SHIPS AT HAND: MV PILBARA MARU by PilCrew
“In order to succeed we must first believe that we can”. It all started with this simple but complex quote. A positive, upfront and an effective way of thinking which placed MOL at the top from among other shipping companies in the world. The Magsaysay M.O.L Ship Management Inc. is making a huge effort to produce the best quality seafarers on board and provide its crew the best treatment from the company.
One of the entrusted vessel to the Management is the M/V Pilbara Maru. She is categorized as Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) type of vessel with an overall length of 319.58m. She is owned by Argos Shipping Pte. Ltd. and was delivered on April 23, 2012 to the previous managers. It is a privilege to be a crew and part of the team taking over the management of this vessel despite the challenges presented by being unfamiliar with the way of the former managers.
As the final batch of crew arrived at the ship early in the morning of February 17, 2017, the senior officers who joined the ship weeks before gave a warm welcome. The ship’s’ accommodation was very welcoming. Since taking over is needed to be done in a short time, the crew conducted ship’s familiarization immediately. During the familiarization by the Indian crew, it was made sure that every answer to our questions were properly taken and noted.
One of the challenges faced by the crew was that everything felt new. As a part of pioneering batch of MMSM on this ship everything is back from the beginning, like the Drills, Forms that need to be used in making report among others. All safety
drills were conducted before leaving Luojing, China to conform with SOLAS regulations. It was very tiring yet fun, very helpful and most importantly, it was a requirement by the Regulation.
A meeting was conducted in order to follow the company’s Operating Procedure and to ensure that the crew are well informed. Deck and Engine Department did everything they can to be able to familiarize with the ship even further. The Engine and Deck stores, records of maintenance and records of certificate from previous Management was thoroughly checked. Maintenance on Engine and Deck were tightly monitored starting from the machineries down to the smallest detail.
During the first voyage, it was found out that there were indeed several things that needed to be immediately addressed. With the guidance and eagerness of our well experienced Captain and Chief Engineer and the positive response of the crew, everything was addressed without any delay.
There’s a saying that “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”. It defined how successful an outcome can be with the help of others. It is a matter of teamwork, good communication and camaraderie. It is still a long journey for the crew of M/V Pilbara Maru and the ship itself but with the proper care of the new Management, we believe that everything will turn out just as how we hope it will be.
