In a timely email, we just received some guidance from our company office about dealing with port state control (PSC) officers. Having just left a port where we fully expected an inspection under the Paris MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), the next port or next time through that particular port, it's a sure thing. Our quality manager put together a … [Read more...]
Methuselah Man
By Captain George Livingstone - The longer my career goes (nearing 40 years), the faster the world changes around me. It would not be earth shattering to note that prior generations have likely had similar thoughts. It is still remarkable, however, to witness 40ish couples in California’s Silicon Valley purchasing $2,400,000 homes in a single cash payment. I am told, in … [Read more...]
Graded Assertiveness: Captain, I Have a Concern…
By Rich Madden - Last year, I was inbound to a port-that-will-remain-nameless, with the local pilot at the conn. As we maneuvered up a winding channel, the channel curved to port, yet the pilot ordered starboard rudder as we approached the next turn. Our 3rd officer, who had been onboard for over two months already and well-drilled in bridge resource management … [Read more...]
Leadership On The High Seas, A Book Review
A search for leadership books on Amazon yields over 100,000 results and there is no shortage of Naval Leadership books (including a few excellent ones) but the commercial maritime domain is strikingly different from the navy and few books look at leadership from the perspective of merchant ship officers. Captain Parani discovered this problem when he took … [Read more...]
Bridging the Gap Between Leadership and Management
By Jaquelyn Burton (Coeval, Inc.) Master. Captain. Skipper. Whatever your preferred term; they are loved and feared for their leadership and management skills, or sometimes a lack thereof. Vessels have for centuries been small enclaves of dictatorial managers - from the age of exploration until after WWII. Ships had been crewed without thought of … [Read more...]