Company News

Editorial

Dear seafarers, Broadly speaking, the majority of pieces in this issue can be separated into two categories. In the first category are those pieces with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats present in the shipping industry. In the second, there are articles that require a degree of emotional intelligence for the reader to identify meaningfully with the content. One section that highlights a strength is Safety First! In this section the existence of a strong safety culture is laid out. What is more, the piece points out that despite having a good safety record, improvements are always being sought so as to reach Goal Zero. Another strength is the industry’s specialist knowledge, an example of which appears in the Culture Corner section on the Inuit. A third strength appears in the Bodies of Water section on the Strait of Malacca, which is a prime example of a wellestablished, well-administered shipping route that facilitates seaborne trade. Last, but not least, the Company News article on M/T Merapi’s transportation of oil to Sri Lanka illustrates how shipping not only drives the global economy but also acts as a lifeline to communities in desperate need. With regard to weaknesses, the Women in Maritime article reveals how the lack of gender diversity in high-level positions in shipping and among seafarers is depriving the industry of a valuable resource. Fortunately, as mentioned in the article, the weakness is being competently addressed and gender imbalance is being reduced. An excellent example of opportunity is given in the Technical section on additive manufacturing, which can solve logistics issues and increase efficiency. The fact that this technology is being adopted is indicative of the kind of forward thinking that is embraced in shipping. As far as threats are concerned, an extremely serious one, the liquefaction of iron ore cargoes, is dealt with in the Marine Operations section. These two pieces were written by two new contributors, Christos Chatzigiaksoglou and Marios Strongyloudis respectively. I thank them for their efforts that resulted in highly informative pieces. The articles that require emotional intelligence for a greater degree of appreciation are the Nostalgia section, the Crew Department contribution and the Voices from the Fleet section. In the former, there are touching accounts of how family members have influenced and inspired Company ship and shore personnel in their careers. The Crew Dept. tribute brought us the tragic news of a death of one of our Seafarers in Ukraine, while the latter gave descriptions of memories made while working for the Company. I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all those who contributed to these sections in this issue for sharing their stories. The value of their content is immeasurable as it is the social awareness aspect of emotional intelligence that allows us to communicate efficiently and improve our mental well-being. I also want to inform our readers that not all the submissions for the Nostalgia section could be included in this issue. However, this does mean that there will be other heart-warming accounts in the next instalment(s) of Nostalgia. Last but not least, I want to express my gratitude to all those who gave a brief account of important aspects of their careers for the Women in Maritime article. Again, there will be more to follow in the next issue. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this issue of Wavelength. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions regarding the content, please do not hesitate to contact me at contact@wavelength.gr.

Best wishes, Nick Seaman

Company News

OMV TMSA Audit

On 13th and 14th April, our Head Office team underwent a TMSA Audit from the Austrian multinational oil company, OMV, and Adriatic Vetting, which is responsible for ship vetting/screening/ clearance. After two years of remote audits (remote everything actually), this was the first physical one, and what a welcome return to normality it was! Such audits are always a good opportunity to exchange views, clarify questions and discuss best practices, but JanMartin Kusztrich and Capt. Alessia Lonza made it ever so easy and rewarding, for which we thank them. Congratulations are also due to our office team led by SQE Manager, Ms. Elli Moretti, for making these two days productive and successful.

From left to right: Jan-Martin Kusztrich, Elli Moretti, Capt. Alessia Lonza and Anthony Lambros

Disclaimer: The contents provided herewith are for general information purposes only and are not intended to replace or otherwise contradict the detailed instructions and procedures issued by the owners, managers, flag etc. The articles presented and the views expressed in the bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. Editor: Nicholas Seaman • Email: contact@wavelength.gr • Design-Production: www.remdesign.gr

Merapi in Sri Lanka

This year has not been at all kind to the island nation of Sri Lanka. The country with a population of some 22 million has been in the grip of its worst economic crisis since independence was gained in 1948. Their crisis, which has been exacerbated by the shock created by the pandemic, has brought chaos to the lives of the vast majority of the country’s inhabitants. A shortage of basic goods has forced Sri Lankans to queue daily outside the shops they used to visit without giving a second thought to the availability of supplies. The long queues have created a dilemma as parents who have to work to feed their families now have to spend hours waiting to buy the necessities for daily living. What is more, a severe shortage of fuel used in the country’s power plants has resulted in long power cuts of up to ten hours. India has graciously stepped in to help their southern neighbours, and the Company vessel, M/T CE-Merapi, has been part of the Indian support effort. In March this year the vessel transported the first shipment from Paradip to Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the beginning of the following month, a second shipment of 40,000 MT was transported from Sikka to Colombo. By this time, Sri Lanka’s plight had become global news, so the delivery was covered by India’s Asian News International (ANI), South Asia’s leading multimedia news agency. Captain Nishant Mehta was interviewed at the port of Colombo, where he revealed details of the voyage and discharging of the cargo. He also mentioned the gratitude shown by the Sri Lankan people, including high profile cricketers, for the kind gesture made by India that would reduce power cuts and provide much needed fuel at the pumps. Thanks are due to Captain Nishant Mehta and the crew of M/T Merapi for playing an integral role in alleviating the suffering endured by the Sri Lankan people. Although this example of delivering vital supplies by sea is perhaps extreme, it is a shining example of just how important the shipping industry is in ensuring that people across the globe can have safer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Merapi - Master Capt. Nishant Mehta

Sources: www.aninews.in, www.edition.cnn.com, www.wionews.com, www.youtube.com

10th Shipping Tennis Tournament

The 10th Shipping Tennis Tournament (organized by the Standard P&I club) took place in Athens between 6th and 8th May 2022. Over 120 players from around 40 Greek shipping companies participated in three different age categories. Our Company was represented by Nikos Stavrakis from the Chartering Dept. in a last-minute entry in the singles (36-45 category). Nikos receiving the trophy He managed to secure three quite comfortable wins in the early rounds, and eventually reached the final, where he was up against a familiar opponent. Nikos stayed focused during the final, managed to make fewer mistakes than his opponent and won both the match and the tournament. Tennis is a sport that punishes mistakes, so whoever makes fewer wins the match. We asked Nikos to share his views of this experience and he said: “The key in tennis is to avoid mistakes. Just like seafaring where avoiding mistakes will keep our people safe. In general, I would like to urge you all to do as much sport as you can. Being physically healthy helps us also remain mentally healthy. Tennis is a very good exercise and a sport that anyone can play no matter the age group.”

Our warm congratulations go out to Nikos, and we hope he’s getting ready for a bigger stage!

The winner with Maria Malegou of M&M fame