Month: May 2015

Thome Ship Management Strengthens Its Presence In Norway

Elaborate Communications

Thome Group, one of the world’s leading ship management companies, is pleased to announce that it has established a local presence in Norway by opening a new office in the premier shipping and ship-finance district of the nation’s capital, Oslo.

Norway is one of the premier ship-owning nations and its offshore fleet is the world’s second largest, which is why this marketplace is so important to Thome Group, which was established in Singapore 52 years ago.

The Thome Ship Management Norway AS office in Oslo is headed  by Sverre Ditlev-Simonsen, newly appointed director of business development, and Sverre Eikestøl, who supervises the management of Thome’s NIS flag vessels. Ditlev-Simonsen will build on business and relationships developed in Norway by Olav Eek Thorstensen and Claes Eek Thorstensen.

Sverre Ditlev-Simonsen is a Norwegian native with extensive international shipping experience who will source business in the Norwegian market, in addition to serving key shipping markets in Europe and the United States. He said: “In today’s digitalised economy, the value of personal relations and local presence in shipping and offshore markets is increasingly important and having this office in Oslo will provide us with a valuable local base for our service provision.”

He added: “Ever-increasing international requirements related to safety, quality, crew competence and efficiency, together with a need to lower costs, have resulted in a rapid rise in the demand for third party ship management. Thome’s combination of personal contact, high standards and scale-based efficiencies places us as the forefront of our industry.”

Presently Thome Group manages vessels across all sectors, including 30 NIS flag vessels. Sverre Eikestol commented: “With the new and ongoing initiatives by the Norwegian Maritime Authority, and in case of a positive outcome of the Norwegian Government’s review of the NIS flag trading area restrictions, owners’ interest in registering vessels under NIS flag may increase.”

Thome Group Chief Executive Officer Olav Nortun said the establishment of the Norwegian office, which will be officially launched during Nor-Shipping, is a significant step forward for Thome Group. Our business is developing rapidly across the globe as an increasing number of ship owners recognise the benefits of our professional services and relationship oriented approach. We feel confident that the new office in Norway will further reaffirm our long-term commitment to the important Norwegian shipping cluster”.

—ends—

Notes To Editors:

Contacts details of Thome Group’s Norwegian office:

Thome Ship Management Norway AS

Dronning Mauds Gate 1, 0250 Oslo, Norway

Mobile: (47) 9017 1860

Email: sverre.ditlev-simonsen@thome.com.sg

GMS LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

Phil Page

The world’s largest buyer of ships, GMS, has launched a new and improved website to provide a better user experience for visitors to its web pages.

Enhancements include links to the GMS twitter and Facebook accounts plus a regular blog that includes articles, events and news affecting the ship recycling industry.

An ‘In the News’ section lists press releases and editorial regarding GMS and current news stories about the recycling industry. Visitors to the site will also be able to subscribe to the ‘GMS Weekly, ‘ the longest and one of the most quoted newsletters in the ship recycling industry.

Navigation around the site has been improved and the overall design has been updated to reflect modern trends. The site also features an easy to complete online form for ship owners who want a quote for selling a vessel.

Details on how the new GMS app can be downloaded are detailed upon entering the site and all the GMS locations are itemised in the ‘Contact Us’ section including a list of public holidays for each area.

Founder and CEO Dr Anil Sharma said: “Updating our website was important to ensure all our clients and prospects have access to the most up to date information about our services and global reach. We have also improved the overall look and feel of the site making it quick and easy for visitors to access the specific information they want within a couple of clicks.”

To view the new website go to: http://www.gmsinc.net


MERSEY MARITIME SIGNS MOU WITH LJMU

Phil Page

Mersey Maritime and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) have signed a ground breaking Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will further enhance the close partnership between the two organisations to benefit the maritime sector as a whole.

The MoU will formalise a strategic agreement with the aim of sharing the knowledge and experience of both private and public sectors to access a variety of funding streams to finance maritime projects within the UK and EU.

Close attention will be paid to helping bridge the skills shortage in the maritime industry by developing closer links with maritime cluster organisations representing businesses and universities throughout Europe.

Maritime SMEs will have access to LJMU’s facilities including state of the art R&D laboratories and testing facilities to aid UK maritime businesses to compete on a global scale.

Resources such as intellectual property advice, training for crew and key statistical data will be available for the benefit of the industry and in the longer term links will be developed with Atlantic maritime companies and associations to further global trade.

Chris Shirling-Rooke, Mersey Maritime’s Acting CEO, said: “I am really excited by this new development and look forward to working even more closely with the team at Liverpool John Moores University. Helping to create strong alliances with maritime businesses, training centres and universities across the UK and the EU is key to furthering the cause of our industry.”

Professor Ahmed Al-Shamma’a, LJMU, Executive Dean, Faculty of Technology and Environment added:  “I am truly delighted to forge such a pioneering partnership with Mersey Maritime and its members. This partnership cements our heritage as one of the oldest Nautical Institutions in the UK.

“LJMU has served the sector with innovative use of technology since 1892 and is committed to field work in generating state-of-the-art facilities for training, teaching and research. This embraces the enterprising culture of the University, which plays a key role in our civic and regional leadership.”

We are recruiting

Elaborate Communications

Elaborate Communications seeks an enthusiastic PR professional and social media practitioner to join our busy, international PR agency specialising in the global maritime industry.

We are seeking a creative, capable individual with a flair for social media strategies.Excellent communication skills are a must, as well as a strong written ability and attention to detail.

Based in Buckinghamshire countryside near Leighton Buzzard, Beds, so own transport essential. Potential for overseas travel.

Salary dependent on experience. This post is initially for a one-year duration to cover maternity leave.

Please send your CV and a covering letter outlining how you feel you meet our needs to: Debra Munford, Elaborate Communications Limited, Unit 9A, Wingbury Courtyard Business Village, Upper Wingbury Farm, Wingrave, Bucks HP22 4LW

Email: dmunford@elabor8.co.uk  Tel: 01296 682356

Applications must be received by June 29th.

Crewtoo Releases First Seafarer Happiness Report Detailing Key Concerns

Elaborate Communications

Leading maritime social media site surveys seafarers to track trends in satisfaction with living and working at sea

MIDDLETOWN, RI and LIVERPOOL, UK – May 11, 2015 – CrewtooTM, the leading social media platform for seafarers, has launched the Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index to monitor important benchmarks of seafarer satisfaction on a regular basis. The inaugural report, published today, shows a seafarer satisfaction level of 6.42 on a scale of 1 to 10 about key issues including general happiness, contact with family, shore leave, wage levels, food, fitness and health, training, interaction onboard, workload, and access to welfare facilities. Data for the first report is based on surveys conducted in the first three months of 2015. Subsequent reports will be published approximately every three months based on surveys conducted on an ongoing basis. Crewtoo, founded in 2011, is part of KVH Media Group and KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI).

“It is all well and good to talk about seafarers and the realities of life at sea, but until now there has been very little confirmation as to how seafarers actually feel about their jobs”, says Anneley Pickles, head of Crewtoo business development. “For us, it comes down to one fundamental issue: Are seafarers happy? We felt it vital to develop a means of measuring and reporting this issue, which led to the creation of the Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index”.

The issues that concerned seafarers the most, as detailed in the first report, included the need for onboard Internet access, the risk of stress and fatigue from increasing workloads, and the lack of shore leave. For example, seafarers mentioned that Internet access onboard “makes life at sea easier” and a number of respondents expressed the concern that “if connectivity does not become common on vessels, the industry might be unable to attract any new seafarers in the future”.

Crewtoo began surveying its approximately 110,000 members in January, asking them to rate their satisfaction about life at sea using a scale of 1-10 with a score of 10 being the happiest, and 1 being the unhappiest. The Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index data includes responses from globally based crews, and answers were received from across all ranks and nationalities including seafarers from the Philippines, U.K., Poland, Croatia, Germany, U.S., Canada, India, and Turkey, as well as a number of African nations. The age of survey respondents ranged from 16 to the late 60s. Masters made up the largest proportion of responses by rank; some 11% of respondents stated that they were currently serving in the role of captain. The majority of responses were from seafarers working on bulk carriers and container vessels.

The Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index is designed to be part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about crews’ opinions and to assist with the continual improvement of conditions onboard to retain and recruit seafarers. Quantifying and qualifying how happy people are with the various elements of their working life at sea helps to build a picture of the industry and of the successes, but also the issues and problems to be addressed.

“Satisfied, well fed, fit, and engaged seafarers are vital to the present and future of the industry”, says Ms. Pickles. “Happy people stick around, happy people work well, they embrace challenges, they look to excel and share with others. In short, happiness matters and it needs to be measured, assessed, and understood. The lessons then need to be applied to ensure that we are looking after seafarers properly and responding to their wants and needs”.

For a copy of the Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index report, please visit http://survey.crewtoo.com/happiness.

The Swedish Club Welcomes the World to its 15th Marine Insurance Course

Debra Massey

The Swedish Club received a vote of confidence from its members this week when it opened the doors on the 2015 Marine Insurance Course, again held at the Club’s head office in Gothenburg. Delegates came from as far afield as Asia and the Middle East, and over 75% were members of the Club – the highest proportion since it began running the annual event 15 years ago. In a nod to changing times, this year more than half the participants were female professionals – notable in what has traditionally been a male dominated industry.

In addition to shipowners and shipmanagers; marine insurance brokers, club correspondents and lawyers also took part in the event, welcoming the opportunity to increase their knowledge of marine insurance and to strengthen ties with The Swedish Club.

“We are delighted to say that over the years the course has been attracting growing numbers of members who are keen to make the most of the benefits of membership of The Swedish Club,” says Jacob Viero, The Swedish Club’s Director, Marketing and Business Development. “We are a truly global organisation, and this year’s course has seen delegates joining us from China, Kuwait, and UAE, and from high quality organisations such as China Shipping Container Lines, DFDS and Stena. Those entering the marine insurance market can find themselves daunted by its complexity, so we aim to use our in-depth experience to provide insight and to place the benefits of our experience at delegates’ disposal.

“Again this year we have seen a ‘sell out’ event, with a great deal of competition for places. The level of interest has validated the Club’s commitment to offering the right benefits to our members, and demonstrated a commitment to high professional standards from those in our industry.”

The course is being run over five days and covers the three major types of marine insurance: Protection& Indemnity (P&I), Hull & Machinery (H&M) and Freight Demurrage & Defence (FD&D) in addition to highlighting the importance of loss prevention. It looks in depth at both the practical and the legal aspects of marine insurance and aims to give delegates knowledge and skills that they can take back into the workplace.