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Dear Shiptalk Readers,
Welcome to this the November 2006 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 or comments on any of this month's articles or other issues that you would like to air via Shiptalk.com.
Why not air your news views and opinions on the Shiptalk Forum at www.shiptalkforum.com
Shiptalk.com……reading you loud and clear
SHIPTALKIMAGES.COM
ShiptalkIMAGES.com provides media companies with a helpful image resource for the design and development of online and print media projects for maritime based companies and organisations. Alternatively marine companies may be creating internal documents that would benefit from the use of good imagery. Or publicists who need to bring their stories to life with relevant imagery.
This month we are featuring the work of Ursula Janssen.
We are sure we can provide you with the image you have been looking for so not why not drop us an image enquiry at enquiries@shiptalkimages.com and we will see what we can do for you. www.ShiptalkImages.com
HEADLINE ARTICLE
Shiptalk is “1000” plus news on the launch of ShiptalkJOBS.com
Coming of age is such a special and joyous time of life. For many it happens at 18, when they legally discover the joys of overpriced, fizzy lager – for others it is 21 as they are handed the traditional "Key to the Door".
For Shiptalk.com the coming of age involved the posting of our ONE THOUSANDTH news story. Yes, last month saw us reach this wonderful landmark figure, as we look to the bright future of Shiptalk.com
Shiptalk.com started back in 2002, as a web-based community site, for seafarers. We provided a discussion forum, some insight into the shipping industry and the much vaunted “Shipmates Reunited”.
Sadly “Shipmates Reunited” had one basic flaw…many of you hate the people you have sailed with. Ah we were a little naïve on that one!
As time has gone on the site, and the family of Shiptalk products has expanded far and fast, and there is a definite millennium theme going on this month. The news site landmark has been mirrored by our www.shiptalkimages.com site, which has just received its 1000th image. Shiptalk Images is the place to find quality, royalty free, digital maritime imagery at affordable prices.
We are seeing a huge and increasing volume of readers from around the world, and across all parts of the shipping industry. We are also very soon to launch our exciting new flagship product, www.shiptalkjobs.com
Employers will very soon be able to sign up to check the jobseekers database – so we are encouraging all prospective employees to pre-register their “job seeker” details now.
We are looking to match the growth of our sister sites and to hit the ground running with over 1000 jobseekers – so don't miss the boat, sign up today, visit www.shiptalkjobs.com for more details of this innovative new marine job site.
From 2002 to the present day Shiptalk's aims have remained the same – we exist to provide the shipping industry with news, views, guidance and assistance. We have informed, annoyed, titillated and wound-up many people as the years have progressed – so here's to the future of you, our readers and to Shiptalk.
If you wish to contact us and to become a closer part of the Shiptalk community, please email us your thoughts, or anything you wish to tell us, to newsroom@shiptalk.com
Thank you so much for your support and continued readership…and don't forget to sign up to ShiptalkJOBS for the new job you deserve.
LEGAL
Last month we posted details on our homepage, www.shiptalk.com of a new industry effort to enhance compliance with MARPOL and SOLAS, with the aim of reducing the frequency of related violations at US ports.
BIMCO's new Guide to prepare for Port State Control Inspections in the United States caused many readers to comment…some in praise, some in bewilderment.
Let us try and explain the divergent opinions. The guide is a “cartoon” type booklet – which attempts to provide shipboard personnel with some basic (very basic) ground rules for dealing with Port State Control.
The upshot of the guide is, have a safe, clean ship…and DO NOT LIE to the authorities. All well and good, and many readers did comment that they thought it was a really, clear useful guide which their crew would benefit from. Apparently this was a view shared by the USCG – as according to BIMCO w hen presented with the guide, Rear Admiral Bone, said, “Use of this guide will raise awareness amongst seafarers regarding compliance with Port State Control measures implemented on board ships.”
Now for the backlash, “what are we, children?” said one irate Captain, “Good grief is this the level we have descended to – where kindergarten books are needed to explain the very basics of shipping”, said another equally hacked off Master. “What next? A pop-up version?”
You can judge for yourself by visiting the BIMCO site, www.bimco.dk to download t he guide, which represents the first achievement resulting from the new USCG/BIMCO/Sesame Street co-operation agreement.
We must admit that when we first opened the guide we thought that it was a little, ahem, infantile – but the sad statistics speak for themselves that some seafarers are seemingly ignorant of the facts…so there is seemingly only one option, treat the ignorant like ignoramuses.
All together children, “We must not lie to port State Control inspectors”. Very good class.
If being criminalised isn't enough of a turn off for prospective and actual seafarers – it seems that a new approach is being taken…to bankrupt Masters.
Yes, time to get digging in your pockets for loose change, as a French court fined an Egyptian captain and his employer 500,000 Euros (US $631,000 ) last month, a French record, for flushing out a cargo ship's tanks at sea and creating an oil slick.
“The amount of the fine reflects the infraction and also the deplorable and ill-maintained state of the vessel,” State prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux told reporters.
The ship, "Fast Independence" is registered in Malta and was working for an Egyptian shipping company when officials stopped it off the western tip of France in May last year, steaming ahead as an incriminating 19-km oil slick trailed behind.
Officials involved in the case said the vessel's operator, would incur 90 per cent of the fine.
We are not party to the Master's “real” standing orders nor the true reasons behind the vessel's ill-state of repair, but it seems that too often professionals are being made to stand up and take a “bullet” for the cause – a cause that many may not be able to stomach for long.
We wonder, curiously, whether it was a lack of budget and resources that kept the Master from running a clean, safe ship? Also whether the owners will stump up the other ten percent for their Master?
The fact that Masters can be thrown in jail, can be fined to near bankruptcy, treated like caged animals and patronised by “guide” books really does throw yet more light on an industry that is seemingly intent on pushing it's professionals to breaking point.
The UK recently saw attempts to heal community ills with a crusade to be nice to teenagers – it was nicknamed the “Hug a Hoodie” campaign. Perhaps we need a “Stroke a Seafarer” movement…hmm though on second thoughts, perhaps not.
Search For Compensation Answers
Sometimes a legal decision can initially seem like the best thing ever – a precedent that will change the lives of unfortunates for the better. Then as reality dawns, the sad facts emerge that the very law meant to protect – only brings harm.
It is just such a ruling by the Philippines ' Supreme Court, which looks like threatening the very existence of the Filipino seafarer.
A ruling has emerged, now on appeal, which rules that seafarers who are unable to work for more than 120 days are regarded as permanently disabled and should be compensated accordingly.
That is quite a statement – four months laid up, and bingo you need never work again. A broken ankle, a slipped disc, a bang on the funny bone – and its full disability pay forever.
Now, the concept of adequate and rightful compensation is a good one – but this ruling could see shipowners terrified of going near Filipinos for fear of paying out, forever.
In response to this ruling, and to find out what lies behind the recent growth in the number of seafarers' claims for compensation a conference is to be held on 6 November at which ship owners, unions, crewing agents, P&I clubs and maritime lawyers will look at recent claims due to sickness, injury, disability or death.
The Philippine Association of Manning Agencies and Shipmanagers (Pamas) and International Maritime Association of the Philippines (Intermap), which organised the full-day conference, said the magnitude of the problem has prompted the investigation.
There must be protection for seafarers – but such a wide reaching, and farcical judgement cannot bring with it the natural justice that an injured seafarer wants, or needs. Let's hope common sense prevails, or the manning shortage may have just gotten a whole lot worse.
SECURITY
Sometimes politics can be a rather draining business – talks, more talking and then the wait for action. How then can you cut through the red-tape and get what you want done? The answer is simple…just do it!
Yes, the move towards global long range identification and tracking (LRIT) of vessels has been slow to get going – and even with everything more or less agreed it isn't going to be rolled out for a year or so more – but that's not good enough for some. If a country like, oooh say, The United States wanted to track a ship from, oooh perhaps North Korea – would they sit around and talk about it? No chance!
Which brings us neatly to the fact that the US is reportedly tracking a suspicious vessel that left a North Korean port, even though, according to officials, they are uncertain what it is carrying.
CBS reported that US intelligence suspects that the vessel is carrying military equipment banned under an embargo imposed by UN Security Council in response to North Korea 's October 9 nuclear test.
"The United States is aware of a vessel that has left a North Korean port,'' the US official told the media. The official said it was a `"suspicious ship,'' suggesting that its history was a key reason for watching it.
So, the US can simply watch whatever ships it wants because of their “history”…it rather makes that old-fashioned business of debating things at the UN and IMO look a little quite quaint.
Heck, even when you do take the time to make agreements, they sometimes sit on a shelf getting dusty.
The Suppression of Unlawful Acts at Sea (SUA) treaty, designed to cure so many security ills at sea, such as stopping the carriage of weapons of mass destruction, has not been ratified by a single country (including the United States), despite its being formally agreed a year ago.
The shortcoming emerged as world powers recently grappled with enforcing U.N. sanctions on North Korea that include the inspection of seaborne cargo and possible ship searches in international waters.
The Suppression of Unlawful Acts (SUA) at sea convention makes it illegal for merchant ships to carry WMD and engage in acts of terrorism on the high seas. It also sets out procedures for the world's navies to stop and inspect ships flying the flag of another country.
At the time, Secretary-General Efthimious Mitropoulos urged countries to ratify quickly so that the global shipping industry was fully armed to counteract "the gravest menace it had ever faced".
It seems that it has fallen on deaf ears, "It is a source of tremendous frustration for the organisation," an IMO spokesman said. So far only seven countries (of the 12 required): Australia , Austria , France , Finland , Norway , Sweden and the United States had signalled their intention to ratify, but none had yet done so.
Perhaps these blasé blowhards should take a leaf from more pro-active administration…
Somalia 's new Islamic rulers are claiming to have rid the country of the pirates who terrorised the waters off its shores.
Since the Islamic Courts Union seized control of Mogadishu and much of the south of the country in June, piracy has been virtually wiped out under threat of tough sharia punishments.
The crackdown was highlighted in a recent report by the Merchant International Group, which specialises in advising companies on trading in hot spots around the world.
"The spread of Islamist rule in Somalia under the Islamic Courts Union merits particular attention," the group said. "Over 40 attacks on vessels were reported in and around Somali waters between March 2005 and July 2006, but not a single act of piracy in the area has been reported in the months since."
The drop in piracy is attributed to threats to punish anyone involved with execution or amputation.
This success with piracy mirrors the Islamic Courts Union's triumph in restoring law and order onshore. Though critics do add that the Islamic Courts Union is an al-Qaeda linked movement that plans to bring in tough Taliban-style social restrictions, including banning films and music.
Hmm having seen the Da Vinci Code, and listened to Madonna's awful latest album, that doesn't seem such a bad idea…
For any readers wishing to further assist in the fight against piracy – Shiptalk has been contacted by our old friend, and IMB Award winner, Andrew Mwangura.
Mr Mwangura has written to set out the future work of his organisation, the Seafarers' Assistance Program, and to ask any readers for assistance and donations to help in setting up more excellent schemes and response centres. If you wish to find out any further information please email us at newsroom@shiptalk.com
SAFETY/WELFARE
CHIRP – Three years of CHIRP feedback
CHIRP FEEDBACK 12 has just been released, marking the third anniversary of its publication. Circulation stands at around 140,000 so well over a million copies have been produced and distributed. There is no other maritime publication with a comparable circulation, so it's a pretty big deal and means that your experiences and concerns, as well as being specifically addressed to companies and others, are seen by a significant number of important members of the maritime community and other seafarers in many countries.
CHIRP has published 95 reports to date, just under a third of all reports received. Because of their nature, some of the reports are unlikely to ever be published, although they will often have been forwarded to an organisation for assessment, remain in the secure CHIRP database and are classified for research purposes, so they contribute to trend and key area analysis.
CHIRP processes are designed to ensure the maximum value is derived from every report; if you wish to see your concern published confidentially, there are several options available to you, but if you want to try and actually do something about your concern confidentially, whether published or not, then CHIRP is a very good place to start.
Where we are able to, without risking revealing the identity of the reporter, reports are sent to management, amongst others, and this has happened in nearly a third of the cases sent to CHIRP. Information in CHIRP reports this year has contributed directly to changes in port and ship management practices and resulted in enhanced training, equipment, procedures and processes.
It is difficult to assess the changes which result indirectly from CHIRP reports which are published, as not many organisations take the time to tell us they have responded to an issue they have read. This situation is in marked contrast to CHIRP reports which are sent directly to an operator, where they invariably respond and this is why the programme operates as it does.
Next year will mark 25 years of CHIRP service to the aviation industry and, after successfully completing its trial period which ended earlier this year, there is every possibility maritime CHIRP will follow in the aviation programme's footsteps. What makes it all work? The reports from you, the co-operation of the organisations they are sent to and CHIRP's proven processes which ensure it all takes place confidentially.
If you have a concern you wish to discuss in confidence, please do not hesitate to get in touch.Safe sailing,
Mike Powell
Director (Maritime) CHIRP
October saw the Observatory of Seafarers' Rights organise a workshop to discuss seafarer abandonment, and a database of all the cases around the world over the period from 1995 till 2005.
The need for such research was discussed with lawyers, jurists, sociologists, insurance specialists, trade unionists, and seafarers centre volunteers from several European countries, with the aim of evaluating insurance cover to protect seafarers against abandonment.
Leading UK based marine credit insurance broker Seacurus explained how the financial climate in shipping today is not to dissimilar to that of 15 years ago which led to the proliferation of abandonment cases in the mid to late 1990s, “Financial factors such as - easy lending and overcapacity of ships could lead to a cyclical downturn in the shipping market and a new spate of crew abandonment cases”, commented Captain Thomas Brown, managing director Seacurus Ltd
The workshop considered that a preventive solution to the abandonment problem could be based on a commercial insurance policy triggered by a maximum of 3 months non-payment of wages, whether or not the shipowner still maintained financial ties with his ship.
It was agreed that, in order to work, such an insurance cover would have to be made compulsory by a binding legal instrument to be established either by the IMO or by the ILO. It was felt that the requirement to provide an insurance certificate aimed at preventing abandonment could act as a disincentive to substandard ship operators, including those involved in unlawful activities; and that such a measure would help to restore faith in the seafaring profession.
“Jupiter 6” - False Hope Ebbs Away
Shiptalk readers may remember the sad story of the disappearance last year of the tug, “Jupiter 6” off South Africa .
We had been keeping a weather eye on the world media to see if there were any developments when we were astonished last month to see Tradewinds report that the missing seafarers had appeared alive in a Portuguese jail.
Sadly it seems our disbelief has been vindicated, as subsequent reports from India quoted that, "A faux pas on the part of the government gave false hopes to ten Indian families whose members have been missing after their ship disappeared somewhere off the South African coast in September 2005.
The report went on to say, “Finally, when the confirmation came that it was a case of mistaken identity, the families plunged into new depths of depression."
It seems that news had been spread to the grieving families that a number of Indian seafarers were being held in a Portuguese jail.
No doubt due to their desperate need for news, the rumour was eagerly seized upon by the desperate families. The case of mistaken identity was initially further compounded by the Indian Governments' mistaken confirmation that the seafarers were from the “Jupiter 6”.
Sadly a couple of hours later, the authorities informed them that the Indians in the Lisbon jail were from another ship, "MV Luna Delmar", apprehended in 2002 for smuggling. 2,000 kg of drugs,
For the families, this is yet another hammer blow, possibly even crueler than the first, as their emotions wax and wane.
The families have been complaining that Pelmar Shipping, the Mumbai-based manning agent, failed to inform them about the missing ship on time and even refused to pay salaries of the crewmen after the month of September.
Let us all hope that the mystery is solved before too long, to either re-unite the loved ones – or ease their torment and uncertainty.
Accidents have often been attributed to many wild and wonderful causes.
Over the years, the blame has been put on alcohol, fatigue, mobile phones, portable computer games, chart corrections, lack of intelligence and a whole host of other fantastical ideas – but never to our knowledge have we heard suggestion of an accident being blamed on “love”.
As questions continue to swirl around the sinking of the ferry "Queen of the North" in British Columbia , Canada , the ferry union boss is dismissing as irrelevant a romantic relationship between two crewmembers on the bridge when the vessel crashed.
Stories have persisted of an affair between the helmsperson and junior officer since the ferry sank. For those of you interested in accident reconstructions, the helmsperson is female, and the officer male.
B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers' Union president Jackie Miller says there is no evidence the relationship had anything to do with the sinking. It's fine to deny such a thing – but someone has obviously been trying to make it an issue.
Is nothing sacred? Shipboard personnel are often not allowed ashore, they may be abandoned, fined and humbled…but now this is surely the last straw, when seafarers are even banned from love!!!!
It is a very sorry day indeed when a 3 rd Engineer can't express deep emotions for the Chief, or the 3 rd Mate can't look deeply and lovingly into the eyes of the Bosun. They'll be banning “The Love Boat” from TV next.
It certainly puts the CHIRP reports about “spills” being blamed on too much pumping into a new and wonderful context
GENERAL
MCA Wants A “Chief”, Not A Captain
Fed up with your boss? Looking for a new challenge, or maybe searching for a little glamour and excitement? Well look no further my friends – Shiptalk has just the thing to brighten your dull existence – yes, you could be the next Chief Executive of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
What's that you say? You don't know enough about ships…never fear, as you need not even know your Flinders Balls from your own Poop.
So certain are the MCA that they don't want another bloomin' seafarer mucking things up, that t he £115,000 a year post was first advertised in the Sunday Times. No, neither the MCA website, nor the maritime press appear good enough this time round.
As you may have gathered the job vacancy wording has already raised eyebrows across shipping, with the explicit stipulation that “a shipping background is not essential”. The advertising also calls for “an inspirational leader” with “the ability to be credible” with the agency and the wider industry.
Now we at Shiptalk are a little old fashioned, and despite the little hiccough caused by the perceived error in past recruitment strategies, we believe that a "shipping background" is exactly what the Head of the MCA needs.
So come on readers, dust off those CV's; we know that just the inspirational and credible leader is there in the shipping industry ranks just waiting to be given this new command.
Good luck! If the former Chief Exec, Captain Bligh's tenure is anything to go by you may need it.
Shipbrokers are great aren't they…where would shipping be without them?
Well we got a quick glance at the future last month when an unauthorized eBay listing for the Rochester , NY high-speed ferry attracted a $29.8 million bid.
There was no popping of champagne corks at City hall however, as the online bid was dismissed as "absurd" — possibly with good reason, as the only eBay item previously bought by the winning bidder was a cell phone for $50 in August.
"I'm not going to comment on a practical joke," a city spokesman said after the listing received an initial bid of $29,750,000.
The EBay advertisement was apparently placed to help generate attention to the ferry, not to embarrass the city, said the locally based seller, David Draper, who's bright idea it was to place the advert.
"They say any publicity is good publicity,” he cheekily added…before possibly going away to put the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge on his EBay “shop”.
The City pointed out that Draper can't legally sell the ferry, what with not actually owning it.
Time to look away shipbrokers – Draper added that if the sale does turn out to be genuine he will not take any commission. What sacrilege!
TRAINING
New Product Focus - Ship Arrest DVD
The 11 th Annual Comprehensive Guide to Ship Arrest is now available on DVD !
Lloyd's Maritime Academy in association with Shiptalk is pleased to announce the launch of a DVD which includes the seminar papers and filmed presentations from 6 key industry leaders.
The seminar which took place at Lloyd's Maritime Academy Suite in London is part of a series of LMA seminars which have been running for the past 30 years.
The DVD will provide you with an overview of conventions relating to ship arrest and will examine the challenges of obtaining security in a variety of jurisdictions
The two day intensive seminar DVD incorporates:
- The P & I Club's View of Ship Arrest
- Managing the Arrest Process
- Ship Arrest in India , Denmark , China and UAE
The DVD has been accredited 6 hours CPD by the Law Society of England and Wales with.
For further details on how you can obtain your copy of the seminar DVD simply email Sarah Jane Adams at sarah-jane.adams@informa.com or call +44 (0) 20 7017 4018
WHAT'S ON WHERE?
COLLISION – CONTROLLING THE CHAOS - The Master's Role
The Nautical Institute North East Branch 14 th Mariner and Maritime Law Seminar 10-11 November 2006 Hilton Newcastle Gateshead
This November will see the North East Branch of the Nautical Institute host the fourteenth seminar in their successful series of “The Mariner and Maritime Law” seminars.
The seminar will take place on the 10 th – 11 th November 2006 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel, overlooking the river Tyne .
The seminar titled “Collision – Controlling the Chaos – The Master's Role”, is sponsored by a host of prominent companies in the shipping industry, including, OSG , Brookes Bell, Smit and LOC.
The seminar will examine the position of the master in the aftermath of a collision.
Leading industry experts will look at a wide range of issues with which the Master must concern himself post collision including; salvage, managing the media, communications with head office, who he can expect onboard post collision, how shock and trauma can affect decision making and what lessons can be learnt from the aviation industry.
The seminar has been a proven success over the years from both an educational and networking perspective. This year will be no different. Over 150 delegates from around the world are expected to attend. Everyone with an interest in seafarers, the environment, ship management and international trade will have something to contribute and something to learn.
This year has seen an unprecedented number of early bookings and seminar organisers would urge delegates to register as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
The seminar programme and registration form may be downloaded from the Branch website: www.ninebranch.org or obtained from Denise Huddleston,
tel: +44 191 232 5221 or email niseminar@nepia.com
Seminar to show new ways to meet demand for better qualified seafarers
A seminar to demonstrate a new approach to knowledge sharing in the maritime operations will be held in London on 10th November. This will present the results of studies by a multi-national EU team.
As the time spent at sea gets shorter and shorter few seafarers serve no longer than five years and change then to positions ashore. Is sea time still sufficient to experience all aspects of a seafarer's profession? How can we provide trainees and teachers with better access to learning materials?
Answers to these questions and others may lie in a new Knowledge Management System. ‘ We need a system that will help manage information, processes and knowledge in the shipping sector. Useful information often resides in various documents, projects, processes, and most of the time in people's heads. Too frequently this knowledge is either not stored or is difficult to retrieve when necessary. Information about practices usually reside in a particular individual's head and is even more difficult to capture and use,' explains Prof Becker-Heins of Bremen University .
Knowledge Management System – a solution proposed
The system now being piloted captures all the different kinds of information existing in our profession and makes it easy for seamen to capture, store and disseminate information. The knowledge stored is accessible to search parameters and operate in the same manner as the human brain: it will collate, organise, store and retrieve information in a fast effective manner.
Opportunity Identified
Announcing a seminar to be held in London on 10 th November, Captain Uwe Zellmer, project chairman, recently of Hanseatic Shipping, Cyprus addresses the heart of the matter. He says, ‘Shipping will benefit from:
- bringing a structure to unstructured information in knowledge capture and creation;
- enable successful patterns to be recognised and stored as best practises; and
- permit innovation from this knowledge – brainstorm, apply tacit knowledge to existing problems, develop new techniques, processes and products'
The seminar will be held on Friday, 10th November 2006 at 10.30 at the offices of ITF, 49-60 Borough Road , London.
The programme includes demonstrations, question and answer session, a Seasonal Social Gathering and press conference.
To attend apply now to Mrs Mary Corck Tel: +44 1403 733070
email: Mcorck@marine-info.co.uk
Admission is free but places are limited so please book to attend.
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