Ship management is simply the management of ships, the process of managing a ship, fleet management, procurement services, vessel accounting, technical management etc. An independent ship owner or ship company can hand over their ship/ships to a ship management company to use, the ship management company manages the ship for the owner and pays them and agreed amount of money after a duration of time. Usually a contract signed before the ship is leased to the ship management company and if he is unsatisfied with the performance of the ship management company he can approach another company.

When a ship is purchased, it requires a management team to operate and maintain it, the management company provides the owner with support by taking over the management duties of the ship. They provide the owner with a crew for the ship, technical support, ship inspection prior to purchase, supervision during ship building, crew management, registration of vessels, operations, service, technical maintenance. Ship management also involves maritime traffic supervision and management: registration and management of ships, chartering, procuring visa of ships entering and leaving the port.

Ship management companies also provide Technical management services. This is a maritime service offered by third-party management companies, they maintain and operate vessels as required by a ship owner or charter.

The ship management company provides a dedicated technical team of marine engineers, information technology, safety, quality and environmental protection personnel. They also provide financial administration personnel to take care of the business and commercial management of a vessel. They also make use of highly specialised software and systems enable the technical management department to manage all aspects of operations

What does a ship manager do?

Ship management is a difficult task that’s why ship owners hire ship management companies. Ship management services cover a large number of tasks that are carried out before and after a ship starts operations. The most important task in managing a ship is to get it approved, it must get approvals from the different ship classification societies.

Ship management companies can specialize on operating one type of vessel or operate different types of vessels: freight ships, cruise ships etc. But if a ship management company wants to start operating a new type of vessel for the first time, it is first given approval to operate for six months and its performance is evaluated before it is given full approval.

The duties a ship manager performs are usually pre-agreed between the ship owners and ship manager, these duties include:

• Supervision of the maintenance of machinery on board the ship. It includes different surveys and repair work of the ship.
• provision of an adequate crew for manning the ship.
• arrangements for loading and unloading of the cargo
•  The ship management company can hire the ship on behalf of the ship owner.
•  Negotiation of contracts for bunker and lube oil.
• Audit planning
• The ship manager takes care of expenses on behalf of the owner.
• The ship manager is in charge making  arrangements for the entry of the ship in the P&I (Protection and Indemnity) association.
• Ship mangers also deal with various claims related to insurance, salvage etc.
• The ship management company arranges the necessary insurance details in relation to the ship.
•  The ship manager’s duties also include  providing food and supplies for the crew of the ship.
• The ship manager should give the ship owners regular reports of the ships under management, this includes financial aid technical reports.

The ship manager’s fee is usually determined by the level of management requested by the ship owner.

What is ship safety management system

The safety management system (SMS) is  an organized system put in place to make sure that ships comply with the safety rules and regulations, codes, guidelines and standards stipulated by the IMO, classification societies and other maritime organisations.

The safety management system is an important part of the International safety management (ISM) code, it is a detailed prescription of the important policies, procedures and practices to be followed to ensure the safety of ships at sea. Commercial vehicles are required to establish safe ship management procedures. Safety management system is used to ensure the safety of the ship and marine environment.  

Every ship safety management system has some basic requirements, they include:

• Procedure and guidelines on how to act in an emergency situation
• Safety and environmental protection policy
• Instructions for reporting accidents or any other form of non-conformities
• Detailed information showing level of authority and lines of communication among ship crew members, and between shore and shipboard personnel
• Instructions to ensure safe operations of ships and protection of marine environment in compliance with relevant international and state maritime laws
• Procedures for internal audits and management reviews
• Vessel details

A safety management system should be the responsibility of the owner or the designated manager but ship’s captain and crew are the best to make the SMS since they know the ship inside out. The SMS should cover the details of a ship’s day to day operation, emergency procedures, drills and training processes, safety procedures etc.

Ship Management Systems are usually divided into sections for easy reference:

1. General
2. Safety and environmental policy
3. Designated person (DP)
4. Resources and personnel
5. Master’s responsibilities and authority
6. Company’s responsibility and authority
7. Operational procedures
8. Emergency procedures
9. Reporting of accidents
10. Maintenance and records
11. Documentation

These are categories of a basic SMS, but this might vary by to the type of the vessel and the type of cargo it carries.

What is the purpose of safety management system?

A safety management system (SMS) is used to reduce hazards and prevents incidents, it protects the health and safety of the ship crew. A safety management system protects the crew and enhances the ship’s performance and profitability. While safety management systems may differ, the main aim is for continuous improvement and reduction of risk of incidents.

 What is port and shipping management?

A port has a myriad of activities, transactions going on at any point in time, movement of ships, containers ; loading and unloading of ships and containers, customs activities; human resources, anchorages, channels, lighters, tugs, berths, warehouse, and other storage spaces have to be allocated and released. To manage these activities and resources efficiently, there has to be a body in charge of the port’s activity, it could be a government agency like the Nigerian port authority (NPA) that oversees the activities of Nigerian ports. It could also be a private management body as is usually the case with private ports.

What are the qualifications needed to be a logistics manager

Through history Maritime logistics has been the primary means of transporting parts and finished goods on a global scale.

maritime transport by shipping and ports is consists of the transportation of goods/passengers between seaport. Maritime logistics is concerned with the flow of materials from suppliers into an organization, through operations within the organization and then out to customers.

Logistics managers oversee the reception of materials and supplies into a business, supervises the warehousing and storage and shipping operations. They control the flow of incoming materials and outgoing finished products, oversee material handling, customer care, hire and evaluate personnel. To do this job an individual requires some qualifications and skills to be able to handle these tasks.

Most logistics managers have a bachelor’s degree, there are programs that award bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, logistics or business administration. These programs can provide the basic education to work in the logistics industry in a management position.

In addition to a degree in logistics, a maritime logistics manager must possess certain skills:

• Knowledge of the maritime industry
• Good geographical knowledge
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Decision making skills
• Inter personal skills to be able to motivate and instruct employees
• Knowledge of IT and electronic communication methods
• Tact, diplomacy and calmness
• Great financial acumen
• Good negotiation and communication skills

Ship Management in Nigeria

For your ship management services in Nigeria and internationally , Hendiac Nigeria limited is the company to trust, with us your vessel’s management is in great hands. Our quality is shown by adding value to your vessels performance through excellent maintenance, deep marine technical knowledge, selfless service and intervention. We are also a convenient option for your vessel’s technical management.

Our services are satisfactory and reflects our competence, we always aim to exceed our customers expectations with our brilliant deliveries and management style.