Wavelength Volume 2 Issue 20, July 2006

W

Volume 2, Issue 20, July 2006

To r Sea each far ou er r s

avelength centrofin@centrofin.gr

1.2 The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 provided a

CENTRO-NEWS

Cold Water Survival MSC 81/WP.6 ANNEX 9

DRAFT MSC CIRCULAR GUIDE FOR COLD WATER SURVIVAL

!The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-first session (10

to 19 May 2006), with a view to providing enhanced guidance for passenger ships operating in cold water areas, approved the Guide to cold water survival prepared by the Sub-Committee on Radio-communications and Search and Rescue at its tenth session (6 to 10 March 2006), as set out in the annex.

!Member Governments and international organizations are invited to bring the annexed Guide to the attention of all concerned.

dramatic example of the effects of cold water immersion. Partially due to a lack of preparedness with protective clothing, of adequate flotation equipment, and of knowledge of survival procedures, none of the 1,489 persons immersed in the 0°C water was obviously alive when rescue vessels arrived one hour and 50 minutes after the sinking.

1.3 Countless lives could have been saved had the survivors and the rescuers known more of how to cope with cold water: almost all of the people in the lifeboats were alive.

1.4 During the Second World War the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom alone lost about 45,000 men at sea, of whom it is estimated 30,000 died from drowning and hypothermia.

Many of those who drowned did so because of incapacitation due to cold. Even today the pattern is similar.

1.5 It is important to realize that you are not helpless to effect your own survival in cold water. Body heat loss is a gradual process, and research shows that in calm water at 5°C a normally dressed person has a 50% chance of surviving three hours.

Simple self-help techniques can extend this time, particularly if the person is wearing a lifejacket. You can make the difference; this text is intended to show you how.

2 Your body

1 Introduction

2.1 An understanding of how your body

exposure that may endanger your life, and to provide you with advice on how to prevent or minimize those dangers.

A thorough understanding of the information contained in this booklet may some day save your life.

pg 4

Culture Counts pg6

Accident Reporting -MARS pg8

A Gentleman pg12

ANNEX GUIDE FOR COLD WATER SURVIVAL

1.1The purpose of this guide is to examine the hazards of cold

In this issue

reacts to cold air or water exposure, and knowing the steps you can take to help your body delay the damaging effects of cold stress, will help you in your struggle to stay alive in the event of cold water exposure.

Studies hint at irreversible rising seas

cont'd to pg 2 pg14

Accident Reporting - MARS Was OOW Asleep?

MARS Report 200601 A vessel was due to arrive at a port in Spain at 08:00 local time (LT). It would appear that at about 0600 LT the vessel contacted the Pilot Station confirming the ETA and was instructed to contact again some 20 minutes before arrival.

At 07.59 hours LT, and despite the calls from the Traffic Control, the vessel grounded at full speed on the breakwater at the entrance to the port.

A video, taken by surveillance cameras, shows "live" the sequence of the grounding, and needs no comments.

The vessel had a crew of seven, with only two watchkeeping officers, Master and Chief Officer.

While ISM, ISPS, GPS and all the other gadgetry are extremely useful for safer navigation, it is my humble opinion that adequate manning is a must to avoid such cases. In this particular incident, the Chief Officer was alone on the bridge at the time of the incident.

cont'd to pg 6

CFC Activities

Be Fair

The CENMAR FAMILY CIRCLE association continuing its “Seminar Workshop in Livelihood Programme”, after its successful one in North Luzon (Dangupan), carried out the second seminar in Manila. On May 13th 2006, against a typhoon covering the entire Luzon area, about seventy five registered allottees and seafarers (on leave) gathered at the safe (refuge) ballroom hall of the Bayview Park Hotel, in Ermita. With typical Filipino attitude, 'calm cool collected' and jokingly, they enjoyed the day having 'survived' the floods and the road traffic.

The important theme “Challenges in the Life of Seafarers” was delivered by the guest speaker Mr Crisostomo Alagao, a graduate Master of Arts in Religious Education (Hon) from the De-La-Salle University, Manila. The emphasis was focused on the basic family values.

TO THE MASTER: Please circulate this Bulletin to the CREW.

cont'd from pg 1

Cold Water Survival 2.2 Imagine your body to consist of an inner core and an outer layer. Your body produces a great deal of heat as a result of normal body functions, such as physical exercise and digesting your food.

2 Transfer of heat by air or water currents: moving air is far cooler to the body than still air. Cooling by wind is known as the 'wind-chill' effect.

Similarly disturbed or moving water around your body is more chilling than still water at the same temperature.

2.3 Nature requires that your body core be kept to an ideal temperature of 37째C. A network of blood vessels running through the core and the outer layer of your body picks up the heat produced, and distributes it throughout the body. Nature also gives your body a very accurate system to regulate automatically the core temperature at 37째C. For example, if the temperature around you is high, as on a warm day or in a hot boiler room, the blood vessels near the skin of your body will enlarge, allowing more blood to flow to the outer layer and increase body heat loss. This will keep you comfortable and keep the core temperature from rising. If the surroundings are cool, your body will narrow the blood vessels in the outer layer and keep that valuable body heat from being lost too rapidly.

3.2 In almost all parts of the world, man cannot survive without the aid of clothes. Clothes by themselves do not warm the body; the body is actually warmed by its own heat production.

The body heat warms the layer of air trapped between the skin and clothing. It is this layer of air that provides insulation. If the layer of air is lost, then the insulation is diminished. This layer of trapped air between skin and clothing may be disturbed by movement or displaced by water.

In either case, valuable warm air is displaced and skin temperature will fall. Heat from the body core will them be used in an endeavour to maintain skin temperature. If heat loss from the skin remains unchecked, the body core temperature will fall.

2.4 This regulatory system strives to keep the core

4 Hypothermia

temperature of the body constant despite variations in ambient temperature around you. The body can only do this within certain limits. There are levels of cold exposure when the body must have help in maintaining the core temperature at nature's choice of 37째C. You must give it that help by taking correct actions and wearing protective clothing.

3 Body heat loss and insulation 3.1 The body usually loses heat to the surroundings in the following ways: 1 Transfer of heat by direct contact with cold water or other materials. Heat passes from your body, which is at a relatively high temperature, to a substance which is lower in temperature. Certain substances are better conductors of heat than others. Water conducts heat more than twenty times faster than air.

4.1 The loss of body heat is one of the greatest hazards to the survival of a person at sea. The rate of body heat loss depends on the: 1 water and air temperature; 2 wind speed; 3 sea conditions; 4 length of time spent in the water; 5 protective clothing worn; 6 body type of the survivor; 7 mental and health status of the survivor; 8 level of alcohol and certain drugs in the survivor's body; and 9 manner in which the survivor conducts himself 4.2 An abnormally low body core temperature can be recognized by a variety of symptoms.

Very early during exposure, the body tries to combat the excessive heat loss both by narrowing its surface blood vessels (to reduce heat transfer by blood to surface) and by shivering (to produce more body heat). However, if the exposure is severe, the body is unable to conserve or produce enough heat. Body core temperature begins to fall.

When the body core temperature is below 35째C, the person is suffering from 'hypothermia'. >

4.3 By then discomfort, tiredness, poor coordination, numbness, impaired speech, disorientation, and mental confusion are well established. As the internal temperature falls further, unconsciousness may occur, shivering is replaced by muscle stiffness, and the pupils of the eyes may be enlarged. The heartbeat becomes irregular, slow and weak and the pulse is barely detectable. Although death may occur at any stage of hypothermia, when a person's temperature is very low it is difficult to understand, if the person is alive or dead. Death by hypothermia is then defined as a failure to revive on re-warming.

5 Ship abandonment 5.1 Ships may sink in less than 15 minutes. This affords little time to formulate a plan of action, so careful planning is essential to be ready in an emergency. Here are some sound pointers for you to remember when abandoning a ship: 1 Put on as many layers of warm clothing as possible, including foot protection, making sure to cover head, face, neck, hands and feet.

Fasten, close and/or button up clothing to prevent cold water flushing through the clothing.

2 If an immersion suit is available, put it on over the warm clothing.

3 If the immersion suit does not have inherent flotation, put on a lifejacket and be sure to secure it correctly before immersion. In cold water you will lose full use of your fingers immediately.

4 If time permits all persons should, before boarding the survival craft or in any case immediately after boarding, take some recommended anti-seasickness medicine.

Seasickness will interfere with your survival chances as vomiting removes precious body fluid, and seasickness in general makes you more prone to hypothermia and impairs your will to survive.

5 Avoid entering the water if possible, e.g. board davit-launched survival craft on the embarkation deck or by the marine escape system. If davitlaunched survival craft, a marine escape system or other means of dry-shod embarkation are not available, use over-side ladders or, if necessary, lower yourself by means of a rope or fire hose.

6 Stay out of the water as long as possible! Try to minimize the shock of sudden cold immersion.

- pg 3 -

A sudden plunge into cold water can cause rapid death, or an uncontrollable rise in breathing rate may result in an intake of water into the lungs. If jumping into the water is unavoidable, you should try to keep your elbows to your side and cover your nose and mouth with one hand while holding the wrist or elbow firmly with the other hand. Avoid jumping onto the liferaft canopy or jumping into the water astern of a liferaft, in case the ship has some remaining headway. .7 Once in the water, whether accidentally or by ship abandonment, orient yourself and try to

locate the ship, lifeboats, liferafts, other survivors, or other floating objects. If you were unable to prepare yourself before entering the water, button up clothing now. In cold water, you may experience violent shivering and great pain.

These are natural body reflexes that are not dangerous. You do, however, need to take action as quickly as possible before you lose full use of your hands: button up clothing, turn on signal lights, locate whistle, etc. .8 While afloat in the water, do not attempt to swim unless it is to reach a nearby craft, a fellow survivor, or a floating object on which you can lean or climb. Unnecessary swimming will 'pump' out any warm water between your body and the layers of clothing, thereby increasing the rate of body heat loss. In addition, unnecessary movements of your arms and legs send warm blood from the inner core to the extremities (arms and legs) and thus to the outer parts of the body. This can result in very rapid heat loss.

Stay calm and take up a good position to prevent drowning. .9 The body position you assume in the water is also very important in conserving heat. Try to float as still as possible - with your legs together, elbows close to your side, and arms folded across the front of your lifejacket. This position minimizes the exposure of the body surface to the cold water. Try to keep your head and neck out of the water. .10 Try to board a lifeboat, raft, or other floating platform or object as soon as possible in order to shorten the immersion time. Remember: you lose body heat many times faster in water than in air. Since the effectiveness of your insulation has been seriously reduced by water soaking, you must now try to shield yourself from wind to avoid a wind-chill effect. If you manage to climb

aboard a lifeboat, shielding can be accomplished with the aid of a canvas cover, a tarpaulin, or an unused garment. Huddling close to the other occupants of the lifeboat or raft will also conserve body heat. .11 Keep a positive attitude of mind about your survival and rescue. This will improve your chances of extending your survival time until rescue comes. Your will to live does make a difference!

6 Treatment of the immersion survivor 6.1 The treatment for hypothermia will of course depend on both the condition of the survivor and the facilities available. Generally speaking, survivors who are rational and capable of recounting their experiences, although shivering dramatically, merely require removal of all wet clothes and replacement with dry clothes or blankets. If possible, they should be taken from the water horizontally and carried this way, or else be returned to the horizontal (or, better still, to the unconscious position) as quickly as possible and kept this way.

Hot sweet drinks should be given but only if the victim is fully conscious with gag and cough reflexes. Rest in a warm environment not exceeding 25째C (normal room temperature) is also recommended. Do not allow alcohol or smoking, or massaging or rubbing of the cold skin. However, always bear in mind that even conscious survivors can collapse and become unconscious shortly after rescue. They should therefore be kept resting horizontally, with their legs slightly elevated (the 'shock position'), and be watched until core rectal temperature has exceeded 35째C. 6.2 In more serious cases, where the survivor is not shivering and is semi-conscious,unconscious, or apparently dead, immediate first-aid measures will be necessary to preserve life while awaiting medical advice on more detailed management procedures. This advice should be sought as soon as possible and first-aid measures should not be delayed while advice is being sought.

The recommended first-aid measures for such an immersion survivor are as follows: 1 On rescue, always check the survivor's breathing and carotid pulse for one minute each side of the neck.

2 If the survivor is not breathing, make sure the airway is clear (remove dentures, if any), tilt the head back, lift the chin and start artificial respiration immediately (mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose). If the heart appears to have stopped beating then cardiac compressions may be applied. However, you should be certain that there is no pulse at all (remember that hypothermia slows and weakens the pulse greatly) and, once started, it must be continued properly until the patient is either fully re-warmed or delivered to a hospital.

3 If the survivor is breathing but unconscious, lay him in the unconscious position. This is

necessary to ensure that the person's breathing is not obstructed by his tongue or by vomit.

4 Avoid all manhandling which is not necessary to determine whether there are any serious injuries; do not even remove wet clothes; do not massage.

5 Prevent further heat loss through evaporation and from exposure to the wind. Carefully wrap the patient in blankets and/or a casualty bag or large plastic bag and transfer immediately to a (wind-) sheltered area or below decks to a compartment at normal room temperature, keeping him horizontal, slightly head down. .6 Advice on re-warming and decisions regarding further treatment should normally be given only by a doctor. If no medical advice is immediately available, continue to apply the essential lifesaving procedures given in paragraphs 1 to 5 above. In addition, even if the rescued person is cold and appears dead, or if he deteriorates and/or the pulse and breathing are lost, resuscitation attempts should not be ended before patient has been re-warmed.

In a sheltered warm room the person's clothing can be cut and removed with a minimum of disturbance. Then wrap the person in blankets to reduce further heat loss. The best method of 'active' re-warming is the use of forced warm air (maximum 40째C), which has to be blown under the blankets covering the rescued person.

Alternatively use heated blankets or sheets (about 40째C, but not hotter). Never use a hot bath or hot shower! .7 'Passive' methods of warming are not very effective. Do not attempt to warm the person by vigorous actions. Apply heating pads or hot water bottles under the blanket, to the person's head, neck, chest and groin - but never place these warm objects against the bare skin as cold skin is easily burned.

6.3 If above mentioned methods of warming are not available then apply body warmth by direct body-to-body contact with the rescued person.

In addition wrap a blanket around both the rescued person and the person or persons supplying the warmth. In all cases try to monitor the pulse and breathing. cont'd to pg 12

CULTURE COUNTS What is Culture?

Our interest is continuously focused on the multi-cultural, multi-national and multi-faith crews onboard today's vessels.

Below is an assortment of comments collected from various sources.

Economics, not long ago, was the queen of the social sciences.

Human beings were assumed to be profit-maximising creatures, trending toward reasonableness.

As societies grew richer and more modern, it was assumed, they would become more secular. As people became better educated, primitive passions like tribalism and nationalism would fade away and global institutions would rise to take their place.

As communication technology improved, there would be greater cooperation and understanding.

As voters became more educated, they would become more independent-minded and rational.

None of these suppositions turned out to be true. Although the world has become richer and better educated, religion hasn't withered; it has become stronger and more fundamentalist.

Nationalism and tribalism haven't faded away.

Instead, transnational institutions (as UN and EU) are weak and in crisis.

All of this has thrown a certain sort of materialistic vision into crisis. We now know that global economic and technological forces do not gradually erode local cultures and values.

Instead, cultures and values shape economic development.

Moreover, as people are empowered by greater wealth and education, cultural differences become more pronounced, not less, as different groups chase different visions, of the good life, and react in aggressive ways to perceived slights to their cultural dignity.

We have witnessed plenty of incidents during the current year 2006; from caricatures and films to books and some irresponsible media reporting.

The events of the past years have thrown us back to the murky realms of theology, sociology, anthropology and history. The fundamental change is that human beings now look less like self-interested individuals and more like socially embedded products of family and group.

Does history move forward or is it cyclical?

Events have forced different questions on us. If the biggest contest of the 20th century was between planned and free-market economies, the big question of this century will be understanding how cultures change and can be changed, how social and cultural capital can be nurtured and developed, and how destructive cultural conflict can be turned to healthy and tolerable cultural competition.

We try below a definition of culture, as described by the various experts:

>The sum of a social group's

patterns of behaviour, customs, way of life, ideas, beliefs and values, (or)

>Laws about property, rules

about incest and marriage, customs of taboo and avoidance, methods of settling disputes with a minimum of bloodshed, beliefs about the supernatural and practices relating to it, a system of social status and methods

(Behaviour)

indicating it, initiation ceremonies for young men, courtship practices involving the adornment of females, systems of symbolic body ornament generally, certain activities set aside for men from which women are excluded, gambling of some kind, a tool and weapons-making industry, myths and legends, dancing, adultery and various doses of homicide, suicide, homosexuality, schizophrenia, psychoses and neuroses, and various practitioners to take advantage of or cure these, depending on how they viewed, (or, in a more detailed alphabetical list but less amusingly phrased,)

>Age-grading, athletic sports,

bodily adornment, calendar, cleanliness training, community organisation, cooking, cooperative labour, cosmology, courtship, dancing, decorative art, divination, division of labour, dream interpretation, education, eschatology, ethics, ethnobiology, etiquette, faithhealing, family, feasting, firemaking, folklore, food taboos, funeral rites, games, gestures, gift giving, government, greetings, hairstyles, hospitality, housing, hygiene, incest taboos, inheritance rules, joking, kin groups, kinship nomenclature, language, law, luck superstition, magic, marriage, mealtimes, medicine, modesty concerning natural functions, mourning, music, mythology, numerals, obstetrics, penal sanctions, personal names, population policy, postnatal care, pregnancy usages, property rights, propitiation of supernatural beings, puberty customs, religious rituals, residence rules, sexual restrictions, soul concepts, status differentiation, surgery, tool making, trade, visiting, weaning and weather control.

Lists such as these one hopes to be of help to the marine human resources department in ensuring

that the right focus is contemplated. Of course this writer is not personally familiar with every existing human culture; this is the work of the experts.

People who think about global development are out in front researching these matters. But even then, when did academics ever manage to agree on anything? The human mind likes to think in terms of binary oppositions (black/white, left/right, male/female, them/us, nature/culture, etc). Why we do this is open to question, but this binary thinking pervades all human institutions and practices, including dinner-party debates of the academic and the chattering classes. Ed.

- pg 5 -

Mighty Flighty (Science) A fly can do one thing extremely well: fly. Recently a team of British scientists declared that the common housefly is the most talented aerodynamicist on the planet, superior to any bird, bat, or bee. A housefly can make six turns a second; hover; fly straight up, down or backward; do somersaults; land on the ceiling; and perform various other showoff manoeuvres. And it has a brain smaller than a sesame seed.

Studies have shown that houseflies aren't actually the best fliers. Hoverflies are the be-all and end-all; they can hover in one spot, hurtle through the air to another location, and then race back to their original hovering point precisely.

Scientists, engineers and military researchers want to know how creatures with such small brains can do that. May be they could reverseengineer a fly to make a robotic device that could reconnoiter dangerous places, such as earthquake zones or collapsed mines.

Researchers put fruitflies into chambers and manipulate the visual field, filming the flies in super-slow motion, 6,000 frames a second. They are also interested in knowing how flies avoid collisions.

They have found that certain patterns, such as 90-degree turns, are triggered by visual cues and two equilibrium organs on their backs that function like a gyroscope.

When you drop the idea of having more and more and start living in the present moment, you start living inside your boundary. One thing is for sure: if you are here, your mind is not here.

Your mind never stays where your body stays. This is the life style of asking more and more. You run, run and run, without even knowing what you are running for. It is a rat race. In a rat race, even if you win, you are still a rat! When you run with all your energy, you forget to enjoy; you forget to live.

The other life style, where you live in the present moment the perfect moment creates a new mental setup.

You start living more intensely, with awareness. Your living is centred on your Being; you feel fulfilled. Life opens a new dimension.

When you are threatened by your desires you continuously feel dissatisfied. Just observe carefully: the moment a desire arises, there is a deep uneasiness in you. If the desire is fulfilled, you start worrying about whether you will get to experience the same joy again or not. Also you often experience guilt on fulfillment of a desire. On the other hand, if your

Flies have only a dozen muscles for manoeuvring, but they are loaded with sensors.

In addition to their compound eyes, which permit panoramic imagery and are excellent at detecting motion, they have wind-sensitive hairs and antennae. They also have three light sensors, called ocelli, on the tops of their heads, which tell them which way is up. Roughly two thirds of a fly's entire nervous system is devoted to processing visual images.

They take all this sensory data and boil it down to a few basic commands, such as 'go left' and 'go right'.

Imagine if you didn't utter an opinion until you had read hundreds of books, magazines, newspaper

desire is not fulfilled, there is a hangover, a deep craving to fulfill the desire. Both ways there is no fulfillment. This is how we waste our whole life. We plan to enjoy but never enjoy.

When you postpone enjoyment, when you postpone living in the present, when you constantly hope to live in the future, the habit of postponement soon becomes a mental attitude. Work to increase not the height of the bed, but the depth of your sleep. As to what happens to us in life we may have little or no choice. But as to how we deal with it we have total choice.

The Perfect Moment is a little gift of an hour or an afternoon. Its actual length is never the issue. The key thing is that you have to be open to it.

You focus on something pleasing. The beautiful poem your daughter wrote.

The colour of the sky, the gliding seagulls over the poop deck. Your colleagues and friends onboard; the stories you share. .

During the course of our last years with the company we have managed to 'squeeze' a pleasant vacation at

articles and blogs, and then issued a statement based on a few basic notions.

That is how a fly approaches flying. The information processing takes a fraction of a second. Adult flies live 3 to 4 weeks.

Given that flies have evolved for hundreds of millions of years (an that they were the first animals to take to the air), we shouldn't be surprised that they are such good fliers. They just don't have brains like ours.

“Studying flies is like traveling to another planet”.

Excerpts from National Geographic

home, improve our finances, repair or acquire a better dwellings, help our family and finally fulfill our obligations.

Your long days away from your loved ones and friends is going to come and go; but you accept it, you don't get frustrated. As long as we can handle such high-pressure position we want it.

As profound as our devotion to and love for our family is we could not have settled for a job of lesser interest and thus have to continue it with vigour; one doesn't walk to the top spot. One is driven.

And then to do the very thing that wiser people advise us to do to stop long enough to think about the people we love and why we love them.

To focus on something especially meaningful. To create an occasion into what one has come to think of as a Perfect Moment, by discovering the world around us.

“Chasing Daylight” by Eugene O'Kelly is an interesting and sober book. It gives in a frankly, effectively but bluntly way a point of you for those with an interest in dealing with our life's major contingency. Ed.

Accident Reporting - MARS Lifeboat Drill Injuries MARS Report 200602 Two sailors were in danger of losing their lives and another two sustained grievous injuries, whilst another received slight injuries. They were lowering a lifeboat during a Port State Control inspection when it came loose at one end resulting in them falling from a height onto the quay below.

The incident took place at around midday when the sailors were asked by Port State Control Officers to make ready the lifeboat for inspection. Suddenly, the falls snapped and the sailors fell to the ground. Sources said one of the sailors fell to the ground and then into the water. People who were working close to the vessel at the time of the incident jumped into the sea to save the injured sailor. The crew had just successfully carried out a lifeboat drill in the presence of Port State Control Officers with the port side lifeboat, whereby they had lowered the boat in the sea and operated its engine. They where later asked to prepare the starboard side lifeboat for lowering over the quay when the accident took place, apparently caused by a defect in the lifeboat release mechanism.

Police and paramedic crews quickly arrived to secure the scene and to give first aid to the injured sailors. Four of the sailors were rushed to hospital by ambulance where they were found to have sustained serious injuries. Two of them were said to be in a critical condition, while the other two were still being examined. Members of the Civil Protection Department were also called to the scene to assist in the rescue operation.

International Marine Accident Reporting Scheme Accommodation fires MARS Report 200613 Investigations into several accommodation fires reported from ships have revealed that in many instances they are caused by electrical equipment left on in unattended cabins. The most common are fans, but heaters and irons are known to have caused fires, due to malfunctioning thermostats. Accidents can also be caused by improper cabling and securing arrangements for such equipment.

It has come to our notice that over the years some of our ships' staff have purchased various electrical equipment for use in individual cabins (irons, refrigerators, heaters, washing machines, microwave oven etc). When signing off, this equipment is sold or handed over to the incoming occupant and continues to remain in the cabin.

Masters and chief engineers are required to look for the presence of such equipment in cabins during accommodation inspections. If any such unauthorised appliances are found, they are to be removed and disposed of. Chief engineers must understand and explain to all personnel that cabling and 'over-current' protection in the accommodation has not been provided for the purpose of such appliance use.

Please also note that waste bins used in the accommodation should be of noncombustible material (metal). Empty paint drums with lids may be used if all paint contents and coating have been removed. (The use of paint is not advisable on waste bins as it will give off toxic fumes in the event of fire).

The Council of The Nautical Institute gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship provided by: The North of England P&I Club | The Swedish Club | The U.K. P&I Club

t ' n s I ys e a r r o w l e M A t t Be

(Consumer Behaviour)

m lis a ri te a M

Marketers assume that the more choices they offer, the more likely customers will be able to find just the right thing. They assume, for instance, that offering 50 styles of jeans instead of 2, increases the chances that shoppers will find a pair they really like.

Nevertheless, research now shows that there can be too much choice; when there is, consumers are less likely to buy anything at all, and if they do buy, they are less satisfied with their selection.

Studies have confirmed that more choice is not always better. They have shown not only that excessive choice can produce “choice paralysis�, but also that it can reduce people's satisfaction with their decisions, even if they make good ones. Increased choice decreases satisfaction with matters as trivial as ice cream flavours and as significant as jobs.

These results challenge what we think we know about human nature and the determinants of well-being. Both psychology and business have operated on the assumption that the relationship between choice and well-being is straight forward: The more choices people have, the better off they are. In psychology, the benefits of choice have been tied to autonomy and control. In business, the benefits of choice have been tied to the benefits of free markets more generally. Added options make no one worse off and they bound to make someone better off.

Choice is good for us, but its relationship to satisfaction appears to be more complicated than we had assumed. There is diminishing marginal utility in having alternatives; each new option subtracts a little from the feeling of well-being, until the marginal benefits of added choice level off. What's more, psychologists and business academics alike have largely ignored another outcome of choice: More of it requires increased time and effort and can lead to anxiety, regret, excessively high expectations, and self-blame if the choices don't work out. When the number of available options is small, these costs are negligible, but the costs grow with the number of options.

Eventually, each new option makes us feel worse off than we did before.

Det Norske Veritas | The Marine Society & Sea Cadets The Britannia P&I Club | Lloyd's Register-Fairplay Safety at Sea International

More reports are needed to keep the scheme interesting and informative. All reports are read only by the MARS Co-ordinator and are treated in the stricktest confidence.

To submit a report, please use the MARS Report Form.

Without doubt, having more options enable us, most of the time, to achieve better objective outcomes. Again, having 50 styles of jeans as opposed to 2 increases the likelihood that customers will find a pair that fits. But the subjective outcome may be that shoppers will feel overwhelmed and dissatisfied.

- pg 7 This dissociation between objective and subjective results creates a significant challenge for retailers and marketers that look to choice as a way to enhance the perceived value of their goods and services.

Choice can no longer be used to justify a marketing strategy in and of itself. More isn't always better, either for the customer or for the retailer.

Discovering how much assortment is warranted is a considerable empirical challenge.

The ones to get the balance right will be amply rewarded.

“Consumer culture is continually bombarding us with the message that materialism will make us happy”. What the experts' research has shown is that that's not true. Of course, for people who are living paycheck to paycheck, more money unquestionably brings greater well-being.

And for the comfortable, a raise or a new purchase can certainly feel good for a little while, anyway. Also, economic research indicates that a hunger for money can motivate people to perform better and even more creatively. There is also a question of cause and effect. Feelings of insecurity incline people toward materialist values, the research suggests, and that insecurity can also lead to relationship troubles and other problems associated with a materialistic lifestyle.

Happiness experts have found that those who value material success more than happiness are likely to experience almost as many negative moods as positive moods, whereas those who value happiness over material success are likely to experience considerably more pleasant moods and emotions than unpleasant moods and emotions.

Materialism becomes a more difficult goal than many because it is open-ended and goes on forever we can always want more, which is usually not true of other goals such as friendship.

There is also an opportunity cost to chasing the wrong goals; when people spend their effort pursuing material goods in the belief that they will bring happiness while ignoring other, more effective routes to happiness.

So why is materialism so common?

The trouble is that the error is subtle.

Dr Daniel Gilbert of Harvard University says: “If it were the case that money made us totally miserable we 'd figure out we were wrong to pursue it. But it's wrong in a more nuanced way. We think money will bring lots of happiness for a long time, and actually it brings a little happiness for a short time”

It's An Idiot Box, No More (Home Finance) Over the past few years home entertainment has undergone a paradigm shift and many new technologies have made inroads into viewers' living rooms. Gone are the days of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) based televisions.

(1). Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), (2). Plasma, and (3). Digital Light Processing (DLP) technologies are all radically different from the old CRT systems. In fact they have even generated a lexicon of their own.

Displays can be divided into different categories based on the technology used. The two primary display methods are: Projection (example DLP - somewhat like a movie screen) and Direct Display (example CRT- created directly on the viewing screen).

The trade-off between the two is the cost and the quality of display.

All technologies competing with each other have their advantages and disadvantages. Choices should be made according to budget and requirements. +PLASMA It is an emissive flat panel display where light is created by phosphors, excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass. The gas discharge contains no mercury; a mixture of noble gases (neon & xenon) is used instead. This gas mixture is inert and entirely non-harmful. +DLP. Uses a digital micromirror device (DMD). Each of the mirrors is a digital switch that can be turned off or on several thousand times per second, to reflect light from a single source within the display. Each mirror represents one pixel on the screen. Switching of the mirrors determines the grayscale in the image. The DLP displays then use a colour wheel to determine the hue or colour of the pixel. The colour wheel can spin at 120 times per second to provide the required colour. The benefits of this technology are good levels of brightness and better contrast ratio.

Terms.

The most important is Resolution. This the ability of the device to display distinct pixels. So a 1,024 x 768 display will display 768 horizontal lines of 1,024 pixels each.

The pixels need illumination or directions for illumination. This is done in progressive and interlaced scanning. In progressive scanning all horizontal lines are scanned sequentially, while interlaced scanning involves two passes over the field consisting of alternate lines. Hence, only half the screen is illuminated at any given time. Both processes have their advantages and disadvantages.

A display is said to be of 'high definition' if it is wide screen and can vertically display 780 progressive lines of pixels or 1,080 interlaced lines. An enhanced display can be any aspect ratio that must be able to vertically display 480 progressive lines of pixels or more.

A standard definition display does not specify a minimum resolution.

Viewing angle. Is the maximum you can go above or below the horizontal and still view an acceptable image.

Contrast ratio. Is the difference between the brightest and darkest points on the screen.

Black level. Is the absolute level of darkness that a display can produce.

Aspect ratio. Is the relation between the screen width and height.

Conventionally, it is 4:3, but wide screen models have an aspect ratio of 16:9. The former is mainly used in TV programming while the latter is the standard for movies and DVD formats.

Cost.

CRT remains the cheapest. More than 100 years old this technology has remained mostly unchanged and offers better performance. However, its downside is the large size and power requirement.

Between LCD and Plasma the former is cheaper for smaller sizes, but the cost of LCD escalates sharply for larger models.

In fact plasma models of 30 inch or more are cheaper than LCD. Market forces push prices differential down quickly.

DLP, being relatively new technology is quite expensive. Enjoy your …rugby games.

A Gentleman T

he Victorian gentleman must have been really something to behold if the following text is true. For any woman who has dreamed of the "knight in shining armour", the perfect man, or just a man who would give up the TV remote control, you have found him here. Remember, these gentlemen mostly existed in the Victorian era. Few of us may be lucky enough to find one in the 21st century. For those of you still looking, you may get some good tips on things to look for in a man. For those of you who are married, take heart and remember, your husband may not resemble the "Victorian Gentleman", but you love him anyway.

Compare Newman's portrait of the gentleman to those found in discussions of the concept of gentleman by Gaskell and other authors as well as specific characters in Browning, Dickens, and Trollope.

What is a Gentleman?

It is almost a definition of a gentleman to say he is one who never inflicts pain. This description is both refined and, as far as it goes, accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him; and he concurs with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself.

H

is benefits may be considered as parallel to what are called comforts or conveniences in arrangements of a personal nature: like an easy chair or a good fire, which do their part in dispelling cold and fatigue, though nature provides both means of rest and animal heat without them.

The true gentleman in like manner carefully avoids whatever may cause ajar or a jolt in the minds of those with whom he is cast; -- all clashing of opinion, or collision of feeling, all restraint, or suspicion, or gloom, or resentment; his great concern being to make every one at their case and at home.

H

e has his eyes on all his company; he is tender towards the bashful, gentle towards the distant, and merciful towards the absurd; he can recollect to whom he is speaking; he guards against unseasonable allusions, or topics which may irritate; he is seldom prominent in conversation, and never wearisome. He makes light of favours while he does them, and seems to be receiving when he is conferring.

He never speaks of himself except when compelled, never defends himself by a mere retort, he has no ears for slander or gossip, is scrupulous in imputing motives to those who interfere with him, and interprets everything for the best.

He is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments, or insinuates evil which he dare not say out. From a long-sighted prudence, he observes the maxim of the ancient sage, that we should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend.

H

e has too much good sense to be affronted at insults, he is too well employed to remember injuries, and too indolent to bear malice. He is patient, forbearing, and resigned, on philosophical principles; he submits to pain, because it is inevitable, to bereavement, because it is irreparable, and to death, because it is his destiny. If he engages in controversy of any kind, his disciplined intellect preserves him from the blunder. [From The Idea of a University, 1852]

Etiquette Of A Gentleman One only needs to take a quick glance around to notice that there are very few true gentlemen remaining among us. In times past, a gentleman was much appreciated and being gentlemanly was a noble thing.

Alas, things have changed in today's society; some for the better and some for the worse. One thing that particularly irks is the lack of good taste and etiquette most men are guilty of at the turn of this new millennium.

Men should not act like robots and be slaves to etiquette, but some basic good manners will go a long way in helping one during one's ascent to the top.

Below is a quick list of tips that will help turn even the most blundering fool into a proper gentleman. Following these simple tips one could rest assured that people will perceive one as a man of good breeding and taste, hence a man they wish to associate and conduct business with.

Not to mention the fact that the ladies are always quite pleased to meet a real gentleman. general etiquette

Always be polite Even if you don't like someone, there is no need to lower yourself to their level. Be polite and courteous; show that you're the better man.

Do not curse Swearing is a big no-no. It shows that you don't have the vocabulary to express your thoughts appropriately. Furthermore, it is always very crude and impolite to be vulgar.

Do not speak loudly When you speak loudly, it raises the stress level among company. It always implies that you can't reason with people and rely on "brute force" to get your point across. It also draws attention -- negative attention.

Do not lose your temper When you lose your temper, you are showing everyone that you can't control your emotions. If you can't even control yourself, then how can you possibly control anything else? Keep your cool at all times (it won't be easy but it is worth the effort) and people will take positive note of your level headedness.

- pg 9 -

Do not stare Ogling someone is the equivalent of psychological aggression. You don't want to intimidate people for no reason.

Do not interrupt Let people finish what they are saying before adding your comments.

Interrupting others is a sign of poor etiquette and a lack of social skills. If you want to come across as egotistical, you can do so by constantly interrupting.

Respect your elders In fact, you should respect others as you would like them to respect you. I am specifying elders because it seems that today, young men think they know it all. Well, they don't. Just think of yourself five years ago... you're much smarter and experienced today, aren't you?

Of course, yet you thought you knew it all five years ago.

Do not laugh at others' mistakes This is perhaps one of the cruelest thing one can do. When you mess up, the last thing you want is for someone not only to bring it to your attention, but to ridicule you on top of that.

Remove your hat indoors This rule seems to have gone out the window these days. You should remove your headwear upon entering a building. Furthermore, never keep your hat on while at the dinner table. It reflects very poor etiquette.

Wait for seating before eating When sitting down for a meal, you should wait until all the guests are properly seated and ready to commence the meal before eating.

Everyone should start dining at the same time; this is a subtle but very important rule.

Now on to how to be a smooth gentleman with the ladies...

Ôhe basics of chivalry In addition to the aforementioned rules, gentlemen should follow these additional rules when in the presence of a lady. Chivalry may be on life support, but it is not dead yet. Be one of the few to keep this flame burning for many years to come.

Always open doors This is perhaps the most basic rule of male etiquette out there. It is also one of the easiest to follow so you have no reason to forget it.

Whether she is about to enter your car, restaurant, club, or anyplace with a door, you should always hold it open. If there are many doors, then hold them open one after the other.

Put on her coat Always help a lady put on her coat or over garment. This is a simple but powerful action.

Help with her seat If an unaccompanied lady is sitting next to you, it is important that you help her be seated by pulling her chair out for her and gently pushing it back into place, with the lady seated of course.

Give up your seat If a lady arrives at the table and there are no available seats, you should stand up and offer yours to her (unless it is an official banquet, the places are designated and the maitre d' hotel is in charge).

Stand at attention Always stand when a lady enters or exits the room. This rule has been somewhat relaxed, so you can stand upon entrance but remain seated upon exit. Nonetheless, if you can do both, you should.

Give her your arm When escorting a lady (that you know) to and from social events, you should offer her your arm. This is a little more intimate, but serves well when walking on uneven ground -- especially if she's wearing high heels.

Ask if she needs anything This is one that most men already do, but helps complete the gentleman in all of us nevertheless. When at social events, make sure to ask the lady if you can get her something to drink (or eat, depending on the event). Show her that you care about her comfort and needs.

STA Latin Quotations: Absens haeres non erit Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta Ad nocendum potentes sumus Nec habeo, nec careo, nec curo Usus me genuit, mater peperit Memoria.

Sophiam vocant me Graii, vos Sapientiam Alea jacta est Perstare et praestare

(Out of sight, out of mind) (External actions indicate internal secrets) (We all have power to do harm) (I have not, I want not, I care not) (Practice was my father, Memory my mother. The Greeks call me Sophia, you call me Wisdom) (The die is cast) (To persevere and to surpass)

:)

This is an old joke.

He is so full of himself that just compiled a new book: "FAMOUS PERSONS THAT HAVE MET ME".-

The fourth BIMCO / ISF Manpower Update was published on 2 December 2005.

The report is the result of over a year's work by BIMCO, ISF, and the Institute of Employment Research at Warwick University, collecting data from maritime administrations and shipping companies to build up a comprehensive picture of the global situation regarding the availability of seafarers for the world's merchant fleet.

Dogs play he (World News Adapted from IHT Nov 17, 2005) “Pet therapy� can help cardiac and lung function, study says.

For people hospitalized with advanced heart disease, it is better to have visitors than to lie quietly alone. But one type of visitor seems to be especially beneficial, researchers reported. That visitor is a dog.

In the first released and controlled study of the effects of pet therapy in a random sample of acute and critically ill heart patients, anxiety as measured on a standard rating scale dropped 24 percent for those visited by a dog and a human volunteer, by 10 percent for those visited by a volunteer alone and not at all for those with no visitors.

Similar results were found in measures of heart and lung function.

The senior author of the pet therapy study said that the dogs, from 12 breeds, were screened for behaviour and disease before participating in the study.

The researchers examined the patients three times; before the 12 minute visit, eight minutes into it and four minutes after it was over. Researchers found patients' levels of epinephrine, a hormone the body makes when under stress, dropped 17 percent when the patient was visited by a person and a dog, and 2 percent when visited by only a person.

Epinephrine levels rose an average of 7 percent in the unvisited group in the study.

Pressure in the heart's top left chamber dropped 10 percent after a visit by volunteer and dog.

- pg 11 -

TISTICS The worldwide supply of seafarers is estimated at: ' 466,000 officers ' 721,000 ratings

The worldwide demand is estimated at:

& 476, 000 officers & 586,000 ratings

Key issues arising from the report include: 8 The continuing supply shift from OECD to the Far East, South-East Asia and Eastern Europe 8 An increasing overall demand for seafarers, with particular pressure on certain grades and ship types 8 Ageing OECD senior officers and a lack of replacements from elsewhere 8 The need to increase training and recruitment and to reduce wastage.

(Editor's Note: We reiterate again here our advice to our junior officers and ratings: All your financial needs, travelling and training arrangements can be met by the company in your preparations to participate, on your next leave ashore, at the next Board Examinations. For a personal advice please contact: nai@centrofin.gr).

The Update thus reveals a continuous shortage of qualified officers, of around 10,000 or 2% of the total workforce, and a significant surplus of ratings.

eart patients' best friend The same pressure rose 3 percent for those visited by a volunteer and 5 percent for the unvisited group. Pressure in the pulmonary artery dropped 5 percent during and after a visit by volunteer and dog but rose in the other unvisited groups.

In another instance the book called “Marley & Me” telling the story of an overly friendly, wildly energetic, highly dysfunctional yellow Labrador retriever, spent three months on the best-seller lists. Marley was, in a way, a dog who loved too much. He would hurl himself through screen doors to get to his master and book's author John Grogan or his wife Jenny Vogt.

When they locked him in a metal dog crate, he separated the steel bars. “It looked like the Jaws of Life had pulled it open” Grogan said. He stole Vogt's underwear and ate her jewelry.

Thunderstorms gave him anxiety attacks, and then he would chew through things, mattresses, the couch or scrape at the wall with his claws or gnaw at the door frame trying to escape. “The wooden door frame was totally gone to the studs”.

But “Marley & Me” is not just a book about a dog.

It is a love story of Grogan and his wife, a young married couple contemplating having a family.

Reviewing the book in the New York Times, Janet Maslin called it “a very funny valentine to all those four legged 'big, dopey, playful galumphs that see to love life with a passion not often seen in this world'”.

A large part of the book's appeal is that Marley was a very very bad dog and the book is a lesson in unconditional love. He was expelled from an obedience school once and came seventh in a class of eight the second time. All told, the couple failed to have Marley properly coached.

After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes.

(Psychology) Do you believe that bad things happen to other people and that by following the rules and living right you will avoid suffering? Do you believe that your life is predictable and stable? Many of us hold these beliefs, and when crises occur in our lives, these assumptions about life are challenged. Such crises and the questioning that arises from them may bring unexpected changes, including hard-won wisdom.

What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?

What is the best thing? For some people these are the same.

We are rightly concerned about the negative effects of tragic events on those who are in the midst of them, those who have now left them behind, those of us who have known people who have survived them, and those of us who have only watched from afar.

What has become evident in recent years, however, is that in the midst of suffering and loss there is survival and resilience.

Beyond that, there can be something more: transformation and growth.

We have discovered that survivors of crises, including life-threatening illness, accidents, crime, combat and natural disaster, can experience, along with the pain and distress, five kinds of positive transformations:

! ! ! ! !

A greater sense of personal strength Closer relationships with others A greater appreciation of life A new philosophy of life, including a more meaningful spiritual life, and New opportunities and life paths

In the struggle to make sense, out of what they have gone through, people can develop new ways of looking at life that allow them to live fuller, wiser and more purposeful lives.

Because of their difficult experiences the survivors of severe challenges may be a future source of knowledge about how to live wisely and how to create societies that better allow us to do that. They, like so many of us who have experienced suffering and loss, may also see the wisdom in the paraphrase of an old American Protestant hymn: “Shun not the struggle; it is a gift”.

(Adaptation, IHT- 29.03.2006)

Cold Water Survival cont'd from pg 3

FATIGUE? Turn the heating down‌

(winter months) Safety authorities in Japan are urging officers suffering from fatigue to guard against the risk of falling asleep on watch by turning down the heating.

In a campaign launched last month, the Kyushi Maritime Authority carried out special ship visits to check 'dead-man' alarm systems and to warn seafarers of the dangers of falling asleep.

The campaign usually starts with the onset of the winter season, when safety experts fear that the use of heaters helps to create a warm and snug environment that when combined with low level lighting and engine rhythm increases drowsiness.

UK safety authorities have previously warned watchkeepers on the risks of using chairs, for the same reasons.

The Japanese campaign was staged in response to a series of more than 200 fatigue-related accidents on ships in the area, over the past nine years.

NUMAST senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the authorities need to concentrate on the causes of fatigue, rather than trying to prevent the end results.

He added that the Union will be supporting fresh moves to persuade the IMO to overhaul the rules governing safe manning levels. The UK Government is to table proposals at the next maritime safety committee. (Adapted from the 'Seven Seas' newsletter of ICSW).

6.4

The above basic guidelines on first aid treatment for the unconscious person could be illustrated diagrammatically.

START (Recover in a more or less horizontal position whenever possible)

IS PERSON BREATHING?

Yes .

. . . . .

No

Insulate to prevent further heat loss through evaporation and exposure to wind.

Avoid unnecessary manhandling - leave wet clothes on and enclose in blankets and/or plastic bag. Move to sheltered location.

Lay down in the unconscious position whenever possible.

Oxygen should be given if available.

If water was inhaled, encourage deep breathing and coughing.

Request medical assistance.

Watch person closely until shivering starts. In the absence of medical advice re-warm the person by either the 'active' or 'passive' method described in paragraph 6.

& Clear airway, check carotid pulse. & Start artificial respiration immediately (mouth-to-

mouth, mouth-to-nose). If a pulse cannot be detected, commence cardiac resuscitation. & Insulate to prevent further heat loss through exposure to wind. Avoid unnecessary manhandling - leave wet clothes on and enclose in blankets and/or plastic bag.

Monitor pulse, breathing and consciousness of victim and actively re-warm if the person appears dead or if the person's condition deteriorates. & Seek medical advice. If medical advice is not available, continue resuscitation until the patient is either fully re-warmed or delivered to a hospital.

Are you a good listener?

Good listening involves seeing as well as hearing.Non verbal communications often can tip you off about the real issues involved in workplace dialogue. Here are four quick tests of how the non verbal "conversation" is going.

Always remember that "body language" is multi determined: crossed arms can mean defensiveness or simply that the person is chilly. You must always know the person and the context to evaluate non verbal communication.

Studies hint at irreversible rising seas (Adapted from NYT & The Economist) 'Rising levels of carbon dioxide will dump even more water into oceans'. 'Climate change seen as endangering ice'. We are getting almost used to such titles in the printed media.

Within the next 100 years, the growing human influence on Earth's climate could lead to along and irreversible rise in sea levels by eroding the planet's vast polar ice sheets, according to new observations and analysis by several teams of scientists.

The lungs of the planet, namely green-leafed plants that breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, also put water vapour into the atmosphere. Just as people lose water through breathing (think of the misted mirror used to check for vitals sings), so, too, do plants. The question is, what effect will rising

- pg 13-

Note: In the context of hypothermia a person cannot be presumed dead until he is re-warmed and shows no bodily functions.

sion. Instruction in advance is necessary to use these mechanical devices more effectively in basic life support.

A person with cardiac arrest caused by severe hypothermia has a very good chance of surviving if artificial respiration and cardiac resuscitation is carried out until re-warming is finished. Mouth-to-mouth ventilation over a long period of time is very difficult and exhausting.

7 Summing up

Doing conventional cardiac resuscitation is a hard physical activity. As soon as possible use medical aids to make resuscitation more bearable for the helper and more effective for the brain and the heart of the rescued person, who is lacking oxygen: use a ventilation bag, Guedel-airway, oxygen-delivery device, Combitube-airway (which enables the helper to do rescue breathing directly into a pipe positioned in or at the entrance of the trachea), etc.

The chest and the muscles of a hypothermic person are stiff. The pumping effect of chest compression can be improved by using a handheld medical device equipped with a suction cup to actively lift the anterior chest during decompres-

7.1 We have briefly explained how your body responds to cold, what you can do to help ward off the harmful effects of cold and, finally, how to administer aid to an immersion survivor.

We will now sum up the story with a number of important reminders.

Follow them for your life may depend on them.

1. Plan your emergency moves in advance! Ask yourself what you would do if an emergency arose.

Where is your nearest exit to the deck for escape? Where is the nearest available immersion suit, lifejacket, lifeboat, or raft?

How would you quickly get to your foul weather gear, insulated clothing, insulated gloves?

2. Know how your survival equipment works. The time of the emergency is not the time to learn.

3. Even in the tropics, before abandoning ship, wear many layers of clothing to offset the effects of

Is the body language open or closed? Are the arms unfolded or crossed? Is the person with whom you are talking turned toward you or away from you? Are the hands visible? These are signs of degrees of openness.

Is the body language engaged or disengaged?

People who are engaged in discussions tend to find ways to move closer to one another. The opposite movement can mean disengagement.

Is the body language allied or opposed? People who are allied in opinion or loyalty tend to adopt the

cold. Wear an immersion suit if available.

4. Put on a lifejacket as soon as possible in an emergency situation.

5. When abandoning ship, try to board the lifeboat or raft dry without entering the water. Take antiseasickness medicine as soon as possible.

6. If immersion in water is necessary, try to enter the water gradually.

7. Swimming increases body heat loss. Swim only to a safe refuge nearby.

8. To reduce your body heat loss, try to float in the water with your legs together, elbows to your side, and arms across your chest.

9. In a survival situation, you must force yourself to have the will to survive. This will make the difference between life and death.

7.2 In conclusion, advance planning, preparation and thought on your part can be the most significant factors in your struggle with cold water immersion and in your survival.

Familiarize yourself with the contents of this text. cont'd to pg 16

same body position in conversation. Look for the person who moves at the same time you do, ending up in a similar position.

Is the body language committed or uncommitted?

The sum of the other three add up to commitment. If you have seen signs of openness, engagement and allied behaviour, you may be ready to close the deal.

Evidence to the contrary indicates reservations, and it may be a good idea to try to explore the areas of resistance in order to deal with them verbally.

concentrations of carbon dioxide have on this? The answer would appear to be less water in the atmosphere and more in the oceans.

One team, using computer models of climate and ice, found that by about 2100, average temperatures could be 4 degrees higher than today and that over the coming centuries the oceans could rise 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 metres), conditions last seen 129,000 years ago, between the past two ice ages.

The findings are consistent with other recent studies of melting and erosion at the poles.

Measurements of the volume of water that rivers return to the oceans show that, around the world, rivers have become fuller over the past century. In theory there are many reasons why this could be so, but some have already been discounted.

Research has established, for example, that it is not, overall,

POLUTION PENALTY Increasingly, vessel crew members and shoreside personnel complicit in international pollution violations are receiving jail time as part of their sentences.

The most recent example is Chief Engineer (name) of the (flag) containership (name) sentenced in Boston on April 5, 2006 to two months in prison and fined a total of U$ 3,500.

The C/E previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the use of a 'magic pipe' to bypass his ship's Oil Water Separator and improperly disposed of oily waste water in the sea. His employer (company name) received a criminal fine of U$ 10.5 million

raining-or snowing, hailing, or sleeting- any more than it used to. But there are other possibilities. One concerns changes in land use, such as deforestation and urbanization. The soil in rural areas soaks up the rain and trees breath it back into the atmosphere, whereas the concrete in urban areas transfers rainwater into drains and hence into rivers. Another possibility is 'solar dimming' in which aerosol particles create a hazy atmosphere that holds less water. And then there is the direct effect of carbon dioxide on plant transpiration.

So we have on the one hand fuller rivers threatening more flooding (Europe, U.S.A., Thailand, Bangladesh, etc) and on the other hand , access to fresh water represents a blessing, if rivers could be safely controlled. In 2000 the World Health Organisation estimated that, of the world's then 6 billion people, at least 1.1 billion were without safe drinking water and 2.4 billion had no sanitation.

Be Fair (Management & Leadership) Everyone, in an organisation of whatever size and number of employees, knows that being fair costs little and pays off handsomely. Then one wonders, why do so few masters, managers, executives behave fairly, even though most want to?

It all depends on the process-fairness.

Studies have shown that process-fairness pays enormous dividends in a wide variety of organisational and people related challenges. Employees ought to be made to and believe, in a transparent way, that they are being treated justly. They, then, most likely, respond in ways that bolster the organisation's bottom line both directly and indirectly. It generates support for a new decision / strategy and fosters a culture that promotes innovation.

Each employee decides for himself whether a decision has been made fairly; for example take the case of a seafarer who was passed over for promotion. If he believes that the chosen candidate was qualified, and if his manager has had a candid discussion with him about how he can better prepared for the next opportunity, chances are he 'll be a lot more productive and engaged if he believes the person who got the position was not the boss's favourite (pet), or if he received no guidance on how to move forward. When people feel hurt by their companies, hey tend to retaliate. And when they do, it can have grave consequences.

In this respect, generally speaking, there are three drivers: (1). How much input employees believe they have in the decision making process. Are their opinions requested and given serious consideration?

(2). How employees believe decisions are made and implemented; are they consistent; can mistakes be corrected; are they based on accurate information; is ample advance notice given; is the process transparent?

(3). How managers / masters behave. Do they explain why a decision was made; do they treat employees respectfully, actively listening to their concerns and sympathising with their points of view?

In addition to reducing legal costs fair process cuts down on employees turnover. Questions and concerns have always to be addressed.

Employees should be asked of their opinions on a new initiative and tangible assistance should continue being offered to them and their families.

Employers should devise solutions to help employees / crews with the stress of modern work. As long as employees feel that the senior management provides good reasons for their decisions and treat them with dignity and respect the work/life conflict has no measurable effect on employees' commitment and energy.

Determining exactly how much tangible support to provide is perhaps best captured by the law of diminishing returns. Beyond a moderate level of financial assistance, practicing process fairness proves much more cost effective because, although money does talk, it doesn't say it all.

Process fairness cannot only minimise costs but can also help to increase value, inspiring operational managers to carry out a well organisational change. The latter fails in its initiative stages and not in its conception.

When you make mistakes, give a succinct, forthright apology.

It will offer damage control and earn trust. With all these things in its favour, why it is so hard to make a good apology?

One possibility is that we don't know the proper techniques for making an apology. Here are two that will help :

Research has consistently found that work environments in which employees have a high degree of operational autonomy lead to the highest degree of creativity and innovation. Operational autonomy, of course, can be seen as the extreme version of process fairness. The nature of organisations, though, means that few (if any) employees can have complete operational autonomy, just about everyone has a boss.

Creativity and innovation tend to suffer in work environments characterised by low levels of process fairness, such as when employees believe that the organisation is strictly controlled by upper management or when they believe that their ideas will be summarily dismissed. When employees believe that their supervisor is open to new ideas and that he/she values their contributions to projects, however, creativity and innovation are more likely to flourish.

1. Apologise in terms of past present and future.

Sir Winston Churchill, who keenly understood the cost effectiveness of process fairness on the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbour wrote a

How to Admit Your Mistakes (Professional Success)

If you have done something wrong don't defend or justify your behaviour. “You all know what happened last week. I didn't give it much thought then, but now I know what I did was wrong. I have already cleared up the misperceptions I caused. As we go forward, I hope and expect to be able to win back your trust”.

2. Don't apologise if only regrets are called for.

Reserve saying “I'm sorry” for actions that were willfully wrong and/or intentionally deceiving.

Express regrets for honest mistakes and inadvertent errors. A manager who made a very bad decision so bad that it had to be reversed- didn't apologise for it. It turned out that when he made the decision, he was relying on the wrong information. Of course, something had to be said, and it was.

“I made a mistake”, he told his team “and I regret that”.

C.

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Under Alcohol Influence In Louisiana, authorities charged a (country) national with operating a commercial vessel under the influence of alcohol in violation of Title 46, United States Code, Section 2302.

Announcement of the charges occurred on April 20, 2006. Captain (name) of the motor vessel (name) faces a possible imprisonment of up to one year.

declaration of war to the Japanese, ending it as follows: “I have the honour to be, with high consideration, Sir, Your obedient servant, Winston S. Churchill”. After being castigated by his countrymen for the letter's deferential tone, Churchill is said to have retorted, “When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite”.

Managers who unwaveringly believe that knowledge is power may fear that engaging in process fairness will weaken their power.

After all, if employees have a voice in deciding how things should be run, who needs a manager. Managers sometimes do run the risk of losing power when they involve others in decision- making. But usually the practice of process fairness increases power and influence. When employees feel hat they are heard in the decision-making process, they are more likely to support rather than merely comply with those decisions, their bosses and the organisation as a whole.

On April 16, a New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association pilot concluded that the Captain was intoxicated, refused to sail, and left the vessel to contact law enforcement officials. When an alcohol breath test was performed, the captain registered a blood alcohol concentration far in excess of the allowable limit.

A Coast Guard investigator cautioned: 'This case should send a clear signal to all mariners working in U.S. waters that operating any vessel under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a serious threat to the safety of other mariners, the general public, and the maritime commerce and transportation. Such behaviour will not be tolerated and violations will be enforced to the fullest extent by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Unites States Attorney's Office”.

Process fairness ought to begin at the top.

People are more likely to try to tackle difficult challenges when they see others whom they respect doing so.

Finally, it's not enough for executives just to be fair, they also have to be seen as fair.

(Adapted from HBR/June 2006)

Knowledge is all.

We owe our lives, but also our daily conveniences, to those who came before us. Our ancestors planted the trees whose fruits we now eat; they built the roads and bridges over which we now drive. Indeed, it is they who handed down to us the storehouse of folk wisdom that we draw upon daily to guide, enrich, and inform our lives. Much of what we find in ancient proverbial wisdom centers around themes of memory and connection. Ancient wisdom encourages us to be ever mindful of our ties, as well as our obligations to the past. The way we go in this life follows after those who came before us. "Via trita, via tuta". the old Roman adage asserts, "The beaten path is the safe path". There is a certain comfort and assurance in knowing that the road we travel upon is a familiar one and that it will not lead us astray.

We begin, as of this issue, to present Latin Quotations (Proverbs, Maxims, Mottoes and Phrases) and their English translation. Of course, our ambition is to do something similar with the various ancient Greek (Hellenic) axioms.

Repetitio est mater studiorum (Repetition is the mother of study) Rivalem patienter habe (Bear patiently with a rival) Rex regrant sed non gubernat (The king reigns but does not govern) Recte quod honeste (That is rightly done which is honestly done)

QUOTATIONS

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

Albert Einstein One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.

Bertrand Russell Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is important that you do it.

Mahatma Gandhi The art of leadership is saying no, not yeas. It is easy to say Yes. Tony Blair A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.

The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.

If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.

It takes three generations to make a gentleman.

The price of greatness is responsibility.

Morals of the Work: - In War: Resolution - In Defeat: Defiance - In Victory: Magnanimity - In Peace: Good Will Sin Winston Churchill (1874 -1965)

CHECKLIST FOR COLD WATER SURVIVAL >Put on as many layers as possible, alternating thin/close-meshed and thick/wide-meshed! The outer layer should be as watertight as possible. Fasten, close and/or buttonup clothing to prevent cold water flushing through the clothing. >Cover head, neck and face. >Wear robust, laced boots (better than Wellingtons)! >Put an immersion suit over the warm clothing! >Drink a lot (warm tea is best, no alcohol: that reduces chances of survival in cold water!) >Take anti-seasickness tablets as soon as possible. >Be sure that all your clothing, life jacket and lifebelt are secured correctly! In cold water you will lose full use of your fingers immediately. Check each other!

IN THE WATER:

SHIP ABANDONMENT:

>Float on your back with a minimum of leg movement! >Stay calm. Float as still as possible, legs together,

>Avoid entering the water for as long as possible! >Automatic life vests should be manually activated before you enter the water and after you leave the interior of your ship. >Enter the water as late as possible and as slowly (step by step) as possible to prevent cold shock! >Do not jump into the water (danger of cold shock)! >If falling into the water, keep your elbows to your sides and cover your nose and mouth with one hand, holding the wrist or elbow firmly with the other hand! >Be prepared that the first contact with the cold water will stress your circulation, breathing and nervous system. >Within a few minutes of minimum movement the "pain" of your skin will become more tolerable.

elbows close to your side, and arms folded across the front of your lifejacket. >Keep as much skin as possible out of the water! >Huddling close to others will conserve body heat. >Keep a positive attitude of mind. You will be the lucky one to be rescued! You can survive a long time in cold water, even in deep hypothermia, even when unconscious. Rescuers are searching for you! This positive attitude helps your body to keep its core temperature. Do not drink or inhale sea water!

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Articles written in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CENTROFIN. DISCLAIMER. The contents provided herewith are for general information purposes only; not intended to replace or otherwise contradict the detailed instructions issued by the owners, flag etc.

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>Hardy to cold. >Fitness. >Emergency rescue training. >Knowledge of cold water survival. >Have a plan!

IN A DISTRESS ALERT SITUATION:

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WHAT CAN I DO FOR SURVIVING A LONGER STAY IN COLD WATER, EVEN FOR SEVERAL HOURS? PREPARATION IN ADVANCE:

Editor: Cmdr Nicholas A. Iliopoulos Staff Captain - Human Resources Manager Tel: +30.210 8983.305 Fax: +30.210 8983.231 E-mail: ilioship@yahoo.com.sg IT Support: V. Manousakis, K. Lionis, A. Panagiotaki Design-Production: www.paradox.com.gr Tel: +30.210 6560.832