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Bulk Carriers: The Hidden Work Horses of The Sea

In this episode of Sea Views, hosts Julia Gosling and Adam Parnell speak with Matt Shirley (CEO, Safe Harbours Australia) and Marco Blanco (CFO, Safe Harbours Australia) - veteran maritime pilots leading a consultancy that’s reshaping the standards of bridge team management and port safety worldwide.

What we cover:

Why bulk carriers are the “workhorses of the sea” and how Australia became their global hub

• How Safe Harbours Australia trains bridge teams for high-stakes decision-making
• What the Ships of Shame era taught the world about maritime accountability
• How communication and leadership directly impact safety culture
• Why treating crews as assets and not commodities drives operational excellence

About Safe Harbours Australia

With over 140 years of combined commercial shipping experience and 70 years as qualified marine pilots, Safe Harbours Australia delivers independent consultancy, peer reviews, operational assessments, and advanced Bridge Team Management Training. Their expertise covers pilotage safety systems, simulator facilitation, incident investigation, and autonomous shipping design.

🔗 www.safeharbours.com.au


Hosts

Julia Gosling, Host, Sea Views  https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaahoy/

Adam Parnell, Director, CHIRP Maritime  https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-parnell-chirp/

Guests

Matt Shirley, CEO, Safe Harbours Australia  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-shirley-0435a8206/

Marco Blanco, CFO, Safe Harbours Australia  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-blanco-837b4a192/

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

Shadow Fleet Exposed: Risks to Environment, Trade and Seafarers 

In this episode of Sea Views, we uncover the murky world of the Shadow Fleet - hundreds of aging tankers trading sanctioned oil under layers of secrecy and deception. With falsified registries, spoofed signals, and uninsured operations, these vessels operate beyond the reach of international law, posing enormous risks to the environment, global security, and above all, the seafarers who crew them.

Joining us is Michelle Wiese Bockmann, Senior Maritime Intelligence Analyst at Windward, who explains how the Shadow Fleet has expanded since the Russia–Ukraine conflict, why these ships are a looming environmental and humanitarian crisis, and how technology is beginning to shine a light on their hidden movements.

At the heart of this issue are people - thousands of crew working in unsafe and unregulated conditions. 

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

As the maritime industry pushes toward decarbonisation, what does it mean for the people on board?

A new report explores the impact of green fuel transitions on seafarers—and the findings are sobering. While most seafarers support the move to reduce emissions, the reality on board tells a more complex story.

We speak with Chirag Bahri from ISWAN and Ian Grainger from The Shipowners’ Club to unpack what 400 seafarers around the world are saying. From increased workloads to rising anxiety about new fuel technologies and compliance pressures, this episode examines the overlooked human dimension of the shipping industry’s green transition.

Link to the full report here

Link to ISWAN here

Link to The Shipowners Club here

Link to Alternative Fuels & Seafarer Safety on The Seafarers’ Charity web site

This episode of Sea Views is supported and funded by CHIRP and The Seafarers’ Charity:

Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

BRIDGE SAFETY

“It's absolutely astonished me how far we've gone with this technology and how far we are going...  using Virtual Reality training solutions”

Captain Andrew Parker, Director Ankar Maritime Safety

Bridge safety is our topic for this episode of Sea Views.  We explore what advancements in safety and training we are benefiting from with new technology like Virtual Reality for training solutions, bridge simulators and remote bridge safety audits.  Captain Andrew Parker also reveals how this incredible technology has been used to help Ukranian seafarers complete their  training following war damage at their facilities. 

Ankar Maritime Safety Link
Kilo Solutions Link 

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF SHIPPING - A global perspective

“We recognise there is a global recruitment challenge for shipping and we forecast a shortfall of 90,000 seafarers by 2026.”

Guy Platten, Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping

We cover a fascinating range of current and future issues from recruitment challenges, to piracy and security and the criminalisation of the seafarer. 

Guy spoke about decarbonisation and estimates there are 800,000 seafarers who need training for new fuels by the 2030’s.

“The industry is ready to invest but ship owners need to know what ships to order.  We need governments to make strategic decisions and laws to enable new fuel infrastructure, transport and storage."

Watch the International Chamber of Shipping’s film “An Adventurous Spirit” about a career at sea.

This episode of Sea Views is supported and funded by CHIRP and The Seafarers’ Charity:

Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

“AI could help us identify fresh patterns of risk in our data on port safety before the serious accidents even happen.”

Debbie Cavaldoro, CEO at Port Skills & Safety

The port is the interface between ships and land.  Two interlinked but separate workforces must understand each other’s operations in order to interact safely and that is the role for the organisation Port Skills & Safety.  Julia and Adam are in conversation with their Chief Executive Debbie Cavaldoro about how to get everyone home safely whether they are seafarers, port workers or entering the port from the outside like hauliers and contractors. 

Port Skills & Safety website 

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Sea Views podcast I am talking with the CEO’s of two vital charities which support seafarers who have suffered sexual violence.  Becky Newdick founded Safer Waves and Paula Edwards runs Salute Her UK.  

We recorded this episode during the recent campaign by the World Health Organisation “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.  

We talk about how prevalent the issue is for women working at sea especially, and why this job puts seafarers in such a uniquely vulnerable environment compared to shore jobs.

Recent research shows that the majority of women working at sea in the cargo sector have suffered sexual violence and harassment;  Port Based Welfare Needs Of Women Working on Cargo Ships

What are the consequences for people dealing with the trauma from these incidents and what are some of the solutions to improve the future working environment at sea for seafarers?

If I sound a little gloomy in this episode that is because I was feeling sad.  This is a bleak topic and I can’t pretend otherwise.   

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this podcast please make contact with the charities for support:

SAFER WAVES For confidential support, email our trained volunteers at: support@saferwaves.org

SALUTE HER UK If you need help please contact Paula on Mobile: 07861748522 or via the website: www.saluteher.co.uk

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

“If there is one thing I would change to improve safety onboard ships it’s safe manning requirements.”

Captain Yves Vandenborn, Head of Loss Prevention Asia-Pacific, North Standard

P&I Protection & Indemnity is insurance for ships, crew and cargo.

Julia and Adam were lucky enough to find a one hour slot to talk with loss prevention specialists from P&I clubs at opposite ends of the world.  We met with Bill Moore from New York who works for The American Club at his breakfast table and we caught up with Yves Vandenborn from North Standard during dinner time in Singapore.  We had an insightful conversation with these two experts in their field, exploring the role of insurance in maritime safety.  If you thought insurance was a bit dull. think again. 

Some high profile incident claims have run into $billions such as the Costa Concordia cruise ship and more recently, the container vessel Ever Given which blocked the Suez Canal, but do you know what are the three main categories of claims? 

We find out how insurance is playing a role in supporting better safety across members’ fleets. What are the new risks for insurers with the move towards decarbonisation in shipping and transportation of electric vehicles? 

As a seafarer, is my Rolex watch covered?  What priority is given to improving seafarer mental health? What is the Dark Fleet and are you covered in a war zone?  Find out those answers and more by listening.

Given that these two experts are part of a group of insurers who represent 90% of global shipping, they have a unique perspective on maritime risk so let’s hear what they both think needs to change to improve safety on board ships.

Both P&I Clubs provide safety resources and links to their web sites are here:

American Club

North Standard 

This episode of Sea Views is supported and funded by CHIRP and The Seafarers’ Charity.

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

“We need to pay more attention to fishing to make it safer because there are 35 million fishers going to sea and catching fresh fish and seafood for the world.  So 24 out of every 25 seafarers in the world, work in fishing”

Cor Blonk, at FISH Platform 

Julia and Adam talk with Cor Blonk, from FISH Platform, which is working to raise safety standards in fishing around the world and reduce the number of deaths in fishing globally which is estimated to be anywhere between 20,000 and 100,000 deaths per year. 

Find out what some of the barriers are to making this a safer job, what role do regulations or lack of them play and what solutions can be developed to make a difference for the future? 

A new International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS) has been announced by Lloyd's Register Foundation which aims to support projects to improve safety in international fishing communities.  Find out more here.

Find out more about FISH Platform here and to join you should email cblonk@pelagicfish.eu

This episode of Seaviews is supported and funded by CHIRP and The Seafarers’ Charity 

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd

Send us Fan Mail

“No captain starts out with the aim of being a toxic leader.”

Brendan O’Shannassy,  author of Super Yacht Captain

Toxic leadership can decimate a team and compromise safety on board a ship.

Julia and Adam hold a challenging and insightful conversation with Brendan O’Shannassy, author of Super Yacht Captain and Tom Sharpe, OBE, Naval Commander (retired), exploring the impact of toxic leadership on those working at sea and also touching on observations upon what good leadership looks like.  

The Seafarers' Charity has supported The Nautical Institute’s development of a training programme for seafarers with the aim of reducing toxic leadership at sea.  Find out more at Leadership Programmes  

This episode of Seaviews is supported and funded by CHIRP and The Seafarers’ Charity:

NEWS!  If you love listening to us....you can also watch Sea Views episodes on YouTube.

CHIRP
Improving safety at sea worldwide through the confidential and independent reporting programme.
Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

The Seafarers' Charity
Improving the lives of seafarers and their families for more than 105 years.

by Ahoy Communications Ltd