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Dear Shiptalk Readers,

Welcome to this the July 2005 edition of the Shiptalk newsletter.

Please take your time to read what we have to say this month about issues affecting your everyday lives at sea and do let us know if you have an opinion on comments of any of this month’s articles or other issues that you would like to air via Shiptalk.com.

Shiptalk.com…….reading you loud and clear

SHIPTALK MEDIA SERVICES

Another service that Shiptalk can offer via Shiptalk Media Services (SMS) is a complete
multi-media service to the marine industry, websites recently developed by SMS include:

www.shippingjobs.com
www.rayfield-mills.co.uk
www.consultism.co.uk
www.seacurus.com

In addition to web development SMS offer a specialised design service for any and all corporate literature, marketing and advertising materials. For more information of Shiptalk Media Services contact us on: enquiries@shiptalk.com

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COMMUNICATIONS

Lloyds Agent Network give 'LMIU AIS' edge over rivals

Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit (LMIU), the sister company to Lloyd's List newspaper, is pleased to announce the addition of AIS generated 'Latest Positions' to www.seasearcher.com, the world's only totally integrated vessel, company and movements database.

Unlike any other company offering this type of service, LMIU decided to take the unprecedented step of purchasing the necessary receivers for each of its existing reporting sources, an enormous collective based upon LMIU's unique and long-established co-operation with the internationally respected network of Lloyd's Agents (LAN). With the total backing of the Lloyd's Agency Department, LMIU knows customers will experience more comprehensive coverage and a higher quality of information than could ever be offered by its competitors.

"The value of the contribution made by Lloyd's Agents to the shipping and other data published by LMIU has long been recognised. The Lloyd's Agency Department and Lloyd's Agents themselves are pleased to be involved in the AIS initiative in the knowledge that it will materially improve the quality of the data available to LMIU's customers." says John Moloney, Lloyd's Agency Department.

LMIU's primary objective is to offer the market a 'real time' movements service with global coverage. LMIU is already internationally recognised as the only source able to provide today's shipping industry with a comprehensive view of the movements of the world's merchant fleet. From now on the 'Latest Position' screen on Seasearcher will include an AIS line showing the latest position of the vessel, the nearest port and the time and date the information was received. Current coverage starts in selected areas, but is due to rapidly expand over the next few months.

The LMIU GIS (Graphical Information System) is to be launched in September, a custom built mapping interface developed in collaboration with Canadian-based geomatics software company CARIS, offering users the ability to match information from a current voyage to a graphical illustration of both the latest position of a vessel and the traffic around a specific port. The GIS will allow the flexible study of total traffic and it will be possible to filter by type, classification, flag, gross and deadweight tonnages, and by status (under way/berthed/anchored).

Originally designed as an anti-collision system, the Universal Automatic Identification System is used for identifying and monitoring maritime traffic. AIS signals are received via VHS radio transmission and are not 100% reliable but, by showing it in tandem with LMIU's validated vessel information, users will be able to cross-reference and immediately identify inaccurate information or highlight which vessels - for whatever reason - have chosen not to transmit a positional signal.
For more information and graphical diagrams, please contact and go to www.seasearcher.com/ais

Doug McPherson
Commercial Director
Lloyd’s Marine Intelligence Unit

69 – 77 Paul Street
London EC2A 4LQ
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 4765
Mobile: 07788140039
Email: douglas.mcpherson@lloydsmiu.com

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Old Radio Officers never die, their ●●● ’s just drop off!

We understand that the Morse code is finally entering the 21st century, or at least is limping into the late 20th.

The 165-year-old communication system now has a new character to denote the "@" symbol. The new sign, which will be known as a “commat,” consists of ●——●—●, which is the signals for "A" (●—) and "C" (—●—●).

This is the first new Morse symbol to be introduced since the First World War, however, at this juncture we understand there are no plans to amend semaphore, or indeed smoke signals.

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Yeah, but no, but yeah...

To further prove the longevity of Morse, a museum in Australia organised a competition between Morse and text messaging to see which could send the following message: “Hey, girlfriend, you can text all your best pals to tell them where you are going and what you are wearing.” the quickest.

A 93-year-old telegraph operator, Gordon Hill, was brought in and promptly delivered a resounding beating to his rival, 13-year-old Brittany Devlin.

Great news we’re sure you’ll agree, but we can’t really see the kids taking to carrying a Morse key in their back pockets...

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Message in a bottle...

Hey, while we’re on the subject of old technology…possibly the most unexpected comeback this month is by the good old-fashioned “message in a bottle”.

According to Costa Rican authorities, 86 shipwrecked migrants were recently rescued after fishermen found a message in a bottle they had thrown overboard.

The migrants, mainly teenagers from Ecuador and Peru , had been adrift in their packed boat for three days, floating near Cocos Island , a nature reserve off the Costa Rican coast.

In a last ditch, unlikely attempt to get rescued they wrote a message saying: 'Please Help Us' and put it in a bottle.

Local fishermen found the bottle and promptly alerted the park wardens, who miraculously located and rescued the group.

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SEAFARER WELFARE

A toll-free helpline has been launched exclusively for seafarers in India , as part of an initiative by the London based, International Seafarers Assistance Network (ISAN).

The 24-hour helpline, based in London , is available on the toll free

number + 1-600-425-4357.

A spokesperson said, ‘‘this is the first time a toll free helpline is being launched in India exclusively for the seafarers.’’ And added that ‘‘Seamen might have many problems which they would not be able to discuss with their colleagues, they could call the number and get help. There are professionals who would provide counselling.’’

The helpline is initially available in Hindi, English, Gujrati and Tamil.

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MARITIME INSURANCE

Good luck - You’re on your own!

Members of the International Group of P&I clubs last month issued clarification that P&I cover does not apply to oily water separator offences or offences of making false statements to the authorities.

Under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 73/78 MARPOL – Oily Water Separators, there are limits on the amount of oil that ships can legitimately discharge into the sea. Where discharge from bilge tanks is permitted it is a requirement that an Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control System together with Oil Filtering equipment (Oily Water Separator) be fitted so as to ensure that the oil content of any discharge does not exceed the maximum permitted under MARPOL (15ppm).

Any residue or sludge should then either be incinerated or discharged into reception tanks in port. Owners are required to ensure compliance with these regulations by inspection of log books, oil record books, incinerator logs and records of port discharges.

Port State authorities around the world are taking an increasingly hard-line on MARPOL offences, with the most active authorities being those in Germany , the USA and France . Heavy fines and custodial sentences can be imposed for breach of the Regulations.

In the face of these pressures the P&I Clubs have stressed that they do not condone breaches of the MARPOL Regulations, and that P&I cover for fines resulting from (non-accidental) breaches of MARPOL regulations is only available on a discretionary basis.

In such cases, the Members are required to satisfy the Club that they took reasonable steps to avoid the offence. In any event, the Clubs do not cover any fines or other penalties imposed where the owner knew or ought to have known of the offence, and failed to take reasonable measures to prevent it.

This means that fines or penalties imposed under MARPOL, relating to the misuse of equipment, or resulting from a failure to comply with oil disposal and engine room management record-keeping are not automatically covered by the Clubs.

Further information is available from individual International Group P&I Associations - www.ukpandi.com/ukpandi/infopool.nsf/HTML/About_IG

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If only there was insurance to cover seafarers...

Last month saw the AGM of the International Federation of Ship’s Masters Associations (IFSMA), in Finland .

One of the major points of concern raised at the AGM was that of the “modern day perils of the sea”, i.e. the increasing trend amongst some coastal states to criminalise seafarers for incidents which have previously been considered as accidents.

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Things can only get better…but they may get worse first!

High profile cases such as the “Prestige”, “Tasman Spirit” and “Katerina” clearly demonstrate that many coastal States are developing a tendency to treat seafarers as potential criminals rather than respected professionals. A fact that many felt would get worse before getting better.

There is, however, room for optimism as both the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are working on guidelines on the fair treatment of seafarers (as reported in last months Shiptalk newsletter).

The aim is to force change to avoid further maltreatment and prevent long periods of detention for seafarers involved in maritime accidents. The draft resolution calls on all governments to respect the basic human rights and to allow swift repatriation or re-embarkation of seafarers involved in accidents.

One issue that caught the imagination of the meeting was the idea of specialised insurance to protect seafarers from these modern perils. To shed further light on the issue the UK based insurer, Seacurus, looked at the insurance solutions that could be used to better protect the human, legal and welfare rights of seafarers today.

Recent cases have highlighted the weaknesses that arise when seafarers place an over reliance on their shipowner’s P&I insurance to provide rights and remedies for personal liabilities in the aftermath of a maritime accident.

Issues of criminality have always been grey areas for P&I insurers and ordinary operational costs such as crew remuneration, subsistence and repatriation are not operational costs routinely covered by a shipowner’s P&I insurance, following a criminal investigation or abandoning event.

If you have any views on the topics raised here, or if you require further information on the insurance products under discussion please visit Seacurus at www.seacurus.com

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MARITIME TRAINING

The IMO White List

The Philippines has been celebrating confirmation of it’s retention of IMO STCW White List status.

The country’s continued inclusion maintains the viability of Filipino seafarers, and stems from the announcement at The IMO ’s MSC 80th Session during May 20-22, that the Philippines has communicated the required information on their Quality Standard System (QSS), and it’s consistent implementation of the 1978 STCW Convention.

The confirmation is also hugely beneficial to the maritime industry as a whole, which is so dependent on Filipino labour. Figures this year state that 102,081 Filipinos have been employed at sea, from January 1 to May 29 2005 , compared to 95,693 in the same period in 2004.

Further details can be found at either www.marina.gov.ph , or www.imo.org

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Out of Africa

Life outside of the White List isn’t so rosy…and to get around a lack of IMO recognition one group of lucky Kenyan seamen are set to leave for a three-week training course in Tanzania .

“The first batch of 40 seafarers leave shortly, with the second group scheduled to go after the first one has returned”, said the secretary-general of the Seafarers Union of Kenya Mr Abubakar Omar.

The aim of course is for the seamen to return with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping, qualification, which is recognised by the International Maritime Organisation ( IMO ).

Mr Omar said the course would take a minimum of three weeks for those who have already been trained at Bandari College . Under an agreement between the two countries, Kenya 's Ministry of Transport has printed certificates to be issued once the trainees clear the course.

Let’s hope they are actually “Tanzanian” certificates, or this exciting little venture may be doomed from the off!

For the full story go to www.allafrica.com

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MARITIME ACCIDENTS

Sharp lookout saves man overboard

A 41-year-old sailor survived for an incredible 14 hours treading water after falling overboard from the Teekay Tanker " Barrington" off Queensland, Australia.

The man was finally pulled to safety when a fishing boat heard him. He was found wearing just boxer shorts, and as you might expect was exhausted by the ordeal.

The sailor, who had no clear recollection of how he ended up in the water, was flown ashore by helicopter before being transferred to hospital where he was treated for hypothermia, dehydration and a broken arm.

Teekay managing director Dermott Loughnane said he was very grateful to the crew of the fishing trawler that spotted the sailor.

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A sleeping skipper has been blamed for a collision between a fishing boat and a container ship in waters off Sydney last year.

Exhausted from his heavy workload and lack of sleep, the skipper of “ Ocean Odyssey” had nodded off in the “warm, vibrating wheelhouse”, a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has found.

The “ Ocean Odyssey" ran into the container ship “ P&O Nedlloyd Taranaki” off Port Botany in the early hours of June 20, 2004 , throwing two deck hands from their bunks, fortunately without injury.

For full details go to www.atsb.gov.au/marine/pdf/203_ocean_odyssey.pdf

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MARITIME SECURITY

Money may well be the root of all evil, but it sure is useful, especially when you are keeping the homeland purged of evildoers.

So with this Herculean task facing it, the USCG are pleading for more money from the US Congress, as they wish to increase The President's 2006 budget proposal to $8.15 billion, up from $7.58 billion in 2005.

According to US Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thomas Collins, 45 percent of the Coast Guard's total budget is spent on Homeland Security-related tasks, which include protecting some 360 ports and 95,000 miles of coastline against illegal aliens, terrorists, and weapons of mass destruction.

He went on to add that they urgently need to replace aging cutters, boats, aircraft and supporting infrastructure, while constructing maritime safety and security capabilities essential to meeting present and future mission demands.

Apparently despite increases in spending on maintenance, the agency's older large craft experience equipment failures capable of jeopardising almost 50 percent of missions.

Also, the agency's HH-65 helicopters suffered a rate of 329 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours in 2004, way over the Federal Aviation Administration's acceptable standard of 1 mishap per 100,000 hours.

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An alleged assault this month by Greenpeace on a New Zealand fishing vessel sees the calls for them to be barred from mainstream maritime political debate.

“Greenpeace’s assault on a New Zealand fishing vessel in the Tasman Sea was dangerous and disgraceful. It is entirely appropriate that the Government considers what action it can take to protect New Zealanders legally going about their business wherever they are,” says New Zealand Seafood Industry Council chief executive Owen Symmans.

This is not the first time that Greenpeace tactics have been called to account, and it was only recently that their consultative status within the IMO was reinstated after similar “attacks” on vessels.

While many of the aims of Greenpeace may indeed be wholly admirable – sometimes it is apparent that the ways in which they seek to enforce their interpretations of industry practices are downright dangerous.

Many vessels over the years have been faced with the perils of saboteurs, and protestors blocking their safe navigation, climbing onboard, and vandalising vessel equipment, thus putting innocent seafarers in danger.

We say that it’s time for Greenpeace to recognise the implications of their rash and potentially hazardous actions on seafarers simply doing their jobs.

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Asylum seekers rescued

Moving swiftly to the skilled and brave at sea, and the rescue of asylum seekers by the Danish vessel, “Clementine Maersk” ,

27 persons were found, this month, adrift in a small boat on the Mediterranean . They watched helpless as a number of ships steamed past without heeding their pleas for help, some vessels said that they would inform Coast Guard authorities, but no assistance arrived and soon a week had gone by.

On the eighth day, help finally came when the “M.V. Clementine Maersk”, rescued the individuals from their boat and gave them food and water, before taking them to its next scheduled port, Felixstowe , UK where those rescued were landed.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) praised the conduct of the vessel and the Master for diverting his vessel from its scheduled course in order to rescue the desperate boat people. Those on board the stranded boat were mainly Somalis, but included two Tunisians and one Palestinian.

UNHCR is working closely with the International Maritime Organisation ( IMO ) and last year, the IMO 's Maritime Safety Committee adopted amendments to the international conventions for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR)

The amendments are expected to come into force in 2006, and will require governments to coordinate and cooperate so as to ensure that masters of ships that rescue persons in distress at sea are permitted to disembark them with minimal further deviation from the ship's planned itinerary.

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LEGAL

Shipowners get new EU rules

In a rare outbreak of EU common sense, The Union of Greek Shipowners ( UGS ), have managed to convince EU authorities to adopt a set of more sensible measures concerning criminal liability of shipowners and crews in the case of accidents.

EU officials confirmed there would be no repeat of cases such as that of Apostolos Mangouras, the captain of the Prestige tanker who was held in detention without trial.

Several new measures were discussed and the most significant of these was the revised "Lisbon Agenda," in which EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso committed himself to making Europe "one of the most attractive destinations for investment and work."

If the EU wants to become a more competitive world market, UGS said "it must fight the war against hostile behaviour developing in the European area through mass media representations of maritime environment pollution incidents" and the damaging and aggressive “anti-maritime” legislation that many governments appear happy to churn out.

The criminalisation of accidental sea pollution a subject that until now, the UGS feel, has been completely ignored by the EU's competent authorities and is an issue which could negatively affect European shipping long into the future.

Greek shipowners say if Europe were to lose its investors and seafarers, it would eventually lose all of its shipping activities. If community fleets abandon their EU-member flags, then shipping know-how would disappear and a great number of jobs would be lost.

Fighting talk indeed, and let’s hope the words become actions.

For further details visit www.emsa.eu.int

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EVENTS/CONFERENCES

News reaches us of a major new exhibition to be launched in the UK , looking into the historical proliferation of homosexuals within the Merchant Navy.

Now, while many may have thought themselves “the only gay on the vessel!” apparently that wasn’t quite the case. The merchant marine was somewhat of a sanctuary for gay men, at a time when homosexuality was not tolerated ashore.

If any of you have any tales or mementos relating to life either as, or with gay seamen please contact Dr Jo Stanley at gaysea@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

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NINE sail again

Following on from last months article "Desperately Seeking Sponsors" we are happy to report that the North East Branch Nautical Institute (NINE) has received generous support from P&O Cruises, Trinity House and local bakers "Greggs" and can now confirm that their participation in the Tall Ships Race 2005 in the sailing yacht "Duet" and their associated Maritime Recruitment Fair will go ahead as planned. (Note the link should bring up a pdf of the brochure)

Exhibitors at the recruitment fair include, P&O Cruises, Maersk, P&O Nedlloyd, Viking Recruitment, Chiltern Maritime, Newcastle University, Safe Ship Training Group and the Chamber of Shipping representing the Merchant Navy Training Board and Seavision UK .  Local schools will be invited to promote the event to school leavers to continue the long seafaring tradition  associated with the NE of England.

The recruitment fair will run between Monday 25th July and Wednesday 27th July 2005 in a purpose built marquee situated in the shadow of the new Sage Music Centre on the Gateshead side of the river Tyne .  

The marquee will have the dual purpose of also hosting the Royal visit planned for Wednesday 27th July when HRH Princess Royal, an Honorary Fellow of the Nautical Institute will meet with the crew of the "SY Duet" and event organisers to congratulate them on their collective achievement.  As has been reported previously the crew hails from varied backgrounds which include, visually impaired sailors, local disadvantaged youngsters, local sea scouts, merchant navy and royal navy cadets as well as Nautical Institute members who will act as team leaders and mentors on the various legs of the race.

The crew have been sponsored individually by, OSG , Graig Shipmanagement, BMT, Fair Marine Services, Marine Response, Ince & Co, Dawson and Sanderson, Aquaid and Renault.

It was with a worthy vision, namely, "to unite the maritime industry and promote a career at sea",  in mind that the North Branch Nautical Institute embarked on this the latest of their innovative projects.  The Tall Ships Race 2005 will provide a week long spectacle on the banks of the Tyne  that will see their vision become a reality and provide many youngsters with the opportunity to learn more about a life and a career at sea. 

Those lucky enough to have secured a berth on Duet will enjoy an experience which will live with them for many years to come.

Shiptalk extend their support and best wishes for this commendable event.

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Original Tall Ships Etchings - For Sale

To coincide with the visit of the Tall Ships to Newcastle , local artist (and P&I Club lawyer) Mark Robinson is making available a series of hand printed etchings on the theme of sailing ships. Inspired by the photographic work of Alan Villiers, each picture is an original print, signed and numbered by the artist, and issued in a strictly limited edition of 20 copies. Image size is approximately 30 x 45 cm.

To see scanned images of the original artwork, click here. (Please note this file is approx 2Mb in file size and may take a few moments to load into your browser window. Alternitively to download this file to your pc (zip file) click here.

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