MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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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 #21 was published 24th November 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 Chairman, Malcolm Mathison - Mobile: 07831 622 312 Email: [email protected]

Secretary, David Parsons Tel: 01935 414 765 Email: [email protected]

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

Membership, Roy Glencross - Mobile: 07738 425 875 Email: [email protected]

MNA Slop Chest, The Supply Officer:- Sandra Broom Tel 0121 244 0190 [email protected]

Full Ahead Editor, Sandra Turner, [email protected] Tel 01889 585 588

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]

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The Battle of the River Plate – fast German pocket battleship Graf Spee – dying hours ______1 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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The Merchant Navy Association Bringing Seafarers past & present together Through meetings and communications Comradeship and Support for all seafarers Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets For information visit our website www.mna.org.uk ______

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The Mariner's Mirror Podcast – The Society for Nautical Research

Great Sea Fights 1: The Battle of the River Plate

This week we launched the first episodes in a new 'Great Sea Fights' series of the Mariner's Mirror Podcast, timed for the anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate of December 1939.

Episode 1: The Dispatches Part 1 This episode launches our Great Sea Fights series. Dr Sam Willis begins with a brief overview of seapower at the start of the Second World War before introducing the battle. An account is then read, first gathered together by the Admiralty from the official dispatches of the Royal Naval squadron in the immediate aftermath of the battle. The Battle of the River Plate was one of the most iconic battles of the Second World War. The immensely powerful and fast German pocket battleship Graf Spee was hunted by a squadron of far smaller British cruisers and found off the River Plate in South America. She never returned home.

Episode 2: The Dispatches Part 2 The account continues, first gathered together by the Admiralty from the official dispatches of the Royal Naval squadron in the immediate aftermath of the battle. We have reached a crucial stage in the battle: The Graf Spee has been found near the River Plate in South America and battle has broken out. The engagement is evolving at immense speed. The Graf Spee is damaged, zigzagging to keep out of harm and throwing up smokescreens. One of the three British ships, HMS Exeter, is disabled and has ceased firing. The two remaining British ships are operating at full speed to close the range with the German ship.

Episode 3 - Analysis This episode finishes the first story in our new ‘Great Sea Fights’ series. In this episode Dr Sam Willis speaks to Professor Eric Grove, author of The Price of Disobedience: The Battle of the River Plate 2 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Reconsidered The Price of Disobedience: The Battle of the River Plate Reconsidered who offers an analysis of the battle. Why was the Graf Spee in South America? What were the tactical advantages of the German pocket battleship? How did the smaller, faster British ships maximise their capabilities? Why was the battle so important at the time and what was its longer-term legacy?

You can find the podcast via any podcast app on a smartphone, on the publisher's website and now on our own website on the new dedicated podcast page.

How can you help? Please share links to the podcast on all social media - if you do, we will give you a shout out on the next podcast!

If you have an iPhone please 'rate' the podcast with lots of stars on the Apple podcast app/iTunes and if you have time, please also leave a review. You can find the podcast here on iTunes. It is enormously important at this stage to get as many ratings and reviews as possible!

Best Wishes, Sam ______NEW TUGS FOR THE PORT OF GERALDTON Australian Minister For Ports Alannah MacTiernan visited the Port of Geraldton to announce three new port user agreements with Mid West Ports Authority, boosting iron ore and mineral sands exports from Geraldton by around 2 million tonnes per annum over the next year. To help facilitate the expansion, Minister MacTiernan also welcomed the arrival of the first of three state-of-the-art tugs at the Port of Geraldton - the SVITZER NORTH. SVITZER NORTH was named in honour of Martin North, a highly regarded harbour master bth locally and within the broader shipping industry. In November 2019, MWPA and Svitzerau collaborated to run a naming competition for the new tugs. The winning names were SVITZER NORTH , SVITZER WILU (a Yamaji word for sea, seaside or saltwater) and SVITZER ABROLHOS, recognising our islands and the maritime history. ______Shipmates Reunited On behalf of John Flynn who served as 2nd Engineer on SS Denby Grange 1967/8 and was present at the Tet offensive in Vietnam he would love to hear from any former shipmates. Thanks. Joan Woolard Joan Woolard Gmail ( [email protected] ) ______IMO condemns ‘no crew change’ clauses in charterparties CERTAIN charterers are demanding the inclusion of “no crew change” clauses in charterparties, which means no crew changes can occur whilst the charterer’s cargo is on board the vessel. The International Maritime Organization’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team said it has been made aware of such additions to employment agreements in recent weeks, while the International Maritime Employers’ Council highlighted the issue in late October. Read more at https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1135196/IMO-condemns-no-crew-change-clauses- in-charterparties ______

3 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Maersk container ship attacked and boarded By : Mikhail Voytenko

The MAERSK CADIZ was attacked at around 1400 UTC Dec 19 in Gulf of Guinea south of Bonny, Nigeria. Container ship MAERSK CADIZ is most probably, the target. Her track and timeline coincide with attack position and time. She was probably boarded, AIS was off for some time, reappeared at 1515 UTC, the ship being dead in the water. MAERSK CADIZ is en route from Tema Ghana to Kribi Cameroon. Most likely, situation is developing, waiting for ship’s ID confirmation and updates. All 21 crew have been confirmed as safe, and the vessel has been secured, a Maersk spokeswoman said. The ship resumed sailing at around 1015 UTC, escorted by security boat. Still no details, except that allegedly, the crew mustered in citadel and waited out the attack. Considering the fact that it’s a container ship, pirates could target not crew but some cargo. The ship (confirmed it’s MAERSK CADIZ) was boarded and is still adrift, with at least 2 navy/security boats at her side. Definitely, the ship was affected by pirates attack, but what is the character of problems the ship encountered, is yet unknown, including crew fate and present condition.Container ship MAERSK CADIZ, IMO 9526459, dwt 65458, capacity 4496 TEU, built 2013, flag Singapore, manager MAERSK (EQUASIS). Source : Maritime Bulletin ______Panama registry and crew endorsement now available on the net THE first official online portal for Panama registry, crew endorsement and other Panama maritime services is now available on the web. The online portal is a joint project by the Panama Embassy in Singapore and Singapore-based Marine Online to digitise and simplify the Panama registry and endorsement services application process. Shipowners and manning agencies can use the brand-new application system, which provides a significant reduction in travelling and waiting time required to visit the embassy to authenticate certificates. Applications can now be submitted along with the supporting documents at www.marineonline.com/panama electronically. Upon submission, applicants may make payments, track their progress and receive electronic certificates directly from Panama Embassy. Application history would be kept for up to seven years. All documentation is processed directly by the Panama Embassy in Singapore, making it the first and only official online portal for Panama Maritime Services. Applicants worldwide, especially areas more severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, may use this portal to apply or renew their certificates without worrying about travel restrictions or shutdowns. Ambassador and Consul General of the Republic of Panama to Singapore, Luis Alberto Melo, said: "In the face of a changing landscape, it is crucial to accelerate our level of services to interoperate for greater optimisation and automation as the next big leap. "Our partnership with Marine Online (MOL) will allow us to enhance our services through the platform and connect us to our customers in real-time. Our future-ready solutions will also enable new opportunities for us to promote our maritime services and maintain our position as the World's leader in the marine industry." Yang Ling, the CEO of Marine Online, a B2B e-commerce platform for shipping services that includes chartering, bunkering, crewing, port agency, ship supply, ship purchase & sell, and other marine services, said: "By unifying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Advanced eCommerce Technologies, we aim to digitalise data and elevate procurement efficiency for sustainable growth in the digital economy, for the maritime industry. I am positive that our exclusive partnership with the Consul- General Embassy of Panama, will rejuvenate the maritime shipping space with renewed optimism." Source : Schednet ______4 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Slavery on the high seas: 26% of industrial fishing fleet uses forced labor Fishing vessels with crews of forced laborers behave in systematically different ways to the rest of the global fleet, according to a study purporting to be the first to remotely identify vessels potentially engaged in modern slavery. Using satellite data, machine learning and on-the-ground expertise from human rights practitioners, U.S. The Chinese fishing vessel FU YUAN YU 7868 inbound for researchers found up to 26% of Singapore Western immigration anchorage about 16,000 industrial fishing Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) vessels analyzed were at high risk of using forced labor. As many as 100,000 people are estimated to work on these high-risk vessels, many of whom are potential victims of forced labor. The study also showed where these high-risk vessels fished and the ports they visited. “While these estimates are shocking, and indicate an alarming pervasiveness of forced labor in global fisheries, they likely underrepresent the full extent of the problem,” said lead author Gavin McDonald, a project researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “Our findings can advance understanding of this largely hidden issue and support global efforts to combat this humanitarian tragedy,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. International media has shone a spotlight on forced labor in the world’s fishing fleet, but the extent of the problem has largely been unknown. Forced labor, restriction of movement, debt bondage, and poor working conditions are increasingly recognized as part of a human rights crisis in the fisheries sector. “The study may help to expose widespread practice of labor abuses, human trafficking and slavery on the high seas, affecting hundreds of thousands of fishers on board big industrial fishing vessels,” said Rossen Karavatchev from the International Transport Workers’ Federation. Merry Christmas from the SHOREWAY crew operating in Kitimat-Canada The U.N. International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates 16 million people were victims of forced labor in 2016, with 11% in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The research team compiled 27 different vessel behaviors and characteristics that might indicate forced labor on board and can be observed using satellite monitoring data from Global Fishing Watch, a non-profit that tracks fishing operations. The study found the key indicators to distinguish high-risk vessels included traveling further from ports, higher engine power, more fishing hours per day, more time spent fishing on high seas, and fewer fishing voyages in a year than other boats. High-risk vessels visited ports predominantly in Africa, Asia and South America, although exceptions include Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and several European countries. The report, which was published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), contributes to an escalating trend of using remote sensing to shed light on social and human rights challenges. Merry Christmas from the WATERWAY Remote sensing has been used to detect forced labor in other sectors, but those analyzes use satellite imagery of static infrastructure such as brick kilns and fish processing plants which are known to be associated with forced labor. Satellite imagery has also been used to map rural populations in marginalized communities, and detect poverty by using nighttime lighting as an indicator for household wealth. ALP KEEPER crew wishing you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year “The study is a ‘win’ in giving anti-trafficking actors a new tool with which to identify the ships enslaving migrant fishers,” said Mark Taylor, an independent consultant on human trafficking issues and former U.S. State Department official “But it cannot solve the whole problem, and fighting trafficking on fishing boats is made tougher because establishing the jurisdiction of the crime is often very difficult.” Source : portandterminal / Reuters Reporting by Nanchanok Wongsamuth @nanchanokw; Editing by Belinda Goldsmith ______Sweden aims to allow probe into deadly 1994 Estonia ferry disaster ______5 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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ZIRK BOTHA ENROUTE FROM CAPE TOWN TO RIO IN BRAZIL For those who would like to follow ex South African Naval Officer and now adventurer Zirk Botha, he is rowing single handed from Cape Town South Africa to Rio in Brazil. He left from the Kommetjie slipway on the West Coast of Cape Town at 08h00 (GMT+2) Saturday morning. His position is updated every 24 hours. https://trackamap.com/row2rio2020

Another hazard to watch out for ______Russian Trawler Sinks in Barents Sea with 17 Missing Reuters December 28, 2020 By Maria Kiselyova and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) – A Russian fishing trawler capsized and sank in the freezing waters of the northern Barents Sea on Monday, with 17 of its 19 crew members feared dead. The Emergency Situations Ministry attributed the sinking to a heavy build-up of ice on the trawler, which sank off the coast of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. It said two crew members had been rescued by another fishing boat in the area and that searches to try to recover the rest of the crew were ongoing. “Chances of survival in such conditions, even if someone was wearing a wet suit, are practically zero,” a source familiar with the situation told the Interfax news agency, citing high winds, a storm, and an air temperature of around minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit). Ships from Russia’s Northern Fleet were headed to the area to try to look for survivors, Interfax said. The Investigative Committee, the body that probes major crimes, said it was trying to determine whether the sinking was linked to violations of maritime safety regulations. It said all scenarios were under consideration. A military plane was sent to the area to support rescue efforts, TASS cited the defense ministry as saying. Rescue ships are facing temperatures of around minus 20C and waves of around four meters high (13 feet), the Emergency Situations Ministry said. A port official in the city of Murmansk told the TASS news agency that one crew member had already been found dead in Arctic waters. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber Editing by Andrew Osborn and Peter Graff) (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. ______Two charged over security incident on oil tanker off coast of Isle of Wight Special forces boarded the ship late at night to regain control after crew members raised the alarm. Two men have been charged over a security incident on board an oil tanker off the coast of the Isle of Wight. Matthew John Okorie, 25, and Sunday Sylvester, 22, have been charged with conduct endangering ships following the incident on 25 October. Five other men, who were arrested on suspicion of seizing or exercising control of a ship by use of threats or force, remain on bail as a police investigation continues. The NAVE ANDROMEDA oil tanker raised the alarm to authorities after crew members found suspected stowaways on board, and a three-mile exclusion zone was set up around the vessel. The ship had been bound for Southampton after setting sail from Lagos in Nigeria. A Royal Navy operation was successfully launched to regain control of the vessel, with 16 Special Boat Service (SBS) commandoes boarding the ship late at night.The ordeal was over in seven minutes - ending a 10-hour stand-off - according to maritime risk expert Chris Parry No crew members were injured during the incident. The ship later reached port in Southampton. The two men appeared at Southampton Magistrates Court this morning and will be at Southampton Crown Court on 29 January. Source : Skynews ______

6 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Engine fire on Maersk Elba On Dec 26 at 2.50 local time the 13.600 TEU Danish containervessel MAERSK ELBA reported a fire in the engine room, while enroute from Colombo to Felixstowe. All crew is safe and accounted for. The vessel is now safe at anchor south of Portugal. Maersk have confirm that File photo of the MAERSK ELBA Firefighting was quickly initiated and the fire extinguished. departing from Singapore Pasir Panjang “The safety and health of our people remain our main Container terminal via the Sinki Fairway priority and work is ongoing we are doing our utmost to Photo : Piet Sinke provide the best possible support to the vessel”, Mikkel www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) Elbek Linnet, Maersk Press Officer, told Maritime Denmark. MAERSK ELBA was built in 2011 and is flying the Danish flag. Source : Maritime Denmark ______Rena Shipwreck Survey 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ-A5io_SHA&feature=youtu.be ______Brittany Ferries welcomes Brexit deal Brittany Ferries welcomes news that a Brexit trade deal has finally been agreed. The detail within the agreement needs to be scrutinised carefully of course. But the very fact that a deal has been struck will come as a relief to transporters and companies which rely on the cross-channel links guaranteed by companies like Brittany Ferries. Just as importantly, the news serves as a much-needed tonic for holiday makers who Brittany Ferries COTENTIN arriving in may have delayed plans for a 2021 summer holiday while Le Havre - Photo : Fabien Montreuil © awaiting an end to Brexit uncertainty. Alongside the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines early next year, a trade deal therefore hints at brighter skies ahead, following devastating storms of 2020. Brittany Ferries operates from three ports in the UK, Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth. It serves five destinations in France and two in northern Spain and operates routes connecting Ireland with France and Spain. Eighty five percent of the company’s passengers are British. In a normal, non-Covid year, the company carries around 2.5 million passengers and more than 200,000 freight units. Source : portnews ______Former Royal Caribbean Ship Empress of the Seas Sold to Indian Startup Royal Caribbean International's EMPRESS OF THE SEAS may be heading to a new cruise line based in India, according to a press release from Cordelia Cruises which said it had bought the ship. Of note, the news statement quotes Jurgen Bailom, president and CEO of Cordelia Cruises. Bailom was most recently the head of Jalesh Cruises, overseeing an aggressive cruise line launch in India. Bailom said in the press release: "It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt Ltd. that recently acquired over the Jalesh Cruises brand, has decided to further capitalize the immense potential of cruising by entering in the Indian market with the EMPRESS OF THE SEAS, that belonged to the global giant Royal Caribbean International until recently. With an individual capacity of 2,000 passengers, she has sailed many coastlines and high seas in her glorious past. I look forward to your support in continuing the legacy of Jalesh Cruises in upholding the spirit, culture, and value of "Incredible India" and being the evangelist of Joy by curating memorable cruise holidays that delight customers." Another company executive, Gunjan Khanna Sr., was quoted on LinkedIn mentioning the new cruise line was also in discussions to buy a second ship. If Cordella has indeed acquired the 1990-built Empress, Royal Caribbean has been able to sell the ship into a non-competing market in a key strategic move. Jalesh Cruises shut down operations earlier this year, with its one ship, the KARNIKA sold for scrap. Source: cruiseindustrynews ______

7 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Corrosion-resistant steels for cargo oil tanks Crude oil is a complex mixture of substances at varying ratios and in most cases contains at least some salt water. Even after desalination some of this brine remains dissolved in the crude and gradually sinks to the bottom of the cargo oil tank during transport. The corrosive nature of salt, along with microorganisms and other aggressive substances contained in the cargo oil, causes rust, most notably in the form of pitting, which are cavities in the steel that deepen over time. Double-hull tankers are more prone to pitting “Pitting corrosion is typically found in the bottom area of cargo oil tanks,” explains Dr Eva Junghans, Senior Principal Engineer and Lead of Practice Materials & Welding and Additive Manufacturing at DNV GL. “Above the cargo surface, especially on the underside of the upper deck, corrosion tends to be more evenly spread,” the expert continues. “It is primarily caused by aggressive chemicals contained in the inert gas, which is flue gas from auxiliary engines pumped into the cargo tanks to prevent an explosion of fumes rising up from the cargo.” While in the single-hull tankers of the past the cooling effect of the seawater slowed down bacterial growth by keeping the cargo relatively cool, the double hull of compliant modern tankers insulates the cargo from the low temperature of the seawater. As a result, the cargo stays relatively warm, providing ideal conditions for corrosion- causing microorganisms to thrive. Pitting therefore progresses rapidly on an unprotected tank bottom, weakening the metal and risking cargo loss, structural damage and environmental pollution. “The traditional way to prevent pitting and general corrosion has been to apply specially formulated coatings to the affected surfaces,” says Dr Junghans. “This is an expensive, time-consuming process that needs to be supervised to ensure proper execution. What is more, protective coatings typically have to be renewed from time to time.”

Corrosion-resistant steel – a proven alternative approach These well-known facts prompted three Japanese steel manufacturers – JFE Steel Corporation, Nippon Steel Corporation and Kobe Steel, Ltd. – to submit a proposal to IMO to accept the use of corrosion- resistant steels as an alternative method of preventing corrosion in crude oil tanks. Following thorough discussion, IMO issued its new ‘Performance Standard for Alternative Means of Corrosion Protection for Cargo Oil Tanks of Crude Oil Tankers’ as an extension of the Performance Standards for Protective Coatings (PSPC) in 2010. Research performed over a ten-year period by JFE Steel Corporation in a crude oil tanker delivered in 2008 confirmed that the corrosion-resistant steel dramatically reduced both pitting corrosion and general surface corrosion compared to uncoated conventional steel. Various other vessels featuring cargo tanks fitted with these advanced steels have been in operation since the new IMO PSPC standard came into effect and have demonstrated vastly improved corrosion resistance. The technology can thus be considered as validated. New notation COAT-PSPC(CA) confirms compliance DNV GL has since revised its relevant ship construction rules to incorporate corrosion-resistant steels for cargo tanks, and recently added the new classifier “CA” (for “corrosion protection by alternate means”) to its 8 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

The Pulse existing corrosion protection class notation. Announced in July 2020, the new notation COAT-PSPC(CA) confirms a ship’s compliance with the corrosion protection requirements for cargo oil tanks of crude oil tankers, by application of approved corrosion-resistant steel grades in one of the following areas of a cargo tank: a) Lower surface of the strength deck and surrounding structures (RCU) b) Upper surface of the inner bottom plating and surrounding structures (RCB) c) Both the strength deck and the inner bottom plating (RCW) Besides using the approved steel grades, the notation also implies the use of appropriate, approved welding consumables to join the plates. Compliance with both requirements must be substantiated by submitting specific documentation. The class notation will enter into force six months after publication of the rules, i.e. in January 2021. Eliminating the cost of coating Opting for corrosion-resistant steels in the corrosion-prone areas of crude oil tanks offers various benefits to owners and charterers as well as shipyards. One example is to eliminate the cost of coating and shortening the time it takes to complete a newbuild in the yard. Furthermore, no coatings need to be reapplied to the relevant tank wall areas over the lifetime of the vessel since the IMO performance standard assumes a useful life of 25 years of the cargo oil tank (COT) steel until its thickness is reduced beyond acceptable levels. Owners who choose this class notation can demonstrate to cargo owners that their crude oil tankers have a lower risk of tank bottom or wall failure, cargo loss and environmental pollution, thereby enhancing confidence in their ships. Approved steel grades enhance customer confidence DNV GL has approved all corrosion-resistant steel grades developed by the three Japanese steelmakers according to the IMO standard and the corresponding DNV GL standard, DNVGL-CP-0429. The Tokyo head office of JFE Steel Corporation commented: “Receiving approval from DNV GL, a world-leading classification society, for our corrosion-resistant steels is a milestone for us. Corrosion-resistant steels have not been so popular among oil majors and Euro-American operators of crude oil tankers, although these steels have already been well adopted for use in cargo oil tanks of crude oil tankers operated by Japanese operators for Japanese oil companies. However, DNV GL’s approval for our corrosion-resistant steels raises awareness among oil majors and Euro-American operators as an alternative means to meet the IMO standard.” Several Chinese steelmakers have since requested approval from DNV GL for their COT steels. Source: DNV GL ______Littlestone lifeboat station welcome their brand new lifeboat By : Sam Williams A new faster and more durable lifeboat has arrived on Romney Marsh to help volunteers continue to save lives at sea. Originally due to arrive in March, the Atlantic 85 was delivered to Littlestone Lifeboat Station earlier this month from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where it was built. The boat is named after JEAN McIVOR, who left the RNLI a generous legacy of £600,000 which paid for the new boat and will help run the station. Mrs McIvor, from Middlesex, died in October 2017 and was a radar operator for the Women's Royal Air Force during the Second World War. She was also the River Thames Punting Champion from 1947-50. The new Atlantic 85 will eventually take over operational duties from Littlestone's existing lifeboat, the Atlantic 75 FRED CLARKE. There are two types of B class lifeboat - the Atlantic 75 and the Atlantic 85, named after Atlantic College in Wales where these rigid inflatable lifeboats (RIBs) were first developed. The 75 and 85 represent the lengths of the lifeboats, nearly 7.5m and 8.5m respectively. Source : Kentonline ______

9 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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ONE to Charter World’s Largest Containerships at 24,000+ TEU Mike Schuler December 28, 2020 Japan-based shipping line Ocean Network Express has announced plans for the long-term charter of the world’s largest containerships. The company has signed a Letter of Intent with shipowner Shoei Kisen Kaisha to charter six Ultra Large Container Ships newbuilds with capacity of more than 24,000 TEU, each for a period of 15 years. The newbuildings are planned to be built by the consortium of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Japan Marine United Corporation and the company expect to take delivery in 2023 and 2024. “This new class of ships will join our core fleet and forms part of our ongoing strategy to introduce large, modern, and fuel-efficient vessels to further strengthen our fleet competitiveness,” ONE said in a statement. With capacity exceeding 24,000 twenty-foot units, the new ships will likely be the largest in the world, just slightly larger than the current titleholders: HMM of South Korea’s twelve 23,964 TEU newbuilds which kicked off with delivery of HMM Algeciras in April. ONE says the new ships will feature a state-of-the-art hull design that aims to maximize cargo intake and minimize fuel consumption. The vessels will also be equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems, aka scrubbers, to meet the emissions regulations of IMO. “This initiative represents ONE’s ongoing efforts to offer more competitive and best-in-class services to our customers through the introduction of ULCS that have a decreased environmental impact. It reaffirms our commitment to operational excellence, business sustainability and environmental protection,” ONE said. Ocean Network Express, or ONE, was formed in 2017 through the combination of Japan’s three biggest container shipping lines; NYK Line, “K” Line and MOL. It kicked off operations in 2018 as the world’s sixth largest container shipping company and controlled a fleet of about 224 vessels vessels with a combined capacity of 1,590,000 TEU as of January 2020. This includes seven 14,000 TEU newbuilds which were ordered after the integration of the companies. These included the ONE Apus which earlier this month lost a 1,816 containers overboard in Pacific Ocean. *This article was originally published December 27, 2020 ______Captain Boots of the China station

A story by Somerset Maugham

SHIPS' captains for the most part are very dull men. Their conversation is of freights and cargoes. They have seen little more in the ports they visit than their agent's office, the bar which their kind frequents, and the bawdy houses. They owe the glamour of romance which their connection with the sea has cast over them to the imagination of the landsman. To them the sea is a means of livelihood and they know it, as an engine-driver knows his engine, from a standpoint which is aridly practical. They are men, working men, of a narrow outlook, with small education for the most part and little culture; they are all of a piece, and they have neither subtlety nor imagination. Straightforward, courageous, honest, and reliable, they stand four-square on the immutability of the obvious; and they are definite: they are placed in their surroundings like the objects in a stereoscopic photograph so that you seem to see all round them. They offer themselves to you with salient traits.

But no one could have adhered less to type than Captain Boots. He was the master of a little Chinese steamer on the Upper Yangtze and because I was his only passenger we spent a good deal of time in one another's company. But though he was fluent of speech, garrulous even, I see him shadowly; and he remains in my mind indistinctly. I suppose it is on account of his elusiveness that he engages my imagination. There was certainly nothing elusive in his appearance. He was a big man, six foot two, powerfully built, with large features and a red, friendly face. When he laughed he showed a row of handsome gold teeth. He was very bald, and clean-shaven; but he had the most bushy, abundant, and aggressive eyebrows that I have ever seen, and under them mild blue eyes. He was a Dutchman and 10 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

The Pulse though he had left Holland when he was eight, he still spoke with an accent. He could not pronounce th, but always made it d. His father, a fisherman who sailed his own schooner on the Zuyder Zee, hearing that fishing was good in Newfoundland, had set out with his wife and his two sons across the broad Atlantic. After some years there and in Hudson's Bay -- all this was hard on half a century ago -- they had sailed round the Horn for the Behring Straits. They hunted seal until the law stepped in to save the beasts they were exterminating, and then Boots, a man now and a brave one, God knows, sailed here and there, as third, then as second mate, on sailing vessels. He had been almost all his life in sail and now on a steamer could not make himself at home.

"It's only in a sailing boat you get comfort," he said. "Dere's no comfort anywhere when you got steam."

He had been all along the coast of South America after nitrates, then to the west coast of Africa, then again, fishing cod off the coast of Maine, to America; and after that with cargoes of salt fish to Spain and Portugal. A tavern acquaintance in Manila suggested that he should try the Chinese Customs. He went to Hong-Kong, where he was taken on as a tide-waiter, and presently was put in command of a steam launch. He spent three years, chasing the opium smugglers, and then, having saved a little money, built himself a forty-five ton schooner with which he determined to go to the Behring Straits and try his luck again with the seal fishery.

"But I guess my crew got scared," he said. "When I got to Shanghai they deserted and I couldn't get no oder, so I had to sell de boat and I shipped on a Vessel what was going to Vancouver."

It was then he first left the sea. He met a man who was pushing a patent hay-fork and this he agreed to take round the States. It was a queer occupation for a sailor-man, and it was not a successful one, for at Salt Lake City, the firm that employed him having gone bankrupt, he found himself stranded. Somehow or other he got back to Vancouver, but he was taken with the idea of life ashore, and he found work with an estateagent. It was his duty to take the purchasers of land to their plots and if they were not satisfied persuade them that they need not regret their bargain.

"We sold one fellow a farm on de side of a mountain," he said, his blue eyes twinkling at the recollection, "an' it was so steep dat de chickens had one leg longer dan de oder."

After five years he had the idea that he would like to go back to China. He had no difficulty in getting a job as mate of a ship sailing west and soon he was at the old life once more. Since then he had been on most of the China runs, from Vladivostok to Shanghai, from Amoy to Manila, and on all the big rivers; on steamers now, rising from second to first mate, and at last, on Chinese owned ships, to master. He talked willingly of his plans for the future. He had been in China long enough, and he hankered after a farm on the Fraser River. He would build himself a boat and do a bit of fishing, salmon and halibut.

"It's time I settled down," he said. "Fifty-dree years I've been to sea. An' I shouldn't wonder but what I did a bit of boat building too. I'm not one to stick to one ding."

There he was right and this restlessness of his translated itself into a curious indecision of character. There was something fluid about him so that you did not know where to take hold of him. He reminded you of a scene of mist and rain in a Japanese print where the design, barely suggested, almost escapes you. He had a peculiar gentleness which was somewhat unexpected in the rough old salt.

"I don't want to offend anyone," he said. "Treat 'em kindly, dat's what I try to do. If people won't do what you want talk to 'em nicely, persuade 'em. Dere's no need to be nasty. Try what coaxing do."

It was a principle which it was unusual to find used with the Chinese, and I do not know that it answered very well, for after some difficulty he would come into the cabin, wave his hands, and say:

11 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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"I can do noding wid dem. Dey won't listen to reason."

And then his moderation looked very like weakness. But he was no fool. He had a sense of humour. At one place we were drawing over seven feet and since the river at its shallowest was barely that and the course was dangerous the harbour authorities would not give us our papers till part of the cargo was unloaded. It was the ship's last trip and she was carrying the pay of regiments stationed several days down stream. The military governor refused to let the ship start unless the bullion was taken.

"I guess I got to do what you tell me," said Captain Boots to the harbour master.

"You don't get your papers till I see the five foot mark above the water," answered the harbour master.

"I'll tell the compradore to take out some of dat silver."

He took the harbour master up to the Customs Club and stood him drinks while this was being done. He drank with him for four hours, and when he returned he walked as steadily as when he went. But the harbour-master was drunk.

"Ah, I see dey've got it down two foot," said Captain Boots. "Dat's all right den."

The harbour-master looked at the numbers on the ship's side and sure enough the five foot mark was at the water's edge.

"That's good," he said. "And now you can go."

"I'll be off right away," said the captain.

Not a pound of cargo had been removed, but an astute Chinaman had neatly repainted the numbers.

And later when mutinous regiments with an eye on the silver we carried sought to prevent us from leaving one of the riverside cities he showed an agreeable firmness. His equable temper was tried and he said:

"No one's going to make me stay where I don't want to. I'm de master of dis ship and I'm de man what gives de orders. I'm going."

The agitated compradore said the military would fire if we attempted to move. An officer uttered a command and the soldiers, going down on one knee, levelled their rifles. Captain Boots looked at them.

"Put down de bullet proof screen," he said. "I tell you I'm going and de Chinese army can go to hell."

He gave his orders to raise the anchor and at the same time the officer gave the order to fire. Captain Boots stood on his bridge, a somewhat grotesque figure, for in his old blue jersey, with his red face and burly frame, he looked the very image of those ancient fishermen that you see lounging about Grimsby docks, and he rang his bell. We steamed out slowly to the spatter of rifle shots. ______Former Carnival Ship Converts to a Floating Hotel By Doug Parker Less than a year ago, CARNIVAL FASCINATION was sailing Caribbean cruises. No one would have ever guessed that a quick turn of events would result in the vessel being taken out of service and sold off to help Carnival Cruise Line weather the worst financial storm they’ve seen in nearly 50 years of operation. ………… ______12 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Fincantieri delivers new cruise ship to Costa Cruises Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri has delivered a cruise ship, named COSTA FIRENZE, to Costa Cruises, a unit of Carnival Corporation. Inspired by the Florentine Renaissance, COSTA FIRENZE was designed and built in the Marghera shipyard. With 135,500 gross tonnage, the new cruise ship will be able to accommodate more than 5,200 passengers. COSTA FIRENZE is part of the seven new ships to be delivered to the Costa Group by 2023, with a total investment of over €6bn. It is the fourth such ship to be delivered. Costa Group and Carnival Asia group CEO Michael Thamm said: “The handover of the new COSTA FIRENZE is a sign of hope and restart for the whole cruise and tourism ecosystems. This ship represents the most tangible evidence of the will of our group to restart. Our hope is that people will soon be able to travel again and that more ships will set sail and contribute to the revitalization of tourism in Italy, Europe and globally. “Looking beyond the pandemic, Costa’s goal is to design the future of sustainable and zero emission cruising and we hope that our long-lasting partnership with Fincantieri can bring our companies to work together on a roadmap that can lead to this ambitious yet essential objective.” Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono said: “COSTA FIRENZE is the third cruise ship we have delivered since September and we are pleased that the name of this unit recalls one of the most famous cities of art in Italy and in the world. The delivery is an important moment because it is the concrete demonstration that the company is getting back to its normal production activity. “I would also like to underline that the financial and economic situation of Fincantieri has not changed significantly compared to what we communicated in the previous quarters. The company has proven to be very resilient, avoiding the cancellation of orders and strengthening relations with the customers of the cruise sector. “We are a growing company, we gained an international reputation and reliability, making further development easier, and we can count on an order book guaranteeing long-term visibility with opportunities to increase efficiency, productivity and profitability.” The new ship will hit waters in the Mediterranean next year. After October 2021, COSTA FIRENZE will join her sister ship COSTA VENEZIA in Asia. Presently, out of 14 ships operating in the Costa Cruises fleet, as many as 11 have been built by Fincantieri. Source : ship-technology. ______Injured Crew Member Transferred Via Pilot Boat A crew member onboard a ship who suffered from a facial injury was brought to Bermuda for medical treatment.A BMOC spokesperson said, “RCC Bermuda received a satellite telephone call from the U.K. registered 115,366GRT, LNG Tanker BRITISH SPONSOR from a position 150 miles south of Bermuda advising that a crew member onboard the ship had suffered a facial injury and needed to be disembarked for medical treatment. “At 7:20am on Monday morning, the casualty was safely transferred to the pilot/rescue boat St George for onward transportation to the King Edward Memorial Hospital.” Source : Bernews ______BRITISH NORMANDY MEMORIAL

The opening of the Memorial has been postponed until later this year, hopefully late Spring or early Summer

Share this short video from Nicholas Witchell https://www.normandymemorialtrust.org/news-story/memorial-construction-update-2/ ______

13 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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PORT OF LIVERPOOL POSITIONED FOR GLOBAL GROWTH The Port of Liverpool believes it is positioned for global growth as it prepares to accommodate Maersk and MSC's TA2 transatlantic service on its inaugural call into Liverpool2.Jointly known as the 2m Alliance, the weekly service connects the North European ports of Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Le Havre and Liverpool to US East Coast ports of Newark, Baltimore, Norfolk and Savannah. The service will arrive into Liverpool2 at the time when the terminal is seeing continued investment and expansion to facilitate an increasing number of volumes and services. Port owner Peel Ports Group and global entity Terminal Investment Limited's (TiL) multimillion-pound spend will support increased capacity and demand for container imports and exports. David Huck, managing director of group ports at Peel Ports Group, said: "We have been working closely with The 2M Alliance over the last few months to accommodate its TA2 transatlantic service at the Port of Liverpool and expand our transatlantic offering "By choosing to re- route the service to Liverpool, the 2M alliance will be able to take advantage of our strategic location, hinterland connectivity and a closer proximity to UK import and export markets, reducing cost, carbon and congestion." Huck added: "While a Brexit trade deal is yet to be reached, we have ensured we have continued to invest in our people, processes and technologies and last month embarked on a major recruitment drive across Merseyside, ensuring we keep the supply of vital goods flowing across the UK." By working with Maersk and MSC on their TA2 service, we hope to encourage more services to the Port of Liverpool, helping alleviate some of the pinch points on supply chains, which have previously relied on Southern ports, and help build supply chain resiliency, which will become more important than ever before as we reach the end of the Brexit transition period." Source : insidermedia ______MSC calls for urgent crew change for bulk carrier Anastasia MSC has advocated on behalf of stranded seafarers worldwide MSC has called for an urgent crew change solution for the bulk carrier ANASTASIA, which is stuck off the coast of northern China. China has prohibited crew changes at Chinese ports due to COVID-19 and ANASTASIA is among dozens of vessels in a waiting line near the port of Caofeidian. MSC, as the technical operator of the ship, has repeatedly requested that the seafarers onboard should be relieved to return home to their families. These proposals have not yet been implemented by the chartering parties which determine the ship’s movements. Additionally, MSC’s mid- December requests for a crew change at anchorage or in Japan, a few days sailing away, have not been carried out. MSC has been in regular contact with the sailors and with their families ashore and is also supplying a clinical psychologist for remote support. Many of the crew have been at sea for several months longer than was initially anticipated and local authorities recently blocked MSC’s attempt to send a doctor to visit the ship in person. The company is currently seeking to remedy this through diplomatic channels and its daily attempts to seek a solution follow several months of proposals to allow the vessel to make a port call that would facilitate crew relief. MSC’s first attempt to change the crew of the ANASTASIA in Hong Kong in June 2020 and a subsequent attempt in early August was prohibited due to Hong Kong’s local authorities’ COVID restrictions. Japanese authorities later in August approved the vessel to berth at Mitusure Island in Japan but the request was not implemented. Further attempts were made during the period August to December in Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore and Busan but all were refused including as recently as December 17 after MSC suggested a potential deviation to Japan for crew change. As the technical operator of the ship, MSC is unable to simply order the master to deviate to a port for a crew change as the vessel could be arrested as a result and would only perpetuate the problem, potentially resulting in the crew being onboard for even longer than necessary. MSC has shared information with various authorities and encouraged governments to take an interest in forging a solution to the problem. It has also brought the matter to the attention of the UN International Maritime Organisation and other international governmental and industry bodies. MSC stated that it “is grateful for the people onboard, and their families ashore, for the extraordinary patience and courage they have shown and we stand with them in seeking an urgent solution to their situation.” Source : Container management ______

14 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Seafarer abandonment cases at record high By : Nidaa Bakhsh CASES of seafarer abandonment are at a record high, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. As of December 17, the total number of new cases reached 76, according to the International Maritime Organization. Not all are listed in a public database run jointly with the International Labour Organization. Of the 76 cases, only 18 have been resolved. About 17 of the cases were related to the impact of Covid-19, further hampering the crew-change situation for seafarers, the In early November, there were 62 cases, involving 811 seafarers of varying nationalities. In addition, 243 seafarers were on a cruiseship that had been abandoned. Last year, there were 40 cases, involving 474 abandoned seafarers. Only 10 cases were resolved, allowing 123 seafarers to be repatriated with full pay, while 97 were repatriated without wages or paid only in part. As many as 254 individual seafarer cases remain unresolved. Since 2017, when 55 cases were reported and catalogued, abandonment has been on the decline, until now. “Abandonment is an insidious and ongoing issue in the sector, trapping crew in unacceptable conditions on board, leading to loss of income and in some cases, resulting in indentured servitude,” said Human Rights at Sea founder David Hammond. “This is a reflection of market conditions and often tight business margins which can place owners into debt and needing to offload liabilities.” He described 2020 as a “seminal year for finally embedding the issue of the protection of seafarers' fundamental human rights, not just labour rights” into the maritime industry’s awareness. “This has been the core of our work for the past seven years and we are relieved to see the emerging realisation that human rights apply at sea, as they do on land,” he said. “Amongst other issues raised by the pandemic, abandonment needs to be consistently addressed by flag, coastal and port states and not simply reported against, but swiftly acted upon.” A report by Human Rights at Sea cited India and the United Arab Emirates as being of particular, pressing concern. According to the ILO/IMO database, the UAE has the worst record for abandonment cases, potentially linked to the fact that it has not ratified the Maritime Labour Convention. China, Taiwan, Turkey and Italy were next. Liberia, Malta and Panama were the flag states with the most cases, the data showed. Several of the cases have been resolved, however. We continue to work with the ILO, member states and industry and trade union partners to try to resolve these cases, based on our collective responsibility and human duty,” the IMO said in a statement marking the United Nations’ Human Rights Dayon December 10. “While the causes of abandonment are many, they all have a dramatic human impact that must be addressed.” In 2006, the ILO adopted the Maritime Labour Convention, widely known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”. It has been ratified by at least 97 member states. The original MLC did not make provision for financial security in the case of abandonment. Guidelines for liability and compensation were actually adopted in 2001 but only incorporated in revisions made in 2014, with entry into force three years later. It requires shipowners to have compulsory insurance to cover abandonment of seafarers, as well as claims for death or long-term disability. The IMO’s senior legal officer Jan de Boer told Lloyd’s List that many areas needed improvement to help alleviate the plight of abandoned seafarers, including a more co-ordinated effort between different agencies. In addition, guidance for Port State Control and Flag States needs to be updated, and will be discussed at the SubCommittee on Implementation of IMO Instruments to be held in July, he said, adding that there also needs to be a more generic requirement for the standard of insurers under the MLC. The practice that “some companies are using registries in non-MLC jurisdictions for substandard business.” also needs to be addressed, he said, adding that while the work needed is “ambitious, it is realistic.”. A case of abandonment occurs when the shipowner fails to fulfil certain fundamental obligations to the seafarer, among other things, relating to timely repatriation or payment of outstanding remuneration or to the provision of basic necessities of life, such as adequate food, accommodation, and medical care. Abandonment will have occurred when the master of a ship has been left without any financial means in respect of ship operations. The total number of cases that have been recorded in the ILO/IMO database since it was launched in 2004 reached 438, involving 5,767 seafarers, using data as of August 2020. Some cases took more than 32 months to resolve. In one instance, a ship in Haiti has been sitting at port unresolved for five years, Mr de Boer said. The rudder is not working, putting the safety of the vessel and its 11 crew members at risk. In other instances, vessels in Djibouti, one with a Greek owner who went bankrupt, had very ill crew on board who needed medical attention. Eventually the International Red Cross had to be called in to assist following failed attempts at repatriation. Source : lloydslist ______15 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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MOL issues safety actions after Wakashio grounding Following the WAKASHIO grounding on 25th July 2020, Japanese shipowner MOL stated that the probable cause of the incident was the crew's unsafe behaviors due to overconfidence that stems from complacency, while issued safety measures to prevent To remind, the giant bulk carrier, WAKASHIO ran aground on the coral reef on Pointe

d’esny off Mauritius and leaked a major bunker oil spill. Based on the information the shipowner obtained from the crewmembers, two days before the grounding of WAKASHIO, on July 23, the vessel changed its passage plan the distance from the coast, when sailing off the island of Mauritius-from 22 nautical miles (Note 1) to 5 nautical miles. On the day of grounding (July 25), cremembers tried to further reduce the distance from the coast from 5 nautical miles to 2 nautical miles, to enter an area within the communication range of mobile phones and used a nautical chart without sufficient scale to confirm the accurate distance from the coast and water depth. ...as MOL explained. In addition, a crewmember neglected appropriate watch-keeping (visually and by radar), even though the ship was trying to sail 2 nautical miles off the coast. Therefore, it ran aground in shallow water (10m deep) 0.9 nautical miles off the coast of Mauritius. According to MOL's point of view: "Because of not only the above-mentioned background, but also the fact that the vessel had approached to other coasts several times even before the incident, they may have taken unsafe behaviors due to overconfidence that stems from complacency. Such behavior on a large vessel reflects a lack of safety awareness. What is more, another reason behind the cause is that the crewmembers lacked awareness of the guidelines on performing navigation in a safe manner and their efforts to conform were insufficient, because they did not prepare an appropriate passage plan that would have ensured appropriate performance, did not own and use the correct nautical map, and neglected visual and radar watchkeeping". Overall, MOL announced that will further invest the equivalent of about JPY 500 million in measures to prevent reoccurrence of probable causes of the grounding. In fact, these measures will include: Address the lack of safety awareness · Warning by circular: Make sure personnel on vessels that owned by MOL or its subsidiaries ("MOL Vessels") and vessels MOL charters ("Chartered Vessels") know about the causes of the incident and measures to thoroughly enforce measures to prevent any such reoccurrence. · Holding safety campaign: Targeting MOL Vessels, hold online dialogues with crewmembers onboard and on leave to exchange opinions about safety culture. For Chartered Vessels, enforce thorough prevention of reoccurrence by exchanging opinions about safety culture in a proactive manner. · Conduct a safety awareness survey for crewmembers on navigation watch duties: Conduct a safety awareness survey targeting crewmembers on navigation watch duties on MOL Vessels and Chartered Vessels, to check fact-finding of crewmembers' operations. Take necessary measures based on the results. Focus on lack of awareness of regulations on safe navigation and insufficient performance · Provide education related to operation of electronic nautical charts: Targeting crewmembers on navigation watch duties on vessels that MOL Vessels and Chartered Vessels, provide information and education on correct use of electronic nautical charts. · Introduce fail-safe operation of electronic nautical charts: Plan to introduce a service plan for MOL Vessels, which allows browsing of worldwide electronic charts at all scales, without requiring purchase of the chart. Approach shipowners of Chartered Vessels with the same plan. · Ensure thorough awareness: Boost operational performance in line with guidelines necessary for safe navigation, through circulars and safety campaigns. 16 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Boost ship operation quality · Strengthen support system from shore side: Improve skills of crewmembers in charge of ship operation and review operational procedures. · Reinforce support by the Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC): Re-develop the watchkeeping operational manual to reinforce the 24-hour monitoring system. · Upgrade the monitoring system: establish a system using multifaceted methods as well as manned monitoring, by proposing a plan to put in place a new grounding risk monitoring system. Enhance involvement with shipowners · Organize meetings and mutual visits between MOL and shipowners: Make individual and mutual visits in addition to shipowner liaison meetings (for executives/once a year) and shipowners/ship management companies safe operation liaison meetings (for officials/once a year), to check the safe operation system. · Boost involvement in selection of senior officers: Check personal histories, etc. when changing senior officers (captain, chief engineer, chief officer, 1st engineer). · Review ship's quality and quality standard/valuation criteria related to the safety management system: Offer improvement requests as needed by ship inspections and company visits, and establish procedures to assess the selection of shipowner, improve the ship quality and safety management system with shipowners, and put these procedures into place. Response on hardware side Strengthen deterrent capacity by monitoring cameras on bridge: Trials are underway on some MOL Vessels. Examine installation of cameras on all MOL Vessels, after verifying effectiveness of the trials. Upgrade onboard communication systems: Install high-speed and large-capacity communication systems on MOL Vessels. Request shipowners to install high-speed and large-capacity communication systems on Chartered Vessels. Source : safety4sea ______Union demands Maersk stop forced redundancies Nautilus International, the union for maritime professionals, has demanded that AP Moller Maersk, end forced redundancies on its Dutch flagged vessels. The union presented a petition to Maersk management urging that 24 Dutch seafarers at risk of being dismissed be offered alternative employment across the company. The world’s largest containership owner recently sold its five remaining ships which sail under the Dutch flag. Following the sale, Maersk announced that Dutch Captains and Chief Engineers could remain in service, but that another 24 Dutch seafarers on the fleet will be made redundant. Nautilus International deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek said: “It is incomprehensible to us and our members that a profitable company like Maersk, with over 300 ships in service, would not be able to find jobs for all 24 Dutch seafarers on their fleet in addition to the Dutch Captains and Chief Engineers. “Our members do not accept this and demand that Maersk will immediately withdraw all announced layoffs.“ A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on job security was concluded in 2011 between Nautilus and AP Moller Maersk. We still consider this agreement to be applicable.” Source: Nautilus International ______Ex Royal Navy carrier HMS Hermes turned INS Viraat to be dismantled in India The HMS Hermes entered active service in the Royal Navy in 1959, was due to be decommissioned in 1981, but was saved from the scrapheap to lead British forces to victory in the Falklands in 1982.She was then sold to India in 1986, renamed the INS Viraat, and remained in service until 2017, when she was officially decommissioned in Mumbai, 36 years after she was initially due to be scrapped.Now, having sat idle in Mumbai for three years, she has be sold for £5.1million as scrap to the Shree Ram Group at Asia's largest ship scrapyard in Alang, Gujarat state, who say she will likely be turned into motorcycles.Other plans for the Viraat,which means 'Giant' in Sanskrit - would have seen her turned into floating museum or a hotel, but both schemes fell through.

Ex Royal Navy carrier HMS Hermes turned INS Viraat to be dismantled in India - YouTube ______17 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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IMO Calls Out Charterers’ Use of ‘No Crew Change’ Clauses By : Mike Schuler

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is calling out charterers over the use of “no crew change” clauses and says the controversial practice is exacerbating the on-going crew change crisis. The so-called “no crew change” clauses, which are demanded by certain charterers, state that no crew changes can occur while the charterers’ cargo is on board, thereby prohibiting the ship from deviating to ports where crew changes could take place. In a statement issued Monday, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim denounced the use of the clauses and called on shipowners and operators to reject charterers if they are requested. “Such clauses exacerbate the mental and physical fatigue among exhausted seafarers, undermine compliance with the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006) and further threaten the safety of navigation”, Secretary-General Lim said. “Resolving the crew change crisis requires the best efforts of all stakeholders. The elimination of the use of ‘no crew change’ clauses is just one of those efforts”, the Secretary-General added. With the crew change crisis now in its tenth month, as many as 400,000 seafarers remain on board ships working beyond the expiration of their seafarer employment agreements, some not being paid and all unable to be repatriated. A similar number remain stuck ashore, unable to work and resulting in a lost wages. As of last December 18, a total of forty-six IMO Member States and one Associate Member had signed on to designate seafarers as key workers, granting them exempt from certain COVID-related travel restrictions and allowing them to travel and be repatriated. Industry-developed framework of protocols for ensuring safe crew changes and travel during the pandemic have gained some ground with endorsement by the Maritime Safety Committee and circulated as MSC.1/Circ.1636.“The situation continues to constitute a humanitarian crisis that threatens not only seafarers’ health and wellbeing but also the safety of navigation and the uninterrupted flow of the global supply chain”, Mr Lim said, adding: “policies or practices that prevent or inhibit safe, regular crew changes should be revised or eliminated.” Source : gCaptain ______MSC crew with little food, water stranded off China since August DETERIORATING trade relations between China and Australia are now leaving more seafarers stranded, as dozens of ships linger off the Chinese coast. Ships carrying blockaded Australian coal remain stranded with seafarers reporting self-harm and the declining quality of drinking water, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The 75,331-dwt bulk carrier ANASTASIA sailed from Queensland's Hay Point port on July 19, carrying about 90,000 tonnes of Australian coal, according Second Officer Gaurav Singh. The Panamanian flagged ship is owned by the SwissItalian Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The ANASTASIA arrived at the Caofeidian port in north-east China on August 3, and has been moored in the Bohai Bay ever since, because Chinese authorities prohibited it from offloading its cargo. Mr Singh told the ABC that 16 out of 18 crew members on ANASTASIA were from India, alongside a Filipino and a Russian. "All crew members are now in bad shape," he said. Mr Singh said MSC had been supplying food via Chinese agencies, but mental health issues, a lack of medical support, and a decline in drinking water quality were compounding their problems. "Most of the guys, they are facing medical issues, because they're between 50 and 60 years old. "The other guys have rashes because the water supplied from China was poor quality." He said the crew's isolation has been exacerbated by Covid travel restrictions, which had forced them to stay onboard since joining the ship in November 2019.Since being stranded near the Chinese coast more than four months ago, the crew has not been contacted by any government or organisation, said Mr Singh. They're now approaching media in India and Australia to find help. "We need to go home," Mr Singh said. Source : Schednet ______18 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Wärtsilä and Grieg to build groundbreaking green ammonia tanker The technology group Wärtsilä and Grieg Edge, the innovation hub of Norwegian shipping group Grieg Star, are jointly running a project to launch an ammonia-fuelled tanker producing no greenhouse gas emissions by 2024, Wärtsilä said in its release. The MS Green Ammonia project is the result of a Nordic industrial collaboration group founded from the Zeeds (Zero Emissions Energy Distribution at Sea) initiative. Pilot-E, the Norwegian funding scheme will support the project with a NOK 46,3 million (EUR 4.4million) grant. The partners plan to have MS Green Ammonia distribute green ammonia from a planned factory in Berlevåg, Norway to various locations and end-users along the coast. The eventual design, size, and volume of the vessel will be dependent on the market and end-user interest. However, the project has already established Letters of Intent (LOI) with several heavyweight industrial partners.Ship owners operating LNG-fuelled vessels represent a significant source of potential customers. Depending on the engine type, ammonia could be mixed with the LNG, or alternatively, the engine could be easily retrofitted to use only ammonia. Source: Portnews ______SPECIALISTS IN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY At your service beyond the horizon & up to Beaufort 10! For more than 30 years Flying Focus is specialized in maritime aerial photography. Since the company’s start up in 1984 thousands of ships, seatrials, maiden voyages, special cargo transports, oil platforms etc. have been photographed. Great exposure was generated by their photographic work of ships in rough weather on the North Sea. The for this purpose especially acquired aircraft, the twin engine Cessna Skymaster, can fly with winds up to 10 Beaufort! All the 3 company owned photo aircraft are equipped with the required safety gear as well as communication and navigation equipment. The aircraft are based at Texel international airport so nearly all maritime photoflights can be executed most efficient. On a regular basis Flying Focus is operating for projects further away ranging from the Arctic Circle to the Atlantic Ocean. ______Coast Guard Searching for Overdue Vessel with 20 People in the Bahamas Mike Schuler December 31, 2020 The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for an overdue vessel with approximately 20 people on board off the Bahamas. Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders received a report on Tuesday that a blue and white 29-foot Mako Cuddy Cabin vessel, last known to be departing Bimini, Bahamas on Monday, did not arrive as expected. The vessel and people were reported to be en route to Lake Worth, Florida. As of Thursday morning, Coast Guard crews had searched approximately 20,000 square miles over about 43 hours. Involved in the search are: • Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater C-130 Hercules aircrew • Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew • Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvel crew • Royal Bahamas Defence Force surface units • Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association air assets Anyone with information is requested to contact Coast Guard District Seven Command Center at 305- 415-6800. ______

19 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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MAIB RELEASES PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF EXPLOSION THAT SANK CRAB BOAT OFF NORFOLK The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its preliminary assessment of an incident wherein an explosion occurred aboard the fishing vessel GALWAD-Y-MOR 22 nautical miles north of Cromer, Norfolk, on December 15, 2020.On the said date, the 12.9-metre GALWAD-Y-MOR was operating in potting fishing grounds east of the Wash. At about 11:20 local time, the crew were in the process of hauling in a string of crab pots; the skipper was in the wheelhouse with other crew members below decks working the pots. The hauler was being used to heave in the back rope, and the crew had let the skipper know that there was a lot of tension on the line, when there was an unexpected explosion. GALWAD-Y-MOR was thrown up from the sea surface, then landed heavily back down; all propulsion and electrical power was immediately lost. The skipper was injured and dazed, but conscious, and saw that the wheelhouse had been completely wrecked. As he became aware that other crewmembers had been badly injured and that the engine room was flooding, the skipper ordered the crew to abandon ship. He also raised the alarm by texting the skipper of a sister vessel and activating the electronic position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) Although the liferaft had been manually activated, all crewmembers were initially rescued by the offshore support vessel Esvagt Njord then transferred ashore to hospital by helicopter and lifeboat. The abandoned GALWAD-Y-MOR, which had settled low in the water, was towed to Grimsby by the tug GPS Avenger then lifted out of the water. The boat’s crew of seven included two UK nationals and five Latvians. All crewmembers suffered injuries, some life-changing, from the explosion. Investigation MAIB inspectors attended GALWAD-Y- MOR once it had been lifted ashore in Grimsby. A summary of the key areas of damage was: Extensive shell plating indentation between frames Shell plating ruptures and shearing of a seawater suction Main engine displaced from bedplate Widespread and significant levels of destruction of the wheelhouse and other internal compartments Buckling of internal bulkheads and warping of decks Widespread damage to upper deck fittings. The MAIB said there was no evidence of an internal explosion. Preliminary assessment While recovering crab pots using its hauler, GALWADY-MOR was extensively damaged and serious injuries were inflicted on the crew by an explosion. The explosion was in the water and external to the vessel. There was nothing that the crew could have done to prevent the accident. The source of the explosion has not been determined, but it was possible that old munitions on the seabed were disturbed as the vessel hauled its pots. Although extensively damaged and flooded, it is almost certain that GALWAD- Y-MOR stayed afloat because the bulkheads either side of the engine room maintained their watertight integrity, containing the flood. Ongoing action The MAIB has notified other relevant agencies including: the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Receiver of Wreck, and the Ministry of Defence. The MAIB investigation is ongoing and a report of the accident will be published in due course. Source : Bairdmaritime ______Year In Review – Top Maritime Stories of 2020 Mike Schuler December 29, 2020 https://gcaptain.com/year-in-review-top-maritime-stories-of-2020/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03- 23f4c94526-139894965&mc_cid=23f4c94526&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______20 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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New Blue Whale Population in Indian Ocean Identified by Unique Song Posted: 29 Dec 2020 12:22 PM PST

A new blue whale population has been discovered in the Arabian Sea and Western Indian Ocean according to a study recently published in the journal Endangered Species Research. The conclusion is based not on sightings or DNA samples, but rather on recordings of the unique whale songs that distinguish this whale population from other blue whales in the region. At up to 100 feet long and weighing up to 170 tonnes, blue whales are the largest creatures ever to exist on the earth. Nevertheless, they are often easier to hear than to see. The unusual song was picked up at three different underwater locations separated by 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) of ocean. First recorded in 2017 off the coast of Madagascar, these unique calls were later identified in the western Arabian Sea, off the coast of Oman, and also in the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. “It’s like hearing different songs within a genre — Stevie Ray Vaughan versus B.B. King,” said Salvatore Cerchio, a marine mammal biologist at the African Aquatic Conservation Fund in Massachusetts and the study’s lead author. “It’s all blues, but you know the different styles.” “It was quite remarkable to find a whale song in your data that was completely unique, never before reported, and recognize it as a blue whale,” says Cerchio. “With all that work on blue whale songs, to think there was a population out there that no one knew about until 2017, well, it kind of blows your mind.” The post New Blue Whale Population in Indian Ocean Identified by Unique Song appeared first on Old Salt Blog. ______Mission to Seafarers announces new crew welfare campaign THE Mission to Seafarers has announced a new fundraising campaign to sustain crew welfare support during the Covid crisis. The mission will unveil several initiatives that'll benefit the entire industry, such as welfare training for seafarers and frontline staff, family support network offerings, reassurance, and practical help. Similar action was done through the Flying Angel Campaign, which provided welfare relief where it was most needed in the industry. However, the Mission to Seafarers differentiates itself, focusing on sustainability to ensure seafarers have continued support. "For us at MSC, our people are our number one priority. As an essential conduit for global trade, container shipping relies on the seafarers who keep global trade moving even under extremely difficult operating conditions," said Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) executive vice president Bud Darr. "We are proud to support initiatives such as the new Crew Welfare Programme by the Mission to Seafarers to alleviate the hardship on these heroes of the transportation world and their families, who are absolutely essential to the trade flow which our society all relies upon," said Mr Darr. Source : Schednet ______Condor passengers now need negative Covid-19 test to travel onboard ferries ______21 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Icelandic Coast Guard Towing Disabled Containership photographs by Anton Örn courtesy of Icelandic Coast Guard The Icelandic Coast Guard has come to the rescue of a stranded containership which they currently have under tow. The 11,800 DWT LAGARFOSS, owned by Iceland’s Eimskip, was expected to reach Reykjavik, Iceland on December 31. The six-year-old vessel, with a carrying capacity of 880 TEU departed Reykjavik on December 25 bound for Halifax, Canada. Two days later, the ship was approximately 230 nautical miles south west of Iceland when there was a malfunction in the main engine that left the ship adrift. The Icelandic Coast Guard received a request for assistance and dispatched one of its patrol boats. The crew aboard the containership attempted to make repairs to the motor and when they were unsuccessful the owner Eimskip requested that the Coast Guard tow the vessel. The patrol ship Þórs reached the Lagarfoss in the early hours of December 29 and was successful in attaching a tow line. The tow commenced and was expected to last two days. The Icelandic Coast Guard reports that the weather is good in the area and that the crew aboard the Lagarfoss is safe. In a message posted to social media the Coast Guard reported that the trip is going very well. Eimskip will be contacting customers that have cargo on board to make further arrangements. Source :MAREX ______Explosive Found on Dynacom Tanker Off Iraq Bloomberg December 31, 2020 By Verity Ratcliffe, Khalid Al-Ansary and Alex Longley (Bloomberg) — An oil tanker off the coast of Iraq discovered an explosive object attached to its hull, the latest incident highlighting the risk to ships in the waters near the Arabian peninsula. The Liberia-flagged Pola noticed a “suspicious object” on the ship as it was discharging cargo onto another vessel, according to a statement from owner Dynacom Tankers Management, which added that all crew members are safe. The object was later found to be a bomb, and an Iraqi naval force with an explosives team was sent to defuse the device, according to an official who declined to be named. It was not immediately clear who may have placed it on the tanker. The Persian Gulf and Red Sea have been a hotbed for attacks on vessels in recent years, with tensions flaring between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Earlier this month an explosion that Saudi officials described as a “terrorist” attack rocked a ship in the port of Jeddah on the Red Sea. That incident occurred just weeks after an oil tanker was damaged in a possible attack in the same body of water. –With assistance from Julian Lee. © 2020 Bloomberg L.P ______22 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Murmansk mourns fishermen lost in bitterly cold Barents Sea The search for the missing crew from the sunken fishing vessels Onega continues, but hope has faded away to find any alive. By : Thomas Nilsen Governor Chibis and President Putin both expressed their condolences to the families and friends of the dead sailors. “The search operation has not ended yet, but the weather conditions and water temperature, unfortunately, do not leave any chances,” said Governor Andrei Chibis. Tuesday is declared a day of mourning in the Murmansk region. 16 of the 19 crew members on ONEGA came from Murmansk. Only two of them were rescued. Icing is believed to have caused the ship to capsize. Distress signal was sent Monday morning at 04:08. Four minutes later, at 04.12, the vessel was gone from the navigation systems. At the same time, Onega’s side lights were no longer observed in the water, according to the captain on the nearby fishing vessel Voikovo. The captain told regional newspaper Murmanski Vestnik that everything happened very fast. It was Voikovo who rescued the two sailors out of the freezing cold waves about 40 kilometers from the southwestern shores of Novaya Zemlya in the Russian Arctic The temperature in the area at the time of sinking was -20° C, waves were up to four meters and the wind was up to 25 meters per second. Memorial for those who died at sea. Photo: Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region The Government of the Murmansk region will provide financial assistance to the families of the sailors who are missing. Each family will receive one million rubles, the government informs. The Russian flag was lowered throughout the Murmansk region on Tuesday and TV and radio companies, as well as cultural institutions, were advised to cancel entertainment events and programs. This is the second time in less than ten years that Murmansk enters Orthodox Christmas while mourning victims of accidents at sea. On December 18, 2011, the oil drilling rig Kolskaya capsized and sank in the Sea of Okhotsk while under tow during a fierce storm. 53 of the crew died, of which about half came from Murmansk. Last summer, 41 of 78 passengers on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Murmansk were killed in the ensuing fire after the plane made a hard emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo airport. In July the same year, 14 submariners lost their lives in a fire on board the top-secret military Losharik sub off the coast of the Kola Peninsula. In August 2000, all 118 crew members on Kursk were killed when the torpedo compartment exploded and the submarine sank in the Barents Sea. Source : Barents Observer ______Coast Guard suspends search for Florida-bound boat with about 20 people aboard -By : Rebekah Riess The search off the Florida coast for a missing boat with about 20 people on board has been suspended, the US Coast Guard said Friday The Coast Guard received a report Tuesday that the blue and white 29-foot Mako Cuddy Cabin boat, last known to be departing Bimini in the Bahamas on Monday, did not arrive as expected in Lake Worth, Florida, according to a Coast Guard news release. Ships and aircraft from the US Air Force, Coast Guard, the Bahamian military and a volunteer group in the Bahamas searched approximately 17,000 square miles for about 84 hours, the release said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the missing people," said Capt. Stephen V. Burdian, the Coast Guard's Seventh District chief of response. "I encourage anyone with information about the people aboard to contact us as soon as possible." The Coast Guard didn't release the name of the missing vessel. Source: CNN ______

23 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Another load of containers have collapsed

BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE 01-03-2021 08:35:00

The Taiwanese ocean carrier Evergreen Marine announced Saturday that the boxship Ever Liberal lost 36 containers over the side in rough conditions off Japan. A photo provided to United News Service by readers appeared to show that one container stack collapsed aft of the deckhouse, with one container still hanging over the side. The UK-flagged Ever Liberal departed the port of Busan on December 30, bound for Los Angeles. According to Evergreen, she encountered strong winds and heavy seas in the East China Sea at a position about 20 nm to the southwest of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's large islands. Weather data provided by Pole Star Global indicates wave heights in the vicinity of 18-20 feet at that time and location. Evergreen reported that no seafarers were injured in the incident, and none of the lost containers carried dangerous goods. The Japan Coast Guard was notified so that it could alert shipping to the potential hazard of floating containers. The firm diverted the vessel to the port of Taipei, about 600 nm to the southwest, in order to offload damaged cargo and assess the damage. Evergreen said that it is also working to recover lost containers from the sea. As of Sunday, AIS data showed Ever Liberal berthed at the port of Taipei. Container losses at sea have drawn more scrutiny from regulators in recent years, thanks to a string of high-profile incidents. The massive cargo loss aboard the ONE Apus in the mid-Pacific last November may end up costing insurers and cargo owners as much as $200 million, according to cargo claims consultancy WK Webster. ______The most important element of global maritime trade is the human element. “Flag states, coastal states, ship owners, insurers, management companies, and other relevant parties use Covid-19 as an excuse to pass responsibility to others, resulting in little action and zero accountability. In doing so, all parties have failed the seafarer. Our seafarers are the backbone to global commerce. We simply cannot fail to support and protect them when they need us most.” Read the whole article here : https://www.tradewindsnews.com/opinion/seafarers-must-bedesignated-as-key-workers-before-the- industry-collapses/2-1-937813 ______24 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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New ferry service linking Rosslare to Dunkirk sets sail The DFDS route is aimed at transport companies and truck drivers who previously used the UK land bridge By Conor Kane A new ferry service linking Rosslare Europort to Dunkirk in north-eastern France got under way today, with the first ship making the crossing fully booked. The DFDS route is aimed at transport companies and truck drivers who previously used the UK land bridge to get to the continent, but now want to avoid any Brexit-related delays including customs checks and more paperwork. The first DFDS ship to undertake the crossing from Rosslare to Dunkirk, one of the largest ports in France, left at 2pm January 2nd. While it will take almost 24 hours to get to its destination, bringing drivers directly to Dunkirk reduces red tape as well as the need for rest periods, which would otherwise have been taken while crossing Britain. It will also be attractive to hauliers who need to travel on to Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, as Dunkirk is close to the Belgian border. "It's probably something that should have been done a long time ago but Brexit has pushed it forward," Darren Mooney of DFDS said today in Rosslare. "They start their week in Dunkirk rather than starting in Holyhead or Pembroke, and the same coming back, so they save two days and get more productivity out of their trucks... It's getting there at the right speed as well. This is opening up the door for Ireland into Europe at a higher and faster pace." The first ship is carrying almost 100 trucks and trailers to Dunkirk, with a similar number aboard the next DFDS service from Rosslare later today. The new DFDS services, along with expanded services from Stena Line, mean there will eventually be 15 crossings from Rosslare to the continent every week, and 15 return journeys, representing a near-tripling of the number of routes available to drivers from the Europort."It's a tremendous day here today," Glenn Carr, manager of Rosslare Europort said. "We have three sailings going out to mainland Europe, two of which are new services from DFDS going to the port of Dunkirk, and our third with Stena Line which is one of the additional sailings going out today."All in all today, we will move more freight on this day alone through the port of Rosslare to mainland Europe than we did for the whole of week one of 2020."He said bookings on all of the vessels heading for Europe in the coming days and weeks are promising. "I think we're seeing a real change now, away from the land bridge, avoiding the hassle and paperwork and going direct from Rosslare to mainland Europe." Source : RTE ______Fishing boat rescued after taking on water in Peterhead Harbour on New Year’s Day due to ice machine ‘malfunction’ Lifeboat, coastguard and fire rescue teams came to the aid of a fishing boat at Peterhead Harbour which was taking water on board on New Year’s Day after an ice machine reportedly malfunctioned. By Jamie McKenzie An Aberdeen Coastguard spokesperson said the issue was linked to a pipe used to transfer ice onto the 40 metre vessel to preserve the fish caught at sea. The spokesperson said: “There was an issue with the ice machine on the shore side. The machine malfunctioned. A fire service spokesperson said three appliances were called at about 1pm on Friday and crews worked to pump out the water before leaving the scene around 3:50pm. Peterhead Lifeboat and coastguard teams from Peterhead and Cruden Bay were also called to assist. A post on the Peterhead Lifeboat Facebook page said once the issue was fixed and the water was pumped out, the vessel “corrected its list” The call out was the first of 2021 for Peterhead’s lifeboatSource : The Scotsman ______

25 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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The Atlantic Spirit wins Montreal’s Gold-Headed Cane By Maritime Magazine Montreal, January 1, 2021 – At 2:59 p.m., the ATLANTIC SPIRIT was the first ocean-going vessel of 2021 to cross the Port of Montreal’s downstream limit at Sorel without a stopover. True to a tradition dating back over 180 years, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is awarding the Gold-Headed Cane to its master, Captain Oleksandr Popov. The port also announced preliminary results of decreased traffic in 2020. The ATLANTIC SPIRIT left the Port of Flushing in the Netherlands on December 18, 2020. Flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, this ABC Maritime shipping line tanker was carrying a cargo of refinery distillates (hydrocrack bottom) used as a feedstock for lubricants, headed for Vopak Terminals at Section 94 of the Port of Montreal. Ukranian-born Captain Popov has served more than 30 years as master and four years with the ABC Maritime line. The crossing, which was made in somewhat rough weather with strong winds and at times intense waves, took 14 days.Due to the health restrictions in force during the COVID-19 pandemic, the GoldHeaded Cane engraved with the name of the winning captain and the ship’s name was awarded to him on the dock by Port of Montreal Harbour Master. The traditional Gold-Headed Cane awarding ceremony where the Montreal marine industry usually gathers will not take place due to the pandemic (EN What a shame!). At the end of an extraordinary year, marked not only by the COVID19 pandemic, but also by the rail blockade and strikes by checkers and longshore workers, the MPA posted a 14.1% decrease in traffic, with a total of 34.9 tonnes of goods handled. Containerized cargo traffic was less affected than anticipated, dipping 5.7% compared to 2019 for a total of 14.2 million tonnes handled, or over 1.6 million TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent units). Liquid bulk was the sector most affected by the pandemic-related economic crisis, falling 24% from 2019, while bulk goods dropped 10%, except for grain due to bumper crops in Western Canada and increased global consumption of agricultural products. Despite these declines in all sectors, the last quarter of 2020 was marked by an encouraging recovery, notably in containerized trade with Asia and in the handling of certain dry bulk commodities such as iron ore and grain. Lastly, the cruise season was entirely cancelled in compliance with Transport Canada directives. ______Myanmarese crewman dies following stabbing on foreign oil tanker By Worthy Shen and Ko Lin A Myanmarese crew member has died following a stabbing onboard a foreign oil tanker in waters northeast of Taiwan, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Saturday. The authorities received an emergency call from the Cook Islands-registered NEW PROGRESS at around 6 p.m. Friday, while it was in international waters, 31 nautical miles off the coast of Shihmen in New Taipei, the CGA said. The 27-year old victim, named Wai Phy Aumg, was airlifted to Taipei's Songshan Airport but declared dead on arrival at the hospital. He apparently sustained the stab wound during a fight with another crew member, the coast guard said, adding that the boat is now temporarily anchored at the Port of Keelung. As the NEW PROGRESS was not situated within the 12 nautical mile limit that constitutes Taiwan's territorial waters, the ship is not domestically owned and the crew member was not a Taiwanese national, the coast guard said the case remains outside its jurisdiction.The local authorities can conduct an investigation only if the boat owner requests judicial assistance from Taiwan, the coast guard said. source : Enditem/AW ______26 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Iraq defuses mine attached to Iraqi oil tanker A mine that was attached to the hull of an Iraqi oil tanker was defused two days after it was discovered, Iraq’s military said in a statement on Saturday.The tanker was in international waters about 28 nautical miles (52 km) off Iraq’s coast in the Gulf and supplying another ship with fuel when the device was discovered on Thursday afternoon. An investigation has been opened to find out the circumstances of the incident. The military said on Friday that it was not immediately clear how the mine was attached to the tanker, which was being rented by an unidentified client from Iraq’s state oil marketing organisation. Source : Reuters (Reporting by Amina Ismail; Editing by Christina Fincher) ______Tanker trouble: Dutch oil ship runs aground in Lough Foyle A tanker which ran aground in Lough Foyle in Co Londonderry has been refloated. The THUN LIFFEY oil and chemical tanker ran aground on the Tuns sand bank at Magilligan Point near Greencastle and close to the mouth of Lough Foyle. Belfast Coastguard received information from the Irish Coastguard about the incident just after 9.10am on Tuesday. Foyle Port tugs, assisted by the SHROVE and STRATHFOYLE sister tugs, were sent to the scene to provide assistance. They successfully assisted in bringing the THUN LIFFEY off the sand bank and back into Lough Foyle. It is understood that the vessel was empty at the time. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Counter Pollution branch were made aware of the incident and supported the Coastguard's response. "Contact was established with the master of the vessel and no damage or pollution was reported," they added. The vessel was later towed back into Foyle Port for "precautionary checks". Sailing under the flag of Netherlands, the 150m long and 23m wide THUN LIFFEY was built only this year. The vessel's next stop is the port of Milford Haven, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Source : The Belfast Telegraph ______Fate of shipyard deemed ‘close to irreversible’ in 2005 Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow was nationalised last year after it collapsed into administration. The fate of a now Scottish Government-owned shipyard was deemed “close to irreversible” in 2005, new records have shown. Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow was nationalised last year after it collapsed into administration, but Scottish ministers appear to have foreseen the downfall of the yard 15 years ago. In the newly released minutes of a cabinet meeting on June 1 of that year, the controversy over the awarding of a contract for fishery protection vessels and a CalMac ferry to a Polish yard was discussed. Losing out on the contract prompted Ferguson to lay off 100 members of staff. Speaking two months before the awarding of the contract, then environment and rural affairs minister Ross Finnie said: “If the contracts were awarded to the Rementowa [Polish] yard, there were no other orders in prospect for the Clydeside shipyard and since the launch of its last ship a month previously, the yard had declined to a state that was close to irreversible.” The cabinet also noted “with concern the outlook for the Ferguson shipyard”. It would take 12 years for the yard to be brought into Government hands, sparking controversy over two ferries being produced there. It was discovered by the Scottish Government that the vessels, 801 and 802, would face significant delays and cost more than double the initially quoted price, prompting a Holyrood inquiry this year to describe the procurement process as a “catastrophic failure”. In another meeting of the cabinet in August 2005, Mr Finnie is shown to have pondered the communications issues with the contract. Minutes of the meeting said: “It was difficult to explain to Scottish taxpayers why public funds were being used to buy a vessel from Poland and make redundancy payments to shipbuilders in Port Glasgow.” Source : STV ______Minister Praises UK Maritime Sector & Maritime Charities on Vimeo ______27 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Vessel with Haitians runs aground – 51 arrested, detained Members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force have arrested and detained 51 Haitian nationals after their vessel landed at Mars Bay on the island of Andros earlier this week. The group of 44 males and seven females was held on Monday. Immigration officials have since been dispatched to Andros for investigation and further processing of the migrants who are presently being held at the Government Complex, The Bluff. So far, all migrants have received medical attention from local Ministry of Health personnel and are reported well. In a statement, the Department of Immigration reminded the public that it is “committed to carrying out the mandates of our agency to combat illegal migration by establishing effective border control management to ensure compliance with the Statute Laws of our country”. “We further wish to remind members of the public that it is a criminal offence punishable by law to harbour illegal migrants in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” This latest incident follows another on the weekend in which 45 Haitians were also arrested by the police on Long Island. The Department of Immigration said that on Saturday, the group of 36 Haitian men and nine women was arrested and detained after their vessel came ashore. They also received medical attention from local Ministry of Health personnel. Source : Jamaica Observer ______People detained at Newhaven Port after Border Force response By Jody Doherty-Cove A number of people have been detained at a UK port after trying to get off a ferry. Border Force and police were called to Newhaven. Several people were stopped at the Channel port on New Year’s Eve and are suspected of not having the right to enter the country. They are believed to have been attempting to leave a ferry that had just arrived. A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “This afternoon, we responded to support Border Force staff dealing with a number of people suspected of not having authority to enter the UK attempting to leave a ferry that had arrived at Newhaven Port. “Those detained are being taken into custody by Border Force for further inquiries.” The Home Office has not commented on the situation. Newhaven Port offers DFDS ferry routes from the UK to locations in France including Normandy and Brittany, and destinations in the south of France. Source : Argus media ______Three people on yacht rescued after drifting near explosive-packed wreck Three people have been rescued after their boat drifted dangerously close to a shipwreck packed with explosives. The 27ft yacht was floating near the mouth of the Medway Estuary in Kent on Saturday morning, close to where the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery lies beneath the surface. Lifeboat crew were despatched from Sheerness in Kent to help the yacht and ensure the safety of those on board. The all-weather lifeboat was on the scene at 11.09am and confirmed the three people were OK. A tow rope was then fixed to the yacht and it was pulled to safety before being transferred to lifeboat crew from Southend to take it back to its mooring. Cargo ship SS Richard Montgomery was anchored in Sheerness in Kent when it grounded and broke up in 1944. The wreck is notable because it is packed with 1,400 tonnes of explosives. As a result, it is monitored round the clock by port authorities and protected by a 500-metre exclusion zone. Concerns that the explosives on board the wreck may detonate were raised in 2019 at Westminster by Labour peer Lord Harris of Haringey. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which monitors the condition of the wreck and carries out regular surveys, said at the time that the risk of a major explosion “is believed to be remote”. Source : IrvineTimes ______

28 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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The Mariner's Mirror Podcast: New Episode!

Africans in Tudor and Stuart Port Towns Dr Sam Willis meets with Dr Miranda Kauffman to discuss the research that led to her prizewinning book Black Tudors – The Untold Story, and in particular to her discovery of the lives of numerous Africans living in England and Scotland's port towns during the 16th and 17th centuries. She explains how they arrived in Britain, what occupations and relationships they found in the ports and how they were treated by the church, the law courts and the other inhabitants. Their lives are a crucial part of our understanding of this age in which England made her first steps as a colonial empire and their experiences shed light on many of the leading Tudor seafarers of the time including Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Ralegh. Miranda's research into the Africans living in England in the Tudor and Stuart periods encourages us to ask wider questions about Tudor perceptions of race, religion and the ethics of enslavement and colonialism.

You can find the podcast via any podcast app on a smartphone, on the publisher's website and now on our own website on the new dedicated podcast page.

How can you help? Please share links to the podcast on all social media - if you do we will give you a shout out on the

next podcast!

If you have an iPhone please 'rate' the podcast with lots of stars on the Apple podcast app/iTunes and if you have time please also leave a review. You can find the podcast here on iTunes. It is enormously important at this stage to get as many ratings and reviews as possible!

Best Wishes, Sam ______Crew Health Advice: Musculoskeletal Disorders

The UK Club's Crew Health team have partnered with Red Square Medical to supply this critical advice on musculoskeletal disorders to Seafarers. Musculoskeletal disorders is a term used when a person suffers from an injury or a repetitive activity that affects the body’s structural support system that allows for movement. The full advice is available to download below.

For more information about our crew health advice articles please contact our Crew Health Programme Director Sophia Bullard ([email protected]) who will be pleased to assist you.

Downloads • UK P&I Crew Health Musculoskeletal Disorders Digital (561 KB) 04/01/2021 Download PDF ______29 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Containership and LNG Carrier Assist in Caribbean Sea Rescue Mike Schuler December 1, 2020 The U.S. Coast Guard last week rescued a man from a disabled sailboat in the Caribbean Sea about 114 nautical miles from Puerto Rico with assistance from the merchant ships CSCL Long Beach and Gemmata. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a notification at 11:40 p.m. last Wednesday, December 30, from the Master of the Hong Kong flagged 1,105-foot container ship CSCL Long Beach relaying a distress call from the SV Jade reporting it was disabled and adrift due to having broken sails, a damaged rudder, and not enough fuel to transit to safe harbor. Watchstanders immediately diverted the cutter Joseph Napier to provide rescue assistance to the sailor. The Gemmata, a Singapore flagged 951-foot LNG carrier, also diverted to the scene and served as a communications platform with the vessel Jade while the U.S. Coast Guard Guard Cutter Joseph Napier completed over a 150 nautical mile transit to the scene. Once arrived, Joseph Napier launched a small boat that came alongside the Jade and the boat crew safely embarked solo sailor. The rescued has been identified as Carl Michael Corey, 39, a citizen of the United Kingdom, who was transiting solo on New Year’s Eve aboard the 36-foot sailing vessel Jade when it became disabled and adrift in seven-foot seas. The cutter Joseph Napier returned to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, where Customs and Border Protection officers assisted Michael with gaining admission into the United States for him to make the necessary arrangements to continue his trip. “With deteriorating weather, the Joseph Napier crew quickly employed the cutter small boat to rescue the master of the sailing vessel showcasing their professionalism and proficiency in such a dynamic environment,” said Lt. Matthew Miller, cutter Joseph Napier commanding officer. “I can’t think of a better way to end 2020 than bringing this boater to safety.” ______It's Official: The Marco Polo Is Getting Scrapped The MARCO POLO in the morning sun whilst moored at Las Palmas Photo: Suzanne Neuman © The classic MARCO POLO is heading to the scrap yard in Alang, India, according to a source familiar with the ship. "The Marco Polo is headed for the beach," they said. Other sources said potential charter deals included using the ship as a floating accommodation vessels and even converting it to a permanent hotel. None of the deals materialized, however. Following the demise of Cruise & Maritime Voyages earlier this year, the classic, 1965-built vessel sold at auction for just $2,770,000. A former ocean liner, the MARCO POLO was built in 1965 as the ALEKSANDR PUSHKIN for the Leningrad/Montreal route. After serving its original purpose until the 1970s, the vessel started to sail as a cruise ship under charter agreements. In 1991, it was sold to Orient Lines and renamed MARCO POLO. In Greece, the vessel was rebuilt as a true cruise ship, also receiving new engines. Source: cruiseindustrynews ______30 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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The Unsinkable Molly Brown and the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse Posted: 05 Jan 2021 12:16 PM PST

Thanks to Captain Richard Bailey for mentioning the time ball on the Titanic Memorial in the Financial District of downtown New York City. We neglected to mention it in our post “Watching the Ball Drop — the Nautical Origins of a New Year’s Tradition.”

The memorial, a 60-foot tall lighthouse with a time ball on a staff rising above it, feels just slightly of place, as it is largely surrounded by buildings and several blocks from the East River, at the entrance of the South Street Seaport. It has not always been so landlocked, however. There is also a fascinating story behind the memorial.

In 1912, Denver socialite and philanthropist Margaret Brown rushed home from a trip to France on learning that her eldest grandchild was seriously ill. She immediately booked passage on the first available liner leaving for New York, the RMS Titanic.

When the ship struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, Brown first helped others into lifeboats and was finally persuaded to leave the ship in Lifeboat No. 6. Once in the lifeboat, she took an oar and urged that the lifeboat go back and save more people. Sources vary as to whether or not the boat went back and if they found anyone alive but Brown’s efforts at saving others were remembered.

Upon being rescued by the ship RMS Carpathia, Brown proceeded to organize a survivors’ committee with other first-class survivors. The committee worked to secure basic necessities for the second and third-class survivors and even provided informal counseling. Once in New York, Brown was active in raising support for the lighthouse memorial to those who died on the Titanic.

The lighthouse memorial was originally erected in 1913, above the East River on the roof of the old Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey at the corner of South Street and Coenties Slip. From 1913 to 1967 the time ball at the top of the lighthouse would drop down the pole to signal twelve noon to the ships in the harbor. The time ball mechanism was activated by a telegraphic signal from the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

In July 1968 the Seamen’s Church Institute moved to 15 State Street. That year, the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse was donated by the Kaiser-Nelson Steel & Salvage Corporation to the South Street Seaport Museum. It was erected at the entrance to the museum complex, on the corner of Fulton and Pearl streets, in May 1976, with funds provided by the Exxon Corporation.

Margaret Brown would go on to be active in a variety of causes including women’s suffrage and workers’ rights. During World War I, she volunteered with the Red Cross. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Senate. In her later years, she also worked as an actress in New York. She died on October 26, 1932, in New York City.

Known to her friends as “Maggie,” after her death authors would dub Margaret Brown, the daughter of Irish immigrants, as the “Unsinkable Molly Brown,” highlighting her rags to riches story. In 1960, the musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, premiered on Broadway, featuring a highly fictionalized version of her life and of surviving the sinking of the Titanic. A movie by the same name starring Debbie Reynolds would come out in 1964.

The post The Unsinkable Molly Brown and the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse appeared on Old Salt Blog. ______31 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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Removable bow turns tugboat into icebreaker Written by Nick Blenkey A project with the potential to make any ice-strengthened vessel into an icebreaker is moving right along. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has now converted the tugboat Calypso into an icebreaker concept boat equipped with an innovative hybrid motorized removable icebreaking bow powered by Danfoss Editron. The vessel is currently moored in Mustola harbor in Lappeenranta and has begun operating on Lake Saimaa and the deep waterways of the surrounding area this winter. The removable bow, the world’s largest motorized unit of its kind, has been delivered by Turku Repair Yard as part of the Winter Navigation Motorways ofthe Sea II project. The EUR 7.6 million (about $9.3 million) scheme, cofunded by the EU Connecting Europe Facility program One of the project’s key targets was the creation of a motorized icebreaking removable bow concept, which would enable ice- strengthened vessels to be used as icebreakers during the winter. This specific bow is capable of breaking ice up to 70 cm thick. Danfoss Editron’s hybridelectric system is powering the removable bow with two generators, built as a DC system, and two propulsion systems. The company has also provided a front supercapacitor so that peak powers can be efficiently controlled. The Editron software also cuts fuel and delivers high efficiencies as the diesel generators in the DC system can be driven at variable speeds. The power plan and propulsion system of the removable bow have been designed to be operated from the pusher tug wheelhouse, while the machinery can operate unmanned. Kari Savolainen, Project Manager at Danfoss Editron, commented: “We have operations in Lappeenranta, so we can see first-hand how harsh winter conditions directly impact shipping transport. This new kind of removable bow will make the whole industry more efficient and sustainable, as it will enable virtually any kind of tug to become an icebreaker ship. Our Editron system is easily adaptable for future optimizations and we are eager to learn more about our supercapacitor’s ability to control the peak powers.” Juuso Kummala, Industry Line Director at FTIA, added: “Lake Saimaa’s ice is more solid than sea ice and can reach up to 80cm thick. Developing this innovative design concept for the removable bow and equipping it with its own propulsion system will achieve savings in capital costs, as we will charter the pusher for only part of the year. We are also expecting to see savings in fuel consumption thanks to Danfoss Editron’s hybrid propulsion system.”As winter temperatures in Finland can plummet to -30°C, icebreakers are a necessity even during mild winters. Introducing hybrid electric power in icebreaking operations will help the country meet its target to lower emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Source : Marinelog ______Covid-19 Vaccines, Horseshoe Crab Blood, and Big Pharma Vampires ______Large Fire at Ireland’s Port of Cork Brought Under Control https://gcaptain.com/large-fire-at-irelands-port-of-cork-brought-under- control/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03-1254905ca4- 139894965&mc_cid=1254905ca4&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______

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Socializing Can Boost Crew Wellbeing - if the Captain Buys In A new report published by the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) finds that onboard social interaction benefits crew wellbeing, reduces isolation and cuts down on stress. ISWAN’s Social Interaction Matters (SIM) project - sponsored by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Red Ensign Group - was launched with the objective of encouraging social interaction on board. The pandemic and the crew change crisis have placed even more importance on the need for crew cohesion, according to ISWAN. An estimated 400,000 seafarers are currently serving beyond the term of their original contracts due to crew change difficulties, increasing the potential for isolation and making relationships on board more valuable than ever. The first phase of the research consisted of a large survey of seafarers and other stakeholders, along with 10 in-depth telephone interviews. The findings suggest that leadership from the senior officers (especially the captain) is the single most important factor in helping the crew to interact comfortably. "It has to come from the top down and the captain has to be there, because otherwise there’s a kind of suspicion . . . whereas when [the master] gets involved that disappears," said one respondent. Increased workloads, cultural/language differences and fatigue were identified as the three biggest barriers to social interaction on board. “Although measures can be put in place to facilitate recreational gatherings on board, it is these fundamental issues that need to be addressed for a long-term impact to take effect. Social interaction on board has a unifying impact that promotes a happier, more motivated crew that can work more effectively and safely together," said Dr. Kate Pike, research lead and author of the report. The project is still ongoing, but the initial report includes actionable information for vessel operators. In particular, the study shows that crew differences - including nationality, gender, and age - should be considered in planning onboard activities that bring the whole crew together. (Barbeques appear to be universally popular.)For the next phase of the project, ISWAN is working with several shipping companies to test out social engagement initiatives on board. After this is completed, Phase Three will use data and feedback from the trials to develop a "toolkit" for shipping companies. “The MCA works closely with seafarer charities and industry to understand the challenges faced by seafarers . . . as well as providing suitable support to ship owners, who owe their crew a duty of care under the Maritime Labour Convention,” said the UK MCA's director of maritime services, Katy Ware, who also serves as the UK’s Permanent Representative to the IMO. “Our seafarers provide a vital service, keeping the hearts of nations beating and we can’t underestimate their role in our lives." Source : MAREX ______Slow Progress in Cleaning Up Containers Aboard ONE Apus The process of removing collapsed container stacks from the boxship ONE APUS is under way at the port of Kobe, Japan, but the work is moving slowly, according to Japanese operator Ocean Network Express (ONE). In late November, the ONE Apus was under way from Yantian, China to Long Beach, California when it encountered a storm about 1,600 nautical miles northwest of Hawaii. In seas averaging about 16-19 feet and wind speeds of 13-18 mph, the vessel sustained a massive container stack collapse, losing more than 1,800 boxes over the side. The master diverted the vessel, then aborted the voyage and headed for a port of refuge in Japan, arriving in Kobe on December 8. ONE reports that salvors discharged a total of 50 boxes between December 8 and December 22, and another 76 boxes were removed by December 31 - an average rate of fewer than ten containers per day. Thousands of containers remain on deck, and cargo claims consultancy WK Webster estimates that the total damage could top $200 million. Discharging operations and inspections were suspended during the Japan New Year holiday, which runs from December 30 through January 4. The operation was scheduled to resume on January 5, but ONE cautioned cargo interests that it would proceed with a "slower speed and special safety case as the vessel on-deck [sic] to be repaired simultaneously." Cargo owners will be contacted for arrangements if necessary once more information is available, the line said. As of January 5, general average has not yet been declared, though it is understood that a GA surveyor has attended the vessel. Source : MAREX ______33 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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A Greek Historical Fact A slave call girl from Sardinia named Gedophamee was attending a great, but as yet unnamed, athletic festival 2500 years ago in Greece ...... In those days, believe it or not, the athletes performed naked.

To prevent unwanted arousal while competing, the men imbibed freely on drink containing saltpeter before and throughout the variety of events. At the opening ceremonial parade, Gedophamee observed the first wave of naked magnificent males marching toward her and she exclaimed: "Oh! Limp pricks!"

Over the next two and a half millennia that morphed into "Olympics". Just thought I'd share this newfound knowledge with you. ______Year In Review – Top Maritime Stories of 2020 Mike Schuler - December 29, 2020 https://gcaptain.com/year-in-review-top-maritime-stories-of-2020/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03- 23f4c94526-139894965&mc_cid=23f4c94526&mc_eid=4c72dd3685 ______Reflections on 2020:

1. The worst thing I ever bought was a 2020 planner.

2. 2019: Stay away from negative people. 2020: Stay away from positive people.

3. The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house & their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!

4. This morning I saw a neighbour talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came to my house & told my dog.... We had a good laugh.

5. Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pyjamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

6. Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?

7. I never thought the comment, “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a 6-foot pole” would become a global policy, but here we are!

8. I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to the Backyard. I’m getting tired of the Living Room.

9. Never in a million years could I have imagined I would go up to a bank clerk with a mask on and ask for money. ______

It seems that when you are asked to name your favourite child is, you’re supposed to pick one of your own. …………… I know that now ….!! ______

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Four old-timers were playing their weekly game of golf. (I may have posted this one before … but it’s worth another airing)

One remarked how nice it would be to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and without an argument go directly to the golf course, meet his buddies and play a round.

His buddies all chimed in said, "Let's do it! We'll make it a priority - figure out a way and meet here early, Christmas morning."

Months later, that special morning arrives, and there they are on the golf course.

The first guy says, "Boy this game cost me a fortune! I bought my wife a diamond ring that she can't take her eyes off"

The second guy says, "I spent a ton too. My wife is at home planning the cruise I gave her. She was up to her eyeballs in brochures."

The third guy says "Well my wife is at home admiring her new car, reading the manual.

They all turned to the last guy in the group who is staring at them like they have lost their minds. "I can't believe you all went to such expense for this golf game. I slapped my wife on the bum and said,

"Well babe, Merry Christmas! It's a great morning – Golf course, or intercourse?" She said, "Don't forget your hat!" ______

Captain SIR TOM MOORE, will never be this cool. 100 years old WW2 Burma veteran. Knighted by HM the Queen. Commissioned officer. Honorary Colonel. Raised £39 million for the UK NHS. Front cover of GQ, in a dinner jacket, medals, draped in Union flag. Legend!

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Sting - Christmas At Sea (Live from Durham Cathedral) - 3 Feb 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxZNTZhloiQ&feature=youtu.be

Christmas at Sea by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand; The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand; The wind was a nor’-wester, blowing squally off the sea; And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee. They heard the suff a-roaring before the break of day; But ’twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay. We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout, And we gave her the maintops’l, and stood by to go about. All day we tacked and tacked between the S outh Head and the North; All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth; All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread, For very life and nature we tacked from head to head. We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared; But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard. So’s we saw the cliff and houses and the breakers running high, And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye. The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam; The good red fires were burning bright in every longshore home; The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out; And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about. The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer; For it’s just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year) This day of our adversity was blessèd Christmas morn, And the house above the coastguard’s was the house where I was born. O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there, My mother’s silver spectacles, my father’s silver hair; And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves, Go dancing round the china plates that stand upon the shelves. And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me, Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea; And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way, To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessèd Christmas Day. They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall. “All hands to loose topgallant sails,” I heard the captain call. “By the Lord, she’ll never stand it,” our first mate, Jackson, cried. . . . .”It’s the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson,” he replied. She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good, And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood; As the winter’s day was ending, in the entry of the night, We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light. And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me, As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea; But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold, Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old. ______36 MNA CIRCULAR 2021 - #01 1st January 2021

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------The Merchant Navy Association

______

That’s all from me now folks.

Stay Safe Shipmates Here’s to a Healthy and a Less Restrictive 2021

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

Yours Aye, Malcolm

Malcolm Mathison National 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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