MORE than 40 per cent of watchkeepers t a k i n g p a r t i n

pioneering research on fatigue and sleepiness fell asleep on watch at least once during simulated “virtual voyages”. This effect was most marked for those following a two-person “six hours on/six off” pattern, which should serve as a wake-up call to the shipping industry, according to seafarers’ union Nautilus.

The initial findings of Project Horizon, an 11-partner European research study, provide an initial benchmark fo r under s tand ing and predicting how different watch systems influence the level of fatigue or sleepiness of ships’ officers. The 32-month, EU part - funded project brought together academic institutions and shipping industry organisations, with specialist input from some world-leading transport and stress research experts.

The project made pioneering use of bridge, engine room and cargo simulators to assess scientifically the impact of fatigue in realistic seagoing

scenarios. A total of 90 experienced deck and engineer officer volunteers participated in rigorous tests at Chalmers University of Technology in Göteberg, Sweden and Warsash Maritime Academy at Southampton Solent University, England to measure their levels of sleepiness and performance during the most common watchkeeping patterns – four hours on/eight off and six hours on/six off. Some volunteers were also exposed to a “disturbed” off-watch period, reflecting

the way in which seafarers may experience additional workloads as a result of port visits, bad weather or emergencies.

Key findings showed that the most marked sleepiness detected was in the six hours on/six off teams, where at least one occurrence of falling asleep on watch was detected among 45 per cent of officers on the midnight to 6am watch. There was also one occurrence of falling asleep for about 40 per cent of those on the midnight to 4am watch in

the 4/8 group.The six hours on/six off

regime was found to be more tiring than the four hours on/eight off rotas, and disturbed off-watch periods were found to produce significantly high levels of tiredness in both watch systems. The disturbed off-watch period was also shown to have a profound effect on levels of sleepiness: while there was evidence that routine and procedural tasks could be carried out with little or no degradation, participants appeared to find it harder to deal with novel “events”, such as collision avoidance or fault diagnosis. As the “voyages” progressed researchers also noted a decline in the quality of information given by participants at watch handovers. Watchkeepers were found to be most tired at night and during the afternoon, and sleepiness levels peaked towards the end of night watches.

Project co-ordinator Gra-ham Clarke commented that “seafarer fatigue is one of the biggest safety issues in the ship-ping industry, and this research

Issue 216 mar/apr 2012

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6 y 7

The Sea

Editor: Jane Spence News: David Hughes

The Sea is distributed free to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’centres. You can also arrange to receive it regularly at a cost of £3.50 or $5 per year (six issues). To find out more, contact:

Anna Emerson, The Sea,The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL.

Tel: +44 20 7248 5202

Email: anna.emerson@missiontoseafarers.org

www.missiontoseafarers.org

�

Wages: your rightspage 6

Costa Concordia disasterpage 3

Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

New rest hour rules come into force

Over 40 per cent fell asleep during simulated watches

Fatigue study results are a‘wake-up call’ for industry

Solar disruption ‘threatens GPS’

Life@Sea photo contest page 4/5

Registered in England and Wales: 1123613 The Mission to Seafarers in Scotland: SC041938

Naval action reduces success of pirate attacks

The Mission to SeafarersFounded in 1856, and entirely funded by voluntary donations, today’s Mission to Seafarers offers emergency assistance, practical support, and a friendly welcome to crews in 250 ports around the world. Whether caring for victims of piracy or providing a lifeline to those stranded in foreign ports, we are there for the globe’s 1.2 million merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.

The Project Horizon fatigue study monitored seafarers’ brain activity during watches. (Photo: Warsash Maritime Academy)

MAJOR revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers (STCW) and its associ-ated code entered into force on January 1.

While many of the ‘Manila amendments’ will be phased in during a five-year transitional period, new, stricter rules on seafarers’ rest hours and more stringent requirements for prevent-ing drug and alcohol abuse came into effect worldwide at the start of the year.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says that the new STCW minimum rest hour requirements are likely to be vigorously enforced by port state control officers, who will have the authority to check that ships maintain accurate records for indi-vidual seafarers, demon-strating that they have been provided with the required minimum rest. For example, seafarers must now always have at least ten hours’ rest in any 24-hour period.

Mandatory limits for alcohol consumption are also being introduced, with a limit of not greater than 0.05 per cent blood alcohol level (BAC) or 0.25 mg/l alcohol in the breath. Individual flag states may choose to apply stricter rules.

HIGH levels of solar activity forecast for the next two years could cause extensive disrup-tion to GPS services, warns Ulrich Jurgens, the council chairman of seafarer’s union Nau-tilus International. He says there could be no electronic navigation for “months at a time”. Noting that mariners could suddenly be look-ing at blank screens, Mr Jurgens adds that “if they are unlucky enough to be operating on a paperless ship or they only operate on ECDIS, they will be lost”. He also warns that mariners should be worried by the “vast number” of GPS signal jammers and spoofers now available.Continued on page 2

LATEST International Maritime Bureau (IMB) figures show Somali pirates have been less successful in hijacking ships in recent months than in the first half of 2011. The IMB credits the marked reduc-tion in ship seizures to effective action by

naval forces, particularly against pirate motherships.

Pictured here, the UK civilian seafarer-operated Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ves-sel Fort Victoria deploys a Royal Marines boarding team to detain a pirate skiff.

Following an attack on a Spanish fishing vessel 350 miles from the Somali coast, the RFA ship’s helicopter located two suspect craft which were detained and the suspects arrested. (Photo: NATO) See story, page 2.

THE grounding and partial capsize of the 114,137 gt cruise ship

Costa Concordia with the loss of 32 lives after she hit a rock close to the Italian island of Giglio sent shock waves through the cruise industry and overshadowed the start of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) safe-ty initiative. The accident happened days before the launch of the 2012 World Maritime Day theme “IMO: One hundred years after the Titanic”.

At the launch, IMO sec-retary-general Koji Sekimizu was to have outlined the World Maritime Day activi-ties scheduled to take place throughout the year, but he postponed the event and in-stead issued a statement ex-pressing his condolences and

sympathy to the families and friends of all those lost or injured during the ground-ing. Mr Sekimizu praised the Italian Coast Guard for “their rescue operations over the night of the accident and the continued efforts deploying patrol boats, tugs, helicop-ters as well as diver teams, which have resulted in the highest number of people rescued in the history of the Italian Coast Guard”.

He cautioned that the causes of the accident were not yet established. “We must wait for the casualty investigation and should not pre-judge or speculate at this stage.”

However, within hours of the accident there was a furore of speculation, while the ship’s master, Francesco Schettino, was arrested by

the Italian police shortly after he came ashore. Accord-ing to Italian media he faces charges of multiple man-slaughter in connection with causing a shipwreck, failing to assist passengers and fail-ing to be the last person to abandon the vessel. He was placed under house arrest. First Officer Ciro Ambrosio was also arrested.

Costa Concordia’s owner, Carnival Corporation sub-sidiary Costa Crociere, soon released a statement saying, “there may have been signifi-cant human error on the part of the ship’s Master, Cap-tain Francesco Schettino.” It continued: “The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and the Captain’s judgment in handling the emergency appears to have not followed

standard Costa procedures.”Later, the president of

Italian classification soci-ety RINA, Gianni Scerni, appeared to paint a more complex picture when a newspaper interview he gave seemed to suggest it was highly unlikely that Costa Crociere did not know about the practice of its ships sail-ing close to Giglio to make salutes. Within hours of the story being published Mr Scerni resigned his post at RINA, saying he had been misquoted.

Much of the media re-porting focused on alleged shortcomings of the master and crew of the Italian-flag ship and on the delay in evacuating the vessel. The vessel had been upright for over an hour after initially hitting a rock, before she was brought close to the beach, apparently in an attempt at a controlled grounding. The vessel then listed and eventually capsized close to shore, making the lowering of lifeboats difficult.

The general secretary of the Anglo-Dutch seafarers’ union Nautilus Internation-al, Mark Dickinson, said it was highly regrettable that the master was being singled out for blame before the results of the maritime and criminal investigations were available. “In this the cente-nary year of the loss of the Titanic”, he went on, “there is a danger that just blaming individuals will obscure the serious and profound safety lessons that may need to be learned, as well as the mat-ter of justice and a right to a fair trial.”

THE number of ships hijacked by Somali pirates fell dramati-

cally from September on-wards, but they are still mounting attacks and are once again managing to capture vessels. After two months without the hijack-ing of a large merchant ship, the Italian flagged Enrico Ievoli was hijacked off the coast of Oman on December 27. As of Febru-ary 22, there had been 24 attacks in the region this year, with two small dhows hijacked in January and a bulk carrier and a ro-ro taken in February.

According to the Inter-national Maritime Bureau (IMB) 12 vessels and 226 crew members remained in pirate hands as of February 21, of whom 49 were being

held ashore in Somalia. IMB figures show that

while the overall number of Somali incidents increased from 219 in 2010 to 237 in 2011, the number of successful hijackings de-creased from 49 to 28 over the same period. A com-parison of the last quarters of 2010 and 2011 shows a marked improvement, with 90 incidents and 19 vessels hijacked in 2010 against 31 incidents and four hijack-ings respectively in 2011.

However, the Interna-tional Chamber of Ship-ping (ICS), which repre-sents shipowners, says the capability of Somali pirates is actually higher than it has ever been. ICS Chair-man Spyros M Polemis said: “Recent press reports might give the impression that

the level of piracy off Soma-lia is decreasing. However, most ship operators will be aware that this is not an ac-curate representation of the current situation. The ICS Board has therefore identi-fied three specific immedi-ate objectives: we need to persuade governments to task the military to take the attack direct to the pirates, while at the same time continuing to defend merchant ships in the best way possible. Second, every apprehended pirate should be arrested, taken to a court of law and, if found guilty, imprisoned. Thirdly, gov-ernments must break the financial chain through legal action against crimi-nal financiers investing in piracy wherever in the world they are identified.”

The IMB’s director, Cap-tain Pottengal Mukundan, told The Sea that the role of the navies was critical to preventing hijackings by Somalia-based gangs. “In particular,” he said, “the disruption of pirate gangs by naval forces has been very effective. In the last quarter of 2011 23 ‘pirate action groups’ (PAGs) were disrupted, meaning that at least their weapons were removed, their skiffs de-stroyed and the mothership forced back to Somalia, if not destroyed. In January nine PAGs were disrupted.”

He added that “in addi-tion to these very effective pre-emptive naval strikes, the pirates’ lack of success is due to the hardening of vessels in line with the Best Management Practices (BMP) and the deterrent ef-fect of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP)”.

C a p t a i n M u k u n d a n warned, however, that al-though the number of ves-sels carrying armed guards increased in 2011, their regulation and vetting still needed to be adequately addressed. He advised that “until a comprehensive legal framework is in place, owners and masters should follow IMO and industry guidelines on the carriage of PCASP”.

2 the sea mar/apr 12

Success of Somalia-based pirates may have decreased but their capability is ‘higher than it has ever been’

ICS warns of increased Somali piracy threat

mar/apr 12 the sea 3

UK to fund training

Judge criticises USCG

New UK seafarers’centre

Bimco calls for fair treatment of seafarersSHIPPING industry organisation Bimco has emphasised the need for regulation to be main-tained on a global basis, and is calling for practical and pragmatic moves on environmental rules. In its annual survey of prospects for the ship-ping industry it notes the need for fair treatment of seafarers and calls for a new strategic political approach to piracy.

Military forces arrest a group of suspected pirates. (Photo: EU NAVFOR)

THE IMB’s 2011 global piracy report showed a slight drop in the total number of recorded incidents of piracy and armed robbery worldwide. There were 439 recorded incidents of piracy and armed robbery in 2011 compared to 445 in 2010. This decrease comes after four consecutive years of rises in piracy and armed robbery worldwide. Of the total reported, 275 attacks took place off Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa.

The 802 hostages taken in 2011 also marks a decrease from the four-year high of 1,181 in 2010. Overall in 2011, 45 vessels were hi-jacked, 176 vessels boarded, 113 vessels fired upon and 105 attempted attacks were reported. Eight crew mem-bers were killed in total, the same number as in 2010.

Nigeria and Benin con-tinued to be piracy hotspots. While ten attacks were re-ported in Nigeria, includ-ing two hijackings, the IMB warned that this number was not representative of the full threat of Nigerian piracy. Under-reporting of attacks continued to be a concern: the IMB said it was aware of

at least 34 more unreported incidents in Nigerian waters.

A probable extension of Nigerian piracy into neigh-bouring Benin in 2011 in-cluded 20 attacks against tankers, eight of which were hijacked and had cargo sto-len. Although the average time in captivity for ships taken off Nigeria and Benin tended to be roughly ten days – compared to six months in Somali hijackings – the IMB warned that these attacks could be more violent.

Vessels in Bangladeshi waters reported ten incidents of armed robbery in the ap-proaches to Chittagong. The IMB noted that this was a significant reduction from the 23 incidents reported in 2010, reflecting action taken by the Bangladesh Coast Guard to curb piracy in their waters, but added that “none-theless, anchorages in the approaches to Chittagong remain an area of concern”.

Against the global trend of decreasing attacks on vessels, Indonesia has seen a rise in armed robbery for a second year. According to the IMB, these incidents continue to be local, opportunistic and usu-ally target anchored vessels.

IMB: Nigeria and Benin still piracy ‘hotspots’

THE Costa Concordia’s chief purser, Manrico Giampedroni, said being trapped in the ship’s capsized hull with a broken leg had not put him off work on cruise ships. While much media coverage of the crew was highly critical, the director of the Apostle-ship of the Sea in Italy, Fr Giacomo Martino, said “the crew worked to save passengers with great generos-ity and a spirit of selflessness”. Five crew members died. Mr Giampedroni emerged as a hero in the media, as the last person to be rescued 36 hours after the grounding. He is credited with sav-ing lives and putting his own at risk. Once out of hospital he said that more than anything he wanted to go back to work for Costa Cruises.

Purser to sail again

Widespread speculation in Costa Concordia case

32 lost as cruiseship runs aground off the Italian coast

BOTH seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) and the Interna-tional Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) played key roles in helping the survivors, passengers and crew of the Costa Concordia in the immediate aftermath of the January 13 acci-dent. The AoS said it had a chaplain on board the ship who was able to help shocked crew and passengers, including some of the injured.

Many of the ship’s 3,206 pas-sengers and 1,023 crew eventually arrived at the Savoyard cruise ter-minal where the AoS joined other agencies to distribute clothing and food, as well as providing spiritual

and emotional support.Meanwhile, ITF officials liaised

with owner Costa Crociere and with ITF unions in crew members’ home countries. They also visited crew in hotels so that they could relay their needs to the company.

Following the ITF intervention, the crew received letters from the company agreeing to provide benefits such as pocket money for initial ex-penditure, and a consolidated salary payment up until the end of the pe-riod specified in their contract, with a minimum of two months’ basic wages, and cover of up to US$3,570 for the loss of personal effects.

Support for wreck survivors

THE SaveOurSeafarers campaign (SOS), the international anti-piracy initiative backed by 30 of the world’s largest maritime organisations, plans to lobby business leaders to help increase international pressure on governments to take firmer action against Somali piracy.

SOS has also welcomed a UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Commit-tee (FAC) report which says that there is no legal reason preventing the UK from asserting jurisdiction over sus-pected pirates and trying pirates in UK national courts if no other state

is willing to do so. The campaign’s chair, Giles Hei-

mann, said that “these criminal gangs are holding the world economy to ransom. Hundreds of seafarers have been held hostage and the physical

and mental ill-treatment they are forced to suffer makes horrifying read-ing. Sixty-five seafarers have died as a direct result of Somali piracy in the past five years, through torture, mur-der, suicide, malnutrition and disease.

“We need help from the world’s business leaders who have the fore-sight to understand the future impact of this progressively escalating prob-lem. In business parlance, the pirate gangs have discovered the meaning of scalability – their criminal ‘business model’ now extends across an area of ocean twice the size of Europe.”

A NEW report from the US-based organisation Oceans Beyond Piracy estimates that piracy cost nearly US$7 billion in 2011. The report, The Economic Cost of Piracy, finds that over 80 per cent of the costs are borne by the shipping industry rather than by governments. Military expenditure is put at $1.3 billion and the cost of mounting prosecutions at $16 million.

The study assesses nine different cost factors and was carried out in collaboration with “multiple maritime representatives from industry, government, and civil society”.

SOS campaign plans to lobby business leaders

Somali piracy ‘costs $7bn’

A NEW drop-in centre has opened in South-ampton to serve the 20,000 or so seafarers who call at the container terminal each year. DP World Southampton donated land at the end of its 207 berth because many crew members do not have time to visit the main seafarers’ facil-ity in the town. The new centre is equipped with computers, telephones, wifi internet access and TV, and has been funded by the UK’s Merchant Navy Welfare Board, Ivitta, and Centres for Seafarers. It is a col-laboration between The Mission to Seafarers, The Sailors’ Society and the Apostleship of the Sea.

THE UK Government will provide a budget of £12 million a year to support the country’s maritime training scheme for the next three years. The future of the scheme had been in doubt but shipping minister Mike Penning said consultants and an independent panel had decided that there was a good value-for-money case for keeping government funding.

A US federal judge has accused the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the country’s Department of Justice (DoJ) of treating seafarers like “enemy combatants”, shipping newspaper Tradewinds reports.

In an unusual move, Judge Vanessa Gilmore of the Southern District of Texas intervened in negotiations between the two authorities and Evalend Shipping, owner of the 5,700 dwt product tanker, Media-tor. She has forced the USCG and the DoJ, who are investigating alleged oil record book offenc-es, to negotiate with de-fence lawyers to reduce the bonds and limit the terms of confinement of the 15-man crew.

Judge Gilmore told the USCG and the DoJ they were giving the crew the message: “You’re stuck here... You’re like enemy com-batants. We don’t have to tell you when we’re going to let you go.”

Leading maritime lawyer foresaw a disasterJUST days before the Costa Concordia disaster the shipping industry was warned by a leading maritime lawyer that it might soon face its “Deepwater Horizon moment”. When he spoke at a Maritime London lunchtime function on January 11, Andrew Chamberlain, a partner in the international law firm Holman Fenwick Willan, had a mega containership casualty in mind, but much of what he said was relevant to the cruise ship's capsize.

“The industry is facing the perfect storm,” he said. “We have a global recession, high cargo values (relative to ship values), ever larger and untested ships, environmental concerns and increasing public and government awareness of the impact of shipping incidents. Since the Napoli in 2007 any marine casualty is much more likely to be on the front page of every newspaper.”

According to Mr Chamberlain, recent high profile containership casualties have involved relatively small vessels capable of carrying up to 4,688 containers, as with the MSC Napoli. The Rena, which recently went aground and is breaking up off New Zealand, has a capacity of 3,352 containers. By comparison, the largest vessels sailing today are carrying over 15,000 boxes.

He said that in the event of the loss of the largest class of containership, the epic scale of the incident would mean the salvage industry would struggle to deal with the removal of the containers and wreckage. He warned that the salvage industry had limited and ageing resources, was increasingly risk averse and today consisted of only around four or five companies with a genuine global capability.

REFRIGERATION ma-chinery experts gath-ered recently to con-sider ways to resolve the issue of exploding reefer containers following the introduction of delib-erately contaminated refrigerant gas into the supply chain. The event was organised by the Container Owners Association (COA) and mutual port equipment and container insurer the TT Club, which re-ported progress towards a standardised test for gas bottles.

Contaminated refrig-erant caused explo-sions and fires in the refrigeration machinery of some containers in 2011. While very few incidents have occurred, thousands of reefers have been taken out of use to be checked. The club says the counterfeit gases which had en-tered the supply chain were created to mimic the thermodynamic properties of the most common container refrigerant, R134a.

Experts tackle reefer explosion danger

ICS publishes flag state table THE International Chamber of Shipping’s (ICS) latest annual Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table shows Bolivia, Cam-bodia, Mongolia and Sierra Leone among the lowest scorers. At the other end of the scale Bermuda, Cay-man Islands, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Isle of Man, Japan, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Russia and the UK all get top marks. According to the ICS the table’s purpose is to “encourage shipowners to examine whether a flag state has substance before using it and to encourage them to pressure their flag administration to effect any improvement that might be necessary”.

France trials non-lethal anti-piracy measures

New HIV/AIDSguidelines launchedIN support of World AIDS Day the UK’s National Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Committee, comprising the UK Chamber of Shipping, Nautilus International and the RMT, has issued guidelines to shipping companies on HIV and AIDS to raise awareness of risks and give guidance on prevention for seafarers.

The guidelines also aim to combat the ignorance surrounding HIV/AIDS, particularly around the risks and how the virus spreads. They state that HIV cannot be caught from food, kitchen utensils, sharing toilets and coughs and sneezes.Employers are reminded that those with HIV are capable of working normally and that they should try to eliminate any prejudice and discrimination currently faced by those affected. The guidelines are available at: www.british-shipping.org/publications/

has taken our understanding of the way in which the quality of sleep off-watch affects the sleepiness of watchkeepers on watch to a new and much deeper level”.

Researchers have used the data to de-velop a new fatigue management toolkit for use by shipowners and ship managers, seafarers, regulators and others, to help them design working schedules which will lessen risks to ships and their cargoes, as well as to seafarers, passengers and the marine environment.

The Mission to Seafarers’ director of justice and welfare, the Revd Canon Ken Peters, said “there is an obvious link be-tween fatigue and maritime casualties. Rather than blame seafarers for an ac-cident after it happens, they must be al-lowed sufficient rest so as to be fully alert, and so reduce risks.” The fatigue study report is available at: www.nautilusint.org/Resources/pages/Reports.aspx

Fatigue study Continued from page 1

THE French military training vessel Partisan is being equipped with a range of non-lethal anti-piracy measures as part of a 12 million euro project run by the country's Environment and Energy Management Agency.

According to reports, the Partisan will be trialling layered defence measures, including: anti-piracy radar systems; infrared cameras; long-range acoustic devices; light beams; remote-controlled water cannons; equip-ment to black out alleyways and flood them with smoke, and a citadel with remote conning and machinery opera-tion capabilities. Meanwhile Inchcape Shipping Services have launched a range of systems designed to protect against rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.

Philippines ratifies ILO 185THE Philippines ratified International La-bour Organization (ILO) Convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents in Janu-ary. The International Transport Workers’ Federation’s Jon Whitlow said, “this move by the world’s largest crew supply country sends a strong signal to nations worldwide that seafarers’ rights to shore leave and safe transit must be respected. At the same time the intention of the convention to enhance

security has also been carried forward.” Days earlier, Brazil agreed to stop en-

forcing immigration fines for shipowners whose crew are from countries which have not signed up to C185 or ILO 108, which also concerns identity documents. In December 2010, authorities in Suape and Recife began imposing immigration fines and restrictions which particularly affected foreign shipowners with Filipino crews.

AFTER meeting officials during a visit to the Philippines, International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Koji Sekimizu said he felt reassured by the de-termination of the country’s government to ensure the compliance of its seafarers with the standards of competence re-quired by the STCW Convention.

His comments come as the European Commission continues to be concerned

about the standards of some Philippine training establishments, with the with-drawal of EU recognition of Philippine STCW certificates still a possibility.

Mr Sekimizu also said he had been en-couraged by the steps being taken by the Philippine authorities to ratify a number of IMO instruments and he pledged IMO’s support for the Philippines in all facets of the country’s maritime development.

Sekimizu ‘reassured’ by Philippines visit

The Costa Concordia was carrying more than 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew when it hit rocks off the Italian island of Giglio. The ship’s master Francesco Schettino and her first officer have been arrested. (Photo: R Vongher)

IN another sign that LNG is being taken seri-ously as a potential marine fuel, Hamburg-based classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and Japanese shipbuilding group IHI Marine United Inc (IHIMU) are to work together on a concept study for a 13,000 teu container vessel fuelled by LNG. GL senior vice president Pierre Sames said that both companies were working on the assumption that LNG would be a key technology for addressing the challenges the maritime industry faces in terms of reducing both its emissions to the air and its contribution to global climate change.

IHIMU first launched the eFuture 13000C container vessel design in 2010. At that time GL reviewed the main hull structure. The new project focuses on the LNG fuelling system, consisting of the bunker station, tanks, gas preparation and gas lines. IHIMU will design the key structures of the system, with GL pro-viding design review, hazard identification and upon the successful completion of the project, approval in principle of the design. Assessment of the safety performance of the gas supply sys-tem will be the key aspect of GL’s contribution to the project.

4 the sea mar/apr 12

NEWS MICHAEL GREY

mar/apr 12 the sea 5

BEN BAILEY

2nd Life@Sea photo competition launched

Safety at sea 100 years on...A century after the sinking of the Titanic, Michael Grey considers what lessons today’s shipping industry can learn from the disaster as commercial pressures, over-confidence in statistics and trust in hi-tech systems can push safety concerns down the priority list

This year we commem-orate the sinking of the Titanic, arguably the best known ship in the world, even

though its life measured only a few short weeks before its sink-ing on that terrible night in the western ocean in 1912. We reas-sure ourselves with the lessons such casualties teach us, and the regulatory progress which is invariably made in the wake of such major tragedies, “so that they will not happen again”.

Sadly, of course we are regu-larly reminded that the sea is an immensely hostile envi-ronment and that there is an element of risk in every sea or ocean voyage. For all our tech-nical progress, it has proved impossible to eliminate risk, a fact underlined by the terrible pictures of the grounding and capsize of the enormous Costa Concordia. The fact that more than 4,000 people managed to survive this wreck might be viewed as something of a miracle, although of course, technology and a great deal of courage did play their part.

But the century since the Ti-tanic slipped beneath the waves leaving 1,589 passengers and

crew dead has been sprinkled with too many grim losses, even though each is supposed to teach us something about how to improve marine safety.

This year it will be 25 years since the worst ever peacetime marine disaster, when the Phil-ippine ferry Dona Paz collided with a small coastal tanker and killed 4,386 men, women and children in the conflagration. And it was 18 years ago when the ferry Estonia sank in a Baltic storm and killed some 912 people.

There have been plenty more melancholy milestones in the statistics of a century’s maritime loss, but somehow the Titanic, with all her social commentaries and controver-sies, resurrected regularly by literature and film, has stayed with us through the years. So what contemporary lessons can we draw from the circumstanc-es of her loss?

There is no doubt at all that there was a great deal of complacency involved. The designers, the shipbuilders, the White Star Line which owned the ship, and even the custom-ers and the general public all subscribed to the belief that this

“unsinkable” ship was “too big to fail”. Where have we heard this before, as we struggle to find our way out of the finan-cial and banking crisis, and wonder at the wounds inflicted on a mighty oil company by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill? This over-confidence is cer-tainly not reserved for shipping

enterprises, by any means!And what about the com-

mercial pressure that was clearly in the mind of the Titanic’s master as he worried about whether he would deliver his passengers on time to New York, where the welcoming festivities for the new giant ship were already taking shape?

Did this in any way affect his judgment as a prudent seafarer, even though Atlantic liner masters were known as a breed accustomed to risk-taking?

There is no shortage of evi-dence of all types of commer-cial pressure being exerted on ships’ masters today, whether it is in expectations that giant

containerships will arrive on time regardless of fog or heavy weather, or pressures resulting from charterers or cargo owners interfering with operational matters: “The refinery will run out of fuel unless you arrive on time, Captain”. “Why are you taking shelter – Captain B never lets the weather stop him

sailing?””If you don’t take this cargo of iron ore fines, which is not going to liquefy – take it from me – we will black the ship and you will be looking for another job, Captain.”

There can be similar influ-ences ashore, with commercial pressure from shareholders and the ‘City scribblers’ encourag-ing managers to do things they consider to be unwise, for short-term gain.

Aboard the Titanic, there was an over-reliance on the ‘state of the art’ technology of the time. The great ship was crammed with amazing equipment, from its electric elevators to its water-tight bulkheads, from its huge engines to the sheer opulence of its fittings. “Forget about the sea in this palace on the water,” the passengers were encour-aged to think. “Everything is provided for your safety, enjoy-ment and convenience.”

Well, we have no short-age of parallels today with all our electronics and integrated navigation systems. Everything is automated, all of it designed for efficiency and profit. We can ‘control’ ships from head office through some of the fin-est communications equipment

the world has ever seen. You don’t get much better than the amazing control systems of the Costa Concordia.

We are lured into an over-confidence in statistics, just as the designers of the Titanic were persuaded by records which assured them that no ships had hit an iceberg for 30 years and by being told the volume of traffic would be such that another ship would always be available to give aid. Today, statistics lure us into over-ton-naging and under-resourcing, so that there are too many ships and not enough competent crews to drive them.

Safety, amid all the technol-ogy and opulence, was demoted to second place and nobody really considered the reality of risk, or asked “what if...?” We often encounter this approach ashore and afloat today, as new orders are placed and shipping shares are offered to a gullible public. And where is the dam-age control, the resilience and the contingency plans, after it all goes pear-shaped, whether it is a fire or flood alarm ringing in the wheelhouse, or the grim shape of an ‘iceberg’ appearing ahead?

The Titanic prepares to set sail in 1912 (left); today’s high-tech navigation systems offer seafarers greater confidence but can risk complacency (right). (Photos: www.titanicuniverse.com and Jamie Smith)

THEY say a picture is worth a thousand words, and looking through Jamie

Smith’s images from his recent sea crossing from Europe to Africa he clearly has many tales to tell.

“It took a while to gain the trust of the crew, but I was soon accepted by them and they en-joyed me taking their photos,” said Jamie as he recounted his voyage from Constanta in Ro-mania to Durban, South Africa.

The photography student – who has previously completed a series of photos for The Mis-sion to Seafarers – had been given the opportunity to docu-ment life on board an ocean-going cargo vessel operated by Canada Feeder Lines. During the voyage, which included a lengthy time at sea, Jamie saw first-hand the dynamics between a master and his crew after the ship has slipped over the horizon.

“In many ways,” said Jamie, “the seafarers I met lived an almost monastic existence. Every person had his own task and there appeared to be no shortage of things to do. I once joked with the chief engineer, asking him what happened when he had finished all of his

work. He looked very confused and said there was always something to do!”

The photos Jamie took showcase much of a life at sea: cadets report to the bridge for a briefing or attend the engine room to watch the chief engi-neer change a special part. In another set of images a seafarer is shot painting the decking, while in another the cook serves up a hearty meal for the men who have spent all day braving the elements.

But among the routine shots showing seafarers in action, the more light-hearted side of be-ing in this unique environment with only your crew mates for company is also explored. His photos show seafarers making the most of their down-time,

playing computer games or enjoying each other’s company during a weekend barbecue on board. The antics of crossing the Equator are also document-ed as one of the officers dresses up as Neptune to welcome those who are crossing the line for the first time.

The life of a seafarer is often romanticised in the minds of those who remain firmly on dry land. A desire to show peo-ple the realities of maritime life is one of the reasons why The

Mission to Seafarers launched its Life@Sea photo competition in 2010. Over 100 seafarers submitted a wide range of im-ages, from glorious sunsets to a journey through rough waters.

“We were so impressed by the entries last time that we’ve decided to run the competi-tion again,” says Jane Spence of the Mission’s communications department. “For many people, the sea is something associ-ated with a holiday or leisure activity. Very few understand

that 50,000 ships ply its waters keeping us in food, fuel and clothes.”

The Mission is once again asking seafarers of all ranks to submit a photograph which they feel best represents their life on the ocean wave. That could include a seascape, colleagues at work, marine wildlife, a storm or the crew relaxing after a busy day on board.

“We’re excited to see the types of photos people choose

to take,” says Jane. “The last competition showcased the best and worst of working at sea. We hope that seafarers will be in-spired to send in an image. This year, the winner will have their photo reproduced in Mission to Seafarers’ literature – so they might feature on the popular seafarers’ calendar which is dis-tributed through our network of port centres every year,” she said.

The winner of the previ-ous competition was Chief Officer Stanislav Skvortsov, who picked up his prize earlier this year from Antwerp port chaplain John Attenborough. Mr Skvortsov, who beat off stiff competition from around the world to win the prize, said that photography helps him relax.

“I was so pleased when my picture was chosen,” he said. “Taking photos really helps me to forget about the stresses and strains of being at sea. I love photography, it is very much part of who I am.”

The competition runs from now until October 31, 2012. “You don’t have to be an expert to enter,” says Jane. “Sometimes, the best pictures are taken at short notice and without any thought. So get

clicking and send your entries in to The Mission to Seafarers!”

The competition rules are below.

1. This competition is open to merchant seafarers of all ranks and nationalities.2. The closing date for entries is October 31, 2012.3. Seafarers may submit no more than five photos.4. All entries should be sent as an email attachment.5. The picture may be in colour or black and white and should be at least 500KB and no bigger than 5MB in size.6. Entrants should title the im-age and include the following information:•yourname,•yournationality,•thenameofyourship,•thelocationanddatewhen

the photo was taken.7. All entries will be considered by a judging panel, with the winner being notified by email. The panel’s decision is final.8. Entries should be emailed to: lifeatsea@missiontoseafarers.org

Full details of the Life@Sea photo competition will be posted on the website at: www.missiontoseafarers.org

As we launch the second MtS photo contest, Ben Bailey talks to photographer Jamie Smith about his time at sea

LNG a potential fuelOIL record book falsification, or “magic pipe”, cases frequently come before US courts but a recent one had an unusual twist. False entries were not only intended to hide illegal discharges but also, according to testimony from ship’s officers, to defraud the charterer by claiming higher than actual bunker consumption.

The Greek-based Ilios Shipping Company pleaded guilty at a federal court in New Orleans to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice. The ship involved was the 69,351 dwt bulk carrier Agios Emilianos, which had been trading out of New Orleans with grain. Subject to court agreement, Ilios will pay an overall criminal penalty of US$2 million.

The company admitted that from April 2009 until April 2011, oily bilge waste and sludge was routinely discharged from the vessel directly into the sea without the use of required pollution prevention equipment. However, two of the ship’s officers also told the court that the company directed them to use a complex system to create the impression that the vessel was consuming the maximum amount of fuel under its charter agreements when in fact it was not.

The result was that charterers would overpay Ilios for fuel. The master would send daily fuel consumption reports: one to Ilios, reporting actual fuel consumption and another to the charterer, reporting maximum possible fuel consumption. When the vessel was in port the chief engineer would tell his engineers to install false sounding tubes into the vessel’s fuel tanks so that when the charterer measured the quantity of fuel in the tank, the soundings would show the tank emptier than it actually was.

False oil records

THREE crew members of the then Singapore-flag, 2,120 dwt bunker barge Shengtek, operating in Singapore, were each jailed for two months in January for their part in the theft of three tonnes of diesel from the barge's owner, Sentek Marine & Trading, last August. Their employer had become suspicious that widespread theft

was taking place and the crew members were caught red-handed by a company security patrol.

The diesel was discharged into a tug, the Kiribati flagged TK501, while at the Tuas Petroleum Holding Anchorage. According to a report in The Straits Times, John Paul Fajardo Beltran and Quirico Jr Caguimbaga Capayan,

both Filipinos, and Afdhal, an Indonesian, admitted stealing diesel with a market value of S$5,579 (US$4,326) on August 26 last year. A fourth crew member was acquitted. Mr Capayan was apparently the instigator and agreed to sell diesel at S$910 per tonne. The Shengtek has since been re-flagged to Kiribati.

Crew members jailed for diesel theft

Jamie Smith’s photos document life on board a cargoship travelling from Constanta, Romania, to Durban, South Africa.

The eFuture 13000C design. (Photo: IHIMU)

If you have any questions about your rights as a seafarer, or if you want more information or help, you can contact:Douglas B Stevenson, Center for Seafarers’ Rights, 241 Water Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Tel: +1212 349 9090 Fax: +1212 349 8342 Email: csr@seamenschurch.org or Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL, UK. Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 20 7248 4761 Email: justice@missiontoseafarers.org

mar/apr 12 the sea 7

FOCUS ON FAITH BY THE REVD CHRIS COLLISON

6 the sea mar/apr 12

JUSTICE MATTERS BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Maritime law protects seafarers’ rights to wages, but this has not always been the case. Historically,

seafarers’ wages depended on the success of the voyage. Wages were paid only if the vessel made a profit. About 150 years ago, maritime nations began enacting statutes that codified or modified seafarers’ rights to wages. Such statutes now determine seafarers’ rights to wages, and the statutes can vary from country to country.

Today, almost every maritime nation has outlawed the tradition of seafarers’ wages being dependent on the success of the voyage. Seafarers are entitled to be paid the money they have earned without regard to the earnings of their vessel.

Seafarers’ wage rights are highly favoured in maritime law. They have been called “sacred claims” protected by a lien against the vessel. This means that, in addition to the shipowner and master being responsible, crews’ wages can be claimed against the value of the vessel itself. Therefore unpaid seafarers can ask a court to arrest the ship and auction it off to pay their wage claim. Arresting a ship, however, may not be a viable option if the ship is worth little, or if the litigation expenses would exceed the amount re-covered by the sale. In addition, arresting and auctioning a ship can take a very long time in some jurisdictions.

The amount of wages is determined

by the contract or collective bargaining agreement. Some countries have mini-mum wage laws, but in most cases today, contractual wages exceed the legal mini-mums. Published wage standards, such as the International Labour Organisation minimum basic wage for an AB, or Inter-national Transport Workers’ Federation scales are not legally binding unless they are included in a seafarer’s contract or collective bargaining agreement. Seafarers desiring higher wages will, in most cases, need to negotiate a new contract, and this is best accomplished with the assistance of a trade union.

In most countries, seafarers’ wages start either when the seafarer begins work, or on a specific date given in the con-tract – whichever occurs first. Countries’ laws differ as to when seafarers must be paid thereafter. Some require payment of wages every month, others require partial payments whenever cargo is discharged, and others still do not require payment until the seafarer signs off the ship. Once it comes into force, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 will require that wages are paid every month.

Although the law provides many protections for seafarers’ wages, seafarers should not be complacent when there are indications that a shipowner is experienc-ing financial problems. Signs of trouble include: skimping on vessel maintenance,

missing paydays, reducing crew food rations and delaying payments for ships’ supplies. When shipowners miss paydays, they often try to buy time with the crew by promising to pay their wages when a new deal is arranged for the ship. Seafar-ers may want to believe such promises, but the longer they wait to take action, the more difficult it can become to take advantage of legal solutions if the owner becomes insolvent and the vessel is not worth much.

If you have questions regarding pay-ment of wages, you should: Contact a port chaplain – they can help you assess your situation and find appro-priate assistance. Obtain legal advice on your rights to wages, taking into account litigation ex-penses, amount of time required, optimal jurisdiction for a case, and legal fees. If other creditors arrest the ship, ascer-tain your status on the ship and obtain legal representation to protect your wage claim. When a ship is arrested, seafarers’ contracts are terminated. The court will authorise any work to conserve the vessel during arrest. Judicial auctions extinguish all claims against the ship. Once your legal interests are protected, go home as soon as you can. It is better to try to find a new job than to suffer on an abandoned ship.

Seafarers’ wages

La legislación marítima protege los derechos de los marineros en

relación con los sueldos, pero no ha sido siempre así. Antiguamente, el salario de los marinos dependía del éxito del viaje. Se pagaba únicamente si el barco lograba obtener beneficios. Hace unos 150 años, las naciones marítimas empezaron a promulgar leyes que codificaban o modificaban los derechos de los marineros con respecto a los salarios. Esas leyes ahora determinan los derechos salariales de la gente de mar y varían de un país a otro.

En la actualidad, prácti-camente todas las naciones marítimas han proscrito la tradición de que los sueldos de los marineros dependan del éxito del viaje. Los marineros tienen derecho a recibir el dinero que ganen independi-entemente de las ganancias del barco.

Los derechos salariales de los marineros están muy protegidos en la legislación marítima. Son derechos «sagrados» protegidos por una garantía sobre el barco. Esto significa que, además de la responsabilidad que tienen el armador y el capitán, los sala-rios de la tripulación se pueden reclamar sobre la base del valor del barco en sí. Por lo tanto, los marineros que no reciban su salario pueden solicitar a un tribunal que se embargue el barco y se subaste para pagar los salarios que les corre-sponden. No obstante, puede que el embargo del barco no sea una opción adecuada si su valor no es muy alto, o si es probable que los gastos judiciales superen la cantidad que se recuperaría con la venta. Además, el proceso de embargo y subasta de un barco puede ll-evar mucho tiempo en algunas jurisdicciones.

El importe de los salarios está determinado por el con-trato o el convenio colectivo. Algunos países tienen leyes que establecen salarios mínimos pero, en la mayoría de los casos hoy en día, los salarios con-tractuales superan los mínimos legales. Las normas salariales publicadas, como las relativas al salario básico mínimo para

los marineros de primera, de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo, o las escalas de la Federación de los Trabajadores del Transporte, no son jurídi-camente vinculantes a menos que estén incluidas en el contrato del marinero o en el convenio colectivo. Los marin-eros que deseen un salario más alto deberán, en la mayoría de los casos, negociar un nuevo contrato, y la mejor forma de hacerlo es con la ayuda de un sindicato.

En la mayoría de los países, el salario de los marineros empieza a contabilizarse en el momento en que comienzan su trabajo, o en una fecha determinada y estipulada en el contrato, lo que tenga lugar primero. Las leyes nacionales varían en cuanto a cuándo deben recibir los marineros su salario de ahí en adelante. Algunos países exigen el pago del salario todos los meses, mientras que otros exigen pagos parciales cuando se descargue la mercancía, y otros no exigen ningún pago hasta el momento en que el mari-nero finalice su contrato con el barco. Una vez que entre en vigor, el Convenio sobre el trabajo marítimo de 2006 exigirá que el pago de salarios se realice mensualmente.

Aunque las leyes ofrecen muchas protecciones para los salarios de los marineros, estos no deben pasar por alto las señales de posibles problemas económicos de un armador. Es-tas señales incluyen: escatimar gastos para el mantenimiento del barco, demoras en el pago de salarios, reducción del tam-año de las raciones de comida para la tripulación y retraso en los pagos de los suministros del barco. Cuando los armadores no pagan los salarios en el momento acordado, a men-udo tratan de ganar tiempo prometiendo a la tripulación que recibirán su paga una vez que el barco tenga un nuevo encargo. Los marineros pueden elegir creer esas promesas, pero mientras más tiempo esperen para tomar medidas, más difícil les puede resultar beneficiarse de las soluciones jurídicas en caso de que el armador se de-clare insolvente y el barco no tenga mucho valor.

Los sueldos de los marinerosSi tienes alguna duda acerca

del pago de salarios, debes: Ponerte en contacto con un capellán de puerto; te podrá ayudar a evaluar tu situación y encontrar la asistencia adecuada. Obtener asesoría jurídica sobre tus derechos salariales, teniendo en cuenta las costas, la cantidad de tiempo nec-esario, la jurisdicción ideal para un proceso jurídico y los gastos judiciales. Si otros acreedores embar-gan el barco debes determinar tu situación con respecto al barco y buscar un abogado

para proteger tu demanda salarial. Cuando un barco se embarga, los contratos de los marineros se rescinden. El tribunal autorizará las labores necesarias para la preservación del barco durante el embargo preventivo. Las subastas judi-ciales entrañan la prescripción de todas las demandas presen-tadas con relación al barco. Una vez que tus intereses jurídicos estén protegidos, vuelve a casa tan pronto como sea posible. Es mejor tratar de encontrar un nuevo trabajo que sufrir en un barco aban-donado.

Морское право защищает права моряков на получение заработной платы, но так было не всегда. Исторически заработная плата моряков зависела от успеха морского путешествия. Заработная плата выплачивалась только в том случае, если судно получило прибыль. Около 150 лет назад морские государства начали вводить в силу законодательные акты, закрепляющие или модифицирующие права моряков на получение заработной платы. Такие законодательные акты в настоящее время определяют права моряков на получение заработной платы, но могут различаться в отдельных странах.

Сегодня практически каждое морское государство признало незаконной традицию выплаты морякам заработной платы в зависимости от успеха морского путешествия. Моряки имеют право на выплату заработанным ими денежных сумм вне зависимости от доходов, полученных судном.

Права моряков на выплату заработной платы высоко почитаются морским законом. Их называют «священным правом», обеспеченным законной ипотекой на судно. Это означает, что в дополнение к ответственности, которую несут капитан и судовладелец, заработная плата моряков может покрываться стоимостью самого судна. Таким образом, моряки могут требовать от суда наложения ареста на судно с последующей продажей его на аукционе с целью удовлетворения их требований по выплате заработной платы. Арест судна, тем не менее, может оказаться нецелесообразным, если стоимость судна невелика или сумма судебных издержек превысит сумму, вырученную в процессе аукциона. В дополнение, процедура наложения ареста и последующее выставление судна на аукцион может в некоторых юрисдикциях занимать очень длительное время.

Сумма заработной платы определяется

контрактом или коллективным договором. В некоторых странах имеются законы о минимальных суммах заработной платы, но в большинстве случаев на настоящий момент суммы заработной платы, определяемые контрактами, превышают определенные законодательством минимальные суммы. Опубликованные стандарты заработной платы, такие как минимальная базовая заработная плата, определенная Международной организацией труда для AB, или шкала Международной федерации работников транспорта не являются законодательно закрепленными, если не включены в контракт моряка или в коллективное соглашение. Моряки, желающие получить повышение заработной платы, в большинстве случаев, должны договариваться о заключении нового контракта, а этого можно наиболее эффективно достичь с помощью профсоюза.

В большинстве стран начисление заработной платы моряков начинается либо с момента начала работы моряка, либо с определенной даты, указанной в контракте — в зависимости от того, что наступает раньше. Законы разных стран различаются в отношении того, когда заработная плата должна выплачиваться моряку в дальнейшем. Некоторые требуют ежемесячной выплаты, другие — частичной выплаты после каждой выгрузки, а третьи не предусматривают выплаты заработной платы до того момента, как моряк покинет судно. После того, как вступит в силу Конвенция 2006 года о труде в морском судоходстве, выплата заработной платы должна будет производиться ежемесячно.

Хотя закон предоставляет многочисленные формы защиты права на выплату заработной платы, моряки обязательно должны обращать внимание на признаки того, что у судовладельца имеются финансовые проблемы.

Тревожными знаками являются следующие: экономия на текущем ремонте и обслуживании, несоблюдение сроков выплат заработной платы, уменьшение рациона питания экипажа и задержка платежей за поставки провианта. Когда судовладельцы задерживают выплату заработной платы, они обычно стараются выиграть время, обещая экипажу выплатить причитающуюся им заработную плату после того, как договорятся о новом контракте для судна. Моряки могут при желании верить таким обещаниям, но, чем дольше они ждут перед тем, как начать действовать, тем труднее воспользоваться законодательными средствами в случае, когда владелец становится неплатежеспособным, а стоимость судна невелика.

Если у вас возникли вопросы относительно выплаты заработной платы, вам необходимо: Связаться с портовым капелланом. Он может помочь вам в оценке ситуации и поиске приемлемого решения. Получить юридическую консультацию по вашим правам на заработную плату, принимая во внимание судебные издержки, требуемое время, оптимальную юрисдикцию для рассмотрения дела и суммы гонораров адвоката. Если другие кредиторы налагают арест на судно, оцените свое положение на нем и позаботьтесь о юридическом представительстве своих требований по выплате заработной платы. Если на судно наложен арест, контракты моряков прекращают свое действие. Суд санкционирует консервацию судна на время ареста. Судебные аукционы погашают все иски в отношении судна. После того, как ваши законные интересы защищены, отправляйтесь домой как можно скорее. Наилучшим решением для вас будет поиск новой работы.

Заработная плата моряков

AN elderly nun was telling a friend about the way she began

her prayers each day. She realised that she could not leave anything out and that she must include the good as well as the bad. She said to her friend, “When I pray, I carry in my heart every person, every incident, every thought, every feeling I have ever had. I also bring my troubles and concerns. My prayer is really one sentence: ‘Here I am – what a mess!’”

There’s a saying which runs: don’t judge a book by its cover. And if we are hon-est with ourselves, we too may feel different to how we appear. On the outside, we may be a good person – even holy. We may have a good job, a great family, a beautiful wife or a handsome husband. But if we take a look inside, our fears and worries and our shattered hopes and disap-pointments can ruin even the

best of intentions.Have you ever met

someone who seems to have everything? All over the world our magazines and television screens are filled with celebrities who are liv-ing the high life. They wear the latest clothes, have lots of money and have armies of fans who want to be them. In every picture they seem to be smiling and carefree. Yet, it’s worth remembering that even the wealthiest person has trouble in their lives. The good news is that they have the potential to move on and so do we.

As a port chaplain I am sometimes told by visiting crews that life on a ship is like being in prison. A contract that is extended, irregular contact with home or, in extreme cases, capture by pirates can all build up to make us feel that there is no way out. Prison is a strong word, but the life of a seafarer

is often lived on a knife-edge – not only in the circum-stances of long hours and rough seas, but in the daily rhythm of being far from home, far away from people with the same language, perhaps without friends. The wide expanding sea can become a small diminishing world all too easily.

When I move to an-other place of work, another harbour or town, it’s easy to think to myself “I won’t have that problem with me any-more,” or “I can now leave behind those stupid mistakes, and not be bothered with their memory”. But unless we find a way to deal with the problems of our past, they will follow us wherever we go. The same is true for sea-farers. We might think “new ship – no problem,” but if we had certain problems on the last ship, then we might have them again on the new ship. If we’re not careful, our issues

may jump out and hit us.I suggest we look at the

simple truth that while parts of our lives might be in a mess, God is there with us and he is full of love and forgiveness. He does not distance himself from our difficulties or problems but is always there – ready to support us if we ask him to. Jesus was given the name Em-manuel, God is with us. He is not only with us in church or when we say our prayers, but God is with us when we are feeling rubbish about ourselves, unfaithful, over-whelmed and exhausted. He is with us in the darkness and in the light, the good times and the bad and he will not turn his back on us. In the Bible, God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. That means that God’s love is never-changing and that he is not put off by who we really are.

All shall be well.

Nobody’s perfect

Una anciana monja contaba a alguien cómo empezaba sus oraciones todos los días. Sabía que no podía dejar nada fuera y que debía incluir tanto lo bueno como lo malo. Dijo: «Cuando rezo, tengo en mi corazón a todas las perso-nas, todas las cosas, todos los pensami-entos, todos los sentimientos que he albergado. También tengo presentes mis problemas y preocupaciones. Mi oración es, en realidad, una frase: “Aquí estoy, ¡vaya lío!”».

Hay un dicho que reza: no juzgues un libro por la portada. Y si somos sinceros con nosotros mismos, es posible que también nosotros nos sintamos difer-entes a como nos vemos. Por fuera tal vez seamos buenas personas, incluso unos santos. Puede que tengamos un buen trabajo, una familia estupenda, una mujer hermosa o un marido apues-to. Pero si miramos dentro, nuestros miedos y preocupaciones, nuestras esperanzas rotas y nuestras decepciones pueden arruinar la mejor de las inten-ciones.

¿Alguna vez has conocido a alguien que parece tenerlo todo? Las revistas y pantallas de televisión de todo el mundo están repletas de famosos que llevan una vida fabulosa. Se visten a la última moda, tienen mucho dinero y

un ejército de fans que quieren parec-erse a ellos. En todas las fotos aparecen sonrientes y con aspecto despreocupado. Pero debemos recordar que hasta las personas más ricas tienen problemas en su vida. La buena noticia es que tienen la posibilidad de superarlos, y nosotros también.

Como capellán de puerto, a veces los miembros de tripulaciones que están de paso me dicen que la vida en un barco es como estar en la cárcel. Un contrato que se prorroga, un contacto irregular con la familia o, en casos extremos, los ataques piratas pueden hacernos sentir que no hay salida. ‘Cárcel’ es una pala-bra muy fuerte, pero la vida de los ma-rinos a menudo es extrema, no solo por las largas jornadas y los peligros del mar, sino por la carga diaria de estar lejos de casa, lejos de las personas que hablan el mismo idioma y, tal vez, sin amigos. El extenso mar se puede convertir con demasiada facilidad en un mundo muy pequeño.

Cuando cambio de lugar de trabajo, cuando voy a otro puerto o ciudad, me resulta fácil pensar: «Ya no tendré ese problema», o: «Ahora puedo dejar atrás esos errores tontos y no preocuparme por su recuerdo». Pero a menos que encontremos una forma de superar

los problemas de nuestro pasado, nos seguirán donde quiera que vayamos. Lo mismo sucede a los marinos. Podemos pensar: «Un nuevo barco, no hay prob-lemas», pero si tuvimos ciertos proble-mas en el barco anterior es posible que los tengamos otra vez en el nuevo barco. Si no tenemos cuidado, nuestro proble-mas pueden resurgir y afectarnos.

Recomiendo que tengamos presente la simple certeza de que, si bien puede haber partes de nuestras vidas que son un desastre, Dios está con nosotros y está lleno de amor y perdón. Él no se aleja de nuestros problemas y dificulta-des sino que está siempre ahí, listo para ayudarnos si se lo pedimos. Jesús recibió el nombre de Emmanuel: Dios está con nosotros. No solo está con nosotros cuando estamos en la iglesia o cuando estamos rezando, sino que nos acompaña cada vez que nos sentimos mal acerca de nosotros mismos, cuando nos sentimos abrumados, agotados o infieles. Está con nosotros en la luz y en la oscuridad, en los buenos momen-tos y en los malos; nunca nos dará la espalda. En la Biblia, Dios dice: «No te desampararé, ni te dejaré». Eso significa que el amor de Dios es inmutable y no depende de quiénes somos en realidad.

Todo va salir bien.

Nadie es perfecto

Пожилая монахиня рассказывала подруге о том, как начинает свои ежедневные молитвы. Ей стало очевидным, что рассказать надо все без утайки, включая и хорошее и плохое. И она сказала своей подруге: «Когда я молюсь, я несу в своем сердце каждого человека, которого когда-либо встречала, каждый случай, каждую мысль и каждое чувство, когда-либо испытанное мной. Я также несу все мои проблемы и тревоги. Моя молитва — это, в общем-то, лишь одна фраза: “Я престаю пред тобой, и это ужасающее зрелище!”».

Существует такое выражение: «Не судите книгу по ее обложке». Если мы честны перед собой, мы также можем чувствовать себя не совсем такими, какими кажемся. Снаружи мы можем быть очень хорошими, даже святыми. У нас может быть хорошая работа, прекрасная семья, красивая жена или симпатичный муж. Но если мы заглянем внутрь, то наши страхи и тревоги, разбитые надежды и разочарования могут свести на нет самые благие намерения.

Вам когда-либо встречались люди, у которых, казалось бы, есть все? Страницы журналов и телевизионные экраны всего мира полны звезд, живущих самой роскошной жизнью. Они одеты в самую модную одежду, у них много денег и миллионы фанатов, жаждущих быть такими же, как они. С каждой фотографии они смотрят на нас, улыбаясь, и выглядят совершенно беззаботными. Но нельзя забывать, что жизнь даже самого богатого человека полна своих тревог. Хорошо то, что у этих людей имеется потенциал для их преодоления, есть такой потенциал и у нас.

Как портовый капеллан я иногда слышу от посещающих нас экипажей, что жизнь на корабле похожа на тюремное заключение. Продленный контракт, нерегулярные контакты с домом или, в особых случаях, пиратский плен – все это может накапливаться и в результате заставить нас почувствовать себя в безвыходном положении. Тюрьма – это, пожалуй, слишком сильное сравнение, но жизнь моряка часто проходит по лезвию ножа. Это касается не только того, что приходится работать в неурочное время и зачастую в неспокойном море, но и просто повседневности вдали от дома, вдали от людей, говорящих на том же языке, возможно, совсем без друзей. Широкое, раскинувшееся от горизонта к горизонту, море очень легко может стать маленьким, все более сокращающимся в размерах, мирком.

Перебираясь на новое место работы, в другой порт или город, очень легко думать, что больше не будет проблем с самим собой, или, что можно оставить позади все уже совершенные глупые ошибки, и память о них больше не будет тревожить нас. Но пока мы не найдем способа решить все проблемы нашего прошлого, они будут преследовать нас повсюду. То же самое относится и к морякам. Мы можем думать, что новый корабль означает отсутствие проблем, но если на предыдущем судне у нас были определенные

Никто не совершенентрудности, то они могут возникнуть и на другом. Если мы не будем осмотрительны, наши проблемы могут выйти наружу и больно ударить по нам.

Я предлагаю посмотреть в глаза простой истине: даже если некоторые отрезки нашей жизни были не совсем хороши, Господь пребывает с нами и он полон любви и прощения. Он не отстраняется от наших трудностей и проблем, он всегда с нами и готов поддержать нас, если мы просим его об этом. Иисусу было дано имя Эммануил, что означает «Господь с нами». Он с нами не только в церкви или во время молитвы. Бог с нами и тогда, когда мы ощущаем себя совершенно никчемными, утратившими веру, разбитыми и усталыми. Он с нами во тьме и при свете, в хорошие времена и в трудные моменты, и он не отвернется от нас. В Библии Господь говорит: «Я никогда не оставлю и не покину вас». Это значит, что любовь Господа неизменна и для нее неважно, какие мы есть.

Все будет хорошо.

8 the sea nov/dec 11

UK outlines pension scheme for seafarers

Raubal Queen sinksMerchant ships rescue 246 in ferry sinking as over 100 lost

MISSION to Seafarers chap-lain the Revd Peter Ellis was honoured for a career dedicated to serving seafar-ers when the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare named him Welfare Personality of the Year.

Voted for by seafarers, the award reflects the welcoming presence Peter has provided at ports in Asia and Europe over the last 40 years. Follow-ing stints in Singapore and the UK, Peter spent the 20 years before his retirement in 2011 as chaplain to the bus-tling port of Hong Kong. A friendly face at the quayside,

he visited ships laden with newspapers, football DVDs and telephone cards. He met thousands of seafarers during his career and helped with a huge range of problems.

“The work for which Peter has been rightly hon-oured exemplifies the spirit of the Flying Angel which is known and loved by crews the world over,” said Mission secretary general the Revd Tom Heffer. “Peter has served with selfless commitment and has been instrumental in strengthening links with the maritime community of Asia.”

Seafarers name Peter Ellis ‘Welfare Personality of the Year’ at ICSW Awards

AUSTRALIA and the Netherlands have ratified the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, bringing the total ratifications to 22 and raising hopes that the required 30 will be achieved in the next few months, allowing the convention to come into force next year. The International Labour Organization convention provides comprehensive rights and protection at work for the world’s more than 1.2 million seafarers.

The Revd Peter Ellis holds his award, pictured with Guy Ryder, executive director for standards and fundamental principles and rights at work at the International Labour Organization. (Photo: International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare)

THE UK Government has clarified how the auto-enrolment (short for automatic enrol-ment) of seafarers into pension schemes could work. It has said that participation in the scheme would not be based on flag, country of residence or the na-tionality of a seafarer or on where their employ-er is based. An industry source told The Sea that auto-enrolment was likely to affect only sea-farers who worked on UK coastal and shortsea routes and joined and left their vessels in UK ports. It remained to be seen whether this would also affect cruise-ships based in UK ports.

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THE small Papua New Guinea domestic passenger ship Rabaul Queen capsized and sank in rough weather in the Solo-mon Sea in early February with the loss of at least 100 people – and possibly twice that number. Merchant ships in the area at the time were able to rescue 246 people.

The loss comes as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the global ferry operator association, Inter-ferry, continue to promote an initiative to improve the safety of small passenger vessels in developing countries.

The ship was sailing from Kimbe to Lae when she sank near Fischhafen, shortly after transmitting a distress signal, according to the Australian Mari-time Safety Authority (AMSA). A joint rescue effort by Papua New Guinea and

Australia got under way quickly, making use of several merchant ships as well helicopters and patrol boats.

The Mitsui OSK Lines 3,586 teu con-tainership MOL Summer, sailing from Hong Kong to Brisbane, was dispatched by AMSA to serve as on-scene co-ordi-nator for the rescue operation. Her crew were able to pull 116 survivors from the water. Meanwhile, eight other merchant vessels near the scene helped with the rescue operation at AMSA’s request, bringing the total rescued to 246. How-ever, it appears there could have been as many as 500 people on board even though officially the Rabaul Queen was carrying 350, which is why there is real uncertainty as to the number of lives lost.

The recently appointed IMO secre-tary-general Koji Sekimizu extended

his sincere condolences to the friends and families of all those involved in the accident. He also confirmed that IMO would be ready and willing, through its technical co-operation activities, to offer Papua New Guinea any assistance it might require with regard to domestic ferry safety in the light of the disaster.

A few weeks before the sinking, in early December, participants in a forum on the subject organised by IMO and held in Bali, Indonesia agreed a detailed action plan to address domestic ferry safety in East Asia. Issues discussed in Bali included hazardous weather, vessel design and construction, overcrowding, and the poor enforcement of rules, all of which, IMO said, may be considered to be significant contributory factors to accidents and fatalities.

More dangerous cargo fears as Vinalines Queen is lost

BRAZILIAN mining giant Vale has converted the former VLCC Ore Fabrica (ex-Front Duchess) into the world’s largest trans-ship-ment vessel. It will operate in Subic Bay, the Philip-pines. She will trans-ship iron ore cargoes from Vale’s 400,000 dwt ore carriers into capesize vessels for onward carriage to markets in Asia. From design to delivery, the entire conversion took 333 days to complete and was carried out at the Jiangsu Xinrong Shipyard in China, with designs and project

management by RINA sub-sidiary Logmarin Advisors. The trans-shipment op-eration is starting just as Chinese authorities have announced a ban on Vale's 400,000 dwt ore carriers entering the country's ports, potentially meaning extra work for the new facility.

The Ore Fabrica can load a capesize vessel in 36 hours. The new cargo-handling plant, the only one of its kind, consists of five Lie-bherr MPG cranes and a sophisticated conveyor belt/loading system.

THE 2005-built supramax bulk carrier Vinalines Queen and her 22 crew were reported missing on Christmas Day, considered lost. Travelling from Indonesia to China, the ship was the latest of several bulkers carrying nick-el ore to sink with loss of life.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says that “the root of the problem would seem to be the refusal of some ship-pers to allow the appointment of independent surveyors to conduct cargo testing in accord-ance with IMO requirements – plus the commercial pressure placed on masters to accept potentially unsafe cargoes”.

The secretary general of Inter-cargo, Rob Lomas, said they had previously called on shippers and cargo interests to conduct an urgent review into the testing and safety processes involved in

shipping of hazardous cargoes, following a spate of accidents and fatalities in 2010, but clearly more needed to be urgently done “to stop this appalling unnecessary loss of life. Sadly,” he went on, “it seems that some shipowners still do not have the relevant experience or knowl-edge in interpreting the IMSBC Code and are accepting cargoes which are unsafe”.

Meanwhile Videotel has launched the training pro-gramme on how to deal with potentially dangerous mineral-based cargoes as specified in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes code. In particular, the programme looks at how ship’s personnel can greatly reduce the chances of loading an unsafe cargo by verifying the documentation and figures provided by the shipper.

VLCC turns into massive floating ore terminal

Turkey: limits on fuel sulphurTURKISH authorities have followed the EU in imposing strict sulphur limits on vessels in port. Since January 1 ships have had to use fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 per cent. The ruling applies to vessels at berth in Turkish ports and transiting its inland waterways. The new regulations mean that 0.1 per cent sulphur content gas oil must be used by vessels while calling at Turkish ports, including in port anchorage areas. However, the new regulation will not apply to vessels transiting the Bosporus or Dardanelles, even if they drop anchor, providing the vessel maintains transit status.

UK-BASED Videotel Ma-rine International has launched a new training programme, Ship Call – Visiting a Ship in Port, designed to reduce the risks involved in any ship call. The company says that while many are aware of the haz-ards faced on board a vessel at sea, often little attention is paid to the difficulties and dangers encountered during the seemingly simple act of visiting a ship in port.Yet, it warns, the termi-nals and ports a vessel serves are as potentially dangerous an industrial environment as most people are ever likely to encounter. Address-ing a range of maritime safety regulations, the programme is intended to be especially valuable for those joining a ship for the first time.

THE master and chief engineer of the 6,296 gt livestock carrier GL Lan Xiu, as well as her owner, the South Korean company, Sejin Lines, have been charged with environ-mental offences follow-ing a five-tonne spill in Brisbane, Australia. They have been accused of contravening the Trans-port Operations (Marine Safety) Act.

The incident hap-pened on Monday January 23 when the GL Lan Xiu was taking on bunkers from the barge, Valiant III, at Brisbane’s Hamilton Number 4 Wharf. Much of the small spill was recov-ered using skimmers but some birds were affected and river ferry services were disrupted for a while.

Officers charged over spill

Training highlights ship visit dangers

Australia & Netherlands ratify MLC 2006

IN a recent report on a fire on the container-ship Charlotte Maersk in the Strait of Malacca on July 7, 2010 the Dan-ish Maritime Accident Investigation Board says that the crew took prompt and decisive action to contain the fire, which had started in a container of methyl ethyl ketone perox-ide, meaning that the ship sustained only minor damage. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has presented the crew with a certificate of commendation for their acts of bravery.

Boxship crew praised

THE International Transport Workers’ Federation has launched a free guide on how the Work in Fishing Convention 2007 can help fishers worldwide and why more governments should be persuaded to ratify it. The guide is available in Arabic, English, French, Indonesian, Spanish and Tamil and explains how the International Labour Organization aims to ensure that fishers worldwide have access to decent working and living conditions.

Fishing convention guide