Raising the bar - March 2021 Issue 21 - Anglo-Eastern
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www.angloeastern.com
March 2021
Issue 21
Raising the bar
12 28 32
When non-crew get stuck ‘Re-engineering’ Rescue at sea:
in the crew change crisis the BOKA Vanguard Luck be a (Bakken) Lady
FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK the opening of a new Anglo-Eastern office in the heart of (pp. 20-23), plus some poetry (p. 26). We also bring to you
FOREWORD
London (p. 7); our participation in the Neptune Declaration another in-house personal development / mental health
Dear Readers, as a founding signatory (p. 11); Bjorn Hojgaard’s debut in column, this time on the topic of professional attitude
Lloyd’s List’s One Hundred People, along with The Seafarer (p. 16), which is good reading for all.
With this first LeaderShip issue of 2021, I would like to wish in another first (p.10); and a couple of industry award
you all a Happy New Year and Kung Hei Fat Choi / Gong wins (p. 6). Our CIO Torbjorn Dimblad also discusses the Last but not least, on a more technical front, we are
Xi Fa Cai for the Year of the Ox! May we all be as strong, direction and benefits of collaborative technologies (pp. proud to showcase two engineering projects that we
determined and productive as one to take on the next 8-9), while we are pleased to add another ISO certificate, simultaneously managed for the world’s largest largest
12 months after a difficult year. this time in the increasingly critical area of information semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel, BOKA Vanguard: the
security management (p. 9). retrofitting of a ballast water treatment system (p. 28-29),
In this issue, teamwork takes centre stage, with a great and deck modifications to accommodate an FPU and FPSO
message from our CEO Bjorn Hojgaard on the growing Besides the above, our seafarers are prominently featured (pp. 30-31). We have also been expanding our simulation
significance and benefits of impromptu teamwork, or in this issue, from our Hong Kong tanker fleet’s quarterly training environment with new additions from Wärtsilä
‘teaming’ (pp. 2-4). Following this is a piece by Anglo SafetySTAR winners (p. 17) and a chief cook photo (p. 27), while our physical fleet similarly continues to grow
Ardmore managing director Peter Helm, who looks at what competition/tribute in honour of International Chefs (pp. 35-37) and take the NOAA manual weather observations
distinguishes great teamwork from mediocre teamwork for Day (pp. 18-19) to a Q4 2020 update from ASSET, our championship ‘by storm’, pun intended (p. 34).
that true ‘One Team feeling’ (p. 5). Anglo-Eastern Staff Satisfaction & Engagement Team
Regarding our quarterly PICTURE THIS competition,
To different degrees, teamwork also plays a role in many of I am delighted to announce and congratulate our first
our stories, from helping two technicians stuck at sea feel three (joint) winners of the year:
a part of the team and return home in an incredible story • FRONT COVER | Previous winner O/S Paul Tan for
that reads like a movie plot (pp. 12-14), to making a snap his view from the bridge of the LPG tanker MT Emilius
decision to step up and beyond one’s duties in order to while in anchorage at Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. We’re
enable the on-time delivery of a VLGC newbuilding in mesmerised by the intricate maze of pipes on
an excellent example of teaming (p. 14). Teamwork deck and the incredible colours, even if they
also facilitated the quick-thinking, heroic actions have been enhanced.
of the MT Bakken Lady rescue team (pp. 32-33), • BACK COVER | Deck cadet Mathew
not to mention our Hong Kong cricket team’s Philip for his view of the MT Bakken Lady
runner-up trophy win in a local tournament while in port at Karsto, Norway. We love
(pp. 24-25). the stunningly beautiful clear blue water
and skies.
Also covered are a number of business • INSIDE FRONT | C/E Gireesha P.
updates and related content, including Balakrishna (MV Tempanos) for the
adjacent photo of several illuminated
crew peering down a dark liner
interior during unit ‘decarb’ at 01:00
in the morning, we are told. A great
photo, and the proverbial ‘light at the
end of the tunnel’ perhaps?
Speaking of which, here’s to a hopefully
better year than last, and as always, stay
safe, keep healthy and happy reading!
Melissa Otto
Published by Anglo-Eastern Univan Group Editor, LeaderShip
17/F Kingston International Centre Group Communications Manager
19 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay
Kowloon, Hong Kong
T. +852 3940 7000
4 | LeaderShip
CONTENTS | March 2021
CONTENTS
WHEN NON-CREW GET
STUCK IN THE CREW
CHANGE CRISIS
12
GROUP
CEO’s Message | Teamwork on the fly 2
The One Team feeling 5
'RE-ENGINEERING' Anglo-Eastern awarded for outstanding PSC inspection performance 6
THE BOKA VANGUARD AEMTC: Setting the (maritime) standard 6
28 New office opening in London
Collaboration for holistic decision-making and optimisation
7
8
Anglo-Eastern earns ISO certificate in InfoSec Management 9
Who’s who of shipping in 2020 10
Anglo-Eastern signs Neptune Declaration to end crew change crisis 11
RESCUE AT SEA: PEOPLE
LUCK BE A Ten days and counting, and counting… 12
(BAKKEN) LADY A man for all seasons 14
32 Cultivating an attitude of professionalism
Closing out our 3rd SafetySTAR year with two winners
16
17
Celebrating International Chefs Day 18
ASSET | An engaged employee is a happy employee! 20
Anglo-Eastern bags cricket trophy, individual player titles 24
Poetry | Four Stripes and The Untold Story 26
TECHNICAL
TEAMWORK Anglo-Eastern adopts latest Wärtsilä simulation solutions 27
ON THE FLY
Retrofitting a BWTS on the world’s largest semi-submersible 28
2 A case-by-case project on board the BOKA Vanguard 30
Rescue at Sea | Luck be a (Bakken) Lady 32
Anglo-Eastern continues to lead NOAA championship 34
Meet the Fleet | New members of the Anglo-Eastern family 35
LeaderShip | 1
GROUP
On 5 August 2010, a massive
collapse at the San José Mine
in northern Chile left 33 men
trapped almost one kilometre
below some of the hardest
rock in the world. These men
found their way to a small
purpose-built refuge, where
they experienced intense
heat and filth. Designed only
as a temporary relief shelter,
the refuge was stocked with
enough food and water to
last just 10 days.
Above ground, it didn’t take long for the
experts to figure out that there was no
solution. No drilling technology in the
industry would be capable of getting
through rock that hard and that deep, fast
enough to save their lives. Moreover, it
wasn’t exactly clear where the refuge was. It
wasn’t even clear that the miners were alive.
And it wasn’t clear who was in charge. Yet,
within 70 days, all 33 of these workers were
brought to the surface alive.
Teamwork on the fly
CEO’S MESSAGE This remarkable story is a case study in the
power of teaming.
‘Teaming’ is teamwork on the fly. It is
coordinating and collaborating with people
across boundaries of all kinds – expertise,
distance, time zone, you name it – to get
work done. In contrast, think of your favourite
sports team, because that is different.
2 | LeaderShip
GROUP
Sports teams embody the formal Ships have to be working 24/7, and obviously very different work. Underneath
definition of a team – a stable, bounded, voyages and cargoes are all different, the differences, however, are a lot of
reasonably small group of people, who each in their own complicated and commonalities. You have to gather
are interdependent in achieving a shared unique ways. To make a ship function, together different expertise at different
outcome. That winning team magic and we need to engage people from times, roles and deliverables are not fixed,
those game-saving plays are possible different areas of expertise, even and you may be required to do a lot of
because they work together and practise different parts of the world, to come things you have never done quite the same
with the same members over time. together and overcome unique and way before – and you can’t do it in a stable
Teaming, on the other hand, you can think complex challenges. These people have team.
of as a sort of pick-up game in the park. to coordinate with each other, and with
outside parties, in order to move cargo This way of working isn’t easy, but it’s the
Now, which one is going to win in a efficiently, while keeping the ship, each way many of us have to work, whether
play-off? Well, the answer is obvious. But other, and the environment free from on board a ship or in the shore-side
teaming is the way more and more of us harm. When they don’t, the results can management of ships. And I would argue
have to work today, and it’s certainly how be tragic. that it is especially needed for work that
ships are largely managed! is complex and unpredictable, and for
Of course, in teaming, the stakes aren’t solving big problems.
With fast-paced, round-the-clock always life and death. For example,
global operations, continuously shifting writing software code for a large Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, put it
schedules, and ever-narrowing expertise, application, or producing an animated really well when he said, “The issues we
more and more of us have to work with film in Hollywood. In cases like these, face today are so big and so challenging,
different people all the time in order to people have to team up in constantly it becomes quite clear we can’t do it
get our work done. We don’t have changing configurations and just work alone, and so there’s a certain humility and “‘Teaming’ is teamwork on
the luxury of stable teams. If you do, together, rarely in the same group twice, recognition that we need to invite other the fly. It is coordinating and
by all means take advantage of it. But not knowing what’s going to happen next. people in.” It’s the same with managing collaborating with people
increasingly, for a lot of the work we do ships. We have to reach out, not just on
today – and certainly for running ships – Now, keeping a ship safe and producing board, but to others across many facets
across boundaries of all
that’s not an option. software code or film animation is of what we do: clients, class societies, kinds – expertise, distance,
pilots, terminals, cargo owners, shipyards, time zone.”
The rescue team involved in the operations to extract 33 miners trapped in an emergency shelter some 700 metres below etc. This is ‘big teaming’, grand-scale
ground at San José Mine, near Copiapo in northern Chile | Photo credit: Government of Chile via Flickr (CC-BY-2.0)
teaming.
But it turns out that teaming across This is a bigger problem than most of us
different business interest groups is realise. In fact, professional culture clash
really hard. Part of that difficulty is is a major barrier to ensuring safe and
‘professional culture clash’. Engineers, efficient voyages, each and every time.
navigators, ship owners, charterers and And it is a problem we need to understand,
cargo owners simply think differently, not a problem we must have a solution for.
to mention people from different cultural Under such circumstances, how can we
backgrounds. Different interests, different ensure that teaming goes well, especially
goals, different jargon, different language. ‘big teaming’? In order to begin answering
It’s no wonder seeing eye-to-eye can be this question, let’s go back to the copper-
a challenge! gold mine accident.
LeaderShip | 3
3 | LeaderShip
GROUP
In Chile, over 10 weeks of teaming by For the next 52 days, that long, narrow
hundreds of individuals from different lifeline served as the only channel for
professions, different companies, different food, medicine and communication, “Look around you, and ask how quickly you can uncover the
sectors, and even different nations, whilst above ground, they continued unique talents, skills and aspirations of your colleagues and
produced lots of ideas. More than that, teaming to find a way to create a much
what they found was that they were able to larger hole from which to extract the
partners, and how quickly, in turn, can you convey to them
be humble in the face of the real challenges miners and bring them up to the what you bring. Because for us to team up and build that
ahead, curious about what each diverse surface. Ultimately, they succeeded on shared future we know we can create together, that’s the
individual could bring to the table, and October 13th. mindset we need.”
willing to take risks, experiment, fail, learn
and persevere, always moving forward. So, how did they overcome professional
culture clash?
From the brilliant mining engineer tasked
with leading the rescue, NASA, and the In a word, they showed leadership. More of psychological safety. This in turn allows This is the mindset you need for effective
Chilean Special Forces, to volunteers from specifically, when teaming works, you people to take risks amongst strangers, to teaming.
around the world, these people made can be sure that some leaders – at all speak up, and to ask for help.
slow, painful progress through the rock. levels – have been crystal clear that they In our silos, we can get some things
Finally, on the seventeenth day, with a don’t have all the answers. But what they The rescue team overcame what is a basic done, but only when we step back and
very small incision, they were able to do have is ‘situational humility’. They are human challenge: It’s hard to learn if reach out and across do real miracles
make contact with the trapped miners also very ‘curious’, which when combined you already know. And unfortunately, we happen. Miners can be rescued, accidents
via a narrow hole through to the refuge. with situational humility, creates a sense are hard-wired to think we know, so we can be averted, great success stories can
need to constantly remind ourselves to be written – and ships can sail safely from
After being trapped underground for a record 69 days, the 33 miners were finally rescued, one by one, on October be curious, and to seek out what others port to port.
13th via the Fénix 2 rescue capsule, which was constructed by the Chilean Navy with design input from NASA can bring to the table. That curiosity
Photo credit: Hugo Infante/Government of Chile via Flickr (CC-BY-2.0)
can also spawn a kind of generosity of To get there, the best advice I can give
interpretation. is this: Look around you, and ask how
quickly you can uncover the unique
Another barrier is that of a scarcity mindset. talents, skills and aspirations of your
It’s when people say, “For me to succeed, colleagues and partners, and how quickly,
you must fail.” Unfortunately, this is often the in turn, can you convey to them what you
starting point for many driven, ambitious bring. Because for us to team up and build
people, but it’s awfully hard to team when that shared future we know we can create
you view others as competitors. So we have together, that’s the mindset we need.
to overcome that as well, and when we do,
the results can be outstanding. Happy teaming!
Abraham Lincoln once said: “I don’t like
that man much; I must get to know him
better.” Think about that. I don’t like him
because I don’t know him well enough,
so if I could only uncover what I don’t
know about him, then maybe I will, Capt. Bjorn Hojgaard
and can appreciate what he has to offer. Chief Executive Officer
4 | LeaderShip
GROUP
TEAMWORK
The One Team feeling
to measure – tend to be overlooked. Trust is a basic ingredient of a One Team
I believe that these fuzzy factors are the culture, and any attempt to build such a
things that define what it means and feels culture without it is like herding cats. Trust
like to be part of a team, or as I like to is also both built and given. If you are
call it, “The One Team feeling”. When you committed to building and giving trust,
Teamwork is constructed of so many intangible and experience it, you will know it, you and your despite the obstacles that stand in your
team will feel very good about it, you will way, you will win high trust.
seemingly unquantifiable elements, it is difficult to know or not be concerned about measuring it, and
to measure which specific actions create a thriving team, your team will be thriving. Unfortunately, trust is a term that is often
writes Peter Helm, managing director of Anglo Ardmore Ship used very loosely. For example, the junior
Perhaps the difference between ‘Team members of a team may feel that their
Management, as he delves into “The One Team feeling” that Average’ and ‘Team Great’ lies in the contributions are not important, and say
can propel teams to greatness. connections or relationships between the that their seniors do not trust them because
hard measures and those fuzzy factors that the seniors double check their work. Double
we shy away from. checking is in fact normal, and we should all
inevitably I always end up thinking, do be checking on each other all of the time,
we really need another measure? I believe the hard measures and the fuzzy looking out for mistakes, or those signals
factors can combine to influence a team’s that somebody may be in danger.
If we can identify what makes the performance, and are both strongly
difference between ‘average teamwork’ influenced by what teams do, how they All teams are different and there is no
and ‘great teamwork’, and then take action communicate, and how they interact. quick way to achieving “The One Team
to ‘bridge the gap’, we could be on the feeling”, but if you let all of your team
right track to identifying a few common If culture eats strategy for breakfast, members know that their contributions are
themes related to teamwork performance then teamwork is probably the biggest valued, if you show them that you care, and
levels. contributor to success. if you build and give trust, then you are
probably on the right track.
If the various elements of those themes A One Team culture involves everyone
are difficult to measure, or cannot be working together towards a common goal Elite teams trust each other, they enjoy
measured, then perhaps it is sufficient that to form a community. In our case, that their work, they are proud of their
I am sure we can all agree that great we all know what those elements are, and community is one of proud professionals achievements, they are friends, they are
teamwork is vital to achieving great results that we excel in those areas. who always do the right thing – not because happy, and they are successful.
in any organisation, whether in business regulations, policies or procedures dictate
or otherwise. Yet while some teams Performance levels measured using it, but because we want to do the right Placing value and making decisions based
consistently deliver exceptional work and numbers related to efficiency are thing, enjoy doing the right thing, and are on hard measures and data may always feel
excellent performance whilst continually influenced by our capabilities, tools, fiercely proud of doing so. safer, but those of us who dare to put our
improving, others just manage to get a job information technology systems, and faith in the things we cannot see or measure
done and barely survive. many external factors. I am sure that feeling valued and cared for may be the winners in the long-term.
by other members of a team can be linked
Many aspects of our work are measured We have become so fixated in assessing to hard measures of team performance. I
using various hard or quantifiable measures our performance using numbers or hard do not know how to assess the importance
– or key performance indicators, as we call measures that we feel that everything we or strength of that link, but I do believe it is
Reprinted with permission after originally appearing
them. A question I have often thought about do must be measured. As a result, these a key difference between elite teams and in Ardmore Shipping’s quarterly publication Ardmore
is how can we measure teamwork? But ‘fuzzy factors’ – because they are difficult those just merely getting the job done. Standard, Issue 23 (Nov 2020).
LeaderShip | 5
GROUP
RECOGNITION RECOGNITION
Anglo-Eastern awarded AEMTC: Setting the
for outstanding PSC (maritime) standard
inspection performance Anglo-Eastern Maritime Training Centre
(AEMTC) India was honoured at The Maritime
Standard Awards 2020 in Dubai on November
Christmas came a little early for us in Hong Kong last year, with 23rd, with an award win for maritime education
yet another award for outstanding port state control (PSC) and training excellence.
inspection performance.
Other award finalists
included ADNOC
Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Ltd Logistics and
was one of only a dozen shipping and Services, Hindustan
ship management companies to receive Institute of Maritime
the honour from the Hong Kong Marine Training, Kuwait Oil
Department on December 8th, and has Tanker Company,
been a regular recipient of the award over and the Shipping
the years. Corporation of India.
Chairman Peter Cremers received the The Maritime
award on behalf of Anglo-Eastern from Standard (TMS)
director of marine Agnes Wong at a small, Awards was
carefully managed ceremony, which was launched in 2014
also attended by representatives of the to recognise and
Hong Kong Shipowners Association. celebrate outstanding maritime achievements in the Middle East
and Indian subcontinent, with 30 awards spanning the spectrum of
We value the recognition, which is shipping-related fields.
testament to our excellent safety,
maintenance and PSC inspection track Though in-person attendance was not possible due to the global
record. Many thanks and appreciation to pandemic that did not in any way diminish the honour of winning
our crew for continuing to uphold our high this accolade, which is one of many bestowed upon AEMTC over
standards and those of PSC authorities the years by various authorities and award organisers. Setting the
worldwide. Well done! (maritime) standard, indeed!
6 | LeaderShip
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London calling
NEW OFFICE
We are delighted to announce the opening of Anglo-Eastern’s newest
ship management office in one of the world’s most iconic cities: London!
Centrally located at 3/F Link House, 78 Cowcross other ship management centres in Hong Kong, Singapore,
Street, in the downtown area of Farringdon, between Hamburg, Antwerp, Goes, Glasgow, Montreal and Mumbai.
Clerkenwell and Barbican, the latest addition to our The new office is supported by a 14-strong team, with core
global network is within easy walking distance from expertise drawn from Technical, Operations and QHSE.
Farringdon tube station, the Port of London Authority,
Museum of London, and even St Paul’s. Heading up the office is newly appointed managing director
Himanshu Chopra, a former ship master who joins the London
Thanks to the teamwork of our Hong Kong and Glasgow team from Hong Kong, where his commercial and QHSE
colleagues and amazing crew of contractors, the new experience will stand him in good stead. Supporting him is
office was designed, installed and furbished in just fleet manager and former chief engineer Venus Venugopalan,
three months. Soft-launched on December 7th, the cosy also from our head office in Hong Kong.
workspace features a modern, open-plan layout, with a
meeting room that can double as an ERT/crisis centre. We look forward to serving our clients, seafarers and ships Himanshu Chopra, managing director
from our new location in London, and warmly welcome and head of our new London office
In terms of business focus, the London office will you to visit once the pandemic situation settles. Until then,
concentrate on vessel management, joining our eight here are a few photos to showcase our new 'digs'.
LeaderShip | 7
GROUP
BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION
Collaboration for holistic
decision-making and
optimisation
We are all constantly engaged in a cycle of performance
improvement – we execute, we measure, we review and
seek insights, we refine our processes, and we deploy the
lessons we have learnt. From time to time, an innovation supporting our tireless quest for safety, As we consider investments in our
fundamentally disrupts this cycle, unlocking new potential efficiency and reliability. As with the past, technology platforms and partnerships
the next step change will come as the of the future, the right decision will be to
for the benefit of all involved, writes Anglo-Eastern CIO scope is expanded beyond the voyage, invest in those that not only excel within
Torbjorn Dimblad. to include scheduling of activities at the their own scope of work, but which also
destination, or even at points along the effectively integrate across operational
way. It may be optimal to travel across the and organisational silos to facilitate
Optimal weather routing in shipping modelled on past performance, ensuring Atlantic at 16.3 knots, however, that may holistic decision-making. More Satya
has its roots in operations research by that even more accurate information is not be the most efficient passage overall if Nadella, less Steve Balmer (for those of
the mathematician R.W. James, who in passed onto the optimisation function. it results in 12 hours of idle time waiting for you who know your Microsoft CEOs). This
1957, was reportedly the first to introduce a berth. is a future we must work towards – one
weather information into an algorithm to While few of us fully comprehend the that fundamentally leverages the inherent
minimise voyage time. In the decades that underlying mathematics, the benefits this As positions are fixed by chartering teams, capabilities (and data) of each contributor,
followed, there have been improvements in capability has brought to our industry as detailed passage planning is conducted yet offers the flexibility to be optimised
the algorithms, in the optimisation methods are dramatic – improving safety at sea, on board, as maintenance tasks are across all.
used, and of course, in the data available. the predictability of arrivals, as well as scheduled and approved, each actor and
significant savings in fuel and in the decision influence the next. When the plan Anglo-Eastern has placed digital capability
By the mid-2000s, algorithm objectives reduction of emissions. Today, every is set in motion, and inevitable deviations at the heart of its strategy; the company is
were expanded to include optimising serious operator includes this capability occur, it is conceivable that the whole investing heavily in platforms that unlock
fuel and emissions, while simultaneously as part of their voyage planning and optimisation could be run again, resulting the opportunities presented by closer
considering a broader set of input management processes – one simply in a modified outcome. Addressing these collaboration between the teams on board,
parameters like the performance of the cannot operate as safely or competitively kinds of challenges are more complex those ashore, and with the clients we
vessel at various drafts. The best solutions without it. because they rely on different actors serve. Integration is a core tenant of our
on the market today, such as Wärtsilä’s Fleet having the capability and incentives to approach. While we work to complete the
Operations Solution (FOS), leverage There is no question that these capabilities share, ingest and derive insights for roll-out of AEGIS (Anglo-Eastern Group
predictive analytics such that input data is will continue to evolve over time, benefit of the whole. Information Systems) across the fleet this
8 | LeaderShipGROUP
Vessel IT SECURITY
Anglo-Eastern earns
year, we are building the foundations for
automated data exchange. Our platforms
will be able to ingest information via
ISO certificate in
APIs and will also be able to provide
information in the same way.
Collaborative
InfoSec Management
Although there will be process
efficiencies from this capability, Optimisation Owner/
Manager
we believe this is just the first step Charterer
in a journey towards an ecosystem of
cross-functional collaboration, with the
aim of achieving next-level performance.
Returning to the example of planning, if
the client’s operations team received the Anglo-Eastern is proud to be one of the first ship
projected fuel consumption based on
the optimised passage plan computed
managers to be certified to ISO 27001:2013
on board, they may choose to revise the how we see and execute our respective standards in Information Security Management.
schedule or adjust the plan for the next roles. With markets and regulators
leg of the journey. continuing to demand more of our
industry, now is the time to be asking Issued by the British Standards Institution ISO 27001 is a comprehensive security
Achieving this level of process integration what benefits this kind of collaboration (BSI) to Anglo-Eastern in November last management standard that specifies
may be a lofty idea, but it is less about could bring and how we can go about year – and to Anglo Ardmore and Diamond a set of best practices and controls. It
technological limitations and more about realising them. Anglo in December – the certification covers covers every level of an organisation’s
the information security management IT infrastructure, from asset management,
system of both our shore-based IT access controls and data/application
operations and managed fleet. security to risk management and
business continuity.
“As our industry continues to deploy
digital solutions both on board and ashore, To earn this recognition, Anglo-Eastern
it is critical that the appropriate systems was subjected to a rigorous independent
and technologies are in place to keep audit process and had to demonstrate
information secure,” said Anglo-Eastern an ongoing and systematic approach
CIO Torbjorn Dimblad. to managing and protecting company,
customer and employee data.
“As a leading independent ship manager,
we are proud to be one of the first in our
industry to achieve this certification. It
underscores our ongoing commitment to
maritime safety and information security,
ensuring that our data and that of our
people and business partners are handled
with the care and reverence they deserve.”
LeaderShip | 901
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RECOGNITION
Who’s who of The Seafarer
shipping in 2020
The eleventh edition of Lloyd’s List’s annual One Hundred
People came out in December, and we were delighted to
see that the most influential industry person in 2020 was not
any shipping magnate or big-name executive, but rather the
humble seafarer.
“The hard work, bravery and commitment in question? Well, yes...but this is not a
of the seafarer to the benefit of all means message that is universally understood.
these workers on shipping’s front line have
48
been heroes in the fight to save lives. It “In the meantime, the message to human
therefore makes them the obvious choice officers and ratings, both serving and
for the top slot,” explained Lloyd’s List. retired, is a simple, heartfelt thank you.”
“Seeing 400,000 people left far from home We couldn’t agree more with the
on ships around the world as a result of the sentiments, and wholeheartedly welcome
Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the the seafarer being given top recognition
extent of adversity faced by those who work and status in Lloyd’s List’s prestigious annual
at sea, but also drawn attention to the vital ranking. An excellent decision, indeed!
Bjorn Hojgaard
role they play in keeping global supply lines
functioning during such difficult times. In another One Hundred People first, we
were honoured to see Anglo-Eastern’s
“It might seem tokenistic for a publication very own CEO inducted into the list, and Anglo-Eastern Univan Group /
such as Lloyd’s List to hail the seafarer as within the Top 50 at that. Debuting in 48th
the most important person in the industry place, Bjorn Hojgaard was recognised as Hong Kong Shipowners
in 2020. After all, the contention that a “significant voice in ship management Association
‘people are our most important asset’ is and Hong Kong shipping in 2020”, with
one of the dullest staple clichés of senior particular reference to the crew change
management-speak. And is it not a truism crisis. Congratulations, and very well
that the seafarer is the most important deserved! 10 | LeaderShip
person in the industry, whatever the year
10 | LeaderShipGROUP
CREW CHANGE CRISIS
Anglo-Eastern signs ACTION 1
Recognise seafarers as
Neptune Declaration to
key workers and give them
priority access to Covid-19
vaccines.
end crew change crisis
ACTION 2
Establish and implement
gold standard health
protocols based on
existing best practice.
Anglo-Eastern has joined forces with more than 300 other
global industry and human rights leaders to sign the Neptune ACTION 3
Increase collaboration
Declaration on Seafarer Well-being and Crew Change in between ship operators
a worldwide call to action to end the unprecedented crew and charterers to facilitate
crew changes.
change crisis caused by Covid-19.
ACTION 4
Despite significant efforts by international seafarers stranded at sea upon completing Ensure air connectivity
organisations, unions, companies and some their contracts, many for several months, between key maritime
governments to resolve this untenable some for over a year,” said Bjorn Hojgaard, hubs for seafarers.
humanitarian crisis at sea, the situation is CEO of Anglo-Eastern.
worsening as governments bring in more
travel bans in response to new strains of the “They are unable to return home to see their
Covid-19 virus. families. Many are overworked, suffering • ACTION 3 – Increase collaboration Forum, International Chamber of Shipping,
from both physical and mental stress. This between ship operators and charterers to International Maritime Employers’ Council,
A number of key issues leave this critical is totally unacceptable. The crew change facilitate crew changes. International Transport Workers’ Federation,
situation unresolved: national authorities crisis must be addressed – for humanitarian • ACTION 4 – Ensure air connectivity Sustainable Shipping Initiative, and World
around the world continue to view crew reasons, for navigational safety, and for the between key maritime hubs for seafarers. Economic Forum.
changes and international travel as a continued functioning of our global supply
Covid-19 risk; high-quality health protocols chains.” “Resolving the crisis requires both industry Other industry leaders and business
are not being consistently implemented and government partnership. There is no partners of Anglo-Eastern to sign the
by ship operators; and the disruption to Announced on January 26th, the Neptune room for self-interest or complacency. What declaration include A.P. Moller - Maersk,
international air travel has reduced the Declaration sets out four main actions: we need is the concerted and coordinated Ardmore, Bahri, BP, BW, Cargill, Celsius,
number of flights between traditional crew efforts of all key stakeholders, and we need China Merchants Energy, COSCO, D.
change hubs and major seafaring nations. • ACTION 1 – Recognise seafarers as key it now,” said Mr Hojgaard. Oltmann Reederei, DOW, Emirates Ship
workers and give them priority access to Investing, Euronav, Fednav, Hapag-Lloyd,
“For the past year, much of the world has Covid-19 vaccines. The Neptune Declaration was developed by J&J Denholm, Kyoei Tanker, MISC, NYK,
been essentially closed down in response • ACTION 2 – Establish and implement a taskforce comprising various companies ONE, Petredec, Rio Tinto, Saga, Shell,
to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, gold standard health protocols based on drawn from across the industry, as well as Teekay, China Navigation, Trafigura,
resulting in hundreds of thousands of existing best practice. such organisations as the Global Maritime Unilever and Vale.
LeaderShip | 11PEOPLE
CREW CHANGE CRISIS
Ten days and counting,
and counting...
Highlighting the insanity of the crew change crisis is this unbelievable tale of two By now, many people are well aware of the crew change
crisis. Due to various travel restrictions and other barriers
shore-based technicians assigned to a 10-day emergency repair job on board a in the name of national health interests, many seafarers
tanker, who instead ended up seeing six countries, 13 port calls and one dry-docking have found themselves stuck: stuck at sea on board ships,
unable to disembark or be relieved, or conversely, stuck
over an incredible seven-month nautical adventure, even outstaying the original crew. at home, unable to travel and relieve colleagues and thus
You can’t make this stuff up! unable to earn.
Caught up in the crew change crisis: Technicians Azaj Shaikh and Babu Santhanakrishnan But this untenable humanitarian crisis at sea arising
from the global pandemic and rampant national self-
interest (without consideration for the bigger picture,
like the world economy and global supply chains…) is not
limited to seafarers alone. Enter Mr Babu and Mr Shaikh,
two shore-based technicians employed by Kenmark Tech
Solutions, a marine engineering outfit in Mumbai.
On February 17th, Babu Santhanakrishnan and Azaj Shaikh
were just two regular technicians off to another marine
engineering job. Though on board a ship, which was a
first for Mr Shaikh, the job itself was not complicated. They
had been assigned to conduct emergency repair work on
the auxiliary engine of the Anglo-Eastern managed tanker
High SD Yihe. Typically, this would be a 10-day job at most.
Little did they know what was in store.
After flying across India to Visakhapatnam on the east
coast and staying overnight in a hotel, they boarded
the tanker on February 18th and immediately set about
replacing the main crankshaft of the auxiliary engine. The
12 | LeaderShipPEOPLE
emergency repair work went smoothly, with everything with the vessel as there was simply no other option.…
replaced, fixed and working well before arriving at Our 10-day stay on board had increased to months. We
Hamriyah in the UAE, which was the tanker’s next port had never in our lives experienced sailing for more than
of call and from where they were to disembark and 15 days. The state of affairs and separation from family
return to Mumbai. Job done, end of story! started eating at our brains,” recounted Mr Shaikh.
Except this was only the beginning. “Fortunately, the ship’s staff were very good and they
were all there for us, including the master and chief
In the few short days they had been at sea, the Covid-19 engineer, who understood our mental state and provided
pandemic had ballooned, taking on a life of its own. The all necessary psychological support. Our managing
resulting panic and fear across the globe was palpable, director, Mr Sanjeev Mehra, also communicated with us on
with national borders fast tightening or closing left, right WhatsApp whenever possible, which helped keep up our
and centre, one after the other. The UAE was no exception. morale. We even started doing odd jobs on board to keep
The tanker’s master, Capt. Bharat Atri, relayed the bad ourselves busy and lend a hand, though we were only
news to them. technicians.”
Regrettably, the technicians would not be able to Kenmark Tech Solutions general manager Cdr V.S.
disembark as planned, he told them, since the UAE Gopinadhan and Anglo-Eastern tried valiantly to assist
now required them to hold a seaman’s service book in Mr Babu and Mr Shaikh, contacting and liaising with
order to do so, which they did not possess. Usually for embassies, agents, charterer and owner, requesting an
such onboard repair work, only a valid passport and exception to the restrictions on humanitarian grounds.
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
(STCW) Certificate is required, which is all they had. “Seafarers, as you are no doubt well aware, are already
subject to numerous complications and difficulties when
But no seaman’s book, no problem! Surely one of the it comes to crew changes, which is already bad enough
Senior technician Mr Babu working on the crankshaft
neighbouring Gulf States would allow them to disembark on its own. What makes this situation even worse is that
and fly home. Except none did. All Gulf States had taken these two individuals are not even seafarers. They are
a similar stance, leaving India and Sri Lanka as two of the not accustomed to a life at sea or the perils this involves,
few remaining options in the region, though these were The UAE, Malaysia and China were only allowing their nor did they leave their families and homes with any
not options for the charterer due to the huge diversion own seafarers and citizens to enter, while the tanker’s tight preparations for such an extended leave of absence,”
costs, and for a non-critical situation at that. cargo operations schedule meant it was unable to fulfil wrote senior fleet personnel manager Karan Madan to
Singapore and Japan’s 14-day minimum requirement at one embassy.
Not to worry, on to the next port of call then! sea from the last port of call. South Korea remained a slim
ray of hope, especially since the tanker’s crew were due “Not surprisingly, their family members are extremely
But as they sailed from port to port, it became clear that to be relieved at Daesan on its second calling. As it turns anxious, as are we, since it is even harder to relieve the
nobody was willing to let the technicians off the tanker out, however, that sliver of hope was visa-dependent – and two technicians because of the very fact they are not
to fly home. Altogether they made 12 port calls in six of course they did not have visas, nor could they apply for seafarers. More than 10 port calls have come and gone in
countries (UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, one at sea. “Access denied” again. the past seven months, yet no country has been prepared
South Korea), including one seven-week dry-docking, but to let these poor technicians disembark to date. It is
all requests to disembark were denied for various reasons, Back and forth the tanker sailed, with the two technicians becoming a humanitarian issue, as we do not know how
no exceptions allowed. Hamriyah, Pengerang, Tanjung stuck on board in limbo, trapped in a surreal existence much longer it can continue, especially with them not
Pelepas, Singapore, Dalian, Jinzhou, Chiba, Sakai, Daesan, more reminiscent of the legendary Flying Dutchman than used to a life at sea or such confinement to a vessel for so
Zhoushan, Mutsure, Daesan again – all were a no-go. anything from modern-day reality. “We were forced to sail many months.”
LeaderShip | 13PEOPLE
A man for
CREW CHANGE CRISIS
After fielding numerous rejections and disappointment,
it was finally agreed and arranged for the tanker to
return to Singapore sooner than scheduled, following an
amendment to the city state’s crew change criteria that
all seasons
now allowed the disembarkation of “personnel who are
not part of the ship’s crew such as superintendents and
service engineers”. A legitimate window of opportunity,
at last!
The High SD Yihe arrived in Singapore on September
14th, and within two days, Mr Babu and Mr Shaikh were
back in Mumbai after an incredible seven months at sea.
“Anglo-Eastern took special approval for us to travel by
Taking over new ships in Covid-19
chartered flight from Singapore to Doha, where we times certainly comes with its share of
landed at 05:00 on September 15th. We had hardly any complexities and challenges. MT Keegan
money on us, and had a long, nearly 20-hour wait at the
airport until the next flight to Mumbai. We literally starved, No. 1, a newbuilding that Anglo-Eastern
but we were so happy to be going home we didn’t feel was tasked with taking over from the
any hunger,” said Mr Shaikh. Technician Azaj Shaikh (second left) and crew during the
dry-docking in China shipyard in Shanghai, is a good example,
Relieved they may well have been, but how a 10-day as senior QHSE superintendent Capt.
job assignment could turn into an epic seven-month
nautical adventure is truly beyond comprehension Yashwant Chhabra discovered.
and ripe material for a movie plot. One nice surprise
and added twist to this “Tale of Two Technicians” is Mr
Shaikh’s newfound enchantment with ships and the sea. Due to restrictions limiting crew changes to PRC citizens,
When asked about the appeal after enduring such an the Indian ‘gas hands’ assigned to the Keegan No. 1
experience, he cited the camaraderie of the crew, could not travel to China to join the VLGC, so with special
which we consider a wonderful compliment about the flag dispensation, the LPG tanker was allowed to sail as
calibre of our people that fills us with pride. a dry ship (no petroleum cargo) with a Chinese dry fleet
crew to Ulsan, South Korea. There, the intended crew
Mr Babu and Mr Shaikh would like to extend their could join the vessel on October 26th, after satisfying
heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the High SD Yihe’s South Korea’s mandatory 14-day quarantine and multiple
Capt. Bharat Atri, C/E Vijaykumar Meharwade, and fellow testing requirements. An extra step in the process, but
crew members for looking after them and keeping them straightforward enough.
safe all those many months, in addition to Kenmark Tech
Solutions’ Sanjeev Mehra and Cdr V.S. Gopinadhan, However, as circumstances would have it, the second
AE Fleet Personnel’s Karan Madan and Nayan Shah, officer needed to be signed off and repatriated back to
and AETM’s Deepak Kumar, Alan D’Sa and Sun Xiao Tao, India for emergency reasons, which threw everything into
plus everyone else who helped them get home. disarray. Setting up a new vessel and working through
Despite the experience, Mr Shaikh (fourth left) found solace in the
camaraderie of the crew, who helped make him and Mr Babu feel the inevitable teething issues is no small task, so it wasn’t
welcome and ‘at home’ (away from home) advisable for the tanker to sail one hand short, besides
14 | LeaderShipAge is but a number: OOW Capt. Yashwant Chhabra and
PEOPLE
master in command Capt. Rakesh C. Jaipal, standing third
and fourth from left, respectively
behind, but that it was great fun serving as an OOW –
especially as the ‘youngest’ OOW in the company!
“Being a full-fledged OOW after all these years was a
challenge, but an excellent practical refresher, as it had
me doing all activities on my own and gave me a hands-
on feel of the new technologies on board,” said Capt.
Chhabra.
In another plot twist, Capt. Chhabra found himself
reunited on board with a former cadet from his days as
a training supervisor – that cadet being no other than
the Keegan No. 1’s master in command, Capt. Rakesh
C. Jaipal. Talk about the ultimate role reversal!
“It was a surreal experience to find myself in a situation
of having an OOW who was in fact my company training
officer when I was a cadet,” mused Capt. Jaipal. “It was a
daunting task each day to write the night orders for him
to sign, but also priceless to see the confused looks on
the faces of the pilots and port officials when they saw
the two of us together and learned that I was the master
and he was the OOW.
which this would require additional flag dispensation. At as crew and ended up sailing as far away as Panama, “I admire Capt. Chhabra’s professionalism for taking on
the same time, it was impossible to fly in a replacement Houston, and Panama once again! the role of an OOW in all earnestness and putting me at
at such short notice, not to mention the additional two ease in the situation, and would like to thank him for his
weeks of quarantine this would involve. For two months, from October 31st to December 31st, assistance and guidance during the time he served on
Capt. Chhabra assumed the role of officer on watch (OOW), board the Keegan No. 1.”
Enter Capt. Yashwant Chhabra, our senior QHSE performing sea, anchor and port watches. This helped
superintendent from the Mumbai office and a former matters immensely, allowing the tanker to confidently sail Added QHSE head Capt. Pradeep Chawla: “I have known
master mariner (still holding valid certificates), who was with a full crew who could then focus on the work at hand, Yashwant for over twenty years. He is a teacher at heart,
fortunately on hand to save the day. without needing to juggle additional responsibilities. and a well-known author of books on navigation. His
Besides keeping watches and supervising the SMS setup, dedication to the profession and his enthusiasm make
Capt. Chhabra had flown to Ulsan for the purpose Capt. Chhabra participated in the day-to-day running of him as young as any 22-year-old OOW. We are grateful
of joining the tanker to set up its onboard safety the vessel and helped problem-solve teething issues. for his immediate offer to step in.”
management system (SMS) and offer the crew auditing
guidance while en route to its first cargo operations On being asked about his experience, Capt. Chhabra said In an old performance appraisal of Capt. Chhabra’s from
in nearby Yeosu. From there he was to disembark and it was indeed a crazy surprise how things turned out due a decade ago, Capt. Chawla said it best when he signed
return, but given the emergency repatriation of the to the circumstances, and that it was not always the easiest off with the prophetic remark: “Willing to take on all kinds
second officer, Capt. Chhabra volunteered to sign on thing to leave his figurative captain’s hat of three decades of jobs. Good delivery.” He was not wrong!
LeaderShip | 15PEOPLE
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Cultivating an attitude
of professionalism
Over the course of our career, most of us move through different roles,
developing different skill sets along the way. However, across all jobs,
all departments and all fields, one thing will always remain true: a high
degree of professionalism and ethical behaviour is required to advance
and move ahead in your career, writes in-house senior marine
psychologist Delna Shroff.
Professionalism does not mean the underlying principles, values and mistakes, but you are not your mistakes. The ‘victim mentality’ takes over and
wearing a crisp uniform, leading a team, objectives, and examine the role you Use feedback to learn and grow, and they see everything as happening to
or obtaining an advanced academic play in achieving those. Part of being know that you are gaining valuable them. They may blame a colleague,
degree. It entails expressing the values professional is aligning your behaviour experience. Instead of becoming defensive blame their teammates, or blame the
of responsibility, integrity, accountability with those principled behaviours or and reacting, be mindful of your body senior officer/manager. When a person
and excellence at all times. Your attitude codes of your organisation. Falling language and thank the other person plays a victim, we see a notable erosion
influences all your actions. It is only the within the expectations of your company for their feedback. in their overall attitude, a decline in
right attitude that gets you good results. culture shows that you have a respectful their behaviour towards co-workers and
Once you develop the right attitude, even attitude. STOP BEING A VICTIM OF challenging tasks, and a reduction in their
the most mundane work becomes a source YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES demonstrated ability to perform their
of joy. ACCEPT FEEDBACK GRACIOUSLY duties.
‘Victims’ have no place in a healthy
So, how can you develop a professional Feedback is an important part of workplace culture. When a person Make a conscious effort to rise above
attitude? learning. Accepting it graciously lacks the tools and skills to effectively your circumstances. Own your choices,
and gratefully is key to a professional deal with challenges and work pressures, actions and behaviours, and the
UNDERSTAND YOUR attitude. Whether from a colleague, they may travel down the road to consequences thereof. Have the courage
ORGANISATION’S CULTURE a senior officer/manager, someone in becoming a ‘victim’. This often means to speak the truth about what you see and
another division or ashore, feedback is that they accept, to a degree, their to own what you say. Accept responsibility
Every organisation has its own core meant to help you do your job better. mistreatment as unavoidable or out of for your actions. Be accountable for your
principles, values and objectives, which their control, and believe they are results. Take ownership of your mistakes.
together form a unique culture from Even if it is critical, you should avoid powerless to prevent the mistreatment At the end of the day, we are accountable
which arise certain expectations. taking it personally. After all, human from continuing (again, because they to ourselves – our success is a result of
Understand these expectations and beings are fallible and even the best make don’t know how to prevent it). what we do.
16 | LeaderShipPEOPLE
RECOGNITION
Closing out our 3rd SafetySTAR
year with two winners
As the number of strong contenders continues to grow each quarter, it is becoming
A/B Vinayak D. Khandekar (MT Atlantic Infinity)
increasingly difficult to name winners. But after much deliberation, we were able to
round out our Hong Kong tanker fleet safety ambassadors for the year 2020, with
A/B Vinayak D. Khandekar (MT Atlantic Infinity) and oiler Rakun Bundela (MT New
Spring) as our Q3 and Q4 winners, respectively.
Both SafetySTAR winners were singled out for demonstrating vulnerabilities in the vessel’s refrigeration compressor
high safety awareness and standards, and for contributing guard (helped modify the existing guard) and the
ideas to enhance safety on board. auxiliary engine’s fuel valve testing device (fabricated
an additional guard).
Throughout the term of his contract, Mr Khandekar showed
great concern for shipboard safety, demonstrating a “safety “Mr Bundela has a knack for identifying safety related
first” attitude at all times. There were no injuries, incidents weak spots, and ensures the same is reported and
or near misses associated with him or his work, which went rectified. He is a good member to have on the team for
beyond his usual duties to include voluntary initiatives to the safe completion of jobs and actively participates
enhance shipboard safety. in toolbox meetings, giving valid safety enhancing
Oiler Rakun Bundela (MT New Spring) suggestions pertaining to the job at hand,” said the
Mr Khandekar took it upon himself to indicate mooring rope second engineer.
snapback zones by stencilling warnings on deck and creating
safety boards/barriers. To minimise mooring rope chaffing, Concurred the master: “Mr Bundela works with safety
and thus the risk of breakage and the hazards associated and encourages others, too. He reports near misses and
with this, he wrapped smaller ropes around the fairleads stop cards diligently, and takes active participation in
as an additional anti-chaffing measure (fairlead edges can drills and training.”
roughen over time, but are not so simple to remedy on
tankers since it involves hot work). Well done and congratulations to both oiler Rakun
Bundela (Q4) and A/B Vinayak D. Khandekar (Q3), who
Similarly, Mr Bundela proved his value as a key member join TREO Anand Sanu (Q2) and C/O Mrugeshkumar
of his vessel’s maintenance team by consistently displaying Balasubramanian (Q1) as our four SafetySTAR winners
safe working practices, remaining alert to any potential of 2020. Keep up the excellent work, and to all crew,
safety issues on board, and proactively addressing these. safety first, safety last, safety always – let’s make our
Two notable examples include reporting and rectifying fourth SafetySTAR year the strongest one yet!
LeaderShip | 17BEST OVERALL
PEOPLE
RECOGNITION
Celebrating
MV Genco London
International
Chefs Day
“Bad food equals bad
moods”, which is why one
of the most integral crew
members on board any
ocean-going vessel is the
chief cook.
So, in honour of chief cooks and galley
crew generally, we decided to celebrate
International Chefs Day (October 20th)
with a shout-out on social media, which
generated a lot of support and positive
responses. An in-house photo competition
also saw many excellent submissions sent
to us from across our fleet. Here are our
top winners with their signature dishes
and other gourmet offerings!
MV DELPHINUS | Chief cook Marwen MT ORIENTAL JUBILEE | “Hero”
Vale, messman Jerico Buglosa, and fellow chief cook Prathmesh R. Salunke
crew make a very photogenic bunch as they (supported by messman Bhavikkumar A.
strike a pose for their vessel’s competition Solanki) and his grateful colleagues. “He is
entry. “In appreciation to all the chefs and an excellent cook and a great entertainer. MV GENCO LONDON | We love the many happy faces, and well-equipped
staff, herewith our simple entry of crew His finger-licking dishes are amazing and arms, of galley ‘god’ Vasanth Jegadesh that we couldn’t settle on just one photo!
enjoying the daily menu with a smile, while beautifully crafted, satisfying each and every “The favourite of our crew is his Hyderabadi-style mutton biryani [pictured]. The
reflecting our own shipboard vision under crew member hailing from different regions galley staff [including messman Jithin P. Sebastine] enjoy their jobs and try their
my command: ‘Health, Taste, No Waste’,” of India,” says Capt. Oliver C. Fernandes. best to satisfy our taste buds with various recipes every other day,” says Capt.
says Capt. Adrian M. Consebido. “One of his signature dishes is gajar halwa.” Kuldeep Singh.
18 | LeaderShipYou can also read
