http://www.claymaitland.com On a quest for quality in shipping Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:45:17 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en So this week,  I'm in Hamburg for the bi-annual shipbuilding and ship machinery behemoth that is SMM and have been kindly asked by Jochen Deerberg to speak at his new environmental conference that runs parallel to the exhibition. As my regular readers know I feel that there are still a number ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/09/06/running-the-risk/ One is increasingly wary about accepting all the health related advice that pours unendingly out of the various media. A glass of red wine will keep your arteries from clogging up, but give you a greater chance of contracting prostate cancer. White wine promotes brain function, but will give you ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/09/01/a-healthy-life/ I am delighted to see that my fellow World Maritime University board member and crewing agency head, Doris Ho is making good progress with her campaign to get seafarers access to wifi while they are stuck aboard their vessels in ports. This small but significant quest could really help change the ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/09/01/wi-fi-in-ports-is-a-must-for-seafarers/ It was sad to hear of the recent deaths of three leisure fishermen who were lost when their 25ft craft caught fire and sank off Bantry Bay in Ireland. A fourth occupant of the boat survived although injured , and was rescued by helicopter. One of the fatalities, whose name will ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/26/tragic-death-of-wolfgang-schroeder/ The excellent Dennis Bryant, whose blog is all-encompassing on marine affairs, passes on an important recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board after investigating embarrassing events where US Coast Guard patrol craft were involved in collisions. In a recommendation heavy with meaning for people who cannot bear to be unconnected from ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/24/ringing-the-changes/ Many years ago, we were securely alongside in Melbourne, having our lunch, as it happened, when another vessel got slightly out of control when berthing and put a nasty dent in our side. After the shouting had died down (and we had finished lunch) I was despatched down the quay ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/22/play-it-again-sam/ A memorable description of how a ship is planned, designed and built is in "The Building of the Ship", written by a poet named Longfellow in the late 1840s: "Build me straight, O worthy Master! Stanch and strong, a goodly vessel, That shall laugh at all disaster, And with wave and whirlwind Wrestle!" ...... Ships, as ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/17/flexibility-is-vital-for-future-ship-design/ What can you employ a containership for, if charterers are reluctant to take your ocean greyhound to transport boxes around the world. It may be the wrong size, or a little long in the tooth, too thirsty or breathe out more noxious emissions than any potential employer sensitive to his corporate ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/13/not-quite-multi-purpose/ It is called crying for the moon, or more bluntly, asking for something that just isn’t going to happen. What shipowner would not like clever, more advanced ships, but also lighter, so that their engines are not pushing around enormous quantities of steel that isn’t earning them any money? And expecting ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/05/bigger-better-and-cheaper/ As an American lawyer, my heart rate naturally goes up when I think about large-scale litigation.  My professional pride also swells to see that our legendary legal ingenuity is not a thing of the past. So I'm not really surprised or dismayed that resourceful responders in the Gulf are answering the ... http://www.claymaitland.com/2010/08/04/the-trial-lawyers-payday-comes-to-the-bayou/