Launching of Crew Manning Office in Mumbai- Eastaway (India) Private Limited.

Eastaway (India) Private Limited, a subsidiary of Eastaway Ship Management Pvt Ltd, Singapore, a unit of X-Press Feeders set up their Crew Manning Operation by launching the office at C421,215 Atrium Building, Andheri East, Mumbai. The new office opening ceremonywas clubbed with Officers Seminar held at Radisson Blu Mumbai on 13-14 June 2022.

A large number of Eastaway officers attended the Seminar. The Seminar began with a warm welcome address from Capt. Kaushik Bhatnagar, head of Crew Manning Eastaway India.

He moderated the seminar and the seminar was opened with an auspicious beginning with the lightening of the lamp ceremony as a tribute to Mother Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge.

Capt. RS Minhas, Managing Director, Eastaway Ship Management Singapore, conveyed his appreciation to all the fellow seafarers for taking the time out to participate in the seminar. He shared the presentation on the company overview. Eastaway owns a diverse global fleet of 57 container vessels ranging from 700+ to 7000 TEUs.  In addition, 26 Container New Build Ships are to be delivered in the next 2 years span which includes 8×1170 TEUs Duel Fuelled, and 11×7000 TEUs. Presently 700+ Indian officers & Crew have been under Eastaway fleet vessels and with the increase of their fleet size and owners’ presence in India, the company welcomes competent officers and crew for employment on their fleet. On the seafarers’ welfare side, Capt. Minhas announced remote medical assistance being tied up with 3 Cube Medicare 24×7 crew care onboard.

On the Key Takeaways for Seafarers, his highlights were: “Eastaway cares about upgrading your skills &personal development. Eastaway values your contribution and there are opportunities for career progression. Eastaway values your mental health and will support good performance”. He concluded his presentation with a message for the sea staff to take ownership of Shipboard Work and to give constant feedback to the office team, in order to explore fresh strategies and tips that can contribute toover all performance in the workplace.

The next speaker was Mr. Pawanpreet Singh, DGM Eastaway Singapore on the topic of “Technical Management”. The technical presentation was to totally engage the ship staff in understanding the requirements which company looks forward to the efficient running of ships, which included purchase system to be one-stop and with proper planning and foresight of the planned maintenance which will be due in next few months to avoid the last-minute rush on spares/stores and services. Also discussed good planning of drydocking of a ship for which tier one shipyards to be selected for timely docking and jobs to be completed without any delays. Training of Juniors on technical management is crucial for coming years where new regulations and rules need to be adhered to for efficiently running engines to keep minimum carbon footprint and where possible to stop unnecessary power consumption on motors or lights and fans in cargo holds. To plan the spares/stores in a well-planned manner to avoid air freights which add up to the total costs of consumables. Fuel and Lubes consumption was another topic discussed to keep well-lubricated systems to keep the over lubrication away and clean engines with the proper functioning of engines. Utmost important was the safety of the crew with proper PPE and officers on board were requested to be upfront to bring to notice if any defects are noticed so that office is aware and can fully support to rectify asap. IOPP equipment to be kept functional at all times and no violation at any given time and strict monitoring to be carried out while handling.

Capt. Maulik Hathi, Global Training Manager, Eastaway India presented a unique but the most talked about and much-needed subject, “Human Error Management.”

Human error continues to be the dominant factor in marine accidents. The speaker emphasized the fact that the marine industry is now evolving from the traditional approach of the so-called “Shame” “Blame” culture to the study of Human Factors in Marine accidents. 

A lot of interesting examples were given by drawing references from the two most risk-prone industries, namely Aviation & Medicine (i.e., Surgery). In this context, a few aviation accident video files were screened and some stories of mishaps during medical surgeries were discussed. 

The speaker focused on the most pertinent human factors such as Attitude, Situational Awareness, Inattention, Deception, Delusion, etc. which are consistently affecting the industry on the whole. 

The next presentation was from the 3 Cube Medicare team Mr. Ravjyot Khuman, Director, and Dr. Save, Director on the topic “A new Dimension to Crew Care onboard”. The presentation focused on assuring seafarers aware of 3Cube’s ability to handle various kinds of medical concerns and the depth of skill and knowledge their team has.

The Duty of Care includes 24×7 Remote Medical Assistance manned by over 15 doctors in rotation round the clock. Specialist consult, Video / Audio Calls, Videos, Counselling, etc. Seafarers were also made aware of the basic protocols and steps they would experience when reaching out while onboard. A dedicated Wellness team that delivers continued care through initiatives and fortnightly awareness and interaction with the vessel on wellness matters and access for Seafarers to reach out for general queries on wellness. They were made aware of the presence of a Dedicated Mental Health Team of Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists that works together with the medical team to ensure a comprehensive approach to crew care. 

Their team converse in English, Various Indian Languages, Mandarin, Russian, and Tagalog. The launch of the Health Passport App for seafarers to track their vitals and integrate parts of their care as well as the SMR (Smart Medical Request) App for Master / Medical Officer onboard showcased the effective use of technology in enhancing the service being delivered.

A special thanks given by them to the seafarers and assurance that they are there for them 24×7 along with a key tip to: “Not-Self Diagnose and Medicate”. The presentation was well-received by everyone present.

A memento was presented to Mr. Ravjyot and Dr. Save from Eastaway.

The next invitees were ATPI India. For the comforts of our seafarers, Eastaway has tied up the travel with the most prestigious company and one of the world’s leading Global Travel Management Companies servicing Energy & Shipping companies across the Globe, ATPI India.

ATPI team Capt. Nitin Hardi, MD, and Mr. Trevor Almeida, Sr. Manager Client Relation spoke on how comforts and security to seafarers are being delivered. Capt. Hardi gave the welcome address to those present. This was followed by the presentation done by Mr. Trevor. The presentation covered valuable information for the crew and officers present on how to handle a mishandled baggage situation and use the support of ATPI for getting the bag traced and delivered to the seafarer. There was also a guide & process on what to do in case faced with a canceled flight/ delayed flight situation. The presentation also covered the challenges the seafarers faced with crew changes during the lockdown and Covid 19 travel ban and the ATPI success story of Operating Charter Flights during the India travel ban with great support provided from MASSA, FOSMA, Indigo Airlines, Qatar Airways & DG/ GOI and other Government agencies. The presentation was very well-acknowledged by the Seafarers & Management of Eastaway Ship Management present at the seminar.

A memento was presented by Eastaway management to the ATPI team. 

After the delicious cuisine on the lunch, the next session commenced with “Quality Health & Security Environment update” from Capt. Mayank Singh, QA Manager FMD Eastaway Singapore. He focused on the following:

Safety: Safety is not an issue that can be solved and put aside, it is a permanent feature of how everyone onboard should live and work. Every ship needs a properly functioning system for managing safety that should support and encourage the development of a safety culture. Eastaway Ship Management ensures that the safety management system is continuously improved and in turn improvement in health, Safety, and Environmental performance. The safety target for each year is to achieve “Zero Accidents”. No fatality or work-related major injury. The most effective way to track the safety performance is through the review of reports prepared by third-party inspections fleetwide. 

Operations: Operations onboard a vessel is a complicated environment where potentially dangerous situations constantly arise, but thanks to the continuously developing procedures, risk assessment, and the skill of the humans involved, most conflicts do not lead to accidents. But unfortunately, some do. To reduce the number of incidents, and minimize injuries and damage when they actually happen, it is important to understand the scenarios leading up to accidents.  The provision to report and document such near misses & incidents in our system has enabled us to analyze further and devise preventive measures.

Training: Training is included as an essential element of our strategy to gain a competitive advantage. It helps to implement a quality approach, promote discussions and a general attitude to seek quality, and help employees improve their expertise and thus the quality of service.

Seagoing staff is continuously trained and encouraged to become more involved in risk management. Identification of risk is a continuous and dynamic process requiring involvement from seafarers and support from shore staff. Fleet ships are motivated to identify and report the maximum number of near-misses onboard. The data is reviewed, and information is shared through the monthly bulletin among all vessels. Safety is paramount for everyone and has always been important.

After the hard core technical and compliances topics, it was time for soft skill discussion and what could be better than>>  “ BE A GAME CHANGER”.

Mr. Pankaj Mehta, the person with his passion to teach led him to be a Trainer, Coach, Mentor, and Facilitator, and is fondly known as the “Transformation Accelerator” brought the importance of mindsets in the life of the seafarers on the subject “BE A GAME CHANGER”.

The topic was introduced by an example of Mr. Nelson Mandela, who during the early times of becoming President, was fighting racism and one single idea crossed his mind that can sports unite my nation? He implemented his idea and was successful in hosting Rugby World Cup in South Africa and to his luck they won the World Cup which united both black and white to a great extent. He was a Game Changer.

Being a Game Changer amongst many things like maintaining the highest standards in the area of work ethics, friends, and habits, must have the highest standard of MINDSET. 

Many activities were played to establish the facts that our mind operates on two systems viz. A & B. System A operates automatically and quick with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control, whereas System B allocates attention to effortful activities that demand it, and demands concentration. System A has inbuilt beliefs whereas System B may try to introduce new beliefs and new habits. To be a game-changer is all about working on unwanted belief systems and introduce new better sets of habits and beliefs. It is all about MINDSET.

Everyone has two types of Mindset, viz., a Fixed Mind-Set & Growth Mind-Set. Fixed Mindset is all about playing a game of survival. For them, Results First, Immediate gratification, belief in Talent Wins, failure is not an option, and self-driven. The Growth Mindset is just the opposite. Believes in behavior first, action first, effort wins. Failure is okay with a growth mindset and they do not give up and learn to observe and reflect. They are Purpose-driven and Inspiration driven. To be a Game Changer one must focus on a Growth Mindset. 

To be a Game Changer Follow these Six Rules as shared by Robin Sharma at times.

1. No idea works unless you do the work
2. To have what few have, Do what few do.
3. The best way to change the world is to change yourself.
4. An addiction to distraction is the death of creative production
5. The things that you are most afraid to do is the thing most valuable to do
6. Seduction of safety is always more dangerous than the illusion of uncertainty.

Follow these rules and you can be a Game Changer !!All officers took a pledge to follow these six rules and Be a Game Changer.

To compliment the above rules, use the following four powerful tools :

1. Have Mentors in life. They can transform your lives.
2. Humility is the key to being a Game Changer. Monitor your attitude.
3. Breed Perseverance. Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay it is not the end. Keep working till you accomplish your goal.
4. Be a voracious reader. Develop a habit of reading books.

The topic was exemplary and very well received by all the participants. A memento was presented by Eastaway management to Mr. Pankaj.

The last speaker for the day was Mr. Jashank Jolly, Marine Superintendent, Eastaway Singapore, he spoke on “Marine Management”. He focused on the key factors one must address onboard are“ Constant Care” and  “Communication”. “If we take care of the equipment and people on board in due time the chances of emergencies are reduced. That is CONSTANT CARE. Communicating with the office must be accurate and precise. If we do not know what is happening we cannot assist you. COMMUNICATION is the key”, he added. He emphasized Certificate Upkeep and the importance of checking certificates for correct details.

Other areas, he covered were the importance of Safety Meetings, PPE, SERT, and IT Upgrades, especially challenges met on second-hand Vessels in standardizing IT. 

Day 1 was concluded by moderator Capt. Kaushik followed by a Gala Dinner party in celebration of the opening of the new office. Business associates and officials from the shipping fraternity attended the evening to bless the occasion. All officers and invited guests relaxed & enjoyed conversation and cocktails.

Day 2 began with a recap of previous sessions by Capt. Kaushik thereafter the first speaker Mr. Shivendu Gadkar, Head of Fleet Efficiency and Performance spoke on “Fuel Efficiency”.

Eastaway, with its parent organization X-Press Feeders, has been at the forefront in driving initiatives on fuel efficiency. The organization is committed to net zero emissions by 2050 starting with the order of the Eight methanol vessels along with other very efficient new build orders. The Fleet Efficiency team got attention from the seafaring colleagues regarding areas under their influence for reducing fuel consumption. This included practical ways to how the onboard team can improve the efficiency of the Main Engine, Aux Engine, Aux Boiler, and Optimal Voyage planning. Every single effort counts was the message sent across to all the teams.

The upcoming EEXI and CII regulations were explained in detail so all the seafarers are kept updated with the latest information. Case studies were discussed to show how the fuel efficiency efforts by the onboard team can go a long way in ensuring that the vessel maintains the desired CII rating and continue its operations unhindered.

Decarbonization is a big step for the Shipping industry and it should NOT be looked upon as just a regulatory exercise but as something that we MUST DO for ourselves, for our family, and for our environment. This is a collective effort from all sea-going and on-shore colleagues. This message was the highlight of the seminar from Mr. Shivendu.

Ms. Celia Kang Shiwei, Head of Crew Manning- Global presented her address through the Microsoft Teams platform on the topic “ Crewing and what is installed for sea staff”.  She began with the tagline “working together” and said “Our plan is to change the culture of Crewing Operation from being a transactional activity to a performance focus. This meant a focus on retention, crew welfare, and establishing direct communication between sea staff and Eastaway. A fair and transparent wage scale is set up to gain trust from our seafarers and working towards changing the game moving forward”. On crew welfare, she addressed tying up with 3Cube Medicare & Mediclaim for families & officers when on leave and plenty of job opportunities with fleet growth of 26 plus new-build ships. 

The Seminar was then opened with a Q&A session for the seafarers and the questions were well responded to by Capt. Minhas and the members of Eastaway.

The Seminar came to an end with a feeling of joy manifested from the seafarers for aligning themselves with the company.