Refresher Course News

Vessel collisions on America’s busy inland waterways have been a fact of life for a very long time. With towboats, barges, ferries, oceangoing ships and recreational vessels all jockeying for position in limited space, collisions (and even more near misses) are inevitable.Most of these incidents involving professional mariners do not lead to suspension and revocation (S&R) proceedings against the involved USCG licensed mariners, but, depending on the human and/or financial costs associated with the collision…

The fiercely competitive domestic boatbuilding industry looks for any advantage in the day-to-day battle for bottom line efficiencies. ‘XR Technologies’ offer an edge to shipyards as they grow their workforce.In the shipyard, skills such as welding and coating are in high demand. The ability to lay down a proper bead, or perfect the mil build on a ship’s hull can make the difference between a successful project and a failed inspection. XR technologies are valuable compliments to traditional training programs (XR is an umbrella category for virtual reality [VR]…

Norsafe has become the first lifeboat manufacturer to provide STCW and Norwegian Oil and Gas (NOROG) compliant training courses for seafarers. This means that the company is the only lifeboat manufacturer that offers production, servicing and certified training in the operation and maintenance of lifeboats and lifeboat crew. Gaining STCW approval is very timely for Norsafe as the Manila 2010 Amendments to the STCW-78 Convention stipulates that seafarers, who are qualified in the following areas, need to provide documentary proof they have recently undergone training or have been on a refresher course within the last five years by 1st January 2017.

On 1 January 2017, new regulations enter into force on refresher courses in the areas of maritime safety and fire-fighting. Therefore, the Danish Maritime Authority has issued a new order. The Danish Maritime Authority has issued an order describing a number of new requirements for refresher courses in basic maritime safety and fire-fighting. The requirements have their base in the STCW Convention. If you hold a certificate of competency and you are to renew it after 1 January 2017, you must, first of all, complete an approved refresher course. If you are an ordinary seaman and are not required to hold a certificate of competency, you must – after 1 January 2017 – be able to document that you have obtained refresher training on board within the last five years.

Key areas of concern for seafarer safety and security in both marine and offshore operations have triggered the release of six new and one supplementary titles from computer-based training specialist Seagull Maritime. Third quarter 2014 releases include specific emphasis on the offshore and dry bulk sectors, as well as a milestone in Seagull Maritime’s close cooperation with Kelvin Hughes through the addition of ‘Equipment Specific ECDIS Training’ to the Seagull Maritime CBT library. The new training module (CBT#4012) is designed to train navigators in the practical use of the MantaDigital ECDIS in a safe and efficient manner and is approved by the maker.

Netherlands Maritime Technology inform that it has developed a dedicated course for technical superintendents. Ensuring that participants can fully comply with the ISM code, the course also offers practical knowledge that helps superintendents in their daily work. The course is intended for junior technical superintendents, engineers or maritime officers who wish to take the next step to become superintendents, technical managers and professionals; also for equipment suppliers who want to learn more about the work of technical superintendents. It may also be a welcome refresher course for experienced technical superintendents. Some practical experience is a must. Managing costs are an essential part of the tasks of the superintendent.

Pasha Hawaii, SeaRiver Maritime Inc., and perhaps ConocoPhillips will soon share the practice of paperless navigation in U.S. domestic trades. Each of these three ship owner/operators is managing a transition to paperless navigation at distinctly significant stages. Their progress opens a window into the evolution of electronic navigation, now taking place worldwide. There are other U.S. operators on a similar path, to be sure, but the prominence of these three is exemplary. The…

Maritime piracy is both ageless as a threat as well as ductile in its dramatically changing nature both in and around the Indian Ocean and, increasingly, in other parts of the world. Somali piracy erupted in the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden and commercial vessels transiting the area frequently fell prey to the seagoing criminals who captured numerous vessels and held them and their crews for ransom to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Numerous maritime nations…

Valuable Lessons Learned – the Hard Way. Unfortunately, vessel collisions on America’s busy (but too often overlooked) inland waters have been a fact of life for a very long time. With towboats, barges, ferries, oceangoing vessels and recreational vessels all jockeying for position in limited space, many collisions, and even more near misses, are bound to happen. And while, thankfully, most of these incidents involving professional mariners do not lead to suspension and revocation proceedings against the involved licensed mariners…

In 2009, Sogreah, a firm of consulting engineers working in the fields of water, energy and the environment, launched the Otello, a 1:25 scale model of one of the world’s largest container carriers. This event was part of the celebrations to mark the extension of its shiphandling training center, Port Revel. On March 29, to open the 2010 season, Sogreah will launch the latest addition to its fleet, the Q-Max, a faithful reproduction of a 1,132 ft LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) carrier with a capacity of 266,000 m3.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center, through Det Norske Veritas, has approved a Vessel Security Officer (VSO) Refresher Course developed by The California Maritime Academy, a part of The California State University. The course, offered through Cal Maritime’s Sponsored Projects and Extended Learning (SPEL) Department, provides a refresher curriculum for maritime security personnel and is designed to facilitate the transition to the USCG mandatory training for Vessel Security Officers. Effective July 1, 2009 licensed mariners designated as Vessel or Ship Security officers will have to have either passed an approved Vessel Security Officer course, or taken an approved VSO Refresher course and either worked in the position of a VSO or have taken a VSO course.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has commissioned an independent study into the feasibility of instigating professional qualifications for the global bunkering industry workforce. It has put the study out to tender, and expects to announce the successful bidder by the end of June this year. IBIA secretary-general Ian Adams says, “IBIA does not want to become a training establishment itself. Two levels of qualification have been discussed, but not finalised. These are the IBIA Foundation Diploma (IFD) and the IBIA Professional Qualification (IPQ). The IFD could be achieved by relative newcomers to the industry, or could be structured as a refresher course for those looking for career advancement.

The Subsea Awareness Course held in Aberdeen, is now available in Houston. The five-day course has been designed to be suitable for engineers new to the offshore industry, those transferring from other disciplines within the industry and engineers who have worked in subsea previously but would benefit from a refresher course and exposure to the latest technology. service companies in the subsea sector and will be hosted on their premises. While most of the course will be presented in a classroom environment, the sessions will be interactive, with the opportunity to ask questions and discuss what has been learned. have been included wherever possible to enable delegates to view software models and products destined for subsea service.

Large harbor tugs assist USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as she returns to her forward deployed base after conducting sea trials. U.S. USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) returned to Yokosuka on May 7 after conducting sea trials in the Tokyo Bay. The carrier was at sea for three days testing its shipboard systems and equipment following a four-month selected restrictive availability (SRA) maintenance period. Sailors also participated in a number of drills and exercises, such as mass casualty and man overboard drills. “Sea trials give us a better judgment of where the ship is at and where the crew’s training level is that you can’t find by sitting next to the pier,” said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class (SW/AW) Chad Hemric, Safety Department leading petty officer.