What are the Primary Duties of Officer on Watch (OOW) on Ship’s Bridge?

A deck officer assigned with the duties of watch keeping and navigation on a ship’s bridge is known as the officer on watch (OOW). While keeping a watch on the bridge he is the representative of the ship’s master and has the total responsibility of safe and smooth navigation of the ship.

Officer on Watch (OOW) is also in charge of the bridge team, which is there to support him in the navigation process. He is also responsible to ensure that the ship complies with COLREGS and all the orders of the master are followed with utmost safety under all conditions.

The three main duties of an officer on watch (OOW) are:

• Navigation

• Watch keeping

• GMDSS radio watch keeping

A list of main duties of an officer on watch (OOW) is provided below. However, this is not an exhaustive list and the duties may change according to the requirements.

Duties of OOW

• Maintaining a proper watch along with general surveillance of the ship

• Monitoring and recording all bridge activities

• Checking navigational equipment in use at regular interval of time

• Following a proper navigation plan to avoid any kind of collision according to COLREGS

• Must know how to use Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA)

• Must know how to use Electronic Chart and Display System (ECDIS)

• Should be conversant with the ship’s speed, turning circles, and ship handling characteristics

• Keep a continuous watch on GMDSS radio for any kind of distress or general signals

• Prepare, execute, and monitor a safe passage plan

• Ensure handing over of the watch is done according to shipboard operation procedures

• Asking for support whenever required

• Contact master when need arise

• Should be fully aware of all safety equipment on board ship

• Must use helm and signalling apparatus whenever required

• Must know how to use all equipment meant for prevention of pollution at the sea and safety of lives

• Should not leave the bridge unattended during his watch

These are the primary duties of any officer of watch at the bridge. However, there would also be additional duties allotted to the officer depending on his rank.

The Port Of Singapore : One Of The Busiest Ports In The World

he Singapore port is unanimously regarded to be the busiest port in the world. While generalising, it is referred to as the Singaporean port, it is in fact a collection of all porting and harbouring amenities offered by the nation to all international and national vessels in transit.

According to the 2005 statistics tabulated, the port of Singapore had catered to vessels exceeding over one-point-five billion in gross tonnage, making it the world’s busiest port. Alongside, the port was also categorised as the world’s most engaged port when it came to transhipment activities.

Transhipment activities are carried out on those cargo which need further work or modifications to be carried out before they can be transported to their intended final port of destination. In the international maritime arena, the Singaporean port undertakes many such vital transhipment activities, which has further enhanced its credibility amongst the other ports of the world.

• The statistical figure of vessels’ gross tonnage catered to by the Singaporean port grew by 0.11 billion tonnes from 1.04 tonnes in 2004 to 1.15 tonnes in 2005

• The port is now ranked second after the Shanghai port in terms of the cargo handled, handling over 400 million tonnes of cargo

• Even in the container aspect, the port of Singapore container domain is a market leader in many ways

• In the year 2011, the port handled almost 30 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of containers

• In terms of refrigerated cargo containers, the port handled over one million TEUs of refrigerated cargo containers in the year 2011

• Vessels arriving at the busiest port, get easy route connexion to 600 various ports and harbours across the world

• The port of Singapore is also well-known as a leading player in the international fuelling (bunkering) domain

The Singapore port has been presented with numerous awards and accolades by international marine societies and institutes. These acknowledgements act as a catalyst and also as a verifiable testimony about its achievements and activities. Two most noteworthy accolades presented to the busiest port of the world include the best port operator award conferred by Lloyd and the best container terminal award conferred by the Asian Freight and Supply Chain awards. Both these awards were won in the year 2011 and not for the first time.

The port of Singapore attempts to revitalise the Asian maritime industry while competing against its Chinese, Korean and Japanese counter-parts. Through a resourceful campaign, the nation has re-defined the perception of Asian players in the once-Western dominated marine industrial and shipping sector.

Top 10 Tallest Lighthouses In The World

Lighthouses have been a part of the maritime domain right from its initial hey-days. In the ancient times, even when the architectural arena wasn’t as advanced as today, several wonderful marine lighthouses were constructed and erected. The lighthouse at Alexandria in Egypt is a long-standing testimony to this statement-of-fact, once being rated as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. These lighthouses served as an important navigational aid for ships in the past.

In our previous articles, we mentioned about the ten most beautiful lighthouses in the world and ten most beautiful lighthouse hotels in the world ; however we missed the tallest ones.

Although lighthouses aren’t still important as far as marine navigation is concerned, contemporarily there are many marine lighthouses which can be rated as being the world’s amazing lighthouses, not to mention the world’s tallest and biggest.

1. Lighthouse of Jeddah: The city of Jeddah has world-wide acclaim as a port city in the otherwise arid Saudi Arabia.

The lighthouse of Jeddah is the tallest lighthouse and the first in this list of amazing lighthouses in the world at a staggering 436 feet. Unlike conventional lighthouses, the Jeddah lighthouse acts as a control room for the city’s port and harbour.

2. Yokohama Tower: Located in the Japanese province, the Yokohama Marine Tower was built as a centenary memorial for the port of Yokohama in 1961.

At present, amongst the world’s biggest lighthouses, the Yokohama Tower ranks second at 348 feet. Initially, while the lighthouse’s flash-lighting colours used to interchange in red and green, presently, the flash lights are white in colour.

3. Pointe de Barfleur Light:  The Pointe de Barfleur Light is built in the Manche section of Barfleur in the Normandy province of France.

Anglicised as the Pointe de Barfleur Light, the lighthouse’s French title is the Phare de Gatteville. The lighthouse measures 247 feet and is the third tallest lighthouse in the world.

4. The Lighthouse of Genoa: Referred in Italian as the ‘La Lanterna’, the lighthouse is located in the Genoese province of Italy.

Measuring 253 metres, the lighthouse was built as far back dating the early 12^th century, according to sources. Extensive redevelopment activities were carried out in the years ’95 and ‘04 to ensure the lighthouse’s functionality. The La Lanterna is the biggest lighthouse in the country of Italy.

5. Punta Penna Lighthouse:  The second-biggest lighthouse in Italy, the Punta Penna lighthouse, featuring fifth in this list of tallest lighthouses in the world, is located in the province of Abruzzo.

The lighthouse is a vital presence in the harbour of Vatso and measures 230 feet.

6. Mulantao: Lighthouse Mulantao is situated in the Hainan region in China.

The lighthouse measures 237 feet and was built in the year 1995. It’s regarded to be the biggest of marine lighthouses in the Oriental nation.

7. Baishamen: The lighthouse Baishamen is also situated in the Hainan region.

The second-biggest in the country after its counter-part – Mulantao – the lighthouse measures 236 feet.

8. Storozhno Light: A Russian lighthouse marvel, the Storozhno lighthouse is located near the Ladoga Lake in the Leningrad region of Russia.

The lighthouse demarcates the village of Storozhno from the lake and the Bay of Volkhov. The lighthouse measures 233 feet and is said to be the world’s fourth biggest stone lighthouse.

9. Vittoria Light: Built in the year 1927, as a World War I memorial, the Vittoria Lighthouse stands at 223 feet.

Although its construction was proposed to be started right at the time of World War I, due to certain problems, construction work and completion began only after the war was completed. The Vittoria lighthouse is located in the Trieste region and caters to the Gulf of Trieste.

10. Cordouan Lighthouse: This lighthouse is referred to as the ‘patriarch of lighthouses’ in its native French.

The lighthouse was built in the early 17^th century and is still operational in the region of Gironde. The lighthouse combines a unique flavour to the architectural offering of France in that era, successfully bringing about a confluence of palatial, fort and church-like constructional aspects.

The need and relevance of lighthouses has changed a lot with the passing of years even though they remain a vital cog in the nature of maritime operations world-wide.

5 Biggest Oil Tankers Which Are Now Scrapped

The shipping industry has grown manifold in the past few decades. As trade grew, big players commissioned the construction of bigger ships, especially oil tankers. Most of the biggest ships in the world are oil tankers. Moreover, in the past one of the biggest ships in the world have been oil tankers. In this article we will take a look at the top five biggest oil tankers that are now scrapped.

The following mammoth sized oil tankers were built in between the mid and late 70’s. Sadly, three of these five giant vessels could not serve even for a decade and were soon scrapped. The other two, however, served much longer but were also eventually scrapped.

Let’s have a look at the five largest oil tankers that were ever made.

1. Seawise Giant

With a length longer than the Empire State Building, Seawise Giant was the longest ship ever made. She had the greatest deadweight tonnage ever with a displacement of 657, 019 tonnes; a draft of 24.6 m (81 feet). Due to her mammoth size, she could not navigate the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal or the English Channel.

She was built in 1979 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. at their Oppama shipyard in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan for a Greek owner

During the Iran-Iraq war, Seawise Giant was transiting the Strait of Hormuz and was damaged by an Iraqi air force attack. The damage caused her to be declared as a total loss and was eventually laid up in Brunei Bay.

The wreckage was bought by Norman International who towed her to Singapore from the Persian Gulf. She was repaired there and resumed services in October 1991 as Happy Giant.

Shortly after that she was bought by Jørgen Jahre and renamed as Jahre Viking. First Olsen Tankers Pte. Ltd. purchased her in 2004 and she was renamed to Knock Nevis as she was converted into a permanently moored storage tanker in the Qatar Al Shaheen oil field in the Persian Gulf.

Her new owners, Amber Development Corporation, renamed her as Mont for her final voyage to Alang, Gujarat, India in 2010 where she was scrapped.

The next four super tankers belonged to the Batillus class and were all built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire. They were the biggest ships in terms of gross tonnage that were ever constructed having approximate 555,000 metric tons deadweight and were 414 metres in length.

2. Pierre Guillaumat

This Batillus class supertanker was built for Compagnie Nationale de Navigation. She was named after Pierre Guillaumat, the French politician and founder of Elf Aquitaine oil industry.

The ship was brought in service in 1977 and was put on anchorage at Fujairah by early 1983. Her gigantic proportions didn’t allow her to pass through either the Suez or Panama canals and her draft let her enter only a minimal number of ports in the world causing her unprofitable for the company. In late 1983, she was renamed as Ulsan Master by Hyundai Corporation and brought to Ulsan, South Korea for demolition.

3. Batillus

This supertanker was built for Shell Oil in 1976. The condition of the international oil market did not improve between 1977 and 1980 and the number of voyages undertaken by the Batillus was considerably reduced to just 4 trips round the year; which were further reduced to 1 or 2 trips by 1982.

She made her last oil shipment in mid-1983 after which she was moored. Shell Oil decided to scrap her in 1985 for less than $8 million and the Batillus made her last trip to Kaohsiung, Taiwan where she was scrapped.

4. Bellamya

She was another Batillus class supertanker commissioned by Shell Oil. Work on the Bellamya was finished months after the Batillus and she began her service in 1976.

In the following years, the condition of the international oil market did not improve. Like her sister vessels, she could not be employed at a lot of places and was put out of service in 1984. She was eventually scrapped in 1986 at Ulsan, South Korea.

5. Prairial

The Prairial was the only Batillus class which was in service for more than a decade and rendered service for 24 long years before being scrapped. She was renamed several times as Sea Brilliance in 1985, Hellas Fos in 1986 and Sea Giant in 1997. She is the third largest ship ever built, surpassed in size only by Seawise Giant and sister ship Pierre Guillaumat.

The Prairial was completed and commissioned in 1979 and laid up at Vestnes, Norway by 1983. She was sold in 1985 and re-commissioned as Sea Brilliance. She was bought to the Gadani ship-breaking yard in Pakistan in 2003 and scrapped.

One cannot help but wonder at the amount of technical brilliance that must’ve gone into building these giants and the thousands of hours spent in keeping them running safely. The Maersk E-class ships will be the longest container ships when launched and yet trail behind these giants with a length difference of almost 16.5 metres from the Prairial and a good 60.75 metres from the Seawise Giant.

What makes Ro-Ro Ships unsafe?

A ro-ro vessel is one of the most sought after cargo ships to work on. Providing both cargo and passengers carrying capabilities, ro-ro ships reaches ports more frequently and have shorter voyages. The flexibility, speed and the ship’s functionality to blend with other transportation modes has made it popular among seafarers.

However, there are things that make ro-ro ships dangerous to work on. Ro-ro ships have been criticized for a number of reasons, mainly because of one single reason – safety of the ship.

Safety being the primary concern of ship owner, operator, and seafarer, lately ro-ro ship has become less famous to work on. We bring you eight reasons that make ro-ro ship is a bit dangerous to work on as compared to other ships.

1.  The Problem of Stability

If a vessel maintains its stability at sea then it is safer to sail. However, the problem with the RO-RO ship is its design, which includes cargo in upper decks and accommodation at even higher levels.

Even a minor shift of cargo in the ro-ro vessel can become a major threat to the stability of the ship. Similarly, hull failure leading to flooding can result in capsize of the vessel in no time. The effects of wind and bad weather on high accommodation can also disturb the ship’s stability.

2. Low Freeboard

In Ro-Ro ships which carry only cargo, the general arrangement of cargo access door is close to the water line. In the event of listing, the door can get submerged leading to high chances for ingress of water inside the ship which will lead to capsize.

3.  Cargo Access Door

As discussed above the effect of listing of the ship leads to ingress of water if the cargo doors are open or damaged.  One weak point of ro-ro vessel is that sometimes the cargo door itself is used as a ramp which makes the ship more vulnerable to damages.

4.  Lack of Bulkheads

The subdivision of ro-ro ship from inside lacks from the transverse bulkheads, leading to lower water tight integrity when water ingress or flooding takes place. Lack of bulkhead also leads to spreading of fire more quickly as no subdivision is present to contain the fire.

5.  Location of Life Saving Appliances (LSA)

When a ship is to be abandoned, life raft and lifeboats are used to leave the ship as soon as possible. The location of lifeboat and life rafts on ro-ro ships is usually very high, which makes it even difficult to lower them at sea especially when the ship is listing.

6.  Weather condition

Another reason which acts externally on the Ro-Ro vessel is the rough weather, which may result in reduction in the stability and cause heavy rolling of the ship. Heavy rolling has lead to capsizing of ships in the past.

7.  Cargo stowage

Cargo stowage is very important operation on Ro-Ro vessel for any loose cargo (trailer, cars etc.) can give rise to a chain reaction leading to heavy shift in cargo position. The trucks and trawlers loaded on board also carry cargo inside them and any shift of that cargo can also lead to listing of the ship.

8.  Cargo Loading

It is very difficult to have a sequential loading of cargo as cargo arrives on terminals at different intervals and due to lack of time on port. This further leads to uneven cargo distribution, something for which nothing can be done about. Lack of proper cargo distribution has been the reason for several ship accidents in the past.

Avoiding “Death Traps on Ships – Understanding Dangers of Mooring Operation

Note: The Intention of this article is not to threaten seafarers but to warn them about the dangers of mooring operation on ships and educate them on the procedure to carry it out safety.

A cargo vessel’s main earning potential is not tested from the amount of time it travels at the sea but from the efficiency of its operation at ports where the cargo is handled.

An efficient port and cargo operation of a ship is what every ship operator expects from its deck crew. The first and foremost operation performed by the deck crew as the ship reaches the port – the mooring operation, is also one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs on ships.

What makes Mooring Operation dangerous?

There have been several cases reported in the past about accidents during mooring operation that has led to severe damage or deaths of seafarer.

The mooring area on a ship comprises of foreword and aft parts of a vessel where winches are installed to pull the ropes from tug and jetty bollards.

The Mooring area is equipped with several equipment and systems such as winches, hydraulic motors, bollards, piping valves, anchor chain etc.

Following factors make this mooring area and operation dangerous:

• Use of old and damaged wires and ropes

• Unclear mooring area with unused ropes and equipment

• Mooring ropes are not fastened but stored at winch drum end

• Mooring equipment are not maintained properly

• Undersized and untrained operating staff

• Supervisor of operation is involved with some other work as a result of less crew members

• The painting of mooring area is badly planned with all surfaces and equipment painted with same colour not highlighting hazardous and tripping sights

• Over painting of drum including corners causing rope damage

• No warning marks painted

• Non slip deck is not available

• Crew not aware of Snap Back Zone

• Crew not aware of dangers of rope bight

• Personal Protective Equipment are not used

• Rope and metal line are joined directly without using thimble which may lead to parting of rope

• Inspection and tests of mooring machineries and ropes are not carried regularly

• Ropes are not arranged on split type drum correctly. The smaller drum must have 4-5 turns and rest of it should be on larger drum

All the above points are considered by the supervisor i.e. Chief officer or 2^nd officer while preparing a mooring operation beforehand.

From the above listed points, two important and dangerous phenomena which are responsible for maximum causalities in mooring of a ship and which are also considered as death traps are-

1)      Snap Back Zone:

The highest number of injuries and deaths during a mooring operation on a ship are due to parting of the rope or wire hitting back to a crew member standing in the area of the rope. The area travelled by the parted rope having a force enough to kill a person on its way is known as snap back zone.

When ropes are pulled straight then the snap back zone is minimal but if the ropes are turned in bollard or roller then the snap back area increase. This is shown in the diagram below:

Ship has to be pulled by tugs or by ships own winches for making it close to the jetty for berthing. This requires strong ropes and wire to be stretched in tension for pulling the ship. Every rope and wire has got its own endurance limit above which it will fail and part off. The endurance limit will get reduce if the rope is old or not maintained properly.

The rope will break or part when it is in tension due to pulling action and when these parted rope swings back in its snap back zone and hits a person standing there, it can be a deadly blow.

 

The snap back zones in forward part of the ship undergoing mooring operation increases well in number due to several restrains and turn points with lines in tension as shown in the diagram

The crew performing the operation must be thoroughly trained and qualified with the snap back zone. The ship fore and aft parts must highlight the snap back zone with signalling paints so that the crew will be aware not to be on that painted mark when the ropes are under tension.

2)      Rope Bight:

Mooring ropes are long and heavy ropes stored on board ships in coil form. When these ropes are under operation, they tend to form a coil or ring shape naturally known as rope bight.

If a person involved in mooring operation comes under this rope bight, the pull of the rope can drag him over the ship or smash him in the hard deck over machines. Several injuries and deaths have been reported due to crew unaware of standing over bight and dragged by the rope.

The best ways to avoid accidents due to rope bight are:

• Crew must be aware of where he is standing while handling the ropes or when near them.

• Supervisor must concentrate on others action and should not involve himself/herself in the operation as working hand.

• Inexperienced crew such as cadets and fresh ratings should bellowed to handle rope only under supervision

• Only required crew should be present on mooring station. It has been commonly seen that those people who are not involved in the operation (Engine crew or off timers coming on deck) visit the mooring operation area. Thus, notice should be placed for restricted entry.

• Enough number of deck hands to be present on mooring station to perform the operation smoothly.

                                                Remember, Bights don’t always look like bights.

Safety of human life on ship must be the first priority of all operations performed.

Life is precious, always think about Safety First.

Basics of Fire prevention Onboard Ships

The best way to deal with fires on board ships is to prevent them rather than letting them occur. Breaking out of fire in a place where no fire exist is called “ignition”, whereas “flash” is a term used for fire eruption in a new place as a result of flames from an existing fire in a nearby place (the ignition source).

Fires on board ships can be prevented by finding and rectifying leakages of fuel oil, lubricating oil, and exhaust gases.

In a ship’s generator room, the biggest danger of fire is from a leaky high pressure fuel pipe. Oil leaking from such pipe can fall on high temperature exhaust manifold or on indicator cocks, which are sensitive points for catching fire.

In modern marine engines, there is push-type cover concealing the indicator cocks; however in old engines there is no such provision available which makes it quite difficult to provide lagging to indicator cocks.

These days fuel high pressure pipes are sheathed and the leakage finds its way to a small tank at the bottom of the engine known as fuel leak off tank. It is imperative to keep this system in good order by regularly testing the tank alarm – fuel leak off tank high level alarm.

Leakages are mainly caused because of pipes breaking due to vibrations, clamps rubbing against pipes to create holes, pipe connections behind the pressure gauges getting damaged due to ageing (we generally do not look here), leakages from fittings at boiler furnace front and incinerator front etc. These leakages are some of the most common “hot spots” for fire. Moreover, careful and periodical checks are also required on boiler smoke side and incinerator uptake.

Fires can be largely prevented by providing effective laggings to hot surfaces such as generator turbocharger bellows, main engine exhaust uptakes after the turbocharger, various steam pipes and pipes carrying hot oil. Laggings can be done by ship staff but these days specialist contractors are available to carry out this work more aesthetically. Also, whenever lagging is removed, a habit should be cultivated to put it back after the work is finished.

Apart from this, it is also important to check/test fire detectors on regular basis. Some of the main types of detectors used on ships are:

Flame detectors 

Light produced by a flame has a characteristic flicker frequency of about 25Hz. The spectrum in the infra red or ultra violet range can be monitored to give an alarm. Oil fires generally do not give off much smoke and this type of sensor is preferred, especially near fuel handling equipment or boilers to give an early warning.

Heat detectors

Heat detectors are of various types such as rate of rise type, which has bi-metallic type detecting elements – a thick strip and a thin strip. The thin strip is more sensitive to temperature rise than the thicker one.  If there is a sudden rise in temperature, the thin one bends faster than the thicker one, bringing both of them in contact.

During normal temperature rise both strips will deflect about the same amount and thus show no reaction. Normally if rate of rise is less than 10 deg C in half an hour, the detector will not give any alarm. If the rate should rise to 75 degree Celsius, or more, the two strips come in contact, thus triggering the alarm.

Smoke detectors

There are two main types of smoke detectors used

1) Light obscuration type

2) Ionization type Liquid or gas fires may not give off smoke initially but will catch fire spontaneously. Thus smoke detectors are not effective for such fires. These detectors are mostly used in accommodation areas.

Important points to consider for fire prevention on board ships

• In engine room, waste bins used for storing oily rags must have lids (covers). Oily rags should not stay lying around or stuck at unnecessary places. Receptacles with covers should be provided at each floor and on both sides.

• High pressure fuel oil pipes should not be tightened to control a leakage while the engine is running. Also, oil shouldn’t be taken in to turbochargers during operation.

• Short sounding pipes should be kept shut with plugs. Never should they be left in open position for the sake of convenience. Cases have been reported wherein oil has spilled out from these short sounding pipes leading to accidents.

• Loose pet cocks /small cocks on common rail pipes should be checked for.

• Exhaust leakages and steam leakages should be promptly attended.

• Ship’s crew should be careful about galley fires, especially by keeping electrical equipment in good order. Senior officers should keep an eye in the galley when provision is being received because this is the time when galley remains unattended for a long time.

• One of the patent methods of fire prevention is effective and regular fire patrol. There is no method that can beat physical monitoring.

• Fire caused by cigarettes is still one of the most common causes of fire. All care should be taken to dispose cigarettes (using self closing ashtrays) and never should one smoke in bed.

           

• Fires have also caused during loading and unloading of cargo such as coal. For this reason, ship personnel must always discuss the characteristics of the cargo and preventive methods to be taken during safety meetings and weekly drills.

These are some of the main points one needs to consider for a safe environment on ship. This list might not feature all the methods to prevent fire; however it does provide a brief overview of how things are to be handled on board ships.

Read more: http://www.marineinsight.com/misc/marine-safety/basics-of-fire-prevention-on-board-ships/#ixzz1wK8qIeo7

7 Reasons Deck Cadets and Junior Engineers are Not Getting Jobs

The recent financial crises have affected everyone in the maritime industry. Ship Jobs are scarce, though everyday you might hear in news that some top-notch company took in five new ships or increased its pool of employees. Strange it might seem to be, the fact remains that the gray clouds of unemployment are still not completely off the marine market place. The top rank professionals will swim smoothly, as they have always; however, those at the bottom has and will have to bear the brunt.

Talk to a freshly graduated junior engineer or deck cadet and I bet the only thing you would hear about is of getting a decent break (or even on any damn shitty ship would also do). They want jobs badly, I mean really bad! And why would they not? There are many who have taken loans for their maritime training and even have mortgages to clear off. In fact, that is what every one of us would do once we pass out from the college. Look for jobs! Right?

Unfortunately, the “situation of crises” has become a breeding ground for job agents and fraud shipping companies to do profitable business. They are charging $2000-$3000 dollars in return for a break; not to mention, one cannot expect it to be in some hot-shot company.

Sadly, these fresh graduates have started to succumb to the situation, and have even started considering shelling out the “asked price”. Result? Some have already received the much desired break, some are looking for sources to finance them, and some have fallen prey to fraud agents and shipping companies, who have taken the money and disappeared in thin air.

It’s a grim situation out there, where no one knows what to do and whom to blame. So, as the blaming-game continues, we try to pen down seven important points that we believe have been the real reason for the present dilemma.

1.       Supply & Demand Imbalance

It might sound cliché, but the fact remains that the lack of equilibrium between the supply and demand of fresh professionals in the marine industry is the main reason behind the dearth of jobs, especially for newly graduates. Maritime academies are churning out marine engineers and deck cadets, doing their jobs pretty well and making huge profits, irrespective of the market condition.

However, they can’t be blamed because one cannot shut the institute for one year and then re-open it again whenever the need arises. Today, the need for deck cadets is less, tomorrow it can be more. So who is to blame? Probably the authority that gives the permission to open new institutes every month is at fault. However, the bottom line is until a balance is created between the demand and supply of seafarers, the scarcity of jobs will persist.

2.       Inability of the Governmental Authority to take Concrete Steps

Governmental authorities should take concrete steps to solve the issue of unemployment for the fresh graduates. Or else, merchant navy would slowly lose its position as a prospective career option among students (The fact is it has already lost its lustre to a certain extent).

It is high time the government take a stand to help the freshly graduated cadets and engineers for getting placed in decent companies. Until this is done, both agents and shipping companies will not miss a single opportunity to earn profits from maritime professionals. Government needs to intervene and help these professionals with a decent break.

3.       Lack of References = No Job Offer

Shocking but true, the trend of getting jobs using references is still a hot favourite method of getting a decent job. There have been several cases wherein average students have got jobs in top shipping companies because they have father or uncle working there as chief engineer or captain; whereas bright students are still jobless because either they don’t have a god father in the industry or lack hundred of dollars to pay as bribe.

Either ways, an unjust and unfair condition is being created which is eventually making the present situation grimmer. Though people might shout slogans against corruption or even get themselves enrolled in a debate against the same, the fact is, when it comes to personal level, the definition of immorality changes, drastically.

4.       Shipping Companies Showing No Respect for Fresh Graduates

Let’s face the fact that a certain shipping company hires a fresh graduate with the sole intention and hope to retain him or her as a third officer or a fourth engineer once the necessary certifications are achieved. The companies don’t entertain newly graduates as respect to the degree or training they have. Don’t believe me? Visit a shipping company or a ship and see how the cadets and junior engineers are treated and you would get to know what I mean. We agree that they are fresh and naive, but they are future officers and captains. Give them their due respect.

The moral of the story is until the companies stop treating young professionals as “liabilities”, the loyalty will not have a place in employer-employee relationship, leading to reduction in retaining power of the company. Give respect, and get respect in return.

5.       Unwillingness/Inability to Enter a Different Market

Unlike other fields, wherein graduates have options to enter other industries and domains, a seafarer is left with no other choice than to stick with the same field. Merchant navy is a specialized field, where only two types of people are found – one who loves money and one who loves the sea. So once a person shells out hundreds of dollars for his maritime training, he or she is least interested to explore other fields wherein the starting salary wouldn’t be even half of that offered in merchant navy. Moreover, the glamour attached with the field is also something that holds back maritime professionals to explore other domains. Try talking to a dozen of mariners; each one would talk about leaving the field, but I bet none would do so. Probably that’s why they say, “Once a mariner, always a mariner.” Moral of the story- there are several other opportunities as well. One needs to look beyond his or her mental block.

But this is just one side of the story. Most of the fresh maritime professionals won’t be able to land themselves with a decent job on land because the skilled they acquired are of no use on land. A marine engineer might be able to find a way, but a deck cadet will have a tough time making his way through the highly competitive market on land.

6.       Improper/Inadequate Training

This might come a bit blunt on the fresh cadets and engineers. But lately there have been a huge lapse in the quality of cadets and engineers that maritime institutes are producing. Ask shipping companies, and they have a list of complains about fresh graduates. Probably that is just an excuse on their part; probably it is true, but the fact is maritime institutes today are more interested in quantity than quality. They believe a certificate is all that one needs to run a ship at sea, irrespective of the kind of training and skills a mariner has.

Though it’s true that experience is the best teacher, a fresh seafarer should have the basic skills to ensure his or her safety on ship. Most of the fresh seamen are still “Alice in wonderland” when on ship, increasing shipping companies belief that they really are nothing but “liabilities”. But the cadets and engineers are not the only ones to blame. It’s the slack policies of institutes that are to blame. And until these institutes tighten the loose ends, the shipping companies will not show their trust in the fresh graduates.

7.       Maritime Institutes Flaunting Fake Promises

How often have you seen maritime institutes flaunting one liner such as 100% placement Guaranteed? Always, right? And how often have you seen the same institutes going back on their words when they are not able to provide placements? Same – always! Like every field, institutes in the marine industry have also learned the ropes of the game to allure more students to their courses. They know how to attract students by giving fake promises or showing big starting salary figures, without debriefing them about their future career or life at sea. Every year more and more students are falling prey to this traps and finding themselves stuck in a catch22 situation. End Result: Dissatisfaction, depression, and of course – the great unemployment!

Deck cadets and junior engineers are the lifeline of the maritime industry. With the higher rank holders showing less of interest in the sea life and moving towards land jobs, these fresh graduates would have to be at the helm of the industry one day. It is high time the authority took some drastic steps to give these professionals their due respect and place in the maritime industry.

Attitude ..this is the way it should be..!

The Importance of Having the Right Attitude in Life

Our attitude is what influences all our actions. It is only the right attitude, which gets us good results. All the smiles and hand-shakes are not going to get you far, if  you do not have the attitude to help others, without any selfish expectations in return. If you expect something in return, then it is not help, it is only a favour, and you are only interested in your own selfish desires.

It has been said that Opportunity ‘knocks’ at every door. If we utilise it, it leads to success. Otherwise, we just complain about the ‘noise’. Every problem that we face is nothing but an opportunity, to success, by learning how to conquer it. The better we get at problem solving, the more successful we are.

Theory is only fully understood by solving problems. One cannot succeed in life with mere theories; it is only the application of theory, in overcoming problems, that brings the desired results.

To a ‘positive’ person, a problem is not only a temporary set-back, but also a stepping stone to success. To a ‘negative’ thinker, every problem only confirms his pessimistic view, that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. So every problem becomes a stumbling block, with the inevitable result, that he/she soon stops progressing. Human nature has inertia, i.e. it resists any change. We like to keep within our ‘comfort zone’, even to the extent of not trying to change a bad habit, that we are only too well aware of. However, should one desire to improve, there is o stopping you, on your path to success.

Some common Do’s and Don’ts :

• Accept Responsibilities. Whether in your job or elsewhere, avoid ‘Passing the Buck’. By accepting any responsibility, you are actually promoting yourself. Accept responsibility, even for something you have done wrong, and try to analyse and rectify it, instead of trying to shrug off the blame. Avoid statements like ‘This place is hopeless’ or ‘This is not my fault’.

• Create the Right Attitude. Everyone in your team must benefit, so that the whole group gains. Everyone stands to gain, as you reap more benefits from the combined efforts, than from just trying to be a ‘loner’. This is called as having a Team Spirit. Many people have a Win – Lose attitude. They feel that it is right to gain something extra, even at the expense of everyone else in their group, who must ‘lose’. This leads to a Lose – Lose situation, where everyone in the team ends up with some loss.

• Have consideration for the other person, and you will receive the same consideration, from others, in return. Give others the  same treatment, that you would like to receive from them. Be tactful. Avoid unnecessarily hurting any person’s sentiments, by undue harshness. Some people brag about being ‘brutally honest’. They take more pleasure in the brutality, than in the honesty. You can be sure, that the recipient of your ‘brutality’ will leave no stone unturned, in returning you the same treatment (with interest).

• Avoid criticism, especially in public. It is very easy to criticise, but difficult to undo the damage due to negative criticism.  Negative criticism almost always has the effect of making the person justify his wrong action, rather than to remedy the situation. Make the person aware of his draw-backs indirectly, so that he will himself ‘correct’ the fault. Correcting a fault is the desired outcome; not ‘hanging’ the person for his alleged ‘crime’. Although a person doing a ‘wrong’ action needs to be corrected, it is the action that is ‘wrong’, not the person.

• Be positive in your interpretation of another person’s actions. Don’t get paranoid and expect the worst. It is always better to give a person the benefit of the doubt. Even in a court of law, nobody is declared a criminal until proved. Unfounded suspicions are worse than hanging a person.

               

• Be an Empathic listener. Seek to understand, what the other person is trying to communicate, with an open mind. Do not try to dominate his talk, or judge him with your own myopic or prejudiced views of the situation.

• Be enthusiastic in whatever you do. Enthusiasm is ‘infectious’ i.e. it fires up the whole team to perform better. The only difference between the successful team and any other team, is that little bit of extra effort, which is possible only if there is an enthusiastic approach.

• Give honest and sincere appreciation, whenever a person deserves this. This is not to be confused with flattery, which shows up the lack of character of the Flatterer. A Flatterer almost always has an ulterior motive behind his flattery, which is usually only to his own benefit. However, other things being equal, it is far better to suffer a Flatterer, than to be stuck with an ungrateful person, who does not ever appreciate anything, much less ever praise anyone. An ungrateful person displays a total lack of any leadership qualities.

• The moment someone points out any of your mistakes, it is better to accept it graciously, instead of launching your own  diversionary tactics to shift the blame elsewhere, or deny something totally. However, you must take care not to repeat the same mistake again. To make a mistake once is human; to repeat it many times, is sheercarelessness and not pardonable. Accept the  mistakes of another, without humiliating him publicly, and rejoice in the success of his efforts to correct it. Congratulate the person when he corrects the mistake, with the same constancy, as when you pointed out his mistake. You must always be fair in your dealings.

• Don’t get unnecessarily involved in Arguments. They achieve nothing. Neither side knows the facts. If they did, why would they argue ? Nor are the arguers interested in knowing any facts. To an Arguer, who is right is more important, than what is right. An argument is an emotional affair. When viewed logically, it is a complete waste of time, as there are no tangible benefits. Neither side is open to the point of view of the other. There is nothing to be learnt from it either, as neither side is working systematically. The only way to get the best out of an argument is to avoid it, or decline to participate. Arguments leave you frustrated and emotionally charged, without achieving any objective, of putting up your point-of-view.

• In order to learn anything new, you need an exchange of ideas. This can only be done with a Discussion, a give-and-take of information and ideas.  Discussions can often lead to arguments, if there is more than one dominating personality involved. An argument is basically a clash of egos, whereas a discussion remains an exchange of ideas. Nobody is trying to promote himself here. As a result, everyone who participates in a discussion has something to gain from it.

• Avoid gossip. This spreads Lies with amazing speed, and can result in irreparable harm to the person concerned. You, yourself, may well be the next victim of gossip. When you betray the trust of someone’s confidential information, you will lose his respect forever. Gossip is the work of idle minds. They never have the honesty or the guts to come out in the open, with any accusation and give the person a fair chance to prove or disprove anything. It is an unnecessary and cowardly victimisation of a person.

            

• Don’t just vaguely promise something. When you make it a Commitment, you plan to do what you say, viz. you demonstrate your Integrity. A Commitment is usually influenced by values, and not so much by a person or object. You may make a commitment to support someone, because of his perceived ideology. You are, however, free to drop your support, if he/she is  found to be corrupt or otherwise unworthy. Integrity is to really do, what you say. Never preach to others, what you cannot follow yourself. A marriage, without commitment from both sides, is ineffective, because the basic insecurity it generates, will impair its efficient functioning.

• Be grateful for all that you are enjoying. Be grateful to anyone who does something for you. But don’t expect gratitude, for  everything that you do.  Selfless service is what actually satisfies, not the gratitude of the person being helped. If you expect some return, than that is business, not social service. Donate your time, and not just money, to the service of another, if you really care for the person. The sacrifice may involve not just your time, but also effort and involvement, the extent of which determines the depth of your love to the people you claim to care for.

• Be dependable and loyal, to ensure that people reciprocate with the same intensity. One dependable partner is worth more than a whole team of insincere ‘experts’.

• Don’t hold Grudges for anyone’s past mistakes. They aren’t worth holding ! Forgive the person, but learn from the experience. If you get cheated once, it is shame on the Cheater. If you should get cheated again, by the same person, it is also shame on you, for allowing yourself to be cheated. Honesty is the best policy. A Liar invariably gets tripped up by his own lies.

• Sincerity of purpose is an admirable quality. Any person will forgive a mistake easily, if he knows that there was sincerity of purpose. Humility is the ability to accept praise graciously, with a simple Thank you. This should be without either arrogance or without belittling yourself, either of which extreme is bad. Arrogance is a sign of over-confidence, while being unnecessarily servile indicates someone trying to hide something.

• Courtesy. This is something which many people are unwilling to grant others, but always expect from everyone else. It costs nothing to be polite, but the effect it has, on bringing down barriers of hostility, is remarkable. Approaching a person with courtesy often opens doors; just as a rude or arrogant approach blocks your path, with equal efficiency.

• Always try to maintain your sense of humour. The ability, to look on the lighter side of things, is what keeps you going, in times of stress. It takes less muscles to smile than to frown. The ‘too serious’ person, who has no time to smile, generates ill-will among his team, which affects the long term performance considerably.

             

• Immature people enjoy putting down their juniors (or people under their control) sarcastically, in the misguided impression that they are cracking a joke. You should laugh with someone, never at someone, because the ill will that you create, in the mind of your ‘victim’, will eventually lead to your own downfall. One extra enemy you unnecessarily create can neutralise the work of a hundred friends. People may laugh at your ‘socalled’ joke at that time, but carry away a very poor impression of you, as a person. If he is joking about that person today, he may well do so about you  tomorrow.

• Be a true friend, in order to be a good friend. If you value your friendship and care for the person, it is better to be truthful, even if it seems distasteful at that time, than to risk telling lies, to ‘keep’ a friendship. A true friend is one who shares your joys, as well as assists you in times of trouble. The ‘fair weather’ friend is one who wants to share the joy, but abandons you, when you are going through trouble. Actually it is only during times of trouble, that you really need a ‘true’ friend the most. When a friend is in  trouble, don’t give empty words like ‘Call me if you need anything’, when you mean nothing of the kind. A person who really means to help, will start doing something to help, no matter how small, to demonstrate the quality of his friendship.

• Friendship usually involves some sacrifice. It is the very opposite of selfishness. There is no ‘By the way, can you do         this ?’ You  must go out of your way, to help a friend, if you genuinely feel that he should come out of his misfortunes. The friend will reciprocate the same kind of help to you, in your time of need. A ‘fair weather’ friend is like an acquaintance, he remains as long as he is not needed for anything ! It is just like a ‘friendship’ born out of some ulterior motive, which never lasts, once the ‘job’ is done. A true friendship lasts forever. Even one ‘true’ friend is better than having hundreds of ‘fair weather’ friends, who are worthless in times of need.

• Be an Empathic listener. Empathy differs from sympathy. Sympathy is when you agree to what the person is saying, even if it is wrong, just for the sake of friendship. It actually is a betrayal of friendship, since you are being dishonest. It can often become a crutch, on which your friend is leaning. You are harming him, more than helping him, by justifying his wrong deeds with sympathy. An empathic listener only tries to understand ‘logically’ what the person is trying to say, after which he may try to convince the person, diplomatically, that what he is doing may be wrong, and what should be the correct course of action, without hurting his sentiments.