The Sea, November/December 2013

8/14/2019 The Sea, November/December 2013

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Issue 226 nov/dec 2013

Los

artculosen espaolaparecenen laspginas6 y 7

The Sea

Editor: Michael KeatingNews: David Hughes

The Seais distributedfree to seafarers throughchaplains and seafarerscentres. You can alsoarrange to receive itregularly at a cost of 3.50or $5 per year (six issues).To find out more, contact:

Michael Keating, The Sea,The Mission to Seafarers,St Michael PaternosterRoyal, College Hill,London, UK EC4R 2RL

Tel: +44 20 7248 5202

Email: [email protected]

www.missiontoseafarers.org

Are wesailing intothe future?page 8

Vitalaction onpiracypage 2

. 6 7

UNHCR

praisescruise shipcrew forrescue

New guidesto boostdangerousgoodssafety

MLC 2006detentionsstormpage 3

Registered charity in England and Wales: 1123613

The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited,Registered charity: SC041938

THE UN HighCommissioner forRefugees (UNHCR) haspraised the crew of the113,000 gt Bermuda-

flagged cruise shipCrown Princess, fortheir part in helpingrefugees in a smallcraft in distress inthe Mediterranean inSeptember.

The ships medicalteam gave urgentmedical care to apregnant womanwho safely gave birthafter being taken byhelicopter to hospital.

UNHCR spokesmanAndrej Mahecic said :We commend thequick and noble actionof the captain and thecrew of the cruise shipCrown Princessin goingto the rescue of a groupof Syrian refugees onboard a sinking boat inthe Mediterranean sea.This action is in linewith obligations under

international maritimelaw and [the] long-standing tradition ofrescue at sea.

PICTURED here off the coast of the Italian island of Giglio, the Costa Concordia, which grounded on January13 2012 with the loss of 32 lives. The ship has been righted by engineers in what is being described as the mostexpensive wreck salvage ever. The next stage in the ships removal process will take place in 2014. (Photo:Reuters)

Founded in 1856, and

entirely funded by

voluntary donations,

todays Mission to

Seafarers offers emergency

assistance, practical

support, and a friendly

welcome to crews in 260

ports around the world.

Whether caring for victimsof piracy or providing a

lifeline to those stranded in

foreign ports, we are there

for the globes 1.3 million

merchant seafarers of all

ranks, nationalities and

beliefs.

The Mission toSeafarers

LIABILITY insurer UKP&I Club has revisedand reissued the fourbooklets in its Book itRight and Pack it Tight

series.First produced

eight years ago, theyhave been updated tocover changes broughtin by amendmentsto the InternationalMaritime DangerousGoods (IMDG) Code.

The club notes thatwith 16,000 to 18,000teu containershipsin service, the risk ofincidents with hugeconsequences isgreatly increased.

Four PowerPointpresentationswhich support theguidebooks can be

downloaded fromhttp://bit.ly/16HfrBC.

The insurer is alsooffering a free mobileapp that complementsthe guides andprovides access toinformation in theIMDG Code DangerousGoods List.

THE wrecked cruise ship,the Costa Concordia,now upright, is to be

floated onto a salvage shipand carried away for breakingup.

The wreck, which is off theItalian island of Giglio, is to befloated on to the submergeddeck of the massive heavy-l i f t sh ip, the Dock wise

Vanguard, and transportedto a demolition yard, whichmeans that the biggest ship-righting job ever carried outis now to be followed byanother ground-breakingsalvage operation.

In a parbuckling operationthat took 18 hours tocomplete, salvors used cablesand steel water tanks to rollthe ship on to a platform on

the seabed on September 17and 18.

Salvage master Nick Sloanesaid: I think the whole teamis proud of what they achievedbecause a lot of people didntthink it could be done.

However, celebrationsof the achievements of thesalvage companies TitanSalvage and Micoperi were

tempered by the knowledgethat the body of one victim,Maria Grazia Trecharich, hasstill not been found.

In October the cruise shipsowner, Carnival Corporationsubsidiary Costa Crociere,contracted specialist heavy-liftshipping company Dockwiseto load and take away theConcordiawreck.

The Doc kwi se Vangu ard

is the worlds largest semi-submersible ship and wasinitially designed to transportoffshore oil and gas structures,but it can also carry othervessels and act as an offshoredry dock facility. When itsballast tanks are flooded,the ship deck submergesbelow the surface, allowingit to handle deep-draught

cargoes. Dockwise said somemodifications would needto be made to enable theDockwise Vanguardto carry theConcordia.

Meanwhile the trial ofthe ships master, FrancescoSchettino, has got under wayin an Italian court. CaptainSchettino has blamed theIndonesian helmsman forfailing to follow his orders and

putting the wheel the wrongway just before the ship wentaground.

However, his opinion hasbeen contradicted by a panelof independent experts whosaid the delay following thewheel order would not havestopped the ship, which wasmoving through the water atover 14 knots, from hitting

the reef.The helmsman, Jacob

Rusli Bin, is one of fivecrew members who struckplea bargains in return forlight sentences earlier thisyear and he was convictedof manslaughte r. He wassentenced to 20 monthsimprisonment but it is widelybelieved that he will notactually serve time in jail.

Costa Concordiarightingsuccessfully completed

The most expensive salvage operation in history

www.missiontoseafarers.org

@FlyingAngelNews

themissiontoseafarers

www.missiontoseafarers.org @FlyingAngelNewswww.facebook.com/themissiontoseafarers

Armed guards ship arrested in Tuticorin, IndiaTHE Mission to Seafarers has made a special plea to the Indianauthorities, after a Mission chaplain in Tuticorin, India, wasdenied access to the arrested crew of the US-ownedMV SeamanGuard Ohio.

The ship was engaged in anti-piracy patrols in the region,and was arrested on October 12 after it allegedly entered Indianterritorial waters. Police originally detained 33 of the 35-mancrew, allowing two to remain on the ship. However, now all 35,including British, Ukrainian, Estonian and Indian nationals,are being held in a police jail. One of the crew has attemptedsuicide whilst being held.

The Revd Canon Ken Peters, director of justice and welfareat The Mission to Seafarers, said: Whilst there is an ongoinginvestigation, seafarers are being detained and as yet have

had no access to any welfare facilities. There have alreadybeen reports of a suicide attempt by one of the crew, and thisunderlines the ordeal that these seafarers are facing. No doubtthey would appreciate, and be entitled to, counselling which

the Mission has offered. This offer has not yet been successful.The Mission is concerned about the proliferation of armsand especially when in the hands of those untrained in theireffective use. Differing accounts of their certification need to besorted out, but in the meantime the seafarers must be cared for.

Whether the seamen are guilty of any crimes or not is yetto be established, and we look forward to a wise and soundjudgement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Delhi, whichwill help the Mission to find a solution and to gain access forthe chaplain to see the crew.


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2 the sea nov/dec 13

Captainconvictedafterfishingcollision

Cat fineswarningSHIPS engineers willhave to do more toensure the purity of fuelused in ships enginesbecause main enginesare increasingly suffering

from excessive wearcaused by catalytic (cat)

fines in the fuel oil,

according to inspectioncompany Braemar.

Catalytic fines aremicroscopic aluminiumand silicon particles thatremain in marine fuel oilas a result of the crudeoil refining process. Theycan become embeddedin engine componentsand cause abrasive wear,leading to significantinsurance claims.

Paul Hill, thecompanys chief surveyorin western Europe,recommended that all

fuel received on boardshould be treated as ifit contains cat fines and

that the fitting of catfine analysis equipmentshould be considered.

Mr Hill pointedto a discrepancybetween InternationalOrganization forStandardization(ISO) standards forcat fine content andengine manufacturersrecommendations.The ISO standard is amaximum 60 ppm butthe leading main enginemakers, MAN B&W and

Wartsila, specify that fuelwith a maximum of 15ppm cat fines should beused in their engines.

IMB chief reminds the world of the plight of 64 seafarersstill in captivity as attack statistics stay down year-on-year

Naval action helps keeppirate attack figures low

THE Internat iona lChamber of CommerceInternational Maritime

Bureau (IMB) says that piracyworldwide is at its lowestthird-quarter level since 2006,but warns of the threat ofcontinuing violent attacksoff the East and West coastsof Africa.

The latestIMB Piracy Reportshows 188 piracy incidents inthe first nine months of 2013,down from 233 for the sameperiod last year. According tothe figures, pirates hijacked

10 vessels, fired at 17 andboarded 140.

Hostage-taking appearsto have fallen markedly, with266 people taken hostagethis year, compared with 458in the first three quarters of2012. On top of an additional34 kidnappings in 2013, one

seafarer has been killed,twenty have been injured,and one is reported missingas a result of pirate attacks.

Attacks off Somalia havecontinued to fall dramatically,wi th jus t 10 incidentsattributed to Somali piratesthis year, down from 70 in thesame nine months of 2012.Attention has moved to theGulf of Guinea, where over40 piracy attacks in the firstthree quarters of 2013 sawseven vessels hijacked and132 crew taken hostage and

34 kidnappings.IMB director Captain

Pottengal Mukundan said:Although the number ofattacks is down, the threatremains, particularly in thewaters off Somalia and theGulf of Guinea.

Its vital that masters

continue to be vigilant. Thevital role of the navies offthe coast of Somalia shouldnot be underestimated. Theirpresence ensures that piratesdo not operate with theimpunity they did before.

In October there was ademonstration of both thecontinuing threat and theeffectiveness of the navies. OnOctober 11, the VLCCIslandSplendor was attacked, butafter an exchange of gunfirebetween the pirates and theships armed security team,

the attack failed. Three dayslater, a Spanish fishing vesselwas also attacked, allegedly bythe same pirates.

Nava l fo rces t r acedthe pirate skiffs and anarmed boarding team fromAustralian warship HMA S

Mel bou rne boarded and

searched the boats, detainingnine suspected pirates andlater destroying two skiffs andtheir equipment.

C o m m a n d e r B r i a nSchlegel, commanding officerof theMelbourne, said: Thereare still pirates determined togenerate income from takingships hostage. Mariners havebeen served a timely reminderof the perils of transiting theSomali coastline.

As of 30 September, Somalipirates still held 64 seafarers,with 15 crew members on

vessels and 49 being held onland. 37 of them have beenheld for over two years.

Captain Mukundan said:Although attacks havefallen we should not forgetthe desperate plight of theseafarers currently held inSomalia.

THE former masterand first officer ofthe 82m high-speedferry, Condor Vitesse,have been convictedof manslaughter by aFrench court.

Captain Paul LeRomancer and Yves

Tournon were on thebridge of the ferry,which was travellingat 36 knots, whenit hit and sunk theFrench fishing boat LesMarquisesoff Jersey,killing the boatsskipper.

Captain LeRomancer wasbanned from servingat sea for five yearsand received an18-month suspendedjail sentence whileMr Tournon got asix-month suspendedsentence.

They were ordered

to pay combineddamages of 8,000(US$10,800) to theboat skippers widow,3,000 to each ofthe skippers childrenand 2,000 to eachof the two survivingfishermen.

Pirates being transferred from HNMLS Van Amstel upon arrival in the Seychelles (Photo: EU NAVFOR)

Fumigantdangers

A UK Marine AccidentInvestigation Branch(MAIB) investigation hashighlighted the dangersof using fumigants whencarrying cargoes such asgrain.

Last December afumigated cargo of maize

was being dischargedfrom the general cargovessel Arklow Meadowin

Warrenpoint, NorthernIreland, when fumigantretainers removed fromthe cargo holds started tosmoke and it was realisedthat the fumigant was stillactive.

Eight of the ships11 crew and one dockerwere taken to hospital

for observation anddecontamination amid

fears they had beenexposed to phosphinegas. It took five days forthe level of phosphinegas in the vessels cargo

holds to reduce to a safelevel.

The effects ofbreathing in phosphinecan include headaches,dizziness, burning chestpain, nausea, vomiting,chest tightness andtremors. Convulsions mayalso follow an apparentrecovery.

The UKs Maritimeand Coastguard Agencyhas now issued asafety warning on thecarriage of fumigatedcargoes. This can can bedownloaded at http://bit.ly/1bqoDKB

A NIGERIAN court has dropped charges of arms traffickingagainst seven Russian seafarers almost a year after their ship the

Myre Seadiver, operated by the Moscow-based Moran Security

Group, was detained for alleged illegal entry into Nigeria andillegal possession of a large quantity of arms.

Weapons found on board included 14 AK-47 rifles and8,000 rounds.

The charges against eight other crew members who werealso arrested in October last year were dropped in June. ReutersTV reported that defence lawyer Ogidigba Mobosa said twoNigerians who had been aboard the ship had been chargedwith wrongfully telling the Russians they had permission to

enter Nigerian territory with the weapons. Reuters reportedthat the Russian seafarers did not explain why the arms wereon board during the court hearings.

The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the court verdictand said in a statement that it would help future bilateral ties.

In March this year Moran went public in its demands for therelease of both the ship and the crew. It stated categorically thattheMyre Seadiverwas conducting professional and legitimatecounter-piracy operations along Africas western coast, thatthe crew had flown into Nigeria with visas and that the armshad been declared and specific permission for them to be onboard obtained before the ship entered Nigerian waters.

Myre Seadivercrew finally freed after weapons arrest

StewardsloseworkloadappealSIX senior stewards whoworked for cruise lineNCL have lost an appealagainst a ruling that thecompany did not haveto pay them penaltywages in a disputedating back to 2006.

In September 2012a US court acceptedthey should be paid

compensation becausetheir workload was soheavy on cruise turn-around days that thestewards had to payother crew members tohelp them prepare theirassigned passengercabins.

The court ruled,however, that NCL hadnot acted unreasonably,as it genuinely believedthe stewards couldcomplete their dutieswithout helpers, andbecause of this it wasdeemed not liable topay penalty wages.

In October this year

an appeal court upheldthe ruling.

However, thestewards, and 24 morecrew members in asimilar position, will stillbe paid the amountsthey had to pay theirhelpers.

RUSSIAN authorities, which had originally charged the crewof the Greenpeace shipArctic Sunrisewith piracy, have sincedowngraded their charges to hooliganism.

The ship was seized by Russian security forces after twoactivists tried to climb on to a Russian drilling rig to protestagainst oil drilling in the Arctic in September.

The Arctic Sunrise was towed into the Russian port of

Murmansk and all the crew detained. At least 14 of the 30-man crew were formally charged with piracy of an organisedgroup, an offence that carries a 15-year prison sentence.Greenpeace rejected the charges as irrational, absurd and anoutrage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the activists were notpirates but may have broken international law, although theRussian Investigative Committee, Russias equivalent of theUS FBI, said peaceful aims would not justify what it describedas an attack that posed a threat to the rig and its personnel.

After weeks of sustained international political pressure, theRussian authorities reclassified the charge to hooliganism,which could result in a seven-year prison sentence for thearrested crew members.

Greenpeace activists arrested in Russia on piracy charges

Questions? Comments? Post on our Facebook page or send us a Tweet!

@FlyingAngelNewsthemissiontoseafarers

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An EU NAVFOR approach team boarding a pirate skiff in the High Risk Area (Photo: EU NAVFOR)

The Arctic Sunrise travelling through the North Sea(Photo: Will Rose/Greenpeace)


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nov/dec 13 the sea 3

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 has been the causeof a few storms in shipping since its entry into force

First detentions reportedunder MLC 2006

Watchkeeperfatiguestudies

MARITIME Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006)detentions in Canada and Denmark were among thefirst to be reported following its entry into force in

August, with both theLia Min Canada and theAtlantic Carrierin Denmark being stopped over lack of employment contracts.

In the case of theLia Mcrew complaints included: unpaidwages; a collective bargaining agreement that lacked thevessels name, a date or a wage scale; crew with no money,no shampoo, toothpaste or other items; a crew member whohad twice been refused access to a doctor, and crew membershaving been forced to sign blank contracts.

In both cases the ship operators acted to become MLC-compliant.

Russia and Spain also detained ships on MLC 2006grounds during the first few weeks of its coming into force.Only countries that had ratified MLC 2006 on or beforeAugust 20, 2012 are entitled to conduct PSC inspections onMLC compliance. Within the Paris MOU area 12 states arenow enforcing the MLC: Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus,Denmark, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia,Spain and Sweden.

However, Koji Sekimizu, the secretary-general of theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO), said MLC 2006marked significant progress in the recognition of seafarers rolesand the need to safeguard their wellbeing and their workingconditions. He added: This is a truly important landmarkfor seafarers; and for shipping, on which the global economyrelies.

Meanwhile, a row over Panamas exclusion of cadets fromits definition of seafarers has caused a stir in the shippingindustry.

Jon Whitlow, the ITF seafarers section secretary, told TheSea: Panamanian circular MMC265, which excludes cadets, isstill in force. The ball is now firmly in their (Panamas) courtto see reason and act to remedy this provision, which is clearlycontrary to MLC 2006.

The circular, issued to shipowners by the Panama MaritimeAuthority, contains a list of personnel that the registry doesnot consider to be seafarers under the terms of MLC 2006.It includes cadets, superintendents, armed guards, specialistoffshore technicians and any other person or category of

persons as indicated by the administration. MLC 2006 definesa seafarer as any person who is employed or engaged or worksin any capacity on board a ship to which this Conventionapplies.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said: We dontaccept that cadets should be excluded from MLC 2006 and weare appalled that Panama is seeking to argue that they are notconsidered seafarers.

It is very disappointing that the worlds biggest shipregistry is already seeking to undermine the agreed aimsand ambition of MLC 2006 and we are actively challengingPanamas interpretation.

The UKs Maritime and Coastguard Agency also recentlyannounced its decision to not class armed guards as seafarerswhen working on UK-flagged ships.

AS CONCERN increas-es over human safety,environmental damageand commercial loss,Southampton SolentUniversitys WarsashMaritime Academy has

been awarded US$1.5mby the TK Foundation tolead an additional inter-national research projectinto seafarer fatigue.

The new project,MARTHA, will continuethis research and pilotsome of the recommen-dations made by expertsat Warsash and theStress Research Instituteat Stockholm University.

An earlier project,HORIZON, has led tothe production of a pro-totype fatigue predictionmodel, created specifi-cally for shipping. Basedon research within other

industries, it predictslevels of fatigue amongwatchkeepers. The newproject will test thesepredictions at sea.

Better shipsatcomscuts costsA VESSEL using satel-lite communicationsto their full potentialcould cut running costsby nearly US$200,000,according to InmarsatMaritime president,

Frank Coles.Mr Coles said that

shipowners shouldweigh up the cost ofinvesting in improvedsatellite communi-cations against thesubstantial benefits.

Speaking duringLondon InternationalShipping Week, MrColes added: Theproblem is people hav-ent always moved withthe times and so maynot know whats pos-sible. So, they will lookat their current cost,which is an average of$25 per day, and seek

a reduction. In reality,though, thats just 0.3per cent of a shipsrunning costs.

Its literally a dropin the ocean. However,if they were to increasethat to just $100 a dayto take advantage ofunlimited email anddata, our figures showthey could actuallyreduce the cost of run-ning a ship by 10 percent.

Newtrainingbooklets toboost basicknowledgeMUTUAL liabilityinsurer ShipownersP&I Club has publishedtwo training booklets

aimed at ordinary crewmembers of smaller,coastal trading vessels.

Tides, which enablesthe seafarer to have abetter understandingof how to undertaketidal calculations, ispublished in English,Indonesian and Thai.

Towards EffectiveNavigationis aimed atmariners who are notfully trained in the artof navigation and ispublished in English,Spanish, Indonesianand Thai.

Both booklets havebeen written by expe-

rienced nautical studieslecturer Captain HSubramaniam and theycan be downloadedfrom http://bit.ly/1c-jpSMJ

Seafarers spending on communication is too highCOMMUNICATION is withoutdoubt the most important welfareconcern for seafarers, according tothe International Seafarers WelfareAssistance Network (ISWAN).

The networks executive director,Roger Harris, said: Seafarers want easy,cheap, access to email and internetboth at sea and in port.

A survey on crew communications,conducted last year by Stark MooreMacMillan, found that while 68per cent of seafarers had access tocommunication when they were atsea, only 46 per cent had access tofree services and only 20 per cent hadaccess to free email. The service thatseafarers desired most was WiFi access.

MLC 2006 states thatconsideration should be given toaccess to telephone communicationsand internet facilities where available,with charges for the use of theseservices being reasonable in amount.

MLC 2006 was adopted before thewidespread use of Facebook, Twitter,smartphones and WiFi, and because itscommunications advice is a guideline,flag states do not have to enforce it.

Mr Harris added: Seafarers payingover 20 per cent of their basic salaryon communication is not a reasonablecharge. More needs to be done togive seafarers cheaper or free accessto email, SMS, voice communicationand, where possible, to the internet.

MLC 2006 protects seafarers access to port-based welfare facilities, such as Mission centres (Photo: Adam Hollingworth)

InterManagermakes new

peoplepledgeTHE ship managers or-ganisation, InterManag-er, has pledged to putpeople at the centre ofits focus over the next

year.At the associations

annual general meetingits president, GerardoBorromeo, said: With-out a doubt the humanelement will remain atthe front and centre inInterManagers activitiesand projects over thenext 12 months.

He outlined a com-prehensive programmeof activity for the next

year, with topics to becovered including bestmanagement practic-es, seafarer health andwellbeing, enhancedmaritime communica-tions and an examina-tion of the administrativeburdens on board ship.

On the subject ofthe Maritime LabourConvention (MLC 2006),he said: MLC 2006 as astandard is not a targetto aim for, but providesstarting points fromwhich to begin. There

is nothing that preventsany quality ship man-ager or crew manager

from promoting higherstandards of crew careand welfare for their ownpurposes and in orderto differentiate servicelevels across the board.

THE Marine Society has launched a new creative writingcompetition for seafarers.

Writing@Sea is open to serving and ex-seafarers, and comeswith a top prize of 1,000 or a Kobo Aura e-reader. Prizes areavailable for the best poem and the best short story entered.

Entries can take the form of a poem (maximum 80 linesor 800 words) or a short story (maximum 3,000 words) andshould be emailed to [email protected].

The competitions closing date is 31 December.

New writing award launched for seafarers

WRITING@SEA

? ? !


??!


SEAFARERS unionsNautilus and RMT haveagreed a revised versionof the Code of Conduct

for the UK MerchantNavy with the UK Cham-ber of Shipping.

The Code sets outdisciplinary rules andprocedures for seafarersand now reflects chang-es in the industry overthe past decade andalso the entry into forceof the Maritime LabourConvention.

New UKconductcode

Seafarers spend over 20 per cent oftheir salary on contacting home


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4 the seanov/dec 13

NEWS MICHAEL GREY

MICHAEL KEATING

Helping seafa

Whats goShips cooks are often criticised

surely a ship sails on the stomac

What encouraged you to startyour career at sea?

Many generations of my familyhave been to sea and so it wasalmost inevitable that I would gointo the family business. Myfirst trip was when I was five, fromLiverpool over to the Caribbean and although I couldnt see out ofthe windows I spent many happy

days on the bridge watching inquiet admiration as the officerscarried out their duties. It made medetermined to become a merchantofficer, and while there were manychanges in the industry in the timebetween my childhood and myfirst professional journey up thegangway, it was an ambition whichI am glad I fulfilled.

What sort of ships did you workon, and where did they take you?

My first vessels were bulk car-riers, and then I spent a numberof years as a navigation officer oncable ships with Cable and Wireless(Marine) on laying and repair ves-sels. I am very proud of my role inlaying the first dedicated internet

cable between the US and the UK something which doesnt reallyget much attention until peoplesbroadband light starts blinking! Ihave also worked on dredgers, off-shore vessels and spent time main-taining lighthouses in Scotland. Itshard to have a bad day at the officewhen the view is so stunning.

What made you move on shore?I had long wanted to have a

crack at a degree, so I enrolled atLiverpool John Moores on the BSc(Hons) Maritime Studies pro-gramme, which has allowed me tohave a career in the wider industry.Having a qualification recognisedby those ashore was important, butit has always been the real lessons

learned at sea which have stood mein good stead.

In order to develop my skillsI completed a Masters degree inmarketing, communications andpublic relations, which allowed meto try to understand what shapesthe shipping industry. I focused onthe effects of uninsured risk, andthe ways in which shipping compa-nies will have to evolve. A majorelement of this is the way in whichseafarers are treated.

We are so fortunate thatcharities such as The Mission toSeafarers exist and continue towork so hard for seafarers, but itmight be nice to think of a futurein which wages are guaranteed andpeople are cared for universally. We

cannot boast of shippings role asthe facilitator of trade when someelements are to the detriment ofthe people who actually do all thehard work.

Youve written a lot on piracy,even taking the step to ensurethatHow to Survive a Piracy

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Michael Keating talks to Steven Jones

IF AN army in a commentattributed to Napoleon marches on its stomach,

then a happy ship tends to beone in which the cook does hisjob really well.

It is sometimes rather sadto read in historic sea literatureof the appalling meals crewsendured, albeit before theavailability of refrigeration,with their rotting meat andweevil-infested sea-biscuit.

There is, however, a lot ofseafarer humour surroundingthe food sailors ate, with jokesabout the rats being the first

ashore from a bad feedingship, and of cooks who wereappointed only because theywere too old and feeble to goaloft.

But just over a century ago,seafarers still sometimes suf-fered from scurvy and that wasno joking matter!

Even in relatively moderntimes, some shipping compa-nies usually hard-case trampoutfits were known for theirhungry ships, with poorquality food and not enoughof it, and the grim rationing offresh water on long deep-sea

passages. And if the ingredientsleft something to be desired,their treatment by often un-trained cooks would make for avoyage best forgotten.

By contrast, when seafar-ers talk about voyages aboarda happy ship they had paidoff, would invariably describethem as good feeders. Afterall, if you work for wages, thenthe food you eat aboard a shipis part of the package whichis provided by your employer.

Sea cooks, then, are impor-tant crew members who reallydo make a difference to the

overall cheerfulness of a voy-age. Nobody would describethem as having an easy life,having to produce three mealsevery day of the week for theirdemanding fellow crew mem-bers, against a strict budget, inwhatever conditions the windand weather might throw atthem.

And while crews mightbe a lot smaller than theyonce were aboard the aver-age merchant ship, the wayships are manned today couldmean that there are all sorts ofreligious and cultural com-

plications thatmenu engineesary for a multiPeople aboarddoing a hard daa bit of choicetable, possibly ehigh days andbrings a furrowface of the cook

Cooks havebilities in an ertrying to eat mprevent the onswith its accompes and generallpeople just stuf

with things thaany good!

Menacing stbeen undertakemany seafarerssigns of poor hetheir diet has alcontributed.

Seafarers areable to go for aeach day, and ea ship with a wgym, perhaps stadequate exerci

It has been rwhen crews eatnutritious diet,

Mission responds to Captain Phillips

OVER 300 African asylumseekers died when the boattaking them from Libyatowards Italy caught fire andsank close to the Sicilian islandof Lampedusa on October 3.

The small boat was thoughtto have been carrying around

500 people. Italian divers weretasked with removing themany bodies that were stilltrapped inside the boat restingon the seabed some 47m belowthe surface. The final death tollreached 311.

Tens of thousands of illegalmigrants try to cross from

north Africa to Sicily andother Italian islands every yearand there have been manyaccidents.

International MaritimeOrganization (IMO) secretary-general Koji Sekimizu said:Any loss of life at sea is a

matter for regret and concern;but for so many unfortunatesouls to perish in this way isa great shock and a genuinetragedy.

I am sure I speak for theentire membership of IMO insending my deep sympathyand sincere condolences to all

those who have lost family,friends or loved ones in thisterrible accident. He praisedthe Italian Coast Guards swiftaction to save lives.

The boats 35-year-oldTunisian skipper, BensalemKhaled, survived the sinking

and has been charged withcausing multiple deaths,causing a shipwreck and aidingillegal immigration.

A second, similar tragedyoccurred just eight days laterwhen another boat carryingover 200 people capsized,killing 27.

PANAMA has declined topublicly publish its long-awaited report into the 2009loss of the livestock carrier

Danny FII.The Panamanian-registered

ship sank in stormy conditionsoff the coast of Lebanon inDecember 2009, with the lossof more than 40 seafarers.

The International Maritime

Organization (IMO) confirmedto The Sea that Panama hasdecided not to make the reportpublicly available via the IMOwebsite. Panama has not toldthe IMO secretariat the reasonfor its decision but is under noobligation to do so.

Seafarers union Nautilus

International has condemnedthe decision after having raisedrepeated concerns over theslow progress of the flag statesinvestigation of the loss.

The report was finally lodgedwith IMO at the end of July.

Nautilus says it is protestingto IMO and the PanamanianMaritime Authority about thelack of access to the report.

General secretary MarkDickinson commented: Weare utterly appalled that afterall this time the report is notpublicly available.

Ever since the ship waslost, the families of those whodied have been treated withcontempt and the move to

withhold the results of theinvestigation adds further insultto injury.

This was a very majorcasualty with significant lossof life and there was worryingevidence suggesting theDanny

FII had suffered from safetyproblems before the accident.

He stressed that it wasimperative that there is

transparency and disclosureto demonstrate that concernshave been properly addressedand that investigations hadas ses sed technica l i s suesincluding the potential effectsof any alterations to hull orequipment, and the factorsaffecting the vessels stability.

Panama in Danny FIIreport row





A COMPROMISE agreementat the International MaritimeOrganization (IMO) on verifyingthe weight of containers beforethey are loaded on boardships has been welcomed byshipowners and shippers

organisations but criticised bymaritime unions.In September, the IMO Sub-

committee on Dangerous Goods,Solid Cargoes and Containersagreed an amendment which

will require that either allcontainers be weighed or that asecond method of calculatedverification must be used. Thisalternative method would allowshippers to weigh all packagesand cargo items individually

prior to packing.Shipping organisationsand governments acceptedthat the compromise wasnecessary because weighingeach container would not be

possible in some countries.Unions disagreed, however.

ITF president Paddy Crumlinsaid: This was the idealopportunity to bring in a systemto lessen the risk that unweighedand misdeclared containers

pose to dockers, seafarers, truckdrivers, the general public andthe environment. We will notstep back from getting decentuniversal weighing accepted asthe norm.

Box weight measurement worries

Tom Hanks starring as Captain Richard Phillips in the new film (Photo: Sony Pictures)

Hundreds killed in Lampedusa tragedy

A NEW blockbuster moviestarring Tom Hanks, Captain

Phillips, was released in Octoberand depicts the terrifyingordeal of the crew on board the

hijacked containership MaerskAlabama off the coast of Somaliain 2009.

The Revd Andrew Wright,Secretary General of The Missionto Seafarers, said: I am veryencouraged that the complexissue of piracy will now be inthe public domain. I hope that

people all around the world willhave some understanding thatviolence at sea is a 21st centuryissue and the hidden world ofseafaring is more real.

However, it is importantto remember that there areterrifying gangs of pirates stilloperating off the coast of eastand west Africa and in otherplaces around the world, andfew cases involve a direct rescueattempt by the military as seenin the film.

The Revd Canon Ken Peters,director of justice and welfare,at the Mission said: Seafarers inour 121 seafarers centres aroundthe world suffer loneliness,

isolation and despair, becausecrews are a long way from home,often on the other side of theworld.

The Mission provides helpand support to the 1.3 millionseafarers who face danger dailyto keep the global economyafloat.


5/8


ers to cope with piracy

ng on in the galley?especially on a hungry ship. But if an army marches on its stomach,

of its crews? Michael Grey looks at the importance of the sea cook

s distributed on boardnsFlying AngelboatDo seafarers need to becated about piracy?enough as an industry

ut guidance withouthat it is acted upon.why I strive to view

m the seafarers perspec-managers ashore. It is

derstanding the pres-hallenges they face thatovide advice which isand realistic.ision to getHow toracy Attackout to the

ming into Dubai wasby the feeling that toos were simply unawarecy threat they were fac-less what they could do

nversation with peopleai Nautical Institute andon personnel I organisedon of books to be hand-rews.s actually before the Bestnt Practices for piracyen published, so at that

crews really were in ann void. I hope that someidance and avoidednapped as a result.

nk recent films such asgand Captain Phillipshe profile of piracy general public?

Hopefully the films will raisethe profile of piracy and givepeople some empathy with thosewho have suffered at the hands ofpirates.

A Hijackingwas so well done,but I am slightly more concernedabout the Hollywood take onpiracy, especially as the focus is onthe military response. There have

been successes in subduing thepirates, the military presence andthe use of private maritime securityhave been key but so too has thewising up of crews as they tookthe necessary measures to protectthemselves.

Letting our guard down willinevitably lead to further hijack-ings and there are fears that thenext ship taken will not be releasedquickly.

Once again it will be the seafar-ers onboard who will suffer. So weneed to maintain vigilance.

Coping with Piracyis designed toprepare seafarers and other mar-itime workers to deal with pirateattacks. What does it cover?

Coping with Piracyaims to pro-vide shipping not only with a refer-ence work explaining the problemsof and solutions to piracy, but alsoa tool to encourage seafarers andmanagers to do what they needto do to protect themselves fromattack, and what can be done if theworst does happen. It provides the

ways and means of actually apply-ing best practice.

It also demonstrates how spe-cific piracy measures fit into thewider context of maritime securityand the regulations and legislationwhich vessels have to comply.

Coping with Piracyis a com-panion guide toMaritime Secu rity,both of which are published by theNautical Institute.

You now work at the SecurityAssociation for the Maritime In-dustry(SAMI). Tell us about yourwork there.

As a former seafarer I wasinitially uncomfortable with theidea of arming commercial vessels however, it was clear that none ofthe current measures were workingand radical steps were needed to

hold the pirates at bay. I decidedthat if vessels could be made secureby professional, high quality armedguards, then this was a step whichcould deliver the protection anddeterrent needed, but with risksmitigated as much as possible.

The concept of the SAMI wasto create standards which the bestprivate maritime security compa-nies could subscribe to and apply.The association was launched in2011 and now shipping companiescan access the support they needthrough good quality providers.We provide representation for thesecurity industry, and have been animportant voice, as standards havedeveloped and issues have beenaddressed.

We produce reports and brief-ings, keep everyone abreast of thethreats and opportunities, and rep-resent the security industry. SAMIalso provides a free magazine,theBRIDGE, which contains muchinsight into the work of the securi-ty industry. it is available online atwww.seasecurity.org/thebridge

So now that Coping with Piracy isout, whats next?

Its an odd sensation when youhave been writing a book, you sud-denly come out of the isolation ofthe writing process and your wordsbecome real on the paper.

We worked very hard to pro-duce a publication which providesinsight and structure for seafarers

so that they can understand thethreats facing them and be awareof the solutions which they canapply to do what they need to do.

We want it to be on ships, inthe offices ashore and in the handsof those people who can be keptsafer and more secure by applyingthe lessons it contains.

It is a deep shame and a stainon shipping that so many seafarershave been captured, and that someare still faced with the horrors ofcaptivity after years.

We are faced with the uniquechallenges of protecting vessels,providing training and deliveringa stream of useable and timelyintelligence. This book is part ofthat process.

We also have two more guides,Stowaways by Sea and Crime at Seain the pipeline.

Coping with Piracyit is nowavailable online from The NauticalInstitutes online store.

For more information, visitwww.nautinst.org/pubs

x-seafarer and Coping with Piracy authorabout his part in solving the piracy problem

nto theneces-nal crew.un ships,ork liker dinnertreat onys. It allw to the

responsi-n we arealthily,obesity,ng illness-enthemselves

t do them

havech showitingto whichcertainly

kely to bemile runn boardnishede to get

nised thatanced,are obvi-

ously happier, but also moreproductive and dont have somany accidents. So nobodycan dispute that the skills ofthe cook really count in allsorts of ways.

There is also the matter ofhealth and hygiene that can-not be forgotten, as a badly or-ganised galley, just like a filthyrestaurant, can do a lot ofharm to those who might eat

what it produces. It wasnt thatlong ago that the US CoastGuard had to rescue the crewof a ship which had been laidlow by severe food poisoning,although it turned out that it

wasnt the cook to blame, but apoisonous fish they had caughtwhen fishing at anchor whichhad turned out to be less of atreat than they had anticipat-ed.

Maybe we shouldnt be sur-prised that food and cateringare issues that are covered bythe new Maritime Labour Con-vention 2006, with regulationslaying down standards for foodand drinking water, with atten-tion paid to quantity, quality,nutritional value and variety.The ships catering facilitiesand what they are producing

will be an area for inspec-tion by the port state controlinspectors, who will be payingspecial attention to both thepaperwork and practicalityaboard ships they board.

So it is interesting to seethat the training company,Videotel, has teamed up withthe maritime catering compa-ny, Garrets International, toproduce a range of trainingfilms and teaching material tohelp improve the standard ofcatering aboard every class ofvessel. The range is targeted atcatering staff aboard ship, but

also at masters, senior officersand other crew, who might beinvolved in planning meals.

The Catering on Board Shipseries is highly practical, withdetailed training about galleyinspection, hygiene and theimportance of cleanliness andthe recognition of associatedrisks and hazards.

It covers menu planningand cost control, managementand record keeping, healthyeating guidelines, productknowledge and kitchen equip-ment.

It follows this up with a

series of four programmes oncooking itself, showing howappetising basic stocks, soupsand sauces are produced, cook-ing methods using wet heatand dry heat. There is a wholeprogramme on bread, pastryand basic desserts. Recipes areshown being made, while moreare included in the accompa-nying workbooks.

Healthy food, the seriesnotes, is a vital part of sea-farers welfare, which is notsomething one would ever ar-gue about. Hopefully not withthe cook, anyway.

Keeping crews healthy and happy on a tight budget can be difficult (Photo:Jamie Smith)

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Coping with Piracyauthor StevenJones, now maritime director atSAMI (Photo: Nautical Institute)


6/8

6the sea nov/dec 13

JUSTICE MATTERSBY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Are you a seafarer? MLC 2006 may say differentlyEVERY countrys prosperity depends on shipping, and shippingrelies on seafarers. Even though seafarers are essential tointernational commerce, most people arent even aware of theirexistence nor of the contributions seafarers make to their lives.

The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006)recognises seafarers value and the necessity to protect them.MLC 2006 consolidates a number of International LabourOrganization (ILO) Conventions providing comprehensiveinternational standards of seafarers rights, including fairhiring and placement, decent shipboard working and livingconditions, and safe and secure workplaces.

MLC 2006 also standardises definitions that were notalways consistent in prior ILO Conventions. One of the mostimportant MLC 2006 definitions is seafarer, because itdetermines who will be protected by the Convention.

The MLC 2006 seafarer definition is very broad. It isintended to include as many workers as possible underthe Conventions protections. It defines a seafarer as anyperson who is employed or engaged or works in any capacityon board a ship to which this Convention applies. Theseafarer definition depends on the Conventions applicabilityto particular categories of ships. MLC 2006 applies to allcommercial ships operating in international or domestic waters

except ships operating exclusively in inland waters or closelyadjacent to sheltered waters or areas where port regulationsapply.

The Convention does not apply to fishing vessels, vesselsof traditional build such as dhows and junks, or to warships ornaval auxiliaries. The Convention does apply to yachts that areused for commercial purposes, such as those being chartered orcarrying passengers for hire.

Therefore, almost all persons working in any capacityon any ship covered by MLC 2006 would be consideredseafarers and would be accorded the Conventions protections.Furthermore, it doesnt matter who hired the seafarers. Workershired directly by the shipowner, as well as those hired bysubcontractors, are seafarers.

The definition is not limited to those persons involvedin navigating or operating the ship. Bridge and engine roompersonnel as well as cruise ship hotel staff, waiters, musicians,hairdressers, casino workers and bar tenders are all seafarersunder MLC 2006.

Some workers on ships are clearly MLC 2006 seafarers andsome are not. Workers who only work briefly on a ship andwho normally work ashore, such as port state control inspectorsand shipyard repair technicians, would not fit into the MLC

2006 definition of a seafarer.MLC 2006 addresses those cases where it is unclear whether

some categories of workers are seafarers. For example, shouldprivate armed security teams, scientists, guest entertainers,surveyors, and others performing specialist functions that arenot part of the ships routine business be considered seafarers?

In such questionable cases the shipowner should seekclarification from the vessels flag state. MLC 2006 authorisesflag states to determine whether a category of workers are tobe regarded as seafarers for MLC 2006 purposes. Before doingso, the flag state must consult with the shipowner and tradeunion organisations concerned with the question. Resolution7 that was adopted along with MLC 2006 provides guidance toflag states in determining whether questionable categories ofworkers are seafarers.

Factors to be considered include: how long the persons stayon board, the frequency of their working on board, the locationof their principal workplace, and the purpose of their work.

MLC 2006 applies in those countries where the Conventionis in force. The protections are available to all seafarers, asdefined by the Convention, on ships registered in thosecountries and to seafarers on ships of all nations visiting theirports.

Es usted gente de mar? El MLC2006 le saca de dudasLA PROSPERIDAD de todos lospases depende de la navegacin, y lanavegacin depende de la gente demar. A pesar de que sin la gente de marno existira el comercio internacional,la sociedad no es verdaderamenteconsciente de su existencia ni de lacontribucin que hacen a las vidas detodos.

El Convenio del Trabajo Martimo de2006 (MLC 2006) reconoce el valor de lagente de mar y la necesidad de ofrecerlesproteccin. El MLC 2006 unifica diversasconvenciones de la OrganizacinInternacional del Trabajo (OIT) en unacompleta normativa internacional querecoge los derechos de la gente de mar,como las condiciones de contrataciny colocacin, las condiciones dignas deempleo y de vida a bordo y la obligacinde proporcionar un lugar de trabajoseguro y protegido.

El MLC 2006 tambin normalizadefiniciones que no siempre haban sidohomogneas en convenios anteriores dela OIT. Una de las principales definicionesdel MLC 2006 es la de gente de mar,porque identifica a los trabajadoresque cuentan con la proteccin delConvenido.

La definicin de gente de mar delMLC 2006 es muy amplia. Su intencines incluir al mayor nmero posible detrabajadores del mar bajo la proteccindel Convenio. Para ello, estipula quelos trminos gente de mar o marinodesignan a toda persona que estempleada o contratada o que trabaje encualquier puesto a bordo de un buque alque se aplique el presente Convenio.

Es decir, que la definicin de gentede mar o marino que hace el MLC2006 se basa en la aplicabilidad delConvenio a determinadas categoras debuques. El MLC 2006 se aplica a todos

los buques comerciales que operan enaguas domsticas o internacionales, conla excepcin de buques que naveganprincipalmente por vas navegablesinteriores o las situadas dentro de lasaguas protegidas o de zonas a las que seaplique la normativa portuaria, o muyprximas a dichas aguas.

El Convenio no es aplicable a losbarcos pesqueros, ni a las embarcacionesde construccin tradicional, como losdhows y los juncos, ni a los buques deguerra y las unidades navales auxiliares.El Convenio no se aplica tampoco a yatesdestinados a fines comerciales, como losde flete o de alquiler para transporte depasajeros.

Por consiguiente, prcticamentetodas las personas que trabajan encualquier puesto en cualquier buqueen el que sea aplicable el MLC 2006 seconsiderarn gente de mar y contarncon la proteccin del Convenio.Tampoco importa quin haya contratadoa la gente de mar. Tanto los trabajadorescontratados directamente por el armadordel buque como los contratados por loscontratistas del armador son gente demar. La definicin tampoco se limita a laspersonas responsables de la navegacin ydel funcionamiento del buque.

Segn la definicin de MLC 2006,el personal del puente y de la sala demquinas, el personal de camarote,los camareros, msicos, peluqueros,empleados del casino o los brmanes songente de mar. Algunas de las personasque trabajan en un buque son claramentegente de mar bajo los trminos de MLC2006, pero otras no lo son.

Las personas que normalmentetrabajan en tierra y solo trabajanbrevemente en el buque, como losinspectores de las autoridades portuariaso los tcnicos de los astilleros, no

responden a la definicin de gente demar segn el MLC 2006.El MLC 2006 permite resolver los

casos donde no est claro si determinadascategoras de trabajadores debenconsiderarse gente de mar o no. Porejemplo, qu ocurre con los miembrosde los equipos armados de seguridadprivada, con grupos de cientficos,con artistas invitados, con peritosy otro personal encargado de tareasespecializadas que no toman parte en eldesarrollo de las actividades cotidianasdel buque? Deben considerarse gente demar, o no? En caso de duda, el armadordebe consultarlo al Estado cuyo pabellnenarbola el buque.

El MLC 2006 autoriza a los estadosde bandera a decidir si una categora detrabajadores debe considerarse gente demar o no bajo el mbito de aplicacin delMLC 2006.

Antes de tomar esa decisin, el estadode bandera debe consultar con el armadory los sindicatos correspondientes. LaResolucin 7, adoptada junto con elMLC 2006, proporciona a los estadosde bandera pautas orientativas paradeterminar si ciertas categoras dudosasde trabajadores deben considerarse gentede mar o no.

Entre los factores que se debensopesar se incluyen los siguientes: laduracin de su estancia a bordo, con qufrecuencia trabajan a bordo, dnde seencuentra su lugar de trabajo principal, ycul es el objeto de su trabajo.

El MLC 2006 es de aplicacin en lospases donde el Convenio est vigente.Su proteccin abarca a toda la gente demar, tal como la define el Convenio,que trabaja en los buques registrados enel propio pas y en los buques de todaslas nacionalidades que recalan en suspuertos.

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7/8

If you have any questions about your rights as a seafarer, or if you want

more information or help, you can contact:

Douglas B Stevenson, Center for Seafarers Rights, 241 Water Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Tel: +1212 349 9090

Fax: +1212 349 8342 Email: [email protected] or Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal,

College Hill, London EC4R 2RL, UK. Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 20 7248 4761 Email: [email protected]


FOCUS ON FAITH BY JOHN ATTENBOROUGH

A story about travellingthrough the eye of the storm

La calma despus de latormenta

MANY years ago when I first startedto visit ships I met a captain who I gottalking to. We talked for a long timeabout all sorts of things. Towards theend of our chat I asked him if he be-lieved in God. He paused for a momentand then he told me a story:

His ship had just set sail and wasabout to cross the North Sea and headtowards Norway. After a few hours, allwas going well but heavy weather wassetting in. Rain lashed the ship, the seastarted to swell and the wind started toblow.

The captain had just come througha tiring few days and after havingdinner, he hoped to be able to rest inhis cabin.

However, as time passed the weath-er got worse. Waves crashed over theship and the wind howled outside.The officer on watch started to getworried and so he called the captain.Even though he was tired, he felt thathe needed to go and reassure his crew

members.The captain told me that in all his

years at sea, this was the worst storm hehad ever been in. He told me that therewas really nothing he could do, andthey just had to press ahead and try toride out the storm.

As the storm got worse, all theships crew came to the bridge, lookingto the captain for guidance. He said tothe crew that they ought to say a prayertogether, which the captain would lead.The storm did not get better, but theprayer created a sense of peace amongthe crew.

After an hour or so the weather didbegin to ease a little, and one by one,the crew began to go back to their cab-ins to try and get some rest. The captainstayed on the bridge until the officer onwatch told him he could manage.

The captain and I just sat there fora time after he told me this story andthen he looked up and said:

You asked me a question whether

I believed in God? Yes, I suppose I dobelieve in Him.

In each and every one of our liveswe all face challenging and difficultsituations. You do not have to be inthe middle of a storm at sea; there aremany storms of life that can be equallydifficult to deal with.

In Marks Gospel, we read aboutJesus calming a storm.

The crew on his boat, his disciples,were terrified, but Jesus was so peacefulthat he was asleep.

When the disciples woke Jesus upin fear for their lives, we read that Jesussimply rose and instructed the windand waves to be still, and the stormcalmed down straightaway.

Afterwards, Jesus turned to his dis-ciples and questioned them about theirfear and their faith.

When storms, in life on shore or atsea, affect us we need to remember thatwe have a loving heavenly Father whotakes care of us and loves us.

HACE ya muchos aos, cuando em-pezaba a visitar buques, conoc a uncapitn con el que entabl conver-sacin. Recuerdo que hablamos largo ytendido sobre todo tipo de cosas. Haciael final de nuestra charla le pregunt sicrea en Dios. Se qued callado un mo-mento y despus me cont una historia:

Su barco acababa de iniciar susingladura y se aprestaba a cruzar elMar del Norte en direccin de Noruega.Al cabo de unas pocas horas de naveg-acin sin incidentes empezaron a apare-cer seales de temporal. Empez llovera raudales, la mar empez a agitarse y selevant un viento racheado. El capitnllevaba varios das seguidos de muchoajetreo y se retir a descansar en su ca-marote despus de cenar. Pero el tiempofue empeorando con el paso de lashoras. Las olas rompan contra el costa-do de la nave y el viento aullaba comoun alma en pena. El oficial empez apreocuparse, as que llam al capitnque, a pesar del cansancio, consider suobligacin presentarse en el puente ytranquilizar a la tripulacin.

El capitn me cont que en todos

sus aos de navegacin, nunca havisto una tormenta como aquella. Medijo que lo nico que se poda hacerera seguir avanzando y esperar a queamainara.

A medida que la tormenta creca enintensidad, los miembros de la tripu-lacin iban pasando por el puente parapedir consejo al capitn. En un mo-mento dado, cuando estaban todos allreunidos, el capitn les propuso rezaruna oracin todos juntos. La oracinno hizo desaparecer el temporal, porsupuesto, pero el capitn me dijo quedespus de rezar les invadi a todos unasensacin de paz.

Al cabo de aproximadamente unahora el tiempo pareci tranquilizarseun poco y uno por uno los miembrosde la tripulacin fueron volviendo asus camarotes, a echar una cabezada. Elcapitn permaneci en el puente hastaque el oficial de guardia le asegur queno haba problema y que poda retirarsel tambin.

Despus de su historia, el capitny yo permanecimos unos instantes ensilencio y al cabo de un rato prosigui:

Antes me has preguntado que si creaen Dios. La respuesta es s; s creo enDios.

En la vida, todos nos enfrentamosa situaciones difciles, que nos ponen aprueba. No tiene por qu ser una mararbolada en pleno Mar del Norte: lavida est llena de otros temporales queson igual de difciles de capear.

En el Evangelio segn San Marcospodemos leer cmo Jess calm unatormenta. La tripulacin de la barca,sus discpulos, estaban aterrorizados porlas condiciones de la mar, pero Jessdorma pacficamente. Cuando los dis-cpulos lo despertaron, temerosos porsus vidas, Jess se incorpor y ordena la mar y al viento que se calmasen, ylos elementos le obedecieron. Entonc-es, Jess se volvi a sus discpulos y lespregunt por qu tenan miedo, porqu tenan tan poca fe.

En medio de la tormenta, en tierrao en la mar, no debemos olvidar nuncaque el padre celestial nos quiere y cuidade nosotros.

Lo que tenemos que hacer es en-comendarnos a l, y tener fe.

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8/8

8the sea nov/dec 13

Cruiseship boomcomingA NEW wind power system has the potential to provide more

than 50 per cent of the required propulsive thrust a vessel needs,depending on conditions.

This could save a typical bulk carrier 30 per cent of its fuelcosts on a voyage, according to classification society LloydsRegister. The society has carried out an independent assessmentof UK-based Windship Technologys Auxiliary Sail PropulsionSystem (ASPS) concept.

ASPS uses fixed-wing sail technology and two 35-metre-

high masts installed on the deck of a vessel, each with threeaerodynamic wings fitted.

The masts or rigs rotate automatically to exploit thepower of the prevailing wind and, as the speeds and angles ofthe wind change, the system develops more power, allowingreductions in engine power to be made in order to achieve thesame speed, maximising fuel saving.

Lloyd Registers Technical Investigation Department carriedout computational fluid dynamics work on a Supramax bulkcarrier in varying wind directions and speeds.

Back to the future: new wind-powered sailcould help to reduce fuel costs

THE global cruise sectoris set for strong growthover the next decade,according to OceanShipping Consultants(OSC).

While North America

will still dominate theworld cruise industry interms of sourced pas-sengers and cruise oper-ators, cruise demand inEurope and Asia Pacificis expected to growstrongly.

In its latest report,World Cruise Ports andShipping, OSC says itexpects annual passen-ger demand to rise fromaround 21 million in2012 to approximately24 million passengersby 2015 and 36 millionby 2025. This wouldmean an overall capac-ity expansion of 74 per

cent in 12 years.OSC says the indus-

try is dominated by arelatively small numberof lines. The top threecruise groups RCCL,Carnival and NCL make up 73 per cent ofthe total fleet capacity.

Small categoryvessels with fewer than1,000 lower berthsaccount for 51 percent in terms of vesselnumbers, but only 14.4per cent in overall ca-pacity. Large vessels of2,000 plus lower berthsaccount for 62 per centof passenger capacity

and will dominate in theexpansion of the cruiseindustry.

NEW figures showthat while salvagecompanies incomehas increased overthe past decade it hasgone up and downconsiderably year by

year. In a typical year,

the industry bringsin over US$500mthrough wreckremovals and othersalvage services.

The statisticswere released beforethe high-profile andsuccessful righting ofthe Costa Concordia(see front page).

InternationalSalvage Unionpresident, AndreasTsavliris, said: Incomefrom wreck removalhas increased whilethe number ofremovals has stayedconsistent. That may

be due to a relativelysmall number of costlyremoval operations,a trend identified bythe insurance industrywhich seems to bedue to the increasingdemands of the coastalauthorities.

Seafarers!We want to hear from you!

Get involved by filling out a survey inour centres, by scanning the code

below or on our website.

Take our survey and help shape thefuture of the Missions work.

missiontoseafarers.org/survey

Morecash fromwreckremovals

Owner

clearedby jury inmagic pipecaseTHE owner and themanager of the AntonisG Pappadakishavebeen found not guiltyof illegally dischargingoily waste (a so-calledmagic pipe offence)by a US court.

The jury rejectedclaims that the allegedillegal conduct wasperformed by crew

members in the courseand scope of theiremployment, and withthe intent to benefitAngelex and KassianMaritime NavigationAgency.

All of the witnessesin the case confirmedthat any illegal con-duct was hidden fromthe owner and manag-er and even the shipsmaster, and was donewithout any intent tobenefit either compa-ny. The defence wasalso able to establishthat such conductwas in violation of the

ships zero tolerancepollution preventionpolicies.

The Swedish Club isallowing its membercompanies to sign upto its Maritime ResourceManagement (MRM)course for free for two

years.The MRM course is

designed to minimisethe risk of incidents by

encouraging safe andresponsible behaviour.Managing director

Lars Rhodin said theclub was determinedto put safety at the

forefront of the way itsmembers own and man-age their ships.

Get ready for ECDIS

As the ECDIS timetable advances, navigators need to be

prepared to use the new systems, says IMO

SPECIALIST marine liability insurerLondon P&I Club has urged owners tobe ready for the full implementation

of rules requiring ships to carry ECDIS(Electronic Chart Display and InformationSystem) and to have ECDIS-qualifiedofficers on the bridge.

It warned that the timetableis advancing and owners must takeaccount of the potential risks involvedin replacing more traditional means ofvoyage planning and monitoring withadvanced technology. Port state control

inspection would be focused on ensuringofficers were both qualified and competentto operate the specific equipment on theirships, the club stressed.

Using the recent grounding of a bulkcarrier as an example, the club statedthat ineffective use of any electronicnavigational aid can lead to marineaccidents.

The insurer emphasised that it wasessential that the navigator was not onlyeffectively trained in the proper use ofECDIS, but also understood the limitations

of the equipment and its primary role as adecision-support system.

The Internat iona l Mar i t imeOrganization ECDIS Model Course1.27 should provide the navigator withthe required level of understanding,competence and confidence for applicationin all aspects of navigation. However, theclub cautioned, with a vast array of ECDISmanufacturers, ensuring officers reachan acceptable degree of competence ina specific onboard system could be achallenge.

Navigators will need to be familiar with ECDIS models as part of new IMO standards (Photo:Jamie Smith)

A rendering of the new sail design (Photo: ACP)

www missiontoseafarers org @FlyingAngelNewswww.facebook.com/themissiontoseafarers

US to paydrugs searchdamages

A US appeal cou rthas ruled that the USGovernment is liable fordamages to an Ecua-dorian fishing vesselcaused by a search bythe US Coast Guard for

illegal drugs.The boarding had

been authorised by theEcuadorian Governmenton the condition that,if no drugs were found,compensation was tobe paid to the owner

for any damages to thevessel resulting from theboarding and search.

Claims by individualcrew members had notbeen covered by theEcuadorian authorisa-tion and so were notallowed.

SwedishClub booststraining

Documents

The Sea, November/December 2013