THE world of the shipping industry was brought to life in a fascinating talk by Captain Kuba Szymanski at the International Business School.

He managed to cover a range of issues in the one-hour Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar on Thursday.

Captain Symanski, who started his sea career in 1985, formerly sailed gas/chemical and product tankers, reaching his first command as Master in 1999.

In 2001 he started shore assignment as a Marine Superintendent for Dorchester Maritime Ltd IoM and was promoted to Marine Manager in 2004.

He then joined MOLTANK Ship Management in London as General Manager in 2007 and returned back to the Island last year to take up the role as Secretary General for InterManager.

The seminar attracted people from a number of different professions and it was very informative and enjoyable.

Issues such as how ships communicate with shore, which countries have the most seafarers, the importance of good communication between different nationalities, fuel consumption, wages and working conditions, the layout of vessels and the impact of piracy on the industry were all talked about.

He also praised the Isle of Man flag. There are 400 vessels registered in the Isle of Man and he said the Island's ship registry is the "best in the world".

Captain Szymanski is a man passionate about his industry. Talks like this, delivered in such an enjoyable and informative way, are invaluable when it comes to helping the general public understand more about shipping.

For more on the CPD seminars visit www.ibs.ac.im/cpd

Photo by John Gregory