New Zealand MPA Guidance to manage COVID19

The United Kingdom Maritime Pilots' Association (UKMPA) has all been inundated with CV19 communications from all manner of sources in the last few weeks. Here is a condensed collection of information from the UKMPA.

Fewer vessels in voyage mean less pilotage and this means less income for many Pilots. Not every Pilot is an employee and many pilots are self-employed and organised in a brotherhood per example. They are earning only money if they are piloting a vessel. No vessel – no money.

As the world struggles with the Covid-19 virus, the maritime world is being hit hard, not only economically, but also socially and operationally. Iin shipping there are no borders.

Conapra's Technical Director, the pilot Porthos Lima, presented during the 53rd EMPA GENERAL MEETING the application developed for smartphones, inspired by the 2017 IMPA SECURITY CAMPAIGN. This tool allows pilots to report deficiencies in the Pilot Packing Arrangements and ship equipment, and these reports are instantly available to all Brazilian pilots. In the presentation Mr. Lima, representative of the Brazilian Maritime Pilots Association, showed how the App works and presented its features.

Found on YouTube:

Tom Mellor - C​hairman of the IHO Electronic Navigational Chart Working Group (ENC WG) and Head of Digital Standards at the UKHO - explains what the IHO's ECDIS and ENC Standards mean.

The American Pilots’ Association has sent a letter to state pilotage authorities across the United States on behalf of approximately 1,200 American ship pilots to improve safety pilot safety following the death of a New York pilot in December.

"ONE - MSQ Accident News No. 31": ONE operated 13,900 TEU vessel “M/V Milano Bridge” has collided with gantry cranes and another vessel while approaching berth at PNC #8. This was the first berthing for phasing-in after Dry Dock.

NAUTITEC conducts Basic and Advanced Polar Code Trainings

This video briefly describes the special operation of transfer of marine pilots at sea

In this episode we have a chance to meet Ivana-Maria Carrioni-Burnett, a Marine Pilot from the UK who works on the River Thames.

Ivana highlights the concerns and fear that can be felt by those working in the maritime industry during COVID19. On the vessel, the seafarers are in their own isolation, or 'families' and then the pilot and other port personnel come onboard and they may be asymptomatic. For the port personnel, they aren't sure if the crew might be infected. Then there are the families - for the seafarers, they are often far from their families and are not sure when they may have a chance to see them again. For the pilots and port personnel, they need to go home to their families and may be concerned that they could be bringing COVID into the household. Through it all there is a need to keep healthy and happy.

Ivana's Top Tips include so many more than I was able to keep in the video, but the key is really community and communication.

- communicate and be kind to each other
- share your culture and faith, take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about each other
- exercise, even if you don't have a gym onboard, you can make weights with water, heft tins - just be careful not to drop on the deckhead! (maybe there's an old piece of carpet lying around?)
- quiz nights, taking turns setting up the quizzes, or sharing quizzes between ships
- setting up an onboard library with books and music

What are your top tips for keeping healthy and happy onboard?