Maritime Carol

Due to the speed of a fire, random fire drills are essential. Crew must know what to do & fire appliances must be on standby at all times.. Don't get talked out of doing fire training because you all 'know what to do'... Use training exercises to check equipment and have drills when least expected. And the Law says: (4) The master of a ship must ensure that all fire appliances are— (a) in good working order; and (b) ready for immediate use; before the ship commences a voyage, and at all times during the voyage. Rule 40A Maritime Rules.

Not long before its all on again... Here's seven simple steps to becoming a Charter Boat Owner/Operator: 1. Talk to a MNZ recognised marine Surveyor BEFORE you build or buy ANY boat - from NZ or overseas.    Not all boats can easily go into survey. http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/commercial/safety/safety-management-systems/recognised-surveyors/ 2. Don't quit your day job just yet, becoming a qualified skipper takes time. http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/commercial/certification/masters-and-deck/SRL.asp 3. MNZ compliance is thorough and you'll need to get into the Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) This entails creating a good Maritime Transport Operator Plan with Maintenance Plan, Spare Parts list, completing a Fit & Proper Person form and applying to MNZ.  It can take a while. http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/commercial/safety/safety-management-systems/MOSS/ 4. PR/Marketing is next - Use Facebook, blog, as well as a website to tell everyone about it. 5. Get t...

SEAHAWK returning to her berth.... If there's an empty berth at the bottom of the ramp at Westhaven's Z Pier its a sure sign that SEAHAWK is out catching fish.  Wait around for a bit and you may see her return with a load of fishos on board, & chilly bins full of fresh fish.  (Weather dependent of course) So successful is this fishing charter business, that their customers keeping on coming back for more. Fishing skippers Lenny and Danny are such passionate fishermen, that their customers can't fail to catch fish. Over the past three years we've worked together & created a Maritime Transport Operator Plan that works. Owner/operator Rex ensures everything is up to date and makes sure its kept that way. Knowing that an MNZ audit was coming up, we completed an internal review and received a 99.9% pass at the audit.   www.seahawk.co.nz.

After our Maritime Transport Operator Plans have been accepted by MNZ, the real journey begins with regular training and recording the training. Knowing how busy maritime transport operators are with keeping their business going, my clients now receive monthly training email reminders. By following this simple system, operators should have completed all required training within twelve months (as per most operator plans.) The first module was an MTOP crossword puzzle.     Crews were encouraged to go through their MTOP to find answers to the questions.   One firm was so into it, they returned the completed crossword and I sent off a Certificate of Achievement to go in their manual.  The aim is to make training fun. This month was a Safety Equipment word search with encouragement to know the location of each piece of equipment.     It's too easy to tick the box in the Ship's Log, assuming that everything is in its place and working - but is it? Next mo...

Built in 1964 this iconic Hellyer's Creek wharf is being renovated fifty years later.  With a permit from the Marine Department, Dad felled huge pines lining the foreshore, towed them to Riverhead for treatment, barged them back and started building his wharf. He's been gone nearly twenty years, and with the wharf needing structural strengthening, Moorings & Marine have been called in for the task.  With rotten timber removed, railings & gateway replaced, the old wharf is standing proud again.    Once their work is completed, Total Marine Services will replace the damaged and sunk pontoon with a new one, secure it to the structure and once again the wharf will be sturdy, compliant and safe... 

It's a cold dark night and we're steaming back to port.  It's been a great day, everything went well, satisfied passengers/fishermen/customers/full fish bins/or a job well done. Then in the wheelhouse, an alarm goes off  - suddenly everything happens. We go through the system (if there's time) then before we know it, we're preparing to abandon ship. A May Day call is made and that's us ...until someone rescues us. It's times such as this that our safety equipment must be operational.   Our life jackets must be serviced and located where they should be.   Our flares need to be current and the lifebuoy light must be ready to shine.   There's no time for that now.    But there is today... (don't just tick the box) June - is the month to check your Safety Equipment list is current and everything is operational. 

If we can change our thinking to see DEATH as the enemy  we will see our Maritime Transport Operator Plan in a different light. Death prevention can then become one of the main reasons  we created our Maritime Transport Operator Plan.  It is the reason we keep our training, records of training, maintenance and procedures up to date.    Its the reason we have our vessel surveyed, safety equipment on board  and our first aid kit/training up to date.   It's why we service our life jackets when they need to be and  why we inform Maritime NZ of specific changes to our Operator Plan. By changing our thinking to see a different enemy,  our Maritime Transport Operator Plan will shine under a different light.