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Director’s Log

2New Chapterin Training

3Guidlines forUS Visas

4Piracy

5

Access to

Oilrigs

6SS MarineElectric

7Securing the Future

8

Show Your Score

Share your results fromthis quiz with others onFacebook and Twitter .# Idependonmariners

Founded in 1834, the

Institute is a voluntary,ecumenical agency

afliated with the

Episcopal Church that

provides pastoral care,

maritime education, and

legal and advocacy

services for mariners.

In this issue

The Seamen’s Church Institute seamenschurch.org

T FALL 2014 VOLUME 106/NUMBER 3

Do You Depend on Mariners?by Jennifer Koenig Breen, Director of Development

These days, folks takeall kinds of onlinetests, the results ofwhich purportingto reveal somethingspecial about theirpersonality, intelligence,or relationships. Somepeople take thesequizzes for fun. Othersput great stock intheir assessments.

Likely you’ve seen the posts on social media.“I scored 10/10,” someone might write,professing knowledge of a particular subject.People brand themselves as sovereigns ofgrammar, the best boyfriend or girlfriend,or the most knowledgeable about sciencection. What knowledge do you take pridein having?

If you’ve got ve minutes, we have anentertaining test for you—a test that canreveal something about relationships. We’vecreated a transoceanic scavenger hunt designed to expose the hidden connectionsbetween items in your home and the peoplewho brought them to you. It’s quick and freeand may help bring into focus the widespreadeffect mariners have on our lives.

(1) Go into your closet and select veitems. Inside each garment, locate themanufacturer’s tag. Along with the careinstructions, you should nd the article’scountry of production. List them below.

(2) Grab your cellphone. Engraved on it,you should nd a phrasebeginning, “Assembledin” or “Made in.” Theverbiage may vary, andsome phones won’t havethis information visible;however, a search onthe web of your personalbrand of phone should

help disclose the country of origin. Writeit below.

(3) Have a look out in the driveway or inthe garage. Do you know where your carwas made? The brand of the car doesn’tnecessarily tell you the country where it wasmanufactured. Instead, look at the rst threeletters of your Vehicle Identication Number

(VIN) and compare them to the codesfound on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identication_number ).1 Write the country in which your vehicle wasmade below.

Likely, in more than one of the blanks aboveyou see a country listed besides the UnitedStates. Perhaps you don’t even see Americalisted once.

People in multiple countries around the

globe make things like clothing, up-to-date electronics and new automobiles, butmariners make it possible for us to havethem. Mariners bring affordable items fromfar away places to our local store shelves.

1 Even if your car professes American craftsmanship, likelynot all of its parts came from the U.S. Use ABC News’web application “What Percentage of Your Car Was Madein America?” ( http://smschur.ch/abc -car-test) to calculatethe percentage of American-made parts in popular models.You’ll have a hard time nding a car composed entirely ofAmerican parts.

continued on page 7

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2 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2014

© Fall 2014 Volume 106, Number 3

Published byThe Seamen’s Church Institute

seamenschurch.org

212-349-9090 fax: 212-349-8342sci@seamenschurch.org Richard T. du Moulin

Chairman, Board of TrusteesThe Rev. David M. Rider

President and Executive Director

Editor, Oliver BrewerDesign & Production, Bliss Design

The Lookout is printed on recycled paper.

SCI SUSTAININGSPONSORS

Assisting the work of theInstitute gives support topersons who make our modernway of life possible. Use theenvelope accompanying thisnewsletter to make a nancialcontribution today.

ExecutiveDirector’s LogDear Friend,

I know you receive a lot of

requests for donations toworthy causes. I know thisbecause on any given day, Iget at least one in the mail,too. Some of the letterscome from charities I havesupported in the past andfrom whom I enjoy readingupdates. Other letters comefrom organizations I havenever given to, and I wonder how I got on their list.

There’s a good reason you have received this newsletter. SCI counts you among a specialgroup of people—the likes of whose support and generosity other charities can onlydream of.

This year, SCI has made several appeals to different people for different needs. We’veasked leaders of major maritime transportation companies to give a corporate sponsorship.We’ve also asked those same people to consider giving to the Institute from their own

personal checkbook. We’ve even gone back to the same loyal supporters toask for a nancial contribution to The Campaign for SCI: Securing the Futureof Mariners.

Most people understand that non-prot organizations send out more thanone appeal each year. As SCI’s President and Executive Director, I knowthe necessity of constant fundraising. But as a person who also nds himselffrequently on the receiving end of these many asks, I know how repetitive it

all can seem.Yet, our supporters’ bigheartedness has impressed me over and over again.While it might seem we constantly have our hands out, so many people haveunderstood the various needs, become excited about what’s in store andresponded in spades.

Although we may have asked you multiple times this year to consider anancial contribution, I hope you notice that it’s not for “business as usual.” We have so many exciting projects going on at SCI—so many things we needyour help to make happen. I thank you for hearing us out for a second, thirdor maybe even a fourth time.

Your invaluable support means that SCI can dream big, go fartherand do more in a new era of support to this and future generations ofmaritime workers.

Yours faithfully,

The Rev. David M. RiderPresident & Executive Director

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seamenschurch.org The Lookout Fall 2014 • 3

S

New Chapter inMaritime TrainingSCI began training mariners in 1899. Throughout the years,the Institute’s staff has dedicated itself to enhancing the safety ofmariners, vessels and the marine environment. New technologyin SCI’s facilities positions the Institute at the top of options for

maritime education.SCI’s Center for Maritime Education leaders spent 15months conducting a comprehensive review to gut andrebuild SCI’s Paducah and Houston training facilities withstate-of-the-art simulation equipment. After a full scopereview, competitive bidding and negotiation with selectedmanufacturer Kongsberg Maritime, SCI signed a contractto upgrade infrastructure at its Paducah facility. On-siteimplementation began in August, with operational statusscheduled for November 2014.

Paducah-based company Ray Black & Son has managedlocal facility construction, which accompanies a host oftransformations to the Center’s physical plant. Users of SCI’snewly gut-renovated facility will enjoy new classrooms,de-brieng zones and upgraded hospitality areas. Thereconditioned facility resituates one of downtown Paducah’smost fascinating buildings with a remarkable visitors’entrance and a new conference center (funded by a gift froman anonymous Paducah donor).

The full scope of this initiative transforms thesimulator infrastructure. It includes: • Four new wheelhouses , each with twelve 65-inch LCD/

LED TV monitors, 8 channels looking forward and 4channels looking aft;

• Visual channels that strengthen close-quartermaneuvering for locking, docking and vessel transferwhile retaining long-distance perception for bridge andlock-chamber setup;

• Breakthrough night simulation capacity as the newfrontier for maritime education;

• Hydrodynamic recalibration of 23 vessels —large andsmall, loaded and unloaded, dry bulk and tank barge—to sync with newest software and provide more realisticnavigation “feel” to pilots;

• Interchangeable traditional steering levers andemerging azimuth thruster Z-drive propulsion systems.

All of this technology combines to enhance safety onAmerica’s waterways. It also puts SCI in a position to

perform valuablefeasibility studies,cost-effectivelymeeting safetystandards of industryrepresentatives andthe Coast Guard.

SCI unveilsthe upgradedinfrastructureand technologyat its renovatedCenter in Paducahat a ceremony onDecember 10, 2014.

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4 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2014

New Guidelines Help Seafarers Applying for US VisasSeafarers’ most frequently asked questions have to do with shore leave in the United States;consequently, SCI developed online guides to help foreign seafarers navigate the processesrequired by current US law.

by Douglas B. Stevenson, Director, Center for Seafarers’ Rights

Attorney Marc Gorrie helped SCI prepare two online guides for seafarers seekingvisas needed for shore leave in the United States. The United States is one of thefew countries in the world requiring foreign crewmembers of commercial shipsand airplanes to have a visa before they can go ashore. Despite having ratied theConvention on Facilitation of International Maritime Trafc, which prohibitscountries from requiring seafarers to have a visa to go ashore, 1 the US continues toinsist that foreign seafarers have a D-1 crewmember visa before they can leave theirvessel in American ports.

The HistoryUnited States lawmakers originally established immigration laws to place limitationson categories of persons allowed to immigrate. The Immigration Act of 1875 wasthe rst piece of American legislation that limited entry into the country. Later,the Immigration Act of 1917 recognized that not all foreigners entering the UnitedStates planned to immigrate and created special provisions for foreign seafarers onships arriving at US ports. The 1917 Act legitimized seafarers’ temporary shore leave,but at the same time required ships’ masters to present crew lists to immigrationofcers and detain all crew on board until inspection by an immigration ofcer andmedical examiner.

In the Immigration Act of 1924, the United States created a system of visas requiringforeign immigrants to obtain an immigrant visa to enter the United States. The Actdid not require non-immigrant seafarers to obtain an individual visa; rather, thevessel’s crew list served as a visa. The US imposed severe penalties on shipowners ifseafarers did not return to their ships upon sailing. (These penalties were designedto stop the common practice at the time of shipowners signing on extra crew beforesailing to the United States, knowing that many intended to jump ship.)

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which consolidated a number ofimmigration laws into one comprehensive statute, created the D-1 crewmembervisa. It required foreign persons “serving in any capacity on board a vessel or aircraft”to obtain a D-1 visa to enter the United States temporarily. In creating the D-1visa, Congress recognized the importance of seafarers’ shore leave to internationalcommerce and wanted to remove unnecessary barriers to their temporary entry intothe United States. At the same time, however, Congress also did not want foreignseafarers using their status to illegally remain in the United States.

Non-immigrant Visas TodaySince the establishment of the D-1 visa in 1952, shipping and seafaring haveundergone signicant changes, making the visa an unnecessary burden to seafarers’obtaining shore leave. As our annual Seafarer Shore Leave Survey has shown, thebiggest reason for denying shore leave in the United States is lack of visa. However,until we can change the laws, seafarers must continue to obtain a visa before sailingto the United States if they want to go ashore.

1 3.19.1 Standard. Crewmembers shall not be required to hold a visa for the purpose of shore leave.

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seamenschurch.org The Lookout Fall 2014 • 5

UpcomingSpecial EventsThe 15th Annual River BellAwards LuncheonThursday, December 11, 2014The Paducah McCracken CountyConvention and Expo CenterPaducah, KY

12:00 – 2:00 pm

The 38th Annual Silver BellAwards Dinner Thursday, June 4, 2015Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers

New York, NY

Cocktail Hour 6:00 – 7:00 pmDinner 7:30 pm

SCI Mountain Challenge 2015 September 24–27, 2015Grand Summit at Bethel, ME

Piracy: Not a Thing of the PastThink Somali piracy is a thing of the

past? That “past” haunts thousands ofseafarers today; but the reports fromindividual seafarers mostly go unnoticed,as some shipowners leave seafarers highand dry after release—ignored and

uncompensated. Their stories tell of tryingtimes in the wake of survival.

SCI’s Douglas B. Stevenson, Directorof SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights ,recently sat down with formerhostages from the MV Iceberg 1 inAccra, Ghana to hear about theirexperiences and how they nd lifetwo years after release from piratecaptivity. See their video interviewsat http://smschur.ch/sep14voices .

The seafarers from the Iceberg 1speakof the incidents with unambiguousdetail, as if the incidents happened only yesterday. Even though the numberof attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia has decreasedsince 2011, seafarers and their families continue to deal with the aftermathof hijackings. The men from the Iceberg 1 number among the over 5,000seafarers pirates have captured and held hostage since 2007.

The men interviewed in these four videos served on board the MV Iceberg 1,a Panama-agged cargo ship transiting near the Somali Coast in 2010. Somalipirates captured the vessel in March, and held the crew hostage under harshconditions for nearly three years—the longest Somali pirates have ever heldany crew. Seafarers recorded in these interviews speak of torture, starvationand violence.

Since their release, the seafarers have not been paid earned wages nor havethey received any other compensation from their ship’s Dubai-based owner,Azul Shipping. The seafarers have survived on charity from their churches,families and the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program. “Theseare proud, skilled seafarers,” says interviewer Douglas B. Stevenson. “Theydon’t want charity; they just want to go back to work.” Unfortunately, most ofthese seafarers have experienced difculty in obtaining employment.

The question “What happens to seafarers after pirate attacks?” remains largelyunanswered. SCI has attempted to bring this problem to light for many years.Seafarers, who have endured unspeakable torment and suffering, frequentlynd little help and recourse years after the incidents. How they copewith life post-piracy and what care they receive when repatriated remainslargely undocumented.

To illuminate the effects of piracy on seafarers, SCI has collected stories fromseafarers following incidents of piracy and published them online at SeafarerVoices: Piracy on the High Seas , a YouTube video playlist. The videos revealseafarers’ strength and resilience and, for some, the challenges they encounterin returning to productive lives. Stevenson adds, “Very effective therapiesexist for those seafarers who need some help following a traumatic experience,provided, however, that the appropriate assistance is made available to them.”

Watch video interviews on YouTube at http://smschur.ch/sep14voices . Beprepared, as you may nd some of the accounts difcult to hear.

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6 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2014

SCI Chaplains Gain Access to Deepwater OilrigsThese days not many people can access the secure areas of maritime workplaces, but few places prove more difcult

to get to than deepwater offshore oil and gas exploration and production facilities. After months of screeningand training, SCI chaplains are now making their way to these remote regions in the middle of the ocean.

Until recently, chaplains for SCI have not strayedfar from shore, serving mariners on vessels close to

riverbanks or in American ports. Earlier this year,however, SCI initiated a partnership with a majorinternational offshore drilling contractor to providepastoral care, guidance and support to a workforcecarrying out business over a hundred miles awayfrom land.

Since the expansion of SCI’s stateside pastoral care in2011 to include maritime employees working in theGulf of Mexico, SCI has served men and women inthe diverse maritime petrochemical industry. Thosevisits have included going to see maritime workers ontugs and towboats and the unique vessels that supplyoffshore drilling rigs—but not the actual drillingrigs themselves.

Some 150 miles from land and in waters over 6,000 feetdeep, these rigs reside in the most remote corners of theGulf of Mexico. Each rig has typically 150-200 maritimepersonnel own in on specially designed helicopters.These multi-million dollar oil operations maintain ahigh level of security and meticulous standards of safety.Getting on board a deepwater offshore oilrig is not aneasy task.

It took a while before SCI chaplains could make ajourney out to one of the Gulf ’s offshore drilling units.

Chaplains Winston Rice and Michael C. Nationhad to pass multiple industry safety tests and checks.Perhaps the most nail-biting ordeal involved a cranelifting a mock helicopter over large pool, dropping itand turning it upside down underwater. Each chaplainhad to prove his ability by kicking out the helicopterwindow and swimming out—six times in different typesof positions and seats.

The rigor with which companies screen those whotravel out to these remote areas gives evidence to a highconcern for the safety of the platform operation and

employees. On board, companies employ a special teamof safety advisors to ensure men and women work safely.

In this spirit, companies—like the offshore drillingcontractor with whom SCI has partnered—invitechaplains to supplement the care provisions made foremployees’ wellbeing in dangerous environments.

Chaplains help workers negotiate the stress andisolation of working in high-risk areas by providing apastoral presence concerned with the spiritual welfareof persons on board. Additionally, chaplains also assistthe families of the offshore workforce. Earlier this year,

SCI chaplains responded to a young family dealing witha tragic death.

In August, SCI Chaplain Winston Rice began apresence aboard a sixth-generation, ultra deepwaterdual activity drillship in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.Chaplains will make further visits in 2014, includingthree additional deepwater dual activity drillships, withfurther monthly visits planned to deepwater rigs in theGulf beginning in 2015. Maritime workers and theirfamilies can reach SCI’s chaplains 24-hours-a-day, sevendays a week.

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The Sinking of the SSMarine Electric Retired mariner Gene Kelly shares his harrowing storyof surviving the sinking of one of maritime history’s mostnotorious ships.

by Johnathan Thayer, ArchivistLast year, shortly after SCI put out acall for participants in the AmericanMerchant Marine Veterans OralHistory Project, I received a phonemessage from Eugene Kelly, analumnus of Massachusetts MaritimeAcademy living in Abington, MA.Gene told me he had a story hethought we might be interested in.Back in 1983, his ship, the SS MarineElectric, carrying coal from Norfolk,

VA, encountered a massive storm offthe coast of Virginia and sank. Gene,sailing as third mate, was one of justthree survivors. Thirty-one of hisshipmates died.

The tragedy of the SS Marine Electricleft dozens of family members andfriends to mourn for loved oneslost at sea, but it also prompted athorough investigation that ledto widespread industry reforms

regarding safety at sea. Listen to full clips of Gene’s story

online at http://seamenschurch-archives.org/sci-ammv .

Why SCI Matters: Emotional and Spiritual Supportfor MarinersIn the modern work world, a lot of companies recognize the benet of emotional support and spiritual care for theiremployees. That’s why companies partner with SCI to allow chaplains to visit mariners working on the water. Respectingthe values of individuals from all walks of life, SCI’s chaplains, both inland and in port, offer mariners a source of comfort

and care, on ordinary days as well as in times of crisis. Spending months at a time away from their families, working throughholidays, and facing dangerous weather, mariners deal with a unique set of challenges to which few land-dwellers can relate.SCI chaplains provide a sympathetic ear and spiritual refreshment, giving hardworking men and women a compassionate—one might say heaven-sent—resource.

Real people depend on SCI—and on you—for support. Give online today at http://donate.seamenschurch.org/give .

The large percentage of goods mariners deliver tothe United States— over 90% of all imports to this

country—can masquerade as one of those “abstractstatistics”—things of which we have no tangibleappreciation. It’s a number worth examining,however. The reality of that imposing number,that every day we see and touch something amariner’s hard work has delivered, alters our view.By answering just a few questions about commonhousehold items, one starts to see the handiwork ofmariners everywhere around us.

SCI helps the important people alluded to ina product’s “made in …” label. The Institutechanges lives—lives that impact not some statisticof foreign trade, but lives that make a concretedifference to our daily existence in modernAmerica. With a bit of luck, this quiz puts thisreality into perspective, one worth sharing withthe world.

Do You Dependon Mariners?continued from page 1

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Ways to Give to SCISupport the people who deliver the

goods that make our modern way

of life possible.

Donate Donate online at

donate.seamenschurch.org or scan this QR code into yourmobile device

Use the envelope in thisedition ofThe Lookout or mailyour check toThe Seamen’sChurch Institute,

50 Broadway, Floor 26,New York, NY 10004.

Call212-349-9090 and makea contribution over the phonewith your credit card.

SponsorSCI provides prominent recognitionto its underwriters. Become acorporate sponsor and link yourcompany’s philanthropy withNorth America’s largest andmost comprehensive mariners’service agency.

VolunteerSCI offers many ways volunteerscan contribute to the work of

the Institute. Call one of ourcenters or emailvolunteer@seamenschurch.org .

CollectIn addition to handknit scarvesand hats, SCI’s Christmastime giftto mariners includes items foundat most ordinary supermarketsdonated by people like you. Tond out more, contactcas@seamenschurch.org or visitour website.

Follow Go tohttp://facebook.co

seamenschurch and

click “like.”Follow@seamenschurchon Twitter.

Check out our photosat http://www.ickr.comphotos/seamenschurch

And, watch videos fromwork athttp://vimeo.comchannels/scitv .

Remember SCI in your estaplans. Email legacygiving@seamenschurch.org for m

information.

8 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2014

The Campaign for SCI: Securing the Future of Marinersby David S. French, Campaign Chair

SCI has long led the world’s organizations serving the maritime industry; but in order for it tocontinue to provide these services, it must have a reliable plan in place for the future.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE HAS STOOD AT THE CENTER OF SCI’S STRATEGY SINCE THE INSTITUTE’Sfounding. Perhaps our maritime roots have kept our Board of Trustees always looking to the horizon, observing the directionof the changing winds and sea conditions. As other non-prots have scrambled to patch together solutions to keep theirorganizations aoat for another year, our Board has sought longer-term answers to help us get through the inconsistentclimate of world nancial markets.

The need for vision and stability has driven volunteer

and staff leaders to make The Campaign for SCI: Securingthe Future of Mariners a priority for our organization. TheCampaign increases the size of SCI’s investmentportfolio for a strength and stability to underpinthe smooth sailing of the next generation. Byway of a reliable endowment, SCI means toguarantee we have a good vessel to get us there.

Since launching the Campaign earlier this year,we have seen amazing generosity from thosesurrounding and supporting SCI’s transformativeinitiative to secure a bright future for mariners.To date, we have raised nearly $5.6 million for

this momentous effort—nearly three-quarters ofour Campaign goal of $8 million. We thank allour wonderful donors to date who know the valueof those who serve us on the rivers and seas.

While progress has been impressive, we still have more

work to do. The Campaign calls for gifts at all levels of thegift chart, and soon we will send out a request to all our

supporters far and wide, asking for support of thisCampaign. No matter the amount of your gift, wehope you will consider joining others in makingthe future of mariners a priority.

Please visit http://seamenschurch.org/contribute for more information about the Campaign,or email Jennifer Koenig Breen, Director ofDevelopment, at jbreen@seamenschurch.org .

“It’s time to recognize both mariners’ and SCI’simportant contributions and make sure that themen and women of the maritime world have aresource they can depend on for the years ahead.”