Last week Success Story…A US port agent received a bill on one crewmember for an emergency visit and admission to a US hospital. The bill had been forwarded for payment to the shipowner on the Agent Disbursement Account to be paid in full. The bill, was indeed high, but well un… Continue

The global economy continues to struggle and its impact on the shipping community frequently brings depressing news. In the last couple of week Tradewinds reported that the Royal Bank of Scotland is facing a large cutback in its lending business, possibly as much as 10 billion dollars. Apart from the immediate impact this will have, it also weakens confidence even further in the industry and, from a recruitment perspective, is likely to mean more recruitment freezes taking place.

At Halcyon, we… Continue

http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/viewArticle.htm?articleId=20017627922

I found the attached article interesting. I would like to hear the views of others. From my position and seeing first hand the claims and the experience of those with "inexperienced" crew, I would have to agree that the effects are devastating. It is interesting that the Lloyd's list author wrote "Concerns surrounding inexperienced officers had been felt most acutely in the operation of tankers, particularly product, chemic… Continue

Please write with Facts

The last few years have been so good to the shipping industry, it is difficult for some to remember a time when rates were lower and jobs were fewer. I remember when the freight rates began their phenomenal increase, most people thought it wouldn't last more than a year, how wrong they were! That is no doubt why the current situation feels even worse, the good times were better than they had ever been before and the crest of the wave we were riding seemed never ending.

That situation has certai… Continue