SeaSafe Marine Wins Another Fleet Contract

Leading lifeboat repair & maintenance specialist SeaSafe Marine has entered into a fleetwide lifeboat servicing contract with one of the world’s largest dry bulk operators. The agreement covers statutory annual and 5-Year services, as well as unplanned services and supply of all spares.

Managing Director of SeaSafe Marine, Andrew Lemmis says, “This recent agreement reflects the trend in owners outsourcing their lifeboat maintenance and repair to third party providers and the associated growth in demand for our unique product and service delivery.”

This agreement follows a series of new business wins for SeaSafe Marine since the beginning of the year. These include other lifeboat service fleet agreements with a leading Norwegian VLGC owner and a US-based dry cargo manager and the annual servicing of lifeboats, rescue boats and davits for several major cruise and ferry operators.

Customers choose SeaSafe for a fast and efficient service at flat rates with no additional charges. SeaSafe Engineers bring years of experience and a unique understanding of industry needs from both ship owner and service provider perspectives.

Why Seafarers matter the most

Marine Director for Wallem Ship Management, Fared Khan explain why seafarers matter the most:

For the past 6 years, International Day of the Seafarer has been celebrated on 25th of June.Shipping carries more than 90 percent of world trade. Almost everything that we use in our daily lives has been directly or indirectly affected by sea transport. Making all this possible each and every day in the seven seas and thousands of ports worldwide are the 1.5 million seafarers; most often unseen.

These seafarers are responsible for operations on a variety of different ships and responsible for an even greater variety of different cargo; from the shoes that we wear and the food that we eat to complex chemicals and oil and gas which powers nations. There is no doubt that shipping is the life blood of the world economy.

The safety and wellbeing of all seafarers should be the main priority for the entire shipping industry. Seafarers dedicate themselves to life at sea, away from home, doing work that can often be challenging, lonely and even dangerous. On the other hand, it is a profession made up of very proud men and women and one full of adventure where no two days, whether at sea or in port, are the same.

At Wallem, we know that our seafarers are the oxygen of our business. We couldn’t do what we do without them and their safety and welfare is of paramount importance. We want our seafarers to do their jobs safely, feel a valued part of our teams and to return home safely to their families.

Our Wallem seafarers are made up of a great mix of people from different cultural backgrounds. All are respected and treated equal; irrespective of the colour of the passport they hold. We are strongly committed to ensuring their welfare. Training at our Wallem training centres emphasizes safety and a healthy work-life balance. We have a long-established wellness program onboard and we hold support and assistance for our seafarers and their families in high regard. In turn, the “Wallem Professional Seafarer’ is expected to have a strong safety mindset and take pride in his/her commitment to the ship they are entrusted with, their fellow seafarers, the environment, our customers and Wallem.

Wellness@Sea is a key aspect of our pre-joining safety briefings and training sessions and hard copies of the guide (in both English and Chinese) are available onboard for ready reference. The key is that we are empowering our seafarers to take care of themselves and their health, while offering them our full support. The program, which was developed in conjunction with a clinical psychologist, addresses mental and emotional health and covers every aspect of wellbeing at sea, from stress management to healthy eating and the importance of quality sleep and exercise; as well as a positive working culture and behavior. Monitoring is done to ensure that any seafarer showing signs of fatigue is not allowed to continue to work as they are risking endangering themselves, their colleagues, our owners assets’ and environment.

At Wallem we are very grateful for the constant support provided to our seafarers and their families by the various chapters of the charitable organization, Women of Wallem (WoW) in our seafarers’ communities. Knowing that their families are well taken care of and have a strong support system in their absence can bring comfort and allow the seafarers to focus on their responsibilities at sea.

Engagement and empowerment is also key to our approach at Wallem. We are committed to keeping our crews motivated and unified towards the same goal – safe and efficient operations for themselves, our customers and Wallem. We believe that making sure that our seafarers feel a part of our team is essential for their own wellbeing and to boost morale onboard. We have a strong mentorship program onboard and encouraging seafarers to raise any issues they have through Seavoice@Wallem - a confidential email portal that can be used without fear of bias and retribution. We hold events such as safety dinners onboard to increase social interaction and provide our seafarers with ample opportunities to upgrade their skills and training via our in-house training portal.

In short, focus and awareness on seafarers should not be limited to one day in a year. It should be part of an ongoing effort rather than a one off initiative. The industry has a responsibility to look after our seafarers and do everything we can to continuously support them. Seafarers matter. 

How to ensure you have a Ballast Water Treatment System onboard that actually works

Technical Director for Wallem Ship Management, Ioannis Stefanou shares his expertise on Ballast Water Treatment Systems:

The second half of 2016 brought shockwaves to some shipowners who were still in a state of denial about the need to install Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) onboard their vessels. The ratification of the Ballast Water Management Convention and the announcement of the first U.S. Coast Guard Type Approved BWTS, saw many shipowners rushing to drydock their vessels at the beginning of the year, or de-harmonise their IOPP certificates in an attempt to delay fitting a BWTS onboard their ships.

Others have already installed a BWTS onboard or have decided to install one. Much has been written on the various constraints that are to be faced for selecting and installing a system, but not much has been heard about the systems installed on board. Do they work? And by work I am not referring to if they treat the water to the desired level, I mean whether or not they are operational. The answer to this is that unfortunately many don’t, at least not in such a straightforward way as many manufacturers would like us to believe.

Within the Wallem-managed fleet we have more than 40 vessels with BWTS installed; either during the New Building stage or retrofitted. These are systems across the range of five different treatment technologies and by various manufacturers. Only two thirds of the systems installed were fully operational onboard within the first six months - on some vessels they were not fully operational even after a year. The problems weren’t inherent to a specific type of technology or manufacturer; although I have to mention that one type of technology had a 100% success rate for problem-free operations, despite different manufacturers. I don’t have any official numbers from the industry but it is understood from informal chats that issues with the installed systems is something commonly experienced.

At Wallem, when we realised the extend of the challenges that the crew and the Superintendents faced with the operation of some of the BWTS, we decided to follow a centralised approach and have one person focusing on making sure that the systems onboard had become fully operational, before handing over responsibility to the Fleet Superintendents.

Our approach to this compromises the three key elements for achieving operational excellence which are people, assets and procedures. We are focusing on crew training by the manufacturers, both onboard and ashore. We also offer familiarisation courses at our training centres as part of the pre-joining training. Lastly, we rotate some of our senior officers who are experienced with certain systems to enable them to share their knowledge and experience on board.

On the BWTS equipment front we are in close contact with the manufacturers in order to resolve the issues faced. I have to mention that the response and support by all manufacturers has been superb. There are inevitably issues with components or new issues (even new to the manufacturer) which crop up, but we always working together to bring the system to full operation in the shortest of time.

Finally, we have generated specific job routines in our planned maintenance system based on manufacturer’s instructions and our experience and also have created ship-specific operating instructions and troubleshooting advice. Even if it is not required yet, our policy is that the BWTS is operated regularly in order for the crew to be familiarised with the operation and that we maintain the system in full operational condition for when we are required to use it.

The road to Compliance with the Ballast Water Management convention and U.S. requirements is not easy for owners, and is certainly costly. Installing systems that might not be fully functional when required is not something that any owner would like to see. At Wallem we have experienced that good planning, execution and focus; as well as close cooperation between the BWTS manufacturers and the ship manager, can minimise the burden to the owner.

Day of the Seafarer

On Day of the Seafarer, we would like to extend a special thanks to our Wallem seafarers for their hard work and ongoing commitment to safety and operational efficiency.

The theme of this year’s IMO Day of the Seafarer is “Seafarers Matter”.

Seafarers matter the most to us and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure their safety, health and wellness on this day and every day.

Watch a special video from our senior management and shore staff which is dedicated to our seafarers:

A big thanks to all our colleagues who helped in the making of this video.

True North Issue 2 2017 Out Now

Wallem Group’s latest True North magazine is available online now! 

  This issue's theme is ‘Customer Service'.

  Featured articles include: 

 • 50 Years of Service with a Smile
 • Torn Between Two Passions
 • Strengthening the Connection between Sea & Shore

  

  Click here to read.

Celebrating 50 Years in Thailand!

On 6^th June, Wallem’s Board of Directors and senior management joined our Thai colleagues and valued customers for a special celebration to mark our 50^th Anniversary in Thailand.

What began back in June 1967 as a small office to support the Group’s further expansion into South East Asia, has developed into a strong regional hub. Today our Thailand team provides agency port services, itinerary planning, technical & drydock support and lifeboat servicing, etc. on a range of vessel types and our aviation team handles everything from dangerous goods to oversized cargoes.

Having been in the business for 50 years, it is our expertise and the strength of our relationships with our customers and with other parties such as local marine and government officials which sets Wallem people apart.

We are excited to continue supporting the growth of our business in Thailand and to further share our strength, insight and expertise in this growing market in the years ahead.

Click here to read more about the services our Thailand office provides.

Wallem Ship Agency Featured in SMF Video

We are excited to share the news that Wallem Ship Agency Operations Manager, Thomas Cheoh is featured in video filmed by the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF).

Thomas was invited to take part in the video project, which is part of a series of profiling videos aimed at promoting the shipping, port and maritime services in Singapore.

Thomas is featured in the video about role of a ship agent - please click image below to watch.

The videos will be aired for a month from 22nd June onwards as commercials at GV theatres in Singapore.

Big thank you to Praveen Shukla and Frankie Tan for helping to make this happen and to the Singapore Maritime Foundation for inviting us to take part in this exciting video project.

And a big thank you and well done to our very own movie star, Thomas Cheoh!

NYK Car Carrier of the Year Award

We are pleased to announce that the Wallem-managed vessel, Gemini Leader has been awarded NYK Car Carrier of the Year 2016.

The award was presented to the Captain and crew of the vessel on 2^nd May 2017.

Wallem is dedicated to continue supporting our Japanese customers with technical and ship management services for a range of vessel types including car carriers, tankers and container vessels.

Wallem is fully accredited to do full technical management for Japanese flag vessels with Class NK, including the provision of crew with fully compliant Wallem Professional seafarers meeting the stringent Japanese flag requirements.

Wallem Wayfarers Conquer Mt. Fansipan for Charity

On 22nd April, the Wallem Wayfarers comprised of Robbie Outram (Hong Kong), Rod Steele (Singapore) and Yogesh Pasrija (Mumbai) took on the Sailors’ Society Asian Challenge 2017.

The team climbed Mt Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina and last major peak at the end of the Himalayan range. In this incredible trekking challenge, these three relatively inexperienced hikers ascended 3,143 meters over 2 days to claim not only glory, but also 3^rd place in their category.

Though mist remained for the duration of the weekend reducing visibility, and torrential rain did its best to dampen participants’ spirits; the sheer grit, determination and cohesiveness of the Wayfarers that is indicative of Wallem employees took them to the top in impressive fashion.

The team were proud of their achievement and to have reached their fundraising goal to help seafarers via the Sailor’s Society. 

Please click here to go to their Just Giving page if you would like to make a donation.

Wallem to Sponsor Intertanko Annual Tanker Event 2017

Intertanko’s Annual Tanker Event will be held from 23^rd – 26^th May 2017. The event, which will be held at The Houstonian Hotel in Houston, Texas, includes a series of key summits and forums on tanker-related issues; in addition to the Annual Gala dinner.

Wallem is delighted to sponsor the Intertanko photo competition again this year! The competition is open to all seagoing and shore-based staff and photos should cover any aspect of carrying the world’s oil, gas and chemicals safely, cleanly and efficiently. Wallem Senior Management will be there at the event and will proudly announce the winners of the photo competition.

Click here to register and to find further information including a full rundown of events. 

Wallem Helps with Arrangements for Maritime UK Showcase

On 27th March, the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) was welcomed on her maiden call to Incheon by Wallem's Korea Ship Agency team. The vessel then continued on her journey to China.

On 29^th March, our China Agency team were happy to welcome the vessel to Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal where a special “Maritime UK Showcase” event was held onboard. The event was jointly hosted by the British Consulate-General, Shanghai along with the Department for international Trade (DIT) in China.

As agent for the QM2, the Wallem team ensured that the boarding permits were arranged in advance for all 169 of the event’s guests and looked after transport to the terminal for the VIPs - British officials and Carnival’s Chairman, Mr David Dingle.

L-R: Chairman of Carnival UK Mr David Dingle, General Manager for Wallem Agency China, Pony Chen, the vessel's Captain Christopher Michael and Hotel Manager, David James

The team received a message of thanks from Trade and Investment Manager at the British Consulate, Stewart Gorman who said,

“I just wanted to say thank you to both of you and your colleagues for the work you did yesterday in helping our delegates through the Port Authority clearance process before boarding the QM2. I know how difficult it was for you but appreciated your good humour and patience which shone through. Thank you again and hope we get the chance to work together again soon.”

Carnival also expressed that they were pleased with the smooth call and Wallem’s contribution towards making the event onboard a success.

Congratulations to our Ship Agency team in China on another job well done!

Wallem - chinese crewing specialists

In light of the recent interest in Chinese crewing, Wallem Ship Management still leads the way in providing Chinese crew to the international shipping market.

Wallem has been providing full Chinese crews for over 18 years and has a long established Training Centre in Qingdao and a large support presence in mainland China.

In 2015 Wallem became the only foreign shipping company to 100% own a Manning Agency operation in China – with full rights to recruit, train and deploy Chinese seafarers worldwide. ‘Wallem Maritime Services’ was set up in 2015 and is licensed by the Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration of China (MSA) to directly provide Chinese seafarers to vessels managed by Wallem Ship Management.

Prior to this, Wallem was and remains the largest 3^rd party provider of Chinese seafarers to international owners with 47 vessels currently operated by full Chinese crews. Our crews have built up long experience trading globally with over 800 of our Chinese crew having more than 5 years of service with Wallem.

Of great importance is the uptake of cadets and Wallem currently has over 60 Chinese cadets now working directly for Wallem.

Captain Sun Jian Jun, who has worked on Wallem managed vessels since 2003 says, “What impresses me about working at Wallem is the strong emphasis on safety and training and the excellent communication between ship and shore. I am very proud to work for a company which has such a good reputation.”

About Wallem
Established in Shanghai in 1903, Wallem has a long history and established presence in China and the wider Asian region. Wallem offers a range of Technical Services in China including New Building & Drydock Supervision plus a Ship Agency business with 8 owned offices serving all Chinese ports.

Wallem Handles Dry dock Support for Pacific Dawn Refit

Wallem Ship Agency was proud to handle drydock support for the cruise ship, Pacific Dawn in Singapore from 18^th-28^th February.

The vessel, which is operated by P&O Cruises Australia and home ported in Brisbane, was in drydock for scheduled maintenance and to undergo a huge renovation project which included a complete top-to-bottom refurbishment and the installation of two new waterparks onboard. As Asia specialists with more than 25 years of experience in drydock support for cruise ships, P&O turned to Wallem for this challenging project.

The Wallem team handled dry dock support for the project at Sembawang Shipyard. This included embarkation and disembarkation of crew (110 crew signed off and 150 signed on) and contractors (more than 700), shuttle service to and from the ship, provision of stores and spares (and clearance through customs), loading of renovation materials onboard (30 containers worth), small repairs, renewal of ship's Certificates and Licenses, etc.

General Manager for Wallem Ship Agency in Singapore, Frankie Tan says, “Every drydocking is challenging but this one particularly so due to the sheer volume of numbers of people and materials required and the very tight schedule. The completion date for repairs was not confirmed until the last minute so it required seamless arrangements with all the parties involved to ensure that the vessel was able to secure a berth at the cruise terminal after leaving the shipyard.”

Thanks to the Wallem team’s efficiency, good teamwork and calm professionalism in the face of pressure, the dry-docking project went smoothly. Wallem’s service was well recognized and much appreciated by P&O who thanked the team for the excellent job done.

Click here for information about Wallem Ship Agency Cruise Ship Services and more.

Wallem Showcases Asia Cruise Expertise

Managing Director of Wallem Ship Agency, Dickson Chin attended Seatrade Cruise from 13^th - 16^th March 2017 in Miami, Florida as part of a delegation from the Hong Kong Tourism Board who had a Pavilion at the event.

Dickson was joined at the event by Wallem’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Nigel Moore. Together they met with current and potential customers to promote our cruise ship services as Asia specialists.

For more information on Wallem’s Cruise Ship services, click here.

Wallem Represented at Breakbulk China 2017

Wallem was represented at the recent Breakbulk China, held in Shanghai from 13^th-16^th March at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Conference Center. Wallem had a booth at the conference where they were joined by Charlie Bussayabuntoon from Wallem Myanmar, Roland Chen from Wallem Taiwan and Nitin Mathur from Wallem Singapore (who was in the city for a presentation at the 7^th Oil Tanker Shipping Summit 2017).

The Wallem team were proud to showcase our expertise in the Breakbulk market at this event and welcome current and potential customers to our booth.

Fatigue at sea should not be ignored

by Marine Director for Wallem Ship Management, Captain Fared Khan

The recent report, ‘Project MARTHA’ published by Intermanager shows that fatigue at sea is a growing problem. The report highlights growing levels of fatigue, particularly among Masters and Watch Keepers.

Fatigue at sea (both physical and mental) can impact judgement and therefore safety and can contribute to increased stress. This is a very serious issue which must be addressed and measures taken for it to be alleviated.

Regulations, compliance and monitoring
The shipping industry has strict regulations in place that all shipowners and ship managers must comply with regarding work and rest hours. These regulations are only part of the story. Checks need to be in place to ensure that these regulations are being adhered to strictly by all seafarers at all times without any operational or commercial pressures, perceived or otherwise from all shore-based stakeholders.

At Wallem we have a dedicated cell (made up of several ex senior officers) for monitoring and supporting seafarers in planning and ensuring work rest hours are met. Responsibilities include:

• Working with charterers and owners to ensure that the ship complies with workrest hour requirements
• Supporting shipboard staff to plan work (schedules)
• Taking steps to provide extra manpower when needed
• Trending data on ship type, trade and available manpower to forecast work load and assist senior officers onboard to plan work schedules for ports with simultaneous operations (SIMPOS) such as loading cargo, bunkering , storing followed by short sea passages requiring tank cleaning. Support and guidance on SIMOPS ensures proper planning and proper work rest hours to mitigate risk.

Importance of wellbeing, engagement and empowerment
Regulations and compliance are only a small part of the equation. Given what we know today about the effects of physical tiredness on the body and mind, it is imperative that companies have programs in place to ensure that seafarers’ wellbeing is top priority.

We are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of Wallem seafarers. This commitment is formalized in our Wellness@Sea program which was developed in conjunction with a clinical psychologist. The program addresses mental and emotional health and covers every aspect of wellbeing at sea, from stress management to healthy eating and the importance of quality sleep and exercise; as well as a positive working culture and behavior. Stress management and support due to any unacceptable bullying or harassment onboard is covered under our Dignity@Sea program.

Awareness on work-life balance at sea is a key aspect of our pre-joining safety briefings and training sessions and hard copies of the guide (in both English and Chinese) are available onboard for ready reference. The key to both these programs is that we are empowering our seafarers to take care of themselves and their health, while offering them our full support. 

We have a confidential email portal (Seavoice@Wallem.com) that can be used without fear of bias or retribution. It goes to the highest level of management, with a clinical psychologist who is experienced with seafarers on consultation to address the more critical issues. We also extensively promote the support system from the industry to our seafarers such as the Sailor’s Society’s free Wellness At Sea App, an interactive way for seafarers to monitor their progress.

However, support should not stop with the seafarer themselves. It is critical that support is provided to the seafarers’ families too. At Wallem we are very grateful for the constant support provided to our seafarers’ families by the various chapters of the charitable organisation Women of Wallem (WoW). Knowing that their families are well taken care of and have a strong support system in their absence can relieve a good deal of stress that seafarers are facing.

As well as support for health and wellbeing, I personally believe very strongly in the power of engagement. Seafarers who feel happy and engaged is essential to boost morale onboard. Our seafarers are provided with ample opportunities to upgrade their skills and training via our in-house training portal and events such as safety dinners onboard are regularly arranged onboard to keep the crew motivated and unified towards the same goal – safe and efficient operations for themselves, the Company and our Customers.

Respect and commitment
While our crew is made up of a great mix of people from different cultural backgrounds, Wallem is the largest employer of Chinese seafarers outside of China. All Wallem seafarers are treated equally and with respect and not defined by nationality. Emphasis is put on the very simple concept of the “Wallem Professional Seafarer’ who is expected to have a strong safety mindset and take pride in his/her commitment to Wallem and our customers. In turn, it is our commitment, along with the provision of a strong safety culture and secure living conditions which attracts seafarers to Wallem. Overtime is carefully monitored by the same cell that monitors workrest hours and we have measures in place to ensure that any seafarer showing signs of fatigue is not allowed to continue to work as they are risking endangering themselves, their colleagues, our owners assets’ and environment.

Call for Urgent action
Intermanger is calling for urgent industry action on this critical issue of the increasing stress and workload onboard. Wallem fully supports increased compliance in this area. The safety and wellbeing of all seafarers should be a top priority industry-wide.

This issue is not going to disappear. At Wallem we are taking proactive steps to mitigate it and face it head on in every aspect of what we do from raising awareness, training, empowering our seafarers, embedding this into our Safety Management System and providing support required.  We believe that this is something that every responsible employer of seafarers, ship owner and ship manager should do. 

This issue has to be addressed if we are to continue retaining professional high performing seafarers, attracting new seafarers and promoting this profession to the younger generation.

Wallem Comes 4th in Breakbulk Dusk to Dawn Photo Contest!

Wallem was placed 4th - out of 54 entries (photo and video) in Breakbulk’s recent Dusk to Dawn Photo Contest. Thanks to Wallem Ship Agency in Shanghai, Sammy Xie for the beautiful image and details on this special breakbulk road movement at very short notice.

This breakbulk road movement was the transport of a blade destined for an aerogenerator system (windmill generator). The transport had to utilise a specially extended chassis for the journey from the factory in Shanghai to the Nangang Terminal. The blade was then loaded onboard the M.V. Saga Voyage. As the move was carried out at dawn, the trailer was fitted with emergency lights and a special green way traffic light arrangement was made with local authorities for the entire 3km route. This ensured an uninterrupted safe passage to the port and avoided any delays to the loading operation.

The entries will be displayed at Breakbulk China 2017, 13-16 March in Shanghai.

True North magazine Issue 1, 2017 Out Now!

Wallem Group’s latest True North magazine is available online now! 

  This issue's theme is ‘Digitalisation and the Future of Shipping'.

  Featured articles include: 

 • Out with the Old, In with the New
 • Wallem's Journey of Collaboration
 • Safety is a full-time job; not a part time practice

  

  Click here to read.

Marine Director Takes Part in Crew Connect Global Panel

Wallem was represented at Crew Connect Global, held from 7th-8th November in Manila.

Captain Fared Khan took part in the Operators’ insight panel which looked at the issue of ‘Industry health check’. Panelists discussed the following question, How well are we empowering our seafarers and promoting wellness at sea?

Captain Khan talked about raising awareness and practical application being the key to empowerment of seafarers – and the challenges of doing this with a transient seafarer workforce. He shared some of the initiatives that we have  launched at Wallem including our Wellness@Sea program and guide book (to help our seafarers manage stress and sea by building mental and emotional resilience) and our Dignity@Sea programme which focuses on ensuring a respectful atmosphere for all onboard irrespective of gender, race, age or nationality.

The conference was attended by the industry’s top players and this was a great opportunity to showcase Wallem’s thinking and practices on this important subject.

MBS Represented at BIPC 2016

MBS’s Cyrus Ma attended the 4^th Busan International Port Conference (BIPC 2016) held on 3^rd - 4^th November in Busan, Korea.

Cyrus introduced the Wallem Group, its history, global reach and the range of services provided before talked about MBS as a Wallem Group company. His presentation on MBS then focused on how MBS delivers maximum value to each and every client. He talked about some facts and figures about both quantity, quality and relative costs of ship supplies (general consumables only) made to Wallem Ship Management in Busan and elsewhere to see some trends and comparisons.

The highlight of the presentation was presenting various results and responses from a survey that MBS has conducted on a number of Busan-based ship suppliers. Questions included what the ship chandlers think about Busan, the present situation in the marine supply industry and what they are doing to maintain a competitive advantage. Cyrus analysed what their answers reveal about the state of the industry and what Busan can do faced with this challenging environment.

Click here for more information on Marine Buying Services.

Ship Manager of the Year Award

Wallem is proud to have been awarded “Hong Kong Ship Manager of the Year” by the Mission to Seafarers - voted for by Seafarers themselves.

In order to shortlist companies eligible for this award, seafarers on Hong Kong-flagged were surveyed by the Mission to Seafarers. The survey comprised of a number of questions about their views on their employers (owners and managers), with particular focus on safety, security and welfare. The results of the survey and winners were announced at the Mission to Seafarers’ Annual Charity Dinner held on November 17th in Hong Kong.

Receiving the award on behalf of Wallem, David Price, Managing Director of Wallem Ship Management said “This award is very meaningful since the voting was done by seafarers themselves. We strive to continue to devote all our efforts to ensure that there is a strong safety culture and a professional and supportive environment onboard all Wallem-managed ships. We would like to thank our seafarers for this great honour."

The Mission to Seafarers is an international maritime charity which provides help and support to the 1.5 million crewmen and women who face danger every day to keep our global economy afloat. 

Safety at All Costs

Safety makes good business sense, that much is true. However, Wallem’s Marine Director Captain Fared Khan believes passionately that safety and operational excellence go hand in hand. What’s more, that a strong safety culture ensures that seafarers are happy, engaged, motivated and committed – and with people at the core of our business, this is our main concern. We asked Captain Khan about what attracts seafarers to Wallem, our training philosophy and the measures we take to keep our seafarers safe at sea.

Click here to read full article

Wallem Colleagues Take Part in Charity Trek

On Saturday 5th November, Wallem had three teams taking part in the Sailors’ Society Hong Kong Trek! ‘Wallem Striders’, ‘Wallem Warriors’ and ‘Coast Busters’ hiked 15km from Pak Kung Au in Lantau Island, across Sunset Peak (the 3rd highest peak in Hong Kong at 869 metres above sea level) finishing at Discovery Bay.

The Sailors’ Society helps seafarers and their families with welfare and practical support, visiting ships in ports and talking with seafarers away from home for extended periods of time. They facilitate contact with loved ones as well as making medical treatment accessible whenever and wherever required.
The charity is thus especially poignant to Wallem, and our teams committed to raising at least HKD$6000 each; a pledge all participants exceeded.  As the setting, Lantau Island did not disappoint, living up to expectation as both a beautiful and challenging beast. Breath-taking views were commonplace on such a clear, sunny day and a true sense of achievement was felt by all on completion, especially for those who had never hiked before! 

Though none of our teams set any records, the immense team spirit that is indicative of Wallem employees shone through, with every team crossing the finish line in high spirits. Well done to those who took part and helped out (both on the day and in the weeks and months beforehand), your company is proud of you!

Wallem Crew Carry Out Successful Rescue at Sea

On 12th October, the crew of the Wallem-managed vessel, the M.T. Daviken (an LPG carrier) spotted a vessel requiring assistance while en route from Porvoo in Finland to Houston, USA to discharge cargo. After checking with the team ashore and the Miami division of the US Coast Guard, Captain Vitalii Volodchenko gave the go ahead for the rescue operation.

The vessel had to do a Williamson turn to attempt the rescue of the vessel, a rubber dinghy which was partly deflated and taking on water. Once the Daviken reached the dinghy, lines were thrown and the crew proceeded to pull the seven passengers (five men and two women) out of the dinghy to safety.


The vessel had to then deviate even further off course to transfer the people (seven Cuban nationals) to the authorities. However, the first attempt to transfer the people to the Coastguard vessel was unsuccessful due to heavy swell and the vessel had to continue to another position to re-attempt the transfer. The second transfer attempt was successful, bringing a long rescue operation to a safe conclusion.

Captain Volodchenko and his crew were commended by the US Coastguard for the successful rescue and for demonstrating exemplary seamanship.

Seafarer of the Year Award

Captain Deepanjan Ganguli and crew of the True Patriot won the Seafarer of the Year, sponsored by TATA NYK Shipping, at the Lloyd’s List Asia awards presented last night at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore and attended by almost 400 people.

Captain Ganguli and his crew were commended for demonstrating the commercial realities of rescues, one that showed professionalism, focus, good seamanship and not least, luck.

L-R: Dinesh Shastri, Managing Director at TATA NYK Shipping (Award sponsor) presenting the award to Wallem’s Captain Deepanjan Ganguli

The Lloyd’s List Award series recognises the industry’s successes, setting a benchmark for excellence while rewarding innovative ideas and concepts that have pushed the boundaries of what is possible.

Recipients are chosen from entries taken from around the Asia region and adjudicated by a distinguished judging panel which this year included:  Beng Tee Tan, Assistant Chief Executive, Development, MPA; Arthur Bowring, Managing Director, Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association; Gerardo Borromeo, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive, Philippines Transmarine Carriers;  Alan Hatton, Chief Executive Officer, First Ship Lease Trust; David Chin, Executive Director, Singapore Maritime Foundation;  Keith Mullin, Chief Executive, Gulf Oil Marine; Chris Jones, Baltic Exchange; Khalid Hashim, Chief Executive, Precious Shipping; Tim Wilkins, Intertanko and Craig Eason, deputy editor of Lloyd’s List and chairman of the judging panel.

Details of this rescue can be found on page 14, issue 3, 2016 of Wallem’s True North magazine.

Cyber Security as Top Priority

Knowing how to keep one’s information safe and secure is becoming increasingly important in today’s connected world. This is particularly so in the shipping industry given its heavy reliance upon Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Indeed Wallem-managed ships rely heavily on technology to navigate safely and, like all ships, are vulnerable to cyber threats both intentional and unintentional. This is especially so with the increasing availability of Internet onboard.

Awareness about cyber security and adhering to good cyber security practices are therefore both essential to minimise the risks of cyber-attacks both ashore and at sea. With this in mind, Wallem Group has just launched a new Cyber Security course on ‘Wallem Academy’, our in-house training site.

‘Cyber Security Awareness’ is a Wallem specific e-learning course which aims at providing guidance for all our colleagues, both at sea and ashore on how to protect our important and confidential data from phishing attacks. This course is designed to raise general awareness on what forms of cyber-crime exist and the steps that should be taken to avoid falling prey to them.

All staff need be aware of these issues so as to protect both Wallem in its business dealings and ensure operational efficiency. Topics include: safe computing, safe remote and mobile computing. The course will enable staff both ashore and at sea to protect both the Company and themselves against cyberattacks, have a greater awareness of social engineering, identify password best practices and find out how to minimise security risks in all forms of electronic communication.

Seatrade Cruise China

Seatrade Asia Pacific Cruise Congress 2016 was held from 11th-13th October in Shanghai. Cruise lines from across the globe, government officials and other key cruise industry stakeholders got together for a series of innovative conference sessions which focused on the impact of China; both now and in the future, on the regional and global cruise markets. The latest trends and topics affecting the region were discussed.

As the leading Cruise Ship Agent in Asia, Wallem has a strong reputation in providing comprehensive port agency services to 24 cruise lines; in addition to innovative passenger services and itinerary planning with recommendation of new destinations. We handle over 500 cruise calls per year via our regional network of own offices.

Wallem Group representatives from both Shanghai and Hong Kong were delighted to welcome guests and customers to our booth to showcase our Agency services and expertise.

Click here to read more about the Cruise agency services we provide.

Committed to Safety

To emphasize the importance of continual attention to safety onboard, and to keep our crew motivated, engaged and committed, special ‘safety dinners’ were organized throughout the month of September. During these dinners, our seafarers were invited to sign the Wallem flag as a sign of their commitment to safety onboard. In turn the Wallem Ship Management Hong Kong team signed a Wallem flag in our Hong Kong office, vouching their commitment to safety, compliance, engagement and service excellence.

Click here for full article.

True North magazine issue 3, 2016 Out Now!

Wallem Group’s latest True North magazine is available online now! 

This issue's theme is ‘Safety’.

 Featured articles include: 

 • Safety at all Costs
 • 10th Anniversary of Wallem Board
 • Staying Anchored

 Click here to read

True North magazine issue 3, 2016 Out Now!

Wallem Group’s latest True North magazine is available online now! 

This issue's theme is ‘Safety’.

 Featured articles include: 

 • Safety at all Costs
 • 10th Anniversary of Wallem Board
 • Staying Anchored

 Click here to read

Wallem Group Moves to New Office

Wallem Group is excited to share the news of its recent move to a new office in Hong Kong; where the Company is headquartered.

Our new and modern office offers more meeting rooms, a variety of new space types which will promote further collaboration. In addition, our investment in the latest new technology will enable our agility, efficiency and overall productivity.

We look forward to serving our customers from this new space. Come visit us!

Our new address:
9/F Dorset House,
Taikoo Place,
979 King's Road,
Quarry Bay,
Hong Kong

New Head of Wallem Myanmar

To reflect the further growth of our business in the region, Wallem Group has appointed Charlie Bussayabuntoon as General Manager for Wallem Shipping Myanmar.
Charlie will ensure that Wallem’s customers’ interests in Myanmar are well looked after and he will also focus on identifying new business opportunities as the country continues its emergence into the global economic arena.

The Wallem team in Myanmar has decades of shipping experience and this well established office provides a full range of ship agency and related services at all ports in the country.
Having started his career with Wallem in 2008 as the Commercial Manager for Thailand and Vietnam, Charlie was instrumental in the establishment of the Wallem Shipping Vietnam office. He was promoted to General Manager of that office from 2010 to 2014.

Charlie will be based in Yangon and will report to Denzyl Allwright, Managing Director of Indochina.

Aside from ship agency, Wallem also provides logistics services in the region and can offer turnkey project forwarding in Myanmar for heavy and out of gauge shipments.

Wallem Ship Agency is present throughout Asia with a network of 49 offices, many of which have been established for more than 50 years.

Statement from Wallem Group

A formal complaint from Miss Sophia Walker was received on 19th July 2016 regarding a gender discrimination claim in relation to the interview of cadets at Fleetwood Nautical College in the United Kingdom. Wallem addressed Miss Walker’s complaint and responded to her directly on 20th July with an unreserved apology and an invitation for further dialogue, which was rejected by Miss Walker.

Wallem Group is an equal opportunities employer. The views expressed in the message sent to Fleetwood Nautical College, that Miss Walker objected to, were made in poor judgment by a single individual and do not in any way reflect the views held by Wallem or the values and culture of the Group. A full investigation has been carried out by the Group and disciplinary action taken in accordance with our Group policies and procedures.

We have a significant number of female seafarers serving within our fleet - over 40 female seafarers of various nationalities spread evenly across the ranks and including 6 female cadets. In addition, over 41% of our shore-based organization is female; many of whom are at senior levels in the Group.

Wallem Group has rigorous recruitment policies in place to ensure that we employ the right person for the position based on due process which takes into account their qualifications, skills, experience and a variety of assessments alone – gender is not a factor.

In addition, we have a policy in place related to recruitment at sea which clearly states that the company will treat all seafarers fairly and respectfully without bias based on a seafarer's colour, creed, gender, race or religion either in the employment of or in advancement of a seafarer's career.

Wallem Group regrets this unfortunate matter. 

Wallem Welcomes World’s Oldest Tall Ship to Hong Kong

The world’s oldest full rigged tall ship; the Norwegian Sørlandet sailed into Hong Kong harbour on the morning of 21st June, 2016.

The ship, which was built in 1927, is on a two year circumnavigation, crewed by students from A+ World Academy, an onboard boarding school comprising of international students from six different countries.

Thanks to our vast experience in providing quality and efficient port services for a wide range of vessel types, Wallem Ship Agencies has been appointed port agent for the vessel. Wallem has therefore assisted with all pre-arrival arrangements and in-port services for the vessel’s stay in Hong Kong.

 
The Sørlandet berthed at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum 

Mikael Johansson, the Sorlandet’s CEO said, “We are very grateful for your kind support to us. Everyone on board and here in the office in Norway is excited for the vessel to berth in Hong Kong!”

 The tall ship will remain docked at Pier 8 next to the Maritime Museum where a graduation ceremony will be held for the students of A+ World Academy.

True North magazine Issue 2, 2016 Out Now!

Wallem Group’s latest True North magazine is available online now! 

  This issue's theme is ‘Efficiency’.

  Featured articles include: 

 • Optimising Fleet & Operational Efficiency
 • Vietnam Agency Team to the Rescue
 • Work Smarter, Not Harder

  Click here to read.

Wallem Appointed Ship Agent for MSC in Korea

Wallem Ship Agency is pleased to announce that we have just been appointed Port Agent for MSC Cruises in Korea; strengthening our relationship with MSC in Asia.

Wallem has been providing port agency services for MSC ships calling at Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand since 2015 – and most recently won business to look after calls to Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan.

Wallem commenced port agency services for the MSC Lirica’s call at Jeju Island, off the coast of the Korean peninsula, on May 31st. We will handle 64 calls for MSC across 4 ports in Korea (Yeosu, Incheon, Busan and Jeju) between now and the end of this year; with port rotations between China, Korea and Japan.

Wallem Ship Agency Japan Handles First Cruise Business

Wallem’s Agency team in Japan was delighted to welcome the MSC Lirica recently on her maiden voyage. The vessel arrived in Fukuoka (Hakata) on a sunny day on 29^th April with 1,764 passengers and 743 crew onboard before heading back to Shanghai.

This call marks both the first Japanese port for the ship on its inaugural season in Asia and the first cruise call for Wallem’s agency team in Japan; an exciting milestone.

Thanks to Wallem’s strong experience in the cruise business, particularly in Asia (handling over 450 calls across Asia this cruise season), the team made sure that every eventuality was prepared and planned for so that this inaugural call went off without a hitch.

Wallem has been providing port agency services for MSC ships calling at Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand since 2015. With this new business, the Company will now look after MSC calls throughout the Region – meaning also in Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan.

Following its maiden call, the MSC Lirica will call at other Japanese ports (Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Beppu, Kobe and Yokohama) in future and Wallem Japan will proudly handle these regular weekly calls across Japan. 

Wallem Wins Compassionate Employer Award

Wallem Ship Management Ltd. has been presented with the ‘Most Compassionate Employer of Indian Seafarers’ award by the Indian Government’s National Maritime Day Committee.

Managing Director of Wallem Ship Management (India), Captain Navin Passey, proudly accepted the award on behalf of Wallem at a special ceremony held to mark the 53rd National Maritime Day Celebrations on 5th April, 2016 in Mumbai.

                                                       

Speaking after the ceremony, Captain Passey said that he was proud to accept this seafarer welfare award, “We remain committed to looking after our seafarers throughout their careers with Wallem and we have many programs in place such as our ‘Wellness at Sea’ program to ensure that their safety, health and wellbeing is our top priority. In addition, ‘Women of Wallem’ chapters are active in local communities, providing charitable activities and an important support network for our seafarers’ families.”
 
Wallem has been honoured with this award on three previous occasions (in 2007, 2010 and 2014).

Wallem Welcomes 3 Queens to Hong Kong

The three cruise ships the Queen Mary 2 (QM2), the Queen Victoria (QV) and the Queen Elizabeth (QE) made a historic triple call to Hong Kong recently – all arriving in the city within a 24 hour period. The vessels, which were docked at both Ocean Terminal and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, arrived carrying a total of 17,000 people onboard (including crew and guests).

As their appointed agent in Hong Kong, Wallem Ship Agency was proud to welcome the vessels to town.

Despite our vast experience and knowledge in handling 500+ cruise calls a year, Wallem Ship Agency Managing Director Dickson Chin says that this triple call was quite a feat to plan and organise.

"Berth reservations had to be made 2 years in advance and we worked very closely with Carnival UK and with all the relevant local Port and government authorities in the months, days and hours leading up to the call to ensure that everything went smoothly," said Mr Chin.

The three vessels are operated by Cunard Line for Carnival UK which has been one of Wallem’s long term clients in Asia. They are now continuing their respective journeys to Singapore (QV) and to Nha Trang in Vietnam (QE and QM2) respectively.

Höegh Osaka

United Kingdom MAIB Report: Listing & Subsequent Grounding of the ‘Höegh Osaka’

Höegh Autoliners and Wallem Ship Management today welcomed the publication of the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report into the listing and subsequent grounding of the Höegh Osaka on the Bramble Bank at the entrance to Southampton, UK in January 2015.

A statement is available here.

For further information please contact Mike Elsom at +44 (0)20 7283 9915 or operations@navigateresponse.com

True North Magazine Issue 1 2016 out now!

Wallem Group's latest True North magazine is now available online. This issue features:

To read the magazine, click this link. 

54 Wallem managed vessels receive AMVER Awards

Congratulations to the 54 Wallem-managed vessels which have received the AMVER Award 2014. Special mention goes to the "Banda Sea" for receiving the Crystal Globe for completing 30 consecutive years of participation. Thank you to all the crew, past and present, who made this possible.

AMVER (Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System) was established in 1958 and is sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. It is a voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search & rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. Wallem vessels are regularly asked via the system to attend ships in distress, often in extreme sea conditions.

The vessels which received the AMVER Award are:

Artemis Leader, Bali Sea, Banda Sea, Cedar 6, Cetus Leader, Challenge Pearl, Champion Pleasure, Clipper Talent, Clipper Tarpon, Clipper Terminus, Clipper Titan, Clipper Tradition, COL Caballero, Cronus Leader, Crown Ruby, Crown Sapphire, Dubai Star, Ethel L, Fremantle Highway, Gaia Leader, Genco Champion, Genco Hunter, Genmar Harriet G, Green Bay, Green Dale, Gunhild Kirk, Harbour Splendor, Intrepid Eagle, Island Splendor, Kondor, Lisa J, Lone Star, Maple 3, Maxim, New Coral, New Horizon, New Joviality, NOCC Atlantic, NOCC Oceanic, NOCC Puebla, Sea Splendor, SETO, Sonangol Cabinda, Sonangol Rangel, Spring Splendor, Steven C, Storviken, Telleviken, Thomas C, Tofteviken, Troviken, VK Eddie, Yue Dian 83, Yutai Ambitions.

True North Magazine Issue 3 2015 out now!

Wallem Group's latest True North magazine is now available online. This issue features:

To read the magazine, click this link. 

CEO shares passion for seafarers' wellness

Simon Doughty, Chief Executive Officer Wallem Group, has shared his passion for our seafarers' wellbeing and details of Wallem’s Wellness @ Sea program in an article for Splash.

"Wallem is committed to ensuring our seafarers have a holistic, well-balanced life at sea and ashore. I’m proud to have been a part of the very first discussion about the Wellness @ Sea program; and proud to have Wallem be one of the first to execute the program this year."

Doughty continues, “Shipping isn’t just a job, it’s a career and a way of life that’s brought a lifetime of challenges and fond memories for generations. But that career has changed in recent times. With the introduction of technology, the social dynamics on ships have significantly shifted. No longer do crews sit together and watch movies or play games, forging friendships and getting to know each other. Now, we tend to sit alone, watching our own devices and playing games solo.

This has a serious impact on our relationships at work. No longer are young seafarers ‘tucked under the wing’ of more experienced peers, they’re often (by their own choice) alone in their cabins. Our lack of human connection onboard becomes tangible over time and this is where our new program really comes to light.”

Read the full article here: http://splash247.com/sea-stress/

Western entry of Asia’s biggest cruise ship a bonus for residents and passengers

Hong Kong locals will wake tomorrow with a new and impressive visitor; the largest cruise ship to visit Asia, Quantum of the Seas. The ship will arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow, entering Victoria Harbour from the west, a route which requires special permission from local authorities, berthing at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal at 8.00 am.

Wallem Ship Agency is the ship agent for the 18-deck, 168,666 gt vessel’s calls in Hong Kong and Singapore, providing the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship with all port husbandry services from pre-planning of berthing arrangements, through the port operations and formalities such as immigration clearance.

“We arranged the Quantum of the Seas to enter the harbour from the west, giving Hong Kong residents a good view of the largest cruise ship to visit Asia, and the guests on board the best of Hong Kong’s impressive city skyline,” said K.F. Chan, General Manager Wallem Ship Agency Hong Kong.

The special arrangement required agreement from the Hong Kong Maritime Department. Ships berthing at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal would normally enter from the east.

“Once the cruise ship is safely alongside, the guests will explore our iconic city, with an overnight stay before departing on Sunday at 3.00pm.
“As the guests enjoy themselves, Wallem agents will be coordinating the ship’s provisions, the change of crew members and supporting customs clearance.”

The Wallem Hong Kong agency team is well-versed in the needs of the cruise lines visiting the city, and is proud to be the ship agency of choice for international cruise lines in Asia, supporting all of the major lines in the ports of East Asia.

For residents who miss out on seeing this impressive vessel, do not despair – she will be based in Shanghai and will return to Hong Kong in December 2015.

Photos of the vessel will be available on Saturday 20 June after 1700 through this link.

Ends//

Nothing left to chance as largest cruise ship to visit Asia arrives in Singapore

The largest cruise ship to visit Asia, Quantum of the Seas, was warmly welcomed today by Wallem in Singapore as she arrived at the Marina Bay Sands Cruise Terminal for the first time.

Wallem Ship Agency is the ship agent for the 18-deck, 168,666 gt vessel’s calls in Singapore and Hong Kong, providing the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship with all port husbandry services from pre-planning of berthing arrangements, through the port operations and formalities such as immigration clearance.

“Pre-planning this visit was the most important aspect of our service,” explained Frankie Tan, Director Wallem Shipping Singapore, “and the berthing plan was a priority because of the size of the vessel.

“We coordinated with Royal Caribbean Cruises and the terminal to be 110 percent sure that on berthing the passenger bridges match between the ship and the terminal, and all the necessary doors can operate for loading and discharging the baggage, provisions, garbage and so on.

“We will be holding our breath a little as we watch her berth, but we are confident that all the planning will pay off and the visit will be a success.

“Other than the berthing plan, all other arrangements are the same as other cruise ships visiting Singapore. We arrange baggage handling on and off the ships, garbage removal, loading of stores and provisions, the porters and stevedores and much more in between.”

The Wallem Singapore team is well-versed in the needs of the cruise lines visiting the lion city, hosting 159 calls in the 2014-15 season. Wallem Ship Agency is proud to be the ship agency of choice for international cruise lines in Asia, supporting all of the major lines in the ports of East Asia.

The Quantum of the Seas will stay overnight in Singapore on Thursday 11 June, disembarking guests on the 12th and welcoming another group in the afternoon in preparation for its 3-night round trip from Singapore to Port Klang/Kuala Lumpur, followed by a 9-night cruise on June 15 from Singapore to Shanghai, calling at Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Xiamen.

In Hong Kong on 20 June Wallem will again welcome the Quantum of the Seas as her ship agent.

Ends//

Masterbulk signs with SeaSafe Marine

Wallem vessels receive AMVER award

The right ship management team

New Representative in Odessa

True North Magazine Issue 1 2015 out now!

Wallem Group's latest True North magazine is now available online. This issue features:

• Award win for innovative safety study
• Service focus: Chinese crew
• Ten VLCCs welcomed into fleet
• 35 year veteran wins employee of the year award

To read the magazine, click this link, or navigate to News / Publications / True North magazine on the Wallem website.

华林加强中国船舶管理团队

华林加强中国船舶管理团队

考虑到中国船舶管理市场的机遇对华林集团的重要性，本公司委任刘明发为中国华林船舶管理的新任董事总经理。

刘明发对中国造船业拥有丰富的经验与知识，对国内船东市场的需求有着深刻的了解。

刘明发将会集中发展华林与国内造船厂及修船厂之间的关系，并代表华林为国内大量的船东提供船舶管理及技术服务。

对于这一新的委任，华林集团首席执行官杜迪文（Simon Doughty）谈到：「这让我们有机会向国内的客户提供更广泛的海运方案，

并与他们建立更稳固的客户关系。」

「华林自1903年便於上海成立，今天华林在国內的业务包括一个已成熟发展的代理网络和船舶经纪服务，

而且我们更是聘用中国大陆海员最多的外资企业之一。」

以总吨数计算，中国已经成为领导全球的造船和船东大国，它为业界提供了船舶管理，新船监造、船舶代理、采购服务

、救生艇维修及保养、技术服务与海员管理等的机会。

 刘明发在加入船舶管理业之前，曾经是航海的轮机工程师；他的管理经验包括在香港，英国和中国担任高层管理职位。

他的上一个职位是於一所全球领先的油轮公司，担任中国的高级管理人员。

Wallem strengthens Ship Management team in China

Wallem strengthens Ship Management team in China 

Identifying opportunities of significant value to Wallem Group in the Chinese ship management market, the company has appointed Mingfa Liu (刘明发) to the newly established role of Managing Director, Wallem Ship Management China.

Mingfa has rich experience and knowledge in the Chinese shipyard sector and an in depth understanding of the needs of the Chinese ship-owner market.

Mingfa will concentrate on Wallem’s relationships with shipyards and dry docks in China, and represent Wallem’s ship management and technical services to the country’s large number of ship owners.

Speaking of the appointment, Wallem Group CEO Simon Doughty said “we have the opportunity to provide a wider range of maritime solutions to clients, and build a stronger local client base in China.

“Wallem was established in Shanghai in 1903, and today our presence includes a well-established agency network and a ship broking office, and we are one of the largest foreign employers of Chinese seafarers.”

As the leading ship building and ship owning country by gross tonnage, China offers opportunities for ship management, new building supervision, ship agency, procurement services, lifeboat repair & maintenance, technical and crewing services and much more.

In his career Mingfa sailed as a marine engineer before coming ashore to work in the ship management industry. His management career has developed through senior roles in Hong Kong, UK and China and most recently included the senior management position in China for a leading global tanker owner.

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific 20-21 November Hong Kong

Meet Wallem Ship Agency's cruise team at the Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific event in Hong Kong 20 and 21 November. Wallem delivers cruise agency services in 16 countries across Asia, South Africa and the Americas. The services include all vessel husbandry needs, all planning for calls and innovative in-port services for enhanced passenger experience.

In addition the Wallem Group provides a range of ship management and technical services to cruise ship operators. This includes crewing, procurement and lifeboat repair & servicing.

Come and meet the Wallem team at Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific event in Hong Kong 20 and 21 November (Booth #E03).

Wallem and Höegh to extend cooperation

Höegh Autoliners and Wallem Ship Management, which already manages nine Höegh vessels, intend to expand their cooperation and the parties are in dialogue to establish a joint venture company in Singapore. The company will handle the technical management of all Höegh Autoliners’ owned vessels.

There are 28 owned vessels operated by Höegh Autoliners which are today technically managed by Höegh Fleet Services AS. In the future these will be managed by the joint venture company, with all vessels transferred by the end of June 2015.

Crewing services for these vessels will continue to be handled from separate Höegh crewing offices in China and the Philippines.

Simon Doughty, Wallem Group CEO, said the extended partnership with Höegh is a compliment to the professional service which Wallem has been providing to Höegh Autoliners.

“Earlier this year our Singapore-based ship management team successfully took over the technical management of nine PCTCs for Höegh, illustrating the depth of knowledge and expertise in our teams,” said Mr Doughty.

“Höegh has an excellent reputation in the industry and our joint venture will continue to deliver high quality ship operations and maintenance.”

Wallem’s Singapore base delivers ship management and ship agency services, providing an attractive option for ship owners looking to access Singapore’s maritime business advantages.

Wallem wins safety award for innovative study

Wallem Ship Management proudly received the Safety Award in the 2014 Lloyds List Asia Awards ceremony held in Singapore recently. The Safety Award recognised a special study undertaken by the Wallem safety team which has Lost Time Injury (LTI) rates dropping year-on-year.

Captain Vijay Soman, Wallem Ship Management’s Director of Safety and Insurance, says the study identified ‘red thread’ commonalities linking lost time injury events.

“With clear links between safety and a seafarers’ length of time on board, the point of time in their contract, and their experience with Wallem, we can better plan seafarer teams and combine individuals who are more at risk, with those who can mitigate risk of accident or injury,” says Captain Soman.

“The results of the study also provided us with more understanding and knowledge to tailor training programmes for seafarers both on board and ashore.”

The changes in managing crew and training have resulted in Wallem’s LTI rates falling 30 per cent in the 12 months to April 2014.

“The safety and security of our seafarers is paramount and we are always seeking new ways to improve the living and working environment on board,” says Captain Soman.

“Receiving the Lloyds List Asia Award for safety is proof that the maritime industry recognises our continuous efforts for improved safety. Having happier and safer seafarers on Wallem’s vessels is a win for us.”

Actions as a result of the study combine with other Wallem safety programmes to support safer working environments. Other programmes include behavior based safety, stop work authority, frequent information sharing from the safety department, and on board safety awards. An LTI Specialist programme is in place for injured crew members to share their experience with their fellow seafarers on rejoining the vessel. 

Wallem has a team of nine QMS superintendents who sail with vessels and carry out audits and training on board. They are experienced Masters and their role is to provide mentoring to the seafarers to improve safety and operational standards.

Photos of Captain Vijay Soman and the Lloyds List Asia Awards event are available at: http://bit.ly/13BofL7

New Wallem ship simulators to benefit hundreds of officers

Hundreds of Eastern European seafarers will benefit from access to state-of-the-art training equipment launched recently at the Wallem Maritime Training Centre in Odessa, Ukraine. 

The three training simulators - bridge simulator (Transas NT-PRO 5000 5.25), engine room simulator (Transas Techsim 5000 8.3) and liquid cargo handling simulator (Transas LCHS 5000), will be used to simultaneously train deck and engine officers in handling all types of vessels including tankers, container and bulk carriers, and car carriers. 

At the launch of the simulators, Wallem’s Fleet Personnel Director, Fared Khan, explained the simulators are one of the primary means of delivering courses required by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which establishes the standards for seafarer knowledge and skills. "Nothing is better than hands on training when evaluating capability for making ships safer for everyone onboard" said Captain Khan. 

"The state-of-the-art Transas simulators will assist us to not only refine the officers’ skills leading to operational excellence onboard, but also to train our sea  staff in how best to respond to different non-routine, challenging and critical situations at sea and in port. Integrating previous incidents and lessons learnt will ensure the same mistakes are never repeated in the fleet." Wallem Europe Crew Manager Wiebke Schuett said hundreds of Wallem Ship Management’s masters, officers and engineers will benefit from the simulators, receiving training prior to joining their next vessel. 

“The Wallem Maritime Training Centres in Odessa trains not only Ukrainian officers, but also officers from other Eastern European countries including Russia, Romania, Serbia and Croatia,” said Ms Schuett. “We currently have about 250 officers from the region on board Wallem-managed vessels, and a pool of 700 officers.” 

The training centre in Odessa currently offers 18 courses for Wallem seafarers to keep their knowledge and skills up to date with industry developments and to ensure their – and their colleagues – safety on board. Wallem Ship Management has eight training centres in the Group’s key seafarer recruitment centres in the Philippines, India, China and Eastern Europe.

Global recognition for rescue crew

Wallem Fleet Personnel Director appointed

Amver Awards presented to Wallem-managed fleet

AO Shipping nominates Wallem for two new-buildings

AO Shipping has selected Wallem Europe as the managers of its two new-build I-Star Ultramaxes, which will be delivered in 2015 from Imabari Shipbuilders.

Alexander Oetker, AO Shipping owner and managing director, said Wallem was selected based on its “abilities to successfully manage these ships safely and with great quality.”

Wallem has been managing vessels for AO Shipping since 2009, and with the addition of the I-Star Ultramaxes, from 2015 Wallem will be managing five vessels on behalf of the owner.

Wallem Europe Managing Director Ulrich Paulsdorff said the new vessel contracts were an endorsement of the maritime services offered by Wallem in Europe.

“A repeat client is a true validation of the quality services the Wallem team in Europe delivers,” said Mr Paulsdorff. “Working alongside our colleagues from the broader Wallem Group we can offer a wide range of maritime solutions that no other ship manager or maritime services company can emulate.

“A Wallem superintendent and crew take over team will join the vessels well before they leave the ship yard, making themselves very familiar with the ships and their equipment.”

With the addition of the AO Shipping Ultramaxes, Wallem will be managing more than 140 bulk carriers from its ship management hubs in Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Wallem Europe is a hub of expertise based in Hamburg, Germany, delivering a full range of maritime solutions from a strategic maritime location. Wallem Group now boasts hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore in addition to Europe, strategically positioning the Group to deliver customer needs. New service points have also been opened in South Africa and the Americas.

Search suspended for missing seafarer - MT Sigma Integrity

Wallem regrets to report the sad news that the search for one of our valued seafarers of the MT Sigma Integrity has now been suspended.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) informed Wallem Shipmanagement and the vessel that the search was suspended on the afternoon of Monday 28 July.

The family of the seafarer have been informed, and the company is providing its full support to the family during these extremely difficult times. The thoughts of the MT Sigma Integrity crew and staff and management at Wallem are with the family.

An Indian national, Motorman Mukesh Lala Fulbaria had been a Wallem seafarer for 13 years. The MT Sigma Integrity was sailing to the port of Kwinana on the West Australian coast at the time of the incident.

The MT Sigma Integrity is now proceeding to the port of Kwinana where Wallem support staff are waiting to provide the crew with counselling and assist in the AMSA investigation. Wallem respectfully requests privacy for the seafarer’s family in their time of grief.

Wallem extends its appreciation to the AMSA search and rescue teams for their efforts, the merchant vessels which assisted in the search, and to the crew of the MT Sigma Integrity that worked diligently and tirelessly during the search.

Man overboard incident - MT Sigma Integrity

With deep concern Wallem Shipmanagement reports a seafarer has been involved in a man overboard incident. Motorman Mukesh Lala Fulbaria was reported missing from the MT Sigma Integrity at 0145 (West Australian time) Sunday, 27 July, approximately 80 nautical miles from the coast of Western Australia.

A marker with a life ring was thrown overboard and the crew of the MT Sigma Integrity commenced a search of the area. As yet he has not been found.

Wallem's thoughts are with the family of the seafarer. Wallem is working with the local Australian authorities coordinating the search and rescue operation including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Australian Police. We appreciate the assistance in the search, including the AMSA airplane and helicopters, the Water Police, and the merchant vessels called to assist.

Motorman Mukesh Lala Fulbaria, an Indian national, has been a Wallem employee for 13 years. The MT Sigma Integrity was on its way to the port of Kwinana in Western Australia. Wallem is now sending safety and operations staff to Kwinana to support the local coordination.

The search for the seafarer is ongoing.

Dickson Chin to lead Ship Agency business

Wallem Ship Agency, a key service sector in Wallem Group’s maritime solutions value proposition, has a new leader in Dickson Chin, who has been promoted to the position of Managing Director.

Dickson Chin has been with Wallem Ship Agencies since 2008, initially in the role of General Manager for the Hong Kong ship agency business, and in 2012 was promoted to Managing Director for Indo-China.

Simon Doughty, Group CEO, said “it is really rewarding to promote staff from within the organisation, especially when the individuals have shown outstanding leadership skills and fully deserve the promotion and the additional responsibilities that go with this new career challenge.

“Dickson will continue to ensure a high quality service delivery from our agency teams that our clients expect, and he will also mentor and coach individuals so that they can further their careers in the Group.”

Dickson will be leading a network of 26 offices across Asia, South Africa and Americas, with teams delivering a full port agency service and a range of marine and logistics services to vessel owners, operators, charterers and cargo interests.

The comprehensive service covers all vessel types including cruise ships, container vessels, heavy lift, bulk carriers, oil and gas tankers and naval vessels.

Wallem is a recognised cruise leader in Asia and the agency of choice for the world’s major cruise lines. Wallem was the first fully licensed foreign provider in China, offering services in all ports on the Mainland through the Wallem network.

Wallem is the General Sales Agent for Cargolux Airlines and Saudi Air Cargo in selected locations. The company also offers P&I services in Indochina and today represent most of the major P&I Clubs and leading Underwriters.

Dickson has been successfully leading the teams in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, mentoring key staff, coordinating the navy calls in the region, and building the business. He has also continued to support the growth of Wallem’s cruise business across Asia; Wallem now handles more than 450 cruise port calls every year.

Dickson is highly regarded and has a well-deserved excellent reputation with clients and staff.

Latest True North magazine out now!

Wallem Group's latest True North magazine is now available online and in print. Issue 2 for 2014 features include Wallem scooping the awards pool, navy visits in South East Asia, Wallem Europe team profile, the nominations for Wallem's Seafarer of the year, and so much more.

Read it online now or contact your nearest Wallem office for a copy.

True North Magazine Issue 2 2014 (PDF)

Höegh Autoliners and Wallem sign Shipman deal

Höegh Autoliners signed a nine vessel ship management deal with Wallem Ship Management yesterday at the Höegh headquarters in Oslo, Norway.

The ship management agreement cements a deal between the companies, with Wallem delivering technical and crew management to nine PCTCs from its Singapore base.

Wallem broadened its ship management business to Singapore in 2013, complementing the company’s existing ship agency services in the city state, providing an attractive option for ship owners looking for access to Singapore’s maritime business advantages.

Wallem Ship Management Managing Director Ray Mc Namara said Höegh would be a feather in Wallem’s client cap.

“Höegh is such an extremely well-known and reputable ship owner in Europe and Asia, and we are very proud to efficiently and safely manage their ships,” said Mr Mc Namara.

“The signing of the ship management contract is an important occasion for Wallem and by delivering reliable services from Hong Kong, Singapore and Hamburg, we can continue to attract reputable ship owners.”

Wallem will take over vessel management of the nine vessels in a staged process from May 2014.

With the addition of these new vessels, Wallem Ship Management will be managing 30 PCC/PCTCs for ship owners such as NYK Line, and the Singapore fleet will grow to 22 vessels.

Wallem is well known in the maritime industry for its ship management and technical services, and today remains a key service for the Group. Recently Mr Iaonnis Stefanou has joined the Group to lead the technical teams in Hong Kong, Singapore and Europe as the business positions itself for continued growth.

Mr. Stefanou has vast experience in senior commercial and technical roles with both ship owners and third party managers.

The ship management services delivered by Wallem have recently been acknowledged by Seatrade with the Ship Manager of the Year Award, and the ITF-backed ISWAN (International Seafarers Welfare Association Network) Award for Shipping Company of the Year, illustrating Wallem is on the rise in a market of ship owners looking for the best service for ship and crew.

Photo: Hoegh Autoliners senior management team with Captain Deepak Honawar, Wallem Singapore Managing Director, Jude Dias, Wallem Europe Safety Manager, and Simon Frank, Wallem Ship Management Commercial Director.

Ioannis Stefanou appointed Global Technical Director

Wallem Group has appointed Mr Ioannis (Yanni) Stefanou as Global Technical Director of Wallem Ship Management to lead the business as it positions itself for continued growth. Mr Stefanou will lead the Group’s technical teams in Hong Kong, Singapore and Europe (Hamburg) in delivering reliable, cost effective and safe shipping operations.

Mr. Stefanou has vast experience in senior commercial and technical roles with both ship owners and third party managers.

“I know Yanni will bring the necessary leadership and management skills for continuing Wallem’s growth as a progressive ship manager,” said Wallem Ship Management Managing Director Ray Mc Namara of the appointment.

“We have also re-structured the technical team’s management positions in Hong Kong to include heads of wet and dry operations, which will support Wallem’s staff in providing consistently reliable operations to our clients, every day of the year.

“Chris Hassall is now the Head of Dry Ship Operations and Akhileshwar Roy is Head of Tanker Fleet Operations. Both have extensive experience in their fields and at Wallem, and are highly respected amongst our clients and staff.”

Wallem is best known in the maritime industry for its ship management and technical services, and today remains a key service for the Group. Mr Stefanou will lead the technical team in further developing the diversity of services available to clients, including collaborating with Wallem’s business teams in ship agency, logistics, shipbroking, chartering and commercial services.

The ship management services delivered by Wallem have recently been acknowledged by Seatrade with the Ship Manager of the Year Award, and the ITF-backed ISWAN (International Seafarers Welfare Association Network) Award for Shipping Company of the Year, illustrating Wallem is on the rise in a market of ship owners looking for the best service for ship and crew.

Ship Owners Want Dedicated Crewing Pools

 Ship owners are pushing for a dedicated crewing pool service from ship managers, with seafarers returning to an owner’s fleet of vessels with a specific manager.

“The demand for a dedicated seafarer pool service has grown as ship owners see the advantages of having the same set of sea staff rotating on their vessels. This particularly applies to senior officers, or the “top four””, said Ray Mc Namara, Wallem Ship Management Managing Director.

“The most recent case in point was Frontline Management AS requesting a dedicated seafarer pool for the Cape size bulk carriers to be taken into Wallem Ship Management from mid-April.

“For Frontline we are assembling a team of Wallem Indian and Filipino seafarers with extensive experience sailing on Wallem vessels. This team will be on exclusive rotation to the Frontline bulk carriers, becoming familiar with the vessels and their trading patterns and using that familiarity, along with their skills and knowledge, to provide a consistently high level of efficient operations.

“Wallem can provide the service because we have an extensive pool of loyal, professional seafarers with excellent knowledge and attitude towards seafaring. Other major ship owner clients use our dedicated crewing pool service for the high officer return rate we deliver.”

Retention is a focus for Wallem’s fleet personnel team, and the recent ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Association Network) Award for Shipping Company of the Year, an award backed by the ITF, was endorsement that the retention programs build loyalty and trust, consistently bringing seafarers back to Wallem.

Hong Kong Shipping Company Leads Awards for Industry

The Wallem Group, the Hong Kong head quartered shipping services company, is leading the way in the city for the maritime industry, winning a plethora of awards from peers, seafarers and clients.

The Shipping Company of the Year title was bestowed on Wallem by the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) for the Wallem Group’s crew welfare program in the Seafarer Welfare Awards.

ISWAN is backed by the ITF (International Transport Workers Federation), a heavy weight in the transport workers sector. Nominations for the Award are made by seafarers, endorsing Wallem as a leading employer for seafarers around the world.

The Award was announced on Monday 7 April 2014 at a ceremony hosted by the Director General of the International Labour Organisation, Mr Guy Ryder, at the ILO in Geneva.

Wallem Ship Management has received double the recognition from leading Japanese ship owner/operator client NYK Group, winning Car Carrier of the Year Awards for two vessels in management, and the Innovative Bunker and Idle time Saving (IBIS) Award for all NYK container vessels in Wallem’s management.

The shipping industry last night recognised Wallem with the Ship Manager of the Year Award at the annual Seatrade Asia awards ceremony in Singapore on 07 April. The Award recognises excellence in ship management, from crewing to technical and procurement services. Wallem delivers ship management services from the key maritime locations of Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe and North America.

The Hong Kong SAR has recently made commitments to the city’s maritime industry, including the Chief Executive CY Leung’s second policy address proposing a statutory maritime body and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council leading a delegation to the shipping event of the year, Posidonia, in Greece.

Wallem Scoops Awards Pool

The Wallem Group has been scooping the shipping awards pool, winning a plethora of awards from peers, seafarers, clients and government.

“We are so proud of the recognition we have received from across the industry – from our clients and peers to our employees and government bodies – it is all endorsement that Wallem is growing its business with best practice and innovation,” said Simon Doughty, Wallem Group CEO.

“We are committed to building on our 110 year heritage with a strategy that takes a long view of our business and includes working with clients that have a similar view on sustainable business, developing our shore and sea staff as shipping’s future leaders, and making a positive contribution to our industry.”

The Shipping Company of the Year title was bestowed on Wallem by the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) for the Wallem Group’s crew welfare program in the Seafarer Welfare Awards.

ISWAN is backed by the ITF (International Transport Workers Federation and nominations for the Award are made by seafarers, endorsing Wallem as a leading employer for seafarers around the world.

The Award was announced last night at a ceremony hosted by the Director General of the International Labour Organisation, Mr Guy Ryder, at the ILO in Geneva.

Wallem Ship Management has received double the recognition from leading Japanese ship owner/operator client NYK Group, winning Car Carrier of the Year Awards for two vessels in management, and the Innovative Bunker and Idle time Saving (IBIS) Award for all NYK container vessels in Wallem’s management.

The shipping industry last night recognised Wallem with the Ship Manager of the Year Award at the annual Seatrade Asia awards ceremony in Singapore on 07 April. The Award recognises excellence in ship management, from crewing to technical and procurement services. Wallem delivers ship management services from the key maritime locations of Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe and North America.

Wallem also won the Most Compassionate Employer of Indian Seafarers Award, bestowed by the Indian government, for Wallem’s policies and activities in seafarer welfare.

Wallem wins Most Compassionate Employer of Indian Seafarers Award

The Government of India has recognised Wallem Group’s role in seafarer welfare by awarding the company with the Most Compassionate Employer of Indian Seafarers award as part of the National Maritime Day celebrations on 5 April 2014.

This is the third time in the past six years Wallem has received the Award.

“We are proud to receive the award for Most Compassionate Employer of Indian Seafarers. About a third of Wallem’s 12 000 seafarers are from the Indian Subcontinent and we are grateful for the recognition from the sea staff and local maritime community,” said Raymond Mc Namara, Wallem Ship Management Managing Director.

Wallem Ship Management India’s Managing Director, Captain Navin Passey, says the award is a proud achievement for the staff.

“Wallem’s local staff across the country respect and care for our seafarers throughout their career with Wallem, and provide support for family members at home,” said Captain Passey.

“We have been opening more local centres to be closer to our sea staff, including Dehadrun, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai,Cochin and Patna, in addition to Wallem’s five key India offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chandigarh and Chennai.

“On board we now have more than 100 ships with crew internet, and we look forward to rolling out the service to all ships before the end of the year.”

“The Women of Wallem chapters are active in the community, providing an important support network for our seafarers’ families, along with charitable activities.”

Latest True North magazine out now!

Breakbulk China 12-13 March - Wallem offers comprehensive breakbulk services

Wallem delivers a comprehensive range of breakbulk services to international carriers, charterers and project forwarders for vessels calling at all ports in Asia, South Africa and Americas.  This includes a full port agency service along with cargo canvassing and port operations support from our own office network.  Our chartering team offers vessels at competitive rates for all types of breakbulk cargo.

Our locally-based teams have extensive experience with internationals principals and a unique understanding of the local port situation.  We understand the commercial challenges of modern day shipping and deliver solutions based on our local knowledge and international expertise.

Wallem will be exhibiting for the third time at Breakbulk China in Shanghai on 12-13 March (Booth #A306d).

Cruise Shipping Miami 10-13 March 2014 - Asia expertise essential for consistency of service

Over the past 15 years, Wallem has built its Cruise Agency service to become the leading cruise operation in Asia with a reputation for service quality, innovation and problem solving.

As more cruise lines choose to call and home port in Asia, we are ideally positioned to grow with the industry and are committed to delivering an excellent service for each and every call.

“Consistency of service is a key factor for cruise lines, particularly in Asia,” says Wallem Ship Agency cruise expert Frankie Tan, “we are supporting more than 500 calls in the 2013/14 season in Asia, and every ship receives the same level of professional service at every port.

The Wallem Ship Agency network spans 14 countries in Asia, and has recently expanded into South Africa and the Americas. We work closely with international cruise lines to develop new itineraries and ensure a premium experience for their passengers.

Wallem will be exhibiting for the first time at Cruise Shipping Miami in Miami, USA on 10-13 March (Booth #456).

Wallem celebrates 110 years with party in Singapore

The Wallem Group has celebrated its 110^th birthday with an event for clients and partners in Singapore. More than 100 of the maritime community’s elite joined Wallem’s senior management team to recognise the company’s heritage in delivering maritime solutions.

The evening was hosted by Wallem Group Chairman, Nigel Hill, and Wallem Group CEO Simon Doughty.

“We are celebrating by sharing the milestone with the clients and partners that have supported Wallem in successfully achieving its 110^th anniversary as a successful maritime solutions provider,” said Wallem Group CEO Simon Doughty.

“We have recently expanded our presence in Singapore, establishing a hub of expertise delivering our full range of maritime solutions from a strategic maritime location.

“So although on this occasion we are celebrating our heritage, we are also excited about the future for Wallem.”

From a ship broking firm established in Shanghai in 1903, Wallem has grown to 47 offices in 18 countries delivering ship management and technical services, shipbroking and commercial services, ship agency and logistics, becoming a leader in delivering diverse maritime solutions.

With 1000 staff on shore and a pool of more than 12000 seafarers, Wallem has grown in reputation and service quality to be a leader in the maritime services sector.

The Wallem Group has shown accelerated geographic growth in the past two years with expansion of its presence in Singapore as a South East Asia hub, Hamburg as a Europe hub, and new offices in South Africa and the USA.

Wallem continues to be a leader in ship management, currently managing 400 vessels in technical and crewing management, and 25 vessels in commercial management.

Wallem also continues to grow in service depth, with new services complimenting the long standing solutions Wallem is well known for. These include a life-saving equipment testing and servicing solution through Wallem-associated SeaSafe Marine, a project purchasing solution through Marine Buying Services which removes costs from the supply chain. New freight forwarding and logistics services have also been established in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

Latest True North magazine out now

The final issue of True North magazine for 2013 is now available. Read about the Year of the Wallem Seafarer, our delivery of seafarers' rights with MLC 2006 compliance, and a brewery project that will wet your whistle.

This issue also includes our cruise expert Dickson Chin's measure of the Asia cruise market potential, where Wallem's life saving equipment specialist Andrew Lemmis sees opportunity in new IMO regulations, and our list of loyal long service award recipients.

Click here to read the magazine or contact a Wallem office for a hard copy of the magazine.

Assistance for typhoon-affected sea and shore staff

Wallem Group is offering assistance to its sea and shore staff affected by Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan which recently devastated parts of the Philippines. Wallem currently has 2300 Filipino seafarers serving on board Wallem-managed vessels.

Financial assistance is available for seafarers and shore-based staff in addition to compassionate leave.

Staff from the Wallem Ship Management fleet personnel team and Wallem's manning agents are working hard to contact seafarers and their families living in the affected areas.

The Women of Wallem chapters have mobilised their members and are giving their time packing boxes of emergency medical items to be used by the Philippines Army Medical group which recently sent volunteer doctors and nurses into the Samar region.

If you are a Wallem seafarer or a family member affected by the typhoon, please contact your local manning agent.

The thoughts and prayers of Wallem staff around the world are with Filipino seafarers and their families.

Proud delivery of seafarers’ bill of rights

Wallem is proud to show our commitment to seafarers’ welfare with the entire Wallem fleet meeting the target date for compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).

At 20 August 2013 all vessels in the fleet had been audited and endorsed under the Convention. MLC 2006, also known at the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, provides a standard for decent working conditions for seafarers and a level competition field for employers.

Simon Frank, Wallem Fleet Personnel Director, said the full compliance illustrates the company’s assurance to seafarers that Wallem is committed to providing a good working environment on board.

“It is an authentication of Wallem’s compliance, but in many cases we are offering more than the industry standard. We will continue to offer employment conditions that keep us in that field,” said Simon.

“In mid-2012 we began a process of auditing our processes against the Convention, and although in most cases were offering more than the standard established by MLC, we did have some areas for improvement. So we reviewed our procedures, particularly in handling feedback, and updated them.

“The Convention will hopefully change the situation of seafarers working with less-reputable managers or ship owners. Ship owners and managers that understand the importance of seafarers in their business will, like us, have found they are already delivering on the standards set by MLC 2006.

“This isn’t to say the Convention isn’t necessary; by setting a standard for working conditions I think the whole industry shows it has an appetite to offer a better on board environment for all sea staff.”

Recently Wallem has started working with a specialist catering company to consistently deliver a high quality standard for food on board. Although not addressed by MLC 2006, personal communications between ship and shore are now an expected standard for quality crew members. In a highly connected world seafarers do not want to “drop-out” for the length of their contract. In response to the need, Wallem is introducing internet access on board for chatting, emails, internet browsing and an opportunity to purchase increased access each month.

Chief Operating Officer commences as Wallem Strengthens Leadership Team

Andrew Stephens has commenced in the role of Chief Operating Officer at The Wallem Group, strengthening the leadership team as the Group moves forward with a new positioning strategy and business direction that better reflects the full range of maritime solutions the company provides.

Andrew Stephens previously ran the international operations of Wilhelmsen Ship Services and helped them drive through operational efficiencies. Andrew will ensure that the Group operates smoothly in providing solutions to its wide range of customers and across all of its markets.

"Andrew Stephens and Paul Moore, recently commencing in the role of Group Finance Director, will play a critical role in executing Wallem's strategy and leading the Group to success as we continue to evolve and move forward with our services and customers," said Simon Doughty, Wallem Group Managing Director.

"Although Wallem is principally known as a ship management company we, in fact, provide a full suite of maritime solutions, ranging from ship agency services to broking and commercial services to IT Services and outsourcing," said Mr. Doughty.

"As the industry continues to face challenges in the wake of the economic downturn, customers seeking competitive solutions can benefit from Wallem's diverse services delivered individually or as a package."

"Now in our 110th year of operation, we have a proud heritage of continually developing and expanding our portfolio of services to meet the future needs of the maritime industry and are now the most established diversified maritime solutions companies in the world. This is a strong position and a point of difference from many of our competitors," said Mr. Doughty.

Wallem Group Strengthens Team with Appointment of New Managing Director of Ship Management

Wallem Group, the most diversified services organization in the maritime industry, has appointed a new Managing Director for its Ship Management Division, as the Wallem Group continues to bolster its management team and deliver on its way forward strategy.

Ray McNamara will be responsible for managing Wallem Group’s Ship Management division globally and will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Stephens, when he joins in August 2013. Ray will be responsible for the organization, oversight and strategic planning of ship management activities; including crewing, budgeting, contracting, purchasing, quality & safety, tanker vetting, maintenance and refit docking of the fleet.

“As we continue to deliver on our strategy to integrate the broad range of solutions which Wallem Group delivers to its customers, Ray McNamara will work closely with other divisions to ensure that customers have access to our diversified set of maritime solutions,” said Simon Doughty. “Ship management has always been and will continue to be a key component of our Group’s service delivery and Ray’s deep experiences of the industry make him well suited for this important role.”

Wallem Group has recently made a number of significant senior management announcements, as the Group continues to take advantage of its position as the world’s most diversified maritime solutions provider. The Group recently announced the establishment of two offices in South Africa, which enable the Group to meet client demand and to increase its footprint across strategic maritime locations around the world. 

Earlier this year, Wallem Group also opened in Singapore its first office serving as a regional hub of expertise bringing together more of Wallem’s diversified maritime solutions into a single location and the Group will be emulating that in Europe following the successful acquisition of the minority shareholding in Wallem GmbH, Hamburg from the German shareholders. 

“In today’s competitive environment, clients who are able to access the widest range of services, delivered globally but with the flexibility of a single service or a packaged offering will emerge stronger than their competition,” said Ray McNamara. “My aim is to further strengthen Wallem Group’s Ship Management Division while closely integrating our services with those of the other divisions in the Group.”

Before joining the Wallem Group, Ray McNamara was a Director at AET Ship Management with complete ship management responsibility for 3,000 seafarers and almost 100 shore staff serving on 64 large oil tankers.  Previously, he was Head of Ship Management at Hanseatic Lloyd AG.  Before that, he held the position of Divisional Technical Director at V.Ships. Ray McNamara is an ex Mariner and Classification Society Surveyor.  

Testing Testing

Wallem Group, the most diversified services organization in the maritime industry, has appointed a new Managing Director for its Ship Management Division, as the Wallem Group continues to bolster its management team and deliver on its way forward strategy.

Ray McNamara will be responsible for managing Wallem Group’s Ship Management division globally and will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Stephens, when he joins in August 2013. Ray will be responsible for the organization, oversight and strategic planning of ship management activities; including crewing, budgeting, contracting, purchasing, quality & safety, tanker vetting, maintenance and refit docking of the fleet.

“As we continue to deliver on our strategy to integrate the broad range of solutions which Wallem Group delivers to its customers, Ray McNamara will work closely with other divisions to ensure that customers have access to our diversified set of maritime solutions,” said Simon Doughty. “Ship management has always been and will continue to be a key component of our Group’s service delivery and Ray’s deep experiences of the industry make him well suited for this important role.”

Wallem Group has recently made a number of significant senior management announcements, as the Group continues to take advantage of its position as the world’s most diversified maritime solutions provider. The Group recently announced the establishment of two offices in South Africa, which enable the Group to meet client demand and to increase its footprint across strategic maritime locations around the world. 

Earlier this year, Wallem Group also opened in Singapore its first office serving as a regional hub of expertise bringing together more of Wallem’s diversified maritime solutions into a single location and the Group will be emulating that in Europe following the successful acquisition of the minority shareholding in Wallem GmbH, Hamburg from the German shareholders. 

“In today’s competitive environment, clients who are able to access the widest range of services, delivered globally but with the flexibility of a single service or a packaged offering will emerge stronger than their competition,” said Ray McNamara. “My aim is to further strengthen Wallem Group’s Ship Management Division while closely integrating our services with those of the other divisions in the Group.”

Before joining the Wallem Group, Ray McNamara was a Director at AET Ship Management with complete ship management responsibility for 3,000 seafarers and almost 100 shore staff serving on 64 large oil tankers.  Previously, he was Head of Ship Management at Hanseatic Lloyd AG.  Before that, he held the position of Divisional Technical Director at V.Ships. Ray McNamara is an ex Mariner and Classification Society Surveyor.  

Group opens offices in South Africa to meet client demand

Wallem, the most diversified services organization in the maritime industry, has established two offices in South Africa, a key location for the maritime industry. The new offices enable the Group to meet client demand, provide a wide array of services and to provide the Group with a footprint in an important and strategic location.

Located in Durban and Cape Town, the offices provide ship agency and logistics services for all ports in South Africa. The offices will also handle client business for other markets in Africa, including Mozambique, Namibia and other destinations in southern parts of the Indian Ocean.

"Wallem continues to execute well on its strategy to provide more maritime solutions in more locations to meet client needs," said Group Managing Director Simon Doughty. "The Group recently announced a significant milestone by opening its first global hub of expertise in Singapore and the opening of our offices in South Africa illustrates our commitment to continue providing more maritime solutions to our customers in more markets."

The offices will be run by veteran maritime professionals Nils Warner, Director, and Iain Leckie, Regional Manager, who have deep experience in both the industry and the region. They have been working in the South Africa ship agency business and maritime industry for more than 30 years each, forming one of the most experienced teams in the country.

New appointments in Malaysia and Thailand

Wallem has appointed new leadership in Malaysia and Thailand, where the Group has appointed a new CEO and Regional Logistics Manager respectively. 

Afifuddin Shafiee, who is now the CEO of the Malaysia office, has been working in the supply chain management business for more than 20 years. For the last four years, he held the role of CEO for two companies and served as Country General Manager for a U.S.-based logistics company in Malaysia. In this role, he negotiated and secured multi-million dollar contracts with large multinational companies and Government Link Companies. He replaces Mr Khoo who is retiring; we thank him for his leadership over many years and wish him all the best in the future.

 Johan Vermeiren has recently been appointment in a newly created role of Regional Logistics Manager. Before joining the Group he led regional and country logistics organisations most notably for GAC in Thailand. He joined Wallem Ship Agencies on May 1, where he brings more than 20 years of experience in forwarding and logistics. He is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

"Afifuddin Shafiee and Johan Vermeiren’s strong experience and leadership in the maritime industry further strengthens Wallem’s ranks and positions us well for continued success as the most diversified maritime solutions provider in the industry," said Group Managing Director Simon Doughty.

Wallem Group Strengthens Team with Appointment of New Managing Director of Ship Management

Wallem, the most diversified services organization in the maritime industry, has established two offices in South Africa, a key location for the maritime industry. The new offices enable the Group to meet client demand, provide a wide array of services and to provide the Group with a footprint in an important and strategic location.

Located in Durban and Cape Town, the offices provide ship agency and logistics services for all ports in South Africa. The offices will also handle client business for other markets in Africa, including Mozambique, Namibia and other destinations in southern parts of the Indian Ocean.

"Wallem continues to execute well on its strategy to provide more maritime solutions in more locations to meet client needs," said Group Managing Director Simon Doughty. "The Group recently announced a significant milestone by opening its first global hub of expertise in Singapore and the opening of our offices in South Africa illustrates our commitment to continue providing more maritime solutions to our customers in more markets."

The offices will be run by veteran maritime professionals Nils Warner, Director, and Iain Leckie, Regional Manager, who have deep experience in both the industry and the region. They have been working in the South Africa ship agency business and maritime industry for more than 30 years each, forming one of the most experienced teams in the country.

Wallem Strengthens Executive Team As Delivering Maritime Solutions Becomes New Way Forward for the Group

Hong Kong, April 15, 2013 - Wallem has made two significant appointments to its leadership team as it moves forward with a new positioning strategy and business direction that better reflects the full range of maritime solutions the company provides.

Wallem has appointed a Chief Operating Officer for the Group, and a new Finance Director as the Group continues to evolve and align its operations with its customers' continually changing needs.

Andrew Stephens, who previously ran the international operations of Wilhelmsen Ship Services and helped them drive through operational efficiencies, has been appointed as the Group's Chief Operating Officer, a new position in the Group. Andrew will ensure that the Group operates smoothly in providing solutions to its wide range of customers and across all of its markets.

Completing the new appointments is Paul Moore. He joins as the Group's new Finance Director, replacing Nick Tonkinson, who retires this year from Wallem after 14 years with the Group. In close collaboration with the company's Group Financial Controller and Divisional Financial Controllers, Paul will work to make finance a strategic advantage for Wallem across the Group.

"Andrew Stephens and Paul Moore will all play a critical role in executing Wallem's strategy and leading the Group to success as we continue to evolve and move forward with our services and customers," said Simon Doughty, Wallem Group Managing Director, “I would also like to thank Nick Tonkinson for his service to the Group, he has been essential in Wallem's successes over the last decade".

"Although Wallem is principally known as a ship management company we, in fact, provide a full suite of maritime solutions, ranging from ship agency services to broking and commercial services to IT Services and outsourcing," said Mr. Doughty. "As the industry continues to face challenges in the wake of the economic downturn, customers seeking competitive solutions can benefit from Wallem's diverse offerings. These offerings can be delivered individually or as a package."

"Now in our 110th year of operation, we have a proud heritage of continually developing and expanding our portfolio of services to meet the future needs of the maritime industry and are now the most established diversified maritime solutions companies in the world. This is a strong position and a point of difference from many of our competitors," said Mr. Doughty.

Wallem's new business direction has already led to a number of new initiatives, which include:

• Marine buying services, through which Wallem delivers procurement expertise to a wider client base
• Contract catering, which helps deliver healthier food for seafarers and which reduces the workload for officers and superintendents
• SeaSafe marine lifeboat servicing and testing, which ensures the delivery of better solutions for managing onboard safety
• New website that reflects the Group's new positioning and the full array of maritime solutions it delivers (see the new site at www.wallem.com)

Wallem Opens First Hub of Expertise in Singapore

Capt. Deepak Honawar Appointed to Lead the New Singapore Strategic Hub

Hong Kong, April 9, 2013 - Wallem, the most diversified services organization in the maritime industry, has opened a new office in Singapore that marks the company's first hub of expertise in the world. Deepak Honawar was appointed Singapore Wallem Managing Director and will head this important new office. He has responsibility for all of Wallem's associated Group companies in Singapore, including Wallem Shipping Singapore and Wallem Ship Management Singapore. He is also accountable, as Wallem's representative, for the joint venture with Nanjing Tanker Corporation, NW Shipmanagement.

The new office illustrates Wallem's strategy to bring its diversified maritime solutions together into single locations to benefit customers where demand is the greatest. Singapore will serve as a hub that provides customers in Singapore and Southeast Asia with access to all of Wallem's maritime solutions and reflects the company's integrated 'Group' approach to servicing clients in Singapore and the surrounding markets.

"The opening of Wallem's new Singapore office marks a significant milestone in Wallem's development as we execute upon our strategy to provide more offerings closer to where customers operate and want to do business," said Simon Doughty, Wallem's Group Managing Director. "Deepak Honawar's leadership and experience make him well-suited to run Wallem's first hub of expertise outside of Hong Kong and positions us well for future growth."

In connection with Wallem's expertise hub approach, the Group is announcing four additional appointments:

"Delivering Maritime Solution" video

SeaSafe Marine - new lifeboat service already proving valuable to ship owners

Through proper evaluation of work required during an annual lifeboat inspection, SeaSafe Marine was able to save a ship owner around US$50,000 in costs and ensured that the vessel sailed without delay, with safe operational lifeboats.

Independent Lifeboat Servicing & Testing

Andrew Lemmis joined the Wallem Group in October to run our new Independent Lifeboat Servicing & Testing division. The division will focus on improving maintenance standards and crew familiarisation of lifeboat systems throughout the Wallem fleets and this service will eventually be rolled out to other clients.

Andrew is based in Hong Kong and has been involved with lifeboat systems for the past 25 years with some of the biggest names in the industry. His knowledge and experience will be an asset to Wallem clients in this critical area of vessel safety.

Women of Wallem (WoW) launched in Sri Lanka

The first activity for the Sri Lanka Women of Wallem (WoW) chapter was a beach clean-up in Colombo. The group cleaned a section of the beach popular with locals for their exercise and beach games. The event was a huge success and came with the blessing of the Sri Lankan Navy and the Coast Guard who both actively participated. The Colombo Municipal Council also helped to remove the rubbish. The WoW team also had the support of seafarers and Wallem staff with a total of 54 people lending a hand.

HAL / Seabourn cruise agency secured in Vietnam

Wallem Vietnam has successfully retained the port agency for Holland America Line and secured the Seabourn port agency representation in a recent joint-brand tender.

Chris Martin of Holland America Line explained why Wallem was chosen in Vietnam: “When reviewing all proposals for the recent agency appointment in Vietnam, we considered all factors including the financial, operational, and logistical support that we expect from our port agents worldwide. Agency fee is important, but it is not the only driving factor to finding a good port agent.”

“Over the past several years, we have maintained a good relationship with Wallem Vietnam - they are quick to respond, provide the communication requested, and follow through with any further requirements.” 

Tanker Safety

Capt. Akhileshwar Roy spoke at the Tanker Safety Conference in Singapore on “Capital Efficiency vs. Operational Efficiency vs. Safety”. Sharing his Wallem experience and drawing data from trials of super slow steaming, the presentation provided a practical approach to help ship owners during these challenging times.

Women of Wallem (WoW) active in Philippines

It was a big month for WoW in the Philippines with continuing charity work in the community. Activities included donations to 14 school scholars and the distribution of rice to 100 families in Malabon whilst employees of Wallem in Cebu and volunteer seafarers participated in a beach clean-up activity and a blood donation exercise in the Central Visayas Coast Guard District.

Freight forwarding in Vietnam

Wallem Shipping Vietnam commenced freight forwarding services in September 2012. The new freight forwarding department will add to Vietnam's service repertoire by offering sea and air freight, inland and waterway transport, customs clearance, door-to-door service, warehousing and project cargo services.

Wallem speaks at major Cruise Conference

“Operational challenges for cruising in Asia” was the topic for Dickson Chin's presentation at the Seatrade All Asia Cruise Convention 2012.Dickson is the Managing Director for WallemIndo-China and co-heads the Asia cruise team. Wallem is the leading port agent for cruise lines in Asia and continues to consolidate this position across the region.

Award for health programme in Hong Kong

Wallem Hong Kong's health and wellness programme has received a silver award in the health promotion category at the 2012 Hong Kong Occupational Safety & Health Council's Awards. The programme included introducing staff to fun new ways to exercise, medical checks, healthy snacks and medical advice.

ISC and Wallem create ship management alliance

LMS Ship Management Inc., a subsidiary of International Shipholding Corporation (ISC), and Wallem Group have formed an alliance encompassing the ship management, crewing, and marine technical services for ISC's non-U.S. Flag vessels. The alliance will allow ISC to take advantage of the economies of scale that Wallem's larger ship management organisation can offer, particularly in areas such as procurement of spares and supplies for the ISC fleet.

LMS and Wallem will operate independently and, based on expertise, the daily functions will be divided between the two companies. Through its subsidiaries ISC currently operates 37 vessels with cargo carrying capabilities including tankers, bulk carriers and PCCs.

Flying horses

Wallem is the GSA for Cargolux in Thailand and successfully arranged the transport of six horses in collapsible horse stalls from Bangkok to New York at the end of July. The loading operation and flight went extremely smoothly and the animals arrived safely and on time.

NW Ship Management launched in Singapore

A joint venture between Nanjing Tanker Corporation (NJTC) and Wallem Ship Management was officially opened for business on 23rd July 2012 by Simon Doughty, Wallem Group Managing Director and Zhu Ning, SINOTRANS & CSC Holdings Co. Vice President. By the end of 2013 there will be 25 tankers (VLCCs and medium range tankers) managed from this office. Wallem Singapore was also appointed to handle the port agency for four vessels operated by NW Ship Management.

Largest cruise vessel calls at Hong Kong

Voyager of the Seas, the largest home porting cruise vessel in Asia, made her first call to Hong Kong in June and was handled by Wallem Ship Agencies. There were 3,200 guests and 1,250 crew on board and 85% of these were taken ashore within the first three hours of her arrival using six tenders arranged by Wallem. This together with the subsequent embarkation of the visitors was achieved without delay and the Voyager sailed on time for Xiamen the next day.

Two ships win Car Carrier of the Year Awards

The MV Cetus Leader and MV Procyon Leader, both managed by Wallem, have jointly won the NYK Car Carrier of the Year award for 2011-12. The award recognizes the achievement of excellence in safety and operations throughout the year.

The criteria for the award, taking age into consideration, include no accidents or delays; no at-fault cargo damage nor loading accident; and a proactive approach by the crew to the prevention of cargo accidents.

In addition the crew are judged on their participation in the 'Nensetsu 2011' program (NYK's bunker saving initiative) and their success in saving money in this area.

The ship's crew were presented with their awards by senior executives of the NYK Car Fleet.