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  FLASHLIGHT - October 2004           Edition No: 35

(Past editions can be viewed on http://www.asiaconference.biz)

Question of the month ...

'The failure of many jurisdictions to defend fair play in the courts and the unjust detention of seafarers does nothing to advance the cause of safety and environmental protection, and indeed can have exactly the opposite effect.'

Bill Thomson. Chief Executive of Forth Tankers and chairman of the North of England P&I Club, speaking at an industry event in Hamburg

The 2004 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum will be held at the Sofitel Hotel, Silom, Bangkok, Thailand, on 25 and 26 November.
Theme:  Challenges for the Marine Loss Prevention Industry.
Delegate Fee  :  USD 595 (2 days)

This year featuring a full session dedicated to a marine accident scenario with an Admiralty Lawyer, Marine Accident Investigator, Serving Master Mariner and P&I Claims Executive. This is an ideal opportunity  for marine surveyors to meet and exchange views with marine insurance executives.

For full details of the conference, speakers and program go to www.asiaconference.biz/flyer2004/index.htm

Those interested in attending should contact Ms Astor Tsang at Asia Conferences: marine@asiaconference.biz

LNG Experts required:

23 people with LNG new construction experience in their respective fields, ie, naval architecture, mechanical engineering, cryogenic, electrical engineeing & paint inspection required:
The project is over three years beginning early 2005.  The tender anticipates that the team is located in either Qatar or at the buildyard (most likely more than one yard).  The team will be led by a project manager.

The tender asks for monthly rates for the following disciplines based in BOTH Europe AND Korea:
- Steel/Hull inspector (ex-pat)
- Machinery Inspector (ex-pat)
- Cryogenic/cargo inspector (ex-pat)
- Electrical inspector (ex-pat)
- Paint inspector (ex-pat)

As most likely minimum of two yards, at least two of each discipline will be required.  The teams will be led by Qatagas II site managers.
Rates of ad-hoc manpower are also requested.
Please contact the editor at the email address below.


CONTENTS (for full stories, select a headline)

At the Bow

FLASHLIGHT is a free monthly emailed newsletter for Marine Surveyors. 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.  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 welcomed for the newsletter.

New Members this month:
Rivers Black, Chris Nicoll, Joe Misenti and Larry Altenbrun  of Nicoll
Black Misenti & Feig, USA.
Humphrey Hill, UK.
Len Emerick, Australia.

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Spindrift

Shipping needs a better image.

Shipping must start to project a more positive image if it wants more sympathy from society, a Scottish tanker owner argued last month. Speaking at an industry event in Hamburg, Bill Thomson. chief executive of Forth Tankers and chairman of the North of England P&I club, challenged the industry to findways off demonstrating the scale of its contribution to the world.

He said shipowners needed to speak with one voice if they were to stop 'the seemingly unrelenting campaign by governments and public authorities to penalise and criminalise' the shipping industry.

'The failure of many jurisdictions to defend fair play in the courts and the unjust detention of seafarers does nothing to advance the cause of safety and environmental protection, and indeed can have exactly the opposite effect.' Mr Thomson argued.  'There must also be some recognition that we do not live in an accidentfrce world and that shipping is no different to other fields of human activity.'

There are some signs that owners are already responding to the challenge. The 'Round Table' of international shipping associations BIMCO, Intercargo, ICS/ISF and Intertanko last month launched a special website to promote 'a better understanding of this vital industry'.

The site wwwshippingfacts.com provides basic information about the structure of the shipping industry, its contribution to the world economy, and its safety and environmental performance.  The site also contains links with more detailed sources of information about the industry.

The site is principally intended for use by nonspecialist policy makers, journalists and others such as students who require quick information about shipping.

Freighter held

The 916 dwt freighter Vineta was held in the French port of Brest after inspectors found more than 20 safety hazards onboard. The local seafarers' union branch at Brest questioned why the vessel had not been detained after inspections in around a dozen European ports since 1999.

Jail demand

A Spanish prosecutor has demanded 117 years imprisonment for the Moroccan owner of a vessel that sank in the Bay of Cadiz in October 2003 with the loss of the lives of 37 illegal immigrants the biggest death toll in Spanish history for this type of incident.

Ferry Study

The Freight Intermodality and Exchange on Seas and Straits in Europe project (Finesse) has awarded the Stamford Research Group a contract to research the viability of launching new train ferry services across the Channel as a solution to congested road links.

Hanjin switch

South Korea's biggest shipping company, Hanjin, is to replace all its Indonesian seafarers with Filipinos because of 'decreasing working performance'.

NOL bid.

Singapore's government is making a takeover bid for Neptune Orient Lines, one of the world's biggest containership operators. It already owns 30% of NOL and its acquisition of the remaining shares will renationalise it. Established by the government in 1968, NOL purchased American Presidential Lines in April 1997. It presently operates more than 80 owned or chartered vessels.

Prestige project:

A project to recover the remaining oil from the wreck ofthe sunken tanker Prestige was successfully completed last month.  An engineering team led by Spanish energy company Repsol has been using pioneering new techniques to remove more than 13,500 tonnes of cargo from the wreck, at a depth of 3,800 m, off the NW coast of Spain.

US increase

The average size ofships calling at US ports has increased by 10% since1999, according to a new report by the US Maritime Administration. The study shows that 64% of tankers trading to the US last year were doublehulled, compared with 40 % four years earlier.

Collision sentence

Captain Christian van der Begt, Master of the 2,999 general cargo ship Arklow Ranger has been sentenced to six months in prison after admitting accidentally causing the death of three men in a collision with a fishing vessel off the west coast of France in February 2003.  He admitted that he was filling in his log book when teh accident occurred and was probably not vigilant enough.

Virus alarm

An Overseas SHipholding Group bulk carrier was quarantiened in the USA in September after fears that the Second Officer had died as a result of Lass fever. The Overseas Marilyn was allowed to sail after heal th inspectors confirrmed that the officer had suffered from malaria.

Target Flags

The USCG has issued a list of 13 flags whose ships will be targeted for security related inspections.  Those most likely to be boarded include Dutch, Honduran,and Russian registered vessels, followed by such flags as Malta, Antigua, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Pnama and Singapore.

Master fined

A Master who was found to be five times over the US alcolol limit after his ship struck a barge loading LPG in the Houston Ship Channel was fined US$4,000 and placed on one year's probation last month.

Atlantic aid

Falmouth Coastguard helped to coordinate the rescue of the solo Atlantic rower Mick Dawson by the Liberian flagged containership Hanjin Philadelphia after his boat capsized some 1,600 miles west of the USA coast.

Appeal on shore leave

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has warned the UN that innocent seafarers are being treated like terrorists and says its human rights bodies should intervene.  Anna Biondi, Assitant Director of ECFTU's Geneava Office spoke at the 56th session on human rights about the implications of anti terrorism measures and false charges of terrorism on worker's rights.  She has warned that enhanced security in shipping will be achieved by cooperation, not by confrontation.

Club aims to cut deaths in enclosed spaces

Seafarers are continuing to die with 'relentless regularity' as a result of entering enclosed spaces with toxic atmospheres, a P&I Club has warned. In a fresh bid to cut the death toll, the North of England P&I Club has once again published special guidance, pictured right, on the procedures to follow to ensure safe working in dangerous spaces.

'Few aspects of personal safety on ships have received more attention than the importance of following correct procedures before entering an enclosed space,' said loss prevention executive Tony Baker. 'Unfortunately fatalities and serious injuries continue to happen with relentless regularity all of which could have been prevented if the correct procedures had been followed.'

He pointed out that the accidents have continued despite concerted efforts by many sectors of the industry to raise awareness of the dangers. 'What is most discouraging is that enclosed space accidents often involve highly qualified and experienced seafarers as well as surveyors and stevedores,' he added. 'Almost all people who die in enclosed spaces have received training and are well aware of the correct procedures. In the agony of the moment, they choose to disregard them.'

The Club concludes that the only way to prevent deaths is by strict application of the IMO guidelines every time a person enters an enclosed space. This means properly planning and preparing the entry, which includes ensuring that the correct equipment and personnel are available.

More support for Seafarer ID card

Fresh signs of support for the widespread introduction of an internationally agreed seafarer identity verification system have come with European Commission backing for the scheme.

The International Labour Organisation convention on a biometric ID card for seafarers has been boosted by ratifications from France, Jordan and Nigeria and it is now hoped that all 25 EU member states will sign up to the agreement by the end of next year.

NUMAST is urging the UK government to back the measure, which is designed to provide an internationally acceptable ID system for seafarers that will also protect their rights and freedoms.

General secretary Brian Orrell commented 'The old comparison between ships and prison cells is being made all the more real. In certain parts of the world seafarers are not being allowed ashore or have to be escorted through ports and this is having the effect of criminalizing the maritime profession even futher.'

Cleopatra Doumbia Henry, director of the ILO programme promoting the ID convention, added: 'The tragic consequences of terrorism can be aggravated by security measures resulting in hardship for the world's seafarers, including work under detrimental conditions or loss ofjohs, and for world shipping in general.'  She said the 11,0 Convention offered 'an unprecedented international system for identification' to address these problems.

Based on a'biometrictemplatel that turns the holder's fingerprints into an internationally standardised 2D barcode, the ILO seafarers' ID card will also include a photograph and a signature.

Pressure is now increasing for the United States to back the measure. State Department officials have signalled their opposition to the card, saying the system could take years to develop and implement. They argue that only visas, based on interviews and processing by immigration officials, deliver the necessary security, but Mr Orrell said they are being strongly urged to reconsider their position.

One rule for some, another rule for others ......

Opposition from US port workers looks set to stall the introduction of ID cards for all transportation workers in the country.

West Coast longshore union members are resisting the trials of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC, intended for eventual use by some 6m employees.

A seven month programme to use biometric data to eliminate the use of fraudulent credentials and analyse the processes involved in gathering information, doing background checks, and actually using the cards has been set up by the Transportation Security Administration as part of a US$12m project.

But the International Longshore & Warehouse Union is opposing any use of biometrics. Other unions have raised concerns about the invasion of personal privacy and the potential to use the system to target employees who may rub management the wrong way. Another fear is that the TWIC would be used as a time card.

Some 150,000 transport employees are expected to participate in the pilot 'smart card' project at over 40 sites in six states and, despite the opposition, the startup is set for some time in November.

(With thanks to the NUMAST Shipping Telegraph)

IMO concerned over criminalisation

THE issue of seafarers being detained ashore after accidents is of great concern to IMO secretary general Efthimios Mitropoulos, the secretary general told delegates at today’s ISF Manning and Training conference. Three factors in particular alarm him, Mitropoulos said. These are the mental impact of such detentions on individual seafarers, the effect on seafarers as a whole and the negative impact on attracting new recruits into the industry. “I am deeply concerned”, he told delegates, “that youngsters will be affected by criminalisation when weighing up the pros and cons of a sea career”. The IMO has taken up the issue of seafarers being unfairly detained with the International Labour Organization. “It is a difficult issue”, Mitropoulos said, “but it is a cause for optimism as something is now being done.”

Container ship rescues ditched pilot

A P&O Nedlloyd container ship has rescued an Australian pilot who was forced to ditch his aircraft south of Hawaii last night. The 1,500TEU P&O Nedlloyd Los Angeles, en route from Los Angeles to Melbourne, was 250 n-miles southeast of the distress position when it received notification from rescue authorities in Honolulu. The master, Hans Wijntjes, ordered a course change and the pilot, 67-year-old Ray Clamback, was picked up by the ship at 0344 local time, several hours after a US Coast Guard Hercules aircraft had dropped a liferaft. P&O Nedlloyd said the ship rescued Clamback at 08.54.4N, 156. 31.7W, about 1,000km south of Hawaii. After a 16-hour delay caused by the rescue, the vessel is due to arrive in Melbourne late on 15 October. Clamback was delivering a light plane from the US to Australia when engine problems forced him down. The US Coast Guard said that the key to the successful rescue was in pinpointing the precise position of the ditching.

(Thanks to Fairplay Solutions: magazine@fairplay.co.uk)

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Contributions

The Surveyor's bag

Some surveyors use a backpack, some a holdall, some a document case with wheels, I've even seen just a plastic bag, but they all have the same thing in common.  They have to be like Doctor Who's proverbial Tardess, ie, externally small and compact but internally voluminous to take the plethora of equipment required to do the job.

First to be packed is the boiler suit or overalls, together with the working shoes or boots.  The former can range from a sparkling white new boiler suit to a tatty, stained and torn shadow of its former self (The more experienced surveyor prefers the latter so as not to look like a beginner)  The latter can range from a pair of trainers to steel capped leather boots.  As some may not choose to launder their boiler suit on a regular basis with the boots rarely disinfected, it is advisable to stand well clear when a surveyor is opening his bag on site.

After these two essentials comes the flashlight, some surveyors clearly trying to prove something with a multiple cell torch, others being more modest with a smaller, but just as powerful, model.  Whichever is used, it will need to have batteries that last forever, be watertight, intrinsically safe and sturdy enough to survive being regularly dropped from great heights.

Then we have the compulsory notebook, pen and often a file containing case documents.  The notebook is usually of A6 size, ie, small enough to fit into the boiler suit breast pocket, but large enough to contain what pretends to be authoritative scribbling.  Since this book may, on occasion, be a legal document, many surveyors have taken a leaf out of the lawyers' book, writing illegibly and in gobbledygook so that nobody can understand or interpret the hieroglyphics.  In this way the surveyor avoids any legal consequences.  The pen, of course, has to last forever without any refills and again has to be sturdy enough to suffer the same fate as the flashlight.

A camera is again obligatory although there is still some debate over whether this should be a traditional film or digital type.  More and more surveyors are using the latter as there have to date been no publicised cases of judges questioning the validity of digital photos.

However, the macho surveyor must have the largest camera possible with a super zoom phallic lens, whilst the more modest members of our profession have learned to keep it small and compact to save space and weight.  The old adage about sparrows and "I'm not bragging but ....." comes to mind here.

Nowadays, many surveyors carry a laptop computer so that they can reduce downtime and start the report on site.  These again can range in size, complexity and weight but are available in smaller and lighter sizes for those who travel often.  Unfortunately, the digital camera, possible rechargeable flashlight and computer need regular recharging and thus many cables and adapters must be carried.  Some will carry spare batteries for battery operated equipment.  The copper wire in the cables and batteries are in fact what add the majority of the weight to the bag.  As batteries can be purchased anywhere, these could be omitted.  A simple test of equipment before leaving base or the hotel room will reveal if replacements are needed.

Many surveyors like to carry emergency supplies around with them in the form of elastoplast, aspirin, cough drops, imodium, etc, for the often possible self inflicted pain.  Some used to carry a Swiss army knife which came in handy on many occasions, sometimes, but rarely, for terminating the self inflicted pain!  However, due to security concerns this, and many other useful tools, may not now be carried on flights.

Apart from the above standard items, the surveyor may be required to carry ultrasonic thickness testing equipment, ultrasound hatchcover testing equipment, specialised thermometers, moisture content meters, tape measures, rulers, paint thickness gauging equipment, gas and oxygen detectors, together with a hard hat, although most of the aforementioned may not need to be carried simultaneously.

The bag should also have space for the travellers wallet, containing passport, tickets, foreign currency, credit cards, loyalty program cards, etc.  The bag should therefore have the ability to be locked for security purposes.

As a consequence of the weight the straps will need to look trendy but be comprised of high tensile steel braiding.

Given the above, the surveyor must be a superman, but that's another story!

Mike Wall


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Midships

This month we have seen a number of incidents where commercial vessels have had to deviate to rescue amateur seafarers who have undertaken what can only be described as dangerous adventures.  These also involve the use of coastguard and armed forces personnel at great expense to the public.  Whilst the reasons for undertaking such endeavours may be admirable, ie, raising funds for charities, etc, isn't it about time that these adventurers were charged for the services which have saved their lives?

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Scuttlebut

Recently passing through Hong Kong on his way to Shanghai to set up a new office for Inserve was Alasdair Watt.  It appears that all roads lead to Shanghai and the PRC these days.......

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Insurance News

None this month.

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Wig & Gown

None this month.

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Education and Training

Fumigation prior to loading

Ship's Masters are usually quitee familiar with those cargoes which may need fumigation.  However, Masters need to be careful when accepting the advice of loadport agents that cargo has already been fumigated.

Fumigation of cargo ashore prior to loading often takes place directly alongside newly harvested cocoa beans which have not been process or fumidated.  As fumigation often occurs a significant period of time before actual laoding, there is ample oportunity for reinfestation. Further, whereas fumigation sometimes takes place at the port silo, it is the case that the port fumigation systems are not always efficient. Masters should not accept unquestioningly advice from shoreside that a cargo has already been fumigated and is infestation free.  They must therefore make up their own mind as to possible infestatioin following the usual inspection of the cargo as it comes on board.  This advice is particularly relevant to cocoa beans shipped from Palu and Makassar, Indonesia.

(Thanks to 'Risk Watch', published by The Britannia Steam Ship Insurance Association Ltd)

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Epistles

None this month.

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People

New Seattle Marine Law Firm.

Rivers Black and Chris Nicoll, well known maritime attorneys in the Asia-Pacific region and the P&I and hull insurance markets, have left the office of Cozen O'Connor, together with their associates and staff, to form a new law firm - Nicoll Black Misenti & Feig.  The group continues their focus on maritime litigation, marine insurance, P & I defense and marine transactions.  Full contact information is listed at:  www.nicollblack.com.

After many years in Hong Kong with Hong Kong Hi-Speed Ferries Ltd, Captain Pran Parashar has retired to India to spend the rest of his days with his family.  We wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.

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Books and Videos

The Real Cruel Sea:  The Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1943, bu Richard Woodman (ISBN 0 7195 6403 4)  GBP30, published by John Murray, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH.

The author delves in to the very concept of the Merchant Navy, describing the diversity of an industry that, despite proving its strategice importance during the first world war, had suffered a long failure to be coordinated as a national asset.  The book offers some deep thinking and askes some awkward questions about Britannia's rule of the waves.

CD Guidance for Safer Lifeboats

SPECIAL CDbased guidance, left, has been produced in a new effort to cut the alltoo frequent number of lifeboat accidents.  The initiative has been developed by a leading manufacturer in response to the large proportion of such accidents that are blamed on 'human error'. While it is crucial for safety personnel to read and understand manufacturers' instructions, these are often issued only in English which can create difficulty for multinational crews.

Safelaunch lifeboat release gear, made by Survival Craft Inspectorate, now comes with a CDbased manual which uses diagrams and computer animations to get important messages across with a minimum of words. The CD covers all aspects of the release mechanism's operation and includes detailed animations of the spare parts catalogue to help ensure the correct replacements are ordered.

Managing director Angus Campbell is highly enthusiastic about the new manual: 'if a picture is worth a thousand words, it must be worth even more when computer technology enables you to animate it.'

Heart attacks and strokes not caused by stress but by seafarers' unhealthy lifestyle

Two doctors in the Philippines have recently conducted independent studies of the reasons for the repatriation of seafarers to that country.  The studies have shown that many of the illnesses suffered by seafarers are avoidable.

One of the most common conditions is hypertension (high blood pressure). In his report, one of the doctors states;'Controlling hypertension has a key role to play in decreasing the causes of medical repatriation and avoiding permanent disability status.'lf not controlled, hypertension can lead to strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases refer to problems with the circulatory system; the arteries, veins and the heart itself. Hypertension is symptomless and is usually discovered during a routine medical examination, or when complications occur, when it may be too late to take remedial action.

Hypertension leads to blood vessels becoming thickened and inflexible with fat deposits narrowing the blood vessels, restricting the flow of blood to the organs and tissue and thus causing damage. Such damage may lead to strokes and heart attacks. A stroke is sudden damage to the brain tissue, caused either by a lack of blood supplyor rupture of a blood vessel. There are a number of different types of heart disease but, to put it simply a heart attack is caused by the interruption of the blood supply to the heart, which is essentially a musde,causing damage to the heart, thus reducing its efficiency or, in extreme cases, death.

Hypertension, and therefore the risk of cardiovascular diseases, can be reduced by shedding excess weight, eating a varied healthy diet especially reducing salty and fatty foods, reducing alcohol consumption, taking regular exercise and, perhaps most important of all, giving up smoking. Smoking and excessive intake of fatty foods significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease caused by cholesterol clogging the arteries. Cholesterol occurs naturally and is an essential constituent of the body. However, when there are excessive quantities in the blood it is deposited on the walls of the arteries, causing them to constrict,thus restricting blood flow and increasing blood pressure. Reducing the intake of animal (known as saturated) fats will reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. Some people have naturally high levels of cholesterol, which may need to be controlled by drugs.

The Japan Seamen's Union and the Philippine Seafarers Promotion Council has produced a book called 'Shipshape: A Seafarers' Guide to Sensible Cooking' The book contains recipes for many international dishes and shows a practical and imaginative use of ingredients which can help to keep seafarers healthy.

The book is published by;

The Philippine Seafarers Promotion Council,

Standford Tower Condominium, M.H. del Pilar Str,

Malate, Manila, Philippines.

Email: pspc@greendot.com.ph

(Thanks to 'Risk Watch', published by The Britannia Steam Ship Insurance Association Ltd)

ED:  We can all learn from this, particularly those of us over 50 with unhealthy life styles.

Dutch TV viewers are given a true taste of seafaring life.

Dutch TV has started a seven week series showing the highs and lows of life at sea, based around a bestselling book on ships'cooks.  In the Cooking at Sea series, Franco Dutch chef and culinary journalist Alain Caron visits vessels ranging from the largest bulk carrier in the world to a Holland America Line cruiseship, a containership, and a Greenpeace campaign vessel.

On each ship, Mr Caron encounters crews and cooks from different countries and highlights the tough life and long hours faced by seafarers. in interviews with masters, officers, deckhands, engineroom crew and pilots, he hears a rich variety of different stories about life at sea.

A creative ship's cook helps to maintain the crew's morale, he points out, and in the series he prepares with each cook a simple but delicious dish from the cook's native country.

Shown on the Netherlands 3 channel on Sundays, the primetime series is based on the Dutch best seller 'From the High Seas' a book in which 40 ships' cooks of different nationalities offer their favourite recipes and talk about their experiences at sea.  Further information about the book is available from the publishers, Klapwijk & Keijsers: Tel +31182388398 or on the website http://wwwkiapwijkenkeijsers.nf

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Web Sites

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.

www.shippingfacts.com
Provides basic information about the structure of the shipping industry, its contribution to the world economy and it safety/environmental performance.  The site also contains links with more detailed sourcdes of information about the industry.

www.imarest.org
Website of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology.

www.nepia.com
A fully searchable,  and provides full details of the club and its ships. It also features a new service from  the club's risk management department, called , which summarises shipping industry developments and offers links to primary sources, including the Maritime Advocate. Newsnet is updated weekly, or sometimes more frequently.

www.numast.org
Web site for the National Union of Marine Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers who publish the monthly NUMAST Telegraph.

www.aimsurveyors.com.au
Web site for the Australian Institute of Marine Surveyors.

www.friendsreunited.co.uk
Here you can register some personal information, together with your school/college and the year you left to go on to greater things.  You can also enter your nickname in school, which class you were in, your mates' names and what you've done since leaving.  You may be one day surprised to receive a message out of the blue from an old school chum.

www.marine-society.org
The Marine Society is a worthy marine charity offering many services to mariners.

www.imo.org
International Maritime Organisation web page.  Keep up to date with new conventions.

www.lrfairplay.com
Scroll down the home page until you see the heading 'Free Access' appear on the left hand side. Clicking on the words 'shipping sites' takes you to a search function. You can then search either by company name or by category (there is a 'consultants and surveyors' category, for example) or by country. Or by a combination - so you could search for consultants/surveyors in Australia beginning with the letter 'D', for example. That pulls up a list; if you then click on the word 'free' in the right hand column you are linked through to the relevant website.  If your readers know of any companies with sites that we do not list (or that we have an out-of-date address for) we would like to have details to update the database.

http://www.acms-usa.com/
The Association of Certified Marine Surveyors

www.equasis.org/
Database containing safety-related information on the\ worlds merchant fleet from both public and private sources.  Gives ship's particulars, Class Soc, P&I Club and PSC inspection record.  Very useful for surveyors looking for vessel particulars before carrying out a survey.

www.femas.net/default.htm
The Federation of European Maritime] Associations of Surveyors and Consultants

www.iims.org.uk
International Institute of Marine Surveyors

http://www.lloydsagency.com
General access to the directory of the world network of Lloyd's Agents.

www.mariners-l.freeserve.co.uk
Merchant Navy records on UK MN vessels and information merchant seamen, logs, agreements and crew lists, MN apprentices and deaths at sea

www.marinesupportonline.com
Marine Support On Line

www.marinesurvey.org
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors

www.nams-cms.org
National Association of Marine Surveyors

www.sas-intl.com
Safety at Sea International

www.scmshq.org
Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors

www.sname.org
Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

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Conference Reports

None this month.

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IMO Conventions

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.

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Future Events

If you have a marine related conference coming up, let us know so that we can mention it below,

13-14 September 2004.  14th Annual Ship Management Conference 2004 Embracing the Challenges and Responsibilities of Today's Global Shipping Environment
The Hawaii Grand Hotel, Limassol, Cyprus
www.lloydslistevents.com/

23-25 September 2004  SIBCON 2004 (Singapore Bunkering Conference, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore.  (Includes bunker dispute workshop)
Info at:  www.ibc-asia.com/SIBCON2004.htm

27 - 30 October 2004 - Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors Annual Meeting and Educational Symposia - Delta Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Info at:  http://www.marinesurvey.org

10/11 November 2004.  Airport, Port & Terminal Security.  Olympia 2, London, UK
Info at:  www.apts-expo.com

22 & 23 November 2004.  China Shipping 2004.  Pudong Renaissance Hotel, Shanghai.
Info at:  janez@marcusevanssh.com

24-25 November 2004.  Ship Repair & Conversion 2004.  Grand Hall, Olypia, London
More info at:  www.shiprepairex.com

6-8 December 2004.  SeaTrade Middle East Martime.  Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE.
More info at:  http://www.seatrade-middleeast.com

8 - 11 December 2004.  MARITIMA, Paris, France.
http://www.reedexpo.com/

3 - 5 May 2005, Cruise+Ferry 2005 incorporating Superyacht V Design, Construction and Operation For Passenger Shipping, Earls Court Two London, UK.  Lloyds List Events. 
http://www.lloydslistevents.com/

October:  36th National Conference West - Fall 2004. Long Beach.  More information as it becomes available at:
http://www.nams-cms.org/meetings.htm

10-12 April 2005.  NAMS Spring conference, Strand Palace Hotel, London. This conference will be organized by NAMS and supported by SCMS,IIMS, and IMarEST

Some maritime conference web sites for you to keep up to date:

http://www.cconnection.org/
http://www.reedexpo.com/
http://www.grc.uri.edu/
http://www.wholelife.com/
http://www.ship-technology.com/exhibitions/
http://www.apmaritime.com/
http://www.lloydslistevents.com/
http://www.marineexpo.com/
http://www.seaworkexhibition.com
http://www.toc-events.com/

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From the Poop Deck

30 Years difference

1974: Long hair

2004: Longing for hair

1974: KEG

2004: EKG

1974: Acid rock

2004: Acid reflux

1974: Moving to California because it's cool

2004: Moving to California because it's warm

1974: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

2004: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

1974: Seeds and stems

2004: Roughage

1974: Hoping for a BMW

2004: Hoping for a BM

1974: The Grateful Dead

2004: Dr. Kevorkian

1974: Going to a new, hip joint

2004: Receiving a new hip joint

1974: Rolling Stones

2004: Kidney Stones

1974: Being called into to the principal's office

2004: Calling the principal's office

1974: Disco

2004: Costco

1974: Parents begging you to get your hair cut

2004: Children begging you to get their heads shaved

1974: Passing the drivers' test

2004: Passing the vision test

Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen. Here's this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1985.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

The CD was introduced the year they were born.

They have always had an answering machine.

They have always had cable.

They cannot fathom not having a remote control.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.

They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard: "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" or

"de plane Boss, deplane."

They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even was.

McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

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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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