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Dear Shiptalk Readers,

Welcome to this the December 2007 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.

Shiptalk.com……reading you loud and clear

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HEADLINE ARTICLE
Salary & Employment Benefits Survey – A career at sea is it still worth it?

The second survey in the Shiptalk Life at Sea Survey 2007/8

Nobody ever thinks they're paid enough, but some wages are fairer than others. Part of the onboard payment package always used to include travel and the chance to experience new cultures, at home and abroad.

How times have changed! Today when fast turnarounds in port affect shore leave and increased workloads and smaller crew sizes lead to an increasingly lonely existence for those at sea, the second “ Shiptalk - Life At Sea Survey ” looks directly at wages and payment packages to ask today's seafarers a simple question, “Is it still worth it?”

There's more to any job than just the amount people are paid, but with changing conditions the work-to-reward ratio may be changing. Is money all there is to it these days, or does life at sea still provide a more exciting lifestyle than any job on land? Some people wouldn't give it up whilst others wish they already had. The second in the series of the “ Shiptalk - Life at Sea Surveys ”, asks the serving seafarer exactly what's happening at work, providing a unique voice for mariners around the world.

To have your say you can access the survey online or if you prefer you can complete a traditional paper-based questionnaire at selected seafarer centres around the world, the “ Salary and Employment Benefits Survey ”, finds-out exactly what seafarers think they're worth today.

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Book Launch - “Oil and Water and Expensive Mix”

tBook Launch - “Oil and Water and Expensive Mix” What you need to know about U.S Criminal Liability - The second in the series of Shiptalk's pocket sized legal guides

SHIPTALK Publishing are pleased to announce the release of the second in their series of pocket sized legal guides designed to translate complicated laws and regulations into easily understandable legal advice for the modern day mariner.

“Oil and Water an Expensive Mix!” has been produced in collaboration with leading U.S. maritime attorney George M Chalos of law firm Chalos, O'Connor and Duffy.

In our opinion there is nobody better qualified to talk us through the issues relating to the so called “Oily Water Separator” cases in the U.S. and how these issues may affect your career at sea.

If you are unfortunate enough to become involved in one of these cases we believe that the advice in this guide will ensure you are well prepared for the legal struggle that may lie ahead.

Oil and Water – An Expensive Mix , is a must read for any one starting their career at sea deck officers and engineers already at sea, superintendents, vessel operators/managers and their insurers.

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CRUISE
Sailing on thin ice

In this modern day world of excess and unparalleled freedom, the mantra of the wise is slowly becoming “Just because you can, does not mean you should”.

Often this philosophy of restraint applies merely to scoffing burgers, attempting to invade Iran and spurning opportunities to shimmy with dodgy dates at the disco…however it perhaps should be applied to the oh so modern opportunity of Antarctic vacations.

In light of last month's highly publicised sinking of the cruise ship “Explorer”, after an allision with an iceberg, it seems the very notion that such a pristine watery wilderness should be filled with whooping and hollering holidaymakers needs to be re-examined.

The drama started when the starboard bow of “Explorer”, a 30-year-old veteran of Antarctic cruises on a trip to retrace the steps of Sir Ernest Shackleton, made contact with a dagger-shaped ice floe just below its water line. The jagged ice tore through the ship's steel bulkhead into one of the cabins.

Passengers were awoken by the crash and by ice-cold water gushing into the vessel. They rushed to the upper decks to sound the alarm, and as the “Explorer” began to list at 25 degrees, an order was given to abandon ship.

In what was dubbed by many a “Titanic moment” for adventure holidays, the stricken liner sank into the dark icy waters of the Antarctic, its passengers, were then left to huddle together for warmth as they floated for hours in sub-zero temperatures, not knowing when or if they would be rescued.

In the spirit of true adventurers, the passengers apparently countered their fear by cracking jokes about the original icy ship disaster, the 1912 Titanic tragedy, when the liner sank with the loss of 1,490 lives.

Though actually trying to think of an appropriate joke would distract you, as there aren't actually that many Titanic jokes that spring to mind, well aside from young DiCaprio's Irish/Italian/Indian accent that is. Mind you, what do you get if you cross the Atlantic with the Titanic? About half way…

Anyway the jokes weren't the only funny thing, as surely the winner of most appropriate surname on the whole cruise went to Bob Flood.

Flood, a scientific journal editor and ornithologist who had joined the £4,000-a-head cruise to give lectures about birds, said: “We didn't panic because we knew there must be other cruise ships in the area”. Let's just hope that Sally Sinking and Derek Disaster weren't onboard any of them.

Eventually the Mayday messages were picked up by two other liners, the “Nordnorge” and the “Endeavour”, and by a Brazilian warship. They took five hours to reach the scene as a Chilean navy helicopter hovered overhead and coastguards from Falmouth co-ordinated the rescue with their counterparts in Argentina and the United States.

The “Nordnorge” used its own lifeboat as a “lift”, lowering and raising it to bring the 91 passengers, nine expedition staff and 54 crew of the Explorer aboard 10 at a time from their four lifeboats and eight dinghies.

The “Explorer” finally sank to the icy depths, 75 miles north of Antarctica . The veteran ship was, according to some experts, fit for purpose and well equipped to deal with the condition, while a number of past deficiencies might suggest otherwise.

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Dental Flops

In a rather excruciating news story to emerge last month, a woman who had dental cleaning performed during a cruise vacation was reported to have teeth that "looked as though they had been dipped in acid".

Carla Regan, 47, was on a two-week cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean with her husband and two children when she decided to treat herself to the US$250 treatment.

However instead of a dazzling Hollywood smile, she was left with yellowing, easily stained and dry teeth after a chemical typically used for disinfecting swimming pools stripped away the top layer of tooth enamel on her front eight teeth. Ouch!

The treatment, using chlorine dioxide, was of a kind increasingly being offered to consumers wishing to brighten up their smile, despite evidence that it causes harm. Mrs Regan is now facing a US$10,000 bill to restore her mouth's appearance.

The General Dental Council has determined that only a registered dentist can carry out teeth whitening, yet the cruise ship treatment was provided by beauticians in an onboard spa, with no dentist even to supervise, she said.

Mrs Regan said no doubt through gritted teeth, “The beauty salon on the ship was offering teeth whitening and I thought to myself, why not? It seemed like an appropriately indulgent thing to do on holiday – they promoted it as non toxic and safe. However, a week later I noticed my teeth were starting to look stained, and with time they only got darker. I also constantly had a ‘dry mouth' feeling, so I decided to see a dentist to tell me what could be wrong.”

So there you are, be warned – don't do at sea what you wouldn't do ashore

The last time we met a dentist on a cruise ship was in Panama , he said he was looking for the root canal. Mind you it must be tough dealing with teeth all the time. We once knew an award winning dentist, and the only prize he got was a little plaque…ha ha ha!

Hopeless and Helpless

Some people simply shouldn't be allowed out the house, let alone out to sea, and one such “special case” is Stanley Ross.

The hapless Cap'n Stan set out one Saturday morning last month in his newly acquired 27-foot open-decked boat the “Boy John”, on what might have been a routine journey from Alloa near Edinburgh to his home in Thurso on the Pentland Firth .

However, not all went quite to plan… Ross, 36, was spectacularly ill-equipped. Armed only with a mobile phone, he set sail without any navigation equipment, no charts, an unreliable radio, out-of-date emergency flares, no anchor and navigation lights held together by sticking tape.

In assessing the seaworthiness of the good ship “Boy John”, one official remarked, "It's like an enormous rowing boat".

Not unsurprisingly then, the weekend jaunt went a little awry, and it eventually took four lifeboats, eight coastguard teams and a search and rescue helicopter two days to find him, after scouring 300 square miles of open sea.

When he was rescued with engine failure in storm-force seas, he was unaware he was nearly 100 miles north on the Pentland Firth, one of the world's most treacherous channels, and 20 yards from colliding with the rocky island of Swona. By then, his mobile phone battery was dead too.

It was the second time Mr Ross had foundered over the same weekend. Early on the Saturday a lifeboat towed him into Aberdeen harbour after his engine failed. That evening, he set sail again.

He was "delighted" at being rescued unscathed and brought on to dry land, safe and sound - but remained unrepentant, and was adamant he had been experienced enough and properly equipped, but for the force eight winds which blew up.

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SAFETY/WELFARE
Cash is King

Safety concerns are often bandied around the shipping industry, and many a respectable owner is chided for not investing heavily enough, while bad operators often simply pay lip-service to the very concept of safety.

In attacking shipping companies it is often the “gold standard” of the oil majors that is held up as all things wonderful, as vetting inspectors look to ensure ships meet their, oft boasted, stringent standards.

However, all does not seem to be well in Oil Major land , especially within the rigs and offshore sector. Damning rumours and accidents are beginning to eat away at the long held belief that safety is paramount to such companies, and that money never comes into the equation when investing in doing the “right thing”.

Indeed the safety regime at Britain's North Sea oil operators was condemned last month in a report by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with the report going as far as stating that the industry had “lost the trust of the regulator as a result of the failings uncovered by the three-year study”.

Inspections revealed that almost 60% of North Sea oil platforms had problems that oil companies should have addressed, according to the report.

Judith Hackett, chair of the Health and Safety Commission, warned that individual companies could be "named and shamed" if standards were not improved at a time when oil had reached almost $100 a barrel and operators were enjoying high profits.

The HSE's study, which covers nearly 100 rigs and platforms, concluded that senior managers inside the oil industry were "not giving ongoing maintenance sufficient priority".

Graham Tran, regional officer of the Unite union, said "Oil companies make huge profits; there is no excuse for falling short on safety".

The results of a large number of inspections by HSE staff were graded on a "traffic light" system, and an incredible 58% failed to meet the standards demanded by the HSE.

Hackett said the regulator could not trust the oil industry to rectify the problems without supervision. "There has been a lack of leadership and that is one of the things that has got to change," she said. "We will be closely monitoring the industry to ensure that it raises its standards."

Malcolm Webb, chief executive of the lobby group Oil & Gas UK, said no one in the industry was in any doubt about the importance of safety and more than £3bn had been spent on this area.

Perhaps there is still more investment needed, as last month also saw a "very serious" fire on a North Sea platform with 159 people on board.

A major rescue operation was launched to evacuate crew from the Thistle Alpha platform after smoke and flames were seen, though thankfully all were rescued and the fire extinguished.

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Poor people

According to self proclaimed “Lizard King”, and Doors front man, Jim Morrison people are strange. According to the North of England P&I Club people are plain useless.

In fact it is people – well more particularly their lack of skills and training, which are to blame for the recent surge in human-error claims, and which is the reason for next year's substantial increases in P&I insurance costs.

Speaking at the India Shipping Summit 2007 in Mumbai, Captain Savraj Mehta one of the club's directors, said that shipowners worldwide faced significant increases in their P&I premiums due to the extraordinary level of claims, many of which were due to simple errors by overworked and under-trained officers, crews and shore staff.

Where there's a claim there's blame, and according to Mehta, “The unprecedented length of the current freight-market boom, the rapid growth of the world fleet and insufficient investment in the recruitment retaining of high quality, professional seafarers means there are simply not enough good people out there running the ships themselves or providing the necessary support and experience from shore”.

According to Mehta, the record P&I claims facing the shipping industry have much to do with the lack of experience now often seen on today's ships. “Relatively minor incidents are developing into unnecessarily major claims because basic procedures are not being followed or simple common sense is not being applied,' he said. ‘Seafarer education is now so focused on running ships in accordance with procedures that when an incident occurs for which there are no procedures, crews do not always have the training, initiative or experience to think independently.”

Mehta added that North of England's recent claims experience also suggested the shortage of seafarers is having a detrimental knock-on effect on the availability, experience and competence of pilots, vessel superintendents and other shore staff vital to ship operations.

So there we are, plain and simple, it is going to cost to get shipping standards back on an upwards trajectory – so better to invest in people, their training and education now rather than wait for the P&I Club to get bad-tempered when you keep making claims and to hike your mutual premium.

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More Vodka

How do you think you would react in the event of a serious collision?

A tough question and perhaps you can never really guess…but for one Polish sea captain who managed to crash his 2,000-tonne ship into an unmanned gas platform, the answer was a rather surprising glass raising response.

Captain Zbigniew Krakowski was reportedly on the bridge of his vessel, “Jork”, as it steamed through the North Sea from Germany to North Lincolnshire , but was preoccupied with his computer and was sat with his back to the ship's bow, only occasionally looking forward to check on progress.

As they got closer to the unmanned platform, the chief officer told him to alter course - but the alteration never came and “Jork” continued towards the rig, the Master only realising the danger when the vessel, which was loaded with wheat, was 100 to 150 yards away.

Krakowski, a seafarer with more than 30 years' experience, tried to alter its course, but it hit the Viking Echo gas platform, 40 miles north east of Cromer, Norfolk .

The Jork continued another 500 metres before it stopped and started listing. It sank a day later. The seven crew members jumped in to the sea and were rescued by a passing boat.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that after the accident, the Master opened a bottle of vodka, often reserved for tipping stevedores unloading the ship. Yes folks that's “after” the accident…we are sure he wouldn't have been tipsy before hand, and that alcohol would have in no way led to his error of judgement or impaired his seafaring skills.

Anyway whenever the drunken stupor began, Krakowski, from Szczecin , pleaded guilty to being nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit and also admitted entering a 500-metre exclusion around the platform.

The platform is still out of operation, losing £615,000 a month in revenue. Work cannot start on repairs until next April at the earliest, the court heard, and the damage caused has been estimated at approximately £10m.

As our old Uncle Andrzej used to say, “Nie pij gdy prowadzisz, za duzo sie rozlewa”, which roughly translates as “Don't drink and drive, you'll spill too much”.

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Clubbing Together

Residents of the southern English village of Fawley , near Southampton have reacted to a dreadful callous attack on an innocent seafarer in their village.

They have joined together to raise thousands of pounds for the parents of an Indian sailor who collapsed and died after a “race hate” gang attack in the sleepy village.

Police launched a murder inquiry after Gregory Fernandes was confronted by a group of about 20 youths as he and a friend walked through Fawley during October.

Now locals have collected more than £5,600, which will be sent to the family via the Seafarers' Centre in Southampton , as it was revealed that his parents are facing a bleak financial future as a result of his death.

Some of the money was raised at the Falcon Hotel, Fawley, where Mr Fernandes had a soft drink just minutes before he was attacked.

Licensee Roger Bray said the main reaction to the sailor's death had been shock and dismay. He added: "We're all ashamed that something like this has happened in our community and decided to do something to help his parents."

A post mortem proved inconclusive and further tests have been carried out in a bid to establish the cause of death, meanwhile ten local teenagers arrested on suspicion of murder have been released on bail, pending further inquiries.

Raising such funds is a worthy effort, but perhaps if many a parent in this “peaceful” community had put more effort instead into raising worthy young people in the first place, poor Mr Fernandes would still be alive.

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LEGAL
Killing in the name…of business

As the oil majors wrestle with making their utopian safety ideals a reality, well known safety guru Dr Phil Anderson, Managing Director of ConsultISM Ltd, recently spotlighted a rather pressing added incentive to invest in safety.

Dr Phil has reminded the industry that the "Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007" will come into force early next year, and as such states that “Ship Owners, chief executives and other senior managers of ship operating companies should waste no time in considering the potential exposure of their companies”.

Although owners and chief executives may not personally serve prison sentences if their company is found guilty of corporate manslaughter, the activities of senior management and the ISM Designated Persons will be under the spotlight.

Accidents can happen, and occasionally, people lose their lives as a result. Up until this time, under existing legislation in the UK, it has been difficult to bring a successful prosecution against a company for manslaughter, but this is about to change and companies need to wise up…fast!

The Courts will now have an instrument which may allow a successful prosecution, and each company, and every manager within a ship operating company – especially the DPA – should be asking themselves some searching questions about how they manage safety, how they prove and record their efforts and how they can continually improve.

As is so often the case salvation can be found in the pages of The ISM Code, and if a company's systems are robust enough then there shouldn't be any need for the DPA or Chief Exec to worry their pretty little heads…but are they good enough is the question.

Standing before a Dirty Harry style Judge and being asked whether you feel “lucky” is perhaps not the time to best assess your safety regime and systems…and as Dr Phil says, “The ISM Code will be the greatest friend you could ever wish for, or the worst enemy you could ever imagine.”

Even given that Shiptalk has some pretty awesome friends, and some super bad enemies, Dr Phil's words sent a shiver down our spine. So time to dust down that lovely row of pristine folders in the DPA's office to see what you are really meant to be doing, and whether it truly measures up.

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ENVIRONMENTAL
Coughing into coffins

A new study in the journal of the American Chemical Society links pollution from marine shipping to heart and lung disease, and boldly states that globally, ship source pollution may be responsible for around 60, 000 deaths annually.

That's a lot, but wait there's more – the report goes on to cheerily state that the annual number of deaths could rise by as much as 40 per cent by 2012.

The study, published in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology says the damage comes from the sulphur-laden “Bunker C fuel” used by many vessels. These are apparently the sludgy, nasty sulphur clogged dregs of the refining process…yuck, we remember why we always avoided the Engine Room.

Anyway, the study's authors - researchers from four universities in the United States and Germany - conclude the emissions cause deadly heart and respiratory ailments, including lung cancer, mainly in people who live along coasts near busy shipping lanes.

The researchers used two independent inventories of the emissions produced by the global shipping industry. They fed these into computer-run climate models to predict where the emissions are carried by the winds. Using population data from the World Health Organization, they then overlaid the location and concentration of the shipping emissions and population density…and voila we're all doomed!

Mind you, they do qualify all this by stating that the annual number of premature deaths from all outdoor air pollution is estimated to be about 800,000. So hey keep smiling, as the horrid, evil ship borne stuff is a mere blip!

“For a long time there's been this perception that ship emissions are out there in the ocean and they don't really affect anyone on land and I think this study shows that this is clearly false,” said David Marshall, senior counsel at the Boston-based Clean Air Task Force, which co-commissioned the study.

Having visited some rather stinky ports over the years, and yes Middlesbrough we mean you…we always thought the ship's stack actually cleared the air somewhat.

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SECURITY
The Crazy Coast

It was another event packed few weeks off the crazy coast of Somalia last month, with vessels taken, U.S. Navy vessels firing on laden chemical tankers, and with one crew actually managing to fight back and beat some pirates to a pulp.

One vessel seized by Somali pirates was the tanker, “Golden Nori”, but to the chagrin of the bandits, a US Navy destroyer followed her into Somalia 's territorial waters. This was the first time a foreign warship had been allowed to do so.

The Yanks onboard USS Porter then wasted no time in locking and loading, as they sent two pirate skiffs being towed behind the Nori to the bottom of the sea. Yeehaw, eat lead Pirate scum!

This is all well and good, until one realises the cargo the tanker was carrying…oh yes, highly flammable benzene! Boom!

It is good that at last there is a strong, robust and heavily armed response to the pirate problem – but perhaps it may be better to embark on a little research before rattling off thousands of rounds into the vicinity of highly dangerous cargoes. We all love enthusiasm, but guess that the poor sods who have been taken hostage would at least like a chance to be haggled over before being blown sky high in a blue-on-blue.

While fighting fire with fire sounds like a great option, perhaps many crews will take a lead from the high kickin' crew of the cargo ship “Dai Hong Dan” – as they fought the pirates with punches, blocks and ass kicking kung fu.

The “Dai Hong Dan” was boarded and overrun with pirates off the coast of Somalia , and according to the US Navy, “The crew said the pirates had been in control of the bridge, but the crew had retained control of the steering and engineering spaces”.

Being in control of the steering, the crew had been able to turn the ship away from the Somali Coast and out of its territorial waters. When a US helicopter from the destroyer “USS James E. Williams” arrived on the scene and demanded by radio that the pirates give up their weapons, the crew of the, ”Dai Hong Dan” acted and managed to overwhelm the hijackers, leaving two pirates dead and five captured.

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GENERAL
Numbers Game

Last month saw the 20th Anniversary of one of the simplest, yet important developments in global shipping…Resolution A.600 (15), the birth of the humble IMO number.

On 19th November 1987 , an International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) Resolution creating a unique ship identification scheme was adopted at the 15th IMO Assembly session.

This Resolution was designed to provide an international numbering system whereby eligible vessels could be identified by a standard ship number that would remain constant throughout the ship's life; despite changes of registration, ship-type or dimensions and would never be reused following the ship's demise.

Uncharacteristically, rather than re-inventing the wheel and devising a new identification system, the IMO decided their scheme should simply piggy-back onto existing Lloyd's Register ship numbers, which comprised seven digits.

These numbers were useful back then, but their application really went into overdrive with the advent of the ISPS Code, and the requirement to have the IMO number clearly marked onto the vessel.

This was something at the time which caused much consternation to the dear old Cruise industry, as they were fuming at the very idea of sullying the gorgeous looks and designs of their pristine vessels…Mickey Mouse bow spirit good, ID numbers bad!

So here's to the humble numbering system, and the clarity, transparency, security and reassurance they bring. Sadly the numbers haven't yet really been harnessed to introduce any truly memorable sequences…After all who wouldn't want a ship bearing the glamorous “ IMO 0000007”, or the Devilish “ IMO 6666666”?

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Hopeless and Helpless

Some people simply shouldn't be allowed out the house, let alone out to sea, and one such “special case” is Stanley Ross.

The hapless Cap'n Stan set out one Saturday morning last month in his newly acquired 27-foot open-decked boat the “Boy John”, on what might have been a routine journey from Alloa near Edinburgh to his home in Thurso on the Pentland Firth.

However, not all went quite to plan… Ross, 36, was spectacularly ill-equipped. Armed only with a mobile phone, he set sail without any navigation equipment, no charts, an unreliable radio, out-of-date emergency flares, no anchor and navigation lights held together by sticking tape.

In assessing the seaworthiness of the good ship “Boy John”, one official remarked, "It's like an enormous rowing boat".

Not unsurprisingly then, the weekend jaunt went a little awry, and it eventually took four lifeboats, eight coastguard teams and a search and rescue helicopter two days to find him, after scouring 300 square miles of open sea.

When he was rescued with engine failure in storm-force seas, he was unaware he was nearly 100 miles north on the Pentland Firth, one of the world's most treacherous channels, and 20 yards from colliding with the rocky island of Swona. By then, his mobile phone battery was dead too.

It was the second time Mr Ross had foundered over the same weekend. Early on the Saturday a lifeboat towed him into Aberdeen harbour after his engine failed. That evening, he set sail again.

He was "delighted" at being rescued unscathed and brought on to dry land, safe and sound - but remained unrepentant, and was adamant he had been experienced enough and properly equipped, but for the force eight winds which blew up.

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Mission you a Merry Christmas

Well we suppose that seeing as this is the December newsletter that we better make some grudging mention of the impending holiday season…

We thought it would be nice to say something about remembering seafarers that are away from loved ones, etc, etc…but then low and behold news reaches us that as part of their efforts to support this year's Mission to Seafarers Carol Service, The Nautical Institute has wrapped all our lovely, fluffy Christmassy thoughts up in the form of a poem, entitled “Christmas Time on Bridge and Deck”.

Christmas time on bridge and deck
Resolute souls keep emotions in check
Wishing to be home this special time of year
Knowing your prayers keep their memory near

So far from loved ones, so far from friends
Hoping soon the loneliness ends
Looking at photos, reading a love letter
Expecting the Coastguard if nothing better.

Through turbulent seas, and dangerous waters
Longing to hold onto sons and daughters
Staring at bright stars, thinking of sights
The Mission to Seafarers guarding their rights

Keeping their course through the wind and rain
Working so hard, never showing the pain
Crossing the oceans, mile after mile
Dreaming of shore leave to make it worthwhile

So sing up for your seafarers, so far, far away
Your voices bring them closer, do not dismay
Steered toward safety, and home before long
The Nautical Institute guides them from wrong

We couldn't have put it better ourselves, but wipe the tears from your eyes and get supporting The Mission to Seafarers. The Carol Service is held at St Dunstan and All Saints Church, Stepney, London on December 11, 2007 , and is set to celebrate the Christmas story and to remember all those who work on the high seas.

“It will be a wonderful evening,” said the Mission 's director of fundraising, Carol Taylor. Tickets for this year's Carol Concert are now available, priced £25. Ticket price includes complimentary mulled wine and mince pie.

For further information, or to book your tickets, contact Paul Jones Parry on +44 (0)20 7248 5202 or email events@missiontoseafarers.org

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SEAGOING VACANCIES
Current Seagoing Vacancies

BP Maritime Services (BMPS) is the interface between BP Shipping and the Seafaring Officers.  Since it went “live” on 1 st August 2007 , they have looked to develop workable solutions to fulfil the expectations of both BP Shipping and the seafarers.

With  their performance & development officers establish ing  relationships with their  "tagged" officers, there is now an understanding of their aspirations and goals and BPMS can try to support them with mentoring conversations and training through 2008 and going forward thereafter.

BPMS would like to send their best wishes to their seagoing staff during the festive season and look forward to 2008 as the performance and development “Engine” of the business begins to gain momentum and deliver's tangible benefits to their officers.

Jobseekers Register Here    Recruiters Register Here

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SHORE BASED VACANCIES
Current Shore Based Vacancies

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WHAT'S ON WHERE?
Risk Management in Shipping

Thursday 10th - Friday 11th January 2008 Lloyd's Maritime Academy Training Suite, London

Lloyd's Maritime Academy is pleased to bring you this intensive two day seminar to explore the range of new derivatives tools introduced relatively recently to shipping, together with traditional methods of risk management.

Professor Manolis G Kavussanos, PhD, Athens University of Economics Department of Accounting and Finance and Assistant Professor Ilias D Visvikis, Phd, Academics Director MBA in Shipping, ALBA Graduate Business School have led this course that has been run for many years internationally and we are now pleased to offer this excellent training opportunity for the first time in London with Lloyd's Maritime Academy.  Already established as a world-leader in shipping derivatives education, the aim of this programme is to provide high quality training involving practical examples with real data, hands on simulations, exercises and discussions.

•  Two intensive days to fully explore this complex area:
• Identify the full range of potential risks to your business
• Examine and compare traditional methods of risk management
• Explore the latest derivative tools used in shipping
• Assess the best use of freight futures and FFAs
• Analyse the effect of fluctuations in freight rates, bunker prices, interest rates, foreign exchange rates and vessel value prices 

PLUS :   Analytical, practical examples of hedging risks

For further information or to register contact our Registration Hotline on +44 (0)20 7017 5511, visit www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/lm1982 or email my colleague Ken Lovegrove on ken.Lovegrove@informa.com

I look forward to welcoming you to the course in January 2008.

Kind regards,

Marianna Christodoulou
Lloyd's Maritime Academy

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European Dry Bulk Shipping Market Outlook Conference

27th & 28th February 2008 - Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul Turkey

All eyes are now well and truly again focused back on freight rates. China 's insatiable appetite for raw materials and current congestion around the world's major ports continue to fuel rampant freight rates rises across the board. Many analysts are now asking whether it is indeed time to once again adjust the chart scales.

However, the market is not immune sharp falls. In an attempt to escape the turbulence many players in the physical market are now also looking to take a position in the rapidly expanding paper market. With the value of FFA market up to around $56 billion in 2006 this trend is sure to continue.

No matter what your position (physical, paper, or both), it is essential to have the most up to date market information. The European Dry Bulk Shipping Outlook Conference will provide a comprehensive outlook for the major bulk commodities driving the current freight boom. As well as an in depth examination of the fleet outlook, vessel demand & when new ship buildings will affect the market.

Lloyd's List looks forward to welcoming you to Istanbul , in the heart of the flourishing Turkish shipping industry. Where we will provide shipping industry executives and commodity suppliers and buyers with the perfect forum to exchange views and learn about the future for freights.

For further details:

Contact Matthew Trotter
www.drybulkturkey.com
E-mail: maritimecustserv@informa.com
Telephone:+44 (0)20 7017 5525

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6th Edition of Gulf Maritime Exhibition

Expo Centre Sharjah from April 21 st – 23 rd 2008

The sixth edition of the Gulf Maritime Exhibition, the Middle East 's premier maritime event dedicated to meeting the complete sourcing requirements of the commercial, government, leisure, and the military maritime sectors, will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from April 21-23, 2008.

The three-day exhibition, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

Among the exhibits at the event will be the complete range of deck machinery and other vessel equipment, docking equipment, electronics, communication and navigation systems, engine and propulsion systems, fuel and lubricants, ride control systems, sound and vibration control systems, marine interiors, paints and coatings, latest vessel building designs and technology, equipment for fishing, offshore support vessels, cargo ships, tankers, tugs, ferries, and patrol boats, Ship repair and port operations products, and cargo handling services.

Besides featuring a unique exhibit profile, the 2008 edition of the Gulf Maritime Exhibition will host a series of one hour each product presentation seminars and several focused forums and conferences on the sidelines. Whereas the seminar sessions will be an effective marketing tool for gathering potential clients and presenting them with new products and services, the conferences and seminars will be an avenue to introspect on the crucial issues facing the regional maritime sector.

The Gulf Maritime Exhibition has so far had five highly successful editions.  Today, the event is undoubtedly the region's most established maritime trade platform. The maritime sector not only perceives it as an ideal market entry vehicle for the Middle East but also considers it to be an effective networking tool, which is absolutely necessary in the face of the current highly competitive industry environment.

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