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  FLASHLIGHT - October 2006            Edition No: 57

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

Quote of the month

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?"
Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."

Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000), Charlie Brown in "Peanuts"

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Marine Surveyor wanted

Individual will preferably have:

- At least 5 years international sea-going experience.
- Experience as chief or second engineer on ocean going ships
- Degree in nautical studies, marine or mechanical engineering.
- Diploma in marine surveying or enrolment in same.
- Must be able to conduct hull & machinery, condition surveys and other technical investigations and surveys on many types of vessels from small craft to large merchant ships.
- Familiar with International Maritime Organisation codes and standards/procedures, and International Shipping regulations.
- Computer literacy in word processing and spreadsheets.
- Good communication skills in English.
- Should be self motivated with some managerial skills and a hands-on attitude.
- Must be prrepared to travel at short notice anywhere in the Asia Pacific region.

This is an opportunity for a committed marine surveyor to grow within a well established company in the far east and possibly take over the future company management..  Candidates who do not fulfil all of the above requirements will be considered as training will be provided.

Reply to editor.

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CONTENTS (for full stories, select a headline)

At the Bow

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 welcomed for the newsletter.

New readers this month:

Tom Benton, NAMS-CMS, USA.
George Gallup, AMS, Gallup Yacht Surveying, MA, USA.
R.A.  Hunter Jr. Gulf Triton Marine Services, Carriere MS 39426, USA.
Joseph Richter, SA, Richter Marine Survey and Consulting, LLC, Yacht & Small Craft
Seven staff from Sabine Surveyors in Corpus Christi, Houston, Port Arthur, Lake Charles, New Orleans and Mobile, USA.  See website at:  www.sabinesurveyors.com
Alison Mazon, A.M.S.A. Mazon & Associates, Marine Surveyors, Portland, OR, USA

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Spindrift

Below is a selection of articles gleaned from various publications over the last month which we believe will be of interest to our readers:

IMB defends Bangla piracy data

KUALA LUMPUR 07 November ­ The Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau has defended its categorisation of Chittagong in Bangladesh as a “key hot spot” for piracy attacks. “Our data is based on reports from ship captains,” the Centre’s chief Noel Choong told Fairplay. The Bangladesh authorities were alerted twice by the Centre about the rising incidence of attacks in and around the port of Chittagong. Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard had in fact conducted joint operations in the Bay of Bengal and killed two pirates. “Our concern is that increasingly cargo ships are being attacked or boarded. Crew safety is endangered,” Choong said rebutting criticism from Chittagong port authorities that the report was exaggerated and only insignificant items were stolen. The Centre recorded as many as 33 incidents in Bangladesh ­ 22 actual and 11 attempted. A Bangladesh government representative is scheduled to hold talks this week with IMB officials. Meanwhile ransom negotiations are on to release 14 crew of the hijacked general cargo ship Veesham 1, owned by UAE interests, who are held hostage by Somali pirates since 1 November.

Leaking container delays passage

CHARLESTON 07 November ­ The Norwegian-flagged open hatch cargo vessel Star Fuji continues to be held offshore because of a leak in one of its cargo containers. The Captain of the Port issued the order on 2 November forbidding the Alanticargo-operated vessel from entering the port and it has remained 12n-miles offshore since, as Moran Environmental Recovery works to contain the leak and remove the container. USCG spokesman Bobby Nash says the small leak of chloroacetic acid has been halted as holes in the 20-ft tank container have been sealed, but he adds that Moran is still developing a plan to safely move the Mobile-bound tank from the ship ­ probably at sea. If the box transfer is successful, it would be the first reported transfer of a container from a ship on the high seas. Following the “Lemon-gate” fiasco two years ago off New Jersey ­ where a container of lemons was thought to be contaminated ­ the USCG and the shipping industry began developing a strategy to remove worrisome boxes from ships at sea and the strategy was tried last summer in San Francisco Bay last summer. But it has yet to be tried at sea. No injuries or pollution have been reported as none of the acid (contained in a 70% aqueous solution) has spilled into the Atlantic.

(With thanks for Fairplay Daily News: news@fairplay.co.uk)
 

New name for union

After 21 years in existence, NUMAST, The National Union of Marine Aviation & Shipping Transport Officers has been renamed NAUTILUS.
 

Employers admit to 'serious concern' over global officer supply

Leading international shipping industry employers have admitted to be 'seriously concerned' about the growing global shortage of skilled seafarers.

The Londonbased International Maritime Employers Committee (IMEC) which represents more than 100 companies operating over 10% of the world fleet revealed last month that it is taking a series of measures to address alarm at both the supply and the quality of officers and ratings.

'We are very worried,' IMEC vicechairman lan Sherwood told a press conference. 'It is now a priority of ours that we get more people into training and that the training is of a higher quality.'

IMEC which negotiates with the international Transport Workers' Federation on the pay and conditions of more than

145,000 seafarers on flag of convenience vessels administers a special $10 per seafarer training fund.

Since the trust was launched, it has received contributions totalling some $10 m and has paid out more than $6m on such projects as simulator training, safety related courses, maritime textbooks and English language training.

Following a review in 2004, the fund is now being targeted at upgrading training skills and facilities. IMEC has worked with Warsash Maritime Academy to launch the world's first post graduate qualification for maritime lecturers, and has also provided direct sponsorship for 30 deck and engineer cadets this year.

Last year's ISF/BIMCO updated research on seafarers supply and demand suggested that the world is presently short of some 10,000 officers and warned that this could increase to 27,000 by 2w based on current trends, or by as much as 66,000 if demand increases further.

IMEC said a survey of its members which includes such companies as Anglo Eastern, Bibby International BP Crewing Services, International Marine Transportation, The Maersk Company, Shell Ship Management, and V Ships suggested an average of 1.4 cadets per ship, comfortably above the industry target of one cadet per ship.

A sign of their concern about the skills shortage was highlighted by fund trustee Bob Goodall, of Dorchester Maritime, who said companies are now starting to specify as many as six cadet berths onboard new buildings. 'A couple of extra cabins is chicken feed on a $50 m ship' he added.

Employers admit to further concerns that the shortage of skilled and experienced officers will put pressure on pay rates particularly in certain key sectors. They hope that IMEC will help to manage this in a 'controlled way'

The organisation now has 101 members, as well as two associate members the Australian and Liberian shipowner associations.

Together, these members employ some 14% of the world's seafarers and IMEC will next year begin a series of negotiations with the ITF on the terms and conditions of those crews.

'IMEC is here to stay and we wish to cultivate longterm and stable relationships with other organisations in our business; Mr Sherwood added.

In Brief ....

ID dispute. US seafarer visa requirements have been defended by the head of the body representing liner shipping companies. Christopher Koeh, CEO of the World Shipping Council, told the Maritime Security Expo 2007 in New York that it was wrong to say the US was treating seafarers as potential terrorists. He argued that the US was right to insist on visas and to reject the proposed international seafarer ID cards because some 700 people had entered the US illegally after deserting their ships over the past three years.

Channel collision. Two flag of convenience general cargo ships collided in the Dover Strait traffic separation scheme last month. Coastguard officials said the incident occurred some 17 miles east of  North Foreland after the 1,692 gt Dealer experienced difficulties in establishing VHF communications with the 3,183 gt Vindo. Both ships were flying the Antigua & Barbuda flag and sustained minor damage in the incident.

UK detentions: Eight foreign flagged ships were detained in the UK in August after failing port state control inspections, bringing the detention rate to just under 5% of all ships inspected. The list included a Liberianflagged roro where inspectors discovered tape had been used to patch over corroded car deck vent trunkings.

Compensation rise: Compensation for UK communities affected by oil spills has risen from £161 m to £596 m as part of the government's ratification of the Supplementary Fund Protocol, which was developed to provide greater financial protection from economic losses following major incidents.

'Criminal' fears: Paul Hinton, the head of the London P&I Club, has warned that the continuing trend to criminalise seafarers following maritime incidents is promoting coverups' and threatening attempts to create a more open and transparent system of accident investigation.

Dumping probe: the Dutch government has launched an investigation into the dumping of slops from a Panamanian flagged OBO in the Ivory Coast. Authorities in the port of Amsterdam had tried to prevent the sailing of the vessel Probe Koala in July, before the slops were taken to Abidjan and dumped at open air sites. Public outcry over the waste, which is blamed for six deaths and thousands being made ill, has led to the resignation of the African country's government.

Spill row: overloading and bad weather caused a tanker to sink resulting in the Philippines 'worst ever oil spill, a special inquiry has concluded. Some 20,000 tonnes of oil were lost after the Solar 1 tanker went down off Guimaras Island in August. The board of inquiry is investigating the competence of the vessel's master and crew, and the condition of the ship.

EMSA opens: the European Maritime Safety Agency has officially inaugurated its new headquarters in the Portuguese city of Lisbon. The organisation has been established to support the implementation of EU maritime safety measures and to assist member states in pollution response.

Silja cuts. more than 250 jobs are being lost from the Baltic ferry firm Silja a Line following its takeover by the Estonian company Tallink. The cutbacks at the former Sea Containers subsidiary will hit shore staff in Sweden and Finland.

Gas conversion: Texan corporation SeaOne Maritime has engaged classification society ABS for a project that will see the world's first conversion of Suezmax of tankers into compressed liquid gas carriers.

French orders. the expanding French liner operator CMA CGM has confirmed rumours of a US$1.2 bn order for eight 11,000 TEU container ships from Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Suez record: Suez Canal authorities have reported a new record daily trading of US$14.3 m, secured when more than 60 ships carrying almost 3m tonnes of freight passed through.

Spanish crackdown: Spain has introduced stricter new safety standards for ferries operating
between its southern ports and the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melffia.

Indian Increase: plans for a strike by some 25,000 Indian seafarers were called off last month after owners agreed to give a pay increase worth some 20%.

Privatisation probe: the European Commission has confirmed that it is to launch an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the recent privatisation of the French Mediterranean ferry operator SNCM. The probe will examine the way in which the company was restructured ahead of the sell off and determine whether subsidies were in line with EU state aid guidelines.

Baltic boost: Danish maritime safety authorities have welcomed a marked increase in the number of ships using pilots in the entrances to the Baltic Sea. There has been a 53% reduction in the number of vessels operating without pilots while passing through the Great Belt between January and July following agreement on moves to cut the number of accidents in the area.

Bulk prediction: the global dry bulk freight market is set to grow by an average of 2.5% in each of the next five years, according to the shipbrokers Galbraiths. The study suggests that the international dry bulk fleet will increase in capacity by around 24% by the end of this decade.

Carnival award: Carnival Cruise Lines has received IS014001 certification from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance following a success evaluation of environmental management standards at its Miami headquarters and throughout its fleet of 21 ships.
 

Shipping delivers billions

BRITISH shipping's contribution to the national economy hit a new high last year with turnover totalling some £11.6 bn, according to new government statistics.

But shipowners have warned that the continued growth of the UK flag could be jeopardised if the government changes the rules governing the tonnage tax scheme.

Balance of payments figures, published by the office for National Statistics show that shipping now earns £1.32m every hour of every day for the UK economy.

The sector was the third largest service export earner during 2005, outstripping air transport for the second year running with export earnings amounting to £9.4 bn up by 161/6 on the previous year and by 100% since 2002.

Shipping's net direct contribution to the balance of payments was £3.3 bn, only slightly down on 2004, despite substantial fuel cost increases during the period. The industry's overall contribution taking import savings into account was £5 bn.

'These spectacular results are a clear indication of the success of the government's maritime policy, founded on the tonnage tax adopted in July 2000,' said Chamber of Shipping president Maurice Storey.

However, the owners added, the figures 'demonstrate the significance of the risk and the need for a continuing positive fiscal environment and stability in the UK, if the current success and expansion of this vital national sector is to be safeguarded in future.
 

On-line map to help plan against pirate attacks

SHIPMASTERS and owners whose vessels must sail through piracy 'hot spots' are being offered a new on-line tool to help them plan their voyage.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has launched an on-line piracy map giving information on the nature and location of attacks to help them better understand and track incidents.

The map is available as either a satellite view, provided by Google, a plain view (indicating countries and borders), or a combination of both. Viewers see not only the relief of the coastline, but also the bays and coves from which pirates may initiate their attack

'It is not easy to get an immediate picture of the piracy risk of an

area by reading lengthy reports full of data and numbers,' said IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan. 'We hope the map, coupled with the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre alerts, will help seafarers spot the warning signs and better prepare for possible attacks'

While the map is primarily aimed at helping owners, managers and their crews, Capt Mukundan suggested that the information could be used to predict trends in attacks and to help law enforcement agencies to decide the best areas to target their searches for pirates.

The userfriendly map can be accessed on the IMB website www.iccccs.org
 

Owners urged to back fitness rules shake-up

Maritime medical standards 'need overhauling'

Shipping companies have been urged to support proposals for a radical overhaul of the international standards governing seafarer health and fitness.

Speaking at the International Shipping Federation's manning and training conference in London last month, Dr Rob Verbist, of the International Committee on Seafarer Welfare (ICSW), said much more needs to be done to improve maritime medical rules.

The International Maritime Organisation has launched a review of the existing 10yearold guidelines on the medical fitness of seafarers. Dr Verbist appealed to owners to back the shakeup, arguing that shortcomings in the present system include:

  -  lack of international recognition of certificates
  -  different criteria in different countries
  -  growth of 'discriminatory' checks used by insurers, which are not always linked to demonstrable risks
  -  a failure to examine the harmful health effects of work at sea
  -  a lack of attention on longterm health trends

'The results of these deficiencies are that seafarers are discriminated against for no good reason, said Dr Verbist. And on the other hand, seafarers may go to sea with health problems that put themselves, their colleagues and their ships at risk.'

He said the UK and the Netherlands are among a few countries that have taken the lead in overhauling their medical systems, moving towards condition specific standards that are linked with functional demands and tasks onboard.

Dr Verbist said huge gaps exist in knowledge of seafarer health problems. Better information would help to answer such questions as why young seafarers seem to have more accidents, why urinary stones are more common among chief engineers, and why catering staff seem to have more general health problems than other crew members.

He urged companies to adopt proactive health policies. 'You should not leave it to the maritime authorities and the insurers,' he added. 'Companies can benefit from a more active approach'

Medical policies allied to lifestyle and fitness programmes would not only show that employers care for their crews, but would also allow them to build up better information on health issues which in turn could be used to produce health promotion campaigns.

Dr Verbist is project coordinator of the ICSW's Seafarers' Health Information Project a threeyear scheme to tackle seven maritime health issues, such as physical exercise, healthy food, malaria and sexually transmitted diseases.
 

Work is good for you- Official!

Going to work is good for your health, boosts selfesteem and enhances your quality of life, a new governmentcommissioned study has concluded.

Published by the Department for Work and Pensions, the report points out that being unemployed can shorten life expectancy with out of work people being more likely to suffer from obesity, heart disease and depression.

Announcing the findings, work and pensions minister Lord Hunt commented: 'Work is good for individuals and their families, and by lifting people out of poverty it also benefits communities by increasing prosperity.'
 

Master was over the limit in Dover Strait

A Swissflagged combicarrier ran aground in the Dover Strait earlier this year while the master who was alone on the bridge at night fell asleep while under the influence of alcohol.

Last month, in response to the incident, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch issued a special warning to the industry to ensure that safety requirements systems are complied with.

The 2,999 gt Kathrin grounded on the Goodwin Sands in February, but crew members managed to refloat it and complete the voyage to the port of New Holland.

The MAIB said the Romanian master's actions 'demonstrated a total disregard of safe practice'. He was arrested when the vessel arrived in port and sentenced to four months imprisonment in relation to the grounding and seven months for operating his vessel under the influence of alcohol.

However, investigators also discovered that the master had been fined US$3,500 by the Turkish authorities in October last year when he was found intoxicated in his cabin after the Kathrin was caught proceeding in the wrong direction of the Dardanelles traffic separation scheme.

The MAIB said a thorough investigation of the earlier incident would have not only highhghted the master's actions, but also have uncovered a general lack of onboard compliance with procedures for the use of lookouts and watch alarms.

The report said the company had a comprehensive shipboard operations manual, but several key instructions were ignored by officers which undoubtedly jeopardised the safe operation of the vessel'.

The MAIB has urged the International Chamber of Shipping to encourage its members to ensure that safety management systems are being adhered to onboard, and to ensure that audit processes are 'sufficiently robust to detect any non conformance.

(With thanks to the NAUTILUS Telegraph)

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Contributions

“THE NEED FOR QUALITY SURVEYORS IN ASIA”

Peter Cremers, CEO, Anglo-Eastern Group

I am in a somewhat strange position of being a total outsider to your industry ­ and yet have been asked to talk about the need for quality surveyors in Asia.

The only thing I can contribute is the view we have as a ship manager about the shipping as it is today ­ and share with you the experience we have in going about introducing quality in our line of business.

Shipping is following the lead of aviation ­ another modes of transport ­ with a zero tolerance for mistakes.  As obvious and simple as it may sound, the day to day reality is different.

We are still in the process of  transgressing from an area where our environment did accept pollution ­ to some level ­ did accept cargo claims ­ did accept mechanical mishaps ­ did accept navigational errors.

Even as recent as March 24, 1989 with the Exxon Valdez accident in Prince William Sound ­ there was a certain level of acceptance that ­ simply by introducing an oil terminal in that area ­ and having a ship trading there ­ one day ­ an accident was bound to happen.  I may have been personally inclined even to think like that myself.

But today ­ no ­ we no longer accept that accidents are a part of our business ­ there is a fundamental and much needed change of focus of our industry.

We have basically 3 areas to action to improve the performance of a ship: systems people and equipment.

SYSTEMS

The ship management industry has been the first to introduce the principles of quality assurance into shipping.

There can be no doubt that ­ if done properly ­ QA does improve all processes on board. We are now introducing an element of risk assessment in each and every decision we ­ or the people on board take.  Again ­ a well-proven technology that has worked well in other industries ­ finding it rightful place in shipping.

More recently even TMSA (Tanker Management Self Assessment) was introduced.  A set of prescriptive guidelines of best practice ­ graduated from level 1 to level 4 for each subject ­ allowing Ship owner and Ship manager to assess their level of operation against the prescribed ones as a starting point for even further improvements.

The general consensus is that a well operating owner/manager today will be meeting somewhere between level 2 and 3 ­ with plenty of scope for improvement.

Lastly there are various initiatives - mainly driven by the ship management industry - to standardize and define performance indicators so that at least soon we can start measuring our performance and compare it with others.

We are a strong advocate of the fact that all these systems are positive contributors to thea reduction of incidents and accidents, in spite of the increased paper load ­ providing they are used in the right spirit ­ and understanding of course.

PEOPLE

The most important issue to be dealt with is the lack of them ­ which we all hope will be of a temporary nature but a significant problem to count with the next 3 to 5 years.

Ship owners are facing the reality that the times of “others” training people for them are over.  Whether direct ­ or via a manager ­ ship owners will need to actively participate in the crew selection training and career planning consistent with their own planning.

We do a lot on the selection, training and career side.  Even with our size of 9,000 odd people both on board and on leave ­ and 500 odd cadets ­ mind you we would not be able today to handle an owner’s fleet of 10 ships if this had not been part of our long term planning.

Our main challenge however is the training of the people that we select.  Shipping is a practical hands on job ­ most of it can only be learnt by doing the job for years and years, and having senior people on board passing on their experience and know-how to the youngsters.

Paperwork, systems, schedules, commercial and operational pressures have reduced on board training to faceless computer screens, to find it on yourselves ­ it took me 15 years to take command.  Whatever we do to supplement this with both on shore training and simulators, there is no substitute to on board learning.

Job opportunities on shore ­ by stripping the natural supply of people from the ships that are ready for a change ­ is another challenge. Maybe a bit controversial in this environment but I claim that more and more people on shore are telling less and less people on the ships how to run their business.  We need the smartest people of the industry on board our ships ­ not telling the rest what to do from a shore position.

I also claim ­ recently even more vigorously than before ­ that a working ship is a very slow and imperfect training school for a specific shore job.  Yes, some on board training may be part of a person’s education towards a specific job in the maritime field, but it is time that the bulk of the shore based requirements are filled by people who havd a specific land based training and education.

EQUIPMENT

We have the systems in place. We are also getting more and more of a young breed of professionals on the ships.  But the shipyards and the equipment suppliers, have not made the jump yet.

Ships are not yet fit for the purposes they are built for.   Yards are still hiding behind excuses - pointing towards maintenance and operational issues - to build ship which commercially and maintenance wise does not meet the demand of today’s market!

The lack of performance quality of the electronic equipment on board of a ship is actually a farce or a scandal depending the mood of the day.

How easy would it be to create an international and standard platform for planned maintenance on board of ships: a mandatory system for each supplier, including a yard, to follow so that on delivery of a ship a planned maintenance program runs out of a computer for everybody to follow.  We cannot just depend on the market and the willingness of the owner to spend money on maintenance.

SURVEYORS

So ­ where do we bring this back to all of you ­ the world of Surveyors.

•  The bar has been raised on board ships.  The bar has to be raised in all shore based services surrounding the ships as well ­ from class to P&I to port state to pilots.

•  If your industry is backing its manpower requirements on seafarers ­ please do not forget that they have been rushed through a system ­ and with potentially very little experience to real problems.  You must set up your own standards and train your people up to your specific requirements yourselves.

•  Decisions need to be taken on sound technical grounds ­ trying to employ that simple but very fundamental principle has brought us as Shipmanagers very far. It needs knowledge rather than assumed experience.  Unfortunately, we are confronted almost daily with decisions taken by others involved in our ship whereby the underlying knowledge is questionable.

•  Personal interpretations of otherwise uniform regulations are no doubt the biggest problem we face when talking about oil major vetting, class surveyors and port state inspections.

•  Should we as ship managers look around for systems and methods proven in other industries and bring them into your own world?  it has done wonders for us.

•  Last ­ and maybe a bit out of context ­ all of us, and that includes me, who make a living out of the shipping ­ let’s make sure we show respect for the people that man our ships.  They are the ones bringing a ship from A to B.  They are the ones earning the freight.  Their life on board became less and less advantageous ­ and more and more proven to personal criminality.  It’s hard enough to sell our story to the outside world ­ they deserve the utmost respect from the inside world.

(Ed:  Our thanks to Peter for his insight into our industry and profession.  We should all bear in mind his last point when boarding any vessel to carry out a survey.  Establishing a rapport with the crew is of the utmost importance to gain their trust and cooperation.)


[Top]

Midships

Staying healthy

Those of you who keely read every item will have seen the item 'Owners urged to back fitness rules shake-up' on health of seafarers above and I quote from the article

'Dr Verbist said huge gaps exist in knowledge of seafarer health problems. Better information would help to answer such questions as why young seafarers seem to have more accidents, why urinary stones are more common among chief engineers, and why catering staff seem to have more general health problems than other crew members.'

Irony of ironies, I am one such ex Chier Engineer, who, having spent last week laid low with stones in my urinary tract, has to ask why wasn't such research carried out years ago?  Perhaps if it had, your editor might not have spent many days of painful peeing!

PSC corruption

We have received the following information from Maritime Advocate On Line:

INTERCARGO'S executive committee meeting in London last week noted "two irritations relating to port state control performance - a lack of international uniformity in inspection standards in some areas, and - in strictly limited numbers of cases - evidence of corruption."

In the case of corruption, all Intercargo members have been asked to submit data, anonymously, on two ports and one region where evidence of corruption is generally acknowledged to occur. It was agreed that the names of these two ports and the region should not be released externally, although Intercargo will issue reports to the relevant MoUs "to take action on practices which harm the reputation of PSC inspectors elsewhere who operate professionally and to the accepted ethical standards."

It is shameful that Intercargo does not expose the authority and port where this criminal offence is taking place.  All offenders should be 'named and shamed' in order that they will be brought to task and change their practices.

Mike Wall

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In our last edition we reported on the NAMS conference in San Francisco.  Unfortunately, we copied the paper and speaker information from the conference programme which had wrongly listed Arthur Waddington's company as Starboard Marine Surveys, which should in fact be Starboard Surveys LLC.

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Scuttlebut

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 .....

If you have any glaring contradictions, please let us know.

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ISM review

PHIL Anderson of ConsultISM has urged the maritime industry to have its say in an IMO review of the ISM Code.

Anderson believes that a full review, to be undertaken over a period of time, is on the agenda of the next IMO Maritime Safety Committee meeting scheduled for the end of November. He says, "Such an opportunity to amend the code will not arise very often. I would urge everyone in the industry to give careful thought to this and to consider submitting ideas and suggestions for possible amendment to your flag state administration or an NGO with which you may be associated, eg, International Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO, IACS, IFSMA, etc, or write directly to IMO."

For mor info:  www.consultism.co.uk

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Insurance News

Taken to the cleaners

A SHIPMASTER was detained in the Russian port ofNovorossisysk for nearly two months after the authorities discovered drums of Unitor descaling fluid onboard.

The 'troubling' case has prompted a P&I club warning on the need to make accurate customs declarations.

The London Club said authorities in the port had charged the master with smuggling a toxic substance into Russia after they found the cleaning agent onboard and confirmed that its contents included hydrochloric acid.

The master was detained ashore and the Greek consulate had to be called in to prevent his imprisonment. He was detained for 57 days before the matter was resolved by the payment of what the club describes as a 'modest' fine.

'The scale and nature of the authorities' response in this case underlines the particulax importance to those trading to Novorossisysk of attention to the accuracy of customs declarations and ofthe need for awaxeness of the potentially serious difficulties that can arise from the undeclared presence of cleaning agents containing hydrochloric acid,' its StopLoss bulletin wams.

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Officer shortage will hit safety, insurers warn

The international shipping industry faces mounting insurance claims unless it acts urgently to redress the mounting shortage of officers, a leading worldwide marine broker has warned.

Aon Global Marine, in a communication issued last month from London, warns that the 'dwindling pool' of skilled officers could result in increasing claims and higher premiums triggered by an escalation of human error shipping incidents.

'Marine operators need to combat the skills shortfall through more effective recruitment and retention plans to ensure future officers are fully equipped to handle technological advances and new trading patterns, says Aon in its SOS.

While the industry is booming and there is a surplus of ratings, Aon points to the current global shortage of around 10,000 officers which, on current trends, could rise to a predicted shortfall of some 27,000 by 2015.

With a global order book of some 4,942 ships, and a further 796 ships under construction, Aon stresses that the industry is facing 'a major challenge' in finding sufficient officers for the fleet.

The insurance firm warns that 'the problem could escalate to the point where shipping companies will have to face real operational difficulties'.

To address this looming crisis, the industry must combat the factors that are causing the skills shortage, which Aon lists as:

-  an aging officer population, half of whom are older than 40
 -  the shift of labour from Europe, North America and developed countries such as Japan to east
Europe and Asia. On this, Aon says '...the lack of international experience and cultural/language skills are posing serious barriers to mariners wanting to take on global officer roles'
 -  the notion that, because of piracy and kidnapping, seafaring is unsafe
 -  new legislation, such as the EU's ship source pollution directive, which 'criminalises negligence' This, says Aon, deters people who are thinking of becoming seafarers while causing some who already are to leave

Aon also calls attention to the growing technological complexity of today's ships, and says '...the skills and knowledge required to manage them need to grow accordingly'.

Steve Allum, Aon chairman, warned: 'Unless shipowners, managers and charterers take further action, the outlook for the maritime industry is not good.

With diluted experience and training among crews, the possibility of human error is significantly higher and will inevitably lead to increased incidents and accidents. Technology alone cannot he expected to replace the loss of skilled crew in, for example, navigating congested shipping lanes. '

The inevitable consequence would be a higher cost of risk, Mr Allum stressed. And he added: 'Crew employment, training and retention policies may well become part of the key parameters which underwriters use to establish insurance premiums for marine operators.'

Aon said shipping companies should recruit seafarers directly and/or identify their own ratings with the potential to develop as officers. Employers should also introduce a more rigorous selection process for candidates for 'fast track' training and conduct ,stimulating' recruiting campaigns to focus on the positives offered by careers at sea.

And, it adds, companies should take action to retain staff by looking at such issues as pay, work/life balance, and 'career pathing'.

[Top]

Wig & Gown

AMSA container alert

THE Australian Maritime Safety Agency has issued a marine notice about the need to monitor and control the stuffing, transport, loading, securing and discharge of containers.

 As a result of identified shortcomings in the securing of cargo transport units on board ships, AMSA has been conducting random cargo securing inspections on ships to verify compliance with the cargo securing manuals required by SOLAS and by marine orders. AMSA says it continues to be concerned with the number of obvious breaches of the securing requirements and will continue to intervene where deficiencies are found. This also extends to the condition and maintenance of securing equipment.

 There have also been several incidents where containers have been loaded onto, and discharged from, vessels trading into Australian ports where the containers were subsequently discovered to be loaded in excess of the maximum gross mass marking of the CSC safety plate. In one incident, ten out of fourteen containers in one consignment were found to be seriously overloaded.

 Additionally, there have been instances reported where cargo inside containers has shifted during transport. In one recent case, cargo stuffed into a soft-sided container broke free during passage on a vessel and subsequently spilled through the side of the container and onto the deck.

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Education and Training


Why not attend a training course or a conference?  They could be beneficial!

******

Trinidad simulators

The University of Trinidad and Tobago has ordered DNV Class A full mission ship handling and engineroom simulators from Kongsberg Maritime. The order also includes three secondary interaective tug bridges for certifying seafarers in accordance with IMO competence requirements.

******

IIMS inform us that the following Small Craft, short courses are planned for the coming months starting in January 2007. Any member, who wishes to add their name to the list of participants, should contact the Administration Office as soon as possible.

Courses Available

The Theory of Surveying Wooden Craft    26 Jan 07
The Recreational Craft Directive          9 Feb 07
The Theory of Surveying FRP/GRP Craft          Mar 07
Introduction to Corrosion & Coatings in the Marine Sector        Apr 07

One Day training Courses

The following courses are also available, but need additional candidates before the courses can be arranged.  Any member who wishes to register for these courses should contact the Administration Office as soon as possible.

Rigging and Sails    date TBA
Small Craft Engineering (5 day course) date TBA

Members interested in attending any of the above courses should contact the Administration office as soon as possible. Course joining instructions will be sent out approximately three weeks before the start of the course.

Members are reminded that non-members may attend any Institute course, but a 10% surcharge will be levied.

IIMS members may now purchase any of the Institute Diploma modules as stand alone, distance-learning packages.  Modules may be purchased singularly or as members require.

This is an opportunity to up skill your personal abilities or to learn new skills, in your own time.  You could even add a new surveying area to your portfolio of services. Each module when completed will provide the member with a credit against future participation on any of the Institute Diploma courses.

This facility is only open to members of the Institute and all applications should be sent to the Administration Office in the first instance.

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

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Epistles

None this month.

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People

Papal award

Former Merchant Navy officer Captain Anthony Brindle is to be made a Papal Knight for his services to seafarers. Capt Brindle, whose time at sea included commanding cargo and passenger vessels and as a hovercraft pilot, is to be made a Knight of the Order of St Gregory in honour of this work for the Catholic churches maritime charity, the Apostleship of the Sea.

******

We hear that Phil Ramsey, formerly with the North of England P&I Club, has moved to LOC and relocated to Florida.  We wish him well in his new career.

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Books and Videos

A Seamans pocket book - (ISBN 184486037X) GBP6.99. published by Conway.  www.anovabooks.com

First issued in 1943, aimed to offer ratings the seamanlike knowledge required of them during their training and their first six months at sea and to serve as a primer for officer candidates.  Stressing terms such as sea sense and teamwork, the handbook covers such areas as nautical terms, navigation and pilotage, steering and the rule of the road, winds and tides, anchoring and mooring, boatwork, safety and shipboard organisation.  Fascinating reading.

******

Shipping industry guidance on the use of oily water separators.  Can be downloaded free from www.marisec.org/ows/index.htm

******

ISGOTT - New revised fifth addition.  Available from Witherby & Co (Marine Publishing) for GBP180.  Includes a free CD edition which features a search facility as well as printable forms and checklists.  Email: books@witherbys.co.uk

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Conference Reports

The 2006 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum.  J W Marriott Hotel, Mumbai, India, 25 & 26 October 2006.  Conference partner:  Henderson International LLC.

The conference was opened by Mr Ferdi Stolzenberg, Managing Director or Asia Conferences Ltd.  The opening address was given by Mr. Amitava Banerjee, Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department, India, who we were pleased to see remain for the proceedings.

Papers included:

Country Report - Captain Satish P Anand, Hendersons Int'l (India) Pvt Ltd.

'The need for quality surveyors in Asia'  Peter Cremers, Managing Director, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, Hong Kong.

'Managing a large marine surveying network' by Mr William Andrew Henderson, CEO, Henderson International.

The development of a PI insurance mutual for marine surveyors.  John Lawrence, IIMS.

'The benefits of the International Group of P&I Clubs'.  Rajeev Philip, Steamship Insurance Management Services Ltd

'OCIMF and SIRE accreditation'.  Kapil Dev Bahl, Murray Fenton, India.

'The Magic of Legal Privilege: now you see it, now you don't' by Robert Gordon, Seasia, Singapore..

'Attending court as an expert witness'  Captain Chris Spencer.

What do we mean by quality surveyors?  Captain Ian Wilkins, President, IIMS.

Loading Grain Cargoes in Australian Ports.  Captain Omar Sultan, Aries Maritime Services, Port Adelaide, Australia.

'Loading rice cargoes - The marine surveyor's duty'.  Graham Ashley, Operations Manager, ETIC-Africa P&I Services, Marseille & West Africa.

'Container lashing failure surveys and assessment.'  Mike Wall, Managing Director, Kiwi Marine Consultants Ltd, Hong Kong.

The morning of the second day was taken up by a case study of a ship based oil pollution incident, focusing on the reporting, surveying, investigation and collection of evidence and work carried out by surveyors involved.

The role of the Captain, the surveyors, the lawyer, hull  insurance, P+I insurance, the ship manager, the ship owner and the expert marine surveyor were reviewed.
Representatives from each sector  discussed their individual role in a real situation, inter-active participation from delegates was excellent.

The afternoon of the second day was taken up with an open forum with six respected persons associated with marine surveying forming the panel.

The conference was well attended by delegates from 26 countries.  Interaction was excellent between speakers, chairmen, panellists and the delegates.

The annual 'Peter Lambert, Theres no flies on me award' consisting of a green bronze frog dormatnt plaque, was awarded to Captain Omar Sultan for his laid back presentation, totally ignoring the session chairman and ignoring timekeeping restraints completely.

(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.)

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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.

For those of you who might also be interested, UK M Notices are available at:  www.mcagency.org.uk

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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:

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 winter 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.

10 & 11 November 2006.  'Collision - Controlling the chaos'.  The Hilton Hotel Newcastle, Gateshead.  Email:  niseminar@nepia.com

14  November 2006.  Small Craft Working Group Meeting & Training  Seminar, Holiday Inn City Line, 4100 Presidential Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA.  Organised by IIMS.
Email:  iims@compuserve.com

22/23 November 2006. RINA International Conference - Design and Operation of Container Ships.
Info: RINA Conferences on +44 (0) 7201 2401 or E-mail:  conference@rina.org.uk

4-6 December 2006, Seatrade Middle East Maritime, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE.
Info:  www.seatrade-middleeast.com

6-8 February 2007.  Asian Shipping & Work Boat 2007.  Hall 401, Suntec Singapore.
Info at:  marinefo@baird.com.au or www.baird.com.au

24-26 April 2007, Cruise & Ferry 2007, ExCeL London, London, UK
Info:  www.cruiseferryex.com

 ******

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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Web Sites

FOR OUR REGULAR READERS, THERE ARE NO NEW WEB SITES THIS MONTH:

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:
http://www.maib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/
The UK MAIB web page giving the reports on accident investigations - A must read page for all surveeyors!

http://www.shiptalk.com/shiptalk_rss_feed.asp
RSS Feeds for the Shiptalk newsletter.

www.nationlalcorrosionservice.org
National Physics Laboratory – National Corrosion Service

AIS information:
www.AISlive.com  (does not include SE Asian waters)

Canadian Coastguard:
http://www.cgc.gc.ca

International Bunker Industry Association
www.ibia.net
Good information and a good newsletter.

Admiralty and Maritime Law Guide
www.admiraltylawguide.com
Focus on US law, but still interesting

International Bunker Industry Association
www.ibia.net
Good information and a good newsletter.

Admiralty and Maritime Law Guide
www.admiraltylawguide.com
Focus on US law, but still interesting

Houston Marine Insurance Seminars
www.houstonmarineseminar.com
Lots of papers and presentations to download

IMO Country/Port/Terminal info and contact numbers:
http://www.tdconcepts.com/

Tactical Defense Concepts (TDC) - a good section on security alerts and analysis:
Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
http://www.ds-osac.org/
(OSAC was established in 1985 by the US Department of State to foster the exchange of security related i nformation between the US Government and the Amercian private sector operating abroad.  Administered by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, OSAC has developed into an enormously successful joint venture for effective security cooperation.  Through OSAC, the American private sector, including colleges and universities, is provided timely information on which to make informed corporate decisions on how best to protect their investment, facilities,personnel and intellectual property abroad.)

Those of you who use Equasis may also be interested to hear of three other web pages with similar information:

www.parismou.org/
www.tokyo-mou.org/
www.uscg.com

www.shiptalk.com/
-  Designed by seafarers for seafarers. Deck, engine, catering, hotel or concession, seafarers past and present, all are welcome. Seafaring is a global profession and we extend the hand of friendship to seafarers of all nationalities.

www.shippingfacts.com
-  Provides basic information about the structure of the shipping industry, its contribution to the world economy and its 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.

http://www.femas.org
- 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.

WHY NOT ADVERTISE HERE.  THIS IS THE FIRST PLACE OUR READERS GO TO!

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From the Poop Deck

A virile, middle aged Italian gentleman named Guido was relaxing at his favourite bar in Rome when he managed to attract a spectacular young blonde woman. Things progressed to the point where he invited her back to his apartment and, after some small talk, they retired to his bedroom where he rattled her senseless.

After a pleasant interlude he asked with a smile, "So, you finish?"

She paused for a second, frowned, and replied, "No."

Surprised, Guido reached for her and the rattling resumed. This time she thrashed about wildly and there were screams of passion.

The sex finally ends and, again, Guido smiles and asks, "You finish?"

Again, after a short pause, she returns his smile, cuddles closer to him and softly says, "No."

Stunned, but damned if he was going to leave this woman unsatisfied, Guido reaches for the woman yet again. Using the last of his strength, he barely manages it, but they end together screaming, bucking, clawing and ripping the bed sheets. Exhausted, Guido falls onto his back, gasping.

Barely able to turn his head, he looks into her eyes, smiles proudly and asked again, "You finish?"

Barely able to speak, the beautiful blonde whispers in his ear, "No, I Norwegian."

******

A man walks into a dentist's surgery and says, "Excuse me, can you help me. I think I'm a moth."

Dentist: "You don't need a dentist. You need a psychiatrist."

Man: "Yes, I know."

Dentist: "So why did you come in here?"

Man: "The light was on..."

******

Apple Computer reported today that it has developed computer chips that can store and play music inside women's breasts.
 
This is considered to be a major breakthrough because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

******

Subject: Mid-Life Crisis
 
When I was married 25 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said, "Honey, 25 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a  10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old blonde.

"Now, we have a nice house, nice car, big bed and plasma screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 50-year-old woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25-year-old blonde, and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed.

Aren't older women great?   They really know how to solve your mid-life crises!

******

Winning Smart Ass Answers For 2006:

Smart Ass Answer #5:

A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets.
As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed  at her.  Without missing a beat....she said, "Sir, I need to see your ticket not your stub."

 Smart Ass Answer # 4:

 A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but she couldn't find one big  enough for her family. She asked a stock boy,  "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"  The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

 Smart Ass Answer # 3:

 The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. "I've  been waiting for you all day," the cop said.  The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could." When the cop finally stopped laughing, he  sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
 
 Smart Ass Answer #2

 A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads, "Low Bridge Ahead."  Before he  knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles.  Finally, a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his  hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"  The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
 
 # 1 SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2006..............

 A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam.
 "Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear  attack or a serious personal injury or illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no  other excuses whatsoever!"  A smart ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if tomorrow  I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?"  The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled  knowingly at the student, shaking her head and sweetly said  "Well, I guess you'd have to write the  exam with your other hand ."

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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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