THE BRIDGE - Hamburger Lloyd€¦ ·  · 2018-02-26bulk carriers, it is prudent and ... in order to docu- ... Regularly the cargo holds of bulk carriers are inspected prior to loading

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

N E W S L E T T E R

THE BRIDGEHAMBURGER LLOYD SHORE TO SHIP

M A R C H 2018

No. 37

editorial

Dear readers,

Gong Xi Fa Cai 2018 – now the Chinese New Year has also begun. Welcome to the year of the dog.

According to Chinese astrology, a year of consistency awaits us; one in which per-severance and diligence are rewarded. We are relying heavily on this, because the depressive economic development of the shipping markets has been keeping us in suspense for ten years now – ever since September 2008. But there is confi-dence and reasonable hope that the mar-kets will keep up their upwards swing this year – in keeping with the year of the dog:

Tenaciousness and perseverance will help us reach our goals.

In the same way that Christopher Colum-bus did not – as planned – discover a new sea passage to India, but America: with perseverance and consistency.

An article on Pre-Loading Surveys offers insights into maritime operations, and a re-port on the Moldavian metropolis of Prague may well awaken your desire to travel.

Do you know the properties of amber? And what do you know about tobacco? You will find answers to these and many other questions right here in this issue.

Diligent (perseverant and tenacious) in-ventors, by the way, have come up with amphibious buses; the “Riverbus” is a rather interesting road user – certainly

not for worldwide operation, but read for yourselves.

The film “Life of Pi” also embodies the ad-jectives that go with consistency, perse-verance, and diligence. Read more about this in the 37th issue of “THE BRIDGE”, our company newsletter, which has once again been compiled with tenaciousness, perseverance, and diligence.

I hope you have a fun and interesting read.

Cordially yours,

Hauke Pane

For a shipowner, the responsibility for the cargoes carried generally begins at the time of loading. At this point the ship-owner, customarily represented by the vessel’s Master and officers, has to con-duct a pre-loading cargo inspection as one of the carrier’s (and in this case also the ship-owner’s) obligations.

The Master and the vessel’s officers are cannot be experts for all available cargoes,

however. They can only reasonably ascer-tain the external visual condition of the cargo and packaging, and obvious discrep-ancies to “apparent good order and condi-tion” as per the Bill of Lading, which has to be signed afterwards. As there are certain cargoes that are more sensitive to damages than others are, and for all deeper investi-gations (as well as in cases of doubt), ex-perts need to be involved.When it comes to certain steel cargoes for

bulk carriers, it is prudent and meanwhile also common to appoint external surveyors due to the commonplace and high costs of claims. These steel cargoes particularly in-clude (but are not limited to) finished prod-ucts such as tin plates, steel pipes, or wire rods, which can easily be damaged by han-dling, water, and moisture.

Even if the vessel’s Master and Officers had expert knowledge

Avoiding Cargo Claims on Bulk CarriersPre-loading Cargo Surveys

continued on page 2

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

on certain finished steel products, there would usually not be sufficient time to carry out a detailed inspection before load-ing operations start, and time pressure on the vessel’s crew is already high, because loading operations tend to start promptly upon berthing. Therefore, the appointment of external competent surveyors is essen-tial in such cases, in order to determine adequately and completely the condition of the cargo.

A surveyor is preferably already appointed before the ship arrives in the port of load-ing, so that he can inspect the designated cargo beforehand at the berth or wher-ever it is stored. In many cases the storage place is not known to the shipowner, the appointed surveyor, or the vessel’s local agents; or access is denied. In such cases, the cargo has to be inspected as early as

possible and at latest when it arrives at the berth for loading, in order to ascertain that the description of the cargo is equal to its actual state. Furthermore, the loading op-erations should take place under perma-nent supervision by the vessel’s crew and the appointed surveyor, in order to docu-ment damages that may occur during load-ing, e.g. by stevedores or through rain.

Regularly the cargo holds of bulk carriers are inspected prior to loading operations, en-suring that their condition is suitable for the

cargo to be received. This may also include, among other things, the ventilation and bilge pumping systems. In some cases, even hatch cover ultra-sonic tests are performed in order to minimize the risk of water ingress.

Before the shipping documents are signed, the condition of the cargo has to be prop-erly determined. In the case that the cargo

is not as described, the consequent claus-ing of the Mate’s Receipt and the Bill of Lad-ing is a very important part of the carrier's obligations (if the cargo is not rejected alto-gether). One of the functions a Bill of Land-ing serves is being a receipt for the goods, and thereby a prima facie evidence of the cargo’s condition. The Mate’s Receipt and the Bill of Lading must therefore reflect the correct description of the cargo, its quan-tity, and its condition without inaccuracies, otherwise this would amount to an alleged fraud which would not only interfere with the vessel’s P&I cover:

In case the cargo is not in apparent good or-der and condition in the port of discharge, a claim against the carrier (respectively the ship-owner) may be raised. The only avail-able defense would then be proof that the damages were already pre-existent, known to the Master, and adequately described in the Bill of Lading. If this was done properly, all cargo claims would involve the seller and the buyer of the cargo only.

In the case of pre-existing cargo damages, it is thus also recommendable to engage competent external surveyors in the port of discharge, in order to further minimize the risk of exposure of claims.

Sources: • gard.no; ukpandi.com; skuld.com

Preloading Cargo Surveys continued

Steel cargo at berth before loading Rust stained steel coils in hold

Considering the high demand for Marine Engineering Officers, we started a cooper-ation with the Ethiopian Manning Agency (EMA) in 2011 that would allow us to hire Engine Cadets from Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is not very well known, yet it is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the second most populated nation, with approximately 100 million inhabitants. Many highly motivated and well-educated young people looking for job opportunities live there.

The capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, with a population of more than four million, is also called the “political capital of Africa” because the headquarters of the African

Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are located there. As a major hub in Africa, many airline carriers connect through Addis Ababa air-port, which is beneficial for seafarers join-ing vessels all over the world.

While Amharic is the official language in Ethiopia, English is the official business lan-guage and the most popular language; it is taught in all schools and universities.

Some people might wonder how a coun-try without a coastline can produce sea-farers. But the highly developed training centre EMTI, Ethiopian Maritime Training Institute – an Academy with a huge 22-hec-tare campus located on the shores of Lake

Tana – trains more than 500. This happens in close cooperation with Bahir-Dar Uni-versity (BDU), one of the country’s leading universities, comprising more than four col-leges, three institutes, three faculties, and one school.

Every candidate who wants to join EMTI has to first obtain a five-year university degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, and successfully complete university-level courses in English.

The Cadets at EMTI are provided with full accommodation during their studies, in-cluding meals. The Academy offers a fully housed workshop that includes an opera-tional marine auxiliary engine, various on-

Ethiopian Maritime Training InstituteTrain around 500 Marine and Electrical Engineers annually

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

board mechanical instruments, as well as welding and fitting equipment. Part of the

practical training is also carried out in the Academy’s engine simulator. The technol-

ogy is provided by ARI simulation, one of the industry’s leading training simulation technology developers.

Every EMTI Engine Cadet has to undergo twelve months of sea service, divided into six months each on RHL vessels, after which their license is ready for release and they can im-mediately start working as Third Engineers.Since 2011, we have hired several Cadets on board RHL vessels. Five of these have already turned into good Third Engineers, who are an integral part of our on-board teams. We are happy to report that the first two of them are going to attend the Senior Management Level course, which starts at the beginning of March this year, and we are very much looking forward to having them back on board our vessels as Second Engineers very soon!

We stay true to our policy of selecting crew from all over the world, because ability is neither connected to nationality nor origin, but simply to the person.

Mainbuildung EMTI Opening ceremony of the mainbuiliding

Students of EMTI Training modell engine room

Ever since April 2016, the HafenCity Riv-erbus company has been offering both a city sightseeing tour and a harbour boat tour through Germany’s largest sea port, all in one and in a single vehicle. The mod-ern amphibious vehicle seats 36 (plus three crew) and combines city sightsee-ing with a harbour boat tour, which is a brand-new and almost unique idea on the German market. The city cruise is a very special experience for the passen-gers, who get taken through the modern

“Hafen City” harbour quarter, the historic warehouse district, and along the north-ern branch of the river Elbe (called the “Billwerder Bight”) – both ashore and on the water, without changing vehicles.

The idea of combining city and river tours in a single vehicle has its origins in the USA, about 20 years ago in the so-called “Boston Docks”. Here, they used amphibious vehi-cles form World War II. But due to EU en-vironmental and safety regulations, these

more than 70-year-old “Ducks” cannot be operated in Hamburg. The two founders of the HafenCity Riverbus GmbH, Jan Peter Mahlstedt and Fred Franken, joined forces with international experts to draw up the plans for their unique amphibious vehicle, the Swimbus 12.00. All relevant rules and regulations were implemented, approved by “TÜV Rheinland” (a German Technical Inspection Authority) and Germanischer Lloyd. The HafenCity RiverBus concept took second place at the 2017 Tourism Prize Awards of the German Automotive Society ADAC.

Eleven crew members are behind the com-pany and are responsible for sales, process-ing, and the daily tour plan, which varies due to tidal and seasonal discrepancies.All drivers are in possession of a valid pas-senger transportation licence, as well as navigational or fishing Master Mariner’s li-cences.

The HafenCity RiverBus follows a route from the inner city “Brooktorkai” stop through the old warehouse district and the “Hafen

Hafen City River BusHamburg’s only amphibian city sightseeing tour

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Smoking causes heart attacks, diabetes, impotence, cataracts and cancer. That much is well-known. But the desire for a fag is also responsible for deforestation, infertile soils and child labour, most no-tably in developing and emerging coun-tries. And cigarette butts are becoming one of the greatest waste problems on beaches and shorelines all over the world.

Tobacco consumption frequently leads to severe diseases and socio-economic prob-lems. But these are not the only difficulties. There are considerable risks to health, so-ciety and the environment associated just with the farming of tobacco. Tobacco farm-ing contributes towards the destruction of forests, the contamination of soil and the pollution of waters. This can cause serious damage to the health of the workers. Fur-thermore, tobacco farming has repeatedly been linked to child labour, famine and poverty. Tobacco cultivation leaves a dev-astating trail of ecocide and social misery in its wake.

Currently an area of 36,000 square kilome-tres in about 120 countries is used for the

production of raw tobacco. This cultivation area corresponds to less than one percent of the world’s total agricultural surface, but is almost equal to the area of Baden-Würt-temberg (Germany’s third largest federal state, in the country’s south-west). For com-parison: Baden-Württemberg’s total area is 35,751 square kilometres.

The global tobacco harvest has nearly dou-

bled over the past five decades. Global pro-duction totalled around 4.3 million tons in 1963, and almost 7.5 million tons in 2013. By far the biggest tobacco producer is Chi-na, followed by Brazil and India, the USA, Indonesia and Malawi.

In the past years and decades, tobacco pro-duction has shifted more and more from industrialised to developing nations. The

Tobacco farming is a danger to the environmentA wide range of consequences is clearly noticeable

City” quarter, along the “Bakenhafen” port

area and through Hamburg-Rothenburg-sort, and finally onto a ramp– modified especially for the RiverBus– on the island of Entenwerder. The “splashdown” into the water is a highlight of the tour.

Now on a boat, the tour continues up-

river towards and through the imposing “Tiefstack” flood barrier, the second larg-est in Germany. The Billwerder Bight – this is where the flood barrier is situated – is

a multi-faceted, industrial-romantic area steeped in history.

With the timber harbour area, in the midst of shipyards and jetties, the HafenCity Riv-erBus reaches one of Hamburg’s last fresh-water mud-flat areas. Afterwards, the Bus

returns to Entenwerder, where it leaves the water via the ramp, and takes the land route back to the point of departure.

Competent guides– funny, charming, and knowledgeable– take their audience through the journey. The bus is air-condi-tioned, has auxiliary heating and an audio system. Its maximum speed is 65 km/h ashore, and 7 kn on the water.

There are daily departures from February 01 to December 31. Further information can be found at: www.hafencityriverbus.de or via email to: [email protected]

Source: • HAFENCITY RIVERBUS GmbH• photo source: Sven Mainzer Fotografie

Hafen City River Bus continued

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

reasons for this are lower production costs and less stringent requirements when it comes to environmental and health protec-tion standards in these countries. Children – whose health suffers massively, and who cannot go to school and receive an educa-tion due to the work on the plantations – are particularly affected.

Tobacco is cultivated in big monocultures. This promotes the proliferation of pests and pathogens, which in turn leads to the use of toxic pesticides. Pesticides and fertilis-ers pollute soils and groundwater. Tobacco plants withdraw considerably more nutri-ents from the soil, and more quickly too, than any other agricultural crop. This causes soil fertility to decrease rapidly. A decline in groundwater levels and general desertifica-tion are visible consequences of this devel-opment. And as a result, tobacco farmers are constantly on the look-out for new cul-tivable land, and large forest areas are often cut down for this purpose. All of the world’s tobacco fields lined up in a row have an area larger than Switzerland. An area where the soil is depleted, full to the limit with fertilis-ers, and steadily eroding away.

When tobacco leaves have been harvested, they have to be dried. 150kg of wood are needed to dry a single kilogram of tobacco. So if you smoke 20 cigarettes a day, you are more or less burning a whole tree every 14 days. At least 1.2 million hectares of forest are cut down every year in order to get new croplands and for drying tobacco leaves with wood fires.

Tobacco farming has direct consequences for the people who live in tobacco-grow-ing countries, and for their communities. Direct contact with tobacco leaves, for ex-ample, can cause “Green Tobacco Sickness” through dermal absorption of nicotine. Nausea, dizziness and skin irritation are characteristic symptoms of this disease, from which adolescent tobacco pickers suffer most frequently. The contact with pesticides can also cause serious health damage. Cultivating tobacco instead of food crops can lead to malnourishment of a community. And, last but not least, to-bacco farmers are economically dependent on the tobacco industry, i.e. they lose their independence and freedom.In developing countries, child labour is nothing unusual. Out of economic neces-sity, many families are forced to resort to their children’s “manpower”. But these chil-

dren are severely hampered in their physi-cal, mental and social development. And this, in turn, has a massive negative impact on the society in which they live. Malawi: In 2009, the international children’s aid organisation “Plan International” re-searched the extent and the consequences of child labour on Malawian tobacco plan-tations. The conclusion was that about 80,000 minors in the country are regularly involved in the harvest and processing of raw tobacco – and that many of them suf-fer from a severe cough, head and stomach

aches, and muscle weakness (Myasthenia): all symptoms of nicotine poisoning. Ac-cording to a US study, a child working on a tobacco plantation without protective clothing can dermally absorb up to 54 mil-ligrams of nicotine; the same as smoking 50 cigarettes per day.

For decades now, the tobacco industry has been systematically covering up the risks of smoking. With aluminium-free, recycla-ble cigarette packs and “eco cigarettes” it has lately even been trying to give itself an “eco-friendly” label.

This much is a fact: Filters can absorb up to 50 percent of the tar contained in cigarette smoke. In the filters, toxic and carcinogenic substances accumulate in high concentra-tions – apart from nicotine and arsenic, these include heavy metals such as lead, copper, chromium and cadmium. Between them, all of the world’s cigarette butts can release 90 tons of nicotine and more than one ton of arsenic into the environment every year.

There is no other mass product that is as high-risk and dangerous as tobacco, in its production, consumption and disposal. Multibillion profits are made with it. But the follow-up costs in the healthcare and envi-ronmental areas are not borne by the origi-nators, the tobacco industry, but imposed

on society. A study has evaluated the eco-nomic costs of smoking. The assessment (2015) of the economists Professor Michael Adams and Dr Tobias Effertz, both from the Institute of Economics and Law at the University of Hamburg, comes to the con-clusion that, in Germany alone, the direct and indirect costs of tobacco consumption amount to about 34 billion Euros a year – this being a conservative and rather low es-timate, however, because it does not take into account the limitations to the quality of life of those affected, nor their or their

families’ suffering, nor the lost years of life. An estimated six million deaths every year can be traced back to smoking or passive smoking – more than malaria, tuberculo-sis and AIDS together. In Germany, where the smoking rate is 25 percent of the adult population (20 percent of the women, 30 percent of the men), smoking causes one in seven deaths.

Another aspect is the immense quantity of tobacco waste, mostly cigarette butts, which contains a wide variety of toxic and carcinogenic substances. These travel through the soil into the groundwater and end up in rivers and the sea, where they contribute to a gradual poisoning of the environment. Because the poisonous to-bacco plant is cultivated and consumed all over the world, its environmental risks are a global problem.

One in three pieces of rubbish found by ecological activists on the shorelines of our planet is a cigarette butt; plastic bags only come in second. Ski slopes and municipal parks are also veritable dumps. And when the snow melts and the rain sets in, the nic-otine addiction leftovers are washed into streams and rivers.

Sources:• http://www.dkfz.de/de/tabakkontrolle/?firstid=37160&c

f_session=7d72bd7283db8cd4ccf• https://www.unfairtobacco.org/• http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

LR has joined the Quadriga sustainable shipping project – an initiative from Ham-burg-based Sailing Cargo, which aims to build the world’s biggest sailing cargo ship.

The project outlines a plan to build a 170-meter car carrier, capable of carrying between 1,700 and 2,000 cars, which will be equipped with four DynaRig masts and will operate on hybrid propulsion with sails and diesel-electric engines, and an optional battery system for peak loads. The vessel will be capable of sailing at 10-12 knots with the aim of reaching 14-16 knots in the next few years through com-bined expertise.

Wind-assisted propulsion offers one of the few realistic options for introducing renewable power into shipping. The IMO target for CO2 emissions requires a 50 % reduction in global ship-sourced CO2 emissions by 2020, this means significant changes in the industry are required. LR’s Low Carbon Pathways 2050 study found that low carbon ships will need to enter the fleet by 2030 to help achieve this goal.

The big question is whether the technol-ogy will be available on the scale needed to achieve the level of reduction required. The consensus is that engineering ad-vances alone and the associated efficiency gains will simply not be enough to meet

the IMO target. Fuels will have to change and the Quadriga project provides one of the potential viable alternative solutions.

Uwe Köhler, founder of the Quadriga pro-ject, commented: “We must do the right thing for the future of our industry; the Quadriga project combines traditionally proven systems with cutting edge tech-nology and aims to provide a solution to

achieving the CO2 emissions reduction tar-get. We are delighted to be working with Lloyd’s Register on this project.”

LR’s Nico Dettmann, Marketing and Sales Manager for Central and Eastern Europe, Marine & Offshore, said: “It's a very excit-ing initiative to be involved in. It's always motivating for us to be involved from the concept stage of any project, especially those that involve innovative technology and new ways of doing things. We have a long history of working with and sup-porting our clients to bring their new and novel concepts, safely and robustly from inception to operational reality.”

Through consultancy during the design and specification stage followed by onsite new construction supervision, LR will help to en-sure compliance with the highest technical, safety and environmental standards upon realisation of the project. LR will also verify whether the predicted performance param-eters have been achieved.

Source:

© Lloyd's Register Group Services Limited.

Green ShippingLR joins project to build world’s biggest sailing cargo ship

Sleep has always been of great impor-tance to humankind. In ancient myths, it took the form of a god. Greek mythol-ogy named him Hypnos; he was the son of Nyx, the night, and lived in the under-world with his brother Thanatos, death. In those days it was assumed that sleep and death were related; death was the “brother of sleep”. Today we know that sleep may resemble death outwardly, but that neither body nor mind cease their ac-tivity during the phase of resting – quite the contrary.

Sleep is an active recovery process. It may look quite passive outwardly, but it is not. In terms of brain activity, we are some-times more alert asleep than when we are

awake. All regenerative processes are acti-vated. The so-called Human Growth Hor-mone (HGH) or somatotropin, for example, which is responsible for cell renewal and the breakdown of body fat, is only released during deep sleep phases. Everything that we have learned during the day is moved into long-term storage at night.

The Roman god of sleep was called Som-nus and was revered in ancient Rome, because sleep was sacred to Roman high society. So in those times people rested and slept whenever they could – whether in the bedroom at night or on a small di-van during the day; they would also read, eat, and receive guests lying down. And of course the men and women of the world

were softly bedded even when they were out and about; they preferably travelled in noble palanquins.

Thus sleep was, for many centuries, a com-pletely public matter. Depending on their social status and wealth, people not only

A short history of sleepSanctuary and sin

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

slept in the same room as all of their rela-tives and servants, but often also in the same bed. The bedroom, if indeed there was one, was by no means a private area, not even for kings or emperors. Louis XIV, for example, reportedly received his fam-ily, personal physicians, various noblemen, as well as ministers and undersecretar-ies, while he was still lying in bed, being dressed, or having breakfast.

Yet the more influence the church had on people, the less permissive life was allowed to be – even in their own bedrooms. First, nudity was banned from the bedrooms, and nightgowns covering the whole body, complete with a nightcap, became fash-ionable. Moreover, believers were not to do anything but sleep in their beds – and even that in moderation only. After all,

man had been banished from paradise to pay his great debts on earth through la-bour. Anyone who slept excessively was considered lazy – and thus a sinner.

With the beginning of industrialisation, sleep even came to be seen as superflu-ous and disruptive. When machines were invented which needed neither breaks nor sleep and could work around the clock, the human flaw that unnecessarily paralysed production processes became evident: People get tired. However, this was not given much attention in the 19th century. By the middle of the century, an 80-hour working week was normal in Germany, as was child labour.

To this day, sleep does not have a very good reputation. Quite a few people are

still convinced that sleep is a necessary evil that should be kept to a minimum. Sleep research has only recently shown that peo-ple can only stay creative and productive with a sufficient amount of healthy sleep. In this day and age, it worries us that sleep is not something that we can control. We cannot summon it; it must come to us of its own accord, without will or effort.

Yet at the beginning of the 20th century, it almost seemed as if man with his ingenu-ity had solved this problem: The sleeping pill was invented in 1902. Thanks to this barbiturate called Veronal, people finally seemed able to determine when and for how long they slept. But it quickly became evident that artificial sleep was not as rest-ful as proper sleep. Barbiturates suppress the vitally important dream sleep, and end up causing what they are supposed to com-bat: fatigue and exhaustion. In addition to night shifts on the assembly line, the 1920s saw the development of a party and cel-ebration culture, resulting in 24-hour days. The boundaries between day and night began to blur, and for the first time, lack of sleep affected all social classes.Various new measuring methods led to the invention of electroencephalography (EEG) in the early 1930s, which visualises the electrical activity of the brain, enabling the division of sleep into cycles. In the 1960s, chronobiology began researching the temporal organisation of physiologi-cal processes, including the sleep-wake rhythm: Every person has an individual rhythm; there are “owls” (evening people) and “larks” (morning people).

Nowadays we have complete digital con-trol over sleep. Mobile phone apps claim to be able to monitor and optimise individual sleep quality. The scientist Prof Jürgen Zul-ley commented on this as follows: “These apps don’t measure sleep but movement. They can only roughly deduce how long and how well you slept. The device cannot tell whether you are lying awake in bed or in a state of deep sleep. I think this hype is counterproductive. We know that a fixa-tion on sleep – and this is what constant monitoring leads to – increases the risk of sleep disorders. In the end, you cannot improve your sleep with these recordings.”

Sources:• www.schlafen-aktuell.de/wissenswertes/geschichte-des-schlafs• www.t-online.de/gesundheit/krankheiten-symptome • Zeit Wissen, No. 3, April/May 2016

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

RHL CONSCIENTIAFirst name(s) SurnameWeerasekara M. T. RanasingheSergej Jurov Thanh L. Nguyen Oleksandr Zhukov Andrei Shvyrkin Yury Konovalov Melvin B. Maranan Igor Khytryk Abel Antehunegn Asmare

Ricky C. WaniwanMichael D. VeridianoVirgilio Jr. A. LaureaFernando J. JosoyAlexander Romano L Magpantay Steven O. Ongbit Ronald G. Javier Ardiel F. Echin

Rhey Salvador J. Villanueva Joe Eric E. De La Cruz Jayson M. Tresvalles

RankMasterChief OfficerSecond OfficerThird OfficerChief EngineerSecond EngineerThird EngineerElectrical EngineerElectrical CadetElectrical CadetFitterCookBosunAble Seafarer Deck 1Able Seafarer Deck 2Able Seafarer Deck 3Ordinary Seaman 1Ordinary Seaman 2Deck CadetAble Seafarer Engine 1Able Seafarer Engine 2WiperMessman

RHL CONCORDIAFirst Name(s) SurnameOleg Taran Maksym Sobol Rielly V. Dungog Janis Miglans Oleksandr Kelyushek Robin G. Sumpay Oleksandr Stepovoi Volodymyr Kondratiev

Frenel A. Calangi Edwin J. Cabral Noel C. Collado Manuel III. B. Barral Jerry C. Legaspi Junipher L. Lago Joan D. Dela CruzChristian F. Deloy

Vincent A. Flores Conrado Jr. I. Panganiban Kim Adrian C. Guno Rowel I. Abrigonda

RHL CALLIDITASFirst name(s) SurnameMykhaylo Ostroglyad Illia Cholak Edgars Vasilkovs Alvin P. CortesGeorgi A. Dimitrov Sergiy Sergyeyenko Lahiru M. Yapage Dehiwalage L. Perera

Jessie B. Traballo Albert M. Carmona Cornelio S. Carizal Christopher C. H. Tiantes Mark Ian P. Flores Jose Leo J. NavarraAries D. Constantino Jayvee G. Joyo Mitar NakicenovicOliver F. Pepito Alexander B. Nunez Alfie D. Borja Rufino Rhys A. Magallano

crew lists

RHL AUDACIAFirst name(s) SurnameIevgen Cherniata Nikolai Vishniakov Erwin A. Dulce Albert A. Alitan Jose Christopher B. Saavedra Gino Paolo J. Salvador Abebaw Kassahun Yigzaw Viktor Lapenko Jacob O. De La Cruz

Genaro L. Garciano Jonathan C. Tagab Geamont Rey L. Munta Reynante S. Centino Timothy Simon V. Javier Ronnie B. Villegas Reyal A. Candelario Ramon Nonato Jr. O. Patricio Arnel D. Macapar Louie Anthony C. Cabanban Joenel L. Samihon

RHL ASTRUMFirst name(s) SurnameRodelio D. Musni Robert Mazer Andrius Barlovskis Ryan L. Ocampo Andrej Mezencev Mudiyanselage S. N. Samarapala Stanislavs Rinkevics Mircea D. Capota Percival G. Gargantiel Lilium Jr. G. Degayo

Regienante M. De Vera Neil M. Bucton Gemer V. Bautista Ruben L. Lavalle Marvin G. Sundia Edmark S. Briones Roland M. Abagat Ricky J. Foerster Joy R. Samar Marco L. Sister Geovanie R. Cañete

RHL AURORAFirst name(s) SurnameSavador A. Damaso Peter M. Batin Rosauro P. Lajola Teofiegil T. Cenas Oleg Moroz Carlos Jr. D. Torres Chuong Le Van Mervic C. Distura Jennifer B. Domingo Romeo T. Samson

Alano M. Lumanao Noel C. Labatorio Crisostomo Allan F. Monakil Jay B. Ballesteros Pedro M. PiyaoRonan H. Lambus Jesrel Frank S. Soriano Albert T. Buencuchillo John Michael E. Estacio Ariel B. Divinosa

RHL AQUAFirst name(s) SurnameJakub Lesniak Sergiy Sergin Erick B. Rodriguez Joseph C. Collado Konstantin Chomutov Tuan N. Nguyen Edmar E. Ancheta Sherwin Roy A. Dalu Edgar B. Tulale

Renato M. TakahupikangNicanor P. Ramos Rizaldy M. Alcaide Beltran A. Dimzon Dionisio B. Menia Michael S. Gillesania Michael M. Varcas Nelson D. Mendoza John Rodel G. EsguerraChristian D. Digno

RankMasterChief OfficerSecond OfficerThird OfficerChief EngineerSecond EngineerThird EngineerElectrical EngineerFitter 1Fitter 2OilerCookBosunAble Seafarer Deck 1Able Seafarer Deck 2Able Seafarer Deck 3Ordinary Seaman 1Ordinary Seaman 2Able Seafarer Engine 1Able Seafarer Engine 2WiperMessman

RHL AGILITASFirst name(s) SurnameKonstantin PanshinPetar T. Todorov Astaire T. Lim Heinrich F. Noga Nicolae C. Copot Thieu X. Vu Lolindo A. Rigodon Gordon Lancelot S. Perera Patrocinio Jr. L. ViernesRey D. Delmo

Christopher C. Cerbolles Jaime J. Catindig Richard A. Lim Carlito Jr. G. Villalon Junfre D. Osea Joey C. Marin Aldin O Cabug-Os Jovic Q. Espino Arvin M. Derder Noriel G. Manzo

RHL CONSTANTIAFirst name(s) SurnameMerkuriy Muntyan Anton Semenas Evan B. Amores Wilben S. Arbon Sergei Semenov Warlito D. Giron Yoseph H. TeferedegneKsenija Maslova Tariku Alemu EtaAbreham WorkuBrian D. Bahena Michael C. Apetrior Catalino Jr. T. Millado Ariel A. Nicdao Oliver A. Condolon Yetti D. Debuque Tristan Ted Diamante Joshua V. Diaz

Jesus Jr. P. Robles Jacob Don A. MontanoFerdinan S. Centino

CONTAINER

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

TANKER

RHL VARESIAFirst name(s) SurnameGoran BabicVolodymyr PetrykovMico Coloma OleaFulton Pablo HullanaViktor SavchenkoIgor LytvynAnton PopovCharlie Lana RilleraAntonio Jr. L. PugaAndres Jr. G. QuinlogJeffrey M. BagtasosRichi F. LampitokGene Cordero CapurihanJay E. S. MinasRudy Vallejo Rapiz

Kenneth D. BayonitoLionel R. A. Lagura

Jose Nildo Yaun Saplad

Jessie Jr. L. Casay

RHL CLARITAFirst name(s) SurnameMarinko Milotic Nathaniel O. ApdoBernard A. Caballero Jeffrey D. AlbarracinArmendariz E. Perez Lepe Jorge A. Alvarez Ronilo A. CapullaStephen S. SinlocMatias III. R. MisagalReynaldo P. GalinatoCrisanto F. Dela CruzJohn G. SalamanaEldric A. MerenMarvin G. GabrangReynaldo B. Batulan

Luther S. AmoraMark Angelo A. PenaverdeLouie Jay C. Calo Julius L. BautistaTornike Tavartkiladze

Eduardo Jr. B. Yamson

RHL JULIAFirst name(s) SurnameArnold L. VillarOnesimo M. NalzaroRichard A. CorderoJayme A. Amazona Ramel V. GabatoAleksei FedotovChris T. MatarongJoel T. LicayanCarlito Jr. B. Radaza Jasper C. AfroilanJeric Bimbo N. Asuncion Estalin G. GabuyaMarcelito R. MarquezRoger P. Ortega Vicente Jr. F. Matulac

Eric T. CorreaBonifacio Jr. M. Alima Sunny Jr. Z. Raquel Benhur Jr. T. Buala

Eugene M. Castillo

RHL MAR TAFirst Name(s) SurnameJulius Rey M. LopezArnel B. EnriquezDexter T. SalazarRico A. LendioAleksei TerekhovAntans KetlerjusEphraim Jr. A. Ramirez Wendel C. PanebioClaro R. Mozar Flordelino C. Flores Melandro E. Drew Edgar C. OrbitaReagan S. VillanuevaRussell S. SolitoRegio G. Castillo

Karlo M. MadulidMarc Ejoy B. Cairel Luis Jr. S. NovelaRamon R. Oraa

Jonathan E. Estacio

RHL MONICAFirst Name(s) SurnameRichard L. Rico Brian Vincent O. VillafuerteTirso II. G. PurayMark Ariel M. Aquino Ranulfo M. Tubog Dante Jr. T. Quinal Christopher J. Rustia Carel B. Esnara Jose Jr. E. CardinoRenante L. JacintoMichael Ross D. BautistaReinhard T. GigheNorman A. GelilangGilbert P. InteriorRussel Paul G. Salhay

Jeremias O. LeopardasJeffrey R. TenebroAntonio P. LoquinarioRadito D. Garay

Ryan R. Reloz Lenwill B. Parde

BULK CARRIER

RankMasterChief OfficerSecond OfficerThird OfficerChief EngineerSecond EngineerThird EngineerElectrical EngineerFitter 1Fitter 2CookBosunAble Seafarer Deck 1Able Seafarer Deck 2Able Seafarer Deck 3Able Seafarer Deck 4Ordinary Seaman 1Ordinary Seaman 2Able Seafarer Engine 1Able Seafarer Engine 2Deck CadetOilerWiperMessman

RHL FLENSBURGFirst Name(S) SurnameMarcin Robert TumidajewiczVadim BashunDmytro TrachenkoSergiy Bogdan Mikhail Lyz Srecko Godinovic

Teotimo Jr. D. GorgonioRuselier D. Mangubat Philip A. Lumongsod Jose Joel S. Salmorin Wilson G. Acuno Robert D. Hamoy Mark Andie E. Monterico

Marvin F. Royo

RHL DRESDENFirst Name(s) SurnameDariusz Sidorczuk Yury Mironov Jonas G. Yana Michail Ryabov Sergey Kononenko Viacheslav Tel'nikov

Apolonio Jr. R. Libaton Argie D. HinsoyElland A. Villareal Reynald F. TrestizaReynald T. SamandeJune S. Hernandez Vincent Lito D. Dolorfo

Abdon M. Gayacan

RHL AUGSBURGFirst Name(s) SurnameKrzysztof Lewicki Mamuka TavartkiladzeOleg KulinichAngelo P. De Rosas Grzegorz TurzynskiZbigniew Worzala

Juvie R. PascualDaniel C. CravantesIsidor S. De PabloIsagani D. CasianoRoberto R. BetonioRandy R. De GuzmanOscar Jr. D. Calseña

Eduardo Jr. G. Nufable

RHL NUERNBERGFirst name(s) SurnameSergey Vasilev Maxim Panchenko Romydello O. Tero Vadym Starynsky Artem Shirkin Milivoj Segulja Alvaro E. Mozo Laurence S. Conde Rommel B. Jamer Renato B. Dela Paz Benito D. Distor Allan B. Evangelista Alphard O. Diayon

Jay A. Lumasag

RankMasterChief OfficerSecond OfficerThird OfficerChief EngineerSecond EngineerElectrical EngineerAble Seafarer Deck 1Able Seafarer Deck 2Able Seafarer Deck 3CookAble Seafarer Engine 1Able Seafarer Engine 2Ordinary SeamanEngine CadetPumpmanWiper

RHL Hamburger Lloyd Crewmanagement GmbH & Co. KG

Raboisen 3820095 HamburgGermany Tel.: +49 40 380 881-300Fax: +49 40 380 [email protected]

RHL NOVAREFirst Name(s) SurnameOnofre Jr. V. ValenzuelaArchangel S. U. Dabalos Joraph M. Tabal Joabell Q. Rivera Noel S. Lopez Raymund C. FagtanacAlex A. Agus Donard B. DalisayRam N. Chauhan

Tony Michael B. San Antonio Danilo L. DejitoChristopher G. Ramos Haniromel R. Gomez Antonio U. Loyola

Niel C. B. JuanRodrigo P. RamosReynaldo C. Melgar Jober F. Baga

Stemart H. Bahulay

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Christopher Columbus was an Italian sailor in service of the Spanish crown, who discovered America in 1492 when he reached an island of the Bahamas. On his expeditions between 1492 and 1504, Columbus preferably headed for the Car-ibbean and the Greater Antilles, includ-ing Hispaniola (now Haiti and Dominican Republic) on all four journeys, where he founded the first colonies. It was only on his fourth voyage that he set foot on the American mainland, in what is Honduras today. Columbus did not realise that this was a hitherto unknown continent. This view was first taken by Amerigo Vespucci, after whom the New World was finally named “America”.

The first “discoverers” of America were the ancestors of the North American Indians, who long ago migrated to the previously deserted continent from Asia. Also, Leif Eriksson from Iceland travelled to America about 500 years before Columbus. Although Columbus is still regarded as the most noted European discoverer of America, this is be-cause his travels were those that led to a per-manent colonisation through people from other continents in historical times.

India and the Empire of China were al-ready important trade partners for Europe in those times, since valuable goods such as silk and spices came from there. How-ever, ever since about the middle of the 14th century, the Ottoman Empire (today's Turkey, Arabia, North Africa, and Europe's south-east) positioned itself between Eu-rope and the East with determination. The land routes were no longer open, and high customs duties had to be paid for luxury goods. The Portuguese attempted to avoid

the problem by attempting to find a sea route to India, south-eastwards around Africa, exploring large parts of the African coast in the process. In this way, Vasco da Gama actually made it to India in 1498. Columbus studied Marco Polo's trav-elogues and Ptolemy's maps, but did not recognise their mistakes, such as massively incorrect longitude specifications. Colum-bus knew of Martin Behaim's globe and Paolo Toscanelli's world map. He referred to these authorities in his first presentation of his project before the King of Portugal. He, however, rejected the proposal of an ex-pedition to India on the western route. For more than seven long years after that, Co-lumbus tried to submit his proposal to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. In the end, he won their approval and was able to set off on his first voyage in 1492.

On August 4 1492, Columbus left the port of Palos (Spain) with a small fleet consist-ing of the “Santa Maria” and the two cara-vels “Pinta” and “Niña”. Five days later, he reached Gran Canaria. After travelling 700 miles, he had missed his actual destination Lanzarote by 100 miles.

The first meeting between the Old World and the New was peaceful. In October 1492, Columbus reached Guanahani (San Salvador) and Cuba with his men, and Hispaniola (Haiti) in December. The native “Tainos” were exceedingly friendly, and the Spaniards tried hard to win them over as friends. Columbus then lost the “Santa Maria”, which was beyond salvation after running aground on a sand bank. Due to this loss, 40 men had to be left behind in the New World. They founded the very first settlement, a fortress “La Navidad” on the island of Hispaniola.

For the second voyage, as many as 17 fully equipped ships set sail. The money for their equipment came from the confiscated pos-sessions of Spanish Jews (so-called Conver-sos, Marranos, who were forced to convert to Christianity). 1200-1500 colonists, five priests, two Indian translators from the first voyage, 100 nobles, many fully armed sol-diers with guns, craftsmen, peasants, and miners traveled with the sailors, as well as

a large number of adventurers hoping for quick money through finding gold.

After his arrival in La Navidad, Columbus had to find that all the men he had left behind on his first voyage were dead. Whether they were murdered by aggressive island Caribs or the Tainos themselves remained unclear.

The second journey marked the beginning of the enslavement and extermination of Native Americans. An unprecedented trail of violence raged through the Spanish colonies, barely noticed by the world, and barely documented by those responsible. Estimates of the indigenous population (Tainos) at the time of Columbus's appear-ance in 1492 on the most densely popu-lated island Hispaniola are around 300,000. 16 years later, only just over 60,000 indig-enous people were left. Twenty years after that, they were virtually extinct. Reasons were violent attacks by the Spaniards, the enslaved Indians on farms and in gold mines dying in vast numbers, and not least the countless diseases and epidemics intro-duced by the Spaniards.

In May 1498, Columbus set off on his third voyage. This time he definitely found the South American continent (Trinidad and the neighbouring island of Tobago), but he did not realize this and presumed that he had reached a part of Asia.

Columbus’s fourth voyage followed from 1502 to 1504. On this last trip, his son and future biographer Fernando accompanied him as a 13-year-old cabin boy. On this voy-age, Columbus lost all four of his ships. He was subsequently stranded on the north coast of Jamaica until a chartered ship took him back to Spain.

Queen Isabella, who had been his patron, died three weeks after his return. King Fer-dinand did not grant him any new privileg-es, which left Columbus greatly embittered. Unnoticed by the world, he finally died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid in the heart of ancient Castile – a rich but deeply unhappy, confused, and ill man.

Source: www.wknet.ch, www.wikipedia.org

Foto: Pixelio H. Siegl

Famous SeafarersChristopher Columbus – The discoverer of America(* around 1451 in Genoa / Italy; † on May 20 1506 in Valladolid / Spain)

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Hamburg and its twin cities around the worldPrague (twin city since 1990)

Prague is the capital of the Czech Repub-lic and is situated at the confluence of the rivers Vltava and Berounka. With its 1.2 million inhabitants, the city is one of the traditional intellectual and cultural hubs of eastern Central Europe: with numerous universities and technical colleges (foun-dation of Charles University in 1348), academies of arts, libraries, museums, and the National Gallery in the Hradčany (historical castle district).

On April 19 1990, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the capital city of Prague agreed on a city partnership, in accordance with the resolutions of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Council of the City of Prague. The aim was to develop the traditionally good relations, and to continue them on a broader basis.

Prague has had an intensive economic re-lationship with Hamburg ever since the Hanseatic League (12th to 17th century; confederation of Low German merchants to ensure safety of transit and a common economic interest). Furs, clay, and glass-ware were brought downstream via the rivers Vltava and Elbe to Hamburg, where they were loaded on to different vessels and transhipped. In return, cloth, salt, and faience were transported upstream to Bo-hemia and Moravia (formerly German areas in today's Czech Republic).

Today, around 55 percent of the total con-tainerized overseas trade of the market re-gion passes through the Port of Hamburg. The Czech Republic is so well connected to Hamburg by rail that 80 percent of the han-dled goods are transported there by train.

In addition to the commercial connections, areas such as culture and sports, education

and science are promoted and cultivated. One example is the Hamburg-Prague Edu-cation Agreement, which came into force in March 2009. More than 1,000 students have since participated in exchanges, and more than 150 teachers have taken part in annual training sessions in the partner city.

For example, eleventh-graders from a high school in Hamburg were offered the op-portunity of a social internship in Prague,

and students from Prague’s Thomas Mann high school got their first “working atmos-phere” feeling during an internship in Ham-burg companies in return. There is also the German-Czech Future Fund, which is a con-crete result of the German-Czech Declara-tion of 1997. The Fund’s aim is to promote

understanding between Germans and Czechs in a variety of ways, to increase the number of encounters between both sides, and to expand the cooperation by support-ing joint projects.

Source: • Welt N24• www.wikipedia• www.hamburg.de

HAMBURG PRAGUE

Area 755.22 km2 496 km²Inhabitants 1,860,759 (2016) 1,280,508 (2017)Density 2,464 inhabitants/m² 2,535 inhabitants/m²

Hradčany with castle of Prague

Charles Bridge

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Amber enjoys great popularity in Latvia. It is widely used for the production of jewel-lery and accessories. The Latvians dedicate songs to amber, and the Baltic Sea itself is sometimes called the Amber Sea. Dzintars and Dzintra, respectively, a masculine name and a feminine name, both widely popular in Latvia, are derived from the word “Dzin-tars” (Latvian for amber).

Amber is definitely one of the enigmatic treasures of our planet. What are the origins of this unique mineral? A long time ago, the land that is now Northern Europe used to be covered by coniferous and broad-leaved woods. In those days, a warm climate with alternating dry and rainy seasons was pre-dominant. About 45 to 50 million years ago, however, the weather conditions shifted towards a warmer and more humid climate. Fir trees had to adapt to the new climatic conditions. An abundant exuda-tion of pinewood resin was their protective reaction to the rise in temperature. Fires, hurricanes, insects, and animals also dam-aged the trees, resulting in an even more intense exudation. The resin would flow slowly down the tree trunks and drop from the branches onto the ground, hardening through oxidation in the soil over time. This is where amber comes from – it is the petri-fied resin of ancient fir trees.

But why does the Baltic Sea cast pieces of amber ashore? About 700,000 years ago, a huge glacier moved onto the territory of Northern Europe. The enormous burden of

the ice resulted in a dimple in the Earth’s crust, which, at a later stage, became the bottom of the Baltic Sea. As the glacier re-treated, the released water gradually filled up the sea basin.Storms over the Baltic Sea often cause amber to be washed ashore. A gale force six storm is like a sandblasting machine. Waves break up the formation of the sea floor, and amber floats up to the surface.

Artistic value is not amber’s only property. As stated by Vilnis Brils, an amber therapy expert, the so-called “solar stone” has a sanative effect – it can be used for topical treatment or even be ingested. The most wholesome part is the crust of crude am-ber, which contains about seven to nine percent amber acid. Amber acid is the key

active substance in amber therapy. Am-ber beads help the organism to overcome diseases of the thyroid gland; amber pow-der and amber massage balls are used in cosmetic rituals; amber tincture or tea strengthens the immune system. It is, how-ever, important to bear in mind that only genuine crude amber has this effect.

Large quantities of amber are used by the church for rosaries and prayer beads. Along with frankincense and myrrh (a resin simi-lar to frankincense), amber powder is also burned in church. In electronics, amber is appreciated for its high resistance; its elec-tric resistivity is higher than that of porce-lain or Bakelite!

Amber is one of the most ancient witnesses of Earth's history. Pieces of amber are en-tire micro-worlds to be amazed at. Ancient petrified resin can have retained bacteria, algae, or protozoan microorganisms. Am-ber's “memory span” of 45 million years may not seem long compared to the age of our planet, which is counted in billions of years. From the standpoint of a human

lifespan, however, the “solar stone” really does exist for an eternity.

Source: • https://krugomgolova.club/article/otkuda-beretsya-yantar-i-

pochemu-on-takoi-dorogoi• http://pro-kamni.ru/proisxozhdenie-yantarya• http://www.mklat.lv/obschestvo/39253-vilnis-brils-yantar-eto-

lekarstvo

Baltic AmberA popular gem and healing stone

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Lars Paffenhoff was born in the German region “Bergisches Land” (in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia) in the city of Remscheid, which is also known as “the seaside town on the mountain” due to its worldwide export of tools. This is where he grew up, and ever since his early child-hood he has had a keen interest in large engines and machines.

For this reason, he wanted to start an ap-prenticeship with the German engine manufacturer Deutz after finishing school. However, due its poor economic situation at that time, the company was unable to offer an apprenticeship to anybody.

Quite by chance, an acquaintance who

worked as a dispatcher for a large ship-ping company suggested trying to seek his fortune in seafaring. He did not hesi-tate long, and in the Easter holidays of 1992, he went on board for a three-week work experience trip, on a ship owned by a small shipping company from the “Altes Land” near Hamburg. He was hooked after this taste of seafaring, and he could not wait to finish school and get started.

In August 1993, he finally left his home-town Remscheid and began his appren-ticeship to become a ship mechanic in the “Altes Land”.

His goal was ambitious from day one: He wanted to become an engineer.

After his apprenticeship, he spent some time as a Bosun and Motorman on 650 to 1500 TEU vessels before taking up his studies at the Maritime College in Cuxhav-en, Germany.

Two years later, he left Cuxhaven a certi-fied engineer with the corresponding li-cence, and began working his first job as a 3rd engineer on a small container vessel owned by his former employer.

Shortly after, he started working for a large shipping company near Hamburg and was lucky enough to be a part of the commissioning team of a 5,500 TEU 56,000 KW newbuilding in Korea.

After several years on the job – mean-while as a Chief Engineer – his company gave him the chance to support their newbuilding supervision team in South Korea (Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan; HHI). He spent almost six months there and, directly after his time as a construc-tion supervisor, commissioned what was then the largest German container ship newbuilding (8,238 TEU / 68,640 KW) as a Chief Engineer.

He stepped ashore in 2005. As a technical Superintendent, Lars now had the techni-cal responsibility for eight post-Panamax container vessels, and fleet responsibility for 21 container vessels as from 2011. In early 2015, he changed to a shipping com-pany in Hamburg, where he gained some experience with Bulk vessels.

Since August 2016, he has been support-ing the Hamburger Lloyd team as a tech-nical Superintendent; he is responsible for RHL Agilitas, RHL Audacia, RHL Aqua, and RHL Novare.

Lars is married; his wife, a financial ac-countant for a shipping company near Hamburg, is currently on parental leave and at home with their daughter, who was born in December 2016.

When he finds the time, Lars likes a bar-becue or any kind of model making. At the moment, however, his spare time gets completely taken up by being a “full-time daddy” for his little whirlwind.

What he likes: • spending time with his daughter / family • meeting friends • overseas travelling with his family

What he doesn’t like:• unfairness• long meetings that lead to nothing • filthy engines due to super-slow steaming

Lars PaffenhoffTechnical Superintendent

staff ashore

SudokuOne of the world's most popular number puzzles: Sudoku! A Sudoku is made up of a grid of 3 x 3 squares, each containing 3 x 3 sub-squares. The objective is to fill the grid with digits in such a way that each sub-square, each row and each column contains all the numbers from 1 to 9. We hope you enjoy solving it! (Answer see further down.)

6 8

2 1 5

2 1 3

1 4 3 6

9 3 1

6 3 9 2

1 5 4

9 7

4 5 9

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Many Filipinos dream of working at sea to help their families. Getting onboard is the first step. Rising through the ranks and sustaining one’s focus to succeed, how-ever, is easier said than done.

2nd Engineer Warlito Giron, a seafarer of more than 20 years and an Abojeb loyalty awardee, tells us about his career journey, and about giving back to his family. His rich experience echoes the lives of suc-cessful seafarers and serves as an inspira-tion to those who are aspiring to better their future.

How did you get into the seafaring pro-fession?My siblings and I were orphaned at a young age. My mother passed away just three years after my father died from an alcohol addiction. Being one of the males in the family, I had to step up as a bread-winner. Fortunately, the University of Cebu took me in as a scholar. I studied Marine Engineering, because I found it attrac-tive. Seafarers are paid well, as I was told. I worked at the library to pay for my studies, and I had to fetch water for our neighbours to pay for my daily expenses.

In 1996, I became an oiler for William Lines, one of the known domestic shipping lines in the Philippines then. I sailed with them until 2002, working as a 4th engineer on Superferry 10. Soon after, I began my ca-reer on ocean-going vessels, beginning with Hapag-Lloyd, where I worked as an oiler until I became a 3rd engineer. In 2011, I was given an opportunity to join RHL and was promoted to 2nd engineer within a year’s time.

Would you tell us three important things about what you have learned in the course of your career?First, always think about safety. Keep in mind fire prevention, do safety rounds, and be careful when using welding equip-ment. Having a safety mindset saves lives, saves the environment, and saves money for the company.

Second, commit to the company policy. It is like a compass, it gives us direction. Know it by heart because it helps maintain a harmonious relationship with your job.Third, keep the ship in tip-top condition. As engineers, it is our duty to maintain the ship in excellent shape. We have to follow

the periodic maintenance schedule for the vessel to run smoothly, for us to arrive on time, to avoid breakdown, and to help pre-vent environmental damage.

What advice can you give to your fellow seafarers?There is no harm in trying and trying until you reach your goal. Aspire to your ambi-tions. Pray always. Remember that money is not easily earned. Work hard for it and learn to save.

It is also important for every seafarer to learn how to love his work and the com-pany he works for. Putting your heart into what you do compels you to do better.At the end of the day, whatever you do, al-ways remember that it is for your family’s future. We are all here to make the lives of our loved ones better.

What makes you proud of what you do?My neighbours at home told me that they thought I would never graduate from col-lege because of my family’s hardships. I am happy to have proved them wrong. I am humbled by the fact that I am able to give my family a good life, and that I inspire my relatives, our neighbours, and others around me. I am happy that I was able to afford a house for my family, and that we were able to set up a business. Two years from now, my eldest child will graduate from college.

Filipino seafarers are known to be respect-ful, hardworking, and creative. And of course, I am proud to be one.

crew ’s corner

Ruth, Niel Phillip, Sarah Mae and Warlito Giron

Aspire. Achieve. Do.

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Congratulations

Our heartfelt congratulations go out to 3rd Engineer Hailye Yoseph and his wife Zayed Mamo on the birth of their triples, Delina, Neamn and Hiyab, whích were born on October 19 2017.

Neamn , Delina and Hiyab

“Life of Pi” is a surpris-ingly beautiful film, which has the feel of a fairy tale. When I was watching the film, I felt like a child who had forgotten about eve-rything in the world, and was completely

absorbed by this magical world of fantasy. The long-forgotten and beautiful feeling of complete immersion in exciting action re-turned to me.

This movie made me experience strong emotions. The film is philosophical, adven-turous, and dramatic. The plot makes the viewer’s soul vibrate, touching the most delicate matters. It is the surprising story of an Indian boy who finds himself alone with a dangerous tiger in a boat in the middle of the ocean. They spend 227 days together and both have to change, adjust to circum-stances, and cooperate to help each other survive, in spite of the hatred they feel for one another. For a teenager, this is a way of growing up. At some point, the tiger helps him open an inner source of spiritual strength, to believe in himself and become stronger.

The film contains many philosophical re-flections about God, the soul, and the

Life of Pi – An incredible sea voyage with a tiger

Favourite film about the sea

beauty and greatness of nature. The main character’s musings about the universe are amazingly exquisite, kind, and dis-creet. While I was watching the film, I asked my-self the same questions: How much do we need for a good day? Life is short; how can we enrich it and make it meaning-ful? For the protagonist, a spot of shade, some drinking water, and a piece of raw fish in the stomach are enough to make him happy. And what do I need to make me feel happy?

While listening to my thoughts, I contin-ued to enjoy this wonderful spectacle. Beautiful pictures, juicy and bright colors, rare shots of the sea, wild animals and na-ture all captured me.

I recommend watching this film because it is one of the most magnificent and up-lifting films I have ever seen.

Do you have a favorite film that feels like a fairy tale and like reality at the same time?

Send your thoughts and opinions to the email address:[email protected]

Jekaterina Lissowa-Tolstopjatova

crew ’s corner

Promotions

Container• Mr Ievgen Cherniata has been promoted to Master

Tanker• Mr Artem Shirkin has been promoted to C/E• Mr Grzegorz Turzynski has been promoted to C/E• Mr Maxim Panchenko has been promoted to C/O• Mr Dmytro Trachenko has been promoted to 2/O• Mr Vadym Starynsky has been promoted to 3/O

Birthdays

We would like to congratulate:• Chief Officer Ievgen Cherniata on his 40th birthday• Chief Officer Igor Guriakov on his 60th birthday• Chief Engineer Andrey Mezencev on his 65th birthday• Chief Officer Maxim Panchenko on his 30th birthday• Captain Onofre Jr. Valenzuela on his 55th birthday

T H E B R I D G E I No. 37

Editor: RHL Reederei Hamburger Lloyd GmbH & CO KGRaboisen 38, 20095 Hamburg, Germany

Tel.: +49 40 380 881-300Fax: +49 40 380 881- 499E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial Team: Thorsten Hamann, Jekaterina Lissowa-Tolstopjatova, Bettina Pane, Hauke Pane, Margret Schindler, Tina Treppke

Layout: STILPUNKT3 Designbüro

Pictures: RHL Reederei Hamburger Lloyd, pixabay, Fotolia, WikiMedia, istockphoto

impressum

This Newsletter ist printed

on FSC certified material.

Solution Sudoku:

5 7 1 6 3 8 9 2 4

3 8 2 4 9 1 7 6 5

4 6 9 7 5 2 8 1 3

1 2 4 3 8 5 6 7 9

9 3 7 1 2 6 4 5 8

6 5 8 9 4 7 1 3 2

8 1 3 2 6 9 5 4 7

2 9 6 5 7 4 3 8 1

7 4 5 8 1 3 2 9 6

Dear readers,

I would like to share the wonderful experi-ence of calling in my own country on board our good lady RHL Conscientia. I was over-excited at calling Colombo, as this was my first visit as Master.

She came alongside South Asia Gateway terminal (SAGT) in the evening of January 16 2018. I saw my family waiting for the vessel’s clearance, and seeing my daughter waving to me was a moment to remember for the rest of my life.

I hurried along the inward clearance with the authorities in the Ship’s Office. The ship’s crew welcomed my family warmly, and, to their delight, the Chief Cook prepared a spe-cial dinner for them. Soon after, I joined my family and showed them around the vessel. The most interesting place for my daughter

was the Bridge; she asked many questions about the Bridge control and the different items of equipment. She now definitely has many stories to share with her friends.

My wife has visited a few ships before, but she was surprised to see RHL Conscientia in such brilliant condition. My father also vis-ited me, and I saw in his eyes how it pleased him to see my work on board.

I knew most of the Colombo pilots. The inbound Pilot was a 2nd Officer when I

was a Deck Cadet, and the outbound Pilot was my Master when I was a 2nd Officer. What a lovely coincidence to meet my sen-iors after so many years and share some thoughts with them.

Port stay in Colombo was just a few hours. But it was such a wonderful opportunity to call in Colombo as well as meet my family. Especially my daughter was overjoyed at re-ceiving the gifts and chocolates that I had kept for her for Christmas and New Year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank RHL for approving my family’s visit, and for giving them the wonderful chance to see our vessel. Kindly also accept the sincere thanks and gratefulness from my family.

Best regards, Capt. Prasad Ranasinghe

Very first call to Colombo on board a RHL Vessel

crew ’s corner