Past editions can be viewed on http://www.maritimecompliance.com
The 2007 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum
'Marine Surveyors - Adding value to the shipping industry'
15 &16 November 2007
Sofitel Hotel, Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
Contact Asia Conference Ltd: svasbt@netvigator.com
(Training Workshop also available on 14 November)
Early bird rates available.
CPD Certificates, accepted by all Marine Surveying Professional Institutes, issued upon request.
Those interested in attending should contact Mrs Sara Taylor at Asia Conference Ltd: marine@asiaconference.biz
Those interested in giving a paper at the conference should contact Mike Wall at mikewall@pacific.net.hk
(Speakers and delegates earn CPD points.)
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Quote of the month
Ignorance is not innocence, just a lack of effort.
Anon.
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Marine Engineer Surveyor wanted
BMT MARINE & OFFSHORE SURVEYS LTD (incorporating THE SALVAGE ASSOCIATION) is a global company with over 30 offices in 20 countries, and part of the successful BMT group of companies serving the defence, energy, environment and transportation sectors. Our continued growth in key market sectors has created a requirement for a progressive and dynamic individual to be located in our Hong Kong office in the capacity of MARINE ENGINEER SURVEYOR. While specializing in damage surveys for hull and machinery insurance interests, our surveyors are also heavily involved in warranty, liability, cargo, offshore and general consultancy work providing technical support to our varied client base including Shipowners, P&I Clubs, Underwriters and Solicitors. Further information about us can be found at http://www.bmtmarinerisk.com/
Applicants will be expected to be suitably qualified and experienced as a chief engineer, and possess a strong technical background. Experience in surveying, ship repair, conversion or consultancy work would be an advantage. Excellent written English and the ability to write concise reports are essential criteria, as well as the need for flexibility and the ability to work unsupervised. The work is challenging and rewarding, and often requires long hours and travel at short notice to carry out marine surveys in China or elsewhere as required in the Far East. Applicants must be computer-literate, and capable of preparing their own reports.
Applicants must be fluent in spoken English; proficiency in Mandarin would be an advantage. To apply in complete confidence, interested parties should in the first instance send a detailed resumé with present salary / remuneration to office@bmtsalvage.com.hk, marked for the attention of the Principal Surveyor.
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CONTENTS (for full stories, select a headline)
- At the bow - Registration is free! New readers this month.
- Spindrift - Ship fired upon off Somalia. Spill cleaned after Korean collision. E-nav 'not for at least ten years'. Masters spending too long on admin. Stats show rise in UK seafarers. Galileo must be financed by EU. Boxship grounding 'pilot error'. In brief. Collision warning to yachts. Mobiles go global.
- Contributions - The need for a convention.
- Midships - Obituary of the late Mr Common Sense
- Scuttlebutt - ISPS. From one of our readers .......
- Insurance News - None this month.
- Wig & Gown - None this month.
- Education & Training - Degree training scheme wins prestigious award.
- Epistles - From Rob Grool. ICE Campaign.
- People - Peter Nation retires. IMareEST launches new award.
- Books & Videos - Ship Knowledge by Lkass van Dokkum. Cargo Ships: A Colour Portfolio. Reeds Maritime Flag Handbook. Churchill's Navy - the ships, men and organisation by Brian Lavery.
- Conference reports - None this month.
- IMO Conventions - Convention updates.
- Future events - Some upcoming events which might be of interest to marine surveyors.
- Useful web sites for marine surveyors. No new web sites this month. Due to space limitations, we are no longer listing the websites but these are available upon request.
- From the Poop Deck - Quick, bring me a beer before it starts .... More definitions. For those of us who are knocking on a bit .... More legal defintions.
FLASHLIGHT is a free monthly emailed newsletter circulated to more than 5,000 people involved in marine surveying around the world. It is circulated to anybody who wishes to receive a copy, eg, Marine Surveyors, P&I Clubs, their correspondents, Underwriters, Professional Institutes, Admiralty Lawyers, etc. It is a collation of articles relevant to our profession taken from various publications together with contributions from readers. Please pass it on to any of your contacts who you feel might be interested in receiving it. If you do not wish to be included in the circulation list, please contact the Editor at the email address below. Letters, opinions and articles relating to our profession are welcome.
Below is a selection of articles gleaned from various publications over the last month which we believe will be of interest to our readers:
Ship fired upon off Somalia
KUALA LUMPUR 15 May The International Maritime Bureau, which monitors piracy incidents worldwide, has expressed concern over the growing incidence in violence off the Somalia coast. In the latest attack yesterday a general cargo ship was chased by pirates in speedboats and fired upon with machine-guns and grenade launchers. None of the crew was injured, though the accommodation section caught fire and was damaged in the grenade attack. The crew, however, took evasive action and managed to shake off its pursuers. “This is the first time that an incident of this nature has occurred so far off the coast,” Noel Choong, head of the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur told Fairplay. The ship, the 23,828dwt Ibn Younus, was proceeding from Durban to Jebel Ali in the Middle East Gulf when the attack took place at about 1530 local time, almost 180 n-miles from the Somali coast. All the five incidents recorded in the region so far this year have taken place within 12 n-miles of the coast, Choong said. “This could have serious implications as commercial ships in the trade lane might be at risk,” he pointed out. Choong added that “warlords” in strife-torn Somalia might be staging a comeback in terms of raiding merchant ships for booty and ransom. Coalition maritime forces in the area have been alerted. The IMB has also urged the interim government in Somalia to take preventive measures.
Spill cleaned after Korean collision
SEOUL 22 May Poor watchkeeping appears to have been the cause of a collision between a product carrier and a tug one mile off Ulsan port, South Korea, yesterday. The collision at 2050 local time damaged an oil tank on the 2,000-dwt Sam Jin No 1; 63 tonnes of gasoline and light oil was reported to have leaked into the sea. Ten anti-pollution vessels attended the scene, returning to port when the clean-up had been completed. There were no casualties on either the Samjin or the tug Cheonbu No 1. The Korean Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the accident, which comes soon after another incident on 12 May.
E-nav 'not for at least ten years'
ANTWERP 24 May E-navigation might not become a reality for bridge officers for ten years, Nautical Institute’s David Patraiko told delegates at the IFSMA annual meeting in Antwerp yesterday. While there is a commitment to present the IMO with a “strategic vision” of the e-navigation revolution in 2008, no time frame can be put in place. He explained that with so many competing navigation systems already on the market, e-navigation should not be seen as yet another, but as a means of co-ordinating all these systems so that seafarers could be trained to use a standard package that would be transferable whatever kind of ship they worked on. A central concept of e-navigation, he said, was the so-called S-mode, an IMO-approved default setting that could be triggered by a single button, allowing any officer trained in the basic system to navigate a vessel. This mode, he said, is made possible by the increasing use of multi-function displays where radar, charts and electronic position systems are inputs that can be arranged or re-arranged in any form on a display. He said the e-navigation concept had been warmly welcomed by seafarers, owners, trainers and even by manufacturers, who have now come to the realisation that many navigations systems are too complex for easy use.
Masters spending too long on admin
ANTWERP 25 MAY Some masters are now spending up to six hours of their working day on computers catching up with paperwork, leaving them little time for navigational duties, ISM compliance and other core business activities. Capt Carmen Dewilde of the Royal Belgian Mariners College told delegates at the IFSMA general assembly in Antwerp yesterday that both chief officers and chief engineers also spend up to four hours behind a computer on administrative tasks. Appointing an administrative officer was not generally regarded as a solution since most of the admin work occurs either at the end of the month or just prior to port calls, so it would not be a full-time job. It would be difficult to find an individual with a good grounding in all onboard activities, Capt Dewilde added. One suggestion was to transfer more administrative tasks to shore staff: it was pointed out that airline captains are not expected to do admin work during flights, so shipping could learn from aviation.
Stats show rise in UK seafarers
LONDON 25 May Statistics published yesterday by the UK’s Department for Transport reveal there has been a rise in the number of UK seafarers working regularly at sea, but suggest the number of deck and engine officers will fall significantly by 2022 because of the high average age of officers currently in employment. Of the 28,100 UK seafarers at sea in 2006, 13,600 were deck and engine officers (assuming a retirement age of 62), 800 technical officers, 2,300 catering officers, 10,400 ratings and 1,100 trainees still in training. Encouragingly there were 630 new entrant officer cadets, the highest number since the current system began in 1999; provisional figures for new starts in 2006-07 are higher again, standing at 690. The report was produced by London Metropolitan University in association with the Chamber of Shipping and the Institute for Employment Research at Warwick University. In a statement, the Chamber of Shipping describes the figures as “very positive”, and says the year-on-year stability of officer numbers raises questions about the wastage rate assumptions in the study. Predictions of a significant fall in officer numbers over the longer term are “far from certain”, the CoS concluded.
Galileo must be financed by EU
BRUSSELS 25 May The European Union’s satellite navigation system Galileo must be financed from the Community budget if further delays are to be avoided, says Karl von Wogau, chairman of the European Parliament’s security and defence subcommittee. At present €1.35Bn ($1.81Bn) is foreseen in the medium-term financial planning of the EU budget for the construction of Galileo. Deliberations to provide new funds from the European Space Agency budget by contributions of the member states would mean additional bidding procedures, new participants and expensive co-ordination processes, Von Wogau said. As a result, this would lead to a further slowing of the project and to a further loss of competitiveness.
Boxship grounding 'pilot error'
WASHINGTON, DC 31 May The 2006 grounding of the container ship New Delhi Express in New York harbour is being blamed on the controlling pilots by a federal investigative board. The National Transportation Safety Board report, released yesterday, said the probable cause was "the error of the docking pilot in not using all available resources to determine the vessel's position as he navigated the Kill Van Kull waterway.” It added that a contributing cause was the failure of both pilots to practice good bridge resource management. The 15 April 2006 accident occurred when the Hong Kong-flagged vessel was entering the port in thick fog and just after a docking pilot took control of the ship from the Sandy Hook pilot that brought the 4,253-teu ship into the harbour. The Hapag-Lloyd-operated vessel struck a submerged ledge, took on water through a hull breach caused by the impact and ran aground in the waterway, the report stated, adding that two of the three tugs assisting the ship were also damaged. There were no fatalities or injuries. Following its investigation, the NTSB suggested that the USCG move a buoy and urged state boards that supervise pilots to "require harbour and docking pilots to take part in recurrent joint training exercises that emphasise the concept and procedures of bridge resource management.”
(With thanks for Fairplay Daily News: news@fairplay.co.uk)
In brief
Complacency warning: shipping minister Dr Stephen Ladyinan has warned the passenger shipping industry to beware ofeomplacency on safety. Opening the Cruise+Ferry event in London last month, the minister stated: 'In the midst ofa boom period, it is easy to forget that it takes only one or two highprofile events to undermine the entire industry.He said incidents such as the recent Star Princess Fire and sinking ofthe Sea Diamond'should serve as clear warnings about the dangers ofeomplaceney'.
Skills crisis: the intemational maritime sector is facing a 'dainaging'staffing crisisin which it will be difficult to retain experienced personnel in what is becoming a highly competitive market,the head ofthe American Bureau of Shipping has wamed. Robert Somerville said the classification society is supporting campaigns to raise public awareness ofthe maritime sector'in the hope that more young people will consider the marine and offshore industries as offering a viable career'.
Maritime deaths: the Maritime & Coastguard Agency has expressed concem about an increase in deaths arising ftom maritime accidents around the UK coast. A total of124 people died following accidents in the UK search and rescue region last year, compared with 100 in 2005. The number of SAR incidents reported to the Coastguard increased from 16,754 to 17,185 in the same period.
Brittany addition: French westem Channel operator Brittany Ferries has launched its newest freight feriy, the £50m Cotentin, at the Aker shipyard in Finland. Due to come into service in the autumn on services between the UK and Cherbourg and Spain, the vessel will be followed in autumn 2008 by a passengercarrying sister, Amorique, which will link Roscoffand Ireland.
Ports alert: the UK could face a port capacity crisis later this year as a result of a likely 'tsunami' of increased maritime trade, the operator DP World warned last month. The company which bought P&O in 2005 warned that Britain could face 'some real port problems' this summer, with freight volumes up by 15% from last year.
Dirty beaches. Britain's beaches are almost twice as dirty as they were in 2004, according to a report published last month. The Marine Conservation Society's annual beach survey found an average of 1,988 items of litter per kilometre of beach last year, compared with 1,045 items per km in 2004.
Master's appeal: in a rare judgement, the court of appeal of Rennes, western France, has found in favour of a master convicted of maritime pollution off the French coast. The court overturned the conviction and an £80,000 (£53,500) fine on the master of ltalian chemical tanker Normanna for alleged pollution in September 2001 after it found that the incriminating substances discharged from the ship were in fact authorised by the MARPOL convention.
Clean Princess: Princess Cruises has worked with the Port of San Francisco to introduce a special 'plug-in' system to enable its ships to use shorebased power. The system was developed with the help of a US$1.9m clean air grant, and Princess will begin a similar programme in the Port of Los Angeles next year.
Second Genesis: Royal Caribbean Cruises has exercised its option to build a second 220,000 gt ship in its 'Genesis Project' Destined to become the 24th ship in the Royal Caribbean International fleet, the 5,400 passenger vessel would be built at Aker Yards in Finland, with delivery projected for August 2010.
Bulk growth: Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines has announced plans to expand its bulk carrier fleet by 60 ships over the next five years. The company is also planning to launch 44 new iron ore carriers over the same period to cope with growing global demand for steel production.
Not so fast: plans for a west European highspeed freight network have suffered a setback following the failure by BGV and Chikara Shipping to reach an agreement with the three shipyards that have shown interest in building the five 32knot fast craft to operate the routes.
Kenyan call: seafarers in Kenya have called for action to improve the country's maritime training system. They have warned that the country's maritime sector is facing severe problems without measures to boost the supply of skilled seafarers.
Manslaughter campaign: the Council of American Master Mariners has launched a campaign to abolish the US Searnads Manslaughter Act, recently used against the captain of a ship involved in a fatal accident in the port of Mobile.
Collision warning to yachts
THE CONFIDENTIAL Hazardous incident Reporting Programme (CHIIRP) has warned yacht crews of their responsibilities to avoid the risk of collision with larger vessels.
The warning is made in the latest CHIRP Feedback bulletin, which reports on a near miss incident involving a lone yachtsman and a merchant ship off the Casquets, close to the Channel traffic separation scheme.
CHIRP pointed out that the yachtsman had taken what he described as '20 winks' whilst crossing the westbound lane of the TSS and stressed that compliance with the colregs is notable while one is asleep.
Singlehanded transits shouldbeplumed'withpafficular caution' to avoid known areas of dense tralfic, the bulktin adds.
'There appears to be an assumption the onus is on the larger vessel to detect the smaller; there is in fact a joint obligation,' CHIRPS stresses.
Mobiles go global
Satcom firms unveil 'breakthrough' GSM service for seafarers
The lives of merchant seafarers will be transformed by a new service allowing them to use mobile phones at sea throughout the world, it was claimed last month.
Described as the world's first GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) network for merchant ships and superyachts, the service is being provided by the satcoms firm Inmarsat and the Irish joint venture company Blue Ocean Wireless.
Users of the service will be able to make and receive voice calls, send and receive SMS text and email messages, and browse the internet on their existing mobile phones onboard vessels in deep ocean water.
'We believe the rollout of Blue Ocean Wireless' system will be transformational for the lives of over one million seafarers around the globe, said company chairman Mr Slattery
He said demand for the service had been confirmed during extensive fullscale ocean trials of the systems, including onboard a Maersk Blue Star vessel.
'The ability to communicate with friends and families is immensely important to seafarers given the length of time they are obligedto spend awayfromhome; he added.
'The reaction from the crews of the ships on which we conducted the trials was tremendously positive and we are confident that there will be a strong market for the product.'
The service uses what is known as the Aeronautical & Maritime Gateway Platform, claimed to provide cellular coverage on ships at sea, at affordable rates. The onboard cellular network connects back to the landbased cellular network via the ships existing Inmarsat satellite system.
The mobile services will all be prepaid. Crew members will buy a Blue Ocean SIM card and purchase credit to make calls and send texts. Outgoing voice calls will cost $1.25 a minute, with SMS texts charged at 75 cent each.
SIM cards will only work at sea; they will automatically shut down when the ship nears a port and detects a landbased GSM mobile network.
Blue Ocean has been trialling the service on two large ships since September last with crews spending an average of $65 a month on calls and texts.
Figures from trials showed 90% of subscribers' phone usage was text messaging, while the vast majority (80%) of voice calles were outwardbound.
The company hopes to licence about 1,000 ships to use the mobile service within the first 12 months.
Blue Ocean Wireless will also make it possible for shipowner insurers and Government authorities, as well as shipping suppliers and customers, to track individual containers onboard merchant vessels using RFID technology.
Global logistics managers w be able to independently and re ably monitor, from home base, the status of their shipment containers at all times. This will include the location of the container and other aspects of its condition such as temperature, humidity ar, or otherwise interfered with.
The need for a convention
Many surveyors are involved in condition surveys of different types and on/off hire surveys during the handover of a ship from one owner to another or from one management company to another. I wonder how many other surveyors have noticed how every bit of information needed to run the ship is removed by the previous owner/manager?
The amount of information removed may be considered to be excessive and the amount remaining on board may be insufficient to allow the new crew to operate the vessel in a proper and safe manner. The removal of records means that the crew has no idea when the last maintenance was carried out. In the case of the machinery, the engineers will have no idea of crankshaft deflections, liner or piston gaugings or any results from LO and FO sample testing and therefore have to start all over again. If previous drydocking records are removed, the crew have no idea of earlier sterntube and tailshaft gaugings and cannot calculate the rate of weardown. Ultrasonic thickness gauging records are also often removed.
In some cases the information removed leaves the vessel in a dubious state with respect to Port State Control and P&I inspections. It will take a serious accident before we get the usual kneejerk reaction and action on this sad state of affairs, our usual 'evolutionary' safety development process. Question is, what sort of action should be taken to ensure the correct informaiton is left on board?
Would a convention be appropriate? I look forward to hearing your views?
Mike Wall
Obituary of the late Mr Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm; life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, which only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their misbehaved children. It declined even further, when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or a Band-Aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims did.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by his three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm a Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
ISPS
Conflicts continue to develop with respect to the implementation of the ISPS Code. Each month, we will be listing some of the ways that the code interferes with normal ship operations which in some cases could be considered as hazardous together with transgressions of interest .....
From one of our readers:
On my visit to a small chemical tanker at the Texas Petrochemical berth in Houston (I even had difficulty finding it) - located off the Hwy 225, DeerPark area - east of the LYONDELL complex and just west of Manchesterdocks. It is a barge dock with two berths. No markings or indication howto get there from the road - a two mile winding dirt track and heavily potholed road.
The Master, a British national with long experience, had no idea where the dock was located and had asked the Agent to supply the geographicalcoordinates or the general location of the terminal in the Houston ShipChannel in order that he could complete his Passage Plan to the berth.After a few days of silence he asked again and was stunned to get a replythat the terminal would not give out such information as it was against the'rules' of ISPS. What on earth did they think the Master was going to do with the position - feed it into his weapons system and 'nuke' them?! Stupid, stupid people!
(Name and address supplied)
If you have any glaring contradictions, please let us know.
None this month.
None this month.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself!
(Don Robertson)
You can find more short courses in the USA in the Marine Surveyor's Web Site at http://www.marinesurveyor.com/educate.html
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Degree training scheme wins prestigious award
A prestigious training prize has been awarded to mark the successful launch of the Merchant Navy Foundation Degree scheme.
Representatives from the Merchant Navy 'ftaining Board (MNTB) were presented with the training award at the annual Lloyd's list Awards ceremony in London last month.
The awards were voted for across the industry, and the prizegiving was attended by more than 500 guests, including shipping minister Dr Stephen Ladyman.
Launched last year, the MN Foundation Degree (FD) and the associated Scottish Professional Diploma aim to attract highcalibre youngpeople into the industry by boosting the iinage ofmaritime training and giving wider recognition to seafaring qualifications.
MN FDs offer trainees the opportunity to be sponsored through their study with all course fees and other training costs covered, and an allowance to cover living costs. The prograinme also provides an opportunity for progression into an honours degree.
The scheme has already exceeded expectations with some 127 students enrolled in the first year. Companies have indicated that they want to take more FD trainees on in the future, and a larger number ofcolleges and universities will offer the prograrnme from September 2007.
The award judges noted that the scheme will allow the shipping industry to 'fish' for talent in a much larger pool and said the award was a tribute to the 'vision, commitment and hard work ofthe MNTB Board, its technical committee and the nautical colleges and institutions'.
MNTB, chairman Nigel Palmer said the award was not only for the Board, 'but for the whole industry, and none of this
would have possible without the involvement of all MNTB constituents shipowners, social partners, coReges, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, and the support and backing of the Chamber of Shipping.'
Nautilus UK senior national secretary Allan Graveson added: We are delighted that the scheme has been recognised in this way particularly because it was inspired by the Union, despite initial opposition by some shipowners.'
Other Uoyd's List award winners included: ship ofthe year Maersk Line's 11,000 TEU flagship Emma Maersk;
joint winners of the Amverassisted rescue at sea award Holland America Line's Noordam and Sainos Steamship's Anthemis;
Captains Kapoor and Ostric, joint winners of the shipmaster of the year;
Robin Middleton, retiring Secretary of State's representative for salvage, for the lifetime achievement award;
Milford Haven, port operatorof the year.
Mike,
Bob Bishop ( and today also Andreas Droussiotis in Lloyds List) are silly to sulk over poaching of good seafarers by Owners - V Ships' only hope to increase its officer base is to poach massively from other ship managers. It is true however that some owners are doing the same thing they did in Croatia: offering substantially more money for the same quality of people, not increasing the pool of quality seafarers. Very few owners are now investing in training to the extent (in relation to their profits) that the responsible ship managers do. Poaching is cheaper, apparently. Side results are that seafarers stay home on leave longer (because they can financially), which increases the shortage. And, though this may by not be PC: people who would never get a job in a good ship management or ship owning company, now find themselves on the bridge of the ship coming at our ship at 25 knots - because many less scrupulous companies now do not ask for references anymore.
You are dead wrong in your assumption that we get a commission on crew wages, and therefore it is not in our selfish little interest as you seem to imply that seafarers are getting higher wages. Our manning fees are flat rates, with clearly defined services we have to provide. Perhaps you should correct your misconception, Mike, since it puts us in a wrong light. I think it is great that officers are finally being paid in accordance with their responsibilities and potential liabilities - but it has to be remembered that seafarers work in a competitive environment too and if there is, or develops, a need to find other crewing sources, then that need will be filled - and more seafarers from what are now the maritime nations will find themselves replaced by seafarers from those newer sources. The issue is not even price (=wages) anymore: the issue is simply availability.
Brgds
Rob Grool
Ed: I have apologised to Rob for my misconception concerning crewing agencies.
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From Luca Ferrero, Chaplain at the Hong Kong Mission to Seamen:
ICE Campaign - "In Case of Emergency"
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) campaign. The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell
phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" ( In Case Of Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE." For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our Mobile phones today!
Please forward this. It won't take too many "forwards" before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.
Peter Nation left Singapore for retirement in the UK on 27 May 2207. We know he will be missed in Asia after many years in accident investigations. We offer our best wishes for his well earned retirement at the young age of 61! He can be contacted at px2nation@hotmail.co.uk
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IMarEST has launched a new award - The President's Commendation - for members who have given particular service to the IMarEST worthy of recognition by the Institute as a whole. We congratulate the 41 people who are to receive the first award, particularly Jack Ayles in Wales, Michael Lee in Hong Kong and Don Skinner in Wellington, New Zealand, with whom you editor has been assocated with from time to time.
Ship Knowledge by Lkass van Dokkum (ISBN 90 806330 8 9) Cost Euro69.50. Published by Dokmar Maritime. wwww.dokmar.com
Aimed at anyone with an interest in shipping, or as a basic primver for those beginning maritime related studies, the book is clearly written and lavishly illustrated with hundreds of full colour photographs, plans, diagrams and CAD images.
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Cargo Ships: A Colour Portfolio by David Williams and Richard de Kerbrech (ISBN 978071 1031616) Cost GBP14.99. Published by Ian Allan. www.ianallanpublishing.com
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Reeds Maritime Flag Handbook. Edited by Mirana delmar Morgan (ISBN 9780 71367133 9) Cost GBP7.99. Published by Adlard Coles Nautical www.acblack.com
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Churchill's Navy - the ships, men and organisation by Brian Lavery (ISBN 10 1 84486 035 3) Cost GBP40. Published by Conway, Anova Books Ltd, 151 Freston Road, London W10 6TH. www.anovabooks.com
None this month.
(ED: If you intend to attend a conference which you believe would be of interest to our readers, we would be grateful to receive a short synopsis.)
IMO regularly updates its web page with new and amended conventions:
http://www.imo.org/
Here you can browse through the various publications that are available and buy those which interest you. To navigate the publications you can either select one of the categories or use the advanced search.
For those of you who might also be interested, UK M Notices are available at: www.mcagency.org.uk
If you have a marine related conference coming up, let us know so that we can mention it below:
26-28 June 2007. Work Boat China, Dalian, PRC. Info: www.workboatchina.com
26-27 July 2007, Shipbuilding, Repair & Conversion World 2007, Great Wall Sheraton Hotel, Beijing, China. Contact: lelim@uninetintelligence.com
13-15 September 2007. 39th Annual NAMS Conference West. Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Contact: Evie Hobbs at namsoffice@verizon.net
24-26 October 2007. Mediterranean Maritime 2007. Hall 1A, Parc Chanot, Marseille, France. Info: www.baird.com.au/meditteraneanmaritime/mmindex.htm
24-27 October 2007, SAMS Annual conference & educational training symposia, Kona Kai Resort (formerly Shelter Pointe Hotel) San Diego, California, USA. Contact: SAMSHQ@aol.com.
15 & 16 November 2007. 2007 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum. Asia Conference Ltd. At the Sofitel Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: svasbt@netvigator.com
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SCMS holds a series of Buffet Lectures each year. The lectures cover a wide range of subjects that are of interest to Members and their guests. They are held in London usually starting at 18:00 hrs. The programme will be published on the SCMS website http://www.scmshq.org Those interested should send an email to sec@scmshq.org to be included on the announcement list. CPD certificates are available for those attending.
SCMS has announced the following:
'Small craft surveyors forum seminar - "Progress & Experience of the Harmonised Code" 1.30 pm, Wednesday 13 June 2007, Conference Room 1, during the Seawork Exhibition 2007.
Contact: Jane Grntry of YBDSA - info@ybdsa.co.uk
IIMS has announced the following short courses:
Ballast Tank Coatings Course
The Institute will be holding a Ballast Tank Coatings Course on the 4/5/6 June at the RINA HQ in London. The course meets the latest standards set by the IMO regulations. Full details including course content are attached to the end of this bulletin..
UK Small Craft Working Group Meeting
A meeting will be held on the 4th June 2007 at the Union Jack Club, Sandell Street in London.
The meeting will commence at 10.30. An Agenda will be published.
The afternoon training session will be taken by Mr Matt Sydenham of Marine Electronics Co, who will cover Navigation Equipment Installations. (Part 2) This is the follow on from the previous meeting that will commence at 13.30.
Members wishing to attend must notify the Administration Office no later than 31st may 2007. The cost for the day is £60.00 to include refreshments and lunch.
CPD Certificates will be issued for this day.
IIMS Certifying Authority Training Day
A Certifying Authority Training day will be held on Tuesday 5th June at the Union Jack club, Sandell Street London commencing at 10.30.
The meeting will cover Liferaft Rules with Tony McGrail and Robin Gilmore and a talk by Mr David Ralph of the MCA. The meeting will finish with a question and answer session at 16.30.
This is an open training day and all Members wishing to attend must notify the Administration Office no later than 31st may 2007. The cost for the day is £60.00 to include refreshments and lunch. CPD Certificates will be issued for this day.
One Day Rig & Sails Course
The Institute will be holding a one day Theory of Surveying Rigs and Sails Course on 11 June 2007. The Course Tutor will be Mr Ian Nicolson and will commence at 9.00am. The course is due to end at 16.30 hrs.
The course will be held at HMS Collingwood, nr Fareham and offers the opportunity to learn from the acknowledged expert on this subject.
Places are limited and members wishing to attend, should contact the Institute Administration Office as soon as possible to reserve a place. The cost of the course is £197.50 (plus VAT = £232.01). CPD Certificates will be issued for this course.
SeaWork Exhibition
The Institute will once again be taking part in the annual SeaWorks Exhibition at Southampton Docks from 12-14 Jun 07.
The IIMS Stand (No S53) will be manned on all three days. Any member who can assist with time on the stand, should contact Sarah Lorimer in the Administration Office on 02392 588000 or email iims@compuserve.com.
Free Seminar Wednesday 13th June at Seawork
Members are also advised that a seminar has been arranged for the Wednesday afternoon commencing at 13.30 hrs. The subject is ìProgress and Experiences of the Harmonised Codeî. Members of the MCA will be in attendance to speak on this most important subject.
Members who wish to attend the seminar must book a ticket with the Administration Office as soon as possible. Tickets will be on a first come first served basis. The seminar is organised by the Small Craft Surveyors Forum. (IIMS, YDSA, RINA, SCMS and IMarEST), CPD Certificates will be issued for this Exhibition.
For additional information visit the Seawork website at www.seaworks.com
Members are reminded that non-members may attend any Institute course, but a 10% surcharge will be levied.
For more information on any subject please contact the Administration Office on +44(0)23 9258 8000, fax: +44(0)23 9258 8002 or email iims@compuserve.com Skype: marinesurveying
Web Sites
FOR OUR REGULAR READERS, NO NEW WEB SITES THIS MONTH:
We are no longer publishing our list of useful web sites for marine surveyors due to the eventual size of the email being sent out. If you wish to receive the list, please contact the editor at the email address below.
If your (marine surveying) company has a web site, let us know and we will try to mention it. Below are some web pages we believe might be useful to marine surveyors:
A man came home from work, sat down in his favorite chair, turned on the TV,and said to his wife, "Quick, bring me a beer before it starts".
She looked a little puzzled, but brought him a beer. When he finished it, he said, "Quick, bring me another beer. It's gonna start."
This time she looked a little angry, but brought him a beer. When it was gone, he said, "Quick, another beer before it starts."
"That's it!" She blows her top, "You bastard! You waltz in here, flop your fat ass down, don't even say hello to me and then expect me to run around like your slave. Don't you realize that I cook and clean and wash and iron all day long?"
The husband sighed. "Oh sh*t, it's started."
Some Definitions
Not all men are fools, some are bachelors.
Teamwork is essential, it allows you to blame someone else.
Work is accomplished by those employees who have not reached their level of incompetence.
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first, and call whatever you hit the target.
My mind works like lightning - one brilliant flash and it's gone.
******
For those of us who are knocking on a bit ....
"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
Are you lonesome tonight, does your tummy feel tight?
Did you bring your Mylanta and Tums?
Does your memory stray, to that bright sunny day...
When you had all your teeth and your gums?
Is your hairline receding, are your eyes growing dim?
Hysterectomy for her, and its prostate for him.
Does your back give you pain...do your knees predict rain?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
Is your blood pressure up, your cholesterol down?
Are you eating your low-fat cuisine? All that oat bran and fruit,
Metamucil to boot, keeps you like a well-oiled machine.
If it's hockey, or baseball.he sure knows the score.
Yes, he knows where it's at...but forgets what it's for.
So, your gall bladder's gone, and his gout lingers on.
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
When you're hungry, he's not.
When you're cold, then he's hot.
Then you start that old thermostat war.
When you turn out the light, he goes left, you go right.
Then you get his great symphonic snore.
He was once so romantic, and witty and smart.
How'd he turn out to be such a cranky old fart?
So don't take any bets, this is as good as it gets.
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight.
******
Some legal definitions:
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: When the accused and his attorney go to jail.
HEARING: What a husband loses after the honeymoon's over.
HUNG JURY: Jury with big genitals.
JURY DUTY: What happens to you if you don't have a job, haven't ever read a newspaper and lie about whether you watch TV.
Disclaimer: Articles and reports reflect the views of the individuals who prepared them, and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not necessarily represent the views of the editor. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate, the editor makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness of such information. The editor accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss, damage or other liability arising from any use of this publication or the information which it contains. The contents of the publication are the responsibility of the editor alone.
News, views, enquiries, suggestions, articles and letters for inclusion in future editions of FLASHLIGHT may be sent to:
Mike Wall
Tel: +852 2259 3150
Fax: +852 2259 3151
Email: mikewall@pacific.net.hk
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