4 Editorial 5-8 Masters of the Tow - breaking new ground for tow masters 9-12 Mastering the Deep - our new Deepwater courses launched13-14 G7 = Global Learning15-16 Wind of Change 17 News - MT Esbjerg’s new location 18 Where’s Frank? - try to work our where Frank is (see below)19-20 Leaving Looking for the Door Back - Martin’s rig return 21 Professor replies to 22 John Andersen - an obituary23-24 Course Calendar25-26 Mette’s Hotel Tours27 Answers to the Tweaser tease and clues for Where’s Frank (see below)28 PoopDeck - a lighter look at life at MT Svendborg

Contents

Cover PhotographApril evening: Windmills flank the busysealane off Dragør, outside Copenhagen

Instructor Frank Madsen is back at sea for a year. He’s going to send us regular photos with the simple question -Where is Frank?Clue: a potentially politically disputed oil exploration area. More picture clues on page 18

Tweaser - WHAT AM I? There is a bit of a mist surrounding my origins but many put my invention down to one of two Scottish carpenters. Originally a stern-only feature, now smaller versions of me are placed elsewhere on the hull. To the uninitiated I always look the same – but I come in all shapes and sizes. What I am is on page 27.

eSeaEDITORIALEasy Access Not for one moment would we wish you to think

that big brother is watching you, but it is the way of the world today that we can say with some confidence that you’ll probably spend about the next five and a half minutes reading or glancing at over nine pages. We can add to that six in ten of you are in Denmark, one in ten in the UK and that a further 37 countries worldwide might click on . . . that is if we follow the pattern of our first eSea.

There’s no need to close the curtains and become paranoid, our interest doesn’t stretch beyond getting a general profile of who we have managed to reach out to. However it’s rather nice, sitting at a desk in Svendborg, knowing that once we press the publish button someone in Vietnam, in Columbia, on the Isle of Man and a lot of people in China and Hong Kong will open eSea on their screens. Somebody even came in from the beach on the Netherlands Antilles to log on. Of course we don’t know if they actually came from the beach, cocktail in hand, but the imagined image cheers up an otherwise dull day in Denmark.

Twenty five people even printed it out – now that doesn’t seem a lot when you consider Chairman Mao’s 6.5 billion Little Red Books, but this is essentially a dip-in, dip-out screen publication so we were thrilled that some of you devoted time, and very expensive inkjet, to do it.

In conjunction with Maersk Line we even went out on to the oceans. In an experiment to see if vessels could easily log on, the conclusion was probably a very tentative yes/no. Yes the crew on Lica Maersk were able to log on, but the richness of the publication, a weak mid-ocean broadband signal and the non-availability of a common computer, nudged the vote towards a no, for the time being. If you are onboard the Lica Maersk reading this, Issue II, again welcome.

Indeed welcome to you all. More through circumstance than intent this is a much more oil and gas orientated publication – this is because the editorial policy is to tell you what’s happening rather than fill in sectional boxes just for the sake of it. Sadly there is one oil and gas story too many. Our colleague John Andersen died early in April and we include an appreciation of a life that was all too brief.

We thank you for opening this second edition and would greatly welcome your comments and any contribution you would like to make, which in turn will help create a publication that is professionally pertinent whilst remaining informatively relevant.

Svendborg, April 2011

Towmaster course on show in Houston - page 21

One of the most significant changes in recent years in what training can offer

lies in the ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice through simulation. That gap is narrowed even further when the simulation can produce situations which hopefully won’t be encountered for the first time in an extreme decision-making moment.

There is no substitute for the real thing, but in this area simulation goes beyond what is perceivable in life. The trick is for the educators and clients to get their heads together and look to the future and plan training platforms which are ready in time to respond to the current needs of the industry. Enter Towmaster Training.

The arrival of MOSAIC – Maersk Offshore Simulation and Innovation Centre – last year marked the single biggest jump forward in training at Rantzausminde, and perhaps beyond, for the past 30 years. The technology in place, opportunity was knocking on the door. The latest addition to the Maersk Training portfolio – Rigmove Simulation Course - means an invaluable opportunity for rigmoves to be practiced until complete competence grows out of total confidence.

Masters of the

Tow

Masters of the Tow contd/‘We’re responding to the client who has a growing need and since we can accurately replicate the semi-sub and the specific Jack Ups we have added a jacking control room in order to be able to fully conduct the courses,’ says maritime instructor Karsten Haegg.

The towmaster assumes responsibility for the whole operation during the process and now with the size of the task comes the sheer physical enormity of the vessels to be towed over huge distances and through various and varying weather and water conditions. ‘All these can be created under one roof at MOSAIC and we operate under real time calculations and therefore accurately look back and analyze where the movement went well . . . and maybe not so,’ adds Karsten.

All simulators are equipped with an EIVA survey system allowing positioning operations. The new course represents a

further broadening of MOSAIC’s ability to create real-world scenarios with teams in the Jack Up control as well as the 360° and 260° bridges being able to interact and affect each others’ working environment.

The simulator is now configured with a student station for the Jack Up. The control room will have one visual channel with different ‘eye point’ positions on the rig and possibility to pan and tilt the view. Two bridges can be connected to the ‘control room’ rig as supporting vessels, training towmasters to cooperate with the vessels.

The candidates can be asked to operate the anchor handling vessels – giving the candidates a clear vision of the vessels capabilities and limitations. VHF communication is carried out directly between the bridge and control room, which adds realism to the exercise. Assisting vessels can also be controlled by the instructor, who will take care of communication.

For Jack Ups it is possible to train RPD issues, rapid

penetration, power issues and weight distribution.

For Semi Subs the simulator has a hydrodynamic model

which is equipped with eight thrusters of 4400 KW each and eight anchor winches, making training of a wide range of scenarios possible. The training possibilities are similar to those of the Jack Up but the ‘control room’ can also be configured with the Semi Sub. In this instance the thruster handles are computer mouse operated.

Jack Up:- Introduction to and knowledge of rig moves and anchor handling- Introduction to and knowledge of wire maintenance and equipment use- Introduction to soil analysis- Simulator exercises with RPD problems, soil problems, weight problems

Semi:- Introduction to and knowledge of rig moves and anchor handling- Introduction to and knowledge of rig moves with in areas with developed infrastructure on seabed- Introduction to and knowledge of wire maintenance and equipment use- Introduction to anchor types- Introduction to and knowledge of relevant rules and regulations- Introduction to and knowledge of company specific procedures- Simulator exercises with errors involved- Stress handling

There’s been time to think about it – the knee-jerk reaction to the trial Enhanced

Deepwater Well Control course was spot on, with a little tweaking the five-day intensive sessions will become a vital part of Maersk Drilling’s 21st century exploration programme – so much so that the first course is this month, just as Maersk Drilling becomes the first company to be allowed to resume operations in the Gulf of Mexico. For those who like to analaze timing and events, there is perhaps something very significant in this.

The list of around 50 suggested improvements from the pilot may seem more than just a tweak, but many of them were very minor and when you consider they were the result of requested feedback from 16 very active brains spending five days going over a newly constructed concept, it was a remarkably solid start.

The course itself is far from a knee-jerk reaction to events in the industry. It was in development well before the tragic Deepwater Horizon accident and the US Government’s enforced shutdown of all opperations in the region. Our approach was to examine what else is out there in the marketplace and what we found was that much of what was being taught under the deepwater banner was already active in our portfolio.

Masteringthe Deep

From Trial to First Full Course in Six Weeks

Houston bound - page 16

24 MAY 2010

The image taken from the NASA Terra Satellites captures the glistening oil spill from Deepwater Horizon 32 days after the devastating explosion. The oil is the silver slick in the centre, the darker grey to the north is the muddy Mississippi Delta. To the west of the bird’s-foot part of the delta, dark patches in the water may also be oil, but detecting a manmade oil slick in coastal areas can be even more complicated than detecting it in the open ocean.

When oil slicks are visible in satellite images, it is because they have changed how the water reflects light, either by making the Sun’s reflection brighter or by dampening the scattering of sunlight, which makes the oily area darker. In coastal areas, similar changes in reflectivity can occur from differences in salinity (fresh versus salt water) and from naturally produced oils from plants.

Mastering the Deep contd/

The strongest and most positive feedback from the pilot was in reaction to what might be perceived as ’soft’ issues. Not theory or nuts and bolts, but human topics such as crew resource management. The pilot was unique for Maersk Training in that we combined the talents of four departments, Oil & Gas, Maritime, Safety & Security and People Skills, bringing them together in one room with a common goal.

Despite the soft issues being highly valued, it was the four simulator exercises which were the core areas from which sprung the theoretical and human aspects in terms of case studies and team exercises. Before the pilot the training objective was set to provide enhanced Deepwater Well Control Training for key rig personnel, including both technical and “command and control” elements, in order to improve competence in prevention and safe resolution of such incidents, covering perceived shortfalls in the mandatory IWCF Certification, and proactively address future Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) requirements in the Gulf of Mexico and anticipated client requirements worldwide.

What’s in it?The course was built around advancing deepwater theory and subject material included deviated well control, underground blowouts, volumetric and bull heading techniques, gas handler operations, differing characteristics of water and oil-based mud, choke line friction, influx migration, tight margins and the topics included:

• Rig specific Well Control equipment • Documentary resources • Conventional vertical and deviated well

control • Alternative methods • Gas Influx behaviour • Hydrate formation • Ballooning • Fingerprinting• ECD• EDS • Crew Resource Management • Illustrative Case Studies • Practical Simulator Exercises utilising

techniques

1 Thommas Ludvig - Chief Financial Officer 2 Vijay Rangachari - Chief Commercial Officer3 Claus Bihl - Chief Executive Officer4 Ovin Carlsson - Managing Director MT Esbjerg5 Douglas Berkheiser - Managing Director MT Nigeria6 Joscelyn Shaw - Business Support Manager Newcastle7 Hans Bloch-Kjær - Manageing Director MT Petcon Norway8 Duncan Bonner - MT Aberdeen & Newcastle9 Satya Mitra Bagga - Managing Director MT India10 Jan Mattiesen - Compliance Officer11 Frank Faxoe - Managing Director Svendborg12 Jacob Petz - Business Development Manager

Globalearning

1

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who’s who

Maersk Training Svendborg is well used to hosting guests from abroad, but for one week in April it was like a family home-coming. The decision makers in the global branches headed to the Danish town for a summit conference, our own mini G7, aimed at assuring a common goal in the ever broadening

desire to create ‘a better learning experience.’

Svendborg

Stavanger

Aberdeen

Newcastle

Chennai

Port Harcourt

Esbjerg

Run your mouse over the locations and you’ll get a brief introduction from the relevant managers

The wind industry is growing rapidly, in fact was 2010 the

best year ever for the Danish wind industry, although one of the major players in the market chose to make amost 2500 people redundant in Denmark alone. This was primarily in the production area.

In the coming years it is expected that there will be a rise in the installation of new wind turbines, primarily offshore. With the wind industry as one of our main focus areas, we have recruited two new instructors specializing in courses for the wind industry to support the already large number of instructors delivering courses

in both the wind and offshore sector.

So what does it mean to be an instructor in the wind segment and what does it actually take to work in the wind industry?

The wind industry is not yet regulated by conventions, legislation or industry standards like in the Maritime and Offshore industries. This means that each manufacturer has their own set of training standards. When a wind turbine is sold the energy company running the wind farm may also have their own set of training regulations that are then put on top of the requirements from the windmill manufacturer.

This can actually amount to quite a lot of training. For example you could find that a wind technician coming from one manufacturer with a valid first aid certificate to another wind manufacturer or subcontractor who require another first aid course and then would refuse to recognise technician’s qualifications. So if the wind technician then has to install turbines for a energy company with its own first aid requirements, then they might be forced to actually take almost the same course three times in a very short period of time.

To deal with this the wind industry is working in a forum called Global Wind Organization (GWO). It is

expected that GWO will set at number a course standards that course providers will have to live up to in order to be recognized within the industry.

Now where does that leave Maersk Training Esbjerg? It is here that we head up the Maersk Training Group effort in the wind industry. This in turns gives us the responsibility for staying on top of what is going on in the wind industry and keep a broad network of industry majors and subcontractors who can provide us with the first hand knowledge of what is expected in the future.

We have excellent cooperation

with the other training centres in the group ensuring that local legislation for the wind industry is kept up to date.

With the move to new locations (see over)we will see training facilities designed and aimed especially for the wind industry giving the course participants a training environment matching their work environment as close as possible.

Courses for Wind:• First Aid 12h• First Aid Refresher• Basic Harness• Basic High Rescue and

Evacuation• Basic Firefighting• Sea Survival• First Aid At Work• CCNSG Safety Passport• L-AUS• And some specific technical

training and OPITO courses which is required in some areas of the world

Michael BangCommercial Manager MT Esbjerg mba111@maersktraining.com

eSeasbjerg

EsbjergOn the MoveMaersk Training Esbjerg expects to be moving to new facilities at Ravnevej in Esbjerg step by step during the remaining part of 2011.

Ravnevej will be the main entrance to Maersk Training Esbjerg but the location will be joined with AMU Vest who has main entrance from Spangsbjerg Møllevej.

Even thought two independent companies will share the same facilities we will aim at cooperation wherever we can in order to fully utilize the best of two worlds.The AMU system holds a large number of different courses in various different areas including the ones where Maersk Training Esbjerg is active. However the AMU system is governed by a legislation whereby not everyone is eligible for training

and at the same time legislation set limits for new courses. Being a private company Maersk Training Esbjerg is not under the same legislation which means that we can provide the majority of courses not possible under the AMU system. At the same time we can develop new courses and adapt existing courses to fit customer needs in a way often not possible under the AMU system.Together AMU Vest and Maersk Training Esbjerg complement each other in a very unique way.

The overall plan is laid for the new facilities but the devil is in detail and we will be planning the details of our training facilities with our customers in order to create the best possible surroundings for the learning that will take place later on this year. We look forward to greeting our friends, partners and customers at our new facilities at Ravnevej.

Where’s Frank?

We are searching for First Officer Frank Madsen. The red letter box is a useful hint and clearly you are in an area of the world where penguins matter. Time to use the zoom function. The rusting barque in the background is affectionately known as Lizzie, but no one appears to love the Lady Elizabeth enough to save her – she’s been there since 1936. But where?

Answer on page 27

Leaving, but looking for the door backMartin Johan Bülow is

returning to drilling and looking forward to 52 weeks on, zero off. Well not quite, but when he’s not onboard Maersk Reacher, in a lot of his spare time he’ll be holding a BOSCH Accu Borehammer making overdue reparations to his house in Vejle.

The new walls and windows have patiently waited for him and his drill for the past 30 months whilst life centred around simulators and classrooms at Maersk Training.

Perhaps it is not quite how he imagined it as he walked off a drilling platform and into a classroom in January 2009. ‘I walked right out of my comfort zone and can tell you that the first course was a terrifying prospect. But now I leave eager to come back sometime in the future,’ he says,

adding, ‘I’ll be back in front of a class at some point and recommend to anyone. It’s been a great adventure and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.’

‘In just two and a half years the industry, particularly in Maersk terms, has moved on – we are heading into deeper water because that’s where the oil is, and I’m so keen to gain from that experience.`

Martin is moving back not into deepwater but a brand new rig and that itself is a challenge. ‘I’ll be working with an entirely new system, a bit like changing from a PC to a Mac or vice versa. Whatever way you look at it, it is different and that’s the challenge,’ Martin adds.

‘I expect at the start I’ll feel a bit rusty, but when I left I was a practical pig

(his words not ours) able to do just about everything that came my way without really knowing exactly the reason behind why I was doing it. That’s now so different since, through teaching, I was forced to dig deep into theory.’

Returning to the coal face is no new experience for Maersk Training instructors, last month two seafarers swapped places, interchanging a simulated for a real bridge, whilst at the same time Klaus Otto Kragh, Martin’s flatmate in the sleepy village of Ollerup, also headed back to get oil on his hands. With their departures Ollerup has gone from officially quiet to comatosed ; Martin’s return to the rig leaves a hard to fill gap in the office’s social committee as well as in the classroom.

When asked if he a word of advice for the next

Martin (his replacement is Martin Adamsen – isn’t serendipity the strangest of things) he offered, ‘go for it and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If you offer open cards to the students, they will accept you for it, but if you try to bluff them and trip up, you’ll have headed down the wrong path and you’ll be totally discredited.’

Martin’s final reflection was on the community he was leaving and the one he was joining – ‘the colleagues onboard quickly become your family and are very important to you, but it is a closed group, what I’ll miss about the training centre is the way people from your past walk through the door daily and they bring and share new experiences. It’s very healthy. I look forward to walking through the door again soon . . . . as a student . . and later, as an instructor again.‘

Martin (his replacement is Martin Adamsen – isn’t serendipity the strangest of things) he offered, ‘go for it and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If you offer open cards to the students, they will accept you for it, but if you try to bluff them and trip up, you’ll have headed down the wrong path and you’ll be totally discredited.’

Martin’s final reflection was on the community he was leaving and the one he was joining – ‘the colleagues onboard quickly become your family and are very important to you, but it is a closed group, what I’ll miss about the training centre is the way people from your past walk through the door daily and they bring and share new experiences. It’s very healthy. I look forward to walking through the door again soon . . . . as a student . . and later, as an instructor again.‘

Shedding LightRegular readers, that is those of you who viewed our first eSea, might have noticed the story about one of our maritime instructors Frank Lamberg Nielsen, experimenting with using white text on a black background in the belief that there was a cognitive benefit – meaning that you retained the information longer and thus had a better chance of grasping the knowledge.

Cognitive neuroscientist Christian Gerlach from the Institute of Psychology, Syddansk Universitet casts a different light on the subject suggesting that the background doesn’t particularly matter.

‘As I remember Sperling’s paradigm, the information is in our visual sensory

memory is disrupted by new incoming information every time we make a rapid eye movement, which we do approximately four times per second. If we show a display of letters this means that information about the letters will not be upset if we subsequently present them on a black background. This is because the visual system perceives a black display as blank, information free.

The above process happens very quickly and is generally not disruptive to our ability to absorb information through sight. When I chose to use black background and white writing, it is mostly aesthetic reasons. The main thing is that the contrast between the background color and font color is high: about this so achieved by black on white or white on black, I think plays a minor role.’ He concluded writing in black on a white background.

The 29th annual Offshore Technology Conference kicks off in Houston’s Reliant Center on May 2 and Maerks Training will be part of it. Sales and Marketing Manager Mikael Kofod, Sales Executive Sten Frydensbjerg and Maritime Instructor Karsten Haegg will man our stand which is in the Danish Pavilion – booth 5465 if you are passing.

Founded in 1969 this year’s OYC will be the biggest yet with over 2500 exhibitors from 110 countries taking part. They expect around 65,000 visitors over the two days. We are introducing our new Towmaster course with a portable simulator.

We’ve gotta problem solver Houston

John lost his short, but characteristically brave, battle with cancer in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 6 April. John died at home, the fulcrum of his life, for which he turned down career advancement because, quite simply, nothing was more important to him.

At the centre of the Maersk Training’s Oil & Gas Department for over 15 years, his professional knowledge, attention to detail and dedication knew no equal. His response to any question or situation was so deeply thought-out that to put his name to any document or calculation signified a degree of quality not easily found elsewhere within his chosen profession. He was globally respected.

Those lucky enough to sit in front of him in a teaching environment might have, at first, flinched at his apparent briskness, his direct unblinking gaze, but come the final page of the manual would have been enraptured by his deep warmth and total commitment that they should leave the better for the experience. This they always did.

It was a career which started in Svendborg as a marine cadet with J. Lauritzen in 1969, rising in six years to First Officer before he switched to the oil and gas industry as a roustabout in 1976. As a senior toolpusher and rig superintendent, again with Lauritzen, he moved to Maersk Drilling in 1994 before joining Maersk Training back in Svendborg two years later.

John, who was 59 in March, is survived by his wife Karen and daughters Maria and Louise and the grandchildren of whom he was immensely proud. To them we send our deepest sympathy for the loss of a husband, father and grandfather. As a colleague or friend, tutor or mentor he will never be forgotten, nor replaced.

John Andersen 1952-2011

MARITIME:Anchor Handling 102 – 05 May16 – 19 May14 – 17 June27 – 30 June01 – 04 August29 August – 01 September26 – 29 September24 – 27 October14 – 17 November12 – 15 December

Anchor Handling II26 – 29 April (Tuesday – Friday)09 – 12 May06 – 09 June20 – 23 June22 – 25 August19 – 22 September07 – 10 November05 – 08 December

Anchor Handling III23 – 26 May05 – 08 September31 October – 03 November

DP Basic09 – 13 May20 – 24 June15 – 19 August19 – 23 September07 – 11 November05 – 09 December

DP Advanced23 – 27 May27 June – 01 July01 – 05 August05 – 09 September19 – 23 September03 – 07 October21 – 25 November

DP Refresher16 – 19 May30 August – 02 September29 November – 02 December

Positions Reference for DP26 – 30 September14 – 18 November

DP Intro + Technical17 – 21 January (DK)31 January – 04 February (BRZ)21 – 25 February (UK)28 February – 04 March (DK)21 – 25 March (DK)04 – 08 April (DK)11 – 15 April (UK)20 – 24 June (DK)

DP Intro + Technical20 – 24 June (UK)04 – 08 July (DK)08 – 12 August (DK)10 – 14 October (DK)10 – 14 October (UK)24 – 28 October (BRZ)31 October – 04 November (DK)14 – 18 November (DK)05 – 09 December (UK)12 – 16 December (DK) Ship handling for Offshore Vessels I (SOVS I)26 – 29 April 09 – 12 May06 – 09 June14 – 17 June25 – 28 July22 – 25 August19 – 22 September17 – 20 October07 – 10 November05 – 08 December

ECDIS03 – 05 May (UK)23 – 25 May (UK)15 – 17 June20 - 22 June (UK)22 - 24 August (UK)12 – 14 September03 – 05 October (UK)14 - 16 November (UK)31 October – 02 November

AMOS09 – 11 May23 – 25 May (BRZ)03 – 05 October10 – 12 October (CAN)14 – 16 November (UK)28 – 30 November

Shipboard Management02 – 04 May26 – 28 May (BRZ) - LBO12 – 14 September13 – 15 October (CAN)07 – 09 November05 – 07 December (UK)

Best Practice28 – 29 April24 – 25 June (BRZ) – LBO27 – 28 October02 – 03 November (BRZ) – LBO 01 – 02 December (UK)

WIRE26 – 27 April22 – 23 June (BRZ) – LBO29 – 30 August (Perth AUS)25 – 26 October31 October – 01 November (BRZ) – LBO29 – 30 November (UK)

course calendar

Stability05 – 06 May20 – 21 June (BRZ)15 – 16 September10 – 11 November

BTM3 days – for navigators04 – 06 May08 – 10 June17 – 19 August 28 – 30 September02 – 04 NovemberBRM UK5 days for navigators16 – 20 May05 --09 September31 Oct-04 November

Shiphandling TANK3 days, for C/O’s27 – 29 June29 – 31 August21 – 23 November

LCHS06 – 10 June26 – 30 September28 November – 02 December

SAFETY & SECURITY§16 Working Environment09 – 11 May23 – 25 May – (Romania) (flag change)06 – 08 June08 – 10 August05 – 07 September03 – 05 October07 – 09 November12 – 14 December

DML incl. §16For non-Danish officers 02 – 05 May – (DK)27 – 30 June – (DK)22 - 25 August (DK)03 – 06 Oktober (DK)

Safety Culture Workshop:/CLOConsult: CLO001@maersktraining.com

On Board Ship Security trainer28 – 29 April29 - 30 June(UK)18– 19 August15 – 16 December

Advanced Security Training/SPAR8 – 10 June

Safety Ambassador23 – 24 May11 – 12 August13 – 14 October

PEOPLE SKILLSPersonal & Professional Assessment (PPA)02-03 May09-10 May (UK)06-07 June27-28 June (UK)04-05 August15-16 August01-02 September12-13 September (UK)26-27 September13-14 October31 October – 01 November07-08 November (UK)24-25 November05-06 December

Personal & Professional Planning (PPP)12-13 May06-07 July (UK)30-31 August13-14 October (UK)10-11 November

Leading in Action23 – 25 May14 – 16 September (UK)10 – 12 October

Leading Teams in Action16 – 18 May03 – 05 October (UK)28 – 30 November

OIL & GASWell Control2-6 May30 May-3 June20-24 June11-15 July8-12 August29 August-2 September5-9 September19-23 September3-7 October17-21 October31 October-4 November14-18 November28 November-2 December12-16 December

One call does all – that’s our target when you book a course at Maersk Training Svendborg. When we moved to Rantzausminde on the outskirts of Svendborg the need arose for

hotel quality accommodation en site. What could be better than a facility owned and managed by the same people who organise your course - our spreadsheets are blissfully free from the trauma of hotel over-bookings. Book a course and we can automatically ensure you have somewhere convenient and comfy to lay your head.

Mette, one of our colleagues, will open the doors for you during a short guided tour. It was her first visit, so the tour has an informal, enquiring approach, the way we’d like

you to feel at home when away.

eSeaTours

I am the screw propeller. Who actually invented me represents a constant source of local rivalry between Irvine on the west coast of Scotland and Dunbar on the east, between the followers of carpenters James

Steadman and Robert Wilson. It seems fairly clear that Steadman with the help of a gunsmith came up with a working model in 1816 but it took them 14 years to show it off in London where the idea was pirated and patented by someone else. In the meantime Wilson had two years earlier in 1828 successfully tested a ‘new invention’ which the British Admiralty were unimpressed with and continually rejected for six years. At about this time John Ericsson, a Swede came to England to join the race to build the first locomotives and he patented his version of the propeller in 1836, the same year as a farmer Francis Smith patented one. It was Smith’s propeller which marked the turning point for this means of propulsion when Brunel used it to get ten knots out of the SS Great Britain – for ship development there was no turning back, unless you use ‘thrusters’ the small propellers embedded into the hulls of very large or very manoeuvrable vessels.

Part of the feedback we get from the first eSea is how often you click in on the zoom feature. In the first eSea the most clicked on region was for the two photographs which posed the question, ‘How Well Do You Know Your Ports?’

The top one was for the Granite City, Aberdeen, but the second was a little more obscure with the Maersk Leader dominating the foreground. In the background a cluster of houses in Bergen, Norway.

Now where was Frank? Well if you zoomed in over the door of the General Employees Union the answer was crystal clear, Frank’s port of call was Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Where will he be in our next eSea, click in and see.

eSeanswers

tweaser

tweaser

PoopDeckThey’d been here four weeks, 20 days of intensive instruction and there they stood, two Australian drillers, suitcases packed, in reception awaiting a cab and forced to make one last major decision. Was it to be the ship or the train?

The singularly most popular souvenir bought from our reception desk by departing participants is a box of 988 plastic bricks which, when assembled in the right order, creates a very fine Maersk container vessel – hours of fun.

What was causing the Australians to debate so deeply was the fact that the ship had been joined by 1234 other bricks which when clicked together correctly gave you a rather fantastic working Maersk train.

Coming from a country where to avoid confusion they order beer by the colour of the can, it was a big decision. The train was more expensive, but you got more bricks and it was for those over 14 – the boat however was ironical for everyone over eight. Their children were both 11, in the middle of the capability zone and it didn’t really seem to matter that they were girls – dad would help with the construction; it would be bonding. My advice would have been to buy both and then get a Pink DVD at the airport and as soon as they got

home to place the Lego in the attic. I’m not being sexist, just sensible.

A few years back when A.P. Moller – Maersk in restructuring said goodbye to Maersk Sealand and hello to Maersk Line, our receptionists, polite to the core, apologised to souvenir seekers saying we only had the Sealand version in stock. In fact Lego, unaware of the boardroom manoeuvres at Esplandan, were still rolling them off the plastic slipway. Back here we had two big cases of them, maybe 40 in number.

Lego buffs will realize where I’m going with this. Go on eBay today and look for the Sealand version. The new model, different only in the hull transfer, sells at around $80; a virgin unopened Sealand one starts bidding at about $350. It’s the sort of return on investment you dream about only if you play the stock market, or in this case, the transfer market.

The cab arrived and the two drillers left, not empty handed, but what eleven year old girls will make of flip top Zippos intrigues me. On the lighter the seven pointed star is engraved over the word Maersk – now that isn’t going to change.

Richard Lightbody rli039@maersktraining.com