seeleute community

Have a question about the 3 primary deep sea officer unions, AMO, MEBA, & MM&P. Which has the most work available for deck officers?  Are they all pretty much the same as far as limiting how much time you can be at sea?    Is there a big difference as far as wages and benefits?  How about their management, understand the AMO senior leadership is currently in jail.  Thanks

THE death of Gwyneth Dunwoody leaves a considerable gap in the oversight of transport policy in the UK.

Not only was Ms Dunwoody a forceful personality unafraid to speak her mind on the issues, she was also an old-fashioned raconteur, politically astute enough to understand what audiences wanted to hear.

Her most valuable contribution in recent years was to provide, along with the members of the transport select committee, a robust and implacably critical position on the Galileo satellite navigation project.

Earlier this year the Royal Institute of Navigation bravely asked her to address a meeting on the subject and received an ear-bashing that was both erudite and very funny.

She could get away with it because the hard work had already been done. The sub-committee had again and again questioned the rationale for the project, excoriated its new funding structure and its assumptions of operational and fiscal payback.

Prove the operational need for Galileo and provide a rigorous cost-benefit analysis and we will leave you alone, its report implied.

TheUK space industry has been unable to do so, despite never denying that the future revenues from telematics should be lucrative.

One suspects Ms Dunwoody simply saw a simmering EU fudge factory that sought to satisfy national political interests under a banner of advancing European technology and space know-how.

The project now seems unstoppable, though most maritime people agree it is of limited interest to them. Other transport sectors must hope Ms Dunwoody’s successor is as rigorous as she was. ]]>

IN the absence of a real queen, Dame Helen Mirren is perhaps the next best thing in modern Britain. In fact, she may even be better than the real thing having no qualms about expressing her quick wit in public, all delivered in the elegant manner that so memorably won her an Oscar.

So she was a logical choice as Godmother for P&O Cruises’ new vessel Ventura, grandly described by the company as ‘The superliner designed for Britain’.

Before you ask, no that doesn’t mean there are gangs of hoodie wearing youths in every stairwell, people throwing up outside its bars, and the threat of negative equity on cabin bookings.

Rather, it means tasteful interior design from Britain’s Nick Munro, art events run in conjunction with Tate Modern, children’s fun with Noddy and Scalextric, and a restaurant overseen by Marco Pierre White.

Sadly, what ‘the superliner designed for Britain’ doesn’t run to is being registered in its ‘home’ port of Southampton. Instead it is registered in Bermuda, which although part of The Red Ensign group of flags is certainly not the mainland register.

But why should this matter? Haven’t cruiseships been registered everywhere from the Lofoten Islands to Liberia for years?

In the run up to the introduction to the UK’s tonnage tax, then P&O chairman Lord Sterling promised reflag up to 50 vessels, including cruise ships, back to the UK register. The break-up of P&O drew a line under those plans, with P&O Cruises being bought by Miami-based Carnival Corp in 2003. For all its renowned hard-headedness when it comes to business, Carnival has certainly not shunned the UK flag. The Queen Victoria, the latest vessel built for its Cunard brand, flies the Red Ensign and is registered in Southampton.

The choice of Bermuda for Ventura is a disappointment, showing that for all the hard work of recent years, the UK flag remains at times uncompetitive. As another, this time real, Queen reputedly once said: “We are not amused.”]]>

So I decided to go with MSC for my commercial cruise this summer.  We're picking which ships we're going to be sailing with this summer soon but the problem is I have no idea where any of them are in the world.  I'm not sure that you know much more than me but who knows.  Anyways, here's a list of the ships I'm interested in and we have berths on (all the oilers and fast combat support ships we could choose from), let me know if you know where any of them are.  I'm looking for something not sailing out of US ports.
 
USNS Arctic T-AOE 8
USNS Supply T-AOE 6
USNS Bridge T-AOE 10
USNS Henry J. Kaiser T-AO 187
USNS John Ericsson  T-AO 194
USNS Leroy Rumman T-AO 195
USNS Tippecanoe T-AO 199
USNS Rappahannock T-AO 204

SHOULD we name and shame them - those two dozen container lines that agreed to pay a vast sum of money to sponsor a new website explaining what they do and how essential they are to global well-being - and then slinked back into their bunkers?

Well, there’s no need to name them - they are all clearly identified on the website of the Container Shipping Information Service that was launched three months ago as part of an initiative “to give the global container shipping industry a voice with which to communicate with the world.” So what has happened? Has the industry gone down with a collective bout of laryngitis?

That is unfair. Some lines are communicating well, whether it is good news or bad. Sadly, they are the exception.

News on the CSIS website consists entirely of press cuttings from numerous publications, including Lloyd’s List, all highly selective.

There are no business stories, nothing about the changing shape of the industry, market developments, or regulatory issues. In fact, there is little that really throws much light on container shipping.

That is not really surprising, given that this is a joint initiative between lines with vastly different ideas of how to deal with the media.

But if container shipping really wants to be better understood, start with the trade press and learn to give a few straightforward answers to simple questions, rather than hiding behind bland, meaningless news releases devoid of any context, or delegating responsibility for PR to the CSIS.

And those same uncommunicative communications departments should be dragging their bosses out into the open rather than throwing a ring of steel round them.

OK, a few brave souls are willing to face the public. And we understand that promotional campaigns are being prepared. But will these still be bankrolled if profits shrink as the global economy chills?

A previous attempt to raise the profile of container shipping fizzled out after a few months. Let’s hope this effort does not go the same way.]]>

Norleen Schumer from maritimelicensing.com wanted me to pass on this note to all US mariners:

Please pass the attached information (SEE ATTACHED FILES BELOW) along to other members of the industry, clients, fellow workers or students.  This is some very interesting reading and things that all should be aware of.  Pay particular attention to the 90 day time frame as this may cause some problems for those who put their applications in and then have to be at sea for several months.
 

ALEXANDER Cornelissen and Peter Hammarstedt — master and first officer of Farley Mowat — stand charged with deliberately ramming a Canadian coastguard icebreaker in the name of animal rights.

The men claim they are the victims of the piece and it was their vessel that was rammed by the coastguard, while peacefully observing a seal cull in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The veracity or otherwise of their account is a matter for the Canadian courts to decide. But what is not in dispute is that Farley Mowat, owned by the controversial animal rights campaigner the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has got form.

Two years ago, while fitted with a device it dubbed a ‘can opener’, the then-master of Farley Mowat informed the master of a Japanese whaling support ship that he was acting under the authority of the United World Charter for Nature to uphold international conservation regulations prohibiting the slaughter of whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.

“We backed up the message by slamming our starboard hull against their starboard hull,” the master said.

Conservation of marine species is an important issue. But deliberately engineering a collision, in a manner that could put human lives at risk, is not the way to do it.

With a track record of glorifying in dangerous behaviour, the suitability of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to be a shipowner at all is open to question.

The eyes of the maritime world will be upon its latest brush with the law, and rightly so.]]>

WHEN Tor Olav Troim stood up in Connecticut last month to honour his friend and boss John Fredriksen, he recounted a story about the day they met. He had found the Frontline chief in his office watching teletext, having just lost $50m on a trade. Enough to ruin most people’s breakfast, you might think, but big John was adamant that everything was under control.

Of course, the next time he saw him, shortly after that, the money had been recouped and then some. He is after all John Fredriksen and making money is what he does best.

While the speeches and celebrations were still taking place, a young Filipino cadet was preparing to leave the port of Newark on board a containership headed down the coast to Norfolk. When he finishes his 12-month contract on board later this year he will have earned over three times as much as some of his friends he left behind.

It goes without saying that the experiences of these two individuals at opposite ends of the industry are poles apart. Their attitude towards money, for a start, is likely to be unrecognisable to each other. Yet it is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that without each of them and thousands of others like them, the shipping industry and world trade would grind to a halt.

Starting tomorrow, Lloyd’s List will publish a series of feature-length profiles looking at four very different roles being performed within the industry. Tomorrow, we start with the crew of that boxship heading for Norfolk, and tomorrow will be the turn of the ship’s master. Then we take a look at the role of a ship finance banker working at the heart of New York’s maritime capital markets, and finally we will finish the week with an in-depth look at Mr Fredriksen’s latest industry-defining deal.

Each of the four subjects represents very separate aspects of the modern shipping industry. Their attitudes towards the industry, their reasons for joining, and indeed staying, all differ widely.

At some level it is predictably “all about the money”, as our banker explains, but the value placed on Mr Fredriksen’s $50m hiccup and the cadet’s yearly wage are oceans apart. There is also more to it than basic finance. Whether it is the ambition to captain your own vessel or the industry “getting into your blood”, the reasons behind their continued dedication are as diverse as their respective pay-packets.

The features are not intended to pass judgement or promote; they simply aim to offer a snapshot of what it is like for four very different people to work in today’s shipping industry.

It has become something of a cliché to talk about shipping being the lynchpin of world trade. We all know the statistics and the significance of our globalised industry.

The fact that over 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry is proudly repeated in speeches like a mantra by officials, politicians and industry leaders the world over. Without shipping, the import/export of affordable food and goods would not be possible — half the world would starve and the other half would freeze.

Of course, shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy, and this is something we should be unhesitatingly proud of. But we also need to recognise that this is a disparate industry made up of increasingly specialised sectors and a diverse array of workers.

The view from ground level can often provide a very different perspective from the view presented by those who focus on the big picture.

As an industry we need to continue to provide opportunities across the board that are both attractive enough to lure people into work and rewarding enough to make them want to stay and climb the ladder.

Click here to read the feature articles for free.]]>

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View Tidewater Muse's map







Taken in
a place with no name

(See more photos or videos here)




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<dc:title>Two die, helicopter crashes into the water in boat rescue</dc:title>
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A
U.S. Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin search and rescue helicopter sits
crashed in the surf after a rescue operation near Eureka, Calif.,
around 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2006. Two people from a small
sport fishing boat died and two survived after it capsized in ocean
surf. The helicopter was hovering low to rescue them when it crashed
into the water for unknown reasons. The three crew aboard apparently
received only scratches. Photo by Shaun Walker / The Times-Standard

http://demo.geogarage.com/noaa/

This software from geogarage displays NOAA charts on google earth.  Check it out it's pretty cool...

Hey just wondering if there is anyone working for Crowley or has in the past. I'm getting sick of where I'm at now and really thinking of going to work for them on tugs. Let me know the good and the bads if you got any.

See ya out there!! 

A friend  is a 2nd mate and got a DUI last week. It was the first time he has ever been arrested  and he only had a few beers that night. Anyone know what the CG will do to his license?

MITAGS is looking for a person to head its chief mate/master
training programs. This individual will develop and present the various
courses related to upgrade to chief mate/master.  The ideal candidate
would have an unlimited master’s license and at least five years of sea
experience on that license. Candidate must be skilled in the use of
word processing and presentation software and be comfortable in public
speaking.  Knowledge of instructional system design and online training
programs is a real plus.  MITAGS is looking for a “hands on” person who
can work with minimal oversight and enjoys working in a dynamic
environment. Salary commensurate with experience.  For more
information, please send resume to Pablo Rodriguez, Human Resources, at
prodriguez@mitags.org.  

THE FAT lady might be singing but she hasn’t reached the end of the aria. The ‘historic’ compromise reached at MEPC 57 on maximum sulphur levels in marine fuels is a good paper settlement and in terms of IMO process, certainly important.

But since shipowners and their representatives are often as keen on bandwagons they are the ships themselves, the ability to resist the either claiming this victory as one’s own or damning it utterly as impractical should be resisted.

In his final presentation to the committee, the working group chairman made clear that this was a political compromise but one to which all parties had felt they could yield something in order to get it done.

And the months between now and October when MEPC meets again to rubber-stamp the revision looks from some perspectives a very long time indeed. Long enough for interference to allow some entrenched positions to resurface should their proponents scent a chance of airing them again.

The vacuum also allows for confusion to flourish. Ecsa, in its recent claim that higher fuel bills will displace freight from short-sea shipping, welcomes the IMO because it deflects the threat of unilateral regulation enacted by the European Union.

Now subtract this position from the one just above and it is clear where the shipping industry and the wider logistic chain will end up if it is unable to grasp the bigger political picture — including the Copenhagen Climate Conference.

Surely the industry can tell a fair wind from foul weather?]]>

THE problem with that unrestricted greenery that finds itself so fashionable these days is that it runs the perpetual risk of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.

The European Community Shipowners’ Association makes this elementary point in its valuable contribution to the continuing debate over the International Maritime Organization’s latest proposals to cap emissions of sulphur from the engines of ships.

According to ECSA, caving in to the ever more strident green lobby on this question will actually increase atmospheric sulphur content, as cargoes are switched to road transport after shortsea shipping is forced to price itself out of the market.

Of course the technicalities of this dispute are still contested. Intertanko, for one, finds itself in the opposite camp.

It is in the interests of all Lloyd’s List readers, both as participants in the collective enterprise of shipping and as residents of planet earth, that the industry sets down tough but achievable goals in reducing pollution, and then complies with them.

But judgements on this matter must never be hasty. If we are to have controls on the emissions of pollutants, they must be controls that work.

Well-intentioned knee-jerk attempts at regulation, before the practicalities have properly been considered, can create a perverse dynamic that leaves all of us worse off than we were originally. ]]>

Hello my name is John from  California Maritime Academy in Vallejo California.  Im not sure if what im doing here is right but I am asking for advice and information on summer commercial cruise.  I am scheduled to go with Edison Chouest Offshore from Louisiana.  I am curious as to know how the company operates and what to expect.  Thanks for the help.  ~John

YOU can’t always get what you want, or so the song goes. But no matter how hard he tried, it seems Jacques Barrot could not get what he needed either.

News that European Union ministers have rejected two Brussels maritime safety laws by a large majority may be a blow to the commission’s ego, but it’s unlikely to have raised much more than a passing snigger from most shipowners.

So why couldn’t Jacques get any satisfaction on this one?

Well, the civil liability directive in particular will not be missed; seeking as it did to increase liability for shipowners and ‘harmonize’ compensation payments. Remember it failed because government ministers thought it unnecessary and confusing, so god knows what chance anyone else had of understanding what it all meant.

The flag state directive is perhaps a little more divisive. National governments may have seen it as an unnecessary sovereignty grab, but there is a real issue here that needs addressing. Despite all the hand-wringing and whining about industry safety standards, calls for tougher regulation are generally made by the same governments that routinely fail to actually implement existing laws both at EU and IMO level.

Earlier this week Brussels had to unleash yet another avalanche of legal threats against countries failing in their duty to ensure that transport laws turn out to be anything more than an expensive paper exercise.

Jacques’ native France is expected to have another go at mustering agreement in the second half of this year, though barring a minor diplomatic miracle or a major rewrite most diplomats believe wild horses wouldn’t drag an agreement out of the council on this one. It seems he is a man out of time and this one may just have to fade away.]]>

I know this is late notice but in case you're sitting around bored the Cosco Busan NTSB hearings are being broadcast live on the web.  Here's how to get to them:

Go to:
http://ntsb.gov/Events/hearing_sched.htm

Find the entry for the Cosco Busan Hearing

Webcast links will be listed under "More Information" shortly before the start of the event

The Webcast will also be available for 3 months after the event or you can even request
a DVD (I hear they make a great quiet evening at home date movie).

If you don't like my explanation try THIS.