APRIL 2010
• A U S T R A L I A • N E W Z E A L A N D • S I N G A P O R E • U N I T E D K I N G D O M •• SCAND INAV IA • IND IA • I TALY • PH I L IPP INES • UKRA INE •
House Journal of ASP Ship Management Group
WE MANAGE SHIPS SAFELYWE MANAGE SHIPS SAFELY
SHIP MANAGEMENT GROUP
IN THIS ISSUENew Mumbai offi ceseLearning portalExpansion for Mariner TravelThree tankers for Ukraine
2 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
Changes to ASP Group management structures
David Borcoski Group Managing Director & CEO
New management structures for the ASP Group have been put in place in response to the current climate of the international shipping industry and to provide a platform from which to take up new opportunities as economic conditions improve.
The management changes emphasise a more vigorous business development approach, through dedicated commercial and marketing roles with specifi c global responsibilities.
Under the new structure, Bob Bird, formerly CEO ASP Australia, has been appointed Group Chief Operating Offi cer.
Three new regional positions as Commercial Development Manager have also been created. Two of these have been taken up by new staff appointees Scott Woodward( Asia Pacifi c) and David Skentlebery (United Kingdom). Mikael Holm, formerly General Manager ASP Scandinavia, will become Chief Operating Offi cer responsible for Northern Europe/Scandinavia.
The changes will also involve Group Financial Offi cer Adrian Whatley taking overall responsibility for ASP Crew Management, as well as for Group IT services.
Stephen Hill will move to the position of General Manager ASPSM Australia and Evan Westgarth to General Manager HR Australia.
We congratulate Bob, Adrian and Mikael on their new Group Executive roles and welcome Scott and David
to their important new functions in commercial development within ASP.
We also wish Stephen and Evan good luck in their new roles.
Mumbai offi cesThe opening of the new combined offi ces in Mumbai marks the increasing importance of the subcontinent as a source of crew recruitment and potential ship management business. The premises provide joint offi ce and training centre accommodation for the ASP Crew Management and ASP Ship Management operations in India, as well as the Training Centre and the New Mariner Travel India offi ce.
eLearningAnother advance in the training area has been the introduction of eLearning, enabling seagoing and shore staff to learn the basics of professional training online, through a portal generated inhouse by the Group Training Department.The scheme will create more fl exible training opportunities and ensure that staff are fully updated on new developments throughout the Group.
Mariner Travel expandsThe expanding role of Mariner Travel is indicated by the decision to open offi ces both in Mumbai and Odessa, in Ukraine. The Odessa offi ce is already operating with the appointment of Violetta Lyubarets as Travel consultant. Her fi rst duties will be the arrangement of crew transport, but it is intended also to expand into
corporate business. The Mumbai offi ce of Mariner Travel is scheduled to open in May.
Fleet additionsVessels recently added to the ASP Tanker Management fl eet included the product tanker Verige, handed over in March in Croatia, for worldwide trading. The vessel is the fi fth to come under ASPT Management for the Uljanik Plovidba Group. In Odessa, ASP Crew Management Ukraine has taken over crew management for three chemical product tankers, Amy, Nordic Agnetha and Nordic Ruth.
Year of the SeafarerWe wholeheartedly support the objectives outlined by the IMO on the launching of 2010 as the “International Year of the Seafarer”.Our responsibilities in the recruitment, management and care of seafarers for vessels under our management are integral to the business philosophy of the ASP Group. We agree with the statement by the head of the IMO that “Seafarers the world over deserve our respect, recognition and gratitude for the service they provide”.
Anti-piracy trainingContinued piracy, particularly off the coast of Somalia, is one of the most serious problems faced by the world’s shipping industry. We are pleased to see that ASP Crew Management Philippines is now conducting anti-piracy training courses. The courses, established following a mandatory
provision from the Philippines Government, will not only comply with the provisions but will continue to impart and update knowledge on how to avoid, deter or delay piracy attacks. The International Maritime Employers Committee (IMEC) based in London has also recommended that countries all over the world replicate the Philippines provision as a requirement for deployment of all seafarers.
Sporting achievementsOur seafarers are a versatile lot, as articles in this issue show. We offer congratulations to Integrated Rating Peter Bourke, of the Australian bauxite carrier River Embley, and his wife Heather, for their outstanding success in the 2009 World Archery Championships in Buenos Aires in November. Congratulations, too, to Capt Michael D’Lecki, Master of the BP tanker British Fidelity who distinguished himself in masters’ athletics championships in New South Wales and South Australia, including the World Masters’ Games in Sydney in October 2009.
Best wishesWe all offer our congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy married life to ASP Group Finance Director Adrian Whatley and Laura Traynor, from ASP Singapore, who were married in Scotland on Saturday, March 20.
Cover Picture:Olialia, latest addition to the ASP Yacht Management fl eet, on location in the Mediterranean.
ASPectsHouse Journal of the ASP Ship Management Group
Editor: Nigel PorteousEditorial Consultant: Bryan Reid
Design, production and correspondence to: Nigel PorteousASP Ship Management
473 St Kilda Road, Melbourne Vic 3004 AustraliaTel: +61 3 9211 9379 Email: [email protected]
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 3
New Mumbai Group offi ces opened
Magnifi cent new premises opened in Mumbai in February now provide joint offi ce and training centre accommodation for the ASP Crew Management and ASP Ship Management operations in India, as well as the Training Centre and the New Mariner Travel India offi ce, due to open in May.
The 8000 sq.ft offi ce was offi cially opened by Group CEO David Borcoski, in the presence of Mr. Pratap Shirke.
The offi ce was inaugurated in a traditional Indian manner, in which the Group CEO cut a ribbon at the entrance of the offi ce and this was followed by the auspicious ‘lighting of the lamp’ ritual, shared with Mr. Shirke.
Afterwards, a celebratory dinner was held at the MCA Club, Bandra, Mumbai, for eminent people from the shipping industry including representatives of the Director General of Shipping, the Mercantile Marine Department and classifi cation societies, together with some of the company’s seagoing staff and their families.
Guests were welcomed by Capt Girish Phadnis, General Manager, ASP Crew Management (India).
“We anticipate an expansion of our business” said Capt Phadnis, “with quality owners and crews by the end of the year”.
Mr. H. C. Roy, General Manager, ASP Ship Management (India) explained that both operations had run short of space and in line with the ASP business development strategy, it had been decided to consolidate all ASP activities in one location. “I believe, with our level of commitment at all levels of the organisation, we are poised for the next phase of expansion and excellence, as the shipping industry recovers and with this new consolidation ASP will be prepared to serve our clients and crews more effi ciently” he said.
LEFT: Pratap Shirke hands David Borcoski a commemorative plaque for the opening of the new Mumbai Offi ces.
One more for Tanker ManagementThe product tanker Verige, is the latest addition to the Croatian Uljanik Plovidba Group fl eet and was delivered to owners by the builders, Brodogradliste, at the yard in Rijeka, Croatia in March for worldwide trading.
The 30,638gt Verige is a double-hull oil/chemical carrier, 195 metres long, with a breadth of 32 metres and draft of 12.5 metres.
Verige is the fi fth Uljanik Tanker Management Inc vessel to be managed by ASP Tanker Management Singapore. The ASP Tanker Management fl eet now stands at 22 vessels.
BELOW:Pictured at the Verige handover ceremony: Uljanik Plovidba d.d. CEO
Dragutin Pavletic (left) and Capt Lino Sokolic (right).
RIGHT: Visiting Group executives with Mumbai staff members
assembled at the new offi ces
4 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
A free e-navigation service for voyage-planning is now being provided by the UK Hydrographic Admiralty Offi ce (UKHO).
The service, which brings together all necessary information in one place is expected to provide signifi cant savings in costs and time and is the result of consultations with shipping companies and seafarers. It will be available to all vessels and in onshore offi ces.
For the end-user, the benefi ts of the system arise from its numerous functions and simplicity. Its single real-time view of paper and digital chart holdings is supplemented by real-time ordering and product delivery, as well as tide, weather and related data. Customers will be able to buy what they need when they need it.
ASP Yacht Management has added another luxury vessel to its managed Mediterranean
charter fl eet with the addition of the 30 metre Olialia.
The vessel’s name is taken from a new lifestyle marketing brand originating in the
Baltic and now well-known in Europe. The Olialia brand covers soft drinks, shows, yachts,
luxury cars, travels, chocolates and a wide range of other products. ASP is now collaborating with the brand owners providing the luxury yachts for Olialia Yacht Charters.
The Olialia is the fi rst yacht to carry the brand name but others are expected to follow.
The new yacht accommodates eight guests in four cabins, with a crew of three or four. All cabins have ensuite bathrooms.
The owner’s suite on the main deck is on two levels with panoramic views, a lower deck VIP state room extends the full width of the vessel, and there are two twin guest cabins on the lower deck forward.
Equipment and features include LCD fl at screen televisions with surround music and Internet connections in all cabins and accommodation areas. The vessel carries tenders, jet skis and other recreation equipment, and there is also a jacuzzi, bar and barbecue.
ASP Yacht Management Manager Lena Sundell told ASPects the Olialia, based in Rapalo, Italy will cruise along the South of France, the Italian Riviera, Sardinia and Corsica. The vessel joins the fl eet along with the super yacht Northern Cross, based in San Remo Italy, where ASPYM has its headquarters.
The UKHO points out that 90 per cent of navigation is route preparation, and states: “e-Navigator brings together the tools to support the mariner’s decisions and receive near real-time fulfi lment of digital chart permits.”
It is not yet clear what the eventual savings will be. As a completely new application, savings have yet to be fully supported by in-service evidence, the Offi ce admits, but the amount of time spent on administration is expected to be signifi cantly reduced.
The application has been developed to support the IMO’s vision of e-navigation, which is often defi ned as a “harmonized collection of maritime information by electronic means.”
The UKHO’s CEO Mike Robinson (pictured left) commented: “e-Navigation will enable [ships] to travel more effi ciently, more cheaply and, not least, with less impact on the environment.”
e-Navigation expected to cut voyage planning time
New luxury yacht has lifestyle branding
Forward cabinMain saloon
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 5
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has declared the year 2010 to be the “International Year of the Seafarer”, to pay tribute to the world’s 1.5 million seafarers for the “unique, and all too often over-looked, contribution they make to the wellbeing of all of us.”
The announcement from IMO Secretary General E. E. Mitropoulos (pictured right) stated:
“At IMO, we are ever-conscious of the important role seafarers play in helping us achieve safe, secure and effi cient shipping on clean oceans - the goals that we, as the United Nations specialized agency charged with the regulation of international
shipping and as a member of the global maritime community, have set ourselves.
“We will also celebrate this year’s World Maritime Day in recognizing the seafarer’s contribution to our objectives, to the facilitation of more than 90 per cent of the world’s trade.”
The IMO declared that its objectives for The Year of the Seafarer will include added impetus to the “Go to sea!” campaign to increase the number, especially of young people, entering the industry.
Other objectives are ensuring that seafarers are fairly treated when ships on which they serve become involved in accidents, looked after when they are abandoned in ports, protected when their work takes them into piracy-infested areas; not refused shore leave for security purposes, and not left unaided when they are in distress at sea.
The International Year of the Seafarer
ASP seagoing and shore staff can now learn the basic elements of professional training online, and keep themselves up-to-date with new developments through the recently established eLearning portal on the ASP Group website (Staff Login/ASP eLearning).
“This web based learning platform represents an exciting step forward for ASP“, ASP Crew Management General manager Ben Brooksby told ASPects. He listed the main benefi ts of the program as:• Greater fl exibility for the seafarer in accessing training
opportunities. • Better targeted training immediately available for ship
managers wherever they are.• More fl exible, more effi cient and more effective use of
training funds by crew managers.
ASP Group Training Manager Capt Purnendu Shorey said: “The core intention of the eLearning program is to provide
staff with the means to learn at their convenience and ensure that they remain updated with the most recent happenings – anywhere, anytime.”
The objectives of ASP eLearning are to:• Provide learning modules online for continuous training
up-grades. • Provide staff with company-specifi c information. • Issue certifi cates on completion of certain training/
learning modules. • Generate records of training and assessment conducted. • Facilitate selection of new staff for induction into the
system. • Provide continuous assessment of staff for competence
development and decisions pertaining to promotions. • Facilitate Selection of Cadets/Trainees.
The eLearning portal was opened in February on the ASP Home Page with the following modules:• Safety Induction – Part 1• Safety Induction – Part 2• Marine Environment Awareness Training• Oil Record Book Entries – How to do it Right• Cadet and Trainees Selection Program• Competence Assessment Tool (CAT) for Offi cer Ranks
All content for the portal is generated in-house by the Training Department in close liaison with ship and crew managers, based on a clear understanding of their requirements and training needs throughout the Group.
The IT requirements for ASP eLearning are managed by ISF Software and Publications (Mumbai).
ASP eLearning: Training online
6 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
Master revives old skills on track & fi eldCapt Michael D’Lecki, Master of the BP tanker British Fidelity, rediscovered some old talents in 2009 when he began to compete in Masters athletics championships in New South Wales and South Australia, including the World Masters Games in Sydney in October 2009.
Capt D’Lecki, who had been a champion schoolboy athlete in his native Poland, returned to track and fi eld after his family became concerned at his growing waistline. While he was out obediently walking a couple of years ago, he met a friend who persuaded him to take his exercise a little further with some jogging in Sydney’s Centennial Park.
From there, he went on to take part in Masters athletics for people over 35, surprising himself, his family and friends by taking gold medals in the 60-65 age group for the shot put and javelin and silver in the discus throw at the NSW State Masters Athletics Championships in March 2009.
He also won bronze in the high jump, long jump and the 100m sprint, all without any preparation or expert advice.
He followed this up with gold in high jump in National Masters Athletics in Adelaide, then went on to the international stage in the World Masters titles in Sydney in October, coming third in the discus preliminaries and fi fth in the fi nal.
Mike, who says he again approaches athletics with the same thrill he felt as a teenager, is looking forward to competing in the 2010 National Masters Athletics Championships in Perth in April and later, the Pan Pacifi c Games.
Archery couple hit World Title targetsPeter Bourke, an Integrated Rating on the Australian bauxite carrier River Embley, and his wife Heather, were right on target in the 2009 World Archery Championships in Buenos Aires in November. Each ran out Gold Medallists in their respective divisions, Peter becoming the Professional Freestyle Unlimited 2009 IFAA World Indoor Champion and Heather the Female Limited 2009 IFAA World Indoor Champion.
Peter told ASPects: “For me it was a case of exhilaration, relief and straight out excitement as this is the fi rst World Championship I have won. Words cannot describe how it felt to work so long and hard and then to fi nally achieve your goals.”
Peter’s achievement was all the more admirable after he injured his shoulder in an onboard accident last year as a mature age trainee and had to undergo surgery. He is now fully fi t, back at work and a world champion.
The International Field Archery Association World Indoor Archery Championships are held every two years in a different country. At Mannheim, Germany in 2007 Heather Won Bronze and Peter won Silver.
The 2009 shoot was run over three days of intense competition, each match taking four to fi ve hours of maximum concentration and physical effort.
Peter’s competition was a close struggle with Steve Kendrick from England, but by the end of day three he had won the World Champion title by 4 points out of a possible 900.
Heather won her second World Champion title by a very impressive margin of 102 points out of a possible 900 – her fourth Championships medal.
Peter took up archery seven years ago and today is now an accredited archery instructor and coach. Heather has been drawing the bow for 9 years.
Our congratulations go to Peter and Heather on their achievements.
RIGHT: Mike D’Lecki shows his form in the shot put event.
LEFT: Peter and Heather Bourke show their colours after their winning performances .
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 7
Delays in ballast water treatment could cost ship owners dearlyMore countries are ratifying the IMO water ballast convention than ever before. The dates for shipowners to have a solution onboard are looming with too few taking action, Craig Eason reports in a recent issue of Lloyd’s List.
Unless more shipowners take the initiative to install ballast water systems now there is a risk that demand in a few years will be so high that prices will escalate. Even though there is no shortage of different systems becoming available, experts warn that owners risk being caught in a costly rush as the fi nal deadline approaches, because they have taken their time to act.
After a slow start, member states of the International Maritime Organisation are increasingly ratifying the ballast water convention, with a very strong possibility that the required target will come into force at the end of next year.
For owners, this means the staggered series of deadlines for the system will become mandatory and it could mean problems for some. The deadlines could come in as the shipping markets begin to recover after the recent GFC, but also just after the end of the largest shipbuilding boom the industry has ever known.
During the boom, when hundreds of ships were being delivered every month, little was done to plan ahead and predict what space would be needed in the engine room or elsewhere on deck for a ballast water treatment system.
The ballast water convention deadlines come as other environmental and safety regulations are coming into force, all at potentially huge cost to the shipowner. Already, ballast systems are believed to cost from $50,000 to $2 million to purchase and install. This adds to an already growing number of additional costs for owners or operators, just as they are climbing out of recession and facing 10 years of additional regulatory requirements.
Treatment technologies are currently the only approved means of reducing the risks of transferring aquatic life from one region to another.
More than 400 vessels a month need to be retrofi tted to ensure that the global fl eet is compliant by the convention’s deadline. One technical expert told Lloyd’s List that a competent engineer or architect could design the pipe work and layout on a ballast system and have it installed for only fi ve vessels a year.
Deadlines for installing water ballast systems
Existing tonnages (delivered before 2009)Ship Type Year
Existing vessels with ballast capacity between 1500 and 5000 cu m 2014
All other existing vessel less than 1500 cuOr higher than 5000 cu m 2016
New buildings (keels laid 2009 onwards)Ship Type Year
Keels laid 2010 onwards, ballast capacityless than 5000 cu m 2011
Keels laid between 2009 and 2012,ballast capacity over 5000 cu m 2016
Keels laid 2012 onwards, ballast capacityover 5000 cu m upon delivery
An opportunity to gain some skills in the offshore industry is offered to ASP seafarers under a scheme set up by ASP Crew Management Australia.
The scheme offers seafarers part-time relief work on offshore service vessels which fi nd themselves short of crew, or needing extra crew for short-term engagement.
“This means they can gain new experience and skills, make some extra money and retain their employee entitlements,” ASP Australia HR General Manager Evan Westgarth said.
The duration of employment varied from a few days up to six months, on offshore vessels within the oil and gas industry, such as FPSOs, supply vessels and seismic exploration ships.
Chance for offshore industry experienceOffshore operators were being invited to seek relief crew from ASPCM, and they would be supplied from seafarers who were on leave between swings, or otherwise available for temporary work. ASPCM can also recruit permanent employees for the offshore industry.
Evan said feedback from offshore relief crews has been positive, with seafarers eager to get the experience while offshore companies are enjoying a partnership where they can rely on ASPCM for a high quality workforce solution in a time of need.
8 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
Slow steaming has risks, insurers warn
Increasing use of slow steaming and super-slow steaming has prompted concerns about possible damage to main engines designed for high-speed, full load operation if they are operating at low power for extended periods
An article in Lloyd’s List, written by Steve Matthews, quotes International Union of Marine Insurers President Deidre Littlefi eld as saying that insurers were “concerned” about the impact on machinery from the growing trend of slow steaming, now being strongly advocated by a number of operators as the way to combat high fuel prices until seaborne trade picks up.
“Many large, high-speed diesel engines are designed to operate only at sustained high service speeds,” she said.
Many liner services have reduced service speeds to below 20 knots, while some are looking at even slower speeds of less than 15 knots.
Maersk Line has indicated that trials on its ships show they can operate at engine loads down to 40 per cent without any adverse effects and that it is possible to operate down to 10-15 per cent.
When slow steaming fi rst emerged, leading engine suppliers, including MAN Diesel and Wartsila, issued guidance to operators on how to limit potential damage and recommended operating procedures.
MAN Diesel superintendent engineer Lars Christiansen told Lloyd’s List that the issue was relevant for containerships as they tended to have large engines relative to the vessels, size. He said engines could be operated down to 40 per cent load without anything having to be done, but he recommended engines should be fi tted with slide type fuel injection valves to limit deposits.
Operating at less than 40 per cent could cause more serious risks, Mr Christiansen said. For example, it could cause a reduction in air intake with the result that auxiliary air blowers were running continuously. Cutting the number of turbo-chargers in use risked increased load on the main engine bearing.
MAN Diesel recommends the installation of a turbo-charger cut-out system. Engines should be operated for an hour a day with at least 70-80 per cent power to clear out the system
“The biggest risk is not to the engine, but to the exhaust gas system” Mr Christiansen said “The exhaust gas boilers are critical. If there is too much fouling of the boilers there is a risk of fi re and damage.”
Following the Philippines Government’s mandatory provision in January for anti-piracy training courses for Filipino seafarers, ASP Crew Management (ASPCM) Philippines has already conducted six seminars on Anti-Piracy Awareness.
Capt Milind Phadnis of ASPCM said the courses would continue, not only for compliance with the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration memorandum, but also to continue imparting and updating knowledge on how to avoid, deter, or delay piracy attacks.
The International Maritime Employers Committee (IMEC) based in London has recommended that countries all over the world replicate the training as a requirement for deployment of all seafarers. Under the new provisions, Filipino seafarers cannot be deployed overseas unless they take the module and receive a certifi cation from the POEA. The move was made because of the alarming increase in hijacking incidents in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden in 2009.
Before ASP’s seminars were established, ASP Philippines Regional Training Manager
Butch Bautista attended a series of shipping industry anti-piracy seminars and from information gained from these, he initiated the fi rst ASPCM anti-piracy training course in January.
Filipino mariners comprise a third of the world’s shipping manpower requirement, or an estimated 350,000 seafarers. They remitted back to the Philippines a record $2.5 billion for the fi rst nine months of 2009 despite the threat of kidnappings.
The Philippines Department of Labour and Employment has reported that 68 Filipinos are still held hostage in six vessels by Somali pirates. A total of over 250 seafarers are claimed to be still remaining in captivity by the pirates.
Philippines sets up anti-piracy training
Butch Bautista, Regional Training Manager of the ASP Training Centre Manila (in yellow shirt), takes the fi rst intake of trainees for the anti-piracy course in Manila
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 9
Ukraine ship visits keep up standardsWhenever a ship managed by ASP Crew Management Ukraine calls at a Ukrainian port, Crew Manager Vitaliy Chayka and Fleet Training Superintendent Anatoliy Drozd make a point of visiting the vessel to ensure that shipboard conditions such as safety, health and accommodation are at the proper standard.
Vitaliy told ASPects the visits serve to help crews understand ASP CMS management policy and management to ensure that standards of crew welfare are maintained and, where necessary, improved.
One such recent visit was to the product chemical tanker Alia operated by Seaarland Ship Management (Hamburg), when she called at Port Nikolayev in the Ukraine. They found the vessel in good condition and the Master and Chief Engineer both expressed satisfaction with the competency and effi ciency of all offi cers and ratings supplied by ASPCM.
(ABOVE) Australian Shipowners Association Executive Director Teresa Hatch addresses the inaugural SEA09 conference.
RIGHT: From left: ASPCMS Ukraine Crew Manager Vitaliy Chayka,
New IMO hull maintenance guidelines The nature of hull maintenance is set to change, as the IMO focuses on bio-fouling as a major cause of invasive species transfer, according to an article by Wendy Laursen in Ships and Shipping.
The IMO guidelines will establish an expanded regime for hull cleaning and associated record-keeping, not only for cargo vessels but also for work boats, because speed and fuel effi ciency won’t be the only purpose of such work.
Bio-fouling on ships’ hulls and other fl oating structures is estimated to be responsible for up to 87 per cent of recorded marine species invasion.
Part of the problem is that even well-maintained hulls can pose an invasive species risk. A US study has shown that less than 1 per cent of the hull area of 21 container ships was colonised but that bio-diversity was high.
One vessel had 20 different species, concentrated on more protected and heterogeneous niche areas including the rudder, stern tubes and intake gratings.
The IMO guidelines call for effective bio-fouling management systems for such areas, with in-water and dry-docking procedures to specify when and where owner inspections should be made, record keeping, and guidance on enforcement and monitoring by port states.
LEFT: Manual cleaning in small gaps. ABOVE: Jet washing for bio-fouling.
ABOVE: Chief Offi cer Stokolos Yevgen (left), and Fleet Training Superintendent Anatoliy Drozd, on deck during the ship visit.
Preparations for AFC renewal
10 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
Singapore launches agency expansionASP Crew Management Singapore is embarking on a vigorous expansion program to develop its agency business.
Agency Manager Vincent Lim (right) told ASPects: “We have been steadily growing along with ASP Tankers and ASP Dry Bulk but now we are ready to actively pursue business outside of the ASP Group,” he said. “We are promoting our experience, local knowledge, and good relationships with the unions and with government departments.”
An advertising campaign was scheduled to begin in April in print and on the internet.
Vincent Lim, who has been with ASP Crew Management Singapore since 2007, has had more than 25 years’ experience in a wide range of management support roles in the shipping industry, particularly in the human resources, ships’ agency and crewing and technical management sectors.
The Bunker Broker needs many skills... and a reliable crystal ball
“What exactly does a Bunker Trader do?”I am sometimes asked. A Bunker Trader/Broker’s business is really just a very specialised procurement unit and it helps a lot if it also happens to be part shipbroker/part lawyer/part chief engineer/part chemist/part accountant/part mediator and most importantly, a very good crystal ball gazer! (And that’s only a small part).
A Bunker Trader’s primary function is to ensure that their customer (the Shipowner/Time Charterer, Operator etc.) obtains the best possible prices available for their fuel requirements.
This also includes ensuring that the product (whatever grade) meets all the current ISO and technical requirements to satisfy the vessel’s engine and generator specifi cations. In addition to this, the Bunker Trader/Broker needs to be mindful of any Charter Party clauses, timing and method of delivery, precise quantity determination, sampling, documentation, and any local port regulations including environmental procedures.
A good Bunker Trader/Broker has a close relationship with all customers because, to ensure continuity of supply at the most competitive prices at most ports around the world, the bunker procurer needs to be aware of the availability and pricing trends that are likely to affect supplies.
As the actual cost of bunkers now contributes to such a substantial percentage of any vessel’s daily operating costs, maximizing costs saving and minimizing the time taken to supply the bunkers goes a long way to making the voyage more profi table.
Sometimes it’s as simple as suggesting a cheaper and better port option for the bunkering. At other times it is understanding how short supply and port congestion may mean that taking maximum bunkers at a previous port will
avoid an expensive and unnecessary port call just for a small quantity of IFO or MDO.
The bunker person, now, more than ever before also has to be aware of the myriad of environmental/port and emission control areas around the globe. With the expected introduction of 1.0 pct sulphur emission ECA’s (Emission Control Areas) from July 2010, customers will be relying on their bunker trader to be able to advise them where low sulphur grades are available and what are the most competitive ports. Also how to manage the different grades on board the vessel (which could be up to four) to maximize savings and minimize bunkering down time.
The volatility in oil and bunker prices over the past 2-3 years has meant that customers now rely a lot more on the advice that they get from their Bunker Traders and suppliers. Whether they are looking for guidance on forward pricing, hedging, guarantees of quality and continuity of supply, or simply resolving a dispute regarding quantity, it will be the Bunker Trader who is expected to perform all these tasks, while at the same time looking into his or her crystal ball to see when next the oil prices will exceed their all time highs of USD 146/bbl?
Mark Neve joined the ASP Group with the acquisition of Universal Bunkering in Sept 2007. He has been in the ship broking/bunker broking business in Australia since 1973.
By Mark NeveGeneral Manager Universal Bunkering, Melbourne
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 11
Three tankers for ASPCM UkraineASP Crew Management Ukraine has taken over crew management of three new chemical/product tankers, Amy, Nordic Agnetha and Nordic Ruth. The technical managers of the vessel are Seaarland Ship Management Hamburg.
ASPCM Ukraine Operations Manager Vitaliy Chayka, said the Liberian-fl agged vessels, which trade worldwide, would each have a Ukrainian crew of 24, including cadets.
Amy
Nordic Agnetha
Nordic Ruth
Ships from the ASP Australia fl eet have played important roles in recent security training exercises by both the Australian Army and the Queensland Police under the Australian national security program Mercury 08, designed to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from multiple threats or acts of terrorism.
The Rio Tinto Marine bulk carrier RTM Wakmatha in the Port of Gladstone, Central Queensland, was the setting for a police specialist response raid in search of supposed “offenders” being part of the crew who intended to sink the vessel to block the Gladstone Harbour to shipping. The exercise was to test the ability for police and other agencies to respond to acts of terrorism in the State.
Crew members agreed to play their parts, including one member who was photographed from ashore.
On the morning of the action a small team of police came aboard the RTM Wakmatha to brief crew, and to tape off areas where police were not permitted to go, such as the Engine Room, Ballast Control, the Bridge, Master’s Quarters etc.
The whole exercise took between 5-15 minutes, with minimum inconvenience or disruption to work on the vessel.
Queensland Police subsequently expressed their gratitude to the RTM Wakmatha Master and crew by presenting the vessel with a commemorative plaque.
In another security exercise, held in 2008 also as part of the Mercury 08 program, a section of the Australian Army’s 6th Aviation Regiment, boarded the Queensland Alumina Ltd vessel River Embley by helicopter also while the vessel was in Gladstone waters, to provide training for aircrew in dealing and operating with civilian vessels in security and other emergencies.
After that exercise the Commanding Offi cer of the regiment, Lt Col S. J. Dobson also sent a letter to ASPSM General Manager Australia Stephen Hill thanking him and the crew of the vessel for the support given during the training event.
ASP ships play vital role in security exercises
BELOW: With the Mercury 08 commemorative plaque, from left: ASPSM Australia General Manager Stephen Hill, Capt Douglas Harrower, Master
of the RTM Wakmatha and Second Engineer Martin McQuillen.
12 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
Major revisions to STCW ConventionThe professional standing of seafarers is set to be enhanced this year by the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) launching of the “International Year of the Seafarer” and the completion of revisions to the 1995 Standards of Training, Certifi cation and Watchkeeping Convention (STCW).
Speaking at the offi cial launch in London, Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica and Chairman of the STCW sub-committee (pictured above) told delegates:
“The rapid march of technology and the changing demands of an industry striving to be ever more competitive has meant that the global rules governing the training and certifi cation of today’s and tomorrow’s seafarers had to be revised.
“It is therefore appropriate that the revision of the 1995 Standards of Training, Certifi cation and Watchkeeping Convention and Code should be completed in a year when the efforts and the professionalism of the world’s seafarers are embraced worldwide.”
“As regulators of the shipping industry we have a duty to our seafarers to prepare and train them to a high enough standard that is commensurate with their role as a professional and highly valued asset.”
The main revisions to STCW are currently being completed and the revised Convention will be presented for approval to the IMO’s Diplomatic Conference in the Philippines in June.
Once the Convention is adopted, the IMO plans to hold a series of seminars and workshops to familiarise seafarers with the new and amended standards.
- From Ships and Shipping magazine
Annual Golf Day attracts big entryThe ASP Group and Jebsen’s Shipping joined forces in hosting another shipping industry golf day at the picturesque Green Acres Golf Club, in Melbourne on March 26th, attracting an entry of about 70 players, on a beautiful autumn day.
Players teed off at around 7:50 am and then played an 18 hole Ambrose competition. Following completion of the golf the fi eld then gathered for a splendid buffet lunch at the clubhouse. Max Walker, the former Australian Test Cricketer was the principal guest speaker and gave a highly amusing and insightful address.
Results of the main events were:
1st Place Men: (pictured below) Tony Symons, Clarendon Lawyers; Peter Irving, St George Bank; Bob Bird, ASP and Mike Harvey, Rio Tinto.
2nd Place Men: Michael Clinch, ASP; Anthony Saint Ange, Inerlia Entertainment; Peter Robertson and Grant Harslett, Maritime Super.
1st Place Women: (pictured below) Erica Hopkins, Mariner Travel; Sally Bird and Ena Hadzanovic, Middleton Lawyers; Trudy Rundle, Mitsui & Co .
2nd Place Women: Teresa Hatch, ASA; Kaoru Curmi, Mitsui & Co; Kate McNamara, Clarendon Lawyers; Silke Nees, Mariner Travel.
A range of excellent prizes were donated by ASP Group, Jebsens Shipping, Mariner Travel and Port Melbourne Services. Golf balls were supplied by Universal Bunkering.
RIGHT: Erica Hopkins with Max Walker
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 13
STAFF APPOINTMENTS
Scott Woodward
Tim Pyatt
David Skentelbery
Stephen Hill
Evan Westgarth
Scott Woodward, newly appointed ASP Commercial Manager (Asia Pacifi c), began his sea career in 1991 as a deck cadet with a small coastal shipping company in the UK trading in tankers, container and timber ships.
He joined BP Shipping in 1994, moving through the ranks on various types of vessels before obtaining his Master’s certifi cate and moving ashore in 2004 with BP. As a superintendent in Singapore from 2004, Scott was part of a team managing shipping risks through vessel, terminal and owner audits. This was later followed with the management of time charter relationships in the Asia-Pacifi c region. Scott began an MBA course in 2008 and was due to sit his fi nal exam on March 26.
The new Project Director for ASP Rockingham Offi ce in Western Australia, Tim Pyatt, joined ASP in January 2009 as the Project Director SIRIUS ISS contract. The Rockingham offi ce function is to manage the Royal Australian Navy tanker-fueler HMAS SIRIUS, which is a fi tting complement to Tim’s 20 year career in the RAN.
During his naval service, Tim had postings to three ships and was fortunate to enjoy two attachments to Australian Embassies: in Washington as a member of the Naval Attache’s staff and in Bangkok as a Thai Navy Staff Course student attached to the Defence Attache’s offi ce.
In 2003 he left the Navy to spend a few years in Sweden, where he worked for the Port of Oxelösund as a technical manager, before returning to Australia in 2008. His fi nal Navy posting was as the Ship Repair Contract Manager in Western Australia. Tim left the Navy with the rank of Lieutenant Commander and is still in the Naval Reserve.
The ASP Group’s new Commercial Development Manager (UK), David Skentelbery went to sea with P&O in 1973 reaching the rank of Chief Offi cer and later joining Lowline Ltd, where he reached the rank of Master, on various offshore vessels. In 1989 David joined Cable & Wireless in various roles at board level including responsibility for technical management, new buildings and conversion programs, followed by managerial postings to China and Singapore. Before joining ASP, David was Group Managing Director for A&P, the UK’s largest ship repair and conversion company, where he remains as a non-executive director .
Stephen Hill, who has been appointed as General Manager, ASPSM Australia, was formerly General Manager, Fleet Operations. He joined ASP in March 2005, in Gladstone Queensland as Fleet Manager.
Stephen went to sea in 1976 with Scottish Ship Management, and became Chief Engineer in 1985. He served in oil rigs for nine years, before taking up ship management posts ashore. He returned to Australia in 1997.
Evan Westgarth, who has been appointed General Manager, Human Resources, ASP Australia, had been Employee Relations Manager since he joined ASP in 2007.
Previously, he had served with the Australian Shipowners Association as Employee Relations Manager, after various positions in the transport and tourism industries. Evan holds a degree in Business from Victoria University and is currently completing an MBA at Deakin university.
His outside interests are playing football and tennis and generally keeping fi t, with fi shing as another major attraction.
14 ASPECTS APRIL 2010
TRAVEL
Mariner Travel goes international
The newly-established branch, Mariner Travel Ukraine, based in Odessa and opened in March, is the fi rst Mariner Travel offi ce to be opened outside Australia, and will be followed in May by an offi ce in Mumbai.
General Manager Joanne Tomasi said the Odessa office would at first be largely concerned with crew travel requirements for ASP Crew Management, but it was expected that business would expand in Europe through Mariner Travel’s connection with the International Marine Travel Group.
She said that staff would be increased, as business expansion demanded. In the meantime, The Mariner Travel offi ce in Mumbai will serve crew management requirements on the sub-continent, and is also expected to move into new business areas.
The Senior Travel Consultant for Mariner Travel Ukraine is a highly qualifi ed and experienced travel consultant, Violetta Lyubarets (pictured above). She has travelled widely, but made her fi rst visit to Australia in February for briefi ng on her new job.
Before joining Mariner Travel, Violetta worked for 15 years with a travel agency in Odessa, after completing a university course in travel economics. In her new position, she will be largely involved in crew travel arrangements, but expects to move into corporate work for European and Mediterranean clients as the business develops. Violetta has two children, Veronica, 11 and Daniel 6.
Mariner Travel staff entertain guests at dinner with Ukrainian visitors, ASPCM Ukraine Crew Manager Vitaliy Chayka and Mariner Travel Ukraine
Senior Travel Consultant Violetta Lyubarets.From left: Silke Nees, Vitaliy Chayka, Joanne Tomasi, Violetta Lyubarets,
Erica Hopkins and Andrew Denishensky
Scottish weddingASP Group Finance Director Adrian Whatley and Laura Traynor, from the Accounts Department at ASP Singapore, were married in Scotland on Saturday, March 20. The reception was held at Dundas Castle, near Edinburgh.
100 guests including family and friends attended the event. ASP guests were Pratap and Sarita Shirke, David and Meredith Borcoski, Bob Bird, Jo Tomasi and husband Jean, Melanie Day, Garry and Roz Heffron, and Stefan and Myra Connelly.
Congratulations and best wishes go to the happy couple from all at ASP.
Pictures show the newlyweds, the happy
couple with principal guests and the
reception venue of Dundas Castle.
ASPECTS APRIL 2010 15
Bryan Reid has been the editorial consultant for ASPects since the fi rst issue in 1993. He has had a lifetime in journalism and public relations in New Zealand and Australia, and for some years, he was public relations consultant to ANL Ltd. He has always been
fascinated by the sea and counts himself lucky to have worked so long with shipping and seafarers.
A big square-rigged ship under full sail is one of most thrilling sights anyone could hope to see. I count myself privileged to be one of a dwindling number who have had that experience, when I witnessed the end of one of the last commercial voyages by a square rigger – the four-masted barque Pamir.
As shipping reporter of the Auckland Star newspaper, I was at the signal station on North head in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand on August 18, 1948 when the big black-hulled barque came surging down the northern coast of the North Island, under full sail, at around 10 or 12 knots, a brisk northerly behind her and a great bone in her teeth.
She made a dramatic entry into Auckland Harbour, because her Master, Capt H. S. (“Two Gun Pete”) Collier refused the tug, being determined to bring the Pamir into port under sail. As she rounded up, the crew raced to shorten sail and the great vessel came up on starboard tack almost like a yacht to round North Head.
But the plan to take her further up the harbour under sail was aborted when she was taken aback by a sudden westerly wind shift. More sail had to come off, and the tug William C. Daldy took the tow to bring her in to anchor.
Commissioned in 1905, The Pamir, at 3020 gross registered tons, was very large for a sailing ship; she was 114.5m long, with a beam of 14m. Her mainmast stood 51.2m above the deck and her main yard was 28m wide. In the right conditions, she could sail at about 16 knots, but her regular speed was around 13 knots.
Pamir sailed under the New Zealand fl ag through an accident of war, being seized as a prize in 1941 by the New Zealand Government while in port in Wellington early in World War 2. She was then under Finnish ownership by the Gustav Erikson company in the Australian wheat trade, and because Finland was then technically at war with New Zealand, she was held to be enemy property and thus open to seizure.
From 1941 until 1948, she sailed under Union Steam Ship Company management with New Zealand offi cers and crew, and had fi ve different Masters, all New Zealanders, who had done their early training in sail. Many younger New Zealanders too, were able to receive a unique introduction to working in sail.
Pamir made 10 commercial trips between New Zealand and San Francisco, miraculously escaping the attention of the enemy. She fi nished her commercial career with a round-the-world voyage, with Auckland as her fi rst New Zealand port of call.
Later in 1948, Pamir was returned to her Finnish owners and made one last voyage to Australia. On her journey to Finland in 1949 she was the last commercial sailing ship to round Cape Horn. In 1950, the ship was about to be scrapped, but was saved by a German shipowner who bought her and the Passat, another four-masted barque often wrongly believed to be a sister of Pamir.
Years later, I was devastated to learn that the Pamir, by that time a German training ship, had foundered in mid-Atlantic with the loss of all but fi ve of her company. Her cargo had shifted and she began to list heavily to port; her sails began to split and at the same time her top rigging parted. The Pamir capsized and sank into the waters of the Atlantic at 11:15 am on September 21, 1957.
Only six men were able to right and board a capsized lifeboat. Five survived to be rescued after terrible privations.
“How I saw the last of the square-rigged traders” By Bryan Reid
The winner of the 2008/2009 ASPects Essay Prize, Mahesa Abeynayake, Second Engineer on the Australian Bass Strait ferry Spirit of Tasmania I, began his career as an apprentice marine engineer in Colombo, Sri Lanka before joining a number of shipping companies then coming ashore in Sydney to begin a series of engineering posts in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
He holds an Advanced Diploma I, Marine Engineering from the Australia Maritime College, Tasmania, where he was later a senior lecturer in maritime studies. He took up his present position with the Spirit of Tasmania I in late 2007. Congratulations Mahesa!
For this issue, no suitable essay entries were received. The article below is not an entry.We still need your contributions to the competition which carries a prize of $US1000 for the best entry. Write about your life
at sea or anything else you think interesting and mail it to The Editor, ASPects, ASP Ship Management 473 St Kilda Road, Melbourne Vic 3004 Australia, or email it to [email protected]
Essay prize WINNER
Adrian WhatleyGroup Finance Director
Tel: +61 3 9211 9320 Mob/Cell: +61 419 177 522 Email: [email protected]
Ben BrooksbyGroup General Manager ASPCM
Tel: +65 6576 5728 Mob/Cell: +65 9150 6817
www.aspships.com
AUSTRALIAMelbourneContact: Stephen HillTel: + 61 3 9211 9311Mob/Cell: + 61 412 636 314Email: [email protected]
GladstoneContact: Stephen HillTel: + 61 3 9211 9311Mob/Cell: + 61 412 636 314Email: [email protected]
RockinghamContact: Tim PyattTel: + 61 8 9529 4311Mob/Cell: + 61 437 614 753Email: [email protected]
NEW ZEALANDSilver Fern ShippingWellingtonContact: Steve ParkerTel: + 64 (0) 4 460 3924Mob/Cell: + 64 (0)27 4524 744Email: [email protected]
UNITED KINGDOMGlasgowContact: Peik AaltoTel: + 44 (0) 141 553 2231Mob/Cell: + 44 790 996 2332Email: [email protected]
FINLANDMariehamn Contact: Mikael HolmTel: + 358 18 620 600Mob/Cell: + 358 40 900 7090Email: [email protected]
ITALYASP Yacht ManagementSan RemoContact: Lena SundellMob/Cell: + 39 346 840 4702Email: [email protected]
SINGAPOREASP Tanker ManagementContact: Robert WalkerTel: + 65 6576 5750Mob/Cell: + 659 757 3678Email: [email protected]
ASP Dry BulkContact: Norman BainbridgeTel: + 65 6576 5710Mob/Cell: + 65 9823 9800Email: [email protected]
INDIAMumbaiContact: Hirakesh RoyTel: + 91 22 6602 9000Mob/Cell: + 91 9833 125 226Email: [email protected]
AUSTRALIAMelbourneContact: Evan WestgarthTel: + 61 3 9211 9332Mob/Cell: + 61 423 299 668Email: [email protected]
INDIAMumbaiContact: Girish PhadnisTel: + 91 22 6602 9000Mob/Cell: + 91 98 2064 9939Email: [email protected]
KolkataContact: Sumit DasguptaTel: + 91 33 6458 0507Mob/Cell: + 91 98 3038 6810Email: [email protected]
PHILIPPINESManilaContact: Milind PhadnisTel: + 63 2 302 7640Mob/Cell: + 63 917 558 4829Email: [email protected]
SINGAPOREContact: Vincent LimTel: + 656 576 5746Mob/Cell: + 65 9003 4999Email: [email protected]
UKRAINEOdessaContact: Peter PashegorTel: + 380 48 785 1114Mob/Cell: + 380 674 830 390Email: [email protected]
International Bunker SuppliesGladstoneContact: Mark PatmanTel: + 61 3 9211 9333Mob/Cell: + 61 411 141 942Email: [email protected]
Universal BunkeringMelbourneContact: Mark NeveTel: + 61 3 9211 9313Mob/Cell: + 61 418 530 171Email: [email protected]
Mariner TravelMelbourneContact: Joanne TomasiTel: + 61 3 9211 9341Mob/Cell: + 61 407 312 254 Email: [email protected]
OdessaContact: Violetta LyubaretsMob/Cell: + 38 850 4161 987 Email: [email protected]
ASP CREW MANAGEMENTASP SHIP MANAGEMENT
David BorcoskiGroup CEO / Managing Director
Tel: +61 3 9211 9390 Mob/Cell: +61 402 892 717 Email: [email protected]
Bob BirdGroup Chief Operating Offi cer
Tel: +61 3 9211 9300 Mob/Cell: +61 412 313 969 Email: [email protected]
WE MANAGE SHIPS SAFELYSHIP MANAGEMENT GROUP
ASP SHIP MANAGEMENT GROUP
