Lessons for 2014: Manning
2013 has been an exciting year for crew, and the lesson taken in 2014 by the crew sector is is the importance of investing in crew training, with a view to improve longevity, on-board cohesion and, ultimately, safety on board.…
2013 has been a busy year for crew; with the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) the spotlight has been on crew more in 2013 than ever before. Whilst some feel that this scrutinous eye has led to a negative portrayal of the crew sector over the past 12 months, those adopting the ‘glass half full’ philosophy will understand that this is a blessing in disguise and provides the industry with some valuable lessons crew can take forward into 2014.
By far, the biggest topic of discussion in 2013 when it comes to manning a vessel is the training had by those on board. First Officer Adam Aldum told TheSuperyachtOwner.com the one thing he’d like to see most in 2014 is, “more boats taking personal training seriously for crews; developing their skills and talents to create a better place for us all!”
For owners this should be a primary concern – the crew are the yacht’s operators and the cogs of the superyacht industry. However, with insufficient training, the results can materialize into anything from high levels of crew turnover to, in the worst-case scenarios, accidents or even fatalities; in 2013 TheCrewReport.com reported on eight crewmember fatalities – a shocking statistic. Safety should always be the primary concern of our industry, and it all begins with training of your crew.
However, in 2013 there was a high demand from crew for owners to pay for the advancement of a yacht’s crew, and going forward into 2014 this is certainly something that owners should be looking at and consequently establishing training policies, if they have not already done so.
Captain Carlo Summonti of 65m motoryacht Nataly tells TheSuperyachtOwner.com how Nataly’s on-board training policy works – and succeeds: “As a general rule I think that necessary basic standard training should be a crewmember’s personal issue. However, any particular training that needs to be held by a crewmember in order to maintain the boat’s certificate and comply with rules will be paid for or reimbursed by the owning company. For example, in order to comply with rule sand keep the boat’s validity, it was necessary for the chief mate to attend Ship Security Officer training. Also, for all stews it is now compulsory to be certified for food preparation and handling. We establish that fifty per cent of reimbursement will be refunded to the crewmember after six months of service on board; the remaining 50 per cent after one year’s service.” The result: “My boat, thanks to the owner, has a permanent crew of eleven. Since the boat’s delivery in spring 2011 not one of the permanent crew has changed, and four of them have been with the owner and I since the previous boat five years ago.”
More captains are praising their owners for establishing training policies on board, and this is even something that is moving into the interior – a department that has seen very little organisation in this matter in the past, yet in the past 12 months has seen the introduction of Professional Yachting Association-accredited courses and an established career path under the GUEST programme. Charlotte Roch, marketing director at The Crew Academy, told TheSuperyachtOwner.com that, “Owners, captains and management are increasingly supportive of training for interior crew. Approximately ninety per cent of our courses are selected and funded by the yacht, rather than the individual.”
As long as owners continue to understand the importance and long-term benefits of established and contractual training policies – longevity, on-board cohesion and, ultimately, a safer yachting environment – 2014 has the potential to be very successful when it comes to the manning of owners’ vessels, and the industry, as we have seen, is already in a strong position to take this lesson forward for 2014.
Credit: Alexis Andrews
By far, the biggest topic of discussion in 2013 when it comes to manning a vessel is the training had by those on board. First Officer Adam Aldum told TheSuperyachtOwner.com the one thing he’d like to see most in 2014 is, “more boats taking personal training seriously for crews; developing their skills and talents to create a better place for us all!”
For owners this should be a primary concern – the crew are the yacht’s operators and the cogs of the superyacht industry. However, with insufficient training, the results can materialize into anything from high levels of crew turnover to, in the worst-case scenarios, accidents or even fatalities; in 2013 TheCrewReport.com reported on eight crewmember fatalities – a shocking statistic. Safety should always be the primary concern of our industry, and it all begins with training of your crew.
However, in 2013 there was a high demand from crew for owners to pay for the advancement of a yacht’s crew, and going forward into 2014 this is certainly something that owners should be looking at and consequently establishing training policies, if they have not already done so.
Captain Carlo Summonti of 65m motoryacht Nataly tells TheSuperyachtOwner.com how Nataly’s on-board training policy works – and succeeds: “As a general rule I think that necessary basic standard training should be a crewmember’s personal issue. However, any particular training that needs to be held by a crewmember in order to maintain the boat’s certificate and comply with rules will be paid for or reimbursed by the owning company. For example, in order to comply with rule sand keep the boat’s validity, it was necessary for the chief mate to attend Ship Security Officer training. Also, for all stews it is now compulsory to be certified for food preparation and handling. We establish that fifty per cent of reimbursement will be refunded to the crewmember after six months of service on board; the remaining 50 per cent after one year’s service.” The result: “My boat, thanks to the owner, has a permanent crew of eleven. Since the boat’s delivery in spring 2011 not one of the permanent crew has changed, and four of them have been with the owner and I since the previous boat five years ago.”
"Owners, captains and management are increasingly supportive of training
for interior crew. Approximately ninety per cent of our courses are
selected and funded by the yacht, rather than the individual."
- Charlotte Roche, marketing director, The Crew Academy
- Charlotte Roche, marketing director, The Crew Academy
More captains are praising their owners for establishing training policies on board, and this is even something that is moving into the interior – a department that has seen very little organisation in this matter in the past, yet in the past 12 months has seen the introduction of Professional Yachting Association-accredited courses and an established career path under the GUEST programme. Charlotte Roch, marketing director at The Crew Academy, told TheSuperyachtOwner.com that, “Owners, captains and management are increasingly supportive of training for interior crew. Approximately ninety per cent of our courses are selected and funded by the yacht, rather than the individual.”
As long as owners continue to understand the importance and long-term benefits of established and contractual training policies – longevity, on-board cohesion and, ultimately, a safer yachting environment – 2014 has the potential to be very successful when it comes to the manning of owners’ vessels, and the industry, as we have seen, is already in a strong position to take this lesson forward for 2014.
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