To sum up: MET institutions will face new and more demanding
reqiurements when realizing the revised STCW-Convention. This will include a more
qualified and integrated instruction of officers on deck and in the engine-room in
maritime communications basing on maritime English, the SMCP will hopefully provide
assistance in this respect. One of the indispensable essentials, however, to meet these
increased requirements is the reservation of a reasonable amount of periods for an
integrated instruction in the field of maritime communications. The IMO Model Course 1.24,
Maritime English (8), for instance, which had been developed under the relatively moderate
conditions of the STCW-Convention of 1978 requires a total of not less than 305 periods to
be taught to ships' officers. This, now and before, should be a quantity which to reduce
from will be dangerous. Without any doubt, investing into the training of maritime
communications means investing into safer seas and cleaner oceans.
References:
(1) IMO Doc MSC 60/19/10
(2) IMO Doc NAV 39/31/16.5.3
(3) IMO Doc NAV 39/31/16.5.4
(4) F. F. Weeks et al., Seaspeak Reference Manual, Oxford xx 1984
