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  FLASHLIGHT - Novmber 2006            Edition No: 59

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

Best wishes to all our readers for the festive season.

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Quote of the month

I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry.
That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste.
David Bissonette

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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:
Captain Alun Baines, Marine Surveyor and Marine Insurance Assessor, Port Captain, Dunedin, NZ

[Top]

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:

Seafarer dies in discharge accident

HELSINGBORG 16 November ? A Filipino seafarer died this morning in an accident that occurred during the discharge of a bulk carrier at Helsingborg, Sweden. Five others ? two other members of the crew, a dock worker and two medics ? have been taken to hospital suffering from inhalation of carbon dioxide. Initial reports say the dead seafarer was discovered deep in the hold of the Hong Kong-registered Saga Spray, which had brought a cargo of wood pellets from Vancouver, Canada. A statement issued by the port operator said the injured are not in a critical condition, although one was still unconscious when the statement was issued. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Study makes fatigue recommendations

 CARDIFF 30 November ? Excessive working hours continues to be a problem for the shipping industry, a major research study has concluded, but there is no simple solution. The six-year study found that almost half the seafarers who took part were working 85 hours or more each week; that working hours had increased over the past 10 years despite regulations intended to combat fatigue; and that one in four admitted to having fallen asleep while on watch. However, a range of strategies will be needed to prevent or manage fatigue because of the different profiles of fatigue risk factors in different working groups. Recommendations included looking again at how working hours are recorded because current methods are not effective; building fatigue awareness into established health and safety training courses; and developing a checklist-style auditing tool that would help to assess work characteristics known to be risk factors for fatigue and subjective experience of these factors. Brian Orrell, general secretary of officers? union Nautilus UK called for ?a radical and urgent response from the government?, while Mary Martyn, head of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency?s health and safety branch, commented that the agency agreed that a co-operative approach is needed, involving regulators, shipping companies and seafarers. The study was co-sponsored by the MCA and the Health & Safety Executive, with support from Nautilus UK and the Seafarers? International Research Centre, and was carried out by a team from the Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology at Cardiff University.

FONASBA granted IMO status

LONDON 13 December ? Ship agents' and brokers' association FONASBA has been granted consultative status with the IMO, although formal endorsement will not take place until the next IMO assembly. FONASBA president Mario Fr?io said the move was in recognition of the role agents and brokers play in the safe and efficient transport of goods by sea, and that agency members in particular are becoming more closely involved in issues such as ship and port security and vessels reporting, which come under the aegis of IMO. A statement from the Federation said that until now agents and brokers had no means of contributing to the discussions within IMO or of putting their knowledge and experience at the disposal of the UN agency in developing regulation that was effective and appropriate. Fr?io, who heads up Brazil's Federa??o Nacional das Ag?ncias Navega??o Maritima in Santos, took over as president at the recent FONASBA gathering in Morocco. He paid tribute to his predecessors, Umberto Masucci and Philip Wood, for guiding the application through.

Mooring fatality sparks recommendations

CANBERRA 14 December ? An investigation into the death of a crewman aboard the Marshall Islands-registered OBO carrier Probo Bear has led to recommendations on mooring practices. The seafarer was killed on 10 April this year at Groote Eylandt in Australia's Northern Territory when a forward mooring line parted, striking him on the head at high speed. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation report released today recommended that the vessel's manager, Prime Marine Management of Athens, and Probo Bear's masters should review their mooring practices to improve preparedness and communication. The report also said: "Ship managers and masters should ensure that personnel supervising mooring operations are stationed such that they can clearly sight all operations that they are responsible for". The ATSB also found that the third mate's position during an operation to move the ship forward at berth meant that he did not have a clear view of the spring lines or the crew members operating the spring winch. "The incorrect use of the winch brake may have led to the formation of fast spinning turns or loops of mooring line," it said. The 1997-built ship had a crew of 22, comprising 20 Croatians, one Ukrainian and one Russian national.

Engineers face prison for dumping

SAN FRANCISCO 15 December ? Two Greek engineers from the Athenian Tankers suezmax Captain X Kyriakou were indicted this week in federal court on oil dumping charges. Chief engineer Artemios Maniatis, 55, and 1st engineer Dimitrios Georgakoudis, 29, were indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, the same charge that a Texas federal judge recently ruled (in an unrelated case) cannot be applied for foreign-flagged vessels unless the dumping took place in US waters; like the ship in the Texas case, the 149,000-dwt Kyriakou is registered in the Marshall Islands. In this matter, a whistle blowing crewman tipped off the Coast Guard early in November that the vessel had been using a ?magic pipe? to dump oil on the high seas. According to the statement from US Attorney Kevin V Ryan, the government is continuing to investigate the ship's owner, Free Seas Shipping, as well as its operator, Athenian Sea Carriers. If convicted, the two men could face up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution ? with a portion of the fines going to the whistleblower.

Seafarer guilty of forgery charges

LONDON 15 December ? A 34-year-old Sri Lankan chief officer who attempted to gain a Masters (Unlimited) Certificate of Competency from the UK?s Maritime & Coastguard Agency was yesterday sentenced to 200 hours? community service for forgery offences. In March this year the MCA?s Seafarer Standards section received an application from Uvindra Parana Palliya Guruge to sit an oral examination. He supported his application by supplying his Discharge Book, Certificates of Service and Watch Keeping Certificates. The MCA carried out routine checks on these documents which showed discrepancies in sea time claimed for two vessels. The managers of the vessels involved were contacted and they confirmed that Guruge had not been on the vessels for the time claimed. Guruge was arrested in April and admitted that he manufactured the documents and that he had made two false entries in his Discharge Book. He pleaded guilty to five forgery offences at an earlier Magistrates Court hearing, and was sentenced at Reading Crown Court. Roger Towner, the MCA?s Chief Examiner, said it was a ?well thought out and planned attempt to circumvent the certification requirements. If successful it would have resulted in an inadequately trained person having the capability to command any Merchant vessel.?

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

Bid to dilute guidelines defeated

At talks in Paris last month, attempts by a group of flag states led by the United States to dilute key principles within the guidelines, which were drawn up earlier this year in response to concerns about the criminalisation of seafarers following accidents _ including cases where masters and officers had been detained before any illegal actions had been proved, were defeated.

Developed by two United Nations agencies _ the International Labour and Maritime Organisations _ the guidelines set out a series of principles to be followed by port, flag and coastal states, shipowners, seafarers and their home states after accidents.

Following agreement on the principles earlier this year, the IMO had recommended member states to implement them with effect from July.

But a group of countries led by the US, and including the Netherlands, Canada, France and Spain, last month sought to secure IMO approval for sweeping changes to the measures.

They claimed that giving seafarers the right to silence could have an adverse impact on accident investigations. They also disputed the definition of the term 1 maritime accident as used in the guidelines, arguing that it could be misinterpreted because of the lack of reference to actual or potential damage or injury.

And they also called for a statement that the guidelines are not intended to apply following accidents involving criminal intent _ even though this can only be determined by a court of law.

However, the meeting of the IMO legal committee agreed that the issues should be dealt with by the joint ILO/IM0 working group _ on which all sides of the industry are represented _ and that experience of the guidelines should be gathered before any changes are considered.

Nautilus UK assistant general secretary Mark Dickinson said the decision was a major victory for the unions. 'These governments were seeking amendments that would have negated the whole point of the guidelines, which was to protect seafarers' rights and enhance the protection given to them after accidents; he stressed.

Mr Dickinson said he had been disappointed by the UK government's failure to give clear support

to the guidelines. 'Nautilus UK held talks with the government in the run_up to the Paris meeting because we were concerned that the UK was hanging onto the coat tails of the US, and we hope that these discussions helped to secure a satisfactory outcome, he added.

The unions had been supported by shipowners, who signed up to a joint paper calling on the IMO to uphold the guidelines as 'a fundamental principle for everyone in the maritime community' '

The paper stressed that the guidelines are needed because seafarers may not be familiar with the laws and legal processes in foreign countries. It warned that cases of unfair detention have also had an adverse impact on the morale of serving seafarers, and may hinder recruitment and retention into the profession.

The unions and the employers argued that the definition of maritime accident was developed with international legal experts. Seafarers should be treated fairly, even if damage has occurred, and as innocent until proved guilty following due legal process.

The joint paper also pointed out that it should be up to states to satisfy seafarers that there is no danger of self_incrimination when they cooperate with accident investigations.

 

Briefly ...

Ports paper: Nautilus UK has submitted detailed written evidence to a House of Commons transport committee inquiry into the UK ports industry. In the paper, the Union highlights concerns over safety and training, and outlines the case for further government action to encourage the greater use of shortsea shipping. Nautilus UK has also presented a major briefing document to a Department for Transport review of UK ports policy, which was launched earlier this year.

Pricing plea: the government should consider realistic road pricing for lorries as a means of encouraging regional port development, opposition shipping spokesman Julian Brazier said last month. Speaking at the British Ports Association annual conference, he said proposed port developments in the north of the country could be more attractive 'if the full cost to the taxpayer of long_haul lorry journeys were taken into account'.

Officer arrested: an agency_supplied officer working onboard the P&O ferry Pride of Bilbao has been arrested and questioned by police investigating the deaths of three men whose yacht sank in the Channel in August. Detectives said the officer had been arrested on suspicion of causing manslaughter by gross negligence, and he was interviewed and released without charge on police bail.

Appeal falls: the master of the emergency towing vessel Anglian Sovereign has lost a court appeal against an eight month jail sentence imposed after his ship ran aground while he was under the influence of alcohol. The Edinburgh appeal court upheld the Lerwick Sheriff Court's sentence on Peter Leask, which was made at a hearing in April.

Ballast alarm: shipowners have expressed concern about a US court ruling that vessels' ballast water is not exempt from anti_pollution laws. Under the San Francisco district court ruling, all discharges from ships in US waters _ including ballast _ would have to be covered by a US Environmental Protection Agency permit system.

Conference call: plans to outlaw the liner conference system have been announced by the European Commission. Ministers from EU member states have backed proposals that would block the exemption of liner conference agreements with effect from October 2008.

Galileo plan: Europe should consider using its' civilian Galileo satellite navigation system for military purposes in a bid to recover some of the rising costs for the project, transport commissioner Jacques Barrot suggested last month.

Recycling rejection. _ plans to scrap 'ghost' ships from the US reserve fleet and turn Hartlepool into an international centre for vessel recycling have been rejected by local councilors.

Training deals.. Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines has signed an agreement to train an initial 40 cadets a year at China's Dalian Maritime University. The company, which expects to recruit an additional 6,000 seafarers by the end of the decade to cope with its expansion plans, has 2aso signed an agreement establishing a new training centre for Indian seafarers at the Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education & Training.

USCB payout: the Greek tanker firm Tsakos Energy Navigation has been paid some US $ 77.2m by the US Coast Guard to reimburse the company for clean_up costs an* sing from the grounding of the tanker Athos 1 in the Delaware river in 2004. Investigations showed the vessel had struck uncharted submerged objects while approaching a terminal in the river.

Tax aid: threats by some of India's biggest shipping companies to desert the national flag have resulted in government agreement to review the tax regime for the Indian merchant fleet. The shipping ministry is to press the treasury to phase out a range of different taxes that owners claim undermines the competitiveness of the Indian flag.

French fears: French seafarers employed by Sete_based La Navale Francaise have expressed concern for jobs following the tanker operator's takeover by Camillo Eitzen. The Danish_Norwegian company, which recently also bought Marseilles based Fouquet_Saeop, says it is to restructure its French operations with an expected loss of jobs.

ITF agreement: the International Transport Workers' Federation has welcomed a deal to bring two more ships in the Leonhardt & Blumberg fleet under approved agreements. A total of 13 FoC ships in the German company's fleet are now under ITF agreements following a two_year campaign over the crews' terms and conditions.

Canal concern: concerns over safety in the Suez Canal were raised last month after three incidents occurred within the space of just one week. The accidents included the grounding of two tankers _ with a small oil spill in one cue _ and the containership Nedlloyd Tasman.

Virgin register: the British Virgin Islands has relaunched its ship registry as part of a plan to gain UK government approval to operate as a Category One red ensign register.

US ban.. the US Justice Department has taken the unusual step of banning a polluting ship from the country's waters for three years. The order was issued to Korean company Sun Ace Shipping as part of a plea bargaining agreement following a case in which Coast Guard investigators discovered an oily waste separator bypass system onboard the bulk carrier Sun New. The company has been fined US$ 500,000 and the ban applies to all five ships in its fleet.

Russian register. a new Russian international ship register is being set up to meet the demands of shipowners. Soveomflot, the country's biggest operator, is considering the flag for its 13 ice_strengthened new buildings on order for Arctic trade. Over 9 0 % of Russian tonnage is flagged abroad, especially in Liberia, Malta and Cyprus.

Polish support: Poland's government has agreed to introduce a tonnage tax scheme with effect from January 2007. The flat tax on shipping operations _ claimed to be lower than any other European nation except Ireland _ aims to reverse a decline that has seen the country's domestically_flagged fleet fall from 247 ships in 1990 to just two today.

TO alarm: maritime unions in Australia have expressed concern about a case in which a crew member was taken off a flag of convenience ship in Brisbane after port health officials diagnosed that he was suffering from tuberculosis. They said the case illustrated the need for the government to introduce more controls on foreign shipping in Australian waters.

Customs dual: plans to increase customs cooperation, upgrade technology and speed up security checks in British and Dutch ports have been agreed by the European Commission and China. A pilot project to be set up before the end of the year will involve Felixstowe, Rotterdam and the Chinese port of Shenzhen.

Clean_up Criticised: a French ecological group has criticised an operation to contain pollution from the chemical tanker Ece, which sank off the Channel Islands in February. It claimed the work led to the release of phosphoric acid, containing heavy metals and radioactive substances.

Rival canal: the Latin American nation Nicaragua has revealed US$ 20 bn plans to construct a 170 mile waterway to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and to rival the Panama canal, which is currently planning a major expansion scheme.

 

Record fine imposed for pollution off France

The Master and owner of a Maltese_flagged ro_ro have been fined a record a00,000 (￡360,000) by a French court after being found guilty of　polluting the Brittany coast last year.

Captain Hussein Khalil _ master of the 9,983 gt ro_ro Fast Independence　was ordered to pay 10% of the fine and managers Demline Egypt the　remaining 90%.

The 22_year_old ship had been spotted by a French navy aircraft some 200 nm off the French coast last May trailing an 18.5 km_long pollution slick.

The master told the court that he did not know where the pollution had come from, although it may have been the result of a badly closed valve.

However, French ship inspectors said the vessel's engine room bilge had been awash with oily water and that its waste collection tanks had been filled with waste water from a variety of leaks.

The court rejected a request from Malta to apply the Montego Bay convention which allows flag states to handle such ewes, on the grounds that it had no proof that Malta had started proceedings in this and four other cases in which Maltese_ flagged ships had been prosecuted for pollution off the French coast since 2000.

The Munich Re report was issued to coincide with a special global forum on maritime piracy, staged at the National Maritime Museum in London to mark the 25th anniversary of the International Maritime Bureau _ which runs the Kuala Lumpur based piracy reporting centre.

IMB assistant director Michael Howlett told the meeting _ which was attended by government representatives, shipowners, law enforcement agencies, insurers and Nautilus UK _ that piracy continues to be a significant threat to merchant shipping and safarers, with some 17- attacks in the first nine months of the year..

However, former White House adviser Brian Jenkins warned against the temptation to confuse the threat of piracy with the threat of terrorism, arguing that the incidence of terrorist attacks on merchant shipping has remained at very low levels over the past 25 years.

At the conclusion of the event, the ICC International Maritime Bureau presented a special award for combating economic crime to former ships' engineer Andrew Mwangura

Based in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, Mr Mwangura helped to found the Seafarers Assistance Programme (SAP) to provide support for crews in east Africa.

IMB deputy director Jayant Abhyankar said SAP staff worked without payment and with basic office equipment, and have become one of the few sources of reliable information about piracy operations in Somalia _ enabling channels of communication to be opened with seafarers kidnapped by Somali pirates, he added.

 

Report warns on DRI rules

Bulker sank after series of explosions in holds

SIX SEAFARERS died following a series of explosions in a direct reduced iron (DRI) cargo onboard a bulk carrier off the coast of Colombia.

Now a report into the incident has recommended radical improvements in the rules governing the carriage of DRI materials _ including changes to the international bulk cargo and dangerous goods codes.

The explosions caused the sinking of the Marshall Islands flagged bulker Ythan some four days after it loaded a cargo of 33,760 metric tons of DRI fines from Venezuela to China in February 2004.

The blasts occurred as crew members were starting a planned routine to partially open up hatch covers to ventilate the cargo. Temperature readings from the holds had ranged from 56C to 60C.

The ship's master died when he was struck by one of the hatch cover sections, while five engineers were presumed to have died because they had been unable to escape from the engine room.

Survivors were unable to send a distress message because telecommunications and GMDSS equipment had been damaged or destroyed by the explosions.

They were also forced to abandon ship using the port lifeboat _which was not motor propelled _ because excessive smoke had prevented the use of the starboard lifeboat.

The 21 survivors were rescued later in the day by passing ships alerted by EPIRB signals.

An accident investigation report published by the Marshall Islands maritime administration concludes that the explosions were the result of a dangerous concentration of hydrogen gas building up within the cargo holds, triggered by an unknown ignition source.

Investigators said confusion over the trade names for DRI fines had led to a lack of clarity over the physical nature of the cargo and whether it was compromised of fines resulting from the DRI production process.

'Multiple names were used for the cargo, which created confusion and possibly covered a range of products mixed into the cargo,' it added.

Potential hazards associated with the cargo had not been satisfactorily conveyed to the master, while the operators lacked their own procedures for the safe carriage of DRI cargoes.

The report recommends that DRI materials and the hazards should be properly defined, with clear and consistent terminology being used in documentation.

The BC/IMDG Codes should be amended to list the dangers and precautions for proper marine handling and transport of DRI cargoes _ including the suitability of vessels. Work on this is under way at the IMO.

It also recommends that DRI fines with a diameter greater than 4 mm should be carried by specialised ships, in an inerted condition.

However, the report concludes: 'The best overall solution would be not to transport DRI fines in ships, but to reprocess them and transform them into briquettes.'

 

IACS names and shames unresponsive flag states

Classification societies are 1 naming and shaming' flag states that have failed to respond to a programme to clean up standards.

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) says Algeria, Honduras, Libya and Syria have made no progress on its initiative to improve the performance of flags 'blacklisted' by port state control authorities.

Under the scheme, small groups of experts from IACS work with the flag states on enhanced

survey programmes for ships entering the registers and for remedial work
following port state control detentions.

Richard Leslie, of IACS, described PSC results as 'an important indicator of quality' and by responding to the problems that cause detentions, IACS could work with owners and flag states to raise safety performance.

IACS points to Cyprus and Malta as the biggest success stories _ both having secured places on the Paris MOU' whitelist' as a result of their efforts to improve standards. It says Belize, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Georgia, Malta, Romania, Russia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Tonga, and Azerbaijan have also responded positively to the project and have seen their PSC statistics improve.

Egypt, Morocco, Panama, Turkey and Ukraine also have improvement proposals under discussion or awaiting implementation.

(Ed:  I'm not very often complementary of IACS but they have to be congratulated for having the balls to do this!)

 

Salvors urge spill rewards

Salvors are to campaign for 'appropriate awards' to reflect their work in cases where they prevent environmental damage.

Members Of the International Salvage Union (ISU) have adopted a policy statement voicing their concern that they are presently 'inadequately rewarded for the environmental benefits of a salvage operation.

ISU president Hans van Rooij added: 'We must inject more funds into the industry if we are to sustain and enhance the pollution prevention services provided by salvors.'

 

Study warns on containership lashing safety

FRESH concerns over the safety of container lashings have been raised in the results of research conducted by a leading classification society.

Bureau Veritas says its investigations into recent incidents involving the loss of more than 200 boxes from large container ships have 'identified a number of problems with certain container lashing equipment procedures'.

Preliminary results from the study show a series of common factors in the incidents:

-  ully automatic twistlocks were used
-  the losses occurred abaft the vessel superstructure
-  the losses took place in heavy seas, with a large combined roll and pitch
-  twistlocks were often observed to be subject to wear, on the lower level of container stacks.

BV has conducted computer generated tests of wave_induced accelerations on container stacks, and of the forces generated in container frames and twistlocks.

It has also reviewed full_scale tests of manufacturers' container lashing methods, and plans to conduct measurements of acceleration on containers at sea. The results of these onboard tests should be known early next year.

BV's Jean_Francois Segretain commented: 'Our investigations show that fully automatic twistlocks, when correctly fitted, are able to withstand the forces which are allowed for in classification rules.

'But our preliminary studies show that defective positioning of twistlocks, and wear on the locks and container corners, are contributory factors in the losses,' he added. 'Other significant factors are an exceptionally large roll amplitude, combined with severe pitching, and slamming on the afterbody of the vessel.

As a preliminary conclusion, it seems that some types of automatic twistlocks, while effective in normal conditions, are more sensitive to defective lashing than are their semi_automatic counterparts.,

Mr Segretain said the increas_ing size of containerships pre_sented ignificant problems for classification societies. He also warned that the positioning of lashing equipment _ and semi_ automatic twistlocks in particular _ can be'error_prone' *

Tests show that container corners and lashing equipment are also subject to wear, he added.

 

Philippines plan to fill skills gap

Report calls for action to help seafarers rise to the highest ranks

Maritime labour officials in the Philippines have admitted that the country is not able to meet the growing global demand for skilled and experienced senior officers.

A new report from the Philippines Department of Labor and the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) has concluded that the country cannot produce enough competent marine officers to fill the gap in worldwide supply.

The study says that while the Philippines is the leading supplier of maritime manpower _ accounting for almost 30% of the world's seafarers _ its share of senior officers in the global fleet is barely 10%.

Employment minister Danilo Cruz told a press conference in Manila that the Philippines cannot meet the demand for new officers to replace the ageing European and Japanese officers retiring from senior ranks.

The evidence showed many Filipino seafarers preferred to remain as ratings, he added. 'They choose to stay in the lower positions after they have sent their kids to school, after they have secured a house and saved some money for a business.

'Many are contented with the salary they are earning and would not want additional responsibilities _ not only because they would have to take several training courses, but also because they would be away from their families for a longer time; he explained.

The NMP report found that many Filipino seafarers who opt to stay in lower ranks do so because they view seafaring simply as a means of earning enough money to buy a house and start a business ashore.

Survey data showed that those in senior positions tended to move frequently between companies _ with almost half of deck and engineer officers having less than five years of service with their current employer.

The report also identifies a number of other factors that prevent Filipino seafarers from progressing to higher ranks, including lack of management skills or commercial knowledge and the costs of officer training courses.

The NMP is urging the government to act urgently to encourage career development, with distance learning opportunities, mentoring programmes, new courses, and policies to prevent poaching of qualified staff

 

Increased exposure prompts moves to risk assessment

Soaring claims and increased liabilities are spurring marine underwriters to examine risk assessment and management techniques to prevent the market from destabilisation.

Delegates at the IUMI conference spent a significant part of their time discussing their worries about the recent spate of containership losses, and the increased exposure to fire risks on cruise ships and ferries, as well as the potential for huge claims arising from a new generation of large LNG carriers.

One of the more incisive commentaries at the conference came from Norway's Ole Wikborg, who at the end of the meeting stepped down as chairman of the ocean hull committee.

Speaking about the state of the insurance and shipping markets, he tackled the subject of shipping's resources. There are two kinds of capital _ structure (the ship) and human _ behind the financial capital, he stated, and the importance of attracting and retaining good crew will increase as demand increases.

For instance, the 145 new LNG carriers under construction will need some 3,500 new 'experienced' crew. Yet 50% of training schools fail to come up to scratch (according to the CEO of class society Det Norske Veritas).

Mr Wikborg contrasted the differing outcomes in two recent emergencies at sea _ the loss of the passenger ferry AI Salam Boceacciog Sand the fire on board the cruise ship Calypso.

The ferry sank following a fire on its car deck. We don't know what went wrong, he said, but it was clear that there was no mustering of passengers, few survivors and a confused bridge crew.

On the other hand, after the fire broke out onboard the Calyspo the crisis had been well managed, with no casualties and a successful outcome, after passengers were mustered and ready to abandon ship.

Mr Wikborg pointed out that the AI Salam Boceaccio 98 had passed all inspections with no outstanding issues. But the Calypso was inspected in Seville two weeks prior to the accident with failures including:

-  Fire safety measures
-  Cleanliness of engine room
-  Fire extinguishing installation
-  Safety certificates
-  Crew training

However, he argued, the behaviour of the crew had made a big difference.

Jack Devanney had written in his new book The Tankship Tromedy: 'We must replace the current, shipowner_controlled, flag state, classification society system. It's not regulation _ it's an auction' 'But, said Mr Wikborg, most shipping compa_nies have improved their safety awareness and safety record _ making a positive contribution to the industry's reputation.

Analysing the state of the hull and machinery insurance market, he said that the booming shipping market was fueling the appetite for new business. Higher exposures mean a demand for more underwriting capacity, which is readily available. 'Big is beautiful' in this case.

Two key factors include a continued contraction in the overall number of active underwriters,, while insurance is subject to tighter control by the authorities _ including higher solvency requirements.

Arguing that hull insurance is a commodity, Mr Wikborg said that pricing is based on individual records as opposed to the historical need to cover claims and costs per class of risk (the absence of claims is not indicative of the absence of risk'). So market pricing versus correct pricing is based on the actual loss history for the type of risk though underwriters have to take into account their administration and reinsurance costs.

As for risk assessment and loss prevention (a common goal according to the conference theme), he asked: 'what's in it for hull underwriters?'The former means identifying risk elements, while loss prevention means applying past experience to reduce risk

Speaking about risk assessment, he made these points:

-  Shipping will continue to enjoy good times
-  Commercial pressure will result in demands for higher speeds
-  Shipping lanes will be busy
-  Equipment fatigue is beginning to show
-  The importance of attracting and retaining good crew will increase
-  Ships are getting more sophisticated and a lot more expensive
-  Shipping will have the public's eye and won't get away with substandard quality of any kind

On loss prevention, underwriters must ask specific questions and evaluate the answers.

Going forward, Mr Wikborg concluded, while most sectors of the insurance industry are reporting increased income and profits, hull underwriters as an industry are unable to achieve the necessary balance between exposure (ie, potential claims) and actual claims costs on one.side, and risk remuneration (ie, premium) on the other.

(With thanks to the NAUTILUS Telegraph)

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Contributions

Kidnap and Ransom

Two new products have recently been launched in the marine insurance market called ProSecure and CrewSecure.

They are offered by the broking firm of Seacurus and they fill a gap in the Kidnap and Ransom market for crews and marine professionals visiting the sorts of places where such risks are a regrettable fact of life.

There is a race of men, especially on the superintendency and surveying side, who know all too well how hard they earn their money in risky destinations where law and orderon the waterfront is not guaranteed. Some jobs requiring surveyors are handed around the market like unwanted relatives, and when taken at all they are done on a favours traded basis.

Which of the middle-aged ex master mariners on whom we rely for expertise is anxious to take off to Nigeria these days to attend some marine incident involving the oil industry? Who wants to fly into Somalia to free an arrest? Where is the devil may care ex-mariner, thirsty for adventure in the ports of Columbia?

The people that do such work on a regular basis are few  and far between. Peter Astbury, a former colleague from my days working in P&I, a mild and unassuming man by the look of him, has made a specialty of going to hard places and giving owners and their insurers a result they can  live with.

The work seems to require a voice of moderation, considerable guile, an understanding of the mentalities of the bandit and of the banker.

The list of lawless places in the world where ships and  cargos get into trouble is possibly longer than it has  been in recent times. People on the insurance side of  life are generally known for their habitual caution in all things. If a trip which takes in Papua New Guinea  comes up, the queue to visit the place is less long than say for Brisbane or Melbourne. One way of dividing up  the earth between areas of settled mercantile routine and an atmosphere of barely contained daily crisis is  to plot the shipping infrastructure. Just as nature  abhors a vacuum, a container port is incompatible with civil unrest, poor law and order and uneven governance.

And yet the need to cover the world will not go away. I wonder where the next generation of trouble shooters will come from.

The insurance market still relies on people with a history in the shipping industry, many of them who worked on ships during the pre-containerised era. They may be called marine professionals but many of them earn considerably less per annum than the average high street optician.

And perhaps the new products on the market from Seacurus  may help to make the work a little more attractive to  people minded to do it. K+R is the insurance that dare not say its name -- you are not supposed to mention it in firms, even when you are a named assured. The black arts of K+R  claims are the specialist domain of firms like Control  Risk and Krolls. When an assured goes missing, a person  will present himself to advise on how to proceed. It must be a strange way to earn a living and not the best peek  into the secrets of the blacker kind of human heart.

Something tells me that we will be hearing more about  these kinds of products, which are rather new in the  marine market and at least at the moment difficult to accommodate in the P&I Clubs which have difficulties  seeing this as a family of risks that will commonly arise in the course of ordinary shipping operations.

Whenever a master is taken by ordinary civil authorities in the aftermath of a casualty or problem there are  difficulties enough squaring the funds of the Clubs with the demands of the authorities. Let alone with those of cut-throats and bandits.

(With thanks to Sam Ignaski of Bow Wave: sam@wavyline.com)


[Top]

Midships

Injustice

Captain Wolfgang Schroeder, a 59 year old German captain, is in prison in Bay Minette, Alabama, USA.

He was, October 12, 2006 found guilty on charges of Criminal Neglect and shortly thereafter taken to prison awaiting sentencing in February 2007. The Prosecutor?s reason for immediately bringing captain Schroeder to prison was his ?world-wide contacts?.

Schroeder was captain on ZIM MEXICO III, a vessel that made contact with a gantry crane while maneuvering in Port of Mobile.

ZIM MEXICO III departed, as normal procedure, from port and was turning around in Mobile River using bow thruster, propeller and rudder. No tugs assisting but with pilot on board. During maneuvering the bow thruster failed and captain and pilot tried to avoid contact with berth using rudder and main engine only however, in vain. The vessel made contact with the gantry crane that collapsed causing the death of one electrician.

The vessel was, after investigation, allowed to proceed between US and Caribbean ports for some time. However, when vessel arrived Houston, April17 the captain was arrested and taken to jail. He was later on transferred to jail in Mobile but after a few days released on bail of USD 500,000.00. He has, between April and the trial in October, been in ?house-arrest? without car, family, only a few friends and of course without passport. He was, three days after the verdict taken to prison again.

Schroeder is now allowed 2 x 30 minutes visits per week, in handcuffs and foot-shackles behind bullet proof glass, with a telephone connection to the visitor. During weekends and holidays no visitation. Mail can only be delivered via post office, no packages allowed; if a visitor is 1 minute late the visit is cancelled.

He spends his time in a cell with 6 bunk-beds and a toilet, light is on 24 hours per day. Guards makes round every three hours. The other inmates are murderers and severe criminals.

Captain Schroeder was 59 years old on his first day in prison. He is a diabetic, suffers from high blood-pressure, high cholesterol as well as several other age related problems. He does not know what to expect in the future.

A professional Master Mariner, his whole life at sea, awarded medals and citation from Margrete Thatcher and the King of Belgium for rescue assistance during the Herald of Free Enterprise capsizing, a soft spoken man, a well respected captain and company employee but now all by himself!

How is it possible?

Additional comments/ question:

-  The Criminal Neglect was based on the fact that the bow thruster failed two times last year. One time before Captain Schroeder arrived on board and one time in December.

Prosecutor comment: ?He should have expected the bow thruster to fail and ordered tugboats?.

-  The jury were not all in agreement. Some members were very upset by the verdict.
However in a Federal case the majority rules.

-  The verdict indicate for the future:
If a technical failure once has occurred, been repaired and then re-occurs you may be considered a Criminal! Somebody dies = you are considered for Criminal Neglect!

What about main engines, rudders, steering gears, gyros, windlasses, winches etc. We all know that they have failed once and maybe twice however repairs have always been carried out. Are we still Criminals?

-  What about the Pilot? Where was he? Why is he not mentioned?
He must have ordered several maneuvers during the few minutes after the bow thruster failure.
(I do not want to point fingers because an accident is an accident).

[Top]

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.

******

Some ports are still not in compliance with the ISPS Code and security at these facilities is clearly regarded as sub-standard. A feature in the 17 November edition of Fairplay magazine includes interviews with government and private-sector security experts who say that some ports ? especially in developing countries ? have not been able to meet ISPS criteria, either for financial reasons or because they do not understand the code?s intentionally general requirements. The US Coast Guard has acknowledged that teams visiting ports under its International Port Security Program have found some sub-standard facilities and are working with the ports to help them come into compliance. A website maintained by BIMCO that draws on input from visiting ships? masters show that some 10% of port and port facilities have sub-standard security. And with no mandatory audit or verification scheme in place, and the fact that the IMO?s own voluntary audit scheme excludes security compliance, the only apparent verification of ISPS compliance comes as ports subscribe to advanced ISO certification. In the meantime, ship masters are urged to consider raising their ships? MarSec levels when calling on sub-standard ports. It may spare them from port state control boardings and inspections on subsequent visits to US and EU ports.

The full story can be read via: www.fairplay.co.uk

[Top]

Insurance News

Italian insurers challenge injunction
A three-day appeal hearing in the controversial Front Comor case started in the House of Lords n 5 December 2006. Italian insurers led by Riunione Adriatica di Sicurta are challenging an ?anti-suit? Injunction preventing them from suing the ship owner, West Tankers (part of the Ship Finance International Group), in Sicily, under Italian law. The case raises important issues about jurisdiction between states. In July 2000 the Front Comor, on charter to Erg Petroli, collided with an oil jetty at Erg?s Syracuse refinery, causing substantial damage. Erg is arbitrating against West Tankers in London for its uninsured losses, under a charterparty clause that provides for London arbitration and English law. Meanwhile the Italian insurers, having paid out 15,587,292 euros (about $20.7M) to Erg under its policies, started an action in Syracuse to recover this payment from the owner. West Tankers, which denies liability, then obtained a temporary anti-suit injunction from the High Court to stop the Sicilian proceedings as being contrary to the arbitration agreement. In March last year another judge confirmed the injunction, making it permanent. The insurers claim they are not bound by the arbitration agreement, and the Italian Civil Code entitles them to sue in Sicily. Unusually, this important appeal has ?leapfrogged? the appeal court and gone straight to the House of Lords from the Commercial Court.

Insurers call for piracy measures

No cover for ships without protection against attack, report says

Underwriters should refuse insurance cover to shipowners that fail to take adequate precautions against the risk of a pirate attack, a leading insurance group has argued.

In a special risk analysis report on the piracy threat, published last month, the Munich Re Group says countries, companies and insurers are right to be worried about the risks _ particularly in the light of new trends, such as kidnapping.

The study says international cooperation remains the 'basic prerequisite for successfully fighting piracy and other violent attacks, now and in the future,.

But it also argues that shipping companies need to do more to tackle the threat, by adopting such measures as:

-  evaluating individual risks for each sailing area and every single vessel
-  active use of security measures to defend ships from attack
-  appropriate use of the security systems available on the market
-  reporting, without fail, every violent attack on a vessel

The report suggests that insurers and reinsurers should do more to address the problems posed by piracy and to analyse the risks 'with great precision.

Underwriters, it adds, should grant piracy cover only when the owners 'have taken technical security precautions, pursue a holistic risk management approach, and arrange for adequate crew training.

Tillman Kratz, from Munich Re, said insurers had to respond to growing risks _ with bigger ships and cargo volumes, more organised crime and hostage_taking, and an increased perception of threat in the post_9/11 period.

But he admitted that competition in the insurance market would make it hard for companies to offer reduced premiums as an incentive for operators who complied with counter_piracy recommendations.

[Top]

Wig & Gown

None this month.

[Top]


Education and Training


Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself!
(Don Robertson)

******

NYK sets up officer training hub

SINGAPORE 28 November ? NYK Shipmanagement has opened a dedicated training centre in Singapore to provide advanced training to senior officers.The centre, which was launched yesterday, is equipped with bridge, engine room and cargo handling simulators and will provide advance training for up to 450 senior merchant marine officers every year. NYK is expecting a 50% increase in manpower needs by 2010 and is casting the net far and wide to recruit officers as the domestic pool continues to shrink. NYK Shipmanagement, which manages over 40 vessels, was singled out this year for a training award by Singapore?s Maritime and Port Authority. The encouragement provided by MPA along with location and quality infrastructure paved the way for the setting up of  a dedicated training establishment in Singapore, NYK President Koji Miyahara said. The Singapore centre will act as a hub for training activities throughout the world, he added.

******

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.

IIMS will hold an Inland Waterways training seminar at The Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port on 19 March 2007.  Further details will be published in due course.

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

[Top]

Epistles

None this month.

[Top]

People

Sad to report that Bill Billett passed away on 2 November 2006 in Albury NSW where he was in a retirement village.  He made many friends among his colleagues in Malta (Atlantic Steam Navigation Co Ltd), Hong Kong and Australia ( P&O) and Fiji (BIllett Wright & Assocs.)

I enjoyed 11 years working with him in Fiji and he was one of the great characters of the industry for many years.

The ranks are thinning out!!

Cheers

Richard Wright (in retirement)

******

Chris Horrocks retired as Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping in October.  We wish him well in his well earned retirement.  We wish good luck to Tony Mason in his new role as Secretary General.

******

Container pioneer Sir Kerry dies

LONDON 09 November ? Sir Kerry St Johnston, former chairman of London-based container ship owner Overseas Containers Ltd (OCL), died on 6 November after a period of illness. Starting his career at the Ocean Steamship Company in the 1950s Sir Kerry was later to become a pioneer of the-then newly emerging container transport industry. Rising quickly within Ocean Steamship, he became a partner and main board director by the age of 30 before being transferred on a secondment as managing director of OCL, a new joint venture between the P&O Group, British & Commonwealth and Ocean Steamship. Under his stewardship the company grew to become one of the world?s major container ship operators. He left in the mid 1970s to take up an overseas appointment but came back to OCL as chairman in 1982. In June 1986, OCL became a wholly-owned subsidiary of P&O, at which Sir Kerry was appointed a main board director. In 2004 P&O?s container shipping activities became a part of Maersk Line. Among other directorships, Sir Kerry was chairman of Straits Shipping of Singapore, a former president of the General Council of British Shipping and former president of the Chartered Institute of Transport.

******

Sir Bill Codrington

Last, but by no means least, sad to report the passing of Sir William Alexander Codrington, FNI, who died on 1st December 2006 in the UK. Bill Codrington was a true professional and, as a master mariner, a key player in the development of the Nautical Institute, particulary in Hong Kong.  Known to everyone as 'Bill', he was a gentleman who had time for everybody and was a mentor to many, no matter what rank or discipline. Bill's funeral took place at West London Crematorium on 12th December 2006.

[Top]

Books and Videos

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea.  by ICB dear and Peter Kemp. Cost GBP12.99 in paperback. (ISBN 019920568X), Published by Oxford Press.  www.oup.com

It is 30 years since this book first published what is considered to be the most authoritative reference book on maritime matters.  New and completely updated.

[Top]

Conference Reports

None this month.

(ED: If you intend to attend a conference which you believe would be of interest to our readers, we would be grateful to receive a short synopsis.)

[Top]

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

******

North Sea countdown starts today

LONDON 22 November ? Ships operating in the North Sea now have one year to demonstrate compliance with new exhaust emission standards. The North Sea SOx Emission Control Area (SECA) will come into effect on 22 November 2007, one year after the entry into force of related amendments to Annex VI Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78). In a SECA, the sulphur content of fuel oil used onboard ships must not exceed 1.50% m/m. Alternatively, ships must fit an exhaust gas cleaning system. The Baltic Sea SECA has been implemented and operational since 19 May 2006. Other amendments to Annex VI and the NOx Technical Code, which were adopted on 22 July 2005 and entered into force today, relate to the conduct of surveys and issuing of certificates.

[Top]

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.

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/

[Top]

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!

[Top]

From the Poop Deck

The Prime Minister is visiting a school.  The teacher asked the Prime Minister if he would like to lead the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".

One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field & a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a 'tragedy'".

"No," said Blair, "that would be an accident."

A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a Tragedy."

"I'm afraid not," explained the Prime Minister, "that's what we would call a great loss."

The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Tony searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of Tragedy?"

Finally, at the back of the room, a small boy raised his hand...In a quiet voice he said: "If the Air plane carrying you and Mrs Blair was struck by a "friendly fire" missile & blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Tony Blair. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy "it has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either!"

******

Some truisms

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
Sacha Gui try

After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't
face each other, but still they stay together.
Hemant Joshi

By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. Socrates

Woman inspires us to great things, and prevents us from achieving them. Dumas

The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, "What does a
woman want?
Sigmund Freud

"I don't worry about terrorism. I was married for two years."
Sam Kinison

"There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking.
It's called marriage."
James Holt McGavran

"I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't."
Patrick Murray

The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once...
Anonymous

You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to.
Henny Youngman

My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met. Rodney Dangerfield

A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.
Milton Berle

Marriage is the only war where one sleeps with the enemy.
Anonymous

First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!"
Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."

******

We've all heard about men having guts or balls.  But do you really know the difference between them?  In an effort to keep you informed, the definition for each is listed below.

 ** GUTS **   Is arriving  home late after a night out with the guys, being assaulted by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: "Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?"

** BALLS **   Is coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the balls to say: "You're next."

 I hope this clears up any confusion on the subject.  Either way, the funeral is Saturday.

 

[Top]

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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