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The Fisherman of the Year 2010 ran by Crew 2 Crew with the Fishermens Mission was held on Friday at the Glasgow SECC. It was a new competition designed by Graham Duncan, CEO of Crew 2 Crew Ltd. The prizes on offer were worth over £4000, so there was a lot to play for! The Semis were held on the main stage of fishing Expo 2010, in front of a suprisingly large crowd. This crowd really got behind the competitors & the noise levels grew, with each competitors supporters trying to out cheer each other.
It was a close run competition.
Comprising of Net mending, rope splicing, donning a lifejacket & answering Maritime related questions.
There were 3 competitors for the Semis. All 3 of them really put in a great effort. There was some amazing net mending & the speed of David Stevens splicing was amazing!
Fisherman of the Year 2010 During the first two days days of the Fishing Expo 2010 at the Glasgow SECC, Crew 2 Crew held heats for the Fisherman of the year 2010. Below are some of the pictures of the heats taken over the two days. The competitors had to Splice a rope, tie 3 knots, secure a line correctly to a Liferaft & then answer 3 questions correctly. the times would then be noted on the website.
David E Stevens was the runner up at the Fisherman of the Year Competition 2010. David did amazingly well. In the Semi Finals on Friday he only lost by under 1 second. He was by far the fastest splicer in the competition both in the Semis & in the Final. On finding out that the finals were to be at 1230 on the Saturday his was prepared to attend & risk missing his flight from Glasgow Airport at 1430! It was a close call, with David having to leave the SECC as soon as the competition had finished.
On the day of the final, he was very gracious & supplied Crew 2 Crew with invaluable information on Cornish Fishing. In the final he lost the practical part of the competition by an even smaller margin than the Semi…it was a photo finish with only thousandths of a second in it.
He unfortunately lost on the head to head question & answer section. He was magnanimous in defeat & even though he had to rush to get his flight, he took the time to congratulate John Buchan the Winner.
The first image here has David mending the nets. the second image is of David putting on the lifejacket. At this point of the compeition, there was absolutely nothing between David & John. Indeed it was probably the closest finish to any competition I had ever seen. At this point the crowd were really getting behind all the competitors.
He was a worthy finalist & a credit not only to Cornish Fishermen but to all Fishermen in general.
Crew 2 Crew are at the Glasgow SECC for Fishing Expo 2010 & will be doing live webcam streaming & putting up images as soon as they are ready.
Some images from Fisherman of the Year competition 2010 at the Glasgow SECC. Crew 2 Crew started setting up for Fishing Expo 2010 at the Glasgow SECC today, Tuesday 18th May. There was alot of work to do, as you can see by the images. This topic will be updated as soon as we get new images in from the Show. Crew 2 Crew will be hosting live streaming shows of all the heats, Semi finals & final live from the SECC.
We will be doing live streams via ustream during the event, so stay posted for the exact times.
There comes a time in a Seaman’s life when it is time to hang up those sea boots, put away the foul weather gear & contemplate a life away from the seas & Oceans which we all love.
There are a hundred & one things that need to be done to ensure that this transition is as smooth as possible. Some people have been at sea since leaving school & the Ocean has been their office ever since.
This transition can be a very stressful time for the entire family, if not handled correctly.
The main areas of stress in any relationship seem to be communication, money and children, when families are separated for lengthy periods of time, the stress of the situation continues to build, and sometimes, there isn’t a resolution until after the family is reunited. This is what you could be returning to. Don't expect a "Change of Command" at the door. Transitions take time and patience.
There is also the strange situation of getting to know your loved ones again. Remember, they will have been used to running the household without you. Now you will want to take control of the house finances & making this transition into partnership of responsibility is a tricky one & fraught with danger. You cannot just return home say you are here for good & just take over, it doesn’t work like that. Your partner has been running your home perfectly without you (if this had not been the case, you would not have been at sea for so long). So why should he or she give up that responsibility just because you are back. There has to be a lot of communication at this stage.
Below are the “Ten Commandments Written for U.S. Sailors return home from a deployment but I feel the same issue stand for the time you return home for good.
This is an adaptation of material written by CDR Bryan J. Weaver, CHC, USN, Chaplain 24th MEU (sac) and LCDR Richard Saul, Command Chaplain, USS KEARSARGE (LHD 3).
I. Thou shalt expect your homecoming to be stressful. Stress is any reaction to change. Even positive changes can produce stress in personal relationships. Spouses are already preparing for our return. Aside from official homecoming activities, your spouse is probably trying quickly to look her /his best, find an arrival outfit, experiment with new hairstyles, plan special menus, and prepare the children for Dad/Mum's return to the home. On board, our excitement level goes up as our homecoming date draws closer and with each passing day, we have to fight the "laissez faire" attitude that creeps into our lives. Both of us are idealizing our return and reunion. Out of our hardships and separation come our dreams. On one hand, we dream about our houses, home-cooked meals, hobbies, driving our cars or trucks, spending time with our children, and intimacy. On the other hand, our spouses may be dreaming of help around the house, time away from the kids, support, encouragement and spending quality time together. Even though we both have experienced separation, the nature of our hardships may be different. Recognize that either marriage partner may not immediately meet expectations.
II. Thou shalt enjoy being an invited guest in your own home. As difficult as it may be sound, our spouses and children have managed without their Sailor. Our spouses may have become more independent running the household as a single parent. In some cases, Sailors feel threatened by their spouse's newfound autonomy and they feel unwanted in their own home upon their return from sea duty. Please try to remember that personal growth has probably taken place and things are not the same. When you first return, allow the family to continue functioning as they have for the last 6 months. Experience their agenda for your reunion. Remember, they have been planning for your homecoming for a long time.
III. Thou shalt not criticize your spouse upon your return. Chances are that your spouse has done the very best job possible given the circumstances. Considering the fast-paced schedule of a deployed squadron, she/he's going to have to continue using those coping skills. Provide encouragement, praise, and thanks. Don't be a Scrooge in showing your appreciation for what your spouse has done in your absence. A judgmental, critical, "know it all" attitude will come across as though you do not appreciate what has been accomplished during your absence. Your spouse is the glue that has held the family together .
IV. Thou shalt change. Change in life is inevitable. It is a fact of life; deployments force us out of our "comfort zones". The way things used to be often makes us comfortable because we always knew what to expect. Although it takes energy to adjust to change, the result can be positive. Where a marriage has little personal and mutual growth, it has a tendency to wither on the vine. When you see changes, remember Commandments I through III.
V. Thou shalt spend quality time with your children. Children equate love with time spent with them. Period. Arguments about meeting your own needs and wanting to see your old friends do not carry weight with your children who have not seen you for six months. Spend time with your children as a group and with each one on an individual basis. Each child has a need to be loved and feel special. Children have a tendency to idolize their parents. You are a hero at home. During times of change, children's behavior may become unruly. Allow your spouse to continue to be the primary disciplinarian in the home. Support your spouse's efforts and gradually take over this important role as a parent. Tell your children that you love them and back it up with your affection and time.
VI. Thou shalt not treat your spouse like a one-night stand. Both you and your spouse have been looking forward to your reunion for a long time. Treat your spouse with honest, care, and respect. Sexual intimacy is a wonderful blessing in a marriage; treat your spouse with lots of tenderness, compassion, and helpfulness. Kindness and respect go a long way toward kindling the spark of romance.
VII. Thou shalt compromise your social activities for the first few weeks. Your spouse may have met new friends who provided support during the deployment and naturally wants you to meet them. You may want to do the same. Resist the urge to pack the first couple of weeks after a reunion with a full social calendar that leaves both of you exhausted. Spend time with each other and your children.
VIII. Thou shalt watch your finances. The best liberty port is where your family resides, making it tempting to go out and celebrate with spending sprees. Expensive restaurants, a new wardrobe, and new toys for the children subtract quickly from available funds. Plan ahead how much you can afford to spend. Avoid overspending. Watch your credit limits closely. Remember, "today's buying is tomorrow's crying."
IX. Thou shalt confess to a chaplain and not to a spouse. While honesty is always the best policy, timing and discretion are essential. While you may feel the urge to dump on your spouse all that happened during the deployment, it rarely helps a marriage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If something is weighing heavy on your heart or mind, see a chaplain, civilian clergy, or a counselor .
X. Thou shalt give your time, talents, and treasures to your family. Often during deployments, many households have separate accounts to manage the finances during the long months of separation. You may have become accustomed to separate accounts and budgets and it may take some time for family finances to flow smoothly. Accordingly, make a conscientious effort to integrate available funds toward the needs of the household. Your greatest asset is yourself; so don't forget to share your time with your loved ones. It will pay huge dividends for a long time.
coming ashore may be easy but nailing that perfect job is tough. Here are ten things you should shy away from when interviewing for that new position.
Don’t be negative about a previous employer: If you go into a company and trash a previous employer for any reason the first thought through the hiring manager’s mind is ‘how long it will take for this person to start bad mouthing our company’. Secondly if you trash someone specific, there is a chance the hiring manager knows that person or knows someone who knows that person, and you don’t want to burn any bridges… Bottom line; don’t do it.
Don’t bring money up as a candidate: Ok, money is definitely a motivator, but if it is the key motivator, no one will want to work with you. It is all about perception; if your greed is perceived in an interview your stock will drop dramatically.
Don’t fail the drug test: Don’t do drugs.
Don’t tell the interviewer you are smarter than they are: You are at an interview to sell how you will add value to the company, not how you will take the hiring managers job.
Somali pirates free UK-flagged tanker after ransom paid. The St James Park was seized in the Gulf of Aden Somali pirates have released a British-flagged ship with 26 crew on board after a ransom was paid, the EU anti-piracy mission (Eunavfor) says. Its statement says the ransom was dropped to the pirates holding the St James Park chemical tanker at Somalia's port of Garacaad on Thursday. The statement did not say how much money was paid. The vessel was on its way from Spain to Thailand when it was seized on 28 December in the Gulf of Aden.
"On the morning of May 13 a ransom drop was made to the pirate group holding the St James Park at anchorage at Garacaad," Eunavfor said. It said the ship "is now safely under way and Eunavfor is continuing to monitor the situation", without providing any further details. The 13,924-tonne ship's 26 crew hail from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Georgia, India, Turkey and the Philippines. It was carrying a cargo of chemicals used to make plastics when it was seized.
Pirate attacks have been common off the Somali coast and international navies have been deployed to counter them. Correspondents say the upsurge in piracy in the region is a consequence of the failure to find a solution to Somalia's continuing political disarray.
The competition will be split into two task types:
1.Qualification heats, and
2. Semi finals each day and the Final on the last day
Qualification heats
These will be conducted as a circuit, with one task following another, in a simple six step heat against the clock.
Tasks
1.Needle filling
Correctly fill a net needle with two fathoms of twine.
2.Eye splice with 4 tucks and a taper
Splice an eye into three strand medium rope with the standard four tucks and a taper where the three ends are in a line.
3.Completion of 3 knots
Simply tie three well known knows correctly as quickly as possible
4.Hydrostatic release test
Attach a liferaft painter correctly to a hydrostatic release device on a cradle so that it correctly releases in an emergency (better take a quick look at your own liferaft)
5.3 Questions
Answer three questions correctly about, navigation, lights, seamanship, safety, or Commercial Fishing
6.Donning of survival suit and life jacket
Get into a survival suit and don a Duncan lifejacket (not as easy as it sounds against the clock)
The fastest five competitors of the day will go through to the semi-final event on that day and the winners of the semi-finals will go through to the final held on the last day the Saturday.
Semi-Finals and Finals
Tasks
1.Needle filling Approx 30 seconds
Correctly fill a net needle with two fathoms of twine.
2.Net mending Approx 3 minutes
Mend a V shaped hole in a 4inch mesh net
3.Cable splicing Approx 5 minutes
Liverpool splice a length of prepared combination wire
4.Identification questions Approx 1 minute
Answer a tough fishing trivia question, but you get another one with each wrong answer
5.Immersion suit and life jacket donning Approx 3 minutes
Get into an immersion suit and don a Duncan lifejacket then ring the bell!
6.1st and 2nd place to go on a head to head in a 5 question weakest link finale
My company Crew 2 Crew Ltd with The Fishermens Mission has created the Fisherman of the Year Competition, to be run over 3 days The competition aims to test the skills and knowledge required to be successful in the commercial fishing industry. Every contestant will attempt to prove him or herself as the most versatile and qualified crewman to be crowned the Fisherman Of The Year 2010.
The prizes include a cash prize from Crew 2 Crew, Oilskins, survival suits and Auto-Pilot systems, all kindly donated by our sponsors. Total prize value worth over £5 000! Don’t miss this opportunity to compete with the best in the industry and get a chance to win fantastic prizes.
The Prizes
First prize includes an expenses paid trip to compete in the fisherman of the Year in the Faeroes Isles worth £1500 Further prizes include oilskins, survival suits and equipment such as Auto-Pilot systems donated by our sponsors.
The Event
A series of trials testing skills critical in the industry such as net mending, rope splicing, survival and safety tests, navigational knowledge and more.
Cant Make it?
Keep up with all the latest from the competition and the Crew 2 Crew stand at the event with our live webcam stream. You can check out our competition leader board, showing you the latest results from the competition.
Dont Miss out, Make sure you have a place at what is undoubtedly going to be the most exciting competition for Fisherman this year. The winner will go to the Faroe Islands to compete for more prizes! Register now by clicking below. Register here
There is a glacier in Antarctica that seems to be weeping a river of blood. It’s one of the continent’s strangest features, and it’s located in one of the continent’s strangest places — the McMurdo Dry Valleys, a huge, ice-free zone and one of the world’s harshest deserts. So imagine you’re hiking through this –
– which has been kept ice-less since God was a child because of something called the katabatic winds, which sweep over the valleys at up to 200 mph and suck all the moisture out of them. Anyway, you’re hiking along, passing dessicated penguin carcasses and such, and you come to this.
A bleeding glacier. Discovered in 1911 by a member of Robert Scott’s ill-fated expedition team, its rusty color was at first theorized to be caused by some sort of algae growth. Later, however, it was proven to be due to iron oxidation. Every so often, the glacier spews forth a clear, iron-rich liquid that quickly oxidizes and turns a deep shade of red. According to Discover Magazine –
The source of that water is an intensely salty lake trapped beneath 1,300 feet of ice, and a new study has now found that microbes have carved out a niche for themselves in that inhospitable environment, living on sulfur and iron compounds. The bacteria colony has been isolated there for about 1.5 million years, researchers say, ever since the glacier rolled over the lake and created a cold, dark, oxygen-poor ecosystem.
This heading captured my eye.....are Politicans turing a blind eye to the UK shipping industry? I found this great debate which is happening in October.
LSLC - Maritime Business Forum announces the 11th Cadwallader Event in which a debate will take place...
To be held on 6 October 2010 (5pm for 5:45pm) at Lloyds of London with Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony in the chair.
LSLC and leading industry luminaries call upon all sectors of the shipping industry, including lawyers, the media, politicians and regulators to come together and debate the importance of interaction between the maritime sectors and politicians.
"THIS HOUSE believes that lack of communication between the relevant government departments and the shipping industry inhibits a clear understanding of how the industry works."
Furthermore
"THIS HOUSE believes that lack of interest in the industry's concerns by senior politicians undervalues the contribution of maritime services to national and international economies and to the public at large."
The debate aims to conclude with recommendations about what steps could be taken by both sides to build a constructive dialogue between politicians and the industry for the common benefit.
Should you wish to be part of this important debate, please contact the LSLC office
Sponsorship: There are sponsorship opportunities for this event - should you wish to sponsor the event, please contact the Chairman of the Centre
The Icelandic Volcano these past 2 months has really given the Maritime Community an opportunity to highlight their cause.
Unfortunately, I really have not seen anyone from the Maritime Industry pushing the fact that freight is still being moved around the world with no issues what-so-ever. All the news stories highlight how “travel around Europe etc” as been paralyzed.
Nautilus UK has said that the European Transport Crisis caused by the volcanic ash (as we speak today on the 5th of May airspace in Scotland has been shutdown again) has highlighted the need for a sizable UK Merchant Navy Fleet, with British Crew….But who is championing this issue? Nautilus quotes “This crisis demonstrates the fragility of the just-in-time transport chains and underlined the UK’s dependence upon shipping for food, petrol & other supplies that we usually take for granted.
The UK is a seafaring nation & needs to ensure that there is an adequate number of British Ships & Seafarers to respond to national emergencies.
Nautilus UK & the TUC did table an emergency motion, here is the text.
The text of the emergency motion tabled by Nautilus at the Scottish TUC reads:
This conference notes with concern the disruption and inconvenience caused to supply chains, passengers, and the economy by the suspension of flights in northern Europe as a result of the Icelandic volcanic eruption. Conference believes that this event underlines the importance of our transport infrastructure and the need to maintain investment and resources in all modes to ensure integrated systems.
Conference also notes that the government is considering requisitioning merchant ships to repatriate Britons stranded overseas. However, conference notes with alarm that since the last time UK merchant ships were requisitioned by the government (during the Falklands War) the UK fleet has declined in ship numbers from almost 1,000 to fewer than 300 and the number of UK seafarers serving in the UK shipping industry has been cut from almost 55,000 to barely 20,000.
Conference therefore records its doubts about the availability of adequate numbers of British ships at a time of national emergency and the danger of relying upon the open market and foreign vessels at a time of crisis.
Conference also condemns the threats by UK shipowners to leave the red ensign as a result of progressive regulation to end pay discrimination between seafarers of different nationalities on British ships, noting that any further exodus from the UK flag would increase the nation’s dependence upon foreign-registered vessels.
Conference notes the UK’s continued strong reliance upon shipping for its economic and strategic wellbeing and therefore calls upon the government to take proactive measures to further protect the British shipping industry and to stimulate increased recruitment and training of British seafarers.
It is just these types of unforeseen emergencies which prove the UK must keep a viable Merchant Fleet.
An exciting new ‘Fisherman of the Year’ competition will be staged at this year’s Fishing 2010 exhibition in Glasgow with prizes worth at least £5,000 on offer in a three-day event to seek out the UK’s most experienced and proficient fisherman.
The tough competition aims to find the UK’s top commercial fisherman through a series of challenges against the clock that will test their skills and practical knowledge. As well as a substantial cash prize of £1,000 along with fishing equipment and clothing, the winner will also be awarded with an all expenses paid trip to the Faroe Islands in August to participate in the world net-mending championships.
Organised by Inverurie based global crew information services provider, Crew2crew.com, in association with the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, the ‘Fisherman of the Year’ competition will be one of the major highlights of Fishing 2010, with as many fishermen as possible being encouraged to register their interest in participating through the specially created competition website, www.foty2010.com
The format will involve heats on each morning of the exhibition, with semi finals on the Thursday and Friday afternoons and the final on the Saturday afternoon (22 May). During the heats fishermen will face a variety of trials against the clock, including net mending and splicing skills, a hydrostatic liferaft release competition, a knowledge test, and a speed trial for donning an immersion suit and lifejacket.
The top five fishermen from each heat will then go forward to the semi-finals that will involve a similar series of gruelling tests, with the first and second placed contestants winning a place in Saturday’s final. The winner and the runners ups will be in line to win a number of prizes – including clothing and safety equipment - with an equivalent cash value of at least £5,000, although this figure could rise to as much as £6,000 as more sponsors come on board.
Graham Duncanmanaging director of Crew 2 Crew, said: “We are delighted to have been able to organise this competition in association with the Fishermen’s Mission. This will be a real test of skill and knowledge under the pressure of the clock and the winner really will be deserving of the title of ‘Fisherman of the Year 2010’.
“We wanted to organise something a little bit different for the exhibition that would prove a magnet for fishermen to attend. We envisage that the competition will create friendly rivalry between fishermen from different areas of the UK and the various fishing sectors.”
Sharon Kane of the Fishermen’s Mission said: “We are delighted to be associated with this competition. There are a whole range of difficult skills and knowledge that a commercial fisherman needs to acquire and this competition will provide a superb showcase of the unique talent within the fishing industry.”
Fran McIntyre, managing director of QD Events, the organiser of Fishing 2010, said: “We believe there will be a huge amount of interest in this competition and we encourage fishermen to register their interest in participating as early as possible.”
Fishing 2010 will be held at the SECC in Glasgow from 20-22 May. More information at www.fishingexpo.co.uk
I thought I would start writing about what features are available for you here on Crew 2 Crew. The first one I would like to highlight for you is the ability to create an alias or a pseudonym.
Why would you need one you ask? Well there are plenty of times you would like to to get a point across but maybe its on a sensitive topic, say about the company you work for? You want to get a point of view across in the debate, topic being talked about on the message boards but do not want to put your name to it just yet. This is where you can use you alias.
Also, it is unfortunate & hopefully it will not be needed one day but at the moment sometimes a woman’s voice or opinion can be ignored. Now whilst I totally disagree with this as a father of a daughter it is a sad truth. So the alias could be used by a female to take part anonymously in conversation on the message boards where she might be worried that her opinion as a woman might be ignored.
So how do you create an alias on Crew 2 Crew?
First log into your account at www.crew2crew.com. This will take you to your Home page. It is from here you access all the exciting areas of Crew 2 Crew. So we need to create an alias.
Now at the top, you will see “my home” highlighted in white. 3 along from that you will see “profile” Select this tab to take you to your profile settings. From here you can do numerous things from updating your public profile to setting your privacy details.
So select the Alias button as highlighted here. You will now see all your alias details. You can have up to 2 alias for your account. Meaning that in all you can post under 3 names if you wish to. Your original name & your two aliases.
Select “edit” under Alias details to now create your alias.
Now from here you can create your alias. As you can see you have any name you wish. Put any date range & also change your rank or position. Now the most important thing you can do if you really wish to, is to change the sex of your alias. This is where you do this.
Remember though that even though you can post under your alias name, you are still responsible for all that you post & you could be banned from the message boards if you us your alias to hid behind & abuse anyone.
All Administrators have the ability to track alias accounts for this exact reason. Though Administrators would only use this ability in the event of your actions being considered unreasonable & breaking the community guidelines & rules.
Now all you have to do is save your changes & start using your alias. How do start using your alias I hear you ask? Well that to is very simple. When you originally log in (You always have to log into the site using your main username & password as all Alias accounts are linked to your original account remember)
Once you are logged in, look at the top right hand side of the screen. There you will see “site identity” all you have to do is, using the drop down button, select the alias you wish to use.
Once you have done this, you can now post. All posts created will now be done so under the alias. To revert back to your original username, just use the pull down menu again to select it. Note, when you log off the site & log back in, you always log in as the original user.
The new pennant flag will be flown on flag poles when the standard flag is not A new flag has been designed to be flown on flag poles in Jersey which would otherwise be bare. The triangular pennant, or storm flag, has been designed to withstand strong winds so it can be flown all the time. Chris Scholefield, of Jersey Heritage, said the flag would be used on days when the standard flag, saved for key dates, was not being flown.
Jersey Heritage plans to raise the new pennants on 12 poles at the Maritime Museum later. They will be raised in a ceremony by 12 cadets from the Victoria College Combined Cadet Force. The new 2m (6.5ft) flag carries the Jersey crest. Mr Scholefield told BBC Jersey: "This is to avoid having a bare flagpole - it's not instead of the Jersey flag, it's as well as, it's an extra one. "So much of the time you see bare flag poles, those are the ones that can start flying this new Jersey pennant, or storm flag. "When red letter day comes along and you want to put up your normal Jersey flag, down goes the storm flag, up goes the standard flag and then the storm flag can replace it when the standard flag comes down."
