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The Deck Log Newsletter of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada NL Division

July – December 2012

December 2012 Newsletter of the Company of Master Mariners of Canada NL Division 1

July 1, 2012 This is Canada Day and, for Newfoundland

and Labrador this is NL Regiment

Remembrance Day. NL Regiment is the

oldest Regiment (in Canada) and the first

unit formed (April 25, 1795) in British North

America. Today we were the first to

celebrated Canada Day at 6:00 am, since we

are the most easterly Province.

Mid morning today service was held

Commemorating the 96th

Anniversary of the

Battle of Beaumont Hamel. His Honour the

Honourable John C. Crosbie, Lieutenant

Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador

took the Vice Regal Salute from the Parade

at the War Memorial on Water Street.

After lunch Canada Day celebrations

continued on the Confederation Hill. Here

are a few pictures.




August 8 – 12, 2012 The Marine Institute and the Memorial

University held five days of activities to

mark a Reunion. The reunion ran from

August 8th

to 12th

with day and evening

activities.

This was a first ever all year, all faculties and

all campuses reunion. The biggest event was

at the Mile One Stadium with the Wicked

Memorial Variety Show.

This was an evening of great entertainment

in which Greg Malone of the legendary

Wonderful Grand Band also took part.

At the Marine Institute in the Full Motion

Bridge there was the simulated experience of

the Titanic’s maiden voyage. Also there was

an evening for a great get together of all year

students.

L-R: Mr. & Mrs. Gary Bishop, Mr. Derrick

Janes, Captain and Mrs. Jim Parsons

L-R: Mr. Eric Way and Captain Ed Turner

L-R: Captain and Mrs. Peter Richards and

Captain Doug Skinner

It is worth noting here that, just about all the

members of the Company of Master

Mariners of Canada NL Division have some

connection with the Marine Institute. It may

be the “old” College of Fisheries, Navigation

Marine Engineering and Electronics which is

now the Marine Institute of Memorial

University.




August 29, 2012 The CMMC NL Division was invited to

attend the ceremony marking the 15th

Anniversary of the Unveiling of the

Merchant Navy Memorial in front of the

Marine Institute on Ridge Road. This is also

the Merchant Navy Veterans Day

(September 3rd

of each year is recognized by

the Canadian Government as the Day). The

Canadian Institute of Marine Engineers were

also invited.

Captain Jack Strong who conducted the

ceremony is the Vice President, Canada East,

National Director for NL Canadian Merchant

Navy Veterans Association.

R-L: Capt. Jack Strong, Hon. Nick McGrath

(Minister of Intergovernmental and

Aboriginal Affairs), Dr. Gary Kachanoski

(President and Vice Chancellor of MUN),

Mr. Dennis O’Keefe (Mayor of St. John’s)

and Mr. Glenn Blackwood (Vice President

Memorial University – Marine Institute).

Members of NL Division and CIMarE who

were at the ceremony. L-R: Jim Parsons,

John Ennis, Ed Turner, Finley Bagg, Zaki,

Chris Hearn, A. Patterson, Bob Rutherford

(CIMarE), Maria Halfyard and Paul Kean.

September 20, 2012

The CMMC NL Divisional Council met at

the Centre for Marine Simulation at Marine

Institute. The purpose of the meeting was to

discuss details of the upcoming Conference.




September 25, 2012

Regular monthly meeting of the Division

was held at the Crow’s Nest at 1900 hrs. The

main item for discussion was the two day

conference on “Maritime Human Resource

Solutions and the Maritime Labour

Convention (MLC) 2006. This two day

conference is scheduled for September 26th

and 27th

2012 at the Hampton Hall of the

Marine Institute of Memorial University.

September 26 – 27, 2012 The Conference received great help from

many sponsors. It was a great pleasure to

see so many distinguished speakers taking

part in the 2 day conference. The Conference

attracted many Nautical Science students

studying at the Marine Institute. To those

students writing their technical papers this

was a great opportunity to listen to the

speakers.

Captain Jim Parsons, Event Coordinator,

CMMC NL Division

Captain Chris Hearn, Divisional Master of

the Company of Master Mariners of Canada

NL Division

Mr. Glenn Blackwood, Vice President,

Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial

University




Honourable Thomas Hedderson, Minister of

Transportation and Works, NL Government

Keynote Speaker, Dr. George Politakis,

Senior Legal Specialist (ILO)

Mr. Gordon Halsey, DNV

Mr. Chris Desmond, Lloyd’s




Dr. Maria Progoulaki, University of Aegean

Dr. Bogumil Laczynski, Gdynia Maritime

University

Mr. John Connors, Executive Manager,

“COMPASS”

Captain Naim Nazha, Director, Marine

Personnel Standards and Pilotage, Marine

Safety, Transport Canada




Mr. Richard Hall, Chairperson and CEO,

Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada

Fr. Sinclair Oubre, Director, Apostleship of

the Seas, Port Arthur, Texas, USA

Dr. Katherine Devitt, Warsash Maritime

Academy, Southampton Solent University,

UK

October 9, 2012 Captain Andrew McNeill, Commanding

Officer CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent was

invited to talk to the general public on

Icebreaking and Arctic science missions at

the Geo Centre in St. John’s, NL. Captain

McNeill provided a presentation of recent

pictures from the 2012 Joint Ocean Ice Study

(JOIS) and other science missions. He spoke

about the support provided by the Louis S.

St-Laurent, her Officers and Crew. This

presentation was part of the Canadian

Coast Guard’s promotion of their 50th

anniversary. After the Arctic science

presentation, the public was invited to view

the display donated by the NL Region Coast

Guard Alumni. The display of Coast Guard

operations is located next to the Titanic

exhibit.




Capt. McNeill graduated from the CCG

College in 1980. He commanded a variety

CCG ships since 1989 and was given

command of Canada’s biggest and heavy

icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent in 2004.

Capt. McNeill was awarded the CCG

Exemplary Service Medal in 2004. He also

received commendations for his role in the

Air India Survey and Salvage Operations,

the deepwater fibre optic cable repair, in the

recovery of the Atmospheric Environment

services buoy in the mid Atlantic,

conducting Leeway Drift Experiment and

Titan Radar trials, for assistance in the arrest

of the M/V Cleveland Armoury with the

RCMP and the completion of the Long

Range Plan for Fleet communications. He is

held in the highest regard for his extensive

knowledge and expertise in Arctic

exploration and his support to scientific

research in the North.

Available members of our Division attended

this presentation.

Captain Andrew McNeill

October 30, 2012 Regular monthly meeting of the Division

took place at the Crow’s Nest Officers Club.

Capt. Patterson (Deputy Divisional Master)

who was in the Chair invited Capt. John

Ennis who represented the Division at the

Company of Master Mariners of Canada

National Annual General Meeting held in

Saint John, NB to provide a briefing of that

meeting. During the briefing Captain Ennis

said he presented the National a cheque on

behalf of the Division. This money was a

percentage of the profits from 2010

Conference and 2012 Nautical Competition.




This was in keeping with by CMMC By-

Laws.

L-R: Capt. Ennis presents cheque to Capt.

Jim Parsons (CMMC Foundation)

The main item of this meeting was a

presentation by Mr. Robert Brown who is

completing his PhD at the University of

Greenwich (UK). The presentation was on

the Research into Human Performance

during the Mustering (boat drill) process on

Large Passenger Ships. He included several

very interesting video clips showing what

they found when the General Alarms were

sounded onboard these ships. His findings

were presented to the International Maritime

Organization (IMO).

L-R: Mr. Brown receives a NL Division

Mug from Capt. Patterson

L-R: Capt. Scott Anderson receives his

Membership Certificate from Capt. Patterson




Two pictures from the meeting

The Canadian Institute of Marine Engineers

(CIMarE) NL Group members were invited

to attend to this presentation.

November 8, 2012 Today the Marine Institute held its

Remembrance Day Ceremony. Normally this

function is held outside in front of the

Memorial, in front of the Marine Institute.

Very unfortunately today the weather did not

permit an outside event and this was moved

into the gymnasium of the Marine Institute.

The National and Provincial Ceremony took

place on the 11 November 2012.

Two pictures from the Marine Institute

Ceremony




November 27, 2012 The CMMC NL Division held the monthly

general meeting at the Crow’s Nest. The

Nautical Skills Competition (NSC) was

discussed. The 2012 NSC, which was the

first of its kind proved as a great success.

The second NSC is to take place in late

January 2013. Ms Maria Halfyard an

Associate Member of the NL Division has

volunteered once again to be the Overall

Coordinator of this important event.

Another topic discussed was that of British

Columbia’s North West BC Terminal –

Northern Gateway Pipeline (Kitimat). This

was proposed as a National Positions paper

and was well debated by the attendees.

Several things were involved, one of them

been tankers operating to be Canadian Flag

with Canadian mariners. The other very

sensitive item was tankers proceeding to and

from Kitimat way up inland in that lovely

confined waterway. One wondered why a

more sensible place like Prince Rupert not

far from Kitimat was not selected for this.

As an example one member said that in NL

the Transhipment Terminal at Whiffen Head

receives crude from Grand Bank (Canadian)

in Canadian Tankers with Canadian crew.

However International tankers take crude

from here for export. Very different set up.

The NL Division was unable to make any

positive or negative contribution to this

particular complicated subject.

PRINCE RUPERT

KITIMAT

(Please note Kitimat and Prince Rupert)

Members enjoy some refreshments after the

meeting in the historic Crow’s Nest




December 12, 2012 The Nautical Skills Competition, Team

Draw took place in the Hampton Hall at the

Marine Institute at 1300 hrs. The students

from the 1st, 2

nd and 3

rd year Nautical

Programme are allowed to apply for this

competition. Some students who were free

at the time attended to observe the Draw.

The names were drawn by Mr. Michael

Lewis, President of the Marine Institute

Student Union (MISU) and Ms Karla Strong

(MISU) Office Finance Manager. Eight

teams with five students in each team were

formed. First, Second and Third year

students were mixed in each team.

From the Division the following members

attended to observe this. Jim Parsons,

Anthony Patterson, Chris Hearn, Maria

Halfyard and A. Zaki.

L-R: Michael Lewis and Karla Strong

December 15, 2012 The Division’s Annual Christmas Dinner

was held at the Magnum and Steins on

Duckworth Street, St. John’s. The dinner

was attended by available members of the

Division and some members of the Canadian

Institute of Marine Engineers NL Branch.




L-R: Capt. Patterson (Deputy Div. Master)

and Bill Conway (CIMarE) conducting the

Draw

After the dinner there were several Lucky

Name Draws. The Division had six bottles

of wine and Mr. Glenn Blackwood, Vice

President of the Marine Institute who

attended this dinner provided six more items

for this Draw. All attendees had a great

evening and enjoyed the lovely dinner.




December 18, 2012 The 2013 Nautical Skills Competition (NSC)

organising committee met at the Centre for

Marine Simulation. This was to discuss what

we learned from the 2012 NSC and finalize

areas of improvement for 2013. The five

categories of NSC are: (1) Navigation;

(2) Cargo Work; (3) Seamanship;

(4) Ship handling; (5) Dynamic Positioning.

December 19, 2012 Today we received the shocking news of the

death of one of our young members. Stephen

Muise who was a Cadet Member and on

graduation from the Nautical Science

programme from the Marine Institute

became an Associate Member. He passed

away suddenly at home today at 9:25 am as a

result of a very unfortunate accident. He was

a very nice young man with a great future

ahead of him. The Division is absolutely

shocked and send heartfelt condolences to

his family.

At left standing (in a white shirt) is Stephen

Muise. This picture was taken in 2010. He

was employed as First Officer onboard the

offshore supply vessel the Maersk Nascopie.

Wishing you all a Very

Happy New Year

2013.

We hope 2013 will bring

Happiness and

Prosperity

to all the members and

their families.

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