Volume 31… Number 22, June 3, 2025
STORIES COVERED
In This Issue:
- Fatigue Remains an Intractable Problem for Seafarers, New Study Shows
- Abandoned Seafarers Tell Their Stories With Help From the ITF
- Sen. Mark Kelly Honored by US Shipbuilders With Maritime Leadership Award
- Adm. Kevin E. Lunday Nominated to Be New Coast Guard Commandant
- NTSB 2024 Safer Seas Digest Details Lessons Learned From Investigations
- Authorities Find Multiple Deficiencies on Ship That Grounded in Norway
Mark Your Calendar:
- MM&P Holiday Closing Schedule
- Membership Meeting in the Oakland Hall on Monday, June 16
- Membership Meeting in Los Angeles/Long Beach Hall on Tuesday, June 17
Job Opportunities:
And:
FATIGUE REMAINS AN INTRACTABLE PROBLEM FOR SEAFARERS, NEW STUDY SHOWS
Seafarers report increasing levels of work-related fatigue and anxiety, according to a study released at the end of May by Cardiff University.
The research was based on interviews and anonymous questionnaires completed by 1,240 cargo ship workers and 1,202 cruise ship workers.
The researchers compared the results of the new survey to information they collected on the same topics in 2011 and 2016.
“Despite better monitoring of work/rest hours, fatigue remains an intractable problem for seafarers,” said Professor Helen Sampson, director of Cardiff University’s Seafarers’ International Research Centre.
“Evidence shows there are many instances of work/rest hours records being falsified, but even when the Maritime Labor Convention is followed,” she added, “seafarers can still be left without enough rest.”
More than a third of the seafarers who were working aboard a cargo ship at the time they completed the questionnaire reported that they had not had enough sleep in the past 48 hours because of workloads, schedules, duties while in port, vessel movement and noise.
The problem has worsened since the 2016 and 2011 studies were conducted, Sampson said.
In particular, a higher number of respondents now blame fatigue on work-related anxiety, general anxiety or homesickness.
Insufficient sleep as a result of work-related anxiety was a particularly acute problem for senior officers.
Cruise ship workers also reported being unable to get enough sleep.
“There are many areas where improvements can be made to protect the health and wellbeing of seafarers in the cruise and cargo sectors,” concludes Sampson.
“An overhaul of work/rest hours regulations is long overdue.”
“The regulations need to be changed to provide for an uninterrupted rest period for all seafarers which is aligned with the recommended levels of sleep for adults.”
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ABANDONED SEAFARERS TELL THEIR STORIES WITH HELP FROM THE ITF
Crewmembers aboard an offshore support vessel that was abandoned seven months ago in Indonesia have taken to social media, using YouTube and Tik Tok to tell their stories with help from the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
In a recent video that has been posted online, the 15 crewmembers of the STAR APOLLO, all of whom are nationals of India, stand on deck holding signs.
“We don’t have salary for last 5 months,” one reads. “When we ask about salary, company threatens us.”
“No proper food onboard,” another sign reads.
Unions have called 2024 “the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment.” Now the problem is getting worse.
The number of cases has increased by almost 33 percent year-on-year: 158 cases have been recorded in the first five months of this year, compared to 119 at the same point in 2024.
“Abandonment is a growing, systemic problem,” says ITF General-Secretary Stephen Cotton.
“The fact that we’re on track to break last year’s appalling record is a sign that urgent reform is needed.”
The ITF steps in to recover unpaid wages: ITF inspectors recovered more than $58.1m last year.
But with the number of cases climbing, the ITF says its ability to respond is being stretched.
The flag-of-convenience system, which makes it possible to register vessels in countries with weak regulatory oversight and limited transparency, is at the center of the crisis.
“We’re dealing with owners who vanish, often protected by substandard registries that do nothing,” says ITF Inspectorate Head Steve Trowsdale.
“It’s often impossible to even identify who owns a vessel.”
Today, over 50 percent of the world’s merchant fleet is registered in FOC states, which together account for more than 80 percent of abandonment cases.
“We must expose and reform the FOC system,” Cotton says. “Every vessel must carry a flag that provides a transparent, traceable link to its true beneficial owner.”
The ITF is calling for a complete overhaul of vessel registration systems and stronger enforcement tools for regulators, including giving authorities the power to detain vessels linked to wage theft or abandonment, and guaranteeing food, wages, and repatriation for seafarers who have been left behind.
“Only through a genuine link between a vessel and its owner—and the political will to enforce international maritime law—can we end this crisis,” Cotton says.
MM&P is one of the 670 transport unions in 147 countries that belong to the ITF.
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SEN. MARK KELLY HONORED BY US SHIPBUILDERS WITH MARITIME LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Shipbuilders Council of America has honored Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) with its Maritime Leadership Award.
The award is given annually to a national leader who demonstrates outstanding support for the US shipbuilding and repair industry.
Kelly is a Navy veteran and the first member of Congress to have attended the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.
“Senator Kelly has worked closely with industry stakeholders and policymakers to shape a once-in-a-generation bipartisan piece of legislation, the SHIPS for America Act, that will bolster the entire US shipbuilding and ship repair sector and the affiliated industrial base,” said SCA President Matthew Paxton.
“His leadership with the SHIPS Act serves as a driving force in ensuring long-term investments in our global growth and in the future maritime workforce.”
MM&P and MIRAID are among the more than 75 organizations that have endorsed the legislation, which has overwhelming industry support.
Paxton said Kelly’s efforts and those of the bill’s other cosponsors in Congress, “reflect a commitment to advancing legislation that invests in US shipyards, modernizes the US naval fleet, incentivizes the purchase of US-built commercial vessels and ensures a stable pipeline of skilled workers to sustain the maritime industrial base.”
“His unique perspective and continued leadership have made him a true champion for America’s maritime future.”
In accepting the award, Kelly cited America’s “proud legacy as a shipbuilding nation.”
But he warned that the country has fallen behind China in a sector that’s central to our economy and national security.
“Now is the moment to reinvest in American shipbuilding and ship repair to restore our shipyards to their full potential,” Kelly said.
“A strong industrial base means more good paying jobs, enhanced military readiness, and a more secure supply chain.”
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ADM. KEVIN E. LUNDAY NOMINATED TO BE NEW COAST GUARD COMMANDANT
President Trump has nominated Adm. Kevin E. Lunday to lead the US Coast Guard.
Lunday is currently acting commandant, a position he has held since Adm. Linda Fagen was relieved of her command in January.
Lunday will need to go through the Senate confirmation process before he is sworn in as the service’s 28th commandant.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Lunday’s nomination last month during the Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony.
During her address, she also announced a plan to transform the Coast Guard by expanding its military role, boosting recruitment and reducing the number of admirals by 25 percent.
As part of the administration’s plan, a new position will be created, Secretary of the Coast Guard.
The person who fills the position will be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and will operate like the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Noem is the top civilian in the Coast Guard because the service falls under the Department of Homeland Security. The new service secretary position will report to her directly.
The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing to examine the programs and structure of the Coast Guard on Thursday, June 5, at 10:00 a.m.
Information about the hearing, “The Future of the Coast Guard: Review of Coast Guard Programs and Structure,” will be posted online as it becomes available.
A link to watch the hearing live will also be posted.
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NTSB 2024 SAFER SEAS DIGEST DETAILS LESSONS LEARNED FROM INVESTIGATIONS
The National Transportation Safety Board has released Safer Seas Digest 2024, which details the most important lessons learned from the maritime investigations completed last year.
The digest sets forth the facts and analyzes the probable causes of 34 maritime accidents, including collisions, capsizings, fires, floodings, groundings and damage to machinery.
Among the incidents detailed in the report are the engine room fire aboard the SANDY GROUND and the fire aboard the dinner cruise vessel SPIRIT OF BOSTON.
The digest highlights the need for safety management systems for passenger vessels, a safety issue that the NTSB has identified in numerous marine investigations.
An SMS is an effective tool for safety oversight. It is designed to reduce human error, to create a culture of safety at all organizational levels and to reduce the risk of maritime casualties. The NTSB encourages operators to act now and implement an SMS today.
The Safer Seas Digest 2024 is available online. Previous editions are available on NTSB.gov.
The NTSB’s Office of Marine Safety investigates major marine casualties on the navigable waters of the US and accidents involving US-flagged vessels worldwide.
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AUTHORITIES FIND MULTIPLE DEFICIENCIES ON SHIP THAT GROUNDED IN NORWAY
Port State inspectors have found multiple deficiencies on NCL SALTEN, the feeder ship that ran aground in a garden in Byneset, Norway, on May 22.
The second officer, who has been arrested on a charge of “negligent navigation,” told the authorities that he fell asleep while alone on the bridge and that no alarm had sounded to wake him up.
The vessel was refloated after five days and moved to a dock in Orkanger. It will be held there until Cyprus, the flag state, provides written confirmation that the bridge alarm system has been repaired.
The AIS track shows the vessel failed to change course after entering a fjord and proceeded straight at a speed of 16 knots before it came to rest on the lawn of a shoreside home.
Besides the broken bridge alarm system, inspectors reported that the ISM system did not meet requirements and that the engine room hatch was so heavy that it was difficult to open from the inside.
There were 16 crewmembers aboard the ship, including a Norwegian captain and a crew of Russians and Ukrainians.
The captain has been named a person of interest in the case and will be questioned once the salvage operation is complete, the authorities said.
The ship is owned by Waterway Shipping and operated by Baltnautic Shipmanagement, both of Lithuania.
It is operating under charter to North Sea Container Line on a feeder route along the Norwegian coast that connects to Rotterdam and Hamburg.
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MM&P HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE
All MM&P union halls, MM&P headquarters, the MM&P Plan Office, and the MM&P Federal Credit Union will be closed on Thursday, June 19, for Juneteenth.
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MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN THE OAKLAND HALL ON MONDAY, JUNE 16
There will be a membership meeting in the MM&P Oakland Hall on Monday, June 16, immediately after the 11:00 a.m. job call.
MM&P Secretary-Treasurer J. Lars Turner, Pacific Ports Vice President Melany Velleca and Port Agent-Pacific Ports John Taylor will attend the meeting.
The Oakland Hall is located at:
315 Broadway, Second Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510-808-7068
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MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN LOS ANGELES/LONG BEACH HALL ON TUESDAY, JUNE 17
There will be a membership meeting in the MM&P Oakland Hall on Monday, June 16, immediately after the 11:00 a.m. job call.
MM&P Secretary-Treasurer J. Lars Turner, Pacific Ports Vice President Melany Velleca and Port Agent-Pacific Ports John Taylor will attend the meeting.
The Los Angeles/Long Beach Hall is located at:
533 N. Marine Ave., Ste A
Wilmington, CA 90744-5527
Phone: 310-834-7201
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ATLANTIC MARITIME Jobs
Buchanan is looking for two Mates with a Mate of Towing in Inland Waters Endorsement.
If you are interested, please fill out an application on the company’s website Buchanan Marine LP. Click on “Careers” and scroll down to “Apply Online.”
If you have questions, please send an email to: ptrzepacz@bridegeck.org.
Reinauer Transportation is looking for a Mate with a 500 Ton license with a near coastal and TOAR.
If you have questions, please contact Keith Poissant at 973-420-0492 or kpoissant@bridgedeck.org
Staten Island Ferry is looking for Provisional Marine Oilers with their QMED.
If you are interested, please fill out an application with the attached link
https://cityjobs.nyc.gov/job/marine-oiler-in-staten-island-jid-27357
If you have questions, please send an email to: Aturzio@bridegeck.org
Statue City Cruises is looking for Deckhands, and Mates and Captains with a 100-ton license.
If you are interested, please fill out an application on the company’s website Statue of Liberty Tickets & Tour Experiences – Statue City Cruises.
Click on “Careers” on the bottom right.
Once you do that, please contact Paulina at ptrzepacz@bridgedeck.org.
OFFSHORE JOBS
Senior LMSR positions available.
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Great Lakes & Gulf Jobs
mmediate openings in the Great Lakes region for the following permanent jobs:
Grand River Navigation MATES and CAPTAINS (28/28 Rotation)
Grand River Navigation ASSISTANT ENGINEERS – 1st, 2nd, 3rd or DDE (28/28 Rotation)
Weeks Marine QMED – Must have STCW documents: AS-E, VPDSD, RFPEW (21/21 Rotation)
Great Lakes Towing CAPTAINS – Must live within one hour of Ports; Detroit, Toledo, Chicago, Duluth, Cleveland, Buffalo
If you’re interested in applying or want more information, please contact MM&P GL&G Vice President Ed Lulko, elulko@bridgedeck.org.
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MITAGS ACADEMIC NOTES
For registration contact our Admissions Department: 866.656.5568 or admissions@mitags.org
Classes are 5-day unless otherwise noted
Class dates followed by an * are full
AB – Able Seaman (5-Day): 09/22/25
ARPA-OIC– Automated Radar Plotting Aids (4-Day): Not currently scheduled
AZIPOD (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRM – Bridge Resource Management (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRMP-EMR –Bridge Resource Management for Pilots with Emergency Shiphandling – (Now also included in BRMP-Refresher) (3-Day): 10/20/25
BT – Basic Safety Training (5-Day): 09/08/25
BT-Revalidation (2-day) (Must have 1 year of sea service in last 5 years): 06/09/25, 09/22/25, 10/20/25, 11/12/25
BT-Refresher (3-day): 09/22/25
CHS-OIC – Cargo Handling Basic (5-Day): Not Currently scheduled
[CMM – Chief Mate and Master Courses]
ADVSTB – Advanced Stability (5-Day): 06/09/25, 08/04/25, 10/13/25, 12/08/25
ADVWX – Advanced Meteorology (5-Day): 06/02/25, 07/28/25, 12/01/25
CHS-CMM – Advanced Cargo Operations (10 Days): Not Currently Scheduled
CM-OPS 1 – Chief Mate Operations (5-Day): 08/18/25, 10/20/25
CM-OPS 2 Maersk – Chief Mate Operations II Maersk Specific (5-Day): 8/25/25, 10/27/25
ECDIS – Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
LMS – Leadership and Managerial Skills (5-Day): 06/23/25, 10/06/25, 12/15/25
MPP-CMM – Marine Propulsion Plants (5-Day): 09/15/25
(DCS-1 available on request – contact Admissions)
SHMGT-CMM- Ship Management (5-Day): 09/22/25
SHS-ADV-I-CMM – Advanced Shiphandling (week 1) (5-Day): 06/09/25, 07/14/25*, 08/11/25, 09/15/25, 10/06/25, 11/03/25, 12/01/25
SHS-ADV-II-CMM – Advanced Shiphandling (week 2) (5-Day): 06/16/25, 07/21/25, 08/18/25, 09/22/25, 10/13/25, 11/10/25, 12/05/25
VPEN-CMM – Voyage Planning & Electronic Navigation (5-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
WKP-CMM – Advanced Watchkeeping (5-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
WX-HW-PAC – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Pacific Ocean (2-day): 08/02/25
CIW-DPA/IA – Continual Improvement Workshop: Designated Person Ashore & Internal Auditor (3-Day) ** This course is NOT covered by the MATES Program **Online: Not Currently Scheduled
CNAV-OIC– Celestial Navigation (15-Day): Not currently scheduled
DDE – Great Lakes (20-Day): Not currently scheduled
ECDIS for Pilots (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
FF-ADV – Advanced Firefighting (4-day): Not currently scheduled
FF-BADV – Fire Fighting Combined Basic & Advanced (5-Day): 09/08/25
FF-ADV-Rev (1-day) (Must have 1 year of sea service in last 5 years) – Advanced Fire Fighting Revalidation: 06/11/25, 09/24/25, 11/22/25, 11/14/25
FF-ADV-REF (2-day) – Advanced Fire Fighting Refresher: 09/18/25, 11/10/25
FSM – Fatigue, Sleep, & Medications (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
GL-Pilot – Great Lakes Pilotage Familiarization (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
GMDSS – Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (10-Day): Not currently scheduled
HAZ – Hazardous Materials (5 day): 07/21/25
LAP – License Advancement Program for Mate to Master (20-Day): 07/21/25
LAP-Great Lakes – License Advancement Program – Great Lakes (15-Day): Not currently scheduled
LAP-ORG3rd – License Advancement Program for Original 3rd Mate, Oceans, Any Gross Ton License (15-Day): 06/03/25
LEG – Legal Aspects of Pilotage (1-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
LNG-BADV – Basic and Advanced IGF Code Operations (3 Day): 06/04/25*, 08/18/25*, 08/21/25, 10/01/25, 10/15/25, 12/15/25
LTS –Leadership and Teamworking Skills (Formerly MCL-OIC) (1-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
MEECE – Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment (Assessments /not included): Not Currently Scheduled
MED-PIC – Medical Person in Charge (10-Day): 05/12/25, 07/07/25, 10/06/25, 10/17/25
MED-PIC-REF– Medical Person in Charge Refresher: 08/04/25
MED-PRO – Medical Care Provider: (5-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
MED-DOT-DA – Dept. of Transportation Drug & Alcohol Testing (1-Day): 05/17/25, 07/12/25, 08/09/25, 10/11/25, 11/16/25, 12/13/25
[MSC – Military Sealift Command Courses]
MSC-ATO-II – Military Sealift Command Anti-Terrorism Officer II (MSC-ATO-III included) (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
MSC-CBRD-OFF – Military Sealift Command Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Officer (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
MSC-CBRD-1 – Military Sealift Command Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Orientation (Basic) (1-Day): 06/12/25, 08/07/25, 09/11/25
MSC-DC – Military Sealift Command Damage Control (2-day): 06/13/25, 08/08/25, 09/12/25
MSC-ENVPRO (1-Day – Evening Class): 08/10/25, 09/14/25
MSC-SMA – Military Sealift Command Small Arms Qualifications (4-Day): 06/16/25, 08/11/25, 09/15/25
MSC-Security Watch Basic (1-Day/ 8-hour): 06/14/25, 08/09/25, 09/13/25
MSC-Security Watch Advanced (1-Day): 06/15/25, 08/10/25, 09/14/25
MSC-Ship’s Reaction Force (3-Day): 06/20/25, 08/15/25, 09/19/25
NSAP-MMP – Navigational Skills Assessment Program-MM&P (2-Day): 04/29/25*, 05/01/25*, 07/08/25*, 07/10/25*, 08/26/25*, 08/28/25*, 09/30/25*, 10/02/25, 12/02/25, 12/04/25
PSC – Personal Survival Craft (Lifeboatman) (5-Day): 09/15/25
PSC-REF – Personal Survival Craft Refresher (2-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
Qualified Assessor (Online): Contact Admissions
RFPNW – Ratings Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (3-day): Not Currently Scheduled
ROR-1N – Radar Observer Renewal Evening Classes (1-Night): 09/24/25, 11/11/25
ROU-OIC – Radar Observer Unlimited: Not currently scheduled
SAR – Search & Rescue (3-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
SHS-BAS-OIC – Basic Shiphandling: Not Currently Scheduled
SHS-EMR5 – Emergency Shiphandling (5 Day): 06/23/25, 07/28/25, 09/08/25
STB-OIC – Ship Construction and Basic Stability: Not currently scheduled
TCNAV/CO – Terrestrial Navigation and Compasses (15-Day): 07/28/25
TPIC – Tankerman Person in Charge: Not currently scheduled
TTT – ** NOT covered by the MATES Program: Not currently scheduled
VSO – Vessel Security Officer (3-Day): 08/18/25
WKP-OIC – Watchkeeping (Operational Level) (10-Day): 09/15/25
WX-OIC –Meteorology (Operational Level): Not currently scheduled
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MITAGS–WEST ACADEMIC NOTES
2024 Fall/Winter
SCHEDULE OF COURSES – (Please also see our schedule and enroll online at www.mitags.org)
FOR REGISTRATION CONTACT OUR ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT 866.656.5568 OR admissions@mitags.org
June 2025
9-13 Med PIC Refresher
9-13 Advanced Shiphandling I
16-17 Basic Training Revalidation
16-20 Advanced Shiphandling II
18th Advanced Firefighting Revalidation
23-26 Advanced Firefighting
23-27 Advanced Stability
The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly is the official electronic newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, 700 Maritime Blvd., Suite B, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1953. Phone: 410-850-8700; Fax: 410-850-0973. All rights reserved. The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly©2023. Articles can be reprinted without prior permission if credit is given to The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly.
For subscriptions, address changes or messages to the editor, send an email to communications@bridgedeck.org.
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