Every two years, Steamship Mutual offers its Members the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of key P&I topics and issues through its bi-annual Member Training Course. The course blends expert-led presentations, workshops and hands-on exercises; delivering a well-rounded, practical, and memorable learning experience. It also provides delegates the opportunity to spend time with the Club Managers and their peers from other shipping companies, enabling them to learn, connect and network.
The week began as delegates were welcomed to our new London office at 155 Bishopsgate. We were delighted to welcome 31 delegates from around the world, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, US, Brazil, Germany, Cyprus, France, Pakistan, and Croatia. The first day included sessions on core topics such as the role of Correspondents, crew, passenger and personal injury claims, loss prevention and underwriting. We are grateful to Peter Dixon of Miller Insurance for rounding off the day with an introduction to the International Group reinsurance programme and the London insurance market.
As the course moved to Southampton, the delegates were guided through presentations and workshops on all aspects of P&I, including pollution, casualty response, collision and cargo, as well as important issues facing the industry such as cyber security threats, sanctions, decarbonisation and other geopolitically driven challenges.
The focus was on engagement through workshops hosted by Club Managers and external experts, bringing topics to life through interaction, having some fun along the way.
Highlights of the week included:
- Andrew Chamberlain and Daniel O’Connell of HFW putting the delegates through their paces deciding what steps to take in response to a major casualty
- Martin Baxendale and Mark Clarke of MTI doorstepping to highlight the difficulties of dealing with a persistent media
- Miguel Ciriero, Sue Ware and Natalie Kirk of ITOPF delivering a version of their table-top oil spill exercise incorporating their latest virtual and mixed reality experiences
- A mock arbitration designed to put delegates in the shoes of arbitrators to decide difficult legal issues
Delegates also spent a day at the state-of-the-art Viking MSA Maritime Skills Academy in Portsmouth. The facility boasts a fully integrated Wartsila Nacos Platinum system within its full mission bridge simulator as well as a 360-degree tug simulator. Here delegates enjoyed hands-on experience of navigating, being part of a bridge team and taking decisions. The Club is grateful to Plamen Marinov and his team for their support during the day, with special thanks to Richard Gunn of Reed Smith for helping to curate and lead our re-vamped bridge simulator programme.
Maritime History
Delegates enjoyed a private tour of HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned flagship in the world. During the tour we learned about the harsh punishments dished out to unruly sailors, the unsettling world of battlefield medicine in the Georgian era, and, importantly, the Battle Of Trafalgar.
Delegates also enjoyed a tour of the historic ship building village of Buckler’s Hard on the picturesque banks of the Beaulieu River. HMS Euryalus, HMS Swiftsure and HMS Agamemnon, all of which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar, were built here.
Connecting
Beyond purely educational content, the focus is on enjoyment and engagement. The Steamship Mutual Member Training Course is a platform for networking, idea exchange, and building enduring professional relationships. Once again, the collaborative spirit fostered during the week was truly remarkable.
We were sad to say farewell to our delegates at the conclusion of the week but….
We look forward to doing it all again in 2027!
The Club would also like to thank Charles Watkins (MHSS), George Chalos (Chalos & Co) and Max Bobys (Shoreline Hudson) for their contributions and support.
