Dockage Deal at IGY Rodney Bay on St. Lucia
In an effort to encourage megayachts to visit St. Lucia, IGY Rodney Bay Marina is offering a deeply discounted dockage plan for yachts over 80 feet through May 31, 2012. At $1.50 per foot per day, IGY Rodney Bay Marina customers can use their cumulative dockage fees toward their dockage at either Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas, or at the Yacht Club at Isle de Sol on St. Maarten through May 31. Activities in St. Lucia include the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, April 30 through May 13, and the St. Lucia Carnival, May 28 through July 17.
For more information, visit igymarinas.com.
Maritime Professional Training Accredited as a DP Training Center
Fort Lauderdale-based Maritime Professional Training has announced it has received accreditation from The Nautical Institute as a Dynamic Positioning (DP) Training facility, joining a select few organizations worldwide that are authorized to offer training in this highly valued and specialized profession.
MPT has completed installation of a state-of-the-art DP training lab utilizing Marine Technologies (MT) system software with multiple models to provide training on a full range of Dynamic Positioning vessels. The school employs the latest simulation software from the Transas Group, with an integrated Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS). The new Lab, with six individual training stations, is designed to be one of the most comprehensive currently available anywhere in the world. MPT’s design will allow one student per station for maximum hands-on experience during training. Students will gain a real-world experience with the bridge radar, the Transas and ECDIS systems, the ship’s conning display and the vessel’s visual channel, all incorporated into each station.
MPT will offer both the Basic DP course, as well as the Advanced DP course and will issue certificates of course completion which are necessary for students to qualify for application to the Nautical Institute for certification. The Nautical Institute is the international accreditation organization for certification of DP training centers and DP professionals. The inaugural MPT Dynamic Position class started on April 9.
For more information, visit mptusa.com.
Caribbean Marine Association Starts Effort to Ban TBT Paints
The Caribbean Marine Association (CMA) is planning a campaign to join the worldwide effort to ban the sale of TBT (Tributyltin) marine anti-fouling paint. While it is banned in most the world, the use of TBT marine anti-fouling paint is still authorized in the Caribbean.
“Research has proved that TBT is harmful to the marine environment and, as an area that relies heavily on the environment for its tourism industry, the Caribbean needs to be mindful of the harm being done by the continuing sale of TBT paints to yachts and other sea going vessels” says CMA president John Duffy.
Duffy says that for a variety of reasons it would be difficult to get all Caribbean nations to agree to ban the sale and use of TBT based anti-foul paint. No single Caribbean island wishes to be the first to introduce a ban and put itself at a trading disadvantage with its neighbors, therefore, the CMA has decided to deal with the problem at its source: the retailers. A number of Caribbean retailers already refuse to stock TBT paint and the CMA is hoping to persuade more retailers to follow suit.
“If all retailers cease selling TBT based paints it should be relatively easy to persuade governments to legislate against TBT as no one country will then be at a disadvantage,” Duffy says.
For more information, visit caribbeanmarineassociation.com
Open House for Captains in Nice
More than 20 yachts have signed up for the European Committee for Professional Yachting’s Open House and Networking Day in Nice Harbour May 10 from 2p.m. to 8 p.m. More than 15 suppliers will exhibit their products and services to visiting management companies and captains. The event will close shop at 6:30 p.m. with a presentation by Bureau Veritas on the ILO MLC 2006. A cocktail party will follow.
For more information, visit ecpy.org.
