Merchant Navy News

Taylor Smith Shipyard (TSS), the oldest ship repair yard on Mauritius, has appointed Willy van Niekerk as new General Manager.van Niekerk knows the yard well and was Assistant General Manager since 2022. He has broad experience in the maritime and offshore industries, taking to sea at 14 as a school holiday job on a converted fishing vessel and deciding to study marine engineering as a result.Throughout the years, van Niekerk sailed on container ships and bulk carriers trading worldwide, becoming chief engineer in the process, before embarked on a shore based career.

A Stella Maris chaplain is supporting crew onboard ships berthed at Felixstowe port amid the ongoing dockworkers strike.Julian Wong had gone on board the container vessel George Washington Bridge which arrived in Felixstowe on August 19 before the start of the strike, to meet the crew and left them his contact details in case they needed to get in touch.The ship was scheduled to leave the port on August 20, but its departure was delayed, so the crew had to stay on board. On August 24…

Belfast-based shipyard Harland & Wolff has appointed a new General Manager, Tom Hart to its Appledore site.Harland & Wolff, famous for building the Titanic, is today a multisite fabrication company, operating in the maritime and offshore industry through five sectors: commercial, cruise and ferry, defense, oil & gas, and renewables and six services: technical services, fabrication and construction, decommissioning, repair and maintenance, in-service support and conversion.Hart joins Harland & Wolff (Appledore) from Dubai-based Drydocks World where he was Director of Projects & Engineering.

Seably, the global online marketplace for bespoke maritime training, has hired Captain John Carlo Gatti as Director for Maritime Training Institutions. The youngest pilot to ever qualify as the Chief Pilot of Genoa, Captain Gatti brings with him a distinguished portfolio of knowledge, experience and hands-on expertise in navigation and vessel maneuvers that sets the bar within the maritime industry.Captain Gatti earned his command stripes within the merchant navy, before taking over the role as a Pilot, and then Chief Pilot of the Port of Genoa.

Stream Marine Training has boosted its management team as Katy Womersley, former General Manager of Clyde Marine Training, moves over the River Clyde where she takes up the role of Operations Director at Stream Marine Careers.Womersley brings her extensive experience in the maritime industry where, as a former seafarer, she began her career as a deck cadet before qualifying and working in the offshore and short sea trade. Upon moving ashore Katy Womersley was initially responsible for the delivery…

Yanmar Europe BV said it has signed an agreement with the Danish independent service provider VMS Group A/S as a new service agent for commercial marine engines and spare parts. As of today, VMS Group is a registered agent to service Yanmar medium and high commercial marine engines.Kim Rasmussen, CCO of VMS Group, sees great opportunities and good potential in the wide range of marine engines that Yanmar offers. “Due to our many years of experience in the marine business we know Yanmar as a manufacturer of efficient, strong and reliable engines. This is also what ship owners tell us as feedback on Yanmar engines. Furthermore, we find that the innovative technology behind the Yanmar engines plays an important role in the future…

Martyn Thomas is the Chief of Staff at Stream Marine Training Ltd (SMT Ltd.) following many years working for both global training providers and cruise companies. SMT is a maritime skills and technology business providing fire-fighting, sea survival, survival craft and HSE training to the global maritime, oil and gas, renewables and construction industries.Thomas works out of SMT’s head office in Glasgow where SMT trains the majority of its theoretical based courses, including Alternative Fuels…

Wärtsilä has supplied simulators aimed to provide realistic hands-on training at a new facility in Portugal. The training center is developed and run by the Port Authority for the ports of Douro, Leixōes and Vano do Castelo (APDL), and was inaugurated in the end of July at a ceremony headed by Portugal’s Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino. The order was placed in October 2018.The center is the country’s largest and most advanced maritime training facility. It features a Wärtsilä Full Mission Bridge (FMB) simulator with 360 degree projection…

Ambitious plans are being launched for a $184 million training and disaster relief ship with cutting-edge British technology.Britannia Maritime Aid (BMA), a registered charity, aims to build the futuristic vessel in Britain. It is officially launching its plans at the UK Chamber of Shipping on Monday September 9 during London International Shipping Week.Maritime professionals and training experts have joined forces for project with backing from former First Sea Lords, the Lord West of Spithead and Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh.Others supporters include members of the Houses of Lords and Commons, shipbuilder Cammell Laird, ship designers Leadship…

The charity behind the campaign to build the UK’s national memorial to the Battle of the Atlantic in Liverpool has announced that HRH The Princess Royal, has become its Patron.In a letter to the campaign Her Royal Highness said:“The Battle of the Atlantic, a six-year long campaign, was enormous in its scale, both geographically and logistically. In total over 100,000 people lost their lives in this epic struggle between the convoys and the U Boat packs. It required the combined efforts of huge numbers of men and women of many nationalities across their navies, air forces and merchant navies.

Pursuant to the agreement signed last year between Fincantieri, the Liguria Region and the trade unions Cgil, Cisl and Uil, aimed at carrying out a series of initiatives to encourage job placement processes, the offer of the courses of the technical institutes of higher education for next autumn is to be extended.In fact, a new educational pathway meeting the employment needs of the shipbuilding sector will start in Liguria at the Accademia della Marina Mercantile (the Merchant Navy Academy). The Regional Council, following the proposal of the Councilor Cavo, has approved the scheduling of the post-high school diploma specialization course “Foreman for production and maintenance of ships and/or related infrastructures”…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) training on the international treaty covering waste dumping at sea, the London Protocol, is underway for Algerian government officials and participants from shipping companies and port authorities.The workshop, held in Alger (9-10 April), is enabling cooperation between different sectors – allowing effective implementation of measures aimed at protecting the marine environment from dumping of harmful wastes at sea.As set out in the London Protocol and the Dumping Protocol of the Barcelona Convention – the regional convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea established under UN Environment’s Regional Seas Programme.Participants examined ways of effectively assessing the environmental impact of dumping of certain substances…

Four magnificent tall ships  will come to Hamburg for the 830th Hamburg Port Anniversary from 10 to 12 May – Alexander von Humboldt II, Kruzenshtern, Sedov and Mir.The Queens of the oceans will participate in the grand arrival and departure parades in the heart of the city, on the Friday and Sunday respectively, and invite visitors to look around on board, said a press release from Germany's largest port.Alongside these amazing tall ships, the Hamburg Port Anniversary will be a meeting place for some 300 vessels of all kinds, including many classic sailing vessels that will also be open to visitors.The Alexander von Humboldt II is currently Germany’s largest operational sail training ship, with length overall 66 metres.

The number of Indian seafarers employed on Indian or foreign flag vessels increased by 35 per cent in 2018 on the back of a series of measures taken in the last four years, said the shipping ministry. "The shipping sector has witnessed an unprecedented growth of 35 per cent in the number of Indian seafarers employed on Indian or foreign flag vessels this year. The figure rose from 154349 in 2017 to 208799 in 2018. Along with this, the number of students placed for on-board training also increased from 14307 last year to 19545 this year, showing a jump of nearly 37 per cent" said the statement.The number of seafarers employed on Indian flag vessels increased from 22…

Tim Kelly has replaced Suresh Jagadesan as the Managing Director of Adriatic LNG, which operates the regasification terminal located offshore from the Veneto coast.Before joining Adriatic LNG, Tim worked as the Marine Operations Manager at ExxonMobil’s gas liquefaction plant in Papua New Guinea.Tim has almost 40 years’ experience in the marine and Oil&gas sectors, starting his career in the Merchant navy. After joining ExxonMobil, he held positions of increasing responsibility, working in Africa, Far East, Oceania, and USA.Tim holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, from the University of Warwick Business School (UK).“I am proud to be appointed as the Managing Director of Adriatic LNG…

My Friend the Sea is a story about growing up at sea, set against the background of ships and the beauty of the oceans. It's a tale of ambition, adversity and dealing with prejudice. Packed full of adventures and stories of traveling the world on ships, visiting far off lands, and meeting all manner of people, including eccentric distant relatives in Australia, a drunken captain, another who was a tyrant, and natives in Fiji, plus shipboard romances, a mutiny, and a growing need for the author to change the way he lives.I am a doctor…

The charity behind a campaign to build a Battle of the Atlantic memorial on Liverpool’s waterfront has urged the government to support the project with money from the LIBOR bank fines fund. The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial (BOAM) campaign began fundraising in January. It hopes to secure $2.9millon to create a monument on Liverpool’s Pier Head, dedicated to the estimated 100,000 people who lost their lives during the World War Two battle, as well as those who served and survived.

Marine Hub Cornwall are on a mission to showcase the UK’s southwest coast as a world class center for marine technology and innovation. Working alongside Invest in Cornwall, which manages inward investment into the region, Marine Hub’s Operations Director, Matt Hodson, explains why he believes Cornwall is best positioned to be a global hub for the marine renewable industry.To kick off, can you give the readers a brief overview of your experience and what led you to become the…

The Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system.ISO 9001 certification helps organizations ensure they offer consistently high-quality services to the satisfaction of customers, management and employees. It also ensures the continuous improvement of the business.The certification coincides with the launch of the MNTB’s new Center Recognition service, which recognizes quality training centers in the U.K. and abroad with an MNTB kitemark.“The MNTB wanted to prove to the industry that our new Recognition Service is underpinned by strictly controlled quality processes and procedures.

European Transport Workers Federation, (ETF) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) have discussed possible solutions to increase women’s participation in the shipping industry in Europe. Currently only 2% of the seafaring workforce available for the EU fleet consist of women, whilst gender equality is being put at the heart of the EU’s fundamental values for sustainable and inclusive growth. Discussions focused on maritime training and career development for women, as well as the recruitment and retention of women in the shipping industry. Alongside representatives of both the ETF and the ECSA, participants came from a wide range of stakeholders such as the European Commission (Platform for Change)…

Prospective maritime caterers can now be assured of quality training and additional funding, thanks to a new apprenticeship standard developed by the UK’s Maritime Trailblazer group, said UK Chamber of Shipping. The new Maritime Caterer apprenticeship has been designed to train people to organise a kitchen and cook meals across a number of shifts that span the cultural needs of multinational crews. The new standard, which has been approved by the UK’s Institute for Apprenticeships, covers cookery skills, stocktaking and kitchen management, and outlines the skills, understanding and behaviour expected of caterers onboard ships. As part of the apprenticeship…

Setting out to increase fairness, equality and inclusion within the maritime sector, Maritime UK has established a Women in Maritime Taskforce, a move welcomed by the U.K.’s new Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP. “I am delighted to see Maritime UK taking action to attract more women into our maritime industries, and I welcome this taskforce as an important first step,” said Ghani, who is only the second woman to hold the Department for Transport portfolio for the U.K.’s £40 billion maritime sector.

Sir Michael Bibby was elected President of the UK Chamber of Shipping at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting in London. He becomes the Chamber’s 132nd president in its 140th year. John Denholm, chairman of J&J Denholm, was elected Vice-President at the meeting, which was attended by over 100 people from the Chamber’s member companies. Sir Michael is planning to step back from his position as Managing Director of Bibby Line Group during 2018 to allow him to better focus his time on external work interests, including his involvement with the UK Chamber. He used his inaugural speech as President to praise the Chamber’s rising political and media influence, and its success with the SMarT Plus campaign, a joint proposal with Nautilus that became Government policy in February.