PRACTICE IS THE TOUGHEST PART OF LEARNING, AND TRAINING IS THE CORE OF TRANSFORMATION

Capt. Robert Vaz, Chief Operating Officer, Navguide Solutions

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The vessel “Atlantic Beauty” was en route to New York when a fire broke out. Reports indicate there was complete confusion and chaos among the ship's crew; however, the fire was extinguished thanks to a firefighting tug a few miles away. As with all incidents, the vessel was subject to investigation and scrutiny. An incident investigation was carried out, involving several visits to the ship by managers, P & I clubs, third-party inspectors, as well as flag and classification inspectors. A year passed, and these inspections decreased; communication from the office also diminished. Gradually, crew members were replaced after completing their contracts, routines returned to normal, and the vessel resumed regular operations.

Capt. James, a senior Master, was in the galley reviewing the provisions inventory. All the crew members were in the mess room enjoying their coffee break but were unaware that the Master was in the galley.

The Bosun said, "Guys, today we will finish our work by 1500hrs because at 1600hrs we have our weekly safety drills." There was a lot of laughter and chitchat as one AB said, "Bosun, no big deal, we just need to show up with our lifejackets, and once the headcount is done and some casual talk, the drill will be called off."

This statement caught Capt. James's attention, he listened closely to the conversation. When the oiler said, 'Well, today a couple of engineers and the fitter will not attend the drill as they are working on an auxiliary engine.'