Caroline and her first job - Rantzau Intranet Login
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Caroline and her first job - Rantzau Intranet Login
July/2010 news The Group’s In-House Magazine www.rantzau.de Caroline and her first job Aged only 10 she acted as godmother of a new tanker that bears her name lthough the German soccer A team did not make it to the final, South African hospitality has Caroline von Rantzau in front of the 8,500-tdw tanker O n 12 June 2010 in the port of Rotterdam, an 8,400-dwt product/chemical tanker built in Turkey was christened “Caroline Essberger”. The godmother was the person the vessel was named after, Caroline von Rantzau, 10, the daughter of Managing Owner Dr Eberhart von Rantzau and his wife Patricia. The day was absolutely lovely: clear blue skies, a light breeze and mild temperatures. The “Caroline Essberger”, sailing under the Dutch flag with Dordrecht as her home port, was moored at the Cruise Terminal near the city centre of Rotterdam. All the staff from Essberg- Caroline with the crew of Essbergers new flagship er Tankers came to the christening with their families plus a large delegation from Hamburg, so around 300 people were there in total. Caroline von Rantzau’s christening speech went perfectly, the bottle shattered first throw. As soon as the champagne bottle broke on the fore ship, the ship’s horn was sounded loudly and a fire boat of the Rotterdam Fire Brigade pumped a cascade of water from the port into the air in the background. The newest vessel of Essberger Tankers was now ready for service. A number of guests at the christening party went on board the historical port tug boat “Dock- yard IV” for a tour of the harbour and had the opportunity to admire the tanker from the water. In the meantime, some of the other guests went on a guided tour of the vessel and were told about the additional technical work that had to be completed after delivery from the yard. This was carried out by Essberger’s Ship Management varios contractors and by the ships crew, all under the direction of Leen van der Sluijs, the ships technical Superintendent. After that, everyone met in the big hall at the Cruise Centre for a “walking lunch” consisting of tomato soup, (continued on page 3) A Mercedes/DAL story Successful to this very day M ercedes-Benz (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler) is not only one of Deutsche Afrika-Linien’s most important customers, but probably also one of its most long-standing. Only four years after DAL was founded in 1892, Benz & Co – in those days still based in Mannheim – sent a “Benz Velo Comfortable” to the southern hemisphere on board the Africa liner “Herzog” (4,933 GRT). (continued on page 2) In 1896 this Benz Velo Comfortable was shipped by DAL to South Africa endeared the hearts of the German people. The World Cup certainly proved to be a massive success. Another success is the economic recovery within the shipping industry. This applies particularly to container shipping where cargo volumes and freight rates are experiencing growth similar to the boom times before the crisis. Although the SA trade was not as badly affected by the crisis as elsewhere, the present upturn in cargo volumes fills us with optimism and leaves us with the impression that it is not only related to the World Cup. This success is also due to the dedication of our agencies and the service provided to our customers, such as the reefer express service during the fruit season. The bulk shipping sector has also recovered from the low rates. Only the chemical tanker trade has experienced difficulty in securing sufficient cargo volumes. However, since mid-year are there signs of improving markets. At this juncture, our new tanker building programme is making positive strides. An example was the recent christening of the “Caroline Essberger’’ in Rotterdam. In this regard, I was pleased to note the overwhelming participation of Essberger Tankers staff and their families in Rotterdam. No one can really say if the global recovery is sustainable or whether the current situation is only temporary. Yet one thing is for sure: the shipping industry can by no means say all its difficulties have been solved, but optimism and revival signals are evident almost everywhere. So let us be equally optimistic and use all the opportunities to further our own activities. Yours Eberhart von Rantzau 2 How the Pope delayed the takeover of a tanker Two additional chemical carriers join the Essberger fleet – two older vessels are sold to Italian and Russian interests pleased with how the takeover went. Her final report to Essberger Tankers’ Managing Director Hugo Finlay discribed a very good example of what such a ship handover should be in practice. Bye bye to Heinrich E and Dutch Progress One tanker leaves, one arrives: In Dordrecht the “Dutch Progress” (3,160 dwt) moored alongside the “Multitank Badenia” (5,800 dwt), taken over from the Ahrenkiel Group and now under service as “Lucy Essberger” J ust a few days before the “Caroline Essberger” (8,400 dwt) was christened Essberger Tankers took over the tankers “Multitank Britannia” and “Multitank Badenia”, which previously belonged to the Ahrenkiel Group. The sister vessels of 5,800 dwt each changed ownership in Algeciras/Spain and Rotterdam/Holland, respectively, and were given their new names “Eduard Essberger” and “Lucy Essberger”. This procedure entails immense practical and official technicalities and requires a lot of meticulousness from everyone involved. After two days of hard work, on the afternoon of 11 May, the transfer of ownership of “Eduard Essberger”, now under Portuguese flag (Madeira Register), should have been completed. The only thing still missing was the eminently important Ship Station License, needed for the issuance and handover of all the documents/certificates. The request was forwarded to the department concerned, with an urgent note to the International Shipping Register of Madeira (IPTM), Lisbon. Unfortunately the administration services in Lisbon had closed for the afternoon – due to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lisbon. This was the first time in John T. Essberger’s history that the Pope delayed the handover of a ship. Apart from that, Essberger’s Fleet Manager Heide-Lore Jahnke was very Meanwhile two older vessels left the Essberger Tankers fleet. Dutch Progress” (3,160 dwt, stainless steel tanks, built 1983) once belonged to the Broere Shipping fleet. She was sold to Italian company Sicilship on 15 June 2010 and will be deployed in the Mediterranean from now on, transporting wine, vegetable oils and alcohol. “Heinrich Essberger” (2,898 dwt, stainless steel tanks) has been part of the Essberger fleet since the day she was launched at J.J. Sietas shipyard in Hamburg in 1986 and also sailed under the name “Reno” for a while. She went to Russian owners on 1st July 2010 and will be put into service as a bunker ship on the Russian Pacific coast along the Kamchatka Peninsula. The delivery voyage of the iceclassed vessel will take her either eastward through the Suez Canal or westward through the Panama Canal: in any case, it will be the longest voyage the ship has ever made. DAL Agency now also present in East London (continued from page 1) The vehi- cle had a 1-cylinder engine, 1.5 bhp, 20 km/h maximum speed, pneumatic tyres, and cost 2,200 gold marks. It bore the construction number 386 and left the factory in Mannheim on 26 July 1896 for shipment to Pretoria via Durban. In fact, it was the first car ever to touch South Africa soil. Its owner was J.P. Kess. Mercedes Benz is DALs oldest customer On 4 January 1897, the Velo was presented to the South African public as well as the President of the Boer Republic, Paul “Ohm” Krüger who, however, refused to go for a test drive. A company spokesman of Benz & Co had this to say in the “Mining Journal” published in Transvaal: “The motorcar, as we call the horseless cart, will revolutionise the history of driving. Soon, here too, the common oxen-drawn carts will be replaced by engine-driven vehicles built in our factories. Goodbye cattle plague.” Mercedes-Benz has been Deutsche Afrika-Linien’s single biggest customer to this very day. Their South African plant in East London is an exemplary and major employer in the Eastern Cape region. Deutsche Afrika-Linien opened a branch office of DAL Agency Ltd in East London in spring 2010 to provide customers with more personal contact. On 15 June 2010, the DAL Agency staff headed by Managing Director Ron Frick jointly held a reception with the employees from the East London office, Dave Kirkman and Debbie Flashman, to which all the customers were invited. The guests learnt about the history and activities of DAL – and, of course, the Benz Velo also played a leading role at this event. Back row: Ron Frick, Dave Kirkman, Willie Basson, Carol Brokensha Front row: Jackie Lee, Debby Flashman 3 Carolines day – a true family affair When Caroline von Rantzau christened her first ship she was backed by her parents, uncle, aunt and cousins fish and cheese sandwiches, and fruit and cake. Dr von Rantzau thanked everyone involved and especially his daughter Caroline for her efforts. As a thank-you gift, Caroline received a bracelet and a Tshirt from Capt. Nicolaas van den Belt that all the crew members had signed. She also had a present for them: a framed portrait of herself which is to hang in the mess to remind everyone of the vessel’s godmother. When the guests of the christening ceremony left the party in the late afternoon, the serious side of life began for the “Caroline Essberger” and her crew. On her first voyage to the North Sea, she now has to prove her worth by earning money for the company and doing Essberger Tankers proud. (continued from page 1) From Dr von Rantzaus speech: “The ‘Caroline Essberger’ is being brought into our fleet at a time when the shipping industry is only just beginning to recover from the deepest depression ever. Now, however, there are first signs of a positive change.” “We have used the past months to adapt and modify this new vessel for its future role. In doing so, a lot of additional know-how contributed by our employees came to the fore. All those who participated in this engagement demonstrated immense professional and personal initiative.” “Permit me to thank the entire crew of the ‘Caroline Essberger’ for their special effort and in particular, as the representative for all the other colleagues, Len van der Sluijs.” “The enormous technical background knowledge which our organisation has acquired through both our seagoing staff and their colleagues ashore is of great value at this time of renewal and augmentation of our tanker tonnage.” “A lot of this practical knowledge and theoretical ideas are being applied in the design and construction of our new tanker currently being built in China. We are very optimistic that this new vessel will fully live up to our expectations.” The von Rantzau naming party: Georg Maximilian, Philipp, Caroline, Patricia, Eberhart, Annette, Heinrich and Johann Heinrich von Rantzau with Ethan and David Risch (from left). The gentleman in uniform is captain Nicolaas van den Belt, master of the new vessel Ready to go to sea: “Caroline Essberger’s” Philippine crew Mr Heinrich von Rantzau Mr Scharner, JTE Fin. dept., Mr Wünschmann, and Mr Leen van der Sluijs Schiffsbank, Mr Schwen, tax advisor Georg M und Johann H von Rantzau with their mother Annette von Rantzau Caroline makes her first speech, her father watches attentively Mr & Mrs Jahnke, JTE fleet manager, Essberger flag flying proudly in the Hamburg, Mr Nysted, newbuildingsupervisor port of Rotterdam 4 Visiting the Philipp Essberger Dr. Eberhart & Patricia von Rantzau and their children Caroline and Philipp paid a visit to the vessel while it was in the port of Hamburg for repairs. They were welcomed by Andrey Malenkov, master of the chemical carrier. Soccer Mania T oday is Soccer Friday”, writes Ron Frick from DAL Agency, Johannesburg. “We had a small competition for the best dressed Bafana fan. And the winner was Samantha Wainwright from Port Elizabeth!” (right). Supporting the Bafana team was only partially successful though. Talking Points in Germany POLITICS: On the domestic front, the coalition government of Christian Democrats and Liberals under Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under severe pressure. The massive national debt to cover the new budget resulting from the economic and financial crisis has forced the government to look for each and every possible means of saving. Where these cuts are to be made is an issue the coalition partners are still arguing about – and the opposition parties have their own opinions too. Another matter of much controversy is the financial support for EU partner Greece, which is on the verge of national bankruptcy. Fear of other EU partner countries such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland following suit has led to a sharp decline in value of the euro against the dollar. uIt came as a big surprise when the German President Horst Köhler, the official Head of State, resigned from office. This is the first time in the history of the German Federal Republic that the President has handed in his resignation. Köhler, who has a special affinity for Africa, is not a professional politician but an internationally respected expert on currency-related and financial matters. The reason for his leaving, said Köhler, was the lack of respect for him and his position. Köhler was repeatedly criticised by the press for apparently not being able to formulate guidelines such as one would expect of a Head of State. His successor is Christian Wulff, the former Governor of Lower Saxony. Wulff, 50, belongs to the moderate wing of the Christian Democrats; he is Catholic and married to his second wife. uThe German contingency of ISAF troops in northern Afghanistan is experiencing increasing pressure from the Taliban forces. Several serious incidents have prompted a call for heavy equipment to be brought to Afghanistan, such as Leopard battle tanks. Since vehicles of this kind are not suitable for use in such terrain, they are now only considering the deployment of heavy artillery howitzers, which are capable of shooting with immense precision at long range. In addition, a larger contingency of US troops will be redeployed to the northern part of the country. uFor the first time in 400 years, there will be a court case against pirates on German soil again. Ten Somalis who forced their way on board the Hamburg-based container ship “Taipan” in the Indian Ocean at Easter 2010 and were overpowered by Dutch special forces have been extradited to Hamburg where they will be put on trial. uGermany’s television landscape is split into state-run and private broadcasting stations. Anyone who owns a radio or TV set has to pay 17.89 euros per month (30 dollars). So far the money was collected by the Gebühren Einzugs Zentrale (GEZ), although this method entails a vast amount of bureaucracy. The government is therefore planning a lump-sum fee for every German household – regardless of whether or not they have a radio or TV. This has unleashed a wave of protest and law suits. ECONOMY: Airbus Industries, the European plane manufacturer, celebrated its biggest single transaction in the company’s history this June. Emirates Airlines in Abu Dhabi ordered 32 Airbus superjumbo A 380 planes for a price of 11.5 billion dollars. The German airline Lufthansa has also meanwhile received its first A 380s. The planes have been put into service on Lufthansa’s Far East route, and between German and South Africa. In fact, the German national football team travelled to Johannesburg on one of their A 380s. uThe spiritual father of the South African football stadiums in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town is architect Volkwin Marg, 73, who lives in Hamburg in a humble house on the River Elbe and loves sailing, flying and mountaineering. His architectural practice gmp designs villas, airports, opera houses and even entire cities (e.g. in China) – and, of course, football stadiums like in South Africa, which are considered to be some of the most beautiful in the world. uIn South Korea, the first of a series of 16 container ships with a carrying capacity of 14,000 containers (TEU) was put into service for a German shipowning company. These container ships are currently the biggest in the world and at 150,000 dwt more than three times as big as the “Titanic”. They are 365 metres long, 51 metres wide, have a draught of 16 metres and engine power of 98,000 bhp, and will predominantly be deployed in the Europe/East Asia range. Durban, South Africa’s most important port, would be too small for these gigantic vessels. ALSO IN THE NEWS: For 20 years, Germany has only made it to the last places at the ever-popular Eurovision Song Contest. With the 18-year-old schoolgirl Lena Meyer-Landrut from Hanover, Germany had enormous success at the contest in Oslo/Norway, which is broadcast Europe-wide, and her song “Satellite” soon stormed the charts in many European countries. Lena’s victory has triggered such ecstasies of joy on the part of the media in Germany that it sometimes seemed rather over the top, all things considered. It is mainly the young woman’s fresh, happy-go-lucky personality that has earned her so much popularity, rather than the actual quality of her singing rendition. uEspecially the Catholic Church but also several private schools have had to deal with allegations that they physically or sexually abused many children for years on end and hushed up or repudiated any cases that came to light. One bishop, who is also Germany’s highest army chaplain, was stripped of all his titles and offices by the Pope. Similar scandals had become public in the USA and Ireland, leading to resignations of high-ranking members of the Catholic clergy and resulting in vast amounts of compensation payments being made by the Church. uEmmely, a check-out girl in a supermarket, was given notice by her employer with immediate effect after 31 years of service because she embezzled two bottledeposit slips worth 1.30 euros (1.60 dollars). In the last instance, the Federal Labour Court decided that her dismissal was ineffective on the grounds that it was a petty offence. uEvery summer, around 30,000 motorcyclists meet outside St. Michael’s Church, the landmark of the port city of Hamburg, for a communal service. Of the approx. 300,000 road accidents with injured persons each year, 50,000 involve bikers. Nonetheless, the number of casualties in Germany is steadily decreasing, although more than 4,000 people still die on the roads each year, 650 of whom are motorcyclists. Generally, people in Germany only ride their motorbikes in the summer months. 5 “Haussa” – a ship with a grim past At the very end of World War II her crew was sent on a death trip and survived only by disobedience S hips are only floating containers that move goods from A to B and wander off to the scrap yard one day. Is that really so? Sometimes ships also play a role in people’s destinies. The “Haussa” (2,819 GRT) is such a case. Built for Deutsche Afrika-Linien at the Bremer Vulkan shipyard in 1943, the little cargo vessel (104 metres long, 11 knots fast, with a crew of 38 men), that bears the name of Central African people was taken over by the Kriegsmarine as a supply ship. She was well armed against air attacks, making her no easy target. When the Red Army advanced towards East Prussia, the German navy deployed all ships available to evacuate the refugees and wounded soldiers from the eastern front. On 18 March 1945, less than two months before the end of the war, the “Haussa” was loaded in Hamburg with coal, diesel fuel in barrels, and “Tiger” tanks to supply the remaining troops still fighting in East Prussia. Miraculously, despite constant bombardment, the “Haussa” did in fact manage to reach the East Prussian port of Pillau where she discharged her cargo. On 7 April, the crew experienced air attacks 16 times, and succeeded in shooting down four Russian planes before running out of ammunition. The crew decided to get hold of ammunition on their own from abandoned antiaircraft positions ashore. Still another four weeks to go until the end of the war. The ship was then filled to the brim with refugees. The air raids went on relentlessly. Despite being seriously hit several times, leading to the injury and death of many people on board, the crew managed to destroy another five Russian aircraft. Once again the “Haussa” reached a safe harbour: the western port Swinemünde where the refugees went ashore. Next the freighter was loaded with ammunition for the troops. However, this did not include any ammunition for the ship’s own guns. Still ten days left till the end of the war. With its highly explosive freight, the completely defenceless ship was to head east once again, which would have meant certain death. Captain Matthiesen, a highly-decorated officer from World War I, suddenly had a nervous breakdown and was replaced by Chief Mate Timmermann. Instead of sailing to her doom, Timmermann change course for neutral Sweden. On the morning of 30 April 1945, during the final days of the war, the “Haussa” dropped anchor in Ystad. The crew was interned, but amazingly lucky! Instead of being handed over to Russia – and thus most probably being sent to Siberian death camps – the men were extradited to Britain from where they were later sent home. Back in Germany, they were charged with refusal to obey orders and sentenced to many years’ imprisonment. The sentences were never executed, but it took 50 years before they were officially revoked. In 1946, the “Haussa”went into British ownership, was then sold to Atid Nav, Haifa, in 1951 and renamed “Daniela Borchard”. In 1957 she sailed as “Louise Lattmann” for shipowner Lattmann, Hamburg, as of 1959 as “Louise Bock” for Ewald Bock, Hamburg. Then her home port became Flensburg, now as “Max Schnell”, and in 1962 she was called “Sophia”. Her last owner was Nikledia Cia. Nav in Piraeus. In 1974, after 31 years’ service, the ship went to the scrap yard. “Haussa” as a warship: Plenty of anti aircraft power made her no easy target DAL Agency Belgium is based on partnership Long-standing ties with renowned parent company Van Doosselaere & Achten leads to successful co-operation D AL Agency Belgium was founded in 2008, after its parent company Van Doosselaere & Achten bvba was appointed to represent Deutsche AfrikaLinien for the Canary Islands/Southern Africa Service, following the long-standing ties between the two companies in other activities and trades. Van Doosselaere & Achten bvba was established in 1939 by two Antwerp families with a traditional Belgian maritime background. Over the years, and in fact over three family generations, the company developed to become one of the main Belgian liner agents representing regular break bulk and container lines to worldwide destinations. Through the establishment of new enterprises, mergers and takeovers, Van Doosselaere & Achten grew to become a whole group of companies specialised in all aspects of commerce and transportation. DAL Agency with their steadily growing customer base handle all export commodities from Belgium and Luxembourg to its African destinations: chemicals, food products (frozen or dry), machinery, automotive parts, iron and steel, paper, petroleum products etc. – only the world renowned diamonds are missing from the manifests! The main imports handled from South Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands are raw materials, wine and refrigerated fruits and vegetables, for which Antwerp serves as hub for the Benelux countries, North- Baroness Eliane Achten, grand-daughter of one of the founders of the agency and present partner of Deutsche Afrika-Linien ern France and the German hinterland. The team is multilingual and looking forward to receiving your freight enquiries and bookings in either English, French, Dutch or German – thus reflecting the diverse and rich culture of their home country. The team (l.t.r.) (standing) Ivette Roels, Philippe Kegels, Christoph Thys; (front) Bart Bodart, Pascal van den Bossche, Nirriana Meersman; (absent) Rita Bostelaar 6 Whereabouts July 2010 Ship’s name Master First Mate Chief Engineer Annette Essberger Boko Zarko Alberto Cabrera Vitaliy Kolesnyk Roland Essberger Dariusz Swierkosz Michal Kruszewski Dmitry Bondarev Liselotte Essberger Herbert Eisenberg Antonio Ocampo Oliver Dietrich John Augustus Essberger Stefan Grabowski Evgeny Buzyrev Jose Gomes Patricia Essberger Hans-Jürgen Schmidt Michael Gross Reinhard Bloedorn Christian Essberger Werner Wetzke Stephan Koeber Ewald Bendin Georg Essberger Marcin Dalak Jacek Sawicki Leonid Volkov Philipp Essberger Andrey Malenkov Rafal Garbacz Krzysztof Barczynski Heinrich Essberger Robert Szmaj Piotr Bes Saturnino Yuson Eberhart Essberger Paulo Santos Virgilio Viegas Fernando Campos Eduard Essberger Boguslaw Gajdowski Enrique Lopez Heinz Dieter Triemer DAL Kalahari Uwe Teichmann Alexey Slavgorodsky Manfred Ziegner Sanaga Song Yun Ying Yu Gang Liu Yun Jian SAG Bulk Australia Chen Hua Tong Wu Fa Dong Wang Feng Swakop Tong Shao Peng Cao Li bin Hu Chang Bao Pelita Andalas Reno Yu Sukma Hadiyanto Dony Merwoto Dalia Lorymer Hamoy Anatoliy Denysenko Julius Flemke Elbia Elvis Forson-Sappeh Danilo Bacalla Viktor Chibisov Floria Sergiy Demchenko Yuriy Poglod Igor Grygoryuk Invicta Domni Sajo Antonio Baco Wolfgang Greger Koralia Eduardo Anin Win Thein Carlito Mariano Valbella Neil Brown Jose Jr. Subradil Volodymyr Berezovsky Dutch Mate M. N. W. Boshuijzen H. J. van den Elst D. I. Roele Dutch Navigator A. C. J. Nagel M. L. Roosendaal A. H. Klein Jacobus Broere A. R. Buren S. de Bos C. Verbaan Bastiaan Broere A. J. A. Linthorst P. Gerrits M. Bosma Dutch Spirit J. van der Form A. W. J. Konijn T. F. Oskam Dutch Faith H. F. Meulenberg B. B. C. Dooper G. J. Tijink Dutch Aquamarine S. W. T. Frerichs N. Sandifort H. G. F. van Meersbergen Dutch Emerald K. C. van der Klooster N. N. P. Burger D. E. Jannink Dutch Engineer T. Keizer G. P. van Dijk G. Sap Dutch Mariner C. Lodder J. de Koster S. C. Kluijfhout Dutch Progress H. Wirenga A. van der Knijff H. van Schoonhoven Caroline Essberger N. van den Belt H. R. Nienhuis H. Berg Ardea P. R. Troost B. N. de Sterre Roberts M. J. W. Schut Alcedo L. A. van der Net K. Gbegan Q. H. M. Warmenhoven Lucy Essberger T. M. Kijzers O. Smit J. Lodder Workers council elected Gotthard Igla stays Chairman for another term O Taking care of the employees, the new workers council elected on April 28: Nico von Binzer, Antje Lohmann, Ulrich Eggert, Gotthard Igla, Linus Kuberling, Christel Krüger and Manfred Orzechowski n 28 April this year a new works council was elected for the Deutsche AfrikaLinien/John T. Essberger Group. In its constituent meeting, the committee decided to appoint Mr Igla as the Chairman for another term and Ms Lindner as his deputy. Also a member of the works council is the Youth and Trainee Representative Mr Küberling. All the decisions taken by the works council are made democratically. Generally, any member of the works council can be a contact person for the staff when it comes to questions and problems. As a rule, all the members of the works council are bound to professional discretion. Follow-up meetings with superiors are only held if explicitly requested by the employee. Unfortunately, Ms Linder was ill and is therefore missing on the group photo shown on the left. 7 HSH Nordbank Run: cheerful D AL/JTE sent a team to the annual HSH Nordbank Run for company members in Hamburg’s Hafencity district. More than 18,000 competitors finished the four-kilometre distance, among them a cheerful DAL/JTE team. For each member and each team, the German bank donates money to help “Children help Children” welfare fund. One day in their school life, German pupils gain an insight into working life. For Philipp von Rantzau it was the JTE office. Here he got instructions from Mrs Jahnke and Martin Krause Personeelsmutaties, Dordrecht Persons joining the company 22.03.10 Ihaab al Najam 3rd Officer 26.03.10 Piotr Filutowicz 3rd Engineer 30.03.10 Miguel dos Santos Cook 01.04.10 Arie Verkaik Operator 01.04.10 Koen Rampelberg 3rd Officer 06.04.10 Stefan Kramer Apprentice Sea 14.04.10 Brian de Sterre Roberts Chief Officer 01.05.10 Koen van Gogh Holiday worker Sea Promotions 01.01.10 Simon de Waard from Mechanic A to Head Workshop 01.05.10 Bas van Groenestijn from Chief Officer to Master 01.05.10 Menno-Jan Slemmer from Rating Engineroom to 3rd Officer 01.06.10 Pieter Willem Mars from 3rd Engineer to 2nd Engineer 01.06.10 Dirk de Reus from Sr. Superintendent to Fleet Manager Marriages 21.05.10 Henri Kat & Heleen Klinkers Births 06.04.10 Saphira, daughter of Kees Zuidam & Grace Soekhoe 06.06.10 Dawid, son of Slawek Narloch & Agniszka Sawa Retirements 01.04.10 Bas Mooijen Chief Engineer 01.05.10 Jans Mulder Master Anniversaries 07.05.10 Ben van Kleij Superintendent IT 25 years 01.06.10 Leen van der Sluijs Sr. Superintendent 12,5 years Aus der Reederei-Familie, Hamburg Jubiläen 40 Jahre Herr Henning Bosum DALSA Bremen, Liner Agency 01.08.2010 25 Jahre Frau Claudia Klein DAL, Trades 01.08.2010 Herr Dierk Herrmann DAL, SSHEQ 01.10.2010 10 Jahre Herr Lars Krugmann JTE, IT 01.08.2010 Herr Sönke Boekholt JTE, Shipmanagement 01.08.2010 Herr Rainer Sadlowski DAL, Facility Management 16.08.2010 Besondere Geburtstage 90 Jahre Frau Lisa Rebien 02.09.2010 Frau Ineborg Schmidt 25.10.2010 85 Jahre Frau Marga Pahl 26.09.2010 75 Jahre Herr Heinrich Settgast 21.08.2010 Herr Gerhard Röhl 29.09.2010 Frau Helga Hollstein 06.10.2010 Herr Kurt Groth 24.10.2010 70 Jahre Herr Ludwig Dornberger 01.08.2010 Herr Lorenz Springmann 05.08.2010 Frau Erika Möller 15.08.2010 Herr Rolf Muhlack 01.09.2010 Frau Anke Schmidt-Eisner 22.10.2010 65 Jahre Herr Drago Sudaric 29.09.2010 60 Jahre Herr John Putter JTE, HR Sea – 26.08.2010 50 Jahre Herr Marcelo Borbon 2nd Officer – 04.09.2010 Hochzeit Ole & Priya Radünzel 03.04.2010 Wir gratulieren zur Geburt eines Kindes Herrn Dr. Alvarez Ricardo – DAL, Controlling Emilian Theodor – 20.04.2010 Frau Katharina Lippens – JTE, Shipmanagement Lara Ida – 20.05.2010 Neue Mitarbeiter an Land Frau Kirsten Kahl DAL, Facility Management Judith Stoll JTE, Shipmanagement Ausgelernte Azubis Frau Judith Stoll, DAL, Linienfahrt Dietrich Schwarz, JTE Trampfahrt Lisa Behrens, Hammonia Reisebüro Wir gedenken Herrn Rolf Brand (88 Jahre) 12.03.2010 Herrn Heinz-Günter Wohlgemuth (66 Jahre) 26.03.2010 Herrn Karl-Heinz von Eitzen (84 Jahre) 09.04.2010 Herrn Fritz Schulz (74 Jahre) 19.04.2010 Herrn Otto Scheel (90 Jahre) 01.06.2010 8 “Master is still a job with a future” John Putter, head of the DAL/JTE Crewing department, on the prospects of going to sea DAL/JTE NEWS: How many seafar- ing people do you employ? JOHN PUTTER: The total number of seafarers we employ is almost 900. These seafarers are handled by the Singapore, Dordrecht and Hamburg offices. They are employed on our own vessels as well as 3rd party management vessels. The fleet where they are employed consists of cement carriers, dry cargo ships, container vessels and chemical tankers. DAL/JTE NEWS: Crewing is a multi- national task. What are the main nationalities in our company (JTE) and how many different nations are allowed in a crew on board anyway? JOHN PUTTER: The main nationalities of the officers are Polish, German, Portuguese, Belgian and Dutch. There are no regulations with respect to the number of nationalities of officers which are allowed on board of the vessels. But the past has shown that it is not wise to have too many nationalities in these officer’s ranks. We strive to have some kind of homogeneity in the officer’s ranks. 95 per cent of the ratings come from the Philippines, as has been the case for many decades. We still have two vessels manned with Iberians. DAL/JTE NEWS: Where do you find your seafarers? Crewing agencies? Personal contacts? From the shipping companies “family”? JOHN PUTTER: Approximately two years ago there was a shortage in the officers ranks and the economical crisis helped us to overcome this shortage. But when the crisis is over there will be again a demand for tonnage again, meaning that the laid up vessels will sail again meaning that the shortage will be back again. Therefore we have to start to hire junior officers and cadets in such a way that we can overcome this shortage. Also we have to have a competitive package of labour conditions at least comparative to our competitors. In both Germany as well as in the Netherlands we were the first to start with a one-on-one-off system, meaning on the Hamburg managed chemical tankers the officers sail mainly on a two- monthon-two-month-off system, whilst in Dordrecht they sail six weeks on six weeks off. Unfortunately most of our competitors are offering these kinds of schemes as well at the moment. We try to hire the junior officers and cadets from the European region the moment they leave school and with respect to the Philippines there is a programme where they are able to be promoted to junior officer if they obtain the respective certificates. Last but not least we have some agencies where we can hire officers in cases of emergency, but we rather employ them directly. JOHN PUTTER: In our company we have a promotion committee which meets on a regular basis. This group of persons discuss the ranks of officers’rank, especially for the tankers, the capabilities of the top five in the ranks and if they are fit for promotion. If they are not yet ready for promotion it will be discussed with the persons involved where they need to improve in the future. If they are ready, they will be informed as well. They can then be promoted to a higher position. DAL/JTE NEWS: German captains and officers have become a rare species as it seems. Is it easier to find these ranks in Holland? JOHN PUTTER: During the previous crisis in the late eighties and early nineties owners decided not to sail with German officers or at least fewer of them on board of German-owned vessels. As a result, the need for junior officers was reduced to almost zero. The effect of that decision and need was that schools were closed. Now there is a change in policy in German shipping; flagging in vessels. Because of this subsidy-driven decision there is an increased need for officers but the need for officers does not meet the output of the schools at the moment, meaning there is a shortage in German officers. DAL/JTE NEWS: To be master and crew of a chemical tanker is quite a different job from a containership. What extra knowledge and qualifications do they need? How do you train you captains/crews for this task? JOHN PUTTER: On board of a chemical tanker there is, as you said, already a special knowledge wanted by our customers. They need to have knowledge with respect to chemicals and also with respect to the loading and discharging of these cargoes. Also the cleaning of the tanks demands experience. Almost every cargo demands its own procedure, therefore it is John Putter, head of the crewing department impossible to transfer an officer from a container vessel to a chemical tanker. Working on board a chemical tanker requires on-thejob training. Therefore we prefer to get our deck officers and engineers straight from school and then promote them through all the steps to their final rank of either chief engineer or captain. The captain and chief mate need to have 5 years’ experience in their respective ranks otherwise some of our customers do not accept the vessel. DAL/JTE NEWS: What would be the ideal qualities for the master of a chemical tanker? What about female seafarers? JOHN PUTTER: He/she must be a people manager plus the extra demands I already mentioned. I have got a saying in this respect : A good chief officer does not necessarily make a good captain. This also works the other way round: not a good matedoes not mean Someone who is not a good chief officer can still become a good captain. We welcome female officers and have quite a few. DAL/JTE NEWS: Who decides about promotion from mate to master? DAL/JTE NEWS: What is the watchsystem for captains/officers and crews? JOHN PUTTER: Crews from the chemical tankers who do come from Europe more or less all sail on a roster two months on/off or six weeks on/off. The crews who come from Asia still want to sail between four to six months and then have their leave, but this will change as well to shorter periods on board, but, as I said, they have currently spend six months on board. DAL/JTE NEWS: Are wives/families allowed on board? JOHN PUTTER: Yes the officers can have their wives on board if the trade of the vessel allows it. Nowadays you don’t see it that often anymore. DAL/JTE NEWS: Would you give your son/daughter the advice to go to sea and become a captain? Is it a job with a future? JOHN PUTTER: You can always give such advice but experience has taught me that nowadays they have already decided themselves what they want to do. They must really whole-heartedly want a career at sea. It must run in the family as well. It is definitely a job with a future, because, as I said, there is a shortage and, as far as I can see the output from the schools is not meeting the industry’s demand. So there is always a future. The negative thing with respect to a seagoing career in comparison to the past is if you want to see a bit of the world there is no need to go to sea, as it is cheaper nowadays to take an airplane. For more information on the DAL/John T. Essberger Group please contact the German head office Deutsche Afrika-Linien HAMBURG, Palmaille 45, D-22767 Hamburg, Tel: +49 (40) 380 16 392, Fax: +49 (40) 380 16 255, E-mail: [email protected] or DAL Agency DURBAN, Sharaf House, 1st Floor La Lucia Ridge Office Estate, Umhlanga/Durban 4051, Tel: +27 (31) 582 9400, Fax: +27 (31) 582 9401 or JOHN T. ESSBERGER HAMBURG, Palmaille 45, D-22767 Hamburg, Tel. +49 (40) 380 16 - 0, Fax: +49 (40) 380 16 579, E-mail: [email protected] or JOHN T. ESSBERGER B.V. Wieldrechtseweg 50, NL-3316 BG Dordrecht, E-mail: [email protected]