The Quarterdeck; Day of the Seafarer

Our co-host, Admiral Watson, is headed back to Washington, DC so we thought we would bring you this special interview with Karine Langlois and Ahsok Mahapatra of the International Maritime Organization discussing the Day of the Seafarer. While June 25th may have passed, we should still honor our seafarers. The Day of the Seafarer is an annual event and we hope our listeners will thank a seafarer next year, and for years to come! Here's how Amver celebrated the Day of the Seafarer.

Here is a direct link to the audio file.

The Quarterdeck transcript is available here.

You can also download the Quarterdeck in iTunes.

     Links

• Day of the Seafarer on Facebook
• Day of the Seafarer on Twitter
• Day of the Seafarer on YouTube
• Day of the Seafarer on Flickr

The Quarterdeck theme song is Botany Bay by the Blaggards, available on musicalley.com. 

Would you like to hear something specific on the Quarterdeck? Leave your question in the comments and we'll do our best to answer it in an upcoming episode.
 

Welcome Wednesday!

We've been on the road. While we've been away the Amver awards have been completed and will be mailed out soon. Your awards are on their way! The International Maritime Organization also elected a new Secretary General. One thing you can count on, however, is ships enrolling in Amver. Here are the latest participants.

• AQUA SPIRIT
• AQUAFORTUNE
• CENTENARIO BLU
• D&K YUSEF I. AL-GHANIM
• DIEZEBORG
• EAGLE LOUISIANA
• ENCORE
• FIDA
• INITIAL SALUTE
• KAIWO MARU
• KEY GUARDIAN
• KING HAKAN
• KL BARENTSFJORD
• MAXIM
• MAXIMUS
• NEWLEAD ENDURANCE
• PACIFIC ENERGY
• PACIFIC MISTRAL
• SEALINK DARWIN
• SHORYU
• SINOKOR SUNRISE
• STAR GATE
• VOGERUNNER

Thank you for continuing to support the Amver system. Don't forget to listen the Amver podcast, Quarterdeck!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Related articles

• Sixteen Crowley-Managed Vessels Honored with U.S. Coast Guard AMVER Awards (gcaptain.com)

BREAKING- Koji Sekimizu new IMO Secretary General

Lloyd's List just tweeted that Koji Sekimizu, in the second round of voting, was elected the next IMO Secretary General. Mr. Sekimizu was the Director of the IMO Safety Division and took 19 votes in the second round of voting to secure his spot as the top man at IMO.

Amver maintains a good relationship with Japan and offers vessels required to report to the Japanese Ship Reporting System (JASREP) an opportunity to do so by following simple instructions in our ship reporting manual.

Congratulations to the new IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu!

Photo credit: IMO

IMO Election

This morning the International Maritime Organization begins voting on a new Secretary General. Who will become the next leader during what proves to be a challenging time for the maritime community? Lloyd's List has a page dedicated to the election. Who's in the running?

            Candidate                                Government 

• Mr. Lee Sik Chai                        Republic of Korea 
• Mr. Andreas Chrysostomou       Republic of Cyprus 
• Mr. Neil Frank Ferrer                 Republic of the Philippines 
• Mr. Jeffrey Lantz                        United States of America 
• Mr. Esteban Pacha Vicente        Kingdom of Spain 
• Mr. Koji Sekimizu                     Japan

Mr. Jeffrey Lantz is the United States nominee. Here is a bit more about Mr. Lantz. Good luck to all the candidates. Amver enjoys a wonderful relationship with the IMO and we look forward to learning who the new Secretary General will be!

Photo credit: IMO

Thank You Seafarers

Today the IMO has declared it the Day of the Seafarer! The running shoes you are wearing, the iPod you use, your mobile phone, some of the food you eat- all brought to you by sea. More importantly, these seafarers save lives. How many? Amver ships save a life every 33 hours. So today make sure to thank a seafarer!

Thank You Seafarers!

Welcome Wednesday!

Another week and even more ships enrolled in the Amver system. 55 ships to be exact. Thank you, shipping community, for making yourselves available to assist those in distress! Who are these 55 ships? Take a look. Don't forget, June 25th is the Day of the Seafarer!

• AM GHENT
• ANTARES LEADER
• APL MELBOURNE
• APL SHANGHAI
• BLUE WAVE
• BRAZOS RIVER
• CHANG HANG XIAN FENG
• CMA CGM ALMAVIVA
• CMA CGM LYRA
• CMB VIRGINIE
• CONTI SPINELL
• COSCO GLORY
• CPO SWEDEN
• DELTA POSEIDON
• DOLEGA
• ENJOY
• FRITZ REUTER
• GAZ VENTURE
• GLOBAL TRINITY
• GRAND DUKE
• HAN HE
• HARLAN S MCCALL
• INDEPENDENT VOYAGER
• JOYFUL FORTUNE
• KATRINA EM
• LEONID LOZA
• LIRA
• MACCOA
• MADANI NUSANTARA
• MANIZALES
• MAPLE GLORY
• MAR ROCIO
• MAYA PRINCESS
• MCL ALGER
• MR. JESSIE
• OHSHU MARU
• ORE BELO HORIZONTE
• ORIENT ANGEL
• ORIENT SINGAPORE
• PELICAN ARROW
• QI SHAN
• RENA
• SEASENATOR
• SEPANG EXPRESS
• SILVER SAILING
• STIKINE
• STX NOBLE
• UBC LEMESSOS
• UNITED GRACE
• WARNOW SUN
• YANG LI HU
• YANGTZE STAR
• YU JIN ACE
• YUAN JING

Don't forget about the Amver podcast, the Quarterdeck!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver ship assist sailor

An Amver ship, a SPOT beacon, a concerned family member, and some sharp search and rescue professionals (you know, those unsung heroes) helped a lone sailor who was in distress approximately 750 miles east south east of Cape Cod, Mass.

It all started when U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue authorities at the First District Command Center were notified by a concerned family member who received a SPOT alert of a possible distress at sea. "We are not in life threatening danger, but could use help/assistance," the message to the family stated. 

Wheels in motion

Recognizing the challenge of getting search and rescue resources to the 42 foot sailboat, U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel quickly queried the Amver system and identified the BW Hudson, a 748 foot Panamanian flagged tanker, and requested they change course to the stricken sailboat. Captain Eldred Coelho, master of the BW Hudson, quickly put his crew on alert and made best speed to the distress location.

Captain Coelho was only 150 miles away from the sailboat. Upon arriving alongside the disabled craft, he notified the Coast Guard and transferred five 20 liter cans of diesel. The skipper of the sailboat said he felt certain the boat was still seaworthy and could complete a transit to Halifax. Captain Coelho made sure the yachtsman had a Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon and radioed critical information back to the Coast Guard. Once the fuel transfer and welfare checks were complete the BW Hudson continued on its voyage.

Coast Guard search and rescue personnel passed along the pertinent information to rescue personnel in Halifax who will take over the case.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Numbers

We want your numbers! Your Inmarsat voice number to be exact. If you are enrolling a ship in Amver for the first time you'll see a slight change to the Amver Search and Rescue Questionnaire, or SAR-Q. Why are we asking for your Inmarsat voice number? Because the proliferation of technology on ships means there are multiple "phone" numbers for ships. When there's a search and rescue emergency, our folks need to know how to reach you straight away. By providing your main voice Inmarsat number we can reach out and contact you immediately.

So, if you're signing up- give us your number!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Related articles

• New! Use Skype to call Inmarsat satellite phones (share.skype.com)

Pirated Amver ship catches fire

According to a report by Tradewinds, the Amver participating bulk carrier Orna, which has been held since late December 2010, caught fire forcing the nineteen crew and band of pirates to abandon ship. The entire group is reportedly safe on shore.

The Orna, a Panamanian flagged ship, is managed by Swedish Management of Dubai and enrolled in the Amver system on January 1, 1990.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the crew for a speedy resolution to this incident.


Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Welcome Wednesday!

The "ships" just keep on coming. Yes, that's our lame attempt at trying to rhyme with the hits just keep on coming. Perhaps we'll stick to our day job of managing the Amver system!

In the meantime we want to honor the last batch of vessels to enroll in the Amver system. Shipping and sailing are serious business and nobody knows that better than the brave men and women who make going to sea their profession. We hope you take some time out to thank them.

Naming their vessels here is our small way of saying thanks! So, help us thank (and welcome) the latest additions to the Amver safety network.

•          CONTI PYRIT            
•          ZAMPA BLUE             
•          SARAH                  
•          APJ JAI                
•          ULUSOY 11              
•          VOS PIONEER            
•          FIVE STARS FUJIAN      
•          G WHALE                
•          CSC CRYSTAL            
•          OCEANIC INDIGO         
•          ORIENT DEFENDER        
•          ZAKHER CROWN           
•          SHUNWA                 
•          BRAVE SAILOR           
•          SHIMANAMI QUEEN        
•          MARIE ELISE            
•          MERCURIUS              
•          DEAN ANDREW            
•          HOS SANDSTORM          
•          SUNNY YOUNG            
•          BULK PERU              
•          OCEAN ZIRCON           
•          SAKURA OCEAN           
•          CSAV LLUTA             
•          TAICANG DRAGON         
•          MARITIME KING          
•          FORTALEZA KNUTSEN      
•          CLIPPER LANCER         
•          DISCOVERER INDIA        

Don't forget to check out the Amver podcast, the Quarterdeck!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver ship assists fishing vessel

The United States Coast Guard First District Command Center, working with search and rescue personnel from MRCC Ponta Delgada, JRCC Netherlands, and MRCC Stavanger, responded to a 70 foot Portuguese fishing vessel possibly in distress 1,250 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass. on Monday June 13, 2011. The Coast Guard also diverted the Amver participating tanker Unique Sunshine.

The 600 foot Hong Kong flagged tanker, owned by Crucis Shipping of Panama, diverted and rendezvoused with the fishing vessel determining it was not in distress. A Coast Guard C-130 aircraft, from Air Station Elizabeth City, and a Portuguese search aircraft which were launched for the mission were also released.

Coast Guard personnel from the First District Command Center will continue to monitor the fishing vessel to ensure it is not in distress.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Norwegian ships earn Amver awards

The who's who of Norwegian shipping came to the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Oslo during Norshipping 2011 to receive their Amver participation awards. Ambassador White hosted the reception, which was sponsored by Comtech Mobile Datacom. 382 Norwegian vessels earned Amver awards in 2010.

Ambassador White was joined by Mr. Jeffrey Lantz, U.S. candidate for IMO Secretary General, and Mr. Sturla Henriksen, Director General of the Norwegian Shipowners Association, to celebrate Norway's contribution to safety at sea.

Congratulations to the Norwegian ships earning Amver awads!


Photo credit: USCG Photo by Beverly Howard

Welcome Wednesday!

Another week has passed and in that week a few Amver ships were diverted to search for possible vessels in distress while a handful more enrolled in the Amver system. What most people don't realize is the magnitude of shipping. Almost all of the things they touch, from the alarm clock that wakes them to the sheets they tuck under each night, come by ship.

As the Day of the Seafarer approaches we should be mindful of those at sea who risk their lives not only to save lives, but face every day dangers to make sure we have our iPads, Nike shoes, and Blue Ray players.

Help us welcome the latest members of the Amver team:

•          TAIPOWER PROSPERITY VI 
•          DESERT CALM            
•          NYK FUTAGO             
•          BALTIC KLIPPER         
•          DE PING HAI            
•          BROVIG CIERZO          
•          YANGZHOU DAYANG DY3036 
•          JOSHUA CHOUEST         
•          DEEP CONSTRUCTOR       
•          C ELEPHANT             
•          QI LIN ZUO             
•          HOS SUPER H            
•          SUNNY ROYAL            
•          CORONA BULKER          
•          PACIFIC DIAMOND        
•          MAERSK EVORA           
•          TEN JIN MARU           
•          STAR VOYAGER           
•          IKAN SAGAI             
•          SPYROS K               
•          MAKO                   
•          JO LYNN TIDE           
•          BERLIN BRIDGE          
•          GARY CHOUEST           
•          PALLAVI C              
•          DIYYINAH - I           
•          YAMILAH - III          
•          SEABULK WISCONSIN      
•          OCEAN PROJECT          
•          RAS GHUMAYS - I        
•          ABU AL ABYAD            

Also, don't forget about the Amver podcast, the Quarterdeck!


Photo credit: Fotolia

33

Did you know that every 33 hours an Amver participating ship saves a life somewhere in the world? Yup, we did the math. That's not too shabby. And we do it for free!

Thank you seafarers!


Photo credit: Fotolia

Welcome Wednesday!

Home. We're glad to be back home after a successful trip celebrating safety at sea and Amver participation. More on the Amver awards in Washington, DC and Norway in future posts. Today we're celebrating the most recent enrollees in the Amver system. Why enroll? Because your ship may just save a life. Isn't that reason enough?

Help us welcome the following vessels.

•          MORNING LENA           
•          CHRISTIANA             
•          SEAFRONTIER            
•          LYRIC SUN              
•          CAPE ISTANBUL          
•          NORGAS INVENTION       
•          NORTHERN PRELUDE       
•          RUI NING 3             
•          NORTHERN JUPITER       
•          ORIOLE                 
•          FRONTIER FALCON        
•          SAIQ                   
•          BBC MAGELLAN           
•          PACIFIC ENLIGHTEN      
•          GIOVANNA               
•          TAMAR                  
•          CHANG HANG CHENG GONG  
•          KM KOBE                
•          MINERAL SUBIC          
•          WELLSERVICER           
•          NYK FUJI               
•          EMIRATES KANAKO        
•          APL MINNEAPOLIS        
•          CHANG HANG FEI YUE     
•          CCNI PATAGONIA         
•          BELUGA MUMBAI          
•          CAP GRAHAM             
•          TS TOKYO               
•          MELLUM                 
•          MARATHA PARAMOUNT      
•          DORIC SAMURAI          
•          LADY HELENE            
•          FORTUNE                
•          ORALORA                
•          NORD OCEAN             
•          VERA                   
•          PGS APOLLO              

How about the Quarterdeck? Are you listening to the Amver podcast? It's a great listen and available on iTunes as well.


Photo credit: Fotolia