The Koreans mobilised an army to clear the snow, the Swiss went skiing and the British got excited then started complaining. Whether it's cold and snowy or hot and sunny where you are, a HAPPY NEW YEAR from everyone at Spinnaker…

AS most of us move into the new decade, the fortune tellers are out in force. Trendy modern folk that we are, we tuned in this week to “Forecasting the Future” – Capital Link Shipping's webinar…

LAST month we told you about the very impressive newly qualified deck officer Fiona Rush, who spoke at the ISF manning and training conference…

37% OF companies froze salaries in 2009 and 13% are planning to freeze salaries in 2010. The average pay rise in 2010 is forecast at just under 2.9% or 3.25% ignoring those who are freezing salaries…

LAST MONTH we wrote about the launch of the 2010 BIMCO/ISF Manpower Study on the worldwide demand for and supply of seafarers. This year's report is eagerly awaited especially given the considerable market changes since the 2005 research…

HOW do you fancy a job interview blindfolded at the bottom of a swimming pool sawing a metal bar in half? This is one of the challenges you'll have to get through if you want to become a Salvage & Mooring Officer for the UK Ministry of Defence…

THE recruitment market – both in shipping and outside – recorded strong rates of growth in the final quarter of 2009…

WE'VE been getting a bit of a hard time in shipping of late. Sure, we can do more to improve but an industry that carries more than 90% of world trade while emitting something like 14% of global transport CO2 emissions can't be all bad…

WE'VE ASKED this before, but when does a few of something become a trend? Itâs like that question I was asked in the pub recently about how many cats an old lady has to own before she officially becomes a crazy cat lady…