Evan’s ability comes not from a gift of birth but from the gift of his father, encouragement and repetition. Because each time Evan draws a picture his father smiles broadly and suggests an improvement. He then runs back to his room to test a new method and try again. In doing so, Evan learns new methods to improve his skill.

Each of us have certain skills aboard ship and one or two areas in which we excel. And many of these traits, whether it be knot-work or ship handling, stem from the encouragement or envy of a former mentor who took the time to show us the ropes and pushed us to find incremental improvements.

As Master’s it is our responsibility to push the crew to develop skills they will carry for the remainder of their careers. In doing so we not only develop their abilities but, by joining our knowledge with their discovery, we also develop ours.

For me one passion has always been emergency response and, in particular, marine firefighting. Over the years I have challenged my crews to innovate and improve their performance at every drill then, during the debriefing, look for new ideas which we can test at the next drill. The results have been impressive.

One example of this practice is the invention of a new concept called “Safe Staging Areas”. A Safe Staging Area is simply a location close to the scene of the fire for the safe and organized staging of people and equipment. The idea was first developed when the question was asked “What really kills firefighters”? Collectively we had agreed that smoke inhalation was the number one killer, and for victims of fire this is true, but one member of our fire team was not satisfied with this answer and took my challenge to look up the actual statistics of firefighter deaths.

The number one killer of firefighters, we soon discovered, is not smoke but overexertion and stress. And the primary cause of nonfatal injuries is slips/trips/falls/etc. Since the invention of the SCBA the risk of smoke has been mitigated by the use of supplied air but no system has been developed that lowers the risk of heart attacks or basic safety related injuries. Until now.

The Safe Staging Area serves as barrier between the fire zone and the fire gear locker. It is the primary meeting place for all persons and equipment transiting to and from the incident scene. In practice, persons dispatched to the scene of the fire first checking in with the SSA supervisor. This individual accounts for their presence, looks for signs of stress and exertion, then assures that his needs are taken care of both before and after entry into a dangerous area. The SSA supervisor also makes sure the area is safe from an advancing fire, is clean/orderly and that support personnel share in the burden of physical tasks like leading out fire-hoses. The SSA also assures that critical personnel, like injured persons and the medical PIC, remain in a location of safety for, if they get injured, every crew-member assumes additional risk.

By motivating the fire team aboard my ship, thru the encouragement of innovation and the testing of new ideas during drills, we have identified a hidden risk and mitigated the potential outcome. And, like Evan, we continue to look for the next idea to give depth and character to the marine firefighter’s version of stick figures.

Safe Staging Area, Sample Procedures:

1. Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to allow for the routine for the designation and use of a Safe Staging Area during emergency response.

2. Applicability

Safe staging areas are applicable to incidents requiring emergency response. The following items apply to their use;

• Use of a Safe Staging Area is at the master’s discretion.
• Scene leader to advise master on location of SSA and is primary Person In Charge (PIC) of the location.
• Suggested Safe Staging Areas to be included in the vessel’s Fire Space Survey documents

3. Definition

Safe Staging Area (SSA) is defined as; A safe location close to the scene of the fire for the organized staging of people and equipment.

4. Description

Once the initial response has been initiated, and as soon as possible, the master will designate an SSA. In considering SSA locations he shall consult with the scene leader, fire space survey documentation and, if necessary, the supervisor of the space (eg. Deck Forman for pipe deck).

The master will also refer to Figure 1, considerations in choosing a safe staging area.

Once designated the scene leader will survey the potential SSA locations to assure that it is, in fact, safe for use. He will then notify the bridge and a PA announcement will be made stating the location of the SSA.

The scene leader will appoint an individual to supervise the SSA. This individual will normally be the Boundary Cooling leader but the position may be reassigned in the event the SSA is located far from the scene of the incident.

The SSA will serve as the primary meeting place for all persons and equipment required at the scene. No persons will go directly to the scene of the fire without first checking in with the SSA supervisor.

The SSA will be the primary location for:
• Fire teams & all persons waiting for clearance to engage the emergency
• Fire teams & all persons resting after involvement in the emergency
• Organizing, inspecting and testing equipment prior to use in the emergency.
• Primary treatment area for patients when, due to the number of patients or location of the incident, transport to the hospital is not feasible.

Safety Of The SSA

It is critical that the safety of the SSA is given primary importance. It serves as a place for critical persons (e.g. the medic) to perform their duties without risk of injury. Therefore, the area should be continuously monitored for evolving hazards and, if the nature of the incident has potential to engulf the SSA in hazard of any type, a secondary SSA should be considered.

Staging Of People

The SSA will serve as the meeting point for all persons transiting to and from the fire scene. The SSA supervisor will assure these people are accounted for and tracked. All persons moving to and from the SSA will use the buddy system and will be responsible for checking in with the SSA Supervisor.

Staging Of Equipment

If the SSA is located far from an emergency gear locker the scene leader should consider moving all equipment from the secondary locker to the SSA. Once the equipment has been relocated it must be organized, inspected and tested. No equipment should be used in the actual emergency until it has been tested for use.

The SSA should be maintained in a clean and orderly condition. Effort should be made to keep it as quite and stress free as possible. Benches, water jugs, fans and other equipment to promote the rest of fire teams between call-outs should be considered.

Temporary SSA

In the event a hazard exists in a SSA and no alternative is available the hazards should be identified and communicated to the scene leader and bridge. The hazard should then be mitigated and a new location prepared for use.

Time Distance Shielding

The following factors are to be considered in choosing an SSA:

Time: The amount of time an SSA is exposed to hazards should be reduced as far as practical. Existing hazards should be removed, if possible, or their dangers should be identified and mitigated. Otherwise an alternative SSA should be readied and put into use as soon as possible.

Distance: The SSA should be distant enough from the scene of the incident so that an advancing fire or hazard will not engulf the SSA. It should also, however, be close enough to the scene to make logistics and communication simple. Therefore it is the responsibility of the master to appoint an SSA that is as close to the incident as is practical, considering the nature of the emergency.

Shielding: Whenever possible shielding, in the form of steel bulkheads, deluge or other protective elements, should be present between the incident scene and the SSA.

Triage

In the event of a mass casualty event the SSA will serve as the triage area. The ship’s medic should assure the stretcher team is familiar with the use of triage and properly trained for such an event.

Diagram Of Use

This week’s interesting photo is of Stena’s latest drillship the Stena Forth. This photo shows her departure from Samsung Heavy Industries at their Goeje Shipyard, South Korea.

Of this ship Stena Drilling tells us:

The Stena DrillMAX fleet is being built by Samsung Heavy
Industries at their Geoje shipyard in South Korea. The Stena
DrillMAX fleet are dynamically positioned drillships designed and
certified for year-round, world wide operation in ultra deep waters.
This latest generation drillship is able to operate in harsh
environment areas such as the Norwegian and Barents Seas
down to -20°C (including operations in Barents Sea extreme winter
conditions).

The Stena DrillMAX fleet is equipped with hydraulic drilling
packages and complies with all current Norwegian regulations.
Please Note: The figures presented in this brochure are for a basic
DrillMax design, thus a rig specific IADC equipment list should be
requested to view actual values.

This image comes via Information Dissemination and shows TAVTS in action. What is TAVTS? The US Navy’s Team Ships program tells us:

The Test Article Vehicle Transfer System (TAVTS) will demonstrate the transfer of vehicles between a surrogate Maritime Pre-positioning Force (Future) (MPF(F)) Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ship and a side port platform on a large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) ship.

The two primary components of TAVTS are a self-deploying ramp system that will be mounted to a surrogate MLP and a self-deploying sideport platform system that will be mounted to an existing LMSR ship. The TAVTS system is intended to operate through sea-state 3 conditions.

The Navy expects TAVTS to be delivered and begin testing in FY09. Testing is scheduled to last for approximately two months.

Also keep you eye on the company Thrustmaster for commercial applications of this technology.

Mark your Sunday calendars, it is time for Midrats with special guest Mackenzie Eaglen, Research Fellow for National Security at The Heritage Foundation.

We’ll be back with our panel this week, with co-hosts EagleOne of EagleSpeak, and Galrahn of InformationDissemination.

At 5pm EST/1700R/2200Z join us for a review of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) we haven’t seen yet (though we do have adraft). Sure, it is due out the 01 FEB – but why wait – what is the fun with that? The first half hour will be with our panel, and the second half of the show with Mackenzie Eaglen.

We’ll focus on what should be the bold-faced-items that will come up in the QDR. You only get this chance every four years – don’t miss your chance. To top it off, we’ll try something different and take callers the entire hour – so no need to wait to get a word in edgewise – our call-in number will be (347) 308-8397.

If this is your first time hearing the Midrats podcast, then subscribe via iTunes and tune into the first episode where EagleSpeak shares the most important story of 2009 in the realm of maritime security (Hint: it’s not piracy).

You can also find the midrats team, along with gCaptain contributor Fred Fry, over at the US Naval Institute Blog.

From hurricanes to tsunami’s earthquakes, today’s levels of population growth coupled with global climate change is putting an increasing number of people at risk. What is not changing rapidly is the development and implementation of ideas to mitigate crisis.

What seems most promising is the idea that, rather than create new plans for new problems, borrow the ideas and resources from others. A good example of this is technology. Nearly two years ago we mentioned the use of Twitter to help locate victims and coordinate response efforts during crisis. Twitter already worked great for locating friends at nearby bars, so it was just a matter of rethinking it’s use as an emergency tool.

So what other systems are already in place to provide rapid support on a global scale? Specific to this blog… What maritime systems are already in place to provide rapid support on a global scale? In a post titled Urgent Solutions ~ Fast, Flexible, Scalable, Now, Joost Bonsen suggests the use of continerized solutions to support relief efforts in Haiti. He writes:

I’ve written before about the usefulness of containerized infrastructure and floating infrastructure – e.g. hospital ships, power generation barges, containerized health clinics, and more. Devastation in post-quake Port-au-Prince — and, btw, in other disaster-struck or war-ravaged recovery zones — demands that we invest heavily in ramping up and deploying many more of these urgent solutions, certainly as an essential part of rebuilding Haiti properly. Here’s further examples of fast, flexible, scalable, and re-deployable container-systems which are all needed now. First of all, water desalination and purification, for instance this HOH-USA unit…

While the idea has merit you must also consider the logistics involved in locating and transporting highly specialized containers. First, ships do not move at great speed and it takes time to load them. Second, finding containers designed for special missions and relocating them to a single port is a time consuming task regardless of the availability of a ship to put them on.

But the truth is that this idea is already being effectively implemented on a global scale by the US military in the form of prepositioned ships. For those unfamiliar with the program, propositioned vessels are commercial ships contracted by the military to sit idle at locations throughout the world. Although these ships rarely move, they are crewed with a full compliment of mariners and loaded down with all the items needed by troops engaged in conflict (Trucks, generators, food, desalination plants, medical supplies…) The thought being that, if a war breaks out, ships will be nearby and ready to supply the military at a moments notice.

If the idea works for the military, why couldn’t it work for humanitarian missions? I propose that, along with the Army and Navy, that the US Coast Guard be given a budget for prepositioning ships throughout the world. The cargo aboard these ships, however similar, would have a distinctly different mission… to be always ready so others might live.

In the run-up to the STCW Conference in Manila this June, India has proposed that there be mandatory space for training berths provided on all new ships.  This will be one of the more heated issues to be discussed.  Additional space to accommodate trainee cadets (which might become mandatory) is seemingly attractive, in light of the IMO’s current “Go to Sea” campaign.  But there are, as is so often the case, ramifications.

For example, cadets training at sea are subject to the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006.  They are also said to be prone (at least in the U.S.) to personal injury problems.

There are also said to be “tonnage penalties” that may result from a requirement of additional cadet accommodation spaces.

So, “ramifications” is another word for “cost.”

Continue Reading…

So the question is; Should companies be required to provide berth space be required for training?

The Huffington Post sheds light on the details of this maritime incident:

Rescuers evacuated 11 people by helicopter Saturday morning from a Russian cargo vessel stranded in icy waters off the coast of eastern Russia, an official said.

Russian officials say the evacuees have been flown on a privately owned helicopter to the town of Nogliki on nearby Sakhalin Island, which lies to the north of Japan.

The Smolninsky refrigerated ship was battered by heavy winds Friday, freezing it over and causing the vessel to list dangerously to its port side in the Sea of Okhotsk, which separates Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula from the mainland.

The Sakhalin rescue center’s spokesman, Nikolai Ivanov, said the Smolninsky still has 20 crew members on board and is making slow progress to safer waters closer to the shore, some 55 kilometers (34 miles) away, in the hope of saving the vessel.

The Smolninsky collects fresh fish from local boats and delivers the catch to local ports, cleaning, processing and canning much of the produce en route. Continue Reading….

Sure, the gCaptain forum contains a few surly comments but, just as a comment seems out of line, we are reminded of the intellect and curiosity of our fellow mariners. The post that best exemplifies this is titled “Best Nautical Books for the Merchant Mariner” , as it quickly reminds us why sailing is a noble profession and the reason why we continue to face the hardships of a life at sea.

To help get you through the winter weather, we have included a few of the books in a new widget located in the sidebar of this blog. You can also view most of the books in the gCaptain ship store located HERE.

So what is your favorite Maritime Book? Add you comments to The List or leave a comment below.

What happens when you press the secret button?

When a ship is under pirate attack it can send an distress message using its secret button (officially called the Ship Security Alert System or SSAS). However, a potential weakness of the SSAS regulations is that security alerts are required to be routed only to the Company Security Officer and the Flag. This means you had better hope that your company security officer A) has his blackberry on him B) His battery is charged C) he is sober. Otherwise the management of your distress will suffer.

But even if he receives the call, it will likely take time for him to gain the situational awareness needed to respond to your crisis. Once he does, is he experienced and familiar with the protocols of the military and coast guard assets in your region?

SSRS, a company based out of the UK, has a new security service that has the potential to real make a difference. The idea (and implementation!) is simple; you add their company’s contact information to your SSAS device and they are immediately notified in the event you press the button. Here is a flow diagram for us visual learners:

Once they receive your call they quickly go to work calling the military assets in the area of your ship. Having established relationships with the likes of MARLO and MSC-HOA command, and in having your vessel specific information in hand, they can properly start the ball rolling on a response to your incident.

Here is the official information from the company’s website:

Pole Star was approached by flag administrations and EUNAVFOR command to develop a solution that could improve response time to pirate attacks and provide real time tracking of ships under attack.

The result is SSRS, which includes MSC-HOA command in any SSAS alert transmissions, enabling the naval forces in the Gulf to check the validity of the alert, assign the nearest naval asset and provide a fast response to pirate attacks.

SSRS enhances the existing SSAS procedure which is already mandatory for all commercial vessels and fitted to 50,000 ships. Most SSAS can be programmed to transmit position reports automatically and all are able to send a security alert message via satellite.

SSRS is designed to work with existing SSAS systems, requiring no hardware installation and minimal software intervention. Users need only add the address of MSC-HOA to their SSAS alerts.

The costs ($500 per ship per year) are borne by the ship owner since they benefit from reduced risk.

SSRS Delivers

• Time for the Naval Forces in the area to respond and affect the attack, or in the event that the attack was successful, potentially stop the ship reaching the protection of the coast;
• Confidence in the knowledge that the initial SSAS alert location information has been automatically routed to the appropriate Naval Co-ordination Centres;
• Validation. The company security officer is copied on all alerts sent to the Naval Co-ordination Centres (providing a clear incentive to validate the authenticity of the alert);
• Cost-effectiveness. The SSRS service is an open system with which all existing SSAS units are compatible. There is no capital expenditure requirement and low operating costs – $500 per ship per year;
• Ease of use. The www.ssrs.org user interface allows straightforward company registration and vessel subscription;
• Procedural extension. The defined SSRS methodology is easily integrated into existing ISPS Ship Security Plan and Best Management Practice procedures.

While I have not used the service myself, the idea certainly makes a lot of sense. You can find contact information for the company HERE.

UPDATE: If you are a US Flagged vessel, or simply looking for an alternative provider, we recommend contacting Global Rescue, which provides a similar service via their response center in Boston, MA. The contact their is Tom Bochnowski at +01.617-459-4213

Posiedon Myster Island

WebUrbanist brings us this pick for luxury subsea accommodation. The above picture is of The Posiedon Myster Island: “The Poseidon Mystery Island is competing for the title of the world’s first luxury underwater resort. The complex will be designed by Bruce Jones, famous for designing a series of $80-million luxury submarines with their own private state rooms and plush carpets, designed for voyages of up to three weeks in length. The project will cost $105 million and will be submerged next to a private island at a depth of 40 feet with an amazing view of the ocean floor.”

Hydropolis Underwater Hotel, Dubai

Underconstruction since, at least, 2007 Dubai’s Hydropolis is the world’s first luxury underwater hotel. The design calls for three elements to bring visitor’s minds from the sand to watery splendor: the land station, the welcome center for guests, the tunnel connecting the structure via train to land, and the 220 suites within the submarine hotel-complex. Regardless of being underwater – It’s one of the “largest contemporary construction projects in the world”, consuming an area of over 260 hectares.

Apeiron Island Hotel, Dubai

While only partially underwater the Aperiron hotel in Duabi is impressive indeed. Dubai FAQ’s tell us:

The Apeiron Island Hotel is a concept hotel of 7 stars in Dubai. If the plans ever get funding, The Apeiron Hotel would be the second self awarded 7 star hotel to be built in Dubai. The Apeiron would have 350 luxury apartment rooms of jungle theme. The hotel itself is to be built on an island about 300+ meters off the coast of Dubai – and accessible only by helicopter or boat. The topfloors of the hotel will contain a man-made jungle with butterflies and other insects. Other features in the design include an art gallery, cinemas, conference facilities, shopping, an underwater spa with pool, an underwater restaurant, and private lagoons & beaches for the guests.

Jules Undersea Lodge

If you are looking for a hotel you can stay in tonight you are going to have to put aside luxury but options are available including Jules Undersea Lodge in Key West, USA.

Once a fully-functional underwater research lab Jules Undersea Lodge now offers underwater rooms for those interested in living with a full view of the reef. Guests of the undersea hotel can choose from a variety of options which include, meals, the rental of diving equipment and SCUBA instruction. The Lodge also offers educational programs, which teaches guests about underwater habitats, and allows them to visit undersea laboratories used by aquanauts to conduct research into sea life.

Sweden’s Utter Inn

If Jules’ Lodege didn’t impress you with its lack of luxury accomidations then be sure to scroll right past this offering, Sweden’s Utter Inn. Information is sparse on this no-frills accommodation but Wikipedia tells us: “Utter Inn (Swedish) or in English, Otter Inn, is an art project by Mikael Genberg which offers underwater accommodation to the public. The facility is entered through a typical Swedish red house located on the surface of the water. The only representation of this concept is, at this point, located in Lake Mälaren near the town of Västerås in Sweden.”

Turkey’s Underwater Hotel

This hotel is so secretive, the name is still under wraps but it claims to be opening in 2010.  But, a highly cloaked press release tells us… Visitors to Istanbul will soon have a chance to view the most spectacular ocean views on the planet. A 7 floor, self appointed 7-star hotel is being built underwater where a tobacco factory was once located (clue?). There will be exhibition halls, and restaurants, and all rooms will be sea facing.

The inauguration of these accommodations is set to coincide with the area’s taking over as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2010.”

Trilobis Floating Apartment – An Investment Opportunity?

We we sought to find the world’s best underwater hotels and we seem to have mostly failed. But there is one manufacturer of floating homes that has an interesting product, Trilobis. The company’s Trilobis 65 model is a semi-submerged apartment environment. Reaching 20 metres LOA it has space for the comfortable living of six people at sea.In addition to the undersea compontnet, eco-tourists might flock to a hotel that offered Trilobis 65’s for rent because it was designed to allow anyone to live through a self sufficient, non-polluting dwelling cell in unison with their ocean surroundings. Further, the shape of Trilobis 65 allows the annular aggregation of more modular units, creating island colonies.

So if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, consider purchasing a few Trilobis model homes. Otherwise our suggestion is to wait a few years until the technology exists to help develop the market for underwater resorts.