Nautilus Telegraph November 2014 by Redactive Media Group

UK’s top trainee Shipping minister praises ‘cadet of the year’ winner 09

Funding the future Award winner tells how Union’s Slater Fund helped him 48

NL nieuws Twee pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 36-37

Volume 47 | Number 11 | November 2014 | £3.50 €3.70

Industry hits out at ‘Ebola’ ship bans raised concerns over reports F that some coastal states have denied Nautilus International has

medical support for merchant ships where crew or passengers have been suspected of showing Ebola virus symptoms. In talks at the International Labour Organisation last month, union, shipowner and government representatives heard reports of incidents in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean in which vessels had been refused access or medical assistance. The International Transport Workers’ Federation described these cases as ‘unacceptable and contrary to the traditions of the sea’ as well as being in breach of international conventions on facilitation of international maritime traffic, the World Health Organisation international health regulations and ship sanitation guidelines, the Maritime Labour Convention — ‘and common humanity’.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said such actions were considered by most shipowners, seafarers and governments attending the meeting to be a greater threat to lives of seafarers than Ebola in both the short term and long term. The Union has worked with shipowner representatives to develop ILO guidelines on communicable diseases in line with the occupational safety and health provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention. The guidance stresses the need for seafarers to be given relevant advice on precautionary measures and that shipowners ensure appropriate precautions are taken. It also reminds countries of their obligations as port states for the provision of free pratique and in ensuring immediate medical support and advice and, if necessary, the evacuation of seafarers. f Ebola advice — pages 20-21.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Argus leaves Falmouth last month for a six-month deployment to support the work to tackle the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. The crew have been praised by Nautilus and the UK defence minister ‒ see pages 20-21 Picture: MoD

Alarm raised over safety of boxships

Inside F Future for ferries

Industry leaders in Union’s UK branch debate on the state of a vital sector — page 23

Nautilus says reports highlight shortcomings in modern containership design and construction

Concerns over the design and operation of contemporary containerships have been raised by Nautilus members following a report on the loss last year of the 8,110TEU MOL Comfort, which broke apart in the Indian Ocean. A classiﬁcation society investigation has concluded that the 86,692gt vessel split into two during a voyage from Singapore to Jeddah as a result of a hull fracture originating from the buckling collapse of the bottom shell plates in a midships section of the vessel. The report, produced by ClassNK, describes the incident as a ‘very rare’ casualty and suggested the loss may have been the consequence of ship-speciﬁc factors involving excessive lateral loads arising from bottom sea

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pressure and container weights. The Japanese classification society said it had found significant differences in the vertical bending strength of MOL Comfort’s hull girder and those of other similar post-panamax vessels when lateral load effects were taken into account. Although the hull girder strength of the five-year-old MOL Comfort was 150% of the estimated vertical bending moment at the time it broke up, ‘uncertainty factors’ such as yield stress, sea conditions at the time of the accident, and the differences between declared and actual container weights could still have caused the fracture, the report stated. However, the report also highlighted a number of broad

safety issues and it urges ship operators and designers to take more account of various loading conditions, as well as pointing to potential changes in class rules to improve the assessment of hull strength and the consideration of lateral loads and whipping effects. ClassNK also recommends that the buckling collapse strength of stiffened bottom panels should be assessed and that there should be greater use of hull monitoring systems. The ﬁndings were discussed by members attending the Nautilus professional and technical committee last month — with particular concerns raised over the growing size of containerships and the stresses imposed during loading and discharge.

Senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he was disturbed by the report. ‘The MOL Comfort incident highlights many of the concerns that we have been raising for some time now, and the way in which ship design has been distorted as a result of the Tonnage Measurement Convention,’ he added. ‘Scantlings have been pared down to reduce weight and save fuel, together with the use of high tensile steel, and with average wastage rates we could be seeing big problems within a decade,’ he pointed out. ‘Experience shows that whenever we have extrapolated on the rules of construction we have gone wrong.’ The Union’s concerns have been echoed in a major research project undertaken by Lloyd’s

Register (LR) which reveals the way in which larger containerships are more exposed to the effects of springing and whipping from waves — resulting in signiﬁcantly greater bending responses and shear forces, and reducing fatigue life. Announcing the ﬁndings of an ongoing research project, which has been underway for a decade, LR warned that, with the potential to build ships even larger than the current 18,000TEU maximum, ‘we may be moving beyond the gradual evolution of ship rules to a revolution in rule development. ‘Larger containerships need to be properly designed and built ro reduce the risk of structural failure from whipping, springing and the effects of oblique seas.’ g Full story — see pages 24-25.

F Winning cadet

James Kirk scoops this year’s Nautilus Bevis Minter award — page 3 F Partner-ships

Recalling the days when wives were ﬁrst allowed to go to sea — page 31

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02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

NAUTILUS AT WORK

UK owners in call for united lobby Chamber chief seeks support for drive to improve shipping competitiveness

British shipowners and seafaring unions need to work closely together to campaign for government measures to improve the competitiveness of the merchant fleet, the head of the Chamber of Shipping told the Nautilus International UK branch meeting on 30 September 2014. Chief executive officer Guy Platten — a former merchant seafarer — said the unions and owners presently have greater political influence than they have had for generations, thanks to the introduction last year of the first ever strategic partnership for shipping between government and the industry. The strategy has already delivered improvements in support for maritime training and an impending change in regulations to enable ratings to be trained under the tonnage tax, he pointed out. However, he warned, many companies are facing intense pressure and the Chamber wants to see the government undertaking a ‘root and branch’ review of the competitiveness of British shipping.

Guy Platten speaks at the Nautilus symposium Picture: Kevin Cooper

Many of the UK’s leading shipping companies are foreign owned, Mr Platten explained, and there are not enough truly British

ﬁrms. Chasing inward investment could leave the nation’s economic destiny in foreign hands, he said. ‘If you look elsewhere in the

world, entrepreneurs are giving it a go,’ he added. ‘They are buying their ﬁrst ships, planning for more in years to come. They are the major shipowners of tomorrow, but so far precious few of them are British. ‘We have to ﬁnd what is stopping them and remove those barriers,’ Mr Platten argued. ‘Since the recession, hundreds of thousands of new British businesses have been set up — but how many of them are in maritime services? Virtually none. That provides a clear long-term threat to the UK industry and it must be resolved.’ He urged Nautilus to support the owners in pushing for a concerted effort to grow UK ownership. ‘We have a common interest in the long-term success of this industry, and we need to work together to make it happen,’ he told the meeting. ‘But we must be in charge of our own destiny,’ he concluded. ‘That means industry, unions and government working more closely than ever before to remove old barriers and have new ideas.’ g Ferry seminar — see page 23.

‘Outlaw unfair competition’

Membership can bring you some special savings F

Did you know that by being a Nautilus member you have access to Nautilus Plus — a portfolio containing money-saving discounts, designed to save you time and money in both your personal and professional life? There is no sign up process, nor any extra charge — you are automatically eligible to access Nautilus Plus by virtue of your membership. The service offers a wide range of specialist savings including: z Energy price comparison Nautilus members have access to Member Energy’s free, 100% impartial energy price comparison service to help you find the cheapest gas and electricity suppliers in your area. Average member savings are currently £204.57, so it’s definitely worth a couple of minutes of your time*. Compare tariffs via Nautilus Plus or call Member Energy on 0800 410 1249 and quote NTU z Ski holidays All the major tour operators are available to book at discounted prices including Thomas Cook, Thomson, First Choice, Virgin Holidays, Cosmos, Airtours, Crystal, Neilson and Kuoni, to name just a few. Book online via Nautilus Plus or call the Travellers Advantage team on 0800 783 2183 (Crystal and Kuoni are only available to book by telephone)* z Naked Wines Naked Wines is an online wine

Go-ahead given for next phase of Nautilus Hub given the go-ahead for work to F develop a second phase of the state-

Nautilus Council members have

Nautilus International is to spearhead a new drive to secure a Europe-wide agreement to outlaw unfair competition in the ferry sector, general secretary Mark Dickinson told members attending the Union’s UK branch conference last month. Revealing that EU unions and shipowners have reached a long-awaited agreement on proposals to end the exclusion of seafarers from five key elements of employment law, he told the conference that important policy gains could be made by working together. But, he warned, the meeting’s theme of the future of the ferry industry underlined the urgent need for action. There should be no place for

international crewing models within the European ferry sector and the industry should be based on the principles of fair competition and decent working conditions for all seafarers. ‘One thing is for sure — business as usual is not going to solve the current situation, Mr Dickinson stressed. ‘More of the same won’t deliver more and better jobs for our members facing cut-throat competition and international crewing models. If more of the same is the answer perhaps we need to change the question.’ Europe should look across the Atlantic to see how the US protects its domestic shipping operations, he argued. ‘The US recognises the strategic imperative

of a strong merchant navy for the needs of the nation and recognises that this will not be delivered by the market alone,’ he added. The campaign for action in Europe is essential, Mr Dickinson pointed out. ‘The ferry sector is almost the last bastion of employment for UK seafarers and if we lose those jobs we will lose them for good – and that will cause the critical collapse of our maritime skills base,’ he added. ‘Anything is possible if the stakes are high enough,’ he concluded. ‘And what could be higher stakes than millions of European citizens’ jobs in the European maritime cluster and billions of Euros in economic activity?’

Members on the march for a pay rise F

Nautilus staff and members, right, joined tens of thousands of trade union members in London and Belfast in the Britain Needs a Pay Rise march — calling on companies and governments to allow workers to share in the economic recovery and end the pay restraint which many have suffered for more than five years. Officer trainee member Anastasija Kohanuk was one of those who joined the Nautilus group in London, and said that she was there as she felt that ‘only together we can make a difference — by showing our voice and our needs’. ‘There on the march, it did not matter whether you were a seafarer or a nurse, solicitor or a teacher,’ she

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said. ‘It didn’t matter which union you belong to, or whether you belong to any at all. It did not matter what political party you supported. ‘There, we were all equal, gathering for the same goal and asking for the same small difference, a difference that matters. After many years of wage cuts and redundancy, workers are in need of a fair share in the economic recovery. ‘For me it was something completely new, something I had not done before,’ Anastasia added. ‘It was a great opportunity to get together with other members, and also to meet other unions to march together. If such event happens again, I would join Nautilus and would encourage other members to do the same.’

retailer that invests in independent winemakers. In return, they get access to exclusive wines at wholesale prices which they pass on to their customers. Nautilus members have access to a free £40 gift code from Naked Wines which is redeemable against a spend of £39.99 or more (standard next day delivery of £4.99 is payable separately, eligible for new customers only). Choose from a range of pre-mixed cases or even build your own case with any six or more bottles. You won’t be forced to join a club, buy more wine or prove that you can tell a Shiraz from a Merlot*. g Access these benefits, plus many more via Nautilus Plus at www. nautilusint.org *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers and prices subject to change without notice. Member Energy includes every tariff available on the switching market. Available for households in mainland England, Scotland and Wales only. Naked Wines for UK residents aged 18 or over. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer, such as heavily discounted cases or Angel discount. New customers will need to register with Naked Wines, including credit or debit card details so they can prove you’re over 18. And any additional spend on wine will be charged to your credit or debit card. z Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

of-the-art Trinity House Hub welfare facilities at the Union’s Mariners’ Park Estate. The first phase of the project was opened by The Princess Royal in April and includes 18 one- and two-bedroom apartments for retired seafarers, a café, a community room, a gym and a hobbies room. Assistant general secretary Mike Jess said Nautilus has always planned to develop a further 22 apartments to complete the first phase of the Hub, whose £4m costs were significantly supported by Trinity House.

Demand for homes at Mariners’ Park remains high, he added, with a current waiting list of more than 60 people. In addition, there is new research to demonstrate that strong demand will continue well into the future. ‘An early lesson from phase one of the Hub is that the creation of accessible purpose-built accommodation has been immensely successful and the standards set have found great popularity with retired mariners,’ Mr Jess stated. It is hoped that design work on the second phase could start early in the new year, with work on the £2.5m scheme expected to be completed by March 2017.

Council approves increases in professional protection rates have approved increases in key F membership benefits provided by the Nautilus Council members

Union — the professional protection provided in the event of a certificate of competency being cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry. The amounts payable, provided for in Rule 6 and detailed in Regulation 2 of the Union’s rulebook, are set out below. Subject to Council’s discretion in every case, the new payments will take effect from 1 January 2014 and the existing rates are shown in brackets:

z Regulation 2.1: £116,900 (£115,000)

z Regulation 2.2: £10,000 (£9,900)

z Regulation 2.3: £5,000 (£4,950) z Regulation 2.6: £58,450 (£57,500)

z Regulation 2.7: £5,000 (£4,950) z Regulation 2.8: £2,600 (£2,550) Council members also approved increases in membership subscription rates, broadly in line with the level of the benefit increases, which will also come into effect on 1 January 2014. Members will be notified of the new rates by individual letter.

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November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Chevron cadet collects this year’s Nautilus Bevis Minter award cadet studying at the National A Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), When James Kirk, a deck

got called to a lecturer’s office he feared that there must have been something wrong. But he was there to get good news — he had been chosen as the winner of this year’s Nautilus Bevis Minter cadet award, which recognises trainee officers who demonstrate exceptional enthusiasm and dedication during their training. James, whose cadetship is sponsored by Chevron Shipping, was nominated by NMCI staff who praised his positive attitude and drive to make his future in the industry, and he was presented with the award last month by Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson. Presenting the prize, Mr Dickinson said he was delighted to be able to make the award. ‘Ships are becoming ever more sophisticated and technologically advanced, and they increasingly need highly qualified and committed personnel to operate them safely and efficiently,’ he pointed out. ‘There is indeed no future for the shipping industry without investment in such talent as James.’ Mr Dickinson said James had been a credit to the college and his employers when he carried the Merchant Navy standard at this year’s annual service for seafarers at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. James, who grew up in the small fishing village of Clogherhead, said he had been interested in working at sea from an early age. ‘Coming from a large fishing family I’ve always had a great interest in the sea and it was hard not to get drawn into the family business. I started fishing with my

shortreports SAFETY DEAL: Nautilus took part in top-level talks between unions, governments and owners last month which agreed new guidelines to assist with the implementation of occupational health and safety requirements set by the Maritime Labour Convention. The agreement at the International Labour Organisation covers issues including working hours, drug and alcohol policies, violence and harassment, training, and emergency and accident response. The document details responsibilities for shipowners, governments and seafarers on accident and illness prevention practices. PORTS PLEA: the UK Major Ports Group has launched a five-point set of demands for the industry at the Labour Party Conservative Party conferences. Billed as Ports4Prosperity, the manifesto urges the government to ensure that UK ports — which usually do not receive state subsidy — are not disadvantaged by European Union regulation; to prioritise better road and rail links; to coordinate the approach of different departments to port strategy; to improve planning procedures; and to help boost health and safety.

James Kirk receives the Nautilus Bevis Minter award from GS Mark Dickinson Picture: Vivion Gough

father on his stern trawler when on school holidays and still lend him a hand whenever I can on his and other family members’ boats.’ An uncle who serves as a bosun in the offshore sector sparked his interest in merchant shipping. ‘Clogherhead has a long tradition of seafarers,’ said James, ‘so I set my sights on gaining my OOW certificate. I knew I was going to need to work hard in my final year at school to gain the points required to enter the course, so after a lot of long nights and Saturdays spent at

school I just managed to get enough points to get in on the second round of offers.’ After his first year in college, James was offered a cadetship with Chevron and has subsequently done three trips to sea. The first was onboard the VLCC Antares Voyager, mainly running between the Gulf and Thailand. This was followed by time on the fleet training ship Capricorn Voyager, mainly trading around Asia and Australia and then onboard the LNG carrier Sonangol Benguela, sailing between West

Africa and South Korea. James said he enjoyed all his seatime — even chipping and painting — and also did a week onboard the sail training ship Stavros Niarchos, which he describes as ‘an unbelievable experience’. He says he wants to ‘go all the way to the top’ and to eventually become a master. ‘The LNG ship was particularly great to work on and I hope to return to that sector after gaining my OOW certificate,’ he added. ‘But for now the main focus is on getting that OOW…’

REFUGE WORRY: concerns over the provision of places of refuge for ships in distress were raised at the International Union of Marine Insurance conference in Hong Kong. David Bolomini, from the international group of P&I clubs, said it is vital for countries to work with owners to implement emergency plans, to commit to early communication, ensure transparency with all stakeholders and work collaboratively to build confidence. ROTTERDAM WARNING: the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has called for urgent dialogue with the port of Rotterdam authority and maritime companies in city over the future of the port. The ITF is concerned about the impact on the existing terminals and workforce from automation and potentially damaging overcapacity. PACKET BOOST: the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has announced that its vessel Manannan will operate 48 additional seasonal Liverpool sailings next year. The schedule also includes extra year-round services to Heysham, as well as winter services to Birkenhead operated by Ben-my-Chree and seasonal Dublin and Belfast services.

EU agreement on seafarers’ rights

COMMISSIONER CALL: Nautilus has urged the new European transport commissioner to do more to boost the employment and training of EU seafarers. General secretary Mark Dickinson said the commissioner should also prioritise measures to provide more training berths and posts for newly-qualified officers.

Unions and owners pave the way for extension of employment directives

HYBRID ORDER: the Scottish government has awarded a £12.3m contract for the construction of a third hybrid ferry for Caledonian MacBrayne. To be built by Ferguson Marine on the Clyde, the 150-passenger vessel is expected to enter into service in autumn 2016.

Nautilus has welcomed a European agreement which will stop seafarers from receiving ‘second-class citizen’ treatment in terms of access to employment rights. Following lengthy negotiations at Brussels, unions and owners have secured a settlement which will end the exclusion of seafarers from a series of directives on workers’ rights. Both sides of the industry had been tasked with settling their differences on European Commission proposals to bring seafarers under the protection of the directives on works councils, collective redundancies and transfers of undertakings, insolvency and information and consultation. The negotiations had been

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running since last November and the lack of a sectoral agreement had caused a stalemate in the European Parliament that threatened to delay any new legislation for at least a further year. One of the key points of contention was over the issue of transfers of undertakings — with owners claiming that the law was relevant to ﬁxed assets, but not to ‘mobile assets’ like ships and that it could put European shipping at a competitive disadvantage. But after weeks of negotiations, the European Transport Workers’ Federation and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations announced that an agreement had been reached, in the form of a package deal covering all the directives. Although

not binding, both sides hailed the agreement as a very positive outcome. Whilst taking into account speciﬁc features of the shipping industry, the agreement aims to close some loopholes and ensure that seafarers are treated on an equal footing with land-based workers. ETF political secretary Philippe Alfonso commented: ‘This initiative will have a positive impact for seafarers in the full enjoyment of their right to information and consultation within the undertaking, and their right to fair and just working conditions. ‘Furthermore, it has to be interpreted as a way to facilitate European Parliament’s and Council’s work towards a swift and smooth

completion of the legislative process,’ he said. ECSA senior director Christophe Tytgat added: ‘ETF and ECSA both met each other halfway. Our agreement offers a satisfactory solution on a sensitive issue. It is a delicate balance between the interests of our respective organisations, but it represents the best compromise that could be achieved’. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was delighted that agreement had been reached. ‘This is a really signiﬁcant development and it demonstrates the value of social dialogue in a very positive way, showing that even seemingly intractable positions can be resolved.’

HARWICH PLAN: a Danish ferry operator is to launch a new ro-ro service between the UK and Denmark after DFDS decided to pull out of the route. Regina Line said it will begin a passenger and freight operation between Harwich and Ebsjerg with a vessel called Regina next spring.

LNG MOVE: European Union member states have adopted a directive to create a basic LNG bunkering network at EU ports. Under the directive, member states will have to provide infrastructure for supplying LNG and other alternative fuels across the transport sector. BETTER BUNKERS: the tanker owners’ body Intertanko has welcomed an International Maritime Organisation plan to consider new measures to improve controls on the quality of bunkers delivered to ships. GLYCERINE VIABLE: the bio-diesel by-product glycerine is a viable alternative ‘eco’ ship fuel, a Lloyd’s Register research project has concluded. It says glycerol could be cheaper than LNG and distillates.

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04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

P&O liaison officers to meet management this month

HUMBER DEAL: members employed as Humber Pilots have accepted a three-year terms and conditions offer from Associated British Ports (ABP). The revised package is made up of various components that will be actioned within timeframes over the next three years. There is also a one year pay increase of 2.5% with pay for the remaining two years being negotiated by the national forum which involves ABP and Unite the union. GLOBAL PAY: Nautilus was due to meet management at Global Marine Systems as the Telegraph went to press. The meeting was due to discuss members’ pay and conditions claim, which seeks a substantial percentage rise above RPI inflation, payment of ENG1 expenses, a review of the onboard feeding rate, improved internet access, project bonuses, and changes to tours of duty and travel arrangements.

meeting for P&O Ferries North A Sea and Irish Sea representatives

A long-awaited liaison officers’

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr is pictured with Ron Brooks of Intrada Shipping, Captain Bogdan and second officer Matthew Schank (above) , and Ron Halliday (below) during visits to the Scot Line and Scot Trader

WYNDHAMS CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Wyndhams Management Services. The claim includes an above RPI increase and industrial organiser Lisa Carr is awaiting a formal response from the company. LONDON CALLING: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by the Port of London Authority. The claim includes a substantial pay rise above RPI to reflect members’ hard work and professionalism. SEEING RED: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Red Funnel. The claim includes a substantial above-inflation pay rise, a bonus system and a reduction in hours of work. CAR CLAIM: a pay claim for an above RPI increase has been submitted on behalf of members employed by UECC. A bulletin will be sent to members when a response to the submission has been received. SERCO SETTLED: a one-year pay increase of 2.7% has been accepted by members employed by Serco Ferries Crewing.

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

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To find out about advertising opportunities in the Telegraph contact: Jude Rosset T: 020 7880 6217 E: jude.rosset@ redactive.co.uk

Nautilus recovers more than £250,000 for hurt members department recovered more F than £254,000 in personal injury

Nautilus International’s legal

SUPPORTING URGENCY: industrial organiser Paul Schroder has written to P&O Maritime Services requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the pay and conditions review for members serving onboard European Supporter. Members rejected the company’s pay freeze in May and Mr Schroder has been unable to secure a further meeting to discuss the claim. SCOT FUTURE: following the outcome of the Scottish referendum in October, Nautilus national secretary Steve Doran has been involved in several meetings to discuss Scottish government plans for the future. Mr Doran has been part of the Council of Scottish Government Unions and focussed on how future plans may affect members.

is due to take place on Thursday 20 November in Larne, Northern Ireland. It will discuss a number of outstanding issues affecting members. The company has also requested that Nautilus become part of a joint consultative group of seafarer trade unions. P&O Ferries says the twiceyearly meetings will allow for more

strategic and broader issues to be dealt with, while day-to-day matters will take place at meetings in between with local management. The first of these strategic meetings is set to take place this month. A pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of all P&O Ferries members, including a call for a pay increase above the rate of RPI inflation, an uplift in new start rates for chief officers and second engineers, and talks on travel expenses.

compensation for members in the first eight months of this year, last month’s UK branch committee meeting heard. Over the same period, the Union received almost 30 new claim forms from members who are seeking the department’s assistance to recover damages as a result of suffering

work-related injuries or ill health, the meeting was told. Recent claims include one for a member who was trapped between two trucks while loading vehicles onto a vessel, another who was injured in a fall on an unlit quayside, one for a chief engineer suffering from hearing damage, and one member affected by mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos.

RFA urged to meet as offer is rejected Concern that plans for Future Development Programme will be imposed

Nautilus members employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have voted overwhelmingly to reject the employer’s pay offer and the ﬁnal draft of the Future Development programme. The proposed programme included the scrapping of incremental rates within ranks based on length of service, to be replaced with a three-step progression based on skills, experience and competency. Members rejected this — along with the pay offer of 3.4% backdated to 1 July 2014 with a further £425 (consolidated) from 1 January 2015 — by a majority of more than three to one. National secretary Jonathan Havard presented the results of the ballot to RFA management last month and is seeking urgent talks

Nautilus liaison officer Russel Downs met members onboard RFA Argus in Falmouth before they sailed for Sierra Leone last month

on improvements. He said that just before the ballot closed he received correspondence from the Commodore which addressed some of the concerns raised by members and that he would be following these up in future discussions, together with comments received from mem-

bers during the consultation process. ‘I would like to thank all those members who voted in this very important consultation,’ he said. ‘We now have a strong mandate to go back to management to seek improvements to the offer. ‘The feedback I received on

the speciﬁc aspects of the offer which members are not happy with has been particularly useful,’ Mr Havard added. ‘I would like to encourage more members to come forward and share their views to enable me to focus the negotiations in the future. ‘I would also encourage those who are not members to consider joining. The more RFA staff we represent and the more opinions we have, the stronger our position will be.’ Mr Havard said that he had told the Commodore ‘in the strongest possible terms’ of members’ disappointment at the offer and at the RFA’s stated intention to impose the Future Development Programme. He will advise members as soon as a meeting to continue negotiations has taken place.

Crew costs rose by 0.2% last year were the only element of the operating budget F to rise, according to figures from shipping consultant Crew costs increased by 0.2% last year — and

Moore Stephens. Total annual operating costs in the shipping industry fell by an average of 0.3% in 2013, compared with a 1.8 % fall in 2012. Crew costs were the only category that increased over the 12-month period, and Moore Stephens said this indicated that ‘ship owners continued to focus on managing costs and conserving cash in 2013’. The OpCost benchmarking report 2014 found that the rate of increase in crew costs has slowed

dramatically; the current figure is 0.2% less than last year and substantially lower than the 2008 increase of 21%. Handysize product tankers reported the highest increase at 3.3%, while crew costs for Panamax bulker carriers were down 2.3%. ‘The fact that crew costs were the only category to show an increase for 2013 is perhaps a reflection of a diminution in the number of owners and operators exiting the industry and a reminder that investment in good people is a must,’ said Moore Stephens partner Richard Greiner. ‘Overall, the fall in operating costs recorded in

OpCost 2014 must be good news for owners and operators.’ Many seafarers will be unsurprised that expenditure on stores was down by 1.9% on the back of a 2.1% fall in 2012. There was also an overall fall in repair and maintenance costs of 0.4% and insurance costs of 0.3%. ‘Expenditure on repairs and maintenance, and on stores was down in 2013, but by a smaller margin than in 2012,’ Mr Greiner added. ‘So it is to be hoped that owners and operators are continuing to pursue the sort of sound husbandry which competition and regulation demand.’

22/10/2014 18:18

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

UK moves on work permits awaited action by the UK Border F Authority to enforce work permit Nautilus has welcomed long-

requirements on ships operating ‘cabotage’ services within the UK. The Union has made extensive representations to the UKBA and the Home Office over the case of the Cyprus-flagged general cargoship Daroja, which runs a freight service between Aberdeen, the Shetland Islands and the Orkeny Islands. Following protests by Nautilus, the Agency has now advised that with effect from 7 July this year 2014 all non EEA crew seeking entry to the UK as crew to the 3,266gt Daroja — or any other ship operating such ‘island cabotage’ type services — will be required to have ‘the relevant entry clearance or other permission authorising employment in the UK’. General secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘It has taken three years to finally reach the point at which UKBA has accepted that vessels trading in our cabotage trades should be covered by the work permit rules, but this is an important step forward.’ Mr Dickinson said the crew members onboard the ship were Indian and Russian nationals and the Union has been concerned that their pay rates were potentially undermining UK jobs and conditions on a service that was in direct competition with the Northlink operations. ‘This is evidence of a renewed determination by the Union to identify these errant operations and to try to do something about it,’ he added.

P&O’s newest cruiseship, Britannia, is floated out for fitting out at the Fincantieri yard in Italy last month. The vessel is due to be officially named in Southampton in March 2015 Picture: James D. Morgan

longest and most severe decline F in real earnings since records began UK workers are suffering the

in Victorian times, according to a new analysis published by the TUC last month. This year, workers across the UK face the seventh consecutive year of falling real earnings — a situation that has no historical precedent, says the TUC. Even the pay squeeze of the long depression of the 1920s was shorter. The total decline in earnings since 2007 is over 8%, the report notes. The TUC study compares the current situation with four major earnings crises in UK history — 186567, 1874-78, 1921-23, and 1976-77. The real wages drops during each of these crises lasted only two years, apart from 1874-78 when there were four consecutive years of falling real earnings. After the initial drops in past recessions, earnings growth resumed, but now the UK is in the seventh year of ‘wage pain’ and there has yet to be any let-up, the report says. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady commented: ‘It’s shocking that even the most infamous periods of pay depression in the last 150 years pale into comparison when looking at the current seven-year collapse in earnings. ‘The government says the economy is growing again, but there’s no evidence of any recovery in ordinary workers’ pay packets,’ she added.

04-05_at work.indd 5

BW REQUEST: a pay and conditions submission has been submitted on behalf of members employed by BW Fleet Management. The submission includes a pay increase of RPI plus 3% and a monthly allowance for extra responsibilities. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder will also be requesting that Nautilus takes a full part in this year’s pay negotiations. Currently these are undertaken between the company and representatives from Norwegian unions, with Nautilus members being offered a matching increase.

A series of 10 ship visits to all Carnival UK ships was completed last month when industrial organiser Paul Schroder visited members onboard Ventura, right, and Adonia. Mr Schroder was due to attend a Partnership At Work meeting late last month to confirm dates for a new series of visits in 2015. These will be published to members as soon as they are confirmed.

Union urges Stena talks Call for company to resume discussions on savings plan

UK suffers P longest pay slump

Nautilus International is hoping to meet Stena Line management this month after expressing concern at the company’s failure to meet for follow-up discussions in the wake of the withdrawal of a controversial cost-cutting package earlier this year. The Union said management had failed to respond to repeated requests for meetings to discuss the way ahead with ofﬁcials and liaison ofﬁcers after it dropped plans to make sweeping changes in members’ pay and conditions as part of a £10m savings programme announced in January. ‘When Stena withdrew the proposals in June, it agreed to explore the potential for alternative ways to reduce costs,’ said senior national secretary Garry Elliott. ‘It was of deep concern to us that we had been unable to engage management in any meaningful dialogue since then.’

MAC OFFER: members employed by Caledonian MacBrayne are being consulted on the company’s ‘full and final pay’ offer. The offer includes a two-year deal including a pay increase of 2.7% effective each 1 October (2014 and 2015), a bonus scheme which will pay up to a maximum of 1.5% of basic pay each year, and a cap on accrued leave of 14 days, any accrued leave earned beyond the cap to be automatically paid. The company agreed that the working party to address members’ concerns about accrued leave proposals would include four representatives from Nautilus and Calmac, as well as RMT, Unite and TSSA.

Mr Elliott said the Union was disturbed that the lack of meaningful dialogue since June had been causing uncertainty and concern, with the potential to have ‘a profoundly negative effect on the retention of ofﬁcers’. Nautilus has been seeking to be proactive and professional in pursuing further discussions with the company, he said. The Union had requested discussions on issues including career progression, study leave, vacancies, harmonisation, and differentials, as well as recognising the need to negotiate on proposals for newstart salaries for employees joining the company. ‘It is ridiculous the company deemed these issues so serious that 10 months ago it demanded millions in savings, yet management seemed to be unable to ﬁnd a date to discuss them,’ Mr Elliott added. Nautilus has also urged the

company to indicate its intentions for the forthcoming 2015 pay and conditions negotiations — warning that any move to seek a further pay freeze would be seen as ‘a confrontational stance’. After writing to the company ‘in the strongest possible terms’ to call for renewed dialogue on the way ahead, Mr Elliott said management had offered a meeting early in November. The agenda for this meeting is likely to include the introduction of new ranks and rates for new entrant junior ofﬁcers, and the introduction of study leave arrangements to open up longer term career opportunities for more junior ofﬁcers. Management also expressed a desire to engage on the pay review process in advance of the contractual review date, but stressed that any negotiations must take place in conjunction with the talks on cost-savings.

MAERSK PERFORMANCE: masters and chief engineers employed by Maersk Offshore are being asked for their comments on the company’s proposals to introduce a new performance-related pay scheme. The company is proposing to base individual salary increases on the performance of the company and the performance of the individual. Maersk claims that the new system recognises masters and chief engineers as ‘leaders’ and brings their pay into line with leadership pay onshore. SMIT BALLOT: members at Smit International are being consulted on whether they wish to be balloted on some form of industrial action following the company’s refusal to improve their current two-year pay deal. The offer included a 2.2% increase from 1 April 2014 and CPI plus 0.4% from 1 April 2015. Members have until Friday 7 November to accept the offer or reject it and be balloted on some form of industrial action. SEATRUCK SUBMISSION: a pay and conditions claim seeking an above-inflation increase has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Seaway Manning Services and serving onboard Seatruck Ferries. The claim also includes a request to review travel expenses, leave policy and pension provisions. A meeting to discuss the claim was due to take place as the Telegraph went to press. WINDSTAR SUBMISSION: pay and conditions aspirations have been submitted on behalf of members employed by Windstar Management Service. The claim includes an above RPI increase and the reintroduction of overtime and/or a bonus scheme to reflect extra work requirements.

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

Maersk protest on piracy pay

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

disappointment that Maersk F Offshore has decided to cease Nautilus has expressed

payment of the hardship allowance for some vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, without any consultation with the Union or the Partnership At Work committee. The payment came to an end with effect from the start of November and national secretary Steve Doran said this issue will be added to the agenda for the next Partnership At Work Committee.

Nautilus industrial organiser Paul Schroder is pictured meeting members employed by Hanson Ship management during a ship visit last month. Discussions included this year’s pay claim, which includes an above-RPI increase, a bonus scheme and improvements to communications. These have been presented to the company and talks are set for 13 November.

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

22/10/2014 18:35

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports ONLINE SERVICE: a mobile communications company has vowed to provide onshore standard communications to the offshore industry. Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) has signed an agreement with Shell to provide platforms, rigs and vessels operating on Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) with high-speed and competitively priced 4G mobile and internet services to clients which include DeepOcean, Subsea7 and Gulf Offshore. NKOSSA ASPIRATIONS: pay and conditions aspirations have been submitted on behalf of members employed by Maersk Offshore and working onboard Nkossa II. A meeting to discuss the claim has been organised for Wednesday 5 November. Partnership At Work delegates are invited to attend, and any members who are interested should contact industrial@ nautilusint.org. SEALION TALKS: Nautilus is set to meet Seahorse Maritime management on 17 November to discuss this year’s pay and conditions claim for members serving on Sealion vessels. The Union is seeking an aboveinflation increase and a number of other improvements and the date was chosen so that the majority of liaison officers can attend to ensure members’ views are fully represented. VROON ARRIVAL: the Vroon Shipping newbuild emergency response and rescue vessel VOS Fairness entered into service from Aberdeen last month following a delivery voyage from the Nanjing East Star Shipyard in China. The Class-A ERRV is equipped with two daughter craft and one fast rescue craft and is the second in a newbuilding programme of 10 vessels. MAERSK ORDERS: Maersk Supply Service (MSS) has signed a contract with Kleven Maritime for six new AHTS vessels, with options for four additional vessels. The contract brings the total number of newbuildings in the MSS order book to 12, including five subsea vessels and one AHTS, to be delivered from shipyards in Romania, China and Chile. HAVILA REJECTION: members employed by Havila Marine have voted to reject a revised pay and conditions offer which includes a 3.5% increase in pay for officers and 3% for ratings. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne confirmed that he has informed the company of the rejection and is waiting for an official response. DANISH RECORD: the Danish Energy Agency has announced a record number of applications in its seventh licensing round for oil and gas in the North Sea. Fifteen companies have submitted bids. SUBSEA MEETING: Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech was due to meet Subsea 7 management late last month to discuss this year’s pay and conditions claim after members rejected a 2.6% offer. SHELL FIND: Shell has announced a major gas discovery from its Leopard-1 frontier exploration well 145km off the coast of Gabon, west Africa.

Operators delaying new work delay decisions on new F projects in the North Sea until the Oil and gas operators may

future of the sector becomes clearer, the business advisory firm Deloitte has warned. In a new report, Deloitte’s Petroleum Services Group (PSG) said there had been a marked reduction in drilling, licensing and deal activity across NW Europe over the third quarter of 2014. Just four deals were announced in the UK offshore sector in the third quarter of 2014, down from the 14 reported in the third quarter of last year, it said. Deloitte suggested that firms are waiting for details on the implementation of the Wood Review, including formation of the Oil & Gas Authority, and changes to the North Sea’s fiscal regime, which are due to be addressed in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on 3 December. Graham Sadler, managing director of Deloitte’s Petroleum Services Group, said price pressure and access to finance continue to pose problems in the North Sea. ‘During this period of transition, costs have remained high for North Sea firms, access to finance has remained difficult and the price of oil has dropped to as low as $95 this quarter. This combination of factors continues to make the economics of extraction more difficult for operators.’

New ERRVs deliver jobs boost created within the North A Star Shipping fleet following the

Almost 50 new jobs are being

launch of two new D-class IMT 950 emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs). Named Grampian Dynasty and Grampian Dynamic, above, the two ships are part of a £70m investment plan for North Star Shipping which will see a total of six vessels delivered between 2014 and 2016. Built at the Balenciaga Shipyard in northern Spain, both vessels have secured contracts with North Sea operators, which will take effect as

soon as they are delivered from the shipyard. The 50m vessels will be outfitted as a minimum with one daughter craft, one fast rescue craft and state of the art survival facilities. Two more D-class vessels, Grampian Deliverance and Grampian Devotion, will be launched by North Star Shipping in 2015, to be followed by two F-class IMT 958 multi-role ERRVs in early 2016. These 58m vessels will be able to transfer and store limited deck cargo and provide offshore locations with fresh water and fuel if required.

North Star’s parent company, the Craig Group, has invested a total of £350m in new tonnage since 2003 and now has a fleet of 37 vessels. The company says it is also training a total of 100 British officer cadets. Company chairman Douglas Craig commented: ‘This is a significant investment by Craig Group and is one we are making as a result of our commitment to our clients, our employees and the marine industry. These new vessels are now part of a fleet that is not only at the forefront of technology but also at the forefront of safety.’

Unity ‘vital’ to cope with rising costs Operators seek collaboration to secure investment in future of the UKCS

Trade association Oil & Gas UK has called for greater collaboration to secure the long-term future of the industry, following the release of its latest economic report. The annual report highlights the industry’s problems competing for international investment and says that greater cooperation between industry and government will be critical for success. It also states that the industry must ‘act immediately’ to address its high, and rising, costs. ‘This report reafﬁrms our sector’s position as the country’s larg-

est industrial investor, supporter of some 450,000 jobs, successful exporter of oilfield goods and services, and a provider of secure primary energy for the UK,’ said chief executive Malcolm Webb ‘However, to support a lasting and sustainable future, we’re calling for greater collaboration — between governments, between government and industry and within industry itself to face and fight the challenges ahead.’ The report shows that production in the first half of 2014 was encouraging after several years of double-digit decline.

A new section on the supply chain highlighted the industry’s wider role in growth and job opportunities. Mr Webb concluded that over £1tn of expenditure will be required to achieve the recovery of some 20bn remaining barrels of oil and that the UK will have to compete for each and every pound of that investment. ‘If the current trend of rising cost continues, the UKCS will cease to provide a healthy return on investment and we’ll feel the brunt through falling levels of activity,’ he said.

z Another

report released by Oil & Gas UK last month revealed that £470m was spent on decommissioning in the UKCS last year. It predicted that the figure will exceed £1bn this year and that a further £14.6bn will be spent between 2014 and 2023. In a report for Scottish Enterprise, the engineering consultancy firm Arup warned that significant supply chain bottlenecks, including shortages of skilled staff and suitable vessels for rig removal work, present a major challenge to decommissioning over the next two decades.

Employers told to step up safety efforts safety body OPITO will tell an F industry conference this month that The head of the oil and gas

more effective leadership is required to drive a step-change in safety across the industry. David Doig, group chief executive of OPITO, will open the fifth annual OPITO safety and competence conference in Abu Dhabi with a stern warning that ‘staying the same is simply not good enough’.

06_offshore.indd 6

‘The global oil and gas industry has to change in its approach to safety and competence,’ he said. ‘Despite improvements, too many major and minor incidents and accidents are still happening from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Sea, from the Middle East to SE Asia.’ The event sees oil and gas industry leaders, government bodies, regulators and training providers coming together to share best practice

and safety experience. Mr Doig will call on employers at the event to drive long-term change by showing strong, committed, and courageous leadership. ‘When organisations start talking about change, people inevitably become apprehensive, even fearful, and often disillusioned and disengaged,’ he said. ‘It takes bold and inspirational leaders to make change happen effectively, to bring people

onboard and make them part of that change; to ensure that they embrace it rather than fear it. ‘The nature of our industry, which operates some of the most complex technology in some of the most hazardous areas in the world, dictates that there will always be risk,’ he concludes. ‘It is how we effectively prepare and support our people to reduce the risks, that ultimately dictates our success.’

22/10/2014 17:50

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Industry needs to train 40,000 extra officers a year, IMO leader warns Organisation leader Koji F Sekimizu has urged shipowners International Maritime

to step up their recruitment and training efforts to avoid a crisis in officer supply and demand. Speaking in Denmark last month, Mr Sekimizu warned that the global shipping industry will need to find an additional 40,000 qualified officers a year if it is to cope with forecast growth in seaborne trade over the next 15 years. He told of the ‘significant challenge’ to train sufficient new

seafarers over this period and urged owners to generate greater interest and awareness among young people — especially in developed nations. ‘We need to highlight the importance of shipping,’ he added. ‘And we need to provide real tangible benefits for those people who will work on the sea. This is probably the biggest challenge.’ The IMO warning is based on research suggesting that more than half of the current 500,000 officers working in the world fleet will retire within the next 15 years.

Combined with predicted further increases in the volume of seaborne trade, this suggests that around 650,000 new officers will be needed by 2030. Mr Sekimizu said that while such expansion might seem ambitious, seaborne trade has quadrupled every 40 years. Although the shipping industry is in a process of ‘adjustment’ after the global economic downturn, he suggested that developments such as slow steaming could fuel demand for additional tonnage.

The world’s largest cruiseship, the 225,282gt Oasis of the Seas, is pictured making a maiden call to the UK port of Southampton last month, towering over a passing Red Funnel ferry Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

UK urged to ratify BWM convention With tonnage threshold just 2% away, Nautilus questions shipping minister

Nautilus International has questioned shipping minister John Hayes about the UK’s plans for ratiﬁcation of the international Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention. The Union wrote to the minister last month as Japan and Turkey ratiﬁed the measure, bringing the total to 43 countries representing 33% of global tonnage — just 2% short of the tonnage threshold required for it to enter into force. Adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2004, the BWM Convention aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms around the world, by setting standards and procedures for the management and control of ships’ ballast water and sediments.

In his letter to the minister, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson asked for reassurances that the UK government intends to ratify — and whether this will take place before the convention enters into force. ‘The convention has many important environmental and operational consequences,’ Mr Dickinson told the minister. ‘I believe it is important that the UK is, as a major maritime nation, within the vanguard of the countries that support the measure and demonstrate the desire to meet the IMO secretary-general’s ambition of delivering improved standards of global governance and compliance for our essential shipping industries.’ Mr Dickinson pointed out that the Union has identiﬁed a number

of outstanding issues connected with the convention — including the need to ensure shipmasters and ofﬁcers are not inadvertently criminalised by the associated port state control procedures — but that it ‘remains supportive of the convention’s intentions’. Last month, the IMO agreed to review and revise the ballast water management systems (BWMS) type approval guidelines associated with the convention. It gave assurances that the review would not lead to owners being penalised if they had already installed BWMS approved in accordance with the current guidelines. The revision to the G8 guidelines will signiﬁcantly reduce the chances of existing typeapproved BWM installations being ruled as non-compliant in

port state control inspections. Industry representatives welcomed the move and said they hoped it would lead to BWMS having to meet more robust approval procedures which would ultimately give owners greater conﬁdence that once purchased and installed, a type-approved BWMS will meet the ballast discharge standard. ‘We are very pleased that IMO member states have fully acknowledged the shipping industry’s concerns by agreeing to start work immediately on a revision of the G8 type-approval guidelines to make the process for approving ballast water treatment equipment more robust,’ said International Chamber of Shipping secretary general Peter Hinchliffe.

Hovercraft pilot is jailed for being over alcohol limit for eight months after a court F heard that he had been almost three

A hovercraft pilot has been jailed

times over the drink-drive limit while carrying passengers in the Solent. Newport Crown Court heard that Richard Pease was in command of the Hovertravel Freedom 90 craft when it was involved in ‘near-misses’ with a tanker and a pier during a crossing from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight with 36 passengers onboard. Another crew member had to take over the controls after Mr Pease made a slewed approach to the landing pad at Ryde and his head drooped and body went limp, said Sunyana Sharma, prosecuting. Once the hovercraft was safely landed, an ambulance was called to help Pease. A paramedic noticed the smell of drink on his sweat and his speech was slurred, added Miss Sharma. Six hours after he collapsed, Pease was breathalysed by police and gave a reading of 96mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, against the legal limit of 35mg. Mr Pease, who has 18 years of experience as a hovercraft pilot, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to

being over the alcohol limit while in charge of a Freedom 90 Hovercraft on June 22 this year. He told police he had been drinking from a bottle in a bid to keep cool and hydrated during two trips and had not realised it contained alcohol. Judge Susan Evans, sentencing, told him: ‘It’s tragic that someone of your standing and with such an impressive past career should have destroyed all of that in one day. It was an appalling breach of your duty. You put yourself in a condition where you were unable to discharge your duty as pilot of a hovercraft and your responsibilities to your passengers, the crew and the other users of the Solent. Your actions could have resulted in tragedy but fortunately they did not.’ Following the case, Maritime & Coastguard Agency enforcement officer Neil Cunningham commented: ‘The master of any vessel has a duty of care to their crew and passengers, so to carry out this responsibility whilst under the influence of alcohol is totally irresponsible. Mr Pease was clearly not in any fit state to carry out his duties safely. It is incredibly fortunate that no one was hurt in this case.’

OOW fined for poor lookout trawler which collided with a F 2,061gt general cargoship off the

The watchkeeping officer of a

coast of Cornwall earlier this year has been ordered to pay a total of £2,100 in fines and costs after failing to keep a proper lookout. Bodmin magistrates court heard that Andrew Cowan-Dickie had failed to notice the Antigue & Barbudaregistered Pommern as he navigated the trawler James R H Stevenson

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

towards fishing grounds some 14nm south of Newlyn. Mr Cowan-Dickie was alone on the bridge of the fishing vessel at the time of the incident, at around 1630hrs on 25 March this year. He pleaded guilty to failing to keep a proper lookout which resulted in a collision with another vessel and was fined £1,000, with £1,000 in costs and a £100 victim surcharge. Following the case, Chris Uglow,

principal fishing vessel surveyor at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s Falmouth Marine Office, commented: ‘When under way all vessels should keep a proper lookout at all times using all available means. It is clear in this case that this did not take place, resulting in a collision that caused significant damage, and could easily have resulted in multiple casualties and pollution along the south coast of Cornwall.’

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

07_news.indd 7

22/10/2014 16:26

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Union can help you to get certificated Fund can provide support to cover the costs of gaining STCW qualifications

Yacht members who are looking to become fully certificated officers in light of new and improved training requirements for the sector are being encouraged to apply for funding from the Nautilus Slater Fund. The Slater Fund is a registered charity administered by the Union providing awards worth up to £17,500 (as of January 2014) for ratings, including yacht crew, who are resident in the UK, to assist them in studying for officer qualifications. The grants can be used to gain an officer of the watch (OOW) certificate and to help with the costs of complying with new mandatory training requirements under

the 2006 Manila amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping (STCW) code. Applicants may even receive an additional £1,500 bonus when they qualify. Demand for officers with unlimited certification has soared in the sector as a result of the growing size of superyachts and the importance of meeting the new STCW requirements — and this was highlighted by speakers at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. In a presentation to the event, Maritime & Coastguard Agency chief executive Sir Allan Massey outlined new initiatives in yacht engineer officer training, including qualifications that are fully

transferable between different categories of vessel. Lars Lippuner, business development manager at the Warsash Superyacht Academy, commented: ‘The new training requirements caused by the Manila Amendments to the STCW Code put a lot of additional strain on yacht crew, but the completion of these courses is inevitable.’ The new courses include efﬁcient deck hand; human element, leadership and management; ECDIS; and security for ISPScompliant yachts. Mr Lippuner said crew members need to think very carefully about training and career progression. The Slater Fund is the only charity dedicated to providing

grants for ratings and yacht crew to study for officer qualifications and is recognised as an important means of addressing the continued shortage of officers throughout the industry. The Fund was established in 1977 in memory of John William Slater, a former general secretary of the MNAOA — one of the union’s predecessors. The Fund has made more than 1,400 awards since its launch and it is currently assisting more than 200 seafarers with their training. f For more information or to apply for a grant, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0)151 639 8454. g How the award changes lives — see page 48.

Leadership award winner passed away in March, was an F ambassador for onboard training and Captain John Percival, who

encouraging investment in a yacht’s crew. The training centre he founded promoted high standards at all levels. In his memory, the John Percival Leadership Award has been created, to reward crew members who personify that ideal. This year’s award was presented during the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show to Christoph Schaefer, above, who was nominated by Fraser Gow. Making the nomination, Fraser described Christoph as a father figure

who encouraged crew to learn rather than simply polish. ‘Christoph pushes crew to excel and step up to greater responsibility and new learning experiences,’ he added. ‘Everyone onboard is encouraged to attend courses whenever possible, be it pushing our deckhands up through their yachtmaster courses, MTU training for the new second engineer, or Saki training for the stews. ‘This plays a huge part in our extremely small crew turnover. Ultimately, he is a captain who cares and I am proud to work for him.’

New challenge for the title of largest yacht by Michael Howorth

Azzam being, at 180m, the A largest yacht in the world could be The days of the superyacht

numbered, according to a press release from Craig Timm, a broker at US-based 4Yacht. At 222m, Project Triple Deuce is set to be the world’s largest and, at a cost of over US$1bn, the most expensive private yacht ever built. Designed to carry 36 guests with a crew complement of between 90 and 100, the yacht will have a top speed in excess of 30 knots. Powered by triple gas turbine engines producing over 100,000hp, the yacht will feature electric podded

propulsion units. The owner’s suite, at 275 sq m over two decks, will encompass nearly one full deck of space in the seven-deck yacht, and

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

As part of our growing support for seafarers serving in the large yacht sector, all members are entitled to a free copy of the Nautilus service record book, which has been produced to assist in the recording and calculation of qualifying sea service for the purpose of certification. Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is one of only two that the MCA recognises worldwide as evidence of acceptable service. p Once your yacht service is verified O in our office in Antibes, then the MCA accepts the Nautilus SRB as M ssufficient proof of onboard and sea sservice and no further supporting ddocumentation is required. z Contact the membership ddepartment either via email or telephone to receive your free SRB. te

08_yachts_b.indd 8

offer unparallelled views. It will feature two staterooms, and will include private access to a helipad and an elevator from an exclusive

drive-in dock. Mr Timm suggests that he has already sold the yacht, declaring: ‘What our client was concerned about is that if we built the yacht to 200m, then someone would come along like Roman Abramovich when he built Eclipse at 163.5m, to barely eclipse Sheikh Maktoum’s yacht, the 162m Dubai, by only 1.5m. ‘By building the yacht to 222m, he wants to make it difficult, if not impossible, to be “eclipsed” himself.’ Mr Timm says construction of Project Triple Deuce will begin at a European shipyard, which has still yet to be decided, in the next six to 12 months, with a target delivery date of spring 2018.

Superyacht attacked was boarded by thieves while F lying at anchor off Kranget Island,

The 36m superyacht Antipodean

near Madang, in Papua New Guinea. The three-man gang, armed with long bushknives, stole dive equipment, watches, mobile phones, laptops, and cash. They were confronted and challenged by crew members, but managed to leave in their own boat.

The yacht belongs to the billionaire boss of Australia’s Channel Seven TV station, Kerry Stokes, who was not onboard when the incident occurred. None of the crew were injured. The former Madang Governor and owner of the Madang Resort Hotel, Sir Peter Barter, commented: ‘They did not want to make an issue over this incident, but we insisted that a report was made to police.’

Prizes for top captains by Michael Howorth

red ensign registered yachts H scooped all three awards in the British captains serving on

14th Captains’ Dinner and Awards Night, hosted by Fraser Yachts at the Monaco Yacht Show. Held in the recently-opened Monaco Yacht Club building, the event saw Captain Glen Smith, from the Mucho Mas, pick up the prize for the best charter yacht under 50m. Capt Smith and his crew of five were described as ‘phenomenal’ — attracting many repeat clients and referrals. Captain Owen Jones, master of the 57.3m Diamond A, received the award for the best charter crew on

a yacht of over 50m. Together with service steward Andrew Adams and the crew of 15, the team was said to have pulled out all the stops while handling four charter contracts totalling nine weeks from July to September. Charter Captain of the Year went to Captain Grahame Shorrocks, pictured above, from the yacht Imagine. A 27-year veteran of the superyacht sector, he was presented with a variety of prizes including a €10,000 marine chronometer. Fraser Yachts will be introducing a new award in 2015, to be known as the Yacht Management Captain of the Year. Captains will be judged on criteria including outstanding delivery of service and teamwork.

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

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

22/10/2014 18:16

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Jonty is UK’s top trainee officer Shipping minister praises Bibby cadet’s determination and enthusiasm

Jonty Turnbull was onboard a ship in the Falklands when he got the call to say that he had been chosen as this year’s winner of the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s Officer Trainee of the Year Award. ‘We were alongside at the time and the communications weren’t very good, but the message filtered through,’ he said. ‘It was a great surprise and I was very proud to have been selected. Jonty was presented with the award — which is sponsored by Nautilus International — by shipping minister John Hayes at last month’s Marine Society & Sea Cadets annual court. Mr Hayes said he was extremely impressed by the way in which Jonty had demonstrated his determination to make the best of every opportunity before him. ‘He epitomises everything we look for in a successful officer,’ he added. Recently serving as a second officer with Foreland Shipping, Jonty was chosen for the award in recognition of his ‘hard work and dedication’. The judging panel said that they were ‘very impressed with Jonty and his achievements’ and that ‘his drive and enthusiasm for the Merchant Navy really stood out’. Jonty studied at Blackpool

Shipping minister John Hayes presents the UK officer trainee of the year award to Jonty Turnball

& the Fylde College and started his cadetship in September 2011, sponsored by Bibby Ship Management. Julie Arnold, BSM’s training and cadet manager, commented: ‘I am really proud of Jonty as he was an outstanding trainee ofﬁcer to mentor throughout his threeyear cadetship. He has worked relentlessly and we are proud of

the fact that he represented Bibby Line Limited so well.’ Captain Kevin Foulkes, master of his last ship — the Foreland Shipping strategic ro-ro Hartland Point— added: ‘I am delighted that Jonty Turnbull has been recognised for this award, which is very well deserved. Jonty has currently stepped up to do the

second officer role for a period of time and has taken this very much in his stride. He continues to impress colleagues with his hard work and dedication to the job.’ Jonty said he would have no hesitation in recommendation a career at sea. ‘I am very proud of the shipping industry,’ he added. ‘It offers great variety and lots of challenges.’ He will soon be starting a new job in the North Sea, as a second officer and trainee DPO onboard a supply ship. ‘I am really looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘I worked onboard the RSV Caledonian Victory when I was a cadet and this will be a new challenge. I want to try a bit of everything, and this will be another thing for the skillset. It’s all about getting ahead of the game.’ MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey added: ‘Having high-calibre officers is vital to the future health of the UK shipping industry. At the Maritime & Coastguard Agency we are committed to recognising and promoting excellence and are therefore delighted that this year’s award is going to such a deserving candidate. I wish Jonty every success for what I am sure will be a very impressive career.’ g Slater Award winner — see page 48.

Left to right: Carla Rockson, Marine Society seafarer education manager; lifelong learning award winner George Cowan; and former defence minister and NATO secretary-general Lord Robertson

Lifelong learning prize for ex-chief engineer officer who now works F ashore has been presented with A former chief engineer

this year’s Marine Society award for outstanding achievement and lifelong learning. George Cowan, who began his career as an apprentice with British & Commonwealth, was praised by Marine Society director of lifelong learning Mark Windsor for his ‘ongoing enthusiasm to learn more’ and the way in which he had managed to obtain an internationally-recognised postgraduate qualification while also working as a technical director with a shipping company. Mr Cowan, who served at sea with companies including Clan Line, City Line, Marathon Oil and London & Overseas Freighters, moved ashore to be a superintendent with Sanko

Marine and now works with Zodiac Maritime. He completed his master’s degree with Middlesex University and said he wanted to use his knowledge and experience to bring forward the next generation of seafarers. ‘It is disappointing to see so many cadets disappearing,’ he added. ‘We want to see them progress through so that they can become the managers of the future, and I wanted to go back into education to see if I could make a difference.’ Mr Cowan said it had been tough to return to academic studies. ‘It was difficult balancing work, home and studies and it was very intense at times,’ he said. ‘Things have changed totally from my day, but the tutor was wonderful and helped me a great deal. It was a really positive learning experience and very rewarding.’

Awards honour commitment to studies studying with support from the Marine A Society, on courses ranging from GCSEs to post-

There are presently more than 500 seafarers

graduate studies. Among the other awards made during the Marine Society and Sea Cadets’ (MSSC) annual court was the Middlesex University Award for outstanding achievement, which was made to Michael Dusher, who works for Maersk FPSO as a marine supervisor.

Mr Dusher, who started a BSc in professional practice (maritime) last October, was praised for his commitment to work-based learning. MSSC director of lifelong learning, Mark Windsor, said he had managed to overcome the ‘myriad challenges’ of working offshore and juggling his academic and professional responsibilities. Retired seafarer William (Ken) Davies (pictured right) was presented with the Writing@

Sea prize, following a competition that was jointly organised with the Nautilus Telegraph. The charity also presented the Thomas Gray Memorial Trust Silver Medal to Glen Mallen, in recognition of his outstanding service to the safety of life at sea with the RNLI, saving lives and training thousands of crew members to do the same. The National Extension College award was presented to Rebecca Burghall for outstanding achievement.

Retired seafarer William (Ken) Davies receives a £1,000 cheque from Lord Robertson for his winning entry in the Marine Society/Nautilus Telegraph Writing@Sea creative writing competition

Develop your teams for safe operations Warsash Maritime Academy pioneered the use of simulators in the 1970s. Since then we have been the leading training provider of higher level simulation training for bridge, engine room, liquid cargo operations and manned model ship handling. The set up of our full mission bridge and engine room simulators test communication, cooperation, situational awareness, decision making, team working, leadership and managerial skills. This ensures optimum bridge team and engine room resource management and operations. To ﬁnd out more, please contact: Alan Cartwright, Commercial Manager T. +44 (0)23 8201 4168 E. alan.cartwright@solent.ac.uk

www.warsashacademy.co.uk

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22/10/2014 17:50

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

NEWS

Stress is workers’ top concern, TUC reveals

‘Sacred’ cargo for QM2 Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 A are pictured at a dockside ceremony Crew members from the

in Southampton last month after the ship brought back the final consignment of 70 bags of ‘sacred soil’ gathered from the First World War cemeteries in Belgium to create a Flanders Field Memorial Garden at the Guards Museum at Wellington Barracks in London. The final bag of soil was gathered at the Ypres Cemetery . It was presented to Queen Mary 2’s master Captain Kevin Oprey by Ian Hussein, from the Commonwealth War Graves

Commission, at the iconic Menin Gate war memorial, while the ship was berthed at Zeebrugge. The soil was brought ashore in Southampton by two cadets and was presented by Capt Oprey to the Mayor of Southampton, before being taken by soldiers for the journey to the Guards Museum. Capt Oprey said it had been an honour to carry the consignment onboard his vessel. ‘Many of our passengers have been moved by the presence of the soil onboard and have wanted to pay their respects,’ he added.

Coast Guard faces Sewol sanctions has called for the head of the F country’s Coast Guard and 49 other

South Korea’s state audit agency

officials from maritime rescue bodies to be punished for their response to the Sewol ferry disaster in April. The call came last month as the master of the ship told a court that he was not in his normal state of mind when the vessel started sinking. Captain Lee Joon-seok, who is facing murder charges and faces the death penalty if convicted, said that he was ‘confused’ at the time — but said he had no intention of killing any of his passengers and he apologised to the relatives of the victims. ‘I committed a grave sin. I’m sorry,’ he told the court. ‘I know I cannot get out of prison, but I must not let my children and grandchildren live being called family members of a murderer.’ Capt Lee told the court he had ordered a crew member to broadcast

an announcement that passengers should wear life jackets and jump into the sea, around five minutes before the first rescue boat arrived. But the message was never relayed, he added. The 6,852gt ferry sank off the island of Jindo on 16 April, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing, mostly school children. The incident has been blamed on factors including poor seamanship, cargo overloading and illegal modifications to the vessel to increase its cargo capacity. The poorly handled Coast Guard response has also been highlighted by investigations and the Korean Board of Audit and Inspection said it had concluded that ‘punitive’ action should be taken against leading officials, as well as the head of the national emergency management agency, vessel traffic service officers and local maritime police.

health and safety concern in UK A workplaces, according to a new TUC Stress is the most common

survey. Just over two-thirds of union safety reps (67%) taking part in the 11th biennial survey said that stress, and the effect it is having on their colleagues, is one of the main concerns they have to deal with at work. The survey suggests that stress is a particularly high concern in the public

IT project connects retired seafarers Nautilus residents join MN Welfare Board scheme to boost internet use

Residents at Nautilus International’s Mariners’ Park welfare complex are taking part in a pilot project being run by the UK Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) to ﬁnd ways of improving IT access for retired seafarers. The initiative has been launched after the MNWB conducted a survey of IT in homes for former seafarers. This found that 52% didn’t have proper access to the internet and almost two-thirds wanted to know more about computers. The research also revealed that many retired seafarers were reluctant to use the internet because of concerns about costs, privacy and security, and lack of knowledge and conﬁdence. The MNWB’s pilot project, launched to coincide with National Online Week last month, has provided residents at Mariners’ Park, Care Ashore in Surrey and Sir Gabriel Wood’s Mariners’ Home in Greenock, Scotland with the equipment, software, training and access to the internet needed to help improve knowledge and understanding of modern IT.

Steven Bradley, general manager of Sir Gabriel Wood’s Mariners’ Home (left) with resident Jim Gray. The former lighthouse keeper was delighted to find his old lighthouse online

Financially supported by the MN Fund, which is run by Seafarers UK, the project will run for 18 months and will involve more than 50 residents. Each home has been supplied with a selection of IT equipment, including small and large tablets, laptops and TV PCs, which are ideal for those who may be immobile or suffer from visual impairment. Subject to demand, the equip-

ment will be redistributed among residents on a quarterly basis to ensure that as many as possible get the opportunity to participate in the project. The project will also test the effectiveness of new ‘simplicity software’ which has been designed speciﬁcally for the older generation. Mariners’ Park welfare services manager Mick Howarth com-

Steam Packet support for road-racing service BIMCO puts maritime ‘trial with the Isle of Man Steam C Packet Company have helped to Crew members serving

raise almost £8,000 to support emergency medical services during the island’s annual festival of motorcycling. Pictured left to right above, making the presentation, are Isle of Man Steam Packet sales development manager Brian Convery, crew members Paul Turton, Nicola Thompson, Sandra Fitzgerald and Captain Dermot O’Toole, Manx Grand Prix Supporters’ Club chairman Andrew Kneale and chief officer Chris Kelly. The annual collection, which is coordinated by crew members from Ben-my-Chree and Manannan on all sailings during the festival, raised

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£7,802.54 for the Manx Grand Prix Supporters’ Club — the largest amount ever. The money helps fund the rescue helicopters, support injured riders and fund vital medical equipment during the road-racing event. Steam Packet Company chief executive Mark Woodward commented: ‘The Manx Grand Prix Supporters’ Club donates almost half of the costs for this vital lifesaving service each year, and help to make this important event happen. We are proud of the part our staff play in not only getting visitors safely to and from the event, but also in helping to raise this record amount. I would also like to thank our very generous passengers for their donations.’

services that have been most affected by austerity. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady commented: ‘We may sometimes joke about health and safety culture, but it’s no joke when you become the person lying awake at night from stress, made ill through long hours, a lack of control over your work or bullying in the office. ‘Employers and managers need to do more to identify and reduce risks and to provide support to employees struggling to cope,’ she added.

by media’ onto London stage BIMCO is bringing a theatre A production to London which highlights The shipowners’ association

the ‘trial by media’ that often occurs after a maritime environmental incident. With the strapline ‘When your phone rings at three in the morning, it’s rarely good news…’ Double Jeopardy follows the lives of a number of maritime professionals in the aftermath of a maritime casualty and bunker spill on a US river. The production, debuted by BIMCO in Dubai in April, is big on audience participation, with the opportunity to vote as the story unfolds. But before any maritime professionals start

thinking they might be able to use their industry knowledge to get one over on the unsuspecting actors, be warned — the actors are actually real-life shipping professionals with a wealth of experience between them. In the first act lawyer John Tsatsas plays the shipowner; Han van Blanken, director of Dutch firm J Bekkers is a charterer executive; the ‘persistent’ journalist is portrayed by Julian Bray from Tradewinds; and the action is narrated by top London lawyer Lindsay East. The second act jumps in time following the incident to an arbitration hearing, in which real-life barristers Chirag Karia QC and Nevil Phillips of

Quadrant Chambers ‘thrust and parry’ on the liability of their clients before a panel of arbitrators from London, New York and Singapore. Arbitrators Bruce Buchan (LMAA), Robert Shaw (SMANY) and a leading practitioner from Singapore (SCMA) will draw their conclusions and present their potentially differing findings. The audience then has the opportunity to agree or disagree with the arbitrators. g The London showing of Double Jeopardy is taking place on Monday 3 November at Kings Place theatre, 90 York Way, Kings Cross, London. For last minute tickets email documentary@ bimco.org

mented: ‘Residents are simply delighted with the new IT equipment and it is really going to give them a window to the outside world. Steven Bradley, general manager of Sir Gabriel Wood’s Mariners’ Home, added: ‘Considering many of my residents have never used a computer before, I am amazed at how quickly and enthusiastically they have set about learning how to use them.’ MNWB chairman David Parsons said the scheme offers huge potential to improve the lives of retired seafarers. ‘Technology is no longer an optional extra and we need to ensure that everyone in later life is able to realise the beneﬁts of the new digital age. ‘A better understanding of IT can have a positive impact on people’s lives and we are keen to provide our colleagues in MN seafarers’ homes with the tools to help them make that transformation,’ he added. The eventual evaluation of the pilot project is expected to produce valuable information on best practice and IT equipment for the retired MN community.

IMO alert on stowaways Organisation has raised F renewed concerns about the

The International Maritime

problems posed by stowaways and has called for member states to improve their reporting of incidents. The IMO facilitation committee heard that the Organisation had received reports on 70 cases involving 203 stowaways during 2013, but reiterated its concern that there was under-reporting of the issue, and that the use of its GISIS reporting system had been very low, with only 21 cases uploaded. The committee also noted that regional seminars are taking place to consider proposals for tackling the problem in west, central and east Africa.

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November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

IMO OK’s move to e-docs in shipping

New move to combat GoG piracy

International Maritime F Organisation moves that aim to cut Nautilus has welcomed

the paperwork burden on shipmasters and officers. Following a five-year review, the IMO’s facilitation committee has approved changes to the convention on the facilitation of international maritime traffic (FAL) to reflect advances in technology by addressing the use of electronic certificates. The committee is set to consider further proposals at its next meeting, in spring 2016, which would introduce the mandatory electronic exchange of information on cargo, crew and passengers. The amendments would introduce a new standard for public authorities to establish systems for the electronic exchange of information within three years after their adoption. A further recommended practice encourages the use of the ‘single window’ concept to enable all the information required by public authorities in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo, to be submitted without duplication. Other revised standards cover shore leave and access to shore-side facilities for crew, including the addition of a paragraph stating that there should be no discrimination, in respect of shore leave, on grounds of nationality, race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, or social origin, and irrespective of the flag state of the ship on which seafarers are serving. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘Moving from the 19th to the 21st century is proving a difficult task at the IMO. It is hoped this is a first step in a process that results in electronic systems that reduce the workload of the shipmasters.’ The IMO’s decision was also welcomed by the Danish Maritime Authority, which described it as ‘a major leap forward’ and ‘a clear signal that port state control inspectors, vetting companies and other maritime players should accept the new e-certificates just as well as paper certificates’. The DMA and DFDS have completed a project demonstrating the feasibility of electronic documentation and the savings to be gained in time and money. Thomas Mørk, vice president of marine standards at DFDS, told the committee: ‘It is about time that the maritime world changes from burdensome paper certificates to modern electronic certificates.’

International Maritime Bureau A (IMB) shows that maritime crime off Evidence collected by the

pictured at DP World’s London Gateway port last H month, when it became the largest vessel ever to enter The 170,794gt containership Edith Maersk is

the River Thames. The Danish-flagged Triple-E ship is of 396m loa, 56m breadth and has a draught of 16m. Opened last year,

London Gateway is one of only three ports in the UK with the capability to handle the 15,500TEU vessel. With some 2,700m of quay, the port will provide six new deep-water berths that will eventually add 3.5m TEU to the UK’s total port capacity. The second of the six berths was opened in May.

Mission fears for held crew New ordeal as India considers re-trial for guardship men

The crew of the Sierra Leone-ﬂagged counterpiracy vessel Seaman Guard Ohio face further detention and a possible re-trial after a last-minute appeal was lodged to overturn an Indian High Court decision to drop all charges. In July, the High Court in Chennai ruled that the 35 men — including six British guards — should not face any charges under the Indian Arms Act. The court determined that the anti-piracy support ship had entered Indian territorial sea out of necessity and was covered by the principle of ‘innocent passage’. However, the Indian security force, known as ‘Q Branch’, has now lodged a counter-appeal to have the charges reinstated in the Indian Supreme Court. The crew, who were expected to return home last month, will continue to be detained until the appeal is heard. ‘This is really making the lives of all concerned a misery,’ said

Revd Canon Ken Peters, director of justice and welfare at The Mission to Seafarers. ‘I am bafﬂed that this has happened now. The High Court judge dismissed all charges three months ago, so the men rightly presumed that they were at last free to go. ‘The men have now been held for a year,’ he added. ‘I would like to make a further appeal to the good sense and sound judgement of the Indian government to please look again at this case, and assist in this matter, to allow the seafarers to return home to their families as soon as possible.’ Crew member John Armstrong told the Mission that the authorities had retained all the crew’s documentation, meaning they were unable to travel. ‘We were not allowed our travel documents or luggage, which is apparently still on the ship,’ he said. ‘Now we face a further counter-appeal and retrial at the eleventh hour instigated by the Indian security forces. We have no idea why.

Despite this injustice, our government will not get involved in the legal process.’ ‘If we have to go to another trial, we will be represented and we will have to fight again to clear our names; we have already been found innocent of all charges in July, and have been held in India for a year,’ added Paul Towers, another UK crew member being held. ‘We haven’t been paid for 11 months and this has had a heavy financial effect on all of our families.’ His wife, Ann, added: ‘We urge the British government to take a more robust stance at the injustice of the situation and facilitate the men’s return home. They have all fought for this country, now it is the government’s duty and responsibility to fight for our men.’ Nautilus wrote to prime minister David Cameron earlier this year to urge the UK to do all in its power to secure the release of the crew.

the coast of west Africa is escalating in violence, with the number of casualties in the first nine months of 2014 already significantly higher than the total number for all of 2013. Following these worrying trends, a meeting was held in London last month where organisations involved in seafarers’ welfare and anti-piracy operations discussed how to address the problem. ‘Piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea is not a new issue,’ explained Tim Hart from Control Risks, ‘but an increase in the operational range of pirate groups means a greater number of seafarers are facing an increased risk. ‘Unlike off the coast of Somalia, where pirates have been discouraged by navies and private security companies, west African pirates are undeterred by regional navies and more willing to engage with security personnel. Seafarer welfare is often of little concern to the attackers.’ One of the main conclusions of the meeting was that consistent reporting of crimes is essential to understanding the number of seafarers being targeted in the area and the levels of violence or distress they have experienced. ‘The information provided for crimes off Somalia helped to give us a more complete picture of the maritime crime problem, and has assisted companies and states to identify policies that best support seafarers,’ added IMB director Pottengal Mukundan. ‘We expect this will be the case with west Africa as well.’

Some flag states — including Liberia, the Marshall Islands, St Kitts and Panama — have already agreed to provide detailed responses along the same lines as they did for Somalia. The panel called for more states, especially those from the major crew supply nations, to give their support to the provision of such data. ‘We commend and thank these states for taking action to improve the safety of seafarers, and see this as a first step towards mobilising a more effective response to these crimes and hope that others will join them in the near future,’ added Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent of Oceans Beyond Piracy, an organisation that compiles annual reports on the human and economic costs of piracy. The panel warned that if the situation off the west coast of Africa is not dealt with soon, there is a risk that reputable shipowners will not continue to trade in the area, leaving only ‘rogue owners’ who will have the welfare of seafarers low on their list of priorities. The Round Table of international shipping industry associations has released an updated version of the guidelines for owners, operators and masters on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region. The guidance should be read in conjunction with BMP4, but tailored to the specifics of the threat in west Africa. The updated guidelines take account of new regional maritime security initiatives in west Africa, in particular the Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre for the Gulf of Guinea (MTISC GOG), which is now providing a focal point for information on countering piracy and maritime crime in the region.

Lairdside Maritime Centre

SSO training upgrade Videotel has expanded and F enhanced its specialist courses The maritime training firm

for ship security officers and other seafarers with designated security duties in line with the latest STCW Convention requirements. Both training courses contain brand new resources and training material, and have been approved by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). Delivered using interactive e-learning computer-based training, the packages meet the learning

10-11_news.indd 11

objectives set out by the International Maritime Organisation and the guidelines issued by the UK Merchant Navy Training Board. Videotel CEO Nigel Cleave commented: ‘The ever-increasing threat to maritime security is behind the decision to enhance our security training for ship security officers and the important issue of designated security duties. The courses meet legislative requirements but will also help seafarers feel more confident when dealing with a security threat.’

ECDIS COURSES Other Courses Available include:

■ Ship Handling for both Junior and Senior Ofﬁcers ■ ISPS Designated Security Duties ■ ISPS Prevention of Piracy and Armed Robbery

For further information : t: +44 (0)151 647 0494 f: +44 (0)151 647 0498 w: www.lairdside-maritime.com e: lairdside@ljmu.ac.uk

22/10/2014 16:27

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

HEALTH & SAFETY

Crewman lost foot in mooring accident

First ‘digital chart table’ with weather data layer Navtor has launched what it F claims to be the world’s first ‘digital Norwegian e-navigation firm

chart table’ displaying a wide range of route planning and decisionmaking information on a single screen. The company’s NavStation gathers and overlays data including ENCs, digital publications, and other services like piracy updates through standalone software for standard computers and touch devices, or with an optional 46-inch ‘gigapad’ touch device for use on the bridge. Navtor is working with Applied Weather Technology (AWT) to offer its Optimisation Routeing Service as a ‘layer’ within NavStation, giving

board has warned seafarers A about the risks associated with Australia’s transport safety

mooring lines after a crewman’s foot was severed when a 297,077dwt bulk carrier was berthing in Port Hedland earlier this year. The accident occurred when the Liberian-flagged bulker Julia N entered the port in June and was manouevred into position by the pilot with the assistance of four tugs. When the tow line was being retrieved by the tug at the stern of the ship, the pilot asked Julia N’s master to instruct the second mate and two seamen to let go of the tow line. But as it was being retrieved, a seaman’s right leg became entangled in the messenger line, and he was dragged four metres across the deck. As he entered the rollers of the fairlead, the messenger line severed his right foot. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said investigators had been unable to determine how his leg became entangled. But they said the second mate had relinquished his supervisory role by going to assist the seamen, and when the accident happened there was no one in a position to signal to the tug’s crew to stop retrieving the line. ‘There is no clear evidence to determine the actions of the second mate and how they were interpreted by the tug’s crew as a positive signal to retrieve the tow line,’ the report added. ‘Mooring operations are often seen as a routine task but contain dangers that are often not realised until it is too late,’ the ATSB noted. ‘As they cannot be directly observed, the forces that can be exerted on mooring and towing lines, even by their own weight, are often underestimated by those working around them. ‘Serious injury is likely when there is an incident during tug and mooring operations,’ the report pointed out, ‘but the likelihood of such an occurrence can be managed through effective risk assessment, training, supervision, communications and good housekeeping — both prior to and during berthing operations.’

users round-the-clock weather and ocean information and analysis to help navigators update routes, maximise safety and accurate scheduling. ‘This heralds another significant e-navigation breakthrough,’ said Navtor CEO Tor Svanes. AWT CEO Haydn Jones added: ‘Like all the best innovations, it answers a real need in the market and simplifies tasks — freeing navigators from the burden of rushing around the bridge, between different consoles, software and charts to access voyage critical information. Everything is now accessible in one user-friendly interface.’

Accident probe points to crew’s language gap Officers’ poor command of working language hindered investigation into causes of collision

The master and officers on a flag of convenience ship involved in a collision off the coast of Germany last year had such poor command of the onboard working language — English — that they could not make proper contact with the other vessel or vessel traffic services in the build-up to the accident. And, a report from the German marine accident investigation board BSU notes, the language ability of the master and watchkeeping officers — all Filipinos — was so bad that it hindered the work to assess the causes of the collision near the port of Nordenham in January 2013. The accident occurred when the 47,286dwt bulk carrier Coral Ace dragged its anchor in gale force winds and struck the 35,975gt containership Lisa Schulte, which was also at anchor in the Neue Weser Nord. The Pan-

Coral Ace was holed in the collision last year Picture: Havariekommando

ama-ﬂagged Coral Ace suffered a holed cargo hold and Lisa Schulte’s bulbous bow was damaged, but no one was injured in the accident and there was no pollution. The BSU report concludes that both the anchoring location cho-

sen by the crew of Coral Ace and the manoeuvre they made to get to it were ‘unnecessarily dangerous’ — taking the vessel to within two cables of other ships in the middle of an anchorage ﬁeld. Basic procedures of seaman-

ship were ignored in the procedures for anchoring ahead of the predicted and prevailing force 9 to 10 gales, the report adds. The decision to deploy only eight of the 10 lengths of anchor chain was insufficient in the conditions, and an order to put the engine on standby as conditions deteriorated was not issued, nor was the master advised in line with the night order book. Investigators said it was difficult to understand why the main engine and auxiliary equipment was not put on standby when the gale warning was received. ‘Combined with an anchor watch performed only on an hourly basis and quarter-hourly verification of the ship’s position by the OOW, they were deprived of the opportunity to respond promptly to instances of dragging,’ the report states. Coral Ace had anchored seven cables away from the contain-

ership, but failed to respond promptly when warned by Lisa Schulte’s OOW that it had drifted as close as three cables. The bulker moved towards the boxship for more than four and a half minutes before its watchkeeper asked the engine control room to set the engine to standby. The report says that neither the master nor the OOWs on Coral Ace had the requisite knowledge of English to make adequate contact with Lisa Schulte or VTS.‘Communication between the ships involved, as well as with German Bight Traffic, was significantly hampered after the collision due to limited English skills on the part of the ship’s command of the Coral Ace and failure to comply with international standard communication phrases,’ it adds. BSU called for K-Line, the Coral Ace owners to train their crew in English and in the IMO’s standard phrases for VHF radio traffic.

Port firm fined for tug loss UK’s ‘light touch’ approach to safety F regulations in ports, following a case in which a Nautilus International has criticised the

port company was fined for an incident in which three seafarers died when a tug capsized on the river Clyde seven years ago. Clydeport Operations was last month ordered to pay a total of £650,000 after admitting a series of health and safety breaches following the death of the master, chief engineer and a rating onboard the Flying Phantom when the tow rope girted as the tug was assisting the bulk carrier Red Jasmine along the river in thick fog in December 2007. In a hearing at Edinburgh High Court, the company accepted that between 29 December 2000 and 19 December 2007 there had been a systemic failure in risk assessments and safe systems of work. Tug operator Svitzer Marine

12-13_h+s.indd 12

Limited had previously admitted to proximate cause of the deaths. The charges included a similar accident with another ship, Abu Egila, at the same place in September 2000 when the Flying Phantom was also the lead tug. On this occasion the tug was let go and there were no injuries. The case was brought after the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) took over the maritime element of the investigation from Strathclyde Police, once it was determined that the deaths were not suspicious. However, the investigation remained under the control of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The MCA found that there were also shortcomings in the application of the Port Marine Safety Code — in that neither the company secretary, nor the operations/ human resources director, received training to

adequately fulfil their role as the designated person with responsibility to ensure health and safety. Sentencing, judge Lord Kinclaven said: ‘The charges are severally and jointly very serious and extended for a long period of time, from 2000 to 2007.’ After the ruling, MCA head of enforcement Captain Jeremy Smart stated: ‘This was a tragic event and the MCA would like to express its sincere condolences to the families involved, who have endured a very difficult number of years. The investigation highlighted some very serious shortcomings in Clydeport Operations Limited’s safety management.’ Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘After seven years, prosecution has resulted in the company, Svitzer, being fined £1.7m and Clydeport £650,000.

There has not been, nor is there to be, a fatal accident inquiry. ‘Ports in the UK, by virtue of the type of VTS they choose to adopt, select the level of safety that suits their attitude to risk,’ he pointed out. ‘This very human tragedy demonstrates the consequence of “light touch” regulation by the authorities. When the regulator fails, seafarers pay with their lives and companies on their balance sheets.’ In a statement, the Crown Office said the Lord Advocate had taken the decision that a fatal accident inquiry was not required because the Lord Advocate was satisfied that the causes of the accident had been established during the course of the criminal process, and steps which could have prevented the incident had been identified and incorporated into a new strategy for towing on the Clyde.

22/10/2014 16:33

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Collision blamed on ignored fault Maersk ship was struck by overtaking vessel which lost power nearing port

Conmar Avenue is towed to safety after grounding following its collision with Maersk Kalmar in the Outer Weser last year Picture: Havariekommando

Seafarers and shipowners have been warned of the need to investigate technical faults as soon as they occur onboard, following a second case in which failure to deal with problems resulted in an accident. The Antiguan-ďŹ&#x201A;agged containership Conmar Avenue lost power during an overtaking manoeuvre and collided with the Dutch-registered Maersk Kalmar in the Outer Weser in May 2013 as both vessels were heading for the port of Bremerhaven. Accident investigators found that the 10,585gt Conmar Avenue had been drawn into the wake of the 80,942gt Maersk Kalmar as a result of hydrodynamic interaction, ramming its aft section at an angle of about 60 degrees and causing 15 containers to be lost overboard. They discovered that Conmar Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main engine had shut down automatically as a result of problems with the lubricating oil supply.

Analysis of the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logs had shown that there had been a series of low pressure alarms for the lube oil system in the six hours before the accident. A thorough investigation of the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lubricating system by the engine manufacturer, owner and the accident investigators was unable to determine the cause of the critical malfunction. And the German marine accident investigation board, BSU, said it had been unable to establish whether â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or in how much detail â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the bridge team had been informed of the problems in the engineroom. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Consequently, it is only possible to speculate whether the master of the ship started the overtaking manoeuvre in spite of being aware of the (under-estimated) risk of losing manoeuvrability or whether, contrary to their duty, the chief engineer or ofďŹ cer in charge of the engineering watch failed to inform the

master about the problem with the supply of lubricating oil to the extent necessary,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the report states. BSU said the collision had parallels with an incident in the same fairway less than a month earlier, in which the containership Norfolk Express ran aground as a result of a similar failure to address a recurring steering gear problem. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In neither case was sufďŹ cient attention given to the particular risk of an accident that arose from an unexplained technical problem affecting the safe operation of each ship,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the report adds. The BSU stressed the importance of bridge and engineering teams, and shore-based inspectorates, taking immediate steps to investigate technical faults when they occur. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If fault-ďŹ nding is inconclusive, then it is necessary to take precautionary measures for the event that the fault recurs,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; it warned.

Minister rejects ECDIS checks call has shrugged off concerns A aboutÂ the quality of training in the

UK shipping minister John Hayes

use of electronic navigation systems raisedÂ by Nautilus following an investigation into the grounding of a chemical tanker in the Dover Strait last year. The Union wrote to the minister after the Marine Accident Investigation Branch revealed that the tankerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master and officers were not able to use the system properly and were unaware of the importance

of critical safety settings or the significance of alarms. The MAIB said the incident, which involved the 10,307dwt Ovit, was the third grounding in which it had found failure to use ECDIS properly to be a key causal factor. The MAIB recommendations included a call for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to submit proposals to the IMO for annual performance checks on ECDIS equipment and for Malta and the UK to seek a concentrated port state

control inspection campaign to check the standards of system knowledge among navigators. But Mr Hayes told Nautilus that the MCA did not see any need for further proposals to the IMO at present. Requirements for deck officers and masters to have generic ECDIS training do not come into force until 2017, he pointed out, and the IMO is currently updating its ECDIS guidance to promote good practice. The minister said it was up to Malta, as the flag state, to take the

lead in seeking a concentrated port state control inspection campaign. Nautilus had also raised concern about the MAIBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finding that the Channel Navigation Information Service (CNIS) watch officer on duty at the time of the Ovit grounding was unqualified and unsupervised. But Mr Hayes told the Union that a recruitment campaign and a new national Coastguard network has resulted in the appointment of five additional staff at Dover to look after the CNIS.

BMT launches collision reconstruction service collisions using information F gathered from voyage data recorders A new service to reconstruct

and AIS to identify their root causes has been launched by two BMT Group subsidiaries. The service uses the Rembrandt real-time and fast-time simulator as well as high-fidelity ship models to produce three-dimensional simulations of incidents, automatically synchronising voice, radar and position data sets. Developed by BMT Argoss and BMT Surveys, the new service is

12-13_h+s.indd 13

backed by a team which includes experienced master mariners, chief engineers, navigation and hydrodynamic modellers and weather experts. BMT says analysis of the reconstructions can be used to identify failings and to create an unbiased appraisal of how and why an incident has occurred â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not only for litigation purposes, but also to help improve safety through identification of specific training needs or changes to operational policies and procedures.

MAIB urges crews to be more aware of high wave risks than you might think, and F seafarers need to be more aware of

High waves are more common

the risks they pose, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has warned. In the latest issue of its safety digest, the MAIB reports on a case in which the bridge of an emergency response and rescue vessel was flooded after two windows failed in adverse conditions. On the day of the accident, the vesselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master had received a forecast predicting winds averaging 36 knots and gusting up to 50 knots, with a significant wave height of 6m and maximum heights of 9.6m. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;As the predicted conditions were more favourable than those that had been experienced over the previous few days, the master was confident that the bridge window storm shutters would still not be required based on the vesselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s satisfactory performance without them,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the report notes. However, the ship encountered three â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;distinctly larger waves than normalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the third of these struck the vessel, causing two of the bridge

windows to fail. The subsequent flooding of the bridge damaged several electrical systems â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the engine and steering controls. Control was regained locally, and the vessel had to be navigated back to port using the magnetic compass. Subsequent investigations showed that the wind was gusting up to 67 knots at the time, with a maximum wave height of 15.3m shortly afterwards. The MAIB said research has shown that maximum wave heights can reach more than twice the significant wave heights during prolonged periods of adverse weather, and one in 100,000 waves will be up to 2.46 times the significant height. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It should therefore come as no surprise that a maximum wave height of 15.3m was recorded at a time when a significant wave height of 6m was predicted,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the report notes. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mariners need to be prepared accordingly.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The safety digest urges seafarers not to be lulled into a false sense of security and says it is better to use a barrier unnecessarily than to regret not having used it after an accident.

Weather causes half of all ship losses, insurers find of all ship losses between 2009 F and 2013, according to new figures Weather was the cause of half

from marine insurers. Grounding was the second most common cause, accounting for one-quarter of all cases. The figures, published by the of International Union of Marine Insurance, show that the frequency

of total losses reduced marginally in 2013 compared with the year before and now stands at 0.18% of the world fleet. The number of major incidents excluding total losses was also down last year. The most common cause of serious losses was incidents involving machinery or the engineroom â&#x20AC;&#x201D; accounting for 35% of cases.

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22/10/2014 18:15

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports FINNLINES CUTS: Scandinavian operator Finnlines has started negotiations over the potential loss of 52 seafarers’ jobs caused by the proposed withdrawal from service of the ro-pax ferry Finnsailor in January. The vessel operates between Naantali, Finland, and Kapellskär, Sweden, but the company is blaming the decision to pull out on overcapacity and the costs of complying with the new EU sulphur emission rules. GROUNDING CHARGES: the master and chief officer of the Italian ferry Europalink are facing charges of causing a collision and placing passengers’ lives in danger after the 42,000gt vessel ran aground on a voyage between Patras and Ancona at the end of September. The ferry was escorted by Hellenic Coast Guard vessels to the port of Corfu, where all 693 passengers and 93 vehicles were disembarked. FRENCH FEARS: Eric Banel, general secretary of the French owners’ association AdF, has expressed concern that the French fleet is increasingly uncompetitive, with some 30 ships flagging out between January 2012 and July 2014 — taking the nationalflagged fleet to fewer than 200 ships. ‘We should be asking why maritime operators go to the Red Ensign and the Italian and Belgian registers,’ he added. DANISH LABOUR: Denmark’s government has introduced a ‘fast-track’ green card system to enable the country’s universities and companies to recruit highly qualified international labour. The package is expected to make it easier for shipping companies to access seafarers from outside the European Union.

Union challenge to cuts at SNCM Court move as talks on ferry fleet restructuring head towards deadline by Jeff Apter

French seafaring unions are making a legal challenge against the management of the Mediterranean ferry company SNCM as crucial talks on the operator’s future head towards a bitterly-disputed climax. The CFE-CGC and CGT ofﬁcers’ and ratings unions accuse the transport company Transdev of deliberately hiding its intention to pull out of SNCM by the end of the year by failing to lodge its accounts with the commercial court, claiming that the majority shareholder has failed to hand over copies of its accounts. The unions fear SNCM could be forced into receivership that

would result in the break-up of the company or big cuts in the fleet. The deadline is now nearing for the result of talks on restructuring the company as an alternative to putting it into judicial administration. Unions went to the commercial court following the latest in a series of mediation meetings about the future of the ferry firm, which runs services from the French mainland to Corsica and North Africa. During a six-hour meeting, management presented its ‘Poséidon’plan which seeks to reduce the fleet size, with the loss of between 750 to 1,000 of SNCM’s 2,000 jobs. The unions slammed the projected redundancies —which would be rubber-stamped in any

legal protection proceedings. Frédéric Alpozzo, the head of the powerful Marseilles branch of the CGT seafarers’ union said the plan contained no guarantees for the company’s future and would lead to its ‘programmed liquidation’. Mr Alpozzo criticised the government representatives on the SNCM board for coming to the talks ‘without making any serious proposals regarding the operator’s future’. Since privatisation in 2007, the government controls 25% of the company and the workforce has a 9% stake. Pierre Maupoint de Vandeul, the CFE-CGC ofﬁcers’ union representative on the board, said Transdev — which has the remaining 66% — has tabled proposals which reveal the ‘total absence of

SERVICE SUPPORT: a group of French councils has called for the continuation of the ‘motorway of the sea’ ferry service between the French port of Montoir and Gijón in Spain. The service was suspended by its operator, LD Lines, in September after the company complained that subsidies were failing to cover its costs.

Maersk’s farewell to France

CANAL CONSTRUCTION: work on the proposed new US$40bn inter-oceanic waterway to rival the Panama Canal is set to begin in Nicaragua next month. On completion in 2019, the Chinese-funded 278km Nicaragua Grand Canal will be three times longer than the Panama Canal.

out at government policy after F the transfer to Euronav last month of

French maritime unions have hit

WATER WORKS: a French company has revealed plans to operate five factory ships to desalinate and bottle water in the Middle East. Ocean Fresh Water says the fleet could be operational within three and a half years and could create up to 600 French seafaring jobs. RESCUE ALARM: the president of the French sea rescue service, SNSM, has raised alarm over the future of service if finance is not available for fleet renewal. Xavier de la Gorce said government cutbacks could jeopardise the system for funding new rescue vessels. RESEARCH LOSS: two people died and 43 were rescued when Taiwan’s biggest research ship the 3,000gt Ocean Researcher V, sank in severe weather conditions off the SW coast of Taiwan last month.

Excellence in Training HOTA offers the full range of STCW95 Basic and STCW10 Refresher Training including: Personal Survival Techniques and Refresher Basic Fire Fighting & Fire Prevention and Refresher

any solution after the announced court protection procedure’. The union has written to new prime minister Manual Valls, new secretary of state for transport, Alain Vidalies, and ecology minister Ségolène Royal slamming Transdev’s attitude. ‘Legal protection would be tantamount to commercial heresy,’ it wrote. But Transdev — backed by the government — claims the cuts are essential to save SNCM after the completion of the mediation procedure at the end of October. Although Transdev has indicated that it is keen to pull out of SNCM, the potential sale of the company is a fraught issue because of continuing demands from the European Commission for the repayment of €440m ‘illicit’ state aid.

Quantum backs down for its trials staged last month to take the A 168,666gt cruiseship Quantum of A complex operation was

the Seas on a 32km river trip from the Meyer Werft shipbuilding yard in Papenburg, Germany, to the Dutch port of Eemshaven. The 348m Royal Caribbean newbuilding is the largest ship to have left the yard and there was just a less than a meter of clearance on either side as the vessel moved into the River Ems channel, guided by two 9,000hp tugs.

Quantum of the Seas took 10 hours to complete the passage, with four pilots onboard. The vessel had to travel backwards down the river to optimise control and protect the azipods. ‘With Quantum being the largest ship that has ever been built at Meyer Werft, there are some power lines that need to be rerouted, and some bridges along the river actually have to be lifted out of the way with a crane to allow the ship to pass, including one that is used

by one of the main railways into Holland,’ said Patrik Dahlgren, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president for marine operations. The first in a series of three, Quantum of the Seas underwent a series of trials in the North Sea before being handed over to Royal Caribbean at the end of the month The ship’s inaugural season will be spent operating a series of cruises from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, before repositioning to China in May 2015.

the 323,500dwt VLCCC Maersk Sandra brought an end to Maersk’s Frenchbased tanker operations. Maersk’s French fleet of 15 VLCCs was sold to the expanding Belgiumbased operator at the beginning of this year. Some of the 97 seafarers who served with Maersk have taken up the offer to join Euronav, which now has six vessels under RIF, the French reserve flag. Unions says Maersk’s move is a blow to the country’s shipping industry and they have criticised the French government for its slow progress in enacting a long-awaited bill to expand 1992 legislation requiring a set proportion of domestic energy shipments to be carried by French flagged ships. The bill has at last come before parliament, but as an amendment to a major energy measure and it is unlikely to become law before the end of this year.

Swedish disappointment at Anger at Norwegian move fresh delay to tonnage tax to cut seafarer welfare

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14-15_int.indd 14

and shipowners have been A disappointed by a fresh delay to the Swedish seafaring unions

long-running campaign to create a tonnage tax scheme for the country’s merchant fleet. Ministers said the publication of the government’s long-awaited working party report on maritime strategy will be deferred for a further two months and will not appear until

the end of January 2015. The Swedish officers’ union SBF was represented on the working party and said the proposals have broad support. The policy package will include tonnage tax and should be implemented within a year, it added. SBF said a tonnage tax scheme is essential to bring Sweden into line with its EU neighbours and to stem the flow of vessels flagging out.

Maritime Authority have A proposed severe cuts to maritime

Senior officials at the Norwegian

welfare services for seafarers. The authority has suggested phasing out book, film and library services for seafarers as well as shutting welfare centres — a move which has been condemned by the country’s maritime unions. The unions warn that the plans

could breach the requirements for shore-based welfare facilities set down by the Maritime Labour Convention and they say that a survey of seafarers confirms that there is still a great need for the welfare services. The unions have also called for the Norwegian Maritime Authority to properly consult them before any move is made to cut the services offered in ports.

22/10/2014 16:34

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

French firm’s new Bosphorus boxship

shortreports TANKER TIE-UP: Bermuda-based Frontline Management and Tankers International have agreed to set up a new company to operate VLCCs. The joint operation, to be known as VLCC Chartering, will have a combined fleet of 67 ships, more than 10% of the global fleet of 629 vessels. The two companies said the scale of the new venture will deliver significant savings through improved flexibility and fuel efficiency, with better matching of ships to their cargoes.

containership CMA CGM Elbe, the second in A a series of 28 ships ranging between 9,400TEU to Pictured above is the new 95,786gt

10,900TEU which will be delivered to the French company over the next two years. Built at the DSIC yard in Dalian, China, Elbe has been registered in Malta and will operate

on the company’s Bosphorus Express service, linking Asia, Turkey and the Black Sea. Of 300m loa and 48m breadth, the ship was designed to offer maximal loading capacity while meeting the technical constraints of the Strait of the Bosphorus. CMA CGM Elbe has a capacity of 1,458 reefer

plugs, and says this is the largest so far on such a ship — showing the company’s ‘ambition to be a leader in this growing market’. The ship also features a new bulbous bow shape improving hydrodynamics at a speed of 16 to18 knots, as well as an electronically controlled long stroke engine with an exhaust gas bypass system.

Brittany pulls out of gas power plan French ferry operator complains of ‘double penalty’ of LNG conversion costs by Jeff Apter

French operator Brittany Ferries has dropped plans to convert three of its vessels to liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion — blaming Brussels for ignoring its appeal to be given more time to comply with forthcoming sulphur emission rules. Seafaring unions have voiced concern at the company’s decision to abandon the proposals to build a new LNG-powered vessel and retrofit three ships in its existing fleet after being refused an exemption from the regulations, which are due to come into effect on 1 January 2015. Brittany said it had decided not to confirm a letter of intent signed with the STX France shipyard in Saint Nazaire in January 2014 for a new €270m ‘Power Efficient Gas Innovative Ship’ (Pegasis) to replace its 25-year-old vessel Bretagne. It had also suspended plans to fit gas power systems to the 41,700gt Pont Aven, the 22,542gt Armorique and the 35,592gt Mont Saint Michel and exhaust gas scrubbers to three older ships. The company said it had been

Brittany Ferries has decided not to build its LNG ferry Pegasis, above

planning to go ‘above and beyond’ the requirements of the new emission regulations by cutting sulphur, CO2, NOx and particulate emissions with the use of LNG, but the preconditions that would enable its €400m plan to be ﬁnancially viable have not been met. Brittany complained that regulators had ignored the ‘desperate need’ to provide the company with a temporary exemption from the rules to carry out the necessary investment programme. Management said the economic viability of its plans were in jeopardy as a result of the ‘double penalty’ caused by the extra costs. Company chairman Jean-Marc

Roue commented: ‘It is impossible for us to commit to an ecological transition plan which requires such a high level of investment, when, due to the absence of a temporary exemption, we will also incur hefty additional annual costs amounting to tens of millions of euros, due to us being obliged to use diesel instead of heavy fuel oil until our ships have been converted. ‘All of our partners who have worked with us on this project have demonstrated the technical feasibility and the environmental beneﬁts of this pioneering, futuristic technology,’ he added. ‘However, I have taken the decision to suspend the LNG component of

our ecological transition plan. It’s a decision I take with much regret and disappointment.’ Mr Roue said the company is now opting for a ‘wide-ranging, albeit less ambitious transition plan’ which will cost between €70m to €80m and will include the installation of scrubbers on the three ships it had planned to convert to LNG. Jean-Philippe Chateil, general secretary of the FOMM-CGT officers’ union, said complaints by operators, including Brittany Ferries, about the obligation to fit scrubbers and reduce sulphur emissions, could be questioned as the ferry sector had known since 2005 there would be a directive but seemed to have done little to comply with it. Michel Le Cavorzin, general secretary of the CGT seafarers’ union, expressed concern at Brittany Ferries’ decision and questioned the reasons it had given. He said the fleet is getting older and should be replaced, and accused the French government of failing to intervene with the European Commission over investment in new tonnage. g French union leader speaks to the Telegraph — see page 26.

ARGENTINIAN AIM: Argentina’s government has backed plans to rejuvenate the country’s merchant shipping industry. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has expressed support for a bill which aims to ensure that Argentinian exports are carried on ships built and flagged in the country. At present, there are no Argentinian-registered deepsea ships — a stark contrast to the state-owned fleets of more than 200 vessels during the 1980s. SPAIN SLAMMED: the European Commission is taking Spain to court because 20 of the country’s ports have failed to meet a deadline for adopting and implementing port security plans required by a directive which entered into force in 2007. Brussels said that despite ‘significant efforts’, Spain had not managed to deliver on an action plan to introduce the security plans in its ports by the end of 2013. GREEK TAX: Greek shipowners have agreed to double their ‘voluntary’ additional tax contributions to the country’s government. Under the deal, some 478 Greek shipping companies will pay a total of €420m over the next four years, on top of the tonnage tax. Shipping minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis welcomed the agreement and said the government is taking further action to improve the competitiveness of the Greek flag. FREIGHT FALL: freight volumes on European Union inland waterways declined by 4.1% between 2007 and 2012, according to a new report from the European Commission. During the same period freight volumes on road fell by 12.8% and rail freight dropped by 9.9%. Inland waterways accounted for 6.9% of all freight moved within Europe during 2012, with the Netherlands shifting 46.5% of its freight on water. DANISH HIGH: Denmark’s register has hit a new record of 644 ships with a total capacity of 15.85m dwt. Danish-flagged tonnage has increased by almost 9% since the year began and with 99 ships on order, authorities expect the fleet will total some 16.5m dwt by the end of the year. K LINE FINE: Japan’s third largest shipping company, K Line, is paying a US $67.7m fine following a plea bargaining agreement with the US Department of Justice. The deal resolves a claim that the company violated US anti-trust laws in connection with its ro-ro cargo services. CHINESE AID: four Chinese shipping lines have been granted government subsidies worth some US$293m to speed up their fleet renewal programmes.

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Asia-Pacific unions unite in jobs campaign A

Seafaring unions from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea have formed a new organisation in a drive to boost maritime employment and training in the region. The Maritime International Federation (MIF) aims to coordinate

14-15_int.indd 15

union campaigns to secure jobs for local seafarers to ensure that wealth created in the region is benefiting local communities. Founding members include the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ), the Papua New Guinea

Maritime & Transport Worker’s Union (PNGTWU) and the Indonesian seafarers’ union (KPI). ‘One of the major growth areas for jobs is the Asia Pacific, and the international trade union movement hasn’t been able to keep up with this growth,’ said International Transport

Workers’ Federation (ITF) president and MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin. ‘We need a new model, and a federation of like-minded unions is one of the ways we can change the old, tired model to build capacity and drive membership.’

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22/10/2014 17:51

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

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

Why aren’t we tackling this? The P&O Ferries Choir rehearsing on deck last year

Book now for Mission's P Christmas fundraiser Choir will be lending their F voices to the Mission to Seafarers

The renowned P&O Ferries

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols next month — a charity event on 10 December in London. The choir (which boasts several Nautilus members) won the UK national BBC competition Sing While You Work last year, and was featured in the February 2014 Telegraph. They’re still going strong, and their tuneful tones will be a highlight of the MtoS Christmas concert. The event will also feature readings from industry guests including Robin Mortimer, Port of London Authority; Dr Grahaeme Henderson, Shell Shipping;

Alderman the Hon Jeffrey Evans, Clarksons; and Lee Wai Pong, Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, in support of the Mission to Seafarers, 10 December 2014, 18.00-21.00 St Michael Paternoster Royal, by Cannon St, London, followed by a drinks reception at Skinners’ Hall. Tickets are £27.50 and can be purchased from www. eventbrite.co.uk (search for A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols)

g For more information please contact Ravina Patel on +44 (0)20 7246 2915 or email events@ missiontoseafarers.org

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Just recently there has been a lot of talk about ‘looking into standards’ of certain third world certiﬁcates, and I wonder if anything is actually being done about this, especially in light of a lot of serious maritime accidents. At the moment I have a second mate who is on his second trip with me. The longer that he serves with me the more I wonder how he got his Second Mate’s Certiﬁcate. Here are some examples of what, as masters, we have to put up with — these instances are not just from one person, but are what I have noticed over various trips. A second mate, when taking a compass error, takes a bearing of the sun. Fair enough. He then compares the compass bearing to the gyro bearing to get the error. When I asked him if he had worked out what the bearing of the sun should have been he looked at me: ‘Gone out’. He didn’t know how to use ABC tables or an equivalent method. When he took the bearing the sun was near its amplitude. I asked why he did not take an

amplitude — which resulted in another blank look. I had to show him the table in Norie’s Tables. To confuse matters more I asked him what the error was on gyro No 2 (as the ship is DP1). He didn’t even know that we had two gyros. He had only been on the ship for six weeks, so I suppose he hadn’t found his way around. The second mate told me on one ship that a position from the GPS didn’t tie in with where we should be (there had been nav warnings about solar ﬂares). As we were coasting, I said to take a range and bearing of a buoy and pointed it out. Another blank look. As I was actually tracking the buoy on the ARPA to measure the current I showed him the range and bearing as a rough guide. He was unable to put the position on a chart from a range and bearing! The list goes on. The one area I have found people particularly bad on is the ‘rule of the road’. Too many people want to alter to port for a standard crossing situation where we are the give-way vessel, or in a head-on situation want to pass green to green — especially

in a narrow channel. Another area that is getting missed is light recognition, especially between ‘restricted to manoeuvre’ and ‘not under command’. I sailed with one second mate who was an ex-bosun. He didn’t have a clue on how to make a rope fast and often when using a capstan used to lead a rope around two or three bits to get a lead and then wondered why he could not get a rope tight. Not all the blame can be put on to the person. Where are all the training schemes that are supposedly in place? More important, what is the standard of person doing the training? Imagine the second mates I have mentioned above teaching a cadet. How will the cadet turn out? Unfortunately it is not only limited to the deck department — let’s hear from some chief engineers on this subject. I shall be very interested to hear any replies on these matters. TIM BARKER mem no 158558

Follow us on Twitter Training support belongs at home With reference to the article ‘Scottish support for new Angolan training centre’ (Telegraph October 2014 issue): is Nautilus trying to warn us that the market is now going to be flooded with Angolan seafarers? With the course approved by UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, does that mean the Angolan seafarer will obtain a British certificate of competence, or an Angolan one? Then I read the words ‘Northern Marine Management’ — who would have guessed? Bye bye Eastern Europeans, what goes around comes around, I say. I lost my job to a Polish chief officer with NMM. The Nautilus reply: sorry to hear you have been made redundant, but we can give you a cheaper rate for membership until you find work… thank you so much. Two hundred Angolan cadets a year: how many ships does the Angolan merchant navy have, or should I say, how many ships does Northern Marine have under their management? It is such a shame not to be reading ‘200 British cadets going through a year’. At the end o f the day it’s not only us members that will be looking for jobs, it will be Nautilus union employees too. Please remember, without us there’s no Nautilus. GARY EDWARDS mem no 182982

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16-18_lets SR edit.indd 16

Recent Waverley stories are most welcome The review of the book The History of Waverley Steam Navigation Company (Telegraph October 2014 issue) expresses some dismay as to why the story ended in 2000. The 10 contributors to the story were almost all involved right through the period 1974 to 2000 and if not all of it for a part of it. The availability of major funding from the Heritage Lottery and other sources allowed the company to become far more corporate with financial security unheard of before this period, and this resulted in many new faces being introduced to the company, both ashore and afloat. In the period 1974-2000 the whole operation was run like a small family business, which allowed the passion to develop which you have so rightly identified. I am sure that we speak for all those involved in this publication when we say that we would be delighted if anyone or any group of people would be willing to come forward and do the research required to take the story forward from 2000 to the present day. It would be a huge and formidable task, due to constant changes in the management structure and frequently changing officers and crew onboard the ship.

In 2000 an established and very successful business was handed over to a new and well-funded regime to take forward in whatever way was felt best to ensure the

continued operation of this magnificent and historic vessel. So no intrigue was intended, just the inability of the compilers to source the information necessary

to take the story forward with the same level of accuracy. IAN QUINN (compilation) DAVID L. NEILL (contributor) mem no 154048

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22/10/2014 16:35

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Don’t let them grind you down — shipboard life is what you make it

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

I was interested to read Rose George’s view of life at sea on the Maersk Kendal (‘Where is everyone?’ Telegraph October 2014 issue). Perhaps she chose the wrong vessel for her passage. On Nedlloyd Drake — Maersk despite the name — she would have experienced something a little more civilised at dinner. Captain Ken Smith and I insisted that dinner was taken together, in the dining saloon, at a central dining table and wearing uniform. There were a few grumbles but eventually most people enjoyed this one, daily, social occasion. Dinner was served by a steward and everyone waited until the last person had finished eating and then we all rose together. Granted it was back to the cabin and a book, computer or DVD afterwards, but at least a part of the day had been spent with our colleagues. No paper towels either; we still used linen napkins, purchased by the vessel. Some things imposed by the company can be resisted if the will is there. CHARLES WOODWARD Retired master, Nedlloyd Drake mem no 001105

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16-18_lets SR edit.indd 17

‘Language of the sea’ has a long way to go about Maritime English (‘Don’t write off P your writing skills’) raised some interesting The article in the October Telegraph

points, but I think it fails to address the real problem at sea today — that is, the lack of basic language skills. Whilst I applaud the initiative to simplify technical documents, this is not always going to be possible when addressing exceptionally technical matters. We all k now the problem with even the most basic of handbooks written by people who assume we know as much about the topic as they do. If your language skills are poor then the task must be even more daunting and the pressures seafarers can experience from impatient shore management only exacerbate the matter. I have spoken to many maritime professionals during the past few months and there is universal agreement that we need to drastically improve communication skills at sea before there is a really serious economic and environmental disaster caused by misunderstanding. No doubt there have already been many near-misses that we have not heard about. The problem is less severe when a native English speaker is addressing a non-native speaker, but is magnified many times when both communicants do not have English as a first language. I do not wish to single out any one particular nationality as being worse than any other, but we all know the problems that can arise East of Suez. Do not misunderstand my comments, as there are many people with whom I have come into contact with during the course of my career who speak English far more fluently than you might hear on a British high street or in a school playground. One of the, possibly, unseen repercussions

is the effect that this poor communication is having on British officers and cadets. I know of one particular case where an officer resigned from a company rather than repeat a voyage with foreign officers who all spoke the same language and excluded the officer from conversations, even on the bridge! With cadets it is also evident that in some cases when presenting a record book for signature the entry has to be explained to the person who is supposed to be guiding the training. No wonder we have a declining maritime population in this country. One can hardly blame people for not wishing to remain in an environment where they are made to feel like a total outsider. But this is not a problem experienced solely by the native English speaker. All nationalities must feel excluded when their language skills are not up to conversational exchanges. It is when the skills exclude them from operational matters that the problems really arise. There have been numerous papers written about maritime language, numerous training systems devised and test procedures developed, but none get to the heart of the matter and effectively teach easily understood maritime English. It seems to me that tests focus too heavily on the delivery of English, written, spoken and when reading but do not concentrate enough upon comprehension of what has been said. On my last vessel we had to develop a system whereby the work orders were repeated and a Q&A session took place to ensure that the required work was actually undertaken. Many of those in question had passed an English examination with high marks. This brings into question the competence of some of those actually doing the testing.

I am not advocating that ﬂuency is essential but the basics must be taught, starting with the operational language to ensure accurate communication and promote an increased safety of life at sea. Once the basics have been assimilated then, perhaps, there would be an increased incentive for learning the language a little better. Books and DVDs become more accessible and there may even be an enhanced social life onboard vessels, not a bad thing in todays’ world of empty alleyways, unused recreational facilities and closed doors. CHARLES WOODWARD mem no 001105 The editor replies: Last month’s article was the latest in a series of Telegraph features on Maritime English, and the only one so far to focus on writing skills. The Telegraph will continue to cover all aspects of shipboard communication, and we welcome contributions on the subject. I applaud the initiative to simplify the wording in O&M [operations & maintenance] books but fear the problems are at source in Asia. In 1980 I was CEO on a ship with Norwegian ofﬁcers who had to take marine exams in English and were equipped with technical translation dictionaries. These skills could not completely cope with Japanese-English, as illustrated by a Daihatsu diesel generator manual. Attempting to comply with the instruction ‘this part should be fastened together with certainty’ none could be found, so I suggested they tighten with spanner and hammer instead. KEN ATKINSON mem no 101208

telegraph STAFF editor: Andrew Linington deputy editor: Debbie Cavaldoro production editor: June Cattini-Walker senior reporter: Sarah Robinson web editor: Deborah McPherson ADVERTISING Redactive Media Group 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP. Display adverts: Jude Rosset tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 Jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk Recruitment adverts: John Seaman tel: +44 (0)20 7880 8541 tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6200 email: info@redactive.co.uk website: www.redactive.co.uk Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

ISSN 0040 2575 Published by Nautilus International Printed by Polestar Colchester 2 Wyncolls Road, Severalls Industrial Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 9HU.

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.

22/10/2014 16:35

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

YOUR LETTERS

Cricketers are nautical miles ahead of the rest (South Tyneside College) have finished another F fantastic season as champions of their division. Known The cricket team at South Shields Marine School

as the MCCC in homage to the world-famous MCC at Lord’s, the team only joined the North East Midweek Cricket League last year, but saw instant success, being promoted from Division 5 to Division 4 at the end of the 2013 season. Now they have risen to the top of the fourth tier, they look set to continue sailing up through the ranks in Division 3 next year, but for now they are enjoying this year’s success. As well as winning the trophy, the MCCC notched up more batting points than any other team in the whole league, and scooped the awards for ‘greatest team score’ and ‘quickest team victory’. All-rounder Rohit Dabhilkar received an award for four man-of-the-match nominations, fast bowler

Deepjagan Singh received an award for taking five wickets for 29 runs, and all-rounder Jubayar H Chowdhury received an award for a hat-trick. The team also made it to the North East Midweek Cricket League Cup finals, beating teams from all five divisions to do so. Team MCCC (Marine College Cricket Club) is typical of the shipping industry, as it is made up of students and staff from across the globe – including players from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Portugal, New Zealand, Scotland and England. It was founded by senior lecturer Captain Mannan Khan, who now serves as both captain and coach. Capt Khan said this year’s success was a very proud moment, ‘not only for me but also for the history of the college’. South Tyneside College principal Lindsey Whiterod also heartily congratulated the team, saying that their achievements were ‘quite exceptional’.

Tips for new officer trainees career lies with vessels P on deepsea trading routes; so

My experience of a seagoing

far, I have really enjoyed the time spent onboard and would recommend this career to anyone looking for an attractive alternative to university. British seafarers still have a place within the modern merchant ﬂeet, with fair leave ratios, good pay and invaluable experiences to be had. I have completed my (deck) cadetship on two bulk carriers and one LNG vessel, sponsored through Clyde Marine Training by K-Line shipping (UK). The following is not exhaustive but is my advice for those following me into the industry. Understand your training system The Training Record Book and accompanying workbook alongside the academic projects (FD students) assigned to cadets on their sea phase is considerable

and understandably daunting. Knowing your training system and the work assigned to you at sea will be a considerable advantage when joining a vessel and the eventual return to college. Appreciating the work expected of you will demonstrate initiative to the DSTO (designated shipboard training ofﬁcer) allowing a plan to be drawn up, signatures acquired, reports completed and leave taken without worry. Avoid concentrating on excuses (however valid) such as ‘my DSTO does not care enough’ or ‘my crew are foreign and don’t understand the British system’. Many issues are recognised problems which will not wash with training ofﬁcers or the MCA. Therefore, every effort should be made to account for these disadvantages, which can be overcome by your personal effort and persistence. Tip: regularly update workbooks

Last month a Telegraph letter called for members experiences of transition phases. In this first response one newly qualified officer shares his lessons learnt… and Training Record Books. Take an hour or so a day to write reports, work on projects or evaluate progress, as this will ensure consistent work and prevent the last minute signingoff panic. Understand personal responsibilities and duties After joining, make sure you are familiar with a vessel and documents relevant to your position; focus on personal safety and your duties. Accepting responsibility for

your duty entails turning up early and making an effort to understand the task. This will likely result in ofﬁcers/crew making themselves available to you when struggling. When on duty, cadets should be exemplary at all times. Demonstrating safe working practices will show that you understand the elements of onboard safety. Associated with personal duty and accepting responsibility is the principle of understanding your limits, which can be frustrating at times. Know when

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Fund can help you to climb career ladder If you’re a Merchant Navy rating, electrotechnical officer or yacht crew member looking to move up the maritime career ladder, Nautilus may be able to help you… We have just increased the value of the support on offer to help with the costs of studying for your first ticket — with up to £17,500 now available, plus a discretionary £1,500 bonus payment for those who successfully obtain an approved OOW certificate! The support is provided through the JW Slater Fund, named in honour of a former general secretary of the Union, which has been awarded to over 1,400 seafarers since it was launched in 1997. The scheme provides help for selected UK-resident applicants

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towards the costs of any necessary full-time or part-time education, as well as some financial support during college phases for those having to go off-pay while they study for a certificate. Administered by Nautilus International, the scheme can provide assistance worth up to £17,500 to help ratings study for their first certificate, as well as offering similar assistance for ETOs and yacht crew to gain STCW 2010 certification. Nautilus International is now inviting applications for the 2014 Slater Fund awards. g If you are keen to get your officer qualifications, don’t leave things to chance. The Slater Fund is just the ticket — fill in the form or apply via the website: www.nautilusint.org

Complete this form and send it to: Slater Fund, The Marine Society, 202 Lambeth Road, London SE1 7JW. I am over 20 years of age and normally resident in the UK. Please send me details of the John Slater Award. Name: _________________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

Email:

_________________________________________________________________________________

This form is also available online at: www.nautilusint.org or email your name, address and request for Slater Fund details to: slater@ms-sc.org

to ask questions and request help — avoid times when officers are stressed and be appreciative of the pressure they face. It is important to recognise that most officers will be willing to help cadets with their personal studies. Health and hygiene All vessels require cadets to be professional at all times; this includes good general personal hygiene and looking presentable when reporting for duty. Hygiene starts in your cabin, as a cadet you will be expected to maintain your cabin to a satisfactory standard. Cabins will be inspected, whether it be weekly, monthly or an unscheduled inspection, and your cabin should be in good order. Failure to maintain satisfactory standards will quickly put a cadet out of favour with his senior officers. Onboard it is important to remain healthy, as prolonged periods at sea can lead to cadets feeling claustrophobic. Shore leave or ‘a run ashore’ will help reduce stress, but leave requests must be made in good time — and be aware that when a cadet leaves the vessel they are still representing the vessel and company. It is inadvisable to return to the vessel ‘under the influence’ as it can lead to unnecessary problems, so abstain from alcohol whilst ashore to avoid any problems. Tip: keep active while at sea by visiting the gym (if you have one) or taking a walk on deck. Tip: get to know your toilet! It may not seem like the most glamorous of tasks when joining a vessel, but a fundamental mistake often made by cadets and junior ranks is blocking the vacuum toilet. This is worth avoiding, as the blockage territory is guarded by an understandably grumpy engineer and will provide a week of entertaining brew time conversation. Appreciation of cultural differences Working onboard puts pressure on cadets that they may not have experienced before. As well as familiarising themselves with a working environment, they have the added pressure of adapting to

working with different nationalities and cultures. Fitting in amongst different nationalities will always prove to be challenging. In my experience sailing with Indian, Filipino and multinational crews (never British!) I appreciate how difficult this can be. Respect is hardearned onboard regardless of nationality. Often, hard work and perseverance will be appreciated, and the respect of fellow crew members will be earned. Additionally, it is always important to remember that everyone has a vested interest in safeguarding junior crew members and helping you to succeed. Complaint procedures are in place and should be considered when you have a grievance; however, finding the route to positive working relationships onboard will prove to be the most productive and rewarding route. Pack appropriately for the vessel type Most companies will provide a generous luggage allowance, but try to avoid taking excess weight. Often the company will send a wardrobe of uniforms, but they may not all be appropriate for your vessel. I have found that NATO jumper and/or white shirt with epaulettes, tie, black trousers and black shoes are worn during pilotage only, but this depends on the vessel’s operations. Companies such as the RFA will require more uniform than an offshore vessel and cruiseships fall somewhere between the two. Having the right resources to complete college work at sea is vital — bring laptop, camera and extra stationery as that provided onboard is often basic. Onboard there will usually be a hard drive with films and music — it is always worth downloading something to watch during downtime to prevent the onset of boredom. Publications and relevant course material can also be taken as PDF to save suitcase space. Tip: don’t forget your alarm clock!

LOUIS STEPHENS-RAMSDEN Third officer, LNG (oil and gas) sector mem no 199767 Vice-chair, Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals Forum

22/10/2014 17:12

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Young members set their agenda Professionals (YMP) Forum A met in Belfast last month to decide The Nautilus Young Maritime

on campaigning work that it will undertake in the future. Forum members noted that a lot of the discussions at previous meetings had centred on transition periods, and agreed that this should be a key focus. Maritime professionals have to go through a number of ‘transitions’ through their career, starting with leaving home and going to college, through the first sea phase, new ships, sailing as a qualified officer and possibly a final transition to shore work in the future. Chair Martyn Gray told the forum that a letter from him had been published in the October Telegraph calling on members to submit any advice or to share their experience of these transitions so that other members may learn from them. Following the recent Women’s Forum meeting which discussed a similar issue, the YMP Forum

agreed that the two forums should work together on a joint campaign on the issue. They will look to produce information and advice for members on coping with changes in their careers. This will be based on members’ experiences and formal advice on industry standards. The meeting also discussed the possibility of a campaign around jurisdiction so that young members can understand the issues and how they affect their employment rights. This will be further discussed at a future meeting. g The next meeting of the YMP will be a joint meeting with the Women’s Forum on 7 March to celebrate International Women’s Day and work on the joint campaign. Members who are interested in attending should contact ymp@nautilusint.org. All members are encouraged to respond to the forum’s request for experiences and advice on transitions. These can be emailed to telegraph@nautilusint.org.

Keep good people at sea! F

Members attending the Nautilus UK branch conference in Belfast voted unanimously in favour of two motions which seek to cut wastage rates among cadets and ofﬁcers. The meeting backed a motion tabled by the Union’s Women’s Forum calling for Nautilus to develop a set of industry ‘best practice’ principles for the retention of skilled seafarers — especially during the training phases. And it also approved a motion submitted by members of the Young Maritime Professionals Forum urging the Union to establish a mentoring programme to encourage members of all ranks and ages to share their experiences with those starting their seafaring careers. Women’s Forum chair Captain Jessica Tyson said the industry is facing a major retention crisis — with ‘staggering’ levels of skills being lost. Special attention should be paid to ways to make it easier for women to re-enter the industry after having children, she added. ‘There has to be a way to keep good people within the industry and to ensure that they can pass their skills on,’ she added. ‘There is also an economic imperative for companies and the industry as a

With a strong turnout from female members and young members, the Nautilus UK branch conference had a lot to say this year about recruitment and retention... whole, because all this money is being wasted on training people who then disappear.’ Capt Tyson said the need for action is urgent. ‘If we don’t start doing something soon, we will have an even bigger shortfall than the 5,000 UK ofﬁcers predicted by 2020,’ she added. ‘We don’t want to lose our maritime heritage and traditions by simply failing to pass on these skills.’ Emma Lucas said the retention of skills will ensure that high standards and in-depth knowledge are passed on to a new generation of seafarers. ‘The skills that you learn go all the way to the top and there are so many gaps in the industry that we could ﬁll with people who don’t know whether to stay at sea,’ she pointed out. Martyn Gray said the Young Maritime Professionals Forum hears repeated concerns from mem-

bers who are struggling to get their first jobs at sea after gaining their OOW certificates because of the ‘Catch-22’ of employers demanding experience in rank. ‘Talented people are being left on the beach because they are not being given an opportunity to move on their chosen career paths,’ he complained. ‘There is a lack of opportunity in the sector and it shows a disrespect for the training received by the cadets in this country.’ Louis Ramsden said it was easy for trainees to become overwhelmed, and a mentoring scheme would help them to be supported by experienced officers, thus helping to maintain a sustainable flow of younger seafarers. Anastasija Kohanuka added: ‘For young members, and especially cadets, it will be very encourag-

ing for them to see examples of successful people in the shipping industry and to hear their stories of how they made their first steps on the career path.’ Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he wanted to debunk the myth that young people no longer want to go to sea, and he criticised UK owners for reneging on promised recruitment targets when the tonnage tax was introduced. ‘This is a dysfunctional industry that is failing to provide these people with jobs,’ he added. ‘It is so disappointing to see this when they have worked so hard to achieve their certificates and we need to bridge the gap for them.’ Ken Konasik said there is a need to stop employers from using the excuse of the high cost of British cadets and junior officers. He warned that the shortfall in younger seafarers means many companies increasingly resort to using crewing agencies, which adds to the training demands on core personnel. General secretary Mark Dickinson described the two motions as ‘incredibly important’ for British shipping. ‘We have to find a solution that allows business to prosper and the industry to grow while at the same time investing in the training for the future,’ he added.

Member involvement boosts college visits and improved maritime college visits P around the UK, giving specialist advice and

Nautilus has launched a series of new

Cadets at the Nautilus college visits to Glasgow (above) and Warsash (below)

19_mentors.indd Sec1:19

information to new recruits to the shipping industry. Senior national secretary Garry Elliott, who heads the Union’s recruitment and organising work, said the long-running programme of presentations to officer trainees has been enhanced with the addition of seminars on bullying and harassment and drugs and alcohol policies. ‘With assistance from representatives of the Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals and Women’s Forums, we have also been able to provide “college to sea” sessions with first-hand advice on the first trip away,’ he added. ‘The feedback from cadets has been absolutely fantastic.’ Martyn Gray, chair of the YMP Forum, said the hard work by the Union had paid

off. ‘We have been giving them a lot of information about what to expect from their training and their seatime, and the vast majority of new entrants are signing up with Nautilus. ‘This is all about the future of the Union and unless we concentrate on recruiting and retaining these members, we will only be in decline,’ he added. ‘We are focussing on giving members the best advice and quality services.’ Mr Gray said he hoped other experienced members would come forward to help deliver the seminars and promote the ‘mentoring’ support provided by Nautilus. In a further move to provide trainees with more information, Nautilus has published two new leaflets giving guidance on issues including training agreements, joining Nautilus N til h has recently tl published bli h d two t new your first ship, relevant Maritime Labour Convention provisions and working time. guidance leaflets for trainees

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20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | Month 2014

SEAFARER HEALTH

Ebola: the symptoms, the risks and how to stay safe I

What is Ebola and why is it so dangerous? Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the disease was first identified in 1976. If contracted, Ebola is a severe and often fatal illness, with a death rate in humans of up to 90%. Presently, there is no vaccine for Ebola and no specific treatment for the disease exists, only treatment for the associated symptoms. How does it spread? The Ebola virus is transmitted in the bodily fluids of people who are seriously ill, who are likely to be vomiting, bleeding or have diarrhoea. Blood, faeces and vomit are the most infectious fluids, and in late stages of the disease even tiny amounts can carry high loads of virus. Anyone with broken or damaged skin will be more at risk and they should ensure that these areas of their body are well protected when entering high-risk areas. What are the areas at risk? At present, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Senegal. Liberia has introduced rules requiring anyone entering port areas to wear protective masks and gloves and to carry hand sanitiser. What are the symptoms? It can take two to 21 days for symptoms to show, although usually it is five to seven days. The first signs are likely to be fever involving a headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat and severe muscle weakness. Many of those symptoms are similar to flu, so Ebola is not immediately obvious, though it should be suspected in anyone who has been in west Africa recently. After the initial symptoms, the patient will suffer diarrhoea, vomiting, a rash, stomach pains, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Patients become contagious once they begin to show symptoms, and are not contagious during the incubation period.

“

Liberia has introduced rules requiring those entering port areas to wear masks and gloves

”

20-21_ebola_SR edit.indd Sec2:20

Graphic: IMO/World Health Organisation

How can I cut the risks onboard my ship? The following precautions have been recommended for seafarers on vessels in high-risk areas: z exercise good personal hygiene at all times, with regular hand washing z avoid shaking hands with local authorities, agents and stevedores, etc, in the affected areas z a bucket or wash station containing chlorine, water and powdered soap should be placed at the gangway for all persons boarding the ship to wash and disinfect their hands. Similar wash stations should be placed in other prominent locations on the ship z no direct bodily contact should be made with local individuals, whether they are suspected to be infected or not z all crew should be monitored for whether they are displaying any symptoms of Ebola and if any are observed this should be immediately reported to the master, local authorities and owners z do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body ﬂuids

The threats posed by the Ebola virus have prompted some countries to carry out special checks on ships sailing from west African ports. In this report, we explain how seafarers and dock workers are being affected by an epidemic which, World Health Organisation experts have warned, poses a ‘crisis for international peace and security’… z avoid contact with animals or with raw meat z avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. Embassies or the P&I club correspondents may be able to provide advice on facilities that are suitable for the seafarer’s needs z medical attention should be sought if any crew members develop fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes z take extra precautions to prevent stowaways from coming onboard, including additional security watches and searches before departing port

What is the advice from the shipping industry? International guidelines agreed by the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the owners’ organisations ICS/ISF include the following: z the master should ensure that the crew are aware of the risks, how the virus can be spread and how to reduce the risk z the ISPS requirements on ensuring that unauthorised personnel do not board the vessel should be strictly enforced throughout the duration of the vessel being in port z the master should give careful consideration to granting any

shore leave whilst in impacted ports z the shipowner/operator should avoid making crew changes in the ports of an affected country z after departure the crew should be aware of the symptoms and report any occurring symptoms immediately to the person in charge of medical care z it is recommended that shipowners cancel all nonessential crew shore leave z owners should avoid crew changes through any of the affected countries Nautilus has expressed concern that the above advice

puts an excessive amount of responsibility upon shipmasters and argues that there is also a responsibility on the owner not to place crew in danger of infection. The Union contends that masters must, as prerequisite, be given the necessary information and resources to enable them to discharge their responsibilities to the crew. What happens if someone onboard falls ill? If a crew member requires medical attention, other than for Ebola, it should be considered whether it is safe for them to remain on the ship until the next port of call and to seek medical attention there. If a crew member is suspected of having Ebola, and they begin to have symptoms, immediate expert medical opinion should be sought and the event must be reported as soon as possible to the next port of call by the master. Whilst the ship is at sea, if any seafarer presents with symptoms compatible with Ebola, the following precautions are recommended: z keep his/her cabin doors closed, unless a room onboard can be used as medical isolation

22/10/2014 16:37

Month 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

SEAFARER HEALTH

Biohazard kit ‘could help crews comply with IMO guidance’ equipment company Martek I Marine has supplied a growing The UK-based maritime

number of shipping companies with special kits to help protect seafarers from the Ebola virus. The company’s EbolaGuard kits include what it claims to be the world’s best biohazard suit and associated items that exceed the standards set out by the World Health Organisation and the International Maritime Organisation. Martek says the IMO guidance, set out in circular 3484, makes it clear that internationally trading vessels should be able to display

z a log listing all people entering the cabin should be maintained

z anyone who enters the cabin

to provide care to the person in isolation or to clean the cabin must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprising: a surgical protection mask and eye protection or a face shield; non-sterile examination gloves or surgical gloves; disposable impermeable gown to cover clothing and exposed skin. A waterproof apron should be worn over a non-impermeable gown z before exiting the isolation the PPE should be removed in such a way as to avoid contact with the soiled items and any area of the face z limit the movement and transport of the patient from the cabin for essential purposes only. If transport is necessary, the patient should wear a surgical mask z clean and disinfect spills without spraying or using aerosol. Used linen, cloths, eating utensils, laundry and any other item in contact with a patient’s body or ﬂuids should be collected separately and disinfected in such a way as to avoid any creation of aerosol or any contact with persons or contamination of the environment. Effective disinfectant is a dilution of sodium hypochlorite at 0.05 or 500 ppm available chlorine, with a recommended contact time of 30 minutes z all waste produced in the isolation cabin must be handled according to the protocol of the ship for clinical waste. If an incinerator is available onboard, then waste must be incinerated. If waste must be delivered ashore, then special precautions are needed and the port authority should be informed before waste delivery What’s this about extra checks on ships and seafarers in certain areas? If your ship has called at a port in one of the high-risk countries, masters are warned that they should be prepared for potential delays while the authorities inspect the vessel. It has been suggested that masters should prepare a list of when and where the crew joined the ship for presentation to the authorities — including details of whether or not any crew went ashore in a high-risk area. The US, South African, Brazilian and Argentinian governments

20-21_ebola_SR edit.indd Sec2:21

are among those who have introduced special checks for vessels which have recently visited ports in west Africa, with crew subject to questionnaires and check-ups in some ports. The International Maritime Organisation has called for member states in the highrisk countries to conduct exit screenings on everyone leaving their seaports. In mid-September, Malta refused entry to the bulk carrier Western Copenhagen after the master requested medical assistance for a Filipino crew member who had become ill and showed some of the symptoms associated with Ebola. The vessel was turned away from Malta because the country does not have the facilities to treat Ebola patients, and sailed to Sicily where the crewman was accepted ashore for treatment.

a rigorous and well thought out protection plan for the crew. Designed by medical experts and doctors, the Martek EbolaGuard kit features a fullbody polymeric biohazard barrier suit with elasticated face, wrists, waist and ankles, thumb loops to prevent sleeves from riding up, and a self-adhesive chin flap for tight seal to face-masks. The kit also includes masks, wide-angle goggles, heavy-duty acrylonitrile gloves, chemical protection gloves, heavy-duty overshoes, an infra-red thermometer, hand sanitiser and biohazard spill packs.

Where can I get up-to-date advice on the risks? Frequently updated information and further special guidance for those in transport industries can be found on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website: www.who.int. There is also advice on the International and UK Chambers of Shipping sites: www.ics-shipping.org and www.ukchamberofshipping. com as well as the UK Foreign &Commonwealth Ofﬁce: www.gov.uk/government/ organisations/foreigncommonwealth-office

RFA Argus leads UK effort in Sierra Leone Michael Fallon in praising Royal Fleet Auxiliary L seafarers who have sailed to Sierra Leone as part of the

Nautilus International has joined defence minister

UK’s response to the Ebola outbreak. The RFA aviation support ship Argus left Falmouth last month with three Merlin helicopters and aircrew and engineers from 820 Naval Air Squadron onboard. The ship will also be able to facilitate the rapid transport of Army medical teams and aid experts to help combat the devastating impact of the virus. On a visit to the ship, Mr Fallon met members of the RFA, the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines and spoke about their deployment to west Africa. He praised their professionalism and expertise and added: ‘Britain is leading the effort in Sierra Leone and everything I’ve seen today confirms how well equipped we are to do that.’

Captain David Eagles, commanding officer of the Argus, said his ship was ‘the ideal vessel for a mission such as this, where her unique capabilities and experience will see us able to provide much needed supplies and expertise to the people of Sierra Leone. I am confident that our people will have the support and extensive training they will need to make a positive contribution to the efforts to tackle Ebola.’ Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘Telegraph readers will have become accustomed to news of the fantastic work members do at the RFA. So it comes as no surprise that once again our members at the RFA are in the vanguard of the UK’s relief and emergency support work in west Africa to combat the Ebola crisis. This is critical support work and we applaud our members. We wish everyone a safe and successful mission.’

Have I got the right to refuse to serve on a ship bound for an infected area? The straight is answer is ‘no’. At present, the risk to seafarers is considered to be small, although Nautilus is keeping the issue under review and has raised the matter with the UK National Occupational Health & Safety Committee. Until any further advice is forthcoming, members should take very careful note of the advice reproduced above. If, however, you decide that you do not want to go to the affected port, then you have to check whether or not you have the right to sign off or be repatriated in circumstances relating to potential threats to your health and safety, as there will obviously be legal implications if you refused (eg, breach of contract). Whether you have such a right will depend on various circumstances, such as the contents of your Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA) or terms and conditions of employment/collective bargaining agreement (check, for instance, the notice and repatriation provisions) and the laws of the ﬂag state. You should check these to see if they give a speciﬁc or general right to sign off/be repatriated in the face of an imminent risk to health. If not, then you should raise your concerns with the master/shipowner, and make a request for permission to leave/ be repatriated. Members can, of course, call Nautilus at any time for industrial support and advice.

22/10/2014 16:38

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

MARITIME WELFARE

The human cost of piracy and maritime crime was highlighted last month at a meeting organised by Oceans Beyond Piracy (One Earth Foundation) and co-hosted by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in London. The shipping industry cares for its personnel — that is the mantra of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP), a pan-sector alliance which coordinates support for seafarers affected by a pirate or other armed attack, and for their families. At the International Maritime Organisation headquarters in London last month, MPHRP held an event to mark three years of progress since its launch in September 2011 in the wake of the International Transport Workers’ Federation ‘Enough is Enough’ petition, which was signed by around a million seafarers worldwide before being submitted to the IMO. The response to piracy has inevitably focussed on international and regional military, intelligence and jurisdictional challenges. The issue of armed guards has been high on the agenda, as have the social, economic and political problems which have fuelled attacks on shipping. But MPHRP’s role is more speciﬁc: the programme, through its partners (Nautilus is one of the supporting organisations), is concerned with the wellbeing of the seafarers whose ships are attacked or hijacked, and of their loved ones. And that includes ongoing support once the seafarers — hopefully — get home again. Dr Peter Swift, who chairs the MPHRP steering group, said this represented a ‘step change’ in addressing the problems of piracy. ‘Formerly, once hostages were released, the industry’s reaction was, “it’s all over, great, and when you come home, everything’s perfect”,’ he recalled. And if you worked for a good owner, operator, manager or manning agent, probably when you got home, it would be OK, he said. ‘But if you’re not, you come home and you have problems. It may well be that you do have continuing medical problems, you need help. It’s quite likely you’re massively in debt, that you were

The Albedo, which was hijacked by pirates in 2010

While the number of piracy attacks has declined in recent times, the trauma suffered by seafarers caught up in the crisis remains high. MIKE GERBER reports on the work being done to provide practical support for the ‘forgotten victims’…

It’s not all over, we’re not all OK not paid at all during the time you were held, and if that goes on for years, the debt accumulates,’ he pointed out. MPHRP has made grants to help seafarers and their families in such circumstances, as well as providing counselling and other support. Dr Swift attested to the ‘unswerving and most generous support’ from MPRHP’s funders, including Seafarers UK, the TK Foundation, the ITF Seafarers’ Trust and the International Group of P&I Clubs. Cyrus Mody, of the International Maritime Bureau — one of the partner organisations — said MPHRP has also helped to develop good practice guides, aimed at shipping companies and manning agents, on the humanitarian support of seafarers and families affected by piracy incidents. Although ﬁgures show that piracy directly affects only a small number of seafarers, Mr Mody warned that the fear of attack was a reality for most seafarers. ‘Until we address this in every possible

aspect, we’ve got a long, long way to go,’ he added. MPHRP acting programme director Hennie la Grange said the growth of piracy in west Africa has presented a different set of challenges. In many cases, seafarers caught up in incidents in the Gulf of Guinea are repatriated very quickly, he explained. ‘That makes it extremely difﬁcult for MPHRP, for any port chaplain, any other welfare responder, to be of any assistance, because access to these seafarers is restricted. We are not able to learn their identity, where they come from, who their families are.’ Mr la Grange said he hoped the industry would work to improve access to ensure that seafarers can be offered support as soon as they come ashore after an attack.

J Aman Sharma Kumar of the Albedo, who was held hostage by pirates for over three years, addresses the MPHRP event Picture: Mike Gerber

The emotional high spot of the MPHRP event was an address by Aman Sharma Kumar, who was among the crew of the Malaysian-registered containership Albedo when it was hijacked on 26 November

2010 some 900 miles off Somalia, en route to Kenya. The crew comprised of seven Pakistanis, seven Bangladeshis, six Sri Lankans, an Iranian, and two Indians, including Mr Kumar — who was on his first voyage. He told the meeting how the pirates — who were demanding a US$8m ransom — started to torture crew members when the ship’s diesel ran out in March 2011. In June, they shot one of the seafarers as they spoke on the phone to the vessel’s Iranian owner. After 21 months in captivity, the seven Pakistani hostages were freed when a ransom of US$1.1m was paid following a fund-raising drive in their country. The remaining crew felt abandoned, said Mr Kumar. When the pirates tortured him, they pressed him with one question: ‘Pakistan government pay money, why Indian government cannot?’ On 7 July 2013, the Albedo, by now unseaworthy, sank. Although most of the 15 remaining crew made it to a nearby fishing vessel — including Mr Kumar, with colleagues’ assistance as he couldn’t swim — four are unaccounted for and presumably drowned, along with several pirates. The hostages were moved ashore for the remainder of their captivity. Dr Swift gave a guarded account of how the 11 surviving crew effected their escape earlier this year, with, he explained, the complicity of some pirates. ‘But it was only possible because the [shipping] community came together because they wanted it to happen, and [because of] the support that was given to Aman and the other families, and continues to be given.’ Chirag Bahri, MPHRP’s South Asia regional director, added: ‘I had the opportunity to meet the crew in Nairobi when they were released, and since then I have been in touch with all the crew, and before that with their families. It’s been a very, very difficult period for the seafarers and their families, and especially the families of those seafarers who have not returned.’ Everyone present at the MPHRP event observed 30 seconds of silence in respect of the crew members who never returned.

WORLD-CLASS

Giving you a voice on your future

SIMULATION TRAINING

The Nautilus Pensions Association is a pressure group and support organisation that:

Masters Orals t Chief Mate HND Full Time t VTS

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

t Chief Mate HND Blended Learning t HND NSc to Chief Mate t Post FD Course Leading to Chief Mate t ECDIS Generic Course t ECDIS Kongsberg K Bridge Type Speciﬁc Course t BTM/BRM Course t Pilot Resource Management t Ship Handling Courset Tug Handling t Level 3 Diploma for OOW Tug Blended Learning t Ice Navigation

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22_piracy_SR edit.indd Sec2:22

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E: marine@stc.ac.uk

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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 provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for advice on other organisations providing support and assistance to pensioners z offers a range of specialised services and benefits tailored to meet the needs of retired members z operates as a democratic organisation, being a Nautilus Council body — with the secretary and secretariat provided by the Union 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD t +44 (0)20 8989 6677 f +44 (0)20 8530 1015 npa@nautilusint.org www.nautilusint.org

22/10/2014 16:39

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Why fair ferries should matter to everybody Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth

Nautilus UK branch seminar in Belfast hears concerns about the European ferry sector, where a ‘cut-throat’ operating environment is threatening jobs and could have a knock-on effect on the UK maritime skills base...

Does the European ferry sector have a decent future ahead of it? And can it remain a key source of high-quality employment for EU seafarers? These were the critical questions examined by members and industry experts during a special seminar held following the Nautilus International UK branch conference in Belfast last month. General secretary Mark Dickinson said the debate was of vital importance to members. ‘The ferry sector is almost the last bastion of employment for UK seafarers and if we lose this, and lose the jobs, it will cause a critical collapse of the maritime skills base’. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth told the meeting that the industry has been transformed in the time since he started his seagoing career in 1980. ‘Who would have ever imagined that some ferry companies would flag out? A process which, as we know, started in the mid to late 1990s — fuelled by the coming of the doublewhammy of the Channel tunnel and the loss of duty-frees,’ he added. ‘Since then, we have seen some significant cuts in terms and conditions — not least such things as the loss of leave, lower salaries in real terms, and the previously unimaginable move to live-aboard on shortsea services. ‘And all of this as comes at a time when workloads have gone through the roof, with mountains of paperwork and the constant pressure to attain higher levels of skills in a world of increasing technology, increased sailings and quicker turnarounds on many routes around our coasts.’ As a consequence, he said, work in the ferry sector is no longer ‘the jewel in the crown’ for many seafarers. ‘Jobs on ferries are no longer filled by officers in dead men’s shoes and I think it’s high time the sector started to invest in the future by making sure it has the skills and expertise it needs to continue running

23_branch conf_SR edit.indd 23

way forward. ‘Companies are aware of their obligations and do wish to invest in staff,’ he said. ‘Owners want highly trained UK seafarers, but the problem is that it is a cut-throat world on these routes.’ Mr Platten said there should be a change in the gross tonnage rules to remove the current disincentive for owners to provide additional training berths on their vessels.

Chamber of Shipping chief executive officer Guy Platten All pictures: Kevin Cooper

ships safely and efﬁciently into the future,’ he told the meeting. Mr Smyth said the Nautilus Fair Ferries Campaign had been launched with the aim of achieving and promoting recruitment, retention and training in the sector. The campaign seeks to secure government support for regulations to secure decent standards of employment on ferries operating services within Europe, making sure that ofﬁcers and crew are covered by conditions of employment which are on a par with, or superior to, the countries which they serve. This should be backed up by enforcement of maritime safety standards and of the laws covering the issue of work permits and the payment of the national minimum wage for seafarers working in UK waters, along with effective action to deal with clear breaches of the Equality Act on UK vessels. Mr Smyth said Nautilus wants to see the ferry sector take a ‘cradle to the grave’ approach to employment, adopting positive training programmes to replenish the maritime skills base. ‘This is an essential industry, seafarers are an essential workforce. Let’s make sure it stays that way,’ he added.

Chamber of Shipping chief executive ofﬁcer Guy Platten said that while there is a lot of talk about

shipping being ‘an invisible industry’, some ferry companies are among the most recognisable brands in the country, and carry around 38m passengers a year. But, he warned, operators are facing ‘an onslaught of rules, regulations and market difﬁculties’ — with the ‘cack-handed implementation’ of new sulphur regulations bringing the viability of many routes into question. A strong and dynamic industry is essential, Mr Platten added, and some of the UK’s ferry operators are the most innovative in the world. He said owners have a ‘deep-seated commitment’ to social partnership and a united voice for the industry would help deliver ‘a recipe for a conﬁdent and successful ferry sector with a bright future’. Mr Platten said he was cautious about demands to introduce new seafarer employment restrictions in the ferry sector — warning that such measures could be in breach of EU policy. ‘The manning directive sounds good in principle, but beware of the law of unintended consequences and the danger that it could make the industry much less competitive,’ he argued. The Chamber leader admitted that companies are conscious of the shortage of British seafarers, and developments such as the DFDS ‘trailblazer’ maritime apprentice scheme showed the

Bill Gibbons, director of the Discover Ferries organisation, also underlined the way in which the sector has been transformed in the past 20 years — with the Channel tunnel and the rise of low-cost airlines eating into the market. The number of passengers on cross-Channel ferries has fallen from 33m in 1994 to 18m now, he said, and there had been a 20% decline in numbers on UKIreland ferries over the same period. Referring to the ‘huge consolidation’ of the ferry industry in the past two decades, Mr Gibbons said companies such as British Channel Island Ferries, Color Line, Hoverspeed, Olau Line,

Bill Gibbons, director of the Discover Ferries organisation

Sally Line, Seacat Scotland, and Swansea-Cork Ferries were all no longer in operation. In 1994, he added, there were 21 companies in the Passenger Shipping Association and there are now only 12 in its successor, Discover Ferries. But, Mr Gibbons said, Discover Ferries is working hard to promote the industry and to encourage a new generation of passengers who have never travelled by sea. There are still more than 75 ferry routes in and around the UK, he pointed out, and over the

Stuart Garrett, managing director of Serco Northlink Ferries

past year there have been some signiﬁcant increases in trafﬁc on many services. He added that he was ‘very optimistic’ for the future and predicted that these recent increases will continue because ferries remain the most relaxing and safest way to travel, especially when compared with airport security delays.

Stuart Garrett, managing director of Serco Northlink Ferries, said the industry is affected by a complex mix of factors, including EU, government and regional policies, macro-economic issues, and social and historical influences. Similarly, he argued, there are many factors influencing the employment and training of seafarers in the sector, and research on the supply of maritime skills is as relevant now as it was 14 years ago. ‘Many companies might not have been able to operate with the constraints on manpower supply without the new supply from the new European member states,’ he suggested. Mr Garrett said he hoped moves to attract more young people into shipping careers will pay off. ‘I firmly believe that for anyone coming into the industry now it is a fantastic industry and the training is up there with the best of the other professions.’ Mr Dickinson said he was encouraged by the content of the seminar. ‘Working together is an important theme, and with the strategic partnership with the government we now have a recognition of the importance of our industry. I think there is a real opportunity here, but the plan has to be permanent and supported with ambition and longterm vision.’

22/10/2014 16:39

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

MARITIME SAFETY

Uncontained containerships

MOL Comfort

Nautilus professional and technical experts meet to discuss the implications of upsizing boxships. Can the latest generation of vast vessels really meet safety standards?

Are containerships now posing the same sort of safety threat that bulk carriers posed during the 1980s? That was the question considered by Nautilus International members last month in the wake of a report into the break-up and loss of the 86,692gt MOL Comfort last year. The 8,110TEU vessel split apart in the Indian Ocean while sailing from Singapore to Saudi Arabia last June, and members of the Nautilus professional and technical committee expressed concern at a wide range of design and operational issues arising from its loss and other recent containership incidents. A report on the MOL Comfort’s loss published by the classiﬁcation society ClassNK last month concludes that the incident was likely to have been an isolated one and that the vessel probably broke apart because of lateral loads acting on the double bottom structure. But Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson told members of the professional and technical committee that the Union is disturbed by developments in the container shipping sector. ‘Design is being driven by economies of scale and the Tonnage Measurement Convention, so that more containers are above deck and fewer below deck,’ he pointed out. ‘It is getting to the stage now where we are really pushing the limits.’ As with bulk carriers, containership design and construction has been extrapolated from previous, smaller, generations of vessels, Mr Graveson added. ‘Ships are being built to a ﬁne margin of safety, and not to the strength that they should be,’ he told the meeting. ‘Scantlings have been reduced, high tensile steel is used and the plating should be at least 3cm thicker,’ he argued. ‘What is particularly worrying is that when these ships get older, some that are safe today will not be tomorrow.’ Geert Feikema said technology is not being used to reduce the impact of stresses

on containerships — especially those arising during loading and discharging from one side. And he pointed to the recent accident investigation report on the loss of more than 500 containers from the 92,198gt Svendborg Maersk, which warned that the vessel’s ability to withstand extreme conditions could have been compromised by earlier extension work. Although the ClassNK report concludes that containerships like MOL Comfort have ‘sufﬁcient structural safety against the occurrence of similar fracture accidents’, it points to the need for further action by designers, classiﬁcation societies, operators and regulators. Using electro-plastic analysis to examine the lateral loads on the hull, the research determined that MOL Comfort developed a fracture and then broke in two because of stresses on the hull. The 120page report notes that the ship’s draught measurements indicated that the actual weight of the cargo may have been heavier than the declared weight. The investigation concluded that the load of the vertical bending moment exceeded the hull girder ultimate strength at the time of the accident when taking into account uncertain factors such as yield stress, sea conditions and the difference between declared and actual container weights. Researchers said MOL Comfort could have had a higher possibility of suffering buckling collapse of the stiffened bottom panel adjacent to the keel plate panel. The report notes that buckling collapse strength is determined by factors including the thickness of the bottom shell plates, and the size and spacing of bottom longitudinals. ‘To prevent similar fracture accidents, it is necessary to assess the hull girder ultimate strength in proper consideration of the effects of the lateral loads and to assess the buckling collapse strength of stiffened bottom panels in the middle part of the holds,’ the report states.

What is particularly worrying is that when these ships get older, some that are safe today will not be tomorrow

“

”

The panel looked at 16 other postpanamax containerships ranging between 6,000TEU and 8,000TEU and confirmed that these all had sufficient structural safety against similar fracture accidents. Checks on other ships found no deformations on the bottom shell plates like those that were found on MOL Comfort’s sisterships. The report points out that the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) URS11 unified requirements for containerships do not currently account for lateral loads such as bottom sea pressure and container weights, and says that these should be taken into account when calculating the ultimate strength of hull girders. It notes that the number, weight and layout of containers differs on each voyage and that this means operators need to make cargo loading plans for every trip, checking for compliance with stability and longitudinal strength requirements. The report warns of particular risks for post-panamax containerships as a consequence of their reduced need to ballast in the double bottom tanks to improve stability. It points to occasions when the upward lateral load from bottom sea pressure act-

ing on the double bottom structure can become almost equal to the load in onebay empty condition without ballast in double bottom — ‘which is the severe condition for the transverse strength’. As a result, it adds, the minimisation of ballast increases the frequency with which the still water vertical bending moment reaches close to the allowable value. ‘Meanwhile,’ the report states, ‘it sometimes happens that the transverse stress of double bottom structure becomes almost equal to the transverse stress in one-bay empty condition, without ballast in double bottom, even in the normal loading conditions where the ship is in around the full draught.’ Accordingly, ClassNK stressed, designers need to ensure that ships can deal with various loading conditions and that operators understand the design conditions of their vessels. The society says it will review its inhouse rules and guidelines, which could lead to the development of new methods to assess hull strength with consideration of lateral loads, and improved procedures for assessing transverse strength and waveinduced load, including whipping effects. Its action plan will also consider new procedures to ensure that operators can better manage the effects of various loading conditions and to consider the use of hull monitoring systems to provide useful data for ships. ClassNK will submit the report to IACS and to the Japanese working group investigating the MOL Comfort accident and the safety of post-panamax containerships. The Japanese government says this inquiry is set to publish a ﬁnal report by the end of March next year. A committee will establish why the ﬁveyear-old, 8,110 teu ship split and sank in the Indian Ocean last year via further studies of its sisterships, with a focus on the mechanism of their buckling fractures and fullscale stress measurement, according to the MLIT.

Tank testing ‒ a model containersh Register research Picture: Lloyd’s Regi

Lloyd’s r echoes U revealed the results of a decade long res I programme — which is set to continue — exa The classification society Lloyd’s Registe

structural integrity concerns arising from the ‘ containerships. LR — which introduced updated container July this year to address whipping and springi warned that the potential to build even bigge the recent 18,000TEU vessels means that the be a ‘revolution in rule development’. In a Marine Technology Report detailing th LR said that while the basic principles underpi structural strength of boxships are well establ challenges have emerged which make it essen research into the implications. ‘One might assume that most structural is solved years ago,’ it stated. ‘The problem pers changes of scale: the rules for small container be increased linearly to larger ones. Big ships and present new challenges.’ The classification society warned that the d increases in containership size are raising the of losses involved in a single hull. ‘Just one suc saving in capital, efficiency and environmenta across hundreds of ships,’ it pointed out. ‘With increases in ship scale on the horizon, underst forces at play is more critical than ever.’ LR’s marine director, Tom Boardley, comm safety is our main role as a classification socie have efficient ships unless they are also struct We have invested heavily in research and we h of expertise in our hydrodynamics and structu address this challenge.’ The classification society’s research on larg containerships has been ongoing over the pas includes a full-scale measurement programm over five years on a large containership. Key elements of the research include the e whipping, springing, and warping/distortion

Water is pumped to the stricken container vessel MSC Napoli as it is moved by tug boats on 9 July 2007 in Devon, England Picture: Maritime & Coastguard Agency

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22/10/2014 18:34

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME SAFETY

Following in the wake of the lost boxes The MBARI research team control room Picture: MBARI

year is hotly disputed, but few of them are w recovered and many eventually sink to the sea

The scale of containers lost overboard each

ership during the Lloyd’s oyd d’s Register

research Union concerns egister (LR) has ng research — examining m the ‘super-sizing’ of tainership rules in pringing issues — bigger boxships than at there may have to ing the research, derpinning the established, new essential to continue ural issues had been m persists because of tainerships cannot ships are different t the dramatic g the potential scale ne such loss erodes mental protection ‘With further nderstanding the ommented: ‘Ship society. You can’t structurally safe. d we have the depth tructures teams to on large he past decade and ramme conducted the effects of rtion of hatch

24-25_spread.indd 25

openings. Whipping actions increase extreme wave bending moments and shear forces, LR noted, while springing actions reduce the fatigue life of a ship. Larger containerships need to be designed and built to address these factors, the report added, and must also take into account the effects of loads arising from oblique (quartering) seas which create very high localised stresses at hatch corners. ‘The effect of oblique seas becomes increasingly important as ship length and beam increase,’ it stressed. ‘As the ship twists in oblique seas, so the hatch openings twist and distort, increasing stresses at the hatch corners.’

Ispringing has the greatest effect on fatigue life for sea states with a significant wave height of 2.5m to 5m, for The report said the research has identified that

bow and bow quartering seas, and at high ship speeds. And it has also shown a high correlation between springing and ship length — ‘the longer the ship, the more serious the springing and, consequently, the severity of the fatigue,’ it pointed out. ‘Springing fatigue assessment of several containerships shows that the fatigue life for the most critical details may be reduced by a factor of 30% or more,’ it added. LR said that whipping actions — the high frequency oscillation of the hull girder — are increased as a consequence of wave impacts on the bow flare, bottom slamming, large bow flare angles and high speed. ‘It results in significantly increased vertical wave bending moments and shear forces,’ the report explained. ‘The bending responses can be more than twice, and even three times, the traditionally calculated wave bending moment using linear ship motion codes.’ The classification society said its updated rules, which are supported by its ShipRight Procedures covering whipping and springing analysis, will help to ensure that the risks have been managed through assessments of factors including non-linear sagging, whipping, springing fatigue, and the combined vertical, horizontal and torsional loads in oblique seas.

floor. Out of sight is not out of mind, however, and scientists in the United States have revealed the results of research into the consequences of such losses. The pioneering work by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California began a decade ago with the discovery, during a routine research dive using a remotely operated vehicle of a lost shipping container almost 1,300m (4,200ft) below the surface of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. It was one of 24 40ft containers that had been swept off the Taiwanese-owned vessel Med Tapei during a voyage from San Francisco to Los Angeles in February 2004 — 15 of them in the marine sanctuary. They were stuffed with a wide range of contents — including furniture, tyres, plastics, cyclone fencing, hospital beds, wheelchairs, recycled cardboard and clothing. In 2006, the owners and operators of the 40,435gt vessel agreed to pay US$3.25m to resolve allegations that the 15 containers lost in the marine sanctuary had caused long-term damage. A US Coast Guard report had revealed the containers were ‘inappropriately loaded’ onboard the vessel — with faulty welds on anchor points for the containers, as well as missing d-rings from the deck. Experts warned that the potential impact of tthe lost containers included the crushing and ssmothering of seabed organisms, the introduction of a ‘foreign’ habitat structure and shifts in local o eecology. They said that as the containers degrade aand n collapse, their contents would be spread along tthe h ocean floor — meaning that marine species could get trapped in the cyclone fencing, while cou other creatures could ingest plastic wrappers and bags. These concerns are now the subject of detailed research by MBARI — claimed to be the first of its kind in the world — with the first findings, published earlier this year in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin (MPB), describing how deepsea animal communities on and around the container differ from those in surrounding areas. The container being studied by the institute was filled with 1,159 steel-belted car tyres and is resting inverted on the seafloor at a depth of 1,281m, some 17 miles off the coast of California. In March 2011, a research team led by Andrew De Vogelaere of the sanctuary and Jim Barry of MBARI

No one knows the true number of containers lost at sea each year — estimates range from fewer than 600 to as many as 10,000. But researchers are shedding light on what happens to boxes once they go overboard — and their findings are shaping containership safety regulation…

Picture: MBARI

completed another ROV dive at the container. During this dive, they collected extensive video footage, as well as samples of seafloor sediment at various distances from the container. They then compared the animals found on the container, on the nearby seafloor, and on the surrounding seafloor out to 500m away from the container. Josi Taylor, lead author of the MPB article, said she was surprised to see how little the container had corroded in the seven years since it sank to the seafloor. Apparently, the near-freezing water and low oxygen concentrations in the deep sea slowed the processes that might degrade sunken containers in shallower water. As expected, however, the hard surface of the container acted somewhat like a rocky reef, attracting animals including tubeworms, scallops, snails, and

tunicates. Such animals require hard surfaces on which to attach, and were not found on the muddy seafloor around the container. Surprisingly, several types of animals found on nearby rocky reefs, such as sponges, soft corals, and crinoids (a distant relative of sea stars), had not colonised the surface of the container. In their paper, the researchers speculate that some of these slow-growing animals might not have had enough time to colonise the container’s surface. Another possible explanation is that some types of animals may be sensitive to the potentially toxic effects of corrosion-resistant coatings used on shipping containers. The team conducted a follow-up ROV dive in December 2013 to study possible effects of the container’s coating and the samples from this dive are still being analysed. Overall, the study concluded that the container has caused shifts in animal communities through a variety of processes. Its physical presence provided: a hard surface that sessile (attached) animals colonised; a physical obstacle that affected local bottom currents; a high spot on the seafloor that attracted predators; and a possible source of toxic materials. The researchers also believe the container is having indirect ecological impacts, some of which may take years or decades to develop. For example, higher numbers of seafloor predators near the container might explain some of the changes in the types of other animals found on the nearby seafloor. Such indirect ecological effects might also explain why the diversity of seafloor animals was lower near the container. This collaborative research project has already helped government agencies in formulating standards for how containers are weighed, stacked, and lashed down. It has also spurred interest from both governmental agencies and the shipping industry in finding a way to track containers lost at sea. researchers hope to find out whether more w diverse animal communities will develop over time, During future dives to the container, the

or if some toxic material is allowing only certain hardy animals to colonise the container. They are also designing a study to compare the effects of different types of container coatings on colonisation by deepsea animals. Given the slow rate at which the sunken container is corroding, and evidence from deepsea shipwrecks such as the Titanic, the researchers hypothesise that lost containers may take hundreds of years to fully degrade in the deep sea. ‘We have only begun to characterise the potential long-term impacts of a single container on a deepsea community,’ said Josi Taylor. ‘Although the effects of one container may seem small, the thousands of shipping containers lost on the seafloor each year could eventually become a significant source of pollution for deepsea ecosystems.’

“

A US Coast Guard report had revealed the containers were ‘inappropriately loaded’ onboard the vessel

”

22/10/2014 18:34

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

UNIONS AT WORK

The French resistance In an exclusive interview for the Telegraph, the leader of France’s main officers’ union tells JEFF APTER why he supports the campaign for action to protect European seafarers from unfair competition — and shares the Nautilus view that owners who benefit from state aid need to make a bigger commitment to employment and training…

Europe needs to protect its ships and seafarers in the same way that the United States has supported its domestic maritime industry. This was the message last month from Captain Jean-Philippe Chateil, general secretary of the FOMM-CGT union. He believes that Europe should adopt its own version of the US Jones Act, setting strict flag and crew nationality requirements for vessels operating in cabotage trades. ‘We would like something similar within the EU — a system that would require trade within Europe to be carried by ships flagged in a EU member country with EU crews,’ he said. ‘While the Montoir–Gijón route is currently operated by crews of 10 nationalities, ships trading between Spain and France, for example, would have crews of both countries,’ he explained. ‘And vessels operating between the UK and the Netherlands would be with crews from those two countries. This is the only way forward to save seafarers’ jobs.’ FOMM-CGT has long argued that Condor Shipping is an example of the current legislative loopholes — an operation that is using a non-European flag for vessels running between the Channel Islands and France. Although some crew members are resident in France, Condor does not accept that they should be covered by the country’s social security system or an equivalent arrangement.

Capt Chateil is disappointed to see tankers leaving the French flag Picture: Eric Houri

FOMM-CGT and the local ITF inspector are backing two separate court cases to be heard in France this autumn challenging Condor Ferries’ social security arrangements on routes between the Channel Islands and France. The French union hopes that the effect of the court decision will oblige all operators to provide adequate social security provisions for crews. Capt Chateil is disappointed by the European Commission’s failure to bring in policies to arrest the decline in the number of EU-flagged ships and EU seafarers. It has not done enough to enhance the merchant fleets of member states, to encourage quality shipping, create jobs or improve the conditions and standards of officers and ratings, he argued. And FOMM-CGT is equally concerned about the French government’s failure to deliver on promises to protect the

nation’s maritime industry. Not only has there been ‘intolerably slow’ progress, the government has abandoned and even reversed some of its own declared maritime policies to tackle long-running reductions in the French fleet and domestic seafarer employment, Capt Chateil warned. Capt Chateil, who became FOMMCGT leader last May after five years in the deputy’s role, is worried that the French ferry fleet could follow the country’s deepsea shipping in suffering from mass flagging out and the use of cheaper foreign crews. At present, much of the French ferry industry is run on a ‘public service’ basis, using the mainland register and with French officers and ratings. But Capt Chateil complained that these services are being increasingly assailed by unfair competition from low-cost flags with low-paid foreign crews.

Captain Jean-Philippe Chateil, general secretary of the French maritime union FOMM-CGT Picture: Jeff Apter

The problems are compounded by a lack of promised support from the government and European Commission, he added. The number of ships flying the full French flag or under the French international register (RIF) has fallen below the symbolic 200 mark. FOMM-CGT remains determined to continue its ‘fight with the government and operators to stem the decline and save the flag and jobs’, Capt Chateil said, ‘and importantly to ensure berths for cadets who can find none after graduating from ENSM [the recently reinvented national maritime academy].’ ENSM accepted 180 cadets onto its courses this year, but Capt Chateil is concerned that young people in France are now less attracted by careers at sea. ‘Sadly, the situation is not the same as 15 or 20 years ago when cadets graduated, wanted a career at sea and found berths,’ he pointed out. ‘Now many are more interested in the engineering courses and are not interested in the maritime sector. Often, even when they are, they don’t stay.’ The decline in the number of Frenchflagged ships has led to a fall in French seafaring employment over the last few years, although the number of officers has remained stable. In 1950 ENIM, the merchant navy social security system, recorded 55,086 seafarers of all grades on its books, falling to 38,000 in 1970 and 22,125 in 1990. Current provisional figures show that ENIM registers about 13,000 French seafarers. This figure includes 4,800 officers — not too different from the year 2000 — although the number of French ratings has plummeted from 16,240 to just over 8,000 over the same time period.

French ferry services are ‘being increasingly assailed by unfair competition from low-cost flags with low-paid foreign crews’ Picture: Eric Houri

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Capt Chateil said his union is pessimistic about the future for both the French flag and French seafarers. He deplored the way in which the country’s government and operators are following other traditional maritime nations by flagging out and cutting domestic seafarer jobs. Such developments are now ‘decimating the ferry sector’, he added. The Mediterranean operator SNCM, which recently renewed its 10-year public service lifeline contract for routes to Corsica, is threatening to cut between 800 and 1,000 jobs on its remaining seven ferries, and possibly cease operations on North African routes, leaving them open to low-cost operators. The situation is also critical on France’s western seaboard, Capt Chateil warned. ‘We don’t understand why DFDS, which employs hundreds of French seafarers, is abandoning its French-flagged route between Le Havre and Portsmouth while it has agreed to extend the public service DieppeNewhaven route for an extra year dur-

ing which it is hoped a more lasting solution is to be found.’ FOMM-CGT is also alarmed by the UK Competition Commission’s decision to prevent the MyFerryLink cooperative venture — which employs almost 600 French seafarers — from operating on the Calais-Dover route. Capt Chateil criticised the European Commission for failing to provide the necessary support to continue the Montoir-Gijón ‘motorway of the sea’ ferry service between France and Spain. And he condemned the way in which Brussels has persisted with efforts to compel SNCM to repay €440m of ‘illicit subsidies’ — a move which has resulted in the ‘near-collapse’ of the company. The FOMM-CGT general secretary fears that some employers are using the new emission control regulations as an excuse to cut jobs and services. ‘Everybody has known since 2005 that the directive would arrive, but operators don’t seem to have anticipated it and now they are playing with jobs,’ he pointed out. Like Nautilus, FOMM-CGT wants to see much tighter links between the provision of state aid to shipowners and their commitment to the employment of training of EU seafarers. Capt Chateil points to the French containership operator CMA CGM, which owns 80 ships, but has fewer than 20 flying the French flag despite receiving more than €150m in government aid. Capt Chateil served for many years with the oil tanker firm Broström, which became Maersk Tankers France following a merger. He is therefore deeply disappointed by the fact that the transfer last month of the 323,500dwt VLCC Maersk Sandra to the Belgium-based operator Euronav means most tankers have now disappeared from the French flag. He said this development highlights how promised government action to tighten the 1992 legislation to ensure that a proportion of French energy shipments is carried by national-flagged tonnage has yet to materialise. While a draft update bill has been on the table for months, it has been watered down even further and currently has been lodged with parliament as an amendment to an ecology bill. ‘Any update of the law must be based on the country’s requirement for a French-flagged fleet with French officers and seamen to ensure the country’s normal and strategic supply,’ Capt Chateil argued. ‘Despite pledging to take action on its promises to tighten up the rules for the carriage of French energy cargoes, the government has bowed to the pressure of operators who do not appear to want French maritime shipping to be involved in any changes to the country’s energy transport — even strategic.’

22/10/2014 16:45

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME WELFARE A United Nations agency has been urged to do more to help merchant seafarers cope with the mental and physical risks arising from the growing refugee rescue crisis in the Mediterranean…

of witnessing dead bodies, the document notes. ‘In some of the most tragic circumstances, crew may only ﬁnd a few survivors among the corpses in the water.’ The ICS points out there are safety and security issues arising from the embarkation of large numbers of ‘desperate and anxious persons’ onto ships operated by as few as 20 crew. And it also warns of potential health risks for seafarers in the context of the current Ebola outbreak. Merchant ships do not always carry the equipment or facilities that other agencies possess, it adds. ‘The Italian coastguard sometimes wear hazmattype suits in contrast with ships’ crew that are not equipped with that type of personal protective equipment when embarking survivors.’

Amid warnings of a growing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has launched a major two-year global initiative to cut the number of lives being lost and to ensure that merchant seafarers are not penalised if they rescue those in distress at sea. The UNHCR programme has been welcomed by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) — which has urged the agency to tackle the ‘rarely addressed’ health, safety and security issues faced by seafarers responding to the growing number of refugee rescue requests. The UNHCR said it has launched the initiative in the face of increasingly urgent and complex challenges posed by the rising number of desperate refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people and migrants who ‘risk death by taking to the sea, often in dangerous and unseaworthy vessels, or as stowaways’. In the ﬁrst nine months of 2014, more than 165,000 refugees and migrants arrived by sea in the Mediterranean — compared with 60,000 last year — and UNHCR estimates that more than 3,000 have died or gone missing at sea in the same period. UNHCR last month reiterated its call for Europe to commit more resources for rescue at sea in the Mediterranean. ‘The collective response needs to maintain a strong capacity to rescue people at sea and increase safer ways for refugees to ﬁnd safety in Europe,’ it added. ‘If Europe fails in these efforts, many more lives will continue to be lost, and incidents such as the disasters off Lampedusa a year ago this week will become more common.’ As well as seeking to address the problems at source, UNHCR is aiming to strengthen search and rescue capacities and coordina-

“ Migrants onboard a navy ship before disembarking in the Sicilian harbour of Augusta in June this year. Italian navy patrol ships have rescued more than 3,500 migrants so far this year from boats coming from North Africa — the same amount as the whole of 2013 Picture: Antonio Parrinello / Reuters

Concerns raised over rescue ops tion, boost regional cooperation and reinforce international law governing SAR and ‘safe places’ for disembarkation. The agency notes the need to remove disincentives for rescue and stresses that it is essential that seafarers are not penalised for undertaking rescues. In its submission to UNHCR, the owners’ organisation says that the shipping industry is proud of its role in upholding the long-standing tradition of rescuing those in distress at sea. In the ﬁrst eight months of the year,

more than 430 ships responded to Italian coastguard requests to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean, it notes. But, the ICS cautions, the scale of the problem is now such that it is disrupting shipping operations — with some companies now changing their routes through the Mediterranean as a result. It claims merchant ships are being ‘used’ by people trafﬁckers who increasingly use small boats to dump migrants in the vicinity of vessels off the coast of Libya. Some owners have reported that

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their ships have been involved in up to 10 SAR operations this summer, it adds. While the industry fully accepts its humanitarian and legal obligations, the ICS points to the costs incurred in rescues — including extra bunkers, additional supplies, delays and increased P&I premiums. The ICS also urges the UN agency to ensure that the impact on seafarers is included within its work to overhaul current guidance. ‘Rescue operations should be understood and acknowledged

to involve a certain level of risk to the health, safety and security of crews and that they may become very traumatic experiences,’ its paper states. ‘While crews are eager to assist in SAR operations, many of the ships being asked to participate in SAR operations do not have adequate facilities required to accommodate over 200 people often hungry, dehydrated and in an extremely anxious situation,’ it points out. Seafarers may suffer ‘psychological consequences’ as a result

”

While the owners note that there have been few reports of problems with disembarking refugees in Italy in the past two years, they express concern that this could change if the numbers continue to escalate. The ICS document also quotes cases in which Libyan coastguard ofﬁcers have intimidated masters of ships rescuing refugees. In one case they threatened to arrest the master of one ship as they wanted to recover the boat the refugees had been using, and in another case they ordered the master to take his ship to Libya with the refugees it had rescued because there was a dispute between the coastguard and the trafﬁckers over payment. The owners stress the need for a regional memorandum of understanding on disembarkation procedures for people rescued at sea — ensuring that ships are allowed to promptly proceed to their planned destination once the delivery operation is over. ‘Agreement on such MOUs would go a long way to addressing the issues that shipping companies face today,’ the submission states.

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22/10/2014 16:46

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

ECDIS IMPLEMENTATION

Getting it right the first time There was a strong turnout at the ECDIS seminar run by UKHO in Manila

Nautilus has expressed concern over the slow progress being made by some sectors of the industry to meet the looming ECDIS deadlines. In this special report, ECDIS expert CAPTAIN PAUL HAILWOOD, who leads the UK Hydrographic Office global seminar programme, explains the work being done to help seafarers make the transition…

ECDIS has lot to offer the seafarer. Implemented properly, it can play an important role in supporting safe and efﬁcient navigation. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Ofﬁce (UKHO) is there to help with implementation, providing expert guidance to ship owners, ship operators and seafarers — not only to assist them in

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28-29_ecdis_SR edit.indd 28

complying with all regulatory requirements, but also to make sure they take advantage of the many benefits of digital navigation. Of course, as with any new technology, there are also risks. A navigation system that is incorrectly installed, supported by inadequate procedures or operated inefficiently can compromise safety. The consequences of getting it wrong and the costs of remedial action can be severe. When making the switch to ECDIS and then sailing on digital charts, the UKHO’s goal is to help shipping companies to get it right first time. The proportion of the merchant fleet which is subject to mandatory carriage of ECDIS is rapidly growing. The UKHO is helping to make the transition as smooth as possible, guiding owners and operators through the process of identifying the exact requirements, making the right choices and mitigating the risks involved in order to unlock the benefits of ECDIS. This is done through publications, online resources — including a wide array of YouTube videos — and ECDIS seminars. Since the launch of the UKHO’s ECDIS seminars in 2011, we have presented to over 2,600 delegates around the world, answering their ECDIS questions and providing the guidance that they need. The current ‘ECDIS Implementation, Policy and Procedures’ seminars are focusing on the challenges of incorporating ECDIS within bridge policies and procedures, as well as meeting the requirements of audits and inspections. The seminars continue to attract a wide variety of delegates from across the global shipping industry, including serving bridge officers, fleet superintendents, ship managers, P&I clubs, port state authorities, surveyors, class societies and other professionals, all looking to glean comprehensive guidance to aid the safe, compliant and efficient implementation of ECDIS. So far in 2014, we’ve taken our ECDIS seminar to Hong Kong, Greece, Norway, Korea, Japan and Germany, to name just a few of the 23 locations. For each seminar, delegates submit their questions and issues in advance, which allows us to tailor each discussion to their specific concerns of the audience of the day and ensuring a lively and relevant discussion on the issues they each face when implementing ECDIS. It is no surprise that pressure is growing on owners, operators and officers to ensure that they meet the regulatory requirements of ECDIS carriage, as a growing proportion of the global shipping fleet is either already required to fit ECDIS, or will be required to do so in the near future. The SOLAS regulations set out a rolling timetable for the mandatory carriage of ECDIS and this has begun to encompass existing ships for the first time, as well as new ships. From 1 July 2014 (or the first survey thereafter), ECDIS became mandatory for all existing passenger ships over 500gt. This will be extended in July 2015 to include all

tankers over 3,000gt. With approximately 9,000 ships affected by the 2015 deadline, this is a major step forward in the extent of ECDIS mandate across the global fleet. As such, it is no surprise that delegates at our seminars are increasingly focused on the detail of preparing for the deadline that is relevant to their ships and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations. In return, we are keen to stress the importance of early preparation and advance planning in order to ensure a safe, efficient transition to ECDIS. Earlier this year we took our ECDIS seminar to Manila in the Philippines, where we had a very large turn-out that included training providers, shipping companies, crewing organisations and serving seafarers. This seminar addressed many of the key issues around ECDIS raised at other seminars, but in Manila there was a particular interest in training, practical requirements and the needs of crew. The topics were wide-ranging, including the importance of ECDIS certification, the role of crewing agencies in demonstrating ECDIS training compliance, and the need for — and availability of — ECDIS familiarisation (sometimes called type-specific) training. Particularly in Manila, this related to the implications of the Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention for ECDIS training, and a general lack of clarity in ECDIS training requirements. The sheer breadth of the discussion emphasised the importance of forward planning, as these are all issues that those making the transition to ECDIS should be asking themselves sooner rather than later. Another popular topic of discussion concerned how to identify ECDIS training requirements on specific voyages, with captains and crew members keen to ask about how to prepare for port state control inspections in countries with differing approaches to the interpretation and enforcement of regulations, and what evidence is required to prove that crew members have the necessary ECDIS qualifications. As an example, one delegate raised an incident during a recent voyage when PSC inspectors asked for evidence of the qualifications of the crew. When they found themselves unable to demonstrate that they met the required standard, they were informed that they would either need to replace those crew members with individuals who did have the necessary certification, or remove the ECDIS from the ship before departing port. Clearly this had a significant impact on the planned voyage. This led to further questions from delegates about how to ensure compliance. For example, how do I make sure that my crew are trained to the required standard? How do I demonstrate this training to the authorities? What are the consequences if I cannot? It was important for us to emphasise that ECDIS familiarisation training is

22/10/2014 17:53

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

ECDIS IMPLEMENTATION

Seafarers have been learning to use ECDIS alongside traditional paper charts All pictures: UKHO

required on a ship fitted with ECDIS even if this is before the mandatory date. Generic training is required under ISM when ECDIS is fitted and a requirement by port and flag states when ECDIS is used for navigation. Confusion exists with the 2017 deadline for the Manila Amended STCW ECDIS Generic course, which does not relieve the shipping company of their responsibility for mandated ECDIS training before 2017. It is vital to plan for the delivery of this training as soon as possible to ensure there is enough time to complete the process.

When it comes to ensuring that crew on the bridge have the necessary skills, it is the responsibility of both the individual and the employer to make sure that crews are properly trained. Likewise, it is the responsibility of the individual to show all appropriate paperwork before commencing employment with a particular company. It is important to understand that this is about more than port state requirements. For example, inspectors involved in the SIRE (Ship Inspection Report) Programme, a safety initiative introduced by the oil industry, may ask about ECDIS policies and evidence of ECDIS compliance as part of their onboard inspections. Shipping companies must not only make sure that their ECDIS training meets the criteria of IMO’s Model Course 1.27 (as per Manila amendments) by 2017, they also need to ensure that the course is approved by the flag state where the course is conducted and the flag state(s) of the ships within their fleet. Their first step is to review

the ECDIS training certificates of their officers, establish their generic ECDIS training and familiarisation needs and identify an appropriate training provider. Above all, they need to start preparing early. Delegates were keen to have clarification on the actual implementation of ECDIS and the deadline dates required to do this, as well as the precise meaning of the SOLAS requirements for ECDIS ‘carriage’ and whether this requires ECDIS to be used for navigation, or just fitted onboard. To meet SOLAS carriage requirements for the use of ECDIS for navigation, the ship’s Safety Management System (SMS) must include procedures for the operational use of ECDIS. As well as the advice on offer at our seminars on how to incorporate ECDIS into bridge policies and procedures, we can also point them towards a valuable reference guide published by the UKHO. Along with a step-by-step guide to the nine stages in the ECDIS implementation process, the ‘Admiralty Guide to ECDIS Implementation, Policy and Procedures (NP232)’ provides an onboard reference to help shipping companies and crew to incorporate ECDIS into their bridge procedures, to comply with those amended policies and to prepare for audits and inspections. The challenges faced by shipping companies are considerable and their concerns are justified, but the simple reassurance that we can offer is that if the right procedures are put in place and the crew follows those procedures properly, they shouldn’t encounter any difficulties. For example, if a port state inspector comes onboard and asks a straightforward question about the Presenta-

tion Library, all they require is a straightforward answer, with supporting evidence. Once shipowners have begun the process of integrating ECDIS, one of the decisions they need to make is over their choice of chart service provider. The UKHO’s Admiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS) operates on all makes of ECDIS and offers

the most comprehensive global chart coverage, with more than 13,000 ENCs covering over 4,000 of the world’s biggest and busiest ports, including many with unique coverage. Of course, the future of navigation is digital, but it may not be ‘paperless’. Many ships continue to carry paper charts for navigation or back-up purposes, including those not covered by SOLAS. It is equally important that shipping companies satisfy themselves that their paper charts comply with all regulations, including SOLAS and PSC requirements. The latest PSC figures from the Paris MoU revealed an increase in the number of chart deficiencies being reported. It appears this is not down to any deliberate attempt to cut corners, but simply mistakes over what constitutes a SOLAS-compliant chart. Nevertheless, even an innocent mistake can be very costly if it leads to an identified deficiency during an inspection or audit, let alone the risk it poses to navigational safety. To help avoid this, all official Admiralty charts bear the ‘Flying A’ watermark and a ‘thumb label’ strip on the reverse with the Admiralty logo, certifying that they are official and produced as 100% compliant with SOLAS regulations. The UKHO is committed to supporting the safety of life at sea. First and foremost, it does this through the provision of world-leading Admiralty Nautical Products & Services that play a key role in supporting navigational safety. Indeed, Admiralty charts are known and trusted by seafarers all over the world. However, the UKHO is also committed to helping the shipping industry to make a successful transition to ECDIS. We want to support shipping companies in understanding how ECDIS can work for them and how to properly embed ECDIS within their bridge procedures, in order to maximise the considerable benefits of ECDIS as a tool for safer navigation. Our ECDIS seminars continue throughout the rest of 2014 and are free to attend. We don’t just want to answer the questions that delegates bring with them, but also to provide the answers to the questions that they didn’t know they needed to ask. So if you have a question about ECDIS, or aren’t sure what question you should be asking, we hope to see you soon. g Details of future ECDIS seminars can be found at www.admiralty.co.uk

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ECDIS regulations have already come into force for many vessel types

28-29_ecdis_SR edit.indd 29

22/10/2014 17:54

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

MARITIME COMMUNITY

Appeal from the heart Nautilus member Nigel ‘Smudger’ Smith is a loving father who would do anything for his disabled daughter Karina. But it’s complicated. Here he shares her story in the hope that Telegraph readers will get behind his latest fundraising effort…

This is the story of my daughter Karina (карина) born on May 14 2002, three months premature. Due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control her mother was not in a position to look after her, so she was adopted. Her new family have done a brilliant job since, but her adoption has negated her chance for dual citizenship, and she remains a Russian citizen. I didn’t know about her birth

Karina has always struggled to walk

until 14 months later, and this is when they found out that she had problems. I was invited over to see her because she may not have survived the winter with angina and pneumonia. I fell in love immediately — she weighed hardly more than a bag of ﬂour, or so it felt like. I have many photos of her slouched over or in pain but I would rather keep them to myself; I am showing what a wonderful child I’m fortunate to be the father of, who really has a do or die attitude. As she grew she needed more operations to work on her lower body; she couldn’t sit without support and could only pull herself along the ﬂoor on her arms and elbows. This is when I started calling her ‘моя русалочка’, my little mermaid. Over the next 10 years there came one corrective treatment after another, starting with an £800 frame brace that was so heavy, but she just took it in her stride and it became her ‘costume’. Then came the spinal surgery, inserting a disc in her spine to straighten it. This was £1500 and had a 50/50 chance of working if

“

Please help with my Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle ride. Sponsorship, accommodation, good company, anything!

Karina in her early years with her British father Smudger and Russian mother Olga

she survived the 50/50 chance of success of the operation. Then after each operation is the rehabilitation, which is normally a month and costs about £1,000 each time. She has had several of these along with exhaustive physiotherapy but still she smiles. Some of these operations cost up to £4,500 a time and were roughly about two every 14 months. These I coped with paying for by saving up and I just

made it, thanks to a matured savings policy, the sale of my Goldwing motorcycles, caravan and jeep, tax rebates from working abroad, a donation of £1000 from a fellow seaman (!) and a collection from a Christmas savings box in a café. All went directly to help my daughter, but sometimes her mother too, who had cancer two times and also needed treatment. If I had lost her I would have lost contact with my little girl also.

”

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

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

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

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

30_karina_SR edit.indd Sec2:30

Two years ago an opportunity arose whereby a surgeon was available to give Karina a chance at walking, involving three ops, one per month for three months. Two hips, two knees and two ankles all rebuilt. I asked my company for overtime to help cover these huge bills and managed to pay the lot. These were £1,500 each plus £1,000 for each one for rehabilitation/physiotherapy. She had just had the last operation paid for and I thought that would be it, I can rest for a bit, we sit and wait for her to get her strength up and she will soon walk, step by step. Then my heart attack came three days later. I sat at the edge of my bed waiting for the ambulance thinking, my son is standing, he is in a safe place, in no trouble with the law, and he is fit, my daughter is warm and loved, she is in a safe place, I have paid for the last of her operations, I have done everything I needed to do, I am free to go. Papworth Heart Hospital thought different and saved me; not yet old buddy, you’re still needed, and that is so. I was laid off and started looking for new work. I found some but it didn’t pay so well. A few months ago one of Karina’s legs gave way, the other couldn’t take the weight and she tumbled, damaging the original bone. She has once again had two new knees fitted but one leg is shorter than the other. Karina has a chance of having this rectified through pioneering surgery, but this operation is going to cost $30,000 (around £19,000). It is a very painful and long operation, and they say some people cannot cope with the physiotherapy. This is a little girl of 12. She hasn’t hurt anyone, and it is not her fault that this has happened to her, or that she doesn’t fit in the pigeonholes that could have given her free medical care. I am asking for anybody’s help to raise funds to see my

little girl walk. I myself am going to attempt the Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle ride to raise funds, and that is why I am asking for your help to arrange any fundraising, sponsorship, or accommodation for this 1,000 mile trek — or even to cycle alongside for company. Anything we raise will go to Karina’s operation, and if we get higher then it will go to Papworth. I would also like to see her; I haven’t seen her for eight years. How could I justify the price of ﬂights compared to what she needed? She is now becoming a lovely, beautiful young lady and I would like your help in making her wish come true. We had come so close, but now the goalposts have moved so far away and I can no longer do this on my own. I have some friends doing pub fundraising, some people auctioning stuff on eBay and donating the proceeds, but anything that anybody can do to help will be so very much appreciated, even if it’s just passing the information on. g Thank you for reading Karina’s story. Any further questions can be addressed to me at Smudgerthesailor@yahoo.co.uk The fund if you would like to donate is www.GoFundMe.com/ dc2h1g

Karina has bravely endured many rounds of painful physiotherapy

22/10/2014 18:34

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

LIFE AT SEA

Wives welcome: with sewing kits... A cartoon which appeared in the Marine Society magazine in the 1970s

It seemed like a revolution when, in the 1950s, tanker companies first started allowing masters, and then senior officers, to take wives to sea. They saw it as a way to keep their skilled staff, as one of the reasons men left the sea was the stress and loneliness caused by being apart for long stretches. But it was not a trouble-free transition. Opponents expressed old concerns put by 19th century Admiralty men and whaler owners: would a wife be a distraction or a solace, ‘an anodyne?’ Did her value as the master’s stress-buster outweigh the price of her victuals? The anxiety omitted the reality, that wives could also be competent second mates, particularly on coastal cargo ships under sail. Famously, some, such as Ada Patten, took charge in a crisis and successfully commanded the ships, using skills they’d picked up by assisting their husbands. But companies such as Mobil, Shell and BP went ahead, and deepsea container firms followed suit. Some also allowed children to sail, usually if they were over the age of 12. Passengership owners were against wives, except for short holidays and if married to the master. By the 1960s job adverts began appearing, featuring wives lounging by the pool enjoying the ‘cruise.’ ‘Join our company and give her a year-round holiday’ was the message. Travel allowances began to be offered as a way to subsidise wives joining the ship in foreign ports. Die-hard salts thought it was the end of life as we know it. A woman in that men-only space! Unthinkable. They’d spoil everything. Swearing would be verboten. Slouching about

comfortably in only a towel would end. Nagging could no longer be avoided. Ratings grumbled about privileged officers. Rampant adultery was predicted. But by the 1970s both the officers’ and ratings’ unions were arguing for more wives at sea, not fewer. The 1970 Rochdale Report found 50% of ratings wanted wives onboard at any time, not just for one-off voyages. But how to make space for them? Newer ships made beds one-and-a-half width. Masters with bigger cabin space got carpenters to bracket on extensions. But wives complained that the wardrobes were not big enough. In-house magazine stories started appearing from women who’d embarked on this remarkable feat. Mostly the articles offered advice on how to do it. An un-named tanker master’s wife told a national daily: ‘Never walk round in a bikini and distract the crew while they are trying to clean the decks. Never try to run the ship.’ Mrs S. Selby insisted ‘the first thing you have to remember is that… you are entering very much into a MAN’S WORLD. Your husband is there first and foremost to work and not to entertain or worry about his wife. So girls, forget about anyone coming round in a red coat; we are very much on our own. ‘You aren’t using the same energy as your husband who is doing a hard day’s work so sleep can also be a problem. It’s not advisable to “turn in” with your husband when he does, no matter how tempting this may seem, try to sleep normal hours…’ A Shell tanker wife advised first-timers about etiquette —

A recruitment advert which appeared in the Telegraph highlighting BibbyLine’s policy of offering cheap rates for seafarers’ familes to travel

31_wives.indd 31

The ‘swinging 60s’ were a time of great social change — and for the Merchant Navy this meant the growing presence of wives at sea. JO STANLEY looks back to those days and the chequered experiences of seagoing spouses… presence. One recalled ‘We used to call an ugly gal a two-bagger, one to wear yourself in case the bag [you put over her head so you couldn’t see what she looked like] broke. Some wives were so ugly they were three-baggers.’

Above and bottom right: How previous editions of the Telegraph have handled the subject of wives at sea...

Wives can b an attribute be to the ship. to Th keep up They m morale and th tone the o life. of

“

”

A 1975 British film which follows a man’s search for a woman he met when their ship was torpedoed

Captain C a George Mortimer M of Stag Line

and power: being a guest means that you don’t have any say whatever in the organisation of life onboard, she suggested. ‘If you have any complaints you have to tell your husband who will tell his senior ofﬁcer, but a wife can’t start throwing her weight around.’ And be warned, she added: ‘Life seems strange when the only magazine around is not your usual Woman’s Own, but a two-year-old Playboy.’ So what should a prudent wife pack, apart from Woman’s Owns, as ripostes? Various old hands issued advice that showed how poorly equipped ships were: plenty of spare coat hangers, your favourite toothpaste, knitting and board games. Mrs Selby took ‘my own steam iron, which saves a lot of frustration’ in

the laundry. And to avoid boredom they sought useful jobs. Kathleen Cole carted her sewing machine onboard the Mobil Pegasus. A wife could get instant popularity by doing all the ship’s mending, and even making new curtains. Sewing was a major feature of voyages. Carole Critchley looked after the medical supplies and learned how to give injections, which was useful in malaria cases. Some spouses updated charts. Wives were particularly valued for the way their organised parties and jaunts ashore. The late 1960s was a time when couples were just starting to live together out of wedlock, and moral disapproval continued for this ‘wrong sort’. But in 1973 the forerunner of Nautilus

International, the MNAOA, voted at conference to allow common law wives to sail. The Newcastle Evening Chronicle investigated responses to this permissive step. In a vox pop of people in the maritime industry, it found the belief that if you weren’t properly married in church you must be promiscuous — a problem in a small community aﬂoat. Captain George Mortimer of Stag Line contended that ‘wives can be an attribute to the ship. They keep up morale and the tone of life’. But ‘the other type of woman’ could cause disruption. They ‘could be passed round too easily and could cause a lot of bother as the men vie for her favours… It would amount a ship’s brothel.’ Most of the stories about wives and partners on ships, even today on websites like Ship’s Nostalgia, focus on sexuality, not all the other aspects of women’s

People did indeed have extra-marital affairs. There were jokes along the lines of ‘she comes aboard as one man’s wife and gets off as his best mate’s new girlfriend.’ Annmarie Watson found a wife in the next cabin ‘was having an affair with a Chinese crewman, and was sent home under a cloud. Nothing happened to the crewman except that the rest called him “lover boy”. But this tended to give women at sea a bad name for a time’. This tarring with the same brush is still common, and worse in tight communities like ships. What one woman does exceptionally is taken to be symptomatic of all women at all times on ship, as can be seen by the recent fuss over Commander Sarah West in the Royal Navy. Masters dealt with affairs by ordering the woman off (perhaps especially if the master himself was involved!) It was habitual practice — she was expendable, unlike crew. For the last 50 years stewardesses had been dismissed or moved to other ships if they had affairs. Their male partners stayed put. But it’s the scandal that makes headlines. Most of the time women partners at sea were quietly acknowledged as an asset, just as women seafarers sailing in their own right are today. They humanised the ship and changed voyages from being endurance feats to a pleasure for all

Seven deadly things for seagoing wives z boredom and loneliness z disappointment at the ports visited — too briefly, too far from centres z lack of facilities z other men’s sexual interest in them z any existing marital difficulties worsened at sea, were visible to peers z other wives ‘wearing shadow stripes’ being snobby z having to be careful to behave correctly all the time, so he keeps his job

22/10/2014 17:54

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

OFFWATCH ships of the past by Trevor Boult the Royal Navy created F mystery Q-ships as a way of

During the First World War

tackling German U-boats. A wide range of vessel types were secretly modified to carry concealed weaponry capable of engaging with surfaced submarines. These vessels masqueraded as non-combatant targets which invited ‘easy pickings’ attacks by U-boats. Amongst their number were traditional sailing ships, including the schooner Cymric. Cymric was an iron-hulled barquentine built in 1893 by William Thomas in the North Wales port of Almwch, on Anglesey. After 10 years of service in the South American trade, sailing from Runcorn to Gibraltar and on to the Rio Grande, she joined the Irish Arklow fleet. Converted to a schooner, she then engaged mainly in the Spanish wine trade. Cymric was one of three Arklow schooners requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as Q-ships. She was fitted with a 4-inch gun and two 12-pounders. Twin-screw propulsion was also installed. In October 1918, whilst on North Sea patrol out of her base of Blyth in NE England, she spotted, off the village of Beadnell, what was considered to be an enemy submarine — U6. Cymric opened fire and succeeded in sinking the vessel. Tragically, it had actually been the British submarine J6. Built by HM Dockyard in Devonport, J6 had been commissioned in 1916. One of a new class of seven designed with the speed and endurance to operate in concert with the Grand Fleet, J6 was the only one to be destroyed in the war. Witnesses at the subsequent court of inquiry into the sinking

Triple tragedy in schooner’s life

stated that something had been hanging over the letter ‘J’ on the submarine’s conning tower, making it like a ‘U’. The signalman attempting to hoist a recognition code was killed during the shelling. In the damage that ensued from this ‘friendly ﬁre’, accounts suggest that the submarine became uncontrollable. Because it continued to move, Cymric was convinced it was a U-boat intent on escaping towards a nearby fog bank, and continued to bombard the target. By the time the crew realised their mistake, J6 was sinking. To keep the submarine aﬂoat for as long as possible to aid evacuation of those mustered,

hatches were sealed. In the court transcripts it is quoted that the fate of the engineroom staff was sealed once the hatches had been closed. Many of her crew lost their lives, but 15 survived to be picked up by Cymric. The captain was absolved of blame. The incident was classiﬁed and relatives were simply informed that there had been a collision. An order under the Ofﬁcial Secrets Act prohibited mention of the incident until 1969. As such, it would be decades before relatives of the dead learned the truth. After the war Cymric resumed trading. It is reported that the schooner witnessed a

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book On the Rocks by Anton Rijsdijk (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.

tragedy that would change the way lighthouses and lightvessels were administered in Ireland. Directly controlled by Trinity House, a lightvessel had been removed from the Arklow Bank station. In 1931 a vessel foundered on the bank, with the loss of all hands. The Cymric made the discovery which became a political issue. In 1935, an Order was made which became the legislative basis for the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Cymric survived into WW2. Sailing as a neutral, she played her role in keeping Ireland supplied. In 1944 she vanished without trace with the loss of 11 lives, having left Ardrossan in Scotland with a cargo of coal for Lisbon. The wreck of J6 was discovered in 2011, when local divers located it off the fishing port of Seahouses. They had expected to find the wreck of a merchantman, not a very large submarine. A telegraph was spotted on the top of the conning tower: ‘It had English writing on, which was the first major surprise because we didn’t know of any English submarines that were unaccounted for off our coast.’ It soon became clear that the divers had found a grave. Philip Tachon was a 22-yearold stoker who had perished on J6, and his grand-daughter had eventually been allowed access to the official documents. Hearing that J6 had been located, she contacted the divers, who offered to return and map the wreck and to lay a memorial wreath. They carried out this touching tribute in 2011. When Dublin’s docklands were redeveloped, a new residential street was named Cymric Road. On the third Sunday of every November, those who lost their lives on neutral Irish ships, including Cymric, are remembered.

A pilot course for senior officers on the subject of human relations has been held in London, Liverpool and Glasgow — the first in a series to introduce senior officers to a topic that is playing an increasingly important part in management training ashore. Feedback from those who have attended is enthusiastic and supports the MNAOA’s contention that officers would welcome the introduction of such training. We are investigating with shipowners the possibility of giving younger officers and cadets an introduction to the subject of personnel relations. The course for senior officers seeks to establish if their attitude and approach to handling people can be improved and it is thought that younger officers would benefit more from lectures on the principles of communications and leadership MN Journal, November 1964

25 YEARS AGO Plans to create a ‘Euro’ ship register met with a lukewarm reception at a meeting of European Community transport ministers last month. Only three of 12 member states represented at the talks showed support for the proposals, which were tabled in the European Commission’s latest maritime policy programme. UK transport minister Cecil Parkinson urged the Commission to act instead on cabotage protection and to prevent countries from reserving their coastal trades for their own fleets. The ministers did agree other elements of the package which seek to reverse the decline in the European shipping fleet, including measures to strengthen port state control, harmonise technical standards and to enable easier transfers of ships between EU registers The Telegraph, November 1989

10 YEARS AGO NUMAST has begun negotiations over P&O’s far-reaching proposals for cuts in jobs, ships, services and working conditions. The Union is involved in an intensive 90-day consultation on plans for radical changes in services running from Dover, Portsmouth and Hull. The package tabled by the company includes the loss of up to 1,200 seafaring and shore-based jobs, cutting the number of ferries from 31 to 23, closing four of 13 routes, introducing sweeping changes to working practices. The Union has criticised the company’s lack of strategic direction and has raised particular concerns over suggestions that it may ‘outsource’ operational activities to third party ship management. The company says its ferry business ran up losses of £40m last year and the cuts will provide around £55m in annual savings The Telegraph, November 2004

THEQUIZ

Approximately how many LNGfuelled ships have been ordered around the world in the past 18 months?

How many ultra-large containerships are due to be delivered next year?

In which country is the tanker owner and operator Euronav based?

Roughly how many VLCCs are there on order around the world at present?

What is the total annual revenue earned by Egypt from Suez Canal shipping tolls?

Which shipyard is presently the world’s biggest builder of cruiseships?

J Quiz answers are on page 46.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 07 November 2014.

QUICK CLUES 1. 6. 9. 10. 12. 15. 17. 18. 19. 20. 24. 25. 26. 27.

Across Rifle (10) Part of church (4) Medication (10) Pen (4) Edginess (12) Snowfall (9) Eastwood (5) Lucky people (5) Greek capital (9) Mediation (12) Eve’s man (4) Dog (10) Any time (4) Deal (10)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8. 11.

Down Ancient dye (4) Fleas (4) Sewing kit (12) Japanese door (5) Queens of England (9) Honoured (10) Natural environments (10) Unhappy (12)

13. 14. 16. 21. 22. 23.

Help (10) Judge (10) Minder (9) Twitter (5) Conifer (4) Tied (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

6. 9. 10.

32_offwatch.indd 32

50 YEARS AGO

12. 15. 17. 18.

Across Add hundred to jumbled clues, fuss about and it’s accomplished (10) Run away with part of rifle entirely concealed (4) The player took records and people listened (10) Fever from the number of years one’s lived around Ugandan capital (4) Trouble with end broken off toilet pipe (6-6) Lions coil for violent clash (9) Finish the rosé and return powder, to great effect (5) A once tumultuous stretch of water (5)

19. Pinch rest anyway, for the muscles (9) 20. Very close to the barber’s — within a whisker (12) 24. Live next to The Crown, it’s available in bottles or draft (4) 25. Finish with listener and heard intended words of love (10) 26. Therefore after a learner as well (4) 27. Good on the land but could damage filter, sire (10)

1. 2. 3. 4.

Down Small drinks, seen here as units with brief addition (4) It’s a bloody coagulation you idiot (4) To speak proper, close tuition may be required (12) Second, Hamlet’s initial problem was in the undergrowth (5) United parliamentarian extremely tough about age

8. 11. 13. 14.

16. 21. 22.

23.

of youth, for who knows what time (9) Somewhat glibly, I tie together as a requirement for readers (10) Basic education for Watson (10) True pulsar, an out of this world conjecture (12) What’s left of Athenian citadel and fear of being up there (10) Skins turned up on one monster’s Loch, but fatigue sets in (10) Runs a nice scam in loss protection (9) Skilled at shrinking a department (5) ‘May to one great purpose make itself / A --- of clearness’ (Edgar Lee Masters) (4) A heavenly role on stage or screen (4)

J Crossword answers are on page 46.

22/10/2014 17:55

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

books

OFFWATCH

Century of history shows RN and MN intertwined The Royal Navy: A History Since 1900 By Duncan Redford and Philip D. Grove I.B. Tauris, £25 ISBN: 978 17807 67826 jointly produced with the National Museum K of the Royal Navy, telling the story of the ‘senior This book forms part of a 14-volume series

service’ from the 1660s to the present day. Each written by experts in their ﬁeld, the component titles are divided not only on a chronological basis but also with a focus on particular issues, such as naval aviation, women at sea, the submarine, and the Navy’s role in key conﬂicts. As such, the books can be read as a complete series or as individual titles, and this one (Since 1900) perhaps offers the most to readers with a merchant shipping background, as it contains much of contemporary and commercial maritime relevance. It opens by underlining the stunning scale of British sea power at the turn of the 20th century,

New edition of ballast book gets us ready for ratification Ballast Water Management By Captain Nadeem Anwar Witherby Seamanship International, £125 ISBN: 978 18560 96614 fwww.witherbyseamanship.com shipping industry takes the K blame for unfairly, but when it comes There are things that the

to invasive species, we really need to step up and admit we’re causing a problem. Every day, vast amounts of untreated ballast water are released from ships around the world, containing micro-organisms that are now so far from home that they have no natural predators in their new locations. The sudden introduction of these plants, animals, bacteria and viruses into a new ecosystem can have devastating effects. In one place we might see a rapidlyexpanding colony of invasive mussels blocking a local community’s waterfiltration system, and in another a new pathogen might even cause an epidemic. We can do something about this, as the new 5th edition of Ballast Water Management explains. Subtitled Understanding the regulations and the treatment technologies available, the book

33_books_SR edit.indd 33

highlighted not just by the reach of the empire but also technological innovation such as the steampowered launch Turbina. The close links between the MN and the RN are also emphasised, not least in the way that Britain’s global trading network and huge merchant shipping industry — amounting to half the world ﬂeet at the close of the 19th century — shaped strategic thinking. It’s fascinating to see the parallels with today, however, and the way in which defence spending cuts were as pressing an issue then as they are today. It’s also interesting to read of the shifts in defence policy in the early 1900s, with the convoy system out of favour and a move to subsidise fast Cunard liners that could be converted into armed merchant cruisers in the event of war. While the First World War demonstrated some of the shortcomings in these policies, austeritydrives of the 1920s and 30s saw huge reductions in the size of the RN ﬂeet. Given this situation, the authors commend the way in which the RN played such ‘an immensely important role’ across all the theatres of war between 1939 and 1945.

identifies the key invasive species and explores all the methods of stopping them from reaching the places where they’re not welcome. Better than nothing, the author points out, is the practice of ballast water exchange, in which coastal ballast water is discharged midocean — in the hope that the hostile conditions will kill the microorganisms — and replaced with relatively sterile ocean water. But we can get superior results with modern shipboard treatment systems, and Ballast Water Management is certainly the textbook to read if you want to understand how these work. It also explains what our legal obligations are, noting that some areas — such as the Great Lakes of the USA and Canada — have strict local laws to tackle their longstanding problems with invasive species. And so we come to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, adopted by the International Maritime Organisation in 2004 and now finally nearing ratification. Following repeated nudges by IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu over the last couple of years, more states have come onboard, and it now won’t take many additional signatories for the convention to enter into force worldwide. What will it mean for you?

The book traces a subsequent series of reviews and cuts which chequered the post-WW2 period, arguing that — with echoes of the MN — the Royal Navy’s role has not been properly recognised by society at a time of immense social and technological change, and that it struggled against the RAF and the Army in the political lobbying for resources, despite the lessons offered by conﬂicts such as the Falklands. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary makes an increasing number of appearances as the book goes on, with Gulf wars demonstrating the critical importance of logistics in maritime strategy. The book also shows how the RFA has taken a growing presence in frontline operations and missions to tackle piracy and smuggling. Looking ahead, the authors conclude w as it that the need for a strong RN is as great now was 100 years ago. ‘Global trade is seaborne, British

Captain Nadeem Anwar knows. If you didn’t get a copy of Ballast Water Management in its previous editions, now is certainly the time to find the £125 and start reading, because the days of addressing this problem with a collective shrug will soon be over.

Decent liner history can’t decide what to call itself British India Steam Navigation Co Liners of the 1950s and 1960s By William H. Miller Amberley, £19.99 ISBN: 978 14456 35910 fwww.amberley-books.com a book could do with a better K title? That feeling seems to have

Do you ever get a feeling that

come over someone at Amberley Publishing recently, but only at the eleventh hour. ‘This book just can’t be called British India Post-War Passenger Ships any more,’ came the anguished cry. ‘I don’t care that it’s all been laid out and we’ve already printed the inner pages with that title. The cover absolutely must say British India Steam Navigation Co Liners of the 1950s and 1960s!’

trade is seaborne seaborne, Britain’s trade is global,’ they stress.

has that odd mismatch of titles, but perhaps this will be resolved for future editions.

So it came to be that the reader opens a book with one title on the cover, only to find a different title on the first page. And at the top of many other pages. Disconcerting, for sure, but let’s try and put that to one side and focus on the contents. Whatever its name is, this book is one of those pleasant tributes to the heyday of liners — a time before mass air travel which is remembered as leisurely and glamorous. There are 27 vessels featured, with some given their own chapter and others grouped together, and there are some well-known names to be spotted, such as the Kenya, Uganda and Nevasa. The vessel histories are a good read — not too long, and with some nice recollections from crew members. And there’s plenty of space for attractive illustrations, which include photos (colour and black-and-white), paintings, maps and advertisements from the period. Well-presented on glossy paper, and enjoyable in so many ways, it is doubly strange that the book

A welcome update to the story of UK cruise travel Oriana & Aurora: Taking UK cruising into a new millennium By Sharon Poole & Andrew Sassoli-Walker Amberley Publishing, £19.99 ISBN: 978 14456 04428 fwww.amberley-books.com coffee table collection which K highlights that the UK cruising Finally a book to add to the

industry did not die out in the 1960s but is alive and flourishing today. This latest work from maritime publisher Amberley covers P&O Cruises’ Oriana and Aurora and is very much in the style of their previous books from the ‘golden age of cruising’ — with the added benefit that all the photographs are in colour. The Oriana in 1995 and Aurora in 2000 were the first new ships commissioned for the UK cruise market in over 30 years, and were

The strange beauty of the rusting hulk On the Rocks By Anton Rijsdijk Yellow & Finch Publishers, €24.95 ISBN: 978 90821 36715 finfo@ynfpublishers.com

For many people a rusting shipwreck on a beautiful tropical beach would be something of an environmental eyesore. But not Anton Rijsdijk — for him, such stranded vessels are a thing of beauty and a perfect subject for photography. His interest in shipwrecks began 30 years ago, when he lived in Yemen and noticed some abandoned ships near Aden. This nicely produced book features almost 80 of the wrecks he has spotted around the world since then

and, as the preface notes notes, paints a and ‘bitter-sweet picture’ of its subjects. Mr Rijsdijk ranges the

globe in his quest for photogenic hulks and says he is especially interested in finding wrecks in

remote locations, with many of the rusting vessels he has captured contrasting starkly with their surroundings. The ships vary significantly in size, type and date of sinking — many the victims of groundings, some abandoned, and some deliberately scuttled — and they also differ hugely in the extent of their decay. A handy index fleshes out the background to each picture with details including ship name, type, wreck location, year of picture and whether it is still visible. The photographs are undoubtedly arresting and well composed — but while a picture may tell a thousand words, the reader is left with a real sense of the untold stories lying behind each of these images.

the last built for P&O before the cruise division became part of US powerhouse Carnival Corporation. The book opens with a foreword from Commodore Ian Gibb (Rtd) who oversaw the build of Oriana and was her first captain. He praises the quality of the build and the high-tech bridge which helped to make her an instant success. ‘It goes without saying,’ he says, ‘that had Oriana not been an instant and unqualified success, there wouldn’t have been an Aurora or a subsequent fleet of fine new liners.’ There is more text than one normally finds in books of this type, with sections on the history of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company; the newbuild Projects Gemini and Capricorn; and both ships’ maiden voyages. There are photographs throughout, and they are all of a very professional nature. As well as marketing shots of the interior and exterior of both ships, there are behind-the-scenes images of the build and operation of the vessels and snaps of people enjoying their holidays onboard. It does focus slightly more on the Oriana than the Aurora, but is a nice collection of images and history to mark a new golden era of cruising.

BOOK SAVINGS

Telegraph readers can buy the books reviewed on these pages at a whopping 25% discount on publisher’s price through the Marine Society’s online shop. g To qualify for this offer, readers need to make their purchase at www.marinesocietyshop.org. Click on the ‘Books of the month’ button with the Nautilus logo to see the books featured in the Telegraph, and use the promotional code Nautilus when buying your book.

22/10/2014 16:46

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS

Your last chance to stand for Council… The deadline is nearing for submitting forms for the elections to the Union’s governing body — don’t miss out!

FOR CANDIDATES

Nautilus International is a member-led organisation with an elected governing body, the Council. It’s vital that the Council includes people with a broad range of backgrounds, opinions and expertise, so its meetings are organised with the members’ work commitments in mind. As a Council member, you will be asked to attend meetings four times a year at an easily-accessible location, and you can also volunteer to take part in specialist policy and governance work in areas of interest to you.

other full paid-up members in your branch to add their names, addresses, membership numbers, signature and date of signing in the appropriate space, to reach head office by 1700 hrs on Monday 24 November 2014. If you can’t personally get the signatures of your supporters (they may sail on different ships, for instance), fill in the top half of Form A yourself and send it to head office. Ask your supporters to fill in Form B and send it in separately — both forms must reach head office by 1700 on Monday 24 November 2014. As well as appearing on these pages, the nomination forms were sent to all eligible full members by the deadline of 19 September 2014. A postal ballot will follow between January and April 2015 for full Nautilus members to choose between the nominees.

The Council is made up of serving maritime and inland waterways professionals, each elected to serve a four-year term. 23 of the 32 places are for members of the UK branch, eight places are for members of the Netherlands branch, and one is for a member of the Switzerland branch. Elections are held on a rolling basis, with about half the places coming up for election each time. The table opposite shows the overall number of seats and the vacancies for election in 2015, plus the split between NL, UK and CH. Candidates must be full, paidup Nautilus members (which includes officer trainees).

To stand, first check there is a vacancy in your category. Then fill in the top half of Form A and get four

Nautilus International is een ledenorganisatie met een gekozen bestuursorgaan, de Council. Het is van groot belang dat de Council bestaat uit mensen met een verschillende achtergrond, diverse meningen en deskundigheid. De structuur van de Council en de frequentie van de vergaderingen zijn zodanig opgezet dat er rekening kan worden gehouden met de werkverplichtingen van de leden. Als Council-lid wordt

van u gevraagd om vier keer per jaar een vergadering (op een goed te bereiken locatie) bij te wonen en u kunt als vrijwilliger deelnemen in gespecialiseerd beleids — en bestuurswerk op gebieden die u interesseren.

De Council bestaat uit actieve leden net als u, die elk voor een termijn van vier jaar zijn verkozen. 23 van de 32 zetels zijn voor leden van de Britse tak, acht zetels voor leden van de Nederlandse tak en 1 zetel voor leden van de Zwitserse tak. De verkiezingen zijn gefaseerd. Dit betekent gewoonlijk dat elk jaar ongeveer de helft van de zetels in de Council verkiesbaar is. In de tabel ziet u het aantal zetels en ook de vacatures die in 2015 verkiesbaar zijn. In de tabel ziet u ook de verdeling tussen NL, het VK en CH. Reguliere leden (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International ), inclusief officieren in opleiding in categorieën met vacatures kunnen zich kandidaat stellen.

Controleer eerst of er een vacature in uw categorie is. Vul daarna de bovenste helft van Formulier A in en stuur dit met de op de hiervoor bestemde plek ingevulde namen, adressen, lidmaatschapsnummers, handtekeningen en ondertekeningsdatums van vier

nomination form A

FOR SUPPORTERS

nomination form B

VOOR KANDIDATEN

This form MUST be completed by the candidate and in addition may be used by one or more supporters. It MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 24 November 2014, to: Nautilus International 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

This form can be completed by one or more supporters. More than one form can be used. The candidate MUST, in addition, complete, sign and return a Form A. Forms MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 24 November 2014, to: Nautilus International 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

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Dit formulier MOET worden ingevuld door de kandidaat en mag eventueel worden gebruikt door één of meer steunbetuigers. Retourneer het ingevulde formulier UITERLIJK op maandag 24 november 2014 om 17.00 uur t.a.v.: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD, VK. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

Electoral Category

Name

Mem No

Address

nominatieformulier A

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE KANDIDAAT

Name of Candidate I wish to support

Kiescategorie

Candidate’s Address

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

I wish to stand for election in the 2015 Council elections. I declare that I am a full member of Nautilus International in the above mentioned category and am in conformity with the rules of the Union. Signature

Date

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member. 1. Name Address

Mem No

Candidate’s Mem No

1. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member.

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Name

Rang

Bedrijf

Mem No

Address

Ik stel mij verkiesbaar voor de Councilverkiezingen 2015. Ik verklaar bij deze dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ volgens statuten Nautilus International) van Nautilus International in de bovenstaande categorie ben en aan de regels van de Union voldoe.

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

2. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member.

Name

Mem No

Address Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

2. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

3. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

4. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

3. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member.

Name

Nautilus Council Elections 2015

34-35_elections.indd 34

Datum

IN TE VULLEN DOOR STEUNBETUIGERS Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ volgens statuten Nautilus International) ben. 1. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

2. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

3. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

4. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

4. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member.

Name

Handtekening

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Nautilus Council Elections 2015

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2015

22/10/2014 16:47

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS andere reguliere leden in uw branche naar het hoofdkantoor, waar het uiterlijk op maandag 24 november 2014 om 17.00 uur ontvangen moet zijn. Vul als u de handtekeningen van uw steunbetuigers niet persoonlijk bijeen kunt krijgen (omdat zij bijvoorbeeld op verschillende schepen werkzaam zijn) de bovenste helft van Formulier A zelf in en stuur het naar het hoofdkantoor. Vraag uw steunbetuigers Formulier B in te vullen en het apart te verzenden — beide formulieren moeten op maandag 24 november 2014 om 17.00 uur op het hoofdkantoor ontvangen zijn. De nominatieformulieren die u hier op deze pagina’s vindt zijn tevens per gewone post aan alle reguliere leden verzonden vóór de deadline van 19 september 2014.

Nautilus International ist eine mitgliederorientierte Gewerkschaft mit einer gewählten Führung, dem Rat. Es ist entscheidend, dass der Rat sich aus Personen zusammensetzt, die eine grosse Bandbreite von Hintergründen, Meinungen und Kompetenz repräsentieren. Dadurch soll sichergestellt werden, dass die Ratssitzungen im Hinblick auf die Belange der

Mitglieder ausgerichtet sind. Als ein Ratsmitglied wird von dir erwartet, viermal pro Jahr zu den Ratssitzungen zu kommen. Darüber hinaus kannst du freiwillig in bestimmten Bereichen deines Interesses die Gewerkschaftspolitik und -führung mitgestalten.

Der Rat besteht aus Berufstätigen der See- und Binnenschifffahrt und jedes Mitglied wird normalerweise für eine Amtsperiode von 4 Jahren gewählt. 23 der 32 Sitze sind Mitgliedern der britischen Sektion zugeteilt, acht Sitze werden von Mitgliedern der niederländischen Sektion besetzt und 1 Sitz ist für ein Mitglied der Schweizer Sektion. Wahlen finden kontinuierlich statt, was normalerweise bedeutet, dass jedes Jahr etwa die Hälfte der Sitze im Rat zur Wahl stehen. Die Tabelle gibt einen Überblick über die Anzahl der Sitze sowie über die freien Sitze, die 2015 zur Wahl stehen. Die Tabelle zeigt auch die Aufteilung zwischen den Niederlanden, Grossbritannien und der Schweiz. Vollmitglieder (einschliesslich Offiziere in Ausbildung) der Kategorien, in denen es freie Sitze gibt (siehe Kästchen oben), sind berechtigt, sich zur Wahl aufstellen zu lassen.

VOOR STEUNBETUIGERS

Überprüfe zuerst, dass es in deiner Kategorie einen freien Sitz gibt. Fülle dann den oberen Teil des Formular A aus und lass vier weitere Vollmitglieder deiner Sektion ihren Namen, ihre Adresse, Mitgliedsnummer, Unterschrift und das Datum in den vorgesehenen Spalten eintragen und schicke dann alles bis spätestens 24. November 2014, 17.00 Uhr, an den Hauptsitz. Wenn du die Unterschriften deiner Unterstützer nicht persönlich einholen kannst (weil sie zum Beispiel auf einem anderen Schiff arbeiten), dann fülle den oberen Teil des Formular A aus und schicke es an den Hauptsitz. Bitte deine Unterstützer dann Formular B auszufüllen und uns dieses separat zu schicken — beide Formulare müssen bis spätestens 24. November 2014, 17.00 Uhr, an den Hauptsitz geschickt werden. Zusätzlich zu der Veröffentlichung an dieser Stelle sind werden allen berechtigten Vollmitgliedern die Nominierungsformulare für die Wahlen des Rats der Gewerkschaft rechtzeitig bis zum 19. September 2014 zugeschickt worden. Zwischen Januar und April 2015 werden dann allen Nautilus Mitgliedern per Post die Wahllisten zugesendet, auf denen dann die Nominierten auswählt werden können.

nominatieformulier B

FÜR KANDIDATINNEN & KANDIDATEN nominierungsformular A

Dit formulier kan door één of meerdere steunbetuigers worden ingevuld. Er kunnen meerdere formulieren worden gebruikt. Daarbij MOET de kandidaat een Formulier A invullen, ondertekenen en retourneren. Retourneer het ingevulde formulier UITERLIJK op maandag 24 november 2014 om 17.00 uur t.a.v.: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD, VK. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dieses Formular MUSS vom Kandidaten oder der Kandidatin ausgefüllt werden und kann darüber hinaus von einem oder mehreren unterstützenden Mitglieder verwendet werden. EINGABESCHLUSS: Montag, 24. November 2014, 17.00 Uhr, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London GB-E18 1BD, Grossbritannien. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE STEUNBETUIGERS

VOM KANDIDATEN bzw DER KANDIDATIN AUSZUFÜLLEN

Kiescategorie

Wahlkategorie

2015 Elections

Total UK Seats

NL Seats

CH Seats

Total No. 2015 Total No. 2015 Total No. 2015 of seats Vacancies of seats Vacancies of seats Vacancies

Category

including 1 by-election for 2 year period

including 1 Maritime officer

1. Navigators, inc. Shipmasters

2. Engineers inc. ETOs/Elec/RO

3. Ratings

4. Inland Navigation

5. Other Particular Categories inc. Hotel Services & Shore-based members

TOTALS

32 23

FÜR UNTERSTÜTZER nominierungsforumular B Dieses Formular kann von einem oder mehreren Unterstützer(n) ausgefüllt werden. Mehrere Formulare können verwendet werden. Der Kandidat/die Kandidatin MUSS zusätzlich das Formular A ausfüllen, unterschreiben und zurücksenden. EINGABESCHLUSS: 24. November 2014, 17.00 Uhr, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD, Grossbritannien. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

VOM UNTERSTÜTZER AUSZUFÜLLEN Wahlkategorie

Naam van de kandidaat die ik ondersteun

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adres van kandidaat

Name des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin, den/die ich unterstützen will

Adresse Adresse des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin Postcode

Lidm.nr. kandidaat

1. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International ) lid ben.

Postleitzahl

Tel

Funktion

Unternehmen

Naam

Ich möchte für die Wahl des Rats 2015 kandidieren. Ich bestätige, dass ich bei Nautilus International ein Vollmitglied in der oben genannten Kategorie bin, und die Bedingungen der Statuten und Reglementen erfülle.

1. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat in der angegebenen Wahlkategorie. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein Vollmitglied bin.

Unterschrift

Adresse

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

2. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International ) lid ben.

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr. Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

3. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International ) lid ben.

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

4. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International ) lid ben.

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2015

34-35_elections.indd 35

VON DEN UNTERSTÜTZERN AUSZUFÜLLEN Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat in der angegebenen Wahlkategorie. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein Vollmitglied bin. 1. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Name

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Mitgliedernummer des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin

Mitgliedernummer

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

2. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat in der angegebenen Wahlkategorie. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein Vollmitglied bin.

Name

Rang

Naam

Datum

Postleitzahl

Mitgliedernummer

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

Adresse Postleitzahl

Tel.

2. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

3. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

3. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat in der angegebenen Wahlkategorie. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein Vollmitglied bin.

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen Datum

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

Unterschrift

4. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Name

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

4. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat in der angegebenen Wahlkategorie. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein Vollmitglied bin.

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Nautilus — Ratswahlen 2015

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

Nautilus — Ratswahlen 2015

22/10/2014 16:47

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

NL NEWS

Leden bepalen CAO-inzet Bore P&O NSF komt met nieuw voorstel P&O North Sea Ferries C (NSF) heeft op 16 september jl.

De eerste CAO-ronde met

plaatsgevonden. Tijdens deze eerste sessie toverde de rederij een nieuw plan uit haar hoge hoed. Aangezien dit voorstel - zowel voor Nautilus als voor de aanwezige kaderleden - volkomen nieuw was, heeft Nautilus aan de werkgever gevraagd om haar ideeën eerst maar eens op papier uit te werken.

om werknemers die vanaf 1 januari 2015 in dienst komen, anders te gaan belonen dan de huidige groep werknemers. De vraag is natuurlijk of dit voorstel op termijn geen tweedeling gaat veroorzaken onder de medewerkers. Gezien het feit dat de werkgever met een aantal voor ons onverwachte ideeën kwam, had Nautilus de behoefte om eerst haar achterban te raadplegen. Tussentijdse ledenconsultatie

APC

Op 1 oktober heeft Nautilus van P&O NSF de gevraagde voorstellenbrief ontvangen. Werkgever stelt hierin voor om een tweejarige CAO met elkaar af te spreken (voor 2014 en 2015) waarbij de werkgever bereid is om de lonen te verhogen met het gekende systeem van de afgeleide consumentenprijsindex (= APC). De APC voor 2014 komt op 0,9%. Werkgever zet hiermee beduidend lager in dan is afgesproken in de sector-CAO Handelsvaart voor 2014 (= 2%) en de FNV inzet voor 2014 (zijnde 3%). Modernisering reglement

Werkgever stelt bovendien voor

Daarom heeft Nautilus een extra ledenvergadering belegd op 9 oktober jl. aan boord van de Pride of Bruges in Zeebrugge (België). De leden waren unaniem: zij wensen geen onderscheid in arbeidsvoorwaarden tussen twee groepen werknemers te krijgen. Nautilus heeft deze boodschap, tijdens de tweede CAO-ronde op 15 oktober, teruggekoppeld aan de werkgever. De werkgever heeft toen aan de vakbond meegedeeld dat zij de komende weken eerst zelf met haar werknemers wil gaan praten. We houden u van de voortgang op de hoogte.

Volg ons op Twitter

Op donderdag 9 en vrijdag 10 oktober hebben de twee vakbondsbestuurders die verantwoordelijk zijn voor de Ferry-sector de Ferry’s van rederij Bore bezocht in de haven van Zeebrugge (België). Tijdens twee ofﬁciële ledenvergaderingen, die aan boord gehouden werden van de Norsky en Norstream, hebben de leden samen met Nautilus de inzet bepaald voor de komende CAO-onderhandelingen. De naar voren gebrachte wensen en ideeën van de bemanning heeft Nautilus inmiddels verwerkt in een voorstellenbrief. Hierbij is rekening gehouden met de inzet van de FNV zoals verwoord in de ‘Arbeidsvoorwaarden agenda FNV in beweging 2014’. De FNV zet voor 2014 in op de

volgende vier thema’s: 1) gewoon goed werk; 2) werkgelegenheid; 3) loon en koopkracht (= looneis van 3%) en 4) naleving. De voorstellenbrief is eind oktober naar de

werkgever zodat de CAOonderhandelingen daadwerkelijk kunnen beginnen. Wij houden u van de voortgang op de hoogte.

Leden hebben het laatste woord: CAO Chemgas is nog niet definitief er een onderhandelingsresultaat bereikt F tussen Nautilus en Chemgas Shipping BV. Het

Na een drietal onderhandelingsronden, is

betreft een CAO met een looptijd van anderhalf jaar, lopend van 1 juli 2014 tot en met 31 december 2015. De lonen van de medewerkers op de (kruip) lijncoaster zullen met 1,2% per 1 juli 2014 en 0,8% per 1 januari 2015 worden verhoogd.

Geef uw mening

Aangepast loongebouw

Hoewel Chemgas ook in de toekomst graag met Nederlandse werknemers verder wil gaan, ziet de rederij zich gedwongen de lonen voor de functies 2e en 3e machinist te verlagen. Daarnaast is Chemgas voornemens de lonen voor de matroos neerwaarts aan te passen vanwege de toenemende concurrentie door buitenlandse werknemers bij de concurrenten. Daarentegen wordt de doorstroming van 1e stuurman naar kapitein aantrekkelijker gemaakt en gaan de lonen van de kapitein en 1e machinist met 1 anciënniteit omhoog. Ook de functie van scheepsmanager krijgt 1 anciënniteit erbij. Overige wijzigingen

De bijdrage in de zorgverzekering wordt met €10,bruto per maand verhoogd en de ouderenregeling wordt met twee jaar uitgesteld. Verder heeft de werkgever aangegeven afscheid te willen nemen van de indexeringsregeling.

Vorige maand vroegen wij: Zou u een loopbaan op zee aan een jong persoon aanbevelen?

Onaanvaardbaar

In september en oktober hebben de leden zich uitgesproken over voorgenoemd resultaat; unaniem hebben zij aangegeven dit onaanvaardbaar te vinden. Inmiddels heeft de onderhandelingsdelegatie wel een mandaat gekregen om alsnog tot een CAO te komen. Als de werkgever niet bereid is in te gaan op het afgegeven mandaat, dan zullen de leden opnieuw geraadpleegd worden. We houden u op de hoogte van de voortgang.

Protocol inzake het dienstdoen in gevarengebieden verlengd

Ja 66%

F Nee 34%

Op 22 september jl. bereikte Nautilus overeenstemming met de reders aangesloten bij het Sociaal Maritiem Werkgeversverbond en de Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart over de verlenging van dit belangrijke protocol. Tegelijkertijd werd overeenstemming bereikt over de aanwijzing van alle havens in een vijftal landen tot gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied. Protocol

De poll van deze maand is: Doet de scheepvaartsector genoeg om zichzelf te beschermen tegen aanvallen door ‘cyberpiraten’? Geef ons uw mening online, op www. nautilusnl.org

36-37_nl_22.10.14.indd 36

werkgever in Finland gestuurd. De (kader)leden en Nautilus zijn klaar om met de werkgever om de tafel te gaan. Het is nu wachten op de uitnodiging van de

Het protocol is wederom verlengd voor een periode van een jaar te weten van 30 september 2014 tot 30 september 2015. De tekst is ten opzichte van het vorige protocol licht aangepast. De aanpassingen betreffen de toevoeging van de term bestemmingshaven en enige MLC gerelateerde aangelegenheden. In het protocol zijn spelregels vastgelegd voor het varen op gevaarlijke gebieden waarbij onderscheid wordt gemaakt tussen zogenaamde gevaarlijke doorvaargebieden en gevaarlijke

bestemmingsgebieden. Voor de integrale tekst van het protocol verwijzen wij u graag naar de Nautilus website www.nautilusnl.org. Het lezen hiervan raden wij u ten zeerste aan, zeker als u binnenkort in een van de onderstaande landen mocht belanden.

op 25 september jl. en heeft vooralsnog een looptijd tot 25 november 2014. Mocht er tegen het eind van die periode aanleiding toe zijn, dan zullen partijen wederom bijeenkomen om te bezien wat voor stappen genomen moeten worden. Libië en Syrie

Liberia, Sierra Leone en Guinee

Deze landen worden op het ogenblik geteisterd door het Ebola virus dat tot op heden een ongekend hoog aantal slachtoffers heeft geëist. Ondanks de internationale hulp die langzaam maar zeker op gang begint te komen ziet het er, in tegenstelling tot eerdere uitbraken van het virus, nog niet naar uit dat er snel een eind aan zal komen. Dit alles heeft ertoe geleid dat er met de reders snel overeenstemming werd bereikt over het aanmerken van alle havens in de betreffende landen tot gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied. Wat dit in de praktijk voor u betekent vindt u terug in het voornoemde protocol. De aanwijzing is ingegaan

Ook van deze landen zijn alle havens aangewezen als gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied voor de periode 25 september tot 25 november 2014. Reden voor de aanwijzing zijn de geopolitieke spanningen die in beide landen heersen. Een algemene bewoording voor een breed scala van ellende dat voor beide landen ook nog sterk uiteenloopt maar kan worden samengevat als een Arabische lente die is verworden tot een Arabische nachtmerrie van ongekende omvang. Ook bij deze aanwijzing geldt dat partijen tegen het ein de van de looptijd bijeen zullen komen om te bezien wat voor stappen er genomen moeten worden.

22/10/2014 17:52

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

NL NEWS

DFDS Seaways BV komt met nieuwe voorstellen A

Samenvoeging: Stena Line en Irish Sea Manning eindelijk rond C

Eerder al kondigde de werkgever aan de twee BV’s te weten Stena Line BV en Stena Line Irish Sea Manning BV te willen samenvoegen tot één BV. Uit de reactie van een aantal kader- en OR-leden bleek dat zij zich niet prettig voelden bij het voorgenomen besluit van de directie. Met name het ontbreken van een duidelijk toekomstperspectief en het gemis aan compenserende maatregelen waren voor een aantal werknemers reden om bij Nautilus aan de bel te trekken… Om de zaak weer vlot te trekken heeft Nautilus de werkgever uitgenodigd voor een gesprek in Rotterdam om te bespreken wat de best mogelijke oplossing zou zijn voor de betrokken zeevarenden. Een oplossing die bovendien breed gedragen zou worden door het personeel. Nautilus heeft de werkgever verzocht nog eens goed na te denken over de wijze waarop samenvoeging plaats moest gaan vinden en stelde voor met een variantenmodel te komen waaruit de medewerkers zelf konden kiezen.

Drie opties

De werkgever heeft dit opgepakt en is met een drietal opties gekomen. Leden van Nautilus konden aangeven welke optie hun eerste en tweede voorkeur had. Het verschil tussen de drie opties zat met name in de manier waarop de beide personeelsbestanden al dan niet geintegreerd zouden worden. De oorzaak hiervan lag in het feit dat Stena Line (in tegenstelling tot vele andere rederijen) nog met een ranglijst werkt die bepaalt

36-37_nl_22.10.14.indd 37

wie wanneer voor promotie in aanmerking komt. Bij de eerste optie - die de werkgever had voorgesteld - zou er een gedeeltelijk schot blijven bestaan. De knip zou gelegd worden tussen de 1e en 2de stuurman respectievelijk tussen de 2de en 3de werktuigkundige. Bij de tweede optie zal er geen schot meer tussen beide BV’s blijven (be)staan. Bij deze optie zal er met andere woorden sprake zijn van één integrale ranglijst per rang, waarbij vooralsnog de datum indiensttreding bepalend is voor de plaats op de ranglijst. Bij de laatste en derde optie, waaruit werknemers konden kiezen, zou er een volledig schot blijven bestaan tussen de personeelsbestanden van de reeds in dienst zijnde werknemers van beide BV’s. Stemmen tellen

Op 24 september jl. zijn alle drie de opties aan de betrokken werknemers in dienst van Stena Line BV en Stena Line Irish Sea Manning BV voorgelegd en konden zij hun stem uitbrengen via een stemformulier. De betrokken officieren DEK en MK hadden tot 13 oktober de tijd om hun reactie te geven. Nadat de inzendtermijn was verlopen kon Nautilus de balans gaan opmaken. De uitslag was klip en klaar: de leden hebben in grote meerderheid gekozen voor optie B. Maar liefst 71% gaf aandat zijn eerste voorkeur bij optie B lag. Er is nu eindelijk een breed draagvlak gevonden voor een gezamenlijk plan.

Op 24 september kwamen Nautilus en DFDS Seaways bij elkaar om te praten over het verlengen van de loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden van onze leden. Tijdens dit overleg maakte de werkgever onverwachts een aantal nieuwe wensen kenbaar. Nautilus heeft daarom aan DFDS verzocht om zijn ideeën eerst maar eens op papier uit te werken. Een resumé. Lijndienst

DFDS Seaways onderhoudt een lijndienst vanuit Vlaardingen naar Immingham en Felixstowe (UK). Onze leden (ex-Norfolkline) zijn in dienst als kapitein bij DFDS Seaways en varen sinds de overname als PEC -houders. Zij dienen het schip veilig in en uit de Rotterdamse haven (Vlaardingen) te loodsen. Momenteel zijn ze werkzaam op de Hafnia Seaways en de Fionia Seaways. Beide schepen varen in charter voor DFDS Seaways onder de UK vlag. Aanhakend aan de sector CAO Handelsvaart

Op verzoek van Nautilus heeft DFDS haar ideeën verwoord in een voorstellenbrief. In deze brief stelt DFDS voor om een langere looptijd af te spreken waarbij de rederij bereid is om de gages van de zeevarenden de komende drie jaar in totaal met 5,75% te verhogen. Dit komt overeen met wat Nautilus eerder met de Vereniging van Werkgevers in de

Handelsvaart (VWH) heeft afgesproken voor de sector-CAO Handelsvaart.

minder volumes op zee als gevolgd van de stijgende prijzen voor de klanten.

Hoge brandstofprijzen

Loodsgeld

In dezelfde voorstellenbrief laat de werkgever echter ook weten dat hij zich zorgen maakt over de hoge brandstofprijzen waar de rederij volgend jaar mee te maken gaat krijgen. De nieuwe regelgeving inzake laagzwavelige brandstof — welke per 1 januari 2015 zal gaan gelden op de Noordzee — zal leiden tot ﬂink hogere operationele kosten die maar voor een deel doorberekend kunnen worden aan de klanten. DFDS geeft zelfs aan dat deze regelgeving zal kunnen leiden tot

Wellicht om deze reden, stelt DFDS voor om de huidige vaste loodsgeld vergoeding per maand, te reduceren met maar liefst 40%. Dit voorstel raakt onze leden natuurlijk direct in de portemonnee… Overleg achterban

Vandaar dat Nautilus de ideeën van de werkgever eerst met haar achterban wil bespreken. Op 23 oktober vindt er daarom een ledenvergadering plaats. Pas na deze consultatieronde kunnen de

Uit de dienstgang Wel of geen recht op surveytoeslag?! de werkgever van ons lid koopt F een aantal jaar geleden een ouder Stelt u zich het volgende voor:

schip, dat veel onderhoud vergt. De werkgever vraagt ons lid om het onderhoud van dit schip op zich te nemen, nadat een collega van ons lid voor de eer had bedankt. Door het vele onderhoudswerk loopt het verloftegoed van ons lid aanzienlijk op. Jarenlang is dit het geval. Wanneer bekend wordt dat het schip na jaren in april van dat jaar uit de vaart zal worden genomen neemt ons lid, in het belang van de werkgever, zijn hoge verloftegoed eerst op wanneer dit schip definitief uit de vaart gaat. Daarnaast is van belang dat bij het bedrijf waar ons lid werkt sinds 1998 aan hwtk’s aan het eind van het jaar een surveyvergoeding wordt betaald. Voor 1998 verrichtte Lloyds de keuring van alle veiligheidsmiddelen en constructies aan boord en de documentatie daarvan. Sinds 1998 verrichtten de hwtk’s 70% van deze keuringen en de documentatie daarvan. Voor deze werkzaamheden ontvangen de hwtk’s sinds 1998 de surveyvergoeding. De hoogte van de surveyvergoeding is niet afhankelijk van het aantal verrichtte surveys per jaar. Slechts het feit dat je als

hwtk bent aangesteld is voldoende. De surveyvergoeding wordt ook uitbetaald tijdens verlof. Ons lid had de surveyvergoeding alle jaren volledig ontvangen. Echter, in het jaar waarin hij zijn hoge verloftegoed heeft opgenomen toen het onderhoudsintensieve schip uit de vaart ging, ontving ons lid slechts een gedeelte van deze surveyvergoeding. Ons lid vond dit onterecht en verzocht de werkgever om zijn surveyvergoeding alsnog volledig uit te betalen. De werkgever bleef bij haar standpunt. De werkgever was van mening dat vanwege het feit dat de werknemer in dat jaar een heel lang verlof had genoten hij geen recht had op de volledige vergoeding. Wel was de werkgever bereid om de helft van de vergoeding te betalen. Reden waarom ons lid zich tot Nautilus wendde. In eerste instantie vond er overleg plaats tussen Nautilus en de werkgever van ons lid. Toen ook dat niets opleverde is de vraag aan de rechter voorgelegd. Tijdens de zitting gaf Nautilus aan dat het niet zo kan zijn dat wanneer ons lid extra werkt en minder verlof opneemt hij geen extra surveyvergoeding ontvangt, maar dat hij wel gekort wordt op zijn

onderhandelingen weer opgestart worden. De volgende onderhandelingsrondes met DFDS zullen plaatsvinden op 10 november en op 22 januari. We houden u op de hoogte van de voortgang.

vergoeding wanneer ons lid zijn hoge verloftegoed opneemt. Dit verlof was zo hoog opgelopen vanwege het in het belang van de werkgever verrichtte onderhoud aan het oude schip. Bovendien staat tegenover elke gewerkte dag een verlofdag, zodat het in totaal om evenveel verlof- en gewerkte dagen gaat. De Rechtbank van Rotterdam kwam tot de volgende conclusie. Vanwege het feit dat de werknemer als hwtk de surveywerkzaamheden reeds vanaf 1998 verrichtte, waren deze werkzaamheden tot het vaste takenpakket van de hwtk gaan behoren. Nu de betaling van de surveyvergoeding bovendien niet afhing van het aantal verrichtte surveys en deze gewoonlijk ook tijdens verlofperiodes wordt betaald was de rechter van mening dat ons lid niet op zijn surveyvergoeding had mogen worden gekort. De rechter veroordeelde de werkgever daarom om het restant van de surveyvergoeding alsnog aan ons lid te betalen inclusief een wettelijke verhoging van 25%. Door deze uitspraak is de uitbetaling van de surveyvergoeding betaling voor de toekomst ook duidelijk voor de collega’s van ons lid!

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

WILT U EEN ADVERTENTIE PLAATSEN IN DE TELEGRAPH NEEMT U DAN CONTACT OP MET: Jude Rosset at Redactive Media Sales

T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 F: +44 (0)20 7880 7691

E: jude.rosset@ redactive.co.uk

22/10/2014 17:52

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

APPOINTMENTS

MMSL 2nd Engineer

The chance to work for a small but experienced dynamic friendly company

Second Engineer Ofﬁcer

Minimum Qualification: STCW III/3 + DCE (Oil) 2nd Engineer up to 3000kW Advanced Tanker Training (para’ 2) Also required: Designated Duties Security Certification Unrestricted ENG1 (or equivalent) Leave / Work: 4 weeks on / 4 weeks off Desired Experience: Relevant experience on coastal oil tankers preferably handling fuel oils / heated cargoes Area of Operation: UK (principally south coast) Salary: £25.6k to £42.6k depending on experience & qualification Start Date: Immediate

MMSL through Eastern Lights Ltd has a vacancy for a qualified experienced DP Second Engineer on board OSV Relume. The Second Engineer reports directly to the Chief Engineer and is responsible for maintenance and repair of the Wartsila Diesel Engines and all ancillary equipment. Candidates must have comprehensive experience in DP2 operation and Diesel Electric Propulsion Systems. Minimum qualification is a valid STCW95 Certificate of Competency Chief Engineer Motor Reg III/2 (Unlimited). MMSL offer the following Package: • Competitive salary plus Annual Performance Bonus paid in GBP • Training • Chance of promotion within 3 years • Leave Encashment • Travel and expenses paid door to door • Tours 5 weeks on 5 week’s off • Comprehensive Medical Insurance • Probationary period Two Tours. Send your CV to relume_cheng@relume-mmsl.com

Remarks:• Please note that Shipowner’s policy dictates that a pre-employment drug & alcohol test will be required. • Appropriate training will be provided to suitably qualiﬁed applicants. Please send your CV in the ﬁrst instance to Mrs. Elaine Wilson. Post: Crown Crewing (UK) Ltd. Crown Dry Dock, Tower Street, Hull, HU9 1TY, UK Email: crewing@whitaker-tankers.co.uk Fax: 00 44 (0)1482 226270

Contact Paul Wade on 020 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@redactive.co.uk to find out how the Telegraph can work for you.

CV Professionals Maritime & oσshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

An established company of Marine Consultants is now seeking:

• MASTER MARINERS • MARINE ENGINEERS • NAVAL ARCHITECTS

Sealion Shipping manages a ñeet of platform supply, anchorhandling tug supply, oσshore construction/ROV support/saturation diving and well testing vessels.

C P Marine UK Ltd are specialists in worldwide ship and shore based marine recruitment.

We are now recruiting for various positions across this modern, mainly DP2, Åeet.

We provide a professional, dedicated and quality personal service in connecting seafarers to shipping companies and also placements to shore based marine positions. Temporary and permanent vacancies are available worldwide for:

If you have valid STCW CertiÀcation and recent seagoing experience, and would like to apply for a position on one of the above vessels, please register your application via our new website.

• Captains • Chief Engineers • Deck Officers • Driving Mates • DPO’s • Engineering Officers

www.farnhammarineagency.co.uk

• ETO’s • Crane Operators • Deck and Engine Room Ratings • Cooks • Offshore Personnel • Shore based Personnel

To register with us for all marine sectors, please send CV to: C P Marine UK Ltd, PO Box 314, Hull HU10 7WG United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1482 650279 Fax: +44 (0) 1482 671341 info@cpmarineuk.com www.cpmarineuk.com

To work from offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and China Minimum Qualifications: Superior certificates and/or relevant Degree. Experience at senior officer level, or command would be advantageous A high standard of written and spoken English is essential. Successful candidates can expect excellent career prospects. Applicants should e-mail their c.v. and covering letter to:

Careers@Andrew-moore.com

Clyde Marine Recruitment is a leading provider of marine recruitment and bespoke crew management services. With offices located in UK, Latvia, Poland and Singapore it allows us to provide our clients with easy access to a multi-national pool of candidates from a single point of contact. For sea-going jobs apply at www.clyderecruit.com

OFFSHORE Deck Officers with AHTS or PSV experience required. DP certification is preferred. Masters will require an unlimited Master CoC. Chief Officer will require Chief Officer unlimited CoC. 2nd Officer will require OOW CoC. Trips can vary from 4-6 weeks depending on client. Working in North Sea. TANKER Junior Chief Officers required to join Oil Tankers. Chief Officer unlimited CoC and Oil DCE required. Experience on Oil Tankers and experience as Chief Officer. Permanent positions. Trips are 3 months. Masters and Chief Officers required to join LNG Tankers. Master & Chief Officer unlimited CoC and Gas DCE required. LNG experience as Master required. Permanent positions. Trips are 3 months. Electrical Systems Engineer required for Tanker Vessel operating world wide. Trip lengths are 3-3.5 months with around 20 days leave accrued for each month worked. Candidates should have ETO experience and Electrical/Electronic qualifications. 3rd Engineers & ETOs required to join Oil Tankers. Experience on Oil Tankers is essential. Permanent positions. Trips are 3 months.

Chief Engineers, 1st Engineers, Gas Engineers and Assistant Engineers required to join LNG Tankers. Gas DCE required and previous LNG experience is essential. Permanent positions. Trips are 3 months. COASTAL Chief and 2nd Engineers for Dredgers, operating on a 3 week on/off or 2 weeks on/off rotation, Dredgers Operate throughout the UK. Salary is available on request and travel is paid. Candidates must have a UK CoC/CEC. SPECIALIST 4th Engineers required for Nuclear Fuel Carriers, working 2-3 month trips with 22 days leave accrued for each month worked, travel is paid and salary is available on request. Candidates must have a UK CoC/CEC YACHT Various Deck Officer and Engineering vacancies available on large yachts. Rotations vary depending on client. Previous yacht or Cruise ship experience is essential. Please contact us on +44 (0) 141 427 6886.

For all shore-based jobs, please visit:

www.redtheconsultancy.com

For Sea-going Jobs visit Clyde Marine Recruitment:

www.clyderecruit.com Glasgow +44 (0) 141 427 6886 Southampton +44 (0) 2380 223 546 Singapore +65 6299 4992

38-45_rec.indd 38

Gdynia +4858 665 3860 Riga +371 6733 1357

22/10/2014 09:55

November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS

NOTICE TO READERS

6 November 2014 is the closing date for December 2014. You can still advertise online at any time.

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

SHORE-BASED Safety Manager SE England - Competitive Package

OFFSHORE

YACHTS

Master - Jack-Up - $135K

Sole Engineer Sailing Yacht 40+m - €6K/mth

Chief Engineer - $600/day

Deckhand

ETO - Jack-Up - $500/day

Motor Yacht 55+m - €2.8K/mth

Technical Superintendent SW England - £40-45K

Chief Officer - AHTS - $570/day

Chief Engineer

2nd Officer DPO - AHTS - $400/day

Sailing Yacht 70+m - €7K/mth

Technical Superintendent (LNG) London - £65K

Master - AHTS - £60K

Chief Stewardess

Marine Superintendent (LPG) London - £65K

Chief Engineer - PSV - £55K

Motor Yacht 60+m - $8.5K/mth

Master - ERRV - £44K

Port Manager Oman - Expat Package

Second Engineer Motor Yacht 50+m - €4.5K/mth

Chief Engineer - ERRV - £36K

Chief Engineer

Chief Officer DPO - PSV - £350/day

Motor Yacht 40+m - €5.5K/mth

Chief Officer - AHTS - £43K

Bosun/OOW Deck Motor Yacht 60+m - €5.5K/mth

2nd Officer - PSV - £34K Technical Superintendent Qatar - $10K/mth NET + Medical + Flights

Motor Yacht 50+m - €5K/mth

FERRIES

CRUISE

Chief Engineer - Ferry - £54K

Chief Engineer - Cruise - £62K

OOW - Ferry - £171/day

Ship Service Engineer - Cruise - £54K

Assistant Technical Superintendent Glasgow - £45K + Package

Chief Officer - Ferry - £46K

Refrigeration Engineer - Cruise - €70K

2nd Engineer - Ferry - £180/day

Hotel Engineer - Cruise - €60K

Offshore Technical Superintendent Aberdeen - £70K+ Package

WORK-BOATS

Cruise Director - Cruise - €4K /mth

Chief Engineer - Tug - £250/day

Hotel Manager - Cruise - €5K /mth

Marine Superintendent Aberdeen - £70K + Package

Master - Workboat - £200/day

Guest Programs Mgr - Cruise - £35K

OOW - Tug - £200/day

Food & Beverage Mgr - Cruise - €3.5K/mth

Technical Superintendent Glasgow - Up to £65K + Package

Shore-based: +44 (0)23 8020 8840 shipping-uk@faststream.com

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820 seagoing-uk@faststream.com

Contact Paul Wade on 020 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@redactive.co.uk to find out how the Telegraph can work for you.

Where’s my Telegraph? If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you — particularly if you gave us a temporary address such as a hall of residence.

To 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.

RYAN OFFSHORE LTD RYAN SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD

SHIPPING

CONNECTIONS

MARITIME RECRUITMENT DP3/ DP2- DSV/ DP- AHTS/ DP- PSV/ DP3 PIPELAYER/DP2 CLV MASTERs, CHOFF-SDPOs, 1ST OFF-DPO, 2ND OFF–DPOs, CHENGs, 2ND ENGs, 3rd ENG, ETOs, CRANE OPTRs

4-PT MOORING DSV / AHTS/ PSV MASTERs, CHOFF, 2ND OFF, CHENG, 2ND ENG, 3RD ENG, DP ENG, ETO JACK UP BARGE / RIG - OIM, CH/ENG, 2NDENG, ETO, SAFETY OFF

SHORE BASED FOR OFFSHORE FLEET OPERATION MANAGER, ENGINEERING MANAGER, TECH MANAGER, MARINE SUPT, TECH SUPT, PORT CAPTAIN, PORT ENG, HSE MANAGER, QHSE, COMPETENCE ASSESSOR/TRAINER

CONTACT DETAILS T E L: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 8 8 8 5 9 FAX: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 88 425

EMAIL: office@ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk, office@ryanoffshore.net, office@shipping-connections.com WEBSITE: www.ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk , www.shipping-connections.com, www.ryanoffshore.net RYANSHIP, P.O.BOX–1282, SUNDERLAND, SR5 9HX, UNITED KINGDOM

38-45_rec.indd 39

Second Engineer

2nd Officer DPO - PSV - £300/day

Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’ @faststreamsea www.faststream.com

Arklow Shipping We operate a dry cargo Áeet of 45 modern, purpose built vessels from 4,500dwt to 35,000dwt. Due to continued expansion we have a vacancy for the following:-

Assistant Marine Superintendent (Nautical) This position, based in Arklow, Ireland, will require a person who is keen to advance and develop their skills further in the marine sector. The successful candidate will be responsible for the ef¿cient operation, management and safety of vessels under their control. Master (Unlimited) certi¿cate of competency is advantageous. Applicants must be Àuent in the English language and have knowledge of the IMO Conventions. Previous experience as Superintendent is not essential. Please send detailed cv to:-

Personnel Department, Arklow Shipping, North Quay, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland Email: personnel@asl.ie

22/10/2014 09:55

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

APPOINTMENTS Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:

Your First Port of Call Address: First Floor Unit 7, Hythe Marine Park, Shore Road, Southampton, SO45 6HE UK Telephone: +44(0)23 8084 0374 Email: recruitment@seamariner.com

Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels Engineering Of½cers and ETO’s - MOD Support vessels All Of½cers and Crew - ERRV All DPO’s/SDPO’s (Unlimited DP Cert.) Various offshore personnel - Drill ships, Jack-ups and Rigs If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants

www.seamariner.com

ISO9001:2008 accredited and KvK and MLC compliant Reg Co number: 2745210

Are you a highly motivated person? Are you looking for a career with promotional possibilities? Can you work as part of a team? Are you experienced in offshore activities? Are you computer literate? Would you like to enjoy a one for one work/leave ratio? Do you hold a UK CertiÀcate or Competence or Equivalent? Sentinel Marine PTE Limited are recruiting seafarers who can answer yes to the above questions and who would like to be part of the increasing ¸eet operated by Sentinel Marine Ltd. With 8 new build Multi Role Offshore Support vessels and new build Platform Support Vessels delivering into the ¸eet in the coming months, interested applicants are requested to send their CV to the Human Resource department by either emailing hr@sentinel marine.com or applying online via our website http://sentinel marine.com/

PILOT/ASSISTANT HARBOURMASTER A position has arisen for a Pilot/Assistant Harbourmaster to assist with the safe navigation of vessels within the Pilotage Limits of the Port of Lerwick. Based in Lerwick, Shetland, the postholder will train to become a Licensed Pilot for the Port, providing assistance to shipmasters in the safe navigation of their vessels within the Pilotage Limits of Lerwick Harbour. Responsibilities include providing a high level of marine expertise at all times to ensure safe and smooth marine operations within the Port, including providing cover in Port Control. Applicants should ideally possess a minimum of a UK Chief Mate STCW REG II/2 (Unlimited) Certificate of Competency. Preference will be given to applicants with one or more of the following: • Pilotage experience in a port environment • Seagoing experience in a senior bridge team position on commercial vessels • A working knowledge of Lerwick Harbour Applicants must be physically fit and possess a Department for Transport Medical Examination for Seafarers (ENG1). The post is on a fixed salary basis working a shift rota system. For further information regarding the post contact Captain Calum Grains, Harbourmaster on (01595) 692991. To receive an application pack, please contact our reception or email info@lerwick-harbour.co.uk Applications marked ‘Private and Confidential’ should be submitted before noon on Thursday 20 November 2014 to: Sandra Laurenson, Chief Executive Lerwick Port Authority, Albert Building, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0LL T: +44 (0)1595 692991 E: info@lerwick-harbour.co.uk www.lerwick-harbour.co.uk/vacancies

BRITAIN’S TOP PORT LERWICK PORT AUTHORITY

Maersk Line Container Fleet are recruiting Senior Engineers for immediate vacancies

Maersk Line, the global containerized division of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group, is dedicated to delivering the highest level of customer-focused and reliable ocean transportation services. Our vision, built from a strong heritage of uprightness, constant care, and innovation, remains the cornerstone of our business operations. The Maersk Line fleet comprises more than 220 owned vessels manned by 7,600 Seafarers.

Due to continued ﬂeet expansion Maersk Line are recruiting Senior Engineers to ﬁll immediate vacancies. As the right candidate you will benefit from a competitive salary, voyage lengths of 90 days plus or minus 30 days with a back to back agreement, second-to-none training facilities, internet access on all vessels, and the opportunity to develop your career within an industry-leading container shipping company.

Apply online at www.seacareers.co.uk or contact Liam Lockhart on 0191 269 3154 to discuss these vacancies

38-45_rec.indd 40

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November 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS

Broaden your horizons Join us in welcoming our newest stars to the ﬂeet, having commenced with the Star Pride in 2014 and the two additional vessels in 2015.

With the fleet doubling in size, Windstar Cruises are currently looking for suitable candidates for the following positions: · Captains and other Deck Officers · Engineering Officers of all ranks · Electricians and ETO’s · Hotel Officers, Guest & Destination Service Professionals

Soon to be sailing alongside our current luxury sail assisted yachts, our ﬂeet will sail worldwide taking our passengers to some of the most unique and exotic ports there are to be found.

Benefits package includes: · Competitive wages paid in GBP and USD · One for One Rotation for Staff Officers · Retirement Savings Plan / Pensions · Annual & Return Bonuses (dependent on rank) · Company Sponsored Study Leave Programme · Officer Cadet Training · Excellent Spouse Policy

www.windstarcruises.com

Prospective candidates need to complete our online candidate database via our website or email us at applicants@vikingrecruitment.com quoting reference WSC 11/14

Viking House, Beechwood Business Park, Menzies Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2FG T: +44 (0) 300 303 8191 ISO 9001

vikingrecruitment.com

FLEETWOOD - A TOP UK NAUTICAL COLLEGE WITH A LONG ESTABLISHED REPUTATION FOR BEING A LEADING PROVIDER OF TRAINING TO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY.

COURSE CALENDAR AUTUMN 2014 OFFSHORE BOSIET (3 days) - Every Mon and Wed from W/C 20 Oct MIST (2 days) - Every Mon and Thurs from W/C 20 Oct FOET (1 day) - Every Tues from W/C 20 Oct EURO (3 days) - Every other week starting W/C 27 Oct EURO REFRESHER (1 day) - W/C 20 Oct, 17 Nov, 15 Dec TEMPSC COXSWAIN (3.5 days) - Every other Mon from W/C 27 Oct TEMPSC COXSWAIN REFRESHER (1.5 days) - Every other Thurs from W/C 3 Nov

STCW STCW Basic Safety Training (5 days) to include: Security Awareness, Personal Survival Training , Personal Safety & Social Responsibility, Elementary First Aid, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting - W/C 27 Oct, 10,17 & 24 Nov Other courses include Advanced Fire Fighting (4 days) - W/C 20 Oct, 3 Nov, 1 & 8 Dec Medicare (5 days) - W/C - 5 Jan (2015)

GWO BASIC SAFETY (7 days) - W/C 13 Oct, 10 Nov, 8 Dec

Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boat (5 days) - W/C 27 Oct, 10, 17 & 24 Nov

MST (Renewable UK) (2 days) - W/C 13 Oct, 10 Nov, 8 Dec

STCW Updating Training - dates available in 2015 (contact us)

RUK/GWO Working at Height (2 days) - Monthly from Sept (see web) NEBOSH Oil and Gas - W/C 3 Nov NEBOSH General - W/C 7 Jan (2015) IOSH Managing Safely - on request IOSH Working Safely - on request For more information E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore

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For more information E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore Facebook /FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations

MARITIME Ship Bridge Simulator Courses NAEST Management - W/C 24 Nov, 1 Dec, 12 Jan Advanced Training for Oil Tanker Cargo Operations W/C 8 Dec, 6 Apr Advanced Training for Liquefied Gas Tanker Cargo Operations - W/C 15 Dec, 13 Apr HELM Management - W/C 24 Nov, 1 & 8 Dec ECDIS - W/C 10 Nov, 16 Mar (2015), 13 Jul (2015) VTS Refresher - W/C 17 Nov, 6 Apr, 20 Jul (2015) VTS 103 - W/C 1 Dec, 23 Mar, 6 Jul (2015) For more information E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

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APPOINTMENTS SEAHAM HARBOUR

YOUR SUPPORT WILL TACKLE CHALLENGES.

EST. 1898

SALVAGE ENGINEER £28,102 pa plus potential allowances of £9,270 p.a.

Ref: 1420355

Plymouth, HMNB Devonport This is a Sponsored Reserve post within the Salvage and Marine Operations Project Team, based in Devonport. It is open to UK nationals only. You will be part of a motivated, flexible and highly trained multi-skilled team, responding to marine emergencies in the UK and worldwide. Operational duties will cover salvage, engineering and underwater activity, along with staff work relating to project and line management, planned maintenance and continuation training. Applicants must be physically fit, to ENG 1 and HSE Diving medical standards. Applicants without a HSE diving qualification will undertake a diving aptitude test as part of the interview process. The successful applicant will be required to attend and pass an HSE diving course. An STCW 95 III/2 Class Two Second Engineer certificate is required, as is a Full UK Driving Licence. Applications must be made online at https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi Please enter 1420355 into the Vacancy Reference field to be taken to the full job advert. Closing date: 5th January 2015. The MOD is an Equal Opportunities employer and seeks to reﬂect the diverse community it serves. Applications are welcome from anyone who meets the stated requirements.

A Force for Good. www.civilianjobs.mod.uk

Join us in bringing knowledge, help and hope to the nations! OM Ships, a worldwide worl charity, is looking for qualified engineering engin officers, mechanics, fitters fitte and welders to volunteer to serve ser on their ship Logos Hope which is presently in the Far East.

For details visit www.omships.org or email: recruiting@omships.org

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MARINE PILOT

A vacancy exists for a Marine Pilot based at the Port of Seaham. Applicants should as a minimum hold a recognized certiﬁcate of competency (Deck Ofﬁcer) and have relevant ship handling experience. Previous pilotage experience an advantage. Attractive employment package. Apply in writing to :Mr Tom Pattison, Seaham Harbour Dock Company, Seaham, Co.Durham, SR7 7NZ

MARINE PILOTS The Association of Forth Pilots provide authorised pilotage services on

the River Forth and associated docks and harbours. We invite applications from suitably qualified personnel to fill current and anticipated future vacancies for Marine Pilots based at Granton, Edinburgh. The successful applicants, who will be authorised by Forth Ports Limited as the competent Harbour Authority, will work on a self employed basis piloting a variety of vessels including oil and gas tankers, VLCC’s, container vessels, bulk carriers, cruise ships and naval vessels. It is essential that you have a Class 1 Master Mariner FG Certificate plus command experience and/or 1st Class Pilotage Authorisation experience. All applicants must have existing EU working entitlement and be able to demonstrate a legal right to take up residence in the UK. Interested applicants should forward a completed application form and supporting CV to Mary Stevenson, Forth Ports Limited, Forth and Tay Navigation Building, Grangemouth Port Office, Grangemouth, FK3 8UE. Application forms can be obtained by contacting Mary Stevenson on 01324 498581 or by e-mail mary.stevenson@forthports.co.uk. Closing date for applications is 30th November 2014

ANGLIAN MARINE RECRUITMENT LTD Marine Placement Agency

Ongoing vacancies for all ofﬁcers and ratings deep sea, coastal, st.by, supply, ahts, etc. To register send cv and copies of all certiﬁcates to: 6 Birch Court, Sprowston, Norwich NR7 8LJ Tel/Fax: 01603 478938 Email: malcolm@anglianmarine.co.uk www.anglianmarine.co.uk

Applications are invited for the position of:-

SENIOR ASSISTANT HARBOUR MASTER Peterhead is a vibrant, successful Trust Port catering for the ﬁshing industry, offshore oil & gas, subsea, general cargo, leisure and commercial marinas, and handles vessels up to 50,000 tonnes. The Senior Assistant Harbour Master will work with the management team supporting the Harbour Master in all aspects of the post and earn respect of the wide range of stakeholders. The successful applicant will have a STCW11/2 Masters unlimited Certiﬁcate of Competency or a Harbour Masters or Port Management Diploma with marine experience preferably at command or senior port management level. They will possess a thorough knowledge of port related matters such as Port Marine Safety Code, Port Security, Pilotage and VTS operation and hold a full, clean UK drivers licence. A salary of £50,000 + is offered, depending on experience plus contributory pension, private health cover, car user allowance and reimbursement of relocation expenses where appropriate. The successful candidate will be required to pass a company medical.

Application letter in writing, including CV and supporting documents to: Capt J Forman, Harbour Master, Peterhead Port Authority, Harbour Ofﬁce, West Pier, PETERHEAD AB42 1DW or email john.forman@peterheadport.co.uk Closing date Friday 21 November 2014 Interviews scheduled for Monday 15 December 2014.

Further information: www.peterheadport.co.uk

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APPOINTMENTS

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APPOINTMENTS

Inspector of Marine Accidents (Nautical) £71,584 - £78,742 Based Southampton Serious about marine safety? The Marine Accident Investigation Branch contributes to safety at sea by determining the causes and circumstances of marine accidents and working with others to reduce the likelihood of repeat occurrences. As a MAIB Inspector you will undertake investigations into accidents involving UK-registered vessels anywhere in the world, as well as accidents involving any vessels in UK territorial waters.

MERCHANT NAVY OFFICER TRAINING COURSES Based in Glasgow city centre, the college has a long standing reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of nautical courses. STCW, MCA & SPECIALISED MARINE SHORT COURSES ECDIS: 10/11/14, 15/12/14, 02/02/15 HELM Management: 10/11/14, 24/11/14, 01/12/14, 15/12/14 Specialised Oil Tanker: 17/11/14, 12/01/15, 23/02/15 Shipboard Security Ofﬁcer: 15/12/14, 16/02/15

Safety Ofﬁcer: 15/12/14, 02/03/15 Designated Security Duties: 10/11/14, 26/01/15 Proﬁciency in Security Awareness: 11/11/14, 27/01/15 CPSCRB: 03/11/14, 10/11/14 EDH: 24/11/14, 08/12/14, 23/02/15

Contact: Alison Bryce 0141 565 2700 - Marine.Short.Courses@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

You will investigate marine accidents of all types, involving vessels of all kinds to determine the circumstances and causes. You will gather evidence, conduct interviews with those involved and undertake detailed analysis in order to produce clear and concise reports containing robust recommendations.

Other courses: BTMT, GMDSS, NAEST, BRM, PST, PSSR, LICOS, Advanced Ship Handling, Tanker Fam, Specialised Gas, Specialised Chemical, Freefall Lifeboat. For further Marine enquiries please contact Alison Bryce (as above).

Qualiﬁed to STCW 95 A-II/2 (Deck) or with a Royal Navy equivalent, you will bring considerable seagoing experience at that level together with a proven track record of commanding a vessel. Able to draw effective conclusions using a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data, you will use correct English grammar and punctuation within your well-structured reports.

Class 1 Orals Preparation Course 03/11/14 & 02/02/15 Chief Mate Full Reg II/1 05/01/15 Chief Mate Post HND 19/01/15 OOW Post HND 29/09/14, 19/01/15 & 30/03/15 Contact: Senior.Marine@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

This is a reserved post, so restricted to UK nationals.

ENGINEERING COURSES

For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/index.aspx and search under reference: 1428856. Closing date: 21st November 2014. The Department for Transport is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and want our workforce to reﬂect the communities that we serve.

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DECK COURSES

START DATES

Chief and Second Engineer (III/2) Motor EK Prep Course: 12/01/15, 05/05/15 Contact: Engineering@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk EOOW (III/1) & IAMI Prep Course: 03/11/14, 09/02/15 Contact: Mervyn.Adams@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk For other Engineering enquiries please contact: Caroline Alderdice 0141 271 6545/6548 Caroline.Alderdice@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

City of Glasgow College SC036198

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APPOINTMENTS

Guernsey Operations Department, Guernsey Harbours, Guernsey

Assistant Harbourmaster Salary Scale: £42,148 - £44,526 plus standby and callout allowance Guernsey Harbours is responsible for the administration and operation of the Ports of St Sampson’s and St Peter Port as well as other Bailiwick of Guernsey maritime activities. The Assistant Harbourmaster position will sit within the Operations Department and report directly to the Harbourmaster. You will assist the Harbour Master in the operation of Guernsey Harbours. You’ll undertake Duty Harbour Ofﬁcer responsibility as required, including periods on-call, and will liaise with port users, Guernsey Harbours management and staff, and members of the general public. You will also act as Duty Search and Rescue Co-ordinator and Duty Port Facilities Security Ofﬁcer, and will be allocated additional responsibilities commensurate with your experience. In addition, you will undertake the project management of the development and introduction of a Port Safety Management System in accordance with the requirements of the UK Port Marine Safety Code. You will bring recent and relevant maritime skills to assist in the move to modern day best practice at Guernsey Harbours. Seagoing experience is essential and experience managing port operations is highly desirable.

Essential to this post is the minimum of MCA Chief Mate Certiﬁcate of Competency or suitable equivalent and access to a vehicle for business use. Desirable: O MCA Master Unlimited or Command Endorsement or suitable equivalent. O Search and Rescue Mission Co-ordinator (SMC) training or suitable experience. O Port Facilities Security Ofﬁcer (PFSO). O IOSH Health and Safety training or equivalent. Contact: Captain Chad Murray, Harbourmaster, P.O.Box 631, St. Julian’s Emplacement, St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3DL. Tel: 01481 720229, Email: chad.murray@gov.gg Please apply online at: www.gov.gg/jobs Our eRecruitment team can be contacted at: eRecruitment@gov.gg or tel: 01481 747394. Closing Date: 10 November 2014 Candidates should be advised that a request for a housing licence is in progress for this position.

www.gov.gg/jobs

WELFARE FUND

Diary

Make a date with Nautilus and help support its vital work for maritime welfare by buying the 2015 desk diary for just £4.95 (including postage & packaging). The diary contains 16 pages of useful information, including world maps, conversion charts, planners, and dates of national holidays and religious festivals. It also includes a unique, full colour editorial section focusing on the activities and progress of the Nautilus Welfare Fund, whose work includes the running of the residential and care facilities for retired seafarers at the Mariners’ Park Estate. All proceeds from sales to go to the Nautilus Welfare Fund. g To order your copy, email: info@ uniquemarketingandmedia.co.uk with your contact details and we will arrange for you to receive your copy.

We are recruiting! Mechanical Fitter – Engine Hall Location: Ascension Island Package: Competitive

Babcock is a leading global engineering support services company, operating in the Energy, Transport, Defence, Telecommunications and Training. We work diligently behind the scenes, delivering critical support. An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Media Services business for an experienced Mechanical Fitter – Engine Hall to support a major overhauls programme at the Ascension Island power station. Our Media Services business is the trusted partner to the world’s leading broadcasters, delivering audio and video content to global audiences over multiple platforms. The role will involve carrying out overhauls of the medium speed diesel engines, including water production and distribution and other mechanical maintenance related duties under the Station portfolio, such as vehicles, machinery and infrastructure.

Some key areas of responsibility include: • •

Maintain a programme of Major Overhauls and Half-Life Overhauls on Allen Diesel medium speed diesel generators Safety & Health of self and others who may be affected by work activities

Essential Qualiﬁcations/Experience •

•

Competent mechanical fitter, preferably having served a mechanical engineering apprenticeship (City and Guilds or NVQ level 3 or equivalent) with significant experience of the following:Medium speed diesel engine installation, overhaul and refurbishment. Experience of control systems associated with medium speed diesel engine installations. Experience of ancillary equipment associated with medium speed diesel engine installations. Specific working knowledge of Turbo chargers and or governors Possession of current driving licence up to B category

If you believe you ﬁt the requirements for the role; if you are a self-motivated individual and if you are looking for an opportunity to further your professional experience in an international context, then we would like to hear from you! We value the diversity of our people and we seek to promote a culture that values, promotes, respects and includes such diversity. To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter in support of your application to ETRecruitment@babcockinternational.com quoting reference: MFAscensionIsland For an informal discussion please contact Bill Palmer, Babcock Resourcing Manager on 07764 502 028 Closing date for applications: 17 November 2014

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SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MSN 1838 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: minimum age This notice provides information about the minimum age for seafarers and the protection of young seafarers (under 18 years) working onboard UK ships, as set out in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). The main points are as follows: z the minimum age for working on a UK seagoing ship is 16. Those under the age of 18 must not be assigned work which is likely to jeopardise their health and safety, unless they are fully qualified in the relevant skills or are working under supervision z the employer must carry out a risk assessment with regard to the particular risks to young persons z those under the age of 18 may not work at night unless as part of recognised training z in this context, ‘night’ means a period of at least nine hours including the hours between midnight and 5 a.m. (local time) z certain types of work should not be undertaken by young persons on the grounds that such work is likely to jeopardise their health and safety MSN 1839 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: medical certification This notice contains the mandatory fitness standards specified by the UK secretary of state under the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention)(Medical Certification) Regulations 2010, as amended. It also sets out the qualifications required by a medical practitioner under this legislation, and provides guidance on topics including: z how to obtain a seafarer medical certificate z how long a seafarer medical certificate is valid z medical standards and categories of medical fitness z the medical review (‘appeal’) system z revised medical and eyesight standards z addresses of MCA marine offices where lantern tests are held z use of the ML5 medical report and certificate for seafarers on certain small vessels z the requirement for a seafarer to report a significant change in their medical condition, or an absence from work of 30 days or more z the right of approved doctors to make an administrative charge for the issue of duplicate certificates

MSN 1841 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: medical care ship’s doctors This notice reminds readers that a medical practitioner must be carried on any ship carrying 100 or more persons on an international voyage of 72 hours’ duration or longer. The notice sets the qualifying criteria for a medical practitioner to work as a ship’s doctor on a UK ship, as specified under the MLC Regulations and associated UK legislation. So, for example, the medical practitioner must be fully registered with the UK General Medical Council, must hold a licence to practise and must have a good command of the English language. MSN 1844 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: crew accommodation This notice imposes obligations on UK ships, and non-UK ships without MLC Certificates in UK waters, as follows: z new ships built after the MLC Minimum Requirements Regulations come into force must comply with the standards of crew accommodation set out in MSN 1844 z substantial alterations to crew accommodation on ships built before the MLC Minimum Requirements Regulations come into force must also comply with these standards z there are detailed requirements on general matters, divisions within the ship, interior bulkheads, floor decks, lighting, ventilation, drainage, sleeping rooms, beds, mess rooms, furniture and fittings in sleeping and mess rooms, recreation spaces, offices, sanitary accommodation, drinking water and fresh water, facilities for washing and drying clothes, galleys, store rooms, refrigerating equipment, hospitals, medical cabinet, protection from mosquitoes and maintenance and inspection of crew accommodation z there are also requirements relating to cleanliness, maintenance, inspection and recording inspections MSN 1845 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: food and catering; provision of food and fresh water This notice sets out requirements for provision of food and fresh water, in accordance with the MLC Minimum Requirements Regulations. These requirements must be complied with regardless of the age, size and type of vessel, other than those specifically exempted. The shipowner and master of a ship must ensure that food and drinking water of appropriate quality, nutritional value and quantity is provided free of charge to meet the needs of those on board. Those preparing or serving food must be

Member meetings and seminars Nautilus International organises regular meetings, forums and seminars for members to discuss pensions, technical matters, maritime policies and legal issues. Coming up in the next few months are:

properly trained and demonstrate a working knowledge of the principles and practices of food hygiene. MSN 1845 also contains supplementary non-mandatory guidance on the provision of food and fresh water for all merchant ships. MSN 1846 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: food and catering; ship’s cooks and catering staff This notice sets out requirements for ship’s cooks and catering staff, in accordance with the MLC Minimum Requirements Regulations. It replaces the Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Ship’s Cooks) Regulations 1981, which are revoked. The requirement to carry a ship’s cook applies only to vessels operating beyond 60 miles from a safe haven, and which have more than 10 seafarers onboard. MGN 485 (M) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: seafarer employment agreements — application to trainees This note provides guidance on the way employment agreements for trainee seafarers must be drawn up under the provisions of the MLC. The main points are as follows: z the agreement may be between the trainee and the approved training provider rather than the shipowner z the shipowner’s name and address must be shown on the agreement z instead of ‘wages’, information about the training bursary should be included, including amount, method and frequency of payment z MLC standards in compliance with UK regulations are required for all other provisions such as hours of work, repatriation, social protection (including medical care) provided to the seafarer, as well as information about disciplinary, grievance and complaints procedures z terms for termination of the agreement must be provided, and must be no less favourable to the seafarer than to the training provider

z M-Notices are available as

electronic documents or as a set of bound volumes. z A consolidated set of M-Notices is published by The Stationery Office. This contains all M-Notices current on 31 July 2009 (ISBN 9780115530555) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be electronically subscribed to by emailing a request to mnotices@ecgroup.co.uk or downloaded from the MCA website. Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices.

g Professional & Technical Forum Tuesday 2 December 2014 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs at the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club 4-5 Waterloo Crescent Dover CT16 1LA 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

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. SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

SINGAPORE Nautilus International 10a Braddell Hill #05-03 Singapore, 579720 Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 singapore@nautilusint.org

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638882 THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with dovaston C/Joan de Saridakis 2, Edificion Goya Local 1A, Marivent 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovaston.com

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org/newsand-events for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team (scroll down to ‘latest events’). For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Garry Elliott on +44 (0)151 639 8454. Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges. In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing

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

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Saturday 7 March 2015 1300 to 1600hrs in Southampton (TBC) The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people in the shipping industry and on the issues that matter to them. Open to all young members (UK, NL & CH). Contact Paul Schroder: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. A total of 54 ultra-large containerships are due to be delivered next year, compared with 21 this year. 2. There were 111 VLCCs, totalling 35.4m dwt, on order around the world as at 1 August this year. 3. Meyer Werft in Germany is presently the world’s biggest builder of cruiseships, with an orderbook totalling more than 1.4m gt. 4. More than 40 LNG-fuelled ships have been ordered around the world in the past 18 months. 5. Euronav is based in Belgium. 6. Annual revenue from Suez Canal tolls amounts to some US$5bn. Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Winchester; 6. Apse; 9. Antibiotic; 10. Biro; 12. Irritability; 15. Avalanche; 17. Clint; 18. Irish; 19. Athenaeum; 20. Intervention; 24. Adam; 25. Pomeranian; 26. Ever; 27. Settlement. Down: 1. Woad; 2. Nits; 3. Haberdashery; 4. Shoji; 5. Elizabeth; 7. Privileged; 8. Ecosystems; 11. Disconsolate; 13. Facilitate; 14. Magistrate; 16. Chaperone; 21. Tweet; 22. Pine; 23. Knot. This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph. Congratulations to Nautilus member Rannal Finlayson, who won the prize draw for the October cryptic crossword. Cryptic answers from October Across: 1. Julienne; 5. Devour; 9. Meanwhile; 11. Green; 12. Pathological; 15. Mail; 16. Gorgonzola; 18. Insularity; 19. Cede; 21. Cross-country; 24. Extra; 25. Dreamland; 26. Turret; 27. Eternity. Down: 1. Jump; 2. Lead; 3. Enwrap; 4. Neighbourhood; 6. Engaging; 7. Overcooked; 8. Ringleader; 10. Enlightenment; 13. Omniscient; 14. Six-shooter; 17. Glissade; 20. Primer; 22. Dali; 23. Edgy.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.gov.uk/mca Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

International Transport Workers’ Federation +44 (0)20 7403 2733 www.itfglobal.org A federation of over 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board www.mnwb.org Umbrella body for the UK maritime charity sector, promoting cooperation between organisations that provide welfare services to merchant seafarers and their dependants within the UK.

Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport + 31 88 489 00 00 www.ilent.nl Dutch maritime authority (separate from Dutch coastguard).

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance. Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly the King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers-uk.org Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets. Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

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Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International

Useful organisations

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

g Women’s Forum Saturday 7 March 2015 1100hrs to 1400hrs in Southampton (TBC) The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing women in the industry and encourages female participation in Union activity. Open to all female members.

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund. SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships. Seamen’s Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers. Includes the Dreadnought health service. Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)20 7643 1385 www.csv-rsvp.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers. Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers. Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes including the Nautilus-administered Slater Fund.

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JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus James Cameron, UK branch committee member

James Cameron has worked at sea for almost 50 years and he’s keen to put something back into the industry. So, he’s is a new face on the Nautilus International UK branch committee, and attended his first meeting in Belfast last month. ‘I’ve been a member for a long time, but I thought it would be good to get more involved and to try to change some of the things that I think are in need of changing,’ he says. ‘I haven’t got many more years left at sea, but I want to try to make things safer and better for those who are coming up behind me.’ James joined the Royal Navy when

he left school, and spent much of his time working in diesel submarines as an underwater controller or sonar operator. ‘I loved the job, although it wasn’t the best for your family life,’ he recalls. After coming ashore, he spent a year working for IBM — but decided that he still wanted to work at sea. ‘Although I had been a professional seaman with the RN, I had to do a number of courses before I could get my EDH certificate for the MN,’ he explains. ‘It was also a big eye-opener to go from the RN to the MN and a huge change in the culture.’ But he persevered and went on to serve on general cargo ships and Shell tankers before switching to North Sea

supply vessels. He now works for Vroon Offshore, serving as a bosun, advanced medical aider and FRC cox onboard the emergency rescue and response vessel Vos Tracker. ‘For me, it’s ideal,’ James says. ‘It’s a great crew, a nice boat, month-on/monthoff, and it’s in the southern North Sea — I’ve done my time in the northern North Sea and don’t want to be there any more!’ James has served as a safety coach with Vroon and he says the subject is close to his heart. He’s particularly keen to see more British seafarers being trained, warning of the communication problems that can arise from mixed nationality crews.

‘The oil industry demands English as a working language, but it is often lacking it at the moment,’ he adds. He says he still enjoys working at sea — especially enjoying the teamwork and comradeship of shipboard life. A proud family man, James lives in Newcastle with his wife, who works for Siemans. His children (three daughters, two sons and a stepson) are now grown up, but he has eight grandsons, two granddaughters and a greatgranddaughter. And, in seeking to make life better for the next generation of seafarers, he looks to his son who is now training to be a seafarer following service in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

Wherev er you are , so are we

CALL NOW TO JOIN NAUTILUS ON: UK: +44 (0)151 639 8454 NL: +31 (0)10 477 11 88 CH: +41 (0)61 262 24 24

Join today so we can be there for you too! Pay and conditions Nautilus International is the first truly trans-boundary trade union for maritime professionals, reflecting the global nature of the industry. We negotiate with employers on issues including pay, working conditions, working hours and pensions to secure agreements which recognise members’ skills and experience, and the need for safety for the maritime sector. Legal services Nautilus Legal offers members a range of legal services free of charge. There are specialist lawyers to support members in work related issues and a number of non-work related issues. The Union also has a network of lawyers in 54 countries to provide support where members need it most. Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions. Certificate protection Members are entitled to free financial protection, worth up to £116,900, against the loss

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of income if their certiﬁcate of competency is cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry.

training. The Union is afﬁliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.

Extra savings Members can take advantage of many additional discounts and beneﬁts organised at a local level. These include tax advice, insurance discounts and advice on pension matters. In the Netherlands, discounts are organised through FNV, and trade union contributions are mostly tax-friendly, entitling members to receive a signiﬁcant part of their contributions back.

In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are. Ofﬁcials regularly see members onboard their ships and visit cadets at college. Further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and conferences. The Union has ofﬁces in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel. There are also representatives based in France, Spain and Singapore.

International representation Nautilus International represents members’ views on a wide range of national and international bodies including the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA). We work at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety and

Join us today… Call +44 (0)151 639 8454 Visit www.nautilusint.org Email membership@nautilusint.org g For the full range of member benefits visit www.nautilusint.org

OR g Speak with our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 21,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the industry at sea and ashore — including inland navigation, large yachts, deepsea and offshore. For members, by members Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic trade union offering members many opportunities to become actively involved and have your say — at a local, national and international level.

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48 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2014

NEWS

Fund helps AB to get ahead Award winner tells how Nautilus support scheme has transformed his life

Graeme Bentley says his life has been transformed thanks to support from the Nautilus JW Slater Fund. Graeme — who was last month presented with the 2014 Slater Fund/Marine Society Award for outstanding achievement — has been given a massive career boost as a result of gaining one of the Fund’s scholarships. ‘I first went to sea when I left school at 16,’ he said. ‘I did a twoyear apprenticeship and worked my way up to AB, but then went ashore to work in accounts. I did that for seven years, but realised the desire to be at sea was still there — I missed it!’ Returning to seagoing life, he served on standby and supply ships, as well as on Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries, and began to think about career progression. ‘I was working alongside officers, and I thought that I would like to do — and could do — what they were doing,’ Graeme said. ‘Someone mentioned the Slater Fund and I then noticed an advertisement for it in the Nautilus Telegraph,’ he added. ‘I applied for it in April 2012, and was successful, and it has totally changed my life for the good.’ Graeme undertook the Marine Society’s Maths@Sea course before going on to City of Glasgow College to study for his OOW certificate. ‘It was hard work at first, and quite intensive for someone who had not been studying for almost 20 years,’ he said. ‘Celestial navigation was probably the hardest, and stability too, but towards the end it became one of my favourite subjects. I also enjoyed chartwork a lot.’ Within days of gaining his certificate in February this year, Graeme got his first post as OOW and has already notched up eight appointments on a variety of different ships. ‘It’s brilliant — I registered with numerous agencies and the phone never stopped

Graeme Bentley, this year’s Slater Fund Award winner, pictured by the river Clyde Picture: Ashley Coombes

ringing with job offers,’ he added. He’s now applied for a post with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and said he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather — ‘Skipper Weymouth’ — who served at sea in the Second World War. ‘Hearing his stories when I was a child gave me the inspiration for a career at sea,’ Graeme said.

secretary John Slater, the JW Slater Fund, A administered by Nautilus International, offers

Named in honour of former MNAOA general

substantial financial awards to help British ratings, electrotechnical officers and yacht crew

He was presented with the outstanding achievement award after judges praised his ‘dedication and determination’ during his studies and he says he would warmly recommend a career at sea to young people. ‘I have travelled all over the world and seen so many places, and then you get really good time off as well,’ he pointed out.

study for a first certificate of competency. The money can be used towards the costs of any necessary full- or part-time education, and to provide some financial support during college phases for those off pay.

Graeme said he hoped his experience would encourage other ratings to apply to the Slater Fund. ‘It’s not something you can do overnight and you need to do a lot of planning beforehand,’ he stressed. ‘It is hard work, but it’s well worth it in the end and there is no way I could ever have done it without the Slater Fund.’ g Apply now — see page 18.

More than 1,400 Slater Fund awards have been made since the scheme was launched in 1997. At present, up to £17,500 is available to each eligible applicant, plus a discretionary £1,500 bonus payment when the trainee qualifies.

Call to clamp down on MLC checks for checking compliance with F the Maritime Labour Convention

Shortcomings in the processes

means that it will be many years before its impact can be accurately judged, former Nautilus general secretary Brian Orrell has warned. Speaking at a conference on seafarers within global quality shipping last month, Mr Orrell — who is currently chairman of the advisory board of Seafarers’ Rights International — said that the mechanisms for the application of the rights within the MLC are good, but could be better. ‘They reflect compromise to achieve consensus,’ he added. ‘We must not forget that ships from ratified states are sailing with maritime labour and declaration of compliance certificates that have never been the subject of compliance testing by the ILO,’ he pointed out. ‘Whilst this may be fine where some reliance is placed on the integrity of good states and shipowners, let us not forget that an aim of the MLC was to achieve a level playing field,’ he added. Over a year after the MLC entered into force, Mr Orrell said that many questions were being asked about its impact — including how many ships have been found to be in breach of the requirements and whether seafarers have experienced many changes as a consequence. Data to demonstrate compliance ought to be available, he explained, but so far only 20 of the first 30 ratifying countries have submitted reports to the International Labour Organisation with information on the steps that they have taken, and none of these reports are publically available. In turn, Mr Orrell pointed out, detailed scrutiny of these reports is

likely to take two to three years — ‘a period during which ships are sailing with certificates that in reality mean very little’. Compliance will depend on the integrity of the flag state and shipowner, action on complaints of breaches, and port state control inspections, he argued. ‘We must question whether this is sufficient if the aim is to eradicate abuse and enhance seafarers’ rights.’ Mr Orrell said analysis of compliance will also be made more complex by variations in national laws and regulations implementing the MLC, as well as as a consequence of the concept of ‘substantial equivalence’. He said there should be a formal compliance assessment process for all countries that have ratified the MLC and pointed to Panama as an example of the challenges in checking whether obligations have been met. Its omission of cadets from the MLC is probably a violation of the convention, he added, and the regulatory regime for its recruitment agencies is unclear. Panama’s policy of helping to repatriate abandoned seafarers is also not evident, there appears to be no on-shore complaints procedure, and while its flag state inspection system is wholly delegated, the regulation of the recognised organisations is also unclear. Mr Orrell concluded that whilst he remained sure that the MLC had done what it set out to do, it will be several years before compliance with the convention, and therefore its true value, can be assessed. ‘In the meantime, thousands of ships in international trades are fully certified under the MLC and thousands of those do not belong to the group of good flag states and good shipowners,’ he pointed out.

Nautilus works on launch of new MN pension scheme the launch of a new ‘defined F contribution’ pension scheme for UK

arrangement within the MNOPF would act as an industry-wide scheme, open to a wide range of employees associated with the British Merchant Navy. It is designed to comply with auto-enrolment and to meet the Pensions Quality Mark standard. General secretary Mark Dickinson added: ‘We see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to introduce a scheme that is attractive to employers as well as to employees. It will be flexible enough to provide benefits including life cover and various levels of contribution.’

Nautilus is working towards

officers, members of the UK branch committee heard last month. Assistant general secretary Mike Jess, who was recently appointed as vice-chairman of the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund trustees, told the meeting that there have been extensive discussions about the proposals and it is hoped the new scheme could be launched in April next year. The new defined contribution

Training courses for the maritime and offshore industries

Merchant Navy Operations (Deck) Certificate of Competency Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) Jan, May & Sept intakes Chief Mate/Masters (Unlimited) May Jan &&Sep Septintakes intakes Master Mariner (Unlimited) Orals Prep Mar & Oct intakes Shipboard Safety Officer Master Mariner (200Gt) Orals Prep (2 weeks) Shipboard Security Officer STCW Safety 5 day STCW Basic Safety Training Personal Survival Techniques Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities Elementary First Aid Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Advanced Fire Fighting Efficient Deck Hand Man Over Board / Rib Capsize Drills IMDG awareness

48_news.indd 48

Navigation NAEST (O) & (M) ECDIS generic and type speciﬁc Medical and First Aid Bridge Team Management Medical First Aid Onboard Ship Pre ARPA and ARPA Medical Care Onboard Ship (and Refresher) SVNR HSE Offshore First Aid (and Refresher) Tanker HSE First Aid at Work (and Refresher) Tanker Familiarisation HSE Emergency First Aid at Work Specialist Tanker Training (Oil) Radio Dynamic Positioning GMDSS GOC/ROC/LRC/CAA DP Induction VHF Short Range Certiﬁcate DP Simulator DP Introduction

Offshore Oil & Gas OIM Management of Major Emergencies CRO Controlling Emergencies Command & Control for ERRVs Masters & Mates Oil Spill Crisis Management (OPRC) COMPEX EX01 to EX04 Offshore Wind 5 day Wind Energy Safety Training Working at Height & Rescue (RUK) Advanced Rescue Climbing Awareness Marine Transfer Conﬁned Space Entry & Rescue

Facilities for Hire Environmental Pool (wave, wind, rain) Marine Transfer Ladder Full Mission Ship’s Bridge Simulator Dynamic Positioning Simulator Offshore Control Room Simulator

Lowestoft College, St Peters Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 2NB United Kingdom

Tel:

00 44 1502 525025

Email: maritime@lowestoft.ac.uk Web: www.lowestoft.ac.uk/maritime.asp

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