26 July 2018

The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) is partnering with MHG Insurance to launch a survey of seafarers who work on superyachts to investigate welfare issues specific to the sector. Questions will be asked on food, cabins and communications, as well as the health and wellbeing of the men and women working on board. The survey has been designed to:

· highlight areas of welfare needs among seafarers on superyachts

· see what is working well under current conditions to meet their welfare needs, and what needs improvement

· explore how existing seafarers’ welfare structures may meet these needs and where there is scope for new provision

A recent survey commissioned by Yachting Pages Media Group found that 75% of crew surveyed said that the industry is not doing enough to tackle mental health problems and look after the overall wellbeing of crew.

‘Maritime welfare organisations are used to dealing with seafarers on cargo and cruise ships. The number of seafarers in the yacht sector has grown to around 35,000, and we need to know more about the challenges which are specific to the superyacht sector. As seafarers on superyachts are covered by the provisions of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention their welfare needs – at sea and ashore – should be better known and provided for,’ said Roger Harris, Executive Director of ISWAN.

Andrew Dudzinski, CEO of MHG Insurance, explained their support of this initiative: ‘The welfare of all crew, but especially those who are insured with MHG, is a primary concern for us. The mental and physical health and wellbeing of these seafarers is not just a professional interest. We want to know better what makes them tick and how their time at sea can be improved.’

Andrew Wright, Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers, who are assisting with the distribution of the survey, said: ‘Yacht crew do an amazing job, catering to a small but very influential clientele, providing a phenomenal level of professionalism and service. For most crew this is a satisfying and wonderful job, but we need to see where improvements can be made.’

The results will be published in a report on the ISWAN website ( www.seafarerswelfare.org ) in December 2018.

For further information, please contact:

Tom Holmer

ISWAN, Croydon, UK

Telephone: +44 20 8253 0163

tom.holmer@iswan.org.uk

Mobile: +44 7807 311852 tom.holmer@iswan.org.uk tom.holmer@iswan.org.uk

Diana Gonzalez

MHG Insurance, Florida, USA

Telephone: +1 954 548 3581

dianag@mhginsurance.com

Mobile: +1 954 232 2957

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN): An international charity dedicated to the relief of need, hardship or distress amongst seafarers of all nationalities, races, colour and creeds irrespective of gender. seafarerswelfare.org

MHG Insurance: Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, property and casualty insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services we provide, please visit mhginsurance.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (July 3, 2018) – MHG Insurance announced today that Odin Bujeiro has joined the company’s IT Department as a Programmer. In this role, Bujeiro will develop, test, troubleshoot, and deploy solutions for MHG’s CRM System and web portal.

Bujeiro joins MHG with more than 20 years of experience as a programmer. Bujeiro previously worked as a Software Developer for a company specializing in vacation awards and incentives for the hospitality industry and more recently, as a Senior Software Engineer for a GPS tracking solutions company.

“Odin is a talented programmer and his skills are much needed as MHG continues to grow,” said Kevin Knorr, MHG’s IT Director. “His extensive knowledge and experience will only benefit our company and help us run more efficiently.”

MHG Insurance has been providing insurance guidance and solutions since 1991. The company has established an unrivalled reputation for providing quality insurance products that meet clients’ coverage requirements and budget.

About MHG Insurance

Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, property and casualty insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services we provide, please visit mhginsurance.com

As has been broadly reported, the French government implemented legislation in 2017 requiring employers of French resident crew to pay into ENIM, the French social system fund for seafarers.

THE ISSUE

Applicable to both commercial and private vessels, the intent of the French government
is reportedly to align seafarers with other French residents in regard to social security
protection. By ratifying MLC, France committed itself to providing its resident seafarers
on commercial vessels with access to all nine branches of social security, yet the reality
is that ENIM is only set up to deal with employers rather than individual seafarers and, as
ENIM have stated to us, only an exceedingly small number of foreign employers have
sought to arrange contributions in respect of their French resident crew, leaving many
others with no way of either paying into or enjoying the benefits of the social system
scheme to which they are entitled. The most publicised case which triggered the
legislation was that of the French crew employed on the Condor Ferries services out of
St. Malo. France has attempted to address that flaw in the system by requiring foreign
employers to pay into ENIM in respect of their French resident crew (with certain
exceptions). An employer who fails to fulfil that obligation risks serious sanctions and it is
doubtful that the French authorities will be understanding of employers simply claiming
ignorance as to the residency of their crew.

THE IMPACT

This legislation has, however, had serious economic consequences for France with the
French shipyards as well as many other businesses which depend on the yachting sector
suffering catastrophic losses of business (compounded by separate issues relating to
VAT on fuel). There is also widespread talk of French resident seafarers being avoided
by yacht employers. In a first attempt to stem the bleeding, an amendment was
implemented in January 2018 which allowed employers to use a private scheme rather
than contribute to ENIM but only if the private scheme provides “equivalent protection”
to that provided by the French social security code. This is, however, of limited help
because the French authorities, including ENIM, are resisting any requests for them to
deem a particular private scheme to be compliant and indeed all indications are that this
will not change in the future. As such, any claims from crew insurance providers that a
particular plan is “compliant” in this context should be treated with a healthy dose of
scepticism and caution! Private international schemes serve an important purpose but
they do have limitations too, some of which risk leading to dissatisfaction in the long-run
amongst seafarers relying on them as a stand-alone solution rather than in combination
with a home country social system.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Much of the concern surrounding this issue has focused on the fear of port state control
inspections. With limited resources, it seems highly unlikely to us that port state control
inspections will in fact present the greatest risk of unwanted attention by the authorities
in this regard. If an inspector finds a properly maintained Maritime Labour Certificate and
DMLC, it is questionable whether they will be digging any further than that unless there
has been a complaint from a seafarer and that, in fact, is where we see a far greater risk.
So, while it is worth considering carrying a Maritime Labour Certificate and DMLC even if
not required to do so (e.g. the vessel is under 500gt), even more importantly it would be
advisable for employers to ask their seafarers to state their country ties and document
those answers. This could be as brief as asking the seafarer to state their country of
residence but could also encompass other ties such as the repatriation destination and
the country of the bank account to which the salary is being paid. The seafarer should be
required to notify the employer in the event of changes to this information. Where the
answers indicate that the seafarer may be a French resident, advice can be sought and
contributions to ENIM can be arranged if appropriate. Where the answers do not
indicate French residency, the employer now has back-up documentation showing good
faith in the event of the seafarer later seeking to claim that the employer has failed to
arrange the necessary contributions to ENIM. We understand that some employers are
already requiring their seafarers to answer such questions.

WHAT’S NEXT

The French social system rules themselves do talk of the concepts of “stable” and
“regular” residence in France, “stable” meaning that it is continuous for three months or
more (to be documented by, for example, confirmation of rent payments, electricity
bills, phone bills etc.) while “regular” is a requirement for non-EU citizens and means that
the individual must have an appropriate “titre de séjour”. British crew working on a
foreign (non-EU) flagged vessel but living in shore-based accommodation in France are
the sort of situation that does need to be more fully understood on an individual basis
in order to minimise the risk of problems and again a questionnaire about country ties
can help with this.

CONTACT

Looking forward, further developments are expected to try to curb the unintended
consequences to the French economy and seafarers. Meanwhile, any other countries
trying to figure out how to fulfil their social security obligations under MLC will no doubt
be watching carefully in an effort to avoid similar challenges.

For more information, please contact Peter Dudzinski at peterd@mhginsurance.eu or
Mark Bononi at markb@mhginsurance.com.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (March 1, 2018) – MHG Insurance, the cruise industry’s benefits specialist, has released a groundbreaking study of the benefits provided by the cruise industry. The exclusive report, titled Cruise Industry Benefits Report, is the inaugural issue and includes a snapshot of the benefits provided across 22 cruise lines along with relevant topics affecting benefits in the industry.

“With the continued expansion of the cruise industry and a full order book for new ships over the next few years, sourcing and keeping your best crew will become more of a challenge as the demand for quality crew increases,” said Edward “Mole” Telfer, MHG’s Cruise Division Director. “The Cruise Industry Benefits Report will be a valuable resource for cruise lines to use when building their benefits strategy. The Report has been a labor of love for us at MHG, as we believe passionately in what we do and want to best prepare our clients for the future.”

The focus of the report is the benefits matrix, a comprehensive list of the industry’s benefits provision. The issue also includes a welcome message from CLIA President, Cindy D’Aoust, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Lyall Duncan touches on the importance of benefits when it comes to recruiting and retaining the industry’s best, Global Medical Management speaks to additional ways cruise lines are helping to care for their employees, and Salen Ship Management’s Niklas Peterstam provides a unique perspective as a recruiter and recipient of benefits.

MHG Insurance continues to be at the forefront of developing insurance solutions and products to meet the changing needs of the cruise industry, businesses, and individuals around the world. To receive a copy of the Cruise Industry Benefits Report or to schedule an appointment to review the report and discuss your benefit strategy, please contact Edward “Mole” Telfer at +1 954 828 1819, pr@mhginsurance.com or see us at Seatrade Cruise Global, booth 927.

About MHG Insurance

Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, business insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services we provide, please visit mhginsurance.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (February 27, 2018)- MHG Insurance Brokers announced today that Account Executives Nadia Bedasse-Francis and Tom Nickerson have been promoted to managerial positions within the U.S. Life & Health Division. With plans to continue growing the Life and Health Division, Nadia will now move into a Business Development Manager role, while Tom will now serve as a Manager in the U.S. Life & Health Division.

Prior to taking on these new roles, Nadia and Tom both served as Account Executives working side by side managing accounts, looking for new business, assisting clients with claims, and much more. In these new roles, Nadia and Tom will be able to focus on their strengths, which will allow MHG to continue to grow and operate more efficiently. This will help existing clients knowing who their point of contact should be, and prospective clients having their needs met.

“We are excited about the changes being made within our Life and Health Division” said Edward “Mole” Telfer, MHG’s Cruise Division Director. “At MHG, our number one goal is always a positive customer service experience, and we are proud to say that we are second to none in that regard. These strategic moves will only strengthen our expertise, which in turn will strengthen our clients’ experiences.”

MHG Insurance Brokers has been providing insurance guidance and solutions since 1991. The company has established an unrivalled reputation for providing quality insurance products that meet clients’ coverage requirements and budget.

About MHG Insurance Brokers

Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance Brokers is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, property and casualty insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance Brokers and the services we provide, please visit mhginsurance.com

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN (January 11, 2018) – MHG Insurance announced today that Jack Okell has been promoted to Analyst. In this newly created position, Jack will reconcile the premium and claims experience for any given account, in addition to providing reports to underwriters in the London market.

Jack was studying Mathematics, Statistics and Physics at Lancaster University in England when he joined MHG as part of the Isle of Man Governments STEP scheme, a program which places Manx undergraduates with local businesses for the summer. Previously, he served as a member of the Army Cadet Force, where he learned self-discipline and the importance of working within a team setting.

“Jack previously worked with MHG as an intern, but it didn’t take long for us to realize his importance and value to our team.” said Cathy Lane, Director of European Operations. “Jack has proven eager to learn and gain experience in any setting, and we are excited to watch and support his growth as he takes on this new role with further responsibility.”

MHG Insurance has been providing insurance guidance and solutions since 1991. The company has established an unrivalled reputation for providing quality insurance products that meet clients’ coverage requirements and budget.

About MHG Insurance

Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs and business insurance all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN (January 26, 2018) – MHG Insurance announced today that Jessica Kramer has joined the company as Underwriting and Claims Assistant to provide benefit and claims support to European-based yacht clients.

Prior to joining MHG, Kramer worked in the shipping industry for 12 years, specializing in crew management, payroll, and insurance. Most recently, she worked as a Marine Personnel Officer for a leading global maritime service provider, managing crew on offshore vessels in the North Sea.

“Jessica is an excellent addition to the team” said Cathy Lane, MHG’s European Operations Director. “We’ve been looking for a suitable candidate to step into the Underwriting and Claims Assistant role for quite some time now. We are extremely pleased to have found Jessica. Her experience and personality are a perfect fit.”

MHG Insurance has been providing insurance guidance and solutions since 1991. The company has established an unrivalled reputation for providing quality insurance products that meet clients’ coverage requirements and budget.

About MHG Insurance

Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, business insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services

The Isle of Man Maritime Group is delighted to announce that Döhle Yachts, Appleby and the Department of Economic Development (DED) are the latest group participants in the prestigious networking reception at Tower Bridge during London International Shipping Week 2017.

The Isle of Man Maritime Group is an entrepreneurial group of Isle of Man based organisations in the maritime sector who work closely together to help champion the Isle of Man as a leading international maritime services centre of excellence.

London International Shipping Week (LISW - www.londoninternationalshippingweek.com) is a must attend bi-annual event in the maritime calendar. It attracts business leaders from around the globe and from all sectors of international shipping industry.

The Group’s reception will showcase the strength of the Manx maritime cluster and the range of services which their IOM members provide. Always 'daring to be different', this time the reception will take place at the iconic Tower Bridge. This is one of London’s most internationally recognisable landmarks with stunning views over the River Thames. It will be an immense attraction to business leaders who come far and wide to attend the week-long festival.

There are now ten Isle of Man based maritime organisations participating in the Group’s event. In addition to Appleby, Döhle Yachts and the DED, the Isle of Man Ship Registry, KPMG, InterManager, MHG Insurance, Bernhard Schulte Ship Management and PDMS Registry & Regulatory Solutions are all taking part.

Commenting on the development, Isle of Man Maritime Group Chairman and PDMS Director, Bruce McGregor stated: “The maritime sector is a significant and important part of the Island’s economy, making our high profile events, which champion the sector beyond our shores, exceptionally beneficial, not just for the Island as a whole but for the individual organisations who are involved.

With the maritime sector renowned for being a dynamic and close knit community, the intangible value and impact of building close relationships with senior international contacts through this kind of event simply cannot be underestimated. At a time when people are coming to London, from all around the globe, for this conference to understand key international pressures, including the impact of Brexit on shipping, this has never been more important.

So it is really fantastic news that Döhle Yachts, Appleby and the DED are now the latest participants in the reception, bringing the total sponsors to ten. With the involvement of all these members and the exceptional location, this is sure to be our best event yet – and likely one of the highlights of the entire LISW week!”

Get involved!

Expected to attract between 150-180 luminaries from the international maritime community, as well as from London itself, the event takes place from 19:00-22:00, Wednesday 13^th September 2017.

If you would like to find out more or express an interest in participating as a hosting organisation, you can do so by calling Bruce or Cameron on 01624 664000. Alternatively, please email Email Us enquiries@iom-maritime.com or visit maritime.im/contact .

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (June 7, 2017) – MHG Insurance announced today that Nadia Bedasse-Francis has joined the company’s U.S. Life & Health Division. Bedasse-Francis will provide administrative support for the division’s group clients in addition to further developing relationships in the local business community.

Prior to joining MHG, Bedasse-Francis held various positions in human resources, administration and insurance, most notably as an Independent Agent where she specialized in individual insurance products. Most recently, Bedasse-Francis worked as a call center supervisor for a national insurance company and was responsible for training and coaching agents.

“We’re fortunate to have found an experienced and qualified candidate so quickly for the Account Executive position” said Edward “Mole” Telfer, MHG’s Cruise Division Director. “Nadia’s background, service-minded spirit and outgoing personality make her a great fit for the division and I’m very happy to welcome her to the company.”

MHG Insurance has been providing insurance guidance and solutions since 1991. The company has established an unrivalled reputation for providing quality insurance products that meet clients’ coverage requirements and budget.

About MHG Insurance

Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, property and casualty insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services we provide, please visit mhginsurance.com

The Isle of Man SuperYacht Forum will host a special presentation and panel discussion on some of the hottest and most current topics in the superyacht industry next month.

In addition to updating the audience on the latest developments in the Forum's activities and services, the event will feature a preview presentation on the new Red Ensign Code, an amalgamation of the existing Large Yacht Code and the Passenger Yacht Code, which is due to be officially launched at the Monaco Yacht Show; and the Isle of Man Ship Registry will also present its new "Pleasure Yacht Plus" service.

However, the real "hot topics" will be deliberated during an in-depth panel discussion on what happens when a superyacht has a crisis to resolve.

Using a number of case histories, a panel of industry specialists will cover topics such as fires, tender accidents, terrorist incidents, grounding, oil spillage, crew and passenger issues.

The event Chairman and Moderator will be Martin Redmayne, Editor-in-Chief of The Superyacht Group, who will lead the panel’s discussions on how to manage a superyacht in crisis, including: who is responsible; the chain of command; liaison with captains, owner's representative, brokers, insurance and legal representatives; flag state; security; salvage and press issues. The debate will then be opened to the audience for Q&As.

Commenting on the forthcoming event, Chairman of the Forum, Andy Roy said: "The Isle of Man SuperYacht Forum has held several presentations and receptions over the years, in London and Monaco. This event is very different to those that we have hosted previously. We will be discussing several highly-topical issues relevant to the industry today and we are looking forward to welcoming delegates to an event which will be both interesting and highly informative."

The event is being held at the Mermaid Theatre, Blackfriars in London on 29 June 2017, from 3:00pm and will be followed by a networking cocktail reception sponsored by the Shipowners’ Club.

Places, which are strictly limited, may be booked by emailing: pr@iomsf.im.

-END-

Notes to Editor:

About the Isle of Man Superyacht Forum

The Isle of Man Superyacht Forum was founded in 2004 to promote the services of companies based on the Island to the yachting sector.

For many years, the Isle of Man has been both recognised and respected as a jurisdiction for ship management. Since the adoption of the Large Yacht Code in 2003, the Island has become a centre of excellence for the registration, management and administration of Superyachts and many of today’s industry standards and recognised best practices were initiated and implemented by members of the Forum, who currently have more than 30 members providing the highest level of service to one of the most demanding industries in the world.

For more information about the Isle of Man Superyacht Forum visit www.iomsf.im or contact:

Contact Details:

Lesley-Anne Johnston

PR & Marketing, The Isle of Man Superyacht Forum

Tel: +44 1624 651714

pr@iomsf.im