Introduction

  We live in a world in which communication is paramount.Shipping is totally incoceivable without reliable means of communication and abilities to communicate.Weather forecasts have to be received,the ship’s position to be established.VHF distress, urgency and safety messages to be sent and received, incidents during the voyage to be reported, the eventual time of arrival and departure to be advised,requests for fresh water,bunker, foodstuffs and repair to placed, pilot and tugs to be required, claims to be laid, debatable issues to be solved, accounts to be settled, assistance to be required by a ship in distress and rendered to her. Messages are sent from ship to shore,from shore to ship and from ship to ship.Communicationsa on board have become more essential regarding work in multi-national crews

   Elaborating on the Maritime Communications we have set the task of meeting the enhanced requirments for a more effective communications through the various channels, modes and means of communication, which the contemprory merchant vessels gave at their disposal. The authors have preserved the logic of structring as for acquisition of terminology they have introduced terminological collocations, email messages, which nowadays come closer and closer to business letter writing and are an indespensable part of communications, as well as a lot of new situations that come from every day practice. This 5^th edition has been thoroughly re-newed wwith more than 30 letters and exercises. Two new units cocerning the new challenges at sea-Hazzards that nowadays inlude piracy and the different forms of control of shipboard and port operation have been developed.With respect to these new issues the authors stress on the students’ knowledge of conventinal rules and regulations ( both navigators and engineers) an on board precedures.

   Our aim Is to encourage the improvement and enlargement of the linguistic and practical skills of all those who have dedicated themselves to the maritime profession so that the deck officers and marine engineers sailing on board ship can fill the conventional checklists, receive and send GMDSS messages, use the IMO standard Maritime Phrases in VHF communications, write more precise and appropriate letters. Master’s Reports,Witness Evidence, Sea Protests;the  maritime specialist working ashore in the administration, the ships operators and agents can more sucessfully operate and provide the ships, thus minimizing the risks of handling the ships and eventually of polluting the marine environment. The contents of the book fully coincideds with the ESP sillabi for all learners studying at the Maritime Academy. The sameple messages included will serve as as good basis for acquiring the specific character of the text both in business letters and in GMDSS messages and their linguistic and terminological characteristics

 To this effect the book is designed for all those who are engaged in the shipping business, for the commanding staff of the merchant vessels, for teachers of Maritime English and for their students.

Cordial thanks to all who have helped us collect relevant materials, design and write the book.

-Authors-