No matter what size your luxury mega yacht is, your vessel is only as good as your crew. Experienced crew are not very common and as Yachties spend most of their time confined onboard a super yacht- sometimes life becomes less than super!
Conflicting personalities or lazy crew behind the scenes on luxury yachts can spoil a summer yacht charter. Captains and owners seek team players willing to work-hard and do what needs done to ensure that the guests are enjoying their memorable time onboard. Our crew agents have 36 years of experience between them making this happen to ensure that the standard of service goes that extra mile.
With our three major crew agencies strategically placed in Palma, Fort Lauderdale and Antibes- Blue Water Yachting act as the exclusive yacht crew agency for a large part of the yachting world. As we are also one of the largest training providers in Europe most crew pass through our doors and sign up with our crew agents during their time in our MCA training centre. We also have training centres in Palma and Fort Lauderdale enabling you to get the most widely recognized and respected qualifications where ever you may currently be based.
Our head-office in Antibes, France is tactically placed as our wide client base (from junior deckhand to fleet owner) all keep this lively famous town close to their hearts as it hosts the largest yachting port in Europe. Over the past 18 years Blue Water has been building their offices around the world interacting with new markets and new clients while staying a loyal company to everyone that comes through our doors.
Yacht Crew Placement is not for the faint-hearted, you may have over 4000 people officially qualified for a position and due to special requirements, previous references and personal experience only 2 candidates may be referred to a Captain.
Our databases require that candidates actively looking for employment check in with us regularly on-line in order to be considered for a position. You would be surprised at how many people think that once having signed up they will be constantly be considered for jobs... crew members that do not check in become inactive after one month.
As the recession has begun to take impact around the world many Captains and Owners have had to revise the way they allocate the budget on their vessels and Blue Water Yachting have the answer to all of your crew recruitment needs. Our constantly updated Crew System is a database of nearly 30,000 crew members from all over the world, looking for seasonal jobs or full time positions. We really do have the perfect crew member no matter what your requirements are.
The Crew System is a highly competitive on-line system that costs a flat rate fee that you can access at any time, from anywhere around the world... Our Crew Agents can be involved as much or as little as you need to make sure that the system works for your yacht whether you need a stewardess for 3 days, an extra engineer for 4 months or 6 new full time members of crew.
The system price relates to the size of your vessel and your maximum crew size no matter what kind of crew turnaround you have. Should you wish for 2 members of crew in the next year you will make the system pay for itself and avoid wasting time. Captains on the system currently find that employing day workers that they find on the system is much more reassuring and by working closely with the crew agency the team in Blue Water Yachting get to know the yacht to a level where they know exactly what the vessel requires... The Crew system is much more efficient, cost effective and possibly the answer to your crew recruitment!
Monday, 23 March 2009
Friday, 20 March 2009
Who benefits from using Teak Cleaner?
I know many within the “professional” yachting industry will say ‘Here we go again health and safety poking its nose into our industry why can’t they just leave us alone?’ well, I’m sure that for those who don’t have to use the above product may say that, but lethargy and the inability of some people not to see the ‘wood for the trees’ is no excuse for not ensuring the safety of crew or Day–Workers.
Some teak cleaners are assigned as dangerous goods to one of nine classes dependant on the main danger presented. Corrosive Materials (Class 8) are liquids or solids that cause full thickness destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified period of time; or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum, some teak cleaners fall into the class 8 category
In the past 2 years I have seen 4 individuals who have been injured having used various teak cleaners. They all agreed that something should be done to stop deck crews from being injured by these cleaning products.
Just recently, 2 weeks after having delivered safety information to crew, a young deck-hand approaches me and shows me the chemical burn injuries he had sustained to both his knees and arms, asking him how he received them, he told me, he’d been asked to clean the teak deck with a well known cleaning agent without foot /hand/eye protection or product information when I asked why his reply was ‘I was told to just get on with it’ he also said ‘you should see the state of the Bosun’s hands’ Obviously two wrongs do not make a right.
Another incident recently observed onboard was one where 2 deckhands came into the crew mess for their morning break, One guy said he had a terrible headache, which had come on through the morning, the other guy was OK, neither had been drinking the night before but both had been using teak cleaner through the fore-noon with no personal protection. They were both seemed quite happy that the hard skin had been removed from their feet but neither thought about the consequences of the substance entering their blood stream via absorption.
We know that various products attack different people in different ways, who knows what long term damage could be occurring to these individuals, lets just remember that smoking doesn’t appear to kill immediately neither does asbestos, we class these substances now as dangerous as they produce long term damage to the body but, when they were initially being used, no evidence was around to support the consequences.
So, why do we let our crew, who we train and say we care about, work with substances without the correct protection???
I believe the main cause of these injuries is the inability of yacht management to identify how a specific product should be used safely onboard. Cleaning teak for example seems to be known as a ‘Deckies pedicure’ i.e. using a teak cleaner without protective footwear. I’m sure that if I asked is footwear available and worn the answer would be yes however, the visible injuries I see do not seem to support that answer.
The following advice should be taken when using all chemicals onboard
1 Read the product Material Safety Data Sheet
2 Follow Management Company/Yacht’s written safety procedures for the product which should include a Yacht Risk Assessment – if unsure check-up on the internet
The product advice for some teak cleaners is:-
Hazards to Health
Potential routes of entry or exposure Ingestion and Absorption
Health hazards and effects of over exposure Acute irritation to skin and eyes
Emergency First Aid Procedures Inhalation - Remove to fresh air
Ingestion – DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING – keep the person warm and quiet and request immediate medical attention.
Eyes – Flush with copious amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting upper and lower lids occasionally and request immediate medical attention
Special Protection Information
Ventilation Mechanical
Protective Gloves/Boots Rubber – Eye protection - Goggles
Spill or Leak Procedures
Precautions to be taken if the product leaks or is spilled Neutralise with Baking Soda or Sodium Carbonate and flush with copious amounts of water
Special Precautions
Precautions to be taken when handling and storing Store between 40 and 120 degrees C
Any other precautions Do Not Mix with – Ammonia – Bleach or Caustic Materials especially powders
If the rules are followed and you do ‘exactly as is say’s on the tin’ crew using the above product should be safe in the knowledge that all is being done to protect them.
If Personal Protective Equipment is available use it if it’s not available get it before the work commences.
Ken Dales is a project manager at Blue Water Yachting http://www.bluewateryachting.com
Some teak cleaners are assigned as dangerous goods to one of nine classes dependant on the main danger presented. Corrosive Materials (Class 8) are liquids or solids that cause full thickness destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified period of time; or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum, some teak cleaners fall into the class 8 category
In the past 2 years I have seen 4 individuals who have been injured having used various teak cleaners. They all agreed that something should be done to stop deck crews from being injured by these cleaning products.
Just recently, 2 weeks after having delivered safety information to crew, a young deck-hand approaches me and shows me the chemical burn injuries he had sustained to both his knees and arms, asking him how he received them, he told me, he’d been asked to clean the teak deck with a well known cleaning agent without foot /hand/eye protection or product information when I asked why his reply was ‘I was told to just get on with it’ he also said ‘you should see the state of the Bosun’s hands’ Obviously two wrongs do not make a right.
Another incident recently observed onboard was one where 2 deckhands came into the crew mess for their morning break, One guy said he had a terrible headache, which had come on through the morning, the other guy was OK, neither had been drinking the night before but both had been using teak cleaner through the fore-noon with no personal protection. They were both seemed quite happy that the hard skin had been removed from their feet but neither thought about the consequences of the substance entering their blood stream via absorption.
We know that various products attack different people in different ways, who knows what long term damage could be occurring to these individuals, lets just remember that smoking doesn’t appear to kill immediately neither does asbestos, we class these substances now as dangerous as they produce long term damage to the body but, when they were initially being used, no evidence was around to support the consequences.
So, why do we let our crew, who we train and say we care about, work with substances without the correct protection???
I believe the main cause of these injuries is the inability of yacht management to identify how a specific product should be used safely onboard. Cleaning teak for example seems to be known as a ‘Deckies pedicure’ i.e. using a teak cleaner without protective footwear. I’m sure that if I asked is footwear available and worn the answer would be yes however, the visible injuries I see do not seem to support that answer.
The following advice should be taken when using all chemicals onboard
1 Read the product Material Safety Data Sheet
2 Follow Management Company/Yacht’s written safety procedures for the product which should include a Yacht Risk Assessment – if unsure check-up on the internet
The product advice for some teak cleaners is:-
Hazards to Health
Potential routes of entry or exposure Ingestion and Absorption
Health hazards and effects of over exposure Acute irritation to skin and eyes
Emergency First Aid Procedures Inhalation - Remove to fresh air
Ingestion – DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING – keep the person warm and quiet and request immediate medical attention.
Eyes – Flush with copious amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting upper and lower lids occasionally and request immediate medical attention
Special Protection Information
Ventilation Mechanical
Protective Gloves/Boots Rubber – Eye protection - Goggles
Spill or Leak Procedures
Precautions to be taken if the product leaks or is spilled Neutralise with Baking Soda or Sodium Carbonate and flush with copious amounts of water
Special Precautions
Precautions to be taken when handling and storing Store between 40 and 120 degrees C
Any other precautions Do Not Mix with – Ammonia – Bleach or Caustic Materials especially powders
If the rules are followed and you do ‘exactly as is say’s on the tin’ crew using the above product should be safe in the knowledge that all is being done to protect them.
If Personal Protective Equipment is available use it if it’s not available get it before the work commences.
Ken Dales is a project manager at Blue Water Yachting http://www.bluewateryachting.com
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Blue Water Gain MCA Approval for Mallorca Fire Training Centre
Blue water yachting, the ‘one stop shop’ for yacht support services has achieved approval from the MCA for a new fire training centre near Palma in Mallorca, Spain. Modelled on the highly successful fire training centre in Biot, France, the new facility will mean that candidates for MCA STCW95 Crew Basic Training in Mallorca will no longer have to leave the island to carry out the practical fire training. Currently candidates are travelling to Barcelona and even the UK to be trained in Basic Fire Prevention and Fighting.
At the same time the training centre received approval for engineering training. The MCA ‘Approved Engine Course’ can now be run there and in future career engineers will be able to take the MCA ‘Craft Skills Test’ once the new workshop facilities have been finished.
Using modified cargo containers, a ship simulator has been created which is filled with furniture and obstacles. Artificial smoke is pumped into to unit and students, wearing full firemen’s suits and breathing apparatus, have to search inside to find and rescue dummy casualties. The course is designed to promote teamwork and an awareness of the dangers of fire in the marine environment.
Recently some yacht casualties have highlighted the need for better and more convenient yacht crew training. The accident reports into to the loss of Lady Candida and Lands End both mentioned a lack of he most basic safety procedures and significant shortcomings in the safety management systems. One of the most roles of STCW Crew Basic Training is to help generate a ‘culture of safety’ amongst yacht crew.
The approval of new engineering facilities on Mallorca will hopefully help towards overcoming the chronic shortage of yacht engineers. Although these are for running the lowest qualification, the ‘Approved Engine Course’ , (sometimes also referred to as the ‘Assistant Engineer Course’ since it qualifies candidates for that role), Blue Water also run all of the advanced engineering courses on the Island, right the way up to Chief Engineer 9000 kW. In order for there to be enough candidates in the future it is essential that more training be carried out for the lower certificates. This is why the new approval is so important
These approvals mark another milestone in Blue Water’s drive to bring crew training to the places where it is needed. With facilities already on the Cote d’Azur, Viareggio and Fort Lauderdale, in addition to those in Mallorca; Blue Water has plans to develop other sites in areas where yacht crew are based. Since the company also provides yacht management, crew placement, Charter and Brokerage services, these too will be extended as the company expands.
Yacht Management, in particular, has made significant advances over recent months and has a number of new contracts pending. Because of the depth of knowledge required to run a yacht crew training facility it is a natural step to employ this expertise in the field of management. It is one of the key attributes that separates Blue Water form all other yacht companies, none of whom are capable of running crew training, let alone in the range and depth achieved at Blue water.
The innovative and ground-breaking online crew placement database further enhances the position of Blue water as the market leader. For the cost of a couple of regular crew placement yacht captains may search up to 30 000 records to find the CV matches their requirements. They also benefit from the fact that there is quite a good chance that we trained the candidate and therefore have good knowledge of who might be best suited for which job.
For more information contact Lizzie Irving.
Sales and Marketing manager lizzie@bluewateryachting.com
At the same time the training centre received approval for engineering training. The MCA ‘Approved Engine Course’ can now be run there and in future career engineers will be able to take the MCA ‘Craft Skills Test’ once the new workshop facilities have been finished.
Using modified cargo containers, a ship simulator has been created which is filled with furniture and obstacles. Artificial smoke is pumped into to unit and students, wearing full firemen’s suits and breathing apparatus, have to search inside to find and rescue dummy casualties. The course is designed to promote teamwork and an awareness of the dangers of fire in the marine environment.
Recently some yacht casualties have highlighted the need for better and more convenient yacht crew training. The accident reports into to the loss of Lady Candida and Lands End both mentioned a lack of he most basic safety procedures and significant shortcomings in the safety management systems. One of the most roles of STCW Crew Basic Training is to help generate a ‘culture of safety’ amongst yacht crew.
The approval of new engineering facilities on Mallorca will hopefully help towards overcoming the chronic shortage of yacht engineers. Although these are for running the lowest qualification, the ‘Approved Engine Course’ , (sometimes also referred to as the ‘Assistant Engineer Course’ since it qualifies candidates for that role), Blue Water also run all of the advanced engineering courses on the Island, right the way up to Chief Engineer 9000 kW. In order for there to be enough candidates in the future it is essential that more training be carried out for the lower certificates. This is why the new approval is so important
These approvals mark another milestone in Blue Water’s drive to bring crew training to the places where it is needed. With facilities already on the Cote d’Azur, Viareggio and Fort Lauderdale, in addition to those in Mallorca; Blue Water has plans to develop other sites in areas where yacht crew are based. Since the company also provides yacht management, crew placement, Charter and Brokerage services, these too will be extended as the company expands.
Yacht Management, in particular, has made significant advances over recent months and has a number of new contracts pending. Because of the depth of knowledge required to run a yacht crew training facility it is a natural step to employ this expertise in the field of management. It is one of the key attributes that separates Blue Water form all other yacht companies, none of whom are capable of running crew training, let alone in the range and depth achieved at Blue water.
The innovative and ground-breaking online crew placement database further enhances the position of Blue water as the market leader. For the cost of a couple of regular crew placement yacht captains may search up to 30 000 records to find the CV matches their requirements. They also benefit from the fact that there is quite a good chance that we trained the candidate and therefore have good knowledge of who might be best suited for which job.
For more information contact Lizzie Irving.
Sales and Marketing manager lizzie@bluewateryachting.com
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