Nautilus Telegraph September 2014 by Redactive Media Group

Cyber-piracy alert Industry warned to watch out for growing new risk 21

American lessons Unions call for EU to look at US fleet support package 24-25

NL nieuws Twee pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 38-39

Volume 47 | Number 09 | September 2014 | £3.50 €3.70

Big turn-out for a big ship in Rotterdam the world’s biggest heavylift F vessel, the 116,173dwt Dockwise Crowds flocked to watch as

Vanguard, made its first call to the port of Rotterdam last month. Assisted by the harbour tugs Smit Cheetah and Fairplay 21, the semisubmersible transport ship visited the port after delivering the Largo Bay 14,000-tonne drilling rig Ocean Patriot to Largo Bay, in the Firth of Forth. Launched last year, the Curacaoflagged Dockwise Vanguard is owned by the Dutch firm Dockwise Shipping and had been on standby to assist with the transportation of the wreck of the Costa Concordia to a recycling yard, but plans changed when the Italian government decided to tow the cruiseship to a breaker in Italy. Built by Hyundai in South Korea, Dockwise Vanguard sailed from Rotterdam to take part in a new project in South America. Picture: Danny Cornelissen

More action ‘vital’ on enclosed spaces Union says report on death of three crew highlights need to improve training and equipment

Fresh concerns about the risks of enclosed spaces onboard ships have been raised by an investigation into the death of three seafarers in a cargo hold access compartment earlier this year. Nautilus says the shocking case demonstrates the importance of new rules set to take effect at the end of this year — and also shows the need for further action to address the dangers. The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued a safety bulletin to highlight the key lessons arising from the deaths of the chief officer and two seamen onboard the German-flagged general cargoship Suntis in Goole Docks in May. The MAIB said it was almost certain that the chief officer and, possibly, one of the two seamen had died during attempts to rescue colleagues from the oxygendeficient compartment. Investigators said this had been followed by ‘an initially frantic rescue opera-

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tion’ by the two remaining crew and two stevedores, in which one of the dock workers entered the compartment wearing an emergency escape breathing device (EEBD) and the other wearing no breathing apparatus at all. Fire-ﬁghters found that the oxygen content at the bottom of the ladder into the compartment was between 5% and 6% — a level at which someone will suffer convulsions, coma and respiratory seizure within a few minutes. The bulletin repeats warnings for seafarers to resist the desire to rush into an enclosed space to rescue an unconscious colleague. Ships should have a prearranged plan for the rescue of a person who has collapsed within an enclosed or conﬁned space and regular drills should be conducted to test the plan and ensure the crew are familiar with it, it points out. The bulletin also warns that EEBDs should never be worn to enter, re-enter or work in a hazardous atmosphere.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson welcomed the MAIB bulletin and he said he hoped the ﬁnal report would include recommendations for mandatory training courses and the carriage of proper equipment. He said the Suntis case followed a long line of horriﬁc incidents, including fatalities onboard the offshore support vessel Viking Islay, the cruiseship Saga Rose, and the general cargoship Sava Lake. As a result of a motion to a Nautilus General Meeting, the Union has been campaigning for the introduction of enclosed space courses, the mandatory carriage of O2/multi-meters and requirements for pre-entry drills. In the UK, the Union has worked through the Merchant Navy Training Board to introduce an enclosed spaces course for all new entrants. It is now working on a longer-term basis to secure a requirement for such training to be included within the STCW Convention.

With effect from 1 January next year, new SOLAS Convention rules will require ships’ crews to take part in an enclosed space entry and rescue drill at least once every two months. The IMO is also set to introduce new mandatory requirements for ships to carry portable atmosphere testing instruments to enable enclosed spaces to be checked for oxygen levels and the presence of ﬂammable gases or vapours, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulphide. Mr Graveson said ﬁgures from the Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum showed that 73% of deaths and injuries in enclosed spaces occurred on ships other than tankers — statistics that showed the need to improve standards on other ship types. ‘Too many seafarers are still being killed in enclosed spaces and it is important that we secure the carriage of proper equipment to facilitate a rescue and ensure reasonable chances of survival,’ he added.

Inside F SED and done

Nautilus secures clarity on UK seafarer income tax rules — page 22 F RFA review

Union visits ships to discuss Future Development programme — page 23 F Life under sail

Member tells of her tall ships adventure in the Netherlands — pages 26-27 F In the slow boat

Taking a trip on one of the specialist Dutch canal boats — pages 30

20/08/2014 17:13

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

NAUTILUS AT WORK

ITF urged to fight job fakes

Hylke wins gold at ITF Congress policy advisor Hylke Hylkema A is pictured being presented with an Nautilus International senior

International Transport Workers’ Federation gold badge by ITF general secretary Steve Cotton in recognition of 40 years’ of service and dedication to the union movement. Making the award at the joint seafarers’ and dockers conference during the ITF Congress, Mr Cotton praised the passion and commitment that Hylke has demonstrated to the union movement during almost half a century of service in the shipping industry. He said the official had started to fight injustice whenever he found it from an early age. After serving at sea as a navigation officer, Hylke began working for the Union he had joined as a cadet when he started

for action to combat the A problems caused by crooked crewing A Nautilus motion calling

agencies has been unanimously agreed by union delegations from around the world attending the 43rd International Transport Workers’ Federation Congress in Bulgaria. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson moved the motion, which highlighted concerns over the growing number of cases in which seafarers have been ripped off by companies offering non-existent jobs at sea. Mr Dickinson said such scams often prey upon the most vulnerable by making tempting promises of work on cruiseships or other vessels — usually offering a job involving travel, and then requesting money for associated visa or work permit applications. The Nautilus motion urges the ITF to conduct a ‘name and shame’ campaign against such practices, with the aim of making sure that those behind the operations are brought to justice. It also calls for more guidance to be given to seafarers on ways to protect themselves from such scams. Laurie Farmer, head of crewing with Vroon Offshore Services — one of the companies which has fallen victim to fraudsters — welcomed the Nautilus motion. ‘This is still a scourge of the industry, with many companies affected and of course many more seafarers but with little action from the authorities,’ he added. g Mr Farmer said UK seafarers could use a new police reporting line for such fraud: www.actionfraud.police.uk

Assurances for MNOPF Old Section Navy Officers’ Pension Fund F Old Section whose benefits are now Members of the Merchant

insured were advised in advance by the MNOPF that, in the unlikely event that an insurer failed, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) provided a level of protection. ‘This would give time to arrange for another insurer to take over responsibility (which is what happens in practice) and, if that were not possible, then compensation would be payable,’ explained Nautilus senior policy adviser Peter McEwen. However, the compensation scheme is for residents in the EU or the EEA, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Because a number of members live elsewhere, the MNOPF Trustee took professional advice and engaged in correspondence with the FSCS. As a result, it has arranged for the Old Section members’ individual policies to be issued to the Trustee in the first instance as the Trustee is a legal entity in the EU. These policies were then assigned to each individual member by the Trustee. ‘The FSCS Rules provide that where the policy is issued in the EU, members entitled to compensation living in the EU who subsequently emigrated would still be covered,’ Mr McEwen added. ‘The Trustee believes the same applies for those already living abroad because the policy was issued to the Trustee in the EU in the first case. The FSCS has provided guidance that the Trustee’s interpretation was reasonable and members should take comfort from this,’ he added.

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training at the nautical college in Delfzijl in the Netherlands. Hylke had deservedly earned great respect in the Dutch maritime industry and within the ITF, Mr Cotton added. ‘Loved, sometimes feared, but always very much respected for his skills, quick mind and his unlimited appetite for new and often very difficult challenges.’ As well as participating in countless ITF meetings and working and steering groups, Hylke also oversaw the Dutch ITF inspectorate and headed up negotiations with shipowners in the Philippines and Indonesia, and was a strong and effective defender of pension rights, Mr Cotton told the meeting. Hylke said he was greatly surprised and deeply honoured to receive the ITF gold medal — having had no idea that he had been nominated by the general secretary.

ITF sets ambitious four-year agenda Nautilus officials join delegates from 112 nations at international Congress

Nautilus played a big role during the 43rd Congress of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, held in Bulgaria last month — speaking on motions including fair treatment for seafarers and working conditions in the inland navigation sector. Ofﬁcials from the Union were among more than 1,200 delegates from 378 unions in 112 countries attending the week-long conference, which agreed ambitious new work programmes for the next four years in key sectors such as seafarers, ports and inland navigation. ‘This was a well organised conference, with excellent support from the local unions and a really positive welcome for the new leadership of the ITF,’ said Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘The sectional work programmes agreed at the meeting will set measurable targets that will be regularly assessed over the next four years,’ he explained, ‘and for seafarers the priorities include promoting the ratiﬁcation and implementation of the

Nautilus at the ITF: senior national secretary Nick Bramley; policy advisor Hylke Hylkema, Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens; assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek; and general secretary Mark Dickinson

Maritime Labour Convention, securing the introduction of ILO Convention 185 on identity documents, and improving safety through effective enforcement of IMO conventions.’ As newly-elected chair of the ITF’s resolutions committee, Mr Dickinson will be closely involved in maintaining progress on these core policy objectives. During the conference, he

spoke to support a motion on the fair treatment of seafarers — urging renewed action to make the international guidelines mandatory, and to expand their scope to include rights to shore leave and shore-based welfare facilities. ‘We must recognise that if we don’t move forward, we are going backwards,’ Mr Dickinson warned. ‘We cannot tolerate the kind of treatment we saw meted

out to the captain of the Sewol ferry earlier this year.’ A delegate from the federation of South Korean seafaring unions added: ‘The solution does not lie in heavier punishment, because the captain and crews receive orders and directions from the shipping company. What should be strengthened is thorough supervision and management by the authority for the responsible operation of ships.’ Nautilus senior national secretary Nick Bramley chaired the inland navigation section conference during the Congress and was also re-elected as chair of the section for the next four years — by which time he will have completed 16 years in the post. Mr Bramley told the meeting of the importance of seeking an ILO agreement to establish international minimum standards for the sector: ‘There is much to be done and we know we have to deepen our work and target resources at the national level. This is an industry which is very regionalised, but it is united over issues such as health and safety, training and crewing levels.’

WISTA celebrates 40 years of the Nautilus Women’s F Forum and their guests celebrating

Pictured left are the members

the 40th anniversary of the Women In Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA). Nautilus sponsored a table at the event, held at the International Maritime Organisation last month, to recognise the Union’s commitment to women in the industry.

WISTA now has more than 1,800 individual members, and the event heard from a range of women about their experiences working in the male-dominated industry in each of the last four decades. ‘It was a truly wonderful evening,’ said forum chair MaryAnne Adams. ‘Although even today it surprises me just how unrepresented women seafarers are at these type of events.’

Members can make some big savings... discounts saving members F money on goods and services. It is

Nautilus Plus is a portfolio of

designed to target the goods and services members actually use. You can find Nautilus Plus in the membership area of the website (www.nautilusint.org), so have your membership number and password handy before logging on and following the link. This month we are highlighting some specific deals and discounts which members have already found the most useful. z Airport parking, airport lounges and airport hotels Together with Holiday Extras*, Nautilus Plus offers members discounts on airport parking, airport hotels and airport lounges. Established in 1983, Holiday Extras handles more than three million bookings each year across the UK and takes pride in offering carefully selected products. Book with Holiday Extras via the Nautilus website or call 0800 093 5478 and quote WT228 to receive: z up to 10% off airport parking at over 200 car parks in 28 UK and Ireland airports, including ‘Park & Ride’ and ‘Meet & Greet’ options z 10% off airport hotels allowing you to wake up just minutes from check-in, ready for your flight. Includes money-saving add-ons like a full English breakfast z 8% off airport lounges entitling you to free drinks, snacks and entertainment as well as great opportunity to relax before a long flight z Discounted eye care Just as you should consider exercise and a balanced diet essential for good health, regular eye care should also be part of your general health regime. If you are looking for a new look or feel it is time for a check-up, Nautilus Plus can help — you can also set up a reminder request for when your eye test is due, and they will contact you nearer the time. There are several offers available with Vision Express*: z free eye test including free digital retinal photography when spending over £50 z save £30 off complete prescription glasses z three months’ supply of soft disposable contact lenses (when you join the direct debit scheme Complete Contact Care) z triple nectar points on all purchases z 10% discount on non-prescription sunglasses Visit Nautilus Plus to download your personal discount voucher. *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers and prices subject to change without notice. Holiday Extras — please note that due to airport restrictions, discounts are not available for airport car parks at certain airports. You will pay the same as if you had booked direct at these car parks. They include Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southampton and Stansted. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

20/08/2014 15:29

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

US union backs Federation plan between officers’ unions F have been backed by the US-based

Plans to increase cooperation

Masters Mates & Pilots (MM&P) union. Delegates at the 85th MM&P Convention last month agreed to broaden the transatlantic partnership with Nautilus International — working together in accordance with International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) policy on issues such as fatigue and seafarer welfare and providing mutual support to members facing criminalisation. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson spoke to the convention to explain how the Federation aims to ensure that the interests of officers receive due attention at forums such as the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation. The meeting also heard concern about a push by European nations to include the Jones Act in ongoing trade talks as a first step towards circumventing US cabotage law. ‘The free market will not guarantee a country’s national interests when it comes to merchant shipping,’ said Mr Dickinson. g See centre pages for full report.

BOXSHIP FALL: the number of containerships in the world merchant fleet has decreased in the first half of 2014 and could fall on an annual basis this year, for the first time in at least two decades, according to a report from the industry analysts Drewry. It said that while total TEU capacity is growing at an annual rate of around 6%, the number of ships is set to decline as a smaller number of larger vessels replace older ships averaging around 2,600TEU. Pictured, left to right, are: MM&P pilots’ group VP George Quick; MM&P secretary-treasurer Steven Werse; Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson; and MM&P president Don Marcus

Union challenges companies charging cadets who don’t complete training

02-03_at work.indd 3

TRAILBLAZING SCHEME: UK government ministers have welcomed the announcement of a new Maritime Trailblazer scheme for ratings apprenticeship training. An approved standard has now been agreed for apprentices working towards an Able Seafarer (deck) rating qualification. Shipping minister John Hayes said the new standards would help to raise the profile of the seafaring profession and should ‘encourage more talented people to consider it as a career’. PRINCESS ADDS: Princess Cruises has announced an agreement with the Italian builder Fincantieri for the construction of a new 143,000gt vessel to come into service in 2017. The €600m vessel will carry 3,560 passengers and feature the design platform introduced by sisterships Royal Princess in 2013 and Regal Princess which entered service this past May. The ship is set to be the only newbuild for the Carnival Corporation in 2017.

Protests over cadet ‘bonds’ Nautilus has raised renewed concerns over the quality of UK cadet training — and has also called for a new industry agreement to put an end to ‘punitive’ penalties for those who fail to complete their courses or take jobs with other companies at the end of their training. The Union’s intervention during talks at the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) last month follows cases in which companies have sought costs ranging between £3,000 and £12,600 from trainee ofﬁcers in such circumstances. Nautilus has challenged the grounds on which companies are seeking such payments — and it has warned that the process could deter some young people from taking up a cadetship. ‘One of the big problems with the current “agreements” is the unequal nature of the relationship between the trainee and the company,’ said senior national secretary Allan Graveson. ‘It is simply unfair for companies to be claiming such payments when they make no reciprocal guarantee of employment at the end of the training programme.’ Nautilus points out that the

shortreports

old industry-wide MNTB standard agreement — which was withdrawn when the owners pulled out of the National Maritime Board in 1991 — set a £50 limit on the amount that cadets could be ordered to re-pay. Now, it adds, companies usually use one or other of two documents containing a number of clauses under which officer trainees have to pay back costs if they fail to complete their training programme. ‘This is particularly off-putting for candidates who come from less affluent backgrounds,’ Mr Graveson pointed out. ‘Many young people who are not certain about their course in life will find this very daunting and it will serve as a deterrent to social mobility.’ Nautilus has also questioned the legitimacy of companies levying penalty payments on cadets when a significant amount of the training is paid for through state aid. ‘It is somewhat suspicious that costs are being recouped from cadets when companies receive both direct financial support through the SMarT scheme and, for those in the tonnage tax scheme, they avoid the payments for failing to train the requisite number of cadets,’ Mr Graveson added.

The Union argues that it is also unacceptable for companies to seek costs from newly-qualified officers who get jobs elsewhere. ‘For many officer trainees, the big worry will be over their chances of getting work at the end of the cadetship,’ Mr Graveson explained. ‘Invariably, the current training agreements will make no promise of employment but merely a statement of making the best endeavours should there be a vacancy and at an unspecified rate of pay. ‘Such an unbalanced set-up would at least have some credibility if there was a guarantee of, say, six months of post-certification employment to enable the individual to get the necessary experience to gain further employment as a watchkeeping officer,’ he added. ‘The distinguishing factor is that officers supported by companies to take higher certification are almost always guaranteed future employment at a guaranteed rate. ‘The “bonding” to future employment does not serve the industry well, in that it reduces the mobility of labour and has the potential to endanger safety where an individual is confined to a ship or a sector to which they are not suited,’ he argued.

As a result of the Union’s representations, the MNTB has agreed that discussions should take place between Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping on the production of guidance for an acceptable training agreement. ‘This has an established parallel with the guidance that the National Maritime Occupational Health & Safety Committee has produced on subjects such as smoking and HIV with respect to company policy and contracts,’ Mr Graveson said. ‘The reluctance of some companies to accept a standard training agreement is surprising, given that many of them enter into such an agreement in the Philippines,’ he pointed out. Following the MNTB discussions over training quality issues — including non-English speaking senior ofﬁcers, poor quality food and water, inappropriate accommodation and excessive working hours — the Maritime & Coastguard Agency has assured Nautilus that if proper evidence is provided about the unsuitability of vessels, they will be removed from the SMarT scheme. Mr Graveson said any members with concerns about their training agreement should contact the Union.

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE: a two-day conference to examine Britain’s relationship with the sea and issues including maritime training and education is being held at Plymouth University on 11 and 12 September. The event will also see the launch of the Dartmouth Centre for Seapower & Strategy — a new initiative to raise awareness of maritime security and defence policy. BROADBAND BLOW: plans for a new service giving ships ‘superfast’ broadband internet connections at sea have been delayed because of the failed launch of a rocket, the satellite communications firm Inmarsat warned last month. It said the launch problems mean that the Global Xpress broadband service is now unlikely to be available globally until mid-2015. SUEZ EXPANSION: Egypt has given the go-ahead to a US$4bn scheme to add an extra lane along a 45-mile stretch of the Suez Canal. The work would increase shipping numbers through the waterway, with the new channel enabling two-way traffic for almost half the canal’s length. BUILDING CALL: unions have called for action after the last remaining merchant shipyard on the river Clyde went into administration last month, with the loss of 70 jobs. Unions have urged the Scottish government to bring forward work in a bid to save Ferguson Shipbuilders from closure. MLC ADDITIONS: Ireland and Kenya have become the latest countries to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, taking the total number of countries that have signed the seafarers’ bill of rights to 59, representing some 80% of the world’s fleet in gross tonnage terms. EVERGREEN SERVICE: the Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Line has launched a twice-weekly service linking Rotterdam and Dublin, together with slots on a weekly basis to Liverpool on an exchange arrangement with Singapore-based operator X-Press Feeders. PORTS SUPPORT: UK transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced a £1.7m funding package to help repair a total of 21 small ports and harbours across England which were damaged by winter storms. FERRY RESCUE: a total of 17 passengers and 28 crew were rescued last month when the 9,373gt Chileanflagged ro-ro ferry Amadeo I ran aground and capsized off Paso Kirke.

20/08/2014 18:18

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports COMPLIANCE OFFER: a two-year pay offer consistent with the public sector policy in Scotland has been offered to members serving with Marine Scotland Compliance. The offer includes a 1.5% increase in 2014 and 1% in 2015. In a very low turnout 89% of those who responded rejected the offer. Nautilus industrial organiser Steve Doran said that the Union was not in a position to formally accept the offer and therefore it was expected that it would be imposed. However, he added, warnings about recruitment and retention problems are now being taking seriously and opportunities to address this are being investigated. MAERSK SA: an offer of a three-year pay deal has been reluctantly accepted on behalf of members employed by Maersk Offshore on the South African officers’ agreement as the best that can be achieved. The deal includes a 1.6% increase from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2015, a 0.4% increase to extend the pay date by three months, a 1.7% increase for 2015 and 1.8% for 2016. The company has committed to review the deal if there is a dramatic change in the economic situation in South Africa in the duration of the deal. SERCO ACCEPT: members employed by Serco Marine and serving onboard RV Corystes have voted to accept the company’s pay offer. The offer includes a 2.9% increase in pay for officers already operating on back-to-back working time/leave ratio and a 1% increase for ratings. The ratings will also be moving from three weeks on/two weeks off to equal time. The uplift will be backdated to 1 April and concludes the 2014 pay and conditions review; the next anniversary is 1 April 2015. BIBBY SALARIES: members employed by Bibby Ship Management on the coastels agreement have voted to accept the principle of changing to salaried employment. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne will now be looking to meet with the company to discuss amendments to the terms and conditions. Once a meeting has taken place with management, Nautilus will consult members on the proposed amendments. HUMBER PAY: the Partnership at Work committee representing Humber Pilots employed by Associated British Ports has rejected the company’s five year pay offer. Industrial organiser Lisa Carr will be meeting with the PAW committee and the employer to discuss the rejection on Tuesday 9 September. CEFAS RESULT: a pay offer for a 3.5% increase in pay has been accepted by members employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving onboard Cefas Endeavour. The increase will be backdated to 1 April and the next review date is 1 April 2015. CROWN CONTINUES: industrial organiser Gary Leech is seeking a meeting with Crown Crewing following members’ rejection of a 1.5% increase in pay.

New talks aim to end seafarer exclusions

Foreland partnership talks

by Justin Stares

unions aimed at finding H common ground on the application Talks between owners and

of EU employment law to seafarers have made progress, according to the European Community Shipowners’ Associations. ECSA and the European Transport Workers’ Federation hope to conclude an agreement on the removal of seafaring exemptions by October. ‘We have made progress,’ said ECSA secretary general Patrick Verhoeven. ‘We have decided to leave the more controversial issues, such as the transfer of undertakings, to last, so that we can focus on areas that are easy to deal with first.’ The talks come ahead of a second attempt by the European Commission to remove seafaring exemptions from five EU employment laws. The first attempt broke down in the European Parliament in March this year amid heavy lobbying. The Commission’s second proposal is expected to be identical to the first. Exemptions in the spotlight include seafarers’ rights in cases of insolvency, the right to set up works councils, the right to be consulted and rights ahead of collective redundancies. Owners have argued the law on transfers of undertakings should only apply to ‘fixed’ rather than ‘mobile’ assets such as ships. Other exemptions in the talks between the ETF and ECSA could influence the EU law-making process if they can be completed quickly. The Italian EU presidency, which runs until December, is expected to push for an early agreement among national governments.

Ebola impact delayed a planned 10-month A deployment to Benin as a result of The Mercy Ships charity has

the Ebola virus outbreak affecting neighbouring Nigeria. It has also had to call off a planned visit to Guinea by its hospital ship Africa Mercy next spring because of concerns about the disease. The shipping industry has issued guidance on the risks: see page 48.

Foreland Shipping Partnership at Work meeting in F Liverpool.

Union officials and management are pictured at the

Issues under discussion included onboard communications — with the company confirming its commitment to assess crew communications systems and to introduce a form of internet access for crew within the next 12 months. The meeting also received an assurance from management on contractual tour lengths, as well as discussing performance reviews, loyalty bonuses, trainee wages and cabin furnishings.

Pictured, back row left to right: Terence Yarker (Nautilus rep), David Younger (Nautilus rep), Nicky Davenport (assistant marine personnel manager, Bibby Ship Management, Western Europe), Phillip Lane (RMT rep), Anthony Lloyd (RMT rep), Steve Todd (national secretary, RMT), Paul Schroder (industrial organiser, Nautilus). In the front row, left to right: Andrew Latter (ISM Manager, Andrew Weir Shipping), Shaun Finn (RMT rep), Bryan Hampson (marine operations manager, Bibby Ship Management, Western Europe), Jonathan Havard (national secretary, Nautilus).

Stowaways case prompts concern Man found dead in container unloaded from Dutch ferry

Nautilus has expressed concern over an incident in which 35 stowaways were discovered in a container unloaded from a P&O ferry in the UK port of Tilbury last month. One of the group of immigrants discovered in the container was found to have died en route from Zeebrugge. The 34 remaining stowaways were taken to hospital suffering from dehydration and hypothermia, but were all released and subsequently claimed asylum in the UK. The group — who were found to be Sikhs from Afghanistan ﬂeeing persecution from the Taliban — arrived in the UK on the Dutch-

ﬂagged Norstream and were discovered in one of 64 containers when dock workers heard banging and screaming during unloading. Belgian police said that they believed the stowaways were already in the container when it arrived at Zeebrugge. However, they said that they had been unable to identify the lorry which the container arrived on and had no information about where it had originated. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the tragic case highlighted the Union’s concerns about UK government plans to scrap rules requiring the weighing of goods vehicles and items of cargo over 7.5 tonnes in

ports before loading on ferries (see story on page 7). And senior national secretary Allan Graveson added: ‘This incident could have endangered the crew, the ship, the environment or national security. The cargo manifest for containers is a work of ﬁction, not a statement of fact.’ The Apostleship of the Sea held a special service in Tilbury for the crew of the ferry in which the stowaways were found. Port chaplain Wojciech Holub said the mainly Filipino crew members were anxious and stressed following the incident. A team of chaplains said mass and conducted a blessing onboard to comfort affected crew.

TUC alert on tribunal fees

MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD

been a ‘huge victory for Britain’s A worst bosses’, according to a new Employment tribunal fees have

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

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Global Marine PAW meeting F

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr is pictured with members attending the Global Marine Services Partnership at Work meeting last month. Issues on the agenda included business performance, potential newbuilds, the update of the employee handbook, rotation systems, call-back, performance reviews, and plans for an anti

bullying and harassment initiative, based on the training developed by Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping. The meeting also discussed the subject of onboard internet access. The company says it recognises the importance of the issue, and members are being encouraged to submit feedback via the employee survey or to their PAW delegates.

TUC report into the number of claims which have been taken since the new fees came into effect. The What Price Justice? report shows that since the introduction of fees in July 2013 there has been a 79% fall in claims taken to tribunals and adds that many people are being put off making a claim because the cost is often more than the sum of their outstanding wages. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the figures highlighted the importance of union membership. ‘If Nautilus members have an industrial tribunal claim which is supported by the Union, then we will pay all the fees. This means that cost is no barrier to justice for our members.’

PNTL offer is rejected Partnership at Work committee F members are pictured at the pay Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd

review meeting held with Serco in Barrow last month. Left to right: chief officer Jon Rawlinson; chief engineer Alistair (Wilbur) Wilson; chief engineer Rob Newsham; second engineer Peter Bell; chief officer David

Elliott; second officer John Anderson; Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech. A pay offer was made by management at the meeting, but was rejected by the PAW delegates and further talks are to be arranged. The Union is seeking an inflation-plus increase.

20/08/2014 18:37

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Rotation talks at Princess

shortreports

Jonathan Havard, left, with members onboard the Coral Princess

‘Positive’ feedback from ship visits

Nautilus International has held the first in a series of ship visits to meet officers serving with Fleet Maritime Services in the Princess Cruises fleet. National scretary Jonathan Havard held discussions with members onboard seven P&O Cruises Australia and Princess Cruise Lines ships over a five-day programme in Alaska last month. ‘It was very enjoyable having the opportunity to meet so many members whose ships don’t visit the UK,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘Almost every member I spoke to was incredibly positive about their job and the role of the Union.’ As well as meeting current members to discuss various issues, Mr Havard recruited a number of new members — including those on their first trip with Princess and officers who will be part of the bargaining unit from next year. From 1 January 2015 security officers, environmental officers, hotel services engineers and ventilation officers will all be included in the Nautilus collective bargaining agreement with the company. Although they join the agreement two-thirds of the way through a three-year deal they will become entitled to more benefits, including guaranteed sick pay. Issues discussed at the meetings included the principle of ‘pipeline officers’ who are paid more to be available to act up into higher ranks, the cadet programme under which the company has committed to having 80% of officers recruited from its own training scheme, and requests for itemised payslips. Some members raised issues around ETO certification and they were advised to contact the company’s HR department who will be able to assist. There were also discussions on security officers receiving a third stripe, and Mr Havard confirmed

that he is confident that this will happen, although the company is yet to formally confirm. Work and leave ratios were clarified, with the suggested move to a standard 90/60 rotation (with the probable exception of security officers who will remain on 120/60 or ideally be offered the choice of rotation). Just before the visits the Union and the company produced a joint statement to allay members’ fears: ‘A combination of attendance on courses, travel days, handovers and extended tours of duty, for example, will provide for close to the current days most officers are working; around 240 days’ work per annum. Also, any officer wishing to increase his/her days worked per year should contact the HR department in Southampton with a view to potentially covering short-term vacancies, project work, etc.’ A Nautilus consultation on the proposed change will be taking place in the coming months. There will also be further discussions with members on whether to form a Partnership at Work committee within the company. Members discussed their aspirations for the pay review when the current deal expires in January 2016. These included moving to salaried pay and receiving loyalty bonuses and share options. As part of the discussions Mr Havard confirmed that equalisation of pay scales took place on 1 August, meaning that all nationalities are paid the same rates. He clarified that benefits may differ, but the company was demonstrating its commitment to not employing cheaper labour to undercut British officers. Mr Havard will visit more ships in Australia later this year. Between 16 and 20 December he will be visiting Sun Princess, Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel in Sydney and Sea Princess and Pacific Dawn in Brisbane.

Talks over FMS claim F

Nautilus industrial organiser Paul Schroder conducted a fresh round of ship visits last month with officers employed by Fleet Management Services and serving on Cunard and P&O vessels. Mr Schroder updated members on the pay and conditions review and also attended a Partnership at Work meeting. Following the visits, he presented members’ aspirations for an above-RPI increase to a meeting with employers in Southampton. Nautilus is also seeking a reduction in the high costs for

04-05_at work.indd 5

members using phones and internet onboard. The Union is also urging management to explore the feasibility of working towards shorter tours of duty with no loss of pay, as well as improving the overall employee benefits package. Mr Schroder will attend another PAW meeting on 1 September and will meet with the employer on 8 September to continue discussions on the claim. He is also set to meet members onboard Queen Mary on 5 September and on Adonia and Ventura on 16 October.

...and onboard the Island Princess

..and onboard Golden Princess

MAERSK PAY: a three-year pay deal has been imposed for members employed by Maersk Offshore Bermuda and Guernsey and serving onboard container vessels. The offer included a 1.6% increase in pay from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2015, a 0.4% increase to extend the pay review date by three months, a 1.7% increase for 2015 and 1.8% for 2016. National secretary Steve Doran confirmed that while he did not have a mandate from members to accept the deal, he did not believe there was scope to campaign for an improved offer and the employer was therefore expected to impose it. NORTHLINK TALKS: Nautilus International officials have met Serco Northlink Ferries representatives to discuss members’ aspirations for the 2014 pay and conditions review. The claim includes an above-inflation pay rise, justified by the continued loyal service provided by members against a backdrop of an ever-increasing workload. The Union is now waiting for a formal response to the claim and is also engaging in a review of current documentation to agree a new Seafarers Employment Agreement, terms and conditions, schedule of employment, employee handbook and a collective bargaining agreement. PAY CALL: the TUC has repeated its call that ‘Britain needs a pay rise’ following the Bank of England’s quarterly inflation report, which stated that the economic recovery is on track but pay growth is ‘remarkably weak’. The Bank has halved its forecast for average wage growth, and now expects average salaries to rise by 1.25% this year. SUPPORTING INFORMATION: industrial organiser Paul Schroder confirmed that he is still awaiting a response from P&O Maritime Services on behalf of members serving onboard European Supporter. Members rejected the company’s pay freeze in May and Mr Schroder is awaiting a response to a further meeting.

...and onboard Crown Princess

TRINITY AGREE: members employed by Trinity House have accepted the company’s pay and conditions offer. The offer includes a consolidated pay increase of 1%, a one-off non-consolidated payment of 2% and gym membership for those serving onboard the Alert to bring them into line with other vessels with onboard gyms. ROYAL ACCEPTANCE: members employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving onboard Prince Madog have voted to accept the company’s offer of a 1.5% increase in pay. The increase will be backdated to 1 April. NERC WORK: a joint union meeting was due to take place as the Telegraph went to press on behalf of members employed by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to discuss the pay and conditions claim.

Paul Schroder with members onboard Oriana

...and onboard Oceana

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

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

Q Braids Q Work Wear Q Tropical Wear Q Cadet Uniforms Q Officers Uniforms ...and onboard Aurora

20/08/2014 18:37

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

Pay settlement for BPOS crews

WINDFARM COLLISION: a wind farm support vessel leaked a small amount of marine gas oil following a collision with a wind turbine pile off Barrow-in-Furness, UK, last month. The Danish-flagged OMS Pollux had a crew of 18 onboard when an anchor cable broke. There were no reported casualties. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s counter pollution team confirmed that the leak was not serious and would evaporate or disperse naturally. BIBBY CONTRACTS: Bibby Ship Management has secured two new contracts to take over the management of the platform supply vessels Ocean Turquoise 1 and another vessel which is being finalised. Bibby Ship Management Singapore has also been appointed as the technical and crewing managers for the OSX 2, an FPSO vessel, working in conjunction with overall project managers Tecnomar & Associates. GULF CONSULT: members employed by Gulf Offshore have been consulted on the company’s offer of a 3.1% increase in pay and 1% on experience increments. The offer also included an increase in the safety bonus scheme, changes to compensation for delays, and a number of communications initiatives. Results will be known early this month. SEALION SUGGESTIONS: members employed by Seahorse Maritime and serving onboard Sealion vessels are being asked to submit their aspirations for the 2014 pay review. The review date is 1 December and members are asked to provide any details of increases in officers’ workload and responsibilities or other factors to support the claim. MAERSK ORDERS: Maersk Supply Service has ordered four 8,000dwt subsea supply vessels, with an option for two more, in a deal worth at least $470m with the Cosco (Dalian) Shipyard in China. Maersk said the orders were a step forward in a programme to reshape the fleet to focus primarily on AHTS and subsea support vessels. VROON ADDITIONS: Norway’s Ulstein Group has entered into an agreement with the Cosco (Guang Dong) Shipyard to build a further two Ulstein PX121 design platform support vessels for Vroon Offshore Services. The first of what will now be a total of six vessels in the series, VOS Pace, was launched on 30 June. HAVILA OFFER: Nautilus members serving with Havila Marine (Guernsey) are being consulted on a 3% pay offer. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne said the package was the best that could be achieved through negotiation, and members are being recommended to accept it. Results will be known early this month. TECHNIP ADDITION: North Sea Atlantic, the latest new subsea construction vessel for the Technip fleet, has been named at the NorYards BMV AS shipyard in Norway. The advanced DP class 3 vessel will work in the UK North Sea after completing initial projects in the Norwegian sector.

Carr is pictured meeting with A members employed by Seacor Marine

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa

and serving onboard BPOS vessels during this year’s pay and conditions negotiations. Consultations on the offer made by management have resulted in the acceptance of a package which gives a 4% increase in pay for masters and chief engineers and 2.75% for all other ranks, backdated to 1 June.

‘There’s much more to come’ Official North Sea revenue estimates ‘far too pessimistic’

Official forecasts of future oil and gas output from the North Sea are ‘incredibly pessimistic’ and have grossly under-estimated potential revenue from the sector, a new report has claimed. The study, published by the independent business organisation N-56 last month, suggests that revenues from the North Sea could be six times higher than predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) . In July, the OBR estimated that revenues would amount to £61.6bn in the 27 years from now to 2041, down from an earlier forecast of £82.2bn. But the N-56 report says that the figure could reach as much as £365bn as long as a series of recommendations are implemented. These include the establishment of a more competitive tax regime for the North Sea, with incentives to boost production and revitalise exploration, as well as investment to prolong the life of existing infrastructure. It also argues that all people responsible for making decisions around taxation and regulation within the industry should move to Aberdeen regardless of whether

Scotland votes for independence. The report also suggests introducing an oil fund to ensure ﬁscal stability. Commenting on the report, Graeme Blackett of BiGGAR Economics said: ‘Since 1970 over £1 trillion in oil and gas revenues have been produced by the North Sea and at least as much value remains to be produced as already has been, presenting a tremendous opportunity for the sector and for Scotland’s public ﬁnances.’ The report coincided with an announcement that the Scottish government is to team up with industry and academics to examine the potential for oil and gas discoveries to the west of Scotland. A workshop on the subject will be co-hosted by the Scottish government and Heriot-Watt University later this year. Areas to be examined include the Solway Firth, the Sea of the Hebrides, the Firth of Clyde and the North Channel. They will also discuss the need for new research to help stimulate exploration. More than 3,000 exploration wells have been drilled in the North Sea and west of Shetland, but only around 20 have been drilled to the west of the Scottish

mainland. Scotland’s energy minister Fergus Ewing said: ‘Stimulating oil and gas activity to the west of Scotland could create employment and further increase the longevity of the industry in the country,’ An oil field due to begin production east of Shetland could produce oil until 2050, it was claimed last month. Xcite Energy said that its Bentley find — one of the North Sea’s largest untapped resources — could produce more than 300m barrels of oil over 35 years. The firm plans to use enhanced oil recovery techniques in the hope of tapping possible reserves of up to 317m barrels. However, optimism about the future has been tempered by a report from the business advisory firm Deloitte, which found that UKCS exploration and appraisal drilling has been declining recently, with only seven E&A wells drilled in the second quarter of 2014, down from 17 in the equivalent period in 2013, and 12 in the first quarter of 2014. Deloitte pointed out that the cost of extracting a barrel of oil from the North Sea is now five times more than it was in 2001.

MCA alert over FRC painters Agency (MCA) has issued a F special safety alert following a series

The UK Maritime & Coastguard

of incidents in which human error or mechanical failure has caused the premature release of fast rescue craft painter lines. In one case, involving the routine recovery of the FRC, the boat partially capsized and crew members were tipped into the water when the painter became detached from the bow of the FRC. The MCA says that the manufacturer has already identified and contacted ship operators who have been supplied with FRC fitted with the ‘problematic’ painter release mechanism. However, it recommends that all operators and masters should ensure that the painter release system on the FRC is inspected and that checks are made to ensure that: there is no excessive play in the local release handle; the release handle, when opened, returns to fully upright and secure position and that the spring mechanism is not loose; the painter line length is correctly adjusted to ensure the FRC lifting frame sits directly under the davit wire and the hook; and the boat’s crew understand the correct use of the painter. ‘As the painter performs a critical role in maintaining the position and directional stability of the FRC during launch and recovery, it needs to be fit for purpose and only released when activated by the crew of the FRC as part of their practised launch or recovery procedure,’ the MCA adds.

Shell cuts to hit 250 jobs in North Sea its North Sea operations F by the end of the year as part of a

Shell is to shed 250 jobs from

with Captain Gary Corbett, chief mate Leslie A McCalmont, third officer Samuel Colling, and trainee

Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech is pictured

officer Anthony Kennedy during a visit to the 3,052gt Farstad platform support vessel Far Service in Aberdeen. A majority of members serving with Farstad

06_offshore.indd 6

(Singapore) have voted to accept an improved ‘full and final’ pay and conditions offer from the company. Under the deal, salaries will be increased by 3%. Members had previously rejected a 2.75% offer in a 69% to 31% vote, and the next pay review will be due on 1 April 2015.

business restructuring, the company announced last month. The company — which produces around 12% of UK oil and gas — said it was reorganising the upstream onshore to ‘better serve the needs of its offshore facilities and to build a stronger long-term business in the North Sea.’ Shell employs around 4,500 staff at its upstream operations in Scotland, as well as an some 1,000 service contractors. Its announcement follows a similar move by Chevron, which announced in June that it would cut around 225 jobs in its North Sea operations.

20/08/2014 18:15

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Condor charter A

Pictured left is the Frenchflagged freight ferry MN Toucan, which was chartered by Condor Ferries to help provide cover alongside the Seatruck Ferries vessel Arrow while the Commodore Clipper underwent repairs in Falmouth following a grounding incident in July. The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is examining the circumstances in which the Bahamasflagged Commodore Clipper struck the seabed in the waters off Guernsey, resulting in extensive hull damage.

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

‘Don’t cut Herald safety measures’ Nautilus hits out at government plans to scrap four ro-ro safety regulations

Nautilus has condemned UK government plans to revoke four shipping safety regulations introduced in response to recommendations made by the formal investigation into the 1987 Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster. In its response to a public consultation on the proposals, the Union accused the government of putting costs before safety in its ‘repugnant’ plan to scrap the requirements for ro-ro passengerships to be ﬁtted with on-deck emergency equipment lockers containing axes, crowbars, lifting gear and ladders. Nautilus argues that the proposals are being ‘driven by deregulatory dogma’ and that it is wholly unacceptable to consider removing equipment which could help to save lives in an emergency. The Union says the plans have been built on a ‘dangerously complacent’ assumption that the root

causes of the Herald disaster have been addressed by subsequent safety measures. Emergency equipment lockers are in fact more important than ever because of the increasing size of ferries, it points out. ‘The importance of such equipment — or the lack of it — was demonstrated in the recent Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea,’ it adds. ‘The need for such equipment will continue for as long as circumstances can be envisaged in which it would be of use, and leaving the decision to ports and shipping companies — and ultimately to commercial pressures — is an abrogation of government responsibility,’ Nautilus argued. The government’s consultation papers suggested that the emergency equipment could be helicoptered to a ship in distress if needed. ‘This option — with the inherent delays and potential problems arising from such circumstances as fog, ﬁre or other

operational limitations — seems a remarkably poor alternative to having the equipment onboard and readily available,’ the Union added. Nautilus said the government has failed to produce any evidence to justify the removal of the regulations as part of its Red Tape Challenge to get rid of ‘unnecessary’ legislation. The Union also warns against the proposed scrapping of an associated requirement for goods vehicles and items of cargo over 7.5 tonnes to be weighed in ports before loading. ‘The consultation documents produce no sustainable arguments to support the case for the revocation of the weighbridge requirements, other than that of reducing costs,’ it says. ‘The extensive evidence demonstrating the scale of mis-declaration of container weights provides a powerful reason for opposing the proposed revocation.’

‘These essential measures are an integral part of a safety package drawn up in response to the Herald disaster and we must continue to learn from such accidents,’ Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson pointed out. ‘We believe these proposals have been driven by commercial pressures and by those who have little regard for the lessons of history.’ General secretary Mark Dickinson added: ‘The government is embarking on a dangerous course if it is seeking to remove safety rules on the grounds that they impose ‘additional requirements’ for UK ships and other vessels operating in UK waters. ‘We should be proud of high safety standards and a commitment to quality operations, and should be leading at the IMO and within the EU to raise others to that level rather than seeking to recklessly reduce to global minimums,’ he added.

agreements to continue A operating its Tilbury-Zeebrugge

ro-ros Norstream and Norsky, above. Charter arrangements for the two ships, owned by the Finnish firm Bore, have been extended beyond

the current agreement expiry date of December 2014 and P&O has also extended its contract with the Port of Tilbury.

Windy welcome Company has welcomed a F decision to drop controversial plans The Isle of Man Steam Packet

for a massive new windfarm in the Irish Sea. The ferry operator had warned that the 440-turbine Celtic Array development 12 miles NE of Anglesey would create a ‘wall of windfarms’ threatening viable adverse weather routes and potentially resulting in ‘a serious negative socio-economic impact’ for the Isle of Man.

P&O Ferries has secured

service with the Dutch-flagged

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

Maersk trials take spare parts to a new dimension has begun trialling 3D printers A onboard its tankers as a way of Maersk has confirmed that it

providing engineers with spare parts quickly and cheaply. The US Navy began testing 3D printing onboard the USS Essex last year and now Maersk has started similar trials using ABS thermoplastics to produce plastic spare parts. The company claims that eventually the new technology will save time and money when small parts break at sea. 3D printers use laser beams to melt down a raw material, building up the product layer upon layer. The printers can create and produce complex, lightweight parts at a fraction of the usual time and cost. Although the current trials only use plastic printers, it is thought that the technology could soon extend to powdered metal to produce metal parts. Maersk confirmed that the current trials will include safety tests to ensure the parts printed are as good as those provided centrally. ‘The idea is that we send the blueprint to the crew onboard the tanker, they will push “print” and in a matter of hours they get the part,’ explained Märtha Josefine Rehnberg, a category manager at Maersk Procurement.

‘Today you can print very complex parts you never imagined could be printed before. All you need is the 3D blueprint. Engineers can be sitting at a desk in Copenhagen, get a call from a ship half-way around the world, send a simple STL file to a computer onboard that ship, and within a few hours a replacement part can be printed out and installed on the vessel.’ A plastic 3D printer currently costs around $25,000, but Maersk believes there are cost savings to be made as it can cost the company up to $5,000 to get one replacement part onboard. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson warned that 3D technology could be yet another area where regulations struggle to keep up with new technology. ‘As shipping companies begin investigating the use of 3D printers, the industry needs to start thinking about the implications,’ he said. ‘How do we ensure that the parts printed onboard comply with the same safety standards as those produced by manufacturers? Is there a risk of complex machinery being replaced with cheap plastic alternatives?’ g A video of Maersk explaining the new technology is available at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vM6pzeDHnng

Cruise companies face US call to act on crime reports new calls to improve the way in A which they handle onboard crime and

Cruiseship companies are facing

other passenger-related safety and security issues. The chairman of the US Senate’s transportation committee, Senator Jay Rockefeller, has accused operators of ‘stonewalling’ on the issues and of sometimes treating passengers with ‘shocking callousness and disregard’. The committee is seeking to introduce new legislation to improve the reporting of crime onboard. The Cruise Passenger Protection Act would also give federal transportation officials the authority to investigate complaints, and require ships to enact tougher onboard security standards. Mr Rockefeller complained that companies had failed to deliver after promising the committee in March 2012 that action would be being taken after ‘several very troubling safety incidents’ occurred on cruiseships. ‘It has been 16 months since that hearing, and I have not seen much evidence that things have changed,’

he added. ‘Since that hearing, since those empty promises, serious incidents continue to plague cruise ships. This conduct should make us all angry. ‘If the industry is seriously working to improve the safety and security of its ships, why have we witnessed so many serious incidents in the last 16 months?’ he asked. ‘Is the industry really trying to adopt a culture of safety? Or are these safety reviews and temporary investments a cynical effort to counter bad publicity?’ Following the committee’s hearings, the Cruise Lines International Association defended the industry’s record and said that nearly 70% of passengers are repeat cruisers and more than 90% are satisfied with their experience. ‘By any measure, cruising is very safe,’ it added. ‘The allegations made at the hearing do not represent the experiences of more than 22m people every year that enjoy exceptional vacation value and a lifetime of positive memories.’

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

07_news.indd 7

20/08/2014 17:13

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Monaco is planning big show

France gets tough on speeding craft crew have been warned over H a crackdown on tender and jetski Superyacht captains and

operations by the French authorities in the wake of a fatal accident near St Tropez. Captains could face big fines or even prison sentences if they are found guilty when passengers and crew from their yachts are involved in accidents or caught speeding. Authorities in the South of France have warned that captains can be held liable for any breaches of the law arising from the operation of jetskis and tenders belonging to their vessel — even if they are not personally involved in the incident. They have urged captains to fully brief their passengers and crew about

the regulations and the speed limits in different areas, as well as properly instructing them in how to safely operate tenders and jetskis. The offences carry fines of up to €30,000 and up to six months imprisonment. Some authorities have already imposed fines of up to €1,000 in speeding cases this summer, and captains have been issued with formal warnings. If caught a second time, they could be banned from French waters for a year. The regulations can be complex and vary between different areas. In Cannes, for instance, limits of 10 knots, 5 knots and 3 knots are in place for all vessels and motorised craft, depending on which zone they are operating in.

by Michael Howorth

Yacht gets a new name in Amels refit Islands-registered yacht C Volpini, which has returned to the

Pictured above is the Cayman

Yacht hotel in London hotel’ has opened at the Royal H Victoria Dock, next to the city’s largest London’s first ‘superyacht

exhibition centre, ExCeL. Built in Finland, the four star 102m Sunborn London has 136 guest rooms — including four suites — spread over five decks, costing between £140 and £850 a night. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, auditorium and conference rooms, gym, and extensive outside decks and private terraces. The company — which has also opened a similar facility in Gibraltar and is planning another in

Barcelona — says the floating hotel concept is ideal for sites of sensitive environmental or heritage status. ‘There are significant financial benefits in being able to build where there is no available land, particularly when a waterfront location is next to high-value commercial real estate,’ it added. ‘Floating hotels can be easily relocated and they offer the security of a hotel investment that can be moved for economic reasons or where a location has become politically unstable.’

Film contest for crews film-making have the chance to H win up to US$1,000 in the annual Fort

Superyacht crew with a talent for

Yachtie Da International Film Festival. The competition, run by the agency Crew Unlimited, invites crew to submit short videos no more than five minutes in length, with prizes in seven different categories, such as production quality, yachtie lifestyle,

best original screenplay, comedy and action. The video judged to be the best overall wins $1,000 cash and a $500 travel voucher. The entry deadline is 1 October and the award ceremony will be held in Fort Lauderdale on 15 November. g Further information: http://fortyachtieda.com

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+ads_x2.indd 8

Mediterranean after an extensive refit at the Dutch shipyard Amels. Originally built at Larissa and delivered by the yard in 2004, the 659gt yacht has been re-named and extensively refurbished — including a full repaint, interior customisation,

and machinery and electronics upgrades, as well as a 10-year class survey. Owner representative Ben Young of SYM oversaw the project. ‘After months of consultations with leading designers and a review of proposals from refit yards around the world, the decision was taken to return the yacht to Holland and back

into the hands of the original build team,’ he explained. ‘We wanted it to look seamless, so you don’t notice it’s had the refit. The team did a fantastic job.’ Captain Nathan McFadyen, Volpini’s master, added: ‘The owner wanted it to look exactly as it looked 10 years ago when it was brought out. The results are fantastic.’

Sector shows recovery signs Reports reveal increases in superyacht sales and orders

The superyacht industry is showing the first signs of full recovery since the global financial crisis. The sector had been slower than others to recover, but sales in the last 18 months have shown that the super-rich are buying again. According to Boat International Media, superyacht sales in the first half of 2014 totalled 221 — an increase of around one-third from the same period in 2013 and up 66% from the slump in 2009. Separate figures show the newbuild market is picking up. According to Superyacht Intelligence, 360 yachts are being built this year, although that is still well below the 2008 peak when the order book reached 587 yachts.

Figures also released last month show that the UK superyacht market is improving. The British Marine Federation (BMF) industry report estimates that spend in 2012/13 totalled £6.2bn, and the total boating industry was responsible for 141,000 fulltime jobs and more than £5.3bn of gross value added to the UK economy. The BMF’s Industry Trends report also shows that the sector is healthier than a year ago, with nearly half of respondents to their survey reporting an increase in overall marine business in the last six months and proﬁt levels returning to pre-recession levels. The report states that the superyacht and small commercial sectors, are both perform-

ing ahead of the leisure sector overall, with the most signiﬁcant improvement being seen in the reﬁt markets. BMF said prospects for the sector appear positive, with 83% of members completing the survey stating the future looks ‘OK’ or ‘excellent/good’. ‘We’ve seen the sector experience two consecutive years of positive growth,’ said Howard Pridding, chief executive of the BMF. ‘This progress and positivity for the industry was evident at our annual conference in Liverpool which had the theme of growth,’ he added. ‘Many members came together to share best practice and discuss ways to develop both businesses and the industry.’

This month’s annual Monaco Yacht Show will be the biggest ever, featuring around 115 yachts and some 30 luxury tenders and an extended exhibition that will host suppliers to the industry. The extension reflects the increasing demand for exhibiting bigger yachts in the port of Monte Carlo, which can now accommodate superyachts up to 100m. Around 40 of the yachts on show will be unveiled to the public for the first time and notable vessels include the 85m Solandge, delivered last October by Lürssen, and Como, a new 46m yacht by Feadship. The show organisers will also host yacht captains and crew in an exclusive lounge for the four days of the show. Gaëlle Tallarida, the show’s managing director, commented: ‘We know a few crew facilities around the show already exist, but our main concern was to really welcome those men and women who are the heart and soul of a yacht.’

New owner for Camper & Nicholsons by Michael Howorth

Camper & Nicholsons has H been sold after its parent firm, the The yacht brokerage firm

French Rodriguez Group, was partially liquidated last month. The group had been placed in receivership in January and its principal subsidiary, SNP Boat Service, was completely liquidated following a judgement by the Commercial Court Cannes. Reports suggest that Camper & Nicholsons, whose services include yacht and crew management, has been taken over by the Swiss group Colosseum Services for €1m. The Gerard Rodriguez shipyard in Golfe Juan was also sold as a ‘going concern’. Camper & Nicholsons, which can trace its history back to 1782, has had a series of different owners, and the Rodriguez Group purchased the company in 2001. However, the Group had posted a net loss over the past five years and was fighting two separate tax demands from the French government totalling a similar amount of around €17m.

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

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

20/08/2014 15:29

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

New call for facts on loss Panama pressed to publish results of Danny F II probe

Nautilus International has appealed to the new head of the Panamanian ship registry to publish the results of the investigation into the loss of the livestock carrier Danny F II in 2009. In a letter to Panama’s Maritime Administration (AMP) chief Jorge Barakat, the Union says that promises to give copies of the report to relatives of the 44 seafarers who died on the ship — including two Nautilus members — have not been met. Although a copy of the report was lodged with the International Maritime Organisation last year, it is still not possible to read it or download it via the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) database. General secretary Mark Dickinson said he was extremely frustrated that the world’s largest ship registry was acting in such a way. ‘The attempts to impede disclosure and transparency are not only against the spirit of accident investigation and seeking to learn lessons from losses, but are morally objectionable,’ he added.

Mr Dickinson said he welcomed reports that the new AMP chief had promised to strengthen the Panamanian registry and to provide it with the ‘necessary human resources to support its technical operations and relations with its stakeholders’ and he hoped that this would include a new approach to accident investigation. Mr Dickinson said Panama’s failure to make the report freely available conﬂicted with International Maritime Organisation principles, and he has written to IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu calling for the UN agency to support the calls for its publication. Effective implementation of IMO conventions will be the theme for this year’s World Maritime Day on 25 September, he added, and he hoped that the event would pay special attention to ﬂag states’ SOLAS Convention responsibilities to submit maritime casualty reports to the IMO. Speaking on behalf of the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations at the sub-

committee on implementation of IMO instruments last month, Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson called for the Danny F II report to be considered by the Organisation’s maritime safety committee. The Australian delegation to the meeting noted that the report had concluded that the absence of international standards did not contribute to the ship’s loss. ‘We agree with this summation, but would note the report does not draw any conclusions as to whether compliance with such standards may have aided in the prevention of the loss,’ they added. The IMO meeting heard that the Danny F II was not permitted to carry livestock from Australia because it could not comply with the country’s standards for livestock carriers, which cover issues including systems for the provision of feed and water, drainage and sirage — and require that they should operate without compromising the load line requirements, stability requirements speciﬁc to livestock carriers.

New tug is deployed in Immingham Immingham-based tug A Yorkshireman, which was formally Pictured left is the new

named at Hull’s Albert Dock last month. Built in Turkey to a classic Canadian design, which was used for the sisterships Masterman, Scotsman and Statesman, the £3.5m SMS Towage vessel has a 50-tonne bollard pull rating, giving the capability to handle bulk carriers and tankers in excess of 170,000dwt. The 25m Yorkshireman is equipped with Caterpillar main engines, RollsRoyce stern drive units and Perkins auxiliary engines.

Top marks for Fleetwood pioneers pictured above, have all H graduated with distinctions on the

A pioneering class of students,

first foundation degree in marine engineering run by Fleetwood Nautical Campus. The 15 officer trainees, who began their studies in 2011, have all achieved the highest mark possible after their three years of studies,

which ran alongside a programme of classes and seatime to obtain their first engineer OOW certificate. Bradley Hogg, curriculum manager at Blackpool & the Fylde College, said lecturers were delighted with the results. ‘Not only did they achieve a pass but the entire group has been awarded distinctions by one of the

Master facing jail on alcohol charge

top universities in the UK,’ he pointed out. ‘I am pleased to say that our newly qualified graduates have already begun to take employment within the maritime industry, which will see them working all around the world and preparing themselves for future progression to managerial positions within the industry.’

Owners urge harmony on sulphur rules port state control authorities F to ensure a harmonised approach Shipowners have called on

The master of a flag of convenience general cargoship has been warned that he faces a prison sentence after being found almost four times over the alcohol limit while in command of his vessel in UK waters. Captain Andrejs Borodins was arrested following a tip-off by a Dundee pilot who had arrived onboard the Bahamas-flagged Frifjord in the river Tay while sailing from Kristiansund in Norway to Canada. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that the pilot had found the master to be unsteady on his feet, incoherent and unable to steer the vessel under his direction. He had to call the chief officer to assist while the master went back to his cabin to sleep. Prosecutors said a breath test had shown Capt Borodins, a Latvian national, with a reading of 137mg in 100ml of breath — compared with the legal limit of 35mg — and the court heard that he could have caused an ‘economic or ecological disaster’ or risked the lives of his crew. Capt Borodins pleaded guilty on

indictment to a charge under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing later in the month. Defence solicitor John Kydd said the master was thoroughly ashamed of his conduct, after having served at sea for 25 years and having been promoted to captain in last year. Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence to enable social work background reports to be produced. He warned Capt Borodins: ‘This is a very serious offence and a sentence of imprisonment is a real possibility — indeed it is a probability.’ z A fishing boat skipper was ordered to pay a total of £3,600 last month after being found guilty of failing to keep a proper lookout before he collided with another vessel. Newcastle magistrates court heard that Darren Senior of Whitley Bay was operating his boat on autopilot while he worked at the stern before his vessel collided with another fishing boat about six miles east of the entrance to the River Tyne.

to inspections before the 1 January 2015 introduction of strict sulphur emission rules. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said it is concerned that many governments are not ready to implement the requirements in a uniform manner and it has fears of ‘potentially serious market distortion’ arising from uneven enforcement of the rules. ICS wants port state control authorities in Europe and North America to clarify the inspection and analysis procedures when noncompliance is suspected. It is also seeking assurances over the way in which ships will be treated in the case of minor technical violations, such as those arising from fuel switching when a vessel enters an ECA. It also wants clarity on alternative compliance measures such as scrubbers or LNG, and the extent to which overboard discharges will be subject to inspection.

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

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09_news.indd 9

20/08/2014 17:53

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

NEWS

Cautions voiced at fall in global piracy Half-year figures show decline in attacks, but signs of worrying new trends

Port workers protest over Israeli attacks Molloy is pictured visiting the A 14,278gt containership Charlotte

Nautilus/ITF inspector Tommy

Borchard in the port of Liverpool last month, where he delivered a letter protesting about the vessel owner’s trading links with Israel. The letter, written by the Unite union on behalf of port workers in Liverpool, noted that Borchard Lines and Germany-based Köpping Reederei regularly trade to Israel and it expressed outrage at the recent Israeli attacks on UN schools in Gaza where families were sheltering after leaving their homes. It warned about the potential impact that ‘these crimes against humanity’ could have on companies trading between Israeli and European ports.

‘I had other business on the vessel, and was happy to deliver the letter to the master on behalf of Unite,’ said Mr Molloy. ‘The ITF is in the midst of providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Regardless of which side you might take politically, most people are appalled by what we are reading and seeing daily on our TV screens and many feel powerless to affect the situation. ‘But of course that is not the case. You only have to look back at the trade boycotts against the apartheid regime in South Africa to know that collectively we can effect change,’ he pointed out. ‘Liverpool port workers are asking this and other companies to remind the Israeli government of that fact and I am sure port workers right across Europe feel the same.’

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10-11_news.indd 10

A fresh fall in the number of pirate attacks worldwide has been reported by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) — but the organisation has highlighted a ‘worrying trend’ of small tanker hijacks. And last month a maritime security ﬁrm warned that an attempted hijacking of a product tanker some 200nm off the coast of Nigeria could be a ‘gamechanger’ in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region. The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre half-year report showed that there had been 116 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the ﬁrst six months of 2014, down from 138 incidents over the same period last year.

During the first half of 2014, 10 vessels were hijacked, seven fired upon, 78 boarded and 21 reported attempted attacks. Some 200 seafarers were taken hostage, five kidnapped from their vessels and there were two fatalities, the report notes. The IMB said it was disturbed that there had been at least six known cases of coastal tankers being hijacked for their cargoes of diesel or gas oil in SE Asia since April this year. ‘The recent increase in the number of successful hijackings is a cause for concern,’ said IMB director Pottengal Mukundan. ‘These serious attacks have so far targeted small coastal tankers. We advise these vessels to maintain strict anti-piracy

measures in these waters, and to report all attacks and suspicious approaches by small craft.’ Indonesia was the biggest problem area, accounting for 47 of the reported incidents in the first half of the year. There were 10 incidents off Somalia over the same period, including three cases in which ships were fired at. A total of 23 incidents were reported off West Africa, 10 in Nigeria. Four vessels were hijacked, including a product tanker taken off Ghana in early June and under the control of suspected Nigerian pirates for a week. The security firm Dryad Maritime said an attempted attack on a product tanker 200nm south of Nigeria last month was a sign of a worrying change in tactics

by pirates in the area. During the incident, pirates on three boats — suspected to be operating from a nearby mothership — shot at the tanker and attempted to board from the stern. Dryad said the attack was unsuccessful because the ship’s crew were well-prepared and had responded effectively to the threat. However, chief operating ofﬁcer Ian Millen said the attack showed many of the hallmarks of the tactics used by Somali pirates, and it appeared to have been an intelligence-led operation. ‘In terms of pirate capability, this incident may represent a step change in tactics that could, if repeated, be a game changer in Gulf of Guinea piracy,’ he added.

Maritime security firm stops trading profitable private maritime A security company (PMSC) has sparked The collapse of an apparently

fears that rates will plunge and other companies may follow, leaving employees stranded in potentially dangerous locations with unpaid wages owed. UK-based Gulf of Aden Group Transits (GoAGT) abruptly went out of business last month, allegedly owing millions in unpaid salaries. Employees, many of whom were at sea, were informed by email that the company had ceased trading. The company was thought to be making around $1m a month — but following the collapse reports began to immerge of employees being owned thousands in back pay. Security experts also claimed that GoAGT had been unable to secure credit six months ago and the eventual collapse had been inevitable since them. GoAGT operated between 35 and 50 transits a month, and employed more than 230 ex-military and naval personnel, many of whom had to independently find vessels willing to transport them home for free from ports in Djibouti, Mauritius, South Africa and the UAE. Since the news broke, analysts have begun warning other PMSCs that rates are likely to fall and more companies may fold. One analyst —who refused to be named — told IHS Maritime that: ‘The armed guard market has been under a lot of commercial pressure with prices falling dramatically, by 30% this year. Clients are not aware of the pressures that has put on security companies.’ He hinted that it may lead to a lot of ‘disgruntled former soldiers hanging around with weapons’.

Greenpeace ship returns to home port Sunrise is pictured returning A to the Dutch port of Amsterdam last The Greenpeace vessel Arctic

month after more than 300 days in Russian custody. The Dutch-flagged ship had been held in Murmansk since it was seized by the Russian authorities while taking part in a peaceful direct action

against state-owned oil company Gazprom last September, as it tried to drill the world’s first oil well in Arctic waters. Russia announced in June that it was annulling the arrest of the ship and a Greenpeace crew, led by Captain Daniel Rizzoti, spent three weeks onboard making the

ship seaworthy before the voyage home. Greenpeace complained that navigation, communications and safety equipment on the ship had been removed or destroyed during the 10 months under detention, and further repairs are being carried out at a shipyard in Amsterdam. Picture: Marten van Dijl

Seafarers fined for failure to have proper charts onboard of a Hong Kong-flagged bulk F carrier have been fined a total of

The master and second officer

A$125,000 (€86,738) for navigating their ship without the proper charts. Port state control inspectors in Queensland discovered that photocopied charts were being used onboard the Bulk Ingenuity, and there were inappropriate charts in use as the 176,022dwt ship transited the environmentally-sensitive Great Barrier Reef. The ship had been inspected and detained after it had been spotted by the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait VTS inside the northern part of the marine park and outside of the designated shipping area (DSA). Initial

attempts to contact Bulk Ingenuity were unsuccessful and, when communication was established, the ship had travelled nearly 5km outside the DSA. The Chinese master and second officer were arrested and were fined $40,000 and $85,000 respectively for offences under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, of travelling outside of a designated area. Australian Maritime Safety Authority chief executive Mick Kinley warned that a tough line will be taken against other ships failing to comply with navigational safety rules in the region. ‘Australia dedicates considerable resources to maintain rigorous port state control

inspections of the highest standard to protect lives and preserve the marine environment,’ he added. ‘Navigating through marine areas without the appropriate charts is a danger to those onboard vessels and the marine environment.’ The Maritime Union of Australia said the case showed the need for close scrutiny of the foreign ships operating in the country’s waters. National secretary Paddy Crumlin said pressure from unscrupulous shipowners meant corners would often be cut by crews who had little choice but to follow orders — and the risks could increase if the government goes ahead with deregulation of coastal shipping.

20/08/2014 15:30

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

MN’s war role goes on show

Asian service visits the Tyne

carrier Tristan is pictured F arriving in the Port of Tyne making The Swedish-flagged vehicle

P&O Heritage has launched an online exhibition to mark the vital role the Merchant Navy played during the First World War. It is also supporting an exhibition about WW1 hospital ships and troopships, onboard HQS Wellington in London, which opened last month. Both exhibitions feature original artwork, photographs and archives from the P&O Heritage Collection, with the Wellington Trust exhibition also featuring models and film. f The P&O Heritage Collection exhibition can be viewed at: www. poheritage.com and the Hospital & Troop Ships Exhibition is open to the public from 10 August to 15 December 2014 and from 1 March to 25 May 2015 from 1100hrs to 1700hrs at Temple Stairs on the Thames.

the first call in what is hoped may be a regular service linking NE England with Asia. The 51,071gt Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) vessel made the call as part of a regular service from Asia to Zeebrugge and delivered a shipment of construction equipment. Steven Harrison, the port’s chief operating officer, said the ship’s visit was arranged to meet the needs of plant and heavy equipment manufacturers, and the Port of Tyne could be added to the existing WWL Asia to Europe service if such demand continued.

UK crew deaths at 25-year low injuries on UK merchant ships A dropped to the lowest level in 25 years The number of crew deaths and

during 2013, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has revealed. According to the annual MAIB report, a total of 134 seafarers were injured and one died on UK ships last year — compared with 186 injured and three dead in 2012 and 310 injured and four dead in 2004. The most common causes of death and injury last year were slips and falls — accounting for more than 46% of all cases. The most common locations for accidents were on the freeboard deck, vehicle cargo spaces, stairs and ladders and in the engineroom. For the fourth successive year, there were no losses of UK-registered ships over 100gt. The accident rate per 1,000 vessels was 88 during 2012, against an average over the past decade of 93. Last month marked the MAIB’s 25th anniversary, following its launch

in 1989 as a result of the public inquiry into the 1987 Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. Since it was created, the Branch has reported on more than 40,000 marine accidents and incidents, conducted 1,500 investigations, published nearly 500 investigation reports, and made more than 3,000 safety recommendations. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the Union welcomed the work done by the Branch in raising understanding of accident causes and underlying safety issues. Maritime minister John Hayes said the MAIB had ‘done sterling work uncovering and explaining the risks, helping seafarers to ply their trade safely and improve the safety of all those travelling on the water. We can be proud of the MAIB and its investigators for building a worldwide reputation for expertise and professionalism’.

EU cracks down on STCW rules abuse Safety Agency to check on application of seagoing service requirements by Justin Stares

The application of criteria for ‘seagoing service’ under the Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention will be the focus of inspections by the European Maritime Safety Agency, the European Commission has confirmed. EMSA’s focus follows reports of abuse of simulators by certain flag states seeking to accelerate STCW certification approval. The Commission presented EU member states with ‘guidelines’ to assist them in developing criteria for the approval of seagoing

service at a meeting in Brussels last month. The secretive committee on safe seas and the prevention of pollution from ships discussed the ‘seagoing service issue’ as part of a wider debate on a possible revision of the STCW convention. The Commission would not clarify the ‘issue’ at stake, other than to say governments were given a reminder designed to ensure candidates were ‘relevant’. The STCW convention includes the following definition: ‘Seagoing service means service on board a ship relevant to the issue or revalidation of a certificate or other qualification.’ Time spent

working onboard as a cook, for example, is not supposed to count towards STCW certification. Flag states are said to differ in their application of the definition. While the Commission made no mention of any specific problem, one industry source pointed to reports that simulators are being used in some countries to accelerate training. ‘Some countries believe that if they intensify the training, then they are going to double the time counted towards certification,’ said the source. ‘In some countries candidates who attend simulators for 14 days are given the equivalent of one month at

STUDY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WITH US

Union team aids MN Fund members of the team of A Nautilus walkers who battled heat Pictured above are some

exhaustion on the hottest day of the year during a gruelling 24-hour 100km walk for charity along the UK’s oldest path. The 11-strong team — which included Nautilus officials and staff, the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund (MNOPF) executive, and the MNOPF’s legal advisers Baker McKenzie — took part in the 2014 Race to the Stones ‘ultramarathon’ from Chinnor in Oxfordshire to Avebury near Stonehenge. They managed to raise more than £5,500 for the Merchant Navy Fund, which is jointly administered

10-11_news.indd 11

by Seafarers UK and the Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB). Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was immensely proud of what his team-mates had achieved. ‘Most respect to those who finished and those who struggled on despite the aches and pains,’ he added. MNWB chief executive David Parsons, who volunteered as the team driver, added: ‘The team did a magnificent job fundraising for the Merchant Navy Fund and all looked absolutely elated, but really exhausted. They have my greatest admiration and gratitude for all that they achieved.’

sea on the grounds that they work around the clock in the simulator.’ Such an interpretation is, however, not allowed under STCW rules, the source pointed out. Separately, the Commission has over the last year talked of amending the STCW convention so as to be able to de-recognise speciﬁc seafarer training institutes. At present, entire countries have to be recognised or de-recognised. This lack of ﬂexibility came to light as the result of EMSA inspections in the Philippines, where standards among institutes are said to differ dramatically. z Justin Stares is editor of maritimewatch.eu

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20/08/2014 15:30

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

HEALTH & SAFETY

Concerns Hyundai tests collision prevention system over risk F advice for ropes

‘Officers stressed out by alarms’

incident in which a seafarer was A seriously injured by a mooring line

impact of multiple alarms in A emergencies at sea has been raised

A Danish investigation into an

that parted as he passed underneath it has highlighted the risks of ‘contradictory’ shipboard manuals and risk assessments. The able seaman on the 49,955dwt chemical tanker Torm Republican suffered serious injuries when he was struck by the parted spring line while he was carrying out an inspection round in the port of Bilbao. Investigations revealed that the rope — which was due to be replaced in three months’ time — had parted as a result of overload and that its breaking strength may have been reduced by as much as 30% as a result of wear and chafing. The report says other factors which caused the line to part included a 3.5m tidal range, cargo discharge from the forward tanks and a short lead and steep angle of the spring line. The DMAIB said the incident demonstrated ‘the conflicting goals that ship crews encounter and negotiate in their everyday work as well as the interrelations between regulations, procedures, crews’ perception of risk and the reality they meet’. Taken individually, it noted, procedures set out in the shipboard manual and risk assessments offered sound advice — but could often be contradictory when, for example, they told crew to stay clear of lines under tension while also tending to all mooring lines at least once an hour. Marking of snap-back zones ‘can easily lead to more confusion than clarification’, the report adds. ‘When mooring lines break, it is not possible to predict exactly which way they will travel and thus no area near moorings can be considered completely safe,’ it states. The report also warns that the somewhat strict mooring requirements set by some terminals can restrict the master and crew in their decision-making and can prohibit the use of constant tension winches, which may be able to prevent some accidents.

The South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has revealed that it has developed a collision-prevention system which automatically detects potential hazards such as ships and reefs within 50km. The yard says the Hyundai intelligent collision avoidance support system (HiCASS) will provide masters and officers with ‘enhanced accuracy’ when running alongside voyage information systems such as Automatic Radar Plotting Aids (ARPA), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and electronic chart systems. It says HiCASS will help ships to select the optimum sea route by identifying risks based on such factors as ship type, and weather

Hyundai engineers test their collision avoidance support system

and sea conditions and through a notification system for navigators that signals ‘caution’, ‘urgent’

or ‘danger’, depending on its assessment of the hazards ahead. Hyundai said the system’s

analysis of the location of ‘obstacles’ was in compliance with the international collision prevention regulations. The company has recently completed performance tests of the system onboard a 13,800 TEU containership and a 162,000 cu m LNG carrier. It plans to put HiCASS onto the market in 2016 following longer-term sea trials of performance and stability on deepsea services. ‘Our system will play a big role in the safe sailing of the vessels,’ the company added. ‘It will also contribute to the development of an integrated navigation system and a support system, which can make “smart ships” a new growth engine in the local shipbuilding industry.’

Report urges GLAs to think long-term Government review rules out merger of Trinity House and Northern Lights

Nautilus has welcomed the outcome of a UK government review of the British general lighthouse authorities (GLAs), which has concluded that Trinity House and the Northern Lighthouse Board should both continue operating in their current form. The Union was consulted during the review process, which is undertaken every three years to assess whether non-departmental public bodies are operating effectively and efﬁciently. The resulting 43-page report concludes that the services provided by the GLAs are essential — pointing out that both of the organisations have ‘built up a wealth of experience and exper-

tise to support the delivery of their functions’. The review found that Trinity House had cut costs by almost 19% in real terms since 2004/5, and the Northern Lighthouse Board had achieved 16.8% savings over the same period. Further savings and increased effectiveness of policy and service delivery could be gained by merging the two authorities, the review noted, but there was a danger that this could also lead to a loss of staff morale. ‘Merging the GLAs into one organisation could allow for greater standardisation of operations, but might also lead to a loss of local and regional knowledge and the ﬂexibility in delivering

local solutions, which might lead to a reduction in how well the function is delivered across the UK,’ the report adds. The risks associated with a merger would not be sufficiently outweighed by the benefits, it states, ‘particularly when there have been significant steps in realising efficiencies through joint working, and further areas have been identified’. However, the report does call for the two GLAs to continue seeking efficiencies and cost-reductions in the face of a decreasing budget, and to think strategically about their long-term role. ‘Improvements in the technology used in marine aids to navigation will significantly change

what the GLAs need to deliver and how they deliver it,’ it states. ‘The GLAs, alongside DfT, need to be thinking about their longterm role and how that transition should be best managed, both domestically and internationally,’ the report argues. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The competitive but cooperative nature of the existing services has produced signiﬁcant innovation and improvements over recent years. ‘It is important that the lighthouse authorities remain at arm’s length from government so as to ensure the best service for seafarers and the maritime community in general,’ he added.

UK-flagged ship fined for breach of Australian marine pollution laws car carrier Morning Midas, F right, have been fined A$5,000

The owners of the UK-flagged

(€3,479) after being found guilty of breaching Australian marine pollution laws last month. Melbourne magistrates court heard that a mooring line from the 46,800gt ship, managed by Zodiac Maritime Agencies, had been discarded in the vicinity of a pilot boarding station outside Port Phillip Heads, fouling the propellers and stalling both engines of a pilot launch. An investigation by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) found charts linking two GPS locations from the ship’s deck log book with the point at which the pilot launch collided with the 30m-35m rope. Lombard Corporate Finance was

12-13_h+s.indd 12

Fresh concern over the adverse

in a report on a serious fire onboard a ro-ro cargo ferry. The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) report on the blaze onboard the 24,196gt Britannia Seaways in November last year concludes that the fire alarm system provided little or no overview of the emergency situation and, as the number increased, became a burden rather than an aid to the crew. The fire broke out while the Danish International registered ship was sailing between two ports in Norway carrying military vehicles and equipment, tank containers and flatracks, petrol and jet fuel for a military exercise. The ship began rolling by up to 30° in stormy conditions, and three of the tank containers on the forward part of the weather deck began to shift. One loosened from its lashings and damaged some jerry cans. Sparks from containers sliding across the deck ignited fuel leaking from the jerry cans and the fire quickly spread to other cans and containers — with explosions and flames up to 30m high. The fire took around 13 hours to extinguish and the DMAIB report praises the way in which the crew exploited and managed the resources they had to deal with the emergency in adverse circumstances. But the report also notes: ‘Throughout the entire course of events, the bridge team was disturbed and highly stressed by the sound of countless fire alarms, which made it extremely difficult to concentrate.’ The alarms had the effect of increasing the mental and practical workload on the officers, the report points out, and also obstructed their ‘adaptive behaviour’ in responding to the blaze. ‘It takes manpower and concentration to operate and acknowledge alarms, and in this case the multiple alarms were a distraction more than an aid to officers and crew,’ investigators stressed. The DMAIB said the approved cargo securing manual onboard the ship had proved ineffective. The securing and lashing of the cargo had been mainly carried out by military personnel and had been supervised and checked by the crew. However, the manual did not cover some types of cargo and crew members had to rely on their own expertise and experience in securing the cargo with additional lashings. The report notes that DFDS has taken a series of initiatives in response to the incident to ensure that lessons are learned.

Tagging study power wireless tags to help A track and locate people onboard Plans to use ultra-low

found guilty of contravening section 26F (3) of the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 which requires ships to report any pollution or navigational hazards.

AMSA official Alex SchultzAltmann said the area was a focal point of maritime traffic of all shapes and sizes entering or departing Port Phillip Bay. ‘An estimated 3,100 merchant vessels alone visit the port

each year,’ he added. ‘Any danger to navigation posed by pollution such as a discarded mooring line could have catastrophic consequences for the safety of ships and potential environmental harm.’

passengerships are being investigated in a European Union-funded study. The three-year Lynceus project, due to finish early next year, has also developed a radar device which will be able to use the technology to determine the exact location of anyone who has fallen overboard.

20/08/2014 17:14

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

MAIB finds ISM failings at MCA Investigation reveals shortcomings in procedures for following-up audits

Nautilus has raised concerns over an accident investigation report which reveals significant shortcomings in the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s systems for analysing the results of International Safety Management Code audits. The investigation of a fire onboard the UK-flagged general cargoship Celtic Carrier last year found that the ship’s owner, Charles M Willie & Co, had been aware of a number of SMS issues within its fleet. And investigators also identified a number of weaknesses within the MCA’s paper-based system for monitoring its ISM audit activity — with the lack of a national database for ISM Code audits hampering its ability to conduct fleet performance trend analysis and to ensure a consistent approach to auditing was carried out. The fire onboard the 2,565gt Celtic Carrier began when a Polish AB fell asleep in his cabin while holding a lit cigarette. The blaze damaged three crew cabins, and there was heat, smoke and water damage to the majority of the accommodation spaces. Investigators said the AB had been drinking while the vessel was alongside in Gibraltar earlier in the day and this had probably influenced his decision to smoke in bed, contributed to him falling asleep and impaired his ability to wake up and respond to the fire. The report says other crew members were ‘ill-prepared’ to deal with the emergency, and the necessary leadership from the master and chief officer was missing — leading to a ‘confused’ command and control structure onboard.

A fire-damaged cabin onboard the Celtic Carrier Picture: MAIB

‘Substandard fire-fighting techniques resulted in internal doors not being closed and crew members being unnecessarily exposed to the possibility of a backdraught and spontaneous reignition of the fire,’ it points out. The MAIB found ‘omissions and inconsistencies’ in the conduct and recording of emergency drills onboard, and discovered evidence that the records of some emergency drills in the ship’s official log book had been falsified. Investigators said this called into question the validity of other records, as well as demonstrating that a ‘complacent approach to safety existed onboard’ — with the failure to carry out regular and thorough drills posing the potential to put crew’s lives at risk. The ship’s emergency muster list made no provision for a substitute in the event of a crew member being unable to carry out their

duties — which meant no-one was nominated and trained to substitute for the motorman when he was unwilling to don a fireman’s outfit. The MAIB said MCA audits of other UK-flagged Charles Willie vessels had uncovered general crew unfamiliarity with the SMS and regulatory requirements — including unclear and falsified recording of emergency drills and safety equipment maintenance. The report said the company had viewed the results of such audits and inspections as ‘a reflection of the decreasing quality of the crews it was employing in an industry within which it was increasingly difficult to operate and survive economically’. It had responded by taking a ‘micro-management and authoritarian approach’ which meant crew members were not fully involved and engaged with the

safety management process, the report adds. The MAIB said the findings of the ship’s safety management certificate audit had not been treated by the MCA with the concern it deserved — even though the results of SMC audits on other Charles Willie ships had given the Agency ‘sufficient warning of potential underlying issues’. The report recommends the company to take appropriate steps to ensure that its masters and crews understand the potential consequences of failing to undertake emergency drills and falsifying records, as well as reviewing and revising its internal audit processes. It also calls for the MCA to review and — if necessary — adapt its procedures for ISM Code related audits to ensure that shortcomings are consistently documented and followed up. The Agency should also expedite the delivery of a software project to improve the performance and efficiency of its information management, the report adds. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he was concerned about the report’s findings. ‘The MCA is fast becoming another government agency not fit for purpose. An ISM audit should be more than a “tick box” regulatory requirement — this is an opportunity to ensure and improve safety, on an individual ship, fleet, or across the flag. ‘Unprofessional conduct can rarely be excused,’ Mr Graveson said. ‘However, companies have a responsibility to ensure properly trained and competent crew. Falsified records are unacceptable, for which there are severe penalties in some countries, including long-term imprisonment.’

Fatal accident probe points to safety management inertia in which a Filipino seafarer died F onboard a UK-flagged ro-ro cargoship

An investigation into an accident

last year has highlighted poor safety management standards on the vessel. And the Marine Accident Investigation Brand report on the incident also points to a failure by the ship’s managers and by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) to follow up on earlier audits identifying the lack of appropriate risk assessments. The AB was killed when he was crushed between two containers during cargo discharging operations on the main deck of the 20,882gt

12-13_h+s.indd 13

Tyrusland in the port of Tripoli last May. Investigators said the ship’s officers had failed to give briefings on the discharge plan or the safety precautions, and supervision of the cargo operations was inadequate. The SMS was also deficient, as it did not identify the specific hazard of a crew member being crushed by a moving container nor detail the control measures to reduce the risk of identified hazards. These risk assessment regime problems had been identified in an MCA audit in June 2012 and during an

internal safety audit in August 2012. However, the MAIB pointed out, it was given ‘insufficient priority’ by the company and the MCA allowed the original deadline for dealing with the non-conformity to lapse without any evidence of corrective action having been taken. Had the regulatory requirements and procedural advice been followed, the risk of a crew member being crushed by a moving container could have been significantly reduced, the report adds. Instead, however, the informal working procedures and the lack of

enforcement of locally-arranged signalling procedures between the crew and forklift truck drivers suggested that ‘an underlying cultural safety issue existed within the company’. The report notes that this was the fourth accident — two of which were fatal — in less than a year involving UK-flagged ships managed by Imperial Ship Management. The MAIB said the company has since conducted a safety management review and developed a plan for improving its procedures and safety culture across the fleet.

Coordinated emergency exercise off Dutch coast Netherlands and Germany F have staged a special emergency

Shipping safety teams in the

exercise as part of an agreement to expand cooperation around their maritime borders. The Dutch Coast Guard and Germany’s Central Command used the Swedish-flagged car carrier Otello for the exercise, which involved the multipurpose vessels Mellum and Neuwerk and the emergency tugs Ievoli Amaranth and Nordic. The exercise scenario envisaged

the 60,942gt Otello being unable to manoeuvre in a storm following a crankcase explosion. Anchors could not be dropped because the vessel was in the vicinity of gas pipelines, and the tugs had to prevent the ship from running aground. Exercise director Wolfgang Knopf said the event had focused on the operational and tactical aspects of cross-border cooperation and aimed to help Dutch and German crews ‘master the tools of emergency towing’. Picture: Havariekommando

Warning over poor quality of new ships backed a P&I club’s warning F about the ‘dangerously poor’ build Nautilus International has

quality of some modern ships. The North P&I club has warned its members to check their new ships very carefully before accepting delivery, following cases in which it has identified poor standards of construction that could put seafarers’ lives at risk. It highlighted cases in which newly constructed bulk carriers and general cargoships have been delivered with partly completed or poorly constructed ladders in the cargo hold. Access ladders, platforms and their cages had been constructed and secured to the bulkheads only by tack welds, rather than being fully welded. Tony Baker, head of the club’s loss prevention department, warned: ‘When subject to a load or any other applied stress, such as vessel movement, the tack welds have failed and resulted in an unsafe access to and from the cargo hold. This introduces a very high risk of injury to crew members, stevedores and any third parties entering or leaving the cargo hold.’ Owners and superintendents taking delivery of newbuildings

need to be ‘extra vigilant’ to ensure that all parts of the ship — including hold access ladders — are defectfree, Mr Baker stressed. ‘The first few months that a vessel enters service are amongst some of the busiest, during which time hidden or previously unnoticed build defects will soon become apparent, potentially resulting in serious accidents and delays.’ As well as posing an accident risk, the defects can result in costly delays and port state control problems, the club added. ‘While the cost of repairs for defects that fall within a newbuilding’s warranty period will often be recoverable from the shipbuilder, the club [believes] any costs incurred through consequential losses, as a result of such a defect, are unlikely to be recoverable,’ it noted. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the club’s warning failed to address the real problem — the lack of effective oversight in the regulatory system. ‘Flag states have a duty that they increasingly abrogate,’ he pointed out. ‘It is therefore essential that class and companies acknowledge their responsibilities in this area.’

20/08/2014 15:31

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports

Quantum of the Seas is pictured F leaving the covered building dock at The 167,800gt cruiseship

the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany last month to begin a series of thruster and stabiliser tests. Due to enter into service in November, the Royal Caribbean vessel will be the world’s third largest cruiseship and will be able to carry up to 4,900 passengers and 1,300 crew. Quantum of the Seas is set to undertake sea trials in the North Sea during September, with an inaugural call to Southampton scheduled at the end of October.

BUSY BOXES: the idle container ship fleet has fallen to its lowest level for three years, according to the industry analyst Alphaliner. As of 28 July, just 119 vessels over 500TEU, representing a combined 230,900TEU, were idle — the lowest number since August 2011, it said. ‘The idle fleet is expected to remain low until October,’ Alphaliner added, ‘when it should start rising again concurrently to the end of the peak season, as carriers are expected to suspend some loops and to skip sailings on certain other services.’ PORTS PROBED: the European Commission has opened an investigation into Dutch tax rules in a bid to ensure fair competition between EU ports. The Commission said it is seeking to determine whether the exemption from corporate tax of the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zeeland (Flushing and Terneuzen), Groningen and Moerdijk is in conformity with the EU’s state aid rules. SEISMIC SHIFT: the French seismic survey vessel operator CGG has announced it will speed up a programme of cuts following client delays in awarding contracts and pressure on prices. The group said it would reduce its workforce by more than 10%, or over 1,000 jobs, and reduce its fleet to 13 vessels from 18 by the end of this year — two years earlier than previously planned. TURKISH SALE: two Turkish firms, Esas Holding and Actera Partners, have agreed to buy Turkish ferry operator UN Ro-Ro from the US private equity firm KKR after the Danish ferry operator DFDS pulled out from the bidding race. The deal — which reportedly was in the region of €700m (US$935m) — remains subject to clearance from the Turkish competition authority. WHALE PAYMENTS: six containership operators have signed up for a pilot programme under which their vessels will be paid to go slow to reduce the risk of killing endangered whales. Maersk Line, Matson, Hapag Lloyd, COSCO, K Line and UASC will receive $2,500 for each transit of the Santa Barbara Channel in California at 12 knots or less. FATAL COLLISION: five people were feared to have died last month when the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Ultra Vanscoy collided with a fishing boat off the Chinese coast. Local authorities said the cause of the accident, some 30nm east of the Gulei Peninsula, would be investigated with the use of the bulker’s voyage data recorders. WASTE FINE: a Greek shipping company has been fined US$500,000 after a court heard that one of its ships, the 21,274dwt Bulk Victory, had illegally discharged 34 tons of oily bilge water and waste sludge in 2013. The Cyprus-registered vessel was also banned from calling at US ports for three years. SHIPYARD SHARE: the Finnish government has bought a 30% share of the STX Turku shipyard, which specialises in building large cruise vessels. The German builder Meyer Werft is taking the remaining 70% stake from South Korea’s STX Corp.

Excellence in Training STCW10 Refresher Training Now Available

Bans on shore leave increase

Australian unions hit out at visa relaxation

have backed a major campaign Report highlights visa problems for seafarers in US ports A against government plans to water Australian seafaring unions

Problems for seafarers seeking shore leave in the United States have continued to increase despite the introduction of the Maritime Labour Convention. A new report reveals that this year has seen an increase in the proportion of visiting seafarers being denied shore leave and in the percentage of visiting ships with at least one crew member refused permission to go ashore. The survey — which is conducted annually by the US Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) — was based on information from welfare workers in 27 ports across the US who monitored shore leave for seafarers onboard more than 400 vessels they visited during the last week in May. They found that 23.3% of the ships surveyed had at least one crew member onboard who had been denied shore leave. The percentage is up from 17.8% last year

and is the highest figure since 2009. SCI also revealed that just over 11% of the 9,184 seafarers surveyed had been denied shore leave — with the total number being the highest since 2008. Just of 50% of those suffering from shore leave denial were Filipinos, 14% were Chinese, 6% Burmese, 5% Ukrainian, 4% Russian, and 3% Indian. According to the survey, more than 86% of the seafarers who were denied shore leave had it done because they did not have visas. The report points out that the US has ratified the international convention on the facilitation of marine traffic, which prohibits countries from requiring visas to have shore leave. It also argues that security and shore leave rights would both be enhanced by the US signing up to the ILO convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents.

This year’s survey was the 13th to be carried out by SCI and the ﬁrst it had done since the MLC took effect. ‘With MLC, 2006 in force, one might hope to see a reduction in the number of seafarers without visas,’ the Institute said. ‘However, the data shows that not only are shipowners failing to pay for crewmember visas as required by the Convention but also ﬂag states are failing to enforce the requirement.’ However, there were even problems for seafarers with visas. SCI found that 70 crew members had been unable to go ashore because of operational requirements or the short time in which their ship was in port. A total of 67 seafarers — including 19 US nationals — had been denied shore leave because of terminal restrictions, and welfare workers also found that some ports were charging up to $800 for transport to take seafarers ashore.

Indian seafaring jobs ‘put at risk from failure to ratify MLC’ agencies are increasing pressure F on the country’s government to ratify Indian seafarers and crewing

the international Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). They have warned that the slow progress towards Indian ratification threatens the jobs of more than 100,000 Indian seafarers working onboard some 3,500 ocean-going vessels. ‘When foreign flag vessels with Indian crew onboard visit countries that have ratified MLC, they are exposed to stringent inspections,’ said

Captain Shiv Halbe, chairman of the Mumbai-based Maritime Association of Shipowners, Shipping Companies/ Agents (MASSA). ‘The non-ratification of MLC 2006 has also put Indian seafarers to great disadvantage as they are now not the primary choice of overseas shippers.’ ‘Recruitment and placement services in India are now subjected to various stringent audits by the flag state of ships to which Indian seafarers are appointed. This reflects negatively on business development,’ added Ajay Achutan, director at the Maritime

Training and Research Foundation. Meanwhile, the Indian government has introduced new controls over shipping in the country’s coastal trades — with a new category of ‘Indian-controlled tonnage’ that will have priority over foreign-owned foreign flag vessels in the sector. The measure seeks to increase Indian shipping companies’ share of the coastal trades from the current level of less than 10%. At least 50% of officers and ratings on such vessels must be Indian, and the ships should also be used for training cadets.

down visa regulations applying to foreign workers in the country’s offshore sector. They claim the moves to repeal the rules and to continue issuing Maritime Crew Visas (MCVs) to foreign workers working in Australia’s offshore oil and gas industry are a ‘recipe for disaster’. Maritime Union of Australia national secretary Paddy Crumlin said the government plans threaten to decimate the national maritime skills and training base. He said the move toward utilising MCVs, which have significantly fewer checks and balances than any other temporary visa class — including no requirements to demonstrate national need and no guarantee of the necessary skills — would put both foreign workers and the Australian community at risk. ‘Why would we create conditions to replace quality Australian jobs with positions available only to overseas workers with loose visa conditions? It beggars belief,’ he added. ‘We know the big offshore multinationals aren’t too concerned about losing a steady stream of overseas workers; they are able to source more. But it is a major concern for Australian jobs and Australian security.’ Wayne Moore, president of the Australian Maritime Officers Union, added: ‘To force Australian workers into unemployment, thus increasing welfare dependency, while at the same time decreasing tax revenues just doesn’t make any economic sense to me.’ Norrie McVicar, chair of the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s offshore task force group, condemned the plans. ‘This is an unnecessary and ideologically driven move that will do Australia no good at all,’ he warned. ‘It risks opening a skilled, regulated and nationally important industry up to a laissez-faire scramble to cut costs.’

HOTA is introducing STCW Certificate’s of Updated Proficiency following the “Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and Code.”

• Personal Survival Techniques Refresher • • Basic Fire Fighting & Fire Prevention Refresher • • Advanced Fire Fighting Refresher • • Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats (Other than Fast Rescue Boats) Refresher • • Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats Refresher • The new courses are in addition to HOTA’s current Maritime portfolio which includes:

• STCW Basic Safety Training • Ship Security Officer • Ship Safety Officer • PSCRB • • Efficient Deck Hand • Crowd Management • • Crisis Management & Human Behaviour • Please visit the HOTA website www.hota.org for course dates or call 01482 820567 HOTA is a limited company with Charity Status, open 51 weeks a year with a rolling timetable of courses held at its Malmo Road and Albert Dock sites in Hull

14-15_int.indd 14

CMA CGM Magellan is pictured D leaving the port of Le Havre after being The UK-flagged containership

transformed into a floating artwork by the French street artist, JR. He used more than 150 containers onboard the 150,269gt vessel as ‘pixels’ to feature the eyes of a woman from Kenya as the final part of his seven-year Women Are Heroes project to highlight the impact of war, street crime, sexual assault, and religious and political extremism.

20/08/2014 15:31

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Safety alert for Panama Canal Insurers warn of increased risks arising from waterway’s $5.25bn expansion

Safety in the Panama Canal could be at risk as a result of the massive expansion of the waterway, a new report has warned. The 44-mile canal is currently undergoing a US$5.25bn redevelopment, which will see the addition of two new locks and two new channels that could double the amount of cargo carried each year. In a report on the scheme published last month, the insurance firm Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) said that the expansion will result in increased vessel traffic, larger ships and significantly higher insured cargo value transiting the waterway. The ‘panamax’ containership size will rise from the current 4,400TEU capacity to 12,600TEU, it points out. The AGCS report points to an increased ‘challenge’ to the Panama Canal’s safety record, which is presently significantly better than other major waterways — with an incident rate of around one in every 4,000 transits, compared with one in every 1,100 transits of the Suez Canal and one in every 830 transits of the Kiel Canal. The expansion will enable around 4,750 additional ships to pass through the canal each year, the report states, and the ability for much larger vessels to transit will mean that the insured value of goods being carried could total more than US$1.25bn a day. ‘Bigger ships automatically pose greater risks, in that the sheer amount of cargo carried dictates that a serious casualty has the potential to lead to a sizeable loss and greater disruption,’ AGCS

14-15_int.indd 15

CRUISE BAN: Italy is to make a fresh move to ban large cruiseships from sailing along the city of Venice’s historic waterfront. From the start of next year, vessels of more than 96,000gt will be barred from entering the Giudecca Canal and San Marco Basin, said transport minister Maurizio Lupi. Ships of more than 40,000gt will also face restrictions, and the government is undertaking an environmental impact assessment on a proposed alternative route for cruiseships coming to Venice’s cruise passenger terminal. DRINK FINE: the Russian master of the Cyprusflagged cement carrier Cemfjord was fined Dkr10,000 (€1,341) after failing a breath test when the ship ran aground at Læsø Rende, Denmark. Police found the master had a blood-alcohol level of around double the legal limit. The 1,850gt ship, which was carrying 2,100 tons of cement from Aalborg to Goole, was refloated after a new master was sent by the German owners. MERGER BACKED: US regulators have approved the proposed merger between the German containership operator Hapag-Lloyd and Chile’s Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV). The tie-up will create the world’s fourth-largest container shipping company by capacity and the green light for the transaction is expected from Europe and other regulatory bodies by November.

ITF protests over workers’ rights Workers’ Federation has A intensified its campaign over the

The International Transport

Panama Canal Authority’s (ACP) failure to respect agreements aimed at delivering decent pay and safe working conditions for more than 9,000 affiliated maritime workers in the canal zone. ITF officials and representatives from the Panamanian unions are pictured above meeting Guy Ryder, said. ‘Increasing trafﬁc of bigger ships means the amount of diesel and petroleum being transported through the canal could also pose a heightened pollution risk in the event of a casualty.’ The report warns that larger ships will pose serious salvage challenges in a congested shipping environment — even potentially leading to blockages that could have an adverse impact on trafﬁc at major ports in the United States and elsewhere. It argues that additional infrastructure upgrades will be needed to cope with the larger ships and

the head of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) — the UN agency regulating global working conditions— at the ITF congress in Sofia, Bulgaria. Together with four Panamanian unions, the ITF has lodged a formal complaint against the government of Panama with the ILO, alleging violation of Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining by the ACP.

‘The ITF is very concerned about the lack of proper respect and bargaining on issues surrounding health and safety provision on the job and workers being forced to undertake double shifts and 18-hour workdays,’ said ITF president Paddy Crumlin. ‘This has an unacceptable impact on safety and there are also concerns around pay, training and freedom of association,’ he added.

processing capability will need to be improved to avoid bottlenecks at choke points in ports. AGCS said the actual handling of larger vessels will also present a major challenge. ‘Port operating procedures will have to be reviewed with regard to wind and weather constraints given the tight operating margins that these ships will be facing,’ it notes. Captain Rahul Khanna, AGCS’s global head of marine risk consulting, added: ‘Due to the increase in the number of larger vessels passing through this important waterway, the level of training provided

to pilots will be extremely important. Attempting to manoeuvre one of these vessels through such a restricted space in itself creates a much bigger hazard.’ Capt Khanns said it would be important to have dynamic systems and processes in place to ensure that lessons are learned from any incidents. ‘Although much training will be done, this can only be done on a few vessels,’ he stressed. ‘But when the canal is opened for real, a whole host of different vessels with different characteristics will be passing through. That will be challenging.’

Germany’s owners warn of risk to jobs German shipowners have warned that almost half a million jobs are at stake as the country’s shipping industry struggles to adjust to the impact of an ‘unexpectedly long crisis’. The annual report of the owners’ association, VDR, explains that the German merchant fleet is ‘undergoing significant change’ in response to the downturn and many operators — especially small to medium-sized firms — have had to form alliances and arrange joint financing to survive. ‘What is more, the progressive depletion of shipping portfolios, along with tougher ship financing requirements imposed by German banks, have been tough challenges for shipowners,’ said VDR president Michael Behrendt.

shortreports

German owners ‘must make every conceivable effort to secure our position among the leading shipping nations of the world’, he warned. ‘After all, there are more than 480,000 jobs at stake, all of which depend on Germany’s shipping industry.’ Reederei NSB — one of the country’s biggest owners — recently threatened to flag out its 42 ships because of the ‘uneconomic’ cost of employing German or EU seafarers. Of the 71,000 seafarers working on German-owned ships, just 7,200 are German nationals. The number of new-start trainee German seafarers dropped to just 426 last year, which VDR blamed on ‘uncertain career prospects following five years of crisis in the shipping sector’.

BREAKING NEWS: a total of 263 ships were broken up around the world in the second quarter of this year, down from 280 during the same period of 2013, the French ecological association Robin des Bois reports. European owners accounted for 28% of the total while India remained the main shipbreaking country, followed by China, Bangladesh, Turkey and Pakistan. FERRY FEARS: Spanish seafaring unions have expressed concern that the country’s leading infrastructure and energy group Acciona plans to sell its shipping subsidiary Trasmediterránea before the end of the year. Trasmediterránea — which was privatised and bought by Acciona for €300m in 2000 — owns 18 ferries and charters another eight vessels. PENALTY CUT: a French appeal court has reduced fines imposed on the Turkish owner and Ukrainian master of the Maltese-flagged tanker Trefin Adam after they were found guilty of pollution offences in 2012. The fine on the operator was cut from €300,000 to €200,000 and that on the master from €75,000 to €50,000. UASC STAKE: the state of Qatar has taken a majority stake in the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC). It now has a 51.3% share in the company — which was established in 1976 — after helping to fund new tonnage for the UASC fleet, which now totals some 55 ships with a combined capacity of 329,649TEU. HAITI PLAN: the Carnival Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Haitian government to develop a cruise port on Ile de la Tortue.

SK Tax Service Ltd We are a team of friendly and approachable tax advisers with many years experience in Marine Taxation matters.

Fugro ships in MH370 hunt F

The Dutch subsea survey vessel operator Fugro has secured a contract from the Australian government to use two of its ships to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished in March. Due to start this month and expected to run for up to 12 months, the contract will involve the deployment of the Panama-

flagged research survey vessel Fugro Discovery, above, and the Bahamasflagged Fugro Equator. Both vessels will use side-scan sonar, multi-beam echo sounders and video cameras in the 60,000 sq km deep-water search for the Boeing 777-200ER which went missing with 12 Malaysian crew and 227 passengers on 8 March en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

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20/08/2014 15:31

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

YOUR LETTERS

What’s on onyour yourmind? mind? Tell your colleagues shipping. Keep yourTelegraph letter to ahave your name, address colleaguesin inNautilus NautilusInternational International— —and andthe thewider world of but you must let the maximum words if you canyour — though contributions will beand considered. Use number. a pen name or wider world300 of shipping. Keep letter tolonger a maximum membership just membership number you don’t want to be identifi in anyour accompanying — Telegraph, Nautilus 300your words if you can — thoughif longer contributions will ed — say soSend letter to thenote Editor, but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send yourShrubberies, letter to the George Lane, be considered. International, 1&2 The Editor, International, 1&2number The Shrubberies, George Lane,Woodford, South Woodford, Use aTelegraph, pen nameNautilus or just your membership if you South London E18 1BD, or use head office fax London E18to 1BD, use head ceso faxin+44 (0)20 8530 1015, or— email+44 telegraph@nautilusint.org don’t want beor identifi ed —offi say an accompanying note (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Medal was UK propaganda pictured on page 24 of the P August Telegraph is not one of The Lusitania medal

the original German medals. By the time that U.20 returned to her base after sinking the Lusitania, the political repercussions of the sinking, particularly in the USA, had become apparent. One result was that the U-boat crew were not decorated although previously crews had been decorated, especially after a high proﬁle sinking. A German medal maker, Herr Goertz, took it upon himself to honour the U-boat by striking a medal to commemorate the sinking. Nobody knows how many were struck. I have heard ﬁgures ranging from circa 35 (about the complement of the U-boat) up to several hundred. The design is as shown in the illustration. One of these German medals got into the hands of British intelligence. Gordon Selfridge (of the department store) paid for 300,000 replicas to be struck. However, the date on the British copy was 5 Mei 1915 (as can be

read in the picture). In fact, the Lusitania was sunk on 7 May. The date difference was intended to show that the medal had been struck before the sinking and that by implication, U. 20 was sent out with the express purpose of sinking the Lusitania. In a box with a picture of the Lusitania on the front these replica medals were distributed widely in North America. On the inside of the lid is the claim that it is an exact replica of the German medal and the statement: ‘This indicates the true feeling the War Lords endeavour to stimulate, and is proof positive that such crimes are not merely regarded favourable, but are given every encouragement in the land of the Kaiser.’ The reverse shows people queuing at a ticket window which is manned by a skeleton. As an exercise in ‘black propaganda’ this was an outstanding success, as public opinion in the USA became increasingly anti-German. GEOFF HOLMES mem no 312826

Have your say online Last month we asked: Are politicians right to reject shipowners’ requests to delay the introduction of the new sulphur emission regulations?

Yes 56% No 44%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think the quality of newbuild ships has decreased in recent years? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 16

Memories shared on YouTube photos and information for every ship I ever C sailed on over 40-plus years at sea has now grown What started out as a project to try and get

into three YouTube slideshows! It started with many hours of research and learning how to set things up for showing on YouTube, finally arriving at my first effort titled ‘Blue Flu and beyond’, using many of my own photos together with others off the internet. I only ever worked for two companies, Alfred Holt and Co (the Blue Funnel Line), and Ugland Car Carriers, which became United European Car Carriers (UECC). After the interest shown in the first one, I decided to do two further slideshows, using mostly

my own photos (many converted from slides from the 60s and 70s), showing my life at sea from midshipman to master. These are titled ‘Blue Funnel: Memories of the 1960s, 70s & 80s’ and ‘Uglands — UECC, Memories from 1988 to 2004’. I thought these might be of interest to some of the younger generation just starting out in their seagoing lives, to give them a taste of the ships (when they actually looked like ships) and life at sea in days gone by, and also for the older generation to stir up a few memories from our salty past! It certainly brought back a lot of memories for me doing it. Capt. MIKE HARRISON mem no 152282

What should I do to get back to sea? In 2006 I made the decision to leave the sea following the death of my first wife so I could look after my two young children. However, now that they are older and my finances are not as strong as I had hoped following the recession I am giving some thought to trying to return. Would it be possible for the Telegraph to devote a couple of

pages on the procedures to be followed for an older seafarer to revalidate his/her ticket? I realise a lot has been written in M-Notices, etc, but it must be possible to write an article in easy to understand English which also would detail the other miscellaneous certificates, etc, that would have to be updated and, of course, which colleges in the

UK where this can be done and the approximate cost! A lot of money is spent trying to recruit new cadets, but I don’t see much or any effort to entice anyone to return — or is it a lost cause?! For the record, I obtained my Class1/2 Masters in 1998. MARK KENNY mem no 142982

Where’s my Telegraph article drew Telegraph? In memory of Bob Richards Robert (Bob) Richards died suddenly on 10 July 2014, C aged 58. He was on holiday in

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Cyprus at the time. Bob completed an apprenticeship as a marine electrician with Cammell Lairds, Liverpool 1977. He joined his first ship — Star Bulford, Fred Olsen Lines — in May 1977 and stayed with this vessel for five years. In 1982 he moved to offshore supply ships, trading at first in the North Sea and then worldwide. In order, he worked for BUE Marine, Denholm Ship Management, Buggi Supply Ships (Sea Guardian), Trident and finally Sealion Shipping. In the late 1980s he upgraded his qualifications to fulfil the dual role as electrician and engineer. Bob was loud and very witty. He was full of ‘Scouse’ humour. You had to be careful or you could be victim to his leg-pulling. Although he was born in Liverpool, he lived most of his working life in Culross, Fife, Scotland. He was a keen traveller and spent a lot of his leave in Cyprus. He leaves his wife Sheila, daughter Joanne and grandchildren Callum and Alison. He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and colleagues. ROBBIE HIDE Manchester Ship Canal Pilot

me to exciting project I am obliged to the Telegraph for drawing to my attention the SS Freshspring project (page 22, February 2014 edition). She is a steam-powered RFA water tanker from the late 1940s but her design is essentially pre-war. Her machinery is complete and in reasonably good order. However, her stem and stern are suffering from serious corrosion and will have to be largely rebuilt. The trust has an excellent range of trustees and I have agreed to be the Patron. I was particularly attracted to

The Steamship Freshspring Society because of its aims to inspire and support young people to become engineers and seafarers of the future. The intention is to bring the Freshspring back into operation and in class via a period as a static exhibit in Bristol. Clearly this will be challenging, but I am convinced that this is possible. I will endeavour to keep readers up to date with progress and of course there is the ubiquitous website. THE EARL ATTLEE House of Lords

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

20/08/2014 17:54

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Consultation must hear the right voices With reference to the July Telegraph story about the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s plan to revoke regulations post-Herald of Free Enterprise loss, it is reported that four maritime safety regulations are being considered for revocation. Only two regulations are mentioned. What next in the government’s challenge to remove unnecessary regulation? The predecessor to the MCA in 1987 at the time of the casualty was the Marine Directorate of the Department for Transport. Following the formal inquiry into the loss of the Herald, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch was established — its role, among others, to be independent of the now MCA. Hence, the current MAIB input and advice on the government’s plans on the revoking issue would be of particular interest. Also, at this time the International

telegraph

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

STAFF editor: Andrew Linington deputy editor: Debbie Cavaldoro production editor: June Cattini-Walker senior reporter: Sarah Robinson web editor: Deborah McPherson

Maritime Organisation set up a panel of experts to examine and make recommendations. During its deliberations, the title transformed to a panel of safety experts. Has the MCA now likewise adopted the safety expert title? How are the in-house experts so qualified? Hopefully, the eight-week consultation period will include the views of the rescuers struggling on the starboard side superstructure of the capsized Herald of Free Enterprise on the night of 6 March 1987 — with the contents of emergency equipment lockers. Profit before safety was the accusation levelled at the operators following the casualty. Perhaps now for the MCA ‘profit’ could read red tape/political pressure/ commercial considerations. D.R. HAMILTON mem no 073256

ADVERTISING Redactive Media Group 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP. Display adverts: Jude Rosset tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 Jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk Recruitment adverts: John Seaman tel: +44 (0)20 7880 8541 tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6200 email: info@redactive.co.uk website: www.redactive.co.uk

MN missed yet again in war commemorations Please watch video and help others Having viewed the Glasgow commemoration of the start of World War One and then snippets on the news of other relevant WW1 elements, why was there no mention or representation of the Merchant Navy? I am well aware it was/is not an armed force, except for the DEMS in WW2, but who transported the horses, the men and the ammunition/victuals? Who brought in the vital supplies for this island nation to survive? I am well aware that the amount of troops lost was much greater than at sea, but a life is a life! When are the powers that be going to realise that the MN has been involved in every war in some way? Regardless of political feelings, the same thing happened with Lady Thatcher’s funeral, when it was stated that the pall bearers represented

the conflicts, the Falklands, etc, with members of the armed forces. The only loss of an MN vessel in the Falklands was the Atlantic Conveyor of Liverpool, along with members of the ship’s company. In the parade there were no MN personnel. Having just seen the fabulous ‘art’ of the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London on the TV and having heard the voices of the presenters saying it will reflect ‘x’ numbers for the armed and colonial forces lost in WW1 — what about those at sea? Somebody needs to educate or brief the presenters accordingly. What about Nautilus International in London? We, in Liverpool, always include the MN — especially on Armed Forces Day! Capt. M.J. FELTHAM Mariners’ Park, Wallasey

The publication by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) of a comprehensive training toolkit on workplace bullying and harassment has to be applauded. The toolkit includes guidelines, a video and a workbook, and it is available in most EU languages. The video won a silver medal in the 2014 Questar Awards for video communications. Clear guidance is provided on what constitutes bullying and harassment in a marine work environment. As ships increase in size, crew numbers continue to decline. There is no safety in numbers. Alone on watch, with only your

perpetrator for company must be one of the most frightening work situations you can find yourself in. So why am I raising awareness of this publication? My son was a second officer. In the space of 18 months he was made redundant by the company that had employed him since starting as a cadet. He separated from his partner, and lost his home. He was also the subject of workplace cyber bullying. The shipping company he worked for dealt with the matter according to their grievance policy, but the demeaning comments of a fellow officer ultimately partly contributed to his death by suicide. All those involved in the

maritime industry must be proactive in dealing with bullying and harassment — supporting both victims and perpetrators (who often are unaware of the pain that they are causing) to create a safe working environment. Can I ask all mariners, onshore managers and owners to visit the Nautilus, ETF or ECSA websites which all feature this material; spend 20 minutes watching the excellent video, remember my son, and think about how they can support and protect colleagues, workers and their families from the consequences of bullying and harassment. CHRISTINE GREEN Argyll

Faulty ﬂags are the least of our worries interest in ﬂags amongst P today’s Telegraph readers —

There seems to be a strong

they’re either out of date or upside down. I understand the dilemma, I myself have had to explain to a very confused Filipino third mate why there was no need to ﬂy both the Union Flag and the Red Ensign while in UK waters (the ship’s British status seemed rather beyond him and he seemed to think that there were two different countries that needed to be represented) and rather embarrassingly and very

recently to another that the courtesy flag and signal flag seemed to be the wrong way round. However, despite these horrifying lapses in flag etiquette I really wonder where people’s priorities lie. In the last two issues of the Telegraph there have been several letters about flags. Or is it just me? If I have reason to write to the Telegraph it’s because I’ve noticed the Union has been taking note of the fact that more and more cadets are really struggling to get that ever so

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AVOID LATE PENALTIES & CHARGES CONTACT: O’DONOVAN LAVIN ACCOUNTANTS AT + 353 61 411000 OR NOELLE@ODONOVANLAVIN.IE FOR A HIGH QUALITY SERVICE AT A VERY COMPETITIVE PRICE

16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 17

important first stamp in the book, that their sponsoring companies are just not employing them. Like mine. We have British cadets onboard, we just don’t employ British officers or at least we don’t make a habit out of it. Thousands of seafarers work for my company, but you don’t even need five fingers to count us. We have more Britishflagged vessels in our fleet than British officers (there you go, I mentioned flags), but British cadets, we have them on tap. I’ve had three ‘deckies’ in the last year and they’ve all been brilliant: hard working, enthusiastic, willing to learn and sociable. Now that isn’t to say they’re all super cadets, they’re not, they all have their strengths and their weaknesses and there’s been a few times I’ve wanted to strangle the lot of them. However, despite all that I believe that given the chance they’ll do well. I would love to see them with another six months/a year in their discharge books, I would

love that they had more time down on deck and have the time to become seafarers first and officers second, but that’s not the system we have. Instead we have a system where we take on these promising young people, try to shove as much education and as little seatime as possible down their necks, just enough to fulfil the STCW and tonnage tax requirements as cheaply as possible, then we dump them. It’s heart-breaking: why do we take them on when we know they won’t be getting a job afterwards? My promising cadets are replaced with poorly trained ever so slightly cheaper labour who barely seem to know which way the bow should be pointing, but with a so-called equivalent CoC. At least I know where my cadets have been trained and to what standards. Then there’s that myth I keep hearing from my older colleagues that cadets these days ‘don’t want to work at sea for 15 years/want everything for free/ want to be captains/chiefs rather

than ordinary seamen/ motormen’. Where does this myth come from? It sure as anything doesn’t come from my cadets, who all have loved being at sea, want to make a career out of it and are willing to take the time it takes to get there. I’m sure there are exceptions, but it certainly isn’t the impression I’ve got. The opposite, in fact. Or does it just make the medicine easier to swallow? I apologise if I have insulted anyone over the flag issue (in all honesty, this annoys me as well) but I really hope that the Red Ensign will start to be a source of pride for our youth, rather than the symbol of a Merchant Navy that takes them in and spits them out for someone who isn’t even sure what flag they should be flying. I commend the Union for its continuing campaigning over this issue and hope I’m not the only one. If we want to take our flag seriously, then it shouldn’t just be a matter of keeping up appearances. mem no 195249

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

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

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

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

20/08/2014 17:54

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

YOUR NEWS

Mariners’ Park commemorates VJ Day Day commemorations A approached, Nautilus member

As the VJ (Victory in Japan)

Picture: Gavin Trafford

The Merchant Navy’s contribution to the Second World War was honoured last month at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park retirement estate, with a

well-attended remembrance service on 15 August – VJ Day. Led by chaplain David Robertson, the service was held in the presence of several MN

veterans who had served in the Paciﬁc Ocean. Tributes were paid to fallen comrades as a wreath was laid at the Mariners’ Park memorial

stone by Paciﬁc veteran Captain Ronald Pengelly; and residents, staff and visitors were afterwards welcomed to the Mariners’ Park Care Home for tea and cakes.

Ewan C Ramsay wrote in to share his father’s experiences as a Merchant Navy captain during the Second World War — in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans: ‘My late father, Captain JJD Ramsay, was one of Captain Coombs’s ‘boys’. On returning to sea in 1940 as master with the Lyle Shipping Co, he went with a crew to New Orleans to pick up a ship which was renamed Empire Puma. In convoy HX90 (Halifax Nova Scotia to Loch Ewe), the convoy was attacked by two U-boats. Nine ships were torpedoed. On 2 December 1940, the MV Stirlingshire was the last ship torpedoed and was near my father’s ship. My father stopped and rescued the 74 crew, landing them at Greenock before proceeding to Glasgow to discharge his grain cargo. ‘While in Glasgow he was called before the Admiral Western Approaches and told that under no circumstances was he ever to stop his ship in the face of the enemy again. ‘At Easter time in 1942 he was in Trincomalee discharging crated aircraft and engines which were

then assembled in Ceylon, and then flown up to Chittagong for the Burma Campaign. While in Trinco an RAF Catalina Flying Boat on its daily routine patrol 400 miles south spotted at its limit four Japanese aircraft carriers. The pilot got word back to Colombo before getting shot down himself. ‘Admiral Sir Geoffrey Leighton was flying his flag in Colombo after being on the last Naval ship to leave Singapore, and ordered all the ships in Trinco to “get the hell out of there. We will call you back when it is safe.” ‘My dad hid in Palk Strait for four days before returning to Trinco, passing through the flotsam of the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes on his way. The Japs bombed Trinco and Colombo on Easter Sunday and Monday, but Sir Geoffrey had also sent his naval ships to the Maldive Islands where they too were safe. ‘The captain and crew of the Stirlingshire gave my father a six-piece canteen of Mappin and Webb cutlery as “A token of esteem and appreciation of his gallant rescue in the North Atlantic on 2 December 1940”. I am now the proud owner of it and was, during my seagoing career, chief officer of the replacement MV Stirlingshire.’

RMS St Helena carries island team to the ‘friendly games’ their bit for the Glasgow F Commonwealth Games last month Nautilus members did

— by safely transporting one of the most remotely-located teams to the international festival of sport. Pictured left are the Commonwealth Games competitors from St Helena Island onboard the cargo-passenger ship RMS St Helena, which they rely on for transport to the mainland. Their

home is in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, so their journey to Glasgow started with a five-day sea crossing to Cape Town in South Africa. Along the way they were made very welcome by Nautilus members serving with St Helena Line, which has a longstanding recognition agreement with the Union. As a British Overseas Territory, St Helena Island can field its own team

for the Commonwealth Games — unlike the Olympic Games, which is only for sovereign states. It’s the sixth time the island has sent competitors, and they took part in badminton, shooting and swimming. This is probably the last time that the team will travel to the Games by ship, though, because the island’s longawaited airport is due for completion in 2016. Picture: Darrin Henry

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

16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 18

towards the costs of any necessary full-time or part-time education, as well as some financial support during college phases for those having to go off-pay while they study for a certificate.

Rollicking radio ofﬁcers raise a glass to old times

Administered by Nautilus International, the scheme can provide assistance worth up to £17,500 to help ratings study for their first certificate, as well as offering similar assistance for ETOs and yacht crew to gain STCW 2010 certification.

Yesterday we had our ‘grand reunion’ of Merseyside radio officers and shore technicians onboard the good ship Planet Light Vessel in her home port. What a fantastic time we all had and what a spectacular meal! The picture shows us relaxing in the sunshine after soup, roast dinner and apple pie with custard, plus coffee or tea. There were stories flowing like water — which certainly helped after the beer, lager, wines and spirits. From a WW2 radio officer (Albert Owings, 91) and a rear gunner/wireless operator (Len Bradley, 89) to sprightly 65-year-olds, all had served in the

Nautilus International is now inviting applications for the 2014 Slater Fund awards. g If you are keen to get your officer qualifications, don’t leave things to chance. The Slater Fund is just the ticket — fill in the form or apply via the website: www.nautilusint.org

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

Email:

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

Merchant Navy from the time we had the greatest Merchant Fleet in the world to today, when the Red Duster is a shadow of its former self. And we are still surrounded by water! STAN MCNALLY mem no 445596

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20/08/2014 17:55

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Nautilus members and officials onboard the Hebridean Isles, Isle of Mull and Lord of the Isles

We’re listening to you Nautilus has recently stepped up its activities in the ferry sector, and the ferries campaign will be the focus of this year’s UK branch symposium (see page 31). Time to meet some members on their vessels...

Nautilus officials have concluded an intensive programme of visits to members serving on Scottish lifeline ferry routes. National ferries organiser Micky Smyth and national secretary Steve Doran met members onboard more than a dozen vessels during the week-long factfinding mission. Following feedback from members, they held talks with Caledonian MacBrayne management on some of the issues raised — most notably over concerns about the forthcoming tendering process for the Clyde and Western Isles services. Nautilus is also launching a major drive to persuade CalMac and other ferry operators to enter into formal training agreements, to ensure that the sector invests in the maritime skills and experience it needs for the future. Mr Smyth said the programme of visits had been very useful. ‘Members were extremely welcoming to us wherever we went, and their frank and open feedback was very constructive,’ he told the Telegraph. ‘It is clear that there are a great many concerns about the tendering process and the lack of official information being given to staff,’ he added. Nautilus is once again pressing

Onboard the Finlaggan

19_visits_sr.edit.indd Sec1:19

Micky Smyth and Steve Doran (in dark suits, centre) with members on the Hebrides

for assurances to be given on members’ pension entitlements and on future terms and conditions in the wake of the bidding for the CalMac contract. Nautilus is working with the RMT, TSSA and Unite, through the Scottish TUC, to maintain pressure on Transport Scotland over employment safeguards and to ensure that there is no ‘cherry picking’ of the routes currently operated by CalMac. Unions are seeking to review the tender documents to ensure that the proper protections are in

place when the new contract becomes effective in 2016. They are also calling for Scotland to take advantage of new EU rules which enable the contract period to be extended up to 12 years if it can be shown that this would encourage investment and innovation in services. Mr Smyth said talks with CalMac’s managing director Martin Dorchester in Gourock had been positive. ‘We are seeking to work with the company going forward and we were assured that it will be starting a series of road shows to

Onboard the Argyle

communicate to staff,’ he added. ‘However, it was clear from our ship visits that there is a need for the company to devote more resources to ofﬁcer recruitment and training,’ Mr Smyth said. ‘Like many ferry operators, it is losing people to the offshore sector and we think it is essential that there is some sort of formal agreement on cadet training and progression. ‘We have also started the ball rolling with other companies, such as Stena Line and P&O Ferries, and we hope that this will be the start of a programme to

Onboard the Bute

deliver long-term training and employment in the UK ferry industry and to ensure the sector

has the skills and experience it requires to operate safe and quality services into the future.’

Pictured during a meeting with Serco Northlink Ferries last month are, L-R: Allan MacDonald; Captain Stuart McCallum, marine manager; Micky Smyth; Steve Doran; Captain Willie MacKay; Sean Smith; and Paul Gellately, HR manager

20/08/2014 18:15

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

MARITIME SAFETY

Finding a new route A three-year project to improve navigational safety in the North Sea region is coming to an end, with a package of measures which aim to make life easier for seafarers…

Picture: Danny Cornelissen

E-navigation is well on its way. It’s a concept that is defined as ‘the harmonised collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of maritime information onboard and ashore by electronic means’ and it is designed to make maritime navigation safer and easier — which many see as a revolution in the way of working at sea. ACCSEAS — Accessibility for Shipping, Efficiency Advantages and Sustainability — is a European Union Interreg project led by 11 maritime partners that is now ramping up to its final stages, with demonstrations planned to offer the opportunity to engage with the e-navigation solutions which have developed in the North Sea Region test-bed. ACCSEAS project manager Dr Alwyn Williams explains: ‘e-navigation is a technology that is not only key to improving safety and accessibility at sea, but one that can reduce the administrative burden for a number of paper-intensive procedures on the ship.’ It is anticipated that e-navigation will become a reality on ship bridges in a few years, bringing together all the important navigation information in a harmonised, integrated system. Navigators can receive relevant forecasts for currents, wind, waves and water levels, ports, navigation information and more, either directly onto their electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) or in a dedicated display. As well as supporting the mariner at sea, e-navigation will assist shore-based authorities, who will be able to pull information about the ship directly from the system instead of resourceintensive reporting. The premise of e-navigation is to gather all the relevant information onboard a vessel, usually from different sources and separate equipment, and make it available in a single system. The purpose is to make this information available on the primary navigation system, so that the mariner has a complete understanding of the environment surrounding the vessel and its route. With so much information potentially available to the mariner, it is critical that they are not overloaded by too much information with the potential to be confusing. With this in mind, the navigator can set up filters so that only the information and warnings which are relevant for the route of ship appear. E-navigation will also help shore-based organisations, such as country authorities, shipping companies and ports, by allowing access to the harmonised set of information about the vessels. By receiving all information digitally, minimising the usual sources of error — especially the human — it is expected that navigational safety and efficiency will be increased.

Above and below: work has been carried out to improve the electronic display of navigational information Pictures: ACCSEAS

Information available through the e-navigation system must only be available by a properly secure means, to ensure its integrity and confidentiality. ‘The advantage of such a system is that navigators would be able to provide information about the ship to a port authority or the country’s authorities at the touch of a button. All relevant agencies, even across national borders, would have access to information,’ explains Thomas Steen Christensen, project manager in the maritime technology and business development department at the Danish Maritime Authority. ‘In other words, there is substantial simplification of the reporting work that many today see as a complex, manual and time-consuming process.’ Demonstrations of solutions developed within the ACCSEAS test bed can be seen at the upcoming final project conference, to be held in Rotterdam in February 2015, chaired by maritime expert Kees Polderman.

Today, navigation warnings are promulgated using VHF, Navtex and SafetyNet. There are many warnings issued and a large part of them are not relevant to the ship’s position or route. Positional information is given to one decimal place, which can be inaccurate when viewing on, for example, electronic charts. It is expected that navigation warnings in the future will be outputted via various e-navigation

The most important thing is for the solutions to actually work on the ships

“

”

channels. This means that reception can be customised with a ﬁlter so that the warnings are current for each ship on its planned route. Positions can be given with greater resolution, more applicable for display on an ECDIS. The process excludes human errors in the transfer of the position information from existing services to the paper chart. The idea of this service is that each ship broadcasts its planned route to other vessels and/or shore-based authorities, with the intention to minimise the risk of collisions. VTS centres, for example, could see all the ships’ planned routes and advise, plan and take action if necessary. It would also be possible to send a route proposal from an administration to a ship. The issue of being able to transfer a recommended route from a VTS centre to a ship’s ECDIS has been an intense discussion point because there may be doubt about the division of responsibilities. However, it is recognised that the master of a vessel has ultimate responsibility for the ﬁnal decision on whether to accept or decline a suggested route. The ability to transfer routes directly to the ECDIS

can also be used for SAR operations, where a ship can transfer the search area and search patterns directly — with an indication of where the ship will sail. The head of the operation (OSC) can continuously see all the participating ships’ planned search patterns and have an overview of the areas that are wanted. The No-go Area solution displays ‘no-go’ areas based on the vessel’s draft, tides, weather and detailed depth data sent to the ship for viewing directly on the navigation display which can be seen as depth contours adapted to each ship. The development work on e-navigation is not just technical — it also requires the political acceptance from a number of stakeholders. This is where the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Association of Marine Aids-to-Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), and International Hydrographic Ofﬁce (IHO) are developing the worldwide standards and guidance on how e-navigation should evolve. They each look at how much information can be shared, the infrastructure of the data exchange, who can access information and how to resolve questions about the standards, responsibilities, and access to the information. ‘One of the major discussion points has been exchanging routes. On one hand, there are beneﬁts for ships to know each other’s routes for collision avoidance. On the other hand, ship’s routes are considered as commercially sensitive information,’ says Mr Christensen. ‘As a compromise, the IMO has therefore decided to limit the exchange of routes for ships in the immediate area where the information is current with respect to navigation planning and collision avoidance.’

The IMO is expected to agree on an implementation plan for e-navigation this autumn, and e-navigation itself is expected to be implemented globally during 2018 or 2019. While IMO, IALA and IHO provide a framework for e-navigation, it is up to national maritime administrations to develop software, test systems and technical standards. As such, the DMA has been heavily involved in the development of e-navigation software and solutions, along with Norway, Sweden and South Korea. The latter, for example, is said to have allocated US$200m for the development of e-navigation, an indication of how large equipment manufacturers such as Hyundai expect the market to become. E-navigation will be an ongoing process where more and more equipment onboard vessels over the next few years will be ready for the system, and it is anticipated that the prototype communications infrastructure for the e-navigation system — the so-called Maritime Cloud — will be completed by 2018. Mariners can therefore start to beneﬁt from the advantages of e-navigation as it becomes widespread. ‘The most important thing is that the solutions will actually work on the ships, particularly that they are suited to the needs of the navigator, whilst recognising the need to support other stakeholders in the maritime and logistics world,’ says Mads Bentzen Billesø, a master mariner who has been associated with the development of e-navigation for over six years.

view all of the solutions, watch the ACCSEAS films, I download the leaflet and register for the free-to-attend Visit the ACCSEAS website www.accseas.eu to

conference. Contact the ACCSEAS communications officer: georgina.button@gla-rrnav.org or visit ACCSEAS at SMM Hamburg: Hall A1, Stand 520.

20_accseas_SR edit.indd Sec2:20

20/08/2014 15:32

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

A virtual time-bomb J

Shipping is years behind other industries in protecting itself against the threat of ‘cyber-attack’ — and it needs to act urgently to close the security gaps, a conference heard last month. Highly skilled hackers have repeatedly shown their ability to penetrate computer systems on land, and owners and operators could be jeopardising the seaworthiness of their ships if they fail to take adequate precautions to reduce such risks and hacking and malware, the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) seminar was warned. Navigation and propulsion systems, cargo handling and container tracking systems, and shipyard inventories and automated processes are all vulnerable, the meeting heard. Sadie Creese, professor of cyber security at Oxford University, said the problem is ‘rife and growing’ and is of particular importance to the maritime sector because of the range of assets, systems, sub-systems and data within the industry. ‘The diversity and scale of systems, the movement and mobility of assets and the complexity of communications make it a real challenge,’ she added. SAMI’s maritime director, Steven Jones, told delegates that shipping had been given ‘an incredibly slow wake-up call’ about the dangers — with ﬁlms such as Superman III, Speed 2 and Hackers all including cyberattacks on tankers within their plots.

SAMI’s maritime director Steven Jones

‘The idea has been around for a while, but a triple-whammy of ignorance, incompetence and arrogance means that the threat has been ignored,’ he added. ‘We have gone through so many challenges and demands, such as green regulations, pirates and terrorists, that this is almost seen as one step too far after all that.’ The nature of the threat may have been shrugged off because of a belief that ‘it will not happen to me’ and because shipping is a somewhat hidden industry and hackers have not realised the potential it offers. But, Mr Jones warned, it’s now time to ‘wise up’. In fact, he pointed out, there is evidence that the threat has already materialised — with hackers managing to inﬁltrate the cargo tracking system at the port of Antwerp as part of a drug smuggling operation.

The maritime community could take some lessons from corny Hollywood movies in waking up to the growing cyber-threat to shipping, experts say. ANDREW LININGTON reports…

Despite the reality of the risk, a European study had confirmed the sector’s vulnerability — with problems including low or even nonexistent awareness, few ‘best practice’ strategies and little identification of critical assets. The EU Agency for Network and Information Security Awareness (ENISA) report had called for a holistic, risk-based approach to be taken by the sector, including identification of all critical assets, better information exchange and streamlined maritime governance. And the scale of the threat is increasing all the time, Mr Jones stressed. Broadband internet, automatic transmission, software updates, chart corrections, e-mail, the use of USB sticks, integrated systems, and growing reliance upon sensors all add to the risk. ‘Shipping is struggling to cope with the challenges that it knows about, and the cyberthreat terrifies me as a former mariner,’ he added. ‘There really is a cyber-storm coming over the horizon and I don’t see anyone battening down the hatches effectively at the moment.’ As well as better practical and

Cyber-security should be included within the ISM code , experts argue, and there should be onboard drills for the loss of GNSS and other key systems

pragmatic physical barriers against cyber-threats, Mr Jones said the industry must do more to ensure that ship staff understand the vulnerabilities. But he questioned whether seafarers are being given sufﬁcient training to deal with the problem and suggested that there is a need to ensure more ‘IT-savvy’ personnel onboard — with DP operators providing a model for ‘a new way of navigating and power management at sea’.

David Patraiko, director of projects with the Nautical Institute, outlined the scope of the challenge — with complex onboard systems covering such aspects as navigation,

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command and control, engineering, cargo, communications, administration, maintenance,

David Patraiko, director of projects with the Nautical Institute

and social and education. Issues to be addressed include controls over user access, network access and disaster recovery, he said, and the threat is growing in complexity because of the increasing connectivity between different systems onboard. Feedback from members had included one case in which an officer had downloaded infected files and folders carried over from his previous vessel, contaminating the ship’s computers and cutting off all communications. Archives were lost, and ECDIS and digital publications had to be downloaded again after re-formatting the computers. Mr Patraiko said better security could be achieved by segmenting the onboard network into a minimum of three or four elements covering ‘domestic’ and personal use, ‘business’ and administration, control systems and security on passenger vessels. While there are some emerging standards for bridge equipment, he said ‘best practice’ could be improved with the use of firewalls, stand-alone systems and unique USB device interfaces or CDs. Cyber-security should be included within the ISM Code and addressed within safety management systems — with onboard drills for the loss of GNSS and other key systems.

not address cyber risks, Mr Fitzmaurice said. The maritime sector needs to take a multi-layered approach to the problem, he argued, and must make much better analysis of data and shared information on threats. William Maclachlan, a partner with the law ﬁrm Holman Fenwick Willan, said the cyberthreat to shipping could include operational disruption and deviating ships from their course, the theft of information and tracking by AIS, as well as attempts to steal a cargo or cause an incident. Although there is no case law yet, the issue of seaworthiness is a real one and shipowners would need to mount a defence of ‘due diligence’ if they were to be successful if claims are brought, he added. ‘The legal risks also include claims for negligence and breach of contract,’ Mr Maclachlan pointed out, ‘and the best defence is having a cybersecurity plan and being able to demonstrate that the risks have been assessed.’

Andrew Fitzmaurice, CEO with the cybersecurity ﬁrm Templar Executives, explained that the risks associated with cyber-crime in the maritime sector include the use of containers to smuggle drugs, weapons or people, using a ship as a weapon or as a means of disrupting infrastructure, attacking a vessel to cause human casualties, and using funds from shipping to support terrorist organisations. The impact on global trade could be huge, he pointed out. One study had suggested that 16 of the world’s top 20 ports were vulnerable to attack, and while many had sophisticated security plans, they often did

The outcome of a cyberattack in shipping could be ‘catastrophic’, warned Stephen Wares, from the insurance specialists Marsh. The threats could include loss of life, pollution, collisions and repairs, he pointed out. While traditional marine insurance policies usually contain many exclusions for loss or damage caused by cyberattacks, specialist new schemes are being introduced Mr Wares said the industry could be accused of relying on luck and a lack of motivation in their response to the cyberthreat. But, he warned, with the potentially huge consequences of a successful attack there is a real risk that such an approach could be judged as gross negligence. SAMI CEO Peter Cook said the shipping industry needs to ‘wake up to the threat’ and he would be setting up a special working group to help the sector improve its practices. ‘We are breaking new ground here, but it is critical that we do this as 90% of everything moves by sea,’ he added.

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20/08/2014 17:14

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

SEAFARER TAXES

The campaign continues Picture: Danny Cornelissen

Nautilus has campaigned for many years to protect the special income tax concessions for UK seafarers from repeated attacks by politicians and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), and in June 2012 the Telegraph reported the successful outcome of two judicial reviews pursued by Nautilus, with professional support from Seatax Ltd, on behalf of two members who had been told they did not qualify for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction (SED). Both members had their claims for SED rejected by HMRC on the grounds that they did not meet the ‘days of absence’ conditions to qualify for the concession. The Union and Seatax were certain as to the legitimacy of the claims, as since 2000 they had been in dispute with HMRC over why the ‘days of absence’ calculations previously acceptable to HMRC now failed to meet the conditions to qualify. In fact, the Revenue was no longer following its own

published documentation of 1987, 1991 and 1993, specifically aimed at seafarers who were eligible or potentially eligible for SED. It was instead now following the conditions set out in a letter they had sent in 1980 to a firm of chartered accountants, within which they stated a ‘day of absence’ was one where the seafarer was on a ship ‘bound for a foreign port’, a qualification absent from their own publications. Seatax MD Ben Byrne resolved that they had no option but to have HMRC brought before the courts, and approached Nautilus. ‘We had followed HMRC published guidance correctly,’ he said. ‘They refused to explain how an unpublished letter from 1980 could take precedence over their own guidelines published much later. We even provided documented communications dated after 1980 which were similar if not the same as the letter upon which they now placed so much significance, where they had agreed claims

Nautilus has been appealing for clarification on entitlements to tax concessions for UK seafarers. Senior policy advisor PETER McEWEN looks at the latest developments… submitted in accordance with their later published guidelines.’ Nautilus took the decision to go to the high court to seek a judicial review of the position taken by HMRC. At the time I was deputy general secretary, and along with lawyers instructed for the Union and professional support from Seatax, pursued the case which eventually went to a court hearing. The Union emerged victorious with a ruling that the members had been eligible for the relief. In his 24-page judgement Mr Justice Wyn Williams said that HMRC ‘would remain bound by the content of their published documentation until they had

given notice to all seafarers potentially able to claim SED that the concession was to be withdrawn or altered’, and such notice ‘could be given only if there was a publication in some form to the whole class of potentially eligible taxpayers.’ He went on to say he agreed with the stated position of HMRC that ‘if a taxpayer has acquired a legitimate expectation that he is entitled to the beneﬁt of a particular concession he also has a legitimate expectation that such concession will not be withdrawn retrospectively and that any withdrawal will be managed fairly’. Nautilus, together with Seatax,

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

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

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

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

22_sed_SR edit.indd Sec2:22

has continued to monitor HMRC publications with regard to ‘days of absence’ and the judgement. This included dealing with HMRC correspondence to individual members which contradicted the court judgement. After much pressure the Union now has a HMRC letter of 14 February 2014 which goes some way to dealing with the issues raised by Mr Justice Wyn Williams which remained outstanding.

HMRC now states that it will accept SED claims up to and including the tax year 2013/14 already received under its published guidelines regarding the definition of a day of absence from the UK but will not accept any new claims for the earlier years in question or future years which are made after the date of their letter. Most SED claims will remain valid in any event and members should continue to submit them as before. However, the judgement provides for the legitimate entitlement to claim SED under the published guidelines of HMRC until they are amended in accordance with the court judgement. Future claims will be at a disadvantage if it is accepted that recent HMRC announcements have now ended seafarers’ legitimate expectations. As such the Union continue to press HMRC to follow the court judgement and properly publish any proposed changes in policy. With the help of Seatax, Nautilus has continued to press for the special tax arrangements for seafarers, brought in by several governments, to be defended, and indeed, enhanced. This is a campaign which we will continue to fight for the benefit of members and the industry as a whole.

Since their introduction in 1977, tax allowances had been given to seafarers on condition that at least once in a tax year they carried out their duties on a voyage that began or ended outside the UK. In determining whether a seafarer was technically ‘absent’ from the UK or its territorial waters on any particular day, HMRC had, for many years, told seafarers that they could qualify for ‘a day of absence’ from the UK even if their ship left a British berth before midnight and if their voyage did not take in a foreign port. Revenue guidance in the 1980s stated that a day of absence was counted as any day that the

seafarer was outside of the UK at the end of the day (midnight) and that a voyage which did not extend to a foreign port may still count towards a day of absence ‘depending on the vessel’s position at midnight in relation to UK territorial waters’. This was known as the ‘broad concession’. But in 2000, the Revenue told Seatax that it would only count days of absence from the UK for seafarers who were on ships bound for an overseas port. ‘The intention is that the vessel leaves the berth and immediately sails for a foreign port,’ it stated. This policy was known as the ‘middle concession’. A judicial review was brought by Nautilus which argued that HMRC had failed to properly inform seafarers that there had been a change in policy. Nautilus said that the claims from members were based on a ‘legitimate expectation’ to gaining the relief. But HMRC argued that the two ofﬁcers were ineligible because they had been serving on ships that were not bound for foreign ports. Nautilus lawyers countered that the members had ‘reasonably relied’ on the tax authorities’ published policy and that HMRC had acted unlawfully when it disallowed their claims. Mr Justice Wyn Williams said it had been impossible to determine the extent to which the Revenue had publicised its policy change in 1980 or in the decade after that. Formal guidance issued in 1991 contained ‘an unequivocal statement’ of the broad concession — which was reinforced by its ‘Blue Book’ document in 1996. The judge said there was no evidence that between 1996 and the 2006/7 tax year the Revenue had published a document aimed at eligible seafarers that sought to revoke or alter the effect of the broad concession or to suggest that the blue book had been superseded. He said he was satisﬁed that the Revenue had taken ‘no effective step after 1993 to inform seafarers potentially eligible for FED/SED that the broad concession contained within the blue book was no longer operative and that seafarers should no longer rely on it’.

f Members who have been on

voyages which would beneﬁt from the ‘broad concession’ referred to above — but not the ‘middle concession’ — but have had claims rejected by HMRC, should send contact details, including their membership number, to SED@nautilusint.org

20/08/2014 17:55

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

NAUTILUS AT WORK

RFA future develops A series of ship visits to meet members began last month to discuss pay and new structures within the RFA. The RFA Future Development programme was one of the hot topics for discussion...

Nautilus members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are poised to vote on a package of changes to their employment structures and the latest pay deal. Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard, the ofﬁcial responsible for the RFA, and Russell Downs, the Nautilus full-time RFA liaison representative, have been visiting ships to discuss the Future Development programme which will see incremental rates within ranks based on length of service awards being scrapped and replaced with a three-step progression based on skills, experience and competency. Mr Havard is calling on all members to attend these meetings where possible — but also to ensure that the Union is aware of their individual concerns so that these can be fed back during negotiations. ‘I have already attended a number of visits with members and there is deﬁnitely strength of feeling that they want to see real increases to their terms and conditions,’ said Mr Havard. ‘Members are telling me that they are feeling increasingly demoralised by the cuts to their terms and conditions and they have seen too many colleagues leave recently. ‘I am keen to hear from as many members as possible to ensure that the representative body members and I can work towards securing the best possible deal for RFA members, both in terms of pay and a new structure.’ Mr Havard is also encouraging members to stand with the Union, voice their opinions and not to feel apathetic about

the current negotiations. ‘When the pay offer and the proposed changes to conditions are put out for consultation to RFA members, it is vital that as many members as possible cast their vote,’ he pointed out. ‘Members will be asked to vote on the new proposals as a whole, but there will be opportunities to feed back on any speciﬁc areas of concern.

“

If every member speaks to just two non-members then we could cover the entire RFA…

”

‘If every member votes and gives us speciﬁc feedback on what they do, or do not agree with, the representative body and I can go back to management with a strong mandate on what members really want. If all members vote, then we show RFA management that we are still engaged in our workplace and want the best for us and all our colleagues.’ As well as encouraging current members to participate in the consultation, Mr Havard is asking members to try to recruit as many colleagues as possible so that more RFA staff can have their say on the future of the organisation.

The RFA is equipped to support the Armed Forces in a wide variety of frontline operations and can be ready to assist anywhere around the world at very short notice

‘Colleagues may have left the Union because of the attacks on pay and conditions in the past, but re-joining now means that we can work as hard as possible to restore these benefits which all will benefit from,’ he added. ‘There may also be colleagues who have never joined the Union because no one has ever asked them. Talk to colleagues and explain to them that the pay and conditions fight-back starts now and the more people that join, the stronger we can fight. ‘If every member speaks to just one or two non-members and gives them an application form, then we could cover the entire RFA,’ Mr Havard added. ‘The more personnel we represent, the stronger our bargaining position will be.’ A bulletin will be sent out to all members giving full details of the final proposed changes to the terms and conditions and the proposed pay increase as soon as the RFA has confirmed the details. Mr Havard and Mr Downs will be continuing their round of ship visits through the month and also hope to be meeting with RFA management to discuss the offer.

f Members who cannot attend one of the organised ship visits can email jhavard@nautilusint.org with questions, opinions or concerns about the new structure and pay offer. f Membership forms and recruitment leaﬂets are available from Nautilus head ofﬁce and non-members can join online at www.nautilusint.org or by calling +44 (0)151 639 8454.

National secretary Jonathan Havard and Nautilus / RFA liasion representative Russell Downs visiting the Fort Rosalie as part of a series of ship visits to discuss terms and conditions

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary forward repair ship Diligence took part in an exercise in the Gulf in December 2013 which demonstrated the heavy duty engineering work that can be undertaken at sea by the RFA

What does the RFA of the future look like? 10 years ago but are only just in the process of being formally presented I to members. The current Future Development proposals will introduce a threeThe latest changes to RFA terms and conditions were first proposed over

stage progression within each rank. C: Competent the entry level grade within any rank. Someone able to perform the tasks expected of that rank competently but still developing wider skills and experience. B: Practitioner a person comfortable with the role and duties they are expected to undertake across the full range of activity, ship type and operational tempo. A: Advanced the top level personnel within their rank. These people are able

23_rfa.indd 23

to undertake their role in demanding situations as well as helping to develop and manage others within an appointing cluster or core team. They will normally be ready for promotion and any temporary acting opportunities will be selected from these individuals. In order to progress through this new structure, individuals will need to demonstrate achievement in three areas: z skill competences, gained through undertaking courses z experience development, normally gained by working on different ship types and different operations, including undertaking shoreside jobs z performance competency, a level of work-related performance which develops and delivers new skills

RFA staff will be provided with their personal grading once the unions have agreed to the implementation of the new system. However, due to the varying pay grades which exist in the current system, the RFA will be allowing a period of time to achieve full implementation of the scheme. This period will allow personnel to undertake any training or development they need to fulfil the requirements of the top grade. This means that no members would suffer a loss of money due to being a B or C grade in this time. Once the final details of the new structure have been confirmed, they will be put out to consultation with members. The eventual vote for accepting the new structures will be combined with the vote for accepting any pay deals, as they will be presented by management as one complete package for the future.

20/08/2014 17:15

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

MARITIME LAW

European shipowners have got it all wrong, say the unions; instead of challenging the Jones Act and pressing for permission to trade in US waters, we should be introducing similar provisions favouring EU operators and seafarers at home...

There’s a tried and tested way in which to protect national shipping and maritime skills from unfair foreign competition — and European seafaring unions have urged EU policy-makers to look across the Atlantic to see how to do it. But as top-level transatlantic trade talks got under way last month, European shipowners cranked up the pressure against the so-called Jones Act, which has helped to safeguard US domestic shipping services for almost a century. Maritime services were on the agenda at the latest round of negotiations on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement, which covers issues including trade barriers, technical regulations, standards and approval procedures, as well as access to markets for services and public procurement. European shipowners have the Jones Act in their sights — and called for the negotiations to end the restrictions on access the US cabotage trades, giving foreign operators the opportunity to run ships on routes around the country. But unions warned the EU not to pursue the owners’ ‘profit-driven agenda’ — and instead to take ‘inspiration from a regulatory framework which has proved invaluable to protect national seafaring jobs and secure a vibrant and prosperous maritime cluster’. Established in 1920, the US Merchant Marine Act — commonly referred to as the Jones Act — aims to safeguard the nation’s merchant fleet and maritime skills base by requiring cargoes carried by water between two points in the US to be transported by US-built, US-flagged, and at least 75% US-crewed vessels. US seafaring unions say there is a good reason why it remains a cornerstone of the country’s maritime policy — there is no other measure that does more to protect and strengthen the nation’s economic, military and homeland security. They contend that the Jones Act helps to safeguard around half a million US jobs associated with the construction and operation of ships operating under its umbrella. The Act also ensures a ‘core capability’ of US maritime skills and seafarers in time of war or other international emergency, they argue. A former commander in chief of the US Transportation Command, General Tony Robertson, stated in 1999: ‘You need to know that my bottom line is: the Jones Act is a proven performer that supports both our nation’s military security and its economic soundness. I can’t put it any simpler than that.’ But — as the TTIP talks show — the Jones Act is facing increasingly

intense pressure, both within the US and from outside the country. The regulations were at the heart of debates during the 2012 presidential and Congressional elections, and last month the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) said it wanted the transatlantic trade agreement to open up access to such areas as US container feeder trades, dredging and offshore services — and to give non-US operators a share of the carriage of US shale gas, crude oil shipments and the movement of empty containers around the country. ‘Whilst it is true that restrictions on pure domestic cargoes may not constitute a prime barrier to international maritime trade, the Jones Act does have implications for the delivery of international cargo,’ said ECSA secretary-general Patrick Verhoeven. ‘Today’s reality is that very often international cargo must be transhipped from one vessel to another, often smaller, vessel, in order to reach its end destination. Under the Jones Act, this “feedering” of international cargo is currently restricted. We would therefore welcome ways to grant full access for international carriers to engage in such operations as they do not constitute purely domestic operations.’ Earlier this year, the Washington-based Heritage Foundation added fuel to the fire when it published a research paper calling on the country’s politicians to ‘sink the Jones Act’ — describing the legislation as ‘blatant cronyism’ which increases costs, stifles competition and hampers innovation. It claimed that abolition of the Act would save the US economy more than $680m a year. US unions dismiss such attacks — pointing out that the ‘laissez-faire arguments of the Heritage Foundation ignore the fact that there is no level playing field in the maritime industry’. And the American Maritime Partnership (AMP) – whose 450-plus members include unions, owners, operators and ship builders – accused the Heritage Foundation of using ‘disingenuous and wrong’ back of the envelope calculations to support ‘one of the most inaccurate, error-filled and biased writings about the American maritime industry in recent memory’. But the unions are well used to what they describe as ‘continuous’ attacks on the Jones Act – with opponents often trying to link the legislation to disasters and national emergencies. For instance, during the BP oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Senator John McCain blamed shortcomings in the clean-up operation on the Jones Act – which was, the unions argue, completely unfounded. Although the US also suffers from low public awareness of the shipping industry, the Jones Act has been a political hot potato for many years, and

Bridge team members onboard one of the five Jones Act tankers operated by Crowley Maritime Picture: Brian Gauvin

24-25_spread2_SR edit.indd 24

US seafarers onboard the 48,633dwt double–hull tanker Sunshi

support and hostility to the measure comes from both sides of the political divide. And there is a strong industry coalition supporting the Act – including leading companies such as Horizon Lines, Matson Navigation and Floridabased Crowley Maritime. Crowley’s senior vice-president Mike Roberts told the Telegraph: ‘The Jones Act is something that companies, labour unions and shipbuilders all agree upon. It only makes sense to insist that domestic rules apply to domestic commerce. To put it another way, to waive the Jones Act and allow international rules to be used in domestic trades would be a radical change that no other American industry faces today. ‘Thanks to consistent and widespread support for the Jones Act, American entrepreneurs have had the conﬁdence to invest billions of dollars to renew and grow our domestic ﬂeet,’ he added. ‘This has led to a surge in American jobs building and operating all types of vessels, and managing the services they provide.’

Klaus Luhta, chief of staff with the Maryland-based International Masters Mates & Pilots (MMP) union says the owners’ support for the Act is no surprise. ‘It is the lifeblood of their business,’ he points out. ‘Generally, non-American shipping companies who want unfettered access to our market are behind the effort, in conjunction with large American corporations that care more about spreadsheet numbers than a robust maritime labour pool. ‘If supporting our fledgling domestic maritime industry to ensure that national security is maintained in the form of highly trained mariners and available ship bottoms is cronyism, then they might be correct. The fact of the matter is that the Jones Act creates an economic impact in the US in the form of jobs, business, and tax revenue that cannot be replicated,’ he added: ‘It makes absolutely no sense from an economic standpoint to turn over the construction and operation of domestic vessels to foreign companies and foreign workers.’ Unions and owners alike point to the importance of the measure in maintaining a domestic maritime skills base. There are nearly 40,000 vessels in the Jones Act eligible fleet and these help to support neatly 500,000 jobs, the AMP says. Nine out of every 10 professional US mariners work in the domestic trades. Far from boosting the US economy, removing the regulations would cause huge economic and social damage, it adds. The jobs supported by the Jones Act generate more than US$92bn in economic output every year, it points out, and proposing its repeal ‘is the equivalent of allowing a manufacturing facility to operate on US soil with manpower provided by foreign workers and in accordance with foreign laws’. Supporting a strong domestic fleet also helps to ensure there are ships and seafarers available for military sealift during conflict or national emergencies, AMP stresses, and it has also ensured that the US has retained a modern shipbuilding industry. Having close control of the ships and seafarers running on domestic trades also provides important security and safety benefits, it says — quoting from a 2011 report by the Lexington Institute, which stated: ‘Were the Jones Act not in existence, the Department of Homeland Security would be confronted by the difficult and very costly task of monitoring, regulating, and overseeing all foreign-controlled, foreign-crewed vessels in internal US waters.’ Mr Lutha says EU owners are off-course in their attempts to attack the Act. ‘The EU is already one of the largest trading partners of the US,’ he points out. ‘Jones Act cargoes account for less than 3% of US trade. It is not necessary to provide the EU Jones Act waivers when it already benefits so

20/08/2014 17:56

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME LAW

American Petroleum Tankers has four 50,000dwt vessels on order Picture: NASSCO

‘No evidence’ for fall in innovation

unshine State Picture: Crowley Maritime

ical ing daThe s all to ow nge eris to e in ing

nal for nts red rge an a hat and t of the he urn pae in ves00 k in uld the r, it nuign ips merda stic uotthe d be ng, nal the he not s so

maritime unions — they are also lobbying hard to protect a wide range I of further support measures for domestic shipping. Fighting to defend the Jones Act is not the only campaign issue for US

They are particularly concerned at attempts to cut the Maritime Security Programme, which provides financial aid for strategically useful merchant ships, and moves to allow foreign ships to carry aid cargoes under the US Food for Peace Programme. However, their efforts have received a welcome recent boost with moves to introduce new legislation to increase the amount of cargo transported on US ships. The ‘Growing American Shipping Act’ would ‘promote the revitalisation of the US shipping industry through the export of liquefied natural gas’. The bill would update existing law which authorises the US secretary of transportation to develop and implement a programme to promote the transportation of imported LNG on US-flag vessels and give top priority to the processing of licenses for LNG import facilities that will use US-flag vessels. robustly from the trade relationship. If the US caves on the Jones Act requirements it is a one-sided benefit to the EU and concomitantly a onesided detriment to the US maritime industry. This hardly seems like a trade partnership.’ The ETF echoes this point, expressing concern about EU attempts to include maritime services in the TTIP discussions. It appealed to the negotiators to categorically reject any waivers or exceptions to the Jones Act. Undermining the protection given by the legislation would not only threaten US seafarers’ jobs but would also be unlikely to benefit EU seafarers, it argued. Instead of seeking to attack the ‘fully justified’ Jones Act rules, the EU ought to come up with a similar policy package to protect European shipping, the ETF said. ‘Introducing a level playing field for shipboard conditions in the intra-Community trades would help to stop the downward spiral in salaries and the discriminatory practices based on the nationality and/or place or residence of seafarers,’ it added.

“

It makes L absolutely no sense from an economic standpoint to turn over the construction and operation of domestic vessels to foreign companies and foreign workers

”

Opponents of the US Jones Act argue that the regulations have stifled innovation and investment in the nation’s shipping industry. But unions and owners point to a recent surge in orders for new tonnage to operate in Jones Act trades — many of which include cutting-edge design and technology. The orders are set to deliver a huge boost to US seafarer employment and training. The US Department of Labour statistics show that there were more than 81,000 water transportation jobs in the country in 2012 — and the total is expected to grow by some 13% by 2022. A lot of the orders have been spurred by the shale gas business, with natural gas output in the US — the world’s largest producer — at its highest point for more than 40 years. ‘In 2013, US shipyards entered into contracts for hundreds of new vessels, including the construction of state of the art oil tankers and first-in-the-world LNG-powered containerships,’ the American Maritime Partnership points out. Some of the notable orders include two 3,100TEU dual-fuel containerships for delivery in 2015 and 2016 for TOTE Inc, which runs services between the US mainland and Puerto Rico and Alaska. The double-hulled ships will have an operating speed of 22 knots and will run on fuel oil or gas derived from LNG. Matson Navigation has also recently ordered two new dual-fuel containerships for its West Coast to Hawaii service, at a cost of US$418 m. Due for delivery in 2018, the 3,600TEU vessels will be the largest Jones Act containerships ever constructed and are designed to operate at speeds in excess of 23 knots, while incorporating ‘green ship’ technology features such as a fuel efficient

The 3,600TEU containership ordered by Matson Navigation

hull design, double hull fuel tanks and fresh water ballast systems. Seacor Holdings has ordered two 50,000dwt product ‘LNG conversion-ready’ tankers, and American Petroleum Tankers has ordered four vessels of the same Eco MR design Florida-based Crowley Maritime has also ordered two ‘world first’ LNG-powered combination container ro-ro ships for delivery in 2017. The vessels will operate services to Puerto Rico and will have a capacity of around 2,400 TEUs and additional space for nearly 400 vehicles. Company chairman Tom Crowley said the orders were ‘clear evidence of our commitment to the US maritime industry and the Jones Act. American built, crewed and owned ensures US shipbuilding capabilities, skilled US merchant seamen, and available domestic vessel tonnage, all of which are of vital importance to our national defence’.

Dickinson: EU politicians need action not words their merchant ships and seafarers, they need to I follow the example set by the United States, says Nautilus

If European governments are serious about protecting

general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘We hear lots of words from politicians on this side of the Atlantic about the importance of shipping and seafarers, but if they are to genuinely demonstrate a desire to protect the maritime sector it has to be done with action rather than words,’ he says. Mr Dickinson said a European version of the Jones Act would help to provide much-needed protection for shipping services between EU member states. ‘There is a strong case for excluding unfair foreign competition from intra-EU trades,’ he adds. ‘Why should we be allowing developing nation wages and working conditions onboard vessels running within European waters?’

Successive US presidents from both sides of the political divide have endorsed the Jones Act, Mr Dickinson noted. ‘The measure taps into the US psychology and reflects a strategic vision and determination,’ he adds. ‘In the same way that our country would see it as strategically unwise to have an energy policy entirely dependent on Russian gas, we should also see it as unwise to have a shipping policy that could eventually be entirely dependent on flag of convenience shipping,’ he says. Mr Dickinson recently visited the US to attend the annual conference of the US Masters, Mates & Pilots union and discussed the importance of the Jones Act during his trip. ‘It is interesting to note that many of the attacks on the Jones Act come from outside the US — often from foreign interests who simply want a slice of the action,’ he adds. ‘I think that tells you everything you need to know about it…’ The dual-fuel 3,100TEU Jones Act containership order by TOTE Maritime

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20/08/2014 17:16

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

MEMBERS AT WORK Time on a sail training ship can sharpen your seafaring skills and broaden your horizons, says Nautilus member STEPHANIE WELFORD, who took part in last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tall Ships Races with JST...

Volunteering for adventure M

What is the deďŹ nition of a tall ship? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It has to have three masts, all of which must have square-rigged sailsâ&#x20AC;Ś Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a schooner, a brig, that oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a barque, then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s barquentines, and brigantinesâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; explained the bosunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mate of the Jubilee Sailing Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tall ship Tenacious. We stood on a small bridge over one of the pretty waterways that passes through the bustling Dutch harbour town of Harlingen, admiring the German-built topsail schooner Avatar. I had never before considered the deďŹ nition of the word ship, even having just completed three yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; training in the Merchant Navy, 12 months of which were served on various motor vessels of a different deďŹ nition! Now I stood amongst hundreds of the most beautiful and majestic tall ships I have ever seen, all here in the stunning Frisian harbour town proudly hosting the beginning of the Tall Ships Races 2014. I felt incredibly lucky and privileged to have this opportunity. Only days away, these sailing vessels would be setting off on leg one of their journey, which would take them to Fredrikstad in Norway, followed by leg two to Bergen, and ďŹ nally ending up in Ejsberg. I grew up in the small seaside town of Sidmouth in Devon. My father, Jon Welford, was a chief ofďŹ cer with Shell Tankers and has always owned and sailed boats,

Stephanie and colleagues change a topsail on the Tenacious in Harlingen

having learnt through his father Harry. There is a strong seafaring tradition in my ancestry. My Norwegian great-grandfather Sverre Hjersing worked as a marine surveyor, including the many whaling factory ships. My

grandfather Harry trained on the MN training ship HMS Worcester and took a degree in engineering at Durham University before digressing to the RAF during the war. He owned several boats â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including a Yachting World ďŹ vetonner Joelle, now treasured by

my uncle â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and built several dinghies. This hobby clearly also inďŹ&#x201A;uenced my father, who built a Mirror dinghy at school and, when I was born, a Scorpion which he named Stridor. Then I have my uncle Stuart, who worked as an engineer for the RNLI in Poole. His son Tim, who joined the Royal Marines, rowed across the PaciďŹ c and the Atlantic and now works for the company PVI guarding merchant vessels against piracy. And my antipodean uncle Michael was a Commander in the Royal Australian Navy on minesweepers and also served as a clearance diver. My own interest in seafaring began when I was about ďŹ ve. As a family we would go on sailing adventures, starting with anchorages in Brixham where I learnt to swim, deposited overboard with a fender tied to my waist! Now 20 years later I have enjoyed many summers cruising the south west coastline of England and the Channel Islands, exploring almost every inch, with our favourite destination the Isles of Scilly. At school I had no other intention than to go to university. I thought it had to be done and I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really considered a career at sea until I had completed a degree in drawing and applied arts at Bristol UWE, felt uninspired to ďŹ nd work in this ďŹ eld and began part-time work in administration for a local charity. I heard of the Ship Safe Training Group and the opportunity

Wheelchair users can climb the rigging onboard the Tenacious

to train at sea whilst getting paid, applied and a year later had been offered sponsorship with Global Marine Systems to study a foundation degree in marine operations at Warsash â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the same college my father had attended â&#x20AC;&#x201D; beginning in September 2010. I packed up and drove myself there and, after a fairly nervous beginning, was soon off on my ďŹ rst trip to sea â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to the Philippines. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t travelled abroad very often before this and it was a whole new world to me. Here, I spent ďŹ ve months on the cable repair vessel Cable Retriever and was stunned by the work they do. Having never really heard of the Philippines much before, and having no knowledge of underwater ďŹ bre-optic cables, this felt like the opportunity of a lifetime. Since then, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had the privilege of travelling to places such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Curacao in the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Azores and Belgium. Repairing submarine cables became particularly interesting when working in 6,000m of water in the midAtlantic dodging force 12 storms.

The Tenacious was purposebuilt with the help of mixed ability volunteers and launched in 2000 speciďŹ cally to enable disabled crew to enjoy sail training; as such, it is ďŹ tted with evacuation hoists, wheelchair lifts and a talking compass. After the initial voyage crew brieďŹ ng and various training drills, the crew are able to learn seamanship, and I was given the 8-12 and 12-4 day watch. The voyage crew have a buddying system whereby the able bodied can help the disabled. They are also allocated watch patterns so they can rotate between forward starboard and port watches, and aft starboard and port watches, and take turns in mess duties as well as helm and lookout on the bridge deck. There is also happy hour, which involves scrubbing the decks and cleaning.

On the Sunday after leaving the berth we motored to an anchorage off Portsmouth where I was in charge of setting anchor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a great chance

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I qualiďŹ ed in January 2014 as an OOW unlimited, but there were no vacancies with GMS. However, I persevered, and a few interviews later, considering everything from superyachts to cruise liners, I have my ďŹ rst choice of employment with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as a third ofďŹ cer, where I really look forward to furthering my qualiďŹ cations. This is also when I heard of the Jubilee Sailing Trust. I had little knowledge of the fantastic work this charity does, but gained the offer of a trip onboard Tenacious as supernumerary OOW sailing from Southampton to Harlingen. To join Tenacious on Saturday 28 June, I sailed with my father from Seaton to Southampton and was able to track its port of call through the wonders of Marine TrafďŹ c AIS.

Vice Admiral Matthieu Boorsboom of the Royal Dutch Navy, which assisted with the Tall Ships Races Picture: Dorus Breidenbach

20/08/2014 15:34

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MEMBERS AT WORK

Do you want to join the crew? manager at the Jubilee C Sailing Trust, comments: ‘It’s good Andy Spark, ship operations

The Tenacious (right) with fellow Tall Ships Races participants at the start of the Harlingen to Fredrikstad leg

to put my training into practice and have control of the windlass. During this passage I was kitted up with a harness and commenced climbing straight up the ratlines and shrouds — deﬁnitely a highlight of the journey! Having a bit of rock climbing experience, including the Caminito Del Rey in Spain, I wasn’t too afraid of heights. However, being in the open sea with screaming winds and clinging to just a yard arm with a seemingly tiny footrope did make me hold on tight. The voyage crew also had a harness ﬁtting before learning to go aloft, climb the rigging and out to the yard arms. This involved a slightly more precarious manoeuvre of climbing outwards onto the ‘futtock shrouds’. Although clipped on, there were quite a few objections. From the platform you can then climb further up and out onto the yards clipped onto the jackstay. There was a great bunch of young voyage crew from various locations, including Scotland and Ireland, who were taking part in Leadership at Sea and Duke of Edinburgh awards, and who — after initial fears of climbing — were enjoying running up and down the masts and onto the bowsprits like nobody’s business for the rest of the voyage. We also received rope handling experience at the foremast in which we learnt the correct direction to coil and hang ropes from the pin, and their different uses including the halyards, clewlines, buntlines and sheets for setting and handing the sails. Having had no previous knowledge of tall ship sailing, this was again a totally new experience despite a sailing background and I found the immense number of ropes confusing. I gained great respect for the permanent crew’s ability. We learned to sweat and tail the rope, in which any slack is taken up before making fast to the pin.

On Monday we raised the anchor and everybody got involved in their watchkeeping duties. Unfortunately the winds were against us for most of the journey up the Dover Straits TSS towards Holland and along the Belgian coast. However, we did get a chance to brace the mainsails, which involves heaving the yard arms hard over to starboard or port, depending on the wind direction. Square setting is when the yards are perpendicular for running downwind. As well as requiring muscle, this task tested the crew’s vocal ability when the first in line on the rope shouts ‘two, six’ followed by everyone else replying ‘heave!’ We had fine weather for most of the voyage, with a racing pigeon that inhabited the vessel for company. I gave helm and lookout training to the watch taking part on the bridge deck and they kept a meteorological log. I tried to be a helpful assistant to the OOW, mainly by bringing tea and cakes to the bridge at smoko. My favourite report to bridge from the voyage crew was that ‘two stern vests’ had been sighted; he had apparently been told to say it and I later translated it to mean two vessels astern… I was also made to think twice on approach to Harlingen when I asked if the officer had noticed all the tall ships appearing on the horizon — to which the reply was ‘I think there may be some event going on…’ We had the experience of setting sail, which also succeeded in maintaining our ETA by sailing backwards. This became apparent when an oil rig seemed to be catching us up. With the help of a quick guide to tall ship sailing I observed and took part in sail setting when we lowered the t’gallants, upper and main topsails, and I learnt out of the hundreds of ropes which ones were the clewlines, buntlines, halyards and sheets.

I stood the watch on entry to the Wadden Sea and the approach to Harlingen, where we proceeded abaft the Royal Dutch Navy vessel Friesland, and followed the narrow and precarious channel along with the ferries navigating to the Frisian Islands and many partially submerged dredgers. I later learnt the seabed is constantly changing in this area and the channel has to be dredged frequently. Arrival into harbour saw greetings from what seemed like the entire population of north Holland lined up along the quayside with TV crews and a band playing James Bond style music from the decks of the tall ship Wylde Swan.

On the ﬁnal day onboard Tenacious, all hands were on deck to take part in the assisted climbs, where I helped to hoist wheelchair users up the masts and onto the platforms, where a great view of the harbour was enjoyed. I then helped to change a roller-furled topsail after which we proceeded to the crew parade, led directly in front by Lady Free of Norway’s crew, a convoy behind including a towed boat carrying a band, and a sea of marching sailors in uniform. Luckily we had the loudest of the young crew carrying the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s banner sing-

Stephanie (6th from right) with other ‘liaison officers’ at the Tall Ships Races, in front of the Russian vessel Mia Picture: Dorus Breidenbach

26-27_jst_captions updated.indd 27

ing ‘Everywhere we go, people always ask us….’ ending in ‘Mighty, mighty Tenacious!’ all the way which delighted the crowds lining the streets of Harlingen. During the parade someone also had the ingenious idea of slipping away and reappearing with an ice cream; it was a very hot day! After a breather came the crew party, free food, drinks, DJs, dance-offs and a mechanical bull ride. Later we enjoyed sunset over the mighty Kruzenshtern, music from a Pink Floyd tribute band at the central stage followed by magnificent firework displays on the decks of the Tenacious with a glass of red wine. With greetings for the relief chief officer, I would be sad to pack up and leave the

next day. I wasn’t at all jealous that the second officer would be jetting off to Antigua the next day to join the Lord Nelson as chief officer... Next day my adventure led me to be the liaison officer for the Santa Maria Manuela, a fourmasted gaff schooner, together with volunteer Henk Jukkema, a graphic designer and yacht deliverer. In the morning we welcomed the Commander of the Royal Dutch Navy, Vice Admiral Matthieu Borsboom, by helicopter onto the mv Friesland. This was followed by lunch with the Portuguese Captain António M. Correia de São Marcos on the Santa Maria Manuela in his luxurious saloon. I managed to have a tour of the mv Friesland and talk to the third officer on the bridge where she explained how everything is integrated — even the navigation lights are controlled by the same display as the ECDIS — followed by a roam of the magnificent Russian tall ship Mia. I was then transported to stay at the Maritime Academy, specifically aimed at teaching navigation on the inland waterways. The next day we completed paperwork for the Santa Maria Manuela and were again invited for lunch just before its departure for the race. With the officers and crew, we enjoyed steak and the amazing Portuguese dessert ‘Cream from Heaven’ which the captain assured me

he would post me the recipe for! After this we said farewell as all of the vessels proceeded in convoy to the beginning of leg one of the race. Spirits were lifted at the volunteers’ party in ‘Party Centrum Trebol’ with Indonesian cuisine and ﬁve more free drinks, speeches from the Major of Harlingen and the founder of J R Shipping, with each volunteer receiving a medal.

I finished my journey with a day to enjoy the sights of Harlingen, and explored the nearby village of Makkum. I was given kind hospitality from another volunteer; luckily again for me she had a palatial abode with her own jetty on the canal for a 70ft yacht which was currently racing to Norway with her husband, and I had my own floor with an en-suite! Everyone said I was very brave to volunteer for this event, but I really enjoyed my experience and I learned a lot. I think it definitely shows the benefits of pushing yourself to try something new and I hope it will encourage others to offer their skills and expertise for a good cause. I also learned how kind and friendly people I had never met before can be and the opportunities that can arise when you take the chance. Even if you have a great job with a shipping company, the Jubilee Sailing Trust can provide an excellent opportunity during leave to meet new people and learn new skills. Although

to hear that Stephanie enjoyed her experience with us and it’s great to get people involved in the magic of tall ship sailing that haven’t had this experience before. The JST is very grateful for all the support of our volunteers and without voluntary support from people like Stephanie, the Trust could not afford to exist. ‘We are always on the lookout for willing and keen volunteers, so if you would like to get involved and have experience of deck, engineering, medical or galley and are keen to help a unique maritime charity, please email ship.ops@ jst.org.uk or call + 44 (0)23 8044 3113. ‘We have many voluntary opportunities available, ranging from maintenance days, helping with dry-dockings, deck and engineering positions to even helping our technical management ashore. If you would like to make a positive difference to the lives of others and gain full sea time whilst doing so, please get in touch — we would really love to hear from you.’ you don’t get paid, all expenses are paid for and I have to say all of the permanent crew were fun and friendly people who I would love to work with again. It’s also another stamp in the discharge book... They don’t only look for people with maritime skills, such as the cooks onboard and the medical purser, and one way or another I look forward to another tall ship adventure!

The Jubilee Sailing Trust vessel Tenacious has a ‘voyage crew’ of ablebodied and disabled volunteers, who are led by certificated ships’ officers

20/08/2014 15:34

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

EMPLOYMENT LAW

My search for justice w

I am a seafarer — a medically-qualified one. In 2006, Fred Olsen Cruise Line was advertising for doctors. Over the next six years, I worked on all of their ships — doing more and more — to the point that in 2010, I gave up practising on land altogether. I had no salary but received a percentage of the fees paid by passengers for medical consultations. Sometimes my take-home was less than the UK minimum wage, but I did it for the perks: I was allowed to take my wife. In April 1912, after hitting an iceberg, RMS Titanic sank. Decades later, a smart travel agent hatched a scheme. On the centenary, he would hire a vessel, load it with the same number of passengers, and retrace Titanic’s route. The ship he chose was Olsen’s Balmoral. The highlight would be a memorial service over the exact spot where Titanic went down, exactly 100 years later. The doctor’s job was offered to me. It was transatlantic, so a second doctor was appointed. As we crossed the ocean for the centenary voyage, 10 April began with the morning clinic: routine until someone called Tim Rex came through the door. The BBC was filming the voyage; Tim was the cameraman. What followed had newspaper and television coverage all around the world. Mr Rex was more seriously ill than he imagined. My colleague and I had a facility whereby we could send electrocardiograms for consultant evaluation. Although we knew very well what it showed, we sent a tracing. Replies are generally brief; on this occasion a cardiologist phoned, asking how soon I could get Tim to a specialist hospital. The next port was six days away. Too long, the specialist said. Having requested helicopter evacuations many times before, I went straight to the bridge. I got a flat refusal: too far from land. The captain added that it would be possible to get within range, but not without turning the ship around, and he told me he was concerned that this would spoil the cruise. A man was in danger of losing his life. We, the doctors, felt we should make the company medical officer aware of this. We hospitalised Mr Rex onboard the Balmoral. Some hours later, one of Tim’s colleagues came to see him ‘before they fly him off the ship’. I explained that Tim was not being flown anywhere but it was okay for them to have a chat. I then called the captain and asked whether there was any truth in what I’d just heard. He refused to say and slammed the phone down. Later, the public address announced that due to a medical emergency, Balmoral would be turning around — but that this should not affect the Titanic memorial service. Tim Rex was helicoptered away. The captain was hailed as a hero and the Titanic service went ahead as planned. Then, humiliations started to happen to me. Balmoral reached New York for a two-day stay. On one of those, I was rostered to remain onboard, but on the other, I was free. As crew, my immigration processing was done onboard. My wife, listed as a passenger, was processed in the terminal. I was surprised when security said I was not allowed to join my wife ashore — and was told that it was an order from the chief officer. I called him; he said he was busy and slammed the phone down. I called again, more persistent. He said I must wait until all the passengers had left. Realising that this could take hours, I was not happy, particularly as some crew had already gone ashore. I hung about until the passengers were gone.

A cruiseship doctor went to the High Court last month to settle a long-running ‘whistleblowing’ claim. Dr DAVID ALLAUN explains why he took his case to the highest levels…

claim: although I thought I was an employee, I was not. For each voyage, even when done back to back, I had a separate contract. I did not have continuous employment. However, Marlene explained that to bring a claim for whistleblowing, it is not necessary to be employed; any worker can do it. Legal action is expensive but there was legal insurance on our household policy. It was a year before we could get into court. As expected, the employment claims were dismissed. However, the whistleblowing survived. Olsen’s barrister argued that the whistleblowing had happened at sea, so a UK court did not have jurisdiction. The tribunal became a pre-hearing review over this question. We received the judge’s 17-page judgement after ﬁve weeks. The ﬁrst two-thirds of it appeared to be acceptance that an English court did indeed have jurisdiction. Then, he took a strange turn by saying that because I slept onboard a ship, that ship had thereby become my home. Mainly on the strength of this, he kicked my case out. The only home I have ever owned is in Manchester. I’ve paid rates and council tax on it for 45 years. It seemed strange that the judge deemed a ship I had been on for three weeks was now my home. The judgement was nonsensical. I decided to appeal. It was another nine months before I was able to get into the employment appeal tribunal in London, but a senior judge made short work of overturning the previous judgement.

One of the attractions of cruiseship work for Dr Allaun was that his wife could accompany him on voyages

I returned to the gangway but the story was the same: the chief ofﬁcer had not given consent. Once again, the phone was slammed down when I asked why. I called the captain and told him I was being detained against my wishes. He said there was a drill that I must attend; I informed him I had written permission to skip it. He hung up on me. I decided to inform head ofﬁce about the captain’s behaviour. I also compiled a report for the Designated Person Ashore (DPA), who is supposed to investigate problems that cannot be resolved onboard. The return to Southampton took nine days; I was hoping that during this time, my concerns would be addressed. I had been contracted to remain on Balmoral, to sail down to the Canaries, but my colleague was disembarking and I realised that I would now be

the sole doctor in an environment that had become very hostile. So I got off too. Once home, head ofﬁce asked if I was prepared to work the remaining contracted voyages, but my situation had not been resolved. Two weeks had elapsed since I’d sent my report about mistreatment onboard the Balmoral to the DPA, yet I’d heard nothing. After several requests, I received an email. It was a whitewash. It had reached the point where I needed to take my grievance to an employment tribunal, and to do this, one must ﬁle within three months of the incident concerned. Marlene Hession, a brilliant solicitor, took my case. With two days to spare, the forms were in. Marlene quickly brought me down to earth about my chances of success with the employment

Six months later, we returned to the employment appeal tribunal. On the eve of the trial, my lawyers found a glitch. Whilst compiling the chronology, they had realised that by having the employment claim kicked out, the case now hinged on whistleblowing. This had happened earlier – only by a few days – so it now fell outside of the three-month filing window. If we got beyond the jurisdiction issue, it would inevitably fail on that simple technicality. My wife and I turned up at court to find the lawyers in earnest discussion. Olsen’s side knew about the glitch. They also warned that if we were to win, they would go to the Court of Appeal, where £40,000 is the starting point. Leaving aside the legal time-bomb, there was not enough insurance to cover the extra costs. There was no way we could go any further. Consequently, I accepted ‘an undisclosed sum’ to drop all charges. It has been two and half years; we have uncovered significant precedents. Charles Boyle from Nautilus has followed the case. He was present at the court and has shared our researches. I would like to hope they may pave the way for others. I don’t expect to return to sea, but if I did, one of the first things I would do would be to join Nautilus. Membership would have provided legal expertise and would have covered the costs. My experience has taught me that a subscription would be money well spent!

The challenge of legal jurisdiction comments: ‘Dr Allaun’s case throws up the familiar F issue of the extent of the extra-territorial jurisdiction of Charles Boyle, director of Nautilus legal services,

UK employment statutes — a problem which Nautilus faces in advising members on their claims. ‘Employment legislation will often prescribe criteria which, if met, will ensure that a seafarer on a UK ship is covered. However, case law has established that the legislation can also apply to seafarers serving on non-UK vessels, if their employment is “based” in the UK. ‘More recently, the UK Supreme Court held that an

28_dr A_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

employee should benefit from UK employment law if, on taking into account all the facts, the employee has a closer connection with UK law than the law of any other jurisdiction. The more cases come through the tribunals, the more guidance there is. ‘The Nautilus legal department was interested in this case because its outcome was likely to be relevant to members who wish to access the UK jurisdiction. Dr Allaun recognised this and kindly offered to share any more general beneficial outcome. Not only was Dr Allaun at a disadvantage due to the foreign elements in his

claim, he was subject to the added complication that, under his contractual arrangements with Fred Olsen, he was not an “employee” under UK employment law but, instead, a “worker”, to whom fewer employment rights apply (only an employee has the right not to be unfairly dismissed). ‘This case shows the importance of Union membership, through which seafarers can be advised and represented on issues such as employee/worker status, MLC compliant seafarer employment agreements and jurisdictional issues.’

The case has been a regrettable end to an enjoyable line of work for Dr Allaun

20/08/2014 15:33

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MEMBERS AT WORK

Charting the course of life Nautilus member Kevin Vallance didn’t start out with strong nautical ambitions, but his maritime career has gradually led him towards his destiny as a deepsea pilot and safety advocate, he tells SARAH ROBINSON

The Merchant Navy’s always been a good option for a Plan B. Everyone knows someone who turned to seafaring when their first career idea didn’t work out, and then discovered to their surprise that they had a great job, a chance to rise through the ranks and access to professional education. Just like Captain Kevin Vallance. When he was a lad in the early 1970s, he was pretty nifty with a football, but not quite nifty enough to make it as a professional footballer. ‘I wasn’t sure what else to do,’ he remembers. ‘I knew I wanted to leave school, but there weren’t many job opportunities where I lived in Derbyshire.’ Eventually, despite the fact that Kevin lived pretty far from the coast, seafaring emerged as an option. ‘My uncle was in the Royal Navy, so I knew it was possible to work at sea, but I actually found out about the Merchant Navy through my grandmother,’ he explains. ‘She had made a voyage on Shaw Savill Line’s Northern Star and often talked about it. I saw my opportunity to get away, and applied for a cadetship even before taking my O Levels.’ Kevin’s eagerness to get started meant that he was one of the youngest students at Warsash School of Navigation. ‘I hadn’t got a clue,’ he says ruefully. ‘I knew ships were metal and floated, but that was about it.’ The academic work at Warsash proved to be ‘really difficult’, but he stuck with it, and once he set off for his seatime onboard a Shaw Savill liner, he knew he’d made the right choice. ‘My first trip involved a flight to Trinidad and three weeks in port,’ he smiles. He found that the work onboard ship suited him too — ‘It was great!’ — and he progressed successfully through his cadetship, completing it in late 1977. Unfortunately, 1978 was arguably the worst year in the 20th century to try and get a job in the British shipping industry. ‘I wanted to stay deepsea and work my way up

your work, and asks for you by name at the pilot agency when they next return to Europe.’ Continuing his mission to improve maritime safety, he has joined specialist professional bodies including the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association, which has given him the opportunity to participate in initiatives such as the Anglo-French Safety of Navigation Group.

The Sand Serin, one of Kevin Vallance’s first vessels after joining South Coast Shipping in 1978

with someone like Shaw Savill,’ says Kevin, ‘but the industry collapsed and the jobs just weren’t there.’ Under the circumstances, he was relieved to find a position with the dredging firm South Coast Shipping, even though it was quite different to what he was used to. ‘One week I was a cadet within a big crew; the next I was a second officer on a dredger bridge by myself.’ Gone were the glamorous social life and the globetrotting, but Kevin was to discover an unexpected level of professional satisfaction in learning to navigate a particular coastal region, and he stayed in dredging for much longer than he had originally envisaged — not least because of the obvious advantages of coastal work over deepsea tours when it came to raising a family.

It also turned out that South Coast Shipping could offer more professional opportunities than Kevin had expected: ‘I didn’t think I’d be able to do my Master’s Unlimited with them, but that became an option after they built some larger ships.’ So in 1999 he returned to his studies at South Tyneside College, and it opened his eyes to an issue he hadn’t really considered before. Having become a coastal specialist with a ﬁne understanding of navigational hazards, Kevin was

On the Sand Tern: ‘Not bored, just tired!’

29_kevin v_SR edit.indd 29

taken aback by the wider industry’s cavalier attitude to the international collision regulations. ‘When I was at college studying for my Master’s, I realised how people are learning the Colregs for exams but don’t appreciate how to apply them correctly’, he explains. ‘Some aren’t even aware of how to keep a proper lookout.’ During the summer vacation of 1999, he says that the collision between the Ever Decent and Norwegian Decent perfectly illustrated the problem he had observed, and he was left with a strong desire to try and improve safety at sea. Soon after passing his Master’s Unlimited in 2003, Kevin applied to become a deepsea pilot. It was a role he had first seen in action when such pilots had been engaged by Shaw Savill to guide their liners through difficult coastal waters, and he knew he now had the knowledge to carry out this work in the North Sea and English Channel. Only shipmasters with command experience can apply to the licensing authorities to become deepsea pilots (which in the UK means Trinity House London, Hull or Newcastle). Applicants must then shadow an experienced deepsea pilot on several engagements, followed by an oral examination before a panel of the Elder Brethren. Happily, everything went smoothly for Kevin, and it was not long before he was able to take up work as a licensed deepsea pilot. Working through an agency — George Hammond in Dover — as is usual for this kind of work, he would be engaged for the European rotation schedule of a vessel. ‘I’d recommend deepsea pilotage to anyone with suitable qualifications and experience,’ he says. ‘There’s no paperwork; it’s all about driving the ship and making sure things are done correctly.’ You may not go all over the world, he adds, but the world comes to you, and he loves getting to know the crews and trying their food. ‘It’s so satisfying when a master from another culture appreciates and respects

In January 2010, he attended a meeting at the French coast guard station in Cap Gris Nez, where the agenda focussed on methods of improving safety of navigation in the Dover Straits trafﬁc separation scheme (TSS). ‘One proposal put forward was to impose a mandatory 12 knot

Kevin’s first day as captain of the South Coast Shipping vessel Sand Tern

speed limit for all vessels,’he recalls. ‘An independent study was carried out and a series of risk control options were suggested, including the development of a training aid on the lines of “TSS for Dummies”. Having frequently seen and heard procedures that were being carried out in an unsatisfactory way, I thought perhaps I could do that.’ Kevin approached the publisher Witherby and was engaged to carry out a review of their existing passage planning guide. This went so well that he was commissioned to write a brand-new guide — Rule 10 TSS — which has just been published. It’s quite an achievement for somebody who had a shaky start academically, and another good example of how the Merchant

Navy can bring out qualities in people that they wouldn’t have imagined when they were teenagers ﬂoundering around for their Plan B (or frankly, their Plan A, in the case of many of us). ‘I still wouldn’t say I’m academic,’ he says, ‘but I’ve found that I love writing, and I’m doing more and more.’ Another book is in the pipeline — Safe Embarkation & Disembarkation of Pilots – and he continues to take engagements as a deepsea pilot. ‘When I was 25 I wouldn’t have dreamt that I would still be at sea now, but in this career there are so many things you can try until you ﬁnd what’s right for you, even if that’s something you never expected.’ g Rule 10 TSS, by Kevin Vallance, is reviewed on page 33.

The Canadian PaciÀc Companies (Europe) Pension Plan

Have you lost your pension? The Trustees of the Canadian Pacific Companies (Europe) Pension Plan are currently trying to trace several members of the Plan with whom they have lost contact. If you worked for any of the Canadian Pacific Companies and believe you may be entitled to benefits from the Plan (and have not received any correspondence from the Plan in the last 6 months) please contact Punter Southall, the Plan’s administrators at the following address: Canadian Pacific Companies (Europe) Pension Plan c/o Punter Southall, Albion, Fishponds Road, Wokingham RG41 2QE Telephone: 0118 313 0700 Fax: 0118 313 0701 Email: canadian.pacific@puntersouthall.com

20/08/2014 17:16

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

INLAND NAVIGATION

Spits vessel Manna and her skipper Bart Verkade enjoy a relaxed way of life

It was a very sunny day when I joined the Dutch river barge Manna, owned by private skipper Bart Verkade. The vessel is of 352gt and is named after his two daughters, Maartje and Anna. During the daytrip we learned a bit more about the world of the ‘spits’, as this characteristic vessel is called. The spits, and the area where these sorts of vessels are usually operated, can more or less be compared with the wellknown narrow boats in Great Britain. The spits is a river barge exclusively built for the trade on inland waters. It is the only vessel type in the inland waterway trade which is able to sail from ports at the North Sea coastline down to the Mediterranean. The spits is a small ship. Its size is traced back to the old river and canal system in Belgium and France, with lots of locks, low bridges, tunnels and shallow rivers and narrow canals. This canal system was founded by Napoleon to support the European economy. The maximum size of the spits is 40m by 5.20m, although most of the vessels are around 38.5m long, and they are able to transport between 300 and 400 tonnes of cargo. Most of these craft are in use as a dry cargo vessel, typically carrying products like fertiliser, ore, ferro-chromium or steel from the Netherlands to France. And on their return voyage from France products are brought to the Netherlands like barley, coleseed, feed or wheat. As many rivers and canals are shallow and the barge design is ponderous, navigating a spits is something which takes time. The vessel sails slowly — and on top of that the opening hours of shipping locks in France’s national canal system are only from seven o’clock in the morning till seven o’clock in the evening.

Giving you a voice on your future Worried about your retirement? Join us! The Nautilus Pensions Association is a pressure group and support organisation that: z provides a new focal point for seafarer pensioners — increasing their influence within, and knowledge of, the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund and other schemes within the industry z serves as a channel for professional advice on all kinds of pensions, as well as offering specific information on legal and government developments on pensions, and supporting the Union in lobbying the government as required z provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for advice on other organisations providing support and assistance to pensioners z offers a range of specialised services and benefits tailored to meet the needs of retired members z operates as a democratic organisation, being a Nautilus Council body — with the secretary and secretariat provided by the Union 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD t +44 (0)20 8989 6677 f +44 (0)20 8530 1015 npa@nautilusint.org www.nautilusint.org

30_nl barge_SR edit.indd Sec2:30

Nautilus ship visitor PETER JAGER has been onboard hundreds of vessels in Dutch ports as part of his job,but he’s just tried out something very different — a trip on one of the many specialist inland waterways craft operating between the Netherlands, Belgium and France… The canal system is old and does not always get the necessary regular maintenance — particularly in France. This makes it necessary for those who run a spits to be somebody who likes doing their daily work without any hurry. Looking at today’s 24/7 economy, it seems to be paradise! It might be logical to think that only older skippers like this kind of life. But even today there are some very enthusiastic young guys to be found who recently decided to buy a spits. They love the free lifestyle, the quiet surroundings with hardly any other vessel trafﬁc, the beautiful landscape and the nice ambience among the skippers and the operators of the locks. Skippers even have time to assist the lock operators, having passed their own vessel through — and at many locations it is still traditional classic hand work. During the passage there is also plenty of time to have nice social talk with the lock operators, who sometimes sell fresh vegetables or fruit straight to the people on passing vessels.

But navigating on a narrow and shallow winding river, ﬁlled up with lots of pleasure craft, demanded the serious attention of the skipper. The vessel was empty and sailing in ballast, and from the wheelhouse there was no free view of boats ahead of us. At many locations trees grow into the heart of the waterway. During the voyage on the narrow Hollandse IJssel a sidewind/ crosswind increased from a slight breeze to a strong one. And at moments the empty barge drifted to the borders while slowly slipping around narrow and blind curves. It was pretty hard navigating the vessel with an old-fashioned wooden wheel — as I found out when I had a turn at handling the Manna. But skipper Bart takes daily life easy, like his colleagues do while sailing on the French canals. In the old and tiny city of Montfoort we moored the vessel

to buy traditionally-made bread in a nearby bakery. Bart did not even change his working clothes. After lunch, we continued the voyage and it was interesting to see how Bart enjoys this slow navigation, while watching so many details on shore. In the village of Vreeswijk we had to pass a ship lock. Bart asked me to bring the spits alongside the quay. After safely mooring, we walked to the lock to chat with the lock operator, while awaiting some pleasure craft passing the lock. After our passage we crossed the river Lek and, after a second passage of another ship lock, we continued on the Merwedecanal. Finally, in the early evening hours, we arrived in the city of Gorinchem. We moored the ship and took our bicycles to go back home. Skipper Bart needed just 15 minutes, I had one and a half hours to ride!

While navigating the spits Manna, we had plenty of time to talk with skipper Bart Verkade. He seems to be very enthusiastic about his work and explains that this vessel type is easy to handle by just one person, especially during navigation using a bow propeller. As he does not have any crew (the spits is just too small), he is able to keep operating costs at a low level. How to operate such a vessel is one of Bart’s specialisms, gained after he graduated with a degree in management from the University of Nijenrode. We made our voyage from the tiny village of Hekendorp, on the borders of the canalised river Hollandsche IJssel, to the city of Gorinchem at the Merwedecanal. Old cities like Oudewater, Montfoort, Vreeswijk and Vianen were passed. On both sides of the river and the canal we had a splendid panorama of the well-known characteristic Dutch landscape — green meadows, old wooden windmills and lots of Friesian cows.

Seeing the sights of the rivers and canals... Pictures: Peter Jager

20/08/2014 17:56

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

NAUTILUS AT WORK y for all fer pa ry ir

ew cr

Your agenda, your debate

OPTIMISED OPERATIONS Inmarsat brings unrivalled high-reliability, premium quality global voice and data connectivity. This facilitates ultra-reliable ship-to-shore communications, linking shore side experts to your crew and seamlessly connecting your office with your fleet.

Union’s UK branch symposium to take its lead from concerns expressed at last year’s event

How best can the UK ferry industry be protected from unfair competition and encouraged to invest in the employment and training of British seafarers? That’s the question being posed at the Nautilus UK branch symposium, taking place at the Holiday Inn in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the end of this month. The seminar will be held in the afternoon of Tuesday 30 September, following the UK branch conference which takes place in the morning. A number of leading ﬁgures from the UK ferry industry will be taking part in the seminar, which will focus on the threats to members’ jobs, pay, and working conditions in the ferry sector — which have never been greater than they are today. Presentations to the meeting will be made by UK Chamber of Shipping chief executive Guy Platten, DFDS vice-president HR & crewing Gemma Grifﬁn, Discover Ferries director Bill Gibbons, and Serco Northlink Ferries MD Stuart Garrett. Nautilus national ferries organiser Micky Smyth will also address the meeting, outlining

the work being carried out under the Union’s campaign to fight for decent employment in the EU ferry trades and to combat unfair competition, which was launched this year in response to concerns voiced by members during the Union’s 2013 UK branch conference. The seminar will begin at approximately 1400hrs and is open to invitees from across the maritime industry. It is due to conclude at around 1700hrs. The branch conference begins at 10.30 on the morning of 30 September and is reserved for full members only, with applications particularly welcome from members in Northern Ireland and Eire, and from women and young members. The branch conference will include discussions on the UK Branch activities report and any motions submitted by members. Members who are among the first to receive this Telegraph may still just have time to submit a motion, which needs to reach the Nautilus head office by 1700 on 29 August and have the support of four full members. Forms for submitting motions, applying for a place and to apply for financial

assistance are available on the Union’s website www.nautilusint. org. Application and ﬁnancial assistance forms must also be submitted before 29 August.

g For further information, contact Adele McDonald on +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or email amcdonald@nautilusint.org

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UK Branch Conference Agenda 2014

This is the agenda for the 2014 Nautilus International UK branch conference taking place from 1030 hours on Tuesday 30 September, at the Holiday Inn, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1.

Welcome address

2. Election of tellers 3. Standing orders 4. Adoption of the branch report 5. Motions 6. Any other urgent business 7.

Closing address

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Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard and liaison officer Russell Downs taking part in a protest at the port of Portsmouth over the use of low-cost seafarers on UK ferry routes

31_branch_SR edit.indd 31

20/08/2014 17:17

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

MARITIME COMMUNITY

Great Ormond St Hospital has named its new reception desk after OSCAR

Oscar Parry, in good health now

The Spinnaker team fundraising for OSCAR

Book your place at the race! This month’s OSCAR Dragon Boat Race will see the shipping industry come together in a drive to raise £1m for research into child cancers

Dragon boats... Picture: Thinkstock

There’s going to be a big shipping party in London’s Docklands this month, and you’re all invited! That’s the message from organiser Phil Parry of the maritime recruitment ﬁrm Spinnaker Consulting, who has a very good reason for wanting you to be there: the more people turn up, the more it will help sick children like his son Oscar. The event will be on 16 September; a dragon boat race accompanied by a barbecue, a bar

and live music. The race will involve around 40 teams of 10 plus a drummer on each boat — none of whom need any experience. You can sign up with an existing group of friends and colleagues or put yourself forward as an individual so the organisers can match you up with a team. The boats and all other equipment will be supplied. You’ll need to aim for sponsorship of £5,000 per team, as the event is raising money for child cancer research, but once that’s sorted it’s basically fun all the way. Get your friends to come down and cheer you on, and you can all have a knees-up after the race. This has all come about, explains Phil, because he wanted to give something back after Great Ormond Street Hospital saved Oscar’s life: ‘When he was three years old, he developed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which was obviously awful, but he had chemo and was getting better. Then at six he came down with another, more serious form of the disease, JMML, and the treatment options were more limited. He had two bone marrow transplants, but we were told more than once that he wouldn’t make it through the day. Then he became the ﬁrst child in the UK to have a new kind of stem cell therapy, and that helped him turn the corner.’ Now 15, Oscar’s experience with serious illness has left him small for his age, but he is otherwise expected to live a normal healthy life. ‘I want people to know this,’ says Phil, ‘because he’s an example of how investment in medical research can help people

Phil Parry (right) during a watery challenge for OSCAR

right now — can keep them alive and ﬁnd new cures. It’s not just some abstract science that may or may not do some good somewhere down the line.’ To help other children like Oscar, Phil founded a fundraising campaign under the banner of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. ‘I work in the shipping industry and I wanted the campaign to have a shipping link,’ he says, ‘so we came up with a name which reﬂects this: “The Ocean and Shipping Community Advancing Children’s Health and Research”. Known for short as OSCAR, for obvious reasons.’

OSCAR began by raising money to improve the hospital environment for children undergoing treatment for various serious conditions. Founded in 2011, the campaign’s ﬁrst target was to raise half a million pounds for a new seas-and-oceans-themed ﬂoor at Great Ormond St. That target was met in 2013 thanks to contributions from corporate donors

and fundraising challenges completed by Phil and other supporters, and now there’s a new goal: a million pounds to support two scientiﬁc teams researching childhood cancer and immune therapy. ‘So far support has come from corporate and individual donors,’ says Phil, ‘but there are so many great people in the industry, we thought that others would want to come onboard if they knew about it. The dragon boat race is going to be a fantastic big event that anyone can attend and support with a donation of any size. We’re hoping to make £100,000 just from that day.’ The event is also timed to mark the start of a year’s countdown to London Shipping Week 2015, he adds. ‘It really will be all about the maritime community, and we would love Telegraph readers to be there. A few late places should still be available on the boats if you’re reading this at the beginning of September, and spectators please just come down and join us on the day — everybody is welcome.’

OSCAR Dragon Boat Race Dragon racing:

Location: Date and time: Team registration:

Bands: Just Giving pages: TEXT donations: Food and drink:

32_parry_SR edit.indd Sec2:32

This ancient sport requires no previous experience. It caters for all ages, male and female. Above all, it’s exciting, fun, social and competitive. Racing consists of team heats of up to three boats at a time. The fastest boats qualify through to the ultimate head-to-head final. Expert commentary adds to the atmosphere. Teams of 10 rowers plus drummer, and the team that raises the most money gets a head start! Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre, 235a Westferry Road, Docklands, London E14 3QS, UK www.dswc.org Tuesday 16 September 2014. Arrival from 2pm. Races start at 3pm and finish at 6pm. Party finishes when it finishes. Look for OSCAR and the Dragon Boat Race in the Appeals section of the Great Ormond Street Hospital website www.gosh.org. Or contact Ellie Notley to sign up on +44 (0)20 7239 3005 or at ellie.notley@gosh.org. Will include Love Street, as part of their current UK-wide tour. www.lovestreet.me Dragon Boat main page: www.justgiving.com/company/oscar. Some company teams also have their own sponsorship pages. SPNN55 to 70070 donation £2, £3, £4, £5, £10, e.g. ‘SPNN55 £10’ Paying boat-bar filled with ice (and drinks!) BBQ: burgers, chicken and seafood

20/08/2014 15:35

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

MARITIME SAFETY

Protecting our people Transfer between support boats and wind installations is one of the main risk areas for offshore personnel

Offshore wind operations are moving further offshore, into deeper waters with more extreme weather conditions. Correspondingly, the challenge of providing safe transfer to and from installations during construction, operations and maintenance is growing. In fact, safe boat transfer to the vessel on location or to the turbine itself is now one of the main threats faced by offshore windfarm workers, because installation, maintenance and support vessels are spending more time travelling and working outside windows of calm weather. Accident reports are ﬁled almost daily by personnel, in some cases by their families when accidents lead to death. These accidents vary in reasons, but the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) releases regular reports with recommendations to prevent any further incidents. Today’s regulatory framework for personal protection equipment (PPE) in connection with boat transfer of offshore wind personnel is practically nonexistent. Windfarm operations often fall under the jurisdiction of national authorities and may vary from one site to another. But from the moment employees, clients or sub-contractors step aboard a transfer vessel, they need to be properly protected regardless of regulatory grey zones. Currently, the impetus for high standards of PPE safety typically comes from windfarm owners or operators themselves — increasingly inﬂuenced by investors and insurance companies eager to ensure a clean safety record.

As a result, they demand the very best levels of safety processes and equipment throughout their supply chain. A company’s ability to prove its safety record can therefore make or break million-dollar deals. Different scenarios call for different solutions. Crew may be sailed to the windfarm, which requires SOLAS-approved suits for safety. However, weather conditions or time schedules may prevent them from sailing back and instead necessitate them to be picked up by helicopter, which requires suits with a European Technical Standard Order (ETSO) approval. Uncertain factors can threaten the safety of personnel and can lead to extreme situations where they might ﬁnd themselves submerged in dangerous water. Against this background, we at Viking are increasingly asked for guidance on what they should wear to be properly protected and to help them work more easily and safely in harsh environments and demanding situations. As a basic requirement, the PPE you select for boat and helicopter transfer needs to be safe, comfortable and durable. And it must be able to handle all wind and weather conditions — both for short and long trips. To meet these needs, we have been developing a new dual-approved (SOLAS and ETSO) helicopter and boat transfer suit with valves to remove trapped air, a barrier to keep the user dry, and a thermal liner to help protect against hypothermia. We also recommend the use of a windfarm work suit that has been designed to meet the speciﬁc requirements of the job. Traditional work suits tend to

As safety concerns continue to be raised about the offshore windfarm sector, there is a pressing need for the industry to develop PPE that is fit for purpose, writes RICHARD GARFORTH of the equipment manufacturer Viking… A windfarm work suit

Protective clothing is equally important for transfers by helicopter

be somewhat bulky, with most of their pockets attached to the torso area. But such bulky designs compromise safety for personnel clinging, for example, to a steel ladder 30m above sea level in strong winds. In such situations, every square centimetre of unnecessary material and anything that restricts access to tools can become a serious encumbrance. To increase the safety of offshore windfarm personnel, Viking designers set out to create a ‘second skin’ — with a snug ﬁt that would enable the wearer to manoeuvre easily when exposed to conditions on the outside of

the turbine or in the tight, conﬁned spaces inside. When operating in cold waters, hypothermia can set in quickly and rapidly affects movement and cognition. Both suits offer a documented protection level of six hours in 0°C (-32°F) cold water. Servicing safety equipment isn’t just about regulatory compliance. It is just as much a matter of safety — as well as protecting investments by ensuring a long, durable lifespan for the products. That’s why Viking recommends that service intervals reﬂect a balance of regulatory requirements, how the equipment is being used and frequency of use.

Key points to consider when evaluating the quality of offshore windfarm personal protection equipment Material z What quality of material does the equipment use? For example, is it only surface-coated or has the coating been built into the material for maximum durability? z Has the material been machine cut for accuracy or by hand, where there is a greater margin for error at the seams? Design z Do suits have elastic bands at the hood to ensure that water doesn’t seep in via the wearer’s face? z Where is the zipper placed? Is it right under the chin, where it is uncomfortable, digs into skin and

33_wind_SR edit.indd 33

can cause a donning problem with heavy beards? Or is it moved to the side? z How have the seams been made? Quality control z Where are the suits manufactured? At the manufacturer’s own facility or at a sub-supplier? z Does the manufacturing facility have all the approvals to manufacture and service SOLAS, ISO and ETSO products? z How are the suits customised for each size at the manufacturing facility? Delivery z What are the delivery conditions?

20/08/2014 17:57

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

OFFWATCH ships of the past by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

an extension of their flag F state, and the fishing fleets and

Disturbing reports have reached the MNAOA of the dangerous risks taken by those boarding coasters and, more particularly, colliers, berthed in some NE coast ports where proper gangways are not put out. In a large number of cases it appears that the standard type of wooden pruning ladders are used, man-ropes are non-existent and the only piece of rope is used to prevent the ladder from falling into the dock. All ships are provided with gangways, but it frequently happens that they cannot be used for a variety of reasons and an alternative means of getting to and from ships should be provided as a matter of urgency before someone is killed or seriously injured MN Journal, September 1964

Ships of any nation are

merchant marine of the former Soviet Union represented the extended limits of a draconian frontier. It could be open, or closed — not just to exclude foreigners, but to prevent Soviets from defecting. The all-controlling ideology of the USSR’s regime was grimly felt by its seafarers, and their exploitation has been described as one ‘which no capitalist shipowner would dare to contemplate’. The operation of the vast Soviet fishing fleets throughout the Cold War period was authoritatively described by Vladil Lysenko, a trawler captain who defected to Sweden, as exhibiting ‘cynical disregard for the elementary principles of conservation of natural resources.’ The vessels, he said, were ‘consistently poaching in other countries’ territorial waters, overfishing the seas, and by illegally catching immature fish [had] broken the fishes’ breeding cycles.’ The ravaging of the world’s fish stocks in this period has been attributed to the condition of Soviet fishing ports, and to fish processing industries and distribution systems which were so primitive and inefficient that no more than 30% of the fish caught reached the Soviet consumer. Even then, its quality was generally poor. Every Soviet vessel carried a political officer — their status described as ‘officially-appointed snoopers, spies and informers; given the rank of First Officer, but their position puts them immeasurably higher than that.’ They were duty bound to report to the Party Committee and secretly to the Maritime Division of the KGB. Rarely seamen, they could have no sense of

25 YEARS AGO

Victims of a system of fear responsibility for the safety of a ship and the lives of the crew, yet they could veto a captain’s orders. Neither did the system of operation — to deliver the rigid Plan for fishing — allow for any seamanlike response to circumstance, not even that of force majeure. In such cases, a strict order issued by the Ministry of Merchant Shipping required captains, practically, to only seek help from other Soviet vessels. As a direct consequence, tragic incidents happened frequently in the Soviet fishing fleets. Tukan (pictured above) was a new, modern trawler, with a crew of 76. In the winter of 1969, she sailed from Kaliningrad. On exiting the Baltic, at the northernmost tip of Jutland, she ran into a gale. Some 30 miles from the nearest point on the Danish coast, the vessel was struck by a huge wave which peeled away a whole sheet of (substandard) plating in way of

the stern hauling ramp. Emergency repairs failed to prevent the engineroom flooding. The captain aimed the trawler for the Danish coast to beach it on a sandbar. No SOS or call for help was issued: only her home port was notified. The ship never reached shore and abandonment by boat proved impossible. An SOS was only sent as the vessel was sinking. Only 11 of the crew were eventually saved. A report on the loss cited extracts from the evidence of survivors. It is recorded that the young captain surrendered his lifejacket to the fourth officer, remarking: ‘Why should I try and save myself? Whatever happens now, my life won’t be worth living.’ It has been suggested that the way the whole system had been organised put the ship’s officers in such a state of fear that they preferred death to an official inquiry. The report threw all the blame on the captain

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Cross-Channel and Short Sea Ferries by Ambrose Greenway (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.

and the chief engineer. Fleet management was absolved of all responsibility. The basic reasons for the frequent loss of Soviet vessels and crews have been cited as ‘the psychological condition of many captains who, under the pressures imposed on them by the authorities, dare not take the rational, humane decision to save their crews and themselves, from fear of being accused of having abandoned their ships when they might have saved them, for which they could be severely punished and imprisoned; substandard repairs; knowingly allowing unseaworthy vessels to go to sea; and the failure of the Soviet government and the shipping authorities to consider the safety and rights of crews, thinking instead only of catching as many ﬁsh as possible at any price or of earning the absolute maximum of foreign currency through their freight operations.’

10 YEARS AGO NUMAST has joined forces with officer unions from 16 different countries to urge global action to combat the workload pressures arising from the new International Ship & Port facilities Security Code. The meeting of the International Officers’ Forum — whose member unions represent the majority of the worldwide officer workforce — expressed concern over the additional burdens imposed by the Code and said the International Transport Workers’ Federation should seek an additional certificated officer to be placed on the safe manning certificate of all vessels covered by the regulations. The meeting also agreed that shipmasters should not be designated as ship security officers and called for the human element impact of heightened security rules to be assessed by the ITF, with appropriate action taken through a submission to the International Maritime Organisation The Telegraph, September 2004

THEQUIZ 1

Which ship register has the largest share of the world orderbook, in terms of ship numbers?

How many ULCCs (320,00dwt and above) are in service around the world?

In TEU capacity terms, which

country’s shipowners have the largest containership fleet? 4

Which port is Australia’s busiest in terms of container traffic?

What is the busiest container port on the Mediterranean Sea?

In which year did the world’s first seagoing LNG carrier enter into service?

J Quiz answers are on page 46.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 19 September 2014.

QUICK CLUES 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 14. 15. 17. 20. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

Across Giving (8) Pronunciation (6) Lean (4) Triumph (10) Insult (6) Basis (8) Postcode (7) Hunch (7) Growth (8) Bug (6) Wealthy (10) Powder (4) Fish (6) Irish emblem (8)

7. 13. 16. 18. 19. 21. 22.

Embryonic (6) Jumble outlet (6,4) Heel (8) Adornment (8) Sanction (7) Roman entrance (6) Developmental stage of bug (6) 24. Ripped (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES 8.

9. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

34_offwatch.indd 34

A call for the establishment of an independent agency to monitor, investigate and regulate safety issues in the UK is being made by NUMAST at this month’s TUC Congress. The Union’s motion calls for an urgent move to investigate the creation of an independent disaster agency which would enforce higher safety standards throughout the UK. General secretary John Newman said there had been a series of major disasters in recent years — including Piper Alpha, the Herald of Free Enterprise and the Bowbelle-Marchioness collision on the Thames — and NUMAST believes a new approach should be taken to preventing major incidents and regulating safety-critical industries, instead of taking ‘kneejerk’ action in response to disasters. NUMAST is also pressing for safety responsibilities for shipping and the offshore sector to be removed from government departments and given to the Health & Safety Executive The Telegraph, September 1989

Down Seasoned (8) Amphibian (4) Woods (6) River mouth (7) Extinct creature (8) ‘We think na on the lang --- ---’ (Burns, Tam O’ Shanter, 5,5)

10. 11.

12.

Across King’s initial meeting with a sharp point to the south in a Battle he lost (8) Victorious admiral at home near Colne (6) A number not in opposition, we hear (4) The game is to get line of sites between small space and sphere (10) Something of a scalp for the mathematician (6)

14. Coreopsis to get correct mark with selected player (8) 15. Poisonous mix, i.e., candy (7) 17. Have a bearing, one mile, black box signal to the east (7) 20. In which train passengers were themselves deported (8) 22. Antiquated lodge, a renovation (3-3) 23. Contact gazette as a prelude to pyrotechnics (10) 24. Creative representation of tray (4) 25. Join oil platform with these people’s thoroughness (6) 26. Turned out a near kin to Russian heroine … (8)

Down Lots make enclosure for a pig out of wood (8) 2. Heavenly body to play leading role (4) 3. Complain about runny nose (6) 4. Compiler very much behind schedule so set apart (7) 1.

5. For sending messages covertly amongst splinter communist group (8) 6. Vote that clip ties be reinstated (10) 7. Miner lost right to a dog (6) 13. Shrink, alternatively a service provider (10) 16. Scattered people as a drop I arranged goes wrong (8) 18. Culinary ingredient, example turned up with old language, European (8) 19. Both ends of bike and part of wheel made to order (7) 21. A Spanish gentleman is looking like a handsome Greek (6) 22. Skylights of gold followed by bewildered roar (6) 24. … Nana of 26 (4)

J Crossword answers are on page 46.

20/08/2014 15:36

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

books

OFFWATCH

Vivid writing captures Antarctic experience Her Home the Antarctic By Trevor Boult Amberley Press, £17.99 ISBN: 978 14456 38607 readers as the author of our Ships of the K Past column and a regular contributor of features Trevor Boult will be familiar to Telegraph

exploring diverse aspects of maritime history and culture. In this, his first book, he moves far beyond the confines of newspaper articles to produce an arresting account of the final voyage of the Royal Research Ship John Biscoe after a remarkable 35 years of service in the South Atlantic and Antarctic. Built in Scotland in 1956 as the second ship to bear the name, John Biscoe’s primary role was to run between the Falkland Islands and Antarctic research bases, delivering supplies conducting scientific research and hydrographic surveys. A foreword from the Duke of Edinburgh — who travelled to the Antarctic on the ship’s maiden

voyage — and an introduction from one of her masters, Captain Chris Elliott, set the scene well and underline the vessel’s significance in helping to spearhead pioneering studies into climate, oceanography and marine biology. However, the book is very much a personal account and Trevor Boult writes with a sense of deep affection for the ship and his shipmates, with an astounding level of vivid recall and description of the vessel’s final voyage. Joining the ship in the Falklands after a somewhat gruelling flight from RAF Brize Norton, via Ascension Island, to Mount Pleasant, he captures perfectly the mix of emotions for seafarers leaving home to serve on unfamiliar vessels with new colleagues. Indeed, the book makes one realise how few writers have described the realities of working lives at sea. Within these pages there are rich passages telling of ‘running the gauntlet of petty powers in uniforms’ to take some precious shore leave, of the bittersweet feelings celebrating Christmas and New

suddenness of the capsize, and the subsequent rescue and recovery work. It also gives substantial space to the legal and political ramifications of the accident — noting the concerns expressed by NUMAST at the time over the criminalisation of the master and officers — and also highlighting the way in which concerns raised by crew members had been dismissed by management. Whilst the book can at times feel a bit ‘cut and paste’ and somewhat lacking in analysis, the moving testimony of survivors provides a powerful postscript and Iain Yardley does point to the shortcomings in the regulatory system which have failed to prevent similar accidents subsequently taking place in other parts of the world, quoting a lawyer who condemns the reactive rather than proactive approach to maritime safety.

Monument (Witherby), £7.99 Powerful tales ISBN: 978 18560 96423 fwww.witherbyseamanship.com of heroism Lloyd’s increasing highlight shame Wartime novel KMichael experience as a novelist pays dividends in this enjoyable of safety lessons has a good ear real Second World War thriller. There appealing characters to root for, still not learned for shipboard are some genuinely moving moments and even a plausible romance, comes as a pleasant surprise Ninety Seconds at Zeebrugge conversation which for a war drama. By Iain Yardley The History Press, £20 ISBN: 978 07524 97839

With the UK government presently consulting on controversial plans to revoke some regulations introduced in response to the 1987 Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, the publication of this book is timely. The Herald disaster was shocking in its scale — the largest British loss of life in a single incident since the Second World War — and, as this book relates, it generated a remarkable search and rescue operation, and countless stories of individual bravery. Iain Yardley’s book sets those fateful 90 seconds in the broader context of factors such as ferry operations, ro-ro design and maritime safety regulation — noting the nagging pre-Herald concerns over the potential vulnerability of ro-ro ferries to the free surface effect. The book knits a series of firstperson accounts together to create a compelling narrative describing the build-up to the disaster, the shocking

35_books_SR edit.indd 35

Convoy Ship By Michael Lloyd

Based on real-life events from the notoriously dangerous Atlantic

Year away from loved ones, and the ironic horror of encountering a nearmiss incident with another ship in one of the most remote locations the world has to offer. Trevor Boult also captures the beauty of the Antarctic and the challenges of operating in extreme conditions — encountering dense fogs and icebergs, with few navigational aids. There is some delightful writing to be found here — such as his descriptions of ‘birds like shy schoolchildren’ caught in the beam of the ship’s searchlight or the captain who ‘deftly pirouetted the ship in a ﬂourishing ﬁnale to his command’. ustrations The book contains around 100 illustrations — the majority being photographs taken by the author — which also support the descriptions of life onboard and the often stunning South

Convoys, Convoy Ship is full of action, excitement and heroism. There’s possibly a slight wobble in the last few chapters, as we start to wonder just how many more beatings the SS Borrowdale can take (this ship is so hard to sink, it should be used in naval architecture textbooks). But Lloyd steers the narrative safely through these dangerous waters, helped by a particular strength: the dialogue. What’s particularly pleasing about the way the characters speak is that they actually come across like colleagues getting on with their work. A passenger even remarks at one point on the lack of ‘avast, me hearties’ language heard on the ship – a hint that the author is deliberately trying to lay some myths to rest? The novel also does well at drawing attention to the essential role of the merchant marine in wartime, and there’s a nice framing device involving a remembrance visit to the Merchant Navy Memorial in London. With Merchant Navy Day coming up this month, Convoy Ship is a timely release, and anyone who wants younger relatives to understand the 8 September service at Tower Hill could do a lot worse than handing them a copy of this book.

Atlantic scenery in an excellent way. It may be quite a time since John Biscoe’s ﬁnal voyage, but this account of it was well worth the wait…

separation schemes is intended K to fill a gap in the available study This new textbook on traffic

Good value, highly readable textbook leaves no excuse for TSS ignorance Rule 10 TSS By Kevin Vallance Witherby Seamanship, £25 ISBN: 978 18560 96058 fwww.witherbyseamanship.com

materials — as explained by author Kevin Vallance in our profile on page 29. Written by an experienced deepsea pilot, the guide helps readers to understand a vital aspect of the international collision regulations and put the rules into practice. Clearly and attractively laid out, Rule 10 TSS uses illustrations and contrasting colours to make the subject matter easily digestible. Captain Vallance told the Telegraph that readability was at the forefront of his mind when writing the book, and he particularly wanted to make it accessible to mariners whose first language is not English. Efforts have been made to choose recent and highly relevant case studies, in order to bring home the importance of the Colregs and help students to realise that this is not an academic exercise. In addition, the price has been kept at a reasonable level and the paperback format isn’t too weighty, so there’s no excuse not to have a look at the book. Let’s hope everyone who needs this gets a copy and that safety at sea improves accordingly.

The elegant era before BOOK we rolled on and off... SAVINGS C Cross-Channel and Short Sea Ferries By Ambrose Greenway B SSeaforth Publishing, £30 ISBN: 978 18483 21700 IS other word added to its title — ‘classic’. K That’s because its focus is very much on the T

This lovely book really ought to have an-

often elegant vessels which preceded the rise o of o the ro-ro ferry. Spanning roughly a century, these traditionally-styled ships typically bore t a strong resemblance to ocean-going passenger liners, but were also marked p by b distinctive national design features in countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, c France and Belgium. F

This nicely produced book tells their story using more than 300 photographs and informative, well-researched accompanying text. Some of the photographs are simply stunning — check out the remarkable paddle steamer Bessemer, for example — and the author does a fine job in tracing the advances in design and technology, as well as explaining the differing developments in ships used for such services right across the world. The book could have easily been a wallow in nostalgia, with poorly assembled ‘cut and paste’ captions, but instead it delivers a great overview of the many factors underlying the evolution of one of the most important ship types, all backed up by fascinating stories of individual vessels.

Telegraph readers can buy the books reviewed on these pages at a whopping 25% discount on publisher’s price through the Marine Society’s online shop. g To qualify for this offer, readers need to make their purchase at www. marinesocietyshop.org. Click on the ‘Books of the month’ button with the Nautilus logo to see the books featured in the Telegraph, and use the promotional code Nautilus when buying your book. If a book reviewed in the Telegraph isn’t listed yet in the Marine Society shop, just use the website’s ‘contact us’ button to request the title. The Society aspires to respond the same day with the best price and availability. Most titles can be secured within 24 hours.

20/08/2014 15:37

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS

How you can take a stand for Council... Stand for election to the Nautilus Council this year, and your ideas and influence could help to shape the future of the Union and the wider maritime industry…

FOR CANDIDATES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

nomination form A

FOR SUPPORTERS

nomination form B

VOOR KANDIDATEN

This form MUST be completed by the candidate and in addition may be used by one or more supporters. It MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 24 November 2014, to: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

This form can be completed by one or more supporters. More than one form can be used. The candidate MUST, in addition, complete, sign and return a Form A. Forms MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 24 November 2014, to: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

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

TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

Electoral Category

Name

Mem No

Address

nominatieformulier A

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE KANDIDAAT

Name of Candidate I wish to support

Kiescategorie

Candidate’s Address

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

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

Date

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

Mem No

Candidate’s Mem No

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

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Name

Rang

Bedrijf

Mem No

Address

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

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

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

Name

Mem No

Address Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

2. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

3. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

4. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

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

Name

Nautilus Council Elections 2015

36-37_elections.indd 36

Datum

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

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

2. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

3. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

4. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr. Bedrijf Datum

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

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

Name

Handtekening

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Nautilus Council Elections 2015

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2015

20/08/2014 17:57

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

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

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

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

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

VOOR STEUNBETUIGERS

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

nominatieformulier B

FÜR KANDIDATINNEN & KANDIDATEN nominierungsformular A

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

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

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE STEUNBETUIGERS

VOM KANDIDATEN bzw DER KANDIDATIN AUSZUFÜLLEN

Kiescategorie

Wahlkategorie

2015 Elections

Total UK Seats

NL Seats

CH Seats

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

Category

including 1 by-election for 2 year period

including 1 Maritime officer

1. Navigators, inc. Shipmasters

2. Engineers inc. ETOs/Elec/RO

3. Ratings

4. Inland Navigation

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

TOTALS

32 23

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

VOM UNTERSTÜTZER AUSZUFÜLLEN Wahlkategorie

Naam van de kandidaat die ik ondersteun

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adres van kandidaat

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

Adresse Adresse des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin Postcode

Lidm.nr. kandidaat

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

Postleitzahl

Tel

Funktion

Unternehmen

Naam

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

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

Unterschrift

Adresse

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

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

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr. Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

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

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

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

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2015

36-37_elections.indd 37

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

Mitgliedernummer

Name

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Mitgliedernummer des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin

Mitgliedernummer

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

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

Name

Rang

Naam

Datum

Postleitzahl

Mitgliedernummer

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

Adresse Postleitzahl

Tel.

2. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

3. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

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

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen Datum

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

Unterschrift

4. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Name

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

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

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Nautilus — Ratswahlen 2015

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

Nautilus — Ratswahlen 2015

20/08/2014 17:58

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

NL NEWS

Jaarvergadering FNV Waterbouw 2014 A

CAO-resultaat voor Dirkzwager’s Coastal & Deep Sea Pilotage de onderhandelingspartijen al C tot een mooi resultaat te komen. Na In betrekkelijk korte tijd wisten

het wegwerken van ook de laatste hindernissen zijn de leden akkoord gegaan met het eindresultaat. Het betreft een tweejarige CAO, lopende van 1 januari 2014 tot en met 31 december 2015. De loonsverhoging bedraagt 2% per 1 januari 2014 én 2% per 1 januari 2015. Daarnaast ontvangen de werknemers elk jaar een eenmalige uitkering van 1%, mits aan overeengekomen voorwaarden wordt voldaan. Voor de extra gewerkte dagen in het offshore werk en in het loodsenwerk wordt een toeslag van €100 per dag toegekend. Deze regeling wordt met gestelde

voorwaarden voor toepassing in de CAO opgenomen. Verder is er nog een wijziging in de CAO-tekst opgenomen inzake het toekennen van de zeedagentoeslag. De toepasbaarheid hiervan wordt verruimd en vereenvoudigd. Ledenraadpleging

Het bereikte resultaat werd na positieve advisering door het bestuur van Nautilus aan de leden voorgelegd. In eerste instantie staakte de stemming over het bereikte akkoord. De leden misten een vergoedingsregeling voor meer gewerkte dagen. Nadat de werkgever ook daarin toestemde, hebben de leden per email en in de ledenvergadering ingestemd met het bereikte resultaat.

Op 24 juni 2014 vond de zevende jaarvergadering van FNV Waterbouw plaats in het Keringhuis bij de Maeslantkering te Hoek van Holland. Dat vergaderen en werk heel dicht bij elkaar liggen, bleek wel uit het passeren van de sleephopperzuiger Rijndelta op de langsstromende Nieuwe Waterweg. We blikken terug op een boeiende bijeenkomst met als speciaal thema ‘het ontwikkelen van vakbondsmacht op schepen’. Tijdens de jaarvergadering heeft het bestuur samen met de aanwezige leden de notulen van de vorige jaarvergadering, het bestuursverslag 2013, de jaarrekening 2013 en het werkplan met begroting voor 2014 behandeld en vastgesteld. Vragen over onder meer de ﬁnanciering van de vereniging werden naar tevredenheid beantwoord.

Vakbondsmacht

Naast de behandeling van de algemene agendapunten was het thema op deze jaarvergadering het ontwikkelen van vakbondsmacht op schepen. In zijn inleiding liet voorzitter Dick Koerselman weten dat het mobiliseren van werknemers over het algemeen een positief effect heeft op het resultaat van de onderhandelingen. Toon Wennekers, coördinator arbeidsvoorwaarden bij FNV Bondgenoten, beaamde dit. Volgens hem moet de vakbond niet alleen zaakwaarnemer zijn, maar ook een organisatie die leden en potentiële leden activeert om zelf in beweging te komen. Activerend vakbondswerk betekent onder meer; het uitvoeren van zichtbare activiteiten, waarin leden en kaderleden samen op de werkvloer vakbondsmacht en slagkracht opbouwen en het planmatig uitvoeren van herkenbare activiteiten die aansluiten bij de wensen van werknemers. Na discussie met de aanwezigen was de jaarvergadering het erover eens dat vakbondsmacht ontstaat vanuit de werknemers zelf, ook aan boord van waterbouwschepen.

Toekomst Pensioenfonds Waterbouw

Vanwege onder meer de strengere eisen en het toezicht van de Nederlandsche Bank en de strengere geschiktheidseisen voor pensioenfondsbestuurders, hebben het pensioenfonds en CAO-partijen een onderzoek laten doen naar de toekomst van het pensioenfonds. Daarbij is de overgang

naar een ander pensioenfonds afgezet tegen het zelfstandig voortbestaan. Uit de analyse bleek dat met name het kunnen blijven leveren van geschikte pensioenfondsbestuurders uit de sector als een probleem wordt gezien. Voor dit probleem bestaan echter andere oplossingen dan alleen een overstap naar een ander pensioenfonds. Bijvoorbeeld door voordracht en benoeming van geschikte pensioenfondsbestuurders van buiten de sector of door voor een ander bestuursmodel te kiezen. De deelnemersraad van het pensioenfonds heeft zich inmiddels uitgesproken voor zelfstandig voortbestaan. Ook de leden spraken zich in een tweetal ledenvergaderingen daarvoor uit. Het is nu aan het bestuur om te beslissen wat er met al de opgebouwde rechten gebeurt (blijven bij Pensioenfonds Waterbouw of overhevelen naar een ander fonds). De CAO-partijen gaan over de toekomstige opbouw en dienen daarover een beslissing te nemen. FNV Waterbouw in de nieuwe vakbeweging

Algemeen secretaris Ruud Baars lichtte een aantal sheets toe uit zijn presentatie over het

fusieplan voor de nieuwe vakbeweging. Vorig jaar heeft de jaarvergadering richtinggevend gekozen om samen te gaan met Nautilus International; onder de afspraak dat de Waterbouw leden een herkenbare groep blijven met een eigen CAO. Voordat dit echter geregeld kan worden, moet eerst de fusie tussen de betreffende FNV bonden een

feit zijn. Dit wordt in oktober 2014 door de hoogste organen van de bonden besloten. Direct aansluitend wordt voor het ontbinden van FNV Waterbouw een referendum onder alle leden uitgeschreven. Uiteindelijk moet in december 2014 op een algemene ledenvergadering samen met de Raad van Advies een deﬁnitief besluit tot eventuele ontbinding worden genomen. Indien overeenkomstig wordt besloten dan worden de leden van FNV Waterbouw die tot de moederbond FNV Bouw behoren, overgeschreven naar Nautilus International. Het Keringhuis

Na aﬂoop van het ofﬁciële deel van de vergadering kregen de deelnemers een rondleiding in en bij de Maeslantkering, het laatste project van de Deltawerken. Nederlanders vechten tegenwoordig niet meer tegen de kracht van het water, maar gaan steeds meer samenwerken met water, zoals de zandmotor bij Scheveningen. Een prachtig voorbeeld hoe je samen met de kracht van het water de kust versterkt. Dit is zeker een bezoek waard!

Leden keuren onderhandelingsresultaat met VWH en Spliethoff goed

Volg ons op Twitter

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Hebben politici het bij het rechte eind als zij verzoeken van reders voor een vertraagde introductie van de nieuwe zwaveluitstoot wetgeving afwijzen?

mogelijk oploopt naar ongeveer 2%. Wanneer deze verwachtingen echter niet uitkomen, kan over de afgesproken verhoging per 1-1-2017 opnieuw worden onderhandeld. Deze afspraak over het heronderhandelen geldt zowel voor de werkgevers- als de werknemersorganisatie en kan twee kanten uitwerken.

wij u geïnformeerd hoe het onderhandeF lingsresultaat voor een driejarige CAO met de

In de Telegraph van augustus 2014 hebben

Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart (VWH) en Spliethoff tot stand is gekomen. Inmiddels heeft het bestuur van Nautilus International dit resultaat met een positief advies aan beide beslissende ledenvergaderingen voorgelegd. Na een uitgebreide toelichting op het onderhandelingsresultaat, het beantwoorden van vragen en het doornemen van de emailreacties van leden, hebben beide ledenvergaderingen besloten akkoord te gaan met het resultaat. Hiermee is de CAO met zowel Spliethoff als met VWH een feit. In beide CAO’s wordt bij de afgesproken gageverhogingen rekening gehouden met de verwachte

Uitwerken onderhandelingsresultaten

ontwikkelingen van het prijsindexcijfer voor de komende jaren; ingeschat wordt dat het cijfer

Het opnemen van de kapitein in de CAO alsmede het uitbreiden van de CAO tot boven de 9000 GT, wordt door werkgroepen uitgewerkt en daarna ter goedkeuring aan de leden voorgelegd. In de CAO Spliethoff wordt opgenomen dat het monsterboekje gratis wordt verstrekt. Daarnaast wordt bij beide CAO’s invulling gegeven aan het levensfasebewust personeelsbeleid en het nieuwe pensioenakkoord.

Laatste ontwikkelingen in Piraterij dossier aan de Vaste Kamercommissie F van Defensie op 13 mei jl. hebben

Na de aanbieding van de petitie

Ja 59% Nee 41%

De poll van deze maand is: Denkt u dat de kwaliteit van nieuw gebouwde schepen in de afgelopen jaren is gedaald? Geef ons uw mening online, op www.nautilusnl.org

38-39_nl_20.08.indd 38

Nautilus en de KVNR niet stil gezeten. De voorzitters van Nautilus en KVNR hebben de afgelopen maanden gesprekken gevoerd met afgevaardigden van diverse politieke partijen en de noodzaak van wetgeving voor private beveiliging daarbij nogmaals benadrukt. Politici geven in de gesprekken aan dat de inzet van de militaire VPD teams nog wel verder verbeterd en geflexibiliseerd kan worden. Sociale partners juichen dat toe echter, zelfs al zou dat gebeuren, dan is het niet reëel om te denken dat VPD teams in 100% van de gevallen de oplossing zijn. Er blijven situaties waar VPD teams geen uitkomst bieden en voor die gevallen is een adequate, wettelijk goedgekeurde regeling nodig. Onze zeevarenden willen op een legale manier hun werk kunnen doen.

Kapiteins, die nu op onwettelijk basis met private teams varen, zijn aansprakelijk in het geval er iets mis gaat bij een actie. Ook zijn er politici die zeggen: wij willen geen wild-west taferelen! Deze politici geven wij de boodschap mee dat juist door de wetgeving voor private beveiliging tegen te houden je wild-west taferelen in de hand werkt. De goede private beve iligingsteams

zullen niet illegaal willen werken en zullen kiezen voor beveiliging op schepen van landen, die private beveiliging wel toestaan, waardoor je in Nederland de minder goede private teams overhoudt. In de nieuwe concept wetgeving worden er hoge eisen gesteld aan private beveiliging. Dat zorgt juist voor kwalitatief goede private beveiligers. Wat tijdens de gesprekken met

sommige kamerleden ook opvalt, is dat zij weinig oog hebben voor de concurrentiepositie van de Nederlandse vloot ten opzichte van die concurrerende landen, die wel over private beveiligers kunnen beschikken Er is nu zomerreces voor de kamerleden. Direct hierna gaan sociale partners verder met hun ronde langs de kamerleden in aanloop op een technische briefing en Algemeen Overleg die voor september gepland staan. Tevens kijken we nog immer halsreikend uit naar een schrijven van Defensie waarin zij dienen aan te geven welke verbeteringen en flexibilisering er nog mogelijk is. Eén ding is duidelijk: als Defensie niet alle schepen in de gevaarlijke gebieden van VDP teams kan voorzien blijft wetgeving voor private beveiliging als aanvullende bescherming noodzakelijk! Wij zullen u van de verdere ontwikkelingen op de hoogte houden!

20/08/2014 17:58

September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

NL NEWS

Gevarenregeling niet langer verlengd ‘Gevarenregeling piraterij F Golf van Aden en de noordelijke Op 30 juni jl. liep de

Indische oceaan’ af. Zoals gebruikelijk ging Nautilus in overleg met de reders om een verlenging te bewerkstelligen echter dit keer, in tegenstelling tot de afgelopen jaren, slaagden partijen daar niet in. Hiermee is een eind gekomen aan de regeling gekomen die vanaf 2011 bestond. Overleg

Het overleg strandde op principiële gronden. De reders waren van mening dat er langzamerhand een einde kon worden gemaakt aan de overeenkomst daar de frequentie van de piraterij aanvallen sterk is teruggelopen. Als eerste stap stelden zij een afbouw van de geldelijke vergoeding voor en als finale stap de beëindiging van de overeenkomst. Nautilus daarentegen is van mening dat de frequentie van de incidenten weliswaar is afgenomen maar dat het gevaar nog lang niet is verdwenen. Ook brengt het illegaal varen met private beveiligers extra aansprakelijkheidsrisico’s met zich mee. Derhalve waren en zijn we van mening dat een verlenging

Ontwikkelingen loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden Waterbouw 2014

zonder aanpassingen op zijn plaats zou zijn geweest. Nieuwe situatie

Met het verdwijnen van de overeenkomst verdwijnen ook de daarin vastgelegde zaken. Wel hebben de reders uitgesproken dat zij zich als goed werkgever zullen blijven gedragen en alles zullen blijven doen om de veiligheid van de werknemers te garanderen. De leden die van mening zijn dat een werkgever zich hier niet aan houdt worden nadrukkelijk gevraagd zich bij Nautilus te melden.

Werktijden binnenvaart

In dit artikel informeren wij u over de ontwikkelingen in de CAO Waterbouw en de onderhandelingen voor verbeteringen in de buitenlandovereenkomst. De loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden in de buitenlandovereenkomst gelden voor de werknemers in dienst bij Boskalis en van Oord die buiten Nederland werkzaam zijn. Na drie onderhandelings-rondes begin 2014 zijn er afspraken gemaakt met de Vereniging van Waterbouwers die betrekking hebben op de Nederlandse CAO. FNV Waterbouw is tevreden met het behaalde resultaat, zeker in een tijd waar het niet goed gaat met de bedrijven die afhankelijk zijn van de Nederlandse markt. Het beschikbare werk wordt over meer bedrijven verdeeld dan tot nu toe gebruikelijk was. Ook staan door het hoge aantal inschrijvingen per werk de prijzen onder druk.

uitkering wordt in december 2014 verhoogd met 0,5% waarmee de eindejaarsuitkering is vastgesteld op 3%. Verder zijn afspraken gemaakt over vergoedingen en toeslagen. Zo worden de vergoedingen in de artikelen 17 Wacht, 26 Voedingstoeslag, 27 EHBO-& BHV diploma en 29 Verlies van uitrusting, per 1 april 2014 verhoogd met 5%. De reiskostenvergoeding in artikel 25.4 wordt verhoogd van €0,39 naar €0,40 per kilometer en in het kader van artikel 1.6 wordt de reistijd overdag tussen twee werkplekken vergoed. Akkoord

CAO Waterbouw

De huidige CAO heeft een looptijd van één jaar en loopt van 1 april 2014 tot en met 31 maart 2015. Daarnaast zijn afspraken gemaakt over een structurele loonstijging van 1% per 1 april 2014. De structurele eindejaars-

Na een ledenraadpleging is een ruime meerderheid van de leden van de Raad van Advies akkoord gegaan met dit onderhandelingsresultaat, waarmee de nieuwe CAO een feit is. Meer informatie over de CAO Waterbouw 2014-2015, waaronder de

Zoals u in de Telegraph van juli 2014 kon

Ship Management BV. Het bestuur van Nautilus International heeft dit resultaat met een gematigd positief advies aan de beslissende ledenvergadering voorgelegd. Tijdens de ledenvergadering op 7 juli jl. hebben de leden ingestemd met de nieuwe CAO, echter onder één voorwaarde… , mocht er een hogere invulling van de loonruimte komen voor de zeeva-

De Europese Commissie pres-

Europese binnenvaart (geldend voor zowel de vracht- als passagiersvaart) definitief vast te leggen! In februari 2012 werd na lang onderhandelen, het akkoord ondertekend door de Europese werkgeversorganisaties (EBU/ ESO) en de ETF (European Transportworkers’ Federation) waarin de nieuwe werken rusttijden voor de Europese binnenvaart werden vastgelegd. Na ruim 2 jaar heeft nu ook de Europese Commissie op 7 juli jl. deze aanbevelingen overgenomen en zal dit binnen afzienbare tijd aan de Raad van Europa worden voorgelegd ter goedkeuring. De Raad van Europa is de instelling waarin de regeringen van de lidstaten zijn vertegenwoordigd. In dit kader komen de nationale ministers van elk EU-land bijeen om wetten aan te nemen en beleid te coördineren. De verwachting is dat ook de Raad deze voorstellen zal goedkeuren en dat zal het startsein zijn voor alle Europese landen om de nationale wetgeving betreffende de werken rusttijden voor de binnenvaart in lijn te gaan brengen met de nieuwe Europese richtlijnen. Met dit besluit zal eindelijk ook de Europese binnenvaart, net als de luchtvaart, het spoorvervoer en de koopvaardij met heldere en verantwoorde werken rusttijden gaan werken.

38-39_nl_20.08.indd 39

In het kort luiden de nieuwe regels;

z per week mag men maximaal 48

uur werken (jaargemiddelde), z per week mag men niet meer dan 42 uur in de nacht werken, z per jaar minimaal 4 weken betaald verlof, z jaarlijkse gezondheidskeuringen betaald door de werkgever, z minimaal 10 uur per dag rust (waarvan 6 uur onafgebroken) en tenminste 84 uur rust per week. De nieuwe Europese regels voor de binnenvaart wijken enigszins af van het algemene Europese Werktijdenbesluit maar dit is mogelijk om daarmee aan de sector specifieke kenmerken tegemoet te komen (regelgeving mag natuurlijk een sector niet lam leggen maar moet een balans bieden tussen veiligheid, gezondheid en economie). Wat ons zeer verheugd is dat deze nieuwe regels ook zullen gelden voor het (hotel-) personeel aan boord van de passagiersschepen. Bij recente controles van de werken rusttijden bleek maar weer eens te meer dat de misstanden binnen deze sector schrikbarende vormen aannemen (contracten voor 6 maanden, 7 dagen per week, minimaal 14 uur per dag met een maandloon van €650). Wij zijn ervan overtuigd dat deze nieuwe regelgeving ervoor zal gaan zorgen dat de enorme concurrentiestrijd, die er in de binnenvaart heerst, in ieder geval niet over de rug van de werknemers zal worden uitgevochten!

Onderhandelingen Buitenlandovereenkomst

In oktober 2013 is afgesproken dat de beloning volgens de uitzendvoorwaarden tewerkstelling buiten Nederland, voor werknemers in dienst bij Boskalis en van Oord per 1 juli 2014 wordt herzien. Zoals gebruikelijk zijn de leden voorafgaand aan de onderhandelingen in de gelegenheid gesteld hun input te geven. Niet eerder werd zo massaal op deze enquête gereageerd! Verzakelijking werkrelatie

Uit de reacties blijkt dat er veel onvrede is op de vloot over de weg die arbeidsvoorwaarden en leefomstandigheden aan boord de afgelopen jaren hebben afgelegd. De verzakelijking van de

Leden Maersk Ship Management onder voorwaarde akkoord met driejarige CAO lezen is een onderhandelingsresultaat F bereikt over een driejarige CAO met Maersk

enteert eindelijk het voorstel F om de werken rusttijden voor de

aangepaste lonen, vergoedingen en toeslagen per 1 april 2104 is te vinden op www.fnvwaterbouw.nl via CAO onder Sector Waterbouw.

werkrelatie, met daardoor een sterk teruglopend sociaal karakter, wordt door onze leden niet gewaardeerd. Veel werknemers in de sector vragen zich dan ook openlijk af of zij nog wel in deze sector werkzaam willen zijn. Werknemers maken zich ook in toenemende mate zorgen over de inzet van buitenlandse werknemers op de vloot van Boskalis en van Oord. Zij hebben het gevoel vervangen te worden door goedkopere arbeidskrachten waarbij kwaliteit van ondergeschikt belang lijkt te zijn. Daarom ligt er nu, in tegenstelling tot andere jaren, een zeer uitgebreid pakket aan voorstellen op tafel. De voorstellen betreffen het uitbreiden van de werkingssfeer voor stafmedewerkers, verhoging van de lonen en vergoedingen per 1 juli 2014 van 3%, zorgverzekering, pensioen, loondoorbetaling bij ziekte, werken rusttijden, cursusdagen, veiligheid, reizen en werken leefomstandigheden. g Kijk voor een volledig overzicht van de voorstellen en meer informatie over de buitenlandovereenkomst op www.fnvwaterbouw.nl via CAO onder het kopje Bedrijf.

renden op de containerschepen van Maersk onder UK condities, dit meerdere ook zal worden geïmplementeerd in de CAO met Maersk Ship Management BV.

verhogingen in Engeland heeft de Nederlandse ledenvergadering onder het genoemde voorbehoud ingestemd met het resultaat van Maersk Ship Management (MSM).

Gelijkschakeling loonsverhogingen

Vervolgonderhandelingen Engeland

In Engeland heeft Maersk begin juni 2014 precies hetzelfde voorstel qua looptijd en gageverhogingen aangeboden. Dit voorstel werd door de leden in Engeland afgewezen. Tegen de achtergrond van de gelijkschakeling de laatste jaren met de loons-

Maersk heeft inmiddels aangegeven akkoord te zijn met het besluit van de ledenvergadering. Zodra de einduitkomst van de vervolgonderhandelingen in Engeland bekend wordt, zullen wij de leden in dienst bij Maersk en u hiervan op de hoogte stellen.

Uit de dienstgang Belgisch tintje die regelmatig met enig F gemak in de fiscale wereld opereert. Dat lijkt Een Nederlandse werkgever met een

in de Waterbouw bijzaak, maar als het erop aankomt kan het een groot probleem geven voor onze leden. Dat blijkt wel uit onderstaand artikel waarin DCR een eigen koers vaart inzake de netto loon afspraken… Werknemers in de Waterbouw hebben vaak netto loonafspraken gemaakt met hun werkgever wanneer zij buiten Nederland werkzaam zijn. Voor de belastingaangifte is een jaaropgaaf noodzakelijk waarop het bruto (fiscaal) loon wordt vermeld alsmede de ingehouden loonheffing. Deze omzetting naar een bruto loon gaat helaas niet overal goed. Zo ook bij Dredging and Contracting Rotterdam (DCR). De omzetting van netto naar bruto gebeurde niet altijd op correcte wijze. Tot nu toe zijn geconstateerde verschillen door DCR vergoed. Voordeel niet uitgekeerd

In het najaar van 2013 ontstonden er echter nieuwe fiscale problemen. Onze leden vroegen Nautilus of zij verplicht moesten meewerken aan de toepassing van de 30% regeling door de werkgever. Op hoofdlijnen betekent de 30% regeling dat aan de werknemer die wordt uitgezonden naar landen in Azië, Afrika en Latijns Amerika een belastingvrije onkostenvergoeding mag worden uitbetaald. Deze vergoeding heeft als effect dat het loon tijdens werkzaamheden in die landen verlaagd wordt en er minder loonbelasting verschuldigd is. De loonbelasting komt dan vrij en wordt aan de werknemer uitbetaald. Om die regeling uit te voeren moet vooraf een afspraak gemaakt worden tussen werkgever en werknemer.

De arbeidsovereenkomst mag niet worden aangetast en dus moet toepassing van de 30% regeling worden overeengekomen in een addendum. Die gevraagde toepassing is overigens volledig op basis van vrijwilligheid. Het belastingvoordeel uit toepassing van de 30% regeling komt, ook volgens het overeengekomen addendum, de werknemer toe. Helaas denkt de werkgever daar volstrekt anders over. In tegenstelling tot andere werkgevers in de Waterbouw wordt het ontstane voordeel niet uitgekeerd aan de werknemer zelf. Werkgever zegt de netto loon afspraak na te leven en is niet bereid extraatjes uit te betalen… Grote verschillen jaaropgaven

Vervolgens is in maart/april van dit jaar door leden en door Nautilus geconstateerd dat de afgegeven jaaropgaven grote verschillen vertonen met de gegevens (jaaropgaaf) die zijn verstrekt aan de Belastingdienst. Opnieuw kregen we vele vragen van onze leden werkzaam bij DCR; zij wilden vooral weten welke gegevens moeten worden ingevuld en wie de discussie met de Belastingdienst aangaat omtrent de geconstateerde verschillen. Omdat wij van een werkgever verwachten dat hij de correcte informatie, de jaaropgaaf, verstrekt aan zijn werknemers, zullen wij de discussie en procedures als bezwaar en beroep met de Belastingdienst aangaan. Ontvangen teruggaaf

Dan lijkt het even genoeg voor dit jaar maar helaas, de ergernis was voor onze leden nog niet voorbij. Enkele weken geleden werden leden overspoeld met e-mails van de werkgever waarin de werkgever de ontvangen belastingteruggaven van de Belgische

Wij hebben Facebook. Volg ons ook! Bezoek www.nautilusint.org fiscus opeiste bij haar werknemers. Wat is het geval? Sommige werknemers verrichten voor korte of lange tijd werk voor de Jan de Nul Holding waarvan DCR een onderdeel is. Vanwege werkzaamheden voor een Belgische onderneming stuurt de Belgische fiscus een belastingformulier aan de (Nederlandse) werknemers. Sommige werknemers vulden het belastingformulier zelf in, maar de afspraak was dat de werkgever dat zou doen. Inmiddels beschikt de werkgever over de uitkomst van de teruggaven aan werknemers. Bekend met de uitkomst wil de werkgever nu de ontvangen teruggaaf op zijn rekening hebben, ook van de werknemers die zelf aangifte hebben gedaan ! Onze leden hebben ons intussen voorzien van een groot aantal Belgische aanslagen. Ook uit deze gegevens valt het op dat de werkgever veel moeite heeft met netto loonafspraken, bruteren en ingehouden loonheffing. Er werd wel een aanvullende afspraak gemaakt: een positief of negatief belastingresultaat, mits ontstaan uit het arbeidsinkomen, komt ten goede of ten laste van de werkgever. Elk ander resultaat, bijvoorbeeld uit persoonlijke omstandigheden, komt de werknemer toe. Nautilus constateerde dat een deel van de teruggaaf bestond uit een deel dat de werknemer toekomt, zoals bijvoorbeeld het effect van de belastingvrije som voor kinderen. DCR lijkt echter zijn eigen vastgelegde afspraken te zijn vergeten en vordert de totale teruggaaf bij haar werknemers. Wij hebben DCR er op gewezen dat dit niet in overeenstemming is met de gemaakte afspraken. Op dit moment is een reactie van de werkgever nog niet gekomen. Of dit het laatste fiscale incident is in 2014? Wie het weet mag het zeggen!

20/08/2014 17:18

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

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CONNECTIONS

DP3/DP2- DSV/DP - AHTS/DP-PSV/DP3 PIPELAYER/DP2 CLV DP VESSELS MASTERS, CHOFF-SDPOs, 1st OFF-DPO 2nd OFF –DPOs, CHENGs, 2nd ENGs, 3rd ENG, ETOs, CRANE OPTRs 4-PT MOORING DSV/NON- DP AHTS/PSV/UTILITY/CREW BOAT MASTERS, CHOFF, 2nd OFF, CHENG, 2nd ENG, DP ENG, ETO, JACK UP BARGE/RIG - OIM, CHENG, 2nd ENG, ETO, SAFETY OFF SHORE BASED FOR OFFSHORE FLEET & CONSTRUCTION PIPELAY PROJECT OPERATION MANAGER, ENGINEERING MANAGER, TECH MANAGER, MARINE SUPT, TECH SUPT, PORT CAPTAIN, PORT ENG, HSE MANAGER

CONTACT DETAILS: TEL: +4 4 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 8 8 8 5 9

FAX: +4 4 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 8 8 4 2 5

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

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

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

Fleetwood - a top UK Nautical College with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

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

STCW STCW Basic Safety Training (5 days) to include; Security Awareness, Personal Survival Training , Personal Safety & Social Responsibility, Elementary First Aid Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting - W/C 29 Sept, 27 Oct,10 ,17, 24 Nov Other courses include Advanced Fire Fighting (4 days) - W/C 20 Oct, 3 Nov, 1 & 8 Dec Medicare (5 days) - W/C 20 Oct Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boat (5 days) - W/C 8,15, 22, 29 Sept, 27 Oct, 10, 17, 24 Nov Fast Rescue Boats - dates available on request STCW Updating Training - dates available in 2015 FOR MORE INFORMATION E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore Facebook /FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations

MARITIME Ship Bridge Simulator Courses NAEST Operational - W/C 1 September NAEST Management - W/C 24 Nov, 01 Dec, 08 Dec ECDIS - W/C 24 Nov HELM Management - W/C 01 Sept, 13 Oct, 24 Nov, 01Dec, 08 Dec EDH (Efficient Deck Hand) dates available on request Bridge Team Management - W/C 22 Sept, 10 Nov FOR MORE INFORMATION E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

Remarks:• Please note that Shipowner’s policy dictates that a pre-employment drug & alcohol test will be required. • Appropriate training will be provided to suitably qualiﬁed applicants.

WWW. BLACKPOOL. AC.UK

Please send your CV in the ﬁrst instance to Mrs. Elaine Wilson. Post: Crown Crewing (UK) Ltd. Crown Dry Dock, Tower Street, Hull, HU9 1TY, UK Email: crewing@whitaker-tankers.co.uk Fax: 00 44 (0)1482 226270

Excellent opportunities exist within our RORO / 967(? ÅLL[ MVY ]HYPV\Z WVZP[PVUZ PUJS\KPUN!

MASTERS CHIEF OFFICERS CHIEF ENGINEERS UK ,5.05,,9: OOW DECK OOW ENGINE ALL RATINGS To view details of all current vacancies and for further information, please visit our website www.nmms.co.uk Or send full CV to recruitment@nmms.co.uk We welcome speculative CV’s IURP VXLWDEO\ TXDOLðHG SHUVRQQHO to above email address.

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APPOINTMENTS

NOTICE TO READERS

18 September 2014 is the closing date for October 2014. You can still advertise online at any time.

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

SHORE BASED Technical Superintendent South East England - £50-60K

YACHTS

DEEP SEA

2nd Officer - 90m+ M/Y - €10K/mth

Chief Engineer - Chemical Tanker - $117K

2nd Officer - 80m+ M/Y €8K/mth Rtn

2nd Engineer - Chemical Tanker - $97K

Chief Engineer - 70m+ M/Y - €9K/mth

4th Engineer (Motor) - LPG - $52K

Technical Superintendent North East England - £50-60K

2nd Engineer - 60m+M/Y - €5K/mth Rtn

3rd Officer - LPG - $52K

Chief Engineer - 50m M/Y - €5K/mth

Chief Engineer (Motor) - LNG - $117K

Offshore Marine Superintendent Aberdeen - £65K

2nd Officer - 90m+ M/Y - €6K/mth Rtn

Master - LNG - $120K

Purser - 80m+ M/Y - €6K/mth Rtn

ETO - LNG - $56K

Offshore Technical Superintendent Aberdeen - £70K

CRUISE HOSPITALITY

Marine Superintendent LPG London - £65K Technical Superintendent LPG London - £65K Technical Superintendent Ro-Ro Scotland - £55K

2nd Officer DPO - Shuttle Tanker - $75K Programme Director - River Cruise - £48K

OFFSHORE

Head Receptionist - Cruise - €25K

3rd Engineer - Accomm. Jack-up - $36K

Senior Sous Chef - Cruise - $40K

Chief Officer DPO - AHTS - £54K

Hotel Manager - Cruise - €43K

Chief Engineer - AHTS - £64K

Destination Manager - Cruise - $36K

2nd Engineer - AHTS - £43K ETO - AHTS - $450/day

FERRY/WORKBOAT

2nd Officer DPO - DSV - £330/day

Master - ROPAX Ferry - €55K

Chief Officer DPO - DSV - £400/day

Master - Crew Transfer Vessel - £250/day

Master - MP OSV - $700/day

Master - Workboat - £250/day

Crane Op Stg3 - OCV - £350/day

Technical Superintendent LNG London - Salary DOE

Chief Engineer - Tug/Dredger - £225/day

2nd Officer - PSV - $450/day

Chief Engineer - Dredger - £45K

Chief Engineer - FGSU - £90K

Marine Superintendent LNG London - Salary DOE

Chief Engineer - Ferry - £55K

Master - FPSO - €68K

Fleet HSEQ Manager Glasgow - £59K+ Car Allowance

Master <200gt - Work Boat - £41K

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

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

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

To let us know your new address, go to www.nautilusint.org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@ nautilusint.org.

We provide a professional, dedicated and quality personal service in connecting seafarers to shipping companies and also placements to shore based marine positions. Temporary and permanent vacancies are available worldwide for: • Captains • Chief Engineers • Deck Officers • Driving Mates • DPO’s • Engineering Officers

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

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

@faststreamsea www.faststream.com

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL? Join now on our website Fill out the online application at: www.nautilusint.org Sealion Shipping manages a ñeet of platform supply, anchorhandling tug supply, oσshore construction/ROV support/saturation diving and well testing vessels.

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

Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’

We are now recruiting for various positions across this modern, mainly DP2, Åeet. If you have valid STCW CertiÀcation and recent seagoing experience, and would like to apply for a position on one of the above vessels, please register your application via our new website.

www.farnhammarineagency.co.uk

Harwich Haven Authority MARINE PILOT Commencing c.£43,932 rising to £68,836

Harwich Haven Authority is strongly committed to nurturing and developing its employees and is currently looking to hear from suitably marine qualiﬁed people interested in joining us as a pilot. You will either already have some experience of working as a pilot or are looking to progress your career in this ﬁeld. Interested? We invite highly motivated and result-oriented individuals to learn more about the role of a pilot at Harwich Haven Authority; go to http://www.hha.co.uk For an application pack click ‘Library’ then ‘Vacancies’ and select ‘Marine Pilot P1/2014’. Alternatively contact the Human Resources Department, Harwich Haven Authority, on 01255 243030 for a pack to be sent to you. Work Permit Please note that Harwich Haven Authority DOES NOT sponsor work permit applications therefore you must have current entitlement to live and work in the UK when applying Accordingly, evidence of your right to work will be required at interview. The closing date/time for the receipt of applications is Tuesday 30 September 2014, 1200hrs (instructions are within the application pack). Harwich Haven Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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APPOINTMENTS Clyde Marine Recruitment is a leading provider of marine recruitment and bespoke crew management VHUYLFHV :LWK RIÂźFHV ORFDWHG LQ 8. /DWYLD 3RODQG DQG Singapore it allows us to provide our clients with easy access to a multi-national pool of candidates from a single point of contact. For sea-going jobs apply at www.clyderecruit.com

Each year the Apostleship of the Sea Visits over 10,000 ships Helps over 200,000 seafarers Deals with over 2,100 welfare issues

a million for your very warm heart â&#x20AC;&#x153;andThanks for the help you have given us. I am not going to forget the good deeds you have shown us and we will never forget you.

â&#x20AC;?

A message from a seafarer to an Apostleship of the Sea Chaplain

I wish to support AoS with a donation of: ÂŁ _______ Please return it to: AoS, Freepost LON21409, London, EC1B 1NB

PASSENGER 2nd Engineer with an unlimited Chief CoC and 3rd Engineers required for Passenger RoRo operating in the Irish Sea. Rotation is 2 weeks on/off. Permanent positions and travel is not paid. Ad Hoc vacancies for Deck & Engine Ratings and 2IÂźFHUV for Passenger RoRos. 1 week on/off. Temp and ad hoc basis. Previous Ro-Ro experience required.

OFFSHORE Masters and &KLHI 2IÂźFHUV required for PSV and AHTS vessels. Candidates must have extensive PSV or AHTS I\TIVMIRGI EW 1EWXIV SV 'LMIJ 3JÂ˝GIV 4IVQERIRX positions. Trips are 4/4 weeks. Master requires Master YRPMQMXIH 'S' ERH 'LMIJ 3JÂ˝GIV VIUYMVIW 'LMIJ 3JÂ˝GIV YRPMQMXIH 'S' *YPP (4 GIVXMÂ˝GEXMSR MW TVIJIVVIH

QG 2IÂźFHU required for LNG Tankers. OOW CoC or above with a Gas DCE required. Trips are 3-3.5 months. Permanent position. Previous LNG experience as RH 3JÂ˝GIV QG 2IÂźFHU/DPO required for DP Shuttle Tanker. 33; 'S' SV EFSZI [MXL E *YPP (4 GIVXMÂ˝GEXI ERH Oil DCE. Trips are 8-10/8-10 weeks. Permanent position. Previous Shuttle Tanker or Oil Tanker experience as RH 3JÂ˝GIV (4 &SRYW EZEMPEFPI

Title:_________ First Name:________________ Surname:__________________

WILL YOU HELP US? To donate or read more about the Apostleship of the Sea visit our website

www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk

Address:_____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________Postcode: ________________

Telephone: ________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________

(Please only give us your email if you are happy to be contacted in this way)

833 069 18 o: 1 3203 ty N n: 3 hari tio d C istra terey Reg is g Re mpan Co

COASTAL 0DVWHU &KLHI 2IÂźFHUV DQG QG 2IÂźFHUV required for Dredger. Permanent positions. Dredger experience preferred but not essential. View website for various vacancies.

SPECIALIST

Chief and 2nd Engineers required for PSV, AHTS and Standby Vessels for various clients. Trip lengths and salaries vary. Candidates must have an unlimited Chief UK CoC/CEC.

Various Engineering vacancies available on Merchant Navy support vessels to the Royal Navy.

TANKER

Rotations are 4 months followed by 84 days leave. ;I [MPP GSRWMHIV ETTPMGEXMSRW JVSQ RI[P] UYEPMÂ˝IH cadets for some of the positions available.

UG 2IÂźFHUV required for Oil Tankers. OOW CoC or above with an Oil DCE required. Trips are 3-3.5 months. Permanent position. Previous Oil Tanker experience as VH 3JÂ˝GIV VIUYMVIH

(Please make cheques payable to AoS)

These include Tankers, RoRos, Helicopter carriers and Heavy repair vessels.

For all shore-based jobs, please visit:

Master required for LNG Tankers. Master unlimited CoC with a Gas DCE required. Trips are 3/3 months. Permanent position. Previous LNG experience as Master required.

www.redtheconsultancy.com

For Sea-going Jobs visit Clyde Marine Recruitment:

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

Gdynia +4858 665 3860 Riga +371 6733 1357

MERCHANT NAVY OFFICER TRAINING COURSES Based in Glasgow city centre, the college has a long standing reputation as one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading providers of nautical courses. STCW, MCA & SPECIALISED MARINE SHORT COURSES ECDIS: 22/09/14, 06/10/14, 27/10/14, 10/11/14, Designated Security Duties: 01/09/14, 15/12/14, 02/02/15 06/10/14, 10/11/14, 26/01/15 HELM Management: 15/09/14, 29/09/14, ProďŹ ciency in Security Awareness: 20/10/14, 10/11/14, 24/11/14, 01/12/14, 15/12/14 02/09/14, 07/10/14, 11/11/14, 27/01/15 Specialised Oil Tanker: 13/10/14, 17/11/14, CPSCRB: 01/09/14, 20/10/14, 27/10/14, 12/01/15, 23/02/15 03/11/14, 10/11/14 Shipboard Security OfďŹ cer: 27/10/14, EDH: 24/11/14, 08/12/14, 23/02/15 15/12/14, 16/02/15 Safety OfďŹ cer: 29/09/14, 15/12/14, 02/03/15 Contact: Alison Bryce 0141 565 2700 - Marine.Short.Courses@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

Examiner of Engineers ÂŁ39,778 rising to ÂŁ45,743 This position is based at the MCA Headquarters in Southampton Ref: DFT/644/14/MCA The Maritime and Coastguard Agency implements the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maritime safety in the UK and works to prevent loss of life on the coast and at sea. The Seafarer Training and CertiďŹ cation (STC) Branch issues Seafarer CertiďŹ cation and Safe Manning Documents vital to the UK shipping industry and employment of seafarers. This specialist technical role in the STC Branch will focus on supporting the Chief Examiner in ensuring the provisions of STCW 78 as amended, STCW-F, relevant Codes of Practice and EC Directives are correctly implemented and applied. This will involve: â&#x20AC;˘ Developing and implementing policy in accordance with international conventions and national requirements â&#x20AC;˘ Representing the MCA at various meetings with industry and other stakeholders

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

DECK COURSES

â&#x20AC;˘ Evaluating proposals for training courses presented to the MCA for approval

START DATES

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

ENGINEERING COURSES

START DATES

Chief and Second Engineer (III/2) Motor EK Prep Course: 22/09/14, 12/01/15, 05/05/15 Contact: Engineering@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk EOOW (III/1) & IAMI Prep Course: 03/11/14, 09/02/15 Contact: Mervyn.Adams@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

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â&#x20AC;˘ Working with the administrative teams to solve complex technical problems in relation to seafarer certiďŹ cation â&#x20AC;˘ Prepare brieďŹ ng papers for IMO, ILO and EU meetings as directed by the Chief Examiner â&#x20AC;˘ Issuing and assessing Safe Manning Documents Other tasks will include drafting answers to Parliamentary Questions, conducting oral exams and providing guidance to seafarers, industry and Marine OfďŹ ces. Your UK CertiďŹ cate of Competency as Chief Engineer III/2 qualiďŹ cation will be complemented by signiďŹ cant shipboard management or equivalent industry experience. You will possess excellent decision-making, communication and partnership working skills. Some national and international travel will be required. To ďŹ nd out more information about this post and to apply online please visit http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/index.aspx read guidance and search for Maritime and Coastguard jobs.

For other Engineering enquiries please contact: Caroline Alderdice 0141 271 6545/6548 Caroline.Alderdice@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

â&#x20AC;˘ Monitoring training providers and Nautical colleges

Closing date: 25th September 2014.

City of Glasgow College SC036198

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is an equal opportunity employer.

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APPOINTMENTS

Join the world of Windstar Join us in welcoming our newest stars to the ﬂeet, commencing with the Star Pride in 2014 and the two additional vessels in 2015. Soon to be sailing alongside our current luxury sail assisted yachts, our ﬂeet will sail worldwide taking our passengers to some of the most unique and exotic ports there are to be found.

www.windstarcruises.com

With the fleet doubling in size, Windstar Cruises are currently looking for suitable candidates for the following positions: · Captains and other Deck Officers · Engineering Officers of all ranks · Electricians and ETO’s · Hotel Officers, Guest & Destination Service Professionals Benefits package includes: · Competitive wages paid in GBP and USD · One for One Rotation for Staff Officers · Retirement Savings Plan / Pensions · Annual & Return Bonuses (dependent on rank) · Company Sponsored Study Leave Programme · Officer Cadet Training · Excellent Spouse Policy Prospective candidates need to complete our online candidate database via our website or email us at applicants@vikingrecruitment.com quoting reference WSC 09/14

Viking House, Beechwood Business Park, Menzies Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2FG T: +44 (0) 300 303 8191 F: +44 (0) 130 482 7710 vikingrecruitment.com

Maersk Line Container Fleet are recruiting Senior Engineers for immediate vacancies

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

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

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

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APPOINTMENTS

Catering Superintendent

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

We are currently looking for the following STCW95/OPITO trained personnel to join the Atlantic Offshore Rescue Ltd ERRV Fleet:

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

Masters O Chief Of¿cers O 2nd Of¿cers

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

www.seamariner.com

O Chief Engineers O 2nd Engineers

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

O 3rd Engineers O Engine Room Ratings O Deck Ratings O Cook Applications should be sent to: Ocean Supply (Guernsey) Ltd c/o Atlantic Offshore Crewing Services Ltd, Merchants House, 87 Waterloo Quay, Aberdeen AB11 5DE Attn: Keith Kendall

We are currently seeking applications for several vacancies across Marine Scotland (Compliance); these posts are based on our Marine Patrol and Research Vessels. The following positions are available:

Seaman/Deckhand (£22,402 - £25,504) Cook/Steward (£24,408 - £27,184) Motorman (£22,402 - £25,504) Electrical Officer (£36,208 - £38,836) Second Engineer (£39,373 - £45,190) Marine Scotland has three Marine Patrol Vessels, two major research Vessels, eighteen Marine Offices around the Scottish Coast and two surveillance aircraft. For further information and to apply, simply visit our website www.work-for-scotland.org We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people and aim to employ a diverse workforce, which reflects the people of Scotland. An Equal Opportunities Employer

ANGLIAN MARINE RECRUITMENT LTD Marine Placement Agency

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

SENIOR LECTURER – PETROCHEMICAL (SCHOOL OF MARITIME TRAINING) £44,932 - £52,061 per annum The School of Maritime Training delivers short courses and consultancy services to the shipping, ports and offshore oil and gas industries. You will be expected to design, develop and conduct a range of petrochemical courses for the maritime industry, both in the UK and abroad, and where appropriate to undertake consultancy services. An important part of course delivery will involve the use of a Liquid Cargo Handling Operations Simulator (LICOS) as a teaching and assessment tool as well as classroom work. You will possess a UK MCA Chief Mate or Second Engineer Certiﬁcate of Competency as minimum and must have had appropriate seagoing experience in tankers, including service in LNG/LPG gas tankers. Previous lecturing or instructional experience would be desirable but not essential as training can be provided.

Please visit www.solent.ac.uk/vacancies to register with jobs@solent and apply for the vacancy. Closing Date: 30 September 2014. Interview Date: 23 October 2014. Committed to equality and inclusivity

VACANCY FOR A BERTHING MASTER Berthing Master Role This is your opportunity to join a small team at our Tetney Terminal, where you will be responsible for all SBM operations, including: • The mooring and unmooring of tankers • The supervision of the handling of cargo hoses • The safe discharge of crude oil whilst the vessel remains on the berth • The planning and supervision of the maintenance of the Offshore Terminal This represents a rewarding and demanding opportunity to work for a leading Oil Major in return for a competitive remuneration package. Qualiﬁcations & Experience Required: Master Unlimited, with tanker experience preferred. A Chief Mate Unlimited will be considered with appropriate experience. Job Type: Permanent Location: Lincolnshire Salary: Competitive + excellent pension + share scheme + bonus scheme + private medical + relocation package Contact: www.Phillips66.co.uk/careers Job no: 001JM Closing date: 3rd October 2014

www.warsashacademy.co.uk

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SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include:

which states that if samples remain dry following a can test, the moisture content of the material may still exceed the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML)

MGN 511 (M) — Solid bulk cargoes: adoption of Amendment 02-13 to the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code _MSC. 1/ Circ.1452 As this note explains, the IMSBC Code establishes international provisions for the safe loading, trimming, carriage and discharge of solid bulk cargoes when transported by sea, ensuring compliance with the provisions of the SOLAS Convention. In a dry, granular, cargo the individual particles are in contact with each other such that frictional forces prevent them sliding over one another. However, if there is enough moisture present, then there is the potential for the cargo to behave like a liquid. This is because settling of the cargo occurs under the influences of vibration, over-stowage and the motion of the ship. As such, the spaces between the particles reduce in size with an accompanying increase in water pressure between the particles. This results in a reduction in friction between the particles and can allow the cargo to shift suddenly. This cargo movement can result in a loss of stability, and over recent years has been associated with the loss of life in numerous marine casualties. Such cargoes are identified as Group A cargoes in the IMSBC Code. Group A consists of cargoes which may liquefy if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recently adopted an amendment to the IMSBC Code. IMO has invited users of the Code to implement it as soon as possible after 1 January 2014, with a final entry into force date of 1 January 2015. In particular, operators are strongly advised, in light of recent incidents on vessels carrying cargo which may liquefy, to implement amendments to Sections 4 and 8 as soon as practical. These are: z Section 4 — Assessment of acceptability of consignments for safe shipment, which now requires the shipper to provide the ship’s master or his representative with a signed certificate of the Transportable Moisture Limit and a signed certificate of declaration of the moisture content each issued by an entity recognised by the Competent Authority of the port of loading z Section 8 — Test procedures for cargoes which may liquefy, which now has an additional paragraph

MGN 512 (M) — Solid bulk cargoes: guidelines for the submission of Information and completion of the format for the properties of cargoes not listed in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code and their Conditions of Carriage (MSC.1/Circ. 1453) This note advises industry of IMO guidelines on the details required by Competent Authorities in order for them to apply to IMO for cargoes not listed in the IMSBC Code to be incorporated into appendix 1 of the IMSBC Code. The full guidelines appear in the document MSC.1/Circ. 1453, which is attached to MIN 512. MGN 513 (M) — Solid bulk cargoes: guidelines for developing and approving procedures for sampling, testing and controlling the moisture content for solid bulk cargoes which may liquefy (MSC.1/Circ.1454) This note advises of IMO guidelines on the preparation, approval and implementation of procedures for sampling, testing and controlling moisture content for solid bulk cargoes which may liquefy. The main objective of the guidelines is to ensure safe transport of such cargoes and to complement the provisions of the IMSBC Code by: z assisting shippers in preparing procedures for sampling, testing and controlling moisture content as required by paragraph 4.3.3 of the IMSBC Code z assisting competent authorities of ports of loading when approving and checking the implementation of such procedures in accordance with paragraph 4.3.3 of the IMSBC Code The full guidelines appear in the document MSC.1/Circ. 1454, which is attached to MIN 513. MGN 514 (M) — Solid bulk cargoes: early implementation of the draft amendments 03-15 to the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code related to the carriage and testing of iron ore fines (DSC.1/Circ.71) This note reminds industry that iron ore fines are particularly prone to liquefaction, and masters should refer to section 7 of the IMSBC Code, which warns about cargoes that may liquefy. MGN 514 advises on the draft individual schedule for iron ore fines, the draft revised individual schedule for iron ore and the draft new test procedure for determining the

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

Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) of iron ore fines contained in DSC.1/ Circular.71 — which is reproduced in full as an attachment to MIN 514. In considering the above, users of the IMSBC Code are advised to implement the draft schedules and test procedures as soon as possible. MIN 486 (M) — Support for Maritime Training (SMarT): 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 (SMarT) for Merchant Navy seafarer training between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2016. In September 2013 the government announced that the SMarT budget, over the Spending Review period to the end of 2015/16, would receive an increase of up to £3 million a year, in recognition of the importance of sustaining the UK’s skills base for this important sector. The government has now made available additional funds of up to £3 million for financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16. MIN 486 describes how these funds are being allocated and explains how to apply for them. To claim SMarT funding, a company must be an MCA registered Training Provider (TP). MIN 486 sets out how to apply to become a TP and details some changes to the eligibility criteria. The note also reports that the increase in funds will primarily be used to support mainstream officer training. SMarT funding is also available (to various extents) for other categories, such as adult entry trainee engineers, ETOs, certain higher certificates of competency, and ECDIS, HV and HELM training.

z M-Notices are available as

electronic documents or as a set of bound volumes. z A consolidated set of M-Notices is published by The Stationery Office. This contains all M-Notices current on 31 July 2009 (ISBN 9780115530555) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be electronically subscribed to by emailing a request to mnotices@ ecgroup.co.uk or downloaded from the MCA website. Note: the location of the MCA website has changed to draw together all government departments and services into one portal, www.gov. uk. To find the M-notices on this new site, go to www.gov.uk and type MCA into the search box. In the Maritime & Coastguard Agency section of the site, select Find marine (M) notices.

g Professional & Technical Forum Monday 8 September 2014 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs at the Nautilus northern office Mariners’ Park, Wallasey. The forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification. The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH). Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world. For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port. Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing. SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Monday 29 September, 2014 1600 to 1800hrs at Holiday Inn Hotel, Belfast. The forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people in the shipping industry and on the issues that matter to them. Open to all young members (UK & NL). Contact Paul Schroder: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB

Quiz answers 1. The Marshall Islands has the largest share of the world orderbook, with a total of 643 ships. 2. There are now just two ULCCs in service: the 441,561dwt TI Oceania and TI Europe. 3. German owners have the world’s largest containership fleet, with a total of 5.04m TEU capacity. 4. Melbourne is Australia’s busiest port in terms of container traffic, handling some 2.6m TEU last year (35% of the country’s total). 5. APM Terminals Algeciras, Spain, is the busiest container port on the Mediterranean Sea, with an overall throughput of 4.33m TEU last year. 6. The world’s first seagoing LNG carrier, Methane Princess, entered into service in June 1964. Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 8. Generous; 9. Accent; 10. List; 11. Exultation; 12. Slight; 14. Rudiment; 15. Address; 17. Inkling; 20. Ganglion; 22. Insect; 23. Prosperous; 24. Talc; 25. Mullet; 26. Shamrock; Down: 1. Devilled; 2. Newt; 3. Forest; 4. Estuary; 5. Mastodon; 6. Scots miles; 7. Unborn; 13. Garage sale; 16. Stiletto; 18. Necklace; 19. Endorse; 21. Atrium; 22. Instar. 24. Tore. This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph. Congratulations to Nautilus member C.M. Mackay, who has won the prize draw for the August cryptic crossword. Cryptic answers from August Across: 1. Report; 4. Nessie; 9. Spot; 10. Deep-rooted; 11. Pumice; 12. Zeppelin; 13. Reichstag; 15. Gong; 16. Spry; 17. Gabardine; 21. Purblind; 22. Sashay; 24. Decahedron; 25. Beef; 26. Endure; 27. Beirut. Down: 1. Rapture; 2. Petri; 3. Redress; 5. Enrapt; 6. Stone-cold; 7. Evening; 8. New Zealanders; 14. Cardboard; 16. Squeeze; 18. Absence; 19. Nearest; 20. Linear; 23. Sober.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact Nautilus International

Useful organisations

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

g Women’s Forum Saturday 20 September 2014 1100hrs to 1400hrs at Nautilus head office in London (TBC) The forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing women in the industry and encourages female participation in Union activity. Open to all female members.

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

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships. Seamen’s Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers. Includes the Dreadnought health service. Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)20 7643 13856 www.csv-rsvp.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

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

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September 2014 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 47

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Captain Duncan Smith, general purposes committee member

It was no surprise when Captain Duncan Smith first went to sea at the age of 16. ‘I was born in Macduff, which was a fishing village, and there was a long tradition of fathers and grandfathers working on the boats,’ he recalls. Starting off as a deckhand, Duncan quickly worked his way up the ranks. ‘At the time, you had to have four years’ experience at sea before you could go for your tickets, but I got my second’s mate’s special certification and then my mate’s and master’s and got my own boat in 1991.’ Duncan sold his boat in 1997 and, like many others in the fishing industry, made the move to the offshore sector — starting off as a second mate with Tidewater and

gaining promotion as chief officer after two years. ‘I had to convert my tickets from fishing to the Merchant Navy and had to go back to college, and in 2005 I got my master’s ticket,’ he says. ‘Working in the offshore sector was very different at first, but it was a lot better for me because I was working for two to three weeks at sea on the fishing boat and then at home for 10 or 11 days. In the offshore sector, I went to four weeks on and four weeks off, which was a lot better for family life.’ Duncan is now serving with Vroon Offshore as a master of an emergency response and rescue vessel based in Aberdeen. ‘I still love going to sea,’ he

adds. ‘I love the feeling of going out of the harbour and four weeks at sea is not that long — doing the paperwork passes the time! Every day is different and every day brings different challenges.’ He became involved with Nautilus by becoming a liaison officer. ‘I was interested in doing this because I think it is important that we have a say in the way things are run and I wanted to speak up for our side,’ he explains. Duncan recently attended his first meeting of the Nautilus International governing body, the Council, as a co-opted member of the general purposes committee. ‘It’s really interesting,’ he says, ‘and I like the idea of being involved in the

Union’s work to help people because there are a lot of people out there who really need the help. ‘There are big issues like the MLC, working conditions, legal responsibilities and training,’ he notes. ‘The industry is desperately short of officers now and we are having to do a lot of the training onboard the ships.’ In his spare time, Duncan is a keen golfer and has recently become an avid archer. ‘I had never picked up a bow and arrow until three years ago, when there was an archery session at the end of a seminar I attended,’ he says. ‘I was hooked immediately and decided to take it up, and I am now taking part in competitions.’

Wherev er you are , so are we

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 23,000 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.

20/08/2014 17:22

48 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | September 2014

NEWS

Northern Marine cadets get a taste of the sea on tall ship trip A

Newly-recruited cadets got an early insight into the industry they will be joining this month when Northern Marine chartered the tall ship Stavros S. Niarchos for a weeklong sail training voyage. A total of 14 new recruits and 24 existing cadets at various stages of their training sailed alongside staff from Northern Marine Management’s training department for a trip that aims to provide practical experience and understanding of life at sea, as well as developing teamwork and leadership skills. ‘Accepting that this is very different to the life onboard a modern tanker or ferry, the trip provided an insight into the career, with the opportunity to experience

many of the challenges that they will face and to understand what will be expected of them over the coming years,’ said NMM training officer Thomas Campbell. ‘For many, this was their first time away from their homes and families, providing excellent social lessons in living within a confined environment with a close group of people,’ he added. ‘This also provided an excellent opportunity to meet their future classmates and more experienced cadets; the first step towards the development of an informal mentoring programme. ‘ Before departing from Newcastle, the cadets were introduced to the vessel’s safety and security requirements and were briefed in their emergency duties.

‘Challenging tasks were set from the first day’s sailing,’ Mr Campbell explained. ‘One cadet, having just completed her first trip on the Stena Superfast VII, took to the helm under pilotage, while the remaining members of her watch were taught the basics, including maintaining a proper lookout. ‘A watch routine was established from the moment we departed the River Tyne, introducing the cadets to the demands of working in shift patterns, including the need to work outside of watch hours to complete additional tasks such as maintenance and sail setting,’ he added. ‘All cadets were rotated through several duties, including watchkeeping, day work and mess duties. This truly emphasised the

importance of every individual’s contribution onboard.’ During the voyage, lessons were given in rules of the road, buoyage and seamanship, and Mr Campbell said the trip provided a good opportunity to build the behaviour required for a long and successful career at sea. ‘Using working aloft, it was demonstrated that risk assessment is not just a paper exercise, but a continuous practical mind-set which must adapt with the conditions,’ he pointed out. ‘A positive experience was reported by all and, by the end of the voyage, not only was there a distinguishable improvement in the participants’ confidence and teamwork, but also a real sense of achievement and unity.’

Three-month inspection blitz on seafarers’ working hours targeted in a long-awaited three-month F concentrated inspection campaign set to begin on Seafarers’ work and rest hours are to be

1 September. Port state control authorities in Europe, Canada, the Black Sea and the Asia-Pacific regions will be carrying out special checks in an attempt to ensure that watchkeepers are complying with the hours of rest requirements laid down by the STCW Convention. It is expected that around 10,000 ships around the will be inspected during the programme, which will come to an end on 30 November. Inspectors will use a questionnaire listing 10 items, focusing attention on the minimum safe

manning document and the quality of recordkeeping. They will check whether watch schedules are posted in easily accessible areas, whether there are records of daily hours of rest for each watchkeeper and that their rest periods comply with STCW requirements — including the weekly limits. The inspections also aim to ensure that watchkeepers on the first and subsequent watch after departure have sufficient time to rest, that on-call seafarers receive adequate compensatory rest periods if disturbed by call-outs to work, and that ships are maintaining a bridge lookout. PSC authorities warn that when deficiencies are found, actions may vary from recording a deficiency and instructing the master to rectify it within a

certain period to detaining the ship until serious deficiencies have been rectified. Nautilus has sought such a concentrated inspection for many years as part of its campaign against seafarer fatigue. Senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the inspections were likely to confirm that an unsafe working week of 91 to 98 hours is accepted by the industry. ‘If the port state control authorities were serious, recognition would be made of important factors such as watch handover times — including adequate times for adjustment for night vision rather than a split second as recorded,’ he added. ‘It should be more than a tick box exercise, with proper forensic investigation being undertaken.’

Industry advises on risks of Ebola Seafarers urged to take precautions

Seafarers visiting west African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak are being advised to take precautions against infection and recognise symptoms of the virus. The International Transport Workers’ Federation, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) have issued guidance to masters and crew advising them to be aware of the risks and report any signs of infection or exposure. Last month the World Health Organisation (WHO) described the outbreak — which has been confirmed in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone — as an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other states. Seafarers are being advised to restrict personnel boarding at ports in affected countries and to be particularly vigilant against stowaways. They should carefully consider the risks before taking shore leave in those ports and owners and operators are also advised not to make crew changes in the ports of an affected country. The WHO has confirmed that the Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids — it is not spread through the air like influenza or other respiratory diseases. Symptoms include the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. The incubation period is 21 days, and this means that those infected are not immediately contagious to others. It also means

that anyone who is suspected of having been in contact with the virus should be monitored for 21 days, to make sure that they don’t develop symptoms. The WHO is advising affected countries to undertake exit screenings at ports, which should include questionnaires on activities in the country and body temperature measurements. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said that while the Union welcomed the joint safety guidance issued by the ITF, ICS and IMEC, it has ‘grave concerns over the onus being placed on masters at a time when employers should provide clear leadership and support’. Whilst there has been no ofﬁcial call to ban international travel to and from the affected areas, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has stopped its seafarers from disembarking in countries with conﬁrmed cases of the virus. ‘There will be no shore leave for seafarers and no crew change in the ports of these countries,’ said POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac. ‘This is for our seafarers’ welfare and protection, as they could be vulnerable to the Ebola virus due to the unavoidable circumstance where they have to interact with shore-based personnel who come onboard ships to perform their respective duties.’ Under the POEA guidelines, all companies with ships visiting ports in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone should provide their crews with working gear — including personal protective equipment, such as masks, gloves, and goggles where necessary — to limit the possibility of Ebola exposure or contamination.

Training courses for the maritime and offshore industries

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

48_news.indd 48

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

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

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

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

Tel:

00 44 1502 525025

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

Accredited by

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