’s mooring warps to sit between her and the quayside and thus be loaded by the tall Stothert and Pitt dock cranes. Instead we had to raft up alongside the ship’s off side, which in turn meant the stevedores had to rig up the ship’s own derricks in order to drop the sacks into our hold. This entailed extra time and more work. We were not popular.

Once, in the Tilbury Dock, I recall a mouthy ship worker voicing personal comments about first of all the ‘effing old galleon’ and then her decrepit old captain. Where was his parrot?

Probably died of starvation.

Bob walked calmly across the deck and started scaling the rope ladder up the ship’s side. The ship worker ran away.

The restored Cambria, out on the water s of the Thames once more

Cambria technical details Cambria, mule-rigged spritsail sailing barge Built in 1906 at Greenhithe, Kent at a cost of £1,895.

Owners and builders F.T. Everard & Sons.

LOA between perpendiculars 91.1ft (with a 38ft boltsprit) Beam 21.9ft Depth 2ft 6ins (light) 7.3ft (loaded) Gross tonnage 109 (79 net)

And yet, rather like a son criticising his father, disparaging remarks about the Cambria were OK if kept in the family. Dockers did not take kindly to ‘outsiders’ panning their irritant.

Once, when loading out of a German ship, two officers were discussing the barge’s antiquated appearance. One said to the other: ‘If that is all England had, how come she won the war?’ To which a docker, sweating in Cambria’s hold below, instantly looked up and replied: ‘If that’s all we had, how come you lost it?’

Perhaps nowhere was Cambria’s stem rubbed more into the 20th century than at the Tilbury Grain Silo. Here, with a cacophony of bells and buzzers and men 40 feet above us wearing industrial helmets and ear muffs pushing buttons on hand-held remote-control units, a vast sewersized pipe was aimed at Cambria’s hold and 45 tons of grain shot out in 10 minutes listing the barge alarmingly.

I recall loading maize there one night and seeing black bilge water spilling out onto the white, dusty corn as the barge heeled over.

Twenty-five minutes later we were loaded with 150 tons of maize before the dust had settled. It took two days to discharge her at the sleepy mill at Fingringhoe off the River Colne in Essex.

In 1970 she carried her last freight, 100 tons of

Penny the dog, Bob Roberts and a youthful Dick Durham onboard Cambria

Cargo capacity 170 tons, up to 200 tons with stack Mainmast 49ft, topmast 43ft Mizzen 45ft sprit 62ft Sail area 5,000 sq ft

Your chance to sail a historic barge

cattle feed from Tilbury Dock to Ipswich.

maritime community, and over the years could be A viewed as an exhibit in London’s St Katherine’s dock and

Cambria was never really forgotten by the Thames

at the Dolphin yard barge museum in Kent. However, the vessel’s condition deteriorated greatly during this time, with few resources available for repair.

Full restoration to seaworthiness finally became possible thanks to a £990,000 Heritage Lottery Grant awarded to the Cambria Trust in 2006, and the vessel was brought back to life in Faversham under the supervision of master shipwright Tim Goldsack.

Cambria was relaunched in 2011 and now has a range of uses: taking part in barge races, providing a venue for events, and offering sail training sessions and private charters. The Trust is seeking volunteers to help maintain and operate the historic vessel, and Telegraph readers are invited to get in touch via www.cambriatrust.org.uk.

Tallying in a freight

25/04/2017 18:36

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME COMMUNITY London played host to a fleet of 30 tall ships last month as the RendezVous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta got underway. STEVEN KENNEDY met some of the organisers and found out how the event aims to inspire a new generation of seafarers to take to the water…

Seafaring’s heart and soul L

Picture the scene. A still, calm River Thames, on a crisp spring morning.

Then, just coming into view on the horizon are 30 tall ships in all their magnificent glory.

That was the sight that welcomed visitors to the nation’s capital during April, as Royal Greenwich played host to the start of the Rendez-Vous Tall Ships Regatta 2017, celebrating 150 years of the Canadian Confederation with its own Tall Ships Regatta.

The history of tall ships is a long and interesting one. Dating back to the 1500s — when international trade and naval warfare were dominated by sailing vessels — through the legendary story of the Bounty and on to the modern day, these magnificent vessels have captured the hearts and minds of seafarers and storytellers.

Now in the modern age, the ships are more for aesthetic pleasure than for function. Yet the sight of them on the water is still something that can turn even the coldest heart into a reminiscing romantic.

Gracing the Thames on those April mornings, the ships welcomed guests onto their decks for visits and tours before disembarking five days later for their round-trip. It’s a journey that saw them leave the UK and travel via Portugal and the Canary Islands to Bermuda. From there, it was onto the US coast before the Regatta made its way up to Canada and back across the ocean for its final stop at Le Havre in France.

But before they did set sail, the ships gave London the opportunity to remind the world of its role in the sector and showcase how important Greenwich has been, over the years, to the UK’s long and proud maritime heritage.

‘Greenwich is the maritime heart of London and, at one time, the world,’ explained Laurens Winkel, the Amsterdam-born director of Sail Greenwich, .

‘We started with a small group of tall ships coming to Greenwich in 2012 for the Olympics. We returned in 2014 and this year we’ve had 30 tall ships in London over the weekend. The biggest one — the Christian Radich from Norway — was almost 90m long, and we had the beautiful fourmast tall ship Santa Maria Manuela here. We also had several class C and D tall ships — which are basically big yachts — that can sail worldwide. Every now and again the tall ships circus — as I like to call it — comes into town, so it’s very special.

29_tall ships_SR edit.indd 29

on the sea and hopefully makes them think it could be something they want to do in the long-term.’

‘The reason for the existence of tall ships right now is that they are the best platform for sail training,’ added Laurens. ‘It gets young people out of their comfort zones. They climb the rigging; they don’t have their telephones or social media. They meet new people and it’s a life changing experience. They do the night shifts and learn the discipline needed onboard the tall ships. All of that is what we call sail training.

‘These tall ships play such a key role and it’s great that Greenwich Council and National Maritime make it possible for people, who otherwise don’t have the

Laurens Winkel, director of Sail Greenwich (left) and National Maritime chief executive Peter Green All pictures: Steven Kennedy

‘I think the romance of the faraway lands; seeing the horizon across the sea and the exploring is what makes tall ships so exciting. People come to see more than just the ships though,’ he added. ‘They are beautiful to look at, but in the past we’ve seen that when people visit they want to talk to the crew about their experiences. They say “yes I’m impressed by the rigging, but how do you live on here — tell me your stories”.’

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This year’s event follows on from the success of the 2014 Tall Ships Regatta, which attracted more than 1m visitors. During the five days the vessels were in Greenwich — having arrived from countries including the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Poland — a range of activities were on offer for the ship-loving members of the public to get involved in.

One organisation responsible for those activities, and which had been heavily involved in this year’s event, is Dartford-based National Maritime.

‘National Maritime is the official partner for the event, and organising the shore-side events was National Maritime’s role,’ said chief executive Peter Green.

‘We first got involved when the tall ships were here in 2014. We worked in partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and it was so successful. Three years ago, we had 1.1m visitors. People love coming along to be enter-

tained, shop and learn a little, and our role is to engage with them — which can only be a good thing.

‘We have two priorities,’ Peter added. ‘One is, how do we regenerate our coast communities, and events like this reconnect maritime communities. We’ve always believed that the maritime sector is wider than what you see. It’s more than just a port or a ship; it’s about getting that message across. It’s also smack bang in the middle of the maritime cluster here in London, so that works for us also.’

This year’s regatta took place slightly earlier than in previous years, to coincide with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Canadian Confederation — the act that saw the British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united into the Canada we know today.

And while not all vessels in London were making the trip across the Atlantic Ocean, they were all playing their roles and taking on at least the first sections of the Rendez-Vous Tall Ships Regatta 2017 with their fellow vessels.

‘Greenwich is the starting port of the trans-Atlantic race to Canada, where all sizes of tall ships participate,’ Laurens explained.

‘From the 30 here a proportion of them will take part the full race.

Others will take part in smaller sections of the race.

‘Normally I like to run this event in summer, but because of this race to Canada we ran it over

Easter. It’s very weather dependent when it comes to numbers attending. When it’s dry it’s good so we’ve been lucky this year.

‘We’re very proud to be the start of this race. We had a lot of Canadian influences at the event as well — including some performances — so there is a Canadian taste to it. We just wanted to create a great environment where people could come to Greenwich and enjoy their day.’

As part of the festival, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in partnership with National Maritime’s Jobs in Maritime, recruited 50 sail trainees to embark on some of the magnificent tall ships visiting London.

Trainees got to spend 15 nights aboard a voyage to Sines in Portugal — the birthplace of the famous explorer Vasco de Gama — and take part in the running of the vessel; including steering, charting the course and climbing the rigging.

L

It’s hoped the experience will prove to be more than a once-in-a-lifetime trip for those aspiring seafarers and spark their imaginations about the prospects of a life at sea.

‘The sail trainees will have been sponsored by a number of partners and they will go into Sines in Portugal, where they will be dropped off — and fly home — before some of the ships go to Quebec in Canada,’ said Peter.

‘It’s a great initiative that gives them an unbelievable experience

money or opportunities to take part in these experiences, to be part of it.

‘It’s also very important for the ships. The ships look nice but it takes a lot of love, energy and money every year to keep them looking beautiful. If you have a 100-year-old ship then it’s a lot of work.

‘The most important thing, though, is that we capture their imaginations and make them enjoy being out on the water.’

g For information about the festival and to learn more about the tall ships, visit: www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk. g For more information about National Maritime, visit: www.nmdg.co.uk.

Nautilus can help you make the most of your membership with Nautilus Plus — a special scheme offering members fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services.

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25/04/2017 18:35

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

OFFWATCH ships of the past

Swiss paddle steamers with a promising future

by Trevor Boult — is one of the largest F lakes in western Europe. It lies

Lake Geneva — Lac Léman

on the north side of the Alps and is shared by Switzerland and France. The largest body of water in Switzerland, the crescent-shaped lake is 45 miles in length.

Lake Geneva is home to the world’s most elegant and homogeneous fleet of sidewheel paddle steamers. It is also the biggest Belle Epoque fleet in the world, in terms of passenger carrying capacity. Belle Epoque refers to the ‘beautiful era’ — a golden age of several decades prior to the outbreak of WW1, which was characterised by optimism, regional peace and economic prosperity.

The whole fleet was built between 1904 and 1927 by the Swiss engineering and manufacturing firm of Sulzer Bros. Operated by the Compagnie Generale de

Navigation sur le Lac Léman — CGN — in 2011 the fleet was classed as a historic monument of national importance, comprising five working vessels and a further three awaiting restoration.

The vessels are fully integrated into the CGN public timetable, all being active in high summer, sailing on a range of cruises from Geneva and Lausanne, normally calling at every pier. Reduced and limited services operate in other seasons.

Paddle steamers are the most prominent and wellknown vessels of the Swiss maritime fleet. In Switzerland, there is a happy combination of factors which are ensuring that paddle steamers have an excellent future: operators are sympathetic; local authorities are supportive; and enthusiast groups work in close association with the operators. There are large local populations near most lakes, considerable

numbers of tourists, magnificent scenery and excellent marketing. National pride is engendered, which gives rise to a strong and effective preservationist lobby.

The paddle steamer Genève was one of the first vessels of the Belle Epoque. Described as the oldest such vessel on Lake Geneva, she was built by Sulzer and launched for the 1896 Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva.

In 1928 Genève collided with the steamer Rhone which gave rise to one passenger fatality. Several years later, her compound two-cylinder steam engines were replaced with more modern plant; the first CGN vessel to be so converted. In 1978, Genève was decommissioned and sold for scrap. The following year she was bought by the Association pour le Bateau Genève, moored at Eaux-Vives dock and converted to a floating restaurant for use in the summer.

Early in her career, Genève

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Lost at Sea, Found at Fukushima by Andy Millar (reviewed on the facing page).

To enter, simply complete the form right and send it, along with your completed crossword, to: Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword Competition, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,

South Woodford, London E18 1BD, or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015.

You can also enter by email, by sending your list of answers and your contact details to: telegraph@nautilusint.org.

50 YEARS AGO The decision of the British government to apply for entry into the European Economic Community suggests that serious consideration will now have to be given to the shipping aspect. The MNAOA is particularly concerned about the possible changes in the structure of the international shipping services — especially Canada, New Zealand and Australia — and the shortsea trades. We also have in mind questions relating to the mobility of labour for seafarers, Common Market regulations for seafarers, nationality of crews, registration of ships, and existing practices concerning the Commonwealth and Asiatic seafarers, as well as problems arising from the possible reciprocal recognition of national and professional qualifications. The die seems to have been cast to accept the Rome Treaty and we need to take a hard look at all the implications MN Journal, May 1967

25 YEARS AGO A European Court ruling that second registers are not against Community law may set back seafaring unions’ efforts to prevent companies employing low-paid foreign crews. The German seafarers’ union took a claim to the European Court arguing that its country’s second register contravened EU legislation. Lawyers for the union contended that the ability to employ cheap foreign labour on second register ships amounted to illegal state aid. But the court’s advocate-general rejected the union’s case, on the basis that European state aid legislation does not restrict wages and working conditions applying to contracts between shipping companies and non-European Community seafarers. The ruling came as seafarers’ unions in France, Greece , Spain and Portugal called for a Europe-wide 48-hour strike in June to protest about the growth in second registers and plans to end restrictions on the flags of ships working in European Community member states’ coastal trades The Telegraph, May 1992

10 YEARS AGO Nautilus has voiced concern over the sinking of a Greek-flagged cruiseship off the island of Santorini last month. The Union says the case of the 22,412gt Sea Diamond highlights its alarm at issues including ship stability and evacuation arrangements.

Two French passengers died when the ship sank after running aground on rocks minutes before it was due to berth. The Greek marine engineers’ union said it had taken more than three hours to evacuate the ship, rather than the 30 minutes required by SOLAS regulations. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the loss demonstrated the need to improve the stability criteria for large passenger vessels and a full investigation was required to examine such factors as evacuation procedures and the actions of the crew. The ship’s master and five officers have been charged with causing a shipwreck through negligence The Telegraph, May 2007

THEQUIZ 1

What are the top five seafarer supply nations?

2

Which European country has the biggest share of the EU shortsea shipping market, in terms of total tonnage moved?

cruiseship fleet set to increase by 2020?

5

The Ocean Alliance comprises CMA-CM, China Cosco and Evergreen. What is its share of world containership fleet capacity?

6

3

In which year did White Star Line merge with Cunard?

In which year were voluntary examinations for certificates of competency for masters and mates introduced in the UK?

4

By what percentage is the world

J Quiz answers are on page 38.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 19 May 2017.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

was also the scene of a murderous act of national significance — the assassination in September 1898 of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, wife of Emperor Franz Josef I, who, in 1914, signed the declaration which led to the First World War. Known as Sisi, the empress had spent a night incognito at the Hotel Beau-Rivage in Geneva. Despite warnings of possible attempts on her life, she walked without her entourage but with her ladyin-waiting the short distance between the hotel and pier in order to board Genève for the passage to Montreux. Before reaching Genève she was attacked and stabbed by an Italian anarchist. The empress boarded the steamer which then departed. During the passage, her wounds were found to be life-threatening. The steamer returned to Geneva and the empress was taken back to the hotel, where she died shortly afterwards.

The assassin, Luigi Lucheni, was caught and later admitted that he had decided ‘to murder the first high-born person’ that he met in Geneva. It has been described as coincidence that his victim was Empress Elizabeth.

Once a year, on Pentecost Sunday — usually in May — the fleet comes together for CGN’s Parade Navale. The venue changes annually between the larger ports on Lake Geneva. The steamers usually pass close to the lakeshore twice before all five line-up to release balloons.

Afterwards, they go astern at impressive speed before returning to their home ports.

Today, the views from the open deck of the Genève floating restaurant across the Jet D’Eau and Lake Geneva have earned her the reputation of offering the most beautiful terrace on the lake.

1.

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Across Horrid (13) Cheer (7) Gift (7) Thief (9) Nose tobacco (5) Musical six (6) Worried (8) Billed creature (8) Receptacle (6) Contribution (5) String players (9) Flyer (7) Oriental (7) Commercial (13)

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Down Girl’s name (7) Very (9) Game (6) Not seen (8) Expanses (5) Toil (7)

8.

9.

16.

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21.

22.

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Thoughtful (13) Directed home (4-9) New word (9) Tanned (8) Put in for (7) Recognise (7) Small meals (6) Tax (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Across Half second over some era as start to story (4,4,1,4) Place where horses may be kept, together (7) Good in a crumble, growing out of Argyll and Bute village tip (7) Fifty percent in fact (4-5) Is back before weekday, having met pie person (5) Type of cell accommodation for hippies with drug removed from deed (6)

15. Gal rides around to Bononcini’s (8) 18. A drink after dark for flyer (8) 20. Line copper with ointment administered in the house of 13 the leper (6) 23. Diving off south island in the 5 Caribbean (5) 25. Or beg chav to undergo reform for which he was famed (9) 26. Operatic piece about bounder in region of Greece (7) 27. Stylist sees growth in animal hair (7) 28. Pre-decimal cycle (5-8)

Down 2. Got snug in treehouse that was first in the field (7) 3. TNT menace disrupted performance (9) 4. Stop to remove weeds (4,2) 5. PM and Queen not together on boreal position (8) 6. Housing support in East Russia (5)

7. As I am upset between start of May and end of April about the foul air (7) 8. Express desire from an astronomical standpoint (4,4,1,4) 9. Key extremes in colour (5,3,5) 16. Easily upset, Albert Ross initially left Square and joined religious group (9) 17. Flag Alun unfurled for crosscountry skiing (8) 19. Great distance learning body but then a pain getting art material (7) 21. Revision gave each an A in Ancient Greek (7) 22. ‘This ship to all the rest did I --- : When will she turn, and whither?’ (Wordsworth) (6) 24. Forest of publications on Shakespeare (5) J Crossword answers are on page 38.

25/04/2017 14:57

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

Fabulous ferry crew in the Falklands war All in the Same Boat

By Warren FitzGerald John Blake Books, £16.99 ISBN: 978 17860 60068 fwww.johnblakebooks.com was notable for two things: firstly, that several K crew members were ‘out and proud’ at a time

Back in 1982, the Hull-Rotterdam ferry Norland

when it was difficult to be openly gay ashore; and secondly, that the vessel took part in the Falklands War. All in the Same Boat is the story of the Norland, in the words of the British crew members who unexpectedly found themselves on the front line of the conflict with Argentina. Author Warren FitzGerald was a small child in 1982 and knew little about the Falklands, but his interest was piqued a few years ago by seeing retired steward Roy ‘Wendy’ Gibson flamboyantly playing the piano for a singalong on TV and talking about his experiences in the South Atlantic.

FitzGerald tracked down Gibson and several of his Norland shipmates, to get them talking about the Falklands and persuade them to contribute to a book. The result is a triumph; a gripping,

Salutary tales from aviation investigations The Crash Detectives

By Christine Negroni Atlantic Books, £12.99 ISBN: 978 17823 96413 aviation industry for ideas and K inspiration — most notably in the Shipping often looks to the

way it has adapted cockpit resource management to the maritime model.

As ships’ bridges increasingly come to resemble flight decks, this fascinating book offers some very relevant lessons for owners, operators and seafarers.

Subtitled Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters, the book leads off from the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight 370 and the deliberate downing of the GermanWings flight one year later to examine the way in which the airline sector really does learn from incidents.

Indeed, Christine Negroni writes, virtually every aspect of modern pilot training, airline operation and aircraft design has been shaped by the findings of accident investigations.

However, as her book makes clear, while safety standards have risen dramatically, accidents continue to occur and new challenges have emerged.

The many resonances with shipping can been seen throughout

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

entertaining and sometimes horrifying narrative that deserves a wide audience.

It was a bold decision to tell the story entirely in the crew’s own words — set out rather like a play, with each person picking up the tale from the one before. This could have ended up being repetitive or rambling, but the excellent editing keeps up the pace of the story while maintaining the sense that we are hearing the true voices of the participants.

The author even succeeds in conveying something of the men’s accents in his transcription of their speech, which is a literary technique that defeats some writers, but in FitzGerald’s hands adds to the vibrancy of the narrative.

The speakers describe the Norland as a happy ship that many saw as their true home; a refuge from the prejudice and even violence that gay crew members encountered ashore. Some also talk of the high professional reputation they enjoyed as gay stewards; known and sought after for taking excellent care of their passengers.

And then, of course, came the fateful day when their civilian customers were replaced with soldiers, and they set off for the other side of the world. With the Norland having been requisitioned as a troop carrier, they were initially told that they would

the book — ranging from the way in which Inmarsat communications are used to the navigator on Amelia Earhart’s aircraft when it disappeared in 1937 (a master mariner with a drink problem).

Especially interesting for seafarers are the sections dealing with the development of crew resource management as a way to break down unquestioning hierarchy and to encourage better interaction, as well as the issue of cultural differences between crews from different countries.

And as ‘smart’ ships become more commonplace, this book provides some very interesting insight on the impact of automation — not least the way that it can cause confusion, complexity and complacency, with pilots often joking that the most common question on the flight deck is: ‘What’s it doing now?’

‘For a while, the debate has been over who or what does the job better, the human or the machine,’ Negroni notes. ‘What is emerging is that each does the job differently… and on almost every flight, new technology and age-old human qualities mesh in just the right way so that flying is safer than the sum of these parts.’

Highly recommended, this book has a very valuable message in the

simply be dropping off their military passengers on Ascension Island and returning. But when they arrived in the South Atlantic, they found themselves drawn ever closer into the conflict, ending up in the thick of the action off the Falkland d Islands.

Their guests, the ‘2 Paras’, started out on their long journey to the South Atlantic rather suspicious of the liberal atmosphere of the ship, but gradually relinquished their homophobia, won over by the warmth and professionalism of their hosts — both gay and straight. The question of whether the Norland’s civilian master or the military leaders onboard should be in overall charge of the vessel was more difficult to resolve, but again was managed with a fair degree of tact and goodwill.

In telling their story, the Norland’s crew members do not hold back on describing the horrors they saw and the dread they felt — wondering, after the sinking of the merchant vessel Atlantic Conveyor, whether they would be next. However, their dialogue is leavened by gallows humour and ‘ooer missus’ banter in the vein of camp British TV stars John Inman and Larry Grayson.

The speakers also pay full tribute to the heroism

growing debate over automation in shipping — the abiding importance of the human element within ever-more complex systems.

Always more to say about this vessel...

Well-known waterway, then and now

Guide to the Crew of Titanic

By Günter Bäbler The History Press, £20 ISBN: 978 07509 68454 Zwww.thehistorypress.co.uk

Manchester Ship Canal Through Time

By Steven Dickens Amberley Books, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 39727 Zwww.amberley-books.com has provided the north west of K England with a vital trade route to The Manchester Ship Canal

the Irish Sea for well over 120 years.

It was a magnificent feat of engineering — including the world’s only swing aqueduct — that allowed ocean-going ships to transverse its 36 miles. Costing the equivalent of £1.5bn in today’s prices, the waterway helped turn Manchester into the third largest port in the country at one time.

In the latest of Amberley Books’ ‘through time’ series, Steven Dickens looks at the changes and

they witnessed in the Falklands, and are proud to wear their own campaign medals — although it still rankles that they received these in the post rather than having them presented at a ceremony.

Since 1982, great strides have been made in British society’s tolerance and inclusivity, and it is to be hoped that many more vessels now embrace diversity in the same way as the Norland. But it is harder to imagine today’s ships following the Norland’s example in other respects. Where, now, would we find a UK-registered, British-crewed merchant vessel like this, ready to help in a national emergency?

the Titanic disaster that have K been replayed and written about in There are so many aspects of

development of the Manchester Ship Canal — from its origins as a thriving economic hub in the late 19th century to an important retail, leisure and media centre in the early 21st century.

The 96-page book tells the story through a combination of 180 illustrations (many of them being ‘then and now’ pictures) and explanatory paragraphs, with a final series of photographs that capture a bit of the history of Manchester Liners — the shipping company whose fortunes were closely connected to the canal’s status.

great detail over the years — the maiden voyage, striking the iceberg, the passenger class arrangements, the empty lifeboats — but much less attention has been paid to the ship’s crew.

Author Günter Bäbler has set out to fill that gap — explaining in his introduction how ‘all that interested parties can infer on the basis of the available information is that the captain had the best job aboard and the trimmers probably the worst’.

Across 12 chapters and 220 pages, Bäbler meticulously details the inner workings of Titanic. His book names all the 900 crew members who were serving onboard on 10 April 1912 — of

A seafaring life shaped by conflict Lost at Sea, Found at Fukushima Lo

By Andy Millar Pen and Sword, £19.99 Pe ISBN: 978 14738 78068 IS f www.pen-and-sword.co.uk a rather distant, reserved figure, ill at ease K with his children when he came home on leave w

Andy Millar’s father David had always been

from his lifelong career in the Merchant Navy. But fr when David died in 2003, Andy finally found the w key to his father’s personality: a cardboard box full ke of documents and photographs telling the story of the seafarer’s service in the Second World War. th So began a mission to find out everything possible about this time in David’s life and record po his experiences in a book. Andy was aware that his hi father had been a prisoner of war, but it emerged fa that David was one of only six Merchant Navy th prisoners at Fukushima internment camp in Japan pr — and that his status as a civilian meant that he

continued to be listed simply as ‘missing at sea’ throughout the war, because it was a secret that non-military personnel were kept at the camp.

As well as poring over the contents of the cardboard box, Andy Millar tracked down many of his father’s fellow prisoners for contributions to the book — including women and children who had been kept at Fukushima. He also researched David’s earlier involvement in the supply convoys as a young Merchant Navy officer, before his capture.

Equally interesting is the section on the aftermath of the war, when David struggled to settle into his old life and resume his seafaring career, doubtless suffering from what we today would call post-traumatic stress disorder.

Overall, it’s a rich and thoughtful book which is very much worth a read: both as a touching attempt by one man to get to know his father better, and as a welcome addition to the chronicles of Merchant Navy involvement in the war.

which 75% died — and outlines their personal details, work commitments and whether they survived or perished.

Bäbler’s dedication to the task is demonstrated by his decision to spend a week at sea living the working routine of Titanic’s fourth officer — noting how he managed to sleep an average of only four hours and 58 minutes every day.

‘Accordingly,’ he writes, ‘in future the theme of “fatigue” will influence more prominently my assessment of the events which occurred’.

He also examines pay rates — explaining that many crew members had to live ‘under very straitened circumstances’, with the master being the only member of the deck department to have an annual salary.

The book also gives information about the value the company placed on the ship’s engineers, how tipping would work onboard and how hidden bonuses would have been paid had the ship made it to New York.

Almost 46% of Titanic lives lost belonged to the crew, and while it’s welcome to see such overdue attention being paid to them, this book may not be for everyone. Large portions are dedicated to either listing names or organisation structure charts, and some may find themselves skipping sections in search of something less niche. But this would be a shame: Bäbler’s concluding analysis of all of this argues that the working arrangements should prompt fresh questions about the ship’s loss.

25/04/2017 14:57

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NL NEWS In this month’s Dutch pages: z Nautilus helps job–seeking captains z In–depth interview with professor Syamantak

Bhattacharya z STC seminar about the future z MIBW team in Race of the Classics

z P&O CBA

z Nautilus symposium and annual meeting

z New working hours in inland waterways

z New Generation Festival

z Blue Careers project

Cao-principeakkoord met P&O Ferries rondes is onlangs met P&O A Ferries een cao principeakkoord Na drie onderhandelings-

bereikt. Het akkoord zal met een neutraal advies worden voorgelegd aan de leden op de ledenvergadering aan boord van Pride of Rotterdam, op 18 mei aanstaande.

Afspraken in het kort:

z Een cao met een looptijd van 2 jaar.

z Voorzetting van het bestaande

systeem van prijscompensatie per 1 januari 2017 en per 1 januari 2018. z Een initiële loonsverhoging van 1 % per 1 januari 2017 en 1 % per 1 januari 2018. z Alle loonbestandsdelen die nog niet geïndexeerd werden, worden geïndexeerd vanaf 2017. z Er komt een kaderstelling met betrekking tot duurzame inzetbaarheid. Invulling en uitwerking ligt bij PO Ferries en de OR.

z Rivercruise campaign

z De mogelijkheid voor

zeevarenden om onder voorwaarden 50% parttime te werken.

z Er komt een ouderenregeling,

waarbij zeevarenden bij 60 jaar 80% gaan werken tegen 90% van het loon en 100% pensioenopbouw.

Het ouderenverlof blijft als overgangsregeling bestaan voor diegenen, die voor oktober 2015 in dienst waren. Het recht op ouderenverlof loopt door tot 60 jaar. z De sociale begeleidingsregeling vervalt. Hiervoor in de plaats komen afspraken over een scholingsbudget in het kader van ontwikkeling van medewerkers. z De reiskostenregeling wordt aangepast in het kader van gelijke behandeling voor diegenen, die in het buitenland wonen. z De loodsvergoeding van de eerste stuurman wordt gelijk getrokken met die van de kapitein. z Reparatie van het derde WW jaar.

Volg ons op Twitter

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat de scheepvaartindustrie meer gebruik zou moeten maken van wind voortstuwing technologie?

Ja 50% Nee 50%

z ETF Trends

’n Stukje meezeilen met MIWB team in Race of the Classics A

Op 2 april 2017 ging in de Veerhaven in Rotterdam het grootste studenten zeilevenement van Europa, de Race of the Classics, voor de 29ste keer van start. Ruim 500 studenten namen hier afscheid van familie en vrienden om op 21 klassieke zeilschepen de oversteek naar Engeland te gaan maken.

Studenten vanuit vrijwel iedere studentenstad in Nederland waren met een eigen team vertegenwoordigd. Onder hen ook het MIWB (Willem Barentsz) team met aan boord 6 Terschellinger en 16 Leeuwarder studenten. De Telegraph voer een stukje mee. Een impressie: Op naar Ipswich

De zon staat strak aan de hemelsblauwe hemel als de het snorrende motortje van de Catharina aanslaat en even later het grootzeil wordt gehesen. De koffie en chocoladekoeken staan klaar als even later de 22 Willem Barentsz studenten met een aantal familieleden en vrienden eerst een showstukje gaan varen.

In kiellinie met de 20 andere zeilschepen gaat het eerst naar Vlaardingen. Het toegestroomde publiek op de kade wuift de spectaculaire zeilvloot uit. Even lijkt het of de VOC-tijd terug is gekeerd. Teamcaptain Vera Hoogenberg slaat alles met een goedkeurende blik gaande. ‘Het is nu nog relaxed, maar eind van de middag moeten we er klaar voor zijn. Dan is de echte wedstrijdstart, zonder gasten, richting Ipswich in Engeland. Als de weergoden ons goedgezind zijn, hopen we daar dinsdagmiddag 5 april aan te komen.’ Het is alweer de tweede keer dat de 19-jarige Leeuwarder studente Scheepsbouw meevaart.

‘Dat is ook een vereiste om teamcaptain te kunnen worden’, zegt Vera, één van de 7 deelnemende vrouwelijke studenten.

Windkracht 8

De poll van deze maand is: Denkt u dat LNG het antwoord is op de emissie uitdagingen in de scheepvaartwereld? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl_24.4.indd 32

INTERNATIONAL

Collega Leeuwarder student en PR-man Luite Bolhuis (23 jaar) deed vorig jaar ook mee en hoopt ‘weer op een gezellige, leuke overtocht met zijn allen’. Luite: ‘Vorig jaar hadden we alle weertypen. Ook een keer tot windkracht 8!’ Douwe Borg (20 jaar) studeert als Marof op Terschelling. Het zeilen heeft hem al van jongs af aan getrokken.

‘Mooi toch! Vooral ook op die oude schuiten. Met elkaar er voor gaan,

Twee dagen later: Engeland in zicht!

dat trekt me er ook in aan’, zegt hij enthousiast. Vera: ‘Hoe ik teamcaptain ben geworden? Nou, ik ben er voor gevraagd. Dat vind ik wel een eer ja. Vroeger was ik best wel een beetje verlegen, maar nu moet ik er staan. Ik houd wel van een beetje organiseren en mensen bij elkaar brengen en houden. Al doende leer je dat en je moet het inderdaad, wat Douwe zegt, met elkaar doen.’

Zwemvesten om

Dan doemt Vlaardingen op. Eén voor één meren de schepen aan om hun gasten af te zetten. Ook de Catharina. De MIBW studenten doen hun zwemvesten om. De net nog vrolijke gezichten beginnen al wat te verstrakken. Nog een klein stukje varen, naar Hoek van Holland, en dan wordt het menens….de Noordzee lonkt…en Ipswich lijkt dan nog ver.’

Ipswich in Engeland werd vervolgens na bijna twee dagen op de Noordzee door de gehele vloot van de Race of the Classics bereikt.

De schepen hadden in de nacht van zondag op maandag veel last van dichte mist. Als gevolg vond er een herstart plaats op maandagochtend, waarna de vloot, aangevoerd door het Marine schip Zijner Majesteit Urania, haar tocht vervolgde naar de haven van Ipswich. Drie jaar geleden werd voor het laatst de oversteek gemaakt. Voor veel van de deelnemende studenten was het dus de eerste keer dat ze de Noordzee overstaken. Het enthousiasme onder de deelnemers was daarom ook groot. Aangekomen in Ipswich werd de overtocht gevierd met een groot gala.

Na een dagje Engeland voer de vloot op 5 april weer terug naar Nederland, waar op 6 april de haven van Scheveningen werd verblijd met de aankomst van de 21 fiere Classics!

Finish in Amsterdam

Zaterdag 8 april voeren alle schepen via Beverwijk naar Amsterdam. Na de laatste mijlen over het IJ eindigde deze spectaculaire week uiteindelijk aan de met zeilpubliek volgestroomde Sumatrakade.

25/04/2017 18:10

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Blue Careers: Hybride vakdocenten gezocht dat kiest voor een nautische C beroepsopleiding is de afgelopen

Het aantal mbo’ers en hbo’ers

jaren sterk gestegen. Als gevolg hiervan is er een tekort aan ervaren vakdocenten en aan stageplaatsen ontstaan. In het onlangs gestarte project Blue Careers slaan de STC-Group, diverse bedrijven, Nautilus International en andere belangenbehartigers de handen ineen om deze twee problemen op te lossen; met name voor het MBO. Hybride vakdocenten gezocht

Belangrijk doel van de partners die participeren in het project Blue Careers, is het werven en opleiden van zogenaamde hybride vakdocenten. Hybride vakdocenten hebben een verbindende functie tussen school en de branche. Ze staan letterlijk met het ene been in de school en met het andere been in het bedrijfsleven. Deze docenten geven een paar dagen per week les aan mbo’ers die bij het Scheepvaart en Transport College (onderdeel van de STC-Group) een technische / maritieme opleiding volgen, helpen bij het actualiseren van de lesprogramma’s en doen onderzoek naar innovaties in het eigen vakgebied. De rest van de week zijn de hybride vakdocenten aan het werk bij de huidige werkgever. Het project heeft een looptijd van twee jaar. Doel is om in september 2017 tien hybride

Project bemiddeling werkzoekende kapiteins zeevaart

In de Telegraph van april meldden wij u dat wij in overleg waren met de reders en het UWV over de toegenomen werkloosheid onder Nederlandse kapiteins.

Nu kunnen wij u melden dat wij op korte termijn samen met de KVNR een project starten om de werkzoekende kapiteins nader te ondersteunen.

Nautilus en de reders hebben twee gerenommeerde uitzendbureaus, Marlow en Tos, gevraagd om het bij het UWV geregistreerde bestand aan werkzoekende kapiteins te bekijken op geschiktheid voor de in de sector bestaande vacatures. En aan geschikte kandidaten zullen zij ook concreet bemiddeling kunnen aanbieden.

Uiteraard op basis van vrijwilligheid en met respect voor uw privacy.

Werkgelegenheid voor maritieme professionals topprioriteit

Lange tijd was er vrijwel geen werkloosheid onder Nederlandse kapiteins en officieren en werkte het zorgvuldige systeem van EU/EER versus niet-EU/EER werkgelegenheid daarom naar tevredenheid van vele betrokkenen. De afgelopen maanden, sinds de teloorgang van Flinter en Abis, melden onze leden ons echter dat daar een verschuiving in optreedt en dat Nederlanders soms moeilijk aan het werk komen. Uiteraard nemen wij dat

32-35_nl_24.4.indd 33

vakdocenten te werven die vervolgens kunnen starten met hun opleiding. In de loop van het project zullen meer hybride vakdocenten geworven worden.

Iets voor u?

g Neem dan contact op met Lucie Saxton: saxton@stc-r.nl of tel.: 010 – 44 86 000.

Stageloket

Tijdens hun opleiding lopen mbo’ers minimaal een keer stage.

Deze stage is een verplicht en belangrijk onderdeel van de beroepsopleiding. Doordat het aantal nautische studenten de afgelopen jaren sterk is gestegen, is er druk komen te staan op het aantal beschikbare stageplaatsen.

Het oprichten van een centraal stageloket en een online stagebank is een ander belangrijk doel van het project Blue Careers.

Projectpartners

Naast de STC-Group (penvoerder) participeren ook het Havenbedrijf Rotterdam N.V., Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contracters B.V., Nautilus International en Stichting Nederland Maritiem Land in dit project, dat mede mogelijk is gemaakt dankzij subsidie vanuit de Europese Unie. Daarnaast hebben Damen Shipyards, IHC en Feadship / Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw een letter of support getekend.

soort meldingen heel serieus. Vandaar dat wij een concreet project starten om werkloze kapiteins aan werk te helpen. Bij succes kunnen we in een later stadium mogelijk ook zo’n extra inspanning inzetten voor de matching van andere groepen zeevarenden.

Nautilus Adviescentrum

Binnenkort opent Nautilus samen met de FNV ook een adviescentrum voor mensen die werkloos zijn of met werkloosheid bedreigd worden en ander werk zoeken. Ook in dat adviescentrum zullen wij ons inspannen voor uw werkgelegenheid en uw mobiliteit. Meer nieuws hierover volgt op korte termijn.

Meld u bij Nautilus

Uw informatie is de basis van ons werk.

Wij herhalen daarom onze oproep: meld u bij Nautilus als u moeilijk of niet aan (vast) werk komt. Die informatie is belangrijk voor ons. Ook horen wij informeel vaak welke rederijen personeel zoeken. Het is dan handig als wij uw functie en uw globale arbeidsverleden weten.

Ook als u uw ervaringen met het hierboven omschreven project wilt delen, horen wij dat graag.

g Wij horen in alle gevallen graag

van u via het mailadres infonl@ nautilusint.org. Telefonisch kan ook.

Bel dan op maandag, woensdag of donderdag met Ingrid Linschoten op tel nr. 010-2862985.

Samen sterk richting 2030 in Rotterdam Zuid A

Op 23 maart organiseerde de STC-Group een toekomstconferentie in het kader van het project ‘Samen Sterk voor de Toekomst op Rotterdam Zuid’. Dit project is onderdeel van het door de Europese Unie gefinancierde programma ‘Kansen voor West II’.

De STC-Group is partner in dit project en was tevens gastheer van dit evenement. Tijdens deze conferentie stonden vooral vragen rondom de maritieme en logistieke beroepen van 2030 centraal.

aanbevelingen en suggesties samen gesprokkeld en even snel op een groot scherm getoond.

Zaken als ‘ICT wordt steeds belangrijker’, ‘STC moet meer coachend aan de slag richting de jongeren van Rotterdam Zuid’ en ‘Inspelen op een leven lang (bij) leren’ passeerden de revue.

STC-Group College van Bestuur voorzitter Frits Gronsveld dankte in zijn slotwoord alle aanwezigen voor de ingebrachte suggesties en aanbevelingen, stelde ‘er mee aan de slag te gaan’ en beloofde de aanwezigen nog een uitgebreid verslag van alle suggesties en aanbevelingen.

‘Geef ze een basisinkomen’

Futuroloog Richard van Hooijdonk gaf de bijna 100 aanwezigen als opwarmertje een inkijkje in de nabije toekomst, die steeds sneller op ons afkomt en die ook een grote impact op de maritieme en logistieke beroepen zal hebben. Van Hooijdonk: ‘Binnen tien tot vijftien jaar zie je geen schipper meer op een schip en zijn zelfvarende schepen een feit geworden. Ook in de haven zul je straks veel minder mensen zien werken. Dat gaat allemaal steeds meer gerobotiseerd. Wat er dan met al die mensen moet gebeuren waar geen werk meer voor is? Geef ze een basisinkomen, zou ik zeggen. In de toekomst zullen gewoonweg steeds minder werkende mensen nodig zijn. Wel blijft er werk voor hoogopgeleide, getalenteerde en gepassioneerde mensen. En houd

er verder ook nog even rekening mee dat de kinderen die nu 5 jaar oud zijn, uiteindelijk 150 jaar zullen worden!’

Vervolgens sprong Van den Hooijdonk, onlangs voorzien van een geïmpregneerde chip, die zijn gezondheid checkt, in zijn zelfrijdende auto, op weg naar een nieuwe bruisende voordracht…

Aansluitend gingen de aanwezige vertegenwoordigers uit het bedrijfsleven en docenten van de STC-Group met elkaar in gesprek om toekomstscenario’s op te stellen.

RMU studenten aan het woord

Ze werden hierin begeleid door een groep RMU studenten. Onder wie ook de HBO Zeevaart

scholieren Kaj van der Valk (rechts op de foto) en Wessel Pluim (links op de foto). Kaj: ‘Ik kom van de MBO opleiding en ik ga nu versneld HBO doen. Eén van de redenen voor mij om voor het HBO te kiezen, is dat ik wel concurrerend wil blijven te midden van mijn collega studenten. Er zal volgens mij steeds meer vraag komen naar vooral HBO studenten. Dat zie ik wel als trend ja.’ Wessel: ‘Ik wil gewoon verder gaan in de technologie en zie wel wat er op mij afkomt. Overigens denk ik dat er altijd mensen aan boord nodig blijven, al is het alleen maar voor het onderhoud.’

Suggesties en aanbevelingen

Uiteindelijk werden tal van

Zicht op de toekomst

Tot slot kregen de aanwezigen nog een fraai boekwerkje uitgereikt, getiteld ‘Zicht op de toekomst’ …Desk Study Samen Sterk voor de toekomst op Rotterdam-Zuid.

Hierin valt onder meer de volgende opmerkelijke toekomstschets (richting2030) te lezen: ‘…Bedrijven kiezen uit kostenoverweging gemakkelijker voor een buitenlandse medewerker, met name uit Oost-Europa, met een flexibel contract en minder bescherming vanuit een cao. Dit maakt dat arbeidsdeling in toenemende mate een internationaal vraagstuk wordt. Mede hierdoor neemt de invloed van de vakbonden af.’

Veel persaandacht voor Nautilus Rivier Cruise campagne de Europese River Cruise campagne van start.

F Een internationale ETF campagne van Europese

onder meer: ’U faciliteert immers al jaren de booming rivier cruise industrie in de haven van Amsterdam. Goed voor de lokale Amsterdamse economie ook. Daar is niks mis mee. Waar echter wel veel mis mee is, zijn de ronduit slechte arbeids- en leefvoorwaarden van de hardwerkende medewerkers in deze industrie’.

Op 5 april ging in Amsterdam (en ook in Bazel)

transportbonden en Nautilus International voor meer loon en betere werkomstandigheden.

De neerwaartse trend qua werkomstandigheden de laatste jaren:

z steeds minder personeel moet steeds meer

passagiers bedienen z overbezetting van bemanningshutten; met soms wel 3 bemanningsleden in 1 kleine hut z steeds harder werken en steeds langere werkuren z verschillende lonen voor verschillende nationaliteiten = sociale dumping z gebrek aan medische en andere sociale (verzekerde) voorzieningen Werkgevers sluiten deuren voor vakbonden

Nautilus Binnenvaart bestuurder Carl Kraijenoord: ‘De personeelsleden (nautische bemanning en hotel-, restaurant en catering personeel) krijgen te maken met steeds meer onzekerheid over lonen en arbeidsvoorwaarden. Zo verdient horecapersoneel aan boord gemiddeld 600 tot 800 euro netto per maand en ze zitten ook nog vaak met drie man op een kleine hut. Werkdagen van meer dan twaalf uur zijn schering en inslag. Het gaat dan vooral om Roemenen, Bulgaren, Serviërs en Kroaten. Deze vorm van sociale dumping moet zo spoedig mogelijk stoppen. Onze actie kreeg veel persaandacht.

Kennelijk iets teveel voor sommige werkgevers. Want het werd ons verboden aan boord te komen, waardoor er van vrij vakbondswerk geen sprake kon

Reactie Amsterdamse Haven

zijn. Wel hebben we de afspraak gemaakt binnenkort, met een vertegenwoordiger van de werkgevers erbij, alsnog aan boord te gaan om met de medewerkers te praten.’

Controle naar werken op riviercruise schepen

Inmiddels zijn inspecteurs van het ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid onderzoeken gestart naar de arbeidsomstandigheden op riviercruiseschepen. De inspectie van het ministerie doet op dit moment onderzoek naar het werken op de schepen en kijkt dan naar de wet arbeid vreemdelingen, het minimum loon en arbeidstijdenregelingen.

Op 3 april stuurden de ETF en Nautilus een open brief aan de Amsterdamse Economie wethouder Kajsa Ollongren om zich hard te maken voor betere arbeids- en leefvoorwaarden voor werknemers aan boord van de rivier cruiseschepen. In deze brief staat

Volgens havenwoordvoerster Anja Kiewit is het Amsterdamse havenbedrijf niet bevoegd voor dit soort controles. Tegen het Noordhollands Dagblad vertelde ze: ‘Onze havenbeambten zien toe op een veilige, vlotte doorgang van het scheepvaartverkeer.

Inspecties van lading en controle van ladingpapieren hoort daarbij. Ze bezoeken ook regelmatig riviercruiseschepen en kijken dan of zij voldoen aan de wet- en regelgeving op het gebied van veiligheid en milieu. Zijn er bijvoorbeeld voldoende zwemvesten aan boord, hoe gaat het schip met zijn olie.’ De medewerkers fungeren wel als ogen en oren in het havengebied. ‘Indien zij melding krijgen van misstanden zullen zij dit aankaarten bij de bevoegde instantie: de inspectie SZW (Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid) en nationale politie (die internationaal samenwerken in Aquapol verband).

Zij zijn de bevoegde autoriteiten om tegen mogelijke misstanden aan boord op te treden.’

Europese hart

Gelijktijdig werd er begin april ook campagne gevoerd rondom River Cruise schepen in: België, Frankrijk, Duitsland, Tsjechië, Bulgarije en Zwitserland.

Amsterdam staat bekend als het Europese hart en opstappunt van de River Cruise sector.

25/04/2017 18:11

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NL NEWS

De verdeling van werk en geld in de maritieme sector A

Eén van de sprekers op het ETF seminar ‘Seafarers matter ’op 28 februari in Brussel was Professor (kapitein) Syamantak Bhattacharya.

Professor of Maritime Management and Director School of Maritime Science and Engineering, Southampton Solent University.

In de Telegraph van april meldden we al dat Professor Bhattacharya een inspirerende presentatie verzorgde, getiteld: ‘The reality of working in the maritime transport sector’.

Voor deze uitgave legde Telegraph verslaggever Hans Walthie de professor (in zijn hoedanigheid van wetenschappelijk academicus) nog enkele extra vragen voor; gebaseerd op zijn ETF presentatie.

Top Ship-owners’ domiciles

Key Ship-registries

Major Labour sources

Sources: BIMCO/ISF, ISL

© Syamantak BhaƩacharya

In uw presentatie stelt u dat ‘duizenden zeevarenden, werkzaam op 10 tot 15 % van s’ werelds schepen, werkzaam zijn in slavernij omstandigheden, met minimale veiligheidsvoorzieningen, lange werktijden voor weinig of geen geld en voorzien van slecht voedsel.’

Denken wetenschappers zoals u dat dit percentage de komende 10 jaar nog verder zal stijgen?

‘Ik zou willen beginnen met te zeggen, en dit geldt voor meer vragen die u mij hier stelt, dat het niet aan mij is om de toekomst te voorspellen. Waar ik wel toe in staat ben, is commentaar te geven op de sociaal economische invloeden, die waarschijnlijk zullen blijven bestaan in de toekomst en die waarschijnlijk meer van dit soort wantoestanden kunnen uitlokken.

Slavernij is een extreem voorbeeld, hoewel het aan de andere kant toch een beduidend deel van de zeevarende populatie raakt. Maar ‘slechte werkomstandigheden’ tref je op nog uitgebreider schaal aan en die zouden toch eveneens niet geaccepteerd moeten worden in de wereld van de zeevaart.

Zolang als de hieronder aangegeven omstandigheden blijven bestaan, is het zeer wel mogelijk dat slechte leef- en arbeidsomstandigheden voor zeevarenden deze industrie zullen blijven beïnvloeden: 1. Aanzienlijke verschillen in regelgeving in de wereld, met daardoor ook verschillen in de kosten.

Wilt u verder nog iets toevoegen?

11

2. Zwakke regelmatige controle en monitoring door de vlagstaten, te wijten aan: afstand, intentie, bekwaamheid of een combinatie hiervan.

3. Zeer grote afhankelijkheid van het Port State Control stelsel.

4. Zwakke werkgelegenheid structuur, vooral aangewakkerd door arbeidsuitbuiting door landen die falen in het bieden van beroepsbescherming.

5. Een gebrek aan een lange termijn relatie tussen scheepseigenaar en scheepsbeheerder en tussen scheepsbeheerder en zeevarenden verergeren dit alles nog.

Indien de bovengeschetste omstandigheden verder verslechteren, dan zullen de uitkomsten ervan uiteraard ook verder verslechteren.’

In uw ETF presentatie liet u uw publiek de hier afgebeelde wereldkaart zien: Is er een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde economische verklaring te geven van het getoonde op deze wereldkaart c.q. wat hier achter zit?

‘In de ETF presentatie heb ik expres verschillende kleuren op de wereldkaart gemaakt om de boodschap duidelijk te laten overkomen. Dit plaatje laat een opvallend beeld zien hoe het kapitaal zich vermeerdert en in een vijandige handelsomgeving kan overleven (gezien vanuit het gezichtspunt van de scheepseigenaren). En hoe er gebruik wordt gemaakt van verschillende soorten hulpmiddelen vanuit bijna alle hoeken van de wereld, inclusief arbeidspotentieel vanuit de naar verhouding armere landen.

Deze ‘armere’ landen faciliteren vaak het werken van hun burgers op de wereldwijde arbeidsmarkt. Het is een klassiek heersend voorbeeld en deze case study in de scheepvaart kan tevens worden gebruikt voor de interpretatie van arbeid- en kapitaal gerelateerde

32-35_nl_24.4.indd 34

leef- en arbeidsvoorwaarden te verbeteren, niet meteen tastbare voordelen oplevert. Dat treedt pas op na verloop van tijd. Pas dan zie je het enorme effect er van. Maar in het begin vraagt dit om een duidelijk commitment en de nodige investeringen. En in de wereld van ‘korte termijn politiek’ is het moeilijk om een dergelijke investering te rechtvaardigen. Dus in feite is het wachten op het moment dat er enkele toonaangevende organisaties de positieve gevolgen van een ‘lange termijn oriëntatie’ uit gaan dragen.

Verandering komt vaak op gang dankzij goede voorbeelden en niet door nieuwe regelgeving. Zelf hoop ik van harte dat we op een dag een groep vooruitstrevende maritieme landen en enkele toonaangevende en zeer betrokken reders gaan zien, die het, in samenwerking met de vakbonden, voor elkaar krijgen een duurzame scheepvaartsector te creëren. Eén die op lange termijn de boventoon gaat voeren.

In het begin zal dit altijd een minderheid zijn, maar langzamerhand zou dit dan toch de nieuwe benchmark kunnen worden. U ziet dat ik toch wel optimistisch ben!’

ontwikkelingen buiten de maritieme sector. Wat er op dit plaatje bijzonder uitspringt zijn in feite de blauwe stippen.

In andere sectoren is het namelijk niet zo gebruikelijk dat regelgevers gekozen kunnen worden. De reglementen die van invloed zijn op de werkplek vallen over het algemeen onder dezelfde rechtsbevoegdheid als die voor de locatie van het moederbedrijf, of die van waar de arbeid wordt verricht, in het geval van arbeidsintensieve sectoren. Maar in de maritieme sector maakt het mobiele eigenaarschap van schepen het mogelijk om regelgevers uit geschikte locaties te kiezen. Dit gaat al zo sinds de komst van het uitvlaggen, waar de vlaggen in feite slechts pionnen in het spel blijken te zijn.

De echte voordelen liggen in het tewerkstellen van werknemers vanuit dit soort landen met hun arbeidsaanbod De globalisering van de wereldeconomie heeft het pad geëffend en gelegaliseerd voor dit soort systemen.

En dit zie je overal ter wereld gebeuren in alle industrie sectoren. In de maritieme sector is de uitwerking aanzienlijk diepgaand, vanwege de aard van de business, maar het zou ook weer niet gepast zijn om te stellen dat we hier met een unieke ontwikkeling te maken zouden hebben.’

Denkt u dat dit plaatje zal gaan veranderen de komende 10 jaar?

En in welke richting?

‘Ik ben een optimist en ik hoop dat dingen ten goede veranderen. Maar nogmaals, ik ben een academicus en ik ga niet zoals allerlei politici voorspellingen doen. Wel zou ik voorzichtig willen suggereren dat geopolitieke gebeurtenissen een uitwerking hebben op de maritieme sector. Zo kan een toename van nationalisme en protectionisme de globalisering afremmen of zelfs omkeren.

Een andere en interessantere invloed kan zich doen gelden als de wereld ondernemerschap op een meer duurzame en lange termijn basis wil zien. Hoe meer we in staat zijn een ‘lange

termijn standpunt’ in te nemen, hoe meer we wellicht in staat zijn naar het grotere geheel te kunnen kijken, op lange termijn gaan ondernemen en ons er bewust van worden dat toekomstbestendig ondernemen het best gerealiseerd kan worden door te investeren in het vakmanschap van werknemers en in hun werknemersrechten.

Echter als je het pessimistischer bekijkt, dan is het ook mogelijk dat de competitie net zo heftig zal zijn als in dit plaatje en dat de wereldkaart net zo ingekleurd blijft als nu. En er zullen dan nog altijd meer landen zijn waar je arbeid kunt exploiteren en waar je zo nog meer besparingen kunt realiseren.

Maar wat pragmatisch gezien ook kan, en dan baseer ik me op het werk van DeSombre, is dat de scheepvaartwereld noch de race naar beneden, noch de race naar de top zal inzetten, maar ergens in het midden zal uitkomen. Zoals duidelijk is geworden naar aanleiding van de ontwikkelingen in het laatste decennium, is er een grens bereikt aan hoe ‘laag’ je kunt geraken. Dit dankzij de inspanningen van Port State Control, de vakbonden en bijvoorbeeld classificatiebureaus. Maar dan heb je toch ook weer te maken met nietsontziende scheepseigenaren en -beheerders die er in slagen tussen de mazen van dit soort vangnetten door te glippen. Deze groep vormt dan ook de onderste laag van slechte leef- en arbeidsomstandigheden voor zeevarenden.’

Kunnen we van uw hand ook nog een onderzoek verwachten naar ‘Werkgevers met een lange termijn visie’, met goede relaties met vakbonden en met goede leef- en arbeidsvoorwaarden voor zeevarenden?’ Of gaat het hier slechts om een kleine minderheid?

Nogmaals, ik ga geen voorspellende uitspraken doen. Het punt is, en dat geldt voor elke sector, dat het investeren in werknemers, alsmede het trachten hun

‘Maritieme onderzoekers van de Solent Universiteit in Southampton hebben onderzoek uitgevoerd naar enkele van de kernpunten, die van invloed zijn op de industrie. In het nabije verleden ging het dan om: het welzijn en de implicaties qua efficiency inzake de toewijzing van een vaste of flexibele bemanning; het welzijn van zeevarenden in havens; fatigue verschijnselen bij wachtlopende officieren; de uitkomsten van een ‘8 uur op/ 8 uur af’ wachtloop systeem.

Dergelijke academische resultaten leveren bewijsmateriaal op en als dit gepubliceerd wordt, biedt dit een krachtig instrument in handen van regelgevers, vakbonden en reders om hier iets mee te doen. Op onderzoek gebaseerd bewijsmateriaal kan een belangrijk stukje worden in de legpuzzel van de reis van de maritieme industrie naar een betere toekomst.’

Professor (Capt.) Syamantak Bhattacharya

Syamantak Bhattacharya heeft gedurende 15 jaar gevaren bij Denholm Ship Management, UK, waarvan 2 jaar als kapitein op grote tankers en nog eens 2 jaar gewerkt als scheepsbeheerder voor Chemoil Corporation, gevestigd in Singapore. Van 2004-2008 studeerde hij af (PhD) op de effectiviteit van de ISM Code at SIRC, aan de Cardiff University.

Na zijn afstuderen vertrok hij naar de Plymouth University waar hij als academicus les ging geven en waar hij de supervisie had over doctoraal studenten ‘maritieme onderwerpen’. Syamantak onderzoekt vooral: globalisering, regulering, arbeid en menselijke factoren. Hij heeft projecten gedaan inzake wereldwijde container terminals en health and safety in SMEs in de EU. Ook heeft hij artikelen gepubliceerd in: Industrial Relations, Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, TR-A, Economic and Industrial Democracy, Safety Science, Employee Relations, and Marine Policy.

In 2016 werd hij aangesteld als Director of the Maritime Science & Engineering School, waartoe ook de vermaarde Warsash Maritime Academy of Southampton Solent University behoort.

25/04/2017 17:39

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS

Investeren in maritieme professionals Nautilus en ETF F Trends: focus op robotisering en klimaatsverandering Op dinsdagmiddag 20 juni 2017, van 15.00 tot 17.00 uur, vindt het openbaar toegankelijke Nautilus symposium ‘Investeren in Maritieme Professionals’ plaats in het Rotterdam Marriott Hotel te Rotterdam; Weena 686.

nummer in de Telegraph A verslag gedaan van de bijdrage Wij hebben in een eerder

vanuit Nautilus aan het project ETF Trends. Dit project moet een advies opleveren voor de strategische keuzes die worden gemaakt op het ETF (Europese Transport Werkers Federatie) Congres, dat van 24 t/m 26 mei in Barcelona wordt gehouden. Op het congres zijn vanuit Nautilus General Secretary Mark Dickinson en International Officer Nick Bramley aanwezig. Daarnaast zijn er nog honderden andere vakbondsvertegenwoordigers present, vanuit alle binnen Europa aangesloten nationale bonden.

Vakbondsmacht ontwikkelen

Op 22, 23 en 24 maart was de laatste bijeenkomst voordat het finale advies vanuit ETF Trends wordt voorgelegd aan het congres.

Nautilus heeft opnieuw ingezet op een meer faciliterende rol door de ETF aan aangesloten nationale vakbonden om de werknemers op de werkvloer te organiseren en vakbondsmacht te ontwikkelen. Ook is de keuze gemaakt om niet alle vier ontwikkelingen (globalisatie, demografische ontwikkelingen, digitalisatie en klimaatverandering) evenveel prioriteit te geven.

Nautilus bestuurder Carl Kraijenoord : ‘We hebben gekeken naar de Europese context en zijn tot de conclusie gekomen dat daarbinnen Digitalisatie (of Robotisering) en Klimaatverandering de belangrijkste thema’s zijn. Om hiermee een begin te maken, waren voor 23 en 24 maart ook NGO’s (nongouvernementele organisaties) uitgenodigd, zodat het tot een

eerste kennismaking en uitwisseling kon komen. Natuurlijk waren niet alle in Brussel aanwezige organisaties van de partij. Daar zijn er gewoonweg veel te veel van.

Wel is er een selectie gemaakt van NGO’s die aansluiten op ons thema Klimaatverandering. Dit zijn de Europese koepelorganisaties van verschillende nationale milieuorganisaties, zoals bijvoorbeeld in Nederland: Natuurmonumenten of Milieudefensie.’

Lobby-kracht

Carl Kraijenoord: ‘NGO’s kunnen vaak snel handelen, daar ze geen rekening hoeven te houden met de democratie van een vereniging. Het zijn meestal stichtingen zonder leden en ze kunnen heel vlot inspelen op allerlei kansen die zich voordoen. Ze hebben ook meer lobby-kracht dan de ETF, want ze zijn met veel meer professionals in Brussel om Europarlementariërs of -commissarissen te bestoken. Hierbij gaan ze eigenlijk voor allerlei duurzame doelen, zonder dat hierbij de factor arbeid wordt meegenomen. De ETF en Nautilus nemen vooral deel aan het officiële overlegcircuit in Europa ,zoals Sociale Dialoog e.d. Als bonden zijn wij weer expert op het gebied van de factor arbeid. Door meer energie te steken in samenwerken zouden we wellicht nog meer van onze doelstellingen kunnen realiseren.

Overigens hebben wij in Nederland al een georganiseerd overleg met nationale NGO’s om hieraan invulling te geven. We hebben inmiddels tegen elkaar uitgesproken dat we dit op Europees niveau ook verder willen ontwikkelen en dat hierdoor nu een succesvolle 1e stap is gezet.’

Inmiddels is de vooraankondiging de deur uit, met de volgende inleidende tekst: De wereldhandel kan niet zonder transport over water. En dus ook niet

zonder maritieme professionals.

Helaas zien w e nu steeds meer ‘lage lonen landers’, met onzekere contracten, de werkplekken van maritieme Nederlandse professionals innemen. Dit geldt voor alle sectoren op zee- en binnenwater. Tevens wordt met EU-gelden onderzoek gesponsord naar automatisering van schepen, waarbij maritieme professionals hooguit nog worden genoemd als ‘risico factor’! Wat betekent dit alles voor de werkgelegenheid? En voor

mogelijke om- en bijscholing van werknemers?

Hoogste tijd daarom voor een duidelijke werknemersvisie onder de vlag van onze centrale Nautilus campagne ‘Jobs, Skills and the Future’.

Bovendien lanceert Nautilus deze middag zijn eigen Werk- en Adviescentrum.

g U kunt zich nu al opgeven bij: mschmidt@nautilusint.org

A

Zo’n 5 jaar geleden hebben de Europese Sociale Partners (EBU, ESO en ETF), waarvan Nautilus ook deel uitmaakt, een overeenkomst ondertekend over de arbeidstijden in de binnenvaart. Deze overeenkomst is in 2014 vastgelegd in een richtlijn (=Europese wetgeving). Alle EU-lidstaten kregen vervolgens de opdracht deze overeenkomst voor 2017 om te zetten in nationale wetgeving. Inmiddels is met ingang van 1 januari 2017 het arbeidstijdenbesluit vervoer (ook binnenvaart) in Nederland gewijzigd. Wat betekent dit alles?

Beschermingsniveau Europese werknemers moet omhoog

In ieder geval is vooraf afgesproken dat het invoeren van deze richtlijn nooit mag resulteren in een verslechtering. Het beschermingsniveau van werknemers binnen Europa moet omhoog en niet naar beneden! Alle EU-landen moeten zich houden aan het minimum niveau van deze richtlijn. Daarmee worden onderlinge verschillen niet helemaal voorkomen, maar ontstaat er wel meer een gelijk speelveld. En dat is belangrijk om sociale dumping tegen te gaan.

Van toepassing op alle werknemers aan boord

De nieuwe regels zijn van toepassing op alle werknemers aan boord. Dus niet alleen bestemd voor diegenen die zich bezighouden met het varen van het schip, maar ook voor de bemanningsleden, die werken in de hotel-, horeca- of andere vorm van dienstverlening. In

Nederland gelden de regels ook voor ‘zetschippers’ of zzp-ers, als er sprake is van een juridische of werkinhoudelijke gezagsverhouding met de ‘inlener’.

Verder biedt de richtlijn: ruimere rusttijden dan voorheen, bescherming tegen teveel nachtwerk en registratie en bekrachtiging (ondertekening) van de verrichte arbeids- en rusttijden.

z een werkdag duurt in principe 8 uur z ten hoogste 14 uren werken in elke periode

De Binnenvaart kent al jarenlang exploitatiewijzen (A1, A2 en B ). Voor de

De arbeids- en rusttijden van alle werknemers worden geregistreerd (kan in het vaartijdenboek of anders) en uiterlijk eens per maand door de werknemer en werkgever gecontroleerd en ondertekend. Deze registratie wordt tenminste 52 weken aan boord van het schip bewaard. Ook de werknemer bewaart de aan hem/haar verstrekte kopie van deze registratie minstens 52 weken.

Afwijken van de arbeids- en rusttijden is alleen mogelijk in noodsituaties. Hierbij dreigt een gevaar voor de onmiddellijke veiligheid van het schip, de personen aan boord, of de lading. Of er wordt hulp verleend aan andere schepen of personen in nood. Als de noodsituatie voorbij is, moet er voldoende rusttijd ter compensatie worden genoten.

Tenslotte wordt het niet naleven van de bovenstaande bepalingen, tijdens een controle (door IL&T) bestraft met een overtreding.

Samengevat komt het voor deze nieuwe arbeidstijd op het volgende neer:

van 24 uur z ten hoogste 84 uren werken in elke periode van 7 dagen z ten hoogste gemiddeld 48 uren werken per week in elke periode van 52 weken, of gedurende een contractperiode die korter is dan 52 weken z bij meer werkdagen dan rustdagen geldt dat ten hoogste gedurende gemiddeld 72 uren per week in elke periode van 16 weken wordt gewerkt z maximaal wordt op 31 achtereenvolgende dagen gewerkt z maximaal mag nachtwerk worden verricht in 42 uren tussen 23.00-06.00 uur; in elke periode van 7 dagen z bij meer dan 6 uren werk per dienst moet het werk door een pauze worden onderbroken

Maritime Forum na de cursussen.’

plaats in Quorn in Engeland. Dit viel deze keer samen met het door de General Federation of Trade Unions georganiseerde New Generation Festival. Dit populaire festival biedt vakbondsjongeren vanuit tal van landen en beroepsgroepen de mogelijkheid om met elkaar op ontdekkingstocht te gaan.

En ook om de moderne rol van de vakbond, bezien vanuit het jongeren standpunt, onder de loep te nemen. Namens Nederland was Nautilus lid Johan van der Spek, werkzaam bij Chemgas, van de partij. De Telegraph legde de 29-jarige bootsman en OR-lid na afloop de volgende vragen voor:

‘De cursussen waren duidelijk en goed geregeld. Heel het weekend was educatief en boeiend eigenlijk. Zeker ook de gastsprekers met onderwerpen als: de politiek; Latijns Amerika; Koerdistan, en het gebruik en/of invloed van de gevestigde media. Er waren ook live optredens met poëzie en muziek, en dan echt in het genre van het betreffende politieke onderwerp.’

Op 7, 8 en 9 april vond het eerste

Hoe vond je het om hieraan actief deel te nemen?

‘Ik zag het als een uitdaging waar ik mijn

32-35_nl_24.4.indd 35

Wat vond je het boeiendst en/of het leukst?

schouders onder wilde zetten. Ik had eigenlijk geen goed beeld wat ik ervan kon verwachten. Maar toch sprak het me wel gelijk aan en eenmaal aanwezig werd alles al snel duidelijker.’

Kun je een korte omschrijving geven wat je zoal gedaan hebt?

‘We hebben vooral veel ervaringen en ideeën met elkaar uitgewisseld. En allerlei discussies gevoerd over sommige obstakels in de arbeidssector, waar wij als jonge generatie mee te maken kunnen hebben. Dit weer gecombineerd met een overleg vergadering van het Nautilus Young Professionals

rusttijd geldt dan het volgende:

z tenminste 10 uren rust in elke aaneenges-

loten periode van 24 uren. Bij exploitatiewijze B geldt 24 uren rust in elke aaneengesloten tijdsruimte van 48 uren z A1: tenminste 8 uren ononderbroken rust en buiten de vaart (het schip ligt stil) z A2: tenminste 6 uren ononderbroken rust en buiten de vaart (idem) z B: tenminste 6 uren ononderbroken rust z de rusttijd bedraag ten minste 84 uren in elke periode van 7 dagen z ook een zelfstandig schipper (geen werknemer) houdt zich aan de rusttijden

Nautilus International UK Young A Professionals Maritime Forum van 2017

‘Leek me heel interessant, een forum voor jonge zeevarenden. En vooral ook het kunnen ontmoeten van en discussiëren met zelfde generatie jonge vakbondsleden, vanuit allerlei andere sectoren en uit verschillende landen.’

Voorafgaand aan het Nautilus Symposium vindt de Nautilus Jaarvergadering, alleen voor leden, plaats. Van 13.00 tot 14.30 uur.

Eén van de agendapunten zal zijn de verkiezing tot hoofdbestuurder van Sascha Meijer-Pieneman’. De Nautilus Raad van Advies draagt haar via een bindende voordracht voor.

Meer informatie over deze middag volgt nog, maar houdt u deze datum vast vrij in de agenda.

Nieuwe arbeidstijden in de binnenvaart

Johan van der Spek, deelnemer New Generation Festival: ‘Vakbondswerk is hartstikke belangrijk voor jongeren’

Wat dacht je toen je de uitnodiging voor het eerst zag?

Wat trok je er in aan?

Nautilus Jaarvergadering

Hoe vond je het om met allerlei internationale jongeren drie dagen lang op te trekken?

‘Met name de kameraadschap stond hoog in de vaandel tijdens deze drie dagen.

Het was ook erg gezellig. Speciaal omdat we in de zelfde leeftijdscategorie zaten, werd ik zeer gastvrij en goed in de internationale groep opgenomen. Uiteraard heb ik mijn Engelse taalkennis ook weer wat opgeschroefd.’

houden in de maritieme sector. Daar moeten we als vakbondsleden voor blijven gaan en waar mogelijk voor elkaar opstaan.’

‘Jazeker! Het is zelfs hartstikke belangrijk, als jongeren in de toekomst ook goede arbeidsomstandigheden willen hebben en

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Hoe zou volgens jou de vakbond van de toekomst eruit moeten zien?

‘Meer meegaan met het huidige digitale tijdperk. Via sociale media, zodat de bond makkelijker te bereiken is voor de leden.

Ook moeten de leden van bonden van verschillende sectoren elkaar ondersteunen en solidair zijn bij acties en protestacties, als het zover komt.’

Is een volgend festival aan te bevelen voor andere jonge Nautilus leden?

‘Dat zeker wel! Niet alleen is het leerzaam, maar ook speciaal, dat je met een internationale groep jongeren samen voor de zelfde zaak gaat. Je ziet zo ook dat er meerdere vakbonden zijn. En je snapt ook duidelijker het nut er van.’

Nog tips of suggesties verder?

Is vakbondswerk (nog) belangrijk voor jongeren?

Wij hebben Facebook.

‘Blijven doorgaan met de Young Maritime Professionals en met het New Generation Festival proberen of er hierdoor meer animo ontstaat om vakbondslid te worden onder de jongere, toekomstige arbeiders van nu’.

Wilt u een groter publiek bereiken? Presenteer uw product of service aan meer dan 15,000 maritieme professionele lezers uit Nederland, ter land en op zee!

Spreek met één van onze vertegenwoordigers om uit te vinden hoe wij u het beste kunnen helpen.

Neem contact op met Joe Elliott-Walker van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 E: joe.elliott-walker@ redactive.co.uk.

25/04/2017 17:39

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

APPOINTMENTS

CRUISE SEAGOING

YACHT SHOREBASED

TECHNICAL SHOREBASED

Master - Cruise - €75K

Technical Manager - Yachts

HSEQ Superintendent - Tankers

Europe - €65-75K pa

London - £55K

Deputy DPA/Technical Mgr - Yachts

Technical Superintendent - Container

2nd Engineer - Cruise - £37K Refrigeration Eng. - Cruise - €34K

Europe - €60-70K pa

London - £60K

Junior ETO - Cruise - €26K

Operations Manager - Yachts

Chef de Partie - Cruise - £15K

Europe - €70-75K pa

Technical Superintendent - Tanker London - £65K

Sous Chef - Cruise - £30K

Fleet Manager - Container London - £80K

Executive Pastry Chef - Cruise - $64K

YACHT SEAGOING

Stewardess - Luxury Cruise - $34K

QG 2IÆ‚FHU

1st Housekeeper - Cruise - $35K

100m+ Motor Yacht - €5.3K/mth

Recruitment/Crewing Mgr Snr Project Manager - Drydockings

QG 2IÆ‚FHU

TANKER/LNG SEAGOING

IOM - £55K Glasgow - £70K

80m+ Motor Yacht - €5K/mth

Vessel Manager - LNG

Master

2nd Service Stewardess

$100-120K - Perm 3/3

100m+ Motor Yacht - €3.2K/mth

Glasgow - £70K

C/O - LNG

Private Nurse

Voyage Manager - LNG

. FRPSDQ\ EHQHÆ‚WV

90m+ Motor Yacht - €5.5K/mth

2nd Engineer - UK Coastal Tanker

Head Chef

e . FRPSDQ\ EHQHÆ‚WV

50m+ Motor Yacht - €7K/mth

C/O - Chemical Tanker

Deckhand/Surf Instructor

$10-10,8K/mth + bonus on 4/3

70m+ Motor Yacht - €3K/mth

3/O - Oil/Chemical/LNG

3rd Engineer

e . FRPSDQ\ EHQHÆ‚WV

100m+ Motor Yacht - €4.8K/mth

Shorebased: +44 (0)23 8020 8840

Glasgow - £45K

CRUISE SHOREBASED Technical Super - UK - £80K Technical Super - Germany - €85K Refurb Supervisor - Germany - £60K

Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’

shipping-uk@faststream.com

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820

@shippingjobs

seagoing-uk@faststream.com

www.faststream.com

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS - CELEBRATING 125 YEARS with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

MARITIME COURSES NAEST O: 2018 | 8 Jan | 23 Apr

Electronic Chart Display & Info System: 2018 | 9 Jan

Chief Mate Infill: 2017 | 11, 25 Sept | 2018 | 15, 22 Jan | 8 May

VTS Refresher: 2017 | 4 July | 7 Nov | 2018 | 13 Mar | 3 July

GMDSS GOC: 2017 | 29 May | 12 June | 13, 27 Nov | 2018 | 8, 22 Jan | 5, 19 Mar | 30 Apr | 9, 23 July

Tanker Gas Course: 2017 | 24 July | 18 Dec | 2018 | 16 Apr | 23 July

Human Element Leadership Management HELM M: 2017 | 29 May | 5 June | 24, 31 July | 11, 18 Sept | 9 Oct | 27 Nov | 4 Dec | 2018 | 8, 15 Jan | 12, 19 Feb | 2, 9, 23, 30 Apr | 27, 30 July

VTS Operator - Induction and Simulator (2 Weeks): 2017 | 10 July | 13 Nov | 2018 | 19 Mar | 9 July

Bridge Team Management: 2017 | 10 July | 25 Sept | 20 Nov | 2018 | 22 Jan | 19 Mar | 16 Apr | 14 May | 25 June | 9 July

FOR MORE INFORMATION

NAEST M: 2017 | 30 May | 24, 31 July | 11, 18 Sept | 16 Oct | 27 Nov | 4 Dec | 2018 | 8, 15 Jan | 12, 19 Feb | 2,9, 23 Apr | 23, 30 July Tanker Oil Specialisation: 2017 | 31 July | 11 Dec | 2018 | 9 Apr | 30 July

Masters Orals: 2017 | 19 June | 11 Sept | 30 Oct | 2018 | 15 Jan | 5 Mar | 8 May | 25 June Post FD Deck Orals Preparation: 2017 | 19 June | 11 Sept | 30 Oct | 2018 | 15 Jan | 5 Mar | 8 May | 25 June

Ship Handling (1 Week): 2017 | 4 Sept | 9 Oct | 2018 | 5 Mar | 16 July

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

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

Nautilus recruitment.indd 36

25/04/2017 08:33

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

APPOINTMENTS SEASCOPE RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS

CV Professionals Maritime & oσshore specialists

Need to do training?

Need to do STCW Refresher?

We also offer: Full STCW Course Crowd, EFA, Fire, PSSR, PST & PSA For other courses see website info@seascopemaritimetraining.co.uk

Fire & PST info@seascopemaritimetraining.co.uk

www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

Are you ready for the New Season?

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

17 May 2017 is the closing date for June 2017.

You can still advertise online at any time.

Job Opportunities aboard

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS

PADDLE STEAMER

WAV E R L E Y

Operating around the UK Coast Permanent & Relief Chief Engineer (Steam) & Engineer OOW (Steam)

For job description and qualification requirements email info@waverleyexcursions.co.uk or call 0141 221 8152

www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL?

Join now on our website Fill out the online application at: www.nautilus int.org

NOTICE TO READERS

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics company, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. We operate 20 vessels which carry more than 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and 2.2 million freight units every year.

Our people are a key part of our business and we place value in developing our talent pool. We are always open to consider applications from exceptional candidates that have RO-RO, RO-PAX and Cruise Ship experience with senior tickets in the following roles: Masters Chief Engineers Chief Officers (Masters COC) Second Engineers (Chief Engineer COC) ETO / ESO We operate in three different sectors, with working systems 2 weeks on/off or 1 week on/off, dependant on sector.

We offer a generous and competitive remuneration package, which is inclusive of a pension scheme and additional benefits.

If you are looking for a career with a great brand, feel free to get in touch and send across your CV to jobs@poferries.com

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.

Your ½rst port of call

Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists

OF EXCELLENCE & QUALITY

www.seamariner.com ISO9001:2008 accredited MLC2006 compliant

Nautilus recruitment.indd 37

25/04/2017 08:33

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MGN 546 (M) — In-water surveys Replacing MGN 217 (M), this note provides guidance on carrying out inspections of the outside of a ship’s bottom in the water (in-water survey or IWS) in accordance with Merchant Shipping Notice 1751, as amended. It specifies which ships may be eligible for IWS and the intervals between surveys.

MGN 546 details the preparations required prior to embarking on IWS and the procedures to follow before, during and after the IWS. It applies to the inspection of UK ships of all classes conducted by the MCA or authorised certifying authorities.

The arrangements remain largely the same as those previously detailed in MGN 217, with the exception of the following: z the addition of a General Exemption for cargo ships referring to the Merchant Shipping (Survey and Certification) Regulations 2015 z the special arrangements for domestic passenger ships operating solely on categorised waters, which have been revised to provide a consistent approach for all such ships z guidance on conditions under which one inspection out of the water in any five-year period may be accepted on a limited basis for seagoing passenger ships MGN 561 (M) — Surveys: enhanced authorisation scheme Following recommendations from the UK Maritime Growth Study and a review of current survey authorisation, a new enhanced authorisation scheme (EAS) has been introduced. EAS provides for partial or full authorisation to UK Recognised Organisations for survey and audit of selected UK registered ships operated by eligible shipping companies; linked to a flag inspection regime and based on a risk profile.

For ships not on EAS, the alternative compliance scheme (ACS) remains available for eligible vessels. Both schemes provide for authorisation of survey work to the United Kingdom’s authorised Recognised Organisations. This still allows the MCA to maintain an oversight of the structure and equipment of the ship and its management systems through flag inspections.

EAS will require a phase-in period to be implemented on a voluntary basis across the UK ship register; during this time EAS and ACS will be run in parallel. Once EAS is fully implemented, ACS may be withdrawn.

MGN 561 advises on:

z the requirements of the EAS for shipowners/operators and Recognised Organisations during its phase-in period z the appropriate certification to be issued to participants of the scheme z the requirements for ships (new buildings, flag-ins and existing vessels) under the EAS z circumstances where EAS may be revoked from participating ships MGN 568 (M) — Surveys: alternative compliance scheme This note complements MGN 561.

It deals with the requirements of the alternative compliance scheme (ACS) for shipowners/operators and Recognised Organisations which will continue to run alongside the new enhanced authorisation scheme (EAS) while this is phased in.

MGN 568 advises on: z the appropriate certification to be issued to participants in ACS z the requirements for vessels (new buildings, flag-ins and existing vessels) under ACS z circumstances where ACS may be revoked from participating vessels z the availability of EAS, which is new and is different from ACS MIN 542 (X) — Life-saving appliances: recognised distress signals and advertised alternatives to pyrotechnic flares This note provides the latest advice to mariners on products sold as distress signalling equipment to be used in an emergency. It highlights the risks of using non-SOLAS or non-pyrotechnic distress flares such as Electronic Visual Distress Signals (EVDS).

To be effective, distress signals need to be internationally recognised.

Not all EVDS provide a distress signal listed in COLREGS Annex IV (such as SOS), and the MCA knows of no EVDS device which is compliant with the SOLAS technical performance standards for distress flares.

Consequently, the international carriage requirements do not recognise EVDS and the UK national carriage requirements have not been amended to formally recognise them either.

A change would therefore be needed to Annex IV of the COLREGS or to the SOLAS technical performance standards and to the applicable international/UK national carriage requirements in order to offer these devices full recognition as distress signals.

The MCA sees no likely potential of this in the near future because objective evidence of a compelling need for change is yet to emerge.

However, the Agency will continue to monitor research in this field being carried out by the US Coast Guard, and will consider the possibility of developing an international standard for EVDS when the time is right.

MIN 543 (M) — Sea service verification on large yachts This note informs British seafarers working in the large yacht sector of new arrangements for providing a Sea Service Testimonial (SST) when applying to the MCA for a Notice of Eligibility, or for the renewal of a Certificate of Competency. From 24 May 2017, the SST must be provided through a Nautilus Service Record Book or its PYA equivalent.

This is irrespective of an individual’s membership of any organisation or association. Failure by yacht seafarers to have their sea service verified by one of the authorised bodies — Nautilus or the PYA — before submitting their application to the MCA will lead to severe processing delays of around 160 days.

MIN 543 explains that an SST provides documented evidence of time served onboard a vessel (yacht service), standby service, shipyard service and actual sea service, which together constitute qualifying service.

An SST will include statements on watchkeeping service performed. The process of verifying sea service includes: z confirmation of the seafarer’s identity by sighting an attested copy of a valid passport as proof of identity.

A copy will be retained for auditing purposes z performing checks that the SST has been completed correctly to ensure that all the required data has been entered accurately and is legible z checking that the information on the SST is plausible. The information provided in the SST will be examined for inconsistencies. Information will be compared with other data held on file to identify conflicts z obtaining confirmation from the responsible person who signed the SST that the information within it is correct. A verified copy of this correspondence must be retained for auditing purposes g To find out how to obtain a Nautilus Service Record Book and have yacht sector sea service verified, turn to page 8 of this Telegraph or go to www.nautilusint.org. z M-Notices are available as electronic documents or as a set of bound volumes. z A consolidated set of M-Notices is published by The Stationery Office.

This contains all M-Notices current on 31 July 2015 (ISBN 978 01155 34034) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices. z Email alerts can be sent automatically whenever an M-Notice is published or updated. To set this up, follow the instructions in MIN 515 (M+F), which can be found on the MCA website www.gov.uk/mca.

Member meetings and seminars

Pensions

Nautilus International organises regular meetings, forums and seminars for members to discuss pensions, technical matters, maritime policies and legal issues. Coming up in the next few months are:

Nautilus Pensions Association meetings provide a focal point for members regarding pensions

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Monday 2 October 2017 UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel Willerby Hull HU10 6EA The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people at sea.

Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

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

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

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing

Out of office hours contact Nautilus 24/7 g click on the Live Chat box to start our instant messaging service g call us free of charge from 45 countries using the special freephone numbers listed at www.nautilusint.org g send an SMS text message to +44 (0)7860 017 119 and we’ll get back to you g email us at helpline@nautilus247.org g reach us via Skype (username nautilus-247)

trainee officers in line with all members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information, members should contact Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g MNOPF and NPA pension forums Tuesday 6 June 2017 at 1030hrs, coffee served at 1000hrs, and a light lunch will be served after the meeting.

Hilton Hotel in Liverpool.

Further meetings have also been scheduled for this year in September 2017, Plymouth.

Keep checking the website and register. www.nautilusint.org/en/ what-we-say/events Contact: +44 (0)1293 804644.

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. In descending order, the world’s top five seafarer supply nations are China, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

2. The UK is the biggest shortsea shipping country in the EU, with a 14% share of total tonnage shipments.

3. White Star Line merged with Cunard in 1934.

4. The world cruiseship fleet is forecast to increase by 18% by 2020.

5. The Ocean Alliance accounts for 26.1% of global containership fleet capacity.

6. Voluntary examinations for master and mates’ certificates of competency were introduced in the UK in 1845.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Objectionable; 10. Hearten; 11. Freebie; 12. Larcenist; 13. Snuff; 14. Sextet; 15. Agonised; 18. Platypus; 20. Holder; 23. Input; 25. Banjoists; 26. Aviator 27. Chinese; 28. Advertisement.

Down: 2. Beatrix; 3. Extremely; 4. Tennis; 5. Offstage; 6. Areas; 7. Labours; 8. Philosophical; 9. Self-addressed; 16. Neologism; 17 Sunburnt; 19. Applied; 21. Discern; 22. Snacks; 24. Tithe.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Ian Grainger, who has won the prize draw for the April cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from April Across: 1. Turnip; 4. Repose; 9. Sing; 10. Horizontal; 11. Portal; 12. Cambrian; 13.Librarian; 15. Shoe; 16. Sock; 17. Strippers; 21. Androgen; 22. String; 24. Love letter; 25. Noun; 26. Fetish; 27. Priest.

Down: 1. Tripoli; 2. Right; 3. Inhaler; 5. Eczema; 6. Ownership; 7. Emanate; 8. Procrastinate; 14. Recurrent; 16. Send-off; 18. Insurer; 19. Renault; 20. Agrees; 23. Rinse.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.gov.uk/mca Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

International Transport Workers’ Federation +44 (0)20 7403 2733 www.itfglobal.org A federation of over 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board www.mnwb.org Umbrella body for the UK maritime charity sector, promoting cooperation between organisations that provide welfare services to merchant seafarers and their dependants within the UK.

Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport + 31 88 489 00 00 www.ilent.nl Dutch maritime authority (separate from Dutch coastguard).

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance.

Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers.uk Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

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infoch@nautilusint.org

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations

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

g Professional & Technical Forum Monday 2 October 2017 UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange, Park Hotel Willerby, Hull HU10 6EA The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification.

The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seafarers’ Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)1752 812674 www.communitynetworkprojects.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers.

Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers.

Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes, including the Nautilus Slater Fund.

25/04/2017 15:46

May 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Jim McAuslan, trustee director

g

‘I take this financial responsibility and the trust being put in me very seriously. I will repay that trust.’ This was the pledge of new Nautilus trustee director Jim McAuslan as he filled a vacancy this year on the four-strong trustee body charged with holding the Union’s assets.

It’s a promise Jim is well-equipped to keep, having started his working life as a tax collector in the UK Civil Service. He also has long experience of the trade union movement, becoming a member of the Inland Revenue Staff Federation in his late teens and later moving to work for that union full time as its first education and campaigns officer.

In the early 1990s he was involved in the merger discussions that led to the creation of the Public and Commercial Services Union

(PCS), and in 2002 he moved to become general secretary of the UK airline pilots’ union BALPA — where he stayed until his retirement in June 2016.

Don’t you have to be a pilot to be the head of the pilots’ union? ‘Their governing council had made the decision — backed by the membership — that it was more important at that time to recruit someone with first-hand union experience and campaigning ability,’ he explains. ‘I fitted the bill, and over the years was adopted by the membership as an “honorary” pilot.’

Jim took pride in being appointed by BALPA for his leadership skills, but knew that it would not be an easy ride. ‘Challenging colleagues is a vital part of the airline pilots’ safety culture, and this carried over into how the union was managed,’ he recalls.

‘I hope it’s something I’ll see through my involvement with the Nautilus Council, and I’ll certainly be ready to challenge when necessary as a trustee director.’

Under trade union law, the role of a trustee body and its directors is fairly limited, and Jim will have no formal part in the governance of Nautilus. However, as with all its trustee directors, the Union will welcome his perspective and advice.

And having had two uncles at sea as engineers and a brother with a master’s ticket, he relishes the idea of becoming more closely involved in their world. ‘I am not starry-eyed about life at sea, but I feel a deep admiration in my core for the professionalism of the seafarer and I would like to learn much more.’

Jim approves of Nautilus’s commitment

to working with other maritime unions through the ITF and the Nautilus Federation, and hopes to help build closer connections with the air transport sector. ‘I think joint working with airline unions like BALPA would be greatly beneficial to all involved,’ he says. ‘There are so many issues that overlap, such as fatigue, improving communication skills and building an effective safety culture that goes way beyond tick-boxes. We can learn from each other and are stronger when campaigning together.’ g For more on the role of the Nautilus trustee directors and the governance structure of the Union, see www.nautilusint. org/en/who-we-are (available in Dutch and German on the NL and CH versions of the site).

Wherev er you are , so are we

Join now

CALL NOW TO JOIN NAUTILUS ON: UK: +44 (0)151 639 8454 NL: +31 (0)10 477 11 88 CH: +41 (0)61 262 24 24

Join today so we can be there for you too!

Pay and conditions Nautilus International is the first truly trans-boundary trade union for maritime professionals, reflecting the global nature of the industry. We negotiate with employers on issues including pay, working conditions, working hours and pensions to secure agreements which recognise members’ skills and experience, and the need for safety for the maritime sector.

Legal services Nautilus Legal offers members a range of legal services free of charge. There are specialist lawyers to support members in work related issues and a number of non-work related issues. The Union also has a network of lawyers in 54 countries to provide support where members need it most.

Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions.

Certificate protection Members are entitled to free financial protection, worth up to £120,700, against the loss

39_infosprd.indd 39

of income if their certificate of competency is cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry.

training. The Union is affiliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.

Extra savings Members can take advantage of many additional discounts and benefits organised at a local level. These include tax advice, insurance discounts and advice on pension matters. In the Netherlands, discounts are organised through FNV, and trade union contributions are mostly tax-friendly, entitling members to receive a significant part of their contributions back.

In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are.

Officials regularly see members onboard their ships and visit cadets at college. Further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and conferences. The Union has offices in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel.

There are also representatives based in France, Spain and Singapore.

International representation Nautilus International represents members’ views on a wide range of national and international bodies including the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

We work at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety and

Join us today…

Call +44 (0)151 639 8454 Visit www.nautilusint.org Email membership@nautilusint.org g For the full range of member benefits visit www.nautilusint.org

OR g Speak with our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 22,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the industry at sea and ashore — including inland navigation, large yachts, deepsea and offshore.

For members, by members Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic trade union offering members many opportunities to become actively involved and have your say — at a local, national and international level.

25/04/2017 14:58

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | May 2017

NEWS

Dredger firm fined for failing to deal with asbestos risk on ship Union says ÂŁ130,000 penalty underlines the importance of abiding by health and safety rules

Tarmac Marine failed to tell the crew of the dredger City of Westminster, above left, about a report which warned of the presence of asbestos in bilge and fire hydrant pipes, right

P

Nautilus International has welcomed a court’s decision to impose ďŹ nes and costs totalling more than ÂŁ130,000 on a shipping company which failed to act on a report warning on the presence of asbestos onboard one of its vessels.

Following a hearing at Southampton Magistrates Court, Tarmac Marine Ltd was ďŹ ned ÂŁ120,000 and ordered to pay ÂŁ10,424.57 towards the cost of the prosecution, as well as a victim surcharge of ÂŁ120 after admitting four offences under merchant shipping health and safety and asbestos regulations — including failing to carry out a risk assessment of exposure to asbestos by the crew, failing to have an asbestos management plan in place and failing to provide relevant information to workers.

Prosecuting lawyer Tom Horder told the court that the company had failed to act on a survey report which identiďŹ ed the presence of asbestos in pipework onboard the 3,914gt dredger City of Westminster in January 2014 and recommended that it be dealt with immediately.

The 1990-built dredger had not been surveyed before ‘because there was an incorrect assumption made by the ship’s manager, who had been informed that the vessel would be asbestos-free,’ Mr Horder added. ‘Had the original ship’s plans been checked, it would have been clear that this

was not the case.’ The survey found the presence of asbestos in gaskets in bilge and ďŹ re hydrant pipes, he said, and it had recommended that the company either carry out repairs by using a special paint to seal the surface of the material or to replace it. ‘However, the company didn’t do so,’ Mr Horder said, ‘and they didn’t report it to the crew either.’ The problems came to light two years later, when the ship was asked for an asbestos-free certiďŹ cate before going into drydock in January 2016. The company sent the report to the ship, and a crew member was asked to check whether the recommended work had been done.

An inspection by the chief engineer found evidence of a white crystalline substance on the gaskets, Mr Horder said. This was not asbestos, but it did alarm the crew and they emailed their concerns to the company.

Shore-based management asked crew members to cover the affected areas with standard paint, but they refused the request and the company was forced to disclose that the pipework did contain asbestos.

Mr Horder described the company’s actions as ‘totally unacceptable’ — pointing out that there was no asbestos plan, no training or suitable PPE onboard the ship to enable the work to be done

correctly by the crew. ‘The risks associated with asbestos are well known,’ he added. ‘A speciďŹ c risk had been identiďŹ ed and crew members should have been warned of the need for caution where it was identiďŹ ed and, if emergency repairs are needed, strict precautions are required. ‘This is about systems not being in place and, despite warnings, the company did not do anything about it,’ Mr Horder said. ‘Even if the risk of exposure was insigniďŹ cant, it should not have been treated as such.’ Defending, Ben Compton QC told the court: ‘Tarmac takes this very seriously and has expressed deep regret for this incident.

The company acknowledged the failings from the outset and pleaded guilty at the ďŹ rst available opportunity.’ Mr Compton said the asbestos report had lacked clarity and had ‘gone off the radar’ after it had been presented to the company. ‘These are incredibly busy ships, run by incredibly busy staff and incredibly busy ofďŹ cers,’ he pointed out. ‘It was just overlooked and the company falls on its sword in that respect.’ Tarmac also accepted that the response to the crew had been ‘foolish and unwise’, he added.

The case came to court after a crew member alerted Nautilus about the situation and the Union informed the

Maritime & Coastguard Agency under its whistle-blowing policy, pressing for the company to be investigated and prosecuted.

Charles Boyle, head of Nautilus legal services, commented: ‘We deal with many cases involving members suffering from the terrible effects of asbestos exposure and we take this issue very seriously indeed. ‘We considered that the company, in failing to act on the asbestos survey recommendations, had endangered our members, and Nautilus was therefore correct in asking the MCA to investigate with a view to bringing a criminal prosecution,’ he added. ‘The level of the ďŹ ne reects the seriousness with which the judge viewed the matter. We hope that this case will send out a strong message to companies of the need to comply with their responsibilities and that negligence of this kind is wholly unacceptable.’ Captain Jeremy Smart, head of the MCA Enforcement Unit, said Tarmac had shown ‘scant regard’ for their employees. ‘We are grateful that this case was brought to our attention through the intervention of one of the crew concerned and I would urge anyone in a similar position who knows of serious noncompliance of health and safety rules, pollution control or anything else untoward to contact the Agency,’ he added.

Ferry crash blamed on propulsion while attempting to berth had F probably suffered from a mechanical

A ferry which crashed into a pier

failure affecting the water propulsion system, an investigation has concluded.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) praised the quickthinking actions of the crew of the UK-flagged Uriah Heep in helping to avoid any injuries when the vessel crashed into Hythe Pier in May 2016.

The impact of the crash destroyed the ferry’s wheelhouse and resulted in the vessel becoming wedged under Hythe Pier. None of the passengers were injured, and the skipper suffered only minor cuts and abrasions.

Investigators said the Uriah Heep had been involved in two similar accidents while attempting to berth and said these appeared to have been related to the water jet deflector not moving into position, although the exact cause could not be identified.

Following the accident, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) withdrew Uriah Heep’s passenger safety certificate and the vessel was subsequently sold.

Smart ships ‘will create better jobs’ as an opportunity to make F the industry safer and to create top‘Smart’ ships should be seen

quality jobs, a shipowners’ leader has claimed.

Speaking at the national maritime conference in Hamburg, German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) president Alfred Hartman said that digitalisation will help companies to deploy vessels more efficiently, identify necessary repairs sooner and plan routes more intelligently.

He said governments should support the industry to improve data exchange. ‘We need reliable broadband internet access not only in ports but also on waterways and coastal seas,’ he added.

Mr Hartman noted that crew levels have halved in the past 30 years, while work onboard has become more sophisticated and challenging. ‘To this end, we need crews of seafarers with excellent training,’ he added. ‘The more autonomously ships can travel, the more attractive and responsible jobs are also created onshore. We need capable staff to monitor and maintain ships by remote control.’

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We look forward to seeing you at East Coast College in 2017 www.eastcoast.ac.uk | 01502 525025 | maritime@eastcoast.ac.uk

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