MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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The MISSION of The Merchant Navy Association is to bring all serving and retired Seafarers together in a spirit of companionship, consideration and commitment towards a united lobby for the Community of the Sea Hi Shipmates, Please find below more snippets of information since circular #13 was published 10th July 2020. My thanks to MNA National Secretary, Pete Sinke’s daily publication “Maasmond Maritime - Shipping News Clippings”, Lloyds List, gCaptain, Maritime London, Flashlight and many others from the T’internet, not forgetting the items sent in by Readers and any other source I can access.

MNA National Contact Points National Secretary, David Parsons = Email: [email protected] Tel: 01935 414 765

Welfare & Events, Tim Brant, - Tel: 01733 205001, Email : [email protected]

National Membership Secretary, Roy Glencross - Mobile: 07738 425875 Email: [email protected]

MNA Slop Chest, The Supply Officer:- Sandra Broom [email protected] 0121 244 0190 If you call her, it may go to an answerphone. Please leave a message and she will call you.

Change of Address???? If any member has changed any of their contact details (Postal, E- mail or Telephone) it is important that you inform the following people by email:- [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Please Note the Change of Contact Details of the above ______

The 1981 built heavy load carrier EAGLE loaded with the hull of CECON EXCELLENCE bound to the Westcon Yard in Florø, Norway for final outfitting underway offshore Malta on Thursday 25th June, 2020. Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli on behalf of Offshore Heavy Transport - www.maltashipphotos.com - www.oht.no ______1 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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We are pleased to say we are now able to offer our supporters the facility to make donations via our Just Giving page. This is a secure means of making payments and enables us to claim Gift Aid from the Treasury. Go to www.justgiving.com Click on ‘Search' at the top right- hand side and type in Merchant Navy Association. ______Thirteen countries sign crew change pact https://splash247.com/12-countries-sign-crew-change-pact/ ______MARITIME CHARITIES LAUNCH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND WELLBEING TRAINING STANDARD - PRESS RELEASE - Tuesday 7th July 2020 The Maritime Charities Group, a coalition of 10 major maritime charities, has joined forces with the Merchant Navy Training Board to publish a good practice guide to designing a training course for seafarers on mental health and wellbeing awareness. Written by experts from the maritime and education sectors in response to the growing mental health crisis amongst seafarers, the new Seafarers’ Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training Standard was launched today, during Seafarers Awareness Week, with widespread endorsement from key stakeholder groups. Author of the guide, Master Mariner and academic, Dr Chris Haughton, explained why the Standard is needed: “Mental health awareness training is needed now more than ever and there are many reputable providers offering really good training courses. But the majority of those courses are generic and really don’t address the specific issues facing seafarers. If you’re working at sea you need a course that’s much more targeted otherwise it just won’t be relevant. That’s why we’ve developed the Standard, setting out clearly what a good training course should cover.” Aimed at prospective buyers of training courses as well as potential participants, the Standard sets a benchmark for training that aims to develop a keen awareness and appreciation of mental health and wellbeing amongst all types of seafarers, as well as those with an interest in seafaring. It includes course content, delivery and the qualification requirements of course facilitators. MCG member the Seafarers Hospital Society took a leading role in the work. They were concerned about the proliferation of mental health awareness training courses of varying quality that did not address the specific issues faced by seafarers due to the nature of their work. The Society approached the MCG for help in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to agree a way forward and the Standard was the result. 2 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Reflecting on the collaborative effort that went into developing the Standard, Commander Graham Hockley LVO RN and Chair of the MCG, said: “One in four people will develop a mental health problem during their lifetime, but the incidence amongst seafarers is much higher. The Covid-19 crisis has made the situation for seafarers even worse so now is exactly the right time to publish this guide. We are incredibly grateful to the members of our working group, without whom this would not have been possible. They include training providers, shipping companies, the MCA, MNTB, Trade Unions, maritime charities and academics – all working together in the interests of seafarers’ mental health and wellbeing.” There is widespread endorsement for the Standard from academics, trainers and industry alike. Welcoming the initiative shipping industry representative, Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping said: “We are delighted to be working with the MCG to make this Standard available. Whilst it may not be mandatory, it is certainly advisory and we would encourage all ship owners and training providers to adopt it. But the crew have an important role to play here too. Everyone who signs up to a training course on mental health and wellbeing awareness needs to look for the MCG and MNTB logos. That’s the only way they can be assured the course will meet their specific needs and be delivered by someone who understands the environment they work in.” The Standard is being published by MNTB and is available from maritime publishers Witherbys for a nominal £10 fee. To buy a copy go to https://www.witherbyseamanship.com/a-standard-for-seafarers- mental-health-and-wellbeing-training-ebook.html ______

The Merchant Navy Association Boat Club "Eyes that save Lives"

______Is There Anyone Out There? "I am a historian writing a book about the Arctic convoys of WW2. I have been commissioned by Harper Collins. I would like to ask those who are in touch with the Merchant Navy Association whether they know of any:

i) living veterans who participated in the Arctic Convoys, or their relatives in case the relatives hold memoirs? ii) vivid written or recorded personal accounts of what was witnessed by the participants on these convoys? iii) relevant photos, or little-known books? iv) associations, groups, clubs, local museums/archives/oral history collections that I might have missed?

Can I stress that I am only using accounts written or recorded directly by a witness. And I am only using accounts of what happened on those convoys where there were battles or where ships were sunk, or accounts of what happened in Murmansk and Archangel when the convoy crews landed there.

If anyone thinks they can help with the above I would be very grateful if they could contact me at [email protected] ; they should only ring me on 020-7-435-1035 if I have not replied to an email within 48 hours, or if the person with the information does not use email. If anyone thinking of contacting me wants to see what kind of books I write they can click on the following link to see my website: http://www.hughsebagmontefiore.com “ Hugh ______3 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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National Museum of the Royal Navy 'saved from insolvency' - 23 July 2020 The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) has been saved from imminent insolvency by a promise of emergency government funding, its director has said. The museum said the closure of its sites due to the coronavirus lockdown had caused a £6.35m shortfall. It said it would have filed for insolvency within the next month. NMRN said the money would enable it to reopen its venues in Portsmouth, Gosport, Hartlepool and Yeovilton. Image copyright NMRN Image The museum's collection includes Its director Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory general, Professor in Portsmouth Dominic Tweddle, said the loss of visitor income had put the museum at "unprecedented risk". He said: "I cannot express the relief we all felt when were told that additional funding would be made available to us." NMRN said the government had indicated it would give £5.4m to cover losses this financial year. It said it was "disproportionately dependent" on donors and copyright NMRN visitors, from whom it receives 81% of its income. NMRM said it planned to reopen sites NMRN said other UK national museums, such as those for the including the Fleet Air Museum army and RAF, received the majority of their funding from the shortly government, enabling them to reopen in early July. Mr Tweddle said: "I simply cannot see why the historic ships and collections we care for are not treated with the same significance as those in the care of our National Museum peers. Is our naval history not of equal value? "The only real solution is a fundamental overhaul of our funding model, something I intend to pursue in the coming months." NMRN it was "vigorously campaigning" to reopen HMS Caroline in Belfast, which it said was governed by a different Image copyright funding model in Northern Ireland. JEF MAYTOM The museum group includes Lord Nelson's flagship HMS HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool is Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and the frigate one of NMRN's seven UK sites HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, among vessels and exhibitions at seven UK sites. Source:- BBC News ______Video -Large Bulk Carrier Runs Aground in Mauritius https://gcaptain.com/large-bulk-carrier-runs-aground-in- mauritius/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCap tain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-cca1f18023-139894965&mc_cid=cca1f18023&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______Update: Golden Ray Removal Delayed & Salvage Animation http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/07/update-golden-ray-removal-delayed-salvage- animation/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OldSaltBlog+%28 Old+Salt+Blog%29 ______

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Several Injured as U.S. Navy Ship Catches Fire in San Diego July 12, 2020 by Reuters

By Gabriella Borter July 12 (Reuters) – A three-alarm fire erupted on Sunday aboard a U.S. warship docked at Naval Base San Diego, prompting an evacuation of the vessel and sending about 18 sailors to the hospital with minor injuries, Navy and local fire officials said. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department reported an explosion in conjunction with the blaze, which struck at about 8:30 a.m. local time aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault vessel. Aerial video footage from the scene showed much of the 844-foot (257 meter) warship engulfed in thick smoke, as firefighting boats in the harbor aimed streams of water at the burning vessel. “18 Sailors have been transferred to a local hospital Smoke rises from a fire on board the U.S. Navy with non-life threatening injuries,” Naval Surface amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard Forces wrote on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, at Naval Base San Diego, as seen from Coronado, adding “The entire crew is off the ship and all are California, U.S. July 12, 2020. REUTERS/Bing accounted.” Guan About 160 sailors were aboard when the fire was first reported. San Diego television station KGTV, an ABC News affiliate, reported the ship was undergoing routine maintenance at the time and normally carries a crew of roughly 1,000. Rear Admiral Charles Brown, a U.S. Navy spokesman, said the injured sailors had mostly sustained smoke inhalation and minor burns. All San Diego Fire Rescue responders were accounted for as of 11:19 a.m. (6:19 PM GMT), the department said on Twitter. Around noon local time, the department said all of its personnel had been directed to exit the pier, while aerial footage showed the blaze appearing to grow in size. Two other warships docked nearby were moved to piers farther from the burning vessel within the next 90 minutes, the Navy said in a statement, putting the number of people sent to the hospital at 17 sailors and four civilians. The Bonhomme Richard, commissioned in 1998, has participated in several military operations over the years and also has appeared in a pair of Hollywood films – the 2012 sci-fi action movie “Battleship,” starring Liam Neeson and singer Rihanna, and “Act of Valor,” which featured active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs, according to WGTV. The ship was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers and author of the influential “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” which he wrote under the pseudonym Poor Richard or Richard Saunders. It became a forerunner of the popular “Old Farmer’s Almanac.” (Reporting by Gabriella Borter and Steve Gorman; Editing by Daniel Wallis) - (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. ______Hundreds evacuated after oil spill in central Philippines More than 400 people have been evacuated from a coastal village in the central Philippines after about 250,000 liters (66,000 gallons) of bunker fuel spilled from a power-generating barge into the sea. The spill began Friday when an accidental explosion on the barge blasted a hole in its hull. There were no reported injuries. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas says the accident has not affected the power supply to the commercial city of about half a million people because it has other power sources. The coast guard is investigating.source : wsiltv ______5 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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The STORMVOGEL navigating the Westerschelde during SW 6-7 gale force winds Photo: Arnoud Lievense / www.flyliedutch.nl / Instagram: @flyliedutch.nl (c) ______Sailors’ Society appoints Sara Baade as new CEO Experienced charity leader takes the helm “at time of great innovation” Global maritime charity Sailors’ Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Sara Baade as its new Chief Executive Officer, starting in September 2020.Sara has a strong background in management and strategic policy and brings extensive experience in leading an international welfare charity from her current role as CEO of The Army Families Federation. Her career also includes working as a senior civil servant for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, a directorship at the charity UK Skills and substantial experience in investment banking. Sailors’ Society’s Chair of Trustees, Peter Swift, said: “We are delighted to have secured such a strong candidate to take over and build on Sailors’ Society work providing a lifeline for seafarers and their families around the world. “Our new CEO joins us as at a time of great innovation, as we offer new virtual services to complement our traditional roles, including our industry-leading Wellness at Sea programme and our family outreach. “Sara is admirably equipped for the challenging role of developing and building the Society while securing our sustainability in the current and future environment. We look forward to welcoming her onboard as we chart our future course.” Sara said: “Sailors’ Society is a charity that not only delivers a real positive difference to seafarers, but also to the wider seafaring community and I couldn’t be more honoured and excited to join and lead the charity going forwards.” ______The World’s Cruise Ships Can’t Sail. Now, What to Do With Them? https://gcaptain.com/the-worlds-cruise-ships-cant-sail-now-what-to-do-with- them/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain. com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-26e150c929-139894965&mc_cid=26e150c929&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______Almost 100 Ships Sold For Demolition During Second Quarter of 2019 There were a total of 98 ships broken in the second quarter of 2020. Of these, 60 ships were sold to the beaches of South Asia, where, despite the majority of yards being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, shipbreaking kept putting workers’ lives at risk. Between April and June, at least 3 workers were severely injured in Bangladesh. ……………………………………….. Because of COVID-19 around 75% the migrant workers returned to their home villages in Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra has led the yard owners to look at the diamond sector’s unemployed ______

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Sunday 12 July 2020: Dublin: Irish National Commemoration Foreign Seafarers Lost While Serving on Irish Ships 1939-1945: Excluded from Irish National Commemoration: Consistently, the Irish National Commemoration held by the Irish Government in July each year has excluded from mention foreign seafarers who lost their lives through belligerent action while serving on Irish registered vessels during the Emergency 1939-1946. To restate: Seafarers from other countries who lost their lives as a result of belligerent action while serving on board neutral Irish flagged vessels during the emergency period 1939-1946, were awarded posthumously the Irish Mercantile Valour Medal with 3 Bars, Citation and Tunic Bar, which is the Irish Government's highest decoration for service during World War two. Consequently, foreign seafarers, who were lost while in the service of the Irish State during WW2, and who were honoured for their sacrifice by the same Irish State in 1945, being excluded from any mention during the annual Irish National Commemoration, is an insult to their memory, and indicates the Irish Government has lost its moral compass: It is therefore appropriate, in light of the Irish State’s omission, to record the names of Foreign Seafarers Lost on Irish Ships on our website. Peter Mulvany http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.com

______American Cargo Ship Rescues Mariners in Distress in Pacific https://gcaptain.com/american-cargo-ship-rescues-mariners-in-distress-in- pacific/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-bce18b85fc-139894965&mc_cid=bce18b85fc&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______P&O Cruises Has Sold the Oceana; Buyer Not Named ______7 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Sanmar Adds “IYIDERE” to Its Portfolio,A RAmbler 1200 Class Line Handling Launch Targe Towing from UK have ordered two Robert Allan RAmbler 1200 multi-purpose mini tugs based on the successful twin screw RA 1600 design. These vessels with have a designed bollard pull of 6 tonnes, a speed of 9.5 knots and be able to carry 12 passengers internally. The pair is part of upgrading Targe’s fleet and will be brought into service at INEOS FPS’s Hound Point Marine Terminal on the Firth of Forth, where the company has provided towage services for almost 30 years. Their principal task will be line handling operations for berthing large crude oil tankers up to VLCC. They will support pollution response and safety patrols’ and will transport crews and light stores to and from the terminal. Following the acquisition of three Bogacay Class Robert Allan 2400sx tugs over the past three years, the relationship between Targe and Sanmar’s design team is strong. Targe’s MD Tom Woolley said: “Whilst benefitting from proven standard designs from a commercial perspective, Sanmar’s design team work hard at accommodating bespoke changes for individual clients requirements. Whilst these new multi-role workboats are an addition to Sanmar’s portfolio of vessels, the builder’s proven quality of build supported by Robert Allan’s internationally recognised reputation for design excellence, were important factors in awarding this contract to Sanmar”. ______Two medivacs for Weymouth RNLI lifeboats in one afternoon. Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was launched at 3.25pm on Sunday 12th July 2020 to aid Paramedics and Coastguards recover a casualty from the rocks near the aerials on Portland. Solent Coastguard requested the launch following information from Portland Bill Coastguard who were working with Paramedics treating a 33 year old woman with a suspected broken ankle. On arrival on scene, the volunteer crew of the lifeboat managed to find a small gap in the rocks which they could get the bow of the lifeboat into, to allow two crew members with a basket stretcher to climb ashore. With the casualty in the stretcher, the Coastguards then managed to get her down approx 20m of rocks and onto the lifeboat. The casualty, along with a Paramedic were then transferred back to Weymouth Harbour to a waiting ambulance. Just as the Inshore lifeboat arrived in Weymouth Harbour at 4.30pm, the All- weather Lifeboat was being launched to a yacht approx 1.5 miles South of Durdle Door. Where it was reported that a crew member of the yacht had lost consciousness after severing a hand which had been trapped in a winch. The casualty was transferred onto the lifeboat and brought back to Weymouth Harbour and a waiting ambulance, arriving at 5.15pm. On return to station each lifeboat was refuelled and made ready for the next shout. Ken Francis Volunteer press officer, Tel. 07843781712, [email protected] Amy Caldwell. RNLI Regional Media Manager Tel: 07920818807 @amycaldwell ______

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Hurtigruten Leads the Way with Accelerated Return to Cruising ! While much of the focus on the cruise industry continues to be on the suspension and when and how cruising might return, Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten is accelerating its return to service. The cruise line plans to have 14 of its 16 cruise ships in service by the end of September. In June, Hurtigruten became the first of the ocean-going cruise lines to resume cruises with four of its ships operating Norwegian coastal voyages between Bergen and Kirkenes. The company plans to add seven more ships to this route in August and September. Hurtigruten also became the first cruise line to resume international cruise service when its vessel the FRIDTJOF NANSEN sailed from Germany on the first of its 14- day cruises also along the Norwegian coast. Operating from Hamburg, passengers are currently only cruising along the Norwegian coast unable to land due to the travel restrictions, but the company plans to continue the voyages into September and believes that travel restrictions will be reduced permitting passengers to go ashore in Norway. “As travel restrictions are lifted, we are now entering the next phase of our step by step return to full operation,” says Hurtigruten Norwegian company Hurtigruten is accelerating its CEO Daniel Skjeldam. He notes that the plans to resume cruising while much of the industry initial cruises have received a strong continues to be suspended SPITSBERGEN returns response both from passengers and crew as well as in the local communities where to service in July offering Arctic cruises they are stopping along the coast. In the Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) next phase of the return to cruising, Hurtigruten has announced that it will also offer a series of cruises sailing from the U.K. starting in September, possibly marking the first cruises available for U.K. travelers. The British isle cruises will commence aboard the Roald Amundsen, departing from Portsmouth (September 2), Liverpool (September 7 and 17), and Glasgow (September 12). Conscious of the concerns of travel in the COVID-19 environment, they will be short expedition cruises that take guests to off-the-beaten-track destinations, such as Isles of Scilly, Fowey, Rathlin Island, Fortwilliam, Oban, Fishguard, and Waterford. “We wanted to make sure guests can enjoy the British Isles like never before, visiting remote isles, seeing rugged nature and amazing wildlife, and enjoying charming coastal cities, towns, and villages while avoiding the mass tourism crowds,” Skjeldam said. The cruises sailing from the U.K. are in addition to Arctic expedition cruising sailing from Norway starting in mid-July aboard the ROALD AMUNDSEN and SPITSBERGEN. Aboard all of the cruises, the company has reduced guest capacity to allow for more social distancing, along with the introduction of strict hygiene protocols, health checks and screenings, that include temperature checks upon boarding and entry to restaurants. The success of these cruises is being closely followed by the cruising industry and is viewed as a potential model for the larger ships as the cruise lines prepare for their return to service. Source : MAREX ______Head-On Collision in Great Lakes’ Welland Canal – Caught on Camera https://gcaptain.com/head-on-collision-in-great-lakes-welland-canal-caught-on- camera/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapta in.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-bce18b85fc-139894965&mc_cid=bce18b85fc&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______HELP, has anyone got a copy of the book “The Last Voyage of SS Oronsay” by Sir Archie Lamb either to sell or lone to someone researching her family history. Please contact me initially. We have tried all the main Booksellers … to no avail. Yours Aye, Malcolm Mathison at [email protected] or 07831622312. ______9 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Uber Boat takes over London commuter ferry for water rides BY SASHA LEKACH Uber will soon have a boat option, but unlike its ride-hailing service, it won't be on-demand. Uber Boat is launching in London as the ride- sharing app takes over one of the city's commute ferries, Thames Clippers. Later this summer, the water transit service will be rebranded as "Uber Boat by Thames Clippers." The boats and piers will have the Uber logo clearly displayed, but all operations will remain the same for the company; Uber drivers won't be at the helm or anything. The partnership is supposed to encourage people to use the ferry, which started service again last month after the coronavirus pandemic shut it down for months. Commuting and public transit is starting to trickle back to life in cities like London, but studies find that commuters are hesitant to go back to their old ways. Mobility data and analytics firm Arity found in a survey this week that more than 40 percent of U.S. commuters think public transit options (including buses, subways, trains, and other modes) are still somewhat or very unsafe. Despite this, London officials are trying to fast-track rentable e- scooters, like those from Bird and Lime, in the city. New Lime electricassist bicycles arrived last week after Uber's Jump e-bike and e-scooter division was sold to Lime. To make it easier to get onboard, the Uber Boat option is built into the Uber app and should streamline the ticketing process, especially since all your payment info is already loaded in. A QR code generated in the app will become your boat boarding pass. But for anyone used to ordering an Uber car whenever they want, to and from wherever they want, this'll be a new, more regimented system. The ferry schedule will remain fixed, so riders will have to get to the pier at a certain time. If you do miss the ferry, you can always order an Uber ... source : Mashable ______Carnival Corporation to Sell 13 Cruise Ships Carnival Corporation said it intends to further accelerate the removal of ships from its fleet in 2020. It added these are ships that were previously expected to leave the fleet in coming years, the company said, in a press release. "We have aggressively shed less efficient ships," said CEO Arnold Donald, on Carnival's business update call on Friday. Carnival said it sold one ship in June 2020, presumed to be the COSTA VICTORIA, and has agreements for the disposal of five ships and preliminary agreements for an additional three ships, all of which are expected to leave the fleet in the next 90 days. The P&O OCEANA was also sold earlier this week and is leaving the fleet in July. Carnival said these agreements are in addition to the sale of four ships, which were announced prior to fiscal 2020. These ships are presumed to be the Pacific Aria and Pacific Dawn, which will transfer to Cruise & Maritime Voyages, as well as the COSTA ATLANTICA and COSTA MEDITERRANEA, which have been sold into a Carnival's joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation. In addition, company executives said that most ships that are leaving the Carnival fleet will stay in service. In total, the 13 ships expected to leave the fleet represent a nearly nine percent reduction in current capacity as opposed to being scrapped.source: cruiseindustrynews ______One week on from international summit, just 15 countries have fully opened for crew change - https://splash247.com/one-week-on-from-international-summit-just-15-countries-have-fully-opened-for- crew-change/ ______Judge Dismisses Cruise Passengers’ COVID-19 Lawsuits ______

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New Zealand Fines Stevedoring Company $150,000 for Dropping Excavator from Ship’s Crane Source - July 13, 2020 by Mike Schuler A New Zealand court has sentenced a Tauranga- based stevedoring company to a more $150,000 fine after a 15 tonne excavator was dropped from a ship’s crane nearly killing five workers. The incident happened at Northport deep-water in Whangarei, New Zealand when the log carrier, Aster K, was being loaded on 16 July 2017. The stevedoring company, C3, has now pleaded guilty to one charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act of exposing people to risk of death or serious injury (section 48). “This was seconds away from five workers almost certainly being killed,” said Neil Rowarth, MV Aster K. Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Wayne A Maritime NZ’s Northern Regional Compliance Court Manager. “The five workers had been in the drop zone moments before the excavator fell from the crane.” “The incident happened because C3 did not adequately train some of its stevedores for working around cranes. They did not clear the drop zone below the crane and allowed the excavator to be loaded incorrectly onto the crane,” said Rowarth. According to Maritime New Zealand, after loading logs onto a ship, the ship’s crane was being used to unload the excavator onto the wharf. However, before leaving the worksite, the excavator’s driver had not correctly positioned the excavator’s boom so it could be safely lifted by the crane. When the excavator was lifted the load was unbalanced, causing it to fall where five workers had just been standing. “It was sheer good luck that no one was seriously injured or killed,” Rowarth said. “This is a striking example of employers’ responsibilities to provide good workplace training and safe work practices.” “It should never be just ‘good luck’ that workers come home alive and unhurt,” he added. Source: gCaptain ______Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery This week is the tenth anniversary of the dedication of Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery - the first Commission cemetery built in almost fifty years. In May 2008, a number of mass graves dating from the First World War were identified at Pheasant Wood, near Fromelles in northern France. They contained the remains of 250 Australian and British servicemen who died in the Battle of Fromelles, which took place between 19 and 20 July 1916. There they remained, undiscovered, for nearly a century until, after extensive research, the graves were discovered. The CWGC oversaw the recovery of the remains and reburial of these servicemen. Although the remains of fallen soldiers are still discovered at a rate of some 30 a year across France, the discovery of 250 bodies at one site was exceptional; and so, for the first time in almost fifty years, it was decided that a new CWGC cemetery should be constructed. 90 years after these men were killed in battle, they were laid to rest in Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery which was dedicated on 19 July 2010. The case of Fromelles shows that our work is just as relevant today as it was one hundred years ago. Read on to learn more about what else we are doing. Source:- CWGC ______Looking for somewhere different to visit in England? Following its closure due to COVID-19, the CWGC's Runnymede Air Forces Memorial in Surrey has now reopened. With plenty of open space to explore, you can now also discover a fascinating new digital exhibition detailing the life of Second World War special agent Noor Inayat-Khan. Watch the video below to learn more. CWGC ______11 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Now us here at Snowbow/Maritime Memories do so much for you lot and guess what? We have just been offered the greatest cruise deal ever offered for our next Fred Olsen Cruise. Most of you won’t believe it, but it’s true, and we are the only people in the world to get such a deal, a deal that will save you fortunes; and don’t worry about not getting a cabin with a balcony, because although it will hardly cost you a penny, this deal guarantees every one of you will get 1st class accommodation with all round Sea Views, and if you don’t believe me, here below is an artist impression of exactly what it will be like, so come on, book now, now, now! Okay, so maybe there’s a few things that perhaps might not be entirely to your liking, but that’s the same whatever cruise you go on. Maritime Memories cruises for 2021 & 2022 are already being secured with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch. Next year we have two great cruises taking us to some of the very best parts of the Med, which are often in those small out of the way places where the larger cruise ships fear to tread. This guarantees that we not only go to great places in style, but also without those endless queues of people, and also, as the first one of these sets sail on the 4th May 2021, Fares start at £2,949 pp. Then on the 2nd September 2021 we leave Liverpool again for a 24 night cruise, with another of the best itineraries going, taking us to the Amalfi Coast and the Tuscany & Italian Riviera. Fares start at £3,419, so get out in that back garden (if you’re lucky enough to have one) and dig that old safe up, you know, the one in which you’ve hidden away all your gold and diamonds, and remember, you can’t take it with you, so come with us instead! Then, if all this isn’t enough, we have a 79 night cruise that most people would almost die for, and that departs from Southampton leaving on the 22nd Feb (Going upmarket here, which is an early indication of this being a very special cruise!) for a voyage all around South America. Fares on this one start at £8,299 pp and having done it once, I can tell you that its worth every penny. For those like Ulla and I who still have to toil for a living and find getting away for so long is extremely difficult, then we covered that for you as well, because those nice people at Fred Olsen’s have arranged for their beautiful Black Watch to stop in Peru, so for all of you who like us would just love the opportunity to transit the PANAMA CANAL, we can now do so, for this will only be a 30 night cruise. Fares for this one start at just £4,210 pp, which would be worth just to sail through the magnificent Panama Canal. If you would like further information or a brochure then just call Ulla or Des on 00 44 (0)1273 585391 or if you would like to book, and do, do, do, then just call those very friendly Fred Olsen Cruise Lines people direct on 0800 9355 122 or on 01473 742424 and quote Maritime Memories and our group account Code, GRP0290. Note, the above is gleaned from Des’ recent newsletter … apologies if I have condensed inaccurately. ______12 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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BOKA FALCON A-frame integration by Ulstein End of 2019, Ulstein Design & Solutions BV was awarded the engineering contract by Boskalis to support in the modification of the BOKS FALCON vessel for installing a large 250 t A-frame. Ulstein was responsible for the design and strength analysis of the A-frame structural integration, developing the bolted connection and check on vessel stability. Ulstein colleagues Jeroen Taens and Edwin van Leeuwen also performed the inclining tests of this Belgian flagged and BV classed vessel. In close and very pleasant cooperation with the BOKA FALCON crew, an initial deadweight survey and inclining testwas performed in May 2020 to assess the lightship weight of the vessel prior to the A-frame installed. On Friday July 3rd Ulstein successfully conducted the final inclining test at Shipyard Reimerswaal. Photo below : Wim Kosten © ______Fatigued, fearful and far from home | National Museums Liverpool https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/fatigued-fearful-and-far-home ______Hong Kong introduces mandatory health tests for seafarers By : Cichen Shen Requirements for coronavirus tests apply to cargo ship crew members who are heading to Hong Kong for embarkation. Crew that are signing off from vessels at the city’s port are not included Marine department issues draconian order stipulating that crew members who do not supply a negative test result for coronavirus will be denied entry. HONG KONG IS A MAJOR HUB FOR CREW CHANGES BUT IT HAS NOW INTRODUCED A DRACONIAN DEMAND THAT ALL CREW ARRIVING FOR WORK SHOW THEY HAVE TESTED NEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS. SEAFARERS heading to Hong Kong to sign on for work on a cargo ship must now take a virus test before departure. The move represents a re-tightening of the crew change policy at the Asian maritime hub, which has been experiencing a rise in new coronavirus infections in the past few days. Source: lloydslist ______75th Anniversary of VJ Day I am the assistant producer working on a new commission for the BBC, a programme commemorating the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day, which will be broadcast on Saturday 15th August from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. During the programme we intend to tell the little-known story of the war in the Far East through veteran led films, live interviews and studio discussions. We are also keen to include the role of the Merchant Navy in the Far East during the programme. We invite stories from MN veterans that could be included, particularly any who were taken Prisoners of War, or any veterans who served in the Far East who could be interested in talking about their service and the meaning of VJ day?

Will any Merchant Navy veterans be attending the 75th anniversary commemoration event at the National Memorial Arboretum on 15th August?

[email protected] 07866 713 507 ______13 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Ship Loses Containers in Heavy Weather Off South Africa – July 16, 2020 by Mike Schuler Yet another containership has lost containers overboard in stormy weather.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority said it is investigating the loss of as many as 23 containers overboard from the MSC Palak in Algoa Bay near Port Elizabeth, located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape region.

The 9,411-TEU MSC Palak was at anchor riding out heavy weather when the incident took place just before midnight on Tuesday, July 14.

“The container vessel MSC Palak sailed out Port of Ngqura at 12:00 on the 13th of July 2020 due to high winds and anchored in Number 2 anchorage to ride out the heavy weather. On the 13th and 14th of July 2020 a severe storm passed the South African coast, causing heavy weather in MV MSC Palak. Filee Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Carsten Feldhusen Algoa Bay. The swell height measured in Algoa Bay was approximately 3.5m,” SAMSA reported in a blog post. “At 23:37 on the 14th of July 2020 of a report was received from Port Control that the MSC Palak had lost containers overboard while at anchor,” the post said.

The initial assessment was that six containers had fallen overboard and sank. During an overflight at first light the following day however, it was confirmed that 23 containers were lost overboard. A fishing vessel reported on Wednesday that they witnessed containers drifting approximately 7 nautical miles south of where the containers were lost. The Port of Ngqura was closed for vessel traffic due to risk that some containers may have sunk in the approach channel

“An aerial surveillance flight was arranged by the owners to locate any drifting containers that may pose a hazard to shipping. SAMSA requests the public to remain vigilant and report any containers sighted to SAMSA,” the organization said.

No hazardous cargo was reported lost in the incident.

This incident marks the latest overboard container incident reported in the last two months. In late May, the APL England lost about 50 containers overboard off the coast of Syndey, Australia, resulting in charges against the ship’s master. About a month later a Liberian-flagged containership lost three containers overboard off the coast of Western Australia. On June 22, a Hawaiian interisland barge lost more than 20 containers overboard off the coast of Hilo.

Unfortunately the incidents do not help the World Shipping Council’s ambition of having zero containers lost at sea each year. Read: Actual Number of Containers Lost at Sea Falling, WSC Survey Shows https://gcaptain.com/actual-number-of-containers-lost-at-sea-falling-study-shows/ ______14 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Federal firefighters battling blaze on US Navy ship that could last for days Federal and Navy firefighters on Monday were still fighting a ferocious fire aboard the USS BONNHOMME RICHARD amphibious assault ship docked at Naval Base San Diego. Naval Surface Forces, US Pacific Fleet tweeted Monday that 34 sailors and 23 civilians have been treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. Five remain in stable condition.The priority now is to extinguish the fire, said Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three, at a press conference. But he did not give an estimate for how on it would take to put it out. "We've been at it for over 24 hours now and we're going to get it until it's done," he said. The ship's superstructure and upper decks have sustained damage and the forward mast has collapsed, Sobeck said. There was an explosion shortly after the fire began. The ship is listing but Sobeck said sailors and firefighters are removing water to make sure the ship does not list further. The ship does have fuel on board, but Sobeck said there are roughly two decks between the fuel and a heat source, and firefighters are working to maintain a buffer between the two.He described the battle against the fire as "a very dynamic situation" with temperatures ranging as high as 1,000 degrees. San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN's Erica Hill that the ship could burn for days "down to the waterline." Asked about Stowell's comment, Sobeck said, "For the last 24 hours, 400 sailors have been on board that ship to make sure that we make every effort to save that ship." The Navy's Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Three is assisting the firefighting efforts by dropping water on the fire and the ship to keep it cool. So far, the squadron's MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters have dropped 415 buckets of water on the ship, said squadron commander Capt. Will Eastham.There were 160 people on board when the blaze started on Sunday. Sailors were responding to the fire when there was an internal explosion around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Sobeck said. Everyone on board was accounted for, Sobeck told reporters late Sunday. The ship, which has a crew of 1,000, was in the shipyard for maintenance.Stowell said "as soon as the personnel started getting off the ship, there was an explosion." "The Navy is the only one that will work from the pier side as well as the harbor PD on the fire boats, working from the water side to contain the heat of it," according to Stowell. As of 6:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters were still at work, according to a Naval Surfaces Forces tweet. Flames were being fueled by office supplies and other items from the lower vehicle storage area where the fire started, Sobeck said.While investigators know where the fire started, they have not yet determined the cause of the fire. There was a report of an internal explosion caused by over-pressurization, Sobeck said. Source : CNN ______Incredibly well-preserved Hull ship which sank in 1852 found in the Baltic https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/incredibly-well-preserved-hull-ship-which-sank-1852-found- baltic-2450032 ______15 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Traditional sailingships underway from West-Terschelling to Nes-Ameland navigating the “Molengat” in the Waddenzee by high tide. Photo : GertJan Verbeek (c) ______Widow of Bangladeshi Shipbreaker Free to Sue UK Company, Court Rules By Naimul Karim DHAKA, A Bangladeshi woman whose husband died while dismantling an oil tanker at a ship-breaking yard in 2018 can file a negligence claim against a British company involved in the vessel’s sale, London’s High The MARAN CENTAURUS Court ruled this week. Khalil Mollah, 32, fell to his death while working handling cargo at Jurong Island in Singapore in 2015 on a tanker called the EKTA in the port city of Chattogram in Photo : Piet Sinke southeastern Bangladesh, where scores of end-of-life ships are sent to be www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) scrapped each year. British lawyers representing his widow, Hamida Begum, took her case to court in April 2019, arguing that Maran (UK) Ltd was responsible for the ship ending up in Bangladesh, where working conditions in ship-breaking yards were known to be dangerous. Maran was not immediately available to comment on Monday’s High Court judgment, which said Begum had “a real prospect of succeeding in relation to her claim in negligence.” “The proximate cause of the accident was the deceased’s fall from a height, but on a broader, purposive approach the accident resulted from a chain of events which led to the vessel being grounded at Chattogram,” the court’s judgment read. The ruling denied an application filed by Maran earlier this year to have Begum’s claim struck out. The EKTA, which was formerly called the MARAN CENTAURUS, had been owned and managed by companies belonging to the Angelicoussis Shipping Group, which included Maran (UK) Limited, according to details from the judgment. Rather than deal directly with ship-breakers it has been standard practice for decades for ship-owners to act through brokers or intermediaries, the ruling said. The MARAN CENTAURUS was sold for demolition in an August 2017 deal worth more than $16 million. Bangladesh is one of the most popular destinations for breaking end-of-life ships with at least 230 ships out of about 670 broken on its beaches last year, according to NGO Shipbreaking Platform. Thousands of Bangladeshis depend on the sector for survival, but rights groups have been sounding the alarm about hazardous working conditions in the industry for years. At least 24 ship-breaking workers were killed last year and another 34 were seriously injured at the scrap yards, the highest toll in almost a decade, according to Bangladeshi non-profit Young Power in Social Action. Most companies sell ships to scrap dealers, better known as cash buyers, who pay the highest price for ships and are closely linked to beach yards where unsafe working practices are common, Shipbreaking Platform said in a recent report. Oliver Holland, a partner at the Leigh Day law firm representing Begum, said that trend could change if Maran (UK) is made to accept that it owed Begum’s husband a duty of care. “Maybe that will go some way to making UK shipping companies think twice about accepting greater financial reward for their end- of-life vessels at the cost of the environment and the lives of South Asian workers,” he said. (Reporting by Naimul Karim @Naimonthefield; Editing by Helen Popper. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org ) ______16 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Local Fishermen launching their fishing boat from the beach in Abidjan – Ivory coast Photo : Wes Nicolaas Ponder © ______Successful tests pave the way for ammonia as a future marine fuel The Wärtsilä combustion research unit is humming along nicely. Wärtsilä engines generate electricity and power ships all over the world, but this experiment is special because it involves ammonia “We get excited when it works according to our expectations,” says Kaj Portin, General Manager, Fuel & Operational Flexibility, Wärtsilä Marine. The Wärtsilä scientists have good reason to be excited. Ammonia can be created with green energy and it contains no carbon so it doesn’t release carbon dioxide when it burns. It can be produced and used with no carbon emissions whatsoever: a huge advantage in our quest for a cleaner and sustainable world. Tried but not tested The idea of using ammonia as fuel is nothing new, but it has only been used in limited cases because there are major challenges to using it.“It doesn’t ignite very well and it burns slowly,” Portin explains. “You have to be careful with the temperatures and pressures to get it to work. There are two methods to use ammonia: see how much ammonia can be fed into a standard engine with small modifications or design an engine that is optimised to operate with ammonia. “If we modify the fuel, we can use it in our current engines,” Portin says. “For instance, maybe we can mix ammonia with LNG or diesel to get it to ignite.” Wärtsilä scientists will continue tests using dual-fuel and spark-ignited gas engines. In 2022, they will begin working with ship owners on field tests. Are fuel cells the way to go? In addition to using ammonia in regular combustion engines, there is also another option: fuel cells. A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidising agent into electricity. Using hydrogen in a fuel cell is a common idea, but ammonia can also be used in one, which is what is happening on a Norwegian ship. Eidesvik Offshore’s VIKING ENERGY supply ship is the focus of a major clean energy project by the EU initiative ShipFC and a consortium of companies including Wärtsilä. “Our role in the project is the development and delivery of the electronic and control equipment, as well as the systems required to store and distribute ammonia on board. We will also do integration and design work for the new energy system,” says Ingve Sørfonn, Manager Technology of Marine Electrical Systems at Wärtsilä. Yara, the world’s biggest producer of ammonia, will produce green ammonia for the ship – by doing so with hydropower. When the Viking Energy launches, it will be the world’s first zero- emissions supply vessel using green ammonia as fuel. Tapping into existing infrastructure Fuel cells are an intriguing possibility, but the downside is that you need entirely new power plants. A better option would be to use clean fuel in existing machinery, which is why Wärtsilä scientists want “future-proof” engines which can use the clean fuels of the future. It would also be better to use existing systems, which is another benefit of ammonia.

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“One major advantage of ammonia is that the infrastructure to use it already exists,” explains Cato Esperø, Sales Director, Wärtsilä Norway. “It is already shipped around the world in huge quantities.”About 175 million tonnes of ammonia is currently produced annually. Its main use is in fertiliser, but you probably have ammonia in your house because it is a common agent in cleaning products. We already have the know-how to use ammonia, and the challenge is to apply this knowledge in innovative ways. The next big thing? An ambitious idea to power ships with ammonia is the Zero Emission Energy Distribution at Sea (ZEEDS) project. The ZEEDS idea is to build offshore hubs near busy shipping lanes which will produce, store and distribute clean fuel to vessels. Green ammonia will be produced with offshore wind parks while ships refuel at nearby stations. Partners in the project include Aker Solutions, Equinor, DFDS, Grieg Star, Kværner and Wärtsilä. It is no wonder why ammonia is such a hot topic currently. The British Royal Society has drawn attention to it in a policy briefing and maritime heavyweights such as Samsung Heavy Industries, MAN Energy Solutions, Lloyd’s Register and MISC Berhad have launched an ammonia research project. Wärtsilä is involved in a number of other ammonia-related projects. Carnival is studying the use of ammonia on their huge fleet of cruise ships. Repsol wants clean energy produced by ammonia on their offshore rigs. “We are really excited about the opportunity ammonia as a fuel provides,” Esperø says. “In the near future engines will be running with zero carbon emissions. It will happen fast, we are doing something good for the future, and this will be great news for the whole world.” Source: Wärtsilä ______Crewing costs soar as shipping’s spat with airlines leaves seafarers stranded Costs for accommodation, tests for the coronavirus and the price of airline tickets are eating up huge chunks of the budget shipmanagers normally spend on such things https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133126/Crewing-costs-soar-as-shippings-spat- with-airlines-leaves-seafarers-stranded ______Seafarers UK asks ILO to track seafarer suicides amid Covid crisis GRANT giving charity Seafarers UK has called on the United Nations agency, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to keep track of suicides at sea, apparently increasing because of the lack of crew changes during the Covid-19 lockdowns.Seafarers UK chief executive Catherine Spencer made the plea that the ILO be the body keeping track of increasing seafarer suicides, reports London's Tanker Operator. Ms Spencer suggested the lack of data may be because suicides do not result in claims handled by the P&I clubs that provide insurance for most merchant shipowners. "But that picture is unclear. Suicides at sea may be recorded as accidents. Unless we know the extent of the problem, how can we target our support for seafarers." she said. Ms Spencer asked the ILO to "consider what steps need to be taken to ensure that all seafarer suicides are accurately identified, recorded and shared with organisations like Seafarers UK that fund a wide range of interventions and welfare services, which support the wellbeing of seafarers and their families. Seafarers UK (previously King George's Fund for Sailors) is the leading grant-making charity that has been helping seamen for over 100 years, by providing support for seafarers in need and their families. "The charity supports organisations and projects that make a real difference to people's lives across the Merchant Navy, Fishing Fleets, Royal Navy and Royal Marines," says the Wikipedia entry. Source : Schednet ______Watch: Naval Historian Breaks Down USS Bonhomme Richard Initial Fire and Response (50 minutes duration) https://gcaptain.com/watch-naval-historian-breaks-down-uss-bonhomme-richard-initial-fire-and- response/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapt ain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-78861b873c-139894965&mc_cid=78861b873c&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______18 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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ITF aiding the repatriation of crew on 6 Global Cruise Lines' ships The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) announced that it is aiding the repatriation of crew who are currently on 6 Global Cruise Lines' ships. The vessels are currently docked at Tilbury London and Bristol Avonmouth in the United Kingdom.The ITF and Global Cruise Lines came to an agreement to ensure that the crew members are repatriated in the next few days.CMV-Cruise and Maritime Voyages ships ASTORIA, ASTOR, COLUMBUS, and VASCO DE GAMA are at Tillbury London UK, while CMV MARCO POLO is docked at Bristol.In June, the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced it had detained 5 ships over crew welfare concerns.The seafarers were stuck on the vessels because of the ongoing global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which resulted in travel restrictions to limit the spread of the new virus.The MCA surveyors discovered a lot of expired and invalid Seafarer's Employment Agreements, late payment of wages, and crew who were onboard for more than 12 months. Source: cruisemapper ______All at Sea in the 1960's The memoires of a young man who wanted to see the world and get paid for it. A Glance in time that will open the eyes of the adventurous reader to the thrill of the unknown on the high seas of the world and especially the orient. How difficulties are overcome and the ambience of the maritime world are explained. Format: 13,5 x 21,5 cm Number of Pages: 150 ISBN: 978-3-7103-4467- 1 Release Date: 27.05.2020 " The date is Thursday 20th April 1967… Not the best day in the job that I was involved in at the time, so, leaving early afternoon, on the way home, I thought, I am going to change this situation. In those days the ‘Yellow Pages’ was the reference book and the telephone, the communications media. Perusing the pages titled ‘Shipping companies’, my finger alighted on ‘Alfred Holts ‘of Liverpool, and I duly noted the Telephone number, of the head office in ‘India Buildings’. I was already a qualified Electrical Engineer, having served a five year apprenticeship at the then world renowned ‘Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Engineering Company Ltd’ in Trafford Park, Manchester. This pointed me to a sea- going engineering position. On phoning Alfred Holts, India Buildings, my call was forwarded immediately to a man that I was to get to know and respect tremendously. The Electrical Superintendent, Jimmy Quinn. He asked me all the relevant details, and simply said “ Be in my office at 0930hrs tomorrow morning, (Friday 21st April 1967), and we will talk”. By 0900hrs Friday morning, I was entering the beautiful old ‘India Buildings’, in good time for my appointment with the Electrical Superintendent., Mr Jimmy Quinn. He wasted no time in sizing me up, explaining the role, the company and its policies." the book is now available from bookstores, and directly from the publishers through my website : http://braithwaite.pageonpage.com . You would also enjoy the read as it would evoke many memories. ______Royal Caribbean Group Not Looking to Sell Ships "There are no plans, but there are consideration(s),” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, responding to a question about ship sales on a webinar. "We will look at that on a somewhat opportunistic basis,” Fain said. At the helm of Royal Caribbean Group, Fain oversees the Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Azamara and Silversea brands, as well as joint ventures for TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Pullmantur. Fain did concede, however, the Pullmantur fleet was in the process of being sold. All three Pullmantur ships are likely to be dismantled in Turkey. "For the rest of the fleet, we will be looking for selected opportunities, but our fleet has been consisting of very modern and efficient vessels which were ahead of their time even when they were built,” Fain explained. Source: cruiseindustrynews ______19 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Submarine almost collided with ferry after misjudging its speed, report finds It said the incident put the ferry’s 300 passengers and crew, as well as those on board the submarine, in ‘immediate danger’.

A nuclear-powered submarine and a ferry were at “serious risk of collision” after safety decisions taken on the Royal Navy vessel were based on inaccurate information, an investigation has found. The two vessels came within 50-100 metres of each other in the incident on November 6, 2018, a Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report found. Crew on the STENA SUPERFAST VII I ferry, which was travelling from Belfast to Cairnryan, “took immediate action to avoid collision” after spotting the submarine’s periscope nearby. Ferry passengers and the crew on both vessels were placed “in immediate danger” the report found. The nuclear-powered submarine, based at Faslane, was patrolling an area south of the ferry route when it came close to the Stena vessel, which had 215 passengers and 67 crew on board. The report said: “This incident happened because the submarine’s control room team overestimated the ferry’s range and underestimated its speed. “This combination meant that the submarine’s commanding officer and its officer of the watch made safety-critical decisions that might have appeared rational to them at the time but were actually based on inaccurate information.” The report found that when the submarine’s control room team initially detected STENA SUPERFAST VII visually, they estimated it to be at a range of 9,000-10,000 yards. At a speed of 21 knots, STENA SUPERFAST VII would cover 6,000 yards in eight minutes and 34 seconds, which was an estimate of the time available for the submarine’s officer of the watch (OOW) to take avoiding action. However, the report found the OOW had estimated the ferry’s speed as 15 knots, so would have “incorrectly calculated” it would take the ferry 12 minutes to travel 6,000 yards and “almost certainly assessed that there was significantly more time to take avoiding action than was actually the case”. Following the incident, the master of the ferry notified the coastguard, saying the submarine’s periscope had passed down the starboard side of the vessel at a range of 50-100 metres. The report said: “During safety training in the North Channel, the command team of a submerged submarine did not take sufficient action to prevent the ferry, STENA SUPERFAST VII, passing inside its go-deep range. “This was an unsafe event and placed the ferry’s passengers and crew, as well as the submarine and its crew, in immediate danger.” It said the ferry’s OOW showed “great presence of mind and strong conviction” in altering course to port to avoid a collision, and warned that “without this alteration, there was a serious risk of collision”. Andrew Moll, chief inspector at the MAIB, said: “I have today recommended that the Royal Navy undertakes an independent review of the actions that have been taken in order to ensure that the risk of similar collisions has been reduced to as low as possible.” A Royal Navy spokesman said: “Ensuring safety at sea is a top priority for the Royal Navy, which is why we welcome this report and have already taken action to tighten our training and procedures.” The Royal Navy said there were no nuclear safety issues during the incident. ______‘Illogical’ airline inaction blocks crew repatriation :: Lloyd's List https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133085/Illogical-airline-inaction-blocks-crew-repatriation ______

New Lessons Learnt video: Burn Injury to Engineer https://vimeo.com/438149145 ______20 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Fred. Olsen Buys the Amsterdam and Rotterdam from Holland America Line. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has bought the Amsterdam and Rotterdam from Holland America Line as it works to modernize its fleet. The vessels will be renamed MS BOLETTE and MS BOREALIS, the company said. "This acquisition forms part of an optimization of the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ fleet composition and with a high yielding cabin mix and large public spaces, these vessels will enhance Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ earnings capabilities once HAL’s ROTTERDAM Photo : Piet Sinke operations can safely resume. Delivery is expected to take place in the UK during September 2020," said Fred. Olsen in a statement. The company said it would retire two vessels in its current fleet, but did not elaborate on which ships would exit. The 1997-built ROTTERDAM and 2000-built AMSTERDAM will help bring Fred. Olsen's fleet up to date while also adding considerable capacity as both ships are approximately 1,400 berths. The current Fred. Olsen fleet is made up the 1972-built BLACK WATCH and BOUDICCA, the 1993-built BRAEMAR and the 1988- built BALMORAL. "The seller credit will have a 5 years tenor with 3 years of zero amortization and subsequent annual installments of GBP 7.43 million at a 2.5% fixed interest cost, an interest rate which reflects the negotiated parameters of the transaction," Fred. Olsen stated. Source: cruiseindustrynews ______Ambassatours puts Halifax’s iconic Theodore Tugboat up for sale By Karla Renic Global News Ambassatours Gray Line is parting ways with the Halifax’s iconic Theodore (Tugboat) Too vessel. After operating the vessel for 20 years, the tourism group listed Halifax Harbour’s best-known resident for sale this week, with a $495,000 price tag. “While we are deeply aware of Theodore’s significance as a Halifax icon, the reality is that we’ve been subsidizing Theodore’s operation for several years,” said Dennis Campbell, Ambassatours Gray Line CEO, in a news release. Photo : René Serrao (c) The vessel was built in 2000, in Dayspring, N.S., as a life-sized replica of Theodore Tugboat, the title character of a CBC children’s TV show that aired from 1993 to 2001.Since then, Theodore has spent summers cruising the Great Lakes and seaboard in U.S. and Canada, promoting Nova Scotian tourism. It also hosted child-themed tours of the Halifax harbour, as inspired by the show’s characters and stories, according to the release. Now, most of the children who watched the show are in their 30s, said Campbell in the release. “Demand for TV- show themed Theodore tours of the Halifax harbour has significantly diminished over the past several years,” Campbell said. Campbell said a new owner of the 49-passenger vessel could use it for a waterside café or pub, an event venue, summer ferry or a unique AirBnB. While Theodore is no longer offering tours of the harbour, the vessel will remain dockside in Bedford until it is sold. Source: Global News ______Maersk says crew change situation not tenable as it pushes with repatriation efforts ______Crewing costs soar as shipping’s spat with airlines leaves seafarers stranded ______21 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Black Country flag – Political Correctness???? SIR – What shameful ignorance of history is displayed by the West Midlands Fire Service, which has banned the use of the Black Country flag because it has a design based on chains and therefore has “a potential link to slavery” See report in the Telegraph (report, July 17)

Chainmaking was a staple industry of the Black Country, especially in Cradley Heath. The glory of the industry was the manufacture of anchor chains for Britain’s once vast merchant navy. The Titanic was one of many great ocean liners equipped with anchor chains from the Black Country. In the Sixties I dealt briefly with one of the last of the chainmakers of Cradley Heath, which supplied the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. I remember seeing chainmaking in progress, with leather-aproned workers handling the huge links, which glowed red-hot. Robert Darlaston Goostrey, Cheshire ______Skipper to pay $8,500 in fines and reparation after grounding mussel barge Maritime NZ says that the mussel barge, FALCON, ran aground on Motuokino Island off the Coromandel coast because no one on board was keeping proper look out. The skipper, Connor O’Shea Bevan, has been fined $3,500 in the Thames District Court for causing unnecessary danger or risk by failing to keep a proper look-out and failing to use all appropriate means to determine whether a risk of collision exists (Maritime Transport Act, sections 64 and 66). The Court also ordered Mr Bevan to pay $5,000 in reparation to the vessel’s owner, Sanford Limited. Maritime NZ Central Regional Compliance Manager, Michael-Paul Abbott, said keeping proper look out is fundamental to maritime safety. “Keeping proper look out prevents collisions and can save lives,” Mr Abbott said. “In this case, Falcon ran aground and no one was injured. Had it collided with another vessel the result could have been tragic.” The incident occurred on 15 November 2018 when Mr Bevan was taking the vessel to collect mussels at the Great Barrier Island mussel farm. Two deckhands were also on board and all three crew were in the wheelhouse. Mr Bevan’s role as skipper included steering the vessel and navigating a safe passage around the islands on the way to Great Barrier Island. While Mr Bevan was steering he was also filling out paper work and not keeping constant look out. The deckhands were resting – it was before dawn, neither had been assigned as a look out and at least one of them was asleep. The vessel’s GPS screen had been zoomed out so that Mr Bevan could see the whole Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island to help plot a course. However, this made the small islands disappear from the picture displayed on the screen. While Mr Bevan used radar to notify of risk of collision, he knew there was equipment on the bow of the vessel obstructing the radar’s ability to read ahead. FALCON did not have shoal or “closest point of approach” alarms installed. At about 5.12am, while it was still dark, there was a loud crash. FALCON had run aground on Motuokino Island. It had been travelling at 12 knots. Mr Bevan then made sure the deckhands were safe and had lifejackets on, shut off the fuel and checked there were no fuel or other leaks from the vessel. He called a nearby vessel for assistance and advised Sanford and Maritime NZ of the incident. FALCON suffered minor damage to its hull, was re-floated later that day and returned to Coromandel town under its own power. No one was injured. Sanford advised the Court repairs to the vessel and lost income had cost it about $60,000. Source : portnews ______Denmark finds a way to get crews home https://splash247.com/denmark-finds-a-way-to-get-crews-home/ ______Crew crisis is shipping’s ‘most acute problem’ in 50 years https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133127/Crew-crisis-is-shippings-most-acute- problem-in-50-years ______22 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Update: Mayflower II Moves From Mystic to New London For Sea Trials http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/07/update-mayflower-ii-moves-from-mystic-to-new-london-for-sea- trial/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OldSaltBlog+%28Old+ Salt+Blog%29 Drone Footage of Mayflower II Leaving Mystic Seaport http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/07/drone-footage-of-mayflower-ii-leaving-mystic- seaport/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OldSaltBlog+%28Ol d+Salt+Blog%29 ______Pirates kidnap 15 crew from tanker in Gulf of Guinea By : Marcus Hand Pirates have kidnapped 15 seafarers from a Liberian-flagged tanker 244 nm south of Cotonou in Benin, Dryad Global reported The 11,322 dwt product tanker CURACAO TRADER was boarded by eight armed pirates 244nm south Cotonou and 210nm WSW Bayelsa State Nigeria. It was reported that 15 crew, believed to be Russian and Ukrainian nationals were kidnapped. Dryad Global commented: “The location of this incident is the furthest offshore an act of piracy has been recorded within the Gulf of Guinea. Despite the presence of speedboats, it remains highly likely that the perpetrators are being supported by a larger mother vessel, allowing them to sustain deep offshore operations beyond state counter piracy efforts.” Last week the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) warned of a surge of kidnappings by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea in the first half 2020, with attacks gathering pace in the second quarter. In the first half the year 49 crew were kidnapped for ransom in the Gulf of Guinea and held captive on land for up to six weeks. Source : Seatrade Maritime News ______Singapore warns crew coronavirus tests are being tampered with as HK reviews its seafarer stance https://splash247.com/singapore-warns-crew-coronavirus-tests-are-being-tampered-with-as-hk-reviews- its-seafarer-stance/ ______Seafarers disembark after months trapped on vessel https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133194/Seafarers-disembark-after-months- trapped-on-vessel ______Watch: Cruise Ship MS Monarch Arrives at Turkish Breakers https://gcaptain.com/watch-cruise-ship-ms-monarch-arrives-at-turkish- breakers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapt ain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-6c504809cc-139894965&mc_cid=6c504809cc&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______Health screening failures threaten crew change cause The International Chamber of Shipping warns that some seafarers are not taking coronavirus protocols seriously after reports emerged of crews arriving on ships with symptoms. It said the irresponsible actions of a small minority could set back the industry’s progress on crew changes Hong Kong shipping associations have advised their members to suspend crew changes amid a sharp increase in cases https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133208/Health-screening-failures-threaten-crew- change-cause ______International maritime virtual summit on crew changes https://www.maritimelondon.com/maritime-london-news/international-maritime-virtual-summit-on-crew- changes Source - Maritime London ______23 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Netherlands top country for crew changes as repatriations grind to a halt The Netherlands was the top country for successful crew changes in May, with Port of Rotterdam enabling more crew transits than any other worldwide, according to data from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). However, only 620 – or 15% – of global average monthly

crew changes were successful in May, due to pandemic restrictions. Usually 4,000 crew changes are made monthly pre-pandemic. That translates into 100,000 seafarers disembarking and embarking their vessels. As of June 17, ICS said it estimates there are 300,000 seafarers waiting for crew changes to be enabled: 200,000 stuck onboard awaiting disembarkation and 100,000 awaiting embarkation. Crew changes were reported to have been successfully completed in 49 countries in May. 'This is only a sample of the crew changes attempted worldwide in May 2020 and does not take into account factors such as potential for increased likelihood of reporting successful crew changes over lack of reports of successful changes that were aborted before even being attempted,' the report's author ICS Senior Adviser, Marine Department, Stewart Inglis said. 'The actual success rate for crew changes may be considerably lower.' Crew change data May 2020 Source: ICS Top 10 countries for crew changes 1. Netherlands 2. Germany 3. China* 4. United States 5. Belgium 6. Russian Federation 7. UK 8. Spain 9. Norway 10. Republic of Korea A successful crew change was completed in a port terminal somewhere in the world, every day in May, according to ICS. Concerns remain, however, that some countries are not permitting crew changes that involve seafarers joining and leaving ships, restricting crew changes, for example, to seafarers requiring repatriation only. Concerns also remain that some countries or ports have restricted crew changes to their own nationals, including some important countries for crew changes, namely China. The use of airports outside the country, or the port of terminal where the crew change took place, had 30% success rate, showing the logistical challenges to be overcome. And the difficulty is still being posed by lack of flights. ' The problem that we've got, for example, with seafarers in the Philippines, even if you want to get them out of Manila, the probability is they're going to have to go to Singapore, or Doha or Hong Kong to transit to onwards flights and it is very difficult to get flights,' the ICS said. ICS's findings are based on a sample size of 816 crew changes attempted in ports or terminals in 73 countries. A total of 76% of the attempted crew changes were successful in May. *China was on both lists for successful and unsuccessful crew changes because it was willing to allow its own nationals to change but not foreign nationals. Source : Nautilus International ______Seafarers UK and Grimaldi Foundation donate £174,000 to support crews https://www.maritimelondon.com/covid-19-news/seafarers-uk-and-grimaldi-foundation-donate-174000- to-support-crews Source - Maritime London ______

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‘My children ask me when am I coming home’: stranded seafarers share their frustrations Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are finding themselves stranded at sea, sometimes for over a year, and with no end in sight, as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions. The uncertainty and long spells away from home are taking a heavy mental toll. “I am tired, exhausted and hopeless. I have been at sea for 12 months already. And I don’t know when I can see my kids and family. It’s very frustrating.” Raphael (not his real name) has no idea how long he will be stuck on his ship. A 33 year old seafarer from the Philippines, with two children, he was scheduled to fly home in April, but the pandemic put paid to his plans: airports have been closed, and his company decided not to relieve him, and eight other colleagues, some of whom have spent up to 14 months onboard. “This is the fourth time my home leave has been cancelled. I don’t know what’s going on. We deliver the cargo and the goods, but they close the borders for us.” Because of the uncertainty, Raphael says, the atmosphere on the ship is tense, and he fears that there will be an impact on safety, because of the fragile mental health of the crew: “our minds are in different worlds”, he says. “It’s like walking on thin air.” ’All we want is to come home’ Some 90 per cent of global trade takes place via maritime transport, thanks to the work of around two million seafarers. Like Raphael, Matt, an English Chief Engineer onboard a boat that sails mainly in the Middle East and Asia, feels that the crucial contribution made by seafarers, who ensure that the transportation of key goods continues unimpeded during the pandemic, should be valued more highly. “I would say that, as seafarers, we have more than played our part during this pandemic. We have kept countries supplied with everything they need, including PPE (personal protective equipment) and medical supplies, oil and gas to keep power stations running, and food and water. All we want in return is to be able to come home and rest” Matt’s contract is well overdue, and most of his crew members are in a similar situation: “The officers have 10-week rotation contracts, but most of us have now been onboard for 6 months or more. It is even worse for the crew: they’re on nine-month contracts, but I have one crewman who has been onboard for 15 months. Waiting at home for Matt are two children, aged eight and 12, and the separation is proving difficult for all members of his family.“I’ve done long contracts before, but this is different. It has a psychological effect, as there is no end in sight. It affects family life a lot more. My children are always asking when am I coming home. It’s difficult to explain to them.” As time has gone on, Matt and the crew have gone through a range of emotions, and the mental health burden is growing. “I think we’ve been through all the emotions. A lot of anger in the beginning as we had to watch all the borders close. We understood the health risk, and we could understand why it was happening. We tried to remain hopeful, but as time has passed it seems like little has changed. We are hanging in here, but we are tired and mentally fatigued.” Isolation on the high seas Wagner Brandt is the Head of the Transport and Maritime Unit at The International Labour Organization (ILO). As a former Naval Officer, he recognizes the challenges experienced by stranded crew members. “The sea can be tough. When the weather’s bad it's pretty awful. Also, those onboard are living for several months in the same place that they're working. These days the industry is highly efficient, so a container ship can be unloaded and loaded in a few hours. Ports are now some distance from town centres and, in the case of oil tankers, you might be discharging or taking on oil, at an off-shore facility. So, seafarers have fewer opportunities to disembark than they did in the past. It can be very isolating” Thanks in part to the work of the ILO, conditions for seafarers have steadily improved over the years: “in 2006, we set up the Maritime Labour Convention, often referred to as the seafarers bill of rights. This sets out the minimum working conditions for all seafarers, including provisions such as the minimum hours of rest, occupational safety and health, and states that no seafarers should be at sea for more than 11 months. Today, the vast majority of the ships in the world are flying the flag of States that have ratified this convention.”“There are still problems, of course, such as low pay, seafarers forced to work long hours, or 25 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

The Pulse abuse, but this is why we have international instruments, to set minimum work standards, and see that they are enforced.”These conventions have been sorely tested by the current pandemic, however. Seafarers may have to travel thousands of kilometres to reach their ships, or return home. Since the pandemic, commercial flights have been significantly reduced, borders have been closed, and it has become more difficult to obtain visas or travel permits through certain transit countries. The unheralded contribution of the seafarer To help Matt, Raphael, and the more than 200,000 seafarers struggling to cope with a seemingly endless stint on the seas, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), set up the Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT), in partnership with the ILO, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). SCAT has successfully intervened in several individual cases, finding solutions that will allow seafarers to go home. The IMO is pushing for all governments to classify seafarers and other marine personnel as “essential workers” which would make it easier for safe crew changeovers to take place. Following a ministerial summit in July, held in the UK, 13 countries committed to recognizing seafarers as key workers, and facilitating crew changes.The cause has also been taken up at the highest levels of the UN, with Secretary-General António Guterres expressing concern about a growing ocean-bound humanitarian and safety crisis, and praising the “unheralded contribution” of seafarers to the global economy, and bringing life-saving supplies to civilians trapped in conflict zones, such as Yemen. For Matt, the change can’t come soon enough: “We need the support of world governments to allow us to transit through their countries without restrictions. Time frames for visas need to be reduced or scrapped all together. This needs to happen now. The delay is going to have a detrimental effect to the maritime industry. There has been more than enough time for talking: now we need to see real action.” Source : UN News ______Seven ship sale and leaseback deal sees HapagLloyd increase liquidity By : Martina Li Asia Correspondent Hapag-Lloyd has confirmed that it has sold seven 9,326TEU container ships to Bank of Communications Financial Leasing (Bocomm Leasing) for an undisclosed price. Container News understands that the en bloc sale for the vessels, CAUQUENES, CAUTIN, CISNES, COCHRANE, COYHAIQUE, CORCOVADO and COPIAPO, was agreed early in May 2020 and July, the vessels were re-registered to special purpose vehicles owned by Bocomm Leasing. At the time of the sale, each vessel had a market valuation of around US$74 million, according to brokers. The ships, operated by HapagLloyd’s Chilean subsidiary Compania Sudamericana de Vapores (CSAV) on Asia-South America services, were built by Samsung Heavy Industries between 2014 and 2015.A spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd told Container News that the German liner operator is leasing back all the vessels. “As part of our ‘Performance Safeguarding Program’, we were able to get these ships into extremely attractive financing and generated a good amount of liquidity. The ships are leased back by us on a long-term charter and can be taken over again by us at the end of the lease term.” While the lease duration was not disclosed, it is typically between five and 10 years. Hapag-Lloyd’s Performance Safeguarding Program, launched this year in response to the pandemic, consists of cost-saving measures to tackle the impact on cargo volumes. Additionally, the company wants to secure liquidity and re-evaluate investment plans. German carriers Hapag-Lloyd is cautiously optimistic of recording EBITDA of EUR1.7 billion (US$1.89 billion) to EUR2.2 billion (US$2.44 billion) for 2020 but acknowledges that achieving the upper end of the forecast range will be difficult. Despite the challenging situation facing liner operators, Bocomm Leasing has been acquiring container ships since the start of 2020. In June, the Chinese finance lessor acquired five 12,690TEU ships from Greek tonnage provider Costamare; In March, Bocomm Leasing purchased four 11,923TEU ships from Canadian owner Seaspan Corporation. During the same month, Bocomm Leasing acquired two 9,954TEU ships and two 8,204TEU ships from Navios Maritime, which were chartered to Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM unit ANL. Source : Containernews ______26 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Beware of the latest scam

‘Good morning, I'm calling from the NHS track and trace service. According to our system, you are likely to have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. This means that you now need to self-isolate for 7 days and take a COVID-19 test.'

'OK. Can you tell me who that person was?'

'I'm not able to tell you that. That is confidential information.'

'Right. Um... so ....'

'But you do need to be tested within the next 72 hours. So can I just get the best mailing address so that we can send a kit to you?'

'Ok (gives address)'

'Thank you - and I just need to take a payment card so that we can finalize this and send the kit to you.'

'Sorry - a payment card? I thought this was all free?'

'No - I'm afraid not. There is a one-off fee of £50 for the kit and test results. Could you read off the long card number for me, please, when you're ready.'

'No - that's not right. This is part of the NHS so there's no charge.'

'I'm afraid there is. Can you give me the card number please - this is very important, and there are penalties for not complying.'

Puts the phone down.

This is how scammers work. And vulnerable people will fall for it. Don't fall for it...! SHARE ______NASSCO Awarded $10 Million Contract for Bonhomme Richard Clean-Up July 23, 2020 by Mike Schuler

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $10 million contract modification to General Dynamics NASSCO for the clean-up and dewatering of the USS Bonhomme Richard, which caught fire at Naval Base San Diego earlier this month. The $10 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification contract will cover emergency firefighting support, dewatering, safety and initial clean-up efforts.

The USS Bonhomme Richard, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, suffered a devastating fire on July 12 while A helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat undergoing maintenance. The fire started in a lower deck Squadron (HSC) 3 combats a fire aboard the before spreading to upper decks and the vessel’s control amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), July 13, 2020. tower. Several fire fighters and U.S. Navy sailors suffered U.S. Navy Photo minor injuries battling the fire. ______27 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Greyhound, Tom Hanks Fights the Battle of the Atlantic Posted: 23 Jul 2020 07:47 AM PD Greyhound, a movie that was written by and stars Tom Hanks, tells the story of a destroyer captain fighting a German U-boat wolf-pack that is attacking a convoy of Allied ships in the North Atlantic. The movie was inspired by C.S. Forester’s novel, The Good Shepherd. I am posting two video reviews. The first is an hour-long discussion with four maritime historians, about the accuracy, or lack thereof, of Greyhound. Sponsored by the North American Society for Oceanic History (NASOH) the video features Sal Mercogliano as host, with Dr. Chuck Steele of the US Air Force Academy, Dr. David Kohnen of the Naval War College, and Dr. Joseph Moretz an independent scholar on the Royal Navy, providing commentary. The discussion is quite good and worth watching whether or not you have seen Hank’s movie. (If you do not have the time, spoiler alert, the consensus among the historians was that the movie didn’t get very much right.) Non-historian critics have been more kind. Greyhound has a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The second video is one of the “History vs Hollywood” series and while it is not as detailed as the critique provided by the historians, it has the advantage of being only five minutes long. Greyhound starring Tom Hanks, based on C S Forester’s The Good Shepherd, the NASOH Movie Review

Greyhound: History vs. Hollywood The post Greyhound, Tom Hanks Fights the Battle of the Atlantic appeared first on Old Salt Blog. ______First North American to circle the globe solo and non-stop using only a sextant, Canadian Bert terHart recently completed a 267-day solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world via the five capes on his 43′ sailboat using only traditional celestial navigation. He is the first North American to circle the globe solo and non-stop using only a sextant, a chronometer, an almanac, pen, paper, and charts with which to navigate. While not using global positioning satellites to navigate, he did bring along an email equipped satellite phone and posted to a blog and an Instagram account. In addition to maintaining contact with friends and family, he was also followed online by about 2,000 children from Kenya to New Zealand to New York from their classrooms.

“I wanted to engage kids in something that really would stretch their imagination,” he said.

When he departed Victoria, British Columbia, there was no pandemic. He said that hearing about the spread of the virus around the world from the isolation of his boat was surreal. ………..

“I wanted to engage kids in something that really would stretch their imagination,” he said.

When he departed Victoria, British Columbia, there was no pandemic. He said that hearing about the spread of the virus around the world from the isolation of his boat was surreal.

On his return to British Columbia, Canadian authorities agreed to waive the mandatory two-week quarantine period for arriving visitors on the basis that a solo-circumnavigation was sufficient self- isolation to prevent the spread of the virus. Source - Old Salt Blog. ______

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Australia Tackles Lost Containers at Sea with Targeted Safety Campaign July 24, 2020 by Mike Schuler Australia has launched a safety campaign targeting cargo securing arrangements on board containerships after spate of recent lost container incidents off the country’s shores. The inspection campaign was launched this week by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Incidents like the losses of 81 containers off Newcastle by the YM Efficiency in 2018. More recently, the APL England lost some 50 containers off Wollongong in May and while the Navios Unite lost three containers off Cape Leeuwin in June. AMSA said in statement that the events have affected the Photo: AMSA livelihoods and safety of commercial fishers and, more broadly, communities across Australia. Incident investigations by AMSA thus far have revealed that the improper stacking and securing of cargo and poor maintenance of securing equipment are likely to have been contributing factors to these incidents. “We have seen the serious consequence of improper cargo securing arrangements in the form of tonnes plastics and other debris washing up on our beautiful beaches and floating in our oceans,” said AMSA Acting General Manager of Operations Michael Drake. “Rusted cargo securing points, improper lashings and exceeding stack weight limits have all contributed to these incidents and ship operators should be on notice that non-compliance will not be tolerated in Australia,” Drake added. Vessels visiting Australia must ensure they fully comply with the international standards relating to cargo securing laid out in Chapter VI of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention. The targeted inspection campaign will run from the beginning of August until the end of October and will involve both extended port State control (PSC) inspections and stand-alone inspections on vessels which are not currently eligible for PSC inspection, the AMSA said. Vessels calling in Australia during this period should expect a visit from AMSA inspectors as part of the campaign. For vessels found to be non-compliant, AMSA will take steps to bring the ship into compliance before it is able to continue operating. The agency is encouraging ship owners and masters to familiarize themselves with the approved cargo securing manual for their vessel and Marine order 42 which gives effect to Chapter VI of SOLAS in Australia. Source - gCaptain ______Owners rebuke crewing agents and airlines as stranded seafarers rise The unresolved crewing crisis has left 300,000 seafarers at sea and unable to be repatriated https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133256/Owners-rebuke-crewing-agents-and- airlines-as-stranded-seafarers-rise ______Naval Historian Breaks Down USS Bonhomme Richard Initial Fire and Response - Part 1: (Duration Half an Hour – A bit slow, but interesting) https://gcaptain.com/watch-naval-historian-updates-on-uss-bonhomme-richard- fire/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.c om%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-8b6fd034ca-139894965&mc_cid=8b6fd034ca&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 Source - gCaptain ______Seward announced 96 new COVID-19 cases at a seafood plant as a trawler with 85 infected crew arrived. They’re all headed for Anchorage. ______29 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Being a Seafarer is tough at the best of times, in this COVID-19 times it is much tougher ! By : Mike Meade CEO at M3 Marine Group - Singapore As most of you will know John Giddens and Mike Meade along with a bunch of friendly co-investors and a couple of friendly financial institutions have invested in and Own the DP3 DSV SOUTHERN STAR. Along with our Charterers Shelf Subsea and our Ship Managers Thome Offshore we have managed by hard work, coordination and an all round coordinated effort to succeed to keep the SOUTHERN STAR. COVID - 19 free. This has not been an easy task and has been costly in time, effort and cost. In addition to strict compliance to our own, governmental, port and industry rules and guidance we have also have installed on her back deck an isolation 'cabin' in the form of a portacabin to quarantine any suspected cases. The SOUTHERN STAR departing from Singapore to a project. On the back deck you see the COVID-19 isolation container in case the vessel gets a case and we need to isolate crew prior to evacuation. Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) CLICK at the photo & hyperlink in text to view and/or download the photo(s) ! I was taken to write this post as despite all of this hardship and uncertainty, morale on the vessel is still high. At a recent port call we changed out the majority of the marine and projects crews, some who had been onboard for 200 days or more. Yesterday, our Charterers (Shelf Subsea) posted a jolly shot of the dive crew in the control room This was pleasant to see. I was then prompted to ask the Captain to supplement this by adding some photos of other parts of the ship. So, Thanks to the OCM Marc Fitzgerald, Captain Simran Gill and the rest of the SOUTHERN STAR Marine and Projects crews for sharing some happy images of life onboard the SOUTHERN STAR, Offshore Vietnam ;Capt. Simran Gill and the bridge crew. The SOUTHERN STAR has a Kongsberg DP3 setup and is Classed DPS3 by ABS C/E Robert Leitz and his Engine Room crew. The SOUTHERN STAR is powered by a Diesel Electric Propulsion system with Voith Schneider main propulsion and Rolls Royce Bow Thrusters. They say an 'army marches on its stomach'. It's no different on a DSV, poor food leads to poor morale. We are fortunate to have excellent food and husbandry onboard the SOUTHERN STAR from a superb group of catering crew, all from Malaysia. I am proud to have this crew working for us in these difficult times and from Tasik Subsea we offer a huge thank you for keeping the vessel fully operational and busy during these trying times ______Cocaine found in container at UK port By : Declan Bush BRITISH officials have seized about £15.2m ($19.4m) worth of cocaine hidden in the floor of a refrigerated container at the London Gateway port in Essex. Border Force officers found 380 kg of the drug in a container carrying bananas from Costa Rica to Germany, after an X-ray revealed an anomaly in the insulation cavity. “This was a sophisticated concealment and one that is rarely seen in the UK,” Border Force assistant director Pete Roffey said in a statement. “The smugglers had cut the inner floor, raised it, removed and scraped out the insulation, packed in the drugs and then welded the inner floor back in place. “They had left relatively little evidence that the container had been tampered with.” The case was referred to the UK National Crime Agency, which investigates drug trafficking. The Home Office declined to name the ship or comment on how the intelligence that led to the seizure was received. The seizure follows several recent drug busts from containers. In May, Mexican officials found 102.5 kg of cocaine on SVENDBORG MAERSK at Manzanillo. In January, authorities stopped nearly 10 kg of cocaine being loaded on CLIFFORD MAERSK, reportedly hidden among frozen shrimp. And in September last year the NCA seized 1.3 tonnes of heroin at Felixstowe. Source : Lloydslist ______Many crew members are anxious to return home at the earliest opportunity, but others may prefer the coronavirus-free environment of a ship Source:- Lloyds List https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1133254/Crew-change-crisis-all-at-sea-in- search-of-a-global-solution ______Sailors’ Society provides mental health support to crew on board more than 1,000 ships ______30 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Australia Bans Bulk Carrier Over Underpayments to Crew by Mike Schuler July 27, 2020 Officials in Australia have banned a Liberian-flagged ship from visiting Australian ports for six months after discovering that the ship’s crew had been withheld pay in violation of international maritime labor laws. Inspectors with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority boarded Marmaras Navigation’s MV Agia Sofia at Hay Point in Mackay this past Saturday after receiving a complaint via the International Transport Workers’ Federation. During the inspection, AMSA found evidence that some seafarers on board the ship had not been paid their wages in full since August 2019. The AMSA said the outstanding wages totalled AUD MV Agia Sofia (ex-Trade Spirit). File $45,000 (US $32,000), constituting a breach of their Photo: MarineTraffic.com/iwan afwan employment agreements under the Maritime Labour Convention. AMSA Acting General Manager Operations Michael Drake noted it wasn’t the first time the shipping company, Marmaras Navigation Ltd, had been caught underpaying crew in Australian waters. “In January 2018 AMSA detained another company ship, Koundouros, at Port Walcott for owing its seafarers more than AUD $7500,” said Drake. “The operator was fortunate that AMSA did not ban Koundouros at the time and those seafarers were paid their outstanding wages before the ship was allowed to leave.” “Bringing a second ship, Agia Sofia, to Australia with the same breach is inexcusable and has left us with little choice but to ban this ship from Australian ports,” Drake added. In total, Agia Sofia is now the third ship in the last 12 months to be banned by AMSA for failing to pay seafarers their wages in full and on time. Drake also noted how seafarers, especially now, now making enormous sacrifices by being away from their loved ones for extended periods of time just to keep critical global trade moving. “Abusing their most basic rights to be paid for the work they are doing is shameful behavior on the part of this shipping company,” Drake said. ______“Golden Ray”

Update: Golden Ray Removal Delayed & Salvage Animation http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/07/update-golden-ray-removal-delayed-salvage- animation/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OldSaltBlog+%28 Old+Salt+Blog%29 ______VOS Aberdeen secures contract with Total Three ERRVs to support North Sea operations Vroon Offshore Services Aberdeen has secured contracts with Total E&P UK Ltd. for three emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV). ______31 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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VJ Day Commemorative Service pre-held at St. Nicks, Liverpool, to be broadcast on YouTube, Local Radio Merseyside & Facebook 15th August 2020

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The Merchant Navy Association Boat Club Commodore: Clive Edwards, 19 Horsford Street, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UH Tel 01305 781725, email [email protected] Newsletter Summer 2020

Good Afternoon Shipmates, Amidst all the doom and gloom about Covid 19 it’s a really nice change to have something positive to announce! As you will know for the past year or so we have been negotiating an operational partnership with the RNL whereby our Boat Club members are all now entitled to be “Ambassadors for the RNLI” to promote the Respect the Water campaign to reduce the almost 200 fatalities as a result of drowning in and around the UK every year; 70% of those drownings occur on inland waterways where the RNLI has no lifeboat stations and hence no Water Safety officer or Advisers either. This is where the membership of the MNA and our Boat Club comes in because the RNLI are well aware that many of our members live inland and are quite often situated close to our rivers, canals, lakes or the Broads and fens so they are very keen that we might take on the role of MNA-RNLI Ambassadors promoting safety on and around these inland waterways. Until now the process to become an MNA – RNLI Ambassador was quite laborious and tedious involving the completion of several different forms etc but as of today, 28th July, the process to register as an MNA- RNLI Ambassador has been made almost absurdly simple! If you can spare no more than about 5-10 minutes looking at the WaterWatch pages on our Boat Club website (www.seafarersafloat.com) you will find an article that describes the main role that we can play as MNA-RNLI Ambassadors and on that page you will also find a sentence in RED “ MNA members can register as WaterWatch Ambassadors by completing a simple form available HERE” If you click on the word “here” on the web page you’ll be able to download a very simple form to complete, (probably taking less than a minute) , and all you have to do then is email that form to us at the email address shown on it Below the sentence in red there is a further article describing other aspects of the role that MNA-RNLI Ambassadors can perform to help promote the Respect the Water campaign, and endorsements from Steve Instance, one of the RNLI’s Safety Partners who you may have seen on TV a lot recently, and from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Now that we have agreed a simple process for our members to become MNA-RNLI Ambassadors I really do want to encourage as many of our members, especially our Boat Club members, to register and play a part in what has to be a hugely worthwhile endeavour to reduce the number of fatalities as a result of drowning in our waters. With warm regards and hoping to receive a really positive response from you Take Care and Stay Safe everyone ______33 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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______Plans for larger ‘Pioneering Spirit’ shelved indefinitely ______'Stupid' vandals who set fire to covid-19 notice on RNLI lifeboat station door branded 'brainless' Whitby RNLI lifeboat reported that police officers are investigating the incident Mindless vandals have targeted a volunteer lifeboat station which has remained operational during the covid-19 pandemic. A coronavirus notice placed on the door of the Whitby Lifeboat Station was set alight last week. Damage was caused to the door, located on Market Place, with blackened scorch marks visible. The service said it has reported the incident to North Yorkshire Police and the force is investigating the fire. In a statement on its Facebook page, a Whitby RNLI lifeboat spokesperson said: "Last week a covid-19 notice on the door of Whitby Lifeboat Station was A notice on the door of the station was set fire to causing damage to the door, luckily it wasn't a lot set on fire (Image: Whitby RNLI lifeboat) worse. "The police are investigating the incident." Our volunteer crew are still operational and have been throughout the entire pandemic, putting themselves at risk to save others. "Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout this time." Following the announcement, the vandals have been branded "stupid" and "brainless" with people left in shock over the incident. One person said: "Absolutely furious! What is wrong with some people?" Thank goodness there wasn't more damage." And other added: "Totally gobsmacked.... why would someone want to do that? I don't get it." Teesside Live has contacted North Yorkshire Police for more information. Source : gazettelive. ______Belgium marine pilot infected with corona after piloted corona ship A pilot who visited the ship MINERVA OCEANIA to lead it to the port of Antwerp appears to have become infected with the coronavirus. This is reported by the Maritime Services and Coast Agency. The ship has been in quarantine in the Leopold dock for several days now because 15 of the 26 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. However, when the pilot arrived on the ship, the outbreak was not yet known. "We deeply regret this but were prepared for the situation", the agency states Friday.“ "All colleagues with whom this person has been in contact were informed personally and will also stay home preventively. ……………………………………….…………………. Source : Marine Pilots ______34 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Princess Cancels Cruises Until the Middle of December ______Large Bulk Carrier Runs Aground in Mauritius by Mike Schuler The Panama-flagged MV Wakashio was underway from China to Brazil when it ran aground Saturday night off Pointe d’esny on Mauritius’ south-eastern coast during a voyage from China to Brazil. At 203,130 deadweight tonnes, the 300-meter MV WAKASHIO is classified as a large capesize bulk carrier. The vessel, however, is in ballast and not carrying any cargo. Reports say the local Coast Guard attempted to contact the ship before it ran aground. The MV WAKASHIO was built in 2007 by Universal Shipbuilding in Kawasaki, Japan. It is managed by Nagashiki Shipping. CLICK at the Photo to view the movie Overflight video shows the vessel firmly aground along a reef a few hundred meters from shore. According to local reports, authorities are making plans to refloat the vessel. No major pollution has been reported thus far. Source: gCaptain Video -Large Bulk Carrier Runs Aground in Mauritius https://gcaptain.com/large-bulk-carrier-runs-aground-in- mauritius/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCap tain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-cca1f18023-139894965&mc_cid=cca1f18023&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______JRC/Alphatron Marine is proud to announce the introduction of the AlphaFeverCamera. JRC/Alphatron Marine is proud to announce the introduction of the AlphaFeverCamera, a Body Heat Camera for the Maritime and non-Maritime industry. As the COVID-19 virus continues to pose a threat in daily life and business operations, a safe and healthy (work) environment onboard and ashore is more than ever our priority. Alphatron Marine, in close collaboration with Alphatron Security and Alphatron Medical, contributes to this need by introducing the Body Temperature Measurement Camera which is able to measure object’s temperature at a high accuracy in real time, with accuracy up to ±0.5°C As businesses begin to reopen after the COVID-19 crisis, safeguarding employees, customers and facilities is critical. The AlphaFeverCamera helps organizations identify at-risk individuals before they interact with customers and employees. With a response time of 1 second, the camera can capture multiple targets at a time to ensure that everyone is checked. Immediately alarming to notify operators if someone poses a risk. Using this type camera, officials can be more discrete, efficient, and effective in identifying individuals that need further screening with virus specific tests. The camera is capable to discover and track people with higher body temperature among crowded public areas and it can be widely used in places such as office buildings, terminals, customs, airports, schools and hospitals to do a first inspection. Besides this camera the portfolio also shows a portable version for scanning and measuring the body temperature when crew or visitors are boarding a vessel. ______"My daughter went to a local McDonalds and ordered a burger. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.'

He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg." Happened in Surfer's Paradise. ______35 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Norsepower unveils first tiltable rotor sail installation with Sea-Cargo agreement Norsepower unveils first tiltable rotor sail installation with Sea- Cargo agreement Two of Norsepower’s largest 35m tall Rotor Sails to be retrofitted onto Ro-Ro operating in the North Sea are predicted to reduce emissions by an estimated 25% Norsepower Oy Ltd., the leading global provider of auxiliary wind propulsion systems, and SEA-CARGO, leading logistics provider in the North Sea market, today announced an agreement to install two of Norsepower’s largest Rotor Sails on board the SC Connector, a sidedoor Ro-Ro. The agreement also heralds the installation of the world’s first tiltable Rotor Sail, showcasing the innovative design adaptations that can be made for individual vessel requirements. Norsepower unveils first tiltable rotor sail installation with Sea-Cargo agreement The SC Connector, a 12,251 gross tonne (GT) Ro-Ro cargo vessel operates in the North Sea, which allows for some of the most favourable wind conditions for Rotor Sails. The routes involve navigating under multiple bridges and powerlines which require the Rotor Sails to have a tilting function. Working in tandem, Norsepower and SEA-CARGO combined their expertise to develop the 35m high and 5m wide Rotor Sails to enable them to tilt to almost horizontal when required. The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution - which can be installed on new vessels or retrofitted on existing ships - is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor, a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to thrust a ship. Preparations for the retrofit on the SC Connector are currently taking place with the installation scheduled for Q4 2020. With growing international and public pressure on the maritime industry to move towards decarbonisation, the ability to harness the wind to generate thrust, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, is a natural next step for the maritime transport industry. Norsepower has analysed the routes for the SC Connector and estimates that its technology would be able to achieve a carbon emissions reduction of 25% for this vessel. Commenting on the agreement, Tuomas Riski, CEO, Norsepower, said: “We are delighted to be working with SEA-CARGO, not only as they are keen to demonstrate their commitment to maximising the propulsive power of wind to reduce emissions, but also for their cooperation and innovation in making tilting Rotor Sails a realisation. Rotor Sails are particularly well suited to Ro-Ro vessels and working with SEA-CARGO to deliver a tilting Rotor Sail ensures we are providing an adaptable solution which fits with particular vessel requirements, specifically demonstrating vessels with height restrictions to benefit from the Rotor Sail solution. Ole Sævild, Managing Director, SEA-CARGO, added: “With a growing international focus on reducing CO2 emissions and other gases/particles - the ability to harness wind to generate energy, reduce fuel consumption and emissions is a natural next step for the maritime transport industry. The goal of this project has been to design more environmentally friendly vessels by combining several existing technologies. In good wind conditions, the sailing hybrid vessel will maintain regular service speed by sail alone.” The Norsepower Rotor Sail is the first third-party verified and commercially operational auxiliary wind propulsion technology for the global maritime industry. The solution is fully automated and detects whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel and emission savings, at which point the Rotor Sails start automatically. ______"When my husband and I arrived at a car dealer to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'it's open !' His reply, 'I know - Ive already done that side.' Happened at the FORD dealership, Dubbo ______

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14 missing after Philippines sea collision Philippine rescuers were searching Monday for 14 people missing after a local fishing boat collided with a cargo ship, authorities said. The boats crashed early Sunday in waters southwest of Manila, capsizing the Philippine fishing vessel Liberty 5 off the coast of Occidental Mindoro province. The captain of the cargo ship VIENNA WOOD, which is registered in Hong Kong, called for help "a few hours later" and the vessel was being escorted to land by the Philippine Coast Guard, said agency spokesman Commodore Armando Balilo. It was not immediately clear if the LIBERTY 5 had sunk. Philippine authorities deployed aircraft and ships in the hunt for the missing people, who included 12 Filipino crew members and two passengers. Strong ocean currents interrupted the search Sunday evening, but operations resumed early Monday. The Philippines has a poor shipping safety record, with scores dying in mishaps at sea each year, usually aboard wooden- hulled outriggers that move people from one small island to another. There have also been incidents allegedly linked with maritime disputes. In June last year, a Chinese fishing trawler hit a Filipino boat near Reed Bank, an area of the South China Sea within Manila's territory but which is also claimed by Beijing. Vietnamese fishermen rescued 22 Filipinos after that collision, which left President Rodrigo Duterte facing accusations of defending Beijing. Duterte has tried to downplay the case, calling it an "accident" and accepting Beijing's offer to conduct a joint investigation ______Shortening vessel voyages through the Strait of Malacca In January this year the Thai house of Rep. initiated a committee to discuss the construction of a canal shortening vessel voyages through the Strait of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping choke points on the planet. The $25 billion project comes with a series of conflict, especially from #Singapore and #Malaysia as a canal could have economic ramifications on their ports. It will be interesting to see if this plan takes further action or not. 3 southernmost provinces of Thailand are culturally more related to Malaysia than Thailand mainland. The cutting will harm the unrest in the southern provinces of Thailand. But for the canal building itself, I believe the Kingdom of Thailand has the right to do so. They build it in their own territory. If Singapore complains about their country's interest will be disturbed, Singapore itself has done the same terrible things by tricking other SEAsian developing countries to sell them soil very cheap price in order to enlarge their territory. In Indonesia, what Singapore had ever done had caused numbers of islands in Riau Islands Province got destroyed and drown. Indonesia no longer sells soil to Singapore, but now they "harass" Vietnam and Cambodia for the same interest. ______37 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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A golfer is in a competitive match with a friend, who is ahead by a couple of strokes. "Boy, I’d give anything to sink this putt", the golfer mumbles to himself.

Just then, some stranger walks up beside him and whispers, “Would you be willing to give up a quarter of your sex life to sink the putt?"

Thinking the man is crazy and his answer will be meaningless, the golfer also feels that maybe this is a good omen, so he says, "Sounds good to me," and promptly sinks the putt!

Two holes later, he mumbles to himself again, "Gosh, I wish I could get an eagle on this one."

The same stranger is suddenly at his side again and whispers, “Would it be worth giving up another quarter of your sex life to make an eagle?"

Shrugging, the golfer replies, "Okay." And, amazingly, he makes the eagle.

On the final hole, the golfer needs another eagle to win. Without waiting for him to say anything, the stranger quickly moves to his side and says, “Could winning this match be worth giving up the rest of your sex life?

"Definitely," the golfer replies, and sure enough he makes the eagle and wins the match.

As the golfer is walking to the club house, the stranger walks along beside him and says, "I haven't really been fair with you because you don't know who I am. I’m Satan, and from this day forward you really will have no sex life at all."

“Nice to meet you," the golfer replies. "I'm Father O'Malley.” ______Two Aussies were out hunting in the outback and came upon a huge hole in the ground. They approached it and were amazed at its size and depth.

The first said, "Wow, that's some hole. I can't even see the bottom. I wonder how deep it is."

The second said, “There's an old gear box over there. Let’s throw it in and see how long it takes to hit bottom.”

Despite it being very heavy, they picked up the gear box, carried it over to the hole, counted one-two- three, and heaved it in.

As they were standing there looking over the edge of the hole, a goat come crashing through the underbrush, ran up to the hole and without hesitation, jumped in head first.

They were so mystified by this that they stood staring at each other in amazement and peered into the hole, trying to figure out what that was all about.

Just then an old farmer sauntered up. "Say, you fellers didn't happen to see my goat?"

The first hunter said, "Funny you should ask. We were just standing here a minute ago, and a goat came running out of the bushes doing about a hundred miles an hour and jumped head first into this here hole!"

The old farmer said, "Naw, that's impossible! I had him chained to an old gear box." ______38 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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Indonesian seaman Nur, 13 months onboard and no idea when his relief is

coming.

______

I went to the chemist and asked the girl behind the counter for "3 packets of condoms, please."

Lady assistant: "Do you need a paper bag with that, sir?"

I said "No... She's pretty good looking....." When you're seventy...... who cares? ______39 MNA CIRCULAR 2020 - #14 29th July 2020

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______Just Giving & The Merchant Navy Association We are pleased to say we are now able to offer our supporters the facility to make donations via our Just Giving page. This is a secure means of making payments and enables us to claim Gift Aid from the Treasury. Go to www.justgiving.com Click on ‘Search' at the top right- hand side and type in Merchant Navy Association. ______

That’s all from me now folks.

Stay Safe Shipmates

Good Health, Fair Winds and Calm Seas. Take Care.

Yours Aye, Malcolm

Malcolm Mathison National Vice-Chairman Merchant Navy Association Tel: 01472 277 266 Mob: 07831 622 312 Email: [email protected] www.mna.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1135661

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