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Dear Shiptalk Readers,

Welcome to this the November 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.

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HEADLINE ARTICLE
Maersk Invests Thousands in Training

One of the world's largest shipping companies is investing £1/2 million in training with South Tyneside College over the next 12 months.

The Maersk Company has been working closely with South Tyneside College since it opened its Newcastle training centre in February 2007. A true partnership, Maersk instructors work alongside South Tyneside College personnel to deliver courses in crew resource management training and ship handling skills to a selection of Maersk's 2,500 staff.

Now Maersk has booked 40 weeks of training throughout 2008 with South Tyneside College to upskill around 400 of its staff. The contract is worth an estimated £1/2 million and means that the College's new bridge simulator is already fully booked for the whole of next year.

Richard Booth, General Manager of Maersk Training Centre in Newcastle , is pleased that the partnership is working so well and is already looking at new speculative projects with South Tyneside College . He said: “The facilities at South Tyneside College are second to none and provide an ideal training environment for our staff.

“It is these facilities and the quality of teaching and support on offer which have helped to secure our deal with the College to deliver next year's training needs.

“In fact our working relationship is going so well, we are now looking at a new potential project with the College to build a liquid cargo handling simulator. The College is currently assessing demand to see if the project is viable.”

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SAFETY/WELFARE
Mental as anything

Fetch me a bucket of steam, go and get a tin of tartan paint. Bend over and find the golden rivet…Ah life at sea – what a wonderful knock-about life of japes, “characters” and endless high jinx.

Surely there is no harm in a bit of ribald funning about? Well actually it seems such japery can blind ship and shore based managers to psychological disorders and distress amongst sea staff.

According to the London P&I Club, the ‘robust' shipboard environment and culture is often not conducive to early recognition and sympathetic treatment of such problems.

A report in their Stop Loss Bulletin has drawn attention to the continuing need for recognition and understanding of psychological disorders affecting those employed in the shipping industry. In the report the Club indicated that psychological problems are often not identified, or dealt with, as quickly, as knowledgably or as sympathetically as is the case with physical illness and injury.

It was also stated that one in three seafarers repatriated with a medical escort suffer diseases related to psychological disorders.

The Club quotes Prof Francesco Amenta, CIRM Scientific Director, who stated that issues including stress, anxiety and depression should be handled at the earliest possible opportunity.

So there you are, time to add a new item on the Safety Meeting agenda – Group Counselling…and then perhaps a big group hug to finish?

Actually, joking aside, your Editor once sailed with a young chap who suffered a complete breakdown while at sea – and did actually commit suicide upon his return to home. All very sad, but this is a real problem, and perhaps while the idea of group hugs is vaguely humorous it should be noted that with today's cabin culture of DVD's and computers there is a real lack of human contact and compassion aboard ships today.

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Ocean Highway Code

Rules are often the bane of the talented, resourceful and those with initiative, indeed far too many safety management systems have those working under them floundering under the sheer weight of control and compliance.

Life as a motorist isn't quite as bad, but a UK motoring lobby recently reacted to the latest 133-page Highway Code by issuing its own version – in just 100 words.

Safe Speed says you cannot replace skilled human judgement with a rule book – however big it is. As a result, Safe Speed's Highway Code covers the rules in exactly 100 words:

“Drive on the left. Make sure you can see and be seen. Keep a constant look out all around. Be aware of signs and regulations and why they are there. Be predictable.

Recognise and anticipate danger and keep clear space from it. Always ensure that you can stop within the distance that you know is clear. Develop your skills.

Give courtesy, co-operation and space to others. Don't obstruct them.

Never take risks, drive unfit or compete with others.

Safety is paramount and far more important than priority. Take personal responsibility for your safety and the safety of those nearby.

Enjoy.”

Safe Speed founder Paul Smith said: “We're not seriously suggesting the official Highway Code should be replaced with just 100 words of advice to drivers, but the reason we have done this is deadly serious.

“We need to point out to Department for Transport that they have lost sight of the essential foundations of road safety, and their new Highway Code loses sight of these foundations in a morass of rules.

Taking this example we have tried to condense the seagoing “rule of the road” into a similar bite sized morsel…

“Drive on the right...

Keep a constant look out. Be aware of charted hazards, regulations and why they are there. Follow the rules and be predictable.

Recognise, anticipate and correctly react to danger. Always ensure you can stop, slow or alter course within a clear distance. Develop your skills.

Give courtesy, co-operation and space to others. Don't obstruct them.

Never take risks, and never keep watch while unfit or fatigued.

Safety is paramount and far more important than priority. Take personal responsibility for your safety and for the safety of those nearby, and of the environment.

Enjoy your leave!

See simple really isn't it…

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Safety Goes To Pot

Canadian Transportation investigators have warned that marijuana use by ferry crews on Canada 's West Coast was a clear risk to public safety.

The Transportation Safety Board issued a warning note to BC Ferries saying it had learned that several crew members on the ferry “Queen of the North”, which sank last year after running into an island, "regularly smoked cannabis between shifts, both on board and off the vessel."

The federal agency said that while it heard about drug use during its investigation, there was no evidence the “Queen of the North's” bridge crew was under the influence of cannabis at the time of the sinking in 2006, which killed two passengers.

One hundred and one passengers and crew were forced to abandon the sinking vessel. Two people are still missing and believed to have died when the ship went down.

"Ferry crews whose performance is impaired by cannabis are a clear risk to the traveling public," TSB Chairwoman Wendy Tadros said in a statement.

It seems the sinking of the “Queen of the North” has really uncovered an incredibly squalid little corner of the maritime world – at first there were rumours that the collision was caused because the Watchkeepers were “making out”, and now comes this allegation that half the crew are pie eyed on pot….,“Hey man is that like an island up ahead?”…”Yeah, cool!”

Perhaps it wasn't the drugs that caused the accident, maybe it was because the watchkeepers were too busy watching Cheech and Chong movies, raiding the galley for Scooby snacks, or discussing classic Seventies kids TV shows?

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Ferry Disaster

It is a far too common and hugely depressing occurrence to have to sit down and write of yet another ridiculous and avoidable ferry disaster in some far flung corner of the world.

After the sinking of the Malaysian Mersing-Tioman ferry in October, we are yet again faced with another recent loss, as at least 31 people were killed and 125 rescued after a ferry sank off Indonesia 's Sulawesi Island .

The 22-metre long ferry is understood to have sunk when passengers, “clambered to the boat's roof to make mobile phone calls when they couldn't get a signal”, according to transport ministry official Djoni Algamar.

"The ship lost its balance and capsized," he said, adding that only 60 names had been on the ship's manifest, though reports indicate that between 150-190 people were believed to be on board.

Tragically residents near the town of Bau Bau on southeast Sulawesi are understood to have been able to hear survivors screaming and pleading for help after the “Acita 03” sank.

In developing nations, particularly island ones such as Indonesia sea links are understandably crucial, but sadly this need for transport is not match by a desire to police the safety standards.

The accident is the latest in a string of transport disasters in Indonesia , which back in February prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to call on passenger boat operators to improve safety after scores of people were killed when a ferry caught fire off Jakarta.

In December last year, about 400 people drowned when another ferry sank off Java.

The Malaysian and Indonesian governments are reportedly considering new regulations for old ships…but rules (and indeed high minded words) don't work if they are not enforced – so perhaps more rules aren't the answer a better system of maritime policing seems to be the order of the day.

In the wake of the Mersing-Tioman ferry loss, which sank after a fire and which claimed 9 lives, The New Straits Times was quoted as saying, “Malaysia is blessed in that there is a law for every situation; you name it and we have it all. Tragically, the mountains of statutes have done nothing more than to earn for us a reputation of being an over-regulated and an under-enforced country, with the usual, predictable consequences”…this malaise seemingly applies to their near neighbour across the Straits.

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ENVIRONMENTAL
Nautical Institute Talks Dirty

You can always rely on the Nautical Institute (NI) as a voice of informed reason, and their latest missive to the industry regarding pollution and the management of people is one truly worthy of discussion.

The NI claim that despite there being lots of rules in place, and despite the reams of paper on board telling crews what to do, there seems according to their Sea Going Correspondence Group (SGCG), to be something of a divide developing.

It is not enough to simply tell seafarers to get on with it, and make the right things happen, improvements are urgently needed to make the current rules work. With regulations affecting everything from bilge oil and sludge, cargo waste, garbage, air emissions and ballast water, Captain Harry Gale, NI Technical Manager stresses that, “Rules and management systems do not work in isolation. Urgent action is needed to ensure that people onboard have the equipment, the guidance, the motivation and empowerment needed to act on pollution”.

In examining why there appear such difficulties in complying, there are reportedly repeated failures by many owners to engage in a positive interpretation of the rules and procedures, and to communicate these to their shipmasters.

To make rules work it is vital to engage with those charged with implementation. Captain Gale, says, “It is not enough for management systems to state what should be done, there needs to be an increasing effort by owners to ensure that their words are matched by the right equipment, training and a real commitment to connect with those onboard”.

Owners need to convince those onboard that they are truly serious about tackling pollution. With the risk of enormous financial penalties and with jail time a real possibility, owners who simply relax and assume all is in order can get a real shock when things go wrong.

Companies cannot simply pay lip service to the rules, and tangible action is needed to guard against complacency, to mitigate the risks of mistakes, and to guard against errors of judgement. Tackling pollution is a team effort.

Further to this the London/Solent Branches of The Nautical Institute are holding a conference entitled “Pollution from Ships” at the Novotel in Southampton on 9/10 November 2007.

There will be a mix of legal and technical papers put together with a view to increasing the knowledge of maritime, legal and insurance professionals in this always high profile and highly topical aspect of shipping. The conference carries 5 hours under Law Society CPD training requirements.

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Wine onto Water

Saving the world isn't always best left to Superheroes you know, in fact it seems that boozy winos may be about to do their bit to turn the Earth back from environmental oblivion.

Indeed, while alcoholics might not be the obvious choice as eco-champions, in looking to supply these boozehounds with their Pinots, Chardonnays and Blue Nuns a major UK supermarket chain has shifted its wine distribution from the roads and onto the waterways.

Tesco will use the Manchester Ship Canal to move crates of wine from the Port of Liverpool to an inland bottling plant, and in doing so is set to become the first major retailer in England to start transporting goods by canal, hopefully a step that will spark others to look to the sea and waterways.

The retailer says the move will mean hundreds of lorries can be taken off the roads, reducing congestion and cutting carbon emissions, and reportedly already has plans to use other canal links across Britain .

The new cargo service is set to make three journeys a week, delivering an estimated 600,000 litres of wine on each journey along the 40-mile stretch of the canal.

Tesco distribution director Laurie McIlwee said: "This move will be like taking a step back to the pre-car days of the late Victorian era when a lot of cargo was still transported by canal, and is a step forward in helping to address today's important environmental issues”.

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SECURITY
Fight Night Club

Hollywood has long recognised the appeal of a good old ding dong brawl. From John Wayne's flailing haymakers in “The Quiet Man”, the classic bar room brawls in “Carry on Cowboy”, and “Back to the Future 3”…and let's not forget the wonderful “Blazing Saddles”…but these picture house punch ups pale into insignificance with the rumble which took place in the usually peaceful setting of Suva, Fiji last month.

Ding, ding round one…

A mass scrap between Vietnamese and Indonesian seafarers started in a nightclub and spilled onto the streets of Suva .

No doubt over a women or a spilt lager…

Ding, ding round two…

The running battle saw knives and even an axe allegedly used.

Do you suppose they actually took an axe ashore with them? Anyway…

Ding, ding round three…

Witnesses said over 20 sailors started fighting near the Suva City Library and later ran towards a local park where it came to a head.

"They came running in and started fighting in the park. We could see knives and choppers being used," said a barbecue vendor, Eremasi Tiko, 26. "One of the men seemed to be hurt badly with blood streaming down his face and was lying on a bench nearby," he said.

Ding, ding round four…

Officers from the Central Police Station arrived at the scene an arrested some of the men who remained in the vicinity.

"When the police arrived some of them started to run towards the wharf and one of them jumped over the seawall," Mr. Tiko said.

Ding, ding round five…

After rounding up many of the troublemakers, Divisional Crime Officer Southern Superintendent Tevita Lesu said the sailors were remanded in custody at Central Police Station awaiting an interpreter.

It's a knockout!

Incredibly those involved in the brawl were from the same vessel, which not unsurprisingly was prevented from leaving port pending investigations. See, if only people would listen to the London P&I Club and be nice to each other instead of knocking seven bells out of their shipmates.

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Pirates on the up again

These blasted pirates just won't go away will they…yes, once again The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has sadly had to break the news of yet another increase in the number of armed and violent attacks around the world, especially off the coasts of Nigeria and Somalia.

The IMB reported that worldwide piracy attacks increased to 198 from January to September from 174 recorded in the same period of 2006.

From that total, 15 vessels were hijacked, 172 crew members were taken hostage, 63 kidnapped, 21 assaulted and three killed, the agency said in its third-quarter piracy report.

As you might expect Somalia remained one of the key hotspots for violent pirate activity with a total of 26 incidents compared with eight cases in 2006.

An even more shocking and damning statistic was the fact that nine vessels were hijacked, and 85 crew taken hostage. Add to that the breaking news of another attempted attack on a UN Food vessel, “MV Jaikur II” and the hijack of the Comoros registered ship, “Al Marjan” and it is patently obvious that the problems are not going away.

Captain Thomas Brown of marine kidnap and ransom specialist insurance brokers Seacurus (www.seacurus.com) called the attacks, “a dirty stain on the image and reputation of shipping”. He said “The numbers of people being taken hostage and the levels of violence in these high risk areas are simply unacceptable”. He recognised that urgent action is needed as '”pirates are seemingly operating with brazen arrogance as they seize vessels hundreds of miles off the coast before holding the crews, cargoes and ships to ransom”.

As these increased figures were released there have been reports emerging of the dreadful treatment meted out by pirates to the crews of two South Korean fishing vessels off the coast of Somalia .

It seems that the kidnapped crews are subjected to severe and regular beatings as well as some psychological torment, as they are regularly fed rice mixed with sand to eat.

These revelations emerged as the Master of one of the vessels was in contact with his government appealing for urgent help, saying the pirates were demanding an unspecified amount of ransom.

Captain Han Seok-Ho reportedly spoke of “living like animals", and stated, "The situation is very dangerous. They dragged us to the beach and beat us with metal pipes". Han said he had bruises all over his body from severe beatings, and he and some crew members were suffering from malaria. "I begged them to kill me," he said.

This is the violent dreadful reality of modern kidnap piracy – crews treated like dogs, being forced to beg for intervention and for ransoms to be paid. We cannot continue to seemingly tolerate this, as the calls for action wallow and flounder on the whims of international diplomacy innocent seafarers are dying…so what are we waiting for?

If we are waiting for some tin-pot unelected and frankly hopeless local government to act it'll be a long wait, and as the local head of the United Nations food agency was reportedly abducted this month by the very same Government forces it seems clear that there is neither the will nor the ability to act!

Just before sending this Shiptalk newsletter out it seems the Somalia situation has grown ever more acute – there has been a Japanese chemical tanker hijacked, and reports have been emerging of a very fortunate escape for one brave North Korean crew who seemingly fought back despite the risk of injury.

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Piracy Plans and Schemes

Having got hot under the collar at the lack of progress in Somalia it's probably only fair to look at some recent positive steps, and in particular an innovative plan to tackle piracy and crime syndicates around central and West Africa 's ports and Exclusive Economic Zones.

In essence the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) security division has provided a platform and link between 24 West African states to bring together their coastguards with bodies such as Interpol, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and High Commissioner for Refugees, navies, insurers and other ‘action' partners.

IMO maritime security Chief Chris Trelawny says that the project is “moving along nicely”. He said IMO's remit is maritime security, including energy security (of tankers and port installations) combating piracy, ensuring safety at sea, vessel seaworthiness and port security.

It is important to spell out the importance of seeing the bigger “crime” scenario surrounding piracy, and the natural links to organised crime with its additional global networks.

Naturally in such developing countries many do not even have the money for fuel, never mind the hardware to run adequate surveillance at sea or port security.

Mr Trelawny is realistic in his downbeat prognosis, especially when patrol boats ‘gifted' by rich nations are often stuck in port because crew have no training for action or basic maintenance. However, he states that action is vital and no-one can simply sit back, “We do not care if it is the navy [or] the army in a couple of canoes, so long as somebody is doing it” he said.

Inaction in some places is killing the efforts to beat criminals, and it is very positive to know that the IMO wants everyone to act at whatever level. No-one can simply sit back and watch the IMB numbers continue to go up and up, and this realisation that small changes can indeed add up to a real concerted effort against criminals, and will inevitably have a positive effect on piracy.

Fingers crossed!

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The Weakest Link

Since 2004 it has long been accepted that onboard management and understanding of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code has been fairly good. People at sea appear to know the basics, and set about applying them as best they can.

The same has not always been the same for ports, and in light of some new research it seems that ports are once again being viewed as the weak link in the chain.

Several East African ports have recently been audited by the US “Anti Terrorism Assistance Office”, which has prompted urgent steps to improve existing standards.

Following two such audits in the Port of Mombassa , Kenya 's government has announced it is upgrading anti-terrorist security at the port and the Kenya Maritime Authority admitted there were shortcomings that made it a "soft target" for terrorists. There are also problems noted with container congestion causing poor verification and tagging. While, excessive free movement of unauthorised people and a lack of efficient security camera surveillance have heightened the risk.

While ports across the US, EU, Far East and Australasia have in the main invested, and taken port security seriously, it is the disparity across different ports that cause such headaches for ships.

Load a cargo in some developing countries and you are at risk of attack because their security is inadequate, then when you arrive in your super-efficient discharge port you are hit with all kinds of trouble because your last port hasn't done enough to secure itself…double jeopardy.

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GENERAL
Underwater Attraction

A British MP wants a Royal Navy ship to be sunk off the coast of a Southern holiday town to provide an attraction for divers and help re-invent the area's tourist economy.

Tobias Ellwood's idea is to clean up a warship and remove the engine, before sinking it to a depth of about 25 metres off the coast of Bournemouth .

"It would soon become inhabited with marine life and can provide a whole new water sports attraction," said Mr Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East.

The idea may sound novel but it has already happened in several places.

The frigate HMS Scylla was sold for £200,000 to the South West Development Agency, and then sunk off Plymouth in 2004, becoming a popular diving attraction.

Mark Smith, head of Bournemouth tourism, said: "An attraction that enhances water sports has strong appeal. However, an exciting idea like a sunken warship would need careful consideration."

The idea of deliberately sinking ships comes from the popularity of diving to the wrecks of ships sunk in battle.

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Model Mariner

Modelling is something that has always fascinated Cap'n Shiptalk – and no not because of hours looking at glossy magazines before going to shave hairy palms. We are talking the gentle art of miniature boat building, and the amazing story we heard recently of one man's obsession with building his own ship.

Actually when we say “miniature” it seems that Francois Zanella, a 58 year old former mine worker wasn't listening when he built his cruise ship at his home in Moselle, North-Eastern France.

This is far from your average matchstick QE2, as his “model” is 33.5m long, 4.75m wide and weighs 90 tons. Yes indeed that is one big Airfix kit!

Francois built his ship based on the model of Royal Caribbean's 1992 cruise ship “Majesty of the Seas”, and as well as good looks and clean lines it also shares the Majesty name. He started building his ship back in1994. By that time, he had already spent more than 3,500 hours designing in excruciating detail all the components of the ship. It took him 11 long years to build the ship.

Building this ship was apparently dream come true for Francois, which is just as well bearing in mind he spent 25,000 hours on this mega back-yard project.

The mini-Majesty is now all finished and “Captain” Zanella proudly sails her around the canals of main land Europe .

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Sofa So Good

Norwegian Rescue teams mounted a frantic search for a missing sailor recently after a boat was found wrecked off the Norwegian coast.

The rescue was launched after witnesses heard a loud crash, just before midnight and then found the wreckage of a boat when they went to investigate.

A search for the man was immediately launched in the sea off the coast of Bærum , a suburb of Oslo .

After unsuccessfully scouring the waters and the coastline the only clue they found was a bag near the wreck with an address tag on it.

The police duly arrived at the address to inform the family of the accident, and to no doubt console them on their tragic loss. However, once at the property the police were greeted by the boat owner who had been “relaxing on his mum's sofa” with a few bottles of booze.

Police spokesman Tore Haugen said, ‘We have a suspicion of intoxication and a blood sample has been taken. He can at least expect repercussions for not reporting the accident,' commented.

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SEAGOING VACANCIES
Current Seagoing Vacancies

This month we are pleased to welcome Anglo Eastern to ShiptalkJOBS.com.

Anglo-Eastern firmly believes in "People", "Leadership" and " Technical Excellence" as the foundation of reliable and effective service.  As a result, the group has grown steadily over the years and been rewarded with ever increasing employee loyalty.

In selection of both sea and shore based staff, Anglo-Eastern maintains an industry leading standard of recruitment and training; developing staff in a friendly, inter-active working environment, geared towards continuous improvement.

"Professional and career oriented seafarers need to be nurtured and developed from cadets." and t o help in achieving this goal, Anglo-Eastern has opened its own purpose built training centres in Mumbai, Manila & Guangzhou; providing theory and practical based courses including simulation. The state-of-the-art training facilities provide an excellent environment for the development of professional, career-orientated crew.

With the strong belief that good crew run good ships, the Company is actively involved in the continuous on-board training of its crew as well as the sponsorship of apprenticeship programmers. This ensures that training remains focused and relevant to the requirements of the industry.

If you would like to hear more about Anglo Eastern please go to www.shiptalkJOBS.com and register your interest today.

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?
The 8th Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference
Tuesday 13th - Friday 16th November 2007 The Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila

Returning once again to the Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila , Lloyd's List event is delighted to announce the 8th Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference.

Supported by other events during a full week of manning & training activity the conference will address the reality that shipping is facing greater challenges in manning & training than ever before.

Training & retaining sufficiently well qualified seafarers & preventing further erosion of maritime skills will be the key focus of the conference - already a major concern for the industry with shortages leading to spiraling wage costs.

The conference will cover the need for investment in human resources plus corporate, social & environmental responsibility. Industry leaders & experts will also assess the regime of increasing & changing regulation - even criminalisation - which seafarers have to contend with.

After the main conference, against the backdrop of crew quality issues in the wake of manning shortages, an interactive workshop will undertake an 'Assessment of Crew Competence'.

As well as the educational benefits of the pre & post event workshops, the conference & accompanying exhibition will offer outstanding opportunities for you to network & discuss common issues with leading industry experts & peers.

Manning & Training week is enhanced by the first IFSMA Forum on the Revised STCW. The Philippine Manning Convention will also host their own event preceding the 8th Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference.

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2nd Annual Tanker Derivatives Conference

Lloyds List Events presents the
2nd Annual Tanker Derivatives Conference
Thursday 15 th – Friday 16 th November 2007
Sofitel St James London

The only event of its kind, Tanker Derivatives is a valuable 2-day programme, presented to you by Lloyd's List events . Focusing specifically on raising awareness about the wet FFA market and the potential for continued development, this event has been designed to address several of the key industry questions:

• How can derivatives help me make profit from market volatility?
• How can tanker derivatives help manage risk exposure?
• What are the major challenges and opportunities in this market?

A panel of industry experts and derivative specialists from companies such as Heidmar Inc, Merrill Lynch, Overseas Shipholding Group Inc., Statoil ASA , to name a few, will examine the key issues surrounding Liquidity growth in key contract; Risk management; Opportunities in Tanker FFA options; Bunker fuel oil derivatives market; Challenges in clearing and Developments in the OTC market.

This event will give you an opportunity to explore your options in this market, with key inter-active workshops offering delegates the opportunity to gain practical knowledge on FFA basics and further exploration of tools and methods essential to intelligent FFA trading.

An excellent opportunity for networking and information gathering, the event will be attracting a broad scope of professionals from a wide range of industry sectors including: Shipowners, Oil Traders, Market Analysts, Banks and Financial Houses, Brokers, Traders, Underwriters, Insurance Companies, Charterers, Financial Directors and Oil Majors.

To receive more information regarding this conference, please email Marianna Christodoulou on marianna.christodoulou@informa.com with your full contact details or visit our website at www.shipfinanceevents.com/lm1951?WT.ac=ST_link

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Background to Shipping Seminar - A complete introduction to shipping in just 5 days!

Monday 3rd-Friday 7th December 2007 New Connaught Rooms, London WC2

For more information visit www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/lm1963 or call Nitin Kundra on +44 (0)20 7017 4237 or email nitin.kundra@informa.com

Lloyd's Maritime Academy is delighted to announce details of the 9th Background to Shipping seminar. This intensive 5 day training programme is essential if you are new to the maritime industry or if you need a refresher course.

Chaired by Rodger MacDonald, Secretary General, International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations, this seminar will enable you to gain a thorough introduction to, and understanding of all the maritime fundamentals. Our speakers are selected for their expertise and ability to create an atmosphere that encourages interaction and learning.

The seminar includes a case study, running throughout the five days. Working in small groups, the case study will give you a practical understanding of the issues you need to be aware of as a member of the shipping community.

Seminar Highlights Include:

• The shipping industry in a global economy
• Who's who in the maritime industry
• The rules of the trade and enforcement
• A glance at ship building, conversion and repair
• Vessel types and design overview
• Sale and purchase of ships
• Financing a ship
• The role of classification societies
• Who's who in maritime law
• Charterparties - an introduction
• The role of the ship broker
• Maritime insurance
• Human resources on board ship - crew and management
• Seaworthiness and cargo worthiness
• Maintaining the ship
• The port
• Image and crisis management
• Salvage and wreck removal
• Maritime security – crime, piracy and terrorism
• Environmental management
• Future outlook for shipping
• Seminar round-up

The Background to Shipping seminar is being held at the same time as the Maritime Executive MBA seminar (www.lloydslistevents.com/lm1964) and the Introduction to Ship Finance seminar (www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/lm1965) providing delegates with outstanding opportunities to network and discuss common issues with leading industry experts & peers.

So don't hesitate - come to Maritime London and spend a week learning about the maritime industry in the world's premier maritime centre!

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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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