Nautilus Telegraph November 2016

Charter for jobs Campaign call to stand up for UK seafarers’ jobs 22-23

Plastic surgery Member leads campaign to cut marine litter 29

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

Volume 49 | Number 11 | November 2016 | £3.50 €3.70

Work begins on BAS ship Sir David Attenborough is F pictured at the Cammell Laird yard TV presenter and naturalist

in Birkenhead last month as work officially began on the UK’s new polar research vessel which bears his name.

He began the keel laying process for the £200m RRS Sir David Attenborough by initiating the transfer by crane of a 100-tonne hull unit onto the construction berth.

Due to come into service in 2019, the state-of-the-art vessel will be the most advanced of its kind in the world and will provide a platform for research into such pressing issues as climate change, sea level rise and the impact of environmental change on marine biodiversity.

BAS director Professor Jane Francis said the milestone was ‘particularly exciting for our ships’ officers and crew’.

Picture: Reuters

Call to keep skills flowing to shore Nautilus backs proposals to make it easier for seafarers to switch to jobs in UK maritime cluster

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The UK shipping industry has been challenged to find better ways to help seafarers make the transition from to sea to shore and to prevent their skills and experience from being lost to the wider maritime cluster.

Calls for action to smooth the pathways between work onboard and work on land came at a conference organised to discuss the results of research commissioned by industry organisations, including Nautilus, into current and future demand for experienced seafarers.

Nautilus head of strategic development Steven Gosling spoke at the conference and backed the calls for improved information about career flows.

‘Seagoing experience is essential for thousands of jobs with immense economic, strategic and safety significance,’ he pointed

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out. ‘It is absolutely essential that we have a healthy intake of new recruits each year and that their future options are clear and well supported.’

The Project Ulysses report — which will feed into wider work being undertaken to deliver on the government’s Maritime Growth Study recommendations — examines the training and skills that officers will need to make a successful move from sea to shore to help maintain the UK’s global lead in shipping-related services.

The report is based on feedback from more than 150 of the top shore-based employers of former seafarers, including leading maritime employment agencies, the main maritime law firms, major P&I clubs, insurance underwriters and brokers, ship managers, maritime colleges, major ports and classification societies.

It identifies a ‘vast array’ of shore-based career opportunities for seafarers — but warns that ‘many of them are unaware of the opportunities that exist beyond the ones they directly encounter in the course of their seagoing careers’.

Researchers found ‘a plethora’ of job titles for seafarers ashore — the most notable being surveyors, technical supervisors, marine managers, operations managers, and superintendents.

Demand for former seafarers came from companies involved in such areas as shipbroking, ship management, surveys and inspections, finance, defence and security, port operations, ship repair, coastal operations, and recruitment and education.

Some of the companies employed more than 200 former seafarers and almost two-thirds expected to be recruiting within

the next two years.

However, despite the demand, the report points to a number of problems affecting the flow of seafarers into shore-based posts.

Many companies complained of shortages caused by the slump in officer training during the 1990s, and others highlighted the need for seafarers to be better prepared for the radical changes in lifestyle and work cultures arising from the move ashore.

Researchers highlighted the need to develop courses and other strategies to tackle issues such as knowing the best time to make the career change, unrealistic assumptions and problems adjusting, moving from ‘command and control’ to collegiate team-working, and shortfalls in commercial skills.

The study also notes the need for a ‘one-stop shop’ to provide information about opportunities

ashore, along with advice on the best time to make the move and the skills and qualifications that employers are seeking.

Opening the conference, Maritime Growth Study chairman and Lord Mayor of the City of London Lord Mountevans said there is a ‘vital need’ to fill the skills gap caused by under-recruitment in the past. ‘The loss of expertise in the sector is a serious challenge and one that we cannot afford to ignore,’ he warned. ‘It is, of course, possible to train non-seafarers to fill some of these roles, but there is no substitute for experience.’

The conference was also attended by Trinity House master The Princess Royal, who welcomed the report’s findings and spoke of the importance of identifying issues which may impede seafarers from using their talents in core shore-based positions. g Full report — see page 19.

Inside F Going for growth

London conference hears of progress on UK Maritime Growth Study — page 25 F Class act for MN

A cruiseship officer goes back to school to raise awareness of jobs at sea — page 26

F Declan’s a winner

Declan Rogers wins the Nautilus Bevis Minter cadet award — page 20

19/10/2016 17:03

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Labour warned on UK seafarer numbers the edge of the cliff’ and there F is an increasingly urgent need to UK seafarer numbers are ‘on

recruit to replace the thousands who are due to retire in the next few years, maritime unions warned at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

Nautilus took part in a fringe meeting at the event organised by the RMT to highlight the case for action to increase UK seafarer employment and training. The meeting heard that the number of UK ratings has fallen from more than 30,000 in 1982 to less than 9,000 now, and could tumble to just 5,000 by the end of the decade.

Shadow secretary of state for transport Andy McDonald told the meeting that it would be ‘irresponsible in the extreme’ if the number of British seafarers is allowed to decline further.

‘Protecting jobs, skills and training for UK seafarers is not discrimination if it is handled correctly,’ he argued.

‘What is discrimination is paying someone less if they are a different

Labour’s transport spokesman Andy McDonald speaks at the RMT fringe meeting flanked by, left to right, UK Chamber of Shipping CEO Guy Platten, RMT general secretary Mick Cash, ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith, RMT national secretary Steve Todd, and Nautilus assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham

nationality.’

RMT national secretary Steve Todd said efforts had been made to arrest the slump in ratings numbers — including a link to the tonnage tax scheme and an apprenticeship

programme. ‘It is up to the industry now,’ he added. ‘We have had Plan A, Plan B and Plan C — this is the last roll of the dice.’

Nautilus assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham told

the meeting that the increasing age profile of UK seafarers is a huge challenge for the future. ‘But we remain an island nation and 95% of everything that comes in and out of the country goes by ship,’

he stressed. ‘With heightened uncertainty around the world, there is a strong strategic case for ensuring the security of our trade by having sufficient seafarers.’

UK Chamber of Shipping president Guy Platten admitted that the industry had been ‘complacent’ over seafarer training in the past — but with evidence that some ratings are now in their 70s, the case for action was clear. He said there are examples of good practice — with DFDS having ‘outstanding success’ with a ratings apprenticeship scheme and Caledonian MacBrayne being ‘deluged’ with applications for its apprentice vacancies.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the national living wage should apply to all ships operating in UK coastal trades to prevent UK seafarers from being undercut by low-cost foreign crews. ‘Unless governments start to regulate what’s going on, all that will happen is the good will be undermined by the bad and the bad by the atrocious,’ he warned.

Nautilus backs plans to combat isolation ITF Seafarers Trust workshop looks at initiatives to promote mental health and wellbeing at sea

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Nautilus has taken part in an ITF Seafarers’ Trust initiative to address the mental health issues facing seafarers.

A two-day workshop and conference organised by the Trust last month examined the impact of problems such as social isolation, depression and suicide, and considered strategies for dealing with them.

The meeting was presented with a report covering the scale of research already undertaken into maritime mental health and discussed ways in which new initiatives could be developed to fill gaps in the knowledge base.

The report noted previous studies suggesting that seafarers have higher suicide rates than other occupations. However, more recent research has provided evidence that stress and ‘burn-out’ rates among seafarers are not any greater than

comparable shore-based occupations.

It noted figures from a 2015 study showing that, over a five-year period, only 1.7% of seafarers had to be medically repatriated and only 1.8% of these cases involved psychological or psychiatric problems.

Evidence that officers have higher levels of stress than other ranks may reflect their high levels of responsibility, the long working hours and the ever-changing nature of the demands of their jobs, the report added.

One study found that 87% of seafarer suicides between 1976 and 2002 occurred on deepsea ships, and the report pointed to the detrimental effects of separation from family and friends. It also considered the impact of isolation caused by cultural or communication problems amongst multinational crews, as well as differences related to gender or culture.

The report said there is evidence to sug-

gest that problems may be easing — most notably as a result of the way in which increased shipboard connectivity has given better access to friends and family ashore.

The meeting discussed the approaches taken to mental health in other industries, such as aviation, and ways in which support for seafarers could be improved.

It also considered the limitations of the current system of pre-employment medical examinations for many of the world’s seafarers.

Nautilus head of strategic development Steven Gosling attended the workshop and said it had covered many important issues.

‘This is a very welcome initiative by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, and the Union was pleased to be involved in the discussions.

‘There have been a lot of grounds for concern about the mental health problems

facing seafarers, but this meeting showed that some of the evidence is mixed and it is clear that there is a lot of work to be done to increase knowledge and determine the facts before we can develop appropriate responses and interventions to address the issues,’ he added.

ITF Seafarers Trust head Kimberly Karlshoej commented: ‘We are very pleased that the Trust was able to use two full days with people from within and outside the industry to address the important topics of seafarers’ social isolation, depression and suicide.

‘The discussions proved fruitful and the Trust is now working on a plan to do focussed research where the gaps in knowledge exist and to take some relevant pilot projects forward that promote mental health and wellbeing on board, in port and at home.’

Members voice fears on lifeboat capacities disaster of Titanic proportions F before life-saving provision onboard It may have to take another

cruiseships is improved, members attending last month’s Nautilus International Professional and Technical Forum warned.

The meeting in Hull heard that the SOLAS Convention currently only requires that there is lifeboat capacity for just 37.5% of people each side of the vessel, providing that liferafts make up the capacity to 125% — a statistic that would inevitably leave crew in the liferafts.

Not only are passengers and crew not guaranteed a lifeboat seat, but they are also not guaranteed to fit in the seat if they do manage to get one, the forum was told. SOLAS currently allows an average mass of 75kg per person and a seat width of 430mm (16.9 inches) which does not take into account the steady increase into people’s average height and weight.

Members noted that the Costa Concordia grounding in 2012 demonstrated that once a vessel is listing beyond a certain point it will become almost impossible to launch the lifeboats on one side. They also questioned whether evacuation standards in shipping were as good as those applied in the aviation industry.

Nautilus professional and technical assistant David Appleton said that the members were raising an issue close to the Union’s heart.

‘Nautilus continues to call for a lifeboat seat for each individual onboard, a guarantee that each individual will fit in their allocated seat and full-scale evacuation exercise to be carried out on the first ship of every class,’ he added. ‘The general public would probably be quite amazed to find out that this is not already the case.’

Members attending the forum also spoke of their concerns about the quality of many seafarers being supplied to ships at present and warned of the importance of welltrained crews in an emergency.

‘There has been a lot of focus in recent years on the reduction in crew numbers, but the issue of poorly trained and inexperienced personnel could potentially be just as dangerous — if not more so — in certain situations,’ Mr Appleton noted.

‘Future leaders’ meet at ITF maritime roundtable Young Maritime Professionals F Forum chair Martyn Gray is pictured Nautilus Council member and

right with senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan and representatives from members of Nautilus Federation unions at the second International Transport Workers’ Federation Maritime Roundtable, held in Montreal last month.

More than 130 maritime workers from 56 different countries attended the meeting to discuss campaigning, strategies for success and international cooperation in the

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industry. They kicked off the event by holding a rally in the city to celebrate the gains made by unions for working people.

Opening the event, ITF president Paddy Crumlin commented: ‘Dockers and seafarers face more potential issues at work than ever before: automation, subcontracting, the race to the bottom on health and safety standards, the rise of multinationals.

Employers are thinking about profit margins, and in a lot of cases that’s it. If it means workers are impacted then so be it. There has to be someone

there that says that’s not OK and that’s us, maritime trade unionists. We’re here to fight the fights that need fighting to ensure safe, fair workplaces for ordinary people.’

Dave Heindel, chair of the ITF seafarers’ section, added: ‘This isn’t just a meeting. The MRT is about bringing forward a new generation of activists by raising their skills to face the challenges, and recognise the opportunities, that they will deal with as maritime workers, trade unionists and potentially the movement’s future leaders.’

19/10/2016 15:32

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports CADET CALL: the European Union should offer financial incentives to shipowners who commit to the employment of EU cadets after they complete their training, the European Transport Workers’ Federation said last month. Speaking at the Malta Maritime Summit, ETF political secretary Philippe Alfonso said the Commission must find a way to ‘balance competitiveness with the socio-economic need for more and better jobs at sea for European seafarers’.

PIRACY ADVICE: merchant ships should continue to take protective measures against the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, experts warned an International Maritime Organisation meeting last month. Representatives from the EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta stressed the importance of maintaining best management practices to help prevent a resurgence of piracy in the region.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson and head of legal services Charles Boyle with Federation representatives at the signing ceremony for the Joint Assistance and Support Network (JASON) scheme

Unions unite on fair treatment Nautilus Federation scheme aims to stop members becoming scapegoats

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A pioneering agreement to provide mutual support for members in trouble around the world has been signed by the 13 unions belonging to the Nautilus Federation.

The Joint Assistance and Support Network (JASON) has been developed with the aim of combatting the increasing criminalisation of the maritime profession and to ensure that members’ rights to fair treatment following accidents and incidents at sea are upheld.

The scheme unites unions in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

It will ensure that reciprocal advice and support can be provided to union members if they are involved in an incident within a port, territory, territorial waters or onboard a vessel flagged in one

of the countries covered by the agreement.

‘We are delighted that the JASON scheme has secured the support of all the Nautilus Federation members and, as a result of having signed the relevant agreement in Baltimore, it is now up and running,’ said the Union’s director of legal services, Charles Boyle.

‘Criminalisation of seafarers has been a major concern for all the member unions in the Federation and we have worked hard to prevent seafarers from being treated as scapegoats after accidents,’ he added.

‘As a result of such work, the IMO/ILO guidelines on the fair treatment of seafarers following maritime incidents were developed and adopted in 2006,’ Mr Boyle pointed out. ‘However, the adoption of the guidelines in themselves was insufficient to

ensure that seafarers are not victimised. All the Federation members report some degree of criminalisation of members — most frequently involving pollution cases, as well as collisions — and we saw the need to develop further procedures to establish an international support and assistance network for the benefit of our respective members.’

The JASON scheme will provide concise and practical checklists for members to use if they are involved in an incident to raise awareness of their rights under the fair treatment guidelines.

Additional helpline support will be delivered in conjunction with the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) — which already provides the Nautilus 24/7 service.

As part of the JASON agreement, Federation unions will provide assistance such as advice on

choosing a local expert lawyer, guidance on local investigation and legal procedures, visiting a member or arranging visits and translation services, and ensuring consular access to any members of other unions who have been detained following incidents in their waters or on their nationalflagged ships.

‘The JASON scheme has been designed to address some of the biggest concerns faced by members at sea,’ Mr Boyle said. ‘It should ensure that they receive speedy and specialist support if they are involved in an incident in many parts of the world.

‘We hope that this will not only provide practical assistance, but that it will also make sure that the principles of the fair treatment guidelines are upheld and that seafarers are not unjustly singled out for punishment following accidents.’

EMISSION APPEAL: introducing global curbs on sulphur emissions from shipping on time in 2020 will prevent 200,000 premature deaths a year, a new study has revealed. Published ahead of a crucial International Maritime Organisation meeting, the report has been backed by environmental groups who argue that any delays will be unacceptable.

COSTS CUT: shipping industry operating costs fell by an average of 2.4% last year, according to a new report from the accountancy firm Moore Stephens. It is the fourth successive year that overall costs have fallen, with crew costs reduced by 1.2% during 2015 and repairs and maintenance costs tumbling by 4.3%.

DFDS ADDS: DFDS has boosted freight capacity on its Rotterdam-Immingham service, adding the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged ro-ro Friedrich Russ to the route.

The company has also ordered two new freight ships, to be built by the Jinling yard in China, with delivery due in 2019.

SHIPS BANNED: two flag of convenience ships have been banned from Paris MoU ports after repeatedly failing inspections. The Togo-registered cargoship Alnilam and the St Kitts & Nevis-flagged reefer Beam had both been detained three times within three years.

REFUGEES REVEALED: five refugees were discovered in a container onboard the Irish Ferries vessel Oscar Wilde in Rosslare last month. The vessel had come from the French port of Cherbourg and the refugees told police they were fleeing persecution in Iraq.

CARBON DEMAND: five global shipping industry groups have urged the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to adopt a data collection system before introducing new controls on carbon dioxide emissions from ships.

AUTO APPEAL: a crowdfunding scheme has been launched to support an ambitious project to sail an autonomous vessel across the Atlantic in 2020, to mark the 400th anniversary of the departure of the Mayflower from Plymouth.

BALLAST BOOST: more than 50% of world tonnage is now signed up to the Ballast Water Management Convention, after Panama became the 53rd nation to ratify the treaty last month.

Tributes to former Nautilus NL treasurer

WIGHT MOVE: the former Red Funnel ferry Red Jet 5 has been delivered to the Italian domestic operator Torremar to run on the service between Piombino, Cavo and Portoferraio on the island of Elba.

former Dutch merchant navy F officer Arnold Sta, who worked

SHALE DELIVERY: the UK’s first cargo of ethane derived from US shale gas was delivered to the port of Grangemouth last month by the Danish-flagged vessel JS Ineos Insight.

Tributes have been paid to

for Nautilus International and its predecessor unions from 1971 to 2012, and who died last month at the age of 74.

Mr Sta attended the one-year course at the Maritime Academy in Amsterdam before joining the then VNS (United Dutch shipping

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company) in 1962. He served with the company until 1971, leaving as a second mate shortly after VNS was merged with Nedlloyd.

He went to work for the Association of Captains and Officers in the Merchant Navy (VKO) and the Federation of Workers in the Sea (FWZ), which later became Nautilus NL and Nautilus International.

Mr Sta served as treasurer from

1988 until 2002 and worked as a part-time advisor to Nautilus until September 2012.

Mr Sta had also worked with various Dutch maritime welfare organisations and had been a director of the merchant marine, sea fish and FNV pension funds.

Former Nautilus director Hylke Hylkema said it had been a privilege to work with Arnold and described

him as ‘an extraordinary man in many ways’.

‘Arnold was a maverick, with a great social conscience, who made his interest subordinate to that of others,’ he added. ‘With Arnold’s death, the sector loses an outstanding person who knew how to make the simple into something special. Our condolences go out to his family.’

P&O BOOM: P&O Ferries says the number of freight units carried on its link between Britain and the Swedish port of Gothenburg has almost doubled within a year of operation.

19/10/2016 18:25

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports WINDSTAR SUBMISSION: a pay claim has been submitted by the Union on behalf of members employed by Windstar Management Services. The submission seeks a 4% increase on basic wages, whilst members onboard Star Pride would receive an additional 2% rise in pension contributions by the company. Other requests include three-year contracts for second engineers and chief electricians. The Union argues that Windstar wages are below the average industry standard and an effort should be made to close the gap.

HANSON HOPES: Nautilus has submitted a 5% pay claim for members employed by Hanson Ship Management. The Union is also seeking a ‘realistic’ bonus scheme, Christmas payments to be paid at day rate for ranks doing the extra time and not a set fee for officers or ratings, company training days and statutory training days to be increased by 10%, as well as first class train travel for travelling more than 200 miles to join or leave a ship.

CEMEX CHANGES: Nautilus is consulting members employed by Cemex UK Marine Guernsey on proposed contractual changes, which would see one day of banked leave and one day’s pay being earned for a day’s training, in place of the current system of two days’ pay for one day’s training.

UECC AIMS: Nautilus is set to present a pay and conditions claim to UECC (Guernsey) after receiving feedback from members employed by the company on what they would like to see in the 2017 review.

ANGLO INCREASE: Nautilus has submitted a claim for a substantial increase in pay, over and above the RPI rate of inflation, for members employed by Anglo Eastern and serving onboard car carriers.

HAL VISITS: Nautilus officials were staging a series of ship visits late in October to meet members employed

by Marine Manpower Services (Guernsey) on Holland America Line vessels.

BW REVIEW: following feedback from members serving with BW Fleet Management, Nautilus has submitted a 5% claim as part of the 2017 pay and conditions review.

WESTMINSTER RISE: Nautilus members serving with Boskalis Westminster have agreed to accept a 1.2% pay increase.

PLA PAY: Nautilus has submitted a 5% pay claim on behalf of members employed by the Port of London Authority (PLA).

PNTL CALL: Nautilus is seeking members to serve on the PNTL committee.

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Union visits research ships right during a meeting with F the Natural Environment Research

Nautilus officials are pictured

Council (NERC) in London last month to continue discussions about the ongoing 2015 pay review.

The meeting — on behalf of members employed by the company and serving on ships operated by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) onboard James Clark Ross

and Ernest Shackleton — reopened discussions between the two parties following members’ rejection of the previous offer.

Industrial organiser Paul Schroder is pictured above left and right visiting members onboard the NOCS vessels James Clark Ross and Discovery for talks on issues including developments on the 2015 and 2016 pay awards.

Stress is No. 1 worry TUC research reveals that workplace pressures have risen to record levels

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Stress is now the top health and safety concern in UK workplaces, according to a TUC study published last month.

The TUC’s biennial survey of more than 1,000 health and safety reps around the UK asked them to pick out the hazards at work that most trouble them and their workforces.

Stress was at the top of the list in this year’s survey, with seven in 10 reps citing it as a problem — up

3% since the last survey in 2014, and a higher proportion than in any previous TUC study.

Stress is one of the main causes of mental health problems, in particular anxiety and depression, and the TUC survey found that it is the most common health and safety concern in all sizes of workplace.

The survey found that concern over stress is higher in the public sector, most affected by government cuts, than the private sector.

It is especially prevalent in central government (where 93% of reps cited it as a top five workplace hazard), education (89%) and health services (82%).

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady commented: ‘The message from the shop floor is clear: stress is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. Pressures of long working hours and low job security are being felt in workplaces across the UK. ‘It’s in no one’s interests to

have overstretched workforces.

People who experience high anxiety are less productive and are more likely to take time off.

Stress is preventable if staff have reasonable workloads, supportive managers and a workplace free from violence, bullying and harassment,’ she added.

‘Anyone worried about their workload or being unfairly treated at work should join a union, to get the support they need and their interests represented at work.’

Boskalis ‘putting profits first’ is putting profits before people A by seeking to cut 650 jobs, according

The Dutch dredging firm Boskalis

to a study by a US-based researcher.

Nautilus has welcomed the report, written by Dr Randall Jay Williams, which questions the company’s need to axe 24 ships and make 650 employees redundant over the next two years.

The study argues that market conditions are much better than portrayed by Boskalis and

the proposed cuts are ‘wholly disproportionate to the short-term market pressures’ facing the company.

‘Indeed, there are good reasons to suppose that Boskalis’s strategic plan actually has more to do with increasing profits by cutting costs — particularly labour costs — by altering its employment practices and reorganising its workforce,’ the report states.

Dr Williams says what is now being cast by Boskalis as an ‘unfortunate

necessity’ born of ‘difficult times ahead’ is, in fact, the continuation (and massive expansion) of strategy to enhance profits by replacing permanent, decently waged, full-time company employees with a poorly paid, fixed time/project-based, outsourced workforce, drawn from low-wage regions around the world.

Boskalis chalked up new recordhigh revenues and profits in 2012, 2013, and again in 2014, he pointed out, yet the total number of company

employees actually fell from 15,653 (2012) to 10,977 (2013) and to less than 8,500 in 2014 and 2015.

Nautilus executive officer Charley Ramdas commented: ‘This excellent report is very welcome and we believe the results of the study demonstrate the strength of our case. The company should put an immediate stop to the process of replacing real jobs with temporary individual contracts for workers from low-wage countries, through a payroll company.’

‘Market’ new-start rates on Stena’s North Sea services

To find out about advertising opportunities in the Telegraph contact:

management and a series of F ship visits, Nautilus International has Following further talks with

Joe Elliott-Walker T: 020 7880 6217 E: joe.elliott-walker@ redactive.co.uk

Pictured above, left to right, are: Thames Clippers finance director Scott Eames; master Steve Wright: Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr; CSA Malkeet Singh Virdi; chief operating officer Geoff Symonds; and HR business partner James Burr during a break from pay talks at Trinity Wharf last month.

reluctantly accepted revised starting salaries for new entrant junior officers on Stena Line’s North Sea services.

National ferry organiser Micky Smyth said feedback from members serving on Capucine and Stena Britannica had shown disappointment at the move to make the changes in line with those implemented on the Irish Sea routes at the end of last year.

‘However, it is apparent that harmonisation is a reality and the

Union would rather we introduced these conditions on our terms than have it imposed,’ he added.

Mr Smyth pointed out that the ‘market rate’ salary scales are only applicable to junior officers — in contrast with some operators which have introduced new starting salary scales for all ranks. The new salary structure will protect the current salaries and terms and conditions, and ensure the retention and future recruitment of local labour, including a programme of employing trainee officers, he added.

19/10/2016 18:21

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

MLC ‘helping to end problems’ Nautilus ITF inspector reports unpaid wages onboard 30% of checked ships

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While the introduction of the Maritime Labour Convention may not have ended the abuse of seafarers, Nautilus/ITF inspector Tommy Molloy says it has had a beneficial impact in terms of getting problems resolved.

‘It seems to me that the mechanisms put in place for port state control authorities to involve themselves more closely with seafarers’ employment conditions have encouraged a much closer working relationship with ITF inspectors,’ he explained.

‘Their ability to detain a vessel for non-payment of wages, for example, can focus a shipowner’s mind given the additional costs a detention can incur. This in turn can result in a speedier resolution.’

However, Mr Molloy says he is less convinced that MLC 2006 discourages the operators who run their vessels on, or way below, the margins of acceptable standards.

He believes there are still too many who are prepared to gamble that they won’t get caught rather than comply in the first place.

Mr Molloy, who covers the NW coast of the UK for the ITF, inspected 103 ships between February and the end of September this year — 31 of which resulted in successful claims for owed wages for crew.

‘The figure of 30% is far too high,’ he reflects.

In the last few weeks he has recovered US$101,598 from the Russian operators of the Malteseflagged products tanker Masali and US$65,552 from the Turkish operators of the Panama-flagged

Paying owed wages to a 32-year-old crew member who had been paid as deck boy instead of an ordinary seaman

general cargoship Vera Rose in respect of unpaid wages.

On both occasions the Maritime & Coastguard Agency was involved and Mr Molloy believes the threat of detention was certainly a factor in achieving successful outcomes.

‘But often the claims are for much smaller amounts and often for individual seafarers who are not being paid correctly at the appropriate rank,’ he noted. ‘The smallest amount I have recov-

ered this year was US$93, but it belonged to the seafarer, not the employer.’

Mr Molloy says some companies — usually managers or large crew managers — will sign ITF agreements for all of their vessels and will then chisel what for them are very small amounts, but which can be significant for the crew member.

Wages are not the only issue, he adds. ‘Problems — breaches of the requirements of MLC — can

be any one of or a combination of things: poor or no food, unsuitable accommodation, lack of safety equipment, excessive hours of work, not being repatriated when the contract has expired and so on. In other words, the same issues I was dealing with when I started with ITF 21 years ago. It never changes.’

Recent cases have included the Barbados-flagged general cargoship Arkonia, where US$6,089 was paid after it was discovered the second officer was being paid as third officer, the bosun and cook/AB paid as OS, the oiler paid as a wiper, and none of the ratings were paid for additional overtime hours worked.

In another case, Russian crew on the Belize-flagged general cargoship Luka were found not to have been paid wages for three months, and five seafarers had contracts that had expired and were overdue repatriation. The MCA was advised of the situation and the vessel was detained and not allowed to sail until wages had been paid, fresh provisions placed onboard, the cooker replaced and arrangements made for the repatriation of those who requested it. A total of US$59,382 was recovered.

Mr Molloy says some companies are like motorists who drive without insurance, MOTs, road tax, or licences. ‘Here in the UK, MCA surveyors are doing a great job to police the situation and enforce the requirements of MLC where they have to, but you can only do so much on limited resources,’ he adds.

Brussels estimates EU seafarer total

by Justin Stares

made one of its first official A estimates of the number of seafarers The European Commission has

talks at Nautilus House in F Wallasey last month are: national

Pictured left to right following

secretary Jonathan Havard, assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham, senior national organiser Garry Elliott, Gardline HR consultant Norman Quayle, Gardline HR manager Mark Browning and marine manager Leon Nutman.

Following the meeting,

04-05_at work.indd 5

Nautilus has written to the company with a formal request to enter into a partnership at work agreement, together with a draft memorandum of understanding which had been the subject of discussion at the meeting.

Mr Havard described the talks as constructive and said the Union is looking forward to developing a productive relationship with Gardline.

left in the European Union: around 220,000.

The figure is contained in the latest Brussels maritime strategy paper, without any explanation as to where it comes from. Commission officials have until now professed ignorance about the number of seafarers remaining in Europe.

But new figures collated by the European Maritime Safety Agency give a better picture of both officers and ratings, the Commission says.

Data gathered from 26 EU member states authorised to issue certificates of competency to masters and officers shows that there were 161,419 certificate holders in 2014, of which 143,681 were EU citizens and

14,722 non-EU citizens.

A further 3,016 were of an ‘unknown’ nationality.

Data from 14 member states authorised to issue certificates of proficiency to ratings showed that 65,751 held valid certification in the same year, of which 95% were EU citizens.

‘Based on the above, the estimate of 220,000 EU seafarers can be justified,’ said a Commission source.

Statistics are important because, if they are published regularly, they will show whether EU seafaring is in decline, as many suspect. If the Commission’s next set of figures provide evidence of this decline, seafaring unions are likely to make fresh calls for action to be taken.

However, Brexit is likely to knock 10% off the total. z Justin Stares is editor of maritimewatch.eu

shortreports CALMAC OFFER: a ‘full and final’ one-year 2% pay increase has been offered to members employed

by Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) as part of the talks on the 2016 pay and conditions review.

The offer — effective from 1 October 2016 — will also see the watchkeeping engineer pay scale now include incremental increases in years one, two, three and six years of service. A 1.5% bonus will be paid in November 2017 if the company hits an operator return target, and a joint working party will be established to discuss any future bonus arrangements. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth said the offer is being recommended as the best achievable through negotiation and consultation results were due by the end of October.

FORELAND SLIPS: payslips for members employed by Foreland Shipping (Guernsey) will now be sent electronically, the company has said. Management plan to make the change with effect from the November payroll and say the move will give members immediate access to their monthly payslips and make MLC compliance much for straightforward. Members have been advised to let the company know if they have any concerns about the move.

RFA RISE: Nautilus has reluctantly accepted a 1% pay offer for members serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary following further talks on the 2016/17 review.

Discussions covered issues including improved wi-fi access at sea and temporary promotions. Members are also being asked to take part in a survey to identify a preference for three or four-month seagoing appointments within existing terms and conditions of service.

FMS YES: members employed by Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda) have voted to accept both sections of the company’s Utilisation project — which will result in officers moving to a time-on/time-off rotation pattern.

Section A was accepted by 83% of members who voted, whilst section B was accepted by 64%.

SEATRUCK HOPES: Nautilus has asked members employed by Seaway Manning Services (Guernsey) and serving onboard vessels operated by Seatruck Ferries to give evidence and views on the contents of the imminent pay and conditions claim to the company.

SERCO CONSULT: following talks with management, Nautilus is undertaking a further consultation with members employed by Serco Northlink Ferries (Guernsey) Crewing on proposed new terms and conditions. Results of the consultation are due early this month.

NLB CLAIM: the Northern Lighthouse Board has been presented with a claim for a substantial increase in pay, over and above the RPI rate of inflation.

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19/10/2016 18:21

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

Union talks on Maersk job losses

TECHNIP CUTS: Nautilus International officials and liaison officers are to meet Technip (Singapore) management after the company announced plans for marine crew job reductions. The firm is proposing to offer voluntary redundancy to cut its seafaring numbers, blaming a further decline in fleet activity and ‘end of life plans’ for some of its vessels. National organiser Steve Doran said the Union would be fully involved in the consultation procedures.

OFFSHORE OPPORTUNITY: the North Sea could have ‘a new lease of life’ if operators exploit the 3.4bn barrels of oil and gas in small pools within the UKCS, a new study has concluded. The Oil & Gas Authority research described these reserves as ‘a very significant opportunity to maximise economic recovery’ — but warned that market conditions and technologies need to improve to ensure they are exploited.

SEAHORSE PAY: Nautilus has not made a submission for the 2017 pay and conditions review on behalf of members employed by Seahorse Maritime and serving on Sealion vessels. Apologies for any confusion caused by the report to the contrary in last month’s Telegraph. Members are advised to contact industrial organiser Lisa Carr if they have any further queries.

DANISH ALARM: the Danish seafarers’ union DMMA has expressed concern about the future of maritime employment and training in the country as a result of the continuing loss of jobs in the offshore sector.

The union says that any move to extend the DIS second register to the offshore market should be linked to castiron guarantees of jobs for Danes.

NORWEGIAN INCREASE: the Norwegian offshore union Industri Energi says it has secured a ‘formidable increase’ in a two-year collective agreement secured after a three-week strike that affected Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Halliburton, Oceaneering and Oceaneering Asset Integrity.

DUTCH DEAL: the Dutch firm Tschudi Offshore & Towage has picked up the management of two World Wide Supply vessels, World Emerald and World Sapphire, which will be managed from its offices in the Netherlands and Estonia. Crewing will be handled by Marlow Offshore in The Netherlands.

RATES RISE: charter rates for platform supply vessels in the North Sea have recovered after slumping to near record lows, brokers reported last month. Day rates have risen as a result of an improved supply-demand balance, following the withdrawal of scores of ships from the market.

SEALION JOBS: a meeting has taken place between Nautilus representatives and Seahorse Maritime management to discuss ongoing issues regarding the recently announced redundancies onboard the Sealion vessels Toisa Perseus, Proteus and Warrior.

VROON MOVE: Vroon Offshore says it has taken what it described as ‘an important step’ into Mozambique with the creation of a new local division offering VOS vessels, services and expertise for the region’s offshore market.

HAVILA LIAISON: members employed by Havila Marine have been asked to nominate a new liaison officer to represent them. The role will take effect on 1 December 2016 and continue until 30 November 2019.

over redundancy arrangements F for members affected by Maersk’s Nautilus has held negotiations

has opened central Scotland’s A first dedicated marine and offshore Clyde Training Solutions (CTS)

international training centre on the banks of the river Clyde.

The £3.5m facilities, pictured above, include multiple classrooms, a dedicated deep-water pool, a Helicopter Underwater Escape Training module, and a full fire training ground complete with training stack and helideck, all within easy reach of Glasgow airport and Glasgow city centre.

‘This facility can match any of the top marine and offshore training centres in Europe, with our accredited maritime training offering now conducted by our specially selected team of experienced industry trainers.

‘We are working with international training standards providers, such as OPITO, in order to deliver mandatory safety training required for those working on offshore vessels and oil and gas installations,’ he added.

Bleak forecast for North Sea Operators’ study warns of continued over-supply issues

P

Too many vessels chasing not enough work mean that the North Sea support vessel market is unlikely to see any recovery over the next year, operators have warned.

The 2016 Oil & Gas UK Economic Report says that reduced subsea expenditure is set to combine with continued oversupply of vessels to result in further reductions in revenue.

‘Any stabilisation or recovery is heavily linked to a return to subsea development spend, which in turn is likely to lag behind any initial growth in exploration and spending,’ it adds.

The report notes that several companies — including Fletcher Shipping, Harkand and Atlantic Offshore — have gone into administration and removed supply from the market, potentially creating more opportunities for other operators.

With downward pressure on day rates, revenues in the UK marine and subsea sector fell by an estimated 14% last year, the report says.

A further fall of 11% is likely this year and, with companies in the sector increasingly exposed to the reduction in new development projects, the report warns that revenues could decline by 15% next year.

Oil & Gas UK noted that some operators have managed to secure work in the offshore wind sector and others have made savings through more efficient fleet management.

Overall, the report says some 120,000 jobs have been lost in the North Sea over the past two years. UKCS output actually increased by 10.4% in 2015 — the first increase in 15 years — but the report warns that further cutbacks are likely, with exploration

down to an all-time low.

Operators have slashed the cost of production by 45% since the downturn started. Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie said the lower unit costs have enabled fields to continue operations that would otherwise have been uneconomic.

‘While some of the giant fields of the past, such as Brent, are now being decommissioned, there has not been a widespread rush to cease production on the UKCS as might have otherwise been expected,’ she added.

Ms Michie warned that UKCS production is running at four times the rate that new reserves are being discovered. There is an urgent need for exploration drilling to reverse this ‘unsustainable’ trend, she added, and Oil & Gas UK is seeking more support to ensure that undeveloped small pools can be exploited.

Alarm over rise in drop dangers F

Concerns have been raised over an increase in the number of offshore accidents involving dropped objects and potential dropped objects.

The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) warned that dropped objects have been a persistent problem for a long time. After a decline to 19 incidents last year, a total of 18 were reported in the first eight months of 2016 — despite the exposure being halved as a result of fleet reductions.

In a safety alert issued last month, MSF stated that data from vessel owners’ records shows that 76% of potential and actual dropped objects over the course of 2015 and 2016 have come from back-load cargo, 13% originate from on-shore and 11% are items dropped on the vessels themselves.

MSF warned that many of the objects falling from, or found on, backload cargo several are clearly potential fatalities. It stressed the need for thorough checks prior to backload and to remain well clear of lifts in a safe area until the cargo is landed on the deck and it is clear to approach.

As a member of Nautilus, don’t forget you have access to the Nautilus Plus member benefits scheme, offering you fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services. save money on your gifts this F Christmas. Whether it’s your family or Nautilus Plus is here to help you

partner, we’re sure these festive picks will give you some inspiration:

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

CTS — a newly-established Clyde Group company — is now offering an extensive range of onsite accredited maritime safety courses from the Clydebank complex. Accredited courses aimed specifically at the offshore and oil and gas industries are set to follow soon.

The first phase of operations at the centre has created 30 jobs, and the company says more posts are likely to follow as business expands.

CTS director Colin McMurray said:

decision to lay up 20 of its 56 supply vessels over the next 18 months.

Following detailed discussions and the launch of a voluntary redundancy scheme, some 20 officers represented

by Nautilus will leave the company — around half of whom are volunteers.

Maersk said the cutbacks are a result of limited trading opportunities and the global over-supply of offshore supply vessels, and members have now been sent a hard copy of their redundancy letter.

National secretary Steve Doran expressed his disappointment at the ongoing downturn within the sector.

‘We have alleviated the need for compulsory redundancies by working with the company on a voluntary redundancy exercise, but sadly this has not generated the level of response the company needed to avoid this scenario,’ he said.

‘All members will continue to be fully supported through these troubling times, and anyone requiring specific guidance or advice concerning a possible appeal against redundancy selection is welcome to contact me.’

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Simply download your exclusive discount voucher from Nautilus Plus to enjoy discounts in-store and online*. g Members can access these benefits, plus many more, via Nautilus Plus on the main Nautilus website: www.nautilusint.org.

*Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers subject to change without notice. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

06_offshore.indd 6

19/10/2016 17:09

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

BAS officer wins top trainee prize ‘Outstanding student’ is presented with 2016’s UK cadet of the year award

P

Shipping minister John Hayes has presented the 2016 UK Officer Trainee of the Year award to Robert Bellis, now serving as a third mate on the British Antarctic Survey vessel James Clark Ross.

Robert, aged 22, was nominated for the award by staff at Liverpool John Moores University who described him as the most outstanding student they have taught and trained.

The award — which is supported by Nautilus — recognises ‘outstanding achievement in academic and professional progress’ by a newly-qualified officer. The Union is part of a judging panel which selects the winner from candidates nominated by colleges around the UK. Robert gained a BSc in nautical science as well as his OOW qualifications during his four-year course. Sponsored by the Conway Merchant Navy Trust and the Ship Safe Training Group, he had seatime as a cadet with Hanson dredgers, Arklow Shipping and the British Antarctic Survey.

Robert’s family have no seafaring history, but he became interested in a maritime career after joining the Sea Cadets at the age of 10. ‘It got me really interested in the water and the navigation side of things, and I am now the commanding officer of my local Sea

Robert Bellis: 2016 officer trainee of the year Picture: Andrew Linington

Cadets unit in Ellesmere Port,’ he added.

‘I am extremely honoured and

surprised to have been chosen for this prestigious award,’ Robert said. ‘It is rewarding to learn

that all of my hard work has been recognised by the industry and I would like to would like to thank all those who have supported me throughout my training.

‘It has been my ambition for many years to be a ship’s captain,’ he added. ‘The Merchant Navy seemed like a fantastic way to get paid to do what I enjoy. I love working at sea — the responsibility and the variety is fantastic and I hope to go all the way to becoming a master, before moving ashore to work.’

Presenting the award, Mr Hayes described Robert as an outstanding recipient. ‘As an island nation, our rich maritime history is something we are rightly proud of, and the excellent training programmes offered by industry are inspiring future generations of seafarers. With trainees such as Robert, we can be sure that the UK’s maritime industry will continue to thrive.’

Maritime & Coastguard Agency chief executive Sir Alan Massey added: ‘Robert Bellis is an example of the kind of excellence that we want to encourage and promote within the maritime industry.

‘I wish him every success for what, I am sure, will be a career that reflects his outstanding qualities and commitment to the maritime industry.’

BP officer Robert Szymeckzo is presented with his Open University Award

by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones Picture: James Champion

University challenge overcome by officer been studying for a degree A while serving at sea was presented A Nautilus member who has

with a special award by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, at the Marine Society and Sea Cadets annual court in London last month.

Robert Szymeckzo, a chief officer with BP Shipping, received the Open University Award for outstanding achievement in studies towards BA Leadership and Management — winning praise for his success in overcoming the challenges of working long hours at sea to demonstrate ‘a strong drive for excellence and continuous development’.

Robert, who comes from Poland, said he had been encouraged to follow his father — a chief engineer — in taking up a career at sea. He has been with BP for 10 years and is on the company’s accelerated development programme.

‘I would like to become a master and then bring my experience to the office,’ he said. ‘I feel I can do a lot more and the company is very supportive of those who would like

to make such a transition.’

Presently serving on the products tanker British Harmony, Robert said his studies have been hard — and time management is the key to his success. ‘There are times at sea when it is really difficult to find the time, such as after cargo operations. And at home I have a two-and-a-half year-old, so I have to plan everything very carefully.’

Other award winners included Captain Michael Golding, from the Fugro Explorer, who received the National Extension College Award for outstanding achievements in GCSE/A Level studies, and ro-pax chief officer Glenn Tonner, who received the Middlesex University Award for outstanding achievement in BSc Professional Practice Studies.

The Marine Society’s Thomas Gray Medal was awarded to Lt Cdr Chris Trelawny, in recognition of his significant contribution to the safety of seafarers through his work to combat piracy as head of the maritime security section of the International Maritime Organisation.

Slater Fund boosts career who went on to gain his F officer qualifications with help from

A former superyacht deckhand

Slater Award winner Alex Boulton with the First Sea Lord and Nautilus International’s Steven Gosling

the Nautilus Slater Fund has been presented with the Fund’s award for outstanding achievement.

Alex Boulton, who is now serving as second officer onboard the 107m vessel Ulysses, was presented with the award by Stephen Gosling, the Union’s head of strategic development, during the Marine Society’s annual court.

Alex, who studied for the qualifications at Warsash Maritime Academy, was praised for his ‘tremendous efforts’ in completing the course with four distinctions and one merit.

He had begun working in the

A COMPLETE CREW TRAINING SERVICE STCW - REFRESHER - SECURITY - HELIDECK - LIFEBOAT

superyacht sector after completing a degree in sports science at Cardiff University in 2010. ‘I wanted to do some travelling and got a job as a deckhand, and it just progressed from there,’ he said. ‘I only planned to do a couple of years, but the more I did and the more I met captains and chief officers who had been successful, the more I thought that I was capable to getting to that level.

He found out about the Fund through staff at Warsash and learned that his application had been successful just three days before his course began. ‘I would have funded myself, but the support from the Slater Fund was fantastic and it really gave me the impetus to go for it. I got a

great job out of it and I’ve not looked back since.’

Alex said he particularly enjoys the dynamic environment of work at sea. ‘It’s like no other industry, with different people and different places all the time. Your office is changing every day.’

He hopes to continue his career with exploration yachting in the Antarctic and already has his eyes on chief mate’s unlimited certification.

‘Last year was pretty stressful, as the course is very concentrated and the orals were the scariest experience of my life,’ he adds. ‘But after getting some more experience and more seatime, I definitely want to take things further.’

Contact us today for more information maritimeskillsacademy.com +44 (0) 300 303 8393 shortcourses@vikingrecruitment.com

The Maritime Skills Academy can meet your every need when it comes to training. We offer a full portfolio of MCA accredited STCW training courses as well as professional development courses. We are also an Approved English Marlins Testing Centre.

07_news.indd 7

19/10/2016 15:35

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Maxwell’s yacht on sale again

Nautilus SRB ‘now even more vital’

by Michael Howorth

Mona K — a yacht best F remembered in history as Lady

The 57.5m Dutch-built Lady

Ghislaine — has come onto the market for the first time in 20 years, joining the fleet for sale through Camper & Nicholson.

A revolutionary superyacht at the time of build in 1986, she was custom designed and built by Amels and was bought by the disgraced press baron Robert Maxwell who named her after his youngest child, Ghislaine.

Maxwell, an experienced owner, was found dead in the sea on 5 November 1991, and was presumed to have fallen overboard from the vessel which was cruising off the Canary Islands.

An inquest ruled that he his death was due to a heart attack combined with accidental drowning and murder was ruled out.

The 767gt yacht was sold to a US buyer in 1992. With accommodation for 12 guests and 13 crew, Lady Mona K is powered by twin 1051kW Caterpillar engines and has a maximum speed of 16 knots and a range of 3,800nm at 13 knots.

Lürssen buys Bismark yard

by Michael Howorth

Lürssen has acquired the Blohm H & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. With

Free seatime record book will help to speed up MCA certification process

P

Nautilus is highlighting the benefits of its special Service Record Book (SRB) for superyacht crew members after an announcement by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.

Speaking at the event, the MCA’s registrar general of shipping and seamen Captain Roger Towner announced that with effect from January 2017, officers and crew working on large yachts, and wishing to register for a notice of eligibility for a certificate of competency (or its renewal) would be strongly encouraged to hold a MCA-recognised SRB, such as the one provided by Nautilus International.

Those seafarers presenting their seatime via ordinary testimonials — instead of using the SRB process — will still be able to apply for a notice of eligibility, but according to Captain Towner, ‘they will experience delays, as the MCA will have to independently verify their seatime’.

Honours for top charter captains

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

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

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

08_yachts.indd 8

tailored to the needs of the F superyacht sector has been launched A new cadetship programme

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan at the Monaco Show

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan said the announcement underlined the ‘industry-leading’ nature of the Union’s SRB. ‘It is essential that our large yacht members who do not yet have their Nautilus Service Record Book contact us immediately,’ he added. ‘Just as importantly, those members

must get their colleagues and friends to join the Union, so that they too can benefit from this invaluable service straight away.

Anyone can call into our office in Antibes, operated in partnership with D&B Services, to collect a book or become a member — or both!’

Mr McGowan said large yacht

members are entitled to a free, personalised copy of the Nautilus SRB, in addition to all the other benefits available to members working across the maritime industry.

Jorg Wendt, Nautilus honorary delegate based in Antibes, added: ‘The Nautilus International SRB is verified from our office in Antibes, and this announcement serves to recognise its value and importance, and the confidence the Maritime & Coastguard Agency places in our verification of seatime.’

Nautilus officials attended the Monaco Yacht Show again this year, meeting representatives from organisations including the MCA, Isle of Man and Cayman Islands ship registries, the UKSA, Viking Recruitment, Warsash Maritime Academy, DG Maritime, Bluewater, the YachtNeeds, the website onboardonline, and Wilsonhalligan. Talks were also held with local International Transport Workers’ Federation inspector Corine Archambaud.

The Bremen-based builder

the acquisition of the yard that built the Bismark, Lürssen is seeking to strengthen its portfolio in repair and refit activities for superyachts, as well as enhancing its naval newbuild operations.

If approved by competition authorities, the deal will enable Lürssen to combine six specialised superyacht yards, with approximately 2,800 employees in Germany.

Warsash launches unlimited cadetship

F

One of the highlights of the Monaco Yacht Show each year is the Fraser Yachts Captains’ Dinner.

This year’s event, the 16th, took place at the Monaco Yacht Club and welcomed more than 400 guests.

The prestigious Charter Captain of the Year award went to Captain Graham Wilkinson, pictured right, from the 52m sailing yacht Parna.

The crew and Captain Andrea Aste of motor yacht Victory took away the Best Charter Crew (yacht over 50m) award and the Best Charter Crew (yacht under 50m) was awarded to Captain Claud Akers, his wife Emma, and the rest of the crew from the motor yacht Askari.

Prizes included luxury watches, training packages and free berthing.

Cruiseship comes to the rescue Carnival Spirit went to the aid A of a superyacht after crew members The 88,500gt cruiseship

reported that they had lost steering and the vessel was sinking off the coast of Australia.

A fast rescue boat from the Panama-flagged cruiseship evacuated two crew members from the 37m Masteka 2 about 260km east of Port Macquarie after responding to an alert from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

Four other crew decided to remain on Masteka 2 to attempt repairs, and they managed to stop the leak and stabilise the yacht after being supplied with two dewatering pumps.

Masteka 2 was sailing from Fiji to Sydney when it began taking on water. Two tugs were sent to tow the vessel back to Sydney harbour.

— the first course of its kind to issue an unlimited UK Officer of the Watch certificate.

Seven individuals are in the first cohort of the cadetship, which is being delivered by Warsash Superyacht Academy— part of Southampton Solent University — in collaboration with the sponsoring organisation, The Corporation of Trinity House.

Modelled on the Merchant Navy’s three-year deck officer foundation degree programme, the five-phase course alternates between academic studies at Warsash and a total of 12 to 14 months of sea time on superyachts, sail training vessels and commercial ships to get practical experience.

As well as achieving an OOW (Unlimited) CoC, cadets will gain a foundation degree — FdSc Marine Operations — and academic exemptions from working towards Chief Mate (Unlimited) certification.

Sector-specific units within the course include: the superyacht regulatory framework and operations; RYA Powerboat Level 2 certification; VHF Short Range certification; Day Skipper or similar certification; tender operations, personal powercraft certification; paint-care; and superyacht hospitality induction.

Warsash Superyacht Academy director Lars Lippuner commented: ‘We are delighted to be in a position where we can deliver the superyachtspecific tuition alongside our Merchant Navy deck cadet training at Warsash. This new officer cadetship demonstrates the growth of the sector and highlights how serious it has become, as well as offering unrivalled value to young people in helping them sustain long-term career prospects.’

Chiltern Maritime operations director Don Millar added: ‘The first superyacht cadetship cohort started at Warsash two weeks ago, and we are delighted that Trinity House offers this opportunity to young people embarking on their career path as superyacht officers.’

Academy tutors met yacht management companies at the Monaco Yacht Show to highlight the benefits to of sponsoring cadetships for their future officers. g For further details, visit: www. chilternmaritime.com

19/10/2016 15:36

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Masters in court on drinking charges appeared in court in the UK after F being caught being more than three A Russian shipmaster has

times over the legal alcohol limit when his vessel was entering the port of Fowey.

Truro magistrates court heard that the harbour pilot had raised concerns after boarding the Cyprus-flagged general cargoship Pur Navolok and finding that Captain Sergey Safronov was absent from the bridge, with his duties being undertaken by the chief mate.

Further concerns were raised when the ship’s agent boarded the ship and found that the master was struggling to complete paperwork.

The court heard that Capt Safronov smelt of alcohol and he struggled to understand what was going on, even

though he could speak good English.

Alison May, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said a police breath test registered 80mcg of alcohol in his breath, more than three times the 25mcg limit, and after Capt Safronov was arrested he became argumentative and obstructive.

Magistrates sent Capt Safronov to Truro Crown Court for sentencing and remanded him in custody until then. g A containership master accused of being drunk in charge of his vessel in the port of Belfast has been ordered to pay a £5,000 bond being able to return home to Lithuania. Captain Eugenijus Tulauskas was arrested by harbour police on September 25 and faces a charge of having excess alcohol while on duty as professional master of a ship.

Left to right: Stuart Benge, senior training coordinator CML; Kristy Dawson, cadet training manager CUK; Don Millar, operations director CML; and Martyn Thomas, head of maritime & safety training CUK

Agreement cements cadet seatime with Carnival UK Maritime have signed a A service level agreement (SLA) to Carnival UK and Chiltern

formalise a long-running informal agreement to provide crucial experience for officer trainees.

Under the scheme, Carnival UK offers seatime onboard its fleet of cruiseships for some of the marine charity cadets administrated by Chiltern. The relationship has been running for over 10 years and around 70 cadets have benefited from the opportunity.

Carnival UK cadet training manager Kristy Dawson commented: ‘The agreement cements a long-term relationship and our commitment to continued support of their cadets. Working onboard a cruiseship affords the

cadet the opportunity to develop their communication, behaviour and leadership skills. This in return, gives us future access to a talent pool of potential third officers with relevant experience and knowledge of our industry.’

Chiltern Maritime operations director Don Millar added: ‘This SLA is a positive step forward in formalising this agreement and continuing with the excellent training opportunities CUK offer the marine charity cadets. The experience gained in the cruise sector is an important part of a charity-sponsored cadetship whose aims are to develop cadets for the industry, with cadets training on all types of ships from tall ships to VLCCs.’

Brian Slater, above left, and Bob Freeman , second from right in the picture above right, are two of the seafarers who have been supported by the Maritime Educational Foundation in training for STCW 2010 certification

Funding help for STCW training Unemployed UK seafarers offered assistance with certificate update costs

P

The deadline for updating certificates to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendment requirements is looming — and a shipping industry charity is offering support to help unemployed UK officers with the costs of the required training.

The Maritime Educational Foundation (MEF) — a charitable organisation overseen by a board of trustees who represent Nautilus International, the RMT union and the UK Chamber of Shipping — is also offering help for seafarers who have lost jobs in the offshore sector to retrain for work in other parts of the industry.

Under the Manila Amendments, effective from 1 January 2017, seafarers are required to provide evidence every five years of having maintained the required standards of competence to undertake the tasks, duties and responsibilities relating to emer-

gency, occupational safety and survival functions.

The MEF says it recognises the challenges faced by some seafarers in the present economic climate who need to update their STCW certificates to secure future contracts. Noting the importance of keeping skills and experience within the industry, it offers individual funding support to unemployed officers and ratings seeking to undertake approved training leading to updating their STCW certification.

And in recognition of the particularly tough conditions in the offshore oil sector, MEF trustees have recently allocated funding to support UK officers with industry-approved courses that may assist employability in other sectors — such as ferries, windfarm support and yachting.

Funding for the costs of industry-approved courses such as those required or offered by Renewables-UK and the Global

Wind Organisation, MEOL and MIST will be considered on a caseby-case basis.

MEF chair Kathryn Nielson commented: ‘The MEF is committed to supporting UK officer and rating training, both for new entrants and for those who need support to stay in the industry.

If a seafarer finds themselves in a position where funding assistance would facilitate their remaining, and progressing, in a career at sea, I encourage them to visit our website to see what is available.

‘The process is quick and easy for applicants, and UK shipping benefits by keeping experience and talent onboard.’

Brian Salter is one of the seafarers who has been supported by the Foundation. ‘MEF training funding is the unknown saviour of the seas,’ he said. ‘During a brief spell out of work, I realised some crucial refresher training was needed to ensure my Masters CoC was valid

for future postings. By sheer luck, I heard by word of mouth about MEF funding and thought it must be worth a try. The application process couldn’t be simpler.

‘In the current industry downturn and looming Manila refreshers needed, I would urge anyone needing assistance to get in touch for the help they require.’

Bob Freeman is another beneficiary. ‘Due to the recent slump in the oil and gas market, I found myself out of work,’ he said. ‘I knew that I would need to update my tickets, which was not a problem whilst employed, but with no income of any sort it became a bit of a struggle.

‘I was informed by the local RMT branch official that funding was available from the MEF to put me through the STCW updating courses. I contacted the MEF a few days later and from then on it was a breeze.’ g For more details, visit the website: www.meftraining.org

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09_news.indd 9

19/10/2016 15:37

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NEWS

MAIB slates sub’s safety Accident report accuses Navy of hindering investigation GIbraltar’s port minister Paul Balban hosted a reception to mark the launch of the new welfare board last month

New board for crew welfare in Gibraltar its welfare provisions A for seafarers into line with

Gibraltar has brought

Maritime Labour Convention recommendations following the launch, at a reception in the governor’s residence last month, of the Gibraltar Seafarers’ Welfare Board.

Port minister Paul Balban is pictured above with guests at the inauguration event, which came the day after the Gibraltar Port Welfare Committee was formally disbanded — on its 10th anniversary — in favour of the change of status.

The board takes over the committee’s responsibilities for coordinating the provision of welfare services to merchant seafarers visiting Gibraltar. It also provides a forum where all those involved in seafarers’ welfare can meet regularly, share information, provide mutual support and discuss wider issues that may affect

seafarers and their families visiting or resident around their ports.

Captain James Ferro, chairman of the new board, welcomed the development — noting that ‘the title properly recognises Gibraltar’s role as a global maritime state’.

The new board will continue to be supported and administered by the UK Merchant Navy Welfare Board. Its chief executive, Captain David Parsons, commented: ‘This reflects the warm welcome and welfare support given to seafarers of all nationalities visiting the port over many years, which was a result of the long and close collaboration between the voluntary societies, churches, Gibraltar Maritime Administration and port authorities.

‘The support to seafarers and the new title is line with the recommendations set down in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.’

P

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has sharply criticised the Royal Navy for its failure to properly engage with an investigation of a case in which a submarine nearly sank a fishing vessel in the Irish Sea last year.

The UK-registered trawler Karen was dragged backwards at seven knots in April last year after the submarine became snagged in its nets 15 miles SE of Ardglass. The MAIB report says it was ‘extremely fortunate’ that the vessel did not capsize.

Investigators said the submarine’s sonar and command teams believed the majority of shipping contacts in the area were merchant vessels. However, the report notes, most were trawlers, and the risks posed by the submarine being in a densely populated fishing area were predictable and should have been assessed when the passage plan was prepared.

In reality, it adds, the submarine’s crew were ‘cognitively overloaded, leading to degraded situational awareness and poor decision-making’. The command

To support cadets starting their

to inspire confidence that the RN would take the necessary actions to prevent a similar accident in future.

‘Regrettably, the reluctance of the Royal Navy to fully engage in the subsequent investigation resulted in this report taking significantly longer to deliver than would normally be the case,’ said MAIB chief inspector Steve Clinch.

‘The accident happened because of insufficient passage planning by the submarine’s command team and their failure to follow guidance on fishing vessel avoidance,’ he added.

‘Had its trawl warps not parted, it is almost inevitable that Karen would have capsized and sunk,’ he pointed out. ‘The collision also presented a very significant risk to the submarine.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson backed the report. “This may be the “silent service”, but to choose not to cooperate with HM Coastguard or the MAIB in peacetime shows little regard for the safety of the Queen’s subjects and its own personnel,’ he added.

launched a pair of ‘book bundles’ — a heavily discounted selection of essential textbooks for deck and engineer officer trainees.

Produced in collaboration with Witherby Publishing, the packages offer books that would be much more expensive if purchased individually.

And although aimed at OOW and EOOW trainees at the beginning of

their careers, the titles selected could also be useful to more experienced mariners seeking to refresh their knowledge.

‘The light and easily portable collection will not take up too much baggage allowance,’ said Marine Society business developer Nick Chubb, ‘and cadets are therefore able to carry the bundles with them from ship to ship instead of taking the chance that study materials will be available onboard.

‘Study at sea is essential for career progression,’ Mr Chubb continued, ‘but sadly not all ships carry training libraries these days — so we were keen to find a way to help trainees obtain the right books at a reasonable cost.’ g Priced at £70 for the deck textbooks and £50 for the engineering textbooks, the Marine Society College book bundles are available from www.marinesocietyshop.org, or by emailing books@ms-sc.org.

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10-11_news.indd 10

McPherson, who has been A appointed as the new chief Pictured above is Alan

team was unaware of the collision until three hours later.

The MAIB said it was clear that lessons had not been learned from the loss of the trawler Antares, with its four crew, in the Clyde in 1990, and the submarine was not operating in line with the standard procedures for avoiding fishing vessels.

The report is particularly critical of the RN’s failure to cooperate with the investigation. It initially denied that a submarine had been in the area, and by the time the presence was admitted, nearly five months after the accident, the MAIB said ‘perishable evidence, including witness recollections, would almost certainly have become contaminated or lost’.

Even after this admission, the RN denied the MAIB access to witnesses and other primary evidence sources, and it was not until 10 months after the accident that it presented the investigators with an internal review report.

The MAIB said the Navy’s report ‘did not appear to deal with the systemic issues underlying this collision’ and had done little

harbour master for Forth Ports’ Scottish operations.

Mr McPherson, who has more than 17 years of experience in the sector, has served with Ben Line, Tidewater, Global Marine Drilling and the port of Sunderland. He was previously with the Port of Tyne Authority, where he held roles including senior pilot, deputy harbour master and harbour master.

Originally from Glasgow, Mr McPherson’s new role will cover responsibility for the busy waterways of the Forth and Tay — managing an operating area of 280 sq miles of navigable waters, including two specialist marine terminals for oil and gas export.

Discount textbooks for cadets studies this year, the educational F charity Marine Society College has

Christmas Card Appeal

Forth harbour master role

fishing vessel that ran aground F off the Shetland Islands causing the The owner and skipper of a

death of a crew member has been sentenced to six months in prison.

Crewman Leonard Scollay died after ending up in the water when the clam dredger LK6 hit rocks at West

Burra Firth in March 2014. Skipper Christopher Smith had pleaded guilty to a contravention of Section 58(2)(b) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

Gary Aitken, head of the health and safety division at the Crown Office, said: ‘Christopher Smith’s failure to navigate his vessel properly led to

the death of John Scollay. This was an entirely avoidable tragedy which should serve as a reminder to vessel operators that they should ensure that they are familiar with and adhere to the appropriate navigation systems, and that failure to do so can have tragic consequences.’

Former officer leads BSM UK Shipping chief officer Neil A McNeil, who has been appointed Pictured above is former BP

to head the UK and Isle of Man operations of Bernard Schulte Shipmanagement.

Mr McNeil served at sea for 13 years with Denholm Ship Management and BP before serving as regional fleet manager (Americas) for BP and managing director with V Ships USA. ‘I am really proud to have joined BSM and look forward to making my mark in the newly-merged British Isles Ship Management Centre,’ he said.

Grounding is blamed on fatigue in a laden bulk carrier running F aground off the coast of Sweden last

Fatigue and distractions resulted

year, an accident investigation has concluded.

The 46,841dwt Victoria suffered extensive hull damage after deviating from its planned course a day after sailing from the German port of Rostock with a cargo of wheat in September 2015.

A report from the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority notes that the ship’s deviation from the intended course had gone unnoticed by the officer of the watch. Neither the chief officer nor the third officer had fixed the vessel’s position for almost two hours before the grounding.

Investigators said the OOW had been distracted because he was monitoring the deck crew sealing

the cargo hatches whilst keeping the bridge watch. His attention had also been diverted by the master, chief engineer and electrician — who were holding a meeting on the bridge at the time of the accident to discuss testing the crane prior to calling at the port of Conakry 12 days later.

The report also notes that the chief officer had failed to get six consecutive hours of rest in the 24 hours before the

accident. Fatigue, combined with his heavy workload in a busy seaway, had adversely affected his ability to safely navigate the ship, it adds.

Investigators said there had been shortcomings in route planning, with the speed for the voyage through the Great Belt differing from that used for the squat calculations and the under-keel clearance missing from the route plans.

19/10/2016 17:20

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

Calls to cut rising tide of sea litter

RN-MN crews in ship swaps

Organisation member states A have called for more action to International Maritime

address marine litter in the oceans — and plastics in particular.

Delegates attending the 38th session of the London Convention last month voiced concern about the growing environmental threats posed by plastics and microplastics, stressing the need for urgent measures to cut marine litter at source.

The dumping of plastics from ships is banned under the garbage regulations of the MARPOL convention, and the London Convention and Protocol prohibit the disposal of plastics at sea. A number of countries have taken action to reduce the use of plastics and to address the problem of microbeads and microplastics entering the marine environment. However, the meeting agreed that further work is needed. g See feature, page 29.

Chevron officer gets a taste of life with ‘grey funnel line’

P Chevron officer James Shepherd watches a RAS from HMS Richmond, top, and below the RN marine engineers onboard the strategic ro-ro Anvil Point

Skipper fined for dumping £500 and ordered to pay costs A of more than £2,000 after pleading

A barge skipper has been fined

guilty to dumping rubbish off the UK coast.

Torquay magistrates heard that Mark Tamburrano had been spotted throwing waste overboard as the vessel was sailing between Exmouth and Plymouth in May. The waste included a number of bin bags with plastic inside them, along with gas canisters and a chemical toilet.

The prosecution was brought by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and surveyor operations manager Tony Heslop said: ‘The law is very clear and there for a purpose — the protection of the marine environment.

‘Such behaviour is always unacceptable and it is the duty for those who make their living from the sea to protect it.’

Seafarers from the Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy have been given a taste of life in each other’s fleets thanks to an exchange scheme run by the RN. As part of the RN’s Merchant Navy Liaison Voyage scheme, Chevron third officer James Shepherd joined the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond in Plymouth to see the operations and systems onboard a warship during a week of operational sea training.

‘I was aware that Chevron had hosted young officers from the Royal Navy aboard to assist in completing their studies,’ he said.

‘As such, I was very pleased to be invited as the first officer from Chevron Shipping to be their guest aboard HMS Richmond.’

James said he had been particularly interested to see a ‘replenishment at sea’ operation to take on diesel fuel.

‘The Navy has a very different procedure for undertaking this operation by comparison with our ship-to-ship operations,’ he noted. ‘Whilst the interaction forces between the two vessels remained, they were countered with the smaller vessel increasing speed to around 18 knots to punch

through the pressure zones which is not something that I had not previously experienced.’

James — who is now researching the requirements to join the Royal Naval Reserve — said he had thoroughly enjoyed the week aboard and received an outstanding welcome from HMS Richmond’s crew.

‘It was a real learning experience and whilst a lot of operations are carried out differently within the Merchant Navy, at the end of the day we are all governed by the same 38 collision regulations!’

In the reverse swap, three RN marine engineer technicians from the Engineering Training Squadron at Devonport joined the Foreland Shipping strategic ro-ro cargoship Anvil Point for a three-week mission.

Whilst sailors from the RN’s warfare branch have previously taken part in the MNLV scheme, this was the first such acquaint for RN engineers, who were overseen and managed by Chief Petty Officer Dave Oakley throughout their time onboard.

They joined Anvil Point in Gibraltar during a programmed short maintenance package, and were welcomed onboard by Cap-

tain Nigel Barningham and chief engineer David Williams. They were able to put their skills to work in removing fuel injectors to the two main diesel engines and supported the ship’s crew in other mechanical, electrical, auxiliary maintenance and servicing work.

The engineers remained onboard Anvil Point for the voyage back to the UK, getting an insight into the pre-sailing checks, and exposure to the different routines and procedures taking place in Foreland Shipping’s fleet — including shadowing the duty engineer on daily checks.

ET (ME) Samuel Faulkner commented: ‘The experience has been one of the highlights of my time in the Royal Navy. The engineering team onboard made us feel part of their small team, and I really enjoyed the hands-on work and being able to see how the Merchant Navy engineers work and operate.’ g For further details on the RN-MN Liaison Voyage scheme, contact: Lt Cdr David Carter, Maritime Warfare School, Room G135, Marlborough Building, HMS Collingwood, Fareham PO14 1AS. Tel: 01329 33 35 90 or email: navyoptrg-mwswtgmtr2@mod.uk

Audit report questions value of aid to EU port schemes has questioned whether the EU got F value for money from €10bn worth of aid

The European Court of Auditors (ECA)

given to maritime transport, ports, and freight investment projects over a 13-year timeframe.

The ECA investigation argues that the European Commission and EU member states

have failed to provide ‘a robust and coherent’ strategy for long-term planning of port development and for identifying funding for port infrastructures.

The report says this has resulted in the ‘ineffective and unsustainable’ use of public funding — with as much as half the aid provided

going to port projects that were not used or were heavily under-used for more than three years after the works ended.

It also points to cost overruns and delays affecting many of the projects, as well as accusing the Commission of not taking the necessary actions ‘in the area of state aid and customs

procedures to enable ports to compete on a level playing field’.

The report calls for closer monitoring of EU port capacity, better assessments of the current 104 EU ‘core’ ports and for a new EU-wide development plan for core ports, waterways and canals.

Warning on BWM RETURNING training hold-ups TO COLLEGE?

Videotel has urged ship owners F and managers to take prompt action The maritime training firm

to ensure that their crews are properly equipped to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation’s newly-ratified Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention.

Videotel has launched a new version of its BWM package to help ship masters and officers deal with BWM plan implementation, including proper record-keeping and the need for operator training on a compliant onboard system to treat ballast water and eliminate unwanted organisms.

The convention is due to enter into force in September 2017, and the Videotel programme also describes various approved BWM systems that are appropriate for different types of vessels. ‘ I urge all ship owners and ship managers to take advantage of our

10-11_news.indd 11

programme now and not wait until the ratification due date, as it may leave insufficient time for them to choose which system is suitable for their vessels and ensure their crews are properly trained to ensure compliance,’ said Videotel CEO Nigel Cleave.

Nautilus professional and technical assistant David Appleton added: ‘Companies need to ensure that all seafarers have received type-specific training on the equipment fitted on their ships, and that due consideration is given to any additional workload that may be placed on the crew as a result of the regulations.

‘There are several options available to shipping companies when choosing a ballast water management system. Nautilus has advocated the fitting of equipment such as ultraviolet systems, which do not carry the risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals,’ he added.

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19/10/2016 15:38

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

HEALTH & SAFETY

RN crew win award for cruiseship rescue vessel have been presented with an award to F honour their ‘outstanding skill and gallantry’ in the Crew members from a Royal Navy patrol

Admiral Sir George Zembellas presents the Lady Swaythling award to HMS Clyde’s commanding officer Cdr David Gillett

Vessel sank 15 minutes after blaze F

Concerns over the safety of novel vessel designs for use in the wind farm sector have been raised by an investigation into the loss of a Danish crew transfer boat last year.

The 233gt Umoe Ventus sank off the east coast of Denmark after fire spread through the vessel within the space of 15 minutes, forcing the crew to evacuate without any attempt to fight the blaze manually or with the fixed fire-fighting systems.

Investigators said the Norwegianbuilt vessel was a prototype surfaceeffect design featuring a catamaran hull and an enclosed air cushion.

Intended for use as a stable platform for unloading personnel and equipment at wind turbines, Umoe Ventus had a twin-water jet propulsion system and was capable of 40 knots.

The fire broke out as the vessel was returning from the Norwegian yard where repairs to the transmission system and minor modifications had been made. The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) concluded that the blaze had been caused by a clogged sea chest strainer which had resulted in insufficient cooling of the lift fan engine exhaust system.

The fire spread so rapidly and the smoke was so intense that crew

members were unable to follow any of the safety management system procedures for tackling the blaze.

Investigators said the speed of the fire’s spread was the result of the use of combustible carbon fibre reinforced plastic sandwich bulkheads, which had a relatively low ignition temperature.

‘This accident raises questions about the usefulness of procedures and operational practices that are rooted in larger, more robust ships where the timespan to assess, inform and act is longer,’ the DMAIB report says. ‘Prolonging the decision to evacuate a small craft like Umoe Ventus by taking all the procedural descriptions into account could result in a situation where an orderly evacuation of the crew and passengers would be impossible.’

The report also notes that it can be ‘problematic’ to use combustible materials in a vessel’s construction and says the incident ‘shows the necessity of rethinking the entire concept of the interaction between structural and functional fire protection, fire-fighting and evacuation when changing the underlying premise of having the ship constructed in a non-combustible material’.

dramatic rescue of 347 passengers and crew from a cruiseship which had lost power following a fire off the Falkland Islands last year.

Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society president Admiral Sir George Zembellas presented the charity’s Lady Swaythling Trophy to the crew of the Falklands patrol vessel HMS Clyde in recognition of their ‘judgement, leadership and excellent seamanship’ in coming to the aid of the French cruiseship Le Boreal, which was drifting in gale force winds and heavy seas last November.

With the cruiseship in danger of running

Snapback zone alert from club ships’ officers to carry out risk F assessments to reduce the chances A leading P&I Club has urged

of accidents in and around mooring stations.

The London P&I Club says its inspectors are continuing to note negative findings — including a lack of anti-skid deck paint in key areas, a lack of hazard marking of protruding objects and platforms, and low awareness of the dangers of snapback zones among crew members involved in mooring operations.

The club says officers should conduct risk assessments to establish the best location for anti-skid areas, and the use of a prescribed additive to the deck paint, which can usually be found in the ship’s coating technical file.

Good surface preparation is essential to a long life, says the club, as it is believed that 70% of premature coating breakdown on ships is attributable to poor surface preparation.

The club emphasises that hazard markings make trip hazards more visible, and says officers should also not overlook dangers at head height when conducting a risk assessment of a mooring station.

Loss prevention manager Carl Durow pointed out that the latest edition of the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers recommends that the painting of snap-back zones on mooring decks should be avoided because they may give a false sense of security.

aground, the master had ordered abandon-ship and a total of 79 passengers were winched to safety from two lifeboats by Sea King helicopters. But HMS Clyde had to provide help to two other covered lifeboats with more than 200 people onboard whose passengers could not be winched off.

The Royal Navy ship escorted the lifeboats for 15nm before helping to transfer the passengers to another ship in the shelter of White Rock Bay, East Falkland.

The commendation notes that due to the professionalism and dedication of the crew, no one was lost and no major injuries were sustained.

An individual commendation was awarded by the Society to Petty Officer Luke Hallis, who took

charge of one of the lifeboats and calmed a ‘chaotic situation with firm leadership’ and steered the passengers to safety.

Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society chief executive Commodore Malcolm Williams commented: ‘Once more we are awed by the selflessness, skill and gallantry of our award winners. Going to sea is inherently risky and the courage and bravery of individuals are still very much relied upon when things go wrong and emergency situations develop.

‘The crew in this case carried out the rescue with calm professionalism in very difficult circumstances. They are worthy winners of this year’s Lady Swaythling Trophy.’

Mate hurt by broken rope Mooring line snapped as cruiseship was berthing in Italy

P

A cruiseship officer suffered serious injuries when he was hit by a mooring rope which snapped as the vessel was berthing in an Italian port last year.

The chief mate of the 73,529gt Pullman Cruises vessel Sovereign had to have emergency surgery ashore after sustaining serious abdominal injuries in the accident in the port of Livorno.

A Maltese flag state investigation found that the aft backspring had parted when the ship began to move astern and yaw out from the berth as the head ropes were heaved to hold the bow alongside.

Investigators noted that Sovereign had berthed in a position which left the bow about 33m past the corner of a pier, even though

there was ample space behind the vessel ‘which, if used, would have significantly improved the direction of the head ropes and probably altered the course of events’.

The report pointed out that deviation from the general mooring configuration could render painted snap-back zones ineffective as safe areas and that the lead of the aft back-spring — which changed direction three times — had increased the number and the size of the snap-back zones.

Investigators said the mooring rope had appeared ‘slightly worn’ but the tensile strength of the rope when new was not known, as no records of its type, size, inspections or when it was brought into service had been kept onboard.

The report urges Pullman Cruises to ensure regular mainte-

nance of mooring equipment and fittings and to keep records of the mooring ropes in use.

It also calls for the company to review its berthing procedures with respect to the ‘finished with engines’ before the vessel is fast fore and aft, and to ensure that masters are adequately supported in the responsibilities for safe mooring procedures.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This is a somewhat disappointing report, in that no recommendation is made concerning the design of mooring decks nor to address the dangerous nature of snap-back zones.

‘The existence of so many seized fittings, as outlined in the report, is an illustration of the lack of maintenance,’ he added.

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12-13_h+s.indd 12

Minister opens new Southampton VTS centre has opened a new vessel traffic F services operating room in the port Shipping minister John Hayes

of Southampton.

The £4m facilities at Ocean Gate incorporates a radar system, AIS, CCTV cameras and fibre-optic cabling and operate on a 24/7 basis, with

responsibility for managing vessel movements in of one of Britain’s busiest waterways — with traffic ranging from some of the world’s largest containerships, car carriers and cruiseships to small yachts and leisure boats.

The minister said he was

delighted to open the new centre.

‘It is vital for the UK’s economy that the world’s largest commercial and cruise ships are able to call safely at the UK’s world leading ports, keeping goods on our shelves, supporting our exporters and taking people on holiday,’ he added.

19/10/2016 16:13

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Engineer killed in fall from tug Union questions workload pressures after investigation into fatal accident

P

An investigation into the death of an engineer onboard a tug in the port of Bristol has highlighted ‘a significant divergence’ between company instructions and actual working practices.

Kevin Jackman was crushed to death when he fell while trying to board an unmanned tug from his vessel, Svitzer Moira, while preparing to free up a berth at the Royal Portbury Dock for an incoming car carrier on 29 December 2015.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it had found shortcomings in the oversight and control of deck operations and lapses in the use of personal protective equipment onboard the Svitzer Marine tug.

Investigators found that there were no dedicated berths for the Svitzer tugs within Royal Portbury Dock and they had to use vacant berths, having to move frequently when they were required by ships.

The MAIB said it had been unable to establish with certainty how Mr Jackman — who had served with Svitzer since 2004 — had died. He had been found lying

Svitzer Moira in the Royal Portbury Dock Picture: MAIB

mainly on fendering between the two tugs, and it appeared he had made an unsuccessful attempt to pass the eye of a mooring rope over the amidship bitts on Svitzer Ellerby.

The report says it was probable that he had fallen as a result of slipping or tripping while exiting through the bulkwark gate.

There were several trip hazards in the area and the unmanned tug was in darkness, giving rise to an increased risk of tripping.

The report notes that while re-locating tugs within the port was a frequent activity, it had not been the subject of a formal risk

assessment. However, it adds, had the control measures in Svitzer’s safe systems of work for mooring and barge handling been applied and had a toolbox talk been held before the operation, the risks might have been identified and it is likely the accident would not have occurred.

Investigators said Mr Jackman had not been wearing a personal flotation device or companyapproved safety boots at the time, and there was no evidence he had used a safety helmet. Although this might not have changed the outcome of the accident, it was a further sign that the company’s

procedures were not being followed, the report adds.

The MAIB noted that Svitzer has taken a series of measures to improve safety in the aftermath of the accident.

The report points out that, in addition to engineering and maintenance tasks, engineers on the Svitzer tugs acted as winch operators during towage operations and assisted on deck when required. ‘While Svitzer required an engineer new to a vessel to be familiar with mooring operations, assisting on deck did not feature in the engineers’ formal job description, and there is no record of Kevin Jackman having received familiarisation training for this task,’ it adds.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘Are we expecting too much from a crew of three and in particular one person — a certificated engineer without any formal deck training — to undertake additional duties?

‘It is also important that PPE is of proper fit and comfortable,’ he added. ‘Consultation with crew is an important factor when determining the type needed.’

IUMI warns on boxship fires renewed concerns over F shortcomings in fire-fighting capacity Marine insurers have raised

onboard containerships.

The annual conference of the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) called for all sides of the shipping industry to work with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), classification societies and ship builders to improve safety standards and find ‘sustainable solutions’ to improve fire-fighting capabilities onboard containerships.

IUMI loss prevention committee vice-chairman Uwe-Peter Schieder said insurers are concerned that seafarers are being asked to tackle onboard fires with inadequate equipment.

‘At sea, below-deck fires cannot be fought with water and so CO2 is used instead to displace the oxygen and extinguish the fire,’ he pointed out.

The containership CCNI Arauco ablaze in the port of Hamburg in September

‘However, if the fire is burning within a container, the box will protect it from the CO2 and so this method of fire-fighting is rarely successful.

Currently there are no other methods

of fighting a containership fire below deck.

‘Even on deck, the crew only have access to hoses and nozzles, Mr Schneider added. ‘They do not have

sufficient monitors or foam and so cannot cool the vessel’s structure.’

IUMI said its concerns had been highlighted by cases such as MSC Flaminia, in which three seafarers lost their lives, the fire burned for almost six weeks, 70% of the cargo was destroyed and the ship was declared a constructive total loss (CTL).

In May this year, a fire caused by welding work onboard Maersk Karachi took more than 100 fire-fighters to bring under control and crews had to flood the hold to extinguish the blaze.

In September, a fire onboard the 95,138gt CCNI Arauco while alongside in the port of Hamburg had to be tackled by 300 fire-fighters. The hold was sealed and flooded with CO2, but this was unsuccessful and water was used before the operation had to be stopped because of stability concerns.

The blaze was eventually brought under control with foam.

‘Better training can cut the risk of casualties’ A

Ship masters and officers need better training to help minimise the risk of major casualties, a salvage expert warned last month.

Speaking at the International Shipowning & Shipmanagement Summit in Singapore, Braemar SA’s Far East regional director Graeme

12-13_h+s.indd 13

Temple said: ‘Training is essential to managing incidents effectively and looking at how processes can be improved.

‘Most large casualties are a once in a lifetime event, but we must make sure masters are prepared for every eventuality,’ he added.

‘Very often the first decisions after an incident are crucial,’ he pointed out, ‘and that is why ship managers and owners, as well as incident support teams, must ensure that the right infrastructure and support is there when it is needed.’

Mr Temple also expressed his

concerns on the impact poor crew motivation has been having, and is likely to continue to have, in the current poor climate.

‘Human error is the cause of many casualties, but poor motivation, for whatever reason, plays a very large part in this I suspect,’ he said.

Investigations after PLA pilot dies in the Thames last month after a Port of F London Authority (PLA) pilot died in Investigations were launched

an incident while boarding a ship in the River Thames.

Gordon Coates was reported to have sustained serious injuries while boarding the 2,825gt Bahamas-flagged cargoship Sunmi, pictured above, in Gravesend Reach.

Despite efforts by PLA staff, the RNLI and the emergency services to save him, he subsequently died.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented:

‘This incident is very sad news and we offer our sincere condolences.

There have been too many accidents in such circumstances and Nautilus is keen to assist in any work to improve safety of pilot boarding arrangements which may result as recommendations from the investigations.’

Apostleship of the Sea Tilbury & Thames port chaplain Wojciech Holub provided support to the Sumni’s Russian crew. ‘They were disturbed and deeply saddened as a result of the accident,’ he said.

Fatality during bulker drill F

Multiple mechanical, electrical and procedural failings have been blamed for the death of a seafarer during an abandon ship drill onboard the 26,096dwt bulk carrier Amazon earlier this year.

The bosun was killed when he was struck on the head by the crank handle of a lifeboat davit winch during the exercise at the Constanta Roads anchorage in Romania in April.

An investigation by the Bahamas

Maritime Authority (BMA) found that three electrical and mechanical safety interlocks on the davit winch system had been ‘intentionally compromised’ and electrical wiring to the winch had been altered as ‘an ad hoc remedy’ to malfunctioning limit switches.

No operational risk assessment had been undertaken before the drill, the report notes, and there was inadequate supervision of crew during the exercise.

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19/10/2016 16:13

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports GREENLAND ROW: the head of the Greenlandbased shipping firm Royal Arctic Line (RAL) has sparked outrage after suggesting that the company may re-flag ships and use ‘hybrid’ crews to save money. RAL CEO Verner Hammeken said the company — which has the government concession to run ‘lifeline’ services along the Greenland coast — is planning to form a pool of three ships with the Icelandic firm Samskip.

BANKERS HIT: German banks are struggling to recover loans totalling as much as US$100bn as a result of the downturn in global shipping markets, according to a report published last month. A study by Moody’s Investor Services warns that German ship lenders are more exposed than banks from any other single country in terms of outstanding debt to the sector.

FISHY STORY: up to 80,000 trout escaped from a fish farm off Denmark after it was hit by an Estonian cargoship, on its way from Russia to Denmark, last month. The 3,183gt general cargo ship Karmel was detained after the incident, which was blamed on a navigation mistake. The farm’s owners claimed that stock worth up to US$1.5m had been lost.

GAS WORRIES: the French merchant navy officers’ union FOMM CGT has expressed concern that the giant French energy group Engie is considering the sale of one of the three French-flagged gas carriers. The union fears 60 jobs could go if GDF Suez Global Energy is sold or chartered out following the unexpected failure to renew a contract with Sonatrach of Algeria.

SCRAPPING RECORD: a record number of containerships have been scrapped this year, according to a new report from the shipbrokers Braemar ACM. During the first nine months of 2016, a total of 147 ships have gone to the breakers — removing some 507,000TEU capacity from the market, compared with 185,000TEU for the whole of 2015.

Australian row over FoC ships Unions condemn poor conditions on foreign vessels in domestic trades

P

Australian seafaring unions have condemned standards on foreign ships which are replacing national-flagged vessels in the country’s domestic trades.

An Indian-owned bulk carrier granted a temporary licence by the government to replace an Australian ship has been labelled an outrageous disgrace by ITF Australia following revelations that its crew had not been paid for several months.

The problems were revealed after the Marshall Islandsflagged Maratha Paramount was detained in the port of Gladstone by the Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA).

The vessel was issued with two deficiency notices — for failing to pay the wages of its 22 crew members for two months, and for

failing to provide them with clean facilities. It was freed after four days, when the company paid the outstanding wages and addressed the other violations.

ITF national coordinator Dean Summers accused the operators of breaching Australia shipping regulations for minimum pay rates on ships trading in domestic trades.

‘These bludgers haven’t paid one cent in home allotment wages for months and conditions onboard are atrocious,’ he added. ‘There is very little food, drinking water is brown and the crew are miserable. We are calling on the department of infrastructure to withdraw the license immediately and review the conditions under which the licenses are issued to include human and workers’ rights.

‘It is an outrage that Australian crews are dumped and replaced by vulnerable workers who aren’t even paid.’

Maratha Paramount has been chartered by Pacific Aluminium, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, to transport alumina between the ports of Gladstone and Newcastle. It is being used in place of the Australian-crewed bulker CSL Melbourne, which was pulled off the route earlier this year.

The Maritime Union of Australia said Maratha Paramount was the second ship this year to be linked to Rio Tinto and the nonpayment of its crew. In August, AMSA detained the Hong Kongowned Fujian Five Stars after it was discovered that the crew of 20 had insufficient food and had not been paid for five months.

shipping industry employers A have made scathing criticisms of a French officers’ unions and

GREEK STRIKE: the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) staged a 48-hour strike that shut down ferry services between the Greek mainland and its islands last month. The action was taken in protest against rising unemployment and planned cuts in pensions.

SAVONA SERVICE: the Italian ferry operator Grimaldi has launched a ‘no frills’ service linking the Italian port of Savona with Barcelona and Tangiers.

Malaysian-flagged LNG carrier A newbuilding Seri Camellia, the first Pictured above is the

in a series of five 150,200 cu m Mosstype vessels being built for MISC at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard at Ulsan in South Korea.

All five ships have already been

booked for charter to Petronas for 15 years and are being built as part of a long-term fleet expansion programme. They have been designed to have the capability to call at all of the world’s major LNG terminals.

The new ships incorporate a

range of ‘green’ features to improve energy efficiency, cut emissions and ease end-of-life disposal, including a selective catalytic reduction system to make the diesel generator comply with the latest IMO Tier III requirement and an ozone ballast water treatment system.

ITF hits out as Hanjin crews are denied US shore leave union FKSU has urged the F country’s government to do more

The South Korean seafarers’

to support crews caught up in the collapse of the Hanjin Shipping fleet.

And the International Transport Workers’ Federation has hit out at the refusal of authorities in the US to give shore leave to seafarers trapped on vessels stuck in the country’s ports.

The ITF raised concerns after one of its inspectors found that crew onboard the Panama-flagged Hanjin Marine had been refused shore leave by the US Customs & Border Patrol after they had waited three weeks for a berth in the port of Seattle.

14-15_int.indd 14

three seafarers onboard a ship carrying coal from Australia has heard that audio recordings are likely to have been deliberately deleted from the vessel’s voyage data recorder.

Three crew members onboard the Panama-flagged bulker Sage Sagittarius died or disappeared within a six-week period in 2012, the hearing in Sydney was told last month.

Electronics expert Mark Sanders told the court he believed that audio recordings from the days that two of the men had died had been deliberately erased.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation had called for an inquiry after claims of bullying, harassment and gun smuggling onboard the Japaneseowned vessel.

French sea security plan row

SCUTTLING CLAIM: Mozambique has detained 15 Indian seafarers suspected of trying to scuttle their ship for a US$2m insurance claim. An investigation was launched after the crew of the 29-year-old reefer Spring Bay reported that the engines had failed while the vessel was en route to India for its final voyage before scrapping.

CABOTAGE ROW: three leading Italian maritime unions have requested an urgent meeting with the management of the ferry firm SNAV in a row over the employment of non-EU seafarers on cabotage services in breach of a national agreement.

z An inquest into the death of

ITF president Paddy Crumlin said there had been reports of other Hanjin crews experiencing problems with shore leave in Californian ports. ‘This is morally and legally unacceptable,’ he added.

‘These are professional seafarers, working in a professional manner, carrying out all their tasks responsibly, and hoping that the situation with Hanjin will be rectified without the loss of jobs. Denying them an escape from their work environment is an abuse of humanity. The CBP needs to reconsider and fix this problem now.’

Hanjin was South Korea’s biggest shipping company and had a fleet

of almost 100 ships and around 2,500 seafarers. It has been working with creditors, courts, ports and government administrations in an effort to limit the impact of ship arrests and to ensure that cargoes can be unloaded and chartered vessels returned to owners.

FKSU has worked with the Korean shipowners’ association and government officials to create a joint taskforce to ensure that provisions and water were put onboard all ships.

Insurance has also been taken out to cover three months’ wages for all crew as well as three years’ pension entitlements.

plan to change the country’s maritime security regime.

Unions say the controversial proposals tabled by the High Merchant Navy Council (CSMM) amount to asking operators to spy on their staff. FOMM-CGT officers’ union general secretary Jean-Philippe Chateil labelled the text as a ‘veritable witch hunt’ that could affect crews working and living together around the clock.

‘Who would be responsible for controlling non-French citizens working for an operator carrying passengers from the French mainland to Corsica, or seafarers on tankers carrying dangerous explosives bound for Le Havre?’ Mr Chateil asked.

CFE-CGC officers’ union spokesman Patrice Le Vigouroux called the draft text a ‘direct attack on fundamental freedoms’ and the operators’ association, AdF, said that while there is a consensus on strengthening maritime security the proposed new rules are unnecessary as they are already covered within ISPS Code provisions.

‘The text would demand the systematic spying of employees that could lead to arbitrary dismissals,’ an AdF spokesman said. z The French officers’ union FOMM-CGT has written to sea minister Ségolène Royale seeking a meeting to discuss its ‘concerns and dissatisfaction’ over the funding of the French national maritime academy (ENSM).

19/10/2016 17:36

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports ITALIAN WARNING: the Italian shipowners’ association, Confitarma, has warned that 1,500 seafaring jobs could be lost if MPs approve plans to ban the employment of non-EU nationals onboard ferries flying the Italian flag. Confitarma claims the jobs would be lost as a result of flagging out to avoid the cost of employing Italian and other EU seafarers. But some ferry firms, including Moby Lines and Tirrenia, support the proposals.

CASE DROPPED: a French court has dropped a criminal case against the owner and master of a Turkishflagged general cargoship which collided with a fishing vessel in 2007, killing the skipper and injuring two other crew. The Rennes court ended the proceedings because the ship’s master has died and two officers had fled to Azerbaijan. the UK port of Southampton last month is the A Panama-flagged newbuilding NYK Eagle.

Pictured above making an inaugural call to

The 14,026TEU vessel, which was built at the Japan Marine United Shipyard in Kure, has been

deployed on the Asia-Europe service operated by the G6 Alliance, with calls at Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Shekou, Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, Colombo, Southampton, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Jeddah, Jebel Ali, Singapore,

Hong Kong and Ningbo. NYK Eagle replaces the 13,208TEU OOCL Brussels, which has been switched to the Asia-Med EUM loop as part of moves to upgrade and increase weekly capacity.

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Sweden agrees its tonnage tax Unions and owners hope new scheme will boost the flag and increase jobs

by Andrew Draper

P

The Swedish parliament has finally voted for the introduction of a longawaited tonnage tax scheme, bringing the country into line with just about every other European maritime state. Unions, owners and politicians all express optimism that it will turn the tide for the fortunes of the declining Swedish merchant fleet.

The Swedish shipowners’ Association estimates that 8,000 jobs have been lost from the Swedish fleet in the last decade — and it predicts that the more attractive taxation arrangements will now result in 300 vessels reflagging to the national register, in time creating up to 30,000 new jobs.

MPs decided the tonnage tax scheme would take effect from 1 January 2017. It has been under consideration for many years and finally received EU approval in the summer.

Mikael Huss, director of officers’ union SBL, said: ‘Shipping and the maritime sector in Sweden have great growth potential. By focusing on this voluntary tax, we will get more jobs in the entire maritime sector, which in turn will contribute to Swedish economic growth. Experience from other maritime nations in Europe clearly shows that the introduction of tonnage tax broke the downward trend.’

Kenny Reinhold, head of the SEKO Sjöfolk maritime union, concurred that the tax will in time strengthen Swedish shipping companies and result in new jobs on Swedish vessels.

The Swedish unions have previously expressed scepticism about the potential uptake and success of the tax.

But Swedish Shipowners’ Association boss Pia Berglund said companies are keen to commit to the scheme. ‘The decision has been much awaited and we

are pleased and relieved that the reform will finally be in place,’ she stated. ‘Tax reform is a mutual interest for shipping companies and unions in the maritime sector, and not least for the population of Sweden. Our ambition is for more shipping lines to now opt to belong to the Swedish flag.’

Wallenius Lines CEO Anders Boman added: ‘Shipping today faces the tough reality of the world and it is even more important that Swedish shipping is not left on the sidelines. With the decision, the Swedish fleet compete on more equal terms with the rest of Europe.’

The final bill that was adopted was amended. Originally, it was proposed that for a company to qualify for the tax, at least 20% of its fleet had to be Swedish-flagged.

EU competition rules have led to the requirement that 20% of fleets must be registered in an EEA country, not necessarily Sweden.

‘We’ve discussed this among

the parties and agree it’s reasonable,’ Ms Berglund said. ‘Today, without tonnage tax, 30% of our fleet is already Swedish-flagged and we have many large owners who want the Swedish flag. So we will work hard for the Swedish flag and we know that parliament, government and labour market parties trust us when we say that.’

The Swedish Transport Agency is proposing to cut red tape for owners by reforming the rules governing some 6,000 merchant ships operating nationally.

The agency says present rules are outdated, complex and incomplete and it wants to make them functional, with the emphasis on what is to be achieved, rather than how.

The agency is consulting the industry on the changes and if they are adopted the new system will apply to commercial vessels including ferries, lifeboats, barges and workboats, with effect from March 2017.

Norway cabotage campaign A

Norwegian seafaring unions have welcomed growing political support for their campaign to ensure that shipping operations in the country’s waters are governed by domestic legislation.

Labour MP Else-May Botten, who sits on the parliamentary industry committee, told left-wing newspaper Klassekampen she wanted action — including a government inquiry to

14-15_int.indd 15

examine the current legal loopholes.

Stian Grøthe, policy director for the three maritime unions, said: ‘That the Labour Party is now supporting us is great. We have previously received the support of the Centre Party, which is very clear in its new draft manifesto.

We’re fighting a battle for dignity and justice. The growing support from political Norway clearly shows that we have a good case.’

Despite a recent Norwegian court ruling that foreign-flagged ships could engage in cabotage along the country’s coast, the unions are pressing ahead with a campaign against social dumping — the use of mainly FoC ships employing cheap non-Norwegian labour in domestic waters.

They have managed to persuade around 500 local councils to support

their demand for an inquiry and they are planning further action in November to press the case.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Maritime Authority reports a marked rise in Norwegian-flagged tonnage — up 800,000gt and 51 ships so far this year. Between January 2015 and mid-September 2016 Norway’s NIS international register grew from 522 to 573 ships.

DRINK DEATH: a Ukrainian seafarer died and two others had to be treated in hospital in Greece after drinking adulterated alcohol. Authorities in the port of Rhodes said the men, from the Tanzanian-flagged general cargoship Svyatogor, were believed to have bought the alcohol in the Turkish port of Mersin.

FLAG RECORD: the Marshall Islands registry is now the world’s top flag for tankers after attracting vessels from Greece, the US and Asia to take its total tanker tonnage to 44.6m gt. The Marshall Islands flag had chalked up average annual growth of 15% over the past 15 years and its overall fleet now totals 137.3m gt.

CERTIFICATE PROBE: a court investigating an accident in which nine people died when the Italian containership Jolly Nero struck a harbour control tower in the port of Genoa in 2013 has heard evidence of shortcomings in the safety certification issued to the ship’s operator and several other ferry companies.

IVORY PLAN: the Ivory Coast government is seeking to become the leading market for oil products in the 16 countries making up sub-Saharan Africa. Adama Toungara, the West African country’s energy minister, said his government plans to make the Ivory Coast the ‘Rotterdam of Africa’ by 2020.

PILOTS PROTEST: the Danish pilots’ association has warned that strike action will be taken in a dispute with pilot company Danish Pilot Service. It has accused management of underpaying pilots, not paying pilot cadets and not respecting rest-time rules. The first strike is set for 1 November.

BIO TESTS: Dutch dredger firm Boskalis has concluded six months of tests on the use of a bio-fuel based on wood to supply the diesel engines of its 1984built dredger Edax, reporting that CO2 emissions have been reduced by more than 80%.

NIGERIAN FLEET: plans to establish a Nigerian National Carrier fleet, as a joint venture between the country’s government and foreign investors, were revealed at a Commonwealth Maritime Initiative meeting in London last month.

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19/10/2016 16:13

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

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The solution is to increase IMO minimum manning P Racy reading for salty seadogs?

I spotted this book in my local However, on closer inspection (well, Waterstones recently.

For a I had to look!), it turns out that it’s a F brief moment I thought that the book about sheds! message of Seafarers’ Awareness Week must have got through.

TALBOT CLARK mem no 120851

MN remembrance service at Liverpool Anglican cathedral A I am writing in the hope that you may be able to give some publicity in your esteemed publication to the annual Merchant Navy service of remembrance in Liverpool.

The service alternates between the city’s two cathedrals and this year it will take place at the Anglican

cathedral on Sunday 13 November at 3pm. Prominent patrons include the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, the High Sheriff of Merseyside, and the Royal Navy regional commanding officer for northern England and the Isle of Man. DAVID LARGE mem no 105409

demonstrated, how likely are we to achieve the goal? I have yet to serve aboard a ship where the shipowner has the same vision as Rolls Royce Marine — in fact many shipowners begrudge having to pay for RRM to carry out a service visit when the automatic systems fail and the wonderful wizard of RRM comes along with a laptop and interface that the shipowners don’t get given.

So not only do we need to get across the cost boundary initially, by having proven equipment, but we cross the test boundaries too. To do that and to run a ship, safely, more people are required.

To introduce more females across the board would help increase the numbers. Imagine a rule like those of shore-based organisations on the number of women employed... It doesn’t take a genius to see that a few extra hands would give great results, especially now since the rulers of our main political parties in the UK are all women. Now is the time to promote the strategy: what female political leader will say ‘no’ to introducing a policy to employ more women?

Finally, to solve the fatigue issues, we simply need more people. Twenty-five years ago, when I first went to sea, there was a radio officer, electrician, store keeper, five engineers

plus fitter and motorman in the engineroom alone. Admittedly the sparky was topside, but these extra pairs of hands not only dealt with all their own areas of responsibility, the crosscoverage of work was easily achieved and the ship was looked after to a very high standard.

Very rarely were there call-outs during the night, the engineroom could run a watch schedule on busy and frequent port calls, and the sparky handled all the comms, leaving the master to be just that. And I’d be willing to bet nobody was fatigued, except due to a long night in the bar, but that’s for another issue.

The way forward is simple: more people.

It has to be said that people are what makes shipping work and what generates money for shipping companies. It’s not the office ‘wallahs’ that generate the money, the money comes from making ships move across the globe. If only we could do it a little more efficiently, a little less tired and with a little more ladies, then maybe it would be a better place.

Many thanks for yet another excellent edition, I apologise for being on the August edition in October, but I’ve got to get some more fuel figures sorted out and the planned maintenance is a little behind!

NEIL B. NISBET mem no 179598

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It is with a great deal of interest that I read pages 19, 20 and 21 of the August Telegraph — a ‘hat-trick’, indeed, in terms of relevance to the current state of the maritime industry.

All three full page spreads are fundamentally and inextricably linked and it is surprising that page 22 doesn’t deal with the answer. So I put it to you, the other readers and the Council members, that the answer to the issues of introducing autonomous ships, more females in the industry and the fatigue issues are all quite simple: get the IMO to increase the minimum manning levels.

Without IMO rulings, the shipowners will never fix the issues themselves.

Whilst this doesn’t sound like the way to go forward with regard to autonomous shipping, it most certainly is. Why? Again simple answers: with increased manning levels, the automation that is currently in shipping could be better evaluated, operated, maintained and improved. At the present time, it’s easier to ‘offscan’ alarms than to tackle the root cause of too many of them, as there simply aren’t enough people nor time to fix things.

If autonomous shipping is to work, the test bed for it is now. Now is the time to trial the automation, but until it is properly tested and

up… particularly at school.

FHaving had the Sailors’ Society flyer Everyone loves an excuse to dress

for World Maritime Day, I passed it on to my sons’ primary school as a good idea and easily incorporated into many aspects of the curriculum if they wished.

Greeted with much enthusiasm by the school, I thought nothing more until I was asked by the deputy head to come and be a part of the morning assembly on that day. ‘Can you give them a small talk about ships?’ A simple thing mostly, but with an age demographic from Year R (age 4/5) to Year 6 (age 10/11) the question was how to pitch it to make the shipping world real to them.

Using the good old faithfuls of bananas, fish fingers and gaming devices, the link was made back to shipping, ships and the seafarers who run the ships. Britain is an island and so most things come by sea.

After the brief chat there was a short Q & A session including ‘Do you get seasick?’ and ‘How do ships float?’ There is a reason that they say don’t work with animals and children as they always manage to make you think!

The children dressed up with imagination and pride in their chosen country. These included Malawi, Greece, France, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden and Portugal to name a few. The feedback was very positive. It certainly shows children are never too young to learn about an industry that profoundly affects their lives in every way but is often forgotten. It’s different for many of them, so they listen.

I had a great time and the school are keen to do the same next year.

If we all do the same at the schools your children or friend’s children are attending, perhaps we could start a small revolution?

To remind everyone of our maritime history and, more importantly, our future and that of shipping.

JESSICA TYSON Nautilus Council member

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19/10/2016 17:09

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

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Viking Freya deaths need higher profile P

I have been trying to follow the situation with Viking Freya since the accident happened, but there do not appear to have been any internet updates. So I was pleased to see your small report in the October Telegraph and hope that you will continue to monitor and act on the ďŹ ndings (if any) in the report.

My interest arises from having sailed from Amsterdam to Budapest on the sistership, Viking Modi, in August. The ships are well appointed and to the tourist the itinerary including the views while cruising make this a very enjoyable holiday. Our cruise had ideal water levels in the rivers and good weather all the way. But as a seagoing mariner, there are a number of issues that I think may be worth considering.

The ships are very big for the route they are expected to navigate. It would appear that they have been designed to the maximum size based on locks, head room under bridges and draught. During the cruise it became apparent that sometimes the vessels could not complete the entire transit due to water levels. Passengers then ‘swapped’ ships to complete their itinerary. The Rhine-MaineDanube canal is especially tight. The upper sundeck was closed and handrails and

furniture attened to deck level by the crew for this section. No personnel (passengers) were allowed on the sun deck and we were shown a video of a transit under a bridge with only a few inches to spare.

The rivers are very busy and this can cause delays, especially when waiting for locks, of which there are many. It was not unusual to be woken in the night as the vessel landed heavily on the lock side. I am very experienced in transiting locks and this usually occurs when the vessel does not approach the lock at an appropriate speed.

It was also noted that there appeared to be no reduction in speed under bridges, which in my experience would be normal, especially where headroom is tight, and would allow the crew, if necessary to slow/ stop the vessel or evacuate the wheelhouse. In the case of the Freya, it would have allowed more time to lower the wheelhouse. It should be noted that this type of wheelhouse is ubiquitous on vessels of all types using the rivers.

The itinerary for the ship was full-on and our cruise did lose time. When this happened our shore excursions went from one place and returned further along the river. But there always seemed to be a rush for the ship to complete the itinerary. This did not affect

our enjoyment as passengers but obviously puts strain on the crew and vessel. Much like increasing the number of voyages on a cross channel ferry. It made me wonder whether this cruise, in this time, was truly viable and whether an extra day should be added. This would allow more time in Budapest if the vessel was on time but would not impact if the vessel was late. The alternative would be to amend the itinerary to have fewer stops.

Personally I would miss out Krems and/ or Kinderdijk!

The crew of the ship were, overall, extremely good. They conducted themselves in an exemplary way and I commented on this to the captain, who told me he knew that they were good; he had sailed with them for three years.

The deaths on Viking Freya were an absolute tragedy. I could hardly believe it. I have not been able to pass on my comments to Viking but I don’t mind if they do see them. Meanwhile, I hope that Nautilus will continue to work with Viking to improve safety and would welcome the opportunity to see any accident reports that you might receive.

Keep up the good work mem no 131205

Member 136485 (‘If we get our UK A income tax back, we should get council In response to the letter from

7th Edition %DOODVW :DWHU 0DQDJHPHQW &RQYHQWLRQ ZLOO HQWHU LQWR IRUFH RQ WK 6HSWHPEHU Whether you already have a Ballast Water system implementation plan or not, this full and comprehensive guide will provide the information on the regulations and equipment options available that you need to make the transition to full compliance.

REVISED BY DR LINDA CHURCHER

ÂŁ275 Witherby Seamanship International 4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you.

Go to www.nautilusint.org and log in as a member.

What’s so bad about a little extra seatime?

F

The recent news media report regarding the cadets who couldn’t get off a containership made me wonder if they have picked the right career. I assume, as they are employed by Clyde Marine, they will be getting paid and the only loss is a run ashore.

Provided there are enough provisions and booze aboard for BBQs, internet, satellite TV and a bit of fishing, what’s wrong with swinging on the hook accruing sea time — better than charging about working boxes!

Of course, the mummy of one cadet got good free TV advertising for her cruise company.

In conclusion lads, get shore jobs — the getting home from work is easier.

A. MACKELLAICH mem no 183212

You can’t expect to get rebates for everything

BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT

BY CAPTAIN NADEEM ANWAR

Where’s my Telegraph?

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

tax too’, September Telegraph), we all do pretty well to receive our income tax back due to the Foreign Earnings Deduction (FED) scheme.

The FED scheme was set up when it was realised that in the event of a conflict such as the Falklands, there would be insufficient British seafarers to man strategic vessels. The reason behind the lack of seafarers was said to be high UK seafarers’ wages. It was not allowed under EU law to subsidise directly, so FED was introduced so that your average seafarer who spent time away could have his wages inflated without any direct subsidy.

The difficulty with the system comes when the likes of divers, ROV personnel, crane drivers on oil rigs, scaffolders,

surveyors, etc, are given a discharge book and then feel they are entitled to get their tax back. FED was not meant for these people — it was meant for seafarers.

I think you have received no replies regarding your perceived robbery by your local council because most people are probably flabbergasted by your claims!

Let’s not cause too much of a fuss because FED is one of the only remaining incentives to continue working at sea and the government in these difficult times would be only too happy to withdraw this tax break from those ‘whingeing undeserving seafarers’.

What do you want next — car tax rebate, insurance premium tax rebate, VAT rebate? Oh I could go on...

Name & no withheld on request

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

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

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

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

19/10/2016 17:09

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

YOUR NEWS

High jinks at High Tide rowing race

A

Pictured above and below are competitors in the brand new High Tide rowing race on the River Tees in NE England.

There were twelve local teams vying to get their names engraved on the High Tide trophy, and the winners were the formidable South Tyneside College, sponsored by Svitzer Marine.

Close behind in second and third place were teams from INSPEC Engineering and PD Tees Dock, while

PD Conservancy and the Tees Rowing Club also qualified for the final. g The event was created to raise awareness — and funds — for the Sea Cadets, the High Tide Foundation, Tees Nautical Studies, and the Mission to Seafarers. The charities are planning to hold the race again next year, and any team willing to give the mighty STC rowers a run for their money in 2017 should contact Wendy O’Donnell at waodonnell@hotmail.com.

Donate to Plymouth Monument Fund more than 41,000 civilian A men and women were lost at sea

In the two world wars alone,

and have no known graves. Some 35,770 were identified and their names inscribed on the Tower Hill memorial in London. However, despite its long seafaring history, the city of Plymouth has no adequate testament to the civilian seafarers of the UK and the British Commonwealth.

To redress this, the Plymouth Merchant Navy Monument Committee aims to commission a monument to be sited on Plymouth Hoe alongside those of the armed forces. It will be dedicated to all those who serve in, or who have served in, the British Merchant Navy or Fishing Fleet in times of both peace and war, ensuring the survival of our island nation.

Subject to Plymouth City Council’s formal agreement and the necessary planning permissions, it is intended that the monument will be in place for the Mayflower 400 commemoration in 2020.

The Plymouth Merchant Navy Monument project has registered charity number 1167934. If any Telegraph readers would like to make a donation to our monument construction fund, please send a cheque made out to The Plymouth Merchant Navy Monument Fund, c/o the Treasurer, Captain Derek Fuller, at PO Box 297, Plymouth PL5 9DE. g For other ways in which you can contribute to funding, please see our Crowdfunding and PayPal initiatives, details of which are on our website www.mnmonument.uk.

RICHARD WALKER

Standards raised in Plymouth on Merchant Navy Day 2016 : it is hoped that from 2020, memorial ceremonies will be held at a new MN monument

Heritage grant keeps Freshspring afloat

P

almost 100 sq m of plating was required to ensure that she can remain safely afloat in her new permanent base in Bideford.

A major objective of the Trust is to promote careers in the maritime sector. Our work progresses from primary age right through to further and higher education. The ship will be

utilised as a floating classroom providing practical projects and demonstrating life on a small coasting steamer. In addition, we are working with partners to create a simulator for use on the ship’s bridge and in schools to enthuse young people to become seafarers of the future.

JOHN PUDDY

I am writing to tell you that we have been successful in gaining funding from The National Heritage Memorial Fund to help save the ss Freshspring. This fund awarded the Freshspring Trust £155,000 to move the historic vessel to a dry dock at Sharpness for survey and temporary repairs

to enable her to be towed to Bideford in Devon, initially to act as a static exhibit.

The tow was carried out at no cost to the Trust by Keynvor Morlift, a local towing company, saving us some £13,000. After 38 years between dry docking, the ship was found to be in remarkable condition; however,

Follow us on Twitter

Dundee youths celebrate maritime skills in Sea Cadets colour parade Sea Cadets and his commanding F officer, Sub Lt Kevin Philip, marked the 12-year-old Josef of the Dundee

BUILD YOUR CAREER WITH A SLATER SCHOLARSHIP The Slater Scholarship offers a bursary of up to £17,500 for Merchant Navy ratings, electrotechnical officers and yacht crew to study for the STCW officer of the watch qualification (either deck or engineer).

Apply now! marine-society.org/slater slater@ms-sc.org Administered by the

18_your news_SR edit 2.indd 18

icing on the cake last month to a very special day in the city. The Dundee Sea Cadets unfurled their new colour at a laying up of colours service at St Andrew’s Church Dundee on 8 October.

After a service by unit chaplain (SCC) Gordon Campbell RNR, and readings

by AC John and AC Claudia, the cadets marched to City Square, where the blessing of the colour took place and Captain Peter Adams (RN) Northern Area Sea Cadets and the Lord Provost, Councillor Bob Duncan, took the salute.

There was a brief pause en route at the statue of Dundee-born Admiral Duncan to pay tribute to his defeat of the Dutch at the battle of Camperdown on 11 Oct 1797 using tactics adopted by Nelson at Trafalgar.

The cadets were magnificent, with Fife and Tayside well represented along with the Northern Area Band.

Elements of the Inverness, Stonehaven, Grangemouth and Hebburn units were also present.

Special thanks go to Sub Lt Kevin Philip, Dundee UMT Chairman Dave

Samson and all the TS Duncan crew and volunteers who put in months of effort to produce a perfect day that reflected so well on Dundee, Fife and Tayside and the Northern Area.

DAVE MILNE mem No 177553 Dundee Sea Cadets Unit 113 Unit Management Trustees Vice Chairman

19/10/2016 17:04

Month 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Seeking safer passage Former seafarers, including Nautilus head of strategic development Steven Gosling, were out in force at Trinity House last month as industry and government experts met to discuss important new research into the flow of maritime expertise from the sea to the land…

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Seafaring skills and experience can open the doors to a wide range of further career opportunities ashore. But when should you ‘swallow the anchor’? And how can you find out about the jobs that are on offer in the wider maritime cluster?

These were some of the questions addressed in a conference last month, called to discuss the findings of the Project Ulysses research commissioned by organisations including Nautilus International, Trinity House, the Marine Society, Maritime London and the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB).

The ‘ship to shore’ study forms part of wider work being carried out in response to the government’s Maritime Growth Study recommendations for an assessment of current and future needs for skilled seafarers, ashore and afloat.

Opening the conference, the Princess Royal said she was pleased to see the industry ‘picking up the gauntlet’ by investigating the shore-based demand for seafaring skills and the factors which may impede the smooth passage from the sea to the office.

‘It is a sector which is very fragmented and there is a real challenge to get a consistency of approach,’ she pointed out. But placing career planning higher on the agenda would help seafarers to best utilise their talents ashore.

Lord Mountevans, who chaired the Maritime Growth Study, said the sector needs to do all it can to prevent experienced seafarers from being lost to the wider cluster. Without their knowledge and expertise, there is a serious long-term threat to the sustainability of the UK’s global lead in many core shipping-related services and industries, he warned.

The report is being fed back to the government, and Maritime Growth Study policy manager Valerie Richardson said it would ‘add to the suite of research’ currently nearing completion on subjects such as projections of UK seafarer supply and demand and the value for money delivered by the SMarT training support scheme.

Steven Gosling, Nautilus head of strategic development All pictures: Andrew Linington

HRH The Princess Royal, who opened the conference

Fena Boyle, MNTB training and careers coordinator

Fena Boyle, a former deck officer who is now the MNTB’s training and careers coordinator, described the difficulties and challenges associated with the move ashore. Having had to re-evaluate her life after a family bereavement, she had made an abrupt and unplanned move out of seagoing employment — and it was not an easy one.

She told of the ‘disheartening’ experience of trawling the internet for hours in search of suitable roles, and of how she had worked for a time in a call centre before finding her post with the MNTB. ‘There are routes ashore, and there are a huge number of jobs that don’t need a master’s certificate,’ she said. ‘But it is important that seafarers like me have easy access to this information and knowledge about the pathways between the sectors.’

Ms Boyle said the MNTB is planning to re-launch its Careers at Sea & Beyond website within the next few months, to include a ‘career map’ outlining the opportunities available and provide advice on matters such as writing CVs and application letters.

Phil Parry, chairman of the recruitment firm Spinnaker Global, said many seafarers are ‘woefully misinformed’ about life beyond the sea. ‘There is careers advice out there, but it is fragmented, and it would take a pretty tenacious and patient individual to find their way to and around the wide variety of sources of information,’ he added. ‘We need a hub. At the moment, the incomplete spokes are like a randomly dropped pile of sticks.’

Mr Parry said the industry could help to equip British seafarers to stand out by giving them key budgeting, commercial and communications skills which are valued by employers ashore. However, he stressed, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and much depends on individual circumstances.

Steven Gosling, Nautilus head of strategic development, also gave a personal account of making the move — stressing the need for careful preparation.

Lord Mountevans, chair of the Maritime Growth Study

Doug Barrow, chief executive of Maritime London

A

19_ulysses_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

‘I knew I wanted to come ashore once I got my master’s ticket, but finding the routes was quite testing.

For seafarers who haven’t had the time to prepare, it must be really difficult,’ he added.

He argued that it would be good to give seafarers information about future options at an early stage in their careers, as well as offering opportunities to get experience of work ashore. Seafarers should be encouraged to prepare for the transition, he added, as there are so many potential avenues open to them.

Former Royal Fleet Auxiliary Commodore Rob Dorey said he would advise seafarers to think very carefully about their futures. ‘A lot of people come out with ideas, but have not really worked it through,’ he pointed out. ‘Recognise your strengths and work out what it is you want to do.’

He suggested there should be a sort of ‘transition toolkit’ to help seafarers make the change, as well as networking opportunities with those who have already made the move.

Trinity House deputy master Ian McNaught said he had come ashore after 40 years at sea, and stressed that seafarers needed to be prepared for the ‘huge challenge’ of adjusting to a different way of life.

Mr Parry said seafarers often need to ‘re-set their expectations’ after leaving the sea — with many experiencing an initial pay cut as a consequence of the move.

Captain Dave Cudbertson, global maritime skillpool manager with Shell Trading & Shipping, highlighted the difficult choices facing seafarers — with hundreds of different job roles available ashore and many of them requiring very different skillsets.

And Don Millar, operations director with Viking Recruitment and Chiltern Maritime, said the range of employment opportunities ashore could provide a big attraction to potential cadets.

A

Former seafarer Doug Barrow, who is now chief executive of Maritime London, said the research had highlighted the unrealistic expectations of some seafarers and the problems they faced adjusting to life ashore. He pointed to ‘best practice’ policies followed by companies such as BP, who identify ‘high-flying’ seafarers and give them experience of work in the office as part of a planned career development programme.

Trinity House secretary Graham Hockley said that while seafarers have highly-regarded and

Phil Parry, chairman of Spinnaker Global

in-demand technical skills, work was needed to develop their ‘soft skills’ to adjust to different working styles ashore. Captain Mark Windsor, from the Marine Society, echoed this point — noting the differences between the command structure at sea and the more collaborative ways of working ashore.

MNTB head Glenys Jackson said the Project Ulysses research had identified the difficulties faced by seafarers in discovering what the options are and the additional training they might need to go for posts ashore. The MNTB’s ‘careers map’ aims to make this process easier, she said, and there is also scope for shore-based companies to provide mentoring and internship-style opportunities to give seafarers an insight into work on land.

The project identified the need for seafarers to sharpen up a range of skills before switching from the sea – including inter-personal, analytical, commercial and customer-focused elements. Carla Rockson, seafarer education manager at the Marine Society, said courses could be developed to enable officers to gain suitable qualifications before moving ashore — but these need to be delivered in ‘bitesize’ chunks and available online.

A

Former Lloyd’s Listt editor Michael Grey was so moved by the experiences that he had when moving ashore that he wrote a book in the 1980s (Changing Course, pictured right) to help other officers following in his footsteps.

He said the Project Ulysses report had triggered ‘a severe attack of deja-vu’ — with h the h issues having h been identified many years ago.

‘Throughout most of my career, we have been talking about these problems,’ Mr Grey added. However, the flow from the sea to shore has been ‘something of an unspoken truth’ — even though, back in the 1950s, Marine Society director Dr Ronald Hope had noted that some 15,000 merchant seafarers left the sea every year.

In the 1960s, the Rochdale Report on merchant shipping had recommended that shipping companies should get more seafarers into positions ashore to improve the quality of their management, Mr Grey said. But even though the issues had been recognised over 60 years ago, the industry had come up against the recurring problem of reconciling recruitment and wastage. Now, he added, it is dealing with the legacy from the period when recruitment of seafarers virtually ceased and, with almost two generations missing, this vacuum is creating huge challenges for succession planning.

Mr Grey said he thought the Ulysses report had placed insufficient emphasis on the positive aspects of seafarers as employees ashore — including their flexibility, drive and willingness to work very hard.

But he agreed that there needs to be a clear focal point for information, and that seafarers can also help themselves by talking to people like marine pilots and surveyors to get a better understanding of the nature of their work.

Mr Grey welcomed the way in which Project Ulysses had reopened the debate on the sea-toshore path. ‘It is entirely right to identify the problems,’ he concluded. ‘One thing is for certain — we can’t just carry on as before.’

19/10/2016 17:35

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Union recognition Every year, the Nautilus Bevis Minter Award honours an outstanding and determined officer trainee.

The 2016 award was presented at the UK branch conference in October to a very worthy recipient…

I

‘I guess I’m not your average 20-year-old,’ Declan Rogers admits. ‘I like knot-tying and I do rope work for fun.’

And it is standing out from the crowd and being better than the average that earned the Carisbrooke Shipping cadet the Nautilus International 2016 Bevis Minter Award.

The award honours an officer trainee who has displayed particular determination and commitment or has had to overcome special challenges during their training. Declan, who commenced a Deck HND Cadetship programme in September 2013, was selected for this year’s award by staff at the Warsash Maritime Academy.

The college’s commendation notes that Declan has been ‘an enthusiastic and engaging student’ who has worked hard to achieve the required academic standards. He faced a number of personal challenges during his training, ‘but has stuck to the task and ensured that he approaches both his academic and seagoing training in an extremely professional and mature manner’.

Presenting the award, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was delighted to pay tribute to Declan’s talents and the dedication, hard work and professionalism he had displayed during his training.

‘Good quality cadets are the very lifeblood of our industry and despite some of the current gloom, there is no doubt that

global demand for skilled and experienced maritime professionals will continue to grow,’ he added. ‘There is a tremendous industry out there and it offers some unrivalled opportunities for those who are dedicated and determined to succeed.’

Mr Dickinson congratulated Isle of Wight-based Carisbrooke Shipping for not only sponsoring Declan’s training but giving the commitment to ongoing employment as a junior officer following successful completion of his studies. ‘Investing in the future like this is to be applauded, and it is a shining example for the rest of the industry to follow,’ he said.

Dave McDine, training manager with Carisbrooke, commented: ‘The company is really pleased and proud that Declan has received this award. I first met him when he came for an interview at the age of 15 and was really impressed right then. He has done very well — every report from the ship has been great and every report from the college has been great.’

Warsash Maritime Academy senior lecturer Phil Smith taught Declan throughout the different phases of his cadetship. ‘When he arrived, he was one of the youngest, but he has matured into a sensible, committed, and enthusiastic young man — exactly what the industry needs nowadays.

‘I am delighted to see how he has developed. He’s keen to learn, has an enquiring mind, and I am sure he will go far.’

At the Bevis Minter Award ceremony during the Nautilus UK branch conference last month, LR: Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson; Carisbrooke cadet Declan Rogers; Warsash Maritime Academy senior lecturer Phil Smith; Carisbrooke training manager Dave McDine Pictures: Andrew Linington

I

Declan said he was honoured to receive the award, which had come as a big surprise. He had no family connections to the sea — but when he first began thinking about potential career choices, seafaring stood out above all the others. ‘There was something about it which appealed to me,’ he explained. ‘It’s not just a career choice, it is a lifestyle choice, and I didn’t want to do anything else.’

Declan joined the Sea Cadets and gained some early sea-going experience of tall ships and sail training vessels. Between his GCSEs and starting his cadetship in January 2013, he spent some time trekking in the Himalayas.

‘I had thought about the Royal Navy, but you have to specialise there and I preferred the idea of the Merchant Navy, where you do a bit of everything and have a lot

of responsibility,’ he explained.

‘Being an officer is something I could really aspire to — you work hard and you train hard, and you get a set of really special skills,’ he noted. ‘Shipping is always going to be there in some form or another, so it’s a secure job to go into and the camaraderie between seafarers is something only they can understand.’

Declan said he is particularly pleased to have been working on ships in the tramping trades — with no fixed routes, and cargoes varying from coal to wheat to wind turbines. His sea time has taken him to the Caribbean, North and South America, Canada, West Africa, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Baltic.

‘On a trampship you get to all the small ports, so you can see some of the true culture of the country,’ he said. ‘My first shore leave was in Brazil, and I got to see the favelas — it was the real deal.

I’m pleased and proud to be called a seafarer

“

”

Declan Rogers

And the Himalayas was nothing compared to my first port of call, Vitoria. We entered it on a foggy morning — a place where the jungle meets the concrete jungle — and it was just the most incredible sight. It was like something out of a movie.’

Declan has worked with a wide variety of nationalities — including Filipino, Latvian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Russian and Cape Verdean shipmates — and says he enjoys this mix. ‘We share our cultures and often have a

common interest in old bands like Pink Floyd,’ he laughs. ‘I teach them bits of British history and they tell me bits of Russian history — and I pick up bits of their language. I even made them an apple crumble one time.’

He has enjoyed his cadetship, whilst admitting that it did present some challenges. ‘I did find it hard at times, but that is what makes it all the better to achieve,’ he added. ‘And they always say that smooth seas never make a good sailor.’

‘I’m pleased to be called a seafarer and proud of the heritage behind me,’ he added. ‘I have started and I would like to finish — and probably won’t rest until I go all the way to being a master. I owe it to myself and to everyone who has supported me through thick and thin. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that seafaring can take you in all sorts of different directions.’

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Scottish Maritime Academy, South Road, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, AB42 2UP Bevis Minter Award winner Declan Rogers with Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson at the Annual National Service for Seafarers at St Paul’s Cathedral in London

20_cadet_SR edit.indd Sec2:20

19/10/2016 13:54

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Call for action on UK shipping crisis Opening Union's UK branch conference in Cardiff, general secretary urges government to fight alongside Nautilus for British shipping and seafarers...

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The UK government must take steps to tackle the crisis facing British shipping and seafarers as a consequence of the downturn in the North Sea, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson told the Union’s UK branch conference.

Opening the meeting in Cardiff, Mr Dickinson said the sector is facing the most severe problems for decades. ‘Over the past 12 months, it seems that barely a week has gone by without a North Sea company coming to us to discuss redundancies or cuts in terms and conditions,’ he added.

‘Whilst the government has responded with some tax breaks and funds to support retraining, ministers have refused to act on the social dumping and unfair competition in the sector which results in the under-cutting of our members’ terms and conditions,’ he pointed out.

‘The optimism that flickered with the publication of the government’s Maritime Growth Study in September 2015 has largely evaporated as work on turning its recommendations into reality has been overtaken by the growing employment crisis in the North Sea and the impact of the decision to leave the European Union.’

Presenting the annual report of the Nautilus UK branch, Mr Dickinson told the conference that there are major challenges facing the industry as a consequence of the global economic slowdown and its impact on seaborne trade.

British shipping is at a critical

Nautilus Council member Malcolm Graves

Heated debate over Warsash move plans move of Warsash Maritime A Academy to Southampton Solent

Concerns over the proposed

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson at the Nautilus UK branch conference in Cardiff last month

point — with the Brexit vote presenting opportunities as well as challenges, he said. ‘Whether you were in the remain or the leave camp, we all have one thing in common and that is wanting a successful outcome for our industry so that employment and training will follow,’ he added.

Against this backdrop, Mr Dickinson said Nautilus is intensifying its Jobs, Skills and the Future strategic campaign to press the government and the

industry for action to address the disturbing demographics of the UK seafarer population and ensure that recruitment levels increase as growing numbers reach retirement.

Although tonnage tax has delivered support worth some £1.4bn to shipping since it was launched — with 72 companies and around 800 ships in the scheme — there is still a strong case for improving the system to ensure that the UK remains

competitive with other countries, he said.

The Union continues to raise concerns over the cost pressures on the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Mr Dickinson added. Nautilus also has worries about the move to delegate MCA statutory survey work to classification societies, he said, as well as the increasing commercial pressures on the UK Ship Register.

Fee increase slated

Offshore sector urged to retain skills F

The seafaring skills and expertise amassed during half a century of North Sea oil and gas operations should not be sacrificed because of short-term cutbacks, the Nautilus UK branch conference heard.

Council member Martyn Gray told the meeting that jobs have been decimated and terms and conditions degraded following the collapse in the oil price. ‘However, this is very much a short-term reaction to the contraction in the market and it is essential that the skills that have been developed in the sector are retained and not lost,’

Nautilus Council member Martyn Gray

he added.

While Nautilus had helped to limit the number of job losses, Mr Gray said

the government should be put under more pressure to ensure that the UKCS retains high standards of employment and safety.’

Laura Horswill said she had been one of the casualties of the downturn, losing her job as the chief mate of a support vessel. In the space of just 18 months, her company had closed its Aberdeen office, switched its ships to flags of convenience and brought in Filipino crews employed through an agency.

The motion was carried unanimously by the conference.

A COMPLETE TRAVEL SERVICE FLIGHTS - HOTELS - TRANSFERS - RAIL

University’s city centre campus were raised during the Nautilus International UK branch conference.

Council member Malcolm Graves moved a motion urging the Union to ‘seek influential support to protect the future of the Warsash Maritime Academy on its present site’.

Mr Graves said he feared the ‘outstanding reputation’ of the academy is at risk as a result of the plans. ‘It is a great place to study and a lot of people feel that the money raised from the sale of the site may be lost to Merchant Navy training,’ he added.

He said he was concerned about a lack of public discussion on the move. ‘There have not been enough questions asked to get transparency and alternative ways to get the funding for new facilities should be examined.’

Seconding, Paul Dilks said Warsash is the Merchant Navy’s equivalent to the Royal Navy’s Dartmouth, and there would be an outcry if Dartmouth was closed. A nautical college is different from a university, he argued, and it would be a retrograde step to have cadet training split between the city centre and the remaining waterside facilities at Warsash.

But Jessica Tyson said other nautical training facilities had moved

from waterfront locations, and while the history and heritage of Warsash is important, investment in state-ofthe-art facilities is essential.

Ulrich Jurgens said he was concerned that ‘an emotional attachment to 1970s buildings’ could be seen as standing in the way of progress.

Martyn Gray described the maintenance costs of the current site as ‘monumental’ and said the proposed move would free up the capital required to upgrade training facilities. ‘If you want to protect the reputation and the educational quality of Warsash, it should not have its hands tied by the heritage of where it sits,’ he added.

‘The site has a proud history, but the Merchant Navy is more than bricks and buildings — it is about people and we need to provide members with the best education that we can give them.’

However, David Gee said he was concerned that Warsash students might not move to the most modern buildings at the university and that the current range of courses might not continue at the new site.

Members agreed to remit the motion to the UK national committee after general secretary Mark Dickinson suggested that while there was a division of views over the proposals, Nautilus could continue to raise the issues and concerns highlighted in the debate.

conference gave unanimous F support to an emergency motion Members at the UK branch

Nautilus Council member Phil Lees

condemning ‘the mis-judged and mis-timed’ Maritime & Coastguard Agency proposals for significant increases in the majority of UK seafarer certification fees.

Moving the motion, Council member Phil Lees pointed out that whilst an average increase of 20% has been put forward for seafarer training and certification charges, some fees will rise by more than fourfold and —

in contrast — the MCA is proposing reductions in the cost of examination fees for Certificates of Equivalent Competency.

The motion expressed concern at the limited timescale for the consultation on the proposals and warned that the increases will result in a marked additional financial burden for many seafarers — running counter to the government’s Maritime Growth Study recommendations for increasing UK seafarer employment and training.

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21_branch conf_SR edit (2).indd 21

19/10/2016 17:19

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Our chance to stop sea strangulation

How can we sec better future fo seafarers? That the key questio to a panel of ex assembled by N for this year’s U conference sym edge’ — and they could fall to F action is not taken soon, Nautilus ge British seafarer numbers are a

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The continuing decline in the number of British seafarers and UK-flagged vessels is putting the nation’s economic security at risk and could leave it ‘dangerously dependent’ on other countries for many essential goods, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson warned at the UK branch conference.

He made the warning as he launched a 10-point Charter for Jobs to protect the British shipping industry, calling for united action by the government and the maritime cluster to ensure that the UK does not lose its status as a global maritime nation.

Forming a key part of the Union’s Jobs, Skills and the Future strategic campaign, the charter sets out proposals to ensure decent work and training opportunities for British officers and ratings — including

General secretary launches Nautilus Charter for Jobs to protect British shipping industry… increases in the level of support given to seafarers and shipping companies to pay for training.

It urges the government to review the system for allowing foreign seafarers to work onboard British vessels and to refresh the tonnage tax system to encourage more shipowners to join the UK flag.

Mr Dickinson pointed out that 95% of the nation’s trade comes by sea. However, latest statistics show the UK has slipped to 20th place in the global rankings of ship registrations, with just 0.8% of the world’s total tonnage. The number of UK seafarers

has fallen by 75% since 1975 — and is set to decline even further without increased training, he pointed out.

‘Without our own shipping industry, we would become dangerously dependent on the fleets of other nations for the supply of critical goods, including food, oil and gas for heating, and even military equipment,’ he added. ‘Those countries would then have the power to hold us to ransom by controlling the volume and price of goods entering or leaving UK ports through the manipulation of shipping rates or ocean carrier services — a hostile strategy known

as “sea strangulation”.

‘Now, with the UK referendum outcome to leave the European Union, we have a unique opportunity to set ambitious goals for the protection and future of the country’s maritime industries,’ Mr Dickinson pointed out. ‘Our 10-point charter must be at the forefront of any strategy or manifesto to promote the UK’s maritime sector and ensure the delivery of decent work and training opportunities for our seafarers.

‘In 1987 the House of Commons Transport Committee reported on the catastrophic decline of UK seafarer numbers, saying “the time for action has arrived”,’ he added. ‘Almost 30 years later and the continued decline since then means action is now long overdue.’

“

We now have a unique opportunity to set ambitious goals for the protection and future of the UK maritime industries

”

Delegates at the Union’sUK branch conference in Cardiff backing the Nautilus Charter for Jobs Picture: Brian Morgan

Nautilus Charter for Jobs

and encourage British shipowners to return to the so the UK remains attractive to owners whilst UK Ship Register. promoting the training and employment of UK-resident seafarers.

7. Improve the system for issuing foreign seafarers with Certificates of Equivalent Competency to deliver more OPPORTUNITIES opportunities for British seafarers on UK ships.

3. Maximise the employment of British seafarers in the UK, especially in: 8. Apply the National Minimum Wage (and the National Living Wage) and the Equality Act to all vessels z coastal shipping engaged in UK waters. passenger and freight ferry services z 9. Promote the employment of UK-resident seafarers on z offshore windfarms routes between UK ports (cabotage) including the off shore oil and gas exploration and decommissioning z SUPPORT North Sea offshore sector.

4. Develop a national maritime strategy with support 1. Secure 100% financial support for the cost of training STANDARDS from trade unions, government and industry.

UK-resident seafarers to avoid a serious skills shortage 10. Ensure all existing health, safety, environmental and 5. Encourage investment in UK maritime education and within the next decade. employment legislation is maintained following the training so it retains its world-leading status.

2. Review shipowner tax relief schemes (Tonnage Tax) UK’s withdrawal from the EU. 6. End support for the Red Ensign Group of registers This is an SOS to deliver on promises made during the referendum debate and prioritise Jobs, Skills and a decent future for UK maritime professionals.

22-23_spread Nov 16_SR edit.indd 22

Dickinson warned a special industry as part of the Union’s UK branch con Leading figures from the maritim the government took part in an expe state of UK seafarer employment an ways in which a better future can be Mr Dickinson told the meeting th generation’ of British seafarers caus slump in training levels from the mid of the 1990s. Thanks to measures su tax, the SMarT training scheme and concessions, the decline has slowed statistics show that there could be p ‘We are approaching the cliff edg maritime professionals due to retire years,’ he pointed out. ‘The time for Mr Dickinson said the UK needs t opportunities offered by the Brexit v European Union. ‘We need to hold t promised a better future outside the on the promises,’ he added. ‘We are nationalistic tone, but we need to pr and British jobs.

‘If we don’t arrest the decline of d skills, we will put in danger our mari £11bn contribution to the UK econom the wider sector and our status as a l will be in jeopardy.’

Relying on other countries to car will be economically and strategical argued. Instead, the UK should look measures like the US Jones Act to pro ‘The government says it does no but I am not sure it is seen as protect level playing field and saying that th should be applied in our own waters Mr Dickinson also warned of the that seafarers do not lose out on hea employment rights when the UK gov ‘great repeal Bill’ to replace EU legisl Theresa Crossley, executive direc Ports Group, said the Nautilus symp important debate’ at an unpreceden history.

‘No one knows what Brexit really ‘All the things we have taken for gran membership may be at risk and it wi commitment from the industry to de It’s just over a year since the gove Growth Study was published, she sa industry is interested in its recomme employment and training, as they a seafarer skills shortages.

Chamber of Shipping CEO Guy P work of Nautilus in representing me up for seafarers. He highlighted the employers to work together to delive and to ensure that Brexit works for th Mr Platten recalled that he had v he spoke at the Union’s conference l optimistic for the future of British sh seafarers. But have to admit I am fru pace of change,’ he added.

No one should be content that U numbers are stable — they should b argued. While the SMarT training as the £15m a year budget is ‘just penn he added.

The UK is the second most expen seafarers and junior officers are faci than ever before, he stated. The SMa promoted by the industry is therefor increased support in exchange for g employment for newly-qualified jun ‘I want more British seafarers an training, because I know that in the f of a seafarer’s skill base will be more ever before,’ he told the meeting. ‘I k seafarers are among the best in the when the cyclical parts of our indust be in high demand.’

19/10/2016 17:07

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

NAUTILUS AT WORK

‘Deaths in enclosed spaces must end’

secure a for British hat was tion posed experts y Nautilus s UK branch ymposium… s are approaching the ‘cliff fall to catastrophic levels if ilus general secretary Mark dustry symposium organised ch conference. maritime sector, academia and n expert panel to debate the ent and training — and the an be delivered. ting that there is a ‘lost s caused by the dramatic he mid-1980s to the end ures such as the tonnage e and the SED income tax owed, he added, but the d be problems ahead. liff edge, with around 4,000 retire in the next five to seven me for action is now.’ eeds to seize the rexit vote to leave the hold to account those who de the EU and to deliver We are not trying to strike a d to prioritise British industry ne of domestic maritime r maritime cluster and its conomy, the 250,000 jobs in s as a leading maritime nation to carry our maritime trade egically unwise, Mr Dickinson d look at the potential for t to protect domestic shipping. oes not support protectionism, rotectionism to be setting a hat these are the rules that waters,’ he added. of the need to ensure on health and safety and UK government tables its legislation. e director of the British Major symposium was a ‘critically ecedented time in national t really means,’ she added. or granted through EU d it will require a lot of y to defend this.’ e government’s Maritime she said, and the ports ommendations about they are also affected by Guy Platten paid tribute to the ng members and speaking d the need for unions and o deliver sustainable growth s for the maritime sector. e had voiced optimism when ence last year. ‘I am still ish shipping and British am frustrated with the slow that UK officer training ould be increasing, Mr Platten ing assistance is welcome, t pennies’ for the government, expensive place to train re facing more competition he SMarT-Plus package being erefore vital — offering e for guaranteeing a year of ed junior officers. ers and more cadets in n the future, the quality more important than ng. ‘I know British-trained n the world, and I know that ndustry pick up those skills will

Expert speakers at the UK branch symposium, L-R: Mark Dickinson, Nautilus general secretary; Guy Platten, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping; Theresa Crossley, executive director of the British Major Ports Group ; Rod Paterson, head of the UK government’s maritime growth implementation team; Professor Helen Sampson, from Cardiff University; Marcel van den Broek, Nautilus deputy general secretary Picture: Brian Morgan

Industry leaders face up to domestic skills decline Mr Platten said the Chamber will be launching a ‘blueprint for growth’ post-Brexit, stressing the need for free trade and the opportunities for the UK to do trade deals around the world. The owners will also mount an EU ‘red tape challenge’ to identify outdated regulations that prevent the UK flag from growing, he added.

‘The government is listening like never before, but we need action and delivery,’ he concluded. ‘If the industry is united we will never have a better opportunity than now to put into action all the things we have been fighting for over many years.’ growth implementation team, pointed out that half F the 18 Maritime Growth Study recommendations addressed Rod Paterson, head of the government’s maritime

employment and training, and the 10-point Nautilus Charter for Jobs had made an important contribution to the debate over those recommendations.

The government is ambitious for the maritime sector, he said, and it recognised that the growth study had identified potential skills gaps and the way in which opportunities will be undermined if there is not an adequate workforce.

Mr Paterson stressed the need for working closely together to deliver improved training and employment opportunities. There has been significant progress on the growth study recommendations, he added, with a lot of work being done by the SMarT review and the Maritime UK People and Skills Working Group to provide an up to date picture of seafarer supply and demand.

He said the government is aware of the shipping industry’s SMarT-plus proposals, but he cautioned that those advocating such measures need to provide ‘a clear demonstration of the benefits that will come from increased support’.

Mr Paterson said ministers want to transform the UK Ship Register to attract more tonnage to the red ensign.

‘We share the same desire to see more people at all levels entering the industry,’ he added, ‘and we want to reverse the decline in UK seafarer numbers.’

Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek said the Dutch maritime sector could offer some

22-23_spread Nov 16_SR edit.indd 23

useful lessons to the UK. The impact of the downturn in shipping seems to be hitting the UK harder than the Netherlands, he noted, and this is possibly because the Dutch maritime cluster is very united.

Formed in 1997, the Maritime by Holland organisation brings all parts of the cluster together — linking the industry with government and academia and working as a catalyst for cooperation between the different sectors.

‘The Dutch seafarer is the glue that keeps all of this together, and the majority of them move on to key posts in the wider maritime cluster.’ Mr van den Broek added.

The supply of Dutch seafarers had been maintained by controls on the number of non-EU crew members on Dutch-flagged ships, he explained. Dutch owners also give jobs guarantee for newly qualified officers, while the government provides tonnage tax, income tax and social security benefits, and nearly 100% support for maritime training.

‘Although Dutch shipping companies have been struggling recently, the impact on Dutch jobs has been tempered by the fact that foreign seafarers are usually the first to lose their jobs as Dutch seafarers have longer-term contracts,’ he added.

Professor Helen Sampson, director of the Seafarers International Research Centre at Cardiff University, explained how the shipping industry is facing huge challenges, with major changes over the past 20 years — and many of them having an adverse impact.

‘The direction of change is very negative at present because of the forces of globalisation and competition in a very brutal and savage environment, with downwards pressure on wages and cuts in terms and conditions,’ she added.

But there is some good news, Prof Sampson stressed.

Predictions in the 1990s that seafarers from western European countries would disappear completely have not materialised and shipping company HR managers are conscious of the need to strike a balance between cost and quality.

‘UK and western European seafarers have done extremely well to maintain a competitive advantage through quality,’ she added.

However, Prof Sampson warned of the challenge to protect high standards of training when austerity policies are having a damaging impact on higher and further education, and she said the shipping industry needs to help defend colleges and universities from damaging cuts.

Prof Sampson said Nautilus faces a challenge in fighting for the UK shipping industry in the post-Brexit climate as the government is one of prime movers in the ‘free seas’ approach. However, she suggested, the opportunities are there to protect jobs and conditions in domestic shipping trades through such measures as effective enforcement of the National Minimum Wage.

She described the Union’s 10-point charter for UK seafaring jobs as a very important initiative. ‘These jobs create people with a unique set of skills and attitudes to work which is extremely valuable in the industry and also to the wider maritime cluster. If we lose UK seafaring jobs in greater numbers, it will damage land-based maritime industries and services.’

FUK’s system of certificates of equivalent competency had caused more damage than anything else to British

Council member Mike Lloyd told the meeting that the

seafaring jobs in the last 30 years.

But Mr Platten cautioned that this was ‘a two-way street’ — with many British officers using their certificates to work on foreign ships.

Roger Stuart said the UK should look to the Commonwealth after leaving the EU. ‘The Commonwealth used to be the glue for UK maritime trade and there is great potential there,’ he added.

Jessica Tyson said the industry needs to ‘think big’ and do much more to get the public and the politicians aware of the importance of shipping.

And Ulrich Jurgens questioned whether the decline in the number of seafarers from OECD nations is inevitable — especially when there are forecasts of a growing global gap between supply and demand for officers.

‘There are huge shortages coming down the line,’ Mr Dickinson added, ‘and the UK needs to be ambitious in providing significant numbers of high quality officers for the global fleet.’

Nautilus Council member Mike Lloyd

seafarers from enclosed spaces A onboard merchant ships has barely Equipment for rescuing

changed since Nelson’s time, the Nautilus UK branch conference heard.

Council member Mike Lloyd moved a motion calling for all UK ships to be supplied with resuscitators and defibrillators, in addition to carrying specialist enclosed space rescue equipment and providing training in their use.

Capt Lloyd said there are estimates that as many as 1,000 people a year die in enclosed spaces — but it is not fair to blame seafarers for such accidents if their vessels do not have the correct equipment.

Two crew members had recently died in the hold of a British-owned ship, he added. ‘The only thing to get them out was a length of rope — something that they would have had in Nelson’s time. But this is 2016 and there are too many needless deaths which could have been avoided.’

Capt Lloyd said the issues had been debated at the IMO for more than 40 years, but little action had been taken. ‘The onus is therefore with the shipping companies to provide this equipment, and a lot of pressure can come from members to say to employers that if we are going into these spaces, there needs to be something to get us out quickly if it goes wrong.’

Seconding the motion, John Thomson said the subject had been raised at the Union’s Professional and Technical Forum, and he urged members to put pressure on their companies to provide such equipment.

Ross Cleland said a programme to put defibrillators in public places ashore had saved many lives in the UK, and the shipping industry is slipping behind other sectors.

Malcolm Graves said his ship did carry resuscitation equipment — and he had been involved in a case where it had been used to save the life of a crew member.

The motion was carried unanimously by the conference.

19/10/2016 18:15

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Strong turnout of lay reps Nautilus liaison officers took F place just before the Union’s branch A well-attended meeting of

conference, with almost 20 lay representatives discussing a wide range of workplace issues.

Senior national organiser Garry Elliott said the talks had covered the training courses run by Nautilus for members interested in liaison officer and lay representative roles, as well as the progress on the development of the Union’s ship visitors scheme.

The meeting also considered ways of boosting recruitment and retention in key companies, as well as the programme of Nautilus visits to maritime colleges around the country.

Mr Elliott told the Nautilus UK branch committee that the pay deals secured by the Union this year have held up well against the rate of inflation. The average settlement secured by Nautilus is 1.5%, against the 1.3% RPI rate at January 2016 and 0.3% for CPI.

‘Wrong size PPE is endangering lives’

Union members seize networking opportunity at Nautilus UK conference...

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equipment is putting seafarers’ A health and safety at risk, the Nautilus Ill-fitting personal protective

International UK branch conference heard.

Council member Jessica Tyson changed into a boiler suit to highlight the problems of the ‘one size fits all’ approach to PPE and emergency equipment. She moved a motion warning that a lot of PPE is manufactured to traditional specifications — often meaning it is not suitable for the increasing number of female seafarers.

However, she stressed, the issue affects all seafarers. ‘If you are tall or short, and the equipment does not fit properly, it can be dangerous as you are not able to focus on the job you are meant to be doing,’ Capt Tyson added.

‘We are all different and there should be some understanding of this in the equipment that we have,’ she argued. ‘There is a danger that people will not want to use the kit if it makes them feel uncomfortable.’

Seconding the motion, Samantha Belfitt told how she had to wear size 10 fire boots, when her shoe size is four.

Minds meet over mentoring lunch

Nautilus Council member Jessica Tyson

‘Every time I walked up and down, the boots fell off,’ she recalled.

The meeting gave unanimous support to the motion, which calls for PPE suppliers to design and provide equipment that is fit for purpose and suitable for all seafarers. It also calls for employers to carry out a full risk assessment of all PPE and emergency equipment onboard to ensure that all crew members can use it safely.

Underlining the ‘Jobs, Skills and the Future’ theme of this year’s Nautilus International UK branch conference, members of the Union’s Young Maritime Professionals and Women’s Forums took part in a special mentoring lunch ahead of the event.

The ‘speed dating’-style lunch was held to discuss best practice in mentoring and to facilitate networking amongst members attending the conference.

It included presentations from Bridget Hogan of the Nautical Institute and Nautilus Council member Malcolm Graves, who spoke about the Honourable Company of Master Mariners’ mentoring scheme.

Ms Hogan said the Nautical Institute is seeking to support both mentors and mentees, and it had produced a book — Mentoring at Sea — the 10 minute challenge — which seeks to ensure that mentoring is incorporated into the daily

At the Cardiff mentoring lunch: Martyn Gray, chair of the Union’s Young Maritime Professionals Forum; Nautilus Council member Malcolm Graves; Nautilus senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan; Bridget Hogan of the Nautical Institute; Nautilus head of strategic development Steven Gosling

onboard routine, with knowledge and experience being passed on.

‘It is about reflection and seeing beyond the technicalities of doing the job,’ she explained.

‘Seafarers get lots of technical information, but the question is how to make best use of that information. Mentoring enables people to take some power into their own hands and to think how they can help those coming up behind them.’

It’s not all one-way traffic, Ms Hogan stressed, as ‘reverse mentoring’ can enable younger seafarers to pass on new skills to older colleagues.

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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.

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24_branch conf_SR edit.indd Sec2:24

Mr Graves said the Honourable Company scheme has been running in its current form since 2013 and now has around 250 mentees, who are provided with guidance and support by their mentors. ‘Mentoring is not a training role,’ he pointed out, ‘it is all about giving advice and encouragement.’

This support can vary from help with CVs and job applications, to advice on career development and dealing with the challenges of the first phase of seatime, he added.

YMP Forum chair Martyn Gray said mentoring can

support the retention and career development of young seafarers and he hoped to see a ‘grassroots movement’ to take the scheme forward.

Joe Bowry said he would like to see mentoring included at an early stage of cadet training and for a course to be incorporated into STCW requirements.

John Thomson, chair of the Nautilus Professional and Technical Forum, said he hoped the Union will introduce its own scheme. ‘We need to get mentoring going in various parts of the country, as part of the future,’ he added.

Compensation success F

The value of Nautilus membership has been demonstrated by new figures which show the Union has recovered around £1.7m over the past two years for members affected by work-related injuries and ill-health.

Head of legal services Charles Boyle told the UK branch committee

that the compensation secured by the Union included £715,000 for a member suffering from the asbestosrelated condition mesothelioma, £145,000 for a member who suffered serious head injuries as a result of a fall, and £225,000 for a member who was declared unfit for work following leg injuries.

Union diversity survey to run until end of year launched its first major survey into F the diversity needs of members.

Nautilus International has

The survey, which is a result of a motion to the Union’s General Meeting in October last year, asks members whether they have suffered any bullying or harassment as a consequence of a diversity issue and whether the Union could do more to support them.

The anonymous results will then be analysed to see if there are any particular areas where bullying and harassment in the maritime industry are more prevalent.

The General Meeting agreed that diversity groups have specific issues which need to be addressed in targeted ways to ensure that the future of the maritime industry is open, inclusive and welcoming to all — regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, cultural or social demographics. g The survey of members is one way

in which the Union is working to ensure this happens. It can be found at www. surveymonkey/r/NI_Diversity and members are urged to take part before the end of this year.

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan commented: ‘Diversity, bullying and harassment have been standing topics on the agenda for the Young Maritime Professionals Forum.

‘As the seafaring demographic has changed so drastically over the last 25 years — with more young people, women and people with ethnically and socially diverse backgrounds choosing a career in shipping — members brought a motion to the 2015 General Meeting specifically on this issue.

‘Whatever the diverse needs of Nautilus members, it is important for them to know that the Union supports them, and that the Union is the organisation you can go to for help and advice.’

19/10/2016 17:04

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME POLICY

Lord Mountevans, the Lord Mayor of the City of London Picture: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Determination required from all concerned more competitive, and [there is] an ever larger pool of highly skilled people that are working onboard our ships and ashore’.

He suggested that the UK tonnage tax scheme could be overhauled to make it more competitive with other countries and fine-tuned outside the restrictions of the EU state aid guidelines.

Theresa Crossley, executive director of the UK Major Ports Group, stressed the importance of the maritime sector to the UK’s global trading ambitions after Brexit. ‘The decision to leave the EU has placed ports at the forefront of the drive to protect the UK’s future prosperity,’ she said. ‘Ports provide a unique opportunity to connect UK businesses with global markets. Britain is open for business, but it needs to have the gateways to reach the networks for that business to happen.’

Twelve months on from the publication of the Maritime Growth Study, industry experts and civil servants came together with the report’s author last month to consider whether we are any closer to seeing its proposals being put into action…

N

N

In September last year the UK government published its Maritime Growth Study — the first root and branch review of shipping policy for 15 years, and described as ‘a once in a generation’ chance to ensure the future prosperity of the British maritime cluster.

One year on, a raft of interested parties came together in London to hear what progress had been made on the 18 recommendations made by the report — half of which are aimed at employment and training.

The government commissioned the study — which was chaired by the current Lord Mayor of the City of London, Lord Mountevans — with the aim of finding ways to ensure that the UK maritime sector can remain competitive in an increasingly tough global market.

The study assessed the value of the UK’s maritime cluster — noting that it contributes at least £11bn a year to the economy and provides jobs for more than 113,000 people — and the opportunities and challenges the country faces in maintaining its position as a leading global maritime centre.

Dare to imagine a different world.

Think big, but understand the government doesn’t have endless pots of money

“

”

Rosa Wilkinson DfID The recommendations addressed issues including skills, industry and government leadership and marketing. The report called for measures to identify and prioritise key skills issues — including a review of the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme, for the government to initiate work with industry on extending its programme

25_mar growth_SR edit.indd 25

Maritime UK chairman David Dingle Picture: Maritime UK

of apprenticeships, and for better coordination of maritime careers promotion activity across the whole sector.

But how much actual progress has been made in the past year, and what tangible results can the industry expect to see in the future?

‘From my perspective there has been real progress, but there is a lot more to do on all sides,’ explained Department for Transport (DfT) permanent secretary Philip Rutnam during his keynote opening speech. ‘It’s vital that we keep up the momentum. My advice is that we need to keep up our head start and capitalise on it.

‘The government remains completely committed to taking forward its part in implementing the Maritime Growth Study,’ Mr Rutnam said. ‘Events since publication have only heightened the significance of recognising and acting on the findings.’

‘I’ve been delighted to see and hear how well this study has been received,’ added Rod Paterson, the DfT’s deputy director of maritime growth implementation. ‘The very frequency of which the reported recommendations have been referred to is a testament to its success and a reflection of the determination that all of us in this industry share not to let it sit on a shelf and gather dust.’

Mr Paterson said progress had been made by the industry to develop a single and united voice for the maritime sector, and there had been welcome moves to reform the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, But, he admitted: ‘There is much more we can and should do to truly embed the growth agenda. We must build on what we have achieved.’

The progress they spoke about, though, was hard to place. Many speakers during the afternoon session said they were pleased that working groups had been set up to make the recommendations a reality.

N

However, successive speakers highlighted the impact of June’s UK referendum vote to leave the European Union. The risks to the shipping industry, like those of most sectors within the UK, are proving difficult to predict and may be affecting the potential to take the Maritime Growth Study’s recommendations forwards.

‘About two months before the referendum we

were here discussing the findings of the report,’ said David Smith, director of strategy with the consultancy firm PwC. ‘At the time of the discussions Brexit seemed a bit theoretical. However, we now find ourselves here five months later and the theory has become a reality. There are still significant risks, but there are also big opportunities. What we need to do is realise them.’

Maritime UK chairman David Dingle said the Brexit vote means the growth study’s recommendations should be driven harder and faster – ‘making sure that our UK flag is more attractive and

Rosa Wilkinson, director of stakeholder engagement at the Department for International Trade (DfID), urged everyone to be visionary in their approach. ‘Dare to imagine a different world,’ she said. ‘Describe what you see and help the government understand that world. Think big, but understand the government doesn’t have endless pots of money.’

Lord Mountevans pointed out that as long as London has existed as a commercial hub, its success has relied on a strong maritime sector. But, he cautioned, in a sector as international as maritime, ‘you can never afford to sit on your laurels. You always have to think ahead, coming up with solutions for tomorrow’s challenges’.

He said the growth study had delivered a blueprint for a competitive, skilled UK maritime sector — but stressed the need for more shared purpose to ‘put the maritime industry in its rightful place, which is in the middle of the government’s economic plans’.

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19/10/2016 17:10

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

MARITIME CAREERS

A fine example to follow RACHEL ARNOLD is a third officer in the cruise sector — and volunteers as a Careers at Sea Ambassador. As she tells the Telegraph, it’s a role she relishes…

K

On 6 October I went to Gordano School in Bristol to attend their annual careers convention as a Careers at Sea Ambassador. I signed up to be an Ambassador as soon I heard about the programme through a friend, and have enjoyed every event I’ve been to so far.

This event was no different, and started with a meet and greet in the lobby with some enthusiastic students ready to help unload the car.

I have no personal connection to the school, but I saw that the careers convention was taking place through a monthly email sent out by Careers at Sea that allows you to volunteer for any events taking place near you.

I set up a stall using materials provided by the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB), including leaflets, posters, pens and a display banner. I also set up a laptop with a slideshow of photos taken by myself and friends to help show a real and relatable side to a career at sea. There were refreshments provided before it began, with the opportunity to meet and chat to the other career stand holders, which included the police, army and various universities.

Ready to swap one uniform for another: pupils of Gordano school in Bristol with Rachel Arnold

The event was packed with students of the school, their parents and interested members of the community, and throughout the evening I spoke to a whole range of different people. Some were more

Supporting seafarers in need and their families since 1917 To find out about our work or to make a donation visit www.seafarers.uk phone 020 7932 0000 or email seafarers@seafarers-uk.org

Seafarers UK (King George’s Fund for Sailors) is a Registered Charity, no. 226446 in England and Wales, incorporated under Royal Charter. Registered in Scotland, no. SC038191

26_ambassador_SR edit.indd Sec2:26

interested in the freebies on offer, but others seemed almost taken aback once I had spoken to them and shared all that working at sea has to offer.

The students were aged between 14 and 17, and included some who had no idea about what they wanted to do, while others seemed pretty certain.

One of the reasons I chose to become an Ambassador was because, before I stumbled upon the www. careersatsea.org website (completely by accident), I had no concept of the opportunities available. This makes it really exciting to share them with young people who may be in the same situation I was. Seeing their eyes light up at the idea of travelling the world and getting paid to do it is really rewarding.

The young people I spoke to were not naïve (many were only a few years younger than myself) and they asked intelligent questions about things like skill transferability, job prospects after training, and starting salaries. Some were interested in engineering degrees at university, so I was able to tell them about the engineering cadetship as an equivalent alternative.

One girl wanted to do medicine and had never considered the fact she could be a doctor on a cruiseship if she wanted to. One of the loveliest things was talking to some parents whose father or grandfather had been in the Merchant Navy, and listening to the stories they had to share. One man came back with each one of his three children separately, desperate for them to hear about the potential career at sea they could have.

K

I was encouraged by the number of girls who took interest — equal to, if not more than, the number of boys. Those I spoke to were appreciative of hearing a first-hand and honest experience of the cadetship, and said they were better able to imagine themselves at sea having spoken to, in the words of one of the boys, ‘a normal person’ who had been to sea herself. Saying that, I think anyone in the maritime industry should consider becoming an Ambassador, whether you’ve been to sea or not. There are so many jobs available within the industry that so many people are ignorant of, and it is a rewarding experience to be able to share that. One thing I really noticed was how unaware the students were of how much of their life will be taken up by working... and therefore how important it is to really consider what it is they want to do.

Being a Careers at Sea Ambassador is really easy.

All the materials you need are sent to your home, and you can choose how many (or few) events you wish to attend. Events include careers fairs, school assemblies, career taster days, and even attending local youth organisations like Guides, Scouts or Sea Cadets. You can attend them by yourself or with other Ambassadors in your area, and it is a great way to meet new people and to network. I feel really

One man came back with each of his three children separately so they could all hear about potential careers

“

”

lucky to have found a career that I love, and being able to share it with others is really fulfilling. I am already looking forward to the next event.

g Careers at Sea Ambassadors is a volunteer programme for serving seafarers to spread the word about maritime careers to UK schoolchildren. It is run by the MNTB with backing from Nautilus International and the Marine Society & Sea Cadets. g To volunteer as an Ambassador or request a visit to a school or youth group, go to www.careersatsea. org/ambassadors or email enquiry@careersatsea.org.

19/10/2016 13:55

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

SEAFARER FARER RT TRAINING RAINING The UK shipping industry is having a big push to recruit and train British ratings, hears SARAH ROBINSON…

I

Does your ship have any British ratings? And if it doesn’t, how much does that matter? Quite a lot, according to the new UK ratings champion Ibrahim Ismail. ‘A lot of British shipping’s energy and funds have been directed to officer training, and ratings have been somewhat neglected,’ he points out. ‘Yet well-trained British ratings can bring added value to a crew, just as British officers do.’

With a background in teaching and assessing vocational qualifications, Ibrahim was taken on earlier this year as training development manager by the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) — and his position has been funded by the Maritime Educational Foundation with the aim of helping to revive the British rating.

There’s already reason for optimism, he points out. Not all companies look to low-cost labour supply nations for their ratings, and the numbers of British employees in shipboard catering and hotel services are quite healthy. However, when it comes to deck and engine ratings, further efforts are needed to persuade employers to train and employ British workers.

Ibrahim’s first priority is to make sure that employers covered by the UK Tonnage Tax realise that providing certain kinds of rating traineeships can count towards their training obligations. And there’s further good news he can impart to employers: British ratings tend to be loyal to the company that trained them, leading to high retention rates and savings on recruitment costs.

Companies that invest in training for all ranks also protect themselves from a future skills crisis created by the mass retirement of their ageing workforce.

Another important part of Ibrahim’s work involves helping to develop training schemes for ratings that will be attractive to employees and deliver the skills employers need. There are, of course, existing basic certificates

Apprentices, you’re hired!

MNTB training and development manager Ibrahim Ismail

The first cohort of rating apprentices at DFDS qualified earlier this year — as featured in last month’s Telegraph

that ratings are required to gain in order to work onboard ship — but the new focus is on offering a more substantial training package that will set British ratings up for a lifelong career in the industry. In other words, an apprenticeship.

I

Apprenticeships have been around in one form or another for a long time, but fell from favour in recent decades when the UK government decided that the country’s education system should be aiming to get as many young people as possible into university.

But with many potential students now put off by the fear that they will incur debt taking a degree that will not guarantee career

success, the pendulum has swung the other way: the authorities now accept that school-leavers should be given the option of onthe-job training with good vocational qualifications.

To encourage companies to offer apprenticeships, there are good financial incentives from the UK government, points out Ibrahim. A legal obligation has been introduced for companies over a certain size to pay a new apprenticeship levy, and this payment entitles them to access grants to fund apprenticeship training — which may come to more than they paid in. The levy will come into force in April 2017, and Ibrahim is available to advise shipping companies on how they can get ready.

He is also involved in creating and revising rating apprenticeships in England to match the latest specifications issued by the government (in Scotland, there are separate but equivalent ‘Modern Apprenticeships’).

The development work is led by a Trailblazer Group — one of many such bodies established within various industries created to set the standards for apprenticeships. In shipping, the Maritime Trailblazer Group brings together representatives of employers, maritime unions, awarding bodies, colleges, the MCA and other interested parties.

This effort was underway before Ibrahim came onboard, but he is now using his prior experience with apprenticeships in business and IT to help shape the maritime apprenticeships and related assessment plans into the right format, and get them approved by the authorities.

I

It’s not always a smooth process, he says ruefully. ‘Our new Maritime Caterer apprenticeship is all ready to go, but it’s got stuck at the Department for Education,’ he explains. ‘The trouble seems to be that we want to include some existing qualifications and enclosed space training required by the industry as part of the apprenticeship, but this doesn’t match government policy.’ Discussions are being sought with the minister for apprenticeships and skills, Robert Halfon, to work towards a solution.

Meanwhile, the revised apprenticeship for deck ratings has been approved, and work is progressing well on reviewing and further developing the existing apprenticeship for engine ratings. Coming from a non-shipping background, Ibrahim is impressed with how well the different bodies represented on the Maritime Trailblazer Group work with each other, and

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he’s looking forward to supporting increasing numbers of companies in offering apprenticeships. ‘It’s been so good seeing the apprentices make it through to qualification this year with early adopters such as DFDS, RFA and P&O,’ he says. ‘Let’s see if we can double or even triple the number of British rating apprentices over the next two years.’

g More information about rating apprenticeships is available on the MNTB website at www. mntb.org.uk/ratings-apprenticeshipinformation. This gives details of funding and costing, pay rates for apprentices, training frameworks and other useful information. g To contact Ibrahim Ismail about offering rating apprenticeships in your company, email ibrahim.ismail@mntb.org. uk or phone direct on +44 (0)20 7417 2823.

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19/10/2016 13:56

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

MEMBERS AT WORK

THEN: Robin Batchelor in his days as an officer on the car ferry Mons Calpe in the 1980s

NOW: Robin Batchelor’s bike shop in Gibraltar

He’s got a ticket to ride K

The question many mariners may find themselves asking one day is a simple one. When I come ashore for the final time; what am I going to do?

For many, the skills learned during their careers afloat make them well-placed for a successful transition to the shore side of the industry. However, for a few, the prospect of a new challenge and exploring other interests is an appealing one — and for some, it’s time to get on their bike.

Long-serving Nautilus member Robin Batchelor, 71, is one

Nautilus member Robin Batchelor has given new meaning to the ship-toshore career cycle. He tells STEVEN KENNEDY how he geared up for a very different working life after retiring from the sea… such person. Having joined the Union back in 1963, he finally came ashore full-time in 1985 and is now the proud owner of a cycle shop in his adopted home of Gibraltar — a world away from his seafaring days, Robin says he enjoyed his time at sea, despite a reluctant start.

‘Growing up, we lived in Broadstairs,’ he recalls. ‘My mother had read to my brother and myself an article in the Sunday Mail about the “fantastic” job opportunities in the Merchant Navy.

‘Soon after, we found ourselves going to Sea Scouts in Ramsgate, which neither of us enjoyed.

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28_bikes_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

Then, somehow, I found myself taking the entrance exam for Sir John Cass, which I luckily failed!

My poor younger brother Jeffery passed for HMS Worcester, age 13, which he hated but became cadet captain nonetheless. I did not get away with this and was sent away to Prince of Wales Sea Training School for Boys Dover — which I hated, I may add.’

Those early career lows were soon put to bed, and he went to sea in 1961. ‘My first ship was RMS Oriana, as deck boy aged just 16,’ Robin says. ‘It was a real eyeopener. On the second trip I was promoted, and this was followed by an apprenticeship with Common Brothers of Newcastle. I was onboard Border Terrier, a standard British tramp tanker, and I loved it. From there, I went to the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company’s STS Kazimah, then mv Iron Horse, Border Falcon, and followed those by joining Iron Barque as uncertificated third mate, and Daghestan. I was extremely happy on all those ships.’

K

Robin became determined to work his way up the ladder. Studying at South Shields Marine School, he became ‘an honorary Geordie’ as he puts it — as well as a more career-defining second mate. He then joined his brother Jeff working on the Shaw Savill Line vessel Ionic, which provided Robin with a memorable standard of living: ‘Ionic was a posh refrigerated cargo ship with crews of 78. I joined as junior third officer — not a mate. I remember it had hotel-style food and a proper bar.

It was great fun.’

Getting his fill of the good life, Robin moved again as his career continued on its upward trajectory. It was then, back in the late 1960s, that fate would hand him a rather welcome opportunity to avoid disaster.

‘I remember I was stood by on RMS Gothic in dry-dock whilst her passenger accommodation was gutted,’ he recalls. ‘It was the Queen’s royal yacht for the royal tour in 1952. I had, thankfully, declined her next trip as I had sufficient sea time to train for my

first mate’s. It was, therefore, a big shock to hear the tragic story of the big fire and near-disaster off New Zealand. It could have been me!’

His final foreign-going voyage was aboard the refrigerated cargoship Canopic. He had already been advised to switch to con-

time, Robin looked at new opportunities to make a living. He spent some time working as a foreman at two BP petrol stations, as well as continuing his seafaring — albeit briefly — onboard a Norwegianregistered high-speed catamaran.

The time came when Robin wanted to work for himself. Combining a recently acquired passion for cycling with an observation of the lack of cycle shops in Gibraltar, he set up his own store in 2011. Since then the Cycle Centre has gone from strength to strength. Now he supplies the ter-

Robin Batchelor’s leaving certificate, dated 1961, from the Prince of Wales Training School for Boys in Dover

tainerships, as they offered better money and had a good reputation for quick promotion.

However, he would soon secure a role as the second mate/ chief officer on the car ferry Mons Calpe, running between Gibraltar and Tangier in Morocco. ‘I was lucky enough to have 14 years on the dear old Mons Calpe,’ Robin says. ‘There were so many memories from those days, but possibly the most poignant was one time when we had just rounded Cap Spartel. I spotted a British destroyer a fair way off and hugging the Moroccan coast but going so slowly that I thought we ought to go and have a look. She was HMS Sheffield and she was limping along at about five knots having come up from the Falklands. She was just so full of shell holes it was amazing she was still afloat. We passed her at about three or four cables, continually blowing the ship’s whistle as a mark of respect.’

In 1984, the ferry’s crew were made redundant as the vessel was judged to be too old and slow, and there was insufficient trade to warrant a new ferry.

Having come ashore for what he suspected would be the final

ritory with cycling brand Giant bikes, and sells everything from mountain bikes to children’s scooters — whilst also offering repair services.

‘The cruise liner Royal Princess bought a couple of road bikes from us and subsequently sent us their 10 crew bikes for servicing in three lots, as she was a frequent visitor and we could pick up and deliver back to the docks free of charge. This got me thinking that perhaps other cruise liners may like to do the same.’

The switch to cycling is not just a business for Robin, though.

Despite being in his 70s, he keeps himself fit through his twowheeled exploits. So fit, in fact, that he is taking part in a 350km cycle challenge for the Guardian Angel Foundation. ‘We cycle from Portugal to Gibraltar in October. It’s 350km in three days. I’ve only been road-biking for about 10 months now and I’m 71! So it’s never too late to start.’ g To contact Robin and the Cycle Centre email info@cyclecentre.gi or visit them at 15C Devil’s Tower Road, Gibraltar. g To support the Guardian Angel Foundation visit www.guardianangel. marketingmercenary.net

19/10/2016 13:56

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MEMBERS AT WORK

Changing minds to clean our seas A Nautilus member is heading up a campaign to cut the ‘tsunami’ of plastic waste in the world’s oceans — and she tells ANDREW LININGTON how it begins with a ‘no ifs and butts’ approach to problem…

J

It was onboard a ship in the middle of the Atlantic that Nautilus member Fazilette ‘Bobby’ Khan had her ‘lightbulb’ moment.

‘It was a lovely day and the sea was like a sheet of glass,’ she recalls.

‘Then, all of a sudden, I saw this huge tractor tyre floating along.

It got me wondering as to how on earth it got there.’

Serving on cruiseships, she also witnessed growing environmental problems in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. ‘The Caribbean islands used to be pristine, but I wouldn’t sit on a beach in Antigua or St Lucia now if you paid me,’ Bobby says.

Such experiences set her on the way to launching a charity — the UK-based GreenSeas Trust — which aims to develop programmes to ‘stop the tsunami of plastics and marine debris entering the sea’.

The charity was established in 2003 in memory of Bobby’s mother, Haida Khan, who came from Tobago. And it was after a holiday on the island that Bobby decided that she needed to do something to tackle the marine

isn’t a need to buy bottled water onboard, as the ship’s systems produced very purified water,’ Bobby notes. ‘The problem, though, is that it is often highly chlorinated.

However, I said to my shipmates that they don’t need to spend a fortune on bottled water — they can just get a decent filter and a reusable bottle.’

J

The beach clean-up in Cannes, France, organised by the GreenSeas Trust

litter problem.

‘I was on the beach and saw so many people leaving their rubbish there,’ she says. ‘I told my Dad what a beautiful place it is but how it was being ruined by everyone chucking their waste into the sea. At that time, I was working ashore and the next day I was made redundant — which was a big sign for me to make a move.

‘I didn’t know much about the environment then,’ Bobby admits, ‘but I could see the problem and felt that something had to be done about it.’

She began by making sure that litter bins were placed on the beaches in Tobago. ‘It was amazing — within 15 days of them going in you could really see the difference.

Today, the island’s motto is “clean, green and serene”.’

The success of the scheme led to an invitation to carry out a similar project in Trinidad and it laid the principles for the charity’s objectives. ‘It’s much better to deal with the problem at source — and to do that by eradicating the “can’t be bothered” attitude through education and interaction,’ Bobby explains.

‘I wouldn’t sit on a beach in Antigua or St Lucia now if you paid me,’ says Fazilette ‘Bobby’ Khan

29_faz_SR edit.indd 29

In recent months, the charity has stepped up a gear with presentations to school children and a beach cleanup in France. Bobby and a group of volunteers worked with the mayor of Cannes to target the cigarette butt problem by distributing free pocket ashtrays and leaflets.

She’s hoping to organise a similar event on the River Thames in the next few months. ‘It would be great to get a couple of hundred people together to clean up along the waterline. Although I prefer to see the pollution being stopped at source, a clean-up can be a great way to raise awareness and make people think about the problems.’

Bobby admits that fundraising

is a major challenge. ‘I never have any money, but I do seem to be very good at persuading people to do a lot,’ she adds. ‘With social media it is much easier to spread the word and get people involved.

After 30 years at sea, Bobby says she has developed a strong sense of the threats facing the marine environment. ‘My career at sea has allowed me the privilege to visit some of the most exotic and pristine coastal areas in remote parts of the world,’ she explains. ‘It is heart-breaking to come back a few years later and see those very same coves and beaches now strewn with unsightly plastic bottles and other non-biodegradable rubbish.’

She is determined to do what she can to protect the oceans for the future. ‘People still have this perception that the sea is like a big drain with a plughole through which all the waste goes. But it isn’t like that at all — and that’s the mindset I am hoping we can change.’ g To find out more about the charity or to donate, visit the website: www.greenseas.org

Since she launched the charity, Bobby has struggled to give sufficient time to it because of her work as an electro-technical officer. But now, she says, it is the right moment to devote more of her energy to the trust’s ambitious projects.

GreenSeas Trust is targeting plastic waste in the sea — with evidence that as much as 12.7m tonnes of plastic enters the ocean every year. There, plastic material is broken down by the sun, waves and oxidisation into microplastics — tiny particles measuring between 1mm and 5mm.

J

On current trends, the ratio of plastics to fish in the ocean is set to rise from 1:5 at present to 1:1 by 2050. Studies have shown that toxins in microplastics ingested by marine life are passing through the food chain, threatening all sorts of adverse impacts on health.

‘We really have to stop the stuff getting into the sea in the first place,’ Bobby says. Her immediate targets are cigarette butts and plastic water bottles — something she has sought to persuade shipmates to support.

‘People might think it is only a cigarette butt, but it is estimated that there are 13 trillion of them in the oceans. They are the number one item found in coastal cleanups and in the sea they degrade, leaching out 200 toxic chemicals such as acetone, ammonia, formaldehyde and cadmium,’ she points out.

Bobby says that while most seafarers respect the environment in which they work, she had to ask some shipmates not to throw their cigarette butts overboard. And she also tried to persuade them not to buy bottled water.

‘You see plastic water bottles all over the place and there really

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19/10/2016 13:57

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

the great geological F meeting place of two tectonic

At their October meeting, the MMSA Council discussed the problems facing masters of large tankers and similar ‘man overboard’ rescue operations in heavy seas. A recent case reported to the MMSA had illustrated the shortcomings of a heavy motor lifeboat as a rescue craft and the difficulties and dangers to which a boat’s crew is exposed when attempting to hook on cumbersome boat falls after returning alongside.

Council members expressed the view that greater use ought to be made of inflatable liferafts when sea conditions preclude the safe launching and recovery of a lifeboat. It was, however, considered that the value of a rescue liferaft would be greatly enhanced if it could be fitted with some means of propulsion, such as an outboard motor MN Journal, November 1966

Much of Indonesia straddles

plates, and contains the highest concentration of active volcanoes in the world. The great majority lie along the topographic crest of the islands of Java and Sumatra. These islands are separated by the Sunda Straits, an important shipping route for centuries — especially during the period when the Dutch East India Company used it as the gateway to the Spice Islands.

The straits are the location of several volcanic islands.

Although relatively small, these particular volcanoes have shown the capacity to generate highly explosive eruptions. The most infamous was Krakatoa.

Krakatoa was composed of three coalesced volcanoes.

During May and June of 1883 there were mild eruptions from the northernmost volcano.

Towards the end of August Krakatoa delivered the opening salvo of a climactic eruption.

The cloud of volcanic debris rose to over 20 miles. The intensity of eruptions increased, frightening communities on adjacent Sumatra and Java.

Later in the day these villages would be battered by a series of devastating tsunamis generated by pyroclastic flows plunging into the sea.

Several stupendous eruptions culminated in a colossal blast that literally blew Krakatoa apart, and which was to lead directly to over 36,000 people losing their lives. The noise was heard 3,000 miles away and is reckoned to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history. It radically altered global weather and temperatures for years afterwards.

Many of the closest islands were submerged by the tsunamis. Eyewitness accounts came from passengers on the

25 YEARS AGO

Berouw: casualty of Krakatoa steamer Gouverneur-Generaal Loudon, which survived the barrage only through the efforts of her captain. The ship was anchored in Lampong Bay, near the village of Telok Betong, and was alerted by the Dutch naval vessel Berouw.

After Loudon met the first wave head-on, ‘the benumbed crew watched as the sea in a single sweeping motion consumed the town.’

A descriptive comparison was likened to ‘a sudden change of scenery, which in a fairy tale occurs by a fairy’s magic wand, but on a colossal scale and with the conscious knowledge that it is reality and thousands of people have perished in an indivisible moment, that destruction without equal has been wrought’.

Berouw herself was tethered to a mooring buoy and was also in the thick of heavy breaking waves.

A Royal Dutch Navy paddlesteamer, her name translates as ‘remorse’. Of four guns, a

draught of 6ft, and with a 30hp reciprocating steam engine, she was crewed by four European officers and 24 native ratings.

Her own fate was to be different to that of Loudon’s, part of which was observed from the decks of the latter.

Berouw was ‘lifted up by a huge wave, which severed her connection to the mooring, swept westward for a quarter of a mile until, as the wave broke, she was crashed down precipitously on the shore, at the mouth of the Koeripan River’. It is thought that this fearful crash killed the crew.

Several hours later, when ‘the great wave of 11.03 am’ hit, the ship was picked up again and driven for over a mile up the Koeripan valley. Deposited in her final resting place, she lay askew across the river, upright once again and later described as a ‘macabre tomb for the 28 members of her crew’.

Berouw was found and inspected a few weeks later by the crew of a rescue ship: ‘She lies almost completely intact,

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Fifty Ships That Changed the Course of History by Ian Graham (reviewed on the facing page).

To enter, simply complete the form right and send it, along with your completed crossword, to: Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword

Competition, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD, or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015.

You can also enter by email, by sending your list of answers and your contact details to: telegraph@nautilusint.org.

Closing date is Friday 11 November 2016.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

8.

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Across Show horse (8) Waterproof (6) Couple (4) Direction (10) Made snake noise (6) Assure (8) Weather feature (7) Nuts (7) Determined (8) Behind (6) Estate guard (10) Mines (4) Shot (6) Warwickshire town (8)

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Down Wisdom (8) Not wealthy (4) Written in column (6) Sovereign (7) Fatherly (8) Lucky (10) Cloth (6) Food poison (10)

only the front of the ship is twisted a little to port, the back of the ship a little to starboard.

The engine-room is full of mud and ash. The engines themselves were not damaged very much, but the flywheels were bent by the repeated shocks.’ It was thought that she could be made seaworthy again, but was instead totally abandoned.

The hulk was more or less intact when it was visited in 1939, reportedly rusting and swathed in vines, and adopted as home by a colony of monkeys. Hunks of deteriorating iron remained until the 1980s, but all signs have now vanished.

In 1927, Anak Krakatoa — ‘Child of Krakatoa’ — emerged as a new island and today exceeds a height of 1,000ft above sea level.

Krakatoa is described as ‘the only volcano known to date to explode and then regenerate.’ In recent years Anak Krakatoa’s spectacular eruptions have steadily grown in intensity, becoming so fierce they light up overhead clouds and draw in violent thunderstorms.

NUMAST has condemned the UK government for chartering a Norwegian merchant ship to replace the Antarctic patrol vessel HMS Endurance.

General secretary John Newman said it was scandalous that taxpayers’ money was being spent on the use of a foreign ship at a time when the UK merchant fleet is experiencing further decline. The government has bareboat chartered the 5,129gt Norwegian support ship Polar Circle for seven months, and the vessel will be reflagged to fly the RN’s white ensign. NUMAST general secretary John Newman described the charter as ‘a serious symbol of the sad state of our maritime affairs’ and if the patrol duties were of a purely civil nature the MoD should use a Britishflagged and crewed ship The Telegraph, November 1991

10 YEARS AGO The shipping minister is still considering his verdict on the proposals for an employment link to the UK tonnage tax scheme, Nautilus has been told. The minister — Dr Stephen Ladyman — has been weighing up the recommendations made in the shipping task force report for more than a year now and has admitted the decision is a difficult one that will probably not please all sides of the industry. Nautilus has expressed interest in alternative proposals, tabled by the Maersk Company, which seek the restructuring of the support for maritime training scheme to cut the costs of training officers to their second certificate. The Union has also held discussions with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency on the terms of reference for a review of the UK’s certificates of equivalent competency scheme The Telegraph, November 2006

THEQUIZ

4

Roughly what percentage of the world’s oceans is deeper than 6km?

1

Which type of ship has been the most frequent victim of pirate attacks so far this year?

5

Which port is the busiest in the Arabian Gulf?

6

2

‘Larboard’ was once used to describe the port side of a ship.

How did the term originate?

What was the name of the last passenger liner to gain the Atlantic Blue Riband?

3

In which country is the container shipping firm Yang Ming based?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

16.

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Make sick (8) Bequest (8) Answer (7) Glaze (6) Voice box (6) Solid fuel (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES Across 8. One’s flowers brought out new red range (8) 9. Online identifier is a cask with a cobbler’s last (6) 10. Refuse to admit to retreat, yes (4) 11. Explosive device using kitchen utensil and barrel, about a month in construction (10) 12. Fine in Scotland and New York for the well-built (6) 14. Its use of a stick may see some Californians angry with English (8) 15. Vim and marine surge created amino acid compound (7)

Membership No.:

17. Hero worship oldies, I must be out of order (7) 20. Tin alloy, oil well and the EU-backed conspiracy (8) 22. ‘When he himself his quietus make / With a bare ---’ (Hamlet) (6) 23. The little devil ended with his resort in ruin (10) 24. Links to the white collar brigade (4) 25. Takes cattle disease about three quarters of an hour to reach stock exchange (6) 26. Supporter made Dave a cot from the bits (8)

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Down Race about without charge or worries (8) Merckx in a spin (4) Quick, crocodiles can be like that (6) Nana, you will shortly have a small bit, we hear (7) Kind of diet, with this and that even (8)

6. Chandler’s fictional oeuvre — or would it be œuf? (4-6) 7. Ethical beliefs — for what they’re worth (6) 13. Try to get answers from utility company (5,5) 16. Marine bank and Spanish word for the not very good verse (8) 18. Cutting edge of footwear, to a point (8) 19. Detectives turned up in middle of repast for health examination (7) 21. A king of reconnaissance aircraft (6) 22. Necessitate seeing British Empire as having its beginnings near Brighton (6) 24. Nervous twitch, correct (4) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

J Last month a clue was missing from the cyptic clues: 10. OU’s sage turns out to be in a state (7)

19/10/2016 16:15

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

Lives of hardship and endurance Merchant Seafaring Through World War 1

By Peter Lyon The Book Guild, £9.99 ISBN: 978 19108 78415 fwww.bookguild.co.uk be so acclaimed by generations to come, that K they faced without hesitation the tremendous

‘It is the glory of our Merchant Navy, and will

odds and the frequent hazard of death, undaunted in spirit to the better end. Let us not forget, also, that had it been otherwise this country of ours must have perished.’

So stated HRH The Prince of Wales following the end of the First World War almost a century ago.

His confidence in future generations remembering the role of the Merchant Navy now seems wildly over-optimistic, given that politicians seem incapable of recognising the importance of ships taken up from trade during the Falklands conflict.

In writing this excellent book, retired master mariner Peter Lyon has done his best to rekindle

some appreciation for the often ignored contribution made by his predecessors during the First World War — and, he hopes, also to give present-day merchant seafarers a greater understanding of their heritage.

The book grew out of the author’s research into his maternal grandfather, Captain Harry Griffiths, which yielded ‘a vivid history of incredible hardship and endurance, against a background of little concern for the safety and protection of the British merchant seafarer’.

He vividly portrays the harsh and dangerous nature of seafaring in the years leading up to the war — with a work-related death rate about 50% higher than shore-based occupations and the chances of death from violence more than 400% greater. Long hours, poor pay and substandard shipboard accommodation were prevalent, he explains, and were ‘compounded by the fact that many British ships were crewed by men of different nationalities and pay and conditions tended to follow an international “norm”.’

intricately navigate vessels in and out of the docks — the author carefully directs the reader through the many years the port city has operated. Highlighting both the good and the bad times for the area, the title finishes by looking ahead to what the future may hold for the city of Liverpool and its worldfamous port.

The good old days at sea and ashore The ancient port that made a city Liverpool Docks: a short history

By David Paul Fonthill Media, £16.99 ISBN: 978 17815 55187 f www.fonthillmedia.com throughout the whole of K Liverpool’s long and sometimes

‘One constant element runs

illustrious history — the River Mersey.’ These are the opening words to the latest book — entitled Liverpool Docks: a short history — taking the reader on a trip down the docks’ well-worn memory lane.

Author David Paul is the guide for this particular journey. The opening chapters take the reader back to the early days of the docks — and by early we’re talking the twelfth century — and traces the birth, growth and development of the port over the centuries.

With a healthy smattering of diagrams and photos from the area, Mr Paul looks into the port’s colourful history of bringing cargo onto British shores and at how the northern city played a role in the misery of the slave trade.

After writing extensively about Liverpool’s war efforts, the book brings the reader to the present day, and proves to be a good whistle-stop tour for local historians.

Much like the pilots — who

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

Memories of a Ben Line Man

By Stuart Edmond Bassman Books, £7.99 ISBN: 978 09567 90866 f www.russellturner.org/ benline.asp

K

There’s starting to be quite a body of work where former seafarers share their experiences of ‘a time lost forever’. In these memoirs — which often feature in the Telegraph — the authors generally look back at their life in the British Merchant Navy of the 1950s and 1960s. The stories make

for a pleasant, nostalgic read and, taken as a whole, provide a useful record reminiscent of the oral history archives in the British Library.

Memories of a Ben Line Man is typical of the genre — rather like Down by the Markes, reviewed last month. It’s a gentle tale of a young Scotsman with seafaring connections in his family whose dream is to join the Merchant Navy. We hear about Stuart Edmond’s schooling and cadet training, his developing career as a junior officer on cargoships and, sweetly, how he met and married his

Not surprising, then, that industrial unrest was bubbling away before the outbreak of the war — and the appalling treatment of seafarers continued into the conflict, with crew members off-pay as soon as their ships sank.

Peter Lyon also underlines the shocking lack of awareness at government level of the importance of merchant shipping in sustaining the nation during war. Similarly, he explores the grey areas surrounding the legal status of civilian ships and their crews during a conflict — which would come into stark focus as the U-boats began to rewrite the traditional ‘rules’ for attack.

Mr Lyon has done a remarkable job in drawing from first-hand accounts of attacks, survival and life in the internment camps set up for seafaring prisoners of war. These include descriptions of almost unimaginable horror and heroism — with a whole chapter devoted to one of the most dramatic stories, that of the sinking of RMS Ausonia and the fortitude of the surviving crew.

The book notes that while 14,428 seafarers on

beloved wife May. Edmond came ashore in 1961 to be with May and their new baby. He knew he would miss his life at sea, but at the same time was certain he was doing the right thing by his family. He ended up with a highflying shore career in management, working in a variety of industries including a period back in the maritime sector with the UK Chamber of Shipping. In later life he was awarded the MBE for his voluntary work with the Sea Cadets.

An impressive individual, then, and if his story of the good old days at sea is rather familiar, he tells it well and includes some good photographs. Readers thinking of committing their own life stories to print for the unofficial Merchant Navy archive would do well to follow this nicely-crafted example.

Truly Titanic efforts to investigate Report Into the Loss of the SS Titanic

By Samuel Halpern

Fascinating exploration of how ships shaped us Fifty Ships That Changed the Course of History

By Ian Graham The History Press, £14.99 ISBN: 978 07509 70440 more than 5,000 years, this K thoughtful book does a grand job in Spanning the course of

conveying the importance of ships and seafarers in shaping the world in which we live.

Starting in ancient Egypt and concluding with Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas (the largest passengership ever built), the book explains the way that ships have been the building blocks of civilisation, trade and conflict.

There are many familiar ships — ss Great Britain, Cutty Sark, Normandie and Titanic to name a

few — but the book also contains plenty of lesser-known stories, such as China’s remarkable ‘treasure fleet’. These 15th century vessels are thought to have been up to 164m long, were capable of carrying up to 2,450 tonnes of cargo and incorporated double hulls and watertight compartments.

There are similarly good tales about the pioneering steampowered vessels Clermont, Charlotte Dundas and Savannah, and a sad story about Captain Pringle Stokes, master of the famous survey ship Beagle, who killed himself after suffering from stress and depression on the vessel’s first expedition.

The contributions made by Liberty Ships and containerisation is well marked, and Mr Graham also notes the way that shipping has

also helped to raise awareness of environmental issues through the work carried out by vessels such as Calypso and Rainbow Warrior.

Well illustrated and produced to a very high standard, the book includes some handy sections listing books and websites that will yield further information and more details about the ships it features.

British ships lost their lives as a result of enemy action in the First World War, a further 3,348 died as a result of the ‘ordinary risks of the sea’ and more than 3,000 from illness and disease — ‘no doubt some reflection of their working conditions and lack of access to medical care’.

Sadly, Mr Lyon concludes, despite the warm words of the Prince of Wales, the working lives of merchant seafarers were not changed for the better as a consequence of the war and his passionate and well-written book pays a powerful tribute to their ‘character and resilience’.

appendices that simply list — in alphabetical order — the names of passengers. However, despite this, the book really does show the disaster in a new light and will provide a wealth of new information to those interested in the ship’s loss.

Indispensible classic, now set for 2017 The History Press, £20 ISBN: 978 07509 67990 f www.thehistorypress.co.uk published over the years about K the Titanic, endlessly examining Many books have been

the events of 14 and 15 April 1912 that led to the world’s most famous ‘unsinkable’ liner meeting its untimely watery grave.

Trying to find new information on such a well researched and documented event is a tough task, but author Samuel Halpern — with the t help of numerous others — has h bravely attempted in his book Report Into the Loss of the SS R Titanic to uncover further forgotten T and a hidden secrets of the infamous wreck. w Spread across 14 in-depth chapters and just under 400 pages, c the t book is a complete re-evaluation of o the loss of the Titanic, featuring a collection of reports compiled by 11 1 of the world’s leading researchers into the subject. i Where this title differs from others previously published is that o it i seeks answers to controversial questions, such as whether steerage q passengers were detained behind p gates.

Chapters describing the ship, g its layout and the issues experienced when disaster struck are well written and remarkably detailed, and are supported by information sent during the incident and numerous photographs taken at the time.

Where, perhaps, interest may slightly wane is around the threequarter mark of the book. From this point on there are numerous

Brown’s Nautical Almanac

By Richard Brown Brown, Son & Ferguson, £60 ISBN: 978 18492 70687 f www.skipper.co.uk Sailor’s Bible’, Brown’s K Nautical Almanac celebrates its Claiming the title of ‘The

140th birthday next year — and the 2017 edition is now available.

Once again, the chunky tome has been fully overhauled, with particular attention to accuracy and ease of reference — and this year the entire book has been re-set so that navigators will find the tables are sharper and easier to read.

Packed with astronomical data, nautical tables and methods, and tide and distance tables, the book also offers a wide range of legal and technical information, as well as updated details of beacons and buoys and windfarms and offshore installations around the UK and Ireland, and full details of the GMDSS Master Plan.

19/10/2016 17:06

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NL NEWS

Nieuw FNV ledenparlement in de maak en FNV Waterbouw ook zijn A aangesloten, kent sinds de fusie De FNV, waarbij Nautilus

van de grote FNV bonden - FNV Bondgenoten, Abvakabo en FNV Bouw- een ledenparlement. Ruim 100 afgevaardigden van iedere sector waarin de FNV actief is, zijn hierin vertegenwoordigd.

Het ledenparlement zet samen met het algemeen bestuur de (middel)lange termijn koers van de FNV uit, besluit over voorstellen en controleert het dagelijks en algemeen bestuur.

Het ledenparlement is dus een belangrijk orgaan, dat voor een periode van vier jaar wordt aangesteld. Het huidige ledenparlement is aangesteld in 2013. In maart 2017 wordt het stokje overdragen aan een nieuwe groep afgevaardigden,die aanblijft tot 2021.

1 zetel voor Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw

Nautilus heeft recht op 1 zetel.

De FNV zelf houdt hierover binnenkort verkiezingen.

Aangesloten bonden, zoals Nautilus, kunnen van deze procedure afwijken. Het Nautilus bestuur, hierin unaniem ondersteund door de Raad van Advies, heeft nu besloten om ons huidige ledenparlement en Raad

van Advies lid Henk Eijkenaar hiervoor weer aan te wijzen. Met als vervanger, ook Henk’s huidige vervanger, het Raad van Advies lid Caro Cordes.

Verkiezingen voorzitter

Parallel aan de verkiezingen van het ledenparlement wordt er ook een nieuwe voorzitter van de FNV gekozen. Hier kunt u als Nautilus/ FNV Waterbouw lid uw invloed laten gelden en zelf uw stem uitbrengen. U bepaalt dus mede wie het boegbeeld van de FNV wordt! Wilt u zelf in aanmerking komen voor de functie van voorzitter? g www.fnv.nl/over-fnv/koersfnv/ verkiezingen-congres-2017/ verkiezingen-voorzitter/ Verkiezingen FNV bestuur

In het voorjaar van 2017 wordt tevens een nieuw algemeen en dagelijks FNV bestuur verkozen.

Op dit moment is de verkiezingsprocedure voor beide besturen nog in ontwikkeling.

Binnenkort kunt u op deze webpagina meer informatie over de procedure vinden: g www.fnv.nl/over-fnv/koersfnv/ verkiezingen-congres-2017/ verkiezingen-algemeen-endagelijks-bestuur/planningverkiezingen-ab-db/

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Volg ons op Twitter

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u ook dat een soort luchtvaart controlesysteem voor het scheepvaartverkeer onvermijdelijk is?

Ja 88%

Nee 12%

De poll van deze maand is: Bewegen de reders te traag inzake de Ballast Water Conventie? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl_19.10_june.indd 32

Aanwijzing havens in Libië en Syrië tot gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied ‘Aanwijzing havens in Libië en Syrië tot A gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied’ geëvalueerd.

CAO- partijen hebben de overeenkomst

Besloten is de overeenkomst te verlengen.

Hiermee is overeengekomen dat partijen gebonden aan het zogenaamde ‘Protocol inzake het dienstdoen in Gevarengebieden’ alle havens in Libië en Syrië aanwijzen als gevaarlijk

bestemmingsgebied.

Partijen hebben vastgesteld dat de reeds langere tijd bestaande geopolitieke spanningen in Libië en Syrië aanleiding geven tot het instellen van het gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied.

De aanwijzing tot gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied is verlengd tot 1 februari 2017.

De gevolgen van het aanwijzen van een gevaarlijk bestemmingsgebied zijn uitgewerkt in artikel 4 van het ‘Protocol inzake het dienstdoen in gevarengebieden’.

Rotterdam, 21 september 2016 Nautilus International Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart Sociaal Maritiem Werkgeversverbond

Rotterdamse scholieren de zee op met de Eendracht A

‘Best wel cool, zo’n dagje op ‘zo’n zeilboot’

‘Ik had vroeger op mijn kamer een prachtige poster hangen. Van de oude Eendracht nog. Mijn vader ging al mee vanaf 1977. En het was voor mij een jongensdroom om er ook op te gaan varen. In 1985 ben ik er bij gekomen als kwartiermeester. Ik doe het nog altijd met veel plezier. Jongeren iets van het zeezeilen proberen bij te brengen. Of de jeugd veranderd is in al die jaren? Valt wel mee, vind ik. Wat uiteraard wel is veranderd, is de komst van Internet en smartphone. Ze zijn nu zowel aan boord en tegelijkertijd verbonden met al hun virtuele vriendjes en vriendinnetjes.

Toen ik mijn eerste intercontinentale reizen maakte, zocht je in de haven van aankomst altijd meteen een telefooncel. Om het thuisfront te bellen…’

O&O fondsen Waterbouw en Koopvaardij subsidiëren mee

Joost van Grieken is één van de vele vrijwilligers die aan boord van Nederland’s grootste driemastschoener jongeren inwijdt in de geheimen van het zeezeilen. Deze keer zijn er ruim 60 middelbare scholieren van 3 Rotterdamse technische opleidingen aan boord. De reis gaat vandaag van Scheveningen, over zee, naar de haven van Rotterdam. Ook Nautilus bestuurder/FNV Waterbouw secretaris, alsmede O&O fonds Waterbouw en Koopvaardij bestuurder Sascha Meijer en Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie varen mee. Sascha Meijer: ‘Goed om eens te kijken hoe het er allemaal aan toe gaat. Als O&O fondsen stimuleren we onder meer de belangstelling van jongeren voor de Waterbouw en de Koopvaardij en subsidiëren we deze tochten ook mee.’

Apart soort schoolreisje

Het is zonnig en lekker nazomerweer, maar de wind is vandaag even op vakantie. De zeilen worden niet gehesen. De motor doet het werk.

Wel zal even later als oefening het fokzeil worden gehesen. Een aantal stoere jongens en meiden luistert aandachtig naar de aanwijzingen van de bemanning. Even verderop zit een groep meisjes naast elkaar aan dek. In het zonnetje, aandachtig naar hun mobieltje turend. De sfeer aan boord is gemoedelijk. Het is als een schoolreisje, maar dan wel een apart soort schoolreisje. Dat vinden ook 4 jonge gezellen van het Rotterdamse Vakcollege de Hef. Alle vier zijn niet langer dan 1,5 jaar in Nederland, maar spreken al goed Nederlands. Het zijn: Yairene Allée (12 jaar) uit Curacao, Arnold Nagy (15 jaar) uit Servië, Pero Flores Correia (12 jaar) uit Peru en Hamza Ghezem (15 jaar) uit Syrië. Ze hijgen nog wat na van het fokzeil hijsen even daarvoor. ‘Dat moet je echt wel even leren, dat had ik nog nooit gedaan’, zegt Yairene. ‘Nou, ik vond het wel meevallen hoor, eigenlijk wel makkelijk’, gooit Arnold er over heen. Ook Pero en Hamza ging het goed af. ‘Makkelijk hoor’, zegt Hamza. Pero: ‘Vooral als je het samen doet natuurlijk, dat wel!’. Arnold: ‘Ik vind het best wel cool, zo’n dagje op zo’n zeilboot. Wat ik er leuk aan vind? Eigenlijk

alles wel. Ik ben gek op oude zeilboten. Gaaf om nu zelf eens mee te varen.’

liever in een ziekenhuis straks.

Aan de wal.’

Respect voor scheepsdokter

Meiden net zo geïnteresseerd als jongens

Dan is het etenstijd. Welriekende geuren dampen uit de kombuis. De jonge gasten gaan vrij gedisciplineerd het vooronder in en tasten toe. Onder hen ook Elifnur Gözral (16 jaar) en Anna Doczuwinska (15 jaar). Havo leerlingen van het Montfort College. Beide jongedames genieten van de zeilreis. Alifnur: ‘Heel leuk, zo’n dagje meevaren. Toch weer heel wat anders dan een gewone dag op school. Het is voor mij de eerste keer dat ik op zee zeil. Ik ben wel eens met de Spido mee geweest in de Rotterdamse Haven. Maar dit vind ik leuker, zo op zee. Ook dat met elkaar de zeilen hijsen, heeft wel wat. Of ik straks zelf voor de zeevaart kies? Neen, ik zoek het meer in een soort kantoorbaan.’ Ook Anna vindt het wel spannend, maar ziet zich zelf ook niet als toekomstig zeemansvrouw. ‘De chirurgie trekt me wel. Scheepsdokter? Ik weet dat er hier altijd één aan boord is. Heb ik wel respect voor. Dat is best wel een grote verantwoordelijkheid, zo in je eentje. Maar ik werk toch

Dan laten we het ruime sop achter ons en gaan we de Maas op. Hoek van Holland, Maassluis en Schiedam doemen even later op.

Scheikundeleraar Frits Burger van het Montfort College kijkt goedkeurend om zich heen. ‘Ik vaar nu voor de 3e keer mee en ik vind het nog steeds hartstikke leuk. Prachtig toch, zo’n trip. Ook voor de leerlingen. Sommigen hebben er niet veel mee, maar de meesten zie ik toch genieten en hebben het naar hun zin.

Of de meiden net zo geïnteresseerd zijn als de jongens? Ja hoor, dat is echt 50/50 %. Ik heb het een keer gehad dat ik één van onze meiden, die al een hele tijd achter het roer had gestaan, bijna niet meer van boord kreeg.

Zo gefascineerd was ze er door. Gaaf toch?’

Skyline Rotterdam

Dan doemt de skyline van Rotterdam op. Bijna waan je je in Hong Kong. Heel fotogeniek. De mobieltjes klikken weer volop. Even later meren we aan vlakbij Hotel New York. Vroeger het hoofdkantoor van de Holland Amerika Lijn. Honderdduizenden verlieten hier Europa om een nieuw leven te beginnen in het verre Amerika. Nu staan de bussen klaar om de leerlingen weer naar school te brengen…

DE EENDRACHT: Nederlands grootste driemastschoener

De Eendracht maakt zeilreizen voor iedereen in alle soorten en maten, vanuit thuishaven Rotterdam tot een Atlantische Oversteek.

Voor jongeren en studenten organiseert de Eendracht speciale zeilreizen, stages en opleidingsreizen, want jongeren het zeezeilen laten beleven, staat voor Nederlands grootste driemastschoener centraal. De Eendracht telt rond de 275 professionele vrijwillige bemanningsleden. Naast deze vrijwillige bemanningsleden zijn er zes vaste bemanningsleden in dienst, namelijk twee opperstuurlieden, twee bootslieden, een machinist en een kok. g Zelf ook eens meevaren? Tel: +31 (0)10-290 5000 ; E-mail: info@eendracht.nl

19/10/2016 17:06

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw vakbondszaken belicht, waarin F Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw een In deze rubriek worden steeds

actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van onze leden.

Dit keer gaat het over: ITF en ITF Inspecteurs Nederland

Nautilus International is aangesloten bij de International Transport Workers Federation, afgekort ITF. Ook FNV Havens is hierbij aangesloten. De ITF is het overkoepelende orgaan waarbij wereldwijd bonden die zich met vervoer bezig houden zijn aangesloten. In diverse landen heeft de ITF steunpunten. In Nederland zijn Nautilus en FNV Havens verantwoordelijk voor het ITF kantoor: ITF the Netherlands.

Staking havenwerkers 1896

controleren van de leef- en werkomstandigheden aan boord van FOC-schepen. Dit kan gebeuren als een routine-inspectie, of op verzoek van bemanning of van een andere instantie. Tijdens een inspectie controleert de inspecteur de certificaten van het schip en ook de volledige salarisadministratie van contracten, maandelijkse betalingen en overwerk. Na controle van de administratie wordt er ook gesproken met de bemanning, want het kan zo zijn dat er op papier volgens de cao wordt gewerkt/ betaald maar in de praktijk niet.

Maar de inspecteur zal hierover ook met de bemanning praten. Dit gebeurt meestal tijdens de koffie of lunchtijd, zodat de meeste bemanningsleden zich in de messroom of smoking room bevindt.

Volgende haven

De International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is in 1896 ontstaan tijdens een staking van havenwerkers in de haven van Rotterdam.

Gedurende deze staking vroegen de Rotterdamse havenwerkers om Europese steun. Dit werd vanuit Engeland beantwoord. In Engeland werd vervolgens een organisatie opgericht, welke uitgroeide tot de ITF. De ITF was in eerste instantie opgericht voor de maritieme industrie, maar in de loop van de tijd hebben zich ook bonden/werknemers uit de sectoren weg, spoorweg en luchtvaart aangesloten.

Mocht er zich tijdens een inspectie een probleem voordoen dan zal de ITF Inspecteur aan boord dit probleem, in overleg met de maatschappij, oplossen. Als dit niet gerealiseerd kan worden, in verband met vertrek van het schip, dan zal de ITF Inspecteur zijn collega ITF Inspecteur in de volgende haven op de hoogte brengen. Hij/zij zal dan aan boord gaan om het probleem in de volgende haven op te lossen.

De ITF Inspecteurs zullen ook aan boord gaan wanneer er een ongeval is gebeurd aan boord. Dit om te bezien of de eigenaar de compensatie betaalt, zoals is afgesproken in de CAO.

Flag of Convenience

Terug naar nationale vlag?

In 1948 is de Flag Of Convenience campaign (goedkope vlag campagne) ontstaan. ‘Goedkope vlag schepen’ zijn schepen die varen onder een andere vlag, dan het land waar de eigenaar is gevestigd. Het registreren van een schip onder een goedkope vlag betekent vele voordelen voor de eigenaar zoals: goedkope registratie, weinig tot geen belasting en gebruik te mogen maken van goedkope arbeidskosten.

De ITF inspecteur bezoekt ook schepen waarvoor geen cao is afgesloten. De inspecteur gaat op dat moment in contact treden met de maatschappij om zo over te gaan tot het afsluiten van een ITF goedgekeurde CAO. In het verleden is het al meerdere malen gebeurd dat de maatschappij niet bereid was om een CAO af te sluiten en zijn er acties tegen een schip ontstaan.

Hiervoor wordt de assistentie van de havenwerkers gevraagd. Het doel van de ITF en de ITF inspecteurs is om aan boord van deze FOC schepen goedgekeurde cao’s te hebben, zodat de competitie tussen verschillende nationaliteiten wordt uitgesloten.

Maar het uiteindelijk doel van de FOC campaign is om de FOCschepen terug te brengen naar de nationale vlag.

Wereldwijd 140 ITF Inspecteurs

Naar aanleiding van de FOC Campaign zijn er wereldwijd ongeveer 140 ITF Inspecteurs aangesteld. Deze inspecteurs hebben meestal een zeevarende achtergrond of zijn werkzaam geweest in de haven. Hun taak is het

In this month’s Dutch pages: z Nautilus services: ITF inspectors z Thanks to Nautilus: disability rights

z Boskalis social plan z Sailing along with the Eendracht

z In memoriam: Arnold Sta

z Nautilus prize winner Joeri Neels

z FNV elections z Roboats in Amsterdam z Dangerous areas z School visits in IJmuiden

32-35_nl_19.10_june.indd 33

Zelfvarende roboats in aantocht in Amsterdamse grachten

A

‘Zelfvarende, of beter gezegd zelfsturende, roboats in Amsterdamse grachten komen eraan. Dat gaat aan de ene kant op de lange termijnbanen kosten ja. Aan de andere kant komen er weer nieuwe banen bij. Zeker al op de korte termijn. Niet alleen voor de ontwikkeling en aanpassing aan de maritieme kennis en kunde, maar ook aan de kades bijvoorbeeld en denk ook aan mensen achter dashboards aan de wal, die alles aansturen. Je hebt dan geen kapiteins meer aan boord, maar je krijgt dan meerdere kapiteins achter allerlei computerschermen en dashboards, die het gehele dynamische proces op het water aansturen. Door het zelfsturende en zelforganiserende systeem van roboats te koppelen aan diverse andere ontwikkelingen op de kade, waar o.a. het AMS Institute ook mee bezig is, kunnen efficiencyslagen worden gemaakt. Wat betreft capaciteit (drukte e.d.), leefbaarheid (luchtkwaliteit, real time response e.d.) en duurzaamheid.’

Zelfsturende bootjes en componenten

Professor Arjan van Timmeren, scientific director van het Amsterdams Instituut voor Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute), beschrijft met enthousiasme de ontwikkelingskansen in de toekomst van zelfsturende watertaxi’s, pakketbootjes, onderwater drones en componenten, die bijvoorbeeld ook gezamenlijk zelforganiserend een tijdelijke voetgangersbrug of een drijvend podium kunnen vormen.

Onlangs kondigden de gemeente Amsterdam en het AMS Institute aan om samen met het Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) en de universiteiten van Delft en Wageningen naast het al lopende onderzoek in Amsterdam ook onderzoek te gaan verrichten naar de toepassing van zelfsturende vaartuigen en benodigde technische componenten in de Amsterdamse grachten.

Binnenvaart terug in de grachten

Wilt u een groter publiek bereiken? Presenteer uw product of service aan meer dan 15,000 maritieme professionele lezers uit Nederland, ter land en op zee!

Spreek met één van onze vertegenwoordigers om uit te vinden hoe wij u het beste kunnen helpen.

Neem contact op met Joe Elliott-Walker van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 E: joe.elliott-walker@ redactive.co.uk.

Van Timmeren: ‘Het zijn in principe vrij kleine vaartuigen. Van 3 meter breed bij 4 á 6 meter lang. Dat maakt ze niet alleen wendbaar, maar ook eenvoudiger schakelbaar. Naast pakketzorg bedrijven zijn er ook voor wat betreft personenvervoer al contacten met geïnteresseerde bedrijven.

In feite brengen we zo ook de binnenvaart weer terug in de grachten. Maar dan heb je het dus niet meer over grote, moeilijk wendbare schepen, maar over veel kleinere eenheden.’

Prachtige kans voor Amsterdam

‘Dit is een prachtige kans voor Amsterdam’, meent locoburgemeester Kajsa Ollongren.

‘De beste wetenschappers van de wereld gaan voor het eerst serieus werk maken van

zelfvarende boten. En dat in een stad waar water en technologie al eeuwen nauw met elkaar verbonden zijn’.

Het onderzoek, waar 25 miljoen euro in wordt geïnvesteerd, wordt uitgevoerd in Amsterdam, maar dient tevens als voorbeeld voor andere steden overal in de wereld en zal als alles goed loopt, moeten leiden tot internationale start-ups in de tech- en marinesector.

Geen gevaar voor pleziervaart

Van Timmeren: ‘De voorlopige planning is dat we het eerste prototype in de 2e helft van volgend jaar hebben varen en dat we vanaf 2020 een aantal roboats en componenten op het water gaan zien. Ik heb geen glazen bol, maar vanaf 2030 denk ik dat we een geheel ‘dynamisch roboatisch systeem’ in de Amsterdamse grachten zouden moeten kunnen zien. Of dat niet gevaarlijk wordt voor al die pleziervaarders in de grachten? Neen, want de roboats die ‘sensen’ die scheepjes al van tevoren en zullen anticiperen. Ik denk juist dat het de algehele veiligheid op het water ten goede komt. Al zullen daartoe dus nog de geplande komende jaren van onderzoek aan te pas komen, om dat te optimaliseren.’

Douwe Pentenga (met baard) tijdens een Nautilus gastles op de Hogere Zeevaartschool in Amsterdam

A

De maritieme sector heeft op 2 september vier nieuwe Young Maritime Representatives (YMR) gekozen. Onder hen ook Nautilus lid Douwe Pentenga, student (22) aan de Hogere Zeevaartschool in Amsterdam. In de zomer vaart Douwe als schipper op een sloep door de grachten van Amsterdam! De Telegraph vroeg hem te reageren op de roboat ontwikkelingen: Denk jij dat dit werkelijkheid gaat worden in de Amsterdamse grachten…?

Douwe: ‘Ik vind het lastig in te schatten. Het idee van autonoom varende schepen klinkt onwijs interessant. Maar anderzijds zijn er ook nog wel heel veel obstakels die nog overwonnen moeten worden. Daarnaast speelt er bij het varen op de grachten ook nog een sociaal aspect. De toeristen die nu met

het formaat boten vaart waar de professor over praat, willen graag een verhaal over de stad horen van een echt mens en niet via een bandje. Daarnaast denk ik dat als men de vrachtvaart weer op grote schaal terug naar het centrum wil brengen, dat je daar wel degelijk grotere schepen voor nodig hebt.’

Lijkt het jou als sloepbestuurder met toeristen niet eng als je zo’n roboat op je af ziet komen?

Douwe: ‘Zoals professor van Timmeren al zei, zullen de roboats worden uitgevoerd met verschillende sensoren en zijn er nog steeds mensen die de boten monitoren. Ik denk niet dat ik daar echt bang van zou worden. Van roboats kan je een betere inschatting gaan maken wat ze gaan doen, dan van de toeristen in kleine elektrische sloepen en op waterfietsen.’

Komt er volgens jou ook een nieuwe module op de Zeevaartscholen bij: ‘Walkapitein roboats?’

Douwe: ‘Autonoom varen op zee is naar mijn idee wel een heel ander onderwerp dan op de binnenvaart en in de grachten. De gevaren daar, zoals piraterij maar ook via hackers, maken het lastig om ladingen veilig en snel van A naar B te vervoeren. Los daarvan vraagt een zeeschip om meer periodiek onderhoud en gaan er zaken altijd onverwachts toch kapot wanneer het schip vaart. Als het schip midden op de oceaan ligt, kan het nog wel een aardige tijd duren voordat het defect gerepareerd of gereset is. Dit alles staat nog los van hoe zaken juridisch geregeld moeten worden in geval van een aanvaring bij voorbeeld. Wellicht dat er op termijn nog wel ‘wal-stuurmannen’ komen, maar ik vraag mij af of ik dat nog ga meemaken in mijn carrière.’

Ook op zee gaat volgens Rolls Royce vanaf 2020 de zelfvarende zeevaart fors toenemen. Hoe zie jij dit?

Douwe: ‘Ik denk dat Rolls Royce veel te optimistisch is over het autonoom varen.

Delen van hun toekomstvisie zullen al wel geïmplementeerd worden. Een slimme brug is wel een van de innovaties waarvan ik verwacht dat die in de nabije toekomst een flinke opmars zal maken. De stuurmannen zullen echter voorlopig nog wel aan boord blijven.’

Ga jij als kersverse jongerenambassadeur dit project ook mee promoten..?

Douwe: ‘Er zullen aardig wat verschillende studies hun aandeel leveren aan dit soort onderzoeken. Ik zal het roboat project zeker gebruiken als voorbeeld voor wat je zoal met een maritieme studie kan doen. Tenslotte wens ik de professor en zijn team veel succes en kom graag een keer kijken wanneer de eerste producten straks worden getest.’

19/10/2016 17:06

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NL NEWS

Met droevenis hebben wij kennis genomen van het overlijden van ARNOLD STA A

Arnold was van 1971 tot en met 2012 werkzaam voor Nautilus International en haar voorgangers, waarvan de langste tijd als hoofdbestuurder/ penningmeester. Na een carrière als stuurman op de grote handelsvaart was de overstap naar de maritieme vakbond voor de zeer sociaal bewogen Arnold een hele logische. Zijn fenomenale geheugen alsmede zijn brede maatschappelijke betrokkenheid hebben, ook na zijn pensionering, een diepe indruk achtergelaten. Met Arnolds overlijden verliest de sector een markant persoon die eenvoud tot iets bijzonders wist te maken.

Onze gevoelens van medeleven gaan uit naar zijn familie.

Bestuur en personeel Nautilus International Nederland, Engeland en Zwitserland.

In Memoriam

Hylke Hylkema, eveneens jarenlang hoofdbestuurder/ penningmeester van Nautilus, was één van de sprekers tijdens de

afscheidsplechtigheid. Enkele citaten uit zijn speech: …Zoals de rouwkaart al aangeeft, was Arnold in meerdere opzichten een bijzonder mens. Hij stond voor eenvoud, was wars van poeha en combineerde dit met een uitzonderlijk intellect en een fenomenaal geheugen. Moeiteloos onthield hij namen en verjaardagen. Ook van kinderen van collega’s en desgevraagd kon hij ook het nummerbord van mijn eerste auto noemen.

Echte Rotterdamse jongen

Arnold was een echte Rotterdamse jongen. Hij kwam uit wat we toen een arbeidersgezin noemden en voor wie het volgen van hoger onderwijs niet gewoon was.

Tegen de stroom in doorliep hij vlot het Charlois Lyceum (gymnasium B). Studeerde af in 1961 en doorliep vervolgens de 1-jarige opleiding aan de Hogere Zeevaartschool in Amsterdam (in de sector bekend als ‘De Kweekschool’).

Hij trad vervolgens in 1962 in

dienst van de toenmalige VNS (Vereenigde Nederlandse Scheepvaartmaatschappij). Een bewuste keuze, omdat het een rederij betrof met een uitstraling die bij Arnold paste. In 1971 zwaaide hij af als 2e stuurman; kort nadat de VNS was opgegaan in de Nedlloyd.

Op 7 juni 1971 had hij op zee, vanaf de SS Limburg, gesolliciteerd bij de vakbond, naar de functie van staffunctionaris. In zijn geheel eigen stijl. Een kort citaat, kenmerkend voor Arnold: …’aangezien de betiteling ‘staffunctionaris’ vrij nietszeggend is, kan ik niet beoordelen of ik ook belangstelling heb voor deze functie, maar gaarne wil ik op de door u genoemde punten ingelicht worden’…

Van VKO naar Nautilus International

Kennelijk heeft men hem naar genoegen kunnen inlichten, want hij trad op 1 oktober 1971 in dienst van de toenmalige Vereniging van Kapiteins en Officieren ter

Koopvaardij (VKO). Die later, samen met de Algemene Vereniging van Zeevarenden (AVZ), die de scheepsgezellen en de zeevarenden in de Kleine Handelsvaart organiseerde, opging in de Federatie van Werknemers in de Zeevaart (FWZ).

De rechtsvoorganger van Nautilus International.

Penningmeester

In 1988 werd Arnold hoofdbestuurder en de enige functie die hij in die positie ambieerde was die van penningmeester. Hij werkte bij voorkeur op de achtergrond.

Penningmeester is hij gebleven tot 2002. Hij heeft de bond voorzien van een solide financieel fundament. Het is nog steeds een uitdaging om die erfenis goed te beheren. In 2002 trad hij om gezondheidsredenen terug als hoofdbestuurder, maar bleef tot 1 september 2012, als parttime adviseur aan Nautilus verbonden.

Pensioenfonds Koopvaardij

Naast penningmeester, was hij

bestuurder van een groot aantal andere organisaties. Zoals van het Algemeen Ziekenfonds voor Zeevarenden, de Vereniging Zeerisico ’67, hotel de Beer, maar bovenal van een 3-tal pensioenfondsen. Koopvaardij, Zeevis en FNV. Daar heeft hij zijn sporen in het bijzonder verdiend. Het langst was hij bestuurder van het pensioenfonds Koopvaardij. Van 1984 tot en met 31 augustus 2012, waarvan een aantal jaren werknemersvoorzitter. Arnold bleef, na zijn terugtreden in 2012,

als adviseur aan het fonds verbonden.

Groot sociaal gevoel

Arnold was een non-conformist, met een groot sociaal gevoel, die zijn belang ondergeschikt maakte aan dat van anderen. Het was een voorrecht om met hem te hebben samengewerkt. Om met Arnold te spreken: ‘voor Nautilus en het pensioenfonds is zijn overlijden ‘een grote scheur in de broek’. Zijn kennis zal node gemist worden…

Arnold Sta is 74 jaar geworden.

Arbeidsongeschikt… en dan?

F

Nautilus te gast op Maritiem College IJmuiden D

Medio oktober was Nautilus weer te gast op het Maritiem College IJmuiden om daar een aantal gastlessen te verzorgen voor 4 VMBO klassen (3e en 4e jaars).

Nautilus Binnenvaart bestuurder Carl Kraijenoord legde uit waar de vakbond voor staat en wees op de voordelen voor een speciaal (laag tarief) lidmaatschap voor leerlingen van zee-/binnenvaart scholen. Met onder meer een 24/7 ledenservice wereldwijd.

Speciale gast: VT kapitein Jan van der Zee

Als speciale gast was dit keer aanwezig VT Tankers kapitein en Nautilus Council lid Jan van der Zee; veelal varend op de Vorstenbosch, ‘s werelds grootste binnenvaartschip. Hij legde met name uit hoe het er in de praktijk aan toe gaat aan boord en ging in op

32-35_nl_19.10_june.indd 34

Ziek worden kan iedereen overkomen. Vaak alleen een verkoudheid of griep. Maar soms ook tijdelijk of langdurig, na bijvoorbeeld een ongeval aan boord. En wat gebeurt er als u vervolgens arbeidsongeschikt dreigt te worden? Wat zijn dan uw rechten en plichten? En waar moet u op letten?

Arbeidsongeschiktheid

Arbeidsongeschiktheid betekent dat je door ziekte of een handicap de bedongen arbeid (= de arbeid volgens de overeengekomen arbeidsovereenkomst / de overeengekomen arbeid) niet meer of niet meer volledig kunt verrichten.

Loondoorbetalingsverplichting

arbeidsomstandigheden en interne opleidingen. VT vaart ook veel met stagiairs en zorgt voor een goede training en begeleiding.

Mond dicht en luisteren

Jan van der Zee: ‘Ik merkte bij diverse leerlingen al de nodige interesse om stage bij ons te lopen.

Zelf vond ik het leuk om weer eens mee te doen aan zo’n gastles. Dat is voor mij weer een aardig tijdje geleden. Of ik verschil merk met vroeger? Nou, toen ik nog op de binnenvaartschool zat, werd je niet geacht ongevraagd je mond open te doen. ‘Mond dicht en luisteren’ was toen vooral het devies. Maar dat is niet meer van deze tijd. Aan de andere kant kunnen sommigen hun mond wel eens iets te vaak open doen, om vervolgens niet meer op te houden…maar dat was hier gelukkig niet het geval!’

aanvaarding om redenen van lichamelijke, geestelijke of sociale aard niet van de werknemer kan worden gevergd.’

Of de werknemer daadwerkelijk in staat is andere passende arbeid te verrichten en of dat de aangeboden arbeid ook passend is, zal (uiteindelijk) moeten worden beoordeeld door de arbodienst, bedrijfsarts en/of een arbeidsdeskundige.

Wie als werknemer langdurig ziek wordt, blijft in eerste instantie van zijn werkgever gage ontvangen. Gewoonlijk krijgt u gedurende het eerste jaar van uw ziekte uw gage voor de volle 100% doorbetaald en wordt in het tweede jaar 70% van je laatstverdiende gage uitgekeerd.

In deze periode moeten beide partijen zich inspannen om de werknemer te laten herstellen en re-integreren. In dit kader worden er, als dat mogelijk is, vaak passende werkzaamheden (passende arbeid) aangeboden en uitgeoefend. Het komt vaak voor dat de werknemer ook na afloop van de loondoorbetalingsverplichting nog niet volledig hersteld is en de aangeboden passende arbeid blijft uitvoeren.

Wat is passende arbeid?

Zoals gezegd, is de werkgever verplicht om de (deels) arbeidsongeschikte werknemer andere passende arbeid aan te bieden. In de wet wordt onder ‘passende arbeid’ verstaan: ‘alle arbeid die voor de krachten en bekwaamheden van de werknemer is berekend, tenzij

Wet Werk en Inkomen naar Arbeidsvermogen

Kunt u na 2 jaar nog niet aan de slag, dan komt u terecht in de Wet Werk en Inkomen naar Arbeidsvermogen (WIA) — de opvolger van de WAO. Op basis van deze wet kunt u een uitkering ontvangen, waarvan de hoogte afhangt van de mate van arbeidsongeschiktheid en uw vroegere salaris.

Of u aan de juiste criteria voldoet, wordt beoordeeld door het Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (UWV). Wat mag u verwachten van het UWV? Wat kunt u doen als u het met hun beslissing niet eens bent?

En aan welke regels moet u zich houden als wel een uitkering wordt toegekend? Kortom: welke rechten en plichten heeft u als arbeidsongeschikte?

zoekt of u voldoet aan deze criteria en voor een WGA-uitkering in aanmerking komt.

Volledige en duurzame arbeidsongeschiktheid

Een werknemer die volledig en duurzaam arbeidsongeschikt raakt, komt in aanmerking voor een zogenoemde IVA-uitkering. IVA staat voor Inkomensvoorziening Volledig Arbeidsongeschikten. ‘Volledig’ betekent in dit geval dat u door uw ziekte of handicap niet meer dan 20% van uw laatste loon kunt verdienen. Met ‘duurzaam’ wordt bedoeld dat de kans op herstel minimaal is. Uitvoeringsinstantie UWV onderzoekt of u voldoet aan deze criteria en voor een IVA-uitkering in aanmerking komt.

Rechten en plichten

Veel werknemers zijn niet goed geïnformeerd over hun rechten en plichten tijdens ziekte. Als werknemer heeft u rechten en plichten en dat geldt ook voor de werkgever.

Het is belangrijk om u hierover goed voor te laten lichten. Daardoor komt u beter beslagen ten ijs en dat kan veel problemen voorkomen.

Advies en begeleiding

Gedeeltelijke of tijdelijke arbeidsongeschiktheid

Een werknemer die gedeeltelijk of tijdelijk arbeidsongeschikt is, komt in aanmerking voor een zogenoemde WGA-uitkering.

Hierbij staat WGA voor Werkhervattingsregeling Gedeeltelijk Arbeidsongeschikten. U bent gedeeltelijk arbeidsongeschikt als u door ziekte of handicap meer dan 20%, maar niet meer dan 65% van uw laatste loon kunt verdienen. Kunt u maar maximaal 20% van uw oude loon verdienen maar is er kans op herstel, dan bent u tijdelijk arbeidsongeschikt. Uitvoeringsinstantie UWV onder-

Zoals u kunt lezen is het belangrijk om als werknemer te weten waar u bij arbeidsongeschiktheid aan toe bent. Daarom is het belangrijk om lid te zijn van Nautilus International, zodat wij naast collectieve en individuele loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden voor leden, ook uw belangen op het gebied van ziekte en arbeidsongeschiktheid kunnen behartigen.

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

19/10/2016 17:07

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS

Volg ons op Twitter

Eerste peilingen: eindbod sociaal plan Boskalis veel te mager hiertegen in protest te gaan.

Intussen gaan wij dus door met het peilen van de meningen van onze leden. Immers, een belangrijk deel van hen vaart en het is belangrijk dat zoveel mogelijk leden hun mening geven.’

Hoe solliciteer je naar een stageplaats? sollicitatiebrief? Wie ben A ik? Waar sta ik voor? Welke (voor) Hoe schrijf ik een goede

opleidingen heb ik gedaan?

Wat wil ik graag leren tijdens deze stage?

Deze en andere vragen werden, medio oktober, behandeld tijdens een speciale gastles ‘(stage)sollicitatiebrieven schrijven’ voor ruim 40 tweedejaars Marof studenten van de De Ruyter Academie in Vlissingen.

De gastles werd verzorgd door Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie, tevens onder meer vele jaren actief als tekstschrijver en journalist.

Eerst werd stilgestaan bij een goede opbouw van de CV (levensloop/biografie).

Vervolgens werd er geoefend met het schrijven van een goede sollicitatiebrief/mail. Ook werd stilgestaan bij een verantwoord gebruik van de sociale media.

Innovatief en betrokken

Zoals bekend wordt het de laatste jaren steeds lastiger om aan

een goede stageplek te komen.

En wordt het dringen op de stagemarkt. Hans Walthie, tijdens zijn gastles: ‘Daarom wordt het nog belangrijker om een goede en beetje originele sollicitatiebrief te schrijven. Niet zomaar een standaardbrief, maar ook één waarin je je duidelijk richt op wat er van je gevraagd wordt. Staat er bijvoorbeeld in een advertentie ‘we zoeken innovatieve, betrokken stagiairs’… haak daar dan zelf ook op in, in je brief…’

Ook werd op 11 oktober in Rotterdam een internationale vakbondsbijeenkomst gehouden over Boskalis. Daar werd overlegd met vakbondsbestuurders uit verschillende landen die geraakt worden door de reorganisatie.

A

Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw heeft op 11 oktober met het Boskalis/Fairmount actiecomité en een aantal leden vergaderd.

Daarnaast zijn de eerste reacties vanaf de vloot binnengekomen.

Uit deze eerste peilingen blijkt dat de overgrote meerderheid het eindbod van Boskalis voor een sociaal plan voor de Bagger en Fairmount veel te mager vindt. De leden vinden de ‘van werk naar werk afspraken’ volstrekt onvoldoende. Immers, zij willen dat niemand de WW in zou moeten gaan bij zo’n groot winstgevend concern met goede toekomstperspectieven.

24/7 service Nautilus International

Leden zeer ontstemd

Tevens kregen de studenten nog een korte presentatie over het werk van de vakbond en de meerwaarde van het speciale studentenlidmaatschap tegen een sterk gereduceerd tarief (3,35 euro per maand, inclusief toezending van de vakbladen de Telegraph en SWZ Magazine). Dit is ook inclusief de 24/7 service die Nautilus International al zijn (studenten) leden wereldwijd biedt.

Daarnaast zijn de leden zeer ontstemd dat Boskalis voor boventallige medewerkers alleen een ontslagvergoeding wil betalen als deze werknemers geen verweer voeren, maar meteen ‘tekenen bij het kruisje’.

Ook de ouderenregeling en de vrijwillig vertrekregeling zijn nog altijd te mager. Want de ouderenregeling is gebaseerd op het kale basissalaris. En voor

Joeri Neels winnaar Nautilus prijs Meest Sociale Student F

De kersvers afgestudeerde Maritiem Officier Joeri Neels (23 jaar) had even last van trillende handen toen hij tot ‘Meest Sociale Student’ van het Maritiem Instituut Willem Barentsz, op Terschelling, werd uitgeroepen.

Deze vermaarde Nautilus International prijs werd op 23 september overhandigd door Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie tijdens de diploma uitreiking/afscheidsreceptie voor 4e jaars studenten Maritiem Officier en Ocean Technology.

Snobber

In het juryrapport stond onder meer: ‘Als u een tastbaar voorbeeld wilt zien waar Joeri zich mee bezig gehouden heeft, dan kunt u buiten in de jachthaven het vlaggenschip van de studentenvereniging zien liggen: de tweemast volsloep Snobber.

32-35_nl_19.10_june.indd 35

toepassing van de vrijwillig vertrekregeling wil Boskalis het laatste woord hebben of iemand weg mag.

Echte Banen

FNV Waterbouw voorzitter/ Nautilus secretaris Charley Ramdas: ‘Zeer begrijpelijk dat nu al blijkt dat heel veel van onze leden dit eindbod afwijzen. Onze leden zien dat Boskalis nog altijd solide winsten maakt en dat er nog steeds voldoende werk is voor hardwerkende medewerkers met vaste arbeidscontracten. Het omkatten van echte banen naar tijdelijke losse contracten voor werknemers uit lage lonen landen, via een payrollbedrijf, moet zo snel mogelijk stoppen.

Ook in Polen worden mensen met vaste banen voor de keuze voor ontslag of een nieuw, onzeker contract gesteld. Wij blijven ons nationaal en internationaal hard maken voor Echte Banen bij Boskalis!’

Niemand de WW in

Ramdas: ‘Ondanks die goede winsten is Boskalis niet bereid in de buidel te tasten als het gaat om hardwerkende medewerkers, bij een volgens hen onontkoombare

Een aantal jaren geleden lag deze er heel wat minder florissant bij (gebroken mast en gescheurde zeilen) en was het Joeri die het voortouw nam om sponsors voor een nieuwe set zeilen te regelen. Verder kon er ook altijd een beroep op Joeri worden gedaan. Hij is altijd bereid ergens in te springen en mensen uit de brand te helpen. Ook organiseerde hij tijdens roeiwedstrijden slaapplaatsen, eten bij Ome Ko en verrichtte hij allerlei hand en span diensten om alles soepel te laten verlopen.’

reorganisatie, een goed sociaal plan aan te bieden. Er worden ook geen serieuze pogingen gedaan om mensen uit de WW te houden en van werk naar werk te helpen.

Ook stelt men zonder blikken of blozen dat de Nederlandse officieren bij Fairmount te duur zijn. En bij Smit Salvage krijgen oudere werknemers die tientallen jaren hard gewerkt hebben voor het bedrijf rücksichtloos ontslag, zonder hen een goede ouderenregeling aan te bieden. Bepaald geen koninklijk gedrag voor een koninklijk bedrijf..!’

Ramdas: ‘We hebben een gezamenlijke internationale strategie uitgezet om al onze leden, baggeraars en zeevarenden bij het Boskalis concern zo goed mogelijk te steunen.’

ITF rapport Boskalis Druk opvoeren

Ramdas: ‘Boskalis noemt hun magere sociaal plan zelf een eindbod. Voor een beter sociaal plan zal alleen praten niet genoeg zijn en zullen we samen met de leden de druk verder op moeten voeren. .

De op de vergadering aanwezige leden gaven ons aan het eindbod van Boskalis een Koninklijk bedrijf onwaardig te vinden en vooral door te gaan de overige leden te raadplegen.

En als uiteindelijk blijkt dat een brede meerderheid eveneens het eindbod sociaal plan afwijst,

allen op de zeevaartschool en op het eiland. Met de studenten en ook met de docenten. Daar heb ik echt van genoten. Samen dingen doen. Samen er voor gaan...’

Bordesscène

In zijn openingswoord deelde directeur Gerrit van Leunen mee dat

Tijdens deze bijeenkomst werd ook -naar leden en de pers- een wetenschappelijk rapport van Dr. Randall Williams, van de Universiteit van California, gelanceerd. Over de financiële situatie en de strategie van Boskalis. In opdracht van de Internationale Transport Werkers Federatie (ITF). Uit dit rapport blijkt dat er geen financiële noodzaak is voor de grootschalige sanering, noch voor een ondermaats sociaal plan. Boskalis wil met deze reorganisatie gewoon de winst verder verhogen…

er deze dag 33 diploma’s zouden worden uitgereikt. En in totaal 68 over dit kalenderjaar. Van Leunen: ‘Wij zien deze dag ook gelijk als een soort afscheidsreceptie, omdat er op verschillende momenten dit jaar wordt afgestudeerd. Daarom doen we straks buiten nog even de bordesscène met elkaar.’

Samen er voor gaan

Joeri Neels: ‘Ik zat tijdens het voorlezen van het juryrapport wel even te shaken ja. Ik had het totaal niet verwacht. Maar ik vind het wel heel erg leuk en een mooie onderscheiding. Of ik zo sociaal ben?

Nou, voor mij is het heel gewoon om even iets extra te doen voor mijn medestudenten, als dat nodig is. Of ik nou voor mezelf zo’n slaapplaats moet regelen of voor 65 man.

Wat ik ga missen straks? Ik denk de saamhorigheid hier met zijn

19/10/2016 17:07

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS

Last chance to stand up and be counted!

Don’t miss your opportunity to stand in the forthcoming elections to Nautilus International’s governing body, the Council...

A

A First, check on the table right that there is a

Many members are concerned about the challenges ahead in our industry and have ideas for helping Nautilus International to meet those challenges. Members are therefore encouraged to stand for election to the Council, which is the Union’s governing body.

The Council is also the Trustee of the Nautilus Welfare Fund, which is the registered charity administered by Nautilus.

vacancy in your category. Then fill in the top half of Form A and get four other full members — also paid-up and from the same national branch as you — 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 21 November 2016.

A If you can’t personally get the signatures of your

A The Council is made up of serving members like

yourself, each elected to serve a four-year term.

23 of the 32 places will be for members of the UK branch, eight places will be for members of the Netherlands branch, and one from the Switzerland branch.

Elections are held on a rolling basis, which normally means that just about half the Council places come up for election each year.

The table right shows the number of seats and also those vacancies which are for election in 2017.

It also shows the split between NL, CH and UK. Full paid-up members (including cadets) in categories for which there are vacancies are entitled to stand for election.

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 21 November 2016.

All eligible full members were sent the Council and General Secretary election nomination papers by the deadline of 19 September 2016.

A

Veel leden maken zich zorgen over de uitdagingen waar onze branche voor staat en hebben ideeën die Nautilus International kunnen helpen bij het aanpakken daarvan. Daarom moedigen wij

onze leden aan om zich verkiesbaar te stellen voor de Council, het bestuurslichaam van de Union.

De Council is ook de Trustee van het Nautilus Welfare Fund, de officiële liefdadigheidsinstelling van Nautilus.

A De Council bestaat uit actieve leden, zoals u, die

elk voor een termijn van vier jaar worden verkozen.

23 van de 32 zetels zijn voor leden van de Britse vestiging, acht voor leden van de Nederlandse vestiging en één zetel voor de Zwitserse vestiging.

De verkiezingen rouleren, wat betekent dat doorgaans nagenoeg de helft van de Council-leden jaarlijks opnieuw moet worden verkozen.

De tabel toont het aantal zetels en de vacatures voor de verkiezingen van 2017. De tabel toont ook de zetelverdeling tussen Nederland, Zwitserland en het VK. Betalende leden (inclusief studenten) in de categorieën waarvoor vacatures bestaan (meest rechtse tabel), mogen zich kandidaat stellen.

A Allereerst controleert u of er een vacature is in

uw categorie. Daarna vult u de bovenste helft van formulier A in en zorgt u ervoor dat vier andere

VOOR KANDIDATEN

Nomination form A

FOR SUPPORTERS

Nomination form B

Nominatieformulier A

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 21 November 2016, 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 21 November 2016, 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

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 21 november 2016 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

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE KANDIDAAT

Electoral Category

Electoral Category

FOR CANDIDATES

Name

Mem No

Kiescategorie

Name of Candidate I wish to support Naam

Candidate’s Address

Address

Adres

Postcode Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

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 from the same national branch.

Name

Mem No

I wish to stand for election in the 2017 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.

Address

Signature

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

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 from the same national branch.

Signature

Date

1. Name Address

Mem No

Name

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. 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 from the same national branch.

4. Name Address

Mem No

Address

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

Date

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

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 from the same national branch.

Mem No

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 from the same national branch.

Name

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

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

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

2. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

3. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

4. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Name

Postcode

Ik stel mij verkiesbaar voor de Councilverkiezingen 2017. 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.

Address

Nautilus Council Elections 2017

36-37_elections.indd 36

Lidnummer

Mem No

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Nautilus Council Elections 2017

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2017

19/10/2016 16:16

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS betalende leden (van dezelfde nationale vestiging als u) hun naam, adres, lidmaatschapsnummer, handtekening en datum op de aangewezen plaatsen invullen. Stuur dit formulier dan op naar het hoofdkantoor, waar het uiterlijk om 17.00 uur op maandag 21 november 2016 binnen dient te zijn.

Mitglieder sind daher dazu aufgerufen, sich für die Wahl in den Council zur Verfügung zu stellen, der das leitende Organ der Gewerkschaft ist.

Der Council ist zugleich Treuhänder des Nautilus Welfare Fund, einer eingetragenen und von Nautilus verwalteten Wohltätigkeitsorganisation.

A Als u zelf de handtekeningen van uw supporters

A Der Council besteht aus dienenden

niet kunt verkrijgen (bijvoorbeeld omdat ze op andere schepen varen), vult u de bovenste helft van formulier A zelf in en stuurt u dit naar het hoofdkantoor.

Vraag uw supporters om formulier B in te vullen en dit apart op te sturen. Beide formulieren dienen het hoofdkantoor uiterlijk om 17.00 uur op maandag 21 november 2016 te bereiken.

Alle in aanmerking komende betalende leden krijgen van de Council en van de General Secretary de benoemingsdocumentatie toegestuurd vóór de uiterste datum van 19 september 2016.

A

Viele Mitglieder sind besorgt über die Herausforderungen in unserer Branche und haben Ideen wie Nautilus International diese Herausforderungen erfolgreich meistern kann. Die

Seefachleuten, wie du selbst; die Mitglieder des Council werden für eine Amtsperiode von vier Jahren gewählt. Von den 32 Sitzen sind 23 reserviert für die Mitglieder der Sektion in Grossbritannien, acht Sitze für diejenigen der niederländischen Sektion und ein Sitz für ein Mitglied der Schweizer Sektion.

Wahlen für einen Sitz im Council werden kontinuierlich abgehalten. Sprich: Alle zwei Jahre steht die Hälfte der Sitze des Council zur Verfügung.

Die Tabelle zeigt die Anzahl der Sitze und auch die für die Wahlen in 2017 frei werdenden Sitze.

Die Tabelle zeigt zudem die Aufteilung zwischen Grossbritannien, den Niederlanden und der Schweiz.

Vollwertige Mitglieder (einschliesslich Kadetten) in den Kategorien, in denen Sitze frei sind (siehe Tabelle rechts) sind berechtigt, sich zur Wahl zu stellen.

VOOR STEUNBETUIGERS

A Prüfe zuerst, ob es in deiner Kategorie eine Vakanz gibt. Fülle dann die obere Hälfte des Formulars A aus und finde vier weitere Vollmitglieder — die deine Mitgliedsbeiträge ebenfalls vollständig bezahlt haben und der gleichen nationalen Sektion angehören wie du — die dich unterstützen und in den entsprechenden Feldern ihre Namen, Adressen, Mitgliedsnummern, Unterschriften und das jeweilige Datum der Unterzeichnung angeben; das Formular muss spätestens bis Montag, 21. November 2016 um 17 Uhr im Hauptsitz eintreffen.

2017 Elections

A Wenn du die Unterschriften deiner Unterstützer

nicht persönlich einholen kannst (weil diese beispielsweise auf anderen Schiffen dienen) fülle die obere Hälfte des Formulars A selbst aus und sende es dann an die Zentrale.

Bitte deine Unterstützer, das Formular B auszufüllen und es separat einzusenden — beide Formulare müssen bis spätestens Montag, 21.

November 2016 um 17 Uhr im Hauptsitz eintreffen.

Alle teilnahmeberechtigten Vollmitglieder erhalten die Nominierungsunterlagen für die CouncilWahl und dessen General Secretary spätestens am 19.

September 2016.

FÜR KANDIDATEN / KANDIDATINNEN

Total UK Seats Seats

NL Seats

Total No. 2017 Total No. of Seats Vacancies of Seats

CH Seats

2017 Total No. 2017 Vacancies of Seats Vacancies

Category 1. Navigators, inc.

Shipmasters

13

10

5

3

1

0

0

2. Engineers inc.

ETOs/Elec/RO

11

9

6*

2

1

0

0

3. Ratings

2

1

0

1

1

0

0

4. Inland Navigation

2

0

0

1

0

1

0

5. Other Particular Categories inc.

Hotel Services & Shore-based members

4

3

2

1

1

0

0

TOTALS

8 4 32 23 13 1 0 * including 2 by-elections for 2 yr period

FÜR UNTERSTÜTZER

Nominatieformulier B

Nominationsformular 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 21 november 2016 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 und kann ausserdem von einem oder mehreren unterstützenden Mitglieder/n benutzt werden.

Eingabeschluss: 17.00 Uhr am Montag, den 21. November 2016, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London, GB-E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dieses Formular kann von einem oder mehreren Unterstützern verwendet werden.

Es kann mehr als ein Formular eingereicht werden. Der Kandidat / die Kandidatin MUSS ausserdem das Formular A ausfüllen, unterschreiben und einsenden.

Eingabeschluss: 17.00 Uhr am Montag, den 21. November 2016, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London GB-E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

VON DEN KANDIDATEN / DER KANDIDATIN AUSZUFÜLLEN

VON DEN UNTERSTÜTZERN AUSZUFÜLLEN

Wahlkategorie

Wahlkategorie Name des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin, den/die ich unterstützen möchte

IN TE VULLEN DOOR STEUNBETUIGERS Kiescategorie Naam van de kandidaat die ik ondersteun

Name

Adres van kandidaat

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Postcode

Naam

Lidnummer

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf 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) ben.

Naam

Postleitzahl Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Hiermit erkläre ich meine Kandidatur zur Ratswahl 2017. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied der oben genannten Kategorie in der Nautilus International bin und die Bedingungen der Statuten und Reglemente erfülle.

Adres

Handtekening

Kandidatenadresse

Lidnummer 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) ben.

Lidnummer

Adres

Nominationsformular B

Unterschrift

Kandidatenmitgliedsnummer

1. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Datum

VON DEN UNTERSTÜTZERN AUSZUFÜLLEN Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

1. Name Mitglieder-Nr Adresse

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Unterschrift

Datum

2. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

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) ben.

Naam

Lidnummer

Adres

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

2. Name Adresse

Mitglieder-Nr

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Unterschrift

Datum

3. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

3. Name Adresse

Mitglieder-Nr

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Rang

Bedrijf

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Handtekening

Datum

Unterschrift

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) ben.

Naam

Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2017

36-37_elections.indd 37

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

4. Name Adresse

Mitglieder-Nr

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

Lidnummer

Adres

Postcode

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Nautilus Ratswahlen 2017

4. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Unterschrift

Datum

Nautilus Ratswahlen 2017

19/10/2016 16:16

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

MARITIME CAREERS

The sharks aren’t just in the sea Former MN radio and electronics officer DAVID MARSHALL has received worldwide acclaim as the inventor of the world’s first personal locator beacon — inspired by his own experience of falling overboard as a young man. But he hasn’t always found it plain sailing in the business world…

M

I launched the Locat beacon in the early 1970s, and it was already saving lives when the rescue of Atlantic oarsman Kenneth Kerr in 1979 brought it to wider attention. His Locat signal was picked up by aircraft including Concorde from 300 miles away. But the UK authorities were unimpressed when it came to public contract awards.

Instead of getting support, we ran into obstruction after obstruction to deter or block the use of this new rescue aid. I learned that our country does not look after its innovators. Yet other countries were far more interested, some making it mandatory.

I was invited to Russia, and returned with a high six-figure order for the Soviet fleets, but was never able to fulfil it because my UK bank, without warning or explanation, called in most of my overdraft, effectively putting me out of business. I look back on the whole experience with great suspicion.

With the support of my wife Pauline, I started up again. My next invention, the Sea Marshall beacon, included a luminescent collar to help rescuers spot men overboard in the water once the radio locator had brought them to the right area. The device was featured on the popular BBC science programme Tomorrow’s World, and I was shortlisted for their

Clockwise from left: Kenneth Kerr, the adventurer saved by David Marshall’s Locat beacon in 1979; David Marshall with UK prime minister (and sailing enthusiast) Edward Heath in 1974; David Marshall with BBC Tomorrow’s World presenter Peter Snow in 2000 Newspaper extract: Halifax Chronicle-Herald

Lone Inventor of the Year award in 2000, and nominated for the UK People’s Award in the same year.

My efforts attracted the attention of powerful figures in the US, and I met senators Ted and Patrick Kennedy in Washington DC — both keen sailors. I gained their endorsement for the Sea Marshall, with the potential to supply the device to the US Navy, and concluded a deal with an American millionaire investor.

But the investor failed to complete payment, and although I won a New York judgment for £2.5m for breach of obligations, it proved a hollow victory because of the legal costs, which necessitated selling my home.

So I started over yet again as Marine Rescue Technologies. The device continued to impress, winning the support of professional sailors, coastguards and the offshore oil and gas industry. The Spanish and Dutch governments made the carriage of the device mandatory for fishermen, ordering thousands of units from us.

After building up the business for a further ten years, I sold it to an Australian company, Mobilarm, which now has its operational headquarters near where I live in Beverley, East Yorkshire. I served on

the board of Mobilarm for a while but decided on reaching my mid-70s that it was finally time to retire.

With the extra time on my hands, friends and family kept saying that I’d had such an eventful life, I should put it all down on paper. I never thought I’d be able to write a book, but when I sat down to do it, everything just started to flow out and I finished it in seven months. As well as describing my efforts to get my inventions to market, I’ve included a fair bit about my experiences at Bearwood nautical school and my time at sea in the 1950s and 1960s, which I hope will interest Telegraph readers.

I’m glad to have ended my business career on a high, but I feel my most important achievement is in helping to improve the safety of life for mariners, and I’m proud that workers in the offshore oil, gas and wind industries, coastguards and fishermen now carry locator beacons on their survival garments as a matter of course.

g David Marshall’s memoir The Beacon Man (ISBN 978 09929 22542) is now available in paperback at all good bookshops, and as an e-book from Amazon. It will be reviewed in the Telegraph next month.

From The Beacon Man

by David Marshall Distance learning BSc and MSc degrees 95% pass rate

Fast track study route using your professional experience Personal tutor support

WWW.MLA-UK.COM IMarEST BURSARIES AVAILABLE for up to 75% of course fees Contact us for details

38_marshall_SR edit.indd Sec2:38

my clothes dragging me down. Then I resurfaced. I I was still alive. I had another chance.

I tasted the salt in my mouth and felt the weight of

I struggled more and waved, then shouted as loudly as I could. Yes, my efforts might attract the attentions of the circling sharks that I knew were very close by. But it was a chance worth taking.

If I wasn’t rescued in the next few minutes, it wouldn’t matter anyway. The sharks would find me and wouldn’t care if I was dead or alive.

The swell took me back up and into the warm air again.

The sunlight hit my face like a searchlight and for a split second I caught sight of the ship again. It was still near enough to save me from my watery grave. But did anyone know where I was? Had anyone even realised that I was in the water?

§

Slowly my mind emerged from panic to unhelpful thoughts of how we were catching sharks only the evening before, cutting off their heads and boiling them. I figured that there was nothing to be gained by thrashing about and attracting the unwelcome attention of a shark. Nor was it a time to have a pee, although I really needed to.

Urine or blood in the water would be just like a dinner gong for the sharks.

All sorts go through your mind; luckily I was able to control my mind to be as calm and positive as I could. It wasn’t bravery. It was just that I had no choice. But at least I was not drowning yet or being eaten.

I understood that I was in the water for over two hours when a supply barge heading for the ship saw the upturned pilot boat. It went to salvage the wreck and in so doing, went right past where I was drifting. I was hauled aboard, before they found the cadet clinging to the wreck.

Once we were both safely recovered, the barge towed the pilot boat to the ship.

I suppose I must have been traumatised by the ordeal as I did not speak or utter a word for days afterwards. The crew remarked that these were some of the most peaceful days of the trip so far, laughing and saying, when I started jabbering again, that they may just throw me back into the sea for a bit of peace.

Strangely, the experience had a profound effect on my future life. Years later, it prompted me to develop a device that would have immediately given a warning to the ship of my predicament, and a means of locating any person in the water, without relying on pure good luck...

19/10/2016 16:16

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS

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

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

10 November 2016 is the closing date for December 2016.

You can still advertise online at any time.

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

SHOREBASED

YACHTS

SEAGOING - CRUISE

Technical Superintendent - Tankers Glasgow - £60K + Benefits

UG 2IƂFHU 100m+ Sailing Yacht - €4.5K/mth

2nd Engineer - Cruise - €50K

Marine Superintendent - Tankers Glasgow - £60K + Benefits Technical Superintendent - Tankers Hamburg - €90K Euro Technical Superintendent - Tankers Cyprus - €85K + Benefits 0DULQH 6DIHW\ 2IƂFHU :RUN %RDWV South West UK - £50K Package QHSE Manager - Chemical Tankers Netherlands - Salary DOE Project Engineer - LNG Glasgow - £60K + Package Technical Superintendent - LPG London - £70K Technical Buyer London - £35K + Package Marine Super - Offshore Vessels Essex - £53K + Package Operations Manager - Yachts Europe - €70-75K Technical Manager - Yachts Europe - €65-75K

Bosun 100m+ Motor Yacht - $5.5K/mth

Cabin Steward - Cruise - $15K Cruise Director - Cruise - $80-85K Sous Chef - Cruise - $28K

QG 2IƂFHU 100m+ Motor Yacht - $6K/mth

HR Manager - Cruise - $44K

Deckhand 80m+ Sailing Yacht - $3K/mth

Snr Doctor - Cruise - $156K 6DQLWDWLRQ 2IƂFHU Cruise - $36K

3rd Engineer 100m+ Motor Yacht - €4K/mth

Guest Service Manager - Cruise - $32K

Deckhand 90m+ Sailing Yacht - €2.2K/mth

TANKER & LNG

2nd Engineer 90m+ Motor Yacht - €6K/mth

&KLHI 2IƂFHU /1* $75-85K + Bens

QG 2IƂFHU 70m+ Motor Yacht - €5.5K/mth

2/E - LPG/VLGC - $10-10,800/mth C/O - LPG/VLGC - $10-10,800/mth

Sole Chef 40m+ Motor Yacht - €6K/mth

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

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820

seagoing-uk@faststream.com

Chief Engineer - LNG - $95-105K + Bens

ETO - LPG - $7,200/mth

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

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

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

Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels All ranks - RoRo / RoPax Tug/Multicat Crew - All ranks Senior Of½cers - Tankers All Crew for temporary assignments

www.seamariner.com

Assistant Harbour Master / Pilot Salary £40k-£45k + contributory pension

CHC are looking to recruit an Assistant Harbour Master / Pilot to support and provide cover for the Harbour Masters’ team. As AHM you will be responsible for compliance with all aspects of the Port Marine Safety Code and associated statutory legislation as well as being on call as a Cowes Pilot for a period of 10-15 days per month. Cowes Harbour Commission also own and operate a number of marine businesses and experience of business management would be advantageous.

The successful candidate would ideally have a Class 1 CoC although alternative qualifications with recent relevant ship handling experience will be considered.

The successful candidate would be required to reside on the Isle of Wight.

For further information: contact the Harbour Master on: 01983 293952 Email: chc@cowes.co.uk www.cowesharbourcommission.co.uk

Nautilus recruitment.indd 39

To advertise contact Paul Wade on +44 (0)20 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@redactive.co.uk to find out how.

If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants.

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

Closing date: November 18th 2015

Reach over 110,000 readers.

Pritchard-Gordon Tankers (Guernsey) Ltd

Pritchard-Gordon Tankers Ltd, a family owned and managed company, operating British and Isle of Man registered oil tankers of between 6,000 and 12,000 dwt, are seeking an experienced and suitably quali½ed, high calibre:

Master

Candidates must have experience of ship-handling smaller vessels up to 12,000dwt.

We lay great importance on teamwork and continuity, with a number of senior of½cers having been with the company over 20 years. Our company ethos is to offer a superior service and level of professionalism to our Major and National Oil Company customers in challenging operational conditions.

Voyage lengths are of 10 to 13 weeks duration followed by an equal period of leave. Terms and conditions are competitive and commensurate with rank and experience.

Applications in the ½rst instance to Head of Personnel, Pritchard-Gordon Tankers Ltd, 15 Witney Way, Boldon Business Park, Boldon Colliery, Tyne & Wear, NE35 9PE Tel 0191 427 0303 Email personnel@pgtankers.com Website www.pgtankers.com

18/10/2016 16:10

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

APPOINTMENTS

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS CELEBRATING 125 YEARS IN 2017 with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS OPEN DAY | SATURDAY 21 JANUARY 2017 | 10.30AM-2PM Fleetwood Nautical Campus | Broadwater | Fleetwood | FY7 8JZ MARITIME COURSES

STCW UPDATING 2017

Masters Orals: 9 Jan 2017, 27 Feb 2017, 2 May 2017, 19 June 2017 | Chief Mate: 16 Jan 2017, 8 May 2017 | HND to Chief Mate: 16 Jan 2017, 8 May 2017 | FD to Chief Mate: 9 Jan 2017, 27 Feb 2017, 2 May 2017, 19 June 2017 | ECDIS Generic: 9 Jan 2017, 15 May 2017, 19 June 2017 | HELM (M): 28 Nov 2016, 5 Dec 2016, 6 Feb 2017, 27 Mar 2017, 3 Apr 2017, 10 Apr 2017, 17 Apr 2017 | NAEST (M): 27 Nov 2016, 5 Dec 2016,13 Feb 2017, 3 Apr 2017, 9 Apr 2017 | VTS Operator (2 Weeks – VTS Induction and Simulator) : 7 Nov 2016, 20 Mar 2017, 10 July 2017 | VTS Refresher : 22 Nov 2016, 14 Mar 2017, 4 July 2017 |

Personal Survival Techniques Updating £170 | Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Updating £210 | Advanced Fire Fighting Updating £185 | Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boat £210 | 1 Day MCA Approved FRB updating course with Capsize drill £255 |

FOR MORE INFORMATION E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

2017 AVAILABLE COURSE WEEKS 16, 23 Jan | 6, 20, 27 Feb | 6, 20 Mar | 3, 24 Apr

FOR MORE INFORMATION E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore /FleetwoodNauticalCampus If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

Where’s my Telegraph?

The world’s best Navy needs the world’s best trainers Babcock Flagship has a well deserved reputation for maritime training excellence and is looking for experienced professionals to drive the organisation towards greater success.

Navigation Instructor for Astro/Celestial Navigation and Tidal Calculations Teaching Astro/Celestial Navigation and Tidal theory and practice to a wide variety of RN and international students. Additional duties require setting command examinations and contributing to wider navigation instruction.

You’ll be part of a team supporting the Royal Navy’s Navigation Training Unit in the Maritime Warfare School, HMS COLLINGWOOD at Fareham, near Portsmouth.

You will hold a STCW II/2 qualiƂcation or an RN Specialist Navigation qualiƂcation (or equivalent) and have learned your trade at sea.

You should share our motivation, professionalism and commitment to excellence. A competitive salary and a range of additional extra beneƂts are all on offer to the right candidates. For further information or to send your CV please email Richard.westbrook@babcockinternational.com before 30 November 2016.

Airpor ts | Automotive | Communications | Defence | Education | Emergency Services | Marine Mining | Nuclear | Oil & Gas | Power | Rail | Renewables babcockinternational.com

Nautilus recruitment.indd 40

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you.

To let us know your new address, go to www.nautilusint. org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@ nautilusint.org The membership team can also cancel your print copy.

Advertise with and reach over 110,000 readers Contact Paul Wade on +44 (0)20 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@ redactive.co.uk to find out how Nautilus Telegraph can work for you.

MSM is currently managing dry cargo, RoRo and reefer vessels from its of¿ces in Limassol, Cyprus.

Technical Superintendent We are now looking for a suitably quali¿ed and experienced Technical Superintendent to join our Limassol-based team.

Reporting to the Technical Manager, this position encompasses the customary duties required to ensure the on-going cost-effective technical operation of the vessels under our care. Working closely with all departments to achieve positive results, the successful candidate is required to regularly engage in formalised deadlinedriven reporting covering ¿nancial and technical performance.

Experience as a Technical Superintendent is important - ideally within the dry-bulk or reefer segments - although other relevant areas and experience will be considered on merit. Time spent as a sea-going Chief Engineer will be of de¿nite bene¿t but we are willing to consider alternative experience if this is supported by a proven and successful career path.

Being a small team of like-minded professionals, Maestro Shipmanagement Ltd welcomes applications from those with a positive attitude, people that can think for themselves and who show a willingness to do more than the average. What is important to us is that potential candidates have an open mind towards embracing new working practices and new ideas, that they bring a strong career record to the table and are willing to adapt to the “Maestro” quality culture.

This position includes regular and extensive travel, occasionally at short notice.

The employment package on offer will be commensurate with the qualities, quali¿cations and experience of the candidates employed but is considered to be excellent.

Maestro Shipmanagement Limited P O Box 50718 3608 Limassol Cyprus E-mail: tl@maestroshipman.com

18/10/2016 16:10

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS

DIRECT ENTRY NAVAL SERVICE OFFICERS

King’s Lynn Conservancy Board Trust Port and Pilotage Authority

Harbour Master and Chief Executive Salary £45,000 to £50,000 plus benefits, dependant on experience

Due to forthcoming retirement of the post holder a vacancy will arise for this leading role.

We are looking for a capable individual with a strong marine background with command or senior officer experience and who may also have experience in a managerial role for a Port Authority.

The selected candidate will have a valid STCW II/2 Master (or equivalent) and be able to pass an ENG1 medical and live or be willing to relocate to within 6 miles of the Harbour Office in King’s Lynn.

Further details and request for an application form to: Harbour Master & Chief Executive King’s Lynn Conservancy Board Common Staith King’s Lynn Norfolk PE30 1LL. Email:klcb.hm@btconnect.com www.kingslynnport.co.uk Closing date for completed applications 30th November 2016 with interviews being held mid December 2016.

The Irish Naval Service has a number of opportunities for Bridge Watchkeeping Officers (Operations Branch), Marine Engineering Officers and Electrical Engineer Officers.

These are vital positions and we are looking for highly motivated individuals who combine professional skills with leadership ability and the desire to take their careers to exciting new places.

Successful candidates will be appointed to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant.

Candidates must possess the following qualifications:

Operations Branch

HND NAUTICAL SCIENCE - Chief Mate Blended Learning Option

Marine Engineering Branch

Commencing in January 2017 with enrolment throughout the academic year City of Glasgow College has a long standing reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of nautical training.

On this course you’ll cover: • • • • •

Marine Passage Planning Management of Bridge Operations Applied Meteorology Shipmaster’s Business Ship Stability (Theory & Practical)

A Department of Transport Certificate of Competency (Deck Officer) Class 1, 2 or 3 with watchkeeping experience or a recognised Naval Watchkeeping Certificate or a marine qualification that is deemed by the Minister for Defence to be at least equivalent to the specified qualifications.

A Department of Transport Certificate of Competency (Marine Engineering Officer) Class 1 or 2 with relevant experience or a marine qualification that is deemed by the Minister for Defence to be at least equivalent to the specified qualification.

Electrical Engineering Branch

• Management of Vessel Operations • Shipboard Management • Structures & Maintenance • Marine Engineering Systems

A recognised Bachelor Degree (Honours) programme at level 8 or higher of the National Framework of Qualifications in either Electrical or Electronic Engineering. The degree must be accredited with Engineers Ireland (EI). Or a marine qualification that is deemed by the Minister for Defence to be at least equivalent to the specified qualification.

Why Blended Learning?

Fit learning around your work and home life / Progress at your own pace / Continue to work as you study / Reduce time spent in college / Save on accommodation cost / Spread the cost of the course / Counts towards the “Education & Training” requirements for progression towards Chief Mate certification.

Candidates must be under 32 years of age on Saturday 31 December 2016.

For further details or to register your interest, please email: marine@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

www.military.ie

For more information, including terms and conditions and to apply, please visit

www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk City of Glasgow College Scottish Charity Number SC036198

Nautilus recruitment.indd 41

18/10/2016 16:10

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

SHIP TO SHORE Member meetings and seminars

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MGN 434 (M+F) Amendment 1 — Vessel traffic services (VTS): training and certification of VTS personnel This amendment document is a full Marine Guidance Note which updates and replaces MGN 434.

The purpose of the note, as with the original version, is to identify the standards of VTS training and certification recognised by the United Kingdom Competent Authority (i.e. the MCA), which are also closely aligned with IALA standards and the UK National Occupational Standards.

It also provides information on the procedures for the training and certification of VTS personnel in the UK. MGN 472 (M) (Corrigendum) — Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Guidance on the procedure for applying for a Substantial Equivalence This note provides two small corrections to the text of MGN 472, which was issued in November 2015.

MGN 553 (M+F) — Inflatable nonSOLAS liferafts, lifejackets, marine evacuation Systems, Danbuoys and Lifebuoys This note replaces MGN 499 in providing guidance on the MCA standards for non-SOLAS inflatable life-saving appliances (LSAs) used on certain UK-registered commercial vessels. It also sets out the process for the servicing requirements of these LSAs. The key points in MGN 553 are that: z non-SOLAS inflatable LSA fitted to commercial vessels should be serviced in accordance with the original equipment manufacturer’s instructions z non-SOLAS liferafts marketed as compliant with ISO 9650 are not to be marked for a capacity other than 4 to 12 persons. Surveyors of UK commercial vessels will not accept ISO liferafts if labelled and/or marketed as being for a number of persons outside of 4 to 12 z non-SOLAS liferafts built to comply with the ORC standard previously accepted on UK commercial vessels are formally being phased out of service in accordance with the arrangements detailed in this MGN z MGN 553 supersedes paragraph 13.2.3.5 of MGN 280 z the MCA will accept inflatable

lifebuoys and danbuoys on certain small commercial vessels and fishing vessels as detailed in MGN 553 MGN 560 (M) — Lifeboats, rescue boats, launching appliances, winches and on-load release gear: operational and test procedures Over the past 10 years, the maritime industry has observed an unacceptably high number of accidents in which crew were injured, sometimes fatally, while participating in lifeboat drills and/ or inspections. The IMO has been working to introduce measures to reduce the likelihood and severity of such incidents, and the MCA has produced new guidance in MGN 560 based on the Organisation’s findings.

This MGN updates the information in MSN 1803 (M). It additionally clarifies the latest MCA policy on static testing of lifeboats, and provides further explanation of the measures that can be taken to reduce the possibility of injury to personnel during testing.

The following points in MGN 560 are key considerations for the maintenance, operation and testing of lifeboats: z lifeboat drills are conducted in accordance with SOLAS regulation III/19.3.3 for the purpose of ensuring that ship’s personnel will be able to safely embark and launch the lifeboats in an emergency z personnel undertaking inspections, maintenance and adjustment of lifeboats, launching appliances and associated equipment are fully trained and familiar with these duties z all appropriate documentation for the maintenance and adjustment of lifeboats, launching appliances and associated equipment is available onboard z maintenance of lifeboats, launching appliances and associated equipment is carried out in accordance with approved established procedures z the principles of health and safety at work apply to lifeboat drills z personnel undertaking maintenance and repair activities are appropriately qualified z hanging-off pennants are only used for maintenance purposes and not during training exercises z all tests required for the design and approval of life-saving appliances are conducted rigorously, according to the guidelines developed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in order to identify and rectify any design faults at an early stage z the equipment to be easily

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:

accessible for inspections and maintenance and is proven durable in harsh operational conditions, in addition to withstanding prototype tests z the Maritime and Coastguard Agency pays close attention to proper workmanship and technology when assessing equipment for approval z ship owners, when undertaking maintenance and repair activities, to employ qualified personnel, preferably certified by the manufacturer Specific guidance for five-yearly load testing onboard UK vessels and relevant extracts from the text of the pertinent IMO guidance document is given in the annex to MGN 560.

MIN 486 (M) — Support for maritime training: additional funds of up to £3 million This note describes the arrangements for the additional funding of up to £3 million per annum allocated to the UK government’s financial support scheme for Merchant Navy seafarer training (SMarT) between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2016.

MIN 486 updates and replaces the information in MIN 470, and should be read in conjunction with MGN 455 (M). The key points covered are as follows: z increase in SMarT 1 rates z removal of restrictions in MGN 455 (M) z eligibility z SMarT z funding for ECDIS, HV and HELM training courses z ECDIS, HV and HELM claims process z documentary evidence, records and audits for TPs and companies

z M-Notices are available as electronic documents or as a set of bound volumes. z A consolidated set of M-Notices is published by The Stationery Office.

This contains all M-Notices current on 31 July 2015 (ISBN 978 01155 34034) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices. z Email alerts can be sent automatically whenever an M-Notice is published or updated. To set this up, follow the instructions in MIN 515 (M+F) — Guidance for subscriptions to safety bulletins and MCA document notifications on GOV.UK.

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Next meeting to be confirmed Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

g Women’s Forum Next meeting to be confirmed Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

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

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638 882 THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org

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

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing trainee officers in line with all

members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information, members should contact Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

Quiz answers 1. Tankers have been the most frequent victims of pirate attacks so far this year — accounting for 43% of the total number.

2. Larboard came from the Middle English term ‘ladebord’, referring to the side of the ship on which cargo was loaded 3. Yang Ming is based in Taiwan, and is the country’s second largest container shipping firm.

4. Just 1% of the world’s oceans is deeper than 6km, while 74% is between 3km to 6km.

5. Jebel Ali is the busiest port in the Gulf and is the ninth busiest in the world.

6. The United States was the last passenger liner to gain the Atlantic Blue Riband, in 1952.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 8. Palomino; 9. Anorak; 10. Pair; 11. Trajectory; 12. Hissed; 14. Convince; 15. Cyclone; 17. Almonds; 20. Resolute; 22. Losing; 23. Gamekeeper; 24. Pits; 25. Pellet; 26. Nuneaton.

Down: 1. Sagacity; 2. Poor; 3. Listed; 4. Monarch; 5. Paternal; 6. Fortuitous; 7. Fabric; 13. Salmonella; 16. Nauseate; 18. Donation; 19. Respond; 21. Enamel; 22. Larynx; 24. Peat.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Brian Potter, who has won the prize draw for the October cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from October Across: 1. Dead ringers; 9. Igneous; 10. Gaseous; 11. Gladstone; 12. Maple; 13. Real; 14. Pestilence; 16. Visualised; 19. Stub; 21. Nosed; 22. Dormitory; 24. Travail; 25. Coddler; 26. Tastelessly.

Down: 1. Dental assistant; 2 Atoms; 3. Restore; 4. Neglect; 5. Ensemble; 6. Shopping trolley; 7. Finger; 8. Essene; 15. Landmass; 16. Vanity; 17. Indulge; 18. Earache; 20. Buyers; 23. Indus.

Correction from October 2016 edition Cryptic answers from September Across: 1. Flat cap; 5. Needles; 9. Resin; 10. Principal; 11. Archetype; 12. Mince; 13. Drape; 15. Onslaught; 18. Sheepskin; 19. Stint; 21. Loser; 23. Briefcase; 25. Malachite; 26. Naked; 27. Non-slip; 28. Stepney.

Down: 1. Forward; 2. Associate; 3. Canoe; 4. Poppycock; 5. Noise; 6. Encompass; 7. Lupin; 8. Salient; 14. Empirical; 16. Sentinels; 17. Grimalkin; 18. Solomon; 20. Tuesday; 22. Salon; 23. Blimp; 24. Fines.

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

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

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

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

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

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance.

Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers.uk Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

42-43_infosprd.indd 42

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

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

Useful organisations

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

g Professional & Technical Forum Wednesday 14 December 2016 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs UK Head office 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification. The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seafarers’ Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)1752 812674 www.communitynetworkprojects.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers.

Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers.

Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes, including the Nautilus Slater Fund.

19/10/2016 13:57

November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Nicola Burns, activities coordinator, Mariners’ Park Care Home g Being an activities coordinator in a care home is not a job for someone straight out of school. You need to find someone with the right combination of experience, specialist training and ’soft skills’ to help frail residents maintain their quality of life — and Nicola Burns fits the bill perfectly.

Nicola has been working at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park Care Home since December 2014, and she came to the role with a background in catering and hospitality.

‘I started out as a catering manager in London — I did an HND in catering and hotel management,’ she explains. ‘But then my husband and I moved up to his home town of Birkenhead, so that’s when I started to look for work on the Wirral myself.’

To get to know the area, Nicola

volunteered in a charity shop supporting the Woodcraft Folk, and when a vacancy came up to help run the youth organisation’s Play Out scheme, she got the job. ‘We’d play games and sports, paint pictures, do crafts and make sculptures — all outdoors in local parks.

The scheme targets children from poor areas of Birkenhead and works on tackling challenging behaviour.’

Nicola’s next job was at the Shaftesbury Youth Club, cooking lunches and teaching cookery to children who had struggled in mainstream school. She was then taken on as cook in charge at a primary school, but missed the satisfaction of organising therapeutic activities, so when she saw the job advertised at Mariners’ Park, she was keen to apply.

‘I was impressed with all the buildings

and gardens inside the grounds,’ she remembers. ‘I’d driven past the site in Wallasey many times but never knew all this was there behind the wall.’ Already interested in working with older people, she found out that part of her work would be to organise activities for residents living in the Care Home’s dementia wing, and typically, she took on the challenge with relish. She picked up three vocational qualifications in elder and dementia care, and embraced the warm family atmosphere at the Care Home. ‘The most important thing,’ she says, ‘is to get to know the residents well — and their friends and families — so you can find out what they like doing and make sure they can continue those activities here.’

Residents can choose to join in with popular group activities like coffee

mornings, bingo, exercise sessions, takeaway nights, and the Care Home’s very own Happy Hour (‘Yes, it does involve alcohol!’). And there are regular visits from a library service, a hairdresser and even a pet greyhound called Mork.

Tailored activities might involve helping a particular resident grow vegetables in the raised beds outside and cook a meal with the produce, or just taking them out to enjoy the Care Home’s sensory garden.

Even the frailest residents can do some of the activities, stresses Nicola. ‘We had a wonderful experience recently where we played a CD in a quiet place for a lady with dementia who doesn’t like being in groups.

It was amazing — she responded for the first time and sang along. This is one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever done, and I just love being with everyone here.’

Wherev er you are , so are we

Join now

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

Join today so we can be there for you too!

Pay and conditions Nautilus International is the first truly trans-boundary trade union for maritime professionals, reflecting the global nature of the industry. We negotiate with employers on issues including pay, working conditions, working hours and pensions to secure agreements which recognise members’ skills and experience, and the need for safety for the maritime sector.

Legal services Nautilus Legal offers members a range of legal services free of charge. There are specialist lawyers to support members in work related issues and a number of non-work related issues. The Union also has a network of lawyers in 54 countries to provide support where members need it most.

Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions.

Certificate protection Members are entitled to free financial protection, worth up to £118,500, against the loss

42-43_infosprd.indd 43

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

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

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

In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are.

Officials regularly see members onboard their ships and visit cadets at college. Further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and conferences. The Union has offices in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel.

There are also representatives based in France, Spain and Singapore.

International representation Nautilus International represents members’ views on a wide range of national and international bodies including the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

We work at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety and

Join us today…

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

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

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 22,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the industry at sea and ashore — including inland navigation, large yachts, deepsea and offshore.

For members, by members Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic trade union offering members many opportunities to become actively involved and have your say — at a local, national and international level.

19/10/2016 16:14

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2016

NEWS

ETVs: ‘the case is compelling’ Union backs findings of expert report on tug cover for northern Scotland

P

Nautilus has backed the findings of a detailed assessment of the need for an emergency towing vessel (ETV) off the northern coast of Scotland.

Released by the government last month, the report was produced by London Offshore Consultants (LOC) as part of the toplevel deliberations over the future of the one remaining ETV — stationed in Kirkwall — after its contract terminated earlier this year.

Ministers agreed to extend funding for the ETV for a further five years after determining that there was ‘a strong case for the UK government to step in’ and that the commercial towage market is not able to reliably meet the need for a dedicated service to cover the seas around Scotland.

However, questions are continuing to be raised over whether one ETV is adequate and whether the government is gambling with safety by leaving other parts of the UK coast without cover.

The LOC report, published by the Department for Transport on 7 October, was key to the government’s decision. It made an expert assessment of the need for ETV provision in north and NW Scotland, reflecting factors such as traffic densities, special hazards, prevailing weather conditions and environmental sensitivities.

It notes that ETVs were established in the UK in 1994 following the Braer and Sea Empress tanker disasters. Countries including the Netherlands, South Africa, France, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden now have ETVs operating in their waters, and others such as Australia and Japan have specific emergency response vessel arrangements.

LOC found that there were no tugs in the northern Scotland region which can be considered as reliable first responders if emergency towage intervention is required.

Between October 2011 and February 2016, there were 63 identified ‘casualty vessels’ in the area under review, the report notes.

ETV intervention was required on 14 occasions, including four towage incidents.

The Transocean Winner platform is loaded onto the Norwegian heavylift vessel Hawk last month Picture: MCA

Nautilus urges UK to keep hard line on fatigue rules urged the UK government not F to undermine the Maritime Labour Nautilus International has

Convention (MLC) by allowing inappropriate exceptions to its hours of work limitations.

The warning comes in a response to a four-week Maritime & Coastguard Agency consultation on plans to consolidate the 2002 Merchant Shipping Hours of Work regulations.

The proposals were drawn up to ensure the UK regulations incorporate both the standards set by the MLC and the 2010 STCW Convention Manila Amendments, as enshrined in European Union law.

‘For the most part, this is a simple consolidation of earlier regulations,’ the MCA stated. ‘There are no substantive changes to the general duty, minimum hours of rest, requirements for the posting up of schedule of duties, record keeping, exceptions for emergencies, entitlement to annual leave and additional leave, or provision for shore leave.’

However, Nautilus has expressed concern that the proposals will allow the MCA to authorise collective agreements or workforce agreements which will enable certain exceptions from the rules and it calls for tighter controls over the conditions in which these can be approved.

While such exceptions are perfectly valid under the MLC, if agreed by the social partners, Nautilus argues that

it is ‘somewhat mischievous’ to use a provision from the STCW and combine it with the flexibility offered by the MLC. The Union also voices concern on proposals to allow exceptions for vessels which operate only within 60 miles of a safe haven and do not operate to or from, or call at, any port in a country other than the UK. ‘The 60-mile limit of a safe haven should be taken in context —namely, that of a non-trading vessel for a very limited time period — for example, a “coastal pleasure steamer” transiting between two ports or piers,’ the Union says. ‘The idea of allowing this exception for trading or working vessels undermines the very spirit of the MLC.’ In its consultation response, Nautilus says it is concerned at the enforcement capacity of the MCA to ensure compliance with the regulations through flag state and port state control.

And the Union takes issue with the proposed penalties being set for ship masters under the revised regulations.

‘It is not appropriate, nor acceptable, to levy fines on a master to the same degree as that of an employer,’ it adds.

‘Regrettably, this has been a feature of recent legislation and reprinted without any thought or rationale.

The penalties should reflect the significant difference between that of the shipowner and the master who is simply another employee.’

Grounded rig is shipped out Medics warn over

grounded off the west coast A of Scotland in August after its

connection to a tug broke in a storm left for Malta on 14 October onboard a Norwegian-flagged semisubmersible heavylift ship.

The Transocean Winner rig was being towed from Norway to Malta for scrapping when the line to the tug Alp Forward broke and it was swept at Dalmore Bay, on the isle of

Lewis. The platform was refloated after three weeks and loaded onto the 53,000dwt OHT vessel Hawk.

The Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) for salvage, Hugh Shaw, said he had given permission for Hawk to depart after reviewing its passage plan.

Weather permitting, the voyage to Malta will take approximately two weeks, he added.

‘To have a rig of this size ground

in a remote part of Scotland, I think we have done remarkably well to get it sorted in two months. It is a major achievement,’stressed Mr Shaw.

Some reports suggest the costs of the salvage operation may run to more than £38m.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is looking into the causes of the incident, in which some 56,000 litres of diesel was spilled.

the most common cause of F seafarers being given a restricted

The study points out that the area is considered to be ‘the most environmentally sensitive to a pollution incident of any in the UK’ and it highlights the growing number of large cruiseships and cargo vessels operating in the region.

‘The increasing number of cruise vessels visiting the area poses a unique risk to the region which should be considered for future ETV planning,’ it states.

‘In particular, the growing size and passenger capacity of these vessels, together with the nature of their operations, which may involve entering potentially hazardous or restricted waterways

for the benefit of passenger experience, give rise to previously unseen risks.’

The report says the risk assessments carried out in the original studies which led to the establishment of the four UK ETVs remain valid today — and that there is evidence showing that traffic densities have increased since then.

It concludes that there are ‘compelling reasons’ to maintain ETV cover in the north and NW of Scotland, and it recommends the use of an AHTS with about 120 tonnes bollard pull, crewed by a minimum of 10 seafarers.

Masters and crews should have proven towage experience, it

adds, and there should also be a ‘robust, ongoing training programme’ onboard.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said it was a comprehensive and compelling report. ‘Maritime incidents by their nature will be infrequent, but are potentially catastrophic,’ he pointed out.

‘It is not a question of if such an incident will occur, it is a question of when, and where the market fails to provide, it is the duty of the state to intervene. Other countries recognise the significant economic and environmental loss of a major incident by ensuring adequate ETV provision.’

medical certificate by UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency approved doctors last year.

A total of 542 restricted and 15 failed certificates were issued as a result of colour vision problems identified during medical examinations, the annual report on UK seafarer health checks reveals.

The findings show that colour vision is a ‘significant problem’ for both deck and engine seafarers, said MCA chief medical advisor Dr Sally Bell. ‘Seafarers do need to take responsibility for having vision testing prior to training,’ she stressed.

The MCA is revising the guidance it gives to doctors on decisions related to colour vision tests and ‘appropriate restrictions’, with the aim of making

A 17,000-tonne oil rig which

the scale of colour vision problems Defective colour vision was

such decisions clearer.

The annual report shows that a total of 52,946 seafarer medical examinations were carried out by MCA approved doctors last year — with 49,711 resulting in unrestricted certificates, 2,468 in restricted certificates, 669 temporarily unfit and 98 ENG 3 failures.

Dr Bell said the pattern of examination results followed the trends of recent years — with the conditions found in seafarers reflecting global public health issues, including rising levels of obesity.

‘Figures from 2015 show that the highest number of seafarers failed or made temporarily unfit were those with hypertension, closely followed by obesity,’ she added. ‘These conditions were also leaders in the cases restricted, along with diabetics on oral medication.’

“EXCELLENT COURSES TAUGHT BY TUTORS WITH KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE” STCW • ECDIS • GMDSS • HELM • MEDICAL • DP • TANKER • GWO • OOW • CHIEF MATE • MASTER

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19/10/2016 18:16