A failure of leadership
Shipping, it is often said, is a house of many mansions. It is characterized by different qualities, and varies according to the nationality of the ships themselves, and their owners. Continue reading
Marintec China 2011
As NAMEPA’s (North American Marine Environment Protection Association) founding chairman I was asked to speak at the recent Senior Maritime Forum held in conjunction with Marintec China 2011 in Shanghai. Continue reading
Those in peril
Last week, a small ship sank in a gale off the Welsh coast. Of the SWANLAND’S crew of eight, only two were saved, despite a distinguished rescue effort in terrible conditions by eleven Coast Guard teams, the RNLI and Royal Air Force. Continue reading
The Greeks have a word for it……
“Cataclysm” is, like most words of its type, of Greek derivation. A Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, told us nearly 2,500 years ago that one thing above all was certain: “all things change”. Continue reading
EMSA – our precious apple cart.
My late uncle Robin, a prudent man, used to warn: “Don’t upset the apple cart.” Continue reading
Shipping, EMSA and the European Union
There is apprehension that the grim news from Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Paris and Athens could lead to a weakening, partition or breakup of the Eurozone, and perhaps the European Union itself. Continue reading
Oversight, assessment of risk and management: Part 3
As we all know the ISM Code was adopted by IMO in 1993. The Code was drafted as a self-contained document. However, its provisions were bought into force internationally when, at the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Conference in 1994, compliance with its provisions became mandatory under a new Chapter IX to the SOLAS Convention. The Code differs from other quality assurance systems in that it is mandatory; it has been amended over the years, and is generally incorporated in OPA ’90. Continue reading
Oversight, assessment of risk and management: Part 2
In my last post I began looking at risk management and would like to elaborate further and see how this applies to shipping, the offshore oil industry, and particularly oil spills? Continue reading
Oversight, assessment of risk and management: please don’t shoot the regulators
Do you recognize the name Oswald Grübel? Mr. Grübel was until recently CEO of the Swiss Banking Group UBS. Continue reading
Discovering things old and new, on E/V Nautilus
On an morning in late August, on the Aegean Sea near the Turkish port of Bodrum, a number of us joined the crew of the Exploration Vessel Nautilus in search of ancient shipwrecks. Continue reading
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