Volume 45 | Number 04 | April 2012 | 3.50 3.

70
Titanic lessons
Disaster remains of
relevance today,
Nautilus argues
24-25
In the dock
Complex factors
that can put you
into the courts
22-23
NL nieuws
Drie paginas
met nieuws uit
Nederland
34-36
PM is warned over
ransom payments
Master facing jail
on drink charges
F
The Polish master of a Cook
Islands-agged general
cargoship involved in a collision with
a passenger ferry in Belfast Lough
last month could face up to two
years in jail, a court was told.
Captain Miroslaw Pozniak has
been charged with being over the
alcohol limit when his vessel, the
1,543gt Union Moon, collided with
the 21,856gt UK-agged ro-pax ferry
Stena Feronia.
No one was injured in the
incident, but both vessels suffered
substantial damage and the
Maritime & Coastguard Agency said
Capt Pozniak was arrested after both
masters were tested for alcohol
following the collision.
In a remand hearing at
Newtownards magistrates court,
prosecutors said they had decided to
take the case against the Polish
national to the crown court because
of the seriousness of the charge.
A lawyer for the Public Prosecution
Service told district judge Mark
Hamill the maximum penalty for the
offence that could be handed down
in the higher court is two years
imprisonment.
Lawyers for Capt Pozniak told the
court he was a law-abiding man with
an exemplary record at sea, and had
fully cooperated with police during
questioning. They indicated that he
will plead guilty to being over the
alcohol limit and he was remanded
in custody after police objected to
bail being granted, arguing that they
did not consider his ship to be a
suitable address.
The court also heard that Capt
Pozniak had been sacked by his
employers, Continental Ship
Management of Norway, in the
wake of the incident and the
company was not prepared to
provide bail for him.
The UK Marine Accident
Investigation Branch has launched
an investigation into the causes of
the incident.
Picture: Press Association
Inside
FTraining outcry
Nautilus condemns
plans to cut pay
rates for UK
cadets page 3
FOver and out?
Downturn cuts
crew comms
budgets, Inmarsat
reveals page 20
FNostalgia lives
Cruise rm helps
seafarers to relive
the golden age of
shipping page 28
Nautilus raises alarm at signs of concerted political pressure to outlaw payments to pirates
P
Seafarers will pay with their lives
if governments go ahead with
plans to outlaw the payment of
ransoms to pirates, Nautilus International
has warned.
The Union has written to UK prime
minister David Cameron to voice its oppo-
sition to plans to create an international
taskforce to discourage the payment of
ransoms to pirates and other groups to
eliminate the prot motive and prevent
the illicit ow of money and its corrosive
effects.
The taskforce was announced by the PM
during an international conference on
Somalia, held in London in February. The
UK government says the task force will
bring together experts from across the
world to better understand the ransom
business cycle and how to break it.
US secretary of state Hillary Rodham
Clinton told the conference she supported
moves to prevent the payment of ransoms,
And in a speech to US Chamber of Com-
merce last month Bureau of Political-
Military Affairs assistant secretary Andrew
Shapiro argued that submitting to pirate
demands has created a vicious cycle where
ever-rising ransom payments have not just
spurred additional pirate activity, but
have also enabled pirates to increase
their operational capabilities and sophisti-
cation.
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dick-
inson said he was concerned that there
appears to be a growing and concerted
attempt to make the payment of ransoms
illegal something that would jeopardise
the safety of seafarers held captive.
There is no dispute that the number of
crew members held for ransom has risen
sharply and that the size of ransom
demands has also increased dramatically,
he added.
Nautilus does not condone the paying
of ransom by shipowners. However, we
support them in doing so as a necessity in
order to ensure the safe return of seafarers
to their families, Mr Dickinson said. This
has been brought about by the failure of
the maritime powers, including the UK, to
ensure the sea lanes are open to all that go
about their lawful business.
Despite the large amounts of money
being spent to protect ships and their crews
from the threat of piracy, as well as the
widespread adoption of Best Management
Practices and the limited protection that is
provided by naval assets in the vast high-
risk area, it is inevitable that some ships
will fall victim to pirates, Mr Dickinson told
the PM.
In such circumstances, we believe
shipowners have no option but to pay a
ransom to secure the release of their crews,
he stressed. It is clear from some incidents
in Somalia that attempts to prevent or frus-
trate the payment of ransoms can put sea-
farers into extremely dangerous positions
and can expose them to additional vio-
lence and intimidation.
Mr Dickinson said there were strong
grounds for believing that pirates would
carry through on threats to kill hostages
or cause environmental damage if they are
not paid.
To consider that ransom payments
should be prohibited or discouraged is
deplorable seafarers will pay with their
lives and shipping companies will pay on
their balance sheets, he added.
At no stage has any minister provided
us with the requested assurances or infor-
mation on what the alternative to non-
payment of ransoms would be, Mr Dickin-
son pointed out.
The Union has asked the PM to provide
a detailed explanation of the remit for the
international task force and has requested
talks with government ofcials to discuss
the issues in more detail.
g
Full report see page 27.
NAUTILUS AT WORK
02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
Young members
get a new forum
A
Every woman safe everywhere
was a central message of this
years Womens TUC conference
and Nautilus Internationals motion
highlighted the need for more work to
be done on this issue.
Nautilus member Jessica Tyson
put forward a motion which raised
concern at the high number of
suspicious deaths which occur at
sea highlighting the cases of
Akhona Geveza, who died after going
overboard from the UK-agged
Safmarine Kariba in June 2010, and
Rebecca Coriam, a British citizen who
went missing from the Bahamas-
agged cruiseship Disney Wonder.
The motion which was
unanimously supported by the
conference called for the UK
shipping minister to improve the way
shipboard crimes are investigated by
the British authorities, and to ensure
that all British women seafarers can
go about their jobs without the fear of
crime or the fear of crimes going
uninvestigated.
If a British or foreign person dies
in suspicious circumstances in the UK
the police launch an investigation; if a
British person dies abroad, the UK
authorities get involved, said Jessica,
who is vice-chairwoman of the
Nautilus womens forum. Why does
this not happen for incidents on
British-agged ships, or when British
citizens are onboard foreign agged
ships?
Jessica highlighted an advert in
the Labour Research magazine which
called for an end to violence against
NHS staff and promised that tough
action would be taken including
prosecution against any
perpetrators.
Why are seafarers, men and
women, not being afforded that same
right? she asked.
The right to a safe workplace is
something we all want, but when
there is an incident, we deserve the
right to a thorough and fair
investigation with appropriate action
taken against those who commit
crimes.
The motion was backed by Unite
and UCU, who highlighted the
number of deaths at sea and the lack
of training that cruiseship staff receive
before going to sea.
Jessica also spoke supporting a
motion on older women workers,
which highlighted the vital
contribution this group make to the
workplace and to society in general.
All women should be entitled to
support their families, she said. That
includes being able to work to
whatever age they feel necessary.
New request for discussions on processes for investigating oences at sea
P
Nautilus has written to the Mayor of
London, Boris Johnson, in a fresh call
for discussions on the procedures
used by police to investigate crimes at sea.
The Union had urged the Mayor to use his
responsibilities for the Metropolitan Police
which takes the lead in dealing with allega-
tions of offences at sea to open up dialogue
on the way in which such cases are handled.
Nautilus says it is concerned about a num-
ber of cases including those of cadet
Akhona Geveza and cruiseship worker Rebecca
Coriam which demonstrate the shortcom-
ings of the complex jurisdictional procedures
for investigating suspicious deaths when a
mix of ag state, coastal or port state, and
crew nationalities are involved.
General secretary Mark Dickinson told Mr
Johnson: I believe that it is imperative that
we nd better ways of dealing with the poten-
tial legal hurdles that such a mix creates, so
that we can avoid the situation in which
responsibilities can be diffused between dif-
ferent administrations.
We are especially concerned about the
processes that apply in the event that it is
determined that another countrys investiga-
tions are inadequate, or not in accordance
with UK judicial principles, he added, and we
are also anxious to clarify the principles and
processes followed in the event of a UK sea-
farer dying in suspicious circumstances
onboard a foreign-registered ship.
Mr Dickinson said Nautilus has been in
contact with both Scotland Yard and Hamp-
shire Police, as the lead forces in dealing with
maritime crimes and in undertaking a review
of the procedures followed. Whilst we had ini-
tially helpful and constructive responses, I am
concerned that the issue seems to have gone
cold and no dialogue appears to be taking
place, he added.
Mr Dickinson said it was regrettable that
there are still unresolved questions related to
the case of Akhona Geveza, almost three years
after she was found dead in the sea off the
coast of Croatia.
Although shipping minister Mike Penning
has responded with proposed new guidelines
for ship masters on securing evidence from
potential crime scenes, Mr Dickinson said he
remained frustrated at the lack of detailed dia-
logue on such critically important issues.
I believe it is imperative that we put an
end to the apparent confusion surrounding
responsibility for investigating and taking
action on serious crimes committed onboard
ships, he added.
There have been too many other exam-
ples in which the nationality mix of victims,
owners, operators, ships and location have cre-
ated a jurisdictional web that impeded ade-
quate and timely investigation, he added.
Womens TUC backs ship safety appeal
Jessica Tyson moves the Nautilus motion at last months Womens TUC conference Picture: Janina Struk
A
The Nautilus International
womens forum met in
Wallasey recently to discuss a wide
range of issues affecting female
members of the Union.
The meeting discussed
maternity and paternity rights,
including minimum standards for
inclusion in collective bargaining
agreements. Members expressed
concern that there appeared to be a
lack of understanding of individual
rights and also a lack of knowledge,
application and implementation of
such rights within the industry.
The meeting also elected a new
vice-chairwoman, Jessica Tyson,
following the appointment of Fiona
Rush as industrial organiser within
the Unions full-time staff.
The date of the next meeting
was changed to avoid a clash with
school holidays, and it will now
take place on Saturday 16 June
2012 from 1100hrs to 1600hrs at
the Nautilus head ofce in London.
A
Nautilus general secretary
Mark Dickinson is pictured
with Captain Ken McCloud and Rory
Murphy of the Merchant Navy
Ofcers Pension Fund employers
group and registered nurse Angie
Reynolds during a visit to the
Unions Mariners Park care home
for retired seafarers and their
dependants.
Capt McCloud told the Union he
welcomed the chance to tour the
Unions welfare facilities at
Wallasey and said both he and Mr
Murphy were particularly
impressed by the care home.
Ship-shape and Bristol fashion
is an apt description which, coupled
with the great staff attitude, has
produced a rst-class facility which
is a credit to Nautilus, he added.
We were also impressed with your
plans for further development of
the Park.
Union calls for talks
on crime concerns
Nautilus welfare work wins
praise from employers
A
Nautilus International nance
and care administrator Linda
Booton celebrated 40 years with the
Union last month.
She is pictured above with general
secretary Mark Dickinson, deputy
general secretary Mike Jess and
Nautilus Welfare Fund chairman
Commodore Bob Thornton who
congratulated Linda on her
achievement and thanked her for the
many dedicated years of service she
has provided to the Unions charity
and its beneciaries, and to the Union
and its Welfare Fund Committee.
Linda began her career as an
administrator with the Mercantile
Marine Services Association (MMSA)
in 1972, before going on to become
nance ofcer with NUMAST Welfare
Funds and then the Nautilus Welfare
Fund.
Lindas 40 years of service
A
The inaugural meeting of the
Nautilus International Youth
Forum is due to take place next
month at the Unions head ofce in
London.
The creation of the forum was
unanimously agreed at the Unions
General Meeting in Rotterdam in
October 2011, when several cadet
members called for young people to
be given a voice in the Union similar
to that given to women members via
the Womens Forum.
The youth forum meetings will be
an opportunity for young members to
engage in discussions on the specic
challenges facing young seafarers in
the maritime profession.
There will be discussions on how
to promote maritime careers to other
young people and how Nautilus can
organise young members to
encourage their participation in
Union activities. The forum will
provide guidance to the Council on
these, and a range of other issues
affecting young members.
The forum will meet twice a year,
with meetings normally taking place
either in London or Wallasey. The rst
meeting will be held on Saturday 12
May in London from 11am to 4pm.
All young or trainee members
holding full membership are entitled
to attend, but places are limited and
will be allocated on a rst come rst
served basis.
g
Please contact Blossom Bell on
+44 (0)151 639 8454 or email
youth@nautilusint.org for more
information about the meeting or to
book a place.
Spotlight on parents rights
NAUTILUS AT WORK
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03
Nautilus joins the
tributes to victims
of Herald disaster
shortreports
PENSION PLANS: Nautilus is continuing to press
the UK government over proposals to include seafarers
within the scope of new pension auto-enrolment rules.
The Union is lobbying the Department for Work and
Pensions over the way in which the regulations
which are set to start coming into eect later this year
will be applied to maritime workers. Nautilus says
many seafarers are likely to be excluded if they work
outside of the UK, although they are resident here and
will live in the UK during retirement, whilst foreign
seafarers working out of the UK may well be included.
RFA BOOST: Nautilus has welcomed a long-
awaited announcement on the 452m order of four
new generation tankers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The
36,000dwt Military Afoat Reach & Sustainability
vessels will be built in Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding.
RFA Commodore Bill Walworth said: We are delighted
the RFA will be able to operate these world-class vessels.
These feet replenishment tankers will be fexible ships,
able to operate with the Royal Navy and Armed Forces
in confict, and are designed to allow for upgrades and
emerging technologies.
PAY PLEA: the TUC has welcomed signs of an
upturn in the value of pay settlements in the UK. Figures
released by Incomes Data Services last month showed
around two-thirds of recent awards were worth at least
3%, compared with a median rise of 2.5% in 2011. TUC
general secretary Brendan Barber said sustained wage
growth was needed to boost the economy.
SWEDISH LINK: a new shipping company has
opened a freight ferry service between the UK port of
Killingholme and Gothenburg in Sweden using two UK-
fagged vessels. North Sea RoRo which claims to be
a new competitive alternative to DFDS has
deployed the sisterships Beachy Head and Longstone on
the route, initially running three trips a week.
UK DETENTIONS: only two substandard foreign
fagged ships were detained in UK ports in December,
according to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. The
two ships a Panamanian-registered reefer and a
Marshall Islands-fagged bulk carrier had a total of 41
defciencies between them. Seven other ships remained
under detention from previous months.
PLA UPTURN: trade through the Port of London
increased by 1.5% last year, to total 48.8m tonnes. A
report published by the Port of London Authority last
month showed a marked rise in construction materials
being handled on the Thames, but a collapse in coal
cargoes following the closure of Tilbury Power Station.
STRESSED WHALES: shipping noise causes
chronic stress to whales, according to a scientifc report
published last month. Researchers in the US found that
there had been a highly signifcant reduction in stress
hormones in whales coinciding with a decrease in
shipping trafc following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
WARSASH PRAISED: Southampton Solent
Universitys further education provision at Warsash
Maritime Academy has been rated as outstanding by
the Ofsted inspectorate which gives the centre top
marks for the eectiveness and quality of its provision
and the outcome for learners.
DIGITAL LIBRARY: Witherby Seamanship has
published its Seamanship Library 2012 a package that
is recognised by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency as
being an electronic equivalent for the onboard carriage
of IMO instruments and UK regulations.
RECORD RESCUES: RNLI lifeboats launched
8,905 times around the coast of the UK and Ireland last
year, rescuing 7,976 people. RNLI records show that 2011
was the second busiest ever.
BELGIAN STOPPAGE: marine pilots and dock
workers in Belgian ports took industrial action last
month in a protest at government plans to raise their
retirement age to 62.
Alarm over plan
to cut cadet pay
U
Nautilus has expressed
alarm at plans by lead-
ing shipping companies
to cut cadets pay rates by almost
30%.
A group of major operators
have agged up proposals to stop
paying ofcer trainees while they
are getting sea time. If they go
ahead, it could mean that new
entrants would earn as much as
3,000 a year less than those
presently in training.
The companies say they will
continue to pay all associated
course fees, training costs, and
accommodation, in addition to
the monthly salary while cadets
are at college or on leave. But they
will not pay a salary to them for
the time they are at sea, on the
grounds that they are being pro-
vided with accommodation and
food whilst on board.
The companies say the move
which would be introduced
later this year, but would not
affect cadets currently in training
is being made in response to
the UK governments recent
announcement of changes to the
Support for Maritime Training
(SMarT) scheme.
Although shipping minister
Mike Penning assured the indus-
try that SMarT would continue to
provide a total of 12m a year for
the life of the current Parliament,
the government is introducing
changes in the way the aid is paid.
The companies claim that
while SMarT covers around 40%
of the costs of the three-year
cadet training programme, the
impact of rising college fees in the
UK means that they can train at
cheaper rates in other major mar-
itime nations.
Late last year, the Merchant
Navy Training Board heard con-
cerns that the increase in tuition
fees could add as much as
15,000 to the price of getting a
cadet to their rst certicate
and it had been suggested that
trainees could be asked to con-
tribute to their training costs.
Nautilus general secretary
Mark Dickinson said he was
extremely disturbed by the plans
and the Union is strongly oppos-
ing any move to reduce cadets
terms and conditions. The
employers must recognise that
they are in danger of scoring a
major own goal if they go ahead
with this, he warned.
Owners could be at risk of
jeopardising the assistance that
we do get through SMarT by mak-
ing cadets pay for the increased
costs, and ultimately those who
do this will undermine their own
training efforts and may end up
paying PILOT penalty payments
as a result if they are in the ton-
nage tax scheme, he added.
Nautilus is raising the issues
with the shipping minister and
was due to discuss its concerns at
the next meeting of the MNTB,
on 28 March.
The Union which produced
a major report on cadet pay and
conditions in 2010 is also seek-
ing the views of cadet members
and the plans will be on the
agenda at the rst meeting of the
youth forum in May.
Employers seek to reduce rates by around 30% following SMarT changes
A
Nautilus ofcials have taken
part in a memorial service to
mark the 25th anniversary of the
Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.
General secretary Mark Dickinson
and Nautilus/ITF inspector Chris
Jones who was an engineer ofcer
on the ship at the time of the
accident, but was on leave when it
took place were among 300
people taking part in the event at St
Marys Church in Dover to remember
the victims of the accident.
A total of 193 lives were lost when
the Townsend Thoresen ferry
capsized shortly after leaving the
Belgian port of Zeebrugge on 6
March 1987. The loss which was
the result of the failure to close the
bow doors led to major changes in
the design and operation of ro-ro
vessels.
This was a very well attended
and a deeply moving memorial
service, and our compliments go to
the Sailors Society for arranging
such a powerful tribute to those who
lost their lives, said Mr Dickinson.
Twenty-ve years on, it was clear
that the impact of this awful accident
is still felt very strongly, he added.
It continues to have considerable
resonance with the present day and
Nautilus remains determined to
ensure that all the lessons of the loss
are learned and that the Herald of
Free Enterprise can leave a lasting
legacy for safety in the ferry sector.
The service was led by the Bishop
of Dover, the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott,
and attended by many survivors and
relatives of those who died in the
disaster, who were able to leave
memories of their loved ones for a
Book of Remembrance which is being
compiled by the Sailors Society.
A service of dedication was also
held for a new memorial which has
been created to mark the 25th
anniversary of the Heralds loss
a rose garden made up of 25 white
rose bushes.
P
A UK-based recruitment agency has launched a
scheme to help newly-qualied UK ofcers to nd
their rst jobs in the shipping industry.
The Fast50 project unveiled by Faststream last
month aims to provide a total of 50 seagoing posts
every term for cadets completing their training with no
immediate job to go to after qualifying.
The initiative has been established in response to
fears that as many as half the cadets with no sponsoring
employer complete their courses without a seagoing
position lined up.
Faststream group CEO Mark Charman said: We have
plenty of clients on our books who are crying out for
UK-trained ofcers who are regarded as amongst the
best in the world.
By offering this scheme, we hope to help all of the
students nd roles.
Senior recruitment consultant Alasdair MacMillan
added: Companies tend to go to cheaper labour
markets in eastern Europe and the Far East when they
are looking for junior ofcers and this is our way of
trying to give young British ofcers their rst job so that
they are not lost to the industry.
Faststream will select applicants for the scheme on
the basis of interviews and references, and those who
are successful will be employed at international rates.
The service is provided free of charge to the
graduating cadets, with a small administration fee
payable by employers.
g
More information, email: fast50@faststream.com
Cadets helped to fnd frst OOW jobs
NAUTILUS AT WORK
04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
shortreports
PNTL DELAY: the pay review for members serving
on Pacifc Nuclear Transport Ltd ships has been delayed
as a result of the contract with James Fisher Shipping
Services coming to an end. The contract ends on 31
March and the pay review is due on 1 April so
industrial organiser Gary Leech was informed that Fisher
had no mandate to enter pay negotiations. Mr Leech
has since written to the new crewing service provider,
Serco Marine, outlining members pay aspirations and
seeking a meeting at their earliest opportunity.
SHELL SUBMISSION: Nautilus was set to meet
Shell International Shipping Services management for
two days at the end of March to discuss this years pay
and conditions claim. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne
said the submission had been drawn up on the basis of
feedback from members and it was hoped the
negotiating team could secure an acceptable
agreement at the meeting.
WESTMINSTER CLAIM: Nautilus has
presented a claim seeking an above-infation pay rise for
members employed by Westminster Dredging. The
Union is also calling for a bonus scheme along the lines
of the one operated by Boskalis, together with
consolidation of the mobility allowance into basic pay
and travel expenses to be increased in line with RPI.
WESTERN VIEWS: industrial organiser Gary
Leech was set to meet Western Ferries (Clyde)
management late last month to discuss the 2012 pay
claim. Mr Leech will also be introducing himself to
members as their new representative and would
welcome any further additional information on
members aspirations at those meetings.
CORYSTES CLAIM: Nautilus was set to meet
Serco Marine late last month to discuss a pay and
conditions claim for members serving onboard rv
Corystes. The Union is seeking a RPI-plus increase, an
over-tour/early recall bonus and a move to equal time-
on/time-o.
GLOBAL MEETING: a claim seeking a 6%
increase in salaries and improvements to various terms
and conditions was on the agenda for the Nautilus
partnership at work meeting with Global Marine
Systems (Guernsey) last month.
KNIGHT TALKS: Nautilus met JP Knight
management last month for talks on this years pay and
conditions claim. National secretary Jonathan Havard
said he hoped members would be consulted on a formal
oer in April.
HANSON CONSULT: members employed by
Hanson Ship Management were being consulted last
month on a disappointing 2% pay oer, plus
improvements to sickness and training rates.
IMT TALKS: Nautilus is to seek talks with
International Marine Transportation management this
month after drawing up a pay and conditions claim
following consultations with members.
COASTELS INCREASE: following consultation
with members employed by Bibbys on the Coastels
agreement, a 5.5% pay oer has been accepted,
backdated to 1 January 2012.
CARRIERS DEAL: members employed by Anglo
Eastern on car carriers have accepted accept a 3% pay
oer. The increase will be backdated to 1 January 2012.
Maersk jobs pledge
in plan for savings
F
Nautilus has expressed concern
over a decision by the
Norwegian and UK-based company
Gearbulk to end the employment of
European seafarers.
The company which operates a
eet of 90 ships announced last
month that it plans to speed up the
process of replacing its Polish,
Croatian, Russian and Scandinavian
seafarers and aims to fully man all of
its vessels with Asian crews by early
2013.
Nautilus general secretary Mark
Dickinson described the move as
regrettable and said it underlined the
need for the European Commission to
introduce more effective measures to
encourage owners to recruit and
retain EU seafarers.
Pay gap closing,
research reveals
P
Maersk Line has ruled
out redundancies as part
of its programme to
return to protability after clock-
ing up losses of US$600m last
year.
Speaking in London last
month, Maersk Line boss Soren
Skou said job losses and fresh
changes in crewing policies are
not expected to gure in its drive
to cut costs.
Instead, Mr Skou said, Maersk
has cut deployed capacity on its
weekly Asia-Europe services by
9.5% and could reduce its entire
eet by 9% this year by redeliver-
ing chartered vessels.
The company will also make
more effective use of slow-steam-
ing, by lowering variations in
speed and bringing the whole
eet closer to an average of 18
knots.
And Maersk has also decided
not to go ahead with options to
order more of its Triple E mega
ships.
Mr Skou complained that rates
in the liner trades are unsustain-
able and fail to reect the value of
container shipping to world trade.
An average return on invested
capital of 2% since 2005 is what
you can expect from government
bonds and is not acceptable for
the risks associated with our busi-
ness, he added.
Maersk aims to improve mar-
gins by getting rid of surplus
capacity and offering a reliable,
quality service.
Mr Skou said no further
changes in crewing strategy are
planned, but admitted that the
company is increasingly reliant
upon seafarers from Asia, India
and eastern Europe. Working at
sea is no longer an attractive
proposition for young people
from traditional maritime
nations, he claimed.
In Denmark, we have 120
cadets a year and the programme
is for ve years. Half leave before
nishing the programme, and
another half [of that] leave by the
age of 30, he added.
z
Members employed by Maersk
Offshore Bermuda and Guernsey
and serving on container vessels
were being consulted last month
on a pay and conditions offer
including a 2% increase in basic
salaries. The offer will be applied to
both MOG and MOB salary scales
and is conditional on acceptance of
changes to some terms and
conditions.
National secretary Steve Doran
has taken over responsibility
from Ian Cloke for serving mem-
bers employed by the Maersk
group. Members can contact Mr
Doran at the Wallasey ofce with
immediate effect.
Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard is pictured above with P&O
Ferries chief nancial ocer Karl Howarth and P&O (Jersey) general
manager Mark Risby signing the new collective agreement between P&O
Crewing Services (Jersey) and Nautilus International following the
overwhelming acceptance by members serving on North Sea and
Western Channel contracts of the companys proposals covering their
assimilation onto the new start/promotion contract. Pictured below is
senior national secretary Paul Keenan and liaison ocer Micky Smyth
meeting members during a visit to the European Causeway
Company says redundancies will not be part of new drive to cut costs
A
The gap between pay rates for
seafarers from different parts of
Europe is closing, according to a new
study.
And the research published by the
consultancy rm Precious Associates
Ltd (PAL) last month also showed how
owners are having to include a
broader range of benets in their
employment packages to recruit and
retain skilled seafarers.
PALs Dry Cargo Wage Survey
which covered some 16,000 ofcers
serving on ships such as container
vessels, dry bulk carriers, ro-ros,
reefers, and general cargo ships
revealed that wages for masters in the
sector can vary by as much as 56%.
General manager Chris Wincott
commented: In order to negate rising
wage demands, the number of
benets offered has increased and
companies are becoming more aware
of the need to produce effective
benets packages as a means of
attracting the critical skillset required.
With demand for skills and
experience remaining high, he said
pressures on owners to think about
future needs are increasing, the study
points out.
Factors in the mix include not just
wages, but also tour lengths, leave,
overtime, pensions, study leave and
pay, sick and seniority pay, annual
and return bonuses, exchange rate
compensation, class of travel, and
insurance and health cover for
seafarers and their families.
Mr Wincott said the survey shows
that NW Europeans remain the
highest paid, but are used in reducing
numbers. Countries such as Poland
and Croatia are fast catching up, he
added, and pay for seafarers from
some east European countries is
increasing to central Europe levels.
Rates in the Indian sub-continent are
now closer to those of central and
eastern Europe, the Far East remains
the most cost-effective crew option.
But, he stressed, what is not
considered in the survey is the value
for money concept cheapest is
not always best for some operators
who make their manning decisions
based on factors other than just
money alone.
A
Nautilus International has
negotiated a special
agreement to cover terms and
conditions for members serving on a
P&O ferry chartered to act as an
accommodation vessel for
technicians working at an offshore
wind farm in the North Sea.
The European Seaway is
expected to be deployed for three to
four months anchored some 7km
off Skegness allowing technicians
to live onboard whilst undertaking
maintenance and operations
activities at the Lynn and Inner
Dowsing Wind Farm Array.
Supplied to Centrica on a time
charter basis, the ship will be
manned by P&O Ferries deck,
technical and catering crew
providing hotel services to the
windfarm workers.
This is the rst contract P&O
Ferries has secured in the
renewables market and the
companys eet director has
conrmed that all Maritime &
Coastguard Agency requirements
will be fully adhered to.
Chief executive Helen Deeble said
the contract formed part of a
strategy to grow new business by
utilising the companys skills base in
appropriate areas.
Nautilus agrees terms for
P&O windfarm charter
Gearbulk looks to Asia
P
The UK government has
made a nal offer to try
and resolve the long-
running controversy over
changes to public sector pensions.
The proposed new Civil Service
Pension Scheme will apply to all
members working for the Royal
Fleet Auxiliary and other public
sector maritime organisations.
Members serving such bodies
as the RFA, the Maritime & Coast-
guard Agency, Trinity House, the
Natural Environment Research
Council and the Port of London
Authority are now being asked for
their comments on the new
scheme, which includes:
z
a career average pension
scheme
z
provisional accrual rate of 2.32%
(equivalent to (1/43.1)
z
a normal pension age equal to
state pension age (for both active
and deferred members)
z
payment increases in line with
CPI
z
average member contributions
of 5.6%
z
a lump sum on death in service
of two times salary
z
an employer contribution cap
z
the opportunity for members
wishing to retire before their state
pension age to pay additional
contributions
The government has also
made some protection arrange-
ments to cover members who
have fewer than 10 years before
the retirement age and those who
are just outside this marker.
Ministers have also conrmed
that this latest offer will be their
nal position.
Nautilus national secretary
Jonathan Havard commented: If
the governments proposals fail
to gain widespread support and
are at some point unilaterally
imposed on our members, then
the Union will consult further
with members on the option of
pursuing a collective grievance on
their behalf, using the appropri-
ate internal collective grievance
procedures.
g
Full details of the new scheme
have been given in a bulletin
to members who will be affect-
ed by the proposals, and they
have been invited to submit
comments before 30 March 2012 to
industrial@nautilusint.org
NAUTILUS AT WORK
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05
shortreports
THAMES WARNING: Nautilus has warned that
it may seek statutory recognition through the Central
Arbitration Committee after Thames Clippers told the
Union it is not in a position to conclude a voluntary
agreement and wants to wait a further year before a
fresh ballot is carried out. National secretary Jonathan
Havard said there is a clear desire for Nautilus to have a
collective bargaining agreement and the Union
considers it is unacceptable to wait for a year for a new
vote to be held.
LOTHIAN REJECTION: consultations with
members employed by Lothian Shipping Services have
shown a majority rejecting a 4.8% pay oer. National
secretary Steve Doran has urged the company to
reconsider, warning that a deep sense of resentment
and injustice prevails as a result of last years decision
to break from the long-standing practice of at least
matching RPI for pay awards.
STENA SETTLEMENT: consultations with
members employed by Stena Line and serving out of
Belfast, Cairnryan, Fishguard, Harwich and Holyhead
have shown a 56% to 44% majority in favour of
accepting a 7% pay oer over two years. National
secretary Steve Doran has also written to the company
to request dates to meet to discuss a number of
outstanding issues.
RBS JOBS: members employed by Maersk Oshore
and serving on RBS vessels have been advised,
following legal advice, that no redundancy situation
exists. Terms and conditions remain unchanged and
continuous, and the company has acted within its
rights. Any members who wish to discuss the situation
should contact liaison ofcer Peter Gooch.
CEMEX CLAIM: following feedback from members
employed by Cemex UK Marine, Nautilus has submitted
a claim seeking an infation-linked pay rise, family-
friendly leave policies and reintroduction of the loyalty
bonus. The Union is also seeking talks on issues
including satellite/broadband connections, an onboard
social fund, and health and safety.
MANX RISE: members employed by Manx Sea
Transport, serving on Isle of Man Steam Packet
Company vessels, have voted to accept a 3.5% pay oer,
which includes an additional premium for ofcers from
5 June 2012. National secretary Steve Doran thanked
members for their participation especially liaison
ofcer Chris Bowen.
INTRADA OFFER: members serving with Intrada
Ships Management are being consulted after the
company tabled an improved pay and conditions oer,
worth 3%, in talks with the Union last month. National
secretary Jonathan Havard said the package is being
recommended to members.
Union invites views
on pension changes
Nautilus seeking feedback from members over cuts in civil service scheme
Nautilus welcome for
Liverpool port plans
MoD defends decision to build four
new RFA tankers in South Korea
Condor switches from Weymouth
A
Pictured above sporting a new-look livery is the
Condor Vitesse. Condor Ferries announced last
month that it had switched its cross-Channel services
from Weymouth to Poole until further notice in
response to concerns over the safety of the berth at
Weymouth.
The company said remedial work at the berth had
not been successful. It pointed out that ports providing
berthing facilities for high speed craft usually provide
protective measures against the impact of scour.
Operations director Captain Fran Collins commented:
The safety of our passengers and crew remains our
highest priority, and we will be working closely with
Weymouth & Portland Borough Council to monitor the
repairs over the coming weeks.
By continuing to operate regular services from
Poole, while the work is carried out in Weymouth, we
can continue to sustain our lifeline ferry services
between the Channel Islands and the UK.
Picture: Paul Dallaway
A
Nautilus has welcomed the
announcement by Peel Ports
that the procurement phase for the
construction of a new deep-water
container terminal at the Port of
Liverpool has commenced.
It is hoped that the terminal will
bring some of the worlds largest
containerships to the Mersey and
provide over 5000 jobs.
The new terminal will
accommodate two vessels of up to
13,500TEU at a time and thanks to
its central location in the UK
should help to deliver greener
transport by reducing land-based
freight movements.
Nautilus supports this
development and we have been
engaged with Peel and other
stakeholders via the Mersey
Partnership and the North West TUC,
said national secretary Steve Doran.
The challenge now is for everyone
to engage and fully communicate on
the developments and be transparent
about key relationships and any
possible differences of opinion.
We want to be able to have an
input at the design stage to ensure
that workers views are represented
and issues can be identied and
resolved early, as this will be a huge
30-year plus project.
The development, called Liverpool
2, will cost in excess of 300m and is
the key project in the Mersey Ports
Master Plan for the port of Liverpool
and Manchester Ship Canal, unveiled
by Peel Ports last summer.
A
The Ministry of Defence has hit
back at criticism that the new
generation of Royal Fleet Auxiliary
tankers pictured right are to be
built in Korea.
The 452m contract for the four
Military Aoat Reach and
Sustainability (MARS) tankers was
placed with Daewoo Shipbuilding &
Marine Engineering on the grounds
that it was best value for taxpayers
money.
But the UK Shipbuilders &
Shiprepairers Association (SSA) said
the work should have gone to a
British yard. Our shipyards have the
capability and capacity to build these
tankers in the UK and the MoD has
been short-sighted in awarding
these contracts to a Korean yard
without giving serious consideration
to tenders from British shipyards,
said SSA director Ash Sinha.
But in a letter to Nautilus,
defence minister Peter Luff said that
while a number of UK companies
had participated in the tendering
process, none submitted a nal bid
for the build contract.
The minister said British rms
would also benet from 150m of
associated contracts including
design, customisation, engineering
and trials of the MARS tankers,
which are planned to enter into
service at yearly intervals from 2016.
Chief of defence materiel Bernard
Gray said: I believe the winning
bidders solution will offer the UK the
best value for money.
The MARS tanker is an
exceptionally versatile platform;
able to simultaneously refuel an
aircraft carrier and destroyer whilst
undertaking helicopter resupply of
other vessels, he added. I am
looking forward to the award of the
contract and the work that will
follow in the lead-up to the delivery
of the ships.
06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
OFFSHORE NEWS
shortreports
STUC CALL: delegates to the Scottish TUC
conference in Inverness later this month are set to
discuss a Nautilus motion expressing concern about the
impact on safety in the North Sea arising from cuts in
the Maritime & Coastguard Agency budget. The
meeting will also consider the next stage in the long-
running battle over paid leave for workers in the
oshore sector, following the UK Supreme Court ruling
late last year that they are not covered by the European
working time directive provisions.
SUBSEA SETTLEMENT: the recent
consultation on the 2011 pay review for Nautilus
members employed by Subsea 7 resulted in an almost
50:50 split. Therefore, national secretary Steve Doran
has agreed to reluctantly accept the oer as being the
best that can be achieved through negotiations.
Members are encouraged to participate in future
consultations and consider volunteering to become
liaison ofcers to support the Union in the challenges
that lie ahead, he added.
TRICO DEAL: following a 50:50 split in the recent
consultation on a 3% pay oer for members employed
by Trico Guernsey, industrial organiser Derek Byrne has
spoken to the company about a possible improvement
to the package. However, management confrmed that
the proposals constituted the full and fnal oer and
therefore the Union has accepted it as the best that can
be achieved through negotiations.
BPOS CLAIM: Nautilus has submitted a claim for
an infation-plus pay rise for members employed by
Seacor Marine (Guernsey) on Boston Putford Oshore
Safety vessels. The Union is also seeking a ship security
ofcer bonus and a seniority increase, as well as talks on
issues including dierentials, the use of airport lounges,
the mileage allowance, and increased cargo work
onboard Putford Enterprise.
TECHNIP CONSULT: members employed by
Technip Singapore are being consulted on a revised pay
oer, which includes an increase on basic wages of 5.6%
backdated to 1 January 2012. The company also agreed
to exclude the proposed changes to sick pay as detailed
in the original oer. The results of the consultation
should be known early this month.
IRISH FIND: an Irish company has reported the
discovery of a commercially viable oilfeld some 50km
o the Cork coast. Dublin-based Providence Resources
said its test drilling had uncovered a fow of more than
3,500 barrels per day almost double the fgure that
had been considered a commercial threshold.
FUGRO TAKEOVER: the Dutch oshore
engineering company Fugro has announced its
acquisition of the UK marine survey and environmental
consultancy, EMU Ltd, which currently employs 150
surveyors, oceanographers and marine scientists.
GULF TRANSFER: Nautilus industrial organiser
Gary Leech has taken over responsibility for serving
members employed by Gulf Oshore Guernsey.
A
In the run-up to the Budget
statement, offshore indus-
try leaders warned the
Chancellor that urgent action was
needed to avert a depression in the
sector.
Despite being a mature province,
the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) still
has the potential to sustain
production for some years to come,
said industry body Oil & Gas UK. But
its prospects are being frustrated by
the structure and instability of the
current scal regime.
The group recently published its
2012 Activity Survey, which has
exposed some worrying trends. 2011
production saw a record drop,
exploration halved and business
condence remained sluggish, said
chief executive Malcolm Webb.
The crisis may have been masked
by high investment in a few major
projects, he noted, but the gures
show that overall, UK oil and gas
production fell by 18% to 1.8m barrels
of oil and gas equivalent (boe) per
day.
Oil & Gas UK is particularly
concerned that only 15 exploration
wells were drilled in 2011 half the
2010 number.
This is seen as evidence that
companies are being deterred from
investing in the UKCS by the British
governments frequent changes of
policy on taxation.
To increase critical exploration
activity and extract the full 24bn boe
remaining in the UKCS, the scal
regime must be stable, the
association stressed.
A
BP Shipping has been linked to
an order for four North Sea-spec
platform supply vessels, left.
To be built in South Korea by the
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Company,
the UT 776 CD design vessels are due
to be delivered in 2013 and 2014. The
order includes options for a further
two vessels of the same type.
Designed specically for supplying
equipment and services to deepwater
oil and gas platforms, the 4,400-
tonne 97m vessels include features to
minimise environmental impact and
improve crew comfort and safety.
The contract is worth more than
45m for Rolls-Royce, which will
supply equipment including a diesel-
electric propulsion system, a passive
stabilising system, thrusters,
automation and control systems and
a dynamic positioning system (DP II).
P
Offshore operators have
welcomed the UK
governments Budget
announcement of tax conces-
sions to safeguard investment in
the North Sea.
The package revealed in the
House of Commons last month
includes allowances designed to
boost exploration and production
work west of Shetland and meas-
ures to ease the costs of decom-
missioning.
Announcing the moves, Chan-
cellor George Osborne told MPs: I
want to ensure we extract the
greatest possible amount of oil
and gas from our reserves in the
North Sea.
Mr Osborne conrmed that
the government will guarantee
tax relief of between 50% and 75%
for decommissioning projects
ending the uncertainty caused
when last years Budget set out
plans to limit tax breaks on eld
abandonment costs.
The Chancellor said he was
also introducing new tax breaks
for harder-to-develop elds, such
as those in deeper water, includ-
ing a new 3bn eld allowance
designed to open up develop-
ment in the frontier region to the
west of the Shetland Islands.
Oil & Gas UK chief executive
Malcolm Webb said operators
were greatly encouraged by the
package of tax measures and
claimed they will result in tens of
billions of pounds of additional
investment in the UK sector.
The introduction of legislation
to enable the government to give
the industry certainty on tax
relief on decommissioning costs
is a very signicant step forward,
he added.
The measure should delay
decommissioning of oil and gas
infrastructure, give rise over time
to up to 40bn of extra invest-
ment and result in the recovery of
an additional 1.7bn barrels of oil
and gas.
Oil & Gas UK claims the tax
allowances should result in addi-
tional investment totalling more
than 10bn and the production of
hundreds of millions of barrels of
the UKs oil and gas. The invest-
ment that will surely follow
todays announcements will drive
growth in the economy, securing
highly-skilled jobs, promoting
advances in offshore technology,
boosting tax revenues and reduc-
ing oil and gas imports, Mr Webb
added.
A
Offshore workers have been
invited to develop their
careers by enrolling in tailored
geosciences courses offered by a
new distance-learning academy.
Launched last month as a joint
venture between Plymouth
University and Fugro, the
Hydrographic Academy was
established in response to industry
demands for better employee
training in elds such as
hydrography, oceanography and
meteorology.
The new institution will offer
undergraduate and postgraduate
diplomas, as well as Masters level
programmes. The courses have been
developed with input from Flag
Ofcer Sea Training and the Centre
of Excellence in Naval Oceanographic
Research and Education.
Taking account of the poor
internet access on most offshore
installations, the academy will
provide students with all their
learning resources and assignments
on a single 8Gb memory stick. Then,
once students are able to get online,
they can upload assignments,
download new materials, and even
conduct tutorials over Skype.
Dr Richard Thain, of Plymouth
Universitys School of Marine Science
and Engineering, commented: The
Hydrographic Academy answers the
call for career development and
training opportunities in the
offshore and oil industries, and for
the rst time establishes a pathway
for school-leavers to enter the sector.
You can be in the middle of the
Pacic or Southern Ocean,
thousands of miles from your tutor,
but still be learning and developing
thanks to the technology at hand.
g
To register an interest in the
courses starting this spring, go to:
www.plymouth.ac.uk/hydro
Production slumped in 2011
A
Marseilles-based offshore
supply and marine services
group Bourbon has announced an
83% reduction in its annual prots
blaming the result on cash ows
caused by a newbuilding programme.
Bourbon said prots totalled
6.8m last year, while turnover rose
18.6% to reach 1bn for the rst time.
The companys massive
investment plan brought 65 new
vessels into its eet last year
including the 4,250dwt next-
generation platform supply vessel
Bourbon Front, left, which was
deployed in the North Sea under the
management of Bourbon Offshore
Norway. The new tonnage gave a net
eet increase of 28 after replacement
of older tonnage. The 436
operational vessels have an average
age of 5.7 years and a further 107
vessels of various types are on order.
Bourbon, which operates
internationally, last year hired more
than 1,000 new employees 83% of
them seafarers. It now employs 6,930
seafarers worldwide, including 2,850
ofcers and 4,080 ratings of 78
nationalities more than 20% of
them French, 4% Norwegian and 12%
from other European countries.
Bourbon hires hundreds of new crew
Budget boost
for North Sea
Operators claim tax concessions will safeguard jobs
Sea science
courses can
be done at
a distance
BP linked to four-vessel order
NEWS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07
P
Nautilus has called for
tough action to be taken
against the owners and
operators of a Mongolian-flagged
ship that jumped detention in the
UK.
The Union has written to the
head of the Maritime & Coast-
guard Agency to raise concerns
about the alarming case of the
chemical tanker Global Star,
which escaped from detention off
Portland in January.
The 23-year-old ship had been
detained following an inspection
when it was forced to put into the
port after running low on fuel on
a voyage to be scrapped in Alang,
India. Inspectors found 19 defi-
ciencies onboard including a
large quantity of oil in the engine-
room bilges, loose and missing
engineroom floor plates, unhy-
gienic galley and accommoda-
tion, and defects in life-saving
equipment.
General secretary Mark Dick-
inson said it was evident from the
inspection report that the vessel
posed a serious threat to the
health and safety of those
onboard, and to the safety of
other ships.
In particular, the deficiencies
in the life-saving equipment and
in the engineroom illustrate the
huge potential for the ship to
have been involved in a serious
incident involving loss of life or
injury, or damage to the environ-
ment, he added. Similarly, the
squalid conditions in the
accommodation area and the
unhygienic sanitary and catering
facilities in particular demon-
strate the significant health haz-
ards that were posed to the crew.
Mr Dickinson said he was par-
ticularly concerned at informa-
tion suggesting the ship, which is
owned by a Panama-based com-
pany, sailed against the masters
will and that he was effectively
relieved of his command.
The standard sanction for
skipping detention a ban
throughout the Paris MoU area
is effectively worthless in this
case, he told the MCA, and it
therefore begs the question of
what effective action can be taken.
This is of particular relevance
given the wider economic state of
the shipping industry, he pointed
out. Not only are there grounds
for concern that repairs and
maintenance are often the first
casualty in difficult times, but
there is a reasonable expectation
that many other ships will be
sailing to scrapyards in the next
few years as a result of the market
conditions.
It is therefore imperative that
there is a solid and effective
regime in place for enforcing
acceptable safety standards on
tonnage whilst en route for dem-
olition.
Mr Dickinson said that the
scale of the potential risks in the
case made it essential that efforts
are made to track down those
who were responsible for the ship
sailing in defiance of the deten-
tion order.
This is a very important case,
with many wider ramifications,
and I believe it needs to be dealt
with in a serious way to ensure
effective deterrents are in place
to prevent the real risk of repeat
incidents, he added.
In response, the MCA has told
the Union that it was taking the
case seriously and had alerted the
authorities in Egypt before the
vessel reached the Suez Canal, but
received no response.
A
A Nautilus/ITF inspector has discovered
what he reckons is one of the worst
maritime employment contracts ever written
so bad it is set to be used as an example of what
not to do for employers and union ofcials
involved in drawing up terms and conditions.
The document came to light when Nautilus/ITF
inspector Chris Jones was asked by the Mission to
Seafarers to visit the 1983-built Moldovan-agged
vessel Eos, pictured left, in Southampton.
The Mission had told me they were concerned
about a Ghanaian crew member who had been
summarily dismissed, he explained. When the
man showed me his contract, I couldnt believe it.
Whatever the truth of what he had or hadnt done
wrong, he had really been stitched up.
The contract, issued by operator Coasters
Maritime, allows the company to discontinue a
seafarers employment at any time, without prior
notice for crimes such as not reporting for duty in
time after shore leave, or having poor English
language skills.
Once dismissed, the crew member must pay for
his own repatriation expenses, as well as for the
joining expenses of his substitute. To ensure all
the companys employees will be in a position to
do this when dismissed, they are obliged to keep
back $1,000 in their wage accounts at all times.
Other highlights of the contract include: The
seaman shall work overtime at any time as
ordered by the master. The seaman knows that
the vessel can possibly makes [sic] trips between
Mediterranean and Persian Gulf and they will not
have any objection.
And crew members should not look forward to
any improvements in the event of a company
takeover: In case the vessel sale [sic], change
owners or name of ag, arrest, damage to the
vessel or cargo total lost etc. owners have not any
obligation for extra payment or compensation but
they have the right to transfer the seaman to
another vessel.
Coasters Maritime was asked to consider
switching to an ITF-approved contract, but
managers were not interested, said Mr Jones.
I would give this company a wide berth myself,
he added, although sadly we know that there are
many desperate people out there who will put up
with anything to get a job.
Both Nautilus and the ITF stress that no
seafarer should accept or sign a contract
containing the kinds of terms found in the Coasters
Maritime document. The ITF now has the contract
on le to use as a teaching aid and as a campaign
tool evidence for governments and maritime
authorities of the ill-treatment still meted out to
many of the worlds seafarers.
A
Nautilus/ITF inspectors Chris
Jones and Tommy Molloy,
together with Apostleship of the Sea
staff, have come to the aid of the
crew of a Dutch-owned cargoship
arrested in the UK last month.
The 1,560gt Oak was prevented
from leaving the port of Teignmouth
following a civil claim against its
owners brought by a Dutch bank
over an alleged default on
payments.
The crew of the Bahamas-flagged
ship a mix of Filipino, Russian and
Indonesian nationals alerted
union officials and the Catholic
maritime welfare agency after the
arrest, complaining that they had
not been paid for two months.
Anne Donnelly, chaplain for
Teignmouth & Plymouth ports, said
the crew had been provided with
clothes and mobile phone top-ups so
they could speak to their families.
Initially they were very
despondent and anxious because
they did not know what was going
to happen, she said. They work very
hard for very little and they have
been working for at least two
months for nothing. Many have
families to support and any money
they earn goes straight home, so it
affects a lot of people.
The Oak is one of eight ships in a
fleet operated by the Dutch firm NYKI
Shipping. Two sisterships were
arrested in Hull, and another one
was held in Immingham after the
Deutsche Bank rejected the owners
attempt to renegotiate payment
terms.
Cash that would have paid crews
wages for February and March was
frozen and the Nautilus/ITF
inspectors were negotiating to
secure the payment of all
outstanding amounts last month.
F
The shipping industry should be
treated as a sovereign state in
its own right and not as a cash cow
for national administrations, the head
of the international owners
organisation argued last month.
In a speech to the CMA Shipping
2012 conference, International
Chamber of Shipping chairman
Spyros Polemis argued that, on
environmental issues in particular, the
IMO must lead the way as the
industrys governing body.
CO2 emissions must be reduced
through international agreements
negotiated via the IMO, he stressed,
not through market-based
measures which many countries
are using as an underhand way of
taxing shipping rms.
Emissions from shipping do not
lend themselves to inclusion in
national CO2 reductions targets, Mr
Polemis continued. A ship may be
agged in one country and owned in
another, while the cargo carried will
be of economic benet to a variety of
different importing and exporting
nations. This is why we need to
maintain a special global regime for
shipping.
In a separate debate at the World
Ocean Summit in Singapore, Mr
Polemis said that the alternative to
IMO governance is a patchwork of
national rules which would bring
about chaos, inefciency and have a
negative impact on the smooth ow
of world trade.
He challenged claims that the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea is
no longer t for purpose arguing
that there is no shortfall in
governance so far as the regulation of
shipping is concerned.
Alarm raised
as ship skips
UK detention
Union urges MCA to track down rogue vessel operators
Crew unpaid after
Dutch companys
ships are arrested
Shipping
should be
treated as
a nation
Seamans contract worst ever
ITF ocial Ken Fleming with crew members onboard the Oak
08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
LARGE YACHT NEWS
by Frances & Michael Howorth
P
With the Italian authori-
ties announcing new
and stringent taxes on
yachts entering their territorial
waters and then changing their
minds following intense lobby-
ing, it is no wonder yachts are
confused about where to cruise
this season.
Add in uncompetitive pricing,
over-regulation and red tape, and
it becomes clear why both the
Italian and Greek economies are
reporting a dramatic slump in vis-
iting yachts.
The trend away from Italy and
Greece is apparently benetting
France, Malta, Croatia and Mon-
tenegro the most and Turkey
has also recently attracted its fair
share of yachts and motorboats.
But now impending changes to
the Turkish visa system threaten
to upset that trade as well.
In Greece, under the previous
socialist government taxes were
raised in 2009 and inspections of
pleasure craft stepped up. That
policy backred, with ofcial Hel-
lenic Coast Guard gures show-
ing that the number of vessels
plunged from 11,500 to 2,600.
Last year the gure improved
slightly to a total of 3,823 pri-
vate vessels declared perma-
nently moored.
According to gures issued by
the Hellenic Professional Yacht
Owners Association, 28% of
berthed vessels in Greece ed for
nearby countries primarily
Turkey, but also Croatia and Mon-
tenegro. VAT in Montenegro is
capped at 7% on marine-related
and tourist services, while there is
a maximum of 9% VAT on capital
gains, income and company tax,
meaning the nancial case for
choosing Porto Montenegro as a
homeport is a powerful one.
Competition is also coming
from Tunisia, where diesel fuel
costs 50 cents a litre, skilled
labour is 2 an hour, and 80m
berths are for sale at 3.2m inclu-
sive of VAT around half the
price of the rest of Europe.
Little wonder, then, that Italy
has changed its mind under pres-
sure from Federagenti, the
national federation of agents and
brokers.
The planned berthing tax
would have seen all yachts and
superyachts over 10m taxed on a
daily basis with charges of as
much as 54,750 per year for ves-
sels over 24m and as high as 703
a day for megayachts.
Federagenti president Fulvio
Luise welcomed the u-turn. The
passing of this amendment is an
important recognition of the
economic impact the yachting
industry has in Italy and we look
forward to welcoming new and
returning megayacht clients to
Italian waters this summer, he
said.
P
The newly-built German superyacht Mogambo
attracted lots of attention in a visit to Bristol
Floating Harbour last month, above.
The 73.55m vessel the 92nd largest yacht in the
world spent a week in Bristol before setting off for
the Mediterranean in its rst month on a private
charter. Built by the Nobiskrug shipyard in Rendsburg,
Germany, the Cayman Islands-agged Mogambo can
accommodate up to 12 guests in six cabins, and
operates with a crew of 19.
Designed by the London-based rm Reymond
Langton Design, the steel-hulled motor yacht is
powered by twin 2,360hp MTU 16V 4000 M60 diesels
and cruises at 14.5 knots, with a top speed of 17.5 knots.
by Michael Howorth
F
Pictured left is Vava II at 96m, the largest
private motor yacht ever constructed in
Britain which left the UK last month on its
maiden voyage to St Maarten in the Caribbean.
Owned by the wife of Swiss billionaire,
pharmaceutical magnate and Americas Cup
winner Ernesto Bertarelli, the superyacht was
completed by the Pendennis Plus yard in
Plymouth after the hull was constructed by
Devonport Yachts in Appledore.
Insiders working on the yacht which was
handed over nearly six months late have
reported it cost in excess of 250m to complete,
although other sources point to a gure slightly in
excess of 100m.
Built to be compliant with the Cayman Islands
Passenger Yacht Code and SOLAS-36
passengership standards, Vava II can
accommodate up to 22 guests and a crew of 30.
Exterior styling is by Hampshire-based Redman
Whitely Dixon and the interior design by
Frenchman Remi Tessier.
Features include a fold-down beach club,
a pool which can be varied in depth, a gym and
a sitting room which converts into a cinema, along
with Becker high-lift rudders, controllable pitch
propellers and Brunvoll bow thrusters.
Vava IIs master, Captain Brendan
OShannassy, expressed his passion for his yacht:
It is so pleasing to see a yacht that retains the
vision of the designers without compromise.
To have such a ground-breaking construction
unveiled in Plymouth should make the region
justly proud.
A
Large yacht owners, operators
and crew can nd out more
about how working conditions in their
sector will be regulated under the
Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) by
attending a Nautilus seminar.
The Union is organising a two-day
seminar in Antibes, starting on 10
May. It will focus on the practical
aspects for the yachting industry of
the MLC, which was adopted by the
International Labour Organisation
(ILO) in 2006 and is expected to enter
into force in 2013.
Nautilus senior national secretary
Garry Elliott said the seminar will give
the large yacht sector a chance to
better understand the MLC
including the impact it will have in
such areas as crew accommodation,
wages, social security, employment
agencies, and rest hour requirements.
Other topics to be considered at
the meeting will be seafarers
employment agreements, port state
control and complaint procedures
onboard and onshore.
The MLC seminar will be co-hosted
by the Unions partners D&B Services,
and will also be addressed by director
of legal services Charles Boyle. The
event will be free to Nautilus
members.
Find out more on the Nautilus
website, or by visiting the Unions
stand at the Antibes Yacht Show from
12 to 15 April. Nautilus has a limited
number of free admittance tickets for
members wishing to visit the Antibes
Yacht Show, and will also have a
supply of Service Record Books, which
are free to members.
Italian U-turn
on yacht tax
F
The UK ofce of the Dutch rm
Sevenstar Yacht Transport has
doubled the size of its team within
months of opening.
Sevenstar Yacht Transport UK
whose parent company is the
Amsterdam-based heavylift ship
operator Spliethoff has recently
shipped yachts to countries including
China, India, Brazil, the USA, Russia,
the Maldives and Hong Kong.
Established in 1996, Sevenstar
Yacht Transport offers 120 sailings
with a combined number of 500 port
calls a year and can carry yachts up
to 52m or 640gt. The company can
utilise its own eet where possible,
but also offers liner options.
Sevenstars UK operation is booming
Yogi builders rule out technical problems
Competition for Mediterranean cruising is hotting up
Nautilus to stage new MLC seminar
A
Inquiries are underway in an
attempt to nd out why the
biggest French-registered yacht sank
in gale force winds off the Greek coast
in February.
Proteksan-Turquoise, the Turkish
builders of the 60m Yogi, said last
month that their internal inquiries
had concluded that the sinking is not
attributable to anything structural or
technical which would have
compromised her seaworthiness.
Eight crew were rescued when the
yacht took on water and sank some 19
miles off the island of Skyros in the
Aegean Sea. They had earlier sent a
distress call indicating the yacht was
experiencing mechanical problems.
Greek port police have opened an
inquiry into the incident. French
national safety authority BEAMer will
also be involved in the inquiry.
As part of their inquiry, the
builders met the Yogis captain and
chief engineer in Paris on 9 March,
but said the content of the discussions
would remain condential.
Largest UK-built yacht begins maiden voyage
NEWS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09
Wave Knight home after 11 months
P
The master and second
officer of a container-
ship that caused New
Zealands worst oil spill last year
are facing big fines and lengthy
jail sentences after pleading
guilty to a series of criminal
charges last month.
The two men both Fil-
ipinos are due to be sentenced
next month after admitting
charges including operating a
ship in a dangerous manner and
attempting to pervert the course
of justice by altering navigation
records after the accident.
The case was brought by Mar-
itime New Zealand (MNZ) follow-
ing an investigation into the
grounding of the Liberian-flagged
Rena on the Astrolabe Reef off the
port of Tauranga last October.
The incident sparked a major
clean-up operation following the
loss of 300 tonnes of fuel oil from
the ship, which broke into two
sections in January. A salvage
operation to recover the 2,000
containers from the ship is still
continuing and is estimated to
have cost more than US$100m.
An interim investigation
report on the accident published
by Maritime New Zealand last
month states that the master and
second officer had altered their
passage plan to take shortcuts on
their route to Tauranga after
being delayed in the previous
port, Napier.
Tauranga Harbour Control had
advised the ship to make best
speed for its rendezvous with a
pilot boat after the ship estimated
its arrival time at 0300hrs
which was the end of the window
for possible pilotage into the port.
The report notes that Rena was
being steered by autopilot for
most of the voyage including
the final couple of hours and it
highlights a 2 degree difference
between the Renas gyro heading
and its ground track course,
because of the influence of wind,
current, tides and gyrocompass
error. Nine minutes before the
grounding, as the ship headed
straight for the reef at 17 knots,
the master noticed an intermit-
tent echo on the radar, about
2.6nm ahead but failed to see
anything after looking through
binoculars from the bridge.
The men whose names have
been withheld since they were
released on bail last year over
fears for their safety have been
charged under section 65 of the
Maritime Transport Act (MTA)
1994 for operating a vessel in a
manner causing unnecessary
danger or risk. This charge carries
a maximum penalty of
NZ$10,000 (6,257), or up to one
year in jail.
They also face further charges
relating to the discharge of harm-
ful substances from ships or off-
shore installations which carry a
maximum penalty of a fine of
$300,000, or two years impris-
onment.
The master faces four charges
under the Crimes Act, and the sec-
ond officer three charges, alleg-
ing that they wilfully attempted
to pervert the course of justice by
altering ships documents subse-
quent to the grounding. Each
charge carries a maximum
penalty of seven years imprison-
ment.
At a hearing last month, the
master entered guilty pleas to all
six charges laid against him, and
the second officer pleaded guilty
to four charges.
Sentencing for both men will
take place in the Tauranga District
Court on 25 May.
F
An engineer officer suffered a
broken leg after inadvertently
releasing a freefall lifeboat while he
was carrying out a routine inspection.
Accident investigators found that
the officer had probably activated the
release mechanism as he struggled to
keep his balance and reached out for
something to hold onto as the ship
rolled and pitched in force six
conditions.
The accident occurred in October
last year onboard the 5,764dwt
Danish-flagged chemical/product
tanker Nordic Nadja, which was
anchored in the Maas Approach off
Rotterdam, when the second
engineer entered the boat to carry
out a weekly inspection.
The Danish Maritime Accident
Investigation Board found that the
two handles to release the lifeboat
had been pushed backwards
something which should have been
impossible. Investigators said there
was no safety device on the release
handles and no suitable risk
assessment had been carried out for
the work on the lifeboat.
The officer broke a leg and
suffered bruising in the fall and had to
be rescued by the Netherlands
Coastguard.
F
A fishing vessel skipper has
been fined 1,000 for failing
to keep a proper lookout and causing
a collision which sank another boat
off the coast of Scotland in January.
Stornoway Sheriff Court heard
that Murdo MacDonald had left the
wheelhouse of the prawn trawler
Silver Chord II to help crew members
sorting the catch as the vessel
headed back to port after a days
fishing in the North Minch.
But as he was doing this, the
Silver Chord II collided with the
fishing vessel Sapphire, which was
stopped in the water whilst the
skipper was hauling a net in. The
ingress of water was so rapid that
the vessel sank within minutes,
although the skipper was able to
jump safely onto the Silver Chord II.
A Maritime & Coastguard Agency
investigation revealed there was no
lookout on either vessel at the time
of the collision. Following the
hearing, MCA operations manager
Captain Singh Grewal commented:
This was a breach of the
International Regulations for the
Prevention of Collision at Sea. The
MCA is very concerned that
operators of large fishing vessels
such as the Sapphire and Silver
Cloud II are not maintaining a
lookout whilst at sea. Keeping a
lookout at all times is mandatory for
seafarers on all vessels.
Skipper is
ned for
collision
Rena pair face jail
Master and ocer in court as report reveals ship took shortcuts as it raced to meet pilot boat
Ocer hurt in lifeboat fall
F
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)
ship Wave Knight has returned
to the UK after an 11-month
operational deployment that saw the
ship cover 57,460 miles, replenish 56
warships and five tankers, and
provide vital support for counter-
piracy operations.
The deployment, in support of the
Royal Navy and coalition allies, saw
the fleet tanker providing logistic
supplies to warships and undertaking
maritime security patrols to help
protect shipping in the Persian Gulf.
Wave Knight was also regularly
involved in counter-terrorism,
counter-narcotics and counter-people
trafficking operations involving naval
ships and aircraft from many other
countries.
Commanding officer Captain Chris
Clarke commented: Whilst it is
always a pleasure to return home, we
shall miss the work and daily
uncertainty that is ever-present when
operating east of Suez. You never
know what each day will bring
other than the unexpected. It is likely
to occur and you have got to be ready
for it.
For RFA Wave Knight chief ocer Roger Stevens the highlight of the
ships deployment was meeting his son, Christopher, above. I have been
at sea all my life and am due to retire from the RFA service in 2013.
I never thought that during my career I would ever meet one of my family
while working at sea; so it was amazing when we replenished HMS
Westminster, where Christopher works as the navigating ocer, he said.
My wife, Gillian, was over the moon when she found out that we had met
at sea and managed to get a few hours together.
The wreck of the Rena, still sitting hard aground on Astrolabe reef last month Picture: LOC
Royal recognition for Plymouth
10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
NEWS
C
Plymouth University has been
given an award in recognition
of its world-class marine and
maritime research, teaching and
training.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy
Purcell and Professor Martin Attrill,
director of the universitys Marine
Institute, are pictured right receiving
the Queens Anniversary Prize for
Higher and Further Education at a
special ceremony at Buckingham
Palace.
Described as the UKs most
prestigious form of national
recognition open to a UK academic
or vocational institution, the
Queens Anniversary Prize is a
biennial award scheme within the
UKs national honours system.
The award coincides with the
150th anniversary of the founding of
the Plymouth School of Navigation,
one of the foundations upon which
Plymouth University has been built.
Professor Purcell said: The
honour is very special indeed and
reects the reputation and
international standing of our
university. It is an award that has
been 150 years in the making and
marks Plymouth University as a
leading, world class academic
institution.
New Tyne dredger named after
ex-England football manager
P
Members of the Mer-
chant Navy Ofcers
Pension Fund (MNOPF),
the Merchant Navy Ofcers Pen-
sion Plan (MNOPP) and other pen-
sion schemes are being warned to
steer clear of offers claiming to
provide loans or release tax-free
cash from peoples pension pots
before they reach the age of 55.
The advice comes from the
trustees of the MNOPF and
MNOPP, as well as The Pensions
Regulator, Financial Services
Authority (FSA) and HM Revenue
& Customs in light of a recent
increase in the number of such
offers being advertised.
Anything which appears too
good to be true always is just that,
said Peter McEwen, secretary to
the Nautilus Pensions Associa-
tion.
Companies that offer to lib-
erate pension rights not yet in
payment will in most cases leave
members with poorer pensions
and probably substantial tax
charges, he added. Avoid such
offers like the plague!
Mr McEwen said any member
needing independent nancial
advice should do so via Nautilus
International. Meanwhile, the
TUC backed calls for individuals
to avoid being taken in by web-
site promotions, cold-calls or
adverts encouraging them to
transfer their existing occupa-
tional or private pension to a new
arrangement in order to access a
cash payment or loan.
With real wages falling and
personal nances stretched, its
understandable that some people
might be tempted to trade their
pension for short-term cash, said
TUC general secretary Brendan
Barber. But anyone under the age
of 55 who transfers their pension
into a loan could end up a big
loser.
The schemes operate by trans-
ferring some of the members
pension fund into highly risky or
opaque investment structures
frequently based overseas with
no guarantee that members will
get their money back if some-
thing goes wrong.
There is a high chance that
these are scams run by illegiti-
mate rms trying to con individ-
uals out of their pension money,
added Jonathan Phelan, head of
the FSAs unauthorised business
department. You should check
whether the rm thats giving you
advice or is selling or transferring
a pension plan is authorised
before engaging with them.
F
Shipowners have expressed
their disappointment with an
announcement that UK light dues are
to be frozen at current levels this
year and they have called for the
rates to be cut in 2013.
Shipping minister Mike Penning
said last month that the government
is upholding its 2010 pledge to peg
light dues for at least three years to
help provide stability for owners.
He told MPs that work has
continued to rationalise General
Lighthouse Authorities services
including a review of pension
liabilities and closer working between
the authorities themselves, such as
centralisation of aids to navigation
monitoring, buoy yard reorganisation
and stafng reductions.
These have succeeded in lowering
running costs substantially, he added,
and against a targeted ve-year
reduction of 17%, the General
Lighthouse Authorities now expect to
achieve 19%.
Michael Everard, chairman of the
UK lights advisory committee, said he
was disappointed that light dues were
not being lowered despite the savings
made by the GLAs. We know trading
conditions are difcult at the
moment; however, we believe that
light dues income has increased in
the last year, he added. The
combination of this improved income
and the savings made in GLA
expenditure should have allowed an
actual reduction in the light dues
levels, which would have provided
some relief to operators and
encouraged UK port calls.
The Chamber of Shipping
described the ministers decision as
cautious and added: We believe the
opportunity to reduce the rate could
and should have been made this year.
We will press for a substantial
reduction next year.
U
Harbourmaster Mike Nicholson
is pictured right with Russell
Heron and Ian Swithow, crew
members on the Port of Tynes new
dredger Sir Bobby Robson, which was
named last month by the former
England football managers widow,
Lady Elsie Robson.
Built by Mustang Marine of
Pembroke Docks, at a cost of 1m,
the Damen 1506 Multicat vessel will
mainly be used for dredging berths in
the Port of Tyne, along with
secondary roles such as buoy
tendering, general berth
maintenance, pushing, towing and
dive support duties.
The 16m 1,000hp workboat is
tted with a 6m wide plough
mounted on an A-frame AFT with a
12-tonne winch and a hydraulic
knuckle boom crane for marine
construction work, buoy handling
and other general duties.
A competition to choose the name
of the vessel was won by 13-year-old
Ben Nicholson, harbourmaster Mike
Nicholsons youngest son.
Picture: Craig Connor/North News
& Pictures
F
Former Cunard Commodore
Ron Warwick has won a life at
sea photography competition with a
shot taken from the bridge of the
Queen Mary 2 off Chile which can
be seen on the Merchant Navy Ofcers
Pension Fund website. Organised by
the MNOPF, the competition raised
230 for the Nautilus Welfare Fund.
Dont cash-in
your pension
Nautilus and TUC warn against loan transfer oers
Winning shot
Owners in
new call
for light
dues cut
F
The Mission to Seafarers is
seeking riders to take part in
its 2012 Flying Angel cycling event.
It hopes that around 200 people
will take part in the ride through the
New Forest on 27 May following
either a 35 or 75-mile route,
depending on their abilities.
Lloyds Register, V.Ships and The
Maersk Company are sponsoring the
event, which aims to raise over
70,000 for the Missions work
around the world. Teams from ABP,
UMC International and Lloyds
Register have already signed up but
there are still places for individuals
or teams.
Registration for the Flying Angel
Ride costs 25 and participants are
asked to raise a minimum of 175.
The person who raises the highest
total will win a custom-made
Brompton folding bicycle.
f
To sign up, visit the website:
www.missiontoseafarers.org/far2012
Danes are
rapped on
Dutch-ag
sail ships
Mission seeks
riders for New
Forest event
F
The Danish maritime
authorities have been
reprimanded by the European
Commission over their treatment of
Netherlands-agged sailing ships.
In an ofcial document known as
a reasoned opinion, the EC takes
issues with the Danes insistence that
Dutch sailing ships with more than 12
passengers docking in Danish ports
following an international journey
must have certication under the
SOLAS Convention.
This action, says the Commission,
means that the Danish authorities are
infringing EU law by obstructing the
freedom to provide services
because Dutch vessels risk being held
in Danish ports for lack of SOLAS
certication.
The Dutch authorities argue that
that their own safety standards for
these ships are more than adequate,
and the EC reasoned opinion says that
the Danes are wrong to impose
additional certication without rst
checking whether the Dutch
standards would provide the
necessary safety framework.
In a statement last month, the
Commission stressed that national
legislation imposed on service
providers established in another EU
member state must be appropriate
and proportionate.
And it added: The Danish
authorities have failed to
demonstrate why the Dutch safety
rules should systematically be
deemed insufcient on the basis of
the characteristics of the ships
involved, and why the SOLAS rules
should always be considered
appropriate.
The Danish authorities have been
told to examine the vessels on an
individual basis in future and make a
proper case for imposing any different
standards from those applicable in
the Netherlands.
If Denmark fails to inform the
Commission within two months of the
measures it has taken to ensure full
compliance with the EU requirements,
the case could be referred to the
European Court of Justice.
Nautilus assistant general
secretary Marcel van den Broek
commented: Lets leave it to the EU
Court of Justice to decide on this
matter. There will be winners and
there will be losers but the main
thing is that therell be clarity and
parties can nally start using their
energy and resources for better
purposes.
Members attending the recent Nautilus pensions forum, in Southampton
Appeal to track
tsunami debris
F
The US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) is appealing for seafarers to
watch out for marine debris from the
tsunami that devastated Japan in
March last year.
Information from vessels
transiting the North Pacic is critical
to tracking the debris which
includes vessels, shing nets and
buoys, lumber, cargo containers, and
household goods says NOAA.
Ships are encouraged to submit
observations and photos of marine
debris as well as reports of no
debris observed to:
DisasterDebris@noaa.gov
C
Pictured above are Carnival
Australia CEO Ann Sherry,
ex-prima ballerina Darcey Bussell,
P&O Cruises MD Carol Marlow and
Captain Robert Camby onboard the
Oriana last month as the ship
staged a special event for 175 Ten
Pound Poms who emigrated to
Australia under the post-war
assisted migration programme.
Held in Sydney as part of
celebrations to mark P&O Cruises
175th anniversary, the event
followed a competition inviting
those who had sailed from the UK
under the programme, which ran
from 1947 to 1972, to send in their
stories.
After the second world war,
more than one million Britons
sailed to Australia as part of the
largest planned mass migration in
history and most of these came on
P&O ships, Ms Marlow said.
Those Australians still have
wonderful stories to tell of their
voyage here and their memories of
settling in Australia and it was
fabulous to celebrate some of those
today.
NEWS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11
P
Compulsory curbs on
shipping speeds should
be brought in to cut
emissions and ensure that the
maritime industry plays its part
in combating climate change, a
new report has concluded.
A 118-page study of slow
steaming produced by the Dutch
consultancy CE Delft for the envi-
ronmental bodies Seas at Risk and
Transport & Environment argues
that a 15% immediate CO2 emis-
sions reduction is achievable at
no cost to the industry.
Reducing average ship speeds
by 10% will cut emissions by 19%
across the world eet even
after building and operating new
ships to make up for lost capacity,
the report states.
And a global regime to limit
average ship speeds to 85% of
what they were in 2007 would
result in benets that outweigh
the costs by between US$178bn
and $617bn, depending on future
fuel prices. The benets of a 25%
cut in speed which would lead
to a 58% reduction in main engine
fuel consumption could be as
high as $883bn, the study sug-
gests.
Published to coincide with
International Maritime Organisa-
tion discussions on emissions
policy, the report argues that
enforced slow steaming would
not only cut CO2 emissions, but
also result in signicant reduc-
tions in SOx, NOx and black car-
bon emissions as well.
Researchers concluded that
there are very few, if any, evident
technical obstacles to slow steam-
ing. Many shipping companies
have experience with slow steam-
ing in recent years, the report
noted. Even at very low engine
loads, they have encountered
only a few problems and these
problems could be surmounted
by small changes to operational
procedures.
John Maggs, of Seas At Risk,
commented: Regulated slow
steaming can produce emissions
reductions by 2030 and 2050
which rival any other reduction
option being considered at IMO
or EU level, and it can do so with a
sizeable economic gain.
The IMO and industry
must look again at regulated slow
steaming and give it full and
proper consideration alongside
their work on developing a
market-based measure, he added.
Bill Hemmings, of Transport &
Environment, commented: This
study refutes all the knee-jerk
objections to mandatory speed
reduction that have been trotted
out. The case for speed reduction
is as compelling as it is obvious;
its time for regulators to sit up
and pay attention.
The report argues that speed
limits for shipping are legally fea-
sible. Compulsory slow steaming
can be imposed by ag states, and
on all ships in territorial waters, in
exclusive economic zones and on
the high seas as a condition of
port entry.
Study calls for speed
limits for shipping
MPs urge
united
rules on
sulphur
Mandatory slow steaming will help save the planet and save money, research concludes
D
Pictured right is the 12,449gt
Swan Hellenic cruiseship
Minerva arriving in Portsmouth last
month following a 10m ret in
Bremerhaven.
The Bahamas-agged vessel,
which carries up to 350 passengers,
underwent a wide range of work
during the three-month programme,
including new propellers and shafts to
increase fuel efciency and upgraded
passenger accommodation.
Under the command of Captain
John Moulds, the ship began a 15-day
cruise to North Africa and the Canary
Islands. Picture: Gary Davies/
Maritime Photographic
F
Europe should not go beyond
the International Maritime
Organisation in setting rules to curb
sulphur emissions from shipping, a
UK Parliamentary inquiry concluded
last month.
A report by the House of
Commons transport committee
agrees that stringent limits are
essential to cut sulphur emissions
from ships but warns that the
European Commission has failed to
justify the case for imposing tougher
rules than those required by the
MARPOL Annex VI.
It is unnecessary and
unacceptable for the Commissions
proposal to vary from Annex VI,
which is a package of measures that
was the product of arduous
negotiation, it adds.
The MPs noted that switching to
low-sulphur fuel and using emissions
abatement technology would
increase owners costs and the
report urges the government to
investigate ways of reducing the risk
of freight being switched to other
transport modes as a result.
Committee chairwoman Louise
Ellman commented: We believe that
its not appropriate for the
Commission to go further than these
globally-agreed limits by imposing
tighter regulations on shipping
operators at this time.
She said the UK will have to forge
alliances with other EU member
states to seek to remove the tighter
emissions limits for passenger ships
outside specied Emissions Control
Areas and ensure that the directive
replicates Annex VI safeguards
regarding the non-availability of
low-sulphur fuel.
The report also points out that
tighter emissions limits have been
under discussion for many years and
argues that shipping companies
could have been more proactive
about developing effective pollution
abatement technology.
F
Progress on cleaning up emissions from shipping
ran into problems last month when a crucial
International Maritime Organisation meeting failed to
secure agreement on the use of market-based
measures to encourage greener policies.
The week-long talks at the IMOs marine
environment protection committee saw divisions
between delegates on the use of such measures as a
levy on bunker fuel or a global emissions trading
scheme. They were unable even to agree on a steering
group for an impact study proposed by IMO secretary-
general Koji Sekimizu to examine nine potential
measures, and so the issues have been set aside for
further discussion in October.
However, the committee did agree a number of
guidelines for the development of ship energy efciency
management plans and the associated energy efciency
design index.
IMO stalls on market measures
Trainers team up to produce
guide to US port state control
12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
HEALTH&SAFETY
P
Nautilus and the Unite
union have expressed
alarm at UK government
plans to scrap dock safety regula-
tions as part of a drive against red
tape.
The Health & Safety Executive
is reported to be considering the
inclusion of the 1988 Dock Regu-
lations in the next round of legis-
lation that could be scrapped
under the governments plan to
halve the number of health and
safety regulations.
In October last year, the gov-
ernment downgraded health and
safety in docks which is now
considered low risk. However,
since then the fatal accident rate
in UK docks has increased to a
level ve times the national aver-
age with eight deaths in the fol-
lowing three months.
Nautilus senior national secre-
tary Allan Graveson said the acci-
dent gures showed that more
regulation, not less, is required to
protect shore staff and seafarers
in docks.
There is a problem that a lot of
the labour is casual or contracted,
and workers should have to
undergo proper induction train-
ing that is refreshed on an annual
basis, he added. There should
also be truly independent acci-
dent investigation, so that lessons
can be learned rather than sim-
ply seeking to nd fault.
The Unite union warned that
any move to scrap safety regula-
tions would be a recipe for disas-
ter. Julia Long, national ofcer for
docks, commented: There have
been a number of tragic incidents
in UK docks which goes to show
that the government needs to
have an urgent rethink on its
position as it sets the ports as a
low risk industry.
Provisional HSE statistics for
2010-11 record 69 fatal or major
injury incidents involving
employees in water transport
excluding cargo handling.
But gures obtained by Haz-
ards magazine last month
revealed that only seven were
investigated by HSE. Five years
ago, the HSE investigated 18% of
such incidents in the sector, but
last year the gure fell to just 9%.
Hazards magazine said the
poor statistical database means
the death rate in UK docks could
actually be as more than 20 times
the national workplace average.
In just four months last year ve
workers were killed in UK docks
including two in the space of just
three days at Tilbury in Essex. Ian
Campbell died on 23 October 2011
when the straddle crane he was
driving toppled over at Tilbury
and on 26 October Peter Hunt, an
agency lorry driver, was killed at a
distribution centre in the docks
when a trailer fell on him.
Marine engineer Jason Burden
suffered fatal chest injuries on 8
December when a piece of
machinery fell on him while
working at South Docks in Sun-
derland.
Just over a week later, Neville
Wightman died after being
crushed by part of a pontoon dur-
ing an unloading operation at
Ipswich docks.
And on 27 January this year,
agency worker Tim Elton was
killed when he was buried under
shifting coal in the hold of the
merchant vessel Excalibur at
Immingham Dock during cargo
trimming operations.
F
The International Maritime Organisation is
stepping up pressure for ag states and
shipowners to fall into line with proposed new
ballast water management measures amid
warnings that the world eet will not be able to
comply with deadlines for tting treatment systems.
Last months meeting of the IMOs marine
environment protection committee heard concerns
that limited shipyard capacity, lack of approved
technologies, high costs and tight timescales could
scupper the Ballast Water Management Convention
plans.
Secretary-general Koji Sekimizu told the meeting
that it was of critical importance that the
convention enters into force as soon as possible.
It is a source of my great concern and
disappointment that after eight years since the
Conventions adoption, ratication still falls short of
the required 35% of the gross tonnage of the
worlds merchant shipping, he warned.
Any further delays will be a disincentive to the
industry to make the required investments, the IMO
leader added. Postponement also risks creating
bottlenecks in shipyards when the Conventions
deadlines for the retrotting of existing ships
approach. With only seven years left before the last
ships in the existing merchant eet will have to be
retrotted, time is running out.
The meeting approved ve new ballast water
treatment systems, and Mr Sekimizu said the
number of commercially available treatment
technologies meant there is now no barrier for
countries to ratify the convention.
Shipowners have expressed concern over
potentially damaging changes to draft IMO ballast
water sampling and analysis guidelines that will be
used by port state control authorities.
Following objections by the International
Chamber of Shipping, the IMO sub-committee on
bulk liquids and gases has agreed to reconsider the
plans. However, this now means that the sampling
guidelines will not be approved until at least 2013,
which is expected to delay the additional
ratications needed to bring the Ballast Water
Management Convention into force.
A
American and British
maritime training providers
have teamed up in an attempt to
demystify the workings of the
formidable US port state control.
US-based Maritime Training
Services (MTS) produced a training
programme on port state control in
1996, but realised an update was
needed after some staff members
recently experienced the process
rst-hand on a containership
voyage from Vancouver to Seattle.
As it happened, the British rm
Videotel had been considering the
development of a training package
along the same lines, so the two
companies joined forces.
The resulting package covers all
the latest US Coast Guard inspection
process, following a team of
inspectors through a typical
boarding, with a commentary on
the best way to prepare ships and
crews for inspection.
There is a particular focus on the
US Department of Homeland
Securitys customs and border
protection (CBP) service, and the
MTS lm crew was able to follow
ofcers on a real agricultural
inspection and immigration
procedure.
The programme is now available
on Videotels VOD system and for
purchase worldwide from MTS.
H
A UK-registered shing vessel
ran aground in Scotland after
the skipper fell asleep and failed to
make a planned course alteration.
Investigations revealed that the
skipper of the scallop dredger
Golden Promise had been on watch
or carrying out other duties for more
than 18 hours when the vessel
grounded on the island of Stromna
in the Pentland Firth in September
last year.
The Marine Accident
Investigation Branch found that the
skipper and mate were working a
daily routine of 16 hours on duty
following by eight hours of rest,
while the three deckhands were
working 19 hours a day, followed by
staggered ve-hour rest periods.
Such working routines meant the
crew could not get the minimum rest
periods recommended by the M-
Notice MSN 1786, the report points
out, and there was a high
likelihood the skipper would fall
asleep. The MAIB said the owners of
the Golden Promise had failed to
learn the lessons from the grounding
of another vessel in their eet in
2006 when a lone watchkeeper fell
asleep. In that case no dead mans
alarm had been tted, and although
on the Golden Promise the
equipment was tted, it was
probably not functioning at the time
of the accident.
A complacent attitude towards
voyage planning and monitoring
had developed with time and
familiarity, the report adds. The
skipper had failed to make good use
of available aids, including waypoint
and XTE alarms on the chart plotters.
The MAIB said the UKs
anticipated ratication of ILO
Convention 188 on work in shing
will present the Maritime &
Coastguard Agency with an
opportunity to review and improve
the regulations and codes applicable
to shing vessels, to address the
problem of fatigue within the shing
industry.
Fatigued skipper dozed o
Concern over accident rate as government moves to scrap red tape rules
Unions sound alert
on UK docks safety
IMO calls for urgent action to head
o threat to ballast water treaty
Ofcer hurt in tank
cleaning accident
Theshingvessel GoldenPromiseagroundlast September
F
Concerns over training
standards have been raised in
an investigation into an accident in
which a chemical tankers third ofcer
suffered serious eye injuries while
removing caustic soda residues from a
cargo tank.
A report on the incident onboard
the Turkish-agged vessel Ece Nur K at
an anchorage in the Elbe in 2009
highlights a substantial lack of training
in the crews ability to handle cargo.
When the accident occurred, the
crew had already been trying to clean
the cargo tanks for a week but each
time they failed to meet the quality
requirements of the chemical
company from which the next cargo
was to be carried. The company
eventually refused to load the cargo
onto the 19,968dwt ship.
A report by the German marine
accident investigation board, BSU,
comments: The level of
contamination found on the chemical
tanker, which had only been in
operation for four months, indicated
that the whole crew was not
sufciently familiar with the normal
operation and, in particular, the
cleaning procedures.
BSU said the safety awareness of
the crew was weak, and insufcient for
the safe and proper handling of
hazardous substances with the
tank cleaning crew lacking adequate
safety clothing and having no tank
cleaning plan based on risk
assessment.
The ofcer, who was injured when
a hose pumping out the sodium
hydroxide solution parted, was
wearing eye goggles that were open
at the sides and a cotton boiler suit
neither of which complied with
European safety regulations.
UK-fagged ship damaged
after Caribbean collision
HEALTH&SAFETY
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13
P
Nautilus has expressed
renewed concerns over
the quality of training in
the use of electronic charts fol-
lowing an investigation into the
grounding of a Maltese-agged
bulk carrier off Scotland last year.
The 19,538gt CSL Thames suf-
fered a 3m fracture to a ballast
tank after briey grounding in
the Sound of Mull while manoeu-
vring to avoid another vessel on a
voyage between Glensanda and
Wilhelmshaven in August 2011.
The ship which was carrying
28,962 tonnes of aggregates
was tted with two ECDIS units
that were used as the primary
means of navigation. Although
the master and deck ofcers had
undergone a generic ECDIS train-
ing course in the Philippines, they
had not received any training or
familiarisation in the equipment
onboard CSL Thames.
The UK Marine Accident Inves-
tigation Branch (MAIB) said the
third ofcer had altered the ships
course to starboard because of he
was concerned about the risk of
collision with another vessel.
However, he then failed to
monitor his ships position and
projected track on the ECDIS dis-
play. He did not notice that the
alteration would take CSL Thames
into shallow water, and the audio
alarm on the electronic chart dis-
play and information system that
should have alerted him to the
impending danger was inopera-
tive, the MAIB added.
The report states that an inap-
propriate safety contour of 10m
had been set on the ECDIS. The
ship had a draft of 10.63m and,
taking the tide height of 1.9m and
an estimated squat of 0.9m into
account, it would have grounded
at a charted depth of 10.13m.
The MAIB said the master and
bridge watchkeepers lacked an
understanding of the vessels
ECDIS safety features and their
value. Investigators found that
the ECDIS alarm had been discon-
nected, yet no members of the
bridge team had questioned why
there was no audible alarm.
Nautilus senior national secre-
tary Allan Graveson commented:
The MAIB is right to highlight the
absence of equipment-specic
training in this case, and it
demonstrates the importance of
providing the necessary training
and familiarisation with what is
actually in use onboard.
Mr Graveson said the case
raised wider questions about
standards of training and compe-
tence, and about the quality of
corporate management, with the
report demonstrating the poten-
tial threat posed to environmen-
tally sensitive areas around the
UK by poorly operated ships.
The MAIB also stated that the
master had misplaced con-
dence in the abilities of the third
ofcer pointing out that he
lacked experience and, given the
navigational demands of the pas-
sage, should not have been left on
his own in the Sound of Mull.
Grounding raises fresh
alarm at ECDIS training
A
UK Marine Accident
Investigation Branch inspectors
were deployed to the Dominican
Republic last month to investigate a
collision between the UK-agged
cargoship Seagate and the Liberia-
agged reefer Timor Stream.
The incident took place some 60
miles NE of Isle de Tortue, Haiti. While
the 9,307gt Timor Stream was only
minimally affected, the 17,590gt
Seagate suffered substantial damage.
Having discovered that the vessel
was taking on water, 18 of the
Seagates 21 crew members were
evacuated using liferafts, with the
others remaining onboard to assess
the damage.
No injuries were reported, but
there were concerns about the
potential release of 4,000 gallons of
lube oil from a punctured fuel tank
onboard the Seagate, which is
operated by Zodiac Maritime. As the
Telegraph went to press, the vessel
was reported to be stable, with
minimal water in the engineroom.
The US Coast Guard provided the
initial response to the collision by sea
and air, and continued to monitor the
situation. Our main focus now is to
ensure the continued safety of the
Seagate crew and mitigate any
further damage to the vessel or
environment that may be caused by
worsening weather, said Cmdr Troy
Hosmer, commander of the attending
Coast Guard vessel Venturous.
IMO plans to
improve info
on ECDIS
anomalies
Master and ofcers lacked understanding of systems safety features, investigation reveals
F
Nautilus has welcomed a
move at the International
Maritime Organisation to provide
better information to seafarers on
operating anomalies identied with
electronic chart display and
information systems (ECDIS).
The IMOs sub-committee on
radiocommunications and search
and rescue last month heard a
progress report from an expert
working group set up to examine
reports of unanticipated display and
operating anomalies with some
ECDIS units.
The report was introduced by the
UK, with support from the
Netherlands and China. The meeting
was told that 19 reported anomalies
had been reviewed and mitigating
actions identied to counter them.
Nautilus senior national secretary
Allan Graveson attended the
meeting and described the outcome
as a useful step forward.
He said it had been agreed that
measures will be taken to ensure
that all areas in the World-Wide
Navigational Warning Service
(WWNWS) are invited to
promulgate important safety-related
ECDIS information to mariners.
The International Hydrographic
Organisation (IHO) has recently issued
two ctitious Electronic Navigational
Chart (ENC) datasets and four sets of
tests to check for anomalies or
unexpected behaviour in systems. The
check data also enables masters and
ofcers to determine whether their
ECDIS is able to display all the required
chart features.
The Organisation said it had
received almost 400 reports of
checks from ships by the end of
January this year, all of which
indicated some level of unexpected
behaviour on all the systems that
were checked. Problems included
the display of underwater features
and isolated dangers, the display of
complex lights and the display of
archipelagic sea lanes,
environmentally sensitive sea lanes
and particularly sensitive sea areas.
Around half the reports indicated
that the ECDIS had limitations in
some aspects of the route checking
function.
g
See M-Notices page 46
F
The growing use of illegal devices to block
GPS signals is likely to result in a serious
shipping accident off the UK within a decade,
experts warned last month.
Professor David Last told a conference on the
vulnerability of global navigation systems that a
maritime disaster caused by GPS jamming is
inevitable unless action is taken to combat the
threat.
The spread of the jamming technology, with
devices available online for only 50, makes a
major incident at sea, whether accidental or
intentional, a real danger, he told the audience at
the UKs National Physical Laboratory. In the
English Channel, the worlds busiest seaway, I
personally believe we will see such an incident in
the next decade.
Bob Cockshott, director of position, navigation
and timing at the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network,
said a two-year research project on the UK road
network had shown an increase in the use of
jamming equipment.
Todays evidence from roadside monitoring
shows that we have moved on from a potentially
threatening situation to a real danger that we must
address now, he added. With the reliance on GPS
systems in the maritime environment, highlighted
by the General Lighthouse Authority, our
vulnerability on land and at sea should not be
underestimated.
Mr Coxshott warned of the need to tackle the
next generation of threats which could take the
form of spoong and time sabotage to
deliberately mislead users for criminal purposes.
We must ensure that alongside dealing with the
threat posed by jamming, we also stay ahead of
advances in the criminal world, he added.
z
The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK
and Ireland have welcomed the start of trials in the
United States of a new alternative to GPS. The
agreement between the US Coast Guard and
UrsaNav is part of a new set of low-frequency (LF)
services being trialled on both sides of the Atlantic.
This is all part of the resurgence of interest in
terrestrial LF services in response to the vulnerability
of GPS and other GNSS, the GLAs said. Together
with a range of other options being researched, the
GLAs are trialling eLoran as the terrestrial
complement to GNSS at sea and also supporting
use of the new eLoran transmissions for timing,
data and tracking of land vehicles.
GPS jamming threatens to
cause a shipping disaster
Zodiac MaritimesSeagatesueredserious damageinthecollisionwiththeGeest Linereefer Timor Stream
The CSL Thames grounded in the Sound of Mull last year Picture: MAIB
14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
INTERNATIONAL
Alarm at EU checks
on Filipino training
Economy at risk if certicates fail to make the grade, government warned
shortreports
CATTLE CONCERN: fresh calls for tougher
controls on the shipment of live animals have come
from animal rights groups following the death of
thousands of cattle onboard a livestock carrier in the
Red Sea last month. The UK-based Compassion in World
Farming claimed that some 2,750 cows had died after
the former ro-ro cargo vessel Gracia Del Mar suered
ventilation and feeding system breakdowns during a
voyage between Brazil and Egypt.
FAROES DEAL: the maritime section of the
Danish Metal Workers union has concluded an
agreement with Svitzer Faroe Islands to cover sta on
vessels that fagged to the Faroes from Sweden in 2011.
The union claims the deal prevents the risk of social
dumping. Svitzer has switched several vessels to the
Faroese register, which was given fag of convenience
status by the International Transport Workers
Federation last autumn.
ARCTIC INCREASE: Russian authorities are
expecting further growth in shipping transits on
northern Arctic routes this year. In 2011, around
800,000 tonnes of freight transited through the
northern route in 34 vessels of all types up from
110,000 tonnes in the previous year. Volumes in 2012
are expected to rise to around 1.5mtonnes.
INDIAN AID: Indias shipping ministry is reported
to be on the verge of fnalising a programme for cargo
support to boost the number of national-fagged ships
operating in the countrys coastal trades. The proportion
of Indias cabotage cargoes carried by the domestic feet
has fallen from 30% to just 8% over the last 30 years.
MASTER DIES: the Greek master of the oil tanker
Alpha 1 died last month when the ship sank while
refuelling o Piraeus. Ten other crew members were
rescued, and authorities said the incident may have
been caused by the tanker hitting the wreck of another
vessel in the shallow waters of Eleusina bay.
LIFEBOAT UPGRADE: the French national sea
rescue service, SNSM, has launched a 50m
programme to renew its feet of 40 all-weather lifeboats
over 25 years. They are to be replaced by new, state-of-
the-art 17.8mvessels capable of reaching 25 knots.
BW STOPPAGES: seafarers and shore sta
working for BW Maritime France staged a series of
stoppages last month in response to a minimum,
amateurish and hurriedly formulated plan to close the
companys operations later this year.
EURONAV SWITCH: Belgian operator Euronav is
to switch the 299,000dwt tanker Luxembourg from the
French RIF second register to the Marshall Islands. The
VLCC is being converted into a foating storage and
ooading vessel to work o Angola.
FERRY FINES: the Spanish and Italian
competition authorities have imposed big fnes on fve
ferry companies for illicit fare-setting practices on
services to the Balearic Islands.
D
Pictured left are three Chinese-
built STS super post-panamax
container cranes said to be among
the largest of their kind in the
world arriving at Khalifa Port in
Abu Dhabi last month.
Due to be completed later this
year, Khalifa will be the rst semi-
automated port in the region, capable
of handling an initial capacity of 2m
TEU containers and 12m tonnes of
general cargo annually. By 2030, it is
expected that the port will handle as
much as 15m TEUs and 35m tonnes of
general cargo a year.
P
The Philippines econ-
omy could lose as much
as US$700m a year if the
countrys substandard maritime
training colleges fail to improve,
it was warned last month.
The warning came as inspec-
tors from the European Maritime
Safety Agency (EMSA) arrived for
a seven-day visit to inspect com-
pliance with the international
Standards of Training Certica-
tion & Watchkeeping Convention.
The EMSA inspectors visited a
number of Philippines govern-
ment ofces, including the Mar-
itime Training Council and Pro-
fessional Regulation Commission,
as well as two training centres.
Ahead of the checks, the
Philippines Department of
Labour & Employment (DOLE)
stressed that failure to rectify
deciencies found in an EMSA
audit of 15 training centres in
2006 and six in 2010 could result
in Filipino seafarers being barred
from working on EU-agged ves-
sels.
The withdrawal of EUs recog-
nition could threaten the position
of the Philippines in the Interna-
tional Maritime Organisation
white list and will denitely have
a detrimental effect not only on
the countrys reputation in the
international maritime commu-
nity but also on the nations econ-
omy, DOLE added.
Labour secretary Rosalinda
Baldoz said that the Philippines
had submitted a report in Janu-
ary setting out the corrective
actions taken in response to the
problems noted by EMSA in its
previous inspections, which
included monitoring of maritime
education and training institu-
tions, quality standards, require-
ments for seafarers certication
and onboard training, implemen-
tation of management level
courses, and the standard of
equipment and facilities in some
colleges.
We welcome this follow-up
visit as an opportunity for the
Philippine government to prove
its efforts to continuously
improve its maritime education,
training and certication system,
she added.
DOLE said it was determined
to ensure the competence, ef-
ciency, and integrity of the coun-
trys labour force, to protect the
Philippines, pre-eminence in the
world market for seafarers, and
ultimately, to prevent the Philip-
pine economy from suffering a
major setback as a result of non-
recognition of Filipino certicates
by the EU.
In response to EMSAs previous
ndings, the government closed
down programmes at three col-
leges that were deemed to have
failed to rectify the problems by
May 2011 last year.
z
A Manila-based seafarers
advocacy group has secured more
than 6,000 signatures for a
petition urging the Philippines
government to ratify the Maritime
Labour Convention as soon as
possible. The International
Seafarers Action Center said it
would be sending the petition to
government departments and it
also wanted a copy to go to the
countrys president.
Master is
banned
from US
by Andrew Draper
A
Attempts by Norwegian
shipowners to allow ships
sailing under the Norwegian
International Ship register, NIS, to ply
the Norwegian coast have been given
short shrift by the government.
The unions have long campaigned
against the owners efforts, as they
claim NIS-agged vessels working
along the Norwegian coast with low-
paid foreign crews would undermine
the national register, NOR.
Owners association boss Sturla
Henriksen made his call at a recent
conference, saying Norway was the
only country in the world not to allow
its own ships to sail in national
waters.
He claimed that Norwegian
owners were losing contracts as a
result.
But business minister Trond Giske
said he would only listen when
owners and unions had a united
position on removing territorial limits
for NIS.
Secretary-general of the
engineers union, Hilde Gunn Avlyp,
told the Maritim Logg magazine that
the only reason the owners want NIS
ships along the Norwegian coast is to
be able to use cheap foreign labour.
They would outcompete the
national ag and the fear is also that
it would wipe out most jobs for
Norwegian seafarers not least the
recruitment positions we have in our
own waters that are so crucial for the
survival of the Norwegian seafarer, he
said.
Coastal ban on NIS-ag ships
A
The 42,304gt containership
Akritas is pictured left being
guided into port of Valletta, Malta,
where it docked for repairs last
month.
The Hong-Kong registered vessel
was built in 1987 as APL Costa Rica
and operated for a time as the
Safmarine Igoliand.
Now owned by Grappa Shipping,
Akritas is seen entering by the
cannons which were of vital
importance in defending Malta from
the Ottoman Empire during the Great
Siege of 1565.
Picture: Andrew Draper
A
A Greek shipmaster was ned
US$500 and barred from US
waters for a year last month after he
was caught almost seven times over
the alcohol limit.
US Coast Guard ofcials said
Captain Georgios Choulis had not
been present when a pilot boarded
the Maltese-agged bulk carrier
Laconia to help take the ship into the
port of Longview, Oregon, to load a
cargo of grain.
The pilot was told Capt Choulis
was sick, but when a Coast Guard
inspection team visited the
68,283dwt ship they found the
master sleeping in his berth with a
nearly empty bottle of scotch beside
him.
The US district court was told that
when USCG ofcers tried to rouse the
master, he began to verbally abuse
them. His breath smelled of alcohol,
and his eyes were watery and
bloodshot.
A breathalyser measured his blood
alcohol content at 0.287, and an hour
later it was at 0.118 compared with
the US limit of 0.04.
Abu Dhabi building new super port
INTERNATIONAL
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15
Crew rescued after tanker runs aground
A
A US businessman has been sentenced to two
months in prison and two months under
house arrest for dropping the anchor of the Holland
America Line cruiseship Ryndam while the vessel
was under way.
The US district court heard that Rick Ehlert had
been under the inuence of alcohol when he
entered a restricted area on the ship and released
the anchor during a cruise between Florida and
Mexico in November 2010.
MS Ryndams captain had made an
announcement calling for information about the
lifebuoy being thrown overboard, an FBI statement
added.
When nobody came forward, the ships
emergency alarm sounded and passengers and
crew were mustered on deck until everyone was
accounted for.
Under a plea agreement, Mr Ehlert admitted
charges of attempting to cause damage to the ship,
while it was in international waters, by unlawfully
dropping the stern anchor. He also admitted
attempting to destroy or disable a lifebuoy, by
throwing it overboard.
Mr Ehlert was also ordered to pay a $7,500 ne
and to participate in substance abuse and mental
health counselling.
Many people have asked me why I dropped the
anchor, he wrote in a letter of apology to the ships
master. I believe that I was intrigued by the
machinery, and curious to see if I could operate it.
I do remember trying to stop the anchor once it
started moving, but it just kept going faster.
shortreports
FINNISH TAX: seafarers and shipowners in
Finland have welcomed their governments move to
bring its fscal regime for shipping into line with most
other European tonnage tax schemes. The Finnish
Seamens Union said the new system would help to
protect the national feet from unfair foreign
competition and it estimates that 100 ships could join
the scheme although it cautions that a more
important issue is whether the government will reduce
state aid for maritime labour costs, which would more
than oset the positive eect of tonnage tax.
BOX LEADER: Shanghai has been confrmed as
the worlds leading container port, handling 31.5m TEU
last year a 9.5% increase from 2010 and the frst
time that a port has handled more than 30m TEU.
Singapore was in second place, with 29.9m TEU,
followed by Hong Kong (24.4m) and Shenzhen
(22.6m). Chinese ports took six of the top 10 places and
Rotterdamwas the only European port in the top 10.
MASTERS WARN: the French shipmasters
association, Afcan, has raised concerns over the
pressure on shipmasters following recent incidents such
as the grounding of the TK Bremen and the Costa
Concordia. Chairman Captain Hubert Ardillon said
possible errors by masters must be properly
investigated, but all captains should question how they
would have reacted in similar circumstances.
PILOTS PROTEST: Belgian port pilots have
staged a series of work-to-rule protests in Antwerp,
Ghent and Zeebrugge over proposed new pension
arrangements. They suspended the industrial action
after the Flemish regional government established a
working group to examine their working arrangements,
although ministers said they would resist the pilots
claim for retirement at 60 instead of 62.
OFFICERS HELD: Indian authorities have
arrested the master and two ofcers of a Singapore-
fagged bulk carrier in connection with an alleged hit
and run fatal incident o the coast of Kerala. The
52,817dwt Prabhu Daya was en route to Singapore from
Panaji in India via Sri Lanka when it allegedly struck the
Don-1 fshing boat and carried on without stopping.
LIBYAN CONTRACT: the Italian company MSC
Croisires has agreed a 550m deal with the STX France
shipyard to take over a contract for a new cruiseship
originally ordered by a Libyan company linked to
Hannibal Gaddaf, one of the sons of the deposed
Libyan leader. The ship will be named MSC Preziosa.
AUCKLAND ALERT: unions across the world
have voiced support for almost 300 dock workers in the
New Zealand port of Auckland who have been made
redundant in the latest stage of a long-running dispute
over employment rights.
Eurotunnel plans
to operate ferries
Companys bid to take over SeaFrance ships could give it 50% of market
by Jeff Apter
P
Eurotunnel has con-
rmed its interest in
becoming a ferry opera-
tor by taking over three former
SeaFrance vessels and hiring up
to 500 of the defunct companys
seafarers and shore staff.
Eurotunnel whose previous
bid for the ships was rejected is
awaiting a decision by the admin-
istrators of SeaFrance, which went
into liquidation in January, and
who have until mid-April to sell
the ships.
The train operator said it
would own the vessels and lease
them to a company headed by a
former Brittany Ferries manager
and probably involving a union-
backed cooperative that would
hire ex-SeaFrance workers.
Theres denitely a role for a
niche ferry operation, Eurotun-
nel chairman Jacques Gounon
said last month. What we want to
reach is not the SeaFrance mar-
ket share, which was in the mag-
nitude of 15%-18%, but more like
9%-10%.
Any new French-agged serv-
ice with SeaFrances Berlioz, Rodin
and Nord Pas de Calais, would
compete with P&O and the
DFDS/LD Lines service that
opened on 17 February with the
Norman Spirit.
The European Commissions
competition authorities rejected
earlier Eurotunnel plans to try
and save SeaFrance and its 800
jobs. Mr Gounon said the new
ferry company would operate dif-
ferently from SeaFrance.
Round-the-clock services like
this need several people to do one
job, he claimed. The ratio at
SeaFrance was three to one and at
P&O it is 2.13 people for one job.
Thats why P&O is protable and
SeaFrance is dead.
Mr Gounon said Eurotunnels
ferry proposals would comple-
ment the companys rail services.
It would enable Eurotunnel to
more easily switch passengers to
a ferry when the tunnel is closed
or reaches peak capacity and to
carry hazardous or over-sized car-
goes that cannot use the tunnel.
He said he did not want Euro-
tunnel to be part of a big shipping
group, but to lease the ships to a
specialist ferry operator.
There would be no need to
launch a price war, he added,
although fares would probably be
cheaper than the tunnel, which
charges a premium for speed.
If agreed, the plans would give
Eurotunnel a majority share of
the shortsea cross-Channel mar-
ket against its current share of
38% for heavy goods vehicles and
43% for cars.
H
Pictured above is the Brittany
Ferries vessel Le Bareur laid-
up in Caen last month. Unions fear
the western Channel operator
which employs 1,800 seafarers and
400 shore-based staff faces a
third year in the red despite a wage
freeze and short-time working.
According to the main union in
the company, the fall in the value of
the pound against the euro and
higher fuel prices have had a
particularly adverse impact.
The CGT union said that while
passenger loads had been good and
turnover had risen by 7%, currency
uctuations and fuel prices
which have doubled in four years
accounted for much of the unofcial
18m loss in 2011.
Although the union is
pessimistic about results for 2011,
the company says it is expecting to
break even following three
successive years in the red.
Picture: Eric Houri
D
A helicopter is pictured left
rescuing crew members from
the Italian tanker Gelso M after it ran
aground in bad weather off the coast
of Sicily last month.
The 11,422gt Gelso M which
was in ballast at the time
grounded on rocks whilst sailing to
the port of Augusta to load a fuel
cargo. Four Italian coastguard
helicopters airlifted the crew to safety.
Investigators were looking into
reports that the ship had suffered
engine problems before the
grounding, which occurred in force 10
conditions.
Although the Italian-agged
tanker had no cargo onboard, salvage
teams were called in to remove 300
tonnes of fuel from the ship to prevent
pollution. Picture: Reuters
Man jailed for dropping anchor
I am sure that the business of the
Costa Concordia will run and run.
In the March issue letters, the real
experts were not unanimous in
their conclusions about the cause
of the accident to the Concordia
but, when it came to the root cause
of the accident, I believe that Capt
Anderson probably came nearest
to the reason why the ship ran
aground.
I have personally experienced
the consequences of weak
marine management and the
failure to ensure that, as regards
bridge routines, the captain is a
team leader and not an absolute
autocrat.
The airline industry came to
grips with this situation a long
time ago, particularly after the
1977 KLM/Pan Am disaster at
Tenerife and instituted CRM
(Crew/ight deck resource
management) across the
industry. This was supposedly
introduced on merchant ships,
but its implementation requires
a strong marine representative
within the management team
who understands what happens
on a ships bridge both during
routine operation and during an
emergency.
If a master says I have the con,
that should not be a signal for the
OOW to shrug his shoulders and
walk into the chartroom. The OOW
has to realise that he still has a part
to play in the safe navigation of
the ship, even to the necessity of
challenging the master if he feels
that the situation is unsafe.
Cross-referencing and
monitoring of the bridge
operation is vital in areas of
proximity to the shore and if this
system is not in operation on the
bridge, then management has not
been doing its job and is to be held
responsible, together with those
who were hands on at the time of
the accident.
LOUIS ROSKELL
I agree wholeheartedly with Capt
Davidson (letters, March) in that
I too am astonished by the stance
taken by Nautilus over the Costa
Concordia incident. Even in the
latest Telegraph, Mark Dickinson
(general secretary) continues
to defend the captain of the
Concordia, whilst at the same
time he questions the design,
construction and operation of
large cruise ships.
What is Mr Dickinson trying
to do to the very industry
that employs so many British
ofcers? Does he actually have
any comprehension of what he is
saying?
The results of the inquiry
might not yet be fully known,
but one thing is clear from the
evidence so far: this incident was
caused by sheer incompetence
and stupidity of attempting a
close cruise at night without
paying attention to the ships
position, speed and distance from
YOUR LETTERS
16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
No
78%
Yes
22%
Have your say online
Last month we asked: Do you think the US
courts are right to rule that warrants are not
required for the inspection of crews cabins on
visiting ships?
This months poll asks: Do you think there is
a bullying problem at sea? Give us your views
online, at nautilusint.org
Have your say online
Last month we asked: Do you think the Costa
Concordia incident demonstrates a need for
radical change in the design and operation of
cruise ships?
This months poll asks: Do you think that slow
steaming should be imposed on shipping to cut
its contribution to atmospheric pollution? Give
us your views online, at nautilusint.org

No
41%
Yes
59%
Witherby Seamanship International Ltd
4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK.
Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999
Email: info@emailws. com Web: www. wi therbyseamanshi p. com
WI T HERBY
7LMT%YXSQEXMSR
*SV1EVMRI)RKMRIIVW)83W
N
E
W
2
0
1
2
46-')e
Tell your colleagues in Nautilus International and the wider world of shipping. Keep your letter to a
maximum 300 words if you can though longer contributions will be considered. Use a pen name or
just your membership number if you dont want to be identifed say so in an accompanying note
but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send your letter to the
Editor, Telegraph, Nautilus International, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford,
London E18 1BD, or use head of ce fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org
Whats on your mind?
The Costa controversy
will run and run
land. There was no unfortunate
chain of events, no technical
failures, no adverse weather
conditions.
For these reasons, it is quite
right that the master be vilied
as any master who puts his ship in
such a disastrous position would
expect to be.
The amount of damage
Captain Schettinos
incompetence has single-
handedly done to the cruise
industry is not yet fully known
but it is sure to be signicant,
Nautilus does not need to add
to the hysteria by making ill-
informed comments on a subject
that they should be experts in.
mem no 177592
General secretary Mark
Dickinson replies: the concerns
expressed by Nautilus following
the Costa Concordia accident
are not designed to harm the
passenger shipping industry
or the members who work in
the sector quite the reverse,
in fact. There have been long-
standing issues over aspects
of design, construction and
operation and the adequacy of
the international safety regime.
It is important for the future of
the cruise industry and those
who work within it that these
issues are addressed in an open
and honest way so that everyone
can have condence. We have
met with representatives of the
cruise industry to discuss these
matters and they appreciate our
viewpoint. So, far from adding
to hysteria, the comments that
we made are based on policy that
has been discussed and agreed by
serving members attending the
Unions General Meeting. We are
a democratic organisation and
welcome debate on important
issues such as this and members
should use the opportunities
that are open to them to help
formulate Nautilus policy.
I am writing this after reading the
letters in last months Telegraph:
Costa Concordia: the real experts
speak.
Currently serving as a chief
engineer onboard an IMO
Equipment Class 3 diving support
vessel and having previously
worked for one of the major cruise
ship companies, I believe it is now
time for the industry and the
IMO to start looking at making
fundamental design changes to
cruise vessels.
For those that are not familiar
with the IMO Equipment Class
3 concept (just as I, a few years
ago), the guidelines basically
state the vessel can sustain a re
or ood in any one compartment
on the vessel whilst still being
able to maintain station and no
single point failure of an active
or inactive component can cause
a loss of position in laymans
terms, you cant black out or lose
control of the ship.
This normally involves
having two totally independent
engine rooms, propulsion
rooms, switchboard rooms, etc,
all segregated longitudinally
by a watertight A-60 bulkhead.
The whole ethos of Equipment
Class 3 onboard is for the safety
of the saturation divers, who will
conduct their work on the seabed
whilst being indirectly tethered to
the vessel via their umbilical.
I think it is self-explanatory what
would happen if the vessel did
blackout or drift off.
The thing that I fail to
understand is the fact the IMO has
not carried this concept through
to encompass cruise ship design,
as the Costa Concordia (and later
the Costa Allegra) have shown,
the fundamental design of these
vessels (in engineering terms)
is not t for purpose. If they can
impose these design features on
a vessel to ensure the safety of
three saturation divers, why cant
they impose them on a cruise
ship to ensure the safe passage of
some 3,000 passengers and 1,000
crew? Would this step change in
design be expensive? No, not if it
was carried out at the design stage.
Basic cable routing, redundancy
concepts and longitudinal
segregation would be all that was
required.
I cannot help but wonder what
would have happened to those
unfortunate passengers onboard
the Costa Concordia should the
weather and wind not have been
in their favour that evening, as
without power and propulsion,
they could have easily been blown
further out to sea and not back
onto the eastern coastline reef off
the island of Giglio.
The industry can go round and
round in circles arguing about
stability concerns, life-saving
capacity and crew training, but at
the end of the day if a ship loses
power and propulsion and no
longer has the ability to save itself,
it will always be left to the mercy of
the sea. Building cruise ships that
follow the IMO Equipment Class 3
concept will certainly give the ship
its ability back.
mem no 181815
What is going on at the Telegraph?
For the second time in as many
months I feel obliged to write to
you about the presentation of
the paper. This time it concerns
the article by one Bryan Barrass
(PhD) who appears to have used a
golden opportunity presented to
him, presumably at the behest of
the editor, to trumpet his theories
on squat in particular and ship
stability in general.
I presume that this scurrilous
article is designed to muddy
the waters of clear-headed
investigation into the disaster by
adding pseudo-scientic analysis
coupled with false information.
What is disturbing is that nobody
in the editors ofce picked up the
obvious errors made, before the
paper went to print.
I suggest that anybody who
is interested in what actually
happened, take a good look on the
Web at the many AIS recordings of
the event and then try to reconcile
Dr BBs interpretation of them
with what you see before your
own eyes. Check the course and
SOG at all times before and during
the event.
To parrot Dr Barrasss
summary, it can be stated that
the contributory causes of this
incident include some pretty
damning AIS evidence available
to anybody who cares to look!
I thought that the Telegraph
was supposed to represent us
all as a professional industry.
This particular article does
us no favours and rather
demonstrates the amateurish
nature of the editorship by
letting this inaccurate claptrap
through. If this were the Lancet
and the Concordia master a
physician, I doubt we would
see such nonsense. A staunchly
maintained silence would be far
more appropriate.
mem no 138216
Re Costa Concordia. Like many
others my rst question was why
did she capsize to starboard?
However there is one point that
has not been picked up by the
media.
On the Saturday or Sunday
evening, one week after the
grounding, one of the news
bulletins showed the ship lying at
Giglio. Lo and behold about a mile
or so off in the background there
was one of her sister ships sailing
past southbound! I can only
assume that this was to give the
punters a view of the wreck.
For Costa cruises to allow
their ships to continue to use
this comparatively narrow strait
when there is plenty of searoom
to the west of the island shows a
complete lack of responsiblity
on the part of the company. Also,
what was the master thinking of?
G. HOLMES MNI
Retired Master Mariner
YOUR LETTERS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17
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telegraph

[ STAR LETTER
I write following your articles in the March Telegraph on
the subjects of fatigue and windfarm safety.
I am employed as master, 200ton, on a windfarm
support vessel in efect, an aluminium catamaran
capable of 25 knots with 12 passengers, three crew and 10
tons of cargo, MCA category 2.
I have noticed that all the major companies often only
operate with two crew a skipper, normally RYA ofshore
commercially endorsed, or at most master, 200ton, and a
deckhand, some of whom have never been on a boat in
their life but have attended the one-week STCW basic
course.
Whilst this is all well and good, we all work at least
12-hour days, normally for a month on. Then we have to
fuel every few days, often after our day at sea. And then we
have 14 days unpaid of ashore, two of which become
travel to and from the vessel.
Many of us are on day rate contracts and realise that if
you rock the boat or dont perform you are suddenly not
required back. So we work under duress to feed our
families. Then, at sea, how can we allow a poorly trained
deckhand to stand watch? Many of the boats are just day
boats, with poor rest facilities, and nowhere for a snooze
and with frequent radio traf c and requests to move
men and equipment, it is not feasible anyway.
The marine coordinators at the windfarm of ces are
always eager to send you out in most weather often
over-ruling the masters fnal decision to go and have a
look if it is workable. And even on weather days, they keep
crews onboard often when they have completed their
maintenance and drills when they could be rested ashore.
My concern is that there is an accident waiting to
happen with the poor standard of crew and skippers that
are operating these high-speed high-tech vessels, which
are expanding at an alarming rate. Companies will not
look after the staf unless tough rules and regulations are
brought in. Many have invited MCA inspectors onboard for
a surprise survey, but the MCA seem to move very slowly.
This is a new industry that has only had a few major
accidents to date, but seems to be waiting to respond after
the event.
I wish to remain anonymous as I want to retain my
position, but want to show our industry in its true light.
Name withheld on request
Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson replies:
in the absence of a specifc Code for windfarm service/
support vessels, Nautilus unique amongst maritime
unions is seeking changes to existing Codes via a
number of avenues, including the International Maritime
Organisation. Members experiencing complacency by the
authorities are advised to contact Nautilus in confdence.
Nautilus senior national secretary Garry Elliott adds: this
new industry is growing at a fast rate and with it comes
concerns that it remains highly unorganised with low
union density. This in turn brings problems in policing the
conditions that employees fnd themselves operating in.
This is the cornerstone of what MLC 2006 is attempting to
achieve by regulating the seafaring industries to a
consistent level. Nautilus believes that renewable energy is
the long-term future and history will show that employers
who embrace good terms and conditions for their biggest
asset, the seafarer, will stand the test of time and maintain
good retention levels. Those that dont will disappear as
quickly as they arrived.
Windfarm marine work
is accident in the making
I also lost out as a
result of age bar
Wonderful news! It has been
announced that HM government is
to provide a 9.3m grant to enable
Nissan to produce a new car albeit in
Sunderland. An outward symbol of a
nations prosperity must be measured
in shiny new Nissans.
This must surely rank alongside the
car scrappage scheme which provided
some job security for the limited
number of hard-pressed main dealer
salesmen. That efectively provided
some help to the Korean car industry to
undermine UK industries.
Employment prospects for British
Merchant Navy personnel have been
under threat for many years due to
a cheaper foreign labour market
underpinned by UK legislation that
would appear to allow any nationality
to man UK ships. Politicians have lost
sight of the fact that, while the red
ensign might be a desirable visible
symbol, it is the nationality of the
of cers and crew that should be
British.
Now we are to accept that 9.3m
is good value because it is evidentially
visible for UK plc while the British
Merchant Navy is plying its trade out
of sight, over the horizon and out of
mind.
I went to sea in 1964 when the UK
had a sizeable Merchant Navy. Over the
years, I saw the UK feet decline before
my eyes. I consider myself fortunate in
that I sailed under the red ensign for
the entire 43 years of my career. Over
the years, as a member of Council,
together with your Union, I did my bit
to attempt to reverse the decline.
Furthermore, the Merchant Navy
has been forgotten in rounds of
medal issues. I can only imagine the
hardship and sacrifce endured by
merchant seamen during WW2. The
sacrifce in the Arctic convoys appears
to have been dismissed by successive
governments.
Some time ago, I encountered
somebody wearing a Jubilee Medal
simply because he was in the
Ambulance Service at some time in his
life. It beggars belief!
When will the UK government get
a grip?
A.P. MINNS
mem no 140885
Put a stop to pier head jumps
My following comments are about rest
hours:
1. Clarifcation must be made as to what
the term rest hours refers. As is well
documented, a person requires at least
fve to eight hours uninterrupted sleep
per 24-hour period. If this sleep period
is broken, then at least 10 hours per
24-hour period is required.
2. Shipping companies interpret rest
hours as periods of-duty only, which
includes sleep.
3. A person requires not just sleep
but also relaxation time doing what
interests them. To aid this, furniture
must be comfortable and beds properly
matressed with comfortable (memory
foam) mattresses.
4. As the rest period must be split into
two periods only, six hours and four
hours, why are meal times classed as rest
periods, especially lunch time? Meals
are essential and the body is still working
during and after eating to digest the
food.
5. Many companies pay cash for extra
works overtime, avoiding the lack of rest
being recorded in the wages and rest
hours form and thus falsifying records.
6. In the past few years it has become
more prevalent to the return of pier
head jumps. This refers to the practice
of, after travelling for over six hours
from home, joining the ship direct
from the airport and as soon as the
handover is complete the ship sails
(without any proper rest period for the
person). This practice must be stopped
by legislation and after arriving at the
port of embarkation the person should
have at least 12 hours comfortable rest
and recuperation (because most people
cannot sleep properly on an aircraft,
especially in cattle class).
mem no 118735
If you have moved recently,
your home copy may still be
trying to catch up with you
particularly if you gave us a
temporary address such as a hall
of residence.
To let us know your new address,
go to www.nautilusint.org and
log in as a member, or contact
our membership department on
+44 (0)151 639 8454 or
membership@nautilusint.org.
Wheres my
Telegraph?
UK support for
Nissan, so why
not for the MN?
With reference to Captain Nick
Coopers letter in the March edition of
the Telegraph, I worked for the same
company and sufered a similar fate.
In March 2009, three months
before my 65th birthday, I received an
email from head of ce in Newcastle.
This email pointed out that my
retirement date was approaching
and if I wanted to stay with the
company after my 65th birthday I
should let them know soonest.
I immediately emailed a reply,
stating that I would like to stay for
another year. Because I was ft, good
at my job and still had something
to ofer, I thought it would be a
formality. I was onboard ship at the
time and waited a few days for a
reply. When it came, I was told that
my request had been forwarded to
Singapore, where the companys
personnel department had recently
moved.
I didnt hear anything else until
after I had returned home. I then
received an email informing me that
my request to stay for a further year
had been refused. I would, however,
be paid three months pay on top of
my leave pay. Fair enough, I thought
time to start enjoying the golf,
holidays and retirement in general.
Imagine my surprise when in
June, after my 65th birthday,
I received an email from personnel
in Singapore telling me I was to
report to Loch Kishorn to carry out
the electrical hook-up between the
company ships being laid-up there.
I emailed back explaining that
as they had refused my extension of
service I would not be attending said
ships as I was now retired. Nothing
heard for about two weeks, when I
received another email apologising
and wishing me a happy retirement.
I too was invited to Newcastle,
along with my wife, for lunch and a
presentation. However, my decanter
has been put to good use and holds a
very good malt whisky.
NICK HAMILTON-PETERS
mem no 139375
YOUR LETTERS
18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
Welcome Warsash
to the 21st Century
This evening I attended a
Womens World Day of Prayer
service at my local church
prepared by the Christian
Women of Malaysia. Apart from a
couple of retired vicars, I was the
only bloke there but womens
rights are a subject where I feel
injustice and prejudice are still
prevalent.
As I man I am truly
humbled by the bravery and
determination of women around
the world who ght for equality
and I stand ready to help and
assist them in any way I can. I
was, therefore, disappointed to
read the indignant letters sent
in by female ofcers responding
to J.A. Lockharts letter which
questioned why female ofcers at
a passing-out dinner at Warsash
wore evening dresses while their
male colleagues had to wear
uniform.
Mr Lockhart quite rightly
feels that equality is best served
when one rule and one rule only
applies to both sexes and, in
this particular case, if men are
required to wear uniform for
a particular function then the
same should be true for women.
When I rst attended Warsash
as a pre-sea cadet in 1967, I was
one of only a handful of students
from state schools, the others
coming from top-notch public
schools and destined for the
upper echelons of P&O and
Cunard.
To be frank, many of the skills
I learnt at that school did little
to prepare me for a career in the
Merchant Navy and I wonder
if the same is still true today?
Learning which way the port
should travel round the dinner
table, or how to tie a bow-tie did
little to prepare me for dealing
with striking whares in Australia
or pirates in the South China Sea.
Throughout my 44 years
at sea, I could not help but be
astonished to hear how my
colleagues from the Far East and
Eastern Europe were trained
compared to the years I spent
at Warsash; how on earth could
they pretend to be competent
seafarers without ever having
spent a single Saturday evening
in college learning how to dance
the foxtrot or the waltz as I did?
At Warsash I learnt a boat-cloak
should be draped over the left
shoulder in order to allow ones
right hand to draw ones sword
without hindrance which
might be very useful for some
but did little to prepare me for
ghting engineroom res.
While I am sure Warsash
has moved on from its training
methods of the 1960s, there
remains a feeling that they still
strive to be elitist not by the
excellence of their academia
but by the teaching of social
graces that are irrelevant to the
experiences and skills required
by competent ofcers at sea
today. I wonder what our Filipino
or Ukrainian ofcers reading
these letters in the Telegraph
must think; is it really important
if ofcers wear uniform or
civilian evening wear to an event
ashore, providing the same rules
apply to both sexes?
When I retired at the age of
62 after 44 years at sea I had
sailed with a total of four female
ofcers, with an aggregate total
of less than one years service.
While all of these women were
competent and reliable ofcers,
not one was destined to spend
more than 10 years at sea, a fact I
nd very disappointing.
The shipping industry has
treated women disgracefully
over the years and this must stop
now! How many men retiring
ashore today could say that, in
their entire working lives they
worked with a total of only four
women? In this, our training
establishments must play their
part in ensuring students, both
male and female, are treated
equally and this includes the
requirement to wear uniform.
Warsash needs to move into
the 21st century and stop giving
female ofcers the choice to dress
in pretty dresses and bows and
ribbons while making their male
students wear uniform no
matter how you look at this, this
is sexual discrimination and
must be stopped!
Frilly dresses look very nice in
the ofce, but they have no place
on the bridge of a merchant ship
or in the engineroom!
To conclude, when a woman
retires after 44 years service at sea
I will know the shipping industry
has nally come of age and ended
sexual discrimination at sea once
and for all. However, I think
I will be long gone before that
happens.
PETER J. NEWTON
mem no 158963
I was impressed by the readers seascape photographs of the sunrise where
they are currently working that have been included in the last couple of issues.
I decided to mix things up, though, and send in a sunset taken from the
PSV Toisa Serenade in Labuan, Malaysia, on 11 February 2012. EWAN RATTRAY
CalMac keeps recruitment
processes t for purpose
I cannot let the comments of retired
Caledonian MacBrayne master,
Capt A.B. Ferguson (letters, March
Telegraph) go unchallenged as
they present a wholly misleading
and false impression of recruitment
of professional seafarers by our
company.
There is no truth whatsoever that
senior marine managers are not
involved in recruitment. Senior staf,
including serving masters or chief
engineers if appropriate, all of whom
have extensive personal experience of
working at the highest level on ships
across the world, play a vital role in
assessing the professional capabilities
of candidates, and then make a
recommendation to our crewing
arm, Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing
(Guernsey) Ltd, who employ the crews
directly.
Colleagues from David MacBrayne
HR (UK) Ltd play an invaluable role in
managing the recruitment process
and providing advice on relevant
aspects of employment law.
It is an excellent example of
team-working, with each department
bringing their individual expertise to
the table to ensure we employ the best
crews we can.
Capt Ferguson can therefore be
assured that the recruitment processes
currently in place in Caledonian
MacBrayne are ft for purpose, robust
and work extremely well.
GEORGE TAYLOR
GroupTechnical Director
David MacBrayne Ltd
Nautilus International has had a
Facebook and Twitter presence since
2010, and they are proving to be
great platforms for debate. From this
month, the Telegraph will feature
the best of the virtual letters pages.
z
In response to: Maersk rules out
redundancies but claims sea careers
are no longer attractive for young
people
One of the reasons going to sea is
no longer an attractive proposition
for young people from traditional
maritime nations is exactly because
of many initiatives implemented by
Maersk and similar outfts and which
were then copied by many other
companies. Lots of unnecessary
paperwork; an oppressive corporate
structure and either severe social
life restrictions onboard or complete
elimination of any kind of life
onboard. Among people I know,
Maersk are referred to in two distinct
tones:
1. the seagoing version of Ryanair
cheap and very nasty
2. the evil empire you will be
assimilated, resistance is futile!
JAMES ROSS CHRISTIE
z
In response to: Important rights
every women seafarer should know
Pregnant lady seafarers cannot be
exposed to hazardous conditions
onboard? Well that rules out moat
if not all ship types. Pregnant ladies
should not be allowed at sea at all!!!
IAIN MacDONALD
I agree fully with the article, not all
women work on glorifed PSVs with
DP etc. There is a whole ugly world
out there deep sea where women are
treated like dirt and abused in more
ways than just wages. One cannot
look to the conditions of European
North Sea vessels and believe that
this is the face of the modern world
shipping feet, sadly women are
still treated like third class citizens
on many vessels as well as still been
discriminated against not only by
their male counterparts but by their
employers as well
KEITH PLETSCHKE
In the interests of fairness, because
of the nature of the dangers at sea,
women should be put on maternity
leave earlier than in the usual work
places. Other than that I really do not
see why females need diferent rights
to males. And we seriously need to
get rid of this idea of equality, putting
equality to the fore front often
creates divides. To summarise, apart
from the pregnancy issue, women
working at sea should have the same
opportunities and rights as men,
nothing more, and most defnitely
nothing less.
DARRYL LACKEY
We had a female captain work until 6
months: thats what her medical said
she could work to.
SIOBHAN BRADLEY
g
You can join the debates
at www.facebook.com/
Nautilus-International and
www.twitter.com/nautilusint.
The Union has a social networking
policy which all users are required to
adhere to. This can be found at
www.nautilusint.org.
Twitter &
Facebook
updates
Troublesome teens
On reading the front page of the
March Telegraph, the headline was
Revealed:the risks of fatigue a
subject that has been in the headlines
on a regular basis.
Then on pages 23,24 & 25 a report
on Project Horizon, dealing again
with fatigue.
How on earth then can Maersk/
Safmarine operate a 4,500TEU
containership with a crew of nine
as reported on page 5 of the same
edition? No matter what combination
of deck of cers, engineers, crew
required to operate a vessel of this size
safely, can this be carried out without
fatigue being involved?
M.C. STEVENSON
mem no 153115
The editor replies: we checked with
Safmarine, who state that their press
release was incorrect and the ship
has a crew complement of nineteen
(of cers, ratings and two cadets).
Why passing-out
picture should
be seen as sexist
I am astonished at the ignorance of
my critics regarding the photograph
(January 2012 Telegraph, page 22) of
cadets at their passing-out ceremony
which marks their of cial graduation
(the words of Andrew Hair).
The total lack of understanding of
sexism is evident in all the responses,
which to me is sad and, in the case of
Mr Hair, unforgiveable. I would have
assumed that Warsash, being a centre
of education and equal opportunities,
would endeavour to rid his
establishment of it. Perhaps Warsash
is still a trife elitist, having these
so-called graduation ceremonies.
I would question the make-up
of the committee organising the
ceremony and why formal dress is
required. Only a small part of the
industry now requires formal dress
code that of the cruise lines.
I would also suggest that the
company Ms Dunkerly worked for
during her cadetship should look
closely at its uniform code.
As for the unnamed responder,
it would appear she has no
understanding of sexism or semiotics.
Let me also clarify one or two other
points. Firstly, I have nothing to get
over as I have nothing against women
wearing dresses. Secondly, I have
nothing but admiration for females
that do go to sea in what is a male-
dominated industry. It is admirable
that she did so well in passing her
HND with distinctions, but would also
warn her that all the distinctions in
the world do not necessarily make
a good mariner. Her marriage to a
chief engineer and what she did at her
graduation ceremony are neither of
interest or pertinent.
However, I digress. Let us return to
the photograph and break it down into
its component parts.
Without a caption what does it
depict? Males in uniform with females
in party frocks. What could this be?
Uniformed males with their wags?
(Please excuse the use of the word
wags, which I detest, but it is obviously
one which the responders will
understand). Dif cult to analyse.
Lets then go to the caption which
tells us what the picture is. It is still not
clear and without actually counting
the number of people, 42, in the
photograph is it apparent that the
all are cadets. At no point does the
photograph mention party. It clearly
states passing out ceremony.
If this was a passing out ceremony
in any of the services, or police, fre
brigade, etc, all the participants would
be wearing uniform so why has
Warsash allowed choice?
I have spoken to a number of
female of cers whom I am acquainted
with who agree with my letter. Its just
a pity that the feminists in the industry
dont take the time to comment.
Imagery and language play
a huge role in the way in which
society understands the world.
The photograph from a viewers
perspective does not tell the whole
story. Harmless tradition still tends to
be sexist.
J.A. LOCKHART
mem no 158730
COLOMBIAN TU
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19
K
Nautilus International
general secretary Mark
Dickinson joined trade unionists,
lawyers and MPs in a delegation
to raise awareness and campaign
for the rights of trade unionists in
Colombia.
The fact-nding visit was
organised by the TUC and Justice
for Colombia (JFC) an organisa-
tion to which the Union is afli-
ated and arrived in Colombia
on Sunday 26 February 2012, the
same day that the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
announced they will free all
remaining government hostages
and end the practice of civilian
ransom kidnappings.
The 17-strong group spent one
week in Colombia meeting with
active trade unionists, visiting
jailed trade unionists, and hear-
ing from mothers of sons who
were the victims of extrajudicial
executions.
It was extremely inspir-
ing meeting trade unionists in
Colombia, said Mr Dickinson.
In their country simply being a
trade union member can get you
killed, can put your family at risk
and your livelihood can be taken
away.
Their trade union reps do the
same work as our ofcials and
lay reps, trying to protect mem-
bers terms and conditions and
improve pay, he pointed out.
However, when our reps come
up against employers who are
unwilling to negotiate, this may
lead to frustration and stalled
progress in Colombia the out-
come may be deadly.
Colombia is the most danger-
ous place in the world to be a trade
unionist or human rights activist.
There were 175 trade unionists
killed in Colombia last year and
there had already been six killed
in 2012 by the time of the delega-
tions visit. The latest was a found-
ing member of Sintramasivo
the transport workers union.
You begin to wonder why they
do it, said Mr Dickinson. Why try
to improve the rights of other
workers when the risks are so
high?
But they told us they do it
because they are committed to
justice and they believe in trade
union rights for all whatever
the costs and they hope they
will eventually make a difference.
They understand what it truly
means to be a trade unionist
and that was deeply moving and
incredibly inspiring, he added.
The visit ended with some suc-
cess as the delegation witnessed
the long-awaited release of trade
unionist Liliany Obando, who had
been held for almost four years
without trial.
Ms Obando recorded a mes-
sage of thanks which was played
a few weeks later at the TUC wom-
ens conference. In it, she thanked
UK trade unionists and members
of the TUC stating that their
support and continued pressure
on the Colombian government
had been crucial in securing her
release.
Unions solidarity
visit to Colombia

They understand
what it truly means to
be a trade unionist

Mark Dickinson
general secretary
Colombia is the most dangerous
place in the world in which to be a
trade union member.
Nautilus general secretary
Mark Dickinson was part of a
mission to show support and raise
awareness of those who risk their
lives simply for standing up for
basic workplace rights
A poster showing Colombias dead and disappeared
Above: The JFC delegation of trade unionists, MPs and lawyers Right: Mothers of Soacha
Above right: A silent march to the Mayors of ce in Puerto Asis Pictures: Mark Dickinson
CREW COMMUNICATIONS
20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
WARSASH MARITIME ACADEMY

SIMULATION
Cont act : Warsash Marit ime Academy, Newt own Road, Warsash, Sout hampt on, SO31 9ZL
Visit : www. warsashacademy. co. uk
E-mail : wma. naut il us@sol ent . ac. uk
Cal l : +44 (0)1489 576161
Manned Model s at our Shi p Handl i ng Cent r e, Ti msbur y Lake
Manned Model Shi p Handl i ng ( Incl udi ng Twi n Scr ew & LNG Vessel )
Manned Model Shi p Handl i ng + 0. 5 Day Assessment Pr ogr amme
Advanced Shi p Handl i ng Cour se
Combi ned Br i dge Si mul at or & Manned Model Cour se
Shi phandl i ng Appr eci at i on Cour se
Br i dge
Br i dge Team Management
Pi l ot s Pr of essi onal Devel opment
FPSO/ SBM Ber t hi ng Mast er Tr ai ni ng
ECDIS
El ect r oni c Char t Di spl ay and Inf or mat i on Syst em ( ECDIS) - New Sui t e
TPANSAS accredited type specic training on the TPANSAS NA7SAL0P 4000 EC0S
AT
Fi r st cl ass t r ai ni ng, consul t ancy and r esear ch
J
The drive to put crew
communications on the
IT superhighway has gone
into the slow lane as a result of the
economic downturn, an industry
expert warned last month.
Frank Coles, president of
Inmarsat Maritime, said the eas-
ing of the global gap between
demand and supply for skilled
seafarers has resulted in a reduc-
tion in pressure for owners to pro-
vide internet and email facilities
for their crews.
But, he promised, new oppor-
tunities for improved online
access onboard are on the way
with Inmarsat set to launch a
super-fast Ka-band broadband
network for shipping next year.
Mr Coles who served at sea
for 12 years before moving ashore
admitted that the maritime
communications market is facing
pretty difcult conditions at
present because of the downturn
in seaborne trade and the over-
capacity in the world eet.
For some reason, communica-
tions which represent 1% of the
daily cost of running the vessel
gets a pounding because it is a cost
that owners can control, he said.
When crews are hard to nd
because they dont want to go to
sea as they cant get internet con-
nectivity, the industry will invest:
two to three years ago, almost all
the growth in broadband origi-
nated from shipowners wanting
to keep their crews at sea.
But because there is now an
economic downturn, that is not
the case any more, he added,
although I am sure things will
come full circle again as the need
to provide crews with internet
and to make seafaring an attrac-
tive lifestyle has not gone away.
Mr Coles said his seagoing
experience had helped him to
understand the reasons why own-
ers determine their investment
policies. The maritime industry
only buys for two reasons one is
if they are driven by regulation to
do so and two is a business reason
to save money, he explained.
On the rst point, the Maritime
Labour Convention is likely to lead
to some improvements when it
nally comes into effect.
And on the second point, Mr
Coles said there is a strong com-
mercial case for investing in crew
welfare: Will your ship be more
efcient if you have a happy crew?
Of course it will!
Satcom-delivered services
such as weather routeing, ship
monitoring and remote diagnos-
tics will all prove increasingly
economically attractive, he argued,
and owners need to become
more value-conscious rather
than cost-conscious when they
consider their communications
budgets. They want something
that is good, fast and cheap. But
you can only have two of those
things at one time if you want it
fast and cheap, then it is not going
to be any good.
Mr Coles said the industry
must respond to the growing
importance of the umbilical link
between ship and shore. Not only
is crew demand for connectivity
growing, he added, but the widen-
ing range of net-based services
and the introduction of data-
heavy systems such as ECDIS are
also adding to the pressure for
more satellite bandwith.
As a consequence, Inmarsat is
investing some US$1.2bn in what
he described as a game-changer
for marine connectivity the
Global Xpress service. Due to get
under way next year, it promises
to bring at-sea communications
into line with those ashore
offering downlink speeds of up to
50Mbps, and up to 5Mbps over the
uplink, from compact user termi-
nals.
Global Xpress will be delivered
by three new Boeing-built Inmar-
sat 5 satellites, the rst of which
will cover the Indian Ocean
(including parts of Europe and the
Pacic), the second the Atlantic,
and the third the Pacic.
J
By the end of 2014, Inmar-
sat claims Global Xpress
will be the rst service to
offer global mobile broadband
coverage with speeds between
ve and 10 times faster than any-
thing on the market today and
delivered to smaller and cheaper
terminals.
Inmarsat which presently
provides satcom services to
around 55,000 ships, including
25,000 activated Fleet Broadband
terminals says Global Xpress
will be available in a range of pric-
ing options, with a portfolio of
plans based on how much data
owners expect to receive and
send.
Inmarsat last month reported
10% a rise in pre-tax prots
increasing to a total of $367m in
2011. It said that maritime reve-
nues had slipped by 0.5% partly
as a result of more seafarers using
cheaper data services instead of
voice calls.
Inmarsat added 9,818 new
Fleet Broadband terminals in the
year, and is planning to introduce
a new low-end Fleet Broadband
150 product for smaller ships,
including coastal shing vessels
and cruise ships.
Mr Coles said the new Global
Xpress service should help sea-
farers to keep in touch with home
and to provide better browsing
and downloading opportunities.
This is very much a next-genera-
tion service. It is like going from
dial-up to bre-optics that is
the kind of leap we are making, he
added.
Downturn sees shipboard communications spending
cut back, says Inmarsat as it reveals game-changing
plans for new high-speed satcoms service
Crew calling
put on hold
by owners
Shipping companies should reinforce the umbilical link between ship and shore that the
growing range of net-based services ofers, says Inmarsat Picture: Inmarsat

Will your
ship be more
ef cient if
you have a
happy crew?
Of course it
will!

Frank Coles, Inmarsat
Maritime president
Retirees
holding
the line
SEAFARER WELFARE
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21
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X
For many seafarers, coming
ashore to work or retiring from
the Merchant Navy deprives
them of the onboard companionship
that has sustained them throughout
their days aoat.
This, along with the inevitable changes
in domestic circumstances and the
nancial problems experienced by many
in retirement, can often lead to feelings of
loneliness and isolation.
Seafarers Link was set up in 2009 fol-
lowing a report on the issues of isolation
from the Maritime Charities Funding
Group (MCFG) of which Nautilus is a
member. It gives ex-seafarers the oppor-
tunity to join a fortnightly telephone
conference and spend an hour talking
together, reminiscing and staying in
touch with maritime life.
The service was set up with support
from Community Service Volunteers
Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme
and is operated by the Community Net-
work a charity that provides specialist
conference call facilities for charities.
Chris Rankin is a facilitator for a group of
seven ex-seafarers and has been the pro-
ject manager for Seafarers Link for more
than a year. I was already involved in Sea-
farers Link as a facilitator, she said. I am
also vice-chairman of Watch Ashore, vice-
chairman of the SW Port Welfare Com-
mittee, and have strong links with the
Merchant Navy, so I was asked to take over
running the Link to try and raise aware-
ness and use of it.
Chris describes herself as being mar-
ried to the Merchant Navy her hus-
band is a retired master, following a
40-year career, and one of her sons is also
a seafarer.
John, my husband, has been instru-
mental in helping me support these ex-
seafarers, she continues. Together we
are passionate about these phone links.
I feel that they are very worthwhile and
give these retired seafarers a wonderful
opportunity to speak to others in similar
situations and it really works!
This link enables people to chat about,
and share stories from, their seafaring
experiences they do love to chat about
the sea!
Each call group contains between ve
and 10 users to ensure a steady, but not
overwhelming ow of conversation, and
a facilitator ensures everyone gets to take
part. Community Network calls all the
participants, ensuring that there is no
cost to the user.
X
Today there are eight participat-
ing groups linking around 70
people from as far away as the
Shetland Islands and Belfast, to Cornwall
and Essex. Participants include Merchant
and Royal Navy men, Wrens and sher-
men, and Chris tries to match up those
with a similar background as far as pos-
sible.
The calls cover everything and any-
thing but nearly always with a mari-
time theme. A recent call managed to
cover cruising, Arctic convoys, the lack
of British seafarers, the British Legion,
maritime colleges and tankers all in a
one-hour slot.
We had a call the other week when one
of the men had the district nurse visiting,
so he had the call on loudspeaker, recalls
Chris. The conversation had turned to
the mens love of rum and how they still
had their rum ration in their cup of tea
in the morning.
The district nurse heard this and was
horried at them! She told them how bad
it was and advised them all to cut it out.
They all laughed and said they were old
enough to take the risk. After about ve
minutes the men where all irting down
the line with the nurse and inviting her
round to share their rum!
Speaking to the people on one of
Chriss call groups it is clear that the users
nd the service invaluable. Dave Bayliss,
a retired engineer ofcer and former
member of the Unions Council, explains
that it is great to be able to talk to other
seafarers and people who really under-
stand what he did for a living.
I live in Derby and they dont exactly
understand that much about life at sea,
he laughs. Its so interesting to be able to
talk to people about seafaring. We share
stories and have a laugh about what we
used to get up to.
Peter Whitehouse, a retired master
from Everard, agrees. We have all spoken
to each other every two weeks for the past
two years, he says. Although weve never
met, you feel like you know everybody,
they are friends. Its like Facebook on the
phone!
Although this group are spread over
the country, some of the members have
met and two in unexpected circum-
stances.
I informed Chris that I wasnt going
to be on the call next time as I would be
away, recalls Dave. Frank [Kelly] said he
was also not going to be available and we
got talking about where we were going. I
said on a cruise and he said on a cruise as
well. We then talked about what areas we
were going to and we both said the Carib-
bean. I then explained that my trip was
with Maritime Memories, a company
which organises cruises for ex-mariners
themed around seafaring.
It turned out we were booked on
exactly the same cruise! We met up there
and it was nice to put a face to the voice.
Two of the group also believe they met
years ago. Retired engineer and mari-
time tutor Gordon Bruty was teaching
when Dave was a student at the college in
Poplar.
As well as reminiscing, the group
are very vocal about todays MN and its
reputation among the public. The coun-
try doesnt realise how dependent they
are on the Merchant Navy, says Gordon.
They treat merchant seafarers as a bit of a
joke that we just travel round the world
having fun. They dont realise what its
like spending so long away from home.
They wont have to worry soon, adds
Peter. There wont be any British seamen
left. The British ratings had all but disap-
peared even when I was working.
The group are hoping that after two
years talking together, they will nally all
get to meet when they go to London for
Merchant Navy Day this year.
I am currently in the planning stage
of organising a meet-up, says Chris. The
plan is to use the facilities at Spring-
bok and I am in discussions with Trevor
Goacher, chief executive, on what they
can provide in the way of accommoda-
tion and facilities etc. I am approaching
various MN charities to see if they can
help me raise some money to help fund
this event.
It will be great to have everyone in the
same place at the same time, face to face,
she adds.
X
Chriss energy and passion for
the service are clear and this has
had a massive impact on its suc-
cess. Following a recent presentation to
the MCFG, Chris was able to secure a grant
from Seafarers UK which will enable Sea-
farers Link to continue for at least another
three years.
Age, location, change of profession,
disability and ill health are all contrib-
uting factors to the feelings of social
isolation felt by ex-seafarers, she con-
cludes. Whatever the circumstances,
the fortnightly group conversations
and exchanges help people to build and
maintain relationships and camaraderie
within their group. This provides a sense
of social connection, improves well-
being, and combats feelings of isolation
and depression.
hIf you are an ex-seafarer or you know
someone who would like to join one
of the telephone groups then please
contact Chris on +44(0)1752 812674 or
chris@community-network.org.
Picture: Thinkstock
Above: Seafarers Link facilitator
Chris Rankin and retired
engineer of cer Dave Bayliss
Below: Frank Kelly
A special service like Facebook on
the phone is helping to ease the
isolation felt by many former seafarers,
DEBBIE SMITH reports
MARITIME LAW
22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
I
What would you do if you were accused of a maritime crime?
For many seafarers, the answer is one of simply not knowing.
Yet, in the British jurisdiction alone, the range of potential
crimes of relevance to mariners remains as wide as the sea itself. Fur-
thermore, in recent years, the boundaries of criminal law at sea have
become increasingly blurred, leading to concerns of excessive crimi-
nalisation of seafarers. Interestingly, recent research by Nautilus has
shown that the occurrence of fear of criminalisation is considerably
higher than its occurrence. Nevertheless, the recent case of Costa Con-
cordia shows that criminal law remains an industry issue. So, of what
offences can seafarers be accused?
The potential categories of offences following an incident can be
incredibly broad. Charges can range hugely, from almost any tradition-
ally terrestrial offences, but most seriously to those of murder,
manslaughter, and offences against the person, of a form not dissimilar
to certain crimes ashore.
Alternatively, and sometimes simultaneously, there are offences
which only exist in a maritime form such as Section 58 of the Mer-
chant Shipping Act 1995, of conduct endangering ships, structures or
individuals.
One offence which may blur such boundaries is that of manslaugh-
ter, which, if occurring aboard, can take a shore-similar or maritime
slant, dependent on the circumstances.
Perhaps the principal problem in maritime crime may be that of per-
ception. What may be perceived as an accident may later be considered
to be a crime and vice versa. Perhaps the most prudent word to use is
simply that of an incident. The problem is, once something has been
initially perceived, sometimes wrongly, as either accidental or criminal,
it is difcult to alter this view.
The problem of seeing an incident in either of these black and white
categories is that we then do not observe its true nature, which may well
be some shade of grey. Likewise, the analogy of seeing but not observing
can extend to the perception of the initial scene itself. What initially
appears to be an accident, or even a suicide, must be treated with
extreme caution, as to theorise without the facts could lead to irrevers-
ible contamination of potential evidence.
However, the complications for mariners do not end there. The mar-
itime environment itself is fraught with difculties in applying crimi-
nal law. Prosecutions rely upon a multitude of factors, all of which must
be present in order for a viable case to succeed and success is by no
means guaranteed.
I
The issues of detection and jurisdiction remain rather relevant
to maritime crime, especially for fatalities. On the detection of
maritime crime, the renowned lm director Alfred Hitchcock
once remarked: There is nothing quite so good as burial at sea. It is sim-
ple, tidy, and not very incriminating. But, clearly, some level of evidence
is required to convince the jury of guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
In order for a prosecution to be brought by a state, it must have juris-
diction which falls often, but not always, with the ag state. There are,
however, some exceptions to this, and thus, the area of whether the
jurisdictional interest is sufcient should always be the rst considera-
tion of those contemplating prosecuting a mariner.
Indeed, the evidence gathered, and the standards of preservation,
can prove problematic especially when trying to relate this to any
viability of prosecution or fairness of conviction.
The subject of jurisdiction, and its relevance to maritime crime,
remains an ominous and omnipotent undercurrent to any case. It is an
issue that can prove to be a lottery with the nature of investigation
and, potentially, even the nature of any charges dependent upon the
luck of the draw.
One very topical issue is the increasing risk that, in the 21st century,
the side-effects of our modern, multimodal media may take a very
severe toll upon the elusive concept of justice. For example, would it be
theoretically possible to select a jury who have not heard any of the
sometimes detrimental and accusatory coverage relating to Costa
Concordia?
Likewise, could it be possible that potential future jurors for other
such maritime cases will have altered their opinions as a result of the
hue and cry of such instances? As the former prime minister Robert
Peel once commented: Public opinion is a compound of folly, weak-
ness, prejudice, wrong feeling, right feeling, obstinacy and newspaper
paragraphs.
Interestingly, however, there have been very few instances of the
British jury convicting a mariner for causing a fatality even where
prosecutions have been attempted. This is surprising, given the details
of some cases where attempts have been made to do so. Thus, some
argue that these acquittals may be as a result of the jury simply not
understanding, or having insight into the maritime sector. This may
not be in the interests of justice.
The apparent tendency to acquit however surprising it may be
given the facts of a case should perhaps be a point for accused mari-
ners to bear in mind, although it can never be guaranteed. For a convic-
tion to occur, the jury must be convinced of guilt beyond reasonable
doubt. Furthermore, it is an offence to enquire how the jury reached
their verdict we can only take it as it is: guilty, or not guilty.
With such a seeming tendency towards acquittals in criminal law, a
new form of legal action against mariners could become more preva-
lent. Rather than the criminalisation of seafarers, we could well see the
litigation of seafarers. This is when a civil action is taken an attempt
to sue is made.
Currently, such cases normally arise against companies rather than
mariners. But the occurrence of this in maritime cases notably those
where a prosecution did not happen, or has failed is becoming more
evident. Though some may be quick to say that this is an effect of the no
win, no fee culture, there is an alternative argument which holds water:
simply that, without effective prosecutions, those left bereaved follow-
ing an incident do not see that justice had been done. There may be
no legal recourse, in punishment or prevention of future similar
instances. Thus, often, the only realistic legal step left to them to take is
that of civil action. Although it cannot bring about conviction, it can
highlight particular cases and potentially dangerous matters.
I
The most important feature of civil action is that the stand-
ard of proof is signicantly lower than that of criminal law. In
criminal law, the standard of proof is that of beyond reasonable
doubt. In civil law, it is only on the balance of probabilities. If the alleged
wrong is deemed more likely than not to have happened, then the action
will be successful. This, combined with the low success rates of prosecu-
tions, could lead to many future instances of the litigation of seafarers.
Indeed, in the incident of Costa Concordia, civil actions have been com-
menced against Captain Schettino simultaneously to any criminal case.
The big question is: if such litigation is seen as a universal cure to
industry problems, without criminal law, is the safety of the industry
being potentially put at risk? Criminal offences, although arguably
somewhat overzealous in many maritime instances, do have a place in
the sector. The recent Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Act 2007 was born from legal debate on a wide set of cases,
including a canoeing incident in Lyme Bay, and the loss of Herald of Free
Enterprise.
Furthermore, some criminal convictions for poor health and safety
practices can in fact protect the majority of mariners, in what remains a
relatively dangerous industry. The Health & Safety At Work Act 1974, for
instance, is not often applied to the maritime sector, and yet could be
used quite effectively, due to the wording of its provisions.
This initially appears to be a very general, routine law, on the work-
place, for employers. But the Act itself could apply to incidents suffered
by crew (Section 2) or passengers (Section 3).
I
Another point of this Act, often innocently ignored, is that its Sec-
tion 40 works strongly in favour of the prosecution case. This is because
it reverses the burden of proof. As mentioned, in a criminal trial, the
burden is usually on the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt
that the offence was committed by the accused. However, in this Act,
Section 40 reverses the burden placing the onus upon the accused
(usually the employing company) to prove that it was not reasonably
practicable to do more than they did. In many cases, it would be difcult
to show that nothing more could have been done.
An additional benet of this Act is its potential application, not just
in fatal cases, but also to non-fatal incidents. This could potentially pre-
vent fatalities occurring, by effectively forcing the rectication of prac-
tices leading to injurious instances. This may also reduce the instances
of some cases of litigation of seafarers, as the ever-elusive justice may be
perceived to be done.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that the offence with the most poten-
tial for use in charges against mariners is that of Section 58 conduct
endangering ships, structures or individuals. This, in itself, is an offence
under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
I
In maritime cases, one of the most relevant serious crimes is
that of involuntary manslaughter. This does not require the
intent to kill.
In terms of involuntary manslaughter, there is a tendency for poten-
tial prosecutions to be considered from the perspective of gross negli-
gence manslaughter. Gross negligence manslaughter involves a grossly
negligent act or omission, and has a four stage test, the Adomako test:
rstly, that the accused had a duty of care to the deceased; next, that
there was a breach of said duty; then, that said breach caused, or was a
signicant contribution to, the death; and nally, that the breach was
deemed such gross negligence to be characterised as criminal.
There is, however, the possibility (although perhaps not yet
attempted) for a mariner to be prosecuted for a different type of invol-
untary manslaughter that of constructive, or unlawful act, man-
The devil or
the deep
blue sea?
Trial in the court of public opinion Picture: Thinkstock
The treatment of seafarers following
maritime incidents is just one of the
many intense debates sparked by the
Costa Concordia disaster.
CHAYNEE HODGETTS, formerly of
Bangor University, who is conducting
doctoral research on maritime
criminal law at the University of
Portsmouth, considers the issues
mariners face when navigating close
to the lee shore of criminal law
Chaynee Hodgetts
slaughter. The test for this has three parts: that the accused did an
unlawful criminal act, that act was dangerous, and that it caused death.
In a maritime case, the potential for its use could be quite straightfor-
ward. If a charge were brought for a Section 58 offence (of conduct
endangering life, vessels or structures), this may satisfy the illegal act
required.
I
The fact that the charge of Section 58 is one of endangering
could satisfy the requirement for the unlawful act to be dan-
gerous. Finally, the requirement that the unlawful act caused
death could arguably be said to speak for itself, in fatalities where a Sec-
tion 58 charge is brought.
Given all this, it is perhaps surprising that constructive manslaugh-
ter has not been applied, in conjunction with Section 58, instead of the
use of gross negligence manslaughter.
Perhaps the most unfortunate scenario is that of where one mariner
may have been accused of causing the fatality of another (either murder
or manslaughter). This sort of instance could also cover some suspi-
cious or unexplained disappearances, and, potentially, unexplained
suicides especially those overboard.
The controversy of such cases is intensied by any lack of the discov-
ery of a body. This raises great evidential problems, where often, those
who live and work in the vicinity of the evidence scene aboard are crew-
mates, who may later nd themselves accused of implication in events.
Indeed, even issues as supercially simple as the use (or not) and
wording of the traditional police caution at sea can ignite great contro-
versies as a subject of debate. Evidentially, the potential for inadvertent
cross-contamination and possible miscarriage of justice cannot be
underestimated.
Allegations of such a kind may follow a falsely accused seafarer
throughout their lives, even in the absence of conviction. Such cases
can prove incredibly difcult, especially if a mariner protests their
innocence.
There are also issues in terms of mariners rights in criminal law, and
how these can practically be applied at sea. For instance, if a crew
member is accused of seriously assaulting another, trying to ensure
both parties rights are adhered to could be difcult.
I
A recent IMO Resolution A.1058 (27) Collation and preser-
vation of evidence following an allegation of a serious crime
having taken place on board a ship or following a report of a
missing person from a ship, and pastoral and medical care of victims
could go some way to address the situation, if agreement is reached
on consistency in standards of evidential preservation across jurisdic-
tions, regardless of how each jurisdiction chooses to utilise said evi-
dence.
Though it is right that the guilty should be prosecuted, the innocent
must also be protected from the risk of criminal proceedings against
them. The fundamental right of a seafarer, or indeed any person
accused of a criminal offence to be tried fairly, is one that must not be
overlooked.
Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is
that of the right to a fair trial. Incorporated into UK law by the Human
Rights Act 1998 (HRA), this right thus clearly applies to all criminal
trials in the UK. Interestingly, Article 2 of the same protects the right to
life, so both sides could be argued from a contrary human rights stance
if desired.
However, all domestic and European criminal trials must now abide
by Article 6, and a conviction from any such trial which, for any reason,
does not, could potentially be considered as unsafe.
Returning, then, to the most recent high prole maritime incident,
how might Costa Concordia affect perception of mariners who may be
accused of criminal offences? Regardless of ones opinion on Costa Con-
cordia, we must all bear in mind that, though trial in the court of public
opinion is perhaps inevitable, the risk to all mariners of excessive,
potentially prejudicial, coverage cannot be calculated.
All seafarers should be wary of the potential risk of becoming scape-
goats, surrendered to the law. In an industry where use of the law is
becoming prevalent, the right to a fair, independent and impartial trial
must be remembered.
Nobody in the situation of having the next maritime incident would
want to be judged against the backdrop of such blanket coverage, espe-
cially not with the prospect of a potential trial.
In conclusion, perhaps the shipping industry should take note of the
view of the philosopher Epictetus, when he wisely observed: Neither
should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single
hope
MARITIME LAW
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

What may be
perceived as an
accident may later
be considered to be
a crime and vice
versa

For further information on marine courses, contact:

Tel: +44 (0)191 427 3900 | E-mail: marine@stc.ac.uk | Web: www.stc.ac.uk South Tyneside College, St. Georges Avenue,
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To book a course, contact: Marine Booking Centre,
Tel: +44 (0)191 427 3772, Fax: +44 (0)191 427 3918,
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A model of Costa Concordias master, Captain Francesco
Schettino, in an Italian shop highlights howthe public may
vilify seafarers after an accident Picture: Reuters
These are the recommendations made in October 1912 as a
result of Lord Merseys inquiry into the loss of the Titanic:
Water-tight Sub-division
1. That the newly appointed Bulkhead Committee should
enquire and report, among other matters, on the desirability and
practicability of providing ships with (a)a double skin carried up
above the water line; or , as an alternative, with (b)a longitudinal,
vertical, watertight bulkhead on each side of the ship, extending
as far forward and aft as convenient; or, (c)with a combination of
(a) and (b). Any one of the three (a), (b), and (c) to be in addition
to watertight transverse bulkheads.
2. That the Committee should also enquire and report as to the
desirability and practicability of ftting ships with (a) a deck or
decks at a convenient distance or distances above the waterline
which shall be watertight throughout a part or all of the ships
breadth; and should, in this connection, report upon suitable
means by which the necessary openings to such deck or decks
should be made watertight, whether by watertight doors, or
watertight trunks, or by any other and what means.
3. That the Committee should consider and report generally on
the practicability of protection given by sub-division; the object
being to ensure that the ship shall remain afoat with the greatest
practicable proportion of her length in free communication with
the sea.
4. That when the Committee has reported on the matters
before mentioned, the Board of Trade should take the report
into their consideration and to the extent to which they approve
of it should seek Statutory powers to enforce it in all newly built
ships, but with a direction to relax the requirements in special
cases where it may seem right to them to do so.
5. That the Board of Trade should be empowered by the
Legislature to require the production of the designs and
specifcations of all ships in their early stages of construction,
and to direct such amendments of the same as may be thought
necessary and practicable for the safety of life at sea in ships.
(This should apply to all passenger carrying ships.)
Lifeboats and Rafts
6. That the provision of the lifeboat and raft accommodation
on board such ships should be based on the number of persons
intended to be carried in the ship and not upon tonnage.
7. That the question of such accommodation should be treated
independently of the question of the sub-division of the ship into
watertight compartments. (This involves the abolition of Rule 12
of the Life Saving Appliance Rules of 1902.)
8. That the accommodation should be suf cient for all persons
on board, with, however, the qualifcation that in special cases
where, in the opinion of the Board of Trade, such provision is
impracticable, the requirements may be modifed as the Board
may think right. (In order to give efect to this recommendation
changes may be necessary in the sizes and types of boats to
be carried and in the method of stowing and foating them.
It may also be necessary to set apart one or more of the boat
decks exclusively for carrying boats and drilling the crew, and to
consider the distribution of decks in relation to the passengers'
quarters. These, however, are matters of detail to be settled with
reference to the particular circumstance afecting the ship.)
9. That all boats should be ftted with a protective, continuous
fender, to lessen the risk of damage when being lowered in a
seaway.
10. That the Board of Trade should be empowered to direct
that one or more of the boats be ftted with some form of
mechanical propulsion.
11. That there should be a Board of Trade regulation requiring
all boat equipment (under Sections 5 and 6, page 15 of the Rules
dated February, 1902, made by the Board of Trade under section
427 Merchant Shipping Act, 1894) to be in the boats as soon as
the ship leaves harbour. The sections quoted above should be
amended so as to provide also that all boats and rafts should
carry lamps and pyrotechnic lights for purposes of signalling. All
boats should be provided with compasses and provisions, and
should be very distinctly marked in such a way as to indicate plainly
the number of adult persons each boat can carry when being
lowered.
12. That the Board of Trade inspection of boats and life-saving
appliances should be of a more searching character than
hitherto.
Manning the Boats and Boat Drills
13. That in cases where the deck hands are not suf cient to man
the boats enough other members of the crew should be men
trained in boat work to make up the defciency. These men should
be required to pass a test in boat work.
14. That in view of the necessity of having on board men
trained in boat work, steps should be taken to encourage the
training of boys for the Merchant Service.
15. The operation of Section 115 and Section 134 (a) of the
Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, should be examined, with a view to
amending the same so as to secure greater continuity of service
than hitherto.
16. That the men who are to man the boats should have
more frequent drills than hitherto. That in all ships a boat drill,
a fre-drill, and a watertight door drill should be held as soon
as possible after leaving the original port of departure and at
convenient intervals of not less than once a week during the
voyage. Such drills to be recorded in the of cial log.
17. That the Board of Trade should be satisfed in each case
before the ship leaves port that a scheme has been devised and
communicated to each of cer of the ship for securing an ef cient
working of the boats.
General
18. That every man taking a look-out in such ships should
undergo a sight test at reasonable intervals.
19. That in all such ships a police system should be organised so
as to secure obedience to orders, and proper control and guidance
of all on board in times of emergency.
20. That in all such ships there should be an installation
of wireless telegraphy, and that such installation should be
worked with a suf cient number of trained operators to secure
a continuous service by night and day. In this connection regard
should be had to the resolutions of the International Conference
on Wireless Telegraphy recently held under the presidency of Sir
H. Babington Smith. That where practicable a silent chamber for
receiving messages should form part of the installation.
21. That instructions should be given in all Steamship
Companies' Regulations that when ice is reported in or near the
track the ship should proceed in the dark hours at a moderate
speed or alter her course so as to go well clear of the danger zone.
22. That the attention of Masters of vessels should be drawn
by the Board of Trade to the efect that under the Maritime
Conventions Act, 1911, it is a misdemeanor not to go to the relief
of a vessel in distress when possible to do so.
23. That the same protection as to the safety of life in the event
of casualty which is aforded to emigrant ships by means of
supervision and inspection should be extended to all foreign-
going passenger ships.
24. That (unless already done) steps should be taken to call
an International Conference to consider and as far as possible
to agree upon a common line of conduct in respect of (a) the
sub-division of ships; (b) the provision and working of life-saving
appliances; (c) the installation of wireless telegraphy and the
method of working the same; (d) the reduction of speed or
the alteration of course in the vicinity of ice, and (e) the use of
searchlights.
MARITIME SAFETY
The Mersey report
Humanfactorsandoperational issuesareunder
thespotlight inasafetyreviewbeingcarriedout by
thecruiseshippingindustryinresponsetotheCosta
Concordiaaccident.
Insimpleterms, it appearsfromtheoutset that
thiswasasituationinwhichthepeoplefailedthe
shipandnot theshipfailedthepeople, thetechnical
director of theEuropeanCruiseCouncil, Robert
Ashdown, toldUKpoliticianslast month.
Speakingat ameetingof theAll-Party
ParliamentaryGroupfor MaritimeandPorts, Mr
Ashdownsaidoperatorsaredeterminedtoensure
suchanincident never occursagain.
Despitetherigoroussafetyregimethat wehave
inplace, somethingclearlyhasgonewrongandsoit
isveryimportant that weget tothebottomof it and
learnfromwhat happened, headded.
Mr Ashdownsaidhedidnot wishtocomment on
thecausesof theCostaConcordiagroundingaheadof
thefndingsof theof cial investigation, but toldthe
meetingthat theindustryreviewislookingat such
issuesasnavigation, evacuationandemergency
training.
Hesaidtheindustrysafetyreviewisbeingfast-
trackedandtheresultsmaybeavailableassoonas
August. Internal andexternal expertsandindustry
associationsarebeingurgedtoidentifyandshare
goodideasfor improvementsandtothencollaborate
withtheInternational MaritimeOrganisationto
implement anynecessaryregulations.
Mr Ashdownsaidtheindustrysownsafety
reviewisconcentratingonoperational rather than
technical factors, asit will becompletedbefore
theItalianauthoritiescompletetheir criminal
investigationsintotheCostaConcordiaaccident.
Bydoingthis, weverymuchhopetomoveto
thesituationwheretheindustryputsinplacebest
practicesthat wehaveidentifedandregulators
cancatchupsothat everyonegoestothesamehigh
standards, headded.
Weshouldnot throwthebabyout withthe
bathwater andmakechangesfor changessake, he
cautioned. Anyreformmust bethought through
carefullyandsystematically.
UKshippingminister MikePenningsaidhe
agreedthat thereshouldbenoknee-jerk reactions
totheCostaConcordiaaccident. Proper legislation
andregulationneedstobeevidence-based, he
argued.
Maritime&CoastguardAgencychief executive
Sir AlanMasseydefendedthesafetyrulesfor the
sector. Theregimeisglobal andistakenvery
seriously, hetoldthemeeting. It isalsoquite
dynamicandweareengagedconstantlywiththe
IMOtoseewhereimprovementsareneeded.
Whileregulatorsseektokeeppacewith
technological changes, Sir AlansaidtheMCAis
seekingtopromoteagreater emphasisonthe
humanfactor. Thequalityof adherencetoISMis
absolutelyfundamental, headded, andthereis
particular valueinfocussingonthingslikehowwell
trainedpeopleareandhowfatiguedpeopleare.
MrAshdownsaidthepassengershippingindustry
isatthecuttingedge of suchtechniques. Bridge
resourcemanagementisdesignedtomakesure
thatthecaptainisoperatingaspartof ateamand
itshouldbehappeningroutinelyhowyouallow
seniorof cerstolegitimatelyquestionthecaptains
decisionswithoutresortingtomutiny, hepointedout.
Onespeaker expressedfearsabout therateof
power failureincidentsonboardpassengerships. Mr
Ashdownsaidit wasunclear if all electrical power
hadbeenlost onCostaAllegra, but hepromisedthat
anyrelevant fndingsfrominquiriesintothat incident
couldberefectedintheresultsof theindustrys
safetyreview.
Bill Gibbons, director of thePassenger Shipping
Association, toldpoliticiansthat cruisingisoneof
thesafest waystotakeaholidayandtheindustry
ishighlyregulated. Between2002and2011,
cruiseshipshadcarriedmorethan150mpassengers
andonly28deathssixcrewand22passengers
hadbeenrecordedinthat period.
TheCostaConcordiawasagreat shockto
everyoneintheindustry, headded. Howcouldthis
possiblyhappeninthismoderndayandage?
However, theindustryisdeterminedtolearnthe
lessonsandimplement thefndingsasquicklyas
possible, andthePSAandECCareworkingwiththe
US-basedCruiseLinesInternational Associationona
global communicationscampaigntoaddresssafety
concernsandpromotecruising.
AndMr Ashdowntoldthemeetingthat there
weresomepositives tobedrawnfromtheCosta
Concordia. Thiswasanaccident at night andmore
than4,300peopleweresuccessfullyevacuated,
hepointedout. It wouldappear that anawful lot
of thingsworkedquitewell andreal credit and
recognitionshouldbegiventoalot of peoplewhodid
agreat deal toget somanypeopleof safely.
MARITIME SAFETY
24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012 April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25
F
Long-standingconcernsoverthesafetyof
passengershipsmust beopenlyacknowledgedand
addressedbytheindustryandtheregulatorstoensure
asustainablefutureforthesector, Nautilussaidlast month.
Speakingat London Metropolitan Universitytoan
audienceof academics, lawyers andindustryrepresentatives
fromtheLondonUniversities MaritimeLawandPolicyGroup,
senior national secretaryAllanGravesonexplainedwhythe
Union is callingfor further action in thewakeof theCosta
Concordiaaccident.
Mr Graveson said theUK inquiryintotheloss of the
Titanicon15April 1912provides auseful benchmarkfor
theinvestigationintotheCostaConcordiagroundingon13
January2012.
Led byLord Mersey, as Wreck Commissioner, together with
velayassessors, theUK inquiryintotheTitanicreported on
30July1912, concludingthat theexcessivespeedat whichthe
shiphadbeennavigatedwas thecauseof thedisaster.
CaptainSmithwhowent downwithhis shipwas
not directlycriticised, Mr Graveson pointed out. However,
considerableblamewas placeduponCaptainStanleyLord,
master of theCalifornian, whowas accusedof not goingto
theaidof thestrickenliner. His professional representative
organisation, theMercantileMarineServiceAssociation
(MMSA) aforerunner of Nautilus International
vigorouslydefended his representation, both then and for
manydecades after.
Theinquirymadeaseries of recommendations for the
futureand Mr Graveson said its proposals for better watertight
compartmentingschemes both toreducethelikelihood of a
ships sinking, and tokeeptheshipon an even keel if watertight
compartments lledandonthetrainingandtestingof crew
inboat workwereespeciallyrelevant totoday.
Intheopinionof many, theregulator theBoardof Trade
escapedmajor criticismintheinquiry, Mr Gravesonadded.
Yet therecommendations in themselves demonstratethe
failings of other parties includingdesigners, builders and
regulators. Has anythingchangedandhavewelearnedfrom
history?
On thebasis of concerns expressed bymembers serving
on passenger vessels for sometime, Nautilus has taken upa
number of safetyissues includingangles of heel inaturn
andlife-savingappliances andevacuation, Mr Graveson
explained.
TheUnionhadworkedviatheInternational Federationof
Shipmasters Associations toseekregulatoryimprovements
followingaseries of incidents including:
zthecollision between thecruiseshipNorwegian Dreamand
thecontainershipEver Decent in 1999, which was shown tobe
relatedtobridge-manningissues
zthereonboard Star Princess in March 2006, which
extendedacross threelongitudinal subdivisions andve
decks. Investigations highlightedthelackof regulations
toprevent thettingof ammablematerial andmeans to
extinguish res on passengershipbalconies
ztheheelingaccident involvingtheCrown Princess in 2006
blamed on theofcer of thewatch and theautopilot, despite
concerns over incident relatedtoangles of turn
Mr Graveson said concerns werealsohighlighted bythe
SeaDiamondincident in2007. This was arelativelysmall
passenger shipof 22,412gt, carrying1,154passengers and
391 crew, whichsufferedrakingdamagesimilar totheCosta
Concordia, albeit in different circumstances.
Passengers complainedof chaos andmanywereforced
downropeladders as thevessel heeled, hesaid. TheGreek
marineengineers unionsaidit hadtakenmorethanthree
hourstoevacuatetheshiprather than the30 minutesrequired
bySOLAS. But theGreek shippingminister praised theefforts,
saying it worked perfectly, and the company pointed out that
the30minutes standardonlyappliedwhentheshipwas in
imminent danger.
If this is not complacency, together with collusion even
if unintentional what is?
Nautilus has alsobeen disturbed bythenumber of
incidents of power outages, recentlyhighlighted in the
report on theexplosion and reintheaft mainswitchboard
roomonboard theQueen Mary2in September 2010, which
left theshipwithout power with3,383peopleonboardwhile
approachingBarcelona.
Mr Graveson said thereshould beabetter recognition
of theapplicationof newtechnologywithdevelopment
andtesting, together withassessment basedonrisk, applied
rather thanroutinelyseekingtomeet prescriptivelegislative
requirements or inadequateclass rules.
Hequestionedwhether thesystemfor approval and
acceptanceof newbuilds is now socorrupted that it is no
longer t for purpose. Class normallyworks closelywithyard,
and agstatetodayis an absent partner not havingthe
resources toproperlyscrutinisethebuild plans, nor thedesire
for fear of drivingtheowner toagelsewhere, hepointed out.
Similarly, headded, thepossiblefailureassociatedwith
agoal-setting approachtosafetyregulationneeds to
beconsidered. Theprescriptive approachtoregulatory
requirements has prevailedtodate, but is criticisedfor stiing
innovation. As aresult, thereis agrowingtrend towards a
goal-based approachwhichdoes not specifythemeans of
achievingcompliancebut sets thegoals that allowalternative
ways of compliance.
However, this is potentiallyopen toabuse, particularly
whereregulatoryauthorities relyon outsourcingof technical
expertiseor haveinsufcient resources torobustlychallenge
thesubmission, Mr Graveson warned. Theprobabilistic
methodinrelationtoagoal-basedapproachhas merit, but
equally could be so imperfect as to provide a false sense of
securityduetorelianceonalevel of accuracythat fails to
account for differingfactors.
Mr Gravesonsaidthenewapproachtosafetyregulation
had resulted fromareview launched bytheformer
International MaritimeOrganisationsecretary-general Bill
ONeil in 2000 in responseto12passenger shipincidents in
theprevious six years.
Thenew guidingphilosophywas toadopt aregulatory
approach, holisticinnatureandfocusedonachievinggoals,
with thedesired concept beingthat ashipshould bedesigned
for improved survivabilitysothat, in theevent of acasualty,
persons can staysafelyonboard as theshipproceeds to
port either byits own means or towed toaport of refuge, he
explained. Hencethesafereturn toport conceptwas born
avariationontheunsinkableship?
Mr Graveson said concerns havebeen raised over the
adequacyof theSOLAS Convention stabilitystandards.
Nautilus is not alonein statingsuch concerns concerns
whicharebasedonevidencefromservingmaritime
professionals andsoundresearch, not merespeculation, he
added.
Professor Dracos Vassalos, oneof Europes leadingexperts
on shipstability, has carried out asignicant amount of
researchfor theEuropeanCommissionandhas drawn
attention tothevulnerabilityof largecruiseships tocapsizing
if thehull is breached, heexplained.
In2009Prof Vassalos publishedapaper entitledRinging
theAlarmBells, statingthat thenewSOLASrules didnothing
toremedytheserious issueof damagedshipstability.
Experimental studies showed that in 16out of 33 cases
consideredthevessel wouldcapsizewithintwohours or in
somecases veryrapidly.
TheRoyal Instituteof Naval Architects has proposed
amendments totheIntact StabilityCode2008, sincethe
formulaused takes noaccount of thevessels turningability
hencenoguaranteeof minimumstabilitymargininfull-helm
turns, Mr Graveson added.
Nautilus is not scare-mongeringor sensationalisingthe
issues, hestressed. What arewelookingfor? Simply, asafeand
sustainablecruiseindustry. Inorder toachievethis, it needs to
acknowledgethereareproblems andowners andregulators
needtorespondpositivelyand, wherepossible, anticipateand
mitigatetheconsequences of incidents. Firstly, acknowledge
that humans makemistakes.
Whilewecanandmust doagreat deal tominimisethis,
somethingelseis required, heconcluded. A good start would
betoimplement infull therecommendations of theTitanic
Inquirybeit 100 years late.
pp y p g y g p )
19 That inall suchships apolicesystemshouldbeorgan
Titanic can teach
us lessons today
TheCostaAllegraistowedintotheportofVictoriaintheSeychelleslastmonth Picture: Reuters
Has the way in which passenger
ship safety is regulated moved
on much from the Titanic
disaster a century ago? Nautilus
put the question to a conference
in London last month
Operators focus on human factors
DamagetotheCostaConcordiahashighlightedconcernsoverstabilitystandards Picture: Reuters
unlike todays people trafcking.
The difference between these
desperate people and the multi-
millionaires in the opulent rst
class accommodation has been
remarked upon many times over
the years, and ts in well with the
view of the Titanic-as-symbol, a
microcosm of Edwardian society
whose terrible equalities were
bound to lead to ruin.
Yet Davenport-Hiness detail-
ed attention to the facts yields
a more nuanced picture.
Comparing the Titanics third-
class accommodation with other
ships of the time, he nds that
the conditions were reasonably
civilised, with bathroom facilities
and decent recreational areas
available. He also points out that
for many third-class passengers,
the voyage would have been
the rst holiday they had ever
been able to take from their hard
manual work.
K
A look at the mechanisms
of US immigration also
sheds light on the posi-
tion of some passengers. It turns
out that those arriving in second
class were given a much easier
time at the notorious Ellis Island
immigration checkpoint, and
were therefore much less likely to
be sent straight home as unsuit-
able for the great New World. Thus
the Titanics second class accom-
modation contained a number
of poor migrants particularly
those from Cornwall who
would usually have been consid-
ered third class material but who
had done everything they could
to scrape the money together for
a better ticket.
And second class turns out
to have been rather pleasant.
Mainly populated with middle-
class travellers such as teachers,
businessmen and missionaries,
the accommodation was comfort-
able and spacious, and the food
was good. Many of the passengers
were avid letter-writers, so we
are able to learn about these
conditions in their own words,
bringing to life a set of individuals
who so inconveniently fail to
conform to the king-or-peasant
stereotype of the Titanic
passenger.
Not that the excesses of
the Edwardian millionaire are
ignored by Titanic Lives; there
are substantial sections on the
pampered rst-class passengers
and the captains of industry
who built the vessel. The author
is clearly keen to explore the
background and motivations of
Pirrie, Ismay and Morgan (the
shipbuilder, owner and operator),
but for this reviewer the sections
on these men were too long,
particularly in comparison to
the pages devoted to the crew.
No doubt this was a reection of
the amount of historical source
material available, but it seems
that the book pays less attention
to the seafarers onboard than to
other groups.
There are, however, some
heartrending accounts in the
books nal section of crew
members families waiting
for news at the White Star Line
ofces in Southampton. We are
reminded how much some of
the crew had needed the work
offered by the Titanics maiden
voyage, and understand afresh
what the sinking meant to real
people. Not storybook characters,
but people who could have been
part of our own families. So let us
this month remember all those
onboard the Titanic a century ago,
and those many seafarers who
have perished in less celebrated
maritime disasters.
fTitanic Lives
by Richard Davenport-Hines
Harper Press, 20.00
ISBN 978-0-00-732164-3
www.harpercollins.co.uk
TITANIC MYTHOLOGY
26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
K
The well-known spoof
news story below was
mocked up by US satirical
newspaper The Onion a few years
ago in response to the continuing
mythologisation of the Titanic
disaster. As the parody so neatly

captures, the events of 16 April
1912 have become a legend over
the last century almost a
ctional story rather than an
actual maritime catastrophe.
Indeed, it is a common tactic
for novelists and lm-makers to
place ctional characters
onboard the vessel, using the
highly-charged setting to explore
themes such as class division and
behaviour under pressure.
The fact remains, however,
that this was a real ship with
2,224 real people onboard, 1,514 of
whom died in the sinking. In this
centenary year, it is surely time
to look beyond the Titanic-as-
symbol and remember the actual
human beings caught up in the
disaster.
This is the aim of Titanic
Lives, a new historical work
which sets out to tell the stories
of everyone involved with the
vessel, from its construction to
its maiden voyage. By taking this
empirical approach and drawing
conclusions from the evidence,
the author Richard Davenport-
Hines shows the Titanic to have
been a cog in the machinery of
the global economy rather than
(or as well as?) an instrument of
punishment for human greed
and complacency.
One of the most interesting
themes to emerge from this
collection of potted biographies
is that of mass migration. There
were numerous
economic migrants
and refugees
onboard the Titanic
on their way to the
USA heading
for a new life or
to make money
to bring home.
Where possible,
the author tells us
something about
the individuals
concerned, using
evidence such as
letters sent home
from Queenstown,
the last port of
call before setting
off across the
Atlantic. But he
also explores the
wider context
of migration,
looking at the
situation of the countries the
migrants were leaving and the
places they were headed for.
It is likely that some of the
third class passengers from
eastern European countries
had been exploited by shady
transportation rackets not
Truth is stranger
than fction
Many seafarers we note are under the illusion that to qualify for the 100%
foreign earnings deduction, all they have to do is spend 183 days out of
the country on foreign going voyages.
Many have found to their cost, when investigated by the Revenue that it is
not that straightforward and of course it is then too late to rectify.
Make sure you are not one of them by letting Seatax Ltd plan your future
claim step by step.
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Annual Return ......................................................................................................... 195.00 inclusive of VAT at 20%
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on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment.
Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES.
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o
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m
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r
e
d
e
t
a
ils
:
There have been countless imagined accounts of the
Titanic story, but a new book is all the more interesting
for sticking to the facts, fnds SARAH ROBINSON
Picture: www.theonion.com
Four piracy agreements in joint statement
PIRACY
c
Governments and non-
governmental organi-
sations (NGOs) were
queueing up last month to state
that the time was right to end
problems caused by conict in
Somalia.
But maritime organisations
and those dealing with the daily
threat of piracy were left ques-
tioning why the time wasnt right
at least two years ago, and what
would actually happen as a result
of the numerous meetings to
end the immediate threat to the
worlds seafarers.
UK prime minister David Cam-
eron hosted a summit in London
which was the climax to a month
of meetings where policies, strat-
egies and messaging had been
discussed. But many maritime
organisations, including Nautilus
International, warned that these
other matters could be a distrac-
tion from urgent piracy issues,
including the need in the UK for
government guidelines on the
deployment of armed security
and the growing threat of piracy
off the coast of west Africa.
Opening the nal event, Mr
Cameron told delegates including
government ofcials from over
40 countries: This is not just the
largest gathering of countries but
the most inuential.
For two decades Somalia has
been torn apart by famine, blood-
shed and some of the worst pov-
erty on earth, he added. These
problems in Somalia dont just
affect Somalia. They affect us all.
In a country where there is no
hope, chaos, violence and terror-
ism thrive. Pirates are disrupting
vital trade routes and kidnapping
tourists.
Mr Cameron said the meet-
ing provided an unprecedented
opportunity for all countries to
work together to provide real and
sustainable change in Somalia.
There is no single magic solu-
tion that will make all the differ-
ence, he cautioned. Its about
the patient work of helping the
Somali people to rebuild their
country from the bottom up.
US secretary of state Hillary
Rodham Clinton said that the
international community must
continue to ght piracy through
coordinated efforts. She also
backed a call for the payment of
ransoms to end. We welcome the
UKs initiative to create an inter-
national taskforce to discour-
age the payment of ransoms to
pirates and other groups to elimi-
nate the prot motive and pre-
vent the illicit ow of money and
its corrosive effects, she said.
United Nations secretary-
general Ban Ki-moon praised the
efforts of troops in Somalia who
have worked to tackle insurgency
and bring stability to the region,
but noted that the UN was still far
from achieving its goal of elimi-
nating piracy.
Some 246 international sea-
farers are still being held, many of
them from developing countries,
he said. International partners
are helping, but we need secu-
rity, deterrence and precautions.
We also need to give Somalis real
opportunities to nd alternative
livelihoods and build a better
future.
A joint statement followed the
meeting, noting that it marked a
key moment in Somalias history.
It stressed that decisions on the
countrys future must rest with its
people but that the international
community had a role to play in
facilitating progress and devel-
opment. A number of commit-
ments were made on the political
future of the state, security and
justice, stability and recovery, and
terrorism.
c
Nautilus welcomed the
high-prole gather-
ing of world leaders to
discuss the long-term future of
Somalia, but expressed concern
that the summit did not attempt
to provide any short-term
answers or address the concerns
of seafarers and their families
about those currently held cap-
tive in Somalia.
Nautilus has been calling
for a high-calibre conference on
Somalia for a number of years, so
it is positive that these issues are
nally being addressed, said gen-
eral secretary Mark Dickinson.
However, there are still issues
which need to be addressed and
resolved by the UK government
today, and this conference should
not be a distraction from that.
The UK shipping industry
needs clear and practical guide-
lines for the deployment of
armed security on merchant
ships, and the recent shooting of
two Indian shermen only serves
as a reminder of the potential
risks from the use of armed secu-
rity onboard.
Other organisations also
expressed disappointment about
the summits lack of acknowledg-
ment of seafarers and the dangers
they face in keeping world trade
moving through piracy-prone
areas.
The industry lobby group Save
Our Seafarers (SOS) noted state-
ments made by Mrs Clinton and
Mr Cameron about discouraging
the payment of ransoms.
SOS is deeply concerned if
they mean in any way to hin-
der the payment of ransoms for
ships and seafarers, which is cur-
rently the only way ship owners
can ensure the ultimate safety of
hijacked seafarers, it said.
The International Chamber of
Shipping said it was concerned
that the conference outcomes
failed to include any rm politi-
cal commitment or new actions
to tackle piracy and warned that
high-risk areas could become no-
go areas if ransom payments are
outlawed.
c
International Maritime
Organisation secretary
general Koji Sekimizu
said the summit had clearly
shown that piracy is just one
manifestation of the widespread
and deep-rooted problems that
beset Somalia.
The conference agreed that
piracy cannot be solved by mili-
tary means alone and reiterated
the importance of supporting
local communities to tackle
the underlying causes of piracy
and improving effective use of
Somali coastal waters through
regional maritime capacity-
building measures, he explained.
Global aid charity Oxfam also
expressed disappointment about
the impact of the conference. We
had hoped for recognition that 20
years of internationally-imposed
solutions have failed, said chief
executive Barbara Stocking. How-
ever, what weve seen once again
are externally driven solutions
that havent worked, arent work-
ing, and will not work.
And there was also a stark
warning from the leader of one
of the Islamist groups which con-
trols a large part of Somalia. Your
peace depends upon us being left
alone, Sheikh Ali Dhere, spokes-
man for Al-Shabaab told the UK
Channel 4 News.
The group was one of many
operating in Somalia who were
not invited to the conference in
London and vowed therefore not
to abide by any agreements made
at it.
If you do not let us live in
peace, you will not enjoy peace
either, the spokesman conrmed.
Mr Cameron hailed the con-
ference as a success, noting that a
number of agreements had been
reached, including the establish-
ment of a new fund for recon-
struction.
He also announced the devel-
opment of the new coordination
centre in the Seychelles, and Mrs
Clinton pledged an additional
$64m in humanitarian assistance
to the Horn of Africa.
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27
Somalia summit falls short
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DEGREES AT SEA
P|ease quote NT04 when contact|ng us:
The London conference agreed a fnal statement
which detailed 26 agreements made by the
delegates. Four of them related to piracy:
14. We reiterated our determination to eradicate
piracy, noting that the problem requires a
comprehensive approach on land as well as at
sea. We expressed our concern that hostages in
Somalia are being held longer and with more use
of violence. We welcomed the work of the Contact
Group on Piracy of the Coast of Somalia. We also
welcomed the success of international military
eforts, and remain committed to such eforts
with robust rules of engagement and suf cient
force generation. We agreed that piracy cannot be
solved by military means alone, and reiterated the
importance of supporting communities to tackle
the underlying causes of piracy, and improving
the efective use of Somali coastal waters through
regional maritime capacity-building measures. We
welcomed those initiatives underway and agreed
to coordinate and support such initiatives better.
We called for full implementation of the Djibouti
Code of Conduct and the adoption of an Exclusive
Economic Zone. We look forward to reviewing
progress including at the Piracy Conference in the
UAE in June.
15. We welcomed the eforts of partners in industry
against piracy, and called for greater take-up of
Best Management Practice on ships. We welcomed
current work on international guidance on the use
of private armed security companies.
16. There will be no impunity for piracy. We called
for greater development of judicial capacity to
prosecute and detain those behind piracy both in
Somalia and in the wider region and recognised the
need to strengthen capacity in regional states. We
welcomed new arrangements, which enable some
states and naval operations to transfer suspected
pirates captured at sea for trial by partners
across the Indian Ocean region, and if convicted,
to transfer them to prisons in Puntland and
Somaliland which meet international standards.
We noted the intention to consider further the
possibility of creating courts in Somalia specialised
in dealing with piracy.
17. We reiterated our determination to prosecute
the kingpins of piracy. Recognising work already
undertaken, we agreed to enhance coordination
on illegal fnancial fows and to coordinate
intelligence gathering and investigations. We
noted the establishment of a Regional Anti-Piracy
Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre in
the Seychelles.
A top-level conference to tackle the
problems of Somalia failed to satisfy
the shipping industrys concerns
over piracy, DEBBIE SMITH reports
UK Prime Minister David Cameron addresses the Somalia conference in London, fanked by senior international fgures Picture: Matt Dunham/Reuters
Our rst voyage of Maritime Memories was over
10 years ago, sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the
Bahamas and then onto Bermuda, before heading
out into the Atlantic for the Azores and home. Even
those oating blocks of ats had to turn and stare as
we sailed into the Bahamas and Bermuda, attended
by tugs giving us a special welcome water display
and with over 50 rare old house-ags representing
the great shipping companies of the past, all ying
proudly from our masthead.
We caused a huge stir with all us ex-mariners and
ship enthusiasts onboard, and the locals ocked to
the quaysides to take photographs.
Immediately there was this tremendous feeling
of camaraderie onboard and guests really began to
enjoy that feeling of being back at sea on a real ship.
To help create the right atmosphere onboard, there
was an impressive display of large ship models,
together with an exhibition of maritime paintings
by Robert Lloyd.
It was almost as if it was our very own ship, with
all the freedom in the world to walk the decks and
really enjoy the wide open sea. Our captain and the
crew were so pleased to have us with them that we
had an open invitation to visit the bridge where
some of us seemed to spend almost all our time,
even taking the helm when conditions were right.
Others mainly ex-ship engineers were given
the rare treat of actually spending hours down in the
engineroom and some hardly saw daylight for the
rest of the voyage!
In all honesty, you just couldnt nd a nicer crowd
of people to sail with and every voyage since has
been the same its like one really big and happy
seafaring family. Added to that, we include unique
touches such as evening dinners where we take rare
menus from the great ocean liners of the past, giving
our chef the challenge to recreate gourmet dinners
just as they were served up to the rich and famous
during those golden days of ocean travel.
There is all the ships usual entertainment
including dancing, cinema and cabaret but we
add so much more to this, including fancy dress
balls and special farewell dinners which are seldom
done these days.
However, one of the most pleasant things about
these voyages is just simply having people like you
with us. For it is those who love the sea that make
these Maritime Memories voyages so unique and so
very special.
Since that rst voyage, we have taken thousands
of people on voyages all over the world from the
Atlantic islands and Panama, to the Suez and the
Arctic.
On 11 May we set sail on another voyage sailing
from Portsmouth to many Baltic ports including St
Petersburg, where the Russian government is
arranging a special event to celebrate the Second
World War Arctic convoys.
Joining us for this adventure will be some of the
last surviving veterans from that notorious cam-
paign and it will be our way of paying our respects to
those survivors and, at the same time, to remember
the many less fortunate that lost their lives on what
were arguably the most horrendous WWII convoys
of them all.
On that rst voyage I was concerned that perhaps
it wouldnt be everyones cup of tea especially
partners and wives but there was no need to have
worried for they also had the time of their lives. As
the wife of one old salt was overheard saying to
another after several days at sea: You know, I was
dreading all these days at sea but quite honestly, Im
having such a wonderful time I dont even care if we
never see another port again!
This proved that the whole concept worked for
everyone and the saddest thing is when the voyage
ends and the time comes to say farewell to all the
wonderful new friends we have all made and to leave
a ship that has not only become our home but a way
of life.
We arrange these voyages to give ex-seafarers
and those who love the sea something special and
this includes a special discount, which makes the
whole thing so much more enjoyable.
If you join us for a voyage you will feel both wel-
come and very much at home as we turn back the
hands of time to an age when things were so very dif-
ferent and, dare I say, so much better than today
MEMBERS AT WORK
28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
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in lobbying the government as required
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z ofers a range of specialised services and benefts tailored to
meet the needs of retired members
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N
I was extremely fortunate to be able to go
away to sea as a 16-year-old back in the
1950s during what was still the golden age
of ocean travel it gave me the best years of my life
and a truly amazing experience.
It was a time when we had the biggest merchant
eet in the world and in places like Liverpool, South-
ampton and London, ships of every shape and size
lined up along the quays for as far as the eye could
see.
It was a truly exciting age, an age when going
away to sea was a major event, be it onboard one of
the great trans-Atlantic liners of the day or onboard
a humble little tramp ship. When the lines were cast-
off and the ship turned her bows towards the open
seas, the curtains to a world of unrivalled adventure,
excitement and romance opened up as you became
part of that once-great maritime stage.
Today, places like Southampton are often full of
cruiseships, but not the sort of ships that manage to
excite me or catch my imagination for now I nd
them all of similar appearance, mostly resembling
huge oating blocks of ats packed to the hilt with as
many thousands of passengers as they can possibly
cram onboard in every available nook and cranny.
In a rather unkind way, despite their obvious lux-
urious interiors, they have much the same impact
on me as a modern-day chicken farm, lled with
thousands of chickens with nowhere to be an indi-
vidual anymore or a little corner to call their own.
If you dont know any different, then maybe a trip
onboard a modern cruise liner is a great experience
but not for those who had the great fortune to be
able to sail onboard real ships.
Once I left the sea, I wished I could nd a way of
experiencing that ocean magic again, sitting on
those wide-open decks and enjoying the soothing
sounds of the passing oceans and resting beneath
the distant silvery glow of a million stars.
I looked everywhere for such a cruise but in the
world we now live in, cruise lines all copy each other
and offer all the same things so I decided to try
and do it myself!
I searched the world for the right ship and even-
tually came across the beautiful Discovery. She used
to be Princess Cruises Island Princess and one of
two ships used in the making of the American TV
series The Love Boat.
At just 20,000gt she had those all-important
classic lines, wide-open teak decks and lots of shiny
brass. Accommodating just over 600 passengers,
she was just what I was looking for.
I met with the then owner, Gerry Herrod, who
really liked the concept of operating a ship as they
did during the golden age of shipping. Itll be differ-
ent and a lot of hard work, he warned. And more
importantly, what will you call your company?
Until that moment I hadnt even thought about
it, but the answer just appeared out of nowhere
Maritime Memories. Now I had a ship and a name, all
I had to do was see if I could get any passengers.
I realised I had set myself a tremendous task and
the old self-doubt came ooding in. How could I
possibly compete against all the slick marketing of
the major shipping companies?
However, I had the benet of hands-on experi-
ence having risen from humble cabin boy to
waiter and nally to assistant purser (in the days
when assistant purser was responsible for every-
thing onboard from passenger welfare and enter-
tainment, to manifests and crew wages). I knew how
to keep passengers happy on everything from short
hops to long voyages with weeks spent at sea.
In those days there was no non-stop entertain-
ment, endless lectures and just about every conceiv-
able past-time imaginable. We made our own enter-
tainment and what fun we had!
Cruising memory lane
Having served at sea, Des Cox looked to cruising
to give him his fx in later life but fnding the
industry somewhat lacking, he set up his own
company to cater for those who were part of the
industrys golden age
For more information: Tel: +44 (0)1273 585391/
584470; e-mail: Des@Snowbow.co.uk or visit the
website www.maritime-memories.co.uk.
A young Des during his seafaring days
London docks
Maritime Memories passengers spending time on the bridge Picture: Maritime Memories
J
Living in typically conned environments
onboard vessels for prolonged periods of
time leaves seafarers exposed to various
ongoing health challenges. Obesity, vitamin
deciency and diets heavy in sugar and salt and low
in protein are all common as seafarers choose
processed or convenience foods to sate their
appetites. Poor diet has even been found to be a key
factor in altering physiological and psychological
functions, which can have a devastating impact not
only on the individual but also on the smooth
running of daily operations.
But with new regulations such as the Maritime
Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) prompting an
international drive to raise dietary standards,
shipowners and operators are turning to menus
with a greater nutritional value and nding that
these are often accompanied by a higher price tag.
It may be a tough task for companies to balance
their supplies budget these days, but there is no going
back to the old ways, particularly now that 22
countries have ratied MLC 2006. Achieving
nutritional transparency and meeting MLC stand-
ards will fast become a priority as lack of compliance
with this particular convention can lead to detained
vessels and signicant nes for operators.
MLC 2006 replaces 40 existing conventions and
29 regulations to safeguard seafarers working
conditions. Including specic new demands for
vessel catering quality levels, the Conventions
clause 3.2 on Food and Catering states: Each
member shall ensure that they carry onboard and
serve food and drinking water of appropriate
quality, nutritional value and quantity.
For a diet to be considered healthy, food must fall
within a nutritionally balanced range in accordance
with Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs), which
stipulate that suitable meals would provide between
10% and 15% of your daily amount of protein, more
than 55% carbohydrates and less than 30% fat.
Preparing meals that adhere to these guidelines
can be a challenge and not all cooks at sea share the
same educational background. So, ship suppliers
can introduce electronic cookbooks which provide
all the necessary data on nutritional guidelines and
offer recipes that all t within this framework.
The latest systems can streamline the process
from suppliers through to the kitchen, enabling
better cost control, menu planning and a more
efcient food ordering process across the entire
supply chain. An example of this is the new Xena
software developed by Wrist Ship Supply a
menu-planning tool and electronic cookbook that
gives shipowners inventory control, reducing waste
and enabling transparency to ensure that they stay
within nutritional guidelines. Recipes in the
program correspond with GDAs, provide cost per
meal information and reconcile this against existing
food stock.
Using intelligent software like this to manage
these new catering complexities and crew menus is a
signicant step forward for seafarer nutrition. Ship
supply is a critical component of day-to-day
operations, and as nutritional standards, seafarer
dietary needs, and the demand for cost savings are
only set to increase, adopting a fresh approach by
making use of new IT and sophisticated purchasing
capabilities is healthy for seafarers and business.
The term supplies covers everything from
mop heads and washing-up liquid to food and
consumables. Representing between 3% and 5% of a
vessels operating costs, the provision of supplies is a
highly complex process and requires tremendous
internal resources and infrastructure particularly
for global shipping companies that have vessels all
over the world. Being non core, the procurement of
ship supplies is ideal for outsourcing.
An outsourcing model, where an external expert
manages the entire process of procuring, storing and
delivering supplies, takes the headache away and
allows shipowners and operators to focus on the
mainstay of their business and delivering for their
customers, reducing costs and improving opera-
tional efciencies.
Outsourcing can also improve the consistency
and quality of product and service, both to the
shipowner/operator and the crews of the vessels
that they run. This is especially important for
catering, as access to healthy and varied food options
is crucial to crew wellbeing.
The ship supply sector is becoming more
sophisticated to support customers and ensure that
product quality and specic dietary requirements
do not need to be compromised.
These changes have run in parallel with the signif-
icant investment and progression in technology
such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems
that can manage the total procurement, storage and
delivery of supplies for a customers entire eet.
Many shipping rms are choosing to partner
with large ship suppliers that make good use of this
new technology and have the capabilities to source
and secure high quality products at a lower cost than
smaller, independent ship chandlers.
Integrated software solutions are the future of
ship supply, seamlessly managing menus and
nutrition on a ship-by-ship basis a valuable tool
for shipowners and operators who are being judged
by their customers on their approach to corporate
and social responsibility.
SEAFARER HEALTH
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29
www.naut iluslegal.org
LEGAL
Legal Helpline
0800 9 87 88 88
(Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm)
For out of hours and emergency shipping enquiries please continue to call your present contact
Your Nautilus International membership entitles you and your immediate family
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Food for thought on MLC
Theres no need for
shipowners to worry
about meeting MLC 2006
nutritional standards
for crew catering
new menu-planning
technology can make
all the diference, writes
Robert Steen Kledal
of Wrist Ship Supply
Delivering food supplies
to a ship in port
MARITIME HISTORY
30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
As well as exible, comprehensive, great value
contents insurance; with Endsleigh, Nautilus UK
members also receive extended unoccupancy
cover to suit your lifestyle*, at no extra cost.
* Well remove our normal 30 days unoccupancy limit, so your contents are covered
for an unlimited period. You must comply with the policy warranty that applies.
Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. This can be checked on the FSA Register by visiting its website at
www.fsa.gov.uk Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited. Company No: 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE.
Contents Insurance
from Endsleigh.
Visit our website at endsleigh.co.uk/nautilus
or call us free on 0800 028 3571
to take advantage of this EXCLUSIVE cover.
Were behind you
Sydneys link
spans nine
decades
Many Nautilus members will have sailed under the
arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. TREVOR BOULT
tells the history of the iconic coathanger whose
80th birthday was celebrated by the city last month
w
Backdrop to the greatest
harbour in the world
and known by many
Australians simply as the
coathanger Sydneys Harbour
Bridge was 80 years old last
month.
Although the iconic structure
took nine years to build, some sug-
gest that the project to span Syd-
ney Harbour had been over 100
years in the making with Dr
Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of
the naturalist Charles Darwin,
penning a poem following a visit
to Sydney in 1791 in which he
apparently predicted the building
of a proud arch, Colossus-like
bestride long before such a thing
was possible.
Before the bridge, there were
two Sydneys. The bridge brought
together the then 300,000 inhab-
itants on the north side with twice
that number to the south and it
gave access to land and facilities
that had previously been prohibi-
tively distant.
As the population had grown,
the waters between the two settle-
ments had become clogged with
vessels. By 1908 the ferries carried
13m passengers annually, plus
countless vehicles and horsemen.
The harbour had become cha-
otic and dangerous, and ships
navigated a precarious route
through it all. In 1927 tragedy
struck when an outward bound
mail steamer sank a ferry, known
unofcially as the school boat. A
total of 40 passengers perished:
many were children. The bridge
could not come soon enough.
However, the project would
require extraordinary leadership,
Building the bridge was dangerous: 16 workers died during the construction phase
commitment and engineering
talent. Australia found one of its
own who personied these quali-
ties Dr John Bradeld the
father of the bridge.
Bradeld was a rare engineer.
In the 1930s he was praised across
the country and beyond for over-
seeing the bridges conception,
birth, growth and completion.
Bradeld was uniquely capable of
the engineering, political, nan-
cial and public relations feats
inherent in the construction. He
had the patience to pursue the
project through the frustrations
of 30 years, as it was repeatedly
proposed and cancelled by suc-
cessive governments. Rising from
modest beginnings, he directed
undisciplined and fractious poli-
ticians, engineers and ordinary
citizens to the waters edge, and
over it.
In 1912, Bradeld was
appointed chief engineer for Met-
ropolitan Railway Construction
and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Two
years later he was sent abroad to
study long-span bridges. Work
had just started in New York, on
the Hell Gate Bridge, the rst steel
arch to span 1,000ft.
But it was not until well after
the rst world war that parlia-
ment enacted the Bridge Bill, after
which the search started in ear-
nest for a builder who could meet
Bradelds exacting demands, as
laid down in the tendering pro-
cess: The Bridge must be of
unquestionable strength and sta-
bility have the maximum rigid-
ity vertically under the rolling
load and laterally under wind
pressure so that by its freedom
from vibration it may have the
reputation of being the strongest
and most rigid in the world.
w
In July 1923 the turning
of the rst sod ceremony
took place in a north
shore suburb. Two days later, in
the same neighbourhood, 500
buildings had been earmarked for
destruction. To place the critical
centrepiece in the citys transport
system, a lot of existing infra-
structure had to be re-routed.
Family homes, corner shops,
schools and churches: all could be,
and were, compulsorily acquired
and demolished. The poor and
the powerless were driven from
their homes. Women spoke of sui-
cide, old couples accepted a few
pounds in return for their lifes
work. The politicians demanded
nobody be compensated for fear
of setting a precedent.
Despite the laying waste of two
communities, the digging of tun-
nels and relocation of railway sta-
tions, the making of speeches and
grand gestures, in reality the
bridge was still little more than a
rough sketch. It could be a cantile-
ver, an arch, or even a suspension
bridge. Tenders were not due to be
opened for a further six months.
Bradeld was to recommend a
British company over American
or other European bidders. Dor-
The passengership Manunda passes under the bridge as it nears completion
Dr John Bradfeld, centre, was the engineer who became
known as the father of the bridge
MARITIME HISTORY
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31
man, Long & Company, of NE Eng-
land, submitted several designs
by their consulting engineer
Ralph Freeman. After Bradeld,
he was to become the single most
important character in the con-
struction of the bridge. In accept-
ance, Bradeld claimed that it is
my design as sanctioned by Parlia-
ment and as submitted for ten-
ders. The question of who
designed the bridge was to
become an over-arching and bit-
ter issue that some still consider
remains unresolved.
By the time work began, devel-
opment in construction methods
and materials had advanced so
much that the 1,600ft span could
be made with an arch describing a
single dolphin leap. The structure
had to bear the weight of twin
tram and train tracks, a pedestrian
crossing and a broad expanse of
road. It had to give clearance for
tall sailing ships which still fre-
quented the harbour, and the
capacity and strength to link two
separated and growing cities for
centuries to come.
On what became the site of the
fun emporium of Luna Park, the
massive Bridge Fabrication Shops
were erected. Locals labelled them
Dormans tin sheds. For nine
years they were to resound with
noise that echoed across the har-
bour. Material from overseas was
unloaded from steamers by wharf
cranes and transferred to the
stockyard for sorting and stacking
by travelling gantries. Steel pieces
were cut, drilled and assembled,
the nished sections being loaded
onto punts within a short distance
of where they were needed. Yet
the arch did not begin to actually
move out over the water for a fur-
ther ve years.
The creation of the twin pairs
of stone pylons at each end of the
bridge was also a mammoth
undertaking. An order was placed
with a government dockyard for
three ships, solely for transport-
ing granite from the quarries at
Moruya to Sydney.
At the base of each pylon is a
pin of pivotal importance. Upon
these four cylindrical bearings is
shared the extraordinary weight
of the whole steel structure which
comprises some 53,000 tonnes of
steel, most of which was shipped
from England. The bearings can-
not be locked into concrete as the
steel expands and contracts by
the action of the sun.
When the half-arches started
projecting over open water from
the promontories of Milsons- and
Dawes Point, fabricated members
had to be lifted direct from a barge
in mid-stream an operation
needing great care, given the con-
tinued passing of ferries and
deepsea ships, for which the fair-
way was always available. As it was
impossible to build support piers
in the harbour, the half-arches
were restrained by a mass of thick
steel cables secured deep into the
earth.
In addition to their own weight,
each half-arch carried a creeper
crane. Weighing nearly 600
tonnes each, and described as the
most important erection units,
they inched their way tentatively
outwards.
w
Assembling the bridge
was a huge task under-
taken by a handful
of men at the two ends of the
extending structure: construc-
tors, riggers, boilermakers and
riveters. These crucial jobs were
uncomfortable and dangerous.
Sixteen workers in total lost their
lives building the bridge only
two died on the arch. Protective
gear was rudimentary. On the
arch there were no steps or hand-
rails the men merely skipped
from one rivet-head to the next.
Neither were there any conveni-
ences aloft, nor changing rooms
and showers at ground level.
As the half-arches approached
each other at the apex, the struc-
ture was at its most vulnerable
and fragile. Bridging the last
metre was the most critical and
complicated task. In the following
weeks the bridge would change
from a cantilever structure to a
hinged arch. Each stage would
shift the phenomenal stresses.
The half-arches were eased
together using hydraulic jacks on
the retaining cables, carried out in
a systematic and symmetrical
order to ensure the arch did not
twist and deform.
An unwelcome storm came at
the worst time. The half-arches
began to sway, the steel groaned
and the cables set up a terrible
noise. The bridge was described as
hanging on by her ngernails
but when the last metre was
bridged she would miraculously
become strong enough to weather
anything. When that crowning
moment came, both the Austral-
ian Flag and Union Flag ew on the
jibs of the creeper cranes.
In a small remote farming
community, some 600 miles
south of Sydney, a young boy
called Lennie Gwyther had been
enthralled by the project and was
determined to be present at the
ofcial opening.
Just nine years old, he set out
on his horse to ride to the event.
His quest made the news in Mel-
bourne, Sydney, and London, and
crowds lined the streets as he
entered towns on his circuitous
route, totalling some 900 miles.
Finally, Lennie was formally
invited to join the ofcial opening
celebrations and was unwittingly
to become the rst of two indomi-
table characters on horseback to
be associated enduringly with
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
An incredible exodus left the
suburbs deserted, as an estimated
one million people ocked to wit-
ness the occasion. Many would
have been dimly aware of the con-
troversy of who designed the
Sydney Harbour Bridge, which
had begun with exchanges of
politely barbed private corre-
spondence between Bradeld
the hero of Sydney and Free-
man, the contractors consulting
engineer. It eventually entered
the public domain and escalated
into a bitter battle which pitted
the Australians against the British
at government level, and which
dragged on for decades.
Dorman Long threatened to
sue the government of New South
Wales, if due credit was not of-
cially accorded to their engineer.
Seventy years later, informed
opinion accepts that Bradeld
had more claim to the structure,
but that Freemans highly inuen-
tial role should not be ignored.
In Britain, King George V was
also not amused at having his role
rebuffed. The monarchists in
Australia had demanded that His
Majesty, or the governor general,
open the bridge. However, the
Labour state premier of New
South Wales, Jack Lang, decided to
perform the ceremony. A deter-
mined man, his decision incensed
the conservative right.
w
Like much of the world
in the early 1930s, New
South Wales stood at
an ideological fork in the road.
Unemployment was devastat-
ingly high. Sydney itself seethed
with political paranoia and men-
ace. The issue of who would cut
the ceremonial ribbon became
symbolic of the times.
Businessman Francis Edward
de Groot was a local commander
in the New Guard an associa-
tion which represented progres-
sive conservative views. He
hatched a plan, reported inspired
by a timely cartoon captioned:
The man who beat Lang to the
tape. Obtaining a horse from an
anti-Lang supporter, de Groot
inltrated his way to within 100
yards of where the ribbon would
be cut, by merging with a troop of
New South Wales Lancers assigned
to escort the governor general.
Choosing his moment and
astride his horse, de Groot severed
the ribbon with an upward stroke
of his sword, as he declared the
bridge open in the name of the
decent and respectable citizens of
New South Wales. He was quickly
apprehended and spirited away,
and the incident was played down
as the ceremony proper got
underway.
Since then, the Sydney Har-
bour Bridge has become some-
thing far more than a physical link
across a waterway. It soon
entwined itself into the very life
of the metropolis. Dr Bradelds
iconic achievement is still vital to
the function of todays modern
and unied city.
The dear lady that we celebrate
has served us well from 19 March
1932, when 11,000 vehicles
crossed that year to today, 80
years on, when 160,000 vehicles
cross her every year, NSW roads
minister Duncan Gay said last
month.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author acknowledges the
material assistance of Peter Lalor,
Richard Raxworthy, and Bridge-
Climb.
In October 2007, Princess Cruises Sun Princess became
the largest passengership to sail under the bridge
Cunards Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 rendezvous in
the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2011 Picture: Cunard
by Trevor Boult
F
The first land-based
whaling station in the
Southern Ocean was established
by the Norwegians at Grytviken
on the island of South Georgia in
1904. By the end of the decade
the number of whales taken had
increased to an extent that
caused concern nobody knew
what would be sustainable.
In 1918 the official regulator
for the whale fishery, The
Falkland Islands Dependencies,
recommended the establishment
of a programme of research in
the region from dedicated
vessels. Captain Scotts wooden
Discovery was purchased. Her
remit was for conducting
research into the economic
resources of the Antarctic and
with the particular object of
providing a scientific foundation
for the whaling industry.
The successful Discovery
expedition of 1925-27 highlighted
the need for longer term
investigations. A new purpose -
built vessel was commissioned
the Discovery II.
A steel-hulled ship, with
moderate ice protection, she
began her work in 1929. She
carried out six Antarctic voyages
and in 1933 she completed the
fifth ever circumnavigation of
Antarctica.
During her fourth
commission she was diverted to
the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea
to search, successfully, for the
American explorer Lincoln
Ellsworth, and his pilot, who were
missing after making the first
trans-Antarctic flight.
Much was learned from the
scientific cruises not only
about the biology and ecology of
whales, but also about the
Southern Ocean that sustained
such a rich and remarkable
ecosystem.
The work also introduced a
new generation of highly
talented British scientists to
oceanographic research. They
were to be instrumental in the
development of the National
Institute of Oceanography, the
illustrious forebear of todays
world-class National Oceano-
graphy Centre, Southampton.
By 1930 open ocean whaling
had taken over from land-based
stations so that whalers were no
longer tied to island bases. In
response, Discovery II began
pelagic operations in new
geographical areas, which
involved gruelling and dangerous
work in icy seas, as she
completed the first winter circuit
of the continent.
The Discovery II had seen war
service, after which her refit
offered improved
accommodation and technical
enhancements resulting from
the war. The early post-war
biological cruises in the North
Atlantic aimed to investigate the
ecology of the open ocean
ecosystems in the seas around
the Canaries, Madeira, and the
Azores.
In 1950 the Admiralty
purchased the ship from the
Falkland Islands government
and presented her to the
fledgling National Institute of
Oceanography. The King
approved the prefix Royal to the
Research Ship, and a warrant was
granted for her to fly the Blue
Ensign.
Discovery IIs final
circumpolar cruise saw the ship
working for nearly two years in
the Southern Ocean, having
steamed some 39,000 miles. The
rest of her career was devoted to
work in the northern
hemisphere.
Scientific cruises, then as now,
often require long periods at sea,
interspersed with brief spells in
port. On the Discovery II,
facilities for storing fresh food
were limited, tinned food
predominating after the first few
days. Meals for a typical
complement exceeding 60 were
prepared and cooked in a small
hell-hole of a galley, often under
extreme conditions. For
entertainment, the wardroom
boasted an upright piano and a
wind-up gramophone of
uncertain vintage.
Discovery II offered a suite
of dedicated laboratory spaces
for a variety of functions. Deck
equipment included a heavy
steam-driven deepsea winch
holding some 30,000ft of
tapered steel wire that could
be deployed to the ocean floor
for deep trawl work and for
dredging, giving scientists the
chance to investigate the ocean
depths in detail. There were also
hydrographic winches for
vertical wire work within the
water column from surface to
seabed.
For most deep water
operations it was necessary to
keep the ship head to wind and
stationary in the water, a
dynamic situation which
demanded skill and constant
attention from the bridge officer,
constrained by the ships slow
response to its steam-driven, low
revving, single screw. Lateral
thrusters were also a thing of the
future.
Underwater acoustics played a
large part in the collection of
data. Echo-sounding, sonar, and
acoustic telemetry all required a
minimum of background noise
the upside of the ships
remarkably quiet and vibration-
free propulsion system.
Over the years the National
Institute of Oceanography
continued to grow. In the early
1960s a brand new Discovery
replaced the ageing Discovery II
which was scrapped in 1962.
OFFWATCH
32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
ships of the past
QUICK CLUES
Across
1. Symbolic (10)
6. Eye signal (4)
9. A relief (10)
10. Long time (4)
12. Drinkers pluck (5,7)
15. Performance (9)
17. Scottish landowner (5)
18. Country (5)
19. Carrier (9)
20. A close shave (5,7)
24. Neat cut (4)
25. Defensive mound (10)
26. After the horse (4)
27. Idealistic (6-4)
Down
1. All (4)
2. Explosive (4)
3. Darwinian (12)
4. Native Mexican (5)
5. Purity (9)
7. Curry favour (10)
8. Londoners (4,6)
11. Soup (12)
13. Articial (10)
14. Strange (10)
16. Source (9)
21. Change (5)
22. Ilium (4)
23. Not new (4)
CRYPTIC CLUES
Across
1. Fired from public school (10)
6. Left out of fall from grace, it
spells the end of the church (4)
9. Broken tibia, tonic unlikely to
help (10)
10. Hungarian writer popular in
the era between fountain pen
and word processor (4)
12. Anyhow I lit it Barry, I was in
that short fuse state (12)
15. A bed drape wrapped around
horse during heavy snowfall
(9)
17. Eastwood for American
president, just not on (5)
18. Setter in a bit of a stew such
luck! (5)
19. Greek capital endlessly trailed
by a European Union master
to the library (9)
20. Milanese team express
emotion a tiny particle
over fancy term for bail out
(12)
24. Madam, Im to complete
this palindrome (4)
25. Barker, Ronnie a map
read properly shows place
of origin (10)
26. River garden formerly
occupied by 24 (4)
27. Agreeable terms for
community (10)
Down
1. Nothing in bundle but
dye (4)
2. Brief letter showing up
public school (4)
3. Hardy she-bear racked by
pins and needles (12)
4. Redesigned Jo his door
along Japanese lines (5)
5. Pair of queens Ms Taylor? (9)
7. Honoured by hastily
rearranged vigil, pride
also (10)
8. Communal environments,
Eastern, snug on stalks (10)
11. Show lack of respect for
foreign ofce, we hear, it
makes them unhappy (12)
13. Pave the way for soccer cup,
Channel Islands and Long
Island in front of the gallery
(10)
14. Three wise men with three
quarters of a plan, let this one
be the judge (10)
16. Fellow with 5 the rst,
a minder (9)
21. On22 update for all the birds
out there (5)
22. What! will the --- stretch out to
the crack of doom?
(Macbeth) (4)
23. Insect camouaged amongst
blooming nature (4)
J
Crossword answers
are on page 46.
Telegraph prize crossword
The winner of this months cryptic crossword competition
will win a copy of the book Mariners Rest (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 Wednesday 11 April 2012.
Name:
Address:
Telephone: Membership No.:
1 In 1983, 23% of the world
merchant eet was agged out.
What was the percentage in
2000?
2 Chinas share of global
shipbuilding output was 17% in
2005. What was the percentage
in 2010?
3 Where are the headquarters of
the European Maritime Safety
Agency?
4 The Japanese term Maru often
appears in ship names.
What does it mean?
5 There are 376 ships in the world
LNG eet. What is the
percentage built within the last
ve years?
6 Which countrys shipowners
have the largest share of
the global orderbook for
containerships (in numerical
terms)?
J Answers to the quiz
are on page 46.
RRS DISCOVERY II 1929-1962:
Builder: Ferguson Bros., Port Glasgow, Scotland.
234ft x 36ft. 1,036 gross tons.
50 YEARS AGO
Seafarers will welcome as much as anyone the new and more extensive rules
against dumping oil in the sea which will come into operation as a result of
the work done by the recent international conference on prevention of
pollution of the sea by oil. To achieve this, reception facilities will have to be
provided at ports to receive the oily water from ships. It is a pity the
government and oil companies have not decided to do this within a year.
The tting of effective oily water separators onboard ships will also cost
money and it seems only fair that those who are making a prot from the
oil and its carriage should carry a good share of this burden MN Journal,
April 1962
25 YEARS AGO
Members of NUMAST Council stood for a minutes silence at their meeting
last month to pay respect to the family and friends of those who died and
everyone affected by the capsize of the ferry Herald of Free Enterprise. Sixty
people have been conrmed dead and at least 74 are still missing after the
Townsend Car Ferries ship heeled over just one mile from the outer harbour
of Zeebrugge on Friday 6 March. It is the worst European ferry accident since
1953, when the British ferry Princess Victoria sank in a gale in the Irish Sea,
killing 133 passengers and crew. A formal investigation is to begin this month
to nd out the causes of the disaster and it is likely to examine the inherent
stability of ro-ro vessels and measures to reduce any free surface effect
The Telegraph, April 1987
10 YEARS AGO
NUMAST has raised renewed concern over evidence of growing gaps in
re-ghting cover for shipping in UK waters. The Union is alarmed by gures
showing that the number of authorities with declared assets for dealing
with res at sea has halved since 1995. The problem has been caused by a
court ruling that prevents re authorities from recovering the costs or
claiming salvage from ghting res on ships. More than 340 res have
occurred on ships within the UK 12-mile limit over the past decade 71 on
passengerships, 47 on dry cargo vessels and 27 on tankers or combination
carriers. NUMAST says the government should act to remove any doubts
about cover and to establish a system of national planning and a regional
approach to the provision of assets and dealing with incidents The Telegraph,
April 2002
THEQUIZ
Polar research pioneer
OFFWATCH
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33
books
Life at sea
the DIY way
Phoenix from the Ashes: the boat
that rebuilt our lives
Adlard Coles Nautical, 8.99
by Justin Ruthven-Tyers
ISBN 978-4-4081-5141-9
K
When a ferocious fire
completely destroyed their
house, Justin Ruthven-Tyers turned to
his wife and said good will come of
this. Little did he realise just how
completely this event would change
their lives.
It started simply enough with
Mr Ruthven-Tyers labouring for
the workmen who rebuilt his
house. He rebuilt the stable block
on his own, and then, despite
now having a house worthy of a
magazine feature, the couple
inexplicably sold up and decided
to build a yacht to live in.
And so begins Phoenix from
the Ashes: the boat that rebuilt
our lives. The book charts the
pairs journey from first plans to
living onboard and sailing around
England, Ireland, Scotland and
France. They didnt choose an easy
boat either; deciding to trust in the
romance of it all, they rebuilt a
replica of the Spray the boat
sailed by Joshua Slocum and
featured in his book Sailing alone
around the world.
The reality of the task set in very
quickly once Justin began
construction. On that first day,
leaning against the huge and pristine
workshop table, I suddenly felt
physically sick in my stomach; utterly
daunted by the size of the project Id
taken on, he comments.
But three years later Mr and Mrs
Ruthven-Tyers did indeed own a yacht
which they had built themselves and
which would become their home. The
second part of the book follows the
couple around the British Isles and
into France, detailing the many weird
and wonderful characters they meet
along the way.
The book is touching and recounts
some hilarious anecdotes, including
the time they tried to sail the Caol Ila
into Truro only to find the last mile
and a half of river were just mud.
There are some amazing colour
photographs which show the
devastating house fire, the building of
the boat and some pictures from the
couples new life onboard.
If Justin ever feels the need once
again to completely re-invent himself,
then a career as an artist awaits him
beautiful drawings can be found
throughout the book. These mainly
show the people they meet along the
way, and his drawings capture the
personality of people far more than a
photograph ever could.
The story is told by Justin in an
incredibly honest and modest way,
and their lives are a great example of
what can be achieved with a little
ambition and a lot of hard work.
Maritime law
as youve never
seen it before
Essays in Admiralty
An Introduction to Legal Issues in
Shipping from a West African Perspective
by Jean Chiazor Anishere
Published by Petrospot Limited,
75/90 + P&P
f
www.petrospot.com/books
K
The economic success stories of
many African countries are often
overlooked yet growth in recent
years has created signicant new
opportunities for such sectors as oil
and gas, commodities and shipping.
A recent issue of The Economist
noted that six of the worlds fastest-
growing countries over the past decade
were African and that trade between
Africa and the rest of the world has
increased by 200% since 2000.
Against this background, Essays in
Admiralty provides a timely and bold
attempt to shine some light onto the
many aspects of international shipping
and maritime law that particularly
affect Nigeria and west Africa. Based
upon essays, speeches and articles
written by one of Nigerias foremost
maritime lawyers, this book provides an
interesting background for those involved
in maritime law especially in west
Africa and should also be useful for
anyone outside west Africa who wants to
learn a bit more about how the region,
and Nigeria in particular, deals with the
laws of shipping and with shipping
(and related industries) in general.
Subjects covered include oil and
gas investments in Nigeria, the
Cabotage Act in Nigeria and a
comparative analysis of maritime rules
and practice in some African states.
Inspirational
reminder of a
neglected UK
resource
Rivers of Britain
by Stuart Fisher
Adlard Coles Nautical, 25
ISBN 9781408146569
K
Recent figures showing the
huge slump in freight being
carried on the UKs waterways have
raised concerns that the government
has given up on trying to shift cargoes
off the countrys congested road
system.
This delightful new publication
ought to serve as a reminder to
politicians of the remarkable potential
that the nations rivers offer as a core
part of an integrated and
environmentally sound transport
system.
In just over 300 pages, it takes the
reader on a tour around the countrys
tidal rivers 70 estuaries, tideways,
havens, lochs, firths and kyles and
provides fascinating social, historical
and geographical background to
each, along with photographs and
maps.
Stuart Fishers text is so full of
incidental detail that one wonders
whether he walked every inch of the
banks of the waterways he describes.
He points not only to significant
landmarks and navigational aids, but
also to the rich flora and fauna that
flourish alongside and some good
riverside pubs!
The book delivers a great reminder
of the variety of the British landscape
and seascape, and it also
demonstrates the equally marked
variety of industrial commercial uses
that these waterways have sustained
over the years. Warmly
recommended.
Moby-Duck
by Donovan Hohn
Union Books, 20
ISBN 978-0553213119
K
Twenty years ago, during a January storm off
the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific, two
containers were lost from the Evergreen vessel Ever
Laurel. One of them broke open discharging its
contents of 28,800 plastic bath toys.
The epic voyages of these ducks, frogs, beavers
and turtles which began washing up on beaches
10,000 miles away several months later have
fascinated the public and scientists.
They also captured the imagination of Donovan
Hohn, who was then a schoolteacher in the United
States. In what was to become something of a
personal odyssey, he travelled the world to
investigate the circumstances in which the cargo was
lost and the broader related issues of shipping safety,
globalisation, the marine environment and
oceanography.
Now a magazine features editor, Hohn intended
to write a short article about the case but the
more he found out the more his fascination grew,
resulting in this 400-page book (subtitled The True
Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea) that ranges far
and wide in its scope.
Reflecting on the factors driving his obsession, he
writes of reasons that had nothing to do with
oceanography and everything to do with the human
imagination, which can be as powerful and as
inscrutable as the sea.
With its titular homage to Moby-Dick, Hohns
ambitions are clear using the rubber duck as a
reference point in the same way that the elusive
white whale became a personal pivot for Captain
Ahab to reflect on the big philosophical questions
in life.
In his mission to understand where the ducks
came from, how they ended up in the sea and where
they went to after that, Hohn visits the Chinese
factory that made them and the beaches in Alaska
where they first began to wash up.
The environment is a significant theme within
the book and the impact of plastic in particular
as Hohn witnesses the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,
where plastic particles are 46 times as prevalent in
the water as plankton. The problems are chronic
because, unlike the marine debris of centuries past,
commercial plastics persist, accumulating over time,
much as certain emissions accumulate in the
atmosphere, he writes.
His three-year quest took Hohn onboard ferries
and a research vessel, and Telegraph readers will
be particularly interested in his trip onboard a
containership the Hanjin Ottawa. This was a
voyage undertaken to help him understand how
boxes could be lost overboard and, he adds, in
the hope of refreshing his capacity for awe: that
the high seas may yet be the wildest wilderness
in the world after all.
His voyage helps him to recognise the core
role of shipping in moving world trade and the
continued risks that face seafarers not least
the 10% of shipping casualties that are
ascribed to bad weather or otherwise
unexplained. It also leads him on to explore
such questions as the existence (or not) of
so-called freak waves and the phenomenon
of synchronous rolling.
Nevertheless, he concludes after his trip,
Ive begun to wonder if the greatest peril
modern-day merchant mariners face isnt
the life-threatening Monsterwellen but the
mind-numbing boredom.
A bit like the ducks at the core of his book, Hohns
narrative can tend to drift a bit as he brings in
anything from scientific theory, meteorology,
chemistry, social and cultural history, sea lore to
personal reflections on being a parent. However, the
fascination that drove him on to travel so
far is infectious, and the book encompasses so many
themes that it is constantly thought-provoking and
offers original and fresh perspectives on our
relationship with the sea.
First-hand
experience
brings life to
seafaring tale
Mariners Rest
By Ray Solly
Whittles Publishing, 16.99
ISBN 978-184995-043-5
f
www.whittlespublishing.com
K
Telegraph regular Ray Solly is back; this
time in his storytelling guise rather
than in his role as textbook author. Mariners
Rest is the nal volume in Dr Sollys semi-
autobiographical trilogy about the adventures
of deck ofcer Jonathan Caridia. Based closely
on real incidents but naming no real
names the story follows Jonathan as he
reaches the peak of his seafaring career in the
1970s, rising to the rank of chief ofcer while
serving on a variety of cargoships.
This Merchant Navy memoir will doubtless
raise a few wry smiles from those who worked
at sea in an era of looser regulation and
monitoring. Poor communication among
crew members of different nationalities may
be an acknowledged problem today, but back
in the 1960s and 1970s it seems to have been
a nightmare, with little effort made by
operators to ensure that crewmates shared a
common language. And given the number of
sozzled senior ofcers encountered by
Jonathan Caridia, its no wonder we ended up
with the strict shipboard alcohol policies of
the 21st century.
In places Mariners Rest could have done
with sharper editing, but its worth sticking
with any long-winded passages because
suddenly a vividly-described incident will grab
the readers attention. For example, theres a
powerful account of the time when the
narrator had to deal (in a very hands-on
manner) with a colleague who had hanged
himself in his cabin. And here lies the strength
of this book it may not be perfect, but the
author has been there and done it himself.
g
Mariners Rest follows Mariners Launch
and Mariners Voyage, also available from
Whittles Publishing.
A plastic perspective
BOOK
SAVINGS
Nautilus members can buy
the books reviewed on these
pages at a whopping 25%
discount on publishers price
through the Marine Societys
online bookshop.
g
To qualify for this oer, readers
need to make their purchase
through the online bookshop
www.msbookshop.org and use the
promotional code Nautilus.
Every title oered by the Society is at a
discounted price, and it can supply
books on any subject and in any format
available paperback, hardback, or e-
book. Readers can use the websites
contact us button to request the title
and the Society aspires to respond the
same day with the best price and
availability. Most titles can be secured
within 24 hours.
NL NEWS
34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
Ja
65%
Nee
35%
Geef uw mening
Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat het
ongeval met de Costa Concordia de noodzaak
aantoont van radicale verandering in het
ontwerp en de bedrijfsvoering van cruise
schepen?
De poll van deze maand vraagt: Denkt u dat
het verplicht langzamer varen van zeeschepen
iets bijdraagt tegen de luchtvervuiling? Geef
ons uw mening online, op nautilusnl.org
A
De werkgevers hebben
een eindbod gedaan
voor de CAO Water-
bouw. Inhoudelijk is het geen
slecht voorstel al is er nog altijd
geen oplossing inzake de werk-
gelegenheid van Nederlandse
medewerkers ten opzichte van
met name de Filipijnse
werknemers.
De CAO heeft een looptijd van
twee jaar en loopt van 1 april 2011
t/m 31 maart 2013. Per 1 februari
2012 worden de lonen verhoogd
met 4% van het brutoloon. Verder
wordt de structurele eindejaars-
uitkering met 1% verhoogd naar
2,5%, uit te keren op 31 december
2012. De medewerkers ontvangen
een eenmalige uitkering van 2%
over het bruto loon over de perio-
de april 2011 tot en met 31 januari
2012. De onkostenvergoedingen
in de artikelen 18, 34, 35 en 39
gaan omhoog met hetzelfde
percentage als de loonstijging
(4%). Verder wordt de bruto ver-
goeding van het EHBO diploma
gelijkgetrokken naar het niveau
van de vergoeding voor een
BHV-diploma.
In het kader van loopbaan-
beleid en mobiliteit krijgen werk
nemers recht om op kosten van
de werkgever hun verworven
competenties in te zetten in een
regulier MBO of HBO diploma
(EVC). De twee grote bedrijven in
de sector, Van Oord en Boskalis,
gaan zich verder inspannen om
elk vijf werknemers met een af-
stand tot de arbeidsmarkt
(Wajongers) in dienst te nemen.
Het gaat hierbij om wal- of kan-
toorfuncties, dus niet op de
schepen.
Werkingssfeer
De bepalingen van de CAO
Waterbouw zijn van toepassing
op ondernemingen en werk-
nemers voor zover de werkzaam-
heden als bedoeld in artikel 3 lid 1
uitgevoerd worden binnen
Nederland n het gedeelte van
het continentale plat waarover
Nederland soevereine rechten
heeft. Uitgezonderd van deze
werkingssfeer zijn sleephopper-
zuigers die buitengaats op het
Nederlands Continentaal Plat
baggerwerk uitvoeren, inclusief
de Westerschelde en exclusief de
Waddenzee. Schepen die buiten-
gaats uitsluitend actief zijn in de
zandwinning zijn niet uitgezon-
derd.
De werkgevers hebben aange-
geven dat er sprake is van een in-
tegraal voorstel. Dat laat onverlet
dat de vakbond nadenkt over de
kwestie inzake de werkingssfeer.
Eindbod CAO Waterbouw:
inhoudelijk goed verhaal, werkgelegen-
heidskwestie blijft heikel punt
C
Het is alweer enige Telegraph
edities geleden dat wij u voor
het laatst op de hoogte brachten van
de ontwikkelingen omtrent piraterij
wereldwijd en met name die in de
wateren rondom Somali. Geen
bericht betekent in dit geval helaas
geenszins het spreekwoordelijke
goede bericht.
De site van het International
Maritime Bureau geeft een kille
tussenstand. Begin maart bedroeg
het aantal aanvallen van piraterij
wereldwijd 76 waarvan er 8 ein-
digden in een kaping van het schip.
Het Somalische aandeel in deze
statistieken bedroeg respectievelijk
31 en 6 gevallen. Er worden 14 sche-
pen vastgehouden met een totaal
aantal van 199 opvarenden. Keiharde
cijfers waarachter enorm veel leed
schuilgaat, leed dat in sommige
gevallen het voorstellingsvermogen
te boven gaat. Wat bijvoorbeeld
te denken van de 24-koppige
bemanning van de Iceberg die
rond de tijd dat u dit leest ruim
twee jaar in gijzeling doorbrengt.
Of de Vietnamese kapitein van een
vissersschip van wie in het bijzijn
van zijn bemanning een arm werd
afgehakt om de betaling van het
losgeld te bespoedigen. Maar ook
simpelweg de zeevarenden die
misschien nooit een piraat te zien
krijgen maar wel de gevaarlijke
gebieden moeten doorkruisen. Ook
zij zijn slachtofers van het schier
onoplosbare piraterij probleem.
Nieuwe strategien
De tijd dat de schepen geheel
onbeschermd door de Somalische
gevarengebieden voeren, ligt in bijna
alle gevallen inmiddels lang achter
ons. Van BMPs, citadels of kilometers
prikkeldraad, kijkt de gemiddelde
zeevarende al lang niet meer op. Ook
neemt de toevlucht tot zwaardere
maatregelen hand over hand toe. Al
dan niet in overeenstemming met de
regels van de vlaggenstaat, hebben
de private beveiligingsbedrijven met
hun tot op de tanden bewapende
medewerkers zich een solide positie
weten te veroveren aan boord van
menig koopvaardijschip en hebben
hun nut al menig keer bewezen. Ook
de internationale marinemacht
lijkt zich harder op te stellen. Steeds
vaker bereiken ons berichten dat
zogenaamde moederschepen on-
schadelijk worden gemaakt. Op zich
niet verkeerd ware het niet dat hierbij
ook slachtofers vallen onder de
gegijzelde zeevarenden.
Maar ook de tegenpartij zit niet
stil. Naarmate het moeilijker wordt
om schepen te kapen, verhardt de
strijd verder. Het leidt tevens tot
hogere losgeldeisen die vervolgens
nog meer eisen van de gegijzelde
bemanningsleden.
De Somalische piraten hebben in
het verleden keer op keer bewezen
dat ze fexibel zijn en nieuwe ont-
wikkelingen mogen absoluut
niet worden uitgesloten. Hierbij
valt bijvoorbeeld te denken aan
meer professionele bewapening.
Tijdens de burgeroorlog in Libi is
er enorm veel high-tech wapentuig
verdwenen dat zomaar kan opduiken
in de handen van piraten. Nieuwe
krachtige RPGs bijvoorbeeld
die de tot nu toe gebruikten als
kinderspeelgoed doen lijken. RPGs
die schepen echt tot stoppen kunnen
dwingen!
Private security
Terwijl steeds meer vlaggenstaten
de inzet van gewapende private
beveiligers toestaan staat de dis-
cussie hierover in Nederland stil.
De Nederlandse overheid denkt
de situatie te kunnen beheersen
middels de inzet van zogeheten
Vessel Protection Detachments
(VPDs), bestaande uit reguliere
Nederlandse troepen; de praktijk is
echter weerbarstiger dan de theorie.
De daadwerkelijke inzetbaarheid van
de VPDs is in vele gevallen onzeker.
Dit leidt tot veel onzekerheid bij de
bemanning en tot veel problemen bij
de reder. Verladers en assuradeuren
verlangen immers steeds meer dui-
delijkheid en zekerheid. Ook is er een
niet te negeren fnancieel probleem.
De inzet van VPDs is nog altijd een
factor 3 tot 4 duurder dan private
beveiligers en dat kan, zeker in de
huidige belabberde markt, zorgen
voor onoverkomelijke verstoringen
van het level playing feld.
Nigeria
Al sinds mensenheugenis niet de
meest populaire bestemming van
zeevarenden. Altijd lastig en niet
zelden gevaarlijk. Ook hier lijkt zich
een nieuwe tendens af te tekenen
die veel trekjes heeft van de tactiek
gebruikelijk in Somali. Ook hier
is men begonnen met de inzet van
moederschepen die de schepen ver
op zee overmeesteren. Het enige
echte grote verschil is dat men de
gekaapte schepen niet voor de kust
ten anker legt in afwachting van de
komst van het losgeld, maar dat men
de zeevarenden aan de wal vast houdt
en daar de losgeld onderhandelingen
start.
Hoe nu verder
Kort voor het ter perse gaan van de
Telegraph had Assistant General
Secretary Marcel van den Broek
een onderhoud met minister Hillen
van defensie. Alhoewel minister
Hillen er vanaf het begin af aan
geen onduidelijkheid over liet
bestaan dat hij niets moet weten van
gewapende particuliere bewakers
aan boord kwam er door een aantal
toezeggingen van zijn kant wel
meer hoop op een verbetering van
de situatie. Hij toonde begrip voor
het feit dat de hoge prijs voor de
inzet van VPDs niet houdbaar is, dat
procedures rondom de VPD aanvraag
sneller moeten en dat de inzet van
een VPD niet immer gebaseerd moet
zijn op risico inschatting van defensie
maar meer rekening moet houden
met de wensen van de reders en niet
in de laatste plaats, de zeevarenden.
De minister zegde toe het aantal
beschikbare VPDs verder uit te zullen
breiden en serieus te bezien hoe
de kosten van de VPD-inzet sterk
verlaagd kunnen worden. Ook zal
er verder gewerkt gaan worden aan
het bekorten van de aanvraagtijd
van VPDs opdat de zeevarenden en
de reders sneller weten waar ze aan
toe zijn.
Tenslotte benadrukte de minister
nogmaals dat defensie een totaal
pakket levert dat is gebaseerd op het
altijd hebben van overmacht en dat
tevens zorgdraagt voor het vermijden
van juridische complicaties voor de
opvarenden als er echt geschoten
moet worden. Naar verwachting zal
reeds in april bekend gemaakt kunnen
worden in hoeverre de toezeggingen
van de minister worden ingevuld.
Piraterij
a never ending story
d i k FNV waterbouw wil namelijk dat
alle werkgevers in bezit van hop-
pers geregelde arbeidsvoorwaar-
den hebben voor de Nederlandse
werknemers. Dit punt kan een
mogelijke voorwaarde zijn om
het eindbod te accepteren.
Tijdens het ter perse gaan van
deze editie, was dit echter nog
niet bekend.
Kijk voor het laatste nieuws
hierover op:
www.fnvwaterbouw.nl.
Verdringing
Hoewel het eindbod inhoudelijk
niet slecht is, blijft de zorg voor
verdringing van de Nederlandse
werknemers bestaan. Dit blijkt
uit een onlangs gehouden en-
qute van FNV Waterbouw. Die
angst is niet ongegrond; in de
praktijk worden namelijk steeds
meer Nederlandse werknemers
vervangen door met name
Filipijnse werknemers. FNV
Waterbouw hoopte de zorg van
concurrentie op arbeidsvoor-
waarden weg te kunnen via een
soort vergunningsysteem, maar
vooralsnog gaan de werkgevers
niet overstag. Vanzelfsprekend
blijft de vakbond zich inzetten
voor haar leden waarbij werk-
gelegenheid het primaire
belang is.
NL NEWS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35
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A
Geen zeevarende
ontkomt aan de
Internationale
Maritieme Organisatie (IMO).
Sinds 1948 drukt dit speciale
agentschap van de Verenigde
Naties, dat is ingesteld voor een
veilige vaart op zee en de vermij-
ding van vervuiling van het
marine milieu, een stempel op
de zeescheepvaart. SOLAS, ISPS,
STCW: het zijn allemaal verdra-
gen uit de IMO-koker en dage
lijks wordt er gewerkt aan
nieuwe initiatieven. Initiatieven
die over het algemeen goed
bedoeld zijn, maar helaas soms
onvoldoende stilstaan bij de
menselijke aspecten die hierbij
een rol spelen. Nautilus is n
van de organisaties die de IMO
bij de les houdt.
Het op een professionele wijze
meedoen in IMO is geen geringe
opgave. Vorig jaar alleen al verga-
derde IMO zon 26 weken. Als je
daar dan ook nog eens de bestu-
dering van duizenden documen-
ten en het participeren in natio-
nale vooroverleggen bij optelt,
wordt al snel duidelijk dat je hier
mee een expert praktisch het
hele jaar zoet kunt houden. Door
de bundeling van Nederlandse en
Britse krachten in 2009 verkeert
Nautilus in de gelukkige positie
dat zij genoeg massa heeft om de
rol in IMO op een professionele
wijze in te vullen.
P&T Team
De behartiging van alle tech-
nische aspecten van het zeeva-
rende beroep, inclusief de mari-
tieme opleidingen, wordt binnen
Nautilus ingevuld door het
Professional & Technical (P&T)
team. Dit team is samengesteld
uit een Nederlander en een Brit
die alle nationale en internatio-
nale ontwikkelingen op het ge-
bied van P&T op de voet volgen
en hierover met elkaar nauw
contact onderhouden. Tevens
zijn deze personen het directe
aanspreekpunt voor alle leden
met vragen inzake P&T.
IMO zetels
Niet iedereen kan zomaar mee-
praten in IMO. Dit is slechts voor
behouden aan 170 vlagstaten en
een beperkt aantal niet-gouver-
nementele organisaties (NGOs),
waaronder de Internationale
Transportworkers Organisatie
(ITF) en de International
Federation of Shipmasters
Associations (IFSMA). Nautilus is
aangesloten bij deze organisaties
en heeft daardoor direct toegang
tot de IMO.
De opbouw
Het P&T-team bereidt elke IMO
bijeenkomst tot in de puntjes
voor. Alle documenten worden
bestudeerd en besproken, waar-
na, aan zowel Britse als Neder-
landse zijde, de zogenaamde
nationale vooroverleggen wor-
den bezocht. Tijdens deze voor-
overleggen discussiren ambte-
naren van de betrokken mini-
steries met vertegenwoordigers
uit de sectoren over de nationale
inzet in IMO. Vervolgens worden
de Nederlandse en Britse erva-
ringen door het P&T team uitge-
werkt in een IMO-strategie die
past binnen het beleid van ITF en/
of IFSMA.
Omdat er altijd een Nautilus
vertegenwoordiger in IMO
aanwezig is, worden boven-
dien waardevolle relaties met
gelijkgestemden opgebouwd die
ten goede komen aan de be-
langen van de zeevarenden.
Uw ervaring telt!
Het P&T team maakt bij de uit-
oefening van zijn taken graag
gebruik van de expertise van de
Nautilusleden en is altijd dank-
baar voor hun professionele in-
put uit de praktijk. Deze erva-
ringen worden gedeeld via de
P&T Newsletters maar ook via de
P&T Forums die Nautilus regel-
matig in Nederland en de UK
organiseert. Maar het kan
natuurlijk altijd nog beter.
Daarom komt het P&T team
graag in contact met leden die
bereid zijn het team zo nu en dan
te voeden met hun specieke
expertise. Bent u hierin gen-
teresseerd, dan vernemen wij
dat graag van u. Voor meer in-
formatie kunt u contact opne-
men met Marcel van den Broek
van het Nautiluskantoor in
Rotterdam. Deze oproep gaat
nadrukkelijk ook uit naar de
leden werkzaam in de binnen-
vaart. De IMO is er weliswaar
uitsluitend voor de zeescheep-
vaart, echter, ook in de binnen-
vaart is er voldoende nationaal
en internationaal overleg waar
uw expertise zeer goed van pas
kan komen.
De rol van Nautilus
in
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In januari publiceerden wij al over het nieuwe
bestuursmodel van het pensioenfonds voor de
koopvaardij met als onderdeel daarvan de nieuwe pen-
sioenraad. Tevens riepen wij genteresseerde leden op
om zich voor 1 maart 2012 bij Nautilus te melden. En dat
is gelukt, want we hebben veel reacties gekregen van
leden die zich kandidaat wilden stellen.
De pensioenraad zal bestaan uit 12 leden en
2 plaatsvervangende leden en wordt als volgt ingedeeld:
2 werkgeversleden, 5 gepensioneerden, 2 actief zeeva-
renden (plus 2 plaatsvervangers) en 3 gewezen deel-
nemers. Plaatsvervangers worden alleen voor actief
zeevarenden benoemd; in tegenstelling tot de gepen-
sioneerden en gewezen deelnemers varen zij nog waar-
door zij regelmatig de vergaderingen niet kunnen bijwo-
nen. Vanzelfsprekend worden de werkgeversleden
benoemd door de werkgeversorganisaties. In de overige
categorien verdelen Nautilus International en de
Nederlandse Vereniging voor Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij
de zetels naar rato van het ledental. Concreet betekent
dit dat Nautilus 4 gepensioneerden, 1 actief zeevarende
plus een plaatsvervanger en 3 gewezen deelnemers mag
aanwijzen.
Kandidaten
Nautilus had niet te klagen over het aantal reacties op de
oproep aan genteresseerde leden om zich kandidaat te
stellen voor de pensioenraad. In tegendeel, uiteindelijk
waren er 7 kandidaten uit de groep gepensioneerden voor
4 beschikbare posities, 3 kandidaten uit de groep actief
zeevarenden voor 2 posities en tot slot 5 kandidaten voor 3
posities uit de groep gewezen deelnemers.
Verkiezingen
Wanneer er meer kandidaten dan beschikbare posities
zijn, is het organiseren van verkiezingen de meest zuivere
oplossing. Echter, kiezers en verkiesbaren weten weinig
tot niets van elkaar en dat heeft het bestuur wel ernstig
aan het twijfelen gebracht om berhaupt verkiezingen te
organiseren. In plaats daarvan is er nu voor gekozen de
Raad van Advies van Nautilus International in te schakelen
en een bestuursvoordracht ter goedkeuring aan de Raad
voor te leggen.
De nieuwe pensioenraad
Namens de gepensioneerden zal Nautilus de leden F. Vons,
W. Kwak, A.A.J. Donker en A.P. Poldervaart benoemen. De
leden D.J. Lakerveld en J. van Vuuren worden benoemd
als lid respectievelijk plaatsvervangend lid namens de
zeevarenden en tot slot worden de leden R.E. Pauptit, B.
Klein en R. Vlietman namens de gewezen deelnemers
benoemd. Alle benoemingen gelden voor vier jaar.
Natuurlijk wenst het bestuur de nieuwe pensioenraad
veel succes. De leden die helaas niet in de pensioenraad
kunnen worden benoemd, worden vanzelfsprekend wel
hartelijk bedankt voor de getoonde belangstelling. Tot slot
bedankt het bestuur de heren J.W.A. Heinen, E. Grootveld,
A.L. Verhoef en J. de Boer. Na jaren actief te zijn geweest in
de deelnemersraad keren zij thans niet terug in de pen-
sioenraad.
C
Een van onze leden kon
door rugklachten zijn
werk als kok op het schip van
rederij Clearcrystal v.o.f. niet
meer uitvoeren. De Nederlandse
werkgever probeerde ons lid op
een ander schip te plaatsen met
een korter vaar-/verlofschema,
maar de pijnklachten van ons lid
waren dusdanig dat hij van boord
moest. De kok keerde terug naar
zijn thuisland Portugal waar hij
na twee jaar ziek thuis een WIA-
uitkering aanvroeg bij het UWV. Na
een jaar gewacht te hebben op een
beslissing van het UWV dat nooit
kwam, nam hij contact op met
Nautilus. Daarna kwam alles in een
stroomversnelling.
De medische toestand van
ons lid bleek zelfs nog erger dan
aanvankelijk gedacht. Want na zijn
terugkeer in Portugal werden bij
hem hartproblemen geconsta-
teerd en moest hij worden gedot-
terd. Daarnaast kampte hij met
overgewicht, hoge bloeddruk,
hoge cholesterol en een hernia.
Het was duidelijk dat werken als
kok aan boord van een zeeschip
tot het verleden behoorde.
Gedurende de twee jaar van
arbeidsongeschiktheid betaalde
de werkgever het verplichte loon
tijdens ziekte uit. Tegen het eind
van de jaar arbeidsongeschiktheid
ontving ons lid een brief van de
werkgever met de mededeling dat
hij in aanmerking zou komen voor
een WIA-uitkering (Wet werk en
inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen)
van het UVW. Een aanname die later
niet bleek te kloppen. Het is niet aan
de werkgever om te bepalen of een
werknemer in aanmerking komt
voor een WIA-uitkering, maar aan
het UWV. Betrokkene vroeg in juni
2010 de WIA-uitkering aan en werd
hiervoor gekeurd door het UWV in
Amsterdam. Hij moest afwachten
en verder niets ondernemen. En dat
deed hij; maar liefst een jaar lang
hield de Portugese kok zijn hoofd
boven water zonder enige vorm van
inkomsten.
Toen hij na bijna een jaar nog
niets had vernomen, werd Nautilus
om hulp gevraagd. Verbijsterd hoor--
den wij zijn verhaal aan en namen
direct contact op met het UVW.
Uiteindelijk ontving betrokkene in
juni 2011 de langverwachte WIA-
beschikking. Het UVW concludeerde
echter dat hij voor minder dan
35% arbeidsongeschikt was en
geen recht had op een WIA-(WGA)-
uitkering.
Nautilus liet het hier niet bij zit-
ten en maakte bezwaar tegen de
beslissing. Nautilus en de betrok-
kene togen naar het UWV-kantoor
in Amsterdam voor een hoorzitting.
Hier werd al snel duidelijk dat, op
basis van de medische gegevens
en de fysieke gesteldheid hij niet
in staat is te werken in een andere
fulltime functie met vergelijkbaar
loon. Uiteindelijk volgde een be-
slissing op het bezwaar. Het UWV
oordeelde dat de mate van arbeids-
ongeschiktheid bepaald dient te
worden op 38,9%. Ons lid kreeg
alsnog een WIA(WGA)-uitkering met
terugwerkende kracht.
Dit verhaal is gelukkig tot een
goed einde gebracht. Maar het
had zo anders kunnen lopen als
betrokkene Nautilus niet - of nog
later - had ingeschakeld. Bij het uit-
blijven van een beslissing kan
Nautilus bezwaar maken tegen de
zogehete fctieve weigering van
het UWV om een beschikking af te
geven. Neem dus tijdig contact op
met Nautilus wanneer een beslissing
te lang op zich laat wachten. Voorts
blijkt dat wanneer getwijfeld wordt
aan de juistheid van een WIA-beslis
sing, het zinvol kan zijn bezwaar te
maken.
Uit de
dienstgang
Benoeming van de
nieuwe pensioenraad
NL NEWS
36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
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A
Na zeven jaar onderhandelen, hebben
Europese werkgevers- en werknemers-
organisaties eindelijk overeenstemming
bereikt over een Europese richtlijn betreffende
arbeids- en rusttijden in de binnenvaart. Op 15
februari jl. werd de overeenkomst onder toeziend
oog van de Europese Commissaris voor Werkge-
legenheid en Sociale Zaken, de heer Lszi Andor,
feestelijk ondertekend.
Nu is een richtlijn speciek voor de binnenvaart
best belangrijk. Want, als er voor de sector namelijk
geen specieke richtlijn tot stand was gekomen,
zou de algemene richtlijn gaan gelden. En met die
algemene richtlijn kan de binnenvaart, gelet op
haar specieke roosters in bijvoorbeeld de continue
vaart van twee weken op en twee weken af, echt niet
uit de voeten. Ook is het niet zo dat werknemers in
de binnenvaart minder hoeven te rusten of meer
moeten werken dan werknemers in andere secto-
ren. Neen, maar er is wel meer exibiliteit geko-
men, of beter gezegd, werkgevers en werknemers
hebben maatwerk voor de sector geleverd met
voldoende bescherming voor de werknemers.
Belangrijkste bepalingen
Belangrijkste uitgangspunt is dat de gemiddelde
maximum arbeidsduur per week niet meer mag
zijn dan 48 uur. Rekening houdend met vier weken
vakantie, mag op jaarbasis dus niet meer gewerkt
worden dan 48 weken x 48 uur = 2304 uur. Hierop
mogen nationale feestdagen nog in mindering
worden gebracht. In elke periode van 24 uur mag
niet meer dan 14 uur worden gewerkt en in elke
periode van 7 dagen niet meer dan 84 uur. Wanneer
er volgens dienstrooster meer arbeidsdagen dan
rustdagen zijn, geldt nog de extra bepaling dat
binnen 4 maanden een gemiddelde wekelijkse
arbeidsduur van 72 uren niet mag worden over-
schreden. Hoogstens mogen er 31 dagen achter-
eenvolgens worden gewerkt.
Indien er volgens dienstrooster evenveel ar-
beidsdagen als rustdagen zijn (n op n af), moet
onmiddellijk na de gewerkte achtereenvolgende
arbeidsdagen hetzelfde aantal achtereenvolgende
rustdagen worden toegekend. Zijn er meer arbeids-
dagen dan rustdagen (dagvaart), dan geeft een
staffeltje aan hoeveel verlofdagen er na maximaal
31 dagen aan boord minimaal moeten worden
toegekend.
Nachtarbeid
Natuurlijk wordt met de richtlijn ook nachtarbeid
beperkt op maximaal 42 uren per periode van 7
dagen. Onder nacht wordt in dit verband verstaan
de periode tussen 23.00 en 06.00 uur. Ook aan deze
afspraak ligt de overweging ten grondslag dat werk-
nemers moeten beschikken over regelmatige in
tijdseenheden uitgedrukte ononderbroken rust-
perioden van voldoende lengte. Per periode van -
24 uur kan de werknemer daardoor 10 uur rusten,
waarvan tenminste 6 uur ononderbroken.
Over een periode van 7 dagen wordt de minimum
rusttijd 84 uur.
Overige afspraken
Voor schepen in de river cruise is een aparte bepa-
ling opgenomen om rekening te houden met het
seizoenmatige karakter van die vaart. Verder krijgt
de werknemer het recht op een jaarlijkse medische
keuring op kosten van de werkgever. Tot slot zijn
gedetailleerde afspraken gemaakt over de uren-
registratie aan boord en de wijze waarop controle
op de naleving van de afspraken kan plaatsvinden.
Hoe nu verder?
De overeenkomst die nu is bereikt tussen werk-
gevers en werknemers wordt ter goedkeuring
voorgelegd aan de Europese Commissie. De over-
eenkomst zal eerst nog juridisch worden getoetst
om vast te stellen dat deze geen strijdigheden bevat
met bestaande wet- en regelgeving. De verwachting
is echter dat de overeenkomst de juridische toets
goed zal doorstaan, aangezien bij de totstandko-
ming hiervan steeds juristen betrokken zijn ge-
weest. Daarna wordt de Europese Commissie
gevraagd de overeenkomst goed te keuren. Na
goedkeuring is de richtlijn bindend in ieder EU land
en zal verwerking in nationale wetgeving plaats-
vinden.
Europese richtlijn voor arbeids- en
rusttijden in de binnenvaart
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De meeste CAOs lopen rond
deze tijd van het jaar af en dus
is het bij Nautilus International alle
hands on deck. Al jarenlang probeert
Nautilus maatwerk te leveren door
een groot aantal onderneming
CAOs af te sluiten in plaats van n
algemene bedrijfstak CAO. Daarvoor
zijn wel veel ledenvergaderingen en
onderhandelingssessies nodig om
het allemaal voor elkaar te krijgen,
maar dat is nu juist de kracht van
een kleine op de maritieme sectoren
gerichte vakbond.
Het NL National Committee heeft
besloten om ook dit jaar het loon- en
arbeidsvoorwaardenbeleid van de
vakcentrale FNV te volgen. Gelet op
de economische gang van zaken in
Nederland is het beleid gematigd. Er
wordt uitgegaan van een beschikbare
loonruimte van 3%, wat maar iets
meer is dan de infatiecorrectie.
Van de beschikbare loonruimte
wil Nautilus 2,5% besteden aan
loonsverhoging. De resterende 0,5%
kan worden besteed aan goed werk;
per CAO kunnen leden bespreken wat
daar nu precies onder wordt ver-
staan. Verder vinden de vakbonden
dat de overheidsbezuinigingen
wel onevenredig zwaar worden
afgewenteld op de werknemers
terwijl werkgevers er nauwelijks iets
van merken. Dat moet gecorrigeerd
worden en daarom stellen de vak-
bonden naast structurele loonsver-
hoging een eenmalige bijdrage van
300,- voor.
Stand van zaken
Behoorlijk wat CAOs in de zeevaart
zijn inmiddels afgelopen of lopen
binnenkort af. We noemen de
CAOs met Chemgas, Clearcrystel,
Dirkzwager Coastal en Deepsea
Pilotage, J.T. Essberger, handelsvaart
tot 9.000 GT (waaronder rederijen
als Wagenborg, Anthony Veder,
Flinter en JR Shipping), Maersk, P&O
Ferries, Spliethof, Stena, Svitzer,
Tarbit Tankers, Vroon Ofshore
en Vroon Shipmanagement.
In de binnenvaart lopen de
onderhandelingen met VT, Cement
Tankvaart, Hatenboer-Neptunes,
Rederij T. Muller, ThyssenKrupp
Veerhaven en Van der Wees. Voor
walpersoneel onderhandelt Nautilus
momenteel nog met Radio Holland,
Zenitel en Dirkzwager Financial
Services. Alle hierboven genoemde
CAOs zijn inmiddels opgezegd.
Voor de meeste CAOs zijn inmiddels
ledenvergaderingen geweest om
de voorstellen voor het aangaan
van een nieuwe CAO nauwkeurig in
samenspraak met de betrokken leden
vast te stellen. Uiteraard worden
geformuleerde voorstellen altijd
snel na een ledenvergadering bij de
desbetrefende rederij ingediend.
Eerste onderhandelingen
Bij een aantal CAOs zijn de eerste
onderhandelingsgesprekken ge-
weest, maar die zijn niet allemaal
even hoopgevend verlopen. Veel
reders wijzen op de economische
malaise en willen de hand op de
knip houden. Ook de Nederlandse
werkgeversvereniging heeft onlangs
een warm pleidooi gehouden voor
het vasthouden van de zogenaamde
nullijn. Verder hebben veel reders
grote bezwaren tegen de voorgestelde
300 ter compensatie van overheids-
maatregelen. Zij vinden dat werk-
gevers niet zijn aangesteld om over-
heidsmaatregelen te compenseren.
Redelijke opstelling
Zoals altijd zal Nautilus zich in de
onderhandelingen redelijk opstellen
en bereid zijn water bij de wijn te doen
voor rederijen waar het aantoonbaar
slecht gaat. Nautilus heeft immers
totaal geen belang bij omvallende of
faillietverklaarde rederijen. Reders die
echter alleen maar roepen dat onze
voorstellen onredelijk zijn, hebben
een lange weg met ons te gaan, want
dat is voor Nautilus niet goed genoeg.
Hoe verder?
Na de onderhandelingen is het laatste
woord altijd aan de leden. Het kan
zijn dat onderhandelingen tot een
resultaat leiden. Dit zogenaamde
onderhandelingsresultaat zal
dan - eventueel voorzien van een
bestuursadvies - ter goedkeuring
aan de bevoegde ledenvergadering
worden voorgelegd. Pas na goedkeu-
ring zal Nautilus de nieuwe CAO
ondertekenen.
Het kan ook zijn dat de onder-
handelingen niet tot een resultaat
leiden. Dan kiezen we er vaak voor
de stand van zaken op te schrijven
om daarmee terug te gaan naar
de leden. Zij kunnen dan aan de
onderhandelaars laten weten
hoe er dan wel uitgekomen kan
worden. Tot slot komt het wel eens
voor dat werkgevers gedurende de
onderhandelingen een zogenaamd
eindbod doen. Maar ook als dat ge-
beurt, kunnen de leden daarover hun
licht laten schijnen. We houden u in
ieder geval op de hoogte.
CAO-onderhandelingen ver-
keren in moeilijk vaarwater
3e v. links: Nick Bramley van Nautilus International
MEMBERS AT WORK
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37
Weve refreshed our crew library service.
We now offer a paperback service on a sale
and no return basis.
BOOKS AT SEA
Easier for you ... and us.
Let us quote for equipping your ships with
books that your seafarers will want to read.
Find out more at mar|ne-soc|ety.org
Email books@ms-sc.org
Tel 020 7654 7008
A charity registered in England and Wales 313013 and in Scotland SC037808
P|ease quote NT041 when contact|ng us:
M
I must admit that passing my ENG1, like
most of the refresher courses we are asked to
do, had become old hat to me. Nothing
seems to change. The Maritime & Coastguard
Agency, whilst still held in great esteem by yours
truly, continues to dream up a never-ending stream
of checklists which have removed thought, experi-
ence and that combination of both something we
call common sense.
The analytical mind, based in fundamental skills
and experience, has been replaced with a fast-tracked
ticket and the ability to tick boxes correctly.
What has this to-do with an ENG1? Well, rst and
foremost an ENG1 is a checklist. It is also a risk
assessment. For your benet, but mostly for the
companys benet in that your inability to carry out
your duties may disrupt the safety and operation of
the vessel. Who can argue that this ideal is wrong?
Certainly not me and it is not this ideal that I have
had problems with.
Without going into too much detail, I suffered an
event whilst onboard which only lasted a very short
time (minutes rather than hours). No lingering
effects, disability or need for rehabilitation.
My GP made me unt for a month. After I was
declared t I then went to an MCA Approved Doctor
who made me temporarily unt for two months and
gave me an ENG1 with such heavy restrictions it
would have been unsafe for me to row a boat on my
own on a pond.
I did ask that the MCA doctor contact the
consultant and my GP before I came back for
reassessment after the two-month period and gave
him the right to access all my medical history.
My GP and consultant wrote and provided their
opinions as to whether I was t and gave all the
information on the treatment that I had.
After the two-month period, I went back to the AD
who then provided me with an ENG1 with restrictions
of no solo watchkeeping and 150nm from a UK port.
However, this did not incapacitate me from lookout
duties. I still didnt fully understand because
although I was being treated for the worst case, all the
specialists seemed to think that it was something
else, based on the tests that they had carried out. Yet
he was treating me purely on the worst case, which
went against that which I had been told by specialists.
His vision of me being incapacitated on the bridge
was disconcerting, because I would be putting the
vessel in danger during solo watchkeeping which I
had to agree with, pointing out that Im an engineer
although I have a steering ticket. I am an engineer,
Im not dual ticket and he had even ticked the box
marked engineer on the ENG1 form.
I dont think he understood the working life
onboard ships, no matter how much I tried to
explain. Clearly he did not understand the term
UMS nor watchkeeping practices in enginerooms.
Which is strange, since the MCA is quite clear on this.
The guidance notes for approved doctors also
clearly state that I must be treated on a case-by-case
basis. Not simply as a tick box case or with referral
to a past case of his where things didnt turn out well.
I informed him that I would have to seek an appeal
and after more discussions he explained the process
to me, but said that from his experience well over
90% of appeals failed. He did, however, imply that
after more time of my being well and continued
improvement of my health the restrictions could be
lifted.
Just before Christmas, expecting the restrictions
to be lifted, I went back again. He refused to lift the
restrictions. Whether he had forgotten or changed
his mind it didnt matter; now I had to appeal. This
was at the worst possible time for me with people I
needed to contact either on or going on holiday (you
only have a month).
I contacted the MCAs health & safety branch and
spoke to an MCA representative to express my
concerns. They listened and gave advice, but even the
person I was talking with didnt know what UMS
meant or its relationship with the legal phrase solo
watchkeeping.
To cut a long story short, I went to the appeal
doctor, who cannot change the approved doctors
opinion. That is important to remember. However,
they may adjust the ENG1 a little. All they are there
for is to judge whether the MCA system has been fully
implemented.
Thus I now have an ENG1 with restrictions, which
states:
zno solo watchkeeping for navigational duties
zremain with current company
Whilst I have no bones to pick with the doctors
involved they were carrying out their duties as to
be expected from the profession I do, however,
have a problem with the MCA.
I would like to know why it is that approved
doctors have little or no knowledge of working
practices onboard vessels.
I would also like to know why the diagnostic
opinion of a specialist consultant who has all the
testing equipment available means less than an
approved doctor who sees you for 30 minutes once
in two years with a tick box system?
Most of all, I would like to know why, under the
false pretext of being an appeal, are there so many
constraints put on the appeal doctor that they are
there purely to justify the approved doctors opinion
and the MCA system.
In a court of law, differing medical opinions are
judged by the weight of evidence. There, a GPs
diagnosis (opinion) can be outweighed by a specialist
consultants diagnosis (opinion) in the relevant
specic eld of medicine.
What annoys me most is that because nothing of
any real consequence with regard to my medical
health has been found and that which was has been
dealt with, I almost lost my job my career and pension
because of medical opinion. Not medical diagnosis.
It is now over nine months since that event
onboard. I am considerably out of pocket, not just
with expenses but with pay and loss of tax benets. I
am still raring to go back to work as indeed I was a
few minutes after the event. I take a low dose of
aspirin each day, I no longer smoke and Im 15kg
lighter. I have a target weight for June and another for
December when I have to lock horns with the same
approved doctor, because that is the system
Member no 150556
What happens when you fail your maritime medical?
One Nautilus member tells how he fared after being
declared unft for service at sea
My medical
nightmare
lingers on
Doctors can impose restrictions on seafarers duties if they have medical problems Picture: Thinkstock
No business like tow business
By Cadet(X) Jodie Meades
In February the Algerian tug El
Moundjid towed RFA Orangeleaf in the
South Coast Exercise Areas. This was
not because we had broken down it
was because Flag Of cer Sea Training
was putting one of three brand new
Algerian tugs and her crew through
their paces with an intensive training
package. The tugs are destined to take
station along the Algerian coast in an
emergency/contingency role in one of
the worlds busiest shipping lanes.
Although the towing exercises
were designed for the Algerians to
demonstrate they can tow a vessel
of substantial size, they also gave
the deck crew of Orangeleaf the
opportunity to experience connecting
up a towline a process that some
individuals had not previously
undertaken before. The process of
connecting the tugs towline went
remarkably smoothly.
The procedure started with
Orangeleaf being reported as being
dead in the water and drifting. The
tug observed our set and drift before
making an approach on the starboard
bow. She fred a gunline to our
forecastle and this was attached to a
huge towline which we connected to
our anchor cable. We had broken the
anchor cable earlier in the day so that
our deck was ready to receive the tugs
line. Once the tugs line was connected
to the anchor cable the tug paid out
around 200m of wire and began to
tow Orangeleaf slowly into the wind.
After a mile or so and having reached
a towing speed of around 4.5 knots,
El Moundjid began the tricky task of
turning us out of the wind. With a
bollard pull of around 96t and bags of
power she had no problem in doing so.
The following day during a second
tow exercise an opportunity arose for
personnel from Orangeleaf and El
Moundjid to transfer ship. Three RFA
personnel went to the tug and one
member of the tugs crew came over
to us to observe the working end of
the tow.
From the bow, the tug looked
like a luxury superyacht a dull
grey superyacht but a superyacht
nonetheless, with fne lines and an
expensive fnish. The inside was just
as luxurious with the furnishings
and fttings resembling something
you would expect from a cruise ship.
The towing gear was equally as
impressive, with the towing winch
taking up a huge amount of space
it was certainly the biggest winch that
I had ever seen!
The bridge was defnitely where
everything happened on the tug. The
XO drove the winch from a position at
the aft end of the bridge overlooking
the towing deck, next to the Captains
position where he drove the ship
using a sophisticated dynamic
positioning system.
The towing exercises were
valuable experiences for all and it was
it all the more valuable for me having
the opportunity to see it from both
ends of the tow.
YOUR NEWS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 38
E
X
H
I
B
I
T
I
O
N
&
C
O
N
F
E
R
E
N
C
E
www.seawork.com
Southampton Tuesday-Thursday 22-24 May 2012
Tel: +44 (0)1329 825335 Email: info@seawork.com
For information about Seawork 2012 contact the Events Team on:
Marine Civil Engineering
Marine Renewable Energy
Port, Harbour & Marina Services
Vessel Design, Build & Repair
Maritime Security & Defence
Hydraulics & Pneumatics
Diving & Underwater Technology
Safety & Training
Power & Propulsion Systems
Innovations Showcase
Seawork International
is the biggest and
fastest-growing
UK event for the commercial
marine and workboat
sectors, attracting
450 international exhibitors
and 7,200 high-calibre
visitors from 40 countries
Former P&O and Hoverspeed chief engineer of cer, and oilfeld support
feet superintendent/manager, David Proft tells how he became a Careers
at Sea Ambassador for the Merchant Navy
Originally I was approached by a
teacher at my sons school to ask
if I could talk to one of the boys
about working on a rig since the
careers staff were (unsurpris-
ingly) not over-endowed with
information on this particular
career path.
The approach was made solely
because I had been involved with
the oil and gas industry for many
years and, of course, I agreed.
At some point I must have also
rashly mentioned I could talk in
general about the offshore oil
and gas industry particularly
how platforms and other off-
shore installations operate, how
they are supplied, supported and
(where applicable) moved and
positioned as a background to
future career opportunities.
By this time things had
morphed into attending the
forthcoming Year 9 careers fair to
meet more of the students, so it
was a fairly short step to suggest-
ing that I could perhaps talk about
Merchant Navy careers in general
(and marine engineering more
specically).
This is where the old adage
never volunteer for anything
should have been applied by
this stage I needed professional
help. Luckily, the internet helped
me nd the Merchant Navy Train-
ing Board, where Kirsch Edwards
was of great help.
The careers fair was a great suc-
cess, my job being made much
easier by having the high quality
MNTB Careers at Sea iers and
brochures to discuss with the stu-
dents; these were also very posi-
tive take-away items.
Many of the students in the
Claverham area are no strangers
to ships proximity to major
Channel ports like Dover,
Newhaven, and Portsmouth
means ferry trips to France or Bel-
gium are quite common. It was
useful to be able to reinforce such
experience and take the opportu-
nity to explain how seafaring
not just on ferries, but the bigger
picture actually works, what
life is like onboard, and take ques-
tions on things as diverse as feed-
ing, Can I get wi?, and the inevi-
table Where might I go on a ship?
Many of the students had a
Spreading the
word at school
Its now almost a year since Warsash
Maritime Academy launched its
MSc in shipping operations course
believed to be the only degree
of its kind which focuses specifcally
on the safety and human resource
management aspects of maritime
operations.
Aimed at professionals working
in the maritime industry, and
accredited by the Institute of
Marine Engineering, Science and
Technology (IMarEST), the course
is ofered via distance learning
making it accessible to those serving
at sea, or in shore-side positions
where taking time of to study on
a residential course is just not an
option.
Claire Pekcan, course leader
for the MSc programme, explains,
In the development stage of the
MSc, we became aware early on
that professionals in the maritime
industry are just not able to
guarantee set days or weeks in the
year when they might be able to
attend classes or sit exams.
Often, this means that they are
excluded from career development
opportunities and taking a year or
two out of work to study is beyond
many peoples reach, she points
out. Because of this situation, we
decided to take the classroom to the
shipping industry.
Warsash Maritime Academy
is part of Southampton Solent
University, and the MSc is delivered
using the universitys virtual learning
environment, SOL a web-based
platform that is accessible from
anywhere in the world at any time of
the day or night.
All you need is an internet
connection, says Lawrence West,
from the technical support team,
and you can access a whole
online community of tutors, fellow
students, library, and student
support services, just as you would if
you went to the university itself.
Claire adds: Our distance
learning students are in many
ways given more support than our
residential students; each student
has his or her own dedicated
academic tutor who is with them
throughout their studies, checking
on their progress and giving them
guidance via Skype, phone, or
email.
Students on the course include
Keith, a serving shipmaster. He
comments: I feel the MSc is ideal for
any person who cant see a future
remaining at sea.
Expect to make sacrifces, he
adds, but there is nothing sweeter
than getting a marked assignment
returned and having a mark large
enough to pass.
parent with them, so highlight-
ing the possibilities of company
sponsorship leading to profession-
ally and internationally recognised
qualications, and even to degree
level was received with interest.
With experience in the oil and
gas industry and too many years
exposure to associated elds, I
had agreed that any student who
wanted to talk about engineer-
ing would be welcome to come
and explore their interest. Intrigu-
ingly, the school had taken this as a
separate subject so at the fair I was
double-booked with queues form-
ing. The other stallholders must
have thought I was giving cash
prizes! More seriously, it was clear
that the students had little clue
about engineering opportunities
in the UK, and indeed if we still had
a shipbuilding industry Im sure I
could have signed up several of the
boys to start next week.
In addition to thanks from the
careers staff, I have had positive
feedback and comments from
my sons peer group. More impor-
tantly, it seems I didnt embarrass
him which is probably the best
indicator of success. I found the
whole thing very rewarding and
look forward to the next one!
g
For more on the Careers at
Sea Ambassadors scheme, see
www.mntb.org.uk
Distance-learning students can count on the Warsash team
The Algerian tug El Moundjid
in training with the RFA
Mastering marine
management
46 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
SHIP TO SHORE
M-Notices
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 Ofce.
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 or
downloaded from the MCA
website www.dft.gov.uk/mca
click on Ships and Cargoes, then
Legislation and Guidance.
Quiz and
crossword
answers
ACDB
Quiz answers
1. In 2000, 56% of the world eet was
agged out.
2. Chinas share of global shipbuilding
output was 43.6% in 2010.
3. The headquarters of the European
Maritime Safety Agency are in Lisbon,
Portugal.
4. Maru means sphere or circle and is
used as a term of endearment.
5. Just over 43% of the current world
LNG eet was built within the past ve
years.
6. Germany owners have the largest
share of the global orderbook for
containerships in numerical terms, with
a total of 105 vessels on order.
Crossword answers
Quick Answers
Across: 1. Emblematic; 6. Wink;
9. Comforting; 10. Ages;
12. Dutch courage; 15. Rendition;
17. Laird; 18. Spain; 19. Freighter;
20. Hairs breadth; 24. Trim;
25. Earthworks; 26. Cart;
27. Starry-eyed.
Down: 1. Each; 2. Bomb;
3. Evolutionist; 4. Aztec; 5. Innocence;
7. Ingratiate; 8. East Enders;
11. Mulligatawny; 13. Prosthetic;
14. Unfamiliar; 16. Informant; 21. Alter;
22. Troy; 23. Used.
This months cryptic crossword is a prize
competition, and the answers will
appear in next months Telegraph.
Congratulations to Nautilus member
Alan Pilling, whose name wa s the rst
to be drawn from those who
successfully completed the March
cryptic crossword.
Cryptic answers from March
Across: 8. Generous; 9. Accent; 10. List;
11. Exultation; 12. Slight; 14. Rudiment;
15. Address; 17. Inkling; 20. Ganglion;
22. Insect; 23. Prosperous; 24. Talc;
25. Mullet; 26. Shamrock;
Down: 1. Devilled; 2. Newt; 3. Forest;
4. Estuary; 5. Mastodon; 6. Scots miles;
7. Unborn; 13. Garage sale; 16. Stiletto;
18. Necklace; 19. Endorse; 21. Atrium;
22. Instar; 24. Turn.
The face of Nautilus
Yvonne Parry, administrator
g
Yvonne Parry is an
administrator who has been
based in the Unions Wallasey ofce
for over 18 months.
Her time is split between
providing support for industrial
organiser Derek Byrne, assisting with
updating policies and procedures for
Nautilus Welfare and supporting
senior national secretary Ronnie
Cunningham.
I am one of four administrators
who take calls from members who
may have a problem at work and
need to speak to an industrial
organiser, she explains.
Yvonne was originally employed
on a temporary basis to provide
maternity cover, but when that ended
a new vacancy became available and
she became a permanent member of
staff last September.
I did originally apply for a
secretarial role in May 2010, she
explains. I was unsuccessful that
time, but a few months later I was
contacted by Nautilus when a
maternity cover position had become
available and Ive been here ever
since!
Yvonne does have some maritime
blood, as her father worked for
Cunard on the Reina Del Mar in the
1950s. He later went on to become
an electrician at Cammel Laird in
Birkenhead.
Yvonne has been living back on
the Wirral for nearly 10 years
following stints in London, Plymouth
and Kent. She is really enjoying her
current job everything from being
able to walk to work alongside the
Mersey to helping members and
residents of Mariners Park, and
supporting colleagues.
Being able to get members
talking to the right people and
getting them the right advice is really
fullling, she said. The members are
all very friendly and we get a lot of
people who take the time to come
back once their issues are resolved
and thank us for the help. That makes
it even more satisfying.
M-Notices, Marine Information
Notes and Marine Guidance Notes
issued by the Maritime &
Coastguard Agency recently
include:
MGN 445 (M+F) Lifeboats: tting
of fall preventer devices to reduce
the danger of accidental on-load
hook release
This note points out that new
requirements from the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) have
introduced standards for all lifeboat
release and retrieval systems (LRRS),
including those installed on existing
ships.
Existing systems that do not
comply with the revised Life Saving
Appliances (LSA) Code, as per SOLAS
III/1.5, must be replaced by the rst
scheduled dry-docking after 1 July
2014, and not later than 1 July 2019.
The MCA strongly urges that all UK
vessels tted with lifeboat on-load
release systems should be equipped
with fall preventer devices (FPD)
pending the evaluation of the systems
for compliance with the requirements
of the revised LSA Code.
On each UK vessel, FPDs in
accordance with MSC.1/Circ.1327
should be employed for each existing
lifeboat release and retrieval system
until the system is:
z
evaluated and found compliant in
accordance with MSC.1/Circ.1392
z
modied then evaluated and
found compliant in accordance with
MSC.1/Circ.1392
z
replaced by a new lifeboat release
and retrieval system.
In the event that an FPD cannot be
tted, then other mitigating safety
measures should be taken such as
those in MSC.1/Circ.1326 Clarication
of SOLAS Regulation III/19 whereby
assigned operating crew should not
be required to be on board lifeboats
during launching. In such cases
procedures are to be available and
documented in the ships Safety
Management System (SMS) and
training documents.
MIN 424 (M) Life-saving
appliances; lifeboats, rigid rescue
boats, launching appliances and
on-load release gear acceptance
of service suppliers
This note reminds shipowners,
operators and crews that they must
choose an authorised service supplier
for the testing and maintenance work
on their lifesaving appliances. This
applies to all examination,
operational testing, repair and
overhaul of lifeboats, rigid rescue
boats, launching appliances and on-
load release gear. Until recently,
service suppliers could be approved
only by the Maritime & Coastguard
Agency, but the MCA has now decided
that the power of authorisation will
be delegated to UK recognised
organisations. These are listed in MSN
1672 (M+F) as amended.
A recognised organisations
procedure for approval of the service
supplier will be based on the following:
z
International Association of
Classication Societies (IACS) Z17
Procedural Requirements for Service
Suppliers
z
International Maritime
Organisation (IMO) MSC.1/Circ.1277
Interim recommendations on
conditions for authorisation of service
providers for lifeboats, launching
appliances and on-load release gear
MIN 425 (M+F): M-notices
M-notice paper subscription service
ends 31 March 2012
Having carried out the consultation
set out in MIN 420, the MCA decided
to end its paper-based M-notice
subscription service on 31 March
2012.
M-notices are available to
download from the MCA website.
Subscribers can also register for a free
e-subscription notication service by
emailing mnotices@ecgroup.co.uk
with Subscribe in the subject
heading. Consolidated sets of
M-notices in hard copy can still be
purchased from The Stationery Ofce.
Details of the MCA website and TSO
appear below, at the end of this
section.
MIN 425 reminds shipowners,
operators and crew that Regulation
27 of Chapter V of the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at
Sea (SOLAS) requires that nautical
charts and nautical publications, such
as sailing directions, lists of lights,
notices to mariners, tide tables and all
other nautical publications necessary
for the intended voyage, shall be
adequate and up to date. The MCA
considers M-notices as a part of the
nautical publications required to
satisfy Regulation 27. M-notices can
be carried in paper or electronic
format, provided they are continually
accessible to all relevant individuals.
MIN 426 (M+F): ECDIS testing for
apparent anomalies
During routine discussions concerning
navigational incidents in 2011 it was
discovered that some models of some
ECDIS equipment might not, under
certain circumstances, display all
navigationally signicant features.
That led to an investigation of some
other models of ECDIS equipment,
which showed similar but not identical
anomalies in some other systems.
The International Hydrographic
Organisation (IHO) and the UK hosted
a series of three workshops to
examine these apparent anomalies in
more detail, and the results of this
activity were reported to the IMO. One
of the outputs of those workshops
was the generation of a presentation
check data set which was distributed
in October and November 2011 to
electronic navigation chart (ENC)
users by ENC service providers through
their normal distribution channels.
It is estimated that between
4,000 and 7,000 ECDIS are in use at
sea and ashore, but as of February
2012, only around 400 responses had
been submitted, indicating that there
may be a signicant proportion of
ECDIS that have not been tested.
MIN 426 urges prompt action,
saying: For safety reasons, ECDIS
users must test their systems and
submit a response to IHO and the
MCA without delay and no later
than 30 April 2012. The note
explains how to obtain the check
data set and explains the procedure
for reporting any anomalies
discovered in testing.
g
Nautilus Youth Forum
Saturday 12 May 2012
1100-1600hrs, at 1&2 The
Shrubberies, George Lane
South Woodford, London
E18 1BD
The forum provides guidance
to Nautilus Council on the
challenges facing youth in
the industry and encourages
youth participation in Union
activity. Open to all young
members (UK & NL).
Contact Blossom Bell:
+44 (0)151 639 8454
bbell@nautilusint.org
g
Professional
& Technical Forum
Tuesday 15 May 2012
Starting at 1300hrs
in Glasgow, at a venue
to be conrmed
The forum deals with a wide
range of technical, safety,
welfare and other
professional topics of
relevance to all members.
Contact Sue Willis:
+44 (0)20 8989 6677
protech@nautilusint.org
g
National
Pensions Association
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Starting at 1100hrs
at the Holiday Inn Belfast
22 Ormeau Avenue
Belfast BT2 8HS
The meeting will cover
developments in the
MNOPF, MNOPP and TMSP
schemes. Open to all UK
members, including
associate and afliate.
Contact Adele McDonald:
+44 (0)20 8989 6677
pensions@nautilusint.org
g
Womens Advisory Forum
Saturday 16 June 2012
1100-1600hrs, at 1&2 The
Shrubberies, George Lane
South Woodford, London
E18 1BD
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 (UK & NL).
Contact Blossom Bell:
+44 (0)151 639 8454
women@nautilusint.org
See www.nautilusint.org/news-and-events for the latest information on member meetings, forums and seminars.
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:
Blackpool and the Fylde College
(Fleetwood)
Derek Byrne
Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454
dbyrne@nautilusint.org
City of
Glasgow College
Gary Leech
Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454
gleech@nautilusint.org
National Maritime College
of Ireland (Cork)
Blossom Bell
Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677
bbell@nautilusint.org
South Tyneside College
Steve Doran
Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454
sdoran@nautilusint.org
Warsash Maritime Academy
Southampton Solent University
Blossom Bell
Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454
bbell@nautilusint.org
Other colleges
(UK and Netherlands)
UK
Garry Elliott or
Blossom Bell
Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454
gelliott@nautilusint.org
bbell@nautilusint.org
THE NETHERLANDS
Pepijn van Delft
Tel: +31 (0)10 4771188
pdelft@nautilusint.org
College contacts
Induction visits
See www.nautilusint.org/news-and-events for dates of
upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team
(scroll down to latest events). For further information,
email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Blossom Bell
on +44 (0)151 639 8454.
Industrial support
Nautilus International has assigned named industrial ofcials
to support cadet members at the ve main colleges in the
British Isles, as well as providing contact points for trainees at
other colleges in the UK and Netherlands. For queries about
employer relations, workplace conditions or legal matters,
please contact your industrial ofcial, who will help you via
phone or email or arrange a visit to your college.
UK
Head ofce
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
Northern ofce
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
SINGAPORE
Nautilus International
10a Braddell Hill #05-03
Singapore
579720
Tel: +65 (0)625 61933
Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154
singapore@
nautilusint.org
FRANCE
Yacht sector ofce
in partnership
with D&B Services
3 Bd. dAguillon
06600 Antibes
France
Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140
nautilus@
dandbservices.com
www.dandbservices.com
SPAIN
Yacht sector ofce in
partnership with dovaston
C/Joan de Saridakis 2
Edicion Goya
Local 1A
Marivent
07015 Palma de Mallorca
Spain
Tel: +34 971 677 375
recruitment@
nautilusint.org
www.dovaston.com
SWITZERLAND
Gewerkschaftshaus
Rebgasse 1
4005 Basel
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24
Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25
Contact NautilusInternational
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 ofces around the world.
For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port. Please give us your vessels ETA and as much
information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.
JOIN NAUTILUS
April 2012 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 47
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 112,600, against the loss
of income if their certificate of competency is
cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a
formal inquiry.
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.
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 training. The
Union is affiliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in
the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.
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 Aberdeen, France and
Singapore.
Your union, your voice
The Union represents the voice of more than
23,000 maritime professionals working in all
sectors of the industry at sea and ashore
including inland navigation, large yachts,
deepsea and offshore.
For members, by members
Nautilus International is a dynamic and
democratic trade union offering members many
opportunities to become actively involved and
have your say at a local, national and
international level.
Its never been more important to be a member and its never been
easier to apply for membership. You can now join over the phone,
or online at www.nautilusint.org or post us this form to begin:
FIRST NAMES
SURNAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
EMAIL ADDRESS
MOBILE (INCLUDING DIALLING CODE)
HOME TELEPHONE
GEN DER DATE OF BIRTH
EMPLOYER
SHIP
RANK
DISCHARGE BOOK NO (IF APPLICABLE)
COLLEGE OF STUDY (CADET APPLICATIONS ONLY)
COURSE (CADET APPLICATIONS ONLY)
Please post this form to:
Membership services department
Nautilus International
Nautilus House, Mariners Park
Wallasey CH45 7PH, United Kingdom
www.nautilusint.org
Join today so we can be there for you too!
CALL NOW +44 0151 639 8454 UK
TO JOIN +31 010 477 11 88 NL
NAUTILUS ON: +41 061 262 24 24 CH
NEWS
48 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2012
One dead in blast on Dutch-owned tanker
A
Nautilus International member
Carolyn Lewis pictured
left will be running the Brighton
marathon next month, raising money
to improve access to communications
for seafarers visiting UK ports.
Carolyn has worked with the
Merchant Navy Welfare Boards port
welfare committees over the past
three years and it became apparent
to her that many seafarers now own
wi-fi enabled laptops and mobile
phones but simply lack access to a
connection to the internet.
Therefore, she is raising money to
provide ship welfare visitors and port
chaplains with mobile wi-fi units
(called Mi-Fi) which they can carry
with them when visiting ships and
seafarers can hook up to.
As many of us know,
communicating with friends and
family is a key priority for seafarers
but this can prove extremely
difficult, said Carolyn. The quick
turnarounds, lack of shore leave and
the fatigue caused by long working
hours can leave seafarers with no
energy to go ashore and find an
internet connection to Skype,
Facebook or to connect with friends
and family.
The UK is fortunate to have an
army of dedicated ship visitors who
give their time to assist seafarers
with their welfare needs. Providing
them with this one additional device
will help them to bring joy to even
more seafarers.
Each unit enables up to five
seafarers at a time to connect to the
internet using a data connection.
The money raised will also go
towards the initial 12-18 months
running costs of the units.
Communications company Three UK
has also assisted with the costs and
will be working with Carolyn on this
project. She now needs to raise
10,000 to achieve her targets.
Being a newbie to marathons
and never having raised this amount
of money before, I think its fair to
say I like a challenge! she concludes.
I know from having had a brief
stint at sea myself, being the wife at
home waiting to hear from my
seafaring husband and the work I do
with the MNWB, that we cant do
enough to keep seafaring families
connected.
g
If you would like to help Carolyn
support seafarers and their families,
visit her fundraising page
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/
carolynlewis.
Union welcomes west
Africa risk agreement
F
A handbook to help seafarers
survive the ordeal of being
held hostage by Somali pirates has
been published by the Danish
Maritime Ofcers union.
Produced in association with a
specialist shipping security rm,
Citadel Solutions, the 122-page book
Coping with Capture costs
US$35 and aims to provide seafarers
with all the information they need to
safely deal with a hostage situation.
Written by a team of experts, the
book explains the tactics and
behaviour of pirates and includes
illustrations of the most common
types of pirate vessels and the
weapons they usually use.
The handbook provides
guidelines for seafarers in handling
all stages of an incident from
boarding to release and offers
detailed advice on such situations as
facing armed pirates, citadel break-
ins, threats and torture, looting and
stealing, being taken ashore, and
illness and injury.
There are tips on coping with the
mental and physical stress of being
held hostage, including advice on
coping with captivity and interacting
with captors. The book provides
advice on cultural awareness and
gives a glossary of useful Somali
words and phrases. It also has a
section for the families and relatives
of those being held hostage.
The books foreword is written by
Captain Andrey Nozhkin, who was
held hostage for 68 days on the
Danish ship CEC Future, after it was
hijacked by Somali pirates in 2008.
Danish Maritime Ofcers said it
has launched the handbook to help
seafarers make an informed and
fact-based choice when deciding to
transit through high-risk waters.
The focus of the book is Somali
pirates, but many of the practical
tools and behavioural
recommendations are applicable to
many types of hostage incidents, the
union points out.
g
Further information:
www.copingwithcapture.com
A
One seafarer died and 24 other
crew members were rescued
following an explosion onboard the
Dutch-owned chemical/products
tanker Stolt Valor last month.
No Dutch nationals were onboard
the 25,269dwt Liberian-agged
vessel, owned by Stolt Tankers BV,
when the explosion occurred as it
transited international waters in the
Persian Gulf.
The ship was sailing between
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, carrying
about 13,000 tonnes of a fuel
oxygenator used to reduce carbon
monoxide emissions, when the
explosion occurred.
The US warship John Paul Jones
and US Coast Guard cutter Baranof
rescued the mariners from two
liferafts, in response to a distress call
from the vessel.
The re took four days to
extinguish and at one stage there
were fears the ship could sink as a
result of a list caused by the re-
ghting efforts.
P
Nautilus International is
calling on UK ship own-
ers and the national war-
like operations area committee
(WOAC) to follow the Interna-
tional Bargaining Forums (IBF)
lead and declare the territorial
waters of Benin and Nigeria a
high-risk area.
The IBF decision which
covers seafarers serving on ships
to which ITF special agreements
apply comes in the light of an
increasing number of attacks on
vessels and kidnappings of crews
there and took effect on 1 April
2012.
Nautilus has been warning
about the deteriorating situation
off west Africa for several months
and believes it is time for owners
to offer seafarers in the region the
same level of protection as those
in the high risk areas of the Gulf
of Aden and around Somalia.
Nautilus International is seek-
ing, through WOAC, assurances
that members employment will
not be jeopardised if they do not
wish to enter the area, said senior
national secretary Allan Grave-
son. We are also seeking assur-
ances that companies will follow
Best Management Practices and
ensure the safety of their work-
force.
There has been a considerable
increase in the number of violent
attacks on ships operating in the
Gulf of Guinea, with crew mem-
bers being kidnapped and cargo
being seized.
These attacks are becoming
increasingly violent and are being
perpetrated by armed gangs, con-
tinued Mr Graveson. This cannot
be tolerated by the international
shipping community and we urge
shipowners to take action imme-
diately.
Lessons need to be learned
from the piracy attacks off the
coast of Somalia, he added. If
action is taken quickly then we
have a chance of avoiding further
loss of life and kidnap. Designat-
ing the Gulf of Guinea a high-risk
area will at least give seafarers an
option and focus the attention of
the industry on the need for extra
caution before trading in the
area.
The IBF agreement applies to
the territorial waters of Benin and
Nigeria, including ports, termi-
nals and roads anchorages, the
delta of the Niger river, other
inland waterways and port facili-
ties except when the vessel is
attached securely to a berth or
SBM facility in a guarded port
area.
The agreement sets out the
enhanced security measures that
should be applied for vessels
operating in the area, and also the
requirement for seafarers to be
given advance notice if their ships
are going to enter the area.
Seafarers are also given the
right to refuse to enter the high-
risk area and to receive compen-
sation amounting to 100% of the
basic wage for each day they are
in the zone.
Member is running
to put crews online
UK owners are urged to follow IBFs decision to class Nigeria and Benin as high-risk areas
Guide to
surviving
hostage
ordeals
Stolt Valor on re in the Gulf last month Picture: US Navy