The Sea Newspaper March/April 2015

Issue 234 Mar/Apr 2015

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6 y 7

The Sea

Editor: Carly FieldsNews: 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:

Laura Hayes, The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London, UK EC4R 2RL

Tel: +44 20 7248 5202

Email: [email protected]

www.missiontoseafarers.org

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Mission on hand for migrants and ships’ crews,page 8

Turn of year brings spate of shipping casualties, page 2

Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

Lack of rest leads to detentions

Port welfare pilot hits ground running

US to require shore access for seafarers, page 3

Registered charity in England and Wales: 1123613

The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited,Registered charity: SC041938

A CONCENTRATED Inspection Campaign (CIC) focusing on hours of rest within the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) region resulted in 16 ships being detained for deficiencies related to hours of rest.

Most deficiencies related to hours of rest not being recorded correctly, while other deficiencies included watchkeeping personnel not having sufficient rest and no bridge lookout being maintained.

Paris MoU secretary General Richard Schiferli expressed serious concerns: “Insufficient rest of watchkeeping personnel has already caused several incidents over the past years. It may be the cause of fatigue, which can have major consequences for safety and the environment. Two-watch systems are particularly vulnerable in this respect.”

The campaign was carried out from 1 September to 30 November last year.

Founded 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 260 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 1.5 million merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.

The Mission to Seafarers

TH E d e l i b e r a t e grounding of the car car r ie r Hoegh

Osaka in early January, after it developed a severe list, triggered a major rescue followed by a crew support operation. Fortunately there were no serious injuries when the 25-strong crew had to abandon ship in difficult conditions.

The Singapore-registered vessel left Southampton for Germany on 3 January, and was deliberately run aground on the Bramble Bank in the Solent by the master and pilot shortly after leaving Southampton. As the crew were rescued by a combination of helicopters and Royal National Lifeboat I n s t i t u t i o n l i f e b o a t s , maritime welfare charities, including The Mission to Seafarers (MtS), swung into action.

M t S c h a p l a i n J o h n Attenborough explained what happened: “I received a call at around 11 pm on Saturday night from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to t e l l me that a vessel had run aground in the Solent and that a maritime chaplaincy team was needed urgently to assist. Helicopters were bringing those rescued to the Southampton Vessel Tracking Service (VTS) Station nearby.

“I immediately called Stephen Hulbert, manager at the Southampton Seafarers’ Centre, and we arrived at the VTS station at around midnight. Two seafarers were already in hospital, and the

rest of the crew were OK. It was a tense atmosphere, with police, paramedics and the coastguard making plans to secure the ship.”

He added: “Our arrival to support the crew was crucial. We managed to speak with them all, and we offered to take the men to the Southampton Seafarers’ Centre to make them more comfortab le , ge t them urgently needed clothing and food, and to assist them to contact home. We arrived at the centre at around 2 am. Stephen had called ahead to centre staff, who came in straightaway.

“When we arrived there was hot soup, coffee, and sandwiches ready for them all, and Stephen’s wife had bought in blankets, jumpers and socks. They were really needed. I made sure that all

the crew could use my mobile phone. By 4 am the shipping agents and the lawyers had arrived and arranged to transfer the men to a local hotel.”

Meanwhile, Apostleship of the Sea chaplain Roger Stone supported two injured seafarers in hospital in Portsmouth.

The operation to support the crew lasted for several d a y s . T h e R e v d J o h n Attenborough said: “We were all there to make sure that there was continuity of care for the men – from rescue to hotel and ongoing this week. We stayed with them every day to offer support.

“We provided them with basics such as toothpaste, shaving kits , etc… and simple friendship. This emergency situation has been handled with great care,

professionalism and energy by everyone involved.”

The 51,770 gross tonnage ship refloated unexpectedly on the following Wednesday afternoon on the high tide and was towed two miles east of Bramble Bank, where it was anchored.

However, the subsequent salvage operation by Svitzer was hampered by bad weather. The vessel dragged anchor about 100 yards at one stage during winds of up to 83 mph. The ship was eventually brought to a near upright position and towed back into Southampton where her cargo of 1,400 vehicles and about 70 large p ieces o f const ruct ion equipment was unloaded.

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has opened an investigation into the accident.

Mission supports rescued Hoegh Osaka crew

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IMO proposals aimed at cutting red tapeTHE International Maritime Organization (IMO) has come up with 12 proposals to cut the administrative burden on shipping, mainly through much greater use of information technology and the electronic transfer of information.

IMO has published a report, Public Consultation on Administrative Requirements in Maritime Regulations, which presents the main findings and conclusions of IMO’s first-ever public consultation on administrative burdens associated with mandatory IMO instruments such as conventions, codes and other instruments.

The first of 12 recommendations in the report is that IMO should ensure that requirements to provide information

to and from IMO are fulfilled by electronic means. The second one is that a web-based, secure information portal to fulfil reporting requirements should be established by IMO.

Although the consultation did find that the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is seen as “burdensome and disproportionate”, the recommendation on this topic was not to insist that the provisions designed to allow seafarers to have shore leave and access to shoreside service be implemented. Instead it was decided that more work needs to be done to explain the reasons that led IMO to adopt these security provisions.

The humanitarian operation to support the crew lasted for several days (Photo: Southern Rhapsody)

Fury over pirates’ human rights rulingTHE head of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) has slammed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that forces Denmark to compensate nine suspected pirates for being held too long before being taken to court.

This latest ECHR ruling follows a similar ruling that ordered the French Government to pay a large amount in compensation to Somali pirates who had attacked French ships, “because the pirates’ human rights were disregarded when they were arrested”.

The nine Somalis affected by the new ruling were charged with piracy after the attempted hijack of the tanker Torm Kansas, in the Indian Ocean in November 2013. They were arrested after their unsuccessful attack by the Danish Navy support ship Esben Snarre. Each received 19,600 Danish krone (US$3,247) for the 13 days they

were detained before appearing in a Seychelles court. The ECHR ruled they should have been brought before a judge within 24 hours.

MPHRP’s programme director, Roy Paul, said that obviously it was 13 days before they could be brought before a judge in the Seychelles. He commented: “MPHRP would be happy to introduce the judges to some of the piracy survivors that MPHRP supports and enable them to listen to their stories of how their captors took away all their human rights but they have never been compensated.”

Mr Paul added: “On behalf of the seafarers and their families and our industry partners we are requesting the leaders of the States in the European Union to take urgent action against these crazy judgements.”

THE ISWAN International Port Welfare Partnership pilot project has been warmly received by the industry after its launch on 4 February.

The project, funded by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, aims to assist countries and ports set up ‘welfare boards’ to support and improve seafarers’ welfare in ports around the world. The project – managed by the staff of the UK Merchant Navy Welfare Board – will also investigate the presence and operational effectiveness of existing seafarers’ welfare boards in order to create a global network of port welfare.

The Mission to Seafarers’ director of justice and public affairs, the Revd Canon Ken Peters, said: “It is hoped that this project will be enough to convince port authorities to create a Port Welfare Committee with representatives from port users, harbour masters, and officials from immigration, customs, port health, seafarers’ missions and all who could do so much to enhance seafarers welfare in ports.”

2 the sea mar/apr 15

Losses of bulk carriers and passenger ship fire put spotlight on safety procedures

Turn of the year brings spate of shipping casualties

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THE last days of 2014 and the start of the New Year were marked by several serious casualties and the loss of many lives.

On 28 December the Italy-flagged roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in the Strait of Otranto, in the Adriatic Sea, in rough seas and near freezing temperatures. Over the next two days most of the passengers and crew were rescued, principally by Greek and Italian helicopters operating in extreme conditions. The incident once again highlighted the difficulties and dangers involved in evacuating passenger vessels.

The exact number of people on board is unlikely ever to be known due to confusion over the passenger manifest and the presence of stowaways on board but press reports put the number of official passengers and crew at 499. As of mid-February at least 28 people were believed to have died on the ship or in the water and two crew members of the Albanian tug Iliria were killed during the salvage operations. The cause of the fire was still under investigation as The Sea went to press.

Only five days after the Norman Atlantic disaster a bulk carrier, the Gearbulk Holdings-owned Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Bulk Jupiter, sank off the coast of Vung Tau, Vietnam. She had sailed from Kuantan, Malaysia, on 30 December 2014 for China with a crew of 19 Filipinos and a cargo of 46,400 tonnes of bauxite. Rescue vessels went to the scene but only one of the ship’s crew was found alive and only two bodies were recovered.

Early reports indicated that the likely cause of the sinking was sudden loss of stability from the bauxite cargo. This prompted bulk carrier operators group Intercargo to warn of the “continued dangers associated with the carriage of bulk cargoes that may have a potential for liquefaction”.

Then, on 3 January, on the other side of the world, the upturned bow of the small cargoship Cemfjord was spotted off the coast of Scotland in the Pentland Firth, by the Northlink Ferry Hrossey. The vessel had capsized in gale force conditions without issuing a distress signal. None of the eight seafarers on board, seven from Poland and one from the Philippines, were found, despite an extensive search operation. The ship sank a few hours after being sighted.

The Mission to Seafarers and the Apostleship of the Sea acted together in response to the

tragedy, contacting the owner, Brise Hamburg, and liaising with them on how best to support the families of the lost crew. A church service for the missing seafarers was held in the nearby town of Wick.

The Mission to Seafarers’ director of justice and public affairs, the Revd Canon Ken Peters, said: “This is a devastating shipping tragedy which has profoundly affected the lives of the lost crew’s families. The ship sank quickly in very treacherous conditions and the crew clearly did not have the time to issue a distress signal.”

A service was held in remembrance of the lost Cemfjord’s crew

Piracy down globally despite Asian surge

New manpower report under waySINCE 1990, shipping industry organisations BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have conducted a comprehensive survey of the world’s supply of and demand for seafarers every five years.

Now BIMCO and the ICS are inviting the shipping industry to participate in the next Manpower Report. Previous studies have shown that a large number of officers are expected to retire in the near future and that more officers and ratings will be needed as the world fleet grows. This time the report will include short surveys of seafarers and other maritime professionals, the first of which has already been posted on the project website: maritimemanpower.com

MORE merchant ships were hijacked last year despite there being fewer attacks overall, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). Pirates killed four seafarers, injured 13 and kidnapped nine from their vessels. Worldwide, 21 vessels were hijacked in 2014, 183 were boarded, and 13 fired upon.

Attacks against small tankers off South East Asia’s coasts caused a rise in global ship hijackings, up to 21 in 2014 from 12 the year before, despite piracy at sea falling to its lowest level in eight years. The IMB says pirates took 442 crew members hostage, compared with 304 in 2013.

The IMB’s annual piracy report shows 245 incidents were recorded worldwide in 2014, a 44 per cent drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011. Somali pirates were responsible for 11 attacks, all of which failed. However, the IMB warns ship’s masters to follow the industry’s Best Management Practices, as the threat of Somali piracy has not been eliminated.

“The global increase in hijackings is due to a rise in attacks against coastal tankers in South East Asia,” said Pottengal Mukundan, the director of the IMB. The Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre has monitored world

piracy since 1991. “Gangs of armed thieves have attacked small tankers in the region for their cargoes, many looking specifically for marine diesel and gas oil to steal and then sell.”

Since April 2014, 16 vessels have been hijacked in South East Asia, of which 11 were coastal product tankers hijacked in the Southern approaches to the South China Sea.

Citing the death of one crew member shot on a bitumen tanker in December, the IMB report highlights the possibility of the hijackings becoming inc reas ing ly violent. Most of the 124 attacks in the region were aimed at low-level theft from vessels, using guns and long knives.

The IMB commends the Indonesian Marine Police’s efforts to stem the increase in attacks in identified port hot spots. Outside port limits, pirates are particularly active in the waters around Pulau Bintan and the South China Sea, where 11 vessels were hijacked in 2014. Actions taken by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the Indonesian authorities and other maritime forces of regional coastal states have played a key role in responding to these attacks.

IMO focuses on trainingIMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu has launched this year’s World Maritime Day theme, ‘Maritime education and training’, telling students and staff at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden that maritime education and training was essential for the long term sustainability of the sector, both at sea and onshore.

Mr Sekimizu said that the 2015 World Maritime Day theme provided the opportunity to highlight the importance to everybody, not just within the shipping industry, of there being sufficient quantity and quality maritime education and training available to meet the sector’s needs, now and into the future.

More UK seafarers, but fewer ratingsTHE number of UK seafarers has increased for the first time since 2010, new figures released by the Department for Transport show. The total number of UK seafarers active at sea in 2014 was estimated to be 22,910. Nearly 2,000 officer cadets were in training, the second highest level since the government’s Support for Maritime Training scheme was introduced in 1998. However, the number of UK ratings fell for the third consecutive year to 8,420, a 2 per cent fall from 2013.

mar/apr 15 the sea 3

‘Unintended consequences’ of ISPS Code on accessrights to be addressed by new rule

US to require shore access for seafarers

TERMINAL operators in the US will soon have to provide seafarers

access to the shore outside the port area, under a new rule currently being developed by the US Coast Guard (USCG).

The chief of the USCG’s Office of Port and Facility Compliance, Andrew Tucci, said: “Following the events of September 11, 2001, and the implementation of the Mar i t ime Transpor ta t ion Security Act, security systems were put into place that created some unintended consequences.”

Capt Tucci added: “This proposed regulation is intended to promote human dignity for seafarers while maintaining the security of our ports and facilities.”

A consul ta t ion per iod about the proposed new rule, that would oblige terminal operators to allow seafarers and certain other individuals, access between the vessel and facility gate without unreasonable delay, and without any charge, ended in February. The proposed rule specifically includes family members among the categories of individuals who should be allowed access.

The assistant general secretary of seafarers’ union Nautilus International, Marcel van den Broek, said the issue

is of the utmost importance to the health and safety, welfare and morale of seafarers and for the efficient operation of shipping services.

He complained: “Ever since 9/11 our members have found this necessary access severely restricted and in some cases even completely denied. This is

occurring in spite of the provisions in the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) that seafarer access is to be facilitated and International Marit ime Organization (IMO) recognition that access to shore leave is a basic human right.”

Nautilus said there was evidence that more than 10 per cent of seafarers on ships visiting US ports had been denied the right to shore-side access – and the union fears the true figure could be even higher.

The proposed rule would require terminal operators to implement a system to provide seafarers’ access that is tailored to each facility, within a year of the rule being published.

T h e p r o p o s e d r u l e l i s t s several methods of providing or implementing a system of access, including: regularly scheduled or on-call escort between vessel and facility gate that conforms to the vessel’s watch schedule, as agreed by the vessel and the facility; arrangements with taxi services or other seafarers’ welfare

organisations to facilitate the access; monitored pedestrian access routes between the vessel and facility gate, or other methods approved by the captain of the port.

Also, terminals must have a back-up system if the primary means of compliance is not available.

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New class of US visas for Ethiopian seafarersTHE Ethiopian Maritime Training Institute (EMTI) has welcomed an initiative by the United States that will provide Ethiopian seafarers with a new class of seafarer visas (‘C1/D’ visas) that will be valid for two years.

The move comes as EMTI expands its training programme to include over 1,000 seafarers annually, ranging from

ratings to engine and deck officers, in response to rapidly growing demand for Ethiopian seafarers. In January, the US extended the term period of C1/D visas for Ethiopian nationals, mainly to allow transit to and from the US by the crews of merchant ships.

During a recent visit to EMTI in Bahir Dar, the US Ambassador

to Ethiopia, Patricia Haslach, said: “The US has an old and cherished maritime heritage, and we are pleased and excited to help foster a maritime tradition in Ethiopia as well.”

She added that Ethiopia had a growing number of good English speakers with solid technical skills who could “export” their talents.

‘Magic pipe’ engineer faces possible long sentence GREEK chief engineer Matthaios Fafalios was convicted by a US court of environmental crimes, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, in December last year.

The 64-year-old now faces the possibility of a lengthy jail sentence. The court was told that, while serving on the Trident Navigator in late 2013 Mr Fafalios ordered the bypassing of

the oil water separator, using a so-called ‘magic pipe’, and the illegal discharge of oil into the sea.

The operator of the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, Marine Managers, had already pleaded guilty to knowingly falsifying the oil record book and obstruction of justice and been fined US$900,000.

In a separate case, Italian shipping

company Carbofin pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the US Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and agreed to pay a $2.75 million criminal penalty. The case involved the LPG tanker Marigola, which called at Tampa on three occasions in 2013 and 2014. The chief engineer and the second engineer also pleaded guilty to the same charge.

Ethiopian Maritime Training Institute graduates will benefit from the US visa overhaul

EU employment law exclusions scrappedTHE European Union (EU) has amended five EU directives in order to repeal the exclusion of seafarers from various provisions. The direc-tives concerned relate to: employer insolvency; the European Works Council; information and consultation; collec-tive redundancies, and the transfer of under-takings.

The European Com-munity Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) – the European Social Partners in the field of Maritime Trans-port – welcomed the move.

ECA sulphur limits are being enforcedRULES enforcing new ultra low sulphur regula-tions, which have recent-ly come into operation in North America and Northern Europe, will have teeth, and enforce-ment will be rigorous, according to an update from liability insurer Skuld.

It notes that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a detailed set of guidelines for setting of penalties, should a vessel fail to comply with the new regulations that mandate a maximum of 0.10 per cent sulphur content in fuel for designated Emission Control Areas (ECAs).

The EPA has the pow-er to impose civil penal-ties of up to US$25,000 per violation, per day and, to deter future violations, the penalties will be larger the more aggravated the offence.

Skuld says that both the EPA and the US Coast Guard favour very stringent approaches to environmental violations, and offenders could be subject to both criminal and civil sanctions for an offence. In particular, Skuld cautions strongly against lying to the authorities. It points out that giving false information to a federal officer is punishable by up to five years in prison.

THE master and chief officer of the United Arab Shipping Com-pany-owned, 6,900 teu containership Al Safat were detained for four days after their ship collided with the fishing vessel Badr al-Is-lam in the Red Sea on 14 December, killing at least 15 Egyptian fishermen on the fish-ing vessel. At least 40 people are believed to have been on the Badr al-Islam, which cap-sized after the collision.

Investigations continue but shipping newspaper Tradewinds reports that the families of the men who lost their lives have filed legal claims against the shipowner.

Master and chief officer arrested

Nigerian training plansTHE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMA-SA) will have spent Naira20 billion (US$260 million) on training seafarers between 2011 and 2015, according to a report in the coun-try’s Daily Times.

NIMASA direc-tor-general, Patrick Akpobolokemi, told a conference in Lagosthat 2,500 young Nigerians were benefit-ing from the agency’s National Seafarers De-velopment Programme (NSDP). He also said that some of the young Nigerians were also en-joying various levels of sponsorship in schools in the UK, Egypt, Romania, India and the Philippines.

Action on ‘ghost ships’ promisedTHE European Commis-sion says it will act to stop the use of so-called ‘ghost ships’ to smuggle illegal migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe. In two recent cases ships were found at sea with large numbers of would-be refugees on board but no crews.

EC home affairs commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos promised decisive action against the “ruthless criminal organisations” using new methods “in order to exploit desperate people who are trying to escape conflict and war”.

Libya attack kills seafarersTWO seafarers were killed when Libyan National Army fighter planes bombed the Greek- operated, Liberia-flagged tanker Araevo, which had 26 crew members on board and was carrying 12,600 tons of crude oil. Two other crew mem-bers were injured.

USCG’s Capt Andrew Tucci is keen to promote “human dignity

for seafarers”


NEWS MICHAEL GREY

CARLY FIELDS

All hail the arrival of smart ships and big data

Playing rescuer to desperate soulsAdrift in unseaworthy vessels, an increasing number of refugees fleeing war-torn countries are throwing themselves on the mercy of seafarers. Michael Grey asks how do seafarers cope?

SEAFARERS would be forgiven for a wry smile and a slight roll of the eyes at the

proclaimed ‘imminent’ arrival of automated ships, needing a skeleton or perhaps no crew to run seamless operations from coast to coast without a care in the world. It’s a discussion that’s rolled out every so often and is generally politely received only to disappear a few months after the fanfare of the launch dies down. Regardless of the hype, a great number of issues still need to be ironed out before drone ships can really take hold. Added to which, worries about cyber attacks on ships are increasing; the implications of such an attack on an unmanned ship do not need labouring.

But that’s not to say that ships can’t get smarter without the drive of full automation. A halfway house that is achievable and could improve the lot of the seafarer is making waves in the industry: the advent of ‘data-centric engineering’. It’s a phrase coined by classification society, Lloyd’s Register to define how ships of the not-too-distant-future will be constructed with intelligent materials that will allow the structure of ships to ‘talk’. Think nanotechnology in paints, coatings and materials, and ultra- sensitive monitoring through the use of acoustic fibres. When

incorporated in a ship, these materials will produce a wealth of voyage data and data from ship structures, components and machinery which can be collated and used to enhance performance, productivity and, crucially, safety. Commercial benefits could be optimisation of voyage planning to routes that are tailored to the capability of the ship in addition to a move away from fixed maintenance intervals, towards tailored predictive maintenance.

Instead of relying on theoretical analysis, smart ships would be able to tell us about the stress overweight containers place on their hulls; they would be able to describe the strain they are put under by certain weather conditions; and they would be able to explain how slow steaming impacts their superstructure.

Speaking to The Sea, Lloyd’s Register chief executive Richard Sadler said he believes that while the arrival of smart ships will change the work environment and workload for seafarers, it will not replace them. “Smart ships are not fully autonomous ships, just more efficient ships through the use of technology. There is no doubt – smart ships will not interface with port authorities, they will not paint themselves, they will not ensure that the vessel is protected from piracy.

“Smart ships will undoubtedly have an effect on the role of the seafarer but it is a changing role not a replaced role.”

Given that many of these smart technologies are directly related to the ship’s structure, it is the chief engineer and the engine room team that will likely gain the most from their use. Here, roles will need to adapt to the volume of data the ship will generate, says Mr Sadler. “The biggest change will be the volume of data and the ability of data analytics to replace automatic with intelligent learning autonomy.”

This will lead to growing landside analysis to deal with the ‘big data’ being generated. “The best people to understand big data output and to help design the autonomous systems are the people who have operational experience with the real situations and with small data,” says Mr Sadler. “I do believe more decisions will be taken on land as smart ships develop and so the roles will involve putting the academic experience into the system before an event occurs rather than when it occurs so that the ‘smart’ response is appropriate.”

Mr Sadler’s vision is that all the design data collected by these technologies would be held in a centralised control centre ashore that could be run by shipbuilders,

Carly Fields speaks with Lloyd’s Register’s Richard Sadler about how seafarers will benefit from evolving ship construction technologies and the arrival of data-centric engineering

HOW on earth do you cope when your ship, a sophisticated modern

cargo vessel with a crew of under twenty, suddenly comes upon a boatload of refugees, in a desperate, sinking condition? There might be a sea running and your ship, while capable of making a decent lee, has a high freeboard and is slowly rolling. Added to which, the half-wrecked wooden craft carrying the refugees looks as if it would fall apart if it made contact with your steel side.

But even more shocking is the sheer number of people who appear, crammed on to the frail craft, which should not be far from the coast, let alone in the middle of the Mediterranean. It is impossible to count them as many seem to be below deck, but there could be more than a hundred, with babies in arms and old people in the last stages of distress among their number. They will hugely outnumber your crew, and among them could well be people harbouring infectious diseases, even carrying firearms and other weapons. Time is not on your side

as night is falling and the sea is rising.

This is no fictitious scenario

but the sort of dilemma that has faced large numbers of seafarers during 2014, a year which saw

New enclosed spaces initiative launched

ONCE again there have been reports of very violent attacks on seafarers off West Africa. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says 41 incidents were reported over the last 12 months, but it believes that many other attacks went unreported.

Five vessels were hijacked: three tankers, one supply vessel and a fishing vessel. Hijackings of product tankers

appeared to have subsided by the last quarter of 2014, the last reported case being at the end of July 2014.

Of the 18 attacks off Nigeria, 14 involved tankers and vessels associated with the oil industry. Most were product tankers, hijacked in order to steal and tranship their cargo into smaller tankers.

As an indication of the level of violence involved, the

IMB quotes from one report of an incident off Nigeria. It reads: “Two armed pirates boarded the tanker. As the crew retreated into the citadel, the onboard-armed team fired at the pirates. Most of the crew, including the guards, managed to retreat into the citadel. … When the guards and crew emerged from the citadel they found the chief engineer killed and the third officer injured.”

Seafarers face the daunting task of feeding, housing housing and caring for refugees seeking asylum (Photo: UNHCR/A. D’Amato)





Violent attack warning off West Africa

AS SHIPPING companies come under more pressure to improve the economic performance of their ships, crews wil l increasingly be required to undergo training in energy management.

U K - b a s e d c o m p a n y Videotel has developed a

training course designed to guide maritime personnel through the topic. The course includes seven modules aimed at officers, crew, and shore-based staff, and presents the information by depicting how a fictitious shipping company is going about establishing

and implementing an energy management system.

It also covers shipping-industry-specific measures relating to energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, such as progressively tighter fuel and emission controls in Emission Control Areas.

Videotel develops energy training

Crew increasingly need to improve the economic performance of ships (Photo: Videotel)

TWO UK-based companies, Videotel and Mines Rescue Marine (MRM), have launched an “innovative and unique” way to effectively assess, audit and manage the safety of enclosed spaces on board ship.

The Enclosed Space Management System has been developed in response to the high number of accidents and deaths that continue to occur in enclosed spaces. The companies said: “We believe it will change the way in which enclosed spaces are dealt with forever.”

The system is said currently to be the only computer-based system available that enables vessels and offshore installations to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) resolution: Revised Recommendations for Entering Enclosed Spaces Aboard Ships.

An auditing process allows safety risks to be identified and solutions to be put in place. All crew members can contribute to this ‘living’ system by adding their own comments, photographs and experiential data to each space record, ensuring that knowledge is retained and the risk of safety being affected by crew changes is lowered.

The new system also provides ready access to all essential information needed to enter and work within an enclosed space as safely as

possible. Gathered information can be viewed ashore as well as on board and a PDF report can be sent directly to any third party by email, as required. All data entered is stored, and the system itself is updated at regular intervals to reflect changes in laws and regulations.

At a launch event, MRM consultant Michael Lloyd stressed that the system was easily affordable for ship operators. Capt Lloyd said the annual charge was “no more than the cost of a dinner for two and a nice bottle of wine at a good London restaurant”.

The Enclosed Space Management System’s auditing process allows for the assessment of internal spaces, entry points and rescue requirements, for example: the size of manholes; difficulty of entry; ability to rig a man-riding winch for rescue purposes; availability and effectiveness of communications; dimensions of the space; internal design features, and the ability to operate while wearing breathing apparatus.

It also prompts the user to record the manpower and equipment requirements for both entry into, and potentially rescue from, a space. On completion of the audit, a simple traffic light warning system is provided, based on the degree of difficulty to get into, to operate inside of, and to rescue someone from, each space.


All hail the arrival of smart ships and big data

Playing rescuer to desperate soulsAdrift in unseaworthy vessels, an increasing number of refugees fleeing war-torn countries are throwing themselves on the mercy of seafarers. Michael Grey asks how do seafarers cope?

“Smart ships will undoubtedly have an effect on the role of the seafarer but it is a changing role not a replaced role.”

Given that many of these smart technologies are directly related to the ship’s structure, it is the chief engineer and the engine room team that will likely gain the most from their use. Here, roles will need to adapt to the volume of data the ship will generate, says Mr Sadler. “The biggest change will be the volume of data and the ability of data analytics to replace automatic with intelligent learning autonomy.”

This will lead to growing landside analysis to deal with the ‘big data’ being generated. “The best people to understand big data output and to help design the autonomous systems are the people who have operational experience with the real situations and with small data,” says Mr Sadler. “I do believe more decisions will be taken on land as smart ships develop and so the roles will involve putting the academic experience into the system before an event occurs rather than when it occurs so that the ‘smart’ response is appropriate.”

Mr Sadler’s vision is that all the design data collected by these technologies would be held in a centralised control centre ashore that could be run by shipbuilders,

or perhaps by the classification societies of tomorrow, who are acutely aware that their role will need to change to meet this evolving analytical environment.

While this onshore analysis will be crucial to improving efficiency, seafarers should not cut themselves out of the loop, advises Mr Sadler: “With increasingly ‘smart’ ships the challenge of the technology will not be dealt with afloat but through advanced communication techniques from the shore. But seafarers should still be interested if they want to be part of the future not the past. Technological development will occur regardless.”

Future ship intelligence goes beyond nanotech and ultra- sensitive monitoring. Rolls-Royce for one believes that within ten years, ships’ bridges will be solely focused on processing high level data analysis to operate onboard systems to manage propulsion and navigation.

Its Future Operator Experience Concept or ‘oX’, developed with Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre, sees a future with smart crew workstations, which automatically recognise individuals when they walk onto the bridge, and adjust to the individual’s preferences.

The windows of the oX bridge will be augmented reality displays of the vessel’s surroundings,

including visualisations of potential hazards that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye.

Mr Sadler also believes that these smart ships will be on the seas within 10 years, a stirring prospect and one that will be

within the lifetime of many seafarers currently serving in the merchant fleet. “As an industry we should see these opportunities as the next exciting development in shipping,” he advises.

“The impact will not be immediate but it will be significant

and seafarers should be proud to see shipping being included in the advanced engineering sectors. I am sure it may be more of an attraction than a deterrent but seafarers will have to accept it will mean a change of responsibilities and culture.”

Carly Fields speaks with Lloyd’s Register’s Richard Sadler about how seafarers will benefit from evolving ship construction technologies and the arrival of data-centric engineering

but the sort of dilemma that has faced large numbers of seafarers during 2014, a year which saw

more than 160,000 refugees plucked from leaky boats in the Mediterranean, many of them by

merchant ships, supplementing the work done by the mainly Italian Coastguard who have borne the lion’s share of the rescues.

How did the merchant seafarers cope? As always, they rose to the occasion, somehow managing to get these hundreds of wretched people aboard their ships, give them what help they were able to give with kindness and charity, and divert to a port for further treatment and processing.

There should, however, be no illusions about the magnitude of this task on many of these occasions, with seafarers whose job descriptions and training did not equip them for such a task, having to perform near miracles in getting these people to safety.

In these rescues, from the accounts they have given, they saw sights which they never ought to have seen, of death and human suffering, examples of man’s inhumanity to man and the sheer cold-blooded irresponsibility of the human traffickers who had sent these poor people to sea.

They have somehow coped magnificently, not least because their ships would never have been designed to handle such invasions of desperate people in such numbers. People operating tankers or chemical ships have had to somehow keep hundreds of people on their tank decks and somehow stop them smoking or otherwise endangering the ship. They have been faced with angry and desperate people, hugely outnumbering them, demanding to be taken to their preferred destination, rather than one convenient for the ship. They have had to somehow provide their ‘guests’ with food, drink and shelter until they can be landed.

Masters of ships know that they are obliged by both the Safety of Life at Sea Convention and UN refugee conventions to help in these circumstances, but the sheer numbers of refugees who have been trying to cross the Mediterranean has been a major challenge for both the ‘official’ rescuers and for those operating merchant ships on passage. Numbers are difficult to judge with any degree of accuracy, but

it is believed that at least 3,000 people died in unsuitable craft throughout 2014.

The scaling back of the Mare Nostrum operation, largely undertaken by the Italian Coastguard, and its replacement with a rather more modest European Union rescue operation has been heavily criticised as the number of people trying to escape war and poverty shows no sign of abating. The beginning of this year saw even more worrying developments, with two shortsea ships laden with several hundred refugees abandoned under way by the smugglers, leaving the ships, like unguided missiles, with their load of humanity, heading for the Italian coast, where they were fortunately intercepted and brought to port.

It is clear that the economics of such an operation, with desperate people able to pay substantial sums for their passage, commend themselves to smugglers able to lay hands on elderly, cheap ships. The consequences of one of these ships, under no form of control, being run down or wrecked would be appalling, but it is expected

that the same sort of operation is likely to be repeated for as long as the desperate seek to escape.

Can merchant seafarers count on any help if they find themselves involved in such a rescue? There is some useful advice available from P&I Clubs, and from the International Chamber of Shipping, which has co-operated with IMO in issuing some practical information. But as always, in such circumstances, there is a sort of expectation that good seamanship and ship handling, along with common sense, humanity and courage, will be exercised by all concerned. It is expected that people will consider the risks, the safety of themselves and their ships as part of their emergency role as lifesavers.

Seafarers involved in such dramatic incidents may reflect that they did not go to sea to become involved in such matters of life and death, but experience suggests that they cope extraordinarily well. Without a doubt, large numbers of people owe their lives to their skill and humanity. The worry is, of course, that 2015 will prove every bit as challenging.

Seafarers face the daunting task of feeding, housing housing and caring for refugees seeking asylum (Photo: UNHCR/A. D’Amato)





Engine room officers and ratings will be the first to realise the value of data-centric engineering


JUSTICE MATTERS BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Safe access to vessels a necessity, not a luxuryINTERNATIONAL Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed international standards that have greatly improved shipboard safety. Two of the most important IMO safety conventions are the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which specifies minimum standards for ship construction, equipment and operation, and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), which includes standards for seafarers’ qualifications and hours of work and rest.

Despite these great strides in maritime safety regulation, ships operate in hazardous environments and remain dangerous workplaces. One of the most dangerous shipboard points for seafarers and others is the boarding of and departing from a ship. Gangways, accommodation ladders and other means of ship access have been the source of many casualties. Through SOLAS, IMO has adopted international standards for means of access to ships.

IMO-adopted SOLAS regulation II-1/39 on the “Means of embarkation on and disembarkation from ships” came into effect in 2010 and applies to all ships constructed on or after 1 January 2010. It contains minimum standards for construction, installation, maintenance and testing gangways, accommodation ladders and other means of access and departure. IMO has also promulgated a circular (MSC.1/Circ.1331) providing detailed

guidance on the regulation. For its part, the UK recently circulated Marine Guidance Note MGN 533 providing guidance on the measures that shipowners and employers are expected to take in order to provide a safe means of access on UK ships.

Accommodation ladders and gangways on older ships which are replaced after 1 January 2010 must, in so far as is reasonable and practicable, also comply with the regulation. One section of the regulation requires monthly inspection and maintenance of means of embarkation and disembarkation, which is applicable to all ships. Some of the requirements in MSC.1/Circ.1331 include: l the gangway and accommodation ladder should, as far as practicable, be located away from working areas and where cargo or other suspended loads pass overhead; l the gangway, accommodation ladder and their controls should be adequately lighted; l a lifebuoy with a self-lighting light and buoyant lifeline should be available for immediate use near the gangway and accommodation ladder; l the gangway and accommodation ladder should be clearly marked at each end with a plate showing the restrictions on their safe operation and loading, including the maximum and minimum permitted design angles of inclination, design load, maximum load on bottom end plate, etc. Where the

maximum operational load is less than the design load, it should also be shown on the marking plate; l all support wires must be maintained by the same standards as lifesaving launching appliances with monthly inspections recorded in the log. The wires must be replaced at least every five years; l accommodation ladders and gangways, including associated winches and fittings, should be properly maintained and inspected in accordance with SOLAS and manufacturers’ instructions. Additional checks should be made each time the accommodation ladder and gangway is rigged; l all inspections, maintenance work and repairs of accommodation ladders and gangways should be recorded in a log.

IMO’s International Safety Management (ISM) Code is an effective instrument for addressing unsafe gangways and accommodation ladders. Almost every shipping company and commercial vessel must comply with the ISM Code. The Code requires them to have management systems in place to ensure that ships are safe and that they comply with applicable conventions, statutes, rules and regulations. Seafarers should report unsafe means of ship access at their vessel’s safety meetings and, if not resolved, to the ISM designated person at the shipping company’s shore office. Deficiencies can also be reported to port state control inspectors.

El acceso seguro a los buques es una necesidadLA ORGANIZACIÓN Marítima Internacional (OMI) ha desarrollado una serie de normas internacionales que han mejorado ostensiblemente la seguridad a bordo de los barcos. Dos de los convenios más importantes sobre seguridad de la OMI son el Convenio SOLAS (Seguridad de la vida humana en el mar), que especifica los estándares mínimos para la construcción, equipamiento y operaciones en los buques, y el Convenio internacional STCW (Normas de formación, titulación y guardia para la gente de mar), que incluye estándares para las cualificaciones y horas de trabajo y descanso para los marineros.

A pesar de estos grandes avances en la regulación de la seguridad marítima, los barcos trabajan en entornos peligrosos y siguen siendo lugares de trabajo peligrosos. Uno de los momentos más peligrosos para marineros y el resto de personas es el embarque y desembarque. Las pasarelas, las escalerillas y el resto de métodos para acceder al barco han sido el origen de muchos accidentes. Con el Convenio SOLAS, la OMI ha adoptado las normas internacionales para sistemas de acceso a los barcos.

La regulación SOLAS II-1/39 adoptada por la OMI sobre los «Sistemas de embarque y desembarque

para barcos» entró en vigor en 2010 y se aplica a todas las embarcaciones fabricadas a partir del 1 de enero de 2010. Incluye los estándares mínimos de construcción, instalación, mantenimiento y comprobación de pasarelas, escalerillas y otros medios de acceso y salida. La OMI también ha promulgado una circular (MSC.1/Circ.1331) en la que ofrece una guía detallada acerca de la regulación. Por su parte, el Reino Unido distribuyó recientemente la Nota de Guía Marítima MGN 533 que incluye una guía acerca de las medidas que se espera que tomen los armadores y empleadores para ofrecer un sistema de acceso seguro a los barcos británicos.

Las escalerillas y pasarelas de los barcos antiguos que se sustituyan a partir del 1 de enero de 2010 también deberán cumplir con la regulación, en tanto que sea razonable y posible. Una de las secciones de la regulación exige una inspección y mantenimiento mensual de los sistemas de embarque y desembarque, aplicable a todos los barcos.Algunos de los requisitos de la MSC.1/Circ.1331. incluyen: l la pasarela y la escalerilla deberá estar situadas, siempre que sea posible, lejos de las zonas de trabajo y de los puntos en los que puedan estar

suspendidas las mercancías y el resto de cargas; l la pasarela, la escalerilla y sus controles deben contar con una iluminación adecuada; l debe haber disponible un salvavidas con iluminación independiente y una rabiza flotante para su uso inmediato cerca de la pasarela y la escalerilla; l la pasarela y la escalerilla deben estar claramente señalizadas en cada uno de sus extremos con una placa que indique las limitaciones de carga y uso seguro, incluyendo los ángulos de inclinación máximos y mínimos permitidos, la carga nominal, la carga máxima en la placa del extremo inferior, etc. Cuando la carga operativa máxima sea inferior a la carga nominal, también se deberá indicar en la placa de características; l se debe realizar un mantenimiento de todos los cables de soporte similar al de los instrumentos de rescate, con inspecciones mensuales documentadas en el registro. Los cables se deben sustituir, como mínimo cada cinco años; l las escalerillas y las pasarelas, incluyendo los cabrestantes y las conexiones, se deben mantenerse y comprobar adecuadamente de acuerdo con lo establecido en las instrucciones de los fabricantes y en las

disposiciones del Convenio SOLAS. Se deberán realizar comprobaciones adicionales cada vez que se manipulen las escalerillas y las pasarelas; l todas las inspecciones, trabajos de mantenimiento y reparaciones de escalerillas y pasarelas deberán quedar documentadas en un registro.

El Código Internacional de Gestión de la Seguridad (IGS) de la OMI es un instrumento eficaz a la hora de abordar cualquier problema relacionado con las pasarelas y las escalerillas. Casi todas las compañías navieras y los buques comerciales tienen la obligación de cumplir el Código IGS. El Código exige que cuenten con sistemas de gestión activos para asegurarse de que los barcos son seguros y que cumplen con los convenios, leyes, normas y regulaciones aplicables. Los marineros deben informar acerca de cualquier sistema de acceso a los barcos que no sea seguro en las reuniones de seguridad del buque y, en el caso de que dichos problemas no se resuelvan, a la persona designada responsable del cumplimiento del Código IGS en la oficina en tierra de la compañía naviera. Las deficiencias también se pueden comunicar a los inspectores de control estatal del puerto.

Необходимость обеспечения безопасного доступа на судаМеждународная морская организация (International Maritime Organization, IMO) разработала международные стандарты, приведшие к значительному повышению безопасности на борту судов. Двумя важнейшими конвенциями в области безопасности, принятыми IMO, являются: Международная конвенция по охране человеческой жизни на море (СОЛАС), в которой определены базовые стандарты строительства, оборудования и эксплуатации судов, а также Международная конвенция о подготовке и дипломировании моряков и несении вахты (ПДНВ), которая включает в себя стандарты относительно квалификации моряков, а также часов их работы и отдыха.

Несмотря на эти значительные вехи в истории регулирования безопасности на море, необходимо помнить, что суда эксплуатируются в опасных условиях и все равно представляют собой опасную рабочую среду. Одним из самых опасных аспектов для моряков и всех, кто находится на борту, является посадка на судно и высадка с него. Трапы, приставные лестницы и другие средства доступа на суда являются причиной многочисленных травм. Посредством СОЛАС Международной морской организацией был принят ряд международных стандартов в отношении средств доступа на суда.

Утвержденное IMO положение СОЛАС № II-1/39 «Средства посадки и высадки с судов» вступило в силу в 2010 году и применяется ко всем судам, построенным после 1 января 2010 года включительно. В нем содержатся базовые стандарты строительства, установки, техобслуживания и проверки трапов, приставных лестниц и других средств посадки и высадки. Кроме того, организацией IMO был выпущен циркуляр (MSC.1/Circ.1331) с подробным руководством по применению данного положения. Со своей стороны правительство Великобритании недавно распространило рекомендательную записку по морскому регулированию MGN 533 с перечнем мер, которые должны быть приняты владельцами судов и работодателями в целях

обеспечения безопасных средств доступа на британские суда.Приставные лестницы и трапы на судах более старых моделей, которые

были заменены после 1 января 2010 года, также должны соответствовать данному положению, в той степени, насколько это целесообразно и осуществимо. В соответствии с одним из разделов положения, средства посадки и высадки подлежат ежемесячным осмотрам и техобслуживанию, и это относится ко всем судам. Ниже перечислены некоторые требования, содержащиеся в циркуляре MSC.1/Circ.1331:

l трап и приставная лестница должны по возможности быть расположены вдали от рабочих зон и мест с нависающими грузами и другими подвешенными объектами;

l трап, приставная лестница и средства их фиксации должны быть надлежащим образом освещены;

l в непосредственной близости от трапа и приставной лестницы должны находиться спасательный круг с автономной подсветкой и плавучий спасательный леер;

l с обоих концов трапа и приставной лестницы должны располагаться хорошо заметные таблички с указанием мер безопасной эксплуатации и погрузки, включая максимально и минимально допустимые расчетные углы наклона, значения расчетной нагрузки, максимальной нагрузки на нижнюю конечную пластину и т.п.; правила на тот случай, если максимальная рабочая нагрузка будет ниже расчетной, также должны быть приведены на табличке;

l все удерживающие тросы должны соответствовать тем же стандартам, что и спасательное оборудование, и проходить ежемесячные проверки с регистрацией в специальном журнале; тросы подлежат замене не реже одного раза в пять лет;

l приставные лестницы и трапы, включая соответствующие лебедки и

арматуру, должны поддерживаться в надлежащем техническом состоянии и проверяться на соответствие нормативам СОЛАС и рекомендациям производителей; перед каждой установкой приставной лестницы и трапа необходимо проводить их дополнительную проверку;

l все работы по проверке, техобслуживанию и ремонту приставных лестниц и трапов должны регистрироваться в специальном журнале.

При обнаружении трапов и приставных лестниц, не соответствующих нормам безопасности, следует руководствоваться таким эффективным инструментом как Международный кодекс по управлению безопасностью (ISM) организации IMO. Положения этого кодекса распространяются практически на все транспортные компании и коммерческие суда. Кодекс требует от них наличия систем управления, которые обеспечивали бы безопасность судов и их соответствие применимым положениям конвенций, уставов правил и норм. Моряки должны докладывать об опасных средствах доступа на суда во время проведения на их судах совещаний по вопросам безопасности, а если проблема не будет решена — обращаться к ответственному по ISM в береговом офисе транспортной компании. О недостатках также можно сообщать инспекторам государственного портового надзора.





安全的登船 /離船設施不可或缺國際海事組織 (IMO)制定的國際標準已經大大提高了舷側安全。兩項最重要的 IMO安全公約是《國際海上人命安全公約》(SOLAS)，它規定了船舶建造、設備和運行的最低標準；以及《海員培訓、發證和值班標準國際公約》(STCW)，它包含了針對海員資格以及工作與休息時間的標準。

儘管在海上安全法規方面取得了這些偉大的進步，但船舶運行於危險的環境，仍然是危險的工作場所。對海員和其他人來說，舷側的頭號危險點之一是登船和離船。跳板、舷梯和其它登船 /離船設施一直是很多傷亡的來源。通過 SOLAS，IMO 實行了針對登船 /離船設施的國際標準。

IMO通過的 SOLAS公約第II-1/39號規定《登船 /離船設施》於 2010年生效，適用於在 2010年 1月 1日以後建造的所有船舶。它包含了跳板、舷梯和其它登船 /離船設施建造、安裝、維護和測試的最低標準。IMO還頒佈通告 (MSC.1/Circ.1331)，就這項規定提供詳細指導。英國最近發佈了“海事指引簡報MGN 533”，就船東和雇主為了提供英國船舶的安全登船 /離船設施而應當採取的措施提供指引。

在合理和可行的情況下，更早建造的船舶在 2010年 1月1日後更換的舷梯和跳板，也必須符合上述規定。規定中的一節要求對登船和離船設施進行每月檢查和維修，這適用於所有船舶。

MSC.1/Circ.1331 通告的要求包括：

﹣ 在可行的情況下，跳板和舷梯應安排在遠離工作區以及貨物或其它懸掛負載可能在頭上經過的位置；

﹣ 跳板、舷梯及其控制設備應該有充足照明；

﹣ 跳板和舷梯附近應當有隨時可用的帶有自照明光和漂浮救生索的救生圈；

﹣ 跳板和舷梯的兩端應當用一塊標記板清楚標明安全操作和加載的限制，包括在底端標記板上注明設計允許的最大和最小傾斜角度、設計負載、最大負載等。

﹣ 在最大運行負載小於設計負載的情況下，也應在標記板上注明；

﹣ 所有支撐金屬線必須按照與救生發射裝置相同的標準進行維護，並在日誌中記錄月度檢查情況。

﹣ 這些金屬線必須至少每5年更換一次；

﹣ 舷梯和跳板，包括相關的絞車和配件，應當按照SOLAS規定和製造商說明，得到恰當的維護保養。

﹣ 每次操縱舷梯和跳板時，應當進行附加的檢查；

﹣ 對舷梯和跳板的所有檢查、維護保養和修理應當記錄在日誌中。

IMO 的《國際安全管理規則》(ISM Code)是解決不安全跳板和舷梯的一件有效工具。幾乎所有航運公司和商船都必須遵守《國際安全管理規則》。《規則》要求他們落實管理制度，以確保船舶安全，確保他們遵守適用的公約、法律、法規和規章。海員應當在其船舶的安全會議上報告不安全的登船 /離船設施，並在問題沒有解決的情況下，向航運公司岸上辦公室的指定 ISM人員報告。亦可向港口國監督檢查員報告安全隱患。

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, 118 Export Street, Port Newark, NJ 07114, USA. Tel: +1 973 589 5825 Fax: +1973 817 8656 Email: [email protected] or Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL, UK. Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 20 7248 4761 Email: [email protected]


FOCUS ON FAITH BY KEN PETERS

No need to make the journey home alone

Unidos de vuelta al hogar

SHIPPING is the globalised industry that keeps much of the world’s population fed and provides their energy requirements. It’s an industry that is unconfined by national boundaries and leads the exploration of the horizon. This drive into the unknown presents a challenge for seafarers in that wherever they travel and regardless of the warmth of welcome they receive in foreign lands, the desire to return home remains strong.

Christians have recently enjoyed the celebrations of Christ-mas and then, in the next period of the Church calendar, we cele-brate the fact that Jesus is for all people and that wherever you are in the world He is for you. He came into the world not only for the Jews of His homeland.

Today, as I write this, the Christian Church remembers that Jesus returned with His family to their home and that He was presented in the temple. In other words, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the sacred space of the temple to present him to the Lord. This is a clear reminder that Jesus’ home was with His family and His heavenly father. The desire to return to the temple to be with God was great.

The call to return home is strong because it is there that we are loved, respected and have our place. The return home reminds us of our responsibilities and why it is that we go out into the

world; not just to explore but also to provide for our families and to reap the benefits of our hard labour. Before seafarers can return home they have to face the difficulties of separation and being dislocated from family and friends while on a voyage. The strength gained from the knowledge that there are those who wait for us enables us to continue in the face of many difficulties and challenges.

So it is with faith. We are all on a journey; sometimes we may feel far away from the love of God and at other times and places we draw closer to God. Sometimes we depart and leave the securi-ty and sense of belonging with God, but return is always possible and we can make the journey home to the sacred space that is our relationship with God. God is waiting for us as He is where we are at home and He is the one that loves us and cares for us.

He travels with us; in fact, there is no distance between us and Him and if there is a sense of being dislocated and alone it is because we have chosen to be aloof. At all times we can present ourselves to Him. Just in the same way as family and friends wait for you to return home, so God is there, patiently looking and listening; with you on the journey and waiting for you to acknowledge Him. Then together in the sacred relationship you are welcomed home.

EL TRANSPORTE es el sector globalizado que permite a la po-blación de todo el mundo contar con alimentos y satisfacer sus necesidades energéticas. Es un sector que no se ve limita-do por las fronteras nacionales y que lidera la exploración de nuevos territorios. Esta pasión por lo desconocido supone un desafío para los marineros, ya que sea cual sea el lugar al que viajen y la cálida bienvenida que puedan recibir en tierras lejanas, seguirán sintiendo el fuerte deseo de regresar a su hogar.

Recientemente, los cristianos han disfrutado de las celebraciones de la Navidad, y tras dicha festividad, en el siguiente periodo del calendario eclesiástico, celebraremos el hecho de que Jesús está presente para todos y que te encuen-tre donde te encuentres, Él está presente para ti. Vino al mun-do no solo para los judíos de su tierra natal.

Hoy, mientras escribo esto, la iglesia cristiana recuerda que Jesús regresó a su hogar, junto a su familia, y que fue presentado en el templo. En otras palabras, que María y José llevaron a Jesús al espacio sagrado del templo para presentar-lo ante el Señor. Éste es un claro recordatorio de que el hogar de Jesús estaba junto a su familia y su Padre celestial. El deseo de regresar al templo para estar junto a Dios fue grande.

La llamada para volver a casa es fuerte porque es el lugar en el que se nos ama, respeta y donde tenemos nuestro lugar. La vuelta al hogar nos recuerda nuestras responsabilidades y el motivo por el que viajamos por todo el mundo; no solo

para explorar, sino también para proveer sustento a nuestras familias y para disfrutar de los beneficios de nuestro duro trabajo. Antes de que los marineros puedan volver a casa, deben enfrentarse a las dificultades que supone la separación y el alejamiento de la familia y amigos cada vez que salen de viaje. La fuerza que proporciona saber que nos están esperan-do nos permite seguir adelante a pesar de las dificultades y los retos.

Lo mismo sucede con la fe. Todos realizamos un viaje: en ocasiones, podemos sentirnos lejos del amor de Dios, y en otros momentos y lugares, notamos mucho más cerca la pres-encia de Dios. En ocasiones, nos alejamos y abandonamos la seguridad y la sensación de cercanía con Dios, pero siempre es posible regresar y podemos realizar este viaje de retorno a ese espacio sagrado que es nuestra relación con Dios. Dios nos está esperando. Nos acompaña allí donde estemos y es el único que nos ama y cuida de nosotros.

Viaja a nuestro lado, de hecho, no hay distancia entre Él y nosotros, y si notamos esa sensación de soledad y lejanía, es simplemente porque nosotros hemos decidido alejarnos. Siempre podemos presentarnos ante Él. Del mismo modo que familiares y amigos esperan que volvamos a casa, Dios está ahí, observando y escuchando pacientemente, acompañán-donos en nuestro viaje y esperando que le reconozcamos. Y entonces, unidos en esta sagrada relación, somos bienvenidos al hogar.

Наше возвращение домойМОРСКИЕ ПЕРЕВОЗКИ — это глобальная индустрия, которая обеспечивает население всей планеты продуктами питания и энергией. Для нее нет государственных границ, а есть лишь тяга к изучению неизвестного. Для моряков путешествия в дальние края неизбежно связаны с рисками, и какой бы теплый прием они ни получали на чужбине, их все равно будет тянуть назад, домой.

Совсем недавно христиане завершили рождественские празднования. Следуя далее, мы продолжаем праздновать то, что Иисус любит всех нас, и где бы вы ни находились, Он всегда будет с нами. Ведь Он пришел в мир не только для евреев, которые жили на его родине.

Сегодня, когда я пишу эти строки, Христианская церковь помнит, что Иисус со своей семьей вернулся домой и появился в храме. Другими словами, Мария и Иосиф принесли Иисуса в священный храм, чтобы показать Его Богу. Это ясно напоминает нам о том, что домом Иисуса была Его семья и его божественный Отец. Желание вернуться в храм, чтобы быть с Господом, было велико.

Тяга к дому сильна, потому что именно дома нас любят и уважают, именно дома мы находимся на своем месте. Возвращение домой напоминает нам о наших обязанностях и о той цели, с которой мы путешествуем по миру: не только исследовать новое, но и приносить пользу своим семьям, пожинать плоды своего тяжелого

труда. Прежде чем моряки вернутся домой, они вынуждены во время путешествия переживать трудности разлуки и пребывания вдали от родных и друзей. Именно осознание того, что нас ждут, и наделяет нас той силой, которая вдохновляет нас на противостояние многочисленным трудностям и проблемам.

То же самое и с верой. Мы все — путешественники; иногда нам кажется, что мы далеки от Божьей любви, но бывают моменты и места, когда мы чувствуем себя ближе к Богу. Иногда мы отдаляемся от чувства безопасности и приближенности к Богу, однако возвращение этого чувства всегда возможно, и мы можем вернуться домой, в священное место, которое и называется близостью к Богу. Господь ждет нас, ведь Он живет там, где наш дом, Он любит и заботится о нас.

Он путешествует вместе с нами; на самом деле между Богом и нами нет никакого расстояния, и если у нас и появляется чувство отчужденности и одиночества, то только потому, что мы сами решили отдалиться. Мы можем в любой момент повернуться к Нему. Точно так же, как ваши близкие и друзья ждут вашего возвращения домой, так и Господь вместе с ними терпеливо смотрит вдаль и прислушивается; Он путешествует вместе с вами и Он ждет, когда вы обратитесь к Нему. И тогда возникнет священная связь, и тогда вы вернетесь домой.





一起回家

航運是全球化的行業，它滿足世界人口的食物和能源需求。這個行業不受國界的限定，並引領著探索前沿。這種勇闖未知世界的動力給海員們帶來一個挑戰，因為無論他們在哪裡航行，也無論他們在海外受到多麼熱情的歡迎，回家的渴望終究是強烈的。

不久前，基督徒享受了聖誕節慶祝活動，接下來，在教會年曆的下一個時期，我們將慶祝這樣一個事實，即耶穌是為所有人的；無論你在世界上什麼地方，他是為你的。他來到這個世界不僅是為了他的祖國的猶太人。

今天，當我寫這篇文章時，基督教會紀念耶穌與家人一起回家，他在禮拜堂呈現。換句話說，瑪麗和約瑟夫把耶穌帶到禮拜堂的神聖空間，把他呈現給主。這是一個明確的提醒：耶穌的家是他的家人和他的天父。回到禮拜堂與神共處的願望是偉大的。

回家的召喚之所以強烈，是因為“家”是我們得到愛和尊重、擁有自己的一席之地的地方。回家提醒我們自己肩負的責任，也提醒我們為什

麼闖蕩世界：不僅是為了探索，也是為了養家，為了摘取辛勤勞動的果實。在海員們可以回家之前，他們不得不面對分離以及在航行期間遠離家人和朋友的困難。知道有人在等著我們，讓我們獲得力量，使我們能夠在種種困難和挑戰面前堅持下去。

信仰也是這樣。我們都在旅途中；有時我們可能會覺得遠離神的愛，而在其他場合，我們更接近神。有時我們離開，告別神帶來的安全和歸屬感，但回來始終是可能的，我們可以“回家”，重返自己與神的關係這個神聖空間。神在等著我們，他給我們帶來“家”的感覺，他就是愛著我們、關心著我們的人。

他與我們一起旅行；事實上，我們和他之間沒有距離，如果我們產生隔離和孤獨感，那是因為我們選擇要疏遠一切。在任何時候，我們都可以把自己呈現給他。就像家人和朋友等你回家一樣，神就在那裡，耐心地觀察和聆聽著；與你一起旅行，等待你去認識他。然後，這種神聖的關係讓你和神在一起，讓你被歡迎“回家”。


Families targeted by fraudstersPOLICE in the Philip-pines have warned that a criminal gang is trick-ing money out of the families of seafarers.

According to the Philippines newspaper, the Inquirer, the fraud-sters contact seafar-ers’ relatives and tell them their loved ones have been involved in accidents, or have been taken ill, and need money urgently. One alleged gang member, Jerry Talaman, has been arrested.

THE Mission to Seafarers’ (MtS) director of justice and public affairs, the Revd Canon Ken Peters

has stressed that it is absolutely clear that under maritime law, crews on merchant ships at sea have an immediate obligation to rescue others whose lives are in danger.

Noting the surge in the numbers of migrants attempting to cross from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe he said that last year saw some “absolutely terrible cases, with huge loss of life, particularly off Italy, Malta, Sicily, Greece and Egypt”.

T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l M a r i t i m e Organization (IMO) said that available data pointed to 2014 being a record high for illegal migration at sea, putting lives at risk and placing a huge strain on rescue services and on merchant vessels. It warned: “The age-old principles of rescue on the high seas are being stretched to breaking point.”

T h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s H i g h Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that at least 348,000 people had risked sea journeys in search of asylum or migration worldwide since January 2014 and that more than 207,000 people crossed the Mediterranean in 2014. It noted: “This onslaught of migration by sea, often in unsafe vessels, is not a random occurrence. It is being organised and orchestrated by people who trade and traffic the lives of others.”

IMO said that this organised, international crime in the Mediterranean needed to be addressed through collective action by all concerned to detain, arrest and prosecute people smugglers.

The MtS and partner organisations offer pastoral care and support to migrants in the aftermath of disaster. Mr Peters said: “Victims often turn to the Church for help and we are equipped as professional chaplaincy teams trained in counselling

and post-traumatic stress to give that care. The Mission also looks after crews from merchant ships arriving in port suffering from post-traumatic stress after having carried out rescues. One such crew arrived in Cyprus, after a rescue in Java, Indonesia. The crew were so distressed that they couldn’t save women and young children that they were in need of help and support themselves. To effect a sea rescue is fraught with danger and the actions of seafarers around the world who help save lives often go unreported.”

Ships’ masters now have new guidance on rescuing refugees. Produced jointly by IMO, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Office of the UNHCR, the updated and revised Rescue at Sea: a guide to principles and practice as applied to refugees and migrants can be downloaded from the internet at www.imo.org/MediaCentre/HotTopics/seamigration/Pages/default.aspx

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

THE world’s largest ship, the Pieter Schelte, sailed into controversy when she arrived in Rotterdam from South Korea in January. Dutch-Swiss offshore company Allseas designed and developed the ship, which cost about US$1.7 billion to build in Korea and fit out in the Netherlands.

The ship is named after the father of Edward Heerema, the owner of Allseas. Pieter Schelte Heerema served with the Waffen SS during the Second World War,

although later he helped the Resistance against the Nazis. He served 18 months in jail after the war before becoming a major figure in the offshore industry. Allseas says the naming is a fitting tribute to one of the pioneers of the offshore industry but Holocaust survivor groups and others have campaigned against the name since it was first announced in 2008.

The vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jonathan

Arkush, said: “Naming such a ship after an SS officer who was convicted of war crimes is an insult to the millions who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis. We urge the ship’s owners to reconsider and rename the ship after someone more appropriate.”

The 382-metres-long, 403,342 gt ship is undergoing final work in Maasvlakte 2’s inner basin, with 440 different Dutch companies engaged on the project. She is expected to be completed in April.

Giant offshore ship courts controversy

Mission on hand for migrants and ships’ crewsIMO issues a new guide on merchant ships rescuing refugees as search and rescue resources are stretched in the Mediterranean

The decision to name the Allseas ship after a former Waffen SS officer is being challenged (Photo: Ries van Wendel de Joode)

A LACK of understanding of how an incinerator on the passenger ship Seven Seas Voyager worked led to a serious injury of a seafarer, says an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) accident report.

On 1 February a fitter was carrying out routine maintenance on the waste incinerator when a pneumatically operated valve closed against his body. The ship was berthed in Sydney at the time, and the fitter was taken to hospital,

treated for serious bruising and shock, and was eventually discharged from the ship to recuperate at home.

The ATSB found that the incinerator ash dump valve’s control systems had not been properly isolated and residual air pressure remained in the valve’s operating system. The fitter assumed that it was safe to start his assigned task of replacing the incinerator ash grates, and accessed the incinerator through the ash dump valve.

He then accidentally activated the electric sensor that automatically closed the valve – driven by the pressure of the residual air remaining in the valve operating system.

The investigation identified that Seven Seas Voyager’s engineering staff did not have an adequate understanding of the incinerator’s control systems and its maintenance and that the work had not been adequately planned.

Incinerator injury blamed on poor planning

Ebola clause safeguards crewINDEPENDENT tanker owners group Intertanko has introduced an Ebola clause into its charter contract which allows the master to find alternative ports or have the vessel quarantined, if there is a risk to the crew from the deadly disease. Charter-ers are liable for any costs if a vessel is quarantined.

Global shipping as-sociation BIMCO is intro-ducing a similar clause, but it does not refer specifically to Ebola. The intention is that it could be used to protect crews from future outbreaks of other deadly diseases.

Ericsson up in the cloud MAJOR technology group Ericsson has launched an internet- based system, Maritime ICT Cloud, that combines a managed ‘cloud’ solution with a wide range of shipping industry applications. The company says there will be benefits for crews.

As a result of the latest amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006), shipowners are expected to provide broadband connectivity, which is offered by the new product, for crew communication, enter-tainment, training and telemedicine.

Hong Kong gun ban warning SEAFARERS joining or leaving vessels and transiting through Hong Kong face heavy fines and jail sentences if they take firearms, including stun guns, with them, the Philippine consulate general has warned.

The Philippine Star reports that at least 81 Filipinos, mostly seafar-ers, were convicted of illegally possessing fire-arms without a licence in Hong Kong in 2014. Offenders face a maxi-mum prison sentence of 14 years.

Bulk carrier rescues Filipino crewTHE Panama-flagged bulk carrier Tong Yin rescued 26 Filipino sea-farers from two life-rafts after they abandoned the sinking deck barge LCT 378 on 9 January. The LCT 378 took on water and eventually capsized in Philippine waters 20 miles off Camiguin. The seafarers were then transferred to a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and taken to Dapitan.

Seafarer loses injury claimA US Appeal Court has rejected an injuries claim by a seafarer because he had inten-tionally failed to disclose previous spinal injuries.

Willie Meche, the master of a United States-flagged offshore crew boat, strained his back while lifting a hatch cover and sued his employer Key Marine Services. He won part of his claim at an initial court hearing but his entire case was dismissed on appeal.

Change in immersion suits checks

THE UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued new guidance that allows immersion suits stored in airtight pack-aging to be subject to a monthly visual inspection of the suit inside the bag, rather than a physical in-spection of the suit itself.

The guidance also says that a suitable number of identified and documented immersion suits not kept in airtight packaging should be kept available to be used during drills.

Fatal LPG ship blastAN explosion on board the Panama-flagged, 50,743 dwt LPG tanker DL Calla, while off the Malaysian coast on 10 December, killed two crew members and injured two others. The 1990-built ship, owned by South Korean com-pany Daelim Industrial, was carrying LPG from Al Ruwais, United Arab Emirates, to Sri Racha, Thailand.

The Sea Newspaper March/April 2015

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Transcript of The Sea Newspaper March/April 2015