Wednesday, January 23, 2013
P & S Werften , Shipbuilder, Files for Insolvency
COMMENTARY : SEEMS INCREDIBLE WITH A FULL ORDER BOOK
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
IT USED TO BE CALLED "PROGRESS"; MAYBE SHOULD BE CALLED "RETROGRESS" !
The day doesn't go by that we don't see news of some allision (collision with a fixed object) in which a ship's captain doesn't smash his ship against some "uncharted" rocks, and the ship is left to the vultures of the local seaside population, until it is declared a "Total Loss" by the insurance gurus.
Well, how times have changed ! We seem to be going backwards in ship construction and durability. We were reading a classic book by Alan Villiers, a famous writer of maritime books --- historic non-fiction, in this instance.
In one chapter, he recounts the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an engineer, designer, and builder, one of our personal heroes of the Industrial Revolution in early Victorian times.
Brunel acquired his reputation building England's Great Western Railway and several famous bridges. He turned his attention to shipbuilding in the earliest days of marine steam power, of which he was a fierce advocate.
In 1845, he built and launched the 322-foot long Great Britain, the first iron ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. "Contrary to nature" cried the naysayers ; "It will sink like a stone" was another frequent comment. With six water-tight compartments , six masts, and a 1,000 horsepower steam engine driving a six-bladed propeller 15½ feet in diameter, it had a top speed of 11 knots and a sustained speed of nine knots carrying 360 passengers and cargo, not bad, even by today's standards.
It acquired the reputation of being indestructible. It ran ashore on the Irish coast and lay there for almost a year, where she was subjected to the fierce storm winds for which that coast is infamous; she came off with hardly a scratch. Assigned to a continuous cargo-carrying run to Australia, she acquitted herself admirably for 30 years.
They converted her to a four-masted sailing ship; she survived the Cape Horn weather, carrying coal to the Falkland Islands until she was beached. Spotted in the 1960's by Captain Villiers, and contrary to the predictions of 100 years before, her iron hull was still intact.
What a contrast to the "We've gone aground ; passengers and crew Abandon Ship ! " philosophy that we encounter today. Query : Is modern ship design-and-build so much less robust that that of over 100 years ago, or is it the "Insurance will take care of it " attitude of litigation-fearful corporate ship-owners, captain, and crew ?
Either way, a sad commentary !
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Place of ROVs in Marine Technology Education & Careers : THE MATE PROGRAM
We subscribe to a spectrum of periodicals with subject matter that focuses on the maritime world. One of them, "Underwater", is published by the Association of Diving Contractors (International) ; these are the professionals who risk their lives by performing such dangerous tasks as mixed gas diving to great depths; underwater search and rescue; in-person inspection, maintenance, and repair of complex technological assemblies like hydroelectric plants; law enforcement search-and-rescue; lucrative but dangerous mineral exploration at astonishing depths; and so on.
As we are Certified Open-Water recreational divers ourselves, we can appreciate the work they do and the much greater risks they take daily in their chosen profession.
Therefore we were very pleased when we saw in the latest issue of Underwater magazine a full-color, two-page article on the Federally-supported MATE program. MATE --Marine Advanced Technology Education -- exposes teenagers to career opportunities requiring marine science technology and skills by means of this Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) competition for students, that has been funded as a National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Center of Excellence for the past 15 years. It is headquartered at a small college in Monterey, California, and financial and curricular support comes from the National Science Foundation and a variety of organizations that operate in deep-water environments.
This year's international field of 21 teams of student competitors comes from as far afield as a broad sample of U.S. states PLUS places as far afield as Egypt; Hong Kong; Japan; Scotland; Nova Scotia; and Newfoundland & Labrador .
The general nature of the competition is simple : students from as wide a range of educational backgrounds as the upper grades of elementary school, secondary school, home school, and college learn how to design, build, and operate Remotely Operated Vehicles that perform a variety of challenging tasks, with the ultimate goal of exposing them to the possibilities of careers in the deep-sea environment.
It encourages participants to focus their academic interests on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and therefore creates a flexible approach to education that supports and encourages those often-neglected fields.
The program eventually leads to an ultimate international (one might say "Olympic-style") competition in Orlando, Florida, this June, 2012.
We wish a powerful and exciting experience to all the participants in this event, and hope that the challenging studies that they undertake lead to fulfilling careers in the many-faceted marine and maritime worlds.
Monday, June 4, 2012
DO WE REALLY NEED A CAPTAIN AND CREW ON BOARD?
RADICAL IDEA--- a solution that gets to the ROOT of the problem (from radix, LATIN FOR "ROOT") --- REMOTELY-OPERATED CARGO SHIPS
Problems and Issues :
1. A shortage of trained, experienced, qualified, reliable shipboard crew
2. Modern pirates who board a ship at sea, seize control, and steal the cargo or hold the crew for ransom.
3. Wages are so high that --- even when a captain and crew can be found --- the
costs eat heavily into profits.
4. Containers have to be stacked so high that they become a hazard to the ship's Center of Gravity and the crew's line of sight.
5. No one thinks that anything is exceptional about sending drones (remotely-operated vehicles) into warfare, these days, containing huge, mankillng cargoes of explosives, in the air under the control of remotely situated operators (do they even call them "pilots" anymore, these days ?).
6. Naval architects have to build in large and expensive crew space, together with machinery to maintain comfortable interior conditions for them; food storage and preparation (galleys and dining rooms); and waste disposal .
7. ... and plan voyages to take crew requirements into account.
8. and much more that we leave to your imagination, WHEN
If maritime ships were designed from initial concept to launching as
A. remotely controlled cargo carriers,
B. equipped with as many optical devices as necessary to maintain a safe watch
C. with complete remote sensing, recording, and control devices, and the necessary communications capability
D. with an Operator comfortably seated hundreds or thousands of miles away
who will return to his or her comfortable suburban home at 5:00 p.m.
E. and be relieved by a second shift operator who will be fresh and alert, with no fatigue problems
F. with no danger of loss of life in the event of collision, alision, fire, or pirates
G. with resulting significantly reduced insurance premiums
and a host of other advantages.
Our guess is that pilots would still have to board and control the ship for difficult harbor and docking maneuvers, and other minor adjustments would have to be made. All in all, these are issues that can be handled and solved.
If we can entrust expensive, even irreplaceable, space vehicles to remote operation and control, why can't we consider the possibility for merchant vessels ? Is anyone currently working on this ?
SUBJECT TO RECEIPT OF INPUT, CONSIDERATION, AND ADJUSTMENT OF CONCEPT ; PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT . We would entertain comments, thoughts, and even well-thought-out challenges to the idea. Of course, we would also be happy to receive comments supporting the notion.
Problems and Issues :
1. A shortage of trained, experienced, qualified, reliable shipboard crew
2. Modern pirates who board a ship at sea, seize control, and steal the cargo or hold the crew for ransom.
3. Wages are so high that --- even when a captain and crew can be found --- the
costs eat heavily into profits.
4. Containers have to be stacked so high that they become a hazard to the ship's Center of Gravity and the crew's line of sight.
5. No one thinks that anything is exceptional about sending drones (remotely-operated vehicles) into warfare, these days, containing huge, mankillng cargoes of explosives, in the air under the control of remotely situated operators (do they even call them "pilots" anymore, these days ?).
6. Naval architects have to build in large and expensive crew space, together with machinery to maintain comfortable interior conditions for them; food storage and preparation (galleys and dining rooms); and waste disposal .
7. ... and plan voyages to take crew requirements into account.
8. and much more that we leave to your imagination, WHEN
If maritime ships were designed from initial concept to launching as
A. remotely controlled cargo carriers,
B. equipped with as many optical devices as necessary to maintain a safe watch
C. with complete remote sensing, recording, and control devices, and the necessary communications capability
D. with an Operator comfortably seated hundreds or thousands of miles away
who will return to his or her comfortable suburban home at 5:00 p.m.
E. and be relieved by a second shift operator who will be fresh and alert, with no fatigue problems
F. with no danger of loss of life in the event of collision, alision, fire, or pirates
G. with resulting significantly reduced insurance premiums
and a host of other advantages.
Our guess is that pilots would still have to board and control the ship for difficult harbor and docking maneuvers, and other minor adjustments would have to be made. All in all, these are issues that can be handled and solved.
If we can entrust expensive, even irreplaceable, space vehicles to remote operation and control, why can't we consider the possibility for merchant vessels ? Is anyone currently working on this ?
SUBJECT TO RECEIPT OF INPUT, CONSIDERATION, AND ADJUSTMENT OF CONCEPT ; PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT . We would entertain comments, thoughts, and even well-thought-out challenges to the idea. Of course, we would also be happy to receive comments supporting the notion.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Ocean News & Technology Magazine said it best on their front cover : AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES, PROVEN WORK HORSES FOR THE UNDERWATER INDUSTRY
We see, and we believe, that Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV's) will soon be one of the most important sectors in the entire field of operations and research beneath the surface of our oceans and waterways. There is currently, and for the foreseeable future, a significant shortage of personnel trained in these areas, so when considering the need for education and training in the technology of the seas --- in the broadest sense --- our strongest recommendations would focus on these technologies.
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV's) include two sub-categories : An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is an underwater robot that can navigate on its own without any control or input by a human operator and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) which are controlled and powered from the surface by a human, called variously the operator or the pilot, by means of electronic signals transmitted through the umbilical or using some other means of communication. In addition to the transmission of control signals, the umbilical also may transmit sensor and other recording data information back up to the surface .
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV's) include two sub-categories : An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is an underwater robot that can navigate on its own without any control or input by a human operator and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) which are controlled and powered from the surface by a human, called variously the operator or the pilot, by means of electronic signals transmitted through the umbilical or using some other means of communication. In addition to the transmission of control signals, the umbilical also may transmit sensor and other recording data information back up to the surface .
History
The first AUV's were developed beginning in 1957, and was at that time designated as a "Special Purpose Underwater Research Vehicle", or SPURV, used in the study of submarine wakes . Russia and other countries were developing this technology at the time, although this University of Washington research was the first to be acknowledged publicly in the scientific literature.
Applications
Until the technology became more fully developed, and that occurred fairly recently, the tasks assigned to AUVs were limited in number . Advanced sensor capabilities, an infrastructure of acceptance by users, and development of power supplies necessary for effective use have grown so that both civilian and military uses are being found for them.
Commercial
The major uses, and the ones most readily supported by the economics of the situation, are by the oil and gas industry. Before underwater drilling for oil and gas can begin, detailed purpose-built maps of the seafloor are required . The need for this highly specialized charting must exist before the company builds the very complex, heavy structures of their subsea infrastructure; pipelines and sub-sea installations are designed in the most cost effective manner with minimum disruption to the environment. The AUV can conduct precise surveys of areas where traditional bathymetric surveys would be not as effective or too expensive. AUV's also make it possible to conduct surveys after the pipe is laid.
Military
AUV's are typically used by the military services to map an area for mines, or to monitor a harbors for new unidentified objects. AUVs are also employed in anti-submarine warfare, to aid in the detection of manned submarines.
Research
The University of South Florida has established a fair-sized oceanic research campus on the South end of St. Petersburg, Florida, as part of a significant marine science complex, which is, incidentally, just across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from our home base. Indeed, the Editor of this Blog was a Program Assistant there when Admiral William (Bill) Behrens, the former Oceanographer of the Navy, was the Director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography there.
The University of South Florida has established a fair-sized oceanic research campus on the South end of St. Petersburg, Florida, as part of a significant marine science complex, which is, incidentally, just across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from our home base. Indeed, the Editor of this Blog was a Program Assistant there when Admiral William (Bill) Behrens, the former Oceanographer of the Navy, was the Director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography there.
Scientists use AUVs to study lakes, the ocean, and the ocean floor. A variety of sensors can be affixed to AUVs to measure the concentration of various elements or compounds, the absorption or reflection of light, and the presence of microscopic life. Additionally, AUVs can be configured as tow-vehicles to deliver customized sensor packages to specific locations.
Hobby
Many roboticists construct AUVs as a hobby. There are several competitions in which AUVs constructed at home or in school projects can compete against each other.[2][3][4] Like commercial AUV's, these robot subs can be fitted with cameras, lights, or sonar. Because of the limited resources of the school systems and the inexperience of the builders, hobbyist AUVs can rarely compete with commercial models on such parameters as operational depth, durability, or sophistication. Furthermore, hobby AUVs are usually not oceangoing, nor do they dive to any significant depth, usually operating in pools or lakes. A simple AUV can be constructed from microcontrollers, PVC pressure housing, relays, and other small parts obtainable in hobby shops or local hardware stores.[5]
Vehicle designs
Vehicle designs
Hundreds of different AUVs have been designed over the past 50 or so years,[10] but only a few companies sell vehicles in any significant numbers. There are about 10 companies that consistently sell AUV's internationally : Kongsberg Maritime, Hydroid (now owned by Kongsberg), Bluefin Robotics, Teledyne Gavia (formerly known as Hafmynd), and International Submarine Engineering (ISE) Ltd.
Vehicles range in size from lightweight AUVs that one man can lift to large diameter vehicles of over 32 feet (10 meters) in length. Large vehicle have advantages in terms of endurance and sensor payload capacity; smaller vehicles benefit significantly from lower logistics (for example: support vessel footprint; launch and recovery systems).
Some manufacturers have benefited from domestic government sponsorship including Bluefin and Kongsberg. The market is effectively split into three areas: scientific (including universities and research agencies), commercial offshore (oil and gas etc.) and military application (mine countermeasures, battle space preparation). The majority of these roles utilize a similar design and operate in a cruise (torpedo-type) mode. They collect data while following a preplanned route at speeds between 1 and 4 knots.
Commercially available AUVs include various designs such as the small REMUS 100 AUV that was developed originally by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and now produced commercially by Hydroid, Inc.; the larger HUGIN 1000 and 3000 AUVs were developed by Kongsberg Maritime and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment; the Bluefin Robotics 12-and-21-inch-diameter (300 and 530 mm) vehicles and the International Submarine Engineering Ltd. Explorer. Most AUVs follow the traditional torpedo shape as this is seen as the best compromise between size, volume, hydrodynamic efficiency, and ease of transportation. Some vehicles are designed to make use of modular components which can be interchanged easily.
The market is changing so that designs are now following commercial requirements. Future designs include hover-capable AUVs for inspection and light-intervention (primarily for the offshore energy applications), and hybrid AUV/ROV designs that switch between roles as part of their mission profile. Commercial markets are, not surprisingly, driven by financial requirements, as the goal is to save money and expensive ship time.
While most current AUVs are capable of unsupervised missions, most operators remain within range of their operators so that they can maintain a close watch on these expensive, and in some cases classified, products. This is not always possible in Arctic environments when geopoliticaly-vital sea floor surveys are being made by the governments involved, such as when Canada recently used two ISE Explorer AUV's to survey the sea floor underneath the Arctic ice in support of their of sovereignty claims under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. Also, increasingly, very low-power, long-range variations such as underwater gliders can operate unattended for weeks or months in littoral and open ocean areas, relaying data by satellite to a base on shore, before returning to home base.
As of 2008, a new class of AUVs are being developed, the biomimetic (imitating nature) . Currently in experimental stages, these bionic vehicles can achieve high degrees of efficiency in propulsion and maneuverability by copying successful designs in nature. Two such vehicles are Festo's AquaJelly and Evologics' Bionik Manta.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
PHILIPPINE SEAFARING INDUSTRY --- ON THE EDGE By: Capt. Alvils, 12 April 2012
We have not asked Captain Alvils --- of the Philippine Maritime Service --- who is clearly a master mariner of long service and high integrity, for permission to reprint his comments on maritime education and training. We do not wish to violate international copyright laws, but we found his remarks so compelling and heartfelt, and so relevant to our own message, that we are taking the liberty of reproducing his latest writings here as an example of what can happen when a country does not carefully monitor its standards of training and certification for maritime personnel, in the hope and expectation that he will grant us reprint permission after the fact .
We are confident that his public comments, reproduced below with very minor editing, will serve as a beacon of light for those concerned with maritime education and training everywhere :
The Philippine seafaring industry is in a precarious situation. The country stands to lose not only millions of dollars of annual remittances but also employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Filipino seamen hired by European flagged vessels unless corrective measures on maritime standards are complied with, particularly the elimination of schools and training institutions offering inferior-quality maritime education.
March 7 to 14 2012, European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) officials conducted an inspection visit, the fourth one of this kind since 2006, to check the compliance of Philippine maritime schools, training centers and government measures with standard rules. The results were very alarming, not only for our shipping and seafaring industry but for the entire nation as well. The majority of our maritime schools and training institutions continue to incur deficiencies, some --- especially those located outside metropolitan Manila and outlaying provinces --- operate in substandard conditions, i.e. inadequate equipment, incomplete facilities, lack of academic systems and standards, instructor’s guide, teaching aids, books, unqualified teaching staffs, etc.
March 7 to 14 2012, European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) officials conducted an inspection visit, the fourth one of this kind since 2006, to check the compliance of Philippine maritime schools, training centers and government measures with standard rules. The results were very alarming, not only for our shipping and seafaring industry but for the entire nation as well. The majority of our maritime schools and training institutions continue to incur deficiencies, some --- especially those located outside metropolitan Manila and outlaying provinces --- operate in substandard conditions, i.e. inadequate equipment, incomplete facilities, lack of academic systems and standards, instructor’s guide, teaching aids, books, unqualified teaching staffs, etc.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) explained that the failure of the Philippines to rectify deficiencies pointed out by EMSA will trigger the European Commission’s withdrawal of the European Union's recognition of certificates issued by the Philippine government to Filipino seamen that will result in the refusal of EU flagged vessels to hire Filipino seafarers.
It also follows that the withdrawal of EU’s recognition could threaten the position of the Philippines in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) “white list” countries that are compliant with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers and will definitely have a detrimental effect not only on the country’s reputation in the international maritime community but also on the nation’s economy.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said, “We welcome this follow up visit of EMSA as an opportunity for the Philippine government to prove its efforts to continuously improve its maritime education, training and certification system,” . Adding, “We have already met and coordinated with all concerned parties involved in the follow up visit to ensure the corrective actions previously reported to EMSA are being implemented.”
But her statement is more of a lip service to appease the EU inspectors rather than genuine measures to address the deteriorating system of Philippine maritime education.
As early as 2006, EMSA audit findings already showed that Philippine maritime schools were non-compliant with STCW 78 (as amended). Government agencies alluded to the proliferation of “fly-by-night” maritime schools due to high demand of seafarers abroad. Any schools can offer maritime related courses so long as they can complete documentary requirements and meet the minimum standards set by Commission on Higher Education (CHED). They are often allowed to exist despite operating below the minimum standard, albeit under provisional status, provided they can rectify their deficiencies by next inspection. More often than not, no one does; they simply request an extension of deadline from the CHED . The latter, for so long, have continuously tolerated this blatant disregard and circumvention of rules lest they displace thousands of students, whose only ambition in life is to one day be a seaman, if they close down a non-compliant maritime institution.
“They operate with impunity, prioritizing income more than academic standards and without fear of reprisal from CHED, the lone government agency that regulates maritime education”, said one maritime educator.
While EMSA inspectors confirmed that the authorities and maritime education institutions did take appropriate actions to correct the presumed deficiencies, the actions taken were unsatisfactory.
In relation to the maritime administration, some corrective actions have not been taken. These are:
1. The quality of standards system in place at the MTC, TESDA and CHED;
2. The program and course review procedure in place at CHED;
3. The implementation and monitoring of on-board training;
4. The validation of the training record book; and
5. The implementation of the management level courses (MLC).
The MLC had been approved in 2005 but not implemented at the time of the 2006 inspection. During the inspection, EMSA inspectors established that the content of the programs did not fully comply with the relevant standards of competence required in tables A-II/2 and A-III/2 of the STCW Code. Considerable numbers of items of the code were omitted. Furthermore, the EMSA inspectors confirmed that the majority of the candidates were exempted from completing the program, the reason being that the MTC and PRC consider seagoing service as equivalent to education. For this purpose, the MTC has approved, through Resolution No 5, series 2009, a table of equivalency that was used to exempt candidates from attending the full program. However, the STCW Convention does not permit such equivalence.
In relation to maritime institutions, the EMSA inspectors established that some corrective actions had not been taken or were not satisfactory. These are:
Philippine Maritime Institute
Ø Quality Management System (QMS) - With the exceptions of internal audits and management reviews, no action taken;
Ø Training equipment - Still missing, not adequately used, or creating safety hazards;
Ø Simulators - Insufficient number of exercises, inappropriate training objectives and performance criteria, no evidence that testing and validation of training exercises had been conducted.
University of Cebu
Ø Training equipment - The equipment installed in the laboratories used by the regular students (those not enrolled in the Norwegian program) in electrical, electronic, and control engineering did not allow them to acquire the skills and to demonstrate competence in those domains. This was the same equipment that was in use at the time of the 2006 inspection.
University of Visayas
Ø Training equipment - Preventive maintenance was not conducted;
Ø The equipment used in the electronic and electro technical laboratory, that was in use at the time of the 2006 inspection, was inadequate for basic understanding and gaining practical skills;
Ø The system implemented in the steam plant machinery workshop was intrinsically unstable, with a dangerous risk of uncontrolled over-speed;
Ø Simulators - The number of Radar/ARPA exercises was still insufficient to cover training in the necessary skills -– only two exercises with two and three targets, respectively –- and there were no exercises developed for the GMDSS simulator.
Had the EU inspectors visited maritime schools outside Metropolitan Manila, they would have been horrified by their findings.
CHED, MTC , TESDA, POEA and other government institutions involved in maritime training, education and employment continue to be headed by government appointees who have no knowledge whatsoever about shipping and seafaring. The implication is that seafarers and the STCW itself are chiefly an employment matter. Exporting labor may be essential to keep the economy going but placing seafarers' concerns under the auspices of government administrators, and equating shipping, seafaring, and maritime affairs with an ordinary government office is a misguided policy.
If the government continues to group seafarers together with land-based migrant workers, the result will be catastrophic for the country. The merchant marine profession and the shipping industry in general have a technological dimension that is beyond the field of expertise of a labor secretary or a highly regarded political appointee.
For many years, concerned seafarers have been imploring the government to set politics aside and to leave shipping and seafaring to experts. It is a proven fact that for many decades CHED and MTC could not function without the aid of expert mariners from the private sector whom they continue to engaged as volunteers to constitute its technical working group (TWG).
For the nth time, I wish to reiterate to our lawmakers the following solutions (perhaps the only solutions) to completely eliminate the cause of malaise that afflicts this seafaring and maritime nation:
1) Create a “Maritime Department” section under CHED composed of Master Mariners, Chief Engineers and Marine deck and engine officers with Masters and Doctorate degrees. It is obvious that the people who have these qualifications are the members of its technical working group;
2) Amend the existing laws on Filipino Migrant Workers Act (RA 10022). It has remain detrimental and unfavorable to the business of manning and seafaring. It was passed into law without considering its negative effect on the maritime industry;
3) Separate/segregate sea-based from land-based employment. Because of the stringent requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention on STCW, where the Philippines is a party to this convention, not to mention the time spent on maritime education, rigorous training, and the complex process of licensing and certification, sea-based education needs to have its own identity, different from that of ordinary Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW). To attain this objective, we need to revive the defunct National Seaman’s Board (NSB), formerly in charge of deployment of seafarers, and managed by people knowledgeable in shipping and seafaring.
4) Replace the head of MARINA, MTC and TESDA with people who have extensive sea experience and full knowledge of various international conventions, rules, and shipping laws, particularly an experienced Master Mariner with excellent supervisorial and managerial skills.
It is not so difficult to search for the right person for the job and to find the courage and political will to initiate reforms and replace these incumbent government officials.
Those who perceive and brag that Filipino seafarers are indispensable because of their dominant numbers should have their heads examine. We don’t own the ships, but only serve at the pleasure of its owners. We cannot continue to ignore and defy convention rules that ship owners themselves ratified and pledged to abide, nor will the ship owners compromise the safety of their vessels in exchange for numerical superiority.
The threat of EMSA and the dire consequences of being delisted from IMO’s “White List” are similar to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Unless an immediate solution is found, there will be chaos in Luneta Park and our supposedly productive seafaring industry will end up at the bottom of the pit.
It also follows that the withdrawal of EU’s recognition could threaten the position of the Philippines in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) “white list” countries that are compliant with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers and will definitely have a detrimental effect not only on the country’s reputation in the international maritime community but also on the nation’s economy.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said, “We welcome this follow up visit of EMSA as an opportunity for the Philippine government to prove its efforts to continuously improve its maritime education, training and certification system,” . Adding, “We have already met and coordinated with all concerned parties involved in the follow up visit to ensure the corrective actions previously reported to EMSA are being implemented.”
But her statement is more of a lip service to appease the EU inspectors rather than genuine measures to address the deteriorating system of Philippine maritime education.
As early as 2006, EMSA audit findings already showed that Philippine maritime schools were non-compliant with STCW 78 (as amended). Government agencies alluded to the proliferation of “fly-by-night” maritime schools due to high demand of seafarers abroad. Any schools can offer maritime related courses so long as they can complete documentary requirements and meet the minimum standards set by Commission on Higher Education (CHED). They are often allowed to exist despite operating below the minimum standard, albeit under provisional status, provided they can rectify their deficiencies by next inspection. More often than not, no one does; they simply request an extension of deadline from the CHED . The latter, for so long, have continuously tolerated this blatant disregard and circumvention of rules lest they displace thousands of students, whose only ambition in life is to one day be a seaman, if they close down a non-compliant maritime institution.
“They operate with impunity, prioritizing income more than academic standards and without fear of reprisal from CHED, the lone government agency that regulates maritime education”, said one maritime educator.
While EMSA inspectors confirmed that the authorities and maritime education institutions did take appropriate actions to correct the presumed deficiencies, the actions taken were unsatisfactory.
In relation to the maritime administration, some corrective actions have not been taken. These are:
1. The quality of standards system in place at the MTC, TESDA and CHED;
2. The program and course review procedure in place at CHED;
3. The implementation and monitoring of on-board training;
4. The validation of the training record book; and
5. The implementation of the management level courses (MLC).
The MLC had been approved in 2005 but not implemented at the time of the 2006 inspection. During the inspection, EMSA inspectors established that the content of the programs did not fully comply with the relevant standards of competence required in tables A-II/2 and A-III/2 of the STCW Code. Considerable numbers of items of the code were omitted. Furthermore, the EMSA inspectors confirmed that the majority of the candidates were exempted from completing the program, the reason being that the MTC and PRC consider seagoing service as equivalent to education. For this purpose, the MTC has approved, through Resolution No 5, series 2009, a table of equivalency that was used to exempt candidates from attending the full program. However, the STCW Convention does not permit such equivalence.
In relation to maritime institutions, the EMSA inspectors established that some corrective actions had not been taken or were not satisfactory. These are:
Philippine Maritime Institute
Ø Quality Management System (QMS) - With the exceptions of internal audits and management reviews, no action taken;
Ø Training equipment - Still missing, not adequately used, or creating safety hazards;
Ø Simulators - Insufficient number of exercises, inappropriate training objectives and performance criteria, no evidence that testing and validation of training exercises had been conducted.
University of Cebu
Ø Training equipment - The equipment installed in the laboratories used by the regular students (those not enrolled in the Norwegian program) in electrical, electronic, and control engineering did not allow them to acquire the skills and to demonstrate competence in those domains. This was the same equipment that was in use at the time of the 2006 inspection.
University of Visayas
Ø Training equipment - Preventive maintenance was not conducted;
Ø The equipment used in the electronic and electro technical laboratory, that was in use at the time of the 2006 inspection, was inadequate for basic understanding and gaining practical skills;
Ø The system implemented in the steam plant machinery workshop was intrinsically unstable, with a dangerous risk of uncontrolled over-speed;
Ø Simulators - The number of Radar/ARPA exercises was still insufficient to cover training in the necessary skills -– only two exercises with two and three targets, respectively –- and there were no exercises developed for the GMDSS simulator.
Had the EU inspectors visited maritime schools outside Metropolitan Manila, they would have been horrified by their findings.
CHED, MTC , TESDA, POEA and other government institutions involved in maritime training, education and employment continue to be headed by government appointees who have no knowledge whatsoever about shipping and seafaring. The implication is that seafarers and the STCW itself are chiefly an employment matter. Exporting labor may be essential to keep the economy going but placing seafarers' concerns under the auspices of government administrators, and equating shipping, seafaring, and maritime affairs with an ordinary government office is a misguided policy.
If the government continues to group seafarers together with land-based migrant workers, the result will be catastrophic for the country. The merchant marine profession and the shipping industry in general have a technological dimension that is beyond the field of expertise of a labor secretary or a highly regarded political appointee.
For many years, concerned seafarers have been imploring the government to set politics aside and to leave shipping and seafaring to experts. It is a proven fact that for many decades CHED and MTC could not function without the aid of expert mariners from the private sector whom they continue to engaged as volunteers to constitute its technical working group (TWG).
For the nth time, I wish to reiterate to our lawmakers the following solutions (perhaps the only solutions) to completely eliminate the cause of malaise that afflicts this seafaring and maritime nation:
1) Create a “Maritime Department” section under CHED composed of Master Mariners, Chief Engineers and Marine deck and engine officers with Masters and Doctorate degrees. It is obvious that the people who have these qualifications are the members of its technical working group;
2) Amend the existing laws on Filipino Migrant Workers Act (RA 10022). It has remain detrimental and unfavorable to the business of manning and seafaring. It was passed into law without considering its negative effect on the maritime industry;
3) Separate/segregate sea-based from land-based employment. Because of the stringent requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention on STCW, where the Philippines is a party to this convention, not to mention the time spent on maritime education, rigorous training, and the complex process of licensing and certification, sea-based education needs to have its own identity, different from that of ordinary Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW). To attain this objective, we need to revive the defunct National Seaman’s Board (NSB), formerly in charge of deployment of seafarers, and managed by people knowledgeable in shipping and seafaring.
4) Replace the head of MARINA, MTC and TESDA with people who have extensive sea experience and full knowledge of various international conventions, rules, and shipping laws, particularly an experienced Master Mariner with excellent supervisorial and managerial skills.
It is not so difficult to search for the right person for the job and to find the courage and political will to initiate reforms and replace these incumbent government officials.
Those who perceive and brag that Filipino seafarers are indispensable because of their dominant numbers should have their heads examine. We don’t own the ships, but only serve at the pleasure of its owners. We cannot continue to ignore and defy convention rules that ship owners themselves ratified and pledged to abide, nor will the ship owners compromise the safety of their vessels in exchange for numerical superiority.
The threat of EMSA and the dire consequences of being delisted from IMO’s “White List” are similar to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Unless an immediate solution is found, there will be chaos in Luneta Park and our supposedly productive seafaring industry will end up at the bottom of the pit.
Captain Alvils is a third-generation Master Mariner (His Grandfather and father are master mariners) and, in turn, has raised two sons who are also now both Master Mariners. A graduate of PMI college (Class 67), he served 7 years with the Maritime Company of the Philippines (MCP) and 25 years with the Sanko Line, of which 6 years were as Master Mariner. He served as Port Captain and Operations Manager of various shipping companies, and is presently the Operations Manager of PVI. In addition , he is President of the Bataan Seaman's Association and Bukluran Marinong Pinoy. An author of books, including "International Regulations for Collision at Sea (explained and illustrated)", "Maritime English", "Chartering Terms and Abbreviations", and "Bulk Cargo Operations", he was awarded the prestigious honor of being named as one of the Most Outstanding Seafarers of the Year 2009.
Given the length of his maritime experience and the significance of his accomplishments, and as a citizen of one of the most seagoing nations in the world, we would think that his words and opinions should be given the attention, weight, and respect that they deserve.
MARITIME INSTITUTE, AFLOAT AND ASHORE
This BLOG proposes the establishment of a regional Maritime Institute, a major maritime professional and educational center based in an area with highway and water access to existing facilities, in particular, the extraordinary complex of maritime oceanographic activities that exist today in the Greater Tampa Bay region.
These shore-based facilities could be supplemented by a Maritime Institute Afloat, which would involve scheduling appropriate Institute activities aboard one or more vessels (seaworthy but not necessarily seagoing) acquired for the purpose, and tied up dockside as ancillary --- and relatively inexpensive --- facility space, whose bridge, deck machinery, and engine room could provide realistic equipment for instructional use in their maintenance and repair.
Empire State VI, the training ship of the N Y State Maritime Academy
Empire State VI, the training ship of the N Y State Maritime Academy
Florida : A great place for it to head for and tie up during the very cold winter season in New York
The Institute would offer a wide spectrum of programs that meet the needs of the maritime profession, including :
The Institute would offer a wide spectrum of programs that meet the needs of the maritime profession, including :
a. Career education (what used to be called Vocational Guidance) to the region as a whole. The general population does not know or understand the critical problems facing the nation's maritime activities. Public awareness is the first step. Recruiting and guidance should take place using modern creative techniques like the Social Media to an audience with a broad demographic profile : from secondary school students all the way up through mature unemployed and (the often neglected) under-employed adults.
... and a component that encourages people to consider maritime careers that can extend far beyond traditional careers at sea, using local courses and resources already in place . For example, the University of Tampa offers courses in international trade and commerce; Stetson University's School of Law could provide courses in the fields of traditional Admiralty Law, evolving international Maritime Law and the Law of Salvage, taught by qualified, experienced instructors. The Institute could offer these courses --- modified for working mariners and professionals in the marine insurance industry, work which requires familiarity with complex technical and operational issues .
b. Professional maritime certification and upgrade programs could be made available locally -- and therefore conveniently --- at the Institute's own facilities, using portable plug-and-play courses that meet strict Coast Guard standards, and that are currently offered at other locations around the country by State and Federal maritime academies and private proprietary schools.
Courses leading to Coast Guard Certification in today’s professional maritime career field, and appropriate for a modern Maritime educational institution are outlined below .
c. Courses in international trade, the Law of Salvage, and admiralty law, designed to be easily understood by working professional mariners who don't have a legal background, yet whose daily decisions on the job must rely on a working knowledge of the legal implications of these complex fields.
d. A comprehensive understanding of Intermodal Port Operations
e. Finance, Accounting, Economics, Chartering & Brokerage, Internet and e-Commerce, Social Media Marketing, International Law of the Sea, Logistics & Supply Chain Management,Admiralty Law, and Marine Insurance are examples of other fields which help maritime-trained and -oriented students meet meaningful shore-based occupational requirements.
f. Another unusual and neglected field concerns the Geopolitics of the Circumpolar regions. Familiarity with these areas is of increasing importance given the demonstrable melting of the Polar icecap, which will make the once-fabled Northwest Passage increasingly available to intercontinental shipping between Asia and Europe.
Maritime interests have begun establishing research and shipping facilities in near-Polar areas such as Newfoundland and Nunavut, because of the discovery of vast deposits of rare metals and other critical mineral resources found under the once-neglected tundra.
Illustrative of the growing recognition accorded to northern regions by other nations is the get-together of ocean technology representatives and agents from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain sponsored by Canada's Department of International Trade, that was held recently in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland . The topic was Inbound European Ocean Observing, and appears to be just one of a series on ocean technology, with a priority on ocean observatories, demonstrating rapidly growing interest in the near-Arctic and the interest in Atlantic Canada as a technology Center of Excellence .
The presentations were by OceansAdvance, the new and very active organization promoting the Newfoundland and Labrador ocean technology cluster . The latter is a group of state-of-the-art marine research facilities in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada, fostering interest in forming and supporting networks at the highest level . They are encouraging technology transfer and expanded research partnerships with the newly established centers of excellence in areas of Canada that were once considered not much more than harsh and non-productive environment .
All this new focus is the result of the discoveries of vast power sources and rare earth minerals in the region, concomitant with their growing need by new high technology devices . Yet there appears to be little knowledge, recognition, understanding, or effort in the United States in developing our common interest in these resources with Canada, our closest and friendliest neighbor, outside of how it affects investment and financial exploitation for immediate profits in our security markets.
g. State-of-the-art Bridge Simulators and Engine Room Simulators, using new, improved, highly-sophisticated equipment that, like airplane simulators, teach important ship management skills while safely on the ground. These would rely on the interests and benefit from the skills that many young people have acquired through computer gaming.
h. Providing Sea Time --- on-the-water log book time required to fulfill requirements in many professional upgrades and certification
i. Vocational training in
(1) advanced welding techniques,
(2) advanced diving techniques,
(3) advanced vessel inspection techniques,
(4) port security and counter-terrorism,
(5) towing and salvage operations
(6) undersea oil and gas drill rig operations
Two years after the Deepwater Horizon accident killed 11 men and sent oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the oil industry says it has learned valuable lessons from the disaster that are making drilling safer today.
But there's still a pressing issue looming for the oil industry: Oil field workers are retiring in huge numbers, leaving a workforce that's younger and — more importantly — less experienced. Dubbed "the great crew change" in the industry, the staffing challenge comes even as crews venture into places where drilling is more difficult, like the Arctic and deep below in the world's oceans .
j. Fuel Cell theory and practice --- technical understanding of these advanced technologies in power generation will be increasingly in demand given their increasing use in all applications of power generation, such as powering electrical motors directly from hydrogen, LNG, or ammonia, emitting only completely benign waste products. The theory and practice of this field are many decades ahead of the average modern mariner.
k. A Maritime Charter School --- beginning the maritime educational experience early :
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter.Charter schools are attended by choice. While charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition. Where enrollment in a charter school is oversubscribed, admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions systems. However, the lottery is open to all students. In a 2008 survey of United States averaging 198 students.
Some charter schools provide a curriculum that specializes in a certain field—e.g., arts, mathematics, or vocational training. Others attempt to provide a better and more efficient general education than nearby public schools. Charter school students take state-mandated exams.
Some charter schools are founded by teachers, parents, or activists who feel restricted by traditional public schools. State-authorized charters (schools not chartered by local school districts) are often established by non-profit groups, universities, and some government entities. Additionally, school districts sometimes permit corporations to manage chains of charter schools. The schools themselves are still non-profit, in the same way that public schools may be managed by a for-profit corporation. Corporate management does not affect the status of a school.
In the United States, though the percentage of students educated in charter schools varies by school district, only in New Orleans are the majority of children educated within independent public charter schools.
Enabling legislation for Florida is already in place; the Governor and the current Florida state administration have indicated support; the population served : high school age youth who reject the conventional go-to-college route and are faced with an otherwise bleak future. They could be trained for a career in a field with demonstrable world-wide job opportunities at sea and ashore.
The facilities and the location would provide strong motivation; operational costs would be borne by the County school system on a per-pupil basis; higher education opportunities abound, including first rate college education at no cost at accredited 4-year service academies. The curriculum of this Charter School might be tailored to provide one or more of the following certifications, upon successful completion of the program :
(1) Certification as an Able Seaman to US Coast Guard and Maritime Administration (MARAD) standards
(2) Sea time aboard an Institute ship or other qualified vessel
(3) Commercial Marine Radio-Telephone License, Radar Endorsement
(4) Such practical certifications as fit comfortably into the curriculum, such as Basic Safety Training (First Aid, Fire Fighting, Survival); Automatic Radar Plotting Aids; Lifeboatman; Proficiency in Survival Craft; Radar Observer; and Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (RFPNW)
l. USCG Certification Courses for Professional Mariners --- courses of this nature are presently available in the Tampa Bay area, BUT they appear to be, at best, modest in facilities, content, scope, and instructional resources. Top level turnkey programs are available from reputable, accredited, college level Federal and State maritime academies, courses which can be imported as plug-and-play units at the Institute. Students pay the course tuition fees; income accrues to the Institute through prior arrangements with the Academies sponsoring these programs. The Tampa Bay Maritime Institute would provide the classroom space and sponsorship.
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