November 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09
NEWS
Masters in court on drinking charges appeared in court in the UK after F being caught being more than three A Russian shipmaster has
times over the legal alcohol limit when his vessel was entering the port of Fowey. Truro magistrates court heard that the harbour pilot had raised concerns after boarding the Cyprus-flagged general cargoship Pur Navolok and finding that Captain Sergey Safronov was absent from the bridge, with his duties being undertaken by the chief mate. Further concerns were raised when the ship’s agent boarded the ship and found that the master was struggling to complete paperwork. The court heard that Capt Safronov smelt of alcohol and he struggled to understand what was going on, even
though he could speak good English. Alison May, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said a police breath test registered 80mcg of alcohol in his breath, more than three times the 25mcg limit, and after Capt Safronov was arrested he became argumentative and obstructive. Magistrates sent Capt Safronov to Truro Crown Court for sentencing and remanded him in custody until then. g A containership master accused of being drunk in charge of his vessel in the port of Belfast has been ordered to pay a £5,000 bond being able to return home to Lithuania. Captain Eugenijus Tulauskas was arrested by harbour police on September 25 and faces a charge of having excess alcohol while on duty as professional master of a ship.
Left to right: Stuart Benge, senior training coordinator CML; Kristy Dawson, cadet training manager CUK; Don Millar, operations director CML; and Martyn Thomas, head of maritime & safety training CUK
Agreement cements cadet seatime with Carnival UK Maritime have signed a A service level agreement (SLA) to Carnival UK and Chiltern
formalise a long-running informal agreement to provide crucial experience for officer trainees. Under the scheme, Carnival UK offers seatime onboard its fleet of cruiseships for some of the marine charity cadets administrated by Chiltern. The relationship has been running for over 10 years and around 70 cadets have benefited from the opportunity. Carnival UK cadet training manager Kristy Dawson commented: ‘The agreement cements a long-term relationship and our commitment to continued support of their cadets. Working onboard a cruiseship affords the
cadet the opportunity to develop their communication, behaviour and leadership skills. This in return, gives us future access to a talent pool of potential third officers with relevant experience and knowledge of our industry.’ Chiltern Maritime operations director Don Millar added: ‘This SLA is a positive step forward in formalising this agreement and continuing with the excellent training opportunities CUK offer the marine charity cadets. The experience gained in the cruise sector is an important part of a charity-sponsored cadetship whose aims are to develop cadets for the industry, with cadets training on all types of ships from tall ships to VLCCs.’
Brian Slater, above left, and Bob Freeman , second from right in the picture above right, are two of the seafarers who have been supported by the Maritime Educational Foundation in training for STCW 2010 certification
Funding help for STCW training Unemployed UK seafarers offered assistance with certificate update costs
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The deadline for updating certificates to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendment requirements is looming — and a shipping industry charity is offering support to help unemployed UK officers with the costs of the required training. The Maritime Educational Foundation (MEF) — a charitable organisation overseen by a board of trustees who represent Nautilus International, the RMT union and the UK Chamber of Shipping — is also offering help for seafarers who have lost jobs in the offshore sector to retrain for work in other parts of the industry. Under the Manila Amendments, effective from 1 January 2017, seafarers are required to provide evidence every five years of having maintained the required standards of competence to undertake the tasks, duties and responsibilities relating to emer-
gency, occupational safety and survival functions. The MEF says it recognises the challenges faced by some seafarers in the present economic climate who need to update their STCW certificates to secure future contracts. Noting the importance of keeping skills and experience within the industry, it offers individual funding support to unemployed officers and ratings seeking to undertake approved training leading to updating their STCW certification. And in recognition of the particularly tough conditions in the offshore oil sector, MEF trustees have recently allocated funding to support UK officers with industry-approved courses that may assist employability in other sectors — such as ferries, windfarm support and yachting. Funding for the costs of industry-approved courses such as those required or offered by Renewables-UK and the Global
Wind Organisation, MEOL and MIST will be considered on a caseby-case basis. MEF chair Kathryn Nielson commented: ‘The MEF is committed to supporting UK officer and rating training, both for new entrants and for those who need support to stay in the industry. If a seafarer finds themselves in a position where funding assistance would facilitate their remaining, and progressing, in a career at sea, I encourage them to visit our website to see what is available. ‘The process is quick and easy for applicants, and UK shipping benefits by keeping experience and talent onboard.’ Brian Salter is one of the seafarers who has been supported by the Foundation. ‘MEF training funding is the unknown saviour of the seas,’ he said. ‘During a brief spell out of work, I realised some crucial refresher training was needed to ensure my Masters CoC was valid
for future postings. By sheer luck, I heard by word of mouth about MEF funding and thought it must be worth a try. The application process couldn’t be simpler. ‘In the current industry downturn and looming Manila refreshers needed, I would urge anyone needing assistance to get in touch for the help they require.’ Bob Freeman is another beneficiary. ‘Due to the recent slump in the oil and gas market, I found myself out of work,’ he said. ‘I knew that I would need to update my tickets, which was not a problem whilst employed, but with no income of any sort it became a bit of a struggle. ‘I was informed by the local RMT branch official that funding was available from the MEF to put me through the STCW updating courses. I contacted the MEF a few days later and from then on it was a breeze.’ g For more details, visit the website: www.meftraining.org
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