Seaways Focus - April 2025
Sharing knowledge around the world
by Captain John Lloyd FNI CEO of The Nautical InstituteEvents last month in the North Sea remind us of the challenges faced by our mariners navigating in busy waters and operating a demanding schedule. Our sympathies are extended to the family and friends of the casualty in this and other incidents. It is not the purpose of this article to comment on any potential blame or responsibility – that will come through thorough and structured investigation of the incident. What we can do is remind every maritime professional of the need for a high level of situational awareness when in charge of a watch. We are reminded too about the importance of safety drills on our vessels.
Situational awareness is one of the themes explored in depth in the OCEAN project, where The Nautical Institute is a proud partner with many other organisations from across the European Union. The research explored gaps that could be filled by going beyond minimum standards, giving examples from organisations and companies that demonstrate excellent safety performance.
Part of the output has been a series of learning resources available to all users free of charge, hosted here.
Do take a look and see how these exemplars of good practice might enhance your operations or serve as a guide for others you know. There are seven videos in the series which can complement any navigational training programme. I am pleased to commend them to you.
Skills for the future
One of the areas we look forward to learning more about during our technical conference next month in Dubai is the importance of preparing our mariners for the operation of the next generation of ships and spotlighting in particular, the skills they will need. With insights from leaders in loss prevention, technology providers, training organisations and employers we will have a rich mix of experts and expertise to be shared. We are grateful to the organisers of the UAE Maritime Week, Seatrade, for allowing us to host our event during this prestigious exposition and to our other sponsors and speakers who will make it a hugely important occasion for The Nautical Institute and for the region. There is no charge for our conference, but advance registration here will ensure we have reserved seating for you!
Don’t delay, register today!
While the technical conference takes place on 8 May, the Annual General Meeting itself will be held at the Dubai International Seafarers Centre on the evening of 7 May. We will have the chance to hear first-hand from our President, Captain Trevor Bailey about his first year in office and his plans for his second and final year. The time has flown by since Manila and I am sure Captain Trevor will be delighted to meet as many of you as possible, either in person or online. Register here for the AGM.
Engagement around the world
Finally this month, I would like to thank our colleagues and many others that have welcomed me to join and share in their work and developments either as part of The Nautical Institute or in key areas of our interest.
In Singapore, the branch held a wonderful engagement and networking session that included a presentation from female students in the maritime sector, who shared their research, findings and thoughts on how we can make our maritime sector more inclusive. We heard some really positive ideas delivered with confidence, respect and enthusiasm.
In Australia it was great to join in the conversation about the work the branch is doing to promote careers in maritime, how they are engaging with the regional schools and how so much interest in this area was sparked during their presence at a Maritime Day event in Fremantle.
"I would like to thank our colleagues and many others who have welcomed me to share in their work and developments in matters of interest"
In addition, branch members have been instrumental in finding solutions to address failing pilot ladders – not only those incorrectly rigged, but those that have decayed due to poor storage or whose manufacture has been fraudulently declared as an approved construction. Well done for grasping this really important topic and raising safety standards. Keeping a pilot safe is not somewhere we can wrangle over cost. It is priceless.
I was also pleased to undertake three audits of DP training centres in the region and to observe the ongoing investment and commitment to high-quality harmonised training in this important discipline.
With best wishes from London.
John