Please tell us more about your company's vision and team:
The MarineTraffic success story is based on people. From our Athens, Oxford and recently opened Singapore offices, a team of talented programmers, data curators and customer services people in the business have built a data-driven vessel tracking service that is used by 6.5 million people a month. But our accomplishments are not just down to MarineTraffic employees: it is our huge global network of AIS station managers (in excess of 3,000 active coastal receivers) and photographers (in excess of 2 million photos) who have enabled MarineTraffic to be such a success.
 
Our vision is to become more deeply embedded than ever before in our professional customers’ businesses. The first step is to move even deeper into optimising ship voyages. We want to be more closely involved with how a ship interacts with a terminal, including planning and execution of nautical services. We adopt a holistic approach of optimising the voyage from berth to berth, going beyond standard routeing services which are currently available. Benefits are significant: lower fuel consumption, lower emissions, improved berth occupancy, tighter time windows for delivery of services. The overall financial and environmental impact concerns individual stakeholders and society in general.

The second step is to build on MarineTraffic reach and provide digital space to allow other enterprises to do business on the MarineTraffic platform, as well as supporting a range of projects and enterprises. We want to turn MarineTraffic into a global platform for the shipping industry.

We envisage the MarineTraffic screen at the heart of a range of maritime transactions. Whilst MarineTraffic has long been facilitating API data exchange, by allowing third parties to build their own systems incorporating MarineTraffic data, the future will see a marketplace approach with a seamless experience for our users. Key features will be interaction between users across organisations, collaborating on processes involving multiple parties.

What competitive advantage do you have over other ship tracking services in the market?
At base level, the quality of our data and reach is second to none. Our reach is wider than any other tracking service and critically our freemium service is easy to use.

One step further, we are thought leaders in data advancements in the maritime domain, combining deep knowledge, a thirst for innovation, a high degree of realism and constant interaction/feedback from our clients. I believe our approach is unique.
 
Public tracking of ships can be a challenge in those areas with high risk of piracy. How does this work?
Any ship transiting an area at risk of piracy has the ability to switch off their AIS. It is a decision for the ship’s Master. AIS is not an enabler or cause of piracy.  
 
How does Marine Traffic contribute to safety at sea?
MarineTraffic is not a safety system and we do not recommend that anyone uses our system as a navigational aid. Having said that, our historical data is frequently used in studying patterns of life, traffic density in sensitive areas (e.g. ports, canals, wind farms, floating platforms…), accidents etc. Our video playback feature is an excellent tool for visualising events over a time window in a specific area. Such data and tools enables authorities to revise local regulations as necessary, enhancing, in a preemptive fashion, safety of life at sea.

What are your views on autonomous ships?
As a technical, IT orientated person I am of course intrigued   by  the  concept  of autonomous ships. There are some extremely exciting and interesting projects in this area. I can see how many of the activities carried out by seafarers could be automated, allowing sea staff to focus on the aspects of bridge and engine room management that require problem-solving skills and creativity. However, we are still some way off from the day of the fully autonomous ship.
 
How do you see new technology improving future tracking services?
The proliferation of satellite broadband services already has a positive impact on data collected from ships. This applies to position tracking data with the caveat that such data is, of course, proprietary. AIS, which we capture, is an open transmission, available to all. The technology is already 20+ years old, which is “old” in our fast moving world. In the short-mid term, we expect improved coverage thanks to floating (“roaming”) AIS receivers on board vessels and to new, larger constellations of satellites capturing the AIS signal.

What other less popular applications do you provide users, apart from standard vessel tracking?
We are proud of our new business directory. It is growing in popularity, since businesses choose to register with MarineTraffic.

Please tell us about your memorable shipping experience and favourite ship:
My background is in data and information technology, so I have mostly experienced shipping as a passenger. I remember as a child grasping my glasses so that they do not fall off my head at sea as I was staring at the reflection of the sun. I remember, at a later age, dolphins while travelling (on the EL.VENIZELOS, I believe) in the Aegean towards Crete. And I later remember partying on a cruise ship while crossing the Adriatic. Good memories all of them. You know, when visiting ports, I somehow still have this fleeting desire to board a ship and just go anywhere it takes me!

Your charity has been helping seafarers and their families since 1917. What has been your focus for this Centenary year?
Our chosen Centenary theme has been ‘Past, Present and Future’ and we designed and promoted three very different but successful projects: a major extension to the Trinity House ‘Hub’ building in Mariners’ Park in Wallasey for older seafarers; initial and ongoing support for the International Port Welfare Project to set up National Welfare Boards and Port Welfare Committees in all the major ports of the world, for today’s serving mariners; and finally to supply six mobile Marine Engineering Pathway vehicles, known as ‘Pods’, to persuade Sea Cadets and other young people to take an interest in a technical maritime future.

What would be your advice to those younger generations looking to develop a career at sea?
Firstly, there are some fantastic and challenging careers out there, many of which do not demand highly academic or technical qualifications, but they do demand commitment, teamwork and mental strength. I would recommend any young person to take a closer look at the jobs and skills on offer, but go into a seagoing career with your eyes open; talk to those who have gone before, and develop longer-term plans, taking advantage of the huge amount of advice and support on offer.
 
Women in shipping: is gender diversity a reality?
I think the growing success of women at sea in the Royal and Merchant Navies, both in deck and engineering specialisations, in the past few decades has proved beyond doubt that they can equal their male contemporaries in actually doing the job - and in many cases they have overcome even greater social challenges to achieve that success. I was very impressed with the attitude and commitment of the 10% of women in ENDURANCE’s ship’s company. However, for fairly obvious and equally social reasons, I don’t believe we will achieve parity in numbers - offspring and long voyages don’t easily fit together. Maybe the dawn of autonomous ships will ease the burden!
 
What more can the industry do to support seafarers?
I fear that in most cases, the days of large, paternalistic shipping companies bringing on their own cadets and nurturing their careers are over. Individuals have to take more responsibility for their own futures, planning a sometimes diverse career path with different agencies and companies and taking advantage of professional development opportunities from the likes of the Marine Society.  However, I do believe that ‘industry’ in the round can do very much more in working through and with the larger charities to promote these opportunities, and to provide a more substantial safety net when things go wrong.  

I always contrast the detailed and complex personnel support mechanism provided by the Royal Navy to its people to ensure that they’re fit to fight, with the sometimes cavalier attitude of the commercial sector where replacements can always be bought.
 
What does the Red Ensign mean to Seafarers UK?
I believe very strongly that seafarers should be as proud to sail under the Red Ensign as under the White, but until the industry and the charitable sector can work together to provide the sort of support mentioned above given by the Royal Navy, our commercial seafarers will not believe that they are joining something more meaningful than just a job. A senior colleague mentioned recently that we need to ‘put some soul back into the Merchant Navy’ to make it the proud and widely acknowledged entity it was perhaps fifty years ago.

Seafarers UK has been striving to make the Red Ensign more widely known across the nation, and this year we had over 650 ‘red dusters’ flying on public buildings on Merchant Navy Day, 3rd September. We hope to develop this campaign in the future to provide fundraising opportunities for our Merchant Navy Fund. 
 
How do you see new regulation affecting seafarers over the short and medium term?
New regulatory regimes, however well meant, are rarely seen as a good thing by everyone! Some, such as MLC2006, were long overdue and have provided huge benefits - at least as long as they are understood and complied with by all. Other fundamental laws such as those mandating human rights (as opposed to labour rights) are often less understood and often more difficult to police.  Similarly the increasing raft of environmental legislation, with its draconian penalties, may well be good for the planet but is often seen as weighing heavily on the shipping community, sometimes leading to widespread circumvention. Essentially, the industry and trade unions must maintain a positive dialogue with those who make and enforce the legislation both nationally and internationally, ensuring they understand the real and often human effect of the laws they wish to introduce. Will Brexit make life easier? I doubt it!
 
What charitable events are planned over the coming months?
In terms of challenge events, we will continue to concentrate on the London Marathon and our very own ‘24 Peaks’ event where teams, often from maritime companies, attempt to climb 24 separate peaks in the English Lake District, all over 2400ft high, in 24 hours. It’s a remarkable test of endurance and team-building, but much enjoyed by all. In a new initiative, we shall be trying to gain more substantive and enduring support from the industry by showcasing what we do in terms of career awareness and promotion, as well as our more well-known welfare and personnel support work.
 
Please tell us about your most memorable shipping experience and favourite ship:
A difficult choice, given the hugely varied and enjoyable 34  years  I  had in the Royal Navy,  but  I suppose my favourite ship would have to be my last one, in command of HMS ENDURANCE for two wonderful seasons in the South Atlantic and Antarctica. It was good to make much closer acquaintance with the Falkland Islands and South Georgia without being shot at! The ship had three main tasks: defence diplomacy, reinforcing the Antarctic Treaty regulations among the many nations operating in the UK-claimed territory; hydrographic surveying, often in uncharted waters with a seabed that could go from 2000m to 10m within a few hundred yards (that keeps you awake!); and support for the unsung heroes of the British Antarctic Survey, where our Lynx helicopters could often insert their scientists onto glaciers and mountain tops which otherwise they could not have reached. Despite surviving the Falklands conflict and a major helicopter ditching earlier in my career, I think perhaps the most memorable experience was also in Antarctica, when we realised that a huge floating iceberg rather larger than Gibraltar (but not as welcoming!) was about to cut off our escape route and possibly crush the ship into the ice shelf. We had to swiftly launch the helicopter to find a route out - an interesting half an hour, as we contemplated sharing the fate of Shackleton’s original ENDURANCE over eighty years previously!
 
In summary, after such a rewarding career in the Royal Navy, it’s been a huge privilege to serve today’s maritime community at the helm of Seafarers UK for the last 15 years, and I look forward to spending the next couple of years ensuring the charity is fully ready to face the challenges of our next century. 

Meantime, ship-shore communication remains a critical factor in ship operations. Big data and introduction of new technology into the traditional IT systems of many shipping companies remains a major trend and a challenge for the maritime transport sector. On one side there is a large amount of data, but what is important is how such data can be efficiently utilised to optimise operations, enhance coordination and boost knowledge sharing towards greater safety.
 
As a natural consequence, new ships are now becoming more digitally sophisticated and therefore more dependent on software-based control systems, equipped with a new generation of equipment with higher operational capabilities, which may promote smarter operations but also highlights the matter of cyber security.
 
Hence, technology remains a strong driving force and shapes the profile of the shipping industry, globally.
 
What is your most memorable shipping experience and favourite ship?
I have been in the industry for over 25 years now and I believe that the shifts and changes of the shipping industry of the last few years have been remarkable.  We have all witness large ground-shaking transformations including crazy fluctuations in many shipping indexes, large scale alliances, depressed freights, overcapacity, and new technological trends up to autonomous ships. The new normal is here. This is a memorable experience.
 
As for my favourite ship, I will pick a great mega yacht, the O’PARI 3 (now named NATALINA A). Built by Golden Yachts in Greece at their Perama shipyard, she was delivered in 2015. With a custom design, 72 metres in length and beautiful exterior and interior design, she is a true gem.

Over capacity in the market will only exacerbate this and I suspect that we have not yet seen the last of consolidation in the container market with subsequent shipowner casualties. This has been a real issue for the decline in the North Sea gas resulting in a real crisis in the laying off of thousands of Norwegian mariners.  Unless international regulations and codes are amended to properly look after the mariner, they will continue to be exploited as can be seen by the increase in criminalisation of the shipmaster and the real issue they have to endure with fatigue generated by the administrative burden and being forced into being part of bridge watchkeeping rosta, particularly the master/mate six-on/six-off system.  It will become more difficult for the more educated and better trained mariners from the more developed nations to get jobs that will pay an effective wage as shipowners ply the world for the cheapest mariners they can find to man their vessels and this clearly has an impact on safety at sea where there are a plethora of incidents and casualties on an annual basis, many of which pass with us by and are  not  reported.  The  reduction  of emissions  and  trying  to  improve the marine environment will  be  a  long  and  arduous battle which the IMO are taking seriously but there is the ongoing battle of "cost" to the industry and technically difficult being another word for cost.
 
Please talk to us about the importance of training and development:
This is one of the reasons I want to try and get the shipmaster out of the watchkeeping rosta so that he or she can concentrate on doing mandated internationally legislated responsibilities and this includes the very important role of training and mentoring.  This is becoming lost as shipmasters are working many hours in excess of those stipulated by the Marine Labour Convention and the lack of robust inspection by administrations around the world.
 
There is currently a buoyant black market in false documentation for mariner training certificates and until we get the administrations to be more demanding in their inspections required by international legislation, these dangerous practices will continue and increase the risks to mariners. Too often the emphasis to achieve the necessary training is put on the mariner to provide pay for their own as there is little loyalty to a stable and happy workforce by many shipowners.
 
What is your favourite ship and most memorable shipping experience?
I think it is when I had command of the surface warships ships based in Plymouth.  I then had responsibility for 15 warships and 3,500 men and women.  Whilst very demanding keeping me away from home for approximately 45 weeks of the year, it was extremely rewarding.

And as more banks are trying to exit the shipping industry, one sees more "paper" for sale than ships, that is shipping loans are being sold, institutional investors are entering this distressed market, and the physical asset, the ship, is almost an afterthought in the whole transaction.

How has the S&P market evolved over the years?
The typical shipowner used to be the self-made captain, a buccaneer, sometimes a pirate, of the industry. Such players have had tremendous knowledge of the market and the industry, in-house access to technical and commercial information, and for such owners, the S&P broker could only sniff out vessels for sale or purchase to be negotiated privately at best pricing. As more banks and lawyers and institutional investors are now responsible for shipping, the S&P broker has now to be rounded with knowledge of maritime and admiralty law, banking, financing, operations, etc. and have a better skill set for the new type of players in the market.

The S&P market has been evolving, and for better or worse, many shipbroking shops will not manage to stay afloat, especially if the markets remain weak for a prolonged period of time.

What have been the latest trends in vessel asset prices and how sustainable are these indicators throughout 2017?
Vessel prices are of course influenced by freight rates and availability of financing, but also from smaller, lighter factors such as momentum and expectations. In general, vessel prices are weak by historic standards for tankers, dry bulk, containerships and offshore assets. Sometimes certain mar-kets behave better than others, but again, they are all highly correlated. There is lots of interest and activity in the dry bulk market at present based on the freight rate improvement in the fall and the broad belief that the worst is behind us. Tanker prices have been softening based on concerns of a wave of newbuildings delivering from the shipyards this year as well as OPEC cutting production. The containership and offshore markets can be described as ‘disasters’ at present, small or large, depending on geography or one’s specific point of view.

In your opinion, what are the medium / long term challenges in the container freight market?
In general, there have been too many containerships and not enough cargo to keep them fully occupied. And, of course, the containership market is effectively several smaller markets by asset class and geography, with a great degree of ‘cascading’ and also risk for technological obsolesce; high speed / high consumption containerships cannot get a break and panamax sized containership have been heading to the beaches at ever younger ages; just in January this year, a seven-year old panamax broke the record of a nine-year old panamax sold for scrap in December.

When a liner company such as Hanjin, effectively a quasi-government company, fails spectacularly as they did last year, it’s a sign that the particular market segment is in a very tough spot. There is interest for  smaller  feeder ship  vessels  as  they are considered a  bit insulated from the broader market, and given that the outstanding orderbook is almost nil in this segment, some shipowners wish to believe in a hopeful market. At the other end of the spectrum, with the liner companies, it’s a game of going after market share and pushing out of the market the weaker hands. It will take some time for the dust to settle in this market.

The traditional financier of the shipping industry have been European banks. Do you expect this role to shift towards US or Asian financial institutions?
We are not sure who will fulfill the role of the primary financier for the shipping industry, but we doubt this will be done from the banks, whether Europe-, US- or Asia-based. For sure, the model of financing shipping assets and shipping companies has been changing drastically, and we expect this to have a massive impact on shipowners, especially the smaller, independent, private owners. When shipping banks were practicing the so-called “name lending”, shipowners didn't have to be financially sophisticated to get financing.

What are the current factors that determine market liquidity?
In short, shipowners have to have a credible business plan and can demonstrate a competitive advantage. “Buy now that ships are cheap” is not a business plan, and institutional investors have seen many variations on this theme.
 
The recently appointed Trump administration has indicated changes in regulation that may affect the industry. What can we expect?
It’s still too early to say at this stage, but no-one believes that the Jones Act market will not receive continued special attention. It’s a unique business model that has been working for the US market, and it will be hard to see drastic changes any time soon.
 
What is your view on alternative fuels and their practical implementation?
Alternative fuels including natural gas and low emissions fuels pose a real technological threat, and potentially a game changer, to the existing status quo in shipping. No doubt, a tighter regulatory environment is to be expected going forward, meaning that vessels will have to be retrofitted for low-emission fuels, resulting into a meaningful CapEx for the shipowners, at a time when they can least afford it (of course there are more regulations on different fronts as well).

However, we keep seeing several projects in this front seeking financing to make us feel hopeful that there can be a day when many ships will be powered by natural gas. For some, it may seem like a voyage back in time, when coal and the steam engine was replacing the tall ships.
 
Please tell us about your memorable shipping experience and your favourite ship:
Getting deals concluded and delivering value for our clients is the most rewarding experience we can imagine. A low freight market is cause for concern for many owners who seek financing; also, a low freight market is an opportunity for many shipowners to grow their fleets and business. We are fortunate being based in New York City with good access to the capital and financial markets, and we have been very busy and lucky. 
 
However, the most memorable experiences are often associated with the ships themselves we have worked on and their shipping management and operations. Our most memorable experience has been the sale of a containership a couple of years ago; between the time the MOA was signed and the scheduled delivery of the vessel, it was discovered that several years prior to the sale, the vessel had grounded in South Africa on soft sand. As the vessel was pounded by the waves, the aft part of the hull was penetrated by a 150-year old cannon that was buried in the sand, likely to have come from a man-of-war, square-rigged warship. The transaction ended up closing as expected, but the incident provided another reminder that shipping is rich in tradition and history.

What does one have to be aware of when purchasing a container?
Containers, if manufactured correctly using quality suppliers and materials, will last for 13-15 years in maritime use and at least another 10 years in the secondary rental and storage markets. We use highly specialised quality control professionals to ensure what we buy and deliver that working life.

When we acquire used container portfolios we look at who initially built the containers and what quality management process was in place. We ultimately also inspect a statistically significant sample.

How important is regulation when purchasing and trading with containers?
The ISO regulations supported by the series approval via the major Classification Societies gives a strong global basis of regulation. We purchase from a few key manufacturing partners whose quality reputation we rely upon, CXIC and Singamas. As I said you don't get what you expect, you get what you inspect and we always do online physical inspections. We reject container floors more than any other single component and that is the reflection of how quality is not just meeting the base regulatory minimums.

What are the main challenges in the containerised freight market?
Vessel overcapacity is the biggest  challenge to every participant in the container shipping market. While state owned shipyards continue to build ships at below cost, ship investors are incentivised to buy new ships, even at the expense of their prior investments. 

The shipping lines have also shown lemming like passion for chasing freight rates over the cliff. If they continue to focus on filling vessels and not maximising voyage profitability the cycle will continue.

What type of container is most popular and why?
The 20’ standard dry box is the global workhorse for all raw material movements. 40’ hi-cube are used transpacific and on all major long haul routes for packaged and consumer goods that will cube out before they reach their maximum gross payload. 40’ standard height boxes are of less demand as they cost the same to move by train or truck as a 40’ hi-cube with 11% more space for cargo carrying.
 
We continue to see a race in the construction of megaships and TEU capacity. Do you expect this to continue?
I think we have finally seen the nadir of the megaships. I think the market currently for major east-west trades from Asia to Europe and the Americas is not growing at a pace that requires larger vessels. The US land side infrastructure already cannot cope with the full loads of the Maersk E-Class ships. The system is therefore limited by port-side handling ability for the megaships and so we see it being  optimised around  12 - 14,000 TEU vessels, being large enough to offer economy of scale while offering port call flexibility.

Spinnaker has a good worldwide network. Do you have plans to enter new markets over the next five years?
We have been successfully growing our Asian network over the last 15 years and we continue to see more opportunity there than in say sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The Middle Eastern trades offer some interesting opportunities if Iran is allowed to continue its reentry into the global markets.

How complex is the recovery process of a container if affected by a company that has entered into receivership?
We have successfully recovered most of the 1,400 units we had on lease to Hanjin at its demise and we have just entered into an agreement to take over another 15,000 containers which banks had leased directly to Hanjin.

Please talk to us about your memorable shipping experience and your favourite ship:
My most pure fun shipping experience was probably organising a trial shipment of French table wine using flexitanks from Bordeaux to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and then going to Reunion for a week to supervise the successful discharge. As a former US Lines Sales Rep the, at the time, record breaking 4,200 TEU so called jumbo “Econ" vessels that US Lines started their Round the World service under Malcolm McClean will always have a place in my heart. I think there are only two still sailing and one is the former American Nebraska, which was one of the last to enter service before the demise and bankruptcy in 1986. My first job after US Lines was working for a leasing company Trans Ocean Leasing, locating and negotiating the return of bank owned containers. 30 years later that experience has been very useful!
 
As an industry we seem to have not learned how to avoid over leveraging of vessels and shipping operations.

After getting my certificates as master mariner and marine engineer I sailed with a variety of ship types (oil tankers, gas tankers, container ships and offshore supply ships). As it happens for many seafarers, I had children and went ashore to work for the maritime administration. I am still fascinated with the fishing industry and how fishermen manage to work under the harshest of circumstances where the ship only serves as a platform for the highly specialised work of deep sea fishing. Unfortunately, we investigate too many fatal accidents on fishing vessels.

What are your key responsibilities as Head of DMAIB?
Besides the administrative managerial tasks my key responsibility is to deliver accident investigation reports of a high quality in terms of providing credible explanations for why a given accident occurred. Maintaining the quality of the accident reports entails having a continuous focus on developing new and updated methods for collecting data and ensuring that the analysis is made on the basis of contemporary knowledge about risk and safety.

Maritime accident investigations are complex. What are the main challenges when initiating a case?
Accident investigations typically have three stages; collecting data, analysing data and report writing. However, these stages are integrated, as we do not have a full view on what data to collect before we decide how the analysis will be made. We are usually in the process of collecting data until the final report is ready for publication. Each stage of the investigation poses its own challenges.

When collecting data the main challenge is getting timely access to data from various sources such as the accident site, involved seafarers and back office personnel before they have a chance to talk to each other. In the stage of analysing accident data it takes quite a lot of training to avoid making some of the common analytical faults. For example, using counter-factual reasoning (the crew should have or could have done something), using hindsight biased data, using over-simplified linear accident models or more importantly only analysing data from the accident site and thereby overlooking the data collected from the back office. It is a common problem in accident investigation that the investigators are experienced seafarers who are biased towards other seafarers’ behaviour. This is typically seen when investigators are evaluating the behaviour of the seafarer involved in accidents which is not the intention of accident investigation.

Designing the report is always a challenge in terms of what data to present and what data to omit, having in mind that different accident reports have different target audiences with different needs, as relatives to seafarer or passengers who have perished, seafarers, shipping companies and authorities require different levels of detail on various subject matters. At DMAIB we are continuously discussing how to design the report so it makes sense for the reader.

Each investigation is different however, what is the average lead-time of an investigation?
The national regulation based on a EU directive states that the investigation should be concluded within twelve months. However, we typically publish a report within eight months after the accident depending on the complexity of the investigation. The factors that cause a delay to an investigation are not the collection of data and the analysis, but the consultation period were the involved parties are concerned about the content of the report. Furthermore, there can be bottleneck problems if we have several accidents occurring within a short time span. Nevertheless, we do our outmost to publish the report as quickly as possible because the involved organisations and individuals deserve to have the closure that an accident report can provide.

Fact finding methods and setting conclusions are crucial in any investigation. How does the industry learn from these results in order to help prevent future accidents?
At DMAIB we have found that the maritime industry is not particularly a homogenous group in terms of the level of knowledge and understanding about safety and risk mitigation. Therefore, we try to design the report so it makes sense for the organisations involved in the given accident. It is inherently difficult to address safety issues which are recognisable for the industry as a whole, because the organisations do not have the same concerns. However, we have made a safety report about the problems with proceduralization of marine safety which seemed to resonate with many different stake-holders within the industry. In the future, we intend to publish similar safety reports about general safety related subject areas, e.g. accountability management, just culture and near-miss data. These reports might be a better way of communicating the accumulated learning we get from accident investigations.

There are a number of problems areas and I will highlight three of them. Firstly, there is not a stable definition of what a “near-miss” is, which separates normal work problems with something which is reportable. The lack of a definition which can be operationalised creates a reporting practice which is driven by the ship trying to meet reporting demands, resulting in reports about everyday events with little potential for learning. Secondly, our investigations have shown that there is a clear under-reporting of events which we know will occur, in events such as near collisions and groundings, falling asleep on the watch, assembling engine parts wrong etc. These events are kept secret because of the lack of accountability management within shipping companies. Thereby, the reporting system gives a distorted image of the operation of the ship – hiding the structural problems that nobody is talking about. Thirdly, the idea that near-misses are precursors of serious accidents can be brought into question. That near-misses have a predictive value is an idea which largely is derived from the work of Herbert Heinrich which was published in 1929. Since then knowledge about safety has evolved about how accidents occur (that causal factors for low probability/high consequence events are rarely represented in the analytical data on incidents that occur frequently) i.e. there is no common causal link between reported incidents and very serious accidents.

What advice would you provide those at sea about the compliance of SOLAS regulation?
As a bureaucrat I am reluctant to give advice to seafarers on subject matters they are experts on. There is a tendency that seafarers that go ashore to work for various organisations and authorities believe that experience is like wine – which gets better the older it is. I am not an expert on how to govern a ship, but I am an expert on how to investigate accidents. In my experience as investigator, I have found that seafarers are not that interested in SOLAS or any of the other conventions, because they are busy with other more im-portant and pressing matters on the ship. One should also note that in reality most shipmasters are working in an environment of distributed authority – between the charterer, the ship management organisation, and the owners. In the continuous communication with the shore-based technical and commercial management, the master is subjected to other forms of authority that challenge the shipmaster’s legitimised authority on board. In reality most shipmasters have a diminishing command of the ship and its resources. Compliance with the conventions is no longer a matter for the shipmaster to decide on, but an administrative back office concern in technical departments.

Many initiating a maritime career aspire to be master mariners. Do you feel trainees are fully aware of the responsibilities and skills required for this role?
I am very positive about the trainees that I meet in various lectures and during investigations. They are embracing the new technology and have genuine interest in how it works and what the weaknesses are – they are being trained for the increasing complexity of ships. The trainees are therefore better prepared to the reality of modern shipping than the more senior officers. More importantly, I find that they are more pragmatic about the life at sea and some use it as a stepping stone for doing something else later in their professional life. These changes are not necessarily welcomed by the most senior officers and some resistance or scepticism can be expected. Learning the skills and getting the sense of responsibility is primarily a task for the shipping companies and the on board crew. Their attitude towards training is vital for the success of having qualified junior officers.

Peter Thornton has always had a passion for sailing and the sea. His career extends from the Gorran and Mevagissey Sea Scouts in Cornwall, to being awarded an MBE at the age of only twenty-five for a period of service as the Flag Lieutenant to the First Sea Lord and Admiralty Board at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
 
After fifteen years of service, Peter moved into sailing chartered yachts, having recently completed a circumnavigation as First Mate on a 225 footer.
 
Peter also enjoys competitive racing, where he participated in the latest Clipper 2015-16 Race  (Rolex Sydney-Hobart, Leg 4), helping take the GREAT Britain Team to the podium in this  challenging endurance event. More recently, he has just started a new role as Relief Captain on the super yacht “Sea Eagle”, which will involve sailing around Europe and the Caribbean.
 
What made you take up the Clipper Race Challenge?
The desire to be employed to race across oceans and build a team to do so.
  
How did you prepare for this event?
Prior to believing I was capable enough to achieve the task, I took every opportunity around my RFA and large yacht career to continue sailing and racing yachts. I enjoyed learning from some very experienced sailors around the world (I still do!) as well as developing those skills as Skipper and Instructor by teaching when I had the chance. Once I had been selected and joined Clipper Ventures which was five months prior to the race start, the organisational bullet train gets going and you happily get swept up and stuck into the lead up. Initially, and one of the most important aspects was, preparing a document which details the structure of your team with values by which you wish to live and race by. The importance of which is due to the fact that you never have all of your crew in one place at any one time - I had  55 people  of various nationalities and ranging in age from 18-75. All of course with different levels of ability and reasons for putting themselves forward for the challenge - some I did not even meet before they joined for their race leg because they had signed up after Race Start. 

Around this core crew document and ashore briefings / preparation, it is a series of training periods whereby you take every opportunity to get to know the boats and teach as many crew how to sail as possible!
 
Being out at sea alone for so long must be difficult. What was you most challenging moment?
It's difficult to name one most challenging moment. There are many situations that were tough due to extreme weather - be it dead calms in stifling heat where you may get stuck and painstakingly watch your competitors sail away or worrying about the balance between racing the boat too hard versus safety in all conditions, day and night with crew on deck 24/7.

What has been the media impact of such an achievement?
For me personally, large - in the sense of being part of a documentary aired on Sky Sports, and being interviewed in each port and on the boat by various newspapers, magazines and TV/radio stations, who are all very interested in the challenge we are taking on. It was a great, fun part of the job and an element I enjoy doing as I truly believe there is nothing else in the world quite like this race for people from all walks of life to achieve something they thought unlikely. 
 
In terms of official media figures, these are still being calculated but early indications are that media coverage for the 2015-16 race more than doubled that of the 2013-14 race edition, and appeared in over 16,000 press, online and broadcast articles with a unique global audience base which exceeded 1.5 billion people around the world. It’s a unique event and that is reflected in its ever growing media appeal.
 
What would you recommend others if trying to undergo the Clipper Race?
As a Skipper, provided you’re confident in your decisions as a sailor, it’s really all about crew management. You have got to enjoy looking after and connecting with all sorts of people. I am far from perfect and I know I could have opened up a bit more when I had the chance. It’s odd to say it but I probably concentrated too much time on assessing performance, maintenance and safety. Taking more time for the crew when all of the other three elements were satisfactory might have enhanced the experience for the crew more. 
 
What's your next challenge?
Good question. I’ve taken a bit of time to relax and I’m now open to my options.
 
What has been your most memorable shipping experience?
Before the race it was seeing my first iceberg! With binoculars on a cold, open door bridge at around 11:00 PM under a partially moonlit sky just north of South Georgia and I as a first trip OOW on RFA Diligence was delighted to see the first one of the voyage.

Spray shooting out both sides and whiting out the deck as we tried to keep the right angle to the waves - no idea what speeds we were pulling as we were concentrating on the helm and holding on for any big lurches. So, that sticks in my mind.

Well, that was just one night of four weeks of harsh North Pacific racing from Qingdao to Seattle and there’s a lot more to the story.  But we came out of it unscathed, as well as the rest of the voyage, and I was a very happy Skipper to say the least. 
 
What's your favourite ship?
Now there’s a question. One that I’m not too close to if I’m on a yacht. Or one with a swimming pool if I’m onboard. Or one that is operating at its optimum. One on which you feel proud to be part of, performing day and night in a professional and skilled manner.

The IBIA is the voice of the suppliers, buyers and other stakeholders in marine fuel supply with over 880 members in 91 countries. What are your main responsibilities?
My responsibilities are to ensure the Association grows both numerically and in its influence in shaping and contributing to the international scene. My other objective is to deliver value for money to the membership.
 
Gibraltar welcomes this year’s IBIA Annual Convention. How important is Gibraltar in trade volumes, fuel quality and bunkering safety?
Gibraltar is the largest supplier in the Mediterranean in its own right and ranks in the top ten worldwide ports for bunker supply.

That is important to the world fleet, however, in terms of quality supply in all its aspects Gibraltar -if not leading the way- is very close to being number one in this regard.

Gibraltar has systems that are wanting to be adopted by other countries and emerging bunker operations. In fact, leading bunker ports are looking to Gibraltar to adopt current practices around the rock - a great compliment to the people and systems in Gibraltar.
 
What can attendees expect from the IBIA Annual Convention?
The first aspect is this is the first international forum following the IMO decision on the 2020 sulphur cap with such an array of experts, this is an ideal opportunity to get a view on just exactly what the decision means.

As usual, there will be a first-hand opportunity to hear from shipowners and suppliers on the state of the industry and just how it is changing and what the challenges are. Plus we are looking at the key factors that make an ideal bunker hub.

How innovative is the energy sector when developing new "fuels of the future"?
The energy sector is very innovative, we have oil refiners developing ULSFO, we have emerging “new fuels” such as LNG, methanol, hydrogen plus renewable fuels and systems. These are emerging technologies that will take time to develop economies of scale but with increasing support in both subsidy and regulation, they will start to progress to centre stage.

Equally just like Gibraltar is doing with LNG fuelled power generation, we are seeing many cross industry applications which have primary and secondary objectives - meeting power generation objectives and potential LNG bunker capability for the future is a win-win scenario.
 
How do you foresee "Brexit" affecting bunkering trade between UK and Europe, and do you expect Gibraltar to be impacted?
Shipping is an international business and Gibraltar is positioned on an international seaway, I don’t envisage Brexit challenging the international law of the seas. The IMO sulphur cap coming into force in 2020 balances the EU EEZ sulphur ECA so no change there. Therefore, from a bunkering perspective and Brexit, there should not be any impact and Gibraltar remains positioned to develop bunkering further. I do think, however, that thought could be given to other marine services, particularly the ships stores supply chain.

Gibraltar is currently dependent on ships spares and stores much of which are shipped via Algeciras, therefore Brexit negotiations could impact goods transfer. Gibraltar becoming independent in this regard by building a supply chain that does not depend on Spain would be an asset. 

Training & development is of great importance in the bunkering sector. What role does the IBIA play in ensuring industry skills are equal and above benchmark?
IBIA is the largest training organisation for bunkering in Singapore, the largest bunker hub in the world.  In this we are assessed by both the maritime authority and the academic system.
We are also developing links with universities and professional bodies such as IMarEST. In this way we not only channel vocational experience but also ensure it is in line with educational standards and learning objectives. IBIA has experience of not only developing people but also developing the industry.
 
Member feedback and expert opinions are always useful. How does the IBIA probe its members and channel feedback / new ideas?
We carry out a two-yearly survey with our members asking them what we can do better and how we can change.
We also have on going work groups that are open to all members to participate in, and this often results in topic led work groups that are suggested by members to “scratch and Itch”.

Finally, we have an open system of questions and answers and a panel of people who want to donate their experience for the benefit of the industry.
 
Please describe your memorable shipping experience and tell us about your favourite ship:
My memorable shipping experience and favourite ship are combined and an easy choice.
The vessel was called the “Amazon Hope” and the voyage was from the UK to the jungle city of Iquitos. It is amazing to think that it is the same distance from the UK to the mouth of the Amazon to that from the mouth up the Amazon to Iquitos. The six-week voyage was both a challenge to marine skills and an overwhelming sense that this could make a real difference. The journey occurred as a result of my wife and I working in Peru on a “Taste of Mission”- three weeks working with street children left a big impact on our lives. I wanted to contribute to the work and a year later and a lot of planning, we were ready to sail a 24-metre “ex mod fleet tender” to the Amazon.

The charity is called the Vine Trust and now has four ships operating around the world- connecting people to change lives, with a simple concept. The trust provides a ship equipped to provide medical care, with mini operating theatre, dentistry, pharmacy and testing facilities, volunteers (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) donate two weeks of their time to help change lives.

Our latest vessel has just been built in Bristol, and is currently being fitted out in Rothsyth our third vessel “Jubilee Hope” was converted in Gibdock with the support of many Gibraltarians.
I cannot believe that fifteen years later, over one million people have had their lives changed as a result.

What makes the team at TOTE special?
We have proven shipping professionals in all aspects of our business. Whether it is sales, pricing, operations, shipboard personnel, we all understand customer needs and always try to serve those needs with integrity while providing real value. Trade and transportation are cornerstones to our economies, whether domestic or international and we all have an important part to play.

How do you adapt to changing regulation and how important is safety and maintaining environmental standards?
Safety is job number one.

We all have families and loved ones and it is our responsibility to make sure everyone goes home at night safely. We also have social responsibilities which we take very seriously which is why we were the first to commit significant resources to the development of LNG as an important, environmentally, maritime fuel.

You have been at the forefront of leading the conversion of TOTE's fleet to LNG. How challenging has this been?
Any time you are in the lead, there are many unique and often unexpected challenges. We were able to meet these challenges because of the unwavering commitment of our management and owners. Without their commitment, none of these breakthroughs could have happened. We were also fortunate in choosing partners such as NASSCO and MAN, among many others, who shared our vision for the future of maritime shipping.

What do your customers expect from the TOTE brand when contracting services?
First class, innovative service and an organization that is proactive at all times.

Please tell us about those services that have a higher demand and why:
We have a strong presence in the refrigerated markets and have introduced a lot of new modern assets. We also innovated the ISO complaint 53' x 102'' containers for our supply chain clients. We also built specialised container assets to safely and efficiently handle products from cars and trucks to live cattle. Our new ships also have a unique and innovative way of handling liquid bulk products such as fructose for the Puerto Rico soda trade. 

Do you foresee exploring new markets over the next five years?
Like every other strong company we are always looking at opportunities that benefit our clients as well as our owners. 

Your memorable shipping experience:
Over the past 50 years it is hard to single out one. It is an exciting industry that has and continues to change constantly. Being part of that change has been memorable every day. 

Your favourite ship:
Actually two. 

The SL-7 that Mr McLean introduced at Sea-Land. The first and still most innovative company for our industry. These were the fastest cargo ships ever built. At 33 knots, these ships were also beautiful to see and stevedore. They're still active as part of the U.S. Government fleet.

The other is of course the Marlin’s, the "Isla Bella" and "Perla de Caribe". These are the worlds first dual fuel LNG containerships in the world and herald yet another new era in international shipping. Just as the SL-7’s brought speed and unprecedented service levels to the international market, so the Mar-lin’s bring a new era of social responsibility and environmental consciousness.

Click here for more information relating to TOTE Inc.

Guido Grimaldi was born in Naples in 1987. Initially raised in London as at that time his father was developing their deep sea branch there. He moved back to Naples to accomplish his school studies and university degree in business economics at Federico II University. Guido immediately started working in the family business at the age of 22, and spent his first year in Naples HO following accounts, budgeting and cost control. In 2010 he moved back to London, where their deep sea activities are managed, to experience line and commercial activities. Together with Guido's move, the Group was launching a new service from the Med area to West Africa (the “Mediterranean Express”), which was his main interest during his three years in London. In 2013 the Med Express Commercial Management was relocated to Naples HO where he actually lives and is responsible for the trade between Mediterranean and West Africa.

Please tell us about the key aspects of your role as Med-West Africa Commercial Director:
As a line Director you are normally active on several fronts at the same time: from pricing all the way to recruiting, passing from competition monitoring, operations, schedules design and many more.
 
How has your experience prepared you for your role?
After obtaining a university degree in Economics I spent my first year at the Naples HO, where I had the chance to start getting acquainted with the business bottom up. After this first year I had the opportunity to spend a month at our AET terminal in Antwerp to better understand the operational part of the business. I then spent a few years at Grimaldi’s Deep Sea Lines offices in London, where I learnt line management, pricing and scheduling. Only after several years of experience was I entrusted with sales management responsibilities.
 
What are the key values of Grimaldi Lines and how are they embraced by your team?
Flexibility, reliability, hard work and customer satisfaction. All of our colleagues and staff, not only my team, abide by these key values, and the most effective way to transmit this is leading by example.
 
What are the key services offered by your division and how competitive are they?
We offer multimodal transport from all main Mediterranean load ports to all main West African discharge ports with the important tool of having a wide range of connection possibilities with over 100 vessels between Med, North Europe, West Africa, North and South America thanks to our different owned companies of the Group (Grimaldi Deep and Short Sea, Minoan Lines, Finnlines, ACL).

What differentiates us from the competition in our specific trade is the age and quality of our vessels, our ability to transport virtually any type of special cargo (from a motorbike to a helicopter) in addition to more standard cargo formats both Lo-Lo, like containers, and, Ro-Ro like cars, vans, trucks and machinery, all with unmatched frequency, transit times and tailor-made customer services. We have the great added value to rely on a network of fully or partially owned agencies and terminals scattered all over Europe and West Africa.
 
How important is the Med-West Africa service for your clients and do you foresee new routes introduced in the future?
We proudly believe that we are the best in terms or reliability, frequency, flexibility and transport quality. Our customers are sensible to such aspects and they constantly show us their appreciation.

When we started the Line between Med and West Africa in October 2010, we only had a small chartered vessel deployed with monthly frequency. Since then, every year has been a success and an
opportunity to increase our frequency and capacity. From 2015 we run a service every 10 days with 4 owned Con-Ro vessels of 700 TEU's, 2.500 LM and 1.000 CV ideal capacity. None of these improvements would have been possible without the trust and loyalty of our customers. I wish to take this opportunity to thank them once again.

Concerning new routes, we recently implemented new destinations from the Med such as Nouakchott (Mauritania), Bata and Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and Douala (Cameroon) in order to develop the northbound trade. We always monitor and listen to our customers for demand of new destinations and new challenges.
 
Your vessels are known for having very good capacity and punctuality. How are your timetables planned and how are vessels monitored to ensure timekeeping?
Route planning and schedule integrity monitoring are a very important part of our daily activity. Of course breakdowns and unforeseen events can happen to anybody and with no notice at all.
This is where our problem solving attitude kicks in and allows us to sort out issues with minimal schedule disruption. However, owning a fleet of 120 vessels is of great help when it comes to finding a substitute for a vessel in need of repairs etc.
 
The Grimaldi Group is a family business that has been contributing to shipping history over generations. What does it feel like to be part of this legacy and success?
Apart from my grandfather’s uncle Achille Lauro and my family’s distant past, indeed myself, my younger brother and my cousins represent the third generation of the modern-day Grimaldi business. Unlike the saying according to which “the first generation creates, the second expands and the third destroys”, we are confident that Grimaldi’s third generation will be a worthy successor to the second generation. Having said this I have to admit however that I really hope that my father Gianluca and my uncle Emanuele will not retire before their 90’s.
 
Please describe the importance of "technology" in your operations:
There would be no operations without technology. From our custom made ERP G-Atlas, which is used by 90% of the thousands of Grimaldi colleagues worldwide, to research in ship design and silicon coating having allowed for a substantial reduction of polluting emissions per cargo unit, technology is embedded in all aspecs of our work. Technology is also a fundamental sales tool, especially in the B2C oriented lines of our networks, like cruise and passenger ferries.
 
Your memorable shipping experience:
It is difficult to choose a single memorable experience. I remember all the vessel launches attended
during my childhood (which probably sketched my future), the first experiences on board, the first trip in West Africa... but if I have to choose one, I would say the experience done in Antwerp. I was about to move to London and my father suggested to spend some weeks in Antwerp to deepen my knowledge about the operational aspects of working at our AET terminal. It was a great experience following the planning and loading of different vessels, even simultaneously. When you come from the theory of books and a short work experience based on numbers, having the opportunity to plan and physically see how a vessel can be loaded in all the different decks, Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo (especially a Con-Ro vessel), gives you a clear and emotional picture of what this job is all about.

In the end, all aspects, all costs, earnings of shipping are obviously connected at what you are shipping and how you do it.
 
Your favourite ship:
My favourite ship is probably the Grande Costa D'Avorio (see image above). I remember it was July 2011 and the Med to West Africa service had been in service for less than a year. The vessel was brand new coming from the Croatian yard Uljanik and performed her maiden voyage on the Med Express service. I have very nice memories of the receptions on board in all the Med loading ports with authorities and all our good customers. It was surely the first relevant step showing our commitment to the Trade, which is still very strong five years later.

Click here for more information relating to Grimaldi Lines.

David J. Halliday is Managing Director & Partner at the Seafast Group, a dynamic freight forwarder with a focus  for global integrated logistics. David and his team are specialists in reefer shipping and providing solutions when delivering cargo to remote and challenging locations worldwide. Headquartered in Felixstowe (UK), the Seafast Group has regional offices in Dubai, UAE and Mombasa, Kenya.

What are your main responsibilities?
My main responsibility is that of steering our ship on a voyage of profitable growth, avoiding troubled waters. From a background of providing shipping and logistics services to the British and Dutch Ministries of Defence, to and from Afghanistan via Pakistan (not the easiest of tasks) we began then to diversify the Company in late 2007 with the objective of growing our commercial customer base, from zero, into what is now a £15 million sales per year. We are now beginning our 5 year business plan to increase turnover (and more importantly, corresponding profit) to £50 million.
 
Please tell us about your experience in shipping & logistics and how this has added value to your current role:
My personal background is one of Container Shipping, having spent 27 years in that sector. Starting as a documentation clerk in early 1980's to the honour of becoming CEO of the same company in 1998. That company, Contship Containerlines was a fantastic learning experience, in a period when it was still possible to be pioneers of new trade lanes, such as that in 2000 when Contship launched the first ever direct, non-stop container service between Mumbai and New York. Now container shipping has become much more of a commodity, with most lanes saturated with competitors. That was the major appeal for moving into logistics. The shipping experience means we know how the carriers think, but can apply our knowledge to providing value added beyond those services traditionally offered by lines. This is usually linked to inland capabilities, and also our specialist offering of refrigerated shipping and handling.
 
Seafast Logistics have received numerous awards, more recently, the 2015 Queens Award for International Trade. What does it feel like to receive this recognition?
Yes, we have archived recognition along our voyage, including BIFA, Containerisation International industry awards between 2008 and 2012. Those were important for us as a young and growing logistics group. The Queens Award, was not linked only to our industry sector, but all sectors nationwide. The award was even more gratifying given Seafast was the only logistics company to win the award, and only one in all sectors in the region of our country, Suffolk.  In fact, no one had won the award in Suffolk for the two years before Seafast. Winning the award was actually "the" highlight of career, thus far. I and the company have other targets, which are currently in progress and very exciting!
 
Please describe your company's key values:
We are ambitious, and we do not consider size to be a disadvantage against the larger international forwarders.  In fact, it is our advantage, being quick to adapt and react. We are not run by committee, and our key executives are the ones dealing with our customers on a very personalised basis. Larger forwarders, and certainly the shipping lines do not have our flexibility or ability to truly understand our customers exact needs, and the time to devote to real "bespoke" end to end solutions. Our customer base is testimony we can "out box our weight" and we will continue to do so.
 
We have a term we use which is "we are not simply another vanilla ice cream". And another strap line "Global Reach, Personal Touch". I don't really go in for advertising, but just delivering robust and sustainable solutions in our sectors.
 
Logistics is a specialised sector. What segments do you focus on?
Our focus is in two distinct sectors. The first being a by-product of our Military Logistics background. That is remote, difficult to serve, and emerging markets. 
We are UK based, but a large part of our business is cross-trade between locations outside the UK. In keeping with this focus we have a joint venture company in East Africa, called Seafast Africa, with focus beyond the port to port, inland from Mombasa.
 
Our second focus is reefer shipping and logistics on a global platform.  In 2009 we moved away from ambient warehousing and into a specialist temperature controlled facility inside the port of Felixstowe, the UK's largest container port. Seven years later we are now ready to expand that facility, the plan being x5 its present capacity by Q2 2018. Frozen products are the most handled.
 
In your opinion, what are the current and future challenges for international logistics?
For the masses, the challenge will be differentiating their offerings, and having the scale economics to be able to deliver the same but at more competitive prices. This will be the general challenge, but not ours. Our focus will remain steadfastly upon the areas of our specialisation, and which present considerable opportunity.
We have a number of projects under development, which we look to implement soon.
 
What are the key elements that define the success of Seafast Logistics?
I like to think, in fact I will say I believe our success is down to our sharp focus, determination (never say “die” attitude) innovative thinking turned into actions. We have often gone where others won't , and usually the first to do so. Two examples of this have propelled Seafast to where it is now, but still nowhere near the end of our voyage, which already has the next 5 years defined.
 
Your memorable shipping experience:
I struggle to put one of two as being the most memorable, so forgive my answer to this question. The first becoming entrusted as CEO of Contship, rising from a documentation clerk to the top of a special company, over a period of 17 years, is something I felt very privileged to have such opportunity. And actually being the industry sectors, youngest CEO at 38 years of age.
The second is of course the Queens Award for Enterprise!! I am not sure other industry awards will ever mean the same.
 
Your favourite ship:
Probably the M/V Bold Eagle, which goes back to the days of Contship when that ship sailed on our round the world service including Australia, and actually had a massive "spinnaker" sail, which at certain points of the voyage would be raised to become wind assisted. Unique to my knowledge.

Click here for more information relating to Seafast Logistics.

Sid Hynes (Captain) serves as Executive Chairman of Oceanex Inc., providing intermodal transportation services to the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. With his management team and almost 400 employees, Captain Hynes is committed to keep Oceanex’s leading position as an intermodal carrier in Eastern Canada.

What would you consider your greatest achievement to date as Executive Chairman at Oceanex?
Prior to acquiring Oceanex in 2007, the company was a public income trust. Since that time, we have focused on changing the corporate culture of the organization to a more entrepreneurial approach to management, embracing a culture of accountability. We have taken great strides in educating our management personnel on the merits of shifting from a reactionary approach to a more proactive approach to management.

How has your experience prepared you for your role?
I started work at a young age, beginning as a second-mate on a ship when I was 19 and advancing to become a ship’s captain at 21. This certainly required study, focus and commitment to get to that stage at a young age. As a master mariner you have to know how to demonstrate leadership. In order to take charge of a ship you must have strong managerial and leadership skills.
 
Throughout my career, I have combined these skills with a great deal of determination and applied them to whatever challenges have been presented to me.
 
Please tell us about the key values of your organization:
At Oceanex, Safety is our highest and first priority in everything that we do. We are focused on the protection of our people, property and the environment.
 
Excellence and Reliability are the foundation of our quality management system which is focused on continuously improving our work practices to ensure we provide a reliable, consistent service for our customers.
 
What makes Oceanex different to the competition?
Reliability and on-time performance, competitive transit times, pricing and a complete transportation solution are the foundation of our leading market position.

Marine transport is the only option for getting cargo into Newfoundland and Oceanex is a scheduled liner providing intermodal transportation service to the province. We provide customers with a complete service with cargo pick up anywhere in North America and delivery to any point in Newfoundland as well as being a link to international carriers through the Ports of Halifax and Montreal.

Additionally, Oceanex offers customers equipment and services required for their specific needs and the transportation of specialty products.

What do your clients expect from the Oceanex brand when contracting services?
Oceanex serves a multitude of customers and industries with various requirements. In response, we must have the ability to handle large volume as well as over dimensional and project cargo, while maintaining a schedule to support the “Just in Time” requirements of supply chain customers.

Oceanex has a fleet of equipment to do that with three ice-class vessels operating on year-round, fixed-day weekly departures from Montreal and Halifax to Newfoundland. In addition to the marine services, Oceanex through its inlands division coordinates the movement of cargo to and from its piers. Cargo can be picked up around the continent and consolidated at either Montreal or Halifax for shipment to the province.
 
Oceanex offers a wide range of services. Please tell us about those that have more demand and why:
Oceanex specialises in the handling of all types of cargo from anywhere in North America. Through a combination of direct and agent networks, Oceanex is capable of handling anything from: full container loads ranging from 20’ to 53’, LTL (less than full load), Project cargo requiring standard and specialised equipment, commercial vehicles, new cars, heavy equipment, heavy lifts and both heated and refrigerated container/trailer service. Requirements are predominantly for 53’ units that offer the same capacity as highway trailers and have become the unit of choice for many shippers in the domestic trade.
 
Do you foresee exploring new markets over the next five years?
Our primary focus is service to Newfoundland. Having said that, our management team is always looking for growth opportunities, specifically with respect to the marine, offshore, and transportation sectors.
Oceanex has recently expanded to offering 3PL services for its clients to ensure we are better able to providing all of their transportation requirements.
 
Your memorable shipping experience:
My most memorable shipping experience was perhaps my most challenging experience. I was captain of the dynamic positioning diving support vessel responsible for locating and completing the survey of the sunken oil rig Ocean Ranger in extremely harsh conditions.
 
Your favorite ship:
I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite ship as I have had the pleasure of working on a number of state of the art vessels. I am particularly proud, however, of the Oceanex Connaigra (pictured above). I was closely involved in the building of this vessel from development of the specification until it joined the Oceanex service in October 2013.
 
Click here for more information relating to Oceanex Inc.

Kunio Mikuriya has been Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) since 1st January 2009. The WCO provides leadership, guidance and support to Customs administrations to secure and facilitate legitimate trade, realise revenues, protect society and build capacity.

What would you consider your greatest achievement to-date as Secretary-General of the WCO?
Upon my nomination as Secretary-General of the WCO, I encouraged Members -180 Customs administrations as of today– to embark on a journey to achieve a new vision: Borders Divide, Customs Connects. Enhancing connectivity would lead to a significant improvement in the Customs service, in close partnership with trade, and thereby improve economic competitiveness. This is what is meant by trade facilitation’, and it is something that I continue to promote through the development of standards and sharing best practices, leading to the acceptance by the international community in the form of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement, adopted in 2013.

Now the WCO is recognised as the major implementation agency of this WTO Agreement through its capacity building initiative, launched in 2014, known as the Mercator Programme. Of course, Customs facilitates only legitimate trade, the protection of society from illicit trade including narcotics, fake medicines, and wildlife trade is another core mission of Customs. Security of the supply chain is an integral part of economic competitiveness.I guided the WCO toward the development of risk management tools, communication platforms and coordinated global operations to build Customs capacity and enhance collaboration with other law enforcement agencies. Now the WCO is recognised as the major player in coordinating Customs around the world in protecting society and security at borders.

How has your experience prepared you for your role?
The role of Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization is to inspire Members and execute the vision of the Organization. It therefore demands constant efforts in understanding what is happening in the world, what Customs can do in response, and what are the needs and priorities of Members. It then requires the capability to create an enabling environment for the Secretariat but also for Members. I was lucky to be given the opportunity to develop these skills at the Ministry of Finance of Japan, with a broad portfolio including research, policy-making and its implementation. The Ministry sent me to France to embark on a study programme in order to broaden my perspective through encountering a different way of thinking.  My stint as a trade negotiator in Geneva at the then GATT (now evolved to the WTO) stimulated my interest in trade and international relations. This led to my specialising in the Customs and trade back in the Ministry of Finance as well as acquiring a PhD in international relations in a UK university. My experience both at home and abroad served me well.  Since the time I was elected WCO Secretary-General,  my experience has further expanded particularly by regularly conferring with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, CEOs, and Ambassadors alike on a wide range of international trade topics.
 
Please describe the key values of your organization:
The key values of the WCO are incorporated in its mission statement:

1. We are a knowledge-based and action-oriented organization. 
2. We believe in transparent, honest, and auditable governance procedures. 
3. We are responsive to our Members, stakeholders in trade, and society. 
4. We capitalise on technology and innovation.
 
I would also like to reiterate that one of the core values that all personnel adhere to, and that imbues each of us with a sense of purpose, is responsiveness to our Members. We are a Member-based and driven Organization, and as a result, our focus is 100% on the needs and requirements expressed by them during the many Committee meetings covering a range of Customs-related topics and annual Council sessions.
 
What are your main objectives for 2016?
Each year on 26th January, Customs administrations around the world celebrate International Customs Day, and I announce the WCO theme for the year in question. The objective is to choose one unifying, overarching concept in accordance with which Customs can easily benchmark and communicate their progress, and identify areas for improvement. This year’s theme is Digital Customs - Progressive Engagement, and we have received many contributions from Members outlining their efforts to move toward a fully digital ecosystem and to progressively engage business and other government agencies. Digital Customs is a concept whereby Administrations are encouraged to take advantage of the software and ICT solutions available to improve their external output e.g. clearance times, Single Window environments, but also the internal processes at the heart of a Customs administration; everything from automated human resources solutions to the creation of a paperless environment. I would like to see the objective of tangible and measurable progress in this domain by the end of 2016 amongst all Members fulfilled.
 
What challenges does the WCO have in the current international customs layout?
One of the key challenges faced by the WCO is the rapid expansion of e-commerce whereby a large amount of small packages arrive at borders on account of online shopping. As e-commerce represents empowerment for consumers and Micro Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Customs should support its development, but these new participants to trade are usually unknown to Customs, which poses a challenge from a risk management perspective. Moreover, organised crime and terrorist groups could exploit e-commerce and occupy the supply chain to send illicit goods and security-sensitive goods. We often hear the expression ‘dark net’, which has arisen as a direct result of threats to cyber security.  
 
How does the WCO facilitate international shipping trade?
The WCO works with our Members towards the realisation of a number of programmes and tools which, once implemented, can lead to an improved facilitation of international shipping trade. Chief amongst these is one of our most renowned Conventions - the Revised Kyoto Convention - which has become the blueprint of a modern and streamlined Customs administration. To date, 103 Members have deposited their instruments of accession and consequently made significant strides towards improved facilitation of international shipping trade.
 
Your memorable shipping experience:
There are too many to choose from, but I always appreciate trips on Customs boats. They give me an opportunity to appreciate Customs in action on the sea. When I was given the responsibility of overseeing Japan Customs' enforcement activities in the Ministry of Finance, I had to develop a policy on how to use a large-sized Customs boat that was introduced for the first time for the use on high sea. I had experience of small Customs boats for costal watch, but this was a new task for Japan Customs.  I embarked on a three-day journey on the new boat from the southern port of Kyushu towards Okinawa. I was able to observe the beautiful nature apparent on the islands and the hospitality of inhabitants, but I also had a chance to share the experience with Customs officers on board. 
 
Your favourite ship:
I should mention a small sailing boat that I used to enjoy with my friends over many weekends in my youth. On a professional note, my favorite ship is the Mercator, which was named after Gerardus Mercator, the Belgian cartographer and eponym of the WCO Mercator Programme. The Mercator was a barquentine built for the Belgian merchant fleet. It is now converted into an ocean museum at the pier of Ostend in Northern Belgium. It is my fervent wish that the WCO Mercator Programme provides direction and inspiration to Customs and business for future modernisation of border procedures.

Click here for more information relating to the World Customs Organization

Kitack Lim was elected Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) by the 114th session of the IMO Council in June 2015 for a four-year period beginning 1 January 2016. The election was endorsed by the IMO's Assembly at its 29th session in November 2015. Kitack Lim (Republic of Korea) is the eighth elected Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization​.

What are the IMO's main objectives for 2016? 

The main objectives this year include the smooth implementation of the mandatory IMO Member State Audit Scheme; further efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping; the next steps in the application of goal-based standards for construction of oil tankers and bulk carriers; continued work on passenger ship safety and the implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention.
 
Other matters on the regulatory side include the review of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, pushing ahead with the e-navigation strategy and managing cyber security threats.
 
Alongside these, a key objective for this year and beyond is the continued implementation of the hugely important Technical Cooperation Programme which supports capacity building, particularly in Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. This can be seen in the context of a long-term strategy to create conditions for increased employment, prosperity and stability through enhancing the maritime sector and a sustainable 'blue economy' in developing countries.

It is extremely important that we promote the transfer and uptake of maritime experience and expertise so that all Member States can participate effectively in maritime activities. Feedback from the mandatory audits will also contribute to this process.
 
For me personally, the effective implementation of international conventions and regulations is a key priority. I have talked about a "voyage together", in which my vision is one of strengthened partnerships – between developing and developed countries, between Governments and industry, between IMO Member States and regions.
 
Another personal objective is to strengthen communication between the maritime industry and the general public and I see IMO acting as a bridge between all these stakeholders. I am keen to raise our visibility not just among those who already know us, but also among those who do not. I want to raise awareness among officials, ministers and decision-makers outside of our regular community, in the interests of joined-up thinking, joined-up planning and collaboration.
 
How important are new technologies in improving vessel efficiency? 

New technologies and innovation are very important tools and can significantly enhance ships' energy efficiency.
 
IMO has set non-prescriptive regulations for the mandatory Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships, so that ship designers are free to use imagination, blue-sky thinking and innovative technology to meet the requirements and also achieve the most cost-efficient solutions.
 
We are also working proactively to encourage technology-transfer in the maritime sector and the focus is on cooperation and collaboration. We want to cement not just north-south technology cooperation, but south-south and south-north technology and information flow as well.
 
Two major IMO projects are supporting the increased uptake and implementation of energy-efficiency measures for shipping.
 
The first is the GloMEEP project, formally designated "Transforming the Global Maritime Transport Industry towards a Low Carbon Future through Improved Energy Efficiency". IMO is executing this Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded GloMEEP project in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), following the signing of an agreement between IMO, the GEF and UNDP to allocate US$2.0 million to this two-year partnership project. A number of national workshops involving lead pilot countries have already been held under the project.
 
The second exciting project is the European Union-funded IMO project to establish a global network of Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) in developing countries. The aim is to help beneficiary countries limit and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their shipping sectors through technical assistance and capacity building. It will encourage the uptake of innovative energy-efficiency technologies among a large number of users through the widespread dissemination of technical information and know-how and thereby heighten the impact of technology transfer. One of the goals will be to promote the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in the maritime sector through the implementation of pilot projects.
 
Both these projects will provide opportunities to evaluate existing as well as new and emerging technologies. So we might be looking at advanced hull coatings to prevent fouling, novel propulsion and powering systems, "smart ships" incorporating advanced communications and sensor technology into their operation, and so on.
 
It is an exciting time for shipping, as we look towards building capacity to implement technical and operational measures in developing countries, where shipping is increasingly concentrated. We should strive towards promoting a low-carbon maritime sector, to minimize the adverse impacts of shipping emissions on climate change, ocean acidification and local air quality.
 
What measures are issued by the IMO to counter piracy? 

IMO has responded to maritime security threats, encompassing terrorism as well as criminal and illicit activity such as piracy and armed robbery against ships, in two ways: by adopting and approving regulations and guidance and through capacity building.
 
Chapter XI-2 of the SOLAS Convention makes mandatory the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) and forms the cornerstone of regulatory measures to address maritime security. Ships and port facilities both have to have in place approved security plans which address identified threats.

IMO has been addressing piracy (which is an illegal act committed against a ship on the high seas, under its definition in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) for several decades. Regional capacity-building has helped address and suppress piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore and more recently off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden and in the wider Indian Ocean. Thanks to regional capacity-building efforts by IMO to counter piracy - including the Djibouti Code of Conduct for the western Indian Ocean, efforts by coastal States, navies and the shipping industry through implementing "best management practices" - we have seen a decline in acts of piracy off Somalia. No successful hijack was recorded there in 2015.
 
However, the alarming increase in acts of murder, kidnapping, hostage-taking and robbery by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea has now become a serious concern, and I welcomed the Presidential Statement issued by the UN Security Council at the beginning of May addressing this subject. IMO is currently implementing a strategy for enhancing maritime security in west and central Africa, in line with the region's maritime security agreements. 
 
The focus is on providing assistance to IMO Member States seeking to develop their own national or regional measures to address the threat of piracy, armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activities. IMO is working with States in the region and regional organizations to help develop the maritime sector and the blue economy, underpinned by good maritime security. In addition to countering piracy and armed robbery against ships, States in the region are being encouraged and assisted to develop holistic maritime security strategies that address a range of issues, including search and rescue, marine environment protection, energy-supply security, maritime terrorism, unsafe mixed migration by sea as well as other illicit activities, such as trafficking drugs, weapons and people by sea and illegal fishing.
 
A comprehensive range of guidance material for shipmasters and Governments to prevent and suppress piracy and armed robbery at sea, investigate offences, and address armed security personnel on board ships has been disseminated by IMO as well as guidance to shipping to address a range of other maritime crimes including drug smuggling, stowaways and fraud ("phantom ships").
 
What are the current and future challenges for international shipping? 

Of course I cannot speak for the shipping industry and it will certainly have its own view on its current and future challenges, but I do believe that shipping is always going to be indispensable to world trade, as we have been highlighting in our World Maritime Day theme for this year - "Shipping: indispensable to the world".
 
Market conditions dictate the global economy but the historical trajectory of shipping suggests that trade by ship will continue to rise, in the long term. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), around 80 per cent of global trade by volume and over 70 per cent of global trade by value are carried by sea and are handled by ports worldwide. These shares are even higher in the case of most developing countries. Without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary to sustain the modern world would not be possible.

From IMO's perspective, I think the challenges for international shipping are to ensure that it remains sustainable for the future, to ensure ships are as safe as possible and with minimal impact on the environment, particularly when it comes to air pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
 
Current challenges arising from the regulatory side will include implementing amendments to regulatory instruments that have been adopted to improve the safety of shipping, such as the SOLAS requirements for the verified gross mass of containers entering into force on 1 July 2016.
 
On the environmental side, the Ballast Water Management Convention will require investment and implementation from the shipping industry, while shipping will need to comply with stricter limits on sulphur emissions globally in the coming years.
 
But I know from my conversations with the shipping industry representatives who attend IMO meetings as observer delegations that the international shipping industry fully supports the work of IMO and, over the years, the various shipping industry bodies have contributed hugely to enhancing the regulatory regime, providing expert input on everything from ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation and the eventual end-of-life disposal of ships.
 
We cannot predict the future but I feel certain that international shipping will be ready to face any forthcoming challenges, alongside the IMO Membership.
 
What is the IMO's view on LNG being the "energy of the future"? 

As an organization, IMO has not adopted a view on LNG specifically but has responded to changes in the industry by ensuring the development of appropriate global standards for new fuels or for alternative methods in order to meet compliance.
 
As environmental regulations strengthen, such as the air pollution regulations under MARPOL Annex VI, the market will decide how to respond. It will be up to ship operators to decide on which fuel to use or whether to use alternative, equivalent methods (such as scrubbers), so long as these are approved by the flag State as meeting the air pollutant requirements.
 
At the moment, the number of LNG-fuelled ships is relatively small. An IMO-commissioned study identified some 40 LNG-fuelled merchant ships in operation with a further 40 under construction or undertaking conversion.
 
The same study notes that the use of LNG is considered to have significant environmental advantages. An LNG-fuelled ship reduces the emissions of NOx by 85% to 90% (using a gas-only engine), and SOx and particles by close to 100% compared to conventional fuel oil. In addition, LNG-fuelled ships may result in a net reduction of GHG emissions.
 
Recognizing the increasing number of gas-fuelled ships, IMO has developed and adopted the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), which contains mandatory provisions for the arrangement, installation, control and monitoring of machinery, equipment and systems using low-flashpoint fuels, focusing initially on LNG. It becomes mandatory under amendments to the SOLAS Convention which will enter into force on 1 January 2017.
 
IMO has also adopted amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and STCW Code, to include new mandatory minimum requirements for the training and qualifications of masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on ships subject to the IGF Code. These amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2017.
 
Please describe the importance of training and development in the shipping sector: 

Effective standards of training are the bedrock of a safe and secure shipping industry and it is clear that without a quality labour force, motivated, trained and skilled to the appropriate international standards, shipping cannot thrive.

Moreover, personnel within the industry must have sufficient, quality training if they are to be able to implement the many advances that have been made, in terms of safety and environmental impact.
 
Shipping is highly technical, demanding considerable skill, knowledge and expertise from those who work in it and not everything can be learned on the job. So it is vital that shipping has a global network of specialist education and training establishments to ensure a continuing stream of high-calibre recruits.
 
And this is not just about seafarers. Maritime education needs broad coverage. Naval architecture, marine engineering, maritime law and many other fields all require specialist training.
 
IMO's long and wide-ranging involvement in the human element of shipping includes the adoption of the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, which has set the international benchmark for seafarer training and education. Compliance with its standards is essential for serving on board ships.

Matteo Perucchini, ocean rower for Sogno Atlantico & experienced athlete, decided to row across the Atlantic Ocean in December 2015 for two good reasons; raise funds for charity and to achieve the biggest challenge of his life, to row over 3,000 miles solo and completely unassisted.  Matteo made it! He completed the crossing in 52 days, winning the solo category and setting a new race record.

What made you take up this challenge?

I have been rowing since I was a teenager but I discovered the world of ocean rowing by accident. I was actually searching online for books on Mt. Everest expeditions and that’s when I found an article on ocean rowing and more precisely on Frank Samuelsen and George Harbo, two Norwegians who in June 1896 rowed from New York to Isles of Scilly. I was mesmerized by the fact that such a feat was humanly achievable. I was hooked. I started reading book after book about ocean rowing and I first considered rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 2007. It was only in 2013 that I felt truly ready to face this challenge so I went to La Gomera to see the start of the Talisker Atlantic Challenge and before I knew it, I had signed up for the 2015 race.

Most people ask me why and there is no simple answer to this question. There are many factors and events that can lead a person to take this kind of decision. In the end, although the crossing was certainly an amazing adventure and sporting achievement, it was also a very personal inner journey.

How did you prepare?

There are many aspects when it comes to training for a challenge like this; you need to prepare mentally, physically and technically.
Physically I worked with a highly experienced trainer who had previously supported polar explorers and international athletes.

He developed an intense and challenging programme which enabled me to improve my fitness while at the same time allowing me to have enough time to focus on all the other aspects of preparing for an ocean crossing. Something I truly loved about the programme was how it changed all the time and incorporated a wide range of activities, from cycling to crossfit and boxing. I clearly couldn't avoid long sessions on the rowing machine though, which in some cases lasted for more than 24 hours.
 
Although physical preparation was very important for a challenge like mine, it was not essential. The key to a successful crossing was mental preparation. Both yoga and meditation played a very important role. Short sessions that I could continue to do on the boat despite the 18/20 hours of rowing per day that I had to sustain during the crucial parts of the race. These allowed me to find the right mental balance and overcome the myriad of obstacles, which you have to face on a daily basis during an ocean crossing.
As for the technical preparation, I attended a number navigation and sea survival courses and the boat was for more than 12 months at Cantiere Costantini on Lake Maggiore in the north of Italy, where she was fitted and prepared.
 
Being out at sea alone for over 52 days must have been difficult. What was you most challenging moment?

Being at sea for 52 days was a true privilege and I feel very fortunate to have undertaken this challenge

but it was also very hard. Storms were the worst part of the crossing, especially when they hit at night.

They left quite deep emotional scars which made it hard to keep on rowing after sunset but now that I’m back on land and I’m lucky enough to be able to look back at those moments, I feel that they are an essential part of what made this journey truly special.
 
The Atlantic passage was for a worthy cause - what has been the media impact of such an achievement?

My row was in support of the Associazione Italiana per la Lotta al Neuroblastoma (ANB) and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumour which affects mainly infants and children under 10 years of age. The goal of ANB is to raise funds to support medical and scientific research on neuroblastoma. Every week in the UK at least 12 young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions; CRY works to reduce the frequency of Young Sudden Cardiac Death (YSCD), promotes and develops heart screening programmes and funds medical research.

These are two truly fantastic charities and I really wanted to use my adventure and the publicity around the race to promote their causes and raise funds for them. As the first Italian to take part in this race I received quite a lot of media coverage before and during the race. Having won the solo race, the interest in Sogno Atlantico is continuing and it’s great to keep on promoting the two charities. I’ve also been contacted by many associations and companies that would like to hear my story and this is a great way to attend various events and continue raising funds for ANB and CRY.
 
What would you recommend others if trying to undergo crossing the Atlantic?

It’s never too early to start planning your challenge. There is an incredible number of things to plan and prepare. So start early!

Furthermore, when you choose to embark on a major challenge, you need to be prepared to make significant sacrifices. You have to be willing to invest all of your time and, in some cases, a lot of money into preparing for your challenge. You need to be honest with yourself and decide whether you’d be prepared to keep going even if you cannot find sponsors or do not receive support from friends and family. You really need to want to achieve the goal, this will drive you through the tough times, and there will be many of them.

Embarking on a large challenge is like starting a business, you need vision, tenacity, passion, discipline, self-belief, and a high tolerance to risk and stress. It will be hard, it will be painful but in the end, it will be worth it.
 
What's your next challenge?

In 2014 I cofounded a new business and I was lucky enough that my two business partners allowed me to drop everything and follow my dream. Now I want to focus on growing the business and continue the adventure that we started together. Nevertheless, I have been thinking of a few possible sport challenges although not as big as rowing an ocean solo. It’s a bit too early to tell though!
 
Other than this one, what has been your most memorable shipping experience?

Although I have nearly 20 years of rowing experience and my family have run a boatyard for over 100 years, I had very little experience of the open ocean. This Atlantic crossing was my first truly memorable shipping experience.
 
What's your favourite ship?

As a fan of the Aubrey-Maturin series, I’d have to say HMS Surprise.