Inséré le 14 mars 2013 NEWS NOUVELLES Enlevé le 14 avril 2013

Inséré le 14 mars 2013 NEWS – NOUVELLES Enlevé le 14 avril 2013

Fire safety on board ships still serious concern

Recent events have demonstrated that a fire on board a ship can be potentially devastating and can seriously affect the safety of those on board. Preliminary results from the Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Fire Safety Systems, carried out between 1 September 2012 and 30 November 2012 in the Paris MoU region show that: 103 ships were detained over the 3 month period as a direct result of the CIC for deficiencies related to Fire Safety Systems. 64% of all ships detained in the three month period were detained for fire safety related issues. Problem areas included fire pumps and its pipes, fire fighting equipment and appliances, and the fire control plan. Fire safety has been in the top 5 of most frequently encountered categories of deficiencies during inspections for years. Reason enough for the Paris MoU to concentrate attention to this area during a CIC. "The outcome of the CIC shows that fire safety is clearly not top priority on every ship and that is a serious concern", says Richard Schiferli, Secretary General of the Paris MoU on PSC. The CIC questionnaire was completed during 4,014 inspections on 3,985 individual ships. A total of 1,958 CIC-related deficiencies were recorded and 103 ships (2,6%) were detained as a direct result of the CIC. 64% of the detentions during the CIC-period were CIC-topic related. During the campaign most inspections concerned general cargo/multi-purpose ships with 1,347 (34%) inspections, followed by bulk carriers with 766 (19%) inspections, container ships with 422 (11%) inspections, chemical tankers with 343 (9%) inspections and oil tankers with 308 (8%) inspections. 59 (57%) of the detained ships were general cargo/multipurpose ships and 14 (14%) were bulk carriers. Among the other detained ships were 9 container ships, 4 offshore supply ships and 4 Ro-Ro cargo ships. 51% of the detained ships were 25 years or older. Analysis of the recorded deficiencies shows that most deficiencies relate to fire pumps and its pipes (13%), fire fighting equipment and appliances (11%), and the fire control plan (9%). Most inspections were carried out on ships under the flags of Panama with 445 (11%) inspections, Liberia with 308 (8%) inspections, Malta with 306 (8%) inspections and Antigua and Barbuda with 282 (7%) inspections. The flags with the highest CICtopic related detention rate were Dominica with 28,6% (2 CIC-topic related detentions during 7 inspections), Sierra Leone with 21,2% (7 CIC-topic related detentions during 33 inspections) and Togo with 18,2% (4 CIC-topic related detentions during 22 inspections). The background for this CIC was that, as an average for the last 8 years, deficiencies related to fire safety systems account for 14% of the total number of deficiencies within the Paris and Tokyo MoU. The CIC was a joint campaign with the Tokyo MoU. Other MOU's have followed the same routine during the campaign. The detailed results of the campaign will be further analysed and findings will be presented to the 46th meeting of the Port State Control Committee in May 2013, after which the report will be submitted to the International Maritime Organization. Source: Paris MoU

Inséré le 14 mars 2013 BOOKS BOEKEN Enlevé le 14 avril 2013 BOEKBESPREKING Door : Frank NEYTS “De Wetenschap van de Zee” Bij Uitgeverij Acco te Leuven verscheen een zeer interessant boekje onder de titel “De Wetenschap van de Zee. Over een onbekende wereldoceaan”. Het is een initiatief van het Vlaams Instituut van de Zee (VLIZ) en werd geschreven door Evy Copejans en Michiel Smits. Ons leven op aarde is fundamenteel verbonden met de oceaan. Voeding, medicijnen en grondstoffen, we halen zoveel uit de zee. Dit boek laat je allerlei fascinerende mechanismen onder het wateroppervlak ontdekken: eencelligen die een lichtje branden om een partner te veroveren, badeendjes die de wereld via zeestromingen rondreizen, mammoeten die ooit de Noordzeebodem bevolkten tot een zeespiegel

die niet vlak is.... En wist je bijvoorbeeld dat mensen net zoals dolfijnen blindelings obstakels kunnen ontwijken door middel van echolocatie? “De Wetenschap van de Zee” richt zich naar iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in zeeën en oceanen. Door de keuze van de onderwerpen is het ook een ideale leidraad voor leerkrachten wetenschappen, met begrippen en concepten die relevant zijn voor het secundair onderwijs. Op de website www.zeewetenschappen.be vind je trouwens bijhorende originele pratica om de onderzoekscompetenties te realiseren en je lessen te marineren. Een aanrader ! “De Wetenschap van de Zee” (ISBN 9.789033.484124) werd op handig klein formaat als softback uitgegeven. Het boek telt 175 pagina’s en kost 24.50 euro. Aankopen kan via de boekhandel of rechtstreeks bij de Uitgeverij Acco, Blijde Inkomststraat 22, B3000 Leuven, België. Tel +32 (0)16.62.80.33, Fax +32 (0)16.62.80.01. Info www.uitgeverijacco.be

Inséré le 16 mars 2013 HISTORIEK HISTORIQUE Enlevé le 16 avril 2013

Les corps de Marine a l'heure du choix par Paul Eygenraam Il y a un peu plus d'un demi siècle, le Corps de Marine belge, à peine né vécut les alternatives difficiles du choix, et ce en des heures peu glorieuses, et à ce titre, peu évoquées. Après plus de cinquante ans, il est permis d'en rappeler les péripéties sans heurter personne. Disons d'emblée que le Corps de Marine, appelé à la vie en septembre 1939 au moment où la France et la Grande Bretagne couraient au secours de la Pologne envahie, réunissait la flottille la plus hétéroclite que l'on puisse imaginer . Les réquisitions de mai 1940 ne firent qu'accentuer le caractère extrèmement diversifié du matériel et des hommes. Il revint au Major d'artillerie Decarpentrie, qui avait reçu en France une excellente formation d'officier de marine, d'en faire une unité de quelqu'utilité. La mission du Corps était ambitieuse ; la police des eaux territoriales, le dragage des mines et l'arraisonnement... à la condition de ne pas voir trop grand ! Pour mener à bien cette tâche, le Major qui avait commandé un fortin en 1914,- disposait de bateaux de divers plumages; chalutiers en bois et patrouilleurs improvisés, yachts et vedettes rapides, remorqueurs de rivière et vétérans de l'Administration de la Marine. L'armement était à la mesure des moyens : canons 4.7 et mitrailleuses d'infanterie. Pas de quoi faire trembler la Kriegsmarine de l'Amiral Raeder! Les unités robustes furent transformées en dragueurs. Les Belges en avaient le plus grand besoin dès les premiers jours de guerre. Alors que la Belgique n'était pas encore belligérante, les Allemands avaient infesté sans attendre les eaux côtières et les estuaires des fleuves. La chasse aux mines à la dérive présentait un danger mortel pour la navigation et un péril aussi grand pour les marins qui durent les premiers mettre la main aux dangereux engins. Des distinctions honorifiques furent d'ailleurs attribuées au Major Decarpentrie, au Lieutenant Graré et au Matelot De Bakker pour avoir réussi à conjurer le péril avec des méthodes de bricoleurs. Des filets métalliques, récupérés des stocks de guerre 1914/18, furent notamment mis en usage à l'écluse du Kruischans à Anvers. Lors de la mobilisation générale, le personnel envoyé en renfort au Corps, n'était pas précisément trié sur le volet. Chômeurs et marins d'eau douce vinrent compléter l'effectif. Or on ne forme pas en un tour de main des hommes familiarisés avec les modes de signalisation, l'appréciation des distances en mer, l'identification des bateaux etc. Par ailleurs le TO était caractérisé par des vides alarmants, bon nombre de rappelés étant en mer ou ailleurs. C'est dire que les vrais professionnels ne manquèrent pas de mérites en formant en peu de temps des équipages qui rendirent des services et même accomplirent quelqu'exploit! La portée de notre propos

Notre propos n'est pas de retracer les tribulations des escadrilles du Corps de Marine de septembre 1939 à la mobilisation de 1940, ou d'évoquer les mouvements qui marquèrent la campagne du 10 au 28 mai, mais de mettre en relief les péripéties vécues au lendemain de la capitulation, lorsque l'opération «Dynamo», se poursuivait à Dunkerque. Elle ne prit fin que le 4 juin 1940 après que les Belges eurent leur part du légendaire rembarquement anglofrançais dirigé par les Amiraux Ramsey et Abrial. Le 3 juin en moins d'une demi heure, 234 hommes prirent place à bord du A. 5, 90 sur le Z.25 et plus de 200 sur le H. 75, et ce au prix d'un blessé le contre maître Hermie. L'A 5 et le Z. 25 regagnèrent Ramsgate, le H. 25, Douvres. Il reçut ensuite la mission de repécher les naufragés sur la route de Dunkerque en liaison avec le «Céronne». Il n'est pas sans intérêt de rappeler que l'opération «Dynamo» donna lieu à des solides algarades entre le Général anglais Alexander, commandant l'arrière garde britannique du corps expéditionnaire de lord Gord, et les Amiraux français Abrial et Platon. Pourquoi ? Dans la nuit du 1 er au 2 juin 1940, les derniers contingents britanniques et canadiens étant embarqués (± 235.000 hommes), le Général Alexander donna l'ordre de suspendre les embarquements alors qu'il y avait encore plus de 100.000 Français sur les plages! La marine française avait largement contribué - au prix de lourdes pertes - à la première phase de l'opération. (2 contre torpilleurs, 5 torpilleurs, 1 ravitailleur, 17 avisos, 29 vedettes) L'Amiral Abrial avisa sans délai le président du Conseil Paul Reynaud. L'indignation fut grande. Le Premier Ministre Winston Churchill fut immédiatement averti. Celui-ci se rendit compte de l'influence désastreuse sur l'opinion publique et les relations franco-britanniques (déjà tendues en raison du manque de collaboration suffisante de la RAF) qu'aurait la diffusion de la nouvelle de cette carence britannique. Ordre fut immédiatement donné de renvoyer toute l'armada pour embarquer les 110.000 Français de la 1ère armée du Général Blanchard. cela se fit le 3 juin. Le 4 à 10h.30 le Général Beaufrère, Commandant la 68me Dl française qui défendait tant bien que mal le périmètre défensif de la zone d'embarquement, se rendit à l'EtatMajor du Général von Kranz pour lui faire part de la reddition de la ville. Contribution du Corps de Marine Le 30 mai, à l'intervention du Naval College, le Corps de marine belge à Darthmouth reçoit un message de l'Amirauté venant de l'ambassade de Belgique à Londres, demandant combien de chalutiers sont en mesure de se rendre à Douvres. Ils devront : 1. donner l'assurance qu'ils travailleront sous les ordres du Naval Control ; 2. accepter volontairement de manoeuvrer sous le feu de l'ennemi. Le Major Decarpentrie est d'accord. Le Capitaine Aspeslagh de la Marine de l'Etat recensera les chalutiers. Il y a d'emblée des volontaires et des réticents. Quid des frais de l'expédition, des vivres, des combustibles à prendre, des responsabilités en cas d'accidents, de naufrage, de pertes humaines? L'ambassade de Belgique est mise au courant de la situation et délégue le Commandant Cumont et le Lt Baillet Latour. Ils arrivent en avion à Darthmouth pour préciser la situation. Des engagements sont confirmés. Les patrons et les schippers qui maintiennent leur refus sont consignés au Town Hall pour faciliter l'appareillage des volontaires. Les A.5-Z.25 appareillent à 2 h. du matin le 3 juin. Sous les bombes, ces bateaux embarquent respectivement à Dunkerque 234 et 90 hommes, tandis que plus de 200 hommes prennent place à bord du H.75. Un obus a éclaté près du A.5 tuant deux soldats français et blessant le Contre Maître Hermie. Hommes et blessés sont débarqués à Ramsgate et à Douvres. Retour en France Fin mai 1940 le Corps de Marine se réduisait à un EtatMajor, une escadrille d'unités navigantes, composée des précédentes escadrilles d'Ostende (du Capitaine Commandant de réserve van Strydonck) et d'Anvers (du Capitaine Commandant de réserve Delstanche, ce dernier se vit confier l'escadrille unifiée). Ainsi que nous venons de le voir au lendemain du 28 mai le Corps de Marine fut dirigé par l'amirauté britannique sur le port de Darthmouth. Les hommes de l'escadrille de renfort et

d'instruction furent envoyés à Temby où se retrouvaient les évadés de Belgique et notamment le Lt. du génie Smekens et ses hommes. Le 13 juin, la flottille belge quitta Dartmouth pour la France et Lorient où l'Amirauté française marqua son accord pour la création d'une base belge rattachée au 5me groupe de patrouilleurs de la Marine française... Mais ce ne fut là un hypothétique projet. L'avance foudroyante des panzers allemands chassant les hommes, les services et les navires d'un port à l'autre. Ce fut pour tous, un long chemin de croix entre-coupé de missions qui isolèrent un moment le Capitaine Commandant van Strijdonck. Il reçut des ordres directement du Ministre de la Défense Nationale, le chef de corps ne pouvant être atteint. L'A 6 amena à bon port (Caen) le Lt. GI Pouleur et son Etat-Major de la 2me circonscription (plus tard à St. Jean de Luz des marins mal inspirés sabotèrent le moteur pour n'avoir pas à poursuivre la route vers l'exil). Le A 4 avait êté chargé le 19 mai de plusieurs millards provenant de diverses banques à destination de Dieppe... via l'Angleterre» Lorient ayant été évacuée le 18 juin tandis que brûlaient les tanks à pétrole baignant la ville d'une fumée opaque, ce qui restait du Corps de marine dont les bateaux s'étaient égaillés comme un vol de gerfauts, fut dirigé sur le Verdon où il resta jusqu'au 24 juin. Le 24 juin 1940 là capitulation de l'armée française réalisée sous l'enseigne de la demande d'armistice, était consommée. La France était coupée en deux zônes. Celle du Nord où le poids de l'occupation allait se faire sentir, et la zône dite non occupée à l'exception de la bande côtière. A Toulon l'Amiral de la flotte comte de Laborde gardait son indépendance jusqu'au jour du sabordage, lorsque la dite zône était envahie (Débarquement des anglo-américains en Afrique du Nord.) Au moment où nos ministres ne savaient plus à quel saint se vouer, le 24.06.40 ce qui restait du corps de Marine partait pour Saint Jean de Luz; Eu égard à l'arrivée jugée imminente des Allemands, le Capitaine de Vaisseau Cazalis, commandant du front de mer, après avoir pris avis de l'Amiral commandant à Bordeaux avait donné le conseil de poursuivre vers l'Espagne. (Ce n'est que par après que le Major De Carpentrie, apprit que ce conseil répondait à la recommandation du ministre de la défense nationale le Lt. GI Denis). Le 25 juin le chef de corps et ses équipages fidèles, mirent le cap sur Bilbao où les six bateaux arrivèrent le 26 juin, dans un état peu brillant : fatigue extrème des hommes et du matériel harcelés depuis plus d'un mois, manque de vivres, d'eau douce et de combustible, avaries diverses dues à la vétusté du matériel, absence de cartes et compas déréglés par la remagnétisation. Le Corps interné en Espagne De la flottille initiale de 25 bateaux, six demeuraient fidèles à l'unité : le A 4-A 5-0 34-0 140-Z8 - TI. Le P. 16 à bord duquel se trouvait la comptabilité du Corps arrive à Lisbonne partit de là pour l'Angleterre ou l'ancien bateau pilote eut l'honneur de devenir le patrouilleur «HMS Kernot». Le moral des hommes était décevant. Ils n'avaient pas été payés depuis plusieurs semaines. Si d'aucuns estimaient en avoir assez fait le jour de la capitulation de l'armée belge; d'autres étaient d'avis que la coupe était pleine après l'armistice français. Le gouvernement Pierlot, qui commençait sa période d'errance en France, ne donnait aucune directive (on sait que les Ministres ne gagnèrent Londres qu'en octobre). L'Espagne franquiste ménageait à l'époque l'allié nazi, les marins belges furent envoyés au camp de Miranda où avaient séjourné les prisonniers républicains après la victoire du Général Franco. La situation y était épouvantable : mauvaise nourriture, vermine, locaux insalubres.. Le Chef du Corps de Marine, après avoir averti l'ambassade à Madrid, s'en ouvrit à plusieurs personnalités et notamment au Comte van der Burght. Il suggéra de prendra contact avec l'ambassade des Etats-Unis, pays encore non belligérant dont l'influence était grande. Le 3 novembre arriva le Prince de Mérode et le Général Hannart qui s'occupaient du rapatriement des soldats belges en France. Le 29 du même mois, le Second Maître Verbrengt mourut des suites des privations subies au camp. L'ambassade d'Allemagne fut intéressée au problème et le 13 décembre 1940 la commission d'armistice de Wiesbaden par la voie de Mr Emile Dubois, consul de Belgique à Bilbao apporta la bonne nouvelle. Les équipages étaient autorisés à rentrer. L'organisation du retour prit

encore plusieurs semaines. Ce n'est que le 24 février 1941 que le départ eut lieu. Seule une minorité de prisonniers n'entendait pas partir, tandis que les Lieutenants Mas-sart, Jadot, Van Vaerenberg et Premier Maître Doutrepont, étaient désignés pour la mission de gardiennage. Une branche du Corps qui sous la dénomination Front Ouest et le commandement du Capt. Cdt Van Strydonck opéra indépendamment au départ de la Rochelle. Les chalutiers 0.348 et 0.140 sous le commandement du Lt. Duchène prirent cependant la direction du Verdon. Sanction et récompenses Le Major Decarpentrie, dans son rapport final au Ministre de la Défense Nationale, demanda des sanctions a l'égard d'un Maître de 2me Classe et quatre Second Maîtres (que nous ne nommerons pas) pour n'avoir pas accompagné leurs bateaux au départ de Saint Jean de Luz et, par leur mauvais exemple ayant entrainé un certain nombre de Quartiers Maîtres et 4 matelots à ne pas suivre leurs officiers en Espagne sous le prétexte qu'un armistice était signé. Par ailleurs le chef de corps proposa pour une distinction honorifique les officiers Jacques Delstanche, Jean Seron, Jean d'Hauwer et les sous officiers René Van den Broeck, Robert Willems, Ernest Rascar, Gaston Hermis et le matelot Gryspeerd, blessé lors d'une patrouille.

Inséré le 17 mars 2013 BZB NIEUWS Enlevé le 17 avril 2013

De BZB steunt het s.y. SIRMA project. Zowat een 30tal studenten van het “HZS Sailing Team” waren woensdagnamiddag 13 maart 2013 te gast aan boord van de barkentijn “MARJORIE II” dat afgemeerd lag aan de Napoleonkaai – Willemdok in Antwerpen. Het was de bedoeling het team de gelegenheid te geven de s.y. “ SYRMA” (Swan 45 klasse) te bezoeken die langzij afgemeerd lag. De HZS werkt thans samen met de RYCB en de eigenaars van de “s.y. SIRMA” aan een project dat aan studenten van de HZS de kans wil bieden om onder de begeleiding van ervaren schippers praktische zeilervaring op te doen. Tevens wil dit initiatief de studenten vertrouwd maken met enkele basisregels bij het uitreden van een vaartuig zoals bevoorrading en brandstof voorzieningen, nautische en veiligheidsuitrusting voor de geplande zeiltocht, kostenbeheersing enz. Een deelname aan een van de aanstaande “Tall Ships’ Race” behoort tot de mogelijkheden. Dit project wordt mede ondersteund door de Belgische Zeevaartbond vzw. De bijgaande foto’s geven een beeld van de sfeer die aan boord van de s.y. SIRMA en de barkentijn “MARJORIE II” heerste.

La LMB soutient le projet s.y. SIRMA. Une trentaine d’étudiants du « Sailing Team ESNA » se sont retrouvés mercredi après-midi le 13 mars 2013 à la faveur d’une petite réception à bord de la barquentine « MARJORIE II » amarrée au quai Napoléon du bassin Willem à Anvers. Le but de cette rencontre était de visiter le « s.y. SIRMA » qui était venu s’amarré à son bord. L’ESNA travaille actuellement de concert avec le RYCB et les propriétaires du « s.y. SIRMA » à un projet qui cherche à donner aux étudiants de l’ESNA l’occasion d’acquérir sous la conduite de skippers amarinés une expérience pratique de la navigation à la voile. En même temps ce projet vise à les familiariser aux règles de base pour armer correctement un navire notamment l’approvisionnement en combustible et victuailles, l’équipement nautique et de sécurité en fonction du voyage envisagé, la gestion des coûts etc. La participation à l’ une des régates de la « Tall Ships’ Race » pourrait même être envisagée. Ce projet jouit du soutien de la Ligue Maritime Belge asbl. Les photos ci-jointes donnent un aperçu de l’ambiance qui régnait à bord du « s.y. SIRMA » et de la barquentine « MARJORIE II ».

Inséré le 18 mars 2013

OPEN FORUM

Enlevé le 18 avril 2013

Piracy protection: A reality check By Helen Jauregui While a drop in the number of Somali piracy attacks during the first half of 2012 may have raised the spirits of ship owners somewhat, risk consultancy experts have brought the industry back to reality, claiming this reduction is due to successful counter-piracy measures, including the use of armed guards, and should not be cause for any premature celebrations. According to The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), 177 global incidents of piracy were reported in the first six months of 2012, compared to 266 during the same period in 2011, representing a 33% reduction. However, the IMB’s figures for West Africa suggest a dramatic rise in piracy attacks off local shores.

Tom Patterson, Manager of Maritime Information Services at Control Risks, a global business risk consultancy, said: “The latest figures published by the IMB come as no surprise. Somali piracy has had a disproportionate effect on global figures for several years and the reduction does not reflect a genuine improvement globally but rather a downturn in one area of the world.” As the piracy problem shows no genuine signs of abatement, ship owners must dig deep to fund antipiracy protection measures, in addition to their usual financial commitments towards regulatory compliance, particularly where the environment is concerned — but to what extent are financial stresses being suffered when attempting to counter the loss of crew and earnings which can result from a piracy attack? According to Eric Conway, Managing Director, Protection Vessels International (PVI), when selecting vessels, understanding how a shipping company approaches piracy is playing an increasingly pivotal role in which ship a charterer will choose: “The facts presented to companies suggest that utilising Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) is good for business when all the opportunity costs are weighed-up against ‘business as usual’. “Perhaps the most readily publicised benefit is the savings achieved through improved premiums provided to shipowners with PCASP when taking up Kidnap and Ransom (K&R) insurance. Many

owners and operators might conclude that taking up K&R insurance is superfluous, and that their Hull and Maintenance (H&M) or War Risk (WR) insurance will sufficiently cover the owner/operator for payment of ransom if their vessel is hijacked. “However, if piracy is covered within the H&M policy, this will in all probability only cover hull damage as the result of piracy and not the payment of ransom. WR underwriters, for their part, may say privately that they cover ransom payments, but this is at best likely to be discretionary; not something that one would accept when insuring their house or car, for example.” He added that WR policies are unlikely to cover expenses such as negotiator fees, crew earnings, underwriter advisors expenses, bunker fuel used during the period of capture, and legal liability costs. Although details such as vessel speed and protection (such as razor wire) might influence final insurance premiums, Mr Conway said armed guards have proven to deter even the most determined pirates and the provision of PCASP will determine notable cost savings: “A director for London-based maritime insurance broker Seacurus recently cited the significant savings now being offered on K&R insurance to vessel’s carrying PCASP. If a vessel carries four armed guards, then K&R insurance rates fall from about $15,000 to $4,500 for a tanker in single transit, or from $28,000 to $11,200 for a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). However the cost savings gained from utilising PCASP should not be taken in isolation, but as part of a holistic appraisal.” In the Economic Cost of Somalian Piracy, published in 2011 by One Earth Future and compiled by maritime industry experts, it was confirmed that no vessel sailing at over 18 knots had been hijacked but that the extra cost of increased speeds for containerships alone is around $2.7 billion. Mr Conway confirmed that although the economic argument for ultra-slow steaming makes sense on many levels, PVI would advise vessel owners and charterers that vessels should move at a faster rate than eight knots. “All of our operatives are experienced former Royal Marines with maritime experience. We understand there are commercial imperatives that can override security concerns, which is why we recommend that not only is the cost of hiring a PCASP factored into insurance and fuel cost calculations when navigating high risk areas, but also the standard of PCASP recruited,” he added. When scrutinising the costs of hiring PCASP, the economic impact of piracy on shipping can perhaps most keenly be seen when considering vessels that avoid waters off Somalia by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. According to the Economic Cost of Somalian Piracy, 10% of vessels that would typically transit through the Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal, reroute to avoid piracy around the Cape of Good Hope, adding an extra 10-20 days to the average voyage time, depending on the route and vessel type. Using this report as a guide, PVI has assessed that for a VLCC, when taking into account extra fuel burning and extra rates which must be paid for a 10-day reroute, this could amount to in excess of $1.2 million in extra costs for the charterer, prior to any additional costs for crewing, insurance etcetera. Though the economic argument for employing armed guards onboard is compelling, some corners of industry continue to argue that the presence of PCASPs onboard can be counterproductive in exacerbating violence. Tom Brind, Operations Manager, Solace Global Maritime, said this is unlikely, particularly considering that professional guards will always fire a series of warning shots which, for his company’s own guards, has always succeeded in diffusing the situation with the pirates retreating. “No vessel with an armed security team onboard has ever been taken by pirates and that speaks volumes in terms of statistics,” Mr Brind said. He added that although ripples of excitement have been felt across industry following the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) strikes on a Somali pirate logistical base, he does not believe this represents a sea change in solving the piracy problem: “Many optimists would think that as operations on land are happening, this could be the end of piracy, but I’m not sure I can agree. I think we are containing piracy in the high risk areas of the Indian Ocean but I don’t believe the situation will get dramatically

worse or better within the next 12 months, though I do think we will see a marked change in this period regarding how shipping operations are conducted off the coast of West Africa.” A difference in objectives between piracy operations on the east and west coasts has led to wildly different tactics and according to Mr Brind, west coast pirates show a more obvious lack of respect for human life. “On the west coast, violence is much more part of their ammo. Unfortunately, west coast piracy adheres to a different business model — on the east coast it is important to them that the vessel and the crew which they are holding to ransom are returned relatively unscathed. On the west coast, they are more interested in stealing the cargo, which is generally fuel, and what happens to the vessel and the crew is of little consequence to them. Pirates on the west coast tend to use violence as a tool to get what they want, which is the cargo, but if people are injured or the vessel is damaged, that doesn’t matter to them.” Mr Patterson from Control Risks agreed: “Piracy in West Africa has not attracted the same level of international attention as East Africa in recent years, primarily due to under-reporting and the fact that the crime takes many different forms in that area, not purely hijacking for ransom, but the problem is no less critical. Attacks are violent and the threat to crew safety is significant.” When asked about the problem of a lack of public awareness of the piracy problem, Mr Brind, who is an ex-army officer, acknowledged that although around seven vessels are being held off the Somali coast, this news hasn’t featured heavily on the global stage yet, whereas if it was aircraft at Heathrow, it would be on every news channel in the world. However, he added that, particularly where terrorism is concerned, a lack of mainstream press coverage could keep shipping safer: “While I understand it is frustrating, I can also see why, in a way, it could be an advantage. Shipping has been able to conduct itself in a relatively discreet way. It may not benefit from the high profile enjoyed by the airlines but neither has it been subject to shoe bombers and the raft of terrorist attacks that high profile airlines have endured. Somali piracy could act as a billboard to unsavoury organisations around the world in highlighting some of the vulnerabilities of shipping. Personally, I think we should be alert to the idea that today the threat is Somali pirates whereas tomorrow, the threat could come from a number of other directions.” Describing how he believes the piracy situation will alter over the coming year, Thomas Jakobsson, Chief of Operations at Sea Marshals, a Cardiff-based maritime security company, said the tactics seen in West Africa will continue to influence the actions of pirates elsewhere: “We will see less of the absolutely wild attacks in small skiffs which have been occurring closer to India. In the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman, it will most likely get slightly more violent as they will upgrade to better and heavier weapons. We’ve seen a spread to the West Coast with more violent piracy, and I think this may unfortunately spread over to the east coast as well. They might not try to hijack vessels and ask for ridiculous ransoms as usual, but try a different tactic instead — we may be looking at normal robbery and murder for property, possessions, cash and valuables.” He added that there may be a shift to the kidnapping of persons rather than vessels — noting how it’s much easier to disappear in a small boat with one or two kidnap victims than it is to disappear with a 200,000teu oil tanker. “We have seen the kidnapping of people on the west coast of Africa. Also, in the Strait of Malacca, they jump onboard to steal cash and valuables, such as DVD players and mobile phones, stealing directly from the crew and I think this will probably increase slightly on the east coast of Africa as well. I believe we may see less incidences where the intention is to hold the entire vessel to ransom.” However, when asked if he believes piracy is spiraling out of control, Mr Jakobsson said he doesn’t agree the problem is growing at any great rate: “We are seeing fewer attacks than we did before and overall, fewer successful hijackings. The vessels that have been hijacked in the last five to six months were mostly unprotected small wooden fishing boats or small wooden cargo ships transporting local goods, which are often hijacked with the intention of being used as mother ships.”

Confirming that no vessel with armed guards onboard has ever been hijacked, Mr Jakobsson said that as armed guards are now so commonly used onboard, pirates are finding it difficult to succeed and so, are finding it harder to finance their missions. “If you remove the armed guards, you’ll be back to square one again with successful attacks and happy pirates,” he warned. Though many maritime professionals have argued that naval forces should assist in combating piracy, the question of who should fund such operations is a contentious topic and as Mr Jakobsson argued, the cost of this should not be borne by the tax payer, or by ship owners who don’t operate in areas affected by piracy: “If your government sends naval forces in to protect ships in the area, that funding comes from the tax payer. I see it the same way as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) or the International Safety Management (ISM) Code — these costs are to protect the vessel, seafarers and cargo and are the responsibility of the charterer who moves the goods. “It should be the same with security, as it is for the goods, for the vessel and for the seafarers working onboard — it should be carried by the cost of the goods being moved, not by a taxpayer who may not even have an interest in those goods. If you argue that the protection of vessels from piracy should be covered by taxpayers, then so should SOLAS, the ISM Code, the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) etcetera. By that argument, why shouldn’t the insurance on trucks carrying goods by road also be borne by taxpayers?” Anthony Rix, a retired Rear Admiral who specialised in maritime security for the last eight years of his service career, now works as Head of Maritime Security at Salamanca Risk Management — a firm with oil, gas and shipping clients off the east and west coasts of Africa. Commenting on the use of naval forces in combating piracy, Mr Rix said: “We need to understand there isn’t a bottomless pit of military resources and the navies are stretched. I’m sure EU NAVFOR would like more forces. The Indian Ocean is a vast space — it’s about 2,000 miles from Djibouti across to Sri Lanka and even if navies were larger I still think they wouldn’t be able to secure the area from pirates. Therefore, there is a gap — there’s where the private maritime security companies come in and I have no difficulty with that at all, so long as we have appropriate regulations and quality control.” Mr Rix said he believes the “right” solution to end piracy must come from effective best management practices (BMPs): “A shipping company must decide if it really has to go through a high risk area — if you can avoid going through there, you’re much better off doing that, but quite often commercial pressures require ships to go through. Around 65,000 ships traverse the risk area every year and I’m sure they’ve worked out they have no other option and have to go through there. “Effective implementation of counter-piracy measures and BMPs is essential. Vessels must ensure they have all the correct physical protection, such as razor wire, high pressure hoses and a citadel — and only then should the use of armed guards be considered. Armed guards are not the silver bullet, so to speak — you need to have all these other layers in place. Nevertheless, armed guards are acknowledged by the International Maritime Bureau as being very much part of the solution — but only if they are properly licensed and fully trained with quality systems in place.” On the subject of finding solutions to piracy on the ground, Mr Rix added that the capacity for nations to prosecute pirates should be improved as a catch and release approach does little but perpetuate the problem. He also said the presence of a properly functioning coastguard off Somalia could assist in protecting fishing areas and encourage ex-fishermen pirates to return to their previous vocation, but the proper law and order required for such an initiative is simply non-existent at this time. Though Mr Rix spoke positively about international involvement in combating piracy, he warned against believing one single initiative can solve the piracy problem and concluded: “There are initiatives such as the regeneration of the Somali fisheries in order to provide alternative employment for pirates — these are to be welcomed. But there’s no one thing that’s going to provide a cure for piracy at the moment.”

■ Shipmanagement


LOGBOEK NEWS Enlevé le 20 avril 2013

Crew costs the main factor as operating costs rise again International accountant and shipping consultant Moore Stephens says total annual operating costs in the shipping industry increased by an average 2.1 per cent in 2011. This compares with the 2.2 per cent average rise in costs recorded for the previous year. Crew costs were the main reason for the overall increase in 2011, while the cost of insurance fell for the second year in succession. The findings are set out in OpCost 2012, Moore Stephens’ unique ship operating costs benchmarking tool, which reveals that total operating costs for the three main tonnage sectors covered – bulkers, tankers and container ships – were all up in 2011, the financial year covered by the survey. Both the bulker and tanker indices increased by 3 index points (or 1.7 per cent) on a year-on-year basis, while the container ship index (with a 2002 base year, as opposed to 2000 for the other two vessel classes) was up 5 index points, or 3.1 per cent. The corresponding figures in last year’s OpCost report showed increases in the bulker, tanker and container ship indices of 5, 2 and 3 points respectively. There was a 3.3 per cent overall increase in 2011 crew costs compared to the 2010 figure. (By way of comparison, the 2008 report revealed a 21 per cent increase in this category). Tankers overall experienced increases in crew costs of 2.2 per cent on average, compared to 2.7 per cent in 2010. Within the tanker sector, Suezmaxes reported an overall increase of 3.4 per cent, while for operators of LPG carriers of between 3,000 and 8,000 cbm the crew bill was up by 6.7 per cent. For bulkers, meanwhile, the overall increase in crew costs was 2.8 per cent, compared to 4.0 per cent the previous year, with the operators of Panamax bulkers paying 5.4 per cent more than in 2010. For container ships, the increased spend on crew averaged 3.4 per cent (as opposed to 2.9 per cent in 2010), with smaller vessels (up to 1,000 teu) paying 3.9 per cent more than last year. Operators of larger dry cargo ships (above 25,000 dwt) and of smaller LPG carriers (between 3,000 and 8,000 cbm), however, experienced the biggest increase in crew expenditure – 6.7 per cent in each case. For repairs and maintenance, there was an overall fall in costs of 1.1 per cent, compared to the 4.5 per cent increase recorded for 2010. The only category of tonnage to show an increase here was container ships, where repairs and maintenance costs were up by 3.7 per cent. There was no overall increase in these costs in the tanker sector, and a 1.9 per cent fall in such expenditure for bulkers. Handysize and Handymax were the only bulker types to spend more on repairs and maintenance in 2011, and Handysize product tankers were alone among tankers in this respect. But in the container ship sector the bigger vessels (between 2,000 and 6,000 teu) spent 4.4 per cent more on repairs and maintenance. Container ships up to 1,000 teu, meanwhile, spent 3.2 per cent more, and the increased repairs and maintenance expenditure for box ships between 1,000 and 2,000 teu was 1.5 per cent. After two successive years of declining expenditure on stores, OpCost this time revealed a 2.7 per cent increase in the level of such spending. Some of the biggest increases in this regard were witnessed in the tanker sector where Suezmaxes, for example, spent 5.5 per cent more on stores than in the previous year, and Aframaxes 5.4 per cent more. Panamaxes, where the stores spend was down by 2.4 per cent, were the only category of tanker to show black ink in this regard. And there was no black ink at all for stores in the gas market, with operators of LPG carriers of between 70,000 and 85,000 cbm paying 6.5 per cent more compared to 2010. Expenditure on insurance dipped overall by 1.5 per cent, this following a 4.7 per cent fall in 2010. The insurance spend was down for bulkers and tankers overall by 4.5 and 3.4 per cent respectively. Indeed, all categories of bulkers and tankers paid less for their insurance than they did in 2010. For container ships, though, it was more

of a mixed picture. Whereas the larger box ships paid 0.7 per cent less for their insurance in 2011, operators of smaller container ships paid 3.5 per cent more. Moore Stephens partner Richard Greiner says: “OpCost 2012 contains both good and bad news for the shipping industry. The bad news is that costs continue to rise. The good news is that costs are not rising as fast, or as steeply, as they were three or four years ago, and are in fact pretty much in line with predictions. “Once again, it was an increase in crew costs which was the headline figure for the industry in 2011. The average overall increase in crew costs was in fact marginally down on the figure for 2010. This may be a reflection of the economic climate, and a consequence of more companies going out of business and more ships going into lay-up. But while crew costs remain the single biggest contributor to higher operating costs, they are still modest in comparison to some of the hefty increases posted in earlier years. Investing in good people is a must for the shipping industry, and will justify the price tag in the long term. “There was a fall of just over one per cent in repairs and maintenance expenditure, this despite continuing increases in the cost of labour and raw materials. Again, this may be a direct result of the economic downturn, which shipping hasweathered better than many other industries. But nevertheless there has been reduced activity, a number of victims, and significant pressure on spending in many of those companies that have survived. “Spending on stores was up in 2011. This is no surprise since the category includes the likes of lube oils, the price of which continued to rise throughout 2011 along with the price of crude oil. New technology in lube manufacture promises to make ships more environmentally friendly, and more efficient, but that will come at greater financial cost. “Insurance costs were down again, which is not a surprise but an anomaly, given the economic climate and the pure underwriting figures for recent years. In a classic underwriting market undistorted by rampant competition, rates would be going up. As it is, with very few exceptions, they are going down. One of those exceptions can be found in the container ship sector, where a 3.5 per cent increase in insurance costs for smaller box ships compares to an 0.7 per cent fall in costs for the biggest vessels. This would suggest that the age of the ship remains a greater concern for underwriters than its size, which is nothing new. “The global economic outlook remains uncertain. Confidence in the shipping industry, while fragile, has held up remarkably well given the financial and political difficulties of recent years. Shipping will not welcome an increase in operating costs. But there should be some solace to be had from confirmation that the increases are more or less in line with predictions. In shipping, as elsewhere, it is easier in difficult times to plan for a probability than for an unexpected contingency. And better analysis and risk management makes an unexpected contingency less likely.” Source : Moore Stephens LLP


LOGBOEK NEWS Enlevé le 22 avril 2013

2015 sulphur targets for shipping could increase emissions and cause job losses, AMEC claims A new report, published today by AMEC, provider of consultancy, engineering and project management services to the energy markets, shows the targets for shipping companies to reduce their sulphur emissions by 2015 could cause adverse environmental effects, including a loss of 2,000 maritime services jobs, while placing many more

industrial jobs under threat. The report is the first of its kind to examine the full impact of hitting sulphur targets. The report, commissioned by the UK Chamber of Shipping, on behalf of several North Sea and Western Channel shipping operators, provides evidence on the impact of reducing sulphur from ships’ emissions before the current deadline of 2015. The report shows the key impacts of hitting the 2015 sulphur reduction targets would be: 

Much more freight moved by road, rather than sea – increasing carbon emissions and causing more road congestion

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Up to 2,000 jobs put at risk in maritime engineering, navigation, catering, customer services, and other areas

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An increase of 2.8p per litre for the cost of road diesel

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Significant increases (up to 29% in some cases) in the cost of passenger and container route ticket prices.

The UK Chamber and the shipping operators who commissioned the report agree there is a clear and unequivocal need to reduce sulphur emissions from shipping for both environmental and health reasons. However, they claim the speed at which shipping operators would be required to meet reduction targets, at huge cost, without sufficient technology in place to support the changes, along with the failure to date for these targets to take account of the overall need to reduce carbon emissions has been causing ship operators great concern for some time. This report is the first of its kind to examine the full picture of the effects of the 2015 sulphur reduction targets. The root of problem, claims AMEC, comes in the cost – financial and environmental – of lowsulphur fuel. Ships have three options: 1. Use low sulphur fuel – which would cost at least $300 per tonne more than the current heavy fuel oil 2. Fit a sulphur ‘scrubber’ to their ships – the report states that this technology to reduce sulphur from heavy fuel oil on board the ship itself is not yet sufficiently proven for ship owners to fit them with confidence before the 2015 targets 3. Use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel – feasible for new build ships but not appropriate for most of the existing UK fleet. The cost of the meeting the 2015 target – financial and employment For those that cannot yet use LNG, or are not willing to invest in as-yet unproven scrubber technology, the impact of the low sulphur fuel cost is huge, according to AMEC, which claims that to cope with the major increase, operators of sea routes around the UK would need to increase ticket prices – by up to 20% for passengers and up to 29% for freight. It is claimed this will threaten the viability of some routes, forcing them to reduce or even shut down altogether and in turn, threatening more than 2,000 jobs – related to those routes – in the UK and Europe in maritime engineering, navigation, catering, customer services, cleaning and administration. If vital trade routes are closed, the impact would be felt throughout the manufacturing sectors too as the cost of moving goods will increase – making the UK a less competitive and more expensive place to base internationally owned businesses, according to AMEC. The cost of the meeting the 2015 target – environmental the report also claims increased ticket prices for sea passage in turn could lead to a significant shift in the way freight is transported – a move to shorter sea passage and increased transport by road. Shipping is the lowest carbon form of mass transport, so a shift to greater road freight also has an environmental cost in terms of increased carbon emissions. Similarly, AMEC has stated that both the refining process needed to create low sulphur fuel and the power needed to run onboard sulphur scrubbers have their own cost in terms of carbon emissions.

David Balston, Director of Safety and Environment at the UK Chamber of Shipping, said: “We fully support the need to reduce sulphur emissions from ships – but we are particularly concerned that many routes will become non viable and for those vessels operating on them we seek transitional arrangements, including very tight time limited exemptions to allow technology to catch up and provide a realistic alternative. “We must protect our maritime jobs and the environment – this report shows these regulations do neither. The wider impact is hard to quantify – but these regulations will make the UK less competitive, making us a less attractive country for international investors – at the worst possible time for the UK economy.”


OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 24 avril 2013

Uitlaatgas wassen met water Scrubben helpt ! Vanaf 1 januari 2015 mag er in ECAgebieden nog maar een zeer kleine hoeveelheid zwavel worden uitgestoten. Dat betekent duur bunkeren ófop zoek gaan naar alternatieven zoals LNG. Maar uitlaatgas kan ook worden nabehandeld in een uitlaatgaswasinstallatie. Een dergelijk apparaat wordt een scrubber genoemd. © Paul Steenhoff Wie denkt dat 'scrubben', het wassen van uitlaatgas, een nieuwe technologie is, heeft het mis. "We passen deze techniek al ruim veertig jaar toe", zegt Peter Zoeteman, managing director Inert Gas & Exhaust Gas Cleaning van Alfa Laval Aalborg Industries Nijmegen. "Bij tankers die gevuld zijn met olieproducten, ontstaan tijdens het lossen explosieve gassen. Om explosies te voorkomen wordt inert gas (zuurstofarm gas, red.) toegevoegd. Dit zuurstofarme gas is eigenlijk gereinigd uitlaatgas van de motor. Om deze gassen te reinigen, passen we een scrubber toe. Door een relatief eenvoudige aanpassing van Biproces, kunnen we ook de zwavel uit de uitlaatgas sen wassen. Het is dus geen nieuwe technologie maar een nieuwe toepassing van een al bestaand techniek." SCRUBTECHNIEK Bij Alfa Laval Aalborg Industries worden dergelijke installaties overigens geen scrubbers genoemc maar Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems, afgekort tot EGC. Volgens Zoeteman kan een EGC tot 98 pro cent van de uitgestoten zwavel afvangen waardoor een schip ruimschoots kan voldoen aan de eisen

van de International Maritime Organisation (IMO). In ECA-gebieden mag namelijk vanaf I januari 2015 alleen gevaren worden op brandstof met een zwavelpercentage van minder dan 0,1 procent en in 2020 moet dit zelfs zakken naar 0,5 procent wereldwijd. Deze IMO-eisen zijn beter bekend als 'MARPOL Annex VI'. Aan deze eisen mag worden voldaan door het bunkeren van laagzwavelige brandstof, maar hetzelfde resultaat mag ook worden behaald met de zogenoemde nageschakelde technieken zoals een scrubber. Vandaar dat scrubben nu de nodige aandacht heeft. Bij scrubben wordt zeewater onder een druk van 1,5 bar via injectoren - nozzels genoemd - verneveld in de uitlaatgassen van de motor. Dit gebeurt in een speciaal daarvoor gebouwde toren. Het in het uitlaatgas aanwezige zwaveldioxidegas reageert daarbij met de in het zeewater voorkomende zouten. Uiteindelijk wordt zwaveldioxide zo omgezet in sulfaat in opgeloste vorm. Deze sulfaten mogen worden geloosd omdat ze van nature al in grote hoeveelheden voorkomen in het zeewater. "Dit is volledig door IMO onderkend en geaccepteerd", zegt Zoeteman. Volgens Zoeteman weet het systeem ook 6o tot 8o procent van het fijnstof uit de uitlaatgassen te halen. Het water uit de scrubber wordt gereinigd en dit water kan vervolgens naar zee worden gepompt. De sludge (de verzamelde verontreinigingen, red.) wordt verzameld in een tank en wordt aan land verder verwerkt.

NAT EN DROOG "Het systeem kan ook gesloten werken aangezien sommige rederijen niet wensen dat er ook maar iets overboord wordt gepompt. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan cruiseschepen die in een fjord varen of schepen die in de haven liggen", zegt Zoeteman. In plaats van de geschetste open circulatie met zeewater, wordt er dan overgeschakeld op een gesloten circulatie waarbij geen zeewater wordt gebruikt maar zoetwater. Aan het zoetwater wordt wel natriumhydroxide toegevoegd om dezelfde chemische reactie te krijgen als bij de toepassing met zoutwater. Ook hier wordt het water na het scrubbing-proces gereinigd, waarbij vaste deeltjes, voornamelijk roet en fijnstof, worden verwijderd en in de sludgetank terechtkomen. Vanwege het feit dat het een gesloten systeem is, is ook een koelinstallatie toegevoegd die ervoor zorgt dat de temperatuur van het proceswater niet te ver oploopt. Bovenstaand proces is het nat scrubben. Er kan echter ook droog worden gescrubd laat Agentschap.nl weten, het agentschap van het ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en

Innovatie. Bij droog scrubben worden de rookgassen niet met zeewater gewassen, maar door een granulaat van kalk geleid, waarbij het zwaveldioxide zich bindt tot gips. Uiteraard is gips een stuk eenvoudiger te verwerken dan de sludge die ontstaat bij nat scrubben. Een proefproject met deze droge variant van ontzwaveling vindt momenteel plaats op het schip de `Timbus', een onder Duitse vlag varend vrachtschip uit 1999, meldt Agentschap.nl. TERUGVERDIENTIJD Scrubbers zijn omvangrijke installaties die ten koste gaan van de laadcapaciteit van het schip. Als we als voorbeeld een motor nemen van 24 MW, dan moet rekening gehouden worden met een scrubber met een diameter van 4,9 meter, een hoogte van 10,4 meter en een gewicht van 28 ton. Bij retrofit ontstaan zo hoge kosten voor het inbouwen omdat bijvoorbeeld dekken en schoorstenen moeten worden opengewerkt. Zoeteman: "Daarom is het goedkoper een scrubber direct bij nieuwbouw aan te brengen. Dan moet men rekening houden met een totale investering van ongeveer 3 miljoen euro. Spreken we over retrofit dan komt daar zeker een half miljoen euro bij." Enorme bedragen waar reders in deze toch moeilijke markt ongetwijfeld niet op zitten te wachten. Volgens Zoeteman kan de installatie echter binnen een jaar worden terugverdiend door het verschil in brandstofprijs. "Met het huidige prijsverschil tussen Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) en het laagzwavelige Marine Gas Oil (MGO) is de investering in een scrubber snel terugverdiend. Op dit moment bedraagt het prijsverschil tussen een ton HFO en een ton MGO ruim 32o dollar. Bovendien voldoe je met een scrubber aan de MARPOL Annex VI." TESTRESULTATEN Alfa Laval Aalborg Industries heeft vanaf mei 2010 proefgedraaid met de grootste scrubber tot nu toe gebouwd. Het apparaat werd geplaatst op het roro-schip `Tor Ficaria' die in 2006 werd gebouwd, bijna 200 meter lang is, 26,5 meter breed en is uitgerust met een 21 MW Man Diesel. De testresultaten over drieduizend draaiuren laten zien dat zwavelemissie onder de 0,1 procent ligt als er op HFO wordt gevaren. Natuurlijk is Alfa Laval Aalborg Industries niet de enige in Europa die zich bezighoudt met het ontwerpen en produceren van scrubbers. Ook Hamworthy in Denemarken en Wärtsilä in Finland timmeren hard aan de weg en hebben ook enkele succesvolle tests achter de rug volgens eigen zeggen. Zoeteman: "Er is veel interesse vanuit de cruisemarkt en shortsea shipping. Ik voorzie een grote vraag naar scrubbers naarmate 2015 dichterbij komt. Waarschijnlijk wordt het dan dringen."


OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 26 avril 2013

Cross-cultural competency through education and training by Jim Parsons, academic director, School of Maritime Studies,Marine Institute,Memorial University,Newfoundland, Canada In an effort to address the omnipresent reality of cultural and national diversities in the maritime workforce, as well as the current status and trends regarding cross-cultural training in maritime education and development of training systems, this research methodology involved: 

a review of international regulatory guidelines specific to cross-cultural competence

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an analysis of shipping companies' websites' content regarding the implications of career opportunities to the relative need for cross-cultural competency of future maritime professionals

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a curriculum analysis survey regarding the state of cross-cultural education a roundtable discussion that took place at a Maritime Human Resources Conference organised by the Company of Master Mariners of Canada (Marine Institute, St John's, Newfoundland) and

feedback from minisurvey of attendees at two conferences (the Annual General Assembly in Busan, Korea, and the International Maritime English Conference in Alexandria, Egypt) 

a field survey comprising six focus groups, i.e., three at the Marine Institute (MI), two at Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and one at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU).

The literature review among licensure documents, maritime labour-related regulations and other accepted industry documents showed that currently no maritime international regulatory body specifically requires cross-cultural skills for current and future maritime professionals. However, there is a strong interrelationship between the level of quality of offered services by a ship operator, and the concern on cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, interpersonal, diversity and negotiating skills. None of the IAMU member institutions that responded to the curriculum analysis (47 per cent) identified courses entitled Cross-cultural competency. The findings clearly showed that there are numerous courses which may address culture's effects, and cross-cultural and national diversity. However, this is not to say that this constitutes training. Rather this is mostly passive learning. The websites and career-links analysis revealed that almost half of the companies' sampled - shipowners, managers and operators - show that cross-cultural competency appears to be a human resources' competitive advantage over the long term, a finding that has significant implications for maritime training and professional development over the long term. Roundtable attendees unanimously supported the idea that cross-cultural competency was essential to the 'arsenal', so to speak, of maritime professionals. As for the conference participants, a minisurvey showed that 97 per cent supported the idea that development of cross-cultural competency for present and future maritime professionals is important, if not vital. Convenience samples assembled for focus groups 1 and 2 at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine, USA, supported the idea that cross-cultural competency should be integrated throughout the curriculum, to varied extents, and not just for the licensed programmes. There was no support for a single course dedicated to cross-cultural competency training for maritime professionals. Rather, both FG1 and FG2 supported an infusion of cross-cultural competency across the curriculum and to varying extents. Even if existing courses are factored into cross-cultural competency in their existing form or adapted through collaboration, the need for an "international perspective" regarding the issue of cross-cultural competency was emphasised. Both FG1 and 2 stressed the importance of stereotyping avoidance and authoritative country expertise. Training needs identified included, but were not limited to, attention to education content pieces such as protocols for interaction and decision making, education about stereotyping and stereotyping avoidance, gender roles, crosscultural perceptions of gender roles, reporting relationships, world religions, dietary practices, culture's influence on teamwork and social interaction processes, job roles and perceptions of personal space. Challenges to implementation might be mitigated through partnerships with private sector and notfor-profit agencies with diverse cultural and national constituencies and workforces. Convenience samples assembled for focus groups 1, 2 and 3 at the Marine Institute in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, supported the idea that cross-cultural competency should be integrated throughout the curriculum in a staged and phased approach. The training needs to be offered to everyone, should be commenced early and continued throughout the professional progression and development of the individual. The topic of cross-cultural competency was generally considered to be very broad and diverse, and consequently was not considered suited for delivery in a standalone, single-course offering. Another consensus among the three groups was the need for highly skilled, experienced and qualified resources for the delivery of training. It was also noted that the measurement or evaluation of cross-cultural competency will be a significant challenge given the global complexity of the topic. Unless the students can experience cultural diversity, it will be difficult for the student to truly understand cross-cultural differences and to remain cross-culturally competent. The same will

be true for a faculty tasked with the development and provision of the training. How will they stay current when physically stationed in a maritime university? Finally in the focus group at the JBLFMU show in the Philippines participants generally agreed that there is a significant need for cross-cultural training and skills among present and aspiring seafarers. Cross-cultural working environments are unavoidable for those who are and will be in the seafaring profession. Therefore cross-cultural competency was deemed to be extremely necessary, as it ultimately optimises seafarers' efficiency, effectiveness and productiveness in the practice of their profession. Further, there was consensus that this research on cross-cultural competency could potentially pave the way to alleviate social discrimination among seafarers and other maritime personnel, as well as create mutual understanding among the crew and officers on the sailing vessel. This is not to say that there are not challenges to be faced in the provisional of cross-cultural training to seafarers. IFSMA

Inséré le 28 mars 13 HISTORIEK HISTORIQUE Enlevé le 28 avril 13

Bruges: Le port et la guerre (partie 2) Dans la partie amont, les destructions se limitaient généralement au caniveau ; dans la partie aval, elles atteignaient le niveau des caissons qui forment les fondations du mur, et, en vingt-deux endroits, les entamaient. Certains caissons avaient des brêches de 4,50 m. de profondeur, 3o mètres de longueur et 9 mètres de largeur. Le travail consista en un dégagement des caissons de fondation, la démolition des parties détériorées du mur de quai, la réparation des brêches, le bétonnage sur les caissons jusqu'à la côte +0,8o m., la pose de blocs de la côte o,8o m. à 4,8o, m. la reconstruction du caniveau et les travaux d'achèvement. Ces derniers comprenaient notamment le remblayage du terre-plein derrière le mur, la construction de la bordure de couronnement, le repavage, le placement d'une voie de roulement pour grues. Les firmes chargées de ces travaux montèrent rapidement un vaste chantier malgré de multiples difficultés causées par les opérations militaires, la destruction de toutes les installations électriques, des conduites d'eau et des voies de chemin de fer. Sept cents hommes furent mis au travail. Des équipes travaillèrent la nuit. Actuellement, ces travaux, à part quelques entreprises d'achèvement, sont terminés. Il faut féliciter sans réserve le Service des Ponts et Chaussées, les firmes contractantes, les ingénieurs, contre-maîtres et ouvriers qui ont, une fois de plus, fait honneur à l'esprit de travail et d'entreprise qui caractérise le peuple belge. Mais, les travaux de restauration ne se limitèrent pas au môle et à l'écluse. La libération laissa une rade envasée, dans laquelle gisaient épaves et mines. Il fallut, avant tout, déminer. Durant les mois de novembre, décembre 1944 et janvier 1945, la « Royal Navy », installée à Zeebrugge, sous le commandement du lt-commander Riley, détruisit une quarantaine de mines. Au début de février, elle quitta Zeebrugge, et, il fallut attendre jusqu'au mois de juillet pour voir la reprise des opérations de déminage. Par ordre du commodore Hutton, le commander Stammwitz, chef du service anglais de déminage de la côte belge, détacha à Zeebrugge le it-commander Taylor, le lieutenant Schuttleworth et le s /lieutenant Gordon. Le major Samyn, chef du IIe bataillon de déminage, détacha les sous-officiers Crabeels et Loeckx pour participer aux opérations. Trois chaloupes, les Z. 53, 145 et 118, et un canot à moteur, le Z. 318, furent engagées avec leurs équipages.

Les opérations de déminage au moyen de charges de profondeur furent commencées le 17 juillet et prirent fin le 10 septembre. On fit sauter, sur toute la superficie du chenal et à l'entrée du port, 281 charges, dont 61 têtes de torpilles de 440 kilos, 218 charges de fond de 150 kilos, 1 mine anglaise de 25o kilos et r charge de 4o kilos. On enregistra vingt-sept détonations doubles et une détonation triple. A la fin de ces opérations, qui se déroulèrent sans le moindre accident, le lt-commander Taylor écrivit dans son rapport, « that the danger to life or damage to shipping has been considerably reduced, if not eliminated ». Depuis, une drague a repêché une mine qui ne sauta pas ; une mine fut découverte en dehors de la passe et détruite, deux chaloupes sautèrent dans le chenal, une drague sauta et coula au cours de travaux de dragage. On en a conclu que le rapport du commander Taylor était, malheureusement, trop optimiste. Il a été décidé d'abandonner l'ancien chenal et d'en creuser un autre, à environ 100 mètres à l'ouest, de l'ancien où il n'y a aucun danger sur la plus grande partie du parcours. L'enlèvement des épaves a succédé aux opérations de déminage. Le département des Travaux Publics chargea la société anversoise « Union de Remorquage et de Sauvetage» de l'enlèvement de l'Albatros et d'un cargo coulés par les alliés en mai 1940, devant la porte aval de l'écluse, et de deux vedettes allemandes, d'une allège et d'une chaloupe coulées par les Allemands dans l'arrière-port aux installations des ferryboats. La firme Verheye a enlevé les épaves coulées dans le canal devant la porte amont. La firme Depret, de Gand, a reçu l'ordre d'enlever les épaves des deux navires alliés coulés en mai 194o à l'entrée du port d'escale, et de la drague Vlaanderen II. D'autres firmes doivent enlever quatre chaloupes, deux bacs, un transporteur de vase, et deux dragues.

Les travaux de dragage n'ont pu être entrepris qu'en février 1946 à cause du manque de matériel. Actuellement, ces travaux sont menés très activement. L'enlèvement des blocs de béton du mur de quai détruit, gisant jusqu'à —6 mètres, présente de grandes difficultés. D'autres travaux sont en cours. Au canal, le pont de Dudzele a été restauré aux ateliers « La Brugeoise et Nicaise et Delcuve ». Deux nouveaux ateliers, l'un à Bruges, l'autre au terre-plein de l'écluse maritime, ainsi qu'une sousstation électrique à Zeebrugge, ont été construits. Le nouveau pont amont de l'écluse est un pont-rail et route, type Strauss, commandé par la S.N.C.F.B. en 1939 aux « Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles ». Il fut construit pendant l'occupation. Ses fondations, établies avant la guerre, échappèrent à la destruction. Le pont aval est un pont roulant provisoire. L'année 1947 sera consacrée au rééquipement du môle. Plusieurs commandes ont été passées, notamment une commande de trois grues de 8 tonnes et de deux grues de 3 tonnes, respectivement aux « Ateliers de Construction mécanique » à Tirlemont et à la firme « Le Titan Anversois ». Le plan d'aménagement du môle a été mis au point en vue de l'escale des paquebots transatlantiques et de diverses autres activités, notamment de l'importante station de soutage. A partir du 12 septembre 1944 jusqu'au mois d'octobre 1945, les bassins, quais et hangars de Bruges ont été mis au service des troupes alliées ; les marchandises étaient amenées d'Ostende sur wagons, camions et allèges. Toutes les firmes et agences installées au port reprendront leur activité dès que l'accessibilité du port sera rétablie. Seul, le service d'été pour passagers Harwich-Zeebrugge sera provisoirement suspendu parce que les deux paquebots, le Saint-Denis et l'Arkhangel, qui assurèrent autrefois le service, ont coulé au cours de la guerre. Le service des Ferry-Boats a repris son activité avec l'unique navire qui lui reste l'Essex-Ferry, ex Trainferry n° 1, qui fit son premier voyage Harwich-Zeebrugge le 16 août 1946. Les deux autres navires furent perdus au cours de la guerre. Le Trainferry n° 2, chargé en 1940 de participer au rembarquement des troupes anglaises, fut touché, le 13 juin, au large de la côte française, par des batteries côtières ; il prit feu et coula rapidement ; quatorze hommes de son équipage périrent. Le Trainferry no 3, qui participa durant toute la guerre à de nombreuses opérations et notamment au débarquement en Normandie, sauta sur une mine, le 3 mars 1945, au large de Dieppe et coula. La reprise du service fut fêtée à Zeebrugge en présence de nombreuses personnalités. La Société Belgo-Anglaise des Ferry-Boats a l'intention de déplacer ses installations au port d'escale, pour éviter l'éclusage. Un projet est à l'étude. D'autre part, trois nouveaux navires sont sur chantier. L'un d'eux pourra sous peu être mis en ligne. Un premier navire de mer chargé entra aux bassins de Bruges le 5 septembre 1946. C'était le moteur hollandais Rolf, venant de Porto, avec un chargement de vins et d'ardoise, pour compte de l'Agence Maritime Minne. L'armement L. Hermans a fêté le 26 octobre 1945 le retour du m/s. René, que les Allemands avaient saisi en 1940 à Bordeaux. Il fut retrouvé à Emden, transformé et débaptisé Aar. Il entra au port calant 13 pieds, à marée haute, sans grandes difficultés. La firme S.A.B.A.R.N. a lancé le 20 novembre 1945 le m/s. Rosa, sistership du René. Sa construction, entamée avant la guerre, traîna jusqu'a la fin de l'occupation.

Les « Fours à Coke », durement touchés par les bombardements, ont été remis en état et, le 2 novembre 1945, rallumèrent leurs fours. La firme C. Bulcke a reconstruit ses bâtiments et repris son activité. Les « Verreries », qui ont subi des dégâts considérables, sont en cours de restauration. Six tanks de la S. A. « Zeematex » sont en bon état, quatre tanks et les hangars sont endommagés. Les « Abattoirs » et la firme « De Vreese Sc Simon » exploitent leurs installations. Au port de pêche, les 400 mètres de mur de quai détruits sont quasi entièrement reconstruits ; le banc de carénage, les appontements et le slip sont restaurés. Les trois appontements, que les Allemands avaient inutilement construits en 1940, pour l'embarquement de tanks et camions en vue de l'attaque contre l'Angleterre, ont été envoyés à la ferraille. Les deux bassins ont été dragués. Une nouvelle minque sera construite, en 1947, à l'emplacement de l'ancienne. Elle sera plus belle et plus grande ; son aménagement a été soigneusement étudié à la lumière de l'expérience. La voirie est en grande partie remise en état. Toutes les installations industrielles et commerciales endommagées et deux des bâtiments rasés par les Allemands, sont restaurés ou reconstruits. Une nouvelle saurisserie et trois nouveaux ateliers sont en construction ; d'autres suivront. La flotte compte 117 unités, jaugeant 3785 tonnes, d'une force motrice de 9761 HP. La plus forte unité a un moteur de 250 HP. Le total des ventes à la minque provisoire pendant les onze premiers mois de 1946, s'élève à 73.544.648 francs. L'école des pêcheurs est intacte. Elle a été pendant six ans au service de l'administration communale. Sa cave-abri sauva beaucoup de gens, particulièrement les 26-27 mai 1940, lorsque des avions allemands, rasant les toits des maisons, semèrent lâchement leurs bombes de tous calibres sur la cité « Zeemanshaard » et les immeubles du quartier de l'église. Le 22 avril 1945, la fête du St. George's Day se déroula, en présence de M. le gouverneur de la Province, de M. le bourgmestre de Bruges, du général Hynes, et de nombreuses autorités civiles, religieuses et militaires, devant la plaque commémorative de la destruction de la claire-voie, remise en place. Le 10 septembre 1945, M. l'ambassadeur de Grande-Bretagne et Mme Knatchbull Hugessen, accompagnés de M. le gouverneur, de Madame Pierre van Outryve d'Ydewalle, et de M. le bourgmestre, firent à Zeebrugge l'honneur de leur visite. La direction de la C.I.M.B. avait précédemment attiré l'attention de M. l'ambassadeur de GrandeBretagne sur la destruction du mémorial anglais. Elle reçut au mois d'octobre 1945 la communication suivante : « Extensive enquiries have been made to try and trace this memorial, but so far without success. The Zeughaus in Unter den Linden, which is where it was thought possible it might be located, has been destroyed, but the director with whom we have been in touch states that he has no recollection or record of it having been brought to Berlin or any other city. » Le message ajoute que l'on poursuit les recherches ; celles-ci sont restées vaines jusqu'à ce jour. Le 22 avril 1946, la fête du St. George's Day fut célébrée au pied des quatre-vingt et un blocs de granit remis en place, et d'une maquette de pierre de taille, due à l'initiative privée, dans laquelle est sculpté le plan de la bataille du 23 avril 1918. Il faut rendre un très chaleureux hommage à la vaillante population de Zeebrugge, qui, pendant toute la guerre, fit preuve d'un grand courage. Elle vit les Allemands détruire son territoire pour le transformer en zone de guerre ; elle vécut sous les bombardements ; elle pleura quarante-huit morts et soigna soixante-dix blessés ; elle compta dans ses rangs un fusillé, des déportés, des soldats et des marins morts pour la Patrie ; elle eut ses héros, hommes et femmes modestes, qui exposèrent leur vie pour aider et sauver leur prochain. Elle

dut finalement prendre le chemin de l'exil ; au jour de la libération, il n'y avait plus que 250 habitants sur 4200. Dès le 3 novembre 1944, elle courut à ses ruines. Rien ne la retint : ni la distance, ni le manque de transport, ni la pluie, ni les avertissements des sentinelles canadiennes : « take care, mines! », ni l'explosion des mines que les Canadiens détectaient le long des routes. L'inventaire était vite fait. Les uns avaient tout perdu ; les autres retrouvaient un immeuble bombardé et pillé. Au milieu de ces ruines, le drapeau national, symbole de foi et d'espérance, claquait au vent. La population se jeta sur ses toits, ses champs, ses chaloupes, ses outils. Zeebrugge se remit au travail et ne désespéra jamais. Un commandant anglais hissa le «White Ensign» au sommet d'un mât, à l'écluse. Ses hommes s'attaquèrent aux mines dans le chenal, et ses scaphandriers explorèrent le fond des bassins du port de pêche où des « barges » devaient accoster. L'artillerie s'installa dans les dunes couvrant l'accès du port. Sur mer, le canon tonnait. Dans les airs, des avions patrouillaient à la chasse des « Ein Mann Torpedos », qui, embusqués dans les parages de l'île de Walcheren et de Dunkerque, ou collés aux flancs des épaves en pleine mer, guettaient le passage des navires alliés le long de la côte belge. Au môle, les vagues s'engouffraient dans une large brêche du parapet et envahissaient le terre-plein, menaçant d'achever sa destruction. Heures tragiques, auxquelles se jouait le destin de Zeebrugge. La volonté de l'homme l'emporta : des bulldozers ouvrirent une route dans les débris du môle à des centaines d'ingénieurs, de contremaîtres et d'ouvriers. L'esprit est maître.

Inséré le 28 mars 13 BOEKEN BOOKS Enlevé le 28 avril 13

BOOKREVIEW Auteur : Frank NEYTS

“Looking back at bulk carriers”. Coastal Shipping recently published “Looking back at bulk carriers”, written by Andrew Wiltshire. The bulk carrier is the real workhorse of the sea, and its origins can be traced back to the nineteenth century. This book highlights many of the various types of ship within the bulk carrier family, something that may not always be readily obvious from casual observation. It will hopefully provide the reader with a pictorial reminder of many types of bulk carriers that existed, and see just how designs have evolved to accommodate specific roles. A significant development occurred in 1925 when Swedish owners took delivery of a pair of purpose-built ore carriers. The 1950s witnessed the continued development of the bulk carrier, with larger ships being constructed, often for specific trades such as the carriage of iron ore. The ten years between 1962 and 1972 saw bulk trade expand dramatically. Today, in 2012 the bulk carrier continues to play a vital role worldwide. This book will appeal to all ship lovers. Strongly recommended! “Looking back at bulk carriers” (ISBN 978-1-902953-58-8) is a hardback book, handy size, of 80 pages. The price is £16.00, exclusive P&P (£3 European postage). Ordering via the bookshop, or directly via

the publisher, Coastal Shipping, 400 Nore Road, Portishead, Bristol BS20 8EZ, UK. Tel/Fax: +44(0)1275.846178, www.coastalshipping.co.uk

Inséré le 28 mars 13 BZB Nieuws ASSEMBLEE GENERALE Ordinaire de la LMB L’assemblée générale ordinaire de la LMB s’est tenue ce jeudi 28 mars 2013 en la salle de réunion de la « Maison des Ailes »n Rue Montoyer, 1, 1000 Bruxelles. Le Capitaine de vaisseau (H) Patrick Van den Bulck a présidé aux travaux de l’assemblée à laquelle la moitié des membres de la LMB avaient tenu à assister. L’amiral de division Michel Hofman a assisté à l’assemblée en sa qualité de représentant de la Composante Marine. De même les représentants de l’Académie Royale de Marine de Belgique asbl, le Collège Royal Maritime Belge asbl, la Beroepsvereniging voor Loodsen vzw, le Corps Royal des Cadets de Marine, le Cercle Royal Georges Lecointe asbl, la Fédération Royale Belge de Yachting asbl, les Amis de la section Marine du MRA asbl, la Mercatorkring FV, la Koninklijke Vereniging der Baden Powell Zeescouts van Antwerpen vzw, la Nautical Institute Belgian Branch, la Fédération Nationale des Anciens de la Force Navale asbl, la Vrienden van het Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum vzw et la Sail Training Association Belgium vzw ont, ainsi que de nombreux membres, participé aux travaux de l’assemblée.

Le Capitaine de frégate, Hans Huygens, commandant la frégate « F931 Louise-Marie, a ensuite donné une causerie sur la dernière mission de la « F931 Louise-Marie » dans le cadre de l’opération ATALANTA / EUNAVFOR visant à contenir la piraterie dans l’Océan Indien. Il nous a fait partager ses expériences et ses réflexions sur cette dernière mission que le navire, le staff et l’équipage ont accomplie avec succès. Outre la protection de navires de commerce naviguant en convoi ou non, la « F931 Louise Marie » a embarqué des pelotons de militaires des états riverains dans le cadre d’un effort conjoint de formation d’EUNAVFOR pour aider les états riverains à assurer eux-mêmes la surveillance de leurs côtes et des grands corridors maritimes. Il est encourageant de noter que la surveillance navale ainsi que les mesures prises par les armateurs portent leurs fruits, l’activité des pirates accusant ces derniers mois une nette régression.

Un déjeuner a clôturé les travaux de l’assemblée générale et la causerie.

Jaarlijkse ALGEMENE VERGADERING van de BZB.

De jaarlijkse Algemene Vergadering van de BZB heeft verleden donderdag 28 maart 2013 plaats gevonden in de vergaderzaal van het “Huis der Vleugels” aan de Montoyerstraat, 1, 1000 Brussel. De voorzitter Kapitein ter Zee (H) Patrick Van den Bulck leidde de werkzaamheden van de vergadering die door de helft van de leden werd bijgewoond. Divisieadmiraal Michel Hofman woonde de vergadering bij als vertegenwoordiger van de Marinecomponent. Evenzo waren de vertegenwoordigers aanwezig van de Koninklijke Belgische Marine Academie vzw, het Koninklijk Belgisch Zeemanscollege vzw, de Beroepsvereniging van Loodsen vzw, het Koninklijk Marine Kadetten Korps vzw, de Koninklijke Kring Georges Lecointe vzw, het Koninklijk Belgisch Yachting Verbond vzw, de Vrienden van de sectie Marine van het KLM vzw, de Mercatorkring FV, de Koninklijke Vereniging der Baden-Powell Zeescouts van Antwerpen, het Nautical Institute - Belgian Branch, de Nationale Vereniging van de Oudgediende van de Zeemacht vzw, de Vrienden van het Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum vzw en de Sail Training Association Belgium vzw evenals vele individuele leden.

Fregatkapitein Hans Huygens, bevelvoerder van het fregat “F931 Louise-Marie” heeft vervolgens een lezing gehouden over de laatste opdracht van het “F931 Louise-Marie” in het kader van de ATALANTA / EUNAVFOR operatie die weerwerk moet bieden aan de piraterij in de Indische Oceaan. Hij deelde met zijn toehoorders zijn ervaringen en beschouwingen over deze laatste opdracht die zowel het schip, de staf en de bemanning tot een goed einde hebben gebracht. Naast bewakings- en begeleidingsopdrachten van koopvaardij-schepen die al dan niet in konvooi voeren, heeft het “F931 Louise-Marie” zowel aan boord als aan de wal doelgerichte opleidingen verstrekt aan kleine pelotons soldaten van de strijdmachten van de oeverstaten in het kader van een project om de oeverstaten zelf in staat te stellen hun kustwateren en de belangrijkste maritieme corridors te bewaken. Het is alleszins bemoedigend te kunnen vaststellen dat de aanwezigheid van de verschillende zeemachten evenals de maatregelen die door de reders zelf getroffen werden, nu goede resultaten lijken op te leveren. De laatste maanden is de piraterij in de Indische Oceaan inderdaad merkelijk teruggelopen.

De algemene vergadering en de lunch werden met een lunch afgesloten.

Inséré le 30 mars 13 News Nouvelles Enlevé le 30 avril 13

Shared responsibilities for garbage disposal MARPOL Annex V, with its various prescriptions for the handling of garbage, has been in force since the beginning of this month, with all the responsibilities, liabilities and requirements that this means. Well-organised ship operators will have been onto this matter for ages and will have anticipated the requirements and briefed their crews accordingly, putting in place measures to better organise and control the various waste streams that are generated aboard their ships. They will be unlikely to be embarrassed when inspectors board to check on the garbage management plans and respective record books, and to assess the awareness and level of compliance. These visitors will be looking to see a placard prominently placed to inform all on board about what can be discharged into the sea, and where. It is to be noted that International Maritime Organization (IMO) has helpfully made available such an informative placard, providing a simplified overview of the new provisions. Like so many of the regulations that devolve upon the operation of ships in the 21st century, it is the Master of the ship who is given the prime responsibility of seeing that the provisions of MARPOL Annex V are implemented. It is pointed out that the burden of proof lies on the Master for preventing the throwing into the sea of anything that should not be so disposed of and for demonstrating that such an offence did not take place. But is this always as clear as the regulations seem to suggest? Cargo residues, for instance, may be put overside with the ship en route and more than 12 miles from the nearest land, but only if such substances are not harmful to the marine environment. That seems clear enough, just as long as port and coastal states agree with the Master as to what is “harmful” and what is not. Similarly, cleaning agents contained in wash water will hopefully be benign and not harmful, but if a shoreside official in some wayport rules otherwise, where will this leave the Master? As is normal in these matters, the burden for compliance seems to fall most heavily upon the ship, even though the responsibility for disposing of these wastes in a safe and environmentally sound manner is surely shared between the ship and port. For the ship, there is no escape from the burden of the regulations. It generates the wastes and must obey the regulations in every respect, ensuring that the wastes are retained on board if there is no means of landing them. The port, on the other hand, retains the whip hand and the easy way out, when it can merely inform the ship that it is not permitted to land its wastes there because there are no suitable reception arrangements. It is able to make such pronouncements at the same time as its inspectors are busy aboard the ship checking the vessel’s compliance with Annex V. But whereas the ship and its Master can be subject to all manner of penalties if faults are found in its Annex V compliance arrangements, there is no equivalent penalties adhering to the port and its management for its failure to provide reasonable reception facilities. It is not that people operating ships are not 100% behind the changes. Everyone afloat knows that the sea is not a garbage dump and that waste disposal must be properly managed. It is just that sometimes they would like others to realise that this desirable result is a

sared responsibility.

Inséré le 01 avril 13 News Nouvelles Enlevé le 01 mai 13

Cyprus plans to export natural gas to Europe by 2018 Cyprus, urgently needing revenues from its newly found natural gas reserves, hopes to begin exports by 2018 and will target sales at fellow European Union members, its energy minister aid. George Lakkotrypis also said gas could be sold in advance or used to help the government, which is now negotiating a multibillion-dollar bailout, to issue new debt on international markets in future. U.S. company Noble Energy and the Cypriot government announced in 2011 that they had discovered gas deposits of around 7-8 trillion cubic feet (200 billion cubic metres), 40 percent of the EU's annual demand. Aphrodite, as the gas field is known, has more gas than Cyprus could use in over a century, so the government hopes to boost its revenues through exports to the European Union. "It is important to us not just economically but also geostrategically," Lakkotrypis told Reuters in an interview, referring to potential exploration partners. "So EU member countries are obviously appealing." Experts believe Cyprus, an energy sector novice, could be sitting on hydrocarbons worth up to $400 billion. Such revenues would be welcome to a government that is now negotiating a bailout from the European Union, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank so it can recapitalise its banks, service debt and support government spending. But as the gas reserves are still unproven pending an appraisal drilling this year, they have barely been taken into account by lenders discussing aid to the island. A draft bailout deal calls for the establishment of a resource fund to manage revenue and place debt on a downward course, though the creation of such a fund could be years away. Lakkotrypis, barely in office two weeks following last month's election, said the financial crisis had made development of the gas fields for exports much more urgent. The new government wished survey work had progressed faster to give Cyprus a stronger economic position and less need for a bailout. "If it had been a year ahead, it would have made a real difference," he said. To monetise its deposits as fast as possible, the government was pushing Noble Energy to bring forward appraisal drilling to confirm its gas findings, Lakkotrypis said. "It's a pity we are under so much pressure. Every week counts," he said. Lakkotrypis said Cyprus was in the final months of deliberation over deals to run an onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant to process the gas for export by ship. ADVANCE GAS SALES Lakkotrypis said the government hoped production could begin as soon as 2018. Once an appraisal confirms initial findings there was a range of options on how to use the reserves to raise cash, including advance sales, he said. That would probably further anger the de facto Turkish Cypriot state that has run northern Cyprus since a Turkish invasion following a brief Greek inspired coup and effective partition of the island in 1974. The Turkish Cypriot side says Greek Cypriots did wrong by unilaterally striking deals with foreign firms and should at the very least share gas revenue with them. Greek Cypriots say that can only happen once the island is reunited. Cyprus is not the only country in the region that is hoping to benefit from a gas bonanza.

Geologists believe the eastern Mediterranean could contain up to 122 trillion cubic feet (3.45 trillion cubic metres) of recoverable reserves, enough to cover EU gas demand for around seven years. The biggest finds have so far been made in Israeli waters, where the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields will cover Israel's gas demand for decades while generating huge export potential. Because the Leviathan and Aphrodite gas fields lie in close proximity, the governments of Israel and Cyprus agreed on joint exploration of some of the gas, making development more attractive for potential investors. Earlier this year, Cyprus announced the results of some of the second round of bidding for offshore exploration blocks, bringing France's Total, Italy's Eni and South Korea's KoGas into Cypriot energy exploration. Cyprus's second licensing round, in which it received 15 expressions of interest by 29 companies either on their own or in consortia for 9 offshore blocks, will be wrapped up by the end of May. So far five blocks have been awarded in the second round. Source: Reuters

Inséré le 03 avril 13 OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 03 mai 13

Safer navigation through high technology IMO Current developments in navigation and steps aimed at making it safer were recently discussed in London during the 57th session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV) Dr Mathias s Jonas In his opening address at this year's NAV session, IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos emphatically noted that the international community had to redouble its efforts to counter piracy in areas around the Horn of Africa. The action plan compiled by the IMO for this purpose includes a categorical call on shipping companies to take part in local ship reporting systems. Only then, Mitropoulos said, can navies operating nearby effectively aid ships under attack. Other matters concerning shipping safety were also on the agenda of NAV's weeklong session. Shipping lanes All of the proposed modifications in traffic separation schemes, precautionary areas and areas to be avoided in the North and Baltic seas were approved with minor changes. Measures that the applicants must now implement take into account increasing traffic density, the rapidly growing number of deep-draft vessels and the continuing designation of sea areas for the construction of wind farms. A very positive response was received by Denmark's proposal to amend the mandatory ship reporting system in the Great Belt. It had called for evaluations of AIS (automatic identification system) reports transmitted to shorebased vessel traffic services to replace the numerous VHF radio reports made by ships' navigators. If necessary, the AIS reports can be supplemented by e-mail messages sent beforehand. If this solution proves to be practicable, other ship reporting systems will likely follow its example in coming years, thus sensibly reducing bridge personnel's heavy workload. France and Italy took the

designation of the Strait of Bonifacio (between Corsica and Sardinia) as a "particularly sensitive sea area" as an opportunity to call for an IMO measure establishing recommended pilotage of tankers and ships with dangerous cargoes in this navigationally demanding waterway. The proposal met with approval, but not without emphasis on the measure's recommendatory character and a caveat that mandatory pilotage for ships transiting the strait should not be allowed to come "through the back door." In response to increasing ship traffic in polar regions, the IMO has been working for about two years on a mandatory Polar Code with extensive requirements for ship structural design, marine equipment, and navigation in polar waters that go beyond current IMO regulations. An aspect discussed in London was the need for a "polar vessel traffic monitoring system." The prevailing viewpoint was that existing systems such as AIS, LRIT (long-range identification and tracking of ships) and SAR (search and rescue) should be used for this purpose instead of introducing special new systems. A second issue had to do with special vessel voyage planning to avoid interactions with cetaceans and other marine mammals at these latitudes. NAV agreed that current navigational requirements in waters with these mammals were sufficient. A commercial company made an impressive presentation of its satellite-based AIS ship tracking system. Using six company-owned mini-satellites, the system provides complete global AIS coverage, including polar regions. When the system becomes fully available at the end of 2012, an average of about 100 AIS reports per ship per day can be expected. Combined with shore-based AIS monitoring, the system allows creation of a high-availability, temporally and spatially highresolution picture of global maritime traffic. Among the potential customers are flag states, as the system offers them enhanced possibilities in the areas of search and rescue, environmental monitoring and damage assessment as well as protection against threats. The company said it also planned commercial applications, for example in fleet management and scientific uses in air pollution control. Voyage data recorder (VDR) Recordings of data from the bridge in the form of navigation information, radar images and noises and conversations picked up by microphones have proven to be an extremely valuable tool in investigating maritime accidents. Taking into account the experience gathered since the introduction of VDRs, their technical requirements have now been revised. VDR systems installed in future will be equipped with a float-free data storage unit in addition to a fixed, robust data capsule. The float-free unit, which can be built into an EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon), will be much easier to recover in many accident scenarios than has been the case for the submersible capsule. Moreover, the time period of data recordings will be expanded along with the number of required data sources, including the ECDIS (electronic chart display and information system) image and AIS data. Virtual aids to navigation (AtoN) Virtual aids to navigation resemble floating and fixed AtoN only insofar as they serve the same purpose. Unlike their physical counterparts, they are not placed at sea. Instead, they are transmitted by radio to a ship, where they mark specific geographical positions at sea on a navigation display. The usefulness of this technology is under dispute. In response to a proposal by Japan, a correspondence group will be established to clarify guidelines on the use, propagation and symbology of virtual AtoN. China's proposal to adopt symbols being used on Chinese paper charts seemed ill-conceived and was politely put on hold. Denmark noted that virtual AtoN technology had to be seen in connection with the e-navigation strategy currently being developed by the IMO. Moreover, during the discussions it became evident that propagating the information as an ECDIS chart update was probably more suitable for permanent traffic regulations. The use of virtual AtoN, possibly to be propagated via AIS, will presumably be confined to temporarily marking accident sites or sea areas inhospitable to physical AtoN due to the prevailing environmental conditions, such as icy waters.

ECDIS operating anomalies NAV put ECDIS anomalies that have become apparent during onboard operation over the past two years into three categories: 

problems of interpretation among chart producers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and testers because standards by the IMO (functions), the IHO (data and display) and the IEC (technical inspection) were not fully coordinated,

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genuine errors in charting and ECDIS manufacture,

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software updates that did not conform to the latest issues of IMO, IHO (International

Hydrographic Organization) or IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards. The IHO observer who was present at the NAV session confirmed this analysis and gave a report on a wellattended international workshop in February 2011 that dealt with ways to solve these problems. As result of the workshop, the IHO is now developing a simple test that can be conducted on every ECDIS and enables users to determine whether their equipment conforms to the latest standards. This cannot identify all potential problems, however. So the IHO is also working on a feedback mechanism allowing users to report apparent problems to the respective ECDIS manufacturers, which for their part would analyse them and, if necessary, involve the standardisation bodies of the IHO and IEC in their resolution. When required, the IHO will publicise known ECDIS deficiencies and, in case of problems arising from the coding of ENCs (electronic navigational charts), directly contact the respective national hydrographic services. Results of another IHO workshop on this matter will be presented by the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee in May 2012. A decision will also have to be made at that time on how the IMO deals in future with software updates for navigational devices. On the whole, it appeared that NAV wanted to play down the problem of ECDIS operating anomalies in the runup to implementation of mandatory ECDIS on oceangoing vessels beginning in 2012. The IMO seems to be changing its thinking on software actualisations for navigational devices. At any rate, the standpoints put forward by the IHO and ICS (International Chamber of Shipping), namely that procedures for modern shipboard navigational equipment should approximate those familiar for shore-based systems, went unchallenged in the plenum. This issue is likely to become more significant in connection with e-navigation developments. It remains to be seen if, and when, current regulations on condoning outdated navigational systems already aboard ships will be changed. But change could be in the offing in view of Inmarsat's announcement that it will be able to provide very broadband, satellitebased data links to shipping beginning in 2014, which would make remote maintenance of onboard systems a low-cost alternative to on-site service. SOLAS regulation V/22 (navigation bridge visibility) Unconventional superstructures, new viewobstructing loading mechanisms and shipping companies' desire to put the greatest possible number of container stacks on deck prompted a revision of the definition of conning position and "clear view" on the navigation bridge in SOLAS regulation V/22. Under the revision, the horizontal field of vision from the conning position must now extend over an arc of not less than 225 ° from right ahead to not less than 22.5 ° abaft the beam on either side of the ship, and the total arc of blind sectors (areas outside the wheelhouse that obstruct the horizontal view as seen from the conning position) in the forward 225 ° arc must not exceed 20 ° . As a result, the permissible blind sectors can be optimally utilised with deck cargo. For container shipping companies, in particular, this means more cargo and less cargo handling. For mariners it means frequent changes of position in order to see around the container stacks and greater reliance on electronic aids for sea surveillance. Approval of these changes and other modifications to the regulation was preceded by intensive and sometimes contentious discussion. E-navigation strategy

The term "e-navigation" was coined several years ago to describe new user-friendly, effective navigation technology. However, the IMO is still having trouble agreeing on the extent, form and implementation of future e-navigation architecture. The Norwegian-led working group on enavigation named its three essential elements: shipboard navigation systems, shore-based services providing support to shipping, and communication between land and sea. As a first step towards more effective cooperation on e-navigation, it was decided to create the prerequisite for a uniform data model for the entire shipping sector. The model was inspired by the IHO, which has established the Internet-based Geospatial Information Registry, where data types in the field of hydrography as well as data products derived from them can be registered and, if necessary, expanded. The IMO and IHO have agreed that IHO's S-100 data model should be used as a baseline for creating a framework for data access and information services throughout the maritime sphere, including its shore-based elements. The uniform data model could facilitate technical implementation of new services for ocean shipping. The nature of these services is to be clarified by compiling "maritime service portfolios", which can be thought of as task-oriented bundles of navigation functions and information offerings. So far, however, the working group has not gone beyond agreeing on general categories for the bundles, such as harbour operations, operations in coastal and confined or restricted waters, transocean passages, offshore operations, and operations in Arctic, Antarctic and remote areas. NAV approved the working group's work plan and extended the target completion date for development of an enavigation strategy implementation plan to 2014. It will be interesting to see the group's interim progress report at NAV 58 in July 2012. The author: Dr Mathias Jonas, head of the Department of Nautical Hydrography, Federal Maritime and Hydrographie Agency (BSH), Rostock, Germany

Inséré le 05 avril 13 OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 05 mai 13 Submersible pumps for bitumen cargoes On behalf of Allweiler, Swedish design consultancy FKAB undertook a study based on two types of cargo systems for bitumen tankers. The study focused on the following areas – 1-Comparison of cargo system design with submersible pumps vs dry pumps below deck. 2-Estimation of material, installation and maintenance costs for the systems mentioned above. 3-Systems check against class rules and regulations. 4-Listing of other cargoes beside bitumen. 5-List of advantages/disadvantages of the systems above seen from a shipowner perspective. 6-Investigate if a new system design could affect the vessel design. The information was collated from the following sources: - Experience within the FKAB organisation. - Customer contacts. - Supplier contacts. -Class rules.

The study was based on two different cargo systems fitted on board a 4,700 dwt bitumen tanker with eight tanks in two segregations and a total cargo volume of 4,300 cu m. One system is fitted with a pump room below deck, while the other system consists of deepwell pumps placed in the tanks with motor and discharge components on the main deck. The cargo is bitumen and black petroleum products with a density up to 1.25 tonnes/cu m and temperature of a maximum +250 deg C. All the pump motors were to be of EX Electrical type 450 V, 60 Hz. In the table of cost comparisons for submersible pumps vs below deck pumproom, maintenance costs for all items, except pumps, were calculated as a percentage of component price as follows: Piping=0,5%; Valve=2%; Valve with actuator=6%. The maintenance costs for the pumps were estimated by the pump manufacturer. The cost comparisons were based on list prices and estimations without any type of discount and were used for comparison reasons only. The rate used was €1 = SEK10.50. Installation costs were only included for the piping parts. Cargo and tank valves are equipped with hydraulic actuators and valves, while the hydraulic power pack was excluded. All of the valves were made of stainless steel and the cargo and stripping pumps (in the pump room) were equipped with mechanical shaft seals and flush units to ensure a satisfactory sealing performance. Rules and regs

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The rules and regulations for the cargo systems included a selection of extracts from class rules, including: Location of cargo pumps. In a dedicated pump room, or on deck, or when designed for this purpose, within the cargo tanks (BV). Each cargo tank is to be served by at least two separate fixed means of discharging and stripping (BV). Cargo pumps may be used for tank stripping (BV). The delivery side of the cargo pumps is to be fitted with relief valves discharging back to the suction side of the pumps (by pass) in closed circuit (BV). In tankers where cargo tanks are equipped with independent pumps (eg deepwell pumps), the installation of one pump per tank may be approved. Satisfactory facilities shall be provided for emptying the tanks in case of failure of the regular pump (DNV). Stripping systems for ships provided with deepwell cargo pumps shall be specially considered (DNV). Displacement pumps shall have relief valves with discharge to the suction line (DNV). Both BV and DNV require that cargo must be able to be discharged even if there is a pump failure. DNV may accept one pump/tank if other facilities to empty the tank are provided (ie, a portable pump). However, FKAB found that this was not realistic due to the cargo characteristics (heat and consistency).

This study was based on using one deepwell pump in each tank and a valve between port and starboard tanks to be opened in case of a pump failure and use the other pump to discharge. Possible cargoes The normal cargo is bitumen, black petroleum products and crude oil with a specific gravity of up to 1.25 tonnes/cu m. However, the following petroleum and chemical products can be transported as cargo, if class notation and technical designs are approved:  

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Bitumen: road bitumen, oxidised bitumen and cutback bitumen. Asphalt solution: blending stocks, roofers flux and straight run residue. Oils: crude oil, mixtures containing crude oil, diesel oil, fuel oil no 4/5/6, residual fuel oil, road oil, mixed lubes and lube distillates. Distillates: straight run, feed stocks and crude oil distillates. Gas oil: cracked, heavy gas oil, light cycle oil and heavy cycle oil. Coal tar/coal tar pitch: May be transported if vessel is classed as a chem tanker.

White products will most likely not be carried, due to the intense tank cleaning needed between the black and white cargoes. The following list shows the possible effects on the vessel’s design with submersible pumps. - The volume equal of two pump rooms is available below deck. This space (or parts of it) may be used as cargo area depending on ship displacement, especially when carrying lighter products than bitumen. The extra volume in this studied case is +15% of the nominal cargo tank volume. - The ship lines may in some cases be altered to increase the displacement and make use of the extra volume. - The cargo tanks may be easier to design and build if using the extra volume for this purpose. - This can be a more economical way to build the ship, FKAB concluded. TO

Inséré le 07 avril 13 LOGBOEK NOUVELLES Enlevé le 07mai 13

QE2 liner may return to Hong Kong as a floating hotel Ship will be back in summer on its way to mainland dockyard to be refitted, with choice of Hong Kong or Singapore as its initial base By : Keith Wallis The QE2 in its heyday, docked at the Ocean Terminal in Hong Kong in 1994. Its maiden voyage, from Southampton to New York in May 1969, took five days.The iconic luxury passenger liner Queen Elizabeth 2 is set to return to Hong Kong this summer on its way to a mainland shipyard, where it will be refitted to become a floating hotel.

The former Cunard flagship, which visited the city several times before being retired in 2008 and sold to the Dubai investment company Istithmar World, is likely to stay for several days in July or August. Daniel Chui, managing director of Singapore's Oceanic Group, said talks are continuing to bring the ship back to Hong Kong once the conversion work has been completed. Hong Kong and Singapore are

the two cities being considered for the ship's initial base as a floating hotel. "The perfect location is definitely Hong Kong or Singapore," Chui said: both cities have a shortage of hotel rooms and a large number of tourist arrivals. The ship could itself become a tourist attraction. A longer-term plan also being considered is for the QE2, which served as a troop ship during the 1982 Falklands war, to make a circuit, spending "X years in Hong Kong, Y years in Japan and Z years in South Korea", Chui said. He remained confident the QE2 would be a financial success, saying it offered a better internal rate of return than a conventional land-based hotel. The refitting, including work by shipyards in Dubai and on the mainland, will cost US$100 million. Chui would not be drawn on whether Hong Kong or Singapore was preferred initially, saying there were many stakeholders involved and "we have already started discussions" in both cities. He said Oceanic still had about 15 months to decide, given the time it would take to complete the refurbishment. The talks involve Hong Kong's Tourism Commission and Tourism Board, together with their counterparts in Singapore. Worldwide Flight Services, one of the members of the consortium which will operate and manage the Kai Tak cruise terminal, has been helping Oceanic. Oceanic heads a group of investors which is leasing the QE2 from its Dubai owners for about US$1 million a year. The firm has an option to buy the ship for about US$35 million at the end of this decade, when a "no onward sale" clause contained in the ship sale contact between Cunard and Istithmar expires. Chui said the ship, which sailed nearly 9.6 million kilometres and carried 2.5 million passengers during its 39-year career, is at Drydocks World in Dubai, where seven of its nine diesel engines are being overhauled, along with other equipment. He said it will take a further three to four months before the work is completed and the QE2 can sail for China. Oceanic, which has experience refurbishing and upgrading passenger ships in China, has shortlisted "a few shipyards" to bid for the refurbishment of the liner to a floating hotel. These are thought to include Guangzhou Wenchong, part of the state-owned CSSC group, as well as shipyards around Shanghai. The work is expected to take about 15 months. Chui, who speaks passionately about what was once the fastest liner afloat, said the QE2 originally had 950 cabins, which were home to royalty, heads of state and film and pop stars. Once the refurbishment is completed, there will be 400 deluxe rooms of 40 to 100 square metres and 100 suites of 100 to 150 sq metres. There will 4,600 to 9,200 sq metres of retail space, featuring "luxury brands of European heritage", in addition to the ship's seven restaurants, two ballrooms and cinema, Chui said. Source : South China Morning Post

Inséré le 09 avril 13 HISTORIEK HISTORIQUE Enlevé le 09 mai 13 Lighterage on the Thames by Malcom Francis

What is lighterage? The question has been asked countless times, and only half-answered more often than not. But London owes its past development as a port to the use of the barge on its tidal river to discharge and load ships. Fully-laden merchantmen under sail had to remain afloat, and when coming into port needed to be "lightened" by overside discharge into a barge or lighter before proceeding to a riverside quay where unloading could be completed without fear of grounding at low water. It is perhaps fanciful to visualise craft similar to the Welsh coracle being used by ancient Britons to unload the Roman galleys. On the other hand, we do know that the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries were a time of remarkable growth in London's trade when barges, or wherries as they were then known, moved an ever-increasing volume of goods up and down the only highway capable of handling the traffic — the River Thames. During this time more and more quays were built; warehousing developed as did trans-shipment business with the ports on the Elbe, Rhine and

Scheldt. This was the heyday of the lightermen of London and in his survey Stowe stated that in 1598 there were as many as 40,000 out of London's population of 180,000 who derived their livelihood from the river's trade. From Gravesend to Teddington the ebb and flow of the river provided the basic motive force for the movement of the small boats and wherries. The skill of the lighterman, learnt during his years of apprenticeship, and his knowledge of the state of the tide at each point on the river comprised his stock in trade as he plied his oars to ensure the safe navigation of his craft. Since an ordinance of Henry VIII in 1514 which created the Worshipful Company of Watermen, he was required to hold a licence to carry passengers and had to justify, under examination, the granting of this and the freedom of the Company. It was not until the beginning of the 18th century that those lightermen who confined themselves solely to the carriage of goods, and who had hitherto been apprenticed through the Woodmongers Company, joined the watermen and became subject to the rules and regulations of the latter's Guild. It is interesting to recall that the first William Cory is believed to have been a master woodmonger, having set up business in the City in the middle of the 18th century. Certainly, since the beginning of the 14th century, coal had been the largest single commodity lightered on the Thames and it is understandable that the woodmonger was also the coal merchant of those days. In the 18th century as many as 8,000 colliers arrived annually in London with 24 million tons. With no docks and few quays they were forced to lie at anchor and discharge into barges. It is small wonder that by the end of the century the port became crowded and over-burdened. Merchants suffered from the delays and pilferage resulting from this congestion.

With trade continuing to increase, in 1799 Parliament authorised the construction of a dock on the Isle of Dogs. So great was the importance and influence of the lighterage trade that the relative Act contained what is now known as the "free water clause' under which barges were permitted to enter and leave the dock system without payment of dues. Ail subsequent legislation, to this day, affecting the docks in London has embodied this clause. Indeed, without this entitlement the lighterage trade might well have been decimated by the introduction and rapid development of the system in the middle of the 19th century.

The London lighterage trade was carried along on the crest of the wave of industrial revolution. Small barges made of wood became larger, William Cory's successors pioneered the introduction of steam tugs on the Thames and as early as 1860 had become well known for the extent to which they relied on these for barge movement. Ever-increasing quantities of coal were being used to fuel the momentum of industrial production. Excavated material dug out to form the new docks systems was carried down river. The emptied barges were loaded with sand and ballast from the nearby riverside pits in Essex, others transporting the cernent manufactured in the same area, all of which cargoes when mixed together with water from the river, produced the concrete for the construction of the docks themselves, and the Rotherhithe and Blackwall tunnels under the Thames. The same docks with their rail systems and the tunnels joining the road systems on each side of the river, would produce an ever-growing threat to the trade which provided the cheap means of transport for their construction. Thus two men, John Loudon Macadam and George Stephenson, between them brought to an end the era when the Thames was the only artery capable of dispersing and distributing the flow of commodities which had turned a thriving and prosperous capital City into the largest port in the world. The lightermen of London had unwittingly helped set the stage for the industrial revolution which continued throughout the first half of the present century. London remained a lighterage port and over 70 per cent of all imported cargoes up to the beginning of the last war were discharged overside directly into barges. But it was apparent even then that road and rail facilities were being used to an increasing extent to bring the exported products to the ships which lay in the docks. The movement of oil had emerged prior to the First World War and was handled by open barges carrying large steel drums. Very soon the quantity required to be transported prompted the development of the dumb tank barge. Six of these behind a tug would move over 1,500 tons at a time. The self-propelled tanker barge appeared in increasing numbers af ter the last war and with the construction in the sixties of pipelines the dumb tank barge disappeared from the river before that decade was out.

Coal movement dwindled rapidly as power stations and industrial consumers swung over to fuel oil and "town gas" works were phased out. Cory's last use of barges for the supply of solid fuel to the Metropolitan Water Board's Kingston installation ceased in 1967. The container handling revolution had begun, increasing the scale of competition introduced with the use of pallets and unit load stowage of ships. The impact of these rapid changes was a body Blow to the London lighterage trade. While in 1957 there were 'some 7,000 barges of all types — open, hatched, insulated for meat and dairy products, and tank craft — their total carrying capacity being about 1,250,000 tons, and 400 tugs, trade statistics reveal that on December 31, 1973, the fleets had shrunk to 1,734 barges, with a carrying capacity of 345,500 tons, and 79 tugs. Of far greater importance was the impact upon those whose livelihood depended upon their skills — the lightermen. The 1939-1945 war not only saw the destruction of many Thames barges requisitioned by the Government, most of these being accounted for during the landings in France, but many of the men themselves perished in the Armed Forces. After the war some 4,500 men were still employed in the industry, which was handling some 20 million tons of all goods each year. They had become accustomed to the increase in the size of barges, some of more than 300 tons' carrying capacity and towed by more powerful diesel tugs equipped with radio telephone. But in 1963 the tonnage had dropped to little more than 13 million. However, with the trade unions fighting hard for their members, the number of lightermen had only dropped to just under 4,000. The really dramatic picture is presented by the figures for 1973 which show that the total tonnage for that year of all commodities, including over 600,000 tons of London refuse, had dropped to below four million tons, the revenue from which was quite clearly insufficient to support the employment of the 1,200 men still engaged by the remaining 15 companies. It is interesting to note that Mercantile Lighterage and Cory Lighterage between them accounted for about one-third of that tonnage and employed almost exactly one-quarter of the total trade's lighterage labour force. It is sad to reflect on the large number of old family companies which have been forced to cease trading or sell out to larger groups over the past 15 years. While it is difficult to envisage a resurgence of lighterage on the Thames, it would be wrong to omit reference to the more recent developments which have provided hope for the future. Inevitably the trade's fortunes must depend upon the health of the port as a whole and this has been seriously affected over the past eight years when the setting-up of the Rochdale Commission in 1964 by the Labour Government heralded a decade of increasing political uncertainty. This resulted in the virtual absence of capital investment in the lighterage trade itself, and the Port of London Authority devoted its capital expenditure to the development of the new container and unit-load berths at Tilbury and to the construction of the grain terminal. This modern bulk grain facility has provided a better prospect for the trade in the movement of not only grain but other seeds such as soya beans. At the end of 1970 the first of Gulf Lines LASH vessels, the Arcadia Forest, tied up in the Medway and discharged its floating square boxes, carrying up to 435 tons of forest products, which were then moved up that river to the mills at Aylesford and round into the Thames to those at Northfleet. This concept of sea freight movement was further extended in 1972 with the arrivai at Gravesend of the Doctor Lykes, the first of the Lykes Lines Seabee ships which carry even larger units of 832 tons. The

contract for the discharge and loading of the barges themselves was secured by Mercantile Lighterage, and included the towage to up-river destinations. The container and the unit load were designed for the lorry and the freightliner train. A ship discharging to lorry provides the means of direct delivery to ultimate destination in one operation. Intermediate handling of such modules, even to custom built pontoon barges, is wholly uneconomic. The movement of a large volume of raw materials and possibly exports direct to and from waterside manufacturers would, of course, be a different matter. However, despite the cries of the environmentalists, barge traffic on the Thames is likely to fulfil a very much more humble vole in the future. Bulk cargoes of grain, soya beans, sugar, chemicals, fertiliser and refuse, coupled with export of cased engineering products, some timber and relatively small quantities of tinned food, coffee, dried fruit and the like, will continue to be handled by barge, or should one say "floating box"; the next generation of barges will almost certainly be similar in design to those which will be "pushtowed" in increasing numbers to and from their LASH-type mother vessels. Self-propelled barges with their domiciled crews will remain viable only in circumstances of rapid movement and turnround, and a relatively high base load demand throughout the year. Romance and realism, wistfulness and the harsh facts of commercial life, these are the ingredients of an industry which, in the annals of transport, takes second place to none and can claim to have been a major contributor to the past prosperity of our country and the development of world trade. This article was originally published in the 1975 edition of Ocean Journal.

Inséré le 11 avril 13 Boeken Livres Enlevé le 11 mai 13

“Zeebrugge Oostende Jaarboek 2012”. B O E K B E S P R E K I N G Door : Frank Bij het Antwerpse Mediabedrijf De Lloyd verscheen, na maanden van voorbereidend werk, de volledig bijgewerkte uitgave van het “Jaarboek van de havens van Zeebrugge en Oostende”, dit jaar onder de titel “Zeebrugge Oostende Jaarboek 2012”. Het boek groeide over de jaren heen uit tot een onmisbaar werkinstrument voor iedereen die in welk opzicht dan ook, te maken heeft met de werking van onze Vlaamse kusthavens Zeebrugge en Oostende. Tweetalig opgesteld (Nederlands – Engels) biedt het jaarboek alle nuttige informatie over de havenautoriteiten, de officiële maritieme instanties en alle bedrijven die actief zijn in beide havens. Ook instanties die maar zijdelings bij de havenuitbating betrokken zijn, werden in het jaarboek opgenomen. Het werk werd gebruiksvriendelijk opgesteld zodat opzoeken in het boek kinderspel is. Bovendien wordt dit opzoeken sterk vereenvoudigd door de opname in het jaarboek van een aantal indexes. Zo is er ondermeer een personenindex die alle opgenomen namen met hun functie weergeeft. “Zeebrugge Oostende Jaarboek 2012” (ISBN 978-90-817878-3-3) telt 244 pagina’s. Bestellen kan bij Mediabedrijf De Lloyd, Jan van Gentstraat 1,


MSC Savona equipped with GL SeaScout GL SeaScout 2.0 has been installed on board the MSC SAVONA, Reederei Claus-Peter Offen’s 14,000 TEU containership. GL Maritime Software’s navigational decision-making support system will help the vessel to optimise routing; minimising voyage costs while maintaining safe passage, however seaway and weather conditions might vary. GL SeaScout is an integrated onboard system that provides ship’s officers with decision-making support. By combining advanced computations with seaway measurements, wave and weather forecasts, cargo data, and other signals, GL SeaScout informs a ship’s officers of how a ship is responding to the current conditions. It also shows alarms and warnings when there is a risk of extreme motions, including rolling, slamming, and bending moment, and allows the officers to simulate different speeds and courses. In this way it assists in choosing a speed and course that are optimised for the particular ship’s hull, taking account of the prevailing seaway and loading conditions of the ship. On board the 14,000 TEU containership, the GL SeaScout installation will interface with a state-of-the-art radar based wave measurement system to provide the most accurate results. GL SeaScout will be fully integrated into the ship, so that access to weather forecast and navigational data is established via the ship’s network. The GL SeaScout workstation is built directly into the bridge console. The GL SeaScout installation on the MSC Savona will contribute to a joint development project between GL and Korean shipyard DSME (JDP Springing & Whipping) to permanently record environmental conditions. The objective of this long term measurement campaign is to collect data for GL's ongoing rule development. Additionally, the information will be used by FutureShip, a GL company, for the validation of numerical simulation methods with respect to whipping and springing phenomena. Source: GL Group


AIS-based business optimisation tools to help tanker operators Large shipping companies face a variety of challenges in a highly competitive environment*. This is especially true in the petrochemical industry where there are many complex processes to execute, from contract/charter setup and management to voyage and traffic management, invoicing for freight, demurrage and pass-through services, and both corporate and regulatory business and tax reporting. Likewise, marine terminals face growing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance visibility to every aspect of a similarly complex marine terminal environment. While fleet operators and their customers, alike, have tried to adapt general-purpose planning software, or off-the-shelf fleet management solutions to their business process automation needs, many still execute these tasks manually with paper or spreadsheets. Now, both organisations can work together to reduce costs and improve efficiency, safety and security by using systems that fully integrate Automatic Identification System (AIS)-based vessel tracking with analytical, reporting and process-improvement tools. For fleet operators, this new category of purpose-built solution streamlines a wide variety of transportation management processes while simultaneously creating a strong competitive advantage. Not only do these systems provide a single, convenient operational dashboard with they can streamline and automate their day-to-day tasks, the tools can also be used collaboratively with companion dock management systems on the customer side to deliver the additional value of streamlining invoicing and regulatory reporting on both sides of the transaction. Fleet operators who use legacy systems are vulnerable to redundant data entry and other user errors. These manual solutions also hinder productivity and eliminate the opportunity to track, analyse and optimise operational efficiency. Although general-purpose software and off-the-shelf fleet management solutions can streamline some processes, they don’t generally address the unique workflow and many specialised tasks, assets and elements of a typical tanker fleet, particularly marine operations associated with the petrochemical supply chain. The latest fleet management systems meet these challenges by adding advanced AIS capabilities to existing satellite-based vessel-tracking systems that many fleet operators are already using to enhance visibility, reporting and alerting for vessel movements and activities. Adding an AIS vesseltracking platform improves operational speed, productivity and efficiency in an environment where time is literally money and errors can quickly erase profit margins. AIS provides real-time visibility and reporting of the fleet near-shore, at a level of resolution not typically available from traditional satellite-based fleet management platforms. Further, in cases where a fleet operator’s customer is also using similar process-optimisation solutions on the terminal side, there are additional opportunities to collaborate on invoice preparation, delivery and validation, as well as business and tax reporting, significantly streamlining and improving the accuracy of what typically have been complex and time-consuming processes. How it works Fleet management systems automate and enhance charter, voyage and fleet management. The systems are used to create new contracts, define term and spot charters, and activate jobs that define all associated details and activities. They also automate daily traffic reporting and invoicing,

including the creation and delivery of configurable invoices for freight, demurrage and pass-through services. This eliminates paper while significantly reducing errors and labour. Once a customer charters a vessel, the contract and charter details are entered into the system, which ideally should have the flexibility to accommodate customer-specific contract provisions and billing terms, including demurrage, maintenance, delays, and billing of passthrough services. Next, a new voyage is created within the system. The voyage indicates the vessel, barges, and any relevant destinations, such as load ports and discharge ports. For optimal efficiency, this information should be automatically available on each vessel after the voyage is created. This is possible by using a communications system that combines AIS, cellular and satellite communication with least cost routing (LCR) capabilities to ensure the lowest possible communications service costs. Vessels receive voyage information as a new job through an activity logger installed in the wheelhouse of each vessel. Activity loggers can be flexible, touch-screen devices, or simply an application installed on an existing on-board PC. All activities associated with the voyage are then entered by bridge personnel, including logging of delays that will impact demurrage invoicing. The crew can see all job details, which are also shared with the traffic department so that crew, dispatchers, schedulers, traffic managers and customers all have the same information and traffic personnel can actively manage fleet activities. Finally, a fleet management system should also provide a suite of detailed post-voyage reporting to further streamline the business associated with fleet operations. Fleet managers can also use the system to automate daily traffic reporting to customers and provide both real-time visibility and historical reporting through AIS-augmented vessel-tracking information. At the conclusion of each job, back-office personnel can use fleet management systems to prepare freight and demurrage invoices, plus invoices for pass-through services and any fees or taxes that are applicable to the job. The system provides vessel owners with the flexibility to configure their invoicing process so that it meets the specific requirements of their business. Additionally, all job details are stored within the fleet management system’s data warehouse, so users can generate a wide variety of specific reports as required. The system should supports numerous industry-standard reports and enable users to review historical vessel movements for the fleet (and other AIS-enable vessels) to assist in resolving commercial disputes, enhancing training, or supporting compliance activities. Finally, fleet management systems also can be used to improve implementation of Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) guidelines. Published by OCIMF, these guidelines help vessel operators assess and improve safety management systems against key performance indicators (KPIs). Fleet management systems enable fleet operators to achieve important TMSA objectives,

including high levels of data integration, a collaborative approach to managing voyages and the ability to seamlessly move information across departments. One example of this type of solution is PortVision’s Fleet Management System, which provides an end-to-end, web-based platform for running busy fleet operations, from onboard touchscreen activity logging on each vessel, to automated invoicing of freight, demurrage and pass-through invoicing. The system leverages the company’s AIS-based reporting service both on desktop systems and the latest full-featured smartphones, including BlackBerry, iPhone and Android devices. Customer collaboration A valuable benefit of modern fleet management systems is their ability to integrate job activity reporting data directly into management systems used by fleet operators’ customers to optimise terminal and refinery operations. These customers include petrochemical refiners and third-party midstream facilities. Terminal operators are already using AIS-based business optimisation tools across a variety of applications. These systems help marine transportation managers improve chartering, scheduling, vetting, logistics, loss control and demurrage management. They also help operations managers streamline and enhance activities associated with front-line dock activities and dock management. As an example, one of the world’s largest refiners based in the US is using a dock management system to speed, simplify and improve the job of dock scheduling, managing dock and cargo transfer operations and analysing and validating demurrage claims. The system provides continuous visibility to all dock and vessel activities, and has enabled senior management to cut costs and labour requirements, optimise the supply chain and drive better business decisions. The demurrage process, alone, has been significantly reduced and the staff has been freed from its previous, error-prone demurrage book keeping process and can now focus on other, higher-value and more rewarding activities. In another application example, one large, Houston-based fuel, lubricant and petrochemical refiner, transporter and marketer has used AIS-based terminal management tools to automatically notify construction staff anytime a vessel is transiting at high speed toward a dock that was under construction. AIS-based tools can also be used in a forensic capacity, as well. A large refinery on the US Gulf Coast, for instance, used its terminal management system to identify and secure compensation from a vessel that it believed had created a surge large enough to damage a loading arm on one of its docks, start a fire and put the dock out of service. All necessary forensic evidence was available with the AISbased terminal management system to identify which vessel was responsible and calculate how fast it was traveling. The refinery also was able to identify other impacted vessels and put a team on site within enough time to locate valuable witnesses. Based on a combination of the forensic AIS data and eyewitness accounts, the refinery was able to prepare a watertight case for a compensatory damage claim and settle the matter with the vessel operator. There are even greater benefits to be realised when these tools are used collaboratively on both sides of the dock by fleet operators and terminal management. All of the world’s major oil companies, as well as many chemical manufacturers, third-party tank storage facilities and public dock facilities, plus key marine logistics personnel from a number of the oil majors, have clearly indicated that they would give preference to marine transportation companies that provided integrated activity reporting of the ‘Statement of Facts’ and related vessel activity data that influences refinery and marine terminal operations. This integration yields a number of benefits. First, it enables fleet operators and their customers to share traffic updates and other fleet management data in near-real time. Second, it streamlines invoice generation and approval. Since the system captures all activities associated with each voyage

and automates the invoicing process based on contract terms, it is possible to significantly enhance the invoicing process at a job’s conclusion. As a result, a demurrage process that might have taken weeks, or months, can now be completed in days, while eliminating errors and customer disputes. Third, this cross-system integration allows operators and customers to automatically share volumes and other key data that they must report to tax and regulatory agencies. By working together on record-keeping associated with product transfers, fleet operators and their customers can reduce the discrepancies that are often triggered by regulatory agencies. These discrepancies often result in audits and significant additional labour to be incurred by both vessel operator and terminal personnel. Sharing key data associated with transfers also can significantly reduce the likelihood of future reporting discrepancies. With today’s business optimisation tools, fleet managers and marine transportation service operators can automate the many specialised tasks associated with service monitoring, reporting and invoicing. In addition to streamlining and enhancing complex fleet operations, these systems also provide the unique opportunity to roll up information from multiple processes into a complete picture that drives improvements across the entire business cycle, from analytics to invoicing. When used collaboratively with dock management systems on the customer side, these fleet management systems further streamline and improve the accuracy of invoice preparation and validation plus a variety of regulatory business and compliance reporting functions. This can create higher-value customer relationships and a significant competitive advantage for fleet owners and operators, while driving increases in fleet utilisation and associated revenues. TO *This article was written by Dean Rosenberg CEO ofPortVision, whose web-based enterprise software and services are designed to help oil companies, marine terminal operators, fleet owners/operators and other maritime users improve business operations through instant, continuous visibility into vessel and terminal activities.

Inséré le 15 avril 13 OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 15 mai 13

Cargo heating management a green initiative Over recent years, environmental sustainable solutions have gained enough awareness and environmental conservation has become an important issue, which needs due attention at the forefront of existing and upcoming operational practices. With depleting fossil fuels and increased emissions taking a constant toll on the ecological balance, it's imperative for key market players to allocate an optimum amount of their technological capital to address these issues.

Spearheading the going green move in the shipping industry; Blue Water, a Dehradun (India) based marine consulting firm, has implemented what it claims is a unique approach for optimising the cargo heating operations on board tankers by proper planning and monitoring using the company's Cargo Heating Management Service. This is a tool specifically developed for tankers by harnessing the experience of Blue Water's expertise taken from diverse industries. "Since inception of cargo heating management service in October 2008, we have helped our client's in achieving around 16,000 tonnes of fuel savings to June 2011 when compared with their historical benchmark figures," claimed Anurag Datta, Blue Water Trade Winds' manager (technical & business development). He further added that corresponding emission reductions of around 48,000 tonnes (CO2: 45,909 tonnes, Sox: 896 tonnes, NOx: 1,195 tonnes) were achieved during the same reporting period. Cargo Heating Management Service optimises the shipboard fuel oil consumption required for cargo heating along with estimating the cargo temperature trend over a specified voyage. Comprehensive data is compiled for the operational losses by theoretical calculation and statistical record analysis of a number of heated cargo voyages on various ship models. Along with reducing overall fuel oil consumption costs on board ship, the system also significantly reduces the direct costs and man hours incurred in the running and maintenance of auxiliary machineries, such as boilers and its other ancillaries that are used in the process of heating the cargo. By optimising fuel consumption, the service not only enables the ship to save fossil fuel but also helps it to reduce harmful emissions, thus contributing towards a cleaner and greener plant. There are three stages of working: 1) Data collection

The first stage of developing the service for a particular vessel is the collection of relevant inputs from the ship, such as the vessel particulars, performance data of its steam generation system and other factors that directly affect the overall efficiency of the cargo heating system on board. The inputs received from the vessel are covered in the initial report and can be classified under two separate categories. a) Static factors The static factors of a vessel have a significant impact on the cargo heating system and remain constant for each vessel irrespective of the changing voyage plans, grades of cargo and fuel oil being used on board. These factors include the plans of the ship, giving insight into the vessel's constructional details, such as whether the vessel is single or double hull, the total cargo carrying capacity and the number of cargo tanks and their layout on board the vessel. The constant factors also include details and part performance reports of the vessels existing cargo heating steam systems and equipment, such as details of the boiler, the boiler performance curves, the burner nozzle characteristics along with design details of the waste heat recovery system of the ship. b) Variable factors The variable factors need to be continuously monitored, as they change depending upon the cargo and fuel oil quality, stowage and voyage plans of the vessel. Those affecting the cargo heating operations are the grade and chemical qualities of the cargo oil and the fuel oil being used for each specific voyage. The initial report takes into consideration the vessel's stowage plan and ballast plan for the particular voyage to calculate estimated daily heat losses. Depending upon the voyage plan, the heating requirements in the expected climatic conditions for the particular oceanic region are decided. During the voyage the cargo heating service ensures a daily reporting system from the vessel to shore to enable the analysts to monitor all variable parameters and suggest corrective actions in-case of finding any deviations from the set values. 2) Data processing The inputs received in the vessel's initial report are then exhaustively processed by specialised analysers. During the processing of data, the performance and characteristics curves of the boiler and burner are digitised and the optimum operational parameters to improve overall heating efficiency of the system are calculated. Based upon past statistical records, fuel oil report analysis, cargo oil data sheets and mathematical calculations heating schedules and fuel oil consumption for cargo oil heating is estimated. The processing and analysis for the service also takes into consideration the effect of the vessel's stowage plan and the weather during the voyage by referring to naval hydrographs. 3) Heating plan, reporting and feedback Once all the data received from the vessel has been processed, a comprehensive cargo heating plan is developed and sent back to the ship's staff The plan covers all minute details required to attain an optimum cargo heating management service on board the ship.

The plan gives an estimation of the number of heating days and the heating schedules to be followed for a particular voyage along with the estimated daily fuel consumption figures in the process. It also gives the optimum boiler load, condensate temperatures and feed water temperatures to be maintained to maximise heating efficiency and fuel savings. The plan comprises of a daily reporting and feedback system that facilitates consistent recommendations and trouble shooting from the analysts throughout the voyage. At the end of the voyage a post voyage summary along with other optional reports are devised for performance monitoring of the cargo heating operations. First step The initial report is the first step towards the service implementation on board ship and must be sent by the vessel's staff before each voyage to the analysts in the designed format. The report consists of the all the vessel and cargo particulars (variable and static factors) required to process the voyage specific cargo heating plan. Based on the initial report obtained from a particular ship, a comprehensive voyage specific cargo heating plan is prepared using special software, which takes into account voyage data received from the vessel and various other factors, such as heat losses, expected drop in cargo temperature in the prevailing weather, climatic, regional and seasonal conditions, cargo and fuel characteristics, vessel type and freeboard, which have significant impact on fuel consumption and time required for heating. The plan is sent on board along with guidelines for further implementation by the vessel's crew. A daily heating telegram is exclusively used as a means of communication between the ship and Blue Water to monitor the cargo heating performance on daily basis. It is a daily report sent by the vessel to the Blue Water analysts covering details and values of the parameters of the cargo heating system along with all the variable factors that can affect the system's efficiency. This enables the analysts to

continuously monitor progress and initiate timely actions in case of any discrepancy is found, or expected. After each voyage is completed, a complete analysis of the service is sent to the vessel and vessel's managers along with comprehensive graphs that compare the projected cargo heating hours and fuel oil consumption for the heating operation to the actual heating hours and fuel oil consumption during the voyage. The analysis also contains the actual fuel oil consumption in cargo heating operations along with trends, general observations and necessary recommendations to further improve efficiency of the system. "Our recent market study shows projected fuel-savings and GHG (Green House Gases) reductions of around 222,777 tonnes & 668,331 tonnes respectively, if cargo heating management service is implemented on 4,976 voyages, totaling around 332,102,428 tonnes of heated cargo transported worldwide, over the next five-years period", explained Capt Sanjay Singh, GM (operations) at Blue Water. Versatility of the service can be further judged by its quick acceptance by leading tanker owners and charterers within a short time frame, the company claimed. "Lacking over past three years was an external validation of the service by a scientific research organisation", said Capt Kumaresh Gupta, Blue Water Trade Winds founder. Despite having an ISO 9001 approval from DNV, Capt Gupta welcomed feedback on the service, both technically and commercially, to improve it further. Many researchers have shown interest in the underlying presumptions made and it has also attracted the attention of leading research universities in recent years, reports Nikhil Mahendra, an MBA student at University of Toronto, whose statistical research of the `Cargo Heating Management Service Model' reflects a promising outcome further validating the consistency prediction model used by Blue Water. Mahendra and his team have carried out analysis on voyage data from over 100 consecutive voyages in order to verify the appropriateness and accuracy of the service's prediction model. Blue Water Trade Winds was formed to provide dynamic professional marine services & solutions for the shipping Industry. Its strength lies in its diversified experience in shipping, information technology, research and design-engineering fields, the company claimed. The company's personnel has a mix of sailing and shore-based experience. Blue Water is a DNV accredited ISO 9001-2008 organisation and has been serving major flags states since 2006. TankerOperators Oct 2011

Inséré le 17 avril 13 News Nouvelles Enlevé le 17 mai 13 Zeilschip zonder zeilen

Het Sifferdok in de Gentse haven was recentelijk het decor voor een bijzonder schouwspel: het innovatieve E-ship 1, dat gedeeltelijk door wind wordt aangedreven, legde er aan om molenwieken te laden. Eerlijk is eerlijk: een schoonheid is het E-ship 1 niet. Het mag dan het meest ecologisch verantwoorde schip ter wereld zijn, qua esthetiek is het geen hoogvlieger. Een logge romp, een stompe boeg en dan die 27 meter hoge zuilen op de vier hoeken, die er uitzien als uit de kluiten gewassen tafelpoten. Maar het zijn wel die vier zuilen die het schip zo bijzonder maken. Dit zijn namelijk de Flettner-rotors, waarmee het schip de wind als voortstuwingsmechanisme kan gebruiken. Dat laatste heeft het E-ship 1 gemeen met zeilschepen. Eigenaar van het E-ship 1 is de Duitse windturbinespecialist Enercon. Die gebruikt het om enorme molenwieken te vervoeren naar de plaatsen waar windturbines worden geplaatst. Het schip is dan ook in Gent om een lading van 48 molenwieken te laden en naar het Duitse Emden te transporteren. Als specialist in windenergie beschikt Enercon over een afdeling ‘nieuwe technologieën’, waar het idee ontstond om een eigen schip uit te rusten met Flettner-rotors. Die zijn genoemd naar de Duitse ontwerper Anton Flettner, die het principe al in 1920 met succes toepaste. De Enercon-ingenieurs haalden het concept vanonder het stof en pasten het na tests in een windtunnel toe op het vrachtschip. ‘Alles aan dit schip is erop gericht om zo weinig mogelijk brandstof te gebruiken en de uitstoot tot het minimum te beperken’, zegt Rolf Rohden, de project manager van het E-ship 1 in Windblatt, het tijdschrift van Enercon. De vier rotors werken als zeilen, maar zouden tot tienmaal zo efficiënt zijn bij het omzetten van windenergie in voortstuwingskracht. Daarnaast zijn ook de vorm van het schip, het roer, en de schroef gericht op de minimalisering van het energieverbruik. ‘We willen met dit schip echt laten zien wat er mogelijk is’, zegt Rohden. ‘Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat dit een eerste belangrijke stap is in de richting van een energierevolutie in de scheepvaart’. De Flettner-rotor lijkt één van de vele technologische vernieuwingen die ooit veelbelovend leken, maar door een samenloop van omstandigheden in de mist van de geschiedenis zijn verdwenen. Het is gebaseerd op het zogenaamde Magnuseffect, dat in 1852 beschreven werd door Heinrich Gustav Magnus. Dit effect zorgt ervoor dat een tennisbal die snel ronddraait, een gekromde in plaats van een rechte baan beschrijft. Dat komt doordat de luchtdruk aan weerszijden van de draaiende bal verschilt. Op dezelfde manier verschilt ook deluchtdruk als de wind langs de sneldraaiende rotors op het E-ship 1 beweegt. Door dat verschil in luchtdruk wordt het schip voortbewogen.

Het duurde overigens nog zeventig jaar voordat het Magnus-effect werd toegepast op schepen. Dat gebeurde voor het eerst toen de wiskundeleraar en uitvinder Anton Flettner in 1924 het vrachtschip Buckau met twee Flettner-rotors uitrustte. Een tweede Flettner-schip, de Barbara, voer tussen 1926 en 1929 succesvol over de Middellandse Zee. Daar bleef het vervolgens bij. Reders waren niet geïnteresseerd in de technologie, omdat de energiebesparingen niet opwogen tegen de investering. Pas in 1973 gaf de oliecrisis de belangstelling voor de Flettner-rotors weer een nieuwe impuls. In 1986 werden plannen gesmeed voor een Flettner-olietanker, maar ze werden weer afgeblazen toen de olieprijs zakte. Twintig jaar later bouwde de universiteit van Flensburg een catamaran met één Flettner-rotor. Pas in 2010 werd er echt een nieuw hoofdstuk in de Flettner-geschiedenis geschreven, toen het E-ship 1 te water gelaten werd in Emden. De Flettner-schepen staan volop in de belangstelling bij technologie-adepten. Op het internet zijn verscheidene filmpjes te zien van experimenten met Flettner-modelscheepjes die door een oversized badkuip of een zwembad worden voortbewogen met wind die uit een ventilator komt. Maar of de technologie echt een revolutie in de scheepvaart inluidt, zoals Enercon hoopt, valt nog af te wachten. ‘Hoeveel energie we met dit innovatieve systeem besparen, moeten we nog evalueren. Daarover zijn eind dit jaar gegevens beschikbaar’, laat Enercon-woordvoerder Felix Rehwald weten. Volgens ingenieurs zouden de Flettner-rotors voor een energiebesparing van 30 tot 40 procent moeten zorgen. Helemaal uitstootvrij is het E-ship 1 niet, want de rotors worden aangedreven door dieselmotoren.

Inséré le 19 avril 13 News Nouvelles Enlevé le 19 mai 13 Keihard werk voor terugkeer Kongoboot Charlesville Watererfgoed Vlaanderen heeft de voorbije maanden keihard gewerkt aan het zakelijk dossier om de laatste Kongoboot, de Charlesville (thans 'Georg Büchner' genaamd) terug naar België te halen. Nadat de huidige eigenaar, een lokale jeugdherberg in Rostock, het als monument beschermde schip op illegale wijze had verkocht, de Duitse overheid hier een stokje voor stak en de jeugdherberg vervolgens faillissement aanvroeg, heeft de curator het schip op 22 maart terug vrijgegeven voor overdracht aan een partij die het schip wil verwerven voor de prijs van 1 euro, onder verplichting het te behouden. In nauw overleg met de Duitse overheid staan wij de twee Belgische kandidaat-overnemers met raad en daad bij in de concretisering van het overnamedossier. Hierin zijn de jongste dagen belangrijke stappen gezet, die binnen enkele weken kunnen leiden tot een definitieve beslissing. De kandidaten hebben de intentie uitgedrukt het schip over te nemen indien aan een aantal randvoorwaarden is voldaan, waaromtrent nu verdere onderzoeken en besprekingen lopen. In het belang van het project en in afspraak met de Duitse overheid en de twee kandidaten worden momenteel geen verdere details vrijgegeven. Uiteraard zullen wij later gedetailleerde informatie

verstrekken over de acties van onze organisatie en het eindresultaat. Berichten in de Duitse pers moeten ondertussen met een korrel zout worden genomen. Onze actie wordt alvast gesteund door meer dan 75 organisaties, die duizenden Charlesville-enthousiastelingen vertegenwoordigen. Wij ontvangen voortdurend steunbetuigingen, suggesties en interessante documentatie, waarvoor oprecht dank. Verder namen wij met belangstelling kennis van het recente initiatief om een vzw m/s Charlesville op te richten, die de geschiedenis van het schip wil bestuderen. Watererfgoed Vlaanderen is niet bij deze vzw betrokken en het nieuwe initiatief staat dan ook volledig los van onze reddingsactie. De nieuwe vereniging is uiteraard welkom om tot Watererfgoed Vlaanderen toe te treden en ons Manifest voor de redding van het schip te onderschrijven.

Watererfgoedgesprek met Charlesville-officier Kapt. Frans-Jozef de Lannoy Antwerps ere-havenkapitein Frans-Jozef 'Sus' de Lannoy, inmiddels 80 maar flamboyanter dan ooit, startte zijn loopbaan als officier aan boord van schepen van de Compagnie Maritime Belge. In 1966 beëindigde hij zijn zeevarende loopbaan aan boord van de Charlesville, het laatste Kongoschip dat we nu met alle macht trachten terug te halen naar België. In een uitvoerig watererfgoedgesprek laten we een bevoorrecht getuige van het leven aan boord aan het woord. En het behoeft geen betoog dat ook kapitein de Lannoy onze Kongoboot maar al te graag terug zijn thuishaven zou zien binnenlopen ! Als toetje tonen we een schitterende reeks postkaarten uit Sus' archief die de Compagnie Maritime Belge uitgaf onder de titel 'Enkele herinneringen van het leven aan boord'. Vermoedelijk zijn de beelden getrokken aan boord van een zusterschip van de Charlesville. De originele onderschriften zijn de helft van het vermaak.

Sus, wat betekenden de Kongoboten in uw loopbaan ?

Anno 1953 startte een officierscarrière ter lange omvaart met een jaar opleiding op het schoolschip Mercator gevolgd door 2 jaar Hogere Zeevaartschool. In 1956 maakte ik mijn eerste reis aan boord van de Mar del Plata, een schip van de Compagnie Maritime Belge dat na de tweede wereldoorlog op ZuidAmerika en in de vijftiger jaren op Kongo voer en dus een voorloper van de ville-boten was. In 1958 was ik derde officier op de Thysville. Bij de onafhankelijkheid van Kongo in 1960 namen we 1.000 vluchtelingen aan boord, die in groepjes waren toegestroomd. Sommige vrouwen waren verkracht, maar dat werd behandeld met discretie, in een taboesfeer. Vervolgens werden de vluchtelingen verdeeld over andere schepen, waaronder de Charlesville en vrachtschepen. De ville-boten vervoerden normaal een 230 passagiers. De Kongolese bemanning was bij ons van boord gegaan en zo vertrok de Thysville met een kleine 550 passagiers van Matadi naar Pointe Noire in Kongo-Brazzaville. De kinderen legden we in de badkuipen, zodat ze niet uit bed konden rollen. U voer later ook op de Charlesville zelf ? Ja, in 1966 was ik tweede officier op de Charlesville, en ik maakte er twee reizen mee. Ik kwam terug als eerste officier. De Charlesville was één van de laatste oude gloriën van de koopvaardij: een kapitein, een eerste, tweede, derde officier, twee vierde officieren en vier aspirant-officieren. Ik heb aan boord van de Charlesville mijn zeevarende carrière beëindigd, want ik bereikte de leeftijdslimiet van 34 jaar om een waljob in openbare dienst aan te vatten. Ik werd toen havenluitenant bij de Stad Antwerpen en later havenkapitein. Wat hield de taak van officier aan boord van de Charlesville in ? De job was erg eenvoudig en routineus, want al de lading ging aan boord in Antwerpen en er terug uit in Kongo, en omgekeerd. Als tweede officier hield ik me bezig met de navigatie, maar daarnaast ook met de detailberekening van de stabiliteit. De ruwe stabiliteit was voor en tijdens het laden berekend door de eerste officier. Ook verbeterde ik de zeekaarten, een tijdrovende bezigheid van erg groot belang. Wanneer bijvoorbeeld een boei was verplaatst moest dat nauwgezet op de kaart worden overgebracht, een fout kon een stranding veroorzaken en dan was het gedaan met je carrière. De Charlesville had maar 40 zeekaarten aan boord, van Hamburg tot Angola, en elke reis werden 10 nieuwe kaarten besteld, wat het correctiewerk beperkte. Een andere taak was het doorsturen van meteorologische waarnemingen aan het KMI. Om de 4 uur stuurden we gegevens over bewolking, temperatuur, temperatuur van het zeewater enz. door naar België, onze bijdrage tot de wereldmeteo in de tijd toen er nog geen satellieten bestonden. Natuurlijk werden de verslagen wel eens geflatteerd om werk te besparen, bijvoorbeeld als er maar één heel klein wolkje aan de hemel was dat moest gecatalogeerd worden, was de melding zero wolken gemakkelijker, maar als de kapitein het ontdekte volgde de sigaar. Hoe liepen de officieren gekleed ? We droegen een chique uniform, volgens strikte regels. Bij vertrek hadden we een zwart of donkerblauw uniform aan, in Tenerife werd het een zwarte vest met witte broek, de dag na Tenerife verschenen we helemaal in het wit. Dit gold voor alle officieren. De kapitein, de eerste officier en de chef mecanicien hadden ook een gala-uniform en een spencer, een soort maritieme smoking. Tweemaal per week werden onze kleren gewassen en de uniformen gesteven. Natuurlijk vormde dit protocol geen hinderpaal voor zeemanshumor. Ik herinner me een Vlaamse collega die een panische schrik had van een nogal autoritaire kapitein en vrij zenuwachtig rapport uitbracht over de

weersgesteldheid met de woorden : “le baromètre baise commandant” in plaats van “le baromètre est en baisse”, waarop de kapitein, die toen tevergeefs een vrouwelijke passagierster achternazat, laconiek antwoordde: "alors il a plus de chance que moi", onvertaalbaar natuurlijk. Had de Charlesville in 1966 in feite nog commercieel succes ? Tot de onafhankelijkheid voeren de Kongoschepen heen en weer met volle lading. Uitgaand was het schip vaak volgeladen in volume, maar niet in gewicht. In 1966 was de uitgaande lading verminderd tot een 2.000 ton, maar de boten kwamen nog steeds volgeladen terug. In 1966 had de Charlesville nog maar een veertigtal passagiers aan boord, 2/3 voor Kongo met steevast enkele paters en nonnen en 1/3 voor Tenerife. De meeste reizigers namen toen het vliegtuig. Ingevolge akkoorden met de CMB moesten bepaalde ambtenaren altijd de boot nemen. Een overtocht Antwerpen-Matadi anno 1960 in eerste klas zal zo'n 24.000 frank hebben gekost, altijd betaald door de werkgever van de passagier. De paters en nonnen reisden in tweede klas. Van toeristen was voor de onafhankelijkheid geen sprake. De passagiers reisden allemaal voor hun werk. Ook van bezoekende familieleden was toen geen sprake. In de jaren zestig ging 1/3 van onze passagiers van boord in Tenerife, dat waren de eerste massatoeristen. Van de Kongoreizigers ontscheepte de helft in Lobito, de helft in Matadi. Lobito was via de Benguela-spoorweg verbonden met Katanga, van Matadi liep een spoorlijn naar Léopoldville, nu Kinshasa. Vóór de onafhankelijkheid vervoerden de Kongoschepen ook massa's post: de Thysville nam ongeveer 2.000 grote zakken briefpost aan boord, en nog eens 2.000 zakken met postpakjes. De helft ging van boord in Lobito en was bestemd voor Katanga, de andere helft ging door naar Matadi, richting Léopoldville. Hoe zag het vaarschema eruit ? Dat was erg simpel: Antwerpen - Tenerife - Lobito - Matadi - Boma - Tenerife - Antwerpen. De dienst volgde een erg strikt, klokvast schema, dat in totaal veertig dagen in beslag nam: 2 weken heen, 2 weken terug, ongeveer 12 dagen in de haven. De Charlesville vertrok op zaterdag om 12 uur aan het Zeestation van de CMB aan kaai 214, een moderne vracht- en passagiersterminal in het Leopolddok die in de plaats was gekomen van de ligplaatsen aan de Scheldekaaien. Twee weken later arriveerde het schip op zondag rond 17 uur in Matadi. Het schip had een 25 à 28 voet diepgang en kon altijd binnenlopen. In de tussenhaven Tenerife kwam het schip aan op donderdag, om 6 uur 's morgens, om 20 uur vertrok het terug, richting Kongo. Er was elke week een afvaart uit Antwerpen. Typische belading van de Charlesville bij een terugreis Matadi-Antwerpen Circa 9.000 ton lading, waarvan:  500 ton drinkwater (voor keuken, wasserij, douches, sommige koelingen; verbruik: 40 ton / 24 u)  500 ton fuel (verbruik: 40 ton / 24 u, er werd gebunkerd in Tenerife en indien nodig bijgebunkerd in Antwerpen en Lobito)  onderruim: 2.000 ton koper in lingots van 150 kilo, 1.500 ton boomstammen, 1.000 ton katoen  tussendekken: 500 ton koffie, 200 ton cacao, 300 ton caoutchouc, 500 ton halfafgewerkte houtproducten zoals planken en fineerhout, 500 ton zink, cassiteriet-erts in vaten,  

etc. dieptanks: 1.000 ton palmolie deklading : 500 ton boomstammen

Was de reis in feite comfortabel ? De Kongoboten maakten goed weer-reizen: eens voorbij de Golf van Gascogne en de Spaanse en Portugese kusten, voorbij Gibraltar, was er bijna altijd goed weer. Toch was meer dan de helft van de passagiers ziek bij ruw weer. De Charlesville, gebouwd in Antwerpen, was alleszins een knap

traditioneel zeeschip. Een vooruitstrevend kenmerk was de airco in de eerste klasse-cabines en het restaurant. De andere kajuiten, ook die van de bemanning, hadden dat niet. Hoe was het eten aan boord ? Het eten was vrij goed, en vooral veel. De middag- en avondmaaltijden verliepen ceremonieel. Normaal aten de kapitein, de eerste officier, de chef mecanicien, de eerste radiotelegrafist en de scheepsdokter altijd met de passagiers; de maître d'hôtel liet de tafelschikking voortdurend circuleren. Er werd gegeten op vaste uren, er werd geen onderscheid gemaakt tussen eerste en tweede klas. De kinderen aten niet samen met de volwassenen in het restaurant.

Er was ook een zwembad aan boord.

Ja, op het bovendek, en het zat altijd vol. Van 7 tot 9 uur 's avonds was het voorbehouden voor de scheepsofficieren, dan zaten de passagiers in het restaurant. Het zwembad bevatte zeewater en werd elke dag ververst. We lieten het leeglopen per graviteit en pompten er nieuw water in. In de tropen had het zeewater een temperatuur van 26 à 27 graden. Ook bij ruwer weer lieten we het zwembad leeglopen, want de 45 kubieke meter water 20 meter hoog boven de zeespiegel veroorzaakte een stabiliteitsvermindering van 5 procent.

Hoe waren de verhoudingen tussen de blanke en de zwarte bemanningsleden anno 1960 ? De kapitein en de hoofdwerktuigkundige hadden een full-time boy, de eerste officier een halftijdse. De boy waste kleren en kuiste de cabine. De kapitein had een zeer ruime cabine met apart bureau, slaapkamer en badkamer. Sommige kapiteins onderhielden een emotionele band met hun boy, enkelen werden zelfs peter van Kongolese kinderen. Bepaalde boys profiteerden van hun nauwe band met de kapitein. Omdat er weinig verlof was, 14 dagen per jaar en een halve dag per zondag op zee indien niet de dag van aankomst of vertrek, dus circa 40 dagen verlof na anderhalf jaar varen, namen de kapitein en zijn boy soms tegelijk verlof, de ene in België, de andere in Kongo. Over het algemeen namen zeelieden een minder koloniale houding aan, maar van een verbroedering kan men niet spreken. Blanken en zwarten hadden aparte kajuiten, en een eigen mess. Vóór de onafhankelijkheid deden de Kongolezen de simpelste jobs: het dek zwabben, kuisen. Het echte zeemanswerk, zoals het roerlopen of het splitsen van staaldraden en trossen, het onderhoud en klaarmaken van het laadgerei, gebeurde door de blanke bemanning. Sinds 1946 kregen alle bemanningsleden wel hetzelfde eten. Toen het jaar na de onafhankelijkheid een overstroming de kaaien van Matadi had blank gezet, maakten we de zwarten wijs dat ze door God waren gestraft: "Ce sont les punitions du bon dieu parce que vous avez demandé la dipenda". Goed passend in de paternalistische koloniale houding reserveerde de CMB voor de Kongolese bemanningsleden het bovenste tussendek van ruim 6, het achterste vrachtruim aan boord van de Charlesville. Daar

mochten ze tegen een kleine vergoeding persoonlijke lading aan boord zetten. Zo brachten ze in Antwerpen allerhande oude rommel aan boord, vaak oude meubels zoals handnaaimachines van Singer en pluchen zetels voor 100 frank gekocht bij het Leger des Heils. Die zetel werd dan ontscheept in Matadi, ging met een kamion door naar Tsjela, met een prauw nog 20 kilometer verder in het binnenland, dan werd hij nog een eind verder op het hoofd gedragen, om hem uiteindelijk cadeau te doen aan de 'chef de village', die een verre verwant was en waarvoor je wel een vrouwtje cadeau kreeg. Een ander handeltje werd opgezet met lege verfblikken van 50 liter. De zwarten verkochten die in Tenerife, waar nog grote armoede heerste en nog mensen in grotten leefden. De uitgekuiste potten scheepsverf dienden er voor watertransport van de boeren in het binnenland. De CMB-schepen die op de Verenigde Staten voeren, hadden echter alleen blanke bemanningsleden aan boord, dat was bekomen door de vakbonden, enerzijds om de blanke matrozen werk te verschaffen, en anderzijds paste het in de segregatie-politiek van België om te voorkomen dat de Kongolezen in de USA in contact zouden komen met negers die het materieel beter stelden. Werd aan boord Frans of Nederlands gebruikt ? Alle documenten voor de directie van de rederij en het scheepsjournaal waren eentalig Frans. Maar op de brug konden we ook Nederlands spreken, er was geen uitgesproken franskiljonisme. De helft van de dekofficieren was al Vlaming, in de machinekamer stonden bijna uitsluitend Vlamingen, maar wie echt slecht Frans sprak, kwam niet op een ville-boot. Toen ik in 1953 begon te studeren in de Zeevaartschool, was dat het eerste jaar met meer Vlaamse dan Waalse studenten. Er waren destijds meer Waalse dekofficieren dan Vlaamse, omdat voor het loodswezen en de havenkapiteinsdiensten in de hoofdzakelijk Vlaamse havens een zwaar taalexamen werd afgenomen; de meestal Walen konden slecht Nederlands en bleven dus langer varen; als ze aan wal gingen, was dat meestal in de privé-sector zoals P & I Clubs en rederijen. Mocht de bemanning contact hebben met de passagiers ? Contact met de passagiers was streng voorbehouden aan de kapitein, de eerste officier, de chefmécanicien, de eerste radiotelegrafist-officier, de scheepsdokter en de scheepscommissarissen, dit waren de pursers. Alle anderen hadden verbod met de passagiers te spreken. Een kleine uitzondering deed zich voor wanneer de eerste officier of de scheepsdokter me eens meenam naar het bar-café. Waren er vrouwelijke bemanningsleden aan boord ? Erg weinig. De stewards, het cabinepersoneel waren allemaal mannen, onder wie naar schatting een tiende homosexuelen, die als de beste stewards werden beschouwd en bij de passagiers het meest geliefd waren. Bij ontscheping werd voor het cabinepersoneel gebruikelijk een fooi achtergelaten die kon oplopen tot 1.000 frank. Er was ook een verpleegster aan boord. De scheepsdokter werkte tweemaal per dag, van 10 tot 11 uur en van 16 tot 17, en in noodgevallen. In feite had de man bijna niets te doen. Hij had uiteraard ook een boy om de medische ruimte te kuisen. Dan was er nog een monitrice om de kinderen bezig te houden, en spelletjes te spelen, uiteraard volledig in het Frans. De monitrice, meestal een kleuteronderwijzeres, was geassisteerd door 3 stewardessen, femmes de chambre, hoofdzakelijk voor de babies. In al die jaren heb ik slechts één sterfgeval meegemaakt op zee en dan nog op de Charlesville waar in tegenstelling tot de vrachtschepen wel een dokter aan boord was. Het ging om een stewardess die was overleden aan een hartaderbreuk. We hebben haar begraven in de Golf van Gascogne, gewikkeld in een zeildoek en verzwaard met afgedankt staal. Ik heb er geen foto van want de mensen waren anno 1966 veel discreter dan nu en de bemanning was zwaar onder de indruk.

Er was hopelijk toch wat vertier aan boord. Zeker, de belangrijkste festiviteiten waren de bals voor de passagiers: er was een welkomstbal 'le bal de bienvenue' na het vertrek, een 'bal de l'Equateur' en een 'bal d'adieu'. De dames verschenen in avondtoilet, als ze dat bezaten ten minste. De muziek kwam van platen die werden gedraaid door 'le musicien'. Sommige kapiteins studeerden vooraf de hoesteksten in, om de passagiers tijdens de lunch te imponeren met hun enorme musicologische bagage. En natuurlijk was er de doop bij het overschrijden van de evenaar, die alle passagiers moesten ondergaan. Om de drie dagen werd een film vertoond. In de fumoir bevond zich een redelijke bibliotheek van een paar honderd boeken. Maar chique passagiers waren het niet, we noemden ze vaak gepromoveerde landverhuizers. De omgangsvormen waren redelijk beschaafd, maar de kinderen van kolonialen waren over het algemeen minder opgevoed en nogal ongedisciplineerd, soms brutaal. Mochten de passagiers op de brug komen ?

Tijdens de heen- en de terugreis werd telkens één bezoek aan de brug georganiseerd, van 10 uur tot 11u30. De uitleg werd in het Frans of het Nederlands gegeven, maar zeker 90 % van de kolonialen koos voor het Frans. Vreemd genoeg, dames kozen altijd voor het Frans, zodat ik me desgevallend moest ontfermen over de Vlamingen, een paar paters en nonnen met zwaar Westvlaams of Kempisch accent en uitzonderlijk een tegendraadse flamingant. Daarbuiten kon via de kapitein of de eerste officier wel eens een extra bezoekje aan de brug worden georganiseerd.

Mogen onze lezers weten wat er allemaal gebeurde in de havens ? In Tenerife konden de passagiers excursies maken, met als klassieker een bezoek aan de hoogste berg, de Pico del Teïde, maar ze werden niet georganiseerd door de rederij. Er stonden altijd Spanjaarden klaar met oude taxi's. De scheepscommissaris kwam wel eens in de transactie tussen, allicht voor een klein eigen profijtje. In Kongo ging het laden en lossen dag en nacht door, uitzonderlijk werd het werk gestaakt op zondagnamiddag. Dan gingen sommige officieren aan wal en na 20 pinten en een pak sigaretten leverde dat in de tropische hitte 's anderendaags een enorme houten kop op. Maar niet iedereen ging drinken. Ongeveer 80 procent van de bemanning ging nooit van boord, vaak door gebrek aan interesse of gewoon uit zuinigheid. Ikzelf ben gaan varen om de wereld te zien en heb heel veel plaatsen bezocht. Kongo werd echter niet beschouwd als gezellig, het had geen stranden of zo, Lobito was veel aangenamer. In Kongo kende men ook nog geen sympathieke goedkope restaurants zoals de Portugezen dat kenden vanuit het moederland en naar Angola hadden meegebracht. We willen natuurlijk weten hoe het zat met havenprostitutie. In Tenerife was er een enorme prostitutie. In Kongo bestond ze ook, maar niet officieel. Volgens een stadsreglement van Matadi moest de blanke zeeman na zonsondergang het negerdorp verlaten maar sommigen omzeilden dat door pas ’s ochtends terug aan boord te gaan. Van zeemansliefjes zoals in Brazilië en Argentinië was in Kongo echter geen sprake.

Hoe was het laden en lossen georganiseerd ? In Kongo leidden de scheepsofficieren de werkzaamheden. Dan hadden we echt veel werk. Er waren nog geen containers, soms werden 30 verschillende loten koffie geladen. Ivoor hebben we weinig ingeladen, soms eens een ton of vijf, die dan werd geladen in speciale lockers. Waar een ploeg havenarbeiders in Antwerpen uit 6 of 8 man bestond, waren er in Kongo 12 nodig. Aan het hoofd ervan stond een capita, een foreman. De dokwerkers van Matadi werkten voor Otraco. Er stonden walkranen gebouwd in Tirlemont en bij Boomse Metaalwerken, zeer solide constructies waarvan sommige nu nog in gebruik zijn. De laadbomen van de Charlesville werden gebruikt voor overslag in en uit lichters. Ze werden bediend door zwarten. De scheepsagent in Matadi was AMI. Het stuwen van de lading, in Antwerpen uitgevoerd door een stuwadoorsbedrijf was in Kongo de taak van de dekofficieren. Wat verdiende de bemanning in die tijd ? In 1960 verdiende een tweede officier circa 12.000 frank netto, inbegrepen overuren. Er waren altijd overuren, zonder die vergoeding zag het er heel wat minder rooskleurig uit. Een vierde officier, altijd inclusief overuren, had 8.000 frank, een blanke matroos 5.000 frank, een Kongolese matroos 2.000 frank, een dokwerker in Matadi 1.000 frank. Een Kongolese zeeman was dus een rijke kerel. Onder de dek-officieren was bijna niemand gesyndiceerd, ik was een uitzondering, maar hield dit lidmaatschap discreet voor mezelf. De eerste officier besliste welke matrozen volgende keer terug mochten meevaren, de vakbond had daar niets aan te zeggen. De bemanning werd reis per reis aangemonsterd. En nu de belangrijkste vraag van allemaal: moet de Charlesville terug naar België komen ? Het zou prachtig zijn, kijk maar naar het voorbeeld van de Cap San Diego in Hamburg. Ik steun de terugkeer voluit !

Inséré le 21 avril 13 Historiek Historique Enlevé le 21 mai 13

I have before me as I write, a photostat of a page from The Times, of London dated Friday September 10, 1909, announcing that the Union Castle steamer Sabine of 3805 tons and built in 1895 had been chartered to search the great southern ocean over a rough quadrangle extending from the Agulhas Bank (the most southerly point of the African continent) ESE to the Crozet Islands, ENE to the lonely island of St. Paul and so westwards back to Durban. She was to endeavour to locate the missing passenger liner Waratah. The Sabine had been crammed with 4,000 tons of coal,extra stores and equipped with a searchlight. Expenses for the search expedition were to be defrayed jointly by the government and by the owners and underwriters of both ship and cargo. An experienced naval officer was detailed to sail in the Sabine in the capacity of adviser and

observer. The whole operation was based on the experience ten years earlier of the disabled steamer Waikato. This ship broke down on June 6, 1899, south of the Agulhas Bank and in 100 days drifted 2,000 miles as the crow flies in an easterly direction, being sent there by the prevailing westerly winds —the "Roaring Forties"—and the easterly set of current. She was eventually sighted and picked up on September 15. The newspaper report concludes by declaring that, “...though it would be unwise to be too sanguine about the results, everyone will hope sincerely that the Sabine may have the great satisfaction of retrieving the Waratah and bringing back to safety those who left Durban in the vessel on July 26th." Alas for all concerned, their high hopes proved to be in vain and today her disappearance is as big a mystery as it was in 1909 when the above extract appeared. Even today, a fact not generally appreciated by those outside the shipping industry, is that even in modem times with all our wealth of modern technical know-how, some ships proceeding about their business all too frequently and unaccountably vanish taking their crews and passengers with them. Through the years their numbers have been legion and, since the South African coast has been known for centuries as the "Cape of Storms" as well as being one of the main mile-stones in the crossroads of the sea, it is only natural that it too has had its share of mysterious disappearances. In recent years the tiny Marionette, well known in Cape waters, sailed for the "Port of No Return" and, about the same time, the fishing vessel Panorama was posted missing while on a fishing expedition to Tristan da Cunha. It was presumed at the time that she had capsized. Indeed, a Russian ship did subsequently report a derelict floating bottom up, but adverse weather precluded positive identification. They were small ships, but such was not the case with the Greek motor tanker Milton Iatridis. This illfated vessel sailed from New Orleans with a cargo of molasses on November 14, 1969, and was due to replenish her bunkers in Cape Town on December 12. She never did arrive, no distress message was ever sent and the Milton Iatridis with her entire crew and cargo was posted missing on April 1, 1970. Subsequently, there was a ripple of interest in shipping circles when skin divers exploring some six miles south of Cape Agulhas located a wreck which could have been the Iatridis, although no further confirmation has been forthcoming. Her disappearance remains another of the mysteries of the sea. Most people interested in shipping are familiar with the story of the Waratah, yet no story of missing ships would be complete without mention of her loss. For the past seventysix years she has been the subject of numerous articles and speculation as to her true fate. Interest has been revived in recent months by a somewhat abortive attempt to locate her remains, and the news that a more sophisticated operation is in the offing and only awaiting financial backing to get off the ground. When all the evidence has been sifted, is Waratah's disappearance such a mystery after all? Let us take a look at the facts as they are known today. The Waratah was a combined passenger and cargo steamer of the now defunct Blue Anchor Line. She was a big twin screw ship of 16,800 tons displacement and possessed a service speed of 13 knots. Built in 1908, she was classified 100 Al at Lloyds and designed largely with a view to the

emigrant trade between England and Australia. She bore a remarkable resemblance to Ellerman & Bucknall's City of London of the same vintage. Unlike the Waratah however, the City Line ship enjoyed a long career of 39 years. The Waratah was the flagship of the Blue Anchor Fleet and commanded by the very experienced and much respected Captain Ilbery. Her maiden voyage was completed without incident, although there was some talk that she was not as stable as other ships in the company. She would not only take a disturbing and unaccountable list, but also she was excessively slow in recovering from a heavy roll. Be all that as it may, the well found Waratah sailed from Durban for Cape Town on her second homeward voyage on July 26, 1909, leaving behind a certain Mr. Claude Sawyer who, convinced of the ship's instability and prompted by a vivid dream of disaster, took his leave of her at that port and made other arrangements for his return to Britain. The pilot who took the Waratah out of Durban noticed nothing untoward in the ship's performance. However, it is also on record that, unhappy over stability, there had been serious differences between owners and builders. Captain Ilbery was adamant that this would be his last voyage in the ship. Nevertheless he steadfastly refused a passenger, a Professor Bragg, permission to sight the ship's stability documents. And quite rightly so. When she sailed from Durban on her final and fateful voyage, the Waratah's complement, insofar as is known, consisted of 119 crew members and 92 passengers. Early next morning on July 27th, she overtook and "spoke" the slower Clan Macintyre. The conversation was conducted by visual means for, despite her size, the Waratah was not equipped with marine radio which was still in its infancy. Later that day a gale set in from the west rapidly reaching hurricane force. About 9:30 that night the Union Castle liner Guelph sighted a large passenger ship some five miles to seaward and signalled her. Difficulty was experienced in reading the faint and distant light, but she did manage to decipher the last letters of the distant ship's name. They spelled out ...TAH and it was assumed that this was the last occasion on which human eyes had sighted the doomed vessel. However, controversy has arisen over this report for the Guelph gave her own position at the time as being some eight miles to seaward and abeam of Hood Point Light marking the approach to the harbour of East London. It is difficult to dispute this position but discrepancies in time and distance relative to existing conditions and its effect on a vessers speed have succeeded in casting doubt on whether the ship sighted and signalled by the Guelph could indeed have been the Waratah. Nothing more was ever seen or heard of the Blue Anchor ship. Rumors of bodies and wreckage washed ashore in the area bore no foundation in fact. Extensive ocean-wide searches by vessels specially chartered for the purposesuch as the Sabine—covering thousands of square miles, produced negative results. The Waratah had vanished forever, taking with her over two hundred souls.

It is surprising that more interest was not taken at the time of a statement made by a Sergeant Major Joe Conquer who, while stationed on a knoll at the Xora River mouth in the Transkei, claimed to have witnessed the end of the Waratah. He and a fellow signaler, a Corporal Edwards, reported the event to their superiors either by semaphore or heliograph and confirmed it later in writing. He even pinpointed the position of the tragedy as being 240 degrees, 4 miles from the Xora Knoll. Since this knoll is some fifty kilometres north of East London, their statement conflicts with the Guelph's report which place the Waratah position as being 13 miles offshore abeam of Hood Point. In recent years, a great deal of research has been undertaken in what has become popularly known as a "hole in the sea" off the Transkei coast. There is nothing new about this. Masters of coasters and other vessels familiar with this stretch of coast have, for many years, hauled inside the old 100- fathom line when the wind comes away from the southwesterly quadrant. Some very large ships indeed have been caught napping through not adhering to this practice. Among them moere the passenger liners Edinburgh Castle and Southern Cross. The freighters Clan Mackay and Bencruachin, the tanker Esso Lancashire ail suffered damage—in some cases very severe damage indeed. The question has been asked: just why do ships suffer in this area? The answer is simple. The powerful Mozambique and Agulhas currents sweep down this coast, reaching a speed of 5 knots at times. The temptation to avail oneself of this current is obviously great. At the same time, the 100fathom line marks the end of the Continental shelf and a strong westerly wind, building up a sea with ail the power of thousands of miles of uninterrupted ocean behind it, smashes against this comparatively shallow ledge and the opposing swiftly flowing current. When the crests of these seas and swells coincide, erratic in their movement and reaching heights of seven or eight metres, an abnormal wave of some twenty metres in height preceded by a deep trough, may result. Any ship driving at speed into one of these troughs or 'fioles' could be easily overwhelmed or, at best, sustain grievous damage. The Africa Pilot of 1967 gives due warning to ail who care to peruse its informative chapters. "Generally speaking," it warns, "southward bound vessels should pass at sufficient distance from the coast to take advantage of the Mozambique and Agulhas currents about 20 miles from the coast and as far as Mossel Bay. But," it goes on, "in the event of meeting a southwesterly gale off this latter part of the coast, a very dangerous sea will be experienced at, or outside, the edge of the 100fathom bank. Considerably less sea is experienced if a vessel can keep about 3 miles, or less if possible, offshore, the reduction of the sea more than compensates for the loss of the favourable current."

With regard to the weather conditions prevailing at the time of the Waratah's disappearance, a graphic illustration is given in a letter from a Captain George A. Sherman as quoted in the June 1974 issue of the Nautical Magazine. His letter, in part, is as follows: "At the time, I was second officer of the passenger liner Inchanga coming south from Lourenco Marques (now Maputo) to Durban with an exceptionally heavy swell and no wind, which meant that extremely bad weather was occurring a long way south. Before we left Durban on August 2nd, 1909, there was some anxiety about the Waratah and our captain was ordered to follow her track and proceed 50 miles south of Cape Agulhas. "A gale, with exceptionally heavy sea, was encountered along the coast more particularly off Port St. John's where it curled into immense combers as they were driven against the current. When proceeding towards Cape St. Francis (close westward of Port Elizabeth) and some 15 miles from land, the vessel encountered an area of water which showed every sign of a recent submarine disturbance. Sailors, through long experience of seeing nothing but sea around them, gain good knowledge of whether the water is deep or shallow, according to its colour. In this case the sea was almost steely black, with an extraordinary cats paw marking or shivering on the , side of each wave. "When well to the south and on the edge of the Agulhas Bank it came on to blow with hurricane force, which raised a terrific sea. Thè scend was so raised after being harried along by the hurricane for over a week that the ship could not climb the oncoming greybeards qùick enough so that, when within several feet of the crest, she buried her nose in it up to the foremast pouring hundreds of tons of water over the sides and stern. The seas were estimated to be from 20 to 27 meters in height while some of the bodies of water went to a greater height as two seas clashed together. Towards midnight the chief engineer called the bridge and said that he had great difficulty in keeping steam as the men were working with water up to their knees and that, any minute, it might rise to the furnaces. The captain told him bluntly that it was a mat-ter of life or death and that we must have power to keep her head to it.

"The sensation was like going up and down in a lift and became very wearisome after three days and nights of it with Little or no sleep. Although the skies were split with frequent shafts of lightning, followed no doubt by terrific peals of thunder, nothing could be heard above the roar of the storm. "It is a fact—and yet will not be readily believed—that the scend of the sea was so great that the ship, creeping along at half speed, was driven backwards about 30 miles in 24 hours." Captain Sherman ends his letter, "All onboard considered that the Waratah had either been engulfed by a submarine disturbance somewhere off Port Elizabeth, or had encountered the heavy seas further south and had been smashed to pieces. It was generally considered among sailors that she was a cranky ship and rolled heavily." So there we have it. There can be no doubt that the Waratah was overwhelmed. Whether she was battered to death, whether she turned turtle in failing to recover from a heavy roll or whether she foundered through her hatches being stove in admitting the hungry sea to her very bowels, we shall never know. Like Captain Sherman's ship, her stokehold could have become flooded. Helpless and powerless, she could have broached to in those mountainous seas being piled and pushed relentlessly upwards and onwards by one of the worst storms in living memory. But the really strange thing about the loss of the Waratahand providing the real mystery—is that no trace was ever found of her passing. No debris or floating objects peculiar to ail passenger ships. Nothing. Not a deck chair, a lifejacket nor a body. It is disturbing to consider that a great ship with over 200 souls onboard could be snuffed out in an instant of time like a candie. And there the matter rests, for the time being at least. In passing, it is of interest to note that several ships that have borne the name Waratah have suffered misfortune in some form or another. In 1848, an earlier Waratah bound from Australia to the United Kingdom via the Cape of Good Hope, was wrecked at Ushant with the loss of 112 lives. In June 1864 yet another Waratah disappeared at sea between Newcastle and Sydney and in 1887, another of the same name was wrecked to the south of Sydney. In 1984 a Waratah went ashore in the Gulf of Carpentaria. As we sailors say, it is a "Jonah" name and, with the passing of the years, it would be a brave owner who would name one of his ships Waratah and even braver, if any, the men who could be persuaded to sign articles aboard her.

Inséré le 21 avril 13 Books Boeken Enlevé le 21 mai 13

75 years of ship design Peter's Knud E. Hansen,.

This is a magnificent work, showing the true range of output of the highly regarded Danish naval architect. The book covers all the output from Ferries to Fishing boats, Car carriers to Con Ro, Conversion to cruise ship. The book is also a brief look at the history of the company itself. The book shows some of the controversial projects like the Iraqi royal yacht. It doesn't hide the failures including the ship which capsized in trials. But most of all it shows you how everything from Sun Viking to Superfast, Stena Danica to Blue Star Patmos, the Thoresen Vikings, the Irish Ferries fleet, the early Carnival ships, the France to Norway conversion, and many many more were all helped along by Knud E Hansen's work. The book is beautifully produced, with thick paper, superb previously unpublished colour photographs and a very readable text. I could happily live with it expanding to a second volume to include companion deck plans and the like, in fact that was the one thing I would have liked more of. I am a real fan of books that tell you about unrealised projects, and I really enjoyed musing over a DFDS Leonardo da Vinci, some of the proposed ferry conversions or the Irish Ferries vessel that almost was. This is, in my view, Bruce Peter's best ever work. His enthusiasm for the subject is palpable but infused with a deep honesty about the failures as well as the success. The 264 page Hardback by Ferry Publications is stunningly good value at £22.50. In short, I can't recommend this highly enough and urge all those interested in ship design to go out and buy it. Source : Ferries of Northern Europe

Inséré le 23 avril 13 Open Forum Enlevé le 23 mai 13 Corporate futurology Looking in a crystal ball for maritime progress Think tanks from companies that operate on a global level exert their industry overview to reflect on possible future scenarios. Views into the future help the company's own management in their strategic decisions, but also present a revealing look into the expectations of industry leaders for the next decades. Be it an alert or inspiration, Maritime by Holland magazine compares some of these long-term outlooks to distil what might be considered a balanced view on industry leaders' visions for the future. Comparing all the possibilities and scenarios pictured by strategic planners from an array of countries, actually only one prediction appears the same in every report: shipping and sea transport will grow. That is the good news. The world's population continues to grow and the majority of the people will live in cities by 2020. Actually, the majority already live in cities. Earlier this year, newspapers memorised the date at which half the world's population was living in cities, the percentage has been growing since. Urban population, having no direct access to natural resources, sets demands for transport. Looking over temporal fluctuations caused by economic sways, long-term growth of shipping volume will persist. It is just inevitable with the rise of ever bigger metropoles.

Documented visions In September, DNV presented their Technology Outlook 2020. Last year, Wârtsild published Shipping Scenarios 2030. Siemens corporate communications director Ulrich Eberl published Life in 2050 this year. The author is also chief editor of Pictures of the Future, the company's bi-annual magazine that continuously monitors the forefront of innovation and tries to picture impact on everyday life by technological achievements. As all these publications derive from companies, they are slightly biased because of the corporate will to present their own progress the most viable. Yet, they offer visions that often stretch further than future world orders as drawn by politicians.

Possible today The good news is inspiration. As the industry embraces technology that enables more transport with less fuel, demand for innovation and green progress may very well rise with the increase of tons of load transported. Naval architects as well as designers of propulsion and equipment enter into an era of enduring demand for their skills. The next decades will likely see new developments in ship efficiency, alternative energy sources and propulsions. A lot of existing technology will be integrated into single ships. It seems predictable this will impact the appearance and operation of seagoing vessels dramatically. Kites, sails, air lubrification, slender hull forms, unmanned vessels, shore control, computerised routing with intelligent meteorological calculations: even if only a few of the existing possibilities are integrated into one vessel, it would be groundbreaking. In the optimistic scenarios, renewable energy sources are drivers for a prospering world market.

Improved communication of the 21st century will bring people together in a global economy and we will all join in reducing emissions. Or so the prophets of good tidings make believe.

Dominance As inspired as we might get from the possibilities posed by internet, improved technologies for renewable energy and improved transport efficiency, history teaches lessons. The first twenty months of the third millennium, optimism was immanent. Then, like a strike of lightning, history took a turn September 2001. Without knowing what dramatic events might mark dates in future history books, futurologists need to anticipate instability in politics and economy. Some potential economic and political difficulties can easily be foreseen. Fossil fuel reserves will dry out, energy prices will rise and political struggle will arise over access to remaining oil and gas fields. The prelude to possible fuel wars is already crystallising around the North Pole. State protectionism, maybe armed wars between states over access to fossil fuels: it is possible that such undesired turn of events will slow down development of renewable energy and divide the world. This will probably also have huge impact on economic prosperity, as trade between the rivalling parties will come to an almost complete standstill.

Apart from political conflict inflicted by declining fossil fuel resources, a transition is taking place in economic domination. The 20th century superpower of the United States of America is being equalled by Europe, with growing influence and one single strong currency. More dramatically, China, India and Brazil are emerging towards global economic dominance. While it is hard to predict what. impact the rise of Chinese economic control will be on daily life in Europe, it is obvious that things will change. Also in the

aspect of economic world domination, there is an optimistic scenario hoping that all these old and newly emerged superpowers will co-exist harmoniously. Interdependency should even out most cultural differences, neo-globalists hope. The more pessimistic prospect would be such overwhelming grip on Western economy by China, the development of improving life standard might come to a standstill in Europe and North America. The Chinese take over theleading role in economic prosperity and luxury lifestyle, manifesting culture and having their impact on western culture as well. Yet, the rise of India and Brazil can have a moderating effect on Chinese dominance. With the large consumer markets in Europe and North America, a role in the world economy will likely remain — be it more modest. Along these outlines, the three institutes have composed scenarios for the future. Prosperity, well-being of populations and the pace of green innovation have different outcomes in the different scenarios. Of course, the future analyses are composed differently. Siemens' investigator Eberl concentrates on the possibilities imposed by the innovations at the forefront of today's technology. His approach is to explore the way in which new devices will change everyday life. Most of the technology already exists, yet needs to be put to work in broadly used consumer goods and modes of transport. Wärtsilas scenarios line out three different routes: the Rough Seas model of protectionism and rivalling states with shortage of fossil fuels, Yellow River in which China dominates and forms allies with African states to provide for their natural resources, and third possible outcome is called Open Oceans in which multinational corporations have a bigger influence on the world economy than national states. Here, energy demand rockets and although green initiatives sprout from corporate ingenuity, the energy demand grows faster and natural resources still get drained in a fast pace. DNV, in their futurology, do not come up with ready-made blueprints but put different developments in a diagram. The vertical axis rises from economic decline up to prosperity, while the horizontal axis stretches from environmental catastrophe towards green progress. Consequences of political, economic and technological proceedings as described, are projected in the diagram.

The longer the strategic planners look ahead, the more uncertain their predictions get. For the next decade, it seems presumable that hybrid propulsion will get to be standard in shipping. `The Prius of the Seas, as DNV describe these vessels. Electricity will be the power for propulsion. This power can be generated from a wide variety of sources. Solar panels, wind mills, hydrogen fuel cells, diesel generators: they can all contribute to the total power demand the ship has at any given moment. First viable progress to achieve for engineers is to perfect efficiency of hybrid ships, improving transport fuel efficiency with numbers up to 30%. This is thought to be possible when combining known technology. First steps first. Political and economic events remain uncertain, but steps taken now can influence the future as it enrolls. So what if the recent discovery of elementary particles neutrinos moving faster than light proves true? Will this cause a whole new science during the next decade? This is science fiction that will have to become reality in applied science. Until then, optimism and creating solutions that push progress in the direction of desired scenarios are the mental tools for marine engineers to shape the future. Hans Buitelaar

Inséré le 25 avril 13 Open Forum Enlevé le 25 mai 13

Marine Aids to Navigation Strategy - 2025 and Beyond The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) of the United Kingdom and Ireland have outlined their strategy to deal with evolving technology for the maritime sector as part of IMO’s e-Navigation strategy, and how this will affect Aids to Navigation in the busy waters of North West Europe ‘2025 and Beyond’ is the United Kingdom and Ireland’s marine aids to navigation (AtoN) strategy. It has been prepared by the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland for their users, partners and stakeholders. Since the publication of the GLAs’ ‘2020 The Vision’ the global maritime risk to life, property and the marine environment has continued to increase. The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) response is e-Navigation to enhance berth-to-berth navigation and related services, for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment. Without this fundamental change, given the increasing complexity of navigating around the British Isles, the risks of collisions and groundings will undoubtedly increase. The GLAs’ coastal environment is already complex: the Dover Strait is the busiest and potentially one of the most dangerous pinch-points in the world; there are strong tidal currents in the Pentland Firth and large tidal ranges in the Bristol Channel; and there are around 255 offshore oil and gas platforms. New plans for up to 7,000 offshore wind turbines and other tidal or wave energy installations, as well as marine conservation areas around our coasts, will add further complexity to our already challenging coastal waters. These many factors reduce the sea area available to shipping and increase the pressure on mariners. Their task becomes more complex and their room for manoeuvre ever more constrained as the number of traffic pinch-points increase, notably on the approach to major ports. The long-term trend is generally towards larger ships with an overwhelming over reliance on GPS in the coastal voyage phase. At the same time, crew sizes have reduced and there is a severe shortage of seafarers, superintendents, surveyors and pilots. The Nautical Institute has stated that 80 per cent of accidents at sea are caused by human error, while 2008 evidence from one of the leading marine insurers directly links the rise in the number of accidents at sea with human and navigational error. IMO’s e-Navigation response is defined as:

“The harmonised collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of maritime information onboard and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related services, for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment.” The concept is that all charting, communications and navigation information will be integrated into a coherent presentation on the bridge. It will be data-linked to shore to give a clear and up-to-theminute presentation of current charts, incidents and shipping. Strengthening e-Navigation The benefits of e-Navigation in the highrisk areas off the coasts of the UK and Ireland are clear. eNavigation will bring a fundamental change to the concept of operations used for maritime navigation. GPS is undoubtedly the primary navigation system at present and will be joined by other satellite systems such as Glonass, Compass and Galileo. Due to the vulnerabilities of the signal, the need for a terrestrial backup to GNSS is widely accepted in IMO but such a system has not been mandated as yet nor the global or large region coverage defined. However, until the backup is defined there is a clear single point of failure, as e-Navigation would rely almost exclusively on satellite navigation systems for its positioning, navigation and timing inputs. In the e-Navigation environment the sudden reversion to traditional visual and radar navigation methods in congested and confined waters is a genuine concern which may be beyond the experience of future watchkeepers and thus would potentially be unsafe. This is why the GLAs continue to press the need for an independent, dissimilar terrestrial Position, Navigation & Timing backup. The GLAs’ choice for an independent terrestrial Position, Navigation & Timing backup is enhanced Loran (eLoran). We continue to participate in a pan-European Loran network on a trial basis in the belief that eLoran or a derivative provides a reliable, accurate, secure and low cost enhancement of GNSS derived PNT for multi modal uses and applications. eLoran, or an equivalent terrestrial backup to GNSS, is a key building block of e-Navigation. The GLAs believe that, if it is delivered along with secure and reliable communications, charting and chart displays and if it becomes mandated by IMO as a universal

equipment carriage, then it will allow, subject to risk assessment, a significant reduction in the current number of Aids to Navigation and allied to simpler designs will result in a corresponding reduction in the cost of the AtoN service. Contemporary technologies already provide the capability to deliver much of what IMO e-Navigation strategy envisages. However, if such technological advancement remains uncoordinated, there is a risk that the future development of the global shipping industry will be hampered through lack of standardisation onboard and on land, incompatibility between vessels, and an increased and unnecessary level of complexity and cost. The transition period to e-Navigation will, by its very nature, carry a degree of temporary risk that will require mitigation by the continuing deployment of physical AtoN. Even with the full implementation of e-Navigation, the GLAs are of the view that spatial awareness in inshore and some aspects of coastal navigation will remain important and thus leading lights, sector lights and buoyage will continue to be a mix of the AtoN provision. It is reasonable to assume that technology will continue to develop and that solutions will emerge which will consolidate confidence and reliance on the integrity of the navigational position. For example, the validation of radar returns by comparing them to identified objects on the ENC perhaps or a system of automatic bearings. Nonetheless, if eLoran or equivalent is not mandated as a backup to GNSS, the GLAs will be slow to reduce the amount and nature of the physical AtoN that are presently deployed and that have served the mariner so well thus far. Long-Term strategy Over the last thirty years, there has been a huge increase in the availability and use of technology – positioning, communications and information technology – within the maritime sector. We have no evidence to suggest this rate of change will reduce. Therefore, the GLAs have followed the UK Government’s horizon scanning best practice in a combination of scenario development and trend analysis techniques to 2038 to support the creation of ‘2025 and Beyond’. These techniques do not attempt to predict what will happen. Nevertheless, they have helped the GLAs to develop ‘2025 and Beyond’ by stimulating future concepts as well as spelling out potential opportunities and threats. The GLAs addressed four scenarios based around two axes (see graph below left): 

free or constrained movement of people and goods; and

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focussed or unfocussed technology and innovation.

‘2025 and Beyond’ broadly assumes a future where there is free movement of people and goods and where focussed technology and innovation allows economic growth within environmental limits (Scenario 1). However, other scenarios are also possible and so ‘2025 and Beyond’ recognises the importance of contingency planning in order to respond swiftly and effectively to future uncertainties. Looking forward, it is also important that the GLAs develop ways of anticipating future risks and challenges, assess in advance how they might respond and continue to track the external environment to confirm their likelihood. Short-Medium term strategy The short-medium term brings its own challenges and opportunities. Institutionally, there will be marine management organisations supported by appropriate regulation with responsibilities that include marine science, planning, policy development, management and

compliance monitoring. There is also the potential for changes to the Merchant Shipping Acts to define further the role of the GLAs. From a regulatory perspective it is expected that the global and regional desire for increased harmonisation of traffic management, maritime domain awareness, marine spatial planning, marine operations and the safety of navigation will result in further legislation linked to protecting the marine environment and enhancing commerce. Financially, the GLAs will look to the United Kingdom and Irish Governments to continue to provide a stable mechanism for funding our statutory responsibilities. Operationally, the GLAs will continue to be driven by user requirements and the need to respond to international and national developments linked to regulation, offshore developments and technology, including e-Navigation. Technologically, new systems will allow us to continue to meet our statutory responsibilities while improving our environmental footprint and extending maintenance intervals. This will allow the GLAs to reduce costs, become more cost-effective and deliver better value for money. However, managing the lengthy transition associated with infrastructure deployment and onboard carriage requirements is likely to bring its own challenges. For example, new lights technology including synchronised lights will deliver improved range and conspicuity and allow increasing use of renewable energy. Developments in paint, materials and battery technology will allow extended maintenance intervals. At the same time, improvements in PNT technology, additional navigational systems, advances in onboard and shore equipment, should allow for a reduction in the range of major lights and a reduction in offshore buoyage primarily intended for the use of SOLAS equipped vessels. Some main lights may also be discontinued. Conversely however, there may also be an increase in AtoN in inshore waters. With improved track analysis from AIS resulting in better risk analysis for sea areas and the traffic using them, the GLAs will continue to cater for and respond to the needs of their users taking into account their diverse range of vessels and craft, equipment, experience and competence. Future navigation Ultimately, marine AtoN are an important and essential component for ensuring safety of life, facilitating commerce, maintaining security around our coasts and ensuring a clean maritime environment. They are an important strategic resource for the United Kingdom and Ireland: 

they mark both natural and man-made hazards around our coasts that might otherwise lead to maritime incidents with loss of life and damage to the environment;

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they provide situational awareness for mariners, improving the link between the physical world and the digital world of radio navigation, electronic charts and radio communications;

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they demarcate areas and routes so that merchant shipping, fishing, leisure users, offshore energy, aquaculture and nature conservation can co-exist and thrive in our increasingly crowded and complex coastal waters.

The GLAs’ marine aids to navigation vision is for a balanced mix of physical and radio AtoNs that will meet the UK’s and Ireland’s responsibilities as Contracting Governments to the IMO’s SOLAS Convention. This mix will support and promote the introduction of the IMO’s e-Navigation initiative and will deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective AtoN service for the benefit and safety of all mariners.

The GLAs’ marine Aids to Navigation strategy for the British Isles between 2010 and 2025 is: 

to continue to provide an appropriate mix of AtoN for general navigation;



to continue to provide a timely and effective response to wrecks and AtoN failures;



to continue to undertake superintendence and management of all aids to navigation in accordance with international standards, recommendations and guidelines;

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to introduce e-Navigation AtoN components and services in the UK and Ireland;

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to work with users, partners and stakeholders nationally and internationally, to promote the safety of marine navigation based on harmonised international standards, recommendations and guidelines;

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to embrace relevant technologies as they evolve, successfully transfer from old to new technologies and integrate them into our mix of AtoN for general navigation;

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to improving reliability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness while ensuring the safety of navigation.

Period of Transition: The GLAs will conduct their AtoN reviews to match the increasing potential for rationalisation depending on regulation, investment programmes, on-board equipment carriage, AtoN technology, training, risk and volume of traffic The GLAs deliver their services in a transactional environment that comprises organisations that have an impact on our business and with whom we deal directly; while the contextual environment comprises organisations that have an impact on our business but with whom we don’ t deal directly. This is illustrated by the graph above. The GLAs use IALA risk management techniques when identifying the AtoN requirement (type location etc). Risk management is a term applied to a structured (logical and systematic) process for: - identifying, analysing, assessing, treating, monitoring and communicating risks for any activity, and; - achieving an acceptable balance between the costs of an incident, and the costs of implementing measures to reduce the risk of the incident happening The Risk Management process comprises six steps that follow a standardised management or systems analysis approach: 

Identify risks/hazards;

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Assess risks;

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Specify risk control options;

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Make a decision; and

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Take action;



Monitor and review

The GLAs will ensure that the appropriate balance between the requirement for a quantitative assessment is combined with a qualitative approach using the principles of six steps to risk management. GLA Commitment In line with these strategies leading up to 2025 the GLAs have committed to a plan of action where they will: 

work closely together to maximise their benefit and impact whilst reducing costs where the safety critical nature of the service allows.



consult regularly with users through the Joint User Consultative Group, individual consultative committees and local user groups, to understand their needs, inform them

about developments, and consider their views to improve the service we provide for all classes of mariners. 

engage with other maritime service providers in the UK and Ireland to ensure a coordinated approach to safe ty of navigation in our areas of responsibility.



work with local lighthouse authorities and our neighbouring littoral states to ensure that users receive an effective and seamless service.



provide a stable and resilient Aids to Navigation service for general navigation that meets international standards, recommendations and guidelines.



respond to wrecks, new dangers and Aids to Navigation casualties in a timely fashion to minimise the risk to users.



engage with international organisations, governments and other bodies to promote the harmonisation and standardisation of Aids to Navigation services.



ensure that through constant review the Aids to Navigation mix is relevant, reliable and costeffective.



conduct their activities in a way that minimises their impact on the environment. When delivered, this strategy will mitigate risk to provide for the safety of navigation, the protection of life, property and the marine environment, in line with the GLAs shared mission – “To deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective Aids to Navigation Service for the benefit and safety of all mariners.” ds

This article has been adapted from the General Lighthouse Authorities of the United Kingdom and Ireland’s ‘Marine Aids to Navigation Strategy – 2025 and Beyond’ report. The original paper, including references, can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/2025- and-Beyond. For more information on the GLA visit www.trinityhouse.co.uk.

Inséré le 27 avril 13 NEWS NOUVELLES Enlevé le 27 mai 13

Fighting multibillion-dollar piracy The extent of the problem they were dispatched to address was detailed in a report last year by United States-based One Earth Future Foundation. It found Somali piracy in the Indian Ocean costs the global economy about US$7 billion (Dh25.7bn) a year. For the past five years, a few hundred pirates sailing from a handful of towns on the Somali coast have pushed ever deeper into the Indian Ocean, forcing governments to spend at least $1.3bn trying to control the problem, a figure dwarfed by shipping industry costs estimated at up to $5.5bn. The biggest single item was the $2.7bn it costs for ships to transit the waters at higher, uneconomic, speeds. Shippers also spent more than $1bn on private security guards, often armed, often earning much more than the pirates themselves. The report estimated the total paid in ransoms at $160 million and the re-routing of ships to hug the Indian coast to avoid pirate waters costing $486 to $680m. However, current protective measures are proving effective, the study said. Pirates have never seized a ship travelling faster than 18 knots. Armed private security guards also had a 100 per cent success rate in protecting ships. Shippers have added barbed wire and an array of other measures to vessels, including "citadels" armoured safe rooms in which crews can shelter from attack. That has helped to bring down insurance premiums, although shippers are still paying $635m in extra premiums because of the piracy threat. "A major risk is that complacency sets in if we think piracy is now under control," said

Jens Vestergaard Madsen, a senior researcher on the project. "The piracy problem is still not resolved. Ninety nine per cent of these costs are spent mitigating the problem, not resolving it." A former commander of one of the naval forces to operate in the region, retired Rear Admiral Terence McKnight, the US commander of Task Force 151, agrees. "Piracy is a moneymaking business and they are going to try their hardest to stay ahead of us," he is quoted as saying on the US Naval Institute website. "They are always looking for tactics to overcome those of ours." Stepping into the security gap are private navies such as Typhon and the Convoy Escort Programme. "To date the only effective commercially available countermeasure has been provided by ride-on guards," Typhon says in its mission statement. "This protection model provides a quantity of armed personnel to live aboard the client ship for the duration of the transit. However, the client vessels have to detour for their embarkation and disembarkation often at significant cost. The range of protection from pirates is narrow: 400 metres from the 'target' ship." Typhon says its protection begins by "detecting any threats of piracy at long range. It enables Typhon to conduct their transit safely through the network of pirate action groups, advising [ships] of necessary course adjustments to avoid known trouble hot spots." Typhon's concept involves each convoy being supported by the new Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution & Intelligence Coordination Centre established in the Seychelles this year. Largely funded by the United Kingdom government, the centre targets the piracy groups. Its opening comes as concerns grow about potentially inadequate protection from maritime crime after the withdrawal of the European Union naval force from the region next year. Convoys will be able to call on satellite surveillance and detection and early warning to identify and assess any suspected threats, and to avoid or deter a pirate threat before it becomes a danger. "The convoys travel in a protected 'envelope' which make it extremely difficult for the pirates to enter the protection zone to launch an attack. Typhon's policy is always to seek to diffuse and de-escalate any violence," says the Typhon statement. If there's a real threat, the escort ship's fast patrol boats will "intercept a potential target, engage direct fire weapons or mount a key defence of the client vessel. The use of force is a last resort and is always reasonable and proportionate using the minimum amount of force necessary", Typhon adds. Typhon's chief executive, Anthony Sharp, believes concerns in the insurance industry over the use of on-board security guards will encourage ship owners to opt for the escort option. International insurance brokers, Marsh, has amended its insurance cover for private maritime security companies to address fears that the use of floating armouries may invalidate current insurance policies. The armouries are used by on-board guards to offload their weapons before entering port where the possession of firearms by civilians is illegal. The Marsh global marine practice managing director, Nick Roscoe, recently told the shipping journal Lloyd's List that unlawful use of third-party armouries could impact insurance policies because a clause in them stipulates a client must carry out business lawfully and a common law principle states that companies cannot profit from their own illegalities. "Any of these issues could have an impact on using floating armouries and could invalidate its insurance," Mr Roscoe said. However, not all agree that Typhon's escort model is viable. John Cartner, a maritime lawyer and the author of The International Law of the Shipmaster, has blogged: "It seems that Typhon is doing nothing more than displacing armed guards away from the vessels that pay for the protection. The only economic rationale one can see in this kind of arrangement is the marginal ability to protect several vessels with a slightly larger armed guard detachment in a convoy system. To the extent that can be done, these are merely armed guards on waterborne pogo sticks hopping around to where the threat may be. "Would you rather be on a crew

boat [fast patrol boat] with armed guards being chased by an angry pirate or on a real ship with an armed guard detachment being chased by angry pirates? I'll take the large one, thank you. "The vulnerability in the scheme is that without spot on intelligence, and a lot more surveillance power than Typhon is likely to have, [there is] no demonstrated betterment to the armed guard system." A piracy expert and US navy reserve officer, Lt Cmdr Claude Berube, writing on the US Naval Institute website, observed: "It isn't clear if the current level of piracy will support [these escort] vessels." He says the downwards trend in pirate attacks around the Gulf of Aden "can be attributed to the increased use of private embarked armed security, improved Best Management Practices by the shipping industry, and the creation of international maritime operations in the region." He also questions the possible high costs potential clients face as they likely spend long hours waiting to join Typhon convoys, whose timetables might not be convenient to all shipping. Source: The National

Inséré le 29 avril 13 NEWS NOUVELLES Enlevé le 29 mai 13

Keihard werk voor terugkeer Kongoboot Charlesville Watererfgoed Vlaanderen heeft de voorbije maanden keihard gewerkt aan het zakelijk dossier om de laatste Kongoboot, de Charlesville (thans 'Georg Büchner' genaamd) terug naar België te halen. Nadat de huidige eigenaar, een lokale jeugdherberg in Rostock, het als monument beschermde schip op illegale wijze had verkocht, de Duitse overheid hier een stokje voor stak en de jeugdherberg vervolgens faillissement aanvroeg, heeft de curator het schip op 22 maart terug vrijgegeven voor overdracht aan een partij die het schip wil verwerven voor de prijs van 1 euro, onder verplichting het te behouden. In nauw overleg met de Duitse overheid staan wij de twee Belgische kandidaat-overnemers met raad en daad bij in de concretisering van het overnamedossier. Hierin zijn de jongste dagen belangrijke stappen gezet, die binnen enkele weken kunnen leiden tot een definitieve beslissing. De kandidaten hebben de intentie uitgedrukt het schip over te nemen indien aan een aantal randvoorwaarden is voldaan, waaromtrent nu verdere onderzoeken en besprekingen lopen. In het belang van het project en in afspraak met de Duitse overheid en de twee kandidaten worden momenteel geen verdere details vrijgegeven. Uiteraard zullen wij later gedetailleerde informatie verstrekken over de acties van onze organisatie en het eindresultaat. Berichten in de Duitse pers moeten ondertussen met een korrel zout worden genomen. Onze actie wordt alvast gesteund door meer dan 75 organisaties, die duizenden Charlesville-enthousiastelingen vertegenwoordigen. Wij ontvangen voortdurend steunbetuigingen, suggesties en interessante documentatie, waarvoor

oprecht dank. Verder namen wij met belangstelling kennis van het recente initiatief om een vzw m/s Charlesville op te richten, die de geschiedenis van het schip wil bestuderen. Watererfgoed Vlaanderen is niet bij deze vzw betrokken en het nieuwe initiatief staat dan ook volledig los van onze reddingsactie. De nieuwe vereniging is uiteraard welkom om tot Watererfgoed Vlaanderen toe te treden en ons Manifest voor de redding van het schip te onderschrijven.

Watererfgoedgesprek met Charlesville-officier Kapt. FransJozef de Lannoy Antwerps ere-havenkapitein Frans-Jozef 'Sus' de Lannoy, inmiddels 80 maar flamboyanter dan ooit, startte zijn loopbaan als officier aan boord van schepen van de Compagnie Maritime Belge. In 1966 beëindigde hij zijn zeevarende loopbaan aan boord van de Charlesville, het laatste Kongoschip dat we nu met alle macht trachten terug te halen naar België. In een uitvoerig watererfgoedgesprek laten we een bevoorrecht getuige van het leven aan boord aan het woord. En het behoeft geen betoog dat ook kapitein de Lannoy onze Kongoboot maar al te graag terug zijn thuishaven zou zien binnenlopen ! Als toetje tonen we een schitterende reeks postkaarten uit Sus' archief die de Compagnie Maritime Belge uitgaf onder de titel 'Enkele herinneringen van het leven aan boord'. Vermoedelijk zijn de beelden getrokken aan boord van een zusterschip van de Charlesville. De originele onderschriften zijn de helft van het vermaak. Kapt. Frans-Jozef de Lannoy Sus, wat betekenden de Kongoboten in uw loopbaan ? Anno 1953 startte een officierscarrière ter lange omvaart met een jaar opleiding op het schoolschip Mercator gevolgd door 2 jaar Hogere Zeevaartschool. In 1956 maakte ik mijn eerste reis aan boord van de Mar del Plata, een schip van de Compagnie Maritime Belge dat na de tweede wereldoorlog op Zuid-Amerika en in de vijftiger jaren op Kongo voer en dus een voorloper van de ville-boten was. In 1958 was ik derde officier op de Thysville. Bij de onafhankelijkheid van Kongo in 1960 namen we 1.000 vluchtelingen aan boord, die in groepjes waren toegestroomd. Sommige vrouwen waren verkracht, maar dat werd behandeld met discretie, in een taboesfeer. Vervolgens werden de vluchtelingen verdeeld over andere schepen, waaronder de Charlesville en vrachtschepen. De ville-boten vervoerden normaal een 230 passagiers. De Kongolese bemanning was bij ons van boord gegaan en zo vertrok de Thysville met een kleine 550 passagiers van Matadi naar Pointe Noire in KongoBrazzaville. De kinderen legden we in de badkuipen, zodat ze niet uit bed konden rollen. Vertrekken... maar aan boord van een mooi schip vervaagt de weemoed van het afscheid snel. U voer later ook op de Charlesville zelf ?

Ja, in 1966 was ik tweede officier op de Charlesville, en ik maakte er twee reizen mee. Ik kwam terug als eerste officier. De Charlesville was één van de laatste oude gloriën van de koopvaardij: een kapitein, een eerste, tweede, derde officier, twee vierde officieren en vier aspirant-officieren. Ik heb aan boord van de Charlesville mijn zeevarende carrière beëindigd, want ik bereikte de leeftijdslimiet van 34 jaar om een waljob in openbare dienst aan te vatten. Ik werd toen havenluitenant bij de Stad Antwerpen en later havenkapitein.

Wat hield de taak van officier aan boord van de Charlesville in ? De job was erg eenvoudig en routineus, want al de lading ging aan boord in Antwerpen en er terug uit in Kongo, en omgekeerd. Als tweede officier hield ik me bezig met de navigatie, maar daarnaast ook met de detailberekening van de stabiliteit. De ruwe stabiliteit was voor en tijdens het laden berekend door de eerste officier. Ook verbeterde ik de zeekaarten, een tijdrovende bezigheid van erg groot belang. Wanneer bijvoorbeeld een boei was verplaatst moest dat nauwgezet op de kaart worden overgebracht, een fout kon een stranding veroorzaken en dan was het gedaan met je carrière. De Charlesville had maar 40 zeekaarten aan boord, van Hamburg tot Angola, en elke reis werden 10 nieuwe kaarten besteld, wat het correctiewerk beperkte. Een andere taak was het doorsturen van meteorologische waarnemingen aan het KMI. Om de 4 uur stuurden we gegevens over bewolking, temperatuur, temperatuur van het zeewater enz. door naar België, onze bijdrage tot de wereldmeteo in de tijd toen er nog geen satellieten bestonden. Natuurlijk werden de verslagen wel eens geflatteerd om werk te besparen, bijvoorbeeld als er maar één heel klein wolkje aan de hemel was dat moest gecatalogeerd worden, was de melding zero wolken gemakkelijker, maar als de kapitein het ontdekte volgde de sigaar. Hoe liepen de officieren gekleed ? We droegen een chique uniform, volgens strikte regels. Bij vertrek hadden we een zwart of donkerblauw uniform aan, in Tenerife werd het een zwarte vest met witte broek, de dag na Tenerife verschenen we helemaal in het wit. Dit gold voor alle officieren. De kapitein, de eerste officier en de chef mecanicien hadden ook een gala-uniform en een spencer, een soort maritieme smoking. Tweemaal per week werden onze kleren gewassen en de uniformen gesteven. Natuurlijk vormde dit protocol geen hinderpaal voor zeemanshumor. Ik herinner me een Vlaamse collega die een panische schrik had van een nogal autoritaire kapitein en vrij zenuwachtig rapport uitbracht over de weersgesteldheid met de woorden : “le baromètre baise commandant” in plaats van “le baromètre est en baisse”, waarop de kapitein, die toen tevergeefs een vrouwelijke passagierster achternazat, laconiek antwoordde: "alors il a plus de chance que moi", onvertaalbaar natuurlijk Had de Charlesville in 1966 in feite nog commercieel succes ? Tot de onafhankelijkheid voeren de Kongoschepen heen en weer met volle lading. Uitgaand was het schip vaak volgeladen in volume, maar niet in gewicht. In 1966 was de uitgaande lading verminderd tot een 2.000 ton, maar de boten kwamen nog steeds volgeladen terug. In 1966 had de Charlesville nog maar een veertigtal passagiers aan boord, 2/3 voor Kongo met steevast enkele paters en nonnen en 1/3 voor Tenerife. De meeste reizigers namen toen het vliegtuig. Ingevolge akkoorden met de CMB moesten bepaalde ambtenaren altijd de boot nemen. Een overtocht Antwerpen-Matadi anno 1960 in eerste klas zal zo'n 24.000 frank hebben gekost, altijd betaald door de werkgever van de

passagier. De paters en nonnen reisden in tweede klas. Van toeristen was voor de onafhankelijkheid geen sprake. De passagiers reisden allemaal voor hun werk. Ook van bezoekende familieleden was toen geen sprake. In de jaren zestig ging 1/3 van onze passagiers van boord in Tenerife, dat waren de eerste massatoeristen. Van de Kongoreizigers ontscheepte de helft in Lobito, de helft in Matadi. Lobito was via de Benguela-spoorweg verbonden met Katanga, van Matadi liep een spoorlijn naar Léopoldville, nu Kinshasa. Vóór de onafhankelijkheid vervoerden de Kongoschepen ook massa's post: de Thysville nam ongeveer 2.000 grote zakken briefpost aan boord, en nog eens 2.000 zakken met postpakjes. De helft ging van boord in Lobito en was bestemd voor Katanga, de andere helft ging door naar Matadi, richting Léopoldville. Hoe zag het vaarschema eruit ? Dat was erg simpel: Antwerpen - Tenerife - Lobito - Matadi - Boma - Tenerife - Antwerpen. De dienst volgde een erg strikt, klokvast schema, dat in totaal veertig dagen in beslag nam: 2 weken heen, 2 weken terug, ongeveer 12 dagen in de haven. De Charlesville vertrok op zaterdag om 12 uur aan het Zeestation van de CMB aan kaai 214, een moderne vracht- en passagiersterminal in het Leopolddok die in de plaats was gekomen van de ligplaatsen aan de Scheldekaaien. Twee weken later arriveerde het schip op zondag rond 17 uur in Matadi. Het schip had een 25 à 28 voet diepgang en kon altijd binnenlopen. In de tussenhaven Tenerife kwam het schip aan op donderdag, om 6 uur 's morgens, om 20 uur vertrok het terug, richting Kongo. Er was elke week een afvaart uit Antwerpen. Typische belading van de Charlesville bij een terugreis Matadi-Antwerpen Circa 9.000 ton lading, waarvan:



500 ton drinkwater (voor keuken, wasserij, douches, sommige koelingen; verbruik: 40 ton / 24 u)

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500 ton fuel (verbruik: 40 ton / 24 u, er werd gebunkerd in Tenerife en indien nodig bijgebunkerd in Antwerpen en Lobito)

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onderruim: 2.000 ton koper in lingots van 150 kilo, 1.500 ton boomstammen, 1.000 ton katoen

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tussendekken: 500 ton koffie, 200 ton cacao, 300 ton caoutchouc, 500 ton halfafgewerkte houtproducten zoals planken en fineerhout, 500 ton zink, cassiteriet-erts in vaten, etc.



dieptanks: 1.000 ton palmolie

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deklading : 500 ton boomstammen

. Was de reis in feite comfortabel ?

De Kongoboten maakten goed weer-reizen: eens voorbij de Golf van Gascogne en de Spaanse en Portugese kusten, voorbij Gibraltar, was er bijna altijd goed weer. Toch was meer dan de helft van de passagiers ziek bij ruw weer. De Charlesville, gebouwd in Antwerpen, was alleszins een knap traditioneel zeeschip. Een vooruitstrevend kenmerk was de airco in de eerste klasse-cabines en het restaurant. De andere kajuiten, ook die van de bemanning, hadden dat niet. Hoe was het eten aan boord ? Het eten was vrij goed, en vooral veel. De middag- en avondmaaltijden verliepen ceremonieel. Normaal aten de kapitein, de eerste officier, de chef mecanicien, de eerste radiotelegrafist en de scheepsdokter altijd met de passagiers; de maître d'hôtel liet de tafelschikking voortdurend circuleren. Er werd gegeten op vaste uren, er werd geen onderscheid gemaakt tussen eerste en tweede klas. De kinderen aten niet samen met de volwassenen in het restaurant. Heel de dag zint de chef-kok op nieuwe verrassingen. De eerste proeven komen steeds op de tafel van de commandant. Er was ook een zwembad aan boord. Ja, op het bovendek, en het zat altijd vol. Van 7 tot 9 uur 's avonds was het voorbehouden voor de scheepsofficieren, dan zaten de passagiers in het restaurant. Het zwembad bevatte zeewater en werd elke dag ververst. We lieten het leeglopen per graviteit en pompten er nieuw water in. In de tropen had het zeewater een temperatuur van 26 à 27 graden. Ook bij ruwer weer lieten we het zwembad leeglopen, want de 45 kubieke meter water 20 meter hoog boven de zeespiegel veroorzaakte een stabiliteitsvermindering van 5 procent. Blauwe hemel bij tropische belichting. Bij het vallen van de avond wordt de zwemkom slechts met tegenzin verlaten.

Hoe waren de verhoudingen tussen de blanke en de zwarte bemanningsleden anno 1960 ? De kapitein en de hoofdwerktuigkundige hadden een full-time boy, de eerste officier een halftijdse. De boy waste kleren en kuiste de cabine. De kapitein had een zeer ruime cabine met apart bureau, slaapkamer en badkamer. Sommige kapiteins onderhielden een emotionele band met hun boy, enkelen werden zelfs peter van Kongolese kinderen. Bepaalde boys profiteerden van hun nauwe band met de kapitein. Omdat er weinig verlof was, 14 dagen per jaar en een halve dag per zondag op zee indien niet de dag van aankomst of vertrek, dus circa 40 dagen verlof na anderhalf jaar varen, namen de kapitein en zijn boy soms tegelijk verlof, de ene in België, de andere in Kongo. Over het algemeen namen zeelieden een minder koloniale houding aan, maar van een verbroedering kan men niet spreken. Blanken en zwarten hadden aparte kajuiten, en een eigen mess. Vóór de onafhankelijkheid deden de Kongolezen de simpelste jobs: het dek zwabben, kuisen. Het echte

zeemanswerk, zoals het roerlopen of het splitsen van staaldraden en trossen, het onderhoud en klaarmaken van het laadgerei, gebeurde door de blanke bemanning. Sinds 1946 kregen alle bemanningsleden wel hetzelfde eten. Toen het jaar na de onafhankelijkheid een overstroming de kaaien van Matadi had blank gezet, maakten we de zwarten wijs dat ze door God waren gestraft: "Ce sont les punitions du bon dieu parce que vous avez demandé la dipenda". Goed passend in de paternalistische koloniale houding reserveerde de CMB voor de Kongolese bemanningsleden het bovenste tussendek van ruim 6, het achterste vrachtruim aan boord van de Charlesville. Daar mochten ze tegen een kleine vergoeding persoonlijke lading aan boord zetten. Zo brachten ze in Antwerpen allerhande oude rommel aan boord, vaak oude meubels zoals handnaaimachines van Singer en pluchen zetels voor 100 frank gekocht bij het Leger des Heils. Die zetel werd dan ontscheept in Matadi, ging met een kamion door naar Tsjela, met een prauw nog 20 kilometer verder in het binnenland, dan werd hij nog een eind verder op het hoofd gedragen, om hem uiteindelijk cadeau te doen aan de 'chef de village', die een verre verwant was en waarvoor je wel een vrouwtje cadeau kreeg. Een ander handeltje werd opgezet met lege verfblikken van 50 liter. De zwarten verkochten die in Tenerife, waar nog grote armoede heerste en nog mensen in grotten leefden. De uitgekuiste potten scheepsverf dienden er voor watertransport van de boeren in het binnenland. De CMB-schepen die op de Verenigde Staten voeren, hadden echter alleen blanke bemanningsleden aan boord, dat was bekomen door de vakbonden, enerzijds om de blanke matrozen werk te verschaffen, en anderzijds paste het in de segregatie-politiek van België om te voorkomen dat de Kongolezen in de USA in contact zouden komen met negers die het materieel beter stelden. Werd aan boord Frans of Nederlands gebruikt ? Alle documenten voor de directie van de rederij en het scheepsjournaal waren eentalig Frans. Maar op de brug konden we ook Nederlands spreken, er was geen uitgesproken franskiljonisme. De helft van de dekofficieren was al Vlaming, in de machinekamer stonden bijna uitsluitend Vlamingen, maar wie echt slecht Frans sprak, kwam niet op een ville-boot. Toen ik in 1953 begon te studeren in de Zeevaartschool, was dat het eerste jaar met meerVlaamse dan Waalse studenten. Er waren destijds meer Waalse dekofficieren dan Vlaamse, omdat voor het loodswezen en de havenkapiteinsdiensten in de hoofdzakelijk Vlaamse havens een zwaar taalexamen werd afgenomen; de meestal Walen konden slecht Nederlands en bleven dus langer varen; als ze aan wal gingen, was dat meestal in de privé-sector zoals P & I Clubs en rederijen. Vertellen deze mededingsters elkaar hun avonturen ? Of luisteren zij enkel naar het fluisteren van de zee ? Mocht de bemanning contact hebben met de passagiers ? Contact met de passagiers was streng voorbehouden aan de kapitein, de eerste officier, de chefmécanicien, de eerste radiotelegrafist-officier, de scheepsdokter en de scheepscommissarissen, dit waren de pursers. Alle anderen hadden verbod met de passagiers te spreken. Een kleine uitzondering deed zich voor wanneer de eerste officier of de scheepsdokter me eens meenam naar het bar-café. Waren er vrouwelijke bemanningsleden aan boord ? Erg weinig. De stewards, het cabinepersoneel waren allemaal mannen, onder wie naar schatting een tiende homosexuelen, die als de beste stewards werden beschouwd en bij de passagiers het meest geliefd waren. Bij ontscheping werd voor het cabinepersoneel gebruikelijk een fooi achtergelaten die kon oplopen tot 1.000 frank. Er was ook een verpleegster aan boord. De scheepsdokter werkte tweemaal per dag, van 10 tot 11 uur en van 16 tot 17, en in noodgevallen. In feite had de man bijna

niets te doen. Hij had uiteraard ook een boy om de medische ruimte te kuisen. Dan was er nog een monitrice om de kinderen bezig te houden, en spelletjes te spelen, uiteraard volledig in het Frans. De monitrice, meestal een kleuteronderwijzeres, was geassisteerd door 3 stewardessen, femmes de chambre, hoofdzakelijk voor de babies. In al die jaren heb ik slechts één sterfgeval meegemaakt op zee en dan nog op de Charlesville waar in tegenstelling tot de vrachtschepen wel een dokter aan boord was. Het ging om een stewardess die was overleden aan een hartaderbreuk. We hebben haar begraven in de Golf van Gascogne, gewikkeld in een zeildoek en verzwaard met afgedankt staal. Ik heb er geen foto van want de mensen waren anno 1966 veel discreter dan nu en de bemanning was zwaar onder de indruk. Zich mooi maken in een gezellige kajuit is een verfijnd genot. Er was hopelijk toch wat vertier aan boord. Zeker, de belangrijkste festiviteiten waren de bals voor de passagiers: er was een welkomstbal 'le bal de bienvenue' na het vertrek, een 'bal de l'Equateur' en een 'bal d'adieu'. De dames verschenen in avondtoilet, als ze dat bezaten ten minste. De muziek kwam van platen die werden gedraaid door 'le musicien'. Sommige kapiteins studeerden vooraf de hoesteksten in, om de passagiers tijdens de lunch te imponeren met hun enorme musicologische bagage. En natuurlijk was er de doop bij het overschrijden van de evenaar, die alle passagiers moesten ondergaan. Om de drie dagen werd een film vertoond. In de fumoir bevond zich een redelijke bibliotheek van een paar honderd boeken. Maar chique passagiers waren het niet, we noemden ze vaak gepromoveerde landverhuizers. De omgangsvormen waren redelijk beschaafd, maar de kinderen van kolonialen waren over het algemeen minder opgevoed en nogal ongedisciplineerd, soms brutaal. Spelen op de brug en in het salon wisselen elkaar af. Hier ziet u de bekoorlijke derby der dames. Mochten de passagiers op de brug komen ? Tijdens de heen- en de terugreis werd telkens één bezoek aan de brug georganiseerd, van 10 uur tot 11u30. De uitleg werd in het Frans of het Nederlands gegeven, maar zeker 90 % van de kolonialen koos voor het Frans. Vreemd genoeg, dames kozen altijd voor het Frans, zodat ik me desgevallend moest ontfermen over de Vlamingen, een paar paters en nonnen met zwaar Westvlaams of Kempisch accent en uitzonderlijk een tegendraadse flamingant. Daarbuiten kon via de kapitein of de eerste officier wel eens een extra bezoekje aan de brug worden georganiseerd.

Aan bijzonder lieve passagiersters worden soms de geheimen van de scheepvaart verklapt. Mogen onze lezers weten wat er allemaal gebeurde in de havens ? In Tenerife konden de passagiers excursies maken, met als klassieker een bezoek aan de hoogste berg, de Pico del Teïde, maar ze werden niet georganiseerd door de rederij. Er stonden altijd Spanjaarden klaar met oude taxi's. De scheepscommissaris kwam wel eens in de transactie tussen, allicht voor een klein eigen profijtje. In Kongo ging het laden en lossen dag en nacht door, uitzonderlijk werd het werk gestaakt op zondagnamiddag. Dan gingen sommige officieren aan wal en na 20 pinten en een pak sigaretten leverde dat in de tropische hitte 's anderendaags een enorme houten kop op. Maar niet iedereen ging drinken. Ongeveer 80 procent van de bemanning ging nooit van boord, vaak door gebrek aan interesse of gewoon uit zuinigheid. Ikzelf ben gaan varen om de wereld te zien en heb heel veel plaatsen bezocht. Kongo werd echter niet beschouwd als gezellig, het had geen stranden of zo, Lobito was veel aangenamer. In Kongo kende men ook nog geen sympathieke goedkope restaurants zoals de Portugezen dat kenden vanuit het moederland en naar Angola hadden meegebracht. We willen natuurlijk weten hoe het zat met havenprostitutie. In Tenerife was er een enorme prostitutie. In Kongo bestond ze ook, maar niet officieel. Volgens een stadsreglement van Matadi moest de blanke zeeman na zonsondergang het negerdorp verlaten maar sommigen omzeilden dat door pas ’s ochtends terug aan boord te gaan. Van zeemansliefjes zoals in Brazilië en Argentinië was in Kongo echter geen sprake. Hoe was het laden en lossen georganiseerd ? In Kongo leidden de scheepsofficieren de werkzaamheden. Dan hadden we echt veel werk. Er waren nog geen containers, soms werden 30 verschillende loten koffie geladen. Ivoor hebben we weinig ingeladen, soms eens een ton of vijf, die dan werd geladen in speciale lockers. Waar een ploeg havenarbeiders in Antwerpen uit 6 of 8 man bestond, waren er in Kongo 12 nodig. Aan het hoofd ervan stond een capita, een foreman. De dokwerkers van Matadi werkten voor Otraco. Er stonden walkranen gebouwd in Tirlemont en bij Boomse Metaalwerken, zeer solide constructies waarvan sommige nu nog in gebruik zijn. De laadbomen van de Charlesville werden gebruikt voor overslag in en uit lichters. Ze werden bediend door zwarten. De scheepsagent in Matadi was AMI. Het stuwen van de lading, in Antwerpen uitgevoerd door een stuwadoorsbedrijf was in Kongo de taak van de dekofficieren. Wat verdiende de bemanning in die tijd ? In 1960 verdiende een tweede officier circa 12.000 frank netto, inbegrepen overuren. Er waren altijd overuren, zonder die vergoeding zag het er heel wat minder rooskleurig uit. Een vierde officier, altijd inclusief overuren, had 8.000 frank, een blanke matroos 5.000 frank, een Kongolese matroos 2.000 frank, een dokwerker in Matadi 1.000 frank. Een Kongolese zeeman was dus een rijke kerel. Onder de dek-officieren was bijna niemand gesyndiceerd, ik was een uitzondering, maar hield dit lidmaatschap discreet voor mezelf. De eerste officier besliste welke matrozen volgende keer terug mochten meevaren, de vakbond had daar niets aan te zeggen. De bemanning werd reis per reis aangemonsterd. En nu de belangrijkste vraag van allemaal: moet de Charlesville terug naar België komen ? Het zou prachtig zijn, kijk maar naar het voorbeeld van de Cap San Diego in Hamburg. Ik steun de terugkeer voluit !

Inséré le 1 mai 13 Historiek Historiaue Enlevé le 01 juin 13 Naufrage et pillage en Léon au XVIIème siècle par Jean-Pierre Hirrien

La côte déchiquetée du Nord Finistère, l'absence de signalisation et la navigation à l'estime ont longtemps favorisé les naufrages, perçus comme une manne divine par les riverains, volontiers pilleurs d'épaves avant que l'Administration n'organise la gestion des bris. D'où la réputation d'ailleurs usurpée - de naufrageurs faite aux Léonards et singulièrement aux farouches habitants du pays Pagan. Avant tout, il convient d'éviter d'exagérer l'importance numérique des naufrages en Léon, même s'ils constituent indéniablement un spectacle apprécié par les communautés littorales du XVIIIe siècle. Les archives couvrant la période 1661-1815 n'en mentionnent que quatre cent cinquante environ, soit une moyenne de trois par an. Certes, la liste n'est pas exhaustive, car nombre de navires ont disparu sans laisser de trace, leur perte n'ayant pas suscité la rédaction d'un procès-verbal, pour différents motifs, dont l'absence d'opportunités lucratives pour les autorités. Néanmoins, le Léon semble mieux — moins bien pour les pilleurs — loti en la matière que la Corouaille voisine, où l'on enregistre en moyenne cinq naufrages annuels à la même époque. Quelles sont les causes de ces naufrages ? Le poids de la nature est évident pour cette région au trait de côte chaotique, miné d'une multitude d'écueils dangereux. À quoi s'ajoutent la fréquence des brumes, la force des courants et la violence des tempêtes. L'hiver surtout est dangereux : près de soixante-sept pour cent des fortunes de mer ont lieu entre novembre et mars. Ainsi, en 1782, la Mariedes-Carmes, un bâtiment de 300 tonneaux, se destine à rejoindre Londres avec un chargement de cendres lorsqu'elle talonne une roche près de Molène. "Elle est mise en deux en un instant", abandonnant à la voracité des flots vingt-six membres de son équipage. La deuxième cause de naufrage concerne les manquements involontaires ou délibérés des hommes. Le 21 janvier 1738, l'Atlas dérive dangereusement au large d'Ouessant après le décès du capitaine Kerlorec et alors que l'équipage est lui-même décimé par la fièvre jaune. Le second, M. de Sorel prend le commandement du bâtiment, mais suite à une fausse manoeuvre, l'Atlas se déchire sur un écueil et sombre. Ce jour-là vingt marins périssent. Ce genre d'accident se comprend d'autant mieux si l'on se remémore les conditions dans lesquelles s'effectue le point sur les navires au XVIIIe siècle. La navigation se fait en effet à l'estime ou en calculant la latitude et la longitude avec le risque de relevés erronés. En mars 1782, le lieutenant de Boisanger, commandant le détachement de Brie basé à l'île de Batz, raconte qu'un capitaine anglais "s'est trompé de route en ayant pris les terres de l'île de Batz pour les côtes de l'Angleterre". Quant aux pilotes côtiers qui conduisent les navires à travers passes et récifs, s'ils sont réputés pour leur compétence et leur probité, on compte aussi parmi eux quelques brebis galeuses. En 1740, ceux d'Argenton sont accusés par L. Marelle, le capitaine de la Félicité de Calais, "d'avoir par malice fait

échouer son navire sur les roches de Portsall au lieu de le faire entrer, par suite de gros temps, dans le port d'Argenton". Les navires abandonnés font la joie et parfois la fortune de leurs découvreurs. Par ailleurs, il n'est pas exceptionnel de rencontrer en mer des navires abandonnés par leur équipage. De telles prises font la joie de leurs découvreurs, car la loi leur attribue le tiers de la valeur du bateau et de sa cargaison ! Pour certains, comme les habitants de Port-Malo, qui ont recueilli en 1785 le Saint-François, chargé de tabac et de cacao, au large de Plouguerneau, cela représente une véritable fortune. Mais pour un navire indemne, combien ne s'abîment-ils pas ? En octobre 1792, la Sainte-Anne de Brest revient à son port d'attache lourdement chargée de sel du Croisic. À la pointe du Finistère, le navire est happé par "une mer bulleuse dans le raz de Saints". Malgré toutes les tentatives entreprises pour sauver son bâtiment, le capitaine François-Marie L'Hostis doit se résoudre, en compagnie de ses matelots, à embarquer sur la Providence de L'Aber-Ildut qui croise dans les parages. Quelques instants plus tard la Sainte-Anne est drossée sur les rochers et coule bas. Le Vengeur englouti à Ouessant après son combat contre le Brunswick Les conflits armés constituent bien sûr un contexte favorable aux naufrages. Durant la "seconde" guerre de Cent Ans (1689-1815) opposant la France et l'Angleterre, nombre de navires achèvent leur combat sur le littoral léonard. Ainsi en est-il de l'Aréthuse, une ancienne frégate française capturée par les Anglais, qui se brise sur les cailloux de Molène en mars 1779 suite à un duel avec l'Aigrette. Il en est de même pour le Vengeur, englouti à Ouessant en juin 1794 après son combat contre le Brunswick. Outre les navires désemparés à cause de leurs blessures de guerre, il arrive aussi que des bâtiments se mettent au plain en voulant fuir l'ennemi ou se placer sous la protection des batteries côtières. En octobre 1808, le corsaire malouin Espérance se jette de la sorte à la côte entre Melon et l'Aber-Ildut, en voulant se débarrasser de deux vaisseaux anglais. Après la nature ingrate et les déficiences humaines, la troisième grande cause des naufrages est l'insuffisance notoire de la signalisation maritime. Malgré un trafic qui ne cesse de croître avec l'explosion du commerce colonial, les bateaux qui croisent à la pointe du Finistère ne peuvent compter que sur deux phares : celui du Stiff à Ouessant et celui de la pointe Saint-Mathieu. Encore ces tours à feu ont-elles un fonctionnement très aléatoire, faute de combustible ou de foyer suffisamment abrité. Un phare éteint, ce sont des navires aveugles à la merci d'un drame. De l'étude des causes des naufrages il ressort néanmoins que la majorité des fortunes de mer résulte de la conjonction de plusieurs facteurs. À la défaillance d'un feu s'ajoutent souvent une mer démontée, un navire fragilisé, un équipage épuisé... L'un des meilleurs récits de naufrage de cette époque nous est donné par Jacques Cambry dans son Voyage dans le Finistère (1794). Il s'agit de celui du Républicain, survenu le 3 nivôse an III. "Le Mingan, rocher redoutable, coupe en deux parties le goulet [de Brest]. C'est là que, presque sous mes yeux se perdit le Républicain. À peine [ce vaisseau de cent quatorze canons] fut-il engagé dans la passe, qu'un vent contraire et furieux le força d'employer tous les moyens de l'intelligence et de la présence d'esprit pour éviter le plus affreux danger. Le pilote était chargé du vaisseau ; la neige, un vent furieux, un froid insupportable s'opposaient à toutes les manoeuvres ; la nuit approchait ; le pilote assura qu'on avait doublé le Mingan. L'espérance commençait à renaître, quand or sentit que le bâtiment donnait, et qu'il portait sur ce rocher; en vain, pour alléger un( masse aussi forte, on employa tous le: moyens d'usage; en vain les officiers montrèrent tout le sang-froid, toutes les connaissances, toutes les ressources de leur art; tous leurs efforts furent inutiles. "Qui le croirait ? Oubliant le danger commun, trois hommes descendirent dans un canot et se sauvèrent sans reparaître. L'orage redoublait; la carcasse s'ouvrait enfin; par un mouvement majestueux presque insensible, l'arrière du bateau s'éleva, l'avant s'enfonça dans la mer et s'abîma. On s'élance dans la chambre du conseil, on s'attache à la galerie ; huit cents hommes sont agglomérés, suspendus, sans espoir; le vaisseau descendait encore. Il s'arrête sur quelques pointes de rocher. Le vent redoublait de fureur. On craignait une autre secousse et la mort qui devait suivre." En définitive, le Républicain reçut les secours d'un vaisseau ancré à Camaret et une grande partie de l'équipage fut sauvée.

Le capitaine de l'Été fait voeu à la Vierge d'aller à la messe pieds nus. La diversité des situations oblige les capitaines à prendre des décisions rapides. Ici, l'équipage pompe continuellement, là, on construit des radeaux de fortune. En novembre 1747, le capitaine du corsaire granvillais la Nymphe, naufragé aux Sept-Îles, fait tirer quelques coups de canons et illuminer son bâtiment pour signaler sa présence; puis il fait abattre vergues et mâts pour confectionner deux radeaux. L'un s'en sort sans trop de difficultés alors que le second disparaît à tout jamais. Quand la promptitude du drame précipite les hommes à la mer, chacun tente de sauver sa peau en nageant vers le moindre bout de bois flottant alentour. En 1782, le capitaine du Gélusktadt et quelques-uns de ses matelots réussissent à rejoindre le mât brisé de leur navire. Arrimés à l'espar, ils dérivent vers la côte de Landunvez, où ils arrivent "pour ainsi dire sans connaissance". Autre cas de figure. Lorsque le lieu du naufrage est parsemé de rochers, les rescapés s'y accrochent en attendant les secours. En avril 1774, le commis greffier d'Ouessant relate qu'il fut, "le 15 du courant, averti qu'il y avait un pavillon sur une roche, au large, éloignée d'une demi-lieue, [et] que l'on croyait qu'il y avait du monde dessus". Comment les naufragés vivent-ils ces drames ? Craignant pour leur vie, ils en appellent souvent au réconfort de la religion. Quand le capitaine Nicolas Vallet se rend compte que son bâtiment, l'Été, de Rouen, "se comblait tribord et bâbord tellement que tout l'équipage et lui-même criaient miséricorde et croyaient que le navire allait au fond, [il] fait voeu à la Sainte Vierge d'aller à la messe, pieds nus, un cierge à la main, au premier port convenable". D'autres prient ou encore promettent de placer un ex-voto dans quelque sanctuaire de leur connaissance. La législation en matière de bris remonte au Moyen Âge (VIe siècle). Le droit de bris appartient aux ducs de Bretagne, aux vicomtes de Léon et à certains seigneurs locaux. Les moines de Saint-Mathieu, réclament à ce titre le droit de conserver les vêtements et les effets des noyés retrouvés sur le littoral. Aussi, afin de préserver leurs biens, les propriétaires de bateaux achètent-ils des brefs qui leur accordent toute une série de garanties. Mais peu à peu la monarchie multiplie édits et à une époque où il n'existe pas de sauveteurs professionnels, elles appellent à la rescousse les populations littorales. Cela n'est pas toujours une mince affaire, comme en témoigne ce récit du commis greffier d'Ouessant, M. de Montigny: "Par la douceur, par menaces, par autorité, je pus déterminer cinq

hommes à s'exposer la vie pour la sauver à d'autres, leur promettant un louis, trois pots d'eau-de-vie et de répondre de leur bateau". Des naufragés réconfortés avant d'être détroussés Dans un premier temps, les naufragés sont généralement bien accueillis, mais le lucre reprend vite le dessus. En 1782, les rescapés du Gelukstad, abordant la côte à Saint-Samson, près de Landunvez, accrochés à un mât, se félicitent de l'aide des riverains, qui les réconfortent... avant de leur dérober divers objets. Même avidité à Kerlouan, où l'équipage de l'Hire-Hélion se fait molester lorsqu'il tente de s'opposer à la rapine. Suite à de tels abus, l'Administration s'organise pour récupérer rapidement le bris des naufrages. Elle constitue des équipes avec des journaliers patentés, des charretiers et maîtres de barques. Les moindres débris d'espar, de cordage, de planche, les ballots, les tonneaux sont ainsi récupérés. Le 4 mars 1807, le naufrage de la Blanche, à Plouguerneau, mobilise, outre les fonctionnaires, soixante-dix journaliers, quatre chaloupes et de nombreuses charrettes pour le transport des noyés et des restes du navire. Les débris sont stockés en lieu sûr, dans un local cadenassé et parfois même gardé par un homme en armes. Car ces cavernes d'Ali Baba attirent les convoitises. En 1795, au Conquet, le juge de paix déplore la visite d'un malfaiteur, qui, démolissant une porte, a dérobé pour 200 livres d'objets provenant de l'Olivier. Les vols peuvent également avoir lieu au cours du transport. Suite au naufrage de l'Adler, en décembre 1806, à Plouguerneau, l'administrateur de la Marine en siège à Roscoff constate que, malgré les gardes qui les accompagnent, les charrettes s'arrêtent dans les champs pour être délestées de leur précieuse cargaison. Les noyés découverts à la côte sont enterrés à proximité, sur la dune, ou dans un enclos paroissial voisin. Il n'est pas rare qu'avant leur inhumation les cadavres soient dépouillés de leurs vêtements et de leurs objets précieux. La section des doigts portant alliance ou chevalière est si fréquente que l'on s'étonne presque de trouver un noyé non mutilé, comme le capitaine Desgoutes, dont le vaisseau avait explosé à Brest-Saint-Marc en 1745, et dont on pensa qu'il avait oublié de mettre sa bague le jour du drame. Que deviennent les débris et produits des navires ? Selon l'ordonnance de 1681 et le décret de 1792, si aucun ayant droit ne se présente dans un délai de trente jours, les marchandises les plus périssables sont vendues afin d'éviter un manque à gagner et de dédommager les sauveteurs. Les objets non susceptibles de détérioration et non réclamés par leurs propriétaires attendront un an et un jour avant d'être vendus aux enchères. Ces ventes sont annoncées par voie d'affiches placardées dans les grandes villes du Léon et parfois même au-delà. La vente a lieu sur la côte lorsqu'il s'agit de se partager les restes d'une épave. Ainsi, le 22 juin 1797, "un bout d'artimon cassé des deux bouts" est vendu aux enchères en présence d'un juge de paix, d'un syndic marin, d'un receveur des douanes et d'un crieur public. L'espar est emporté pour 66 livres, dont la moitié ira ses inventeurs. Malgré quelques exceptions — comme la vente du Herdiguend, naufragé Molène en 1800, qui atteint quelque 21500 francs —, ces ventes rapportent peu, le plus souvent moins de 2000 livres. Néanmoins, le naufrage constitue un complément de revenus pour toute une frange de la population

des villages côtiers. D'abord pour les fonctionnaires, largement rétribués pour leurs prestations. Ainsi, le juge de paix du Conquet empoche 372 francs pour ses trente et une interventions sur le Herdiguend. Quant à l'administrateur de la Marine de Roscoff, le naufrage de la Blanche lui rapporte une nouvelle paire de bottes d'une valeur de 36 francs, les précédentes avant été "brulées par la mer et coupées par les pierres". Pour ce même naufrage, les journaliers perçoivent 726 francs (2 francs par jour) et les voituriers 326 francs (5 francs par voyage). En général; les femmes et les enfants sont moins bien servis : ils ne sont payés respectivement que 1,25 franc et 0,75 franc par jour. Si les autorités tardent se rendre sur place, les pilleurs passent à l'offensive Outre les profits qu'elles peuvent en tirer, les populations littorales perçoivent le naufrage comme un évènement rompant la monotonie des jours ordinaires. C'est une attraction et l'ont vient parfois de très loin assister au spectacle, ne serait-ce que dans l'espoir d'y grappiller quelque chose. Car si, par malheur, les autorités tardent à se rendre sur place, les pilleurs passent à l'offensive. La raison de ces pillages tient essentiellement à la mentalité des gens de la côte et à leurs conditions de vie rigoureuses. Traditionnellement, c'est de la mer qu'ils tirent leur subsistance. Goémons, poissons, coquillages, tout ce qu'apporte la mer sur l'estran est considéré comme la propriété des riverains. En 1695, lorsque les Plouguernéens découvrent une baleine échouée sur leur plage, ils se servent sans vergogne. N'en déplaise au greffier de l'amirauté, qui note "avoir trouvé un reste de corps de baleine échoué et ouvert, démembré et écartelé, le tout paraissant avoir été coupé et emporté à coups de haches et de couteaux". Rien n'y fait: "Malgré avertissements et sommations à plusieurs particuliers, poursuit le fonctionnaire, ceux-ci ont continué la coupe et enlèvement du lard". Il en va de même pour toute épave (pense, en Breton). Le riverain faisant son tro aod (tour de grève) ramasse spontanément tout ce qu'il trouve, sans même penser qu'il commet un délit. Lorsque les autorités l'interrogent sur quelque vol d'épaves, il invoque les coutumes ancestrales, l'ignorance des lois, voire le consentement divin. À cette culture littorale spécifique s'allient une topographie côtière qui n'entrave guère l'accès aux lieux des naufrages, un peuplement relativement dense qui multiplie les vigies, et un isolement imputable à des moyens de communication limités, surtout l'hiver, saison des bris. A ce niveau, les iliens savent profiter

admirablement de leur insularité. En mars 1818, l'intendant de la Marine de Brest, voulant se rendre á Ouessant pour assurer la sauvegarde de l'Hector, se trouve bloqué quatre jours á Brest, puis autant à Molène, la tempête faisant rage. Quand il arrive enfin sur place, il ne reste plus rien à sauver.

Tout est bon pour les pilleurs. Ils grappillent vêtements, bijoux, alcools, vins, ustensiles, arrachent le métal pour en faire des outils, récupèrent le bois pour le chauffage, la fabrication de meubles ou la construction de bâtiments. Le pillage des grèves est une telle institution que dans le Léon nombre de granges côtières ont le pignon percé d'une ouverture spéciale appelée toul ar pense (trou épave), ou l'on entrepose le butin de ces rapines. Avertis par un pêcheur, un paotr saout (jeune pátre) ou quelque flâneur de l'arrivée imminente d'un bâtiment á la côte, les badauds accourent de partout sur les lieux du drame. En 1792, on estime entre six cents et mille cinq cents le nombre de riverains venus assister à l'agonie du Neptune au Corréjou, en Plouguerneau. Dans un premier temps, on se préoccupe d'immobiliser la proie, de l'empêcher de s'échapper. En 1749, lors du naufrage de l'Anna et Alida, Landéda, les habitants "hachèrent et enlevèrent les agrès et apparaux, voiles, cordages et câbles des ancres". Puis vient le pillage proprement dit, et gare à ceux qui voudraient entraver la prédation ! En février 1746, le Saint-Pierre, capitaine Jacob, a le malheur de s'échouer à Guissény: "Les Bens de la côte ont tout pillé, toutes les hardes, 220 livres en argent que le capitaine avait dans son armoire, jusqu'aux plaques de cuivre qui étaient dans la cuisine. Le peuple, en très grand nombre, a défait á

coups de haches le bâtiment et a tout emporté à l'exception du grand-mât. Le capitaine et l'équipage ont été menacés d'être hachés á coups de haches lorsqu'ils voulurent s'opposer á leur pillage." Souvent armés d'un croc à goémon, les pilleurs font la navette entre l'épave et les charrettes stationnées sur la dune ou à même la grève. La découverte de vin rouge ou d'eau-de-vie déclenche toujours une ruée frénétique. Le tonneau est immédiatement mis en perce et chacun se sert, qui avec son chapeau, qui avec son nabot. Avec l'ivresse viennent les débordements. À l'île Tariec, l'Ouest de Landéda, en 1749, une pièce de vin est perdue par la faute d'un ivrogne qui y a "jeté un chien tout sale et tout crotté". A Plouguerneau, en 1806, "un pilote qui avait travaillé au naufrage a péri á force de boire". Les échauffourées de fin de pillage sont monnaie courante. Le pillage est moins facile quand le navire naufragé n'a pas atteint l'estran. Il faut alors se rendre sur l'épave en bateau. En 1741, après le bris du Saint Domingue à l'Aber-Ildut, "plusieurs bateaux de pêche arrivèrent sur les lieux du naufrage. Ils pillèrent par les écoutilles, ils entrouvrirent les ballots, volèrent près de la moitié des dits ballots et marchandises". Qui sont ces pilleurs? Curieusement, ce sont en majorité des paysans. Viennent ensuite les pêcheurs. Mais pas seulement, car la rapine réunit des gens de toutes conditions. Les témoins du saccage du Neptune décrivent "une foule de pillards, riches et pauvres, gens de la mer et de la terre, nobles, bourgeois, menu peuple, se côtoyant sur le rivage pour participer á la curée". Ailleurs, on a même vu les employés des fermes du roi dépouiller les cadavres ou détourner des marchandises. Son forfait achevé, le malfaiteur achemine rapidement son butin jusqu'à des caches aménagées de longue date ou improvisées. En mai 1807, l'aubergiste de Kerlouan, Y. Jaouen, "cache derrière un banc entre le foyer et le pignon Sud 50 á 60 kilos de fer, deux jolis plats ovales blancs, un étau superbe", provenant du pillage de l'Horizon. Toutefois, dans la majorité des cas, les navires qui s'abîment sur les côtes léonardes ne déversent que bois, futailles, produits alimentaires, ou denrées coloniales. Rares sont les cargaisons mirifiques, comme celle du Saint-Domingue, dont les cales contenaient "quantité de ballots et de caisses de marchandises considérables, savoir en bijoux et étoffes d'or et d'argent, gallons d'or et d'argent, draps fins". Le maire et le greffier sont accueillis à coups de pierres Les objets détournés sont conservés, échangés ou vendus. La veuve Grignou et sa nièce MarieCatherine organisent ainsi, dans leur auberge, une vente illicite de draps provenant du Garlingue, échoué à Plouguerneau en 1793. Par souci de discrétion, les receleurs dispersent parfois le fruit des rapines dans les villes voisines. Ainsi, le "Parisien" fournisseur de la veuve Grignou s'enfuit vers Brest afin de se fondre dans l'anonymat de la cité du Ponant pour vendre le produit de son larcin. Comme les pilleurs, les acheteurs appartiennent à tous les milieux sociaux. Dans l'affaire du Neptune, sont mêlés un cultivateur de Plouguin, un potier de Lannilis et un chirurgien de Saint-Pol-de-Léon. Dans celle de l'Horizon, sont impliqués un receveur des douanes,

son fils, sa servante, sa voisine, et le patron du canot de la douane de Pontusval. Face à ces exactions, les autorités tentent bien sur de faire triompher le droit. Le naufrage du Neptune en donne un bon exemple. Ce navire s'échoue au Corréjou dans la nuit du 22 au 23 janvier 1792. A 8 heures du matin, quatre douaniers sont sur les lieux, rejoints bientôt par le maire, les officiers municipaux et le procureur de la commune. La première mesure consiste, sous les quolibets, à "repousser une multitude de personnes [pour] empêcher la spoliation des effets et marchandises composant la cargaison dudit bâtiment". Entre-temps le juge de paix a fait préparer, Kergoff, un magasin où seront entreposés "vingt caisses et trente paniers de faïence". Mais le 25 janvier, cent vingt malfaiteurs y font irruption. Le lendemain, le maire et le greffier se rendent sur le site du naufrage, où ils sont accueillis à coups de pierres. La situation devenant insurrectionnelle, il est fait appel à la garde nationale de Lesneven. Le 27, soixante hommes en armes se présentent devant une foule en furie "de mille cinq cents personnes" brandissant pierres, bâtons et fusils. La sagesse commande de se replier. Le lendemain, "les drapeaux rouge et blanc [sont] déployés", qui proclament la bi martiale. La garde investit l'épave, sur laquelle besognent vingt-deux pilleurs. Faute de pouvoir les arrêter tous, on se contente de relever leur identité et d'en saisir quatre pour l'exemple. Incarcérés à Lesneven, ces détenus semblent avoir été élargis par la suite. L'impuissance, voire l'indulgence, des autorités s'explique notamment par les liens, familiaux ou de voisinage, qui souvent unissent les populations littorales et les représentants de l'ordre. Dans ces conditions les condamnations sont rares et légères. La majorité des amendes n'excède pas 20 livres. Les seules sanctions graves répertoriées sont celle de V. Le Carn, conduit au gibet pour baraterie, naufrage simulé et détournement de cargaison en 1700, et celle des acolytes d'un certain Bergot, condamnés aux galères par contumace pour avoir dépouillé un cadavre au Corréjou en 1770. Une manne céleste glanée avec la bénédiction des curés Depuis l'ordonnance de 1681, les prêtres sont censés prévenir les autorités des naufrages et organiser les sauvetages. En réalité, un grand nombre d'entre eux manifestent une certaine tolérance à l'égard des pilleurs. Il en est même qui, comme le curé de Landunvez en 1774, voient "dans le varech et l'épave un grand don de la Providence". Ceux-là ferment les yeux sur les exactions de leurs ouailles, voire les encouragent. En 1667, le vicaire de Molène n'hésite pas à entraver les opérations de sauvetage d'un navire et à s'opposer aux perquisitions ordonnées pour retrouver certaines marchandises dérobées par les insulaires. L'aveu du seigneur de Nizon qui commande file d'Ouessant est à cet égard très éclairant ; en 1707 il écrit l'amirauté que "lors des naufrages qui arrivent sur l'île, il ne saurait contenir les habitants, ni les empêcher de piller, parce que le vicaire leur insinue que ces sortes de naufrages sont des présents du Ciel, qui appartiennent à ceux qui sauvent ce qui en provient". Quant au chanoine de Kersaint, il roue carrément de coups de bâton le commis de l'amirauté d'Ouessant pour obtenir la barrique de vin qu'il considère comme sa part de bris. L'esclandre lui vaudra un séjour à la prison de Pontaniou, á Brest. Les naufrageurs léonards, un mythe forgé par les écrivains romantiques

Peu à peu cependant, le clergé évolue, y compris dans le pays Pagan. Si l'on en croit Cambry, à la fin du XVIIIe siècle s'emploie "á adoucir les moeurs de ces farouches enfants des Celtes, au point qu'ils ont renoncé à l'usage inhumain de la spoliation des naufragés". Les prêtres peuvent utiliser la procédure du monitoire enjoignant les fidèles, sous peine d'excommunication, dénoncer les fautifs. Mais les effets de cette mesure restent marginaux. En revanche, le clergé contribue assez efficacement á la restitution des objets détournés. Ainsi, en 1787, le recteur d'Ouessant reçoit 860 livres d'un pilleur qui craignait que sa faute ne soit sanctionnée par un châtiment céleste. La réputation des pilleurs d'épaves du pays Pagan est telle que la littérature s'empare rapidement de leurs exploits pour forger un mythe. Sous la plume des écrivains, le chapardeur des grèves devient un naufrageur multipliant les ruses pour amener les navires á la côte. L'image du prédateur, tapi dans les rochers, le croc à la main, guettant sa proie les nuits de tempête est profondément ancrée dans la mémoire collective. D'aucuns l'imaginent sur la dupe, attirant les navires en promenant une vache á la patte avant entravée, affublée d'un fanal dont le balancement est censé imiter le feu d'un bâtiment d'assistance. Cette légende repose sur l'ordonnance de 1681, qui proclame que "seront punis de mort ceux qui allumeront des feux trompeurs sur les grèves de la mer la nuit et dans des lieux périlleux pour y attirer et faire perdre les navires". On peut supposer que cette précision repose sur des faits avérés, mais rien ne le prouve. Il existe aussi quelques témoignages, comme celui de Dubuisson-Aubenay daté de 1681, mais il concerne l’île de Sein et non le Léon. Cambry évoque également des naufrageurs, mais en Cornouaille, pas en pays léonard. Quoi qu'il en soit, la légende était trop belle pour ne pas être reprise et enjolivée par les auteurs de l'époque romantique, comme l'ethnologue Paul Sébillot, ou l'historien Jules Michelet. "La nature est atroce, écrit ce dernier, l'homme est atroce. Dès que la mer jette un pauvre vaisseau, ils courent à la côte, bommes et femmes, ils tombent sur cette curée. Loups, ils pilleraient tranquillement sous le feu de la gendarmerie. Souvent, Biton, une vache, promenant à ses cornes un fanal mouvant, a mené les vaisseaux sur les écueils. On en a vu qui, pour arracher une bague au doigt d'une femme qui se noyait lui coupaient le doigt avec les dents." Pourtant, rien ne permet d'authentifier la divagation criminelle de cette vache lumineuse ou quelque autre simulacre destiné piéger un navire. Dans le quartier maritime de Ré, sur trois cent quatre-vingtdix naufrages, J. Boucard ne mentionne qu'un seul capitaine trompé par un feu de pêcheurs. Bourde de La Rogerie n'en signale aucun en Cornouaille et nous-mêmes n'avons rencontré aucune condamnation liée á ce type de méfait dans l'inventaire de l'amirauté de Léon. Ainsi donc, dans l'état actuel de nos connaissances, l'image du naufrageur usant d'un stratagème lumineux à des fins criminelles n'est absolument pas fondée. La réputation de naufrageurs faite aux Léonards est donc usurpée. Ils ne méritent que celle de pilleurs d'épaves. Et encore, celle-ci est-elle également très exagérée. En effet, statistiquement, la proportion des épaves pillées sur la côte léonarde n'est que de treize pour cent, ce qui est

relativement faible par rapport à la Cornouaille, ou l'amirauté en enregistre plus de vingt-huit pour cent de 1723à 1791. Il est vrai cependant que certains secteurs dépassent largement cette moyenne, et le pays Pagan — de Plouguerneau à Plounéour-Trez — détient la palme des exactions avec trentetrois pour cent d'épaves pillées. Quoi qu'il en soit, les razzias ne concernent donc qu'une minorité des épaves venues à la côte. En outre, on observe que les pillages sont de moins en moins nombreux au fil du temps. Cette décrue est due à la conjonction de nombreux facteurs, parmi lesquels on doit citer l'action de plus en plus répressive de l'État, l'influence d'un clergé moins enclin à l'indulgence, le maillage plus serré des postes de gardes et la création de nouveaux corps comme les douanes et la gendarmerie. Néanmoins, la répression ne parviendra jamais à éradiquer cet instinct du glaneur de grèves qui sommeille en chacun de nous. Aujourd'hui encore, sur les côtes du Finistère comme partout ailleurs, les objets échappés des conteneurs venus se fracasser sur les rochers font la joie des riverains, qui moissonnent allègrement cette manne céleste l'instar de leurs ancêtres. Bibliographie : J. Boucard, "Les naufrageurs, naufrages et pillages d'épaves", in Cahiers de la mémoire nos 33 et 45. Alain Cabantous, Les Cótes barbares, Fayard. Jacques Cambry, Voyage dans le Finistère, rééd. Coop Breizh. J.-P. Hirrien, Naufrages et pillages en Léon, Skol Vreizh, 2000. J.-Y. Legoff, Le Pays Pagan, Collection mémoire en images, 1994. Sources : Inventaire de l'amirauté de Léon de 1681 1792; procès-verbaux des juges de paix durant la Révolution et des administrateurs de la Marine sous 1'Empire.

Inséré le 1 mai 13 Books Livres Enlevé le 01 juin 13 New Guide on Collisions The ‘A' rated 170 million GT North P&I Club has just published a new loss prevention guide for watchkeepers on how to avoid collisions at sea. Designed specifically for use on ship's bridges, it focuses on what the Club considers to be the most important ‘rules of the road' in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGS). In his foreword to Collisions: How to Avoid Them, the Hon Mr Justice Nigel Teare, Admiralty Judge at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, says, ‘Despite all the impressive electronic assistance designed to enable deck officers to avoid collisions, collisions still occur. The answer is, and always has been since radar was first introduced, that the rules of navigation set out in the COLREGS must still be applied by deck officers. ‘This short and compact guide therefore has a vital and necessary role. It reminds mariners of the basics of the COLREGS and that they must be kept well in mind and obeyed notwithstanding the profusion of equipment on the modern bridge. That equipment does not avoid collision - it is merely an aid to collision avoidance. What avoids collisions is compliance with the COLREGS,' says Teare. The guide focuses on the 12 regulations North considers are most often misinterpreted and applied. These are: responsibility, look-outs, safe speed, risk of collision, action to avoid collisions, traffic separation schemes, overtaking, head-on situations, crossing situations, action by give-way vessels, action by stand-on vessels and conduct of vessels in restricted visibility. According to the Club's head of loss prevention Tony Baker, ‘We believe these rules are the key to collision avoidance as we see them breached time and time again when collisions occur. The guide demonstrates how these rules fit together and how the interpreting and applying each of them can be influenced, sometimes wrongly, by the vast mass of information now available from electronic aids to navigation.' The guide also includes illustrated case studies of recent major collisions, plus fold-out charts for plotting developing situations. ‘The case studies and the questions they ask are intended to be the

starting point for wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of collision avoidance by bridge teams,' says Baker. Copies of the guide are being circulated to all North's Members and entered ships. Non-Members can buy them, along with all of North's other loss-prevention publications, from marine bookshops or directly from the Club's distributor Anchorage Press, http://www.anchoragepress.co.uk/. For further information contact: Andrew Glen or Tony Baker +44 191 232 5221

Inséré le 3 mai 13 OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 03 juin 13 Cutting CO2 emissions from ships The conversation about reducing carbon dioxide emissions from ships is growing – but can it be achieved? TANKEROperator spoke with Germanischer Lloyd’s (GL) Dr Reinhard Krapp, head of research and innovation and Finn Vogler, project engineer within the risk assessment and mechanical engineering department, to get an update on technology and regulation. The international Copenhagen discussions this December are aiming to set limits on emissions of carbon dioxide for nearly all countries and shipping won’t escape. The only way to reduce fuel consumption from ships in a big way is for vessels to reduce speed. The speed of a vessel is proportional to the cube of fuel consumption (so if you halve the speed, fuel consumption reduces by 87.5%). In the current shipping market with overcapacity, forcing ships to reduce speed would be a good thing for shipowners – removing it at a stroke. But there are going to be winners and losers, however the rules are implemented. “We don’t have all the answers yet,” said Dr Krapp. Questions have been asked at IMO about whether restrictions on international shipping will stop developing countries improving their standards of living – if they can only do this through trade. There are good market reasons why vessels go at the speeds they do – consider that containerships typically go at 20 knots and tankers and bulk carriers at 14 knots; the container cargo is worth more and has more capital tied up in it. “The market wants a certain speed of ship,” said Dr Krapp. You can’t just reduce speed forever to save fuel costs. There is a point when reducing speed further will increase the total power consumption for a given voyage, because the auxiliary power consumption (lights, pumps and air conditioning) of a ship is roughly constant each day. If a ship takes longer to reach its destination the overall auxiliary power consumption will increase. But there are plenty of other areas when reducing speed will increase the costs to the charterer/cargo owner (particularly in the capital tied up in the cargo) but this will have to be taken as a reasonable price to pay for the benefits of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The big question will be, how well managed will the system be, and how accurately can it target the worst performing ships. If you were a shipowner building a ship today, you might be advised to make your asset prepared for future emissions requirements, which could mean additional equipment would need to be fitted to reduce auxiliary power consumption, Dr Krapp suggested. A shipowner might want to consider ensuring that the vessel is efficient at low speeds, because most propulsion systems are designed to operate at a certain speed with best efficiency at the design point. They should certainly be prepared for an increase in fuel prices. Can’t scrub it A common misunderstanding is that carbon dioxide can be removed from ships emissions simply by investing in shipboard equipment (like scrubbers to remove particulates, SOx and NOx emissions).

The carbon dioxide emissions are proportional to the amount of carbon atoms burnt in the fuel – because all the carbon atoms end up being emitted in carbon dioxide molecules. The carbon atoms also turn from being a liquid (in the fuel) to a gas (in carbon dioxide emissions). So there’s far too much carbon dioxide to simply entrap it on the ship. So the only way to reduce CO2 emissions is, either to burn less fuel, or use a fuel containing less carbon. If you want to burn less fuel – the options are very limited apart from reducing speed, or having a smaller ship, or carrying less cargo (or not having a voyage at all). You might be able to shave a few percentage points off the fuel consumption by cleaning the propeller, tuning the engine, or using a different kind of coating so you need less air-conditioning in the cabin. There are two alternate fuels containing less carbon– methane/natural gas (CH4 - only one carbon atom to each hydrogen atom) – or even pure hydrogen. None of these options are particularly cheap – but doing nothing is now not an option. IMO discussions Having said this, IMO is not considering specific limits on maritime options thus far. The reason is quite complex. The carbon dioxide discussions in the United Nations covering the whole world (not just shipping) currently have two tracks: countries which will need to limit their emissions (called ‘Annex 1 countries’) and developing countries which won’t have to (called ‘non Annex 1’). IMO has decided that shipping industry, according to its common practice, won’t have any exemptions – whatever the rules are, they will apply equally to all countries. But the ‘non Annex 1’ developing countries are worried that, if they agree that they won’t have any exemptions at IMO, this could give the other countries an excuse to give them global carbon dioxide emission limitations in the Copenhagen discussions later this year. So IMO has decided that it won’t discuss any specific carbon dioxide limits at all – at least until after Copenhagen. But IMO can try to work out how it will assess the environmental performance of a ship – so it will know which ships to put pressure on, once decisions are made about how much pressure will be made on the whole industry. Index A ship’s environmental performance will be assessed by calculating an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) – a measure of how energy efficient a ship is, per tonne of freight moved for bulk cargoes. According to a complex calculation (which is still under development), it will be possible to work out where a given ship on a given voyage is compared to other vessels. Then it is possible to work out how pressures should be implemented – for example, by banning vessels in the bottom 10%, or asking vessels in the bottom 50% to get above average. The speed of the ship is taken into consideration when calculating the index – so the faster the ship goes, the worse its index becomes. For improvement of the vessel’s index, the design speed has to be reduced. There will be a variety of huge factors to cater for special design requirements – for example, ice class tankers are heavier than normal tankers because of the thickness of the hull needed to get through the ice. However well the index is designed, it is unlikely to be able to pick out the worst performing vessels completely accurately. For example, one vessel had an EEDI calculated which was half that of vessels of the same size although it was going at 27 knots – because it has a low deadweight (low mass of cargo being transported) and a high gross tonnage (internal volume), Dr Krapp said.

There are concerns about the so called ‘paragraph ships’, which are built to meet the paragraphs of legal requirements, but not built to minimise carbon dioxide emissions. Tax So there might be some kind of financial penalty system for ships which are deemed to emit too much carbon dioxide. How will it work? One thing that won’t happen is the charges being seen as a ‘tax’ – since taxes are seen as something only national governments can levy, not the IMO. There are plenty of concerns about what this money might be used for – for example, the shipping industry wouldn’t be happy if it was used to improve roads. “If we make shipping more expensive we might increase the truck traffic,” he said. But there is a precedent for IMO/international organisations collecting money – the Oil Pollution Compensation Fund – it could be set up in a similar way, with the money spent on some environmental cause. Gas ships One way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to run ships on gas (compressed or liquefied), which has only one carbon atom for each four hydrogen atoms (CH4). “The Norwegians are pushing for this and the Norwegians have lots of gas,” explained Dr Krapp. The problem with liquefied gas is the space that the tank takes up – about twice the volume of a liquid tank with the same energy content – and the tank itself takes up more space because it has to be designed as a pressure vessel (with thick walls and a strong shape), it can’t just fit neatly into the hull of the ship like a bunker tank. It could be an ideal solution for ferries and short sea voyages.” If you arrive every day at the same port, you could use a gas bunker station,” he said. “I can imagine we’ll see gas ferries and gas feeders in the Baltic. We will see all ferries and small vessels in Norway running on gas.” There are environmental advantages to burning gas – all of the sulphur can be removed before the gas enters the fuel tanks, so it does not enter the atmosphere. On the downside, if there is any release of methane to the atmosphere, it has much stronger greenhouse gas effects per molecule than carbon dioxide. In a gas engine, the gas must be ignited. This can be done with the aid of spark plugs, or by a small amount of diesel (about 1 %). This is considered safer than lighting the gas using spark plugs, as in a gasoline engine. There are already designs for gas fired engines – which are used in land power stations. This design has been adopted for use on board ships by some manufacturers, he said. “It’s a proven technology on land.” The first obstacle is getting approval from the IMO to allow gas as a fuel in international trade. Under current IMO rules, any maritime fuel must have a flash point (vapour ignition temperature) of above 60 ˚C; the flashpoint oftemperature) of above 60 ˚C; the flashpoint of methane is about -162 ˚C. So the challenge ismethane is about -162 ˚C. So the challenge is proving to IMO that gas powered vessels can be safe. This work has been underway for some time. Finn Vogler, GL’s senior project engineer for process technology and fuel cells, expects that IMO ‘Provisions for Gas Fuelled ships’ will come into force, allowing the approval of gas powered vessels by the flag administrations, on 1st July, 2010. The interim guideline for gas as a fuel was submitted by the IMO BLG sub-committee to MSC-86 for adoption. crunch in the supply of marine liquid fuel. But because the sulphur in heavy fuel oil causes human health hazards, authorities around the world feel that they have no option but to restrict the use of it. Regulations are spreading rapidly – already

ships have to run on fuels with no more than 0.1% sulphur in EU ports, 1.5% sulphur in the Baltic and North Sea, while an emission control area (ECA) has been submitted for the whole of the US and Canadian coastline. By the year 2020, the IMO plans to implement regulations banning the use of heavy fuel oil worldwide. It will re-consider its plausibility in 2018, but everybody is making plans for this regulation to be accepted. If ships don’t use heavy fuel, they use distilled fuel, which is fuel boiled in a distillation column in a refinery. This is similar to the type of fuel which is used for vehicles – so the shipping industry will be competing directly with car transportation for limited fuel supplies – which will probably push costs up. The shipping industry has had something of an easy ride on fuel costs for many years because there are very few other industries that can use heavy fuel oil – the part of the different mixture of oil molecules (coming out of the ground), which is too heavy to boil. Hydrogen power One way to get rid of carbon dioxide emissions completely is to fuel the ship on hydrogen, so there are no CO2 emissions at all. The hydrogen still has to be made somehow – and currently most plans are for hydrogen to be made from natural gas, so the carbon dioxide emissions are not avoided. Many people believe that hydrogen power is the only real solution for a post-oil age, whether we make it from wind, coal (with carbon capture) or hydropower, and the sooner we start thinking about how to do it the better. However, thus far it has only been considered for smaller craft, such as passenger ferries, but there are several research projects underway. Hydrogen fuel cells are currently not available to power larger ships, but they are close. For example, the largest fuel cells suitable for ships are around 500 kW, Vogler said. TO

Inséré le 05 mai 13 NEWS NOUVELLES Enlevé le 05 juin 13

Parliament launches debate on armed guards on ships The EU should provide clear guidelines on the growing phenomenon of shipowners using private armed guards to protect their boats from pirates, some MEPs said this week. The question was raised during a debate on piracy in the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, on 14 March. The debate came in the wake of the recent shooting of two Indian fishermen by a pair of Italian sailors who mistook them for pirates. Both Italian men, who worked as security guards on the oil tanker Enrica Lexie Napoli, are now being held by police in India following the killings off the Indian coast, on 15 February. During the plenary session, many MEPs recognised the growing pressure on shipowners, which is prompting them to turn to the

private sector to protect their ships. "The Commission should provide clear guidelines," said Belgian MEP Saïd El Khadraoui, speaking on behalf of the S&D group. "For example, on the training of security guards, when they should be allowed to intervene in an armed capacity and which weapons they should be allowed to use." Meanwhile, the Commission recognises that this is a growing phenomenon "that we cannot ignore". "Due to the immensity of the sea area where Somali pirates now operate and the scarce naval resources available to protect this shipping lane, the industry has had no other choice than to turn to the services provided by privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships transiting the high-risk areas," said Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. Is legislation necessary? The Commission believes it is. "We are not confident with the idea of selfregulation by this new business in view of the risks involved in this kind of activity, which can potentially lead to the - sometimes lethal - use of force." However, this means regulation at international level, rather than EU level, and the commissioner designated the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as "the international body that should lead to the development of very clear, stringent rules and, in particular, of a mandatory instrument". He added that although recommendations have already been published on the subject, since "no solution to piracy is apparent in the short term, we believe this must be addressed in more depth". The question of armed guards will be addressed by the IMO at a meeting of the Maritime Security Committee that will take place on 16-25 May, and MEPs will soon adopt a resolution on piracy which, in the light of current debates, should encompass the question of armed guards. Initially scheduled for this plenary session, the adoption of this resolution has now been postponed due to objections to the fact that the initiative was launched by the Committee on Transport (TRAN). Mathieu Grosch (EPP, Belgium), a member of this committee, said that it will now work together with other parliamentary committees on the matter.

Shipping companies use social networks to fight piracy Shipping companies may have found a new tool to fight piracy: It turns out, pirates like to tweet. Not only that, Somali-based pirates blog and are on Facebook, security experts say. And it is through social media that shipping companies are increasing their understanding of how they operate. "Somalia is a very sophisticated economy, it has one of the best mobile phone communication systems in the world," said Jessica Lincoln, director of intelligence at Rubicon Resolution, a risk consultancy. Lincoln follows pirates' activities using what she describes as "normal" web tools. She gathers whatever individuals and organizations like al-Qaeda's Somali affiliate Al-Shabaab post online about attacks. The insurgent organization runs a Twitter account where it publicizes its activities. The Al-Shabaab Twitter account has been a part of the debate over whether terrorist organizations should be allowed to use Twitter. Twitter does not take responsibility for the accuracy and appropriateness of user content in its terms of service.

Another source for her is the Kenyan army, which Lincoln describes as fully engaged in online exchanges with Al-Shabaab.

Fertile territory for Al-Shabaab in chaos of Somalia Other organizations, like the International Maritime Organization, document pirate attacks and tweet about them. While, for example, Al-Shabaab may claim an attack was carried out, Lincoln will confirm this claim with other online sources, like the Kenyan army or the IMO. Lincoln has put together data from social media, mainstream media, academics, governmental organizations, and NGOs to create a virtual representation of the social networking web of pirates in Somalia. Her work -- aggregated from online sources -- has drawn the interest of shippers and government intelligence agencies. Her work was on display at a recent shipping conference in Hong Kong, where more than half the conference dealt with risks and crises in this field, suggesting the industry's growing concern with violence and piracy. But the same weakness Lincoln exploits can favor criminals. Shipping companies, like all listed enterprises, are required to disclose information like vessel sizes, their expenses in armed escorts and usual routes. Pirates are armed with increasingly sophisticated technology and ample online access to stay ahead of the game. As a result, the high-seas clash between pirates and commercial shippers is becoming more of a technology race, security experts say. "[Pirates] are being more understanding of the shipping industry, because of the World Wide Web and the money they've got through ransom payments, they bought themselves the laptops, they've got their iPhones and their iPads," said Lane Aldred, director of maritime and security services at Control Risks. Aldred said pirates look at shipping schedules and the protection measures aboard to select targets. In 2011, the total cost of piracy was $7 billion, according to a report by Oceans Beyond Piracy, an NGO. Aldred considers this estimate conservative. Meanwhile, the same report said that ransoms were 2% of these total costs. Re-routing ships is piracy's biggest cost, estimated at $2.4 billion a year, or about a third of the total. Other growing piracy costs for shippers are insurance premiums and security equipment. Nevertheless, OBP states that while successful attacks are decreasing due to improving counter measures, ransoms and the time a ship is held have increased. Longer kidnap times for seafarers implies a series of problems that pirates solve through specialization: while some attack ships on sea, others supply a number of services on land. "It's like a supply chain... you have the attackers, they're the guys on the skiffs, approaching the vessel, boarding the vessel and getting the hostages; you got the guy who sets himself up as the negotiator; you got the guy that manages the vessel and the hostages," Aldred told CNN. "There are different actors brought in for their specialist function." As more people get involved in these operations, their impact reverberates throughout local communities. Somalia earn on average about $600 a year, according to the CIA, so a $1 million ransom payment can be a boon to local operators involved in an aspect of the pirate trade, analysts said. Many people in Somalia are aware of what's going on, and they talk about it on Twitter and other social media. Still, analysts face the same problems social media encounters elsewhere. "Actually getting verified information from within Somalia is very difficult, because anybody can tweet, anybody can post anything," Lincoln said.

Therefore, Twitter is only one source that undergoes a validation process before accepting these bits of information as usable, she said. Lincoln has three guidelines. "First we look at corroboration of data," she said. The analyst tries to compare tweets to recognized sources reporting on piracy like the International Maritime Organization. If data can't be matched to a report by the IMO or other trusted organization, she seeks to understand who's behind it. "If you can understand their agenda, you can understand where they're coming from judging that piece of information," she said. Militant groups use Twitter as propaganda, whereas others could be trying relay a fact, according to the analyst. And if these two steps fail, and the information is still valuable, Lincoln includes it in her analysis with a full disclosure of source and circumstance, she said.

Guns seized from oil tanker docked at Milford Haven Three shotguns and ammunition have been seized from the crew of an an oil tanker which docked in Milford Haven. Officers from the Border Force boarded the Panamanian-registered ship for a routine search. Members of the Chinese and South Korean crew told them the weapons were being carried as self-defence against pirates in the Indian Ocean. But the Border Force is warning all ships entering UK waters they must declare any firearms on board. The weapons were seized as the crew had failed to do so and because they had not been stored properly. Alex Lawther, assistant director for Border Force in Wales, said: "Even if crews are carrying firearms for legitimate reasons, they must declare them to our officers when they arrive in UK waters and they must store them properly on board ship. "As well as seizing drugs and illegally-smuggled weapons, our officers also make sure ships' crews are complying with regulations around transporting firearms and other dangerous items." Source: BBC News

Inséré le 07 mai 13 OPEN FORUM Enlevé le 07 juin 13

Lubeoils and crew likely to hit owners and operators pockets Vessel operating costs are expected to rise by 3% per year in both 2012 and 2013, according to a recent survey by accountant and shipping consultant, Moore Stephens. Lube expenditure and crew costs are the categories most likely to produce the highest levels of increase, the survey found. The findings were based on responses from key players in the international shipping industry, predominantly shipowners and managers in Europe and Asia. As was the case 12 months ago, those responses identified lubricants, as the cost category likely to increase most significantly M by 2.9% and 2.8% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Crew wages, meanwhile, are expected to increase by 2.3% in 2012 and by 2.4% in 2013, with other crew costs thought likely to increase 2.1% for both years under review.

The cost of spares is expected to escalate by 2.2% in each of the two years covered by the survey. Expenditure on stores is expected to increase by 2.1% in both years, while the cost of repairs and maintenance is expected to rise by 2.1 % and 2.2% in the same years. The increase in P&I costs for both years is estimated by respondents to be 2.1% and 2.2% respectively, while for hull and machinery insurance the respective figures are 1.9% and 2%. Drydocking costs over the same period are expected to rise by 1.9% and 2%. As was the case in the 2011 survey, management fees were thought likely to produce the lowest level of increase in both 2012 and 2013, at 1.3% and 1.4%, respectively. “With crude oil prices hardening, lube costs will go up,” said one respondent, while another observed, “Fuel and lube suppliers are very aware that there is an oversupply of tonnage on the market and take advantage of that in their dealings with owners.” Another said, “There is ongoing pressure to reduce operating costs by means of improving vessel fuel efficiency and in practice there might be a gap between expectations and what can be achieved, as fuel and lube costs are likely to increase at a steady pace.” It was also noted, “There is no alternative to lube oil and costs are already very high, making it very difficult to operate a ship.” A number of respondents cited crew costs as a major cause for concern. One said, “As long as there is stiff competition on crew costs among managers, with wages being increased at random, the situation will not settle down.” Another noted, “The volume of new vessel deliveries and short contracts will put pressure on crew supply and crewing costs will go up.” The respondents were not convinced that more expensive crews would actually mean better crews. “Crew competence and skill is declining,” said one, “with a trend towards short contracts and fast promotion. This is leading to more accidents and to extraordinary unbudgeted expenses.” Another remarked, “The shortage of qualified crews is steadily getting worse. A lot of the new crews are of a very low standard.” Elsewhere it was noted, “Crews from countries that offer lower wages will play a very important role in the cost of operating vessels. With low freight earnings, owners will try to save on crew wages.” Meanwhile, one respondent claimed, “The biggest single factor in operating cost increases these days is the scarcity of Filipino and Chinese seamen.” Several respondents expressed concern about overtonnaging. “The market has been very shaky in 2012, and will continue to be so next year, because of the oversupply of tonnage and the shortage of motivated and qualified crews,” noted one, adding, “Below breakeven voyages are being undertaken in order to avoid sending ships into lay-up, or being sold at very low prices.” Another pointed out, “The shipping markets will only get more difficult, as a result of overcapacity,” while another still predicted, “Due to the oversupply of ships, we face a major crisis, and an increase in the amount of laid-up tonnage.” The difficulty of obtaining finance, declining freight rates and the cost of increasingly stringent regulatory compliance were among other concerns; “Legislation coming into force, including that affecting labour conditions and the environment,” said one, “will have a major impact on operating costs for older tonnage.”

Moore Stephens also asked respondents to identify the three factors that were most likely to influence the level of vessel operating costs over the next 12 months. Overall, 27% of respondents identified finance costs as the most significant factor, followed closely by crew supply (20%). Competition was in third place, with 18%, followed by demand trends (17%).

Inséré le 08 mai 13 Boeken Books Enlevé le 08 juin 13

BOEKVOORSTELLING De inhuldiging van de tijdelijke tentoonstelling “14-18 op zee” op 19 april 2013 in het Koninklijk Museum van het Leger en de Krijgsgeschiedenis was tevens de gelegenheid om het nieuwe boek “14-18 OP ZEE” van Freddy Philips voor te stellen in aanwezigheid van de auteur. De Grote Oorlog op zee: het verhaal van de Belgische vloot. “14-18 OP ZEE” vertelt het vaak onbekende verhaal van de Belgische schepen en zeelui tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Het is een boeiend en gedetailleerd relaas van de wedervaren van onze mailboten, school en koopvaardijschepen. Ook de heldendaden van de vissersgemeenschap en de rol van onze havens en de binnenwateren komen hier uitgebreid aan bod. Naast de algemene politiek en economische situatie rond de Grote Oorlog, wordt ook aandacht besteed aan de gebeurtenissen in onze kolonie. Dit uitvoerig gedocumenteerd en geïllustreerd boek is de neerslag van jarenlang onderzoekswerk en de nauwkeurige verzameling van gegevens. Het is het ultieme naslagwerk voor al wie geboeid is door de Grote Oorlog en ons maritiem verleden. Freddy Fhilips, lid van de vereniging “ Vrienden van de sectie Marine van het Koninklijk Legermuseum”, is een maritiem freelancejournalist en –fotograaf. Hij publiceert sinds meer dan 35 jaar in Belgische en buitenlandse publicaties over koopvaardij, marines en pleziervaart, maar ook over het maritiem erfgoed. De zee heeft altijd al een bijzondere aantrekkingskracht op hem uitgeoefend. Zijn talrijke zeetochten en reportages aan boord van jachten tot vliegdekschepen, brachten hem van de Vlaamse Banken tot voorbij Kaap Hoorn. Eens aan wal is hij ook lid van de Koninklijke Belgische Marine Academie en bestuurder van de “Belgische Zeevaartbond”, en consulent en medewerker van diverse maritieme verenigingen voor hun culturele activiteiten. Technische info EAN 9789401405287 Formaat: 22cm x 27cm Verschijningsdatum: 16/04/2013 Afwerking: Integraalband Druk: 1 Aantal pagina's: 208 NUR Omschrijving: Niet-westerse geschiedenis

Uitgever: Uitgeverij Lannoo Prijs: 29,99€ Het boek is beschikbaar in de boekhandel


Moving to FleetBroadband – is it worth it? With satellite communication costs continuing to fall, utilising the additional efficiencies possible with the latest technology can mean that upgrading from a previous generation of satcom system can have a significant effect on monthly expenditure. Roger Adamson, Stark Moore Macmillan, examines the possible return on investment for Inmarsat customers considering an upgrade. During 2011 Inmarsat initiatives to drive the cost of FleetBroadband voice calls to $0.55/minute have led to significant changes in Inmarsat FleetBroadband pricing. Market prices of standard, non-discounted, voice rates have correspondingly fallen by more than 40 per cent from greater than $1.10/minute to around $0.66/minute. Coupled with this has been a less dramatic, but steady, decline in the price of standard IP data during the first half of 2011. It is estimated that there are currently circa 8,000 maritime Inmarsat-B terminals still in operation worldwide. Given a merchant fleet of a little over 40,000 vessels this means that 1 in 5 vessels operating today may be equipped with an InmarsatB system. It is further estimated that there are more than 12,000 Inmarsat Fleet terminals also in operation within the world’s merchant fleets. Both systems provide voice and data solutions which are slower and more expensive than Inmarsat FleetBroadband. Ship operators with Inmarsat-B or Inmarsat Fleet terminals can realise very significant savings by switching from these legacy systems to leetBroadband. Additionally, FleetBroadband also provides access to enhanced data services unavailable on these legacy systems. With the new pricing levels typical Inmarsat-B users with a 40:60 split of voice and data traffic, and spending $1,500 per vessel per month, can now expect to see monthly cost savings increase from 39 per cent to 57 per cent when switching to FleetBroadband. Higher savings are still seen with higher levels of data utilisation but this is no longer as pronounced. Correspondingly lower savings will be achieved with higher levels of voice traffic but these lower savings are only of the order of a few per cent. An average user can now expect return on investment (ROI) in less than 11 months when installing a FleetBroadband FB250 system, down from 15 months prior to price changes. Typical Inmarsat Fleet users with a 40:60 split of voice and data traffic and spending $1,500 per vessel per month can expect to see cost savings rise from 25 per cent to 45 per cent. As with Inmarsat-B higher levels of data utilisation will realise higher savings. An average user can expect to see a ROI in the order of 13 months when implementing a FleetBroadband FB250 system, down from 24 months prior to price changes. The above savings and payback periods are calculated using FleetBroadband standard airtime rates, with no contract commitment. Greater savings still can be achieved when using FleetBroadband in conjunction with monthly data bundles, Shared Corporate Allowance Plans (SCAP) or entering into a hardware and airtime purchase deal.

The following article provides comprehensive data on the savings that can be made when switching to FleetBroadband across a range of monthly vessels’ expenditure and splits of voice and data traffic. In order to use this information to examine your own company’s situation, you will need to know: ■ approximately how much your vessel spends per month on using its Inmarsat-B or Fleet terminal and; ■ the approximate percentage split between voice and data traffic Using the tables and charts provided here you will be able to calculate how much you can save on your monthly airtime bill and also the payback period when installing a replacement FleetBroadband FB250 unit. Comparison of different systems There are in the region of 8,000 Inmarsat-B systems still in operation in the commercial maritime sector. Such systems are now approaching the end of their operational life and ship operators should be considering replacing them. Upgrading these terminals to FleetBroadband will provide ship operators with far greater operational

efficiencies through access to more and faster data services and applications. Typical usage patterns also show that significant cost savings can be realised by upgrading to FleetBroadband. Inmarsat Fleet F55 and F77 users can also realise significant cost savings from faster and cheaper data services offered by FleetBroadband. Research undertaken by H2OSatellite shows that typical monthly vessel satellite communications expenditure equates to approximately $1,100. Vessels fitted with Inmarsat-B show an average monthly spend in the region of $1,500, whilst FleetBroadband equipped vessels have an average monthly expenditure just below $1,000. In cases where vessels are transferring similar amounts of data and voice the savings are accounted for by the differential in price of the services used. Typical prices and percentage savings gained by moving from Inmarsat-B and Inmarsat Fleet to FleetBroadband can be seen in the table above. Inmarsat-B To demonstrate the savings that can be realised using FleetBroadband in place of Inmarsat-B, we will take the example of a typical vessel spending $1,500 per month on its Inmarsat-B communications.

We will assume that the vessel is spending 60 per cent of this amount on data traffic and 40 per cent on voice traffic. As can be seen from Table 1, this equates to a monthly utilisation of 40 megabytes of data and just over 400 minutes of voice. Calculating the cost per megabyte using Inmarsat-B is done by first ascertaining the time needed to transfer 1 megabyte of data. This meant taking the theoretical maximum throughput of a 9.6 kbps link (72 Kbytes/minute), adding an overhead of 10 per cent to cover handshake time etc. and then dividing that throughput figure (65.5 Kbytes/minute) into 1 megabyte. This gives a figure of 15.63 minutes to transfer 1 megabyte of data at a cost of $22.67. In our example the vessel spends $900 on data traffic equating to just under 40 megabytes. Table 2 highlights the corresponding cost of the same usage pattern with FleetBroadband. A saving of $857 / month ($1,500 - $643) or 57 per cent can be realised under this scenario. The graph (left) shows the monthly savings that can be made by switching from Inmarsat-B to FleetBroadband at monthly Inmarsat-B expenditures of $1,000, $1,500, and $2,000. The graph additionally provides the payback period resulting from upgrading to FleetBroadband FB250 across the corresponding expenditure ranges. In order to use this graph first ascertain your Inmarsat-B expenditure and the split of this expenditure between voice and data. Use the left hand primary vertical axis to read off the monthly saving that can be gained by switching to FleetBroadband. Use the right hand secondary vertical axis, the voice/data split, and the dashed lines to ascertain the payback period for a FB250. Continuing our example above, the monthly communication saving is just over $850 ($857) and the payback period just under 11 months. The payback period is based upon a JRC 25 FB250 with a typical retail price of $7,600 plus $1,500 for the onboard installation – in total $9,100. The example given here provides only three Inmarsat-B monthly expenditure ranges, however a more detailed examination of a range of monthly expenditure bands from $500-$2,000, in increments of $100, is shown in the ‘Comparison Tables – Inmarsat-B’ (see next page). For each of the expenditure bands from $500 to $2,000 we have calculated a saving of between 54 per cent and 59 per cent. Based on these figures we would see payback periods ranging from 33 months ($500 per month, using 70-100 per cent voice) down

to 8 months ($1,900 per month, 50 per cent split on voice and data). All calculations have been made using standard, non-discounted, FleetBroadband rates. Further savings can be realised from data bundle plans, Shared Corporate Allowance Plans (SCAP) or lease purchasing equipment and airtime. Fleet F77/F55 To demonstrate the savings that can be realised using FleetBroadband in place of Inmarsat Fleet (F77 or F55), we will again take as an example a typical vessel spending $1,500 per month on its Inmarsat Fleet communications. We will also repeat our assumption that the vessel is spending 60 per cent of this amount on data traffic and 40 per cent on voice traffic. As can be seen from Table 4 (below) this equates to a monthly utilisation of 47 megabytes of data and just over 522 minutes of voice. The cost per megabyte for Inmarsat Fleet using MPDS (Mobile Packet Data Service) is calculated by multiplying the per megabit charge by eight. Given an average figure of $2.20 per megabit for Inmarsat Fleet MPDS the per megabyte charge is $17.60. Table 5 (below) highlights the corresponding cost of the same usage pattern with FleetBroadband. A saving of $679 per month ($1,500 - $821) or 45 per cent can be realised under this scenario. The graph (right) shows the monthly savings that can be made by switching from Fleet F77/F55 to FleetBroadband at monthly Fleet F77/F55 expenditures of $1,000, $1,500, and $2,000. The graph additionally provides the payback period resulting from upgrading to FleetBroadband FB250 across the corresponding expenditure ranges. To read this graph first ascertain your Fleet F77/F55 expenditure and the split of this expenditure between voice and data. Again, use the left hand primary vertical axis to read off the monthly saving that can be gained by switching to FleetBroadband. Now use the right hand secondary vertical axis, the voice/data split, and the dashed lines to ascertain the payback period for a FB250. Continuing our example above the monthly communication saving is just under $700 ($679) and the payback period is 13 months. The payback period is similarly based upon a JRC 25 FB250 with a typical retail price of $7,600 plus $1,500 for the onboard installation – in total $9,100.

The example given here provides only three Inmarsat Fleet monthly expenditure ranges, however a more detailed examination of a range of monthly expenditure bands from $500-$2,000, in increments of $100, is shown in the ‘Comparison Tables – Inmarsat Fleet’ For each of the expenditure bands from $500 to $2,000 we have calculated a saving of between 43 per cent and 47 per cent.

Based on these figures we would see payback periods ranging from 43 months ($500 per month, using 100 per cent voice and no data) down to 10 months ($1,900 per month, 70 per cent data usage). All calculations have been made using standard, non-discounted, FleetBroadband rates. Further savings can be realised from data bundle plans, Shared Corporate Allowance Plans (SCAP) or lease purchasing equipment and airtime. Conclusions From examining these figures it is clear to see that, in the majority of cases, FleetBroadband offers a more cost-effective option for vessel communications than legacy Inmarsat systems.

Even at the most basic level included in this analysis, spending $500 per month using only voice services on Inmarsat-B, a company would still stand to save $272 every month by switching to the more modern FleetBroadband technology. In such a situation the biggest issue is the upfront investment required to move to the new system, but the returns seem to be swift – again, based on a $500 per month spend on an Inmarsat-B system, the user would make a return within three years. Higher-level users could expect to see payback from their investment even sooner than that. For a company that has $10,000 available to invest in a satcom upgrade we believe that this would represent a strong incentive to move to the latest technology. Digital Ship This article has been adapted from a whitepaper commissioned by satcom service provider H2OSatellite, and produced by maritime marketing agency Stark Moore Macmillan. All Inmarsat pricing information has been provided by H2OSatellite. www. h2osatellite. com, www.starkmooremacmillan.com.

Inséré le 11 mai 13 Boeken Enlevé le 11 juin 13

“SEAWORTHY IV” EEN NIEUW BOEK VAN WILLEM EERLAND Dit jaar brengen we een boek uit. In navolging van de eerder genoemde kalenders wordt de titel ‘Seaworthy lV’ marine art by Willem Eerland. Het formaat is Oblong 27 X 23 cm en 144 pagina’s dik. De tekst is in het Nederlands en Engels. De prijs is € 19,90 incl. BTW excl. verzendkosten. In het boek, met Nederlands/Engelse tekst, staan ca. 140 olieverfschilderijen, aquarellen en schetjes van verschillende scheepstypen. natuurlijk ook veel sleepboten. In het verleden exposeerde Willem Eerland regelmatig, o.m. in Denemarken, Katwijk en Vlaardingen. Niet van al zijn werk waren foto’s of dia’s beschikbaar. Maar er bleef nog voldoende over om een keuze te kunnen maken. Soms is, om de diversiteit te laten zien, bewust gekozen voor wat minder belangrijke schilderijen. Met dit fraai uitgevoerde boek is een vrij compleet beeld van het uitgebreide werk van deze zeeschilder samengebracht. Het boek kan medio november geleverd worden. Dus op tijd om het te gebruiken als een passend relatiegeschenk. U kunt het boek alleen in Nederland verkrijgen door storting van € 24,80 (€ 19,90 + € 4,90 verzendkosten) op banknummer 361715765 t.n.v. Tableau Maritime Cards in NieuwLekkerland onder vermelding van uw naam en adres. Zie ook www.tableau-maritimecards.nl This beautiful designed and printed book contains the most important work of Willem, and the story of his maritime life. The book is printed in English and Dutch.

Inséré le 11 mai 13 Historiek Historique Enlevé le 11 juin 13

When HMS Maidstone became a prison-ship at Belfast quite recently it was a reversion to an old expedient. For centuries transportation to the American plantations had been a convenient way of disposing of convicts for whom there was no room in the jails. Then suddenly, in 1775, the colonies were in revolt and transportation came to a stop with the War of Independence. At the time prisoners of war, French and American, were arriving in England in increasing numbers. The Navy Board, which already had one hulk adapted for prisoners, was forced to add, one after another, several more. The idea was adopted by the civilian authorities to solve the problem of their now overcrowded jails and a special body, the Transport Office, was set up by Act of Parliament to be responsible for both the prisoner-of-war hulks and those for convicts. This body chose one Duncan Campbell to be their Overseer, probably because he had gained plenty of experience with convicts, having transported hundreds of them under contract. He now contracted to house, feed and clothe his new charges in addition to overseeing them and he rounded off his monopoly by appointing a brother as his assistant. By midsummer of 1776 he had two ships, or rather hulks, lying at anchor in the Thames below Woolwich. One of these, the Justician, was his own small vessel and the other, the Censor, was an ancient frigate he had bought from the Admiralty. Stripped and roofed-over for part of the upperdeck, they were soon filled with a varied mixture of men in fetters who came to exist, and in many cases to die, miserably on board them. The first arrivals, from different prisons up and down the country, totalled between two and three hundred, all with their chains graded in weight in accordance with the gravity of their crimes, from petty theft to sheep-stealing and manslaughter.

The change from Newgate of the Fleet Prison was of small benefit to them. Underfed, half-clad and sometimes shoeless, they had to sleep at night in one crowded mass below decks with Little bedding and less ventilation in conditions that could bear comparison with the holds of the old slaveschooners. It is no wonder that the weakest of them fell easy prey to the jail-fever, dysentery and many another foul disease which brought them nameless graves. Among them were the aged, insane men, blind men, crippled men : all subject to the savage punishments of the time. Some improvement in their lot came after several weeks, when the sick were actually freed of their fetters and given straw mattresses. Yet the number of deaths was forever increasing while the stifling 'tween-decks grew almost intolerable. Campbell himself stated that in two years 176 men died out of 613 and it was worse in the following year. In a odd kind of solicitude for his prisoners Campbell had given orders that decks should never be washed down "lest the men should catch cold". But in the first few years he made genuine efforts to ameliorate their state in ways such as providing platforms for them to sleep on—six men to each— instead of in the communal huddle. Then as the days passed his zeal evaporated and he was content merely to keep them under control. Naturally they needed a firm hand; depraved and brutish as many were, they hatched mutinous schemes which more than once led- to- actual bloodshed. Some

made desperate attempts to escape though almost invariably they had to pay dearly on their recapture. Before long working-parties from the hulks had become a familiar sight in London. It was the thing for fashionable ladies and their menfolk to travel to Woolwich Arsenal to be entertained by the spectacle of a couple of hundred scarecrows cleaning out the banks of the Thames or pile-driving in their chains. This was not a scene to everyone's taste and certainly not to that of John Howard, famous as "The Philanthropist", who devoted his life to social reforms. He took a particular interest in prisoners and their jails and he achieved much. However when the hulks came into being they proved to be far too useful. Crammed as they already were, in the 1780s room had also to be found temporarily for convicts awaiting shipment to the new colony of Botany Bay. Campbell's empire had to be increased by the addition of hulks at Portsmouth and Plymouth while an old Spanish prize, the Retribution, joined those at Woolwich. Campbell retired unlamented in 1802 and was succeeded by a young JP, Aaron Graham, who had caught the attention of the authorities. With the title of "Inspector of the Hulks Establishment" Graham at least improved the convicts' diet, introduced hammocks in place of the sleeping-platforms and took steps towards dividing up the prisoners. Then his new broom wore thin and he seems in the end to have allowed them to do much as they pleased at night. There were continual changes among them as the drafts left for Botany Bay and as the total of hulks varied from four to as many as ten. Whether these were moored at Chatham and Sheerness (their main anchorage) or up the Thames at Woolwich or Deptford (the Discovery of Captain Cook among them) convict gangs were put ashore to work in the dockyards. The regular dock-labourers did not approve and they complained bitterly—apparently with no effect. In 1814 the control of the Hulk Establishment passed into fresh hands that were to keep a tight hold on it for thirty-three years. The new Superintendent, John Henry Capper, had been Graham's clerk. He signalised his taking of higher office by separating the convicts with a series of tells, each with its grille, so that they could be kept under effective supervision. Thereafter he appears to have copied his two predecessors by adopting the principle of laissez-faire. In his later years, when in ill health, he created a family concern by co-opting his nephew, Robert Capper, as his clerk. Robert, though owning a wholesale grocery business in the Strand, ended by acting for his uncle in every way, with a salary to match. Between them they had to face major crises of different kinds. When in 1822 the Millbank Penitentiary was swept by a virulent epidemic that caused many deaths, the surviving prisoners were cleared from the jail and the Cappers had the task of finding room for them all in the Woolwich hulks. Worse trouble came seven years later, this time on board the Dolphin at Chatham. One night some of her desperado convicts tried to escape by scuttling her at her moorings. She heeled over until her lower-deck was two feet under water with 200 men on the maindeck and another 200 locked in and clinging to hammocks to keep alive. With alarm-bells ringing, a warning-gun firing and bluelights flaring along the Medway rescue parties saved them by cutting holes in the upper-deck and the ship's side to haul them out one by one. In the Cappers' later days there were strange but authentic reports of free and easy junketings among the convicts in the evenings at Woolwich. They danced, they sang "flash songs" to the music of fiddle, clarionet and bass, and they collected their shillings or sixpences as rewards for the best songs from the officers who looked in to hear them. It is not clear whether these liberties were due to the warm humanity of the officers or simply to laxity of discipline. At all events there were plainly some touches of humanity. Once in three months visitors from the shore were allowed on board and were permitted to stay for three days. Any woman who claimed to be a wife or mother could be received by her men in private. Yet in general the widespread

extortions and robberies from new arrivals, the gambling and the Jack of cleanliness, all helped to make the hulks "hell on earth". Even the appointment of chaplains seems to have been a failure; one loftily declared that he had a rule never to speak to prisoners. The day came when the hulks at Chatham and Sheerness left the Medway and were towed up to Woolwich. But change was in the air; Parliament was utterly shocked by a forthright speech by an MP Thomas Duncombe, which resulted in an Enquiry on the subject of the hulks, the tenth in 60 years and the most effective. An Inspector of Prisons, Captain William Williams, carried out a thorough going investigation. He found that John Capper and his Principal Medical Officer, Peter Bussy, had much to answer for : the disgustingly filthy conditions, the vermin, the poor food, the caging of prisoners and not least, the floggings of sick men and maniacs—Williams reported that one unfortunate had been punished with 84 strokes of the birch. Both the Cappers and Bussy were removed and reforms were put in hand in all directions but it grew evident that the prison-hulk system was a costly expedient which could never be any kind of success. The newly-created Director of Convict Prisons, Lieut-Colonel Sir Joshua Webb, had no illusions. Hulks went to the shipbreakers and in 1852 only the small hospital-ship Unité was, left with the Defence, which had been brought to Woolwich from Portsmouth. Even they had none but invalid or convalescent convicts on board. Then one morning in 1857 the Defence caught fire; the sad eightyyear-old story came to an end, and in flames.

Inséré le 13 mai 13 Nouvelles Logboek Enlevé le 13 juin 13

Piracy: how do I avoid becoming a victim? This is perhaps the question I am asked most when I speak to people at conferences and seminars. There is of course no one answer but a whole series of steps and guidelines that you can follow to reduce the risk to your vessels and crews. But why do you need to take any precautions at all when most of the European countries have a naval presence [EUNAVOR] in the Indian Ocean? Well as it was recently publicly stated, operating EUNAFOR as a police force is like trying to police the whole of Europe with a limited number of police cars all travelling at 15 miles an hour! There are also independent naval forces from countries such as Russia, India and China, who all contribute in varying degrees to the overall security. India has perhaps been the most proactive and aggressive in pursuing pirates along its coast, to the point where the pirates have taken note and taken retribution on Indian nationals it has captured. The combined naval forces have been successful in patrolling the IRTC and some of the navies are proactive across the Indian Ocean, but they cannot be everywhere. In short, if you want a bigger naval presence in the region then you must lobby your government to invest more naval resources to the region, but we all know how slow governments are to react. So, for the most part it is your own preparations that are going to be your best defence in the short term, and you can regard help from any other quarter as a bonus. The first and possibly the most important step in defending your vessel is to raise awareness of the problem with senior management. This is because without their support you will not have the corporate, moral or financial backing to protect your vessels. I frequently meet middle managers who want to engage with the problem but who do not have the full support of senior management to implement the changes needed. This usually dramatically changes after the company has lost a ship but then is a little too late! The next step in the chain is to make sure your company security officer and those under him are all aware of the directions contained in the BMP3 guidelines document produced by the UKMTO. [an updated version is due for release at some point soon] It is a free downloadable document http:// www.mschoa.org/bmp3/ Pages/BestManagementPractises.aspx or you can buy hard copies from

suppliers. The BMP stands for best management practice but I prefer to refer to it as Bare Minimum Practice, because after BMP3 every further layer of defence you put in place will lessen your chances of being attacked, boarded and losing your vessel. Third in my ‘to do’ list is to have a security survey done of your vessels and a review of the ship security plan. The survey will show up where your vessel is weakest and how you can harden it against attack. There have been plenty of attempted piracy attacks thwarted by a ship that looks like it is well defended and with a hard profile. There are a wide range of passive or non-lethal devices on the market that can be fitted to vessels to help protect them against boarding, acoustic hailers and water cannon being amongst them. It is well known in the security industry that some of these devices are useful and others are a complete waste of time and money. It would be wrong of me [and litigious!] to discuss the merits or otherwise of individual devices in this public arena but I am happy to share my views in private. Whatever equipment you are considering I would suggest taking advice before spending money on products that do not always deliver what they promise. However, in broad general terms most devices do add some value to the defensive layer and the more layers the better. Prior to entering a high risk area the reviewed security plan should be implemented, the crew briefed and extra watch keepers posted. The BMP3 reporting procedures should also be implemented and the ship routed through the IRTC if possible or in company with other shipping. If you have employed a private security team [armed or not armed] they should be now be assisting the captain, briefing and drilling the crew and providing extra lookouts. Having the crew fully briefed will help reassure them so they can get on with their work and in the event of an attack help give them confidence in the drills and procedures in place. However, for the moment let’s assume you do not have a security team on board and you are defending the vessel alone. In the event of an attack, often the modus operandi of the pirates is to open fire on the vessel to try and intimidate the captain into stopping the ship and be boarded. This is a very stressful and relatively dangerous time for the crew, as the pirates invariably aim for the large bridge area for maximum shock effect, without regard to injury or damage. The AK47 assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades they use are usually old and not very accurate, but accurate enough to hit a bridge wing or wheelhouse superstructure. This is further complicated if your company policy/ship security plan calls for the bridge team to remain on the bridge and aggressively manoeuvre the ship to try and avoid being boarded or operate other defensive measures such as fire hoses etc. Just as in any other dangerous work situation you would provide safety equipment, my advice is to provide the bridge crew with some body armour and helmets. This will not only help protect them if a bullet or RPG enters the bridge area, but will also give them the confidence to continue manoeuvring and resisting the attack, which might just be the difference in being boarded. Some recent attacks have seen crew members injured by flying glass and shrapnel during this phase of an attack, which could have been avoided by the wearing of protective equipment. This is also a good time to mention having a good first aid kit on the bridge to deal with any injuries. It is no good just grabbing the first aid kit from the mess room that might have a triangular bandage, two band aids and a bottle of painkillers, you need large absorbent pad style bandages that will help with coagulation and stop bleeding if anyone is unfortunate enough to be injured. As with all modern workplaces, IMO requires your crew to have basic first aid training and access to further trained staff on board. However, in the situation we are discussing your crew might find themselves dealing with gunshot and serious trauma injuries, so good preparation, kit and training are essential for preserving life in these kinds of circumstances. It would be a great pity to successfully defend your vessel but lose a crew member to blood loss or other treatable injury. This does offer another reason for having a security team on board as any reputable company will provide personnel with extensive first aid training and first hand experience.

If all your preparations have failed and boarding looks imminent or has happened, then it is time to consider your last stand. If the ship is boarded then the crew needs to have gone into lock down and secured themselves in the prepared citadel or hard room. A few words on citadels as this is very much flavour of the month in terms of anti-piracy measures, as it appears to have a statistically high success rate. However, as with all statistics they need to be seen in context and with all risk factors considered. For instance, having been boarded and got safely to the citadel, there have been examples of pirate trying any means to get at the crew, including setting fires and using RPG rockets to try and blow doors open. All seafarers know the serious danger of a fire on board a ship and if the fire suppression systems cannot cope [and I hope I am proven wrong] then we could one day be facing a humanitarian or ecological disaster. So, my advice on citadels is that they should be the last measure in your security plan and not the first and should certainly not be totally relied on as a standalone measure. The citing and fitting out of a citadel is also very important if it is to be successful in saving your vessel and crew. Some ships designate an entirely inappropriate space as a citadel and fail to fit it out with the basic provisions needed, such as water etc. One attack last year saw the crew successfully retreat to the citadel but also saw them have to come out and surrender to the pirates after a lengthy confinement. This was partly because provisions were running low, conditions were getting bad below deck and because of their location naval ships could not reach them in time. If following any attack you are lucky enough or more precisely prepared enough to survive an attack, then any evidence that can be gathered such as locations, descriptions of mother ships, tactics used or photographs etc. should be collated and passed back to UKMTO for dissemination to other vessels. By passing on and updating intelligence you might save another vessel or perhaps more importantly the information might just save you or a sister ship if the practice of sharing information becomes standard. Of course any article on avoiding piracy cannot avoid mentioning the use of armed security teams. In simple terms it is still the only defence with a 100% success record for repelling attacks. I will not go into the arguments for and against as they are ethical, corporate, financial and well documented elsewhere. However, I will remind you of the approximately 700 seafarers currently held by pirates. Each of those seafarers would have preferred the security offered by the use of a properly trained security team as opposed to the six months they will be held in captivity in appalling conditions. The pirates have become more violent in recent times to put pressure on ship owners to pay ransom demands. Their treatment of captured seafarers has included beatings, torture, mock and actual executions to further their own ends. They have also resorted to psychological measures, such as telephoning families of those captured to put pressure on the parent company. Despite it being my core business, I do guard against employing just anyone for such an important role The reason for this is the wildly different standards of armed guards available to the unwary end user. At one end of the scale you can employ an African tribesman at $10 a day, but experience shows that at the first sign of trouble he will throw his weapon overboard and don a set of crew overalls. In the middle of the range there are a lot of operators, some of whom base their employment and selection criteria on cost, never a good thing when looking at trusting someone with a weapon. How then as an end user do you find a reputable company that satisfies your needs but can also demonstrate ethical standards? Well this year has seen the emergence of an organisation called the Security Association for the Maritime Industry [SAMI]. This organisation aims to promote high standards and an ethical approach to maritime security, giving clients confidence in the company it is employing to guard its vessels. The purpose of this article is not just to promote SAMI but since it has set high standards for its membership it would be wrong not to bring this to your attention as a beacon to those seeking excellence and assurances. There are other ways of carrying out due diligence on prospective security companies, including asking to see their rules of engagement, asking if they are they signatories to the Swiss government

ICOC document and viewing their insurance policies. But before employing a private security company you do need to have some understanding of the quality of personnel going onto your vessel before you and you crew can enjoy peace of mind and of course security. So whether you choose armed guards or non armed personnel as riders to train your crew, make sure they meet the high standards set by SAMI. So, to do nothing is to invite disaster and the possibility of losing a ship. Costs escalate when a ship is taken and as well as the human cost there are numerous other costs associated with recovering your vessel that extend well above and beyond any ransom figure paid. For example, if your vessel is held for six months without care or maintenance then the cost of re commissioning the vessel for sea also has to be factored in, along with loss of cargo. Of course you will have all manner of insurances in place but negotiating liability between them can be a time consuming business involving expensive lawyers. The most cost effective and best option for all concerned [except the pirates of course] is to avoid losing a ship in the first place! So, whatever means you decide on to protect your vessels and crew, please do not just do nothing and hope for the best. Carrying a lucky rabbit’s foot, crossing your fingers, hanging a horse shoe on the bridge and even fervent prayers have all proved woefully inadequate in deterring pirates! Source : Brian Short – Marinesec


Seafarers deserve fairer lives at sea by Fredrik Larsson, Marine Manager, INTERTANKO I was delighted when asked by IFSMA's President, Captain Christer Lindvall, to give a presentation at the 2010 Annual General Assembly in Manila on the subject of either tanker recruitment or criminalisation of seafarers. Both subjects are not only close to my heart but also high on the agenda for the organisation I represent. They are also closely related and I therefore suggested that I cover both in this paper. With the huge growth in the tanker fleet over the last couple of years, it is inevitable that an increase in demand for tanker officers and ratings will follow. This growth, despite the economic downturn and recession, will continue although probably at a slower pace than projected before the recession. Various reports and studies conducted over the last couple of years have been forecasting a shortfall of officers in the region of 2-10 per cent. Before the recession hit the industry, the shortage of officers in particular was causing shipowners and shipmanagers to allocate huge amounts of money in either salaries or training to secure the people they needed. Shipowners and shipmanagers who had invested in in-house training schemes and cadet berths saw poaching as a major threat. It caused salaries to hit new record levels several times a year. One chief executive of a major shipmanager avent on record to say that Filipino second officers were earning more than their president. Mindful of the Jack of officers before the recession, the shipping industry in general and the tanker industry in particular have been keen not to scale back on recruitment campaigns or training programmes during the recent economic downturn. I am confident that the industry has been acting responsibly in this regard although many companies no doubt have had difficulties in keeping their training budgets intact. Recruitment to the tanker industry is not a standalone issue. It's a question of attracting people to the industry as a whole. Most importantly it's about retaining the officers we already have. The existing pool of competent tanker officers is the heart of our industry. Without them no tanker can operate. We therefore need the existing officers to pass on experience and knowledge to the

younger generation and to mentor it, just as they have always done and hopefully always will do, as in any profession. Learning by doing is a great concept that was introduced thousands of years ago. No university or simulator can fully replace it although, of course, simulator training is now playing an important role and will continue to do so in the future. When the recession hit the world's economies in 2008 it hit global trade hard and as a result the shipping industry suffered. Anchorages were bursting at the seams with skips lying idle. This meant that demand for seafarers of ail ranks was decreasing. Those who kept their jobs became reluctant to leave what they hoped were safe companies, hence poaching suddenly wasn't an issue anymore. Various signs show that the recession conserved the existing pool of seafarers, and in fact shortages of career opportunities onshore prompted an influx of people to the industry, mainly on the ratings side. On the officer side it is far too early to tell as we have to factor in the time they spend at university before joining up and becoming a statistic in this context. The big question now is how big the shortfall of seafarers will be, particularly the shortage of competent officers, once the economy recovers enough to employ the merchant fleet more fully. And what impact will this have? Which sectors of the industry will be able to compete with higher salaries? Your guess is as good as mine, perhaps better. However, putting recessions and salaries aside, what attracts people to go to sea today? It is probably not the opportunity to see the world, which it used to be back in the good old days. My personal view is that recruitment at a company level today is all about creating a positive and professional atmosphere. This means engaging and recognising seafarers as the key-employees they are, trusting them, listening to them and honouring them as professional ship's officers and ratings. It also means treating them as human beings, as someone's husband, father, wife or mother and providing them with a meaningful, challenging and satisfying working environment. They should have a proper and stimulating home from home, one that includes the kind of amenities you might expect to find in someone's home ashore, such as a gym, a treadmill, a bike, Internet access and, of course, their own toilet and wash room facilities. On a global level, industry associations, governments and others either in their own capacity or through collective efforts via bodies such as IMO, continue to campaign for youngsters to go to sea. They are conscious that without seafarers of the right calibre the industry will face a difficult and painful future. Let's face it, there are fantastic opportunities out there now. Never before have there been so many different sectors in the industry to choose between, such as cruise ships, offshore vessels, tankers, exploration ships and others. On the tanker side alone you can specialise in gas, oil or chemicals. It's like a ladder. The more skills you acquire the more attractive you become and, of course, your bank account will reflect this. Take into account the shortage of officers and the climb up the ranks is going to go even faster, no matter whether this is considered a good or a bad thing.

Despite the excellent prospects and salaries, the fact is that the industry at large has difficulty in attracting the younger generation. Depending on whom you ask you will get different answers on why this is the case. It seems that everyone has their own idea about why but nobody has the immediate solution to the problem. Clearly, high salaries attract some entrants to the tanker industry but not in sufficient numbers. Is it therefore reasonable to assume that perhaps there are too many deterrent factors weighing in? Deterrents such as multiple inspections by charterers (vetting) and port states (PSC), long working hours, limited shore leave, low manning levels, fatigue, being away from family and friends, minimal accommodation standards, difficulties with visas, poor communication facilities, being subject to drug and alcohol tests, excessive amounts of paperwork, strict and constantly changed regulations and criminalisation. These are more than enough! Actually the key to recruiting and retaining young seafarers is to sort out the deterrent issues mentioned above, at least if we are to believe - and we have no reason not to - what was pointed out by 20 young people in a focus group that INTERTANKO and ITF arranged and organised last year for young seafarers of seven nationalities. They expressed their views on a career at sea and on what attracted young people to the shipping industry in 2009. They pointed out every deterrent item above as a negative factor. Note, however, that those 20 still had chosen a career at sea but to remain there they asserted that almost all of these things must improve, especially the lack of shore leave and the feeling of being suspected of being a terrorist under the ISPS code. INTERTANKO believes that all the negative factors should be assessed and, if possible, eliminated. The organisation is looking into how to provide better accommodation space, to improve and make available crew communication facilities, including Internet access, to ensure adequate shoreleave, to minimise the number of inspections, to limit unnecessary paperwork, to harmonise port entry requirements, to overcome burdensome visa requirements and more besides. This is a process that we wish could be advanced easier and quicker. But we are not alone on this and we need to cooperate with all stakeholders, such as regulators, classification societies, shipbuilders, flag states, port states and human-element experts, among others, to achieve success. These are issues that will not go away overnight. At IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 87) in May 2010, INTERTANKO and the ITF will introduce two submissions as an immediate follow up on the Young Seafarers Focus Group. One is seeking a change in the ISPS code so as not to restrict shore leave for seafarers; the other is seeking an increase in the frequency and in the power of consideration of the human element whenever new requirements are developed or existing requirements are reviewed by IMO. These two submissions are bold, coming from non-governmental organisations, but we nevertheless feel strongly enough about the issues not to hesitate for a moment in submitting them. As I have tried to explain, INTERTANKO and our fellow shipping associations are also working on improving the image of shipping and increasing the attractiveness of the industry to encourage youngsters to choose a career at sea. I am sure you all agree the industry is already a great one to be in and has ample opportunities although there is still room for improvement. However, no matter how hard we try to raise its profile just one ship accident generates negative headlines and images in every imaginable medium, which, of course, young, potential seafarers are exposed too. The general public's outrage often makes this negative image stronger, which forces politicians to find scapegoats. This is devastating for the industry and its efforts in attracting and recruiting young seafarers. I am, of course, thinking of cases such as the Hebei Spirit and its officers, who, through no fault of their own, were penalised and criminalised. How can we expect youngsters to go to sea when facing imprisonment due to accidents like that? The last couple of years have seen many similar cases.

Another utterly ridiculous example of how negative the world has become is the story of Captain Laptalo, master of the Coral Sea, who was jailed in Greece when drugs were found stashed among the thousands of boxes of bananas his vessel was carrying from Ecuador. Or the master of Full City in Norway, or Captain Mangouras of Prestige or... well, the list can go on, for far too long, but I guess you get the point. Criminalisation of innocent seafarers is of course just as unacceptable to INTERTANKO as it is to IFSMA and every professional seafarer, company, industry organisation and, I would hope, government. We all have to stand up for our seafarers and protect our industry from this menace, something the industry has proved able to do when it has been necessary, although admittedly with limited success. Take, for example, the case of Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan of the MT Hebei Spirit. There wasn't an association or organisation that didn't stand up for these two good officers. A plethora of alphabetical associations co-sponsored a submission to the recent MEPC 60 on this matter, a submission that was based on an expert witness statement made by INTERTANKO to the Korean Supreme Court. It highlighted that these officers had followed international and industry-established good practice but were nevertheless penalised and imprisoned. This proves that the world is not perfect and that scapegoats apparently still have to be found. In this case the Korean public and the Korean legal system held the two senior deck officers responsible. However, what cannot be misinterpreted is that the whole industry backed the two officers 100 per cent and made that abundantly clear, as numerous demonstrations on behalf of the two officers, campaigns, letters and submissions to IMO showed. The message is that the criminalisation of seafarers who are simply doing their jobs is not and never will be acceptable. However, being reactive is not good enough. We need to be proactive. So INTERTANKO has been and is still challenging new legislation in the EU, the US and elsewhere that we see as a threat to our industry and, not least, to our seafarers. Together with a few other industry stakeholders INTERTANKO took the European Commission to the European High Court in 2006 because it felt that the EU Directive on ship-source pollution conflicted with international law (Marpol) and prejudiced the rights of seafarers and others in the shipping industry. INTERTANKO has also been active in the courts in the US, where it has initiated litigation in response to the state of Washington's regulation that imposed requirements for watch practices, towing and navigation equipment and reporting requirements, and other rules that differed from the controlling federal and international rules. INTERTANKO has also been active in a case involving the state of Massachusetts regarding oil spills and fines. Furthermore, in an appeal to governments, we have been urging the practice of reasonable and fair treatment following an accident. In the year of the seafarer surely this cannot be asking too much? In fact we are suggesting that the `Guidelines on fair treatment of seafarers in the event of a maritime accident' are made mandatory. The message that I would like to convey to future and existing members of IFSMA and seafarers ail over the world is that should you by any account be subject to unjustified unfair treatment or criminalisation, INTERTANKO and the rest of the shipping community care about it and will always be standing behind you.

Inséré le 17 mai 13 Nouvelles Logboek Enlevé le 17 juin 13

Food for thought

By Samantha Giltrow Considering the current tough economic climate, ensuring the welfare of crew has never been so important - after all it is only with a motivated and productive crew that companies can maintain a competitive advantage and deliver to customers. With just two more member states needed to sign up for the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, it will soon be compulsory for shipping companies to ensure their crews are looked after, with food and nutrition playing an important part. The new requirements will also give consideration to the preparation of food, taking into account seafarers’ religious requirements and religious practices. Robert Steen Kledal, Managing Director at Wrist Ship Supply, said: “While initiatives such as the International Maritime Organization’s Day of the Seafarer and social media are contributing to a greater awareness of seafarer conditions, for many ship owners and operators the commercial risk posed by new legislation and the challenging market conditions are increasingly ensuring that crew welfare is high on the boardroom agenda. “Ship supply plays a crucial role in ensuring crew welfare, as well as maintaining productivity, performance and generating efficiencies.” Ship supply is just one of many links in the chain to ensuring crew welfare, with company offices and their procurement departments, cooks and masters also playing a vital role. Indeed, Danish health and safety consulting company Seahealth, has carried out a survey into onboard catering in its Project NEPTUNE, supported by the Danish Maritime Foundation. The ‘Mapping of food and skills at sea’ aims to review the whole area of diet and nutrition in preparation for helping Danish vessels to comply with the Convention. Seahealth asked 48 cooks, masters, trainees, suppliers and company office staff about their experiences of onboard catering. “My idea was that when the MLC comes into force, Danish ships would take the lead. The whole aim is to have better nutrition onboard and to look at the overall cost for ship owners,” said Project Manager Annelise Omand, a health and nutrition consultant with Seahealth. “On Danish ships it is not necessarily expensive to do some of these things and and it is very much about the attitude onboard and from the ships’ owners.” The food mapping process looked into what owners and managers were buying, where they were buying it from, how food is cooked and the attitude towards healthy food. “The biggest surprise from the project was that the master has a big influence in what food is served onboard,” said Ms Omand. He also has a big responsibility for what is ordered and so the cook does not always have a say. We have been told that if the master has a positive attitude towards healthy food then he will influence the rest of the crew’s attitude and he will be a role model for healthier food and a better lifestyle onboard.” One Danish cook commented: “It is time to focus on diet aboard. Ship owners must take responsibility ... Previously, the focus was on near misses and all sorts of other injuries and accidents and other things. They have not really focused so much on diet and I believe it can make a difference to well-being aboard.” While a staff member in Health, Safety, Environment and Quality, said: “The cook is not only responsible for the crew eating healthily; he also has an influence of efficiency. If people can eat well, it has an impact on the work done and he can boost the morale onboard. These guys cannot call for a pizza, so the food has to be varied and interesting.”

A Danish master said: “When there is not so much to look forward to in a hardworking day, it is incredibly important for most seamen and, in any case, for me that what you eat is delicious and that it is healthy and good.” Results of the mapping process showed suppliers believed there was a conflict between the experiences of seamen, company offices and suppliers. Suppliers felt they were blamed for quality issues but said they operated within the framework set out by the company and called for clear, realistic requirements and frameworks in contracts between suppliers and companies. Another message coming out of the process was that company offices had to take the lead and set the framework for catering, using corporate policies on the quality of food to give guidelines to masters, cooks and crew. Stewards, cooks and manning agencies called for realistic budgets and improvements in training – for instance, there are standardised courses in Manila which lead to a certificate giving the right to work as a ship’s cook. The report states: ‘It is important that manning agencies and companies ensure that courses comply with the quality standards set by ship owners.” The survey also concludes that the master’s personal attitude, experience and skills are crucial for health onboard and masters themselves want guidelines for diet/catering , well-being and health and that companies should provide such guidelines. With the mapping process now completed, Project NEPTUNE is now doing further work to develop a toolkit enabling Danish seafarers and office staff to give a boost to the whole area of diet and catering. It should be available online in the autumn (www.ukseahealth.dk). Some of the things included in the toolkit include templates and guidance on drawing up health and catering/dietary policies in the company; the provision of themed days on health and safety aimed at students in maritime education or company officers; courses for cooks including inspiration courses and certificate courses in hygiene; and guidelines for how to set clear requirements in contracts between companies and suppliers. In the meantime Ms Omand is planning a seminar to involve students. “It’s all about food culture. We have to start educating the students because they are the future role models,” she said. “Some of the vessels do not have an educated cook onboard and we need to train them and provide them with better skills.” Mr Kledal said: “For many seafarers, who are away from their families for lengthy periods and facing serious threats of piracy, mealtimes are a key social part of their day. Catering for a crew’s nutritional

needs is therefore a priority. Balancing quality food that complies with religious dietary requirements, allergies or healthy eating standards with the pressure to cut costs is difficult for many ship operators. Food prices are soaring and it is a challenge to keep a realistic budget that also maintains crew welfare.” Wrist Ship Supply, which offers a complete range of fresh, frozen and dry provisions through its branches worldwide, is already using software that provides a menu-planning tool and electronic cookbook to give ship owners inventory control, reducing waste and enabling transparency to ensure companies stay within nutritional guidelines. “Managing the latest ship supply complexities through an intelligent software system will therefore deliver genuine value to ship owners and operators,” said Mr Kledal. “It will enable them to concentrate on core operations, reduce the risk of fines, provide a healthy diet for the crew, and provide a procurement resource that can be updated in future as further regulation governing crew welfare comes online.” Another ship supplier, Hutton’s, based in Hull, UK said it had already seen a shift towards healthier products and is helping with menu-planning. “We are stocking leaner meats, rice and pasta and there is less processed food,” said General Manager David Greenwood. “The vessels are obviously quite tight on feeding rates but we have a very open dialogue with them when catering managers are looking for their supplies. They are coming to us with a broader range of products for us to source and supply. It is incumbent on us to broaden the range that we offer and we can offer suggestions and support.” He said he had seen in the UK, and when working in his previous post in the Middle East, that less processed food was being sold as companies were looking more to encourage the chefs onboard to create healthy meals. “What you will probably find is that instead of buying cases of frozen pies they will buy the ingredients to make them onboard themselves. They are less processed and much healthier and they can control the portion sizes and sugar content. The calorific value will also be less and they will be nicer to eat. It’s better for the staff, they can see what’s going into it and it’s better value for money.” Mr Greenwood said Hutton’s was also involved with clients on menu planning and the days of turning leftovers into days’ worth of meals, were slowly but surely being left in the past. “With more open dialogue allowed to come back from crew, they can’t really do that anymore because if a particular shipmanagement company does that they are not going to get people wanting to work on their vessels and they will have to pay more to get people to work. “There are hard benefits in looking after your crew. It will be more cost-effective, they will work harder and will be more retainable.” Shipmanagelent July Aug 2012

Inséré le 19 mai 13 OPEN FORUM

Enlevé le 19 juin 13

Cargo tank cleaning commercial vs operational? I believe that tank cleaning is still the ‘Achilles Heel’ of many tanker operations and the potency of approved tank cleaning chemicals is definitely still in question, particularly for cleaning coated cargo tanks that are known to absorb and retain residues of previous cargoes.

Furthermore, the use of manual solvent spraying now appears to be confined to the history books and as forecast, this is proving to have a serious impact on the ability of any vessel required to clean to a high purity or wall wash standard. I also raised the point that the impact on the commercial and operational side of the business would probably be the same, but actually, this is where my opinion is starting to change. In order to quantify this change, I would like to investigate what is required to clean from one cargo to another and how apparently small commercial changes can generate large operational impacts. Simplified cargo operations Very basically, a vessel is fixed to load a cargo under the legally binding terms of a contract. The suppliers of the cargo will sell their product to a receiver based on an agreed quality specification and use a vessel to transport this cargo from the load port to the discharge port. The relationship between the owner of the vessel (operational) and the cargo suppliers/receivers (commercial) is far more complex than stated, but typically there are three scenarios which apply, all of which are very much simplified for the sake of this discussion: 1. Timecharter. 2. Contract of Affreightment (COA). 3. Spot. The different scenarios provide different earning potentials for both the commercial and operational parties and it is quite normal for a shipowner to have a mixture of all three different scenarios at any time, depending on market conditions. In all cases, the commercial party will hire a vessel from the operational party in order to transport their cargoes from the manufacturing region to the receivers’ facilities. In the case of timecharter, the hire period is fixed and the commercial party is essentially trading the vessel as if it was its own. With this in mind, the commercial party is responsible for providing the vessel with sufficient time and cleaning chemicals to carry out any particular tank cleaning process in between different cargo grades. Once the time frame has been agreed and the vessel has been equipped with sufficient cleaning chemicals, the vessel is then responsible for carrying out the tank cleaning process with due diligence in order to be ready to load the next cargo. In the case of a COA, the hire period is on a voyage by voyage basis, but with a certain frequency to allow the commercial party to transport cargo to those receivers that require regular/fixed volumes of cargo. In the spot charter case, the hire period is on a voyage by voyage basis with no particular frequency, or regularity. In these last two cases, it is the operational party who is responsible for equipping the vessel with sufficient cleaning chemicals and having enough time to carry out the tank cleaning processes in between different cargo grades, in order to be ready in time for the agreed loading date, which forms part of the loading contract. The skill of the operational party is to be able to clean the vessel to load the next nominated cargo in the most efficient time frame. This will usually involve having the vessel inspected prior to loading by an independent inspection company appointed by the commercial party. If the vessel fails to meet the pre-loading inspection specifications set by the commercial party, the associated time and costs to bring the vessel up to the required standard are almost always for the account of the operational party. The clearest pattern that emerges from each of these scenarios is that in all cases, the operational party is responsible for carrying out the tank cleaning process to a standard that is specified by the commercial party. The pre-loading inspection specifications are fixed in the terms and conditions of

the lifting and will tend to be based on the export specifications of the cargo and any other specific requirements of the cargo receivers. Clearly, the stricter the pre-loading inspection specifications are, the more challenging the tank cleaning process becomes and this is where the skill of the operational party really comes into play. But this is also where the relationship between the commercial and operational parties may become tested. In the recent past, there has been a growing and noticeable trend towards a higher quality of shipped cargoes (both chemical and oil based products) and the way the commercial parties are dealing with this is to tighten up the pre-loading inspection specifications, or prohibiting certain previous cargoes that could potentially create a specific contamination threat to the next loaded cargo. While it is understood that the quality of the shipped product is of paramount importance, there seems to be far less understanding directly relating the quality of the shipped product to the preloading inspection specifications. If for example, a cargo of methanol has to be free from hydrocarbons and the vessel is cleaning from a hydrocarbon based previous cargo, then of course every care should be taken to ensure that there are no residual hydrocarbons retained in the cargo tanks, or lines directly prior to the start of loading the methanol cargo. But what happens when the receivers specifically request that they do not want the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons in the delivered cargo? Historically, the presence of hydrocarbons in methanol has been determined using the analytical method ASTM D 1722 and this has apparently worked successfully for many years. It has always been assumed that if there are no hydrocarbons in the methanol according to ASTM D 1722, this will include all types of hydrocarbons, including aromatic hydrocarbons. But actually, this is not the case and methanol receivers today can easily analyse the cargo to higher levels, using technology that they have readily available in their own laboratories. But what is the impact on the vessel? How can it be confirmed that there are no aromatic hydrocarbons retained in the cargo tanks/lines? Again, very simply, by testing with a UV spectrophotometer, but now we are adding a new level of analytical determination to make sure that the receivers are satisfied with the quality of their cargo; in other words to satisfy market or commercial demands. And does this extra testing impact on the way the vessel prepares the cargo tanks/lines prior to loading? Absolutely, because all pre-loading inspection samples will be specifically analysed for the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons and it will no longer be sufficient for a vessel just to pass the ASTM approved hydrocarbon test, it will now have to pass a more stringent aromatic hydrocarbon test. In other words, vessels are now being tested for the presence of specific previous cargoes prior to loading many chemical cargoes. As such, the vessels must take every precaution to ensure that there are no traces of those previous cargoes present in the wall wash and first foot loaded cargo samples, but primarily the wall wash samples, because if the wall wash samples are not acceptable, the vessel is usually prohibited from going on to load the first foot samples. The suppliers and receivers are able to use sophisticated analytical equipment to test wall wash and loaded cargo samples and clearly vessels will also have to start equipping themselves in a similar manner in the future otherwise they will only be able to carry out ‘blind’ inspections of their own cargo systems, which has the potential to become an operational nightmare. Consider also, the detection limit of the laboratory equipment that the suppliers/ receivers are able to use. Levels of contamination as low as 1 part per million (ppm) are commonly considered to be ‘too high’, and what this means is that the vessels are now expected to clean to a standard where

pre-loading wall wash samples contain less than 1 ppm of the previous cargo, before the vessels are accepted to load. There is no need to ask whether this has an impact on how far the vessels have to clean? Without considering previous discussions relating to the validity and reproducibility of the wall wash inspection, tank cleaning is now moving into a different league that is quite clearly being driven by commercial pressure. And this does not just apply to the loading of chemical products; the same pressure is being applied to oil products. For example when naphtha is loaded after an oxygenated cargo or “ultra low” sulphur cargoes are loaded after “regular” sulphur cargoes. No laughing matter As little as five to 10 years ago, if the notion of oil products being analysed for contamination in the parts per million range had been discussed, it would have laughed at, but now it is common practice. How long before some oil products need to pass a wall wash inspection before they can be loaded? In other words, the commercial party is in no small way responsible for how far and how thorough a vessel has to clean the cargo tanks prior to loading any particular cargo. Yet it is always the responsibility of the vessel (operational party) to ensure that these standards are achieved, even though there are additional factors coming into play that are severely restricting the ability of the vessel to reach existing standards, let alone more stringent standards. This last comment really only applies to vessels with coated cargo tanks, but this is a growing market in light of the extremely high price of stainless steel that has been noted over the past three to five years and the challenge of cleaning coated cargo tanks compared to stainless steel cargo tanks to a wall wash standard is massive. Well maintained stainless steel cargo tanks do not absorb previous cargoes whereas coated cargo tanks actively absorb different cargoes depending on the nature of the coating. So once the surface of the stainless steel is clean, the cargo tank is clean; but when the surface of a coating is clean, it does not follow that the cargo tank is clean. The vast majority of retained previous cargoes must be removed if a coated cargo tank is to pass a methanol standard and in fairness, all of the retained previous cargo must be removed if a coated tank is to pass an inspection that is specifically designed to detect parts per million levels of the previous cargo. But how is this possible when the vast majority of the cleaning chemicals approved by IMO are surface active cleaners only? The cleaning chemicals approved by IMO for use on board tankers are not approved for their cleaning efficiency, they are approved to be safe to handle and discharge overboard and in practice it has been shown that even the most effective cleaning chemicals still leave traces of previous cargoes retained in the cargo tank coatings, even after consecutive rounds of cleaning. As noted at the start of this discussion, methanol spraying is now all but obsolete and the author absolutely endorses this position in terms of enhanced safety for all vessels. But it should be noted that the reason why cleaning with methanol (and other solvents) was introduced in the first place was because conventional aqueous based cleaning chemicals could not clean cargo tank coatings to a chemical standard. At that time, the wall wash standards were far less strict than they are today, so in many respects cleaning with solvents is now actually a far more essential requirement for the preparation of coated cargo tanks. But with manual solvent spraying gone, alternative solutions need to be sought and it is the responsibility of the operational parties to find these solutions. One option is to wash with solvents through the tank cleaning system under inerted conditions. This provides a very thorough cleaning operation, but there are significant drawbacks: 1. The volume of solvent required (cost and stowage). 2. Disposal of the used solvent (cost and stowage).

3. Cargo tank inerting time and cost. 4. Acceptance of the procedure. It has also been noted that many commercial parties will not accept the additional costs of cleaning with bulk solvents, which basically leaves the situation that many operational parties are faced with today. ■ More thorough and stringent pre-loading inspections. ■ A much smaller choice of approved cleaning chemicals that are actually ineffective at removing previous cargo residues that are retained inside the cargo tank coatings. ■ No manual solvent cleaning. ■ Stricter quality specifications on received cargoes. The onus really does appear to be on the operational party to meet these challenges in order to ensure that the cargoes can be transported without risk of contamination. But perhaps there is a greater need for operational input during the discussions between the commercial party and the cargo suppliers/receivers? Does making the pre-loading inspection specification stricter really ensure the quality of the received cargo? Is it necessary to clean to less than 1 ppm of the previous cargo in a wall wash sample when the wall wash sample is a random, non reproducible and highly subjective inspection technique? What about the coating type and size/dimensions of the cargo tank, all of which have a significant impact on how much the contamination on the surface of the cargo tank is diluted when that cargo tank is fully loaded? The operational party is ultimately responsible for the quality of the received cargo, irrespective of any pre-loading inspection results and as such should perhaps have far more say as to whether the vessel is ready to load, or not. The volume of many bulk shipped liquid cargoes is now so high that coated cargo tanks have to be used, because there is insufficient stainless steel tonnage to meet the market demands. Furthermore, vessels with coated cargo tanks are more economical to charter than stainless steel vessels, so surely if coated vessels are going to continue to be cost effective for the commercial parties and still provide maximum flexibility for their owners, something has to give. The operational parties certainly understand the concept of cargo retention inside the cargo tank coatings and how these residues will become diluted when the cargo tanks are fully loaded with cargoes and this should be considered during a pre-loading inspection. If it is not necessary to clean to less than 1 ppm of the previous cargo, why should the vessel have to do this? It will save time, fuel, manpower and may also mean that the vessel can achieve the required standards just by using IMO approved cleaning chemicals? This has to be the future ... TankerOperators

Inséré le 21 mai 13 HISTORIEK HISTORIQUE Enlevé le 21 juin 13 Why do Japanese ships have "Maru" in their names? Japanese merchant ships carrying the Rising Sun flag berth regularly at the Port of Mobile as well as many other ports throughout the world. If you've ever paid much attention to them, chances are you've noticed that practically every

one has the suffix "Maru" in its name. And you've probably wondered what the word "Maru" means. Similar to the ships of many other nations, Japanese vessels bear names derived from names of places, persons, companies and other things. But they also usually have the word "Maru" affixed to their names. Recently completed at the Sakai shipyard of Hitachi Zosen, in Osaka, Japan, is a 200,000 dwt. tanker named "Kisogawa Maru". "Kisogawa" means Kiso River. Likewise, there are the "Shin-Osaka Maru" (New Osaka Maru), the "Hien Maru" (Flying Swallow Maru), the "Kashu Maru" (California Maru), the floating sample fair ship called the "Sakura Maru" (Cherry Blossom Maru), and others. Meaning of "Maru" "Maru" means anything round or circular. The Japanese national flag shows the round sun (Hino-maru). In indicating good and bad, the Japanese often use O for good and the X sign for bad. These symbols are sometimes used in writing the results of school examinations. Moreover, kindergarten teachers use five concentric circles (for the best one) to evaluate the drawings of their little pupils. Where was the character "Maru" used? In the Japanese language the word "Maru" is pleasant to the ear and so when it is used as a suffix it expresses affection and endearment. Since anything round expresses simple beauty and also completeness, "Maru" was added to the names of boys in olden days with the wishes of their parents that they would grow up fully and seek out a bright future. For instance, we have Ushiwaka Maru (boyhood name for the twelfth

century hero known as Minamoto-no Yoshitsune) and Hiyoshi Maru (boyhood name for Toyotami Hideyoshi, the warlord who unified Japan during the latter part of the sixteenth century). Both are fine examples of this practice. "Maru" indicated fortress structures within a castle, such as "hon-maru" (inner citadel or castle proper), "ni-no-maru" (second citadel), "kita-no-maru" (north citadel), and so on. "Maru" was also used in naming favorite pets as well as swords. Tokukawa Shogun's pet dog was named "Kisaki Maru" and the sword of a warlord was given the name of "Hiza Maru". Origin of the use of "Maru" for ships. How, then, did the word come into usage in the names of ships? It is generally reported that it first appeared during the Kamakura period (11851219). More popularly, it was used during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868). However, there are no conclusive theories as to the origin of the use of "Maru" for ships' names. Today, Japanese are using "Maru" for their ships unknowingly. Research has revealed the following theories: 

Derived from an ancient Chinese custom.

According to a Chinese legend, a man named Pai Tung Wan (pronounced in Japanese as Hakudo Maru) was sent down to earth from heaven to teach how to build ships. Pai's presumed existence was during the reign of Emperor Ko, some 3,000 B.C. 

As prophecy.

As ships were thought of as having "roundness", symbolizing heaven and earth, "Maru" was used for vessels. 

Derived from dugout boat.

In prehistoric times canoes were used in Japan. They were known as the "roundwood boat", hence the use of the word for merchant ships in general. However, these theories can hardly be taken seriously. So let's explore further. 

During the feudal age, merchants were not allowed to have family names and so they had names for their shops with their suffixes "Ya" or "Maru", such as "Omiya" (Omi store) or "Omi-maru".

These merchants often had ships which also were named with the suffix "Maru" and so its use in the naming of vessels gradually became more general. 

The "Nihon Maru".

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the warlord, built a large ship named the "Nihon Maru". With a great man like Hideyoshi using "Maru" for his ship, the word "Maru" came into full vogue. 

Originated from the same reason of adding "Maru" to persons' names.

During the Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period (794-1185) there were many notables bearing the word "Maro" in their names, such as Kakinomoto-no Hito-maro and Sakanoue-no Tamura-maro. Therefore, the ships which carried such persons dispatched to China during the Tang dynasty as Japan's goodwill envoys had their names with the suffix "Maru". This can be seen, then, as the corruption of "Mayo". Moreover, under the same reason of using it for boys' names of endearment, "Maru" had begun to be used for ships by their owners who prayed that their ships return safely. By the way, unlike the western world, where ladies' names are often used for ships and a ship is regarded as "she", in Japan vessels are regarded as males. 

As one of the components.

Similar to the usage in naming citadels within the castle, the ship was also thought to be within a fortress and within a certain circle denoting territory. As enumerated above, views are divided as to the origin of usage of the character "Maru", and as to which is the authentic theory nobody knows. Practically all of the Japanese ships built since the Meiji era (1868-1912) - the age of modern civilization — excepting warships, have bore the character "Maru". There are no laws in Japan stipulating that "Maru" be used for all merchant vessels but the Government is encouraging the use of the suffix "Maru" for Japanese craft.

Inséré le 14 mars 2013 NEWS NOUVELLES Enlevé le 14 avril 2013

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