North of England welcomes Liverpool & London Members
Desertion costs - Canada
IMB piracy report
Iraqi stowaways
Filipino crew claims
Indian customs fines
Port Sudan - repatriation friendly?
Thefts soar in European ports
Filipino customs extend their watch to rice cargoes
Algeria cracks down on contamination
Steel pipes - watch out for salty slings
Arbitration clauses in charterparties – are yours up-to-date?
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999
Enforcing foreign arbitration awards in Dubai
The bug that did not bite
Dealing with pirates
Oil spill management in the US explained
New poster series launched
Signal Experiences resumed
Higher education in Norway
Nautischer Verein zu Bremen
Loss prevention seminar in Iran
Lumley Castle residential training course
New staff
Swot Quiz
North of England welcomes Liverpool & London Members
North of England P&I Association has emerged from the recent 20 February 2000 renewal larger, stronger and more secure than at any time in its 140 year history. The recent renewal saw the entered tonnage of the Association exceed 31 million GT for the first time and confirms its position as a mid-sized member of the International Group of P&I Clubs.
Having successfully concluded the merger between North of England and Newcastle P&I Clubs, North of England managers felt well equipped to enter a tonnage transfer agreement with the Liverpool & London P&I Association in September of 1999. The agreement dated from 20 February 2000 and was a significant factor in the large increase of entered tonnage at renewal. It is important to recognise that there is a difference between the merger of North of England and Newcastle and the tonnage transfer agreement between North of England and Liverpool & London.
North of England and Newcastle merger involved a full integration whereby North of England agreed to cover any Newcastle liabilities and claims at the same time as absorbing all Newcastle assets and reserves. The Liverpool & London tonnage transfer agreement led to a transfer of tonnage to North of England at 20 February 2000 renewal with no past liabilities or claims.
The Liverpool & London P&I Club ceased underwriting at 20 February 2000 and the vast majority of the Liverpool & London membership transferred to North of England. The Liverpool & London will continue in existence and will handle the claims run off for some time to come.
The Liverpool & London portfolio transfer was an excellent opportunity for the Association and enables the Club to continue the controlled growth of recent years.
The agreement led to an enlarged post renewal membership and enables the Association to spread its risk while still underwriting in areas well known to the Club. The increased value of the premium base of the Club improves its ability to absorb the effect of fluctuations in claims experience and contributes to the combined financial strength of the Club.
Certainly one of the major benefits for the Liverpool & London transferring Members is that, after a period of call instability, they should enjoy more stable calling levels at North of England - which has not made additional supplementary calls within the last nine years. North of England Members will benefit from improved efficiencies above and beyond the already excellent position as measured by the average expense ratio (AER) reported by North of England, one of the most competitive in the International Group.
One of the most significant benefits of the Liverpool & London tonnage transfer agreement is that it brings to the Association six experienced P&I personnel to enhance North of England team still further. The six people who have been offered and have accepted positions at the Association include
Iain Burley (assistant manager, underwriting)
Nick Little (assistant manager, marketing)
Simon Williams (senior claims executive)
Henry Woods (claims executive)
Stuart Kempson (claims executive)
Amanda Miller (claims executive)
The total tonnage transferred from the Liverpool & London was 4.98 million GT with some 70 shipowners and 300 ships now entered with North of England.
The Association is also pleased to welcome Mr Socrates Eliades, former chairman of the Liverpool & London from Athenian Tankers, who joins North of England board of directors. Other transferring directors who joined North of England board include Mr Angelo Mouzouropolos (Furness Withy), Mr Adam Polemis (Polembros) and Mr A M Al Mady (United Arab Shipping).
The directors and managers of North of England are delighted with the renewal and believe that North of England has emerged from the first renewal of the new millennium as a stronger Club. They look forward to the year 2000 with confidence and wish all shipowner Members success and safe sailing.
Desertion costs - Canada
The last issue of Signals reported on the increasing fines imposed by Canadian authorities for ship deserters and stowaways who escape into Canada. Whereas the minimum levy of C$15,000 may not sound particularly extreme, recently there have been a couple of incidents in Vancouver where a large number of stowaways were apprehended after escaping from containers on board ship. In one case this resulted in a fine of C$375,000, payable by the shipowner - C$15,000 for each of the 25 men found.
It is very difficult for shipowners to guard against desertion of crewmembers, especially as often it involves the least likely candidates. Nonetheless it is worthwhile developing a long-term employment relationship with good crewmembers, as increased loyalty on the part of both employer and employee can be very beneficial.
It is difficult to avoid carrying stowaways, especially when they are hidden in containers, but Members must remain vigilant and make every effort to prevent them boarding in the first place, otherwise costs soon become prohibitive.
Arrests have also been made in recent months when Canadian immigration officials discovered that documentation relating to crew changes had been falsified. The Shipping Federation of Canada has issued a warning about the problem, which involves individuals trying to enter Canada illegally under the pretext of crew changes – sometimes using correspondence on the letterhead of a local ships’ agent.
Members should thus be careful to ensure that all requests for crew changes are genuine.
IMB piracy report
In the 1999 annual report produced by the International Maritime Bureau entitled Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships, it is worrying to note that world-wide reported piracy attacks rose nearly 40% compared to 1998 figures and are almost three times higher than those of 1991. More than half of the attacks occurred when ships were at anchor.
Although more attacks are brought to the notice of the Piracy Reporting Centre than ever before, the number of attacks is clearly on the increase. The potential for violence continues to be a major concern as the number of incidents where pirates boarded with guns or knives is substantially greater than in 1998. Fortunately, however, the number of crew killed declined in 1999 when compared to the previous year.
Indonesia, India and China have all recently taken action against hijackers and hopefully these crimes will continue to be a major concern of local government. Despite this, the number of reported attacks in and around Indonesian waters are nearly twice as high as in the previous year. Bangladesh has recorded the second highest number of attacks, most when at anchor. There has also been a sharp rise in incidents around Malaysia involving merchant ships - previously the main target seemed to be fishing ships.
Other countries that showed a marked increase are Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Somalia. Somalia is particularly worrying as pirates are more likely to demand a ransom, many of the ships have been fired upon and some attacks occurred as far as 40 miles offshore. There has however been a decline in Ecuador and the Philippines.
Members must therefore continue to safeguard their ships against pirate attacks, particularly in the areas highlighted above. In the unfortunate event of actually being attacked, the incident should also be notified to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
A more detailed article on Dealing with Pirates will be found on page 5 of this issue of Signals.
Iraqi stowaways
There appears to have been an increase in Iraqi stowaways embarking in Syria Unfortunately Iraqi nationals are particularly difficult to remove and repatriate so Members should take special care when on sailing from this port.
Filipino crew claims
Under the Philippine Labor Code, there is a time limit of 3 years in which to bring claims by employees. Despite this, the standard employment contract provides for a limit of one year and, in relation to crewmembers, this has been upheld by the appropriate authorities.
However, the present employment contract has been revised and it now falls in line with the Labor Code. Members should be aware therefore that crewmembers employed under this contract will now have an increased period of time in which to bring any claims.
Indian customs fines
Indian customs authorities are imposing stringent requirements on all ships arriving at Indian ports. Masters on ships must take extreme care when completing customs declarations and ensure that all necessary declarations are handed to customs officers at the correct time. Any omissions cannot be corrected later and the omitted items are invariably confiscated and substantial fines imposed.
Port Sudan - repatriation friendly?
Previously it was very difficult to repatriate stowaways from or through Sudan, even where travel documentation was available.
However, a recent agreement has apparently been reached with a semi-government organisation, Al Salama, which is closely associated with the Ministry of Interior and Immigration Office in Cotonou. The agreement allows the disembarkation and repatriation of stowaways, with or without documentation, from or through Sudan. Although there are no restrictions on nationality in the agreement, it is possible that difficulties will still be encountered in respect of politically sensitive stowaways, such as Iraqi nationals.
Any queries regarding this service should be addressed to Mutual Marine Services & Transport, Al Mushtaraka, Port Sudan.
Thefts soar in European ports
In recent years there have been sufficient on-board burglaries in the ports of Antwerp, Ghent and Terneuzen to warrant local police investigations. There has been a similar spate of robberies in the Italian ports of Naples, Salerno and Ravenna over the same time period, in which it was reported, over US$450,000 has been stolen in money alone.
The Association therefore advises Members trading in Europe to warn their masters and crew to take all appropriate measures and safeguard any money or other valuables on board ship. If there is a burglary attempt, it should be brought to the attention of Club correspondents who can inform the appropriate authorities accordingly. Alternatively Members should advise the Association directly.
Filipino customs extend their watch to rice cargoes
In Signals issue 34, Members were warned to check that documents were in good order when importing sugar cargo into the Philippines. The Philippine authorities are sensitive to the possibility of smuggling following sugar’s exorbitant price rise in the market - a result of shortages in the local crop caused by the El Niño effect.
The government’s watch has extended to include imported rice. The Bureau of Customs has recently formed a task force called Aduana to monitor the entry of both imported rice and sugar.
Members should exercise the utmost care to ensure that any cargo of rice or sugar bound for ports in the Philippines is properly documented. Any error or deficiency in the documentation could cause the detention or possible seizure of the ship, with allegations that it is instrumental to the illegal entry of imported rice or sugar.
The following ports have been placed under a tight watch
Subic Bay Freeport
Sangley Point in Cavite City
Pasacao and Nato in Southern Luzon
Mactan and Carnasa in Central Visayas
Ozamis, Tawi-Tawi, Nasipit, Cagayan de Oro
Davao and Higin in Mindanao
Roxas and Balabac Point in Palawan.
Clark Field in Central Luzon and Iloilo and Cebu in Central Visayas are also being strictly monitored.
The Association is grateful to the law office of Del Rosario & Del Rosario for this information.
Algeria cracks down on contamination
Discharging cargo in Algeria is increasingly prone to cargo claims. The local authorities there now refuse to allow discharge of cargo where there is the slightest hint of contamination - even if the contaminant does not appear to affect the quality or condition of the cargo itself.
In a recent case involving a Member, a surveyor acting on behalf of the Department of Trade found traces of hardened cement inside the ship’s holds from a previous cargo. It was clear that the existing cargo was totally unaffected by the cement and was accepted by all parties to be in sound condition. Notwithstanding this, the surveyor ordered that the cargo could not be discharged, declaring the ship not fit to carry the cargo due to the presence of cement in the holds.
The cargo receiver immediately arrested the ship for the full value of the cargo, which was well in excess of the value of the ship itself. Despite this the receiver clearly wanted the cargo and appealed to the government on the basis that it was in sound condition. After considering the matter and analysing the cargo, the Department of Trade eventually allowed it to be discharged
Local correspondents believe that this was an unusual decision for the authorities to take and would not have been reached if the cargo receiver had not been so keen to obtain its cargo.
If the discharge had not been allowed, the receiver would demand security for approximately 140% of the value of the cargo inclusive of interest and costs.
In another case, a small quantity of oil from the shore cranes affected the top layer of a sugar cargo. The oil did not however penetrate the packing and there was no direct contamination of the sugar. Despite this the ship was not allowed to discharge this cargo on threat that it was destined to be destroyed by order of the local authorities.
The ship ultimately sailed with the alleged damaged cargo still on board, security having been provided.
Members should thus be extra vigilant when fixing cargo for Algeria.
Steel pipes - watch out for salty slings
It is always prudent to be cautious about carrying steel cargo, not only because of its sensitivity to contamination by chlorides but also because of the resulting high value claims.
In a recent case involving pre-slung steel pipes and tubes, surveyor 3D Marine found evidence that the galvanised coating of the steel tubes was being affected by corrosion. The cause of the contamination was chlorides from nylon or polyester slings, evidenced by the fact that the patterns on the effected tubes were consistent with the weave of the fabric used.
It appears that the slings were often left on deck, exposed to sea spray, particularly when the ship was discharging around the US coast. When used for subsequent cargoes, they caused contamination.
Members should be thus be cautious and consider this potential cause of corrosion when dealing with pre-slung pipes and tubes and claims for localised rust problems.
The Association is grateful to 3D Marine for providing this information.
Arbitration clauses in charterparties – are yours up-to-date?
It appears that the arbitration provisions in many charterparties refer to terms of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association ("LMAA") which are out of date.
The current LMAA terms are dated 1997 and the current LMAA small claims procedure is dated 1998. It is therefore important that Members amend their pro-forma charterparties to ensure that reference is made to the most recent LMAA terms.
Perhaps the easiest way of ensuring that a reference in a charter to a particular set of LMAA terms does not become obsolete is to provide that any arbitration is to be conducted in accordance with the LMAA terms in force at the time at which arbitration proceedings are commenced.
There are also cases where charterparty arbitration provisions purport to amend the time limits for appointment of an arbitrator but, in doing so, refer to time limits which were contained in the Arbitration Acts 1950 and 1979. Those time limits are not always the same limits set out in the Arbitration Act 1996.
Disputes can therefore arise as to which are the applicable time limits for appointment of arbitrators, in particular where a party is appointing its arbitrator as sole arbitrator in the absence of an appointment by the opponent.
The Association thus recommends that Members review the arbitration provisions in their proforma charterparties to check they reflect the current LMAA terms and the law set out in the Arbitration Act 1996.
Contact the Association's FD&D Department for further advice or assistance.
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999
There is a principle of English law that only a person who is a party to a contract can sue on it (privity of contract). That rule has now been amended to allow third parties to sue in certain circumstances by the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. The Act is expected to come into force over the next few months.
Under the new Act, a third party may enforce a contract if it
provides that he or she may do so
confers a benefit to the third party, unless the parties to the contract did not intend the contract to be enforceable by the third party.
The Act excludes from its application contracts for carriage of goods by sea, for example contracts evidenced by a bill of lading, but it is capable of applying to charterparties. The Act may therefore, for example, enable a broker to sue for commission, notwithstanding that he or she is not a party to the charterparty contract.
For further information contact Mark Robinson at the Association.
Enforcing foreign arbitration awards in Dubai
The Dubai Court of Cassation recently rejected an application to enforce an English arbitration award for a relatively straightforward claim for unpaid charter hire.
The reason for rejecting the English arbitration award was simply that the UAE has not signed the 1958 New York Convention. Foreign arbitration awards -where there is no treaty between the UAE and the place of arbitration - cannot therefore be enforced in the UAE Court.
Clarification as to the effect of the judgment is currently awaited. However, it could have serious implications for shipowners chartering with UAE counterparts. They cannot start proceedings against a defaulting charterer in Dubai as the UAE Courts will recognise the effect of a foreign law and arbitration clause. But, when a foreign award is finally made, the UAE courts will refuse to enforce it on the basis that Dubai is not a party to the New York Convention
It will not matter in circumstances where shipownerss are able to enforce the award outside Dubai. However, if the only assets of the UAE counterpart against which the award can be enforced are in Dubai, the effect of the recent decision may be to preclude a shipowner from taking steps against them.
Thus, when concluding a fixture, Members may wish to consider making any choice of jurisdiction for resolving disputes non-exclusive - leaving it open to pursue a claim freely in the UAE courts if appropriate.
For further information please contact the Association's FD&D Department.
The bug that did not bite
Over the last couple of years there has been a great deal of publicity about the potential problems facing Members' computer systems and other electronic equipment, both onboard their ships and in their offices, posed by the year 2000. Considerable amounts of work have been done to try to ensure that systems would still continue to work properly despite the transition into the new year.
The Association is pleased to report that all that work seems to have paid off as there have been no reports of any major problems occurring anywhere. No Members have reported any significant problems and this is clearly a tribute to the hard work put in.
However, problems could still arise as the year progresses. There may yet be bugs that have not yet crawled out of the computer. However, because of the work already done, such problems are most likely to be of a minor nature.
Dealing with pirates
A Member recently advised the Club of an incident involving a pirate attack in South East Asia. The reason for notifying the Club was because two crew members had been injured in the attack. The master’s report read as follows
‘while at anchor… ship was boarded from the forecastle by 5-7 pirates armed with knives and steel bars, using ropes with hooks. They were spotted by the A/B roving on pirate watch (in the) forecastle area. Alarm was raised, all crew alerted and go against pirates. After a fight between crew and pirates, the pirates jumped into the sea and run away with their boat. Two crew members slightly wounded’
One of the crew members had been struck on the head by a steel bar and the other received two small cuts from a knife and was hit on the shoulder by a steel bar. Clearly their injuries could have been much more serious and possibly fatal.t is for each ship operator to decide what its policy is with regard to pirates and it is for the master of each ship to decide how that policy is to be implemented in any particular set of circumstances.
However, while heroic acts are admirable in one sense, the personal risk to individuals should never be such that they expose themselves to unnecessary injuries or worse.
There are a number of basic steps which can be taken to minimise the risk of pirate attacks and also to clarify what should and should not be done if pirates do get on board. Like many other potential problems it should be possible to prepare procedures to cover these situations and to carry out exercises and drills to test the procedures and, if necessary, to improve them.
Pirate attacks can probably be classified into two distinct types
attack while the ship is alongside or at anchor
attack while the ship is underway.
While alongside the pirates may gain access to the ship either from a gangway which is not being properly supervised or by climbing up mooring ropes, anchor chains or from small boats using grappling hooks and ropes. Clearly the most effective means of reducing the risk of such attacks is to increase security.
The ship should be well illuminated during the hours of darkness.
Adequate security watches must be maintained on the gangway and around the ship. If the number of crew on board is not sufficient then shore-based security guards should be employed.
All access doors into the accommodation engine room, storerooms and other similar spaces should be kept locked although care must be taken to ensure that personnel can exit or gain access to any spaces in the event of an emergency.
Attacks when underway would usually be from high-speed boats with the pirates using grapples or bamboo poles to reach the deck. Typically the pirates will operate from two craft with a long rope stretched between them - as the ship passes between the two craft the rope is caught by the bow which has the effect of bringing the craft securely alongside and held in position.
The security steps which can be taken would include most of those suggested above for the attacks alongside and also the following
proceed at maximum safe speed
where normally reasonably practical, transit areas of known pirate activity in daylight
maintain good radar as well as visual lookout - give small stationary object or boats a wide berth, particularly if no lights are shown.
Pirates are frequently armed, sometimes with firearms and often with knives or swords. Their ability and intentions to use their weapons should not be underestimated. It is quite a normal reaction and human response on the part of the officers and crew of a ship to try and resist such attacks with force to protect their colleagues and the property on board ship. Beyond passive resistance however such actions by the crew are not recommended.
By hiding valuables and keeping the accommodation access secure, the ability of pirates who do manage to get on board will be severely frustrated. If an attack does happen then the general alarm should be sounded and a call for help put out to local radio stations and other ships in the vicinity, particularly military ships.
Clearly care must be taken with navigation during a pirate attack. If it is considered safe to do so from a navigation point of view, the ship’s illumination could be switched on at night as a deterrent and to help military ships identify the ship under attack.
Masters must of course take whatever action they consider reasonable in the circumstances of the case to repel boarders. They should not however at any time place their own or their crew’s personal safety at risk.
Detailed advice on security issues generally can be found in the Security at Sea, Terrorism, Piracy and Drugs - A practical guide by Brigadier (retd.) B. A. H. Parritt CBE, ISBN 1870077 091, published by The Nautical Institute, 202 Lambeth Road, London SE1 7LQ, UK. Telephone +44 (0)20 7928 1351, Fax +44 (0)20 7401 2817.
Another publication which is recommended is Pirates & Armed Robbers - A Masters Guide published by the International Shipping Federation and the International Chamber of Shipping, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EZ, UK. Telephone: +44 (0)20 7417 8844 Fax: +44 (0)20 7417 8877.
Oil spill management in the US explained
Oil spill clean up and response in the US is an expensive business. Well-established management systems have been established in the country in accordance with its national contingency plan (NCP) to safeguard environmental interests while providing a well ordered framework within which the clean up is managed. Such a process naturally creates the essential documentation and evidence needed for the settlement of third party claims.
Timely notice of an incident can help the Association take the most appropriate action to safeguard a Member’s interests and keep costs to a minimum by ensuring the necessary checks are in place from the word ‘go’.
The NCP is used in association with OPA 90, which is implemented by federal and state authorities whenever a pollution incident occurs in US waters. The NCP is implemented regardless of the size of the spill.
The NCP utilises an incident command system (ICS), which is managed in accordance with the Field Operations Guide (FOG). The publication provides a step-by-step guide of the standard incident command system, explaining both diagramatically and with written comment how the various responders to the incident interact and what their individual responsibilities are when co-ordinating the spill response.
The ICS is co-ordinated by a management triumvirate consisting of federal interests (USCG), state interests and shipowner interests (known as the responsible party). The federal interest represented by the USCG retain 51% of the vote and hence the right to veto proposals which are not in the best interests of the US.
In the next level of management hierarchy is the safety officer, liaison officer and the information officer. Below these positions the structure splits into departments which include operations, planning logistics and finance/administration.
When the NCP is mobilised, USCG officers are deployed to the above-mentioned positions and head up the various departments. This is not problematic for the shipowner as a well-structured system is in place maintained by the USCG, which has vast experience of oil spill incidents and has both the manpower and resources to respond. Unfortunately, the USCG also has a blank cheque book, which is of concern to members and P& I Club alike.
In accordance with OPA 90 - and assuming the incident involves a tank ship - the responsible party will have pre-arranged contracts in place with a qualified individual (QI) representing the spill-management team (SMT) and an oil spill response organisation(OSRO) which will respond to the spill in concert with the USCG. The QI may deploy individuals to take up position alongside USCG officers to head up the various departments within the ICS and may take over the running of the department with the approval of the federal on scene commander (FOSC). The same would be true for a non-tank ship but the SMT would have to be appointed at the time of the incident, probably by the P&I Club.
There have been previous cases where there has been a conflict of interest between the appointed SMT and the OSRO, with the SMT having a financial interest in the OSRO or an alternative OSRO which they wish to use, for obvious reasons. In such cases it is important that the Club has independent auditors appointed to oversee the work of the SMT and OSROs to ensure the clean up is managed efficently and cost effectively.
Time-scale must be borne in mind. In the first 24 hours the P&I Club would have little influence as the response is being mobilised by the USCG and QI in response to the ICS. Between 48 and 72 hours into the response, systems are in place and then would be a good time to deploy P&I Club representatives and auditors to oversee the response with a view to controlling costs. An example of this may be re-negotiating contracts with the various OSROs on more favourable terms.
This article is loosely based on notes take at an excellent presentation given by Richard Naccara and Michael de Bettencourt of Patriot Maritime Compliance to the claims staff of the Association.
New poster series launched
North of England P&I Association has launched a new poster series to complement Signals and other loss prevention initiatives. The posters will be devoted to the promotion of good practice in management, safety and training (MAST).
The MAST posters will continue with the same theme as the previous successful safe work accident prevention posters (SWAPP) by depicting good and bad practice in a colourful and humorous way that can be displayed around the ship. As well as dealing with safety, the series will also draw attention to issues arising from the operation of the safety management system on board a ship and familiarisation training and other topics associated with STCW 95.
MAST 1, on keeping of a safe lookout, was distributed with the recent Signals Special edition on safe navigation. This issue is accompanied by the second poster, MAST 2, which shows some good and bad practices when dealing with fatigue on ships.
Signal Experiences resumed
In 1995 the Association launched the Signal Experiences initiative which was a series of brief case studies of accidents and incidents. The intention was to provide an opportunity for us all to learn lessons from the misfortunes of others in the hope of preventing the recurrence of such incidents. It has been a little while since the last Experience was produced but a number of new case studies will now accompany each issue of Signals. The first of this new series accompanies this issue of Signals.
Some of the earlier Signals Experiences are still available from the Loss Prevention Department and the full set will soon be posted on the Associations Web site at http://www.nepia.com under Loss Prevention.
Higher education in Norway
The Association’s loss prevention team has conducted training courses and seminars in many different venues and locations around the world – but, as one might expect of a maritime event, usually at or near sea-level. On the 15 March however Phil Anderson and Tony Baker ascended to 1222 m into the mountains of Norway to conduct a tutorial and training session for the Norwegian Insurance Academy.
The Club has collaborated with the Norwegian Insurance Academy of Oslo - the Forsikringsakademiet - in providing the P&I training module of its marine insurance diploma course since the early 1990s. Students – who come from many sectors of Norwegian marine industry - use the Association’s distance learning course in P&I Insurance backed by face-to-face tutorial sessions.
Since almost all students this year were based in Bergen or in Oslo, the Academy decided that a convenient venue for the mid-course tutorial would be at Finse on the trans-Norway railway line between the two cities.
As the train left Bergen and started its ascent up the mountain the snow was starting to fall. After two and half hours the train pulled into Finse station and a hole in a wall of snow indicated the entrance to the Finse 1222 hotel. A very warm reception awaited however and a very useful and interesting interaction with the students was achieved.
This truly was higher education in the most literal sense!
Nautischer Verein zu Bremen
At the end of February the Bremen Nautical Institute hosted the seventh of its series of annual seminars, this year on the subject of collisions. An increasingly popular event, this year's seminar attracted more than 200 delegates. Mark Robinson, one of the Association's assistant managers, delivered a paper in German on the role of FD&D cover in collision actions.
Loss prevention seminar in Iran
The Association recently conducted a two day loss prevention seminar in Tehran for the Club's Iranian Members. The seminar was arranged and hosted by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines at their Club. Graham Anderson, Richard Bracken, Paul Jennings and Mark Robinson spoke on a number of important practical issues relating to charterparties, bills of lading, bunker disputes and personal injury to an audience of about 70 people, who also participated in a cargo workshop session.
Lumley Castle residential training course
At the time of preparing this issue of Signals there were still a few places available at this years residential training course in P&I Insurance at Lumley Castle. Full details of this popular one week training course can be found in the accompanying brochure. If additional information is required please contact the loss prevention department at the Associations head office.
New staff
North of England claims team has been strengthened by the welcome edition of Simon Williams, Stuart Kempson, Amanda Millar and Henry Woods, who have joined the association from L&L
The FD&D Class warmly welcomes three more lawyers into the International team. Philip Stembridge is a very experienced English solicitor who has also worked in Greece, Rune Dybedal is a qualified Norwegian lawyer and Michael Asherson is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
Enter the Signals Swot Quiz for April - closing date 19 June 2000