Welcome February 2025

Dear Seafarers,

Adapting and changing have been a way of life for seafarers for centuries, as technology and expectations evolve. As the committed partner of progress for everything at sea, we know that this vision in this changing landscape is not possible without you.

Ensuring you are equipped with the tools, training, and knowledge is fundamental to innovating for a better future and unlocking your true potential with V.

We are pleased to share the latest PPE with you this month, ensuring your safety and welfare remains a priority. Meanwhile, the refreshed Safety Catch is aimed at inspiring and improving our safety standards throughout the year.

As part of a global seafaring community at V., we want you to develop your skills and learn new ones, enabled through our training and development programme. Additionally, our Voyage Loyalty initiative continues to expand, providing more rewards for the great work you do.

Receiving feedback from you is important to us to ensure we stay united. Our regular ship visits and seeing your life at sea through the Photography Competition help us understand the challenges you face. A recent Marine HR Crew Voices initiative highlighted several areas where seafarers felt we could improve our offerings, and we are developing ways to implement these changes.

Over the past 12 months, the Seafarers' Bulletin has aimed to inform and engage our seafarers, and we would greatly appreciate your feedback on how it can be improved. Please take five minutes to complete the survey linked below.

Happy Seafaring!

Allan

Allan Falkenberg

Chief Operating Officer, Marine HR

Two lives saved thanks to the outstanding seamanship of Seaways Athens crew

The crew of the Seaways Athens, a tanker managed by V.Ships UK on behalf of International Seaways, has been recognised by the Maritime Administrator of the Marshall Islands for demonstrating outstanding seamanship in May 2024.

Seaways Athens was underway in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica when the vessel received a request for assistance call asking the Master to assist a distressed sailing vessel 60 nautical miles away.

The ship’s Master, Captain Ismael Azucena Po, notified V.Ships and immediately diverted course toward the distressed sailing vessel. Two hours later the crew was contacted by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) and given an updated location.

A further 2.5 hours later, the crew sighted the sailing vessel and a fishing vessel that had already arrived on scene. Captain Po established contact and instructed the fishing vessel's crew to recover the two individuals from the distressed sailing vessel. Captain Po expertly manoeuvred Seaways Athens into position so that the rescued individuals could be safely transferred to his vessel. Once on board Seaways Athens, they were provided with warm clothes, food, and water.

The following day, at the designated rendezvous location provided by JRCC Almeda, both rescued individuals were safely transferred to the Costa Rican Coast Guard. Seaways Athens was then released to resume its planned voyage.

In recognition of this life saving act, the V.Ships team in Glasgow accepted a certificate of commendation on behalf of the Seaways Athens crew. Manish Suri, Fleet Director, was presented with the certificate by Hans Krijger, General Manager of International Registries (Netherlands) B.V.

Speaking of the incident, the Maritime Administrator of the Republic of the Marshall Islands said: “The rapid response and professional actions taken by Captain Ismael Azucena Po and the Crew of Seaways Athens are in keeping with the finest traditions of the sea. We extend our appreciation for your exemplary commitment to the maritime community.”

All of us at V.Ships extend our warmest thanks to Captain Ismael Azucena Po, officers, and crew for their dedication and commitment to safety.

Marine HR Teams Vessel Visits

Marine HR teams from a variety of manning offices have been out visiting vessels to meet seafarers to hear from them first hand around their experiences onboard. Here’s some of their thoughts from around the globe.

On 10th February 2025, a team from V. Ships Mumbai visited our Lady PROPEL PROGRESS, a bulk carrier under V. Ships Ship Management- Chennai, berthed at Mumbai Port for discharging cargo purposes.

The visiting shore staff led by CMP Anand Narayan and SFC Ms. Jayalaxmi Amanna, had colleagues consisted of not only Cargo but from Offshore and Leisure dept as well.

Under the command of Capt. Rathan Joseph, the crew ensured a warm welcome and led to a detailed tour of the vessel including the Engine . “It was hot to say the least!” noted Jayalaxmi and added. “This visit deepened our appreciation for the maritime industry and its professionals. We look forward to more such enriching experiences.”

V.Ships Leisure Crew Director Luca Fanciulli also commented on the North Sea Marine team’s visit to the vessel Silver Whipser while calling Manila. “It's always important to have a close view about ship's life to improve the support we give to the crew.” 

Paolo Reyes, Regional Crew Director, based in Manila, highlighted privilege of visiting the Belsakura, one of our key client Belships' vessels, during her stay over at Subic Bay. Joining me were Global Director of Ops Support, Sharad Saldanha, and Crew Mobilisation Manager for Belships, Lorena Gallardo. They took the opportunity to brief and our gratitude to Capt. Yuvaraja and his crew for their efforts in ensuring a smooth takeover of the, giving a special thanks to Fleet Manager Carlos Kalaw, and his team at VSAG for delivering the vessel in excellent condition.

On the Baltic, Crew Relations Coordinator Sofja Kolesnicenko, Cadet Planner Jana Cerkasska and Recruitment Officer Rebeka Korolonoka from BGI Riga visited Key Bay at the Freeport of Riga.

This vessel, under full management of V.Ships UK, was at the Freeport of Riga discharging it’s cargo, and under inspection by Fleet Superintendent Janis Jermakovics.

Captain Valerijs Tarasovs familiarised us with the equipment on the navigational bridge as well as introduced us to all the crew members, including Chief Engineer Pavlo Prygotsky. They had the chance to discuss the future of shipping industry which the group found very interesting and informative.

CEO Visits Crewing Teams in Manila

Menawhile V.Group CEO, Rene Kofod-Olsen,made his first visit to Manila with all 630 colleagues coming away energised with a renewed vigor that came from knowing that what we are doing makes a difference to the company and for our seafarers.

Rene had a rich dialogue with our Manila Leadership team, colleagues, seafarers and Senior Officers provided invaluable feedback towards what we should continue doing and what can be improved further or enhanced. 

Final Call for Entries to V. Photography Competition 2025

Don’t forget it’s nearing the last chance to get your entries in for the V. Photography Competition 2025 as entries close at the end of March.

This seascape captured by Mykyta Malom highlights some of unique and beautiful scenes captured by our seafarers.

Remember there are three key themes in this year’s competition: People, Places, and Communities Afloat.

People – Our people are the most valuable resource afloat, and we are looking for your portraits that best capture your fellow seafarers, at work and play.

Places – Shipping is global and many of our seafarers chose this lifestyle to see the world. Where have you been this year that captured your imagination in an image?

Communities Afloat – The seafaring community is strong, as is the sense of community we have on our vessels with shared experiences and activities in day to day life.

Have you taken any images that capture one or any of these themes?

The 2025 photography competition is open to both Seafarers and Shorebased staff.

The winning picture from each category will receive a travel voucher to the value of USD 250, to be used on tickets purchased from Global Marine Travel (GMT). 

The winners will be announced in April 2025.

Entries are open and look out for further details at:

Online Meeting of Cadets: Opportunities and Prospects

An important online meeting was held at the Separate Structural Unit “Maritime Vocational College named after O. I. Marinesko” of the National University “Odesa Maritime Academy”, where cadets had the opportunity to engage with Head of Global Cadet Programme, Captain Artem Panchenko, and Regional Cadet Planner, Yana Cherkasskaya.

For many cadets, sessions like this are a valuable chance to learn more about career opportunities in an international company and gain insights into the maritime industry. The V.Group representatives shared details about the cadet program, candidate requirements, and the benefits of joining the company.

Captain Artem Panchenko emphasised the importance of perseverance, English proficiency, and continuous professional development. Cadets actively participated by asking questions, with key topics including internship conditions, selection criteria, and future employment opportunities.

The interactive session, which gathered over 65 participants, was friendly and engaging, importantly providing cadets with a clear understanding that dedication and high-quality training open doors to a successful career in the maritime industry.

https://marinesko.org.ua/en/

The sessions followed a series of visits to cadet academies as V.Group strengthens the cadet training programme, look out for more details to follow in the coming months

V. Approved PPE

V. is committed to supplying industry leading, standardised specification coveralls and PPE to all our seafarers and shore-based colleagues.

We have listened to feedback gathered from the Safety Culture Survey (SCS) and worked closely with PPE specialist STOP to create our new V. flame resistant and anti-static MARINER boilersuit. With this new orange boilersuit, all crew and shore-based colleagues who attend vessels, will stay safe and visible while maintaining a uniformity by having an identical design and colour as their colleagues. The addition of V. branding presents a professional, instantly recognisable image to our customers and the wider maritime industry.

As V. is currently driving a number of initiatives aimed at creating a more inclusive working environment on board the vessels, a further key consideration was ensuring that we could offer female fit boilersuits to the same specification as the standard fit. The result was the GRACE fire resistant boilersuit, which we designed with our supplier STOP, expertly modelled by our Piraeus colleagues below. 

The boilersuits are available at highly competitive pricing, GRACE are available now and MARINER to order now for supply from April 2025. How to Order instructions will be distributed shortly.

Shore-based colleagues who attend onboard should transition to the new boilersuit when they next update their PPE.

Further enhancements to PPE are underway. We are working with the supplier on a 100% cotton suit with similar design features to the fire-resistant version to maintain a common aesthetic throughout our crew, across all vessel types. More information on this will follow.

This centralised review and testing exercise has now extended to working boots and we will be announcing updated V. footwear within Q1. Watch this space!

V. VP - Metrics

The V.Group Verification Program (V.VP) sets objectives that seek to continually improve our performances operationally. If you wish to find out more on what the V.VP is,  head back to the last bulletin here. 

Adriana Woodcock is the HSSEQ & Operations analyst will provide more details monthly on some of the key metrics within the V.VP. and highlight some key performances. 

As we kick off the year, we are proud to announce that 72 vessels have achieved a stellar top score of 4.00 for end of January.

Many of these vessels excelled in metrics such as the timely completion of Masters & Chief Engineer Safety Self-Assessments, on-time approvals for Hours of Work and Rest Records in ShipSure, and promptly addressing unsafe acts or conditions.

These are just a few highlights from the 44 metrics monitored through the V.VP. Our challenge now is to maintain these high scores in the coming months by consistently closing and uploading occurrences in ShipSure on time.

Paying attention to the following metrics can greatly enhance vessel safety and operational effectiveness:

1. Masters & Chief Engineer Safety Self-Assessments Completed on Time: Completing safety self-assessments promptly as soon as signing on the vessel, ensures that potential risks and safety issues are quickly identified and addressed. Regular assessments cultivate a proactive safety culture, enabling the crew to implement corrective measures before problems escalate, thus enhancing the overall safety of the vessel.

2. On-Time Approvals for Hours of Work and Rest Records: Timely approvals for work and rest hours ensure compliance with international maritime labor regulations, designed to prevent crew fatigue. Adequate rest is crucial for maintaining alertness and operational efficiency, reducing the chance of errors or injuries due to fatigue.

3. Stopped Work for Unsafe Acts/Conditions Raised: Providing a system like ShipSure and Safety Observation App. to report unsafe acts or conditions immediately empowers crew members to take charge of safety. By enabling the crew to stop work when unsafe conditions are detected, the risk of injuries is reduced, promoting a safer work environment. This proactive approach also emphasises the crew's dedication to safety and continuous enhancement of operational standards.

Together, these metrics support a culture of safety and efficiency, aligning with industry standards and best practices for maintaining excellent operational performance.

Keep up the great work, and safe sailing!

Adriana

Voting Underway for January 2025 V.Group Safety Catch

V.Group’s “Safety Catch” award recognises seafarer or a vessel that has gone over and above what is required to deliver a safe vessel.

The purpose of this award is to promote a culture of safety rooted in openness, proactive reporting and meaningful recognition.

The local winners for January, whose entries had the Stop Work enacted as an immediate action / intervention or were submitted via the Seafarer App, were put forward for a Group Monthly award.

As part of the process, an open vote amongst shore colleagues is currently underway with the frontrunners including:

PAC ALCAMAR (China Cluster) – Chief Officer Dai Xingru

During inspection by C/O and Bosun a small crack was found in the Hatch Covers which could have caused water ingress during heavy seas. No damage had occurred and Bosun and Deck Crew replaced with new seals immediately.

KHAWR ALADID (Offshore) – AB Crane Operator Mayur Dashrath Ghorpade

The windsock onboard was damaged in high winds. As a critical piece of equipment for wind direction and safety related decisions made prompt replacement essential.

CSL TARANTAU (UK, France & Americas) – Bosun Yuriy Katsyuk

During bunkering the bosun sighted traces of corrosion on the crane’s wire around the connection with the counterweight. In removing excessive grease it was noted several wires had parted and the job was stopped immediately to effect repairs.

Look out for which Safety Catch is deemed Group Safety Catch for January 2025 and who will win $200 in Travel voucher from GMT, a certificate and thank you letter from the executive team, as well as announcement made in the next Bulletin and other communication channels.

In the meantime we value your safety observations via the Seafarers App or on ShipSure platform.

We invite all colleagues to visit the Learning Library, created as part of the Continuous Improvement Programme, where the details, lessons learnt, and actions taken from the winning entry may be found.

Follow the links below to watch Lessons Learnt:

Learning content on bunkering operations preparation can be found below:

https://vimeo.com/998719985/acfae00d45

Join the Learning Library Community and don’t miss new content:

https://engage.cloud.microsoft/main/org/vships.onmicrosoft.com/groups/eyJfdHlwZSI6Ikdyb3VwIiwiaWQiOiIxODE5MTQ5MjcxMDQifQ

V.CARE: Asking for Help

Our V.CARE program helps us put your safety, welfare, and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do and this month ComPsych Trainer Jo Atkins hosted the February wellbeing webinar on Asking for Help.  

The webinar addressed the common fears associated with “getting help” and ways to overcome those obstacles to access the helping resources needed to resolve distress. The course began with a discussion of what constitutes good mental health and why avoiding help is so common. Included in the session is how to encourage others to seek professional help and one can become “helper” for others.

This training will help you:

• Understand why asking for help is both difficult and understandable
• Recognise how getting help is often a necessary ingredient to resolving problems
• Change the way you think about “getting help” in order to move beyond fears of judgement
• Identify approaches to helping others access help and/or becoming a helpful resource

Look out for the next session on Unconscious Bias at the end of March.

V.CARE: Wellbeing Webinars

You can catch up with the rest of  EAP orientation and previous webinars below

Are you aware of all the wellbeing resources available to you?

Both the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and inspiration for your wellbeing can be found on the V.Care website, or available through the V.Crew Connect App.

You can also join the V.Care Facebook page to hear from other V. seafarers and families about their journey with V.

Voyage Loyalty Update

Voyage Loyalty continues its expansion following the enthusiastic response to the pilot in the Philippines and is now open of all officers.

The tiered loyalty member programme provides a range of benefits based on Years of services with V.Ships or the amount of SeaStars you earn per calendar year.

A raft of new benefits have been added to the platform so that Voyage Loyalty Members can receive discounts or vouchers from top brand names in different countries around the world.

Look out for your invite to join Voyage Loyalty via the V.Crew Connect App. and be further rewarded for your loyalty to V.

Find out more about Voyage Loyalty below.

Healthy Corner - Heart Month

The World Health Organisation states that Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. This statistic is used to emphasise the importance of prioritising heart healthy all year round. In many countries February is recognised as Heart Month, not for valentines, but to raise awareness about the lifestyle choices we make and their impact on our heart health.

The primary causes of CVD’s include modifiable lifestyle practices such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets (particularly those high in salt), physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption.

A number of shore teams support heart health awareness and encourage everyone to take steps toward a healthier heart, with V. staff actively participating by dressing in red to support the cause, included the team in Chennai below.  

Remember, even small lifestyle changes and raised awareness can make a big difference in protecting our hearts!

Here is an eight-step guide to help reduce the risk of developing CVDs, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels:

1. Eating a healthy, balanced diet: Choose a low-fat (unhealthy fats), high-fibre diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables (5-a-day) and whole grains.
2. Being more physically active: Combine a healthy diet with regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
3. Keeping to a healthy weight: GPs, practice nurses, and dietitians/nutritionists can calculate a person’s ideal weight taking into consideration several factors like height, exercise, age, etc.
4. Giving up smoking: Quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing CHD. And helps prevent atherosclerosis (furring of the arteries).
5. Reducing alcohol consumption: Stick to the recommended alcohol limits.
6. Keeping blood pressure under control: Eat a healthy diet low in saturated fat, exercise regularly and, do your blood checks as needed.
7. Keeping diabetes under control: Diabetes increased the risk of CVDs. Stay active and maintain a healthy weight.
8. Taking any prescribed medicine: If you have CVD, your doctor may prescribe medication to help manage symptoms and stop further problems developing.

Controlling stress and getting enough sleep are also essential for heart health.

Heart Health Tip : Managing stress through mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing can help lower blood pressure and improve heart health.