1. health and fitness

All go at Glasgow
Big changes for
nautical campus
on the Clyde
24-25
Mersey meet
You’re invited
to the Union’s
conference
i-iv
NL nieuws
Drie pagina’s
met nieuws uit
Nederland
32-34
Volume 48 | Number 03 | March 2015 | £3.50 €3.70
Shipping strategy
reviews fuel hope
of new measures
Union backs Dutch and British moves to protect maritime sectors against global competition
P
Nautilus is involved in
top-level consultations
in the UK and the Netherlands with the aim of securing
fresh action to protect the maritime skills base in both countries.
The Union is taking part in
the UK government’s Maritime
Growth Study — an initiative
which aims to identify measures
that can be taken to ensure that
the UK remains a major global
centre for maritime services.
The study is due to report in
the summer, but shipping minister John Hayes said last month
that he was already hearing a
‘consistent message’ about the
need for investment in people
and training.
‘If we want Britain to prosper,
British shipping needs to continue to thrive, and that’s why the
maritime sector is a fundamental
part of the government’s longterm plan to build a stronger,
more competitive economy,’
he told the UK Chamber of Shipping’s annual dinner last month.
‘There is increasing competition to our place as a maritime
centre,’ Mr Hayes warned. ‘But we
know that world trade is expected
to double over the next 20 years
or so. So there are great opportunities and great challenges.’
Nautilus has met members of
the team leading the Maritime
Growth Study and is submitting
evidence to the project, highlighting the critical need to increase
seafarer training numbers to
ensure that the supply of experienced maritime professionals
keeps pace with demand.
General secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘We welcome
the initiative to examine ways
in which the UK can rise to the
increasing challenge from other
parts of the world, and we believe
it is essential that there is a recognition of the importance of
01_front.indd 1
‘Just culture’
call for EU
shipping
cruiseship Costa Concordia was
F
sentenced to 16 years in jail, Nautilus
One day after the master of the
took part in a top-level conference
in Brussels last month to call for the
development of an aviation-style
‘just culture’ in the shipping industry.
The European Commission
seminar, attended by safety experts,
shipowners and flag state authorities
from across the EU, took place
less than 24 hours after Captain
Francesco Schettino was found guilty
of multiple counts of manslaughter,
abandoning ship and causing a
maritime disaster at the end of a
19-month trial.
Nautilus senior national secretary
Allan Graveson told the conference
that the threat of prosecution
hangs over masters and officers and
obstructs attempts to encourage
‘no blame’ reports of accidents
and incidents to ensure that safety
lessons are learned.
g Full reports — page 44.
Inside
F Rights to rest
Lawyers warned on
risks of excessive
working hours at
sea — page 19
F Do you mind?
Training course to
help seafarers spot
the signs of stress
among shipmates
— page 21
F Mis-management
High levels of interest in seafaring careers were shown when Warsash Maritime Academy’s winter open day attracted more than 600 visitors — see page 20
seafaring skills and expertise in
maintaining the UK’s long-standing lead in maritime services.’
In the Netherlands, Nautilus
has been involved in a similar
exercise to develop a new national
maritime strategy. The policy programme seeks to safeguard the
Dutch maritime cluster, which
presently provides 7.3% of gross
domestic product and employs
around 440,000 people — 5% of
all jobs in the Netherlands.
Infrastructure and environment minister Schultz van Haegen noted that Rotterdam is the
largest port in Europe, the Dutch
fleet has the largest market
share in Europe, and the country is world’s leading producer of
superyachts. However, there is
no room for complacency, with
competition from countries such
as Brazil and China, the minister
stressed.
The Dutch maritime strategy
concentrates on six key themes:
maritime education and training;
innovation; trade; accessibility;
safety and the environment; and
security and stability.
Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek commented: ‘We have been involved
in this strategy from the very
beginning and we welcome its
important recognition that the
merchant fleet is at the heart of
the maritime cluster and that the
cluster is vital for the national
economy.
‘The Dutch maritime cluster is
among the top three in the world,
and it is something we should
be proud of and should work to
maintain,’ he added. ‘However,
the strategy is simply just words
at present and the big question is
whether there will be any money
to support it.’
g UK warned on seafarer
training numbers — see page 3.
Can we find a more
effective way for
the ISM Code to
improve safety at
sea? — pages 26-27
F Subsea menace
How Germany’s
U-boats threatened
merchant ships
a century ago —
pages 28-29
18/02/2015 16:07
02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NAUTILUS AT WORK
New hopes of an end
to shore leave hassle
New set of
UK-wide
pension
forums
developments affecting
pensions at present, and Nautilus
Unions, owners and governments aim to overcome obstacles to use of hi-tech seafarer ID cards F
and the Merchant Navy Officers’
There are some major
P
Nautilus has welcomed
‘positive’ progress in toplevel talks that aim to
resolve long-running problems
over seafarers’ rights to shore
leave.
Nautilus took part in the tripartite meeting of employers,
trade unions and governments at
the International Labour Organisation (ILO) headquarters in
Geneva, which agreed a common
approach to improving ILO Convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents in an attempt to
improve the welfare of seafarers
while also helping to ensure high
standards of security.
The talks identified proposals for amending the convention
in a way that would improve the
facilitation of shore leave and
crew transfers for the world’s
1.5m merchant seafarers, while
addressing the legitimate security concerns of governments. It
is hoped that the recommendations — which will be considered
by a future meeting of the ILO
governing body — will help to
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson with Singapore Maritime
Officers’ Union executive secretary Mary Liew at the ILO talks last month
secure more ratifications and
more widespread implementation of ILO 185.
Nautilus general secretary
Mark Dickinson described the
meeting as ‘positive’ and said it
had examined ways to address
persistent question marks over
the technical standards for seafarer identity documents (SIDs).
‘We have now reached a consensus view that SIDs should
follow the same standards as the
new generation of e-passports,’
he explained. ‘Unless we do this,
SIDs will never be embraced by
the main port states. Based on
last week’s discussions I am optimistic that we will soon have a
more widely ratified convention
with the resulting greater surety
over shore leave, repatriation and
transit arrangements for seafarers without the need for visas or
for lengthy visa application procedures.’
Dave Heindel, chair of the
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) seafarers’
section, said take-up of the convention has been ‘underwhelming’ so far. ‘These latest recommendations, which would bring
seafarers’ identity documents in
line with e-passports, should help
persuade states that ratification
is sensible and in everyone’s best
interests,’ he added.
‘We hope that the major port
and transit states will join us in
reassuring the labour supplying states that their investment
in seafarers’ identity document
technology will not be wasted,
and the original ideals of the convention will be met.’
In practice, the proposed
agreement would mean the inclusion within SIDs of a facial image
biometric and a digital signature
— both stored on a contactless
chip — making SIDs inter-operable with the infrastructure used
by most countries to issue e-passports and to verify them at their
borders.
z European maritime unions
and shipowners have jointly
welcomed EU plans to address
problems
experienced
by
seafarers in obtaining visas for
entry, re-entry or transit in the
Schengen area. The European
Commission
is
proposing
to reduce the deadline for
processing and deciding on visa
applications and to make it easier
to apply for them.
‘The EU has played a positive
role in the ILO process, encouraging member states to ratify ILO
185 and in supporting the consensus on the required technical
standards with the aim of helping
to facilitate shore leave for seafarers,’ Mr Dickinson added.
River cruise pay cut protests
campaign to protest about a Swiss-based
F
river cruise company’s move to pay its staff in
Nautilus International has launched a
Euros instead of Swiss Francs — a switch that
means a pay cut of more than 13%.
Viking presently operates some 40 river
cruise vessels in western Europe and on 15
January — the same day that the Swiss National
Bank (SNB) removed the Swiss Franc’s cap
against the Euro — it announced employees
on Swiss-flagged ships would have to accept
payment in Euros at the December 2014
exchange rate.
Nautilus told the company that the decision
amounts to a massive pay cut and transfers the
exchange rate risk onto the employees. It is also
unclear how the management foresees the
correct payment of social security and pension
fund payments.
The company claimed the move was justified
by the introduction of a minimum wage in
Germany. In a second letter, reacting to the
growing dissatisfaction amongst the workforce,
the management said that the change-over had
nothing to do with the SNB decision, as it had
already been decided upon in December.
The Union says the decision has placed
pressure on the nautical crews who are currently
onboard in the ships’ winter quarters, and those
who have spoken out against the company have
suffered repercussions.
Nautilus is urging the company to respect
the existing Swiss contracts of employment, to
withdraw its unlawful plans and reinstate of all
employees sacked or suspended following their
rejection of the company’s decision.
‘The majority of the boatmen have rejected
the plans of the company, formed their own
network and involved Nautilus,’ said Nautilus
national secretary Holger Schatz. ‘One alleged
“ringleader” has already been fired and others
have been threatened with the same fate.
‘All of this is hard to understand, as the
company is currently booming and the greater
part of its income is in the form of US dollars
and pounds sterling,’ he added. ‘At the same
time the company of course wants to profit from
Switzerland’s lower company tax and social
security contributions — all paid in Swiss francs.’
The Union is planning to raise the issue with
management and guests at the launch of the
company’s new vessels in Amsterdam, in March.
Top captain suspended
for contacting the Union
has been employed by Viking
F
River Cruises since 2008, and since
Harald Ludwig, pictured left,
2013 he has been a corporate captain
— the ‘captain of captains’.
But on 15 January, along with
other staff serving with the company,
Capt Ludwig received a pay slip in
Euros. ‘We had no warning or prior
communication from the company,’
he said.
‘We thought there had been a
problem and contacted the company,
who then told us of the change.
‘I had a meeting with
management and they said that it
was not my place to argue as it was in
02-03_at work.indd 2
line with German legislation and I live
in Germany.
‘But I have a Swiss contract, and
my salary has been in Swiss Francs
ever since the company moved their
head office to Basel two years ago. I
couldn’t see what German law had to
do with it.’
Capt Ludwig and some of his
colleagues then contacted Nautilus to
see what the Union could do to help.
‘When the company found out I had
contacted the Union they suspended
me,’ he added. ‘I am currently
speaking with the lawyers, but I don’t
expect to go back and my contract
expires in May.’
Capt Ludwig says he is worried
about the impact that this will have
on his future, as the river cruise
industry on the Rhine is a small one
and all the companies know each
other.
‘I am lucky that I have good
qualifications and a licence for
the whole of the Rhine, but the
companies that work here are often
family-owned and they will all be
talking together about what has
happened,’ he adds.
‘I think I will end up having to look
further afield for my next role. The
future is uncertain and I will have to
wait and see.’
Pension Fund are organising a series
of UK-wide meetings to enable
members to get the latest news and
to ‘meet the experts’.
The joint MNOPF/Nautilus
pension forums are to be held at
venues around the country over the
next two years.
The first forum will be held in
Newcastle on Thursday 5 March,
starting at 1000hrs, at the Vermont
Hotel, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon
Tyne NE1 1RQ.
Tea and coffee will be served on
arrival, after which the meeting will
be hosted by the Nautilus Pensions
Association, represented by Nautilus
assistant general secretary Mike Jess
(who is vice-chairman of MNOPF)
and senior industrial organiser
Ronnie Cunningham.
The Fund will be represented
by the chief executive, Andrew
Waring, and communications
director Phil Boyle. After the formal
meeting, a light lunch will be served,
where members can talk to the
representatives.
z Any members wishing to attend
this event must register — either by
logging onto: https://eventbrite.
co.uk/event/15450722527/ or by
calling +44 (0)1293 804 644.
g Further meetings have
been scheduled for: May 2015,
Southampton; September 2015,
Aberdeen; January 2016, Dover;
March 2016, Hull; June 2016, Cardiff;
September 2016, London; January
2017, Glasgow; March 2017, Belfast;
June 2017, Liverpool, and September
2017, Plymouth. Check the Nautilus
website or future Telegraphs for
venue details.
Retirement
advice day
at Wallasey
approaching the retirement
F
age — or even already picking up
Are you a Nautilus member
your pension? If so, you are welcome
to attend a special retirement
information and advice day, being
organised by the Nautilus Welfare
Fund on 17 April.
Taking place at the Union’s
welfare complex at Mariners’
Park, Wallasey, the event will run
from 1030hrs to 1630hrs. Light
refreshments will be available
throughout the day and transport
will be provided from New Brighton
train station and the Seacombe Ferry.
Experts will be available to
discuss issues such as managing
finances, healthy living and benefits
advice. Tours of the residential
facilities at Mariners’ Park —
including the new Trinity House Hub
— will also be offered.
g For further information, contact
Jane Davies on +44 (0)151 346 8840
or email jdavies@nautilusint.org
18/02/2015 16:07
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03
NAUTILUS AT WORK
shortreports
MASTER JAILED: the captain of a passenger ferry
has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to
eight years in jail for his role in a fatal collision in Hong
Kong in 2012. Captain Lai Sai-ming was convicted on
39 counts of manslaughter and for endangering the
safety of others at sea when his vessel, Sea Smooth,
struck another passengership. The master of the other
vessel was acquitted of manslaughter charges but was
sentenced to nine months in jail after being found guilty
of endangering the safety of others at sea.
DP WORRIES: Nautilus has raised concerns
with the Nautical Institute after members reported
problems with the Institute’s revalidation process for
DP certificates. The Union has been given clarifications
about the system and has been assured that steps
are being taken to resolve the difficulties. Members
are advised to contact the Nautilus professional and
technical department if the problems do persist.
Dinner date for Foundation’s top trainee officers
Foundation (MEF) officer
A
trainees attended the UK Chamber
Seven Maritime Educational
of Shipping’s annual dinner after
being chosen as a result of their
outstanding college reports and sea
service testimonials.
Kate Gillespie, MEF strategy
manager, said the cadets had been
selected to show the up and coming
talent within the UK shipping
industry and to demonstrate the
dedication and enthusiasm of the
new generation of British seafarers.
‘They did us proud at such a
prestigious forum, and the trainees
are already vying for position for
next year’s dinner,’ she added.
Pictured, left to right, are: Kate
Gillespie; Mike Cresswell, Phase
5 ETO Chiltern Maritime, South
Tyneside; Joshua Finch, Phase 4
Engineer Bibby Ship Management,
Fleetwood; Madison Romano,
Phase 3 Engineer Bibby Ship
Management, Warsash; Charlotte
Ramsden, Phase 4 Deck Chiltern,
Liverpool John Moores University;
Jamie Loftus-Burke, Phase 3 ETO
SSTG, South Tyneside; Adam
Skevington-Roberts, Phase 6 Deck
SSTG, South Tyneside; Mike Jess,
Nautilus assistant general secretary
and MEF chairman; Daniel Roberts,
Phase 5 Engineer SSTG, Glasgow;
and Glenys Jackson, MEF director.
UK training aid
‘needs to rise’
All sides of the industry urge minister to end decline in the value of SMarT
P
Nautilus has welcomed
a call from the president
of the UK shipowners’
organisation for the government
to do more to support British seafarer training.
In a speech to the Chamber
of Shipping’s annual dinner last
month, president Marcus Bowman argued that the value of the
Support for Maritime Training
(SMarT) scheme has to increase if
the UK is to create a new generation of seafarers.
However, he warned, the UK
has become the second most
expensive country in the world
in which to train seafarers and the
value of SMarT funding has fallen
from half the costs of training to
barely one-third over the past 20
years.
‘There is a global shortage of
seafarers,’ Mr Bowman said. ‘We
know we have the best training
institutions and colleges in the
world. If we don’t plug that gap,
someone else will. So it is for us to
act.’
Mr Bowman said the government’s Maritime Growth Study
offered the industry ‘a once in a
generation’ opportunity to maintain and improve the UK’s maritime sector.
Nautilus general secretary
Mark Dickinson backed his comments. ‘I like the tone and ambition of the president’s speech, and
we stand fully behind the own-
02-03_at work.indd 3
Shipping minister John Hayes speaks at the UK Chamber of Shipping dinner
Picture: Stephanie Kenyon
ers in urging the government to
ensure that SMarT covers 100%
of training costs, in line with the
assistance given in many other
European countries. However, we
also need to ensure that support
is closely linked with jobs — and
in particular for newly-qualified
British officers.’
Mr Dickinson said he also
welcomed Mr Bowman’s call for
action to encourage a new generation of British shipowners. ‘We
certainly want to see more homegrown shipping — but what about
the two-thirds of British-owned
tonnage which continues to operate under foreign flags?
‘Nautilus continues to believe
that there should be a renewed
and strong industry partnership
to address the employment and
training issues that confront us,
and we share the Chamber’s hope
that the government’s Maritime
Growth Study will deliver the
measures that we need for a sustainable future,’ he added.
The Chamber’s warning came
as new official statistics showed
the first annual increase in the
number of UK seafarers active at
sea since 2010. According to the
Department for Transport analysis, there were 22,910 UK officers
and ratings working at sea last
year — compared with 22,840 in
2013. The number of officer cadets
in training totalled 1,940 — the
second highest since the SMarT
scheme was introduced in 1998.
A 16% increase in the number
of uncertificated officers — from
1,410 to 1,650 — accounted for
much of the increase. The number of engineer officers increased
by 7%, but the number of deck
officers decreased by 5% during
the year.
Mr Dickinson said it was clear
that training numbers need to
increase even further. Research
published by the Maritime Charities Group last month showed
that on current trends the number of serving UK seafarers could
fall by around one-third between
now and 2040.
z The RMT union has warned
that the number of serving
British seafarers ‘is in potentially
terminal decline’ — and that the
country will suffer from a serious
maritime skills shortage by the
beginning of the next decade if
the ageing profile of the workforce
is not reversed.
In a ‘maritime manifesto’ published last month, the RMT called
for further improvements to the
SmarT scheme, measures to protect UK-flagged and crewed ships
serving on island cabotage services, and legislation to keep the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary in the public
sector.
CO-OP CHALLENGE: SCOP, the workers’
cooperative crewing the ships in the MyFerryLink service,
has won appeal court permission to challenge the
Competition & Market Authority’s decision to ban the
company from operating on the Dover-Calais route.
The co-op says it is also seeking to make a bid to buy the
company, which has been put up for sale by Eurotunnel
following the CMA decision.
GROUNDING ALERT: tugs, lifeboats and
pollution prevention teams were called out last month
after a 7,409gt cargoship ran aground off the coast of
Scotland. The UK-flagged Lysblink Seaways ran onto
rocks near Ardnamurchan Point at around 0200hrs
during a voyage from Belfast to Skogn in Norway with a
cargo of paper. Nine crew were onboard at the time of
the incident, and no injuries were reported.
TUG APPEAL: Nautilus members have been asked
to help ‘crowdfund’ the £12,000 costs of the ‘little ship’
steam tug Challenge to participate in the events to mark
the 75th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation. The
appeal is being organised by retired Nautilus member
and former chief engineer John Trute. Check out the
crowdfunder.co.uk website, under the project name
Dunkirk 75.
CAPTAIN FINED: the Taiwanese master of a
bulk carrier was fined A$8,500 (€5,823) last month for
attempting to navigate the Great Barrier Reef without
a pilot. Captain Lu Chih-Ming was prosecuted after his
ship, the 154,191dwt China Steel Developer, was spotted
by vessel traffic services in the compulsory pilotage area
of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
STENA SCRUBBERS: the Stena Line ferries
Stena Transit and Stena Transporter are set to become
the first ships to be retrofitted with a new Wärtsilä in-line
closed loop gas scrubber system. The ships, which
operate between Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands
and Killingholme in the UK, will be retrofitted between
the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016.
CAMMELL CONTRACT: the Birkenhead-based
Cammell Laird shipyard has secured a £5.7m newbuild
ferry contract with the Northern Ireland Executive.
The yard will build a new passenger ferry to replace
the existing vessel operating between Strangford and
Portaferry in County Down, Northern Ireland, with
delivery due by August 2016.
INDIAN ARREST: a Russian cargoship was
arrested by India’s coast guard following an 11-hour
sea chase after it defied an arrest order last month. The
6,714gt Sevastopol was seized more than 200km off the
Indian coast after leaving an anchorage off Mumbai,
where it had been under arrest in a commercial dispute
with NTC Logistics.
BASEL SHOW: an innovative exhibition is being
staged at the Museum Kleines Klingental on the banks
of the Rhine in Basel, using packaging cases to display
information about the area’s biggest industries –
including the inland navigation sector.
18/02/2015 17:50
04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NAUTILUS AT WORK
shortreports
Nautilus unveils busy
training programme
MEDWAY CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim
seeking an above-RPI increase has been submitted on
behalf of members employed by the Port of Sheerness
and serving as VTS officers in the Medway Navigation
Service. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder is seeking a
meeting with the company to discuss the claim.
CEMEX IMPROVEMENTS: a pay and
conditions claim has been submitted on behalf
of members employed by Cemex UK Marine. The
claim includes a substantial above-RPI pay rise, and
improvements to pilotage payments provision, food
budgets, internet and TV facilities, and leave.
WESTERN MEETING: industrial organiser Gary
Leech has met Western Ferries management to discuss
members’ pay and conditions claim. The company
advised that it would write to employees and the
Union with a formal offer and this will be circulated for
consultation as soon as it is received.
TANKERS IMPOSED: a 1% pay rise has been
imposed by Maersk Offshore for members serving on
tanker vessels. National secretary Steve Doran has
urged members to take part in the Partnership at Work
committee ahead of future talks with the company.
ABSOLUTE REQUEST: a claim for an aboveRPI pay rise has been submitted on behalf of members
serving with Absolute Shipping. Industrial organiser Lisa
Carr is currently arranging a date to meet the company to
begin discussions.
ROPAX MAX: a 1.5% pay offer has been accepted by
members employed by Stena Marine Management and
Meridian Shipping Services and serving onboard ro-ro
and ro-pax ferries.
PRINCELY CLAIM: a claim for a substantial
above-RPI pay rise has been submitted on behalf of
members employed by P&O Maritime Services and
serving onboard Prince Madog.
CAR CONCLUSION: members employed by UECC
have accepted a 1% pay increase after the company
confirmed it was the ‘full and final’ offer.
WINDSTAR ACCEPTANCE: members
employed by Windstar Management Services have
accepted a revised pay and conditions offer giving a 3%
base wage increase.
INTRADA INCREASE: a claim seeking an
above-RPI pay rise has been submitted on behalf of
members employed by Intrada Ships Management.
HANSON RESULT: members have accepted
a 2.75% pay offer from Hanson Ship Management in
conclusion of the 2015 pay and conditions negotiations.
MARINE
TAX SERVICES
(CARDIFF) LTD
complete service
for mariners
run by certificated
ex-officer
qualified accountants
always available
computerised
100% claims and
forecast projection
will writing service
available
26 High Street, Barry CF62 7EB,
South Glamorgan, UK
Tel. Barry (01446) 739953
MARINETAX@YAHOO.COM
Established 1974
04-05_at work.indd 4
of dates for member training
F
courses in 2015, including essential
Nautilus has confirmed a series
FLisa Carr met Thames Clippers
Nautilus industrial organiser
members to discuss the company’s
revised pay and conditions offer last
month.
The offer — which was accepted
by members — included a 2.5%
increase in pay, enhancements
to the sick pay entitlement
and recognition for formal
qualifications.
Recruit a colleague and
you could get a reward
There’s a chance to win a £100 voucher in new membership initiative
P
Recruitment of new
members is vital for
Nautilus — the more
members the Union has, the
more influence we can have with
employers and legislators, and
the better terms and conditions
we can achieve for our members.
And now the incentive to help
with recruitment is even greater.
Nautilus is re-launching its
‘introduce a colleague’ scheme
this month, where existing members who encourage a workmate
to join the Union will receive a
£25 Marks & Spencer gift card.
And they’ll also be entered into a
prize draw for the chance to win
an additional £100 voucher.
‘It’s easy to take part,’ explains
Nautilus has been presented
Jude Rosset
T: 020 7880 6217
E: jude.rosset@
redactive.co.uk
Nautilus senior assistant organiser Lee Moon. ‘Members contact
us with the name and contact
details for the colleague they
want to introduce, and as soon as
their colleague has been in membership for three months, we’ll
send them a gift card.’
Members can email or call
the Union with their colleague’s
details, or simply download an
application form from the website for them to complete and add
their own details in the ‘How did
you hear about Nautilus International’ section. Members will be
emailed an ‘introduce a colleague’
voucher which can be used to submit details, but the claim will not
be processed until the full appli-
cation form has been received.
The gift card will be sent to
the existing member once three
months’ full member subscription payments have cleared for
the colleague introduced.
‘There is no maximum
amount of vouchers that one
member can claim — the more
members recruited the better,’
added Mr Moon. ‘As long as the
criteria for the incentive are met,
then I’ll send vouchers!’
In order to claim a £25 voucher
the new member must:
z be applying for membership at
the full subscription rate
z be in continuous membership
for three months
z not have been a member at any
point during the offer period
z not be applying for cadet/
trainee membership
The voucher will be issued
once three months’ subscription
has been received from the new
applicant. The member claiming the voucher must have supplied details of their membership
(name and membership number)
before or at the time that their
colleague applied for membership and have been in continuous
membership for three months.
This offer runs from 1 March to
30 December 2015. One entry will
be selected at random for an additional £100 prize during the Nautilus Council meeting in March
2016.
Final RFA future
plan imminent
with alternative proposals for
A
changes to allowances for members
To find out about
advertising
opportunities in
the Telegraph
contact:
Ms Carr said that whilst she was
pleased the company had improved
the sickness scheme, she would be
looking to increase this further at
the next pay and conditions review
due on 1 January 2016.
Pictured (left to right) are, back
row: Scott Eames, Geoff Symonds,
Terry Brown, James Burr; and front
row: Lisa Carr, Ben Gordon, Malkeet
Singh-Virdi.
and advanced lay reps training as well
as the Maritime Labour Convention.
A date has now been confirmed
for a new lay reps’ forum — due to
run in conjunction with the Union’s
General Meeting in October — to
bring Partnership at Work delegates
and liaison officers together to discuss
how best to deal with workplace issues
and represent members.
The forum will also consider recent
changes to UK employment law,
discuss best practice for encouraging
participation among members and
share campaign ideas for the future.
The forum will take place on
Monday 5 October at the Titanic
Hotel in Liverpool and all lay reps
are encouraged to remain for the
General Meeting, which takes place
at the same venue from Tuesday 6 to
Wednesday 7 October.
The full list of training dates is:
z Essential lay reps — 30 March to 1
April in Wallasey
z Maritime Labour Convention 2006
— 27 to 28 May in Wallasey
z Essential lay reps — 17 to 19 June
in London
z Lay reps forum — 5 October in
Liverpool
z Maritime Labour Convention 2006
— 13 and 14 October or 26 and 27
October in Rotterdam
z Advanced lay reps — 18 to 20
November in Wallasey
gFor more information or to book,
contact Lee Moon on +44 (0) 151
639 8454, email membership@
nautilusint.org or visit the website
www.nautilusint.org
serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
(RFA), ahead of a formal response
from the government minister on the
Future Development Programme.
The proposals include changes
to the way some allowances will be
incorporated into salaries, allowing
staff to retain the value of lost
allowances and the option for a ‘buyout’ of the allowances, resulting in a
lump sum non-consolidated payment.
Members were invited to comment
on the proposals to inform the
eventual final consultation — which
is expected to take place within the
next few weeks — and many felt
that the proposals still fell short of
expectations.
Some members felt that the
concessions were too heavily weighted
in favour of ratings and overlooked
the concerns of officers. Others raised
concerns that the changes did not go
far enough to ensure that recruitment
and retention issues would be
addressed.
Members also raised concerns
about the lack of feedback they
had received when such issues had
been raised during the consultation
process.
‘I am very pleased that members
continue to engage in this process
and have provided useful feedback
which I have passed on to Commodore
Dorey,’ said Nautilus national
secretary Jonathan Havard. ‘It is vital
that members continue to raise their
concerns and vote when the final
Future Development plan is put to
them in the near future.
‘Recruitment of other officers
into the Union also remains vital,’ he
added. ‘The more officers’ views we
represent, the stronger the message
that we can put to RFA management
and the Ministry of Defence.’
Rights at work seminar
senior assistant organiser
F
Danny McGowan, head of legal
Pictured above are Nautilus
services Charles Boyle, national
secretary Jonathan Havard and
industrial organiser Paul Schroder
at an Institute of Employment
Rights seminar on employment law
last month.
The event was attended by
trade unionists and leading lawyers
from across the UK. The Nautilus
representatives highlighted
the case for removing fees for
employment tribunals and for
protection against unfair dismissal
to begin from day one in the job.
‘It was extremely interesting,
with some very knowledgeable
speakers,’ said Mr Boyle. ‘Many
aspirations were raised calling for
improved employment rights for
workers. One of the key themes
was the importance of collective
bargaining and the introduction of a
positive right to strike.
‘At the moment the UK provides
immunity from legal action when
unions abide by extremely onerous
balloting requirements, which is
different from a positive right to
strike,’ he pointed out. ‘There were
also concerns about the current
statutory recognition procedures.’
18/02/2015 17:49
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05
NAUTILUS AT WORK
Concern as CalMac
tendering kicks off
Unions meet ministers and MSPs to press for safeguards on jobs and terms
P
The first stages in the
tendering of the Clyde
and Hebrides ferry services have begun — and Nautilus
is involved in a series of meetings
to ensure that members’ jobs and
conditions are protected in the
process.
The Scottish government last
month invited potential bidders
to register an interest in taking on
the next contract, which will start
in October 2016 and will run for
eight years.
Ministers said that up to £1bn
worth of funding would be provided ‘to support the enhancement and development of these
lifeline ferry services’ over this
period.
Announcing the start of the
process, transport minister Derek
Mackay stressed that there would
be no ‘unbundling of services’ and
that the tender will be taken forward as a single contract.
‘We are now focused on ensuring a fair and open competition
that leads to getting the very best
deal for all of the communities of
the Clyde and Hebrides,’ he added.
The minister said that extending the contract from six to
eight years would make it more
attractive to potential bidders
and would give operators ‘more
CalMac union officials and member reps following the Scottish TUC-organised meetings with MSPs last month
opportunity to deliver service
improvements and efficiencies
over the course of the contract’.
Under the schedule announced last month, a shortlist
of bidders will be asked to submit
bids in June, with final tenders
to be submitted by the end of
January 2016.
The award of the new contract
is set to be announced in May next
year.
Nautilus is working with the
RMT and the TSSA unions, along
with the Scottish TUC, to push for
safeguards to protect members.
In particular, they are calling for
clarity over pension entitlements
and protection of current terms
and conditions.
The unions are meeting ministers and MSPs to express concerns over the tendering process
— including the threat of bidders
using the ‘exploitative’ working
practices found in other parts of
the industry and diluting the current commitment to training UK
seafarers.
Unions continue to argue that
the tendering process is ‘unnecessary, expensive, disruptive and
pro-privatisation’. They have
warned MSPs of the risk that oper-
ators may be able to sub-contract
less profitable routes, leading to a
two-tier service and fragmenting
terms and conditions of employment.
Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth commented:
‘It is very clear that we have a long
and difficult struggle ahead of
us. We have told the politicians
that we are here to protect our
members’ interests and that we
are determined to ensure that
employment and pension safeguards are at least as robust as
those contained in the previous
contract.’
Union seeks clarity on
Stena Line pay offer
secretary Garry Elliott, national
F
ferry organiser Micky Smyth and
Nautilus senior national
Stena Line liaison officers have
met management to continue
negotiations on future cost savings
and changes to terms and conditions.
The company has tabled a pay
offer worth 3% over two years, along
with the introduction of study leave
and action to fill current vacancies.
However, Stena made the offer
conditional on the Union agreeing
to the implementation of new-start
salaries for junior officers.
‘We welcome the fact that Stena
Line has made a pay offer, but this
cannot be at any cost and we must
ensure that the implementation
of new-start salaries is both fair,
reasonable and transparent across all
ranks and grades,’ said Mr Smyth.
‘At the present time we do not
feel we are in a position to consult
members on the offer due to the fact
that the Union still requires further
clarity and assurances in this respect,’
he added.
Mr Smyth confirmed that once
he has received responses to these
concerns, he will be organising ship
visits to answer members’ questions
and gauge their views and opinions
about the outstanding issues.
Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr is pictured with liaison officer Mark
Miller, senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan and DFDS members
during a series of ship visits to Dunkirk Seaways, Dover Seaways and
Delft Seaways to discuss the forthcoming pay and conditions claim.
DFDS Seaways will be adding Stena Nordica to its Dover-Calais service, to
bring the Dfleet back up to five vessels. The new ship will replace Dieppe
Seaways, which was returned to its owner at the end of November.
Marine were due to respond
F
to a consultation on the company’s
Members employed by Global
F
04-05_at work.indd 5
operators, faces lower rates — but the
freight volumes have increased.
At the follow-up meeting, Nautilus
presented members’ aspirations for
improvements in pay and conditions
and Mr Smyth is currently awaiting a
formal response.
In the meantime, Nautilus has
met management to discuss the
company’s proposed restructuring
of the onboard services department
on the short sea routes from Dover to
Calais, which will create a further 10
officer positions.
FLEET CADETS: Fleet Maritime Services has
responded to concerns about cadet allowances raised
by members serving with Princess Cruise Line and P&O
Cruises Australia. The company has confirmed that cadet
wages increased by 3% in January in line with officers’
pay, that cadets are made fully aware of the package
before commencing their training, and that no cadet has
had their pay reduced during their cadetship. Nautilus
national secretary Jonathan Havard added that the
commitment to employing junior officers on completion
of their cadetship is welcomed.
PLANS SHELVED: Maersk Offshore has
confirmed that it is has suspended plans to introduce a
performance-related pay scheme after a rejection of the
proposals by masters and chief engineers. The company
stated that they will ‘not continue with this initiative
at the current time; however, it remains an ambition
to implement in due course’. National secretary Steve
Doran said he will monitor the situation and revert to
members if the plans reappear in the future.
LATEST ENDEAVOUR: a pay and conditions
claim has been submitted on behalf of members
employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving
onboard Cefas Endeavour. The claim includes a
substantial pay rise above RPI, recognition of DP
certificates and investment in wireless internet access.
Industrial organiser Paul Schroder is seeking a meeting
with the company as soon as possible to discuss the
claim.
TANKER SETTLED: members employed by
PG Tankers have voted to accept the company’s 2.8%
pay offer. Members had previously rejected the offer,
but were told that it would not be improved and would
be withdrawn if rejected again. Members therefore
accepted the offer in a second ballot as the best that
could be achieved through negotiation.
CORYSTES CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim
calling for an above-RPI increase has been submitted
on behalf of members employed by Heyn Engineering
Solutions and serving onboard RV Corystes. Industrial
organiser Lisa Carr is currently arranging a date to meet
management to discuss the claim.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: industrial organiser
Derek Byrne has met representatives from the Northern
Lighthouse Board and Unite the union to discuss
members’ pay and conditions aspirations. The claim for
an above-inflation pay rise is now being submitted to the
Department for Transport.
P&O Ferries set to make Consultation on revised
formal response to claim offer at Global Marine
Nautilus national ferry organiser
Micky Smyth, P&O liaison
officers Paul Dilks and Ken Konasik
(short sea), Alistair Butlin (North
Sea) and Eugene Graffin (Irish Sea),
have joined other unions and P&O
management representatives for
further meetings to progress this
year’s pay and conditions talks.
At the first meeting, P&O
representatives presented the
company’s results for the past 11
months and also gave their budget
plans for 2015. P&O, like other ferry
shortreports
revised pay and conditions offer as
the Telegraph went to press.
In December members rejected
proposals for a one-year deal worth
1.5% or a two-year deal giving a 2%
increase each year. At a follow-up
meeting to discuss the consultation
result, the company informed
industrial organiser Lisa Carr that the
original offer had been withdrawn
and a new offer of a 1% increase
was being made as a result of the
worsening market conditions faced
by the company since the original
offer was tabled.
The company cited a number of
factors including the reduction in oil
price, cancelled projects, a reduction
in day rates and an increase in
enquiries received from seafarers
seeking employment.
Ms Carr noted that the company’s
financial situation appeared to be
changing on an almost daily basis,
but urged members to accept the
offer rather than risk a further
reduction.
SHELL SUBMISSION: Nautilus industrial
organiser Derek Byrne has met Shell International
Shipping Services and QGTC Shipping Inc to discuss
members’ pay and conditions claim. Members will be
informed when a formal response has been received.
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
18/02/2015 17:49
06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
OFFSHORE NEWS
shortreports
Gold award for ERRV’s safety performance
emergency response and rescue
A
vessel Grampian Corinthian, who have
SUBSEA STALLING: Nautilus industrial
organiser Gary Leech has held two meetings with
management at Subsea 7 following members’ rejection
of a 2.6% pay offer in October last year. He has also
contacted them a number of times to try and secure
an improved offer. However, the company has been
carefully costing all elements of expenditure of the
organisation and has therefore not made a further offer
to date. Mr Leech confirmed that he hoped to receive an
offer shortly and this would be presented to members as
soon as it is available.
Pictured left are the crew of the
won the 2014 North Star Gold House
Award for their high safety standards.
The 1,125gt UK-flagged ship is one of 37
operated by the Craig Group company
North Star Shipping, which prides
itself on its safety record.
Grampian Corinthian was selected
as winner of the annual award as
a result of the overall quality and
quantity of its safety correspondence
— including incident reports and
safety observations, as well as
inspection reports, internal audits and
feedback from technical support.
Judges said the crew also
demonstrated a commitment to the
company’s ‘living safety culture’ and
the ship’s two masters — James Jack
and Alistair Duthie — were praised
for being ‘excellent examples of
safety leaders, actively encouraging
proactive safety’.
HAVILA ACCEPTED: members employed by
Havila Marine have voted to accept the company’s pay
offer of a 3.5% increase for officers and 3% for ratings.
Members had previously rejected the offer and requested
the Union ballot for industrial action. Industrial organiser
Derek Byrne held a further meeting with the company
— to be told that the offer would not be improved
and would be withdrawn if rejected again. Members
therefore accepted the offer as the best that could be
achieved through negotiation.
DEESIDE AMENDMENT: last month’s
Telegraph incorrectly reported that members employed
by Deeside Crewing had rejected a pay and conditions
offer. The offer was in fact accepted. Apologies for the
error and any confusion this caused. Industrial organiser
Gary Leech has also confirmed that he is due to meet
the company at the beginning of March to resolve issues
around the implementation of the offer.
SAFETY FINE: an offshore services company has
been fined £100,000 for serious safety failings following
an incident in which a worker died after falling 23m from
a platform into the North Sea in 2011. In a hearing at
Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Bilfinger Salamis UK admitted
breaching the Work at Height Regulations after a Health
& Safety Executive investigation showed that a lack of
proper planning and a failure to follow procedures.
BRENT CLOSURE: Royal Dutch Shell has tabled
plans to begin decommissioning of its Brent field
platforms and associated infrastructure, which have
produced 10% of UKCS oil and gas since 1976. The
company has begun a consultation on the first stage of
removing the Brent Delta topside structure.
VIKING CLOSURE: Danish operator Viking
Supply Ships has announced the closure of its Aberdeen
office, with effect from July this year. The company said
the decision had been taken to save costs and remain
competitive in the face of the weak market for PSVs.
FARSTAD CALL: members serving with Farstad
Singapore have been asked to submit their views on
what they would like to see in the forthcoming pay and
conditions claim. Feedback is required by 2 March to
enable the claim to be formulated.
DOLPHIN CODE: vessels operating in and out of
the port of Aberdeen have been issued with a new code
of practice which seeks to protect bottlenose dolphins in
the area.
Unions bid to
stave off cuts
Meeting arranged with Scottish Office over jobs threat
P
Nautilus International is
due to meet the UK government’s Scottish Office
this month to discuss concerns
over the threat to jobs posed by
falling oil prices.
The Union will attend the
talks along with other members
of the Inter-Union Offshore Oil
Committee (IOUCC) to ensure
that North Sea oil companies do
not use the current crisis as an
excuse to weaken workers’ terms
and conditions or reduce safety
standards.
Trade union Unite has already
warned that it intends to ballot
offshore contractors on possible
industrial action over proposals
to alter shift patterns and cut pensions.
The union claims that several
oil and gas firms operating in the
North Sea have announced plans
to axe jobs and reduce salaries in
a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to the downturn in the oil price.
Nautilus was also represented
by the Scottish TUC at the first
meeting of the Energy Jobs Taskforce, a group formed by Scot-
land’s First Minister. The taskforce aims to safeguard the skills
and experience which exists in
the North Sea sector, whilst recognising the current challenges,
to ensure the industry is stronger
and internationally competitive once the oil price begins to
recover.
Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing praised the calibre
and breadth of expertise of the
taskforce members and said that
they had ‘the right people for
the job round the table, working
together to help those who will
feel the pinch in falling oil prices
the most’.
‘There is a real risk that the current fall in the oil price will lead to
the premature decommissioning
of assets and the loss of highly
skilled workers,’ he added.
Many industry experts have
called on offshore companies
to try and avoid making radical
changes and to ‘embrace innovation and new technology’ to
weather the storm.
On the opening day of the Subsea Expo in Aberdeen, the chief
executive of Subsea UK predicted
that the sector was like to see significant improvements between
2017 and 2019 following two years
of tough times.
‘The UK’s subsea sector came
out of a strong 2013 to a relatively
flat second half of 2014,’ he added.
‘The existing order book kept the
industry going but as this dries
up and projects are abandoned
or postponed until the oil price
recovers, we are in for major challenges. [However], we have the
largest concentration of subsea
expertise and capability in the
world and we must protect that.’
Scotland’s
First
Minister
Nicola Sturgeon last month called
for the UK government to follow
Norway’s example and introduce
exploration tax credits to help
the North Sea oil and gas industry
weather the current downturn.
The Scottish government also
wants a headline rate of North
Sea tax and the introduction of
an investment allowance, as well
as the exploration support measures that were implemented by
Norway a decade ago.
IMCA gets new
marine advisor
member Andy Goldsmith,
F
who took up a senior post with the
Pictured above is Nautilus
International Marine Contractors
Association (IMCA) last month.
As technical advisor marine, Mr
Goldsmith will be working with IMCA
technical director Jane Bugler, and
will have particular responsibility for
dynamic positioning. He has 17 years
on DP vessels under his belt, having
worked as a travelling senior DPO
on the Semi 1, Semi 2 and Regalia,
and captained the Rockwater 1,
Rockwater 2 and Smit Pioneer.
Mr Goldsmith started his
seagoing career as a cadet with
Texaco Overseas Tankship and spent
10 years with the company, before
moving to the offshore sector after a
brief spell ashore.
He also has substantial
experience shore-side, with six years
in the operations department of
Smit International and most recently
another six years with Maritime
Progress, producers of marine
industry training posters, manuals
and safety signage.
New best practice
packing guide
practice for the safe packing
F
and handling of cargo to and from
A new guide to promote best
serving on Sealion vessels have voted to accept the
A
company’s 2% pay offer. Nautilus industrial organiser
Members employed by Seahorse Maritime and
Paul Schroder and national secretary Jonathan Havard
are pictured with company liaison reps Tony Regan,
Iain Law, James Dodds and John McKellar meeting
06_offshore.indd 6
management to discuss members’ previous rejection of
the offer.
The company told them that conditions in the sector
meant the offer could not be improved and it was
accepted as the best that could be achieved through
negotiation following further consultations.
offshore locations is now available
for free download or in hard copy
format.
Compiled through extensive
research and input from crossindustry participants, the document
aims to deliver the information
in a way that is easily understood
and applied. It is now available
from the dedicated website: www.
onshoreoffshorecargo.com
18/02/2015 16:08
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07
NEWS
Dockwise heavylift vessel
A
White Marlin, which was named
Pictured above is the new
in a ceremony at the Guangzhou
Shipyard, China, last month before
sailing to Singapore for its maiden
transport of two drilling rigs for
discharge in Abu Dhabi.
The 51,065gt Curacao-flagged
vessel is of 216m loa and 72,418dwt
and was built at a cost of some
US$150m.
Piracy deaths lead
to fresh warnings
F
Nigeria’s ban on the use of
foreign security guards on
merchant ships in the region is under
pressure following attacks in the past
month which have left two seafarers
dead, several injured and almost a
dozen abducted from their vessels.
On 3 February, the chief officer of
the Maltese-flagged VLCC Kalamos
was shot dead when the vessel was
boarded by pirates while at anchor off
Qua Iboe.
Some reports suggested the officer
had been accidentally shot by Nigerian
Navy guards on the ship during a gun
battle with the pirates. Another officer
was wounded during the incident.
In the week before that, pirates
attacked a Chinese fishing vessel off
Togo — killing one crew member and
kidnapping seven others — raising
concerns that they were intending to
use the vessel as a ‘mother ship’ to
launch attacks further out to sea.
The incidents sparked new
warnings about the threat to shipping
off west Africa. BIMCO said the region
had become extremely dangerous,
with the attacks becoming more
violent and more widespread.
And the maritime security firm MAST
called for improved training and
mentoring of coastguards in piracyprone areas in Africa, the Middle East
and SE Asia.
MAST chief operating officer Gerry
Northwood warned that countries in
such areas will be increasingly reliant
on their own resources to provide
security in international waters
adjacent to their territorial limits.
Some countries — including Oman,
Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia —
have already realised this and are
taking steps to improve their maritime
capabilities, he pointed out.
Ships held after
rest time drive
Authorities detain almost 60 vessels in concentrated inspection campaign
P
Almost 60 ships were
detained during a threemonth
concentrated
port state control (PSC) campaign
to target compliance with the
STCW Convention regulations on
seafarers’ rest periods.
The coordinated checks were
carried out by PSC authorities
in Europe, the Black Sea, Indian
Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions
between September and December last year and, overall, a total
of 174 ships with 246 deficiencies
were identified.
The most common problems
included: hours of rest not being
recorded properly; non-compliance with the STCW rest requirements for all watchkeeping
personnel, including the weekly
requirements of rest; failure to
post the watch schedule in an
accessible area; and failure to
maintain records indicating that
a bridge lookout is being maintained.
The inspections showed that a
total of 1,268 ships were operating
with a two-watch system for the
navigational watch and 13 of these
ships were detained.
General cargoships were the
ship type with the highest number of deficiencies, followed by
bulk carriers.
In the Paris MoU region, 14% of
ships inspected during the campaign period were detained with
rest-hour deficiencies. A total of 21
inspections in Paris MoU member
states revealed that crew complements were not in accordance
with the minimum safe manning
document.
Secretary general Richard
Schiferli expressed serious concern at the findings: ‘Insufficient
rest of watchkeeping personnel has already caused several
incidents over the past years,’
he added. ‘It may be the cause of
fatigue, which can have major
consequences for safety and the
environment. Two-watch systems are particularly vulnerable
in this respect.’
The results are being analysed
and will be presented to the Port
State Control Committee in April,
with a report going to the International Maritime Organisation.
Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented:
‘The port state control inspection
campaign was with respect to the
“more flexible” STCW Convention requirements. Therefore, by
implication, the Maritime Labour
Convention was being abused
on a significant number of ships.
Seafarers need to be aware that by
working such hours they are placing themselves and other ships’
staff in great danger.’
The head of the International
out people trafficking in the
Mediterranean.
More than 200,000 migrants
were rescued in the Mediterranean
last year and 3,400 died. There are
signs that the numbers are increasing
this year and IMO secretary-general
Koji Sekimizu warned last month that
the problem is placing an intolerable
strain on rescue services and on
merchant vessels.
More than 600 merchant ships
had to be diverted last year to go to the
support of people in distress at sea,
Mr Sekimizu added, and the numbers
have gone beyond acceptable limits.
‘We do not seek to prevent
migration,’ he added. ‘People have
the human right to migrate. But it
is time to stop illegal, unregulated
passage arranged by people
smugglers. Not only do they put the
lives of the migrants in danger, they
also endanger the rescue services and
merchant shipping which take part in
the rescue operations.’
Mr Sekimizu described the
situation as a humanitarian tragedy
and said the IMO would host an
inter-agency meeting in March to
address the issues. ‘The efforts of
Italian rescuers — and others — are
greatly appreciated but we have
reached the point where we need to
focus more effort on the prevention
side,’ he added. ‘I firmly believe that
there is scope for greater efforts by the
international community to better
manage the process of migration.’
Maritime
Organisation
has
called for flag states to do more to
combat excessive working hours
at sea.
In an address to the human
element, training and watchkeeping sub-committee last month,
secretary-general Koji Sekimizu
urged delegates ‘to take account
of the practical difficulties faced
by seafarers due to fatigue and
the catastrophic results due to
human error’.
Mr Sekimizu also asked them
to ‘take a pragmatic approach
for a holistic review and revision
of the organisation’s guidelines
on fatigue and develop relevant
guidance on risk-assessed practical measures for the mitigation
of fatigue onboard in a timely
manner’.
g Lawyers are warned about fatigue
dangers — see page 19.
Watertight
door safety
plan backed
IMO calls for action
on Med trafficking
Maritime Organisation has
F
called for tough action to stamp
z The head of the International
International Maritime
F
Organisation to act on proposals
Nautilus has urged the
New Stena tanker joins UK register
addition to the UK Ship
A
Register — the 50,000dwt chemical
Pictured above is the latest
tanker Stena Impression, which
was named in Singapore last month
before beginning a maiden voyage
to the US with a palm oil cargo.
Built by the Chinese yard
Guangzhou, Stena Impression is
the first in a series of 10 IMOIIMAX
vessels ordered by Stena Bulk at
a total cost of some US$400m.
We are able to offer competitive, specially
negotiated fares for all types of air travel,
be it UK Domestic, European or Worldwide.
Delivery of the series is due to be
completed by 2017.
Designed to carry vegetable
oils and chemicals, as well as clean
and dirty petroleum products, the
IMOIIMAX vessels will be operated
by Stena Weco.
Stena Impression and the
sisterships feature 18 tanks, each
with a capacity of 3,000 cu m, which
allows for greater cargo flexibility.
Stena says technical innovations
on the ships will result in 10 to 20%
lower fuel consumption at service
speed compared with other vessels
of the same size. Key features
include main engine auto-tuning, an
exhaust gas multi-inlet composite
boiler to recover energy from main
and auxiliary engine exhaust
gas, a hub vortex absorbing fin to
recover lost propeller energy, and an
aerodynamic accommodation and
bridge to reduce wind resistance.
to improve the safety of watertight
doors.
A paper proposing changes to
the SOLAS Convention requirements
— including the fitting of a safety
device to prevent crew from being
crushed in remotely-controlled
doors and improved bridge control
systems — was tabled at the IMO’s
sub-committee on ship design and
construction last month.
Speaking on behalf of the
International Federation of Ship
Masters’ Associations, Nautilus senior
national secretary Allan Graveson told
the meeting that there is a clear need
to ensure that watertight doors are
safe when operated locally.
‘The last major change was over a
century ago, when lights were added
to supplement bells, he pointed
out. ‘Now we have the opportunity
with new technology to prevent
life-changing injuries and death of
seafarers.’
Contact us today for a quote
vikingrecruitment.com/travel
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seeking flights for other types of travel will benefit from our efficient and personal service.
07_news.indd 7
18/02/2015 17:41
08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
LARGE YACHT NEWS
Eco-yacht claims to offer up to 30% fuel economies
Savannah from Feadship
A
— billed as the first superyacht to
fuel-efficient as possible, explained
Ted McCumber, the owner’s project
manager: ‘It is not the individual
technologies used on Savannah that
are new in the yachting world — it is
the way they have been combined.’
The yacht has a large contrarotating and azimuthing stern
thruster just aft of the main propeller,
which is 40% larger than the norm.
Combined with the power supplied by
the thruster, the load on the propeller
is only half that of a conventional
twin-screw yacht, which is said to
result in higher efficiency and fewer
vibrations.
Pictured right is the 83.5m
feature a combination of eco-friendly
hybrid technologies offering fuel
economies of up to 30%.
Savannah has a dynamic hull
shape with a very fine entry, uses
one efficient medium-speed Wärtsilä
main engine instead of two higherrev diesel motors, and has a single
central propeller shaft installation on
the centreline and three gensets.
The aim was to apply expertise
from the wider marine industry to
make the design as cost-effective and
Guide for ISM
compliance
Marine offers what is claimed to
F
be the first integrated management
Australia-based Ocean Time
system to help superyachts secure
ISM Code compliance.
The company has now updated
its superyacht safety management
system software, with a package that
covers all elements of the ISM Code
and guides users through the writing
of an SMS for private and commercial
vessel operation.
The template enables users to
customise instructions, procedures
and policies to suit their needs.
Crews’ kit could be
slowing yachts’ IT
Disabled 18-year-old Survey finds that 90% of crew take at least two of their own devices onboard
gets master’s ticket P
by Michael Howorth
become one of the youngest
F
ever professional yacht masters,
A disabled youngster has
aged just 18.
Dominic Jackson, above right,
has passed the professional yacht
master offshore course, delivered
by the North West Sports Centre on
the island of Cumbrae, in Scotland.
Registered disabled, having been
born with only one hand, Dominic
successfully completed the gruelling
18-week course, along with two
other students.
Dominic, who is described by his
family as a ‘natural sailor’, started
learning the ropes aged 10, at the
International School in Qatar. While
still at Windermere School, he
completed his RYA dinghy instructor
assessment enabling him to teach in
the various dinghy classes.
‘To pass this course aged 18 is very
unusual. There are not many who can
do it,’ said Cumbrae’s professional
yacht master instructor, Rod Smith.
‘Dominic was an exceptional
candidate and we applaud him on his
achievement. Passing this aged 18 is
pretty much as young as you can get!’
Yacht crew join now!
email recruitment@nautilusint.org
or call +44 (0)151 639 8454
As part of our growing support for seafarers serving in the
large yacht sector, all members are entitled to a free copy of
the Nautilus service record book, which has been produced to
assist in the recording and calculation of qualifying sea service
for the purpose of certification.
Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and
regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this
SRB is one of only two that the MCA recognises worldwide as
evidence of acceptable
service.
p
Once your yacht service is verified
O
in our office in Antibes, then the
MCA accepts the Nautilus SRB as
M
ssufficient proof of onboard and sea
sservice and no further supporting
ddocumentation is required.
zContact the membership
ddepartment either via email or
telephone to receive your free SRB.
te
08_yachts.indd 8
even when not in use,’ NSSLGlobal
pointed out.
Around a quarter of crew said
their yacht had a certified IT engineer onboard, 15% had remote
IT support, and just over half
reported having an uncertificated
colleague onboard with responsibility for the IT networks.
NSSLGlobal
said
owners
should consider implementing
‘fair-usage’ policies and education programmes to manage the
issues posed by the increasing
number of personal devices, and
to help crew members use bandwidth more productively.
MD Sally-Anne Ray commented: ‘The current IT-savvy
generation want to stay con-
nected wherever possible and see
the ocean as an inferior obstacle.
The ubiquity of connectivity to
which we have all become so used
to on land risks presenting something of a “digital culture shock”
when at sea.
‘Understanding who is using
what, ensuring bandwidth is not
being wasted by unused applications or automatic updates and
outlining a fair-use plan for crew
members and guests onboard is
as important to avoiding a maritime capacity crunch,’ she added.
‘We see it as our responsibility to
help our customers with these
processes through services such
as our customer portal and our
customer service team.’
MCA backs ‘blended’ course
Warsash in Italy
Research carried out by
the satcoms service provider NSSLGlobal found
that 46% of yacht crews expect
their onboard connectivity speed
to be the same as, or almost the
same as, they have at home.
The survey of 238 superyacht crew found that 90% have
internet access via their vessel’s
network and 31% have no restrictions policy for internet access
onboard.
NSSLGlobal said 3G or 4G GSM
was the most popular mode of
connectivity, used on just over
60% of yachts. VSAT came a close
second, followed by shore wi-fi
connections.
The company noted that the
F
The UK Maritime & Coastguard
Agency has approved a new
training course which enables
superyacht crew to study for their
Officer of the Watch qualifications
while away at sea.
Launched by Ocean Training
Online, the ‘blended learning’ OOW
(Yachts under 3,000gt) course is
claimed to be the first of its kind
and combines distance learning for
superyacht sector is an early
adopter of new technology, and
is constantly pushing for greater
wireless speeds. ‘However,’ it cautioned, ‘crew members’ expectations, arguably coloured by their
experience with on-land broadband, may cause issues for billpayers, and lead to anticipations
that cannot be met at sea.’
The study found that many
crew members may be adding to
the ‘load’ on their onboard systems — because so many take
their own mobile devices to sea.
‘Crew members typically have at
least two devices onboard (90%)
and sometimes up to six (16%)
— all of which may be inadvertently drawing ‘parasitic’ data
theoretical elements with collegebased practical training.
After completing the e-learning
theoretical sections, candidates
are issued with an MCA certificate
of eligibility to attend a college for
practical elements such as sea survival
and fire-fighting.
‘This is the first course of its type
to be rolled out,’ said Ocean Training
principal Ted Miley. ‘We believe that
blended learning is the way forward
in the 21st century and we are also
planning further STCW courses, such
as Master 200.
‘The big advantage of learning
the theory by the blended learning
model is that a student can earn while
they learn while either studying at
home or onboard a ship using the
internet to correspond with their own
professional tutor,’ he added.
Superyacht Academy have
F
staged a special training course
Lecturers from Warsash
for 24 senior officers in Italy, in
collaboration with the Italian Yacht
Masters’ Association (IYM).
Held at the IYM headquarters
in the Marina di Loano, Liguria,
the five-day course covered the
human element leadership and
management requirements set out in
the STCW 2010 amendments.
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.
18/02/2015 16:14
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09
NEWS
Fresh alarm
over job
scammers
Condor case appeal
rejected by court
prosecution appeal for harsher
F
sentences to be imposed on the
A French court has rejected a
master and first officer of a Condor
Ferries vessel involved in a fatal
collision with a fishing vessel in 2011.
Captain Paul Le Romancer and
chief officer Yves Tournon were given
suspended sentences in September
2013 after being found guilty of the
manslaughter of the trawler’s captain
when the Condor Vitesse ran into the
fishing vessel off Jersey.
Prosecutors appealed to the
higher court in Caen, arguing that the
suspended sentences were not severe
enough. However, the court quashed
the chief mate’s conviction, as a result
of questions about whether Condor
Vitesse’s radar was functioning
correctly at the time of the accident.
The court upheld the conviction of
Capt Le Romancer and the suspended
sentence of 18 months he had been
given, but overturned the 12-month
suspended sentence imposed on the
chief officer. Capt Le Romancer was
also banned from serving at sea.
An accident investigation ruled
that their vessel had been going too
fast in the foggy conditions at the time
of the accident.
campaign to secure more
F
effective action against ‘job
Nautilus is continuing its
Mary in Long Beach, California. It was the first time a Cunard ship had gone alongside in Long Beach since Queen
A
Mary arrived at her retirement home in October 1967.
Old met new last month when the Cunard Line vessel Queen Elizabeth spent the day with the legendary Queen
Pilotage challenge
Court case highlights the dangers of de-regulated provision, UK marine pilots’ body alleges
P
The UK Marine Pilots Association (UKMPA) has welcomed the
outcome of a court challenge to a
harbour authority’s attempt to terminate
its agreement for pilotage services in its
waters.
Members of the Foyle Pilots’ Cooperative (FPC) applied for a judicial review of the
Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners’ move to give one year’s notice of the end
of the 2008 contractual agreement.
The pilots argued that the move —
which was due to come into effect on 1 January 2015 — would have resulted in a ‘serious
reduction of standards in a compulsory
pilotage area, as it would have left the port
of Londonderry without any pilot authorised to perform the pilotage of the largest
ships using the port after that date.
The pilots said that if the agreement had
ended within the one-year notice period, it
would have meant that there would be no
pilot available with qualifications in line
with the regulatory requirements for probation and training for the pilotage of the
‘numerous’ ships of over 120m visiting the
port.
At the initial High Court hearing, the
judge stated that the harbour authority
should have communicated better with
its pilots than it had done — and the CHA
admitted to the court that, in the interests
of safety, the FPC should continue to provide pilotage services for at least a further
year after the proposed termination date.
The FPC challenge was settled in an
out-of-court settlement. UKMPA chairman Captain Don Cockrill described the
case as highly significant. ‘There should be
no doubt that whilst no finding was made
under the judicial review, the steadfast
manner in which the three Foyle pilots pursued this action has done a great service to
all UK pilots and will ultimately serve to
illustrate to those in power how dangerous
the current de-regulated pilotage provisions can be in unscrupulous port management hands,’ he added.
Capt Cockrill criticised the failure of the
Department for Transport to respond to
repeated requests to intervene to uphold
pilotage standards at the port. He said the
CHA had taken the ‘extraordinary’ decision to scrap the previous two-and-a-half
year training scheme in favour of a ‘superficial’ four-month simulator-based system,
which no oversight from any incumbent
senior pilot.
‘Whilst it may arguably be in accordance
with the powers granted to the CHA under
the 1987 Pilotage Act, it most certainly is not
in compliance with the contents of IMO resolution A960 or the ethos underpinning
the Port Marine Safety Code,’ he added.
Opposition warns on UK safety risks
Marsden has urged the UK government
F
to rethink its approach to safety at sea in the
Labour’s shipping spokesman Gordon
face of mounting concerns about the dilution
of regulations and under-resourcing of the
Maritime & Coastguard Agency.
Mr Marsden said the government had
been seeking to make a series of changes that
‘risk compromising safety standards — often
standards put into place after painful and tragic
experiences’.
He said changes are being put forward ‘under
the mantra of cutting bureaucracy, but it fails
ultimately to take onboard either the opinions or
the practical experience of those whose lives are
on the line on the ships in question’.
The opposition shipping spokesman said
the all-party House of Commons transport
committee had called for a review of the MCA’s
capacity in 2013 in response to anxiety that
resources were being spread too thinly.
Since then, he warned, serious concerns have
been raised over the reduction in the number of
coastguard centres and ‘dangerously common
understaffing’ around the UK coast.
‘Government’s failure to heed the call for an
MCA review goes much deeper,’ he added. ‘The
Agency’s other work is stretching its resources
with new responsibilities for the safety of the
ships in our waters, monitoring the impact on the
environment and promoting British shipping to
international business. All laudable initiatives —
but this combination of declining resources and
increasing responsibilities is a dangerous one.’
Mr Marsden echoed concerns raised by
Nautilus over plans to reduce the frequency of
There are
NO LIMITS
to an unlimited certificate!
safety management audits of ships on domestic
passenger services and the proposals to revoke
regulations introduced in response to the Herald
of Free Enterprise disaster.
‘Everyone in the shipping sector is sensitive
to the financial pressures on companies’
competitiveness,’ he said. ‘But excellence in
safety not only strengthens the reputation of UK
shipping and provides it with a sound sustainable
base for that growth, it’s also what we owe
to those who serve on those ships and the
passengers in their care.’
scammers’ targeting seafarers with
non-existent offers of employment.
The Union is highlighting two
new cases which promise hundreds
of temporary and permanent posts
on cruiseships, with salaries of up to
€125,000 a year.
One of these purports to come
from MSC Cruises and refers to more
than 325 different positions —
including electrotechnical, safety
security and engineer officers. The
other claims to come from Disney
Cruise Line (Australia), with 306
vacancies for posts including deck
and engineering department crew,
cruise directors and assistant pursers,
with salaries of €3,120 and above.
Similar recent scams have
promised jobs with Princess Cruise
Lines and Vroon Offshore Services.
Nautilus has urged members to
beware of the fraudsters and advised
that they should not be asked to pay
to apply for any position. The Union
has also been pressing for more
concerted action by flag states to
combat such illegal activity.
Cruise sector
set to hit a
new record
to grow by 4% this year, with
F
a new record of 23m passengers,
The global cruise industry is set
leading operators predicted last
month.
The annual state of the industry
report published by the Cruise Lines
International Association (CLIA) says
its member companies are due to
introduce 22 new ocean, river and
speciality vessels this year at a total
cost of more than US$4bn.
The report says the Caribbean will
remain the most popular destination,
with marked growth expected in the
Mediterranean, Asian and Australian
markets. A total of 52 ships will be
deployed in the Asia region this year,
providing more than 1,060 cruises
and capacity for 2.17m passengers.
CLIA says the trend for everlarger ships has switched to a focus
on specialty cruises, which are
estimated to have grown by 21%
annually between 2009 and 2014.
Next available start
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09_news.indd 9
Join the best trained crew.
18/02/2015 16:40
10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NEWS
Scheme to improve
worldwide welfare
Nautilus spreads maritime
message in the classroom
organiser Lee Moon has
A
been back to school to spread the
Nautilus senior assistant
message about the importance of
shipping and seafarers.
He is pictured above speaking to
pupils at the Willow Wood primary
school in Cheshire as part of a ‘world
of work’ programme.
Lee gave presentations to
various age groups during the day,
explaining how so many goods
come and go by sea, what it means
to work at sea, and — with the help
of ship models from the Nautilus
office in Wallasey — what sort of
roles are performed by different
types of ships.
‘The school has a high
percentage of children from families
with no main employment, and it
has invited people in from different
professions to illustrate the varied
careers that are out there,’ Lee said.
‘This was a younger audience
than the Careers at Sea programme
usually present to, so I had to adapt
the presentation,’ he explained.
‘However, the children were
all very attentive and they asked
some thoughtful and insightful
questions.’
Week puts spotlight
on work of seafarers
A
Nautilus is supporting a
week-long campaign to raise
awareness of the UK’s continued
dependence on seafarers and the
career opportunities offered by the
maritime sector.
Seafarers Awareness Week
will run between 20 and 28 June,
with a series of events to raise the
profile of seafaring and maritime
jobs to a wide audience — and in
particular young people, parents and
educators.
Coordinated by the charity
Seafarers UK, the week’s theme
of ‘Opportunities to Work at Sea’
will complement two International
Maritime Organisation events — Day
of the Seafarer on 25 June and World
Maritime Day on 24 September
— which both focus on maritime
education and working at sea this
year.
Seafarers UK campaigns manager
Nick Harvey commented: ‘We
look forward to another successful
Seafarers Awareness Week and
want the British public to see how
important ships and seafarers are to
our everyday living.
‘With so many opportunities,
including in growth areas such
as cruise ships, superyachts and
renewable energy developments, it
is paramount we ensure that the next
generation views working at sea as a
viable and exciting career option too,’
he added.
MNWB leads project to promote best practice for port welfare services
P
Nautilus has welcomed
the launch of a new
scheme in which ports
around the world are being
encouraged to set up their own
welfare boards.
The International Port Welfare Partnership Project aims to
help countries establish welfare
boards in parts of the world where
they have never existed before
and to promote best practice
through a model of port welfare
boards which has proved successful in the UK.
The programme offers information and guidance on establishing welfare boards, and a key
element of this is a new website
which explains how these boards
work and how new ones can be set
up.
Sponsored by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, the project is managed
by the UK Merchant Navy Welfare
Board (MNWB) on behalf of the
International Seafarers’ Welfare
Assistance Network (ISWAN). It
is linked to Regulation 4.4 of the
Maritime Labour Convention,
which says that ILO member
states ‘shall encourage the establishment of welfare boards which
shall regularly review welfare
facilities and services’.
The project website emphasises that a successful welfare
board is a cooperative partnership within the maritime community. It will involve the par-
seafarers’ welfare services in ports
and this exciting pilot project
captures the collaborative spirit
of the MLC,’ he stressed.
Kimberly Karlshoej, the head
of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, added:
‘The promotion and utilisation
of port welfare boards is a critical
step in improving services to seafarers during their all-too short
stays in the world’s ports.’
Nautilus assistant general
secretary Mike Jess said the project was a welcome initiative that
should address the important
need to improve facilities for seafarers around the world.
g To access the new International
Port Welfare Partnership Project
website, visit www.portwelfare.org.
Online register for missing crew
bid to raise public and political awareness of
F
seafarers lost at sea.
A new online resource has been launched in a
Created by the organisation Human Rights at
Sea (HRAS), the Missing Seafarers Register aims to
help build an accurate global database on the status
of seafarers and fishing vessel crew who have been
lost at sea.
The site offers the maritime community a
platform for sharing information about missing
friends and colleagues. Users can post and update
details including the missing person’s name and
nationality, the name of the person’s vessel and the
date they were reported missing. Photos can also be
uploaded, and the reporting process is moderated
and encrypted for security. When something is
discovered about the missing person’s fate, users
are encouraged to return to the site and report the
person’s current status.
The register forms the first phase of a wider
Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme, to
highlight cases to maritime authorities, flag
states, governments, ship owners and managers,
non-governmental organisations, and the general
public.
The venture has received funding from Seafarers
UK, the Sailors’ Society, The Fishermen’s Mission
and Mishcon de Reya LLP — which also provided
legal support along with Holman Fenwick Willan LLP.
There are now plans to develop the scheme further
by making the site multilingual, creating an app and
embedding tools for statistical analysis.
Mike Robinson, operations Director of C Data
Services who built the platform, commented: ‘There
are currently no statistics available on the number of
people missing from the 1.5m registered seafarers
worldwide. This makes The Missing Seafarers
Register a valuable resource for investigation and
analysis, as well as emphasising the global scale of
this issue to a wider audience.’
g The Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme
can be accessed through several different web
addresses: www.missingseafarers.org , www.
missingmariners.org , www.missingseamen.org
and www.humanrightsatsea.org .
Caseworkers secure half a million
another successful year for its Caseworker
F
Service, with a total of £514,000 in benefits and
The Nautilus Welfare Fund has reported
Lairdside Maritime Centre
ticipation of individuals and
agencies such as harbourmasters,
port agents, port health, seafaring
unions, voluntary organisations
and the welfare providers, along
with local authorities. It will also
encourage financial support from
the industry through port levies
and donations.
MNWB deputy chief executive
Peter Tomlin is the project manager. He commented: ‘Strong,
effective welfare boards needn’t
be expensive or time consuming to organise or participate in.
Every port is unique and we are
mindful that there is no easy “one
size fits all” rule.
‘Welfare boards are capable of
really supporting and improving
grants secured for retired mariners in 2014. During
this period, the service assisted over 360 former
seafarers — visiting them at home or advising them
via phone and email.
The free and confidential Caseworker Service
started in the Merseyside area in 2010 and, with the
backing of Seafarers UK, expanded to the Hull and
Southampton areas in 2013. Phone and email advice
is available throughout the UK.
The aim is to ensure that seafarers have a happy,
healthy and financially secure retirement. Three
expert caseworkers support retired mariners and
their dependants to maximise their income and
access local health and community services. They
also give advice on debt management and housing
issues.
In addition to assisting with applications for
national benefits, the caseworkers can point
individuals towards grants that are available just
for mariners. These can include one-off grants for
essential items such as household goods or home
repairs, as well as regular grants for those on limited
incomes.
If you are a UK-based ex seafarer and would like to
check that you’ve applied for all the benefits you’re
entitled to, just email welfare@nautilusint.org or
call one of the caseworkers:
z Catherine Wilson — Merseyside area — 0151
346 8840
z John Norris — Hull area — 01482 595 296 or
07841 779 234
z Sandra Silverwood — Southampton area —
07841 779 237
g You can contact the service from anywhere in
the UK, and you’re also welcome to get in touch on
behalf of a friend or family member who has retired
from the sea. There’s more about the Caseworker
Service and the Nautilus Welfare Fund at www.
nautiluswelfarefund.org
Shanty group’s CD helps maritime charity
shipwrecked-themed songs
A
has gone on sale to raise funds for a
A specially-recorded CD full of
ECDIS COURSES
Other Courses Available include:
■ Ship Handling for both Junior and Senior Officers
■ ISPS Designated Security Duties
■ ISPS Prevention of Piracy and Armed Robbery
For further information :
t: +44 (0)151 647 0494 f: +44 (0)151 647 0498
w: www.lairdside-maritime.com e: lairdside@ljmu.ac.uk
10-11_news.indd 10
UK-based maritime charity.
The Cornish group Stamp and Go
released the CD — which contains five
original tracks of ‘wreck and rescue’
— at the National Maritime Museum
in Falmouth last month. Proceeds
will go towards the Shipwrecked
Mariners’ Society.
The five songs on the CD were
all written by band member Nigel
Hallworth and include a track
commemorating the Society’s 175th
anniversary.
Society chief executive
Commodore Malcolm Williams said
he was delighted with the CD and
said sales would help the charity
to continue its work supporting
merchant seafarers, fishing vessel
crews and their dependants in need
and also to those injured or too ill
to continue working at sea. In the
last year the Society handled 650
new applications for assistance and
distributed £1.4m across 2,200 cases
of need.
g The CD is available from the
Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society for £5
plus £1 P&P and can be ordered via its
website www.shipwreckedmariners.
org.uk
18/02/2015 17:50
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11
NEWS
On a course
for energy
efficiency
IMO team visit
to London VTS
Maritime Organisation’s
A
maritime safety division, including
Staff from the International
assistant secretary-general Andy
Winbow — pictured, centre, with
VTS manager Kevin Gregory — and
technical officers from the subdivision
for operational safety and human
element, gained some first-hand
knowledge of vessel traffic services
when they visited the Port of London
Authority (PLA) VTS in London last
month. Discussions on current and
emerging trends in VTS were followed
by a visit to the PLA bridge simulator
and a chance to see the London VTS in
operation.
A
The maritime training firm
Videotel has developed a new
course to help seafarers and shore
staff improve the energy efficiency of
their vessels.
The ISO 50001 Energy
Management Training Course
aims to help shipping companies
secure improved environmental
performance and reduced fuel costs,
while minimising risk and increasing
energy security.
It contains seven modules aimed
at officers, crew, and shore-based
staff, and explains the way in which a
shipping company can establish and
implement an energy management
system in line with ISO 50001.
The course also includes shippingindustry-specific measures relating
to energy efficiency and greenhouse
gas emissions, such as MARPOL’s
progressively tighter fuel and
emission controls
‘Whilst ships are considered to
be the most fuel-efficient way of
transporting cargo, there are still
areas where improvements can
be made,’ said Videotel CEO Nigel
Cleave.
‘By following our course,
shipping personnel will learn how
to successfully implement an energy
management programme that
will not only help to reduce their
company’s operating costs but will
also result in a better environment.’
Bunker quality
‘on the rise’
bunker quality, experts claimed
A
last month, with the rate of off-spec
Tests show a marked rise in
samples falling from an all-time high
of almost 25% in 2013 to 10% last
year just 8% now.
International Bunker Industry
Association chairman Jens Maul
Jørgensen said the tests also
revealed a 15% increase in the use of
distillate fuels. He said the drop in oil
price has meant that there is now less
incentive for refiners to blend down
their products.
Owners warned on
global sulphur cap
ICS says industry must get ready for introduction of worldwide limit in 2020
P
The shipping and bunker refining industries
should start preparing
for the introduction of a global
0.5% sulphur cap, leading owners
warned last month.
The International Chamber
of Shipping (ICS) said it believed
the worldwide emissions limit
is likely to come into effect in
2020 rather than 2025 — despite
efforts to defer implementation
in response to concerns about the
availability of compliant fuel.
‘While postponement of the
sulphur global cap until 2025 is
still a possibility, the shipping and
oil refining industries should not
assume that this will happen simply because they are unprepared,’
said ICS chairman Masamichi
Morooka. ‘ICS has concluded that,
for better or worse, the global cap
is very likely to be implemented
in 2020, almost regardless of the
effect that any lack of availability
of compliant fuel may have on the
cost of moving world trade by sea.’
ICS claims the introduction
of the global sulphur cap could
increase owners’ fuel costs by as
much as US$50bn a year. It says
the MARPOL Convention allows
for the rules to be delayed until
2025, subject to a fuel availability
study that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is legally
required to complete before the
end of 2018.
The ICS has criticised IMO
member states for failing to have
the study carried out earlier. ‘If
supply problems are identified
at the end of 2018 this will be far
too late for governments to take
action,’ it warned.
The ICS said its board had
reviewed the impact of the imple-
mentation of the 0.1% sulphur in
fuel requirements for Emission
Control Areas (ECAs) in North
America and NW Europe since 1
January.
The owners said they were
concerned by reports that some
port states are charging ships for
the analysis of fuel samples, and
they would continue to work with
port state control authorities to
ensure a harmonised approach to
enforcement.
The ICS also voiced its ‘deep
concern’ at the EU’s decision to
adopt unilateral mandatory
monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements for
individual ship emissions, in
advance of IMO completing its
work. It warned that the regulations ‘will be used to penalise
ships financially’.
z Operational problems linked
to the low-sulphur fuel rules are
more of an issue to shipowners
than the costs of bunkers,
according to a new survey
undertaken following the entry
into force of ECAs.
The
UK-based
company
Fathom said its research showed
that almost 70% of shipowners
and operators believed mechanical problems resulting from the
change in fuel properties were
the biggest concern and potential
challenge.
The impact of the increase in
fuel costs came second, with the
challenge of ensuring that the
crew can make the fuel switch successfully in order to comply on
time following close behind.
In response to the findings,
Fathom has published a guide and
onboard manual for operation in
ECAs.
New title
for ‘Nazi’
offshore
vessel
has agreed to re-name its
A
newest ship following an outcry over
The Swiss-owed Allseas Group
its original naming after a Nazi war
criminal.
Unions and families of war victims
led the protests over the choice of the
name Pieter Schelte for the 403,342gt
offshore decommissioning vessel
— which is claimed to be the world’s
largest ship.
Pieter Schelte Heerema was the
father of Allseas Group president
Edward Heerema and was a Dutch
officer in the Waffen-SS during the
Second World War. He was tried and
sentenced to three years for war
crimes, but was released early and
moved to Venezuela where he began a
notable career in shipping.
Following pressure from the public
and the International Transport
Workers’ Federation (ITF) and affiliate
unions, Allseas agreed to rename
the Panamanian-flagged vessel
Pioneering Spirit.
The crane ship, which has
been contracted by Shell for
decommissioning work on its Brent
platform in the North Sea next year,
was at the centre of protests when it
arrived in the Port of Rotterdam for the
final stage of construction.
Shell UK told Nautilus it
considered the original name to be
‘inappropriate’ and it was pleased that
Allseas had agreed to change it, as
the vessel was the only one capable of
doing the work required.
ITF president Paddy Crumlin said
the vessel’s original name had been a
disgrace and demonstrated how ‘sick,
arrogant and out-of-touch Allseas
management really is. For Allseas to
name its vessel after a convicted Nazi
war criminal is utterly shameful’.
Allseas initially played down
the Nazi connection, but eventually
agreed to rename the $3bn vessel,
retaining the original initials. The
company said the new name ‘reflects
what it stands for: a new technological
step in platform installation and
decommissioning’.
GET FUNDED TO STUDY AT SEA!
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Rating to Officer STCW 2010 Certification:
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18/02/2015 16:16
12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
HEALTH & SAFETY
Training ship ‘was
not fit to be at sea’
Sunken sailing ship and its crew lacked proper certificates, report reveals
P
‘Satellites can aid SAR’
be used to boost search
F
and rescue operations at sea —
Satellite tracking could
significantly improving the chances
of survival, according to study
carried out by a space scientist
at the University of Leicester in
collaboration with the New Zealand
Defence Technology Agency and
DMC International Imaging.
Researchers have identified 54
satellites, which currently only take
images of land, that could be used
to monitor the Earth’s oceans and
inland waters. Using this data could
cut search areas for missing ships
to just a few hundred square miles,
they suggest.
The team is now testing the
concept, working on the automated
detection of vessels within imagery
provided from the NigeriaSat 2 and
UK-DMC2 satellites. It hopes that
a practical maritime monitoring
system could be launched within a
few years.
A Dutch sail training ship
which sank after hitting
rocks off the coast of
Ireland in 2013 should not have
been at sea as it posed ‘a danger’ to
those onboard and a threat to the
marine environment — with both
the vessel and its crew lacking the
proper certification, an investigation has concluded.
The Irish Marine Casualty
Investigation Board (MCIB) report
on the loss of the 89-year-old tall
ship Astrid off Oysterhaven in July
2013 calls for action to ensure that
sail training ships carrying passengers on international voyages
comply with the requirements
of international conventions and
European law.
Investigators said the vessel —
which had a master, three perma-
nent crew, a cook, a mentor and 24
trainees onboard — had hit the
rocks after losing engine power
while leaving Oysterhaven to take
part in a sailing festival. All those
onboard were rescued by lifeboat,
and no one was injured.
The MCIB found that the master’s certificate had expired in the
previous month — but neither he
nor the mate were properly qualified in line with the safe manning
requirements, and the two ratings
both lacked the necessary Dutch
certificates of competency.
Astrid’s passenger ship safety
certificate had expired, the report
notes, and the vessel did not meet
SOLAS requirements. The vessel
lacked an up to date ISM document of compliance and liferaft
service histories were out-of-date.
Investigations revealed that
the ship had lost engine power
because of a fuel tank had been
contaminated when a fresh water
hose was wrongly connected at a
previous port.
Insufficient action had been
taken to ensure the water was
removed from the fuel system,
the report states.
The MCIB described the passage planning for the voyage as
‘inadequate, for a passenger ship
navigating a course within 300
(m) of a lee shore in a Force 6 wind’
and said it seemed to have been
‘influenced by the desire for photograph opportunities for the
Gathering Cruise event’.
The report also criticises the
ship’s failure to issue a proper
distress call. ‘If the initial Mayday
message had been sent out in the
correct format, the emergency
services could have been activated 10 minutes earlier, which
could have been critical to the
final outcome had the conditions
been more severe,’ it adds.
The MCIB notes that the term
‘sail training ship’ has not standing under SOLAS and it expresses
concern that some flag states
declare that such vessels are not
propelled by mechanical means
as ‘an attempt to exempt the
ships fro the safety requirements
of SOLAS’.
The report recommends
action by operators, authorities
and sail training organisations
to ensure that ships conform to
national, regional and international requirements.
Crew transfer
vessel fire risk
was ignored
No fall in navigation claims
F
F
An uninsulated exhaust pipe
caused a fire which led to the
loss of the 14m windfarm support
vessel ECC Topaz off the coast of East
Anglia, an investigation has found.
The UK Marine Accident
Investigation Branch said the fire
was caused by an uninsulated
section of exhaust pipe from a
diesel-fired air heater. The fire
risk had been ignored during the
construction and inspection of the
vessel.
The Brown Code and the
Workboat Code rules did not
address air heaters at that time,
the report points out. As it was not
categorised as an item of machinery
in the regulations, it was not
considered a fire risk and no smoke
detector was fitted in the space.
Ex Tax Inspector at Cardiff
Marine - 30 years experience
with seafarers’ tax
Navigation-related accidents
are still running at high levels
despite advances in technology, new
safety systems and more stringent
regulations, marine insurers have
warned.
In a special report last month,
the Swedish P&I Club revealed
that navigational incidents such as
collisions, contacts and groundings
accounted for 52% of all hull and
machinery claim costs and 36% of all
claims over a 10-year period.
The club said it was concerned
that the rate of navigational claims
has not dropped off, and it warned
that many of the incidents occurred
because procedures were ignored and
seafarers did not communicate with
each other properly. Poor lookout,
lack of situational awareness and
complacency remain key factors, it
added.
‘That the officer of the watch
did not follow the colregs or the
company’s safety management
system is usually not the root cause
of the casualty,’ the report said. ‘The
root cause is usually a combination
of inexperience and issues within the
organisation.’
Groundings accounted for almost a quarter of claim costs during the past decade Picture: Swedish Club
Groundings accounted for 24% of
the total claim costs, while collisions
comprised 22% and contacts 6%.
The club recorded a total of 341
collisions during the period — of
which 192 involved containerships.
Around 70% of collisions occurred in
congested waters, rising to 80% when
coastal waters were included, and
the report suggests that additional
resources should be added to the
bridge team, such as another officer
or a lookout, in busy areas or when
entering and leaving port.
‘Some of the casualties happened
because crew members deviated from
procedures, didn’t discuss what was
happening or one person made a
disastrous mistake,’ the report notes.
‘This is why there should be multiple
officers on the bridge during critical
operations so one person’s mistake
can be detected and rectified.’
The club recorded 296 groundings
in the period — of which 133 involved
bulk carriers. It said common causes
were poor communications, a lack
of proper briefing before arrival or
departure, and cultural differences.
The report also warned that
loss of engine power caused many
navigational claims — highlighting
the need to follow the manufacturer’s
instructions, use original spare parts,
complete required maintenance and
check that steering is fully operational
before entering or leaving port.
‘Being able to identify the reasons
for navigational claims is invaluable
for masters and shipowners,’ said Club
director Lars Malm. ‘This report shows
that most claims can be prevented by
simply ensuring that all crew follow
proper procedures and consult with
each other before making major
decisions.’
Poor planning led to cruiseship accident
onboard a Bahamas-flagged cruiseship
resulted in an accident in which a seafarer was
£195.00 F
injured by the vessel’s incinerator machinery, an
Failure to properly plan a maintenance job
FLAT FEE PER TAX RETURN
01908 583 738
www.taxaidforseafarers.co.uk
12-13_h+s.indd 12
investigation has found.
The fitter — who had been replacing ash
grates on the incinerator on the 42,363gt Seven
Seas Voyager— had to be treated in hospital
ashore for serious bruising and shock after a
pneumatically-operated valve on the ash dump
closed against him.
The incident occurred while the Prestige
Cruises vessel was berthed in Sydney; an
investigation by the Australian Transport Safety
Board (ATSB) found that the valve’s control
systems had not been properly isolated before
the work began. This meant residual air pressure
remained in the operating system and it was
sufficient to start closing the valve when an
electronic sensor was inadvertently activated by
the fitter.
The ATSB said its investigation identified
that Seven Seas Voyager’s engineering staff
did not have an adequate understanding
of the incinerator’s control systems and its
maintenance. Neither the ship’s planned
maintenance system nor the manufacturer’s
manual contained any information or guidance
about the ash grate replacement.
Engineering staff had ‘ample time to
correctly scope and plan the work’, the report
added, but the task was not adequately planned
and shipboard safety management system
requirements — including taking necessary risk
mitigation measures and completion of a permit
to work — were not complied with.
‘Shipboard equipment and machinery
commonly incorporates automated, poweroperated systems which must be isolated,
stored energy released and locked out before
undertaking maintenance or repair tasks,’ the
ATSB pointed out. ‘Safely completing a task relies
on personnel having a proper understanding
of the system involved, coupled with adequate
planning, risk assessment and the effective
implementation of all safety management
system requirements — including permits to
work.’
18/02/2015 16:16
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13
HEALTH & SAFETY
Insurers’ alarm at ‘mega-ship’ risks
renewed concerns over their
A
exposure to huge costs arising from
Marine insurers have raised
‘mega-ship’ casualties and have
warned that 2015 is already shaping
up to be a ‘challenging year’ for the
industry.
International Union of Marine
Insurance (IUMI) leaders spoke
out last month in the wake of the
grounding of the car carrier Höegh
Osaka — whose cargo of 1,400 new
cars was declared to be a total loss due
to unseen damage, at a cost of around
£100m.
They said the incident highlighted
worries about the growing gap
between ship sizes and salvage
capacity. IUMI has started discussions
with the International Salvage Union
(ISU) on ways to reduce the risks posed
by the increasingly complex technical
operations to recover modern vessels.
IUMI president Dieter Berg said
ships are not only getting larger,
but they are also become harder
to manoeuvre and are often being
operated in ‘difficult’ environments
such as the Arctic.
‘2015 began badly, loss of life
and loss of vessels resulted in large
claims,’ he added. ‘With human
factors playing a significant part in
marine casualties it makes risk difficult
to assess. Vessels are becoming
larger and more complicated which
has opened a distinct capability gap
between salvage and risk.’
Mr Berg said the Höegh Osaka
accident had demonstrated the
worries over the increasing cost of
claims. ‘Like every other area of the
maritime market, we are seeing
ever-larger car carriers — with some
planned to have a capacity for 8,000
vehicles,’ he pointed out. ‘We have
seen a number of car carrier losses in
the past and we are aware that their
design makes it difficult for these
vessels to manoeuvre down into the
wind and that once water enters the
vessel there can be serious results.’
Mark Edmondson, chairman of
IUMI’s ocean hull committee, warned
that while the frequency of claims
has reduced, their size has increased
significantly. ‘There is now an
increasing gap between the capability
of the salvage industry and the risks
we underwrite,’ he added.
‘As vessels get bigger and more
complex, the risk profiles will grow
and we, as underwriters, have to look
at how we can manage those risks on
behalf of the client,’ Mr Edmondson
said.
‘It is not only a question of these
new super-sized vessels that are being
planned in excess of 19,000TEU, it can
be those of 4,000TEU. You only have
to look at Rena to see how difficult
vessels are to salvage.’
Höegh Osaka in Southampton after being refloated last month Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic
Investigators warn
over MOB training
Dutch ship took too long to return to spot where two crewmen fell overboard, report concludes
P
An investigation into an
incident in which two
seafarers died after falling from a Dutch-flagged general
cargoship has highlighted the
need for crews to be well trained
in ‘man overboard’ (MOB) rescue
procedures.
The call comes after a Dutch
Safety Board investigation found
that the 5,418gt Marietje Andrea
took twice as long as it should have
done to return to the MOB location after the alarm was raised.
Two Filipino crewmen from
the vessel had fallen overboard
while making their way across the
deck hatches to the foredeck as
the ship was sailing from Norway
to Latvia with a cargo of aggregates in December 2013.
Investigators said the pair had
been planning to carry out cleaning work on the foredeck. It was
windy and overcast, with force
7 winds and a wave height of 1m,
and neither of the men had been
The Dutch-flagged Marietje Andrea Picture: Dutch Safety Board
wearing a lifejacket or a fall protection harness. Their bodies were
never found.
Marietje Andrea’s first officer
threw a lifebelt and a smoke
marker into the water after hearing the men’s cries and spotting
them in the sea. He went inside
to mark the location on the electronic chart and to call the master,
while a cook who was watching
the men through binoculars lost
sight of them as a result of the
increasing distance and the swell.
However, the report notes,
the officer failed to immediately
apply a hard turn to the ship to
carry out a MOB manoeuvre. It
took two minutes before he began
the turn — and investigators said
that because it was not immediately initiated with hard rudder it
could not be classed as a Williamson turn or an Anderson turn.
It took 11 minutes and 28
seconds for Marietje Andrea to
return to the MOB location, the
Dutch Safety Board said, while the
vessel’s manoeuvring book indicated that it could have returned
to that point within five minutes
and 16 seconds.
Investigators found that it had
been five months since the last
MOB drill had been carried out
while the ship was underway, and
the report ‘questions how proficient the crew were in carrying out
an MOB manoeuvre’.
With the sea temperature
being just 7°C, the report notes
that ‘the manner in which the
MOB manoeuvre was performed
reduced both the likelihood that
the ship could find the missing
sailors and their chance of survival in the cold water’.
The Dutch Safety Board said
the precise cause of the fall could
not be established, as no one had
seen the men go overboard. However, it was reasonable to assume
they had been walking across the
hatches, as their cleaning materials had been found there and the
narrow width of the passageway
along the ship’s side — just 70cm
at the narrowest point — made
if difficult to walk through while
carrying equipment.
The report said the risks of
walking across the hatches had
not been properly assessed and
appropriate control measures
were lacking. It notes that Nautilus and the Dutch owners’ association, KVNR, have been discussing
‘pragmatic’ new advice on reducing the risks of falls.
Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek commented: ‘This was a tragic case
and it is very frustrating that we
will never know what caused it.’
New guide aims to cut heavylift accidents
safety advice in response to concerns
F
over ‘multi-million dollar claims’ arising from
Marine insurers have issued special
accidents and losses involving heavylift and
project cargo.
The UK P&I Club has joined forces with cargo
insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
(AGCS) to publish practical guidance covering
issues such as loading, stowing, securing and
discharging heavylift and project cargoes.
The guidance highlights problems such as
the use of inherently unsuitable bulk carriers;
12-13_h+s.indd 13
loading a ship such that it rolls too slowly or too
quickly and overloads the cargo fastenings;
mixing ‘hard’ fastenings such as stoppers with
‘soft’ fastenings such as lashings to resist the
same force; and failing to ensure that heavy
items in containers are properly secured.
‘The increasing globalisation of
infrastructure supply chains means ships are
carrying bigger, more expensive and often
awkwardly shaped project cargo,’ said UK Club
loss prevention director Karl Lumbers. ‘These
range from wind turbines and cooling towers to
bridge decks and accommodation modules.
‘We are increasingly concerned about
the lack of expertise, skills, and resources
being deployed in this complex area of
transportation in all parts of the chain, both
ashore and onboard,’ he added. ‘The use
of unsuitable vessels for the cargo, poor
quality or inadequate securing and dunnage,
inexperienced personnel, and a lack of detailed
planning can all lead to damage or loss of the
cargo.’
The guide describes the features of
typical heavylift and project cargo, as well as
details of relevant regulations and codes, a
review of vessel types and suitability, and the
requirements for voyage planning, reporting,
and record-keeping.
Rahul Khanna, AGCS global head of marine
risk consulting, said heavylift claims could
cost millions of dollars: ‘The risk involved can
be largely mitigated with careful planning
and attention before the cargo is received
for shipment and by always following the
procedures contained in our new guide.’
Bulker did
not follow
advice on
weather
which suffered flooding during
F
‘extreme’ conditions in the North
The master of a bulk carrier
Sea last year had failed to take heed
of weather routeing advice, an
investigation has concluded.
Forward spaces and the No 1 cargo
hold on the Maltese-flagged Satigny
were flooded when the 5,087gt vessel
encountered winds of up to force 11
and waves of around 7m height during
a voyage from Norway to Canada with
a cargo of salt.
Satigny was forced to divert to
Rotterdam for repairs, and port state
control officers detained the vessel
there after an inspection found 16
deficiencies onboard. ‘It was clear
that the vessel had suffered from
loss of watertight integrity and
subsequent flooding of a number of
compartments,’ the Maltese Marine
Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU)
report notes.
Investigators said they were
sceptical about whether the ship
had been adequately prepared to
undertake a voyage where known
extreme conditions were likely to have
been encountered.
They found evidence that the
watertight integrity of the cargo
holds had been compromised by an
inadequate sealing mechanism and
that the poor condition of the rope
hatch cover — as a result of corrosion
and lack of maintenance — had been
a contributory factor to the flooding.
The MSIU said it also had doubts
on whether the spurling pipes were
adequately sealed when Satigny
sailed from Norway. It was ‘highly
probable’ that further water ingress
had occurred through the pipes and
the chain locker, the report notes.
It was unclear whether the master
— who had 35 years of seagoing
experience — had spent sufficient
time analysing the weather forecast
and the voyage plan, it adds. Weather
routeing advice to remain close to
the port of Alesund until conditions
improved was not adhered to and a
contingency plan to proceed to a safe
anchorage of a port of refuge had not
been included in the passage plan.
18/02/2015 16:16
14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
INTERNATIONAL
shortreports
US VICTORY: US maritime unions have claimed
a fresh victory in the long-running fight to defend
legislation protecting US-flagged shipping and US
seafaring jobs. They welcomed a Senate decision last
month not to vote on an amendment tabled by former
presidential hopeful Senator John McCain seeking to end
the Jones Act requirement for ships operating between
US ports to be built in the country. US unions have also
welcomed the government’s approval of a $186m
support package for the Maritime Security Programme.
MOBY MONOPOLY: Italy’s UILtrasporti transport
union has urged the country’s government and
competition authorities to investigate the proposed
acquisition by the ferry firm Moby Lines of the privatised
former state-owned operator Tirrenia. The union is
concerned that the deal would mean all the lifeline
services between the mainland and the Italian islands —
which attract £72m of state aid each year — will be put
into the hands of a private monopoly.
GALAPAGOS GROUNDING: Galapagos Islands
authorities have decided to scuttle a general cargoship
which ran aground in the environmentally-sensitive
area last month. The 2,658dwt Floreana grounded off
Baquerizo Moreno while carrying provisions from the
island of San Cristobal to Puerto Ayora. Salvors removed
about 13,000 gallons of fuel from the ship, as well as
1,400 tons of cargo, and decided to sink the wreck off the
Galapagos Marine Reserve.
DRINK DEATHS: bootleg alcohol has been
blamed for the deaths of three seafarers — thought to
be Russian nationals — from a Liberian-registered bulk
carrier docked in Indonesia. Emergency services were
sent to the 45,292dwt Amber Halo at Jakarta’s Tanjung
Priok port when the ship’s master raised the alarm, but
they were unable to save the men.
Whistleblower
gets $250,000
US court rewards seafarer for tip-off about illegal oily waste discharges
P
A whistle-blowing seafarer has been awarded
US$250,000 for giving
Coast Guard officials a tip-off
about the use of oily water separator bypass equipment onboard
his ship.
The payment was ordered by
a court last month as it fined the
Japanese company Hachiuma
Steamship a total of $1.8m for violations of pollution prevent laws
onboard the car carrier Selene
Leader between August 2013 and
January 2014.
The offences were discovered when the Panama-flagged
ship was inspected in the port of
Baltimore after a crew member
gave Coast Guard officials a video
showing the illegal transfer of oily
waste onboard.
An investigation found that
engineroom staff had transferred oily wastes between oil
tanks using rubber hoses and
then bypassed pollution control
equipment before discharging
the waste overboard.
Chief US district judge Catherine Blake ordered the company
to pay $1.8m, and placed it on
probation for three years, during
which it is to develop an environmental compliance programme.
‘The Coast Guard is trying to
send a message to the maritime
industry that environmental
compliance is not optional and
that deliberate violators will be
apprehended,’ said Captain Kevin
Kiefer, of the US Coast Guard .
‘The sentence fits the crime
because it includes a requirement
that these defendants develop
and implement a comprehensive
environmental compliance programme that will be ensured by
outside auditors,’ he added. ‘Companies that get caught can expect
a much closer look.’
The court heard that the ship’s
chief engineer, Noly Torato Vidad,
and first engineer Ireneo Tomo
Tuale had tried to obstruct the
investigation by falsifying the
oil record book, destroying documents, lying to investigators, and
instructing subordinate crew
members to lie to the Coast Guard.
The pair may face jail terms when
they are sentenced by the court in
the next few weeks.
In a separate case last month,
a German company was fined
$800,000 after admitting that
one of its car carriers dumped oily
bilge water off the coast of Alaska
in August 2014.
Unions call
for action
on Greek
shipping
PIRATES JAILED: six Somali pirates have each
been sentenced to 16 years in jail for the attempted
seizure of a Spanish fishing vessel in 2012. Spain’s
National Court found the men — who had been caught
after attacking the 4,089gt vessel Izurdia — guilty of
piracy and being members of a criminal gang.
OILY WELCOME: the French shipowners’
association, AdF, has described the recent fall in oil prices
as ‘very good news’ for the industry. General secretary
Eric Banel said the lower costs of bunkers would serve
as a boost to the owners of ships affected by the new
sulphur emission rules.
CANAL PLAN: the French government is to seek
European Union subsidies to support the €500m costs
of constructing the 107km Seine-North Europe canal
project to connect the ports of Dunkirk, Le Havre, and
Rouen with Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Zeebrugge.
welcomed the recent election
A
victory of the anti-austerity Syriza
Greek seafaring unions have
are once again urging their
A
government to bring in longFrench maritime unions
awaited measures to ensure more
of the country’s oil trade is carried
on French-flagged tankers. They are
concerned more jobs are at risk —
this time as a result of reductions
in the fleet of the Bordeaux-based
operator Sea-Tankers. In 2009, the
company operated 29 ships and
employed 150 French officers. Sea-
Tankers now has 23 ships, including
the 11,673dwt Lacanau (above), and
83 French officers — and is warning
that it will have to sell 10 of the
vessels if it is to avoid liquidation.
Picture: Eric Houri
Training scheme pays
off for Thome Group
scheme has enabled the
A
Singapore-based ship management
An in-house cadet training
Thome Group chief engineer Jonathan Duenas was on the company’s first
in-house cadet training programme, in 2005, and went on to become its
youngest chief engineer officer
14-15_int.indd 14
AML Ship Management will
also be placed on probation
for three years and will have to
develop an environmental compliance plan.
Prosecutors said that some
4,500 gallons of oily bilge water
had been dumped south of the
Aleutian Islands by the Liberianflagged City of Tokyo. Investigators said a makeshift hose-andpump system had been used to
bypass the oily water separator.
The company entered into a
plea bargaining agreement and
federal prosecutors are recommending that a six-month jail
sentence should be imposed on
the ship’s chief engineer, Nicholas Sassin, for violating pollution
laws, failing to report the oily discharge and giving the Coast Guard
false oil records.
company Thome to become selfsufficient in recruiting junior officers.
Launched in 2005, the Thome
Group’s Global Cadet Programme has
now trained more than 1,350 cadets
from at least 12 countries, including
the Philippines, India, China,
Indonesia, Ireland, Croatia, Romania,
Myanmar, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
There are presently 650 deck,
engine, electrical and catering cadets
at various stages of training on the
scheme, with another 200 due to
join soon. Thome Group — which
presently employs some 2,200
officers — says the programme meant
it was able to fill all of its 2014 junior
officer vacancies from within its own
pool of trained seafarers.
HR director Michael Elwert
commented; ‘We place a great
deal of importance on our cadet
programme and are delighted that it
is proving so successful. We recognise
the importance of providing quality
training to our seafarers and the
difference it makes towards them and
ultimately the performance of the
vessels they operate.’
Training head Sartaj Gill added:
‘As Thome Group continues with the
large-scale and rapid expansion of
its fleet, the requirement for suitably
trained officers to serve onboard our
tankers, bulkers, gas carriers and
offshore has increased exponentially.’
One of the programme’s biggest
success stories is chief engineer
Jonathan Duenas, who graduated
from the very first programme in
2005 and has since become Thome’s
youngest chief engineer.
‘Stepping into the highest position
as chief engineer was one of the
greatest achievements in my life,’ he
said. ‘This will serve as an example
to the junior officers who also want
to achieve their goal. Being part of
the programme gave me not only an
opportunity, it also gave me a career
that I’m passionate about.’
government and are hoping it will
deliver on promises to regenerate
the country’s ferry fleet.
Shipping is one of the country’s
biggest employers, providing around
250,000 jobs and shipowners —
who control the world’s biggest
fleet, but are reluctant to invest in
the domestic maritime sector — fear
the new government will levy higher
taxes that they ‘can’t afford’.
Shipowners are seen as a
privileged group, protected by
special tax laws and who have failed
to contribute their fair share to push
the country out of crisis. The Syriza
government has pledged to seek
a new national agreement for the
shipping industry that may abolish
some tax breaks, and some owners
have threatened to limit their
operations in Greece or move out of
the country if this occurs.
The owners agreed to double
the rate of tonnage tax in 2013 as a
move of goodwill, but they say this is
as far as they will go. Union of Greek
Shipowners president Theodore
Veniamis said retention of the
existing rules is ‘a non-negotiable
requirement’ and he warned that
‘shipping is an international activity
subject to fierce competition’.
Maritime unions are pressing
for more jobs, better conditions and
modernisation of the country’s vast
ferry sector.
18/02/2015 16:17
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15
INTERNATIONAL
shortreports
Record visitor
for Marseilles
COASTGUARD JAILED: a South Korean
coastguard officer has been jailed for four years after a
court found him guilty of negligence during the rescue
operation following the capsize of the Sewol ferry last
year. Prosecutors said fewer people would have died
in the disaster if Kim Kyung-il, who was the captain of
a coastguard vessel sent to the scene, had issued an
evacuation order for those trapped inside the vessel.
maiden call for the French port
A
of Fos Marseilles last month is the
Pictured right making a
16,6500TEU containership MSC
London. Delivered by the STX yard in
South Korea last year, the 176,490gt
Panama-flagged vessel is the first
of a series of six ordered by Zodiac
Maritime and chartered out to MSC.
At 399m loa, it became the longest
ship to berth in the French port during
an inaugural call on the Dragon
Line service between Asia and the
Mediterranean, operated as part of
the M2 alliance between MSC and
Maersk Line.
BRITTANY BOOST: French operator Brittany
Ferries has boosted its fleet with a 22,382gt ro-pax
vessel chartered from DFDS. The Danish-flagged Sirena
Seaways is being deployed on the company’s ‘no-frills’
Economie services between Portsmouth, Le Havre and
Bilbao. Brittany Ferries is to give 200 seasonal staff
full-time contracts and says it will employ a further 570
people for seasonal work this year.
Picture: Thibaud Teillard
Owners’ warning
on choice of flags
Report highlights fluctuations in performance among different registries
P
A leading global shipowners’ group has cautioned its members
against the use of five flags which
it has identified as ‘conspicuous
examples of sub-standard ship
registers’.
The International Chamber of
Shipping (ICS) gave the warning
last month as it published its latest annual flag state performance
‘league table’, which aims to give
owners guidance on their choice
of register.
The guide is based on an analysis of almost 120 ship registries,
assessing factors such as their
port state control records, ratification of key conventions and fleet
age.
Only 13 flag states get a clean
bill of health on all 18 of the
performance indicators. These
include the UK and the Nether-
lands, the Isle of Man, Bermuda,
Denmark, France, Japan, Liberia
and the Marshall Islands.
By contrast, some flags chalked
up as many as a dozen negative
performance indicators, and 10
had 10 or more negative performance ratings.
ICS secretary general Peter
Hinchliffe commented: ‘The very
largest flag states, such as the
Bahamas, Liberia and the Marshall Islands, as well as Hong Kong,
Singapore, Cyprus and Greece, all
continue to demonstrate very
impressive levels of performance,
as do all of the other large European and Asian flags.’
The ICS said the absence of
‘one of two’ positive performance
indicators may not be especially
important. ‘For example, the fact
that a certain IMO convention
may not have been ratified by a
flag state does not necessarily
mean that its requirements are
not being implemented in practice,’ it noted.
‘Amongst the 19 largest ship
registers, covering more than 85%
of the world fleet, none have more
than three potential indicators of
negative performance.’
However, the ICS said, there
are a number of smaller flag states
that still have considerable work
to — and it advised shipowners
that they ‘may wish think very
carefully about using such flags’.
The largest of these is Tanzania,
it noted, but Mongolia, Moldova,
Cambodia and Sierra Leone are
also ranked poorly on the league
table.
‘One area on which we would
like to see more progress by certain flag states, including some of
those with otherwise better per-
formance, is with respect to ratification of the ILO Maritime Labour
Convention,’ Mr Hinchliffe said.
‘But,’ he added, ‘following the
entry into force of the MLC it is
now being enforced worldwide
through port state control, and
the vast majority of international
shipping companies are operating in compliance, with the exception of the official flag state certification.’
The ICS said it was important to
strike a balance between commercial advantages and the need to
discourage flags that do not meet
their international obligations.
It hopes the table will encourage
owners and operators to ‘examine
whether a flag state has sufficient
substance before using it’ and to
encourage them to put pressure
on administrations to improve
their standards.
Seven bids tabled for French ferry firm
A
Seven bids have been lodged to take over the
running of the troubled French Mediterranean
ferry firm SNCM — and unions have described them
all as ‘inadequate’.
The bankrupt company — which is presently
under court protection — has attracted bids from
operators including Mexico’s Baja Ferries, the Greek
ferry group Attica, French shipowner Christian Garin,
a businesses in Corsica and Switzerland.
Unions — who have warned of industrial action
if the SNCM fleet is broken up — said they were
unhappy with the bids, with ‘the only certainty being
a large number of job losses and deep worry for the
future’.
Baja Ferries has pledged to retain six of the seven
ferries and to keep 800 of the current 1,500 staff.
Attica plans to run six ships and keep 680 workers,
while Mr Garin, working with a Norwegian operator
and three Norway-based financiers, would retain six
ships and employ 896 staff.
All the offers are conditioned by the European
Commission’s demand for the repayment of
€400m it judges SNCM received in illegal subsidies
when it was privatised in the 1990s but, despite an
indication from transport minister Alain Vidalies that
he had secured an agreement with Brussels to lift the
demand, nothing was mentioned to the Marseilles
commercial court.
Unions also want to see confirmation of the
guarantee that SNCM’s 10-year public service
contract for services between Corsica and the French
mainland would not be broken up. CFE-CGE officers’
union representative Maurice Perrin, who represents
all officers’ unions on the SNCM board, commented:
‘At this stage all the offers are particularly weak and
fragile, especially regarding employment.’
Union fears over Costa Cruises transfer
after Costa Cruises announced plans to transfer
F
key operations from Genoa to Hamburg last month.
Italian unions say they will fight to save jobs
The company’s German boss, Michael Thamm,
said the relocation would involve four business
units, including Costa Cruises’ maritime operations
department, and was being undertaken as part
of parent group Carnival’s plan to restructure its
European operations.
14-15_int.indd 15
Carnival bought the then family-owned
Costa in 1997, pledging to retain its character and
independence. But the Italian transport workers’
union FIT-CISL fears the company’s transfer plan
spells could result in the loss of more than 160 jobs.
Following a meeting with Italian transport
minister Maurizio Lupi, Mr Thamm said Costa would
keep the ‘heart and soul’ of the company in Italy and
the transfer would affect barely 3% of the staff.
‘We are the only cruise line flying the Italian flag
and we are the only cruise line paying taxes here,’ he
added.
Giovanni Olivieri, national coordinator of FITCISL’s maritime transport division, said members
were not reassured by the company’s comments.
‘There were lots of lovely words, but we did not get a
proper response,’ he added. ‘We’re afraid this is the
tip of the iceberg.’
CHINESE MOVE: Miami-based cruise operator
Carnival Corp is in talks with the state-owned China
Merchants Group (CMG) to develop a new cruise line
for the fast-growing China market. Carnival said it had
signed a memorandum of understanding with CMG
covering the launch of a cruise line targeting the Chinese
market and developing ports and cruiseship destinations
across China and Northern Asia.
FINNISH DISPUTE: the Finnish Port Operators
Association has taken the transport union AKT to court
in a dispute which has seen two ships belonging to the
shortsea operator Unifeeder being blockaded in port.
The AKT, supported by the International Transport
Workers’ Federation, is calling for the lashing and
unlashing of boxes on feeder services to be carried out by
dockworkers.
CULTURAL TRAINING: the French
containership firm CMA CGM has announced plans to
open an ‘in-house university’ to run a range of courses
for its 20,000 employees. The CMA CGM Academy,
located in its Marseilles headquarters, will deliver special
courses to help multinational crews to improve their
understanding of different cultures.
FINE DEMAND: French prosecutors have called
for a €100,000 fine to be imposed on the operator of
the Turkish flagged chemical tanker Deniz-S for polluting
waters off the port of Le Havre in January 2014. The court
has also been urged to impose a further €50,000 fine on
the master of 5,850dwt vessel, which was caught trailing
a 15km long, 100m wide slick.
CHILE CASUALTY: 89 passengers and 31 crew
had to be evacuated from a cruiseship that ran aground
off the coast of Chile during a cruise around the country’s
southern fjords last month. An investigation has been
launched into the cause of the incident, in which the
1,500gt Skorpios II ended up on a beach near Puerto
Montt.
GREEK GROUNDING: 22 seafarers onboard the
27,308dwt Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier Goodfaith were
airlifted to safety last month after the vessel ran aground
on the Greek island of Andros.
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18/02/2015 16:17
16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
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Follow us
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Single-handed yachts:
the debate continues
Telegraph about the need for yachtsmen
P
to keep a proper lookout — something singleFurther to the recent letters in the
Wrong flag, wrong way up
It looks like the Flag Police are
This was seen in the Port of
out in force again. This time, a
Immingham.
F
Stolt tanker, registered Cardiff, has a
If the Flag Police had their way,
Union Jack (oh, alright, call it a flag
if you must!) where the Red Ensign
should be. And as you can see from
the incriminating photograph, it’s
upside down.
the master and mate of mt Stolt
Redshank would be going down for a
very long time. . .
TALBOT CLARK
mem no 120851
Colwyn Bay Fleetwood
reunion
94B reunion
The 2015 Colwyn Bay Wireless College
reunion is taking place on the weekend
of Friday 27 March to Sunday
29 March. The event will be held
at the country hotel Llandudno, and
is open to wives/partners, family
and friends.
g For further information,
please contact johnmottram 2015@
gmail.com.
R. JENKINS
mem no 428009
Where were you in 1995? If you were
attending Fleetwood Nautical College,
taking your Class 4, then we are
looking for you...
We are calling out for all students of
Class94B to join us to celebrate the 20
years since that entertaining event.
g Contact class94b@groups.
facebook.com or go to www.
facebook.com/groups/class94b
GEORGINA CARLO
mem no 180620
Have your say online
Last month we asked: Do you think containerships
can continue to grow beyond the 20,000TEU
barrier?
Yes
62%
No
38%
handed yachtsmen cannot possibly achieve
— I note that in issue number 37 of the CHIRP
Maritime Feedback there is an article on page
5 on ‘maintaining a proper lookout’.
It would appear from this article that it was
only the action of the yacht in question (the
stand-on vessel) that prevented a collision
or very near-miss. The action taken by the
yacht to avert collision was in accordance
with Rule 17.
Had a collision occurred and the crew of
the yacht been lost, the master of the fishing
vessel would have been the one in court; and
no professional seafarer would ever wish to be
in that position.
In addition, according to the MAIB report
into the loss of the yacht Ouzo (report
number 7/2007), in section 2.14 it states:
‘In the last 10 years, there have been 87
hazardous incidents between yachts and
merchant vessels in open sea conditions, and
14 collisions.’
There were no survivors from the
Ouzo to tell their side of the events which
occurred that night. What is not stated is the
devastating effect on the families and loved
ones of those lost at sea from whatever cause.
I must disagree with the opinions offered
by Robert Knight BSc (retired shipmaster)
regarding the supposed benefits of rescuing
yachtsmen. From my own personal
experience, there is no thrill in recovering a
dead body at sea, or in losing a loved one in a
maritime misadventure, only sadness and a
great awareness of the fragility of life.
For those who take an interest in MAIB
reports, it is often the lack of a proper
lookout/bridge watch being maintained at all
times on both vessels concerned, or a lack of
appreciation of how a situation is developing,
that leads up to a collision.
In the majority of cases it is the smaller
vessel that suffers most, and it is often
impossible, if there are no survivors, to
tell what degree of liability should be
apportioned to the smaller vessel (often
a yacht or fishing vessel). If Rule 17 was
complied with at all times, the majority of
these collisions would have been prevented.
However, Rule 17 requires efficient, and
uninterrupted, watchkeeping on every vessel
— not just the majority.
I rest my case, and that of Captain Nairn
Lawson and Peter Jackson (Master, retired).
There should be no exemptions from the
need to maintain an efficient lookout at all
times, as required by the regulations.
DAVID SPENCER
retired shipmaster
mem no 092283
In reply to Robert Knight BSc (Letters,
February 2015), I personally do not have a
problem with single-handed yachtspersons.
If they cannot or will not comply with the
‘Rules’ then any accident which may result,
due to their non-compliance, is entirely their
own fault.
What I do take exception to is his statement
that ‘One reason why rescuers do their jobs
is because they enjoy the thrill’. The men and
women who volunteer to crew the many and
varied rescue craft for the RNLI do so to help
others in distress, no matter who they are.
These RNLI volunteers, many of whom
are fishermen of one sort or another, put out
to sea in all weathers exhibiting personal
courage, dedication and professional
seamanship.
Launching in a lifeboat into the teeth of a
SWly gale to rescue some unfortunate WAFI
who loves the thrill of ‘extreme sport’ may be
a good ‘rescue exercise scenario’, but not one
that many of us would care to undertake.
I do think, Mr Knight. that you owe these
brave volunteers an apology.
JONATHAN POPE
Retired shipmaster
mem no 107536
What a silly letter Robert Knight wrote
in February’s Telegraph. I have no idea
what being a gold pin member of Nautilus
International has to do with anything (I joined
the MNAOA in 1959) but the ‘occasional’
yacht rescue is in his imagination, and the
statement that lifeboatmen go out for the
‘thrill’ is an insult to these brave men.
I had quite a few brushes with yachts who
seemed to think they were deep-draft ships in
the Thames and Medway to have much time
for them. I used to donate on a regular basis to
the RNLI but do so less nowadays as they seem
to spend most of their time rescuing WAFIS
and surfboarders who show little sea sense.
Let them pay for their own rescues.
TONY GATT FNI
Retired shipmaster
mem no 312654
A quick reply to Robert Knight BSc’s February
letter in which he refers to my original letter
about single-handed yachtsmen not keeping
a lookout at all times. It is not a question of
extreme sports being banned, putting rescue
services at risk or living in a country of wimps.
As a retired shipmaster, British I presume,
he should be aware these rules were made
for the benefit and safety of all seafarers and
should be obeyed by all seafarers. You can’t
legally use a handheld mobile phone in a car
no matter how brave you are.
Captain NAIRN LAWSON
mem no 997665
May I suggest that those seafarers who
express such hostility towards amateur
sailors save their irritation for much more
important subjects?
The so-called professional cowboys
who alter course to port when in an end-on
situation or discuss their anti-collision
options over the VHF immediately spring to
mind as prime examples.
Those two very dangerous practices,
both of which contravene the IRPCS, are
reported so frequently that they now
appear to be accepted as common practice.
So many collisions, groundings, sinkings
and other incidents are reported in MARS,
CHIRP and your newspaper that the few
infringements committed by yachties pale
into insignificance by comparison.
Rogue professionals or rogue amateurs
they are both dangerous, but the bad
professionals can cause a great deal more
damage. I cannot recall ever reading about
a solo yachtsman causing death or injury to
anyone but themselves.
To suggest that such an experienced and
well-respected seafarer as Knox-Johnson
should have his ticket cancelled is gratuitous
nonsense.
Recreational sailors do not present a
problem to the UK shipping industry. The
problem is those ship owners who take
advantage of the tonnage tax scheme and
then do not offer UK cadets permanent posts
once their training is finished.
Ships masquerading under the Red
Ensign without a single British officer or
rating on board are a major threat to the UK’s
reputation as a provider of skilled merchant
seamen. This situation is a national disgrace
and it is a subject to which we should be
devoting our energies. My MP is well aware
of my opinions on the subject — I hope it
registered!
Those who criticise the amateurs should
pipe down and remember that it will be
the yachties who will form a large pool of
‘hostilities only’ officers and ratings that
will (as in previous conflicts) be needed
for our warships in the next big war. Our
island nation needs their seamanship skills
and experience; they are and will remain a
valuable state asset.
Yes, I too have commanded large ships
through crowded waters and have enjoyed
many hair-raising experiences during my
career. Small boats were the very least of my
concerns.
So let’s stop knocking recreational sailors.
They, like us, love the sea, ships, boats and all
thing nautical. We all have that in common.
Robert Knight BSc MNI
Retired shipmaster
mem no 145558
Vessel donations would benefit us as well as recipients
This month’s poll asks: Do you think Captain
Schettino deserved to go to jail as a result of the
Costa Concordia disaster? Give us your views online,
at nautilusint.org
16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16
Australia has donated two large landing craft to
the Philippines Navy. The Royal Australian Navy is
handing over its former ships upgraded and with
spares. During Typhoon Haiyan the dearth of such
amphibious vessels hampered the Philippines’
response.
The UK should build on this idea. Some of our
£10bn aid should provide ships that help other
countries help themselves. Non-fighting vessels such
as landing craft, hydrographic vessels, coastal craft
and tankers should be built in British yards, paid for by
DFID and gifted appropriately to Commonwealth and
friendly countries.
Thus, our shipyards keep busy, British shipbuilders
secure employment and the UK fulfils an international
obligation while, at the same time as helping others,
helps itself. This model would boost our economy; a
thriving Britain would likely be more willing to provide
aid in future.
Well-designed ships might generate orders
from foreign navies. Indeed, Royal Navy training
teams could help foreign navies get the most out of
their new vessels; such foreign service might help
retention of sailors in the Senior Service.
Charity really could, and should, begin at home.
LESTER MAY
Lt Cdr RN — retired
18/02/2015 17:51
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17
YOUR LETTERS
Help save National
Gallery staff from
suffering our fate
Readers of the Telegraph may wonder
why our union should take up the
cudgels on behalf of an industrial
dispute which, at first glance, appears
to have nothing to do with maritime
affairs. For those not familiar with
this issue, just enter ‘National Gallery
strike’ in your web browser.
But there are similarities with the
National Gallery dispute which echo
what has happened to the British
Merchant Navy, dating back to the
shipping slump in the 1980s.
At the National Gallery, regular
staff, some of them with 40 years’
service, are being ‘outsourced’ to a
private security company. Outsourcing
is another word for privatisation,
of course. Zero hours contracts, pay
below the minimum London Living
Wage, no security in the way of a
contract of employment, ‘flexible’
working hours, and the bogus selfemployed free of national insurance,
all spring to mind. Plus, the company
taking over can send these new
employees anywhere within their
commercial entity, even to car parks!
Apart from the sheer immorality of
it, I am amazed that the government,
or any government, would allow
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
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
our National (and note the word
National) Gallery, which is second only
to the British Museum in status, to be
privatised in this manner by a company
whose only motive is to make a profit.
We have seen it all before of course,
with British companies flagging out
and replacing British officers and crew
with low cost crews. Offshore contracts
became the norm following the 1980s
shipping slump, which put any British
crew member outside the protection
of British employment legislation,
like an obligation to pay national
insurance and a pension, and — in my
case — the EU age discrimination act.
We now have the situation where the
majority of ‘British’ flagged vessels
(i.e. Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bahamas,
etc) are staffed entirely by low-cost
foreigners.
So there is the parallel; both our
institutions and industries being
sacrificed in the race to the bottom,
and for this reason I fully encourage
our union to lend its full support to the
National Gallery dispute. I consider
that it is much more than one union
supporting another, it is our union
supporting an ideal and a principle.
mem no 119730
Recruitment adverts: John Seaman
tel: +44 (0)20 7880 8541
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website: www.redactive.co.uk
Although the Telegraph exercises care and
caution before accepting advertisements,
readers are advised to take appropriate
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any commitments such as investments
(including pension plans). Publication
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International cannot accept any liability
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taken up with the appropriate body.
Incorporating the merchant
navy journal and ships
telegraph
ISSN 0040 2575
Published by
Nautilus International
Printed by William Gibbons.
What caused Höegh Osaka grounding?
P
With reference to the
Höegh Osaka and not
wishing to pre-empt the
findings of the Marine Accident
Investigation Branch in any way,
but rather in view of the reports
and statements in the media, I
would like to examine the actual
mechanics of the grounding
itself.
Having been a shipmaster at
sea for 36 years on conventional
cargo vessels, some of which
were ice-breakers, ro-ro cargo
and ro-pax vessels, I have
acquired a knowledge of how
ships react in various situations.
Any vessel that develops a list
will automatically sheer in the
opposite direction due to
increased water pressure on the
low side of the bow and reduced
water pressure on the high side.
The rate of the sheer or turn
will initially be proportional to
the angle of heel and the speed
of the vessel through the water.
An example of this would be
the alteration of course and
capsizing in the case of the
Korean ferry Sewol.
Depending on wind effect at
the time, Höegh Osaka would
have been travelling at a speed
of around 8 to 10 knots in the
Thorn Channel as she
approached the almost 90° left
hand turn at the West Bramble
Buoy.
On commencing the turn to
port, the ship, for whatever
reason, developed a heavy list to
starboard. As explained above,
this would cause the ship to
sheer to port, thereby increasing
the rate of turn. The ship would
commence to turn more sharply
than intended. Then, as the rate
of turn increased, so would the
list.
The whole procedure would
become self-generating, with
the ship temporarily out of
control and not answering to the
helm.
Höegh Osaka would then
continue in this turn until she
fetched up on the Bramble Bank
and, I submit, that at her
estimated speed, it would have
happened so quickly that
neither the master nor the pilot
would have had time to achieve
Passage Planning Guide
2015 Edition
£175
16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17
Members: tell
Nautilus what
you think of it!
is now underway, and by
F
taking part you’ll get the ear of the
The 2015 membership survey
Union’s leadership. How do you
feel we are doing with recruitment,
organising, collective bargaining,
campaigns, communications, and
legal and welfare services?
g You can take the Nautilus
membership survey online at www.
nautilusint.org; or if you’d prefer us
to send you a paper copy, call +44
(0)20 8989 6677 and ask for the
Communications department.
UK authorities are
ruining the MCA
Malacca and Singapore Straits
Witherby Seamanship International
4 Dunlop Square, Livingston,
Edinburgh, EH54 8SB,
Scotland, UK
any input.
Indeed, I would go so far as to
suggest they were powerless to
prevent it happening, even if
they had so wished.
The last vessels I commanded
before retiring were ro-pax
ferries where it was standard
practice for the master, who was
also the pilot, to sign the printed
stability statement and ensure
the heeling system was isolated
before leaving the berth.
If something similar was
done onboard Höegh Osaka
before she left the berth, I’m
sure it will be made clear in the
pending MAIB report.
CHARLES BATCHELOR
Master (Retired)
mem no 178415
Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227
Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999
Email: info@emailws.com
Web: www.witherbyseamanship.com
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency
is in crisis. The way in which the
Department for Transport have their
heads in the sand and trying to screw
surveyors by removing overtime and
out of hours payments, yet expecting
them still to carry out these duties,
is driving away all the top quality
surveyors.
The majority of port state control
officers no longer carry out any
inspections outside of office hours. This
will rapidly cause the required number
of missed P1 inspections needed for
the EEC to start infraction measures,
leading to the UK government being
fined millions of Euros.
The DFT are destroying the greatest
flag state in the world. We will soon
become a third world flag or cease
to exist if they are not stopped. It has
already reached the point where there
are insufficient surveyors to carry out
the statutory surveys and inspections
and are having to be given to class to
complete.
Many of the surveyors are looking
for employment elsewhere as the
future under these clowns looks
very bleak. Come July and if the new
employment contract is forced in,
there will be no contact with the MCA
outside of office hours.
How sad that some little man in a
Whitehall office who has no idea what
a marine surveyor does is allowed to
blunder on towards a one-size-fits-all
‘solution’. Fine if you work in an office
Monday to Friday, but not for us.
Name withheld on request
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.
18/02/2015 16:42
18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
YOUR NEWS
Telegraph poetry competition: the merchant marine in wartime
centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania, we
F
are inviting readers to send in poems exploring
Calling maritime poets! To mark the
the experiences of merchant seafarers involved
in conflict.
Any take on this is welcome — whether it’s to
do with the convoys of the First and Second
World Wars, or perhaps the supply ships for the
Falklands or the Gulf.
g Please send in your poem about the merchant
marine in wartime to: The editor, Nautilus
Telegraph, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
London E18 1BD, or email your entry to
telegraph@nautilusint.org, marked
‘Poetry competition’.
The deadline for entries is 31 March 2015.
Winning entries will be published in the
Telegraph, and each winner will receive a signed
copy of Lusitania R.E.X by Greg Taylor, a new novel
about the disaster.
A fond Nautilus farewell
to Captain Gerald Rolph
P
Family, friends and
colleagues have been
celebrating the life of
Captain Gerald Rolph and his
work for Nautilus. A seafarer,
trade unionist and latterly a
resident of the Mariners’ Park
estate, Capt Rolph passed away
in early January, and is already
much missed.
Gerald was born in Bebington
on the Wirral in 1928, and one of
his early memories was walking
through the Mersey Tunnel the
day before it opened. As a child
during the Second World War, he
spent time collecting scrap from
crashed aircraft, helping on a
dairy farm in Raby and shooting
rabbits to augment the family’s
meat ration. He was also key to
the founding of Bebington Sea
Cadets.
At 17, with the assistance of his
father, he became an apprentice
deck officer with the United
Africa Company, which later
became Palm Line. And in the
late 1940s, he met Joan Clayton,
who was to become his wife
for 59 years, at a dance in Port
Sunlight. They went on to have
two children, Martin and Sue.
Martin Rolph remembers
what it was like to have a seafarer
for a father: ‘When Dad was at sea,
often for months, Mum, Sue and
18_let.indd 18
A young Gerald as a cadet in
the mid-1940s
I got on with our daily lives. As
children, we did very much look
forward to seeing him return. I
am sure that had nothing to do
with the presents that he always
brought for us! As we got older,
Sue would bake him cakes to take
with him, and I became more
interested in what he did and
where he went, following his
voyages in my atlas.’
Towards the end of his
seagoing career, Gerald Rolph
gained his master’s certificate
and was promoted to the
rank of captain. Unfortunately,
the British Merchant Navy
Gerald Rolph as a chief officer in the late 1960s
was now in decline, with Palm
Line particularly affected,
so his time as a shipmaster
ended prematurely in the mid1970s.
P
A keen trade unionist,
Capt Rolph had served on
the national executive
of the Mercantile Marine Service
Association while still at sea. After
he came ashore, he gained a staff
position with the Union, and
spent time working with the UK
government and others on policies and regulations to improve
the training and safety of sea-
farers. He also acquired responsibilities on the welfare side, to do
with the interests of residents and
the estate at Mariners’ Park. By
this time the Union was known as
NUMAST, and when the moment
came for a further name change to
reflect the organisation’s new circumstances, it was Gerald Rolph
who suggested ‘Nautilus’.
Today’s estate manager at
Mariners’ Park is Danny Kenny,
who knew Capt Rolph well. He
recalls: ‘I first started work at
Mariners’ Park in April 1979
and Captain Rolph was my first
manager. I was a raw 16 year
Captain Rolph (far right, wearing beret) with friends from
Mariners’ Park on a visit to Trefriw cemetery in 2013
old apprentice, straight from
school, and learning the ropes.
My memories of him are that he
had his own dedicated “parking
speck” outside Nautilus House,
and woe betide anybody parking
in it. He was a good manager
though, and I got on very well
with him. Capt Rolph retired in
1990, and he and his wife Joan
spent their early retirement years
in their bungalow in Moreton
enjoying their garden, with a
little advice every now and then
from myself.
‘Joan later came into the
Mariners’ Park Care Home due to
ill health, and after her passing,
Capt Rolph came to live on
the estate in one of our newer
bungalows. I hope I played my
part, amongst the larger team,
in looking after him in his later
years.
‘Capt Rolph was always one
to try and get involved in things
around the estate. He was very
proud to be a user of the gym in
the Trinity House Hub and was
an active member of the men’s
activities scheme, participating
in computer club and the weekly
film nights. One of my proudest
achievements was that after
years of campaigning, he found
a supporter in me to maintain
the grave of the 29 deceased
Mariners’ Park residents who
were evacuated to Trefriw during
the Second World War.
‘The grave in Trefriw (north
Wales) had been neglected for
many years when I first went
out there one weekend to see it
for myself. I sent out a couple
of gardeners and our painter
to bring it back up to a good
standard and this was welcomed
by the locals in the small village.
We now send a team of staff out
to the grave annually to tidy the
grave up and paint the chains
around it if required. One last
job is to get the names of these
people onto the headstone,
which I hope to do in the near
future.’
Nautilus Welfare Fund
secretary Mike Jess also paid
tribute to Capt Rolph. ‘He was a
great supporter of the Union and
the charity in particular,’ said Mr
Jess, ‘and he was always willing to
offer advice and encouragement
to the welfare staff of Mariners’
Park. He will be sadly missed by
staff and residents alike.’
Capt Rolph’s funeral on
26 January was attended by
numerous friends and relatives
including his four grandchildren,
along with a strong contingent
from Mariners’ Park. The service
was conducted by Liverpool
port chaplain Dave Robertson,
a long-standing friend of the
Park who had been involved in
the effort to restore the Trefriw
grave. Afterwards there was a
celebration of Gerald Rolph’s
life at the Mersey View Room in
the Mariners’ Park Care Home
— a fitting send-off for a man
who had contributed so much
to the local area, the seafaring
community, the Union and the
Nautilus Welfare Fund.
Captain Rolph in the Trinity
House Hub gym in 2014
18/02/2015 16:43
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19
SEAFARERS’ RIGHTS
F
Seafarers are still being
denied many of the basic
rights that other people
enjoy — not least to decent hours
of work and rest. And the shipping industry is running the risk
of facing a massive legal claim if
it fails to address the problems,
London maritime lawyers heard
last month.
Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson and Council
member Mike Lloyd were among
the speakers at the London Shipping Law Centre’s symposium on
crew fatigue and human rights.
Mr Graveson told the meeting that it was almost 100 years
since MPs had expressed outrage
that pit ponies were working up
to 16 hours a day in British mines.
Legislation was eventually passed
to limit their working week to 48
hours — but, he pointed out, the
2010 STCW Convention amendments permit seafarers to work
up to 98 hours a week.
‘STCW permits a daily maximum of 14 hours of work — a maximum that is found nowhere else
in the world — and barely in history, with even the labour camps
of Germany, the slave plantations
of Jamaica, or the galleys of Rome
having lower working hours,’ he
added. ‘Only in Stalin’s Gulag did a
14 hour working day exist — one
and a half hours to collect tools,
11 hours’ work and one and a half
hours to return tools.’
Seafarers’ hours are regulated
on the basis of socio-economic
factors rather than science, Mr
Graveson said, and he questioned
the safety of working a 12- or
14-hour day, particularly when it
involves night work between the
hours of midnight to six.
‘In addition to the immediate
risks of endangering life, property
and the environment associated
with acute or chronic tiredness,
there are long-term health effects,
including heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, cancer and mental
health issues,’ he pointed out.
The focus on the proximate
cause of shipping accidents
means underlying trends are
often not identified and analysed
properly, Mr Graveson told the
meeting. This often leaves seafarers being singled out for blame,
when parties such as flag states,
regulatory authorities, designers,
class and operators were responsible for more fundamental causative factors.
‘The fractured nature of the
labour market in shipping, either
created intentionally or by necessity, means that the likelihood of
an adequately funded defence
for seafarers is rare,’ he added.
‘Similarly, the cause of death of
seafarers, even when a body is
recovered, is rarely subject to adequate scrutiny at a coroner’s court
in England due to lack of proper
representation. Human rights
Repeated
manning
cuts mean
most crews
cannot cope
safely with
their peak
workload
“
”
19_lslc_SR edit.indd 19
At the limit of
endurance?
Seafarer fatigue is one very visible aspect of regulatory failure, Nautilus
told a top-level legal debate last month. But what rights do overworked crew
members have – and what remedies are there when the various safeguards
fail? ANDREW LININGTON reports…
departments,’ he added. ‘There is
an expectation that the ships will
go into port and turn around as
quickly as possible. Too many people on the commercial side have
never set foot on a ship and they
don’t see how demanding a life at
sea can be. With the commercial
environment we are in today, that
situation is just getting worse.’
There are good owners out
there, Mr Cox said, and developments such as the Maritime
Labour Convention and improved
internet access at sea have helped
to make life better for seafarers.
However, he admitted, there is
still a ‘squeeze’ on many owners
to keep their crewing costs to the
minimum.
Barrister David Hammond
said he had founded the Human
Rights at Sea (HRAS) organisation
to raise awareness and accountability about the abuses suffered
by many of the world’s 1.5m seafarers.
Those who work at sea should
be entitled to the same rights as
those ashore, he argued. ‘However, global awareness of rights,
responsibilities and remedies
remains lacking or avoided. People assume that everybody else is
doing something about it.’
A 14-hour
working
day is like
something
from the
gulags of
Stalin
“
”
The UK-flagged merchant ship Beaumont aground in Spain after the officer of the watch fell asleep Picture: Reuters
are denied to seafarers in death as
they are in life.’
Capt Lloyd argued that inadequate manning is ‘the catalyst for
so many of our problems at sea’ —
with poor regulation and intense
competition forcing responsible
owners to follow the lead set by
substandard operators.
‘The simple fact is that we
have assumed a manning scale
that, while seemingly possible
under normal conditions, means
the vast majority of ships cannot
cope safely and adequately with
the peak workload situations and
conditions,’ he added.
Pressure on already limited
crew complements is increased
by things such as security watch
requirements or communication problems, Capt Lloyd said.
And while manning levels should
be reviewed if a ship changes its
trade, in his 50-year career he had
never seen this done.
Indeed, Capt Lloyd suggested,
there appears to be little appetite
among the authorities for effective enforcement of the rules.
‘It is a matter of will,’ he added.
‘Changes can be made if we accept
Allan Graveson
Matthew Cox
David Hammond
Mike Lloyd
that there is a problem and that, in
the interests of safety, it must be
overcome.
‘The combination of lower
training standards, poor manning and language problems
mean that many ships and those
on them are facing what can only
be described, on a number of vessels, as a crisis,’ he warned. ‘Instead
of constantly blaming those
onboard, we should be looking at
those who put them in this predicament, the political and economic compromises made, and
the actions that can be taken to
rectify the root causes.’
Giving the owners’ perspective, Matthew Cox of Marlens
Maritime agreed that seafarers
are facing extra pressures —
not least from their increasing
responsibilities for the commercial and managerial aspects of
their vessels.
Many operators were building
their new ships ‘on the cheap’ —
and fitting vessels with the lowest cost equipment is not doing
any favours to their crews, he
admitted.
Pressures are exacerbated by
officers being promoted rapidly
as a result of skill shortages, Mr
Cox said. Watchkeeping patterns
are ‘archaic’ — with six-on/six-off
having a particularly detrimental
effect on crew members.
‘Seafarers are often forgotten
by the trading and chartering
Mr Hammond said that many
of the basic principles set down
by the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in 1948 had not
been incorporated into the Maritime Labour Convention. And little effort was made to ensure that
flag states meet their responsibilities under the UN Convention on
the Law of the Sea to investigate
shipping casualties.
‘In this day and age, application through implication is unacceptable,’ he stressed. ‘That is why
I say we want to be explicit in talking about human rights and the
human element and the seafarer.’
Even when the shipping industry does talk about corporate
social responsibility, the human
rights of seafarers did not figure
in the discussion, Mr Hammond
said. HRAS is now working to persuade the industry to adopt the
UN guiding principles on business and human rights, which
were agreed in 2011.
He warned that shipping
will face increasing pressure to
improve its act — especially with
the ever-greater public scrutiny
of the way in which companies
operate. ‘Business holds the key to
change,’ he stressed. ‘Money talks.’
Mr Hammond said the
human element in corporate
social responsibility cannot be
ignored — although there should
be effective criminal and civil
consequences to abuses, not just
confidential arbitrations. ‘There
is likely to be multi-million-dollar
litigation in the maritime industry on CSR issues,’ he warned.
‘I am afraid we must have some
pretty bloody cases to wake up the
industry.’
18/02/2015 16:18
20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
MARITIME CAREERS
Helping you up the ladder
K
Approximately 850 new
entrant cadets embark
on a career in the Merchant Navy every year. At the end
of their three-year cadetship,
many newly qualified officers
(NQOs) will commence their
professional career with their
sponsoring
company,
who
would often look to recruit the
cadets they have trained once
their cadetships have been completed.
However, the Merchant Navy
Training Board (MNTB) is well
aware that this is not necessarily
the case for all — working out
how to start looking for, and
securing, that first job is unlikely
to be uppermost in a cadet’s
mind when working towards
their oral exam for the Officer of
the Watch certificate of competency. For many, the world of
work may be daunting and can
seem difficult to break in to, and
the time when support is most
The tricky transition from cadet to junior officer has been a hot topic on
the Telegraph letters pages in recent months. The UK Merchant Navy
Training Board has been paying attention to these concerns and is taking
action to make things easier, explains MNTB head GLENYS JACKSON…
needed may be the time when it
is least accessible, given that the
cadetship will effectively be
over.
Most companies offer support, contacts, signposting and
advice on how to get that elusive
first job, and we would encourage all NQOs to seek their
support and to keep in contact
with their sponsoring company
wherever possible.
However,
the MNTB is also keen to provide support. Our Careers at Sea
and Beyond website — www.
casandbeyond.org — offers help
and guidance with the transition
from cadet to officer as well as
for those looking to make a move
from ship to shore. Although in
its infancy, the website features
information about how to find a
job, writing CVs and cover letters,
and how to present oneself at an
interview. We hope to develop
the website further in the future
to support and assist seafarers in
all aspects of their job hunt and
with their career development.
Seafarers are not alone in facing the challenges of finding
their first role on qualification. It
is commonplace for graduates
and job-seekers in any industry
to spend months of filling out
applications, writing cover letters — finding a job often can
become a full time job in itself.
Frustrating work, but it will be
rewarded once you have secured
that first role. The MNTB recognises that it is not easy to secure
a first position onboard a vessel
when you have just qualified as
an officer, and this makes it all
the more important to ensure
that your CV is professional, up
to date and relevant.
The issue of NQOs finding it
difficult to acquire their first
professional job role has rightly
become something of a topic in
various discussions throughout
the industry. The Nautilus Young
Maritime Professionals Forum
reviews this subject on a frequent basis and is compiling
ways to help make the change
from cadet to officer as easy as
possible. Likewise, the MNTB is
looking at various ways to offer
support and guidance.
The jobs are out there — but it
can be hard to know where to
find them and how to apply, and
to maintain enthusiasm and not
become downhearted. So, any
NQO that is in this position, talk
to us. We don’t have jobs up our
sleeves, but we may be able to
point you in directions you
haven’t thought of or explored.
One new avenue will be the UK
Chamber of Shipping’s jobs
board, which is shortly to be
launched and will provide a
range of opportunities across
the industry. The MNTB would
particularly like to hear from
NQOs that have experienced difficulty in securing their first professional role to explore how you
were able to obtain that position
and pass the benefit of your
hindsight on to others — what
made the difference in order for
you to be offered a job.
f Contact Fena Boyle, our
training and careers coordinator, for advice and support. As
an ex-Trinity House cadet, Fena
knows where you’re coming
from and has an understanding
ear. Get in touch at fena.boyle@
mntb.org.uk
Tomorrow’s
trainees test
the waters
of the strong interest in seafaring
F
careers. Warsash Maritime Academy (part of
Pictured left and below is fresh evidence
Southampton Solent University) held its winter
open day at the end of January — an event
which attracted more than 600 visitors.
The potential seafarers of the future came
from over 42 different counties around the UK,
as well as the Republic of Ireland, Romania and
Italy. They included young people studying for
their GCSEs, school leavers, sixth formers and
those looking for a second career.
Numerous shipping companies exhibited at
the event, including: Anglo-Eastern (UK); Bibby
Ship Management (WE); BP Maritime Services;
Carisbrooke Shipping: Carnival UK; Chiltern
Maritime; Clyde Marine Training; Deeside
Crewing Services (Vroon); Maersk Crewing;
Northern Marine Manning Services; Princess
Cruises; Royal Fleet Auxiliary; Ship Safe Training
Group; and Viking Recruitment.
20_wma_SR edit.indd 25
18/02/2015 16:20
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21
SEAFARER HEALTH
Helping us help each other
A maritime charity has launched a
course on handling the psychological
pressures of working at sea—both
for ourselves and for colleagues.
ANDREW LININGTON reports...
M
Masters and officers are
being given special training in psychological and
social skills as part of a pioneering scheme to tackle shipboard
welfare problems.
The Wellness at Sea programme developed by the Sailors’ Society charity aims to help
seafarers deal with issues such
as mental health, stress, loneliness and bullying — giving senior officers the chance to identify
problems before they develop
into threats to the safety of seafarers and their ships.
Launched last month with
the support of four leading shipping companies, the Wellness
at Sea scheme was developed
in response to the tragic case of
Akhona Geveza, a South African
cadet on the UK-flagged containership Safmarine Kariba who was
founded dead in June 2010 after
complaining that she had been
raped by an officer onboard.
Project manager Johan Smith
was working at the college where
the cadet had been training and
said the shock generated by her
death had prompted discussions
on whether anything could have
been done to prevent it from
occurring.
These talks resulted in an
agreement on the need for an initiative to trigger a fundamental
cultural change in the way that
seafarers are trained and to their
life onboard ships, he explained.
‘Historically, the training of
seafarers has been focused on
occupational skills, while welfare
services have mostly been reactive, coming into play only once
a problem arises,’ Mr Smith, a
chaplain in the South African
port of Cape Town, pointed out.
Instead, the new programme
aims to give seafarers the necessary cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, social skills
and spiritual well-being alongside their more traditional technical training.
‘It starts with a seemingly
simple question: how are you
doing?’ Mr Smith said. ‘If you
think about it, you seen realise
it is actually a very complex and
multi-dimensional
question
and we want to give seafarers the
skills to be culturally competent
to deal with the challenges they
face at sea today.’
Mr Smith said World Health
Organisation statistics showed
seafarers to have the second
highest rate of occupational
suicide. ‘That has got to say
something about the job and the
direction that the industry has
to go in,’ he added.
The Wellness at Sea training
programme
aims to
p og a
e a
o improve
po e
Wellness at Sea project manager Johan Smith and Rightship vetting
superintendent Captain Vlad Docekal at the launch of the programme
s’ Society port
It’s good to talk: a Sailor
g seafarers
chaplain meets visitin
seafarers’ interpersonal and communication skills, helping them
to handle issues such as conflict
onboard, relationships with families ashore, identifying the signs
of mental stress and improving
awareness of the support that is
available.
The Sailors’ Society says the
programme is based on a recognition that ‘a healthy and happy
crew is safe and potentially more
productive. The lost time arising
from incidents can be disruptive and costly, and when seafarers are unable to remain in their
roles, the replacement process is
time-consuming and costly’.
Companies involved in the
project include Wallem, RightShip, Wah Kwong, and Pacific
Basin. RightShip vetting superintendent Captain Vlad Docekal
said he was convinced the training would help to improve ship
safety as well as seafarer welfare.
Cultural understanding is critical on ships where it is common
to find eight nationalities among
22 crew, Capt Docekal argued. He
spoke of his personal experience
of two cases showing the impact
of stress and isolation: one in
which a cadet stabbed the chief
cook before attempting suicide,
and another in which a second
officer changed the ship’s course
to get a better mobile phone signal — putting the vessel into
imminent danger of grounding.
‘We don’t expect this programme to be producing psychologists, but it will be equipping seafarers with the skills to recognise a
problem among crew members at
an early stage and to know where
to go for further help,’ he added.
‘Buy-in’ from senior officers is core to the success of the
scheme, Capt Docekal said. ‘They
can observe what is going on, pick
up vibes and information, and
put together the whole picture of
what is going on, then take action
before the problem affects the
whole ship,’ he pointed out.
Wah Kwong Maritime Transport CEO Tim Huxley said the
term ‘human error’ was used to
disguise a wide variety of underlying problems that seafarers
face. ‘Problems such as loneliness
and separation from friends and
family lead to many seafarers
abandoning a seagoing career,’
he added. ‘If we can identify these
problems early and empower
masters and senior officers to
deal with them as they arise, we
have a much better chance of
solving this problem.
‘Wellness at Sea is not looking to
add the role of the parish priest to
the established skillsets of our captains, but instead to support crew
retention and show commitment
to our colleagues at sea on whom
we depend for so much,’ he said.
The Sailors’ Society has developed the course with input from
other organisations, including
the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network, Seafarers Rights International, and
the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme.
It is delivering the fivemodule, four-day course at two
levels — one for cadets and the
other for masters and officers,
with content capable of being
customised to company needs.
At this stage, the officers’ programme is being offered to
selected companies to integrate
with their in-house training.
The cadet programme is available through maritime training
colleges working in partnership with the charity. Initially,
the scheme is being delivered
in South Africa, Namibia, China,
Hong Kong, and the Philippines.
Sailors’ Society chief executive Stuart Rivers said Wellness
at Sea marks a ‘step change’ in the
way the industry views seafarer
health and will ‘fill a vital need
by recognising the importance
to safety of a crew whose mental
and spiritual needs are met’.
Mr Smith said he believes the
programme would have helped
to prevent the death of Akhona
Geveza. ‘If she had the knowledge
of where to go and the organisations who assist seafarers, it
would have made a difference,’ he
argued.
‘This programme must be
seen as a first step,’ Mr Smith
stressed. ‘I realise that the problems that are in the industry are
massive, and we don’t pretend
that we will solve them all in the
next year or so. But this is the
first step in the right direction to
make a positive culture change in
the maritime industry.
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18/02/2015 16:20
22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
MARITIME WELFARE
Thinking
to prepar
all our fut
L-R: Mike Jess, Mark Dickinson, Barry Bryant, Liz Cairncross and Mick Howarth at the MCG report launch
Projected former RN seafarers
from 2014-2050
The number of serving
Merchant Navy seafarers is
projected to continue to
decline
30,000 in
2014 to 20,000 in 2035
2014 380,000
from an estimated
2020 312,000
Estimated 154,000
former MN
seafarers in 2013,
of whom 91,000
are aged 65 or over
2030 232,000 Total number of
former RN
is projected to
2040 186,000
decline to
159,000
2050 159,000
85+ population up to
2035 when it will be
more than 275% its
current estimated
level of 6,000
There are an estimated
125,000 MN dependent
adults including widows
and widowers and 51,000
MN dependent children
In 2013, there were
an estimated 12,000
serving FF
There were an estimated
99,000 former FF
seafarers in 2013
by
Current
numbers
across
RN, MN
and FF
2050
33,000
171,000
405,000
RN
209,000
30,000
63,000
176,000
Serving
MN
Former under 65
12,000
91,000
41,000
106,000
Former aged 65+
FF
Dependants
58,000
Infographic: June Cattini-Walker
22-23_spread.indd 22
P
Nautilus has welcomed the publication of
an important new research report which
seeks to identify the welfare needs of
former seafarers and their dependants between
now and the middle of the century.
The study, commissioned by the Maritime
Charities Group (MCG), concludes that while the
number of retired British seafarers is set to decline,
those over the age of 85 — who have the greatest
welfare needs — will increase by around 275% over
the next 15 years.
The report, produced by the Institute of Public
Care at Oxford Brookes University, estimates the
current UK seafaring population as 75,000 — of
which 33,000 are in the Royal Navy, 30,000 in the
Merchant Navy and 12,000 in the fishing fleet (FF).
The number of former seafarers totals 633,000 —
of which 358,000 are aged over 65 and the number
of ex-seafarers’ dependants is estimated at
687,000.
The study suggests that changes in welfare
reform and continuing public sector austerity
measures are likely to drive further demand for
help and support within the maritime
community.
Report author Liz Cairncross said the work had
been ‘challenging’ — with problems in getting
reliable data and a number of uncertain factors,
such as changes in life expectancy, retirement
ages, pension provision, medical treatment and
health trends.
However, she added, it was likely that the longterm decline in British seafaring numbers will
continue. The number of serving RN seafarers is
forecast to drop from 33,000 in 2014 to 29,000 by
2020, remaining stable after that. And on current
trends, the number of serving MN personnel is
projected to fall from 30,000 in 2014 to 20,000 in
2035 and to remain stable after then.
The report estimates that the total number of
retired seafarers will fall from 633,000 at present
to around 156,000 in 2050. The number of ex-RN
seafarers will drop from 380,000 to 159,000 as the
Second World War and National Service
generations pass on, the number of retired MN
seafarers will decline from 154,000 to 64,000 and
the number of former FF crew members will
reduce from 99,000 to 38,000 over the same
period.
There are presently some 125,000 MN
dependant adults — including widows and
widowers — and 51,000 MN dependant children,
the report states. ‘The total number of dependant
adults is projected to decline steadily between now
and 2050, while the number of widows is projected
to increase slightly up to 2020, before falling,’ it
adds. ‘The number of dependant children is to
decline up to 2035, before starting to rise steadily.’
There are presently some 46,000 former MN
personnel aged 55 or over with limiting longstanding illness, and 26,000 with one or more
condition that limits their daily activity. By 2050,
the report predicts, these numbers will fall to
14,000 and 9,000 respectively.
The profile of t
seafaring popu
changed dram
in recent decad
maritime char
had to re-shap
services they p
response. Last
the launch of a
which aims to f
future welfare
ANDREW LININ
found out mor
But, Ms Cairncross caut
decline in former seafarers
does not necessarily add
demand for welfare services
The number of ex-M
seafarers over the age of 85
most likely to have conditio
set to rise for the next de
pointed out.
‘They are key drivers of
support services, and the
their numbers among the
highlights the need for pro
how they can meet the nee
whether through the p
themselves or working
commissioners or other p
stresses.
‘The main beneficiary gr
men,’ the report adds. ‘N
vulnerable to specific health
with their time at sea but
former fishers and some M
or no occupational pension
The report concludes
continuing need for charita
particularly among the old
for many years to come’.
Continued increases in
affect demand for services
reform changes and auster
health and social care may m
numbers will decline, the
actually increase.
David Sinclair, director
Longevity Centre UK, said
wider changes in socie
18/02/2015 18:30
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23
MARITIME WELFARE
g ahead
re for
A regretful goodbye after
utures years of seeking solutions
A Mariners’ Park resident enjoys the bright modern facilities at the Trinity House Hub Picture: Danny Kenny
of the UK
opulation has
amatically
cades and
harities have
ape the
y provide in
ast month saw
of a new report
to forecast
re needs.
NINGTON
more…
cautioned, the numerical
arers and their dependants
add up to a reduction in
rvices.
ex-MN and fishing fleet
of 85 — who are the group
nditions requiring help — is
xt decade and a half, she
ers of demand for care and
the projected increase in
g the MN and FF groups
or providers to understand
e needs of frailer seafarers,
he provision of services
ing in partnership with
her providers,’ the report
ry group will continue to be
ds. ‘Not only are seafarers
health conditions associated
a but many — particularly
me MN — will have limited
nsion provision.’
udes that ‘there will be a
haritable help and support,
e oldest former MN and FF,
e’.
es in life expectancy will
vices, it notes, and welfare
usterity measures affecting
may mean that while overall
e, the level of need may
ector of the International
said the report reflected
society which pose big
22-23_spread.indd 23
challenges for public policy. Although people are
living longer, there are huge disparities in life
expectancy across the UK, he said, and ‘pension
poverty’ is very real, with 1.6m pensioners below
the poverty line. Older people also face the risk of
being increasingly isolated, with a growing
number of pensioner living alone.
MCG chairman Commodore Barry Bryant said
the new study builds on the findings of previous
research, commissioned in 2005, which sought to
identify changing patterns of demand for
maritime welfare services and resulted in the 2007
report Supporting Seafarers and their Families
which paved the way for some radical changes in
the sector.
The earlier research resulted in the
introduction of a wide range of new projects and
services to meet the needs and issues it had
identified, he said. These included such schemes as
a social networking system for elderly seafarers,
caseworkers to help with financial problems and
claiming grants, ‘best practice’ for maritime care
homes, a project to encourage ‘digital inclusion’
among retired seafarers, and the ‘men in sheds’
scheme to help older male seafarers to socialise.
The new study will help to fuel a fresh approach
to changing needs, Cmdre Bryant explained. It
forms the first part of a two-year project to
examine the future size and shape of the maritime
welfare sector, and the MCG will serve as an
information exchange, promoting best practice
and policy development, and helping to raise
awareness.
‘As a result of the significant change in the
maritime and ex-Service charity landscape, we
need a fresh approach to the overarching issues
affecting the maritime welfare sector,’ he added.
‘Sources of funding, particularly for the ex-Service
sector, have increased — but this is not necessarily
the case for Merchant Navy and fishing charities.’
Cmdre Bryant said more research will be
carried out during the next two years, leading to
the publication of a 2017 version of the Supporting
Seafarers report. ‘Our over-riding aim is to ensure
that the maritime charities can give the best
service possible over the coming decades,’ he
added.
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson
commented: ‘This report is very welcome and it is
extremely useful to have an update of the 2007
data. From the Nautilus Welfare Fund’s
perspective, an in-depth understanding of the
demographics of the seafaring population is
crucial for our work to support those who served
at sea.
‘It is clear that the number of people who
depend on the sort of support and services that we
provide through the Welfare Fund will continue to
grow for many years to come and the needs that
we meet will also become more complex,’ he
added. ‘The findings will give renewed focus for
our strategy of in delivering the sort of services
that meet the needs of former seafarers and their
families now and well into the future.’
The planning application to demolish an old home for seafarers’ widows
has sparked a passionate online debate. But, writes Nautilus head of welfare
services MICK HOWARTH, there is more to the story than meets the eye…
of the Mersey in Wallasey, is a
L
well-known local landmark. Built with a
Gibson House, on the banks
donation from the Liverpool shipowner
and philanthropist Andrew Gibson, it
opened its doors in 1906 to provide
accommodation to the widows and
children of mariners lost at sea.
For many decades, Gibson House
formed an important part of the
complex of residential and welfare
facilities for seafarers and their
dependants at Mariners’ Park — the
16-acre estate administered by the
Nautilus Welfare Fund (NWF), a
registered charity.
But as times changed, the need for
this type of accommodation dwindled.
So, between 1982 and 1983 the
original 40 small bed-sitting rooms
with shared kitchens were converted
into 25 larger flats for elderly widows of
seafarers.
Just over a decade ago the building
had to be vacated as the flats no longer
met modern standards, and providing
adequate heating in the Edwardian
building had been a constant problem.
To compensate for the loss of
the accommodation, the charity
developed 14 purpose-built
apartments, named Gibson Terrace.
These are located within the adjacent
Mariners’ Park, which provides more
than 100 apartments, bungalows and
houses for retired seafarers, as well as a
residential and nursing home.
Over the last 10 years the NWF
has tried to find an alternative use
for Gibson House. The financial crash
of 2008 initially strangled demand
for new developments, but over the
last the years the charity has worked
closely with Wirral Borough Council
and a number of local registered social
landlords to try and revive the building.
On each occasion — even with the
prospect of some central government
funding to bring empty properties
back to life — the same economic
conclusion emerged: the cost of
reviving the building was too high given
the extensive work needed and the
scale of deterioration it has suffered.
Since it was vacated, vandals
have stripped the lead from the roof,
smashed windows, and started fires
— leaving the interior of the building
Gibson House is in very poor condition and cannot meet 21st century
welfare standards for elderly residents Picture: Danny Kenny
in a sorry and hazardous state. The
top staircase has collapsed with water
penetration, ceilings have fallen
in, floors are extensively damaged
and there is also asbestos in the old
building. The condition of the building
is now such that it requires extensive
work, not minor remedial repairs. It
presents serious risks — including the
presence of asbestos — which demand
good management and specialist
work.
With regret, the charity’s trustees
have concluded that demolition is
now the only feasible option, and a
planning application has been lodged
with Wirral Borough Council. There are
no immediate plans to utilise the site.
However the NWF intends to keep the
land for potential future development
to respond to the growing numbers of
retired mariners and their dependants.
After demolition, it is proposed to
grass over the site and the charity will
continue to maintain the grounds.
Mariners’ Park, which is over 150
years old, will continue to be a vibrant
community for retired seafarers and
their dependants. Over the years a
number of well-loved buildings have
been demolished to meet modern
standards and expectations. In
2012, 14 small apartments — half of
those upstairs apartments — were
demolished to make way for the
state-of-the-art Trinity House Hub,
which provides 18 modern, open-plan
apartments, all fully accessible, as
well as providing residents with a café,
health suite, hobby room, hair salon
and laundry.
The history of the Park is one of
continual evolution and modernising,
and plans for 2015 include replacing
four small apartments with a pair
of two-bedroomed bungalows. It
is also hoped that 2016/7 will see
another 22 apartments added to
the Trinity House Hub as the charity
increases the number and quality of
accommodation options for needy
seafarers.
Nautilus recognises and
appreciates the concerns which have
been raised about the future of Gibson
House. However, it is important to set
the record straight and to correct some
of the misleading statements that
have been made about the building. It
should be noted that it is the Nautilus
Welfare Fund — a separate charity
with its own trust deed, operated
in accordance with the Charity
Commission requirements — that is
responsible for Gibson House and not
Nautilus the Union per se.
The proposal for the demolition
of Gibson House has been made
reluctantly. It is not an easy option
and it is not a cheap option. We have
worked long and hard to seek a viable
future for the building. Over the past
decade we have entered into public
and private sector partnerships to
explore redevelopment proposals and
to produce a conversion plan. However,
factors such as the substantial
structural challenges presented by the
building mean that none of these plans
proved to be viable. No one else has
produced a proposal or a bid for the
building that would secure its future in
its current form.
We strive to provide high quality
care and welfare services for former
seafarers and their dependants. Over
the past 20 years, we have made
significant investment in state-of-theart facilities, including new residential
and specialist care facilities, and further
developments are planned to ensure
that we continue to meet projected
needs over the decades ahead. These
facilities are designed to reflect the
results of research into changing
demand for welfare services, and it is
not possible to deliver such services
in the 21st century in a building that
was constructed shortly after the 19th
century.
g More Information about Mariners’
Park and Gibson House can be found
on the charity’s website www.
nautiluswelfarefund.org
18/02/2015 18:30
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | i
NAUTILUS GM 2015
Great debates in
good company
A
The
2015
Nautilus
International General
Meeting (GM) is due
to be held in Liverpool in
October — taking place under
the banner ‘jobs, skills and the
future’ — and we want you to be
there!
F
Held every four years,
the General Meeting is
where the future agenda
of the Union is determined. It is
the place where full members
get the chance to determine what
policies and priorities Nautilus
should pursue.
The GM is a conference where
General secretary MARK DICKINSON
invites you to the General Meeting…
you can share your views on the
shipping industry and the issues
that directly affect you at work,
network with fellow seafarers and
meet influential figures from the
world of shipping and beyond.
The 2015 GM will be held at
the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool —
with members assembling on
Monday 5 October and departing
on the morning of Thursday 8
October. Following feedback
from
members
attending
previous events, the conference
will feature a lively programme
of presentations and debates,
and speeches from a few leading
industry figures.
These pages give you the
chance to make sure that the
issues which really matter will be
discussed, debated and decided
upon — setting an agenda for
action on anything from pay and
conditions to criminalisation, or
fatigue to piracy.
Please use the forms here
to submit a motion to the
conference to set Nautilus policy
on the things that are important
to you and your colleagues.
There’s an added bonus:
coming to the GM needn’t put
you out of pocket. Nautilus can
provide assistance with travel
and
accommodation
costs,
to ensure that the meeting is
attended by a representative
cross-section of full members
from throughout the industry.
A
GM 2015: it’s influential,
it’s interesting and it’s
enjoyable. Join us there.
Notice — General
Meeting 2015
Rule 19 that Council has
K
determined that the 2015 Nautilus
Notice is hereby given under
General Meeting will be held at the
Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent
Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN, commencing
at 0900hrs on Tuesday 6 October
and finishing late afternoon on
Wednesday 7 October 2015.
z Members wishing to move
resolutions at the General
Meeting must submit them in
writing, signed by at least four full
members whose contributions
have been paid up, to reach
head office by not later than
1700hrs on Friday 3 July
2015.
Financial aid
Financiële steun Finanzielle hilfe
attendance at GM 2015
Voor aanwezigheid AV 2015
teilnahme an GM 2015
This form should be completed and returned to Adele McDonald,
Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD.
Dit formulier invullen en retourneren aan Adele McDonald,
Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD.
Dieses Formular ist ausgefüllt und an Adele McDonald zurückgegeben werden
Nautilus internationalen Hauptsitz, 1 & 2 von Gebüschen, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD.
I wish to apply to attend the 2015 GM under the arrangements made by Council
for full members to receive assistance towards the costs of attendance.
Ik wil in aanmerking komen voor financiële steun als gewoon lid om de AV
2015 bij te wonen. De voorwaarden voor financiële steun zijn vastgesteld
door de Council.
Ich möchte anwenden, um die GM 2015 im Rahmen der Regelung des Rates
für Vollmitglieder, um Unterstützung für die Kosten der Teilnahme erhalten
besuchen.
Invullen in BLOKLETTERS
Bitte in Druckbuchstaben ausfüllen
Naam
Name
Adres (voor alle AV correspondentie)
Adresse (für alle GM Korrespondenz)
Postcode en woonplaats
PLZ
Telefoonnummer
Tel No.
Lidmaatschapnummer
Mitgliedsnummer
Rederij
Unternehmen
Functie
Rang
Huidig schip
vorhanden Schiff
U wordt vriendelijk verzocht hieronder aan te geven wat uw betrokkenheid
bij Nautilus is. Bijvoorbeeld dat u kaderlid of erelid bent of dat u eerder een AV
heeft bijgewoond.
Bitte für Beschäftigung mit Nautilus, zB. als Verbindungsoffizier
oder Ehren delegieren oder wenn Sie ein Nautilus Bildungskurs besucht haben,
oder ein früherer GM.
Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS
Name
Address (for all GM correspondence)
Postcode
Tel No.
Membership No.
Company
Rank
Present ship
Please give details of involvement with Nautilus, eg. as a liaison officer
or honorary delegate, or if you have attended a Nautilus education course
or a previous GM.
i_gm15.indd i
18/02/2015 18:13
ii | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NAUTILUS GM 2015
Goede discussies in
goed gezelschap
General Secretary Mark Dickinson nodigt u uit voor de
Algemene Ledenvergadering…
A
De AV 2015 van Nautilus International zal in
oktober in Liverpool
worden gehouden. Het overkoepelende thema is ‘Banen,
kennis en de toekomst’ — en we
willen dat u erbij bent!
F
De Algemene vergaderingen vindt elke vier jaar
plaats, en is het forum
waarop de toekomstige agenda
van de vakbond wordt bepaald.
Hier krijgen volledige leden de
kans om mee te beslissen over het
beleid en de prioriteiten van Nautilus.
De AV is een ledencongres waarin u uw visie op de
scheepvaartindustrie kunt geven,
kwesties die u in het dagelijkse
werk tegenkomt kunt bespreken,
kunt netwerken met andere
zeevarenden en invloedrijke
mensen uit de scheepvaartwereld
en daarbuiten kunt ontmoeten.
De AV 2015 wordt gehouden
in het Titanic Hotel in Liverpool
— de leden komen op maandag
5 oktober samen en vertrekken
weer op donderdag 8 oktober in de
ochtend. Mede op basis van feedback van leden die eerdere vergaderingen hebben bijgewoond, is
er een levendig programma van
presentaties en debatten, en zijn
er een aantal invloedrijke sprekers binnen de scheepvaartindustrie.
Met deze pagina’s kunt u zorgen dat de kwesties die er echt toe
doen, aan de orde worden gesteld,
erover wordt gedebatteerd en
besluiten worden genomen —
zodat de vakbond op alle punten,
van salarissen en arbeidsvoorwaarden tot criminalisering,
vermoeidheid of piraterij, actie
onderneemt.
Gebruik deze formulieren om
een motie in te dienen om het
beleid van Nautilus te bepalen
voor zaken die voor u en uw collega’s van belang zijn.
Er is een extra voordeel: het
bijwonen van de AV hoeft u de
kop niet te kosten. Nautilus kan u
ondersteunen met de reis- en verblijfskosten, zodat de vergadering
wordt bijgewoond door een representatieve doorsnede van het
ledenbestand en de gehele sector.
A
AV 2015: van u, voor u,
door u! We kijken ernaar
uit u daar te ontmoeten.
Motions
important policy-making forum — a conference
F
where members can debate the developments that
The Nautilus General Meeting is the Union’s most
affect them at work and decide on the policies and
priorities that Nautilus should follow to address these.
Make sure the things that matter to you are
discussed at the 2015 GM in October. It is essential that
the conference considers the critical issues that face
the industry and the maritime professionals that work
within it.
From pay and conditions to skill shortages and
training, criminalisation to piracy, health and safety to
shore leave, there is no shortage of subject matter!
z Submitting a motion is simple: just fill out the form
below and make sure it is signed by at least four full
members of the Union.
This is your chance to help set the agenda for
Nautilus over the years ahead.
Please use it.
GM Motion
proposal form
To General Secretary, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD (to arrive not later than 1700 Friday 3 July 2015).
We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2015 General Meeting
of Nautilus International:
This GM
Mededeling — Algemene Vergadering 2015
Council besloten dat de vierjaarlijkse Algemene
K
Vergadering van Nautilus International zal worden
7 oktober 2015 in de namiddag.
gehouden in het Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent
Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN en zal en op dinsdag
6 oktober 2015 om 09.00 uur en zal sluiten op woensdag
vier volle leden — schriftelijk worden ingediend en
moeten uiterlijk vrijdag 3 juli 2015 om 17.00 uur op het
hoofdkantoor zijn ontvangen.
Op grond van artikel 19 lid 2 van de statuten heeft
z Moties kunnen — ondertekend door tenminste
(continue on a separate sheet if necessary)
Grosse Debatten in
guter Atmosphere
Generalsekretär Mark Dickinson lädt dich zur
Generalversammlung ein…
A
Die Generalversammlung 2015 von Nautilus
International ist diesen
Oktober in Liverpool angesetzt
— und findet unter dem Titel
«Jobs, Fähigkeiten und die Zukunft» statt — und wir wünschen
uns, dass Du mit dabei bist!
F
An der alle vier Jahre
durchgeführten Generalversammlung wird jeweils die zukünftige Agenda der
Gewerkschaft festgelegt. Es ist
jener Ort, wo Vollmitglieder die
Gelegenheit haben, mitzubestimmen, welche Politik Nautilus verfolgen und welche Prioritäten die
Gewerkschaft setzen sollte.
Die
Generalversammlung
ist eine Konferenz, bei der Du
Deine Meinung zur Schifffahrtsindustrie und zu jenen Themen
äussern kannst, die Dich bei der
Arbeit direkt betreffen; ausserdem kannst Du mit Deinen Kollegen aus der Seefahrtsbranche
austauschen und einflussreiche
Figuren aus der Welt der Schifffahrt — und darüber hinaus —
treffen.
Die
Generalversammlung
2015 findet im Titanic Hotel in
Liverpool statt. Die Mitglieder
treffen am Montag, 5. Oktober, ein
und Abreisedatum ist Donnerstagmorgen, 8. Oktober.
Die Konferenz, die an das Feedback von Mitgliedern früherer
Veranstaltungen
anschliesst,
umfasst ein lebhaftes Programm,
das Präsentationen, Diskussionsrunden und auch Ansprachen
einiger namhafter Persönlichkeiten aus der Branche umfasst.
Diese Seiten geben Dir Gelegenheit, Dich zu vergewissern,
dass die wirklich wichtigen
Themen besprochen und debattiert und Beschlüsse gefällt werden.
Mit anderen Worten: Es wird ein
Aktionsplan erstellt — und zwar
zu Themen wie Gehaltsfragen
und Arbeitsbedingungen, Krimi-
nalisierung, Übermüdung oder
Piraterie.
Bitte benütze diese Formulare, um einen Antrag an die Konferenz zu stellen. So kannst Du
die politischen Richtlinien von
Nautilus in jenen Bereichen mit
zu gestalten helfen, die Dir und
Deinen Kollegen wichtig sind.
Und es gibt noch einen zusätzlichen Nutzen: Wer an der Generalversammlung teilnimmt, muss
nicht unbedingt alles aus eigener
Tasche bezahlen. Um sicherzustellen, dass am Treffen ein möglichst repräsentativer Querschnitt
an Vollmitgliedern aus der ganze
Branche teilnimmt, kann Nautilus einen Beitrag an die Reise- und
Unterkunftskosten leisten.
A
Generalversammlung
2015: sie ist massgebend,
sie ist interessant und sie
ist unterhaltsam. Wir freuen uns,
Dich in Liverpool begrüssen zu
dürfen.
Beachten Sie — Hauptversammlung 2015
K
Hiermit wird gemäß Artikel 19, der Rat hat festgestellt,
dass die 2015 Nautilus Hauptversammlung werden
auf der Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool,
L3 0AN statt gegeben, beginnend um 0900 am Dienstag,
6. Oktober und dem Abschluss am späten Nachmittag am
Mittwoch, 7 Oktober 2015.
ii-iii_spread.indd ii
z Generalversammlung zu bewegen Treffen müssen
sie einreichen Schreiben, um mindestens vier
ordentlichen Mitgliedern, deren Beiträge bereits
eingezahlt wurden, an die Zentrale zu erreichen
unterzeichnet bis spätestens 1700 am Freitag, 3. Juli
2015.
1. Name
Mem. No.
Company
Address
Postcode
Signature
Date
2. Name
Mem. No.
Company
Address
Postcode
Signature
Date
3. Name
Mem. No.
Company
Address
Postcode
Signature
Date
4. Name
Mem. No.
Company
Address
Postcode
Signature
Date
18/02/2015 16:47
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | iii
NAUTILUS GM 2015
Moties
belangrijkste forum voor de beleidsvorming binnen
F
de vakbond. Tijdens deze conferentie kunnen leden
De Algemene Vergadering van Nautilus is het
to
rm
debatteren over de ontwikkelingen waarmee zij in hun
werk te maken hebben en meebeslissen over het beleid
en de prioriteiten waarop Nautilus zich zou moeten
richten.
Zorg dat de onderwerpen die u belangrijk vindt, tijdens
de AV 2015 in oktober aan de orde komen. Het is van groot
belang dat tijdens de conferentie de belangrijkste kwesties
worden besproken voor de bedrijfstak en de maritieme
professionals die hierin werkzaam zijn.
Anträge
Van salarissen en secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden
tot gebrek aan ervaring en training, criminalisering tot
piraterij, gezondheid en veiligheid tot walverlof, er zijn
genoeg belangrijke onderwerpen!
z Het indienen van een motie is eenvoudig: vul
gewoon het onderstaande formulier in en laat het door
ten minste vier volledig betalende leden van de vakbond
ondertekenen.
Dit is uw kans om punten op de agenda voor de
toekomst van Nautilus te zetten.
Grijp deze kans aan.
Motie voor Algemene
Vergadering
wichtigste Forum der Gewerkschaft hinsichtlich der
F
Gestaltung der Politik. Es ist eine Konferenz, an der MitDie Generalversammlung von Nautilus ist das
glieder jene Entwicklungen diskutieren können, von denen
sie bei der Arbeit direkt betroffen sind. Und auch ein Ort, wo
die Politik entschieden und die Prioritäten gesetzt werden,
die Nautilus in der Folge ansprechen sollte.
Vergewissere Dich, dass die Themen, die Dir wichtig
sind, an der im Oktober stattfindenden Generalversammlung 2015 diskutiert werden. Es ist zentral, dass die
Konferenz die kritischen Themen erörtert, mit der sich die
Branche und die maritimen Fachkräfte, die in dieser tätig
sind, konfrontiert sehen.
Es gibt keinen Mangel an Diskussionsstoff! Dieser reicht
von Gehaltsfragen und Arbeitsbedingungen, über fehlende
Fachkräfte, Weiterbildung, Kriminalisierung, Piraterie, bis
hin zu Landurlaub sowie Gesund- und Sicherheitsthemen.
z Das Stellen eines Antrages ist einfach: Fülle einfach das
untenstehende Formular aus und vergewissere dich, dass
dieses von mindestens vier Vollmitgliedern der Gewerkschaft unterzeichnet ist.
Das ist Deine Chance, die Agenda von Nautilus für die
kommenden Jahre mitzubestimmen.
Bitte mache Gebrauch von dieser Gelegenheit!
GM Motion
antragsformular
formulier
Aan de General Secretary, p/a Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD. (Dit formulier moet uiterlijk vrijdag 3 juli 2015 retour ontvangen zijn).
Um Generalsekretär Nautilus Internationale Head Offi ce, 1 & 2 von Gebüschen, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD (um anzukommen spätestens 1700 Freitag, 3. Juli 2015).
Wij als volle leden wensen onderstaande motie in te dienen ter bespreking in de Algemene Vergadering
in oktober 2015:
Wir, als Vollmitglieder wollen den folgenden Antrag zur Diskussion auf der 2015 Generalversammlung einreichen
Nautilus International:
Deze Algemene Vergadering
Diese GM
(indien nodig doorgaan op apart vel)
(weiter auf einem separaten Blatt, falls erforderlich)
1. Naam
Lidnr.
1. Name
Rederij
Unternehmen
Adres
Anschrift
Mem. Nein.
PLZ
Postcode/plaats
Handtekening
Datum
Unterschrift
Datum
2. Naam
Lidnr.
2. Name
Mem. Nein.
Rederij
Unternehmen
Adres
Anschrift
Postcode/plaats
PLZ
Handtekening
Datum
Unterschrift
Datum
3. Naam
Lidnr.
3. Name
Mem. Nein.
Rederij
Unternehmen
Adres
Anschrift
Postcode/plaats
PLZ
Handtekening
Datum
Unterschrift
Datum
4. Naam
Lidnr.
4. Name
Mem. Nein.
Rederij
Unternehmen
Adres
Anschrift
Postcode/plaats
Handtekening
ii-iii_spread.indd iii
Datum
PLZ
Unterschrift
Datum
18/02/2015 18:01
iv | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
PHOTO COMPETITION
Show us
what you
see at sea
… and win up to £1,000 for images of your life and work!
A
This year’s Nautilus/Inmarsat ‘Life at sea’
photo competition is into its third month,
and there’s a selection of the latest entries
on this page. Can you take a photo as good as these
— or even better?
The aim of the competition is to find the best
photographs of life at sea today, a subject which is
seldom tackled by photographers in the national
media. By sending us pictures of what you see in
the course of your work, you’ll be helping us get
the message out about what the industry is really
like. And the generous cash prizes are another
great incentive to take part, of course...
In previous competitions, we’ve had some very
technically accomplished entries with beautiful
colours and skilled use of focus and contrast. But
you don’t need to have professional-standard kit
to join in. Even with a fairly basic camera or a
smart phone, you can demonstrate an eye for
good composition and capture a powerful story in
pictures.
The rules of the competition are simple. Judges
will be looking for images that not only display
photographic merit but also capture the reality of
life at sea — any aspect of modern seafaring that
you choose. First prize is £1,000, second prize is
£750 and there is £400 for the third-placed entry.
You can submit your shots in colour or black
Charlie Brown’s image shows two anchor handling vessels that are towing the
semi-submersible Stena Clyde
and white, and as prints or e-mailed highresolution JPEG electronic images (300dpi is
preferred). There is no limit to the number of
entries you can submit.
The competition’s closing date is Monday 1
August 2015 and the prizes will be presented at
the Nautilus International General Meeting in
October, where an exhibition of the best entries
will be on show.
To enter with hard copies, please cut out and
complete the form on this page and send your
pictures to: Nautilus/Inmarsat Photo
Competition, Nautilus Telegraph, 1&2 The
Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford,
Left: Julian
Bilchik’s photo
shows salvage at
sea ‒ preparing
for tow after a
survey vessel
lost its propeller
Below: Madhu
Jayapal’s view
from greatship
Manisha’s drill
tower
Right: Edward
Spacey captures
crew at work on a
lifeboat
London E18 1BD. Make sure you state on the form
whether you want us to return your photographs.
To enter with digital photos, please email them
to telegraph@nautilusint.org with Nautilus/
Inmarsat photo competition 2015 in the subject
line. In your email, you must supply your contact
information in the same way as on the printed
entry form, and don’t send file attachments
totalling more than 10MB at a time, as this will
exceed the server limit.
Please note that by entering the Nautilus/
Inmarsat photo competition 2015, you are giving
Nautilus International permission to use your
submitted images.
Photo
competition
2015
Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Address:
........................................
.....................................................
.....................................................
.....................................................
.....................................................
Home tel: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A message from our sponsors
Email:
K
.....................................................
Today, always-available
connectivity can be a
prerequisite for attracting high
calibre candidates to a seafaring
career. Staying in touch with family,
friends and world events, and
enjoying leisure time, are essential
for the modern seafarer. A happy
crew is also a productive crew.
Through its 99.9% global
network coverage, Inmarsat
Maritime is meeting rising
expectations, via FleetBroadband,
iv_photo_SR edit (2).indd iv
XpressLink, and now Inmarsat
Gateway. Using Ku-band, L-Band
and now ground-breaking Ka-band
connectivity, crew can call home
and access broadband internet
from anywhere at any time
without compromising operational
communications.
In addition, life at sea just got
better, following the 2014 launch of
Inmarsat Fleet Media — delivering
blockbuster movies, sport and news
direct to PCs and tablets at sea.
...........................................
Mem no.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.....................................................
Photos to be returned: YES / NO
18/02/2015 16:47
24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
SEAFARER TRAINING
Been there, done that
Nautilus members have been advising new UK
cadets on what to expect when they go to sea.
DEBORAH MCPHERSON joined them at City of
Glasgow College to hear about the good, the bad
and the Norwegian...
K
Hearing that your ship
could sail without you or
that English is not necessarily the language used by a
multinational crew may not
come as a surprise to seasoned
seafarers.
But for induction-week cadets
at Glasgow maritime campus,
hearing such experiences from
two members of the Nautilus
Women’s Forum provided an eyeopening insight into what they
could experience on their first
sea phases.
The presentations to almost
200 deck and engineering trainee
officers from January’s intake
were given by second officer Gail
MacGregor, who works in the offshore industry, and Captain Jessica Tyson, who has extensive
experience serving on tankers
and passengerships.
The meeting was the latest in a
series of new and improved college visits being staged around
the UK by Nautilus. The presentations aim to give cadets specialist
first-hand advice and information and, during breaks in the
morning and afternoon sessions,
the Glasgow cadets said that
it was great to get an insight
into the industry from serving
seafarers.
Gail told the cadets that they
would face numerous unexpected scenarios and needed to
learn resourcefulness and tolerance in equal measure. They
would also walk a fine line to
ensure they got the training they
needed in their sea phases.
She described how in her first
sea phase, on a Norwegian ship,
the vessel sailed without her and
she had to take a taxi to the next
port, where the captain luckily
had enough spare cash to throw
down to the waiting driver. ‘I
learned to keep spare cash on me,’
added Gail.
She advised the trainees they
needed to be prepared for all
sorts of possibly panic-inducing
scenarios at sea — including the
fact that ‘your passport can be
taken off you at customs and you
might not see it again for several
weeks after you board’.
While they might be told that
they will be on day shifts as a
cadet and not doing much but
maintenance, Gail said that in
her second week she was working
nights and starting to gain her
love of navigating at night — ‘so
you never know…’
While English is officially the
‘language of the sea’, in reality
cadets might find — as Gail did —
that it was not the language of
checklists or at mealtimes among
a multinational crew.
Jessica Tyson, Gail MacGregor and Lee Moon with City of Glasgow College engineering cadets attending one of the
Nautilus presentations last month
Supporting seafarers
in need and their families
Seafarers UK is a charity that
helps people in the maritime
community by giving money to
organisations and projects that
make a real difference to people’s
lives across the Merchant Navy,
Fishing Fleets, Royal Navy and
Royal Marines.
A City of Glasgow College cadet signs up with Nautilus
following the Union’s presentation
‘I was on a ship and no one
spoke English, so it was hard
going,’ she said. ‘Little things, like
sitting down at dinner and no one
talking to you can be quite hard.
Not because they are being nasty
but because they are talking in
their language and no one speaks
English.’
Gail’s solution was to learn
some Norwegian — because ‘you
can’t force people to speak English, so you have to think how to
deal with it’. Learning a language
also proved a valuable advantage
when applying for jobs, she
added.
K
To find out about our work or to make a donation visit www.seafarers.uk
phone 020 7932 0000 or email seafarers@seafarers-uk.org
Seafarers UK (King George’s Fund for Sailors) is a Registered Charity, no. 226446 in England
and Wales, incorporated under Royal Charter. Registered in Scotland, no. SC038191.
24-25_glasgow_SR edit (2).indd 24
When asked what had
inspired them to train for
a career at sea, the cadets’
main response was ‘money’.
Gail and Jessica agreed there are
potentially good career opportunities at sea if people are prepared
to put in the work and can adapt
to different cultures and ways of
thinking.
Gail said that if she could
impress upon the trainees one
crucial piece of advice it would be
that she wished she had realised
that college ‘is really the only
time in your life where you are
surrounded by people, lecturers,
other nationalities, and other
Jessica Tyson with Barry Keenan, curriculum head for
marine engineering at City of Glasgow College
experienced staff that you can
ask questions of’.
Jessica put it more bluntly, to
general amusement: ‘Try and get
as much as you can out of it.
If you waft along you will get
bugger all out of it.’
Gail stressed that many cadets
would have no guarantee of a job
at the end of their training —
another reason to work hard and
gain new skills in a competitive
job market. ‘I was a tonnage tax
cadet, and my company did not
really want me. But I didn’t realise at first. I thought I was guaranteed a job after my course,’ she
said.
Both Gail and Jessica told the
cadets that it would sometimes
be necessary for them to stand up
for themselves to get the training
they needed. ‘Officers onboard
have a duty of responsibility to
ensure you are trained,’ Jessica
pointed out. ‘Yes, you may clean a
lot of gangways, but ask for some
responsibility. If you are annoying enough, as I was, you get what
you want eventually.’
Nautilus senior assistant
organiser Lee Moon told the
cadets that membership of Nautilus meant that they did not
have to ‘suffer in silence’ if they
experienced poor treatment.
You may
clean a lot of
gangways
at first, but
ask for some
responsibility
and you’ll go
a long way
“
”
They should first raise it with
their tutors, but if it continued,
they should raise it with the
Union and also refer to their
sponsoring agreements.
Lee said the seminar had
proved the value of the Union’s
revamped college visit formats,
which now include the opportunity for serving Nautilus members to come along and provide
practical advice at ‘college to sea’
mentoring sessions.
f Share your experience! To
volunteer to take part in future
college visits around the UK,
contact Lee Moon at reps@
nautilusint.org
18/02/2015 16:44
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25
SEAFARER TRAINING
Glasgow trainees are in for a treat in August this year, when
their college’s new £228m maritime campus opens.
The faculty aims to become a ‘beacon’ for nautical training…
A new home
on the Clyde
K
City of Glasgow College
cadets returning from
their sea phases in the
summer of 2015 will complete
their studies in a new high-tech
campus that aims to become a
hub of ‘world class’ maritime
training.
Three gleaming new nautical
faculty buildings steadily rising
on the banks of the River Clyde
will provide a technologically
advanced learning environment.
The new campus features ‘writable’ walls, a new engineroom simulator and a more realistic ship’s
layout in the new engineering
block — but it also promises to be
much more than the sum of its
digitally enhanced structure,
says faculty director Dr Nicola
Crawford.
‘The new maritime campus
will be fantastic. It is specifically
going to house only maritime
education and engineering,’ she
explains. ‘Having the new facilities will change how we teach
things, as the nautical faculty will
have a state-of-the-art campus
featuring a working engineroom,
full mission engine simulator,
modern bridge simulator with
360-degrees viewing, a brand
new engineering workshop, a
modern high voltage training
facility and futuristic learning
spaces and specialist laboratories. This allows us much more
scope for practical learning.’
The new facilities reflect feedback from cadets and the industry, Dr Crawford says. ‘Often the
thing I hear from employers is
that the cadets are not ready —
they are not bridge ready or
engineroom ready — so we want
to help to address that, by changing how we deliver the curriculum.
‘The feedback from the engineers onboard ships has been
“show them a bit more practical
things about what about what
they can expect onboard” —
what it will look like,’ she adds. ‘So
we are focusing on a different
way of learning and teaching,
using a real life project-based
and industry-relevant curriculum to make sure trainees are
actually work-ready and to offer
them more practical experience
before their first sea phase.’
The new campus comprises
three new buildings: a halls of
residence; an engineering workshop laid out as it would be
onboard a ship, with a new graphically enhanced engineroom simulator complete with alarms and
signal panels; and a completely
wireless administration and
teaching block — including a new
lecture theatre with an increased
exam capacity for between 150 to
200 students.
The college aims to make better use of its existing simulators
by providing more realistic shift
patterns, crisis and fatigue management scenarios, and to allow
later opening times for cadets to
practise in their own time.
The new glass-covered buildings reflect a big change of ethos
for the college towards a more
‘customer orientated’ culture,
and sweeps previous rumours of
closure firmly off the horizon.
The Glasgow Nautical Faculty
is one of the largest in the country,
and the City of Glasgow College
itself now ranks number three in
Scotland (according to aggregated
data) — up from where it sat at
number 14 over the last couple of
years.
Dr Crawford said the new
buildings will ‘allow us to move
Dr Nicola Crawford, head of the
Faculty of Nautical Studies at City
of Glasgow College
on with our reputation and what
we can offer’. The history of the
nautical college is inherently
linked with Glasgow’s long seafaring heritage, she points out. It
first opened in 1962, as a dedicated nautical college, but a drop
in training meant the college had
to reinvent itself over the years
and had become more of a multifunctional establishment. In September 2010 it merged with the
Central College of Commerce and
the Metropolitan College.
While the college’s position
had been ‘in a state of flux’ over
the last few years, Dr Crawford
says it is now emerging as a strong
organisation. ‘I believe we can be
one of the world class centres and
we are working towards that.’
K
Staff
communication
will be improved on the
new campus through
the alignment of deck and
engineering staff departments
over two floors, rather than
spread over the current ‘rabbit
warrens’ of buildings.
The college is also developing
new training packages in
response to current needs. One
example will be the enhanced
ECDIS training course. Cadets
will not only obtain their
generic certificate but have the
opportunity to add up to six
different type-specific ECDIS
training packages. This will
add value to the cadet training
course and be a major benefit to
employers, Dr Crawford says.
Curriculum head Angus Ferguson says the new facilities will
offer much more flexibility for
learning and a renewed focus on
the students. ‘The big difference
with the new campus is the accessibility of computers and the
simulator equipment,’ he notes.
‘It’s a case of embedding that
learning from day one for our
students.
‘You shouldn’t keep the ship
simulator for when the students
come back from their final sea
phase,’ he adds. ‘Simulator training is integral in developing good
The new faculty buildings are
taking shape beside the existing
campus on the banks of the Clyde
practice and positive behaviours
which they can take onboard with
them as an officer of the watch’.
Glasgow’s nautical faculty has
a wide-ranging demographic of
trainees from the UK and around
the world, and Dr Crawford says it
is ‘a clear sign that we are becoming more of a beacon for maritime training of international
students.’
The UK students mainly still
come from seafaring backgrounds, but Mr Ferguson says
there is a need to tackle the lack of
awareness in schools about maritime careers.
Currently the college offers a
number of distance learning
courses, such as business learning for engineering, and it is planning to develop more of these
courses on the deck officer side
— especially for those wanting
going back to sea. ‘We see ourselves as a hub for the maritime
and shipping industry and we can
highlight different pathways to
our students,’ Mr Ferguson says.
Dr Crawford said the new campus had been designed to be
future-proof and will allow the
college to expand and produce
students with passion and energy
to give back to the industry.
‘It’s an amazing place to be,’
she adds. ‘It’s good for Glasgow,
maritime education and ultimately it’s good for the cadets.
The aim at the end of the day is
to inspire them to stay in the
industry.’
Jessica Tyson and Barry Keenan examine the plans for the new maritime training facilities
24-25_glasgow_SR edit (2).indd 25
18/02/2015 16:44
26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
MARITIME SAFETY
When ticking the right
boxes is not enough
Why is the
al Safety
International
nt Code
Management
iver
failing to deliver
improved
standards,
asks deepseaa
pilot KEVIN
VALLANCE…
M
Two serious shipping
accidents occurred in the
Dover Straits TSS within
the space of just four months in
2013, both resulting in full UK
Marine Accident Investigation
Branch (MAIB) investigations.
On 18 September the tanker
Ovit ran aground on the Varne
Bank and on 11 December a collision occurred between the UKflagged general cargoship Paula
C and the bulk carrier Darya Gayatri. These incidents not only
shared geographical similarities
but also both prompted the MAIB
reports to highlight the fact that
breaches of Safety Management
Systems (SMSs) had been major
causal factors in allowing the
accidents to occur.
In July 2002 the implementation of the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code was
completed for all SOLAS vessel of over 500gt. The reason for
the Code was to improve safety
standards, with the aim of bringing about a reduction in accidents at sea and the injuries and
pollution which may be caused as
a result.
Although all SOLAS vessels
are required by the Code to have
a working SMS onboard — which
is subject to internal and external audit, including audit and
verification by flag state — there
continues to be a considerable
number of avoidable shipping
accidents and incidents.
Despite the implementation
of the Code (and its amendments)
many
recent
investigation
reports highlight the fact that
although SMSs are in place, they
are routinely ignored. In the case
of Paula C, the highlighted major
failure was the use of a sole lookout during the hours of darkness.
For the Ovit, the major failing was
deemed to be a lack of familiarity
with the ECDIS equipment, which
was the primary source of navigation onboard. It may be possible
to interpret that there is an attitude of there being a difference
between doing what should be
done and doing what you can get
away with.
When attempting to answer
the rhetorical question ‘Where
did it all go wrong?’ in relation to
ISM, it is important to be aware
not only why the Code was implemented but also how it developed.
Historically, the international
shipping industry is generally
guilty of acting only in a reactive way — with legislation and
guidelines only developed following a major catastrophe. The
SOLAS convention was a direct
Failure to follow SMS procedures was cited as a cause of the collision
between the UK-flagged general cargoship Paula C and the Hong Kongflagged bulk carrier Darya Gayatri in the Channel in December 2013
26-27_ism_SR edit.indd 26
The crew of the containership Norfolk Express were criticised for failing to follow the ship’s safety management system when the vessel broke down
and ran aground off Germany in 2013
result of the sinking of the RMS
Titanic and the resultant tragic
loss of life. The MARPOL convention followed the environmental
disaster caused by the grounding
of the tanker Torrey Canyon. And
a major catalyst for the ISM Code
was the report by Lord Justice
Sheen into the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise.
Although the direct cause
of the accident, with the resultant loss of 193 lives, was the ro-ro
ferry sailing with her bow door
open, within his summing up
Lord Sheen made reference to
‘the poor workplace communication and stand-off relationship between ship operators and
shore-based managers which was
the root cause of the sinking’.
One fundamental objective of
the ISM Code is the requirement
to make available to all seafarers
a senior person in the company
hierarchy who has access to the
highest levels of management.
This ‘Designated Person’ has
wide-ranging duties and obligations to implement and monitor
all aspects of shipboard operations.
A basic mantra churned out
during the gestation period of
the Code was ‘Say what you do, do
what you say and record it’. What
this is taken to mean in practice
is that for each shipboard operation it is necessary to lay down a
procedure or method of doing
the task, and when the task is
completed a record is kept, which
can be audited or verified. This
is commonly done by the use
of checklists where each task is
recorded by use of a tick box.
The attitude adopted by some
authorities (in line with ISO
requirements) was that it was
necessary for procedures to enable someone to walk off the street
and be able to carry out a task
purely by following the procedure. Obviously they had forgotten the fact that all persons doing
the job onboard were trained and
independently certificated (certificates of competency), so this
level of procedure was not really
required.
M
The Code itself is only a
very slim volume which,
through its various sections, lays out the basic requirements for a SMS. It does this in
very general terms, and does not
within itself explain how the SMS
must be written. It is important
to appreciate that the Code does
not specify that reams of paper
have to be churned out for each
onboard task.
It may seem strange to seafarers who have been at sea for
less than 20 years, but in the nottoo distant past the use of vast
quantities of checklists and work
procedures was not common on
most vessels.
My own personal introduction to checklists took place in
1976. As a final trip deck cadet, the
vessel I was on — although only
around 600ft in length — had
a crew in excess of 50 persons.
In addition to having sufficient
crew numbers, we also normally
had fairly long port stays and
everyone was fully aware of what
their allocated jobs were — work
fatigue was not usually a concern.
However, on one occasion
the vessel called at Curacao for
bunkers and had only a relatively
short stay in port. Due to other
unforeseen factors, the normal
working pattern of the vessel
and her crew was disrupted and
watchkeeping schedules were
altered. Around 30 minutes after
sailing, and after disembarking
the pilot, it was discovered that
the gyro repeaters had not been
checked for alignment prior to
departure. Captain Bland, the
vessel’s master, developed a PreSailing Checklist, which fitted
onto one side of A4 paper and
included tick boxes. This rudimental checklist was intended to
act as an aide memoire and was
well received by all onboard. This
acceptance was because everyone was aware that the previous omission had occurred and
appreciated the need to prevent
it recurring in the future.
With the expansion of global
trade during the 1980s, many
manufacturing companies who
traded worldwide started to
appreciate the need for consist-
ent supply standards and the
need for such quality assurance
to be acknowledged and strived
towards. Many shipping lines,
who by this juncture in time had
been absorbed into transport
companies, were subject to these
regimes and the subsequent
need to comply with ISO9000
certification requirements.
M
Prior to the introduction
of the Code, it is probably
true to say that the level
of understanding of management systems was not as good as
it could have been.
The use of checklists and the
resultant tick boxes for supply
systems originated from the
military and were relatively easily adapted for use within civilian transportation and supply
systems to form the basis of
many Quality Management Systems. Unfortunately, the quality
management teams tasked with
implementing and auditing the
needs of the ISM Code often tried
to use the same methods already
employed within the procedures
used for ISO.
Some specialists/consultants
saw the opportunity to make
a quick buck by providing offthe-shelf generic SMSs which, in
hindsight, were often not fit for
purpose. However, they provided
sufficient to allow the unenlightened to get through an audit.
Where shipping companies
18/02/2015 16:21
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27
MARITIME SAFETY
were complying with the ISO
standards (or working towards
them), there was often an
attempt to try and tie in the needs
of ISO with the requirements of
the ISM Code. With hindsight,
this can generally be considered
to be a fundamental mistake
because any attempts to find a
common interface are often only
spurious in nature.
Many shipping companies
did not employ specialist quality
management personnel but carried out in-house recruitment.
Often this would lead to the person appointed carrying out the
new tasks in addition to their
primary job, which they were initially employed to fulfil.
It was also necessary for
companies to identify seagoing
personnel who bought into the
philosophy of the ISM Code. This
enabled a thorough evaluation
of what was required for compliance with the Code and also
allowed workable systems to be
developed and adopted.
Some enlightened mariners
quickly appreciated that the ISM
Code offered a great way forward
and a way of raising safety standards. But, unfortunately, a majority of seagoing personnel did not
see the advantages and found
compliance with the Code to be
just another distraction from getting the job done in the time-honoured way. This was in many ways
We need
to re-educate
people in the
importance of
always acting
in a safe
manner, not
just acting to
comply with
regulations
“
”
symbolic of the resistance to
change often observed amongst
many seafarers.
Another
problem
which
developed was that because on
occasions the SMS was seen to be
a bolt-on to the quality management system, they very rapidly
became very physically large
documents with a number of files
taking up a large space, often on
the bridge or in the ship’s office.
My own early experience with
ISM took place during the late
1990s prior to mandatory compliance. Our company tried to be
forward-thinking and spent large
amounts of money attempting
to train ship’s staff to be fully
switched into the required safety
culture. Unfortunately, because
the system had not been fully
developed or implemented,
many people found the constant
amendments to the system to be
very time-consuming and frustrating.
Having had it well explained
to me how correct use of the
spirit of the ISM Code could and
should be of benefit to sea staff,
I put myself forward for training and integration into the
company quality and safety
department. During my normal
working rota I continued to be a
serving ship master, but during
26-27_ism_SR edit.indd 27
to keep a proper lookout. Both of
these incidents would have been
avoided if the observance of traditional good seamanship practices had been followed.
One possible explanation
for the failure to follow the practices of good seamanship and for
widespread misuse or even flogging of tick boxes on checklists
aboard ship may be the fact that
the vessels are generally physically out of sight and away from
continual auditable control
where there is a feeling of limited
supervisory control.
M
Dutch accident investigators found an ‘unworkable’ SMS onboard the general cargoship Azoresborg when they examined an incident in which a crew
member died in February 2013
leave and additional work time I
was seconded to assist with developing the company systems.
The proliferation of everexpanding filing systems full
of procedures and the almost
obligatory use of checklists and
tick boxes continued unabated.
Initially it was considered that
our ISM certification would be
done through class — in our case
by Lloyd’s Register. The company systems and vessels were
all inspected and audited to LR
standard well before the mandatory required date. However, this
proved to be incorrect and at the
last minute — literally in the final
week before implementation —
the whole system had to be reexamined, this time by the flag
state (the MCA for the UK).
Having reached the required
standard, vessels are still subject
to internal audit and the entire
system has to be seen to be a living dynamic entity. Because of
the simplicity and lack of explicit
guidance from the ISM Code,
there is no right and wrong way
of carrying out its requirements.
It is the responsibility of the company to identify the needs and to
lay down a suitable structure to
allow compliance.
One of the problems experienced is that once a procedure
has been incorporated into the
SMS there is a reluctance to
remove it. In a very short time
the sheer volume and size of the
filing systems will expand rapidly. In our own situation the
only practical way we managed
to reduce the files physically was
by printing on both sides of the
paper and by using a smaller font
size.
The use of checklists and tick
boxes also continues to expand
and it is now not unusual to see
checklists employed to record
that all relevant checklists have
been completed!
Properly constructed checklists which are vessel and task
specific can be invaluable when
used as aide memoires and to
help record that all procedures
have been correctly completed.
Most readers will be aware that
checklists are very common in
the airline industry; less well
known may be the research into
their use within medical surgery. During a year-long study
conducted by the World Health
Organisation, in eight locations
across the globe, a simple single
page surgical checklist used dur-
ing major surgery was proven
to cut deaths by over 40% and
complications by more than onethird.
M
All too often at sea it can
be observed that incorrectly developed or incorrectly completed checklists have
an adverse effect. This has developed into a so-called ‘tick box
mentality’.
Recently I queried an OOW
on a car carrier about the predeparture checklist he had just
completed. All the tick boxes for
this PCC had been completed,
including the one ‘check water
content meter (for bulk carriers
only)’. When I pointed this out to
the third officer he replied that
if he didn’t tick the box he would
get into trouble. Use of ‘generic
forms’, either for vessels or across
a company, is often a cause of
such idiosyncrasies.
This continuing proliferation of new paperwork onboard
vessels which is often blamed on
the ISM has led to some (often
the master), feeling they are little more than a floating secretary. It may be argued by some
that the need to complete all the
paperwork required is negatively
impacting on the ability of the
master to fulfil the myriad of
other tasks traditionally associated with the rank.
One traditional set of onboard
guidelines was the Master’s
Standing Orders. These were written up by the master and were
specific to a particular vessel, her
working patterns and the crew.
They were regularly reviewed
by the master and signed and
acknowledged by the bridge
watchkeepers.
However, it is now common
to see a set of generic Master’s
Standing Orders sent from the
office to the vessel.
It must be appreciated that
the SMS consists of much more
than just a set of operational procedures and associated checklists. Ovit did not run aground
because of not completing a
checklist, it ran aground primarily because of a lack of familiarity with onboard ECDIS equipment which led to poor passage
planning techniques and monitoring. Although all the bridge
officers had completed typespecific training for the ECDIS
equipment carried, they were
not able to correctly use it. Paula
C was not involved in a collision
because of not completing a
checklist, but because of a failure
There remains a feeling
by many seafarers that
it is important to just get
the job done, despite regulatory
guidelines which may have been
put into place. An obvious example of this is the continuing tragic
and unnecessary loss of life associated with entry into enclosed
spaces. Re-education needs to
take place to stress the importance of always acting in a safe
manner, not just acting to comply
with regulations.
It is unfortunate that it is
the ISM Code which is seen by
some crews as the cause (or even
curse) of the shipping industry’s
safety problems. There needs to
be an acceptance that it is usually an incorrect interpretation
of the Code which needs to be
addressed.
There may need to be a return
to basic principles in which the
Code is used to develop best
industry practices where correct
procedures are produced which
can then be properly logged and
accurately recorded.
The failure by seafarers to
identify shortcomings of the SMS
during onboard reviews must
be rectified. Everyone involved,
either shore-based or shipboard, must truly understand
and appreciate that the SMS is a
dynamic entity and it will continually evolve. It must truly reflect
how vessels can safely operate.
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.
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18/02/2015 16:21
28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
MARITIME HISTORY
c
Immediately on the
outbreak of the First
World War, Britain used
its overwhelming sea power to
establish a naval blockade of
Germany. In November 1914
the North Sea was declared a
war zone, with any ships entering it doing so at their own risk.
Even foodstuffs were deemed
‘contraband of war’. Germany
regarded this as a blatant and
illegal attempt to starve its people into submission and wanted
to retaliate in kind. Its answer:
‘kleinkrieg’ — a war of stealth by
U-boats.
After only three months of
war the British Admiralty was in
a state of shock. What was then
the world’s most powerful navy
had suffered staggering losses
to the Imperial German Navy,
brought about by what has been
described as ‘cheap, crude tin
cans not fit for human habitation’ — the U-boats.
Five navy cruisers had been
destroyed; the first — HMS
Pathfinder — had been sunk
close enough to the Scottish
shores of the Firth of Forth for
the incident to be witnessed
by no less than Aldous Huxley,
author of Brave New World,
as well as local fishermen. The
Admiralty became defensive
not only at sea, but in the press
and parliament.
One well-placed torpedo heralded the arrival of the deadliest
weapon yet seen in naval warfare, the diesel and electric powered submarine. It marked the
end of centuries of dominance
by large surface warships.
In October 1914, the elderly
and laden British freighter
Glitra became the first merchantman to be sunk in the war
by U-boat. On passage to neutral
Norway, the steamer was hailed
by U17 and boarded. Unable
to man the prize for passage
back to Germany, the Glitra’s
own crew were ordered to the
lifeboats and the ship was then
scuttled. Her destruction had
been carried out in what has
been described as a most gentlemanly manner. The submarine towed the ship’s lifeboats to
within easy reach of land, their
occupants merely indignant at
their loss, but otherwise none
the worse for their experience.
The commander of U17
expected a court martial on
his return home, even though
his action was not illegal
under international law. He
received only a mild reprimand.
Although the Commander-inChief of the High Seas Fleet was
opposed to attacks on unarmed
merchantmen, there were those
nearer the Kaiser who thought
the end justified the means.
Two years earlier, the retired
First Sea Lord Sir John Fisher had
predicted that the difficulties
submarines faced when it came
to complying with the rules
of prize warfare would lead to
them being completely ignored
in favour of survival tactics.
However, the incumbent First
Sea Lord Winston Churchill dismissed the notion, stating that
unrestricted submarine warfare was something no civilised
nation would ever consider.
Only days after the loss of
Glitra, the French ferry Ganteaume, in company with the
British ship Queen, was crippled by a torpedo. Both vessels were engaged in bringing
refugees from Belgium to the
safety of Le Havre. A fragment
of torpedo had been found in a
lifeboat, confirming the origin
of the attack which originally
28-29_tb_SR edit.indd 28
A new threat from
below the waves
One hundred years ago, British sea power was facing a stern test as the U-boat threat
menaced merchant shipping. TREVOR BOULT tells how Germany ultimately failed in its
attempt to cut off the UK’s maritime lifelines…
U-boats in Kiel harbour at the start of the war
had been attributed to a mine.
Although the casualties proved
small, this incident introduced
the world to the potential harsh
consequences of such warfare.
The press published accounts of
the attack, along with the Admiralty’s conclusions, to a shocked
public.
In Germany the reaction was
muted, for submarines were
now being seen as the answer to
Britain’s overwhelming superiority in surface warships, and
in rendering vulnerable its vital
maritime supply lines. Alfred
von Turpitz was convinced that
the attack on Ganteaume was
the precursor to necessity.
Initially, U-boats generally
obeyed the prize — or ‘cruiser’
— rules, surfacing before
attacking merchant ships and
allowing those onboard to
escape. In return, merchant seafarers were forbidden to defend
themselves — even by sending
radio distress signals. In 1916,
Captain Charles Fryatt was
captured, tried and executed
by the Germans for trying to
ram the submarine U33. As the
war progressed, ‘intensified’
U-boat activity eventually led
to unrestricted submarine warfare — the sinking of merchant
ships on sight — and indeed to
‘atrocities’.
The evolution of the submarine provoked more moral
Captain Lothar von Arnauld de la
Perière took the command of U35
at the end of 1915 and became the
most successful U-boat commander,
sinking a total of 194 ships
indignation than any previous weapon of war. Admiral Sir
Arthur Wilson condensed early
opinion about submarines as
‘underhand... and damned unEnglish... treat all submarines as
pirates in wartime... and hang all
the crews.’
In the ensuing campaign,
U-boat crews had considered
themselves more as 20th century reincarnations of the
swashbuckling pirates of the
Spanish Main, rather than ruthless killers. They suffered great
privations and faced intolerable
dangers. Common to both parties, to survive the destruction
of a ship or a submarine was not
the end, but the beginning of an
ordeal which all too often culminated in a lingering death by
drowning or exposure.
In February 1915 Germany
announced ‘The waters around
Great Britain and Ireland,
including the whole of the
English Channel, are herewith
declared to be in the War Zone...
every merchant ship met with
in this zone will be destroyed.’
Three months later, the
transatlantic liner Lusitania was
torpedoed off the south coast
of Ireland. Reputedly she was
secretly carrying munitions,
but her sinking still remains in
dispute, and at the time it sowed
the seeds for America to enter
the war two years later.
18/02/2015 16:45
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29
MARITIME HISTORY
Even as the
war came to
an end, the
U-boat was
regarded as a
dirty weapon,
unworthy of
a page in the
history of sea
warfare
“
”
October 1914 – The Dawn of the
U-boat Menace: a painting by James
Hinton, illustrating the historic
Glitra incident.
The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 sowed the seeds for the US entry into the war
drawn from fish stocks. The
‘Price of Fish’ was hard fought.
Latterly, it became evident to
the German Admirals that their
hopes of starving the British
into submission were doomed
to failure unless they found an
answer to the convoys. Grouping U-boats to attack in organised bands was proposed but
not taken up until May 1918, by
which time it had become obvi-
ous that Germany would lose
the war.
In October 1918 Admiral
Scheer, Commander of the German High Seas Fleet, issued a
directive: ‘To all U-boats: Commence return from patrol at
once. Because of ongoing negotiations any hostile actions
against merchant vessels prohibited’.
On 11 November 1918 the
Armistice was signed and the
remaining U-boats sailed into
British and French ports to surrender. They were received with
loathing, for the U-boat was still
regarded as a ‘dirty’ weapon,
‘unworthy of a page in the history of sea warfare’.
Their effect was later summarised: ‘It could not be disputed that the U-boat was a formidable weapon. In four years
of war about 150 of these small
craft, each manned by no more
than 40 men, had sunk 11 million tons of Allied and neutral
merchant ships. They had challenged and, in the end, humiliated the mighty British surface
fleet. In 1918 it was clear to even
the most hidebound of the
admirals that in any future war
the submarine would be a major
factor in deciding which side
lost or won.’
After the war, a generous
appreciation of the work of the
merchant service was issued
by the Board of Admiralty: ‘In
no small measure also has the
success achieved against the
submarine been due to the
interest taken by Owners in the
defensive equipment of their
ships, and to the ability, loyalty,
and technical skill displayed
by Masters and Officers in carrying out Admiralty regulations which, though tending to
the safety of the vessels from
submarine risks, enormously
increased the strain and anxiety
of navigation.’
f The author acknowledges the
material assistance of: Rear Admiral
J.R. Hill, David Bone, Bernard
Edwards, and James Hinton.
The German submarine U35 was described as ‘the most successful’ U-boat of the First World War. It is recorded as
having sunk 226 Allied ships, amounting to 538,500 tons.
The 1911-built collier Wonga Fell was used by the Admiralty as HMS
Wonganella ‒ a disguised merchant ship used as a decoy for U-boats
By the end of 1915 the
U-boats had sunk over 1.3m
tons of Allied and neutral merchant shipping. The toll of such
losses continued to rise relentlessly, reaching a peak in April
1917, by which time unrestricted
submarine warfare had been
adopted.
Initially, there were no
effective counter-measures to
the submarine threat. In 1915
Q-ships were secretly developed and adopted — heavily
armed decoys, disguised as a
wide range of conventional
merchantmen. Some technical advances included primitive depth charges and wire
explosive sweeps which would
provide some chance of sinking an unwary U-boat in the
shallow waters of the North Sea
and Channel, areas where fleet
action was expected.
It proved very difficult to
integrate submarines into fleet
action. Their navigation, sensors, and communications were
too unreliable. They proved
to be excellent against trade
shipping, described as guerre
de course — war of the chase.
Germany’s unrestricted cam-
28-29_tb_SR edit.indd 29
paign against merchant shipping nearly settled the war in its
favour.
However, its instigation was
decisive in bringing America
into the war. The Allies also
adopted the convoy system,
with protection by the Royal
Navy. By the end of 1917, records
indicate that 98% of ships in
convoy arrived at their destinations unharmed.
In 1915 the results of a particular development led to a
significant technical advance.
The use of underwater sound
was applied to the detection of
submarines whilst submerged.
Fixed hydrophone stations
were established. By the end of
1917 there were 21 such stations
around the coasts of Britain;
a valued weapon for coastal
defence.
After the formation of the
Anti-Submarine Division at the
Admiralty in late 1916, hydrophones were sent to sea in ships
in increasing numbers. The
Nash Fish could even indicate
the direction of a noise source.
For visual detection, aircraft
patrols proved effective, especially as U-boats had to spend
much time on the surface for
battery charging. The development of echo-ranging — then
called Asdic — was too late to
affect the course of the conflict.
Throughout, vessels and
crew in the coastal trade plied
their daily duty in the very
midst of the sea war. This stark
reality was acknowledged: ‘No
course can be steered that does
not drive his keel through mineable areas and across the ranges
of lurking submarines.’
In mid-1915, the British discovered that, while new and
larger U-boats were being sent
abroad on the trade routes, special submarines, less encumbered by the stores and equipment that longer passages
demanded, made frequent visits to the fairways to sow mines.
No channel offered sanctuary to
the coaster.
In the early days of submarine activity, U-boats were
loath to use expensive torpedoes on coasters, relying
instead on gunfire. At this time,
the enemy’s actions have been
described: ‘He could have a leisurely exercise in frightfulness
at little risk. There was no return
of fire. ... The German became
dissatisfied with a frightfulness
that murdered only half a merchant ship’s crew when it was
possible to murder all. ... They
shelled the lifeboats in many
subsequent attacks. ... Sheer
individual murder took the
place of an illegal act of war.’
Such atrocities were also
directed at the home fishing
fleets as yet another desperate
effort to cut off food supplies,
even to reducing the rations
Are you serving or retired
MERCHANT NAVY
FISHING FLEET
ROYAL NAVY
ROYAL MARINE
or a dependant
or do you know someone who is
and needs help?
Seafarer Support is a free confidential telephone
and award winning online referral service
helping you find support for serving and
former UK seafarers and their
families in times of need
www.seafarersupport.org
Freephone 0800 121 4765
18/02/2015 16:45
30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
OFFWATCH ships of the past
by Trevor Boult
unique sailing raft which
F
enabled an epic single-handed
Seven Little Sisters was a
voyage across the Pacific in 1954,
from Peru to Samoa, a distance
approaching 7,000 miles. Her
creator and crew, William Willis,
sailed further and faster than the
earlier six-man expedition on
Kon-Tiki.
Willis conceived the idea
whilst serving as a seaman on
an American collier running
between Norfolk and New York.
His motive was ‘not a stunt —
not merely an adventure. I did
not want to prove any scientific
theory, or discover and set up
my new course of any kind for
others to follow’.
Rather, it was to be a voyage
to the innermost reaches of
himself, although he conceded
that he might contribute new
knowledge about survival at
sea. The ‘hare-brained’ venture
was backed by a friend in
Connecticut with the only
condition: ‘that you come back’.
Months were spent in the
jungles of Ecuador to source
the seven suitable balsa
logs which formed the main
flotation structure and after
which the raft was named. They
were temporarily rafted and
taken 200 miles downriver to
Guayaquil where the raft proper
was built.
The seven carrier logs were
braced with mangrove beams,
topped with cross logs of balsa
and a deck of split bamboo.
A jib-boom and a mainmast
of twin shear legs echoed the
ancient pattern of all seagoing
Ecuadorian rafts. Highest grade
manila served as lashings and
the sails were made from Orlon
— a light but tough synthetic
fabric. The historic use of
steering sweeps was deemed
inappropriate for singlehanded use. A regular ship’s
wheel and conventional rudder
were installed. A ‘hut’ housed
Sailing solo with
sextant and pets
instruments, clothes and food,
required to be kept dry.
Willis had always intended to
sail from Ecuador, the country
where the raft was built: ‘I know
it meant beating to westward
against current and wind from
the moment I struck the open
coast in order to clear the
Galapagos archipelago... I meant
to accomplish this by means of
centreboards acting like a keel.’
In the end the raft was conveyed
700 miles down the coast in
order to take advantage of the
Humboldt Current and to avoid
the worst of any hurricanes.
The Grace Line freighter
Santa Cecilia loaded the 10-ton
raft as deck cargo at Punar, for
carriage to Callao. In late June
1954, a minesweeper of the
Peruvian Navy towed the raft 60
miles offshore, before release.
On the clearance papers from
Callao, the destination was
officially recorded as Samoa. An
uninsurable risk, nevertheless
the epic had begun. As a modern
concession, a hand-cranked
Marconi transmitter was carried
with the aim of providing
regular position reports to the
authorities. For company Willis
had a cat and a parrot.
Early observations by Willis
are revealing: ‘Every day brought
new problems for I was far from
knowing the raft… The simplest
tasks had to be dropped many
Telegraph prize crossword
The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition
will win a copy of the book A Photographic History of
P&O Cruises by Robert Henderson, Doug Cremer, Chris
Frame and Rachelle Cross (reviewed on the facing page).
To enter, simply complete the form right and send it,
along with your completed crossword, to:
Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword
Competition, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD,
or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015.
You can also enter by email, by sending your list
of answers and your contact details to:
telegraph@nautilusint.org.
Closing date is Friday 13 March 2014.
QUICK CLUES
30_offwatch.indd 30
1.
5.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
15.
18.
19.
21.
23.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Across
Ices on sticks (7)
Chemistry equipment (7)
Ran competitively (5)
Model (9)
Following (9)
Pottery (5)
Blades (5)
Send down (9)
Not the main thing (4,5)
Buttonhole (5)
Tunes (5)
Weaponry (9)
Musicians (9)
Hindu figure (5)
Commons figure (7)
Christmas decoration (4,3)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Down
Dog (7)
Cut (9)
Country (5)
Popular acts (4,5)
Food granulator (5)
Grindstone (9)
Majestic (5)
times when I had to make dashes
to the wheel when she ran off,
and often a job requiring only
a few undisturbed minutes
took hours. I had to develop the
patience of a mountain.’
Navigation was challenging:
‘The noon sight was the
hardest to take due to the
raft’s movements. I had to take
over twenty sights to get an
average. This put an almost
blinding strain on the eyes but
was unavoidable.’ Mindful of
priorities, he reminded himself
with a sign: Bust Your Bone But
Save The Sextant.
The spiritual adjustment
required to endure what
became endless, lonely days; the
constant activity needed to sail
the raft; and exhaustion from
too little sleep — these were
ever-present stresses.
But harder trials were in
store. A mysterious illness
almost paralysed him with
pain on occasion; most of the
drinking water went bad; heavy
storms ripped the sails. Finally
came the awful realisation
that the soaked balsa logs were
sinking progressively lower into
the water.
112 days out from Callao and
within sight of land, the radio
message was sent: RAFT 25
MILES FROM TAU NEED HELP
TO LAND ALLS WELL WILLIS.
Conditions proved treacherous
to land both at Tau and later
Tutuila. Eventually an American
Coast Guard vessel located the
raft and towed her to Pago Pago.
Willis learned that he had been
considered lost for the duration.
The only radio message that had
been received was the very last
one.
At a traditional Polynesian
greeting ceremony, William
Willis was given the honorary
title Tautai O Le Vasa Laolao —
Captain of the High Seas. Seven
Little Sisters was gifted to the
people of American Samoa for
placement and preservation in a
museum.
50 YEARS AGO
There is no need for ships’ officers to be alarmed at the navigational hazards
presented by drilling units which will be taking part in the North Sea oil
search, according to Shell UK Exploration & Production. With large-scale
drilling operations due to begin in a few months, the company’s general
manager, Mr G. Williams, has given assurances about the safety precautions
being taken to reduce the risk of collision. The MNAOA has examined the
legislation covering North Sea oil and gas exploration and the potential
consequences for masters and officers if a ship collided with one of the
installations and caused oil to escape into the sea. Whilst liability may be
limited under the Merchant Shipping Act 1958, the MNAOA and the MMSA
are keeping a close watch on the subject MN Journal, March 1965
25 YEARS AGO
Marine insurers have expressed concern over declining standards of seafaring
skills and competency. They say they are also alarmed by continued cutbacks in
crew levels. The annual meeting of the Institute of London Underwriters (ILU)
heard last month that tonnage lost last year had increased by 40%, with 156
ships of 1.08m gt lost. The annual report highlighted worries over the rapidly
ageing world merchant fleet, warning that inexperienced crews are also having
a detrimental effect on maintenance standards. The ILU says many owners
cut their maintenance programmes in the recession of the 1980s, particularly
on vessels laid-up for long periods, and there is a clear link between casualty
statistics and tonnage age profiles The Telegraph, March 1990
10 YEARS AGO
Shipowners have been urged to clamp down on the use of mobile phones on
the bridge in pilotage areas and other restricted waters. The call has come
from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in a report on the grounding
of an Italian-flagged chemical tanker in the Solent last year. Investigators
discovered that the master of the 4,450gt Attilo Ievoli had spent more
than 24 minutes on a mobile phone in the 36 minutes leading up to the
accident. The MAIB said that at the time of the grounding there was no
shared appreciation on the bridge as to the vessel’s position and the report
recommends that companies designate pilotage and other restricted waters
as ‘red zones’ where outgoing mobile calls are barred and incoming calls
must be diverted to a message service to prevent the bridge team from being
distracted The Telegraph, March 2005
THEQUIZ
4
Roughly how many LNG tankers
are there in the world fleet at
present?
5
Britain had the world’s largest
merchant fleet in 1930, with
9,860 ships totalling more than
22m gt. Which country’s fleet
was in second place, and how
big was it?
Roughly how many seagoing
ships were built in Dutch yards
during 2013?
1
Can you name the world’s five
largest shipowning countries?
2
In 1980, containerships
accounted for 1.6% of the world
fleet in deadweight tonnage
terms. What is the figure today?
6
3
What percentage of the world
fleet, in deadweight tonnage
terms, is accounted for by oil
tankers?
J Quiz answers are on page 42.
Name:
Address:
Telephone:
8.
14.
16.
17.
18.
20.
22.
23.
24.
Stick of stare (7)
I.O.U. (4,5)
Shebeen (9)
Assessment (9)
Directive (7)
Picking up (7)
Plinth (5)
Name (5)
Deer (5)
CRYPTIC CLUES
1.
5.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Across
Religious figure, we hear,
though largely silent.
A proper Charlie (7)
Surrender middle of cucumber
after coppers return (7)
London courtier a year ahead
of his time (5)
Beneath Heather to appear
plebeian (9)
Manage with disguise viper
uses (9)
It has a bit of a laugh about
Japanese capital (5)
For making a bloomer you
in France have the edge (5)
Membership No.:
15. Breathe in, if somewhat
falteringly, over winter (9)
18. Criticise computer storage
device with revolutionary
information technology (9)
19. Push one’s way into the joint (5)
21. Employee support (5)
23. Villain redistributed don’s
lucre (9)
25. Do up some of site where
Bethlehem bell is hidden (9)
26. In charge on hill, donutshaped (5)
27. Valve designed to deter
mixing (7)
28. Account for storage yard includes
a little simple interest (7)
Down
1. Leaves alien a burning torch (7)
2. Polo car is the ruin of Greece (9)
3. It has eggs, a featured of the
sedimentary (5)
4. ‘begot in the ventricle
of memory, --- in the
womb of pia mater’
(Love’s Labour’s Lost) (9)
5. Grass in the southern
margin (5)
6. Orchestra’s arrangement
should be a puller (9)
7. Peacekeepers drop it on
English to bring sides
together (5)
8. Troublesome woman seen
going around in the airport (7)
14. Left on board a sheet of paper
as part of one’s application (9)
16. Put money on US writer and
editor having given each other
a ring (9)
17. Colour and Spanish cubist,
perfume from whales (9)
18. Climb-down of French over
fragrance (7)
20. Well, it could be a strike (7)
22. Scope when goals don’t
include the atom (5)
23. Pet is given run around out of
revenge (5)
24. Still in bed, alternative to
down (3,2)
J Crossword answers
are on page 42.
18/02/2015 16:45
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31
MARITIME BOOKS
Engrossing ferry story
tells of turbulent times
Sealink and Beyond
By Matthew Murtland & Richard Seville
Ferry Publications, £24.50
ISBN: 978 19066 08750
idea of integrated transport. As ever, history
K
gives some useful perspectives — and in the case
There is no shortage of talk today about the
of Sealink the synergy between ferry and train
services offers a great example of ‘joined-up
thinking’.
This marvellous account of Sealink’s rise and
fall provides a first class insight into the company’s
operations — which, at their height, included a
fleet of more than 80 ships (counting those of the
continental partners) and a seafaring workforce
that was one of the largest in the UK (with almost
11,000 employees in 1981).
The authors explain the way in which the
company rose from the historic links between
railway companies and ferry routes, and there are
some interesting reflections on the sometimes
difficult operational issues this created —
especially as changes in the cross-Channel market
A lesson from
our ancestors
in what not
to do at sea
The Wager Disaster
By Rear Admiral CH Layman
Uniform Press, £20
ISBN 978 19100 65501
fwww.uniformpress.co.uk
today’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary
K
(RFA) will wince at this tale of an
Readers who have served with
ill-fated military supply ship from
three centuries ago. Sometimes we
just have to admit that we have it
easier these days, and no amount
of nostalgia for the age of sail can
sugar-coat the challenges faced by
our predecessors.
In 1741, Britain and Spain were at
war, and the unfortunate HMS Wager
was assigned to a Royal Navy mission
to ‘annoy and distress’ Spanish
interests in the South Seas. Although
classified as a 6th rate after a refit,
the vessel had started out as an East
Indiaman, and was broader in the
beam than purpose-built 6th rates.
This gave ample room for stores and
passengers, but made the Wager
ill-suited for the rough seas around
Cape Horn.
The vessel also drew the short
straw when it came to crewing: the
best sailors had already been picked
for the fighting vessels, and the
Wager ended up with a press-ganged
31_books_SR edit.indd 31
and ship technology served up huge investment
challenges.
The authors also shed light on the internal and
external politics which shaped Sealink’s fortunes
— ranging from British Rail’s battle to keep control
over the fleet’s corporate identity to the growing
ideological pressure to privatise state-run services
and the emerging threat of the Channel Tunnel.
And what a roller-coaster ride they describe!
The reader can barely pause for breath as the book
recounts the relentless pace of change within the
ferry industry, the fleeting influence of jetfoils and
hovercraft, Britain’s relations with its European
partners and Sealink’s involvement in the
Falklands War task force.
The tales of boardroom manoeuvrings and
political intrigue are particularly strong — with
lots of ‘what if?’ scenarios to think about, such
as the bid by Carnival Cruise Lines for a majority
stake in Sealink in 1982 or the intriguing Stena HQ
instruction for Holyhead management to draw
up estimated bunkering costs for sailing an HSS, a
Stena Lynx and Stena Hibernia to Japan.
The post-privatisation period is vividly
crew who were mostly unwilling or
physically unfit. They even included
invalided veterans who had been
recalled to active service from local
hospitals.
Not surprisingly, many of those
onboard died before the vessel even
reached the Pacific, but things were
due to get worse. The Wager was shipwrecked near an uninhabited island,
and after the captain, David Cheap,
had spent many weeks there trying to
get some small boats seaworthy,
a number of the 140 survivors mutinied and took off with the best boats.
Captain Cheap eventually did
reach the mainland, but was then
taken prisoner by the Spanish, and
meanwhile most of the other original
survivors and the mutineers had died
— despite some impressive feats of
navigation in the stolen boats. Only
36 people made it home.
This story has remained
reasonably well known over the years
thanks to an account by midshipman
John Byron (the poet’s grandfather),
but The Wager Disaster takes a fresh
look at the incident and includes
some previously unpublished
described, with the new Sea Containers
regime embarking on a ‘relentless drive
for profit’ leading to a rapid exit from
Newhaven and a series of skirmishes
with the unions over jobs and conditions
and railways management over harbour
contracts. The Stena era gets less
attention, but allows the authors to reflect
on the remarkable transformations since
1969.
The authors do a great job in
producing an extensive fleet list,
tracking down the surviving ships, and
cataloguing a series of accidents and incidents
nts
(which serve to underline the high standards to
which the ships were operated).
Few aspects of the company’s operations are left
untouched by the book — anything from football
fans to catering — although it is a shame that the
section on Sealink crews is so brief. The accounts
of those who served with the company could have
added depth and richness to the book and would
have thrown up more interesting observations like
the one quoted from second officer Tom Webster
material. The story is told mainly
through well-edited first-hand
accounts, including Byron’s, and for
the first time we are able to read
a letter about the events that Capt
Cheap wrote from his Spanish jail.
As well as containing a powerful
story, the book is nicely presented,
with the occasional pertinent
illustration, and has deservedly
attracted some attention from the
UK national press. Read it and feel
thankful that the world it describes is
long gone.
Iconic vessel
heralded UK
decline in
K
naval power
Dreadnought: The Ship that
Changed the World
By Roger Parkinson
Published by IB Tauris, £25
ISBN: 978 17807 68267
Launched in 1906, HMS
Dreadnought radically rewrote the rules for battleship design
and deployment, and re-shaped
naval strategy around the world.
This fascinating book digs deep
into the way in which the ship was
developed and why its impact was so
profound — challenging more than
who complained: ‘Being a
seaman in the “good old days” meant being poor
and doing a terrific amount of hard work seven
days a week. Nowadays sophisticated equipment
has given us too much spare time.’
Overall, however, the book offers an excellent
read and it is supported with a selection of
good photographs that are used well. Printing
and editorial values are evidently high, and the
cover price is very reasonable for such a quality
production.
a few preconceptions and received
wisdoms along the way.
There’s plenty within its 300
or so pages to interest not just
history buffs, but also anyone with
an appreciation of ship design and
technology, politics and maritime
power. Especially relevant to
merchant seafarers are the sections
examining the impact of the switch
from sail to steam and the growing
recognition of marine engineers.
As well as describing the
advances in naval architecture which
helped to pave the way for the
Dreadnought, the author also vividly
recounts the political manoeuvring
and strategic thinking which
influenced the fundamental shifts in
British naval policy in the late 19th
century and early 20th century.
The book examines the debates
over the convoy system — with
many owners arguing that this form
of protection was no longer needed
in the new era of fast and efficient
steamers — and the thinking
that lay behind the associated
development of armed merchant
cruisers.
Underpinning these accounts is
the drift towards war, and the book
explains how the escalating tension
during the first decade of the 20th
century fuelled a complex arms
race that in turn drove a spectacular
shipbuilding programme which
witnessed the rapid evolution to
‘super-dreadnoughts’.
Whilst the Dreadnought had a
huge impact, the book concludes
that this was not something that
gave any lasting benefit to Britain.
Ships like this were designed to serve
as fearsome ‘classical’ weapons, and
Mr Parkinson argues that their role
was severely compromised by many
factors — not least the high cost of
the vessels, which meant that fleet
commanders were often reluctant to
deploy them to the front line.
The book offers many lessons for
today, and also provides a powerful
reflection upon the UK’s historic
dependence on the sea. Sadly,
the author writes, the rise and fall
of the Dreadnought marked the
end of Britain’s mastery of the sea
and the start of a new era of naval
geopolitics.
Attractive chronicle with an Aussie angle BOOK
A Photographic History of P&O
Cruises
By Robert Henderson, Doug Cremer,
Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross
The History Press, £19.99
ISBN: 978 07524 89018
the most famous passenger
K
shipping companies in the world
P&O Cruises has been one of
for more than 175 years. This
latest tribute is the result of a
collaboration between four noted
Australian maritime historians.
The backgrounds of the four
contributors are reflected in a
leaning towards the Australian
section of P&O Cruises, and the
foreword is provided by Carnival
Cruises’ Australian CEO.
However, this bias adds an
appealing personal touch to the
book and does not detract from the
company’s British roots or the British
styling which still exists on the ships
today.
Despite being titled as a
photographic history, the book
contains a fair amount of text
adding background on the
formation of the company and its
early years, as well as the ships’ roles
in major historical events including
wars and the Suez crisis.
The authors cover the ‘golden
age of cruising’ — noting that,
for P&O, this period actually
encompassed the end of the 20th
century and continues today.
There are fun little facts on
many of the pages, adding another
dimension to the photographs and
the text. This means that it works
as a book to read cover to cover,
one to flick through and look at the
pictures, and one to fill a longer
coffee break.
The photographs themselves
include grand images of the ships
and their interiors, although
passengers and crew are missing,
which takes away a little of the
emotional attachment readers
might otherwise have gained.
In all, this is a nicely presented
book with a unique take on the
story of a great cruise company still
making history.
SAVINGS
Telegraph readers can buy the
books reviewed on these pages
at a whopping 25% discount on
publisher’s price through the
Marine Society’s online shop.
g To qualify for this offer, readers
need to make their purchase at
www.marinesocietyshop.org.
Click on the ‘Books of the month’
button with the Nautilus logo
to see the books featured in
the Telegraph, and use the
promotional code Nautilus when
buying your book.
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.
18/02/2015 16:46
32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NL NEWS
Wetsvoorstel tot
aanpak van
schijnconstructies!
A
Afgelopen periode is het Wetsvoorstel
Schijnconstructies (WAS) toege zonden
aan de Tweede Kamer. Dit wetsvoorstel
strekt tot wijziging van de Wet Minimumloon,
Boek 7 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek en enige andere
wetten ter verbetering van de naleving en handhaving van arbeidsrechtelijke wetgeving in
verband met de aanpak van schijnconstructies
door werkgevers.
Zoals bekend is het, door overcapaciteit, minder
vracht en lagere prijzen, een moeilijke tijd in de
binnenvaart.
Wanneer je je als schipper/eigenaar aan het
minimumloon houdt bij het uitbetalen van je
werknemers en je concurrent probeert dit via
allerlei vage (onkosten) constructies te ontduiken,
ontstaat er oneerlijke concurrentie.
Om eerlijke concurrentie tussen bedrijven te
bevorderen en een fatsoenlijke beloning voor
werknemers te waarborgen is het Wetsvoorstel
Schijnconstructies tot stand gebracht.
Op 1 november 2013 is er een speciaal team
opgericht van Inspectie SZW die belast is met
de aanpak van schijnconstructies. Dit team
werkt onder andere samen met de Belastingdienst,
IND, UWV, vakbonden en de Stichting Naleving
CAO.
Om de Wet Minimumloon beter te kunnen
handhaven zijn in dit wetsvoorstel bepalingen
opgenomen, die eisen stellen aan de loonstrook en
die de werkgever verplichten deze op verzoek aan
de Inspectie te verstrekken. De loonstrook is
namelijk een belangrijk middel voor de Inspectie
Volg ons op Twitter
SZW om te kunnen controleren of het wettelijk
minimumloon wordt betaald.
Verder komt de Inspectie regelmatig situaties
tegen, waarbij het bruto wettelijk minimumloon
lijkt te zijn betaald, maar dit deels uit
onduidelijke onkostenvergoedingen bestaat.
Onkostenvergoedingen behoren niet tot het
minimumloon als deze bedoeld zijn om noodzakelijke kosten te dekken die samenhangen met het
vervullen van de dienstbetrekking. Daarom wordt
de werkgever verplicht om op de loonstrook te
specificeren welke onkostenvergoedingen zijn
verstrekt.
Om volledige betaling van het minimumloon
zeker te stellen wordt het bovendien niet langer
toegestaan om kosten te verrekenen met het
wettelijke minimumloon.
Daarnaast kan bij contante betaling van het
wettelijk minimumloon worden gefraudeerd.
Werkgevers kunnen betalingsbewijzen tonen
van betalingen, die nooit zijn gedaan. Daarom
wordt de eis gesteld dat minimaal het gedeelte
gelijk aan het wettelijke minimumloon giraal moet
worden uitbetaald.
Het is nu afwachten of er in de Tweede Kamer
een meerderheid is voor dit wetsvoorstel.
De verkiezingen van 18 maart kunnen tot wijzigingen in de samenstelling van de Eerste Kamer
leiden en dan is het de vraag of het wetsvoorstel
in dat geval nog wordt aangenomen. FNV heeft in
elk geval in een brief aan de Kamerfracties laten
weten dat de vakbonden het wetsvoorstel volledig
steunen!
Wijzigingen in het arbeidsrecht
met betrekking tot flexibele
F
contracten van de nieuwe Wet werk en
opgenomen en die zijn aangegaan
vóór 1 januari 2015, hebben
eerbiedigende werking. Behalve
de aanzegverplichting van werkgevers, deze heeft wel onmiddellijke
werking en geldt dus al voor
1 januari 2015 gesloten
overeenkomsten.
Van het nieuwe recht afwijkende
bepalingen die zijn opgenomen in een
CAO blijven van kracht totdat de CAO
afloopt doch gelden uiterlijk tot 1 juli
2016.
Op 1 januari 2015 zijn de artikelen
Geef uw mening
Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat
containerschepen kunnen groeien tot voorbij
de 20.000 TEU grens?
zekerheid (WWZ) in werking getreden.
Op 1 juli 2015 treden de overige
artikelen van de WWZ in werking. Het
doel van de net ingevoerde wetgeving
is onder andere om werknemers met
tijdelijke contracten meer zekerheid te
geven. Hieronder de wijzigingen per 1
januari 2015 op een rij:
Aanzegtermijn voor de
werkgever bij einde contract
voor bepaalde tijd
Ja
77%
Nee
23%
De poll van deze maand is: Vindt u dat kapitein
Schettino een verdiende gevangenisstraf heeft
gekregen als gevolg van de ramp met de Costa
Concordia? Geef ons uw mening online, op
www.nautilusnl.org
32-34_nl_18.02.15.indd 32
Volgens het nieuwe artikel 668 van
Boek 7 van het BW moet de werkgever
voortaan de werknemer, met een
contract voor bepaalde tijd van langer
dan 6 maanden, 1 maand van te
voren schriftelijk laten weten of hij de
arbeidsovereenkomst al dan niet zal
voortzetten en bij voortzetting laten
weten onder welke voorwaarden.
Dit geeft de werknemer eerder
duidelijkheid, zodat hij bij het niet
verlengen van het contract voor
bepaalde tijd tijdig naar ander werk
kan zoeken. Als de werkgever de
aanzegging helemaal niet heeft
gedaan is hij een vergoeding gelijk aan
een maandsalaris verschuldigd aan de
werknemer. Als de werkgever het wel
heeft gemeld, maar te laat, dan moet
de werkgever een vergoeding naar
rato betalen.
Proeftijd
Kon er vóór 1 januari 2015 in contracten
van 2 jaar of minder nog een proeftijd
overeengekomen worden, het nieuwe
lid 4 van artikel 652 van boek 7 van
Vanaf 1 juli 2015
het BW bepaalt dat er geen proeftijd
meer kan worden overeengekomen bij
arbeidsovereenkomsten van bepaalde
tijd van 6 maanden of korter.
Als een tijdelijk contract wordt
verlengd mag er in het nieuwe
contract geen nieuwe proeftijd
worden opgenomen, tenzij er sprake
is van andere vaardigheden of
verantwoordelijkheden.
Concurrentiebeding
Voorheen kon een concurrentiebeding
zowel in een arbeidsovereenkomst
voor onbepaalde tijd worden
opgenomen als in een
arbeidsovereenkomst voor bepaalde
tijd. Vanaf 1 januari 2015 is artikel
653 van boek 7 van het BW gewijzigd
en is het alleen nog mogelijk om
een concurrentiebeding op te
nemen in een arbeidsovereenkomst
voor onbepaalde tijd. Bij tijdelijke
contracten is een concurrentiebeding
niet meer toegestaan. Dit geeft
werknemers met contracten voor
bepaalde tijd na afloop van het
contract meer mogelijkheden. Hierop
bestaat een uitzondering: als de
werkgever schriftelijk kan motiveren
dat het beding noodzakelijk is vanwege
zwaarwegende bedrijfsbelangen,
mag hij wel een concurrentiebeding
opnemen in een tijdelijk contract.
Uitzendbeding beperkt in
tijd
In de arbeidsovereenkomst tussen een
uitzendbureau en een uitzendkracht
kan een uitzendbeding worden
opgenomen. Een uitzendbeding
houdt in dat de overeenkomst van
rechtswege eindigt op het moment
dat de opdrachtgever aangeeft de
uitzendkracht niet langer te willen of
kunnen inzetten. Dit beding verliest
zijn kracht wanneer de werknemer in
meer dan 26 weken heeft gewerkt.
Voorheen kon deze termijn bij CAO
onbeperkt worden verlengd.
Overgangsrecht
De hiervoor genoemde bepalingen,
die in de arbeidsovereenkomsten zijn
In de volgende Telegraph zal aandacht
worden besteed aan de wijzigingen
per 1 juli 2015. Dan komen de
veranderingen in de ketenregeling en
het ontslagrecht aan de orde.
Een vast contract ontstaat dan al na
maximaal 2 jaar in plaats van 3 jaar.
Een keten van tijdelijke contracten,
dat kan leiden tot een contract voor
onbepaalde tijd, wordt doorbroken
als er een periode van meer dan
6 maanden tussen ligt, deze termijn
is op dit momen nog 3 maanden.
Ook volgen er wijzigingen in
het ontslagrecht: zo heeft de
werkgever niet langer de keuze
of hij ontslag aanvraagt bij de
Kantonrechter of het UWV, maar
is duidelijk aangegeven in welke
situaties hij welke instantie moet
benaderen en zal er een einde komen
aan de Kantonrechtersformule deze
wordt vervangen door de lagere
Transitievergoeding. Maar zoals
gezegd zullen deze wijzigingen in het
volgende artikel uitgebreid aan de
orde komen.
18/02/2015 17:13
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33
NL NEWS
Nautilus stapt aan boord en
vaart een kort reisje mee
A
Om de banden met de
achterban verder aan te
halen, zal Nautilus ook
dit jaar een meerdaags vlootbezoek afleggen aan P&O North
Sea Ferries en Stena Line.
P&O North Sea Ferries
Journaal Zeevaart
hét actualiteitenblad
C
voor zeevarenden, reders,
Journaal Zeevaart is
aanverwante bedrijven en
overheid. Journaal Zeevaart
brengt u viermaal per jaar op de
hoogte van alle ontwikkelingen
op zeevaartgebied. In korte
artikelen leest u over trends en
ontwikkelingen op het gebied van
zeevaartbeleid, -regelgeving en
uitspraken van het Tuchtcollege
voor de Scheepvaart.
Blijf als zeevarende, reder,
ambtenaar, manager, kortom
als specialist op het gebied
van de zeevaart op de hoogte
via Journaal Zeevaart! Voor
een jaarabonnement betaalt u
€123,00 excl. btw.
g Bent u geïnteresseerd?
Bestellen? Ga naar www.sdu.
nl of direct www.sdu.nl/
journaal-zeevaart-inclusiefverzamelband-tszeebnd09-entszeebnd11.html
Uit de
dienstgang
arbeidsvermogen (WIA) geeft
F
werknemers die na een wachttijd
De Wet werk en inkomen naar
van 104 weken nog tenminste 35%
arbeidsongeschikt zijn, recht op
een uitkering. De WIA kent twee
regelingen: een IVA-uitkering voor
degene die volledig en duurzaam
arbeidsongeschikt is en een WGAuitkering voor wie gedeeltelijke
arbeidsongeschikt is.
De heer Gomes, matroos in de
zeevaart en woonachtig in Portugal,
ontvangt sinds augustus 2010 een
loongerelateerde WGA-uitkering
van het UWV. Betrokkene is 38,9%
arbeidsongeschikt en er is dus een
restverdiencapaciteit van 61,1%.
Met andere woorden, voor
de restverdiencapaciteit wordt de
heer Gomes geacht werk te zoeken.
Een moeilijke opgave in het door
de economische crisis geplaagde
Portugal en gelet op de zeer zwakke
gezondheid van ons lid. Helaas is de
loongerelateerde WGA-uitkering maar
tijdelijk en wordt deze in het geval van
32-34_nl_18.02.15.indd 33
de heer Gomes per april 2013 na twee
jaar en zeven maanden verlaagd naar
28% van het minimumloon = € 407,73
per maand. Immers zo stelt de wet,
hij heeft geen ander werk en heeft de
restcapaciteit niet benut.
Toch kan nog enigszins de
schade beperkt worden. Vanwege
zijn arbeidsongeschiktheid hebben
wij voor de heer Gomes bijtijds
premievrije deelneming wegens
arbeidsongeschiktheid aangevraagd
bij het Pensioenfonds Koopvaardij
(BPFK). Voor 50% krijgt ons lid
premievrijstelling, dus 50% premie
(opbouw van het pensioen) wordt door
het BPFK betaald zolang betrokkene
een WGA-uitkering ontvangt. Maar
nog belangrijker voor nu is dat de heer
Gomes een beroep kan doen op de
WIA-hiaat verzekering van het BPFK. De
WIA-hiaatverzekering is een verzekering
om het gat in de WGA-uitkering (het
hiaat) enigszins te dichten. De WIAhiaatverzekering is een aanvulling op de
uitkering van het UWV en lijkt enigszins
op het invaliditeitspensioen voor WAOers. Arbeidsongeschikte deelnemers bij
het BPFK konden een beroep doen op
het invaliditeitspensioen wanneer de
WAO-uitkering werd verlaagd naar een
vervolguitkering.
De heer Gomes is een van de eerste
deelnemers bij het BPFK die een beroep
doet op de WIA-hiaatverzekering.
Mogelijk komt dit door onwetendheid.
Daarom, komt u onverhoopt in de
WIA, vergeet dan niet premievrije
deelneming aan te vragen en
wanneer de uitkering omlaag gaat
bijtijds een beroep te doen op de
WIA-hiaatverzekering. Leden kunnen
natuurlijk voor deze kwesties hun
belangen door Nautilus International
laten behartigen.
De eerste driedaagse reis voor
2015 is al geboekt. De twee
vakbondsbestuurders, die
verantwoordelijk zijn voor de
Ferry-sector, zullen op 4, 5 en 6
maart 2015 meevaren met de
Pride of Rotterdam van
Europoort naar Hull (UK) en weer
terug naar Europoort. In Hull zal
Nautilus het zusterschip van
P&O NSF, die op de route
Zeebrugge — Hull vaart,
uitgebreid bezoeken om met de
bemanningsleden van de Pride of
Bruges te kunnen spreken. Zowel
in Hull als in Europoort zal er een
officiële ledenvergadering
gehouden worden. Er zal onder
andere worden gesproken over
het door de werkgroep
samengestelde Nieuwe CAO
Reglement.
De Pride of Rotterdam
(bouwjaar 2001) mag er wezen: zij
heeft een lengte van 215 meter en
een bruto tonnage van 59.925 GT.
Zij biedt ruimte aan 1360
passagiers waarvoor 538 hutten
ter beschikking staan. De
rijstrookcapaciteit van 3.300
meter biedt plaats aan 250 auto’s
en 400 vrachtvoertuigen.
Door een reisje mee te varen
hebben de 80 bemanningsleden
ruim de gelegenheid om met de
vakbond te praten over zaken die
zij op hun hart hebben (zoals het
Nieuwe CAO Reglement).
Stena Line
Een maand later, op maandag 20
en dinsdag 21 april, zal Nautilus
inschepen op de Stena
Hollandica van Hoek van Holland
naar Harwich (UK) en weer terug
naar Hoek van Holland.
De Stena Hollandica
(bouwjaar 2010) is met recht het
vlaggenschip van Stena Line: zij
heeft een lengte maar liefst 240
meter en een bruto tonnage van
64.039 GT. Deze Ro-Pax Ferry
biedt ruimte aan 1200 passagiers
waarvoor 538 hutten ter
beschikking staan. De
rijstrookcapaciteit van 5.500
meter biedt plaats aan een
combinatie van auto’s, motoren,
fietsen, trailers en vrachtwagens.
Door een reisje mee te varen
hebben ook hier de 85
bemanningsleden ruim de
gelegenheid om met de vakbond
te praten over zaken die
momenteel spelen (zoals de
werkgelegenheidsovereenkomst
en de modernisering van het
Nieuwe CAO Reglement).
Wij hebben
Facebook.
Volg ons ook!
Bezoek www.
nautilusint.org
Nieuwe driejarige CAO
bij Stena Line een feit
Telegraph kon u lezen dat er
F
tussen Stena Line B.V. enerzijds en
In de vorige editie van de
Nautilus International anderzijds een
principeakkoord was bereikt voor een
nieuwe CAO, lopend van 1 mei 2014
t/m 1 april 2017. Het laatste woord
was natuurlijk aan de leden en tijdens
de ledenvergaderingen op 12 en
15 januari jl. hebben de leden
Nautilus verzocht nog eenmaal met
de directie aan tafel te gaan zitten
om het principeakkoord op enkele
onderdelen te verbeteren.
Na diverse contacten tussen
vakbond en werkgever, heeft Stena
Line hieraan gehoor gegeven.
Zo zullen de overeengekomen
gageverhogingen in 2015 en 2016
eerder ingaan, namelijk per 1 juli in
plaats van per 1 oktober. Nautilus had
in het principeakkoord al een vangnet
gecreëerd voor het geval de inflatie
in 2016 hoger mocht uitvallen. In het
nieuwe akkoord is het inflatie-gat, dat
kan ontstaan in 2016, verkleind van
0,5 naar 0,3%.
Verder is afgesproken dat bij het
inschalen van de 3e werktuigkundige
in de gagetabel van de 2e stuurman
er sprake moet zijn van een minimale
reële verhoging van € 45,- bruto.
Wanneer de 3e werktuigkundige
bij het inschalen in gagetabel K1
onder dit bedrag blijft, zal hij in
de daaropvolgende hogere gage
geplaatst worden. Als laatste punt
zullen de gagetabellen J1 en J2 komen
te vervallen.
Last but nog least
Nu werkgever met een
verbeterd voorstel is gekomen
— dat past binnen het door de
ledenvergaderingen afgegeven
mandaat — is de nieuwe CAO een feit
en kunnen de gemaakte afspraken
administratief worden afgewikkeld.
Dat wil echter niet zeggen dat er
geen werk meer aan de winkel is…
Integendeel.
De komende tijd gaan de partijen
namelijk met het volgende project
aan de slag: het updaten van de
werkgelegenheidsovereenkomst én
het moderniseren van het reglement.
Doel hierbij is om allereerst tot
een all-in gage te komen. Hiertoe
wordt een speciale all-in gage
werkgroep in het leven geroepen,
bestaande uit vertegenwoordigers
van de werkgever, bestuurders van de
vakbond en zeevarenden
Zodra hierover meer nieuws
is, kunt u dit terugvinden in de
Telegraph.
WILT U EEN
BREDER PUBLIEK
BEREIKEN?
PLAATS DAN EEN
ADVERTENTIE IN
DE TELEGRAPH.
NEEM CONTACT
OP MET:
Jude Rosset at
Redactive Media
Sales
T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217
F: +44 (0)20 7880 7691
E: jude.rosset@
redactive.co.uk
18/02/2015 16:46
34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NL NEWS
Rechter wijst verzoek
tot vervangende
toestemming Stena
Line af: OR wordt in
het gelijk gesteld
alcoholgrens voor haar
C
schepen onder Nederlandse
alcoholgebruik nadelige invloed
heeft op de veiligheid aan boord.
vlag terugbrengen naar nul. Het
toegestane alcoholpercentage in
het bloed is momenteel 0,04%
conform de internationale wet- en
regelgeving. De reden waarom de
werkgever de alcoholconsumptie
verder wil terugschroeven is dat er
dan organisatie breed eenzelfde
beleid wordt gehanteerd inzake
alcohol en drugs. Om het beleid
te wijzigingen heeft de werkgever
toestemming nodig van de
ondernemingsraad. Dat de OR niet
zomaar instemt met de voorstellen
van de werkgever, blijkt wel uit
onderstaand artikel…
Stena Line Group hanteert
een zero tolerance beleid voor
alcohol en drugs (A&D) op
al haar schepen, de schepen
onder Nederlandse vlag
uitgezonderd. In maart vorig
jaar stuurde de werkgever een
instemmingsaanvraag naar de OR
met het verzoek het A&D-beleid te
wijzigen, omdat ‘de totale Stena
Line groep een algeheel verbod op
alcoholconsumptie wil invoeren.’
Een verbod dat ook zou moeten
gelden gedurende de rusttijden
aan boord.
Het verweer
Stena Line wil de
Inbreuk op privacy
Dit argument vond de OR niet
steekhoudend genoeg. Zo staat
de toepasselijke (internationale)
wet- en regelgeving inzake
alcohollimieten een percentage
van 0,05% alcohol in het bloed
toe. Gezien de huidige wet- en
regelgeving is Stena Line dus niet
verplicht het A&D-beleid aan te
passen naar een zero tolerance
beleid. Daarbij hecht de OR grote
waarde aan het fundamentele
recht op privacy van zeevarenden.
Aanpassing van het huidige
A&D-beleid zou echter een grove
en niet-gerechtvaardigde inbreuk
betekenen op de privacy van de
werknemers, die ook vaak tijdens
rusttijden aan boord verblijven.
Er zou dan sprake zijn van een
inbreuk op het privéleven van de
zeevarenden, aldus de OR. Daarbij
komt dat de OR betwijfelt of een
zero tolerance beleid het beoogde
effect heeft. De sociale controle zou
kunnen wegvallen. De wens van
de werkgever om voor de gehele
Stena Line groep tot een zero
tolerance beleid te komen, achtte
de OR onvoldoende en de OR wees
het verzoek tot instemming dan
ook af.
Rechtsgang
Met dit antwoord zou de kous af
moeten zijn, ware het niet dat de
werkgever naar de rechter stapte
met het verzoek ‘vervangende
toestemming te verlenen’ voor
invoering van het zero tolerance
beleid. Stena Line voerde hierbij
primair aan dat de afwijzing op het
instemmingsverzoek door de OR
onredelijk is en subsidiair dat het
voorgenomen besluit zou worden
gevergd door zwaarwegende
bedrijfsorganisatorische en/ of
bedrijfssociale redenen. Daarnaast
gaf de werkgever aan dat
32-34_nl_18.02.15.indd 34
De OR had een goede advocaat
in de arm genomen, die de
argumenten van de werkgever
uitstekend kon weerleggen. De
OR vindt net als de werkgever dat
veiligheid aan boord topprioriteit
heeft. De OR en de werkgever
waren het erover eens dat zich aan
boord van de Nederlands gevlagde
schepen van Stena Line de
afgelopen jaren geen problemen
hebben voorgedaan met overmatig
alcohol- en/of drugsgebruik. Het
huidige A&D-beleid functioneert
zeer goed volgens de OR. De
zeevarenden trekken gezamenlijk
op tijdens rusttijden en er is
ook sociale controle onderling.
De vraag is daarom of met een
complete drooglegging een
relevante risicobeperking wordt
bereikt. De OR beargumenteerde
dat dit niet het geval was en dat
een zero tolerance beleid juist
averechts kan werken. De sociale
controle kan afnemen, doordat
sommige zeevarenden zich meer
terugtrekken in hun hut om een
biertje te kunnen drinken, aldus
de OR. Daarbij komt dat ook het
privéleven van zeevarenden
die soms maandenlang aan
boord zitten dient te worden
beschermd. De wetgever heeft
een aantal jaren geleden het
toegestane alcohollimiet voor
degene die een schip bestuurt
ingevolge artikel 27 lid 2 van de
Scheepsvaartverkeerswet verlaagd
naar 0,5 mg/ml (bij Stena is dit
0,4 mg/ml). Reden van deze
wetswijziging was het toegenomen
besef van de risico’s en het gebruik
van alcohol in de scheepvaart.
Zowel de internationale
gemeenschap als de Nederlandse
wetgever heeft bij het bepalen van
deze norm onder meer het belang
van de veiligheid afgewogen tegen
het recht van zeevarenden op een
privéleven. Het laatste is door
Stena Line niet betwist. Dit alles in
aanmerking nemende heeft ertoe
geleid dat de rechter het verzoek
tot vervangende instemming heeft
afgewezen.
Een goede OR is goud
waard
Voorgaande geeft maar weer
eens aan hoe groot de invloed
van een goed functionerende
ondernemingsraad is. Waar de
vakbond de belangen behartigt
van haar leden en kan helpen met
alle arbeidsvoorwaardelijke zaken,
heeft de OR instemmingsrecht en
speelt zij een belangrijke rol bij de
besluitvorming van de organisatie.
Elke onderneming waarin
tenminste 50 personen werkzaam
zijn, is in de regel gehouden een
Ondernemingsraad in te stellen.
De OR wordt vertegenwoordigd
door (gekozen) medewerkers
uit het bedrijf . In de Wet op de
Ondernemingsraden (WOR) zijn
de rechten en plichten van de OR
vastgelegd.
g Meer informatie hierover is te
vinden op: www.or.nl
Jaarvergadering 2015
A
Op dinsdag 16 juni 2015 vindt de
Nederlandse jaarvergadering van
onze vereniging plaats in het Hilton
Hotel te Rotterdam. Over enige tijd kunt u het
gehele programma in de Telegraph lezen
maar, reserveert u deze dag reeds in uw
agenda. Zoals gebruikelijk zal het eerste
gedeelte van de vergadering worden besteed
aan statutaire zaken zoals verkiezingen,
beoordeling van het in 2014 gevoerde beleid
alsmede een statutenwijziging. Aansluitend
is er na de pauze een openbaar gedeelte in de
vorm van een symposium.
Bestuursverkiezing
Dit jaar vinden er bestuursverkiezingen
plaats. Zoals hij vorig jaar reeds aangaf is vice
voorzitter en penningmeester Hylke Hylkema
wegens het bereiken van de pensioengerechtigde leeftijd voornemens om tijdens de
jaarvergadering 2015 vervroegd af te treden.
Inmiddels heeft het zittende bestuur de heer
Charley Ramdas bij coöptatie benoemd als
bestuurder en zal zij de Raad van Advies
verzoeken om voor de heer Ramdas, conform
de statutaire bevoegdheid van de Raad, een
bindende voordracht voor de jaarvergadering
voor te bereiden.
Verkiezing Raad van Advies
Dit jaar treden er geen leden van de Raad van
Advies af. Wel meldden zich gedurende het
verenigingsjaar een tweetal leden voor
vacatures in de kiesgroepen werktuigkundigen en gepensioneerden. Het betreft de
heren Peter Renkema en Willem Kwak. De heer
Renkema is werktuigkundige en meldde zich
voor de vacature in de kiesgroep werktuigkundigen. De heer Kwak is gepensioneerd
kapitein en meldde zich voor de vacature in
de kiesgroep gepensioneerden. Om niet een
jaar te hoeven wachten is door de Raad van
Advies middels coöptatie in de tussentijdse
vacatures voorzien. Het is nu aan de
jaarvergadering om dat achteraf goed te
keuren. Volledigheidshalve valt nog te
melden dat in de Raad van Advies nog een
vacature bestaat voor een enthousiaste
maroff. De regels voor de kandidaatstelling
zijn als volgt:
1. U moet lid zijn van Nautilus International
2. Ieder lid kan alleen verkozen worden in zijn
of haar kiesgroep.
3. De kandidatuur moet aantoonbaar worden
ondersteund door vijf leden.
Mocht u aan bovenstaande vereisten voldoen
en enthousiast zijn meldt u zich dan vóór 15
mei a.s. bij de voorzitter van Nautilus
International de heer Marcel van den Broek
(mvandenbroek@nautilusint.org).
Statutenwijziging
Vanuit het bestuur is de wens geuit om de
statuten middels een kleine wijziging te
verduidelijken. Het voorstel, waarin de
wijzigingen woordelijk zijn opgenomen, ligt
conform het bepaalde in artikel 20 lid 3 van de
statuten gedurende tenminste 1 maand
voorafgaand aan de jaarvergadering op het
kantoor van de vereniging ter inzage.
Voorstellen
Verder is het goed om alle leden nog eens te
wijzen op de mogelijkheid om voorstellen in te
dienen. Deze voorstellen dienen het algemene
Nederlandse belang van de vereniging te
betreffen. Voorstellen over een specifieke CAO
of een specifieke rederij worden verwezen naar
desbetreffende ledenvergaderingen.
Eventuele voorstellen dienen uiterlijk 15 mei
schriftelijk of per email door het bestuur te zijn
ontvangen en zullen voorzien van een
bestuursadvies aan de jaarvergadering worden
voorgelegd.
Symposium en afscheid Hylke Hylkema
Gewoontegetrouw zal er na afloop van het
formele gedeelte van de jaarvergadering een
symposium worden georganiseerd.
Momenteel worden de opties gewogen en naar
verwachting zal in de Telegraph van mei
worden bekendgemaakt wat het thema van het
symposium zal worden. Aansluitend neemt
vice voorzitter/penningmeester Hylke
Hylkema afscheid na ruim 40 jaar maritiem
vakbondswerk. Wij willen dit op gepaste wijze
vieren en nodigen u graag uit op dit samen met
hem te doen.
g Indien u de jaarvergadering wilt bijwonen
kunt u zich aanmelden bij mevrouw Schmidt
via mschmidt@nautilusint.org of telefonisch
010-2862987. Het jaarverslag 2014 zal enkele
weken voorafgaand aan de jaarvergadering op
de Nautilus website worden geplaatst. Tijdens
de jaarvergadering zullen eveneens hard
copies van het verslag beschikbaar zijn.
Na jarenlange inspanningen is eindelijk
Europees succes behaald voor de Binnenvaart
op het onderwerp werk- en rusttijden!
Europees overleg in Brussel
over de Binnenvaart
Op 30 januari 2015 vond er een
Europees overleg plaats in Brussel
over de Binnenvaart. De officiële
naam hiervan is Social Dialogue
Committee on Inland Waterways. Dit is
een georganiseerd overleg tussen de
Europese Commissie, werkgevers- en
werknemersorganisaties (vakbonden
die betrokken zijn op de Binnenvaart)
uit de aangesloten lidstaten. In het
overleg wordt door de Europese
Commissie gerapporteerd over
de zaken die vanuit de sector in
gang zijn gezet en de status ervan.
Ook zijn er vanuit dit overleg een
aantal werkgroepen actief die
voorstellen op allerlei terreinen van
de binnenvaart (laten) onderzoeken
en verder uitwerken tot een voorstel
aan de Commissie. Zij doen dus
vanuit de sector Binnenvaart de
voorbereidingen van een opdracht
aan de Commissie.
Dit keer konden partijen in het
overleg stilstaan bij een behaald
succes. De gezamenlijke inspanningen
op het onderwerp werk- en rusttijden
in de Binnenvaart heeft geleid tot
een Europese Richtlijn. Het Europees
Parlement heeft dit aangenomen en
daarmee is het van kracht. Dit heeft
als gevolg dat de alle landen binnen
Verschillende projecten
de EU, deze richtlijn ‘Arbeidstijden’
moeten implementeren (verwerken)
in hun Nationale wetgeving. Hiervoor
hebben ze de tijd tot eind 2017.
Landen die hierin verzuimen worden
aangemaand vanaf eind 2016.
Uiteindelijk kan dit verzuim leiden tot
flinke geldboetes. Nu al kan oneerlijke
concurrentie door het ontduiken
van deze richtlijn door de Commissie
worden aangepakt. Zij heeft hiervoor
dan wel goede/harde bewijzen nodig
van haar burgers (werknemers of
organisaties).
De werkgroepen hebben ook
gerapporteerd over de lopende zaken.
Op dit moment lopen drie projecten;
1. Over Leef&Werkomstandigheden
aan boord. Dit onderzoek staat nog
redelijk in de kinderschoenen en
moet nog grondig worden voorbereid
en uitgezocht. Om het werkbaar te
houden nemen wij hiervoor twee jaar
de tijd. Dit lijkt lang maar er moeten
diverse onderzoeken worden uitgezet
bij verschillende Universiteiten
en het doen van een onderzoek
op wetenschappelijk niveau
loopt over een langere periode.
Werkgeverspartijen lijken nog terug
te willen krabbelen op dit onderwerp
maar komen zelf tot de conclusie dat
zij hiervoor eigenlijk al groen licht
hebben gegeven.
2. Over de bezetting van een schip.
Er loopt een discussie of de grootte
van de bemanning niet naar
beneden kan worden bijgesteld.
Dit zou met de huidige technische
ontwikkelingen toch moeten
kunnen? Alle aanwezigen zijn het
erover eens dat de technische
ontwikkelingen gevolgen kunnen
hebben voor de bemanning aan
boord van schepen. Het is echter
nog te vroeg om te concluderen dat
het verlagen van de bezetting per
schip zonder risico’s mogelijk is. We
moeten beter onderzoek (laten) doen
naar de invloed van de soort lading,
tonnage en lengte van een schip
op de benodigde bezetting van een
schip. Een andere voorwaarde die
hierbij belangrijk wordt gevonden,
is dat uiteindelijk geen onderscheid
wordt gemaakt tussen schepen met
werknemers en/of zelfstandigen.
3. Over (on-)eerlijke concurrentie.
Hierbij wordt aangegeven dat de
EU-commissie met een eigen voorstel
wil komen voor het tegengaan van
Social Dumping in alle sectoren. Het
verdient de aanbeveling om als sector
Binnenvaart hierbij aan te haken
met de inbreng (praktijk casussen)
van de eigen problemen. Als één van
de voorbeelden bij dit thema wordt
de recent ingevoerde verplichte
minimumloonbepaling in (geheel)
Duitsland genoemd. De Duitse
delegaties kunnen nog niet goed
toelichten hoe het zal gaan met de
naleving hiervan in de Binnenvaart.
Als laatste punt op de agenda
wordt meegegeven dat op het
moment dat Luxemburg het
voorzitterschap voert, het voorstel
wordt gelanceerd om de principes
van het ‘Rijnverdrag’ toe te passen
op de gehele Europese Unie. Wordt
vervolgd…
18/02/2015 16:22
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35
MARITIME TECHNOLOGY
Reaching across
the North Sea
Nautilus isn’t the only example of joint working between the
UK and the Netherlands. The two countries also both had
a hand in developing the award-winning new search and
rescue boat Nh1816, as MIKE GERBER discovered…
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.
MANAGED SERVICE
The Nh1816 KNRM lifeboat is the first in a new series and is claimed to be the most advanced all-weather, self-righting
search and rescue boat in the world
F
The
world’s
most
technologically advanced
lifeboat sailed across
the wintry North Sea from the
Netherlands to the UK last month
tomarkthelatestchapterinAngloDutch maritime collaboration.
Back in November, the Royal
Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) vessel Nh1816
received the prestigious KNVTS
Ship of the Year Award, presented
annually by the Royal Netherlands
Society for Marine Technology.
Nh1816 is the first in a series
of ‘next-generation’ 35-knot
SAR 1906 vessels that the Dutch
shipyard Damen has delivered
to KNRM and is seen as the most
advanced all-weather, self-righting search and rescue boat in the
world.
A key component on the vessel is a marine automation system
developed by a British firm, Servowatch Systems, which is based
in Heybridge, Essex. So a team of
Dutch lifeboat personnel, led by
KNRM chief executive officer Roemer Boorgaard, made the North
Sea trip to award Servowatch’s
head of research and development, Stafford Williams, a special
Statue of the Bronze Rescuer to
mark the UK company’s work on
the project.
‘Stafford and his team’s understanding of our requirement and
their ability to design and integrate systems capable of meeting
those exacting requirements was
truly exceptional,’ said Mr Boorgaard, making the presentation.
The high level of automation and
systems integration was key to the
Nh1816 winning the KNVTS Ship of
the Year Award, he added.
At the heart of the system is
Servowatch’s
award-winning
WINMON software which, on the
Nh1816’s ergonomically designed
wheelhouse, offers multi-functional capabilities including navigation radar, ECDIS electronic
charting, internal and external
communications, navigation data,
35_nllife_SR edit.indd 35
mission logging, alarm, monitoring and control.
All bridge components run on
a Windows 8 platform, providing the possibility of a future OS
upgrade on the same hardware
platform, and the integrated radar
system utilises the Transas 4000
series broadcasting digitised radar
to all connected workstations.
A Transas electronic chart system on each workstation provides
individual operators with full
independent charting capability.
The integrated navigation sensor package also includes direction finding, GPS, heading, speed,
water depth and AIS, while the
suite of integrated communications system technologies include
a capability for multiple wireless
headsets, incorporating VHF and
MF interfaces. Data acquisition
control units provide vessel-wide
alarm, monitoring and control
functionality.
For added security, Servowatch
included an integrated CCTV monitoring and surveillance package
capable of broadcasting digitised
video to all workstations. Cameras
with full pan, tilt and zoom functions can be controlled from workstations without joystick control.
F
Innovation
at
the
Damen’s shipyard end
included an aluminium
hull and composite wheelhouse.
The hull — based on Damen’s Axe
Bow concept, adapted for lifeboat
operation — gives lower resistance or drag at sea compared
with existing craft, resulting in
improved fuel consumption of
up to 20%. It was designed specifically to improve high-speed craft
operability, comfort and crew
safety, benefiting from substantially reduced G-forces on the hull,
resulting in significant noise and
vibration reduction.
Servowatch chief executive
Wayne Ross explained: ‘If you look
at the automation side of it, it’s like
a miniature warship integrated
bridge on a lifeboat. From any of
the screens in there, you can operate the navigation, the communications, the engines, the electrics
and alarms and monitoring of any
of the vessel’s systems, all fully
integrated within one system.
There’s no lifeboat in the world
that has a system like that. That’s
what sets it apart. So we’ve taken
what we do as a normal product
for a naval application and made
it into a system that can be utilised
on a search and rescue SAR vessel.
And nobody else has done that.’
Roemer Boorgaard, appraising the vessel’s capabilities, told
the Telegraph: ‘We have to keep
our crews fit when they arrive on
the scene of action. So to prevent
fatigue, we have to see that there
is noise reduction and vibration
reduction. The hull design also
gives 50% less slamming forces,
so that’s an enormous gain on the
health side. Noise in the wheelhouse is reduced to 53 decibels, so
you can talk to each other with a lot
of ease when you’re sailing. So that
is on the human factor side.’
An iPad onboard also improves
communications and connectivity with the coastguard and rescue
coordination centres, he added.
Mr Boorgaard said the new
vessel has attracted interest from
around the world, and he also
spoke of the fraternal and constructive relations between KNRM
and its UK counterpart, the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution —
including sharing knowledge on
vessel operations.
Richard Rycroft, RNLI’s operations manager at the nearby
Burnham-on-Crouch lifeboat station, added: ‘It’s awesome seeing
this boat. Very much bigger than
the ones that I play with — but the
interesting comparison is with the
RNLI’s bigger offshore boats, particularly the Tamar [class], which is
not quite a large as this but otherwise has fairly similar capabilities.
So, yes, it’s a wonderful thing to see,
very impressive.’
With Inmarsat, you’re not just
getting cutting-edge maritime
connectivity and technology,
you have the backing of a
global team of highly skilled
technicians with over 30 years
maritime experience. They
advise on end-to-end network
agnostic solutions that help
you optimise your maritime
business.
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
The iFUSION platform brings
a revolution in enhanced
commercial maritime fleet
technology management.
The new industry standard,
this open architecture vessel
technology suite reduces
operational overheads and
enables bespoke IT integration.
SAFER
SMARTER
SHIPPING_
Inmarsat offers your ship a highly evolved maritime communications
ecosystem which makes every trip or voyage more efficient, safer and
more productive. In short, just a lot smarter. Visit inmarsat.com
18/02/2015 17:14
36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
APPOINTMENTS
Each year the
Apostleship of the Sea
Visits over 10,000 ships
Helps over 200,000 seafarers
Deals with over 2,100 welfare issues
MERCHANT NAVY OFFICER TRAINING COURSES
a million for your very warm heart
“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.
Based in Glasgow city centre, the college has a long standing
reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of nautical courses.
”
A message from a seafarer to an Apostleship of the Sea Chaplain
I wish to support AoS with a donation of: £ _______
Please return it to: AoS, Freepost LON21409, London, EC1B 1NB
(Please make cheques payable to AoS)
Title:_________ First Name:________________ Surname:__________________
WILL YOU HELP US?
Address:_____________________________________________________________
To donate or read more about the
Apostleship of the Sea visit our website
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________Postcode: ________________
Telephone: ________________________________________
www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk
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 gistra
re
e
te y R
gis
Re mpan
Co
RYAN OFFSHORE LTD
RYAN SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD
SHIPPING
V
CONNECTIONS
MARITIME RECRUITMENT
FOR - DP3 / DP2- DSV / DP- AHTS / DP- PSV / DP3 PIPELAYER / DP2 CLV
REQUIRE MASTER-DPOs, CHOFF-SDPOs, 1ST OFF-DPO, 2ND
OFF-DPOs, CHENGs, 2ND ENGs, 3RD ENG, ETOs,
CRANE OPTRs - STG 2 / 3
FOR - 4-PT MOORING DSV / AHTS/ PSV/ MRV/ ERRV
REQUIRE MASTERs, CHOFF, 2ND OFF, CHENG, 2ND
ENG, 3RD ENG, DP ENG, ETO
FOR - SHORE BASED FOR OFFSHORE FLEET
REQUIRE TECH MANAGER, TECH SUPT, PORT CAPTAIN,
PORT ENG, QHSE
CONTACT DETAILS
T E L: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 8 8 8 5 9 FAX: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 88 425
EMAIL: office@ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk, office@ryanoffshore.net,
office@shipping-connections.com
WEBSITE: www.ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk, www.shipping-connections.com,
www.ryanoffshore.net
RYANSHIP, P.O.BOX–1282, SUNDERLAND, SR5 9HX, UNITED KINGDOM
STCW, MCA & SPECIALISED MARINE SHORT COURSES
ECDIS: 9/3/15/, 23/3/15, 25/5/15, 1/6/15,
22/6/15, 29/6/15
HELM Management: 9/3/15, 30/3/15,
6/4/15, 27/4/15. 4/5/15, 18/5/15, 1/6/15,
15/5/15
Specialised Oil Tanker: 6/4/15, 18/5/15
Shipboard Security Officer: 25/5/15
Safety Officer: 02/03/15, 1/6/15
Designated Security Duties:
23/3/15, 11/5/13
Proficiency in Security Awareness:
24/3/15, 12/5/15
CPSCRB: 15/6/15, 22/6/15
EDH: 11/5/15
Contact: Alison Bryce 0141 565 2700 - Marine.Short.Courses@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
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
START DATES
Class 1 Orals Preparation Course
Chief Mate Full Reg II/1
Chief Mate Post HND
OOW Post HND
4/5/15 & August 2015
Booking for September 2015
September 2015
30/3/15 & September 2015
Contact: Senior.Marine@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
ENGINEERING COURSES
START DATES
Chief and Second Engineer Motor EK Sep 15, Jan 16, May 16
EOOW/IAMI Prep
Sep 15, Feb 16, June 16
Contact: Engineering@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
For other Engineering enquiries please contact:
Caroline Alderdice 0141 271 6545/6548
Caroline.Alderdice@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
City of Glasgow College SC036198
Clyde Marine Recruitment is a leading provider of
marine recruitment and bespoke crew management
VHUYLFHV:LWKRI¼FHVORFDWHGLQ8./DWYLD3RODQGDQG
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
Fleetwood - a top UK Nautical College with a long
established reputation for being a leading provider of
training to the Maritime industry.
OFFSHORE
BOSIET (3 days) - Every Mon and Wed from W/C 16 Feb | MIST (2 days) - Every Mon and Thurs from
W/C 16 Feb | FOET (1 day) - Every Tues from W/C 17 Feb | EURO (3 days) - Every other week starting W/C 16 Feb
| EURO REFRESHER (1 day) 9 Mar, 6 Apr | TEMPSC COXSWAIN (3.5 days 23 Mar, 20 April,18 May | TEMPSC
COXSWAIN REFRESHER (1.5 days) 16 March, 20 April | GWO BASIC SAFETY PACKAGE (7 days) - W/C 9 Mar,
13 Apr, 11 May | MST (Renewable UK) (2 days) - W/C 12 Mar | RUK/GWO Working at Height (2days) – Regularly
from Feb (see web) | NEBOSH General - W/C (13 days) 7 April | IOSH Managing Safely - on request |
IOSH Working Safely - on request
For more information
E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore
Facebook /FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations
MARITIME
OFFSHORE
TANKERS
Masters and &KLHI2I¼FHUV required with Standby/
ERRV experience in rank and also holding at least
XLI-8731EWXIVERH'LMIJ3J½GIV'S'9/')'
required, GMDSS, ENG 1 medical or equivalent and
EPP78';FEWMGGIVXM½GEXMSR4SWWMFPIXIQTSVEV]
or permanent positions with trips of 28 days.
MasterVIUYMVIHJSV02+8EROIVW4IVQERIRXTSWMXMSR
working 3-3.5 months with 26 days leave per month
served. Master unlimited CoC, Gas DCE, GMDSS, ENG 1
QIHMGEPSVIUYMZEPIRXEPP78';FEWMGGIVXM½GEXMSRERH
97'(:MWE02+I\TIVMIRGIMWVIUYMVIHEW1EWXIV
Chief/2nd Engineers required with Standby/ERRV
experience in rank and also holding at least the ITSO.
'LMIJERH7IGSRH)RKMRIIV9/')'VIUYMVIH
ENG 1 medical or equivalent and all STCW 95 basic
GIVXM½GEXMSR4SWWMFPIXIQTSVEV]SVTIVQERIRX
positions with trips of 28 days.
CARGO
5HOLHI0DVWHU&KLHI2I¼FHU to join Cargo vessel.
Working 4/2 weeks. Must have excellent ship
LERHPMRKI\TIVMIRGI1EWXIV 'S'9/')'
GMDSS, ENG 1 medical or equivalent, all STCW
FEWMGGIVXM½GEXMSR
CRUISE
Chief Mates - W/C 27 Apr, 14 Sep | Officer of the Watch - W/C 4 May, 14 Sep | FD to Chief Mate W/C 2 March, 13 Apr | HND to Chief Mate - W/C 14 Sep (Deck), 4 Jan (Deck VTS Operational - W/C 30 Mar,
6 Jul | VTS Refresher - W/C 7 Apr, 21 Jul
For more information
E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical
3rd Engineer required for Cruise Vessel,
4 months on/2 months off. Must have previous
'VYMWI6S4E\I\TIVMIRGI'S'9/'I'VIUYMVIH
)RKMRI6SSQ;EXGLVEXMRKGIVXM½GEXI)2+QIHMGEP
SVIUYMZEPIRXERHEPP78';&EWMGGIVXM½GEXMSR
4IVQERIRXGSRXVEGX
-XQLRU&KLHI2I¼FHUVIUYMVIH(47LYXXPI8EROIVW
4IVQERIRXTSWMXMSR[SVOMRKQSRXLW[MXLHE]W
PIEZITIVQSRXLWIVZIH'LMIJ3J½GIVYRPMQMXIH'S'
3MP(')*YPP(4GIVXM½GEXI)2+QIHMGEPSVIUYMZEPIRX
EPP78';FEWMGGIVXM½GEXMSRERH97'(:MWE
3MP8EROIVSV(47LYXXPII\TIVMIRGIVIUYMVIH
3rd Engineers required to join Oil Tankers.
OOW Engineer CoC and Oil DCE required.
Experience on Oil Tankers and experience as 3rd
)RKMRIIV4IVQERIRXTSWMXMSRW8VMTWEVIQSRXLW
Gas Engineers required to join LNG Tankers.
OOW Engineer CoC and Gas DCE required.
LNG experience as Gas Engineer required.
4IVQERIRXTSWMXMSRW8VMTWEVIQSRXLW
Assistant 4th Engineers required for Worldwide
8EROIV*PIIX4IVQERIRXTSWMXMSRQSRXL8VMTW
Tanker experience is not essential.
For all shore-based jobs, please visit:
www.redtheconsultancy.com
If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760)
to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.
WWW.
BLACKPOOL.
AC.UK
36-41_rec_16.2.indd 36
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
17/02/2015 16:42
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37
APPOINTMENTS
NOTICE TO READERS
Nautilus International advises members that some crewing agencies
may not be advertising specific positions, but instead may be seeking
to develop their databases of job hunters.
12 March 2015 is the closing date
for April 2015.
You can still advertise online
at anytime.
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 advertise your vacancy contact Paul Wade on
+44 20 7880 6212 or paul.wade@redactive.co.uk
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@nautilus
int.org.
CV Professionals
Maritime
& oσshore
specialists
www.cvprofessionals.co.uk
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
“Balmoral”
3
6
6
6
6
#! &" "' !*
• !
• " !75(+*('-!(8
• !75(+*&(((-*$%*))$+"8
A traditional 750grt day excursion ship with a passenger certificate for up to 700. Operating
for the 2015 Summer season (May/June-September), mainly in the Bristol Channel and
North-West and in 2016 for a longer season from various British coastal ports and piers. Now
seeking applications for seasonal posts from motivated and suitably qualified crew who can
demonstrate relevant experience for the following roles:
• Master*
• Chief Engineer
• Second Engineer
* Possibility of full-time employment
• Chief Officer
• Purser
• Chief Steward
(Catering Manager)
mvbalmoral.org.uk
Applications with full CV must include earliest date for employment availability and state
position applied for. Please post to:
Stuart Bearne – MV Balmoral Fund Ltd, 79 Greenmeadow Drive, Penhow, Caldicot NP26 3AQ
Or email: jobs@mvbalmoral.com (with CVs and for enquiries or more details).
%!$-)%(0""$**(#)$%$!+%$)3"%$/!* $*)+((."%&#$*%&&%(*-$!+)
%$%-*#%($*%&&"13&").!)!*%-(/)!*4'''+" (!"+
(#!"1%-(*%4," ( %+
Applications are invited from experienced, motivated and
knowledgeable crew to work on coastal oil tankers operated by
John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Limited
At present we have vacancies for the following:
Minimum Requirements
Chief Engineers - CoC less than 3000kW (Motor), with Oil DCE
2nd Engineer - CoC less than 3000kW (Motor), with Oil DCE
Contract Type - Permanent/Temporary
Leave/Work - 4 Weeks on/4 Weeks Off
Salaries - will be discussed at Interview stage
Please forward all applications to:
Mrs Elaine Wilson, Personnel Officer, Crown Crewing (UK) Ltd,
Payroll Bureau for Crown Crewing (Jersey) Ltd, Crown Dry Dock,
Tower Street, HULL HU9 1TY Email: eb@whitaker-tankers.co.uk
36-41_rec_16.2.indd 37
17/02/2015 16:42
38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
APPOINTMENTS
36-41_rec_16.2.indd 38
17/02/2015 16:42
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39
APPOINTMENTS
Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists
Business Opportunity
Marine & Engineering Consultants
We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:
A new Marine and Engineering Consultancy with innovaƟve
ideas to revoluƟonise the business, are interested in hearing
from Independent Marine and Engineering Consultants who
are interested in becoming stakeholders in the
company (a small investment is required).
This is a very exciƟng opportunity to join a forward thinking
company based in the Aberdeen area servicing both the
Oil & Gas Industry and Renewables.
For further informaƟon please contact
marinesafety@bƟnternet.com
Your first port of call
Address: First Floor Unit 7,
Hythe Marine Park, Shore Road,
Southampton, SO45 6HE UK
Telephone: +44(0)23 8084 0374
Email: recruitment@seamariner.com
„ Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels
„ All Of½cers and Crew - ERRV
„ Tug Crew - All ranks
„ Various offshore personnel - Drill ships, Jack-ups and Rigs
„ All Crew for temporary assignments
If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to
discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants.
www.seamariner.com
ISO9001:2008 accredited
and KvK and MLC compliant
Reg Co number: 2745210
SHORE BASED
CRUISE/FERRY
WORK BOAT
Fleet Manager
1st Engineer - Cruise - £42K
Contract Manager - Work Boat - £52K
Cyprus - Excellent Remuneration Pkg
2nd Engineer - Cruise - £42K
Chief Engineer - Dredger - £60K
2nd Engineer - Cruise - £38K
2nd Engineer - Work Boat - £47K
2nd Engineer - Cruise - £37K
Master - Dredger - £58K
North England - £65K
3rd Engineer - Cruise - £23K
Technical Super - Work Boat - £55K
Marine Superintendent
VW2IƂFHUCruise - £40K
Marine DPA - Work Boat - £55K
North England - £65K
Master - Ferry - $68K
Technical Superintendent
OOW - Ferry - £190/day
UAE - Expat Package
SUPER YACHT
Chief Engineer - Ferry - £55K
Y1 Chief Engineer
Technical Manager
Netherlands - Excellent Remuneration Pkg
Technical Superintendent
Technical Superintendent
50+m Motor Yacht - €7K/mth
Ireland - €70K + Package
OFFSHORE
Offshore Technical Manager
&KLHI2IƂFHUAHTS - €7.5K
Qatar - Expat Package
DPO - PSV - £300/day
Offshore Technical Superintendent
Y4/EOOW 2E
&KLHI2IƂFHU'32PSV - £350/day
60+m Motor Yacht - €6K/mth
Crane Operator/AB - DSV - £400/day
Y2 Chief Engineer
South England - Package up to £65K
Y2 Chief Engineer
50+m Sailing Yacht - €5K/mth
DRY BULK/CONTAINER
Chief Engineer - PSV - £315/day
Technical Superintendent
Chief Engineer - ERRV - £40K
Dry Bulk - €80K
Marine Vetting Superintendent
70+m Super Yacht - €8K/mth
Y3 Second Engineer
70+m Super Yacht - $8K/mth
Master - PSV - £72K
Newbuild Captain
Dry Bulk - €70K
Master - AHTS - $500/day
Technical Director
ETO - Research Vessel - £40K
Newbuild Chief Engineer
Dry Bulk - €120K
Crane Op. - Construction/ROV - €400/day
60+m Super Yacht - €7K/mth
Shore-based: +44 (0)23 8020 8840
shipping-uk@faststream.com
Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820
seagoing-uk@faststream.com
60+m Super Yacht - €9K/mth
Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’
@faststreamsea
www.faststream.com
Are you a highly motivated person?
Are you looking for a career with promotional possibilities?
Can you work as part of a team?
Advertising is quick and easy, contact
Paul Wade on 020 7880 6212 now.
Are you experienced in offshore activities?
Are you computer literate?
Would you like to enjoy a one for one work/leave ratio?
Do you hold a UK CertiÀcate of Competence or Equivalent?
Sentinel Marine PTE Limited are recruiting seafarers who can answer yes to the above questions and who
would like to be part of the increasing ¸eet operated by Sentinel Marine Ltd.
With 8 new build Multi Role Offshore Support vessels and new build Platform Support Vessels delivering
into the ¸eet in the coming months, interested applicants are requested to send their CV to the
Human Resource department by either emailing hr@sentinelmarine.com or applying online
via our website http://sentinelmarine.com/
C P Marine UK Ltd are specialists in worldwide ship
and shore based marine recruitment.
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
36-41_rec_16.2.indd 39
17/02/2015 16:42
40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
APPOINTMENTS
COLLEGE VACANCIES
www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
In August 2015 we
are moving into a new
Riverside Maritime
Campus. Our aim is to
offer world class learning.
To enable us to facilitate
this in our new home, we
are looking to recruit to
the following new and
exciting roles:
36-41_rec_16.2.indd 40
GMDSS and Revalidation Training Managers
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
(part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum
Ship Simulator Managers
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
(part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum
Engine Simulator Managers
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
(part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum
Super Yacht Academy and Distance Learning Managers
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
(part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum
Working Engine Room Managers
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
(part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum
Marine Engineering Distance Learning Managers
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
(part time considered), £37,449 - £40,719 per annum
Curriculum Head: Industry Academies
Permanent Full Time, 35 Hours per week
£42,820 - £47,151 per annum
Lecturers - Marine Engineering and Maritime
Full Time, Part Time and Bank opportunities available
£27,876 - £35,963 per annum (pro rata as appropriate)
Candidates holding TQFE will commence on
£30,720 per annum
For a detailed post description and to apply for the above
vacancy please visit the ‘work for us’ section on the College
website at
www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
Successful applicants will be subject to a PVG Disclosure
Check and must be eligible to work in the UK.
Please note CVs will not be accepted.
Applications close no later than
1700hrs on Friday 20th March 2015.
Interviews will take place
w/c 6th April 2015.
Scottish Charity number SC036198
17/02/2015 16:42
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41
APPOINTMENTS
www.windstarcruises.com
WELCOME TO THE OFFICE
Join us in welcoming our newest stars to the fleet, having commenced
with the Star Pride in 2014 and the two additional vessels in 2015.
Soon to be cruising alongside our current
luxury sail assisted yachts, our fleet will
travel worldwide taking our passengers
to some of the most unique and exotic
ports there are to be found.
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
Benefits package includes
· Competitive wages paid in GBP and USD
· One for One Rotation for Staff Officers
· Contributory Medical / Dental Insurance
· Retirement Savings Plan / Pensions
(subject to eligibility)
· Annual & Return Bonuses (dependent on rank)
· Company Sponsored Study Leave Programme
· Officer Cadet Training
· Excellent Spouse Policy
· Electricians, ETO’s & IT Officers
· Hotel Officers, Guest & Destination
Service Professionals
Prospective candidates need to
complete our online candidate database
via our website or email us at
applicants@vikingrecruitment.com
quoting reference WSC 03/15
Viking House, Beechwood Business Park,
Menzies Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2FG
T: +44 (0) 300 303 8191
vikingrecruitment.com
36-41_rec_16.2.indd 41
ISO 9001
17/02/2015 16:42
42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
SHIP TO SHORE
M-Notices
M-Notices, Marine Information
Notes and Marine Guidance
Notes issued by the Maritime
& Coastguard Agency recently
include:
MSN 1819 (M+F) – Merchant
Shipping (Prevention of Air
Pollution from Ships) and Motor
Fuel (Composition and Content)
(Amendment) Regulations 2014
(2014 No. 3076)
The purpose of this notice is to detail
the technical aspects of the United
Kingdom’s implementation of the
Merchant Shipping (Prevention of
Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor
Fuel (Composition and Content)
(Amendment) Regulations 2014.
The new Statutory Instrument
amends the Merchant Shipping
(Prevention of Air Pollution from
Ships) Regulations 2008/2924 (as
amended) to take account of changes
to the regime governing the sulphur
content of marine fuels set out in
Council Directive 2012/33/EU. These
changes were necessary to reflect the
amendments made to Annex VI of
MARPOL in 2008.
MSN 1819 contains a list of
schedules of which Schedule 3
concerns sulphur oxides. For ease,
this MSN replaces Schedule 3
and includes the original sections
1-3 (SOx emission control areas,
waste streams from exhaust gas
cleaning systems (EGCS-SOx) and the
requirement to record changeover of
fuel before entry into a SECA) which
remain the same as in the original
MSN 1819. Sections 4-7 are additional
and reflect the new requirements.
Appendices 5 (form of the UK air
pollution prevention certificate) and
6 (marine fuel sulphur record book)
have also been amended and are
included in their entirety in this MSN.
As background information, MSN
1819 explains that harmful pollutant
emissions from ships are primarily
regulated on a global basis by the
International Maritime Organisation
through Annex VI to the International
Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
The original Annex VI of MARPOL
established sulphur limits for marine
fuels, which were incorporated into
EU law through Directive 1999/32/EC.
In October 2008, the IMO formally
adopted the revised Annex VI, which
includes the staged introduction of
significantly stricter sulphur limits in
fuel. As a result, Directive 1999/32/
EC required further amendment
to reflect prevailing international
standards. These amendments were
agreed in late 2012 and formed
Council Directive 2012/33/EU.
MGN 473 (M+F) – Merchant
Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health
and Safety at Work)(Employment of
young persons) Regulations 1998:
Implementation of EC Directive
94/33/EC
The purpose of this note is to give
information about the minimum
age for working onboard UK fishing
vessels and other vessels that are
not regulated under the Maritime
Labour Convention. It also addresses
protection for those under the age of
18 who work onboard fishing vessels.
The key message is that those
under the age of 18 years must not
be assigned work which is likely to
jeopardise their health and safety,
unless they are fully qualified in the
relevant skills or are working under
supervision.
The employer is required to carry
out a risk assessment under the
General Duties regulations focusing
particularly on the risks which
might arise to young persons as a
result of their inexperience, lack of
awareness of risks and immaturity.
The regulations specify the following
areas for attention:
z the fitting out and layout of work
areas
z the nature, degree and duration
of exposure to physical, biological
and chemical agents
z the form, range and use of work
equipment and the way in which it is
handled
z the organisation of processes and
activities
z the extent of health and safety
training provided or to be provided to
the young persons concerned
z the risks from agents, processes
and work listed in the schedule to the
regulations
Employers are also required to
inform young persons of any risks to
their health and safety identified in
these areas, and to ensure that young
persons are not engaged in:
z work which is objectively beyond
their physical or psychological
capacity
z work involving harmful
exposure to agents which are toxic,
carcinogenic, cause heritable genetic
damage or harm to the unborn child,
or which in any other way chronically
affect human health
z work involving harmful exposure
to radiation
z work involving the risk of
accidents which it may be assumed
cannot be recognised or avoided
by young persons owing to their
insufficient attention to safety or lack
of experience or training
z work in which there is a risk to
health from extreme cold or heat,
noise, or vibration
Exceptions are allowed to the
above criteria where the activity
in question is indispensable for
vocational training and is performed
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:
under the supervision of a competent
person.
Employers should note that there
are specific regulations dealing with
rest periods for young persons, but
that the rules for merchant and
fishing vessels are different (as
explained in MGN 473).
MGN 510 (M+F) — Use of exhaust
gas cleaning systems (prevention of
air pollution from ships)
This note provides guidance on
the United Kingdom’s approach to
compliance with regulations on the
use of exhaust gas cleaning systems
(EGCS) under the Merchant Shipping
(Prevention of Air Pollution from
Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition
and Content) (Amendment)
Regulations 2014. These regulations
implement amendments to MARPOL
Annex VI and the EU Directive on
Sulphur Content in Marine Fuels.
Under this regime, ships using
emission abatement methods shall
continuously achieve reductions of
sulphur dioxide emissions that are at
least equivalent to the reductions that
would be achieved by using marine
fuels that meet the requirements of
the regulations.
The UK would usually take
enforcement action if the use of an
EGCS did not result in the required
sulphur reductions. However, some
circumstances have been identified
where the authorities may consider
not taking action. The scenarios
where this is most likely are as
follows:
z if an EGCS suffers from transitory
non-compliance (for example due to
engine load fluctuation)
z possible non-compliance with
the SOx emission limits during the
running up and shutdown of the EGCS
z accidental breakdown of the EGCS
MGN 510 cannot provide absolute
guidance on when the UK may take
enforcement action, and ultimately
it would be determined on a case
by case basis against professional
judgement by the surveyor or
inspector.
z M-Notices are available as
electronic documents or as a set
of bound volumes.
z A consolidated set of M-Notices
is published by The Stationery
Office. This contains all M-Notices
current on 31 July 2009 (ISBN
9780115530555) and costs £210 —
www.tsoshop.co.uk
z Individual copies can be
electronically subscribed
to by emailing a request to
mnotices@ecgroup.co.uk or
downloaded from the MCA website.
Go to www.gov.uk/mca and
click on Find marine (M) notices.
g Women’s Forum
Saturday 7 March 2015
1000hrs to 1300hrs
Jury’s Inn Hotel
Charlotte Place
Southampton SO14 0TB.
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.
Contact Lisa Carr:
+44 (0)20 8989 6677
women@nautilusint.org
Contact Nautilus International
Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send
a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch
with us at one of our offices around the world.
For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.
Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the
issue that needs addressing.
SINGAPORE
Nautilus International
10a Braddell Hill #05-03
Singapore, 579720
Tel: +65 (0)625 61933
Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154
singapore@nautilusint.org
Northern office
Nautilus International
Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park
Wallasey CH45 7PH
Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454
Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801
enquiries@nautilusint.org
Offshore sector contact point
Members working for companies based
in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil
and gas sector can call:
+44 (0)1224 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 event
section for dates of upcoming
college visits by the Nautilus
recruitment team.
For further information, email
recruitment@nautilusint.org
or call Lee Moon on
+44 (0)151 639 8454.
Industrial support for cadets
An industrial official is appointed to
each of the main nautical colleges.
In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing
trainee officers in line with all
members that we represent;
please contact the Union on
+44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry
will then be directed to the relevant
industrial organiser for your
employer/sponsoring company.
The union also facilitates a Young
Maritime Professionals’ Forum to
provide an opportunity for young
members to engage in discussions
on the specific challenges facing
young workers in the maritime
profession.
For further information members
should contact Paul Schroder at
ymp@nautilusint.org.
g Professional & Technical Forum
Wednesday 6 May 2015
at 1300hrs for 1330hrs
at the FNV Bondgenoten,
Pegasusweg 200,
3067 KX, Rotterdam.
The Forum deals with a wide range
of technical, safety, welfare and
other professional topics of relevance
to all members, including training
and certification. The meeting is open
to all members (UK, NL & CH).
Contact Sue Willis:
+44 (0)20 8989 6677
protech@nautilusint.org
Quiz and crossword
answersACDB
Quiz answers
1. The world’s five largest shipowning
countries are China, Germany, Greece,
Japan and South Korea.
2. Containerships now account for 11.2%
of the world merchant fleet in deadweight
tonnage terms.
3. Oil tankers account for 28.5% of the
world merchant fleet in deadweight
tonnage terms.
4. There are presently 387 LNG tankers in
the world fleet.
5. The United States had the world’s
second largest merchant fleet in 1930 —
with 3,635 ships of 13.6m gt.
6. Dutch shipbuilders delivered 77
seagoing vessels in 2013, compared with
95 in the previous year.
Crossword answers
Quick Answers
Across: 1. Lollies; 5. Retorts; 9. Raced;
10. Archetype; 11. Hereafter; 12. Delft;
13. Rotor; 15. Rusticate; 18. Side issue;
19. Lapel; 21. Music; 23. Pikestaff;
25. Orchestra; 26. Rishi; 27. Speaker;
28. Yule log.
Down: 1. Lurcher; 2. Lacerated; 3. India;
4. Star turns; 5. Ricer; 6. Treadmill;
7. Royal; 8. Sceptre; 14. Rain check;
16. Speakeasy; 17. Appraisal; 18. Summons;
20. Lifting; 22. Socle; 23. Peter; 24. Sorel.
This month’s cryptic crossword is a
prize competition, and the answers
will appear in next month’s Telegraph.
Congratulations to Nautilus member
Geoff Holmes, who has won the prize
draw for the February cryptic crossword.
Cryptic answers from February
Across: 1. Crisps; 4. Scabbard;
10. Chocolate; 11. Sepal; 12. Trident;
13. Soloist; 14. Inset; 15. Neap tide;
18. Deprived; 20. Nylon; 23. Abdomen;
25. Necktie; 26. Perón; 27. Geologist;
28. Shepherd; 29. Ascend.
Down: 1. Cocktail; 2. Ivories; 3. Protector;
5. Cheese and onion; 6. Basil; 7. Applied;
8. Dilate; 9. Salt and vinegar;
16. Tenacious; 17. Invested; 19. Endorse;
21. Lattice; 22. Campus; 24. Munch.
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.
42-43_info+join.indd 42
SWITZERLAND
Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1
4005 Basel, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24
Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25
infoch@nautilusint.org
UK Head office
Nautilus International
1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane
South Woodford, London E18 1BD
Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677
Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015
enquiries@nautilusint.org
Useful organisations
Swiss Maritime Navigation Office
+41 (0)61 270 91 20
www.smno.ch
Swiss maritime authority.
g Young Maritime Professionals
Forum
Saturday 7 March 2015
1000 to 1300hrs
Jury’s Inn, Southampton.
The Forum provides guidance
to Nautilus Council on the challenges
facing young people in the shipping
industry and on the issues that
matter to them.
Open to all young members
(UK, NL & CH).
Contact Paul Schroder:
+44 (0)20 8989 6677
ymp@nautilusint.org
International Seafarers’ Welfare
and Assistance Network
+44 (0)300 012 4279
www.seafarerswelfare.org
Global organisation providing a
24 hour, year-round multi-lingual
helpline for all seafarers’ welfare
and support needs, as well as an
emergency welfare fund.
SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and
Advice Line)
08457 413 318
+44 (0)20 8269 0921
www.sailine.org.uk
UK-based citizens’ advice service
helping seafarers and their families
with issues such as debt, benefit
entitlements, housing, pensions
and relationships.
Seamen’s Hospital Society
+44 (0)20 8858 3696
www.seahospital.org.uk
UK charity dedicated to the
health and welfare of seafarers.
Includes the Dreadnought health
service.
Seafarers’ Link
+44 (0)20 7643 1385
www.csv-rsvp.org
Telephone friendship project
connecting retired UK seafarers at
home through a fortnightly
telephone conference service.
Seatax Ltd
+44 (0)1302 364673
www.seatax.ltd.uk
Company providing specialist tax
advice for merchant seafarers.
Marine Society
+44 (0)20 7654 7050
www.marine-society.org
UK charity dedicated to the
learning and professional
development of seafarers.
Offers 120,000 books to ships
through its library service, plus
distance-learning programmes
and scholarship schemes including
the Nautilus-administered Slater
Fund.
18/02/2015 17:15
March 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43
JOIN NAUTILUS
The face of Nautilus
Holger Schatz, national secretary, Swiss branch
g
Holger Schatz has been aware of union
members working on the Swiss inland
waterways and for Swiss-flagged ships for many
years, thanks to his previous role working for
Switzerland’s super-union, Unia.
‘I have known Nick Bramley [the previous
national secretary and now international officer
for Nautilus in Switzerland] for many years —
dating back to when he was the head of the
section when seafarers and boatmen were part
of Unia,’ he explains.
‘I was responsible for construction workers
and also worked on campaigns and communications. Nick and I worked in different sectors but
he had told me about the plans for boatmen and
seafarers to possibly leave Unia in the future,
and I followed that with interest over the years
it took to come about.
‘Whilst I haven’t actually worked with
boatmen or seafarers before, I was aware of
the industry, and already had lots of contacts in
Basel, even though I live in Germany,’ Holger
adds. ‘Also, a lot of the issues that come up
require the same negotiation and organising
skills that I have needed before.’
Holger left Unia a few years ago using his
old PHD in sociology to return to university and
undertake some lecturing. When he realised
that wasn’t for him — ‘too academic’ — he
returned to working for trade unions and local
organisations.
One of the main projects Holger worked on
was a European Commission initiative to launch
a multi-lingual website to help construction
workers in eastern Europe learn about the differences of the industry in different western —
or receiving — countries of the EU.
‘I worked with EU trade unions to gather
information on specific working conditions,
health and safety legislation, wages and
opportunities for work in each country,’ Holger
explains.
‘This was then displayed in a clear table so
that a Romanian or Ukrainian worker could go
onto the site and read in their mother language
about the construction industry in other countries, to help them make informed choices about
where they might go to seek employment.’
Holger then took a year out to look after his
new-born son Bauke, a responsibility he now
shares with partner Jikkemien, as they both
work part time.
‘Germany has a very good social insurance
scheme which allows either parent to take a
year out to raise a family and receive 65% of
your previous salary,’ he adds.
‘I also worked freelance as a journalist so I
could keep my hand in. After the year was up
we realised we needed a bit more money and
I would have to go back to work, and it was
good timing as the job was being advertised at
Nautilus.
‘I now work part time, but we are very flexible. If I am very busy — like now when I am
dealing with a lot of members from Viking River
Cruises — I can do more days or swap days
around with my partner. It helps me to have a
really good work/life balance.’
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 £118,500, against the loss
42-43_info+join.indd 43
of income if their certificate
of competency is cancelled,
suspended or downgraded
following a formal inquiry.
training. The Union is affiliated
to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the
Netherlands and SGB/USS in
Switzerland.
Extra savings
Members can take advantage
of many additional discounts
and benefits organised at a
local level. These include tax
advice, insurance discounts and
advice on pension matters. In
the Netherlands, discounts are
organised through FNV, and trade
union contributions are mostly
tax-friendly, entitling members to
receive a significant part of their
contributions back.
In touch
As a Nautilus International
member, help is never far away
— wherever in the world you are.
Officials regularly see members
onboard their ships and visit
cadets at college. Further support
and advice is available at regular
‘surgeries’ and conferences. The
Union has offices in London,
Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel.
There are also representatives
based in France, Spain and
Singapore.
International
representation
Nautilus International represents
members’ views on a wide range
of national and international
bodies including the European
Transport Workers’ Federation
(ETF), the International Transport
Workers’ Federation (ITF) and
the International Federation of
Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).
We work at the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO)
and the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) on key global
regulations covering working
conditions, health and safety and
Join us today…
Call +44 (0)151 639 8454
Visit www.nautilusint.org
Email membership@nautilusint.org
g For the full range of member benefits visit www.nautilusint.org
OR
g Speak with our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454
Your union, your voice
The Union represents the voice
of more than 22,000 maritime
professionals working in all sectors
of the industry at sea and ashore
— including inland navigation,
large yachts, deepsea and offshore.
For members, by members
Nautilus International is a
dynamic and democratic trade
union offering members many
opportunities to become actively
involved and have your say — at
a local, national and international
level.
18/02/2015 17:15
44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2015
NEWS
Costa trial ‘obscured
debate over safety’
has been obscured by the
F
court case which ended last month
A crucial debate over safety
with a 16-year jail sentence for the
master of the Italian cruiseship Costa
Concordia, Nautilus has warned.
Captain Francesco Schettino was
found guilty of multiple charges of
manslaughter following a 19-month
trial. He was also convicted of
causing a shipwreck and abandoning
ship after his vessel struck rocks and
capsized off Giglio island in January
2012, with the loss of 32 lives.
Capt Schettino was sentenced
to 10 years for manslaughter, five
years for causing a shipwreck, and
one year for abandoning ship before
all 4,229 passengers and crew had
been rescued. He had denied the
charges and said he had been made a
scapegoat for the incident.
Nautilus senior national secretary
Allan Graveson commented: ‘This
case may satisfy those with a blood
lust, but the outcome deflects from
the real issues and has obscured
a much-needed debate about the
design, construction and operation
of large passengerships.
‘There has been an absence of
meaningful action to improve safety
in response to the Costa Concordia
accident, and this trial has simply
served as a distraction from the
important underlying issues,’ he
added.
Prosecutors had called for a
26-year sentence to be imposed on
the Costa master, arguing that there
had been ‘a tsunami’ of evidence
against him. Prosecutor Alessandro
Leopizzi argued that there would
have been time for everyone to
survive had Capt Schettino quickly
ordered evacuation after the ship
started taking on water. Instead, he
added, it was ‘every man for himself’.
Co-prosecutor Stefano Pizza
described the master’s conduct
as ‘reprehensible’ and said Capt
Schettino had acted like a ‘reckless
idiot’ on the night of the accident. ‘All
this time he has wanted to dump his
responsibilities on others,’ he added.
But in a final plea to the court,
Capt Schettino asked for leniency
and spoke of the ‘meat-shredding
media frenzy’ he had faced since the
disaster. ‘My head was sacrificed
to save economic interests,’ he
complained.
Capt Schettino’s defence team
argued that equipment problems
had complicated evacuation efforts,
and that the master had sought to
keep people in safety onboard as he
steered the stricken ship closer to
port. The master is appealing against
the convictions.
Capt Schettino is the only
person to face jail as a result of the
disaster. Costa Cruises paid a €1m
fine to avoid a trial, and five other
staff — including the designated
person ashore and the chief officer
— avoided court under a plea
bargaining agreement.
Captain Francesco Schettino makes his final plea to the court Picture: Max Rossi/Reuters
Brussels call for ‘just
culture’ in shipping
Maritime sector must adopt aviation’s ‘no-blame’ reporting scheme, Nautilus tells European Commission seminar
P
Shipping needs to follow aviation with a
‘just culture’ in which staff are encouraged
to make ‘no blame’ reports of accidents and
incidents to ensure that safety lessons are learned,
Nautilus told a conference in Brussels last month.
Senior national secretary Allan Graveson was
one of the speakers at a seminar on the ‘just culture’
concept, organised by the European Commission’s
directorate for mobility and transport and attended
by maritime and aviation safety experts from a wide
range of organisations and national accident investigation bodies.
Opening the event, Christine Berg — head of the
Commission’s maritime safety unit — suggested
that improved occurrence reporting could play a
critical role in enhancing maritime safety and that
promotion of a just culture had been a key element
in aviation.
While there is presently no EU-wide occurrence
reporting system for near-misses in maritime
transport, some member states do have one — and
their experience could help to show whether such
schemes do contribute to proactive identification of
safety risks, she added.
Mr Graveson told the meeting that shipping is
resistant to change and lagged behind aviation in
adopting safety measures. ‘It is understandable that
maritime professionals are cynical of the just culture concept, given the fractured and sometimes
casual nature of the labour market and the structure
of ownership in the industry,’ he added.
Shipping accidents are rarely investigated
promptly and sometimes never at all, Mr Graveson
pointed out. ‘Our ability to collect safety data is minimal and, where it does exist, it is not shared widely
and is therefore of questionable use.’
At the same time, he added, ‘the threat of prosecution — like the sword of Damocles — hangs over the
heads of maritime professionals, and none more so
than the master’.
In the UK, it had taken more than a decade to
establish a maritime confidential human incident
reporting programme (CHIRP) following the success
of the aviation scheme, Mr Graveson said. The failure
by the industry to provide financial support to the
programme demonstrated the need for a properlyfunded mandatory system, he argued.
Benoît Loicq, of the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA), said it was clear that promoting a ‘voluntary near-miss mindset is valuable’
— but he argued that systems should primarily be
adopted at shipping company level.
Delphine Micheaux Naudet, from the European Commission’s aviation safety unit, said there
could be no safety improvements without information, and the continued availability of information
largely depends on reporting by frontline professionals. The just culture, defined in EU aviation law,
encourages reporting of safety-related information
by protecting individuals who have made mistakes
—but it does not shield them from the consequences
of gross negligence or wilful violations.
Captain John Rose, director of the UK maritime
CHIRP, explained the challenge to convince people
to submit reports, and that their reports will make
a difference. But, he cautioned, there are also challenges with the just culture concept — not least the
way in which it focuses on individuals, causal factors
rather than root causes, and how it can allow managements to hide their own shortcomings.
Daniel Hellström, from the Swedish Transport Agency, said lessons from the aviation sector
included the need for confidentiality and protection
of those reporting near-misses, simplified reporting
forms, and having good systems for using the information and taking appropriate action.
He suggested that reporting requirements
should be extended further than the shipowner and
the master, to cover such personnel as pilots and VTS
operators.
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