in this issue - asp ship management · in this issue u newbuilding progress u health initiatives u...

• AUSTRAL IA • NEW ZEALAND • S INGAPORE • UN ITED K INGDOM • • JAPAN • INDIA • PHILIPPINES • UKRAINE • MYANMAR • BANGLADESH •

WE MANAGE SHIPS SAFELYWE MANAGE SHIPS SAFELY

SHIP MANAGEMENT GROUP www.aspships.com

IN THIS ISSUE

u NEWBUILDING PROGRESS u HEALTH INITIATIVES u NEW MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS

EW Z• AUSTRAL IA • N

HOUSE JOURNAL OF THEASP SHIP MANAGEMENT GROUP

JAN

UA

RY

20

16

Good progress in diffi cult times David Borcoski Group Managing Director

Cover Picture:

Albatross image taken from Investigator in the Southern Ocean. Supplied courtesy of Australian Marine National Facility and photographer Max McGuire, Operations Offi cer, MNF.

ASPectsHouse Journal of the ASP Ship Management Group

Editor: Nigel PorteousEditorial Consultant: Bryan Reid

Design: Paul Miller Illustration & Design

Correspondence to: The Editor, ASP Ship Management473 St Kilda Road, Melbourne Vic 3004 Australia

Tel: +61 3 9211 9379 Email: [email protected]

Coastal Tanker New Building Construction of the new coastal product/chemical tanker Matuku, is well under way at the SPP Sacheon shipyard in South Korea. When delivered in around March this year she will boast the latest of modern shipping innovations design and environmental effi ciency.

We are proud to be involved with this latest high technology vessel in conjunction with Coastal Oil Logistics Limited (COLL).

New management contractsNew crew management contracts have recently been secured for a VLGC vessel based in Vietnam through the ASP Singapore offi ce, and an additional vessel for Uljanik Plovidba (ULPL) based in Croatia.

Furthermore ASP India have recently concluded additional Third Party management contracts with a major Singapore based Container Feeder Group.

These additional contracts are welcome additions to our fl eet and are confi rmation of our effi cient operational systems and continuous commitment to maintaining a level of highly trained crews worldwide, providing our clients with quality service.

Seatrade AwardsASP Group contributed signifi cantly to the important Annual Seatrade Maritime Awards held in Hong Kong in November, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Logistics and Maritime Week event. ASP sponsored the Safety Award won by Berg Shipping, and also sponsored the event catalogue. This was a good opportunity to become more closely acquainted with the majority of the SE Asia leading shipping and logistics community.

Social SupportWe also continued our commitment to providing support when possible for a number of worthy causes within the shipping industry and other areas of social need.

Our ongoing support for the Mission to Seafarers as a Lead Sponsor of the Mission’s annual ANL Maritime Art Awards and Exhibition in Melbourne, helps to promote the vital work of the Mission. Likewise we also supported the Mission to Seafarers in Singapore with a supporting sponsorship of a commemorative book of the recent RASI boat rowing challenge around Singapore Island. (Reported in ASPects May Edition). Furthermore, our Singapore staff and crews participated in sporting events for charities and the Manila offi ce again took part in the annual blood donation programme for the University of Philippines Hospital.

We are also pleased to continue our annual support for the Gladstone Yachting Regatta.

Important Milestones celebratedCongratulations are due to ASP Crew Management Ukraine, which observed their 10th anniversary on 16 November last year. The occasion was marked by a small celebration with Capt Peter Pashegor, who originally opened the offi ce at its commencement in 2005, and a Crew Training Seminar.

We also congratulate Mark Patman CEO of International Bunker Supplies in celebrating 30 years of continuous service with ANL/ASP. A fi ne record of dedicated achievement.

Seafarers’ HealthIn this edition of ASPects we help to bring notice to the crisis existing with crews contracting Type 2 Diabetes. A program has recently been launched in Hong Kong by the Mission to Seafarers and Swire Pacifi c Offshore to publicise the dangers of the disease, which is prevalent among seafarers, and can cause permanent damage to health and also at the same time create costly remedies and staff replacements.

ASPECTS JANUARY 2016 3

Silver Fern newbuilding takes shape

Progress of MatukuThe new ECO design Medium Range coastal product/chemical tanker currently being constructed for the New Zealand coastal trade is well underway at the SPP Sacheon shipyard in South Korea.

Owned by Grindrod Shipping, the new vessel, to be named Matuku will be chartered to Silver Fern Shipping Limited, and on-chartered to Coastal Oil Logistics Ltd (COLL), for distribution of petroleum products in New Zealand.

Classed by DNV GL her principal particulars are: Summer load 49,990 dwt (approx), breadth 32.2m, design draft 11.00m, and she will have a MAN B&W, 6G 50 ME type main engine delivering 7,500kw @ 87 engine rpm.

Matuku will replace the current vessel Torea, and will have the latest in design and environmental parameters.

As discussed in the ASPects September 2015 edition, these will include Common Structural Rules notation (CSR), the latest Ram

bow design, streamlined stern section, slow speed propeller, the latest hydraulic rotary-vane steering gear system, bow thruster, and S/W pump control Energy Saving System (ESS).

These modern innovations will provide the most effi cient operational and environmental standards for the New Zealand coastal shipping trade.

Construction of Matuku commenced with steel cutting in February 2015, with the keel laying being completed in October.

122 Hull blocks were prefabricated, and erected. Main generators have been installed, together with other machinery and equipment, including various pumps, electrical installations and piping etc.

Continuous inspections have been carried out during the construction period by DNV GL Class, shipyard quality inspectors and owner’s representatives.

Matuku was launched in December and fi nal delivery is scheduled for March this year.

ABOVE: Portside main deck reinforcement structure.BELOW: The Main Machinery space/opening.

ABOVE: Stern hull block erection joints.BELOW: Forward bow section block.

4 ASPECTS JANUARY 2016

InvestigatorUPDATES

CSIRO 2015 AwardsIn October last year staff, family, friends, dignitaries and industry colleagues gathered at the National Gallery of Australia to be present at the 2015 CSIRO Awards.

The CSIRO Medal for Support Excellence (pictured) was won by the Future Research Vessel Project Team, for the successful design, construction and commissioning of the new Marine National Facility (MNF) research vessel, Investigator to support, enable and inspire marine science in Australia.

CSIRO Director Dr Peter Riddles with Toni Moate at the CSIRO Awards.

Research projects continueOperated by the research vessel

Investigator, the Integrated Mooring Oceanographic System (IMOS) consists of mooring buoys (pictured right) anchored to the seabed in the Australian Southern Ocean. The buoys measure scientifi c data from ocean, meteorological and atmospheric information such as wind speed, wave heights, temperatures etc continuously, and relay results back to scientists via satellite for assessment and research purposes.

The Investigator deploys and recovers these buoys during her scientifi c voyages, as did her predecessor Southern Surveyor.

Professor Tom Trull, Oceanographer, from the ACE CRC, CSIRO and the University of Tasmania, supervised the loading of these buoys onto Investigator prior to her last voyage, and has since then been analysing the results of data from the buoys with his team.

Using this information, they learn more about our oceans and monitor any changes over time.

IMOS also examines carbon and heat transfer between ocean and the atmosphere. Prof Tom Trull, explained how these processes in the Southern Ocean play a key role in global climate change and how variables are measured.

Salps: the jelly beans of the seaEvery Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, hundreds if not thousands of strange looking ‘jelly like’ zooplankton bloom or swarms appear on beaches. Called Salps, most ocean fi sh species love to eat them.

University of NSW Australia marine biologist Professor Iain Suthers working with scientists on Investigator said, “Salps are usually regarded as not much more than irritants, as they weigh down fishing nets and cover beaches.

However, he is fascinated by this gelatinous sealife.

“These astonishing creatures have the ability to increase their size by 5% per hour, and range in size from the tip of a little fi nger to a shoebox,” Professor Suthers said.

“They can survive between two weeks and three months before being eaten by mackerel and tuna, or slowly fall to the seabed where they accumulate in vast tonnages.

“Salps also have tremendous potential for carbon sequestration, because they feed on the phytoplankton that absorbs carbon dioxide.

“There is concern that the Earth’s oceans are becoming more gelatinous and it appeared and that there had been an increase in Salps and Jellyfi sh in the past fi fty years. However, the scientists have recently found no statistical difference between data collected in 2008-2010 with that obtained in 1938-1942.”

Truong Phat Loc Shipping TradingTruong Phat Loc Shipping Trading Joint Stock Company (TPL Shipping JSC), based in Vietnam, have recently appointed ASP Crew Management, as crew managers for their new vessel Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) Everrich 10.

TPL Shipping JSC is an international shipping group established in September 2009, and operating from head offi ces in Ho Chi Minh City with only one oil/chemical tanker of 8,386 dwt, carrying clean petroleum products and trading in inland areas of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

After little more than a year the Board found that effi cient transport of oil products in Southeast Asia did not meet expectations due to unfair competition and the vessel’s size was not suitable for cargo being offered in the market.

The company decided to sell the vessel, Dong A Star, and to switch to a new dedicated fleet of large capacity chemical tankers, with stainless steel cargo tanks to transport a range of different chemicals.

Everrich 1, 15,353 dwt, built in Japan, was purchased in September 2011. The trading area of the Company’s fl eet also expanded to Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, India and the Middle East.

By mid-2013 the company decided to buy two chemical tankers, Everrich 2 with dwt 14,893 and Everrich 3 with dwt 19,999 tons, which can carry many different classes of chemicals with higher yielding freight rates, leading to better operations.

In early 2014, the company moved to the Everrich 2 building and recruited a large number of professionals with experience in marine safety, technology and human resources.

More crew management contracts

The company purchased LPG Everrich 6 in early 2014, and in December 2014 bought VLGC Everrich 8 with a 49,701 dwt and capacity 84,000m3 to offi cially enter the international LPG shipping market.

Also Everrich 7 with dwt 22,779 tons in July 2014 and Everrich 5 with 19,996 dwt in April 2015 were purchased from European owners to increase the company’s chemical tanker tonnage.

The plan for 2017, is for TPL Shipping to have 20 vessels with a total deadweight of over 300,000 tons of chemical tanker capacity and 200,000m3 of LPG.

Representatives of TPL attended ASP offi ces in Singapore, India, and the Philippines, followed by a crew seminar in Manila on 2 July last year during their due diligence process.

LEFT: L-R; Capt Subodh (General Manager ASPCM India), Sangeeta Shirke – Admin-HR Executive (ASP), Capt Le Minh Dung – Deputy General Director (TPL), Mr Vu Dihn Huy – HSQE Manager (TPL), and Vitaliy Chayka (General

Manager ASPCM), and pictured BELOW together with TPL staff.

Uljanik PlovidbaASP Crew Management has also recently been contracted to supply Filipino crew for the vessel Champion Pula (pictured) owned by Uljanik Plovidba (ULPL).

ASP Ship Management Singapore already provide ship management services to four other vessels in the ULPL fl eet.

Founded in 1986 and based in Pula, Croatia, the company owns and operates four bulk carriers and fi ve tankers. ULPL also provides ship management services to other fl eets.


Capt Pralin Fadnavis aboard the VLGC Everrich 10.


ASP Group made a signifi cant contribution to the prestigious Seatrade Maritime Awards held in Hong Kong on 16 November. Major sponsorships were provided for the ‘Seatrade Safety Award’ and for the production of the Event catalogue.

A total of 16 Award winners were announced and honoured at a gala dinner at the Hong Kong

Exhibition and Convention Centre, and as part of the Hong Kong Logistics and Maritime Week organised by Seatrade Magazine and guest hosted by international news journalist Sharanjit Leyl.

12 Award winners in the competitive categories were selected from 54 fi nalists. Eight independent judges selected for their distinguished contribution to the shipping industry, had considered all of the entries received for the various awards.

Furthermore, four special Awards were presented to individuals for their long-standing exemplary work and contribution to the shipping industry.

These were the ‘Seatrade Lifetime Achievement Award’, which went to George Chao, President of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport. The ‘Seatrade Personality of the Year Award’, was won by Gerardo Borromeo, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Offi cer, Philippine Transmarine Carriers Inc. The ‘Seatrade Young Person

Sponsoring Seatrade Awardsof the Year’ is Angad Banga, Executive Director, The Caravel Group Limited and Arthur Bowring, Managing Director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association received the ‘Contribution to the Development of the Hong Kong Maritime Cluster Award’.

ASP sponsored the ‘Seatrade Safety Award’ which was won by Berge Bulk and was presented to the Managing Director, Alan Lowrey by Capt Robert Walker (pictured left accompanied by Vanessa Stephens, Seatrade Global Events Director).

ASP Group was represented at the Seatrade Awards by Capt Thorsten Bruhn, Capt Girish Phadnis, Capt Robert Walker and Vitaliy Chayka (pictured below) with ASP Group guest Vaibhav Singhal, Director Ship Management X-Press Feeders / Sea Consortium Singapore (centre). ASP also hosted fi ve other guests at the event including Revd Canon Stephen Miller, Regional Director East Asia, Mission to Seafarers, who received a donation from Seatrade at the event.

ASP Art PrizeThe 2015 Mission to Seafarers ANL Maritime Art Awards and Exhibition was opened at a gala event at the Mission’s historic building in Melbourne on 6 November. Approximately 300 guests attended the opening event and the presentation of the principal prizes to the winning artists.

The Exhibition was opened by John Lines, Managing Director of ANL Container Lines who are the principal Naming Sponsors. The winner of the 2015 ANL Prize of $15,000 was won by New South Wales artist Richard Claremont for his contemporary work “Dusk at Port Kembla”.

The ASP Prize was presented by Nigel Porteous on behalf of the ASP Group for the “Most Traditional” work to Mary Hyde for her entry entitled “Docked and Loading” (pictured left).

89 works were exhibited having been selected from over 200 entries submitted from around Australia.

Other Prizes were sponsored by Bendigo Wealth for the ‘Emerging Artist’ award, and Nevile & Co Lawyers for the ‘Highly Commended’ entry.

Svitzer Australia presented their “People’s Choice Award” to Warren Lane at a separate function held on 6 December for his work titled “The ship at the end of the street”.

Two distinguished judges had previously selected the Prize winners. Lewis Miller a prominent Australian portrait artist and arts educator, and Dr Nathan Paramanathan a leading artist, also an art educator and arts psychology practitioner.

0100


ASP Ukraine 10th anniversaryASP Crew Management Ukraine reached their 10th Anniversary on 10 November last year.

The offi ce staff held a small celebration with Capt Peter Pashegor, who originally opened the offi ce at its commencement in 2005. During the 10 year period ASPCM Ukraine have employed more than 3,500 seafarers to a wide range of various classes of vessels. A Training Seminar was also held to mark the occasion (see page 15).

The Board of ASP Group congratulates Capt Pashegor and his staff on this signifi cant milestone.

Pictured left: Lesya Taranova, Capt Peter Pashegor and Alex Tayunov.

India fl eet expansion

Over the past 3 years, Group Commercial Manager SE Asia, Capt Girish Phadnis has developed an ongoing commercial relationship with X-Press Feeders / Sea Consortium Shipping Group based in Singapore and with offi ces in Dubai, Mumbai, Hamburg, Barcelona and Panama.

X-Press Feeders started operations in 1972 out of South East Asia and has grown to become the largest Common Carrier in the world.

X-Press Feeders have a fl eet of 21 owned feeder container vessels and a further large fl eet of over 80 chartered vessels trading throughout Asia, Middle East, Caribbean, Central America, Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

Their 2015 annual container throughput is expected to be in excess of 4.8 million TEUs.

Six X-Press Feeder vessels have been contracted by ASP Group in the past two years through the Mumbai offi ce.

In 2014, ASP India commenced full third party management of the vessel Tian Yi with a cargo capacity of 1,700 TEU’s and trading in the Persian Gulf.

This was followed nine months later with the management contract of the Lotus Maritimus. She has capacity of 1,700 TEU’s, and also trades in the Persian Gulf.

The newly built X-Press Lhotse (1,750 TEU) was also added to the fl eet shortly afterwards.

The Bauhinia carrying 700 TEU and trading between East India coast and Colombo, Sri Lanka was also contracted in 2014, and subsequently in 2015, the X-Press Tigris with 1,725 TEU’s also trading in the Persian Gulf was taken over for full management.

Finally the X-Press Nile, 700 TEU, trading on the Egyptian coast and manned with Egyptian crew, is being managed in potentially challenging circumstances, as admitted by the owners.

To handle this additional work the ASP India Ship Management team has been expanded to include Mr Bhanudas Kale and Mr Nagendra Pratap, together with Capt Bibhash Jha.

Capt Jha and Mr Bhanudas have both been associated with the ASP Group since their cadetship, while Mr Pratap has recently joined the company.


60The Singapore Maritime Employers Federation (SMEF), one of the pioneering maritime organisations in Singapore, held its 60th anniversary celebrations in October last year aboard Asia’s only tall ship, the Royal Albatross.

More than 100 people from its member companies, SMEF’s tripartite partner organisations – Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Maritime Offi cers Union, Singapore Organisation of Seamen and Singapore Shipping Association – and specially invited guests were treated to a cruise around Singapore waters. It was also a reunion for the attendees who included the Federation’s past chairmen and executive secretaries from the 1970s to date.

Capt Francis Joseph, who has served as SMEF’s Chairman since 2007, and is a Director of Herning Shipping Asia Pte Ltd addressed the guests commenting that “since its inception in 1955, SMEF has followed the key objectives as laid down originally, and has conducted its activities in a ‘harmonious, effective and dignifi ed’ manner befi tting of its industry stature for the past 60 years”.

SMEF, a non-profi t organisation, remains focused on its core objectives which are “to support and promote the interests of the ship management industry and its members”.

Furthermore, “to set industry best practices and standards; promote fair negotiations between maritime employers and seafaring trade unions and to work with government agencies in raising the profi le of the maritime sector in Singapore, and of its most important asset – Human Resources, whilst maintaining the competitiveness of the Singapore Registry”.

60 Years promoting industrial relationsThe SMEF is an active member of the Tripartite Maritime Manpower taskforce (seafaring) spearheaded by the MPA. This taskforce aims to build a strong Singaporean-core within the seafaring workforce and is working to attract more Singaporeans to embark on seafaring careers. The programme will also assist their transition back to shore-based jobs within the maritime industry when required.

Vitaliy Chayka, ASP Group General Manager, Crew Management was among the guests at the Singapore celebrations.

Cake cutting by SMEF Chairmen from 1978 to present. (From left) Capt Francis Joseph, Capt Chong Chee Eng, Mr Victor Lim, Mr Ang Kim Hock, Mr

Khong Chai Seng.

Sneha Rairikar Gharpure (pictured) is the wife of Capt Ajay Gharpure who in 2012 was in command of the ASL Tribute. Sneha had been a journalist working in Pune India, when she was given the opportunity to join her husband on a voyage to South America and gave up her shore job accordingly.

She subsequently recorded her experience at sea during the voyage.

Sneha wrote that she had been previously aware of the life seafarers lead while at sea, from her uncle who had also been a ship’s master, so she was not totally surprised of what she found.

‘Life at sea’By Sneha Rairikar Gharpure

However, Sneha reported that she had not realised the hard work, extended hours and pressures, offi cers and crews sometimes experience during a long voyage and the different jobs the various ranks onboard the ship have to undertake around the clock.

She was also most amazed with the way ships are navigated using charts and radars etc, and how the ship’s positions are plotted constantly on the bridge.

Sneha said they had a crew of mixed nationalities onboard the ASL Tribute, made up of Fijians, Filipinos, and Indians. There was no internet onboard at that time, but with the ship reaching various ports regularly she was never bored. She made a point of visiting the deck crews, and observing their work of maintenance, and cleaning etc, while the ship was at sea.

Sometimes the Master ordered a small social gathering of the crew while at sea, including a barbecue and games etc, to keep up morale. Christmas and New year plus Indian Diwali were celebrated during the voyage. Sneha was particularly impressed with the ship’s cook for his expertise in preparing different, delicious meals to suit all nationalities onboard.

After the completion of her voyage Sneha has a changed view of the life seafarers have at sea, and she now appreciates the huge contribution the shipping industry makes in our everyday lives, with 90% of global goods traded, being dependent on ships and the hard working crews that serve on them. She also salutes the crews who work in diffi cult circumstances being away and isolated from their families for long periods of time.


Health for Seafarers initiativeWith more emphasis being placed on the important matter of good health for seafarers, the Mission to Seafarers (MTS), and Swire Pacifi c Offshore have combined to increase the awareness of Type 2 diabetes and the importance of lifestyle changes necessary to combat the disease.

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that nearly 400 million of the world’s adult population suffer from diabetes and that fi gure is likely to increase to 600 million by 2035.

However multiple studies have determined that seafarers are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than the average person.

The initiative was started due to repeated concerns for the health of seafarers often due to poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. Research feedback from Swire Pacifi c Offshore shows that the average seafarer smokes 17 cigarettes a day, and their diet contains high levels of dairy content. This all relates to an alarming rise of Type 2 diabetes among seafarers, a big concern for the shipping industry.

Both Swire and the Mission chose to commence the Health for Seafarers campaign due to the rising number of seafarers being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes especially in the Far East.

There are also business advantages for companies when reducing the incidence of the disease among their crews and employees. A senior staff member of Swire noted strong links between Type 2 diabetes and productivity, and a loss of talent and an increase in injuries.

He calculated that an average of 6.6% of loss of work productivity for Swire can equate to a fi nancial loss of US $580,000, while the cost of rehiring due to an 18.7% loss of talent can amount to a further US $213,640.

The campaign will be working with ship managers, owners, masters and chief offi cers, as well as ships chefs, all of whom control food purchases through budgeting or actual purchasing directly.

Nicky Wynne, the Director of Development at the Mission to Seafarers said “diabetes was an obvious place to start the concentrated and coordinated campaign of awareness on seafarers’ health. Since so many seafarers smoke we also need to increase the awareness of the risk dangers of cancer.”

“Further health risk awareness programmes for seafarers will be introduced in the future, but this will be dependent on support and funding,” Nicky Wynne said.

“The key to this initiative is to get the seafarers involved” Nicky said and the Mission to Seafarers is ideally placed to promote this, with centres in 71 countries and 260 ports around the world. The MTS global network will promote the campaign, establish a free App, and send out literature to the centres supporting the programme.

GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING

DIABETES

A SEAFARER’S

DIABETES IS A LOUSY, LOUSY DISEASE.- Elaine Stritch, Broadway Singer

Smoking

Exercise

ObesityOverweight BMI: (25-30)Obese BMI: (>30)

Unhealthy Waistline

Health Aspect Seafarers

5/10UNHEALTHY WAISTLINE >94CM

60% SMOKESDAILY

22% SMOKESDAILY

58% EXERCISE LESS THAN ONCE A WEEK

31% EXERCISE LESS THAN ONCE A WEEK

6/10 OVERWEIGHTon the average

Obese Overweight

General Population

BLURRED VISION High blood sugar levels can result in you seeing floaters or occasional flashes of light.

EXCESSIVE THIRST & FREQUENT URINATION When the your blood sugar levels are too high, you will need to urinate more often, which also leads to you drinking more than usual.

SLOW HEALINGHaving infections, cuts and bruises that do not heal quickly is a common symptom of diabetes.

TINGLING / NUMBING SENSATION

Sensations of tingling, burning or numbness in the hands and feet, can be signs that your nerves are being damaged due to diabetes.

WHAT ARE THESIGNS &SYMPTOMSOF DIABETES?

FATIGUEYour body becomes less ableto use the blood sugar in your body for energy, so you will feel tired easily.

WHY DO SEAFARERS HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF DIABETES?As a group, seafarers have been shown to smoke more, exercise less and eat more than the average person.

Support for youth regattaThe annual ASP Regatta was once again held on the weekend of 27 and 28 June last year in Gladstone Australia. The regatta had been postponed after cyclone Marcia had made an appearance on the planned weekend in March.

There was also a change of format this year, from a dedicated Youth Regatta to an “All Boats” style event incorporating all sailing dinghies racing over four races in fi ve divisions. This attracted a good sized fl eet of nineteen boats with some travelling from as far away as Brisbane.

The Gladstone Port Curtis Sailing Club thanked ASP Group for their ongoing and generous support for the Annual Regatta.


On Watch Global maritime newsNew IMO Secretary GeneralKitack Lim, President of the Busan Port Authority in South Korea, has been elected as the new IMO Secretary General, following a secret ballot of the 40 member IMO Council held in late 2015, Mr Lim beat fi ve other candidates from Cyprus, Russia,

Philippines, Denmark and Kenya for the position.

Mr Lim has spent nearly four decades working in the maritime industry. In his early career he worked as a ship’s offi cer for Sanko Shipping Co. and as a Korean naval offi cer. He joined the Maritime Port Administration in 1985 while pursuing his post-graduate studies.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nautical Science and Masters Degrees in Business Administration and Maritime Administration. He also completed a Graduate course work in International Law at the Korea Maritime and Ocean University.

Among the guests at the congratulatory reception for Mr Lim, was the Busan Mission to Seafarers’ Port Chaplain, the Rev Simon Ro.

Advances in azimuth thruster designAzimuth units are mechanical thrusters that can rotate through 360° and are mounted below the waterline, driven either by direct drive with a ship’s engine and gearbox or from an electric motor.

The Rolls-Royce UUC range (left) are its largest and most powerful thrusters, with units

up to 7.5MW, weighing in excess of 75 tonnes. They are underwater mountable and are typically used on drillships and semi-submersible rigs, but also on vessels where high power is required such as on tugs, icebreakers, and offshore service vessels.

Permanent Magnet (PM) Azimuth thrusters are the latest development from Rolls-Royce, unveiled at Nor-Shipping 2015 last June in Oslo.

The launch of the PM Azimuth Thrusters programme followed sea trials onboard the research vessel Gunnerus, operated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology based in Trondheim, Norway. Those trials continued through the remainder of 2015.

One of the benefi ts of the PM Tunnel Thruster is that airborne noise is reduced by 4 to 8db as compared with a standard geared thruster with an electric motor in the thruster room.

Additionally, structural borne noise is reduced by 6 to 12db, while the noise to sea is 5 to 6db less. The thruster is also responsive to changing loads.

The noise reductions are important for crew and passenger comfort and for marine life protection.

On 1 July, 2014 the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was amended to make the Code of Noise Levels onboard ships mandatory for new vessels.

The purpose of the code is to reduce noise levels onboard ships that could affect seafarers’ health and thus affect the safety of a ship.

Revised work practice regulationsThe UK based Nautilus International helped to launch a radically revised version of the Code of Safe Working Practices (CSWP) for merchant seafarers during the London International Shipping Week event in September last year.

The new Code has been extensively overhauled by an industry working group over an 18 month period, and it was unveiled during a UK Ship Register reception at the UK Foreign Offi ce, with speakers including Shipping Minister Robert Goodwill.

It is the fi rst time since 1998 that the Code has undergone such a thorough update, and the changes include the restructuring of the contents and a stronger focus on safety culture, as well as new or revised advice on issues such as fatigue, ergonomics, use of display equipment and entry into enclosed spaces.

Changes from the previous (2011 consolidated) edition include an increased emphasis on practical guidance rather than legislation, improved guidance on risk assessment, simplifi ed advice on permits to work, and a revised chapter on vessels serving the offshore oil and gas sectors.

It also contains revised guidance on ‘snap-back’ zones in mooring operations, refl ecting the results of accident investigation recommendations.

Celestial navigation returns“It was how Odysseus sailed the seas, how Columbus reached the Americas, and how Lawrence of Arabia found his way across the vast, featureless deserts of the Middle East”.

For millennia, travellers used the stars to guide them on their journeys – a technique which, in recent decades, has been replaced by modern technology.

But now the US navy is reinstating classes on celestial navigation for all new recruits, teaching the use of sextants due to rising concerns that computers used for navigation could be hacked or malfunction.

The era of celestial navigation ended with the launch of satellites in the 1990s, which then evolved into the Global Positioning System (GPS). While celestial navigation can calculate your


position within 1.5 miles, by 1995 GPS could pinpoint your location within metres, and the system has never been shut down.

Today, more than 30 satellites circle the Earth, each twice a day, costing global taxpayers about $1 billion (£650 million) a year.

Mr Trogdon, President of nautical instrument company Weems & Plath (USA) stated that sales of sextants had plunged after the arrival of the GPS. “There are only a few thousand sold each year, and most of those are sold to yachtsmen who want to have a backup” he said.

Recruits to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, USA, have recently had celestial navigation returned to their curriculum for the fi rst time since it was dropped in 2006. It was reinstated for navigators in 2011, but not for the whole navy. Pilot programmes are also beginning for army reservists in other training facilities in the USA.

“Knowledge of celestial navigation in the GPS era provides a solid backup form of navigation in the event GPS becomes unreliable for whatever reason,” said Capt Timothy Tisch, of the US Merchant Marine Academy – which has never abandoned celestial navigation.

“It is also good professional practice to use one navigational system to verify the accuracy of another.”

Shipping innovation developmentsAddressing the shift to robots

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (lTF) Seafarers’ Trust held an event in 2015 to discuss the ways in which artifi cial intelligence and robotics could affect the future of seafaring and the maritime industry. Two speakers from BioCentre, a scientifi c evaluation company, explained how new technologies are already impacting on our lives - and the ethical and social implications of these developments.

Director Matt James explained that Japan was leading the way in the development of robotics to enhance daily lives, with the government pledging to give a robot to every elderly person in the country who requires care. ‘They believe that by 2020 the personal assistant robot will be as ubiquitous as the personal computer,’ he added.

However, he stressed, the full implications of this remain to be seen, with questions about whether an increased dependence on robots accentuates loneliness as people stop interacting with each other.

BioCentre chairman Nigel Cameron said that in terms of the workplace, most of the conversion of warehousing-level jobs to robotics has already taken place, and with almost half of the jobs now going to machines including research and executive jobs.

“There is a signifi cant risk of a ‘tidal wave’ of job losses in the near future” he warned. “And the problem is no-one is having an open and honest conversation about it”.

“Unions and other groups which represent people, need to lead that conversation so that social responsibility is high up on the agenda. lf these groups shy away from the issue, then economics will take over, which will not result in a good deal for a lot of people”.

Mr Cameron said that the debate did not have to be a negative one, with people simply objecting to any change. lnstead, it could be a positive look at how today’s young people can be educated and upskilled for more technologically advanced positions, and also explore the new jobs that might evolve in the next 50 years.

Lloyds sees big changes to shipping future

Lloyd’s Register (LR), along with QuinetiQ and the University of Southampton, have joined forces to predict the future of shipping. Together, they have concluded that eight technologies will transform commercial shipping.

“The marine world in 2030 will be a connected and digital one, bringing closer integration between people, software and hardware in a way that could transform the way we operate, said LR’s Marine Marketing Director, Luis Benito.

“We know that new technologies are changing our world and there is a great deal of overlap between them. How they combine will be important.”

According to the group’s 96 page report, Global Marine Technology Trends 2030, the eight technologies, which include: advanced materials, big data analytics, robotics, sensors, propulsion and powering, communications, ship building and smart ships.

All are expected to have a profound impact on how ship systems are designed and operated over the next 15 years.

Lloyd’s Register says there is a move toward autonomous operation – moving away from human operators to machines.

In fact, LR predicts machines (robots) will perform more of the mundane, as well as dirty and dangerous tasks.

This will help achieve a higher level of safety and effi ciency.

The report identifi es two groups of technology drivers – those that will transform ship design and ship building, and those technologies that will drive safety, commercial and operational performance.

“Shipping is likely to evolve quickly now.” said Tom Boardley, LR’s Marine Director. “The evolution is likely to be uneven but while 2030 is not far away, we think that shipping is likely to have changed [by then] signifi cantly”.

“The evolution is likely to be uneven but with 2030 not far away, shipping is likely to have changed

significantly by then.”

“There is a significant risk of a tidal wave of job losses in the near future, but we are not having an open and

honest conversation about it.”


Fixed CO2 release unnoticedFrom Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme (MARS – Nautical Institute)

During the annual servicing of a KIDDE CO2 system on a passenger ferry, it was discovered that an undetected discharge of the CO2 system within the emergency generator room had taken place. Although the time of the inadvertent discharge could not be determined, the cause was a worn internal mechanism within the control head. The crew were unaware of the discharge in the emergency generator room because the space did not require any indicators (eg alarm, smoke/heat detection) to alert them of the discharge and it was unoccupied during discharge. This circumstance presented three latent unsafe conditions:• The failure could have occurred while someone was in the

generator room;• A person could have entered the room after the release, and; • The room remained unprotected for an unknown period of time.

hook. When the sling broke and the brake failed, the anchor’s weight and the ship’s movement then caused it to drop before the riding pawl could properly engage. The sling failure was likely caused by the corrosion of the inner wire strands, being exposed to the elements because of the sharp bend in the wire. Although the wire sling had been inspected regularly, those performing the inspections had not been instructed on how to examine and determine its serviceability properly.

‘Beached not berthed’From Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme (MARS—Nautical Institute)

A tanker arrived in port and was scheduled to berth at the southern extremity of the port. The manoeuvre required swinging the vessel 180° and then backing astern to berth port-side to. Another tanker was moored just to the north of the intended berth which restricted the manoeuvring room.

The berthing plan had been discussed between the pilot and the Master but the pilot had not mentioned the restricted room due to the other berthed tanker. Although there was a fl ood tide and the westerly wind was blowing at 15 knots, a tug had not been considered necessary.

Once turned successfully, the pilot began backing the vessel, running astern with the main engine and bow thruster. The wind and the fl ooding tide were slightly on the vessel’s port side.

When the vessel was approximately 15-20 metres from the berth, an aft spring line was sent ashore and secured. The forward mooring station lowered the headlines to the mooring boat but they could not be made secure in good time.

The vessel was now swinging to starboard even though the bow thruster was operating at “full to port”. Since the headlines were not secured at their designated bollards, and in an attempt to reduce the vessel’s swing to starboard, they were instead secured at the bollards as springs, but still to no effect.

Realising the vessel was approaching shallow water, the bridge team ordered the port anchor to be dropped but the headlines were now obstructing the anchor’s release.

By the time the anchor was let go, the vessel was already aground, and almost perpendicular to the berth. A tug was promptly called and with a rising tide, the vessel was quickly refl oated and properly berthed.

An investigation into the incident established that the angle of approach to the berth was more open than ‘usual’ due to another tanker being alongside at the adjacent berth. This placed the vessel in a more vulnerable position, especially considering the effect of the strong wind and current, in the confi ned seaway.

A BULLETIN OF SAFETY ISSUES

‘Anchors away’Edited from USCG Marine Safety Alert 5-15

Recently, a general cargo vessel was underway in 5 metre seas when the forepeak fl ood alarms activated. The crew investigated and discovered that the starboard anchor had slipped 10-15 links, causing it to strike and puncture the hull. As a result, seawater had fl ooded the bow thruster and emergency fi re pump compartment. The incident resulted in excess of US $1 million in vessel damage and a month’s lost revenue while she was out of service undergoing repairs.

During this period, it was discovered that the anchor windlass brake pad had worn down to 2-3mm thickness. With only this amount of pad, the fully applied brake could not achieve its designed holding power. The crew should have noted the excessive wear to the brake pads, which could have then been attended to previously. It was also discovered that the anchor involved in the incident was a replacement, and had different specifi cations to the original anchor.

The new anchor’s relative position in the hawse pipe was not the same as the original, due to the shank length and connecting linkages being different. This size difference had prevented the riding pawl from properly engaging the anchor chain. As an added safety device, a wire sling had been used to secure the anchor while at sea and was threaded through a chain link and secured to the vessel with a pelican


Flood tide breaks mooring linesEdited from offi cial Canadian NTSB report MAB-14-21

A small product tanker was berthed at a terminal to load a cargo of tallow. The pilot had given the Master the local pilot information card that warned of three to fi ve knot tidal currents in the river waterway.

The card also warned of the importance of skilled line tending when moored in the river, stating that: “equal tension or weight on all ropes and mooring winch brakes shall also have a holding capacity equal to the strength of the lines”. The next day after loading, and in order to refuel, the vessel was shifted about three miles downstream during slack water. This was accomplished by the same pilot from the previous day and the transit was uneventful.

At the new berth, ten mooring lines were used. Because of draft considerations, the vessel was berthed such that the bow extended 9 metres beyond the east end of the wharf. After berthing, a crew member was conducting a patrol and noticed dust and smoke coming from the brakes of the mooring line drums on the focsle. He activated an alert and the bridge team then tried using the bow thrusters to push the vessel back towards the berth, but without success.

As the bow was pushed into the river, the three mooring lines that were on bitts parted, (both forward springs and one aft spring). The remaining mooring lines were on winches. The winch brakes began slipping and the lines quickly ran free off the drums and fell into the water. Within about 10 minutes of the initial warning, the ship was adrift in the river. Anchors were dropped but they only slowed the drift. A few minutes later the vessel struck a bridge, which sustained approximately US$2.5 million in damage, while damage to the vessel was estimated at US$1 million.

An accident assessment later determined that despite warnings from a pilot, insuffi cient mooring lines and backups had been used to properly secure the vessel alongside.

Fatal fall overboardEdited from a recent report published by the Dutch Safety BoardAfter unloading containers from a general cargo vessel, crew prepared the decks and holds for a new cargo. This involved moving hatch covers forward. A crew member operated the ship’s crane to move a hatch cover while two other crewmen guided it with securing lines on each side. At some point one of these crewmen lost his balance and fell overboard between the ship and the wharf. An offi cer on deck instigated an immediate rescue operation and recovered the fallen crewman onto the wharf, but

he was found to be unconscious. He was immediately taken to hospital but died of his injuries later that day.

It is not known how the crewman lost his balance, but after the accident an investigation found that his shoes and coveralls were in very poor condition. Furthermore, he was not wearing a safety harness, life jacket or helmet.

This is a clear example of safety awareness being ignored leaving a crewman in imminent danger, and causing his ultimate death.

Ro-pax ferry fi reEdited from a recent Safety4Sea Log article

A fi re broke out in the car deck of a Ro-pax ferry while underway recently. The drencher was immediately activated but due to a malfunction, could not be started from the engine room. The automatic sprinkler triggered, but the supply pipe parted, fl ooding the ship’s engine room.

An engineer isolated the system, but the fi re got out of control and all of the passengers and crew abandoned the vessel with no loss of life or injuries.

Following an investigation into the incident it was determined that the cause of the fi re could not be specifi cally identifi ed. However, it was found that, if the drencher system or the automatic sprinkler had functioned correctly, the fi re could have been brought under control.

The engineer who was sent to remedy the drencher, could not do so once the engine room commenced fl ooding. Furthermore, this development had not been reported to the bridge.

Safety demandEdited from The Nautilus Telegraph September 2015

An Italian safety report has indicated that semi-open cargo spaces should not be permitted on newbuilding Ro-pax vessels. Fabio Croccolo who led the investigation into the recent fi re onboard the Northern Atlantic in which 18 people died, said that the spread of the fi re had been assisted by the large side windows and open stern enabling smoke to be diverted away from detectors in strong winds.

Mr Croccolo called for the immediate development of emergency systems to seal open spaces on existing vessels and the fi tting of thermal detection systems.


TRAINING NEWS

Seminar for Chowgule Steamship Crew

ASP Group Training conducted a workshop on Basic Skills and Knowledge Transfer for the crews of Chowgule Steamships at The Parvatibai Chowgule College, Goa India on 9 - 11 September last year.

The program was designed to cover: Introductory phase, knowledge of basic ship operation tools, updating with new regulations and a fi eld day for actual observations, and practical training which included a visit to a working ship building yard.

Chairman Mr Vijay Chowgule also paid a visit to the Seminar and interacted with all present.

The Workshop ended with positive feedback from all attendees, who found the training to be very benefi cial, introduced better transparency between managers and crew, and they commented that they had gained a better understanding of management procedures and responsibilities of ships’ crews.

At The Parvatibai Chowgule College, Goa

The series of ASP Ship Management Crew Forums continued in Mumbai on 23 November at the Marriott Hotel and was attended by 11 seafarers.Capt Denzil D’souza, Marine Manager Singapore discussed Refl ective Learning while Capt Prabhat Nigam gave a briefi ng on the latest regulatory changes. He also discussed Lessons from Incidents, Maritime Security in SE Asia, 3rd Party Inspections (PSC/SIRE/CDI) and Hours of Rest and RCA – Taproot.Capt Bhupendra Ambekar, Training and QHSE Manager India, highlighted The Common Errors in Star-IPS.Finally, Capt Prabhat Nigam and Mr Vitaliy Chayka distributed Certifi cates and mementoes to all attendees and resource speakers.LEFT: Front row on the right; Capt Nigam, Capt Bhupendra, Capt Phadnis and Capt Kotwal with attendees.

Crew Forums continue

Seminar participants with ASP and Parvatibai Chowgule College management from left to right in the front row: Capt Manish Dixit, Dr

Nandkumar Sawant, Capt Prabhat Nigam and Mr Manoj Pandey.

Dry Bulk interactive workshopAnother Dry Bulk workshop was held on 20 November last year in the ASP Mumbai offi ce continuing with training for Superintendents and senior crew members.

The agenda included Latest and Future Regulations pertaining to dry bulk ships, and a small brief on history and evolution of bulk carriers. This was followed by Training Manager Capt Bhupendra Ambekar presenting latest and future regulations and opened up a discussion with attendees.

Capt Manish Dixit then discussed IMM/VOM, Fleet Circulars, Technical and Safety Bulletins and their distribution to ships’ crews.

The workshop culminated with a Refl ective Learning presentation on Equipment Failure.

LEFT (rear centre): Capt Nigam addresses the Dry Bulk staff workshop.


On 10 November last year ASP Ukraine marked their 10th anniversary. During the last decade more than 3,500 seafarers have been engaged by the Ukraine offi ce to serve on a wide range of vessel types.

To mark the occasion a Training Seminar was held, attended by Capt Robert Walker (GM ASP Singapore) who discussed safety issues, with interactive sessions and lessons from incidents.

Also participating in the Seminar was Oleg Grygoriuk (First Vice Chairman MTWTU) who discussed the latest union updates, while Nataliya Yefrimenko (ITF Inspector Ukraine) talked about performance of the ITF in Ukraine and the help provided to seafarers.

Tatyana Slobodyanuk (Seafarer’s Inspector MTWTU) provided updates on the Union’s work in Ukraine and their prominent support of our seafarers.

An evening function was held with all Seminar participants to celebrate the anniversary.

Nataliya Yefrimenko (ITF Inspector Ukraine) addresses the Seminar attendees. Seated at the rear are Tatyana Slobodyanuk (Seafarer’s Inspector MTWTU), Capt Peter Pashegor and

Capt Robert Walker.

In presenting his Annual Review, Group Training Manager Capt Prabhat Nigam, outlined the principal achievements and developments of the company’s crew and management staff training programmes as follows:

The addition of container ships and gas carriers into the fl eet, required fresh training material in 2015 for our crews. A ‘CONTFAM’ Course was also developed in line with IMO Model Courses.

A new training platform for onboard training was introduced in the form of an e-platform called KARCO.

It has good potential not just for training but is an excellent tool to deliver important Circulars and Bulletins for crews on all classes of vessels.

Several ships were visited to conduct onboard training and audits during the year.

During these visits, interaction occurred with our long-serving crews which introduced some important inroads for further development of training and improving its effectiveness. It was observed that improving the standard of Star IPS awareness onboard vessels is showing positive dividends.

2015 also witnessed the introduction of Refl ective Learning in all training centres as well as on all vessels across the fl eet.

Regular monthly trainer’s meetings kept our staff well informed of the developments in training throughout the year.

The Mini Seminar series continued and we held six Seminars last year in Manila (2), Mumbai (2), and in Auckland and Ukraine.

Several training sessions were also conducted for shore staff in India throughout the year. Subjects included:

Group Training Review

1010Ukraine Seminar marks 10th anniversary

• Basic Training for Crewing Executives (ASP CMS)

• Stress Management

• Refresher Training on QMS - Quality Management System

• Life of a Seafarer at Sea

• Introduction to ISM Code and OHSAS

Group Training is continuously monitored and improved. This receives positive responses from ships’ crews and shore staff.

It is encouraging that several trainees have returned to employment with the ASP fl eet as 3/O and 4/E late last year.

On 10 November, Capt Nigam (Group Training Manager) and Vitaliy Chayka, Group General Manager (ASPCM – a member of IMEC) visited the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacifi c (MAAP) in Manila.

The International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) Enhanced Cadet Training Programme is a four year course which prepares school leavers to become deck or engineer offi cers, commenced in 2006. Since then over 600 cadets have graduated, with a further 480 currently training.

Each cadet is allocated to a sponsoring IMEC member who provides training berths during the third year, guaranteeing them seatime. After qualifying, offi cers return to their sponsoring companies for full time employment.

The programme is funded through the International Maritime Training Trust (IMTT) for the fi rst two years and thereafter through a stipend which cadets earn during onboard training, provided by IMEC members.

Cadets are provided with tuition, teaching materials, uniforms, food, accommodation and access to fi rst class training facilities.

IMEC cadets are carefully selected and assessed prior to being accepted for training. Before starting the programme, cadets undertake a pre-academic ramping course specialising in mathematics, physics and English.

Cadets study at their respective colleges for two years, completing their seatime with an IMEC member during the third year, and returning to college for their fourth and fi nal year.

At the end of the course, newly qualifi ed offi cers are contracted to their sponsoring company on a fi ve year contract, if the company has the capacity to take them.

During the visit to the Academy Capt Prabhat Nigam, Vitaliy Chayka, and Marchello Bautista Jnr. and Cherry Paguagan from ASPCM Manila also attended a Seagull Ability Profi ling Training Course.

Seagull, a Norwegian based e-Learning Group, has brought Psychometric Assessment to the maritime industry with its Ability Profi ling Programme (APRO). The software installation includes the Seagull Training Administrator and the entire Onboard Library of Computer Based Training (CBT) modules.


Manila weddingTwo ASP Manila staff members celebrated their marriage on 4 December last year.

Sheryl Vacena started as an accounts assistant with ASP Crew Management in 2007 and in 2008 passed her CPA exams. At about the same time, Deck Cadet Jubhill Mabini was selected to join ASP Manila in our Pilot Cadet Training Programme.

During the past few years a happy relationship has developed resulting in ASP staff, family and friends, witnessing their marriage oaths at a church service and celebration.

Today Sheryl is the Corporate Accountant of ASP Ship Management Singapore and Jubhill is serving as 2/O onboard the car ferry Baltica.

ASP Group board and staff congratulate the couple and wish them many years of health and happiness.

TRAINING NEWS

Maritime Academy visit

From left: Capt Nigam, with the President of MAAP Vice Admiral Edd Santos and Vitaliy Chayka.

STAFF NEWS


Crew artworkAsphalt Spirit A/B Casuga Crisanto Carino, has been developing his artistic talents while at sea and has created a painting of his ship, only using normal ship paints.

On 12 August last year Casuga kindly presented his work to the Master Capt Ajay Kumar Vohra just a few days before signing off from the vessel to go on leave.

Manila blood donationsASP Manila crew and staff recently volunteered in the Blood Collection drive organized by the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe with the theme Dugong Alay; Sagip Buhay (Blood Offered; Save Lives), in cooperation with the Education Commission Ministry, and conducted by the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital.

Blood donated reached a total of 4,050cc. The spiritual director of San Juan Diego sub-parish, Fr Clyde Cabueñas congratulated and thanked the donors and ASP for their wholehearted support provided to the Blood Donation campaign.

3303

Photo winner2/O Alain Dillenseger (pictured) formerly from British Loyalty has won the 2015 ASPects Photographic prize of USD$500 for his photo in the May edition, entitled “Lightning Strike”. Congratulations Alain.

30 year long serviceMark Patman, CEO and Director of International Bunker Supplies Pty Ltd, (IBS) has completed 30 years with ANL/ASP, including 13 years as head of IBS, since ASP Group acquired the business

from BHP, in 2002.

Mark began his business career in 1981 with Nauru Corporation, as Junior Buyer and became Assistant Chief Buyer before joining ANL Ltd in 1985 as Purchasing Offi cer and later Purchasing Superintendent.

After establishing International Bunker Supplies, he became a member of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA).

Among Mark’s industry qualifi cations and experience are a Diploma in Transport and Logistics (Ship Management) from the Cambridge (UK) Academy of Transport, Media Training for Crisis Situations, Oil Spill Emergency Response Training, Defence and

Industry Studies, and has obtained a Certifi cate of Business Studies (Supply Management).

The board of ASP Group congratulate Mark on this signifi cant achievement and his long and distinguished service to the company.

Mark was presented with a memento of the occasion, at the ASP Melbourne annual staff dinner in November.


TRAVEL NEWS

Qantas Top Tier status improves benefi ts

Mariner Travel has successfully gained Top Tier status with Qantas which includes a raft of benefits including a new preferred contract offering discounted fares across the Qantas network.

General Manager Aaron Watts told ASPects: “This is a great result which has been 18 months in the making”. He added “the status and related fare discounts including for domestic travel will allow us to be more competitive in the market for both our corporate and leisure clients in 2016”.

Aaron commented that Qantas has always been our most important partner being the flag carrier of Australia and as widely reported in the media, Qantas

has bounced back from a few lean years and a major cost cutting programme, to be once again a leader in new products and services. This includes new Business Class seats unveiled on all their Asian flights, and more frequencies announced between Melbourne to Singapore and from Melbourne to Hong Kong for 2016, alongside new routes to San Francisco and Vancouver that have already commenced from Sydney.

“The new Qantas deal alongside other airline agreements with Virgin Australia, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and British Airways as previously reported in ASPects, ensures that we have most worldwide destinations well covered” Aaron said.

Group numbers increaseAaron Watts has also reported a strong increase in the number of group bookings being processed by both Mariner Travel Australia and Ukraine.

Group Bookings have been a focus throughout 2015 and has resulted in double the amount of bookings from the previous year.

Group bookings range from 10 travellers and above, and have included corporate events, school and sporting groups and even family reunions. Mariner Travel can organise all the airfares and land arrangements with various suppliers, to fi t the needs of each group no matter their destination or size of the group.

Aaron advised that “Mariner Travel is still looking for more groups for 2016, and offer a referral reward to anyone that refers a Group that fi nalises their bookings with us”. If you know of any school, sporting club or any other group that may be interested, contact Aaron via email on [email protected]

New Partner strengthens IMTGAfter 12 months without a Greek partner, Argo Travel was unveiled at the recent IMTG AGM and Conference held at the Courtyard Marriot hotel, Abu Dhabi in November as the new IMTG partner in Greece effective immediately.

Mariner Travel was represented at the Conference by General Manager Aaron Watts and Ukraine Manager Violetta Lyubarets.

Aaron commented that the addition of a new Greek partner was of major importance to IMTG as traditionally Greece has been the centre of the European shipping and crew industry. The Greek market has access to many marine airfares that are not available in other markets, and which we are now able to offer our clients.

Argo Travel has been operating for over 50 years in Greece and has offi ces in Zurich and Shanghai. They also have a large leisure and yachting division in which Mariner Travel hopes can assist in servicing clients travelling to Greece and surrounding islands in the future.


ASP Group supports The Mission to Seafarers

ASPects is now conducting a photographic competition which carries a prize of $US500 for the best photograph in terms of subject and photographic merit, received across each of the three issues of ASPects in a calendar year. The judges will

then select the best photos for each edition to be published. Thereafter the best judged photo out of the selected fi nalists

for the year will be awarded the prize.

The competition is open to all crews of the ASP fl eet and any family members onboard. Subjects may cover life onboard a working vessel, fellow crew members at work, seascapes,

ports, shoreline scenery, seabirds and other marine life, other vessels of interest, etc.

Only photographs of high resolution (approx 2-5 megabytes (mb) or more in fi le size or ‘Superfi ne’ setting on some

cameras) can be accepted, and may be either in colour or monochrome.

The judges’ decision will be fi nal. Submit photos via email to: The Editor, ASPects, ASP Ship Management. Email

[email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

Canada has announced the discovery of one of two British explorer ships that disappeared in 1846 after becoming trapped in Arctic ice.

In a statement, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the event a “truly historic moment for Canada,” noting that one of Canada’s “greatest mysteries” had been solved.

The ship was found using a remote-operated underwater vehicle.

The HMS Erebus and HMS Terror left England in 1845, led by British Captain Sir

John Franklin (pictured). The ships were headed for the Northwest Passage, but they hit trouble in the Canadian Arctic. Icebound for more than a year, the crew eventually ran out of supplies. Franklin

and more than 20 of his men died. The hundred or so who did survive abandoned

the ships in 1848 and headed for dry land, but none of the crew made it back home alive.

Lost ship found after 169 years According to the AFP: “In the 1980s, Canadian researchers said the remains of expedition members found on Beechey Island indicated they had died of cold, hunger, and lead poisoning from canned food.”

More than three decades would pass without a sign of the actual ships. Since 2008, six major government-led searches were initiated to locate the ships, according to a statement released by Parks Canada. Then the Victoria Straight Expedition discovered the fi rst ship with the help of a remote-operated underwater vehicle.

Researchers were yet to determine whether the newly discovered vessel was the HMS Erebus or HMS Terror. However, Mr Harper said he was confi dent that fi nding the fi rst ship would provide the momentum necessary to locate her sister ship.

“This is a really important day in mapping together the history of our country,” Harper said in a video announcement.

The shipp was found using a r

The HEng

JohetthIcev

andhund

the shi

“Joining Day”

British Fidelity at ‘M’ Berth, Port Adelaide, SA, Australia (centre).

Picture taken on iPhone 6

By Daniel Augustyniak C/S

Adrian WhatleyGroup Chief Finance Offi cer

T: +61 3 9211 9320 M/C: +61 419 177 522 E: [email protected]

Bob BirdGroup Chief Operating Offi cer


AUSTRALIAMelbourneContact: Tim AsomeTel: + 61 3 9211 9332Mob/Cell: + 61 411 022 825Email: [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDSilver Fern ShippingWellingtonContact: Warren NelsonTel: + 64 4 460 3924Mob/Cell: + 64 27 4524 744Email: [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMNewcastleContact: Keith BrownTel: + 44 191 263 8223Mob/Cell: + 44 789 690 4614Email: [email protected]

SINGAPORE

Contact: Robert WalkerTel: + 65 6576 5700Mob/Cell: + 659 757 3678Email: [email protected]

INDIAMumbaiContact: Sanjay KelkarTel: + 91 22 6602 9011Mob/Cell: + 91 9867 922 006Email: [email protected]

JAPANTokyoContact: Yasuhiro SensuiMob/Cell: +81 909 324 2166Email: [email protected]

AUSTRALIAMelbourneContact: Phil JonesTel: + 61 3 9211 9335Mob/Cell: + 61 487 403 005Email: [email protected]

INDIAMumbaiContact: Subodh AwasthiTel: + 91 22 6602 9133Mob/Cell: + 91 98195 10686Email: [email protected]

PHILIPPINESManilaContact: Milind PhadnisTel: + 63 2 310 7640Mob/Cell: + 63 917 558 4829Email: [email protected]

SINGAPOREContact: Vitaliy ChaykaTel: + 65 657 65724Mob/Cell: + 65 9777 1358Email: [email protected]

UKRAINE/GEORGIAOdessaContact: Peter PashegorTel: + 380 48 785 1114Mob/Cell: + 380 674 830 390Email: [email protected]

MYANMARYangonContact: Win Maw NeTel: + 95 1 666 889Mob/Cell: + 95 9517 3173Email: [email protected]

BANGLADESHASP Omera, DhakaContact: Muhammad ZaberTel: + 880 2 9884312-7 (Ext: 13)Mob/Cell: + 880 1711 4759Email: [email protected]

AUSTRALIAGladstoneContact:Mark PatmanTel: + 61 3 9211 9333Mob/Cell: + 61 411 141 942Email: [email protected]

AUSTRALIAMelbourneContact:Aaron WattsTel: + 61 3 9211 9341Mob/Cell: + 61 419 122 354 Email: [email protected]

ASP CREW MANAGEMENTASP SHIP MANAGEMENT

David BorcoskiGroup CEO / Managing Director


Thorsten BruhnDirector Group Business DevelopmentT: +65 657 65729 M/C: +659 1266 324

E: [email protected]

Girish PhadnisGroup Commercial Manager (South-East Asia)T: + 91 22 6602 9,000 M/C: + 91 98 2064 9939

E: [email protected]

•• Fleet Management Offi ces•• Crew Management Offi ces•• Mariner Travel Offi ces•• Representative Offi ce

Adrian WhatleyChief Operating Offi cer

Vitaliy ChaykaGeneral Manager

T: +65 657 65724 M/C: +65 9777 1358 E: [email protected]

Prabhat NigamGroup Training Manager

T: +91 22 6602 9171 M/C: +91 9903 46175 E: [email protected]

Universal BunkeringMelbourneContact: Mark NeveTel: + 61 3 9211 9313Mob/Cell: + 61 418 530 171Email: [email protected]

UKRAINEOdessaContact: Violetta LyubaretsMob/Cell: + 38 850 4161 987 Email: [email protected]

in this issue - asp ship management · in this issue u newbuilding progress u health initiatives u...

Documents