For every problem there is a solution
Example #1: ARC Gloria, Anchorage Alaska, August of 2013
Problem: Emergency landing of Colombian air force plane in Anchorage, Alaska carrying cadets for the purpose of a crew transfer of ARC Gloria in Hong Kong.
Solution: Coordinated same day emergency arrival of the plane, transportation, lodging, and meals for 88 persons for 4 days.
Example #2: STS Sedov, Casablanca, Morocco, July of 2012
Problem: The ship needed to send 106 cadets and crew back to Russia and receive 103 new cadets and crew from Russia, but did not make advance arrangements.
Solution: Project Coordinator chartered a plane to fly the route of Moscow – Murmansk - Casablanca where the pilots would be able to rest sufficiently to safely fly back via Casablanca – Murmansk – Moscow route. On-Site Representative arranged in advance immigration clearance of on- and off-signing personnel and bus transportation between the airport and the ship.
Example #3: HMCS Ville de Quebec, Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), September-October of 2008
Problem: HMCS Ville de Quebec was experiencing problems with engines and Commanding Officer decided to purchase 2 Caterpillar generators that had to be modified due to voltage and frequency differences.
Solution: Project Coordinator arranged with Caterpillar office in Nairobi (Kenya) which had the generators to send them to Caterpillar facility in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), where 2 engineers from HMCS Ville de Quebec were able to observe and supervise voltage and frequency conversion. On-Site Representative arranged truck delivery and crane loading these generators on board of the ship on arrival to Dar es Salaam.
Example #4: FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Recife, Brazil, February of 2013
Problem: German Naval Office tried to arrange fueling in Recife, but there was a fuel shortage. FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein already arrived to Recife roads when the problem became known.
Solution: Promptly arranged a fuel terminal at the port of Suape, arranged pilots from Recife to Suape, made docking arrangements in Suape, arranged pilot back to Recife and re-schedules all port services in Recife for the new arrival time.
Example #5: NE Brasil, Istanbul, Turkey, August of 2012
Problem: NE Brasil mistakenly scheduled arrival and activities based on outdated information and thus planned an evening crossing of the Dardanelles Strait and subsequent activities once docked in Istanbul. If the night crossing would not occur, then the ship would have to reschedule all of her activities during her port stay.
Solution: Project Coordinator and On-Site Representative contacted both the Dardanelles Strait Commander and the Canakkale Coast Guard and found that visiting warships are not permitted to cross the Dardanelles at night for safety reasons. Since NE Brasil is a training ship rather than a warship in the Brazilian Navy, Project Coordinator and On-Site Representative were able to convince Turkish authorities to change ship designation from warship to training vessel, so that NE Brasil was able to maintain her schedule.
Example #6: SPS Juan Sebastian de Elcano, New York, USA, May of 2012
Problem: A day before the tall ships were to participate in NY Fleet Week and be allowed to formally dock, a female crew member fell and severely injured her spine. Because of the spinal injury, the Commanding Officer did not want to transport her by launch, but no NY pier would allow the ship to come in because of lack of insurance coverage.
Solution: Contacted all pier owners and made an agreement with New York City Economic Development Corporation that they will allow the ship to temporarily dock at Stapleton Homeport Pier (pier they own and lease to US Navy and NY Fire Department) in Staten Island to unload the injured crew member from the ship into the waiting ambulance. As the guarantee, Pennsylvania Ship Supply, Inc. had to assume all risk as its Project Coordinator, Mr. Gary Khusidman had to be physically present on the pier to ensure that there will be no problems. The company coordinated between NYC EDC, US Navy and NYFD personnel on the pier, Richmond University Hospital, ambulance and arranged a hotel for the ship’s doctor who accompanied the injured crew member to the hospital. From the time we received the message from the ship until the ambulance departed from the pier, it took only 2 hours.
Example #7: FS Monge, Reykjavik, Iceland May of 2012
Problem: Supply Officer requested 264.60 liters of Exterior Marine Paint and would only accept the color “Haze Gray” to be supplied in Reykjavik. The only reliable wholesale representative for marine paint in Iceland is International Paint (not Hempel - the company that supplied FS Monge previously). It was crucial to ensure that the “Haze Gray” in stock matched ship’s color. The paint had to be flown in from mainland Europe and rejection of the paint would be costly for all parties.
Solution: Project Coordinator instructed International Paint’s representative to board FS Monge, compare specifications, and to give Supply Officer a sample to test the color. After Supply Officer tested and accepted the paint, Project Coordinator instructed International Paint representative to have paint order flown in from mainland to be delivered before departure.