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Here were go again for another year. 2012 is special for a number of reasons, yes the Olympics will take some beating, but the biggest party of all perhaps should be for the 10th birthday of Shiptalk.
Back in 2002 when “web 2.0” meant a spider had moved house, we launched with our “online forum” for seafarers. We learned many lessons that first year, namely that the most vocal people are inevitably the angriest...and so bearing in mind the adage that you should never argue with an idiot we moved over to our current formula with the Shiptalk newsletter.
Laughably we also tried to launch a marine version of “Friends Reunited” back in the distant days of the early Noughties. We quickly found that seafarers like talking about their former shipmates, not to them! Who knew?
So anyway, here we are a decade on and only marginally the wiser for it. Enjoy, and here’s to another ten years.
Shiptalk.com…………………reading you loud and clear!
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The latest report from the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on “Piracy off the coast of Somalia” has made for some interesting reading…and it is clear that having let the “armed” genie out of the bottle now they have to think about controlling it.
Today, thanks to some tough government decisions it is (almost) legal to have armed guards onboard UK ships, and despite natural reservations it seems they are doing their job pretty effectively, but there is a chance that we are only one itchy trigger finger from things getting FUBAR pretty quickly.
But let’s be positive, look at the number of successful attacks in the past couple of month compared with a year ago…something, somewhere is having an effect. Yes the wind may be making the seas choppier than usual, but it seems to us that the armed guards are making the ships chippier than previously. And that has to be a good thing…
The FAC Committee Chair Richard Ottaway MP said that it is unacceptable that the Indian Ocean has become so dangerous for commercial shipping, and stressed the need to take action. He is right and thankfully it seems that things are already evolving. For too long much of the talking was of problems rather than solutions, slowly it seems the focus is shifting and there is action to actively counter piracy and ultimately clear the international sea lanes of the dreadful scourge of piracy.
Much of the report focuses on vessels using armed guards and the pressure has now switched to ensuring the systems and rules for the use of force are appropriate. At the moment the UK Government’s guidance on the use of force, particularly lethal force, is very limited and there is little to help a ship’s master make a judgement on where force can be used. This is very worrying.
Ship masters need to be comfortable and confident in the use of force from their vessel. There are many fears and concerns for masters today, and as they wrestle with issues of criminalisation the authorities should recognise their concerns and make sure that when pirates are fast approaching there isn’t any question in the mind of the master or armed guards. All need to know what they can do, how and when.
Unless unequivocal guidance is produced, then we may once again give pirates the upper hand. When they begin to approach vessels on which armed guards are unable to fire, then without clear and decisive guidance, there is a danger we may emasculate the very frontline solution which is currently keeping piracy at bay.
The tail end of the year saw a wonderful shipping soap opera unfolding in Finland, one which revealed much about shipping and the shadowy world of arms shipments.
Sixty-nine Patriot missiles were impounded in the southeastern Finnish port of Kotka after being found on a merchant vessel, the “Thor Liberty” in mid-December. The surface-to-air missiles had reportedly been entered as fireworks on the vessel’s manifest, addressed to a South Korean recipient.
The missiles were discovered onboard and we would love to have seen the face on the inspector which found them. We’ve been to some pretty big firework displays in our time, but a “PAC-2” missile is 5.8 metres (19 ft) long...that is one freaking big rocket! Think how big the milk bottle would have to be to launch it from, assuming your back garden was long enough.
Eventually the “hilarious” misunderstanding on the manifest was rectified and the vessel was released to head with its explosive cargo to South Korea. A route that could take it slap-bang into the path of those pesky Somali pirates.
Having furnished the Somalis with a ship load of tanks in the past, thankfully it seems people are being a little more careful this time round. The U.S. Navy will be following the vessel’s every move and with the South Koreans having a rather feisty Naval Unit operates in the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission, it would be hoped that the transit will pass off without incident.
If however the vessel is taken, you will probably be able to see the fireworks display on a Somali beach from some way off.
While much of the maritime security focus is on stopping pirates, there is another more hi-tech concern which is worrying some experts.
According to the first EU, European Network & Information Security Agency (ENISA) report on maritime-sector cybersecurity, the maritime industry is simply not taking electronic and cyber security threats into consideration.
The study urges the IMO, the European Commission and member states to align and harmonise international and European policies, and as the maritime industry is increasingly reliant Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in order to optimise its operations then security has to become a concern.
They also advise member states to raise awareness within the maritime industry, working with cybersecurity specialists to agree a common strategy and develop good practice for maritime ICT security systems. Current maritime regulations and policies consider the physical aspects of security and safety, and ENISA is urging policymakers to extend their attention to include cybersecurity.
The report found a perfect storm of low awareness and potential high impact. With all maritime players equally culpable, including government bodies, port authorities and maritime companies.
Why is there this seeming cyber blind-spot? Well, one of the reasons is thought to be the low number of known cyber security incidents within shipping and the fact that there has been little or no media exposure to trigger specific and bold actions.
It was also seen that there are virtually no mechanisms in place in the Member States to consistently identify and/or report cyber security incidents specific within the maritime sector.
So even where they do occur, there is a danger that no-one will ever know. There were rumours when a German cruise ship grounded a few years back that the officers claimed that their equipment had been remotely tampered with. There was seemingly little proof and so the story seemed to quietly vanish. Mind you, bearing how bad some watchkeepers are with working kit we can only imagine the havoc which could be caused by terrorist tampering...
We were a little perturbed to read in the press of 2012 as the year in which the centenary of the loss of the Titanic was to be “celebrated”…
Remembered definitely, commemorated, of course…but celebrating the loss of life on such a monumental scale seems a tad inappropriate. Anyway, 2012 is indeed the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the unsinkable and there will no doubt be exhibitions, services and Celine Dion re-issues to mark the occasion.
The marking of such a pivotal point in the evolution of shipping has not been lost on the IMO, which is set to embark on their “theme” for 2012 of “100 Years since the loss of the Titanic”.
The year will provide the IMO with a chance to re-assess the “roots and raison d’être, of the safety of life at sea”. Any student of shipping knows the knock on effect of the sinking and the fact that shipping has been reacting to accidents ever since.
One of the consequences of the sinking of the Titanic, in 1912,, in which 1,503 people lost their lives, was the adoption off the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (the SOLAS Convention) which has been amended and updated many times, and remains the cornerstone of shipping safety.
According to the IMO, the theme provides an opportunity to look back at safety developments, while paying tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea. It will also be a time of reflection, as they ask whether the lessons drawn have been learnt to the full.
The year will also be a chance to pay tribute to all those who, in the course of the 100 years, have contributed to improvements in maritime safety. Not sure what the contribution criteria is, but we know many seafarers and shipping professionals who care passionately about making a difference. Whether the IMO recognises them or not, perhaps we should all use this year as a chance to say well done or thank you to those whose efforts we appreciate.
Do you know of any unsung heroes of shipping safety? 2012 would seem like the year celebrate them...so let us know who you would like to thank, or who has been inspirational and why…emailnewsroom@shiptalk.com
Another aspect which the IMO will examine in 2012 is the safety record of shipping. They are set to identify those areas that have contributed the most to improvements over the year, while identifying the next problem areas.
Sadly this comes at a time of great concern for shipping – it seems the news has featured all too many vessel losses over the past months, and as large bulk carriers make the news again it is almost like we have gone back 25 years.
Back in the late 80’and early 90’s we were losing large bulkers at a rate of at least one a month…down they went, like the stones they were carrying. Taking innocent seafarers lives with them. There was many a night that your cowardly Shiptalk correspondent sat up in a life jacket as an elderly bulk carrier stiffly lurched its way across the Atlantic. Bad times!
The latest incarnation of bulkers, the Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs), have been experiencing some structural difficulties and the memories have come flooding back (no pun intended).
The 361 meter long, 404,389 dwt bulk carrier, “Vale Beijing” recently suffered water ingress while loading iron ore in Brazil. Fair enough it’s better than suffering mid-Atlantic but is worrying all the same. Now of course everyone is being rather coy on the causes of the damage – lawyers make lots of money from people casting aspersions, but there are many potential areas of concern.
Having seen the loader at Ponta da Madeira up close it is a true beast…regularly dumping down thousands upon thousands of tonnes per hour of iron ore. That is a lot of weight, and has on previous occasions proved too much for some vessels to take. Are the new vessels able to ballast quickly enough? Then there is the construction, in these Chinese built VLOCs we are seeing a new breed of vessel from a new source of vessels. Are they up to the job? Let’s hope and pray they are.
With the recent losses of the “Vinalines Queen” and the “Swanland” there is, according to shipping guru, Clay Maitland, a need for stronger and clearer requirements particularly with respect to accurate information on the carriage of bulk cargoes.
So here we are in 2012 with the IMO looking back at icebergs while poor seafarers look ahead to dangers of bulk cargoes…we know which pose the bigger problems today.
No sooner had the champagne corks popped for the New Year, than the new mandatory limits for alcohol consumption came into force (...a limit of not greater than 0.05% blood alcohol level or 0.25 mg/l alcohol in the breath). The changes have come as part of the major revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, (the Manila amendments), and entered into force on January 1, 2012.
There is a five-year transitional period until 1 January 2017, but the time for change is here and it’s not just those who like a tipple who will have to take heed.
While it is bad news for the drinkers amongst the crew, for those who like to get their head down it’s a real boon. Deck head surveys can now be extended as the new STCW rest hour requirements state that seafarers must now always have at least 10 hours’ rest in any 24-hour period. Shipowners are being warned that the new STCW minimum rest hour requirements are likely to be vigorously enforced by port State control officers, who will have the authority to check that ships maintain accurate records for individual seafarers, demonstrating that they have been provided with the required minimum rest.
Amongst the other changes entering force this month are, new requirements relating to training in modern technology such as electronic charts and information systems (ECDIS) as well as new requirements for marine environment awareness training and training in leadership and teamwork;
There is a new emphasis on training and certification with the introduction of modern training methodology including distance learning and web-based learning; plus mandatory anti-piracy training too. The slew of new requirements extends to personnel serving on board all types of tankers, including new requirements for personnel serving on liquefied gas tankers. While those working in polar-regions and dynamic positioning operators have new guidance too.
Figures released in the run up to Christmas showed that a third of the world's biggest shipping companies produce no publicly available accounts. Incredibly this is an improvement on the last KPMG survey, which in 2008 showed that 44% had failed to produce accounts.
John Luke, KPMG's global head of shipping said: "The improvements are encouraging and perhaps a reflection of the growing demand for transparency from the sector's supply chain and financiers. What we are seeing is a shift in both regulation and practice towards producing accounts, and producing them in IFRSs (International Financial Reporting Standards) which is helpful.”
What this of course means is that in a time when capital is in short supply, shipowners are becoming more interested in presenting themselves in the best possible light if they are after some of that capital.
Let’s hope that some of this spit and polish, as shipping looks to shine to financiers rubs off on the other elements of their operations. It is one thing to be transparent when it comes to accounts, but will this new found openness translate as a willingness to invest properly on people, on safety and training?
Statistics, as they say, can be used to hide anything...accounts can too. Maybe the more wily investors will look beyond the slick investment spiel with an understanding that an accident, a hijack and oil spill, etc, etc can really dent the bottom line.
Opening up the accounts is great, but more companies should be more open in the ways in which they manage the magic which actually makes the money go round...their people and ships.
While the world’s biggest shipowners are beginning to open up their accounts, it seems there is a worrying trend amongst some Chinese owners to slam their cheque books shut.
After an alleged spate of Chinese companies defaulting on charter payments, it seems yet another company has sniffed the global downturn and has seemingly reneged on their charter agreement.
According to Lloyd’s List, China's Shagang Shipping has failed to pay millions of dollars in payments understood to be owed to Diana Shipping.
Shagang Shipping is the latest in a growing list of Chinese maritime firms that have unilaterally delayed payments to foreign shipowners in the past year. As you might imagine, this isn’t really the way that warm, fuzzy business relations are made and their actions have, according to one observer, “soiled China's reputation with the international maritime community”.
The allegations and accusations of withheld payments extend across a roll-call of shame. China's top shipping conglomerate COSCO Holdings and Grand China Logistics, a unit of HNA Group, halted payments to several foreign ship owners last year to “re-negotiate better contract terms”. While this latest round of finger pointing has been at the shipping unit of Chinese steelmaker Jiangsu Shagang Group, as they have seemingly delayed payments for the charter of a large iron ore carrier (“MV Houston”) owned by Diana Shipping. The payment “delay” has now accumulated more than $3 million in outstanding debt.
As we can see, the stakes are high when the cash stops flowing, and it seems as relative newcomers to the international stage some companies are just playing fast and loose with the rules. When it comes to chartering a ship it used to be simple...the words of agreement were the bonds that tied. No it seems that may no longer be the case.
According to an anonymous source close to the shipowner, it seems patience is naturally wearing a little thin. It is, they rightly state, “very important to do business with people and companies that are in a good financial condition and have a good reputation. In this case, this has been a bad experience."
A US sailor discharged twice for being gay was reinstated in the Navy last month after suing the service. An advocacy group said the move marks the first case of a sailor discharged under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law returning to active duty.
The Navy discharged, “Cryptologic Technician” (Interpretive) 2nd Class Jase Daniels in 2005 after he revealed his sexual orientation to his commanding officer. He was processed out only to be recalled a year later for a Kuwait deployment, then discharged again in 2007.
After fighting back through the legal system Daniels has rejoined the US Navy as a third class petty officer and will head to Great Lakes for training. By early next year, McKean said, he’ll return to the Defense Language Institute, this time to learn Farsi.
“I am humbled as I am reinstated to the job I love and by the enormous support I have received on this momentous day,” Daniels said in a news release. “I look forward to returning to the Defense Language Institute and ultimately, my career in the military.”
Daniels is understood to be the first sailor discharged under DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) to return to active duty. Mind you, we were a little confused when we found out he had only been “discharged twice”, maybe he wasn’t so into it after all.
Having attended many a merchant navy careers day, we grew used to the throb of the constant mantra heard from the various recruiters as they proudly boasted that going to sea was the best way of studying without getting into debt.
Now, however, it seems hundreds of new British officer cadets could have to find thousands of pounds towards their tuition fees in the wake of the impending shake-up in UK education funding.
As the fees to attend English Universities have been forced up, seafaring training has fallen into the same cash trap. Many officer training courses are regarded as equivalent to a foundation degree, and nothing in the government proposals has indicated that seafarer education can expect any special treatment. So the extra cash has to come from somewhere, and it seems cadets will be forced to contribute.
Until now shipowners and the UK government had paid for training and living expenses, but it seems things are set to change. However, just how much cadets will be expected to pay is not yet known. The Chamber of Shipping announced last month that, “complexities of the impending changes make it impossible to put a headline figure on just how far deeply trainees will end up out of pocket”.
Seafarer union Nautilus International rightly fears that any change will deter young people from seeking a seafaring career, given the likelihood of accruing massive debts at the very start of their working lives.
It really does seem like a blow for those with ambitions to go to sea, and we can only hope that someone can think of a way of ensuring that cadets do not suffer. We have spoken at length about the reasons why people don’t want to go to sea anymore, the one shining light in this was the ability to get paid to learn...take that away and what are you left with? No seafarers!
As his Hellenic Majesty, Mr Mitropoulos, moves aside from his exalted position as Secretary General of the IMO there is a new Skipper at the helm in the shape of Koji Sekimizu.
Mr Sekimizu has seemingly hit the ground running with a “much anticipated” reshuffle of senior staff. Just as a new football coach comes in with visions of his players in a new system, only three days into his tenure the new secretary-general, has announced sweeping management changes to “revitalise” the leadership of the UN agency.
It all sounds very exciting, and under the new regime, assistant secretary-general Andrew Winbow has moved from the administrative division to head up maritime safety while Jo Espinoza-Ferry, will step across from the marine environment division to take over the administrative division.
Putting aside the concerns over safety and security, it really is the debate on the environment which the IMO has to push forward in the coming years of Mr Sekimizu’s tenure, and this fresh start could be just the initiative the IMO needs to progress. As such, Stefan Micallef has been promoted to head up the marine environment section and take on the high profile emissions debate in the process.
His doctorate in “marine toxicology” could be very handy indeed.
There is also a new role which has been created, that of “special representative” of the secretary general to deal with piracy. Existing security division head Harmut Hesse will fulfil this important new role.
The re-shuffle has been very well received by the industry – according to one insider, “it is not so much the actual people in the new roles, but the fact that the IMO is willing and able to shake things up and change. Shipping is a pragmatic and flexible industry, being led from the front by an organisation which embraces change can only be positive”.
Flying fish are a common sight, as they glide as far as 100 metres and as high as one metre above the surface of the water. So a pilot in New Zealand couldn't believe his eyes when he clearly saw a shark flying past him at 7,000ft.
He'd been preparing to land at Christchurch International Airport when he spotted the 5ft shark staring back at him. After probably making some rather amusing calls to air traffic control and rubbing the tint off his Raybans it transpired that the high flying fish very much out of water was in actual fact an inflatable remote-controlled toy which had flown off.
The 'Air Swimmer' toys were a popular present this Christmas in New Zealand and police have been bombarded with reports of escaped inflatable sharks, and no doubt probably a few flying pigs too.
Experts say that other than giving the pilot a shock, the helium-filled shark was unlikely to pose any threat to the flight...seemingly the danger of a pilot of having a heart attack is not deemed to be threatening.
