Inside - Nautilus International

Frontline fears 

Seafarers speak 

of serving in 

piracy hotspots 

24-25 

A touch of class 

We meet some 

of this year’s new 

officer trainees 

29 

NL nieuws 

Twee pagina’s 

met nieuws uit 

Nederland 

32-33 

Volume 44 | Number 03 | March 2011 | £3.35 €3.50 

Inside 

F Equality move 

The UK is forced to 

act to outlaw pay 

discrimination 

against foreign 

crews — page 3 

F Union savings 

Nautilus launches 

a great new range 

of membership 

benefits to save you 

money — page 2 

South Korean special forces killed eight pirates when they recaptured the chemical tanker Samho Jewelry in the Indian Ocean Picture: Reuters 

F Safety alert 

Nautilus has 

warned MPs that 

UK government 

spending cuts will 

hit safety at sea — 

page 19 

Industry calls for action 

as pirates torture crews 

Union takes part in Foreign Office discussions as naval forces warn of ‘manifestations of systematic violence’ 

PNautilus has met UK 

government ministers 

and naval commanders 

to discuss a disturbing deterioration 

in piracy attacks — with 

warnings that seafarers are now 

being abused and tortured while 

being held hostage. 

The Union joined shipowner 

representatives in talks at the Foreign 

Office last month over the 

growing threats posed by the 

escalation of risk, with the pirates’ 

use of captured merchant vessels 

as ‘mother ships’ extending their 

range throughout the Indian 

Ocean. 

General secretary Mark Dickinson 

commented: ‘The threat 

posed by piracy has deteriorated 

to a drastic point, with changes in 

the scope and nature of the 

attacks, together with the increasingly 

serious abuse of seafarers, 

taking things to a level at which 

radical solutions are required. 

‘Our members want effective 

action to deter the pirates, and 

they are fed up with the “softlysoftly” 

approach,’ he added. 

‘Exclusion zones and blockades 

of pirate bases should be looked 

at, and determined action to 

prevent any escalation in the use 

of motherships is an option that 

should be explored — but with 

caution regarding the crews of 

those vessels. 

‘If governments do not act 

now, the shipowners and the seafarers 

will be forced to seriously 

consider whether it is safe to proceed 

into these high-risk areas 

without a substantive increase in 

military support being deployed,’ 

he pointed out. 

‘There is an urgent need to 

provide guidelines on the use of 

armed private security services, 

to regulate those providing this 

service and to make sure that seafarers 

are not exposed to legal or 

other challenges should armed 

guards be carried,’ Mr Dickinson 

added. 

Shipowners have also 

demanded tougher action by the 

military forces in response to the 

more aggressive tactics adopted 

by the pirates. Chamber of Shipping 

president Jan Kopernicki 

warned last month that piracy 

had become ‘an industrialised 

activity’. 

He told guests at the Chamber’s 

annual dinner: ‘The current 

mother ship menace, the execution 

of seafarers and the 

increased aggression of attacks 

will only be subdued by focussed 

military action in the next two to 

three months. 

‘This in turn means that politicians 

need to give their military, 

whether in the UK or elsewhere, 

the freedom to take more explicit 

measures. The unofficial arming 

of merchant ships has not prevented 

the development of the 

current situation, nor will it — or 

a legalised version of it — provide 

the solution. 

‘This is a military problem and 

now needs enhanced military 

responses,’ he added, ‘and the 

industry fully understands the 

risks and difficulties involved.’ 

The expansion of the pirates’ 

fleet of mother ships has not only 

extended their area of operation, 

but also puts an end to the way in 

which the monsoon season usually 

limits their time at sea. 

Concern has increased following 

reports from naval commanders 

of growing evidence 

that pirates are abusing and 

threatening hostage seafarers. 

The crew of a South Korean 

ship held captive by Somali 

pirates for a week before it was 

stormed by commandos said 

they had been beaten while being 

held hostage. The ship’s master 

was shot in the stomach during 

the operation to free the crew. 

And Major General Buster 

Howes, operation commander of 

the EU Naval Force, told reporters 

last month that Somali pirates 

have begun systematically using 

hostages as human shields and 

torturing them. 

He told of cases in which 

pirates have tied hostages upsidedown 

and dragged them in the 

sea, locked them in freezers, 

beaten them and used plastic ties 

around their genitals. 

Maj Gen Howes said the 

pirates have dragged seafarers 

onto the deck of their ships and 

beaten them in view of naval 

forces as a means of making war 

ships back off. 

He said the attacks have 

become more ruthless because 

the pirates are having to raise 

their stakes to hijack ships in the 

presence of naval forces. The 

defensive measures adopted by 

many merchant ships — including 

the use of citadels — have also 

increased levels of violence. 

Labour MP John Spellar, the 

deputy opposition spokesman on 

foreign affairs, warned the House 

of Commons that ‘we are now 

close to a tipping point on that 

vital trade route’ and said the 

rules of engagement for the naval 

forces should be revised to reflect 

this. 

Nautilus has also issued a joint 

call with the Dutch shipowners 

for armed guards to be allowed 

on national-flagged ships, in line 

with the recommendations of a 

recent report to the government. 

gFull reports — pages 22-23.

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2011 

NAUTILUS AT WORK 

Nautilus International’s new head office in 

ASouth Woodford, east London, was 

officially opened by two of the Union’s longestserving 

UK staff members last month. 

Following a retirement lunch for former 

deputy general secretary Peter McEwen, Josie 

Union attacks end 

of sea freight aid 

Abolition of Freight Facilities Grant ‘torpedoes’ cleaner transport policies 

PNautilus International 

has accused the UK government 

of torpedoing 

its green transport policies. 

The union has criticised a 

Department for Transport decision 

to scrap the Freight Facilities 

Grants (FFG) scheme to encourage 

cargoes to switch from roads 

to water and rail. 

The grants — which were first 

introduced in 1974 — were suspended 

last July ahead of the government’s 

comprehensive spending 

review. But ministers have 

now decided to close the scheme 

in England to new and existing 

applicants with immediate effect. 

Nautilus general secretary 

Mark Dickinson commented: 

‘This is a desperately disappointing 

decision and raises serious 

Jaw and Adele McDonald were invited to cut the 

ribbon on the new building. 

‘It was such a surprise when the general 

secretary asked us to do the official opening,’ said 

Josie, who started working for the Union in 1973, 

when it was the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers’ 

questions about the government’s 

commitment to greening 

the country’s transport systems. 

‘Our coastal waters and inland 

waterways offer a cost-effective 

and highly green alternative to 

the increasingly clogged-up road 

system; FFGs have encouraged 

such a shift and more could have 

been done,’ he pointed out. 

‘However, we are now moving 

less freight on water than we did 

25 years ago, and the proportion 

being carried on UK-flagged ships 

has fallen to an all-time low. 

‘It is essential the government 

delivers a clear commitment to a 

proactive policy to ensure that 

the UK does not waste the huge 

potential that coastal shipping 

and inland waterways offers in 

delivering cleaner transport.’ 

Seeing red on green posters 

Getting the message: one of the 

Green Party’s wartime posters to 

encourage fewer ‘food miles’ 

Nautilus has taken issue with a 

Anew climate change campaign 

by the UK Green Party. The Union 

argues that the campaign, launched 

with eye-catching second world warstyle 

posters, oversimplifies the 

concept of food miles and unfairly 

demonises the shipping industry. 

In a letter to party leader Caroline 

Lucas MP last month, Nautilus 

general secretary Mark Dickinson 

observes that one of the campaign’s 

posters contains the slogan ‘Let your 

shopping cut down shipping’. 

‘Nautilus has been concerned for 

some time now,’ he says, ‘that the 

anti-food miles movement might lead 

to a backlash against imported food 

that could unfairly affect the shipping 

industry and, ultimately, seafarers’ 

jobs — not to mention those of 

The government says it will 

now concentrate its support for 

greener freight transport through 

the Mode Shift Revenue Support 

and Waterborne Freight Grant 

schemes. But Nautilus is concerned 

that the loss of the FFG 

scheme will have an adverse 

impact on investment in new 

projects in the coastal shipping 

sector. 

Recent government statistics 

showed that the volume of freight 

moved on UK waters slumped to 

the lowest level in more than a 

decade during 2009 and had 

declined by 20% over the previous 

five years. 

The volume of goods moved 

on UK inland waterways has 

slumped by a staggering 32% in 

the past decade, and only 6% of 

producers in developing nations. 

I was therefore disturbed to see 

shipping being illustrated in a 

negative way in your series of posters.’ 

Whilst acknowledging that almost 

all food transportation generates 

harmful CO2 emissions, the Union 

stresses that not all food miles are 

equal. A mile travelled by a ship 

carrying thousands of tonnes of cargo 

is very different from a mile travelled 

by a 4X4 bringing home a bag of 

salad from the supermarket. 

Air freight, too, is a much more 

problematic way to transport food 

than shipping; air transport accounts 

for 0.1% of total food miles but 

generates 13% of total food transport 

CO2 emissions. 

What’s more, transportation is not 

the only environmental factor that 

Association. ‘It was such an honour and an 

unexpected pleasure.’ 

The address of the new office is 1 & 2 The 

Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, 

London E18 1BD. Telephone numbers and email 

addresses remain unchanged. 

the 110m tonnes of freight lifted 

in the UK in 2009 went by water, 

against 82% on road, 8% by 

pipeline, and 5% by rail. 

Only 10% of freight lifted in 

the coastwise and one-port trades 

was carried by UK-flagged ships 

in 2009 —compared with more 

than 40% 15 years ago. 

The last FFG given by the government 

to encourage cargoes to 

go by water was an award worth 

£500,000 that will save an estimated 

900,000 lorry miles. 

However, the Scottish government 

has had a U-turn on plans to 

cut the FFG from its Budget. Following 

protests over the plans, 

ministers announced last month 

that they will now make at least 

£2m available for FFGs in the next 

financial year. 

concerned buyers should take into 

account. Because of the intensive use 

of heated greenhouses and artificial 

fertilisers by Britain and its European 

neighbours, it can actually be more 

environmentally-friendly overall to 

transport food by ship from distant 

countries such as New Zealand, where 

farming methods generate less CO2. 

‘Using food miles to campaign for 

people to “Buy British” or “Buy local” 

is wrong,’ concludes the general 

secretary, ‘and I would contend that it 

could lead to adverse effects upon the 

environment, the economy and 

producers in many developing 

nations.’ 

Nautilus is now seeking further 

dialogue with the Green Party, with 

the aim of modifying the climate 

change campaign. 

New membership 

benefits aim to 

save you money 

The cost of living is rising 

Aremorselessly. But Nautilus is 

set to launch a new package of 

benefits for UK-resident members 

this month that aims to bring big 

savings on many day-to-day 

purchases. 

And the new deals could easily 

save you at least half the cost of your 

annual Nautilus subscription, says 

assistant general secretary Paul 

Moloney. 

The package — which is due to 

be introduced early in March — has 

been drawn up following an 

extensive review of the services and 

benefits offered by the Union. 

Key features include partnerships 

with Lealta Benefits and Union 

Energy, which will offer potentially 

huge savings on petrol, electricity 

and gas. 

Members will also be able to get 

discounted rates on gym 

membership through two 

nationwide chains and reduced 

entrance rates to airport lounges. 

‘These two Nautilus-specific benefits 

have been negotiated in response to 

demand from members, and we 

ANautilus was taking part in 

top-level talks last month 

to call for compulsory 

new controls to cut the risks posed 

by overweight or badly stuffed 

containers. 

Together with other union 

members of the International 

Transport Workers’ Federation, 

Nautilus took part in a two-day 

meeting to lobby politicians, the 

European Union and other 

stakeholders on the dangers of badly 

prepared shipping containers. 

Organised by the International 

Labour Organisation, the meeting 

heard concerns about the health and 

safety hazards being caused by a 

variety of container stuffing and 

securing problems. 

The ILO forum on safety in the 

supply chain in relation to packing of 

containers was described as the first 

truly worldwide examination of the 

safety problems linked to overloaded, 

believe that they will prove to be 

very popular,’ Mr Moloney added. 

The package will enable UKresident 

Nautilus members to access 

more than 300 discounted benefits 

and services available through the 

website. A key feature will be the 

ability to save 5p a litre on petrol 

and diesel at Sainsbury’s filling 

stations. 

‘Combined with the potential 

savings from Union Energy — which 

gives members the ability to achieve 

significant reductions on their 

household power bills — it is likely 

that members will easily be able to 

save at least £100 a year,’ Mr 

Moloney said. 

Nautilus conducted the review of 

the membership benefits package 

last year, and Mr Moloney said the 

new services were the result of 

listening to members. ‘We want to 

meet the real needs of maritime 

professionals, as well as significantly 

reducing the cost of belonging to the 

Union,’ he added. 

Details of the new package will 

z 

appear on the Nautilus website when 

the scheme is launched. 

Unions seek tougher 

rules for containers 

badly packed or inadequately 

secured freight containers, and those 

carrying undeclared dangerous 

goods. 

ITF general secretary David 

Cockroft commented: ‘At their best 

containers are a key link in the world 

supply chain; at their worst they are 

a danger to the lives of workers and 

the public. Their use across transport 

sectors — lorry, port, rail, ship — 

makes this of particular relevance to 

the ITF and its members.’ 

The unions argued that ‘best 

practice’ and self-regulation have 

failed to stop the worst kind of 

incidents, and that mandatory 

international instruments should be 

developed to guarantee that those 

handling and moving containers are 

informed of their weight, state of 

packing, stowage and securing, as 

well as their centre of gravity and 

whether or not any fumigants or 

dangerous substances are present. 

Getting ahead for charity 


AMark Dickinson led the Union’s 

support for the Woolly Hat Week 

fund-raising initiative for the 

maritime charity the Sailors’ Society. 

The Southampton-based charity 

— which hands out some 15,000 

woolly hats knitted by volunteers 

annually, gift-wrapping 6,000 as 

Christmas presents for seafarers — 

encourages people to wear knitted 

headgear to work for a week each 

year to raise both cash and 

awareness. 

Nautilus made a donation to the 

Society — an interdenominational 

charity supporting seafarers 

throughout the world — and Mr 

Dickinson said he was pleased to be 

able to take part in the event.

March 2011 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03 


shortreports 

SPILL CONSULT: the UK Marine Management 

Organisation has launched a six-week consultation on 

the best ways of treating oil spills. Representatives from 

across industry, government and the environmental 

sector have been urged to have their say as part of the 

oil spill treatment product approval scheme review led 

by the Organisation. The review is due to be completed 

by April and will concentrate on dispersants in the light 

of lessons from the Deepwater Horizon incident in the 

Gulf of Mexico. 

The Duchess of Cornwall is pictured with 

ARoyal Fleet Auxiliary Commodore Bill 

Walworth and crew members from the RFA vessel 

Argus during a visit to Portsmouth last month. 

As well as operating as an aviation training 

ship, Argus can be deployed to war zones as a 

primary casualty receiving facility, and the 

duchess visited the vessel in her capacity as 

Commodore-in-Chief of Royal Naval Medical 

UK plans to close 

loopholes on pay 

UNautilus International 

has welcomed ‘long 

overdue’ moves by the 

UK government to curb pay discrimination 

between seafarers of 

different nationalities on British 

ships. 

Shipping minister Mike Penning 

has announced that the government 

will act to comply with 

European Commission rules outlawing 

the practice of paying different 

rates to crew members 

based on their home country. 

The announcement came after 

the Commission last month 

threatened to take legal action to 

force the UK to put an end to the 

legal loopholes that allow owners 

to give differential pay rates to 

non-UK seafarers. 


Mark Dickinson commented: 

‘We’re glad the UK is finally acting 

on this, although it is a shame it 

Services. She was shown the ship’s 100-bed 

hospital facility, including intensive care and high 

dependency units, and two 35-bed general wards 

and two operating theatres. The duchess also 

toured the bridge and was told about the 

operation of the engines and steering systems. 

And she was also given a demonstration of 

simulated casualties arriving on the ship and 

being treated by medical staff, as well as meeting 

has taken so long and that it has 

taken the threat of court action 

and financial penalties to deliver a 

result. 

‘We are disappointed that the 

minister is saying he will do only 

the bare minimum required to 

comply with the EU directive, 

which means we will still see 

problems for non-EU and EEA seafarers,’ 

he added. 

Mr Dickinson stressed that 

Nautilus remains committed to 

its offer to work with shipowners 

to avoid the threat of flagging out, 

and to find constructive ways of 

compliance that keep UK ships 

internationally competitive. 

‘However, we will also spare no 

effort in tracking down those 

owners that do switch their ships 

to other flags to evade their 

responsibilities for decent working 

conditions,’ he warned. 

Mr Penning said he believed 

Brussels had unfairly penalised 

the UK by giving it just two 

months to fall into line with the 

EU rules — claiming that other 

countries are ‘getting off scotfree’. 

He added: ‘I am determined to 

do everything I can to stand up 

for British shipping and the red 

ensign. We will do the absolute 

bare minimum to comply with 

the EU’s ruling so as to cause as 

little disadvantage as possible to 

UK interests.’ 

Announcing the ‘two-month 

warning’, the Commission said 

the UK’s legislation allowing non- 

UK seafarers to be paid at levels 

directly and indirectly linked to 

their nationality was in breach of 

the obligation to treat EU migrant 

workers in the same way as 

national workers. 

The Commission stressed that 

the European Court of Justice had 

members of the Joint Force Medical Group who 

are about to deploy to Afghanistan. 

Commanding officer Captain Paul Kehoe said 

the visit would help to raise the profile of the 

ship. ‘We tend to be a bit of a silent service and 

this engages with a wider audience what the 

capabilities of the ship are,’ he added. ‘We are the 

only Nato ship that has the flexibility and the 

facilities we have onboard.’ 

Minister promises action on discriminatory rates following EU protests 

clarified that EU law on the free 

movement of workers fully 

applies in shipping, and applies 

also to work that takes place outside 

the EU. 

The Chamber of Shipping 

described the decision as ‘most 

regrettable’ and warned that shipping 

companies had consistently 

warned of the possibility of flagging-out 

if they were forced to 

pay ‘above market rates for their 

crew members’. 

In a statement issued after last 

month’s announcement, it added: 

‘The Chamber awaits with great 

interest the publication of the 

regulations that will apply Part 5 

of the Equality Act to seafarers. 

‘The impact on UK-flag shipping 

operations will depend on 

the precise wording of the regulations 

and the circumstances of 

individual companies,’ the statement 

added. 

CHANNEL FINE: the skipper and owners of a 

Belgian trawler have been fined by a UK court after the 

vessel went the wrong way through the Dover Strait 

traffic separation scheme and was involved in a nearmiss 

with a cross-Channel ferry in March 2009. Brian 

Witdoeckt, skipper of the De Zwerver, was fined £400 

and ordered to pay £600 costs and owners BVBA Deo 

Volante were fined £1,500 and costs of £3,733 after 

admitting breaching the collision prevention 

regulations. 

TUC PROTEST: the TUC has expressed concern at 

a fresh rise in the UK inflation rate, with figures out last 

month showing the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 

increasing to 4% and the Retail Prices Index (RPI) up to 

5.1%. General secretary Brendan Barber commented: 

‘Price pressures have nothing to do with wages and 

much to do with the government’s decision to increase 

VAT, the unfairest tax of all. Interest rate rises would be 

nothing more than economic self-harm.’ 

PIRATE JAILED: a Somali pirate who was caught 

following the attack on the US-flagged containership 

Maersk Alabama last year has been sentenced to 

almost 34 years in jail by a court in New York. The FBI 

said the sentence ‘sends a clear message to others who 

would interfere with American vessels or do harm to 

Americans on the high seas: whatever seas you ply, you 

are not beyond the reach of American justice’. 

NINE DETAINED: nine unseaworthy foreign 

flagged ships were under detention in UK ports in 

January, according to the Maritime & Coastguard 

Agency. The list included a Maltese-flagged ro-ro 

cargoship that had failed to save voyage data recorder 

information after a collision and a Panamanianregistered 

bulk carrier whose crew could not 

demonstrate effective fire and abandon ship drills. 

GUARDS CALL: leading shipowners have 

amended their policy on the use of armed guards on 

merchant ships. The International Chamber of Shipping 

said the changing nature of the threat had resulted in 

its decision to end opposition to the use of private 

armed guards — leaving it to the choice of individual 

operators. 

CANAL COMPETITION: China and Colombia 

have revealed plans to build a new link between the 

Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to rival the Panama Canal. 

The 220km rail connection would connect Cartagena, 

on the northern Atlantic coast of Colombia, with its 

Pacific coast — making it easier for China to export its 

goods. 

BOX BLAZE: crew members onboard the UKflagged 

containership Safmarine Nomazwe managed 

to control a fire which broke out in three containers 

packed with charcoal onboard the ship off the coast of 

South Africa last month. Local fire teams were called in 

to assist when the ship arrived in the port of Cape Town. 

SINGAPORE SHUTDOWN: Nautilus 

International members are advised that the Union’s 

Singapore office will be closed between 28 March to 29 

April because of staff leave and training. Normal service 

will be resumed in May. 

Royal rendezvous: it was a case of little meeting large off Tristan da Cunha last month as the only two ships in the world with Royal Mail status — the 

RMS Queen Mary 2 and RMS St Helena — passed each other and exchanged salutes. 

RACON VIEWS: Trinity House is seeking users’ 

views on the continued need for the X & S band racon 

at Round Island Lighthouse, in the Isles of Scilly. 

Comments from those who navigate in the area are 

needed by 9 May.



shortreports 

CARNIVAL PARTNERSHIP: Nautilus has 

reported a positive response to the new partnership 

committee for Carnival UK members. Senior national 

secretary Paul Keenan said almost all of the 36 seats 

have been filled, although nominations from middle 

and junior rank deck and technical officers are still 

welcome. The first meeting will be held in Southampton 

this month, with an agenda including a number of 

improvements that members have sought for many 

years. A sub-group has been formed to discuss these 

points in more detail. 

MSML MOVE: following correspondence from 

members employed by Mideast Ship Management’s 

VLCCs, Nautilus has agreed to begin the pay review 

process earlier this year. Members believe that October 

is too late to start the process and therefore this year’s 

pay aspirations will be sought from members in April. 

The company told the Union that it would not be 

prepared to make an increase this year as 

benchmarking showed its employment package to be 

competitive against similar operators. 

SCOTTISH ASSIMILATION: Nautilus has 

reported good progress in the assimilation for SG 

Marine (Offshore) of MVM and GSM members following 

the reorganisation of the Marine Scotland Compliance 

fleet last year. Members affected have now been 

advised of their new grades and any comments should 

go to industrial officer Steve Doran as soon as possible. 

PILOT NEGOTIATIONS: Nautilus has had 

further negotiations with Shetland Island Council in a 

bid to secure an agreement on new terms and 

conditions for Sullom Voe pilots. The Union has also 

expressed concern that Orkney Islands Council is 

planning to take similar action to change working 

arrangements for pilots and ferry crews. 

LCT REJECTION: Nautilus members serving with 

LCT Support Services in Newhaven have rejected the 

company’s proposed new rosters. Futher talks are to be 

held this month, along with the start of negotiations on 

the Union’s pay and conditions claim. 

WESTERN REVIEW: the pay and conditions 

review for members employed by Western Ferries 

(Clyde) Limited is due to take place in April and 

members are now being asked for their opinions on the 

contents of the Nautilus claim. 

THAMES TALKS: Nautilus was set to 

recommence talks late last month on a collective 

agreement for members serving with Thames Clippers 

following delays caused by management changes. 

UNION CLAIM: Nautilus has presented a claim for 

a 5% pay rise for members serving with Union 

Transport, together with an increase in the leave accrual 

rate to 15 days per month for all seafarers. 

RMS VIEWS: members serving with Andrew Weir 

Shipping onboard RMS St Helena have been asked to 

submit views on the pay and conditions claim ahead of 

the new 1 April review date. 

HEYN HOPES: members employed by Heyn 

Engineering on RV Corystes are being asked for their pay 

aspirations before negotiations on this year’s claim, due 

to begin in May. 

OSG DEAL: consultations with members serving 

with OSG Ship Management (UK) have shown a 

majority in favour of accepting a 2% pay offer. 

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RFA moves to shed 

400 seafarer jobs 

Unions team up to lobby MPs to resist any further cuts to ‘essential’ fleet 

PNautilus met Royal Fleet 

Auxiliary management 

last month to discuss 

the terms of a voluntary severance 

package for members 

affected by the government’s 

defence spending cuts. 

Around 150 officers and 250 

ratings’ post are to go as a result of 

the loss of three ships from the 

RFA fleet. The cuts aim to generate 

savings of around £18m a year. 

Nautilus industrial officer 

Gavin Williams and RFA liaison 

officer David Gatenby met RFA 

Progress on 

Stena Line 

severance 

Nautilus has reported positive 

Fprogress in negotiations to 

minimise the threat of redundancy for 

members serving on Stena Line’s 

Fleetwood-Larne services. 

Industrial officer Steve Doran said 

the Union has been able to 

significantly reduce the number of 

potential job losses following a series 

of meetings with the company. 

Originally, some 88 seafarers’ jobs 

were said to be at risk but talks 

between Stena, Nautilus, the RMT 

and TSSA unions have seen the 

number reduced to single figures, Mr 

Doran added. 

Nautilus was due to meet the 

company to discuss the 2011 pay 

review at the end of February, 

following talks with partnership at 

work delegates on the aspirations 

submitted by members. 

The Union is also closely 

monitoring Competition Commission 

investigations into Stena Line’s 

acquisition the DFDS routes from 

Belfast to Liverpool and Heysham. 

Stena had said the closure of the 

Fleetwood services was not connected 

to the purchase of the DFDS routes. 

But the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) 

said it was not convinced that Stena 

would have closed the route even if 

the deal had not been in progress. 

It concluded that the acquisition 

may result in ‘a substantial lessening 

of competition in the supply of ferry 

services for freight from the NW of 

England to Northern Ireland’. 

managers to discuss the terms of 

a voluntary early release scheme, 

which is due to begin this month. 

Members are being given a 

month to decide whether to apply 

for the enhanced package, which 

is line with Civil Service terms. 

The MoD says it has no obligation 

to accept applications, and 

will determine whether people 

can go on the basis of their skills 

and experience, attendance and 

conduct, Sponsored Reserves status, 

timing and cost. 

‘Whilst we remain opposed to 

Nautilus was taking part in 

Clast-ditch talks last month in 

an effort to avert the possibility of 

industrial action by members serving 

in the Pacific Nuclear Transport fleet. 

Members voted unanimously in 

favour of being formally balloted for 

industrial action after management 

refused to improve a 1% pay offer that 

had been overwhelmingly rejected. 

Assistant general secretary Paul 

the RFA being cutback because of 

the essential role it performs, the 

early release scheme will hopefully 

help to reduce the risk of 

compulsory job losses,’ Mr 

Williams said. 

‘We will be working with the 

RFA to monitor the situation, and 

will seek to extend or reinvigorate 

the time period if the level of 

responses warrants it,’ he added. 

Nautilus and the RMT are 

jointly campaigning to raise concerns 

over the impact of the cuts 

in the RFA. 

Moloney said the Union had 

scheduled a meeting with the 

company to discuss the situation. 

‘This is clearly a vital service, and we 

will do all we can to resolve the issues 

through negotiations,’ he added. 

‘However, there is evidently a very 

strong grievance felt by our members 

and unless this is addressed by the 

company then we will not hesitate to 

organise the ballot.’ 

The two unions have produced 

a special postcard for MPs, urging 

them to sign a cross-party motion 

in the House of Commons noting 

the essential services performed 

by the RFA and its significant role 

in underpinning UK maritime 

skills. 

The motion expresses concern 

that a further round of defence 

spending cuts could result in an 

additional 10% loss of ships and 

crews and urges the government 

not to expose the RFA to any 

more reductions. 

The ro-pax Delft Seaways leaving Dover in new DFDS livery Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic 

Union bids to cut DFDS redundancies 

Nautilus is working to reduce 

Cthe number of redundancies 

caused by the DFDS decision to close 

its two routes between Dublin and 

the UK. 

Officials in the UK and the 

Netherlands are continuing 

discussions with the company over 

the impact of its closure of the 

services between Dublin and 

Birkenhead and Heysham. 

More than 200 jobs were 

reported to be at risk as a result of 

the move, but industrial officer 

Derek Byrne said there are hopes 

that the talks will reduce the figure 

significantly. 

‘We believe that a lot of people 

Last-ditch talks on PNTL pay 

A 

Pictured left is the Royal Fleet 

Auxiliary ship vessel Fort 

George leaving Loch Striven in Argyll 

for the final time last month. 

Built by Swan Hunter on Tyneside 

and launched in 1991, the auxiliary 

oiler replenishment ship sailed to 

Devonport to unload cargo and 

equipment before going into lay-up in 

Birkenhead until her future is decided. 

Fort George — which was 

presented with the RFA ship of the 

year trophy last month — had a 

highly successful career, including 

flood relief work in Mozambique, 

peace-keeping efforts in Sierra Leone, 

and supporting land forces in 

Afghanistan in Operation Oracle. 

can be redeployed,’ he added, ‘but 

we are waiting for the company to 

come back with proposals for 

redundancy terms.’ 

Nautilus has accepted a ‘full and 

final’ offer of a 1.25% pay increase 

from members employed by 

Norfolkline Guernsey to settle the 

2010 negotiations. 

• Self Assessment Tax Returns 

• SED Claims 

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• Fixed Annual Fee 

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Tel: 01475 568 845 

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Low-cost Manx 

service is axed 

Unions welcome decision to pull the plug on rival to IoM Steam Packet 

PNautilus has welcomed 

the closure of a low-cost 

foreign flag freight service 

set up in competition with the 

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. 

The daily Liverpool-Douglas 

run by Mezeron sailed for the last 

time on 19 February after the 

company announced that it had 

failed to meet targets for growth 

and profitability. 

Nautilus and RMT had 

protested to politicians over the 

service, which was using two 

Estonian-flagged ships with eastern 

European crews paid well 

below UK rates. 

The launch of the Mezeron 

service raised fears for the Steam 

Packet operations — with reports 

that the low-cost service had 

gained around 15% of the IoMSP’s 

freight and had persuaded Tesco, 

one of its biggest customers, to 

switch over. 

But a statement from 

Mezeron chairman Jörg Vanselow 

ANautilus has welcomed 

reports suggesting that the 

European Commission 

could come up with new plans to 

uphold pay and conditions in the EU 

ferry sector. 

A leaked copy of the Commission’s 

forthcoming transport policy white 

paper suggests that the so-called EU 

manning directive could be relaunched, 

it was claimed last month. 

Brussels first tabled plans for a 

directive to regulate conditions on 

regular passenger and ferry services 

operating between member states in 

1998 and the European Parliament 

approved the proposal in March 1999. 

The directive sought to ensure that 

seafarers serving on ferries operating 

Manx meeting: Nautilus held pay talks for Isle of Man Steam Packet 

Company members last month. Pictured, left to right, are liaison officer 

Elliot Layfield, Stuart Garrett from the company, liaison officer Chris 

Bowen, and industrial officer Steve Doran. A formal response to the claim 

was expected late last month and members will be consulted. 

announcing the closure said: ‘The 

project was always ambitious and 

I make no apology for that. Unfortunately, 

we did not see the volume 

growth expected to continue 

the service profitably.’ 


Mark Dickinson commented: ‘We 

are delighted to hear the news 

that this service has been closed 

and hope that this will be an end 

to what had been a serious threat 

to the Isle of Man Steam Packet 

operations. 

‘However, the issues underlying 

this situation have not gone 

away and where Mezeron trod 

others will follow tomorrow 

unless the UK and Europe act to 

protect their ferry trades from 

unfair competition and social 

dumping,’ he warned. 

RMT general secretary Bob 

Crow added: ‘The RMT, our sister 

unions and our supporters in the 

community have sent out the 

clearest message that we will 

defend proper rates of pay and 

the highest quality of service in 

the UK ferry industry. And that 

warning should be heeded by others 

who might be thinking of 

undermining our members’ jobs, 

rates of pay and working conditions.’ 

Mezeron will continue to operate 

services carrying general 

cargo and containers from Glasson 

Dock, Liverpool, and Belfast 

to the Isle of Man. 

Union urges EU to protect pay 

and conditions in ferry sector 

in these trades should be paid at the 

rates prevailing in the countries on 

their routes. But the proposals were 

withdrawn in 2004 in the face of 

fierce opposition from shipowners. 

Unions, including Nautilus, have 

continued to press MEPs on the issues 

— warning that action is needed to 

safeguard the EU maritime skills base 

by preventing the ‘social dumping’ of 

low-cost crews in ferry trades. 

The draft white paper points to ‘a 

danger of erosion of labour 

conditions for all crew’, Lloyd’s List 

reported last month, and suggests 

that the Commission will have to 

consider fresh initiatives to address 

manning and working requirements 

for intra-EU maritime services. 

Nautilus assistant general 

secretary Paul Moloney said the 

Union welcomes signs the 

Commission is ready to re-examine 

the proposed directive. 

‘This is something we have been 

campaigning strongly for within the 

European Transport Workers’ 

Federation for a long time, and we 

firmly believe it is essential to protect 

quality shipping against unfair 

competition based on social dumping 

and discrimination,’ he added. 

Mr Moloney said he was 

disappointed by a statement from 

European Community Shipowners’ 

Association secretary-general Alfons 

Guinier, who argued that the directive 

would lead to retaliation against 

European operators elsewhere in the 

world, as well as flagging out by EU 

owners. ‘Any labour protectionist 

measures would have the opposite of 

the desired effect,’ he claimed. ‘It 

could lead to less employment, not 

more.’ 

Mr Moloney said ECSA’s stance was 

predictable, but failed to understand 

the directive’s aim of protecting quality 

shipping and EU maritime skills. ‘The 

measure would be in the best interests 

of good operators and it is nonsense to 

suggest it is some kind of US-style 

Jones Act form of protectionism,’ he 

added. 

The new transport policy 

document is expected to be published 

this month. 

Officials meet to improve Anglo-Dutch strategies 

Nautilus officials from the UK 

Aand the Netherlands are 

pictured left meeting for the second 

industrial officers’ seminar, held in 

Rotterdam last month. 

The meeting was organised to 

ensure that the Union’s work to 

represent members in negotiations 

on pay and conditions is efficiently 

and effectively coordinated between 

the UK and NL branches. 

Officials discussed ways of 

improving services to members, and 

examined issues arising from the 

forthcoming introduction of the 

Maritime Labour Convention 2006. 

‘The meeting was very timely, 

with a number of job losses having 

recently been announced in the ferry 

sector and other parts of the 

industry,’ said assistant general 

secretary Paul Moloney. ‘It gave 

officials the opportunity to plan 

coordinated strategies to protect 

jobs, whilst at the same time 

ensuring that members’ terms and 

conditions do not suffer. For too long, 

British and Dutch seafarers have 

been played off against each other 

and the creation of Nautilus 

International ensures that this is 

consigned to history.’ 

shortreports 

SAFMARINE IMPROVEMENT: Nautilus is 

consulting members serving with Maersk Offshore on 

Safmarine containerships after management tabled an 

improved pay and conditions offer last month when 

previous proposals were overwhelmingly rejected. The 

revised package would give a 2% pay rise and an 

additional 12 days of leave each year. Industrial officer 

Ian Cloke has recommended acceptance of the offer, 

stating that it is the best that could be achieved through 

negotiations. 

MAERSK CONSULT: Nautilus is consulting 

members serving with Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) in 

the tanker fleet after the company said it would not 

improve a 2% pay offer rejected by 73% of officers who 

voted. Management have warned that the offer will be 

withdrawn on 1 April if there is no agreement, and 

industrial officer Ian Cloke has urged members to think 

very carefully about whether to reluctantly accept the 

deal or consider entering into some form of industrial 

action. 

NORTHLINK DATE: following a partnership at 

work meeting for members employed by Northlink 

Crewing (Guernsey), agreement has been reached to 

make an earlier start on the 2011 pay review. The 

meeting confirmed that previous pay review aspirations 

were collected too late and members will therefore be 

asked for their views on the contents of the forthcoming 

claim this month. 

SHELL TALKS: Nautilus officials and officer reps 

are meeting Shell International Shipping early this 

month for talks on this year’s pay and conditions claim. 

Industrial officer Derek Byrne said the Union will be 

seeking a substantial pay increase, together with 

improvements to the long tour bonus, standby pay and 

leave, as well as discussions on call-back and pay 

differentials. 

HANSON RISE: following talks with Hanson Ship 

Management, Nautilus is consulting members on two 

different pay offers. One option would give a 2% 

increase, while the other would give 1.9% across all 

ranks with additional improvements to equalise salary 

scales for first mates and second engineers and second 

mates and third engineers. Results will be known early 

this month. 

KNIGHT SUBMISSION: following feedback 

from members serving with JP Knight (Guernsey), 

Nautilus has submitted a claim for a pay increase in line 

with the January RPI figure – 5.1% — announced in 

February. 

GLOBAL OFFER: members serving with Global 

Marine Systems have been consulted on a 2% pay offer, 

together with improvements in cabin sharing and 

training allowances. Results will be known early in 

March. 

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OFFSHORE NEWS 

shortreports 

OFFSHORE OPPORTUNITIES: the UK 

government could gain a £27bn tax bonus by 

stimulating fresh oil and gas activity in the North Sea, a 

new report has claimed. A study by the consultancy firm 

Hannon Westwood identifies 90 oil and gas discoveries 

— with the potential to produce an estimated 2.6bn 

barrels of oil — that could be ‘unblocked’ with 

government support to resolve such issues as lack of 

funding for smaller operators, problems over access to 

pipelines and the high cost of decommissioning. 

SEALION OFFER: members employed by 

Seahorse Maritime on Sealion vessels are being 

consulted on a revised two-year pay and conditions 

offer. Following the rejection of an earlier package, the 

company has tabled a 1.5% offer backdated to 

1 December 2010 and RPI or 3% (whichever is greater) 

in December 2011. Results will be known early this 

month. Some 86% of members rejected the initial offer 

of 2% for 2010 and RPI in December 2011. 

HAVILA HOPES: Nautilus remains hopeful of 

minimising the threat to jobs for members serving with 

Havila Marine (Guernsey) following further negotiations 

over charter requirements to use Brazilian officers on 

the Havila Faith. However, industrial officer Derek Byrne 

said concerns have also been raised over a charter 

requirement for the Havlia Fortune, which will require 

the replacement of four second officers and four deck 

ratings with Norwegian nationals. 

VECTOR REJECTION: consultations with 

members employed by International Crew Services 

(Hong Kong) on Vector Offshore vessels have shown a 

majority opposed to an improved pay and conditions 

offer. But industrial officer Derek Byrne said 

management has told the Union there is no more 

money available to fund any improvements to the 

2.75% offer. 

BPOS VIEWS: Nautilus is starting to seek the 

views of members serving in the Boston Putford 

Offshore Safety fleet on the contents of the forthcoming 

pay and conditions claim. Industrial officer Jonathan 

Havard said the Union aims to make a submission well 

before the 1 June review date. 

TRICO TALKS: Nautilus is set to open pay talks 

with Trico Supply (UK) this month. Industrial officer 

Derek Byrne said that while the company has made 

redundancies as a result of the recent ship sales, it 

recognises the need to retain experienced seafarers. 

CMA CLAIM: following consultations with 

members employed by Bernard Schulte 

Shipmanagement via CMA Ships (UK) on Geo 

Prospector and Fugro vessels, Nautilus is presenting its 

2011 pay and conditions claim to the company. 

FARSTAD REVIEW: members serving with 

Farstad Singapore have been asked to submit views on 

the contents of this year’s pay and conditions claim. 

Negotiations are set to get under way this month, 

ahead of the 1 April review date. 

PNautilus has stressed the 

importance of maintaining 

high standards of 

offshore emergency support 

following an incident in which 

two seafarers were injured last 

month when four anchor chains 

on a floating production storage 

and offloading vessel broke in 

high winds. 

Some 74 crew members had to 

be evacuated from Maersk’s 

Gryphon Alpha when four of the 

10 anchor chains failed and the 

vessel moved off position during 

stormy conditions 175 miles NE of 

Aberdeen. 

Gryphon Alpha was stabilised 

within minutes and the Maritime 

& Coastguard Agency said the 

94,032dwt vessel was able to 

restore power and keep its 

thrusters in operation while crew 

sought to maintain position in 

‘very poor weather’. 

The Maersk support vessels 

Lancer, Leader and Logger all 

attended the platform, and the 

standby vessel Dea Clipper was 

also on the scene while nonessential 

crew were evacuated by 

helicopters. 

Nautilus senior national secretary, 

Allan Graveson commented: 

‘An incident such as this can very 

easily become a disaster, with loss 

of life or oil spills. That the vessels 

were able to react quickly and 

assist the personnel onboard 

Gryphon Alpha shows what a 

vital service ERRVs provide. 

‘Nautilus International has 

Pictured left is the new 

Apurpose-built Maersk training 

centre in Portlethen near Aberdeen. 

The £750,000 centre offers 

OPITO-certified basic offshore safety 

induction and emergency training 

(BOSIET), further offshore emergency 

training (FOET) and helicopter 

underwater escape training (HUET), 

as well as HSE and MCA-approved 

medical and first aid courses. 

Drilling and well-control courses 

are also planned, with the 10-strong 

Praise for crew 

in FPSO drama 

Maersk unit out of action after anchors fail in storms 

always been a strong supporter of 

standby vessels and has repeatedly 

campaigned against companies 

who try to reduce or abandon 

them,’ he added. 

All wells were immediately 

closed in and subsequent surveys 

showed that no oil was spilled, but 

Maersk Oil said the Manx-registered 

FPSO is expected to be out 

of action for several months while 

repairs are completed. 

‘Given the sudden and rapid 

nature of this incident under 

extreme weather conditions, I 

want to praise the prompt and 

calm response of the crew on 

board that ensured wells were 

shut and the vessel made stable in 

a very short amount of time,’ said 

MD Martin Pedersen. 

BP put on notice over 

safety shortcomings 

BP has been ordered to 

Aimprove its safety standards in 

the North Sea after the Health & 

Safety Executive (HSE) found failures 

on three of its installations. 

In an improvement notice issued 

to the company last month, the HSE 

highlighted problems on the FPSO 

Schiehallion, the Clair platform and 

the Eastern Trough Area Project wells. 

The HSE gave BP three months to 

rectify the shortcomings. 

The report noted that BP’s 

operational risk assessments for 

Schiehallion were ‘not suitable and 

sufficient’ after a pipe burst last 

September, spilling 27 tonnes of 

heating fluid across the deck. 

It said the company had known 

the walls of the pipeline were 

thinning, but continued work for 

three more days until it failed 

catastrophically. ‘No operational risk 

assessment was carried out to 

determine whether this was safe for 

continued operation or should be 

shut down,’ the HSE said. 

The FPSO had to be shut down for 

two months after the incident while 

repairs were carried out. BP said the 

leak was contained on deck and that 

nobody was injured. No fluid escaped 

into the sea, it added. 

The HSE improvement notice also 

included the Clair platform, where 

staff worked on a turbine lubricating 

New training centre 

oil leak after deactivating the fire 

detection and suppression systems. 

BP’s ETAP platform was also said 

to have been operated with 

insufficient lifeboat capacity when 

one of the lifeboats was out of service 

between 13 to 19 November last year. 

The company had maintained that all 

76 workers could have been 

evacuated in an emergency, and a 

helicopter could have been sent to 

provide additional cover. 

BP said it has taken a number of 

actions to improve risk management 

and would ensure that all lessons are 

implemented. The company said its 

safety performance in the North Sea 

had improved considerably in 2010. 

Pictured left is an artist’s 

Aimpression of a new offshore 

windfarm maintenance vessel drawn 

up by the Anglo-Dutch company 

Offshore Ship Designers. 

The Sea-Wind WMV concept is 

based around a submersible dock 

mother ship that would deploy 

catamaran workboats to carry 

engineers to service the turbines. 

staff complement set to double over 

the next year. 

Maersk Training UK managing 

director Duncan Bonner commented: 

‘We have built a first class facility 

with brand new equipment, and 

assembled a team of very 

experienced trainers and support 

staff. As a result we are looking 

forward to providing a better 

learning experience to our corporate 

clients as well as to self-sponsored 

individuals.’ 

Study looks 

at human 

element 

AA research report released 

last month offers new 

ways of measuring the role 

of the human element in offshore 

safety. 

The human factors performance 

indicators report — commissioned 

jointly by the Energy Institute, 

Lloyd’s Register and the UK Health & 

Safety Executive — aims to provide 

the industry with practical methods 

of assessing the ‘health’ of its safety 

regimes. 

New technology has substantially 

improved safety in recent decades, 

but human factors are the final 

frontier where significant advances 

can be achieved, according to Lloyd’s 

Register chief executive Richard 

Sadler. 

‘This report is significant in that it 

proposes a set of metrics and 

provides information that will allow 

the process industry to accurately 

measure the human factors that 

affect the safety performance of the 

organisation,’ he said. 

‘It particularly focuses on how 

the workforce interacts with 

high-risk assets,’ Mr Sadler 

explained. ‘What recent 

investigations of industrial incidents 

continue to show is that strategies 

for asset safety are not enough. 

Effective risk management must 

include the human part of the 

interaction between people, plant 

and process.’ 

Dutch firms in 

windfarm deal 

The Dutch dredging and 

Amarine contractor Van Oord 

and the green investment company 

Typhoon Offshore BV have signed a 

letter of intent for the construction of 

the BARD-Netherlands offshore 

windfarm. 

The windfarm, which will have a 

capacity of 600MW, will be located 

55km north of the island of 

Schiermonnikoog and will supply 

electricity to over 1.5m Dutch 

consumers. 

Anglo-Dutch firm reveals plans for new windfarm support vessel 

The vessel would also provide 

accommodation for service personnel, 

ship and support crew, and could 

support helicopter operations. 

The company says it is at an 

advanced stage with a European 

shipping firm and UK ship manager to 

deliver the concept to operators who 

will be constructing the next set of 

windfarms in UK and EU waters.


NEWS 

Busy scenes at South Tyneside College, above left, where more than 800 people visited this year’s careers day, and at Warsash Maritime Academy, right, where visitors came from as far away as Bermuda and Switzerland 

Colleges report record turn-out for MN open days 

Two of the UK’s biggest maritime training colleges 

Fhave reported record turn-outs at their latest open 

days to promote careers in the Merchant Navy. 

Warsash Maritime Academy and South Tyneside 

College said they were both encouraged by the levels of 

interest shown in their annual shipping careers events. 

This year’s open day at Warsash — a faculty of 

Southampton Solent University — attracted a record 

750 visitors, with people travelling from as far afield as 

PUK government moves 

to cut the support for 

maritime training and 

to review the future of seafarers’ 

income tax allowances could turn 

into a ‘massive own goal’, 

shipowners warned last month. 

Chamber of Shipping president 

Jan Kopernicki told the owners’ 

annual dinner — whose 

attendees included shipping minister 

Mike Penning and MPs from 

the main political parties — that 

the cost-cutting measures could 

prove counter-productive for the 

national economy. 

Mr Kopernicki said Chamber 

members are very concerned 

about the risk of changes to the 

Foreign Earnings Deduction 

—presently being examined by 

the Office of Tax Simplification — 

and the potential impact of the 

government’s austerity measures 

on the training of seafarers. 

‘Both of these would be massive 

own goals, and would affect 

not just our seafarers and shipping, 

but the professional skills 

base across the entire maritime 

cluster as well,’ he warned. 

Shipping remains a cornerstone 

of the UK economy, Mr 

Kopernicki argued. ‘Despite the 

recession, both the owned and 

the managed fleet, and the UKflag 

fleet, have continued to grow. 

Indeed, the recovery in the fleet 

that we have seen over the last 10 

years has been remarkable: the 

owned and managed fleet has 

more than tripled in tonnage; the 

Switzerland and Bermuda to attend. 

Interestingly, the Academy notes, 10% of the 

candidates were aged 30 or over — proving that this is 

not just a career choice for school and college leavers. 

As well as information and talks, there was the 

chance to take command of a ship ‘at sea’ on the 

Academy’s ship simulator, see how fires are fought at 

sea and watch a fly-past and winching demonstration by 

a Coastguard helicopter. 

flag fleet has grown six-fold.’ 

The industry earns well over 

£1bn every hour of every day for 

the UK economy, he pointed out, 

and it also continues to be a major 

employer, with over 40,000 

British employees and ‘a growing 

stream of young recruits’. 

‘These jobs really matter — to 

our economy and our society,’ Mr 

Kopernicki stated, ‘so protecting 

— and, importantly, growing — 

jobs in the maritime sector has to 

be a key objective.’ 

The Chamber president told 

the 600 guests at the event that 

the government’s Equality Act 

move to bring the UK into line 

with EU rules outlawing pay discrimination 

for foreign seafarers 

would ‘create challenges’ for 

special disc unts 

“on airfares for marine personnel” 

WMA director and dean John Millican commented: 

‘This year’s open day welcomed more prospective cadets 

and more sponsoring companies than ever before. This 

just goes to demonstrate how attractive the sponsorship 

package is to aspiring cadets, and that a career at sea is 

an increasingly popular choice for young people today.’ 

South Tyneside’s event attracted more than 800 

visitors, and gave them a chance to meet 

representatives from companies such as Carnival 

Owners hit out 

on training aid 

Government risks a ‘massive own goal’ if it cuts support, Chamber warns 

British-flagged operators. 

And he also urged politicians 

not to forget the tonnage tax ‘and 

the vital foundation it continues 

to provide for investment in the 

UK’. 

Mr Kopernicki also expressed 

alarm at the impact of defence 

cuts on the Royal Navy’s ability to 

protect merchant shipping. ‘We 

are concerned that it will be 10 

years before the new Type 26 

frigates come into service and we 

can begin to rebuild the navy to 

its proper strength,’ he added. 

‘After all, as UK trade grows again 

post-recession, shipping will grow 

— so it could be argued that the 

need for frigates to keep the sea 

lanes safe for that shipping will 

also grow, rather than shrink.’ 

We are able to offer 

discounted air travel for 

all staff employed in the 

marine industry from 

crew, shorebased staff 

to spouse’s travelling to 

and from vessels. 

Using our extensive marine 

fare programme we are 

able to provide changeable 

and refundable tickets. 

We are totally dedicated 

to providing an efficient 

and personal service. 

The UK’s marine-related 

Findustries are worth some 

£3.7bn a year to the national 

economy, according to a new report. 

The study — produced by the 

Marine Industries Leadership Council 

— says the 5,000-plus companies in 

the sector employ around 120,000 

people and have a combined 

turnover of £10bn. 

It challenges the image of marine 

industries as a ‘sunset’ sector, 

pointing to more than 20% growth 

in shipbuilding and marine leisure 

between 2006 and 2008 and 

forecasting future growth in such 

areas as marine renewable energy. 

Speaking at a parliamentary 

event to promote the findings, 

business and enterprise minister 

Mark Prisk commented: ‘These 

figures highlight the importance of 

the marine industry to the UK 

economy and to the skills and jobs 

market.’ 

Council co-chairman Alan 

Johnston, MD of BAE Systems’ 

Cruises, Chiltern Maritime, Clyde Marine, Maersk, 

Merdian Marine, PNTL, Pritchard Gordon Tankers, 

Princess Cruises, Ship Safe Training Group and Viking 

Recruitment. 

Gary Hindmarch, hed of the marine college, 

described the attendance as ‘very encouraging for the 

industry’. He pointed out: ‘At the moment, skills 

shortages at sea mean that successful graduates from 

the programmes have excellent career opportunities.’ 

Marine sector 

worth £10bn 

a year for UK 

maritime organisation, added: ‘It is 

not true that these industries are in 

decline — nothing could be further 

from the truth. The high technology 

marine engineering industry makes 

a major contribution to the UK 

economy. 

‘By working together we have 

the potential to further increase 

revenues, boost jobs and our 

collective value to the economy,’ he 

added. 

The Council points out that the 

UK is still the fourth largest 

shipbuilder and one of the largest 

boat builders in Europe, and 

continues to hold an international 

lead in certain niche markets such as 

the construction of warships and 

superyachts. 

The organisation says it is 

planning to publish a UK marine 

industries growth strategy later this 

year, setting out plans to increase 

the UK’s share of the global market 

across a broad front of marine 

products and services. 

Contact us today for a quote 

www.vikingrecruitment.com 

+44 (0) 1304 240 881 

travel@vikingrecruitment.com 

we place people first...


LARGE YACHT NEWS 

Nautilus is taking a stand to 

give advice and assistance 

Nautilus International will be 

Ctaking part in this year’s 

Antibes Yacht Show, scheduled for 

7-10 April at Port Vauban. 

Recruitment officials Garry 

Elliott and Pepijn van Delft, above, 

will be running a stand at the event 

with the Union’s strategic partners, 

Antibes-based D&B Services. 

‘The show is one of the biggest 

events in the yachting calendar, 

and we will be seeking to meet as 

many members as possible and to 

talk to other crew members about 

Training craft 

were unsafe, 

court is told 

F 

Two commercial yacht 

operators were fined a total of 

more than £33,000 last month after 

they admitted using unsafe craft on 

trans-Atlantic voyages with students 

on RYA training courses. 

And the judge at Southampton 

Crown Court warned George 

Haworth, of In2Sail, and Colin 

Thomas, of Straits Sailing, that they 

could be sent to prison for six months 

if their fines of £16,000 and £17,549 

are not paid within six months. 

Following the case, Simon Milne, 

head of vessel policy at the Maritime 

& Coastguard Agency, said: ‘The 

codes of practice for small commercial 

vessels lay down minimum safety 

standards. Some sailing schools and 

charters go above minimum 

standards. In both these cases the 

operators fell very well short of even 

the expected standards.’ 

the growing range of benefits and 

services available to them through 

Nautilus,’ Mr Elliott said. 

Nautilus and D&B will stage a 

special workshop at the show on 

9 April to discuss issues including the 

Manila amendments to the STCW 

Convention and the forthcoming 

Maritime Labour Convention. They 

will also be part of an MLC training 

course in Monaco on 12-13 April. 

gFor details, contact D&B services 

— tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 or email 

info@dandbservices.com 

Burglaries lead 

to warning on 

Majuro visits 

Following a series of yacht 

Fburglaries in the Marshall 

Islands, captains are being warned 

that it is dangerous to visit Majuro 

— once described as a ‘safe haven’ 

for visiting boats. 

‘It is a sad state of affairs that the 

Marshall Islands is now listed as a 

place of frequent piracy on cruising 

websites and cruising advisories 

around the world,’ said Bonny 

Taggart, director of the Marshall 

Islands Council of Non-Government 

Organisations. 

‘It is now officially the second 

most unsafe place for cruising 

yachts,’ she added. 

In response to the incidents — 

which have included the theft of 

equipment, boats trashed, dinghies 

slashed and yachts cut adrift in the 

night — local police have started 

nightly patrols. 

Ship managers in 

large yacht move 

by Michael Howorth 

PTwo commercial shipping 

companies have 

entered the large yacht 

arena, seeking what they perceive 

to be the more lucrative sector of 

the vessel management market. 

Svitzer, the tugs and towage 

arm of AP Moller, has set up 

Svitzer Superyachts, operating 

from the UK headquarters based 

in South Wales. 

Among its fleet is Kogo, a 77m 

superyacht built by Alstrom in 

France. Captain Grant Thompson 

said Svitzer was impressive in the 

way it handled the superyacht’s 

five-year classification survey. 

Andrew Weir Yacht Management 

is another company to 

by Michael Howorth 

Attempts to win the coveted 

AHales Trophy — a prize 

awarded to the ship which makes the 

fastest crossing of the Atlantic — have 

been numerous and, at times, 

controversial. 

The prize — often referred to as 

the Blue Riband — was originally just 

an unofficial accolade given to the 

fastest passenger liner on the crossing 

from the UK to the US. But in 1935 the 

shipping magnate Harold Hales 

donated a trophy, which he decreed 

would be given to any type of surface 

commercial passenger vessel for a 

crossing in either direction. 

The last passenger liner to capture 

the record was the United States, 

whilst the first non-liner to receive the 

trophy was the catamaran ferry 

Hoverspeed Great Britain, when she 

Giving you a voice on your future 

Commercial shipping sees opportunities in the sector 

enter the fray. Part of Andrew 

Weir Shipping Ltd, this familyowned 

company based in London 

has over 120 years of experience 

in the maritime industry and its 

superyacht portfolio includes the 

ongoing management of 

Christina O, once owned by ship 

owner Aristotle Onassis. 

Both companies have recently 

announced the launch of new 

websites aimed at owners, captains 

and crew. The sites have 

been designed in direct response 

to research into what the superyacht 

customer really wants. 

AWYM MD Stephen Corkhill 

says: ‘We have always taken customer 

care very seriously, talking 

and listening to our international 

clients and taking their views on 

established a new speed record on 

her eastbound delivery voyage in 

1990 with an average speed of 41.28 

knots. 

The 68m superyacht Destriero was 

constructed at the Fincantieri yard in 

Italy in 1992 with a view to winning 

the trophy. She was chartered by the 

Yacht Club Costa Esmeralda, and 

broke the trans-Atlantic crossing 

record on 9 August 1992 with an 

average speed of 53.09 knots. 

However, the Hales Trophy was 

denied to her because she was 

classed as a private yacht and not a 

commercial passengership. 

Now a new challenge has 

The 45m New Zealand-built 

Csuperyacht Big Fish last 

month left Antarctica after passing 

the half-way point in a polar 

circumnavigation. 

The flagship of the Aquos Yachts 

Fleet, covered more than 

22,000nm in its first seven months 

and owner Richard Beattie is 

thrilled with her performance and 

board. Over the past 12 months 

we have conducted a series of 

informal research studies and 

these results have influenced the 

new website design and content.’ 

Incorporated into the websites 

are key areas covering yacht management, 

project management 

and yacht services such as crew, 

maintenance, administration, 

purchasing, ISM/ISPS Code preinspection, 

newbuild, conversion, 

refit, regulation, and insurance 

and accounting. 

Both companies offer management 

services on a fixed fee 

basis and, in the case of AWYM, 

employ specialists ranging from 

marine engineers and naval architects 

to chartered accountants 

and software experts. 

Atlantic trophy bid 

Worried about your retirement Join us! 

The Nautilus Pensions Association is a pressure group and support 

organisation that: 

z provides a new focal point for seafarer pensioners — increasing 

their influence within, and knowledge of, the Merchant Navy 

Officers’ Pension Fund and other schemes within the industry 

z serves as a channel for professional advice on all kinds of 

pensions, as well as offering specific information on legal and 

government developments on pensions, and supporting the Union 

in lobbying the government as required 

z provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for advice on other organisations 

providing support and assistance to pensioners 

z offers a range of specialised services and benefits tailored to 

meet the needs of retired members 

z operates as a democratic organisation, being a Nautilus Council 

body — with the secretary and secretariat provided by the Union 

1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD 

t +44 (0)20 8989 6677 f +44 (0)20 8530 1015 

npa@nautilusint.org www.nautilusint.org 

emerged. The British firm Maricuda 

has announced its goal to produce a 

craft that will sustain 70 knots over 

long distances and hopefully capture 

the trophy by shaving two hours off 

the record. 

The proposed 80m high-speed 

superyacht Atlantic Challenger is 

being specifically designed for post- 

Hales Trophy life, being a twin gas 

turbine driven trimaran to move 

passengers or cargo for up to 3,000 

miles without refuelling. 

Being developed in conjunction 

with Devonport Yachts, Atlantic 

Challenger is due to make the record 

attempt in 2013. 

New Zealand superyacht passes 

half-way mark on polar voyage 

ability to cruise the icy waters with 

such ease. 

‘This is why I built this yacht,’ he 

said. ‘Chartering Big Fish is the 

most exciting way to enjoy cruising 

off the beaten track.’ 

In June and July the luxury 

expedition yacht will cruise 

northern Europe and then embark 

on the Northeast Passage in August. 

Watkins to 

assist ISM 

auditors 

Watkins Superyachts, the 

ALondon-based yacht 

management team, is to run a 

second session of its two-day ISM 

auditor courses in response to 

requests and in recognition of a 

shortage of training aimed 

specifically at the large yacht sector. 

The course is aimed at any 

captain, officer or crew member who 

is either new to ISM, requires a 

refresher, or simply wishes to add to 

their existing knowledge. It will also 

be of interest to crews of selfmanaged 

commercial yachts where 

shore-based management support 

may be minimal and ISM compliance 

may be required. 

The course is principally aimed 

at those who may be responsible 

for or wish to have a greater 

understanding of ISM and the audit 

process and, if necessary, will enable 

the individual to carry out a sensible, 

yacht-friendly audit. 

The next course will be held at 

the Hotel Ambassadeur, Juan Les 

Pins on 8-9 March and all 

participants will obtain a certificate 

on completion. 

RINA opens 

UK office for 

superyachts 

The classification society RINA 

Ahas responded to increasing 

demand for superyachts in the 

Britain and northern Europe by 

opening a new office in the UK. 

Based on the south coast, RINA’s 

plan approval and technical office 

aims to provide support for 

superyacht designers, naval 

architects and shipyards on such 

issues as the requirements of the 

new MCA Passenger Yacht Code and 

the upcoming requirements of the 

Maritime Labour Convention 2006. 

Yachting business manager Paolo 

Moretti commented: ‘Even during 

the crisis we have seen strong 

UK-based yacht builders such as 

Sunseeker and Princess growing, 

and they are both investing more 

and more into the larger sizes of 

yachts. They choose RINA to class 

those yachts, and we see growing 

demand for advice, consultancy, 

pre-assessment and direct liaison 

over plan approval.’ 

RINA says the new office is well 

positioned to provide support for 

designers and yards in Germany, the 

Netherlands and Scandinavia.


NEWS 

Pacific Princess is built again — 

using 250,000 bits of Lego! 

The cruiseship Pacific Princess has been built again 

C— as a 10.5ft-long model made up of more than a 

quarter of a million Lego bricks. 

Almost 5ft high, the vessel is the handiwork of Ryan 

McNaught — one of only 12 ‘certified’ Lego builders in the 

world — who spent six months putting the quarter of a 

million bricks into place. 

Now operating as the Pacific, the original vessel — 

built in 1971 — was more than 550ft long and of 20,636gt 

and came to fame in the 1970s TV series The Love Boat. 

Mr McNaught — who is Australia’s Lego champion — 

said the model is the biggest he has ever built and was 

inspired by the cruises he has taken over the years. 

Known as ‘Brickman’, Mr McNaught had just finished 

building a giant Airbus 380 model and decided the time 

had come to tackle a ship. ‘I wanted to do something with 

character, so I chose the original Love Boat and studied 

photos and deck plans to capture her features and her 

beauty,’ he added. 

While one side of the model features the exterior of 

the vessel, the other side is an open cutaway revealing all 

the action inside — from chefs in the kitchen to 

passengers working out in the health club. There are 

more than 450 miniature passengers and crew onboard 

the model, which also features working anchors, bow 

thrusters, lifeboats, propeller and rudder. 

Union backs ECDIS training call 

MCA recommends generic and ship-specific training for masters and officers using electronic chart systems 

PNautilus has welcomed new 

guidance from the Maritime & 

Coastguard Agency which urges 

owners to ensure that navigating officers 

receive both general and ship-specific 

training on electronic chart display and 

information systems (ECDIS). 

Marine Information Note 405 — 

issued by the MCA last month — advises 

owners and seafarers that masters and 

deck officers should be given type-specific 

training for all the different ECDIS 

equipment they may have to work with 

in an operator’s fleet, on top of the 

mandatory generic course. 

The UK Chamber of Shipping 

expressed disappointment at the guidance, 

arguing that the industry had not 

been fully consulted ahead of its publication 

and that the additional training 

requirements would add to their costs. 

But Nautilus senior national secretary 

Allan Graveson commented: ‘A generic 

course followed by type-specific training 

is vital. It has been shown that you cannot 

have one without another, and no 

Cruiseship captain appointed as 

new Trinity House deputy master 

other industry would permit the introduction 

of similar systems without this 

level of training.’ 

The MCA said masters and navigating 

officers on ships using ECDIS as their primary 

means of navigation are required 

by their Safe Manning Document and 

port state control rules to have completed 

both forms of training. 

The MIN states that ship-specific 

equipment training should relate to the 

make and model of the equipment fitted 

of the ship on which they are currently 

serving — meaning that they will need to 

attend a training course for each different 

system they are expected to operate. 

‘This training should build on the 

MCA-approved ECDIS generic training, 

and be delivered by the manufacturer, 

the manufacturer’s approved agent or a 

trainer who has attended such a programme,’ 

it adds. 

‘Trickle-down training (one officer 

training another) is not acceptable as, 

inevitably, it leads to incomplete knowledge 

of the equipments capabilities, and 

especially the lesser used functions, 

being passed on.’ 

Equipment-specific training should 

cover such elements as familiarisation 

with available functions, the menu structure, 

the display set-up, setting of safety 

values, recognition of alarms and malfunction 

indicators and the actions to be 

taken, route planning and monitoring, 

changing over to back-up systems, loading 

charts and licenses, and updating of 

software. 

gM-Notices — see page 42 

Seabourn Cruises master 

DCaptain Ian McNaught, right, 

has been appointed the new deputy 

master of the Corporation of Trinity 

House and executive chairman of the 

lighthouse authority. 

Capt McNaught — who has some 

40 years of maritime experience — 

succeeds Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy de 

Halpert, who will stand down 

towards the end of 2011 after nine 

years in the post. 

Due to join Trinity House in 

September, Capt McNaught has 

served with Cunard since 1987, when 

he joined the QE2 as a second officer. 

He rapidly rose through the ranks to 

become master of the Sea Goddess 1, 

and held command of the QE2 until 

the vessel was paid off in November 

2008. 

He described his new 

‘Slump has cut accidents’ 

The global economic downturn 

Fseems to have had unexpected 

benefits for maritime safety, 

according to the Lloyd’s List 

Intelligence Casualty (LLIC) service. 

The latest figures from the 

worldwide reporting network show 

that there was a large fall in shipping 

casualties last year — with overall 

global incidents down by 8% and 

ship-sinking incidents falling by more 

than 30% compared with 2009. 

Much of the drop in casualties can 

be explained simply by the reduction 

in tonnage in the world fleet, as 

shipowners lay up vessels on routes 

that are no longer profitable. 

But economic woes may also have 

contributed to less demanding and 

strenuous schedules, notes the LLIC 

report — improving safety by cutting 

speeds and allowing seafarers to get 

enough rest breaks to concentrate 

fully on their work. 

Tougher port state control 

inspections worldwide should also be 

given credit for the fall in casualties, 

says the report, with mild winter 

appointment as ‘the pinnacle of a 

successful career as a master 

mariner’ and added: ‘It provides me 

with an opportunity to lead the 

principal maritime fraternity and 

institution in the country for the 

benefit of Maritime Britain, the 

shipping industry, and all the 

seagoing community’. 

In the position of executive 

chairman of Trinity House, Capt 

McNaught will lead the general 

lighthouse authority responsible for 

the safe navigation of some of the 

world’s busiest shipping lanes and 

pioneering research into new 

technologies to improve 

navigational aids. As deputy master 

of the Corporation of Trinity House, 

he will be responsible for the 

activities of the UK’s largest 

endowed maritime charity. 

weather another factor. 

However, the eastern 

Mediterranean remains a blackspot 

for accidents, with Greece, Turkey and 

the Black Sea experiencing a year-onyear 

rise of more than 4% in 2010. 

‘Indeed, the eastern Med region 

accounts for a hefty fifth of all 

incidents reported by the casualty 

service,’ said Adam Smallman of 

Lloyd’s List Group. ‘These numbers 

may support anecdotal and 

movements evidence that the region 

is a magnet for substandard vessels.’ 

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NEWS 

Pictured, left to right, at the completion of the latest stage of the QVSR 

refurbishment programme are: Tower Hamlets deputy mayor AM Ohid 

Ahmed; QVSR chief executive Alexander Campbell; Poplar & Limehouse 

MP Jim Fitzpatrick; and QVSR chair Terry Simco Picture: East End Life 

Rooms upgraded at 

hostel for seafarers 

Labour’s shipping spokesman 

CJim Fitzpatrick was a guest of 

honour at last month’s event to 

celebrate the completion of the 

second phase of refurbishment 

work at the Queen Victoria 

Seamen’s Rest (QVSR) in London’s 

East End. 

QVSR — which is the UK’s 

largest seafaring hostel — is being 

completely revamped to give 

residents a more modern, dignified 

living environment. 

The hostel is home to some 160 

seafarers, both active and retired. 

In recent years, QVSR has also 

extended its services to meet the 

needs of other homeless people, 

including ex-servicemen. 

Its five-year refurbishment 

project involves making bedrooms 

more spacious and creating a 

bathroom for each resident instead 

Nautilus has welcomed new 

AInternational Maritime 

Organisation guidelines intended to 

cut the number of accidents involving 

seafarers entering enclosed spaces 

onboard ships. 

The Union took part in the IMO 

bulk liquids and gases sub-committee 

meeting last month as it considered 

the revised recommendations. 

IMO secretary-general Efthimios 

Mitropoulos told delegates the need 

for measures to improve safety in 

confined spaces was clear. 

‘Regrettably, they remain a common 

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Established 1974 

of the communal facilities 

previously in place. Funding has 

come from a range of maritime 

bodies, including the Merchant 

Navy Welfare Board. 

Mr Fitzpatrick — who is the 

local MP for Poplar & Limehouse — 

was keen to lend his support to the 

work, which has so far seen nine 

existing bedrooms and three selfcontained 

flats reconfigured and 

upgraded to create 18 new 

bedrooms. 

The refurbishment of QVSR 

started in 2009 and is expected to 

take five years to complete. 

Architects Ayshford Sansome and 

building surveyors HBW 

Partnership say work on the next 

stage is already under way and, 

when finished in June this year, it 

will deliver a further 14 bedrooms 

and a residents’ laundry room. 

cause of seafarer deaths or lifethreatening 

accidents,’ he said. 

The guidelines aim to ensure that 

seafarers are familiar with the 

precautions they need to take before 

entering enclosed spaces and also 

with the most appropriate action they 

should take in an accident. They 

include a mandatory requirement for 

pre-entry drills at intervals of not 

more than three months. 

The sub-committee also approved 

a recommendation that a separate 

set of guidelines be developed for 

entry into cargo spaces on tankers 

Concern as skipper is 

fined in fatigue case 

Court told that tired seafarer misjudged his vessel’s distance from land 

PNautilus has expressed 

concern about a case in 

which a French fishing 

vessel skipper was fined £3,000 

last month after running aground 

as a result of fatigue. 

Captain Xavier Leaute pleaded 

guilty to failing to maintain a 

proper lookout when he appeared 

before Stornoway Sheriff Court 

following the grounding of the 

150ft trawler Jack Abry II off the 

coast of Rum. 

The court was told Capt Leaute 

had gone to sea immediately after 

making a seven-hour air and road 

journey from France to join his 

vessel in the Scottish port of 

Lochinver. He was due to be 

relieved at 11pm, but decided to 

give his colleagues a longer rest. 

His solicitor, Angus Macdonald, 

said Capt Leaute — who was 

alone on the bridge at the time — 

had misinterpreted the distance 

from land in poor conditions, 

with heavy rain having ‘masked’ 

the images on the radar screen. 

He said Capt Leaute had stayed 

on watch because he felt his relief 

needed to have more rest. 

The vessel grounded on the 

NW coast of Rum and Mallaig 

Spaces safety move 

using inert gas systems, along with 

proposed amendments to the SOLAS 

Convention aiming at making drills in 

enclosed space entry and rescue 

mandatory. 

Nautilus senior national secretary 

Allan Graveson said the Union fully 

supports the measures. But, he told 

the meeting, ‘There remains no 

mandatory carriage requirement for 

remote atmospheric measuring 

devices, although we believe these 

guidelines, together with pre-entry 

drills at intervals of not more than 

three months, will address this issue.’ 

TUC attacks plans 

for tribunal fees 

The TUC has condemned 

Fproposed changes to 

employment law which will make it 

harder for employees who have been 

wronged at work to seek justice. 

The warning came after the UK 

government launched a consultation 

document setting out possible 

changes to the employment tribunals 

system — including the introduction 

of fees for individuals wishing to take 

their employer to court, and an 

increase in the qualifying period 

before workers can claim unfair 

dismissal from one to two years. 

The TUC is concerned that making 

people pay a fee of as much as £500 

before they can attempt to win justice 

at a tribunal will deter many 

employees with genuine cases — 

especially low-paid individuals who 

may just have lost their jobs and no 

longer have a salary to rely upon. 

Forcing workers to wait until they 

have been employed for two years 

before they can claim unfair dismissal 

will prevent thousands of wronged 

employees from challenging their 

employers, the TUC warned, and it 

will allow companies to sack staff at 

whim. 

General secretary Brendan Barber 

commented: ‘While employer groups 

complain that tribunals are costing 

them too much, they have lost sight 

of the fact that if firms treated their 

staff fairly, few would ever find 

themselves taken to court.’ 

The French trawler Jack Abry II aground in the Sound of Canna on the NW 

coast of the Isle of Rum Picture: MCA 

lifeboat and the Stornoway-based 

Coastguard SAR helicopter were 

dispatched to assist. The seas were 

too rough to evacuate the 14 crew 

onto the lifeboat, so they were 

winched to safety and taken to 

Lewis. 

Sheriff David Sutherland 

praised the rescue efforts. ‘This 

matter could well have ended in 

tragedy, if not for the swift 

response of the coastguard helicopter 

at Stornoway,’ he added. 

‘We could have been dealing with 

Pictured above are Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society care home 

Hresidents Michael and Juliana Hamers, who have been married for 

69 years and last month shared their tips for marital bliss ahead of the 

forthcoming Royal Wedding. Residents at the Surrey home, who have a 

combined length of 583 years as married couples, gave such advice as 

‘share everything’, ‘don’t hog the TV remote’, ‘keep things fresh’ and ‘never 

go to bed on a quarrel’. Society chief executive Commander Brian Boxall- 

Hunt commented: ‘The residents are very excited about the forthcoming 

wedding and thought about how they made long and happy marriages.’ 

Artist aids mariners 

A Scottish artist has donated 

Fone of his most popular works 

— ‘Islander Entering a Snow 

Covered Garlieston Harbour’ — to 

help raise money for the 

Shipwrecked Mariners Society. 

Cameron Houston — whose 

father, Alex, was a trawlerman and 

once owned the Islander — said: 

‘My father has dedicated his life to 

the sea and we are both very aware 

of the work of the Shipwrecked 

Mariners’ Society so I wanted to do 

something to support those that rely 

on the donations.’ 

The painting was put up for 

auction on E-bay last month and the 

proceeds will go to the charity, which 

has helped some 2,750 former 

seafarers across the UK over the past 

year with grants totalling £1.6m. 

Chief executive Commodore 

Malcolm Williams said the society 

was very grateful for the donation 

— with the number of new 

applications for assistance at the 

highest level for five years. 

a situation with considerable loss 

of life.’ 

Following the case, Maritime 

& Coastguard Agency fishing vessel 

safety policy manager Cedric 

Loughran said: ‘This was another 

breach of the collision regulations 

and once again reminds all fishermen 

of the need to maintain a 

proper lookout at all times.’ 

But Nautilus senior national 

secretary Allan Graveson said he 

was disturbed by the case. 

‘Criminalisation and fatigue 

are the biggest threats to seafarers,’ 

he pointed out. ‘This case is 

an example of how individuals 

who are trying to support their 

colleagues are criminalised when 

accidents occur as a result. 

‘It is a relief that no lives were 

lost and we hope that this experienced 

seafarer does not lose his 

job as a result.’ 

The Coastguard centre at 

Stornoway is one of a number of 

centres threatened with closure 

or daylight-hours-only operation 

under the MCA’s rationalisation 

plans. The emergency towing vessel 

Anglian Earl, which is also 

under threat, was standing by the 

Jack Abry II during the incident. 

Operator 

‘was not 

qualified’ 

AA pleasure boat owner/ 

skipper has been given a 

three-year conditional 

discharge after being taken to court 

for failing to hold the appropriate 

qualifications to operate the vessel. 

Yate magistrates court heard that 

the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s 

Cardiff Marine Office detained the 

passenger vessel River Princess II 

on the river Avon following concerns 

over the operation of the 1937-built 

vessel, which runs between Bath and 

Bristol. 

Investigations revealed that the 

owner/skipper, Robert Morley, did not 

hold a Boat Master’s Licence or any 

equivalent certification if the vessel 

had been carrying fewer than 12 

passengers. 

Mr Morley — who had claimed 

that he was not carrying more than 12 

passengers and held an appropriate 

qualification — was found guilty of 

one breach of the Merchant Shipping 

(Inland Waterway and Limited Coastal 

Operations) (Boatmasters’ 

Qualifications and Hours of Work) 

Regulations 2006 for sailing as 

skipper of a passenger vessel without 

being properly qualified. 

Following the case, MCA 

enforcement officer Captain Andrew 

Phillips commented: ‘Mr Morley 

failed not only as skipper but also as 

owner of the River Princess to ensure 

that he held the appropriate 

qualification to allow him to be in 

charge of the vessel.’


NEWS 

Shipping 

urged to 

innovate 

to attract 

recruits 

Bullying problems 

revealed in survey 

Shipping companies and 

Agovernments need to adopt 

innovative measures to prevent the 

global shortage of ships’ officers 

from getting even worse, a new 

report has warned. 

The call comes in a report by the 

accountancy and consulting firm 

Deloitte following a survey of 23 of 

the world’s leading companies 

operating more than 1,100 ships. 

The survey — Challenge to the 

industry: securing skilled crews in 

today’s marketplace — warns that 

shipping is facing increasing 

problems in attracting the quality 

personnel it needs. 

‘In contemporary society, 

separation from families and friends 

is less acceptable,’ it points out. 

‘Whereas the pain of separation was 

once offset by the opportunity to 

travel and visit exotic places, these 

opportunities have all but 

disappeared as ships now only make 

short calls in port.’ 

Deloitte says companies should 

provide seafarers with better access 

to electronic communications. 

‘Young people live in an advanced IT 

environment where they make 

extensive use of social networking 

applications such as Facebook, 

Skype and Twitter — social 

platforms that existing technologies 

on vessels do not always support,’ 

the report points out. 

The industry also needs to do 

more to counter the impression that 

it does not offer decent rewards and 

long-term career opportunities. 

The report argues that owners 

are missing out on a substantial part 

of the potential labour market by 

failing to recruit sufficient numbers 

of women seafarers. 

And it also highlights significant 

variations in marine education in 

different countries — urging 

governments and industry to 

cooperate in private-public 

partnerships to develop high-tech 

training facilities. 

Deloitte noted that many 

shipping companies are now 

concentrating their recruitment 

efforts in the Far East and eastern 

Europe — but the report warns that 

these areas ‘are not a panacea for 

fulfilling recruitment goals as the 

training and competency of officers 

from various parts of the world is not 

consistent’. 

Seafarers from countries such as 

Britain, Denmark, Norway and 

Greece have good skills but are in 

short supply, it notes. 

The report argues that companies 

and governments need to make the 

profession more attractive, with such 

measures as special tax and social 

security schemes, along with better 

defined career paths. 

Ideally, it suggests, the industry 

should seek to develop ‘nationalityblind’ 

crews where corporate culture 

creates a cohesive team. 

‘The industry’s challenge is to 

prioritise the recruitment and 

retention actions in the light of the 

considerable financial resources, 

political will, and collaboration that 

is required,’ the report concludes. 

Members consider Nautilus study showing ill-treatment in shipping to be twice the rate ashore 

PThe Union’s northern 

office in Wallasey was 

the setting for the second 

meeting of the Nautilus 

Women’s Advisory Forum (WAF) 

last month. Seventeen members 

attended the day-long session at 

Nautilus House in Mariners’ Park, 

with observers present from the 

Nautilus secretariat and other 

maritime organisations. 

At the request of Nautilus 

Council, the main subject of discussion 

at the meeting was bullying 

and harassment. 

The forum was supplied with 

some ‘first cut’ findings from the 

Nautilus membership survey on 

bullying, discrimination and 

harassment, which was conducted 

online in the second half 

of 2010 as part of the Union’s 

project to assess the state of the 

industry in the international Year 

of the Seafarer. 

In the survey over 40% of participants 

reported that they had 

personally experienced bullying, 

discrimination or harassment in 

the maritime workplace. This 

compares with 20% of the overall 

UK workforce experiencing these 

forms of unfair treatment, 

according to the campaign website 

Just Fight On (www.jfo.org.uk). 

Of those who reported unfair 

treatment in the Nautilus survey, 

the largest percentage (30%) said 

‘Firms must 

adapt to 

ageing of 

workforce’ 

Companies should start 

Fplanning now for the effects an 

ageing population will have on the 

workplace, the UK employment 

relations service Acas has warned. 

In a discussion paper published 

last month, Acas examined some of 

the likely changes in the workplace 

over the next decade and warned that 

the increasing age profile of 

employees will pose a big challenge. 

With the recent announcement 

that the default retirement age will be 

removed, employers will also have to 

tackle the performance management 

of older workers, Acas pointed out. 

Chief executive John Taylor 

commented: ‘The structures and 

assumptions that are often made 

about our interactions at work are 

becoming outdated and we need to 

reappraise traditional approaches to 

employment relations. 

‘There is an increasing need for 

employers to communicate and 

engage with their employees to help 

increase productivity and innovation.’ 

Pictured above are some of the 17 members who took part in last month’s meeting of the Nautilus Women’s 

Advisory Forum, held at the Union’s Mariners’ Park base in Wallasey Picture: Sarah Robinson 

they had been bullied, with others 

experiencing racism, ageism, sexism, 

homophobia and sexual 

harassment. 

WAF members commented 

that it was a useful exercise for 

Nautilus to gather information 

like this and monitor the extent 

of workplace bullying and harassment 

in the industry. 

Many seafarers, they said, had 

anecdotal evidence of bullying, 

but it can be hard to get employers 

to accept and act on the problem 

without objective data. 

Looking at the comments sections 

of the survey, the forum 

members were struck by the 

harm caused by unprofessional 

conduct onboard ship, and the 

resulting loss of good personnel 

from the industry. 

Many survey participants had 

reported that they felt unable to 

raise the problem with their 

employer due to unsatisfactory 

complaints procedures, and several 

forum members said that 

this chimed with their own experience. 

It was observed that it was 

quite common for problems 

onboard ship to escalate because 

the people involved could not see 

a ‘light touch’ way of nipping 

something in the bud. 

The survey is due to be published 

this month and the forum 

considered a number of ways to 

tackle the problems revealed in 

the findings, discussing ways to 

improve company procedures, 

support seafarers experiencing 

unfair treatment and provide 

education on mutual respect and 

professionalism. 

Forum members explored 

how these matters could be 

addressed at college, company, 

union and policy-making levels, 

and agreed on a set of recommendations 

for Council. 

During the rest of the day’s 

business, the group chose a member 

to speak at this month’s 

Women’s TUC conference on 

behalf of Nautilus. 

They also received an update 

on the project to publicise the 

forum’s activities through the 

Nautilus website, social media 

and print materials, and contributed 

further ideas for development. 

The next meeting of the 

forum is scheduled for 4 June 2011 

at Nautilus head office in London. 

The meeting will be open to all 

female members of the Union. 

gFor more information, contact 

Blossom Bell at bbell@nautilusint.org 

or 0151 639 8454. 

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HEALTH&SAFETY 

IMO leader 

demands 

faster action 

on ballast 

The head of the International 

CMaritime Organisation has 

called for countries to speed up 

progress on the implementation of 

the ballast water management 

convention. 

Secretary-general Efthimios 

Mitropoulos said last month that 

barriers to the adoption of the 

measures have been removed with 

the introduction of an increasing 

number of treatment systems. 

However, while the convention 

needs to be signed by 30 countries 

representing 35% of world tonnage 

to take effect, so far only 27 

countries with just over 25% of the 

world fleet have ratified. 

‘The fact that seven years after its 

adoption, the conditions for the 

convention to come into force have 

not yet been met is a source of 

serious concern,’ Mr Mitropoulos 

added. 

He was speaking at the opening 

of the IMO bulk liquid and gas subcommittee, 

which was considering 

draft guidelines for approving other 

methods of ballast water 

management, as well as proposed 

guidance on the protocols for ballast 

water sampling and analysis and on 

scaling of ballast water 

management systems. 

Mr Mitropoulos said that 

finalising these protocols would 

enable the IMO sub-committee on 

flag state implementation to 

complete its work on guidelines for 

port state control. 


Allan Graveson took part in the 

meeting, and told delegates that 

seafarer unions are seeking 

assurances over the way the 

requirements will be enforced. 

‘Before coming into force it is 

essential to have consistent 

procedures for sampling and 

analysis of ballast water,’ he added. 

‘Nautilus is seeking to ensure that 

this does not become another area 

for criminalisation of masters.’ 

Fuel valves worry 

The US Coast Guard has issued 

Ha special safety alert warning 

of the dangers of fire posed by 

blocked, modified or poorly 

maintained quick-closing fuel oil 

valves. It urges seafarers, owners, 

operators and port state control 

inspectors to ensure that such valves 

can be remotely closed as designed. 

Insurers alert on crew quality 

Safety at sea is being undermined by 

Fshipowners who opt for cheap crews in place 

of quality crews, marine insurers have warned. 

International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) 

president Ole Wikborg said last month that he was 

disturbed by the evidence of a growing global 

officer shortage and the low level of seafarer 

recruitment and training in Europe. 

‘Very often, cost is the determining factor in 

where seafarers come from,’ he added. ‘I am not 

saying they are always bad seafarers, but 

shipowners are putting more emphasis on cost 

rather than quality. If they are being pulled out of 

the gutter, then that is the quality you get.’ 

IUMI recognises the importance of human 

factors in safe shipping, Mr Wikborg said, and 

values the experience, culture and attitude of 

European officers. 

He said underwriters are also worried about 

aspects of the ‘digital revolution’ onboard — 

warning that it is putting huge pressure on 

mariners, especially bridge teams who have to cope 

with digital navigation and automated systems for 

every part of the vessel. 

‘Is enough time being given to training mariners 

for this new world’ he asked. ‘It could be said that 

today’s youngsters are well equipped to handle the 

electronics, but the problem is that they rely heavily 

on the information provided by the electronic devices 

as opposed to looking out of the window to observe. 

‘We see a tendency for youngsters and seafarers 

with less experience to be more focussed on what is 

on the screen and the generation coming in is 

definitely more inclined to believe in what is on the 

screen. 

‘We need seafarers with practical experience 

gained through time at sea and not at fancy 

colleges on shore,’ Mr Wikborg added, ‘Seatime is 

important and should be made attractive.’ 

IUMI had welcomed the 2010 Year of the 

Seafarer initiative, he said, and the underwriters 

believe more should be done to improve the image 

Call to close loopholes on 

lashing gear inspections 

Investigators blame poor state of equipment for oil spill off the Australian coast 

Accident investigators have 

Araised concerns over an 

increase in the number of people 

suffering back injuries onboard highspeed 

rigid inflatable boats (RIBs). 

The UK Marine Accident 

Investigation Branch has urged 

operators to do more to minimise 

the risk of such injuries and has 

called for the Maritime & Coastguard 

Agency to speed up work on a 

new code of practice for small 

commercial vessels. 

The MAIB’s recommendations 

came in a report on an incident in 

May last year when a passenger on a 

of seafaring by tackling problems such as 

criminalisation and piracy. 

Mr Wikborg said there were encouraging signs 

of a relatively low level of major claims during 2010, 

but underwriters are worried about the threat 

posed by the continued growth in the size of ships. 

‘Due to the potential accumulation of risk (hull and 

cargo), marine insurers are warily watching the leap 

in the size of vessels,’ he added. ‘For example, some 

owners are reported to be discussing possible orders 

with Korean yards for a series of 18,000TEU megaboxships. 

The biggest cruiseship in service now can 

accommodate nearly 6,000 passengers, and just 

recently we have seen machinery accidents to two 

of these vessels, including the Carnival Splendor. 

‘The challenge with these big vessels is their 

technical complexity and how to call the “right” 

premium,’ he stressed. ‘Because of the values 

involved, the loss of one of these floating small 

towns would blow a devastating hole in the 

worldwide marine insurance market.’ 

PFlag states and classification 

societies have been 

warned of loopholes in 

the inspection regime for lashing 

equipment following an accident 

in 2009 which led to a major oil 

spill off Australia. 

Investigators said failings in 

the maintenance of lashing 

equipment were found to be a key 

factor in the loss of 31 containers 

from the Hong Kong-flagged 

multipurpose vessel Pacific 

Adventurer. 

Some 270 tonnes of fuel oil 

was spilled from the 25,561dwt 

vessel, polluting 38 miles of the 

Queensland coast, after two of the 

bunker tanks were punctured as 

the containers were swept overboard 

in heavy seas. 

An Australian Transport Safety Damage to the starboard side of the Pacific Adventurer after the loss of 31 containers Picture: ATSB 

Board report on the incident 

states that much of the ship’s 

fixed and loose lashing equipment 

was in a bad state. 

‘The poor condition of much 

of the ship’s container lashing 

equipment indicates that the 

equipment had been inadequate,’ 

it adds. 

At the time of the incident, 

there was no requirement for any 

third party to inspect or survey 

this equipment, and the report 

‘where considered appropriate’ in 

response to this. 

Investigators said the ship had 

suffered synchronous rolling as 

it encountered gale force conditions 

and large swells during a 

inspection and maintenance says flag states and classification voyage from Newcastle to Brisbane. 

regime applied to this critical societies should take action 

Although the master had acted 

in accordance with the ship’s 

safety management system in an 

effort to prevent the rolling, the 

ATSB said the measures taken had 

not been sufficient — with a failure 

to change course to take the 

ship into a ‘head sea’ or to adjust 

Delta 8.5m RIB suffered lower back 

compression fractures while being 

taken out to a jack-up rig on the 

River Thames. 

The MAIB said it was aware of 

around 40 such cases since 2001. 

‘The statistics from similar accidents 

show an increasing trend over the 

last two years,’ the report states. 

‘This trend is of concern and should 

be noted by all high-speed craft 

operators to assist in preventing a 

recurrence of this type of injury.’ 

The report points to research 

showing how serious impact injuries 

can be caused as a result of repeated 

IUMI president Ole Wikborg 

the ballast configuration to 

reduce resonant rolling of the vessel. 

The report notes that hatch 

covers were not properly secured 

and containers in the bay where 

the container stack failed were 

lashed in a way that meant adjacent 

stacks had different flexibility, 

leading to excessive forces 

being imposed on the neighbouring 

lashed containers. 

The ATSB said that while the 

poor condition of much of the 

lashing equipment had been 

recognised by senior officers and 

shore management, replacement 

work had not reached the relevant 

bay at the time of the accident. 

The report notes that Swire 

Navigation has, since the accident, 

replaced the entire system 

with an alternative ‘more robust’ 

class-approved system on all 

eight ships of the same class. The 

Australian Maritime Safety 

Authority also followed up with 

a programme of cargo securing 

inspections, with more than 300 

vessels checked since March 

2009. 

MAIB warns over RIBs 

shocks and vibration during highspeed 

passages in RIBs. 

It also stresses the need for 

operators to ensure that such craft 

are crewed by suitably trained and 

experienced personnel. 

The report recommends the 

Royal Yachting Association and the 

MCA to jointly issue a safety alert to 

highlight issues including the risk of 

injury if passengers and crew are not 

properly seated, seating that 

minimises the effects of shock and 

vibration, and the requirement to 

comply with the Control of Vibration 

Regulations.


P&I guide to 

help reduce 

the risk of 

detention 

A leading P&I club has 

Fproduced a special guide to 

help shipmasters reduce the risk of 

their vessels being detained under 

the new European port state control 

inspection rules. 

The UK P&I Club said it has issued 

the advice because it is concerned 

that many shipowners and masters 

remain unsure of what is required 

from them if they are to meet the 

requirements of the new Paris MoU 

inspection regime. 

‘Getting it right reduces to the 

minimum the number of times their 

ships are selected for inspection,’ the 

club points out. ‘Getting it wrong can 

lead to detentions and, ultimately, 

the banning of vessels from major 

trading areas such as the region 

covered by the Paris MoU — the 

waters of the European coastal 

states and the North Atlantic basin 

from North America to Europe.’ 

The club’s aide-memoire provides 

a brief checklist of actions that need 

to be taken before entering Paris 

MoU waters, as well as the 

measures that should be taken if a 

ship is detained. 

The new inspection regime was 

introduced in January and targets 

high-risk ships for expanded 

inspections every six months, with 

quality vessels being rewarded with 

longer inspection intervals. Ships 

detained three times or more will be 

banned from Paris MOU waters for a 

minimum of three months, and the 

first vessel to be issued with such a 

banning order was the 2,584gt 

St Kitts & Nevis-flagged general 

cargoship Ares II. 

Stability alert 

for tankers 

after special 

port checks 

European port state control 

Finspectors have sounded the 

alarm after a concentrated 

programme of checks on tankers 

uncovered evidence of widespread 

non-compliance with stability rules. 

The Paris MOU inspection 

campaign carried out between 

September and December last year 

found that more than 16% of oil, 

chemical and gas tankers were 

unable to demonstrate that they 

were normally loaded in accordance 

with the Stability Information 

Booklet (SIB). 

‘This is a significant number of 

tankers that, during a “spot check”, 

could not show compliance with 

stability requirements and thus may 

pose a risk to the environment,’ 

warned campaign coordinator Pat 

Dolby. 

The campaign was launched in 

response to concerns that significant 

numbers of tankers are not being 

loaded in compliance with 

International Maritime Organisation 

damage stability requirements, 

which means that in the case of a 

collision or grounding the ship may 

not survive — resulting in possible 

pollution or even loss of life. The 

Paris MOU will submit a detailed 

report on the findings to the IMO. 

CWorries about the effects of 

wind on high-sided ships 

have been highlighted in a 

report into a collision involving a car 

carrier and three other vessels. 

The 67,364gt Höegh London 

struck three containerships and three 

buoys — one of which jammed under 

the ship’s propeller and rudder — 

whilst leaving the German port of 

Bremerhaven in winds of up to force 

10 in May 2009. 

The incident occurred as the 

7,800-car capacity vessel left a lock at 

Bremerhaven, with two harbour pilots 

onboard, to enter the river Weser and 

take on a sea pilot. 

A report by Germany’s maritime 

accident investigation branch, BSU, 

says the pilots and the bridge team of 

the Norwegian-flagged vessel had 

failed to take proper note of the 

weather forecasts, which predicted 

wind speeds of force 8 and 9. 

The report also criticises the 

bridge team and the pilots for not 

leaving as much space as possible 

when passing the containership MSC 

Malin on the way down the Weser. 

Höegh London managed to pass 

MSC Malin but was caught abeam by 

the force 9-10 wind and struck the 

berthed containerships Maersk 

Newark, Maersk Bintan and Husky 

Racer. The report says the force and 

effective duration of the wind had 

HEALTH&SAFETY 

Company slams hold-up 

on lifeboat hook safety 

Seafarers are having to wait 

Atoo long for lifeboat safety 

improvements to be agreed at 

international level, a leading 

manufacturer has warned. 

The Norwegian firm Schat- 

Harding has accused the 

International Maritime Organisation 

and some parts of the shipping 

industry of moving too slowly in 

response to the evidence of safety 

shortcomings with on-load release 

hooks. 

‘Good things are worth waiting 

for. But there is such a thing as 

waiting too long,’ warned vicepresident 

David Bradley. ‘The IMO 

debate over lifeboat hooks has gone 

on for too long. Seafarers deserve 

better. They deserve clear standards 

for lifeboat hooks and a clear 

timetable for replacing those which 

Fatal rescue boat fall 

Report warns of windage 

hazards for car carriers 

been misjudged and the car carrier 

should have acted earlier to prevent 

the drift towards the berths. 

The BSU said the pre-departure 

consultations between the master 

and the pilots had been limited to the 

standard information on the pilot 

card — which contained nothing 

about the impact of wind loads on 

manoeuvring. It recommends that 

pilots review the wind loads on car 

carriers. 

The report also calls for better 

wind load data to be provided and 

urges the bridge team to improve the 

way they prepare for a voyage and 

communicate between themselves 

and with pilots. 

don’t meet the new standards. That 

will ensure their safety and renew 

their confidence in their boats.’ 

Mr Bradley said that a lack of 

agreement at IMO by some industry 

bodies and flag states has pushed 

back consensus on the vital topic, 

and it could be two years or more 

before a properly agreed 

amendment on lifeboat hooks is 

made to the SOLAS convention. 

‘It is time for a new generation of 

hooks, and the fact is that hooks are 

available which meet all the 

proposed regulatory requirements,’ 

he added. ‘But shipyards won’t 

specify them and owners will not 

rush to replace existing hooks while 

they still meet regulations, despite 

the well-known risks to seafarers.’ 

Mr Bradley said he hoped flag 

states and owners could agree 

guidelines at the IMO maritime 

safety committee in May to provide 

some clarity and consistency, and 

bring forward the July 2014 target 

date for the introduction of the new 

SOLAS standards. 

Some safety-conscious owners 

are acting ahead of the new rules, 

he added, and Schat-Harding has 

retrofitted more than 130 new hook 

sets in the last six months. ‘But we 

are just one manufacturer and the 

shipping industry as a whole needs 

a consensus to put seafarers’ safety 

first and get new standards in place,’ 

he pointed out. 

The company claims its SeaCure 

on-load release hooks — pictured 

left being installed on a ship — are 

the safest product of their kind on the 

market and are fully compliant with 

all proposed revisions to SOLAS. 

Union renews advice to members after crewman dies in accident on UK-flagged car carrier 

PNautilus has voiced 

fresh concerns over the 

safety of lifeboat and 

rescue boat drills following a fatal 

accident involving a UK-flagged 

ship in the port of Bristol last 

month. 

The Union has once again 

warned members to avoid being 

in lifeboats or rescue boats when 

they are being raised or lowered, 

other than in emergencies. 

The call came after a 23-yearold 

Filipino seafarer died and 

three others were injured when a 

rescue boat fell into the water following 

Three seafarers were injured and one died in the accident onboard the Norwegian-owned car carrier Tombarra 

a drill onboard the British- 

registered car carrier Tombarra in 

the Royal Portbury Docks. 

The four crewmen were in the 

rescue boat as it was being lifted 

into the stowed position on the 

top deck of the 61,321gt vessel. 

They were rescued by Avon Fire 

& Rescue Service and taken to 

hospital in Bristol. 

One man died in hospital, 

reportedly from a heart attack, 

while the other three were treated 

for hypothermia and cuts and 

bruises. 

The cause of the accident is 

being examined by the Marine 

Accident Investigation Branch, 

the Maritime & Coastguard 

Agency and Avon & Somerset 

Police. 

The vessel’s Norwegian owners, 

Wilh. Wilhelmsen, said the 

company had issued a notice to 

other ships in the fleet not to 

undertake any similar drills until 

the causes of the accident are 

known. 


Allan Graveson said he was 

disturbed to see another case 

involving death and injury during 

lifeboat drills, pointing out 

that it underlined the need for 

rapid action at international level 

to address the dangers. 

‘Whether lifeboats or rescue 

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boats are involved, our advice to 

members is that they should not 

be in them when they are being 

raised or lowered unless it is an 

abandon ship or a rescue situation.’ 

Mr Graveson said there are 

clear grounds for concern over 

the safety of lifeboat release and 

securing mechanisms, with evidence 

highlighting problems 

with design, construction, operation 

and maintenance. 

‘There is a particular issue as 

far as car carriers and ferries are 

concerned,’ he added. ‘In this case, 

the boat fell some 30m into the 

water, and because of the height 

and design of these vessels, there 

is a need for lifeboats and rescue 

boats to be located in a position 

so that there is not such a long 

drop into the sea. 

‘This is something that naval 

architects and operators need to 

look at urgently.’


INTERNATIONAL 

shortreports 

RESEARCH WARNING: the French ship 

masters’ association AFCAN has criticised a programme 

of seismic research off the country’s Mediterranean 

coast. The masters said they were ‘astonished’ that 

permission had been given to carry out the hydrocarbon 

research so close to a seaway off France, Italy and 

Monaco and to a marine life sanctuary that is expected 

soon to be declared a particularly vulnerable maritime 

zone by the IMO. 

RESCUE ROW: a flag of convenience bulk carrier 

was detained in the Sri Lankan port of Colombo last 

month after the Russian crew were accused of failing to 

rescue an officer who had fallen overboard. The St 

Vincent-flagged DD Vigor was impounded while police 

investigated allegations that the vessel had failed to 

report the man overboard. The second engineer was 

rescued by a local bunkering vessel. 

RUSTBUCKET SEIZED: a Turkish-owned 

rustbucket could soon be put up for auction following 

seizure by a court in the French port of Saint Nazaire. 

The Georgian-flagged general cargo ship Aspet was 

drydocked in the port for 18 months during which the 

owner amassed debts of €360,000. Crew members 

were owed months of back pay, but the cook refused to 

leave the 1982-built vessel. 

AID APPEAL: inland navigation operators have 

appealed to the European Commission for emergency 

funding after hundreds of barges were trapped on the 

Rhine when a tanker carrying 2,400 tonnes of sulphuric 

acid capsized in a narrow section of the river. The 

European Barge Union said the delays were costing 

beleaguered operators some €4,000 per day in lost 

revenues. 

MAERSK ALARM: the French officers’ union CGT 

has expressed concern that the Maersk Gironde 

containership has been transferred from the country’s 

RIF international register to the Danish flag just weeks 

after France’s special eight-year tax break plan came to 

an end. The CGT fears that the other Maersk ship under 

the RIF could flag-out in July. 

PORT BACKED: Sweden’s environmental appeal 

court has approved plans to build a new ro-ro and 

container port at Norvikudden, some 50 km south of 

Stockholm. The 25-hectare facility — which will be 

managed by Hutchinson Port Holdings — is intended to 

handle the latest generation of ‘mega’ containerships. 

CRUISE ORDER: the German operator Hapag 

Lloyd Cruises has ordered a 516-passenger luxury vessel 

from the STX France shipyard. Construction of the 

39,500gt Europa 2, which will operate with 360 crew, 

begins in September with delivery in 2013. The Europa 2 

will be chartered to a third party for 12 years. 

WASTE SHIP: the Swedish nuclear waste 

organisation SKB has ordered a state-of-the-art spent 

nuclear fuels carrier from the Dutch builder, Damen 

Shipyards. Due to be delivered in 2013, the ship will 

replace the 1982-built Sigyn. 

Australian outcry 

over officer fines 

Calls for bigger penalties after court hears of ship’s Barrier Reef shortcut 

PPoliticians and environmentalists in 

Australia are pressing for tougher 

penalties after criticising ‘totally 

inadequate’ fines of A$53,000 (£33,400) 

imposed on two officers who sailed their ship 

into a protected part of Great Barrier Reef. 

The chief officer and third mate of the 

Panama-flagged bulk carrier Signe Bulker were 

fined $29,000 and $24,000 after they pleaded 

guilty to illegally entering the Capricorn- 

Bunker Group of islands in an attempt to 

shortcut their planned voyage. 

Gladstone magistrates court heard that the 

two Hong Kong nationals had been interviewed 

by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 

Authority when the 32,688dwt vessel arrived 

in port. 

The case followed an incident last year 

when the Chinese-flagged bulk carrier Shen 

Neng 1 damaged the reef after running 

aground whilst off its planned course. 

Local MPs accused the government of failing 

to crack down on the rules and called for 

multi-million dollar penalties to be introduced. 

‘Let’s deal with these people who mistreat 

our Barrier Reef, let’s punish them to the 

full degree — any penalty that’s imposed has 

to have a deterrent effect to stop people from 

New VLCC boosts Iranian fleet 

Pictured above is the 316,373dwt Maltese-flagged 

Htanker Sifa, the first in a new series of vessels to 

join the fleet of the Iran-based operator NITC on a 

bareboat charter from the owners, the Oman Shipping 

Company. 

Built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, Sifa 

is believed to be the first VLCC newbuilding to have a 

ballast water treatment system installed — five years 

ahead of the 2016 deadline for the mandatory carriage 

of such equipment. 

Other green features include an innovative vessel 

performance system supplied by Kongsberg which is 

designed to reduce fuel consumption — and therefore 

emissions — by up to 5%. 

Sifa is equipped with 16 CCTV cameras — seven on 

deck, seven in the engineroom and two in the pump 

room — which are intended to improve safety and 

security. The CCTV system can save up to 15 days of 

recordings. 

NITC is now the world’s fourth largest VLCC owner 

and plans to add another 21 VLCCs to its operational 

fleet by 2013. 

Slow steaming inquiry in US 

AThe US Federal Maritime 

Commission has launched 

an inquiry into the impact 

of slow steaming on freight rates and 

supply chains. 

Announcing the probe, the 

Washington-based organisation 

noted that more than half the services 

between the US west coast and Asia 

are slow steaming and more than 

three-quarters of the east coast-Asia 

services are doing so. 

The commission says it wants to 

determine whether the cost savings 

from slow steaming are being passed 

on and also to make an accurate 

assessment of the environmental 

benefits. 

The FMC also wants to examine 

the effects on the supply chain — 

including the possibility that longer 

transit times may increase spoilage 

and have an adverse impact on 

exports and imports of high-value 

commodities. 

It is seeking evidence from 

operators and shippers, as well as 

other interested bodies such as 

environmental groups, over a 60-day 

evidence-gathering period. 

taking chances with the environment of Australia,’ 

Central Queensland MP Paul Hoolihan 

commented. 

Another MP, Andrew Cripps, said there was 

evidence of widespread flouting of the Great 

Barrier Reef exclusion zones and said Australia 

should extend the mandatory ship reporting 

system to cover its southern end. 

Michael McCabe, of the Capricorn Conservation 

Council, described the fines for the 

Signe Bulker officers as ‘grossly inadequate’ 

and said companies whose ships were caught 

breaking the rules should be banned from the 

reef area. 

Protests 

at SNCM 

cutbacks 

Seafarers serving with the 

AFrench ferry operator SNCM 

have staged a series of strikes in 

protest at the company’s decision to 

reduce its sailings between Corsica 

and Nice. 

SNCM services to Corsica and 

North Africa were stopped for several 

days last month as the strikes 

prevented all the company’s vessels 

from sailing. 

The action was called after the 

company announced that it was 

withdrawing the Liamone fast ferry 

from its Nice route to comply with a 

request from the city authorities to 

reduce congestion in the summer 

months. 

The CGT and SAMMM unions say 

this will have an impact on 

employment, in contradiction with 

SNCM’s commitments. The unions 

also complained of unfair competition 

on the Nice-Corsica route from the 

low-cost companies Moby Lines and 

Corsica Ferries. 

Liberian flag 

has doubled 

in a decade 

The US-based company that 

Aruns the Liberian ship registry 

has claimed record growth figures for 

the flag last year. 

The Liberian International Ship & 

Corporate Registry (LISCR) said that 

586 ships joined the flag last year, 

giving the register a net growth of 

338 ships of 13.6m gt and a total fleet 

of more than 3,500 ships. 

LISCR said the average age of its 

fleet has now dropped to 12 years as a 

result of 149 newbuildings coming 

onto the register last year. Chief 

operating officer Scott Bergeron 

described Liberia’s port state control 

and safety records as ‘outstanding’. 

LISCR said the Liberian-flagged 

fleet has now doubled in size over the 

past decade.


INTERNATIONAL 

French port 

strikes are 

suspended 

French dock workers last month 

Aagreed to suspend a series of 

stoppages that have severely affected 

shipping movements in many of the 

country’s key ports. 

The powerful FNPD-CGT union said 

it had decided to halt the programme 

of strikes to allow an intensive round 

of negotiations with employers in a 

bid to ensure that an agreement 

reached with the government is 

observed by all parties. 

The protests have been staged in a 

dispute over early retirement 

provisions for dock workers, with the 

union arguing that its members 

should have special rights because of 

the arduous nature of their 

employment. 

The action has disrupted the flow 

of containers and bulk cargoes in 

many ports, and has particularly 

affected the loading and discharge of 

oil products at the Fos-Lavera oil 

terminal. 

The union warned that the 

weekend stoppages and work to rule 

— which began in January — will 

resume if no agreement could be 

reached in the two days of talks. 

The Dutch shipping company Euro Marine Carrier 

D(EMC) is operating the first of two pioneering new 

‘green’ car carriers for the Japanese firm Nissan. 

EMC last month began services with the 22,500gt 

City of St Petersburg, pictured above, which features a 

semi-spherical ‘bubble bow’ that is capable of cutting 

wind resistance by 50% compared with conventional 

vessels. 

Based on calculations for average conditions in the 

North Atlantic, the new design is said to be able to save 

up to 800 tonnes of fuel a year — equivalent to a 

saving of some 2,500 tons of CO2 emissions. 

EMC — a Dutch company owned by Nissan Motor 

Car Carrier — is using the Panama-flagged City of St 

Petersburg to transport Nissan vehicles to Northern 

Europe and Russia. 

Of 140m loa, City of St Petersburg is the first of two 

sisterships built by the Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation. 

The vessels have a service speed of 16.9 knots and a 

capacity for up to 2,000 cars. Picture: Nissan 

Fresh doubts over 

SeaFrance future 

Ferry firm struggling to find cash injection to avoid threat of liquidation 

by Jeff Apter 

PFresh questions over the 

future of the cross-channel 

ferry operator 

SeaFrance were raised last month 

after the board admitted that it 

still had not received an ‘acceptable, 

firm and committed’ offer 

to get the company back on its 

feet by the end of April. 

SeaFrance — which is 100% 

owned by the national rail company 

SNCF — has been under the 

control of the Paris commercial 

court since 16 June last year, a 

move that protects it from a hostile 

takeover and one that is 

backed by the unions. 

The operator’s ‘recovery plan’ 

AShipowners managed to minimise the 

threat of a squeeze on freight rates last 

year by averting a glut of newbuilding 

deliveries. 

A new report from the London-based shipbroker 

Braemar Seascope reveals that the gap between 

anticipated deliveries and what was actually 

delivered last year totalled more than 35% in some 

sectors. 

Dry bulk deliveries were scheduled to total 1,400 

ships of 113m dwt last year, the report notes, but in 

the event 950 ships of 78m dwt were delivered. 

Crude oil and oil products tanker deliveries were 

due to total nearly 400 ships of 51m dwt last year, 

Dutch operator runs ‘green’ car carrier 

— which has included 725 job 

losses and cutting the fleet to just 

four ships — came into full effect 

in January. 

But the period of court protection 

is due to end on 28 April and 

the company is seeking an urgent 

injection of fresh capital. Under a 

European Union agreement, 

SeaFrance is meant to pay back 

€50m lent to it by SNCF last year, 

but French newspapers reported 

the company’s deputy director 

Vincent Launay stating that it is 

presently not able to make the 

repayment. 

As a result, the company will 

seek approval from Brussels to 

postpone the 18 February payment 

deadline. 

However, refusal by the European 

Commission would leave 

the company facing liquidation. 

Any other measures to recapitalise 

SeaFrance will also need to 

have the approval of the Commission. 

A provisional solution may be 

found in talks between the SNCF 

and the European Commission. 

Mr Launay said the ‘continuation 

of SeaFrance’s activity has always 

been its priority’ and it is continuing 

its quest for an injection of 

fresh capital, possibly from one 

or more new investors. 

However, although Brittany 

Ferries, LD Lines, Veolia Transport 

and DFDS were all reported to 

have shown interest in SeaFrance, 

the company said it had been 

unable to fund a buyer. 

Meanwhile, SeaFrance confirmed 

that last year it lost market 

shares in a depressed market — 

which it blamed on a weak pound 

and a reduced number of sailings. 

In 2010 SeaFrance lost 12.3% of 

its year-on-year freight volumes, 

while the number of coaches carried 

fell 23% and passenger loads 

were down 6% to 2.94m. 

The situation improved in January 

with a 9% increase in freight 

volumes and an 18% leap in 

tourist cars — even though the 

company had only two ferries 

operating with two in dry-dock 

for seasonal repairs, one in Falmouth 

and the other in Dunkirk. 

Owners ease rates squeeze 

but just 290 ships of 37m dwt were delivered. The 

biggest shortfall among crude tankers was in the 

Suezmax segment, where 36 out of an expected 

57 ships were delivered — a shortfall of 37%. 

Braemar Seascope said deliveries in the 

container shipping sector were 27% less than 

expected — with 290 ships of 1.35m TEU delivered 

against 350 ships of 1.7m TEU planned. 

The difference between the orderbook schedule 

and actuality in 2010 was a function of technical 

underperformance at certain shipyards and the fallout 

of the credit crunch, the brokers pointed out. 

Some orders were cancelled while, in many cases, 

shipowners renegotiated delivery dates. 

Braemar Seascope points out that these raw 

supply figures do not account for slow steaming, 

lay-up and other forms of supply management 

which continue to support freight rates in the 

boxship sector. 

Research manager Mark Williams added: ‘It’s 

quite likely that the freight market outlook will 

encourage further delays in deliveries. It will not 

surprise us if as many as a quarter of this year’s 

anticipated deliveries don’t turn up by December 

this year. The delays may prolong the downturn, but 

equally they could allow demand to catch up with 

supply during the recovery from the 2009 

recession.’ 

shortreports 

FINE PROTEST: an environmental group has 

protested after the owners of a Lithuanian-flagged 

cargoship accused of pollution off the French coast used 

a section of the Montego Bay Convention to pay a 

€23.000 fine in Lithuania instead of the €700,000 

penalty imposed by the Brest maritime court. The 

Surfrider Foundation said the Lithuanian fine barely 

totalled the cost of using port waste reception facilities. 

ROYAL ORDER: the US operator Royal Caribbean 

Cruises has announced plans for a 158,000gt ‘new 

generation’ vessel capable of carrying up to 4,100 

passengers. The ship is due to be delivered in late 2014 

from the Meyer Werft yard in Germany, and Royal 

Caribbean has an option for a second ship to be 

completed in the first half of 2015. 

ITALIAN STOPPAGES: unions representing 

seafarers serving with the Italian ferry firm Tirrenia di 

Navigazione announced a series of fresh stoppages last 

month in a long-running dispute over the privatisation 

of the company. They have warned that jobs are at risk 

because of the government’s failure to handle the selloff 

process properly. 

SCRAPPING DOWN: the number of ships 

broken up last year fell 5% to 952 — down from a 

record 1,006 in 2009, according to the French 

ecological organisation Robin des Bois (Robin Hood). 

Some 44% of the ships were demolished in India, 14% 

in Turkey, 13% in China, 11% in Bangladesh and 10% in 

Pakistan. 

SIZE MATTERS: only a handful of operators will 

be interested in running 18,000TEU-plus 

containerships, a German port manager says. Stefan 

Behn, of Hamburg’s HHLA terminal, said ships of such 

capacity will make sense only when fully loaded, used 

constantly and able to access ports with suitable 

facilities. 

GALILEO COSTS: Europe’s Galileo satellite 

navigation system is now expected to cost nearly €2bn 

more than expected, the European Commission has 

revealed. The system — which is due to be 100% 

operational by 2020 — will now cost an estimated 

€5.3bn. 

WIND SITES: the French government has given 

the go-ahead for a series of offshore windfarms in five 

defined zones in the western Channel and Atlantic. The 

sites involve the Dieppe-Le Tréport area, Fécamp, 

Courseulles-sur-Mer, Saint Brieuc and Saint Nazaire. 

CALAIS FALL: freight traffic through the French 

port of Calais fell by 7.4% last year, with the number of 

lorries handled down by 10.36%. But passenger 

volumes increased by 0.3% to 10.23m, and the number 

of tourist cars using the port rose 2.27% to 1.94m. 

SHANGHAI LEAD: China’s continuing strong 

economic growth helped Shanghai overtake Singapore 

as the world’s busiest container port in 2010, handling 

29m TEU against the island nation’s 26.4m TEU. 

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YOUR LETTERS 

What’s on your mind 

Tell your colleagues in Nautilus International — and the wider world of shipping. Keep your letter to a 

maximum 300 words if you can — though longer contributions will be considered. Use a pen name or 

just your membership number if you don’t want to be identified — say so in an accompanying note — 

but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send your letter to the 

Editor, Telegraph, Nautilus International, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, 

London E18 1BD, or use head office fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org 

ROs reunite in 

Birkenhead 

January saw a grand reunion of 

a group of men who used to look 

after the electronics on the largest 

marine fleet in the world (the British 

Merchant Navy), plus the numerous 

other merchant ships from around 

the world visiting the port of 

Liverpool. They also taught people 

to take their place at the great 

marine college of Riversdale, which 

was renowned the world over. 

They came from the great 

companies from that time, such 

as Marconi Marine, Decca, Kelvin 

Hughes, International Marine 

Radio, SG Browns, and Stavely Smith 

— most of which are now just lost 

No 

No58% 

78% 

names from the past. 

One of the group even served as 

a radio officer during WWII. Another 

flew with the RAF in the Middle East 

Command before going away to sea. 

They may look a bit of a motley 

crew now, but in their time they 

worked tremendous hours to 

ensure the ships got away on their 

appointed tide. 

The Central Hotel in Birkenhead 

provided the essential home to 

swing the lamp and remember old 

times and bring back our youth. 

We hope to do the same thing 

next year! 

STAN McNALLY 

Where’s my Telegraph 

If you have moved recently, 

your home copy may still be trying 

to catch up with you — particularly 

if you gave us a temporary 

address such as a hall 

of residence. 

To let us know your new address, 

go to www.nautilusint.org and 

log in as a member, or contact our 

membership department on +44 

(0)151 639 8454 or membership@ 

nautilusint.org. 

Have your say online 

Last month we asked: Do you think the this US year 

courts will be are better right for to the rule shipping that warrants industry are than not 

2010 required was for the inspection of crews’ cabins on 

visiting ships 

Yes 

Yes 42% 

22% 

This month’s poll asks: If there was an 

This international month’s poll call for asks: seafarers Do you to think refuse there to sail is 

a into bullying high-risk problem piracy at areas, sea would Give us your support views 

it online, Give at us nautilusint.org 

your views online, at nautilusint.org 

I joined a well-known company 

earlier this year as chief mate and not 

long after joining my first ship I was 

familiarising myself with some of the 

safety equipment, including the firefighting 

apparatus. 

I noted there didn’t seem to be any 

anti-flash hoods with the fireman’s 

outfits, and upon enquiry was told that 

no ships operating within the fleet had 

ever had these onboard. 

With this lack of ‘vitally important’ 

equipment in mind, I thought back 

to all the fire-fighting courses and 

exercises that I’d ever done and 

included my Royal Naval service. 

I distinctly recall always being told 

by my RN superiors that before you 

don any other item of a fireman’s outfit 

you should, first and foremost, put 

on the anti-flash hood then pull the 

hood down over the back of your head 

before donning the rest of the outfit 

and pull the afore-mentioned hood 

back up once you have the face mask 

on — ensuring the hood covers the 

edges of the face mask so that no facial 

skin is visible and is thereby wholly 

protected. 

These essential instructions were 

repeated by all the civilian fire-fighting 

course providers that I’ve ever 

attended in the UK and abroad. 

At our monthly safety meeting 

I brought this subject up and asked 

for my question regarding the 

supply of anti-flash hoods to be 

submitted. It was, but the response 

was not as I would have expected. 

The response from the company 

safety representative was along the 

lines of: ‘If a fire ever reached the 

intensity where the use of anti-flash 

hoods was considered necessary then 

the compartment should be sealed 

and abandonment of the vessel 

considered’! 

Surely every fire should be 

considered intense or fire-fighting 

teams wouldn’t need any protective 

equipment. And if this were so, then we 

could just practise future fire-fighting 

exercises in our shorts and flip-flops. 

I have researched the SOLAS 

manual, fire safety code book, COSWP, 

fire and safety training manual, 

numerous M-Notices, but so far have 

found nothing which states as part of 

the fireman’s outfit should be an antiflash 

hood. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Shipmates 

Wish you’d kept in touch 

with that colleague 

from work 

visit www.nautilusint. 

org/time-out 

and click on Shipmates 

Reunited. 

Dicing with 

fire danger 

Does any member know of any 

legislation written down where it 

states or recommends the use of 

such equipment If there is no such 

legislation, isn’t it high time such 

legislation was introduced Because, 

in my personal opinion, to send any 

BA team member into a fire situation 

without an anti-flash hood is almost 

sending a man to his death. For sure 

the least that will happen is the firefighter’s 

facial skin will be so severely 

burnt, together with the possible 

melting of the rubber surrounding the 

face mask, that he/she will need to 

be medevaced off for an operation to 

remove the face mask and other such 

consequences resulting from severe 

burns. 

Does any reader recall the news 

footage shown after HMS Sheffield 

was attacked and suffered fires, and 

the subsequent footage of some of the 

burn victims Burns are very 

serious and can be life-threatening. 

Is a fire-fighter’s life or a ship’s 

continual trading after a fire scenario 

not worth the cost of an anti-flash 

hood for each fireman’s outfit 

mem no 184817 

Witherby Publishing Group Ltd 

4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK. 

Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 • Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999 

Email: info@emailws.com • Web: www.witherbys.com 

Follow us 

on Twitter 

Better off with chimps 

Just another example of 

‘modern shipping’… 

Last night around 0300lt, 

approaching Wandelaar pilot 

(off Zeebrugge), a 23,248gt 

Maltese-flagged tanker was 

approaching the pilot station 

as well. She was advised to 

approach to a distance of 

approximately 2 cables to 

achieve a smooth transfer of the 

pilot by the pilot launch. 

Thereafter she reported 

that there was a ship on her 

starboard on collision course. 

That ship was the pilot station!! 

The Wandelaar pilot station 

was showing all appropriate 

signals and visibility was clear. 

The pilot station tried to explain 

something as the ship was 

afraid to come closer as she was 

expecting a collision with our 

vessel as well. We were also on 

her starboard side, approaching 

the pilot station to drop off the 

Belgian pilot and bound for 

Montreal. 

Suppose you can imagine 

that we on the wheelhouse were 

producing a lot of tears due to 

complete bafflement and fun at 

the same moment. 

Again, the pilot station 

tried to convince the other 

ship to approach to a distance 

of 2 cables. Obviously the 

totally incompetent nitwits 

onboard did not take any 

more action. So finally the 

pilot station acknowledged 

defeat and the launch had to 

span a longer distance than 

usual. Fortunately, the weather 

conditions were safe. 

I suggest shipowners should 

be advised to replace human 

officers with chimpanzees 

(there are some apes available at 

Jebel al Tariq/Gibraltar). 

Crocodile 

tears shed 

by owners 

Several items mentioned in the 

January Telegraph made me sick as 

a dog: 

1: New alert on officer shortages. 

2: Officer shortage ‘is key cost’ factor. 

3: No crumb of comfort at Maersk. 

4: Officers discouraging the next 

generation, owners complain. 

Several owners are not straight 

when they complain about the 

shortage. They forget to mention that 

they are interested in the cheapest 

(Asian) officers only. 

Talking of offering decent terms 

and conditions: a lot of young 

Europeans are willing to choose 

this profession, but they are being 

squeezed out of it. Now sometimes 

working for several months on a ship 

feels like being in custody. 

Maersk tried to suffocate their 

officers in their famous ‘eat cake’ 

request and after the rebellion, they 

(and other shipowners) are trying to 

drown the officers in crocodile tears. 

Pushing buttons and filling in 

endless and pointless reports is the 

main part of our job. So why not train 

chimpanzees to do it — they can do 

this as well and without any criticism 

It will save the shipowners a lot 

of money (except for a price-rise 

of bananas) — or are the costs of 

bananas again too much for all these 

grabby and frugal owners 

mem no 1176017 

The quality will be the same or 

even better. Actually, incidents 

like this should be reported to 

the appropriate coastguard 

stations like the MCA. 

NAME & NO SUPPLIED 

NEW 

2011


YOUR LETTERS 

Pad-eyes not to blame 

I refer to your report in January’s edition of the Telegraph 

under the headline ‘Alarm raised over safety of cranes’. In that 

article you reported on the MAIB’s report into collapse of the 

A-Frame on board the Dutch-registered floating sheerlegs 

Cormorant. 

Your article stated that the MAIB investigators said that 

‘the failure occurred when two pad eye fittings holding wire 

supports detached from the deck causing the sheerleg to 

fall back onto the wheelhouse. They discovered that the pad 

eyes had not been identified as lifting equipment and had 

not been inspected or tested for 37 years’. 

This is not an accurate summary of the contents of the 

MAIB report, but what is more important is that to anyone 

reading the article the clear implication is that the failure 

of the pad eyes was the cause of the accident. That was not 

the case; as your correspondent would have found out if he 

or she had read the full report and accurately reported the 

MAIB’s conclusions as to the cause of the accident. 

One of those conclusions was that the ‘condition of the 

failed pad eyes on board Cormorant was not contributory to 

the accident’. This was based on a metallurgical examination 

of the pad-eyes carried out by an independent laboratory on 

behalf of the MAIB. 

It is also worth pointing out that the present owners of 

the Cormorant bought the vessel in 1999 and, as stated in the 

report, immediately surveyed and overhauled the vessel. The 

Cormorant was also transferred to the Netherlands registry 

and the classification society was changed to GL. Since 

then the Cormorant has undergone regular flag state and 

classification society inspections without any problems. The 

report identified some failings on the part of the owners but 

also highlighted human error and regulatory failings. As one 

would expect the owners are taking steps to ensure that the 

recommendations contained in the report are carried out. 

PHILIP GREGSON 

Bentleys, Stokes & Lowless, on behalf of the owners 

The editor replies: The writer did read the whole of the MAIB 

report and whilst it is correct to state that the condition of 

the pad-eyes was not held to be a contributory cause, the 

issues raised by the lack of inspection and maintenance 

were very significant and, we believe, merited the emphasis 

within the article. The safety lessons identified in the 

associated MAIB flyer similarly stress the importance of 

planned maintenance and inspections covering all parts of 

the equipment. 

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD 

[ STAR LETTERS 

Coastguards at risk 

telegraph 

STAFF 

editor: Andrew Linington 

deputy editor: Debbie Smith 

production editor: June Cattini 

reporter: Sarah Robinson 

web editor: Matthew Louw 

ADVERTISING 

Century One Publishing Limited 

Alban Row, 27-31 Verulam Road 

St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4DG 

Sales: Sean Power 

tel: +44 (0)1727 739 183 

fax: +44 (0)1727 893 895 

email: sean@ 

centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk 

website: 

www.centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk 

Although the Telegraph exercises 

care and caution before accepting 

advertisements, readers are advised 

to take appropriate professional 

advice before entering into any 

commitments such as investments 

(including pension plans). Publication 

of an advertisement does not imply any 

form of recommendation and Nautilus 

International cannot accept any liability 

for the quality of goods and services 

offered in advertisements. Organisations 

offering financial services or insurance 

are governed by regulatory authorities 

and problems with such services should 

be taken up with the appropriate body. 

As an ex-Coastguard officer, my views 

on the proposed rationalisation — or 

should that be destruction — are a 

very definite NO! 

Having worked within the Civil 

Service for approximately 12 years, 

I think my apparent cynicism may be 

nearer realism. 

There was even a proposal in the 

late 80s for the Coastguard service to 

be slimmed down, with the 

suggestion of a North MRCC 

[Maritime Rescue Coordination 

Centre] and a South MRCC. 

I have listed my opposition to the 

proposal as follows: 

1. Reducing the number of MRCCs 

ultimately reduces the quality of 

service that the Coastguard can 

provide — fewer MRCCs would mean 

at least one member of staff giving 

out an almost continuous ‘Safety 

Information Broadcast’, moving from 

region to region via each region’s own 

existing set of aerials. In the current 

set-up, when a particular MRCC is 

involved with casualty working, safety 

information broadcasts are cut back 

because of the intensive workload of 

casualty working — trying to cover a 

greater area could result in more than 

one incident running at the same 

time, so something has to give way. 

Take a note of how long the Minch 

safety information broadcast takes at 

present, then double it, treble it for 

however many MRCCs would be shut 

down. 


reduces the ‘personal contact’ 

between the Coastguard service and 

its ‘customers’ — ie, Merchant Navy, 

fishermen, yachties, pleasure craft, 

whoever. 

3. Reducing the availability of 

personal contact reduces the number 

of people who would contact their 

nearest MRCC with details/queries 

about a proposed voyage/journey — 

this is a proven fact. 

4. Point 3 would therefore increase 

the number of potential incidents/ 

casualties/statistics, thereby 

increasing the workload on a reduced 

number of MRCCs and, no, there 

wouldn’t be that many more staff 

available (see 7). 


ultimately reduces the detailed 

knowledge particular to each area 

that the remaining MRCCs would have 

available to them — just look at how 

many similar place names there are 

around our coasts, never mind 

identical ones. And that’s before we 

add the Gaelic spelling of place 

names, not to mention local 

nicknames for particular areas. 

There are also many radio and 

mobile phone ‘blind spots’ which are 

known to local MRCC staff as well as 

local vessels — but not to people 

living on the opposite side of the 

country. 

6. Therefore the remaining MRCCs 

would be under more pressure to cope 

with — a no-win situation. Point 5 

above highlights the difficulty caused 

by a lack of local knowledge — even if 

local sector officers are retained in 

order to provide ‘local knowledge’, he 

or she will not be available 24 hours a 

day, 365 days a year to answer the 

obscure placename question which 

will undoubtedly be mispronounced 

by the watch officer in the far away 

MRCC — this results in time being lost 

in dealing with a situation. 

Everybody working in the 

emergency services is acutely aware of 

how precious the minutes are in the 

early stages of an incident, and has 

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spent what seems like ages trying to 

phone a contact who can or cannot 

verify a place, an access, whatever. 


would also reduce the number of 

Coastguard personnel — irrespective 

of the politically correct statements 

about reducing numbers by ‘natural 

wastage’. 

I doubt very much if many 

Coastguard personnel would like to 

relocate from the Highlands & Islands 

to another part of the country, given 

the differential in house prices — 

despite the housing assistance given 

to staff who move, there would still be 

a substantial difference in market 

values. 

I believe the previous round of 

closures resulted in approximately 

10% of personnel relocating. 

The surviving MRCCs would 

require substantially more than an 

increase of 10% in staff numbers to 

operate satisfactorily. It is folly to 

assume that a Coastguard officer will 

be able to transfer from one side/end 

of the UK to the other and expect him 

or her to immediately grasp the 

geographical details as well as the 

anomalies and habits peculiar to that 

area. Staff are entitled to leave 

periods outwith their shift patterns; 

where would the ‘trained officers’ 

come from to provide cover The 

government itself states that ‘it takes 

years to train Coastguard officers’. 

My understanding is also that the 

remaining ‘daytime-only centres’ 

would provide different cover to the 

whole country — 999 calls, local safety 

information broadcasts, tidal 

information — supposedly to ‘free up’ 

the dedicated remaining MRCCs to 

provide SAR. The calls would therefore 

be received at a centre, probably 

staffed with reduced manning, who 

would then have to transfer the 

information to the MRCC — equals 

time lost in dealing with the 

emergency. 

Local safety information 

broadcasts are transmitted via the 

network of aerials around the coast, 

and since only one frequency can be 

transmitted or received at each aerial 

at the one time, the remote daytime 

station would select an aerial to 

commence its broadcast at the 

scheduled time, possibly 

disconnecting the MRCC which may be 

using the aerial at that time. 

8. Such a proposal would destroy 

what is left of a very low level of 

morale within the service and turn HM 

Coastguard into a government 

department concerned only with 

statistics. 

This proposal is obviously being 

driven by civil servants, the majority of 

whom obviously have no grasp of the 

work of the Coastguard service — a 

lack of understanding made 

embarrassingly obvious by the 

number of times officials refer to the 

MRCCs as ‘call centres’. 

9. It would turn the Coastguard service 

into a department that would be less 

visible to the public, like many other 

civil service departments, thus making 

its ultimate demise much easier (in 

case further government spending 

cuts are required) — ie privatisation 

as per point 10. 

10. It would speed up the existing 

gradual privatisation of the SAR 

services to other rescue services. 

NORMAN G. SMITH 

Isle of Lewis 

Regarding the announcement by the 

shipping minister Mike Penning and 

the proposed modernisation of HM 

Coastguard, I believe the maritime 

community should be extremely 

concerned with what is planned. 

There will effectively be two 

Maritime Operations Centres 

operating on a 24-hour basis dealing 

with search and rescue incidents for 

the whole of the UK. Five others will 

operate for daylight only, but what 

this actually means has not been 

specified. Those of your readers who 

work on or around our coastal waters 

need to be aware that the local 

knowledge and expertise which is 

currently held by Coastguard officers 

at the Maritime Rescue Coordination 

Centres around the country will be 

lost when these operations are 

centralised. The CEO Sir Alan Massey 

insists that local knowledge is ‘not 

essential’ and that relying on 

technology and reference to others is 

all that is required. Operational 

Coastguard officers from all around 

the coast are arguing that the local 

knowledge that has been built up 

over many years will be lost and that 

lives will be put at risk if these plans 

go ahead. Unfortunately these 

opinions are being ignored. 

Those of your readers who work in 

the merchant community and travel 

in international waters should be 

increasingly concerned that MRCC 

Falmouth is to be downgraded to 

operate in daylight hours with only 

10 staff. Experienced professional 

merchant seamen will be only too 

aware of the vital role which MRCC 

Falmouth plays in search and rescue, 

not only in UK waters but around the 

globe. Falmouth was instrumental in 

making the GMDSS work effectively 

and has continued this work for 

around 30 years’ building an 

international reputation for 

excellence and service to the 

maritime community. 

Falmouth has responsibility for 

receiving all 406 EPIRB alerts in the 

UK region and all UK registered 

beacons from anywhere in the world. 

Satellite distress alerts, requests for 

medical advice and ship security 

alerts all fall within the remit of MRCC 

Falmouth with an increasing number 

of incidents relating to piracy attacks 

in the Indian Ocean area. 

Over the last 30 years MRCC 

Falmouth has been at the forefront of 

international search and rescue and 

has earned the UK a deserved 

reputation for assisting mariners in 

distress wherever they may be. This 

service is being put at risk by these 

proposals. The CEO has said that the 

kit at Falmouth is transferable, which 

is of course true, but the kit does not 

coordinate search and rescue 

operations — the staff do. It is the 

staff who have many years of 

experience and knowledge and it is 

the staff who make it work. 

This proposal is a step too far. 

There are alternatives which are not 

even being considered. There have 

been no technical trials to assess if 

the centralised MOCs can do the job 

they say it can. The costs will be huge. 

The CEO has stated that the 

proposal will provide a service ‘at 

least as good as it is now’; hardly 

aspirational considering that this is a 

proposal for modernisation. Is it not 

more about rationalisation as more 

than 200 Coastguard Officers will 

lose their jobs 

If your readers are concerned with 

these proposals, or have views about 

these proposals, they should voice 

there concerns via the consultation 

document on the MCA website at 

www.mcga.gov.uk or by contacting 

their local MP. 

WATCH MANAGER 

HM Coastguard 

Incorporating the merchant 

navy journal and ships 

telegraph 

ISSN 0040 2575 

Published by Nautilus 

International 

Printed by College Hill Press Limited 

37 Webber Street, London SE1 8QW. 

GENERAL SECRETARY 

Mark Dickinson MSc (Econ) 

HEAD OFFICE 

1 & 2 The Shrubberies 

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YOUR LETTERS 

Cruise cuts harming morale 

My reason for writing this is to find out whether or not my 

views on the cruiseship industry’s relentless cuts are shared 

and, if so, maybe we can make our Union more aware of the 

problems we are facing and therefore more able to deal with 

the issue. 

The cuts I am talking about are not the big cuts but 

the continual removal of officer privileges onboard with 

regard to deck and technical departments alike. I have been 

working onboard cruiseships for three years and in that time 

sailed on five different ships across three sub-brands of the 

company I work for. 

No, I am not the most experienced cruiseship officer 

— but I believe I have seen enough to be able to base an 

informed opinion. When I joined the company I work for I 

went through a strict interview routine and was questioned 

on every part of my life to date. It was a requirement that I 

had done very well in my schooling and had never been in 

any form of trouble. Without being too arrogant, I think it 

is fair to say the company did not employ just anyone and 

really had a surplus of applicants. This made it all the more 

special when I received a letter informing me I had been 

accepted. 

Three years on, that same company is sending out pleas 

to its officers to work over the Christmas period to cover the 

positions of those who have fled. Well what’s changed Yes, 

many would argue that wage increases have failed to meet 

the rise in inflation and contracts have been made more 

stringent — but as anyone who studied business at even the 

lowest level at secondary school will know, people are not 

solely motivated by money (although it is a major part of it). 

A small reduction in wages is rarely enough to make the 

average person go through the arduous process of finding 

a new job. The company will, and has, claimed that they are 

losing their officers to yachts offering wages they cannot 

match. This is true to some extent; however, I have noticed 

a reluctance to move to the yacht industry. It is certainly not 

where everyone wants to be. I believe this is an easy excuse 

used by those in the offices ashore when asked to explain the 

mass exodus. 

You may be asking what ‘cuts’ I am referring to. Well, in 

particular I am referring to the ones that are so small they 

hardly seem worth mentioning. On the contrary though, 

in my opinion these are the ones that have eaten away at 

the motivation I once had to work for the company I was so 

proud to become an employee of. 

Cuts like removal of overtime pay, removal of expenses 

to and from ship, motels rather than hotels, and even the 

removal of free water for the watchkeepers whilst on duty. 

Yes, these cuts are saving the company money in the short 

term but in the long term they are simply making the officers 

feel unappreciated and this is costing them big time. 

The productivity of a motivated worker against that of a 

de-motivated ‘unappreciated’ worker really is phenomenal 

and can still be seen when a person is promoted early, for 

example. The other huge long-term cost of these small cuts 

can be seen in the company’s bill for training and equipment 

failure caused by inexperience in the use of such equipment. 

Its more frequent in my experience to hand over to a new 

recruit than it is to someone who has done even just one trip 

with the company and this can be said all the way up to the 

rank of first officer. This dilution of experience can only end 

badly and at the expense of monetary costs or, worse, lives. 

In the engineroom this has already become evident: one 

valve left unopened causing more expense than a year’s 

wages of the person who would have opened it had he not 

left due to the company’s failure to show their appreciation 

for him. 

I am a business-minded man and understand the 

company’s need to stay competitive. However it needs to be 

reminded that cost-cutting is not the only way to improve 

efficiency. To use a business term, these cuts are causing a 

negative multiplier effect. For those who are not familiar 

with this term it is most easily explained by means of an 

example. Company cuts, officer leaves, remaining officer 

is extended and workload increases, officer experiences 

demotivation which reverberates throughout the ship, more 

officers leave and so the process continues. Crazy to think if 

the issue had been nipped in the bud the company wouldn’t 

be in the dire straits it finds itself in. 

The sad truth is I know that my next promotion will come 

not as a result of my hard work reflected in my appraisals, 

but because of the desperation of the company to fill a space 

left by someone who has finally had enough and decided 

to flee the sinking ship. Can the ship be salvaged Not until 

the treatment of the human resources in the industry, or at 

least my company, are seriously addressed. Yes, to those of 

you working in offices ashore our wages are appealing and 

our leave even more so — but remember the grass is rarely 

greener and the sacrifice of living a life at sea needs more 

gratification than we are receiving and such sacrifices should 

not be overlooked. 

‘When someone comes along who genuinely thanks 

us, we will follow that person a very long way’ — Alan Loy 

McGinnis. 

Third Officer/Name & No supplied 

A weighty 

matter... 

Re ‘A weight on your mind’ in the 

December Telegraph letters. Capt 

Womersley is nearly correct with 

the formula for BMI; unfortunately 

a small error may have brought 

unjustified relief to some of my 

larger seafaring colleagues as, by his 

calculation, I have a BMI of just 11.8! 

The correct formula should of 

course be BMI = Weight in kgs/Height 

in metres squared, not cubed. 

STEPHEN P. PIPER 

mem no 172438 

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Bermuda reunion 

Seafarers who served on Furness Bermuda Line’s 

Queen of Bermuda and Ocean Monarch in the 

1950s and early 1960s are set to travel from 

around the world to attend their second reunion 

event in May. 

‘Following the success of our first reunion 

in 2009, we are hoping to find more shipmates 

from across the globe for this next one,’ said 

event organiser Bill Cox. 

Queen of Bermuda — which came into 

service in 1933 — was joined by Ocean Monarch 

in 1951, and the two vessels operated until 1966, 

making regular sailings from Pier 95 on New 

York’s Hudson River for the 700-mile voyage to 

Bermuda. 

Throughout the 1950s, they were dubbed 

the ‘Honeymoon Ships’ — with their Saturday 

departures from New York fitting in well with the 

week-long honeymoons of many couples. The 

ships also shared longer voyages to the Bahamas 

and the West Indies, and pioneered cruises from 

Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) in Florida. 

‘Take it or leave it’ just won’t do 

The shipping industry has changed 

drastically over the last decade. It 

no longer runs on estimations or 

assumptions, it works on precise 

information with a lot of communication 

between ships and the operator. Supply 

and demand have both drastically 

increased and so has the need for a safer, 

clean and healthy shipping industry. 

But now we see a difficult mix of 

seafarers, between the new generation 

and the old generation, between 

nationalities, between cultures, languages 

and races. The gaps keep getting wider and 

its very important that the ship operator 

can understand this in order to help run a 

good ship with a happy crew. 

Now the ships are becoming more 

and more modern. A lot of old school 

equipment is being replaced by 

modern technology. Sailing no longer 

relies on the celestials as much as it does 

on the terrestrials. GPS, ECDIS, modern 

radars, stability programs, and the 

internet are all becoming a vital part of 

day-to-day shipboard operations and 

navigation. 

Safe navigation now depends on fibre 

optics and diodes. Gone are the days 

where a sextant was a navigating officer’s 

best tool. 

Celebrity passengers included former US 

president Harry Truman, Cary Grant, Noel 

Coward — and there was even a celebrity crew 

member, Tommy Steele, who joined the Queen 

as a bellboy and went on to become a rock ‘n’ 

roll singer. 

Most of the crew came from the UK and 

many later made their homes in North America 

and Bermuda. Dave Townson, originally from 

Liverpool and now living in Toronto, was an 

assistant purser on Ocean Monarch. He recalls: 

‘The ship was our address but, week after week, 

we enjoyed both the excitement of New York and 

the enchantment of Bermuda. Off duty on the 

island was an afternoon at the beach, a stroll at 

sunset back to the ship and a dinner of pate de 

foie gras, caviar and steak, accompanied by the 

familiar chorus of tree frogs on a still sub-tropical 

night.’ 

This year’s reunion — taking place on 

Saturday 14 May at The Merchant Seaman’s 

War Memorial Society in southern England 

With these big changes, it is important 

that the IMO should forsee problems in 

the future. Ship managers are no longer 

interested in the quality of the seafarer. 

The experience he or she carries isn’t as 

important as the wages. This will only 

provide short-term financial benefits to 

the company coupled with long-term 

losses, including PSC detentions and ship 

deterioration. 

It’s not easy for a seafarer these days 

to stand up for his or her rights with 

the worry of losing their only source 

of income. But knowing that they 

can be easily replaced by another less 

experienced crew member can be a bit 

of a problem when they need to report 

difficulties or dangers that they face 

during the course of their jobs. Rest hour 

violations are only being detected during 

port state control. But many violations 

still go undetected due to lack of crew, lack 

of any independence and experience in 

their jobs, and lack of skills. 

During the ‘old’ days of sailing, there 

were more crew onboard, they weren’t 

so many laws governing the way the 

jobs are being done, there was much 

more time in port to perform important 

jobs in the engineroom, and there were 

relatively fewer inspections and audits. 

— will hear from guest speaker Stephen Card, 

who became a marine artist renowned for his 

paintings of these and other ships, after a career 

at sea that culminated in the post of Queen’s 

harbourmaster in Bermuda. 

‘While acquaintances will be renewed 

and stories shared from the heyday of these 

ships, our second reunion will also have many 

reminders of life onboard,’ said Peter Manley, 

reunion organiser. ‘Guest presenter and former 

crew member Allen Soares will show his 

extensive slide collection of Furness Bermuda 

Line ships and crew — and Queen of Bermuda’s 

triple-chime steam whistle will be heard again.’ 

gFor further information about the reunion 

in 2011, visit www.furnessbermudaline.com 

or contact Bill Cox at william.cox15@btinternet. 

com, Peter Manley at pmanley@graham-eng. 

co.uk tel +44 (0)1282 695121 

or Bob White in Toronto at bob.brenda@ 

sympatico.ca tel +1 416 762 5707. 

Ship managers gave the masters a lot of 

independence in the way they handled 

the ships, and even though they had long 

hours of work, you had a relatively happy 

healthy crew. 

But now things have changed and 

the challenges have become more and 

bigger. The master of the ship is more 

like a secretary to the company with the 

constant paperwork being added. The 

big mix in crew has led to wider gaps of 

communication between the seniors and 

the juniors. The ship has started looking 

more like an office and not like a home. 

Shorter port stays have led to longer 

working hours since several jobs still need 

to be done in port along with receiving 

stores and supplies. 

Going ashore has become a distant 

dream since ISPS has made it stricter and 

hours of rest seem to be getting shorter 

and shorter. Masters have to do several 

hours of bridge duty due to long pilotages 

and usual delays. 

Ship managers keep cutting down 

costs on supplies and expect the seafarers 

to run a good ship with lack of spare parts 

and assistance of qualified personnel. 

Since most seafarers do long contracts, 

its no longer a good feeling to go back 

to sea again expecting this kind of an 

Ocean Monarch pursers, above, and the Queen 

and the Monarch in Bermuda, below 

environment. But the ship managers have 

also started showing less and less interest 

in the welfare of the crew and the ship. In 

a very hidden way, they provide a ‘take 

it or leave it’ attitude towards seafarers, 

knowing very well that the seafarers are at 

the mercy of the ship managers for their 

source of income. This is like a formal 

way of blackmailing and it will only lead 

to the diminishing of crew welfare. The 

performance of a ship cannot be seen 

on graphs and tables, but by physically 

visiting the ship and witnessing the state 

of the crew and the ship. 

But this plea has been going on for ages 

and we can only expect more and more 

problems. The shortage of seafarers right 

now is not a surprise. Working in such 

a challenging environment is usually 

not recommended to our children and 

friends. Ship managers are only looking 

for cheap alternatives rather than 

improving the current situation. The 

shipping industry is in big turmoil and 

this needs to be looked into as quickly as 

possible. We can expect the industry to 

grow, but with a huge lack of seafarers. The 

distance between these two graphs will 

keep increasing. 

VISWAJIT DILIP 

Maritime Officer 3



Staff problems: a staff member protests about jobs, pay and conditions outside a Maritime & Coastguard Agency centre Picture: Press Association 

Under pressure 

A 

The UK government’s 

planned cuts to the 

Maritime & Coastguard 

Agency’s budget threaten not 

just the safety of shipping but 

also the country’s long-term status 

as a major maritime nation, 

Nautilus has warned MPs. 

In a joint submission to the 

House of Commons transport 

committee inquiry into the work 

of the MCA, Nautilus and the 

Prospect union argue that the 

Agency was struggling to discharge 

its core functions even 

before the proposed 21% spending 

cuts over the next four years. 

The two unions — whose 

membership includes the majority 

of the MCA’s professional and 

technical staff, including surveyors 

— told the inquiry: ‘We are 

particularly concerned that the 

government spending cuts will 

have a seriously detrimental 

effect on the MCA’s ability to discharge 

vital safety duties and 

will exacerbate existing problems 

that have been identified in 

previous investigations.’ 

The submission highlights 

nine areas of particular concern: 

zMCA resources 

zthe quality of UK flag shipping 

zprofessional staff 

zinternational obligations 

zthe cuts programme 

zemergency towing vessels 

(ETVs) 

zthe Marine Incident Response 

Group (MIRG) 

zthe Coastguard 

zsupport for shipping 

The Unions do not believe the 

MCA has been given the resources 

and staffing it needs to meet the 

extra workload caused by the 

growth of the UK flag since 2000 

and the increasing national and 

international regulatory responsibilities, 

such as the International 

Ship & Port Facilities Security 

Code and the forthcoming 

Maritime Labour Convention. 

The submission issues a stark 

warning for safety if the proposed 

cutbacks — which aim to 

save some £80m by 2015 and 

include the loss of vital services 

such as ETVs and specialist offshore 

emergency services — go 

ahead. 

It calls on the government to 

reassess the shipping policies 

laid out in the Charting a New 

Course programme and work 

with all sides of the industry to 

set agreed strategic goals and 

objectives for the UK maritime 

sector. 

‘State spending on shipping 

lags behind other transport sectors, 

despite its increasingly significant 

contribution to the 

national economy,’ the submission 

points out. ‘We are concerned 

that the relatively low 

level of government spending on 

the maritime sector translates 

through to severe economic 

pressures on the MCA, which in 

turn have resulted in proposals 

for changes in the way it delivers 

its services.’ 

The unions argue that the significant 

expansion of the UK 

merchant fleet, coupled with the 

growth in the issue of Certificates 

of Equivalent Competency (CECs) 

and the additional survey and 

inspection demands generated 

by the surge in seaborne trade 

over the past decade, should have 

Government spending reductions 

could turn the clock back on safety, 

training and employment in the UK 

maritime sector, Nautilus warns MPs 

led to a matching increase in the 

survey and inspection resources 

at the MCA. 

In fact, surveyor numbers 

have fallen — and the unions fear 

this reduces the ability of the 

MCA to enforce key safety regulations, 

including seafarers’ 

hours of work and rest, and 

onboard working conditions. 

The submission expresses 

concern about evidence that the 

UK flag’s long-standing quality 

record is under pressure, pointing 

to Paris MOU port state control 

statistics showing that the 

percentage of UK registered 

ships found with deficiencies 

rose from 37.3% in 2005 to 48.7% 

in 2009. 

Rather than increasing professional 

survey staff numbers 

to respond to increasing 

demands, the unions warn that 

the MCA is delegating more survey 

work to classification societies. 

‘The unions are concerned 

that this dilutes the Agency’s 

ability to directly monitor and 

enforce safety standards as well 

as removing such responsibilities 

from a “state” framework 

which is both independent and 

free from commercial or competitive 

pressures,’ the submission 

adds. 

The unions told the MPs that 

financial pressures experienced 

by the MCA are having a negative 

impact on the UK’s ability to 

comply with international maritime 

conventions and regulations. 

The submission points out 

that the UK has been unable 

to implement EU Directive 

2009/16/EC on port state control, 

because of a failure to put 

the legislation in place to fully 

implement the directive, to 

update vessel traffic management 

regulations or put an 

appropriate computer system in 

place for implementation. 

The Agency has also failed to 

secure a negotiated agreement 

on out of hours conditions, which 

means that there are no surveyors 

available on weekends to do 

mandatory PSC inspections, the 

submission adds. 

‘The failure to implement 

the directive by 1 January 2011 

means that the UK will not be 

able to comply with the provisions 

for banning repeatedly 

offending vessels from EU ports 

and all of these failings raise the 

risk of European infraction 

proceedings which could financially 

far outreach any spending 

on personnel or equipment,’ it 

warns. 

Staffing and resources issues 

hampered the UK’s ability to 

progress the necessary legislative 

changes to enable MLC ratification 

by the EU target date of 

end-2010, the unions argue. 

The submission describes the 

proposals to withdraw ETVs and 

end the MIRG service as ‘utterly 

incomprehensible’ — warning 

that the UK is ‘gambling with the 

safety of lives and the environment’. 

ETVs were put in place following 

reports into two tanker disasters, 

and have become a model 

for other countries, the unions 

point out. ‘The number of recent 

incidents and near-misses in the 

Channel alone serves to demonstrate 

the value of these vessels, 

and that the government is running 

a significant risk in removing 

the protection they provide.’ 

Similarly, the MIRG was also 

created for good reasons following 

long-running concerns over 

the decline in the number of fire 

brigades capable of delivering 

emergency support at sea, and 

the reasons for its launch in 2006 

remain valid today. 

‘Ships have been getting bigger, 

carrying more passengers 

than ever before, as well as hazardous 

and often complex cargoes,’ 

the submission states. ‘At a 

time when crewing levels have 

been reduced significantly, it is 

essential that seafarers are given 

the back-up and support of properly 

trained specialist teams to 

handle the huge challenges that 

can arise in emergency situations.’ 

Nautilus and Prospect also 

voice doubts about the reasons 

behind the proposed reductions 

in Coastguard stations and staff. 

The government claims the plans 

to cut the number of maritime 

rescue coordination centres 

from 19 to nine, with only three 

open all day, are justified by 

advances in technology — but 

the unions believe simple costsavings 

are a significant influence 

and no real evaluation of 

the potential loss of ‘valuable 

local knowledge and expertise’ 

has been undertaken. 

The unions also express concerns 

about the future of the 

Support for Maritime Training 

(SMarT) scheme, which is administered 

by the MCA. They said: 

‘Given the new research showing 

the critical need to maintain 

recruitment and training to avert 

a major national and international 

seafaring skills crisis, it is 

essential for the UK’s future as a 

maritime nation that we continue 

to safeguard our supply of 

officers and ratings.’ 

The unions question the government’s 

support for the entire 

shipping infrastructure as a 

result of the many planned cutbacks, 

despite current spending 

on shipping adding up to a tiny 

fraction of the overall DfT 

budget. 

‘Ministers acknowledge that 

the industry, and its role in international 

trade, is of critical 

importance to economic recovery,’ 

the submission concludes. 

‘Nautilus and Prospect believe 

the government must now work 

with the industry to develop an 

agreed maritime policy with 

clearly defined strategic objectives 

for the future of the UK fleet 

and the national seafarer skills 

base.’


SPENDING CUTS 

Members on 

the march 

TUC general secretary BRENDAN BARBER explains why 

union members will be taking to the streets this month 

— and why he hopes Nautilus members will be there… 

w 

Government spending 

cuts will damage public 

services and put more 

than a million out of work. They 

will hit the vulnerable, damage 

communities and undermine 

much of what holds us together as 

a society. 

And of course it is not just the 

public sector that will suffer. Private 

sector jobs will go too. This is 

because the government is cutting 

spending on things like construction, 

and the sheer speed 

and scale of cuts will slow the 

whole economy down. 

Ministers say there is no alternative. 

But both of the government’s 

two key decisions are political 

choices, not economic necessity. 

Eliminating the deficit in just 

four years is a savage timetable 

that does not give economic 

growth the opportunity to close 

the deficit by raising the nation’s 

tax take. Indeed, the cuts promised 

will depress the economy 

even more than it is already. 

Raising four pounds through 

cuts for every pound raised 

through tax — and doing most of 

the latter through a VAT rise that 

hits the poor and those on middle 

income the most — is deeply 

unfair. The recession was made in 

the finance sector, yet banks and 

those enjoying gigantic bonuses 

again are not being asked to make 

a fair contribution. 

None of these policies were 

put to the British people at the 

election. David Cameron told us 

that there was no need for cuts in 

frontline services. 

People throughout the country 

are already campaigning 

against these deep, rapid cuts. 

Students have shown their opposition 

to teaching cuts, the end of 

the EMA and increases in fees. 

Parents and teachers have 

opposed cuts in school building. 

School sport, libraries and public 

woodlands all now have strong 

defenders. Few towns now do not 

have their own campaign group. 

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But only the TUC can bring all 

this together. This is why we are 

organising the March for the 

Alternative on 26 March. 

It has two key aims. 

First, we want to give a national 

voice to all those affected by the 

cuts. This will be a huge event that 

in its breadth and support shows 

just how much opposition there 

is to the government’s programme. 

It will bring together 

public service workers and those 

who depend on good public services. 

Those involved in national 

campaigns will join with those 

defending what is special in their 

own community. 

I know how the maritime sector 

is feeling the impact of the cuts 

— with a threat to the future of the 

Support for Maritime Training 

scheme, the likely loss of emergency 

towing vessels and specialist 

offshore fire-fighting teams, 

radical restructuring of the Coastguard 

service and reductions in 

the size of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. 

And that’s why I hope as 

many Nautilus members as possible 

will join us on 26 March. 

Second, we want to show that 

people reject the argument that 

there is no alternative. Of course 

the recession did damage to our 

economy. But these deep, rapid 

cuts are not the best way to solve 

our problems, and they may well 

make them worse. 

w 

That is why it is the 

March for the Alternative. 

A different timetable for 

reducing the deficit will allow 

recovery to make a much bigger 

contribution to closing the deficit. 

A fairer tax system that 

clamps down on tax dodging by 

big corporations and wealthy 

individuals spreads the burden 

more fairly. 

Making the banks pay a Robin 

Hood tax asks those who caused 

the crash to undo the damage 

they did. 

And above all we need economic 

policies which create jobs 

and boost sustainable economic 

growth. This is the only long term 

way to close the deficit and reduce 

the nation’s debt. 

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, above right, 

launches the ‘All together’ campaign against the cuts 

35,000 people took part in the 2009 Put People First march 

for jobs, justice and climate Picture: Jess Hurd/Report Digital



“ 

Nautilus and our 

predecessors have 

decades of experience 

in driving forward 

seafarers’ welfare 

at an international 

level and I have been 

pleased to carry that 

process on 

” 

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson bids farewell — or ‘au revoir’ — to Peter McEwen last month 

Peter’s long 

goodbye... 

c 

Mr McEwen interprets welfare in the widest 

sense – with his work in areas such as 

pensions and seafarer income tax allowances 

having been a core responsibility. Besides 

serving as Trustee of the Merchant Navy Officers’ 

Pension Fund since 1983 and chairman since 1999, 

he has also chaired the Merchant Navy Officers’ 

Pension Plan and MNPA Ltd. ‘It’s been particularly 

challenging over the past decade or so, but we have 

maintained the MNOPF for existing contributors 

and established MNOPP,’ he notes. ‘There’s always 

more to be done, but I am confident that in the 

longer term there is now a fair degree of security.’ 

He’s also proud of the work done by the Union’s 

JW Slater Fund, which has helped hundreds of ratings 

to study for officer certification. ‘Again, it is all 

about looking to the future and investing in our 

industry,’ he adds. 

Underpinning all his work for the Union and its 

members is the sense of history, stretching back 

more than 150 years. ‘I remember the first time I 

drove into Mariners’ Park after becoming secretary 

of the welfare funds and thought of how long it had 

been going for and all the work that had been done 

by others over the years. It makes you very conscious 

of the fact that you are just a custodian for a 

while and that someone else will be picking up the 

baton after you to carry it all into the future…’ 

One of the Union’s longest-serving officials reflects on 

more than 30 years in the frontline for seafarers... 

c 

With more than 32 years of work for the 

Union under his belt, Peter McEwen has 

not only witnessed some massive 

changes in the shipping industry — he’s also played 

a big part in many of them. 

Mr McEwen — who officially retired from Nautilus 

last month — joined what was then the Merchant 

Navy & Airline Officers’ Association in 1978 

in the newly-created post of administrative officer. 

‘I arrived with nothing there, not even a desk — I 

hadn’t even been to the office before, as the interview 

was held in the Great Eastern Hotel,’ he 

recalls. 

Looking back over his time with the Union, Mr 

McEwen says he has never been bored! ‘I couldn’t 

think of having done the same thing for more than 

30 years and I am lucky the job evolved to cover so 

many different areas.’ 

Despite his ‘retirement’, Mr McEwen will continue 

working on a number of projects for Nautilus 

and its members — including being the Secretary 

of the Nautilus Pensions Association, handling 

Maritime Labour Convention issues and dealing 

with the external funding of proposals for a major 

new multi-million pound development of the 

Union’s welfare facilities at Mariners’ Park, Wallasey. 

‘The welfare side of things has been a particularly 

large part of my work, especially as a result of 

our merger with the MMSA in 1985,’ he reflects. 

‘I believe we have brought an even greater degree 

of professionalism to this side of the Union, recognising 

the massive changes there have been in the 

way people think about welfare — and especially in 

accommodation,’ he explains. 

The transformation has included the new care 

home and new and upgraded housing for retired 

seafarers and their dependants at the Union’s welfare 

complex, along with a domiciliary care service 

that helps residents to remain independent for 

much longer. 

‘I always say that if you are not going forward 

you’re going backwards, and we have to continually 

respond to changes and challenges,’ he adds. ‘At 

present, that not only means making sure the facilities 

are fit for purpose but also grappling with the 

financial issues arising from government policy 

and the funding changes that will reduce the 

amount paid for people resident in the home.’ 

But Mr McEwen — who was last year presented 

with an MBE for his services to the maritime industry 

— has been extensively involved in much more 

than just the Union’s welfare activities. Over the 

years he has served as chairman of the Merchant 

Navy Welfare Board, and as a trustee of charities 

including Seafarers UK, the Seamen’s Hospital 

Society, ISAN and the Mission to Seafarers, and has 

played a pivotal role within the Maritime Charities 

Funding Group. 

‘Working with so many charities is mutually 

beneficial, and is part of the wider drive for all the 

organisations to work more closely and come 

together in partnership on different projects,’ he 

adds. ‘The objective is not just to reduce the number 

of charities in the sector, but to make more efficient 

use of resources through collaboration.’ 

c 

Mr McEwen has helped to drive through 

significant changes in welfare services 

for serving and retired seafarers in the 

UK and abroad. Not only was he involved in the work 

to develop the international convention on the 

inspection of seafarers’ working and living conditions 

but also in the long and hard work to develop 

the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention, known as 

the seafarers’ bill of rights. 

‘I believe the MLC will have a huge impact on seafarers’ 

welfare and it is a disgrace that the UK is 

unlikely to be in the first tranche of countries 

putting it into effect,’ he says. 

‘Nautilus and our predecessor unions have had 

decades of experience in driving forward welfare 

issues at an international level, and I have been 

pleased to carry that on by working with the ITF, the 

ITF Seafarers’ Trust and the International Committee 

On Seafarers’ Welfare,’ Mr McEwen adds. 

‘This work is so important, because this is such a 

global industry with a system of global regulation 

and if you can’t influence things at a global level 

you will just be messing about in the margins,’ he 

stresses. ‘You cannot afford to be a little islander.’ 

LEGAL 

www.nautiluslegal.org 

Legal Helpline 

0800 9 87 88 88 

(Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm) 

For out of hours and emergency shipping enquiries please continue to call your present contact 

Your Nautilus International membership entitles you and your immediate family 

to a full range of legal services provided by specialist lawyers. 

z Accident Claims 

z Clinical (Medical) Negligence 

z Family Law 

z Housing Advice 

z Personal Insolvency 

z Discounted Residential 

Conveyancing 

Members’ Email: member@nautiluslegal.org 

z Standard Single Will 

z Standard Mirror Will 

z Lasting Power of Attorney 

z Disease Claims 

z Employment Law Claims 

Family Email: family@nautiluslegal.org

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2011 March 2011 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23 

SAFETY AT SEA 

UN chief’s 

piracy call 

The head of the United Nations has launched a global action 

plan to combat the rising tide of attacks on merchant ships… 

P 

Piracy is starting to outpace the international 

community’s efforts to control it, United Nations 

secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon warned last month. 

Launching the International Maritime Organisation’s 2011 

action plan against the problem, Mr Ban warned that piracy has 

become a completely unacceptable ‘global menace’. 

The UN leader added: ‘We are all alarmed, as we should be. We 

need to assess what is working, what is missing, and what needs to 

be improved.’ 

Piracy is a complex problem, he pointed out, but needs to be 

tackled with a long-term strategy that focuses on deterrence, 

security, the rule of law and development. 

Mr Ban said piracy is presenting a serious threat to world maritime 

trade and is damaging economies in east Africa. 

Noting that more than 700 seafarers on 30 ships were being 

held hostage as he spoke, Mr Ban said the impact on piracy on 

innocent crew members must never be forgotten. ‘They are on 

the frontlines of this battle,’ he added. ‘Their welfare and safety 

must also be at the forefront of our concerns.’ 

The UN will strive to provide protection at sea, Mr Ban added, 

whilst also supporting the development of stronger governance 

and a stable economy to provide Somalis — especially youngsters 

— with an alternative future. 

‘Although piracy manifests itself at sea, the roots of the problem 

are to be found ashore. In essence, piracy is a criminal offence 

that is driven by economic hardship, and that flourishes in the 

absence of effective law enforcement. 

‘The role of the IMO in securing and developing Somalia’s 

maritime sector could play an important part in alleviating the 

conditions that encourage people to turn to piracy,’ he continued. 

Mr Ban warned that the UN and the IMO could not solve the 

The safety and 

“ welfare of innocent 

crew members must 

be at the forefront 

of our concerns 

UN leader Ban Ki-Moon” 

problem independently and called on all those in the shipping 

community to provide contributions to the efforts. 

The IMO initiative — Piracy: Orchestrating the response — 

aims to build on the work carried out in 2010 international Year of 

the Seafarer and bring renewed political impetus to tackle 

piracy. 

IMO general secretary Efthimios Mitropoulos pointed out 

that in the past 12 months alone there have been 286 piracyrelated 

incidents off the coast of Somalia, which have resulted in 

67 hijacked ships, with 1,130 seafarers onboard. 

‘Piracy and kidnapping have blighted the maritime community 

for too long and it is seafarers who bear the brunt,’ he added. 

The IMO action plan has six main aims for combating piracy 

globally: 

zincrease pressure at the political level to secure the release of 

all hostages being held by pirates 

zreview and improve the IMO guidelines to administrations 

and seafarers and promote compliance with industry best management 

practices and the recommended preventive, evasive 

and defensive measures ships should follow 

zpromote greater levels of support from, and coordination 

with, navies 

zpromote anti-piracy coordination and cooperation procedures 

between and among states, regions, organisations and 

industry 

zassist states to build capacity in piracy-infested regions of the 

world, and elsewhere, to deter, interdict and bring to justice those 

who commit acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships 

zprovide care for those attacked or hijacked by pirates and for 

their families 

The action plan confirms IMO’s intention to continue to 

protect seafarers, ships and cargoes through implementation of 

the International Safety Management Code and the International 

Ship and Port Facility Security Code. 

Mr Mitropoulos also called for the sharing of best management 

practice guidance and greater levels of coordination 

among navies. 

International Transport Workers’ Federation general secretary 

David Cockroft argued that the solution to piracy would only 

come through eliminating the threat and not simply trying to 

manage an acceptable level of piracy. 

‘The impact of the current situation on seafarers cannot be 

underestimated and they are at breaking point,’ he added. 

Alarm at abuse of crew 

Disturbing new trends are starting to emerge, with pirates 

extending their range of operations and showing a worrying 

willingness to abuse and attack seafarers, one of the military 

commanders in the EU Naval Force (EUNavfor) has told the 

Telegraph. 

Chief of Staff Colonel Richard Spencer said there is evidence 

of a ‘step change’ in the nature of Somali piracy and he urged 

the shipping industry to do more to protect vessels and their 

crews. 

Col Spencer stressed that the risk of being attacked remains 

low — with just 0.2% of ships running through the region falling 

victim to the pirates. However, what has changed is the number 

of incidents — which has doubled from 2008 to the end of 2010. 

He told the Telegraph that there have been changes in the 

make-up of the pirate gangs — including a more ruthless type 

of ‘investor’ behind the crime, with a much greater propensity 

to use violence. 

Crew members are facing more intimidation because 

hijacking periods have increased significantly, with many ships 

now held for more than 200 days. 

‘There is evidence of an increase in the levels of violence 

being imposed on seafarers being held hostage,’ he added. 

‘This is particularly so when negotiations are not going well 

or in the presence of warships and helicopters, where we 

are starting to see the pirates hiding behind hostages or 

threatening them. 

‘We are also starting to see random groups of pirates who 

do not fit the “normal” pattern,’ Col Spencer said. ‘They have 

demonstrated significantly greater levels of violence and 

pirated vessels in unusual areas. When things don’t fit patterns, 

we get alarmed.’ 

Col Spencer said EUNavfor believes there are elements 

within the shipping industry that could be doing more 

to combat the risks. There is evidence to show how ships 

registered with some flag states are more likely to be pirated, 

as well as signs that a significant number of vessels continue to 

fail to implement the best practice security measures, he said. 

‘There is a reason why some flags consistently have the 

highest number of ships taken,’ he added, ‘and I’m speechless 

as to why some flag states are not doing more.’ 

Self-protection is more important than ever before, because 

the increased range of pirate attacks means that EUNavfor has 

United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon 

speaks on piracy last month Picture: IMO 

‘The industry is facing daily demands for increased ransoms, 

insurance costs are rocketing, the real possibility of re-routeing 

ships around the Cape of Good Hope, additional naval protection 

and increasingly the understandable, but worrying, growing use 

of private security forces all add to the cost.’ 

Mr Cockroft warned that seafarers could eventually demand 

not to sail into the high risk areas at all and reputable shipping 

companies would back them. 

Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme, 

also warned about the impact of abandoning shipping 

services into Somalia. 

‘For humanitarian lifelines, we cannot avoid those routes,’ she 

said. ‘For the lifeline to reach the most hungry in Somalia, Kenya, 

Uganda, Zimbabwe, this whole area is critical. There is no alternative 

route.’ 

Mr Cockcroft also called on flag of convenience states to play a 

larger part in the protection of ships and seafarers sailing under 

this register. 

‘Many states have committed naval vessels and we’ve seen 

fast and effective military action when their citizens were threatened,’ 

he said. ‘But we don’t see the same response from some of 

the major shipping registries such as Panama, Liberia, Cyprus, 

and many more, when their ships are attacked.’ 

Those states which gain major financial benefits by operating 

FoCs should take their responsibilities for seafarers on their ships 

more seriously, Mr Cockroft added. Naval forces would be ideal 

— but as a minimum they should contribute significant financial 

and legal support to build the counter-piracy infrastructure. 

fFor more information on the IMO action plan visit 

www.imo.org. 

just six ships available to cover an area of some 2.8m square 

miles, he stressed. Fewer attacks would succeed if ships could 

hold off pirates for the 45 minutes it will typically take for naval 

forces to get to the scene, he added. 

Col Spencer said he appreciated the pressures on merchant 

seafarers, but suggested that some could do more to resist 

attacks on their vessels. ‘If the alternative is eight months of 

systematic abuse and long-term health and psychological risks, 

for me that would be sufficient incentive to do your damnedest 

to keep the pirates off your ship,’ he added. 

He urged seafarers to ensure that their ships show visible 

signs of protection — such as rigged fire hoses and barbed 

wire. They should also be asking the master or the owners what 

measures are being taken to safeguard their ships before they 

enter high-risk areas, he suggested. 

‘There is a bottom-up element as well as a top-down 

approach to protecting ships and it is very important, because 

this is the most effective safeguard,’ Col Spencer pointed out. 

One of the simplest and most effective defensive measures 

that merchant ships can take is the deployment of lookouts, he 

said. ‘In the latter part of 2010, the first thing we heard from the 

vast majority of ships that were pirated was a message saying 

“there is a pirate on the bridge and he is putting a gun to my 

head”. 

‘Ships must pay for lookouts,’ Col Spencer argued. ‘If you 

can spot a skiff or a whaler at five miles, then nine times out of 

10 you can avoid the pirate. I just don’t understand why owners 

Korean special forces storm the hijacked chemical tanker Samho 

will not invest in this.’ 

Jewelry Picture: Korean Navy 

No place 

to hide... 

The shipping industry is running out of 

sea room in which to avoid pirates in 

the Indian Ocean, the Oil Companies 

International Marine Forum (OCIMF) 

has warned. 

Deputy director Captain Garry 

Hallett told the IMO’s one-day 

seminar that increasing numbers of 

tankers and gas carriers are running 

close to the Indian coast in an attempt 

to outrun the pirates. 

Anything west of longitude 73 

degrees in the Indian Ocean has 

become a virtual no-go area, he said, 

and as much as six days were being 

added to the average voyage from 

the Gulf to the US as a result of the 

deviations. 

‘We have got no more sea room 

It’s time for some radical new approaches to tackle piracy, 

Kthe International Transport Workers’ Federation argued 

last month. 

Speaking at a special day-long International Maritime 

Organisation seminar, ITF official John Bainbridge warned that 

International Year of the Seafarer (2010) could be followed by 

the Year of the Pirate unless more effective measures are taken 

to reduce the growing threat to crews. 

‘The pirates are currently winning and too many states 

are not willing to share their responsibilities,’ he warned the 

meeting. 

Piracy has become a far more complex problem than it was 

in the 1980s and 90s, and is now a sophisticated operation run 

by organised criminals. ‘The industry has come to a turning 

point, where past policies and methods of dealing with piracy 

are no longer sufficient,’ he added. ‘With a situation that 

deteriorates each month, there will have to be more radical 

solutions in 2011.’ 

Mr Bainbridge said the last six months had seen worrying 

Kdevelopments, including: 

zincreased violence 

zabuse and threats to the lives of hostages 

zlonger hostage periods, now averaging more than 210 days 

zhigher ransom demands 

zextended area of attacks, using captured merchant vessels as 

SAFETY AT SEA 

‘Year of the pirate’, ITF warns 

NL urged 

to act on 

armed 

guards 

Nautilus International has joined with the 

Dutch shipowners’ association KVNR to urge the 

country’s government to give the go-ahead for 

armed guards to be placed on national-flagged 

ships. 

In a joint statement last month, the Union 

and KVNR expressed their ‘deep disgust’ at 

the ‘barbaric’ torture and execution of three 

seafarers onboard the German ship Beluga 

Nomination. 

They urged the Dutch government to 

authorise the use of certified armed security 

guards or armed soldiers onboard merchant 

vessels — as recommended in a speciallycommissioned 

study published by the 

International Security Advisory Board. 

The report — which was undertaken by a 

committee led by former Dutch defence minister 

Joris Voorhoeve — underlined the limited 

effectiveness of the deployment of warships, 

said Nautilus assistant general secretary Marcel 

van den Broek. 

‘Although we warmly welcome the 

recommendations in the report, we note that 

their conversion into decisive actions is often 

time-consuming,’ he cautioned. 

available to us,’ Capt Hallett told 

the meeting. ‘We cannot move any 

further east.’ 

The attempts to remain out of 

range of the pirates are adding 

to transport costs and increasing 

emissions from shipping, he pointed 

out. 

Capt Hallett said piracy had 

been a constant threat throughout 

his seagoing career and OCIMF has 

commissioned research to examine 

ways of improving the ability of ships 

to resist attacks. 

‘We need to look at how we 

design and construct ships and how 

we can make safer places for our 

seafarers,’ he added. 

Picture: OCIMF 

C-Vigil’s remote engine 

blocking system 

A UK marine security firm has launched a new system designed 

to buy ships’ crews vital time until naval forces can come to their 

aid when being attacked by pirates. 

C-Vigil, which is based in Chesterfield, says its SARBS and 

SERBS (Start Air/Electric Remote Blocking System) will enable 

seafarers to disable the engines of their vessels and block its 

re-start for a set period of time — such as up to eight hours in 

high-risk areas, or just two hours in patrolled waters. 

‘If the pirates are unable to sail the vessel to territorial 

waters, then experience suggests they will cut their losses and 

leave the vessel alone,’ said C-Vigil’s Steve Smith. ‘Disabling the 

motherships 

Faced with this, he added, more and more seafarers are 

asking whether it is worth taking the risk — especially as some 

major flag states are doing little to protect their ships or support 

seafarers following attacks. 

‘Every seafarer has to do their own risk assessment,’ he 

argued, ‘and they are increasingly unwilling to be there and 

face the high level of stress and the threat of being attacked.’ 

Barely one-quarter of the IMO’s 169 member states 

Kare contributing to the protection of seafarers, Mr 

Bainbridge said. ‘How can the public take this seriously if many 

major flag states are failing to take it seriously’ 

Put a block on pirates 

main engine in this fashion gives the authorities the time they 

need to react to the situation.’ 

The system — which is part of a wide range of security 

products offered by the company — works through touch-screen 

operator panels on the bridge and in the engine control room, 

with a three-step password-protected activation procedure. 

To prevent accidental activation when manoeuvring or in 

confined waters, the system can be isolated using a high-security 

key lock. A panic button is also provided in the master’s cabin, as 

well as a portable wireless-operated key fob for remote use on 

deck.


SAFETY AT SEA 

The fears of 

seafarers in 

the frontline 

JANE SPENCE hears how the threat of piracy is taking a 

heavy toll on crews sailing in the high-risk zones… 

I 

‘Wish you were here....!’ Sadly, that’s the 

last thing today’s seafarers would write 

to their loved ones as they feel their way 

nervously around the Indian Ocean, despite its 

honeymoon islands and Kenya’s safari coast. 

It should be paradise, but it isn’t. Here be dragons. 

They are the two-legged sort who come in skiffs 

wielding automatic weapons and ransom demands. 

They can board your ship in moments, take you hostage 

for months, beat you, starve you, torture you, 

sell you on, or murder you. These are the Indian 

Ocean pirates, and, despite the international naval 

operations to ‘deter, prevent and repress’ their acts 

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of violence, these predators are striking deeper and 

harder than ever before. 

In fact, in this region of game reserves and monitored 

fishing, perhaps the least protected species is 

the seafarer who keeps our whole world fed and 

clothed. 

In the port of Mombasa last month, anxiety was 

high and many visiting seafarers said they had 

spared their families the worrying knowledge that 

they were coming here at all. 

Crew member after crew member confided that he 

would like to end his contract early, rather than face 

what lies beyond the brief safety of the Kenyan port. 

www.seawork.com 

EXHIBITION&CONFERENCE 

Rear Admiral Juan Rodriguez of the Spanish Navy is the new commander of the EU Naval Force 

Picture: Mission to Seafarers 

‘We try not to think about it, but, with this trip, 

there’s a real chance that we will be caught’, says chief 

mate Sotero Flores, squinting up at the barbed wire 

festooning his ship like a sinister frill. 

‘We pass through the no-go areas and just hope we 

won’t be attacked. We have razor wire, and we’ll perform 

double watches to try to detect pirates early 

and avoid them, but we can’t deal with RPG, or automatic 

weapons,’ he added. ‘We can do nothing but 

pray that we don’t get caught.’ 

“ 

We can 

do nothing 

but pray 

that we don’t 

get caught 

” 

Sotero looks downcast. He says they saw no protective 

naval vessels on the voyage up from Durban. 

They sail to Dar es Salaam tomorrow, with no security 

team onboard. Sotero has been 21 years at sea. It is 

his life — but he says he would end his contract today 

if he could. 

I 

From the safety of dry land, the International 

Maritime Organisation has declared 

2011 the year of orchestrating the response 

to piracy. As UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon added 

his gravitas to the London launch of the IMO’s action 

plan, in Mombasa 29-year-old Turkish seafarer Fatih 

Demiroglu chucked in his contract rather than take 

his chances on the Indian Ocean again. 

It goes to show that, however well-meaning, talk 

and slogans are cheap; out here on the frontline, 2011 

so far remains the year of living dangerously. Just like 

last year, only worse. 

Reports of abuse, maltreatment and torture of 

hostages are on the rise, whilst rich ransoms have 

seemingly been reinvested in powerful weaponry 

and captured vessels turned into fleets of pirate 

motherships. 

At the time of writing, 32 vessels and some 725 seafarers 

are being kept hostage by pirates. This shocking 

statistic provokes virtually no outcry from the 

Father Michael Sparrow, the Mission to Seafarers chaplain in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, has been specially 

trained to provide counselling and support to crews affected by piracy Picture: Mission to Seafarers


SAFETY AT SEA 

public. It is hard to imagine the same quiescence if 32 

aircraft were hijacked, or a cruiseship full of several 

hundred passengers was successfully taken and held 

to ransom. 

Just days after Filipino seafarer Farolito Vallega 

was murdered by his captors on the Beluga Nomination, 

the new EU Naval Force (EUNavfor) commander, 

Rear Admiral Juan Rodriguez, of the Spanish Navy, 

said he was satisfied that the force is achieving its 

objectives by holding piracy levels stable and ensuring 

aid to Somalia gets through. 

‘We are carrying out our primary task of escorting 

World Food Programme vessels. We don’t assume 

that we can solve the problem at sea, because the root 

causes are on land’ said the Spanish navy admiral. 

Not everyone takes such a narrow view. Father 

Michael Sparrow, the Mission to Seafarers’ chaplain 

in Mombasa, does not believe that the world community 

should wait for healing to come to Somalia. 

‘They need to get on and deal with piracy as a 

separate issue — it’s easy to say that a solution 

depends on creating a stable government in Somalia 

but that could be 10 years down the line, and the seafarers 

have the problem now’, he says. 

Perhaps an orchestrated response might see the 

EUNavfor mandate widened to allow EU warships 

greater scope to protect crews or tackle the motherships. 

But Admiral Rodriguez repudiates the suggestion 

that any broadening of the objective is necessary. 

I 

The irony may not be lost on the seafarers 

who ply these dangerous waters and never 

see a warship, that while aid shipments to 

the country nurturing pirate activity are protected, 

they, who supply the world’s homes and high streets, 

are generally left to fend for themselves. 

‘There’s a feeling among seafarers that they are 

left on their own when sailing in these waters,’ says Fr 

Sparrow. ‘Many have told me that they do not see the 

navy ships when they’re out at sea, and it is contributing 

the loneliness and trepidation they already 

feel. 

‘Most say there’s not enough protection. Sometimes 

ships call for help, and there is no help within 

reach. The naval people privately say they could do 

more, that they could stop the motherships, but the 

politicians don’t allow them to.’ 

Few would disagree that an orchestrated response 

“ 

The seafarers 

think that not 

enough is being 

done and they 

ask why are the 

warships not 

doing more 

” 

is required. The pirate gangs, ever more organised, 

aggressively exploit any lack of focus in those policing 

the seas. Indeed, it is a mystery why the response 

is not already orchestrated; for those at the sharp 

end, the need for effective joined-up action has long 

been urgent, but calls have fallen on deaf ears. 

‘The international response needed to have been 

much stronger a few years ago’, says Fr Sparrow, ‘The 

situation has now got out of hand because there was 

no serious and coordinated response at the start. 

‘Right now, there’s still no orchestration. NATO, 

the European naval force, and vessels from South 

Korea, Russia, China and elsewhere, are all under 

separate commands,’ he adds. 

‘Even inside EUNavfor, the national navies don’t 

seem to share rules of engagement. Some of them 

have been arresting pirates, while others just dump 

the pirates’ weapons in the sea and send the pirates 

off again in a boat. The action is just not the same 

from everybody’, says the former ship’s purser, who 

has run the Mission to Seafarers’ centre in Mombasa 

for the last 10 years. 

Protect and survive: a seafarer on the lookout behind rolls of razor wire, above, and a dummy guard on the deck of 

a vessel, top left Picture: Mission to Seafarers 

The recent recapture of the Samho Jewelry by 

South Korean commandos has concentrated minds 

on the nature of counter-piracy action. Admiral Rodriguez 

is quick to distance himself from the operation, 

reminding us that South Korea has nothing to 

do with EUNavfor. 

I 

At the same time, he is clear that EUNavfor 

opposes the arming of seafarers and the 

posting of armed guards on board merchant 

vessels, even though it can be effective. 

‘We understand that some member flag states 

have authorised armed personnel to work on merchant 

vessels and that they have been quite successful 

in this regard. However, the EU does not support 

armed guards on board vessels, or giving seafarers 

arms’, he said. 

It is a position that leaves seafarers vulnerable, 

with nothing but barbed wire, water cannon, dummy 

lookouts, and hope standing between them and the 

increasingly audacious and brutal pirate raiders. 

‘Protection ought to be for all seafarers, not just 

for South Korean or Russian personnel. The seafarers 

think that not enough is being done, and they 

ask why aren’t the warships doing more,’ Fr Sparrow 

says. 

‘Some seafarers think the EU naval forces are a bit 

of a joke. They don’t go after the motherships. They 

don’t intervene. Somebody said to me: “The pirates 

are just laughing at them”.’ 

Fr Sparrow has seen the number of ships coming 

into Mombasa plummet as a direct result of piracy. 

Most cruiseships are giving the area a miss. He routinely 

deals with freed hostages and hears how desperately 

many crews want armed guards. It’s a critical 

situation that has been allowed to become 

chronic, and it needs sorting out with decisive and 

cohesive action by the world community. 

‘It’s an international problem. Once the political 

will clicks in, it could be stopped very quickly I am 

sure. So it would be excellent if this could be achieved 

in this year of “orchestrated response”. But until 

then, the seafarers will remain where they are now - 

caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.’ 

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MARINE COMMUNICATIONS 

A VTS operator in San Francisco. 

Language experts want to hear how 

seafarers respond to local accents 

Picture: US Coast Guard 

Communications 

in the 

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industry can be 

a challenge — 

and local accents 

can make things 

even harder. 

NAOYUKI TAKAGI, from Tokyo 

University of Marine Science and 

Technology, describes a project to 

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‘One common language 

I’m afraid we’ll never 

get. Why can’t the English 

learn to speak’ deplored Professor 

Higgins in the famous 

musical My Fair Lady. 

Will the shipping industry get 

one common pronunciation of 

Maritime English Never. For a 

British captain, a buoy is a ‘boy’ 

not a ‘boo-ey’ and port state control 

inspectors are proud to speak 

English with their accents — be it 

American, Australian, British, or 

Canadian. 

Non-native learners of English 

have the right to speak English 

with their own accents, and they 

almost always do. 

Young cadets in their English 

classes are nowadays most likely 

to be provided with CDs recorded 

by professional narrators who 

speak ‘textbook’ English. These 

CDs are good in that they can provide 

a reasonable model for students 

to follow, and if they speak 

English like the man/woman on 

the CD, they have a better chance 

of being understood. 

However, when it comes to 

real communication at sea, those 

CDs won’t be of much help as far 

as listening is concerned because 

one seldom hears noise-free textbook 

accents of English. 

I once had a chance to visit 

Tokyo Martis (Tokyo Bay Marine 

Traffic Information Service) and 

listened to radio communications 

during their busiest hours 

(0400-0800 and 1600-2000). 

Of all the speakers I overheard, 

only one was a native speaker of 

English, who happened to be a 

navy officer onboard an American 

warship. The rest were 

Chinese, Koreans, Indians, Filipinos, 

and speakers whose nationality 

I could not identify just by 

listening. 

Even when you visit a port that 

is located in an English-speaking 

country, you may well be challenged 

by the local accent. Pilots 

who work in Boston Harbour 

‘paak’ their ‘caa’ on the wharf, and 

when you call the VTS in New 

Orleans, you may well be greeted 

by a mixture of Southern drawl 

and hospitality. 

When I moved from sunny 

Southern California to Alabama 

(Deep South), I really had a hard 

time understanding the local 

accent. I’ve never been to the UK, 

but it is known for the wide variety 

of dialects — both social and 

regional. It is not uncommon for 

someone from England to find it 

very hard to understand a Scottish 

or Irish man. 

Yes, mariners at sea must be 

able to cope with all kinds of English 

pronunciation including 

regional variations among native 

speakers and foreign accents 

among non-native speakers who 

speak English with a wide range 

of proficiency and intelligibility. 

N 

How have mariners 

achieved this goal 

Exposure, exposure, 

exposure. When I sailed, as an 

observer, on an MOL containership, 

the Japanese first engineer 

had a far better understanding 

of his Filipino crew’s English than 

the present author, who is an English 

teacher. Mariners can often 

tell the nationality of their party 

on the VHF radio just by listening 

to his/her accent. 

But should the naturalistic 

exposure onboard a ship be the 

only way to get used to the various 

accents of English to be 

encountered at sea If I were to 

work as an interpreter for a New 

Zealander, I’d probably want to 

rehearse a bit by listening to the 

Kiwi accent, so that I wouldn’t 

embarrass myself and the speaker 

by repeatedly asking him/her, 

‘What did you say’ Similarly, if I 

were a young Filipino officer 

ready to sign on to his first ship 

commanded by a Japanese captain, 

I would want to familiarise 

myself with the way Japanese 

people speak English. 

With the modern invention of 

the multimedia computer and 

electronic gadgets, recording 

your own voice and posting the 

sound file up on the Internet and 

sharing it with the rest of the 

world has become easier and 

cheaper than ever. That’s exactly 

what we did. Tokyo University of 

Marine Science and Technology’s 

Maritime English Speech Corpus 

(www2.kaiyodai.ac.jp/~takagi/pweb/ 

mesc.htm) now contains seven 

SMCP phrases recorded by people 

representing 28 different nationalities. 

Part of the above corpus 

comes from our ‘sea story’ project 

to collect and share sea stories as 

told by real mariners with different 

accents. These stories are 

meant to have some educational 

value for cadets, so that they can 

learn about their business as well 

as the different ways people speak 

English. 

So if you are a mariner or exmariner 

and have a story to share 

(I know it is impossible not to have 

a story once you sail!), just record 

it using an MP3 recorder or free 

software that runs on your PC, 

and send the file to me (takagi@ 

kaiyodai.ac.jp) as an attachment 

with information on your language 

background. I’ll post it up. 

Another group of people I am 

eager to reach are VTS folks. If you 

happen to be a Nautilus Telegraph 

reader and work or used to work 

for a VTS station, could you please 

provide recordings of typical 

messages you transmit over the 

radio; for example, ‘What is your 

ETA at the pilot station’ ‘Rig the 

pilot ladder on the starboard side, 

2 metres above water’, etc. You 

may want to include some hardto-guess 

pronunciations of place 

names in your service area. 

No other place in the world is 

better equipped than VTS stations 

for making those recordings, 

and it won’t take much time. 

By making those recordings 

available on the Internet, mariners 

planning to enter your VTS 

area can be better prepared to 

understand your speech, be it 

native or not. 

Noam Chomsky, a famous 

American linguist, was once 

asked which language is spoken 

the fastest. His answer was ‘foreign 

language’. English always 

sounds ‘fast’ to non-native speakers, 

and once this speed is combined 

with some unfamiliar 

regional accent, the answer could 

be total radio silence or dangerous 

misunderstandings. So a 

project like this has a practical 

value even for VTS stations operating 

in English-speaking countries. 

Ever since I started teaching 

Maritime English in 1999, many 

mariners have helped me. I was 

an English teacher in distress and 

upon receiving my Mayday message 

for their professional assistance, 

they lent their generous 

helping hands. It is time to return 

the favour. I hope our Maritime 

English Speech Corpus Project 

will facilitate smooth, successful 

English communication at sea, 

thus contributing to safer and 

cleaner shipping. 

Naoyuki Takagi graduated 

from the Tokyo University of 

Foreign Studies with an MA in 

English in 1989 and obtained 

his PhD in psychology from the 

University of California at Irvine 

in 1993. He has published many 

papers in cross-language speech 

perception since then and worked 

on several English-Japanese 

dictionaries. 

Well ‘marinated’ since he started 

teaching at the TUMSAT, with 

an estimated total sea time of 

six months, he has produced an 

SMCP-based Maritime English 

textbook for deck cadets and a 

website for improving Maritime 

English pronunciation. 

He is a full professor in the Faculty 

of Marine Engineering and serves 

on the steering committee of 

the maritime English teachers’ 

professional body IMLA-IMEC.


SAFETY AT SEA 

Minding your 

business... 

Claire Pekcan at work during the recent Project Horizon simulator trials at Warsash Picture: Mike Gerber 

K 

Seafarers could probably find lots of ironic 

humour in the fact that occupational psychologist 

Claire Pekcan — who specialises 

in the study of how people behave in the workplace as 

employees and employers — is deeply involved with 

the shipping industry. 

Claire is a senior lecturer at Southampton Solent 

University’s Warsash Maritime Academy, where she 

has worked since the mid-90s teaching anything 

where psychology can be applied. 

‘Human resource management is my main area, 

which involves looking at the management of people 

at work — for example, selecting people, developing 

people, employee relations, employee welfare, and 

things like that,’ she says. 

‘I teach this at master’s level, and I am also involved 

in teaching leadership, management and resource 

management for seafarers in continuing professional 

development courses,’ she adds. ‘I teach on some of 

the foundation degree programmes — topics such as 

command decision-making, situational awareness, 

human error and human/machine interfaces. 

‘I suppose it all comes under what we commonly 

refer to as the human element,’ Claire explains. 

‘I haven’t been to sea — although I used to sail as a 

hobby — but I do believe that you can apply occupational 

psychology to the marine industry because it’s 

another work context.’ 

Indeed, she points out, there are many important 

aspects of shipping and seafaring where psychological 

issues are critical — for example, organisational 

culture and safety culture, selection and recruitment, 

human factors and ergonomics, and the best way of 

training and developing individuals so that their 

competence or potential is realised. 

In many ways, she adds, this touches on welfare 

issues —‘things to do with stress, workload, and how 

to improve welfare through the implementation of 

interventions such as employee assistance programmes’. 

Claire is now a key player in the European Unionfunded 

Project Horizon, the two-and-a-half year 

research programme investigating the impact of 

fatigue on the performance of seafarers. 

Warsash, together with Chalmers University of 

Technology in Göteberg, Sweden, has been conducting 

a series of trials involving volunteer deck and 

engineer officers undertaking a series of simulatorbased 

voyages on varying watch rotas. 

The volunteers undergo rigorous scientific and 

medical tests to measure the impact of tiredness on 

their cognitive performance, and are also instructed 

to keep work and sleep diaries in which they record 

their subjective impressions. Each round of tests lasts 

a week and the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm 

University will analyse the findings later this year. 

K 

Project Horizon is part-EU funded and supported 

by partners and stakeholders from 

across the industry — including Nautilus, 

representing the European Transport Workers’ Federation. 

The project’s ultimate objectives include issuing 

recommendations based on the findings, and producing 

management toolkit software that will enable 

the industry to gauge the impact on seafarers of any 

watch pattern. 

Claire prefaces her account of her Project Horizon 

role by explaining the constraints under which psychologists 

conduct their research, compared with 

practitioners in the ‘hard’ sciences. ‘Unlike physical 

substances, you can’t test humans to destruction and 

then say, “Ah, that’s the breaking point”. Although 

neuroscience has moved on significantly and you can 

actually measure what’s going on in people’s brains, 

generally speaking, we have to infer from behaviour 

what people are actually thinking, feeling, doing, by 

asking them to do what we call self-report, or by 

observing them.’ 

Claire has helped to design the simulator experiments 

— something she admits was a significant 

challenge. ‘It’s proved quite difficult, because how do 

you measure performance in an objective way when 

it can often be a subjective thing When you’re watching 

somebody doing something in the engineroom 

or on the bridge, there may be a number of things that 

could influence that particular action or decision or 

behaviour.’ 

Fatigue is a very difficult concept to pin down, 

Claire points out, because there are so many things 

that may influence it. ‘The real focus of Horizon is 

sleepiness,’ she suggests. ‘Depriving people of sleep, 

or interrupting their sleep, what impact does it have 

on them’ 

In devising the trials, the researchers first had to 

establish the factors which can be recorded that have 

a relationship with how much or how little sleep individuals 

have. Similarly, what can be recorded that can 

be influenced by how tired they are 

‘We need to establish whether or not their performance, 

such as their ability to make decisions, is 

affected, as well as their general wellbeing and sense 

of alertness or tiredness,’ Claire adds. ‘The other factor 

we have to take into account is how experienced they 

are. Not all of them have had the same opportunities 

and this may influence their performance.’ 

K 

As the project approaches its denouement, 

Claire will help analyse the data that 

emerges from the tests. But by that stage 

the key psychological input will devolve to the neuroscientists 

based at the Stress Research Institute in 

Stockholm, led by Professor Torbjörn Åkerstedt. 

‘They’ve developed the measures of sleepiness 

and have conducted a lot of research into the effects 

on people when they work irregular work patterns, 

shift patterns, and when their periods of work are 

extended,’ she says. ‘They can develop algorithms 

from the data that can then be used to model a given 

scenario, for example, if you continue a 6-on/6-off 

watch pattern for any length of time, or if you chop or 

change it, what is the likely impact on that individual 

undertaking that watch regime 

‘We may all have a sense of what’s right or wrong, 

or what’s too much or too little, but until we get the 

data in, we cannot categorically say,’ Claire explains. 

‘What we’re doing here is attempting to rule out the 

extraneous factors and establish exactly what effect 

does working these number of hours with this type of 

rest have Different people will have different support 

and coping strategies out in the real world, so 

some people say, “I can cope as long as it’s not for too 

long.” But what we really don’t know is, for a group of 

people, put through a controlled situation, what 

impact does it have’ 

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NAUTILUS WELFARE 

Retired chief mate Gary Dickinson helped to launch the model 

railway club at Mariners’ Park Pictures: Sarah Robinson 

Residents on 

the right track 

aFirst it was the bowling 

green, and now it’s a 

model railway… the residents 

of the Nautilus retirement 

complex Mariners’ Park in Wallasey 

know what they want on their 

estate, and they are the ones making 

it happen. 

Retired chief mate Gary Dickinson 

was the driving force behind 

the railway club, which was 

Many seafarers we note are under the illusion that to qualify for the 100% 

foreign earnings deduction, all they have to do is spend 183 days out of 

the country on foreign going voyages. 

Many have found to their cost, when investigated by the Revenue that it is 

not that straightforward and of course it is then too late to rectify. 

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NAUTILUS members in the UK sailing under a foreign flag agreement on gross remuneration can obtain a 10% reduction 

on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment. 

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phone now 

for more 

details: 

A model train club at the Union’s 

Wallasey welfare complex is 

proving to be a big success 

initially mooted around a year ago 

at one of the regular meetings 

between staff and residents. He 

explained that he had inherited 

some model railway tracks and 

trains from his uncle Brian, and 

would like to use these as the basis 

for a set-up at the Park. 

‘My uncle wanted to build the 

railway in his garage when he 

retired,’ says Mr Dickinson, ‘but 

unfortunately he died not long 

after stopping work and was never 

able to see it through.’ 

Now there would be an opportunity 

to remember Brian Dickinson 

in a way he would have 

greatly appreciated — providing 

enjoyment of his hobby to many 

others. 

With numerous residents keen 

Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES. 

Tel: (01302) 364673 - Fax No: (01302) 738526 - E-mail: info@seatax.ltd.uk 

www.seatax.ltd.uk 

to join the proposed club, a plan 

was soon formed whereby club 

members would contribute 

trains, tracks and scenery, and 

Nautilus would support the 

project by providing a room where 

the railway could be built and a 

sturdy, wheelchair-friendly table 

for it to rest on. 

Officially opened in July 2010, 

the railway has gone from 

strength to strength. New sections 

continued to be added throughout 

the year, largely thanks to the 

skilful fingers of Gary Dickinson’s 

wife Alice, who built much of the 

scenery, either from kits or using 

raw ingenuity. 

‘See how the gravestones in the 

churchyard are made from the 

cardboard shapes popped out of 

the church window,‘ Mr Dickinson 

points out, ‘and the picnic 

tables and benches are made from 

bits of leftover plastic.’ 

Other residents also rallied 

round to help with the modelmaking, 

painting and sewing 

needed for the project. 

‘It has been many hours of 

work, and we would like to thank 

everyone involved,’ adds club 

member Alf Eady. 

In addition to the two main 

tracks and a number of sidings, 

the set-up features two stations, a 

village, a farm, a boating lake, a 

coal yard, and of course a handsome 

church, which has working 

lights inside — as Mr Dickinson 

proudly demonstrates during the 

Telegraph’s visit. 

The world of the railway is not 

exactly meant to represent a particular 

era, but steam engines are 

much preferred for the trains. 

Throughout the set-up are 

little model figures — many of 

which have been fondly named 

after staff and residents at the 

Park. A woman out jogging is 

therefore ‘Audrey Stocker’, the 

Park’s activities coordinator, who 

is currently in training for her 

third marathon. Many Nautilus 

members will also recognise the 

‘Peter McEwen’ character (pictured 

top), whom the senior Nautilus 

official jokingly named after 

himself on a recent visit. 

aNew ideas for the development 

of the railway 

are always welcome; 

recently a small garden area 

was installed at the suggestion 

of one of the care home nurses, 

with painted pin-heads cleverly 

made into flowers. And those 

who have given financial support 

to the project can be recognised 

through the naming of particular 

features, such as ‘Ann’s junction’, 

in tribute to a resident whose 

contribution enabled the club to 

buy a signal box. 

Thanks to its location in the 

lounge of the Mariners’ Park Care 

Home, the railway is enjoyed by 

everyone on the estate, including 

care home inhabitants, residents 

of the Park’s independent housing, 

staff and visitors. 

‘I think it’s the best thing we’ve 

done,’ says Audrey Stocker. ‘People 

who visit keep coming and 

saying they’re going to take it 

home in a big van!’ 

Seatax 16 x 4.indd 1 6/12/10 11:04:50



Nautilus has begun its nationwide programme of 

maritime college visits. DEBBIE SMITH went along 

and heard from some of this year’s new intake… 

New entry 

Above: new entry officer trainees at Fleetwood gathered for the Nautilus visit last month. 

Below: Jonathan Deeney, Nick Chubb and Andrew Smith Pictures: Debbie Smith 

trainees 

aim high 

X 

The Telegraph recently reported the concerns 

of a leading ship manager who complained 

that many seafarers would discourage 

their children from following in their 

footsteps. 

But according to the new intake of students at 

Fleetwood Nautical College, the future is bright and 

they are bursting with enthusiasm. 

‘My Dad was at sea and it stuck because I know 

where I can be,’ says Jonathan Deeney, one of the new 

cadets. ‘I can be at sea or on land, as there are a variety 

of jobs.’ 

‘One of the things that attracted me was the practicality 

of the training,’ adds Andrew Smith. ‘Even if 

you don’t end up at sea, the training can be applied to 

other jobs.’ 

Will Fellows 

Will Fellows summed up the way many trainees 

feel about their futures: ‘Most cadets are quite aware 

of what the job prospects are and are very passionate 

about it,’ he explains. 

‘When you are passionate about something you 

find out a lot about it and that is why a lot of people 

who start here are aware of what their options are. 

‘It is an industry that is changing, for global reasons, 

and you get smaller crews with different officer 

to crew ratios,’ he points out. ‘I don’t see this as a negative 

thing; I think it is something to be embraced. It 

is a dynamic industry but not one to be scared of.’ 

Like many cadets on his course, Will already has a 

plan for his future career and sees college as the first 

step to achieving a dream. 

‘I am sponsored by Royal Caribbean through 

Clyde Marine. They were my first preference, so I am 

really happy to be with them,’ he explains. ‘I would 

like to work in cruising or on a passenger service and 

the good thing is I have the ability to move around 

once I’m qualified. 

‘I am quite gregarious by nature; I like busy environments 

and you can’t deny the great weather or 

the great sites you will get to see! 

‘Passengers are a type of cargo, a perishable type 

of cargo that needs looking after. To be able to interact 

with your cargo is a lot more exciting to me than 

running coal.’ 

Jonathan agrees that the possibilities are endless: 

‘When I have finished my training I’d like to go into 

the management side of things, either superintendent 

or fleet manager onshore,’ he says. 

Avoiding a life stuck in an office and the ability to 

travel is one of the key benefits that unite the cadets. 

‘A life at sea is very different to any other job,’ continues 

Will. ‘An office job is set, but at sea everything 

happens all at once — it’s real-time. In an office, you 

are given something to do and you work away until 

it’s done. At sea it is much more dynamic; it’s constantly 

changing. It’s your problem and you have to 

deal with it — a lot of responsibility but it is real 

teamwork in real situations. 

‘I want to spend as much time as I can at sea, but 

one of the beauties of this career is once you have 

enough sea time these qualifications allow you to 

move to shore-based work.’ 

Fernanda Welsh Pena, one of six female cadets in 

the new class, says: ‘I like travelling and you can live 

wherever you want in the world. You also get blocks of 

leave which is good for travelling, and I would like to 

work in the superyacht sector.’ 

Fernanda Welsh Pena 

Roisin McAnallen is another female cadet looking 

forward to a life at sea. 

‘I have a sail training background with Ocean 

Trust Ireland and Ocean Trust Scotland, and also 

worked for them as a volunteer coordinator,’ she 

says. 

‘My family aren’t from a sailing background, but 

being away for a month at a time on the sailing 

ships has got them used to the idea of me not being 

around. They didn’t want me to leave but at the same 

time they are excited for me that I have found something 

I can stick with. 

‘My Mum is fine with the career and the fact that it 

is male-dominated as she knows I can fend for myself 

in any environment. My Dad is wary, but then he’s 

wary of everything! When I told him there were six 

girls in my class he thought that was excellent. 

‘I am very driven to succeed and the fact that 

I have already been away to sea is something that 

I have over a lot of the guys here. I want to be on top 

of my game but our class is full of a lot of driven 

people, so it might be difficult to always be on top,’ 

Roisin adds. 

‘My sponsorship is on a Taiwanese containership 

but they don’t employ British people. I am taking 

this as a positive thing, even though it means I don’t 

have the security of a job when I finish. I will have the 

freedom to roam and choose where I want to be.’ 

X 

Roisin McAnallen 

One of the most enthusiastic and ambitious 

cadets on the course is Guy Prescodd, 

who has joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary 

and is looking to build on a long-term love affair 

with the sea. 

‘I am one of those sad people who have always 

wanted to be in the Merchant Navy, since I was about 

11,’ he says. ‘My parents took a lot of cruise holidays 

and that also inspired me. I was 11 when I went on my 

first cruise and I was looking at the officers in their 

uniforms walking round. I went on the bridge and it 

clicked: “I have to have this”. 

‘My Dad is a harbour master in Douglas so I have 

done some work experience with the Isle of Man 

Steam Packet Company. People who worked there 

and others told me that the RFA was the best overall 

training for a cadetship. 

‘I don’t think I would have had the same career 

prospects if I had joined the Royal Navy. I like the fact 

that I can be flexible once I have paid back my three 

years’ service. I am then free to go and maybe join the 

Steam Packet or Disney Cruise Lines — that’s quite 

appealing! 

‘My Dad was a submariner and my Mum was in 

the Navy, so I have grown up with the sea. I have 

grown up knowing the Merchant Navy and they 

encouraged me into a life at sea. 

‘I can see myself staying in the RFA for a long time,’ 

Guy adds. ‘I’d like to be a master mariner before 30. I 

am going to work hard at getting promotions and 

then maybe after 30 I will look around for a command. 

‘I have been waiting for this for about eight years, 

so I am very excited to be here and really looking forward 

to going to sea in July.’ 

Nick Chubb summed up the future prospects for 

the cadets by saying: ‘It is a global industry, but British 

shipping and British cadets have always been the 

best in the world. So we can all go out there and find 

something that suits us.’ 

Guy Prescodd


OFFWATCH 

ships of the past 

by Trevor Boult 

The Great Lakes of North 

FAmerica are located in the 

east of the continent, on the 

border of Canada and the United 

States. Consisting of Lakes 

Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, 

and Ontario, they form the 

largest bodies of fresh water on 

Earth, by total surface and 

volume, reportedly holding 

some 20% of the world’s fresh 

water. 

Due to their size, they are 

widely regarded as inland seas 

and they significantly influence 

the weather of the region. They 

have the capacity to deepen 

depressions and are themselves 

prone to sudden and severe 

storms, especially in autumn. 

Contemptuous of size, the 

great commercial freighters — 

the ‘Lakers’ — are not immune. 

As with these huge ships, the 

tugs which attend them must 

also endure the capricious 

excesses of the Great Lakes 

weather and, despite no lack of 

proper seamanship, occasionally 

succumb to it. One such was the 

classic harbour tug Seneca. 

In the 1930s harbour tug 

development kept pace with the 

growth in size of ships. General 

Motors promoted the idea of 

diesel-electric propulsion to 

replace steam power. They 

contracted Gulfport, on 

speculation, to produce a 100ft, 

1,000shp harbour tug. Many 

were completed by the outbreak 

of war in 1939, during which 

time their practicality was 

established. 

Launched in 1939 as the 

General, the ship-docking tug 

[Seneca] was designed and built 

at Port Arthur, Texas, for the 

Card Towing Company, and 

outfitted for service around 

ocean ports. Requisitioned for 

the war, as the USS Keshena, the 

tug served as a tender for 

positioning anti submarine nets 

at harbour entrances, such as at 

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where 

Grounding ended Great 

Lakes tug’s long career 

she was stationed for the 

duration of the conflict. On 

decommissioning she returned 

to ship-docking service, this 

time for McAllister Towing, at 

Newport News. 

Seneca had several nearidentical 

sisters, all of which 

lived on after eventually being 

re-powered to higher capacity 

diesel propulsion. Seneca 

retained her original electric 

plant, main engine, woodwork 

and long deckhouse. 

It is a tradition that many 

tugs on the Great Lakes are 

owned and operated by 

independent companies. Such 

‘Ma-and-Pa’ enterprises, often 

with a single tug and low 

overheads, can provide a 

professional service which 

undercuts larger providers with 

Lakes-wide contracts. 

These independent operators 

often look to the ocean ports for 

good buys on harbour tugs to 

convert for Lakes use. Typically 

such acquisitions are lovingly 

reconstructed. After extensive 

keel-up rebuilds these aging 

tugs, which have hitherto spent 

their working lives in sea water, 

are just as good as any of the 

new boats. They also add vintage 

elegance to the waterfront scene. 

At the furthest western point 

of the Great Lakes, the Zenith 

Tugboat Company established 

operations in 2001, at the port of 

Duluth. Seneca was Zenith’s first 

tug. The company handles 

general towing, icebreaking and 

ship-docking at any western 

Lake Superior port. 

During 2006, management 

was arranging to sell Seneca to a 

buyer in New Orleans. Having 

acquired a tug to replace her, 

this vessel and the Seneca were 

on passage together in 

December of that year. Although 

in good working order, Seneca 

was under tow by the other tug, 

as a means of conserving fuel. 

Advantage was being taken of 

an anticipated weather-window 

which, in reality, was mocked by 

a sudden and savage storm. Her 

towline parted, Seneca was 

driven aground east of Grand 

Marais. The tug was eventually 

salvaged. Her owner-skipper 

considered that she would be a 

total loss, because water and ice 

had destroyed the internal 

systems, although the hull had 

potential to be reused. He 

reflected: ‘It’s sad to see her go. 

That boat has a lot of 

sentimental value to it. It was a 

great tug. It never once broke 

down on me, and it was by far 

the prettiest tug in our fleet.’ 

And indeed, Seneca had been 

one of the few survivors of the 

first generation diesel harbour 

tugs in their original 

configuration. At least the name 

Seneca is perpetuated. Tugs with 

that name exist in service on the 

Great Lakes, Erie Canal, and on 

both the west and east coasts of 

North America. 

50 YEARS AGO 

Unless there is some revised thinking in government circles, the future of 

coastwise shipping is grim. Between 1947 and 1953, considerable progress 

was made in developments that would have led to a more integrated and 

balanced domestic transport system in which coastwise shipping would have 

played its traditional part. However, in 1953 the government denationalised a 

considerable part of long-distance road haulage and provided British 

Railways with greater freedom to capture traffic. The subsidised development 

of roads and railways since 1953 is largely responsible for the plight of coastal 

shipping today, with the number of tramp coasters in January 1961 being 534, 

against 634 in 1957. Without a rebuilding programme, there will be a further 

reduction of about one-third of the present-day fleet over the next few years 

MN Journal, March 1961 

25 YEARS AGO 

The three foreign agencies appointed to handle the crewing of BP’s tanker 

fleet have rejected a ‘constructive plan for peace’ put forward by NUMAST. 

Late last month the agencies brushed aside union requests for talks on a 

collective agreement recognising NUMAST’s right to represent the 970 officers 

sacked by BP. Now the Union is seeking international action to ensure that the 

agencies abide by United Nations convention which guarantees the right of 

representation and union support for complaints and grievances. NUMAST 

has written to MPs to highlight concerns about BP’s long-term commitment to 

UK manning and has urged them to support the Union’s campaign to keep 

British seafarers on British ships The Telegraph, February 1986 

10 YEARS AGO 

Why is International Transport Workers’ Federation general secretary David 

Cockroft on the bridge of a ship in chief officer’s uniform, even though he has 

never worked at sea Because he has been awarded the certification to serve 

as first officer despite never studying at a nautical college and never sitting a 

maritime examination. Amid growing evidence of a widescale global trade in 

fraudulent certification, the ITF managed to obtain a Panamanian first 

officer’s certificate and a sea book for Mr Cockroft. ‘It’s like them awarding a 

good conduct medal to Attila the Hun,’ the ITF general secretary pointed out. 

‘Would you like to command a ship Lack of experience is no problem — in 

the world of modern shipping all you need is the money to grease a few 

palms’ The Telegraph, March 2001 

THEQUIZ 

1 Panama is the world’s biggest 

ship registry. How many vessels 

does it have on its books 

2 Which shipyard had the world’s 

biggest output, in terms of 

deadweight tonnage completed 

last year 

3 China is the world’s top 

shipbuilder. What proportion of 

new tonnage delivered last year 

was built in China 

4 Roughly how many ships transit 

the Panama Canal each year 

5 What was the total amount paid 

in ransoms to Somali pirates 

last year 

6 What was the world’s busiest 

container port in 2010 

J Answers to the quiz and quick 

crossword are on page 42. 

Telegraph prize crossword 

The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition 

will win a copy of the book Life Aboard a Wartime Liberty 

Ship (reviewed on the facing page). 

To enter, simply complete the form right and send it, 

along with your completed crossword, to: 

Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword 

Competition, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, 

South Woodford, London E18 1BD, 

or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015. 

You can also enter by email, by sending your list 

of answers and your contact details to: 

telegraph@nautilusint.org. 

Closing date is Friday 11 March 2011. 

Name: 

Address: 

Telephone: 

Membership No.: 

QUICK CLUES 

Across 

1. Read thoroughly (6) 

4. Green stones (8) 

10. Chekhov (5) 

11. Renounced (9) 

12. Praise (7) 

13. Equine headgear (7) 

14. Monopoly board 

property (8,6) 

17. Leave Liverpool (5,3,6) 

21. The Greek (Spanish) 

painter (2,5) 

23. Value highly (7) 

24. Earnest ethnic group 

member (9) 

25. Bequeath (5) 

26. Worthington no go area (3,5) 

27. Hot and humid (6) 

Down 

1. Rehearsal (8) 

2. Gundog (9) 

3. Hasty tanning (7) 

5. Football team (10,4) 

6. Ordered (7) 

7. Agile (5) 

8. Cruelty (6) 

9. Hosepipe bans (5,9) 

15. British sub-continental 

Company (4,5) 

16. Incidentally (2,3,3) 

18. Clan (7) 

19. Basic material (7) 

20. ‘Shove off’ (4,2) 

22. Dirt (5) 

CRYPTIC CLUES 

Across 

1. To assault cellar, they say, 

spray with ordinance as 

accompaniment (6) 

4. Court’s examination of 

evidence takes in Chelsea (8) 

10. Bug appears as electronic 

company adds lithium (1.4) 

11. Really a seamless American 

light motor race (9) 

12. Little particular that is 

second class (7) 

13. Agent showing actual hill 

as single package (7) 

14. Not nice then not touring 

Europe (2,3,9) 

17. Standing up to Jack (5,9) 

21. Do course again as sapper 

left to make money (7) 

23. Said no to requirement about 

returned label (7) 

24. Cut around pass in revealing 

top to the French (9) 

25. Olden redevelopment 

of Newcastle upon Tyne 

Square (5) 

26. Extra served up as team 

bowl (4,4) 

27. Shielded by some of the cast 

as I struggle with inertia (6) 

Down 

1. Entertainment for Tom or 

the butler (4,4) 

2. Guardian rewrite report to 

include start of clash (9) 

3. Building organisation (7) 

5. Back in the box, Elvis to the 

letter (6,2,6) 

6. Good price deal as drinks 

outlet sits on profit (7) 

7. Ingredient of Ketel One 

returned to its Dutch 

distillery (5) 

8. Without their bricks workers 

may be any strata (6) 

9. Gal’s anger grows at team 

changes (14) 

15. Dip sea net differently in 

such conditions (4,5) 

16. Overturn of education cut 

at heart of their publicity 

seeking antics (8) 

18. Positioned but dropped in 

from above when engine 

failed (7) 

19. ‘When devils will the blackest 

sins put on / They do - - - at 

first with heavenly shows’ 

(Iago, Othello:2.3) (7) 

20. Families leave car and take 

bus south (6) 

22. Of course it may sound like 

drink has been tampered 

with (5) 

J Crossword answers 

are on page 42.


books 

OFFWATCH 

Real-life tales 

of going by sea 

A Century of Sea Travel 

by Christopher Deakes & Tom Stanley 

Seaforth Publishing, £30 

ISBN 9781848320819 

Making extensive use of first-person 

Kaccounts and marvellous imagery, this book 

does a grand job in capturing the era when sea 

travel was seen as romantic and exotic — whilst 

simultaneously conveying the reality of life 

onboard. 

Concentrating largely on the heyday of the 

passenger steamer — starting with the 

remarkable time in which nearly 50 liners of 

10,000 tons or more came into service in the five 

years leading up to the turn of the 20th century 

— it notes the way in which shipping helped to 

transform the world through trade, migration 

and colonisation. 

The authors draw from a wide range of 

sources, including passengers’ diaries and letters 

home, as well as the odd contribution from 

former seafarers. The wealth of reminiscences 

contained within the book helps to evoke every 

stage of a sea journey — and also to puncture 

some of the romanticism portrayed by the 

shipping companies’ publicity posters, with 

accounts of seasickness, isolation, rats and 

cockroaches, heat and onboard shops selling 

goods ‘at prices beyond many a purse’. 

The gap between myth and reality is 

particularly vivid in the descriptions of steerage 

class conditions — including a moving account 

by Robert Louis Stevenson — and photographs of 

the cramped passengers contrasting markedly 

with the lavish luxury of first class. 

Some of the accounts of life onboard are 

unwittingly hilarious in their snobbishness and 

superiority, with casually racist comments about 

the natives or disparaging remarks about fellow 

passengers’ dress standards or eating habits. 

There are also some unintentionally amusing 

observations about the ships’ crews — with one 

P&O passenger complaining in the 1880s of 

officers and men ‘not, as a 

rule, distinguished by their 

polite and obliging conduct’ 

and a passenger on the 

Zealandia moaning about 

officers who ‘lounge about on 

deck or talk to one another 

and occasionally spit on the 

deck’. 

However, there is also 

sympathy for engineers and 

firemen working in 120- 

degree heat in the Red Sea. 

One passenger wrote: ‘One 

cannot travel on a big liner without being 

amazed, or rather aghast, at the conditions under 

which the crew and stewards live in the Merchant 

Service, and the terms under which the officers 

serve, so that one wonders how it happens that 

anyone goes to sea’. 

The authors have done well in weaving all the 

accounts into a coherent and entertaining whole, 

which captures the many 

different aspects of travelling by sea in the early 

20th century. Their work is aided immensely by 

the terrific illustrations — many of which come 

from Tom Stanley’s personal collection of 

shipping postcards and ephemera — which are 

used well and in frequently fascinating 

juxtaposition to the text. 

Engineering 

ingenuity 

running in 

a family way 

Dynasty of Engineers — 

The Stevensons and the Bell Rock 

by Roland Paxton 

Whittles Publishing, £20 

ISBN 978-0-9567209-0-0 

Did you know that the world’s 

Koldest continuously 

operational rock lighthouse sits on 

the Bell Rock, 11 miles off Arbroath 

on Scotland’s east coast And did 

you know that Robert Louis 

Stevenson, renowned the world over 

for his engineering skills, was a 

‘reluctant’ engineer who helped to 

design and build the lighthouse 

Incredibly, it has reached its 

bicentenary, which is marked by this 

slim volume of 128 pages, with 32 in 

colour at the end, and many 

fascinating pictures and diagrams 

illustrating the text. 

The book also tells the story of 

the Stevenson family who, over five 

generations from 1786 to 1952, 

made a significant contribution to 

the nation’s infrastructure and 

international lighthouse 

engineering. And it sheds new light 

on the design and engineering of 

the lighthouse and the work of its 

engineers. 

Fittingly, it was published in 

February while the history of 

Scotland’s lighthouses was on show 

in a special exhibition at the 

National Museum of Scotland in 

Edinburgh (continuing until 3 April). 

From little-known contemporary 

sources, the author provides an 

authoritative account that clarifies 

the key roles of the eminent John 

Rennie and the relatively 

inexperienced Robert Stevenson. In 

an introduction, Professor Paul 

Jowitt, president of the Institution of 

Civil Engineers, says that the 

achievement by Rennie and 

Stevenson in erecting the 

lighthouse, against seemingly 

impossible difficulties of an exposed 

site 15ft below high water, led to a 

wonder of the engineering world. 

‘This sustainable marvel of 

lighthouse engineering was 

essentially a masterpiece of joint 

achievement (by Rennie and 

Stevenson) in the best tradition of 

the chief engineer/resident engineer 

relationship,’ he writes. The project 

enabled Stevenson to gain valuable 

experience and establish, within a 

decade, the private practice in which 

the members of the dynasty of 

engineers flourished for 151 years. 

The book is full of extraordinary 

stories to enthral mariner and 

landlubber alike. For instance, 

Charles Stevenson pioneered the 

development of wireless 

communication. Among his later 

innovations, jointly with his son, 

was the ‘talking beacon’ for use by 

ships in fog — the precursor of 

modern radar and satellite 

navigation. 

The book is dedicated to Jean 

Leslie, Robert Stevenson’s great 

great granddaughter and co-author, 

with Paxton, of Bright Lights, who 

died last year. 

The complex 

art of writing 

a good report 

Report writing for Marine 

Sureveyors 

by Mike Wall 

Published by Petrospot, £75 

f www.petrospot.com/books 

Half of the work carried out by 

Kmarine surveyors is report 

writing and, as Mike Wall makes clear 

in his introduction, a quality report is 

both legally and commercially critical. 

So, this 320-page guide to writing 

a good report is a welcome addition. 

One might question how 320 pages, 

worth of guidance is required — but 

it soon becomes clear that writing the 

report is just the tip of a very big 

iceberg that includes evidencegathering, 

interviewing skills, and 

legal knowledge. 

Mike Wall — a chief engineer 

Engaging account 

of youth in conflict 

Life Aboard a Wartime Liberty Ship 

by Ian M. Malcolm 

Amberley Publishing 

£16.99 

ISBN 978-1445 600208 

f www.amberleybooks.com 

When we think of the second 

Kworld war, our first thoughts 

rightly go those who gave their lives or 

suffered serious injuries. However, we 

also know from family stories and 

published memoirs that there was 

another, surprisingly positive, side to 

the conflict. 

For many young people in the 1940s, 

the upheaval of wartime broke down 

social barriers and provided 

opportunities to travel and seek out new 

experiences. This could even be true for 

recruits to the Merchant Navy, despite 

the terrible risks they faced in the 

convoys. 

Newly-minted radio officer Ian 

Malcolm was one young adventurer 

who made the most of his wartime 

position with Alfred Holt & Co. In Life 

Aboard a Wartime Liberty Ship, he recalls 

with fondness his years of globetrotting 

on the Samite, Samforth and Samnesse. 

The memoirs are nicely illustrated with 

images of ships, souvenirs, foreign 

lands, and of course our hero himself, 

serious-faced in his uniform with big 

round glasses and bushy hair. 

In his engaging, well-written 

narrative, the author does a good job of 

describing how events appeared to his 

18-year-old self. For example, recalling 

an attack on his vessel, he recounts: 

‘I was frankly disappointed when I 

learned that the Samite was not going 

to sink. It was more heroic and romantic 

to be a survivor of a vessel lost at sea!’ 

He has also done his research, though, 

and puts his wartime experiences in 

context with the addition of historical 

facts. 

Any grandchild of Mr Malcolm would 

no doubt be delighted to read about his 

earlier days in such a fine memoir, but 

Life Aboard a Wartime Liberty Ship 

deserves a wider audience, recording an 

important time in the history of the 

Merchant Navy and reminding us all of 

the vividness of youthful experience. 

who taught at Warsash before 

becoming a surveyor — is well placed 

to produce such a guide, and he 

explains the subjects with admirable 

clarity, with some particularly handy 

hints on writing and presentational 

style, as well as guidance on 

producing diagrams. 

He describes the wide range of 

different reports that surveyors may 

have to produce, and explains the 

potentially complex issues around 

discovery, evidence, protocols, and 

terms and conditions of service. 

With the downturn in officer 

training during the 1980s and 90s 

now creating a shortage of marine 

surveyors, this book will serve as a 

good foundation for those coming 

into the market, and the extensive set 

of template survey reports included 

as appendices will provide a solid 

framework on which to develop their 

skills. 

BOOK 

SAVINGS 

Nautilus members can buy the 

books reviewed on these pages 

at a whopping 50% discount on 

publisher’s price through the 

Marine Society’s online bookshop. 

The seafarers’ charity offers an 

excellent price and customer 

service on all book orders, and 

members can have the 

satisfaction of knowing any 

surplus made on the deal will be 

used to support seafarers. 

To qualify for this offer, readers 

gneed to make their purchase 

through the online bookshop 

www.msbookshop.org and use the 

promotional code Nautilus. 

Every title offered by the Society is 

at a discounted price, and it can 

supply books on any subject and in 

any format available — paperback, 

hardback, or e-book. Readers can use 

the website’s ‘contact us’ button to 

request the title and the Society 

aspires to respond the same day with 

the best price and availability. Most 

titles can be secured within 24 hours.


NL NEWS 

Piraterij: van kwaad tot veel erger 

P 

Het dossier piraterij is 

sterk in beweging. 

Berichtten wij u in de 

vorige Telegraph nog over de 

mogelijke toekomstige inzet 

van mariniers en gewapende, 

particuliere beveiligers aan 

boord van kwetsbare schepen, 

moeten wij u nu melden dat 

deze nog te realiseren opties 

thans worden overschaduwd 

door serieuzere zaken. 

Allereerst zag medio januari het 

langverwachte rapport “Piraterijbestrijding 

op zee: een herijking 

van publieke en private verantwoordelijkheden” 

van de Commissie 

Vrede en Veiligheid o.l.v. 

prof. Joris Voorhoeve het daglicht. 

Dit uitvoerige en zeer informatieve 

rapport, geschreven 

in antwoord op een adviesaanvraag 

van de ministers van 

Defensie en Buitenlandse Zaken, 

geeft een vrij compleet beeld 

van de wereldwijde piraterijproblematiek 

en komt tevens met 

een groot aantal aanbevelingen. 

Als meest opmerkelijke aanbeveling 

kan het pleidooi worden 

genoemd voor de inzet van 

mariniers en gecertificeerde 

particuliere bewakers aan boord 

van kwetsbare schepen. Hierbij 

tevens de verstandige opmerking 

dat dan wel eerst alles wettelijk 

moet worden geregeld. 

Vele stackholders, waaronder 

Nautilus International, hebben 

aan het rapport meegewerkt en 

we bevelen u het lezen hiervan 

dan ook van harte aan. Het rapport 

is eenvoudig van het web te 

halen onder 

kregeer.nl/document/blg-96070. 

Piraten breiden 

werkterrein uit 

Alhoewel zeer verheugd over de 

aanbevelingen uit het rapport, 

moet Nautilus International 

toch vaststellen dat het aanbevelingen 

zijn die lang niet altijd 

door de politiek worden overgenomen. 

En wanneer dat wel gebeurt, 

neemt de stap naar daadkrachtige 

maatregelen vaak 

enorm veel tijd in beslag. 

Ondertussen verdwijnt het probleem 

niet en hebben de zeevarenden 

in toenemende mate 

met de piraten te stellen. Een 

zeer aansprekend voorbeeld van 

de uitbreidende piraterijactiviteiten 

is dat de Somalische piraten, 

hoogstwaarschijnlijk onder 

druk van de marineaanwezigheid 

in de Golf van Aden, inmiddels 

hun werkterrein hebben 

uitgebreid naar een gebied dat 

grofweg kan worden omschreven 

als álles ten noorden van de 

denkbeeldige lijn zuidpunt 

India tot noordpunt Madagaskar 

en vandaar direct west tot aan 

het vaste land van Tanzania. Een 

enorm gebied waar de zeevarenden 

feitelijk geheel en alleen op 

zichzelf zijn aangewezen bij aanvallen 

van piraten. In de eerste 

maand van dit jaar noteerde het 

International Maritime Bureau 

te Kuala Lumpur ruim dertig 

aanvallen op schepen waardoor 

het totale aantal gegijzelde zeevarenden 

rap opliep tot ruim 750. 

Verdergaande actie vereist 

Het verschuiven van de problemen 

en het toenemende gevaar 

waren voor Nautilus International 

genoeg redenen om de 

Nederlandse reders uit te nodigen 

voor een gesprek op basis 

van bestaande afspraken (protocollen). 

Vooruitlopend op dit 

gesprek werden de reders ook 

schriftelijk door Nautilus International 

op de hoogte gebracht 

van haar beoogde inzet om 

praktisch alle wateren ten 

oosten van het Afrikaanse continent 

ten noorden van de breedtegraad 

13 zuid tot gevaarlijk gebied 

te verklaren. Zodra er overeenstemming 

is over het gevaarlijk 

verklaren van een gebied, 

heeft dit ondermeer tot 

gevolg dat de zeevarenden de 

mogelijkheid krijgen om dienst 

in deze gebieden te weigeren, in 

andere woorden dat het dienstdoen 

slechts op vrijwillige basis 

kan plaatsvinden. 

Het kan nog erger 

Naast de voornoemde problemen 

werd Nautilus International 

recent opgeschrikt door nog veel 

verontrustender ontwikkelingen 

rondom de Somalische piraterij. 

Het geweld neemt hand over 

hand toe met als voorlopig triest 

hoogtepunt het bekend worden 

van gevallen van executie en 

marteling door Somalische piraten. 

Er wordt zelfs melding gemaakt 

van gevallen waarbij gegijzelde 

zeevarenden zijn gekielhaald. 

Nautilus is van mening 

dat hiermee de finale grens van 

het toelaatbare ruimschoots is 

overschreden. 

De politiek 

Na het bekend worden van 

de voornoemde wreedheden 

heeft de pers eindelijk weer 

aandacht gekregen voor het 

probleem. De sociale partners 

gaven talloze.interviews voor 

talloze nationale dagbladen 

en Nautilus Assistant 

General Secretary Marcel 

van den Broek was live te 

horen op radio 1. 

Met de pers kwamen ook verscheidene 

Tweede Kamerleden 

in beweging die inmiddels een 

groot aantal vragen aan de verantwoordelijke 

ministers hebben 

voorgelegd. Teneur van de 

meeste vragen is; wat denkt 

u op korte termijn te gaan 

doen met de aanbevelingen 

van de heer Voorhoeve 

Nautilus is uiteraard zeer 

verheugd met deze 

ontwikkeling. Snelle, 

ingrijpende maatregelen 

zijn meer dan ooit nodig. 

Gelijke rechten voor álle werknemers op Nederlands grondgebied 

Akkoord op wetsontwerp Sociale zekerheid op het Continentaal Plat 

In het buitenland woonachtige werknemers die 

Cop het Nederlands Continentaal Plat werken, 

vallen binnenkort ook onder het Nederlandse sociale 

zekerheidsstelsel. Met de nieuwe wet ‘Sociale zekerheid 

op het Continentaal Plat’ kunnen zij aanspraak maken 

op de Nederlandse volksen werknemersverzekeringen 

zoals AOW en WW. 

Geef uw mening 

Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat dit 

een beter jaar voor de scheepvaart zal worden 

dan 2010 

Nee 

39% 

Ja 

61% 

De poll van deze maand vraagt: Zou u een 

internationaal initiatief dat zeevarenden 

oproept dienst in gevaarlijke piraterij wateren 

te weigeren, steunen Geef ons uw mening 

online, op nautilusnl.org 

Tot nu zijn alleen werknemers die in Nederland wonen, of 

die direct voorafgaand aan hun werkzaamheden op het 

Nederlands Continentaal Plat (NCP) in Nederland verplicht 

verzekerd waren en voor een in Nederland gevestigde 

werkgever werken, verzekerd op grond van de volksen 

werknemersverzekeringen. In het buitenland woonachtige 

werknemers op het NCP zijn daarentegen alleen 

verzekerd volgens de Wet arbeid mijnbouw Noordzee 

(WamN). Deze wet beschermt hen slechts ten dele, want 

alleen ziekte en arbeidsongeschiktheid vallen hieronder. 

De werknemers zijn dan ook in belangrijke mate afhankelijk 

van de sociale zekerheidsvoordelen die door de werkgever 

worden geboden in de arbeidsvoorwaardelijke 

sfeer. In praktijk blijkt dat de WamN in bepaalde situaties 

tot problemen kan leiden, met het gevolg dat het geboden 

zekerheidsniveau niet voldoet aan de minimumbescherming 

die Nederland op grond van internationale 

afspraken moet bieden. 

INWERKINGTREDING 

Als de nieuwe wet Sociale zekerheid op het Continentaal 

Plat wordt ingevoerd, komt de WamN te vervallen en 

behoren dergelijke problemen tot het verleden. Wanneer 

de wet precies inwerking treedt, is nog onduidelijk. De 

Europese Commissie pleit voor een zo spoedig mogelijke 

inwerkingtreding (per 1 juli 2011). De sociale partners 

daarentegen, waaronder Nautilus International, willen 

graag enig uitstel tot 1 januari 2012. Reden hiervoor is dat 

veel bedrijven inmiddels contracten hebben afgesloten 

met de grote oliemaatschappijen waardoor 

Deze maand kunnen wij niet om de gekap- 

tanker Waldhof heen die ter hoogte 

Fseisde 

van de Lorelei al een paar weken de Rijn blokkeert. 

Twee bemanningsleden aan boord van de Waldhof 

hebben het ongeval niet overleefd wat buitengewoon 

triest is. Dat een dergelijk ongeval kan leiden 

tot zo’n ongekende schade voor de gehele sector, is 

echter onbegrijpelijk. 

Het kapseizen van het schip zelf moeten nader 

worden onderzocht. Is de oorzaak een constructiefout 

van het schip of is er fout gemanoeuvreerd wat tot 

deze catastrofe heeft geleid Dat het materieel om 

het schip te bergen lokaal niet voorhanden blijkt te 

zijn, maar helemaal uit Nederland en uit het Ruhrgebied 

moet worden aangevoerd, is natuurlijk wel 

een regelrechte blunder. 

SAMEN OPTREKKEN 

Uiteindelijk gaat het Nederlandse bergingsbedrijf 

Mammoet met de berging aan de slag waarna al vrij 

snel de vaart met de nodige beperkingen kan worden 

hervat. Wat blijft is een miljoenenstrop voor de sector 

binnenvaart waarvoor geen verzekeringsmaatschappij 

in de beurs gaat tasten. 

In Europees verband hebben werknemers er bij 

de werkgeversverenigingen op aangedrongen om tot 

een gezamenlijke verklaring te komen. Samen optrekken 

betekent misschien dat in Brussel de ogen open 

gaan en de binnenvaart de helpende hand zal bieden 

om deze strop te doorstaan. 

kostenstijgingen in de premiesfeer voor zowel werknemer 

en werkgever — ten gevolge van de nieuwe wet nu niet 

verrekend kunnen worden. De minister van Sociale Zaken 

en Werkgelegenheid heeft hier weliswaar begrip voor; 

het is echter de vraag of Brussel met het uitstel akkoord 

gaat. 

EÉN MAN, GROOTS RESULTAAT 

Bijzonder is dat de nieuwe wet in feite te danken is aan 

een Portugese werknemer die werkzaam was op het NCP. 

Toen hij ontdekte dat hij geen AOW zou ontvangen, 

heeft hij aan een Portugese parlementariër gevraagd hoe 

dat nu mogelijk was. Deze heeft op zijn beurt de kwestie 

in de Europese Commissie aan de orde gebracht. Met het 

gewenste effect. Want nu, jaren later, heeft de actie 

van één man ertoe geleid dat alle in het buitenland 

woonachtige werknemers op het NCP straks ook 

goed verzekerd zijn volgens het Nederlands sociaal 

zekerheidsstelsel. 

Binnenvaart allerlei 

GEWONE WERK GAAT DOOR 

Ondanks de gestremde Rijn gaat het gewone werk 

gewoon door. Met de Verenigde Tankrederij werd 

gesproken over het eventueel opsplitsen van de CAO 

in twee CAO’s, namelijk eentje voor de primaire en 

eentje voor de secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden. In de 

primaire CAO wil VT dan de mogelijkheid creëren om 

— op basis van vrijwilligheid — langer te varen voor 

meer geld. Voorts bestaat de indruk dat VT de tweede 

CAO met betrekking tot de secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden 

liever bespreekt met de Ondernemingsraad 

in plaats van met de vakbonden. Misschien wil VT wel 

helemaal van vakbonden af, maar dat zal de tijd wel 

leren. In ieder geval zullen de vakbonden zich tegen 

een dergelijke ontwikkeling verzetten. 

Ook met Rederij Interstream Barging werd gesproken 

over verlenging van de CAO. Deze rederij blijft geloven 

— tegen beter weten in — dat het met de algemene 

CAO alsnog goed zal komen. Om die reden 

vond de rederij het niet nodig om de eigen CAO alsnog 

te vernieuwen en dus ook hier verschilde de 

mening tussen de werkgevers en de werknemersorganisaties 

nogal. 

SOCIALE ZEKERHEID 

In Straatsburg kwamen alle partijen bijeen en werd 

grote voortgang geboekt in de discussie rond Europese 

richtlijn 883/2004. Iedereen was het al langer 

eens over het feit dat uitwerking van deze nieuwe 

richtlijn voor de sociale zekerheid in de binnenvaart 

een ramp zou betekenen. Een ramp voor werkgevers 

omdat zij in verschillende landen loonadministraties 

moeten gaan voeren en ook voor werknemers, omdat 

de sociale zekerheid kan gaan verspringen van 

het ene naar het andere land. De oplossing leek ook 

zo simpel, omdat dezelfde richtlijn namelijk zegt dat 

EU-landen onderling andere afspraken kunnen maken. 

Welnu, zowel werkgevers als werknemers als 

nationale overheden zijn best tevreden over de wijze 

waarop de sociale zekerheid in het Rijnverdrag is geregeld, 

dus laten we daar alsjeblieft aan vast houden. 

Europees gezien zijn werkgevers en werknemers het 

daar gelukkig over eens. Nu nog even uitwerken! 

ARBEIDS- EN RUSTTIJDEN 

Tot slot werd de discussie over een eigen richtlijn voor 

de binnenvaart over arbeids- en rusttijden met verder 

goede bedoelingen afgerond. Op zich was die discussie 

al klaar, alleen te elfder ure wensten de werkgevers 

een aparte bepaling voor de River Cruise schepen 

gelet op het seizoensmatige karakter van die 

vaart. Inmiddels is ook die discussie afgerond en 

speciaal voor de River Cruise is er nu een paragraaf 

waarin rekening wordt gehouden met ‘seizoensarbeid’ 

en de bijzondere kenmerken daarvan. 

De bonden zullen nog apart met de werkgevers 

uit de River Cruise overleggen of, naast de aparte 

arbeids- en rusttijden, het nu ook tijd is voor een 

(minimum) CAO voor deze schepen. 

Wordt vervolgd.


NL NEWS 

ALGEMENE 

LEDENVERGADERING 

H 

OP grond van art. 19 lid 

2 van de statuten heeft 

Council besloten om de vierjaarlijkse 

Algemene Ledenvergadering 

van Nautilus 

International dit jaar te houden 

te Rotterdam. Moties dienen 

uiterlijk op 1 juli 2011 te zijn ingediend. 

Voor verdere info zie 

pagina’s i en iv elders in dit blad. 

Uitnodiging Nederlandse 

jaarvergadering 

Kantoor Singapore tijdelijk gesloten 

In verband met de overkomst 

Fnaar Nederland van onze 

vlootbezoeker Willem Grooff in 

verband met werkbezoek en 

vakantie, is ons kantoor in 

Singapore tijdelijk dicht van 

28 maart tot 29 april. In deze periode 

zal er geen vlootbezoek vanuit 

Singapore plaatsvinden. Voor 

dringende zaken of vragen kunt u 

contact opnemen met ons kantoor in 

Rotterdam. 

Ierse Zee dicht voor 

DFDS/Norfolkline 

Verstrekkende gevolgen voor 

Nederlandse bemanning 

Waren er vorig jaar nog zes 

Fschepen onder Nederlandse 

vlag van DFDS/Norfolkline operationeel, 

nu is het er nog slechts een en 

binnen afzienbare tijd wordt het aantal 

Nederlandse schepen van DFDS/ 

Norfolkline zelfs gereduceerd tot nul. 

Dat dit gevolgen heeft voor de 

Nederlandse bemanningsleden laat 

zich raden. 

In de afgelopen tijd kon u in de 

Telegraph al veel lezen over de ontwikkelingen 

bij DFDS/Norfolkline. Nu 

de Ierse Zee haar wateren sluit voor de 

rederij, lijkt noodgedwongen een eind 

te komen aan een voor met name de 

Nederlandse bemanning uiterst onstuimige 

periode. Maar wat is er nu 

eigenlijk allemaal precies aan vooraf 

gegaan 

Vorig jaar nam DFDS/Norfolkline 

over van Maersk. Kort daarvoor waren 

de Maersk Vlaardingen en Maersk 

Voyager al verkocht aan een externe 

partij vanwege de penibele financiele 

situatie van Norfolkline. Van de zes 

schepen onder Nederlandse vlag, 

waren er toen nog vier over. Door de 

aanhoudende crisis op de Ierse Zee 

werden vervolgens de routes 

Heysham- Belfast en Birkenhead- 

Belfast verkocht aan Stena Line, waar 

ook de Nederlands gevlagde schepen 

Scotia Seaways en Hibernia Seaways 

onder vallen. De bemanning zou worden 

overgenomen en men hoopte 

met deze reddingsboei in een rustiger 

vaarwater te komen. Helaas bleef het 

daar niet bij; het economisch herstel 

van Ierland lijkt namelijk nog lang niet 

in zicht en DFDS/Norfolkline sloot dan 

ook begin dit jaar de route Heysham- 

Dublin waardoor het Nederlandse 

schip de Anglia Seaways op non-actief 

werd gesteld. Het schip is onlangs opgelegd 

en wordt naar Deense vlag omgevlagd. 

Als laatste doodsteek van een 

ooit bloeiende Nederlandse rederij is 

DFDS/Norfolkline nu ook van plan de 

op de route Killingholme-Vlaardingen 

varende Flandria Seaways om te vlaggen 

naar Deense vlag. Momenteel 

loopt er hiervoor een adviesaanvraag 

bij de OR. 

SOCIALE 

BEGELEIDINGSREGELING 

Voor ruim veertig Nederlandse bemanningsleden 

op genoemde schepen 

houdt het werk bij DFDS/ 

Norfolkline binnenkort op. Zij komen 

in aanmerking voor de Sociale Begeleidingsregeling 

(SBR), onderdeel van 

de CAO. De SBR is op zich een volledig 

pakket, maar er zijn nog enkele punten 

waar overeenstemming met de 

werkgever moet komen. Zo is de SBR 

enigszins verouderd; het dateert 

namelijk nog uit de tijd dat werknemers 

van 56 jaar en ouder na ontslag 

niet meer verplicht hoefden te solliciteren. 

Nu het pensioen is opgetrokken 

naar 65 jaar en met een WW-uitkering 

van maximaal 3,5 jaar is die periode 

niet meer te overbruggen. Daarnaast 

is er sprake van leeftijdsdiscriminatie: 

medewerkers tot 56 jaar krijgen namelijk 

wel een ontslagvergoeding en 

oudere werknemers niet. Nautilus 

International is hierover nog druk in 

overleg met de werkgever om dit aan 

te passen. 

VRIJWILLIGE 

VERTREKREGELING 

Inmiddels is er wel duidelijkheid over 

de procedure tot het aanzeggen van 

ontslag van de werknemers. De werkgever 

dient in principe op individuele 

basis een verzoek in bij het UWV om de 

vergunning te verlenen voor het beëindigen 

van de arbeidsovereenkomst. 

Hierdoor blijft het recht op WW bestaan. 

Aan het einde van de opzegtermijn 

krijgen de werknemers een 

ontslagvergoeding uitgekeerd die is 

vastgelegd in de Sociale Begeleidingsregeling. 

Daarnaast heeft de werkgever 

een vrijwillige vertrekregeling 

aangeboden. Wanneer met medewerkers 

overeenstemming kan worden 

bereikt over de vertrekdatum, is de 

werkgever bereid een ontslagvergoeding 

aan te bieden tot 100% van de 

vergoeding uit de SBR. Als de medewerker 

het dienstverband echter eerder 

beëindigt, óf als geen overeenstemming 

wordt bereikt met de werkgever 

over een vertrekdatum (werkgever 

behoudt namelijk het recht een verzoek 

te weigeren als dit ten koste gaat 

van de operationele bedrijfsactiviteiten), 

wordt de ontslagvergoeding 

gehalveerd. 

Met betrekking tot de overgang 

naar Stena Line was een einddatum 

voor de huidige vertrekregeling 

15 februari jongstleden. Ook deze 

werknemers konden in aanmerking 

komen voor de vrijwillige vertrekregeling 

in de SBR op voorwaarde dat vervanging 

met dezelfde capaciteiten kon 

worden gevonden. 

CAO-AKKOORD 

De SBR maakt deel uit van de CAO, die 

in april 2010 afliep. Na een stroeve 

onderhandelingsperiode met de werkgever, 

die in eerste instantie niets wilde 

geven, is er nu eindelijk een eenjarig 

CAO-akkoord. De leden hebben het 

eindbod van de werkgever van 1,25% 

loonsverhoging geaccepteerd. En als 

de SBR op eerder genoemde punten is 

aangepast, kan het boek DFDS/ 

Norfolkline voor ruim veertig 

Nederlandse bemanningsleden wellicht 

gesloten worden. 

De Nederlandse 

afdeling van Nautilus 

PInternational houdt 

jaarlijks een eigen jaarvergadering 

om Nederlandse verenigingszaken 

te bespreken. 

Alle leden — dus zowel de gewone 

leden als de buitengewone 

leden — zijn hier van harte welkom. 

De vergadering wordt 

ook dit jaar weer georganiseerd 

in het Hulstkamp 

Gebouw te Rotterdam en zal 

plaatsvinden op donderdag 

23 juni 2011. 

Wellicht is het voor sommige 

leden verwarrend dat Nautilus 

International, the one union, in 

2011 ook haar vierjaarlijkse algemene 

vergadering heeft die toevalligerwijs 

eveneens in 

Rotterdam wordt georganiseerd. 

Op dit congres, dat op 4 en 5 

oktober zal plaatsvinden, wordt 

het internationale beleid van 

Nautilus International voor de 

komende vier jaar besproken en 

vastgesteld. Zowel Engelse als 

Nederlandse gewone leden kunnen 

actief deelnemen aan dit 

congres met een maximum van 

200 leden. Buitengewone leden 

zijn welkom als toehoorder, 

uiteraard zoals is voorgeschreven 

in onze statuten. 

Het programma 

Tijdens de jaarvergadering zal 

het bestuur verantwoording afleggen 

over het gevoerde beleid. 

Dit gebeurt aan de hand van 

een jaarrapport dat tijdig voor 

de jaarvergadering aan alle 

Nederlandse leden zal worden 

toegestuurd. Na bespreking van 

het jaarrapport wordt de aanwezige 

leden gevraagd om het rapport 

en daarmee het gevoerde 

beleid over het verenigingsjaar 

2010 goed te keuren. 

Een tweede belangrijk agendapunt 

betreft de goedkeuring 

van het Nederlandse financiële 

jaarverslag 2010 en de begroting 

voor 2011. De leden ontvangen 

tijdig de benodigde informatie 

zodat het in de vergadering 

kan worden besproken en 

ter goedkeuring aan de leden 

kan worden voorgelegd. 

Raad van Advies 

Dit jaar treden geen leden van 

de Raad van Advies af. Wel 

wordt tijdens de jaarvergadering 

gevraagd om de tussentijdse 

benoeming van de heer 

Christiaan Kuiken door het bestuur 

achteraf goed te keuren. 

De heer Kuiken is Maritiem 

Officier en heeft zich in de loop 

van het verenigingsjaar gemeld 

voor de vacature in de Raad in 

de kiesgroep maritieme officieren. 

Om niet een jaar te hoeven 

wachten, heeft het bestuur de 

heer Kuiken direct per coöptatie 

benoemd, maar het is aan de 

jaarvergadering om dat achteraf 

goed te keuren. 

Volledigheidshalve wordt gemeld 

dat in de Raad van Advies 

nog steeds een vacature bestaat 

voor een enthousiaste WTK. U 

kunt zich opgeven bij Rob 

Pauptit (rpauptit@nautilusint.org) 

de Nederlandse secretaris van 

Nautilus International. 

Voorstellen 

Tot slot is de jaarvergadering de 

belangrijkste vergadering van 

het jaar omdat u hier het Nederlandse 

beleid van de vereniging 

kunt beïnvloeden door het indienen 

van één of meerdere 

voorstellen. De voorstellen 

moeten wel van algemene aard 

zijn en niet een specifieke CAO 

of rederij betreffen. Voorstellen 

kunt u tot 1 april 2011 schriftelijk 

indienen bij de Nederlandse 

Uit de dienstgang 

Er zijn tal van regels waar men zich aan moet hou- 

om in aanmerking te komen voor een uitkering 

Fden 

of deze te kunnen behouden. Wie een uitkering van het 

UWV ontvangt, is verplicht de uitkeringsinstantie tijdig te 

informeren over veranderingen in de privé-sfeer die van 

invloed kunnen zijn op de uitkering. Denk hierbij aan 

veranderingen in inkomen, de burgerlijke stand, arbeidsongeschiktheid 

en vakantie. Het niet nakomen van deze 

regels kan de uitkeringsgerechtigde duur komen te staan 

met een sanctie. Zo kan het UWV bijvoorbeeld besluiten 

de uitkering te korten of — in het uiterste geval — deze zelfs 

te beëindigen. Maar hoe zit het eigenlijk met de regels 

waar de uitkeringsinstantie zich aan moet houden Een 

kleine fout heeft soms grote gevolgen... 

Een van onze leden, werkzaam als bediende aan 

boord van zeeschepen, heeft af en toe tijdelijk werk via 

een Maritiem Uitzendbureau. Wanneer er geen werk is 

ontvangt betrokkene een WW-uitkering. Op 17 september 

2010 is ons lid arbeidsongeschikt geworden en heeft dit 

terstond gemeld bij het UWV. Tijdens de arbeidsongeschiktheid 

wordt de WW-uitkering gedurende dertien 

weken doorbetaald. Na het verstrijken van deze termijn is 

betrokkene nog steeds arbeidsongeschikt. Al snel valt er 

een toekenning van de Ziektewet-uitkering op de deurmat 

en tot zijn grote schrik ziet ons lid dat de Ziektewet-uitkering 

aanzienlijk lager is dan zijn WW-uitkering. Betrokkene 

is vervolgens met de Ziektewet-toekenning naar Nautilus 

International gekomen met het verzoek hem te helpen. 

Gelet op de WW-geschiedenis van betrokkene werd al 

vrij snel duidelijk wat er aan de hand was. Het UWV had 

de hoogte van de WW uitkering uitsluitend berekend op 

basis van gegevens van het laatste dienstverband. De wet 

schrijft echter voor dat onder voorwaarden ook oude rechten 

bij de vaststelling moeten worden betrokken. Nautilus 

stelde vast dat het UWV dit had verzuimd met als gevolg 

de te lage vaststelling van de Ziektewet-uitkering. 

Via het algemene nummer van het UWV, 0900-9294, 

kon ons echter geen uitleg gegeven worden over de 

manier waarop de Ziektewet-uitkering berekend was. De 

UWV-medewerkers met wie wij vervolgens werden doorverbonden 

probeerden ons er in alle ernst van te overtuigen 

dat de Ziektewet-uitkering correct was vastgesteld. 

Toen wij vervolgens om een schriftelijke onderbouwing 

van het berekende dagloon vroegen, bleek dat helaas 

niet mogelijk. Ons lid moest hier zelf maar schriftelijk om 

vragen. 

Er restte niets anders dan de formele weg te bewandelen 

en bezwaar te maken tegen de gewraakte Ziektewetbeschikking. 

Aangezien de termijn waarbinnen bezwaar 

gemaakt kan worden met rasse schreden naderde — er 

waren nog maar vijf werkdagen beschikbaar — en betrokkene 

ons niet onmiddellijk alle gegevens kon geven over 

zijn WW-verleden, stuurde Nautilus een voorlopig bezwaarschrift 

naar het UWV. Dit voorlopige bezwaar behoefde 

door ons uiteindelijk nog niet eens verder onderbouwd 

te worden omdat het UWV ons al binnen een 

week in het gelijk stelde. De afdeling Ziektewet had inderdaad 

een fout gemaakt. Betrokkene ontvangt nu een correcte 

Ziektewet-toekenning die een stuk hoger ligt dan de 

vorige. 

Twijfelt u ook aan de juistheid van een beschikking van 

de UWV Neem dan contact op met Nautilus International. 

Wij helpen u graag verder. Vergeet u daarbij niet dat 

de bezwaartermijn slechts zes weken bedraagt. 

secretaris. Het bestuur zal het 

voorstel, eventueel voorzien 

van een bestuursadvies, voorleggen 

aan de algemene vergadering. 

Symposium 

Na afloop van de jaarvergadering 

zal het bestuur zoals 

gebruikelijk een symposium 

organiseren over een onderwerp 

dat niet alleen onze leden 

in de zeevaart, binnenvaart of 

waterbouw zal boeien, maar ook 

interessant kan zijn voor onze 

leden werkzaam in het loodswezen, 

in de visserij of bij andere 

maritieme walbedrijven. 

Omdat het bestuur vooral een 

actueel onderwerp bij de kop 

wil pakken, is daarover nu nog 

geen besluit genomen. 

Aanmelden 

Voor de Nederlandse jaarvergadering 

op 23 juni kunt u zich 

nu al aanmelden door het sturen 

van een e-mail aan 

Monica Schmidt 

(mschmidt@nautilusint.org) of 

Kim van der Vliet 

(kvandervliet@nautilusint.org) 

van het bestuurssecretariaat. 

Natuurlijk mag u ook even bellen 

met 010-4771188. De inschrijving 

voor het congres in 

oktober wordt later geopend. 

U komt toch ook 

Na afloop van de jaarvergadering 

biedt het bestuur u 

graag een hapje en een drankje 

aan en praten de leden en het 

bestuur informeel wat na. Bent 

u met verlof op 23 juni, besteed 

dan een middag aan uw vakbond 

en kom naar de jaarvergadering. 

U bent van harte welkom! 

WILT U EEN 

ADVERTENTIE 

PLAATSEN IN 

DE TELEGRAPH 

NEEMT U 

DAN CONTACT 

OP MET: 

CENTURY ONE 

PUBLISHING 

T: +44 (0) 1727 893 894 

F: +44 (0) 1727 893 895 

E: sean@century 

onepublishing.ltd.uk


SHIP TO SHORE 

M-Notices 

M-Notices, Marine Information 

Notes and Marine Guidance Notes 

issued by the Maritime & 

Coastguard Agency recently include: 

MIN 403 (M+F) — MARPOL 

amendments to Annex I: 

amendments to Regulations 1, 12, 13, 

17 and 38 of Annex I of MARPOL and 

a new chapter 8 dealing with shipto-ship 

transfers 

The purpose of this note is to inform 

the industry of updates to Annex I of 

MARPOL. The amendments to 

Regulations 1, 12, 13, 17 and 38 are 

concerned with the management of 

oil residue (sludge) and oily bilge 

water. In some places, the 

amendments simply involve inserting 

new terms or definitions, but there 

are also several paragraphs dealing 

with new requirements for tanks and 

discharge mechanisms. 

The new chapter 8 is entitled 

‘Prevention of pollution during 

transfer of oil cargo between oil 

tankers at sea’. As MIN 403 explains, 

the regulations in this chapter apply 

to oil tankers of 150 gross tonnage 

and above engaged in the transfer of 

oil cargo between oil tankers at sea 

(STS operations) conducted on or 

after 1 April 2012. The chapter also 

sets out the notification requirements 

for STS operations taking place within 

the territorial waters of MARPOL 

signatories. 

MIN 404 (M+F) — Clarification of 

dyslexia policy: examination and 

assessment procedures 

Candidates undertaking an MCA 

written examination conducted by 

SQA/IAMI may be allowed an extra 15 

minutes for each hour of normal 

examination time if they have been 

diagnosed as dyslexic by an 

educational psychologist or a 

specialist dyslexia teacher (with 

qualifications as defined in MIN 404). 

Previously, a diagnosis only from an 

educational psychologist was 

accepted, but the policy has been 

amended to accept a wider range of 

assessors. 

The use of readers, amanuenses 

(scribes) or computers in 

examinations are not permitted, but 

certain other aids such as tinted film 

are allowed. Dyslexia is the only 

specific learning difficulty for which 

the MCA has a policy of making 

examination concessions. 

MIN 404 sets out the actions 

required of candidates, college tutors 

and examination centres in order to 

notify the MCA of a candidate’s 

dyslexia and obtain the examination 

concessions. 

MIN 405 (M+F) — Training for ECDIS 

as primary means of navigation 

Masters and deck officers of UKflagged 

vessels which have Electronic 

Chart Display and Information 

Systems (ECDIS) as their primary 

means of navigation are required 

under safe manning and port state 

control regulations to have completed 

both generic and ship-specific ECDIS 

training. This note is to clarify what 

training is acceptable. 

The completion of any one of the 

following will be recognised as 

meeting the ECDIS generic training 

requirements: 

za NARAS course (operational or 

management) completed after 

1 January 2005 

zan MCA-approved ECDIS course 

based on the ECDIS section of the 

MNTB NARAS training guide (second 

— 2004 — or subsequent edition) 

zan ECDIS programme based on the 

IMO model ECDIS course (1.27) 

approved by the MCA 

zan ECDIS programme based on the 

IMO model ECDIS course (1.27) 

approved by the maritime administration 

of an EU member state 

Masters and officers should ensure 

that they obtain completion 

certificates from the courses they 

attend, to present to port state control 

officers on request. 

Ship-specific ECDIS training should 

relate to the make and model of the 

equipment fitted on the ship on which 

a seafarer is currently serving, and it 

will be necessary to attend a training 

course for each different system he or 

she is expected to operate. MIN 405 

stresses that the MCA does not accept 

‘trickle-down’ training (i.e. where one 

officer trains another), as ‘inevitably, 

this leads to incomplete knowledge of 

the equipment’s capabilities, and 

especially the lesser-used functions, 

being passed on’. Instead, training 

must be delivered by the equipment’s 

manufacturer, the manufacturer’s 

approved agent or a trainer who has 

attended an approved programme. 

The ship-specific training should 

build on the generic ECDIS training 

and concentrate on the functionality 

and effective use of the system 

onboard. The training should cover 

the following areas as a minimum: 

zfamiliarisation with available 

functions 

zfamiliarisation with the menu 

structure 

zdisplay setup 

zsetting of safety values 

zrecognition of alarms and 

malfunction indicators and the 

actions to be taken 

zroute planning and route 

monitoring 

zchanging over to backup systems 

loading charts and licences 

updating of software 

MGN 430 (F) — Fishing vessels: 

checks on crew certification and drills 

This note provides guidance on the 

checks that MCA surveyors will make 

regarding crew certification and drills 

on fishing vessels. These include 

ensuring that the correct certificates 

of competency are held and safety 

training courses have been 

undertaken by skippers and crew, 

checking that written health and 

safety policies are in place and 

completed risk assessments have 

been carried out and witnessing or 

confirming that emergency drills have 

been carried out. 

zM-Notices are available in three 

ways: a set of bound volumes, 

a yearly subscription, and individual 

documents. 

zA consolidated set of M-Notices is 

published by the Stationery Office. 

This contains all M-Notices current 

on 31 July 2009 (ISBN 

9780115530555) and costs £210 — 

www.tsoshop.co.uk 

zAnnual subscriptions and copies of 

individual notices are available from 

the official distributors, 

EC Group. Contact: M-Notices 

Subscriptions, PO Box 362, 

Europa Park, Grays, Essex RM17 9AY 

Tel: +44 (0)1375 484 548 

fax: +44 (0)1375 484 556 

email: mnotices@ecgroup.co.uk 

zIndividual copies can be collected 

from MCA offices, electronically 

subscribed to or downloaded from 

the MCA website — 

www.mcga.gov.uk — click on 

‘Ships and Cargoes’, then 

‘Legislation and Guidance’. 

The face of Nautilus 

Pepijn van Delft, recruitment officer 

As soon as Pepijn van Delft 

gread the advertisement for a 

new recruitment and membership 

officer in the Netherlands, he knew it 

was the perfect job. 

Pepijn began his seafaring career 

on the inland waterways and became 

a captain whilst working on the pushbarge 

Christine. 

He later worked for a lashing 

company before an accident brought 

his sea-going career to a premature 

end. 

‘I went up to the hatch where two 

barges were lashed together with 

steel cables and iron bars,’ he recalls. 

‘My colleague was turning the turnbuckle 

when the wire came out and 

120 kilos fell on my shoulder.’ 

He hoped his injury would heal, 

but after six months it had got worse 

and became infected, so he instructed 

a solicitor to raise it with his 

employer. ‘It turned out that the 

company had never reported the 

accident and denied that there was 

anything wrong with me,’ he says. 

‘In the end, the lawyer managed to 

secure an agreement to part ways 

with the employer and they gave me 

a little money to put towards 

studying.’ 

Pepijn gained a human resources 

qualification and says the job at 

Nautilus offered a perfect fit.‘I want 

to use my knowledge to recruit in the 

inland waterways, as the people 

who work there simply don’t realise 

there is a union that covers them,’ 

he says. 

‘I am also working on the yacht 

sector and will be working on 

recruitment of cadets in Holland. 

I have just been to Fleetwood College 

in the UK to watch how Blossom 

recruits them and will be taking that 

experience out to the 14 colleges in 

the Netherlands to build membership 

there. 

‘I will be telling the youngsters 

that we are the union for them and 

that we can do a lot for them during 

their cadetships and once they 

graduate.’ 

Nautilus Head Office has moved to: 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD, UK. 

Member meetings and seminars 

Nautilus International organises regular meetings, forums and seminars for members to discuss pensions, technical 

matters, maritime policies and legal issues. Coming up in the next few months are: 

g Professional & Technical Forum 

Tuesday 29 March 2011 

1300hrs 

The Royal Hotel, 170 Ferensway, 

Hull HU1 3UF 

The forum deals with a wide range of 

technical, safety, welfare and other 

professional topics of relevance to all 

members. 

Contact Sharon Suckling: 

+44 (0)20 8989 6677 

protech@nautilusint.org 

g National Pensions Association 

NEW DATE: Wednesday 30 March 

1100hrs 

Ramada Dover, Singleledge Lane, 

Whitfield, Dover CT16 3EL 

The meeting will cover developments 

in the MNOPF, MNOPP and TMSP 

schemes. Open to all UK members, 

including associate and affiliate. 

Contact Adele McDonald: 

+44 (0)20 8989 6677 

amcdonald@nautilusint.org 

g Women’s Advisory Forum 

Saturday 4 June 2011, 1100hrs 

1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, 

South Woodford, London E18 1BD 

The forum provides guidance to 

Nautilus Council on the challenges 

facing women in the industry and 

encourages female participation in 

Union activity. Open to all female 

members (UK & NL). Contact 

Blossom Bell: +44 (0)151 639 8454 

bbell@nautilusint.org 

See www.nautilusint.org/news-and-events for the latest information on member meetings, forums and seminars. 

College contacts 

Induction visits 

See www.nautilusint.org/news-and-events for dates of 

upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team 

(scroll down to ‘latest events’). For further information, 

email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Blossom Bell 

on +44 (0)151 639 8454. 

Blackpool and the Fylde College 

(Fleetwood) 

Derek Byrne 

Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 

dbyrne@nautilusint.org 

City of 

Glasgow College 

Gary Leech 

Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 

gleech@ nautilusint.org 

National Maritime College 

of Ireland (Cork) 

Ian Cloke 

Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 

icloke@nautilusint.org 

South Tyneside College 

Steve Doran 

Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 

sdoran@nautilusint.org 

Warsash Maritime Academy — 

Southampton Solent University 

Gavin Williams 

Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 

gwilliams@nautilusint.org 

Contact NautilusInternational 

Industrial support 

Nautilus International has assigned named industrial 

officials to support cadet members at the five main 

colleges in the British Isles, as well as providing contact 

points for trainees at other colleges in the UK and 

Netherlands. For queries about employer relations, 

workplace conditions or legal matters, please contact 

your industrial official, who will help you via phone or 

email or arrange a visit to your college. 

Other colleges 

(UK and Netherlands) 

UK 

Garry Elliott or 

Blossom Bell 

Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 

gelliott@nautilusint.org 

bbell@nautilusint.org 

THE NETHERLANDS 

Marcel van den Broek 

Tel: +31 (0)10 4771188 

mvandenbroek@nautilusint.org 

Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department 

email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world. 

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port. Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much 

information as possible about the issue that needs addressing. 

UK 

Head office 

Nautilus International 

1 & 2 The Shrubberies 

George Lane 

South Woodford 

London E18 1BD 

Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 

Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 


Northern office 


Nautilus House 

Mariners’ Park 

Wallasey CH45 7PH 

Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 

Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 


Offshore sector 

contact point 

Members working for 

companies based in the 

east of Scotland or UK 

offshore oil and gas sector 

can call: 

+44 (0)1224 638882 

THE NETHERLANDS 

Postal Address 


Postbus 8575 

3009 An Rotterdam 

Physical Address 


Schorpioenstraat 266 

3067 KW Rotterdam 

Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 

Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 

infonl@nautilusint.org 

SINGAPORE 


10a Braddell Hill #05-03 

Singapore 579720 

Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 

Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 

singapore@ 


FRANCE 

Yacht sector office in 

partnership with D&B 

Services 

3 Bd. d’Aguillon 

06600 Antibes 

France 

Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 

recruitment@ 


www.dandbservices.com 

SPAIN 

Yacht sector office in 

partnership with dovaston 

C/Joan de Saridakis 2 

Edificion Goya 

Local 1A 

Marivent 

07015 Palma de Mallorca 

Spain 

Tel: +34 971 677 375 

recruitment@ 


www.dovaston.com 

Quiz and 

crossword 

answers 

ACDB 

Quiz answers 

1. At the start of this year, Panama had 

a total of 8,769 ships on its register. 

2. Daewoo Shipbuilding in South Korea 

was the busiest yard last year, turning 

out more than 9.8m dwt of new 

tonnage. 

3. Some 36% of new tonnage delivered 

last year was built in China. 

4. Over the past three years an average 

of 14,425 ships have transited the 

Panama Canal annually. 

5. An estimated total of US$238m was 

paid in ransoms to Somali pirates last 

year. 

6. Shanghai was the world’s busiest 

container port in 2010, handling 

around 29m TEU. 

Crossword answers 

Quick Answers 

Across: 1. Peruse; 4. Emeralds; 

10. Anton; 11. Abnegated; 12. Tribute; 

13. Halters; 14. Coventry Street; 

17. Cross the Mersey; 21. El Greco; 

23. Cherish; 24. Tribalist; 25. Endow; 

26. The stage; 27. Steamy. 

Down: 1. Practice; 2. Retriever; 

3. Sunburn; 5. Manchester City; 

6. Regular; 7. Lithe; 8. Sadist; 

9. Water rationing; 15. East India; 

16. By the way; 18. Stewart; 

19. Element; 20. Beat it; 22. Grime. 

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize 

competition, and the answers will 

appear in next month’s Telegraph. 

Congratulations to Nautilus member 

Peter Campbell, whose name wa s the 

first to be drawn from those who 

successfully completed the February 

cryptic crossword. 

Cryptic answers from February 

Across: 1. Oral tradition; 10. Extinct; 

11. Stimuli; 12. Reichstag; 13. Twine; 

14. Crania; 15. Despotic; 

18. On the nod; 20. Cobalt; 23. Sight; 

25. Handiwork; 26. Nitrate; 27. Ice-fall; 

28. Investigation. 

Down: 2. Retsina; 3. Lunchtime; 

4. Rotate; 5. Disagree; 6. Twist; 

7. Oculist; 8. Zebra crossing; 

9. Licence to kill; 16. Provident; 

17. Both feet; 19. Tighten; 21. Avocado; 

22. Ending; 24. Trace.


JOIN NAUTILUS 

1. Pay and conditions 

Nautilus International negotiates on your behalf 

with an increasing number of British, Dutch and 

foreign flag employers on issues including pay, 

conditions, leave, hours and pensions. The 

Union also takes part in top-level international 

meetings on the pay and conditions of maritime 

professionals in the world fleets. 

2. Legal services 

With the maritime profession under increasing 

risk of criminalisation, Nautilus Legal offers 

members and their families an extensive range 

of legal services provided by specialist lawyers. 

Free initial advice is available on anything from 

employment-related matters to accident claims 

and wills. There’s also a free legal helpline, open 

from Monday to Fridays from 9am to 5pm. 

3. Certificate protection 

As a full member, you have free financial 

protection, worth up to £108,200, against loss of 

income if your certificate of competency is 

cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a 

formal inquiry. Full members are also entitled to 

representation during accident investigations or 

inquiries. 

4. Compensation 

Nautilus International’s legal services 

department recovers substantial compensation 

for members who have suffered work-related 

illness or injuries. 

5. Workplace support 

Nautilus International officials provide expert 

advice on work-related problems such as 

contracts, redundancy, bullying or 

discrimination, non-payment of wages, and 

pensions. 

6. Safety and welfare 

Nautilus International plays a vital role in 

CALL NOW TO JOIN +44 (0)151 639 8454 (UK) 

NAUTILUS ON: +31 (0)10 477 11 88 (NL) 

Ten good reasons why you should be a member: 

national and international discussions on such 

key issues as hours of work, crewing levels, 

shipboard conditions, vessel design, and 

technical and training standards. Nautilus 

International has a major say in the running of 

the industry-wide pension schemes in the UK 

and the Netherlands. 

7. Savings 

Being a Nautilus International member costs less 

than buying a newspaper every day and gives 

you peace of mind at work, with access to an 

unrivalled range of services and support. It’s 

simple to save the cost of membership — by 

taking advantage of specially-negotiated rates on 

a variety of commercial services ranging from 

tax advice to UK credit cards, and household, 

motoring, travel and specialist insurance. 

8. In touch 

As a Nautilus International member, help is 

never far away — wherever in the world you are. 

Officials regularly visit members onboard their 

ships and further support and advice is available 

at regular ‘surgeries’ and college visits 

throughout the UK and the Netherlands. There is 

also an official based in Singapore. 

9. Your union, your voice 

Nautilus International is the voice of more than 

23,000 maritime professionals working in all 

sectors of the shipping industry, at sea and 

ashore. As one of the largest and most influential 

international bodies representing maritime 

professionals, the Union campaigns tirelessly to 

promote your views. 

10. Get involved! 

Nautilus International is a dynamic and 

democratic union, offering members many 

opportunities to be fully involved and have your 

say in our work — at local, national and 

international levels. 

www.nautilusint.org 

It’s never been more important to be a member and it’s never been 

easier to apply for membership. You can now join over the phone, 

or online at www.nautilusint.org — or post us this form to begin: 

SURNAME 

FIRST NAMES 

GEN DER 

ADDRESS 

POSTCODE 

PERSONAL EMAIL 

HOME TEL 

EMPLOYER 

SHIP NAME 

DISCHARGE BOOK NO (IF APPLICABLE) 

DATE OF BIRTH 

MOBILE 

RANK 

If you are, or have been, a member of another union please state: 

NAME OF UNION 

SUBSCRIPTIONS PAID UNTIL 

MEMBERSHIP NO (IF KNOWN) 

DATE OF LEAVING 

Please post this form to: 

Membership services department 


Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park 

Wallasey CH45 7PH, United Kingdom


NEWS 

A Royal Air Force Sea King search and rescue helicopter. Nautilus is concerned that plans to replace the ageing aircraft are now facing fresh delays Picture: Press Association 

Union warns minister 

on sea safety cutbacks 

Maritime & Coastguard Agency chief defends plans to close 10 Coastguard MRCCs 

PNautilus has warned 

shipping minister Mike 

Penning that the government 

is gambling with safety 

if it goes ahead with plans to cut 

key maritime safety services. 

The Union met the minister 

last month to express concerns 

about cost-cutting proposals to 

end the contract for emergency 

towing vessels, scrap the specialist 

fire-fighting Marine Incident 

Response Group, and more than 

halve the number of Coastguard 

maritime rescue coordination 

centres. 

General secretary Mark Dickinson 

urged the minister to 

by Jeff Apter 

French politicians have sounded the alarm 

Aover the UK’s cost-cutting plan to end the 

contract for emergency towing vessels at 

strategic points around the coast. 

MPs and unions in northern France have 

raised concerns over the impact on safety and 

security when the ETV Anglian Monarch is 

reconsider the proposals, which 

have been drawn up as part of a 

programme intended to cut the 

Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s 

budget by more than 20% over 

the next four years. 

Nautilus has also made a joint 

submission with the Prospect 

union to a House of Commons 

transport committee inquiry into 

the work of the MCA. 

The committee last month 

took evidence from MCA chief 

executive Sir Alan Massey, who 

defended the plans to cut the 

number of MRCCs from 19 to 

nine, with just three remaining 

open on a 24/7 basis. 

removed from its duties in the Dover Straits. 

Dunkirk’s mayor Michel Delebarre — a 

former shipping minister — has written to 

French prime minister François Fillon to 

highlight the ‘negative consequences’ of the 

ETV’s withdrawal and the proposed closure of 

coastguard stations. 

He asked the French premier how the French 

maritime authority — which comes under his 

Sir Alan said the proposals had 

been ‘in gestation for two years’ 

and had been drawn up because 

the existing arrangements lack 

resilience and are ‘fundamentally 

inefficient’. 

Transport committee chairwoman 

Louise Ellman said the 

plans had caused ‘a great deal of 

consternation’ but — questioned 

by MPs on the safety of the plans 

— Sir Alan argued that the shakeup 

would lead to a better distribution 

of workload. 

‘Coastguards have put their 

hands up and said we need to 

change,’ he added. ‘They are working 

in a structure that is fundamentally 

inefficient. Hearing 

from my own coastguards that 

the system needs to be modernised 

— I find that encouraging, 

although I expect there will 

be quite a lot of critical response 

to the plans.’ 

Sir Alan admitted that there 

were risks in making such changes, 

but stressed that his job was to mitigate 

the risk. And he assured the 

MPs he would not approve any 

changes if he felt they would 

adversely affect safety at sea. 

Some of the MPs on the committee 

raised concerns that local 

knowledge would be lost as a result 

of the centralisation of the MRCCs. 

direct responsibility — intends to make up for 

the UK’s ‘disengagement’ and how it will 

guarantee a satisfactory level of back-up to avert 

an Erika-type disaster. 

Alain Ledaguenel, a seafarer member of the 

joint northern France maritime security 

authority, said there were unofficial contacts 

with authorities in Kent to try and get the UK 

government to change its mind. 

But MCA maritime services 

director Philip Naylor said Coastguard 

officers would be required 

to demonstrate a certain level of 

local knowledge. 

More than 85 MPs have signed 

a Parliamentary motion expressing 

alarm at the MRCC closures. 

The motion recognises that technological 

advances offer some 

opportunity for rescues to be 

coordinated from a distance, but 

argues that technology should 

complement the knowledge of 

local coastal areas which coastguards 

possess rather than supplanting 

it. 

gFull report — page 19. 

French alarm over loss of Dover ETV 

He said that maintaining emergency towing 

capacity in the Straits of Dover was much less 

expensive than the cost of pollution. 

The UK government’s decision that the direct 

commercial relationship should be between the 

ship in difficulty and the rescuing parties is a 

return to the past, Mr Ledaguenel added. ‘We all 

remember that this attitude contributed to the 

Amoco Cadiz disaster in 1978.’ 

Concern 

at delay 

to SAR 

upgrade 

Nautilus has voiced concern 

Fabout continued delays in 

updating the UK’s ageing search and 

rescue (SAR) helicopter fleet 

following the government’s 

announcement that a proposed 

privatisation package has been 

shelved. 

The Union is warning that the 

safety resources for shipping in UK 

waters are becoming increasingly 

stretched — with the SAR delays 

coming on top of the decision to end 

the contract for emergency towing 

vessels, to scrap the offshore firefighting 

and medical support service, 

and to cut back the number of 

coastguard stations. 

Transport minister Philip 

Hammond told MPs that 

‘irregularities’ in the bidding process 

had resulted in the decision not to go 

ahead with the plans to hand the 

contract for SAR services to the 

preferred bidder, a private 

consortium called Soteria. 

‘The Department for Transport 

and the Ministry of Defence will now 

consider the potential procurement 

options to meet future requirements 

for search and rescue helicopters in 

the UK, including options to 

maintain continuity of search and 

rescue helicopter cover until new 

longer term arrangements can be 

put in place,’ he added. 

Nautilus general secretary Mark 

Dickinson commented: ‘We are very 

concerned that this decision will 

result in yet more delays to the 

replacement of the ageing Sea King 

helicopters that are well past their 

best-before date and presenting 

serious problems in terms of 

reliability and availability. 

‘Action to upgrade UK search and 

rescue resources is long overdue and 

it is very wrong that the safety of 

seafarers and others in peril around 

our coast could be compromised 

because of politically-inspired 

privatisation agendas. 

‘Ministers must act quickly to 

close any SAR capability gap, and to 

address the concerns that maritime 

safety is taking the back seat to costcutting 

as they gamble with the 

provision of emergency services in 

UK waters.’ 

The proposed deal with Soteria 

— worth an estimated £6bn over 25 

years — was expected to result in 

the delivery of new Sikorsky S92 

helicopters to replace the existing 

Sea King SAR fleet. 

Shadow defence secretary Jim 

Murphy said: ‘It is important 

ministers now take this opportunity 

for a rethink and consider all 

options.’ 

Merchant Navy Operations (Deck) 

Certificate of Competency 

Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) Jan, May, Sept 

Chief Mate/Masters (Unlimited) May, September 

Master Mariner (Unlimited) Orals Prep (4 weeks) March 

STCW ‘95 and short courses 

Safety 

5 day Combined Basic Safety Training 

Personal Survival Techniques 

Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities 

Elementary First Aid 

Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting 

Advanced Fire Fighting 

Abrasive Wheels 

CPSC&RB 

Training courses for the maritime and offshore industries 

Entry into Enclosed Spaces 

Efficient Deck Hand 

Marine Transfer 

Man Over Board / Rib Capsize Drills 

Ship’s Safety Officer 

Ship’s Security Officer 

Medical and First Aid 

Medical First Aid Onboard Ship 

Medical Care Onboard Ship (and Refresher) 

HSE Offshore First Aid (and Refresher) 

HSE First Aid at Work (and Refresher) 

Radio 

GMDSS GOC/ROC/LRC/CAA 

Navigation 

NaRAST (O) & (M) 

ECDIS generic and type specific 

Bridge Team Management 

Pre ARPA and ARPA 

SVNR 

Tanker 

Tanker Familiarisation 

Specialist Tanker Training (Oil) 

Dynamic Positioning 

DP Induction 

DP Simulator 

DP Introduction 

Offshore Oil & Gas 

OIM Management of Major Emergencies 

CRO Controlling Emergencies 

Command & Control for ERRVs Masters & Mates 

Oil Spill Crisis Management (OPRC) 

Facilities for Hire 

Environmental Training Pool (wave, 

wind, rain) 

Marine Transfer Ladder 

Full Mission Ship’s Bridge Simulator 

Dynamic Positioning Simulator 

Liquid Cargo Handling Simulator 

ECDIS Simulator 

Offshore Control Room Simulator 

Accredited by 

Lowestoft College, St Peters Street, Lowestoft, 

Suffolk NR32 2NB United Kingdom 

Tel: 00 44 1502 525025 

Fax: 00 44 1502 525106 

Email: maritime@lowestoft.ac.uk 

Web: www.lowestoft.ac.uk/maritime.asp

March 2011 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | i 

NAUTILUS GM 2011 

How to have 

your say... 

APresident 

Kennedy 

once told voters: ‘Ask 

not what your country 

can do for you — ask what you 

can do for your country.’ 

Now is the time for Nautilus 

members to consider a similar 

question: what can you do for 

your Union 

AThis October will 

see the first Nautilus 

International General 

Meeting since our Dutch and UK 

branches combined to launch 

the world’s first trans-boundary 

union for maritime professionals 

at the end of the 2009 BGM. 

Will you join your colleagues in 

Rotterdam to mark this occasion 

and help to set the agenda for the 

future 

The Union’s General Meeting 

(GM) is a conference of members 

where you can share your views 

on the shipping industry and 

the issues that directly affect 

you at work, network with fellow 

seafarers and meet influential 

figures from the world of shipping 

and beyond. 

The 2011 GM will be held at the 

Hilton hotel in Rotterdam — with 

members assembling on Monday 

3 October and departing on the 

morning of Thursday 6 October. 

The conference is Nautilus 

International’s major policymaking 

forum, giving you the 

chance to decide what the Union’s 

priorities will be for the next 

few years. Members can ensure 

that the issues that really matter 

will be discussed, debated and 

General secretary MARK DICKINSON 

invites you to the General Meeting… 

Picture: Mark Pinder 

decided upon — setting an agenda 

for action on anything from 

criminalisation to shore leave, or 

fatigue to piracy. 

Use the forms in this special 

supplement to submit a motion 

to the conference to set Nautilus 

policy on the things that are 

important to you and your 

colleagues. 

ABut the GM is not just 

about Union business. 

It’s also good fun. 

Many previous attendees have 

commented on the supportive, 

informal atmosphere of the event 

— saying how much they enjoyed 

staying in a good hotel and 

socialising with fellow maritime 

professionals from all sectors of 

the industry. 

Nautilus has consulted members 

on how to stage the best 

possible GM, and, thanks to your 

feedback, we’re holding this year’s 

conference in Rotterdam — one 

of the world’s most famous maritime 

cities, and the home of the 

Nautilus Dutch branch. 

The conference itself will be 

streamlined this year, with a 

shorter, punchier programme 

and a focus on a few high-level 

speakers. 

If all this sounds tempting, 

there’s an added bonus: coming 

to the GM needn’t put you out of 

pocket. Nautilus can provide help 

with travel and accommodation 

costs to ensure attendance by a 

representative cross-section of 

full members from throughout 

the industry — see the forms in 

this supplement. 

A 

GM 2011: it’s influential, 

it’s interesting and it’s 

enjoyable. We hope to 

see you there. 

The iconic Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam Picture: Thinkstock 

Financial aid 

attendance at GM 2011 

This form should be completed and returned to Mike Jess, Director of 

Operations, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, 

George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. 

I wish to apply to attend the 2011 GM under the arrangements made by Council 

for full members to receive assistance towards the costs of attendance. 

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS 

Name 

Address (for all GM correspondence) 

Postcode 

Tel No. 

Membership No. 

Company 

Rank 

Present ship 

Notice — General Meeting 2011 

zNotice is hereby given under Rule 19 that Council 

has determined that the 2011 Nautilus General 

Meeting will be held at the Hilton Rotterdam Hotel, 

Weena 10, 3012 CM Rotterdam, commencing at 

0900 on Tuesday 4 October and finishing late 

afternoon on Wednesday 5 October 2011. 

zMembers wishing to move resolutions at the 

General Meeting must submit them in writing, 

signed by at least four full members whose 

contributions have been paid up, to reach 

head office by not later than 1700 on Friday 

1 July 2011. 

Please give details of involvement with Nautilus, eg. as a liaison officer 

or honorary delegate, or if you have attended a Nautilus Education course 

or a previous BGM.

ii | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2011 

NAUTILUS AV 2011 

Doe uw 

zegje... 

APresident 

Kennedy 

sprak zijn kiezers ooit 

als volgt toe: ‘Vraag niet 

wat uw land voor u kan doen — 

vraag wat u voor uw land kunt 

doen.’ 

Wij willen de leden van 

Nautilus een vergelijkbare vraag 

stellen: wat kunt u voor uw 

vakbond doen 

AAan het eind van de BGM 

van 2009 lanceerden de 

Nederlandse en Engelse 

vestigingen in een wereldprimeur 

de eerste internationale vakbond 

voor maritieme professionals. In 

oktober van dit jaar zal de eerste 

Algemene Vergadering van het in 

2009 opgerichte Nautilus International 

plaatsvinden. 

Wij willen u vragen om tijdens 

deze bijzondere gelegenheid 

samen met uw collega’s in Rotterdam 

een agenda voor de toekomst 

op te stellen. 

De Algemene Vergadering (AV) 

van de vakbond is een ledencongres 

waarin u uw visie op de sectoren 

die Nautilus vertegenwoordigt 

kunt geven, kwesties die u in 

het dagelijkse werk tegenkomt 

kunt bespreken, kunt netwerken 

met andere maritieme professionals 

en invloedrijke mensen 

uit de relevante sectoren en daarbuiten 

kunt ontmoeten. 

De AV van 2011 wordt gehouden 

in het Hilton-hotel in Rotterdam 

— de leden komen bijeen op 

maandag 3 oktober en vertrekken 

weer in de ochtend van donderdag 

6 oktober. 

MARK DICKINSON, de General 

Secretary, nodigt u van harte uit voor 

de algemene vergadering… 


Dit ledencongres is het belangrijkste 

beleidsforum voor Nautilus 

International, waar u als 

lid de kans heeft om mee te beslissen 

over de prioriteiten van 

de vakbond in de aankomende 

jaren. Leden kunnen ervoor 

zorgen dat belangrijke kwesties 

op de agenda worden gezet, dat 

hierover wordt gesproken en 

besluiten worden genomen — 

voor actiepunten die uiteenlopen 

van criminalisering tot verlof 

en van fatigue tot piraterij. 

Gebruik de aan deze speciale 

bijlage aangehechte formulieren 

om een motie in te dienen om 

zaken die voor u en uw collega’s 

belangrijk zijn te vertalen naar 

Nautilus beleid. 

AMaar de AV gaat niet 

alleen over vakbondszaken. 

Het is ook gewoon 

gezellig en ontspannend. In het 

verleden hadden de deelnemers 

veel waardering voor de prettige, 

informele sfeer van het evenement 

— zij waren positief over het 

verblijf in een goed hotel en het 

feit dat zij konden kennismaken 

met maritieme professionals uit 

alle sectoren van de bedrijfstak. 

Nautilus heeft met haar leden 

overlegd over het opzetten van 

de AV en mede op basis van deze 

feedback vindt het ledencongres 

dit jaar plaats in Rotterdam — één 

van de bekendste havensteden 

ter wereld en de thuisbasis van 

de Nederlandse vestiging van 

Nautilus. 

Het ledencongres wordt dit 

jaar gestroomlijnder door een 

korter, energieker programma en 

een focus op een aantal sprekers 

op hoog niveau. 

En als dit al niet aantrekkelijk 

klinkt, is er nog een extraatje: het 

bijwonen van de AV hoeft u de kop 

niet te kosten. Nautilus kan financiële 

ondersteuning bieden bij 

reis- en verblijfskosten, zodat een 

representatieve doorsnede van 

de gewone leden uit de gehele bedrijfstak 

aanwezig kan zijn — zie 

de formulieren bij deze bijlage. 

A 

AV 2011: invloedrijk, 

interessant en ontspannend. 

Wij hopen u tijdens 

de AV te kunnen begroeten. 

Euromast in Rotterdam Picture: Thinkstock 

Financiële steun 

Voor aanwezigheid AV 2011 

Dit formulier invullen en retourneren aan Mike Jess, Director of Operations, 

Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, 

George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. 

Ik wil in aanmerking komen voor financiële steun als gewoon lid om de AV 2011 

bij te wonen. De voorwaarden voor financiële steun zijn vastgesteld door de 

Council. 

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS 

Naam 

Adres (voor alle AV correspondentie) 

Postcode en woonplaats 

Telefoonnummer 

Lidmaatschapnummer 

Rederij 

Functie 

Huidige schip 

Mededeling — Algemene Vergadering 2011 

zOp grond van artikel 19 lid 2 van de statuten 

heeft Council besloten dat de vierjaarlijkse Algemene 

Vergadering van Nautilus International zal worden 

gehouden in het Hilton Rotterdam Hotel, 

Weena 10, 3012 CM Rotterdam en zal beginnen 

op dinsdag 4 oktober 2011 om 09.00 uur and zal 


sluiten op woensdag 5 oktober 2011 

in de namiddag. 

zMoties kunnen — ondertekend door tenminste vier 

volle leden — schriftelijk worden ingediend en moeten 

uiterlijk vrijdag 1 juli 2011 om 17.00 uur op het 

hoofdkantoor zijn ontvangen. 

U wordt vriendelijk verzocht onderstaand aan te geven wat uw betrokkenheid 

bij Nautilus is. Bijvoorbeeld dat u kaderlid of erelid bent of dat eerder een AV 

heeft bijgewoond.

March 2011 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | iii 

NAUTILUS GM 2011 

Motions 

Moties 

zNow you’ve seen the progress made on the motions 

agreed at the 2009 Nautilus BGM, why not submit one 

for this year’s general meeting 

The Union’s conference is an important policymaking 

forum in which the issues that matter to 

members are debated and decisions taken to 

determine future campaigns and negotiations. 

So make sure the things that matter to you 

are discussed at the general meeting in 

October. 

It is essential that the conference considers 

the critical issues that face the industry and the 

maritime professionals that work within it. 

From piracy to fatigue, criminalisation to pay and 

conditions, there is no shortage of subject matter. 

zSubmitting a motion is simple: just fill out the form 

below and make sure it is signed by a total of four full 

members of the Union. 

This is your chance to help set the agenda 

for Nautilus over the years ahead. 

Please use it. 

zWaarom dient u geen motie in voor de Algemene 

Vergadering 2011 nu u de geboekte resultaten heeft 

gezien die zijn behaald om de 2009 moties te 

verwezenlijken De Algemene Vergadering van de bond 

is een belangrijk forum, waar de onderwerpen worden 

besproken die onze leden echt aangaan en besluiten 

worden genomen over de toekomstige positie van onze 

bond. Door het indienen van een motie weet u zeker dat 

onderwerpen die u belangrijk vindt ook daadwerkelijk 

aan de orde komen. Ook voor de vakbond is het van 

essentieel belang dat de Algemene Vergadering de 

onderwerpen bespreekt die belangrijk zijn voor 

maritieme professionals. Van piraterij tot fatigue, 

criminalisatie tot loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden, 

er zijn meer dan voldoende 

onderwerpen. 

zHet indienen van een motie is eenvoudig door het 

invullen van onderstaand formulier en het ondertekend 

door vier volle leden terug te sturen. Dit is uw kans om 

de agenda van de Algemene vergadering te bepalen. 

Maakt u er alstublieft gebruik van! 

GM Motion 

proposal form 

Motie voor Algemene 

Vergadering 

formulier 

To General Secretary, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, 

South Woodford, London E18 1BD (to arrive not later than 1700 Friday 1 July 2011). 

We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2011 General Meeting 

of Nautilus International: 

This GM 

Aan de General Secretary, p/a Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, 

South Woodford, London E18 1BD. (Dit formulier moet uiterlijk vrijdag 1 juli 2011 retour ontvangen zijn). 

Wij als volle leden wensen onderstaande motie in te dienen ter bespreking in de Algemene Vergadering 

in oktober 2011: 

Deze Algemene Vergadering 

(continue on a separate sheet if necessary) 

(indien nodig doorgaan op apart vel) 

1. Name Mem. No. 

Company 

Address 

Postcode 

1. Naam Lidnr. 

Rederij 

Adres 

Postcode/plaats 

Signature 

Date 

Handtekening 

Datum 


Company 

Address 

Postcode 


Rederij 

Adres 


Signature 

Date 

Handtekening 

Datum 


Company 

Address 

Postcode 


Rederij 

Adres 


Signature 

Date 

Handtekening 

Datum 


Company 

Address 

Postcode 


Rederij 

Adres 


Signature 

Date 

Handtekening 

Datum

iv | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2011 

PHOTO COMPETITION 

Frame academy 

Photo 

Competition 

2011 

Name: ............................................................ 

Address: .......................................................... 

FHere’s your chance to put yourself 

and the sector in which you work in 

the frame — and win up to £750 in the 

process! 

The 2011 Nautilus International/Endsleigh 

Insurance Services ‘life at sea’ photographic 

competition is now under way, with prize 

money totalling £1,500 on offer for the best 

entries. 

Nautilus and Endsleigh have once again 

teamed up to organise the contest to find the 

best photographs showing the very varied 

aspects of life at sea today — both the good and 

the bad. 

The 2009 competition proved to be the 

most successful ever staged — attracting a 

record number of entries, with thousands 

of images ranging from stunning sunsets to 

dramatic rescues, from tropical storms to 

Antarctic waters. 

So the search is once again on for the best 

pictures focussing on the theme of ‘life at sea’ 

— an area that is much neglected by professional 

photographers, but one that you can interpret 

as you see fit. 

We have kept the rules are as simple as 

possible. Judges will be looking for images that 

not only display photographic merit but also 

capture the reality of life and work at sea — any 

aspect of modern seafaring. 

You can submit your shots in colour or black 

and white, and as prints, slides or emailed highresolution 

JPEG electronic images (300dpi is 

preferred). 

The competition’s closing date is Monday 

1 August 2011 and the prizes will be presented 

at the Nautilus General Meeting in October, 

where an exhibition of the best entries will be 

on show. 

First prize is £750, second prize is £500 and 

there is £250 for the third-placed entry. 

FAll you have to do to enter is complete 

the form right and send your pictures 

to: Nautilus/Endsleigh Photo Competition, 

The Telegraph, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, 

George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD 

or email to: telegraph@nautilusint.org (if emailing, 

please do not send files totalling more than 

10MB at a time). 

Please don’t forget to state whether you 

want us to return your photographs. There is 

no limit to the number of entries that you can 

submit — so get clicking! 

On this page we feature a selection of some of the best 

images that were submitted to the 2009 Nautilus/ 

Endsleigh photo competition. 

Pictures by: A. Atkinson; Andrew Walder; Andy 

....................................................................... 

....................................................................... 

....................................................................... 

Home tel: ........................................................ 

Email: ............................................................. 

Mem no.: ........................................................ 

....................................................................... 

Photos to be returned: YES / NO 

The pics of the bunch 

McDowell; Andrej Bogacenko; Barry Hooper; Sam 

Hughes; Derek Moffat; Ranald MacLean; Tom 

Williams; and Michal Kwiatkowski. 

Can you do better Get your entry in now!

Inside - Nautilus International

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