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…is where seafarers must be in an emergency. Here, for our film on Trinity House, we’re being shown the survival training to give seafarers their best chance of surviving disaster at sea. We’re at (fortunately not in) the training pool at the Maritime Skills Academy in Dover – being shown how you right a life raft that has, in the way of these things, flipped over when inflating. It’s pull and push, as the raft will come over on you as you pull it right way up – so you push your arms up at the last moment to protect yourself. Other tips include: take seasickness pills early, don’t move from your sinking location so you can be found, and don’t touch a helicopter winchman’s line as he comes to rescue you – because you’ll get one hell of a static electricity shock!

…what seafarers and ships coming to our shores do all the time. Trinity House is the lighthouse and buoys authority for England and Wales (Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own authorities), and the principal reason why that 95% of all trade by volume that we must have can get to us by sea. Why? Because our coastline is fundamentally highly dangerous. Anyone who has seen the jagged fangs of rocks like The Manacles off Cornwall rise hissing out of a dark and turbulent sea, can tell that… just one example of thousands among all coastal approaches to the UK. Trinity House maintain buoys and lighthouses, mark wrecks, offer deep-sea pilotage and much, much more. And have done so for over 500 years! Now, we’re making a film for them about the outstanding training opportunities they offer would-be seafarers.

New Director of CHIRP Maritime Jeff Parfitt definitely got off to a “flying start” when anchoring our film ‘Vision and Decision’ – about sight at sea – for us. Pun intended; he’s doing just that – by presenting from a WWII aircraft cockpit. More than that, he’s sitting – see picture – in this Sunderland (converted post-war for passengers as the Sandringham) – the ace anti-submarine flying boat. The point being made was that for Sunderland aircrews, despite the flying aids they already had, keeping alert and observant was a matter of life and death. As it still is for seafarers. So there he is. (Didn’t get him to don a flying jacket and a silk scarf, but you can’t win them all…) If you want to see this Sandringham – and many other fantastic aircraft – visit Solent Sky Museum in Southampton. A truly great day out.

The new Director Maritime of CHIRP Maritime, Jeff Parfitt, got off to a flying start in his film-making with us by presenting a new film about the factors affecting vision at sea – the all-important “looking up and out”. Masterminded by John Rose, ‘Vision and Decision’ reported a new CHIRP-sponsored study by a University College London team, including research students (picture), which examined in detail key factors in the performance of the eye among seafarers. For instance, how it can take thirty minutes for eyes fully to adjust to darkness after being in bright light; how different parts of the eye in watch-keeping, going from looking at close-in navigational screens, to the open ocean beyond the bridge windows; and how of shift and night work impact on vision. A reminder of the importance of the ‘Mark 1 Eyeball’.

A belated welcome aboard to Captain Jeff Parfitt, who took over from Captain John Rose as Maritime Director of CHIRP (Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme) at the turn of the year. CHIRP Maritime is on a roll, having won a 2016 Safety at Sea Award and continuing to spread its message oceans-wide, about safety incidents large and small – but all potentially lethal. John’s a hard act to follow, but Jeff will be a strong voice – supported as he is by CHIRP’s Maritime Safety Advisory Board, which looks forensically at incidents and near-misses, and delivers advice on how to avoid them in future. Good feedback from shipping companies and ports often follows. Safe Sailing is the key message – and it’s delivered. We’re lucky to be able to help by making regular CHIRP News bulletins for them – see the latest at www.chirpmaritime.org.

Here we are on a bridge simulator – with a team of actors playing the roles of the unfortunate officers in a soon-to-be-aground ship. Our film is for The Britannia P & I (Protection and Indemnity) Club. P & I Clubs perform a vital role in shipping – enabling owners to pool insurance premiums to create a “mutual” and so cover risks not normally catered for by mainstream insurers. So it’s very much in everyone’s interest to try to educate Members of potential problems – like in this case failing to use their ECDIS – Electronic Chart Display and Information System – in the right way. The talented team of thesps from Britannia acted out their roles superbly – all being experienced seafarers themselves. One unfilled role: lookout – that’s me! I spot the problem – but lacking confidence in myself, fail to report it… Lesson No. 1: Always speak up!