The Ancient Skill of Parbuckling or How to Re-float the Costa Concordia

Definition

1. A rope sling for rolling cylindrical objects up or down an inclined plane.

2. A sling for raising or lowering an object vertically.

tr.v. par·buck·led, par·buck·ling, par·buck·les

To raise or lower with such a sling.

 

Adaptation

To see the concept adapted for the Costa Concordia, click on this link:

http://www.theparbucklingproject.com/

then click on each sketch for more information. There’s even something about the environmental issues.

 

Implementation

Keep your fingers crossed!!

 

Dr Terry Lilley

GMI Interviews Women in the Fishing Industry

Researchers from the Greenwich Maritime Institute, Dr Minghua Zhao and Esther Copete, spent two weeks in Belgium and the Netherlands during August 2012, conducting fieldwork which investigates women’s role and contribution to fisheries in the EU. The research is part of a three-year, €4.6 million project, Geography of Inshore Fishing and Sustainability (GIFS), funded by Interreg Iva 2 Seas.

During the fieldwork the researchers had the opportunity to meet the president of the Women in Fisheries Network in the Netherlands who spoke about their activities and their concerns about the industry’s future.

More than 20 interviews were conducted in selected fishing communities in the two countries. In Breskens the team had the opportunity to interview three fisher wives who spoke about their lives and answered questions related to the components of social cohesion. They expressed their views on the women’s roles in their communities and their main concerns regarding their husbands’ jobs, providing the researchers with an insight into the community’s views of the fishing sector.

The researchers also had the opportunity to interview the female Sales Manager of a Breskens-based company supplying fish to wholesalers and retailers across Europe. They also met and talked to the only local fisherwoman in the history of Breskens and her family members who have continued with the business.

The School of Fishing is located in Vlissingen and several students were interviewed as well as their partners. This provided the team with an idea of the younger generation’s view of and level of confidence in the sector.

The GMI research team received strong support from the local partners in both countries. They would like to take this opportunity to register their most sincere thanks. 

More information about the work of GIFS can be found on their website www.gifsproject.eu

 

Dr Minghua Zhao

Public Seminar – African Piracy: Is the Medicine Working?

The next GMI Seminar of the 2012-13 series will be taking place on Wednesday 7th November 2012 at 6pm in Room 075, Queen Anne Court. http://www2.gre.ac.uk/about/travel/greenwich

 

African Piracy:  Is the medicine working?

In this seminar, guest presenter Ian Millen  will address the current status and trends in both Somali and Gulf of Guinea maritime crime;  the different models, the approaches used to mitigate the risk and the possible future outcomes.  He will contrast the various types of crime practised either side of the African continent and look at how the risk is treated by regional and international actors.  His talk will focus on the operational aspects of Somali piracy and Gulf of Guinea maritime crime, outlining the complexity of tackling the problem from the perspective of a commercial intelligence company.

Cdr Ian Millen RN (retired) is the current Director of Intelligence at Dryad Maritime Intelligence Service Ltd – a market leading commercial intelligence company that helps seafarers quantify and mitigate the risks posed by piracy and other waterborne crime.  Ian has over 30 years’ of experience in the direction and conduct of national and multi-national intelligence operations.  From strategic analysis, supporting policy and capability development, to direct operational support Ian draws upon a significant amount of intelligence experience and regional knowledge.  After a 30 year career in the RN, Ian spent 4 years in the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) where he was responsible for the development of information and intelligence systems.  The combined experience of maritime intelligence and organised criminality made him a natural choice to lead Dryad’s intelligence effort in support of its wide shipping client base.  Ian is a regular contributor to Lloyds List and other maritime publications.

Everyone is welcome to attend, the seminar will begin at 6pm, it is free to attend and no booking is required. Tea and coffee will be available from 5.30pm and a glass of wine afterwards.

http://www2.gre.ac.uk/about/schools/gmi/about/events/seminars

The GMI Seminar Series is sponsored by the Zhonghui Maritime Education Fund.