LIVE FROM POSIDONIA: A class birthday party
Posted on | June 6, 2010 | No Comments
On Friday night, to mark its 250th anniversary, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, whichjustifiably calls itself “the world’s first classification society”, threw a gala evening fiesta at Athens’ Astir Palace hotel, and invited the great and the good of the Greek shipocracy, led by the indispensible Capt. Tsakos, as well as government. officials still willing to appear at such events within the eurozone, to join the shoreside celebration.
“Shoreside” at the Astir Palace hotel also involves a large swimming pool, which can be perilous at night to the stumbling, unwary or overserved guest.
Last night, Lloyd’s Register’s impeccable safety reputation held up, thanks to two huge balloon-like objects, inscribed “Lloyd’s Register of Shipping”., secured to floats.
It was noted that the Greek government representatives carefully avoided getting close to the pool, perhaps wary of tempting some of the local shipowners to take advantage of an obvious opportunity.
A 250th anniversary is a rare event even in our venerable trade; more remarkable is the number and importance of the achievements in which Lloyd’s Register has led the way during that span of time. Some of these were displayed on easels as the guests arrived.
They mark two and one-half centuries during which increased capital investment, banking and and of course insurance financed the expansion of global trade.
This required reliable and secure quality standards. The structure and condition of ships and their components had to be measurable,. predictable and comprehensible. Science and technical progress thrust shipping forward into a world of growing complexity that hasn’t slowed to the present time.
The development first of a internationally recognized system by which the design, quality and condition of a ship could be measured, described and understood was the unique achievement of Lloyd’s Register.
The proven reliability of the Lloyd’s system of symbols and descriptive terms –an example being the familiar A1 maltese cross– made possible the design, finance, construction and insurance of vessels of every purpose, and their equipment and cargo.
Under the leadership of experts like David Moorhouse, who retires this year, Lloyd’s Register led the way in developing the MARPOL system of international agreements dealing with the prevention of pollution of the world’s oceans. As
David Moorhouse pointed out last night, today’s problems of implementation of “safer ships, cleaner seas” are more likely to lie in getting people to follow the rules, and to “never, but never, take that fatal shortcut.”
Worth remembering, for at least another 250 years.
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